Beer Log: June 17-30, 2012

Beer Log: June 17 - 30

June 17: Today’s Beer: Ommegang’s: Chocolate Indulgence: Belgian-Style Chocolate Stout: Ommegang is one of my favorite specialty brewers. It was founded in Cooperstown, New York by Duvel as in independent brewery dedicated to making Belgian beers in America. Since Cooperstown was the center of the upstate New York hop industry for much of the 19^th Century, it seems a good fit. I have tried a number of their offerings, but it was before I began reflecting on the beers I drink, so this is the first one for me to describe. It also is a bit vintage; it was produced for the brewery’s 10^th anniversary in 2007, and I’ve had it since then, so it is about 5 years old. It was in the refrigerator most of that time. The cork was slightly cracked toward the bottom, but was otherwise intact and there was the typical release of pressure. The beer poured thick and dark, almost like heavy black molasses. No hint of light makes it through the glass. Limited head, but it was thick and deep tan with a distinctly bitter chocolate aroma – not surprising since it was brewed with Belgian chocolate (cocoa powder) to compliment the chocolate malts. There is also a nice bitter chocolate flavor, but it still is a bit subtle – more so than say Rogue’s Chocolate Stout. The malts are nicely roasted, but are very mellow rather than pushing the almost burnt flavor that accompanies many of the darker stouts. It also has the nice slight sourness that stouts generally have to offset the bitterness of the deeply roasted malt. At 7% ABV, it is less powerful than many of Ommegang’s other brews. While it is bottle conditioned, there isn’t the yeast flavor (or perhaps the roasted malt and chocolate overwhelm it) that accompanies most Belgian beers.

June 21: Today’s Beer: Green Flash Brewing’s: Le Freak Ale: Claims to blend the Belgian Trippel style with an American Imperial IPA. Dry hopped. This is a bottle conditioned beer and you can smell the hint of yeast in the foam. Very thick head. Yeasty, floral, citrus taste to start. Then there is an overall citrus flavor that arches over the palate with a mild banana hint and finishes with a peppery bitterness. Complex and layered. Clear, bright, honey color. Very inviting fruity scent.

June 25: Today’s Beer: Full Sail’s: Phil’s Existential Alt: Another Special Edition 22 oz. brewed by Phil Roche as part of their Brewer’s Share Initial Pub Offering series. Copper/amber color, with a nice deep, smooth, sweet maltiness. The beer is brewed with Noble hops which are frequently used in German lagers. It is a very mild and floral hop and is more than willing to share the stage with the malts. The flavor starts out with a mild sourness that recedes into a pleasant sweetness and finishes with a floral flourish. Very subtle and unassuming, but also layered and inviting.

June 27: Today’s Beer: Unibroue’s: Trois Pistoles (Dark Ale on Lees): The pour, as with many of the Belgian style offerings and bottle conditioned beers, ends with a very thick head. This one has a deep, rich brown color that lets through very little light. It has a wonderful, fruity, sweet scent that also has a floral character. Very full bodied flavor that emphasized the malts. There is a subtle sweetness that is offset by a slight peppery flavor. It finishes with a lightly toasty flavor with a bit of yeastiness. Not as much of the banana flavor as many done in the Belgian styles, but definitely it has the fruitiness. It is strong at 9% ABV. But, limited alcohol flavor.

June 28: Today’s Beer: Unibroue’s: La Fin Du Monde: Triple (Golden Ale on Lees): Since I’d just tried one from Unibroue last night, I thought I’d try another. This one is bright golden and very fizzy. As with other of their beers, this one sports a nice fruity aroma and flavor, but tilted more toward citrus than the almost date or raison character of the Trois Pistoles. It starts with a high fizzy bright flavor that is reminiscent of a chardonnay. The alcohol comes through more prominently than in their other beers. The finish is a bit astringent, almost metallic. It is tasty, but so far, the least interesting of the Unibroue offerings.

 

June 30: Today’s Beer: Unibrou’s: Maudite (“Damned”; Amber Red Ale on Lees): The last of my Unibroue sampler. This one has a similar fizziness and thick head as the others. It has a dark honey-amber color, but not quite brown. While still bottle conditioned, it doesn’t have quite the yeast flavor of the others – it is still present, but much more subdued. The malty sweetness is nice and deep, tilting toward the burnt sugar side of the scale – not quite smoky or burnt, but mildly toasted sweetness. There is also a pleasant spice note, perhaps something like cinnamon, but definitely some sort of winter spice. This is probably my favorite so far (though, perhaps the Trois Pistoles, hard to decide). Solid beer at 8% ABV. Very complex and tasty.