1001 Beers

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.

Beer No: 89
Page No: 571
Category: White

Day 11...the final matchups of the round robin round begin tomorrow!  Just 2 days until the U.S. plays...so, might as well take a quick look at what's coming up over the next 4 days.

Tomorrow: Groups A & B

Group A - Uruguay and Mexico - 4 points, France & South Africa - 1 point.  With Mexico playing Uruguay and France playing South Africa, theoretically, any team could make it.  France and South Africa need Uruguay or Mexico to win so the other gets 0 points and with a win, France or South Africa could end up with 4 points and we would then go to goals.  I imagine Mexico and Uruguay will probably end in a tie though so both can advance.  Neither team needs to go out and win, so they'll play defensively.

Group B - Argentina 6 points, South Korea and Greece 3 points, Nigeria, 0 points.  Nigeria plays South Korea and Greece plays Argentina.  This will be a tough game for Greece and I see Argentina winning and I would think South Korea can beat Nigeria, so I pick those two teams to advance.  But Argentina doesn't need the win, so they might play for a tie and if South Korea ties Nigeria, it could come down to goals between Greece and South Korea.  Could be interesting tomorrow.

Wedneday: Groups C & D

Group C: Slovenia, 4 points.  England and United States, 2 points.  Algeria, 1 point.  This is a crazy bracket.  Basically, it comes down to if the United States beats Algeria, they are in  The U.S. ends up with 5 points and if Slovenia / England ends in a tie, Slovenia advances.  But look for England to go all out.  If they win (which I think they will), they also end up with 5 points and advance.  If the U.S. ties, they only end up with 3 points and then Slovenia and England will probably advance.  I see the United States and England winning though and both teams advancing.

Group D: Ghana has 4 points, Germany and Serbia have 3, and Australia has 1.  Germany plays Ghana and needs to win to get in.  A tie really does them no good.  But I see Germany coming out strong on Wednesday and winning to advance.  That means that Serbia has to win to advance, or tie and score a few goals to leap over Ghana and well...Australia is pretty much out.  I predict Germany and Ghana advancing.

Thursday: Groups E & F

Group E: Netherlands 6 points, Japan & Denmark 3, Cameroon: 0.  Denmark plays Japan and with both teams at 3 points, they'll be fighting to advance.  Netherlands plays Cameroon and will advance with 9 points.  So that just leaves the winner of Japan / Denmark.  This is a tough game to call and could go either way.  I'd like to see both teams advance, but pick Denmark by a hair.  If they tie, Japan advances.

Group F: Paraguay 4 points, Italy & New Zealand 2, Slovakia 1.  This is the closest group, other than Group C which has the same point structure.  Paraguay plays New Zealand and I think they'll take that game which leaves Italy in with a win or tie.  Anything could happen in the game vs. Slovakia, but I think Italy can muster the tie or win, so I'm putting Paraguay and Italy through.

Friday: Groups G & H

Group G: Brazil 6 points, Portugal 4, Ivory Coast 1, North Korea 0.  This is the only bracket that has a team eliminated.  There is no way North Korea can advance.  Luckily for the Ivory Coast, they play North Korea while Portugal has to play Brazil.  Unluckily for Ivory Coast, Portugal scored 7 goals against North Korea and Ivory Coast is down two goals overall.  So they have to get 9 goals more than Portugal scores vs. Brazil to advance.  Slim chances.  Brazil and Portugal advance.

Group H: Chile has 6 points, Spain and Switzerland have 3, and Honduras has 0.  Switzerland plays Honduras while Chile plays Spain.  I like Switzerland's chances of advancing.  With a win over Honduras, they have to hope that Spain beats or ties Chile.  A Chile win over Spain sounds improbable, so it's just up to Switzerland to win.  I will take them and Spain.

So in the end, I've got the U.S. and England advancing from group C and Germany and Ghana in Group D.  It will be interesting to see what happens since both the U.S. and England have the same goal differential.  So if one team wins by 2 while the other wins by 1, the team that wins by 2 is the winner of the bracket and plays the second place team from Group D which I think will be Ghana.  While the second place team out of Group C has to play Germany.  So I'm hoping the U.S. can win the group so we don't have to play Germany as the Germans are the other team I am rooting for in the cup.

The beer, you ask?  Awesome.  I first has the Estrella Damm Inedit at a Beers Around the World Party and loved it then as I do now.  It's a very nice white beer with a good blend of citrus and spice.  Perfect for a hot day, a lovely import from Spain.

My review, cross-posted at RateBeer.com:

Estrella Damm Inedit by Damm

Aroma: 6/10
Appearance: 3/5
Taste: 7/10
Palate: 3/5
Overall: 14/20

Rating: 3.4 / 5.0

Had from 750ml bottle from Hi Time Wines. Pours cloudy yellow/orange with one-finger white head and good lacing. Aroma is pleasant, but weak - mostly citrus, yeast, and spice. Taste is similar, mostly the ctirus and hints of the yeast in the finish. Mouthfeel is slightly watered down with fizzy bubbles. A nicely balanced white - easy to drink and flavorful with citrus.

Beer No: 77
Page No: 739
Category: Dark

I find it a bit strange that RateBeer categorizes Mc Chouffe as a 'scotch ale' since it seemed more like a dubbel, but I see where the scotch ale categorizing comes from.  Though not brewed with heather, it is a Chouffe interpretation of an ancient style.  Whatever they call it, however it's categorized, it was a damn good way to finish my night.  Even though the Lakers lost on the night I drank it, everyone had a great time, the BBQ was delish, and we all know how the Lakers did last night.

That being said, following up on my World Cup post from yesterday, I decided I really needed to make a list of the beers I needed to obtain tomorrow in preparation for World Cup beer drinking glory.  It took a while, and I didn't transcribe all the English, American, German, or Italian beers, but I've got the rest in a nice, easy to reference spreadsheet that I will take with me tomorrow as I search all these fine beers out.  Then, the planning begins - which beer goes with which match and which countries do I need to try and save until the end?  For instance, I really need to keep the Xingu around if it's my only Brazilian beer in case they make the finals.  Even if they're not in the finals, they'll most likely then be in the Third Place game, so I can't use Brazil until the last two days.

It should be fun to see if this is even possible, but I shall try my hardest!

My review, cross-posted at RateBeer.com:

Mc Chouffe by Brasserie d'Achouffe (Moortgat)

Aroma: 7/10
Appearance: 3/5
Taste: 7/10
Palate: 4/5
Overall: 13/20

Rating: 3.4 / 5.0

Had from 750ml bottle.  Pours dark brown with large tan head that dissipates to a film over time.  Aroma is mostly of toffee, malts, sugars, raisins, and yeast.  Flavor is very malty, seems more like a dubbel than a scotch ale.  A hint of spices, with very sweet, fruity flavors.  Finishes slightly sweet with hints of caramel and toffee lingering for a bit.  Nothing that special, but a solid beer nonetheless.

Beer No: 69
Page No: 704
Category: Dark

Well, it's finally June, Memorial Day has passed, Summer has begun, and the heat is beating down on my house.  So, let's drink!  First up in my run through odd-shaped 330ml bottles is Gulden Draak from Brouwerij Van Steenberge.  Weighing in at a hefty 10.5% ABV, this beer is tough to classify according to 1001 Beers.  They state that the brewery suggests it's a barleywine, but most say it's a dark tripel, whereas RateBeer classifies it under Abt/Quadrupel.  So what is it?  Well, it's heavily malted, very sugary-sweet, and though the alcohol is hidden well on the nose, it comes out much more strongly in the taste.

Whatever you want to classify it as, in the end, it's a pretty tasty beverage.  The malts are balanced well with a spicy finish, but truth be told, malty beverages like this just aren't my favorite.  I prefer them hoppy or sour.  Malty...no thanks.  But still, a high quality beverage that was actually named the best beer in the world in 1998 by the American Culinary Institute.

My review, cross-posted at RateBeer.com:

Gulden Draak by Brouwerij Van Steenberge

Aroma: 7/10
Appearance: 4/5
Taste: 6/10
Palate: 4/5
Overall: 13/20

Rating: 3.4 / 5.0

330ml bottle. Pours dark brown with hint of red and tan head that lingers as a film to the end. Aroma is very sweet - tons of malts and candi sugars. Slight aroma of fruit and alcohol. Taste is heavier alcohol than the aroma suggests. The 10.5% really isn’t hidden all that well behind the sugars and malts. Beer is very fizzy and finishes very sweet and sticky. Not my cup o’ tea but still not a bad malty beverage.

Beer No: 55
Page No: 68
Category: Amber

First a dark brown, then a brown, now an amber, it seems like I'm on a little tasting streak here.  But, no, it's just how the bottles have fallen.  However, someone that does specialize in streaks is Laurie over at 100 Beers in 30 Days.  She's taken beer drinking to the max, going through 100 Belgian beers in a scant 30 days and she's doing a wonderful job.  Her post on The Bruery beers was awesome, and who can argue with a whole post devoted to Flanders?  She's quickly made it through 57 and is well on the way to 100.

As for me, the Anderson Valley Boont Amber Ale was the second beer of the night for me, following Eric's Ale from New Belgium.  It was, quite simply, an amazing sour.  Even my friend who isn't a fan of the sour beers really enjoyed this one.  Billed as a sour for those who don't like sours and a fruit beer for those who don't like fruit beers, Eric's Ale delivers on that promise.  But even I, a sour beer lover, really enjoyed this beer.  And, it was also my 300th rating at Ratebeer, prompting this wonderful diddy to pop up after I had rated Eric's Ale at 4.2 / 5.0:

My review, cross-posted at RateBeer.com:

Anderson Valley Boont Amber Ale from Anderson Valley Brewing Company

Aroma: 6/10
Appearance: 4/5
Taste: 7/10
Palate: 3/5
Overall: 14/20

Rating: 3.4 / 5.0

Quick Look: Starts off strong and hoppy, finished with a malty flavor that is just right. A very nice Amber Ale.
In Depth: A very dark amber ale with a light, tan head when served. The aroma isn’t too strong - a hoppy waft originates with a slightly carmelized flavor in the first sip. This Amber Ale seemingly starts off too strong, but evens out and becomes easily drinkable.

(Review was from August 20th, 2002)

Beer No: 51
Page No: 617
Category: Dark

A few weeks ago, a good friend celebrated her 30th birthday, and for the occasion, David opened a magnum he had been saving for years from Hair of the Dog - their Fred of the Wood.  It was a rare treat as back when he received the bottle, they didn't bottle Fred from the Wood (apparently they do these days).  The bottle had very little carbonation, but the beer still tasted amazing (and I'm not the biggest fan of barley wines as it is).  Fast forward to today and I've got a Hair of the Dog Adam - a "heavy old world ale."  And boy is it heavy.  It's just 10%, but feels like much more.  The alcohol wasn't hidden very well within the finish of the beer and the fruit flavors almost overwhelmed the smoke and wood subtleties that I experienced back when I first rated this beer in 2003.  I'm certain I'll revisit this one as I'm a fan of Hair of the Dog's brews.  But for now, I wouldn't recommend Batch 75.  If you can find an older, aged batch though, go for it!

My review, cross-posted at RateBeer.com:

Hair of the Dog Adam from Hair of the Dog Brewing Company

Rating on May 14th, 2010:

Aroma: 7/10
Appearance: 4/5
Taste: 6/10
Palate: 3/5
Overall: 14/20

Rating: 3.4 / 5.0

Had from 12oz. bottle from Hi Time Wines (Batch 75). Pours dark brown / black with thick tan head that takes a few minutes to subside. Lacing is good and slight head lasts until the end. Aroma is sweet and fruity with malts and raisins. Taste is rich with chocolate, alcohol, fruits, malty. I wish I remembered my original tasting of this beer, but I didn’t much care for this batch. Alcohol is much too strong in the finish and the smoky flavors that I previously detected are missing. It’s tough to go from a 3.9 to a 3.4, but I will revisit this as I usually love Hair of the Dog’s brews. This batch just missed the mark.

Rating on April 18, 2003:

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

Rating: 3.9 / 5.0

Wow. We bought a nice large bottle to share amongst the table and I was pleasantly surprised. You can definitely smell the aroma of hops and smoke. The appearance is also quite nice - absolutely no head with a garnet coloring. The beer has a very strong flavor with a strong, smoky aftertaste. Very heavy, but very good - a beer, similar to a porter - that would just be good next to the fire on a cold night.

Beer No: 25/1001
Page No: 811
Category: Dark

Earlier this weekend, I made a trip down to The Olde Ship, a local English pub which serves all beers on tap with different levels of carbonation, specifically suited to each beer.  In addition, they have a very nice bottle selection of English beers, including this one - the St. Peter's Cream Stout.  This creamy, dark beer features hints of coffee and chocolate and is a very smooth and drinkable beer.  It was by far the favorite of the night around the table.

Based on a traditional, pre-Guinness stout recipe, brewer Mark Slater uses "Fuggle and Challenger hops plus a blend of four locally grown, floor-malted barleys to create an aromatic, strong, dark chocolate cream stout with a satisfying bittersweet aftertaste," according to 1001 Beers.

My review, cross-posted at RateBeer.com:

St. Peter's Cream Stout from St. Peters (UK)

Aroma: 8/10
Appearance: 3/5
Taste: 7/10
Palate: 3/5
Overall: 13/20

Rating: 3.4 / 5.0

Pours dark black with small, light tan head. Aroma is delightful - coffee, chocolate, and fruits. Starts bitter, but very smooth, creamy, and chocolatey. Finishes with a hint of dryness, but mostly coffee. Very drinkable, mild, creamy, lovely.

Beer No: 19/1001
Page No: 654
Category: Dark

Sometimes, there's just something comforting about going back to what you know.  And you always know what you're going to get with Chimay Blue (and of course Red and White as well).  Last night, after a fun trip to the Bruery where we lost at trivia due to some really tough (and some absurd) questions, we stopped by BevMo and stocked up on good beer.  There was Chimay, Lost Abbey, Allagash, etc. - all waiting to be consumed.  But it was all for naught, we needed food too, so we stopped at Albertsons, and bought some cheap beer, since I guess the good beer would need to be saved for another time.

So maybe tomorrow I'll open the Lost Abbey Angel's Share - I'm not sure what else I have in the fridge from the book other than that right now.  But back to the Chimay.  Malty, spicy, sweet, fruity, it's a good beer - every time.  It goes well with almost any food and it's just a perfect beer to always have lying around when company comes over.  For a little history on Chimay, we turn to 1001 Beers:

"For those who find it odd that monks produce beer, a little history lesson is in order.  Since the Middle Ages and possibly earlier, monasteries have been centers of brewing, providing citizens with nutritious ales that were often far safer than the local drinking water because any contaminants would have been removed during the boiling process.  The Trappist edict dictates that the monks are prohibited from accepting charity and must therefore participate in commerce in order to both survive and fund any charitable works."

This is just part of the full page they have on Chimay Blue - they also talk about the brewery itself and of course about Chimay Blue.  Just a wonderful book - even if you aren't going to try all 1001.

My review, cross-posted at RateBeer.com:

Chimay Bleue (Blue) from Chimay

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

Rating: 3.4 / 5.0

Had from bottle. Pours dark brown with off-white/tan head which lasts a while. Aromas of malts, sugars, caramel, and fruits. Complex flavors of more malts, fruits, and spices. It’s a standard around my household - always a good Belgian to go to that most company will enjoy. Not too over-the-top with the flavors, but a good balance that works well with most meals