Cascade Cuvée du Jongleur

“The Belly” brought this bad boy over the other day and we just had to partake.  Not a cheap brew at almost $20, Cascade Cuvée du Jongleur had some high expectations to meet… and meet them it almost did. 

This big, bad boy is definitely a sour… but not a super strong sour, by any means.  Very approachable for the style, giving you a good introduction, so to speak.  The head is nice and white with a light brown pour, the nose has a nice sour aroma… sweet and oaky.  A bit of cherry in there somewhere.   As noted, the body is sour but not strong, like a sour with training wheels.  Finish is high and tight with just a faint linger before a clean departure. 

Overall this isn’t a bad brew… really pretty good for the style.  For the price, though, it isn’t one to take lightly.  I will sparing buy this again, I am sure.

JBB6 Rating: Will Buy Again

New Belgium Lips of Faith Dark Kriek

One of the members of the New Belgium Lips of Faith program, New Belgium Lips of Faith Dark Kriek was highly anticipated by the neighborhood tasting panel.  Just look at the smile on Mrs. Heather’s face in the pic below…

So, for their Dark Kriek, we opened her up and dug right in… on the pour, you can see the redish brown tinge to the brew and on the nose, cherry for sure but not over the top on the tangy vinegar smell that some sours exude.  As we head into the body, you get a semi-sour, tart hit, somewhat “bingy”, noted Ms. Katrina, and overall it comes in like a lite version of our favorite New Belgium La Folie.  It is a tip of the tongue tingler at 8% but not over the top and as “The Belly” notes, it might be a good introduction to the sour cherry beer genre for those that are new to the game. 

JBB6 Rating: For the Win

New Belgium La Folie

I have saved this posting for a very special day (today of course)… the day that marks our 1 year anniversary on this blog.  That is one year and over 400 beers… hard to believe it has only been a year, to be honest.  In that year, we have seen the ups and downs of the economy, a new president elect, and of course the goings on of the area and folks that are close to us.  Through it all, the beer blog has been a constant and I think something that I truly am proud of.  It takes effort to keep something like this going with family (3 amazing kids + beautiful wife), a demanding full time  job, a photography business, and going back to school… but at the end of it, it has been worth it.  I can’t speak for Po, but I know he is in a similar place and I hope he has enjoyed the ride, as well.

So, with that all being said, it is time to present one of my favorite beers of all time… New Belgium La Folie.

I was first introduced to this fine little number at the 2008 Seattle International Beerfest (SIB).  “The Belly” and I spent more than half our tickets on this fine little number that amazed and dazzled us.  It was a bit stronger there, it hadn’t mellowed out, but boy was it heaven on earth… and so, when our friend Doug at Malt & Vine let “The Belly” know that he had a few in the back that he would be willing to part with, we both parted with the $25/bottle and considered ourselves lucky.  I am especially lucky considering my very giving friend let us open one of his bottles.

If you haven’t had this beer or style, you are missing out.  Both are fine examples of how beer can be exotic, complex, and heavenly all at the same time.  Out of the bottle (vs. the keg), this beer is extremely well balanced in its amber glow and headiness… in a nutshell, it just simply has an outstanding fit and finish to it that you can’t help but close your eyes and savor as you first take a deep sniff and then tip it back.  The nose is clean and easy and the sour body is smooth and tight, not overwhelming or off and it is complex as any beer I have had.  For example, when you drink this beer cold, the sour hits you on the tip and front-middle of the tongue, making it tingle just a bit.  As the brew warms up, though, the sour hits you hard at the back of the throat, releasing a sour apple sensation that gives you the goose bumps.

All in all, this is beer finery at its greatest and I thank New Belgium for it.  Thanks to you for brewing something so special.  We appreciate it!

JBB6 Rating: For the Win (Pending Hall of Fame)

 

Deschutes The Dissident

Carrying over from the other night is a beer that I will remember for quite some time.  Deschutes The Dissident has to be one of the most unique beers I have tasted in a long time.  I find it similar to the first time I tasted the Monk’s Café Flemish Sour Ale.  You just can’t prepare yourself for it and so the first couple of tastes almost make your eyes cross.

A dark pour, with a bit of a red tint, this one is not for the week of heart.  If you like barley wine and you like flemish sour ale, then you will probably like this one as it is nearly a perfect mix.  It offers a very sour/tart taste and finish but has some sweetness just offsetting it.

I don’t quite know where to go with this one, though.  I like the flemish sour and I like a good barley wine, but this one is just really hard to put a finger on.  I am going to have to go with Middle of the Road for now since the only reason I would buy this again, really, is to give it one more chance… because I know I want to like it… really…

JBB6 Rating: Middle of the Road

Issaquah Brewhouse Sour Frog

Ah… this beer is so new that it isn’t even on the list yet!!  We knew it would be good tasting due to the American Craft Beer week events that Rogue had going on at the Issaquah Brewhouse. 

Brewery: Issaquah Brewhouse
City: Issaquah
State: WA
Phone: 425-557-1911
Website: www.rogue.com
Description: Rogue Ales celebrates American Craft Beer week with a special tapping of a new American Craft Beer each day. All taps plus our cask engine will be will be pouring American Craft Beers, and daily tasters of our American Amber Ale will be available. Stop by for lunch and enjoy a Hoppy Meal, that’s a beer of your choice for only $2.00 more with your meal.
Tours: Brewery tours will be done daily at 2:00pm and finished with tasters of Issaquah Brewery Ales

Wednesday’s beer just happened to be Issaquah Brewhouse Sour Frog.  While those around me pulled some of the best bitter-beer-faces ever, I tend to think the sour ale class of beer is quite good now that I have had some quality sour ale… the first being Monk’s Cafe Flemish Sour Ale.  To ensure I had a good frame of mind for this review, in fact, I picked a bottle out of the fridge that I had acquired at Malt & Vine the other day and I am enjoying it this very instant.

I will say that Sour Frog definitely had some of the similar characteristics of Monk’s Sour Ale.  They both have strong vinegar smells.  They both had similar heads.  They both had the sour ale taste and flavor.  Where they were different, though, was in the intensity.  The Monk’s Sour Ale is a darker beer, dark amber, in fact, where the Sour Frog is on the lighter side.  The Monk’s Sour Ale is also much stronger in flavor and leaves a fine sour aftertaste just on the back of your tongue, where the Sour Frog neglects the after taste to some degree.

Both are fine ales, but for my taste, I am more drawn toward the Monk’s Cafe Sour Ale.  It would be #1 on the list of sour ales so far with the Sour Frog coming in a moderate second.

JBB6 Rating: Middle of the Road

Monk’s Café Flemish Sour Ale

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

Monk’s Café Flemish Sour Ale - On Tap

I didn’t put any tasting notes down for this one, but this was a really good beer to start the night out with… very sour… I remember thinking that I could really smell red or white wine vinegar as I went for each drink and then the taste of sour apple assaulted me with every drink.  A very, very drinkable beer that was novel and new but really tasty. 

Update: I bought a bottle at Malt & Vine the other day to validate my tasting in Philly… It was spot on.  Tasted just as good out of the bottle.

JBB6 Rating: For the Win