Monday, May 28, 2012

Dogfish Head - Red & White

Update
A big, Belgian-style Wit brewed with coriander and orange peel and fermented with Pinot Noir juice. After fermentation a fraction of the batch is aged in Oregon Pinot Noir barrels, and another fraction is aged on oak staves. The beer is blended together before packaging. This has been one of DFH's most popular Limited Edition beers at both thier Rehoboth Beach, DE brewpub and at festivals. It successfully marries the refreshing citrusy qualities of a Belgian-style white beer with the robust complexity of a bold red wine. Ah-men!

Original posting - 10/8/2010

The ABV is 10.0 and the IBU rating is ??
Style - Belgian Strong Ale
Glass to use- Pint Glass, Snifter, Oversized Wine Glass
Delivery 750ml Bottle

Can be cellared for long periods, under the proper conditions.

The Pour - Pours a nice cloudy orange color with a thick white head and great lacing.
Aroma - Sweet, flowery, grapes and citrus fruits, hoppy and oaky (winey).  Some hints of alcohol.
Taste - Wow, unexpected, candy, coriander grapes and orange. Tarty, bitter and a slight hoppy aftertaste.
Mouth Feel - Medium carbonation and body.  Sharp, clean and crisp with a nice finish.  
Drinkable - Very drinkable and refreshing, too easy for a 10% brew.  I think wine snob drinkers would enjoy this brew along with their fellow beer snob drinkers.  (Peace in the drinking world).

This beer pairs well with cheese and white meats.

This beer gets a Duper rating of B+.
BeerAdvocate Rating =B+
Ratebeer Rating = 97
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Trappistes Rochefort - 8 (2010)

The lower gravity cousin to Rochefort 10. Gold Medal winner World Beer Championships 2004.

Rochefort 10 - Blue cap (11.3%)

Rochefort 8 - Green cap (9.2%)

Rochefort 6 - Red cap (7.5%)

The ABV is 9.2 and the IBU rating is ??
Style - Dubbel
Glass to use- Snifter, Tulip, Goblet, Oversized Wine Glass
Delivery 330ml

Can be cellared for long periods, under the proper conditions.

The Pour - Cloudy brown in color.  Tan head with drops of brown yeast from the bottle. Good lacing.
Aroma - Malts, sweet and some fruit
Taste - Malty and sweet, chocolate, spices and dark fruit.
Mouth Feel - Medium carbonation and body.  A bit on the fizzy side (typical Belgium brew).
Drinkable - A nice dubbel.  This bottle has been aging for twos in my cellar.  It's very mellow, worth the wait. 

Goes great with cheese, chocolate and beef.

This beer gets a Duper rating of A-
BeerAdvocate Rating = 95
Ratebeer Rating = 100

Thursday, May 17, 2012

Sly Fox - Black Raspberry Reserve

 Update 5/17/2012
An unforgettable wheat ale brewed with German Pils and Wheat malts and Tradition hops, with 1 lb. of red and black raspberries per gallon of beer. This beer features a tart finish and a sugary sorbet aroma.

Original posting - 6/22/2011

The ABV is 8.0 and the IBU rating is ??
Style - Wheat Fruit Beer
Glass to use- Pint Glass, Tumbler, Mug or Stein
Delivery 750ml Bottle

Not recommended for extended cellaring.

The Pour - Pours a dark purple color with a reddish head. Very little lacing.
Aroma - Fruity - raspberry, almost like an extract.
Taste -  Not much, no malts or hops and a hint of raspberry. 
Mouth Feel - Medium/high carbonation and a lite body.
Drinkable - Very watered down in my opinion.  I was expecting something like a fruit lambic not realizing it was a wheat beer.  However it is a nice summer wheat beer with a hint of raspberry.  It is lacking taste.

Update - After aging for about a year the taste is much more pronounced.  The fruity flavors come through more aggressive making for a nicer beer experience.  The body seems to be more balanced, I would say a medium body beer.  And is well balanced all around.

In conclusion, though this brew is not recommended for cellaring, aging it a year improved it very much.  I am changing me rating from a C+ to a solid B!

This beer pairs well with salad.

This beer gets a Duper rating of B.
BeerAdvocate Rating =B
Ratebeer Rating =66

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Trappistes Rochefort - 10 (2010)


The top product from the Rochefort Trappist brewery. Dark color, full and very impressive taste. Strong plum, raisin, and black currant palate, with ascending notes of vinousness and other complexities.

Rochefort 10 - Blue cap (11.3%)
Rochefort 8 - Green cap (9.2%)
Rochefort 6 - Red cap (7.5%)

The ABV is 11.3 and the IBU rating is ??
Style - Quadrupel
Glass to use- Snifter, Tulip, Goblet, Oversized Wine Glass
Delivery 330ml

Can be cellared for long periods, under the proper conditions.

The Pour - Dark brown in color.  Tan head with drops of brown yeast from the bottle. Great lacing.
Aroma - Malts, sweet, maybe some brown sugar
Taste - Malty and sweet, dark chocolate, hint of spice and dark fruits.
Mouth Feel - Medium carbonation and body.  A bit on the fizzy side (typical Belgium brew).
Drinkable - I first had this in the mid 90's at Nodding Head's.  This bottle has been aging for twos in my cellar.  It's very mellow, worth the wait.  Very balanced, not too sweet.

Goes great with cheese and beef.

This beer gets a Duper rating of A
BeerAdvocate Rating = 99
Ratebeer Rating = 100

Tuesday, May 8, 2012

Dogfish Head - Fort

Update
An ale brewed with a ridiculous amount of pureed raspberries (over a ton of em!). Fort has a Belgian Ale type base, then they follow a similar fermentation process as they use in other high ABV beers, 120 Minute IPA and World Wide Stout.

I've had this brew on a few occasions, the first was during the Philly Craft Beer Express, fall of 2010.  The second was in Florida during my Xmas break of 2010.

The Update was on 5/8/2012 see below for details.

The ABV is 18.0 and the IBU rating is 49
Style - Strong Fruit Ale
Glass to use- Tulip or oversize wine glass
Delivery 750ml Bottle

Can be cellared for long periods, under the proper conditions.

The Pour - Pours a cloudy orange color with an off white head. Great lacing.
Aroma - Sweet and as expected lots of fruit and tartness.
Taste -  Strong, sweet and tart.  Very fruity, raspberries, you can definitely taste the alcohol.  Has a tangy after taste. 
Mouth Feel - Medium carbonation.  Full bodied.
Drinkable - Very strong and somewhat tart, but I do like it a lot!  Not an everyday brew but worth trying.  I am very happy after two glasses, at home I must say!  I purchased two bottles at the end of 2011 due to rumors that DFH is discontinuing the Fort line.  I am very sad for that news.  Had one bottle for this post update and the second bottle will be aged for many years.

This beer pairs well with chocolate or cheese.  Try it with duck. 

This beer gets a Duper rating of A.
BeerAdvocate Rating =B
Ratebeer Rating = 84

Tuesday, May 1, 2012

Green Flash - Barleywine

A four hour boil intensifies the caramel malts and enormous Pacific Northwest hop charge. The result is a rich, estery brew with toffee notes and citrus hop flavors layered throughout. Enjoy fresh today or lay it down and see how the flavors of each vintage evolve.

The ABV is 10.9 and the IBU rating is 85
Style - American Barley Wine
Glass to use- Snifter, Tulip or Oversized Wine Glass
Delivery - 22oz Bottle

Can be cellared for long periods, under the proper conditions.

The Pour - Pours a dark copper color with a big tan head. Good lacing.
Aroma - Malts, caramel, grassy and hops.
Taste -  Sweet, caramel, toffee and hoppy.
Mouth Feel - Medium carbonation, medium body, strong hoppy after taste like a west coast IPA.
Drinkable - Alcohol is well hidden.  A true west coast barley wine. 

This beer may pair well with cheese and desserts.

This beer gets a Duper rating of B
BeerAdvocate Rating = 86
Ratebeer Rating = 98