Lindemans Faro Lambic

I’ve been slacking lately on the reviews. I did one on Saturday night, but nothing on Sunday. This was because I was working outside all day. I was hauling dirt and stone and trees all over. By 9:30 last night, I was exhausted and passed out, without reviewing a beer. But, since Katie isn’t meeting me at the gym until after the child goes to sleep, at least I can get some reviews done. I still have a few beers left from my last beer run where I picked up styles that I haven’t reviewed yet. This one is a “faro,” which I have absolutely no experience with. One of the guys that I worked with said it was just okay…so let’s see how it goes.

ABV: 4.2%

Style: Faro

Trivia: According to the brewery website, “A version of Belgium’s ‘wild-fermented’ wheat beer, which is the result of blending Lambic of ‘one summer’ with old Lambic and chaptalized with candy sugar. Faro is an intriguing balance of wineyness and sweetness. This was probably the beer being served in Breugel’s paintings of Flemish Village Life. Faro is a delicious accompaniment of a whole assortment of desserts. Serve cold at 2-3 degrees Celsius.”

Random: It does come in a pretty bottle. So, at least if it doesn’t taste good, it’s good-looking.

This brew poured with a thick one finger head that dissipated relatively quickly and left mild lacing on the glass. The body was a light mahogany color that was clear, yet had no visible carbonation on it. But, it did had visible sediment floating on the body. The nose had some sugar sweetness, but was mostly musty tartness with some green apple to it. The taste was definitely unique. It started with a candy sweetness, from the sugar no doubt, but then went into a slight tartness with some darker fruit. The tartness was not as intense as I would have guessed. The body was towards the thicker side with moderate carbonation. The finish was long and sweet. This would make for a great dessert beer. I didn’t think that I was going to like this beer, but because it was so different, I ended up liking it. I couldn’t have more than one bottle though. Grab this beer, definitely nothing like you’ve ever tasted before.

Untappd Rating: 5.0/5.0

Drie Fonteinen Oude Geuze

This was a review that I did over the weekend but didn’t have a chance to update. This was another beer that I picked up because I’ve never had the style before. I have high expectations for this one, so I’m pretty excited to crack this one open.

ABV: 6%

Style: Gueze

Trivia: According to the brewery website, “Oude Geuze 3 Fonteinen is een volledig natuurlijke geuze die bestaat uit een assemblage van 1, 2 en 3 jaar oude lambik gerijpt op eiken vaten. Deze geuze is een natuurlijk, ongefilterd bier dat na de botteling nog minstens 6 maanden spontaan hergist op de fles. Oude Geuze 3 Fonteinen kan in een stabiele, koele kelder tot 10 jaar na botteldatum bewaard worden. Oude Geuze die lang bewaard wordt verzacht qua zurigheid maar krijgt meer complexe smaaktoetsen.”

Random: Yeah, I really don’t know what it says either.

This brew poured with a huge, three finger white head that took forever to dissipated. It left significant lacing on the glass. The body was a clear, straw yellow with a huge amount of carbonation visible through the body. The nose was all tart funk that was apparent as soon as I popped the cork on this one (which was pretty sexy, not going to lie). The taste was also tart funk with lemon rind and a hint of oak. The body was thin and highly carbonated, yet crisp. The carbonation really worked for this brew. The booze was invisible on it. The tartness on the taste was intense, but not overwhelming. The finished lingered with tartness. I really enjoyed this brew. It was complex and interesting. I would definitely have this one again.

Untappd Rating: 5.0/5.0

Steel Reserve 211 (High Gravity)

This is another one of those beers that I would have never considered buying except for review purposes. I’ve never had an “American Malt Liquor,” but from my understanding, the only purpose of these is to basically get blasted quickly and cheaply. Yeah, really not my style. Pouring this into a glass even seems a little odd. I feel like I should be drinking this out of a brown paper bag on a corner. Obviously, I don’t have high hopes for this brew. I doubt that it will let me down…

ABV: 8.1%

Style: American Malt Liquor

Trivia: According to wikipedia.com, “Steel Reserve is an American lager brand owned and produced by Steel Brewing Company. MillerCoors is the company listed on Steel Reserves’ Privacy Policy and Terms & Conditions pages. The drink comes in ‘Black’ and ‘Silver’ varieties, also known as ‘Triple Export Malt Liquor’ and ‘High Gravity Lager,’ respectively. Its claim to fame is its unusually high alcohol content (typically 8.1% ABV) and low price.”

Random: I thought that this would definitely be brewed by a macro company. I was obviously wrong.

This brew poured with a half a finger of white head that dissipated almost instantly and left no lacing on the glass. The body was a clear, straw yellow color with lots of active carbonation visible through the body. The nose had some sweet honey notes with grain and some booze. It basically smelled like a macro with extra booze. Funny, that’s what I assumed the beer was. The taste was actually more awful than the nose. The sweetness was even more pronounced and the booze was very apparent. The beer was towards the thicker side and had heavy carbonation. The finish was longer than a macro with lots of cloying sweetness. This brew was just awful. The only reason that you’d drink this is to get blasted. I’d take any macro over this. Avoid. Seriously…even if there are no other options, this just isn’t worth it. Even if it comes in a tallboy can…not worth it.

Untappd Rating: 1.0/5.0

Yards Brawler Pugilist Style Ale

Another review due to the fact that I can’t sleep. I’m watching a documentary on gays and lesbians in third world countries. It’s actually quite interesting. It is definitely very different from my experience here. I mean, I’ve never had a horrible experience because I was gay. I’ve been heckled, although that’s when I first came out, but nothing like they’re describing here. Other than that, I’m dealing with the fact I threw my neck out. It’s so incredibly sore. Katie fell asleep early tonight, so I can’t even make her rub it. After we go to the gym tomorrow, I’m so trying to get her to rub it. Anyways, another style that I’ve never had before.

ABV: 4.2%

Style: English Dark Mild Ale

Trivia: According to the brewery website, “Boasting superior taste and champion flavor, the Brawler is crafted in the style of English session ales. This malt-forward, ruby colored ale is great for when you want to go a few rounds.”

Random: The documentary shows a lot of people who cite MTV as helping the “gay revolution” in their country. I’m shocked that MTV had that much influence.

This brew poured with a half a finger of pure white head that dissipated slowly and left some lacing on the glass. The body was a clear chestnut color with moderate carbonation. The nose had a definite nuttiness to it with some sweet malts following it up. The taste was much of the same. It had the nuttiness and sweetness that was apparent in the nose, coupled with some toffee as well. The body was towards the thinner side with active carbonation. The finish was relatively quick with the nuttiness that was maintained throughout. The finish was moderate with the same nuttiness and hint of sweetness. I could see this as a sessionable beer I’d drink in the winter. This was probably one of the best Yards brews that I’ve ever had and one that I would definitely have again. Get your hands on this one!

Untappd Rating: 4.0/5.0

Williams Brothers Kelpie Seaweed Ale

What a day. I’ve been on conference calls all week and when I came home today, I was absolutely exhausted. I laid down to take a nap and woke up at 0030. This means that I’m going to be up most of the night, not good. So, why not get a little caught up with some reviews? This is another beer that I purchased because I’ve never had the style before. Add to this, that the brew is made with seaweed. I like seaweed on my sushi but I’m not sure what to expect of it in a beer.

ABV: 4.4%

Style: Scottish Gruit / Ancient Herbed Ale

Trivia: According to the brewery website, “Prior to the 1850’s Scottish coastal alehouses brewed with malted barley, grown in fields fertilised by seaweed. This environment gave the barley a very specific flavour which we recreate by the inclusion of fresh seaweed in the mash tun. A rich dark chocolate ale, which has the aroma of a fresh Scottish sea breeze and a distinctive malty texture.”

Random: The Phils won tonight. They’ve been playing like absolute crap lately, so this makes me think there’s hope.

This brew poured with a half a finger of tan head that dissipated relatively quickly and left some lacing on the pint glass. The body was a dark brown color and clear with moderate, visible carbonation. For some reason, I didn’t think that the body was going to be so dark. The nose was definitely interesting. I got chocolate, sweetness and an indescribable herbal component. I assumed that this was the seaweed, but having never stuck my face in seaweed, I couldn’t confirm it. The taste was a bit different than the nose. I got a creamy, chocolate flavor, but the herbal component was lost in the taste. I would have never assumed from the taste alone that there was seaweed in this beer. The body was towards the thicker side with moderate carbonation. The body was silky and pleasant. The finish was quick. This beer reminded me a bit of a porter. It was a sessionable brew with some decent flavor on it, but nothing overwhelming. I would definitely have this one again.

Untappd Rating: 3.0/5.0

Kirin Ichiban

This is another beer review that I hadn’t written up from last week. I picked this beer up because I thought it was a style that I hadn’t consumed before. I was very wrong. It actually is just a Japanese version of an American Pale Lager. Not all that exciting…but, let’s review it anyways.

ABV: 5%

Style: American Pale Lager

Trivia: According to the brewery website, “Kirin Ichiban is made with a luxurious single wort (or first press) brewing process which extracts only the purest, most flavorful portion of the finest ingredients. When combined with its new all malt formula, the result is a distinctively smooth, clean, and full-bodied beer—yet with none of the bitter aftertaste one would expect from a beer with this much flavor.”

Random: My cat is obsessed with the heated blanket. No matter when I put in on, he jumps into bed and sleeps on top of it.

This brew poured with a two-finger white head that dissipated quickly and left no lacing on the glass. The body was a clear, straw yellow with moderate, visible carbonation. It looked just like a basic macro. Shockingly, it smelled like one. I got some honey-like sweetness with grain and maybe some grass. The taste was very similar. I got sweet grain and nothing else. The brew was completely one-dimensional, like a macro. It was totally boring. The body was towards the thicker side with moderate carbonation. The finish was quick and unremarkable. The booze was light and not a factor much like a macro. Very boring. Wouldn’t have again.

Untappd Rating: 2.0/5.0

New Holland Blue Sunday “2012 Gravity Head Sour Blend”

I had this brew when Katie came over this week. She brought chili and homemade cornbread, which was absolutely amazing. She’s so sweet. I love when she comes over with dinner and hangs out with my sister. They spend most of their time making fun of me, but it’s really cute to watch. That, and I think Katie likes learning all of my embarrassing moments, especially from childhood. I popped this one open and let everyone sample it.

ABV: 8.7%

Style: American Wild Ale

Trivia: According to the brewery website, “This unique anniversary libation, heritage-blended from our library of barrel-soured beers, exhibits deeply layered flavors of malt and oak, with a tart finish.
Pairings: wild game, poultry & charcuterie.”

Random: Katie likes my Raspberry homebrew. I’m thinking she’s going to make me brew more of it.

The brew poured with a barely there white head that dissipated instantly and left no lacing on the glass. The body was a clear, dark chestnut color with low, visible carbonation. The nose had a huge amount of oak and a hint of brett. But, the oak really took over the nose. It was really pleasant. The taste was the exact opposite of the nose. It had pronounced brett, but milder oak. I also got some fruit, but the brett dominated everything. The body was a medium thickness and the carbonation was more than expected. The booze was pretty well hidden. The flavor was okay, but relatively one-dimensional. It had a long finish with a lot of brett. The beer was okay, but nothing crazy impressive.

Untappd Rating: 3.0/5.0

Schneider Aventinus Weizen-Eisbock

God, I’m seriously backlogged on typing up my reviews. I’ve still been reviewing beer, but I’ve totally fallen behind in typing up the reviews. So, I had this beer on Monday, I think? It’s another style that I’ve never had before and one I’m actually excited to try.

ABV: 12%

Style: Eisbock

Trivia: According to the brewery website, “Stronger than strong. Powerful aromas and an intense flavor. Mahogany, nearly black Eisbock. The aroma reminds of ripe plums with a hint of bitter almonds and marzipan displaying strong characteristics of banana and clove. It is full and warming on your palate. The ideal digestive after a great dish. Goes great with crepes suzette, profiteroles with a dark chocolate sauce, tiramisu and mature Parmesan.”

Random: I haven’t been trying a lot of German beers. I have to get on that.

This brew poured with an off white head that dissipated slowly, but left no lacing on the glass. The body was a dark brown with no visible carbonation due to the color. The nose was filled with figs, prunes, raisins and booze. It was almost reminiscent of a brandy. The taste was very heavy on the raising with a definite candy sugar sweetness. This was a sipping beer, no doubt. The body was heavy with moderate carbonation. The body was almost syrupy. The booze was also heavy and prominent on the finish and coupled with raisins, but not as overwhelming as the 12% ABV would have made me assume. This was a really heavy beer, but I really enjoyed it. I could see this one going well with a cigar. I would definitely have this again. I would see this more as a winter beer.

Untappd Rating: 4.0/5.0

O’Doul’s

So, I bought a bunch of beers of styles that I’ve never tried. This would be the first of them. And yes, I bought a low alcohol beer. I don’t know why. I blame the blog. I know that this is a bad idea. There’s a reason why there’s alcohol in beer. I don’t have high hopes for the brew, but let’s see how it goes anyways…

ABV: .50%

Style: Low Alcohol Beer

Trivia: According to wikipedia.com, “Low-alcohol beer (also called non-alcoholic or NA beer, small beer, small ale, or near-beer) is beer with very low or no alcohol content. Most low-alcohol beers are lagers, but there are some low-alcohol ales. In the United States, beverages containing less than 0.5% alcohol by volume (ABV) were legally called non-alcoholic, according to the now-defunct Volstead Act. Because of its very low alcohol content, non-alcoholic beer may be legally sold to minors in many American states.”

Random: The things that I do for this blog.

This poured with a barely there white head that dissipated instantly and left no lacing on the glass. The body was a clear, straw yellow with moderate visible carbonation. It pretty much looked like a macro to me. The nose was absolutely awful. I got some skunk mixed with some grain. It actually smelled worse than a macro. The taste was equally awful. It started with a disgusting artificial sweetness mixed with pronounced skunky flavor. This was probably one of the worst beers I’ve ever reviewed. The body was a medium thickness with heavy carbonation. The finish was long as hell with grass and the same disgusting sweetness. This was a definite drainpour. Even my sister said, “Oh god. Just drain pour it!” I will never have this again. Ugh.

Untappd Rating: 1.0/5.0

Oskar Blues Deviant Dale’s IPA

Yesterday was a relatively busy day. My sister and I hit up Home Depot in the rain and bought some stone. And yes, I totally unloaded the stone from the car in the pouring rain. I was quite a sight. So, onto the brew.

ABV: 8%

Style: American Double/Imperial IPA

Trivia: According to the brewery website, “Deviant Dale’s IPA (8% ABV, 85 IBUs) was born at the crossroads, in a juke joint, as if Dale’s Pale Ale sold its soul to balance Deviant’s foreboding aromas of citrus, grapefruit rind and piney resins with a copper ball-of-fire color and inscrutable finish. The 2011 GABF Silver Medal Winner (American IPA Category) is the Devil incarnate with untold amounts of malt and hedonistic Columbus dry-hopping. Oskar Blues’ southern spirit caught a northbound blues bus to ColoRADo to deliver the boundary bustin’ brewery’s first 16 oz. tallboy can.”

Random: I love tallboy cans. I especially love Double IPAs in tallboys.

This brew poured with a two finger, tan head that dissipated very slowly and left significant lacing on the glass. The body was a clear mahogany color with moderate visible carbonation. The nose was all pine. I could tell this was going to be serious…well, when you’re giving me a brew that is 100+ IBU, it can’t be anything but serious. The taste was a hop head’s dream. It had lots of pine followed by some sweet caramel malt. I was a little surprised that grapefruit didn’t make an appearance. The body was towards the thicker and heavier side with moderate carbonation. The booze could have been slightly better hidden, but made an appearance on the long finish that was teaming with malt and pine. This was a really enjoyable beer. It was hop forward, but balanced. I would definitely have this again, although the booze could have been more hidden. A hop head’s dream.

Untappd Rating: 4.0/5.0