Greg

Indulging in Chocolate Indulgence

Brewery Ommegang, Reviews, Stout 2 Responses »
Feb 022010

I like stouts. I like chocolate. I love chocolate stouts. Brewery Ommegang is one of my favorite breweries out there. They make readily available and fairly inexpensive beers that are damn good. I’ve been wanting to try Chocolate Indulgence for a while, and during a trip to the brewery this past October, I picked a bottle up. It’s been sitting in the cellar since, and I’m ready to drink it now. What am I expecting? With a name like Chocolate Indulgence, I want it to be like eating a chocolate bar while drinking a very good stout. I am ready to begin.

Into my pint glass (I have a Chocolate Indulgence chalice, not sure why I didn’t pour it into that) the beer pours a pitch black, with a really nice cascading two finger tan head. Aroma is not really strong, some roasted malts are present. No chocolate. Uh-oh. Unfortunately, chocolate seems to be lacking in the flavor department. Flavor is sweet, with a slight roasted taste.  Other than that, there isn’t much else. Body is medium to full. Carbonation is low.

Overall, the beer itself isn’t bad. I think where Ommegang went wrong is the name and the style. First off, Chocolate Indulgence invokes visions and dreams of delicious chocolate syrup pouring from a bottle. I can’t detect a hint of chocolate. Secondly, I don’t consider this to be a stout. To me, it is more like a porter. It’s not that heavy, it doesn’t have that roasted, burnt flavor often found in stouts. Even on BeerAdvocate it’s listed as a Belgian Strong Dark. It’s a good beer, just change the name. C’mon Ommegang! You guys make great beers, tweak this recipe, give everyone the Chocolate Indulgence they crave and deserve!

Posted by Greg at 8:50 pm

More Excellent Beers to Drink

Beer Doings 3 Responses »
Jan 272010

I picked up more of the top 100 beers in the world today to add to my cellar. I am slowly whittling the list down, but these California breweries really need to start distributing to New York. These are the beers from left to right:

Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout by North Coast Brewing Company

Trappistes Rochefort 10 by Braserie de Rochefort

Choklat (Imperial Stout) by Southern Tier Brewing Company

Gouden Carolus D’Or-Cuvee Van de Keizer by Brouwerij Het Anker

Oak Aged Yeti Imperial Stout by Great Divide Brewing Company

Trappistes Rochefort 8 by Braserie de Rochefort

Peche Mortel by Brasserie Dieu du Ciel

Ten Fidy by Oskar Blues Grill & Brewery

The only beer there that I’ve had before is Choklat. For those who have drank the others, what are your opinions? Worthy of being the top beers of the world?

Posted by Greg at 2:38 pm

Trois Philosophes Deuxième Partie

Brewery Ommegang, Quadruple, Reviews 1 Response »
Jan 172010

French translation courtesy of Google. Blame them if it’s wrong. Welcome to the second part of the review of Brewery Ommegang’s Three Philosophers. Part 1 can be read here, written by Clubby. At the time, I never thought I was going to review this beer. Tonight, however, I decided, hey, it’s in the fridge, I’m thirsty, I need to review something, let me tell everyone my take on this beer. I’ve had it before. It is wonderful. I can’t wait. But I must, I need to let it warm a bit before I begin to drink. While I am waiting I’d like to tell you a bit about this beer. As you may have read in Clubby’s review, he talked about a painting by Giorgione. While they do share the same name, it is not what the beer was named after. I recently took a trip to Ommegang, and during the tour they said the three silhouettes on the bottle were the current and former brewmasters of Ommegang, and the brewmaster of  Duvel. I think. I could be slightly off, I drank a lot of samples that day. But I am definitely more accurate than Clubby. Three Philosophers is a blend of a quadrupel, which is a full bodied malty Belgian ale, and a Kriek, which is a cherry lambic. The two blended together create a wonderful ale. OK, the beer is a good temperature now. First, the obligatory picture that I haven’t included in a while, then the review.

That’s a big picture! Upon popping the cork, a sweet aroma with cherries emerged. An off white, 1 finger head was present. Color is similar to a Coke, with a reddish tint. Aroma was the same that came from the bottle. Taste is everything that was expected. Very sweet and malty, with a tart cherry flavor. Cherries are more of a background flavor, which is great. The quadruple is allowed to come through as the star. Every sip amazes me how the cherry is not there, but there at the same time. It is definitely full bodied, medium to high carbonation.

Absolutely awesome. What makes this better is the whole 750ml is mine. Like Clubby said in his review, some beers out there overdo it with the cherries. Ommegang found the perfect ratio of quad and Kriek, creating a myriad of flavors in one’s mouth. I must go now, for I have about half of the bottle left. Good night world!

Posted by Greg at 10:36 pm

Stone Imperial Russian Stout

Reviews, Russian Imperial Stout, Stone Brewing Company 1 Response »
Dec 212009

#23. That’s what this beer is rated in the world. Is this spot deserved? I will tell you. I am drinking Imperial Russian Stout by Stone Brewing Company. The bottle is Spring 2009 release. It’s black, huge, and beautiful. Which is exactly how Clubby likes his men (payback for the grotto facer comment). In the words of my uncle, “REVIEW THE BEER!”

I popped the cap off the 22oz bomber, and was greeted immediately with one of my favorite aromas. Sweet, chocolately goodness. I poured into my snifter, and was entranced by the nice cascading. There wasn’t much head that didn’t last very long, but when it was there it was a tan color. Color is pitch black that doesn’t allow any light through. Smelling it reveals a chocolate, mocha aroma. In my mouth it feels heavenly. Thick, rich, sweet, bitter. Extremely well balanced. It’s got a chocolate taste mixed with an extra bold coffee. It is very smooth and creamy. Alcohol hides behind the rest of the big flavors. Carbonation is very little, which is fine. There’s enough where you don’t feel like you are drinking pure syrup. It’s definitely full bodied.

A fairly short review because I want to enjoy the rest of this beer in quiet solitude. I love stouts, and this is definitely one of the best. It is so well balanced, almost perfect in everything that you would expect in a beer. For 10.5% ABV, it is very deceptive. Aside from the buzz that I am getting, there’s no indication of the alcohol whatsoever. I wish I picked up two bottles so that I can cellar one, but luckily this is easy to find. Go out, buy it, drink it slowly, savor it.

Posted by Greg at 9:14 pm

A Date With the Duvel

Belgian Strong Pale Ale, Brouwerij Duvel Moortgat, Reviews No Responses »
Dec 142009

Duvel. A name so simple. Duvel. A name so elegant. Duvel. A name of a kick ass beer. That’s right, one of the top beers in the world, this Belgian Strong Pale Ale is truly the quintessential example of the style. It is basic yet complex. Refreshing yet will kick your ass without even knowing it. At 8.10% ABV, it is so drinkable it’s scary. It is the Devil! But in a really good way. Like one of those cute baby looking devils. On the one hand it’s a devil, so you’re scared, but on the other you just want to squeeze it’s cheeks. What was I talking about again? Oh yeah, Duvel! A beautiful golden elixir that is good to the last drop.

Popping the top off of this bottle resulted in an eruption of sudsy beerness. Luckily not much was wasted. I licked the counter clean then poured into my glass. Beautiful bountiful bubbles of CO2 went soaring to the top of the beer, creating the fluffiest looking head I have ever seen. Much to my amazement, the head stayed throughout the duration of my beer drinking experience. Duvel was clear and golden, like a fine champagne. A fruity and spicy aroma permeated my nose. Let’s have a raise of hands here. How many of you have stuck your nose completely into the head of the beer when trying to smell it? I have multiple times, and tonight was no exception. As much as I would love to have Duvel sitting in a glass looking sexy all day long, I wanted to drink it more. A fruity, slightly tart flavor was there. It was refreshing! Mild hops were detectable, while the carbonation was so bubbly and perfect. It is most definitely not filling as it is light bodied. Also, as I mentioned before, it is extremely drinkable. And the lacing! My word the lacing, it stayed on the glass the whole time. That’s dedication.

All in all, an amazing beer. A great beer that is perfect for those times where you want to enjoy a beer, but don’t necessarily want to spend a lot of time analyzing the intricacies. Duvel is also one of those beers that you don’t want to finish,because you want to keep enjoying it over and over again. Duvel is now one of my favorites that I believe is perfect for drinking with people who are not necessarily beer drinkers. I think it can be a good gateway beer. Belgians rock!

Posted by Greg at 9:20 pm

Working My Way Through the Best Beers...

Beer Doings No Responses »
Dec 142009

IMG_1246

In the picture above, you will see 10 beers. What makes these so special that they deserve a group picture like that? Well I’ll tell you. All 10 of these beers are on the Beer Advocate’s Best of BA guide. They are in the top 100 beers in the world based on BA’s ratings. I have decided to try my hardest to try every single one. A lot are very rare, as they aren’t distributed out of their own states. So I am starting with some of the more common ones that I just picked up at Half Time Beverage in Poughkeepsie. The list is always changing, but I am going to go off of the most current one for now. Here is what I have so far:

Stone Imperial Russian Stout from Stone Brewing Company. It has an A rating with over 1600 reviews, which is good enough for a ranking of #23.

St. Bernardus Abt 12 from Brouwerij St. Bernardus. It has an A rating with over 1500 reviews, for a ranking of #24 overall. I have reviewed this beer already, but I am still going to enjoy this one again.

Brute from Ithaca Brewing Company. An A rating with almost 140 reviews, ranked #57.

Duvel from Brouwerij Duvel Moortgat. An A rating with over 1700 reviews. Ranked at #58. I have had this before, but never reviewed.

Double Bastard Ale from Stone Brewing Company. It has an A rating with over 1200 reviews and ranked at #65. Another that I have had, but never reviewed.

Hop Rod Rye from Bear Republic Brewing Company. An A rating with over 1300 reviews ranked at #66.

La Fin du Monde from Unibroue. An A rating with over 1700 reviews ranked at # 74. Had many a time, but never reviewed.

Aventinus from Private Weissbierbrauerei G. Schneider. A rating with over 1400 reviews ranked at #75.

Stone Ruination IPA from Stone Brewing Company. An A rating with over 1800 reviews. Ranked #79.

Chocolate Stout from Rogue Ales. Another A rating with over 1300 reviews, coming in at #94.

So there you have it, 10% of the best beers in the world. I will begin reviewing them shortly. Until then, if you feel like it, please send me any of the other 90 beers on the list. I will thank you for it.

Posted by Greg at 7:46 pm

Best When Fresh

Rants No Responses »
Dec 102009

Almost everything out in the universe has a Best By Date. We all abide by this date like if we don’t the world will get sucked into itself. Well hold on, because I just opened a bottle of Post Road Pumpkin Ale. And it’s past it’s prime. I looked at the date on the bottle, and it was covered in some dust. I wiped the dust away, and along with the dust went the date. I’m pretty sure it said March 2009. Guess what? It still tastes damn good. For us beer lovers, we all know that there are beers out there that can be aged. This isn’t technically one of them. It is 9 months past its freshness date. I don’t care. It’s still drinkable, I won’t die from it. I’ll admit though I do sometimes have problems with drinking beers that are past their freshness dates. Maybe it’s snobbery. I dunno. Case in point, my mom received a case of Stoudts beer from a friend who didn’t want it. It was I guess a variety pack. However, it had been in this lady’s basement for a few years, next to an oil burner. The bottles were covered in dust, dirt, mildew. Not appetizing. I refused to drink them. I was all hell bent on proving that they were no longer good to drink. They were about 4 years past the freshness date. No beer like that is going to be good anymore. The beer is now only good for drain pours, and I’ll use the bottles. After cracking a few open to pour, my dad was like I’ll drink them. No you won’t. They’re nasty. You’ll take a sip and dump the rest. Well, he drank them all. And actually enjoyed them. But then again, this is the guy who eats the stale bread that’s freezer burnt because no one else will touch it. Eww, this lettuce is brown and slimy. Give it to dad, he’ll eat it. The guy’s a garbage disposal. But back to my point. I believe a lot of sticking to freshness dates on beers and other consumables is mostly snobbery driven. It is driven into our heads that everything expires on a certain date, and to stay the frick away from it after that date. But you don’t know that until you actually taste it (in the case of beer. Most other foods will give it away they are bad with really awful smells). If I had the mentality that this beer was no longer good and just drained it because of a date, I wouldn’t be enjoying it right now. So stop being wasteful, and try that beer before you toss it because someone guessed a date it might possibly go bad on. Now if you’ll excuse me, I just uncovered some Halloween candy from 1998, and I think I might just know the person who would enjoy it.

Posted by Greg at 8:35 pm

Insanely Bad Elf. More Like Insanely Bad Beer! Zing! Bang! Boom!

English Strong Ale, Reviews, Ridgeway Brewing No Responses »
Sep 292009

So maybe this isn’t an insanely bad beer. I was really going for a catchy title. Mission accomplished. But I wasn’t even planning on writing anything on this beer when I started drinking it. However, after smelling it and tasting it, I had to. So follow along as I describe how this went from being a beer sitting in my cellar, to it’s journey to the fridge, to the pour into my glass, from my glass into my body, and then from my body out to my…Well, you know what happens to liquids after they are consumed. I’ll spare the details of that step.

Chapter 1

Insanely Bad Elf by Ridgeway Brewery began in my cellar sitting on my shelf and then I picked it up and stuck it the fridge.

Chapter 2

For a week it sat, waiting to be freed, to be enjoyed. And it was freed, but not really enjoyed. This was not the way it was meant to be for the Insanely Bad Elf.

Chapter 3

So I poured the beer into my glass, and noticed that the carbonation apparently did not exist. It looked like I was pouring brown water. I then took in the aroma. The first thought that came to mind was I was smelling nail polish remover. Maybe the flavor will be better. Eh, not so much I was quick to find out. Alcohol was very upfront and explosive. It is a very sweet beer, no carbonation, and very alcohol-y. Not much to enjoy about this. I was reading the label on the bottle, and it said “2007 Vintage”. This beer had 2 years to age, and it tasted like straight up alcohol? Damn, I can’t imagine drinking this fresh.

The one plus for this beer-11.2% ABV. Makes you loopy. Other than that, I personally would avoid it. I’m not into the overpowering alcohol. Some are. Try it for yourself. Thank you for reading my novel.

Posted by Greg at 6:51 pm

Mmmmmm......Spit Beer

Beer Doings, News No Responses »
Sep 102009

So we haven’t written anything in a while (what else is new?). I figured I gotta write about something, and it has to be beer related. I could always do a half assed review, Clubby or Dave could always post something while drunk, but that’s what we always do. So while I was at work, to avoid actually helping people, I was browsing the internet and came across an interesting article in the New York Times. And it just so happened to be about beer. It involved Sam Calagione of Dogfish Head (one of my heroes, along with Garrett Oliver, Charlie Papazian, Homer Simpson, and pretty much anyone who does something beer related).

What Mr. Calagione was doing was brewing a new crazy beer. Gasp! Almost unheard of, I know. Anyways, it involves a process which I have seen before on 2 of the greatest shows on the Travel Channel, Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern, and No Reservations with Anthony Bourdain. Basically, some tribal people in different parts of the world create a supposedly tasty beverage by chewing corn, and spitting it out and letting it ferment. That’s right, these people pretty much regurgitate corn into a barrel, seal it up, let it ferment, then drink it. They drink saliva beer. Gross. Or is it?

According to the article, the process would be like making a normal beer, so the corn would go in the boil for at least an hour, thusly sterilizing it. Whether they actually do this in South America and those other countries, I don’t know. But boil or no boil, the fact that somebody was spitting in the beer would probably prohibit me from drinking it. Seriously, if the 3 of us were standing around spitting up in the mash tun, I think we would all probably throw up. And make everyone else in the vicinity throw up. Instead of creating an interesting beer we would probably recreate the scene of Lardass and the pie eating contest.

So I ask everyone, would you either make this beer or drink it given the chance? Leave a comment, let us know. Maybe we will try it sometime.

Posted by Greg at 6:22 pm

Greetings Strangers, It's Review Time!

Reviews, Tripel, Weyerbacher Brewing Co. No Responses »
Jul 092009

So have you been wondering where we have been? What? No? Why the hell not? You bastards! We’ve been busy. We haven’t brewed in a couple of months, haven’t reviewed any beers, we’ve drank a lot of beers however. Dave and Clubby are still cooking away at culinary school. So that brings me here. I’m thirsty. I grabbed a beer. I figured…What the hey, why not review it? So review I will, and I may be a bit rusty. So get your eyes ready to read my review of Weyerbacher Brewing Company’s Merry Monk’s Ale.

This beer pours a nice clear golden color with a nice white head, which quickly dissipates. Aroma is citrusy, with that distinct Belgian yeast. First initial taste is a nice warming alcohol. Fruity, sweet, malty, and some light hops come through with the taste. Nice carbonation, light body, crisp. Very nice.

Overall, a nice Belgian Tripel. Alcohol is warming, but not too overpowering. A typical Belgian Ale, very nice representation of the style. I would definitely drink this again.

Posted by Greg at 8:22 pm
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