Brew Reviews

Ommegeddon

Availability: Limited batches; from the Ommegang brewery only and not available in stores or bars.

Price comparison: Free tasting at the brewery. Overpriced for purchase ($12 USD), in my opinion, but it's a highly specialized item.

Alcohol percentage by volume: Labeled as an 8%, but I felt it might possibly have aged ¼ to ½ percent stronger.

Cute bottle/label? 750 ml cage-corked bottle. Did not get to examine the bottle or check the batch number; label depicts an atomic bomb blast, of course. Served by a brewery volunteer in a disposable two-ounce plastic cup, which probably did not do it justice, but I'll allow it because, hey, the tour is free and I got to taste six other beers too, plus a variety of beer-washed cheeses, beer-mustards, horseradish pickles, and as many pretzels as I wanted. And Belgian chocolate. (People, if you are in the upper New York State area, near Cooperstown, do not miss this tour.)

Appearance: Bright golden with a stiff meringue-like head that dissipated too quickly, but might last longer in proper glassware.

Scent: A touch of sort-of buttery yeast with some small citrusy hops.

Flavor: A little, shall we say, funky, like drinking unsweetened lemonade while standing in a farmyard, but not in an unpleasant way. The mouthfeel was sharper at the start, but warmed almost to a feel that was, not quite creamy ... I'd almost say slippery, but that's not right either. Somewhere in between. Again, not unpleasantly. The pepperiness subsided to more of a citrus acidic finish, not unlike a lambic.

Impressions: Nicely balanced for a wild ale, and not as sour to my palate as a lambic, but definitely good to go with salty foods, or even a salad if it's got a strongly flavored, creamy dressing.

Will I buy this beer again? It's not available in stores, and I didn't buy a bottle at the brewery because I felt it was overpriced, but it wasn't bad at all, and if someone gave it to me as a gift, I'd accept it with genuine thanks and drink it quite easily.

Rating:

3½ out of 5 cute beer glasses

Hop Rod Rye

Availability: Summer seasonal.

Price comparison: About the same per twelve ounces as everyday beer.

Alcohol percentage by volume: 8%

Cute bottle/label? Twenty-two ounce brown glass with standard metal cap; black label decorated in bright primary colors with flames and an old-time auto circa 1930s.

Appearance: Brunette with thick, nearly-white foam that left sheets of lace on the goblet.

Scent: Cider, lemon peel, grapes, clean malt, and an interestingly forestlike hoppiness. (I almost said pine, which is sort of what it reminded me of, but not like pine cleaner. Like trees. Okay? Okay.)

Flavor: Hugely hoppy, but balanced incredibly well by the maltiness, which isn't so much sweet as it is breadlike (most likely due to the high concentration of rye in the grain content). Very dry, pithy finish, balanced more to the malt than to the hops.

Impressions: Exceedingly refreshing and surprisingly drinkable. Very full-bodied and deceptive - it drinks like a 4% alcohol and therefore kicks you twice as hard.

In respect of the flavor balance, the fact that this is a summer offering is not astonishing. Whether your preference is cold, dark-green salads and hot grilled vegetables, slow-smoked barbecue, or plain old hot dogs and hamburgers, this would be a great treat. I might even drink this with a strong seafood such as grilled salmon, but I think it would overtake anything really delicate.

Will I buy this beer again? I bought two this time round, 'cos the label was so cute I wanted to give one to a friend. However, the beer's so good he may not get it after all.

Rating:

4 out of 5 cute beer glasses

La Chouffe

Price comparison: A little under 1½ times what I pay for everyday beer.

Alcohol percentage by volume: 8%

Cute bottle/label? 750 ml dark green glass, with a cap instead of the cork, cage, and foil I've grown so fond of. A little guy with a white beard and bright red hat; nose also bright red, and Dutch-styled clogs, carrying a bundle of hops over his shoulder. I presume he is the titular gnome (chouffe being the French for gnome). Not as cute as a Keebler elf, but a decent beer mascot. Also present on the bottle is a small depiction of the ale in an appropriately-shaped chalice, which is a nice visual hint as to how to serve the stuff if you're not sure.

Appearance: Deep copper with a large ivory head that dissipated quickly into blobs of floating lace.

Scent: Yeast and citrus zest prominent; chased by clove, ground coriander, and a bit of black pepper.

Flavor: Tasted less spicy than it smelled; light maltiness twisting quickly to a dry, tannic finish.

Impressions: This is one of the reasons you have to get the right glasses, even if they're cheap. There's no way I would have enjoyed this as much as I did if I couldn't smell it at the same time I was tasting it. However, I did have a nice goblet (2 for $1 USD at a craft store), so I was golden. The flavor would have been disappointing without the accompanying spicy scents; with, it was really quite good.

Will I buy this beer again? The dryness makes it nice with any food you might ordinarily pair with a red wine, and the coriander and pepper aromas would be a nice companion to ethnic cookery.

Rating:

4 out of 5 cute beer glasses

Quintine Ambrée

Price comparison: About twice the price of everyday beer.

Alcohol percentage by volume: 8½%

Cute bottle/label? 11.2 ounce cute squat brown glass with matte-finish brownish label and a built-in flip-top cork.

Appearance: Opaque orange with thick white head and smeary lace.

Scent: Sticky orchard fruits, malt, and some caramel, very faint hint of spices.

Flavor: Smooth wine flavor, tannic without being overpoweringly so, with some dryness at the finish reminiscent of a burgundy.

Impressions: I liked the winey characteristic of this, particularly if I was put into a position to recommend a beer that would pair well with, for instance, a meat and potatoes sort of meal, or if I needed to cook something using a strong red wine but did not have any at hand. On the other hand, Belgian or no, this is pricy to be drinking on a regular basis, let alone cooking with.

Will I buy this beer again? I bought this pretty much on the strength of how cute the bottle is. Yes, it tastes good, yes, I might consider buying it again if I were planning to serve it with beef or something of that ilk, and yes, I imagine it will age well, but it's probably never going to make regular appearances in my home. I don't have any qualms about recommending it, though — it's good and the bottle is, indeed, extremely cute ... it's all down to deciding whether or not those qualities justify the extra money, which is, as always, a matter of perspective.

Rating:

4 out of 5 cute beer glasses

Trappist Achel 8° Blond

Price comparison: About twice the price of everyday beer.

Alcohol percentage by volume: 8%

Cute bottle/label? 11.2 ounce brown glass with an understated earth-toned label.

Appearance: Cloudy yellow with a thick white head and sticky lace.

Scent: A mixture of wildflowers and assorted sweet fruits, with some reminiscence of brandy.

Flavor: I was very much reminded of banana walnut pancakes, with the whole maple syrup/butter experience and maybe even a café au lait. The finish did have a slight yeasty bitterness.

Impressions: The pancake thing is just really odd when it's not breakfast-time. Also, the carbonation was a bit sharp. But overall, it was a really nice Trappist.

Will I buy this beer again? Not the best buy, but very good Trappist Belgian. The slender little bottles would be nice to serve out cold at a less formal cocktail party, and the flavor would pair well with cheeses and cold canapés.

Rating:

4 out of 5 cute beer glasses

Weyerbacher Raspberry Imperial Stout

Availability: Winter seasonal; couldn't get it in Connecticut, but New York had it.

Price comparison: About $1 to $2 more per six-pack than the average domestic national brand.

Alcohol percentage by volume: 8%

Cute bottle/label? Twelve-ounce standard-shaped bottle with a bright red label.

Appearance: Dark, nearly black, but glowing burgundy when held to the light. Sparse brown head with very little lacing.

Scent: Raspberry (duh), chocolate, burnt malt, chicory, with a smokiness throughout.

Flavor: Bitter chocolate with more raspberry apparent as it warmed; not much hops but a pleasant alkalinity in the middle. Sweet but not cloying raspberry-and-malt finish.

Impressions: Neither as sweet as Chambord nor as creamy as a traditional stout, but an interesting combination of the two concepts. Tasted odd with food, but would go nicely after dinner. And with its 8% ABV, I would recommend a full meal before having this one.

Will I buy this beer again? Yes, I want more of this, and soon.

Rating:

4 out of 5 cute beer glasses

Delirium Nocturnum

Availability: 2003 vintage.

Price comparison: A gift from Laura. (Thank you!)

Alcohol percentage by volume: 8½%

Cute bottle/label? 750 ml deckled white ceramic, corked-and-caged with a blue neckfoil; year (2003) on the cork. Pink elephant on the label.

Appearance: Dark cola-colored with a beige head, brightens to a deep bronze when held to the light. Virtually no lacing, but the carbonation reactivated every time I picked up the glass. Very lively.

Scent: Sweet alcohol with some spice and some vanilla. Soft plum and banana aromas began to emerge as it warmed.

Flavor: Malt, with a hint of green apple and rum, but with a dry sour-cherry finish. Smooth, not much hops.

Impressions: A far better-balanced ale than the Delirium Tremens, to my palate, and more drinkable as well. I wanted a bowl of French onion soup with this, or an order of frites.

Will I buy this beer again? The cute bottle is, of course, the big selling point for me on this beer, but it is a delicious Belgian, which always makes me happy. The price for the bottle cuteness plus the good beer is what will ultimately clinch it. I think I will look around for some older vintages (2001 perhaps) and see how they age, because this has the feel of a brew that could mellow nicely given some time.

Rating:

4 out of 5 cute beer glasses

Delirium Tremens

Price comparison: About twice as much as the average national domestic.

Alcohol percentage by volume: 8½%

Cute bottle/label? Snowy white opaque 750ml bottle, deckled in navy blue. Corked, caged; neck wrapped in blue foil. The label itself depicts crocodiles with sunglasses, a couple of dragons balancing on gold balls, and - of course - pink elephants.

Appearance: Hazy peach-colored with large white head and blobs of lace on the glass.

Scent: Malt, cream and lemon, and some pepperiness.

Flavor: Strong malt and pepper, Earl Gray tea. The carbonation is very lively. The finish is a bit alcoholic.

Impressions: This is quite good, but not necessarily as drop-dead-gorgeous as I was led to believe by the kid at the IHOD.

Will I buy this beer again? I love the bottle; it's adorable. I understand there are snifters with pink elephants available as well; I might buy this again if I could get matching glasses. I'm not disappointed by this, except in the sense that it's a Belgian (old family brewery, not Trappist) and I tend to set very high standards for Belgian beer. As far as the flavor and the kick are concerned, La Fin du Monde is better balanced and more cost-effective overall as well.

Rating:

3½ out of 5 cute beer glasses

Aventinus Wheat Doppelbock

Availability: 2000 vintage; limited quantities still available, but once they're gone, this won't be obtainable outside of someone's private stock.

Price comparison: About 2½ times the price of everyday beer.

Alcohol percentage by volume: 8% at bottling in 2000.

Cute bottle/label? Standard-shaped 25 ounce brown glass with a purple and gold metallic label. The whole thing was wrapped up in purple and ecru giftwrap.

Appearance: Translucent amber brown with a thick ivory head that left very little lace.

Scent: Yeast and malt prevalent with some citrusy hops and a light potpourri of spices.

Flavor: The yeastiness, spices, and a hint of caramel reminded me somewhat of rye bread. Heavy (natural) carbonation and a delicately bitter finish camouflaged the high ABV.

Impressions: This was pleasantly drier than other doppelbocks I've had, and the amount of yeast left in the bottle after three years leads me to believe it'll only get better over time.

Will I buy this beer again? I'm gonna buy one more to hold onto for next year.

Rating:

4 out of 5 cute beer glasses

Harvey's Elizabethan Ale

Availability: A limited-edition ale. This bottle was #355 of the 1998 vintage.

Price comparison: About three times the price of everyday beer.

Alcohol percentage by volume: 8.1% at bottling.

Cute bottle/label? 275 ml standard shaped brown glass bottle. Metallic label with the year 1953 marked prominently, referring to the fact that the Lizzie (as it's known colloquially in Sussex, its hometown) was originally brewed to honor the coronation of the queen.

Appearance: Dark cloudy brown, not heavily carbonated. Little head, quickly disappated, and no lacing to speak of, just a few scattered specks on the glass.

Scent: Smoky and deep, like sherry. Toffee, raisins, malt.

Flavor: The first flavor that this ale reminded me of was grilled steak, oddly (and pleasantly). It was definitely more like sherry than like beer, with a rich caramel flavor emerging as it warmed.

Impressions: This is stronger than it leads one to believe; its higher ABV is camouflaged by the heartiness of the flavors. It's earthy and comforting, but I'd be cautious about drinking it on an empty stomach. Fortunately, the balance of this ale is such that it would hold its own with almost any entrée (seafood, I'd say not, unless it was fried, but certainly any strongly-seasoned poultry, pork, or beef dish).

Will I buy this beer again? At three times the price of regular beer, this is a bit costly for regular consumption; there are other ales available, more reasonably priced, that are more special than this. I'd buy this again if I knew, for instance, that I needed something to serve with prime rib or leg of lamb; otherwise I think I'd just buy either beer or sherry.

Rating:

3 out of 5 cute beer glasses

Corsendonk Christmas Ale

Price comparison: Twice what I pay for everyday beer.

Alcohol percentage by volume: 8½%

Cute bottle/label? Brown 12 ounce standard-shaped glass with a colorfully-snowy-Christmasy label.

Appearance: Deep garnet-red, opaque with yeast. Reasonably thick, beige-colored head; not much lace.

Scent: Brandy, citrus peel, hops.

Flavor: Yeast and cranberries, a nice alcoholic bite at the finish.

Impressions: This is delightfully festive and fits well with a holiday meal. Warming and satisfying, with a slight kick.

Will I buy this beer again? It's seasonal, but I'd consider buying some in the off-seasons and cellaring it till the holidays. I'll certainly be buying more for this year as well.

Rating:

4 out of 5 cute beer glasses

БAЛTИKA (Baltika) Extra

Price comparison: About the price of everyday beer.

Alcohol percentage by volume: 8%

Cute bottle/label? 25-ounce brown glass with a very short, almost nonexistent neck that was wrapped in a triangle of foil. The whole effect reminded me of a matrioshka doll wearing a babushka, but that may simply have been my subconscious reaction to the beer's origins.

Appearance: Bright, clear gold with thick white head; no lace on the glass but a light film on the surface after the head disappated.

Scent: Nothing distinctive, but very clean and fresh overall.

Flavor: Reminded me a bit of mesclun salad with a hit of sea salt. Crisp and with a slight alcoholic tang, but not overpoweringly so.

Impressions: It looks nice, its aroma and flavors are completely inoffensive, and it's a nice kick for the money spent. On the downside, it's a bit more boring than I'd hoped. If I buy a beer with that many weird letters on the outside, I'd really prefer to be able to say, "I tried it and I was really impressed by it." I tried it and it's not too bad.

Will I buy this beer again? This is probably never going to be a regular player in my home, but if I'm entertaining, I'd certainly feel okay offering this to my guests who prefer lager to ale or stout. And, after all, there are all the weird letters on the outside going for it.

Rating:

3 out of 5 cute beer glasses

La Maudite

Price comparison: About 1½ times what I pay for everyday beer.

Alcohol percentage by volume: 8%.

Cute bottle/label? A 750ml brown glass bottle corked and caged as usual. (Also available in four-packs, but more expensively). The label is an artistic representation of La Chasse-Galerie, a Quebecois legend not unlike The Flying Dutchman, wherein a group of lumberjacks strike a deal with the devil to fly home in their canoes for Christmas, ultimately winding up cursed (maudite). Kind of morbid, but a beautifully rendered piece of artwork.

Appearance: Deep amber with lavish head. Lots of floating yeast, especially toward the bottom of the bottle.

Scent: I could definitely smell the alcohol first, but was also reminded of cinnamon raisin bread.

Flavor: Yeasty and tangy with a hint of bite. In common with the other Unibroues, the alcohol is present but not overpowering. I had two in quick succession and am bound to be sorry tomorrow morning.

Impressions: I drank this beer less than ice-cold, which usually works out for me with the dark brown ales, but in this case I think I'd want my next glass served colder. Like the 11, the Maudite could have stood to age a bit more, but the sugar content is such that, sealed tightly and cellared properly, it could potentially be quite a kicker in a few years. It's already a more-than-acceptable accompaniment for roast beef or something equally hearty.

Will I buy this beer again? Yes, very likely. It's damned good. No pun intended.

Rating:

4 out of 5 cute beer glasses

Duvel Rood

Price comparison: About 1½ times what I pay for everyday beer.

Alcohol percentage by volume: 8½%

Cute bottle/label? You can get a four-pack of twelve-ounce bottles, but I opted for the big stupid 750ml bottle of lurve with the cork again, like the Chimay. (I might not have, had I not found that the IHOD also carries bottle stoppers so that I could reseal the open bottle rather than be obligated to finish the lot.) Black label with red writing (hence, Duvel "Rood") but I was impressed by "Anno 1871", which means the brewery is exactly 100 years older than I am. I like stuff that's older than I am.

Appearance: Pale. A bit cloudier than the standard pale ale at first, but I may have accidentally swirled the bottle while pouring, because it cleared as it settled. The color changed the closer I got to the end of the bottle; while the original shade was like the skin on a Golden Delicious apple, the later shade was more like the skin on a Granny Smith. Long-lasting foam like shaving cream. More on that in a moment.

Scent: Black pepper and citrus (grapefruit and lime). A nice combination.

Flavor: A pronounced bite, with slight acidity and an aftereffect of clove or cinnamon with vanilla. Lots of yeast at the bottom of the bottle.

Impressions: Couldn't stop concentrating on "damn, this head isn't giving up here, is it?" The foam never settled at all and the empty glass looked like the dishwasher had broken before the rinse cycle. Preoccupation with suds aside, definitely a nicely balanced and enjoyable flavor.

This is indeed quality beer, but it struck me as very much a spoiled high-maintenance bitch of a beer. You lose part of your investment in the masses of sediment at the bottom of the bottle, and drinking it out of a glass means you lose even more unless you're willing to ask for a spoon to eat the foam, which I imagine is frowned upon in your nicer establishments. Also, it's a very strong ale that you don't want to drink on an empty stomach, yet the sorts of foods that it would match well with are not standard beermates like nachos or pretzels, but more expensive fare such as grilled scallops or veal.

Will I buy this beer again? Overall, yes. I admit she's a bitch and a diva, but she pays off very well in the end. I do feel that it will be worth my while to pursue the relationship.

Rating:

4 out of 5 cute beer glasses