Fuller’s ESB
Brewery: Fuller, Smith & Turner PLC
Where: England
Beer: Fuller's ESB
Style: Extra Special / Strong Bitter
IBU: N/A
ABV: 5.9%
Fuller's ESB is an excellent example of the Extra Special / Strong Bitter style of beer. I still, as mentioned previously, don't really understand the nature of the "Bitter" reference in the style of this excellent beer. Fuller's ESB has an excellent malt character with an ample hop background, but, in my humble opinion this beer's character comes from pale ale and crystal malts that provide a very crisp and nutty flavor with a quick and somewhat dry finish. The light to medium body of this beer definitely suits my afternoon that has reached 97° on the thermometer outside...
On a homebrewer's note, I love these bottles. A short soak in warm water removes the labels quickly and completely!
Anchor Steam
Brewery: Anchor Brewing Company
Where: San Francisco, CA
Beer: Anchor Steam Beer
Style: California Common / Steam Beer
IBU: N/A
ABV: 4.9%
Today's tasting sample is another from Anchor Brewing in San Francisco. Anchor Steam is a staple of their line-up and a definite favorite of fans. This beer is a lager that is actually fermented at higher-than-average temperatures for a lager, and the brewing method of this style dates back into the late 1800's in California when refrigeration was not so common. Anchor Steam was first brewed in 1896, so it has a healthy track record for sure. This beer has a nice malt backbone with a noticeable hop presence on the tongue and the nose. The rich golden color and the foamy head accompany the excellent flavor of this drink. This choice is an excellent summertime quaff and with the temperature here in the mid 90's this afternoon, I'm certainly enjoying this one...
Victory Golden Monkey
Brewery: Victory Brewing Company
Where: Downington, Pennsylvania
Beer: Golden Monkey Tripel
Style: Tripel
IBU: N/A
ABV: 9.5%
Today's sampling is from Victory Brewing Company. The Golden Monkey Belgian-Style Triple is a very smooth and light colored ale with a clean and crisp flavor. At 9.5% ABV, this beer definitely packs a punch as do all Belgian Tripels. It's also quite sneaky, because at even cooler temperatures, you don't notice the alcohol. The flavor and aroma of this beer are primarily products of the proprietary yeasts used to make it, but it has wonderful fruity notes in both aspects. From the website:
Strong and sensual, this golden, Belgian-style ale glows. The richness of German malts and Belgian yeasts are tempered by a sparkling approach and overall light body. Abundant herbal, fruity notes make this one to savor.
I apologize for the photo of this beer. I over exposed it as I'm testing a new camera. I'll do better next time :)
Unibroue Trois Pistoles
Brewery: Unibroue
Where: Quebec, Canada
Beer: Trois Pistoles
Style: Belgian Strong Dark Ale
IBU: 15.5
ABV: 9.0%
This is the fourth of four reviews I have written on Unibroue's big guns. Their four big big beers have each met my taste expectations with flying colors. The Trois Pistoles is a good example of a belgian strong dark ale. With a very malty base and low IBU, this beer is quite sweet to the taste with notes of chocolate and roasted malts without bridging into the category of stouts and porters. The body falls into the medium category. At 9%, it's another beer that you should be wary of as you drink. It will sneak up on you rather quickly. This beer would be an excellent after dinner drink, possibly even as an accompaniment to a nice dessert... cheesecake comes to mind for me!
I was at Gail's Hops and Grapes on Saturday and picked up another four-pack sampler from Unibroue that features four of their not-so-big beers that we'll take a look at in the near future. For what it's worth, I also acquired a bomber of Stone's Russian Imperial Stout! We'll get to that one when the time is right!
Cheers...
Moylan’s Kilt Lifter
Brewery: Moylan's Brewing Company
Where: Novato, California
Beer: Kilt Lifter Scotch-Style Ale
Style: Scotch Ale / Wee Heavy
IBU: 25
ABV: 8.0%
I grabbed a bomber of Moylan's Kilt Lifter at Gail's Hops and Grapes a while back and it has been sitting on my shelf waiting for me for several months now. I tossed it in the fridge a few days ago to give it a nice chill and then popped the cap on it this evening for a taste.
I like the scotch ale style of beer. This beer fits perfectly into my desire to drink beers that are heavy on the malts. With a grain bill that includes American 2-row, Crystal 80 and 120, Vienna, Munich, Special B, and acidulated malts, this brew goes to work immediately on the taste buds with its rich sweetness and earthy characteristics provided by the East Kent Goldings hops. At 8% ABV, this is another beer that will sneak up on you if you aren't careful. Maybe the name "Kilt Lifter" is a bit appropriate!
From the website:
The ORIGINAL KILT LIFTER SCOTCH ALE is robust and strapping, brewed with both balls, taking BIG beers to a whole new level. Rich malt balances perfectly with delicate hops to provide a concentrated and intense flavor; an ideal companion for hearty foods or as a meal unto itself. Sharing is encouraged, as this is one ale that lives up to it's name... (and don't be fooled by others bearing the same name!!!)
Give this one a try... you won't be disappointed...
Olde Hickory Brewery Pro-Am
During the time I have been making beer, I have never entered a competition. I have never had the motivation to package up bottles of beer and ship them off somewhere for judging. This year, however, our local brewery sponsored a Pro-Am and all we had to do was drop our entries off. I figured I'd give it a try.
As a homebrewer, I have never paid particular interest to strictly following style guidelines note for note. In a competition, this is important. Beers are judged on how well they meet the definitions of the chosen styles. When I heard about this competition, I decided I would give it a try. I had nothing to lose and I thought some professional feedback on my beers would be useful. I entered four beers: an american amber ale, an imperial IPA, a blonde ale, and an imperial stout. When judgment day arrived, two of my four entries won awards. My blonde ale received a gold and the imperial stout a bronze. The blonde ale scored 41.7 points out of a possible 50 and the imperial stout earned 42.3. My imperial IPA and amber ale didn't score nearly as well, but the feedback I got from both of them will help me improve the recipes for next time.
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