Crazy carbonation. Sparkling on my tongue. Cherries, dark chocolate, toffee, touch of raisin on the nose. Palate is very complex. Hard to pick it apart. Mild sourness throughout like sour cherries. Mild roasted barley. Cocoa. This is pretty incredible stuff. Wish I could have gotten a case. Drinking really well right now but would have left it another year I think.
Shared by a generous friend. Probably the most perfect expression of calvados I’ve ever had.
Need French bubbly but don’t want to spend champagne money? Buy this. Ridiculous value.
This will make red wine drinkers pay attention. I’m going to say it’s close to a rosé. Tart cherries on the nose and mirrored on the palate. Vinous as well. A bit thin on mouthfeel if you think of it as beer but in terms of wine I would say it’s medium bodied. Overall I think it’s the mildest lambic I’ve ever tried. Interesting in its own way but I think I prefer my lambics more brazen.
This Beau’s white pepper saison is certainly complex. Peach, pepper, and a bit of funk on the nose. Palate was sort of off-putting at first but I opened it too cold. Warmed up, it reveals a dry, vinous character, medium body and a crisp finish. Still not completely sold but it is unique.
Incredible hops aroma coming out of a jet black glass. Roasted coffee on the palate set off by citrus and a hint of tropical fruit. Masterful.
Had this after aging for two years. Age did wonders to the alcohol level and rounding it out. It’s amazing fresh and even better after some time in the bottle.
A good end to the weekend. Almost syrupy. Sweet but not cloying. Clove, fig, maple, apple, touch of chocolate. Alcohol very well hidden for 14%. A masterpiece.
Deschutes is a brewery I had heard about before but I have no recollection where I had heard of them. Somehow this brewery had become a part of my memory without me even realizing how! Seriously though, this brewery does have a fantastic reputation for producing quality and a quick glance at the 90+ ratings on Ratebeer seem to back that up.
They describe the Black Butte as their flagship bran and on the pour, it certainly smells the part. My first impression isn’t fruit or chocolate or hops, it’s just plain delicious smelling! Sometimes when you analyse beer a bit too much, the simple pleasure of just anticipating drinking a tasty beer and enjoying the aroma of it can be lost. This beer just makes you forget, for a moment, about identifying specific notes. You just want to enjoy the bouquet as a whole.
Just enjoying the aroma isn’t going to help you figure out what this beer smells and tastes like though. Picking it apart there’s a prevailing sweetness that gets you first. It’s the sweetness of dark red fruit and dark chocolate at the same time. There’s a slight whiff of smoke and a general roasted malt note.
On the palate, I get a generally sweet malt taste and then a roasted note, kind of like a very mild coffee. There’s little-to-no bitterness up front or in the middle but there is some in the finish. It’s a bit pithy actually. The finish is also very dry and adds to the refreshing quality of the beer.
Overall it’s incredibly balanced. At first I thought the light mouthfeel was a weakness but going through a whole bomber makes me realize what an accomplishment this must be to have such full flavour and light body. It’s just smooth and creamy as well with a zingy carbonation that is just so palate-cleansing. You just want to go back for more and more.
For anyone who is a fan of the Panil Barriquée sour, Im sure this post will get you salivating. For those who don’t know Panil, you’re in for a treat. Even if you end up hating this beer, I don’t think you can say it wasn’t at least an interesting beer, which is better than a lot of the swill that’s out there. Read the rest of this entry »
Hops and Malt 