Coney Island Freaktoberfest: Beer Review

Let's end November with a little horror.
6.66% abv – creepy
1pt 6oz bottle
Shmaltz Brewing Co.
Saratoga Springs, New York, USA

Plenty of foam starts to well up and it looks – pink? Yes it’s pink. The beer looks reddish. Blood like – creepy! What did they color this with – beet juice?

The hops are at play here. There is a spicy citrus and floral profile here. The malts are at work to keep the balance. There is a strange sweetness that is a little freakish. The aftertaste is lasting. There are notes of pine, citrus, and a strong pink peppercorn finish that lasts on the palate for quite a while.

If you spend some time thinking about the flavors you may not like it. So, just drink it and don’t think about it – why? – it taste better that way.

I cannot decide, do I think it is okay or poor? I just don’t think I can pull out the poor card for there are so many bad examples out there. So, I’ll have to go with the okay label for this strange tasting beer.

I just sure hope that it is beet juice and not blood from a dead black cat that colors this freakish beer.

A must buy for Halloween if you are having a party or going to one. Then forget it.

Stone IPA

6.9% abv
1 pt. 6 oz bottle
Brewed by: Stone Brewing Co.
Escondido, California, USA

This India Pale Ale – IPA – is delicious. Flavorful citrus notes abound. This has the right level of bitterness for my palate. The tasty citrus profile lingers on the palate as well. There are some solid spices here but, not the peppery kind. There is a little floral and grass notes present.

The malts are at work here to keep things in check. There is an undertone of sweet biscuit that is pleasing to the palate.

Must buy.

Piraat Ale and Indian Tabac Cameroon Legend Maduro Toro

{Reposted from CigarPostings2 blog: dated 2-11-10}
Piraat Ale & Indian Tabac Cameroon Legend Maduro

I have had some problems finding a maduro cigar to go with this ale. Some of the big bold smokes that I have in my stash were just kicking up the flavor profile in the ale where I wanted some water to extinguish the overload on the palate.

Remember, this is a sipping ale (10.5 abv). So, I want to take a sip and then enjoy smoking the cigar. This ale is working well with my Indian Tabac Cameroon Legend Maduro Toro (6 x 58).

As I get to the mid-point of the cigar I notice that the ale is giving me a nice complexity of sweet, little sour and bitter notes across the tongue. A nice faint bitter note on the back of the palate from the ale and the earthy quality from the cigar build a fuller mouthfeel experience.

The meaty nut flavor from the cigar reminds me of a mixture of walnut and black walnut. The dark fruit notes in the cigar go well with the tropical notes from the ale. Cocoa is always a good characteristic of a nice maduro, at least to me. This cigar does not give me any sweet notes. It is more of a dry cocoa note that I get. And, the ales sweetness takes care of that so you don’t get a sweetness overload.

The cigar seems to always burn well for me and holds a nice salt and pepper ash.

If you are looking for a fuller mouthfeel, while drinking this ale, this is a good pairing. A little water will help to refresh the palate along the way.

This would be an excellent pairing at the end of a day.

Noel des Geants: Beer Review

:

Happy Thanksgiving
8.5% abv
11.2 oz bottle
Brasserie Des Legendes
Irchonwelz, Belgium
My Strength Rating: 6

The aroma of this ale is worth the price. I like the green apple, yeast, and sweet toffee on the nose. The color is a murky brown with a big tan head. The lacing on the glass is thick. The bottle I have is from last year but, don’t worry it is a bottle conditioned ale. There is a tasty muted apple note with a slightly roasted caramelized sugar and a dash of cinnamon with a touch of nutmeg and clove. Nothing really stands out, but that is the beauty here for this delicious winter ale, all the flavors work together. The mouthfeel is pleasing and smooth. There are no lingering notes or heavy texture. Skip the egg nog or pumpkin spice drink this holiday and enjoy this seasonal ale instead.

Gulden Draak Ale: Beer Review

10.5% abv
330ml
Brouwerij Van Steenberge
Belgium

The nose on this Triple Ale makes me think of roasted sweet caramelized malts. There is also a nice aromatic feel to the smell. The taste follows with toasted toffee sweetness and some yummy yeast. Playing off the aromatic nose there seems to be some fancy raisin and fig on the taste. There is a little spice coming from the alcohol and the hoppy intonations. The texture is smooth and creamy while the slight carbonation gives my palate a cleansing effect. The sweetness is never overwhelming. The hops must be doing their job to keep things in check. There is an herbal tea and a rich milk chocolate that blends in with the other yummy notes to create a wonderful taste experience.

Skip that pie dessert after your Holiday dinner and pour yourself a liquid dessert – Gulden Draak is perfect for that Holiday dessert.

See Gulden Draak 9000 Review

Duvel Belgian Golden Ale: Beer Review

 

8.5% abv
1 pint 9.4 oz bottle
Brouwerij Duvel Moortgat
Belgium
My Strength Rating: 5.5 - the pepper and touch of citrus makes this one tasty ale.

On the bottle it says, “The pilsner malts, Bohemian hops, and unique yeast strain combine to create Duvel’s intensity, aroma and oomph.”

This ale pours a pale golden color with plenty of white foam for the head. The lacing on the glass just clings on for dear life.

The aroma is that of a fresh cut Fuji apple and spice – slightly peppery.

The texture is fresh and crisp from start to finish. The mixture of hops and malts make me think of pink peppercorn, slightly sweet with a delicate peppery note. With a hint of fruit, a touch of citrus, and some tasty yeast and malts, it all combines for a delicious golden ale. If you want to experience a well-balanced brew give Duvel Golden Ale a try.

I recommend this as a must buy.

Pink Peppercorn

Pink pepper is not related to black pepper. It is not even a peppercorn. Pink pepper is native to Brazil. The aroma is aromatic compared to black peppers pungent smell or white peppers musky smell. The taste of this berry is sweet and mild. When I tasted the pink peppercorn I remember being surprised with the sweet taste. This is good to grind over your filet mignon or pork tenderloins, according to gourmetsleuth.com. Now the guy at Spice Merchants told me it is not good to leave the pink peppercorns in a grinder (all pink being used) because they have more moisture in them compared to the black pepper family. So, they do not grind up as nice as real peppercorns. That is way we see them mixed in with the other peppercorns and not by themself.

Green Peppercorn

Green pepper is the one most of us probably know nothing about. We may have seen it in the clear pepper grinders mixed in with the other peppercorns. Green peppercorns are black peppercorns, just picked earlier off the plant. So, we could say they are under-ripe peppercorns. They are mild in their flavor and that is one reason to mix them in the grinder with the other stronger ‘hotter’ peppercorns. Green pepper is good to use on vegetables and sauces. When I tasted the different peppercorn I thought it tasted like the black peppercorn without the big bite. I think I’ll be getting a new pepper grinder to have on hand for the green peppercorns.

Tomorrow Pink Peppercorn Posting

White Peppercorn

White pepper is black pepper without the outer crust of the berry. Whitepepper.com has a brief explanation on white pepper. The flavor is usually cleaner. I don’t think it has that citrus bite like the black pepper. When I tested the white peppercorn, I did not get that citrus bite but what I did get was a hotter taste. When I taste the fine grind white pepper in a jar (wet the end of your finger and tap the white pepper) I defiantly get a softer pepper taste. No citrus. Remember that nice pungent smell of black pepper? Well, forget it when you smell white pepper. Whole white peppercorns smell bad. They are musky or like my wife (the bloodhound) said, ‘this smells like shit.’ White pepper does not have a pleasant aroma but, the taste if very good.

Tomorrow Green Peppercorn Posting

Black Peppercorn

Most of us are familiar with black pepper. We use ground black pepper in our homes and when we are out to eat. We may even have a pepper grinder to grind the peppercorns. I personally use the grinder. With the grinder I can adjust the coarseness of the grind. I like the chunky coarse grind on my salads. Then, I like a fine grind on my eggs, when they are over easy. Scrambled eggs I prefer a medium-fine grind. Black pepper will have a citrusy overtone and a hardwood note. I think the coarse grind helps to deliver that stronger citrus bite. Think of the times you have bitten into a small chunk of a peppercorn and you get that strong black pepper taste. Then, think of the times you use a fine ground black pepper and there is a slight floral note along with the other qualities. That pungent smell of black pepper is just wonderful.

Tomorrow White Peppercorn Posting

Understanding Pepper as a Tasting Note

When reading tasting notes on wine, beer or cigars you will eventually see the note of pepper. It may have a peppery aroma, slight peppery taste or a spicy peppery flavor. When I read the word pepper, I usually think of black pepper. And, there have been times when I taste a peppery note and I have started to think, ‘what kind of pepper is this,’ because it does not taste like black pepper it seemed softer. The peppery like taste can come from several things; the alcohol content, the ingredients used that make a bitter taste, and citrus notes.

So, thinking about pepper as a profile flavor got me to the Spice Merchant Store and I bought four different peppercorns: black peppercorn, white peppercorn, green peppercorn, and pink peppercorn. In this series of postings we will review the four different peppercorns so we can use them in our description of wine, beer, and cigars.

I bought a half an ounce of each peppercorn and I poured each into a small glass so I could spend some time smelling the peppercorns and then I took a bite of each one to experience its particular flavor.

Tomorrow black peppercorn

Kapittel Tasting Day #2 - Pater Ale

Padilla Achilles Corojo Salomon & Kapittel Pater Ale
{Reposted from CigarPostings2 blog: dated 2-27-10}

The Cigar
Wrapper: Habano-seed Corojo
Filler: Nicaragua, Honduras, Dominican
Size: 7 x 58
Strength rating: 4.5/5
This cigar has a nice spice profile with a sweet cedar and slight almond taste but, nothing overpowering. To me it’s nothing spectacular either. If I gave out grades for cigars it would be a B- and sometimes I think of C+, making it one of my least favorites out of the Padilla line-up.

The Pater Brown Ale
This 6% abv ale sports a reddish-brown color with lots of yeast sediment. Save that last inch of ale to swirl it in the bottle to pickup that sediment and pour it into your glass. This ale was ‘made for the guests of the abbey and for everyday consumption’ according to globalbeer.com.

The nose has a sweet malty character and the taste is the same. It also, has some fruit (pear and raisin?) with a faint hoppy undertone. Nothing overwhelming in its character and the aftertaste is just a slight sweet feel on the mouth. To me it lacks any depth or complexity. My strength rating is a 4.5/5.

The Pairing
I paired these two up before and I was quite pleased with the pairing. The sweet cedar wood notes blend well with the sweet malts from the ale. I enjoyed the cola caramel taste of the ale while smoking the cigar. ‘Sweet’ is not a favorite of mine but, this pairing is enjoyable to me. I think the ale really helps this cigar and this cigar really helps this ale. The slight spice and mild nutty flavor of the cigar balances well with the fruit and fine carbonation of the Pater Ale. Even though these two lack complexity they still work well together. I wonder what would change with the ale if the cigar had a little more complexity.
While drinking the 11.2 oz bottle of ale and smoking this salomon shaped cigar, the two gave me a mouthfeel experience of a 4.5 for each. I did like this pairing and I am surprised.

Raspberry Stuffed Turkey Cutlets

Dinner for two

Four ¾ inch turkey cutlets
Goat Cheese
Fresh raspberries and blackberries
Black Currant Balsamic Vinegar
Raspberry Chipotle Sauce
Olive Oil



Pour some olive oil in a glass dish to coat the turkey cutlets. Then pour some black currant vinaigrette over each of the cutlet.

On two of the cutlets add goat cheese and then place some red raspberries and black berries.

Place the other turkey cutlet on top and pour some raspberry chipotle sauce over the top. Then bake in the oven till ready.

Then pour yourself your favorite raspberry beer and enjoy. I recommend the Samuel Smith’s Organic Raspberry Ale. This was oooh so delish.

Kapittel Tasting Day #2 - Prior Ale

Padilla Achilles Corojo Salomon & Kapittel Prior Ale
{Reposted from CigarPostings2 blog: dated 2-27-10}

The Pairing
I still have half the cigar to go so I planned to enjoy the Kapittel Prior Ale on the second half of the cigar. The Prior is a 9% abv with a bitter sweet profile. This ale is a little more complex than the Pater Ale. The aroma is not very eventful and the taste is sweeter than it smells. It is dark brown with some reddish hues when held to the light. This bottle did not have any sediment at all.

The taste to me is vanilla and toffee giving it a candy sugar taste. It also has some dark fruit (fancy raisan) with a little bit of complexity to the taste. Probably from the mossy hop bitterness that helps to balance that sweetness. Good thing because, without the bitter bite I would be pouring this on the grass. The mouthfeel has low carbonation, a smooth creamy style. The port wine character is due to the 9% abv. I am going to give it a 5.5 strength rating because of the bitter notes that fight off the candy sweetness and the lack of a linger note on my palate. There is a short sweet and slight bitter bite on the palate.

I believe the cigar does help this ale for me. The other night I drank a bottle while playing cards and I have to say I was not looking forward to having it again. I said it was sweet and the wife said it was bitter but, she likes raspberry flavored beers.

The cigar does tame some of the sweetness for me and that is good. As for the cigar, I had burning issues along the way. If I left the cigar for a couple of minutes it called for a relight. I have to admit that the cigar and Pater Ale pairing was better. Maybe this Prior needs a more complex and robust cigar to be paired with it to maximize its potential.

The results of Kapittel Tasting DayIn the four pack that they package these four Belgian ales in you get: Prior Red, Pater Brown, Blond Golden and Abt Amber. The Prior and Pater are not my style for enjoyment. But, I did like the Pater with the Padilla cigar. The Abt Amber is terrific and the Blond is close behind it. I hope they start selling the Abt and Blond separate from the other two so I could buy more. If you like the sweet ales of Belgium then the other two are for you to enjoy.

Kapittel Tasting Day and A Butera Cigar

Kapittel Tasting Day
{Reposted from CigarPostings2 blog: dated 2-20-10}

Yesterday I did a tasting on the Kapittel Blond Ale and it reminded me of the Abt for some reason. So, change of cigars and beers that I lined up for today. I am going to pair these two up to kill my curiosity. I am at my place up north Michigan and I don’t have another Oliva G Cameroon with me. But, this Butera Dorado should do just fine. I didn’t want to get another Cameroon wrapped cigar for I want to see how another type of cigar will do with the blond ale.

The Cigar
Wrapper: Connecticut
Binder: Indonesia
Filler: Brazil and Dominican
Size: 6 x 52
My strength rating is a 2.5. This is not a complex cigar. Just as I describe the Hemingway’s as an elegant cigar, so too is the Butera line-up. Most of the Buteras have nice creamy style but, I really don’t get that from the Dorado. I have always thought of it as a smooth classic tobacco taste with a solid cedar flavor. Let’s see how the cedar flavor of this cigar affects the blond ale compared to the nutty Cameroon.

The Kapittel Blond
The Kapittel Blond Ale still has an attractive light burnt orange look. The sediment must give it that burnt look for the initial pour because as it settles the haze disappears a little. Paired up with the Butera Cigar things are a little different. The sweet honey dipped fruit is not as noticeable. Little more play with the mild spice but, it is still silky smooth. I do like the pairing but, if I am looking to maximize my pleasure I am going with the Oliva ‘G’ Cameroon and the Blond Ale. I think that nutty characteristic of the Cameroon makes the pairing so good with the fruity style of the ale.

The Kapittel Alt Ale
The Alt pours an attractive hazy amber-orange with plenty sediment that floats to the bottom of the glass. The ale has a wonderful spice and citrus zip. I think the sweet orange taste is in the front for now. A good medium body complexity that is pleasing to the palate. This is delicious; every sip I take it gets even better. The sweet orange taste is not your regular grocery store orange. I will have to go to the specialty grocery store to find the orange that I am thinking of but, it sure is damn good.

Now, the sweetness is only coming from the nice orange notes that I get. This ale is only slightly sweet in profile and I like that. The real complexity is the nice mild-medium spice, mingling with the citrus mixture and the mouthfeel that lingers is yours to enjoy. The creamy texture of the ale hides that 10% abv so, be careful. With that 10% abv – globalbeer.com says, “it’s a triple by strength.”

I really like this Butera Dorado with this ale. The ale really makes the Butera feel a little fuller in body. I think the strong cedar taste clings to the palate due to the lingering notes left from the ale.

Now, I am left wondering how this Alt pairs up with the Oliva ‘G’. I am sure I will give it a try as soon as I can because; I think this Kapittel Alt is a new favorite. I also see in my notes that I want to pair the Alt with the Hoyo Excalibur #1.
This is a winner, too. I want to buy a case of the Kapittel Alt Ale.

Kapittel Blond and Troubadour Blond vs. Oliva Serie 'G' Cameroon

Oliva Serie ‘G’ vs The Belgian Blonds
{Reposted from cigarpostings2 blog: dated 2-19-10}

The Cameroon wrapped Oliva is a wonderful nutty and woodsy smoke. The Nicaraguan Habano filler gives it a rich, slightly spicy, medium body profile. I give this cigar a straight up 5 on my strength scale.

The Kapittal Blond Ale is the first one up to tangle with the 7 x 50 woodsy Oliva Cameroon. (the Tiger Woods story is not influencing me to use the word – “woodsy” and blond in the same sentence) The ale has an attractive light burnt orange look. The beer has some sediment floating in this one and that probably helps to make it a little hazier looking as well. The Kapittal has a slight spice and fruitiness galore taste. I think I even taste a little orange at times . The nice sweet honey dipped fruits fills the mouth with the taste of summer time. A good mild-medium body complexity rounds off the edges. This is a nice tasting blond ale; every sip I take it gets even better.

I selected the Oliva to go with this ale because of the flavor profile. The nutty and sweet cedar smoke should pair up well with the sweet fruits and mild spices of the ale. The cigar lights up well and has a perfect draw. I have not had a bad one yet. The burn is even and holds a decent ash.
The sediment is resting on the bottom of the glass as I enjoy this silky smooth blond ale.
Just as I thought, the sweet fruit from the blond ale goes extremely well with the nutty and woodsy cigar. These two can tango. The variety of fruit that I taste from the ale, while I smoke the cigar, is wonderful. Now, I detect a little lemon twist on the tongue as the ale opens up. This cigar has a great nutty flavor and it is even better while I sip on this blond. The nice dry spice profile of the cigar mingles with the delicate spice of the blond for a perfect match.

This is a winner. I want to buy a 12 pack of the Kapittel Blond Ale and a handful of the Oliva Serie ‘G’ cigars and I have the chair ready for that summer day.
I am going to have to taste this Kapittel Blond with the Kapittel Alt tomorrow. From what I remember about the Alt - the tastes are very close but, I think the Alt maybe better. Maybe, it is just the 10% abv!!!
Troubadour Blond
The 6.5% abv Troubadour Blond Ale is next to tangle with the nutty flavor of the Oliva Cameroon Cigar. The nice thing about a Churchill size cigar is that you usually will have time for two beers so, that brings us to the next pairing.

The Troubadour Blond is a mild-medium bodied ale that is not overpowering in taste. It has a pleasing citrus bitterness with a light malt spice profile. As the ale warms, so does the complexity, it is like the hops are starting to wake up. With each sip I enjoy a nice hoppy smell.

The Oliva ‘G’ is a winner with these Belgian Blonds. The ‘G’ brings out some of the light hoppy notes in this ale and a nice creamy yeasty aroma with those slight hops on the nose. I am really enjoying the nutty and light spice flavor from the cigar, making this a great experience.

If you want to get your ‘G’ spot on with a Belgian Blond, I would recommend these pairings. The nuttiness of the cigar goes great with the citrus notes of these blonds. And, the best part is you won’t get hit in the head with a 9 iron.
Maximize your pleasures!

Chouffe Houblon Dobbelen IPA Tripel: Beer Review

9% abv
1 pt. 9.4 oz / 75cl
Brewed by: Brasserie d’Achouffe
Achouffe, Belgium
Achouffe.be

This ale is brewed with three different types of hops: Amarillo, Tomahawk, and Saaz hops. Chouffe is the little gnome on the bottle. And, this smart little guy is in the hops field. Houblon Chouffe has only been brewed since 2006. 

The aroma of this ale is very nice. It’s filled with citrus, floral, and grainy notes. The taste is just wonderful. This IPA has a very pleasing citrus quality that mixes with some floral, herbal, grassy, and grainy notes. Besides the citrus bitter bite (to me not overwhelming) this citrus also shows off a mild black peppercorn taste. The sweet malts do mix it up a bit here and at times I think I get a pink peppercorn taste. There are some good undertones to pay attention to here. The yeast, tropical fruits, and a little kiss of malty sweetness help to make this one tasty IPA in my opinion.

Not only is the taste complex and wonderful, the mouthfeel is really nice. This ale delivers the hops with a smooth style and crispness that leaves my palate satisfied and not ravaged. With each sip I want more.

A must buy for IPA fans. Leave a comment if you have tried this before.

Bell’s Hell Hath No Fury Ale: Beer Review

7.5% abv
12 oz bottle
Bell’s
Comstock, Michigan, USA

Appearance: Very dark almost black body with a very thin creamy tan head.

Aroma: sweet malts, toasted toffee

Taste: Layers of toasted malts: sweet toffee and caramel. Roasted coffee bean and a low % dark chocolate – 60% dark chocolate type.

Mouthfeel: Thick, almost creamy texture just short of syrupy. Low carbonation. Roasted sweet caramel coffee notes linger on the palate.

This is a sipper! Take your time to enjoy the variety of flavors.

Worth a try.

Motor City Brewing Works Nut Brown Ale: Beer Review

4.2% abv
12 oz bottle
Motor City Brewing Works

Detroit, Michigan, USA
Motorcitybeer.com

Right off I can see tons of carbonation. With a light pour I get a half a glass of foam. The tan head has some staying power. Ok, this Nut Brown has to be old – it taste like Nut Brown Vinegar beer. This could be good to cook with or maybe pour a little over your salad. The bottle has the month and year notching system to give you the expiration date but, nothing is notched. If I ever buy this again I’ll repost.

Just went to beeradvocate to do a little reading on this and there are a few others with the same experience.

Update: January 18, 2013 - I finally got brave to try this again.  Click Here to read

Dogfish Indian Brown Ale: Beer Review

Dogfish Head Craft Brewery
Milton, Delaware, USA
Dogfish.com

This 7.2% abv ale pours a dark drown body with a one finger tan head. The aroma is pleasing with a nice toasted malt nose. It reads on the bottle, “A clean, well-hopped brown ale with aromatic barley, caramelized brown sugar and whole-leaf liberty & Goldings hops.”

It must be the aromatic barley giving me the dark fruit taste. It tastes like fresh dried dark raisins and fig. I also like the mild coffee note and cola like character.

The caramelized brown sugar is tasty but, the sweetness is tempered by the hops. The hops supply a nice bitter quality to the taste profile.

The mouthfeel is smooth and the carbonation level is moderate. There is a good roasted malt taste on the palate but, the aftertaste and lingering notes are settle.

This pleasing brown ale is easy to drink. I have never had this one before but, I am sure glad I bought a six pack. Might be a new brown ale favorite in the making.

See cigar pairing with Man O War Ruination

Reindeer’s Revolt - Beer Review

By: Ridgeway Brewing
English Christmas Ale
6% abv
1 pt 9 fl oz
Oxfordshire, United Kingdom
My Strength Rating: 4

A dainty sweet biscuit nose floats over the light amber body and white one finger head. This has an English Ale like quality that I like. The tea like hoppy profile is leading this sleigh ride. Then, there is this slight toffee taste that blends into this mixture. The delicate sweet note is just scrumptious. The low to moderate carbonation level is just right to help cleans the palate. The texture is smooth and light. It is not a big English Ale but an elegant one.

If you can find this ale pick it up it’s worth the 5 bucks.

A Beer Review: Samuel Smith’s Old Brewery Pale Ale

The Beer
5% abv
550ml bottle
Sam’l Smith’s Old Brewery
North Yorks, England
My Strength Rating: 4

Appearance: amber in color with an off-white head.
Aroma: sweet with a touch of fruit
Taste: Uhm?... Pale ale? ... Muted fruitiness that is slightly sweet with some mild hop bitterness. There is a biscuit like quality that mingles with a grainy texture and a light earthy feel. Not what I expected but, I think I do like the ale.
Mouthfeel: the fine carbonation tingles the tongue and to me it is a mild to medium bodied ale.