Two More Beers for Your Enjoyment

The first selection is from the Ommegang Brewery in Cooperstown, NY. This brewery specializes in Belgian-style ales, but gives their releases enough variety to differentiate them from the rest of their product line. I just assumed that their beers would become hackneyed, and, eventually, the difference in their beers would be non-existent. I was dead wrong. They keep putting new spins to this familiar style of beer and keep the masses satisfied.
This particular selection has a light orange, hazy appearance and a head that has a little bit of staying power. Its a pretty carbonated beer, which is par for the course with this brewery. The taste is very tart with lots of citrus and even a touch of vegetation, possibly wheat grass. Much like the Ommegeddon, it has a funky, almost dusty, umami flavor, due to the use of the Brettonymices yeast. Thanks to Ommegang for continually pushing the envelope for American Belgian-style brewers. -8/10-

The next is the Dogfishhead Brewery's Sah'tea. This is definitely in my pantheon of amazing beers. It also takes the innovator accolade, because I have never seen a beer blended with tea flavors.
It pours a yellow-orange color and has a quickly vanishing head. It has a medium body and a 9% ABV, but due to the veritable cornucopia of flavors you can't taste the alcohol. The taste is of coriander, chai tea, cloves, and a hint of fresh juniper. The flavors are easily individually defined, but combined, create a great beer that tastes like a tea. Spicy, sweet, and milky, this beer has it all.
I really enjoy trying a beer that never would have occurred to me. Maybe tea-flavored beers are a varietal that need to be further explored. A chamomile Belgian, a plum-passion dessert stout, an orange-Ceylon IPA... I'm just throwing gas on the fire, here. -9.5/10-

Famous Thoughts on Beer

"Without question, the greatest invention in the history of mankind is beer. Oh, I grant you the wheel was also a fine invention, but the wheel does not go nearly as well with pizza." -Dave Barry

Three Beer Extravaganza

I have really gone overboard so far this week, because I am bringing you a three beer review extravaganza, today. I had an amazing dinner at a friend's house the other night, and we sampled three very fine beers, indeed.

The first selection was from the Ommegang Brewery in Cooperstown, NY. This brewery is known for brewing authentic Belgian-style beer, but have been known to come out with something off the grid every so often. This beer is a self-proclaimed "funkhouse ale," which I believe refers to the funky Brettonomyces yeast used. Most brewers see this type of yeast as a contaminate because of its sharp sour and citrus flavor. True to form, Ommegang pays homage to this authentic brewing technique that was adopted from Trappist and Belgian brewers.
The pour is has a cloudy, mahogany hue and has a mild head. The taste is a "funky" sourness that permeates the otherwise dry, cloudy flavors. There are sharp citrus notes and a earthy, almost dusty, flavor as well. There is a certain "je ne sais quois" to this beer that seperates it from the rest of the Belgian-style wanna-bes. -8/10-

Next on the agenda, we have the Dogfish Head Brewery's Red and White Belgian-Style Wit Beer (Milton, DE). With a mission statement like "off-center beer for off-center people," you know that Dogfish Head is out to accomplish something different than other breweries. They are constantly experimenting with not only different hops, malts, barleys, and yeasts, but also expanding the very definition of what beer is. This one is a great example.
The Red and White consists of a good solid Belgian-style wit beer, fermented with Pinot Noir juice, then part of the batch was aged in oak casks.
It resulted in an amazingly complex beer. The color was a deceivingly light honey-blonde. The first thing that hits you is the citrus of the Belgian-ale. As the flavor mellows a little bit, you start to pick up the deeper notes like the tartness of the wine, the coriander, and the dry, oak finish.
For some reason, I was always a little hesitant to pick this one up because I didn't like the idea of using Pinot Noir in a beer. It sounded to fruity to be honest. I am glad my friend brought one along though, because it really wet my whistle for whatever else this brewery has to offer. I will definitely be trying the Dogfish Head Black and Blue before too long. -8.5/10-

My first review ever was from this relatively unknown brewer from Witnica, Poland by the name of Boss Brewers. Honestly, I was a bit disappointed with this one. The Porter was so amazing that I was on the edge of my seat waiting for another variety to become available. The color resembled that of a light, pale ale and was very carbonated. The taste didn't deliver like it did the last time, registering in my brain as a American-style pilsner. It was light, dry, and had the slightest hints of malt and hop. It lacked body, flavor, and depth. On another note, it was very refreshing, and I will consider it next time I am on the golf course, on a hot day, or next time I am racking for beer pong. Oh, burn. -6.5/10-

But wait, there were two other amazing beers that we tasted that night. There is another one from the Ommegang Brewery and a Dogfish Head selection that has a place in my pantheon of great beers. I'll be back with those soon. Until then, stay thirsty my friends.

Rogue John John Ale (Portland, OR)

If there is one beverage that even comes close to my love for good beer, it is good bourbon. So beers aged in bourbon or whiskey or scotch barrels appeal to me two-fold. For this brew the spirits master from Rogue Distillery, John Couchot, and the brewmaster from the Rogue brewery, John Maier, teamed up to deliver the John John Ale. Essentially, it is Rogue Dead Guy Ale aged in Rogue Dead Guy Whiskey Barrels and bottle conditioned for our drinking pleasure.
The color of this beer is a deep, malted honey brown. Up front it bites you with rich whiskey flavor, then mellows out a bit toward the end. It has a malty aroma and finishes with caramel, vanilla, and oak.
I have always loved the Dead Guy Ale, but marrying it with the whiskey flavors brought out the vanilla and oak flavors that would have otherwise gone unnoticed. Rogue is consistent innovator in the beer game, and I tip my hat to both Johns for bringing us this beer. -8.5/10-

Famous Thoughts on Beer

"I am a firm believer in the people. If given the truth, they can be depended upon the meet any national crisis. The great point is to bring them real facts, and beer." -Abraham Lincoln

Brooklyn Black Ops Bourbon Barrel Stout (Brooklyn, NY)

This Brooklyn Stout stands in a class far removed from the rest of your local beer aisle. This stout is aged in bourbon barrels for four months, bottled flat, and conditioned with champagne yeast. Its rich bourbon flavors are smoothed out by vanilla notes, making for a very full-bodied stout. It was simply one of the best beers I have ever encountered. It is priced at $20, but if you see this in your local beer aisle, you have to trust me and pick it up. ***-10/10-***

Sierra Nevada 13th Harvest Wet Hop Ale (Chico, CA)

This beer is a hop-lovers dream. The hops were picked only twenty four hours before being added to the brew, which is why they were still "wet." This beer has a very floral aroma and heavy citrus and pine notes. At an ABV of 6.7%, this medium-bodied ale delivers with full flavor and a smooth, clean finish. -7.5/10-

Famous Thoughts on Beer

"Beer is proof that there is a God and that he wants us to be happy." - Benjamin Franklin

Berkshire Mountain Brewers Yule Fule (Great Barrington, MA)

The Berkshire Mountain Brewery, in Great Barrington, MA, is one of my favorite destinations to grab a bite and a beer. Unfortunately, the brewery had run out of the Yule Fule on draught, but I managed to snag some of the last bottles of it for this season. It is a medium-bodied beer that delivers quite a bit more punch than the rest of the Berkshire line-up. It had rich head, a strong hop aroma, and a warm, cherry color. It has a strong fruit flavor, specifically apples, and a slightly bitter finish. Keep up the good work Berkshire, it doesn't go unnoticed.
With the winter beer season drawing to a close, I thought I might get tired of the stouts, porters, browns, and imperials. I just had to throw a little Yule Fuel on my fire to keep my focus on dark beers for at least another month. The beer is pictured with some of the most delicious duck pate and smoked sausage I have ever had, courtesy of European Delights in Great Barrington. -9/10-

Corsendonk Abbey Brown Ale (Belgium)

Brewed since the late 1300's, Abbey Ales have been a staple in beer history for almost a millenium. The Corsendonk Abbey Brown Ale has a 7.5% ABV, a thick, creamy head, and a velvety, sweet drinkability that monks have been perfecting for 700 years. You just can't argue with that kind of dedication. I have talked about the search for the perfect beer in a prior post. But, if hundreds of years of trial and error doesn't unlock the perfect recipe, then I think I will just try to appreciate each beer for it's own unique style, quality, and taste. This one tasted good. The end. -9/10-

Black Boss Porter (Poland)

This relatively unknown porter weighs in at a hefty 9.4% ABV. It hides the alcohol well with deep molasses and dried-fruit flavors. It delivers a medium to full-bodied flavor with a crisp, clean finish, leaving a little bit of the molasses on the palate. Priced at only $2 a pint, you would have trouble finding a porter that gave you more bang for your buck.
-(8.5/10)-

In the beginning....

Beer and the craft of brewing have been around since as early as 6000 BC. An Ancient Iraq hymnal, called "The Hymn to the Goddess Ninkasi" was a useful way of remembering a popular beer recipe. Beer has seen the Neolithic Era, seventh-century monasteries, the 1896 Colombian Exposition in Chicago, and is now considered to be the number one alcoholic beverage worldwide (ahead of wine). Over 34 billion gallons of the stuff is brewed annually. Beer is everywhere.

With all of this beer floating around, you might think that someone would have concocted the perfect recipe or the super-beer that would make us meager life-forms tremble in its path (see Brooklyn Black Ops Stout). There in lies the implicit beauty of beer. There is no right way to do it. This creates a plethora of options for people like me. My goal with this blog is to explore and report on some of those options, and if I have a little fun doing it, then so be it.

I will be posting some beer reviews that I have already written, plus adding a few new ones just to kick this thing off right. Stay thirsty, my friends!