Just when I think things are slowing down we get another pile of goodies. Today's deliveries brought more Swedish beer (the Scandinavians are on fire lately), a couple new Belgian and French treats, and a tasty American porter to round out the selection.
From Belgium:Brasserie du Bocq -
Triple Moine: Triple Moine (Triple Monk) p
ours a pale orange color with a big creamy head that exudes a complex nose of herbs, caramel, and yeast. A high level of carbonation pushes the sweet golden liquid to all corners of your mouth. The finish has some hoppy bitterness and trails away in a long spicy burst. The label looks rather generic, but it comes from the same brewery that produces Corsendonk, so have faith (no pun intended) and try a bottle.
Brasserie du Bocq -
Blanche de Namur: I haven't tried this one, but based on the ratings and descriptions it seems to be a pretty solid witbier. This one also has a rather boring "store brand" sort of label, but it's what's inside that counts, right?
From England:Well's (& Young's) -
Banana Bread Beer: It looks like banana bread, smells like banana bread, and pretty much tastes like banana bread except for the minerally, steely hop character in the finish. This beer has built up a cult following, and always seems to disappear quickly this time of year, so if you're a fan be sure to stop in soon.
From Sweden:Oppigards -
Golden Ale: I haven't tried this one yet, so here's a quote from
Hammenlind, one of Sweden's' top beer-raters.
"Pale yellow, white diminishing head. Sweet fruity nose with citric notes. Flavour is sweet, buttery, flowery, acidic and hoppy with excellent bitterness."
Sounds good to me, and if it's anywhere near as good as the Oppigards Well-Hopped lager it'll find a semi-regular home in my fridge.Nils Oscar -
Kalasol: A Swedish take on the classic German Oktoberfest style. Golden and effervescent, but brewed with a top-fermenting ale yeast and more hops than the German version. The resulting brew shares some similar malt character as an O'fest, but features a fruitier aroma and crisper finish.
From France:Thiriez -
Biere de Noel:
(text stolen from the Shelton Brothers' website) Daniel Thiriez, who lives and brews in a charming old farmhouse amidst the rolling fields of France's north country, is considered by many to be France's best brewer. Every year he makes a different ale to celebrate Christmas, and this year's is a major departure from the darker brews he has done in the past. This Bière de Noël is a beautiful red-gold wheat beer -- with quite subtle all-spice and orange peel added. The result is a slightly tart, wonderfully effervescent, and quite refreshing festive brew -- a perfect alternative to Champagne, for the true beer lover. Thiriez is a very small volume producer, and 3 bottles have already been bought by eager staff members, so don't wait on this one or you'll be disappointed...
From California:Anderson Valley -
Deep Enders Dark Porter:
(Commercial Description) A dark brown, medium-bodied porter is endowed with a rich, creamy head and a delicious dark chocolatey aftertaste. Hehe. They said endowed. Seriously though, this is a great porter, and one of the only ones available in a 22oa bottle. My friends Jen and Ernie have been begging us to get this, so come in and try it before they drink it all.
That's all for today. Thanks for reading, and have a great weekend!
Labels: Anderson Valley, Brasseries du Bocq, Nils Oscar, Oppigards, Thiriez, Well's and Young's
