I love this beer. A darker version of its brother Delerium Tremens which is one of my absolute favorites. I love the Belgian yeast in the nose and the notable presence of alcohol. I would definitely drink this one again and I have, a few times!
All posts by Blaine
Lips of Faith
I had the chance to try Lips of Faith last night at @SugarBowlCafe. It’s a collaboration brew between @CigarCityBeer and @NewBelgium. It’s a pale ale made with chillies. I don’t normally like beer with fruit and veg in it but this one was good. I couldn’t really taste the chillies but they left sort of a sour aftertaste, no, a sour feeling really sort of at the back of my lower jaw. I described it to Kim as “sour brackets” and unintentionally coined a new beer geek tasting term. It’s cool, you can use it.
Even though it’s technically a pale ale it struck me as more like a saison. Probably the spicy earthy flavour o the chilis and the Belgian style yeast used in it.
So yeah, I’d drink it again and so should you!
Pelee Island Malbec 2011
This review is a first for me, I don’t normally drink wine. This month though as sort of an experiment in health I’ve decided to not eat wheat or sugar. I want to see if it affects the way I feel, or look. the wheat thing also includes beer. I know. But it’s only a month, and February is the shortest month of the year. Anyway this brings me to wine. I’ve been wanting to try a malbec ever since reading the 4 Hour Body by Tim Ferriss. He loves it and goes on and on about it. I bought this bottle a couple months ago but never quite got around to drinking it, I mean, there’s so much beer and so little time. This month…so little beer and so much time.
This wine comes from the Pelee Island Winery. According to their website they are the “Southernmost winery in Canada, located in the Lake Erie North Shore region.”. I thought malbecs all came from Argentina but apparently it’s a more widespread grape variety, we grow it right here at home in Canada.
I don’t really know anything about wine so I tasted it the same way I taste beer. Actually I taste spirits the same way too, it seems to work. I poured it into a glass and checked its appearance. Probably the thing I love most about wine is the colour, This wine poured out a rich ruby. Really nice looking. Then I sniffed it. A lot. The nose was really fruity. The label on the bottle mentioned plums and blackberries, that works for me, who am I to argue? That fruity smell carried through in the taste as well. This is a very light, smooth wine with a pleasantly bitter finish. Kim thinks it would be a nice wine to have in the summer. I don’t disagree.
I would certainly drink this again!
Saison Houblon
Since trying Brooklyn’s Sorachi Ace courtesy of Taylor Reese I have been interested in saisons. This one is brewed by Brasserie Trois Dames, Sainte-Croix, Switzerland and came came highly recommended from Keg n Cork.
I love the labels on Brasserie Trois Dames bottles.
I poured it out into a tulip glass and noted the hoppy aroma. The hops don’t come through like I was hoping they would in the flavour however. It’s a bit on the sweeter side. Altogether it’s a nice beer. I would drink it again but wouldn’t go out of my way to get it.
Darn Tartan
This is the latest Big Bottle offering from Alley Kat brewery in Edmonton and my first Scotch ale. It has a lovely smell of malt and molasses. The taste is slightly smoky with a malt backing. I’m not crazy about smoky beers but this one is quite nice. I think it will grow on me.
Continue reading Darn Tartan
Work of Tart
This is a past big bottle from Alley Kat. It’s dry and tart. Crisp! Sort of like a raspberry champagne. Its really nice but if you are hoping to get some you’re out of luck, like all Big Bottles from Alley Kat it’s limited edition. This one is gone. Except for the twelve bottles in my basement. If you want to try it I’m your only hope!
St. Bernardus Abt 12
Most beer nerds get a bit misty eyed and weak in the knees when you mention Westvleteren beer. It is arguably one of the best beers you can get, the trouble is it’s notoriously hard to find. Normally it can be purchased only at the gates of the monastery and only in very small quantities. Bad news for those of us not within easy driving distance of the St. Sixtus monastery.
Turns out though that Brouwerij St. Bernardus in Watou, Belgium has a close connection to St. Sixtus. From 1946 until 1992 St. Bernardus brewed under the St. Sixtus name. Apparently the recipes they use are similar to the ones Westvleteren still use.
After trying the Abt 12 I believe it. The look, smell, and taste are very similar to the Westvleteren 12. Tons of fruit and spice in both the nose and the taste. It’s rich, complex and smooth. Even though this is a 10% ABV beer, the alcohol is not overpowering. Even still it’s not one that will sneak up on you because you drank it to fast or had too many, it is so very rich. And best of all it’s easy to get here in Edmonton.
I would drink this again. Oh boy would I!
Haus Frau Euro Pilsner
Last night my good friend Dave and I went out for beers. I had seen a pub pop up often on Untappd and it seemed like they had a great beer selection. We drove over to check it out only to find that someone had tagged their house as a pub on Foursquare and then checked in there using Untappd. Jerk. From there we went to The Public. Packed. We finally ended up at Original Joes.
I’ve never gone to Original Joes specifically for beer but I thought I’d give it a try. They have all of the regular Canadian macro brewed beers on tap that you’d expect in a typical Edmonton restaurant / bar.
They have their own Original Joes branded beers so I thought I’d give them a try. The first one I tried was the Haus Frau pilsner.
I’m a big fan of this style of beer. I like a good pilsner. This is not a good pilsner.
It’s bland and dull, pretty much a cheap mass produced light lager. Bleh. They have a lot of nerve calling this a pilsner.
I asked the bartender who brews their house beer and his answer spoke volumes. Big Rock. No wonder it was terrible.
I would never drink this again.
Rosée D’hibiscus – Brasserie Dieu Du Ciel
Rosée D’hibiscus is an herbed, spiced beer thatvcomes from Brasserie Dieu Du Ciel in St-Jerome, Quebec.
It’s been sitting in my basement for a few months and I finally decided to try it and I’m glad I did.
It’s a great looking beer. It pours a beautiful ruby, the color of rose hip juice.
The look and fruity aroma suggests a sweet beer but it is pleasantly tart. It has a nice light floral taste with a touch of spice.
This is the first beer I’ve tried from Brasserie Dieu Du Ciel and I will definitely try others now. It really seems like Quebec has a great beer scene going on. Maybe a beer tour in Quebec is in order.
I’d drink this one again.
Tree Jumpin Jack Pumpkin Ale
It’s autumn and now everyone has a pumpkin beer out. I love the idea of a pumpkin beer. Warm and spicy on a cold day.
This one is from Tree Brewing in Kelowna. Let’s see if it lives up to my ideals of a pumpkin beer.
Nose is sweet and syrupy with a bit of spice. Doesn’t taste that way though. Pumpkin spice comes through and the beer has a nice bitter finish.
Something’s not right though. It leaves an unpleasant aftertaste. Sort of a fake flavor. I think I just don’t like pumpkin beer.