Monday, April 18, 2011

Marrón Acidifié by The Bruery

Marrón Acidifié. Sour/Wild Ale. The Bruery. Placentia, California.

Spring 2011.

My review on RateBeer:

3.7 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 16/20
AHTOH (63) - San Diego, California, USA - APR 18, 2011

750 mL. General release: April 2011. Poured into Bruery tulip.

APPEARANCE: Pours deep amber with hues of copper, burnt orange, and milk chocolate. Opaque. Head is almost 1 finger, Baileys Irish Cream colored, has relatively large bubbles, and has fairly short retention duration. Head settles relatively quickly and leaves some foam around the edge of the glass as well as patches of thin film on surface that have quite a bit of sediment pieces.

AROMA: Oud bruin, tart cherry, wine barrel, milk chocolate, some dark chocolate as well (though this is more subtle), and cranberry. Able to discern a faint leather aroma, though unsure I would if never expected it. Roasty malts are only gently roasted and are pleasant when complimented by the chocolate malt. Faint oak. Strong swirl brings out an extremely faint hint of smokey character.

TASTE: Quite sour. Oud bruin. Tart cherry and some cranberry throughout. Mid palate has faint hint of leather taste. Back of palate has pleasant amount of subtle chocolate and more tart cherry. Finish is more tart red stone fruit. The woody tannins are discernible on back of palate and finish.

MOUTH FEEL: Medium bodied. Semi dry. Sharp bite. Alcohol fairly hidden for the abv.

OVERALL: Was hesitant to purchase this at first because, although I enjoy Oud Bruin, the “aged balsamic” notes (per the description on the bottle) made me a bit wary, as I generally avoid this condiment. Perhaps because I generally avoid balsamic vinegar and am somewhat unfamiliar with its characteristics, I am unable to pick out (nor able to reject the existence of) balsamic notes. My favorite aspect of this sour/wild ale is the subtle chocolate undertones. Second most enjoyed aspect is the tart cherry character. Overall, while this is an impressive ale, I am a bit unimpressed with the value.

Sunday, April 17, 2011

Mischief Gone Wild by The Bruery

Mischief Gone Wild. Hoppy Belgian-style Golden Strong Ale with Brettanomyces. The Bruery. Placentia, California.

Spring 2011.

My review on RateBeer:

3.7 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 6/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 16/20
AHTOH (62) - San Diego, California, USA - APR 17, 2011


750 mL. Poured into Bruery tulip.

APPEARANCE: Pours pure yellow gold. Slightly hazy. Big 3 finger head is white, rocky, has lengthy duration, and leaves some scattered patches of lace. Rocky head settles evenly, leaving some chunks of foam for some time.

AROMA: Almost equal parts Belgian yeast, hops, and brett. Malt character appears hay-like with a faint creamy sweetness. Hops are citrusy, with lime character appearing most prominent. Some subtle pine character to the hops as well. Mild spice notes smell of subtle coriander and a dash of black pepper. Brett adds a nice barnyard, horse blanket aroma. More malt sweetness comes through with strong swirl. Subtle earthy/wet hay element with an extremely faint hint of mild mushroom. Brett also seems to add an extremely faint hint of an aroma that is like band-aid flavored taffy – which some may find off-putting, however, because it is so mild I was neutral to it.

TASTE: Wet hay malt with barnyard character, Belgian yeast, light spice, and hops that appear to exhibit a lime character. Some light tartness that is lemony. Brett also seems to add a faint element of earthy dirt character. Finish has hop bitterness complimented by hint of mild brett tartness – quite an interesting interplay (ie, the contrast between the subtle tartness causing slight puckering on the front of the palate and the hops almost simultaneously causing bitterness on the back of the palate – really activates the tongue). Bitter finish extremely faintly resembles biting a dried lime peel.

MOUTH FEEL: Crisp – almost reminds me of Duvel Green (though Mischief Gone Wild is somewhat less quaffable due to the complexity as well as the higher abv). Lively carbonation. Medium bodied. Fairly dry finish. Extremely subtle alcohol.

OVERALL: Brett adds a pleasant rustic dimension, especially to the aroma. In a way, similar to some saisons. Aroma much more bretty than taste. Just a tad more bitter of a finish than preferred. Recently had Red Barn Ale (saison) by Lost Abbey on tap and for some reason this beer reminds me of it – except Mischief Gone Wild is much better and seems less sweet. Limey hops combined with the faint lemony tartness also somewhat reminds me of Bière De L’Amitié (Green Flash & Brasserie St. Feuillien), which has the most prominent lime character of any Belgian/Belgian-style GSA/Tripel I’ve tasted. To be honest, it is somewhat difficult to distinguish if the hop taste is lime-like or if the perceived lime character is, in part, coming from the mild citrusy tartness imparted upon the ale by the brett. Overall, complex and delicious.

Thursday, April 14, 2011

Provisions Series: Salt of the Earth by The Bruery

Provisions Series: Salt of the Earth. Gose. The Bruery. Placentia, California.

Spring 2011.

My review on RateBeer:

3.8 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 16/20
AHTOH (61) - San Diego, California, USA - APR 14, 2011
750 mL bottle. Released April 2011. Poured into Bruery tulip.

APPEARANCE: Pours pale straw yellow with yellow gold hues. Big 2-3 finger head is white, pillowy, has lengthy duration, and leaves nice lacing.

AROMA: Musty funk, barnyard, lacto, mild mushroom-like aroma with an earthy character, light lemon tartness, coriander, subtle note of grassy/lemon grass character, hint of sea salt, and faint hint of chalky dryness. Strong swirl brings out the truffle quite a bit – this robust aroma smells of truffle frites topped with garlic butter escargot. Unique and amazing. As phenomenally close as the aroma is to an actual food dish after a strong swirl of the glass, I am glad that the aroma is much more delicately balanced without/post robust swirl. Shortly after swirling stops, the aroma is toned down and we get back to funk and lacto as well as milder truffle characteristics.

TASTE: Mild tartness with lemony character throughout. Lacto, musty funk, horse blanket, coriander, faint grassy/lemon grass taste behind the mild lemony tartness, and extremely faint sour green apple. Truffle character appears on the back of palate and finish and is somewhat mild as it displays earthy, buttery, mushroom-like notes. Faint hint of salt is discernible on back of palate and finish as well. Subtle notes of truffle character linger for quite some time.

MOUTH FEEL: Light bodied. Somewhat crisp. Lively carbonation. Somewhat less quaffable than a traditional gose (eg, Original Leipziger Gose by Gasthaus & Gosebrauerei Bayerischer Bahnhof) because of the gastro-inspired addition of the truffle. However, the mild lemon tartness of the base does give it some light thirst quenching ability. Fairly dry – gives extremely faint cotton mouth feeling.

OVERALL: Had a traditional gose (Original Leipziger Gose by Gasthaus & Gosebrauerei Bayerischer Bahnhof) a few days ago and am unable to say the two even compare. While the base beer is quite similar, the addition of truffle character sets this beer in a whole separate category. Noticeably more salt on the finish than the above referenced traditional gose, though far from overbearing. Much more truffle characteristics on nose than on palate. Palate is fairly balanced; however, the contrast between the tartness of the base and the robust nature of the truffle character lends the palate to appear slightly less refined and quaffable than a traditional gose. Final thoughts: One extremely interesting beer. A must try. Paired amazingly with Tartufo salami made with black truffles (by Creminelli) and Boschetto cheese made with white truffles (from Venissimo).

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Truffle beer, truffle salami, and truffle cheese


Truffle trifecta:

Beer made with truffle salt (Salt of the Earth by The Bruery)

Tartufo salami made with black truffles (Creminelli)

Boschetto cheese made with white truffles (Venissimo).

4/8/11.

Friday, April 8, 2011

Provisions Series: Premiére by The Bruery

Provisions Series: Premiére. Belgian-style Golden Strong Ale. The Bruery. Placentia, California.

Spring 2011.

My review on RateBeer:

3.7 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 6/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 17/20
AHTOH (60) - San Diego, USA - APR 8, 2011
750 mL bottle. Poured into Bruery tulip.

APPEARANCE: Pours bright yellow gold. Somewhat hazy. Head is white, just over 1 finger high, has medium retention, and leaves hardly any lacing.

AROMA: Bourbon, Belgian yeast, vanilla, pleasant hint of oak. Sweet floral honey-like malt. Faint hint of a sour character behind the malt backbone, which is reminiscent of white grape juice. Plenty of bourbon on nose; though pleasant instead of over the top. Subtle element of sweet cherry and peach in the background – almost like cherry and peach pie when combined with the sweet bready malt notes. Strong swirl brings out extremely faint hint of moist hay aroma.

TASTE: Big bourbon taste. Belgian yeast. Hints of vanilla and oak. Sweet malt is floral honey-like. Some slightly tart white grape juice notes – more on palate than on nose. Moist hay from the nose is also discernible on palate, though only subtly towards back of palate/finish. Faint hop (and perhaps some tannin) bitterness on finish.

MOUTH FEEL: Lighter side of medium bodied (ie, a bit thin). Alcohol warmth on finish – greater amount than would have preferred. Pleasant carbonation. Semi-dry finish, presumably from the alcohol strength combined with the lively carbonation.

OVERALL: Strong bourbon characteristics on nose and especially on palate. Despite strength of bourbon notes, unable to state the bourbon is overwhelming (as long as one has a palate for whiskey). Has a somewhat sharp bite – like how I remember feeling about Delirium Tremens the first time I tried it many years ago. Largely clean, though palate is slightly unrefined due to the strength of the bourbon character. Solid for the style. Final thoughts: Though quite pleasant, must admit that enjoy Allagash Curieux (the closest beer I have had to this) more, despite the subtle Tripel/GSA differences.

Thursday, April 7, 2011

Original Leipziger Gose by Gasthaus & Gosebrauerei Bayerischer Bahnhof

Original Leipziger Gose. Gasthaus & Gosebrauerei Bayerischer Bahnhof. Leipzig, Germany.

Spring 2011.

My review on RateBeer:

3.6 AROMA 6/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 16/20
AHTOH (59) - San Diego, USA - APR 7, 2011

11.2 ounce bottle poured into Duvel tulip.

APPEARANCE: Pours bright pale straw yellow. A bit more color and hint of more haze than a Berliner Weisse. Big 2-3 finger head is plain white and has low to medium retention duration. Head settles to thin white film on surface. Inexistent lacing.

AROMA: Wet straw, light lemon tartness, somewhat pleasant musty aroma, coriander, chalk, faint lacto. Subtle sun screen lotion aroma. Hint of more tart citrus fruit beyond the prominent lemon up front. Salt aroma is extremely faint. Combination of the lemon and coriander seems to exhibit an extremely faint note of perfume that is somewhat reminiscent of lavender.

TASTE: Pleasant mild lemon tartness throughout. Coriander. Lacto. Hint of salt on finish.

MOUTH FEEL: Thirst quenching. Highly quaffable. Lively carbonation. Light body. Fairly dry finish; though less dry than lambic.

OVERALL: My first Gose. Enjoyed taste more than aroma. Quite similar to a Berliner Weisse; much closer to Berliner Weisse than Lambic. Coriander adds a nice touch. Salt is discernible on palate on the finish. Salt on finish is fairly subtle and serves as an interesting note of contrast to the overall tartness. Would be nice to see this style around more often in my area. Final thoughts: straightforward, yet highly enjoyable.

Monday, April 4, 2011

Old Chub by Oskar Blues

Old Chub. Scotch Ale. Oskar Blues. Lyons, Colorado.

Spring 2011.

My review on RateBeer:

3.5 AROMA 6/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 16/20
AHTOH (58) - San Diego, USA - APR 1, 2011

12 ounce can. Canned on 11/8/10. Drank 3/31/11. Poured into Duvel tulip.

APPEARANCE: Pours dark woody brown with ruby and burnt orange hues. 1+ finger head is off-white, light cream colored, and has somewhat short retention duration.

AROMA: Lightly roasted malts, smoked light-colored wood, hint of earthy element, dry dirt aroma that is pleasant, and touch of caramelized brown sugar. Some light malt sweetness, which seems somewhat like maple syrup that is running down the bark of a tree. Appears to exhibit an extremely faint off-aroma that is like moist vegetation. Extremely faint hints of roasted coffee, cocoa, and perhaps even date syrup – though these attributes are marginal and in the background.

TASTE: Front and mid palate has rich malt sweetness. Smoked light-colored wood on back of palate. Back of palate has faint date as well. Finish has pleasant hint of earthy/dry dirt character. Light hop attributes apparent on finish – though more flavor hop than bittering. The hop character seems herbal behind all other tastes. Extremely faint hint of caramel and chocolate malt. Moist vegetation from aroma is hardly discernible on palate.

MOUTH FEEL: Full-bodied. Malty. Pleasant, lively carbonation. Subtle dryness on finish. Light roast bitterness on finish. Faint alcohol warmth on finish.

OVERALL: Smokey element is fairly mild – just a hint of it. Expected a bit more smoke character. Pleasant for the mildness. Alcohol masked fairly well for the abv. Solid brew. Though enjoyable, unable to say it will be extremely memorable. Would have enjoyed a bit more smokiness.

Coton by The Bruery

Coton. Old Ale. The Bruery. Placentia, California.

Spring 2011.

My review on RateBeer:

3.9 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 17/20
AHTOH (58) - San Diego, USA - APR 1, 2011

750 mL bottle. Released May 2010. Poured into Bruery tulip.

APPEARANCE: Pours burnt orange/amber tone of caramel light brown. A bit hazy yet somewhat translucent. Head is 1 finger, Baileys Irish Cream colored, and settles fairly quickly. After head settles, it leaves small amount of foam on surface that has relatively large bubbles. Baileys colored settled foam and the large bubbles make the surface layer appear similar to injera (a somewhat common reference that I make about this characteristic; which I have noticed among some sour ales). Injera-like foam on surface dissipates to thin film atop the ale.

AROMA: Brandy-soaked, caramelized raisins. Rich toffee malt. Faint leather aroma. Dates and figs. Dark dried fruit. Hint of brandy-soaked cherry. Faint grainy barley aroma behind the rich toffee malt. Subtle vanilla as well as pleasant wood aroma from the barrel. Hints of maple syrup, tree bark, and crunchy Autumn leaves. Discernible amount of whiskey on nose. Extremely subtle soy sauce and light nutty character. Complex.

TASTE: Dominated by brandy-soaked, caramelized raisins. Rich toffee malt. Some graininess. Light leather is apparent. Figs. Dates. Mid palate has more cereal grain. Faint vanilla, wood, and light nuttiness. Despite discernible alcohol warmth, unable to get much characteristic whiskey (from the portion that is aged in Bourbon barrels) notes as the alcohol blends with the brandy-like notes. Back of palate has faint hop bitterness, which is pleasant, as it somewhat counters some of the generally sweet taste. Finish has faint brandy-soaked cherry. Noticeable alcohol warmth on finish; which was expected.

MOUTH FEEL: Velvety. Luscious. Smooth. Somewhat sweet, like a sherry. Full bodied. Pleasant amount of carbonation for such a thick ale. Alcohol warmth on finish. Finish is mildly dry.

OVERALL: First beer I have had that was created using the Solera method. Extremely complex. Outstanding. Like slowly sipping a brandy for dessert. Characteristics of brandy, barley, and barrel, as well as sherry and cherry. Final thoughts: A medley of complex aromas and tastes.