2009 Beer in Review

2009 may have sucked for a lot of people and a lot of reasons, but it was another good year for beer. Really though, how could beer have a bad year? It's beer after all. No negative sides to it, right?

Anyways, here's my Top 5 Beers of the Year list. Some are brand new, newly imported, or just new to me. What they all have in common is that they're freakin' delicious.


Cantillon Lou Pepe - Gueuze
Brasserie Cantillon
Gueuze | 5.00% ABV

A / 4.45
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | drink: 4.5

Label reads 2006 (year brewed), corks says bottled in 2008. Aside from dates, the bottle is entirely in French and Dutch as it was brought back from the Netherlands.

I'd been having a fair number of amazing oude gueuzes lately, and this hits all the marks, but goes just a little deeper. Yes, there's the sharp lemon-lime juice sour/acidic tang that pulls at the back of your jaw. There's the toasted oak, but also with a hint of ash and pepper. And then I also taste a not inappropriately cheesey funk like you'd get from a nice, fatty blue cheese. What else? Mmmmm, there's a light fresh garden herb and celery note, dry white grape, and wheat cracker. God damn this beer is amazing.


Achel Trappist Extra
Brouwerij der St. Benedictusabdij de Achelse
Belgian Strong Dark Ale | 9.50% ABV

A / 4.35
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | drink: 5

Split a bottle at Tap and Table in Emmaus, PA after it recently became more widely available in the states. Why, why, why does this beer have to cost nearly $29? It's easily the best the legal (not Westvleteren) Trappist beer I've had. Damn. The flavor is soft and malt-heavy with an earthy background. The barley brings a complex mix of typical but delicious candy flavors: figs, toffee, caramel, and cocoa. They're subtle flavors that develop as you sip though, not like some big beer that knocks your palate out. This is an experience, not just a drink. Find this beer.


Sculpin India Pale Ale
Ballast Point Brewing Company
American IPA | 7.00% ABV

A / 4.35
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | drink: 4.5

Shared a bomber at Tap and Table in Emmaus, PA for $14. Totally worth it. This is easily one of the best IPA's I've had in sometime. Reminds me in terms of quality of the pint of Town Hall Masala Mama I had last week. The hops jump out of the glass once the beer is poured - I love when that happens. The hops are a mix of spicy citrus that are juicy, but dry and drinkable. There are also tasty notes of apricot, white grape, and orange peel.The aftertaste just doesn't go away. I had to go out of my way to find an even bigger beer to follow this up, otherwise this beer would have still been hanging on my palate.


Beer Geek Brunch Weasel
Mikkeller
American Double / Imperial Stout | 10.90% ABV

Notes: Imperial oatmeal stout brewed with coffee. Ingredients: Water, malts, hops, yeast and Vietnamese ca phe chon coffee.

A / 4.3
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | drink: 4.5

Found a bottle hiding on one of the bottom shelves at Abe's Cold Beer for $11.25. I'm not usually impressed with big stouts, but this beer was fantastic. My first issue with imperial stouts is drinkability, but I split the bottle with a friend and could have easily split a second or drank it myself. My other typical concern with the style is that they all have the same heavy roast and cocoa flavors without much deviation. This beer started with a very unique, earthy coffee flavor that rolled off into chocolate liquor, cherries, and then a punch of citrus finishing hops. There was an incredibly long aftertaste that wouldn't seem to quit, though when it finally did, I wished I had more beer.


Sierra Nevada Kellerweis Hefeweizen
Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.
Hefeweizen | 4.80% ABV

A- / 4.2
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | drink: 4.5

Picked up a case from Shangy's in Emmaus for about $28. Man, this beer is for real. Pours a hazy light amber with a tall white head a good lacing. The aroma is a spicy mix of vanilla, banana bread, and clove. The flavor follows that up with a dry, mineral undertone with sweet cracked wheat malts, banana, and a touch of white pepper. Very tasty and very drinkable. It reminds me of a cross between Paulaner and Schnieder. Heck of a beer from the folks in Chico.

Winter Warmers and Christmas Beer

I have to admit the that winter warmer style isn't my favorite. Most winterized beers are just a smooth dark red or brown ale with a bunch of dessert spices thrown in. Frankly, I tire of cinnamon and vanilla brews because in most cases the spices talk over the beer's character and leave you with something more like an alcoholic Christmas tea (festive at first, then boring, and later you're just drunk).

Still, I figured the style is all over the beer shelves right now, so I searched through my database in search of some winter warmers I can recommend for a little Christmas cheer. I found one:

Old Jubilation
Avery Brewing Company
Winter Warmer | 8.00% ABV

A- / 4.15
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | drink: 4.5

This is a great looking beer with nice head and retention - a light tan head on ruby and brown body. Smells almost smokey with a mix of herbs and caramel malt. The taste expands with a strong malt flavor of fruit and candy. This is followed unexpectedly (for the style) by citrus hops and decent bitterness. That sure is different, but also welsome. It drinks just a bit hot, but still fairly smooth considering the bitterness. Call it a winter warmer for the hops lover.

Comic Relief: The Oatmeal

I have to thank Alisa over at Project Happily Ever After (a blog that's not about how beer makes you happy) for this one. It's not the first comic to cover good beer, but it's certainly the most inventive. Anyone unfamiliar with The Oatmeal should know than addition to making a damn funny infographic about beer, it's also published 'toons like "6 Reasons Bacon is Better Than True Love," "7 Reasons to Keep Your Tyrannosaur Off Crack Cocaine," and "Things Bears Love."

And while I'm plugging other people's work, I also recommend checking out BearsAreGreat. Rawr.

Best Beers for the Holidays

Whether you're looking for a tasty brew to pair with your Festivus feast or just want to get merry with your fam, I've got a beer for you:


Festivus Feast - Before you open up the Airing of Grievances, I recommend opening a bottle of Hibernus Quentum. The Belgian Tripel is my favorite style for holiday meals. They're effervescent, lifting fat and flavors off your tongue to clear your palate. The spice matches up with holidays seasoning. And they're complex enough to beat or match any wine most of us could afford.

Urthel Hibernus Quentum
De Leyerth Brouwerijen (Urthel)
Tripel | 9.00% ABV

A- / 4.25
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | drink: 4.5

Poured from a skinny 330ml bottle, there's a tall white head with loud (relatively speaking) bubbles. On my tongue the beer is a little flatter than many Belgian, but that, I think, brings out more flavor instead of simply stinging my tongue. The flavor starts with a wonderful mixture of fresh baked white bread and earthy honey and ends with a hint of spicy hops for balance. In the aftertaste, a slight orange and cream flavor develops that's quite nice. The aroma has a slightly simpler profile with a mild perfume of Belgian candy and fresh (mild) herbs, like I've got one nostrel in a candy store and another in a garden.

This is a very well made Belgian tripel, though the complexity comes from its subtleties, so be prepared to stop and ponder the depths of this beer to enjoy to its fullest.


Get Merry - Look no further for liquid cheer - or just a great beer to sip by a fire. Bourbon-barrel beers are all over the board, some too thick and syrupy, some are thin and don't really resemble any sort of whiskey. Goose Island's BCS balances big mocha stout with smooth vanilla bourbon while providing a hell of a punch.

Bourbon County Stout
Goose Island
American Double / Imperial Stout | 13.00% ABV

A / 4.4
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | drink: 5

Vintage 2007, 13% abv.

Easily the smoothest, tastiest ~13% beer I've ever had. Yes, it's a bit thick, but no more so than weaker double or imperial stouts. The aroma is rich with the bourbon which once on the palate, doesn't dominate, but compliments the strong, dark chocolate ad espresso flavors. Throw in a dash of oak and vanilla and you've got a hell of a beer. More please.


Party Like it's 1999 - If you're looking to party through this year and into the next, you'll need a session beer that won't knock you on your ass to fast. Pikeland Pils is Sly Fox's hoppy take on this classic German will satisfy your palate from first beer to the last.

Pikeland Pils
Sly Fox Brewing Company
German Pilsener | 4.90% ABV

A- / 4.2
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | drink: 4

This beer looks amazing, it has a white head that won't stop and reminds me of Duvel. Smells of sweet, light malts. The flavor is bland at first but then the hops kick in. Overall tastes of long-lasting grassy, earthy hops with added grapefruit and a bit of fruity malt. A little hoppier than the imports I've had, more like Prima Pils. Actually it's a lot like Prima Pils, but I think I like this better. My can was a touch over carbonated, but it was still very drinkable.

I've heard people recommend this to beer noobs, but I dont think I'd do the same. The flavor is really all in the bitterness, so if you're not into that, tough.

The Problem With Big Beer

Over the weekend I tried and discussed a number of big (8%+ abv) beers. It's been a growing trend for a while to brew massive beers and sometimes age them in bourbon or some other sort of barrel. There are some fine world class big beers, like Westvleteren 12 and Russian River's Pliny the Younger, but I take issue with a lot of these brews because whether or not they taste good, they're often too damn thick to actually enjoy. Finish a bomber of some and sure, you'll be drunk, but you'll also feel like you just finished a turkey dinner.

From my homebrewing experience, I know that the more ingredients you throw at a beer and the more sugar you leave in (this sweetens and thickens), the easier it is to make a tasty beer. Drinkability be damned. Who needs a sessionable beer when beer geeks respond to sludge? Twenty-one of BeerAdvocate's top 25 beers are at least 8% abv, after all. Yeah there are some great beers on that list, most just wouldn't make it into my person top 25 brews.

Ranting aside, there's a right way and wrong way to make strong beers. Here's a recent barleywine I thought nailed the style, and a couple local Pennsylvania ales that succumbed to the trend toward being unnecessarily thick and strong.

Landmark Barleywine
Landmark Beer Company
English Barleywine | 9.00% ABV

A- / 4.05
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | drink: 4

On-tap at Clarks Ale House in Syracuse for $6/pint. The light is a little low in here, but it appears a clear orange-red with with a short off-white head leaving lacing. For 9&, as the bartender tells me, this is a very drinkable barleywine - I like that. So many strong beer are too thick and sweet to really enjoy beyond a small pour. The aroma has a sweet caramel candy apple character.The flavor and feel are very smooth with chocolate biscuit and cookie malt undertones behind bittersweet orange peel hops. I'm reminded of a Terry's Chocolate Orange for the delicate mix of hops and mild grains. After some time to ponder the beer, I'm also finding toffee, grapefruit, and dried cherry notes. This is my favorite Landmark beer I've had, a real winner. Cheers to Kiernan!


Hop'solutely
Allentown Brew Works
American Double / Imperial IPA | 11.50% ABV

B / 3.65
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | drink: 3.5

Split a 750ml bottle with friends at the Steelgaarden. Like most 11%+ IPAs, there's a lot of malty sweetness that takes away from the hops and makes it thicker than it needs to be. It drinks a bit like DFH 90 Minute in relation to the sticky sweetness. The hops are still pretty tasty with the chinook and centennial hops standing out at first with bitter grapefruit and pine, smooth flowery hops kick in and the finish is a mix of light caramel and citrus rind.


Blasphemy
Weyerbacher Brewing Co.
Quadrupel (Quad) | 11.80% ABV

C+ / 3.25
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | drink: 3.5

Picked up a single in a mixed case from the brewery.

Whoa, put this one back, it ain't ready yet. I'm not saying it's a bad beer, but it feels like it needs some time. The nose has some great vanilla and oak notes, but they're overwhelmed by alcohol there and in the flavor. There's a background sweetness in the taste, but again the booze prevails. I recommend this beer because it seems like there's some great stuff going on, but let it sit for at least 6 months before consuming.

The Bookstore Speakeasy

The fine folks behind Emmaus, PA's Tap and Table just opened a new bar on Bethlehem's south side, The Bookstore Speakeasy. The Bookstore takes over the space previously occupied by Element, which lasted less than two years. Judging by their MySpace page, I honestly have no idea why that could have been.

The Bookstore, a 20's-style pub could come off gimmicky, but it's the real deal (save for the lack of mob beer and prohibition). The basement-level entrance is a plain, gray door with "BOOKSTORE" painted on, and leads to a small room packed with books on everything from "Sex Without Fear" to a 1955 anthology of US wetlands.

Pushing past a double curtain, the speakeasy is a small but plush barroom with dark wood furnishing and gas lamps on each table. The menu is pasted into the front pages of weathered hardcovers and a small chalkboard behind the bar lists their six taps.

When my group stumbled in, a three-piece band was playing hot jazz while the singer channeled Louis Armstrong through an antique microphone. A few couples danced in the limited floor space and soon enough our waitress was bring beer and slabs of cheese.

The atmosphere is smart, yet comfortable and the beer list covers enough ground to keep snobs and their unenlightened friends (approachable beers but nothing trashy) happy. Personally, this is the sort of bar I could stay in until sunrise.

Fruit and Spice Beer: The thin line between delicious and disgusting

Pumpkin beer is sadly coming to close before we actually hit Halloween, so be warned. Go out and get some before it's all gone. In the style of Fruit and Spice Beers, it's not the best thing you can add to beer, but I'll never turn a good pumpkin beer down.

Some types of fruit beers don't fair so well. Last weekend I had the honor of trying an Austrian Radler (which has nothing to do with snakes). Radler is a half-beer half-lemonade mixture popularized in Germany and Austria by thirsty cyclists apparently more concerned about hydration than most of the ones I know.

Typically, this sort of drink is mixed at a bar, but Austrian brewery Stiegl, who generally makes respectable beer, released a bottled radler. If there was any lemonade - or even a lemon derivative - used in this beer, it'd be news to me. It's the product of light beer and lemon-flavored syrup. I've really only tried one other Radler, which I've pasted my review in below, but lemons and beer are a dubious at best combination.

Stiegl Gaudi Radler Shandy (Lemon)
Stieglbrauerei zu Salzburg GmbH
Fruit Beer | 2.50% ABV

C+ / 3.05
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | drink: 3
rDev: +2%

Thanks to Sue and Meg for sharing their case of Shandy. This is an old sub-style (lemonade+beer) I've wanted to try for a while. This one however, is more just an ultra-light lager with lemon syrup added. Instead of juice, the lemon tastes more like Lemon Drops and candy. The light lager is pleasant and clean, but this beer is too sweet. However, if you dig the thicker, sweeter fruit lambics, this might be up your alley.


Leinenkugel's Summer Shandy
Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company
Fruit Beer | 4.20% ABV

C+ / 3.2
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | drink: 3.5

I think this one should be filed under fruit beer. There's a big, tart lemonade flavor up front with a bit of wheat flavor following. The aroma has a bit of lemon. It's kind of like they took a very pale wheat beer and dumped Country Time lemonade mix into it. If you love lemons and NEED them in beer, go for this otherwise, its not much more than lawnmower beer.

A drink for Frank Vandenbroucke

The insanely talented and just plain insane Frank Vandenbroucke passed away this week. For anyone unfamiliar with Frank VDB, he was supposed to be the next great Belgian cyclist. In the late 90's he amassed an impressive list of wins, but between outside pressure and doping allegations, he imploded in a mess of performance dehancing drugs, drunk driving, and depression (to name a few of his issues).

Demons aside, the world has lost one of its most passionate cyclists and a strong drink is in order. For Frank, I dug deep into my cellar and pulled out an 2-year-old Rochefort 10. Not only is Rochefort 10 a Belgian quad, the king of Belgian beers, it's also the strongest of the Trappist brews.

Frank, here's to you.

Trappistes Rochefort 10
Brasserie de Rochefort (Abbaye de Notre-Dame de Saint-Rémy)
Quadrupel (Quad) | 11.30% ABV

A- / 4.15
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | drink: 5

The appearance was a typical Trappist quad, muddy brown with a red tint. The aroma held hints of citrus and was almost milky and cola-like. The flavor was very mellow, almost like a sweet old ale. It feels creamier than the Bernardus, though I unfortunately can't compare it to the Westlveteren yet. There's a little banana with the subtle fruit malt flavors. Like the other quads, this isn't the boldest beer. But despite the alcohol, it's oh-so drinkable if you can afford it.

Oktoberfest in in October (It's mostly in September)

The actual Oktoberfest in Munich ended a week ago. And while the 'fest beers showed up in stores long before that, I've been too busy drinking them to write about my favorites. Still, they should be hanging around your local beer store at least until the end of the month, so here are a few I've enjoyed and recommend.


Weissenohe Monk's Fest
Klosterbrauerei Weissenohe
Märzen / Oktoberfest | 5.00% ABV

A- / 4.1
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | drink: 4.5

On-tap at the Farmhouse. Served in a standard pint glass, it appears a clear amber-orange with a short white head. Wow this beer is fresh. Right off the bat, it's an expertly balanced, and seemingly flawless Oktoberfest. The aroma and flavor a filled with a seemingly simple bready and light caramel malt profile that's countered by a subtle hop note. I imagine this is what O-fest's from the big German brewers, especially Spaten, would taste like if they fresh and untainted by travel. Overall, this beer is incredibly drinkable and it's a shame this beer isn't everywhere.


Paulaner Oktoberfest-Märzen
Paulaner Salvator Thomasbraeu AG
Märzen / Oktoberfest | 5.80% ABV

B+ / 3.95
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | drink: 4.5

Picked up a single as part of a mixed sixer of seasonal beers at Liberty St. Tavern. Pours a clear amber with a short off-white head. Ah, I love the original Oktoberfests. I wish I'd had this earlier in the season because these put everything in perspective. The aroma and flavor are a smooth caramel flavor that finish with light roasted flavors and a hint of hops. The flavor is fairly clean and there's nothing remotely off. Basically it's tasty and very drinkable. I'd drink a stein-full anytime.


Sly Fox Oktoberfest
Sly Fox Brewing Company
Märzen / Oktoberfest | 5.80% ABV

B+ / 3.85
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | drink: 4

On-tap at the Royersford brewery. The beer appeared a clear golden orange in my pint glass with two fingers of head. The aroma was rich with caramel, bread crust, and a mild fruity lager tang. The flavor followed up on the same notes, but was a touch subtle for the style. Still, the overall character was very true to the style and I enjoyed catching this beer on the tail end of the Oktoberfest season. Worth trying for anyone that loves traditional German O-fest beer.

Ayinger Oktober Fest-Märzen
Privatbrauerei Franz Inselkammer KG / Brauerei Aying
Märzen / Oktoberfest | 5.80% ABV

B+ / 4
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | drink: 4

Picked up a 500ml from Byerly's in Maple Grove. Pours a clear amber-gold with a white head. Man I wish Ayinger beer were more readily available/cheaper. This is a great O-fest, rich with bready caramel malts with a smooth, oh-so drinkable body. It is a touch thicker than other in the style, Spaten comes to mind as a thinner beer, but man it's good. The flavor has subtle layers of malt with a touch of crisp light toffee, with an aroma to match. I'll be looking forward to having this again next fall.

Pumpkin Time - Beer that is, though the pie's good too

With Fall upon us, Pumpkin beer is in full-effect. Most folks may only see Anheuser-Busch's Jack's Pumpkin Spice Ale (not bad) at their local bar, or maybe Shipyard's Pumpkinhead (bad) and Dogfish Head's Punkin' Ale (very good) if they frequent decent beer bars. Either way, here are a few of the good, bad, and "meh" you might encounter this season. Cheers.


Punkin' Ale
Dogfish Head Craft Brewery
Pumpkin Ale | 7.00% ABV

B+ / 3.8
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | drink: 4

I'm not sure where this appeared from in January, but I'm not complaining. I had a pint (low-head) with my soup and pizza at Liberty St. Tavern. The hops have died down a bit since October, but this is still about the hoppiest pumpkin ale you can find. It starts with big, pulpy pumpkin meat in the aroma and flavor which is followed by a bitter burst of citrus. This isn't the most complexx pumpkin beer, the malts never really came out. But I'd say it's the most balanced and certainly one of the more pleasant to drink.


Imperial Pumpkin Ale
Weyerbacher Brewing Co.
Pumpkin Ale | 8.00% ABV

B+ / 3.9
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | drink: 3.5

Had a bottle, poured into a Weyerbacker pint glass.

Big strong, aroma to start, full of pumpkin meat and crust garnished with cinnamon and nutmeg. The flavor is good, but comes off too spice-heavy, taking away from the nice malts and pumpkin in the aroma. Overall, it feels like a bigger beer, but still hides the 8% well. One of the best pumpkin beers I've tried and tastier than the other imperial I've tried, Pumking.


Pumpkinhead Ale
Shipyard Brewing Co.
Pumpkin Ale | 4.50% ABV

C- / 2.7
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | drink: 2

Wow, this is a far cry from the very fine Blue Fin Stout I recently had from Shipyard. This beer tastes like pumpkin pie juice. Seriously, if someone threw a pie into a juicer and strained the remains, this is what you'd get. It feels thin and watery while the cinnamon and pumpkin pie spices are overwhelming. Pass on this unfortunate dud.


Jack's Pumpkin Spice Ale
Anheuser-Busch
Pumpkin Ale | 5.50% ABV

B- / 3.45
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | drink: 3.5

On-tap at Mach's Gute in Bethlehem PA at $4 a pint. It appeared clear amber with a short white head. For an A-B beer this isn't bad. It's clean and there aren't trademark bad beer flavors like corn or any rough bites. Really, this is a lot like a Yuengling but with a big smattering of Thanksgiving spices - cinnamon, pumpkin spice, clove. It's pretty thin for the style, but not a bad beer.

There's good beer in Florida - Cigar City Brewing

The name is long, but the beer is damn good. I was in Orlando over the weekend for a wedding and made a stop the first night at Knightly Spirits for a few provisions (local beer). While there really isn't a lot of good beer that's unique to Orlando, I did find a couple bottle from Tampa's tiny Cigar City Brewing. The good news, according to their blog, is that they're started to ship bottles to NY. So next time you're in NYC, you might be able to find a bottle. Best of luck.

Jai Alai Cedar Aged IPA - Humidor Series
Cigar City Brewing
American IPA | 7.50% ABV

A- / 4.25
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | drink: 4

Picked up a 750 ml bottle from Knightly Spirits in Orlando. Poured a hazy orange with a tall white head. The aroma has a syrupy mix of sweetened grapefruit, toasted cedar plank, and ash, but with more of the focus on the citrus hops. The flavor hits off with the hops - big pine and juniper (almost like gin), and then biting orange peel. Dry, wood flavors kick in to finish with cocoa and toasted crust. Overall, a very well-made and interesting IPA. I hope this beer gets around, it's damn good.

It's still summer to me.

I've been hearing a lot of whining lately about the end of summer and frankly, I think it's pretty lame. It's still hot out. I'm still sweating far more than is comfortable. And despite the appearance of Oktoberfest beers, I'm still drinking summer beers like hefeweizens and pilsners.

You're welcome to give up on summer and start hibernating, but not me. There's still plenty of time until the leaves fall and snow flies. Here's the warm-weather beers I've been loving lately.


Hopfenweizen
Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant
American Pale Wheat Ale

B+ / 4
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | drink: 4

On-tap at the Newark brewpub. Served in a pint glass, the beer was a clear amber with a short white head. The flavor kicked off with typical Bavarian wheat beer spices: clove and banana. And after the initial wheat malt and yeast character, the American hops jumped in with bitter grapefruit and pine flavors. Very tasty and a great blending of IPA and hefe styles. If you've tried and enjoyed the Brooklyner-Schneider Hopfen-Weisse, this is like a lighter-alcohol version. A great beer for anyone that loves wheat beers and hops.


Voodoo Love Child
Voodoo Brewing Company
Tripel

Brewer's Notes: This is our Belgian Style Tippel aged on intimate fruits of Passion Fruit, Raspberry and Cherry. Lightly spiced with corriander and curqua orange peel and other spices of passion. Light Reddish hue and with a alcohol strength of 10.5% and nicely carbonated in the bottle.

B+ / 4
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | drink: 4

Split a bomber at The Farmhouse for $13. This beer is worth checking out for the bizarre label alone. Wow. The beer appears a hazy light amber with a short white head. The aroma and flavor are big on fresh berry fruit and seeds. I'm reminded of the sensation of biting into a raspberry and chewing on the seeds. In the aroma, however, this smell comes off eerily similar to roasted turkey. Go figure. The label says it has cherries, passion fruit, and raspberries, and the former two play a big part of the taste, while the actual tripel malt just provides a pleasant backbone. Check this beer out. Definitely interesting and tasty.


La Trappe Isid'or
Bierbrouwerij De Koningshoeven B.V.
Belgian Pale Ale | 7.50% ABV

A- / 4.2
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | drink: 4

Ordered a bottle at Tap and Table in Emmaus, PA for $7. Served in a chalice it appears light amber with a slight haze. Man, this is a delicious beer. The flavor is a subtle mix of lemon peel, vanilla, white pepper, sweet candy bread, and white grape. The spices are very mellow, but the flavors are deep. The body is very drinkable and if it weren't a little expensive I'd order another.

Beer for cyclocross

Cyclocross season is coming and I need some homebrew for it. Why? Well if you don't know much about cyclocross, it's basically a marriage of bike racing and beer. Normally, that could be dangerous, but 'cross takes place on grassy fields and in parks, so nobody's going to get hurt. And if they do, it's not the beer's fault.

Name: TBD
Belgian Blonde Ale
Original Gravity: 1.062
Final Gravity: 1.000
ABV: 7.9%
IBU: 33

Malt Bill:
9.5# Belgian Pilsner
1# Wheat
.5# Caravienne
1# Belgian Candi Sugar

Hops:
1 oz. Northern Brewer @ 60 min
1 oz. Hallertau @ 30 min

Wyeast French Saison Yeast
Mashed @ 152 for 60 min

Light beers don't have to suck, but Keystone Light does.

I can deal with hot summer days, but the hot summer nights lead me to do crazy things like drink awful, awful beer (provided it's real cold). A couple Fridays ago, the always-generous Kuklickx was hosting a party with free beer. I can't knock him for serving Keystone, because hey, I'm not paying for it. In fact, I'm greatful to Kuklickx for providing me with some drink-for-thought. Only by trying to worst beers, can we understand the best. Also, once my six-pack of Kellerweis was empty, I was at the mercy of his kegerator. So Kuklickx, this post is dedicated to you. Assuming you ever read it.

Now the interesting thing about light beer is that while most suck, they don't have to. Over the last week, I tried a great beer at Emmaus's Tap and Table that was far lighter than Keystone (only 2.8%), but still tasted like good beer. Anyways, here the reviews to compare and contrast two vastly different light, low-alcohol brews.

Keystone Light
Coors Brewing Company
Light Lager | 4.20% ABV

D / 2.1 (this is an above-average score)
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2.5 | drink: 2.5

A friend had this on-tap in his kegerator and I couldn't resist giving this a try. I was also out of Kellerweise. Last time I drank this it was in an unfinished basement in college. This experience, frankly (and thanks to Kuklickx), wasn't terribly different. I found the key to this beer was to taste it as little as possible. Letting sit on my tongue for a split second before gulping left just a cream soda and white bread taste. When I let it linger, it tasted like a chemical spill. It was sharp and acrid with a dirty water background. Stick to chugging, you don't want to taste this.



Mirage
General Lafayette Inn & Brewery
Belgian Pale Ale | 2.70% ABV

B / 3.6
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | drink: 4

On-tap at Tap and Table in Emmaus, PA for $3/pint. An impressive beer for the strength. Good job General Lafayette. It drinks like a typical session beer of greater strength and reminds me of a milder Squatters Full Suspension. The malt is mellow with a little toasted barley followed by kicks of apricot and lemon peel hops, very tasty. Give this beer a try if you're into session beers.

Summer is delicious: Hot weather beer

For me, the summer is (a little) less about trying new beers as it is simply about enjoying great beer. It's a balance, really, because some new beer just sucks. Still, I've picked up a couple new favorites when it comes to flavorful, yet light and drinkable, session beers.


B.B. Bürgerbräu (Budweiser Bier)
Budějovický Měšťanský Pivovar
Czech Pilsener | 5.00% ABV

B+ / 3.9
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | drink: 4

On-tap at Tap and Table for $5/pint. Thanks to Tudor for the recommendation. This is a tasty and fresh Czech pilsener - something that's hard to some by. A lot of alleged Czech pils are really just bland macro lagers. There's a smooth, dry bready malt taste and the pils finishes with a mildly bitter spicy hop taste. Very nice and very refreshing. Pils-lovers should seek this out.

Sculpin India Pale Ale
Ballast Point Brewing Company
American IPA | 7.00% ABV

A / 4.35
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | drink: 4.5

Shared a bomber at Tap and Table in Emmaus, PA for $14. Totally worth it. This is easily one of the best IPA's I've had in sometime. Reminds me in terms of quality of the pint of Town Hall Masala Mama I had last week. The hops jump out of the glass once the beer is poured - I love when that happens. The hops are a mix of spicy citrus that are juicy, but dry and drinkable. There are also tasty notes of apricot, white grape, and orange peel.The aftertaste just doesn't go away. I had to go out of my way to find an even bigger beer to follow this up, otherwise this beer would have still been hanging on my palate.


Those beers kicked ass. Now, for posterity, here's one of the new beers that landed closer to the other end of the awesome-suck beer continuum.


Dirty Blonde
Atwater Block Brewery
American Pale Wheat Ale | 4.50% ABV

C+ / 3.05
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | drink: 2.5

On-tap at Liberty St. Tavern in Allentown, PA. Appears hazy dark blonde. There's nothing very remarkable about this beer. It was a slightly sweet wheat malt flavor so it kind of just tastes like sugary liquid bread. No hops to speak of and while it's easy-drinking and balanced, it's not really a pleasure to drink. It just does nothing for me.

Alberto Contador may be suspiciously good, but this has been a clean Tour de France this year. So instead of making fun of stupid dopers (Bert is clearly stupid, but only possibly a doper), I thought I'd make a pubic-service post. Here's a list of all the TdF team and what types of companies actually sponsor them. Who knew Quick-Step was in the flooring business?

The teams are also listed in order of their team classification (combined time of their top 3 riders). That means that Borat & Co (Kazakhstan governement and a conglomeration of Kazakh companies) is beating the crap out of the likes of an Italian sheet metal company and a Dutch bank. Yeah, it's just weird like that. And next year we'll get to see Radio Shack in the mix.

ASTANA: Borat & Co.
GARMIN - SLIPSTREAM: GPS devices and a guy with huge sideburns
AG2R LA MONDIALE: French interprofessional insurance and supplementary retirement fund group, and a French-based group for supplementary pension and estate planning insurance.
TEAM SAXO BANK: Online trading and investment company
LIQUIGAS: Italian liquid gas provider
COFIDIS LE CREDIT EN LIGNE: Money lender
EUSKALTEL - EUSKADI: Basque telecom company with Basque government funding (like Borat & Co.)
FRANCAISE DES JEUX: French national lottery
TEAM KATUSHA: Russian natural gas and holding companies (Russian mob)
TEAM MILRAM: German milk (hence why they look like cows)
AGRITUBEL: Metal tubes for farming
CAISSE D’EPARGNE: French banking group (for a Spanish team)
BBOX BOUYGUES TELECOM: French mobile phone company
SILENCE - LOTTO: Belgian national lottery and a Belgian pharma company.
CERVELO TEST TEAM: Canadian bike company with a fake Italian name.
TEAM COLUMBIA - HTC: Winter jackets and mobile phones
RABOBANK: Dutch financial services provider
QUICK STEP: Laminate & Parquet flooring
LAMPRE - N.G.C: Italian sheet metal
SKIL-SHIMANO: small power tools, cycling components and fishing tackle

Minnesota is delicious

Minnesota is delicious. And not just because we're next to Wisconsin (which we all know is made of cheese). I've been here a week visiting the fam and it's almost time to head back to PA. As always, there's never enough time with family and friends, and there's never enough time to drink all the new-to-me beers. Alas. I do my best.

Here's a quick write-up of a kick-ass, one-off beer I had this week at Town Hall Brewery. This brewpub is easily one of the best in the world and does amazing things with hops.


Golden Leaf Pale Ale
Minneapolis Town Hall Brewery
American Pale Ale

A / 4.3
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | drink: 4.5

On-tap at Town Hall. $3.75 for a late night happy hour pint. Damn these guys know their hops. This Columbus dry-hopped pale ale kicks ass. It's got big biting hops, nice and rough, while the body is still very drinkable. The flavor is a mix of earthy and grapefruit hops and they pair perfectly. It's part garden, part citrus punch. There's also a slightly fruity, trademark Town Hall note that I only taste in their beers. House flavor I suppose. I could ask for a little more flavor from this beer, but it's still one of the best pale ales I've had in a long time.

Blogging another blog, and the Brewer's Art Green Peppercorn Tripel

The last two days I've done the liveblog Tour de France coverage for Bicycling.com. Both times I wrote about 2500 words over 3 hours, which is pretty good for me, but pales in comparison to the usual contributor, Joe Lindsey.

Today's Tour coverage garnered 55 comments. I don't think I've ever had a post here get 5, but that's fine. This is the place for me to write about beer and cycling stuff nobody is paying me to write about. If 200 people see the page, 20 read it and 2 think about commenting but don't, that's enough of an audience for me.

To celebrate my blogging with a larger audience, I split of bottle of the Brewer's Art Green Peppercorn Tripel with a friend. This richly-flavored take on a classic Belgian style was perfect for the humid summer evening we were having. If you're ever in Maryland, look this beer up.

Brewer's Art Green Peppercorn Tripel
Brewer's Art
Tripel | 9.20% ABV



A- / 4.1
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | drink: 4.5

Picked up a bottle at State Line in Maryland and split it with a friend. Poured a hazy gold with a tall white head that left lacing. Throughout the aroma and flavor, the peppercorn is obvious, but it never dominates the beer. Instead it does a great job of adding something a little different. This beer is otherwise a very smooth and subtle triple that reminds me of La fin du Monde for the gentle spices and occasional burst of sweet bread a light fruit flavors. Definitely try this beer if you can find it.

(The picture is good enough that I feel compelled to remind any readers that it's not mine, I'm just borrowing it from shyzaboy)

Riding like a Belgian

I took a vacation day recently to spend 8 hours on my bike, or at least near it and enjoying a beer.



I went out with local mechanic extraordinaire, Taylor, and stopped for lunch at the Phoenixville Iron Hill Brewery. Before my Belgian meatballs came out, we had an order of frites with spicy mayo and a round of the house witbier. Later on, I enjoyed an even tastier tripel.

Witbier
Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant
Witbier

B+ / 3.85
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | drink: 4

I biked into town on a hot day and ordered the wit first thing. Came out in a tall pilsner sort of glass with an orange slice which I quickly removed. While the beer was very drinkable, like a good wit, the flavor felt a little fuller and lacked the small subtle spice flavors of a great wit. Instead it was a simpler sweet vanilla wheat with pepper and orange spice. Certainly not bad, but not my favorite wit.

Belgian Tripel
Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant
Tripel
A- / 4.1
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | drink: 4.5

I ordered a goblet with my meal of Belgian meatballs and though the meatballs were lackluster, this beer kicked ass. It appeared a clear gold with a short head. I suppose I really liked it because it so closely mimicked Maredsous 10 (a fav of mine). It's not the driest tripel, but there's a delicious orange and spice yeast profile with hint of pepper, vanilla, and apricot. Very tasty. Try this beer.

Writing about beer for real

Whenever possible I write about beer and actually get paid for it. Of course, a lot of people like to get paid to write about beer (not to mention get samples), so the gigs are limited. Still, I had an article go up recently on Bicycling.com. Among athletes, I like to believe that cyclists are a particularly good beer drinkers. And I mean that both in their level of taste and overall zeal.

Check it out.

It's hard to pick a favorite out of the bunch, though the Squatter's Full-Suspension Pale Ale, Oskar Blues Gordon, and La Rulles Estivale stood out in my mind. I held a tasting of the 11 beers with about as many tasters and nobody could agree on a favorite. Seeing that just backed up my long-held (well at least the last few years) belief that in life there's no need to worry, because there's always more good beer.

Real Beer Judging

To my 225 semi-regular readers (at least according to May counter statistics), I apologize for my recent lapse of posting. Shit happens.

June has been a good beer month thus far. Two weeks ago, I judged my second competition at the 2009 BUZZ OFF. I'll point out right here that any homebrew club worth its yeast has some silly beer-related acronym for a name. In this case we have the Brewers United for Zany Zymurgy - Zymurgy being the science of fermentation.

For a tangential bit of entertainment, here are a few of the best club names:

The Houston United Group of Zymurgists (THUGZ)
Wichita`s Only Real Tasty Suds (WORTS)
Diablo Order of Zymiracle Enthusiasts (DOZE)
KROC (Keg Ran Out Club)

I judged and enjoyed Belgian Specialty (doesn't fit in any normal Belgian category) and Pilsners, with a Trappist-inspired barleywine being my favorite beer. The closest thing I can liken it to is Maredsous 10, which also happens to be a favorite of mine.

Also for the second time after judging a competition, I felt awful. It was like having a hangover without ever getting drunk or even catch a buzz. Over the 6 hours of judging, I sipped a total of about four beers while trying 22 different entries. Why did I do this again?

Anyways, on the topic of Belgian Specialty beers, I recently tried Captain Lawrence's Xtra Gold tripel. The beer was a delicious blend of American and Belgian brewing practices and ingredients.

Xtra Gold Tripel
Captain Lawrence Brewing Co.
Tripel | 10.00% ABV

A- / 4.1
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | drink: 4.5

Picked up a 750 capped bottle at New Beer Distributors in the Bowery. I like it when labels tell the truth and this really does taste like an American-style tripel. It's more crisp (and fresh) with juicy citrus hops rounding out a more traditional spice and pepper malt and yeast flavor. Sometimes US brewers try to put their own American spin on a Belgian, but the beer just comes out too plain, this beer doesn't do any of that. It takes the best of both worlds making for a delicious and satisfying beer. I'll also note that fans of hoppy Belgian's should look to this beer.

Beer Reviews: Triple your pleasure

OK, that's a lame title, but I've had a good run of Belgian tripels lately. For anyone that doesn't know, a Belgian tripel is a strong, deliciously spicy golden ale that'll knock you on your ass if you're not careful. BeerAdvocate.com also has a description:


Description:
The name "Tripel" actually stems from part of the brewing process, in which brewers use up to three times the amount of malt than a standard Trappist "Simple." Traditionally, Tripels are bright yellow to gold in color, which is a shade or two darker than the average Pilsener. Head should be big, dense and creamy. Aroma and flavor runs along complex, spicy phenolic, powdery yeast, fruity/estery with a sweet finish. Sweetness comes from both the pale malts and the higher alcohol. Bitterness is up there for a beer with such a light body for its strength, but at times is barely perceived amongst the even balance of malts and hops. The lighter body comes from the use of Belgian candy sugar (up to 25% sucrose), which not only lightens the body, but also adds complex alcoholic aromas and flavors. Small amounts of spices are sometimes added as well.

Tripels are actually notoriously alcoholic, yet the best crafted ones hide this character quite evil-like and deceivingly, making them sipping beers.

Average alcohol by volume (abv) range: 8.0-12.0%

Right, what they said. Anyways, here's what I've been enjoying.

Incubus
Sly Fox Brewing Company
Tripel | 10.30% ABV

B+ / 4
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | drink: 4

Picked up a bottle from the Bowery Whole Foods for $9. Why have I not drank this beer before? It's a well-made Belgian that's delightfully fresh thanks to being brewed so nearby. The beer is properly light and drinkable, and also dry and spicy. The malts also provide a gentle golden raisin and mild berry punch taste before more dry biscuit malt and a peppery finish. Definitely worth a try.


Merry Monks' Ale
Weyerbacher Brewing Co.
Tripel | 9.30% ABV

B / 3.6
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | drink: 4.5

Had a bottle with a spicy BBQ chicken dinner.

It's nice and sweet, a little too sweet like most American takes on Belgian styles, but for the price it's not bad. The flavor starts with light fruit syrup taste followed an almost hot spice flavor with some pale grains mixed in. It lacks the complexity of the great Belgians, but I still enjoyed it.


La Fin Du Monde
Unibroue
Tripel | 9.00% ABV

A- / 4.2
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5.5 | feel: 4 | drink: 4

This is a pretty nice beer, stands right up with some of my favorite Belgians like Duvel. It smelled sweet and spicy (corriander) with a similar flavor that was rich, yet drinkable and kept coming at my tongue. The spicy hops, white pepper, and dry biscuit malts don't stop. This is a great beer and probably benefits from having a shorter trip down from Canada to help keep it fresh.


Houblon Chouffe Dobbelen IPA Tripel
Brasserie d'Achouffe
Belgian IPA | 9.00% ABV

A- / 4.05
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | drink: 4

Very interesting. In short, I'd have liked a touch more from the malt, but there's a lot of awesome hops flavors here. They're big and rough, yet sweet at times, and always tasty. I'm talking citrus fruit punch with grassy and herbal elements. The richness of flavor is on par with any good DIPA, but the body is more drinkable than most 9% beers. There was a mild bready malt flavor with a hint of vanilla and spice that reminds me a touch more of a wit.

Overall, this is a pretty cool combination of a Belgian ale with big hops. Definitely worth trying.

Biking like a gentleman

It's been a busy week but this weekend I got to take part in the 120-mile Rapha Gentlemen's Race in and around the Catskills of Upstate NY. There was about 5000 vertical feet of climbing and cold beer from Kelso Brewing at the finish line (a delicious pilsner).

Here are a few images from my crappy camera of my Fifth St. Cross team rolling up Sugar Loaf, the day's big climb.

Taylor ripping it up.

Pryor, Plunkett, and Christine bringing the pain.

It was a long, sweaty day and thankfully Pryor had a few special brews waiting for the team. I had a nice, cool bottle of Tripel Karmeliet. Delicious. Here's a review from the achrives on the tasty Belgian.

Tripel Karmeliet
Brouwerij Bosteels
Tripel

A- / 4.2
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | drink: 5

Poured from a 750ml green bottle. A little overflow after it was uncorked, this bottle might have been sitting around a while. No matter, its still tasty.

Looks a hazy straw yellow, and smells of apples and green grapes with a touch of spice. The spice expands on taste, as does the fruit here. This is one of those beers that amazes you at what a beer can taste like. Not overly sweet. I'd say its perfectly balanced. Give me more.

Surprise: Tap and Table is Open

I was sitting at South Mountain Cycles and Coffee Bar this morning when suddenly Bowman emerged from the bathroom with an announcement. While doing whatever it was he was doing, he noticed an ad deep in the local newspaper proclaiming the opening of Emmaus's Tap and Table gastro pub. Hot damn, it opened early.

I went over for lunch to check the place out. Unfortunately, I only had my camera phone with me, so I apologize for the crappy images. I had the mussels and clams, cooked in a garlic beer (La Chouffe) sauce, and a bottle of Taras Boulba, a light, hoppy Belgian pale ale.

Good Belgian Beer: Eerwaarde Pater

I'm typically a pretty intentional drinker. When I'm trying a new beer, I like to know what it is and whether it's worth a damn, because, well, there's a lot of shitty beer in this world. Recently my favorite bottle shop, Abe's Cold Beer, filled a few shelves with new-to-the-US Belgian imports. Incidentally since most of the beer geek websites I use are US-based there was little to no info on the new brews. For posterity's sake, however, I swallowed hard a picked a few bottles that seemed to come from reputable brewers. So far so good...


Eerwaarde Pater
Brouwerij Het Alternatief
Belgian Strong Dark Ale

B+ / 4
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | drink: 4.5

Picked up a single at Abe's Cold Beer for $5. Poured a clear brown with little head and no retention. This is certainly a unique beer and is sort of a hybrid of an American brown ale and dark strong Belgian. I'm sure that wasn't the brewer's intention, but the malts come out very clean and crisp with roast caramel, not at all hidden by yeast-driven flavors like fruit and spice. The oak aging (at least according to the label) adds a mildly acid sour tang that's an not-so-natural, but interesting pairing with the robust dark malt flavor. The aroma is a smoother, inviting caramel and chocolate candy smell. And in the sour aftertaste there's a hint of farmhouse funk. This beer would likely be greatly improved with a year or two of cellaring to let the wild critters grow and develop, you know, if you're into that sort of thing. Overall, a different take on the style and very drinkable. Try this beer.

New Lehigh Valley Gastropub: Tap and Table.

UPDATE: NOW OPEN SEE THURSDAY'S POST


Hell to the yes. I got word earlier this week that a new gastropub, called Tap and Table, will be opening in the Lehigh Valley. Here's an email I got from the folks in charge:

Thanks a lot for your interest; we are VERY excited to serve the valley with an incredible beer experience. The goal is to open by the end of May, but there hasn't been an exact date set yet. We will have 6 drafts, 3 casks, and about 50 bottles; all rotating selections. We will NOT carry any light commercial beer, yuengling lager, sam adams, etc...only the FINEST. We guarantee our selection will be blow you away! The food consists of 5/6 appetizers and 5/6 plates. Beer is used as an ingredient in a number of the dishes. The food is pub fare with a very unique twist. The atmosphere is an old world pub feel/gothic church, and the space is completely illuminated by candles!

They'll be located just outside Emmaus on 4226 Chestnut St (AKA Rte 29). That's just down the road from The Farmhouse and not too far from Shangy's.

Some day I might get tired of drinking Belgian beer. Maybe:

Saturday night I had dinner at Louie's in Allentown (they have some good beer) with a group that included a several runners who'd signed up for today's Lehigh Valley Half-Marathon. One guy, however, was injured but still came to town from Binghamton to pick up his race t-shirt and cheer on his girlfriend.

Now I like bad, stupid ideas. So the second I learned there was a race number up for grabs, I had to have it despite maybe running for a total of seven miles a week the last couple months. Twelve hours later I was lined up and running in support of my friend Meg (she kicked ass and ran a 1:50, I kicked far less ass and ran 1:50). Surprisingly, I felt pretty good. After eleven years of on and off competitive I guess I've built up what Bill Strickland eloquently describes as "deep legs". Today also went a lot better than my bad idea to run/walk the Marine Corps Marathon last fall, so I celebrated with the best Belgian beer I had on hand.

't Gaverhopke Den Twaalf (Bruin 12°)/ Extra
Brouwerij 't Gaverhopke
Quadrupel (Quad)

A- / 4.05
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | drink: 4.5

Picked up a single at Abe's Cold Beer for $5.25. The label read "EXTRA" and that's just the exported name. Very interesting. This doesn't just follow the typical quad lines of smooth caramel malts. Instead it starts with a mix of dry lemon with tart raspberries, then cocoa and toffee with a very mild earthy mustiness. The aroma is a little cleaner than the flavor with dry, earthy cocoa and a grape juice note. Finishes with a tart juicy feel, sort of like drinking cranberry juice, and no hint of alcohol. I'd like the flavors here to be richer, but this is still tasty and very easy to drink Belgian.

Thanks Keith: ReaperAle Deathly Pale Ale

My favorite neighborhood bar Liberty St. Tavern reopened this weekend after suffering damage from an electrical fire in the upstairs apartment. I met up with a few friends and shared a few large bottles of delicious craft beer. Keith, who's always generous with beer, set down a new round on our table and proceeded to leave me and Kuklix to finish them. He simply asked to let him know what the Deathly Pale Ale tasted like, so here you go.

Deathly Pale Ale
ReaperAle
American Pale Ale (APA)

B+ / 3.85
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | drink: 4

It poured a light copper with white head. The hops dominate this beer, but not beer a quick shot of bready malt pops in the. The hops are almost sweet with smooth, sappy pine followed by apricot and grapefruit. Very drinkable and very tasty.

And again: The Lost Abbey's Judgment Day

While this is from California, it certainly captures the spirit of Belgium.

Judgment Day
The Lost Abbey
Quadrupel (Quad)

B+ / 4
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | drink: 4

On-tap at the Farmhouse in Emmaus, PA. Served in a wine glass it appears a very dark brown with a tan head. Quite dark for a quad, but there are faint red highlight when held up to the light. At first I get a candy plum note, but that quickly fades leaving to big dark chocolate flavors along with raisin and very mild peppermint notes. The aroma also sticks with the chocolate, but it reminds me of a creamier, fine milk chocolate. Finishes with a roasted orange bitterness from the mix of hops and malt. Thick, but reasonable for a 10.5% beer. Certainly not your average quad, but a great dessert beer.

More Good Beer: It's Belgian - Gaverhopke Singing Blonde

To combat Monday's heat, I popped open a bottle I'd recently snagged at Abe's Cold Beer while grilling some BBQ chicken. While the chicken was pretty good (probably from the Wegman's sauce, not my grilling skills), the beer was great. Apparently this beer in particular is almost untried in the U.S., but Abe's has it. Thank you Abe.

't Gaverhopke Zingende Blondine
Brouwerij 't Gaverhopke
Belgian Strong Pale Ale

A- / 4.2
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | drink: 4.5

Poured a clear gold with an aggressive head and only turned hazy because I let a little sediment in. The aroma is an interesting mix wine vinegar, cider, and scented burning candles - in the sense that it reminds me of spiced wax if that makes any sense. The flavor has bit of orange peel, lemon juice, mild pepper. The finish if fairly balanced with subtle bitterness with light sour tang. Complex and easy to drink for the 9.8% strength. Heck of a beer.

Sometimes beer is disappointing.

There's a good chance that being inundated with world-class beer in Belgium has made me more critical of other beer. This new cherry beer from Founders was particularly mediocre considering how delicious the rest of their beers are.

Founders Cerise
Founders Brewing Company
Fruit / Vegetable Beer

C+ / 3.1
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | drink: 3.5

Had a pint at Pearly Baker's in Easton, PA. This beer was a disappointment. It came out a clear cherry red with no head. The aroma and flavor are basically of cherry juice while there's also a vaguely nutty malt flavor in the background of the taste. Juicy but flat and not satisfying as a beer.

Post-Belgium: Man it was delicious

Anyways, here are a few of my favorite beers from the trip.


Saison De L'Epeautre
Brasserie de Blaugies
Saison / Farmhouse Ale

A- / 4.1
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | drink: 4.5

Picked up a 375 cl at the Hopduvel in Ghent. The cashier asked me where I found this beer. I guess its not a popular option, but it should be. My first reaction was that it was like Saison Dupont, but thin I realized it also have creamy vanilla flavors and notes like Duvel. Damn, this beer is good. It was a bit of a foamer when I took the cork out, but once settled it has an appropriate carbonation level and is easy drinking. This is a perfect example of a lower alcohol saison. Drink this if you can find it.


Bracia
Thornbridge Hall Country House Brewing Company
American Double / Imperial Stout

A- / 4.2
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | drink: 4

The honey and hazelnuts are obvious in the aroma and flavor. While chocolate roast and cocoa dominate the flavor. Yum Appears pitch black with a milk chocolate head. There's a long, espresso aftertaste. Hot damn, this is good beer. There's a paler malt notes that pop up in the aftertaste, but there's a whole lot of roasted malt going on that dives into roast chestnuts, honey, and spicy British hops. Delicious.


Oude Gueuze
Hanssens Artisanaal bvba
Gueuze

A- / 4.25
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | drink: 4

Had a bottle in Ghent and was quite pleased. Poured a hazy amber gold and thick white head. The big character here is the toasted oak barrel flavor. After that is more of typical (of great oude guezes) ripping sour tang that hits the back of your cheekbones with lemon, lime, and earthy spice. Delicious. I'll have another.


Oude Kriek De Cam
De Cam Geuzestekerij
Lambic - Fruit

A / 4.3
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | drink: 4.5

Ordered a bottle at the Waterhuis in Ghent. Damn, this might be the best kriek I've ever had. Not overly funky, but interesting and with a long, dry sour cherry flavor. It's a pleasant mustiness, that for whatever reason reminds me of cobwebs and cellars before the tangy cherries kick in. Definitely find this beer if you're in Belgium.


Sussex Best Bitter
Harvey & Son Ltd.
English Bitter

A- / 4.1
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | drink: 4.5

Had a half pint on cask at The Harp near Trafalgar Square. This was one of my favorite real ales while in London for a week. It was a mixture of floral hops and oak with a fruit punch aroma at first. Then I started to pull cherry juice flavor with dry wheat cracker in the background and a note of blueberry in the aroma. Delicious.

Epilogue: London

After Belgium I flew to London to visit my sister for a few days.


Look kids - Big Ben, Parliament.


This sums up Katie's tour.


Nothing like British real ale and pork skin/fat.


One of my favorite pubs, The Bree Louise, and it's 11 gravity casks.


Another pretty pub.


Sittimg down for lunch.


Dessert - bread pudding and beer.