Kasteel Winter, Brouwerij Van Honsebrouck, Belgian Strong Dark Ale 11%
A while back it was Ladies Night at Geeky Beer Gal’s house and one of my besties brought this gal a bottle of Kasteel Winter. What a great friend! I’ve always been happy with Kasteel Ales and was looking forward to trying their Winter selection. I was so excited I decided to open it right away and Oh, boy it lived up to my expectations.
Appearance: Dark brown with hews of ruby and a nice tan head. Aroma: Roasted coffee and spices with a hint of cocoa Body: Medium body with medium carbonation Flavor: The taste stands true to the aromas with the added flavor of toffee, soft hops & tobacco and a slightly sour/woody finish.
Overall a very nice winter ale and one I look forward to having again next season.
After enjoying the Kasteel I decided to open a bottle of Bitches Brew.
Miles Daves’ Bitches Brew, Dogfish Head Brewery, Imperial Stout 9%
I had this when it first came out several years ago but had been saving this bottle for a while decided to finally pop it open. Ahhh, it was as good as I remember it being.
Appearance: black liquid gold with a nice dark tan head Aroma: whiskey, floral, vanilla and bitter burnt chocolate Body: Thick, rich and creamy Flavor: Rich chicory, hints of dark chocolate and plum with honey accents that slowly immerge throughout the course of drinking this beer; it has a nice bourbon/whiskey finish – A true indulgence!
I recently had an afternoon planned of walking around the Italian Market in Philadelphia and stopping at one of my favorite beer spots, Memphis Taproom for a beer and a bite to eat. However, prior to leaving for the city I realized Devil’s Den was only 2 blocks from the Market and since it had been a few years since I last was at the Den I altered my plans and went there instead of Memphis.
One of the things that I remember from my last visit to the Den that was so appealing was the great beer list and the relaxing atmosphere. Things this time were a bit different. When I originally planned the day I was aware that is was the same day as the Philly Craft Beer Express but made sure Memphis Taproom was not one of the stops. However, when I changed my plans last minute I didn’t think to check if Devil’s Den was one of stops on the Express and it was. When my companion and I arrived the place was packed and noisy. We made our way through the bar area crowd and requested a table in the small dining room. Fortunately, there were two tables open and we got one of them. I wasn’t sure how the service would be with such a crowd but no worries the staff did an outstanding job of taking care of everyone.
Now that we were seated I looked forward to picking out my beer of choice. I asked our fabulous server, Dan P., if one could make a taster round but was informed they don’t offer that. Although, they do have 3 prefabbed tasting rounds on the menu. It disheartens me to have to admit I was a bit disappointed by the beer list on this particular visit. The list leaned very heavily towards IPA’s. I know folks like their hops but not everybody is a hop head and even hop heads like something else once in a while. I stand by them being on Geeky Beer Gal’s Philly Bar Crawl list because it was still a list of great beers I just would have preferred a bit more variety. Their bottle list is amazing and offers a wide variety. However, I was in the mood for a beer on tap and was having a hard time finding a beer I wanted a full pint of so I decided to go with one of the prefab flights. Each flight consisted of 4 beers and they offered a Sour Flight, Hops Flight (of course) and a Combo Flight. I enjoy a nice sour ale every now and then but didn’t feel in the mood for a full flight of sours and I knew I wasn’t going for a Hop flight so I settled for the Combo flight. It was made up of a cherry stout, a wheat and 2 IPA’s. I think for a Combo it would have been nice to replace one of the IPA’s with a sour and make it a true combo of styles.
Once the beer was ordered we perused the food menu. We happened to be there on Saturday during brunch service so no ordering from the regular menu. FYI – Brunch is a big thing on the weekend at Philly beer establishments. Both my companion and I felt this menu leaned heavily towards the breakfast side with lots of egg dishes and was a bit light on the lunch side of things but was both meat and vegetarian friendly.
Biscuits & Gravy
I ordered the house made Black Bean Burger – I love when an establishment offers a house made veggie burger rather serving up a dried out hockey pock patty that I could buy in the frozen section of any market. My companion ordered the Biscuits and Gravy. Both beer and the food arrived promptly which was incredible considering the crowd they were dealing with. (I cannot stress enough how stellar the service was) Both meals were a nice size and delish and the burger came with the choice of a side salad or fries. Another nice touch 2 different hot sauces were brought to the table. Options are always nice and one was my favorite hot sauce, Cholula.
L to R: Stout, Black IPA, Wheat, Imperial IPA
Of course, I was more excited about the BEER! On the Wings of Armageddon – DC Brau Brewing Co., Imperial IPA 9.20%
Holy Hops this beer was packed with a hop punch. So much so that I had a bit of trouble tasting much else. There were undertones of citrus and pine along with all the hops. It pours a nice rich copper color with head of creamy green but left a cotton mouth feeling after drinking.
He’Brew Death of a Contract Brewer – Shmaltz Brewing Company, Black IPA 7%
This beer offers a nice combination of hops, roasted caramel and chocolate with a deep brown body and medium white head with just hints of green in it. The hops were subtle compared to the Armageddon but after drinking it for a bit the hops came more to the forefront. This is a nicely done Black IPA. More and more I’m learning to appreciate this style; a nice combination of hops and malts.
White Gold – Ithaca Beer Company, American Pale Wheat Ale 8%
This wheat ale was such an enjoyable beer, not just because it was something besides an IPA, but because it has that tart earthiness I’ve come to expect from a good wheat beer. It has a true wheat body, as well, that’s cloudy gold with a frothy head and complemented the vinaigrette on my side salad wonderfully with its combination of citrus, apricot and apples and the ever wonderful wheat ale grassiness. I enjoyed this one the most from my visit to the Den.
Last up was the Sour Cherry Imperial Stout – Blue Point Brewing, Russian Imperial Stout 9.2%
By now I think most know that Geeky Beer Gal loves her STOUTS! I was hesitant to order a full pint of this one not knowing how strong the cherry flavor with be. I wasn’t in the mood for an overpowering fruit flavor with my meal. Turns out the cherry flavor is subtle and a full pint would have been just fine. Then again I wouldn’t have gotten to try the other 3 so it all worked out. It has a good roasted chicory taste to it with just slight undertones of the cherry. As far as stouts go it’s good but not great still an enjoyable Imperial Stout.
I’m glad I finally got to return to Devil’s Den and would do so again but next time I would plan better and make sure I’m there when there’s not an event happening and the full menu is offered.
I recently had the pleasure of meeting up with a friend in Philadelphia for a nice lunch and beer outing. We were trying to pick something different for both of us and we quickly found that several of the beer places we had in mind don’t open until 4pm on weekdays. We narrowed the list to Local 44 and Kraftworks. Since both of us had only been to Local 44 once upon its opening a few years ago that became our go to place. I thoroughly enjoyed it on my first visit and quickly was reminded why upon entering this great beer establishment the 2nd time around.
This is a neighborhood craft beer bar (lucky neighbors) not far from Drexel and U of Penn. The décor is rustic (wood & brick) and the atmosphere relaxed and laid back. There is nothing pretentious about Local 44, right away you feel welcomed and know you are at a place you can kick back and enjoy yourself.
The bartender, darn I forgot to write down her name, was incredible. She was very knowledge about the beers, making recommendations to anyone that asked without being overbearing and knew the food menu too. She was attentive, friendly and kept the bar clean. Always a plus in my book. She quickly informed us of any beer substitutions from what was written on the chalkboard beer menu.
The beer list at Local 44 is so nice and inviting I felt it best to drink half pours so I could try more beers. Of course, deciding which was going to be the first pour was the hard part. There were so many wonderful beers to choose from that I struggled at first with my decision but then I remembered the bartender stating there was a Saison on tap and I do love a Saison. I find it’s highly under represented on most tap lists. So when I heard there was one on tap, let alone one I hadn’t tried yet, I knew this was my first selection of the day.
State Side Saison – Stillwater Artisanal Ales, Maryland 6.8% Farmhouse Style Ale
This ale is a nicely done U.S. Saison that put me in the mood for the Spring Beer Season. It’s not as complex as some Belgian Saisons but it still has the fun yeasty, skunky and slight sourness to it that I associate with a good Farmhouse Ale. It pours a nice golden hue with just a tinge of cloudiness and just a wee bit of bubbles. It’s a nice light body ale with hints of grapefruit, lemon & complimentary floral herbs & spices and ends with a slight peppery taste. This Saison was a winner and would pair lovely with so many foods.
Great Lakes Conway Red – Great Lakes Brewing Co. 6.5% Irish Red Ale
I do enjoy a fine Red Ale and have found anything Great Lakes brews is a winner. This beer pours a nice crisp amber/copper color with beautiful full head. It’s an easy drinking medium bodied beer with slight hop taste that adds to the experience but doesn’t overpower the toasted malts and fruits that finished with just a hint of bitterness. Over all a very well done Irish Red Ale.
Monchshof Schwarzbier – Kulmbacher Brauerei AG 4.9% Schwarzbier
Nice mocha color with chestnut highlights and a dense creamy head that leaves a velvety feel in the mouth. The nuttiness hits your nose prior to tasting it. This beer is a delightful mouth full with light roasted flavors of bitter coffee, malts, nuts and fresh out of the oven crusty bread. Even though this is a more full body beer it’s crisp and easy to drink.
Rounding out the afternoon at Local 44 was the Ommegang Chocolate Indulgence Stout. I noticed this beer right away when I was pondering my beer choices upon arrival and knew I would be finishing the day with this savory delight.
Chocolate Indulgence Stout – Brewery Ommegang 7.0% Belgian Dark Ale
This stout sits so pretty in the glass with rich dark chocolate coloring and a frothy cream colored head. With roasted barley, sweet malt, toffee and bitter chocolate undertones it is a very palate pleasing stout. The chocolate really is very subtle and had essences of banana in the flavor as well. It’s not a very bold stout but true to its Belgian Dark Ale style.
I was able to try sips of the following beers courtesy of my beer companion:
Belhaven Twisted Thistle IPA (on engine) – Belhaven Brewery Company 5.3% English India Pale Ale – Smooth not overly hoppy, nice British IPA
Duck-Rabbit Hoppy Bunny American Black Ale – The Duck-Rabbit Craft Brewery 7.3% American Black Ale
Nice deep rich black ale with hints of coffee, cocoa and hops
Lavery Rauch Lager – Lavery Brewing 7%
Nice smokey flavor without being overpowering
The food menu at Local 44 is a nice size with offerings for vegans, vegetarians and meatarians. Plenty to choose from without being overwhelming. I enjoyed the vegetarian Reuben which was delish and an ample portion that I was able to take home the other half for dinner that night. My companion had the Beef on Weck which I was told was “very, very, tasty”. Sandwiches come with either a side salad or fries, always nice to have options. Oh and they have Kale on the menu, I LOVE a menu that includes Kale! Between the variety of food and beer selections it’s easy to pair your food selection with a complimentary beer. Something I like to take into consideration when ordering.
A nice ending touch was the “Good People Drink Good Beer” postcard attached to our check. It truly is the little things that makes one smile. Some lucky beer friend will be receiving this fun little surprise in the mail shortly.
There is a bottle shop next store which, unfortunately, I forgot to check out prior to my departure. This alone will require me to visit Local 44 again. Local 44 is the sister bar of one of my top favorite places in Philly, Memphis Taproom, which I plan on visiting in another week or two. Super excited about that. I still need to check out the other two sister locations Strangelove’s and Resurrection Ale House. All four locations made my Geeky Beer Gal’s Philly Pub Crawl List. Hopefully you’ll get to try all 4 Bars!
Back in January I had the pleasure of getting together with a great group of beer enthusiast to sample several beers. I had planned on bringing a Goose Island beer that night but decided at the last minute to grab a bottle of Ommegang’s Game of Thrones Iron Throne Blonde Ale instead. Boy, am I happy I brought the Iron Throne with me. This beer is a true gem.
It pours a beautiful hue of golden yellow with light oranges tones and has a nice plump head. Right away one can smell the lemon, herbs and soft hops with subtle malt essences.
This beauty is fresh, crisp and delicate while being full of flavors that all meld together wonderfully, no one taste stands out too strong. It has a nice medium carbonation and a crisp clean finish. This beer is a great accompaniment to many different foods. I would love to try it with a Thai or Indian dish.
Game of Thrones Iron Throne was the overall favorite of the evening pleasing everyone from the hop heads to those of us that favor hearty stouts and, we all agreed, it would be a great intro beer for someone who hasn’t tried craft beer before.
Dogfish Head American Beauty Imperial Pale Ale 9.00%
Dogfish Head started a Music Series of beers a few years ago and I was super excited when the brewery announced the next beer in the series would be a collaboration with the Grateful Dead. For those who don’t know the Grateful Dead is my all-time favorite band! Needless to say I was excited that two of my favorite things, The Dead and Beer, would become one in a beer name after the album American Beauty.
The Music Series beers are limited releases and can be hard to come by. It took me forever to get my hands on a bottle of Miles Davis’ Bitches Brew. I was able to preorder 1 bottle of American Beauty and an awesome coworker/friend surprised me with a second bottle! I heard only 82 bottles exist of this beer so I feel very fortunate to have 2 of them. I’ve had the bottles sitting securely in my beer closet waiting for just the right time to drink them.
Well, the time had finally come to drink one of them. I had a Beer Group gathering to attend and felt this was the perfect beer to bring, along with a bottle of Ommegang’s Games of Thrones Iron Throne Blond Ale. (Review of the Iron Throne will be posted shortly) Some other members of the Beer Group are also Deadheads and all appreciate a good beer – match made in heaven.
First the Packaging – LOVE IT! Who could resist a Grateful Dead Dancing Bear holding a Beer?! Not this Gal that’s for sure. I’m really glad they bottled it in a 25 oz bottle so I can later make the bottle into a lamp.
Nose – Light citrus tones with a slightly sweet scent
Taste – Dogfish Head recognized just how important Deadheads are to the whole process and asked for their input on what ingredients to use. The response was overwhelming and they received over 1,500 ingredient suggestions. Needless to say Dogfish Head nailed it! This beer is a Dead scene brewed in a bottle.
Beings it’s an Imperial Pale Ale and a Dogfish Head one at that, I was expecting an abundance of hops. I was very pleasantly surprised that, that was not the case. For those that know Geeky Beer Gal, I’m not a Hop Head. This beer is mellow and refreshing with undertones of the citrus flavors and sweetness of granola, yes, granola. The hops are ever so subtle with a touch of malt and a clean finish. None of the flavors or scents were overwhelming but instead very balanced. It’s as if it was brewed with a delicate touch.
A very enjoyable beer to kick back with no matter the season and is truly an American Beauty.
P.S. The other bottle of American Beauty is waiting to be enjoyed some other special evening. I’m thinking maybe a viewing of the Grateful Dead Movie while enjoying a bottle of American Beauty, sounds pretty special to me.
I recently had the pleasure of meeting up with a dear friend and fellow beer lover at the Grey Lodge Pub in Northeast Philadelphia. It’s been many moons since I last visited the Lodge and I was looking forward to seeing what was new. The transformation this establishment has gone through over the past 15+ years has been remarkable.
When I first visited it was a neighborhood bar with good beer on tap, a fun quiz night during the week, red vinyl booths, stained drop ceilings and a pretty pathetic food selection – think pizza made in a toaster oven. Now the place is a destination beer spot and made my Geekybeergal Philadelphia Pub Crawl list. The owner took over the second floor and put in a real kitchen and a full veggie and meat lover menu is now available. The drop ceilings have been replaced with wood ceilings, gone are the vinyl booths and now there are nice communal wooden tables.
One of the best things about The Grey Lodge Pub has remained the same – FIRKINS! Besides the beers on tap they always offer at least 1 or 2 Firkin beers. If it’s Friday the 13th than it’s the Firkinteenth! The firkins take over the bar and the beer flows from early morning to late night. Worth trying at least once in your beer life.
Firkins
On this particular visit the firkins were Evil Genius Naughty or Nice and Iron Hill Winter Warmer. Between the beers I ordered, samples from the bartender and tastes of my friend’s beers I was able to taste many of the beers on tap. The bartender was very nice about providing samples since she didn’t know her beer. Which was the one disappointment this particular visit.
Usually the bartenders know their stuff here, as does the owner, but this particular person didn’t and at least she was honest about it instead of trying to BS her way through things. It would have also been nice if she paid a bit more attention to wiping down the bar after the patrons left.
Merry Maker Gingerbread Stout
I started with a pint of Sam Adams Gingerbread Stout… Merry Maker Gingerbread Stout, Boston Beer Company (Sam Adams), MA 9% What intrigued about this beer was instead of being a winter ale that it was a stout. The color is baked gingerbread with a nice creamy head. The nose of the beer lets you know before it hits your mouth that you’ll being enjoying gingerbread baked with molasses and the traditional holiday spices of cinnamon and nutmeg. All of these flavors pop in your mouth upon tasting the beer, as well as, a bit of bitter chocolate. There’s a lot going on but is not overpowering and the beer is self is a medium bodied stout and not as robust as one might think it will be. Over all very enjoyable holiday beer.
Next up was the… Founders Oatmeal Stout, Founders Brewing, Michigan 4.5%
Founders Oatmeal Stout
This stout is nice rich dark brownish/black with not much of a head. It has, what I lovingly refer to as, that burnt bitter bakers chocolate taste. This might sound off putting to some but I love it. There is a nice balance of oatmeal and creamy nuttiness. It’s a lighter body stout that goes down smooth and easy. A gentle beer for consumption.
I ended with a 8oz pour of… Naughty or Nice, Evil Genius Beer Company, PA 5.7%
Evil Genius Naughty or Nice
Deep brown ale with a light tan head. One can definitely taste the dark fruits and winter spices in this beer. It has a nice creamy body that finishes dry and just a hint of bitterness at the end.
I’m glad I had the pleasure of visiting The Grey Lodge Pub and catching up with a dear friend.
Tidbit of Trivia for you – The Grey Lodge is named after the Lodge in the David Lynch TV classic Twin Peaks.
Every Christmas season, since I was a kid, I go into NYC to visit the Christmas Trees of all Christmas Trees at Rockefeller Center. If you’ve never done this before I highly recommend adding it to your list of things to see in your life time. There is something magical about the Tree.
Over the years my NYC Christmas tradition has grown to include the shops at Bryant Park and a beer or two at my favorite beer place in NYC, BXL Café. This year I decided to try something new and check out the massive display of Christmas decorations at Rolf’s German Restaurant while enjoying a German beer.
Well, my companion and I didn’t realize just how popular Rolf’s display was until we reached the restaurant and discovered a 2 hour wait just to have a drink at the bar. As much as I love German beer and wanted to see the decorations there was just no way I had the patience to stand 2 hours in line to do either of those things. So off we went and started the short trek back to the subway station when we came across TapRoom307 and their slogan No Crap on Tap caught my eye. We glanced at the food (veggie and meat friendly) and beer menus and decided this was the place to plant ourselves for a bit.
TapRoom307 has a pleasant atmosphere that is designed to allow friends to gather and hang out for a while. The bar is long and booths line the walls while long communal tables run the down the center of the establishment. The decor is rustic/wood and very warm and inviting. The only downside sound carries and at times the noise level can make it a bit hard to carry on a conversation.
Since there were 40 beers on tap and I didn’t plan on spending too much time at the Tap Room I decided the best beer route for me to take was a Flight, 4 beers for $12. I decided to try four beers very different from each other.
Weihenstephaner Vitus, Weizenbock, Germany 7.7% From start to finish this beer was a joy to drink and very refreshing as well. It pours an orange/yellow color with a nice white head. Several flavors mix around as you drink this beer including citrus, banana, cloves and coriander all mixed with a sweet malty aroma. I couldn’t have asked for a better beer to accompany my lunch, kale salad with citrus vinaigrette.
Prelude Special Ale, Winter Warmer, Shipyard Brewing, Maine 6.7% This beer has a nice dark amber color to it with a tannish head. It’s a descent winter ale that has a nice nutty flavor to and a subtle hops ending. The winter spices are not overwhelming as some winter beers can be. In fact, I would never guess it was a winter ale from tasting it but rather a descent amber ale.
Jolly Pumpkin Noel de Calabaza, Belgian Strong Ale, Michigan 9% First thought – a Christmas Tree just exploded in my mouth. It has a woody pine taste to it mixed with dark fruit tartness and holiday spices. A small pour of this particular beer was enough for me, I could not imagine drinking a full tulip glass of it. I mixed it with a wee bit of the Harpoon Chocolate Stout and that helped to mellow the flavors out. I enjoyed the combination of the two. Remember to experiment!
Harpoon Chocolate Stout, American Stout, Harpoon Brewery, Massachusetts 5.9% This beer pours black and has a nice frothy head. The roasted malts take a bit of a back seat to the sweetness of the chocolate and vanilla. The sweetness was a bit overpowering for my taste and mixing with the Jolly Pumpkin helped to cut it. It’s a decent stout but isn’t going to make my top 10 list.
Left to Right: Jolly Pumpkin, Harpoon Stout, Vitus, PreludeBryant Park
Once we finished up at the Tap Room we headed back up town and to Bryant Park and my favorite BXL Café. BXL is in close proximity to Bryant Park, Times Square, Port Authority and Rockefeller Center but is NOT touristy at all. Several years ago a dear friend and I were on 43rd headed toward Rock Bottom Brewery when out of the corner of my eye I spotted BXL and we decided to stop in there first. We never made it to Rock Bottom that day. BXL is a wonderfully small intimate bar with a couple of small tables, for two, in the front window area and about a dozen tables in the back for eating. There are several TVs in the café and usually they have on European football. The menu is on the small side but has something for everyone and being a Belgium restaurant there’s a nice selection of mussel dishes to choose from. Of course, the main reason I go is the beer. All Belgium or Belgium style beers are on tap and there’s a nice bottle selection as well. At least 90% of the time the beer is served in the appropriate glass which I just love.
BXL Cafe
On this visit I decided to enjoy one of my favorites….
Chimay Spéciale Cent Cinquante, Bières de Chimay S.A 10% How much do I love Chimay? I once had a special, special cat named Chimay. The color of this ale is a beautiful copper with a nice white head. The balance of the spices with the yeast and citrus is just a perfect blend. There’s a nice undertone of peppers with the malt and a crisp dry finish. Chimay never fails to bring a smile to my face.
For this particular visit I had planned on enjoying just this one special beer but then I found out they had Delirium on tap and well…you guessed it….I had to have one.
Delirium Tremen, Brouwerij Huyghe, Belgium, Belgian Strong Ale 8.5% YUM! This ale pours a nice golden color and has a nice steady stream of bubbles. It’s a bit more carbonated than I usually like but for some reason that doesn’t bother me. The taste is a delicate balance of lemon, apples, honey and just a slight hop essence and is a very crisp and clean beer that finishes dry.
Delirium TremensChimay
After the Delirium my beer adventures for the day had come to an end and it was time to make our way back to the Port Authority. It was another successful Christmas visit to NYC.
Looking to spend a day or two checking out the beer scene in the city of Brotherly Beer? Following is a list of suggested Pub Crawl destinations for Philadelphia broken up by neighborhoods. This is just Geeky Beer Gals suggestions for possible Philly Pub Crawls. YES, there are a lot of good beer bars in Philly but I tried to keep the list to exceptional beer places. So if you don’t see one on the list it could mean:
a. I didn’t know about it or
b. it’s good but not exceptional
I haven’t tried each place personally, a number of them but not all of them. However, I trust my beer team with their recommendations.
Have fun tasting your way through the city of Brotherly Beer.
Random Great Beer Bars Brauhaus Schmitz (German bar South Street) Devil’s Den (South Philly/Italian…Market great cozy atmosphere) Grey Lodge Pub (Mayfair…an oldy but still a goody) Vargabar (Washington Square area)
Timmerman’s Pumpkin Lambicus
Brouwerij Timmermans-John Martin N.V. Belgium (4.0%)
I purchased this lambic back in September knowing I would save it to enjoy with a slice of pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving Day.
This lambic surprised me in that it wasn’t like other lambics I was use to. Most have a very strong flavor. I felt the pumpkin flavor of this lambic to be subtle and the overall presence in the mouth to be very light. At first I had it on it’s own and noticed a slight citrusy quality to it along with honey and just a touch of pumpkin pie and spices. It was when I enjoyed it with a slice of pumpkin pie that it came alive. The combination of the pie with the lambic really brought out the pumpkin flavors and spices in the lambic. I enjoyed it much more with the pie than by it’s self.
It pours a pale orange pumpkin color with a bit of a strong head yet the lambic itself is not heavily carbonated. Overall a very pleasant beer for the Thanksgiving Holiday.
Recently a fellow beer lover stopped by and I thought I treat both of us to a mini Barely Wine tasting. I’ve been aging a few in my beer/wine cellar and chose three for us to taste.
Brooklyn Brewery Monster Ale 2000 10.8%
This particular barley wine aged beautifully. It had mellowed out some but was still full bodied.
The Monster poured nicely and was a nice dark ruby color. It had a hint of sweetness to it similar to cherries and a lovely taste of caramel as well. The flavor lasted well after drinking it.
XS Old Crustacean Rogue Ales 1998 11.5%
Old Crusty has always been one of my favorite barely wines and although this was still very good I fear it may have aged a bit too long. This particular bottle had a stronger bitter after taste than before. Granted this particular barely wine has always had a bit of a bitter after taste but it was more prevalent from aging. Over all it still tasted delightful with hints of raisin and brown sugar. The hops are prevalent as well. Still one of my favorite Barely Wines to par take in.
Sierra Nevada Bigfoot Barleywine Style Ale Sierra Nevada Brewing 9.6%
I did not see a date on the bottle but I know this was at least 13 years old. The bitterness is not as strong in this barely wine. There was a full head on this ale that lasts throughout the drinking period. One can smell the hops right off the bat. This is a full body ale with toasted malts and a bit of bitterness and a mixture of toffee with hints of fruit.
Kasteel Winter, Brouwerij Van Honsebrouck, Belgian Strong Dark Ale 11%
Stout 9%
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