Is it still a guilty pleasure if everyone else likes them too?

Koningshoeven Dubbel

i had to… i just HAD to review a Trappist ale one of these days, and why not for my first post in quite a while?  I'm fully aware that Belgian-style beer is the rage and that everyone who has ever drank at a bar is now familiar with the ubiquitous Chimay signs, but then again, there is reason for this love. Belgian beers are wonderfully crafted creations and the Trappist varieties are, by far, the most sought after bunch. However, I did want to mix it up a bit by choosing the odd-ball (though it is the largest) of the Trappists, Brouwerij de Koningshoeven, the only Trappist brewery outside of Belgium (its located in the Netherlands, if you were wondering). 

Upon first pouring the Koningshoeven Dubbel I was met with a deep brown brew with small (and quickly diminishing) head. The aromas were of prunes and other dark fruits with some faint spices mixed in. This is definitely a beer that tastes like it smells, with those dark fruits becoming just a bit more prominent. Upon further "tastesploration" I also picked up some mellow cherry flavors and decided that the spices I were smelling were consistent with banana bread - all in all a flavor that I heartily enjoy. This was all capped off with the light, effervescent mouthfeel that is so familiar with many Belgian-style beers.

Please correct me if I'm wrong, but there is a big part of my that has always felt like dubbels are like the baby brother of Belgian Strong Dark Ales (which I absolutely LOVE). They're lower in ABV, they're more mellow in terms of the dark fruit flavors, yet they're still delicious (it is weird to say that, considering the baby brother analogy?). I know the opinion varies on this ale, but all in all… I love it. Koeningshoeven makes some wonderful beer and this is just another shining example of their brewing skill. 

QUICK TASTE

Brouwerij de Koningshoeven, La Trappe Dubbel

Berkel-Enschot, Netherlands

ABV 6.5%

Dubbel

Appearance: Dark amber brown with a 1/2 finger head

Aromatics: Banana bread, dark fruits, sweet yeasts, faint spices like cloves.  

Taste: Sweet and light on the palate, light bubbly carbonation, some cherries. The finish is bubbly, then quickly diminishes to a mild lingering taste. A slight tangy/medicinal note right before the flavor drops off to the "lingering"…. back of tongue likes it quite a bit

Notes: Overall subdued/mild mannered, but a nice beer with great complex flavors. It's also very, very drinkable, especially with the fairly low ABV

90/100

Sparklers, Beer, and Merriment

Just wishing everyone a wonderful 4th of July! Grab some tasty brews, start up the grill, and have a great day!

-Andrew and Nate

Summer Beer (That Doesn't Taste Like Water)

Ok... I've said it before and I'll say it again: if you're like me (somebody who's standard beer is anything by Stone) you generally steer clear of anything that claims to be a summer beer or a session beer. I personally hate the lack of robust flavor that tends to come with these "refreshing lawn mowing beers".

However, Three Floyds brewery out of Munster, IN went and performed themselves a miracle with their Alpha King Pale Ale. A friend of mine recently (well, not really) bought me some of this beer while on a trip to Illinois and I'm glad he did. Three Floyds successfully brewed a beer thats not only refreshing and light, but also packs some serious flavor.

When I first popped open the beer I noticed a very familiar smell that got me excited; it smells almost exactly like Troegs Nugget Nectar. I then took a sip and was extremely impressed with the balance of flavor and refreshment. The smell proves to be very misleading, but not in a bad way. While the taste has all of the subtle flavors that the smell suggests, it is not nearly as strong as expected. But, if you're looking for a warm weather beer that is a definite plus.

If I could actually find this beer in PA, it would be one of my go-to beers this summer. So if you're ever in an area where this beer is available I suggest picking up a 6 pack.

Three Floyds Alpha King Pale Ale
Munster, IN

ABV% 6.00

American Pale Ale

Appearance: Redish Brown, 1/4in white head

Aromatics: Sweet Hops

Taste: Hops, light malt

Notes: Great Smell, light in taste, but very refreshing

87

Hop City

So, for everyone not in Atlanta Hotlanta, I am sorry for the beautiful things that I am about to say that you, alas, cannot experience.

For everyone that IS in Hotlanta. Enjoy. AND if you haven't yet, haul ass over to the place that I am about to speak of.

There is a special time that comes about once every month for me, and no, its not my man-period... assholes. It involves a pilgrimage to West Midtown (Marietta Street, to be exact) to a place known as HopCity where I stock up a wide variety of beer. Ignoring the fact that they also sell lesser alcohols like wine (beer snobbery here I come!) HopCity is the quintessential beer store. Ever. (Or, at least in my experience)

5 Random Reasons of Awesomeness (and a bonus!):

1.) Beer divided up by style, so I can go an look at every Imperial IPA known to man lined up on one shelf.
2.) One big corner of the store is devoted to Belgian Beers. Fan-fricken-tanstic.
3.) Super-chill, super knowledgeable staff. For instance, I asked about He'brew's Origin Pomegranate Ale and how fruity it was. I got the whole shebang, not only regarding the flavor of that beer, but on different fruits' flavor profiles and how those notes are picked up in different beers. Straight awesome.
4.) Frequent Buyers Card. It makes me feel special; like I'm part of some elite club.
5.) Homebrewing central: they'll teach you to homebrew so you can make delicious beers of your own
BONUS, 6.) Partnerships with Octane and 5 Seasons allow them to hold some exclusive tastings and pairings.

Do yourself a favor and check that shit out!!!!
http://www.hopcitybeer.com/

 Some of my purchases

Good people drink good beer...

Just a little quote for today and for beer lovers everywhere...




There is an ancient Celtic axiom that says 'Good people drink good beer.' Which is true, then as now. Just look around you in any public barroom and you will quickly see: Bad people drink bad beer. Think about it. 


--Hunter S. Thompson


Thanks Kevin A. Doran for the inspiration pic from Flying Dog Brewery!

Thirty Years Young

Sierra Nevada 30th Anniversary Series: Fritz and Ken's Ale

This stout is the first of a 4 beer series and is a collaboration between Anchor Brewing and Sierra Nevada. As the bottle says:

"Fritz Maytag, owner of San Francisco’s Anchor Brewing Company, is regarded as the godfather of the craft brewing movement. Fritz agreed to guest brew this very special ale with us in honor of our 30 ^th anniversary. As a nod to the robust black ales that seduced both Fritz and Ken in the early years, we bring you this Pioneers Stout, a rich and roasted ale, perfect for aging, and worthy of your finest snifter. Enjoy!"

This beer really lives up to its claims. It is one of the best hoppy stouts I have ever tired and it gives my all-time favorite beer, Rogue's 2008 Imperial Stout, a run for its money.

When poured it is a thick, very dark brown with a nice-sized dark tan head. The smell is very bitter, fruity, and a little hoppy. There is a slight coffee scent too, but not too much to make me step back (I hate coffee).

The flavor is well balanced; there aren't the overpowering chocolate or coffee notes that plague many stouts. The flavor is a bitter chocolate, but also has a subtle hops flavor and smokiness and it all wraps up with some notes of coffee. The complexity is nice and all of the flavors blend smoothly; like I said, not one of them overwhelms any of the others.

This beer was so nice that I bought a few bottles and put them away to age for a few years.

QUICK TASTE

Sierra Nevada's 30th Anniversary: Fritz and Ken's Ale
Chico, CA

ABV% 9.20

Imperial Stout

Appearance: Dark brown, dark tan head

Aromatics: Fruity, hoppy and little coffee

Taste: Hoppy, Bitter Chocolate, Smokey and Roasted

Notes: Very Interesting and Complex Stout, saved a few bottles for aging

92

Volun-beer-ing?

So this Saturday I took some time to do some community service and do some volunteering.... at the East Atlanta Beer Festival! Man... that had to be one of the better decisions of my life!

To give a quick history, the EABF (http://www.eastatlantabeerfest.com) is an annual festival (now 7 years old) in the awesome neighborhood of East Atlanta Village. People from all over (seriously, I met people who came from 2 hours away, if not more!) congregate in EAV to enjoy a beautiful day and LOTS of beer - 130+ breweries! There is also music, food, and lots of schwag.

The great thing about it for me was being around so many beer-loving individuals. It was commonplace for me to overhear conversations about hop varietals or comparisons between the finish of one brown ale to the next; it was truly a beer-lover's heaven.

The other great thing, is that as a volunteer, I got in free and could still enjoy all of the delicious beers I wanted (and that I did, no doubt about that!). Moreso, volunteering was quite fun. I worked at the entry gate during the second shift (3-6PM) with a friend of mine, where we counted people entering and also handed out replacement tasting cups. That was great, because we started having people (none of whom were sober) tell us how they broke their cups and some stories were funny as hell. My favorite may have been the girl who had the cup in her cleavage, and was then "forced" to chest bump her best friend, thereby smashing said cleavage cup. The story was not all that amazing, though it helped that she was very, very attractive and the way it was told and her insistence on it not being her fault was just hilarious.

So, that said, to all my fellow EABFers... Thanks for a great time and see y'all next year!