Entries Tagged 'Beer Reviews' ↓

The name and the artwork on the bottle are what sold me on choosing this from the shelf on my last beer store trip. Just look at this (stolen from their site, not my poor photo skilz):

The commerical description from ratebeer.com is:

Duchesee de Bourgogne is the traditional top fermented reddish-brown ale from the West-Flanders region of Belgium. This refined ale also known as "The Burgundies of Belgium" is a blend of 8 and 18 months old ales following careful maturation in oak casks. 100% natural and unpasteurized.

OK, but what does it taste like? Well, like a belgian ale but a bit sweet and a sourness that most describe as being like balsamic vinegar. While this may not sound good, it makes for a very interesting and complex flavor that gets better with every sip.

If you see this, be sure to try it. I don't think you'll be disappointed. 

BridePort shipped me twelve of these bad boys a few weeks ago with their press release to announce their new Haymaker Extra Pale Ale. This is an american pale ale which uses four types of malt and three varieties of american hops.

I had some help drinking these since a friend stopped by for happy hour with my wife and I the same day these arrived. My favorite beers are typically stouts, porters, and highly-hopped beers. My drinking companions were of the fairer sex (actually they still are) and they usually go for lighter ales and lagers.

All three of us liked the Haymaker. The hops gave this beer a hint of fruity flavor that was a bit bitter like grapefruit and the crisp finish was as BridgePort says, "sunshine in a bottle".

For me, this is a great beer that I think would satisfy a wide range of beer drinkers. It would be perfect for a cookout, beach day, or happy hour. I'd recommend checking this out if you find it in your area.

The nice folks at Flying Dog sent me their newly-released Gonzo Imperial Porter. In the past (although I'm not sure if on this blog and I'm too lazy to find out), I've noted that Flying Dog beers have been hit or miss for me. This one is a hit.

If you are as in to me and I am, you know that I love porters. That and stouts are my favorite beer styles and I'm in good company (you'll just have to trust me on this one). So I was happy when a man in brown shorts delivered this one to my doorstep. Unfortunately, at that time I had a cold and couldn't really smell or taste anything so I had to wait until I was sure I could get the full effect of this beer.

Here is the part where I paste in the details of this beer from the press release. I do this mainly because I am lazy but also because they did a nice, concise job of explaining what makes this beer special.

This unique version of Flying Dog’s popular Gonzo Imperial Porter was brewed and transferred into charred White American Oak whiskey barrels that the neighboring Stranahan’s Colorado Whiskey had aged their product in for two years.  After aging in the wood barrels for three months, the Imperial Porter was hand bottled, corked, labeled and conditioned for another six weeks before being shipped.  According to Head Brewer Matt Brophy, the resulting taste will “remind you of sweet chocolate, dry oak and smooth whiskey.  The barrel’s distinctive characteristics will compliment the Imperial Porter’s already robust, full-bodied flavor.”

I could definitely taste the oak and whiskey flavoring and it really stood out in the aroma and head. Speaking of head, here's some beer porn which shows how much I suck (sorry, irresistible pun) at pouring:

The barrel aging gives this beer a nice flavor but it isn't overwhelming but complementary. If you like porters be sure to check this out.

I saw this in the store the other day and when I saw that it was from A-B I figured I'd skip it until I saw a review or talked to someone that had it. Tonight, an elf brought me some after work so I had a chance to try it.

The label says it an "ale aged on bourbon barrel oak and vanilla beans". I took a whiff before trying it and the vanilla extract smell stood out. At first taste, I was surprised since it had both a woody taste as well as vanilla. I thought the vanilla was a bit strong but after another sip it didn't stand out as much. I should have stopped there. Instead, I decided to finish the bottle. By the end of it, all I could taste was wood.

I wouldn't really recommend this other than if you were going to have just one. Beer Advocate shows it at a 3.1 out of 5. I agree with their "worth a try" rating.

This is a paid review. I've agreed to review this site in exchange for beer money.

Homebrew 4U is a site based in England which carries homebrew kits, supplies, and also has a homebrew forum. Their main products are homebrew kits, wine kits, and cider kits. Their prices are competitive with other UK sites I checked but their site was much easier to navigate and had good descriptions for all the products. They only ship to the UK.

The Brew Buddy homebrew kits are a cool idea since they make 40 pints and you can buy refills for less than half the price of the kit. They have lager, bitter, and cider kits and refills. Note that the kit requires either a 5 gal. pressure barrel or 40 x 1 pint bottles which are both available for purchase on the site. The total cost if you go the bottle route is about 55 pounds or a little over $100 USD.

At this time, the forums look new since there is only one post which is a welcome type post. I like the forums idea for a site like this where there is high interaction with the product that naturally lends itself to discussion or questions and answers–like product support for your homebrew kit.

Instructions for the homebrew kits are available on the site which is nice in case you lose the paper copy from the box, spill half-finished beer on them, or the dog eats them. Also, they have siphoning instructions on the site to help you minimize lost beer. The whole process takes about 18-20 days.

If you are in the UK and want to give homebrewing a try or need some supplies, this looks like a nice place to shop online. The site is easy to navigate, looks professional, and has prominent links their shipping and returns policy and contact information. If you have tried them or do try them, feel free to let us know in the comments how it went.