Category Archives: Country

5 - Excellent (must buy), Australia, Beer Reviews, Belgian Dark Ale, La Sirène Brewing

La Sirène Praline

Friday, 8 January 2016 kitch Leave a comment

Brewery: La Sirène Brewing
Country: Australia
ABV: 6%
Style: Belgian Dark Ale
Other Notes: Contains nuts & lactose. Bottle conditioned, unfiltered and unpasteurised.

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Our award winning La Sirene Praline is a very special Belgian chocolate style ale. Belgian dark malts combine with organic vanilla pods & cacao nibs to provide a delightful contrast of sweet & savoury. Smooth & velvety with a creamy body & fluffy head. This delicate, balanced dark ale is a seductive chocolate praline beer experience.

My rating: 5
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.52
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.4

Intro: A 750ml bottle with an enjoy before date of 17th December 2015 (so drank a little late, but I’m not so worried for this style). Poured into a snifter glass.
Appearance: It poured a clear dark brown colour with an amber hue and a fluffy but thin half finger tanned head that didn’t retain too well but left nice spotty lacing.
Aroma: A very nice sweet hazelnut and chocolate with a hint of brown sugar.
Taste: Much like that aroma, a tasty chocolate hazelnut cake.
Mouthfeel: Light to mid body with light carbonation.
Overall: This surprised me a lot. A very tasty beer that could replace dessert yet surprisingly not too sweet for me (and there are a lot of beers that I find too sweet). I would definitely buy this again.

5 - Excellent (must buy), American IPA, Ballast Point Brewing Company, Beer Reviews, USA

Ballast Point Grapefruit Sculpin

Thursday, 31 December 2015 kitch Leave a comment

Brewery: Ballast Point Brewing Company
Country: USA
ABV: 7%
Style: American IPA
Other Notes: 70 IBUs. India Pale Ale with natural grapefruit flavors.

Brewer Description: (from website) Our award-winning IPA, with a citrus twist. Our Grapefruit Sculpin is the latest take on our signature IPA. Some may say there are few ways to improve Sculpin’s unique flavour, but the tart freshness of grapefruit perfectly complements our IPA’s citrusy hop character. Grapefruit’s a winter fruit, but this easy-drinking ale tastes like summer.

My rating: 5
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.6
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.5

Intro: A 12 fl oz bottle with a bottled code date of 15225 (I think… as it is a little bit ineligible) which means 13th August 2015, and poured into a Spiegelau IPA glass.
Appearance: It poured a clear golden and slightly orange colour with a one finger white head that dissipated fairly quickly but left nice lacing.
Aroma: Wow… a wonderful fresh pink grapefruit aroma coupled with some light tropical fruit.
Taste: Strong grapefruit bitterness with hints of citrus lemon and light sweet bready caramel malts in the background.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with medium but prickly carbonation.
Overall: Much like the original Sculpin, this grapefruit version was also really good. The aromas were especially good, like fresh grapefruit. Taste was nice as well, but could be slightly improved with more fruitiness. Having said that, although Grapefruit Sculpin falls under my must buy list, I do prefer the original Sculpin just a tad bit more.

4 - Good (buy), American Pale Ale, Ballast Point Brewing Company, Beer Reviews, USA

Ballast Point Grunion Pale Ale

Thursday, 31 December 2015 kitch Leave a comment

Brewery: Ballast Point Brewing Company
Country: USA
ABV: 5.5%
Style: American Pale Ale
Other Notes: 35 IBUs. Hoppy Pale Ale.

Brewer Description: (from website) A new Pale Ale where hops run the show. Our Grunion Pale Ale wasn’t born on a beach, but in a backyard. Originating from an employee-only home brew contest, this award-winning hoppy pale ale is named after the tiny local fish known for late night frolics on shore. A pair of new hop varieties lend strong yet balanced summer melon aromas and herbal flavors, while a soft caramel malt sweetness holds it all together.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.36
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.3

Intro: A 12 fl oz bottle with a bottled code date of 15217 which means 5th August 2015, and poured into a Duvel tulip glass.
Appearance: It poured a slightly hazy golden orange colour with a one finger white head that dissipated fairly quickly leaving nice lacing.
Aroma: Lots of tropical fruits in the aromas with mango and passionfruit as well as some citrus grapefruit in the background.
Taste: Much like the aromas the tropical fruit is strong, mainly mango, passionfruit and pineapple. In the background, is some light citrus grapefruit and biscuity, bready malts with a tea like finish.
Mouthfeel: Crisp, medium bodied with mid to high carbonation.
Overall: A very tasty and crisp APA with a wonderful tropicalness to it.

5 - Excellent (must buy), American Double IPA, Beer Reviews, USA, Victory Brewing Company

Victory DirtWolf Double IPA

Wednesday, 30 December 2015 kitch Leave a comment

Brewery: Victory Brewing Company
Country: USA
ABV: 8.7%
Style: American Double IPA
Other Notes: Malts – Imported two-row malts. Hops – Whole flower Citra, Chinook, Simcoe and Mosaic.

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Darkly heroic, Humulus Lupulus (hops) have empowered brews with bite and character since the 11th century. DirtWolf is a tribute to these untamed vines which rise from the earth with voracity of a ‘wolf among sheep.’ Hops have made an assertive comeback in American craft brewing. Revel in the best US varieties of hops, in their natural, whole flower form, as they bring a vital, pungent reality to the soul of a wild element in our dangerously satisfying DirtWolf. Cheers.

My rating: 5
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.49
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.4

Intro: A 12 fl oz bottle with an enjoy by date of 26th January 2016, poured into a Spiegelau IPA glass.
Appearance: It poured a slightly hazy golden straw colour with a one finger white head that dissipated quickly leaving some nice lacing.
Aroma: Very nice tropical and citrus aromas with mango, pineapple and grapefruit taking centre stage. Some light pine and citrus peel in the background.
Taste: Grapefruit, orange and pine but the lasting taste is a sweet candy orange with some light bitterness.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with mid to high carbonation.
Overall: A very nice Double IPA that I would love to be able to try super fresh. I would definitely buy this one again.

3 - Indifferent (might buy, probably drink), American IPA, Beer Reviews, USA, Victory Brewing Company

Victory HopDevil IPA

Tuesday, 29 December 2015 kitch Leave a comment

Brewery: Victory Brewing Company
Country: USA
ABV: 6.7%
Style: American IPA
Other Notes: Malts – Imported 2 row German malts. Hops – Whole flower American hops.

Brewer Description: (from bottle) The mythical HopDevil resides in the lore of farmers. Our HopDevil is the real deal. Bold, spicy and menacingly delicious. He’s the product of distinctive American hops and meticulous craftsmanship. Arising from the heady wilds of our hopback and gently tamed with time, this Devil makes a great companion.

My rating: 3
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.78
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.6

Intro: A 12 fl oz bottle with an enjoy by date of 14th January 2016, poured into a Spiegelau IPA glass.
Appearance: It poured a clear copper orange colour with an off white one finger head that dissipated quickly but left nice stringy lacing.
Aroma: Citrus orange and lemon, pine with hints of tropical fruits and light caramel malt.
Taste: Grapefruit and pine bitterness with quite a strong malt sweetness backbone. The finish is a nice lingering bitterness.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with medium carbonation.
Overall: A nice IPA with good bitterness but maybe slightly too much malt sweetness.

words of another dreamy traveller