This particular porter, labeled by the BBC as a “traditional English style robust dark ale,” (a good description of the colour, by the way – dark brown, almost the colour of dirty engine oil) had a rather thin head after pouring it into a standard pint glass; I’ve read that others get a much thicker head, but I ended up with about 1/8″ and little to no lacing throughout the session. The nose was annoyingly deceptive, but I think this was due to my own lack of recognition; the only thing I can come up with is something sharp and earthy, like wood or something similar. Certainly an element of hops; perhaps the proper term would be freshly sprouted vegetation. The taste, however, was substantially different.

On the first sip, I immediately thought “Someone roasted a peanut in the oven for about a week and now I’m drinking it.” The roast element is absolutely undeniable – it is as if flavoured, liquefied smoke was bottled and sold under the BBC label. Oddly enough, it was a pleasant taste, and would be an excellent partner for certain foods…perhaps something deep-fried? I’m not quite sure, but I can imagine being happy with this as a dinner libation. The roasted smell continued into the aftertaste, with perhaps just a hint – a hint, only to be grasped at as the last wisps of smoke disappear down the esophagus – of overdone toffee.

The beer was unremarkable for mouthfeel – no real carbonation, but not thick and sludgy, either.The best comparison would be 2% milk, I think. Certainly easy to drink, and this would make a good quaffer for those of you inclined to darker beers. Aside from its highly drinkable quality, there’s not much reason to savour and ponder on this beer, as it doesn’t change much either during sips or throughout the session.

Overall, I’ll write this beer a B; while it’s definitely good and has a pleasing taste and feel, it doesn’t stand out as anything particularly special. Being very close to Louisville, the BBC’s home city, I know it’s easy to find here, but attempting to get it outside of Kentucky or Southern Indiana may be a bit of a challenge. It can be found in a pack of 6 for a little less than $10 (although this price may increase substantially should it be found far outside of this area).

Don’t forget – alcohol is meant to be enjoyed, but it can hurt you and those around you. Drink responsibly – buzzed driving is drunk driving, too. Enjoy your fine brews in moderation, and don’t be afraid to know when it’s time to stop. As they say over at Beer Advocate – Respect Beer!

I’ve just spent some time unpacking the rest of my drinkware and have been thinking about how delightful it would be to fill one of my steins with something dark and enjoy the cool weather. I also realize The Brew Review has been dormant for some time, largely due to an enormously busy summer, and a change of libation to lighter wines and liquors instead of beer during the warmer months. However, with the arrival of autumn, beer just seems so fitting, and I hope to revive the blog here with some more reviews. As always, I’m open to suggestions and comments, so let me know what I should be tasting.

Regards,
Mike

First, we begin with a shot of the bottle and the glass I used to drink it. I thought the Hoegaarden Witbier glass was huge; check out this Spaten monster of a stein. It’s got large dimples all over it:

The bottle itself isn’t anything particularly attractive; I had a closer photo of it, but as it’s not much in the eye candy department, I’ll give you a rundown of the label’s contents sans photo. You can clearly see “Optimator – Spaten – Munich” surrounding the spade logo in the middle; on the sides one finds “Since – 1397.” We’re told that the Optimator is brewed and bottled by Spaten-Bräu, Munich, Germany and imported by Spaten North America, Inc. of Little Neck, New York. In script along the bottom of the label one reads “Spaten-Franziskaner-Bräu, München.” On the backside, in addition to the usual US Surgeon-General warning, we read “Brewed exclusively from Alpine water, barley malt, hops and yeast, according to the famous Reinheitsgebot (Purity Law) of 1516.” Now then – let’s get on with the fun part. Here’s a shot of the beer in the stein:

Yes, that's an entire 11.2 fluid ounce bottle in this stein. Dwarfed.

That head is about half an inch thick; it quickly shrank to about a quarter, a thickness which it maintained throughout the session. I don’t know how well it’s going to come through on this photo, but one word (or name, rather) came to mind when I gazed upon this German genius: Coca-Cola. Yes, it’s that dark, lovely colour of non-alcoholic American deliciousness. Once I plunged my nose deep into the glassware, memories of my grandmother’s kitchen came to mind, as the distinct smell of vegetable soup came from this beer. The first sip, which looked like this from my point of view:

The Optimator carried a bit of vegetable soup taste to accompany the nose, but the biggest part of what I tasted was bitterness. The mouthfeel was decidedly creamy, almost milky (perhaps skim). The throat and aftertaste was rather spicy. This was how the beer tasted throughout most of the session, although at one point toward the end I noticed a slightly coppery minerality. 

The delicious nose and slightly soup taste of Spaten Optimator was pleasing, and I’m going to rate it an A-. I found it at Big Red Liquors in Bloomington and I trust you can do the same at your local fine brew shop. I can’t recall the exact price of this particular bottle, but I want to say it can be found for less than $4.00. 

Don’t forget – alcohol is meant to be enjoyed, but it can hurt you and those around you. Drink responsibly – buzzed driving is drunk driving, too. Enjoy your fine brews in moderation, and don’t be afraid to know when it’s time to stop. As they say over at Beer Advocate – Respect Beer!

Let’s begin with a shot of the beer and its appropriate glass, the gigantic Hoegaarden piece:

I really like this bottle for its rather pretty simplicity.

The ring around the neck reads “Anno 1445″ and then “Unfiltered, Naturally Cloudy” in what I’m guessing is Belgian, English, and French. The main label features “Hoegaarden,” with “witbier-biére blanche” underneath. The bottom of the label reads “Wheat beer brewed with spices / Origineel Belgisch Witbier.” The top half of the label is circumscribed with “The Original Belgian White Beer-Bière Blanche Belge Originale.” I especially like the little logo on the label, of (what appears to be) a farmer’s hand holding a spade and a bishop’s hand, forearm clad in maniple, holding a crosier. This is also embossed on the neck itself.

The back label tells us “A delicious and surprising refreshing taste, naturally cloudy and brewed using a unique recipe of wheat, malted barley and a subtle hint of coriander and orange peel.” It’s brewed and bottled for N.V. Br. Hoegaarden S.A., Altenaken 7, B-3320 Hoegaarden Belgium. I also love this label for its instructions – I like a beer that tells you how to pour it properly.

Here’s the pour. I apologize for the quality and size – my camera ran out of battery right before this shot, so I switched to the Blackberry:

It’s got a straw-coloured and cloudy appearance (we were told it would), with a decent head on it. It smells nice and hoppy on the nose, but that’s about it. I dove right into the first sip.

The Hoegaarden has a nice mouthfeel – bubbly, but not overly so, and not too heavy. I liken it to a heavy champagne feel. It was sweet on the swallow, and the aftertaste was the same until about a minute later when it turned bitter. I caught a distinct flavour of fruit, although it wasn’t orange I have to admit. After the sip, the head dissipated to about 1/8 inch.

Here’s the kicker: the flavour didn’t change after that first sip. I didn’t find any improvement or backsliding, and even the head stayed about the same. I took about 20 minutes to drink this beer, and throughout the experience I didn’t find any development. I think this would be fine if Hoegaarden was outstanding, but I don’t think it is. I was slightly disappointed – I had hoped it would develop more through the session. This may be an issue of white beers and my own taste, but I finished the beer without being too impressed. I expected more out of it, to be honest. I can only rate this a C+, maybe a B-, for its lack of outright flaws. It’s fine if you’re going to have a few with friends who don’t like anything heavier or more flavourful, but it’s nothing to get too excited over.

The receipt I was using to keep track of prices has faded away, but I can tell you I found this beer at Big Red Liquors in Bloomington at less than $3.00 for an 11.2 fl. oz. bottle. Try it out, see how you like it – you may taste something totally different from me!

Don’t forget – alcohol is meant to be enjoyed, but it can hurt you and those around you. Drink responsibly – buzzed driving is drunk driving, too. Enjoy your fine brews in moderation, and don’t be afraid to know when it’s time to stop. As they say over at Beer Advocate – Respect Beer!

The Augustijn chalice and an 11.2 oz bottle

I’m using the signature Augustijn goblet, which holds an entire 11.2 fl oz bottle. It’s a basic chalice, without much in the way of decoration, but pleasing to the eye and with a good weight for the hand. Let’s check out the bottle. From what you can see in the photo above, it’s in a rounded tiered shape, vaguely reminiscient of a Red Stripe bottle. For the front label, I’ve just copied a graphic from the Augustijn website (probably a shade illegal, but if you click on the phot you’ll find that it leads directly to the website). 

Front label of Augustijn Ale

It’s a pretty basic label, with a photo of a monk carefully tending to his brew. We read “Augustijn Ale” across the top, with “anno 1295″ below. That yellow stripe you see on the right bears three lions. Basic, but pretty. Let’s check out the other side:

Nothing to see here. Move along.

Also a basic label here, as well, and we read (from top to bottom): “Brewed & bottled by Br. Van Steenberge, B-9940 Ertvelde / Imported by WIN-IT-TOO Inc. Santa Barbara CA.” There’s also a standard US government warning about the proper use of alcohol. Now let’s to the beer itself.

On the first pour, we see a (rather disappointing, from my point of view) head of about 1/4” – I’ve heard that up to an inch or more is normal, so I’m not quite sure what the issue is here. It’s got a beautiful, deep, amber glow to it – when I held it up to the light, that “glow” was quite literal. The nose was wonderful, too – very sweet, with hints of citrus and a very strong apricot scent. 

On the first sip, I felt a great deal of carbonation, but not unpleasantly so – the beer was still smooth. The aftertaste brought a swift wave of powerful yeast, almost as though I was chewing a big piece of bread. After that wave, however, that apricot taste was back. It was big on the initial tongue, and it hangs around for a long time. Afterwards, the head was still at about 1/4”, and this was the case throughout the rest of the beer.

Continuing on with the beer. Not much changes after this.

I haven’t included much in the way of more photos because the physical appearance changed very little over the course of the ale – not much lacing was in evidence, and that head stuck around. After the beer warmed up for about ten minutes or so, however, I did notice a substantially stronger alcoholic bite. Augustijn ale is 8% alcohol by volume, and this comes through loud and clear once you’ve reached over 50 degrees Fahrenheit or so. I did notice that as the beer progressed, I found it to get sweeter and sweeter – the apricot tones become very strong, and there is perhaps a hint of caramel at a few points.

I highly recommend checking out the Augustijn website – it’s incredibly informative and has sections on the ale we’ve reviewed here, the brewing process, the history of the brewery, recipes for cooking with Augustijn, and directions for visiting the brewery. Definitely go check it out!

I found Augustijn Ale at Big Red Liquors in Bloomington at the price of $2.69 for an 11.2 oz / 330 mL bottle. This beer is a steal, in my opinion, and I give it a solid B+. Go find some!

Don’t forget – alcohol is meant to be enjoyed, but it can hurt you and those around you. Drink responsibly – buzzed driving is drunk driving, too. Enjoy your fine brews in moderation, and don’t be afraid to know when it’s time to stop. As they say over at Beer Advocate – Respect Beer!

“Welcome to the source of the Trappist beers and cheeses of Chimay…Here, in this heaven of peace and silence where since 1850 Trappist monks have dedicated their life to God, products are made which, in themselves, gladden the heart of man.”

Indeed! The monks have been making their beer at Scourmont since 1862, and Chimay is “always made onsite at the abbey, which guarantees its authenticity and quality. It is bottled at Baileux, a few kilometers from the Abbey.” For a more in-depth look at the history of the Trappists and Scourmount, check out that section of their site here. They’ve also got great sections about brewing, bottling, and tasting on their site, and I highly encourage you to go and check it out.

Of the four beers brewed by the Trappists at Scourmont, only three are technically available for consumer purchase (the fourth, Chimay Dorée, is drunk only by the monks themselves or at a nearby inn. It is not available on the regular market). Tonight we are having a look at the Tripel (oddly enough, this translates to Triple), described on Wikipedia as having “a light orange colour and a very bitter taste, and is the most hopped and dryest of the three.”

I apologize in advance for the rather dismal quality of these photos – I am without my usual camera and have been forced to the standby. I’ve had to artificially increase the light in each of them to make them visible at all, but I tried to make those changes to reflect the most accurate picture of the beer.

First off, the bottle itself:

Chimay Tripel Ale, 11.20 fl. oz. bottle

The label, up close:

It’s a nice yellowish-white label, with the Chimay logo in the middle with “Triple” and “Tripel” on each side of it. It’s fairly easy to read most of it from here: Chimay Ale, Péres Trappístes. The small print across the bottle is “Brewed at Scourmont Abbey and bottled by S. A. Bieres de Chimay, Belgium / Net Contents 11.20 fl. oz 33 CL Alcohol 8% by volume.” The label is surmounted by the words “Abbaye de Scourmont” on the bottle itself, with a circular logo bearing the letters ADS on the neck of the bottle.

The back side of the bottle presents us with:

This is a rather informative label, reading “The registered trademark ‘TRAPPIST’ certifies that this ale was brewed within the walls of an existing trappist monastery under the control of the trappist community. A major part of the sales revenue is used by the monks to support charitable works. The exceptional yeast isolated by Father Theodore, combined with the purity of the highly protected water of the abbey’s wells, gives Chimay its unique richness. Since 1862, Chimay’s secondary fermented ales have neither been pasteurized nor filtered and only natural ingredients are used. To fully appreciate the agreeable combination of fresh hops and yeast of the Chimay Triple, serve chilled, in a wide-mouthed glass.” Nice!

I really like this next little bit on the back label:

This way, one knows precisely how to store and drink the beer, AND we know this is a real Trappist product. This illustration leads nicely to my choice of glassware for this beer:

Proper Chimay 10 ounce goblet

This is what Chimay is intended to be drunk from – a 10 ounce goblet. It’s something of a change for me, even after having acclimated myself to the (appropriate) way of drinking beer out of a glass. It feels nice in the hand and should be held by the stem.

Now then – enough with the introductory information. Let’s get to the beer. Here’s the first pour:

First pour. Nice, 2 inch head, but a bit lopsided due to the fact that I poured it incorrectly

This is what it looks like right out of the bottle. For some reason, I thought it would be a good idea to pour directly into the center of the goblet, which I (later) found out is incorrect. This should be poured very similarly to many other beers, with the goblet tilted at a 45 degree angle. You’ll see what a good pour looks like here in a minute.

I tried to lighten the colour up a bit, but it still isn’t as light as the beer is in real life. It’s got a nice dark straw look to it, and the beer is still bubbling at this point. And look at that beautiful head of foam! The nose of this beer comes out of the bottle swinging – at a distance of about two feet, I could smell it clearly. The nose is very hoppy, very bitter, but not unpleasant. The head settled down to about an inch after sitting for a minute or two, and then I had the first sip.

I immediately noticed the feel of this beer – even with plenty of non-foam intake, it’s got an incredibly foamy mouthfeel. I’m undecided whether that’s pleasant or not at this point. There is a tiny – tiny – tinge of sweetness, with the overall taste being hoppy bitterness. The aftertaste is even more bitter than the mouth, and a bit astringent (I was reminded of some drier wines). After the pour, the head settled down to about a half inch:

After the first sip

With the second tasting, that foamy mouthfeel was still there (and a little hint – it doesn’t go away throughout the entire experience). I noticed some sort of rusty/smoky taste here, and the third sip was even more “vegetably” (yes I know that’s not a word). The head continued to shrink as I got on with the beer, but I noticed some great lacing:

Check out the lacing

Now here’s the great part. The bottle reviewed here was only 11.2 ounces, and the goblet is 10. However, due to the big head on this beer, several refills in order (I ended up with three full goblets). Here’s what the first refill looked like, this time properly poured:

That's a bit better

Going through this goblet, I noticed some definitely yeasty undertones, and I have to admit that the 8% ABV comes through pretty loud on this beer. It has a bit of a bite to it (especially if you are used to lower ABV beers and “softer” forms of drink). As I said above, finishing the bottle required this goblet and one more.

This beer was definitely something new to me, the guy who thought Guinness was bitter. That’s pure milk chocolate compared to Chimay Tripel. I can see myself enjoying this beer with a few more tastings, but for the moment I’m going to give it a B on account of the mouthfeel. I don’t mind the foamy feeling at first, and even like it on the first few sips, but I think it’s a bit much here.

On an interesting note, the monks have posted an entire section of their Chimay website dedicated to cooking with the beer. Check it out here!

Thanks for joining me on this review! If you’re considering trying it for yourself, check your local fine beer and spirits retailer. I found Chimay Tripel at Big Red Liquors at the price of $4.94 per bottle.

Don’t forget – alcohol is meant to be enjoyed, but it can hurt you and those around you. Drink responsibly – buzzed driving is drunk driving, too. Enjoy your fine brews in moderation, and don’t be afraid to know when it’s time to stop. As they say over at Beer Advocate – Respect Beer!

Belhaven Brewery , in Belhaven, East Lothian, Scotland, claims to have been brewing since before the 16th century and has records dating from 1719. It’s changed owners several times but is still brewing great beer, including the one I enjoyed Saturday evening at The Pub in Crestview Hills, Kentucky.

According to Belhaven’s website, their Scottish Ale can be described as follows: “Malty and hoppy, we at Belhaven love the classic Scottish Ale and we’ve been brewing it longer than any of the other beers we produce. Delivering a sweet, smooth and creamy finish, Scottish Ale has a stunning ruby colour in the glass. Magic.” The Pub’s “Bar Bible,” available as a .pdf file if you follow the link, describes the beer as having a “golden brown hue, with subtle hop aromas, yet intense aromas of smoke and butterscotch, developing into full flavours of toasted malt with a creamy, full-bodied, semi-sweet finish.”

With those official recommendations in mind, here are my thoughts on the beer.

It was served in a small, 10 ounce glass shaped like a small version of the standard pint glass (with a bulge near the top, not the straight pint that I reviewed Fuller’s London Pride in) at a rather cold temperature – a bit cold for my taste, but not numbingly so. Upon arrival the beer did indeed have that golden brown hue, something I’d describe as deep amber. It had about an inch of head on it, and the nose was rather sweet and hoppy.

The first sip was a real treat. The beer had a wonderfully smooth mouth, and was heavy. The butterscotch mentioned in The Pub’s description was out in full force while I let it roll around the mouth and impart its flavour, and the aftertaste was long and full of caramel. After that first sip, I noticed the head had shrunk to about half an inch.

Sip #2 came seven minutes later. I noticed a flavour I couldn’t quite pin down – something rather spicy, I should think, but enjoyable. The head faded to about 1/4 inch after this sip, with a decent amount of lacing along the glass. As I continued with the beer, I couldn’t help but think “sweet” as time went along. That’s the first word that came to mind with every sip. 20 minutes into my Belhaven, there was still plenty of foam lingering on the sides of the glass, and the slightest hint of a head remained. The final sip – which, as you may guess, was all glorious foam – was potent, spicy, and delicious.

If I had to choose one word to characterize this beer (besides “sweet”), I’d call it mild. It drank very easily and was, contrary to The Pub’s description, creamy throughout the experience. I didn’t notice a multitude of flavours, but then again that could be due to my rather inexperienced palate.

Finally, a few word about The Pub. This is a chain restaurant, which tends to deduct a few points from my review right away. This watering hole (which has a small selection of traditional British pub fare mixed in with some dishes rather haphazardly given British names), however, does a decent job of pulling off the authentic look and feel. The bar which dominates each location is beautiful, and the décor does remind one of Britain and her empire (although it goes a bit overboard). I had wonderful service, even at 11 PM on a Saturday evening with a plethora of drunken revellers around. My one complaint pertains strictly to reviewing beers and doesn’t apply to each Pub location. The Crestview Hills Pub does allow smoking (I suppose this is a Kenton County allowance), and I do feel this hindered my ability to properly review tonight’s beer. The gentleman next to my table, though quiet enough, didn’t help by smoking a cigar which wafted over my way a few times (I’ll admit to being the slightest bit jealous that he was enjoying a smoke branded by Maker’s Mark – their cigars are finely crafted and delicious). The beer menu is substantially larger than that found in many other American franchises, but falls short in some areas – namely with Belgian and Irish beers. One can find Smithwick’s, Harp, Stella Artois, and others almost anywhere.

I give The Pub in Crestview Hills, Kentucky a solid B and Belhaven Scottish Ale a B as well, mostly for lack of complexity. It’s a solid brew to be enjoyed at dinner or casually amongst non-beer loving friends, and an easy fallback if you can’t think of anything else. I found it at the price of $3.75 for a ten ounce pour.

Don’t forget – alcohol is meant to be enjoyed, but it can hurt you and those around you. Drink responsibly – buzzed driving is drunk driving, too. Enjoy your fine brews in moderation, and don’t be afraid to know when it’s time to stop. As they say over at Beer Advocate – Respect Beer!

I’m far from a beer expert (in fact I’m quite the amateur) but I’m willing to learn and hope you’ll get something out of this, too.

With that said, let’s get started on our very first Brew Review, Fuller’s London Pride. This is a classic English Pale Ale and there’s plenty to be said for it.

Let’s start with a look at the bottle itself. I think there’s a lot to be said for nice packaging (not that good beer can’t come in plain packaging), so let’s check this out:

The bottle

This is a standard 11.2 oz bottle with a beautiful red and gold label:

Front label

From top to bottom, we see a golden griffin with the words “Griffin Brewery” underneath, followed by “Fuller’s,” then “Chiswick,” and then the epynomous “London Pride.” The label is finished off with the proud (no pun intended) “Outstanding Pale Ale,” hops and barley adorning the banner. The bottle is also stamped with a griffin above the rib at the top with the words “Est’d 1854″ and a griffin between them; directly over the label is stamped “Independent” and below the label is “Family Brewers.”

The back is fairly straightforward, informing us that “Fuller’s London Pride is an award-winning English classic pale ale, rich and smooth, with a good malty base abd well-developed hop notes on the finish.”

“The Griffin Brewery in Chiswick, London, has been brewing fine ales since 1654. The Fuller, Smith & Turner partnership, dating back to 1845, brews an excellent range of award-winning ales, many of which are available in the USA, including London Pride and the world’s original ESB [Extra Strong/Special Bitter].”

“I hope you will enjoy trying all our fine ales.”

Back label

We are then give the company’s web address (www.fullers.co.uk) and informed that this is, indeed, a product of England. Fuller’s London Pride is 4.7% alcohol by volume.

Now then – to the tasting!

I’ve selected the standard straight pint glass for tonight’s beer. It features the logo of the Irish Lion, my favourite local watering hole. This beer was poured at approximately 45 degrees Fahrenheit, having been taken out of the refrigerator and allowed to warm for about 10 minutes.

Straight pint glass

Once poured, this beer has a beautiful dark amber colour. It just looks delicious – who wouldn’t want to enjoy that burnished gold? Immediately after pouring, it had a head of about 3/4 of an inch; this quickly faded to about 1/2″. When taking a deep sniff of the beer, I smelled mostly bitter with a slightly sweet undertone.

Immediately after pouring. Take notice of the head at this point.

We’re ready to take a swig. And so we raise this glass to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth. God Save the Queen!

On first sip, I immediately noticed the combination of sweet and bitter that fills the mouth in a pleasing way. There’s also a coppery minerality beneath it all, preventing the bitterness from overtaking the palate.  I noticed a somewhat coffee-like consistency – certainly thicker than water, but not much beyond that. The aftertaste, which probably lasted upwards of a minute, was of weak tea. At this point the head was almost completely gone, with only some surface bubbles remaining – perhaps 1/8″:

After the first sip. Notice the head is rather thin at this point.

About four minutes later, I took a deep whiff of the beer. The first scent that came to mind was cold rocks – almost as though I were in a cave deep underground. A bit of chalk also peeked in from time to time. The second swig brought me a few moments of lemon rind taste. The swallow left a velvety texture on the tongue – very pleasing, earning this a 4.0 for mouthfeel on my Beer Advocate review.

The next sip, eight minutes later, was taken with very few bubbles on the surface. The head was gone, but enough carbonation remained to allow the velvety feel to coat the mouth. At this point, we can see that there is little in the way of foam adhesion to the side of the glass (I believe this is called “lacing,” but I’m not quite sure so I won’t use the term just yet):

Post-third sip. No noticeable foam adhesion.

Overall, this beer was very enjoyable. It’s nothing that will make you drive to the store the next day to buy them out of stock, but a very nice everyday beer. The mouthfeel was wonderful, and the taste was refreshing. I give Fuller’s London Pride a B+. Go check it out on their website here. I found this at Sahara Mart in Bloomington, IN at the price of $11.79 for a package of six.

Don’t forget – alcohol is meant to be enjoyed, but it can hurt you and those around you. Drink responsibly -buzzed driving is drunk driving, too.

Until next time, cheers!