Duvel Belgian Golden Ale
Brewery: Brouwerij Duvel Moortgat NV
Where: Belgium
Style: Belgian Strong Pale Ale
IBU: N/A
ABV: 8.5%
I guess it's about time to have another look at a nice Belgian Ale... This choice was inspired by a photo I saw from a friend on Facebook the other day of a 6-liter bottle of this ale! I didn't realize from the photo that the bottle was quite that large because it was sitting beside a couple 3-liter bottles of Chimay Blue...
But anyway... Here's another fine example of a Belgian Strong Ale. This beer pours with the classic blonde color and the thick foamy head from the higher levels of carbonation present in this drink. This beer also has a slightly higher presence of hops than most Belgians I am used to, but it remains within the prescribed limits and also provides a very crisp drink with the awesome fruity notes that are common from the yeast strains used to produce these beers. At 8.5% alcohol by volume, this beer falls slightly on the lower side of the style, but it has a phenomenal flavor. I highly recommend adding this beer to your Belgian tasting regimen if you haven't already!
Cherry Apple Cider
I don't have a photo to post today along with this experiment, so we'll just have to ignore that. I stumbled across some Hazel Creek Orchards Cherry Cider at a local grocery store the other day. I decided right away that I needed to make another batch of cider incorporating this discovery. I mixed one gallon of cherry cider with a gallon of all natural apple juice and added one pound of corn sugar to get a starting gravity of 1.070. I pitched a package of Nottingham yeast to the mix and put it away. This will ferment for 8 to 10 weeks and then I'll pop it open and decide what to do with it. I might just bottle it right out of the fermenter without adding any back-sweetening to it and let it sit until next Christmas before having a drink of it. We'll see what happens...
Until next time...
Rogue Captain Sig’s Northwestern Ale
Brewery: Rogue Ales
Where: Newport, Oregon
Style: American Amber / Red Ale
IBU: 80
ABV: 6.2%
Once again, slipping back to my old stand-by of some of the greatest beers in the world... Rogue Ales! Today's sampling from one of my top favorite breweries is Rogue's Captain Sig's Northwestern Ale. This is an American Amber that obviously pours with a rich red hue and nice foamy head as shown by my photo. The beer has an immediate floral hop nose created by Rogue's combination of Amarillo and Cascade hops in this brew. The color and lovely malt backbone of this ale is a result of the combination of 2-row, Munich, Carastan, and Chocolate malts in the grain bill. At 80 IBU, this beer obviously has a significant hop presence, but it's very nicely balanced with the rich sweetness of the darker malts. This beer has a medium body (just slightly to the ligher side) and is easily drinkable. As far as the style is concerned, this beer is definitely over the edge on the hop scale, but don't let that stop you from giving it a try! There is absolutely nothing wrong with bending the style rules when making a great beer such as this one.
Cheers until next time...
He’Brew Jewbelation Twelve
Brewery: Shmaltz Brewing Company
Where: Saratoga Springs, NY
Style: American Brown Ale
IBU: N/A
ABV: 12.0%
Here's a beer that I have been sitting on for quite a while. Beers of this nature tend to be most excellent when aged for an extended time, so I have had this bottle tucked away on the shelf for 10 or 11 months now. The American Brown Ale classificaiton given to this beer by beeradvocate.com might not be quite on the mark. Packaged as a 12th Anniversary Ale, this beer is brewed with 12 malts and 12 hops, which is quite a recipe in my opinion. As I poured it into the glass, my first impression was a stout or porter with the rich dark color and the chocolate-like creamy head that was produced. The aroma has a characteristic roastiness to it as does the flavor. At 12% alcohol, this is yet another beer that should be pulled from the fridge about 30 minutes before you are ready to drink.
As for the aging I mentioned, I believe that process allows the malt complexity of a beer to really shine through, and it has done just that in this beer. This is the exact kind of beer I like to sip through on a cold and windy day, which is what I'm planning to do with this one as it sits on the desk in front of me :)
I'm still unable to locate a bottle of the Coney Island Albino Python. That is the only remaining beer I have to sample from the Coney Island line of craft brews from Shmaltz. If any of my reader friends can locate a bottle of this for me, I'd be greatly in debt!
Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale
Brewery: Sierra Nevada Brewing Company
Where: Chico, CA
Style: American IPA
IBU: 65
ABV: 6.8%
Thanksgiving Day... I nice day to take a ride with Sierra Nevada's Celebration Fresh Hop Ale... I picked up a big 24-oz bomber of this brew in a local grocery store cooler the other day and decided to chill it for today's tasting run. Speaking of... I have too much beer sitting around here. I have 65 different bottles of beer that need to be sampled and logged in this blog. I have been through a spell of buying beer when I see it and not drinking any of it, so I hope to have a daily tasting for the next two months or so in order to clear the shelves. I have quite a few really nice beers along with some more run-of-the-mill samples to work through...
This Celebration Ale is a nice big fat American IPA that just bowled me over with hop aroma when I poured from the bottle. The hops in this recipe include Chinook for bittering and the lovely combination of Cascade and Centennial for flavor and aroma. This hop trilogy is a true staple of the American ales, especially those from the west coast. The grain bill consists of "two-row pale and English caramel" malts which is also a rather standard 'generic' bill for a pale ale or india pale ale, but Sierra Nevada's combination comes together for a brew that has an excellent body, flavor, aroma, and all-around 'welcome to winter' experience. From the website:
The long, cold nights of winter are a little brighter
with Celebration® Ale. Wonderfully robust and rich, Celebration® Ale
is dry-hopped for a lively, intense aroma. Brewed especially for
the holidays, it is perfect for a festive gathering or for a quiet
evening at home.
Sierra Nevada, like a few of my other favorite breweries, seems to have a difficult time making a beer that I don't like. Give this one a whirl... Cya tomorrow!
Natty Greene’s Guilford Golden Ale
Brewery: Natty Greene's Brewing Co.
Where: Greensboro, North Carolina
Beer: Guilford Golden Ale
Style: American Blonde Ale
IBU:N/A
ABV: 3.8%
Here's another excellent example of a good American Blonde Ale. This is my first sampling of anything from Natty Greene's Brewing Company on this blog, but I think this is an excellent starter. I love blonde ales, and this one is no exception. This beer poured with a light golden color and a reasonably foamy head. The beer has a slightly richer body than most of the blondes I have tried, which may result from the use of Maris Otter pale malt in the recipe. Breaking from the tradition of most American Blonde Ales, this beer is made with East Kent Goldings hops instead of the standard fare of Cascade or Centennial hops that many would expect of this style. At 3.8% ABV, it also fits the "lawnmower beer" category quite nicely. You can sip on this stuff all day long without becoming incapacitated in the least :) My only disappointment is that their website doesn't go into any detail about their beers. Maybe in the future...
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