Better Drinking

I enjoy giving away homebrew to friends, family, and fellow-imbibers. First off, to truly enjoy any hobby one must share it with someone. It's really hard to explain my fascination with, and pursuit of, beer to the non-drinker. So I share with all who will partake and usually do not visit other homes without bringing some liquid gift, unless I know them to be abstainers.

But more importantly for me personally, fellowship always seems a little better and the conversations a little longer over a beer or three. Needless to say, many of my friends also drink beer and usually show up at the house with all sorts of good beverages, familiar or new. (To those of you reading this, who usually bring us wine...keep it coming...we'll drink that too...)

Last week an old friend of mine (he's not that old, but we've known each other for something like 16 years) came over for dinner, along with several other newer (and younger) mutual friends, and brought me a "random" six pack from his fridge, none of which were consumed that evening, due to the homebrew I insisted they drink. In return, he insisted that I keep his offerings and as one of them was new to me, decided to write a review.

From Bell's Brewery, the Two Hearted Ale is an American IPA. It sports a fish on it's label, along with a 7% ABV invitation and the following blurb..."an IPA well-suited for Hemingway-esqe trips to the Upper Peninsula..." Never been to the UP and never met Hemingway...but I'll drink the beer regardless.

An orangeish, somewhat cloudy pour, caused by what seemed like a significant amount of sediment at the bottom of the bottle. For a commercial beer, anyway. A generous white head forms quickly and slowly dissolves to a fine lacing on the edges of the glass and the surface of the beer.

The nose is an extremely aromatic floral hop with hints of a citric sharpness. As the beer warmed, the wonderful aroma of hops continued to waft from the glass, with little help from the carbonation. (see below)

Mouthfeel is surprising full, on the moderate side, with low carbonation, slick and creamy.

The mouth's full malt body is non-existent in terms of taste, but is quickly bathed in a strong citric and piney hop flavor that dominates each mouthful, start to swallow. But it is not unbalanced or astringent, leaving the palate thirsty after each sip. The 7% ABV is noticeable relatively quickly, and brings a pleasant and complimentary addition to an already excellent beer. It was gone in no time, and found myself wishing for another. Refreshing and enjoyable, hop-heads who like balance to their beers should seek this one out.

And special thanks to BH for sharing this treat with me.

Labels: beer reviews

One of my brothers recently chided me for buying somewhat exotic, at least non-standard, beers for evaluation instead of the tried-and-true session beers that are the usual fare for beer drinkers of all palates. The comment was made in jest, though it is undoubtedly true in my case. In another context, I told someone, in light of a sermon recently heard, that my tastes ran to the Epicurean while my budget was much more Stoic in nature. Nevertheless, I am still not averse to getting less, though better, beer for the money simply to try something new. Which leads me to the review here.

Last week I had some training classes close to the city, which led me past Green's package store everyday, a place with one of the best overall selections of beer in the metro-Atlanta area. Needless to say, I resisted going all but one day since a trip to Green's is like a trip to the candy store. Which I lament more, the Stoic budget or the Epicurean palate, is not quite clear to me, though both are a part of my sanctification and for my good. Trying to balance these things is always tricky but fortunately, as is my habit, I checked the "bargain" rack and found 2 bottles of Unibroue's Chambly Noire, which I readily purchased.

The Chambly Noire bottle, like most Unibroue products, is a collaboration of utility packaging and attractive art. The ABV is listed at 6.2%, a Belgian dark ale. I also noticed the "best before" date was 3/21/08, which might explain it's bargain status. But a beer of Unibroue's stature should not degenerate that quickly, so I felt confident the product would be suitable for consumption and review.

The beer pours a dark, tea-like brown with touches of ruby at the edges of the glass. A fizzy white head quickly disappears to a thin lacing that adorns the surface of the beer and the glass throughout the session.

The nose is similar to many Unibroue products; sweet, slightly yeasty, with hints of raisins definitely and other undefined fruit, though not citric or cloying.

Mouthfeel was surprisingly thin, though the carbonation kept the mouth "full" and acted to keep much of the flavors alive in the nose and on the palate.

The taste was an almost dry, sweet, malt, prickly carbonation bringing out plum, raisin, and subtle undefined spices. There is a familiar Unibroue yeastiness, though it is considerably subdued in the Noire.

Overall, I found this good...but it suffers by comparison. The experience was similar when I had the Blanche de Chambly; not a bad beer, but nowhere near the excellence I enjoy in La Fin Du Monde, Maudite, Don Dieu, or Trois Pistoles.

A good offering from Unibroue, but very tame if you're familiar with the products that made their namesake legendary.

Labels: beer reviews

Reviewing a session beer is not as much fun as something a bit more exotic. Being what they are, a great deal of thought should not expended into the flavors or aromas on experiences; one just drinks and enjoys. A liquid companion to any number of tasks where two things can be done at once and our attention is on that other thing, not the liquid that compliments it.

That is, unless we mentally start cataloging other beers in similar categories, perhaps ranking the one we're currently enjoying against any number of historical drinks, measuring all relevant data points against BCJP standards and deciding how this one stacks up against the competition. At this point, "session" beer is just another meaningless beer geek term, where everything is analysis, consideration, and contemplation. Welcome to my world. So...regardless of their broader definitions, especially for this blog, a beer is still a beer in need of review.

Duck-Rabbit Brewery bills themselves as the "dark beer specialists". They appear to be a small-scale operation out of NC, and been here in GA for several months, though this is first time I've tried their beers. Part of my delay was in which style to choose, not seeing a sample pack available, but I eventually settled on what is probably my favorite beer from our English brethren, the porter. Granddaddy to English and Irish stouts, the porter is the first mass-produced beer of Industrial England, the preferred drink of the working class. Porter production went to near-extinction after WWII, only to be revived by American home and craft brewers in an attempt to taste a bit of history.

Duck-Rabbit's version pours a very dark brown, nearly black with a relatively small off-white, one-finger head that seemed to dissipate rather quickly, leaving a soapy lacing that accompanied the rest of the session.

The nose is full of roasty, slightly burnt malt, with vague vapors of chocolate and coffee.

Mouthfeel was medium, not overly carbonated but creamy with some "rough" edges. I later found out that the creaminess probably comes from the oats added to the mash.

The same roasted malt presence in the nose dominates the taste, accompanied by a slightly burnt character. There is also a very vague notion of wood and tobacco that may have been the hops coming underneath the malt. My glass was empty in no time, and a very nice aftertaste of burnt malt lingered as a reminder.

I found this to somewhat rough and raw, and thoroughly enjoyable. A true session beer in any season and an excellent porter.

Labels: beer reviews