Kronenbourg Blanc

I can’t wait for football season to start. I watched the Eagles game for a bit last night and then watched some of the Rutgers game. I was not a happy camper that they lost in overtime. At least they put up a lot of points, but still, it’s a heartbreaking loss. It was not a nice thing to wake up to. Anyways, I had this beer awhile back. I thought the bottle was cool looking, although I wouldn’t describe it as elegant…

ABV: 5%

Style: Witbier

Trivia: According to the brewery website, “1664 Blanc is an original wheat beer. It is a different, fresh and fruity white beer, slightly bitter with hints of citrus and coriander spices. With its modern and elegant blue bottle, 1664 Blanc is perfectly adapted to all moments of conviviality.”

Random: No matter how many times I hear it, I love Keane’s song, “Somewhere Only We Know.”

Poured with a huge, egg white fluffy head that dissipated slowly and left lots of lacing. The body is an ever-so-slighty hazy yellow with large amounts of active carbonation visible. Nose is very floral with a lot of lemon zest and some coriander as well. There is a definitely floral aspect to the nose as well. The taste is much more floral. The citrus presence is minimal and the floral aspects overtake the beer. There is some coriander to it as well. The body is on the thinner side with heavy carbonation. The finish is lengthy with some spice to it as well. The beer is okay, I just prefer a bit more citrus. It’s still worth a try.

Untappd Rating: 3.0/5.0

‘na Biretta Rossa

Have you ever responded to a text or email and think you’re responding to another one someone else sent you and you say something completely and totally inappropriate? I did that recently. Really, really not funny and I looked like an idiot. I guess if you aren’t me, it was pretty funny. Anyways, I’m back. Work has been crazy, so updating has not been an option. I had this beer a couple of weeks ago and am now trying to get through my never-ending backlog of reviews.

ABV: 6.3%

Style: Bock

Trivia: Apparently this beer pairs well with kangaroo skewers. Where exactly am I going to find those?

Random: All I have been listening to for the past two or three days is 90s music.

The first thing that I noticed about this beer was that it exploded. So, I lost about a sixth of it to the explosion. Wonderful. Once I actually got to pour it, the brew was about two fingers high and cream-colored. It was slow to dissipate and left some lacing on the glass. The body was a cloudy mahogany color with high carbonation visible throughout. The nose had some bready malt and caramel as well. For the style, it was a relatively muted nose for the style. The taste wasn’t bad. I got some nutty caramel malts with some marked sweetness. The end of the sip was a miss for me. It was medicinal and just off-putting. The body was light for the style with heavy carbonation. The finish was long with the same medicinal taste. This beer just didn’t thrill me, although it does come in a cool bottle.

Untappd Rating: 2.5/5.0

Boulevard Brewing Company Grainstorm Black Rye IPA

I wish I could have a wonderfully happy post today. Rather than go into unhappy stuff, let’s just say it’s been a rough week. This brew was one that I picked up while I was in Virginia. I was definitely stocking up on a few Boulevard brews since we can’t get them in Virginia. Let’s see how this one went…

ABV: 7.7%

Style: American Black Ale

Trivia: According to the brewery website, “Just when you thought it was safe to come out of the root cellar, along comes Grainstorm, a big, wet wallop to the senses. In the glass, dark and turbulent clouds gather. A high-pressure system of pungent hops collides with a stationary front of barley, wheat, and rye. The forecast: a veritable monsoon of flavor, with surges of roasty malt, microbursts of hops, and a chance of golfball-sized hail. The extended outlook calls for unseasonably pleasant enjoyment.”

Random: Why is it that every single time I log on to wordpress, the look in the visual view completely changes?

This brew poured with a huge, four finger tan head with lots of tan-colored lacing left on the glass that was very slow to dissipate. The body was a dark brown color with some carbonation visible throughout. The nose had some definitive rye up front with roasted malts and chocolate notes as well. But, rye was the definite star. The taste started with rye and some barley. There was also a roasted grain presence as well, but it was quite delicate and if I had to pick one flavor, it would be rye. The booze was incredibly well hidden on this. The body was medium thickness and had high carbonation. The finish was quick with some rye. I really enjoyed this beer. It was a total showcaser of rye, which was quite welcome. Definitely seek this out.

Untappd Rating: 4.0/5.0