Viewing entries tagged
dubbel
Considered a bit of a neo-berliner, Dogfish Head's Festina Peche is one of my favorite summer seasonals. This year seems to be a bit more on the tart-side which, for my money, is great. Peach sugars are included in the fermentation process so the yeast is farting all that nice peachy flavor right into the brew. It's a light peach too so this isn't really that overly sweet type of brew. Extremely drinkable and refreshing. Perfect for this time of year. It almost has a pinot grigio essence to it and would pair great with the same things a white wine would pair with: fish, chicken and salads. A hazy straw color with a fluffy white head, the nose upon first pouring reminds me of what your sock would smell like after cutting the grass. I mean that in the best way possible. It's a little sweet on the nose but the funk is there. Berliners are meant to be drinkable and this one rings in at 4.5%abv so you can have more and more. A nice alternative to the overly sweet shandy beers that tend to find their way around this time of year. Cheers!
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My Score_80
Rate Beer_60
Beer Advocate_83
welcome to michigan deschutes! i'm very happy to finally be getting this Oregon brewery on the regular. having just tried this beer yesterday i can happily say i'm eager for more. this year round ipa offers such a juicy, citrusy flavor given to it by the citra and mosaic hops. two of my favs. great malt balance, this beer doesn't have too big of a mouth feel. very easy drinking at 6%abv. this is one of those ipas that has such a balance and just the right amount of sweetness that is going to make you want one after another. pair with seafoods, red sauce pastas and cold cuts. duh. cheers!
my score: 100
rate beer: 98
beer advocate: 95
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Have you ever been inside of a humidor? It's a very distinct smell. Ever wonder what it would be like to burn one down and then use the ashes to make a beer that tasted just like it? Wonder no more. This version of Flying Monkeys The Matador dark rye ale is aged on a bed of Spanish Cedar. This process marries the beer with the flavors of the wood and, with the spiciness of the rye malt, leaves this beer with an amazing flavor and mouth-feel. A little on the beefier side in the mouth, along with a huge 10.10% abv Flying Monkeys is no stranger to gigantic flavors and huge beers. This beer is no exception. I can only imagine chewing the perfect medium-rare steak and sipping this in unison. The flavors were almost meant to be. Drink it now or cellar this beast for up to 2 years and see where it goes. Cheers!
My Score: 97
Rate Beer: 95
Beer Advocate: 87
This one is for my Michigan beer geeks who read this, however few there may be. Yes, another IPA. I had the pleasure a few months back of trying a delicious canned brew from Blackrocks brewery out of the great north... the Upper Peninsula! Blackrocks brewery has now acquired distribution into the lower half of the state, which means elsewhere soon enough. As of this week you can start finding their great canned line wherever finer beers are sold. The first one I'd recommend and the first I've tried was the 51K IPA. It has all the wonderful floral and citrus notes you'd expect from a midwestern IPA. Nice alcohol at 7%. Some might be reminded of a certain beer with a couple hearts, but this beer stands on its own. A great balance of malt and hops, I sure can't wait to try the rest of their beers. I can tell Blackrocks is going to be around for quite a while with flavors like this. Cheers!
If I may quote (be lazy) the Sierra website: "Hop Hunter IPA harnesses the complex flavors of just-picked hops through an all-new method of steam distilling wet hops before they even leave the fields. This revolutionary technique captures and intensifies the natural flavors, creating a unique and intensely aromatic beer. Our custom process gathers pure hop oil which, when combined with traditional whole-cone hops in the brew kettle and in our Hop Torpedo, makes for an incredible IPA experience." I have a source that says they hired the guy at Crest toothpaste who distills the mint leaves. Who knows!
That being said, not only does this beer push new boundaries for brewing, the owner of Lagunitas was trying to sue Sierra over label likeness. Claiming Hop Hunters label looked too similar to the flagship Lagunitas IPA. You be the judge. The lawsuit was dropped because of all the negative feedback from the beer community. Either way, this shit is amazing. It smells like weed. That's always good. Cheers!
My Score: 98
Beer Advocate: 91
Rate Beer: 97
All pumpkin everything. So, I already covered Pumking, why not keep it going? All you pumpkin haters can suck it, don't drink it if you don't like it. Still haven't gotten your fix? Southern Tier offers another pumpkin-packed brew for your throat hole. This time, a stout. Expect big, bold flavors commonly offered by Southern Tier. Don't leave out big abv's. Dust off those ugg boots because it's time to get white girl wasted on the tasty fall nectars. There isn't much to say separate from what I had said on Pumking, just this time it's darker, more bold and still delicious. This treat comes in 22oz bottles only or draft if you're lucky. Pair it with some chilly ass weather and your favorite boo thang. Cheers, babes.
My Score: 89
Rate Beer: 97
Beer Advocate: 89
Simple, Dubbel and Tripel or Trippel, not triple. Tripel's have triple the amount of malt which give them a much higher abv. Big frothy heads, notes of cloves and bananas. Lightly hopped only for preservation, the bitterness is almost unnoticeable. Tripels finish with a spicy sweet taste but the mouth feel is light and easy, due to Belgian candy sugar. Despite the higher alcohol content, the best Tripels are the one's where you can't tell you're getting hammered until you stand up. Dragonmead brewery offers this in a nice light-proof box with Final Absolution. Keeping true to the style most often done by Trappist monks, Final Absolution is a fine example of an American-style tripel. Native to Michigan, found at all finer beer stores and the Vile Co. homebase fridge. Meant for sipping, if you're a girl. To be paired with cheeses and bbq'd meats or, just for those cold nights when the only warmth is the glowing laptop screen on your face... Cheers rubes!
Beer Advocate: 90
Rate Beer: 94