Saturday, March 26, 2011

Baudelaire iO Saison by Jolly Pumpkin

Baudelaire iO Saison. Jolly Pumpkin. Dexter, Michigan.

Spring 2011.

My review on RateBeer:

3.6 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 6/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 15/20
AHTOH (56) - San Diego, California, USA - MAR 26, 2011

750 mL bottle. Baudelaire iO: Blend 2, bottled 1/12/11. Poured into Duvel tulip.

APPEARANCE: Pours deep burnt orange tone of amber with ruby hues. Large head is 2+ fingers, off-white cream colored with pastel pink hues, medium retention duration, and leaves pleasant amount of lacing for some time.

AROMA: Sour. Rose petals definitely discernible. Strong hibiscus on nose. Rose hip aroma is a bit earthy, like moist dirt. Rose floral aroma is natural, rather than perfume-like. Lemony citrus acidity. Subtle strawberry-like aroma. Faint chalkiness. Extremely faint vinegar. Hint of malt backbone that has honey-like sweetness.

TASTE: Sour palate is characterized by concentrated hibiscus with lemony citrus notes. Hibiscus and rose hip dominate taste. Tangy. Subtle earthy (ie, branch/bark-like) character that is fairly bitter. Rose petal taste is quite faint on back of palate. Acidic finish is a combination of concentrated hibiscus as well as some sour lemony citrus taste. Light chalky dryness on finish as well. Extremely faint malt sweetness.

MOUTH FEEL: Quite dry. Lighter side of medium body. Plenty of carbonation. More alcohol perception than expected for this abv.

OVERALL: Extremely delightful aroma. However, palate is a bit harsh. Perhaps could use bit of age to mellow out. Possibly some light tannin harshness present - presumably from grain husks. Nonetheless, overall fairly pleasant taste. Quite sour for a saison; though this was expected given that it was brewed by Jolly Pumpkin. The branch-like earthiness and bitterness came as a surprise. Unique and interesting. Bit pricey for amount of enjoyment (irrespective of abv). Final thoughts: Sour, hibiscus, bitter, and tree branch. This much interplay between sour and bitter seems rare.

Monday, March 21, 2011

Salo covered in chocolate paired with Old Rasputin



Salo covered in chocolate.

Aka: Ukrainian Snickers.

Salo: From Ukraine. Pure pig fat without meat.

Chocolate: Dark, bitter 80% cocoa. Brand: "Krasniy Oktyabr." Made in Russia.

Chocolate melted with some Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout.

Paired with Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout.

3/20/11.

Sunday, March 20, 2011

Sculpin battered sculpin paired with Sculpin IPA


Sculpin battered sculpin.

Fresh sculpin caught near North Coronado island in Mexican waters, off San Diego coast. Caught by family member.

Battered in Sculpin IPA (right).

Unbattered, pan fried sculpin (left) for contrast.

Served with local, organic lemon I hand-picked from our yard.

Paired with Ballast Point's Sculpin IPA, which was purchased at the brewery's Linda Vista location.

Local fish, local beer, local lemon.

(Side note: batter by Krusteaz)

3/17/11.

John John Dead Guy Ale by Rogue

John John Dead Guy Ale. Heller Bock. Rogue. Newport, Oregon.

Winter 2010/2011.

My review on RateBeer:

3.3 AROMA 5/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 15/20
AHTOH (55) - San Diego, California, USA - MAR 20, 2011

Bomber. Poured into Duvel tulip.

APPEARANCE: Pours deep golden orange with amber hues. Hazy. Large 2 finger head is somewhat pillowy, off-white Baileys Irish cream colored, and has medium retention duration.

AROMA: Malty, some earthy/spicy hops, subtle wood aroma, some vanilla-like characteristics from the wood (though more like vanilla extract than vanilla bean), and faint spice. Good amount of wet cereal grain. Wood aroma is somewhat off – like some old cheap wood; hardly as pleasant as some other oak aromas that I have experienced. Unable to discern much whiskey notes on nose. Some light char aroma, which was somewhat pleasant. As it warms up, aroma exhibits much more old wood (unpleasant) as well as faint whiskey notes (pleasant).

TASTE: Malt, cereal, and some hops dominate. Light vanilla as well as some faint taste of old wood on mid palate. Back of palate has subtle whiskey note. Faint copper/metallic taste on finish. Some bitterness on finish. Hops on finish as well as back of palate seem somewhat spicy with light earthy notes. Finish also has a faint spice character that seems like a combination of spice tastes from the hops as well as the barrel.

MOUTH FEEL: On the lighter side of medium bodied. Crisp, nice carbonation. Semi-dry. Extremely faint alcohol warmth – likely it is this discernable at this abv because the body is quite thin.

OVERALL: Expected more whiskey notes on aroma and taste. Plenty of cereal taste. Overall, like slightly bitter cereal. Unable to say am biggest fan of the style, though found it ok. At the least, the complexities from light barrel aging can be appreciated. Wanted to like it more than I did. Brilliant concept; less than spectacular execution. Perhaps if both the whiskey as well as the beer (at their separate stages) were aged in the barrel longer, this would be a more interesting beer. According to Rogue: the whiskey only sits in the barrel 30 days, and the beer only sits in the used whiskey barrel 2+ months – each stage could have been longer.

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Six by Upright


Six. Saison. Upright Brewing. Portland, Oregon.

Winter 2010/11.

My review on RateBeer:

3.4 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 6/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 14/20
AHTOH (54) - San Diego, USA - MAR 15, 2011

750 mL bottle. Poured into Duvel tulip.

APPEARANCE: Pours deep amber copper with a ruby hue. Hazy. Huge creamy head is 3+ fingers, light beige, and has lengthy retention. Head settles in a rocky fashion and leaves some patches of lacing. Noticeably rapid carbonation trail rising from center of bottom of glass.

AROMA: Tart red fruit (pomegranate, raspberry, and cherry). Sour. Saison yeast. Wet dead leaves (ie, rainy Fall day). Tree-like earthiness; similar to a woody aroma. Faint peppery spice. Some light chalkiness. Extremely faint vanilla bean/white chocolate. The chocolate and caramel aromas described on bottle do come out as it warms up a bit, though only subtly - even then, they are largely masked by the overall tartness.

TASTE: Tart with some tart bitterness. Tangy. Quite puckering. Subtle stone-like earthiness. Tart red fruit, primarily pomegranate; as well as some subtle cherry. Taste is like eating pomegranate and then once the fruit is eaten off the seed, chewing the seed to get a lengthy bitter finish. Some faint vanilla as well as even more subtle wood on back of palate. Faint metallic taste on finish. Finish is more tart bitterness. Have to work quite hard to discern chocolate and caramel notes on palate – they appear on back of palate when it warms up a bit; even then, are largely masked by overall tartness and bitterness.

MOUTH FEEL: Nice carbonation. Medium bodied. Quite smooth for such a puckering beer. Fairly dry.

OVERALL: Primarily tart and bitter. Much more tart than expected. Ok, though expected more from this beer; in particular, expected more saison-like qualities. Unable to pick out much of the rye characteristics in the taste behind all the tartness. Rustic. Would pair well with hard cheeses, though unlikely that would want to pair this with charcuterie or cooked red meat.

Sunday, March 13, 2011

Rodenbach Vintage (2008)

Rodenbach Vintage (2008). Flemish Sour. Brouwerij Rodenbach (Palm). Roeselare, Belgium.

Winter 2010/2011.

My review on RateBeer:

3.8 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 17/20
AHTOH (53) - San Diego, California, USA - MAR 13, 2011

750 mL bottle. 2008 Vintage. Barrel No. 96. Poured into Duvel tulip. Best before: 10/08/13 (on bottom of bottle).

APPEARANCE: Pours light copper with burnt orange and light caramel brown hues. Hazy. Head is 2 fingers, pillowy, light tan/khaki colored, and has relatively large bubbles. In fact, color of head and size of bubbles is like injera. Head retention mid length.

AROMA: Vinous. Sour. Dark red fruit (pomegranate, cranberry, and some cherry). Subtle oak and vanilla bean. Apple cider. Faint sea aroma (ie, salty ocean and seaweed, etc.). Extremely faint chalkiness – much more subtle than most sours.

TASTE: Tart. Dark red fruit (pomegranate, cranberry, and some cherry). Sour apples. Extremely faint oak. Light graininess on finish. Subtle dark grape juice characteristic in background. As warms up, element of vanilla (that also has faint taste of white chocolate) as well as faint wet stone-like earthiness emerges on palate.

MOUTH FEEL: Lively carbonation. Only slightly dry - less than expected, which I found to be positive.

OVERALL: Predominantly sour taste is nicely balanced with some light sweetness. Elegant. Perfect for a hot summer night. Drinks like a sparkling pomegranate juice with light alcohol; feels healthy to drink. Highly quaffable. Unsure that the Vintage is worth the price premium over the readily available Grand Cru.

Russian Imperial Stout jello topped with shaved white chocolate and black caviar & paired with Old Rasputin


Russian Imperial Stout jello topped with shaved white chocolate and black caviar.

With side of white chocolate pieces topped with black caviar.

Made with organic white chocolate. Black caviar: Bowfin from USA. Organic mint garnish.

Paired with Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout by North Coast Brewing Co. (same beer used to make jello).

3/12/11.

Saturday, March 12, 2011

Fred by Hair of the Dog

Fred. Barely Wine. Hair of the Dog. Portland, Oregon.

Winter 2010/11.

My review on RateBeer:

3.8 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 17/20
AHTOH (52) - San Diego, California, USA - MAR 12, 2011

12 once bottle poured into Duvel tulip. Batch Number 79.

APPEARANCE: Pours hazy, burnt orange gold. Some sparse cinnamon powder-like sediment. Off-white, cream-colored head is 1 finger and settles fairly quickly, leaving a thin film of foam on surface as well as some medium size bubbles around edge of glass.

AROMA: Tangy aroma that has some subtle vinous character – almost like smelling a WarHeads (sour hard candy). Strong rye aroma. Spices – allspice as well as light cinnamon and nutmeg. Hops, which seem citrusy and grassy. Belgian candi. Some honey. Grape bubblegum. Wet grain. Extremely faint band-aid. Slightly musty character to the aroma as well – though this seems to fade as the beer warms up. As it warms up, displays some oak notes. Subtle orange creamsicle aroma as well.

TASTE: Belgian candi. Rye. Tang from the rye. Hops are citrusy and grassy. Spices such as allspice, as well as some light cinnamon and nutmeg. Some honey. Faint orange creamsicle. Back of palate has slight grainy taste. Finish has hop bitterness, including light resinous characteristics. Light alcohol warmth on finish.

MOUTH FEEL: Thick; almost a bit syrupy. Full-bodied. Definitely quite sweet, though unable to say it is cloying - as long as it is drunk as a dessert beer. Mid to low carbonation.

OVERALL: Sweet – definitely a dessert beer. Despite being primarily sweet, there is slight bitterness on the finish. Seems like plenty of residual Belgian candi – whether this is good or bad will depend on the mood/environment of the drinker. Let it warm up a bit and take your time with this slow-sipper. Despite some faint off notes among the complexities on the nose, the positive attributes of the overall experience with this beer far outweigh any marginally undesirable notes on the aroma. Complex interplay of sweet and slightly tangy with a bit of a bitter finish. Interesting and quite unique.

Friday, March 11, 2011

Old Rasputin by North Coast

Old Rasputin. Russian Imperial Stout. North Coast Brewing Co. Fort Bragg, California.

Winter 2010/11.

My review on RateBeer:

3.8 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 16/20
AHTOH (51) - San Diego, USA - MAR 11, 2011

12 ounce bottle poured into Duvel tulip.

APPEARANCE: Pours an opaque, deep dark brown with burnt orange hues. Large 2-3 finger head is dark tan/khaki with lengthy retention. Head eventually begins to settle unevenly, leaving plethora of great lacing. After most of the head settles, nice amount of residual foam remains and continues to float on surface for a lengthy period of time.

AROMA: Coffee, mild roasty aroma, bitter chocolate, hearty dark bread, subtle chocolate mousse and even more subtle fig aroma. Extremely faint hint of hops seems discernible, which appears earthy behind all the other aromas. After a strong swirl, a faint earthy branch-like aroma is discernible. Extremely faint black licorice. As it warms up, it brings out light hint of vinous aroma.

TASTE: Huge coffee taste. Plenty of roasted malts. Lots of bitter chocolate. Subtle figs. Extremely faint vanilla bean. Back of palate is less viscous than front/mid and it exhibits the alcohol warmth. As it warms up, back of palate seems to show a bit of a subtle hop character - almost citrus and pine-like; though slightly difficult to discern due to the large amount of roasted and chocolate bitterness. Back of palate also has some light grape and dark berries hidden behind the layers of bitterness. Finish is big roasty bitterness with some bitter chocolate characteristics, as well as an element of subtle earthiness.

MOUTH FEEL: Smooth and velvety. Lengthy retention of some foam on surface helps give a similar perception as drinking an espresso. Slightly viscous – though pleasant and somewhat thinner than expected. More carbonation than expected for such a strong and complex RIS – perhaps more than average for the style. Some noticeable, yet pleasant alcohol warmth on the finish.

OVERALL: Finish is quite bitter – mostly in the roasty sense. Less viscous than expected. Complex. Pleasant. Solid.

Monday, March 7, 2011

Reserve Wheat Ale by Telegraph

Reserve Wheat Ale. Berliner Weisse. Telegraph. Santa Barbara, California.

Winter 2010/2011.

My review on RateBeer:

3.5 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 6/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 15/20
AHTOH (50) - San Diego, California, USA - MAR 7, 2011

750 mL bottle. Batch No. 67. Poured into Duvel tulip.

APPEARANCE: Pours translucent pale straw yellow. White head is about 1 finger, has short duration, and exhibits some relatively large bubbles.

AROMA: Sour, lemon, lemon drop candy, perfume, dry hay, kitchen herbs, allspice, and faint barnyard.

TASTE: A Berliner Weisse with a bit more body than traditional for the style. Mildly sour. Lemon is prominent. Slightly less sour (ie, puckering) than expected. Notes of hay. Some light kitchen herbs on finish. Seems that some of the oils from the lemon verbena are discernible.

MOUTH FEEL: Slightly less carbonated than traditional Berliners. Slick (ie, slightly oily) texture throughout, with semi-dry finish that appears even drier due to the light herb character on the finish.

OVERALL: Found the lemon verbena usage slightly undesirable as it leaves a bit of an off, faint herby character on the otherwise pleasant dry finish, and that this characteristic seems to linger for quite a bit. Interesting interpretation of the style. Quaffable.

Sunday, March 6, 2011

Bière De L’Amitié by St Feuillien and Green Flash

Bière De L’Amitié. Collaboration between St Feuillien and Green Flash. Belgian Golden Strong Ale. Le Roeulx, Belgium.

Winter 2010/2011.

My review on RateBeer:

3.8 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 6/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 17/20
AHTOH (49) - San Diego, USA - MAR 5, 2011

750 mL bottle. Date on back of bottle: 22/4/12 – assuming this is best buy date and it has a two year shelf life. Poured into Duvel tulip.

APPEARANCE: Pours pale straw yellow; slightly hazy with a small amount of visible sediment. Large white head settles unevenly; moderately rocky when settling and leaves some patches of Belgian lace.

AROMA: Citrus (ie, lime) hops, Belgian yeast, spices, subtle barnyard, some dry chalkiness, and hint of light grain. Slight perfumey characteristic to portion of the aroma. Citrus notes quite prominent for the style – almost as if dried lime peel was used.

TASTE: Citrus hops (lime and some grapefruit), Belgian yeast, and spices on front of palate. Mid palate is floral sweetness. Back of palate bit too grainy. Mild hop bitterness on finish. Some perceived tang from the rye; though may be difficult to discern without prior knowledge of rye use, especially due to the citric nature of the ale.

MOUTH FEEL: Full bodied. Crisp. Moderate mouth feel. Nice carbonation. Finish bit on the dry side for the style.

OVERALL: Possibly the most prominent lime notes on palate, as well as aroma, of any triple I recall tasting to date. Would be more ideal during the summer. Pleasantly refreshing for the abv. Almost like hybrid between a Belgian golden strong ale and a higher abv saison.

Thursday, March 3, 2011

Cuvée Brut by Liefmans


Cuvée Brut. Sour Ale/Wild Ale. Liefmans (Moortgat). Oudenaarde, Belgium.

Winter 2010/11.

My review on RateBeer:

4.1 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 17/20
AHTOH (48) - San Diego, California, USA - MAR 3, 2011

750 mL bottle. Cork has the year 2010 on it. Best before: 8/2020 (per top of cork cage). Poured into Duvel tulip.

APPEARANCE: Pours hazy deep amber with burnt orange and pinkish ruby hues. Off-white head has pale pinkish-purple hue, about 1 finger high, and decent duration. Surface foam quite bubbly (eg, looks similar to injera). Some brief lacing.

AROMA: Robust aromas of oud bruin and tart cherry. Personally greatly enjoy this straight-forward aroma because of my fondness for tart cherries. Seems that small portion of the cherry aroma has a perfume-like cherry scent to it. Faint hints of floral sweetness, chalk, vanilla, and earthiness; though aroma is largely just sour brown ale with tart cherries – exactly what it is meant to be.

TASTE: Moderately sour with plenty of tart cherry. Faint hints of vinegar, copper, and light grain on back of palate/finish; though almost entirely masked by the sour brown and tart cherry flavor. Well-balanced between sweet and sour.

MOUTH FEEL: Crisp. Lively carbonation that is champagne-like. Highly quaffable. Semi-dry finish.

OVERALL: Given my keen enjoyment of tart cherries, greatly appreciated this mildly sour ale. Excellent aperitif. Although unable to discern many pronounced characteristics beyond the oud bruin and tart cherry, this was an extremely enjoyable, straight-forward beer.

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Highway 78 Scotch Ale by Stone/Green Flash/Pizza Port Carlsbad

Highway 78 Scotch Ale. Collaboration by Stone/Green Flash/Pizza Port Carlsbad. Brewed at Stone. Escondido, San Diego County, California.

Winter 2010/11.

My review on RateBeer:

3.3 AROMA 6/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 6/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 15/20
AHTOH (47) - San Diego, USA - MAR 1, 2011

12 ounce bottle. Poured into Duvel tulip.

APPEARANCE: Pours deep copper with an amber/ruby hue. Head is beige, about 1 finger, short to medium duration, and settles to thin film on surface.

AROMA: Most prominent aroma is chicory coffee. Light roast. Some cardboard. Subtle hops in background, which seem like earthy hops. Hint of caramelized sugar.

TASTE: Charred wood, like beech wood, which lends hint of smoke. Nutty. Wet dirt (ie, earthy notes). Light caramel with yeasty notes. Subtle peppercorn-like spice character, though without heat. Hop flavor, which seems grassy, is faint. Hint of bitterness on finish, though more of a roasted barley type of bitterness than hop bitterness.

MOUTH FEEL: Quite quaffable for the abv; alcohol well masked. Nice carbonation. Grainy, dry finish.

OVERALL: Drinks like an imperial nut brown ale that has notes of chicory, very light smoke, and earthy character. Expected bit more caramel malt. Less body than expected.