A Few More Beer Ratings...

Some more beer ratings, a really chocolatey Chocolate Imperial Stout from Barrie, Ontario, a Quebecois Oktoberfest and a Double IPA.

Flying Monkeys BNL Chocolate Imperial Stout:

750 mL bottle. Pours an opaque black colour, no light coming through this baby. A dark brown suggestion of a head, but no real volume to speak of. Aroma is seriously chocolatey, extra rich and syrupy smelling, malt notes just barely detectable on the nose, definitely cocoa-y but very one dimensional. Flavor is better, a great big sweet chocolate slap in the face, but a nice one; not that synthetic chocolate made with vegetable oil, real good quality dark chocolate fudge. Shortly after it tips a little bitter and roasted malt notes come out, powdered cocoa, vanilla and coffee, followed by a warming boozy sensation. Palate is full bodied and smooth, rich and coating with a long finish. Not typically a flavoured beer fan, but this is pretty tasty.

Trois Mousquetaires Oktoberfest:

750 mL bottle. Pours a dark, cloudy orange colour with a lasting white head. Subtle aroma, picking up a distinct squash/vegetable scent, honey and black tea. Taste is mildly sweet with a lagery clean finish, barely hopped. Clean with medium body and palate. Enjoyed.

Muskoka Twice as Mad Tom IPA:

On tap at Baker Street Station in Guelph. Pours a rusty copper colour with a huge stable white head and lots of lacing. Syrupy with muted pine and maple notes, orange peel, vanilla and oak. Palate coating with a bit of a bittering hop punch, and a full bodied palate coating finish. Not overly bitter or citrusy as a lot of American IPA’s, but a bruiser of a beer none the less, good, but prefer the original as a more balanced alternative.

Hope you enjoyed, find more of my ratings here:
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A Few Beer Ratings

Heres a few for you all, some great new beers from the winter release, a vintage barley wine from Quebec, a  fantastic Belgian Style Quadrupel from the Netherlands and another Quebecois Belgian strong ale.  All great winter warmers.

St Ambroise Vintage Ale 2012:

341 mL bottle. Pours a dark copper colour, slightly syrupy looking with a full white head. The nose is malty sweet with roasted cereal notes, winey stewed fruits and a spicy alcohol bite. Sweet and palate coating with a full mouth feel, a little boozy. Mildly hopped with a touch of bitterness. Hoping for a little more acid or hop to cut the size of this beer. Enjoyed, but not my style, needs a meal to hold up to it, some cheddar or pâté perhaps?

La Trappe Quadrupel:

750 mL bottle. Pours a deep hazy mahogany color, a patchy almost gray head. Sweet dark fruits and yeast on the nose, plum pudding. Surprisingly smooth on the palate, full bodied and slightly syrupy. Nice hoppy finish, slightly soured. Really enjoyable stuff, a happy medium between weight and complexity

Unibroue La Terrible:

750 mL bottle. Pours a dark cola like almost black color, with a foamy tan head, lots of lacing and slow dissipation. Heady perfumed aroma of fig, molasses, vanilla and oak. Taste is amazingly balanced for such a big beer, sweet, with a bitter midpalate and sour finish, you can taste layers of dark fruits, bready yeast, mushroomy earth and a distinct meat flavor. Smooth and full bodied coating mouthfeel but not cloying. A great big beer, and another landmark from unibroue.

See more of my beer ratings at:
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Napa Cellars Merlot 2010

This bottle was given to me as a housewarming gift from my mother and step father.  Having tried a few different vintages of Napa Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon, as well as their Sauvignon Blanc and Zinfandel, I was eager to see if this Merlot offered the same great QPR that we have come to expect from Napa Valley.  Thankfully we all have yet another great wine to enjoy at the under $25 price point! This Merlot pours a dark garnet red colour, and opens to a lovely aroma of fig, over ripe blackberry, and a hint of oaky vanilla.  Smooth and silky on the palate, you can pick out layers of dark fruit on the tongue, a touch of warming spice, anise or clove perhaps.  Mellow, full bodied and lasting on the palate with uncompromising flavour and texture.  I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this, full of taste and supple tannin at only two years, this wine is a perfect example of why most of us should pick up a Merlot every now and again as opposed to the ever popular Cab Sauv.

Tripel Karmeliet

The new winter release is out at the LCBO and is chock full of great beers, and great big beers.  Check out this flavorful Belgian Tripel, made with the addition of wheat, super smooth and creamy.

330 mL bottle. Pours a golden orange color, very hazy with a thick white fluffy head. Lovely aroma of apricot, yeast and sweet spices. Taste is slightly sweet, with a lightly hopped finish, very smooth. Medium bodied with lots of carbonation, a long and clean finish. Really enjoyed this one, a great beer at a great price.

See more of my beer ratings at:
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Sideral 2007

Sideral by Altair Vineyard and Winery in Chile, from the D.O. Rapel Valley, known mostly for Cabernet Sauvignon and Carmenere, this is a blend of the aforementioned grapes, as well as Syrah and Cabernet Franc.  It is a second wine to Altair's self titled first wine, which I know I have had before, and remember as being distinctly smoky and tarry tasting.  Pouring a garnet red, with long legs, the aroma hold a bouquet of oak, cherry, vanilla and a touch of smokiness.  It's smooth and full on the palate, the tannin well mellowed with a bit of youthful acidity still left, it carries the 14.8% ABV very well.  Concealing flavors of ripe red berries, liquorice and a definite roasted meat character, the finish is long and rich. Great value to be found here as it's now on sale at the LCBO for $22, ready to go with rich meats like brisket or smoked sausages.

Compass Box "Great King St" Artist's Blend

Having tried a few premium blended malts from the Compass Box I was enticed to try this new blend that targets a more economical price point.  A solid blended malt for under $50, a price tag any Scotch drinker can appreciate.  Pours a light straw color with a fine body. A nice nose of sweet spices, nutmeg, clove, roasted apples and banana, with a finite alcohol bite. On the palate it's smooth, silky and warming, there's a touch of sweetness and a lightly smoky finish with definite notes of grain. Performs quite well on it's own, but it's a shoe in as an elegant mixer for soda.