Here are some fresh ratings! A German Dunkel Weizenbock (that's a strong beer brewed with heavily roasted wheat malts), a Belgian strong ale named after a famous prophet, Orval (one of the seven official Trappist beers), a true porter from New Zealand and what was once the strongest beer in the world, the gigantic Samichlaus from Austria.
Erdinger Pikantus
500 mL. Pours a dark cola color with a thick brown head and lots of lacing. Dessert like on the nose, chocolate cream and coffee, yeast, cherry and banana. Fairly sweet; no hops here but a souring finish. Smooth with medium carbonation.
La Caracole Nostradamus
330 mL. Pours a deep mahogany with a thick off white head. Aromas of bittersweet caramel malt, Belgian yeast, alcohol, apple, clove and ginger. Sweet and medium bodied, a medium high carbonation and a pleasantly sour finish. Needs a hearty meal.
Orval
330 mL bottle. Pours an orange tinged amber with a huge white head. Aromas of spicy yeast, lemon zest, candle wax, green herb and hop. Surprisingly light on the palate, good carbonation and very refreshing. Dry and flavorful, a great brew.
Renaissance Elemental Porter
500 mL bottle. Pours black with an orange tan head. Aromas of chocolate, coffee, roasted malt, licorice. Full bodied with medium carbonation and a sticky mouth feel. Bitter on the finish. A great porter.
Schloss Eggenberg Samichlaus
330 mL bottle. Pours a clear medium copper color with no head. Notes of toffee, buttered biscuit, raisin, apricot, fig, and a punchy alcohol note. A huge beer, sweet and heady with a thick coating mouthfeel and an oxidized, oloroso sherry like finish. A good one, strong and different but damn tasty.
Today I am taking a trip to Bellwoods Brewery in Toronto, rated #3 of 1900 new breweries worldwide this year by ratebeer.com, keep your eyes open for a location review, as well as some notes on their beers. Also on the docket, Yours Truly restaurant and the Sky Yard at the Drake Hotel.
As per usual:
http://www.ratebeer.com/user/169526/ratings/
Sunday, February 17, 2013
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
Two Wines!
Had a chance to indulge in a few good wines this week! Picked up a special bottle while I was in Spain, locally produced just outside Toledo, and at home I found an exceptional and complex California Pinot Noir.
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Marques de Grinon Dominio de Valdepusa D.O. Cabernet Sauvignon 2005
The first of its D.O. according to the bottle, this Cab is wonderfully masculine. Fleshy and muscular, it has a chewy texture with softening, but still grippy tannin. A dark ruby color with notes of blueberry, blackberry and date. A distinct earthy salinity with typical old world hints of lead and leather with a touch of oak. A great finish. May continue to develop. Worth it, but don't bother to look for this in Canada, you won't find it.
Marimar Estates Don Miguel Vineyard la Masia Pinot Noir 2007
This California based winery is owned and operated by Spanish wine family Torres, who originate from the Penedes region. Everything they touch is worth buying! Pours a medium garnet with the slightest hint of bricking. Beautifully complex with layers of cherry and light oak, a hint of cola on the nose, sweet spices and a touch of smoke. Silky smooth and medium bodied.
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Marques de Grinon Dominio de Valdepusa D.O. Cabernet Sauvignon 2005
The first of its D.O. according to the bottle, this Cab is wonderfully masculine. Fleshy and muscular, it has a chewy texture with softening, but still grippy tannin. A dark ruby color with notes of blueberry, blackberry and date. A distinct earthy salinity with typical old world hints of lead and leather with a touch of oak. A great finish. May continue to develop. Worth it, but don't bother to look for this in Canada, you won't find it.
Marimar Estates Don Miguel Vineyard la Masia Pinot Noir 2007
This California based winery is owned and operated by Spanish wine family Torres, who originate from the Penedes region. Everything they touch is worth buying! Pours a medium garnet with the slightest hint of bricking. Beautifully complex with layers of cherry and light oak, a hint of cola on the nose, sweet spices and a touch of smoke. Silky smooth and medium bodied.
Monday, February 4, 2013
Home + A Shipload of Spaniards
Great to be home, check out these Spanish beer reviews; don't expect to taste any of them outside of Spain however!
Domus Aurea
Tercio. Pours a cloudy pale straw with a thick white head. True to the European IPA style, all the pine, grapefruit and lanolin without the crushing sugar or body of it’s American counterpart. Clean, crisp and pleasantly bitter.
Domus Europa
Tercio. Pours honey coloured and hazy with a thick white head. Citrus, wax, yeast and honey, and something unpleasantly soapy. Mildly sweet with a hoppy punch, refreshing and little aftertaste. Tainted bottle? Not terrible.
Domus Regia
Tercio. Light auburn with a very thick white head. Anise, caramel, almond and years. A touch of sugar here and mild hop bite. A flavourful light beer with a slick mouth feel.
Domus Summa
Tercio. Pours a reddish walnut color with a medium white head. Cola, black cherry and nutty malt. A touch sweet, not much hop and a medium thick mouth feel with high carbonation. Well made but boring.
Domus Greco
750 mL. Pours a beautiful orange brown with a thick beige head. Massive aroma of citrusy hop, amaretto, coffee malt, spice and a custard note. Fairly sweet but balanced by saffron tinged hop bitterness. Flavored, but not overwhelming. Medium bodied and creamy on the palate with high carbonation. Fantastic! Far superior to the regular Domus range.
Sagra Premium (Verde)
Tercio. Pours golden with a thin white head. The abbey malts and yeasts stand out strong in this lager, fruit esters on the nose, yeast, pineapple, mango and spice. Mildly sweet with a medium to full mouthfeel and high carbonation.
Sagra Roja
Tercio. Pours a rich red tinged mahogany with a thin white head. Yeast, nuts, dry red fruit and toffee on the nose. Dry and minimally carbonated, with a moderate yet well hidden alcohol. Sessionable.
Sagra Bohio Triple Especial
Tercio. Pours black with a medium tan head. Aromas of coffee, cocoa, raisin, banana and deep spice. Sweet, but drier than I anticipated. Medium bodied with full carbonation. Surprised!
As always:
http://www.ratebeer.com/user/169526/ratings/
Domus Aurea
Tercio. Pours a cloudy pale straw with a thick white head. True to the European IPA style, all the pine, grapefruit and lanolin without the crushing sugar or body of it’s American counterpart. Clean, crisp and pleasantly bitter.
Domus Europa
Tercio. Pours honey coloured and hazy with a thick white head. Citrus, wax, yeast and honey, and something unpleasantly soapy. Mildly sweet with a hoppy punch, refreshing and little aftertaste. Tainted bottle? Not terrible.
Domus Regia
Tercio. Light auburn with a very thick white head. Anise, caramel, almond and years. A touch of sugar here and mild hop bite. A flavourful light beer with a slick mouth feel.
Domus Summa
Tercio. Pours a reddish walnut color with a medium white head. Cola, black cherry and nutty malt. A touch sweet, not much hop and a medium thick mouth feel with high carbonation. Well made but boring.
Domus Greco
750 mL. Pours a beautiful orange brown with a thick beige head. Massive aroma of citrusy hop, amaretto, coffee malt, spice and a custard note. Fairly sweet but balanced by saffron tinged hop bitterness. Flavored, but not overwhelming. Medium bodied and creamy on the palate with high carbonation. Fantastic! Far superior to the regular Domus range.
Sagra Premium (Verde)
Tercio. Pours golden with a thin white head. The abbey malts and yeasts stand out strong in this lager, fruit esters on the nose, yeast, pineapple, mango and spice. Mildly sweet with a medium to full mouthfeel and high carbonation.
Sagra Roja
Tercio. Pours a rich red tinged mahogany with a thin white head. Yeast, nuts, dry red fruit and toffee on the nose. Dry and minimally carbonated, with a moderate yet well hidden alcohol. Sessionable.
Sagra Bohio Triple Especial
Tercio. Pours black with a medium tan head. Aromas of coffee, cocoa, raisin, banana and deep spice. Sweet, but drier than I anticipated. Medium bodied with full carbonation. Surprised!
As always:
http://www.ratebeer.com/user/169526/ratings/
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