The Sounds Inside My Mind

Stone Oaked Arrogant Bastard

A / 4.35
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | drink: 4.5

Served on tap at Novare Res, poured into my Uprising Chalice. The color of the beer is a combination of dark copper and ruby. It has a thin tan head. The beer smells woods; there is oak and hops in the aroma. You can certainly taste the oak in the flavor, as well as some alcohol. There is also some grassiness/floral flavors, but that could just be an aspect of the oakiness. There is a hint of caramel sweetness in the finish. There is a normal amount of carbonation and a medium body with some mouth coating. Overall, a strong and tasty beer that is worth seeking out.

Young’s Double Chocolate Stout

A- / 4.2
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | drink: 4.5

Served on tap at Novare Res, poured into my Uprising chalice. As one would expect from a stout, this is a very dark beer with a slightly off-white, creamy head. The aroma is of chocolate and roasted malts. The taste is of chocolate and coffee. I first wrote that there wasn’t much bitterness, but as the beer warmed the bitterness became more pronounced; it never got very strong though. Also, there isn’t as much sweetness as you’d expect. The mouthfeel is very smooth with a good amount of carbonation. It is near perfect in my opinion, thanks in some part to the nitro tap. In summary, I recommend that you try this beer. Don’t let the Irish control the market for European stouts. The Young’s Double Chocolate show that there is some strong competition from across the Irish Sea.

Koningshoeven Dubbel

B+ / 3.95
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | drink: 4

I was lucky enough to have ths on tap at Novare Res; it was poured into my Uprising chalice. Te beer is a great color–dark red, like a glass of port. It lost some appearance point because of the disappointing head. There were some bubbles atop my glass when it was poured, but by the time the glass was brought to me, it had largely disappeared (not even a skim was left), and I was sitting at the bar! The aroma is rich and sweet, with some caramel and a little bit of alcohol. You can pick up some alcohol in the taste as well, along with sweet grapes. There is a lingering feeling of sourness. It has a light mouthfeel but much more carbonation than I expected. The amount of carbonation and fruit flavors remind me of a grape ginger ale; I’m not sure if that is a good or bad thing. Overall, it’s a decent beer although there are both Trappist and non-Trappist dubbels I enjoy more.