5 - Excellent (must buy), Beer Reviews, Belgian Tripel, Belgium, Brouwerij Bosteels

Tripel Karmeliet

Thursday, 22 December 2016 kitch Leave a comment

Brewery: Brouwerij Bosteels
Country: Belgium
ABV: 8.4%
Style: Belgian Tripel

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Blond, robust, smooth and fruity 3 grain beer, with final fermentation in the bottle. Brewed with pride and patience after Carmelite tradition with wheat, oat and barley. 100% natural beer.

My rating: 5
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.63
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.6

Intro: A 330ml bottle with a best before date of 12th March 2017. Poured into a Chimay goblet.
Appearance: A wonderful clear golden colour with a two finger foamy white head that had pretty good retention, nice curtain lacing that eventually settles to a thin foamy cap.
Aroma: Wheaty, banana, clove and peach with light citrus and vanilla.
Taste: Zesty lemon sweetness, sour peach gummy candy, yeast, lightly bready and spicy with a hint of honey, banana and clove.
Mouthfeel: Creamy, medium bodied with moderate to high carbonation with some obvious booziness every now and then.
Overall: Wow, this has to easily be one of my favourite Tripels and I can’t believe it’s taken me this long to try it. It would be almost perfect if the booziness was toned down a bit. Having said that, it’s still a great beer and easily a must buy beer for me.

3 - Indifferent (might buy, probably drink), Beer Reviews, Deschutes Brewery, USA, Winter Warmer

Deschutes Jubelale

Tuesday, 20 December 2016 kitch Leave a comment

Brewery: Deschutes Brewery
Country: USA
ABV: 6.7%
Style: Winter Warmer
Other Notes: 65 IBUs. Malts – Pale, Crystal, Extra Special, Carapils and Roasted Barley. Hops – Bravo, Cascade, Delta, Tettnang, East Kent and Goldings

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Cocoa, dried fruit, and toffee notes. A robust ale with a warming spice.

My rating: 3
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.7
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.6

Intro: A 355ml bottle with a best before date of 3rd April 2017. Poured into a Lost Abbey teku glass.
Appearance: A very nice clear dark amber colour with big almost three finger tanned head with great retention and left lots of nice lacing.
Aroma: Caramel malts, toffee and dark berries.
Taste: Milk chocolate, cocoa, roasty coffee, toasted bread, raisin and prune sweetness.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with low to moderate carbonation.
Overall: This was ok, but I didn’t really get the warming spices that were supposedly there.

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.

3 - Indifferent (might buy, probably drink), Against The Grain Brewery, American Double IPA, Beer Reviews, USA

Against The Grain Citra Ass Down

Saturday, 17 December 2016 kitch Leave a comment

Brewery: Against The Grain Brewery
Country: USA
ABV: 8.2%
Style: American Double IPA
Other Notes: 68 IBUs

Brewer Description: (from can) Citra Ass Down & crush this beer. This beer is not candy or mother’s milk. It is not brewed by gypsies or aliens, nor does it contain any zombie dirt. This is a Double IPA brewed with Citra Hops. It is sticky, hoppy and delicious. Simply drink it and enjoy it. Don’t hoard this beer. Citra Ass Down and drink it now.

My rating: 3
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.82
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.7

Intro: A 1 pint can with no canned on or best before date. Poured into a Spiegelau IPA glass.
Appearance: A clear golden copper orange colour with a just over two finger off white head with great retention and nice lacing.
Aroma: Citrusy orange juice, orange zest, grapefruit and caramel malt with a touch of mango.
Taste: Citrusy like the aroma with grapefruit and orange zest bitterness, some pine, and caramel malt. The finish has a nice lasting bitterness and its not overly sweet.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: This was nice and I enjoyed this. For me, the key was that it was not overly sweet like so many DIPAs seem to be these days.

1 - Poor (never again), Beer Reviews, Cream Ale, Denmark, Mikkeller ApS

Mikkeller Raspberries & Cream

Saturday, 17 December 2016 kitch Leave a comment

Brewery: Mikkeller ApS
Country: Denmark
ABV: 5.2%
Style: Cream Ale
Other Notes: Brewed by Mikkeller at De Proef Brouwerij

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Ale brewed with raspberries.

My rating: 1
My beeradvocate.com rating: 2.55
My ratebeer.com rating: 2.4

Intro: A 330ml bottle with a best before date of 20th April 2017. Poured into a Lost Abbey teku glass.
Appearance: A murky orange colour with a two finger off white head that had pretty good retention and left good lacing.
Aroma: Raspberries with a little dust.
Taste: Raspberries upfront but only for a second. There’s maybe some cream and vanilla mixed with some not so nice butter and a weird chemical like finish.
Mouthfeel: Light to medium bodied with moderate to high carbonation.
Overall: I don’t know, something went wrong here. Aromas were fine, if a little dusty, but taste is where it all went wrong.

words of another dreamy traveller