3 - Indifferent (might buy, probably drink), Beer Reviews, Cloudwater Brew Co., England, German Hefeweizen

Cloudwater Bergamot Hopfen Weisse

Saturday, 28 May 2016 kitch Leave a comment

Brewery: Cloudwater Brew Co.
Country: England
ABV: 6%
Style: German Hefeweizen
Other Notes: Special Edition (small batch). Malts – Wheat, Best Ale, Cara Malt and Light Munich. Hops – Citra, Mosaic and Pilgrim Alpha CO2 Extract.

Brewer Description: (from bottle) A modern hopfen weisse flavoured with zest and juice from 150kg of bergamot lemons.

My rating: 3
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.86
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.7

Intro: A 330ml bottle bottled on 18th March 2016 and poured into a Riedel weizen glass.
Appearance: It poured a hazy orange colour with a three finger white head with decent retention and left sticky lacing.
Aroma: Citrusy lemon and strong floral notes with a hint of pineapple and sweet banana.
Taste: Strong floral and zesty citrus lemon with some grapefruit bitterness and orange on the finish.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate to high carbonation.
Overall: This was an interesting Hefeweizen with strong floral flavours and less banana and clove taste than what I normally find in Hefeweizen’s. I enjoyed the lemons but the floral was maybe a bit strong.

2 - Maybe (likely wouldn't buy, might drink), 55th Street Craft Brewery, American Amber / Red Ale, Beer Reviews, Taiwan

55th Street Amber Ale

Friday, 27 May 2016 kitch Leave a comment

Brewery: 55th Street Craft Brewery
Country: Taiwan
ABV: 5.5%
Style: American Amber Ale

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Brewed with dried longan.

My rating: 2
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.1
My ratebeer.com rating: 3

Intro: A 330ml bottle bottled on 2nd March 2016 and poured into a Mikkeller pint glass.
Appearance: It poured a hazy amber/dark copper colour with a one finger beige head that dissipated fairly quickly but left nice streaky lacing.
Aroma: Sweet, fruity, plum, longan, raisin and some light caramel.
Taste: On the sweet fruity side with plum, prune, caramel and surprisingly only light longan.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate to low carbonation.
Overall: This was an ok Amber Ale. Carbonation was too low for me, and its a little bit on the sweet side. Longan could also be more prominent in the taste.

2 - Maybe (likely wouldn't buy, might drink), 55th Street Craft Brewery, American IPA, Beer Reviews, Taiwan

55th Street IPA

Thursday, 26 May 2016 kitch 3 Comments

Brewery: 55th Street Craft Brewery
Country: Taiwan
ABV: 6.5%
Style: American IPA

Brewer Description: (from bottle) India Pale Ale brewed with 4 hop varieties.

My rating: 2
My beeradvocate.com rating: 2.98
My ratebeer.com rating: 3

Intro: A 330ml bottle bottled on 25th February 2016 and poured into a Spiegelau IPA glass.
Appearance: It poured a slightly hazy golden orange colour with a two finger off white head that had decent retention and left nice streaky lacing.
Aroma: Strong citrus lemon and pine with bready malt and a hint of tropical fruits.
Taste: Citrus grapefruit and lemon, pine, strong bitterness in the middle and breadiness on the finish.
Mouthfeel: Mid to light bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: It was ok, probably a bit too malty for my liking in an IPA. I definitely preferred their Session IPA.

4 - Good (buy), 55th Street Craft Brewery, American IPA, Beer Reviews, Taiwan

55th Street Session IPA

Thursday, 26 May 2016 kitch Leave a comment

Brewery: 55th Street Craft Brewery
Country: Taiwan
ABV: 4.8%
Style: American IPA
Other Notes: Hops – Citra, Centennial and Cascade

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Brewed mostly with Citra, Centennial and Cascade hops. This beer is hoppy and citrusy, refreshing and light bodied. It is low in alcohol but full of character, ultimately highly satisfying! Best paired with a light meal and Summer Breeze! Our Session IPA is the first of a limited release series of small batch beers.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.08
My ratebeer.com rating: 4

Intro: A 330ml bottle bottled on 14th March 2016 and poured into a Spiegelau IPA glass.
Appearance: It poured a slightly hazy golden orange colour with a nice three finger white head that had great retention and left nice sticky lacing.
Aroma: Citrus lemon and lime, some light tropical peach and apricot, good strong pine and a hint of breadiness at times.
Taste: Light grapefruit bitterness, pine, peach, passionfruit and a hint of honey and bread.
Mouthfeel: Dry, light bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: A nice Session IPA that is easily drinkable.

5 - Excellent (must buy), Beer Reviews, Jackie O’s Pub & Brewery, Stout - Russian Imperial, USA

Jackie O’s Bourbon Barrel Dark Apparition

Tuesday, 24 May 2016 kitch Leave a comment

Brewery: Jackie O’s Pub & Brewery
Country: USA
ABV: 11.5%
Style: Russian Imperial Stout
Other Notes: Stout brewed with brown sugar & aged in bourbon barrels

Brewer Description: (from bottle) The hauntingly good brew in your hand is rife with dark complexities. Seven malts were used to create deep flavors of coffee, chocolate, caramel and molasses. A hint of bitterness and herbal character from carefully selected European and American hops help support the monolithic maltiness. After conditioning in stainless steel, the beer was transferred into bourbon barrels. For 8 to 12 months, Dark Apparition waited patiently in oak barrels until the time was right to spring forth with its ghostly gusto. A truly decadent brew that is intended to be poured into your favorite snifter and given time to warm up from its dark and cool resting place.

My rating: 5
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.59
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.4

Intro: A 375ml bottle of 2015 vintage and poured into a snifter glass.
Appearance: It poured a deep dark black colour with a thin khaki head that dissipated almost just as quickly but leaves some nice spotty lacing.
Aroma: Strong bourbon, sweet brown sugar, chocolate fudge brownie, molasses and vanilla.
Taste: Starts with sweet molasses followed by bourbon and dark chocolate with some light toffee, caramel and coffee.
Mouthfeel: Medium to full bodied with low carbonation and a warming alcohol feel.
Overall: A very good Russian Imperial Stout with a nice hit of bourbon that is strong but not harsh and nicely complemented with chocolate, caramel and coffee flavours. I would definitely buy this again.

words of another dreamy traveller