Grimbergen Dubbel

Grimbergen Dubbel
750ml
6,5%

Yes dear reader, I have indeed not written much and even todays entry will probably stay a short one.
I am working a lot and haven't been following my hobby that much. Much to my dismay.
This is part of the delivery I have gotten from Belgium from my beloved Brother.
So yes, a nice 0,75l bottle with a classy cork and the rather famous Grimbergen logo.

The brew is dark red, seems almost black.


Lotsa caramel colored foam that stays in the glass long.

Aroma is sweet - tart. Not as sweet as I had expected it from a Dubbel. Faint rhubarb and berry tones.

Tastewise it's full of surprises it starts sweet but expands with fine bitter notes and a very full mouth feel. Distant Sherry tones and faint chocolate notes are definitely present.

I do like this a lot!

Prost!

Spalter Edel-Export Dunkel

Spalter Edel-Export Dunkel
0,5l
5,5%

You might remember my start of a series about the brews of one of Germanies last communally owned city brewery in Spalt. I have another baby from this charming small brewery, a dark Export.
For those of you not familiar with that beer: Here is a small article about it.

Anyways I do like dark roasted beers and I like the beer from Spalt so I hope that this might be nice. I apologize for the darkish pictures but it is already 11 PM.

It has a standard Spalt label, mainly red and blue, showing what I guess is the city of Spalt and in front of it the apparently well known hops that they grow there.

Simple beer so simple glass. Nothing fancy like a tasting glass for something down t earth like this brew.

Though the picture might make it appear reddish, it is more of a light hazelnut color. Nut as red brown or dark brown like the dark beers I am used to, also filtered and very clear. I can easily look through, which speaks for itself when it comes to the color. A nice big bubbled caramel colored head, dissipating mediocre fast.

The aroma is almost meaty. I have had his before on some brews, it reminds me of fresh raw meat... no idea why. There are faint roast aromas and the carbonation tickles my nose, which speaks for a certain tartness. Somehow the images I get are a classical German pub with a lot of smoke in the air.

Ratebeer doesn't seem to be too convinced and rates it lower than its lighter sister the Export Hell.

The carbonation is strong in the beginning and stings a bit. The first facets of the brew that strike me is a side taste of non alcoholic malt beer that is common in Germany... a bit like Finnish koti olut.
The second aspect is the rich roast aroma which sadly dissipates fast and leaves an unsatisfied feeling. The alcohol is definitely there and as you know I really don't like it when I can taste it. It's missing more umami. While it serves a nice bitter dark it is not very fulfilling in other categories. The aftertaste is there on the back of te palate but all in all this is rather mediocre.

Prost!

DMW

Ichtegem's Grand Cru

Ichtegem's Grand Cru
330ml
6,5%

The more expensive brother of yesterdays Oud Bruin, this Flemish Red Ale has been matured in oak barrels and has one label more than the red capped brother from yesterday. The label is more or less the same and as already mentioned, the cap this time is white not red. I was thinking of saving this baby but it has been in the fridge for over 24 hours and I truly can't be arsed to wait for another one to get cold so this one it is.. also it fits as I had the brother yesterday.

The color is lighter than yesterday though the pictures don't show that very well. The foam again is light caramel and dissipates very fast though I did my very best to conjure up a nice head.

Ratebeer also has a very high rating for this, more than double than the smaller brother from yesterday.

The aroma at least is a lot better than yesterday. I can detect spices, the wood tones from the oak barrel and a fine tartness. It reminds me of Glögi or Glühwein with cloves and cinnamon. Complex aroma indeed. that makes me wanna drink this now!

This is awesome. It takes yesterdays aroma but tops it. It starts sweet only to warp into tartness and end with wine like aftertaste and decent bitterness.

I have said this before but this definitely is one of the best brews I have had the last few years. The aftertaste is complex with delicate bitterness and very fine yeast tones, coupled with the fruity tartness of gooseberries topped with warm spices.

Absolutely worth trying!

I dedicate this post to Turo! Great work running the Amsterdam Marathon!

Prost!

DMW

Ichtegem's Oude Bruin

Ichtegem's Oude Bruin
250ml
5,5%

So my little brother who happens to be 12 years older than me went to atrip to Belgium and brought back some babies for me. I cut back my beer drinking so my posts might be less in their intervals.
The task I gave my brother was to bring some Oude Bruin which is a sort of beer I learned to like a long while ago in Dutchieland.


So Ichtegem's isn't rated too high on Ratebeer but then again I haven't tasted one in ages so I prolly wouldn't recognize a good one if it hit me in the face.
As the weather is getting bad it is also time to take the pictures inside .. Winter is coming!

The small bottle is really simple in design. A small plain bottle with one simple label and a red cap. Nothing special so far but I don't drink the label but the beer so...

So seriously as a first impression this smells vile... like strong liquor or sherry, sweet, heavy and very sour... I might even guess that this yeast has gone bad but we shall see. I do like sour/tart beer so it might be a challenge. There is a cork smell mixed with a sour something...

Thew brew is very dark black with mediocre caramel colored foam that was hard to conjure up and dissipated even faster.

The taste is reaaaally nice (though my mum just said that it tastes like vinegar..) I find a complex mixture of sweet and sour with a fine bitter end note. It is very nice and fruity with many sub tones. Fresh sweet cherries mixed with very faint wood tones that leave a nutty feeling on the tongue. The bitter side notes fill  the whole mouth and palate in the after taste.

This was a true surprise, especially as the aroma is truly not very appealing.

Prost!

DMW

Schwaben Bräu Das Echte Märzen

Schwaben Bräu Das Echte Märzen
0,5l
5,7%

Yet another beauty gotten for me by my brother. I am currently doing a full time internship which is rather taxing on me so my updates might come a tad bit rarer than usual. Now Märzen usually means a stronger baby and indeed 5,7%. They tend to be on the sweet side but I'll wait and be surprised. The bottle is one of the fun ones that do not need an opener. The labels are classic and rather easy, the color is disputable ... yellow brown isn't to everyone's liking but it does work with this bottle -  at least for me.

I do like the clear, very golden color, though it isn't red at all... well there are very faint red hues but...
Bit sad about the foam which dissipated as fast as it rose but hey, you can't have it all, right.

The aroma is very heavy, spicy. I do like the musky tones that have very faint IPA aromas in it. It holds metallic aspects but it blends in nicely with the heavy spicy parts.

Ratbeer sees it in the mediocre range. We shall see what DirkRatesBeer decides ,).

I like the carbonation, the taste though is something I have to get used to. It starts sweet pepperish with an awkward metallic palate after and side taste. The overall feel and vibe I get from this brew isn't too awesome. It's a definite different experience but the side taste experiences, the mouth feel and the after taste just can't make this a grand thing for me. Still it's awesome that micro brews are keeping the pressure up so yay.

Prost!

DMW

Grozet Gooseberry Wheat

Grozet Gooseberry Wheat Fraoch, A
Historic Ales from Scotland
Heather Ale Ltd - Williams Bros.
0,33l
5%

Now some of you might remember that some year(s) ago I had a series of 4 titled Historic Ales from Scotland. The package holds 4 of a series of 5, depending on the time of year. The covered beers are Fraoch, Ebulum, Alba, Kelpie and Grozet. Now the alst 4 pack didn't cover Grozet and when I stumbled over the 4 pack of Historic Ales again I thought hey let's see and this one had it.. so as I liked the other brews in itI bought another 4 pack only to get my hands on Grozet. I am a huge Gooseberry fan though not a huge wheat fan but I simply had to see how this turned out. Ratebeer didn't seem to like it but like always I didn't read the comments so I wouldn't get biased in my own article about it.
Apparently nowadays there are two versions of the label.. a more modern one and the one I got. I like the old style look of it, the brown label explains that a nearby school designed it and it depicts a spiral with a cross in it. I'm a huge fan of the almost medieval looking labels in the series and am a tad bit sad that they appear to have introduced new shinier ones... but hey.. what can one do.

The documentation and the ingredient list states that it is fermented with bog myrtle and meadowsweet then secondary fermented with gooseberries.

This again called for the certified beer tasting glass so that it was...

It pours easily, slightly orange gold in color and slightly cloudy as well with very little sediment. A small head of fine and big bubbles is present,

The aroma is very fresh and fruity, reminding me of an IPA without the hops. I imagine to smell the gooseberries but that can, of course, be only my imagination. There is a tart tone present and it makes my mouth water indeed.

Now I do have high expectations simply because I remember the other members of the series so fondly.

It is sweeter than I imagined at the first taste but then gets added bitter tones only to change to the fruitiness of the gooseberries which balance it nicely between sweet and sour. The carbonation is nice and the whole brew is very light and refreshing with an ample amount of different taste aspects. Alas, it is missing the certain something. It's like a pyramid without the top, like the Sphinx without its nose. I definitely love the gooseberries but with all the great taste aspects that are present none can decide to be the dominating one and that is the problem of this beer. It is tart, it is bitter, it is fruity and mellow, alas it is all of this at once and thus ends being too well balanced.

In any case though an excellent brew to try!

Prost!

DMW

Spalter Zwickl

Spalter III
Spalter Zwickl
0,5l
4,9%

Ahhhh a Zwickel, a Kellerbier.... my grand lover. Sadly tis bottle seems to have misplaced its label.. a sure sign that I bought it in the brewery directly, alas a sorry picture but it cannot be helped.
As this is part of a series, turn for the first entry for further brewery information of this amazing city owned brewery.

A brown bottle, just like I expect ot for beer.. as mentioned I can't say much about the label as it is lost somewhere but yeah.. the back label shows a retro poster saying (in old German writing called Sütterlin: Our dads only drink Spalter Beer).

My apologies for the less than optimal pictures, alas I was attacked by a vicious wasp (yellow jacket? I never got the difference...) who also seemed to like my brew... It won and I retreated.
It pours easy middle gold yellow with slight red hues. It is unfiltered which is always a plus. A nice head of uniform mediocre bubble foam makes it truly nice to behold. The head stays nicely and doesn't dissipate fast. That's how I like me beer.

As you might have noticed I'm usually staying with the tasting glasses I bought for almost all brews, as I find them indeed to be the about perfect glasses to get the most out of my beer.

The aroma is mild and not super pleasant I must admit. It reminds me of raw meat somehow. Slight yeast tones but most of it is overshadowed by that smell that I would identify as raw meat.. and as I am a vegetarian... maybe slight floral tones but ever since I started thinking of this as meat I can't smell anything else. Oh woe is my brain.

Good carbonation. Bitter umami starting taste, first getting more bitter in the aftertaste but then opening up to nice facets of yeast and spices mixed with hop flowers. It does hold a lot of aroma on different scales, alas it doesn't fully convince me. It's too watery in the end and I am missing the true WOW effect. It's a decent beer with good craftsmanship.
Ratebeer holds it higher than I do it seems. To each their own.

Prost!

DMW

Buckweat Beer without gluten - Spalter Buchweizen

Spalter II
Buchweizen
0,33l
2,5%

Now this..... I have been warned of this brew..actually by the dude who sold me the beer in the brewery (see last post for more about Spalt and their brewery).
I think I can't repeat his words but let's say they were R-Rated.
They made this brew to have a gluten free beer which is a very worthy cause I'd say. What they did is using Buckwheat-malt instead of Wheat-malt for the brewing itself. I somehow always have had a wonder some relationship with buckwheat since I was a kid and always wondered what tasty dishes one could make out of it. I am, however, not sure why that is. Maybe because my Nanny (RIP Love you Lisa) experienced WW2 and had to make food out of what was left. I dunno really. Buuuut anyways so yes, brewed with buckwheat and thus gluten free... It comes in a clear glass bottle which is a bad decision, as the brew itself looks.... vile.... unfiltered apple juice  mixed with a bad urine sample is the best I could describe its texture and color with. The label is trendy and in, black and golden, also depicting the buckwheat plant itself, respectively its flowers.

A beer lives from taste and not from the looks I guess and hell I have had weird Sahti that looked worse so let's keep it coming!

It pours very milky as if there is a lot of sediment/ yeast/ I dunno what in it and produced a lot of foam when I opened the bottle but then dissipated fast. The head itself is of a dirty cream color - again not really appeasing me but hey. I'm a bit sad that this only has 2,5% but I guess it is a product for a special market and thus it is a great idea.

The aroma actually isn't bad. Very tart, a bit like bread dough that's just expanding. Spicy and faint herbal tones are also recognizable mixed with a yummy yeast tone that was to be expected. Obviously I imagine smelling buckwheat though I have no idea what buckwheat smells like so maybe disregard that idea...:P

I must say that he color is still putting me off... it looks as if I'm about to slurp some dirt water or ... even worse..

Tastewise this is interesting. I do like the buckwheat  as it adds a fruity new addition to the well known beer taste. The yeast isn't bad either. It starts very mild almost lactic mild, starts to develop a slightly medicinal, herbal fruit taste which then doesn't fully develops but ends with a ping of bitterness.

Now the taste isn't as bad as I was told. I actually would prefer this over a lot of wheat made beers that I loathed. It's a nicely crafted beer with a new addition to taste. I prolly wouldn't buy a case of it but it was really worth trying. I am happy that people with celiac can now also enjoy a beer.

While writing this Ratebeer doesn't have a rating out for it... maybe check it out whenever youa re here dear reader.



Thumbs up!

Prost!
DMW

Spalter Premium Pils Nr.1

Spalter I
Spalter Premium Pils Nr.1
0,33l
4,9%



So on my trip around the area in Germany /?the world? with the highest density of breweries I ventured into Spalt this town holds one of Germanies last City-Breweries, meaning that the breweryis actually owned by the city. Every inhabitant of the city is part owner and the CEO of it is the current mayor of the city. I drove right into the brewery and one of the dudes there helped me get one of each of their beers they had available that day. So I know that this will be a new series. I am not sure whether you dear readers actually LIKE the series I do or whether you would prefer eclectic single beerses. Maybe let me know? I live from feedback and so far I have exactly gotten.... zero messages to any of my posts. :)

I kick off the series with their Pilsener. The brewer guy told me that that's what the kids like to drink... whatever that meant.
They advertise their beers as made with the well known Spalt aroma hops and indeed there were HUGE fields full of hops around the city when I drove there.

The little bottle is standard green and has 3 labels. The color persisting is green, silver and white, with the name Spalter and the number 1 printed in golden. Now Ratebeer is pretty much in the middle with this.
I usually stopped drinking the normal Pilsners simply because they are too bland but let's see.

It seems to be a bit lighter than the usual yellow/gold of Pils and forms a really nice uniform foam head with small white bubbles. As I said I don't expect too much...

The aroma is fresh and slightly yeasty. There are pepper and nutmeg tones coupled with faint floral subtones. It's a nice smell I must say.

This is sweeter than I thought coupled with peppery bitterness and truly a nice Pils. I really do like this. It has a nice full mouth feeling that is slightly umami but also very bitter for a Pils. I can get the peppery hops mixed with rather mellow malt. Now there is one slighty weird side taste that I can't identify but that's absolutely not ruining it just giving it a bit more zest. I do like the way this plays with all taste sensations. Now it could possibly be a tad bit less bitter but that's OK. One of the better if not the best Pils I have had in a long, long while!

Me likey!

Prost!
DMW

Sharp's Doom Bar

Sharp's Doom Bar
0,5l
4,3%

So I brought this from London must be good right? The fact that I did buy it at a TESCO EXPRESS where I had to battle with their self check out line till some security guard saved me might not speak for it. Now see, I have NO idea whether this is off the shelf crap or actually a good beer... The bottle is clear which is unusual for a beer as far as I know and the label is some kind of plastic that has translucent parts and otherwise sprouts the blue- white- gold writing. Says it is named after a sandbank... doesn't really speak pro taste now does it. :)
It's amber colored and no shit it is called an Amber Ale.
It's a sheer coincidence I actually took this back home, simply as I didn't drink it while I was in the UK.
As I don't expect much we shall see... It is unfiltered and produces fine foam when forced to.... but doesn't like to give much foam really.

It smells very genuinely Pilsner-y and I don't like the aroma. Very copper, very dry, subtle floral sub tones.... nothing special there either.

Tastewise it is not unpleasant. It reminds me a bit of Kilkenny I guess. It has subtle bitterness that lingers in the aftertaste and isn't as boring as a genuine Pilsner. though it is close taste wise.  Copper/Iron aftertaste mixed with faint pepper.
Now I see where they are coming from but I fear they wanted to cater to the masses and thus made it as genuine as possible. In any case a nice memory for Worldcon!
Now Ratebeer follows my below mediocre rating and gives it a 33. At least sometimes Ratebeer and I are of the same opinion.

Prost!

DMW

Black Isle Organic Hibernator Oatmeal Stout

Black Isle Organic Hibernator Oatmeal Stout
0,33l
7%

Part 2 of the Black Isles I had. Another beer my beloved brother brought me.
Now I have had this one on tap in various Finnish Pubs and I liked it, alas I hadn't written about it, which will change today.
Just like the last of their labels had a yellow/orange filled thistle, this one goes with a jeans blue one and also has the name of the brew in the same color. Otherwise the labels are more or less identical.
I DO appreciate that both have the seal of approval by the vegetarians society. I have been jealous of this habit in the UK for years and I can't see it happening here yet, alas I am extra thankful for it now.
With 7% this promises to be a stronger experience but I am up for it.
Also they state that the brew is organic and that the label is made out of recycled material. A nice touch I like.
Ratebeer gives it a solid 94 but like usually I didn't read what is written there so I do not spoil my own impressions.

It pours a bit oily and it took me some attempts to actually get it to produce any foam. I got a nice fine one which dissipated rather fast again sadly.. but I am used to Scandinavian bartenders to scoop away the head anyways. Sigh. The beer itself is very dark, possibly the most black I have seen in beers, the foam is of hazelnut color. But yeah seriously black is the only color I can describe the brew with.

The aroma is nice, dark malt, slight burnt aroma in it, fresh bread, dark fruits slightly fermented with definitely the slightly roasted/ burnt malt persisting. Slight hints of espresso/ freshly ground coffee.

It is very sweet for a second till the bitterness fully hits. It is mixed with coffee and dark chocolate tones but the full warm bitterness is absolutely awesome. I like how this plays with sweetness and bitterness a lot and I do remember when I drank this from tap... fun how tastes can evoke memories.
In any case, it is really, really nice if you like your brews bitter. If not... go and get a Kriek. :)

Prost!

DMW

Black Isle Organic Goldeneye Pale Ale

Black Isle Organic Goldeneye Pale Ale
0,33l
5,6%

So I returned from London and Worldcon. The Beerses were great though not super great. I did have 1 that was amazing though. Then my brother brought me two beers and I glanced at them and said ah I know em. He was sad. Then I looked at hem again and realized I didn't. I had seen the logo and figured it to be twisted thistle but nah. So tonight I give you an Goldeneye Pale Ale. The Black Isle Brewing label seem to be the same on their specialties with varying color dots in the middle of the iconic thistle. I always loved that design though admittedly I thought it was a different brewery.

The easy pour is darker and browner than I would have expected. Red, hazelnut brown gold with a nice mediocre head consisting of mix sized bubbles.

The aroma is very IPAish, the hops have a strong aroma mixed with very faint yummie vinegar notes (not in any bad way). Sweet flowery notes are there coupled with hints of dried red fruit.

By now most of the head has dissipated (sniff) and I can taste.

Dried red fruits, caramel, hops. Soft bitterness in the aftertaste. Faint chocolate tones. All in all not as powerful as expected but definitely a great drink. Faint dark chocolate notes. Only minus point I can find is that the alcohol is taste-able in the aftertaste and I'm not a fan of this.
Ratebeer is seeing this as I do. Definitely in the upper quarter of beers.

Thank you Frank!


Prost!
DMW

Köstritzer Pale Ale

Köstritzer Pale Ale
0,5l
6,4%

I'm amazed... somehow Germany is suddenly exploring new beers... there is hope after all.
Thanks to my friend Robby who brought me this baby.
They advertise with the hops they use which are: Citra, Delta, Hallertau Blanc, Galaxy and Calypso and say that their brewers have long studied English Ale to come up with their own version of it. The brewery is mainly known for their black beer .... it even is almost a synonym for black beer. So I am wondering whether they actually managed to do what they advertise.
I am sickish so I will not give you the pleasure of a full huge super duper article but I did promise Robby that I will write about this and I shall. The bottle is not a standard beer bottle but branded Köstritzer.. I'm not the hugest fan of this trend as it means recycling is more difficult.

The label is part black and part red golden advertising a dry citrus note... we shall see. The slight caramel colored foam is dissipating not as fast as I had thought it would. The brew itself is of red golden, copper color and slightly cloudy - a good sign as I hate em filtered.

The aroma now is very strong and appetizing Nice hoppish Ale tones mixed with tart and sweet grapefruit and freshly pressed fruit juices. Sweet Grapefruit is what comes to mind, mixed with a hint of chocolate. By now the foam is gone with the wind and we can go on to the actual tasting. *drool*

Now this is very nicely bitter but not in a bad way. The bitterness is sweet and filling the whole mouth and developing the bitter tones once they get in contact with more oxygen. I can taste the alcohol lingering behind the bitter tones which stay long and are full bodied. The aftertaste is bitter and fresh at once. I do  like my IPA and this is maybe the best one I have had which was made in Germany. A true gem! I hope that they will continue making this!

P.S.: 82 from Ratebeer

Prost!

DMW

Fuller's 2011 Vintage Ale

Fuller's 2011 Vintage Ale
0,5l
8,5%


So I was quite surprised when I stumbled over a batch of this in a supermarket close to my working place. Especially as it was the 2011. I once had one of these in my back then neighborhood bar in Helsinki / Ruskeasuo and I remember that I loved it, absolutely loved it and thought that this was the bestestestest thing made between earth and sky and wanted more... when I returned the next day they were out... I checked all Alkos in Helsinki and no one had any left. When back in Germany I tried to get it and found the 2012 version which I thought must be awesome too.... I tried it and I didn't like it at all... So as it is my mums Birthday tomorrow and I wanted to save this for a special day ... this is it. A 2011 Fullers Vintage Ale.... If this is gonna be bad this time I blame the atmosphere in the pub back then. (And the fact that the new bartender didn't know crap and sold it to me for the price of a normal Fullers.... MUAHAHAH)

It comes in a nice carton with a little leaflet etc.. but see the extensive pictures for that.
Apparently there are only 150000 bottles made and the bottles are numbered. Oh Myyyy.

Also the description says to pour carefully because of the sediment... now I again don't know whether that means one should drink it without the yeast mixed in but those of you who know me,know that I usually mix and I shall do the same here. I will use the super expensive tasting glass thingy for it to indulge me even further.

The number of my bottle is 015710 a grand number for a grand beer?

It pours with little yellow creamy foam with fine pores that dissipates very fast.
It is of dark red/light brown reddish color which shows its true hue under some light.

The aroma is very sweet and of berry marmelade with tones of citrus and wood or barbecue. Very piquant, full of zest and teasing the nose.

The carbonation is perfect and this is indeed as awesome as I remember it. It starts off very sweetish and changes into slight bitterness as it rolls of the tongue, leaving wooden bitter tones on the palate. It's like a great sherry but better. You can guess that this has 8,5% but it isn't shoving it into your face like other beers do. The aftertaste consists of dark berries and marmelade mixed with soft tones of dark chocolate and nutmeg.

Ratebeer agrees!

Prost!

DMW

Gössweinsteiner Wallfahrtsbier

Gössweinsteiner Wallfahrtsbier
0,5l
5,3%

Another baby I brought from the area with the most breweries in Germany. And hell I need something cool right now as it is still so frakking hot.
I actually bought this beer in a small church shop next to a basilica (link in German only).
It is brewed for them by Held-Bräu for the pilgrims there as it is a pilgrimage site.
It looks like a genuine Pilsner but the label doesn't state anything. The label depicts a scene from the church, showing the holy trinity. A rather simplistic label but hey, it's catholic.

As I had another beer earlier I chose to stick to the same glass and not grab a new tasting glass.

The smell isn't very appetizing to be honest. There is something bitter and foul in it, mixed with a very faint maltyness

 I'd almost say it smells rotten but well yeah...I am at a loss of word's really... the closest idea I have is eggnog but that can't really be...
It pours with little head which is mainly fine pored and dissipates rather fast. It's a bit brown gold with very faint red hues.

Ratebeer doesn't have a score of it so far... which might be a good or a bad thing.
Cabonation is perfect and even the taste is good it is a bit metallic with nutty side tones and a faint strange aftertaste. Still it is a very umami taste though I should have let it chill even more.The bitterness prevails in the aftertaste and is not very noticeable during the actual drink which makes it a very interesting taste experience. I do like this brew though the smell was nothing I need again but yeah I can see myself easily quaffing a couple of those in a nice beer-tent.

Thumbs up!

Prost!

DMW

Weissbierprobe 5 Meine Hopfenweisse Tap 5

Weissbierprobe 5 Meine Hopfenweisse Tap 5
0,5l
8,2%

So I finally can end the Weissbierprobe with this baby which had been waiting for me in the fridge for a while. I also returned from a journey into the area with the most breweries in the world and got a few impressions and material from there... good things to come.

So this brew is advertised as being their strongest hopped one, which is why they say one should drink it at the end of the series.. well I do what I am told.. almost.

To be honest I am not entirely sure what the label depicts. It looks like a tumbleweed? In any case they promise this to be atypical with the aroma etc etc yada yada... we shall see.

Color here is between a light and a dark yeast beer with very little foam. I was seriously surprised about how little head I could produce with this. The foam is mainly big pored and light cream colored. The little head there is is lingering for long.

Ratebeer has this with a whopping 99 so I am expecting something here... The aroma is very sweet and hops heavy. Fresh fruits, apricot and plum, light chocolate tones. This must be one of the best smelling beers I know. :) The aroma is surprisingly rich and a pleasure to test. Rich spices and floral subtones. Om nom nom.

I also just read that this holds 8,2% alcohol so I'd prolly rate it a Weizenbock but what do I know.

The carbonation is great, sadly the taste doesn't hold what the aroma promised. It is alcoholy and slightly bitter, mixed with strange medicinal tones that almost sting my mouth. The aftertaste is alcohol and spices.

The bitter-sweetness is not really my case and though I can see a grand idea behind this composition I am not a fan of it. Sniff.

Prost!

DMW

Asia Days: Tsingtao

Tsingtao
330ml
4,7%



Second day of my 2 Asia Days. Today the brew from Chinas second alrgest brewery, originally found in 1903 by German settlers.. yes we are everywhere. Some fun facts from Wikipedia about the brewery here.
I think that the Ratebeer entry must be even worse than the one from yesterday... but oh the things I do for you readers in this wild wide world.

In contrast to the brew yesterday, this also was made out if rice so it wouldn't pass the purity law. It pours with almost no foam and is of a yellow gold filtered color.

The aroma is bitter and not super pleasant. I can find traces of apple in it and it reminds me more of cider than of beer when it comes to the smell. Rather weird indeed. Also some soapy elements in it. Not much like beer, no.

Decent carbonation, maybe a bit too much. It's relatively bitter but not unpleasantly so. The bitterness persists in the aftertaste as well, though not as intense as from eg. an IPA.

It is a tad bit watery, though definitely better than the brew from yesterday. I would actually say that this is a decent thirst quencher when it is hot outside. It is nothing super duper extraordinaire, alas I also don't find anything bad with it so it's a nice generic drinkable beer.


Prost!

DMW

Asia Days: Chang

Chang
Cosmos Brewery Thailand
330ml
5%

Sorry dear yeastie fans but I'm not really in the yeastie mood atm so we will have to wait a few days for the final part of the Weissbierprobe. Instead I am having this Thai beer to sample today. As I get that it is a common product there I am not sure what to expect but hey, that's what this blog is for, right. So yes, Chang beer produced by Cosmos Brewery in Ayutthaya Thailand.

The label shows two decorative elephants under a palm (?) tree on a green golden background with white letters naming it CHANG. (yay?)

It took all my skills to even conjure up a little foam on this and the fine, white pores are dissipating very fast.

http://www.changbeer.com/ is the breweries page and Ratebeer  gives tem a whopping 4 ... which seems to be the lowest I have ever seen in a beer so far...

Untappd seems to value it a bit higher but then again that is a page to mainly just check in beer and if someone is on vacation, drinking it in Thailand I guess their mood is generally forgiving.

Anyways, the aroma is very faint and yeasty, not as bitter as I expected but nothing extraordinaire either. There is a tangy side aroma that I can't fully place, nor am I sure whether I like it or find it unpleasant. Faint grass tones are also present.

The carbonation is good but the beer isn't really. It's weirdly sweetish with rather strange alcoholic side tones that linger as aftertaste. According to the ingredients this is even brewed in accordance to the purity law which surprises me a lot as otherwise I would have had an explanation for the taste. Slight metallic tones are there, coupled with a maltyness that isn't entirely unpleasant. Still the aftertaste is putting me off and I don't give this baby too many of the stars I usually might.

Prost!

DMW