Beer tasting

Wonderful stout. Crisp clean flavourful and not filling. 

This page is a running review of interesting beers I drank in 2015. I place low value on the overall appearance of a beer since this is much to do about how it is poured, the lighting and, personal preference. For example how can you tell me that a cloudy wheat beer is not as nice as a sparkling blonde ale. 

Little difference in the two brews and niether is exciting. 

Name:     Hop Craic

Brewery:  Moylan's

Style:    XXXX IPA  

Location: Novato, CA

ABV:      10.4%

MUST TRY BEER!!!

Super high hop expectations coming from the brewery that makes Hopsickle. This beer is light refreshing and full of hops. Unlike most double IPAs this is cleaner crisper and better. The hop flavours are not overbearing and the malts are not distinctive. This is all about the hops. Very nice. If I was comparing this to RRB's Pliny the Younger I would have to tell you that this is so much better. There is none of the harsh hop flavour in this beer.

Flavour      - 4

Aroma        - 5

Mouthfeel    - 5

Drinkability - 5

Total        19/20

Name:     Double Chocolate Porter

Brewery:  4 Mile Brewing Co.

Style:    Porter  

Location: Victoria, BC

ABV:      7%

Thanks again for the beer Steve! A beautiful roasted barley stout with many delicious flavours including chocolate and coffee. The mouth feel on this hints at some lactose added to this beer which worked out well. It took this beer from a dry stout to more of a yummy stout. This is still very drinkable and not heavy. 

Flavour      - 4

Aroma        - 4

Mouthfeel    - 4

Drinkability - 4

Total        16/20

Name:     L'Alsacienne

Brewery:  Alsacienne Sarl

Style:    Blonde  

Location: Mulhouse, France

ABV:      7.8%

Thanks for the beer Steve! I've had several beers from France and never been too impressed when compared to German and Belgian beers. This beer is light crisp with an ever so taste of spice on the backend. As this beer opened up (warmed up a bit) bitter flavours seemed to take over. Very simple beer best served very cold. 

Flavour      - 4

Aroma        - 3

Mouthfeel    - 4

Drinkability - 5

Total        16/20

Name:     Victory at Sea

Brewery:  Ballast Point

Style:    Stout 

Location: California

MUST TRY BEER!!!

What a great coffee stout. Not too heavy but with plenty of coffee flavour from room temperature coffee brewing. The coffee profile is smooth and different than a hot or cold brew. Great coffee profile. This 10% ABV goes down smoother than most 5% stouts. 

Flavour      - 5

Aroma        - 4

Mouthfeel    - 4

Drinkability - 4

Total        17/20

Name:     RARE BIRD
Brewery:  Authentic Seacoast Brewing Company
Style:    STOUT
Location: Nova Scotia

Dark stout with plenty for ingredients to increase flavour including licorice root, cocoa, coffee, and molasses. I'm all for increasing flavour in a stout but this beer missed the boat. Tasting this beer starts off with a lovely all round flavour that is not too heavy and then it ends with a harsh bitterness. Licorice root may be responsible for this. Licorice root is entirely different flavour profile that the licorice candy.

Paired with spicy foods this would be good. A good vindaloo or a hot curry. 

Flavour      - 2

Aroma        - 4

Mouthfeel    - 3

Drinkability - 3

Total        12/20

Name:     SASAINISTA
Brewery:  BOXING ROCK
Style:    SAISON
Location: Nova Scotia

MUST TRY BEER!!!

All the way from Shelburne Nova Scotia comes Boxing Rock's Session Ale. It boasts full robust falvour. Really? Isn't a session beer supposed to be on the light side? 

Pouring this in the glass it is dark and full of hoppy aroma. This is a great start. My first taste is something I've never experienced before. It starts off full of hops and malty flavour and quickly turns into a very dry after taste. Very good Boxing Rock. This 4% ale is able to be full of flavour yet light and refreshing. Nailed it. 

I wish they exported to California to challenge the brewers there. 

Flavour      - 5

Aroma        - 4

Mouthfeel    - 4

Drinkability - 5

Total        18/20

Name:     Curieux

Brewery:  Allagash
Style:    Ale aged in Oak Bourbon Barrel
Location: Portland, ME

Everything I've had from Allagash has been impressive. This beer is no exception. This beer starts off a bit thin on the palette but then builds with a complex flavour profile. The bourbon is more like a background flavour profile and the maltiness and hops still shone through. Oak is there but is well balanced with the overall flavour. As bourbon barrel beers go this is very nice but if you're looking for a beer that shouts bourbon this is not it. This is more about the malt than the bourbon.To me a great bourbon barrel beer delivers a bourbon blast. This beer went in a different direction. 

Flavour      - 4

Aroma        - 3

Mouthfeel    - 4

Drinkability - 5

Total        16/20

Name:     Double Reserve

Brewery:  Allagash
Style:    Double Belgian Ale
Location: Portland, ME

Another great beer from Allagash. This Double is surprising a bit thin and hollow. This makes the Ale very easy to drink but seemingly less satisfying.. The falvour is still there giving you the experience of something special. I would hesitate from purchasing this again because it seems too light bodied for a double. 

Flavour      - 3

Aroma        - 3

Mouthfeel    - 4

Drinkability - 5

Total        15/20

Name:     Modern Romance

Brewery:  Midnight Sun
Style:    Belgian Dark Ale
Location: Alaska

This was recommended by the store as a great beer to try. This is one of the few beers that has hot pepper and cocoa added to it. 

The beer hits the palate as a light stout. Then the hot pepper kicks in. The hot peppers are well done and do have you running to cool your mouth. As I continued through the bottle I was impressed with the overall flavour and hotness but not enough to try it again. Nice experiment.

As of 6/25/2015 this is still available at Whole Foods.

Flavour      - 3

Aroma        - 3

Mouthfeel    - 4

Drinkability - 5

Total        15/20

Name:     Maudite

Brewery:  Unibroue
Style:    Belgian Red Ale
Location: Quebec

Crisp nice red ale that again is on the light side. Nice overall flavour and mouthfeel. Solid beer but does not pull me in for more.

Flavour      - 3

Aroma        - 4

Mouthfeel    - 3

Drinkability - 4

Total        14/20 

Name:     Blanche de Chambly

Brewery:  Unibroue
Style:    Belgian White
Location: Quebec

Wooo doggy. This is a Belgian Beer brewed in Quebec?  Can they do this shit? Ah, yes they can. This brewery continues to deliver great beers that remind me of Belgians better beers. Are they as good?  Well I can't answer that but I have to say these guys consistently deliver great beers and all you can really quibble on is if you like this style. 

To me this was a bit light and did not make me wish for more. The spice and the malt are nice. Nothing wrong with the beer but then again nothing to write home about.

Flavour      - 3

Aroma        - 3

Mouthfeel    - 4

Drinkability - 5

Total        15/20 

Name:     Vicinity

Brewery:  Trillium Brewing Company
Style:    IIPA
Location: MA, USA

MUST TRY BEER!!!

Wow! This beer is amazing. It purrs into the glass like a fluffy cloud of hops and then hits you like a pillow of happiness. It's smooth and beautiful hop aroma says drink me. Truly a beer to be treasured. 

Flavour      - 5

Aroma        - 5

Mouthfeel    - 4

Drinkability - 5

Total        19/20 

Name:     Black

Brewery:  Allagash
Style:    Double Belgian Ale
Location: Portland, ME

MUST TRY BEER!!!

This stout is clean crisp and one that all others are measured. Not that this is the best, it's just damn good and has no frills. This is a stout that delivers everything good and asks the question, are you ready to try something more challenging? 

Flavour      - 5

Aroma        - 5

Mouthfeel    - 4

Drinkability - 5

Total        19/20  

Name:     La Resolution

Brewery:  Unibroue
Style:    Belgian Red Ale
Location: Quebec

Easy drinking and sharp on the taste buds. A fine beer but nothing that stands up to more fuller bodied Ales. Excellently executed but I have to say I think this beer is trying to deliver more to the main stream. 

Flavour      - 3

Aroma        - 3

Mouthfeel    - 4

Drinkability - 4

Total        14/20

Name:     Mikkeller Årh Hvad?!

Brewery:  De Proefbrouwerij
Style:    Belgian Ale
Location: Copenhagen

Shared at dinner the magnum was a bit gutsy to order since I had never tasted it before. It paid off nicely. This Belgian beer was a bit lite and ever so fruity. It was a bit like bubbly wine with a pleasant aftertaste. Dry and refreshing. No hop flavour and the maltiness was lite. As my friend and I enjoyed this beer it began to grow on us. At first I was wondering how we were going to finish this and towards the end we were starting to ask if we could get another. 

Flavour      - 4

Aroma        - 4

Mouthfeel    - 4

Drinkability - 5

Total        17/20

Name:     Temptation
Brewery:  BOXING ROCK
Style:    Red Ale
Location: Nova Scotia

This beer is amazing. What is it with these guys at Boxing Rock. This beer is crisp refreshing but it hits you with a beautiful malt flavour not found in other beers.  Highly drinkable yet flavourful this beer is a treasure. Hops and malt are balanced. Matter of fact I'd have to say the malts are very well delivered. As a brewer I'm wondering, how'd they get this amazing flavour profile. 

Flavour      - 5

Aroma        - 5

Mouthfeel    - 5

Drinkability - 4

Total        19/20