Chimay Grande Réserve (Blue)

I really do love a good Belgian beer and especially anything Chimay. These Trappist beers are some of the best. The trademark Trappist certifies that this ale was brewed with in walls of an existing Trappist monastery under the control of the Trappist community. The monks to support charitable works use a major part of the sales revenue. Chimay exceptional yeast isolated by Father Theodore combined with the purity of the highly protected water of the abbey’s wells. Here we have Chimay Grande Réserve (blue) 9.0% ABV. This is the strongest beer from Chimay. Chimay Grande Réserve pours a deep dark red/brown color with a two finger beige head that slow to fade in to somewhat thing lacing. The aroma is dark and rich with dark fruits such as plums and raisins. There are a bit of a caramel scent as well that really rounds of the aroma on this Chimay. The taste is nice with raisins and nice plums with a small bit of a caramel malt flavor. There isn’t much of a bold bitterness present here but one that is ever so faint and almost nonexistent. The mouth feel is rich full and smooth, with a nice smooth caramel finish that leads into a nice aftertaste of slightly malted plums and mostly raisin flavor with a dash of a nice caramel taste. This is one heck of a Belgian beer, so I would rate this an A+. This beer is so well balanced and would get better as it aged. I can't find a single thing wrong with it even if I tried. Chimay Grande Réserve is definitely a beer you should have on you bucket list. I highly recommend Chimay Grande Réserve to everyone. So go out and try Chimay Grande Réserve for yourself and see what you think. Cheers! Please enjoy responsibly!

Samuel Smith's India Ale

One of my favorite breweries in the world is Samuel Smith Brewery in (Tadcaster) N. Yorks, England. I have pretty much had all of they’re beer in the breweries lineup, and they are all great beers. But I found one from Samuel Smith’s that I’ve not had yet, India Ale (IPA). Like all Samuel Smith beers, this is Brewed with hard well water and fermented in ‘stone Yorkshire squares. Samuel Smith’s India Ale 5.0% ABV and an IBU of 46,  which pours a crisp coppery orange color with a big four finger white bubbly, rocky head that sticks around for quite a while before fading away slightly, leaving behind great strings of lacing around the glass. There is plenty of light coming through the glass with nice carbonation bubbles racing towards the white foamy head. The aroma in India Ale is lightly grassy with a slight malted scent and touches of some light tropical fruit. The taste is very low on hoppy flavor but there is a slight hop flavor present to let you know you are having an IPA. There is a nice small tropical fruit note here with a nice malt backbone to go right along with the faint grassy notes. The taste is much smoother than some American IPAs. The mouthfeel is light to almost medium. Samuel Smith’s India Ale finishes nice but dry and has a nice faintly grassy fruity aftertaste. Samuel Smith’s didn’t disappoint me with this India Ale at all, so Samuel Smith’s India Ale gets an A+. A solid smooth drinking English IPA, well balanced. Samuel Smith’s India Ale isn’t overwhelming in the hops department. I highly recommend this to anyone looking to try their first IPA or to anyone who likes beer. So please go out and try Samuel Smith’s India Ale and see what you think of it. Cheers! Please enjoy responsibly!   

  

Foothills Brewing IPA of the Month May 2014 (Maya Bonita)

Springtime is here and so are all the spring beers. I really enjoyed Foothills Brewing’s last IPA of the month April it was good. So I though I would wait for their next month in the series. I loved how foothills showcased a single hop and really profiled the flavors of the individual hop. Here is the next month in the series of IPA of the Month, May (Maya Bonita), 6.4% ABV and 69 IBU. This month Foothills is using the rare Azacca hop, and pilsner malt backbone. Foothills say this beer drinks like a day at the beach. So a summery taste topical beer I guess. Well let’s find out! May pours a light hazy orange/dark yellowish color with three and a half fingers of fluffy white head that has stick around for a while. The aroma is tropical with nice pineapple, grapefruit, orange, and some papaya. There is a very faint hop grassy note there as well. The taste is much like the aroma, sweet and tropical. I found they're to be a nice pineapple, orange, sweeter grapefruit and nice papaya with some light bitter hops grassy earthy notes. Sweeter than I was expecting for an IPA and not as bitter as some IPA are. I did get a nice pilsner malt backbone as described on the side of the label, which really balances this beer out well. The mouth feel is Simi-light to almost medium, and has nice sweet and bitter finish with a nice aftertaste of tropical fruit and a touch of a hoppy earthy note. I really like this beer as well as the IPA of the Month series. May gets an A+, this is better than April, but April is still a good beer as well. This beer is near perfectly balanced and has a nice drinkability to it that makes it great for warmer weather, and yes it does drink like a day at the beach. I did think about the beach a bit while drinking May. I highly recommend Foothills Brewing IPA of the Month May. It’s a great IPA. So go out and try Foothills Brewing IPA of the Month May 2014 and see what you think. Cheers! Please enjoy responsibly!

Resignation Brewery & Red Hook Brewery KCCO BLACK LAGER

I am a fan of dark roasted beers, because some have a touch of coffee roast flavors. But not all of them that I’ve had were great. One of my favorite dark beers is Black Lager, or Schwarzbier. This style of beer isn’t as big, heavy, and/or alcoholic as other dark beers. This is due to being lager brewed. This beer, KCCO Black Lager, 5.1% ABV, 22 IBU is a collaboration between the Resignation brewery in Austin Texas and Red Hook Brewery in Portsmouth New Hampshire. KCCO Black Lager has a bit of a cult following and has given a little more exposer to the Resignation Brewery, this is due in part to the Red Hook Brewery, which has been brewing widely popular beers since 1981. KCCO Black Lager pours a deep dark brown to a black color, with dark ruby edges, and a off white, tan/beige two finger head that dissipates into a much thinner head and leave very little lacing behind. I found very little amounts of light coming through and some small packs of carbonation bubbles. The aroma is roasted and has a nice toasted scent with nice malted aromas as well. The taste on KCCO Black Lager is nice and roasted with hints of toasted malts and bits chocolate. This beer has a little sweetness to it and a bit of a little bitterness too. The mouth feel is slightly medium with a nice smoothish finish that is somewhat sweet, malty and roasted. The after taste of a roasted chocolate note lingers just enjoy to get a good taste of KCCO Black Lager then it’s gone. Overall KCCO Black Lager is not a bad beer for all the hype. So I would rate KCCO Black Lager, as B. KCCO Black Lager isn’t as good as my number one favorite Schwarzbier Rahr & Sons Ugly Pug. As I was drinking KCCO Black Lager they are parts where I though that it was a bit thin, but overall it was a good black lager. I do recommend KCCO Black Lager. So go out and try KCCO Black Lager for yourself. Cheers! Please enjoy responsibly!