1001 Beers

Beer No: 57
Page No: 155
Category: Amber

Try as I might, I just can't seem to get caught up on my beer reviews.  It's tough to do one a day - especially when real life gets in the way.  But, it's still American Craft Beer Week, so I decided to revisit Bear Republic Brewing Company as their Racer 5 was one of the first beers reviewed in this long journey.  The Racer 5 IPA which I loved, but not as much as some other IPAs I regularly drink.  However, this Hop Rod Rye, being a Double IPA brewed with 20% rye malts blew me away.  The hops are definitely out in force with this DIPA, but the rye malts really seem to bring it back to ground and balance it perfectly.  1001 Beers notes that brewing with rye is especially difficult because it has no husk and can turn rock hard during mashing if not careful, but the folks up in Northern California at Bear Republic have it down.  This was a treat and there's truly a reason it's #21 on the list of top 50 Imperial/Double IPAs.  However, it being one spot ahead of Avery's The Maharaja is pretty crazy.  The Maharaja still stands as one of my all time favorites.  But with a rating of 4.2, the Hop Rod Rye is definitely not far behind.

My review, cross-posted at RateBeer.com:

Bear Republic Hop Rod Rye Ale from Bear Republic Brewing Company

Aroma: 9/10
Appearance: 4/5
Taste: 8/10
Palate: 4/5
Overall: 17/20

Rating: 4.2 / 5.0

Had from 22oz. bottle from BevMo. Pours dark brown/amber with good head and ample lacing. Aroma is heavy hops and rye bread with good citrus and caramel undertones. Flavor is heavily hopped with a nice balance of rye and barley malts. I wasn’t really expecting to like this one as much as I did. A wonderful IIPA with the rye malts really adding to the complexity. Finishes with a sweet, dry taste. Absolutely wonderful.

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: 8/1001
Page No: 497
Category: Blond

Unfortunately, this is my last review from the Belgian Beer Festival at Pizza Port.  Though I easily tried 50+ beers, only four are being reviewed herein.  With talk of Pizza Port winding down, it reminds me that I really need to go back this weekend and pick up some beers from their bottle shop.  Pizza Port, Carlsbad opened their bottle shop a couple of years ago and features some really hard to find beers from outstanding breweries.  Their prices are a bit higher than you can expect to find in other liquor stores, but they often feature hard-to-find beers from the San Diego region.

The Pizza Port restaurant itself does quite fine in its own right.  With the brewery next door, they always have a nice rotating selection of in-house brewed beers on tap along with a nice assortment of other macro and micro-brews on tap at all times.  On top of the great selection of beers, Pizza Port features top-notch pizzas.  Their Pizza Carlsbad, featuring a pesto sauce, feta cheese, grilled chicken, artichoke hearts, and sun dried tomatoes is simply divine, but, as I mentioned earlier, it's the pepperoni and garlic pizza that I have every time there.  Oh, and the sumptuous beer buddies.  Recently, in Arizona, I stopped by another brewpub that tried to copy the Beer Buddies from Pizza Port and they were nowhere near as good.  Instead of a nice, doughy bite, this other brewpub opted for a thin crust, cracker-like buddy and it was not good at all.

So, long story short, if you're ever in the San Diego area, look for a Pizza Port.  They have three locations now, and a fourth will open soon.  Did I mention their beer festivals are the things legends are made of?  Yeah, the Belgian Beer Festival is that good.

So onto the beer, the last of the four, the De Dolle Still Nacht is a pale strong ale, clocking in at 12% ABV.  1001 Beers notes that, originally, the Still Nacht was brewed with a strain of yeast from Rodenbach brewery (one of my personal favorites - including the amazing Rodenbach Grand Cru (one of the 1001, review coming later)).  But when Rodenbach stopped offering the yeast to brewers in 2000, brewer Kris Herteleer cultured what he had left of the yeast and ended up with a stronger, more complex strain.  Since then, he now ferments 20% of the wort with lactic acid bacteria and then blends it back with the rest of the beer which is fermenting with his own yeast strain.  No matter how he does it, this winter seasonal is a gem.

My review, cross-posted at RateBeer.com:

De Dolle Still Nahct from De Dolle Brouwers

Aroma: 9/10
Appearance: 4/5
Flavor: 8/10
Palate: 4/5
Overall: 17/20

Rating: 4.2 / 5.0

Pours a hazy yellow/amber with a small, off-white head which lasts a while. Aromas of fruits, alcohol, and strong sugar/caramel. Taste is of more sugar, a bit of fizzyness, and malts. The beer starts and ends sweet, more of a sipping, after-dinner beer, but definitely something that will warm the soul in a long winter. Finishes with the slightest hint of bitterness and alcohol.