For this beer review we took a field trip to the Total Wine in Huntington Beach for one of their tasting classes. It's a great program they have - $15 gets you a tasting of some good beers, the history of the beer and region, plus all the pizza you can eat!
This tasting was all Belgium beers who have the famous brewing monks. Monks brewed beer not because they were all a bunch of drunks, but that was the best way to make the water safe to drink in the years before chlorine. Their every-day drinking ales were real low ABV so you could drink it all day long, not get drunk and stay hydrated. They'd brew stronger ABV ales, though, for "fun" consumption. "Trappist" beers are beers that are brewed inside of a monastery. "Abbey" beers are ones were the recipe comes from a monastery, but are brewed outside the monastery. St. Arnold is the patron saint of Belgian breweries.
Beer #1 - Dupont Florent
Farmhouse Ale
7.5% ABV
While highly carbinated, it has a lackluster apperance. It has a very light taste - hardly noticable. Paring this beer with cheese would help the taste a lot. It's recommended this is drunk out of a tulip class and served at a temperature in the mid 50's F.
On a scale of 100, this one gets a 72.
Beer #2 - Martens Witte
Witbier
4.8% ABV
A refreshing, orange taste. Would be a good beer to drink after a run. It has a lackluster appearance but an inviting smell and an appealing feel in the mouth. Comes in a can and recommended to drink out of a mug. Serve at a cool temperature around 50 degrees F.
On a scale of 100, this one gets a 79.
Beer #3 - Antigoon
Pale Ale
6.7% ABV
Fairly clear, but very orange in color. Christina thought it smelled like a pistachio swamp. It has quite an interesting aroma - Earthy. Great taste, not bitter. Malty. Recommended to drink out of a tulip glass, cold at around 50 degrees F.
It's sister style is a Belgian Blond Ale.
On a scale of 100, this one gets a 90!
Beer #4 - Kwak
Strong Pale Ale
8.4% ABV
Dark golden color. Not much taste considering it's color. It's a little malty. The high ABV content is hidden in the taste. The brewers of this beer use a Belgian candied sugar as yeast. Recommended to drink out of a tulip or wine glass and a serving temperature in the mid to upper 50's F.
On a scale of 100, this one gets an 82.
Beer #5 - Flying Fish Exit 4
Belgian-style Tripel
9.5% ABV
Brewed in New Jersey. Light golden look, like apple juice. Smells crisp and sweet, but very hoppie. It tastes like a Riesling wine at first until the hops kick in. It's very sweet. It's good, but it'd be tough to drink a lot of it. You'd also get pretty drunk pretty fast. Recommended to drink out of a wine glass and serve cool at around 50 degrees F.
On a scale of 100, this one gets a 90!
Beer #6 - Poppering Hommel Ale
Belgian IPA
7.5% ABV
Cloudy look to it. The smell isn't very hoppie. It's very carbonated but not very bitter in taste. Not a whole lot of flavor to it except an egg aftertaste. We're used to the IPA's of San Diego county that have a much stronger, bitter taste to them. Recommended to drink out of a wine glass or chalice and serve at a temperature in the mid 50's F.
On a scale of 100, this one gets a 72.
Beer #7 - Flying Fish Westmalle
Belgian-Style Dubbel
7.2% ABV
Very brown and cloudy in apperance. Lots of particles floating around in this one. Kurt though it was too fizzy. Christina liked this much better than an American-style Dubbel. It has something in it (yeast?) that balances out the sweetness of the malt. Recommended to drink out of a chalice or goblet and serve at a temperature in the mid 50's F.
On a scale of 100, this one gets an 80.
Beer #8 - Adriaen Brower
Belgian-Style Strong Dark Ale
8.5% ABV
Dark brown in color. Smells a little like eggs. It's fizzy, but doesn't give much else for an impression. The beer has been discontinued, but if you could buy it, it's recommended to serve it at a temperature in the mid 50's F and any style of glass will suit it.
On a scale of 100, this one gets a 76.
Beer #9 - La Trappe
Belgian Quadrupel
10% ABV
Light brown color w/ particles floating around. Sweet smell of molasses. It has a very sweet, sugary taste. None of us noted what type of glass it's recommended to drink this out of. We were a bit tipsy by this point. It is recommended to serve this warm in the upper 50 degrees F.
On a scale of 100, this one gets a 76.
Beer #10 - Dauchese De Bourgogne
Red Ale
6% ABV
Very dark in color, yet clear. Smells like a farm and tastes like a vinegary wine. It was tough to finish the tasting pour.
On a scale of 100, this one gets a 70.
Beer #11 - Mikkeller Strawberry
Fruit Lambic
7.7 ABV
An unfiltered beer that is cloudy orange in color. It smells more like a barn yard than even the previous beer. It tastes like straight vinegar. There isn't a particular style of glass this beer can be drank out of, but the group recommended pouring this one into a toilet. It was univeraly hated. Drink it cold, drink it warm, it's going to suck either way.
On a scale of 100, this one gets a 6.
And that's the Belgians. The Antigoon Pale Ale and the Flying Fish Exit 4 Tripel were the run-away winners with the group. The Mikkeller vinegar beer is something to stay away from. It's $13.99 a bottle by the way!
Beeeeer
Thursday, March 27, 2014
Sunday, March 2, 2014
Review #4 - Ambers & Irish
After a very, very long holiday break we reconvened in the barrio for another beer review. This time it was decided to tackle amber beers and Irish brews, since St. Patrick's Day is "right around the corner" even though it was only February 22nd. So really we could fit a second Irish beer tasting in before St. Patty's, however, we found that there really isn't that large an assortment of Irish beer. They invented Guinness and I guess they stopped there.
So here's what we got:
Beer #1 - Barrel Trolley Amber
5.3% ABV
Christina - It doesn't just look like beer, but beer and soda. It has a sweet flavor.
Melinda - Smooth, lemony. A good barbecue beer.
Ruben - A smooth flavor with a dark taste. Almost medicinie or like what I think eucalyptus would taste like.
Alana - Yeah, I get that feeling, too. Smooth, but it tastes numbing, like an antiseptic.
Kurt - I like the label.
Beer #2 - Fat Tire Amber
5.2% ABV
Melinda - It looks nice and clear. No UTI's.
Christina - But it tastes like dirt!
Kris - Yeah, it's Earthy. It has a grassy/straw character.
Kurt - I think this one smells like a hangover.
- Melinda - Like a dirty bar?
Ruben - I think it's a good party beer.
Beer #3 - Green's Amber Ale
Gluten Free (no crustaceans)
6.3% ABV
Alana - Whoa! I taste apples.
Christina - Yucky aftertaste. A bit of a pale aftertaste with the apple.
Ruben - Really medicinie. The carbonation is different.
Kurt - I like this one the best out of the first three.
Lynn - It could use crustaceans.
Beer #4 - Murphy's Red Ale
Irish
5.0% ABV
Ruben - That's light and hoppy.
Christina - I could drink this all night. It's not that strong.
Kris - It's smooth.
Alana - The Budweiser of Ireland?
Kurt - There's no taste.
Beer #5 - Abita Christmas Ale
5.0% ABV
Ruben - That's really piney.
Alana - Yuck, yuck, get that off my tongue!
Kris - Quite perfumie.
Kurt - It's an amber IPA.
Melinda - I'm not a fan.
Beer #6 - Anderson Valley Boont Amber Ale
5.8% ABV
Christina - Ugh, this looks like a UTI beer.
Alana - Good but only in small doses. Though kind of like a Vicks cough drop.
Lyn - I'm not loving this one.
Kris - A bit of an armpit smell to it. Maybe a sweaty Winnie the Pooh. Mild taste, though.
Kurt - Meh, not bad.
Beer #7 - Guinness Red Harvest Stout
Irish (duh)
4.1% ABV
Alana - Poured into your glass, it looks like a lava lamp as it settles. It tastes light.
Lynn - It's flat!
Christina - Doesn't taste like a normal Guinness. Easy to drink.
Melinda - I'd order this in a bar.
Ruben - You guys are talking me into liking this one.
Kurt - The first thing I taste is water.
Beer #8 - Guinness Extra Stout
Irish
5.0% ABV
Kris - Not as flat as the Red Harvest. I like this Guinness a lot better.
Ruben/Melinda/Lynn - This is what I imagine a Guinness to taste like.
Christina - Black licorice! Though it could be the nacho I just ate. It tastes like every other beer we've thrown away because it's gone flat.
Kurt - Guinness out of a bottle is terrible.
Beer #9 - Guinness Black Lager
Irish
4.5% ABV
Melinda - Chocolaty. It tastes like "other beers."
Lynn - Not as flat. I like this one.
Ruben - I like it. It tastes like any other lager.
Christina - I expected more.
Beer #10 - Wexford Irish Style Creme Ale
Irish? No, it's an English beer. Sons-a-bitches tricked us!
5.0% ABV
Ruben - Does "Irish style" mean flat? I like the flavor, though I just don't like how it's flat.
Lynn - I taste some caramel.
Kurt - Yeah, it's flat but I taste a lot of caramel, too.
Christina - I don't like this one.
Melinda - I don't get a normal aftertaste with this one.
- Alana - But I taste something.
Kris - The sweetness is weird.
Beer #11 - Harp Premium Lager
Irish (from the brewers of Guinness)
5.0% ABV
Ruben - This is the Budweiser of Irish beers.
Melinda - But with a kick.
Kurt - No bitter taste to it. That surprises me.
Bonus Beer - Ballast Point Pale Ale
San Diego
5.2% ABV
Christina - Smells poochie.
- Kris - Coochie? There is a big tuna on the label.
Lynn - I like it. I can taste citrus.
Ruben - I love pale ales. Ballast makes their beers easy to drink whether you're new to beers or a seasoned [drunkard].
So none of the ambers really stood out to us and if you're going to Ireland, you'd better like Guinness because that's about all there is. We all kind of rejoiced when we popped open the Ballast Point.
So here's what we got:
Beer #1 - Barrel Trolley Amber
5.3% ABV
Christina - It doesn't just look like beer, but beer and soda. It has a sweet flavor.
Melinda - Smooth, lemony. A good barbecue beer.
Ruben - A smooth flavor with a dark taste. Almost medicinie or like what I think eucalyptus would taste like.
Alana - Yeah, I get that feeling, too. Smooth, but it tastes numbing, like an antiseptic.
Kurt - I like the label.
Beer #2 - Fat Tire Amber
5.2% ABV
Melinda - It looks nice and clear. No UTI's.
Christina - But it tastes like dirt!
Kris - Yeah, it's Earthy. It has a grassy/straw character.
Kurt - I think this one smells like a hangover.
- Melinda - Like a dirty bar?
Ruben - I think it's a good party beer.
Beer #3 - Green's Amber Ale
Gluten Free (no crustaceans)
6.3% ABV
Alana - Whoa! I taste apples.
Christina - Yucky aftertaste. A bit of a pale aftertaste with the apple.
Ruben - Really medicinie. The carbonation is different.
Kurt - I like this one the best out of the first three.
Lynn - It could use crustaceans.
Beer #4 - Murphy's Red Ale
Irish
5.0% ABV
Ruben - That's light and hoppy.
Christina - I could drink this all night. It's not that strong.
Kris - It's smooth.
Alana - The Budweiser of Ireland?
Kurt - There's no taste.
Beer #5 - Abita Christmas Ale
5.0% ABV
Ruben - That's really piney.
Alana - Yuck, yuck, get that off my tongue!
Kris - Quite perfumie.
Kurt - It's an amber IPA.
Melinda - I'm not a fan.
Beer #6 - Anderson Valley Boont Amber Ale
5.8% ABV
Christina - Ugh, this looks like a UTI beer.
Alana - Good but only in small doses. Though kind of like a Vicks cough drop.
Lyn - I'm not loving this one.
Kris - A bit of an armpit smell to it. Maybe a sweaty Winnie the Pooh. Mild taste, though.
Kurt - Meh, not bad.
Beer #7 - Guinness Red Harvest Stout
Irish (duh)
4.1% ABV
Alana - Poured into your glass, it looks like a lava lamp as it settles. It tastes light.
Lynn - It's flat!
Christina - Doesn't taste like a normal Guinness. Easy to drink.
Melinda - I'd order this in a bar.
Ruben - You guys are talking me into liking this one.
Kurt - The first thing I taste is water.
Beer #8 - Guinness Extra Stout
Irish
5.0% ABV
Kris - Not as flat as the Red Harvest. I like this Guinness a lot better.
Ruben/Melinda/Lynn - This is what I imagine a Guinness to taste like.
Christina - Black licorice! Though it could be the nacho I just ate. It tastes like every other beer we've thrown away because it's gone flat.
Kurt - Guinness out of a bottle is terrible.
Beer #9 - Guinness Black Lager
Irish
4.5% ABV
Melinda - Chocolaty. It tastes like "other beers."
Lynn - Not as flat. I like this one.
Ruben - I like it. It tastes like any other lager.
Christina - I expected more.
Beer #10 - Wexford Irish Style Creme Ale
Irish? No, it's an English beer. Sons-a-bitches tricked us!
5.0% ABV
Ruben - Does "Irish style" mean flat? I like the flavor, though I just don't like how it's flat.
Lynn - I taste some caramel.
Kurt - Yeah, it's flat but I taste a lot of caramel, too.
Christina - I don't like this one.
Melinda - I don't get a normal aftertaste with this one.
- Alana - But I taste something.
Kris - The sweetness is weird.
Beer #11 - Harp Premium Lager
Irish (from the brewers of Guinness)
5.0% ABV
Ruben - This is the Budweiser of Irish beers.
Melinda - But with a kick.
Kurt - No bitter taste to it. That surprises me.
Bonus Beer - Ballast Point Pale Ale
San Diego
5.2% ABV
Christina - Smells poochie.
- Kris - Coochie? There is a big tuna on the label.
Lynn - I like it. I can taste citrus.
Ruben - I love pale ales. Ballast makes their beers easy to drink whether you're new to beers or a seasoned [drunkard].
So none of the ambers really stood out to us and if you're going to Ireland, you'd better like Guinness because that's about all there is. We all kind of rejoiced when we popped open the Ballast Point.
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