belgian style

New Beer Blog New Belgium Side Trip Belgian Style Pale Ale

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In this spring seasonal beer blog, we are going to get into one of the new seasonal beers for the year from New Belgium Brewery.  It is their Side Trip Belgian Style Pale Ale.  If you read my earlier beer blog posts on their beers, you know the history of this Mountain high craft brewery.  If you have not, please, read them to get to know this craft brewery.  Let us get into this craft pale ale.

It has a clear golden color with a white constant head. The aroma has a hay to bready like notes. The taste has a bready to earthly notes with a slight citrus notes. The aftertaste has a farm like to earthy finish. It is pretty drinkable beer.

Here is a description from their website (www.newbelgium.com):

Sometimes it’s a side trip that makes the journey. During our last anniversary retreat to Belgium, brewmaster Peter Bouckaert embarked on a sensory excursion to find the perfect yeast strain for his next creation: Side Trip Belgian Pale Ale. A beer from Brouwerij Van Den Bossche led Bouckaert to the brewery’s family Buffalo yeast strain, which they happily shared, and the foundation was set. Additions of Belgian Chateau Abbey and Cara Ruby malts from Castle Malting, the oldest malting plant in Belgium, as well as Belgian Magnum, Saphir and Target hops builds a bready, caramel-sweet wash with traces of stone fruits, and a balanced herbal bitterness for a pleasantly dry finish. Take a break from your journey with a Side Trip.

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website:  www.newbelgium.com

Twitter:  @newbelgium

Closing, New Belgium Brewery has been making beer for 25 years now.  They are throwing a party this year and this spring seasonal is starting it up.  This beer has all ingredients from Belgium.  I am talking the yeast to the hops and etc.  The yeast came from Belgium brewery. I will have to say this is by far my favorite seasonal from this craft brewery.  I love it and I am stocking up on it.  I am going to try to age this beer for at least a year.  I want to see what happens with this beer.  This is well balance and they did a great job.  I believe it will hold pretty well for a year. I highly recommend this beer.  Go get some!  Drink it!  Enjoy it!  Metal it!  \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email:  djweiser16@gmail.com

Twitter:  @djweiser

Instagram:  @djweiser13

New Beer Blog Smuttynose Winter Ale

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In this winter beer blog, we are going to take a look at a beer called Winter Ale from Smuttynose Brewery.  I do not know this brewery that well so I was looking at trying this beer out at Countryside Bar.  Smuttynose Brewing was founded in 1994 by Peter Egelston in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.    They brew several different beer styles.  I will be trying some other brews from this brewery.  Let us get into this beer.

It has a clear brown color with a constant white head on the beer.  There is really no smell to the beer. The taste is a sweet malty with a dry aftertaste.  It is a pretty warm beer going down the throat.  It is a nice beer for the winter months.  I would say this is a marathon beer not a speed drinking beer.  It is a nice Dubbel.

Here is a description from their website (www.smuttynose.com):

Smuttynose Winter Ale is a full-bodied, amber beer brewed with a special Trappist ale yeast. Stylistically reminiscent of a Belgian Abbey Double, it features fruity aromas and flavor, balanced by soft Crystal hops. Warming, mellow & pleasantly complex, Smuttynose Winter Ale is your perfect cold weather companion.

SMUTTYNOSE WINTER ALE CONTAINS NO SPICES

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website:  www.smuttynose.com

Twitter:  @smuttynosebeer

Closing out, I did enjoy this beer and I am looking forward to checking out their other beers that they have out in my market.  I love the looks to the taste of this beer.  This is a great beer sitting by the fireplace with a nice cigar.  I recommend you trying this beer and let me know what your thoughts.  If you had some of their beers, please let me know which is the next brew I should have from this brewery.  Go get some!  Drink it!  Enjoy it!  Metal it!  \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email:  djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter:  @djweiser

New Blog Roscoe’s Hop House Belgian White

In this blog, we are going to get into another beer from Roscoe’s Hop House, which is called Belgian White.  Please, go back and read for the small and lack of information on this brewery in my blog on their Pale Ale.  Let us get into the beer.

This beer is a Belgian Style White. Why is it clear?  It is clear golden color without a head. It has a heavy coriander smell to the beer. This beer taste like Blue Moon and has that American Belgian Style White Ale taste on it. This beer could fool a lot of beer drinkers because it looks like a pilsner in the glass.

Here is a descripation from the beer bottle:

Harkening back to old world brewing styles, Roscoe’s Hop House uses the highest quality malts and hops to bring forth highly complex flavors of citrus, coriander and subtle spice.  With a nod to the past, this nicely balanced unfiltered ale has a uniquely crisp taste and exceptionally smooth finish.

Here is a list of awards that this beer won from their website (www.roscoeshophouse.com):

Roscoe’s Hop House Belgian White

88 Points/ Silver Medal “Highly Recommended” – BTI,

World Beer Championship 2012

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website:  www.roscoeshophouse.com

Twitter:  no twitter address

In closing, the problem I have with this beer is simple.  It does not look like a Belgian White Ale.  They claim that is unfiltered but it is very clear and looks like a pilsner.  If you are at a party, this beer could fool a few beer drinkers.  It has the taste and smell of a Belgian White Ale.  I am not a fan of an of these beer styles, which are whites, wheat, and hefweizen.  I have tryed several of these beers I have to say this one is not that good.  The only thing this beer has going for it.  It is at a very low price then the rest of the craft beers in the store.  I would not make a special trip to hunt this beer down.  Go get some!  Drink it!  Enjoy it!  Metal it!  \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email:  djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter:  @djweiser

New Blog Stone Cali-Belgique IPA

In this blog, we are going to the west coast to check out a brewery that has push the limits of hops and craft beer drinkers around the country since there exists.  This brewery I am talking about is Stone Brewery and the beer is Cali-Belgique IPA.  Here is a little history on this west coast brewery.  Stone Brewery was founded in 1996 in San Marcos, California by Steve Wagner and Greg Koch.  This brewery is now the largest brewery in Southern California.  This brewery as of 2010 became the 14th largest craft brewery and 23rd overall brewery.  Stone Brewery is still growing and still doing different things with their beers.  They have beer teaming up with different breweries around the country to create new beers. We are going to get into one right now.

I am trying this beer at the Blues Bar in Mount Prospect, Illinois.  This beer is bright yellow color with little to no head. The beer drinker will smell the funky from Belgian spices or yeast and a little melon or mango smell from the hops. It is a little different than the American craft Belgian IPA or Triple. This Stone brew taste like sweet carbonation citrus going on in it.  There is no really no aftertaste to this beer.  This beer is a very drinkable beer.

Here is a description from their website (www.stonebrew.com):

When reading the name “Stone Cali-Belgique IPA”, “Cali” hints that it is a California-style IPA, and this brew has an undeniable Belgian influence, indicated by the word “Belgique” (which is how Belgium’s French-speaking population says the word “Belgian”; the Dutch-speaking Belgians say “België”). We carefully selected a Belgian yeast strain that  illuminates a fascinating new aspect of the beer that is otherwise quite simply Stone IPA. The result is both completely new and different, while still being recognizable as a Stone brew—and Stone IPA in particular. Think of it as an otherwise identical twin to Stone IPA that was raised in a Belgian culture. Literally.

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website: www.stonebrew.com

Twitter: @stonebrewingco

In closing, I will be honest and let just say the way it is about this beer.  I really enjoyed drinking this beer.  This is a Belgian Triple not a Belgian IPA.  I understand what American Craft Breweries are trying to do for the general beer fan that understand what India Pale Ale but do not understand a Belgian Triple.  I believe they are trying to create a new beer style to grow off the Belgian Beer Style. There is nothing wrong with this brewery doing it or another brewery. Hell I just brought a pint so they got me and I am glad I did it. I just hate the name that is all. I am off my soap box on this topic.  With that all set at the side, I really enjoy drinking this beer.  If you are hop head like me or like the Belgian beers, I would go try this beer.  Go get some! Drink it! Enjoy it! Metal it! \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email: djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter: @djweiser

New Blog Brooklyn Brewery Sorachi Ace

While in DC for Savor, this beer is one of my favorite beers from Brooklyn Brewery, which is Sorachi Ace Ale.  I know for a fact that Kevin that was next to me when I order this beer is really looking forward to reading this blog.  I will not bore you with the history of this brewery since I already did it in my earlier blog called Brooklyn Brown Ale.  Let us get into the beer that I had in DC in a soulful restaurant.

This is really bright yellow in color.  There is really no smell to this beer maybe a slight circus to it. The taste of the beer is very sweet carbonation in it. This beer is very hard to describe it. It has a nice aftertaste to the beer and it keeps coming after you are done drinking the beer in a good way.  This beer is very drinkable for being in a 750ml bottle. However, I had this beer on draught this time around, it is worth the money in the bottle and draught.

Here is a description from their website (www.brooklynbrewery.com):

Most Brooklyn beers are made with a blend of hop varietals. As a chef does with spices, we look to get the best qualities of each hop and create a harmony of flavors and aromas. However, a few years ago, our brewmaster ran into a hop unique enough to deserve its own moment in the sun. A large Japanese brewery first developed the hop variety “Sorachi Ace” in 1988. A cross between the British “Brewer’s Gold” and the Czech “Saaz” varieties, it exhibited a quality that was unexpected – it smelled really lemony.

The unique flavor of Sorachi Ace was bypassed by the big brewers, but we thought it was pretty cool. So we made a special beer with it, and added the beer to our Brewmaster’s Reserve special draft beer program last year. Most Brewmaster’s Reserve beers are only available for a short time, and then they’re gone. But we liked this one so much, we decided to bring it back and give it the star treatment. Brooklyn Sorachi Ace is a classic saison, a cracklingly dry, hoppy unfiltered golden farmhouse ale, but made entirely with now-rare Sorachi Ace hops grown by a single farm in Washington. We ferment it with our special Belgian ale strain, and then add more Sorachi Ace hops post-fermentation. After the dry-hopping, the beer emerges with a bright spicy lemongrass / lemon zest aroma backed by a wonderfully clean malt flavor.

It tastes like sunshine in a glass, and that suits us just fine, especially with seafood dishes and fresh cheeses. It’s just the thing on nice summer days and beyond.

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website:  www.brooklynbrewery.com

Twitter:  @brooklynbrewery

Out of beer, the hop makes this beer what it is in the glass.  Brooklyn Brewery has a solid beer lineup and Sorachi Ace pushes them close to the top of all the craft breweries around the country.  This is a very well made beer and drinkable.  I am never really a fan of Belgian and Belgian style beers but I have really grown to love this style.  Sorachi Ace is one of my favorite beer from this style.  Get it before it is gone!  Drink it! Enjoy it! Metal it! \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email: djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter: @djweiser