Trappist Westvleteren 12 follow-up

I was gifted a bottle of the Trappist Westvleteren 12, and wanted to follow up with my previous Belgian Quad blind tasting. I figured I would do a more traditional review of the Westy 12, and compare it to one of the readily-available, American-import-Quad-stalwarts, the St. Bernardus Abt 12. 

The beers: 

Abt 12

St. Bernardus Abt 12
Brewed By: St. Bernard Brouwerij in Watou, Belgium  

Purchased: 750ml bottle bought at Costco in Chicago, IL; 2016 

Style/ABV: Belgian Dark Strong Ale, 10.5%

Westy 12

Reported IBUs: ?

Trappist Westvleteren 12

Brewed By: Westvleteren Abdij St. Sixtus in Westvleteren, Belgium

Purchased: 11.2oz/33cl bottle generously gifted to me (imported from Belgium); 2016 

Style/ABV: Belgian Dark Strong Ale, 10.2%
Reported IBUs: ?

The Westvleteren 12 definitely pours into more of a battered body. The beer is swampy, murky, reddish-brown, and could be confused for pond water. Admittedly, the aroma of the Westy 12 is a lot more appealing than the aroma of the Abt 12. The Westy 12 touches on dark raisins and prunes, plums and dark fruits, and hints of licorice. But the main aromatic character is the huge earthy aroma. I get a lot of tobacco, leather, chocolate, fruit bread, and molasses cookies. It's a complex, rich aroma. The beer tastes a lot more subtle than you would expect. It is a dry, complex, wine-like, boozy drink. You get the leathery notes, then the molasses and prunes/plums/dark fruits. The beer is vinous and earthy, with a medium-body and moderate carbonation. It finishes boozy and dry.

Rating: Strong Above-Average (4.5/5.0 Untappd)

The things I do on Saturday nights...

On the other hand, the St. Bernardus Abt 12 is like a nubile; filtered, ruby-red, and clean with good head retention (where the Westy 12 had virtually no head retention). The aroma is offensively sweet compared to the Westy 12. I jotted down "fruity, hefeweizen-like yeast." I was also picking up lots of bubblegum, banana, vanilla, clove, candy sugar, and perfume. The Abt 12 carries the aromas into the taste, with big cherries up front, followed by lots of stone fruits, banana, perfume/candy sugar, and some brown sugar. The beer is phenolic and sweet. The Abt 12 has a slightly fuller body, in my opinion, and does not finish as dry. It is a boozy beer.

Rating: Decent Above-Average (4.0/5.0 Untappd)

Realizing there is a lot of bottle/age variability, palate bias, etc., I'm happy to report that the Westy 12 fared better in a nuanced tasting than it did in my blind tasting. It is entirely possible that the Westy 12's subtle, dry character makes it a poor standout in a blind tasting. Compared to the Abt 12, the Westy 12 is considerably more complex and has a lot more nuance and depth. It's also more "mature," in terms of the overall flavor profile. 

Having said that, I'd still rather just buy a Rochefort 10 or a Ommegang Three Philosophers. 


Random Thought: I binged Netflix's Stranger Things this weekend, and I have no regrets. The show is a wonderful amalgamation of 80's tropes and nostalgia. It reminded me of recent films, The Guest, and It Follows (and to some extent, Super 8 and The Crazies). If you have an appreciation for 80's horror and sci-fi, you better get watching. 

Dogfish Head Raison D'Extra

Brewed By: Dogfish Head Brewery in Milton, Delaware 

Purchased: 12oz bottle single bought at Binny's in Chicago, IL; 2015 

Style/ABV: American Strong Ale, 15~18% 
Reported IBUs: ?

This was once a whale, and now is a shelf turd. It's not waxed or in limited supply. It's also brewed by Cam Salamia and Dogfin Head. They have a hotel. About Dogfish Head:

Dogfish Head is a craft brewery based out of Milton, Delaware. The brewery was founded by Sam Calagione back in 1995.The brewery began as a brewpub (the first in Delaware) called Dogfish Head Brewings & Eats, and was originally located in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. The initial brewing setup included three kegs and propane burners. They brewed 12-gallon batches of beer three times a day, five days a week. In 1996 the brewery began bottling their beer, and by 1999 they had distribution to around a dozen different states. In 2002 the company outgrew their Rehoboth location, and moved to Milton, Delaware. More info can be found HERE.

The Raison D'Extra is the amped up version of DFH's stellar Raison D'Etre. Brewed with an "obscene amount" of malt, brown sugar, and raisins, the Raison D'Extra puts the "D" in Belgian Ales.

Dogfish Head Raison D'Extra

This pours into a reddish body that is reminiscent of a Belgian Dubbel, with purple tones in lower light. You get that sea foam carb on the beer, also reminiscent of a Belgian, with lots of lacing. It's very Belgian-esque. 

The aroma features the trademark high-gravity yeast/sugar aroma you get on all of DFH's high-gravity beers. You get a pound of sugar, muscovado sugar, jammy raspberries, raisin, alcohol, yeast esters, and some phenolic goodness. 

This tastes sublime...the beer rolls out massive raisins, dark fruits, jammy berries, jammy raisins, fruit preserves, muscovado sugar, intense phenolic notes, and lots of Belgian character typical of a Dubbel/Dark Strong. This is actually fantastic, and I would think that if you age this for a few years, it might start to take on some of that dusty/phenolic character you get in a good Belgian Dark Strong. There are some nice dark fruits in here as well, with shades of plums, blackberries, blueberries, and boysenberry. 

I'm a fan of DFH's high-gravity series, and this is no slouch. This brings the raisin along with a lot of other flavors, and it works out. At the variable 15~18% I'm not getting a ton of alcohol, but this definitely warms you up. Palate depth is good with nice duration -- making this a worthy sipping beer. This is also fairly complex, with lots of assertive raisin, muscovado sugar, and then more subtle dark fruit notes, Belgian character, and berries. Lots of berries. The finish is pretty clean too, and approaches drying. That in itself is commendable. 

Rating: Above-Average (4.5/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Strong Above-Average on this. At this time (I think this was bottled in late 2014? I couldn't tell, the date was smudged off my bottle) the beer is drinking just fine. BUT, I think with a little more age, this might settle into something really worthy. Since this is basically shelf turding these days, I will keep an eye out and try to snag a few more bottles to age. That actually shouldn't be a problem...I'd love to try this two or three years down the road.

Random Thought: It's hard to believe that there's basically just one more year of grad school left...

Pipeworks The Money (CA$H 4 Golden Ale aged in Elijah Craig 12 year old Bourbon Barrels)

Brewed By: Pipeworks Brewing in Chicago, IL  

Purchased: 22oz bottle (Batch #473/474) bought at West Lakeview Liquors in Chicago, IL; 2015 (bottled 08.??.2014)

Style/ABV: Belgian Golden Strong Ale, 13.0%
Reported IBUs: ?

It's not Pipeworks Thursday™ but who gives a shit. Way back when I reviewed that CA$H Money, and the Elijah Craig 12 Year is delicious. So how about "Our "Ca$h 4 Golden Ale" aged in Elijah Craig 12 year old Bourbon Barrels." Oh yes please. About Pipeworks:

Pipeworks has humble roots. The brewery was founded in Chicago in 2011 by Beejay Oslon and Gerrit Lewis. The duo were both homebrewers that met while while working at West Lakeview Liquors. In 2011, they began to raise money for their brewery using the online Internet site, Kickstarter. Olson and Lewis were both educated at De Struise Brewery in Oostvleteren, Belgium. With that knowledge, and the money from their kickstarter, Olson and Lewis created a unique brewery that is smaller in size, and intended to brew smaller batches of beer. The company's motto is "small batches, big beers." And indeed, since the brewery has been around, they've been releasing a lot of one-offs and small batch releases. The goal is to release a new beer every week. You can read more about the brewery at their website HERE.

Pipeworks The Money

This pours into a golden/honey-colored body, kicking up a finger of restrained, white head. This looks like a Belgian Ale that has been through the bourbon ringer. It is slightly hazy but still really well-carbed. Even Snoop was like dayummm. BJCP - bongs, jello, cash, paninis. 

Let's not pretend Allagash and the Bruery haven't done this already, but this mashes pineapples and white saffron and wheat-apples and grapes (you know, that Strong Ale base) with oak, vanilla, a pound of white sugar, bourbon spice, cinnamon, and some light barrel. It has that Belgian nose, and smells like any Tripel or what-have-you crammed into a barrel. 

Oh dayum, son. This is straight up fantastic, bringing tons of bourbon flavor to the fold with big vanilla, maple syrup, cinnamon/brown sugar, and then tons of apples, saffron, grapes, tannic and grainy gooseberries, overripe bananas, juicy stone fruits, and appreciable pineapple. This lays on some nice bitterness, and while this is super sweet it feels mature. This is going to be an inherently sweet beer, as are White Oak and any other similar offering. 

This is sneaky like a Golden Strong/Tripel, and you don't taste any of the 13%. The only suggestion of alcohol comes from the saccharine assault and bourbon character. This is full-bodied, big, boozy, and has good duration for the style. Palate depth is good, complexity is middle-of-the-road (but pretty good for this style). This beer is my jam. This style is my jam. You get an explosion of tropical fruits, saffron, apples, and grapes up front; that rolls into more pineapple, apple, saffron, bourbon, some spice; the back end drops a little alcohol, oak, barrel, and finishes nicely for something as big and sweet as this. I like this a lot. 

Rating: Above-Average (4.5/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Strong Above-Average on this beer. I'm so proud of Pipeworks, growing up to be on the same level as breweries like Allagash or The Bruery. Okay, I'm not not 100% serious. That would be the overstatement of the year if I was. Shoving any beer into an Elijah Craig 12 Year barrel is like using Citra hops or a drone strike. It's cheating. Anyway, this is good stuff and my only regret is it doesn't have the production of something like a White Oak. I wouldn't go food crazy with this beer...sip on it, enjoy.

Random Thought: I really wish I knew anything about bourbon and/or whiskey but I don't. I also don't have the money or cache to hunt down elusive bourbon whales. Thus, my thoughts on bourbon are shit just like this blog. If you are reading this, have all my apologies. 

Victory Variety Pack Round-Up: Golden Monkey

Brewed By: Victory Brewing Company in Downingtown, Pennsylvania 

Purchased: 12oz bottle from Victory's Variety Pack bought at Binny's in Chicago, IL; 2014

Style/ABV: American-style Tripel, 9.5%
Reported IBUs: ?

I realize that reviewing Victory's heritage brews is like reviewing Sierra Nevada's Pale Ale or Anchor Brewing's Anchor Steam. Here's the thing. The four beers contained in this Variety Pack (PrimaPils, HopDevil, Headwaters Pale Ale, Golden Monkey) are classics in their own right. But the times, they've been a-changin'. So it reasons that what was once a classic might be viewed differently today than in retrospect. You know. Plus this is my blog/LiveJournal. If you don't like it, suck on deez nuts. But  About Victory: 

Victory Brewing Company is a brewery based out of Downingtown, Pennsylvania. The brewery was founded by Ron Barchet and Bill Covaleski, two avid brewers and lovers of beer. Although Victory opened on February 15, 1996, the duo were brewing brewing beer long before opening their own company. You can read more about their accomplishments on the brewery's about page. The brewery uses German malted barley and European and American whole flower hops (the use of whole flower hops is one unique aspect of Victory). Victory is currently working on expanding to Parkesburg. For more information about Victory, check out their website or their Facebook page. 

The Golden Monkey is a big-ass, American-style Tripel brewed with 2-Row malts and whole flower European hops. They also throw some coriander seed into this one. This is another classic example of an American-style Tripel, albeit one that the Bros didn't like very much back in 2001/2002. Oh wells. 

This pours very much like its name implies: into a golden body, kicking up two fingers of dense, fluffy, golden-tinged head. This is nicely carbonated, and looks the part of a Tripel, albeit less cloudy than some of the Belgian ones. This is conditioned, however, and you do get some yeast sediment in your glass.

Victory Golden Monkey

The aroma here is also classic Tripel, with vibrant grains, clove, banana, funky yeast esters, and deep hops that include notes of citrus, lemon, and coriander. This actually smells really appetizing, especially for a fresh beer. Part of the allure of the style is that you get these aged bangers from Belgium, but us Americans tend to ratchet up the candy sugar and ride the booze and spice train.

This is super drinkable, with big clove and yeast funk crashing down like a tidal wave. It coats your entire tongue, and also delivers some really clean grain and bready notes. This is stupid drinkable, as the style should be, and you would never guess this is 9.5% until it knocked you on your ass. Along with all the clove is a ton of lemon, floral and grassy hops, and some notes that are probably wheat malts (but go unlisted on Victory's website). This is actually super clean, despite being a very straightforward affair.

And despite being straightforward, this has fulfilling palate depth and complexity. It's just big and drinkable and refreshing...without any of the bullshit. Granted, it's not very adventurous, but it doesn't hit you over the head with too much spice or any of that. It lays out the clove and big funky yeast; and then rolls into some coriander spice, dough, bread, banana esters, and big lemon and floral hops; the back end fades with wheat, more clove, and a surprisingly estery and bready finish. I like this beer a lot.

Rating: Above-Average (4.0/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Light Above-Average on this. I really like how simple but refined this beer is. It's not blowing anyone away, but this is a good effort for an American Tripel that has a few bells and whistles...namely a super smooth body, coupled with an insane amount of clove funk, and lots of depth and complexity. I'd bang this again, and pair it with some white pasta, meats, and cheeses. Fantastic, available brew. If you are stumbling onto this beer and are new to the Tripel style, check it out.

Random Thought: One more to go...

Stone Stochasticity Project Quadrotriticale

Brewed By: Stone Brewing Co. in Escondido, California

Purchased: 22oz bottle bought at Binny's in Naperville, IL; 2014

Style/ABV: Belgian Quadrupel, 9.3% 
Reported IBUs: 40

Tonight we are trying another beer from Stone's Stochasticity Project. In case you are not in the loop, the Stochasticity Project is Stone's other label for people who aren't stupid. Are you stupid? Do you like talking gargoyles? Well turn around, there is nothing for you to see here. About Stone:

Stone Brewing are one of the more prominent breweries in the American craft brewing scene. They were founded in 1996 in San Marcos, California, and moved to Escondido, California where they recently expanded their operations. Stone was founded by Steve Wagner and Greg Koch. Koch has a reputation among the craft beer community for voicing his opinion, not putting up with shit, and standing behind his beer. Also...farking woot and fizzy yellow beer is for bitches. 

The Stochasticity Project Quadrotriticale is a Belgian-stile Quad brewed with triticale, "a hybrid grain combining the pleasant flavor of wheat with the elemental durability and spice of rye." To be more exact, this beer uses Pilsner and Flaked Triticale malts, Dark Candi Sugar, Ardennes Strain Belgian Yeast, and unknown hops. Let's get this gargoyle-hating beer into a glass.

Stochasticity Project Quadrotriticale

From the onset, this looks the part of a Belgian Dubbel with those dark ruby red and orange tones. The beer kicks up two to three fingers of creamy, dense, wheat-fueled head....it's the stuff you expect with a dark Belgian Strong Ale. This beer is also super effervescent with tons of carbonation. Head retention is nice, with a wispy coating hanging around for the long haul. There's also tight like a tiger lacing.

On the aroma: good things. I'm actually surprised at how straight this beer plays things. I say that for a few reasons...one being how weird Stone's Saison was, and two, the Belgian beers that Stone brewed for the Vertical Epic Series (and that they alluded to in the description of this beer) are somewhat off the beaten path. I'm getting big candi sugars, cherries and dark fruits, clove and phenol spice, and some nice waves of caramel and vanilla. This has a really nice depth to the aroma, with some bready, rye-like notes popping against the Belgian candi sugars and perfume fruits. It smells surprisingly awesome.

Wow...this is a pleasant surprise. This is actually really good, and kind of embraces everything I love about the Dark Strong Ale style while retaining a little bit of Stone's unique point of view. This is full-bodied and expansive with a substantial mouthfeel. You want that for this style of beer. However, this cleans up somewhat refreshing and dry, with dark fruits, rye bread, wheat malts, and then some nice hoppy punch. I wonder if Stone slipped some American hops into the boil...up front, this drops blissfully balanced and clean Belgian candi sugars, with lightly bitter hops and rye bread, phenol spice, hints of cherries, and then bam...the back end cleans up towards the slightly bitter. Nice.

This is full-bodied, but very drinkable. It hides all the boozes, with none of the 9.3% showing up in the taste. Palate depth is fantastic, while complexity isn't quite up there with some of the heavy hitters. I do like this beer, however. Up front: sugars, bread, rye, bitter hops, candi sugars, phenol spice; the mids roll into dark fruits, hints of cherries, more sugars, more dark bread and rye; the back end gets uppity with the hops, and finishes somewhat dry and clean with lingering sugars and bread. There is some nice boozy warming.

Rating: Above-Average (4.0/5.0 Untappd)

I'm calling this a Strong Above-Average. This is a fantastically crafted beer...I hope Stone continues to brew this one and keeps it on the shelves. I'd even call this memorable in some regards, I could not only see myself buying this again but I bet this one would be fun to age. This has potential to pair well with strong cheeses and a meat tray, grilled meats, rustic dishes likes stew and potatoes, and cold Winter nights. I have to tip my hat to Stone for this one; this is a good beer.

Random Thought: Stone killed it with their Indiegogo campaign. 

Une Année Quad

Brewed By: Une Année Brewery in Chicago, Illinois  

Purchased: 750ml (1 Pint 9.4 FL OZ) bottle bought at Sheridan 'L' Longue in Chicago, IL; 2014 (Batch 14 - 12.11.13)

Style/ABV: Quadrupel/Belgian Dark Strong Ale, 11.0%

Reported IBUs: ?

More Midwest shelf turds. About Une Année:

Une Année is a brewery based out of Chicago, Illinois located near the intersection of Grand and Ashland in the Kinzie Industrial Corridor (three blocks from the Goose Island Fulton St. production brewery). The brewery was founded in early 2012 by Jerry Nelson, who is "an Architect, Marine, Siebel Institute Graduate, and Chicago native who started homebrewing in 1995 while stationed in California." Currently, Jerry is the head brewer along with Dustin Zimmerman, who also attended the Siebel Institute, and previously brewed at Hamburger Mary’s Andersonville and worked at Nøgne Ø. The name "Une Année" means "one year" in French, and was chosen to reinforce the two main ideas behind the brewery: a focus on Belgian and French style beer, and an emphasis on seasonal beers. For more info, check out the brewery's website.

Tonight's beer, the Une Année Quad, is described as, "The richest of all Belgian ales, the Quadrupel is not for the faint of heart." This beer punches in at a formidable 11.0% ABV, and is described as having notes of plum, dried cherry, fig esters, and mild phenolic spice.

Une Année Quad

This is a twilight adventure, pouring into a straight up purple body in low light, kicking up two fingers of foamy, Belgian, moon-colored head. The glass I chose further accentuates this twilight Quad. In bright light the beer takes on deep orange and reddish tones. All you Quad/Dubbel drinkers know that the purple in low light is proportional to the orange-red in bright light. DAE math. This is hazy with numerous streams of carbonation bubbling away, and the head retention is Donkey Kong. I don't even know what that means, beer nerds! A finger won't die though. And there's lacing behind that. It's a looker. 

The aroma here is unfamiliar territory for me, which is always exciting. But then I'm also a master of that Quadrupel ass. You like some familiarity...I'm getting big Twizzlers on the aroma, perfume, perfume candy notes, powdery dusting, creamy banana esters, cherries, dark fruits, and some hints of chocolate and cocoa. There's an almost leather-like quality to this aroma, and the beer hangs between an aroma that reminds me a bit of the Rochefort 10 and the Mission Street 2012 Anniversary Ale (when aged). There's a little fruitcake and cinnamon spice on the aroma as well...maybe nutmeg, and certainly some hints of clove and big perfume.

The taste instantly reminds me of the Rochefort 10, with substantial mouthfeels and feels in general. This is a big beer, with layers of malt that bounce between leather, dusty cocoa, fruit cake, and Belgian pastries. Around the malts are substantial spices, with cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove, and there's some peppery alcohol as well. The alcohol here doesn't hide, and I'm getting big cherries, figs, and overripe fruit. There's some overripe brown banana in here, and some nice dark fruits. The whole thing is leathery and dusty as fuck, with some serious rawness that I'll attribute to the yeast. Is this brewed with the Rochefort yeast? The leathery-dusty thing really points in the direction of fruitcake and cocoa, which is fantastic. 

This is full-bodied, big, and fantastic. The mouthfeel is dusty and rustic, but has enough carbonation to move things along. Palate depth here is very good, and this is a complex beer. I should note that this is not very boozy for 11.0%. Up front is a big blast of fruit cake, rustic spice, perfume, clove, and dark fruits; the mids roll into big cherry, figs, overripe banana, peppery alcohol, and booze soaked fruits; the back end has some bitterness, with lingering leathery goodness, and some dusty cocoa-leather. This is impressive, with a pastry/fruitcake quality that screams dessert. 

Rating: Above-Average (4.0/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Strong Above-Average here. This beer is no slouch...and I think it has some potential to be even better. I'm kind of on the fence between a 4.0 and a 4.5, but given the heavy hitters that dominate this style, I feel comfortable with my score. Having said all that...this is a super rustic, super raw, cocoa-leather bomb. Fantastic stuff here, with layers of flavor and tons of goodness to go around. This beer would be perfect in the colder months, and should pair well with stews, turkey, ham, duck, strong cheese, meats, grilled meats, and things like that. I'll be on the lookout for the next batch of this.

Random Thought: I think I need to drink more Une Année beer.

Unibroue Grande Réserve 17

Brewed By: Unibroue (Sapporo) in Chambly, Canada  

Purchased: 750ml (1 pint, 9.4 fl oz) bottle bought at Binny's in IL; 2014 (Vintage 2013)

Style/ABV: Belgian Dark Strong Ale, 10.0%

Reported IBUs: 35

I debated between tonight's beer and the bottle of Two Brothers Fathom that I have sitting in my fridge. I really want to give Two Brothers a crack at redemption, and the Fathom is exactly that. But I'm kind of in a Belgian mood...and oak...mmm, mmmm, mmmm. About Unibroue: 

Unibroue is a brewery out of Chambly that specializes in Belgian beers. The brewery was founded in 1990 by André Dion and Serge Racine. The duo invested in the failing brewery, La Brasserie Massawippi, and became majority shareholders. In 1991, they finalized the takeover of La Brasserie Massawippi, and completely merged with their company, Unibroue, in 1992. Dion became the President and CEO, and Racine becamse the board of directors. In 1992, the brewery released their first beer, Blanche de Chambly, and decided to specialize in Belgian brews. In 1993, the brewery moved to their cutting-edge microbrewery in Chambly, Quebec, and by 1994 the brewery was exporting beer to the U.S. and Europe. In 1991, Brewmaster Paul Arnott joined the company; trained in traditional, monastic Belgian brewing, he helped release new beers including the Éphémère series of beers. 

In 2004, the Sleeman Brewery purchased Unibroue, and in 2006, Japan's oldest commercial brewer, Sapporo International, purchased Sleeman. Since then, Unibroue has been regarded as a global treasure, as they export their beer everywhere. They produce some of the best, high-quality beer in the world. These guys are one of my favorite breweries, and it's always a treat to drink their beer.

The Unibroue Grande Réserve 17 is some classy shit, even by Unibroue standards. This beer was first brewed in 2007 to celebrate the brewery's 17th anniversary. Due to the beer's popularity, the brewery decided to make this an annual release in limited quantities. This French Oak aged strong ale is described as having big malty notes, with mocha and cocoa accents, oak on the finish, and some nice spice and vanilla undertones. 

The bottle is as descriptive at the website. The front says "Aged with French Oak / Bottle Refermented Ale / Dark Ale on Lees / Ale Brewed with Spices, Aged with French Oak, and with Natural Flavors added." The back of my bottle says: "Best before 02-28-2018."

Unibroue Grande Réserve 17

The 17 pours out into a raisin-purple color in low light, kicking up three-plus fingers of fluffy head. This beer is exceptionally Belgian in appearance, from the bottle to the beer. Bright light kills vampires and betrays this beer, revealing a swampy, orange-brown body with golden tones on the edges. It's very much like your typical Belgian Dark Strong/Abbey Dubbel -- mysterious in low light, and ugly under the spotlight. You could float a bottle cap in the foam that is sustaining forever on the beer, and there are nice broad strokes of lacing. There's a lot of carbonation going up in here, and that's without any nucleation points in my glass. Hooray for Belgian beer.

I went with an over-sized snifter/tulip for this one, only because of the oak. To me, oak ~ snifter. I was never good at math though. WOW. The aroma here is overwhelmingly phenolic, with huge earthy leather, leathery cocoa, and leathery chocolate. The powdery cocoa you get on the nose flirts with an almost Fantôme-esque aroma that I have come to describe as "smokers jacket." I've also heard old bike seat, but who the hell sniffs old bike seats (ironically enough, I have one about 3 feet away from me...hmmm). Beneath the cocoa and spicy phenols are some seriously deep dark fruits. I'm getting stone fruits, cherries, plums, and figs...the spice on the aroma is somewhere in the realm of cinnamon or nutmeg. Try as I might -- and I'm being totally honest here -- I'm not getting any oak on the aroma. That's okay though, this smells really impressive otherwise. WHAT I AM getting on the aroma, especially when I pull my nose away from the beer a bit and just smell it casually, is some really nice vanilla and vanilla/caramel sugars. Is nice.

Before I rattle off boring descriptions about how great this tastes, I just want to tip my fedora to Unibroue. Even though this is a big beer at 10%, it really fills its body in a substantial way. This is a BIG beer. I'm reminded of the always fantastic Rochefort 10, which has a milkshake mouthfeel (seriously...Steak and Shake doesn't have anything on Rochefort). This isn't quite the experience that the Rocherfort 10 is...but not many beers are. I'm getting a lot of stone fruits and spices in here, with cinnamon, nutmeg, cocoa, big candied dark fruits, aggressive and peppery phenols, and big pastry notes. This veers into the land of fruitcake and angel wings/chruściki/faworki. Damn, that's some personal nostalgia. My grandma and grandpa used to serve those angle wing pastries whenever I would visit, and they were my favorite. There are nice layers of oak and vanilla in this beer as well, with some hints of cocoa. This is just...fantastically layered stuff. As I continue to sip on this, I'm pulling out some Quad-like notes of cherry, banana, and other overripe fruits. This is seriously fantastic. 

When I review beer, I get a little selfish. Especially when I'm drinking a bomber or a big 750ml bottle. I like to allocate half the bottle for my review notes, and the other half to pair with food. I'm enjoying this beer so much I'm going through the whole damn bottle as I type this out. This is just an impressive display of brewing, and really captures the essence of what I'm looking for in a big Belgian Ale. This is rustic, raw, phenolic, fruity, funky, sweet (there's some big candy sugar notes), and there's even some hop bitterness for good measure. The Dark Strong Ale is one of my favorite styles of beer, and this is nicely executed. As noted earlier, this is full-bodied and big, but still quite drinkable thanks to lots of carbonation. You get a little booze in the finish, and some big warming as you drink this, but the alcohol is integrated into the beer nicely. This is seductive. Palate depth and duration are off the charts, with each sip lasting up to a minute with lingering flavors just hanging out. And this is very complex...notes range from cocoa to dark fruits to vanilla to leather to pastries. Up front: dark fruits, stone fruits, cinnamon, nutmeg; the mids roll into more phenolic spice, with some leather and dusty cocoa, Belgian funk, bitter hops; the back end has growing bitter hops, with vanilla, complex sugars, caramel, pastries, fruit cake, and an endless tunnel of flavor...man this just goes on forever...you eventually reach some boozy warming, and the beer kisses you with spiced cake and spiced rum. This almost has that Winter Warmer vibe, and I promise you this is better than any Christmas pastry at your Thanksgiving/Christmas dinner.

Rating: Divine Brew (4.5/5.0 Untappd)

This is world class...but it's not top class. I'll toss this a Light Divine Brew, with the disclaimer that you need to check this out if you are a fan of Quads, Dark Strongs, or Belgian Ales. There's so much good stuff going on here...and this really highlights all the good things that Unibroue does. Like...this beer is Unibroue at their best. And that's high praise for a brewery cranking out top-notch gems like La Fin Du Monde and the Trois Pistoles. You could argue that this is a little fruity/phenolic one-dimensional, but that's a dick move. Like I said earlier, not every beer can be Rochefort 10. What pushes this beer over the edge for me is that rustic cocoa/leather thing, and the subtle pastry notes. This is a beer to pair with food: cold cuts, strong cheeses, European pastries, turkey, ham, Christmas/Thanksgiving dinner, etc. It's almost a shame that I popped this today, but at $10 a bottle you really should not pass this up.

Random Thought: So yeah, today was hot and humid like Florida. I think it hit 90 outside, with 94% humidity. And then it thunder-stormed. It's thundering outside right now. Tonight's beer is not a good pairing for this hot weather, but I think I will pick up a second bottle for this upcoming winter. And again, I promise that I will get to the Two Brothers Fathom. But there really is no pressure...the Fathom is a fantastic beer.

Une Année Tripel

Brewed By: Une Année Brewery in Chicago, Illinois  

Purchased: 750ml (1 Pint 9.4 FL OZ) bottle bought at Binny's in IL; 2014 (Batch 9 - 10.23.13)

Style/ABV: Belgian Tripel, 8.7%

Reported IBUs: ?

Local Chicago Abbey Ales? Yes please. About Une Année:

Une Année is a brewery based out of Chicago, Illinois located near the intersection of Grand and Ashland in the Kinzie Industrial Corridor (three blocks from the Goose Island Fulton St. production brewery). The brewery was founded in early 2012 by Jerry Nelson, who is "an Architect, Marine, Siebel Institute Graduate, and Chicago native who started homebrewing in 1995 while stationed in California." Currently, Jerry is the head brewer along with Dustin Zimmerman, who also attended the Siebel Institute, and previously brewed at Hamburger Mary’s Andersonville and worked at Nøgne Ø. The name "Une Année" means "one year" in French, and was chosen to reinforce the two main ideas behind the brewery: a focus on Belgian and French style beer, and an emphasis on seasonal beers. For more info, check out the brewery's website.

Tonight's beer, the Une Année Tripel, has the disclaimer: "The Tripel is often considered the most approachable of Belgian ales." I don't know if that is true, but this subtle and boozy Strong Ale punches in at 8.7% and is described as having notes of big fruits, moderate spice, and hints of American hops poking through.

Une Année Tripel

This one pours into a swampy, dark orange/gold body, kicking up a finger of reluctant, off-white head. The head quickly settles into some cauldron bubbles for that nice cauldron effect, with sea foam head on the outer edges of the glass. When held to a bright light, this beer is a vibrant and juicy, hazy orange color. Looking through the beer from the top unlocks those sunset/sunrise tones, and it's kind of a beautiful thing to behold. The head is white with orange streaks, leaving clingy residuals and epic sheets of iceberg lacing. Honestly...it's a good looking Tripel and that's all she wrote.

Apparently Belgium doesn't have a gosh darn thing on Chicago, as this smells inviting with giant citrus splashes, orange, sliced orange, perfume phenols, clove and bubblegum funk, wheat, and boozy perfume. This smells legit like an Abbey Ale, and not at all on the fruity/raisin end of the wheat stick like some imports end up. I'm still not sure if that's an issue of freshness or what, but I know what I like in my Tripels and I'm getting that here.

I'm a little bit less impressed on the taste...but there's a clean elegance to this beer, and plenty of fruity notes in the realm of orange, orange candy, fruity wheat, apples/pear, apple slaw salad, perfume spice. This has a good amount of Belgian funk, with wheat and bubblegum showing up, and some kisses of clove. But the main feature here seems to be the citrus and the hop bitterness. This is definitely in the moderate to higher end of the hoppy Tripel spectrum, but I like it. I'm getting welcomed bitterness that adds a peppery and spicy accent to the alcohol. It kind of reminds me of the Maredsous 10 Tripel, which has some nice spicy booze. As does the New Belgium "Trippel."

At any rate...this is still seductive and hides the booze well. You don't get much of the 8.7%, which is why this style rocks. Give it to your kids/wife. I'm just kidding. Don't listen to me. This is medium-bodied, with good carbonation. It has some creaminess, and the wheat malts help add body. The bitterness from the hops plays off the bubblegum from the wheat, and you get a nice citrus-bubblegum thing that gets bitter like spent gum. I'm enjoying myself here. Palate depth is on point but the complexity lags a big. I mean...this is above-average stuff, but there's a lot of good Tripels out there. Up front: citrus, citrus candy, sweet citrus, perfume phenols, perfume citrus; the mids roll into more citrus, with the addition of some Belgian funk, clove, bubblegum, growing wheat, and hop bitterness; the back end imparts some nice bitterness, and rounds out with lingering orange and citrus. Boozy, peppery, phenolic spice then follows. This is...surprisingly good. This could be a local contender and something I would pick up on the regular. 

Rating: Above-Average (4.0/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Strong Above-Average on this. This is one of my favorite styles of beer, and I'm happy to report that they pretty much nailed it. Success! There's not much else to say here...except that I would totally pick this up again, especially at around $10 a bottle. This is a beer to pair with strong cheeses, grilled meats, grilled lamb, and for me tonight...chili. I actually wouldn't recommend pairing this with chili, but you know, I eat what I have on hand. 

Random Thought: I shaved my beard! All of it! AHHHH. I have good reason though...it's getting hot out. I think I'm gonna roll with the stubble look, only I'll probably look like a hobo instead of Ryan Gosling.

Goose Island The Ogden

Brewed By: Goose Island Beer Company (owned by AB InBev) in Chicago, Illinois

Purchased: 12oz bottle from a 4-pack bought at Rayan's Discount Liquors in Chicago, IL; 2014 (bottled on April 16, 2014)

Style/ABV: Belgian Tripel, 9.0% 

Reported IBUs: 35

The Ogden is one of Goose Island's new beers, which includes their really solid The Illinois, their hoppy and accessible 312 Urban Pale Ale, their Endless IPA, and their Ten Hills Pale Ale. Is The Ogden up to snuff?

About Goose Island:

Goose Island is a Chicago-based brewery that began as a brewpub on Clybourn, which opened on May 1988. The actual brewery opened on 1995, and is located on the Southwest side of Chicago. The second brewpub, located in Wrigleyville by the Chicago Cubs, was opened in 1999. On March 28, 2011, Goose Island sold 58% of the brewery to Anheuser-Busch. The remaining 42% of the brewery is supposed to be acquired by A-B InBev in the future, and there has been much discussion about the brewery's takeover. On November 16th, founder and CEO, John Hall, announced he would be leaving Goose Island. On January 1st, 2013, Anheuser-Busch "veteran" Andy Goeler will take over Goose Island. Additionally, around the same time as John Hall's departure, resident barrel-program leader John Laffler also announced his departure from Goose Island. There have been many changes regarding Goose Island...so we will see what the future has in store for Goose Island. 

The Ogden is a Belgian Tripel, which is a hard-hitting style known for being deceptively boozy and full of big, complex flavors. Goose Island's The Ogden is named after William Ogden, who opened Chicago's first brewery, and was also Chicago's first mayor. He also added the North Brand channel to the Chicago River, where Goose Island would eventually reside and take their name from. This beer is brewed with Citra, Brewers Gold, and Saaz hops; it is dry hopped with Brewers Gold and Citra hops as well. This one features a 2-Row malt base, and is fermented using Belgian Tripel yeast. At 9.0% and 35 IBUs, this is a big, bold beer.

Goose Island The Ogden

This beer pours out the part of a Tripel, into a picture perfect golden/yellow body with some orange tones. The beer kicks up a finger or two of perfectly white head. The head is white, wispy, and looks like clouds. As the head drops off, you get massive webs of lacing. In bright light, this beer is all yellow/gold, with lazy dots of mid-sized carbonation. The beer seems to be filtered or semi-filtered, and the head is vibrantly white. Again, this beer's appearance is the stuff you'd expect from a brewery like GI.

The aroma here is pretty hoppy, actually. This is definitely an American interpretation of a Tripel, with big orange, grapefruit, candied perfume, orange perfume, sugar, clove, banana, and bubblegum funk. The big Citra hops really come over the top, driving the bready malt backing and the clove/sugar/banana/bubblegum funk. It's not a bad aroma at all, especially if you like Citra hops.

Again, the taste is a nice continuation of the aroma, with big Citra splashes up front. I'm getting lots of orange and grapefruit, with big funky Belgian clove, bubblegum, light banana, and tons of sugary caramel. The finish is somewhat bready with lingering sugars. There's a perfume element that shows up in the middle and continues towards the end, and the end drops some mild alcohol warming and alcohol spice on the back of your throat. You also pick up some light grain.

This is full-bodied and feels substantial, which you want at 9.0%. This is remarkably drinkable and hides the alcohol well, but you know something is up here. Palate depth is just okay, and complexity seems a bit low for the style. While I'm enjoying the Citra hop aspect of this, I feel like the rest of the beer is somewhat simple in execution. You get those big Citra splashes up front with grapefruit and orange against a funky Belgian backdrop of clove, bubblegum, banana, and white sugar; the mids dial up the bready caramel, with some serious layers of sugar, candy sugar, and more dark sugar, with some more Belgian funk; the back end cleans up with some bread, grain, and lingering perfume notes. It's very solid, especially for the price. Probably a three point five. 

Rating: Average (3.5/5.0 Untappd)

I'll go with a Strong Average here...when I first had this earlier today, I thought it was maybe too sweet. Now that I'm drinking it again, I think the sweetness is appropriate, especially for the style. This isn't a bad beer by any means, it's just missing that element I can't quite place a finger on. Having said that, at 9.0% this is big and boozy in all the right places. This is a beer begging to be paired with pizza or something doughy. Maybe pasta. My awesome girlfriend made pasta with a white artichoke sauce for dinner tonight, this beer would have paired wonderfully with it. 

Random Thought: Even though I'm not 100% sold on this beer, I'd be happy to see this beer on tap around town or at sporting events. Drinking one of these with a Bulls game? Yes please. 

Affligem Dubbel

Brewed By: Brouwerij Affligem / De Smedt (Heineken) in Opwijk, Belgium

Purchased: 750ml bottle bought at Friar Tucks in Urbana, IL; 2014 

Style/ABV: Belgian Dubbel, 7.0% 

Reported IBUs: ?

TIL Affligem is Heineken's bitch....about Affligem:

Affligem has a long history as an Abbey, going back to 1074 when six knights quit their day job of kicking ass, and traded their swords for a more peaceful life. Ten years later, and the Abbey was born. Like most Abbeys, Affligem was subject to numerous take downs and rebuildings. In 1796, the French state shut down the Abbey. It was not restored until 1887.

The Monks at Affligem were brewing beer since the early days of the Abbey. During World War II they handed over their recipe to sustain/preserve the business. The brewery is located in Opwijk, Belgium, and is owned by Heineken. For more info, check out the brewery's website. 

The Affligem Dubbel is an...Abbey Dubbel. This one really needs no explanation. Described as dark and spicy, this one should feature lots of clove, spice, anise, raisins, molasses, and bananas. The bottle is cool, and the glass is no slouch...let's see how she stacks up.

Affligem Dubbel

Wow...this is a raw, rustic Dubbel. I'm digging this from the onset, with the beer's dark reddish-brown/orange body. The body is hazy, and you can see yeast suspended in the beer, along with a stream of carbonation rising upwards from the chalice's nucleation point. This one kicks up one to two fingers of thick, bready, caramel-tinted head. This just looks the part of an Abbey Ale, all rustic and conditioned...nice. [there's good, clingy head retention/glossy alcohol legs]

The aroma is even better than the appearance. I'm getting some apples and wheat up front, with some caramel sugars. If you dig deeper you get rich raisins, breads, brown sugars, bready desserts (I think raisin bread is a safe call), mild anise, clove, green bananas, perfumed dark fruits...it's just deep and layered, and goes way beyond the apple and wheat notes you initially get.

The taste follows through with the nose, almost spot on. That's not a bad thing, as you get blasted with sweet caramel, raisins/molasses, apples, and wheat up front. There are figs and stone fruits abound in here, with perfumed dark fruits firing on all cylinders across the tongue through the beer's velvety-smooth and perfectly carbonated body. I'm getting some hints of bread in here, brown sugar, raisin bread, dark fruits, dried dark berries, and tons of spicy phenols ala clove and cinnamon. Finally, I'm getting a dash of light anise/licorice.

This is classic Abbey through and through. Maybe it plays things a little safe, but the execution is flawless. And this feels rustic and vintage. I wonder how old this recipe is. I'm not getting any of the beer's 7.0%, but this is full-bodied and authoritative. The mouthfeel is perfect, with great duration, and tons of creamy, carbonated goodness. Complexity is fairly high as well. This expands in layers, with apples, raisins, wheat, caramel, and molasses up front; the mids hit carbonated figs, dark fruits, perfume, clove spice; the back end has malts, with breads, cakes, raisin bread, brown sugar, cinnamon, clove...the finish is dry and lightly dusty. This is well-balanced, and big. Nice... 

Rating: Divine Brew (4.5/5.0 Untappd)

I can't believe I'm saying this about a Heineken-owned product, but this is a Light Divine Brew and one of the better Abbey Dubbels I have had. What pushes this beer over the top is the absolutely PERFECT and MEMORABLE mouthfeel, and the layers of complexity. This beer is also perfectly balanced, with good bitterness, tons of spice, lots of malts, and a dry clean finish. As this warms up the spice and malts are popping, and adding the yeast from the bottom of the bottle seems to add character. I'm just enjoying the heck out of this beer, and I could see myself buying this beer again in the Winter months. I feel like this is the perfect beer to pair with a meat and cheese tray, preferably during a football game. You could also pair this beer with stews, hearty soups, grilled meats, and ham. This is just some rustic and refined goodness. I'm surprised...I'm intrigued...I give this a VERY STRONG RECOMMENDATION, especially at around $10 a bottle. Check it out. 

Random Thought: I feel like classic Abbey/Belgian Dubbels are quite different from the candi sugar overload American counterparts. There is nothing wrong with that, but surely this style distinction is worth noting. Compare something like Solemn Oath's Big Box Make Magic to the beer that we have in front of us, and yeah. Two awesome beers with completely different experiences. 

Ale Asylum Bedlam! IPA

Brewed By: Ale Asylum in Madison, Wisconsin

Purchased: 12oz bottle from a 6-pack bought at Sheridan 'L' Longue in Chicago, IL; 2014

Style/ABV: Belgian IPA, 7.5% 
Reported IBUs: ?

Friday was the release of Half Acre's Galactic Double Daisy Cutter. Apparently there was a line of people out the door. That's just cray-cray. Anyway, since I missed that Midwest Shelf Turd, I grabbed today's beer to fill that aching hole in my soul. About Ale Asylum: 

Ale Asylum is a brewery based out of Madison, Wisconsin. The brewery was founded in 2006, and brews unfiltered and natural beer using only water, malt, hops, and yeast. For more information about the brewery, check out their Facebook page or their Website. 

The Bedlam! IPA is a Belgian IPA of sorts. This is described as, "A chaotic blend of Citra hops and Belgian-style yeast give this Belgian IPA aromas of summer fruit with a bright hop presence and a plush finish." This one is available year round on tap and in 6-packs throughout Wisconsin and Illinois. Punching in at 7.5%, this should be delicious. 

Ale Asylum Bedlam! IPA

The Bedlam pours into a deep, hazy, unfiltered orange body, and kicks up two to three fingers of amber/orange-tinted head. The head is fluffy and sustaining, and it leaves lots of lacing on the edges; like an IPA should. In bright light this is a juicy orange color, with rising carbonation and a wispy head hanging around. You can't beat the appearance here, so it's a shame that how a beer looks means little to nothing at all.

The aroma here is massively citrus-forward, with huge Citra blasts of tangerine, orange, grass, and pine. Along with the blasts of citrus are tons of spicy and funky Belgian notes. I'm getting yeast, clove, pepper, barnyard, and some light non-Brett band-aid funk. It smells funky, but it also smells big and hoppy, and clean and refreshing.

The taste is a nice follow through of the nose, with huge citrus and orange notes backed up by phenolic, fruity, and spicy Belgian yeast. There's melon notes, grass, apricot, light pineapple and tropical fruit, big tangerine, orange, tons of peppery spice, and lots of Belgian fruitiness. The barnyard in the aroma comes through a bit in the finish, and the finish is grassy, peppery, and clean. 

There is an elegant simplicity to this beer, but it's also pretty bold and refreshing. Citra hops can do wonderful things to a beer. You don't get the 7.5% here, and this is clean and refreshing and drinkable. You probably want to pace yourself with this, but you could drink two or three of these in a sitting, easy. With a medium-light mouthfeel, this has tons of carbonation and hop bitterness to smooth things out. Palate depth is okay, and complexity is okay as well. This would otherwise be average for the style if not for the huge blast of citrus you get. Up front is an assault of peppery oranges, tangerine, melon, grass, apricot, light pineapple hints; the mids hit some biscuit and more tropical fruits, mixed with some Belgian funk and grass/hay; the back end dials up the grass, lingering cracker/biscuit as it warms, and a dry, spicy, hoppy finish. It's refreshing and impressionable. 

Rating: Above-Average

I'd put this on the same level as the Deschutes Fresh Squeezed IPA, so a Strong Above-Average. This isn't a game changer, and it's not mind blowing. But it's a really, really solid Belgian IPA that goes above average by using the Citra hop to its full potential. There's a lot of bold, refreshing citrus on display here...making this one of the most refreshing and enjoyable Belgian IPAs I have come across. This is the perfect beer to drink on warm Summer days, and this would pair well with white fish, grilled chicken, fruit salads, heavy "patio food" like loaded baked potato salad and brats, and anything lightly spicy. This beer isn't very bitter, so the fruity hops and low bitterness suggest NOT pairing this beer with spicy foods. Go with the sweeter and lighter pairings. I'd pick this up again: recommended. 

Random Thought: I went to a wine tasting even on Saturday at Union Station with over 200 wines (or something, whatever). It was a blast, especially since I'm not really a wine drinker. I was able to sample quite a few wines...but sadly I didn't learn too much. I still prefer a nice Cab, and I love wines that have spent time in oak. An oaky white gets me going. Anyway, we started drinking around 1:30pm, and followed the wine tasting up with dinner. At dinner I order two beers, alcoholic that I am. Needless to say, by 8pm I was ready to sleep, and by 12midnight I was feeling the full-on effects of my day of drinking. I had a nifty headache and mild disorientation. I guess you'd call it a hangover, but it wasn't morning. And thank goodness for that, as I was able to pop an Advil, drink some water, and jump back into bed. I woke up feeling like a champion, and here we are. I'm sure my run tomorrow will make me pay. Woo.