Henry Weinhards Belgian Style Wheat

Second beer of the night last night didn’t fare that well, either.  Henry Weinhards Belgian Style Wheat was new to me a while back, so I picked up a bottle to try.  Description from their website as follows:

Belgian Style Wheat is as refreshing as a beer can be. Try topping it with a wedge of citrus to complement its aromatic Cascade hops and its hints of orange and coriander. Light and crisp, it’s just what you need to keep cool during strenuous Northwest days spent hiking, boating or just plain basking.

While I agree with them that this genre of beer can be very refreshing, I absolutely don’t agree that Henry’s is the one to bring home the big bucks in this style. 

Overall, it was no where near what I would expect from a “belgian style wheat”.  It was bitter and lacked any semblence of belgian yeast.  I actually had a hard time drinking it but kept going on my endless search for good taste… hoping it would get better as it warmed up.  Nope.  No.  No better.  Not sure if it was too much coriander or not, but the orange was non-existent and the taste just wasn’t good.

Hopefully never again…

JBB6 Rating: Just Not Right

 

Brother David’s Double Abbey Style Ale

Another beer from the Anderson Valley Brewing Company, rapidly becoming one of my favourite west-coast beer makers and, quite possibly, one of my favourites worldwide. This hand-crafted limited-edition ale just about manages to live up to their reputation.

Brother David’s Double is billed as a traditional Belgian Abbey-style ale, and provides a pleasing brown pour alive with carbonation and a strong malt and figs aroma that arouses instant anticipation. Looks great in the glass, and tastes pretty good too - despite the high ABV, there’s no overpoweing alcohol flavour, and one mahogany glass soon leads to another.

The “another” leads to some rosy cheeks to match my sunburned legs, and as the sun sets on a happy Pacific afternoon  I can’t help but think that I really like this deep brown ale. Reminds me of malt loaf and butter, walnuts and dates… a fine brew indeed.

Brother David's Double

JBB6 Rating: For the Win

BridgePort Stumptown Tart

Kept the wife up a bit to sit with me while I tasted tonight’s brew.  Can’t say either of us enjoyed the experience, though, which is unfortunate. 

On the docket was a really cool looking bottle from “Oregon’s Oldest Craft Brewery” BridgePort Stumptown Tart.  Being that it is “Oregon’s Oldest Craft Brewery”, and being that the label kicks ass, I thought this would be another one I could rank up there with the Monk’s Flemish Ale… I was so, so mistaken.

BridgePort has had mixed reviews on this blog.  The last “Big Brew” from them was pretty good… their BridgePort Old Knucklehead.  I wish I could say the same here, really I do.

The problem with the Stumptown Tart is that it is too tart with no counterbalance.  I have caught myself doing the Dumb and Dumber piss drinking tick twice since I started the bottle.  I actually prefered the beer at about 45 degrees vs. when I let it warm up to 53 degrees or so.  Still, the nice color and pour and label just couldn’t overcome the lackluster performance of this too-tart-for-its-own-good beer.

JBB6 Rating: Just Not Right

Allagash Black

We are going to have one hell of a summer.  I can tell already.  Whenever the weather is nice, the cul-de-sac just knows to get together in the middle, bring whatever is in the fridge, and start BBQing.  Last night it was hot dogs and potatoe wedges.  Oh… and lots and lots of beer.  I think we went through about 2 cases in the 7 hours of drinking… In the middle of it, I brought out one of my newer purchases… a 750 ml of Allagash Black.  I poured 4 glasses and the tasting commenced.

There was definite consensus on this beer… which could have been good but it wasn’t.  In a nutshell, it had very, very mediocre reviews from the tasting squad.  We were comparing it to the New Belgium 1554 and saying that the reasonably priced New Belgium beats the $14.99 bottle of Allagash, hands down.  More flavor, more of a roasted smell and taste.  The Allagash was just very Middle of the Road.  If it were a more reasonable price, I might consider buying it again… it wasn’t bad beer by any means… but at $14.99, I expect more of the experience we had when we opened the Kasteel Rouge the other night.  Overall, the low flavor, light taste, nothing outstanding Allagash Black left me underwhelmed… that is two strikes for Allagash, so far…

JBB6 Rating: Middle of the Road

La Binchoise Reserve

Last beer of the night at Monk’s Cafe.  See here for original post.

La Binchoise Reserve - Bottle

Ah… I am sad to say that this was my last beer of the night at Monk’s.  By this time, I was reveling in the beerness that is Monk’s and I was probably a bit drunk, as well.  Good thing I took good notes…

This beer was on suggestion from Stasia… I left it up to her to tell me what to choose since she has probably tasted more beer than I in her 7 years.  So, she pulled this $9 bottle out and let me have at it.  I definitely had to let this one warm up… coming out of an ice-cold fridge would do me no good.  As it warmed and I continued to smell it… I probably looked a bit strange just sitting their, kind of tipsy, smelling my beer… Anyhow, as I smelled it, it opened up and I could smell the belgian yeast and what reminded me of scotch, whiskey, or bourbon… The taste was solid.  As I noted in my tasting notes, this was like having a good Belgian Style Amber… just like the label says.  Good head, as well.  9% ABV.

All in all, I noted that this was a great, solid belgain amber that needed to be tasted at the suggested 50 - 54° F. 

JBB6 Rating: Will Buy Again

Allagash Tripel Reserve Belgian Style Ale

I have decided I have found the best kids sport ever… let me give you a hint… it is one of the only ones I know of that you can drink a beer at… legally and fully within the rules and regulations… give up?

Indoor Soccer

My daughter is in her second season of this fine sport and I have to say… I really look forward to it.  It is Friday night and we aren’t really going anywhere anyway, but getting to watch a 30 minute game with beer in hand is quite relaxing.  I promise you that.  They even have a good selection at the field, although their fridge is too cold.

So… anyhow, after that, we came home, put a kid or two to bed, and it was time for some good beer tasting.  I picked up a bottle of Allagash Tripel Reserve Belgian Style Ale at Top Food and Drug in Snohomish after soccer and brought it home to enjoy.  BTW… the Top Foods in Snohomish has an outstanding beer selection, including tasters’ notes on some of the singles!

So, Allagash, out of Portland, Maine, makes a pretty good Belgian Tripel.  The corked popped as it should when we opened it, poured a beautiful copper color, and added a short lived head to the top.  Tasting occured at the neighbors house today, so I shared the bottle with two others.  All in all, this was a solid Belgina style.  It wasn’t as much to my liking as the New Belgium Trippel, but it was pretty good.  The taste was definitely classic.  Clean, clear, exactly as you would expect but nothing really more.

JBB6 Rating: Middle of the Road

New Belgium Trippel

We may have a contender for brewery of the blog… New Belgium has continued to produce some amazing and outstanding beer and tonight’s New Belgium Trippel is absolutely no exception.  I have been on a bit of a Belgian Style kick lately and have tasted some ranges of strength and depth.  While New Belgium Trippel might be on the lighter side of both, it has to also be one of the most approachable Belgian Style Ales I have ever tasted.  Its strength lies in its careful balance of hoppiness.  Not too overpowering, but you can definitely taste that this was made in the traditional style and has some bottle fermentation going on.

Oddly enough, I had this with breakfast-for-dinner tonight, so you might not think that it would really go with fried eggs, pancakes, and bacon, but I will tell you that you are wrong… wrong, wrong, wrong.  In fact, I think I might have one with breakfast tomorrow, as well… hmmm.

JBB6 Rating: For the Win