St. Feuillien Grand Cru

Brewed By: Brasserie St. Feuillien / Friart in Le Roeulx, Belgium

Purchased: 11.2oz bottle (bottled on 17/01/14) from a 4-pack gift set bought at Binny's in IL; 2014
Style/ABV: Grand Cru/Belgian Golden Strong Ale, 9.5%

Reported IBUs: ?

I feel pretty good about my Super Bowl pick, and specifically my pick that the Seahawks and the Seahawks' defense would probably trounce the Broncos, but I really didn't expect the ridiculous blowout and bed crapping that we got. Oh well. About St. Feuillien:

St. Feuillien is is an Abbey-stye brewery based out of Le Roeulx, Belgium, founded in 1873. The brewery's history goes back to the 7th century, when an Irish monk by the name Feuillien came to Belgium to preach the Gospel. Unfortunately...while traveling through Le Roeulx, Feuillien was martyred and beheaded. In memory of Feuillien, his disciples built a chapel in 1125, which became the Abbey of Prémontrés, later known as the Abbaye St-Feuillien du Roeulx. The Abbey prospered until the French Revolution. St. Feuillien makes use of natural ingredients, centuries-old brewing methods, and (I believe) all their beers are bottle conditioned. You can read more about them HERE. 

The St. Feuillien Grand Cru is a "specialty beer" brewed with noble hops and nondescript ingredients. Punching in at 9.5%...this is a big beer. So yeah, hooray for descriptions. Let's get this into a glass. 

St. Feuillien Grand Cru

The Grand Cru pours into a luscious, Belgian-esque, Golden Strong Ale body. We're talking about a hazy pineapple-orange body, and two fingers of soapy, thin, rapidly dissolving white head. In brighter light the body is an orange-yellow, Mimosa color. There is some carbonation rising upwards, along with some peppery yeast sediment floating around. The head settles into a nice cauldron effect, and glossy alcohol legs coat the glass.

I'm really digging the aroma here. I'm getting a lot of perfume phenol and esters, floral aromas, some wheat/Pils malts, orange and lemon and citrus zest, some stone fruits, apples and pears, some grassy and floral Noble hop bitterness, a touch of zesty alcohol, and some mild barnyard/farm characteristic.  

This is boozy and fantastic, with expansive wheat that is creamy and luscious, hints of banana, bubblegum, white sugar, and clove, and tons of floral Noble hop pop. I'm getting citrus: pineapple, orange, lemon, and some other elusive stone fruits. There's some nice Belgian funk with hay and barnyard in the mix, and hints of zesty and medicinal booze. There's also some grain, bread, toast, and nuttiness in the mix. Quite complex, boozy, and big.

This is a medium-full bodied beer thanks to all the carbonation. But it's still creamy and dense, and wheat-fueled. The 9.5% booze is hidden and subtle, like you'd expect in a Belgian Strong Ale or Tripel or Quad. But you still do get some booze. Palate depth is great, and complexity is pretty good for the style. I find this beer to be drinkable. I also find this beer to be pretty funky, with lots of Belgian funk and hay. It's also very balanced and easy-going, with lots of hop character, malt character, citrus fruits, and some subtle bready/nutty notes. Up front: wheat, clove, phenol spice, pepper, peppery booze, and citrus; that rolls into more citrus, some bitter Noble hops, floral notes, some hay and grass, Belgian funk; the back end picks up on the booze, with some toast/nutty/grain, and the finish is dry with lingering Noble hop goodness. Really nice and refined.

Rating: Above-Average (4.0/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Strong Above-Average on this. Somewhere in that B+ to A- range...it's very much what I would expect from a boozy Tripel or Belgian Strong Ale, without doing anything that is really blowing my mind. Nevertheless, this is a well-crafted beer. The booze is warming, and this is a beer I would pair with meats and cheeses, grilled meats, rustic dishes, and a meal at home. It's the perfect Winter Pale Ale. Boozy and big, but still bright and fresh. Good stuff, would bang again.

Random Thought: I hate it when I break my beer glasses. There is no feeling worse than the sinking feeling when you chip a beer glass. Fuck.

North Coast Grand Cru

Brewed By: North Coast Brewing Company in Fort Bragg, California

Purchased: 500ml bottle purchased at Binny's in IL; 2013

Style/ABV: Strong Ale, 12.9%

Reported IBUs: ???

At 12.9%, tonight's beer is the Winter warmer I have been craving. It's also a beer I picked up a few months back that has been chilling in my fridge. It's high time we drink this thing. About North Coast:

The North Coast Brewing Company was founded in 1988 as a local brewpub in Fort Bragg, on California's Mendocino Coast. The brewery was founded by brewmaster Mark Ruedrich, president and brewmaster. Under his leadership, the brewery has won over 70 national and international awards, and has carved a definitive niche in American craft beer. For more information, check out their website here.

The North Coast Grand Cru was originally brewed as the North Coast Twentieth Anniversary Ale to commemorate the brewery's 20th anniversary. The bottle is nondescript, not even hinting at the vintage (I think this is a 2013 or 2011????). It says: "Ale brewed with agave nectar and aged in bourbon barrels." This beer features pilsner malts, and is fermented with Belgian yeast. 

North Coast Grand Cru

Whoa...I was not expecting this beer to pour out into a golden-orange/honey/amber color. The beer also produces two fingers of white head that is super soapy and thin, and quickly fades off into a white ring around the glass. Bright light confirms the radiant golden-orange body, and you can see streams of tiny carbonation rising upwards with intensity. There's some glossy legs and tight lacing as well.

The aroma on this beer is raw and boozy. It reminds me of the Two Brothers 16th Anniversary Ale and the Allagash Curieux. I'm getting coconut (shredded, toasted, bourbon, and coconut rum), vanilla, bourbon, wood and wood tannin, orange, pineapple, mango, agave, and Belgian candi sugar. I'm also getting a ton of Quad-like aromas. If you've had a really intense American Belgian Quadruple (like THIS or THIS), you'll know what I'm talking about. I'm getting Quad-like cherries, overripe stone fruits, plums, and huge bananas soaked in alcohol. You know...this beer kind of reminds me of the Sam Adams Imperial White.

The taste: interesting...this is very fruity, with tons of apples, wheat, and then HUGE bourbon and vanilla and coconut expanding on the back. I'm reminded of the aged bottles of the Schneider Weisse Tap 6 Unser Aventinus, only with bourbon and more booze. I'm getting a lot of wheat, apples, banana, cherry, Quad-like stone fruits and overripe fruits, some pineapple and tropical fruits, coconut and coconut milk, and then BAM, big blasts of vanilla, bourbon, bourbon-coconut, and some barrel. It's really a tale of two beers here, with the thinner and fruity beer up front, and the giant 12.9% bourbon-barrel aged Belgian Ale in the back. There's a sherry/raisin/oxidized thing up front as well, and some nondescript spiciness from the Belgian yeast. Really nice spice and oak.

I'm seeing a lot of dodgy reviews for this beer, and why? I dunno, I'm finding this to be a fun beer to review. This probably isn't a fun beer to drink at the bar, but this is some complex shit. This is the type of beer I daydream about when I am at work. This is a beer you want to mull over in your snifter. You know? Super complex. The palate depth and duration are good too. And this medium-bodied beer has good carbonation, and hides the 12.9% very well. Although...you do pick up some booze on the back. Let's walk through the progression of this beer one more time. Up front is huge wheat, apples, pears, cherry, Quad-like fruits, stone fruits, overripe fruits, banana, sherry/oxidized/raisin, and spicy Belgian esters; mid palate hits you up with some coconut, pineapple, tropical fruits, coconut rum, coconut milk; then the beer just fucks your face with HUGE vanilla, bourbon, coconut, light wood tannin, and dynamite barrel character. The finish is boozy and dry. I really like this.

Rating: Above-Average (4.0/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Strong Above-Average on this. Wow...this has to be one of the most underrated, misunderstood beers you can find. Look at these reviews on Ratebeer and Beeradvocate shit-panning this. It's possible that there is some bottle variation...it's also possible that this beer benefits from age. I'm not drinking a fresh bottle, but I don't know how old it is. Also, drink this beer warm. The bottle says to drink around 50F, and I agree. Food pairings: unless you plan to pair this beer with pineapple upside-down cake or coconut cake, don't pair it with anything. This beer deserves to be mulled over for an hour in your snifter. 

Random Thought: Are the low ratings all that surprising? This is a weird, sugary beer, with no particular style guidelines. It's good though. It's subtle and complex...unlike the Two Brothers 16th Anniversary Ale. 

Pipeworks Pineapple Bling

Brewed By: Pipeworks Brewing in Chicago, IL  

Purchased: 750ml bottle (Batch #200) bought at Binny's in IL; 2013 (bottled 9.9.13)

Style/ABV: Belgian Golden Strong Ale, 10.5%
Reported IBUs: ?

For this weeks Unofficial Pipeworks Thursday™, we are rolling all gangsta. Tonight's beer is a riff on the CA$H 4 Golden Ale, with the addition of...pineapples and lime juice! We'll see how that works out. 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.

I always wondered, and maybe some famous rapper who stumbles upon this shitty blog can help me out...do you pour the champagne on the titties before or after you skeet on them? I feel like you would pour the champagne on before, right? Because afterwards, it just gets messy. But then again, maybe champagne has awesome skeet-removing properties. Either way...the back of the bottle reads:

"AU! Pawn yo chains, grillz, and candy coated helicopters, but hold onto your Pineapple Bling, 'cus it's always in Belgian style. This ain't a fool's golden ale, but a glittering brew sportin a pilsner malt base booted up with rye, german and northwest hops. The yeast is the number one stunna, struttin tropical fruit notes and a tart dry finish complimented by pineapple and lime juices. This ale is worth it's weight in gold..en ale."

Pipeworks Pineapple Bling

The beer pours into a really sexy, golden-yellow body with a finger of hazy, white head. The body is hazy and well-carbonated, and the head settles into a sea foam coating. In bright light, the beer is pretty much yellow. This beer may be the purest representation of yellow I've seen in a beer. There's a ton of carbonation in this, with tiny streams of bubbles rising upwards. Head retention is solid, and there is some lacing and legs.

I'm getting vanilla, clove, and juicy citrus on the nose. I'm also getting big cakey notes, and sugary vanilla cake sweetness. In addition to the vanilla and cakey sweetness, you get A TON of coconut on the nose. Vanilla coconut cake, eat your heart out. 

This tastes much like the CA$H 4 Golden Ale, only a bit less dense...I'm picking up on some pineapple/lime juice, but it's very subtle. Otherwise, the beer brings lots of dense malt sweetness to the forefront, with cakey density and clove juxtaposed with citrus/pineapple/lime, and lots of coconut and vanilla. This is still lighter and more refreshing this time around, which is probably courtesy of the juice....but maybe the recipe was tweaked too.

Despite the cakey sweetness and malt density, this beer is a bit more grounded than the CA$H 4 Golden Ale. This beer is on the higher end of medium-full bodied, but it has good drinkability (especially at 10.5%) thanks to tons of carbonation, and lots of citrus juice. Speaking of citrus juice, as I work through this, I'm picking up more and more of the lime/pineapple juice. Palate depth is outstanding, but the complexity is low. Up front is Pilsner malt, cakey density, vanilla, clove, coconut; that rolls into big clove, coconut cake, and citrus/lime/pineapple juice; the back end is trailing pineapple juice and lime, with a dry, Pilsner-esque finish. 

Rating: Above-Average (3.5/5.0 Untappd)

I'll go a Light Above-Average here. This is a big improvement over the CA$H 4 Golden Ale, and this beer is very drinkable. The big coconut/vanilla works perfectly with the pineapple/lime, and this beer has a real summer and tropical vibe. I would pair this beer with a Hawaiian style burger or chicken sandwich, or some tacos. You could also stack this up with some strong cheese, meats, and your usual Belgian Ale food pairings. Solid stuff, and a big improvement over the base beer.

Random Thought: I'm ready for the weekend, and hopefully some football redemption. 

Pipeworks CA$H 4 Golden Ale

Brewed By: Pipeworks Brewing in Chicago, IL  

Purchased: 750ml bottle (Batch #132) bought at Binny's in IL; 2013  (bottled 5/8/2013)

Style/ABV: Belgian Golden Strong Ale, 10.0% 
Reported IBUs: ?

Heyyyy, it's Unofficial Pipeworks Thursday™. That means good times ahead, I hope. Actually, I am confidently optimistic tonight, as the Denver Mannings beat the defending Super Bowl champs. The real question is why is John Fox even coaching? We all know what's actually going on. If you're a Denver fan you have a lot to look forward to...just hope they don't botch basic coaching decisions in the Playoffs like they did last year. Anyway, 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.

Finally Pipeworks brews a beer that understands me. At first I thought this beer was a clever play on the shitty Cash4Gold commercials that plagued Midwest radio and late night TV for the past few years, but this beer is clearly gangsta like Snoop Lion. I wish I wasn't pimping so hard, but sometimes slapping bitches is more important than drinking beer. Imagine where I'd be if I could catch a break. The back of the bottle isn't quite as gangsta as Snoop, but some egregious grammar errors do boost street credit: 

Gangsta

"Pipeworks is bringing the bling with Cash 4 Golden Ale. This Belgian inspired ale aint frontin, with it's Pilsner malt base and hint of rye. Czech Saaz, German Tettnanger, and a blend of Pacific Northwest hops are stuntin. But the number one stunna here is the Belgian yeast, stepping with notes of pineapple, tropical fruit and a dry tart finish. We think this beer is the shiznit. Real talk!"

Let me get my gat glass. This is probably my favorite style of beer, and I'm happy to report that this beer is true to the style in appearance. The beer pours into a super hazy, lemon-yellow/straw color, and kicks up tons of fluffy, wispy  white head. The head is thick and sustaining, and in bright light you can see streams of carbonation violently erupting upwards. This beer would make Duvel blush. The beer looks much the same in bright light, with a hazy straw/yellow body, a rocky white head, nice lacing, and some yeast suspended in the body. 

Pipeworks CA$H 4 Golden Ale

The aroma features tons of tropical fruits, with big pineapple, peach, some mango and papaya, and hints of coconut. You get mad tropical vibes off this, and this smells like something that would go well with Summer. I'm getting some lemon zest on the nose as well, along with a hint of peppery spice. There's a touch of white cake/bread/biscuit/Pils malt in the mix as well. Big peaches.

Hmmm...so curb your expectations, because this isn't Duvel. At 10.0%, this beer REALLY dials up the malts, and there's big hop/Pils bitterness to round things out. This is dense and sticky even, but I'm not finding it difficult to drink. Still, I wonder if the intention was to make something a bit more attenuated? We'll never know. HAVING SAID ALL THAT, this is pretty good. You get bready malts up front: I'm getting white cake, vanilla, vanilla wafer  and creamy bananas. There's some peppery spice in the mix, with some pepper/rye. And there is some nice fruitiness that shows up as you get pineapple, lemon zest bitterness, and tropical fruits. I'm getting egg whites and sugar on the finish, Pils malt dryness, and some hop bitterness. There's also a dash of booze in this.

For a Belgian Golden Strong, this is dense and full-bodied in terms of mouthfeel. There is creamy, supportive carbonation, but I would still describe this beer as "cakey with a slightly bitter and dry finish." Palate depth is good, complexity is alright. At 10.0% you get a bit of booze, but this rides the line between being drinkable and being a total fucking nightmare. You get bready, Pils-driven malt sweetness up front, with cake, bananas, and creamy vanilla; that rolls into tropical fruits, spice, some clove, more Pils malt, and some bitter dryness; the back end is lingering bitter dryness, dry Pils malt, and some heat. This is a heavy-handed beer, but it just gets by without being obnoxious.

Rating: Average (3.0/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Strong Average on this. This beer isn't really true to the Golden Strong Ale style, but it never claimed to be. Regardless, this is a heavy-handed beer that is drinkable and enjoyable, but rides the line between being a cloying mess. If they took this up one more notch it wouldn't work. But what you have here right now is a dense, cakey beer, with some good malt complexity and nice supporting hops. This has cakey, tropical fruit vibes...and would pair well with a mango or papaya sauce, coconut, coconut curry, wings, Caribbean jerk, or anything with a spicy, tropical twist. This one is worth checking out if you are a Pipeworks fan, but this is low-priority stuff as far as Belgian Golden Strong Ales are concerned. 

Random Thought: I am so excited for Sunday. I will be watching 12 hours of football, and it will be awesome. There will be beer. 

Two Brothers 16th Anniversary Ale

Brewed By: Two Brothers Brewing Company in Warrenville, Illinois

Purchased: 22oz bottle bought at Binny's in IL; 2013

Style/ABV: Belgian-style Ale, Allegedly 16.0%
Reported IBUs: 34

In celebration of their 16th year anniversary, Two Brothers released a special beer as they are wont to do. I believe this one was priced at around 6 or 7 bucks, making this 22oz bomber of sweet, boozy, Belgian Ale an appealing offer. Obviously I grabbed a bottle. And here we are. About Two Brothers:

Two Brothers are based out of Warrenville, Illinois, a town not far from Chicago. Two brothers was founded in 1996 by brother Jason and Jim Ebel. Their brewery and Tap House Restaurant are both located in Warrenville. Their distribution and production seems to be increasing with each year, and along with their beer you can buy home brewing equipment and supplies at the Tap House Restaurant.  

This is a ridiculous beer, clocking in at an alleged 16%. I say alleged, because word on the street is that this is actually around 12%, but the bottle labels were printed prior to the beer being finished. The back of the bottle reads:

"On March 16th of 1997 Jim and Jason spent 18 hours brewing the first 15 barrel batch of Two Brothers Brewing Company's beer, with a smile on their face the whole time. This labor of love continues today as the company celebrates its golden birthday. Our 16th Anniversary Ale is a larger than life Belgian style Golden Ale. This golden color beer is full bodied with a malty start and a spicy hop balance that is complimented with subtle clove-like characters. To our labor of love...Cheers."

Let's just assume this is pushing 12%, and clocking in at 34 IBUs. No matter how you look at this, this is a big beer. This is entering extreme beer territory, especially for a Belgian. So let's glass 'er up and see if this is going to be a sweet 16 with a BMW, or just another Honda. 

Two Brothers 16th Anniversary Ale

This one pours a golden straw color, with two fingers of white, foamy head. The head is surprisingly enduring, and it's pretty creamy/foamy, with lots of lacing. I'm kicking up head as I swirl this as well. In bright light this beer is a transparent straw/yellow color. The head is white, and still holding up...there's a nice stream of carbonation in the center of the glass. Swirling this one in the glass reveals some pretty glossy alcohol legs.

The aroma on this is really spicy, with funky clove, giant pepper, pink peppercorns, medicinal phenols, rotting fruit, and underlying booze. There's some banana, vanilla, clove, white sugar/candi sugar, and Wheat Wine-esque notes on the nose as well. It's like a Quad clashing with a wheat beer, or something. There is unmistakable candy sweetness on the nose, which I'm thinking is the booze. I should add that I'm maybe pulling apricots off the nose as well. The nose on this is intriguing...here's to hoping that so is the taste!

Hmmm...my initial impression upon my first two sips is that this is more hoppy than I was expecting, and has a much denser mouthfeel than I was expecting. Also, this one isn't as attenuated/dry as I was expecting. In a lot of ways, this reminds me of the Dogfish Head Fort and the Dogfish Head 120 Minute IPA. I'm getting some wheat, bread, murky hop flavors, spicy phenols, tons of candy sugar coating, faded citrus, and a ton of smoothness. The booze is hidden well in this, with no heat or alcohol in the taste. You do get it in your belly/throat. There's also a bit of peach in the taste, weeeerrrrddd.

I don't care if this is 12% or 16%, that's a huge ABV to dial a beer up to. Right now...to be perfectly honest...I'm wishing this had a bit more going on with the flavors. The flavors aren't bringing much complexity, despite the great palate depth and drinkability for a high-ABV beer. I am impressed with how drinkable this is, and how well it hides the alcohol. But that doesn't make a great beer. Maybe bourbon-barrel aging this would have imparted some much needed flavor? Mouthfeel is medium-full to full, but super smooth, with nice carbonation pulling things along. Up front you get sweet malts, bread and wheat, candy sugar, booze, hints of rotting fruits, light banana; this rolls into more of the same, with some spicy phenols, pepper, and clove; the back end is lingering spice, boozy smoothness...fade to a boozy finish.

Rating: Average (3/5 Untappd)

This one gets a Light Average from me. I love big, boozy beers. I really do. Get me drunk. Get me drunk on a Tuesday night and I'll be even happier. But dialing up the ABV is like getting out a hammer. Sometimes hammering the shit out of something isn't the answer. Here is a beer flirting with a Belgian Ale, a Wheat Wine, and maybe even an Americanized Strong Ale-type beer...unfortunately, a lot of the subtleties are just that: subtleties. It's possible this one will improve with some age, but I bet it would be even better aged in oak. It has moments where it reminds me of a good Quad, so I don't hate it or anything like that. I'm going to pair the second half of this bomber with some quesadillas...the huge ABV could probably stand up to spicy foods, strong cheeses, wings, and maybe even hot sauce. For 6 or 7 bucks this is at least worth checking out, especially if you're a Two Brothers fan. Worth buying, probably not worth trading for. #YOLO

Random Thought: One thing that always made me wonder was the line, "Til death do us part." I always thought this was a pretty cryptic line. Forever together...until death. I suppose at a certain point in marriage you might start counting your outs. I'm kidding! Have another drink. 

Green Flash Rayon Vert

Brewed By: Green Flash Brewing Co. in San Diego, California

Purchased: Single 12oz bottle from a 4-pack from Binny's in Illinois; 2012

Style/ABV: Belgian Pale Ale, 7.0%

Reported IBUs: 32

How do you make West Coast hops more exciting? Add wild yeast! About Green Flash:

Green Flash Brewing has only been around since 2002 and only puts out about 14,000 barrels annually, but they seem to be on the rise. Based out of San Diego, California, Green Flash Brewing Co. was founded by Mike and Lisa Hinkley in 2002 (in Vista, California). The company brews big beers, and focuses on premium styles and traditional styles with modern twists. The company describes their beer as "cutting edge." Since its inception, Green Flash has won a number of awards for their beers, and has already carved an impressive mark in the world of craft beer. For more info, check out their website HERE.

Likely inspired by Orval, Rayon Vert is a hoppy, Belgian Pale Ale, brewed with the wild yeast, Brettanomyces. You can read up on the Rayon Vert on Green Flash's beer page. The beer features bold hops, and is bottle conditioned with live Brett. This beer will continue to evolve/ferment in the bottle, and should pick up some nice funk as it ages. Clocking in at 7.0% ABV, and packing 32 IBUs, let's see how this stacks up.

Green Flash Rayon Vert

Unless you pour this beer at really cold temps, you are going to kick up a huge head. For those reasons, I recommend going with an oversized glass. I babied this beer, and gave it a super gentle pour...only to wind up with 5-fingers-plus of off-white head. In low light, the head takes on a yellowish color, and is built out of super airy, dense, cloudy foam. The body of the beer is a hazy orange color in low light. In bright light, this beer is a juicy orange color. The head remains off-white, with a slight orange/yellow tint. You can see peppery carbonation bubbles in this, but the body of this beer is murky as hell....which you would expect with a bottle conditioned Brett beer. Head retention is spectacular, and there is some epic lacing.

A beer is supposed to take you places, and the aroma on this beer does. I'm instantly reminded of the Bam Bière, or even Orval. This beer takes you to a grassy field, on a windy summer afternoon. I'm getting a ton of grass, leafs, floral hops, fresh light citrus (lemongrass, mandarin orange, coriander), and some pineapple. There is a hint of malts, and earthy, peppery spice on the nose. And I'm getting some really nice Brett: barnyard, horse blanket, funk, slight wood (but NOT like a barrel or sauna). The aroma is really fresh, lively, and bright.

The taste mimics the nose, but then piles on a layer of slightly sour and musty basement-funk Brett. I'm also picking up some clove in the taste, along with some soapy bitterness on the back end (from the hops? the Brett?). This is smooth, and rolls into a biscuit-grain backbone; you get funky Brett, barnyard, grass, pineapple, light citrus, and then the back end rolls into dry hops, light peppery spice, and fade to soapy bitterness. The finish is quite dry and musty.

This is very smooth, funky, and dry. The beer is supported by moderate carbonation. The moutfeel is medium-full to full, but the bright hops make this beer very drinkable at 7.0% ABV. You could easily drink a few of these in one session. Palate depth is good, and complexity is fairly high. What's impressive (and important to consider) is that this beer will continue to age and change down the road. This is going to taste much different fresh. Up front is smooth citrus that rolls into biscuit-grain; you then get funky and musty Brett, barnyard, grass, citrus; the back end starts bitter, teases with light peppery spice, and fades to soapy bitter. The back end is quite dry and features basement must/funk.

Rating: Divine Brew

This is a for realz a Light Divine Brew. Where to start? How about the price. A 4-pack of this is cheap (around 10-12 dollars). This is also readily available. This also "continuously evolves." This shit will change in the bottle, and develop a personality as the years fly by. How long can you age this for? It's hard to say...but my guess is this will be interesting in 2 years, and maybe even 5. Who knows, maybe go longer. The point is, like Orval, this is an impressive beer. The hops and the Brett work well together, and the beer features a nice marriage of Brett funk and bright hops. If you like your beers hoppy, drink this fresh. Food pairings: obviously, this would work with a myriad of strong cheeses. You could also pair this with gamey meats...anything that benefits from pepper, or grassy citrus. I bet this would also work with a variety of white fish, specifically fish that benefits from lemon and pepper. You could even go with lightly seasoned pork roast. It's  kind of in that Saison wheelhouse. 

Random Thought: I'd love to move to the West Coast someday. For the record, I want the 49ers to win the Super Bowl. I have nothing against the Ravens...in fact, if the Ravens win it, I won't be mad. That would be a hell of a story. I just love Kaepernick. The dude is fun to watch.

New Belgium 1554 Enlightened Black Ale

Brewed By: New Belgium Brewing Company in Fort Collins, Colorado

Purchased: Single bottle (12oz) from New Belgium's Spring Sampler from Jewel-Osco in Chicago, Illinois; 2012

Style/ABV: Belgian Specialty Ale, 5.6% 

So I was feeling the New Belgium vibe after drinking their Dig, which I reviewed the other day. I decided to pick up their Spring Sampler, which features their Dig, Ranger IPA, Fat Tire, and this 1554 Enlightened Black Ale. Before I break down the 1554:

New Belgium is based out of Fort Collins, and opened in 1991 when founder Jeff Lebesch took his home-brewing into the commercial world. For reference, New Belgium is the thrid-largest craft brewery in the United States. You can read more about New Belgium if you check out their website.

There is a lot of mystery around this 1554. This beer is brewed with Lager yeast, so technically it is a Lager. But it is based on an old Belgian recipe, and according to the BJCP guidelines, this beer is a Belgian Specialty Ale. If you go to New Belgium's 1554 page, you can get their interpretation of what this beer is supposed to be. The recipe for this beer is based off a centuries-old Belgian recipe. This is a dark beer with a moderate body and mouthfeel, and is brewed with lager yeast and dark chocolaty malts. In fact, this beer clocks in at 5.6% ABV and packs 21 IBUs. The only hops in this beer are Target hops, which have a pleasant English hop aroma, but are quite intense. The beer uses Pale, Carapils, Black, Munich, and Chocolate malts. These should impart some nice dark colors in the beer, and some nice dark malt flavors. Let's get this beer in a glass and see how it looks, smells, and tastes.

New Belgium 1554 Enlightened Black Ale

Thanks to my over-sized snifter, I gave this an uber aggressive pour. I worked up 3-fingers worth of tan/khaki, silky head. The head is silky, super thick, and root-beer-float-like. It is made out of small bubbles, looks creamy, is sustaining, and leaving lacing on my glass. The body of this beer looks to be black in low light, but in reality this is probably a very dark-brown beer. You cannot see through this beer, but head retention is good and there is some lacing.

Right up front on the aroma you get some woody notes, some chocolate, milk chocolate, and vanilla chocolate. I'm also pulling out a bit of nuttiness, and some very pleasant and mild English hop notes. There are hints of roast on the nose, and there are hints of smoke as well. The smoke is just smoke, it is not meaty at all. There is also a touch of sweet caramel.

The taste on this is smooth, full, and malty. I've worked my way through a number of Belgian Ales this past year, and I know all about big malty beer. This beer reminds me of the big Belgian Ales, but with a clean and light Lager profile. I'm tasting chocolate, toffee, vanilla, wood, a hint of smoke, caramel and molasses, roast, and some earthy and bright English hops. There are almost some manifestations of fruit in here, probably from the sweet caramel malt notes and the hops. The finish is slightly dry and woody, and you really want to take another sip.

This has a medium-medium to medium-heavy mouthfeel, but this is very smooth and well supported by the carbonation. Despite finishing slightly dry and roasty, this is sort of refreshing on the palate. At 5.6%, this drinks light. It's gotta be the Lager yeast. This has outrageous palate depth that extends deep from front to back, but this has low complexity. You get smooth roast and chocolate up front; this leads into more roast and chocolate, with some sweet malts and hints of hops and fruit; the back end is lingering hops, and that trails off into a roasted and dry finish. There is nice lacing on my glass, and the head is hanging around.

Rating: Above-Average

Score: 81%

 

This is a very pleasant beer. As far as Lagers go, I actually prefer this to say...Sam Adam's Chocolate Bock. By quite a bit, in fact. There are some very nice chocolate and roasted malt flavors in here, but they are supported by this really clean and light Lager body. I would possibly suggest drinking this beer with some barbequed food, or a cheeseburger. This is actually a wonderful transition beer from the huge Belgian Ales that dominate the winter months, to something lighter and more balanced for the Spring. All in all this is an enjoyable beer, and a great addition to New Belgium's Spring Sampler. 

Orval

Brewed By: Brasserie d'Orval in Florenville - Villers-d.-Orval, Belgium

Purchased: Single bottle (11.2 oz) from Binny's in Chicago, IL; 2011

Style/ABV: Belgian Ale, 6.9% (Variable ABV)

I dug out my bottle of Orval, and now have a newfound excitement to try this beer. From the bottle shape to the bottle logo...to the minor details. I hold in my possession a bottle of Orval that was bottled back in 04/22/2010. That makes this bottle over one year old. What that means to me, the perspective drinker, is that all the funk and yeast inside the bottle should be dynamite. My bottle also is clocking in at an ass-kicking 6.9% ABV. Orval is brewed with variable ABV which ranges from 5.2% ABV to 7.2% ABV.

The brewery website can be found here. The brewery, Brasserie d'Orval, is an authentic Trappist brewery located within the Abbaye Notre-Dame d'Orval in the Gaume region of Belgium. Throughout the history of Orval, there has always been a brewery within the monastery. The brewing of beer was customary, and beer was consumed for its nourishing properties; the nourishing beer brewed has been dubbed "liquid bread," and actually had the nourishment to sustain (unlike Guinness and the douche nozzle who inaccurately dubbed it liquid bread). Orval was first brewed in 1931, and is a bottle conditioned Belgian Ale. Like all authentic Trappist breweries, proceeds from the beer go to support the monastery, charities, and the community around the region. So drinking authentic Trappist beer is like doing the Lord's work....kinda.

Drinking beer, my charity.

So yes, I am on a mission from God today. I'm also on a mission to try a beer brewed with the yeast strain Brettanomyces. I did a whole write-up on Brettanomyces in my previous post, so check that out. Basically, "Brett" is a super funky yeast strain that is added to Orval after brewing before they bottle it up.

 

I opened up this beer expecting an explosion. Luckily I just heard a nice fizz, saw some smoke and bubbles leak out, and the beer didn't blow up. This is an amber-orange beer that is slightly murky with some sediment floating around in it. The head is an absolute wonder, it is foamy and thick as hell. There are about a million bubbles packed into the foamy head, and the beer is super effervescent and carbonated. I just want to drizzle my finger through the head, and then bathe in it.

I smell tons of floral notes, malt, and a barnyard-leather quality which I am assuming is the Brett. There are some medicinal aromas coming off this beer too. I also get a bit of lemon or orange peel/zest.

The taste is really intriguing, to say the least. The whole profile of the beer is sort of musty with a slightly pungent quality, as if it has been mulling over itself for a while. The front end is malty, band-aids and tart, you also get some carbonation as the bubbles from the head come along for the ride; the middle features a lot of complex fruit, floral and medicinal profiles, along with some more malt and alcohol warming; the back end is drying with some alcohol warming. The fruity notes include lemon and orange zest. There is a slight sour/tart component, possibly from the Brett, which yields that band-aid and leather quality. There are also some subtle notes like raisins and grapes. Any hops compliment the slight sourness, and there is a twang of bitterness here and there. This is super funky, is full-bodied, has large depth and is super complex. But it's still very drinkable. 

Rating: Divine Brew

Score: 95%

Look at that foamy head...!

Complex, full of depth, band-aids? This is super drinkable, at 6.9%. There is good carbonation, the head is sticking around for the duration: and it isn't just a wussy one-centimeter covering. There is about 1/4 or 1/8 inch of solid bubbles covering the beer as I work my way down.

A bottle of Orval will run you 4 or 5 dollars a pop. If you consider the complexity of this beer, the variability (which you come by via aging), and the durability of this beer, then this becomes one of the best bargains at that price range, especially for the style.

I don't have much else to say. I was hyped for this beer and the beer didn't let me down. Believe the hype. This is one of the most intriguing and unique Belgian Ales I have had. Aside from having an awesome appearance and an awesome profile, this beer also is reasonably priced, is brewed with a huge sense of history and tradition behind it, and embodies everything that I love about craft beer. The "Brett" is an oddly compelling quality that I suspect some will like and some will hate. There is only one way to find out where you stand: go grab a bottle and try it for yourself.