Excellent information on the wonderful world of planned beer aging...
http://www.dogfish.com/community/news/press-releases/5-things-you-should-know-about-aging-beer.htm
Friday, June 8, 2012
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Cuvee des Jacobins Rouge
Cuvee des Jacobins Rouge, brewed by Bockor Brewery, is a barrel-aged Flanders Red Sour Ale from Belgium. Wait, what? Yeah, this is a completely different animal from everything else I've reviewed here. This may actually be a fairly short review, because, well, you kind of just need to taste it to understand it.
My first experience with sour ales came a few years ago at Beer Advocate's Belgian Beer Fest Night of the Funk. I was immediately hooked. Let me be clear, though, these aren't for everyone. Obviously, you need to be a fan of sour flavors. I mean real sour. But wait, beer isn't supposed to be sour! Why not?! I actually find this style to be incredibly refreshing. It's definitely a warm weather beer for me. My first experience with Cuvee des Jacobins Rouge was only about a week and a half ago at Eulogy, an amazing Belgian beer bar in Philadelphia. I tried it, loved it, and reserved myself to the fact that I'd never find it in a store. Four days later, I found it in a store, Julio's Liquors in Westborough, MA.
This 5.5% a.b.v. beer pours a beautiful reddish-brown, with a fairly small head that dissipates rather quickly. It smells a bit sour and fruity, but until you take a sip, you're completely unprepared. It is fantastically sour! I swallowed my first mouthful and my mouth just started salivating from the sourness. The dominant flavor is sour cherry, but there's a bit of crisp, tart apple in there too. The label mentions vanilla and cocoa, but I don't taste that at all. They're way too subtle to stand up to the sourness. The beer is a bit reminiscent of a tart champagne.
This is not a session beer...you won't be drinking bottle after bottle of it (which is good, because it's not cheap). But, if you're looking for something new and interesting, I really do suggest you try a sour beer, and if you can find it, Cuvee des Jacobins Rouge in particular. I will say, there are a lot of times where I would have no interest in drinking this beer, but when I want something bright and refreshing to wake me up, this will be way up on my list. I give it an A, with the above disclaimer.
My first experience with sour ales came a few years ago at Beer Advocate's Belgian Beer Fest Night of the Funk. I was immediately hooked. Let me be clear, though, these aren't for everyone. Obviously, you need to be a fan of sour flavors. I mean real sour. But wait, beer isn't supposed to be sour! Why not?! I actually find this style to be incredibly refreshing. It's definitely a warm weather beer for me. My first experience with Cuvee des Jacobins Rouge was only about a week and a half ago at Eulogy, an amazing Belgian beer bar in Philadelphia. I tried it, loved it, and reserved myself to the fact that I'd never find it in a store. Four days later, I found it in a store, Julio's Liquors in Westborough, MA.
This is not a session beer...you won't be drinking bottle after bottle of it (which is good, because it's not cheap). But, if you're looking for something new and interesting, I really do suggest you try a sour beer, and if you can find it, Cuvee des Jacobins Rouge in particular. I will say, there are a lot of times where I would have no interest in drinking this beer, but when I want something bright and refreshing to wake me up, this will be way up on my list. I give it an A, with the above disclaimer.
Saturday, April 7, 2012
National Beer Day!
Today is National Beer Day! On April 7th, 1933, after 14 years of sobriety we were allowed to drink beer again!
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Sunday, March 25, 2012
Peeper Ale from Maine Beer Company
Peeper Ale is my first experience with the up and coming Maine Beer Company. Their uncomplicated labels and limited distribution area got me interested. The numerous positive reviews I've read of their brews sealed the deal. You also have to love a company that uses only wind power, donates their spent grains and yeast to local farmers and donates 1% of their profits to environmental non-profits. OK, I guess you don't have to, but I do. While still on the search for their heralded Lunch IPA, Peeper Ale had been described to me as an incredibly drinkable beer. So, here I am.
As you can see in the photo, this is a very light, golden-colored ale, with an almost comically fluffy white head. Stick your sniffer above the foam and you can smell the citrusy hops. This is not going to be a hop bomb, by any stretch of the imagination. At 5.5% a.b.v., it's not going to knock you on your butt either. Yes, I'm not describing the kind of beer I normally drink, bold flavors and body, but I'm an equal opportunity beer lover.
Now, the taste. The taste is pretty much what I expected. It's a very tasty, average bodied ale with a nice, slight hop bite. I can see why people like this. This is a very sessionable beer (i.e. I could drink it all night long...if I had more). It has enough bite and flavor to keep your taste buds interested, but not so much that they get tired. Don't expect lots of complexity here. It's as advertised...a craft brewed American ale. But, for what it is, it's done quite well. With this being their most basic beer, I definitely look forward to what else they pull together.
I would highly recommend Peeper Ale, if you're in an area that carries it (most of New England and PA I believe). I think this would be great on a nice summer day. I give it a solid A-
As you can see in the photo, this is a very light, golden-colored ale, with an almost comically fluffy white head. Stick your sniffer above the foam and you can smell the citrusy hops. This is not going to be a hop bomb, by any stretch of the imagination. At 5.5% a.b.v., it's not going to knock you on your butt either. Yes, I'm not describing the kind of beer I normally drink, bold flavors and body, but I'm an equal opportunity beer lover.Now, the taste. The taste is pretty much what I expected. It's a very tasty, average bodied ale with a nice, slight hop bite. I can see why people like this. This is a very sessionable beer (i.e. I could drink it all night long...if I had more). It has enough bite and flavor to keep your taste buds interested, but not so much that they get tired. Don't expect lots of complexity here. It's as advertised...a craft brewed American ale. But, for what it is, it's done quite well. With this being their most basic beer, I definitely look forward to what else they pull together.
I would highly recommend Peeper Ale, if you're in an area that carries it (most of New England and PA I believe). I think this would be great on a nice summer day. I give it a solid A-
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