Marc's Chocolate Bock

Marc's Chocolate Bock
Brauerei Gebr. Maisel Bayreuth (Link in German)
750 ml 7,5%

This family run brewery which is currently operating in the fourth generation (They are mainly known for their Weissbier Maisel's Weisse) recently started producing a line of high quality craft beers aimed at people like me.... the 750ml bottle costs around 5€ which is an OK price for me, but when you consider that you can get a 500ml can for cheaper than a Euro in any supermarket in Germany, it does put things into perspective.

This is a short interlude to the Dr. H. series as this was brought to me by my brother who already gave me an Indian Pale Ale from the same series, alas I was lazy and didn't blog about it.

The nice bottle looks well worth the money. It has a normal cap and not a cork like the bigger Belgium ones which miiight make it look a tad bit less worthy but seriously I don't care that much about it. The 2 part labels are classic and a bit minimalistic with the rear one offering taste descriptions. (Which I tend to evade as I'll auto-magically start tasting what I read...) It also shows the printed signature of whoever in an attempt to make it look more ... I dunno what. :P.

With the 7,5% of it and the effect the small Chimay had on me a few days back I expect to end having a nap later on :P. I do like my Chocolate Stouts so I'm looking forward to this Chocolate Bock.

I chose a 0,4 l Pils 'Tulip' glass for this, simply as I have no idea what glass would be fitting for it.
Likewise I was unsure what a good temperature would be for it... so I had it first in the fridge at around 8 C and then put it outside for 30 min at 1C... I chilled the glass as well as I realized that the same beer often has more than one taste sensations when tried in different temps.

It pours very oily and the very light caramel colored head is very fine and also very long lasting.
Fine bubbles from below fuel it and I wonder how the carbonation shall be. I noticed a nice warm smell already while pouring though now that the foam is covering it, the olfactory sensation isn't the strongest. I catch distant tones of dark chocolate, roasted malts and very faint hints of berries. A soft sweetness that reminds me of slightly burned caramel.

As the head still hasn't faded I'll enjoy a little beard in addition to my Movember one..

Dark chocolate and cacao are also what sticks out taste wise. The carbonation is good, maybe a bit too strong for me but that might also stem from the fact that I just smoked a pipe.
The taste is very full and rich and lingers on the tongue for quite a while, in which softer nuances mix into it like the burned caramel I mentioned before.

As in with the Chimay I can't taste the alcohol which always is a good thing, though I can feel a warmth in my tummy that must stem from either the percentage or the chocolaty goodness.

One of the best Chocolate themed beers I have had. It stays beer without aiming to be liquid chocolate... something other Chocolate beers fail.

I must say I am a big fan of the craft line Maisel is producing!

RateBeer seems to like it too.

The brewers themself say the following: http://www.maiselandfriends.com/en


Thanks to my brother for carrying the bottle to me.

Prost!

DMW

Chimay Bleue

Chimay Bleue
Bières de Chimay
0,33l   9%

Part 3 in the Dr.H series and the last of the smaller bottles before I hit the biiiig babies.
I'm really looking forward to this because it is basically leading Rate Beer with a straight 100.

I remember that I have had that beer before and that I did share the high rating but it was before my writing times. Maybe this is a great off-work beer as I just got home. I love Trappist Beers and have had most of them ... Argh it's one of these days when i just wanna drink and not write that much. I did chose my Westmalle Trappist Glass for this beauty.
As all trappists this is top-fermented and bottle conditioned. The blue Chimay is the strongest in the Chimay series and if my typing slurs at the end.. well you know why :).

The label is classical just showing the Chimay letters and blue color that identify it as the strong version of the series. It's a small bottle with the name of the abbey on it.
Some pages say that the yeast in trappists should be mixed in later but I usually just mix it in from the beginning on. According to the label the surplus money the monks make with the beer is put to charity.. drinking with a great conscience YAY.
I made a bit of a mistake when pouring so the head ended more like a cappuccino....
The head is full, caramel colored and lasts relative long. The bubbles are bigger than I usually see em. 
Color wise this is dark red like coke held in front of a light bulb but cloudy. The yeast can be seen.

It smells like a very rich bread, the yeast is noticeably there, which isn't a bad thing. There are very slight tones of lemon peel and pepper present.

It starts with a tickle, a fruity rich sensation on the tip of the tongue that then explodes throughout the mouth. Once oxygen is let into the mouth, a rich bitterness mixes with the combination. Carbonation is perfect and there are new aspects with every sip. It starts with nice fruit tones and ends with peppery coffee taste. The alcohol is not noticeable at all, it doesn't linger nor is it overly detectable.

I know why I liked it back then, I know why this leads rate beer and I need to keep in mind to get this more often. Again thanks Dr. H!

Prost!

DMW

Rodenbach

Rodenbach
Palm Brewery
250ml
5,2%

Day two of the Dr.H. series. After yesterdays iron, sugar, color beer we continue with a Flanders Red Ale and I am _really_ looking forward to this. 

The classic red label which appeals to me nicely, just because it is very simple, states that this was matured in oak casks and a mixture of 3/4 young beer and 1/4 2 year matured beer.
Wikipedia has something more to say about this kind of beer and details on how it is fermented with different organisms than your around the corner waterhole beer.
Ratebeer also knows something about it and it has been described as lambic without fruit. As I am known to drink even Berliner Weisse without the syrup because I like the crisp tartness of it I am very interested. Already sad that this comes in a 250ml bottle... partly as I'm not sure what glass to use and partly because well it's just half a pint and I'm a big boy :P. Alas, the next 2 parts of the Dr.H. Series will feature da big bottles so my liver can enjoy the holiday.... for now.

As I already mentioned I do like the label. It's a bit retro but very clear with a high recognition value.

As I still had the glass from yesterday around (freshly washed of course) I shall use this one, after I left it outside for a while to get nice and cool.

It pours a nice red almost like watered down Coke a nice red-brown. The head was difficult to produce and dissipated rather fast, leaving a very thin brownish foam layer.
It looks strongly carbonated but that we shall find out when tasting.

I can definitely smell the oak barrel in it, a muskiness I know from when I used to visit our vintner. Slight iron tones and a strong plum tone are persisting.

The label states added sugar which usually makes my alarm bells ring but I guess those nasty bacteria friends need something to eat too.. Soooooo let's drink friends!

Now the taste is something really special. It's sour with a distinct plum tone though that's only the first sip. It also has sweet tones in it which are cleverly hidden and can be found dancing on the tip of ones tongue. The carbonation is just perfect and it's a perfect harmony between sugar, tartness, fruit and spice. Maybe a tad bit on the tart side. The taste changes with the amount of oxygen allowed in the mouth and every sip allows new explorations. The oak barrels can be very softly found on the back of my palate but is not very strong and makes an overall perfect piece.

I truly like this one! Uncle Dirk gives his approval! Thank you Dr.H. - a lot!

Prost!
DMW

Diekirch Grand Cru

And then there was real life... and conventions and laziness and I dunno... less beer.. but now the days are getting shorter, the coldness is creeping into my bones and I had Dr. Henry A friend of mine present me with a bag full of beery goodness to write about. Give Beer, will write about... that's a great slogan.... if anyone wants to donate something....

But ähm yeah.. after I got to introduce Dr. H. to some Finnish beerses he decided I need to get to know some other stuff so here we are the Dr. H series!

Kicking it off today is the

Diekirch Grand Cru
330 ml
5,1%

I instantly disliked the color... it's a dirty brownish and a glance at the ingredients indeed show that they use a color in their beer.. something I am a tad bit sceptical about.. why does a beer need a dye to make it appealing. Anyways besides the happy addition of E150c the head is nice and it comes with a fine cream colored foam which is stronger on the outside and less persisting towards the middle of the glass. I chose a classical Kellerbier glas for it... mainly because it came in a 330ml bottle and I don't own too many of those.

It's not having a very strong smell, really just very fine and hidden fruity notes, mixed with the presence of yeast. Some cinnamon and wintery spices maybe... but as I said.. it's so decent that I might imagine those.

Now for the taste...

It's crisp, bitter but also has some sweet tones... sadly as the ingredients show the sweetness comes from added Invert Sugar which lingers over the good beery taste. It's not bad though. The slight taste of Iron forms a nice combo with the existing bitterness. It ends with a fresh, crisp aftertaste.

I like it, but as I already mentioned I'm not sure why it needs sugar and colorant.
A nice start for the Dr.H. Series!

Prost!

Faust Jahrgangsbock 2008

 Faust Jahrgangsbock 2008

0,75l 7%
Bottle 343 of 742
www.ratebeer.com/beer/faust-jahrgangsbock/162350/

Apologies again, dearest readers. Life is a bitch and then you die.. and thus work and life has kept me from beer. BUT, good things come to those who wait. So today I am trying a very rare speciality which I got from my esteemed coworker Felix... as he got a promotion (and I didn't but that's a story that has to be told at another time..:) )

I am not sure with whom Felix had to sleep to get this bottle but I am sure happy as hell he did and then gave it to me.

The baby in question is a numbered 2008 Faust Jahrgangsbock and holds the number 343 of 732 filled bottles. It comes in a nice bottle including a little booklet that explains that they brew this baby at Juhannus... the Summer Solstice each year, with a lot of dark malts and a bit of hops (Hallertauer Perle is the one they use).
This might be the highlight of my Faust series... though I hope that Felix can keep those babies coming each year for which I'd be eternally grateful to him... :P


In any case, the local waterhole keep told me that he tried last years Jahrgangsbock and liked it a lot so my expectations are pweeeeeettty high as I love everything coming with a Faust label...

So Felix, this one's for you!

Though I usually take pics with the malty goodness in a glas, I decided for my Stein today. Though It doesn't show the color, I figured that something more rustic is fitting for this potion of the Gods... The Stein used to sit in Leppävaaras William K. for me whenever I came there while I was still living in Lepuski and I bought it from the beer brewing Franciscan friars in  Kloster Kreuzberg.


The red, amber liquid pours nicely with decent light cream colored foam that stays happily even after in my Stein and waits for me.

The olfactory pleasing tonic smells of cognac, coffee, toffee and slight chocolate tones. Some dark fruity aromas are also present, altogether producing a very fine, tart-sweet combo. The Marzipan smell mixes with faint citrus.

Carbonation-wise this could use a bit more sparkle in my opinion as it is a tad too stale for me.
Tastewise, however, it makes up for it by far. The dark fruity sweetness is present and fills ones mouth nicely with bitter sweet aromas. The sweetness is way more present in the beginning and wains to bitter malty tones in the aftertaste. One doesn't really taste the 7% which is a good thing, also it misses the uber sweet tones that some Bockbeers have (which also is a good thing).

A true rare gem.

DMW

POMP seductive blanc

POMP seductive blanc 
0,75l 10%

My Boss surprised me with a not beery but grapey - appley beauty.
This Sparkling wine is made out of 80% Sparkling wine out of Riesling wine from the Rheingau -  The Rhine District. It is topped of with 20% cider made out of Reinette apples out of ecological growth. I do like my dry wine but I have to admit that sparkling wine is something I usually just drink at parties or family celebrations so this will be a novelty for me. I have been looking forward to this ever since I got it. Though the drink itself is clear, the bottle seems almost black and looks very luxurious / high class. I like both, Riesling and the local variety of cider, Apfelwein so this might be totally along my road, BUT don't count your chicken till they are hatched so time to tackle a new thing and try this baby. As a sworn in beer connoisseur, I sadly don't have designated champagne flutes so I improvised with my party wine glasses...
Pouring without foam, this fine liquid of a pale golden color, has a very fine, delicate, fruity smell. The apple parts seem to be so fine blended in it that you can guess the smell if you know it but it isn't very strong. The tart smell of champagne mixes with very fine yeast notes.

Taste wise this surprises me as the apple isn't very strong but mixes so well with the grapes that it forms a beautiful composition together. I wonder why no one got the idea before.. or why I haven't heard of it. The apple helps to give it a very full taste that holds many aspects. The tartness is coupled with a slight sweetness that is existent but decently in the background.

This proves to be a very worthy addition to the Sparkling Wine scene. Thanks for discovering this golden ambrosia for me!

DMW

Leffe Royale

Leffe Royale


0,75l 7,5%

My often mentioned brother returned from a trip to Belgium with this dark bottle as it was handed to him by a shady drinks dealer in a back alley when he asked for 'something special'.. So I am looking forward to this. I also have to apologize if this isn't getting a daily update at the moment but I am desperately trying to lose some weight and my diet basically only allows me those beery carbs with my middle meal.. and as that's usually at work .. well figure out the rest.
So today, one of my 2 days off, I bring this to you.

I chose one of the 2 belgium beer glasses I have, and decided against the one I use for trappistes and went for the other one instead.. originally a Corsendonk glas.

Out of the deep darkness pours an amber liquid with loads of very fine pored foam which takes its while to dissipate. Amber really is the best color I could come up to describe the color of the 0,75l ambrosia I'm about to try.

A very yeasty, sweet scent awaits me with tones of cinnamon and spices, maybe even some pepper. The yeast is, however, the most dominant tone.

The carbonation is perfect and the sweetness that I usually dislike on strong beers is really about on the perfect level too, I can still taste cinnamon and sugary tones, which vanish with malty bitterness. On the other hand the bitter tones are definitely there as well and this forms an almost perfect whole. Absolutely drinkable and a very nice gem. I was a bit sceptical as Leffe wasn't my favorite but this is really good.  There is nothing that would make it SUPER SPECIAL but that isn't necessary as even as a 'normal' beer this is amongst the leading ones. A fine blonde baby, hiding in a black bottle.

DMW