Category Archives: Style

3 - Indifferent (might buy, probably drink), Beer Reviews, Farmhouse Saison, Japan, Tamamura-Honten

Tamamura-Honten Harvest Summer Saison

Monday, 21 November 2016 kitch Leave a comment

Brewery: Tamamura-Honten
Country: Japan
ABV: 5.5%
Style: Belgian Saison

Brewer Description: See picture below since the description is in Japanese.

My rating: 3
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.66
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.5

Intro: A 330ml bottle, bottled in September 2016, poured into a d’Achouffe tulip glass.
Appearance: It poured a slightly hazy golden orange amber colour with a slightly less than two finger off white head that dissipated over a minute but left some nice lacing.
Aroma: Biscuit malt, tropical peach and apricot, bubblegum, lemon tea and some mild funk.
Taste: Sweet peach/lemon tea, tangy, bubblegum, pine, grass, mint with a touch of spiciness and light bitterness on the finish.
Mouthfeel: Dry, light bodied with high carbonation.
Overall: It’s not what I was expecting, but it’s ok. Perhaps a bit too sweet for me, in that I definitely can’t have more than one bottle at a time (and in fact probably even prefer to share a bottle). Having said that, it would definitely be a refreshing beer during a hot summer.

4 - Good (buy), Almanac Beer Co., Beer Reviews, USA, Wild Ale

Almanac Peach de Brettaville

Thursday, 17 November 2016 kitch Leave a comment

Brewery: Almanac Beer Co.
Country: USA
ABV: 6.5%
Style: American Wild Ale
Other Notes: Farm to barrel

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Farmhouse ale aged in wine barrels with peaches.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.27
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.1

Intro: A 375ml bottle, bottled in November 2015, and poured into a Cantillon ballon glass.
Appearance: It poured a cloudy golden straw orange colour with a one finger white head that dissipated quickly and left only sparse to no lacing.
Aroma: Tart, mildly funky, light oak with some peach, pineapple and lemon. Think along the lines of sour peach ring gummy candy.
Taste: Sour and tangy with only light funkiness. Fruity peach with a sharp citrus lemon and orange peel flavour and acidity. There is also a touch of vinegar, white wine and earthy oak.
Mouthfeel: Light to medium bodied with high carbonation.
Overall: This is good. A very nice sour from Almanac that is tasty and easy to drink.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Crooked Stave Artisan Beer Project, USA, Wild Ale

Crooked Stave Petite Sour Pure Guava

Tuesday, 15 November 2016 kitch Leave a comment

Brewery: Crooked Stave Artisan Beer Project
Country: USA
ABV: 5.5%
Style: American Wild Ale

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Mixed fermentation ale aged in oak with tropical fruits.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.13
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.9

Intro: A 375ml bottle bottled in August 2015, poured into a Cantillon ballon glass.
Appearance: It poured a hazy golden colour with a less than one finger white head that dissipated almost immediately and leaves only sparse to no lacing.
Aroma: Funk, sour, tartness and oak. Tropical fruit, mostly guava, passionfruit and mango.
Taste: Sour, tart and funky. Fruit is a bit light, but its there. Citrus lemon followed by some tropical guava and grapes. Lightly oaky on the finish.
Mouthfeel: Light to medium bodied with moderate to high carbonation.
Overall: Nice tart sourness but the fruit especially guava (since that is in the name) was on the light side.

2 - Maybe (likely wouldn't buy, might drink), Beer Reviews, Belgium, Brouwerij van Hoegaarden, Fruit Beer

Hoegaarden Rosée

Tuesday, 15 November 2016 kitch Leave a comment

Brewery: Brouwerij van Hoegaarden
Country: Belgium
ABV: 3%
Style: Fruit Beer

Brewer Description: (from website) The story of the jam jars gave us an idea. Hoegaarden Rosée. It might be pink but it is very much a wheat beer. It also features the soft taste and subtle colour of raspberries. And while it doesn’t feature a higher alcohol percentage, it does mean you can enjoy it even more in the sun.

My rating: 2
My beeradvocate.com rating: 2.73
My ratebeer.com rating: 2.5

Intro: A 250ml bottle with a best before date of 4th May 2017, poured into a Moonzen teku glass.
Appearance: It poured a cloudy reddish pinkish orange colour with a two finger off white head that dissipated quickly and left some lacing.
Aroma: Sweet candy raspberry and strawberry with perhaps a touch of grape juice.
Taste: Sweet candied raspberries followed by apple juice. The finish is somewhat watered down such that any taste becomes really weak.
Mouthfeel: Light bodied with moderate to high carbonation.
Overall: I’m actually fine with the artificial candy berry flavours, but that taste on the finish of being watered down is what disappoints me most.

4 - Good (buy), Avery Brewing Company, Beer Reviews, Pumpkin Ale, USA

Avery Pump[KY]n

Monday, 14 November 2016 kitch Leave a comment

Brewery: Avery Brewing Company
Country: USA
ABV: 15%
Style: Pumpkin Ale
Other Notes: Porter brewed with Pumpkin & Spices (nutmeg, cinnamon, allspice, clove) Aged in Bourbon Barrels

Brewer Description: (from bottle) What’s in a name? Sometimes the simplest can be the most descriptive, and in this case, derisive and divisive! After much internal debate (ad nauseum! Bourb[KY]n, anyone?), we decided a single letter change was the best way to embody the Bourbon barrel-aging that adds layers of complexity to an already exquisitely spiced pumpkin porter.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.31
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.1

Intro: A 12 fl oz foiled bottle, Batch No.2, bottled on 7th November 2015. Poured into a snifter glass.
Appearance: It poured a clear dark brown amber colour with pretty much no khaki coloured head, but some sparse spotty lacing.
Aroma: Pumpkin pie, vanilla, cinnamon and a hit of boozy bourbon.
Taste: Sweet and spicy. Pumpkin pie, caramel, brown sugar, clove, cinnamon, nutmeg and all-spice with notes of oak and bourbon booziness.
Mouthfeel: Lightly syrupy, full bodied, alcohol warming with light to moderate carbonation.
Overall: Wow this was nice. A Pumpkin Ale that’s perhaps approaching a Winter Warmer. Great pumpkin pie spice flavours and good use of the barrel. Its quite boozy at 15% and you do get it in the aroma and taste yet at the same time, I like it, which is rare for me. Perhaps it just works for this particular style. If more Pumpkin Ales were like this, I would definitely go for the style. Good job by Avery on this one.

words of another dreamy traveller