Showing posts with label
Belgian/Belgian-style Golden Strong Ale/Tripel.
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Showing posts with label
Belgian/Belgian-style Golden Strong Ale/Tripel.
Show all posts
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.
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.
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.
Winter 2010/2011.
My review on RateBeer:
2.9 AROMA 6/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 4/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 12/20
AHTOH (41) - San Diego, USA - FEB 16, 2011
33 cL bottle poured into Maredsous chalice. Drank 2/15/11. Best before: 02/2013.
APPEARANCE: Pours a very beautiful deep orange gold with a hint of burnt orange hue to it. Off-white cream colored head is about 2 fingers with some chunky foam rising above the rim. Head duration is medium length. Most of head eventually settles, though leaves nice amount of foam on surface – much more than simply a thin layer of film like some other Belgian ales. Plentiful Belgian lace. Champagne-like effervescence – with carbonation trails all throughout the beer, instead of just at center or around the edge of the glass like most ales.
AROMA: Belgian yeast, some spice, and vinous aroma – much more vinous/sour grape scent than most Belgian triples. Faint hop scent hidden behind other aromas, though difficult to determine more specific hop characteristics. Extremely faint grape bubblegum. Some alcohol on nose as well.
TASTE: Belgian yeast and spice on front of palate. Subtle citrus and floral notes on front of palate as well. Mid palate is some vegetable and subtle grainy caramel malt. Back of palate and finish is alcohol.
MOUTH FEEL: Highly carbonated. Quite dry. Drinks like champagne.
OVERALL: Alcohol dominates over body. Difficult to drink. Far from quaffable. Others may enjoy, though, personally doubt will buy this beer again. Too champagne-like.
Winter 2010/11.
My review on RateBeer:
3.9 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 5/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 16/20
AHTOH (39) - San Diego, California, USA - FEB 14, 2011
750 mL bottle. Brewed May 18, 2010. Opened February 11, 2011. Poured into Duvel tulip.
APPEARANCE: Massive white head: 4+ fingers, rocky foam above the rim, long duration. Head eventually settles in an extremely uneven fashion; with the chunks of foam taking on various shapes and sizes. Abundance of Belgian lace that sticks to glass as if stuck on with glue. Body pours pale straw yellow; almost like a pilsner. Lighter color body than most triples. Carbonation trail is extremely rapid, thick, and rises predominately from bottom of center of glass.
AROMA: Belgian yeast is predominant; this characteristic is like a combination of sweet aroma and a slightly vinegary scent – it is very pleasant. Plenty of noble hops. Floral sweet malt that is perfume-like. Some cereal-like grain. Subtle earthiness that is pleasant.
TASTE: Front of palate is grassy hops, some citrus hops, and Belgian yeast. Slight sweet and tangy taste on front of palate as well. Mid palate is slightly dry grain, cereal, and wet hay. Back of palate is malt sweetness and more Belgian yeast. Finish is characterized by some light bitterness and some alcohol warmth.
MOUTH FEEL: Extremely crisp; appears much more crisp than regular Duvel. Plenty of carbonation. Some alcohol warmth.
OVERALL: Clean, crisp, and smooth. Delightful taste and aroma. Drinks like a stronger and more hopped Duvel Green than a stronger and more hopped regular Duvel. As outstanding as it is, I can see why many people find regular Duvel slightly more preferable, especially given the price point. Although mouth feel is clean and smooth, the degree of alcohol warmth hinders the overall palate from being even better. Alcohol warmth could have been masked better by a slightly more robust body.
Le Freak. Belgian IPA. Green Flash. Vista, San Diego County, CA.
Fall 2010.
My review on RateBeer:
3.9 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 17/20
AHTOH (9) - San Diego, California, USA - NOV 24, 2010
22 ounce bottle. Poured into Bruery tulip. Appearance: Beautiful deep orange/light amber color – much darker than many triples due to it being a Belgian-IPA hybrid. Translucent. Off white head and Belgian lace appear for a short while though retention is minimal. Strong spicy as well as sweet aromas hit the nose when pouring the beer in to the glass. When bringing glass closer to nose the sweet honey and spicy yeast notes are slightly more balanced by the aroma of the hops. Hops smell more grassy/earthy than piney. Belgian style yeastiness on front of palate. Strong citrusy hops on mid palate to finish. Nice transition from sweet beginning to bitter finish, with a finish that lasts decent amount of time. Lively carbonation, mild mouth feel. Overall, enjoyed the balance between the Belgian yeast with the San Diego-style IPA. Somewhat less hoppy than I expected for a San Diego brewery – though I preferred it this way versus the alternative of being overly hoppy.
