1. St. Feuillen Noel (brown) - This is a good Christmas ale, roasted and malty. I would also call it raisiny. It has a sweet but not too sweet taste and a mildly interesting finish. I have trouble distinguishing it from other good (but not spectacular) Christmas ales; it's a step below the Corsendonk, that's for sure. 7/10.
2. Scotch de Silly (brown; "Scotch style" belgian ale) - This is ok but it's not that interesting. It has the mouth feel of a Stout, which is probably why The Beer Guy said it's phenomenal when it's on tap, and why I found it unimpressive and lacking in finish when it was poured from a bottle. It has a balanced malty sweetness to the taste, and I expect that English/Scottish beer drinkers would like it quite a lot. Me, though... not so much. 5/10.
3. Zinnebier - This is another dark-ish Christmas ale, with a little bit of dark fruit flavor and a lot of hop. It has a simply phenomenal nose, very herbal and floral, because of all the hops, which are different from the American-style hops that I'm used to, because of my U.S. microbrew drinking. I picked this beer, with the assistance of The Beer Guy, to be paired with a Bibb lettuce salad with beets and a vinaigrette dressing. I was trying for something that was a little malty and a little sweet, definitely dark and roasted, but not too potent. I think that in most ways it was a good pick - the only problem is, it was too hoppy to be served with food. According to The Beer Guy, this brewery hops everything a lot. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm a big fan of hops. But they wash away the taste of the last bite of food you ate, completely. Beets and vinaigrette are both potent enough that you'll still taste them, but the flavors don't mesh at all, they just sort of take turns. So, a couple sips into it, I finished the salad with water and then enjoyed the beer. Overall, 6/10. If you like hops, definitely give it a shot.
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
Monday, November 26, 2007
The 10s - Part 2, Dark Abbey Ale
Abbey ale is the style of beer made by Belgian monasteries over many centuries, beginning with the Trappists. Most abbey ales are either Dubbel or Tripel, with varying spellings. Dubbels are weaker in alcohol content and generally dark amber or brown in color; Tripels are higher in alcohol and usually golden. While I find Dubbels to be ok, they pale so much in comparison to the complexity and potency of a Tripel that I will rarely order one.
One of my favorite Belgian ales is a dark Tripel - the Rochefort 10. Rochefort is one of the six Belgian Trappist monasteries, along with Orval, Westmalle, Chimay, Achel, and Westvletern. I haven't yet had Westvletern (they are super stingy about who they sell it to, and they prohibit resale, so you have to get it in the monastery itself), but of the other five, Rochefort is by far my favorite. Their 10 is their strongest, and it packs a wallop - over 11% alcohol by volume. It achieves most of the complexity and richness of the Thomas Hardy's ale, in fact, and would also age well for a considerable period of time. Other dark abbeys of note: Chimay blue (Grand Reserve) and Brasserie du Rocs Tripple are both fantastic.
I had Rochefort for the first time in the summer of '05, along with Maredsous, my favorite non-Trappist abbey ale. I was in San Francisco then, on an unpaid internship for a public interest legal organization, and I had the great fortune of hanging out with a couple true beer snobs, one of whom was also as much or more of a coffee snob as me. I had Maredsous first; there was a random funky bar/art gallery off of Market St on the edge of the Tenderloin that had it on tap, and it was amazing. That summer was and always will be one of the best time periods in my life.
One of my favorite Belgian ales is a dark Tripel - the Rochefort 10. Rochefort is one of the six Belgian Trappist monasteries, along with Orval, Westmalle, Chimay, Achel, and Westvletern. I haven't yet had Westvletern (they are super stingy about who they sell it to, and they prohibit resale, so you have to get it in the monastery itself), but of the other five, Rochefort is by far my favorite. Their 10 is their strongest, and it packs a wallop - over 11% alcohol by volume. It achieves most of the complexity and richness of the Thomas Hardy's ale, in fact, and would also age well for a considerable period of time. Other dark abbeys of note: Chimay blue (Grand Reserve) and Brasserie du Rocs Tripple are both fantastic.
I had Rochefort for the first time in the summer of '05, along with Maredsous, my favorite non-Trappist abbey ale. I was in San Francisco then, on an unpaid internship for a public interest legal organization, and I had the great fortune of hanging out with a couple true beer snobs, one of whom was also as much or more of a coffee snob as me. I had Maredsous first; there was a random funky bar/art gallery off of Market St on the edge of the Tenderloin that had it on tap, and it was amazing. That summer was and always will be one of the best time periods in my life.
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
The 10s - Part 1, Strong Ale
[The first of 4 posts about my "10"s, the one beer in each of my 4 favorite beer categories that I like above all others, from best to worst. Today: Strong Ale.]
Readers of this blog will suspect, correctly, that I generally prefer Belgian beer to the beer of other countries. I do enjoy other types of beer greatly - American microbrews of all types, German hefeweizens, English pale ales and stouts, even a good Czech pilsner every now and then. Mostly, though, I like Belgian ale in all its colors and scents and strengths.
But... if I were stranded on a desert island, and I could only bring one beer with me... well, actually, if it were a desert island, I'd probably prefer a lighter beer, something more water-like and thus refreshing, given the heat and sun and everything. Let's say I were to be stranded in a movie theater or something - alone, comfortably air conditioned, subsisting on popcorn and pretzels and Sour Skittles - and I could choose one and only one beer. I would choose the greatest of my four favorite beers - the English "Thomas Hardy's Ale".
Thomas Hardy's Ale is sometimes characterized as a barleywine, and I can sympathize with that, though I think it's more of a "strong ale" in the Belgian style. It's a bit sweet, heavy, and extraordinarily rich. Barleywines, popular in the winter, are heavily alcoholic (usually around 13%), and taste rich, sweet, raisin-y, and smoky. But Thomas Hardy's Ale is not as alcoholic as most barleywines - it's in the 11% range. It's also not quite as smoky, if I recall correctly. And the complexity is akin to a dark Belgian abbey style beer, like Chimay Grand Reserve.
This beer is supposed to be able to age well for 25 years. I haven't had one that old, but I have come fairly close. I was in Washington, DC in the fall of 2006 to interview for a job. I went for sushi in Dupont Circle with a good friend of mine who lived in the area, and then we went to Brickskeller, and I looked over their menu, and noticed that they had a few years of Thomas Hardy's Ale on the menu. Not trusting their printed menu, as I never do, I simply asked the waitress to bring me the oldest bottle of Thomas Hardy's that they had. She brought out a 1990, I cracked it open and poured it, and it remains, to this day, the greatest beer I have ever had.
[Oh, and, if you're curious, I got an offer for the job, and took it, and am very happy with it.]
Readers of this blog will suspect, correctly, that I generally prefer Belgian beer to the beer of other countries. I do enjoy other types of beer greatly - American microbrews of all types, German hefeweizens, English pale ales and stouts, even a good Czech pilsner every now and then. Mostly, though, I like Belgian ale in all its colors and scents and strengths.
But... if I were stranded on a desert island, and I could only bring one beer with me... well, actually, if it were a desert island, I'd probably prefer a lighter beer, something more water-like and thus refreshing, given the heat and sun and everything. Let's say I were to be stranded in a movie theater or something - alone, comfortably air conditioned, subsisting on popcorn and pretzels and Sour Skittles - and I could choose one and only one beer. I would choose the greatest of my four favorite beers - the English "Thomas Hardy's Ale".
Thomas Hardy's Ale is sometimes characterized as a barleywine, and I can sympathize with that, though I think it's more of a "strong ale" in the Belgian style. It's a bit sweet, heavy, and extraordinarily rich. Barleywines, popular in the winter, are heavily alcoholic (usually around 13%), and taste rich, sweet, raisin-y, and smoky. But Thomas Hardy's Ale is not as alcoholic as most barleywines - it's in the 11% range. It's also not quite as smoky, if I recall correctly. And the complexity is akin to a dark Belgian abbey style beer, like Chimay Grand Reserve.
This beer is supposed to be able to age well for 25 years. I haven't had one that old, but I have come fairly close. I was in Washington, DC in the fall of 2006 to interview for a job. I went for sushi in Dupont Circle with a good friend of mine who lived in the area, and then we went to Brickskeller, and I looked over their menu, and noticed that they had a few years of Thomas Hardy's Ale on the menu. Not trusting their printed menu, as I never do, I simply asked the waitress to bring me the oldest bottle of Thomas Hardy's that they had. She brought out a 1990, I cracked it open and poured it, and it remains, to this day, the greatest beer I have ever had.
[Oh, and, if you're curious, I got an offer for the job, and took it, and am very happy with it.]
Saturday, November 17, 2007
Brasserie Beck visit, 11.10.07
1. Kasteel Donker (11.0% a.b.v., dark brown)
I thought this beer was powerfully sweet; sure, you could say it's rich and flavorful, but, at least without any aging, it's a bit too much for my tastes. I would say it's similar to, but not as good as, Piraat Ale or Gulden Draak, two other great Belgian strong ales. I don't think it would compare favorably to a good American barleywine either, like Old Crustacean. I wanted to like this beer, because it's made to age for more than 25 years. And I'm sure if it were aged a decade or more I would love it. But, fresh, it's so far short of the standard of strong ale, as exemplified by the British Thomas Hardy's Ale (one of my 10s), that I won't be ordering it again. 5/10.
2. Ename Tripel (?%, golden)
This is a medium weight Belgian tripel, tasty enough but not noteworthy, and not in the same league as the Malheur which I had on my first visit to BB, or other better-known members of the family. Worth trying if, like me, this is your single favorite style of beer; but otherwise, get the Malheur or a Trappist golden instead. This was the second beer that I ordered that was served to me in a generic BB glass. BB actually has a great selection of appropriate glasses, but I just happen to pick the oddballs. 6/10.
Taste: Petrus Oud Brune (5.0%, medium brown)
This is a sour Flemish Red Ale, like Rodenbach or Duchess de Bourgogne. Taste-wise, it's not as pungently sour as either of those. Rodenbach, in particular, tastes of vinegar, albeit damn tasty vinegar. Petrus Oud Brune is much more mellow and approachable from sip #1, and with a surprisingly long and spectacular finish. I'd say it's a little nutty if anything; Brasserie Beck's menu suggests cherries and oak, which I believe. This is probably my favorite of the Red Ale genre, though I'm also a huge fan of the Rodenbach Grand Cru; but I think this is more drinkable, even if slightly less interesting, and it's more likely to be appreciated by a wider audience. Petrus's Oak-aged Pale Ale is also quite good, IIRC. 9/10.
I thought this beer was powerfully sweet; sure, you could say it's rich and flavorful, but, at least without any aging, it's a bit too much for my tastes. I would say it's similar to, but not as good as, Piraat Ale or Gulden Draak, two other great Belgian strong ales. I don't think it would compare favorably to a good American barleywine either, like Old Crustacean. I wanted to like this beer, because it's made to age for more than 25 years. And I'm sure if it were aged a decade or more I would love it. But, fresh, it's so far short of the standard of strong ale, as exemplified by the British Thomas Hardy's Ale (one of my 10s), that I won't be ordering it again. 5/10.
2. Ename Tripel (?%, golden)
This is a medium weight Belgian tripel, tasty enough but not noteworthy, and not in the same league as the Malheur which I had on my first visit to BB, or other better-known members of the family. Worth trying if, like me, this is your single favorite style of beer; but otherwise, get the Malheur or a Trappist golden instead. This was the second beer that I ordered that was served to me in a generic BB glass. BB actually has a great selection of appropriate glasses, but I just happen to pick the oddballs. 6/10.
Taste: Petrus Oud Brune (5.0%, medium brown)
This is a sour Flemish Red Ale, like Rodenbach or Duchess de Bourgogne. Taste-wise, it's not as pungently sour as either of those. Rodenbach, in particular, tastes of vinegar, albeit damn tasty vinegar. Petrus Oud Brune is much more mellow and approachable from sip #1, and with a surprisingly long and spectacular finish. I'd say it's a little nutty if anything; Brasserie Beck's menu suggests cherries and oak, which I believe. This is probably my favorite of the Red Ale genre, though I'm also a huge fan of the Rodenbach Grand Cru; but I think this is more drinkable, even if slightly less interesting, and it's more likely to be appreciated by a wider audience. Petrus's Oak-aged Pale Ale is also quite good, IIRC. 9/10.
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
About: Brasserie Beck
Brasserie Beck, 1101 K St, Washington, DC, http://beckdc.com
A major inspiration for this post was a visit to Brasserie Beck near DC's Metro Center. I had been dying to go there since moving to the city, and I was not disappointed. There's no big sign outside the door screaming 'Beer lovers, enter here' - just a pair of B's scripted onto some windows facing K street. Walk in, and a moderately large seating area presents itself to the left and to the rear, partially isolated by a low wall from the main entrance. To the right is a long and glorious beer bar, with a small number of taps (10 or so) and a reasonable number of stools and bar tables. [Also, in case you care, the restrooms, located behind the bar, are as clean as anything I've seen.]
My first visit was with a group of 5 at 6 pm on a weekday; we asked for a table, no reservation, and got one fairly quickly. (By the time we left, the place was considerably more crowded.) The first person over to our table, after we were seated, was The Beer Guy. You see, some high end restaurants have a wine guy - he sets up the wine list, and comes over to your table and makes recommendations if you want some help. Well, at Brasserie Beck, they have a Beer Guy. I had made some recommendations ahead of time, but my companions wisely did not bring them, and instead asked The Beer Guy what to get, and I don't think any of them were disappointed.
Which brings me to the beer. Ahhhh, the beer. As mentioned above, there are 10 or so taps, all running around $7-9 a glass. But, the real key is in the bottles. Brasserie Beck has dozens and dozens of types of beer, all Belgian. Most run for about $7-$12 a bottle; the rest are generally $22-30 for a 750ml bottle (wine bottle sized, definitely for sharing), with a few over $60. Brasserie Beck goes to great lengths to get some ales that are not available anywhere else in the United States. The menu has some descriptions, but ask questions, and offer a general style (i.e. light, dark, heavy, golden, seasonal), and just get whatever The Beer Guy tells you to.
Oh, one more thing - get the frites too. Yum.
A major inspiration for this post was a visit to Brasserie Beck near DC's Metro Center. I had been dying to go there since moving to the city, and I was not disappointed. There's no big sign outside the door screaming 'Beer lovers, enter here' - just a pair of B's scripted onto some windows facing K street. Walk in, and a moderately large seating area presents itself to the left and to the rear, partially isolated by a low wall from the main entrance. To the right is a long and glorious beer bar, with a small number of taps (10 or so) and a reasonable number of stools and bar tables. [Also, in case you care, the restrooms, located behind the bar, are as clean as anything I've seen.]
My first visit was with a group of 5 at 6 pm on a weekday; we asked for a table, no reservation, and got one fairly quickly. (By the time we left, the place was considerably more crowded.) The first person over to our table, after we were seated, was The Beer Guy. You see, some high end restaurants have a wine guy - he sets up the wine list, and comes over to your table and makes recommendations if you want some help. Well, at Brasserie Beck, they have a Beer Guy. I had made some recommendations ahead of time, but my companions wisely did not bring them, and instead asked The Beer Guy what to get, and I don't think any of them were disappointed.
Which brings me to the beer. Ahhhh, the beer. As mentioned above, there are 10 or so taps, all running around $7-9 a glass. But, the real key is in the bottles. Brasserie Beck has dozens and dozens of types of beer, all Belgian. Most run for about $7-$12 a bottle; the rest are generally $22-30 for a 750ml bottle (wine bottle sized, definitely for sharing), with a few over $60. Brasserie Beck goes to great lengths to get some ales that are not available anywhere else in the United States. The menu has some descriptions, but ask questions, and offer a general style (i.e. light, dark, heavy, golden, seasonal), and just get whatever The Beer Guy tells you to.
Oh, one more thing - get the frites too. Yum.
About: This Blog
Let me throw up two more initial posts to get this blog off the ground. First, this one, about the blog. This will be short because I'm not a huge fan of formalities; I'm really not a formal guy, even though I am definitely a little on the pretentious side. Anyway, this blog doesn't have a grand purpose. I just like to talk about beer, and I like sharing the experience. I'll be mixing tasting notes posts, like the first one, with posts about beer bars that I visit, and other beer-related posts about parties and stories and people. I reserve the right to interject occasional posts about coffee, tea, and wine as well, but I can't be sure how often that will happen. Mostly, though, for better or for worse, this blog will be about the beer, because that's what motivates me. I'm going to throw in some hugely subjective ratings, as well; these are going to be extraordinarily picky, and a beer that may otherwise seem phenomenal may get only a 6 or 7 from me. But I insist there's a difference between the beers that get a 7 and those that get an 8... and you can trust me that 9's are absurdly good, and I will reserve 10 for my favorites in each category.
Brasserie Beck visit, 11.8.07
1. La Binchoise-Reserve (9.0% a.b.v., light amber/gold in color)
This beer was described by Brasserie Beck as an "artisanal beer", with flavor characteristics of apricot and butterscotch. The combination was too intriguing to me, so it was the first one I ordered on my first trip to the Beck. The apricot flavor is very prominent, and the butterscotch is much more subtle and hidden in the finish, which was moderately long. I would have liked to taste more of a creamy butterscotch richness and sweetness. It tasted a bit like wheat to me too, in the way a mediocre hefeweizen tastes like wheat. I enjoyed it very much, and it is unique and worth trying, but it isn't a top tier beer. 6/10.
2. Malheur 10 Triple (10.0% a.b.v., golden)
A very good Belgian golden tripel, which is unequivocally my favorite style. This is apparently too rare or too new a beer for Brasserie Beck to have any appropriate and Malheur-labeled glasses; it was served to me in a standard Brasserie Beck glass, similar in shape to a Delirium Tremens glass. [An aside - Belgian golden ales tend to be served in a wide glass, but one that narrows at the mouth slightly, so that the beer doesn't open up too much, but instead has a more concentrated aroma; the golden ales don't have as strong an aroma as their darker cousins.] I thought it was very good, comparable to Westmalle's Tripel or New Belgium's Tripel - the 'Fat Tire' brewery, whose Tripel is outstanding. Medium finish, not spectacular. A bottom of the top tier beer. 8/10.
Taste: Brasserie Des Rocs Tripple (10.0% a.b.v., medium brown)
I only had a sip of this; one of my companions ordered it. I believe I've had it before, years ago, but might have had a different Des Rocs beer. Anyway, this beer is amazing. Complex flavor, great and long finish, like Chimay's Blue in style but a full notch better. Almost as good as Rochefort 10, my single favorite Trappist (and one of the few I would give a perfect 10 to). Chestnuts and similar roasted flavors more than anything else. Try it, please. 9/10.
This beer was described by Brasserie Beck as an "artisanal beer", with flavor characteristics of apricot and butterscotch. The combination was too intriguing to me, so it was the first one I ordered on my first trip to the Beck. The apricot flavor is very prominent, and the butterscotch is much more subtle and hidden in the finish, which was moderately long. I would have liked to taste more of a creamy butterscotch richness and sweetness. It tasted a bit like wheat to me too, in the way a mediocre hefeweizen tastes like wheat. I enjoyed it very much, and it is unique and worth trying, but it isn't a top tier beer. 6/10.
2. Malheur 10 Triple (10.0% a.b.v., golden)
A very good Belgian golden tripel, which is unequivocally my favorite style. This is apparently too rare or too new a beer for Brasserie Beck to have any appropriate and Malheur-labeled glasses; it was served to me in a standard Brasserie Beck glass, similar in shape to a Delirium Tremens glass. [An aside - Belgian golden ales tend to be served in a wide glass, but one that narrows at the mouth slightly, so that the beer doesn't open up too much, but instead has a more concentrated aroma; the golden ales don't have as strong an aroma as their darker cousins.] I thought it was very good, comparable to Westmalle's Tripel or New Belgium's Tripel - the 'Fat Tire' brewery, whose Tripel is outstanding. Medium finish, not spectacular. A bottom of the top tier beer. 8/10.
Taste: Brasserie Des Rocs Tripple (10.0% a.b.v., medium brown)
I only had a sip of this; one of my companions ordered it. I believe I've had it before, years ago, but might have had a different Des Rocs beer. Anyway, this beer is amazing. Complex flavor, great and long finish, like Chimay's Blue in style but a full notch better. Almost as good as Rochefort 10, my single favorite Trappist (and one of the few I would give a perfect 10 to). Chestnuts and similar roasted flavors more than anything else. Try it, please. 9/10.
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