Category Archives: 2 – Maybe (likely wouldn’t buy, might drink)

2 - Maybe (likely wouldn't buy, might drink), Beer Reviews, Belgian Strong Dark Ale, Denmark, Mikkeller ApS

Mikkeller Santa’s Little Helper 2016

Saturday, 31 December 2016 kitch Leave a comment

Brewery: Mikkeller ApS
Country: Denmark
ABV: 10.9%
Style: Belgian Strong Dark Ale
Other Notes: Brewed by Mikkeller at De Proef Brouwerij

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Belgian ale brewed with spices.

My rating: 2
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.31
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.1

Intro: A 330ml bottle with a best before date of 17th August 2026. Poured into a Lost Abbey teku glass.
Appearance: A dark amber brown colour with a big three finger off white head that had good retention and left great sticky lacing.
Aroma: Caramel, sweet malts, dark fruit plum and raisins with a hint of chocolate.
Taste: Sweet caramel and toffee, plum, raisins, candied sugar, black coffee bitterness, orange, spices and booze.
Mouthfeel: Medium to full bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: It’s probably overly sweet for my liking. In addition there is quite a lot of booze coming through especially as it warms and in the end, probably too much.

2 - Maybe (likely wouldn't buy, might drink), Beer Reviews, Boston Beer Company, USA, Wild Ale

Samuel Adams (Barrel Room Collection) Stony Brook Red

Friday, 30 December 2016 kitch Leave a comment

Brewery: Boston Beer Company
Country: USA
ABV: 9%
Style: American Wild Ale
Other Notes: A unique Belgian Style Red with a hint of tart, fruit and toasted oak character

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Distinctive and enticing, this unique and utterly complex brew builds from the inspiration of Flemish reds. It begins with an earthy sourness and hints of dark fruit but the tartness gives way to a rich maltiness and touch of toasted oak. These flavors are rounded and deepened by the barrel aging for a layered & alluring brew. One of our brewers’ favorite places to experiment is in the barrel room at our Boston Brewery. It’s here that each of our Samuel Adams Barrel Room Collection brews was born.

My rating: 2
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.5
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.2

Intro: A 1pt 9.4 fl oz corked and caged bottle with a best before date of 1st October 2017. Poured into a Lost Abbey teku glass.
Appearance: A dark ruby reddish brown colour with a big three finger light tanned head that had decent retention and left only sparse lacing.
Aroma: Fruity tart cherry, red berries, grape, plum, caramel and a touch of vinegar.
Taste: Much less fruit than the aroma, sour, tart, cherry, plum, oak, alcohol and vinegar.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied and highly (overly) carbonated.
Overall: Taste was decent but I think its fruitiness was definitely affected by the harshness of the carbonation, which I felt mellowed it, when compared to the aroma. For me, the problem all stemmed from the harshness of the carbonation when swallowing, which I thought was way more than even any soda that I’ve drank before. If toned down a bit, I think that I would have enjoyed it a lot more.

2 - Maybe (likely wouldn't buy, might drink), Beer Reviews, Daviyun S.L., English Golden Ale, Spain

Sagra Premium

Tuesday, 20 December 2016 kitch Leave a comment

Brewery: Daviyun S.L.
Country: Spain
ABV: 5.4%
Style: English Golden Ale

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Very aromatic, blond, full bodied. Due to its ale fermentation temperature it has distinct and unforgettable fruit flavors and aromas with a refreshing bitterness and floral finish.

My rating: 2
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.12
My ratebeer.com rating: 3

Intro: A 330ml bottle with a best before date of 9th April 2017. Poured into a Mikkeller stemmed tasting glass.
Appearance: A slightly hazy orange pale copper colour with a one finger white head that had decent retention.
Aroma: Fanta orange soda with some bready and caramel malts.
Taste: Orange sweetness mixed with some herbal and floral elements and biscuity malt.
Mouthfeel: Light to medium bodied with light to moderate carbonation.
Overall: The fruitiness was quite nice, but the herbal elements I was getting, was not really my thing.

2 - Maybe (likely wouldn't buy, might drink), American Strong Ale, Beer Reviews, Stone Brewing Co. (Arrogant Consortia), USA

Stone Arrogant Bastard Ale Bourbon Barrel Aged

Thursday, 15 December 2016 kitch Leave a comment

Brewery: Stone Brewing Co. (Arrogant Consortia)
Country: USA
ABV: 8.1%
Style: American Strong Ale
Other Notes: Aged in Kentucky Bourbon Barrels

Brewer Description: (from bottle) I didn’t give you permission to pick me up, let alone drink me. Being groped as you mutter to yourself taxes my patience. While I am a master of social complexities and articulate thought, clearly you are not. I embody the pinnacle of intellectual artistic fulfilment, while you bring the baggage of preconceived notions, which only distract. Yet, I’ll give you one chance: Aspire to free your mind. Use a crowbar if you must. Approach me with openness, unsullied by your irrelevant “life experience,” or leave me alone. No, you don’t have to put up with this. Go tweet your precious insights about me. Thrill yourself by imagining your three or 30,000 followers hanging on your every word. OMG, they’re waiting to read the thought you just had. Now close your mouth and either set me down or do your worst. What’s that? You’re going to drink a fizzy yellow beer out of spite? Self-flagellate all you like, tiger. Proclaim your unworthiness to whoever will listen.

My rating: 2
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.42
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.2

Intro: A 12 fl oz bottle with a bottled on date of 26th July 2016. Poured into a snifter glass.
Appearance: A clear dark copper amber colour with a one finger tanned head that had decent retention and left nice spotty lacing.
Aroma: Amazing aromas of coconut, pineapple, toffee sweetness, vanilla and wood with only subtle bourbon notes.
Taste: Vanilla, woody, coconut and caramel sweetness with a hint of pine and light bourbon notes.
Mouthfeel: Almost creamy, medium bodied with mild carbonation.
Overall: Despite the stunning aromas, this did not quite work for me as I felt the taste was quite muddled. I actually preferred the regular Arrogant Bastard Ale a lot more than this Bourbon Barrel Aged version.

2 - Maybe (likely wouldn't buy, might drink), American Amber / Red Ale, Baird Brewing Company, Beer Reviews, Japan

Baird Red Rose Amber Ale

Thursday, 15 December 2016 kitch Leave a comment

Brewery: Baird Brewing Company
Country: Japan
ABV: 6%
Style: American Amber Ale

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Richly fruity & malty, yet crisp & dry.

My rating: 2
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.22
My ratebeer.com rating: 3

Intro: A 330ml bottle, packaged on 24th May 2016, to be enjoyed within 12 months. Poured into a Mikkeller pint glass.
Appearance: A clear copper amber colour with a one finger off white head that had pretty good retention and eventually settled to a nice thin layer while leaving nice lacing.
Aroma: Malty, caramel, tea leaves and maybe a touch of honey. But it’s all really quite light.
Taste: Sweet biscuit malt with touches of caramel, wood, breadiness and lemon here and there.
Mouthfeel: Crisp, light to medium bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: Mouthfeel was great with nice crispness and tingly carbonation, but the aromas were too light and I really had to search for them. Taste was normal and drinkable. Not bad, but not quite my type of beer.

words of another dreamy traveller