Delirium Tremens

The long awaited (at least by me) return of the Brew Review is here. I know I said in the last one that I would review easily attainable brews. But I couldn't resist this find, so I am breaking away for one post.
While on a trip to the home of Cam Newton - Auburn, Alabama - for a wedding / vacation, I was having pizza at the Mellow Mushroom with my lovely wife, on a day that was just as lovely when I saw a Delirium Tremens beer mat. It made the claim of being voted the best beer in the world. They happened to have it available, so I bought one. It is fitting that the name actually means "trembling madness", referring to the serious withdrawals that can occur after alcohol abuse, or like the shakes induced by Brew Review Withdrawal.

Delirium Tremens is a Belgian Strong Ale produced by the Brewery Huyghe in Melle, Belgium. And here's what they would like you to know about this brew:

ABV: 8.5%

Colour and Sight: pale blond, the fine and regular effervesce ensures a fine and stable head.

Scent: Slightly malty, a nice touch of alcohol, spicy

Flavour: Feels like the sound shot of alcohol is igniting the mouth. In reality the tongue and palate are warmed. The taste is characterized by its roundness. The aftertaste is strong, long-lasting and dry bitter.

The whole "Best Beer in the World" part was the award given at the World Beer Championships in Chicago, IL in 1998.

Now if you ask me, there are many beers that are better overall, but as for the style guidelines, Delirium is a great Belgian Strong. It poured with a thick, long lasting head, under which was an unfiltered, golden ale. I fully agree with them on the spicy aroma part too. There was a familiar scent that I couldn't quite place, but it was very nice.

The taste was crisp with a hint of citrus and a very effervescent mouth feel. It left very little lacing on the glass as I drank it down. It left a long alcohol warmth in the back of my throat but otherwise had a short lasting aftertaste. It was a fairly well balanced brew with the scales tipped slightly toward the hops end.

At $8.50 for an 11.2 oz bottle, I may say that it was a little overpriced. But I will still make the official Everything Brewed Rating a 4 out of 5 pints. [EDIT: that price was what I paid and was current at the time of writing this post. However, I did find it today for $3.99 for the same size. Guess that's what I get for buying it from a restaurant!]

Thanks for checking out this week’s Brew Review. Thoughts, comments, and questions are, of course, welcome. And remember to enjoy your beer, but responsibly please. Also, don’t forget to check out their website for more information on this and other brews by Delirium.

Cheers,
Jason

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Leinenkugel's Creamy Dark

Welcome back to the "weekly" Brew Review. I took last week off, not from drinking beer, but from writing about it because I was busy hanging out in Orlando, Florida. It rained for most of the time I was there if that makes you feel any better. I was disappointed, in fact, that there was not a microbrewery within cabbing distance (long rides take up my drinking $). They did have Blackwater Porter, from Orlando Brewing Company, on tap at the hotel bar for about $7 a "pint" though.

Anyway...I have done several reviews now on some unique, hard to find brews. What I have decided to do for this series is to review some easier to find, yet still delicious and crafty brews. This will be a step away from the ones that are 6 bucks each, and move to some that are about $8 for a sixer. My hope is that this will encourage readers to try something new, and if you like it, then you will have 5 more to go with it and you will not have gone broke in the process.

So this week, let's take a look at a nice "Drinkable Dark" - Leinenkugel's Creamy Dark. For me, it seems that it's still cool enough outside for a hearty beer, but not quite cold enough for a fireside Barley Wine. The Creamy Dark is a perfect middle ground. Here's what the Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company, the country's seventh oldest brewery, would like you to know about it: Brewed with Munich, Chocolate, Wheat and 3 pale malts; balanced with Cluster, Cascade and Mt Hood hops, this brew comes in at 4.91% ABV, and 19 IBU's. It has won Bronze, Gold and Silver at the World Beer Cup in 2004, 2002, and 2000 respectively and Gold ('06 &'05), Silver ('02 & '08), and Bronze ('04) at the Great American Beer Festival in the American Dark Lager category.

As for my thoughts, I find this to be a lighter version of the more common Amber Bock, which at times can seem a little over bearing on the Malt side of the house. It has a medium body, with a thinner, shorter lasting finish than a bock. Creamy Dark has a little more hop balance than the Porters I profiled in the last series, helping secure it's "middle of the road" position among the darker brews. And it's not just a clever name, this beer is dark in color!

This evening I did not pair this beer with a meal, but I can imagine that it would go well with hot wings, chili, or even good pizza.

So the official Everything Brewed Rating for this particular brew is 4 out of 5 pints. I hope this one is easier for you to find. I got mine at Kroger, not my normal specialty retailer, so look for it and try it today won't you??

Thanks for checking out this week’s Brew Review. Thoughts, comments, and questions are, of course, welcome. And remember to enjoy your beer, but responsibly please. Also, don’t forget to check out their website for more information on this and other brews by Leinenkugel.

Cheers,
Jason

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Samuel Smith's Taddy Porter

So it's time to wrap the Porter series. This week we are going to take a look at Samuel Smith's Taddy Porter. Samuel Smith's Old Brewery has revived this old style with a little twist of their own. The water they use, which by percentage is the largest ingredient, is drawn from a well that was originally tapped in 1758. So the Taddy Porter has a taste unlike any other porter on the market, and here's what the brewers would like you to know about this brew.

Taddy Porter is a very dark, full bodied ale with a rich, creamy head and an intense, dry, tangy character. It won the Platinum Medal and World Champion Porter awards at the World Beer Championships and was declared "one of the world's five best beers" by Michael Jackson (I am not sure if it's "the" Michael Jackson or not). It is suggested to be served at about 55 Degrees.

As for my thoughts...I fully agree with the full bodied declaration by the brewery. It is dark and malty, with just a hint of roasted character. It pour out with a nice thick head that hangs out for a while and goes down smoothly. The after taste is sweet and long lasting but not incredibly intense, so it won't bother you at all. And as with other porters, the hop profile is very subtle.

As with other darker, heavily malted beers, pair this with meat such as beef or spicy sausage for a nice balance of flavors. I had it along with some spicy Italian sausage and cabbage soup. It was a wonderful pairing.

I love the classic old world idea of this brew. The use of well water from 1700's well, and what seems to be a solid, standard porter recipe, transports my mind to a London Pub near a dock. So the official Everything Brewed rating for this Porter, will be a full 5 out of 5 pints. I fully recommend you pick some up from your favorite craft beer retailer soon.

Thanks for checking out this week’s Brew Review. Thoughts, comments, and questions are, of course, welcome. And remember to enjoy your beer, but responsibly please. Also, don’t forget to check out their website for more information on this and other brews by Samuel Smith's Old Brewery.

PS Check out the Mats Around the World section and help make it interesting.

Cheers,
Jason

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Arcadia Ales Shipwreck Porter

If you are a craft beer enthusiast like I am, you have no doubt noticed a rise in the number of barrel aged brews available on the market today. If you also happen to appreciate a fine whiskey….well that’s another blog post for another day.

This week, I decided to explore what wood could do for our series selection, Porter. So from Arcadia Ales of Battle Creek, Michigan, a microbrewery specializing in British style ales since 1996, we get Barrel Aged Shipwreck Porter. Now normally at this point I would tell you what they want you to know about this brew. However, there is not a lot of information available on their website. I know that it is 12% ABV and 50 IBU’s and $5.89 for a 12 oz. bottle (check local listings).

Now I know that of all that vital information, the price sticks out the most. But at 12% ABV, this is not intended to be a “drinking” beer, but more of a “sippin’” beer. So don’t multiply that by 6 and think you’ve blown your drinking money for the whole weekend. One was plenty for me and I am a professional, well almost.

Once I broke through the wax dipped cap and poured this beer into the glass, I noticed, as I have with other barrel aged beers of this strength, that there was very little head that formed. It is a thick, black ale which allows little light to come through. That’s how it looks, but what about the taste??

At 50 IBU’s you may expect a strong hop bite at the beginning. But keep in mind that’s a measure of hop content more than hop taste. 50 may be the middle, but it is way over balanced by the amount of malt in the brew so don’t worry if you are hop shy. Like other beers from this series, Shipwreck Porter is very malty with a hint of the alcohol but not to the point of flavor loss. If you use lacing as a measure of beer quality, you will go low on this one, but that really doesn’t factor into the flavor at all.

So if you aren’t scared to try an extreme beer, both in alcohol strength and flavor, don’t hesitate to give this brew a whirl.

The official Everything Brewed Rating on this brew was hard to establish. I miss many classic Porter notes on this because of the intensity of the flavor. But it is a fantastic brew over all because of the intensity of the flavor. All things considered, I give this a 3 out of 5 pints.

Thanks for checking out this week’s Brew Review. Thoughts, comments, and questions are, of course, welcome. And remember to enjoy your beer, but responsibly please. Also, don’t forget to check out www.arcadiaales.com for more information on this and other brews by – you guessed it – Arcadia Ales.

PS Check out the Mats Around the World section and help make it interesting.

Cheers,
Jason

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Great Divide Brewing Co. - Saint Bridget's Porter

Continuing the Porter Series, I selected a Robust Porter this time. A robust porter, sometimes referred to as American Porter, will have a more roasted flavor than the standard (brown or English) porter – at times, it may even have a mild “burnt” taste like that of a stout. And as with other porters, you will find very little hops flavor, aroma, or bitterness.

So this week, The Great Divide Brewing Company out of Denver, Colorado, winner of 17 Great American Beer Festival medals and 5 World Beer Cup awards, gives us Saint Bridget’s Porter, a roasted and elegant robust porter. Here’s what they want you to know about their brew:

“Saint Bridget’s Porter is an elegant, smooth porter that brims with coffee and chocolate characteristics of dark barley malts. Saint Bridget was a patron Saint of Ireland, known for the epic miracle of transforming her bathwater into beer for thirsty clerics.”

                Silver Medal – Stockholm Beer & Whisky Festival, 2007

                Gold Medal – World Beer Cup, 1996

Now for my thoughts….. this beer pours nicely into the glass without too much foam. A nice head did develop, but quickly cleared making way for the sweet, dark nectar contained within said glass. There was little lacing left on the side of the glass. For some, looking at beer this dark in color would make you expect to have a harsh intro of flavor. You will, however, find that your initial impression of this ale is quite different. It starts nestled nicely between roasted and burnt.

In the middle, I found more coffee than chocolate notes, which suited me just fine. It was a smooth, very mildly hopped, slightly sweet brew that was just as easy to sip on its own as it was to drink paired with ravioli topped with spicy Italian sausage and sun dried tomato Alfredo sauce. Other food pairing ideas from the bottle label include rosemary chicken, seared scallops, grilled beef and hearty stews. Saint Bridget’s is only slightly carbonated with a fairly thin mouth feel that leaves a short lasting after taste. I detected no bathwater notes at all, but I am not going to dock any points for that.

All that combined with the $1.85 / 12 oz bottle (check local craft beer supplier listings) give me no choice but to make the official Everything Brewed Rating for this particular selection 4 out of 5 Pints. So run out and try some right after you finish reading this Brew Review won’t you?

Thanks for checking out this week’s Brew Review. Thoughts, comments, and questions are, of course, welcome. And remember to enjoy your beer, but responsibly please. Also, don’t forget to check out www.greatdivide.com for more information on this and other brews by Great Divide Brewing Company.

PS Check out the Mats Around the World section and help make it interesting. 

Cheers,
Jason

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Fuller's London Porter

Based on an overwhelming response on the style poll, the porters took it. It just goes to show you that your vote does count at Everything Brewed.

So since the origins of Porters are based around London, I thought a London Porter would be a great start for this series. So Fuller’s London Porter it is. Fuller’s is a brand of ales from Griffin Brewery in Chiswick, London, making this my first imported brew review. Here’s what they want you to know about their brew:

“5.4% ABV gives good alcohol warmth but it is the malt that leads the flavor. The roasted malt (Crystal, Chocolate and Brown) gives strong coffee flavors with some roasted chestnut.” The appearance is dark brown (almost black) in color with an off-white, foamy head.Took Gold and Silver Medals at the International Beer & Cider Competitions in 1999, 2000, and 2002.

Well, that is a very accurate visual description indeed. This is one dark beer with strong, but smooth flavors. If you like coffee and chocolate and if you like beer, then this is what you should be drinking. If you have ever had a stout and thought it had too much roasted flavor, you could say that this steps that down a notch or two. This is definitely a beer with a strong malt profile and just a hint (not even enough to call it balanced) of hops. Fuller’s website says they use Fuggle Hops, which is a variety used primarily for aroma, not flavor or bittering, so you will just detect a hint of hops aroma when you pour it in the glass, and no hop bitterness at all.

You can expect a thick, lingering after taste that, if paired with something to lite in flavor, could be overpowering.

I enjoyed this brew with some turkey meatloaf, mashed potatoes, and sautéed spinach. The sweet glaze on the meatloaf blended well with the Porter, but the bite of the spinach (topped with shaved parmesan cheese) gave a nice roundness to the entire meal.

So Fuller’s London Porter comes in at a 5 out of 5 pints for its official Everything Brewed Rating. It has really held true to the origins of the porter style and set the bar high for the remainder of this series.

Thanks for checking out this week’s Brew Review. Thoughts, comments, and questions are, of course, welcome. And remember to enjoy your beer, but responsibly please. Also, don’t forget to check out www.fullers-ales.com for more information on this and other brews by Fuller’s.

Cheers,
Jason

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Bear Republic Red Rocket Ale

So this will wrap up this series on Red Ales. It has been an interesting, coast to coast journey for me and I hope you have found it just as interesting. If you go on to try any of these selections, you will see that there are many different faces of Red Ales, and this one certainly adds yet another one.

This week, Bear Republic Brewing Company, out of Healdsburg, California, gives us Red Rocket Ale, and here’s what they want you to know about it:

ABV: 6.8%
IBU: 67
Color: Deep Copper Red
“Red Rocket Ale is a bastardized Scottish style red ale that traces its origins to our homebrew roots. This full bodied and hoppy brew finishes on the palate with sweet, caramel malt flavors.”

Awards:
2009 California State Fair - SILVER
1999 Great American Beer Festival® Other Strong Ales or Lagers - SILVER
1998 Great American Beer Festival® Other Strong Ales – SILVER

Now here’s what I think. The brewers there are Bear Republic have really given us something interesting. The deep color resembles that of a Bock, making your mind think that you are about to have something with a deep malt profile. And your mind will be partly correct. This is by far the red ale with the highest malt profile that I have reviewed in this series. BUT – your mind will then be caught off guard by the amount of hops bitterness that comes through.

At the reported 67 IBU’s, a malt head (such as myself) may be hesitant to try it, but keep in mind that the enormous amounts of malt in this brew will more than balance the bitterness, making this one an easily drinkable, very dark, red ale.

I wasn’t eating, or even having popcorn, at the time, but I imagine this would be good with just about any beef dish, including chili or beef stew. It stood quite well on its own though. So the official Everything Brewed Rating will be a full 5 out of 5 Pints. The flavor, the alcohol content and the fact that it was a 22oz bottle (saving me at least one trip to the fridge) all contribute equally to this rating. It’s also available in a 12oz - 6 pack, and in a keg, just check with your local craft beer retailer for availability.

Thanks for checking out this week’s Brew Review. Thoughts, comments, and questions are, of course, welcome. And remember to enjoy your beer, but responsibly please. Also, don’t forget to check out http://www.bearrepublic.com for more information on this and other brews by Bear Republic Brewing Company.

Cheers,
Jason

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