Beer No: 111
Page No: 63
Category: Amber

Yes...it's been a long time.  When the blog started, I was unemployed, had ample funds to support my beer buying, and more free time than I knew what to do with.  Now, I'm employed, don't have funds to spend on lots of beer (but I do anyways), and have less free time.  But...I think it's time to try and get this going again.  It's not going to be easy to get a review up every day, nor find beers that I can review each day, but I'll do my best.  I just went to the Belgian Beer Festival at Pizza Port, Carlsbad so I have a few reviews to post from there and I do have some beers from my previous review days saved up - and hopefully they'll still be good and not skunky - they've been stored properly, so I have high hopes.

So, Bitch Creek ESB...usually, in the original sense of the word, ESB stands for Extra Special Bitter - with a good amount of hops bringing the bitterness and a golden/brownish hue.  So when I opened this ESB from Grand Teton, I was quite surprised to see it so dark and have the big malty notes on the front.  Yeah, the hops are still there, but it was just darker than I expected.  Then I looked it up on Untappd.com (add me!) and they have it listed as an Extra Special Brown.  I guess it's a nice mix of the two - both bitter and brown, with a good amount of malts and a darker, amber color than I was expecting.  Either way, the malty, nutty flavors really come through but are balanced out at the end by a great hop finish.  Quite exquisite.

As for the amazing write-up in 1001 Beers, the Otto Brothers brew this beer, starting in Wyoming and then moving to Idaho.  But back in Wyoming, after getting brewpubs legalized, they were the ones that introduced the growler.  A bit of beer trivia that we all should know.

At the end of the 19th century, beer drinkers would carry beer home from the pub in a pail known as a "growler."  Lacking a bottling line and looking for a way to sell beer for his customers to cake home, Charlie Otto hit on the idea of putting a brewery label on a half-gallon glass container, calling it a "growler," and telling customer sthey coudl return empties to be refilled.  Brewpubs across the country soon copied the idea.

My review, cross posted at Ratebeer.com:

Grand Teton Bitch Creek ESB

Aroma: 7/10
Appearance: 3/5
Taste: 8/10
Palate: 4/5
Overall: 15/20

Had from 12 oz. bottle in pint glass. Pours dark brown/copper with large tan head that sticks around to the finish. Aroma of solid hops and bit of fruitiness that gives way to a solid nutty, malty aroma. Taste starts with the malts; toasty, nutty, toffee. Finishes with strong hop bitterness; pine, citrus. A solid ESB, bit darker than I expected, but quite tasty.

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Beer No: 110
Page No: 838
Category: Dark

Once again, I'm starting to slack on my reviews.  It's odd because I'm not watching extra TV on my DVR, I'm not playing World of Warcraft or StarCraft II (though I might fire that one up again later today), but I've just become lazy I guess.  I'm working on two beers now that I had a few days ago (this one and the next review) and back dating them to the proper dates, and then I had a beer today (the 17th) and might have another one or two if they get cold in time, but it's more of a chore now to write all these articles on each one and rate them all.  But I'll try my hardest to keep it going, it just unfortunately means that there could be more periods of inactivity and then flurries of posts when I feel up to posting again.

Anyhoo, some back story on this fine German beer.  Named for the Asam brothers who built the abbey's church (yes, this is an abbey beer - brewed by monks), this malty beer is perfect for a cold evening as it warms with almost 7% ABV and fills with a huge malted flavor.  What's interesting about this brewery is they are one of the oldest, if not the oldest brewery in the world.  1001 Beers says they're most likely the 2nd oldest brewery in existence, but who can say for sure when records date back only to 1050.

"Weltenburger has a longer history of brewing than [the Trappist monasteries].  The monks arrived here on the banks of the Danube in the 7th century and probably began making beer immediately.  No records exist, but it is known that the abbey was brewing in 1050, which makes Weltenburger second only to Weihenstephan, just north of Munich."

First, second, or somewhere later, the monks here know what they're doing.  "loaded with sweet malts, balanced by local Hallertauer hops, and lagered for twelve weeks," this is one is definitely one to try.  Sweet, malty, hints of hops, a nice full-bodied balanced bock.

My review, cross-posted at RateBeer.com:

Weltenburger Kloster Asam Bock by Klosterbrauerei Weltenburg

Aroma: 7/10
Appearance: 3/5
Taste: 7/10
Palate: 4/5
Overall: 15/20

Rating: 3.6 / 5.0

Had from bottle. Pours dark brown with huge frothy tan head. Too much carbonation right off the bat. Aroma is heavy bready malts with a hint of some spices and a bit of toffee. Flavor is full-bodied with bit malts, molasses and roasted toffee. Mouthfeel is less carbonated than the pour and has good body to it. Finishes sweet and satisfying. A solid bock.

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Beer No: 109
Page No: 933
Category: Specialty

I'm finally back from my second big beer-related road trip of the year.  Though not quite as long as an epic pilgrammage to Decatur, Georgia, this weekend's trip up through wine country brought with it some amazing breweries.  First up was Firestone Walker on Friday night.  I had the sampler there and already knew that I'd enjoy their DBA and IPA but I didn't realize just how good their Firestone Walkers Reserve is.  It was an almost perfect blend of roasted malts, citrus hops, and a creamy body that all just worked together amazingly.  The next day I had a wedding to attend, but before the reception, I made sure to pick up a six pack of Anchor Liberty Ale, one of my new go-to beers when I'm in a pinch at a liquor store with limited selection.  The wedding and reception were amazing, though the beer selection was lacking (so I just stuck with vodka tonics).

Day 3 of the short road trip took us to Russian River, where, as you can see by the picture accompanying this article, we enjoyed their sampler tray with every beer they had on tap including...Little White Lie, Aud Blonde, Gaffer's Bitter, O.V.L. Stout, Perdition, Damnation, Sanctification, Supplication, Consecration, Temptation, Russian River IPA, Blind Pig, Pliny the Elder, and Hopfather.  The standouts were, of course, the Supplication and Consecration.  But what both my friend and I were impressed by most was the Hopfather.  The highest IBU beer they had on tap, it had over 100 IBUs, more than even Pliny the Elder, and it was surprisingly drinkable.  The hops were balanced perfectly.  You got that strong pine hop flavor, but the finish was what sealed the deal.  It didn't linger all that long, and that fresh pine flavor was just tantalizing.

After Russian River, we made the long trek out to Chico to visit Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.  There we enjoyed some good food and a couple good beers - both the Sierra Nevada Old Chico Brand Crystal Wheat (a filtered wheat beer) and 30th Anniversary Jack & Ken's Ale were very good.  However, the night was ruined by the Brewer's Blackbird IPA.  They really should be sued for calling it an IPA.  There's no hops!  Maybe the faintest hop flavor, but the whole thing was just sweetness and ass.  A horrible beer that maybe we just got a bad pour of, but straight from the tap room itself, I would expect lines to be clean and kegs to be properly stored, so there's no excuse.

My review, cross-posted at RateBeer.com:

Russian River Temptation by Russian River Brewing

Aroma: 8/10
Appearance: 4/5
Taste: 8/10
Palate: 4/5
Overall: 17/20

Rating: 4.1 / 5.0

Had on draught at Russian River. Pours golden blonde with a small white head and very nice lacing. Aroma is strongly vinous with hints of oak, yeast, and acid. Taste is amazingly complex with strong flavors of oak, chardonnay, malts, acetic acid, and the perfect amount of sourness. An easier drinking sour than the Consecration and Supplication, but no less complex or enjoyable. Worth $25/bottle? Perhaps. Worth it on tap straight from the source, any day.

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Beer No: 108
Page No: 91
Category: Amber

It's always sad to read a story like this:

A small crack in a fermentation vat at the Okanagan Springs Brewery in Vernon, B.C., may be to blame for a creamy beer bomb that blew more than 32-thousand litres of fermented foam across a downtown street.

Similarly, to hear about such floods at other breweries, like the one we were told when I last visited the Stone Brewery, just make my heart sad.  All that good beer, flowing down a street, down a drain, not into my belly, just upsets me.  But alas, not every drop can flow into my belly where it belongs, but on my upcoming trip this weekend, I hope to have enough beer to make up for the beer that is spilled for no good reason.

I'll be visiting the fine folks at Firestone Walker later today and then heading out to Russian River and Sierra Nevada on Sunday.  So until I return, there shall be no new beer posts.  And I apologize for the missed days earlier this week.  I'm still trying to get back on track, but it just gets tough some days when you've got other more pressing priorities.  But hopefully when I return from the trip, I'll be rejuvenated and ready to drink more amazing beers.

My review, cross-posted at RateBeer.com:

Coopers Vintage Ale by Coopers Brewery

Aroma: 7/10
Appearance: 3/5
Taste: 8/10
Palate: 4/5
Overall: 12/20

Rating: 3.4 / 5.0

Had from bottle - 2008 vintage. Pours dark red/brown with slight tan head. Aroma is full on malts, caramel, slight fruity aroma with just a bit of alcohol. Flavors are surprisingly good. Well balanced malts and spices with a hint of some fruit and the slightest bit of acid. It was good and a pleasant surprise given previous Coopers tastings. A well done vintage ale.

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Beer No: 107
Page No: 247
Category: Amber

At first I thought I had made a mistake, because this bottle is part of the "Imperial Series" by Samuel Adams and the beer listed was just the Double Bock, but upon turning to the page in 1001 Beers, it's clear that this is the beer they intended to put in the book.  Which is kind of annoying because I didn't really enjoy this beer at all.  I thought the flavors were a bit medicinal and the "imperialization" of the beer just didn't really help out at all.  The taste was just acceptable with some smoked malts and some hints of coffee, but the heavy hops they tried to add just threw things out of whack.  That being said, it certainly didn't ruin my International Beer Day.

And in honor of International Beer Day, here's a wonderful song about Duvel, among my favorite beers as well.

My review, cross-posted at RateBeer.com:

Samuel Adams Imperial Double Bock by Boston Beer Company

Aroma: 6/10
Appearance: 3/5
Taste: 6/10
Palate: 2/5
Overall: 9/20

Rating: 2.6 / 5.0

Had from 12oz bottle. Pours dark brown with slight tan head and good lacing. Aroma is heavy smoked malts, some coffee, and alcohol. Taste is alcohol, lots of malts, and a nice hop bite at the finish. A bit disappointing, had expected something a bit more complex and less medicinal.

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Beer No: 106
Page No: 420
Category: Blond

It's funny, back to back posts where I originally rated the beer 7-8 years ago, and then looking back today, I feel completely different about it.  I really enjoyed this Liberty Ale and it'll be my go-to in the future if I'm just looking for a quick six-pack to take to a party (previously I usually just picked up Sierra Nevada Pale).  I really enjoyed this American Pale Ale finding it to be incredibly complex, yet wonderfully balanced.  Easy to drink with tons of flavor, I just couldn't have been happier this morning.  As mentioned, this is the second beer in a row that I've taken another look at and a commenter yesterday picked up on the change and I agree with him how fun it is to sometimes look back at old ratings and see how our tastes have evolved.

I really like the fact that you came back and did a re-review. It's interesting from a beer drinkers' perspective to see how our tastes and moods change from one sitting to another over time. And from a readers' perspective it's interesting to see two different takes on a beer - especially if they're from the same person. Gives a more complete idea of the beer.

In beer news, the Craft Brewers Alliance bought Kona, rescuing them and allowing Kona to contiue to create great craft brews.  When I first read about the acquisition, I at first thought of Kraft, and found a brewery to be an odd choice, but then realized it's something completely different:

Under the agreement, Kona will become a wholly owned subsidiary of Craft Brewers, which also distributes the beers of Chicago's Goose Island Brewery. Craft Brewers was formed with the merger of Portland's Widmer Brothers Brewing and Woodinville, Wash.,-based Redhook Ale Brewery in 2008.

I'm glad Kona will be able to continue to produce the beers the way they want to and hopefully the Craft Brewers Alliance can provide distribution that will help them grow.

((And yes, this review is being back-posted to fill in some gaps in reviews.  So you'll notice the re-rate on August 4th and the article from August 3rd despite the article being "posted" on July 29th.))

My review, cross-posted at RateBeer.com:

Anchor Liberty Ale by Anchor Brewing Company

Aroma: 7/10
Appearance: 4/5
Taste: 8/10
Palate: 4/5
Overall: 15/20

Rating: 3.8 / 5.0

UPDATED: AUG 4, 2010 Wow, what a difference 7 years makes. Had from bottle, this beer is thoroughly refreshing. Pours golden yellow with a slight orange tint and tons of head. Beer actually foamed over on me when taking the cap off. Aroma is perfect balance of floral hops and muted malts. Flavor is wonderful. Quite possibly my new favorite easy-drinking beer. The perfect amount of hops complement the complex malts. Probably my new favorite in the APA category. Wonderfully smooth finish, a very well-rounded beer.

Had on tap at Callahan’s on February 19th, 2003
The beer was poured a golden yellow with a slight head that dissipated quickly. Aroma is slightly fruity, but weak. Taste is hoppy and bitter with an aftertaste that is slightly acidic. Not an outstanding taste - drinkable, but not tops on my list.
Original Rating: 4/3/6/4/12 2.9/5.0

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Beer No: 105
Page No: 572
Category: White

Franziskaner Hefe-Weisse is easily one of my favorite Hefewiezens.  So it saddened me so when half way through drinking this beer and reading the Wall Street Journal, a fly landed in it and could not escape.  Such a shame to waste this beer.  My friends all told me to fish out the fly and continue drinking, but I just couldn't do it.  That being said, I still got to drink half of the beer and then went in and started on a new beer - Speakeasy Prohibition Ale - a nice amber, but nothing too special.  Easy to drink and a good representation of the style.

On a side note, I found it pretty funny that just days after BrewDog comes out with the world's strongest beer at 55% and names it "End of History," another brewery, just for fun comes out with a 60% beer and names it "Start the Future."  A fun game of one-upmanship and hilarious product naming.  However, one downside to "Start the Future" is it doesn't come bottled in roadkill...

My review, cross-posted at RateBeer.com:

Franziskaner Hefe-Weissbier by Spaten-Franziskaner-Brau (InBev)

Aroma: 6/10
Appearance: 4/5
Taste: 8/10
Palate: 4/5
Overall: 16/20

Rating: 3.8 / 5.0

UPDATED: AUG 1, 2010 Rerate 7/28/2010
Not quite sure what happened with my original rating 8 years ago - maybe I had a bad bottle or something, but since then, Franziskaner has become one of my favorite Hefeweizens. The aroma has a wonderful blend of fruits, spices, yeast, and bananas while the taste is pretty much exactly what a hefe should be. Fruit, cloves, and vanilla all dominate the tasting and blend together perfectly. A truly wonderful hefe.

I’m usually a huge fan of hefeweizens, but this one seemed a bit bland. The color is the usual hazy yellow with a medium sized head. The aroma is slightly fruity and the taste as well, but overall, it seemed weak with a taste that left something to be desired. A refreshing beer, but nothing special - not a stand-out hefe.

Original Rating: 6/4/6/3/13 3.2/5.0 on 10.10.2002

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Beer No: 104
Page No: 400
Category: Blonde

Yeah, so maybe that's not the proper way to pour a beer, but hell, it's a pilsener, and a poor one at that.  Tasting of skunky beer, there's not much that can help this brew rise from the depths.  I still can't fathom why breweries continue to use green bottles.  Perhaps they're just trying to emulate Heineken skunk flavors?

In unrealted news, it appears that Stone may be heading to England.  I knew they were looking for a European base of operations, so where better than in an old, closed-up brewery?  The Birmingham Post reports that Stone might be interested in bidding on the old Highgate Brewery.  Seems like a perfect fit to me.  The only place that would fit them better I think is Estonia - get it? E-STONE-IA...haha.

The Stone Brewing Company, based in Escondido, California, is thought to be lining up a bid for the listed building and the brewing equipment from the 112-year-old Black Country brewery, which has been up for sale since the previous brewers collapsed earlier in the summer.

My review, cross-posted at RateBeer.com:

Jever Pilsener by Jever (Oetker Group)

Aroma: 2/10
Appearance: 2/5
Taste: 4/10
Palate: 2/5
Overall: 5/20

Rating: 1.5 / 5.0

11.2oz. green bottle from Hi Time Wines. Pours clear golden yellow with heavy carbonation and good head. Aroma is skunky - can’t really get any malts or hops. Taste is standard pils with skunky grains and grass. Not my cup o’ tea. Why do breweries still insist on using green bottles?

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Beer No: 103
Page No: 930
Category: Specialty

Yum, yum, yum.  This is the reason I'm heading up to Russian River in August.  Their beers are legendary here in California, and most likely across the United States.  Amongst those that know a good sour, they know Russian River.  You really have no idea how excited I am to be able to visit Russian River in early August.  I'll be there for a nice lunch at their restaurant, hope to take a quick tour of the brewery, and then hit the road to have dinner and a tour up at Sierra Nevada a bit further north.  I had planned to continue my trip by heading up to Portland, but with finances still being tight, I just can't justify the cost of added hotel nights, more gas, more beer bought (well, that's justifiable), and other expenses.  But checking Kayak, round trip flights up there are just $221, so I'll probably go at some point, find a nice downtown hotel, and not even worry about having a car.

As for this amazing Russian River brew, I rated it almost exactly the same as the awesome Consecration.  I think it really says something about this beer when it's the #2 sour ale on all of RateBeer.com.  Lost Abbey's Yellow Bus is #1 and I almost got some of it last Saturday, but instead went to the home brew competition results luncheon at the Orange County Fair to accept our award for our first place Sweet Stout ("our" being Arkh Brewing).  Hopefully I'll have the chance to try Yellow Bus soon as I can't live without knowing what the #1 sour beer tastes like.  Oh, by the way, Supplication is #3 on the site.  Lost Abbey / Pizza Port holds spots 4 through 7 and Russian River holds spot #8 with Temptation (one of the 1001 and coming in mid-August).  Pretty insane that the top 8 sour beers come from just two producers.  If only I could figure out a way to master this type of brew.

My review, cross-posted at RateBeer.com:

Russian River Supplication by Russian River Brewing

Aroma: 9/10
Appearance: 4/5
Taste: 9/10
Palate: 5/5
Overall: 17/20

Rating: 4.4 / 5.0

Batch 005X3 from Hi Time Wine Cellars. An amazing way to follow up last week’s Stone Sour Fest and an absolutely wonderful beer that I’ve had many times, but never rated. Pours with a reddish brown hue, fine carbonation, and slight tan head which dissipates quickly. Nose is mostly cherries, pinot, brett, lactic acid, and sour vinegar. Taste is perfectly balanced sourness with lots of cherries, plums, oak, wine, vinegar and citrus. Finishes perfectly with lingering fruits and oak. I just love this stuff.

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Beer No: 102
Page No: 918
Category: Specialty

The last of my Stone Sour Fest reviews, this is the Lost Abbey Red Poppy.  It's easily one of my favorites (though their new Russ - strawberry sour - was pretty amazing as well), but the Cuvee de Tomme still ranks as my favorite Lost Abbey brew (I'll post both reviews below).  One day, when I'm rolling in cash, I'll join the Lost Abbey Sinners & Saints program, but for now, I'll be content with my Bruery Reserve Society membership.  Enough with Lost Abbey, on to the beers.  For the final listing, here are the beers from "C" East Side of Lawn - all on draft.  A * indicates I tried it - a º indicates I skipped it because I knew I had already tasted it at a previous festival.

• "C" East Side of Lawn
  • Lagunitas Pinot Noir Barreled Sonoma Farmhouse Saison Style Ale
  • The Lost Abbey Duck Duck Gooze *
  • The Lost Abbey Framboise de Amorosa *
  • The Lost Abbey Red Poppy Ale *
  • The Lost Abbey Russ *
  • The Lost Abbey Veritas Ale 07 *
  • Moylan's Barrel Aged Kilt Lifter with Brett
  • New Belgium La Folie
  • New Belgium Lips of Faith Eric's Ale º
  • New Belgium Lips of Faith Transatlantique Kriek º
  • New Belgium Love - Felix (dry hopped) *
  • New Belgium Love - Oscar (spiced) *
  • New Belgium Tart Lychee *
  • Ommegang Zuur *
  • Russian River Consecration º
  • Russian River Supplication º (tomorrow's beer)
  • Six Rivers Raspberry Lambic *
  • Triple Rock Sour Cherry Stout aged in Bourbon Barrels *
  • Dogfish Head Festina Peche º
  • Drake's FrakenBerry Sour
  • Drake's Kuato

I think this quote from Lost Abbey's director of brewing, Tomme Arthur pretty much sums up my feelings on all the sour ales (my personal favorite style of beer):

"Perhaps the single most defining beer moment for me came when I experienced my first Rodenbach Grand Cru.  It was a seminal moment, as I only then began to understand that beer could possess a range of flavors outside of bland and watery.  The beer was ruby with brown highlights.  It was at once sweet and sour, woody and dry.  This beer was an epiphany for me."

I think any craft beer drinker can agree with Tomme.  There's that moment when you discover that there's a whole world out there outside of the Corona, Bud Lite, and Miller High Life.  There's a world full of flavor, complexity, and range.  A beer can at once be "sweet and sour, woody and dry."  It doesn't have to taste like nothing and only serve the purpose of getting you drunk.  A good beer should be imbibed to experience a full range of flavors, and once experienced, there's no going back.

Thank you to all the visionaries out there.  Those at Stone, Lost Abbey, Cascade, Russian River, AleSmith, The Bruery, Bootlegger's, and countless others whom have made my life better through drink.  Keep up the good work, maybe one day I will work beside you.

My review, cross-posted at RateBeer.com:

Lost Abbey Red Poppy Ale by Port Brewing / Lost Abbey

Aroma: 8/10
Appearance: 4/5
Taste: 8/10
Palate: 4/5
Overall: 16/20

Rating: 4.0 / 5.0

Had on tap at Stone Sour Fest 2010. Easily one of my favorite Lost Abbey beers. The Red Poppy pours with a deep brownish-red color and slight tan head. Aroma of cherries, oak, lactic acid, vinegar, and citrus. Taste is equally complex with the cherries being the dominant flavor with the citrus and acids backing it up. Well balanced, finishes nicely, a true gem from Lost Abbey.

Pizza Port Cuvee de Tomme by Port Brewing / Lost Abbey

Aroma: 8/10
Appearance: 5/5
Taste: 9/10
Palate: 4/5
Overall: 16/20

Rating: 4.2 / 5.0

Had on draught at The 12 Hour Belgian Beer Party at Pizza Port Carlsbad on March 8, 2003  #34 on the program and #100 for me!!!

The beer has a very pleasing aroma - a slight wine smell laced with cherries. It's a bit tart, but wow, it's extremely flavorful. The beer has a beautiful appearance with no head and a clear, dark red hue. The beer is sweet, slightly acidic with a very complex, flavorful density. I had actually left the Beer Fest for dinner, but upon reviewing my program, saw I missed this highly recommended beer. I went back, bought another ticket and enjoyed this very fine beer. An absolutely wonderful beer.

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Beer No: 101
Page No: 866
Category: Specialty

Ok, so maybe the picture isn't really the Cantillon Rosé, but it's close enough.  I currenty have this picture as my background on my computer and it makes me thirsty for a nice rose or kriek every time I look at it.  Mmm...I need to have that Supplication I picked up at Hi-Times today...

Back to the Stone Sour Fest, here's the amazing list from the "A" Outside Bar (draft) and "B" West Side of Lawn (Draft) along with a couple special beers on cask.  A * indicates I tried it - a º indicates I skipped it because I knew I had already tasted it at a previous festival.

• "A" Outside Bar
  • Alvinne Kerasus
  • Bacchus Flemish Red
  • Bockor Cuvee des Jacobins Rouge º
  • 2007 Boon Oude Geuze Marriage Parfait º
  • Cantillon Classic Gueuze
  • Cantillon Fou Foune
  • Rodenbach Grand Cru º
  • St. Louis Gueuze Fond Tradition
  • Stone Funky Sour *
  • Verhaeghe Echte Kriekenbier
• "A" Outside Bar Cask
  • The Bruery Melange #7 *º
  • Stone Estate-gown Peach Sour *
• "B" West Side of Lawn
  • Allagash Confluence Ale
  • Avery Altar Boy *
  • Avery Depuceleuse
  • Ballast Point Hout Series Black Currant º
  • Ballast Point Hout Series Gueuze *
  • Ballast Point Sour Wench Blackberry Ale *
  • BJ's Oude Jeremiah
  • Bootlegger's Cherry Chernobyl *
  • 2009 Cascade Apricot Ale
  • Cascade Bourbonic Plague *
  • 2009 Cascade Kriek Ale
  • 2009 Cascade Sang Rouge *
  • 2009 Cascade The Vine
  • 2009 Cascade Vlad the Imp Aler *
  • Craftsman Sour Lavendar *
  • Deschutes Bender Weiss
  • Deschutes Quadsimoto *
  • Grand Teton Sourgrass *
  • Green Flash Grand Mantis
  • Green Flash Super Freak
  • Jolly Pumpkin Bam Biere º
  • Jolly Pumpkin Calabaza Blanca
  • Jolly Pumpkin Luciernaga
  • Jolly Pumpkin Oro De Calabaza º

Looking back at my old review, it's pretty harsh, but not too far off.  The Rosé was pretty good and I'd love to find a bottle of it to try it again in a setting that doesn't involve a festival.  I do like it and would love to test it again.

My review, cross-posted at RateBeer.com:

Cantillon Rosé de Gambrinus by Cantillon

Aroma: 7/10
Appearance: 3/5
Taste: 6/10
Palate: 2/5
Overall: 13/20

Rating: 3.1 / 5.0

Had on draught at the Pizza Port 12 Hour Belgain Ale Festival on March 8, 2003
#8 on your programs for those following along. What a beer - even better to be found on tap...yes - on tap. Pours with an orange/red color and a beautiful clarity. The aroma is sweet - apricots and/or peaches. The beer though has much more of a bite than the Lindeman's - you've got hints of sweetness mixed amongst a tartness. A bit more astringent than others I tasted, while this one didn't have that smokey/vinegary flavoring, it packed the perfect punch and was a nice contrast to the extremely sweet krieks.

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Beer No: 100
Page No: 862
Cateogory: Specialty

Truth be told, there's really few other brewers that I would choose to be my 100th beer on my journey to 1001.  The Grand Cru was an amazing beer and an absolute delight amongst all the other fine beers available at the Stone Sour Fest.  So, just to tease you all who might not have been there, here's the full list of all the beers available (a * indicates I tried it - a º indicates I skipped it because I knew I had already tasted it at a previous festival).

• Bottle List
  • 3 Fonteinen Oude Geuze
  • Alvinne Cuvee Freddy
  • Avery Brabant º
  • Avery Depuceleuse
  • Avery Sui Generis
  • Bayerischer Bahnhof Berliner Style Weiss
  • Birr del Borgo Duchessie
  • Birrificio Italiano Series
  • Cantillon Bruocsella 1900 Grand Cru *
  • Cantillon Classic Gueze *
  • Cantillon Cuvee des Champions *
  • Cantillon Iris º
  • Cantillon Kriek 100% Lambic
  • Cantillon Lou Pepe Gueuze 2006 *
  • Cantillon Lou Pepe Kriek 2007 *º
  • Cantillon Rose de Gambrinus *
  • Cantillon Vigneronne
  • Cascade Kriek Ale
  • Cascade The Vine
  • De Proefbrouwerij Flemish Primative 2008 Special Vintage Reserve
  • De Proefbrouwerij Zoetzuur º
  • De Ranke Kriek
  • Dogfish Head Red & White º
  • Girardin Gueuze 1882 Black Label º
  • HaandBryggeriet Wild Thing
  • HaandBryggeriet Haandbakk
  • Hanssens Oudbeitje
  • Hanssens Oude Kriek
  • Ichtegem's Grand Cru
  • Jolly Pumpkin Luciernaga
  • Liefmans Kriekbier º
  • Lindemans Gueuze Grand Cru Cuvee Rene
  • The Lost Abbey Cuvee de Tomee º
  • The Lost Abbey Red Poppy Ale º
  • The Lost Abbey Sinners 09 *
  • Ommegang Zuur
  • Oud Beersel Framboise
  • Oud Beersel Kriek
  • Oud Beersel Oude Geuze Vieille º
  • Panil Barriquee
  • Petrus Aged Pale
  • Reinart Flemish Wild Ale º
  • 2009 Russian River Consecration º
  • 2010 Russian River Consecration º
  • Russian River Supplication º
  • Russian River Temptation º
  • Verhaeghe Duchesse de Bourgogne º

But what you have to realize from this list is this was just the bottle list.  There's another 2 pages full of sour beers on tap that I'll post tomorrow along with another review of one of these spectacular beers that I sampled.  Many thanks to the wonderful people at Stone Brewing who put this on - especially Dr. Bill.  The only downside to the event was the long line at the bottle tasting bar and the limit of just 15 tickets.  With a lot of the good (i.e. rare) beers costing two tickets, and no ability to buy more tickets, the limit of 15 taster tickets really put a damper on things.  We arrived at 9:30am and we were done at 12:30pm.  We were not drunk, we had a designated driver, and with the event going until 7pm, we had plenty of time left to sample more beers.

That being said, I have to reiterate that it was an amazing day, staff was friendly and helpful, weather was beautiful (about 90 degrees - which was actually much cooler than last year when it was 100+ with high humidity), and we had an awesome table to sample our beers at.  The day really couldn't have been any better.

On to the beer...The Cantillon Grand Cru Bruocsella 1900...I had it late in the day which probably upped my anticipation a bit and more than likely enhanced my appreciation for the beer.  Looking back at an old 2009 rating, I can't say I disagree too much when all is said and done.  I enjoyed the small taster I had at Stone, but when you have a full bottle, you're able to grasp the subtleties of the beer better.  So...without further ado...

My review, cross-posted at RateBeer.com:

Cantillon Bruocsella 1900 Grand Cru by Cantillon

Aroma: 6/10
Appearance: 3/5
Taste: 6/10
Palate: 3/5
Overall: 14/20

Rating: 3.2 / 5.0

750ml bottle from High Time Wine. Pours with a few bubbles, but flat. Had to question whether it was supposed to be this flat or if I got a bad bottle. Aroma was of strong oak (expected after aging three years in a barrel) with a hint of tartness - apples perhaps - and some malt. Color is clear, crisp, gold with again, no bubbles to speak of.

Flavors are intensly lambic, oaks, woods, but a bit too much like a cider or wine. The tartness of the citrus comes through at the end, a satisfying finish, but in the end, I felt it lacking overall.

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Beer No: 99
Page No: 853
Category: Specialty

About 1% of the U.S. population is gluten-intolerant, so they are unable to imbite or ingest many of the common grains used to make beer.  Which is truly a shame.  Luckily, there's a few sorghum-based beers out there that are gluten-free and safe for them to drink.  Unfortunately, the flavors are really lacking and the sorghum provides an unusual flavor that really just doesn't go well with a drink I want to have in my hand while relaxing.  Since I've never had any other gluten-free beers before, it's tough to compare this one to others, but based on this one, I'll probably never sample another one unless I must.

My review, cross-posted at RateBeer.com:

Bard's The Original Sorghum Malt Beer brewed by Gordon Biersch Brewing Company under contract for Bard's Beer

Aroma: 4/10
Appearance: 3/5
Taste: 3/10
Palate: 2/5
Overall: 7/20

Rating: 1.9 / 5.0

12 oz. bottle. Pours a clear, light yellow with good carbonation and a slight head. Aroma is faint, mostly grass, bread. Flavor is...interesting. Nothing special, hints of faint hops, grassy, slight sweetness. Finish lingers a bit too long. Not something I’d ever try again, but for those that can’t tolerate gluten, perhaps this is the beer for you. Sorry you’re just missing out on a truly flavorful experience.

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Beer No: 98
Page No: 418
Category: Blond

It's always tough to review a pilsner.  Most of the time, they're watered down, lack any real flavor, and are hard to objectively rate from one to another.  Every once in a while though, you come across a pilsner that has more flavor then all the others and is actually able to be differentiated from all the other so-called "pilsners" out there like Bud, Coors, and Miller (technically they're American Lagers, but they derive directly from the classic pilsners).

So it's nice to come across the Lagunitas Pils, which as Lagunitas founder Tony Magee states, "This is our best beer."  Now, I'd disagree on that, but I do think that the Lagunitas Pils is a damn fine beer, able to hold itself against other imported pilsners, like Pilsner Urquell and other "true" pilsners from the region.  The Lagunitas Pils is pretty much your standard pilsner with a clear yellow appearance and a nice white head and good carbonation.  It features a slight bit of hops on the nose and a slight bitterness on the end.  It's easy to drink like almost any pilsner and really quenches a thirst.  But complex it is not.

My review, cross-posted at RateBeer.com:

Lagunitas Pils by Lagunitas Brewing Company

Aroma: 6/10
Appearance: 3/5
Taste: 6/10
Palate: 3/5
Overall: 12/20

Rating: 3.0 / 5.0

12 oz. bottle. Pours clear, golden yellow with good white head and slight lacing. Aroma is of slight hops and a bit of bread with malts. Body is light like most pilsners with a clean, crisp flavor of malts with a slightly bitter hop finish. A nice, drinkable pilsner.

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Beer No: 97
Page No: 560
Category: White

It's been almost a month with no beer reviews, so I figure that's ample time away.  I guess other things just got the better of me.  It started with a weekend missed due to prior engagements and then I just didn't have the inclination to catch up from the missed weekend and the weekend turned into a week, and from there, it just spiraled out of control.  Then came Sunday, Stone's 4th Annual Sour Fest kicked my butt into gear.  I had an amazing time sampling some absolutely amazing beers (I'll post the full beer list in a bit).

So I'm back.  I've still got tons of beers lined up to enjoy from the book and I can't wait to start reviewing them again.  So we'll start with a nice German wheat, the Ayinger Ur-Weisse.  I'm generally a fan of Ayinger's beers and I enjoyed this nice wheat beer that packs a bit of malts along with it.  Not as fruity as your standard wheat, nor really having all of the spices, this beer is well balanced and a perfect fit for a warm day in the sun.

It's good to be back and hopefully I can stay on schedule again and not take a few weeks off any more like I did here.

My review, cross-posted at RateBeer.com:

Ayinger Ur-Weisse by Brauerei Aying

Aroma: 7/10
Appearance: 4/5
Taste: 7/10
Palate: 3/5
Overall: 14/20

Rating: 3.5 / 5.0

500mL bottle from Hi Time Wines. Pours cloudy, hazy yellow/orange with nice head and some lacing. Aroma is slight wheat, spices, and malts, all blended together nicely. Taste is refreshing, light, malty, nice balance of wheat and cloves. Slight bitterness at the finish, but a very nice finish and easy drinkability.

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Beer No: 96
Page No: 627
Category: Dark

I've been slacking on my beer reviews, so I'll be trying to play catch up over the next few days (all of them being back-dated appropriately).  For World Cup Day 18, I finally had to abandon my World Cup Beer challenge.  I could find no beer from the Netherlands, Slovakia, Brazil, or Chile that was in my book in any local stores.  I did, however, find a Heineken Dark Lager from the Netherlands and drank that in place of an official beer from the book.  I was actually pleasantly surprised with the beer and the play of the Netherlands.  Though the score shows 2-1, the Netherlands easily dominated the game with the sole Slovakia goal coming on penalty kick on the last play of the game.  As the score implies for Brazil, they didn't have much trouble with Chile, winning 3-0.

Up next tomorrow: Paraguay vs. Japan and Spain vs. Portugal.  Following that, 2 days off, then 2 days of quarterfinals before 2 more days off and then finally 2 days of semi-finals.

Looking at today's beer, from Russia, Baltika 6 is one of many in the Baltika family and the only porter in the family.  Baltika started as a small brewery back in 1990, was acquired by Carlsberg, and now dominates the Russian beer scene with over 40% market share.  Head brewer, Irina Tlekhuray explains that the porter comes from an old English recipe and the porter indicates the skill of a good brewer.  By all accounts, Irina knows what she's doing as Baltika 6 is a strong porter and a nice-drinking import from Russia.

Oddly enough, a google search of Irina Tlekhuray returns just 6 results, and nothing on Google Images.  Very odd for a head brewer of a brewery that commands 40% market share in Russia to really have nothing said about her online.

My review, cross-posted at RateBeer.com:

Baltika 6 Porter by Baltika Brewery (Baltic Beverages Holding - Carlsberg)

Aroma: 7/10
Appearance: 3/5
Taste: 7/10
Palate: 3/5
Overall: 9/20

Rating: 2.9 / 5.0

Had from bottle. Pours dark black, somewhat clear with tan head. Aroma is nice - a bit sweet, some roasted malts, toffee, raisins. Taste is similar, not too complex, hints of alcohol go with the malty flavors. Bits of caramel and alcohol linger through the short finish. A good porter, but nothing special.

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Beer No: 95
Page No: 473
Category: Blond

World Cup Day 17...With the United States out, there's just one team left for me to root for - Germany.  So I got up nice and early today, gathered up the pillows on the couch, and settled in to watch an epic match of Germany vs. England.  Germany went ahead early 2-0 with two goals that both could have been prevented.  However, England then stormed back, scored a quick goal and then a couple of minutes later scored again, however, the referees didn't see it.  So it was Germany up 2-1 heading into half time.  Who knows what would have happened or how the game would have played out if England had tied Germany 2-2, but in the end, with England pressing for an equalizer, Germany was able to counter-attack twice and take the final score to 4-1.  While it's easy to say that Germany outplayed England, we just never know how it would have ended if the goal were called correctly.  England probably would have played much more defensively and Germany might not have been able to counter-attack.  But in the end, Germany wins, advances to play Argentina, the winner of the second game against Mexico, and I'm still a happy German fan.

Unfortunately, the Reissdorf Kolsch didn't make me all that happy of a German beer drinker.  Watered-down, clear yellow, this beer didn't produce much flavor at all and was a disappointment.  It's not a bad beer by any stretch of the imagination, just a standard Kolsch that has some flavor, but not much, and the aroma is almost non-existent.

My review, cross-posted at RateBeer.com:

Reissdorf Kolsch by Privat-Brauerei Heinrich Reissdorf

Aroma: 3/10
Appearance: 3/5
Taste: 5/10
Palate: 2/5
Overall: 8/20

Rating: 2.0 / 5.0

Had from 500ml bottle from Hi Time Wines. Pours clear golden with slight head that dissipates quickly and leaves slight lacing behind. Aroma is faint, notes of grass and hops. Taste is watered-down, weak, hints of hops, sweetness, slight malty flavor. Easy to drink, almost like drinking water, slightly bubbly with good, clean finish.

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Beer No: 94
Page No: 120
Category: Amber

World Cup Day 16...what is there to say?  Today's beer comes from the United States, and just like that, the United States is out.  A very disappointing game in which they give up an early goal AGAIN, manage to tie it, have chances to win it, push it to extra time, and give up another early goal, and can't recover.   A sad day, but I've still got Germany in it, so it's not all bad quite yet.  In the early game Uruguay handled South Korea pretty well.  They gave up a goal (the first of the tournament), but scored two pretty easily, advancing to the round of 8 where they now face the afternoon's winner, Ghana.

Of course, I picked the United States to win (the homer pick) and couldn't have been more wrong, but in the early game, I predicted a 2-1 Uruguay win, so nice call there (though 2-1 is pretty easy to guess and could be called for most games - as that was the final score of the Ghana / U.S. game as well).

For today's beer, we have a new American classic, New Belgium's Fat Tire Amber Ale.  It's their flagship beer and, while a solid, consistent beer, it just isn't the best that New Belgium puts out and it's just a good, run-of-the-mill amber ale.  As noted in 1001 Beers though, in an interview with brewmaster Peter Bouckaert, he commented, "Luckily, we have Fat Tire, and that allows us to do all these other things."  So, I'm glad Fat Tire's around, because it allows them to produce amazing beers like La Folie, Love, and the amazing Lips of Faith Series (Eric's Ale, Dark Kriek, Transatlantique Kriek, Biere de Mars, and many others).

My review, cross-posted at RateBeer.com:

New Belgium Fat Tire Ale by New Belgium Brewing Company

Aroma: 6/10
Appearance: 3/5
Taste: 6/10
Palate: 3/5
Overall: 10/20

Rating: 2.8 / 5.0

Had from six-pack - 12 oz. bottle from BevMo. Pours amber in color, slight tan head. Aroma is malty with slight hop undertones. Taste is fairly weak for an amber, nicely balanced, but doesn’t show off any flavors well. Nice nutty flavors linger afterwords. A solid, consistent amber, but nothing out of the ordinary.

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Beer No: 93
Page No: 371
Category: Blond

Day 15 of the World Cup and the round-robin round is complete.  We now know the final 16, so it's time for some predictions and I'll see if I can keep up my World Cup Beer Challenge (picking a beer from a country that plays that day).

June 26 - Uruguay vs. South Korea, United States vs. Ghana - The first game is a bit tough to pick.  I've been impressed by South Korea's resilience through the tournament, however, I think that Uruguay is the superior team here and I see them winning 2-1.  And of course I'm going to pick the United States.  I don't think Ghana will be nearly as tough as England was and if we can take it to penalty kicks, I think we have the best goalkeeper in the league.  However, I don't think it gets there.  U.S. 2-0.  Beer: United States something...I've got too many U.S. beers to count these days.

June 27 - Germany vs. England, Argentina vs. Mexico - That first game will be amazing.  And it's almost impossible to pick.  However, I think Germany has the better team chemistry and we've seen that England has been struggling to score.  Germany wins 1-0.  Argentina / Mexico is pretty tough too.  I don't really recall exactly what the Argentinian team looks like other than Messi.  However, they did win all three of their games in the first round and have pretty much dominated Mexico, losing only 4 times in 25 total international matches.  So, Argentina 3-2 in extra time.  Beer: German something...I've got a bunch of them too.  Probably will have more than one German beer that day.

June 28 - Netherlands vs. Slovakia, Brazil vs. Chile - I like the Netherlands here.  They breezed through their first three matches with 3 wins while Slovakia managed a win, loss, and a draw.  NED 2-0.  Brazil vs. Chile should be fun, but I don't think anyone can stop Brazil in this round.  Brazil 3-0.  Beer: NOTHING...I'll have to stop by my usual locations to see if I can find a Brazilian or Netherlands beer.  Chances are slim, but you never know what new stuff might have arrived since I last checked.

June 29 - Paraguay vs. Japan, Spain vs. Portugal - I think Paraguay / Japan is a pretty tough one to pick like the Uruguay / South Korea.  Pretty strange that Uruguay and Paraguay are both facing Asian countries in Japan and South Korea.  Like South Korea, I've liked Japan's play through the group play so I think they might have a chance here.  So, I'll go out on a limb and pick Japan to win in penalty kicks.  As for Spain / Portugal, another interesting match-up with the two countries of the Iberian peninsula.  However, Spain just looks too good and I've not been impressed with Ronaldo, so go Spain!  Spain 2-1.  Beer: Spain Alhambra Negra or Japan Hitachino Nest XH. (probably Japan's XH so I can save Spain for the next round).

There's then 2 days off for the teams to recuperate and then we move to the Quarterfinals.

Incidentally, with today's win by Spain, I finish the first 15 days of the World Cup Challenge with a record of 6-6-3 for the teams I picked to drink from.  Not bad, but I wasn't going for wins, just trying to match teams to beers, which has been fun.  As for my predictions on the teams that would advance, I was 3 for 4 today, picking Switzerland instead of Chile.  So for the final round of picks, I correctly picked 13 of 16.  Not bad, but also, not that great since a lot of the teams were already easily on their way to the next round.  We'll see how my picks above do.  Those are much tougher to call.

Today's beer comes from Spain as I had no beers left from North Korea, Ivory Coast, Portugal, Brazil, Switzerland, Honduras, or Chile...The Estrella Damm Lager obviously comes from the same brewery as the Estrella Damm Inedit.  Unfortunately, the lager is nowhere near as good as the Inedit.  Granted, it's not horrible, but it's nothing special and pretty much your standard watered-down lager with mediocre flavor.

My review, cross-posted at RateBeer.com:

Estrella Damm by S.A. Damm

Aroma: 3/10
Appearance: 1/5
Taste: 4/10
Palate: 2/5
Overall: 6/20

Rating: 1.6 / 5.0

Pours a clear straw, yellow color with very slight head that dissipates quickly. Aroma is almost non-existent with slight hops and grass. Flavor is weak, watered-down, malty, astringent, hoppy, dry. Boring lager.

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Beer No: 92
Page No: 43
Category: Amber

Day 14 of the World Cup - it really doesn't get much better than this.  Needing a win over Slovakia to advance, most thought Italy would be making it to the knock-out round (myself included), but instead, they come out, play with no intensity until the last 15 minutes and end up losing to Slovakia as Paraguay advances with the Slovaks.  Meanwhile, the Netherlands have had a strangle-hold on Group E from the start and they came out today and beat Cameroon to take the group with 9 points.  All Denmark needed to do was tie Japan, a feat most thought they could accomplish, but instead, like Italy, they come out with lazy play, allow Japan to score on two free kicks, and lose 3-1, allowing Japan to advance with the Netherlands.  A crazy day for sure.

We've got one more day of round-robin play to go as groups G & H need to be sorted out tomorrow and then on Saturday, the knock-out round begins.  The United States plays Ghana in the afternoon match while Uruguay and South Korea play in the early game.  I just can't wait for the weekend to get here...

As for my predictions, I predicted Netherlands & Denmark (by a hair) and Paraguay & Italy.  So just 2/4 today.  But after being 8/8 the previous two days, I'm still a nice 10/12.  For my World Cup Beer Challenge, I'm now 5-6-3 with the beers that correspond with the teams playing.  Two wins in a row now with England yesterday and Japan today.  Tomorrow we finish up the round-robin round with a beer from Spain as they play Chile.  And tomorrow I'll try and post my schedule for the next round.  Saturday will definitely be an American beer and then on Sunday I can go with a German or English beer.  Monday and Tuesday will be much harder though, so I have to see how the games turn out tomorrow to see if I even have any exotic beers remaining to choose from.

Unfortunately, while Japan had a great showing on the field today, I was not impressed with their beer.  The Angry Boy Brown from Baird Brewing showed some promise at the start with a nice frothy pour and a sweet aroma, but the taste just let me down.  Way too much in the way of alcohol flavors with an almost watered-down feeling to it.  This is my last brew in the book from Baird Brewing and I had hoped they'd put forth a better showing.  Their Rising Sun Pale is just ok, certainly nothing special, and I think if I have to pick a favorite brewer from Japan right now, it'd have to be Kiuchi (brewers of Hitachino).

My review, cross-posted at RateBeer.com:

Baird Angry Boy Brown Ale by Baird Brewing Co.

Aroma: 7/10
Appearance: 3/5
Taste: 6/10
Palate: 3/5
Overall: 9/20

Rating: 2.8 / 5.0

Had from 12 oz. bottle from Hi Time Wines. Pours hazy amber brown with huge three finger head. Head dissipates slowly leaving behind slight lacing and bubbly film. Aroma is very malty with hints of nuts and alcohol. Taste is stronger alcohol than in aroma with mostly malts, caramel, and nuts rounding out the taste. Somewhat dry finish, just too much alcohol flavorings and a little bit watered down for me.

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