Name - Achel
Type - Blonde Ale
Vol. 8%, 330mL crown sealed bottle
Brewer - Achel Brouwerij (Brouwereij de Sint-Benedictusabeij de Achel Kluis)
Origin - Achel, Limburg, Flanders, Belgium
Importer - N/A
Verdict - Beautiful fine head, packs a nice punch at 8%. Sweet and malty. Nice to cross another Trappist off the list, but again nothing spectacular. Tried on the same night as the Goulden Carolus Ambrio, so maybe my palate was just a bit fucked up.
Years of drinking have ruined my memory. This is one way of trying to recall what I liked, and what I didn't. Not really intended for public consumption, but if you're here, welcome.
Sunday, 12 June 2011
Goulden Carolus Ambrio, Mechelen, Flanders, Belgium
Name - Goulden Carolus Ambrio
Type - Dark Ale
Vol. 8%, 330mL swing top bottle
Brewer - Brouwerij Het Anker
Origin - Mechelen, Flanders, Belgium
Importer - N/A
Verdict - Didn't impress me on first pass, didn't much impress on subsequent passes. I didn't find much special here.
Type - Dark Ale
Vol. 8%, 330mL swing top bottle
Brewer - Brouwerij Het Anker
Origin - Mechelen, Flanders, Belgium
Importer - N/A
Verdict - Didn't impress me on first pass, didn't much impress on subsequent passes. I didn't find much special here.
Saturday, 11 June 2011
Grolsch, Enschede, Netherlands
Name - Grolsch
Type - Lager
Vol. 5%, 450mL swing top bottle
Brewer - Grolsch
Origin - Enschede, Netherlands
Importer - N/A
Verdict - Brewed under licence, it's pointless. Imported from the Netherlands, it's still as delicious as the first time you cobbled together enough cash to score a slab of Heineken. Those light Dutch lagers are crisp and hoppy, beautifully aromatic and refreshing and well worth the drink. Brewed under licence, they're all the same (try and tell the difference between Grolsch, Heineken and Peroni, seriously), and flat as fuck.
Type - Lager
Vol. 5%, 450mL swing top bottle
Brewer - Grolsch
Origin - Enschede, Netherlands
Importer - N/A
Verdict - Brewed under licence, it's pointless. Imported from the Netherlands, it's still as delicious as the first time you cobbled together enough cash to score a slab of Heineken. Those light Dutch lagers are crisp and hoppy, beautifully aromatic and refreshing and well worth the drink. Brewed under licence, they're all the same (try and tell the difference between Grolsch, Heineken and Peroni, seriously), and flat as fuck.
Cascade First Harvest 2011 Pale Ale, Hobart, Tasmania
Name - Cascade First Harvest (2011)
Type - Pale Ale
Vol. 5.5%, 375mL crown sealed bottle
Brewer - Cascade
Origin - Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
Importer - N/A
Verdict - Made with fresh hops and the first barley of hte harvest on a single day. Fantastic to be able to score on the mainland. Sits halfway between malty and hoppy. An excellent pale ale colour. A sharper, hoppier flavour than Cascade's standard pale. This year's hops are Valleyfield, Oast, Lanoma, and Tynwald. Making beer with fresh hops is rare in Australia, according to the good folks at Cascade. They take First Harvest pretty seriously, and it shows - it's always excellent and worth the premium.
Type - Pale Ale
Vol. 5.5%, 375mL crown sealed bottle
Brewer - Cascade
Origin - Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
Importer - N/A
Verdict - Made with fresh hops and the first barley of hte harvest on a single day. Fantastic to be able to score on the mainland. Sits halfway between malty and hoppy. An excellent pale ale colour. A sharper, hoppier flavour than Cascade's standard pale. This year's hops are Valleyfield, Oast, Lanoma, and Tynwald. Making beer with fresh hops is rare in Australia, according to the good folks at Cascade. They take First Harvest pretty seriously, and it shows - it's always excellent and worth the premium.
Old Speckled Hen, Brown Ale, Oxfordshire, England
Name - Old Speckled Hen
Type - Brown Ale
Vol. 5.2%, 330mL crown sealed bottle
Brewer - Morland (Greene King)
Origin - Abingdon, Oxfordshire, England
Importer - N/A
Verdict - Delightfully malty and nutty, a substantial beer as it passes the palate, despite the thinner texture. Doesn't retain the head particularly well out of the bottle, and also a little sweeter on tap, from memory.
Type - Brown Ale
Vol. 5.2%, 330mL crown sealed bottle
Brewer - Morland (Greene King)
Origin - Abingdon, Oxfordshire, England
Importer - N/A
Verdict - Delightfully malty and nutty, a substantial beer as it passes the palate, despite the thinner texture. Doesn't retain the head particularly well out of the bottle, and also a little sweeter on tap, from memory.
Friday, 10 June 2011
Rekorderlig Winter Cider, Sweden
Name - Rekorderlig Winter Cider
Type - Apple Cider
Vol. 4%, 500mL crown sealed bottle
Brewer - Rekorderlig
Origin - Sweden
Importer - N/A
Verdict - Apple cider flavoured with vanilla and cinnamon. They say it can be consumed cold or warm. Consumed cold, it again tends to a bit sickly, and, yes, bubblegummy. I wouldn't go it again. Now just let me waddle off and nuke a bit of it. Be right back...
So, warmer, slightly better. Perhaps because it's in a mug rather than a glass, and there's no expectation of cider. Still not worth another go around, though.
Type - Apple Cider
Vol. 4%, 500mL crown sealed bottle
Brewer - Rekorderlig
Origin - Sweden
Importer - N/A
Verdict - Apple cider flavoured with vanilla and cinnamon. They say it can be consumed cold or warm. Consumed cold, it again tends to a bit sickly, and, yes, bubblegummy. I wouldn't go it again. Now just let me waddle off and nuke a bit of it. Be right back...
So, warmer, slightly better. Perhaps because it's in a mug rather than a glass, and there's no expectation of cider. Still not worth another go around, though.
Rekorderlig Premium Pear Cider
Name - Rekorderlig Premium Pear Cider
Type - Perry
Vol. 4.5%, 500mL crown sealed bottle
Brewer - Rekorderlig
Origin - Sweden
Importer - N/A
Verdict - Sweet pears are my favourite fruit. I'm also partial to ciders and perrys, and while this is nowhere near a traditional perry (nothing Rekorderlig does is close to cider, it's more like sugary deliciouspiss), it's still a fun drink. Funny I found the apple a bit sickly, but the pear not so. Considering I eat pears when they're right on the edge of fermenting, I guess I've been well prepared.
Type - Perry
Vol. 4.5%, 500mL crown sealed bottle
Brewer - Rekorderlig
Origin - Sweden
Importer - N/A
Verdict - Sweet pears are my favourite fruit. I'm also partial to ciders and perrys, and while this is nowhere near a traditional perry (nothing Rekorderlig does is close to cider, it's more like sugary deliciouspiss), it's still a fun drink. Funny I found the apple a bit sickly, but the pear not so. Considering I eat pears when they're right on the edge of fermenting, I guess I've been well prepared.
Rekorderlig Premium Wild Berry Cider, Sweden
Name - Rekorderlig Premium Wild Berry Cider
Type - Flavoured Cider
Vol. 4%, 500mL crown sealed bottle
Brewer - Rekorderlig
Origin - Sweden
Importer - N/A
Verdict - Ribena booze. Not a bad thing, but I had higher hopes. Easily defeated by the strawberry and lime, to finish a distant third.
Type - Flavoured Cider
Vol. 4%, 500mL crown sealed bottle
Brewer - Rekorderlig
Origin - Sweden
Importer - N/A
Verdict - Ribena booze. Not a bad thing, but I had higher hopes. Easily defeated by the strawberry and lime, to finish a distant third.
Rekorderlig Premium Strawberry and Lime Cider
Name - Rekorderlig Premium Strawberry and Lime Cider
Type - Strawberry and Lime flavoured Cider
Vol. 4.5%, 500mL crown sealed bottle
Brewer - Rekorderlig
Origin - Sweden
Importer - N/A
Verdict - I was certainly skeptical, expecting it to be the worst of the 4 standard Rekorderlig varieties. Christ was I wrong! A beautiful, clear strawberry flavour, and a tangy hit of lime to cut through the sweetness of the strawberries. Just as good on second tasting, and a great one for those a bit skeptical of the cider-style drinks.
Type - Strawberry and Lime flavoured Cider
Vol. 4.5%, 500mL crown sealed bottle
Brewer - Rekorderlig
Origin - Sweden
Importer - N/A
Verdict - I was certainly skeptical, expecting it to be the worst of the 4 standard Rekorderlig varieties. Christ was I wrong! A beautiful, clear strawberry flavour, and a tangy hit of lime to cut through the sweetness of the strawberries. Just as good on second tasting, and a great one for those a bit skeptical of the cider-style drinks.
Rekorderlig Premium Apple Cider, Sweden
Name - Rekorderlig Premium Apple Cider
Type - Apple Cider
Vol. 4.5%, 500mL crown sealed bottle
Brewer - Rekorderlig
Origin - Sweden
Importer - N/A
Verdict - Sweet apple flavour, perhaps a little sickly. Certainly strong and sweet, but slightly artificial tasting. As far as apple cider goes, perhaps I'm still a little too tied to the traditional Anglo-French styles. Their other stuff is crazy-easy to drink, though.
Type - Apple Cider
Vol. 4.5%, 500mL crown sealed bottle
Brewer - Rekorderlig
Origin - Sweden
Importer - N/A
Verdict - Sweet apple flavour, perhaps a little sickly. Certainly strong and sweet, but slightly artificial tasting. As far as apple cider goes, perhaps I'm still a little too tied to the traditional Anglo-French styles. Their other stuff is crazy-easy to drink, though.
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