Brewery: Brewery Ommegang
Location:Cooperstown, NY
Style: Quadrupel
Brewery Website
Rating: B+
Today's tasting is the 2010 edition of Ommegang's Three Philosophers. The Three Philosophers is a blend of a Belgian-style Quad and a Belgian-style Kriek (aka, cherry lambic). The Three Philosophers pours up a deep, hazy amber-mahogany in color. The light-tan head is thick and creamy. The nose has cereal malt, fruity hops, sweet yeast esters (banana and circus peanut) as well as a hint of sweet cherry.
On the palate there is an initial acidity that is followed up by a dry malt/graininess. There are herbal and piny hops notes present in the background. Alcohol is noticeable along with mineral water and oaky/woody notes. Tart cherries from the lambic are here as well. The Three Philosophers is medium-bodied, with an initial juiciness that develops into a bit of astringency. The finish has lingering alcohol with dry grain and the faintest hint of cherry.
The Ommegang Three Philosophers is a well-constructed blend. It is complex and balanced. I did find that some of the flavors seem to clash a bit, but I bet a year or so in the cellar will round that out nicely. The cherry here makes this a fantastic pair for the Patric Rio Caribe Superior 70% dark chocolate. All-in-all, the Three Philosophers is a very good beer that promises to become great after a year or two of aging.
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Friday, January 13, 2012
Left Hand Brewing Company 400 Pound Monkey
Keywords:
Beer,
IPA,
Left Hand Brewing
Brewery: Left Hand Brewing Company
Location: Longmont, CO
Style: IPA
Brewery Website
Rating: A
Today we get the monkey off our back and into our glass. A 400 pound monkey to be exact. Left Hand Brewing's English-style IPA pours up a deep gold color with a very short white head. The nose has a whiff of "Eurolager" along with some spice and fruity hops.
On the palate the grainy malt hits at the same time as the hops. The hops here have a great spiciness to them along with a touch of pine and some herbal notes as well. In addition, there is a solid bitter bite from the hops. The malt has pretzel and pasta dough components to its side of the flavor profile. There are also some woody notes and a touch of alcohol. A hint of sweetness presents as a malt syrup/honeyed flavor. The 400 Pound Monkey is medium bodied with some mouth-coating astringency. The finish has lingering grains and some faint oakiness, but the dominant note is spice and piny hops.
Left Hand Brewery has a real winner on their hands with their 400 lb Monkey. This is a refreshing change from the typical west coast Cascade-fest IPA. There is a nice bit of malt here, but the hops really take the center stage. I really love the unique spice and pine hop character this beer. I can't recommend this enough to IPA fans who are looking for a bit of a break from the same old thing.
Location: Longmont, CO
Style: IPA
Brewery Website
Rating: A
Today we get the monkey off our back and into our glass. A 400 pound monkey to be exact. Left Hand Brewing's English-style IPA pours up a deep gold color with a very short white head. The nose has a whiff of "Eurolager" along with some spice and fruity hops.
On the palate the grainy malt hits at the same time as the hops. The hops here have a great spiciness to them along with a touch of pine and some herbal notes as well. In addition, there is a solid bitter bite from the hops. The malt has pretzel and pasta dough components to its side of the flavor profile. There are also some woody notes and a touch of alcohol. A hint of sweetness presents as a malt syrup/honeyed flavor. The 400 Pound Monkey is medium bodied with some mouth-coating astringency. The finish has lingering grains and some faint oakiness, but the dominant note is spice and piny hops.
Left Hand Brewery has a real winner on their hands with their 400 lb Monkey. This is a refreshing change from the typical west coast Cascade-fest IPA. There is a nice bit of malt here, but the hops really take the center stage. I really love the unique spice and pine hop character this beer. I can't recommend this enough to IPA fans who are looking for a bit of a break from the same old thing.
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
TCHO Nutty 65%
Keywords:
Dark Chocolate,
Ecuador,
TCHO
Manufacturer:TCHO
Cocoa Content:65%
Location: Ecuador
Manufacturer Website
Rating: A-
Today's chocolate tasting is the "Nutty" dark chocolate bar from TCHO. This is a 65% cacao dark chocolate of Ecuadorean origin. Please note that there are no nuts in the bar, it is simply named after the prominent nutty flavor this chocolate possesses. The bar is dark, bordering on ebony, with a hint of red. The nose is chocolatey with nutty and herbal notes.
The initial flavor impression of the TCHO Nutty is cocoa. Nutty notes and espresso then make an appearance, and the nuts steadily become more prominent. Acidity fades in bringing some cherries to the party. Biscuit notes, as well as fudgy chocolate/brownie batter notes are here as well. Chewing the chocolate brings forward notes of vanilla, cinnamon, berries and almonds. The Nutty has a smooth, creamy and somewhat thick melt. The finish is rich, fudgy chocolate with espresso and a hint of nuts.
The TCHO Nutty has a great chocolate flavor. There are nice notes of espresso, nuts and berries. While not overly complex, the TCHO Nutty is both flavorful and balanced. This is probably one of the easier bars to find of those we typically review on this site and it is well worth picking up.
Cocoa Content:65%
Location: Ecuador
Manufacturer Website
Rating: A-
Today's chocolate tasting is the "Nutty" dark chocolate bar from TCHO. This is a 65% cacao dark chocolate of Ecuadorean origin. Please note that there are no nuts in the bar, it is simply named after the prominent nutty flavor this chocolate possesses. The bar is dark, bordering on ebony, with a hint of red. The nose is chocolatey with nutty and herbal notes.
The initial flavor impression of the TCHO Nutty is cocoa. Nutty notes and espresso then make an appearance, and the nuts steadily become more prominent. Acidity fades in bringing some cherries to the party. Biscuit notes, as well as fudgy chocolate/brownie batter notes are here as well. Chewing the chocolate brings forward notes of vanilla, cinnamon, berries and almonds. The Nutty has a smooth, creamy and somewhat thick melt. The finish is rich, fudgy chocolate with espresso and a hint of nuts.
The TCHO Nutty has a great chocolate flavor. There are nice notes of espresso, nuts and berries. While not overly complex, the TCHO Nutty is both flavorful and balanced. This is probably one of the easier bars to find of those we typically review on this site and it is well worth picking up.
Monday, January 9, 2012
Victory Yakima Glory Ale
Keywords:
Beer,
Black IPA,
Victory Brewing
Brewer: Victory Brewing Company
Location: Downingtown, PA
Style: Black IPA
Brewer Website
Rating: A
Victory has thrown their hat in the ring on the Black IPA front with their Yakima Glory Ale. While not officially billed as a Black IPA on the bottle it definitely fits the style. The Yakima Glory pours up a deep amber-brown in color. It is a bit lighter than most black IPAs but that does allow a nice ruddy amber undertone peek through. The head is tan, clumpy foam. The nose is led by the aromas of citrus hops paired with caramel and chocolate.
The palate is hit by bitter hops with some citrus notes, including a nice pineapple note. This moves into bitter roast malt notes of espresso and dark chocolate. The tongue is quickly coated with bitter notes of black coffee and hop resin. The Yakima Glory Ale is medium-bodied and not as astringent as the level of bitterness would lead you to expect. The finish has long-lingering hop with espresso undertones.
Victory's take on the Black IPA is excellent, as I have come to expect. The focus here is definitely on the synergy between hoppy bitterness and the bitter coffee and chocolate notes coming from the roast malt. The citrus notes of West Coast hops paired with caramel and chocolate malt undertones play nice support roles. While I do with that the volume was turned up a bit on the malt side, this is really a minor quibble as the Yakima Glory ale is near-perfect.
Location: Downingtown, PA
Style: Black IPA
Brewer Website
Rating: A
Victory has thrown their hat in the ring on the Black IPA front with their Yakima Glory Ale. While not officially billed as a Black IPA on the bottle it definitely fits the style. The Yakima Glory pours up a deep amber-brown in color. It is a bit lighter than most black IPAs but that does allow a nice ruddy amber undertone peek through. The head is tan, clumpy foam. The nose is led by the aromas of citrus hops paired with caramel and chocolate.
The palate is hit by bitter hops with some citrus notes, including a nice pineapple note. This moves into bitter roast malt notes of espresso and dark chocolate. The tongue is quickly coated with bitter notes of black coffee and hop resin. The Yakima Glory Ale is medium-bodied and not as astringent as the level of bitterness would lead you to expect. The finish has long-lingering hop with espresso undertones.
Victory's take on the Black IPA is excellent, as I have come to expect. The focus here is definitely on the synergy between hoppy bitterness and the bitter coffee and chocolate notes coming from the roast malt. The citrus notes of West Coast hops paired with caramel and chocolate malt undertones play nice support roles. While I do with that the volume was turned up a bit on the malt side, this is really a minor quibble as the Yakima Glory ale is near-perfect.
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Uerige Sticke
Brewery: Uerige Obergärige Hausbrauerei
Location: Düsseldorf, Germany
Style: Alt
Brewery Website
Rating: A
Today's tasting is the Uerige Sticke. We had high praise for its bigger brother, the Uerige Doppelsticke. How does the Sticke fare in comparison? The Uerige Sticke is deep mahogany in color with a short white head. The nose has raising, caramel and notes of dark wheat toast.
On the palate, the Sticke is juicy with some acidity. There is a note of red liquorice. The back end holds a big note of toasted grain. Raisins, nuttiness and a sweetness are here as well. the Sticke is medium-bodied and juicy. The finish has notes of banana and raisins along with plenty of dark wheat toast.
While not necessarily as big and bold as its big brother the Doppelsticke, Uerige's Sticke is still a fantastic beer on its own merit. I love the flavor profile. I also find that is quite easy drinking for a beer that has such a wealth of complex, big flavors. I did find that the Sticke was a bit undercarbonated. I can't help but wonder if the choice of a flip-top cap plays any role in that. Despite that minor quarrel, the Sticke is a fantastic beer that I highly recommend.
Location: Düsseldorf, Germany
Style: Alt
Brewery Website
Rating: A
Today's tasting is the Uerige Sticke. We had high praise for its bigger brother, the Uerige Doppelsticke. How does the Sticke fare in comparison? The Uerige Sticke is deep mahogany in color with a short white head. The nose has raising, caramel and notes of dark wheat toast.
On the palate, the Sticke is juicy with some acidity. There is a note of red liquorice. The back end holds a big note of toasted grain. Raisins, nuttiness and a sweetness are here as well. the Sticke is medium-bodied and juicy. The finish has notes of banana and raisins along with plenty of dark wheat toast.
While not necessarily as big and bold as its big brother the Doppelsticke, Uerige's Sticke is still a fantastic beer on its own merit. I love the flavor profile. I also find that is quite easy drinking for a beer that has such a wealth of complex, big flavors. I did find that the Sticke was a bit undercarbonated. I can't help but wonder if the choice of a flip-top cap plays any role in that. Despite that minor quarrel, the Sticke is a fantastic beer that I highly recommend.
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Heavy Seas Below Decks Barleywine 2008 Vintage
Keywords:
2008 Vintage,
Barleywine,
Clipper City
Brewery: Clipper City Brewing Co.
Location: Baltimore, MD
Style: Barleywine
Brewery Website
Rating: A-
We originally tasted the Heavy Seas Below Decks back in February 2010. I've been cellaring several bottles from the same batch (labelled 2008) and decided to crack one open back in May of this year to see how it has progressed as it has aged. The Below Decks is copper-amber in color with quite a bit of haze and sediment in the glass. The head is foamy and a light tan in color. The nose detects citrus, yeast, banana and a whiff of sharp cheese.
On the palate the Below Decks is smooth, winy and has a slight syrupiness to it. Notes of banana and sweet apples are here along with some dark rye toast notes and a touch of mesquite wood. There is a hop bite with notes of juniper and pine. As the beer has aged notes of golden raisins and caramel are starting to peek through as well. There is a warming alcohol sensation. A faint, fleeting note of sharp cheese is detectable as well. The 2008 Below Decks has a medium-heavy body and has done a good job of retaining its carbonation as it approaches its third birthday. The finish has lingering notes of yeast, fruity esters, rye and a bit of oily hop resin.
At three years old, the 2008 Heavy Seas Below Decks is developing rather well. Yeasty esters are still readily apparent, and the caramel and raisin notes that many barleywines start to develop with age are starting to make their presence known. My only concern is a bit of an odd note of sharp cheese. I'm not sure if this is specific to the bottle I tasted, or whether this will lessen or become more pronounced as time goes on. I guess I'l find out when I check in on this batch in another year or two. I will definitely be stashing away another 4-pack of this year's release based on how well the 2008 release has aged.
Location: Baltimore, MD
Style: Barleywine
Brewery Website
Rating: A-
We originally tasted the Heavy Seas Below Decks back in February 2010. I've been cellaring several bottles from the same batch (labelled 2008) and decided to crack one open back in May of this year to see how it has progressed as it has aged. The Below Decks is copper-amber in color with quite a bit of haze and sediment in the glass. The head is foamy and a light tan in color. The nose detects citrus, yeast, banana and a whiff of sharp cheese.
On the palate the Below Decks is smooth, winy and has a slight syrupiness to it. Notes of banana and sweet apples are here along with some dark rye toast notes and a touch of mesquite wood. There is a hop bite with notes of juniper and pine. As the beer has aged notes of golden raisins and caramel are starting to peek through as well. There is a warming alcohol sensation. A faint, fleeting note of sharp cheese is detectable as well. The 2008 Below Decks has a medium-heavy body and has done a good job of retaining its carbonation as it approaches its third birthday. The finish has lingering notes of yeast, fruity esters, rye and a bit of oily hop resin.
At three years old, the 2008 Heavy Seas Below Decks is developing rather well. Yeasty esters are still readily apparent, and the caramel and raisin notes that many barleywines start to develop with age are starting to make their presence known. My only concern is a bit of an odd note of sharp cheese. I'm not sure if this is specific to the bottle I tasted, or whether this will lessen or become more pronounced as time goes on. I guess I'l find out when I check in on this batch in another year or two. I will definitely be stashing away another 4-pack of this year's release based on how well the 2008 release has aged.
We're back!
I am happy to announce that the blog is returning from its extended hiatus and will begin posting new reviews starting later in the day today. Fatherhood has taken a big chunk out of my free time, but we should be able to get 1-2 reviews up each week for the forseeable future. Thanks to my loyal readers for your patience.
-Eric
-Eric
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