Chimay Ale Premiere & Chimay Ale Grande Reserve: Review

Chimay Ale Premiere
75 cl bottle 7% abv
On beeradvocate there are 1,167 reviews and they gave it an A-.

Chimay Ale Grande Reserve
75 cl bottle 9% abv
On beeradvocate there are 1,561 reviews and they gave it an A.

While the Cinq Cents is my least favorite, these other two tie. I finally did a side by side tasting and I still can’t see any big difference between the two. I decided to do the side by side tasting, because I was looking at my notes on the two and they are very similar in there qualities.

Both ales have a nice caramel malty front with some dried dark fruits to mingle with the fine carbonation. I personally do not see either of these as being complex or have much depth in taste or structure. Yes, they have good balance. The malts, which are prominate and the hops do not collide or one overpowers the other too much.

The Grande Reserve had a whopping 406 A+ reviews. I have seen beers with better depth and complexities with much lower scores. So, is that A+ rating real personal opinion or ‘group think’.

The only difference that I can ‘see’ is the color. One has a dirty copper color and the Grande has a really old copper penny color. But, if I did a blind tasting I have to admit I would not be able to tell the difference. So, save a dollar and buy the red and see what you think of this Belgian Ale.

In Michigan: $15 for the Grande Reserve; $14 for the Premiere.

My favorite review on BA for the Premiere was a person who gave it a D+ but said in their tasting review that it is ‘nice’. NICE is a D+.

Sorry, I don’t grade beers. But, I’ll say it is good to very good. Worthy of trying.

Chimay Triple Ale Cinq Cents: Review

75cl bottle and an 8% abv.

On beeradvocate there are 1,133 reviews and they gave it an A-.

I have tasted this ale many times before and I do not see all the fuss about it. It does have a nice fruity taste but, beyond that this ale is done. And, the fruit is hard to figure out. Is it, apricot? Banana? Apple? I think it has a little apricot taste and something else that I just cannot ever figure out. But, no banana or apple to me. This is my least favorite of the Chimay lineup.

The only reason I bought this bottle was to do this review. Piraat Ale is far better to me.

It is worthy of a try.

Root Beer Tasting

My Sister with two of her girls, Mom, Dad and ME! did a Root Beer Tasting. I got my beer tasting glasses out for this big event. Each glass holds about 2 oz. I bought these glasses at my favorite dollar store for 50 cents each – what a deal.

With 6 people and four different Root Beers we needed 24 glasses. The four different Root Beers are:

Stewart’s - Frostie (fond memories from childhood)  - Virgil’s  - Goose Island

Each person had their voting slips (not to be shared till the final results).

Interesting: My sister and her two girls each had Frostie and Stewarts as 1 and 2.

My Dad voted Stewart’s as number 1 and did not rank the others – Okay, it is Fathers Day, I won’t give him too hard of a time for being noncompliant.

My Mom voted Stewart’s and Virgil’s as 1 and 2.

My vote – Virgil’s and Stewart’s.

Also, interesting was that my sister and her two girls voted Virgil’s 4th.

I asked my one Niece, ‘why did you vote Frostie over Stewart’s,’ and she said, ‘Stewart’s was too original.’ Where in the world did that review come from? Okay, now looking at the Stewart’s bottle – it says, ‘Stewart’s Original Fountain Classics.’ Now, I understand! I guess. Funny, anyway.

Here is my assessment: Virgil’s has some great flavors. Stewart’s has a very good creamy style and then mainly a caramel flavor. Frostie and Goose Island seemed like caramel flavored water.

Let’s take a look at the ingredients.

Virgil’s Mirco Brewed Root Beer: (listed on the bottle) Purified carbonated water, unbleached cane sugar, caramelized unrefined cane sugar, {THEN -}Anise, licorice, vanilla (bourbon), cinnamon, clove, wintergreen, sweet birch, molasses, nutmeg, … {also} gluten free. Using all natural ingredients.

Stewart’s Original Root Beer: Carbonated water, high fructose corn syrup, caramel color, natural and artificial flavor, sodium benzonate… {other stuff}.

Frostie Root Beer: Carbonated water, high fructose corn syrup, caramel color, sodium benzoate, natural and artificial flavor, citric acid.

Goose Island Chicago Style Root Beer: Carbonated water, cane sugar, natural and artificial flavor, caramel color, sodium benzoate,…{other stuff}.

Will kids gravitate to all natural ingredients – NO! Sugar – Yes! High Fructose Corn Syrup – Yes!

Message here: parents, teach your children about flavors not just sugar.

Kpachbin Boctok Red East Extra: Review

The Beer
The beer pours a nice looking white head with a golden color body. There is no lacing left on the glass from the head or while drinking this beer. The aroma is a very pleasant sweet caramel and yeast. The taste is straight up caramel sweetness. After the first two sips I think this is pretty refreshing. As I continue with this beer, I think of sugar dipped summertime fruits and caramel. This is a pretty light bodied beer. I am thinking about a 3.5 or 4 strength rating.

Presque Isle Pilsner by: Erie Brewing: Review

This Pilsner is brewed by: Erie Brewing located in Erie Pennsylvania. This Pilsner is low on the alcohol by volume scale at 4.2%. And, as most Pilsners are this one is low in bitterness. I don’t know anything about this beer – I just saw it at the store so I bought a bottle of it to give it a try.

When I poured this beer into a pilsner glass I could tell by the light color of the body this is going to be one weak beer. The color is almost clear. Well, it is a pale straw color. The aroma is extremely light, fresh, and clean. The taste follows the aroma. Being a pilsner there is not much in flavor profiling to talk about. It has a soft little sweetness – it is a malt focused beer. But, this is nice tasting.

On my strength rating I’ll give it a 0.5. Wow, that is ultra mild. My strength scale is purely subject. It is made up of what I think about a beers: texture or mouthfeel; its taste and body; and the aroma. You can see my strength rating chart on the sidebar on this page.

This is a very crisp and refreshing pilsner. The more I drink this the more I like this beer. Boy - don’t judge a book by its cover, eh. As I finish this beer I have decided that it is worthy of buying a six pack the next time I am at the beer store.

This refreshing beer with that low 4.2 abv makes this a great session beer. If I think any different of this beer after buying a six pack I’ll update this posting then.

Since I wrote this I bought a 12 pack and this is a solid beer to session while playing yard games.  When I was sitting back just to relax and enjoy a few - the taste got a little boring to me after the first one.

Funny thing, I gave this beer to my neigbhor who is a Busch or Busch Light drinker and when he took a sip he said, 'Wow, this is a very full bodied beer.'  He did like the beer!  Those poor Busch drinkers such a narrow focus on what a beer is really about.

How This All Started

A couple of years ago I started nailing beer bottle caps on the two by four studs around my shed door. Last summer when a friend stopped by he asked if I kept track of the different beers that were on the studs. I said, ‘no.’ He said, ‘how do you know if you liked one or disliked and what did each one taste like.’ Good idea.

Then, one day I was drinking some Belgian beers imported by Global Beer Network. I saw their web site on the six pack packaging so, I went to their web site. I found an article written about cigars and Belgian beers. I then wrote an article about cigar and beer pairing and sent it to them to use. A few months later they got a hold of me and asked if I would write a few articles for their upcoming blog. I then started writing some cigar and Belgian beer pairing articles and they used a few of my articles.

I then started writing notes on other beer and cigar pairings and thought, ‘why don’t I start my own blog.’ So, I did. I started a blog about cigar and beverage pairings because I also like to drink wine.

I eventually made three different blogs. One blog for just wine reviews then, another for beer reviews. I was reviewing beers and wines that I did not want to pair up with cigars so, why not post these on a separate blog.

I had three blogspots titled: WinePostings.blogspot.com, BeerPostings.blogspot.com, and CigarPostings.blogspot.com. I then thought I would get fancy and make them a ‘custom domain,’ meaning I would lose the .blogspot.com and just have a .com (ex. BeerPostings.com). Boy that was a mistake. After paying google $30.00 for this I could not get them to work. I guess I don’t have the techno savvy to do the work to make these sites work. And, they don’t have any real help to explain this and they don’t ever respond to requests for help.

So, I give up on that .com idea and I am back to getting my .blogspots going again under the names of: WinePostings2.blogspot.com, BeerPostings2.blogspot.com, and CigarPostings2.blogspot.com. I just wish Blogger would help me to get my old blogspot names back but, they don’t ever respond to my requests for help either.

I will continue to use these sites. Maybe, when I get back to work in a few weeks I might find a techie to help me with that .com site one more time. If it ends up working I’ll inform any followers of these sites to then go to the new sites.

But, I am ready to get back to blogging about beer, wine, and cigars.

Piraat Ale

Shiver me timbers matey, it’s a Piraat Ale for me!

RRrrrr! This Belgian ale is brewed by: Br. Van Steenberge and is one of my favorite beers. The 10.5% abv warms the palate but, the alcohol does not stand out in the taste profile so, be careful matey. The tropical fruit and faint malty sweetness works with the grassy-hoppy slight bitterness. Sorry hop heads – it’s not your IPA. This ale is called an IPA because of its history.

This delicious ale comes in a 750 ml bottle and in 330 ml bottles. By the way, 330 ml is 11.2 ounces – I want 12 ounces – those Belgians are short changing us – those scallywags. A 750 ml bottle will run about 12 bones matey.

Now, it tastes like nothing at all??? – Oops, the chalice is empty. I always enjoy this ale but, when the chalice is full. One thing about this ale is that, as it gets warmer the taste gets better.

The purpose of this blog is to find the best pairings to maximize your pleasure. This summer I will be pairing this ale up with some different foods to find that perfect match. I’ll be calling this series, “The Treasure Hunt.”

If you enjoy a fine cigar I have several articles written where I paired this ale up with different cigars. There are 7 different posting in the months of January and February. I would recommend a Cameroon wrapped cigar with this ale.

Espresso Love by: Arbor Brewing Company and Filet Mignon

Here is quick marinade. I added some olive oil to the dish first then placed the filet on the dish and flipped the filet to coat both sides with the olive oil. A quick twist of the sea salt grinder is added to both sides. Then, I added some of the Espresso Love Beer. The spices used are from Spice Merchants. I sprinkled the ‘Coffee BBQ Rub’ on both sides of the filet. I put this all together just before noon and dinner is at 7:00 pm.

Dinner Served: The medium-rare filet mignon is just wonderful. The flavors of the beer and the coffee bbq spices mix well together. The meat picked up some of those coffee notes. This is very good.

Scape Goat

Don't blame me!  Blogger and google with that custom domain stuff and I go and waste 30 bucks to get a .com url and now I have a .com that I cannot access and no blogger to go back to.

So, the re-review will be coming. I did not save that review in word for some reason.  I'm sure this is my wifes fault as well. 

At least I could find the picture.

Magic Hat #9: Review

This is a Pale Ale made with apricot extract added. Why would someone add apricots or beets to a beer – well at Magic Hat they do. This is a pretty unique tasting beer that is for sure.

Last summer or two summers ago the sports station here in Detroit, 97.1 The Ticket, Scott and Doug were talking about their love for Magic Hat #9. So, I had to try it and that is when I realized why Scott is still single and it is a good thing Doug is already married. Not only do I have to ask, ‘why would a brewer add apricot flavoring’ but, ‘why would someone drink this except for trying it to see what it is all about.’

Here is my take on this unique beer.

It pours a good looking golden color to the body with a nice white foamy head. Then the aroma hits you with that apricot smell and some bready notes. If you did not know it was apricot you may find yourself saying, ‘what the hell is that smell.’ The flavor then follows suit, with fruity apricot and the hops adding a good bitter bite and the malts helping to balance with some nice sweetness. Good thing it has some carbonation to wash away some of that taste. The aftertaste is dry and leaves me with a perfume like bite on the tongue.

Now, I have 5 bottles left of this stuff. I guess I’ll have to invite Anderson over to finish these beers up but, I hope he doesn’t wear Old English Leather Cologne – I think that is part of the demographic profile of men who like this beer.

Arcadia Ales - Angler’s Ale, IPA, Hopsmouth, and Big Dick’s Olde Ale

This is a review of four ales by Arcadia Brewing Company, Battle Creek, Michigan.

Angler’s Ale, IPA, Hopsmouth, and Big Dick’s Olde Ale are the four to be reviewed.

First up: Angler’s Ale is a 5.4% abv English Style Pale Ale. It has a slightly burnt orange color with a nice white head. The aroma is a plain pale ale smell, little malty-grainy with a faint hint of hops, nothing special. There is a nice little grainy-malt sweetness followed by a moderate spicy and floral hoppy twang. The texture is a little dry which is to be expected and there is a mild bitterness that lingers on the palate. This ale is not complex or robust but, has a nice English Style Pale Ale taste that makes it very drinkable.

Next, Big Dick’s Olde Ale! I think I would have a difficult time ordering another one of these at the pub. “Hey bartender, give me another Big Dick’s.” I don’t have a problem ordering another Red Snapper when I am at Arbor Brewing Company though. Enough of dirty talk in beer language.

The body has a burnt amber color with a tan head. There is a noticeable aroma of sweet malts and yeast. The taste is very interesting. The sweet caramel and bready characteristic hits the palate and then the hops kick in with some floral bitterness. I like the semi-sweet malty taste with the dry finish that is followed with some hoppy tartness and a good earthy quality. There is also a dried dark fruit like quality (raisins). As this ale warms up – I am warming up to the ale myself. I think I like this. To me it has a good robust style without being overly powerful. I feel a little of the alcohol warmth on the palate. Be careful, because this ale sports an 8% abv, it will sneak up on you. But really, I am not going to review the Busch beer! I just wish I brought a bottle of Red Snapper from Arbor Brewing.

India Pale Ale is up to bat. Let me set the record straight, I am not a big fan of IPA’s. With that said, I have to admit that I do like this one. It has the right amount of citrus bite to the taste profile with a nice earthy backbone. This ale has a 5.9% abv. The carbonation is good. For an IPA it may not be big enough but, for an IPA wimp like me it is just fine.

Finally the HopMouth Double IPA, which has an 8.1% abv. A nice looking amber color to the body and the aroma is not too far from the taste. This Double IPA, of course, has that piney grapefruit tartness right up front. I do not notice any sweetness. This is not as overpowering as I thought it would be. I actually have to admit that I like this ale. One reason why that is, the grapefruit bitter quality does not overwhelm my palate. Some of those big IPA ruin my taste buds for the day.

I have never sampled these beers before and I have to say that I really enjoyed all four of these beers. They are all worthy of trying.

Partagas Cifuentes Summer 05 & Wells Bombardier English Ale: Review

The Ale

After your nose passes the slight peppery and malty aroma your palate is greeted to an English Ale treat. The taste has a nice herbal hoppy bite with a rich malty characteristic. I get a cedary woody taste along with a red apple freshness. This is a nice English Ale that is firm and crisp. The mouthfeel has a dry and nice bitter bite like an English ale. It is still refreshing due to the good watery edges and slight carbonation that helps to cleanse the palate. My strength rating is a 4.5 during this pairing. This ale is perfect for smoking a cigar with.

The Cigar
Wrapper: Honduran
Filler: Honduran, Mexico, Dominican Rep.
Size: 4.5 x 60 Agosto figurado
My Strength rating: 4
I like the cedary taste that accompanies the nice soft spice notes and mild coffee profile. Not an extremely complex cigar here. But, if you like quality tobacco this was it. I liked this cigar when it came out on the market back then and when Cigars International was clearing out the last of these on the planet earth I had to buy a box. You know what, I still like them and I wish I bought two boxes. The short size makes for a short smoke. But, I am a slow smoker – I have an hour in already and I have about 15 minutes of a cigar left. I always believed to take your time smoking a cigar and enjoy the experience. I know guys from the cigar store who would smoke this cigar or a Short Story and be done in 20-25 minutes.

The Pairing
During this session I really liked these two paired up with each other. The spice interplay was very pleasant. The mild coffee of the cigar worked well with the hoppy bitterness and did not overwhelm the palate. The slight sweet malts were greeted with the cedar of the cigar to balance out the act. The mouthfeel of the ale made me want to enjoy my cigar. Those watery edges and slight carbonation purified the palate to prepare for another puff of the stogie. This really maximized my pleasure.

Maximizing Your Enjoyment

Maximize your enjoyment in tasting.

If you are new to the world of better – beer, wine, cigars, liqueurs or other spirits, look up the tasting notes on the web. Knowing what you are tasting can make a world difference. See if you can taste the different flavors that the producers of the product or the bloggers describe.

As you progress in your tasting and experience write down what you think. Then, go to the maker’s notes and the blogger’s notes to see how you do in comparison.