Beer Travels: Bozeman Brewing Company in Bozeman, Montana.

Alright, time to finish off one of my New Year's resolutions with brewery trip #6 on the year, a visit to the Bozeman Brewing Company up in Montana!  After flying in, and a quick rest stop for lunch at Mandi's aunt's place, we headed to the brewery for their nightly open house.

 Apparently law in Montana allows the brewery to sell three pints per person (or one growler refill) per night directly, but only between the hours of 4 to 8.  I guess that's an interesting way to allow breweries to sell direct, but only in smaller quantities, or give daily growler fills to the locals.  So,  we picked out a table in their tasting room, and headed to the bar for the first round, the Amber Ale and Belgian Dubbel.

The space was a little small but it is a small town, and they had 8 of their beers on tap, some of the regulars it seemed plus a few special releases. I did like the atmosphere of the bar area / tasting room a lot and they had a handful of tables with barstools plus some popcorn available.

The beers were outstanding, and cheap! The regular pints were $3.50 and snifters of some of the special releases like their Imperial IPA and Barrel Aged Imperial Stout were only $5. I really liked the Imperial IPA a lot, and Mandi loved the Barrel Aged Imperial Stout which was aged in Cabernet Sauvignon barrels for a very different and interesting flavor.

The standards were quite good as well, and one of the real highlights was the fresh hop ale made from local hop varieties. It was a real treat and the epitome of drinking local.  Apparently Montana is a real hotbed for hops farms... I did not know that.

All in all a great experience and if I'm ever back in Bozeman I'll be stopping in to see what's new on tap. A must-try for any beer lover stopping through. And with that, I'm am done with another New Year's resolution!

Mission Accomplished - 365 with Westvleteren 12!

Alright, as I'm sure anyone who follows this blog knows I set out at the beginning of the year to drink 365 new beers (to me) in 2011.  As I started closing in and it became apparent that I was going to reach this goal I started thinking about what I should finish with.  Naturally I wanted to finish with one of the best beers available so I took a look at BeerAdvocate's top 100 list and #1 is still the Westvleteren 12.  Number two, Pliny the Younger, is only available on tap at the Russian River brewpub so I guess that's out.  Number three... eh, screw it, I'm going for number 1!

After a quick look at e-bay I saw that prices on the Westvleteren mixed 6-packs were about $120 with free shipping.  That looked like a good deal so I pulled the trigger and after the arrived invited some friends over to partake in three of the best beers in the world.  Wesvleteren beers come from the Westvleteren Brewery (or Brouweirj Westvleteren) which was founded in 1838 at the St. Sixtus abbey in Belgium.  Of course Westvleteren is one of the seven Trappist breweries that exist as non-profits to fund the Abbey and it's philanthropic causes.  I know buying them second-hand like this does nothing to help their cause... but still, not much other choice if I want to try this one soon.

So, armed with a set of Trappist glassware thanks to Blake of Brasseurs A La Maison we started out with the Westvleteren Blonde Ale.  This one comes in an unmarked bottle (as they all do) with green labeled caps.  It's a Belgian Pale Ale, and as you can see on the caps, clocks in at 5.8% abv.  (Get ready for some "beer porn" in this post...)

Alright, now we're talking... this one pours a hazy golden yellow with a small amount of head and decent lacing.

The smell definitely has a little bit of a Belgian characteristic funk to it. Very earthy and grassy with some slight hop tones and spice. The taste has some good citric notes to it that compliment the earthy body very well. Other spices come through in a smaller way as well as a pretty heavy hop bitterness at the end.

A very nice mouthfeel might even be the standout characteristic of this beer. The body and carbonation are perfect for the style and it's a real pleasure to drink. This beer wasn't the best I've ever tried, but we had the 8 and 12 waiting so it's a great first taste of Westvleteren.

Trappist Westvleteren Blonde:
My Rating: A-
BeerAdvocate: A-


Up next, the Westvleteren 8, an 8% abv Belgian Dubbel that I was really excited to try.  This is their blue capped beer and I poured my taste into a Rochefort goblet.  It's a murky brown color with a finger or so of head that dissipated pretty quickly. The color is exactly what you'd want from the style.

The nose is great, caramel and dark fruits with a sweet inviting tone to them. Very little hops and no alcohol presence at all. The yeast funk present from the blonde ale is still here but the sweeter notes push it to the background.

The taste is a great carry-over from the aroma, rich and sweet with contrarian sour notes that balance perfectly. There is still a noticeable funk from the yeast strains and a slight hop flavor but they are both minimized by the excellent taste up front.

Just like the Blonde, this one is a real treat to drink, the carbonation and body are spot on and the alcohol is barely there. A fantastic dubbel, one of the best I've ever drank. If I lived in Belgium I'd have these in the fridge non-stop.

Trappist Westvleteren 8:
My Rating: A+
BeerAdvocate: A

Up next, the culmination of the Westvleteren line and of my 365 in 2011 quest... the Westy 12.  This one is a Belgian Quad in style, 10.2% alcohol and considered to be the best beer in the world... will it live up to the hype?

It's a cloudy brown color very similar to the 8, with a finger or so of off-white head. The aroma is heavenly, a blend of toffee, dark fruits, rich caramel, spices, a little floral hops, and just a slight tinge of alcohol. It's inviting, warm, and top notch.

The taste is more of the same, rich with flavors, each bursting through but none overpowering. It's like everything you would want in a good quad is there, toffee, dark fruit, floral hops, esters, a slight yeast funk, brewing spices... it's all there but nothing in so much quantity that it takes away from the rest.

A pure joy to drink, there's a reason this beer is considered by many to be the #1 beer in the world. I was worried it wouldn't live up to all the hype, but it absolutely did, and everyone else tasting it felt the same way.

Trappist Westvleteren 12:
My Rating: A+
BeerAdvocate: A+

And with that, 365 beers down.  I'm thrilled with the way the Westvleteren beer tasting turned out to end it.  I was legitimately concerned that they wouldn't live up to the hype but they absolutely did.  I would highly recommend finding some (I know it's not legit, but unless you're going to Belgium sometime soon trading or e-bay is the only way) and sharing with a few friends.  You can also check out Jay's post about the Westvleteren beers, complete with video, over at Bite and Booze.

Review: Ska Brewing True Blonde Dubbel

Time for a quickie from Ska Brewing out of Durango, Colorado. As far as I can remember this was the first beer I've tried from Ska Brewing, although I know there are at least two to follow in my quest to drink 365 new beers in 2011. Sometimes it's really hard for me to keep up with the reviews, so that's why I'm going to try to get more and more quick reviews out on beers I try solo, and focus longer posts on events and places.

 

I picked this one up in a bomber from Spec's in Houston. I've also had it on tap at the Ginger Man Pub in Houston, so anyone heading to Texas should be able to find it and other Ska Brewing beers pretty easily.

 

I poured from the bomber into a St. Bernardus goblet... as always for a Belgian style ale, a goblet is appropriate. (With the exception of the witbier...) This dubbel is a clear deep golden color with not much head at all.

The aroma is all spice. Coriander, lemon zest, honey, all present over a faint floral hop smell. The flavor is very similar to the aroma. Honey is pretty dominant then receding to the floral hop notes. It's pretty tasty but nothing revolutionary to me.

The beer has a decent mouthfeel, and there is good carbonation despite the lack of head. This is without a doubt an above average beer in the grand scheme of things. It is certainly one I'd consider drinking again, and a brewery I'm looking forward to trying more beer from.

My rating: B

BeerAdvocate: B

 

 Belgian Dubbel

Review: Sierra Nevada Ovila Dubbel

Time for another beer review... this time the Sierra Nevada Ovila Dubbel.  I picked up a few of these from Marcello's in BR when it was first released.  It's a bit weird to see a brewery like Sierra Nevada (@sierranevada), known for West Coast hoppy beers, to go after a Belgian style.  I know it's not their first Belgian-style ale, but it's close to it, and it's the first one I've ever tried.  Knowing Sierra Nevada, it's going to be a little more hoppy than a typical dubbel, but there's not necessarily anything wrong with that! 

 

Now... on to the beer!  It has a nice pop to the cork, and it pours a murky deep orange color with a couple fingers of off-white head. It dissipated pretty quick but left some nice creamy pooling.

The smell is a little weird to me. The first thing I noticed is a little malt sweetness then a bit of floral hops. Definitely a little more hoppy than a typical dubbel, as expected. The taste is a lot like the aroma except the malt is more forward than the hops. The alcohol content is noticeable and the floral hops are still there in the background.

I think this one will really age well, so I'll be sure to cellar a bottle and re-visit later.  Overall I'm impressed. This is a pretty fine effort from Sierra Nevada.

 

I know there are still a few cases of this beer at Calandro's... so it's not too late if you want to grab a few.  Try one now, and let the other one sit a few months and see how it ages.

My Rating: B+

BeerAdvocate: B+

 

 Belgian Dubbel

Review: St. Bernardus Collection

A few months ago I happened across a St. Bernardus gift set at Martin Wine Cellar on Perkins Rd. in Baton Rouge.  Being a complete sucker for gift sets that include a glass, and seeing as how two of the four beers were new to me, I couldn't pass it up.  The gift pack included the St. Bernardus Pater 6, Prior 8, Tripel, and the fantastic Abt 12.  In fact, my old post about the St. Bernardus Witbier and Abt 12 is still one of the top 5 most-viewed blogposts.  I've previously had the Tripel on many occasions and it's world-class, but I'm going to focus on the two new beers in this post.

First up, some Prior 8, a "dubbel" style ale.  The choice of glassware for this one is about as obvious as they get... yeah, I went with the St. Bernardus chalice that came with the beers.  This dubbel clocks in at an appropriate 8% alcohol, although the Abt 12 isn't a full 12% and the 6 which comes next is closer to 7%.

It's a dark brown color with a bubbly white head. Great looking beer.  It smells of plums and raisins and a little chocolate too. The taste is very similar to the aroma. I really like the chocolate flavor on the aftertaste.  It might not be a perfect example of the style but it's still pretty damn tasty.

Very drinkable, super smooth and delicious.  As with the beers from St. Bernardus I've had before, this one is a winner.

My Rating: A

BeerAdvocate: A-

The second new one was the Pater 6 ale, also considered a dubbel, but this one clocks in at only 6.7% which is stronger than the average beer but a little on the low side for a dubbel. Just like the Prior 8, I took advantage of my new St. Bernardus glass.

It's a murky brown color, finger or so worth of creamy head. Good retention and decent lacing. It has a floral aroma, malty as well with a little dark fruit to it. The floral notes are the most noticeable flavor. There are several flavors that are similar to the Prior 8, but the floral notes are a change from the chocolate tones of the previous beer.

The floral hop notes are definitely the dominant flavor on the tongue. The malt flavors on the nose are much less obvious here. It had a good mouthfeel as expected, as it was very well carbonated and bubbly.

Not my favorite St. Bernardus beer but still good... I think this one is a little less appealing than the Prior 8, and neither stacks up to the phenomenal Abt 12.

My Rating: B+

BeerAdvocate: A-

 

Belgian Dubbel 

Quick Review: Allagash Dubbel Ale

Here's another one I picked up at Spec's in Houston... if you haven't figured it out by now, Spec's on Smith St. right by downtown Houston is probably the best beer run you can make from Baton Rouge for a really good selection of brews you can't find in Baton Rouge.  Heading the other direction I hear Pensacola has some really good bottle shops, but I haven't tried to beer run that way yet.  (Other than a planned trip to Gainesville...)

Allagash is a brewery out of Maine that specializes in Belgian-style ales.  I've had their Tripel and Curieux (bourbon barrel aged tripel) before and both were pretty good beers... so, it's time to try their dubbel.

 

As true with all Belgian-style ales, the proper glassware is some soft of goblet or oversized wine glass.  This brew is a murky brown color with a finger-worth of creamy off-white head. Good looking beer.

It smells like raising and malt sweetness. Definitely some Belgian candy-sugar sweetness to it.  The taste is like the aroma but not super bold... it's kind of a let down after the aroma, but still good.   It's a little thin, but still overall a good beer. Not the best dubbel ever but still enjoyable.  

 

I still say my all-time favorite dubbel is the Chimay Premiere (red label) followed closely by the Westmalle Dubbel, but for an American version, this offering from Allagash is not bad at all.

My Rating: B

BeerAdvocate: B+

Belgian Dubbel

North Coast Cru D'Or

Here's another one from North Coast Brewing Company, a California brewery that thankfully is locally available!  A while back I did a review of the Brother Thelonius Abbey Ale, and before too long I'll be adding my review of their Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout!  I picked up a 4-pack of these guys from Marcello's going out of business sale. Hate to see a decent beer retailer go, but had to take advantage of the deals!

According to the BeerAdvocate site this one is considered a Dubbel in style, which is one of the traditional Belgian Trappist styles.  As you can see, I poured it into a Chimay goblet, always my glassware of choice for a Belgian-style ale.  It pours a murky brown color with a small off-white head that dissipated quickly into nothing.  The smell is strong, very floral with a little hint of caramel.

The taste is very similar, hints of caramel mixed in with a floral hoppy flavor. Definitely a Belgian ale here, trademark flavors are present. All in all a very good beer, as to be expected from North Coast. It doesn't measure up to the best Belgians of the style but it holds it own against American counterparts nicely.  Plus if anyone out there is into this sort of thing, it's an 'organic' beer!

My rating: B

BeerAdvocate: B

Belgian Dubbel

Review: Brother Thelonious Belgian-Style Abbey Ale

File this one under:

Beer!

Another one from a recent Calandro's beer run... the Brother Thelonious Belgian Style Abbey Ale from North Coast Brewing Company.  This brewery is located in northern California, and not just San Francisco... Fort Bragg which apparently (I just checked some Google Earth) is much farther north.  That's damn near Oregon and Oregon makes some good beer, so that's a good sign.  They are probably best known for the Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout, which I've tried before and will have to find again to feature on this blog sometime in the future.  But back to this beer...

I poured it from the corked 750ml bottle into a Chimay goblet... no head at all. Zero. That was really odd, as you can see in the picture from literally seconds after the pour. The color is a dark ruby red, almost brown. 

There's a good smell to it, herbal, a little pear and apple scents.

The taste isn't much like the smell upfront... hints of malts, then the fruit flavors come through and on the back end more malts with some hops as well. Pretty good, considering this one has almost no carbonation.  I obviously came across a flat bottle, total bummer... the flavor is still there but none of the character.  I've had this beer once before, on tap at the Flying Saucer in Little Rock, AR last year after the LSU/Arkansas game.  I remember it being a really good Belgian-style ale so I'm going to give it the benefit of the doubt despite this disappointment.

Taste: B+

Value: B+  ($8.49 at Calandro's, good price for a 750ml bottle.)

On the notes of price, just imagine what you'd pay for a 750ml bottle of exceptional wine?  A lot more than $8.49 that's for sure, yet the same price on the same quantity of beer is often considered to be high.  Just something to think about next time you're picking up a few bombers or 6-packs.

Review: St. Sebastiaan Dark Ale

File this one under:

Beer!

Picked up a bottle of this one at Marcello's the other day, I had had their Grand Reserve ale before and enjoyed it, so I figured I'd try another one.  St. Sebastiaan is out of Belgium, from a brewery that brews and markets under several brand names.  This one is considered to be a dubbel in style, which is typically one of my favorite styles of beer.

I like the packaging a lot, ceramic bottle with both a bottlecap and a rubber snap-plunger for saving some.  Problem is that it's only a pint bottle, not much to save here.  It would be far more useful on a liter bottle or 750ml bottle even.  Oh well, it's still a cool concept.

I poured the beer into a Chimay goblet, as should be done with any Belgian ale.  Not necessarily a Chimay goblet, but any sort of good beer goblet.  Glassware is pretty important for proper flavor, so when in doubt check out beeradvocate or another site for proper glassware recommendations.  Dark brown body with a large creamy head as can be seen above!  Certainly looks inviting.

Very fruity alcoholic aroma, hints of berries and a subtle bit of spice. Raisins come to mind.

The taste is more of the same, nothing too varied from what I smelled... very clean aftertaste. I'm betting this one gets even better as it warms up even more... just not too warm.  Belgian beers like this one are meant to be drank around 45 degrees or so.  Very little bitterness at any point in each sip.

A solid Belgian ale, but leaves a little to be desired.  At $7.49 for a pint, I can't see going back for more of these anytime soon.  While good, there are better beers to be had for the money.

Taste: B+
Value: C-
Avail.: B+ (I think the bigger beer retailers in our area will carry this one.)

Three random baseball thoughts... the people arguing like crazy for instant replay need to consider the consequences of reviewing a play where action continues afterwards.  Like the line drive to Howard last night... replays showed he missed it despite the out call on the field.  What happens if the correct call is made on replay there?  Everyone is safe?  Obviously had the correct call been made on the field right away Howard would have thrown to second immediately trying to turn two instead of taking a few steps towards first.  Or perhaps he continues on to first and gets the force there.  You can't just assume that the rest of the play would continue identically to how it did, and that's the problem with instant replay on a call involving a live ball.  I predicted Hairston Jr. as a surprise hero a few entries ago, and he got a start last night, getting the hit that led to a key insurance run for the Yankees.  It appears my favorite team, the Astros, have hired Mills as their new manager.  I don't know too much about him, but I hope the front office has the patience to give him a chance to succeed in the long run rather than run him out when he inevitably fails in the short-term with an aging team and depleted farm system.