In this beer blog, we are going to get into a beer launch in Chicago. The brewery is To Ol Brewery from Denmark. To Ol Brewery was founded in 2005 by Tobias Emil Jensen and Tore Gynther. They are traveling rogue brewers. Where they think their beer styles will be brew best that is where they will go to. They brew in Europe and United States. This is what makes this brewery unique and their beer is pretty much one and done, which makes their beer pretty special. Let us get into the beers.
Goliat Coffee Stout
This stout has a black color with a tan head on the beer. The smell is a strong coffee and chocolate to the beer. The taste is a strong chocolate to toffee with a heavy aftertaste. This is a sipping beer.
Here is a description from the website (www.to-ol.dk):
Goliat Coffee Imperial Stout
The great warrior of Gath. The mighty champion of the Philistines. Embedded in ancient folklore and religion. Coming from the World of Old. His size and stature is not human. He is bigger. The armor of Goliat is black. Creamy black lacings. Stands with a towering height. He can grab elements from both earth and heaven. Earthy, roasted, notes from the earth. Warming, pungent, sweet notes from the skies. His heart is beating slowly, almost endlessly slow. This man is thought to be invincible!
Ingredients: Water, barley malt, roasted barley, dark cassonade sugar, flaked oats, hops, gourmet coffee and yeast.
10.1% ABV / Net content 375 ml (12.7 FL OZ)
Brewed at De Proef Brouwerij, Lochristi-Hijfte, Belgium.
San Frontiere
This Belgian Blonde has a golden clear color with a white head on the beer. There is really no smell to the beer. The taste is a carbonation sweet with a tart and barnyard aftertaste. It is pretty drinkable beer.
Here is a description from their website (www.to-ol.dk):
Sans Frontiere Belgian Ale
“Heaven knows no frontiers, and I’ve seen heaven in your eyes”
This is how the Frontier beer series lost their ground, missed direction and finally found themselves again. This beer has no frontiers, meaning that it can now pick and choose among brewing specialties. Instead of being an IPA, this is a rather a Belgian ale, hopped and dryhopped with continental european hops and refermented with brettanomyces. A tart, picturesque and rural beer.
Ingredients: Water, barley malt, hops, Rock Candy, yeast and brettanomyces. 7% ABV / Net content 750 ml (25.4 FL OZ)
Brewed at De Proef Brouwerij, Lochristi-Hijfte, Belgium.
Final Frontier
This double IPA has a light copper color with a white head on it. The smell is a citrus to the beer. The taste is a strong citrus and carbonation with a dry hop to mango aftertaste. It is pretty drinkable beer.
Here is a description from their website (www.to-ol.dk):
Final Frontier DIPA
“Nature is Satan’s Church”
This is it! The sequel to the hop success of First Frontier. This beer is the final in every way. We recommend it as the final of your evening! This is an extremely potent and yet well-balanced Double India Pale Ale. This beer is well suited in extreme environments, whether it be Siberian winter, Volcano eruptions on Java, Danish earthquakes(They exist!) or rush hour. This beer is seeking out frontiers and built for the test.Ingredients: Water, barley malt, flaked oats, Hops (Simcoe, Centennial, Columbus) and yeast.
9% ABV / Net content 330 ml (11.2 FL OZ)
Brewed at De Proef Brouwerij, Lochristi-Hijfte, Belgium
Black Ball
This porter has dark brown to black color with a tan head on the beer. The smell is a chocolate to roasted coffee to the porter. The taste is a carbonation sweet chocolate with a burn roasted to the beer. The aftertaste is a roasted citrus to the beer. It is kind of drinkable beer.
Here is a description from their website (www.to-ol.dk):
Black Ball Porter
Black Ball is a potent porter, boasted with dark cassonade sugar and a good heap of American hops to rebalance the edgy and full-flavoured malt profile. You will find notes of chocolate, caramel and sulphur. This results in a porter with a broad and delicate mouth feel, capable of a good kick and does not leave the mouth voluntarily.
Black IPA? No way! Hoppy Porters is here to stay!
For a perfect evening, Black Ball blends perfect with a Black Rocket from the Pivovar Matuška brewery and Mikkeller Black Hole (Royalties to Theis!)
Ingredients: Water, barley malt (Lager, smoked, chocolate, cara munich and brown), roasted barley, flaked oats, dark cassonade, hops and yeast.
7.1% ABV / Net content 330 ml (11.2 FL OZ)
Brewed at De Proef Brouwerij, Lochristi-Hijfte, Belgium
Mine Is Bigger Than Yours
This ale has a light clear copper color without a head on the beer. There is a slight to fate sweet malty smell to the beer. The taste is a sweet with a strong wine to the beer. The aftertaste is sweet raisin to it. The aftertaste is like a whiskey burning down your throat but calm. It is a sipping beer.
Here is description from their website (www.to-ol.dk):
Mine is bigger than yours Barley Wine
“When you have to kill a man, it costs nothing to be polite”
This beer is a big fat beast packed with every potent ingredient we had at the brewery. This tons of malts and hops combined in one big fat, yet balanced brew.
It jumps higher than yours, it builds houses bigger than yours, It’s mama is fatter than yours, it chops wood faster than yours, it’s father is could beat yours…. No reason to say, but Mine is bigger than yours!
Ingredients: Water, barley malt, flaked oats, light candy sugar, hops (Columbus, Simcoe, Citra) and yeast.
12.5% ABV / Net content 375 ml (12.7 FL OZ)
Brewed at De Proef Brouwerij, Lochristi-Hijfte, Belgium
Here is their webiste and twitter addresses:
Website: www.to-ol.dk
Twitter: @toolbeer
In closing, I enjoy all of these beers. As a rule, I like to age my Barley Wines at least a year before trying them. I believe this Barley Wine is ready now, which is pretty rare. I am not saying Barley Wines are not ready now. Some barley wines are just too young coming out to the market and they are better when they age in the bottle. The porter is like any other porter but it is pretty good beer. I really enjoyed the stout and I believe it is best beer of all these beers. Their Double IPA is really smooth and drinkable. It is not over the top hoppy like most Double IPA. I recommend you trying these beers. I believe you will like at least a few of them. Go get some! Drink it! Enjoy it! Metal it! \m/
Cheers!
Bill DJ Weiser
Email: djweiser13@comcast.net
Twitter: @djweiser
DJ Weiser 