Beer Reviews
I’ve been posting beer reviews over at Beer Advocate, but have been encouraged to put some of them up here for the ease of RSS. I’ll let you explore the full list of beers I’ve reviewed (as well as beer locations), and will just include the most recent ones here, the four reviews based on beers I had at Ebenezer’s Pub this past Sunday. [All reviews are based on a 5 point scale, with 5 being the highest rating]
Cantillon Rosé de Grambinus
A / 4.45
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | drink: 4.5
Served in tap in a Brugse Zot oversized flute. The beer is very pretty; it’s colored with an odd combination of pink and copper. There is a slight head of large, soapy pink bubbles. The is a complex aroma to this beer, with sweet berries and some tartness present. The taste of the beer also has a mild sour tartness with is very nice. If the idea of a sour beer sounds unappealing, you should still try this one, as the tartness is not overpowering. There is a lot of fruit to this beer, I think it tastes like raspberries. There is a lot of carbonation, which probably helps bring out the bite of the tartness while it’s in your mouth. Overall, a very wonderful beer.
Ichtegem’s Grand Cru
A- / 4.15
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | drink: 4
Served on tap in a Trappist Rochefort chalice. It pours very dark brown with a tan head of large soapy bubbles. There is a slightly earthy aroma, but I couldn’t really smell much with this beer. The complex tastes is where this beer shines. It is mildly sweet, with molasses, gingerbread and winter spices. They all work together well, even though it seemed I couldn’t always taste all the flavors with each sip (probably because the beer was warming as I drank it). It has a fuller mouthfeel; this isn’t a watery beer. It fishes dry with a hint of toffee and perhaps some toasted malts. I like this beer. It probably isn’t a great choice for a hot Memorial Day weekend (when I had it), but would work well in the colder, winter months.
Edit: after looking at some of the other reviews, I wonder if I was served the correct beer, as my review doesn’t sound like any of the other ones. I am reviewing from my tasting notes, and I left no indication that this one tasted sour at all.
Dogfish Head Palo Santo Marron
B / 3.75
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | drink: 4
This beer is very dark brown, nearly black, with a large, thick brown head. I can detect bitter hops and chocolate scents. There is a coffee bitterness to the taste, along with some alcohol. The mouthfeel is a bit lighter than I expected. My notes on this beer are fairly sparse, but I don’t think it is because it is a bad beer, I just don’t think it is for me. Personally, I wouldn’t seek it out, but I probably wouldn’t turn one down if it was offered to me.
Caracole Troublette
A / 4.35
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | drink: 4.5
Pours a clear straw color with a pure white head. The aroma makes me think of warm summer days, with a fresh, grassy, wheat smell. I found this beer to be extremely drinkable. It is a little bit sweet, with flavors of wheat and citrus. A light mouthfeel with a sharp, carbonated finish. I could drink a number of these and enjoy them all.
