Sour Ales Will be the Next IPA: Brouwerij Bavik Petrus Aged Pale

Trying going to somebody's house for a football game an bringing a pack of sour ales. Although, I would greatly appreciate it most would seem like they would be in an awkward situation, and would be regretting not picking up a pack of Lagunita IPAs. Anyways my ventures brought be back to Ol Beer Cafe once again to try something classic, something you will always find, and back to something that well is never really appreciated.

Appearance: This drink poured not very opaque at all. Unlike some of Russian River's sour ales this poured out almost transparent, but not like a lager or anything. This drink resonates a very crisp, clear, amber apple juice. Being a sour ale the head retention wasn't GREAT like you would generate pouring an porter or IPA, but it was there. The lacing was decently sticky, and left a rim of it around the glass as I was sipping.

Aroma: The beer generated this yeast sour, and funky profile. All you can say is you are about to drink something sour, tart, and sweet.

Taste: First sip was incredible nothing short of "I want to drink more." You get a combination of very tart cherry, mixed in with some sour apples. Everything comes together to resemble a cherry lambic mixed in with sparkling apple cider. Drinking you will notice some slight acidity. Very light bodied brew, and you will get some oak champagne notes in the midst of all this.

Mouthfeel: Light-bodied, balanced carbonation, and slight acidity.

Overall: Not a complex beer as far as what touches the palette  but nonetheless it was consistent throughout from start to finish. A sour ale is something that can be overwhelming, and after having a few of Russian River's sour ales I would consider those overwhelming at time especially their sours that have been aged in some sort of wine barrels. Overall anybody who is new to beer will enjoy this, and it is something definitely good to have on your beer resume that isn't limited in anyway.

Brasserie Dieu du Ciel: Rosee Hibiscus

Today I saw a brewery that I always eye every time I lurk on the coolers at Ol Beer Cafe; Brewery Dieu du Ciel. What really catches me is their labels. Like other great things there is great beauty past the intended purposes they hold. Well they had a few beers, and I so happen to pick the one brewed with hibiscus flowers. Before I review this go an pick it up. Then go frolic in a field full of flowers while drinking, and don't forget to up your Claratin dose!

Appearance: Doesn't reviewing this get boring by now? Well it resonated this goldish brown amber color. Can you have all at once? The color can be similar to an oak, but not in the same context as whiskey. Lacing an head was boring, and basically a buzz kill.

Aroma: I am suffering allergies, so I'll skip this. I would never want to give biased results.

Taste: This is a very mellow, and light bodied beer. It isn't heavy in the mouth like some stouts, tripels, and/or IPAs can be. Taking the first sip you can really taste the hibiscus flowers, but it isn't overbearing or even funky. I know a lot of beers brewed with "something" sound cool, but produce funky flavors, but that isn't the case. After taking a few more sips some sweetness starts to appear along with tropical notes. I wouldn't say the tropical notes came from the hops, because this wasn't a hoppy beer (not even close to reminding me of an IPA). Within all the sweetness you get notes of the holiday type spices, and not the spicy. You will notice some nutmeg, brown sugar, cinnamon. After a few sips I noticed the finish was pretty sour for what it was worth (I was reminded of Russian River). If you know me well enough then you would know if I am reminded of Russian River then the beer is probably pretty good. What causes me to actually dislike beers is usually, because it has too much of something. In other words it isn't balanced or structured properly. I've had IPA's that don't feel like IPA's, stouts that remind me of water, and beers with an alcohol burn, and beers that remind me of vodka...This beer isn't one of them...

Mouthfeel: Swirling this in my mouth you get kind of that burning carbonation feel that coke gives off, but that adds the character. Mouth feel was pretty light bodied, and this would go perfect after a large meal.

Overall: Well structured, and well balanced. Stayed consistent throughout. Being an ale I would say this would be perfect for "not a fan of beer" person. Not to overwhelming for a person new to craft beers, but definitely a beer they could brag about from a brewery they probably can't even say. So if you are still in community college you can brag about having Brasserie Dieu Du Ciel brew, and hopefully someone know what you are talking about.

Thornbridge Halcyon Imperial IPA

Never had a beer from the U.K. so this would be the first, but it doesn't really matter where it is from so much nowadays anyway. Went to Ol for the first time in forever, and ended up getting this brew, which so happens to be in a very attractive bottle. Should have kept it!

Appearance: The appearance was pretty fogged out in my opinion, not as crystal clear as I expected first hand. Nothing about the appearance was displeasing. The beer had this nice little glowing golden amber look to it. The lacing was nice an sticky, and the head as well. The head didn't come off as the usual perfect top, but it lacked consistency as far as texture (I don't normally see that, so it was nice).

Aroma: I can't say much about this. It could have been my allergies at the time, but I could not smell much. I had a little wif of honey, but that was about it. In no way the aromas matched the taste profile.

Taste: Well I was kind of in for a shocker. My review on Stone's Enjoy By IPA is a review on the perfect IPA IMO, and this beer pretty much matched that flavor profile. Never ending tropical notes laced with honey an hops. This was obviously a less intense version (if you ever tried the Enjoy By Series you will take notice). The finish was sort of caramel like, and malty, nothing overbearing! Overall I felt it was a well structured beer. Extreme consistency in the taste from start to finish. No complaints!

Mouthfeel: Reminded me of Sierra Nevada Pale Ale except slightly less dense, and more refreshing in the mouth.

Overall: I loved the Stone Enjoy by IPA, and I love this one. This is how an IPA should be done. Looking forward to trying more beers from Thornbridge, because i definitely enjoyed this one. Price isn't bad either!

Stone Enjoy By...4/1/13

The first time I  bought a Stone Enjoy By beer  an acquaintance of mine took it, an never drank it before the date. This time around that didn't happen, and I was able to fully enjoy this. Before I even continue just get up an go get this beer, because hands down it is one the best IPAs I've had. Every IPA is an IPA, but IPAs vary across the board. I found out I like very smooth grassy IPA's that are crisp,  with subtle sweetness, fruit characteristics, and basically everything about this particular beer. Some IPAs like a Lagunitas IPA have a more bodied malts that show up, which isn't bad (it is just preference).


Appearance: glowing golden amber, lacy white head

Aroma: This brew was filled with grapefruit, tropical notes, citrus, honey was pretty prominent. The hops were sweetly sensational. The hops in this brew are pretty in your face!

Mouthfeel: medium bodied, and decently carbonated (which is nice in an IPA).

Taste: Perfect interlacing of malts, and hops. The hops showed up very well, which took over the maltiness in the most perfect manner (IMO I wish every IPA had this ratio of hops to malt). This beer has some beautiful tropical notes, grapefruit notes, citrus, and honey. Everything you get in the aroma you will taste on your palette.

Overall: Get it while you can! I can't say much more!

Someday Sour Ales/Lambics Will Make a Comeback!

When people think beer the first few characteristics that come to mind is something bitter, watery, and/or awkward. To my knowledge most individuals are brainwashed to think beers are either Budweiser or an IPA. Sour ales IMO are a long forgotten beer, and they have been on my favorites for a while (I somewhat moved on from stouts/porters). Anyways, I was at Bevmo the other day I wanted an ale brewed with fruit that had some tart notes for my pleasure. Bought this...Liefman Cuvee Brut Cherry. 

I drank this pretty fast, and didn't do my usual sit down study on this beer. Anyways this beer was close to excellent. Everything about it was balanced; cherry notes were not overwhelming, carbonation was balanced, mouthfeel was perfect, and the finish left you wanting more! If all you drink are IPAs then you are missing out! Dig deep on those Bevmo shelves! 

If you happen to be into craft beer; I would suggest to drink this beer. Drink it, and add it to your resume. 

Last but not least...: Stone Vertical Epic 12/12/12

Sad truth is I had this beer months later after all the hype (if there was any in the Bay Area). Definitely a very unique beer whose story came to end with this particular brew (if you buy the bottle read it and you will understand). Anyways this beer is limited so get it while you still can. If you are the Bay Area check out your local BevMo's. Best enjoyed by a fire on a cold night, but you can do what I did, and just watch season one of Community that works too.

Appearance: Well you wouldn't expect a dark black ale pouring, but that is exactly what poured. After the pour a weak, but delicious mocha colored head was produced. 

Aroma: When this bottle says it was produced with spices it was not lying. I got all sorts of cinnamon, vanilla spice, and layers chai beneath it all. There were probably other aromas present that I cannot label personally at the moment. Great smell, and probably one of the best smelling beers I have had in a lifetime. 

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied, not to overwhelming an thick on the pallet. Some light froth as well. Very balanced.

Taste: This is a dark ale, not a stout or porter or an IPA. In all honesty I feel this is in a class of its own. The closest beers that resemble this brew are those disgusting pumpkin beers that come out during fall, but this is so much better. Like the smell the taste produces various spices, with slight malty undertones. I felt this was a dry beer. All the spices had a strong presence, so I didn't really sense hops or malts. Like I said I felt this beer was in a class of its own. The taste should definitely be enjoyed next to a fire on a cold night. 

Overall: Very unique beer IMO. This beer has spice on spice on spice. Not a pairing expert, but I would love to have this beer with a nice dessert (as in almost anything except cake an ice cream). Stop reading, and go find this beer while you can. You may not like it, but it is an experience.

Review: Mikkeller Milk Stout

If you happen to be staring at this beer right now please don't hesitate to buy it. Mikkeller is a pretty big name, but at the same time it really isn't talked too much about like Dogfish Head. I've had probably around 3 beers or so by Mikkeller, each an every brew came correct.

Appearance: This brew had a very thick luscious light chai colored head, which is normal for a stout. The head was well over an inch (good stuff), and retained pretty long. The head smothers the glass, and retains a lot of stickiness (something I stared at for a while). Very dense black beer. No light penetrates. I'm really in love with this. 

Aroma: First impression is a dark chocolate bar high in cocoa. Slight sweet berry but very subtle. Some creamy sensations. 

Mouthfeel: The milk stout definitely had a unique mouthfeel. It had this very milky frothy feeling to it. It did remind me of milk but not in a bad way. Reminded of champagne qualities. The mouthfeel was definitely experimental compared to most beers that I have had. 

Taste: The taste leaves you with maltiness on your tongue. The beginning has a start of a very mild trappist styled beer (single). This mild robust flavor profile with malt, coffee, and dark cocoa. This stout was balanced. You dont get overwhelmed. There aren't really hops present. This stout is perfect. The finish is nice. There are lingering flavors of coffee,  and robust malty undertones. The strength of a stout kicks in the finish. So it is balanced, but towards the end you will get a good kick of flavor. Milk is just a name, so don't be intimidated by it.

Overall: This beer woke up my senses. Very smooth stout I would say. One of my favorites in a long time. I would recommend this one to anyone. I haven't felt this excited drinking a beer (excluding Russian Rivers) since the Brouwerij De Musketeers Troubadour (maybe a few other ones). 

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Grocery Store Beer: Deschutes Hophenge IPA

So usually I always review beers that are out of most individuals way (somewhat). I decided to pick one out of your average grocery store. What's better than reviewing a great beer, a beer you can almost pick up anywhere without visiting any sort of bottle shop.

First thoughts on this beer was that it would be interesting. The label is very down to earth, and friendly...if that makes sense? Deschutes is like Lagunitas, which is like Dogfish, but neither can be Dogfish. This is probably my second Deschutes in a lifetime. My first being their Black Butte Porter, which is ridiculously one of the best porters that I can remember trying. Anyways...

Aroma: This brew has your typical hoppy aromas. I get the usual grapefruit, but underneath that is a lacing of some lemon which was nice. The grapefruit aroma wasn't so much bitter as it was smooth.

Appearance: I'm use to seeing some pretty transparent IPAs, but this wasn't so much transparent, and crystal clear. This brew had the normal amber gold color, but slightly darker look to it. The head was this white latte like foam, and looked beautiful...Didn't last too long though...

Mouthfeel: Had the consistency of a soda a day later after it has been opened (all about preference).

Taste: Like the smell it gave my pallet a taste of grapefruit, a cut of lemon, and of course some array of over ripened tropical fruit. What killed me the most is that the 10% alcohol presence revealed itself. When tasting the finish you will not forget the presence of alcohol. On another note this felt like an IPA throughout the entire lifetime of the flavor, because there wasn't much malt presence. I would have like to seen a slight malt presence. Like I said the presence of the alcohol makes the drink fall apart, but hey some people wouldn't mind.

Overall:Overall: Not a bad ipa, but not too impressed. Alcohol dominance killed it. Other people would argue that this a great beer. If your not studying your beer than most of this wouldn't even come to mind. All in all definitely an interesting beer. I've probably mentioned this before, but if you run into Green Flash's IPA try it. If you want a more maltier IPA then go for Lagunita's IPA.

What I'm Looking At: Brasserie Cantillon Fou' Foune

The other day I visited a restaurant in San Jose, and one of the employees shared that same interest in sour ales as I do. If you walk into a local grocery store you might not even find a sour ale, because one they are too expensive most of the time, and two they aren't popular. Enough side tracking the employee gave me a sample of Fou' Foune by Brasserie Cantillon. All I can say it was great, and wished that I had a bottle so I could review it. So this bottle is on my list, and hopefully I can review it sometime soon. A sample opened my senses wide open, so it is no wonder why Beer Advocate gave it a 100/100.

*It isn't considered a sour ale rather a lambic.

http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/388/5281

Review: Knee Deep Brewing Hoptologist IPA

First thoughts on this was that I was going to get that awkward bitter IPA taste that I kept running into when I first got into crafts. Never had anything from Knee Deep Brewing until today.

Appearance: In my opinion this beer produced a weak head that fell down way to quickly, although it was slightly sticky. The head was this thin champagne like foam that was essential white, and nothing short of it. The color was an amber mixed with this burst of red (could have been the lighting who knows?) I was slightly turned on by the clarity of this beer. The liquid was 100% transparent, and free from anything that shouldn't be there. I mean it was CLEAR.

Aroma: Grapefruit, grapefruit, grapefruit, and that is it. You can't really miss it.

Mouthfeel: Head reminded me of foamed milk from a latte. This beer felt water like, and was smooth as far as texture. Nothing special.

Taste: Well grapefruit. If you ever have smelled hops by itself this is exactly what you will smell. Every now an then you will taste this cut of honey that adds some sweetness. The finish was nice. The hoppiness lingers in your mouth for a while. Always appreciate a lasting finish.

Overall: This review is short, because I really wasn't intrigued by anything about this beer. My reviews usually end with either "get it" or "don't get it." Don't get it. This was a very bland beer. I wasn't at all impressed with the characteristics of the hops in this beer. I will admit a beer with 102 IBU, the malts an hops came together well. This was well brewed, but it was missing complexity in every category. I would much rather tell you to go buy  Green Flash Brewery's IPA.

Short Review: Dogfish Head 120 Minute

What makes a beer more enjoying is when you don't feel the need to review it while you are out. Still enjoying analyzing liquid in a cup though. Anyways Dogfish Head is a brewery everybody has heard about. If you are drinking any beer as a matter of fact you should know this name. It is still a good micro brewery despite that popularity. Just because something becomes goes big doesn't mean it becomes made (correlation not causation).

In case you didn't know 120 minute is a triple IPA. Like the other minute IPAs 120 is roughly the IBU amount. IBUs stands for international bitterness units. Some bottles of beer have this number, and some don't. As another beerhead told me at work "anything past 70 you are getting into some bitter stuff."120 also stands for the amount of time the hops were boiled...120 minutes.


Appearance: The appearance came off as almost any other IPA a vibrant goldish color. I always like to refer it to apple juice, but with a very crisp fog to cut the ambient light. At some point describing color of an IPA can be repetitive. This beer was definitely carbonated. Bubbles were rising for quite a while, and took a few minutes to end. Like the beer I had a while ago (Russian River Rejection) this is nowhere near as carbonated, but nonetheless it was carbonated more than your average beer which is clearly seen. Lacing was pretty sloppy in my opinion, but what I loved was that fact that it was so sticky. Even when the glass was done you could just see the lacing stuck to the glass, which was attractive in a non-weird way.

Aroma: I was outside, and by the time I started smelling this I couldn't get a hold of the aromas. I can say that the first impressions reminded me of overly ripe tropical fruits bunched together.

Mouthfeel: I haven't had IPAs in forever. The mouth feel was actually amazing. The feel wasn't a thick stout or porter, but it wasn't water either. The carbonation kind of distracts you from the true feeling of the beer.

Taste: Like I said I was outside enjoying myself so I didn't spend too much time. I thought the taste was very complex. I am pretty big on transitions between flavors from start to finish, and this beer does a good job transitioning. The first sip you feel a heavy touch of hops, then it transitions to this maltiness, and that maltiness blends out an blends in to this hoppy flavor again. As I described it in scratch, "a very safe collision."This is a triple IPA, so the feel of the beer isn't suited for everyone.

Overall: If you don't already know me then you know IPAs are not my choice of beers most of the time. All bias aside this was a great triple IPA. My friend wants this beer all the time, and that is coming  from someone who just broke pass that whole "beer is disgusting" phase. Dogfish Head delivers no doubt with this. The transition between maltiness and hops definitely tells you the malts an hops were balanced. I am a little sad I wasn't in doors so I could have been more specific with a lot of this. I am a sucker for lacing, and the lacing residue left after drinking this was beautiful. Last but not least the ABV was around 15-20%, and you don't even get a hint of alcohol on your palette, which is a good thing!


Note: You won't find this anywhere at anytime. If you see it, get it, and drink it.

Review: Dogfish Head Palo Santo Marron

Appearance: I would say black almost, and it came with this nice mocha brown lacing. Forgot to pay attention to head of the beer, but I can tell you the lacing wasn't all to sticky against the glass.

Aroma: No intense smells worth pointing out. I'll leave it at this...it had very malty smells.

Taste: The beginning is not so carbonated as the end. Like the label says this is a malt beverage, don't expect hops. You are going to get that sweet, and sugar feel with this beer. Since I am rewriting this, I'll tell you the flavors of dry figs popped up in this. It wasn't till recently I had a few dry figs, and I was reminded of beer. I always knew people used dry figs as a flavor profile phrase, but since I didn't know how dry figs tasted like I never used it until now. Enough rambling. So anyways you will also pick up wood and vanilla notes.

Mouthfeel: Very ale like, I was expecting something slightly slightly thicker. This is a little denser than water. Towards the end I felt the carbonation kick in.

Overall: Dogfish Head is a pretty big name nowadays, and they come correct every time even with their odd flavors (Sah Tea?). The structure from beginning to the end was flawless, because the 10% abv didn't show itself. Definitely recommended, but don't limit yourself.

Review: Stone/Still Waters/Evil Twin: The Perfect Crime

Appearance: Straight black (well almost). After the pour there was an inch worth of  95% white head, but it lasted for only so long.

Aroma: First thing I picked up is the smell of carbonation (is that possible?) and mild spices. In this beer particular I felt the aroma was kind of weak, and I spent too much time trying to figure this aspect out.

Mouthfeel: The first touch to my lips I felt a slight froth. After that the mouthfeel turned into a silky soda.

Taste: Very nice subtle carbonation. The taste is there, but nothing bold stands out. There is some dark chocolate, very minimum hops, and slight grapefruit blends itself in towards the finish.

Overall: When the word "collaboration" comes to mind you would think of something epically great. That wasn't the case, but nonetheless this was more than well crafted. This bottle is perfect for somebody who doesn't want a beer that is overly rich, and/or hoppy (then again I would just recommend a saison in general for that preference). I disliked the weak aromas, and that is something I want in a good beer. I really thought this beer had more to offer. In my opinion this bottle would be awesome in a 6 pack that would be perfect for those get togethers where you just eat drink, and wait till somebody sober drives you home. Forget the 30pk Budlight just buy 30 of these if you are that kind of drinker.

Review: Stone Cali- Belgique IPA

Haven't had IPA's in a bit, because I feel that they are overrated, but nonetheless I'll have one every now an then.

ABV: 6.9%

Appearance: I'm a sucker for lacing, and this brew left a sloppy white wall of this white (not really dense, and thick) foam over the glass, which dispersed into somewhat round specs. The overall color resembled a foggy apple juice.

Aroma: As far as smells you would get this grassy (some would like to use the word "floral") type smell right away. Sometimes I can give you a specific fruit, etc. but all I can really say is that some citrus notes pop up. I guess I should be eating more fruits, and be drinking less beer in order to be more specific more often. I was reminded off apples as well after digging around. 

Mouthfeel: Mouthfeel was perfect. I don't like to associate an IPA with thickness like stouts or porters. Having plenty of plain ole Sierra Nevadas the density was a bit lower than a Sierra Nevada.

Taste: I smelled apples somewhere in the aroma, but that aroma isn't picked up in the taste IMO. First sip I got a bitter orange zest, and later this sweet, grassy/floral flavor blended right it in. In the beginning you will experience the hops, which later collides with the  sugary sweetness of the malts. This beer got a very good rating, but I felt like the maltiness slightly overpowered the hops, but that could be just a bias from my own pallet. I really wanted to feel the hops bitterness a little more, but not to the point where it would be considered a double IPA. A lot of other reviews felt like this had a dominant floral taste to it. IMO I feel like the Green Flash West Coast IPA had that quality a lot more.

Overall: As usual Stone puts out solid brews. I will say this didn't stand out to me as well as a I thought, but that is a bias opinion of course. Everything from the balance of the hops, and malts was executed pretty good. The hops produced a good head, and left a very nice lacing throughout the drinking. The beer had a 6.9% ABV so the alcohol won't show up in the beginning, middle, or end. This beer is definitely more interesting than a Sierra Nevada. There are plenty of good beers out there, and this one of them

Review: Troubadour Blond Ale by Brouwerij de Musketiers

ABV: 6.5%

Appearance: The color resembles apple cider. Being a blonde ale it is opaque with some fog. The lacing is beautiful, because it reminds of the ash forming on a cigar. Head didn't last for all too long.

Aroma: I get a slight aroma of slightly spoiled peaches, and apricots as well. To me apricot is a dominant aroma in this.

Mouthfeel: The mouthfeel reminds me of sprite,  and I have no specific reason why that comes to mind. This beer has a very refreshing mouthfeel.

Taste: Like the aroma apricot is a dominant flavor. Right after the fruitiness, and apricots you can feel the hops kick in very nicely.

Overall: This beer is very refreshing. The combination of the malts and hops collided well. Something about experiencing hops, and apricot flavors is an amazing feeling. The finish is slightly long. The lacing of this beer is downright awesome (reminds me of the ashes of a cigar). I am always picky about aroma, which like most other beers that I've had is hard to pick up or my nose is terrible. I would definitely recommend this beer to anyone who thinks negatively about beer thinking they are always bitter an disgusting. This is definitely a great beer, and will give you a decent experience.

I'm not a fan of giving number ratings to beers, because everybody has their preference so I feel it is only fair to express non biased views. I will tell you if a beer is horrible, and to stay away from it.