Category Archives: Beer Reviews

3 - Indifferent (might buy, probably drink), Beer Reviews, Garage Project, New Zealand, Porter - Baltic

Garage Project Baltic Porter

Monday, 4 July 2016 kitch Leave a comment

Brewery: Garage Project
Country: New Zealand
ABV: 8%
Style: Baltic Porter
Other Notes: Brewed with a touch of smoked malt

Brewer Description: (from bottle) A beer needs to be dressed in the best. Poor Baltic Porter, favourite tipple of the Czars and one of our most popular dark beers, never had a stitch to wear. But now the face of Baltic is bear not bare, naked no longer thanks to the irreverent creative mischief of local gone global art collective & clothing brand ALC. With new threads and a quirky take on the traditional, Baltic is stepping out in fine style. Huge ups to ALC.

My rating: 3
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.75
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.5

Intro: A 650ml bottle with a best before date of 2nd November 2016. Poured into a Moonzen teku glass.
Appearance: It poured a dark brown colour with a reddish hue and a big three finger beige head that dissipated fairly quickly and left only sparse lacing.
Aroma: Caramel, roasted malts, molasses, coke sweetness and a hint of smoke.
Taste: Caramel, dark fruit sweetness of plum and prunes, chocolate, molasses and some light char and smoke on the finish.
Mouthfeel: Medium to light bodied with moderate to high prickly carbonation.
Overall: A pretty good Baltic Porter taste wise, but I felt that the body was too light and the carbonation slightly on the high side. Having said that, as it is, it does go down easy.

5 - Excellent (must buy), American IPA, Beer Reviews, Denmark, Mikkeller ApS

Mikkeller Invasion Farmhouse IPA

Saturday, 2 July 2016 kitch Leave a comment

Brewery: Mikkeller ApS
Country: Denmark
ABV: 8%
Style: American IPA
Other Notes: Brewed and bottled by Anchorage Brewing Company, Anchorage, Alaska, USA

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Farmhouse India Pale Ale bottled with Brettanomyces.

My rating: 5
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.65
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.5

Intro: A 750ml caged and corked bottle from Batch #4, bottled in October 2015. Poured into a Mikkeller long stemmed tulip glass.
Appearance: It poured a cloudy golden straw yellow colour with a two finger white head with good retention and left great lacing.
Aroma: Big juicy tropical mango and pineapple, citrus lemon, lemon peel, lime, orange, some brett and funk with a hint of black peppercorn and herbs.
Taste: Quite similar to the aromas with tropical mango and pineapple shouting out followed by lots of citrus lemon and orange, peel and rind. There’s some light farmhouse funk, hay and pepper spice on the finish.
Mouthfeel: Dry, light to medium bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: Brilliant. Brett doesn’t always work, but it works so well in this Farmhouse IPA. Very nice tropical and citrus aromas and taste that worked well together and coupled with the light farmhouse funkiness was very balanced. The 8% abv just did not feel like it was there and I was drinking it like it was a sessionable beer. A must buy beer in my book.

3 - Indifferent (might buy, probably drink), Beer Reviews, Denmark, German Doppelbock, Mikkeller ApS

Mikkeller Raspberry Trippelbock

Thursday, 30 June 2016 kitch Leave a comment

Brewery: Mikkeller ApS
Country: Denmark
ABV: 13%
Style: German Doppelbock
Other Notes: Brewed and bottled by Mikkeller at De Proef Brouwerij

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Trippelbock with raspberry.

My rating: 3
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.77
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.6

Intro: A 375ml bottle with a best before date of 22nd September 2016. Poured into a d’Achouffe tulip glass.
Appearance: It poured a dark brown colour with a slight red hue. It had a two finger khaki head with good retention that eventually settles to a cap and leaves nice spotty lacing.
Aroma: Strong raspberry juice and raspberry jam with cherry, grape juice and red wine with maybe a hint of chocolate.
Taste: Tart raspberry juice, grape juice, mixed berries, plum and red wine. There’s a hint of chocolate and molasses in the middle, but otherwise, its very fruit juicy.
Mouthfeel: Medium to full bodied with moderate carbonation and a well hidden 13% abv.
Overall: Nice tart fruit aromas and taste, as well as hints of chocolate which made it seem like a dessert.

3 - Indifferent (might buy, probably drink), Beer Reviews, Epic Brewing Company, Fruit Beer, USA

Epic Brainless Raspberries

Wednesday, 29 June 2016 kitch Leave a comment

Brewery: Epic Brewing Company
Country: USA
ABV: 9.9%
Style: Fruit Beer
Other Notes: Malts – Premium Pilsner, Ultra-Premium Maris Otter, Light Candy Sugar, 2-Row Carapils Malt, Flaked Oats and Wheat Malt. Hops – Premiant, Tettnang and Saaz. 100% pure raspberry puree (no preservatives)

Brewer Description: (from website) Hints of raspberry bubble gum flavors from the Belgian yeast and fresh raspberries tease the pallet in this Brainless offering.

My rating: 3
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.79
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.6

Intro: A 22 fl. oz. bottle, Release #33, brewed on 3rd November 2014 and packaged on 19th November 2014. Poured into a d’Achouffe tulip glass.
Appearance: It poured a cloudy pinkish red orange colour (like pink guava juice) with a one finger white head that dissipated quickly and left only sparse lacing.
Aroma: Fruity raspberry juice and strawberry jam.
Taste: Sweet and lightly tart raspberry and strawberry jam flavours with a good amount of alcohol bite that’s not overpowering.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: It’s a good beer that has a nice alcohol bite and while its not overpowering, I do prefer fruit beers to be a bit lighter though and hence Epic Lil’ Brainless Raspberries was slightly better in my opinion.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Epic Brewing Company, Fruit Beer, USA

Epic Lil’ Brainless Raspberries

Wednesday, 29 June 2016 kitch Leave a comment

Brewery: Epic Brewing Company
Country: USA
ABV: 5.2%
Style: Fruit Beer
Other Notes: 100% pure raspberry puree (no preservatives)

Brewer Description: (from can) Lil’ Brainless Raspberries is an easy drinking canned version of our big, bold 22 oz. bottle of Brainless Raspberries, crafted especially for those who seek bright, fresh, and real raspberry flavours in a convenient size. We brew exclusively with natural raspberry puree, which gives this beer its unique pink color as well as hints of raspberry bubble-gum, sweet fruit jam, and a pleasant dryness that makes this beer perfect for easy going affairs, indoors or out.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.99
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.9

Intro: A 12 fl. oz. can with no canned on or best by date. Poured into a Mikkeller pint glass.
Appearance: It poured a clear pinkish-red copper colour with a one finger slightly off white head that dissipated quickly but left some light lacing.
Aroma: Sweet raspberry juice with some strawberry jam and a hint of grape juice.
Taste: Similar to the aroma with raspberry juice and strawberry jam front and center. Lightly sweet and tart.
Mouthfeel: Light bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: I enjoyed this. It was light, refreshing, juicy and easily drinkable as I finished it pretty quickly. A nice fruit beer. I would have this in my fridge during the summer.

words of another dreamy traveller