Category Archives: 4 – Good (buy)

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Farmhouse Saison, Prairie Artisan Ales, USA

Prairie Prairie Hop

Friday, 26 February 2016 kitch Leave a comment

Brewery: Prairie Artisan Ales
Country: USA
ABV: 8%
Style: Belgian Saison
Other Notes: 35 IBUs. Brewed and bottled by Krebs Brewing Co., Krebs, Oklahoma.

Brewer Description: (from website) Prairie Hop is our hop driven saison. This beer is packed with Simcoe and Citra hops. Notes of peach, mango, and tangerine can be found in the flavor and aroma of this beer. The beer finishes dry which helps the hops jump out of the glass flavor wise.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.14
My ratebeer.com rating: 4

Intro: A 1 pint 0.9 fl oz (500ml) bottle with a Julian bottled on date of 19515, meaning it was bottled on 14th July 2015. It was poured into a Duvel tulip glass.
Appearance: It poured a cloudy light gold colour (maybe even a bit murky) with a huge 3 finger white head that had good retention and nice lacing.
Aroma: Tropical pineapple, mango and peach, some grassiness and pear with a peppery mandarin finish.
Taste: Starts with biscuity bready malts, slight tartness with tropical mango and peach, followed by grassy and floral notes, some citrus zestiness and a mandarin, white peppery spice finish.
Mouthfeel: Dry, medium bodied with mid to high carbonation.
Overall: Overall a great saison with nice tropical, zesty and spicy notes.

4 - Good (buy), American Pale Ale, Beer Reviews, Omnipollo, Sweden

Omnipollo Onda Mosaic Pale Ale

Wednesday, 17 February 2016 kitch 1 Comment

Brewery: Omnipollo
Country: Sweden
ABV: 5%
Style: American Pale Ale
Other Notes: Brewed by Omnipollo at De Proef Brouwerij (Belgium)

Brewer Description: (from website) Me and Karl reached out to Onda of STHLM Inkasso over a year ago. With beats and a rap flow like no other he had inspired us to brew a beer. Onda is a smooth pale ale brewed with 100% Mosaic hops.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.09
My ratebeer.com rating: 4

Intro: A 330ml bottle with a best before date of 11th March 2016 poured into a Duvel tulip glass.
Appearance: It poured a hazy dark yellow colour with a big puffy 3 finger white head that has good retention and leaves thick sticky lacing.
Aroma: Very juicy tropical fruit especially mango, passionfruit, peach and apricot. There is also a hint of pine and citrus lemon.
Taste: Starts tropical with mango and pineapple before slowly turning lightly bitter with pine, lemon and grapefruit taking over.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with mid to high carbonation.
Overall: A nice pale ale that is easy to drink and refreshing.

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.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Belgian Strong Pale Ale, Belgium, De Struise Brouwers

De Struise Tsjeeses Reserva Port Barrel Aged

Saturday, 26 December 2015 kitch Leave a comment

Brewery: De Struise Brouwers
Country: Belgium
ABV: 10%
Style: Belgian Strong Pale Ale
Other Notes: 2013 Vintage

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Belgian X-Mas Ale.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.32
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.2

Intro: A 330ml bottle of 2013 vintage, bottled on July 2014 with a best before date of 15th August 2019 and poured into a Duvel tulip glass.
Appearance: It poured a cloudy dark orange bronze colour with a fluffy two finger light tanned head with good retention that leaves nice spotty lacing.
Aroma: Sweet and fruity plum, apple, grape, fig and red wine with hints of caramel and vanilla.
Taste: Sweet apples, orange, port, grapes with oak woody notes and caramel malts.
Mouthfeel: Very rich, medium bodied with medium but strong prickly carbonation.
Overall: I wish I had the original non barrel aged version of this to compare to. However, this Port BA version is very good. Even at 10% the alcohol is well hidden and being Port BA I was a bit worried that it would be too sweet but its actually at a good level. A great barrel aged Belgian Strong Pale Ale that I would get again next year!

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Belgian Quadrupel, Belgium, Brouwerij St. Bernardus NV

St. Bernardus Christmas Ale

Friday, 25 December 2015 kitch Leave a comment

Brewery: Brouwerij St. Bernardus NV
Country: Belgium
ABV: 10%
Style: Belgian Quadrupel

Brewer Description: (from website) St.Bernardus Christmas Ale is a dark seasonal brewed in the classic ‘Quadrupel’ style of Belgium’s best Abbey Ales. (10,0 % ABV) Similar to all the beers from our brewery, it greets the drinker with the signature aroma of the St.Bernardus house yeast strain (in use since 1946!) Rivaling the complexity of the St.Bernardus Abt 12, St,Bernardus Christmas Ale offers a spicy, mint-like flavour profile exuding the tastes of warming alcohol, fermented molasses, apricots, licorice and marzipan that are highlighted by the perfect balance of brewing sugars.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.17
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.2

Intro: A 330ml bottle with a best before date of 30th July 2018, poured into a Chimay goblet glass.
Appearance: It poured a dark brown colour with a two finger creamy puffy beige head that dissipated slowly to a nice half finger puffy cap that gives nice curtain like lacing.
Aroma: Nice dark fruit cherry, plum, prunes and raisin with hints of apple, banana and spice pepper.
Taste: Much like the aromas, there’s candied sugar, apricot, cherry, fig, plum and hints of banana. Caramel and toffee comes out as it warms. The alcohol is there but does not affect the taste and is slightly stronger when warm.
Mouthfeel: Creamy, medium bodied with mid to high carbonation.
Overall: Not quite Abt 12 but it is still a great beer from this Trappist brewery that I would buy again next year.

words of another dreamy traveller