Day #350 – Jester King Farmhouse Wytchmaker

Day 3 of the Jester King feature. You may think that I have reviewed today’s beer before, but you would be WRONG!

Jester King Farmhouse Wytchmaker

Alright so I reviewed the original version of this beer waaaay back on Day #19! Holy crap that seems so long ago. I was but a wide-eyed beer drinker back then who had no idea what he was getting into. Ah to be young again. The original beer I reviewed was fermented using their English Ale Yeast. If you recall, a few days ago I mentioned that Jester King recently switched over to using their Farmhouse strain full time, and had to go back and re-brew their original beers using this new strain. This effectively makes this an entirely new beer! Yay beer!

This is a Belgian Ale/India Pale Ale at 7.3% ABV. It is more or less an IPA brewed with a heavy amount of rye. Some might call it, a “Rye PA”? Only 15 more days of my jokes there folks.

This beer pours a hazy ruddy reddish-brown color with a light bubbly off white head.

The aroma is light spice, big yeasty notes and rye. Grainy nose. Light edge of funk.

The flavor is dry rye chips, light sweetness, earthy hops that have a bit more of aggressive flavors when compared to the noble hop. Nice. I can be down with this.

Cheers!

Day #349 – Jester King Noble King Hoppy Farmhouse Ale

Day 2 of my tribute to Jester King. Last night’s beer was the first of it’s style for my blog; tonight I return to an style that I’ve had plenty of times before, just not the Jester King way.

Jester King Noble King Hoppy Farmhouse Ale

The Noble King is classified as a Belgian Ale. It is brewed using noble hops which are all lower in alpha acids and typically less aggressive in aroma and flavor. They also finished it off with their house Farmhouse yeast. 5.4% ABV. Let’s see what we have. Also, check out the cool logo I found! They haven’t quite started bottling and selling this to the public but will starting very soon!

This beer pours a slightly cloudy dark golden orange color with a larger foamy white head. Nice bubbles. I can see similarities between this and their table beer. Light sediment.

The aroma is earthy hops, light dry notes with a yeasty character as well. Some spicy notes. The farmhouse notes aren’t as prominent.

Flavor is dry, earthy hops with a slightly bitter grainy flavor. Finishes with a noble hop flavor. Not bad and is more representative of the English IPA style which use noble hops a lot. American IPAs are more aggressive in character while this beer is laid back.

Cheers!

Day #311 – Duvel Single

At the Gman again today for their weekly glass night. Tonight they have a specialty Belgian Ale from Duvel, but it’s not the same as just a regular old Duvel. How is it different you ask? Well I’m going to have to do some research to find out.

Duvel Single

Duvel of course is brewed by Duvel Moortgat out of Belgium and they are famous worldwide for their Belgian Ale under the same name. This beer however is a bit different. It is still classified as a Belgian Ale and rings in at 6.8%, but it is different by its single fermentation. The original Duvel undergoes the fermentation process more than once in order to raise ABV and add fruity characteristics. The first running of this beer has been pulled off and served as this beer, the “single”. It is on draught and in a smaller sized glass than the standard.

There was no tap handle on the wall when they poured this, so I have nothing to take a picture of!! Well, save for the glass and beer itself anyway.

This beer pours a very clear gold color with a fizzy white head. Looks similar to the original.

The aroma however has many notable differences. It is far less fruity in the nose and higher in a grain character. This flavor is certainly smoother and fresher. The nose still maintains a Belgian yeast quality.

The flavor is also a bit blander I would say than the original. There is a big grain and malt flavor that has only a hint of the Belgian fruit that is very present in the original. Certainly more quaffable I would say with a lowered alcohol content.

Cheers!

Day #233 – Abbey Monks Ale

Don’t be surprised if my reviews this week are curt and to the point. I started teaching this week so it’s taken a toll on me working a regular person’s job again. I’m also doing part-time valet work at the Texas Rangers and they are playing the Boston Red Sox this week. So I will be going straight from work to work then to home. It’s currently 11:55 pm and all I wanna do is slam a beer and go to bed. Here we go.

Abbey Monks Ale

Don’t be fooled! This is no true abbey ale. It is supposedly brewed by Abbey Beverage Company, which is really a front for the Sierra Blanca Brewing Company in Santa Fe, New Mexico. It is classified as a Belgian Ale and has 4.7% ABV.

This beer pours a clear golden orange color with a fizzy white head.

The aroma is dry, grainy with a touch of Belgian fruit. Not necessarily sweet fruit however.

Flavor is dry dry dry! Lots of grains and dry malts. A touch of bitter hops perhaps but nothing over the top. The finish is more dryness. Oh well, enough to get me through the night.

Cheers!

Day #201 – De Koninck

Belgian Beer Week continues with a fantastic new glass and beer!

De Koninck

De Koninck is one of the hardest beers to spell I have reviewed so far. My iPhone wants to autocorrect this to any number of things; some which are quite amusing. This beer is a Belgian Ale and at 5% is rather sessionable. It is brewed by Moortgat which is the same company as Duvel.

This beer pours a clear light orange to copper color. Light ring of white head surrounds the glass.

The aroma is fairly grainy, kind of skunky but not by alot, and has some touches of light Belgian fruit. This fruit is what gives the beer it’s character.

The flavor is a bit bland to be honest. Smooth grains and a light malty sweetness round this out. A tad watery with brings down the intensity. Finishes easy and therefore remains a very refreshing brew.

Cheers!

Day #198 – Southern Star Walloon

First time I have seen this beer on tap in Fort Worth. I was chatting with a few of my friends from the local homebrew club Cap & Hare and they mentioned that this beer was selected as their beer of the month for this pub. Each month they have a tap handle dedicated to them and this month they chose to feature this beer:

Southern Star Walloon

Southern Star is based out of Conroe, Texas which is just north of Houston. I have wanted to feature more of their beers than I already have but strangely enough I’ve had trouble finding them. Not sure what the deal is with that but it makes me happy that I happened upon this one tonight. The Walloon is classified as a Belgian Ale, although I’ve heard it described as a Saison hybrid. Some say this is a Grisette which in essence is a marriage of the two styles.

This beer pours a very hazy golden orange color. It has a light carbonation that disappears quickly.

The aroma is fat citrus notes, grain and sweet notes of malts. Very much a saison smell, which is what I expected.

Flavor is bready and grainy that immediately turns fruity. The yeast gives a big tingle on the palate. Almost stinging but nice. Good finish ad refreshing.

Cheers!

Day #122 – Ommegang Belgian-style Pale Ale (BPA)

Ommegang Belgian-style Pale Ale (BPA)

Another beer from the brewery in Cooperstown, NY. This is a Belgian-Style Pale Ale with an ABV of 6.2%. It’s late so I’ll get right at it.

This beer has a clear light orange color edging on copper. A tall frothy white head sits on the top.

Aroma is perfume, floral hops and citrus. Belgian fruit as well. Strangely similar to the American version of the Pale Ale but with a fruity twist.

Flavor is hopped bitter, lots of bready notes and grain. Finishes lightly fruity with a long bitter draw.

Cheers!

Day #110 – Leffe Blonde

Another Belgian beer for today. Hooray foreign beer!

Leffe Blonde

Leffe Blonde was originally brewed at the Leffe Abbey in Belgium by the monks that lived there, but was bought out eventually by InBev Belgium making this….you guessed it….NOT OFFICIALLY CRAFT BEER. Remember to be a craft brewery it has to be small, traditional and independent. The independent part of this is what this beer lacks, as it is owned by a non-craft company. Oh well, I’ll still review it as it is a beer I purchased, AND I have a really cool glass to go with it. This beer is actually brewed at the Stella Artois brewery in Belgium now, cutting it’s ties with the original Leffe Abbey. It holds an ABV of 6.6% and is classified as a Belgian Ale. I am super official with my glass today.

This beer pours a mostly clear golden color with a solid white foam head. There are lots of carbonation bubbles emanating from the bottom of the glass.

The beer smells pretty good; actually I caught a whiff of it the moment I cracked the cap and that’s a good sign. I smell some sweet Belgian fruit and yeasty notes, kinda bready with perhaps a sweet touch of banana and grapes. Very appealing.

Flavor is pretty smooth with easy going spicy notes, soft fruit and a light tingle on the back of the throat. Very smooth and fruity. Clove notes as well give it the spicy kick I am enjoying. I am liking this! Too bad it’s not officially considered craft beer, but I’ll still give up a hearty Cheers!

Day #108 – Ommegang Rare Vos

New style and a new brewery planned for today, at my regular weekly Ginger Man stop.

Ommegang Rare Vos

Brewery Ommegang is based out of Cooperstown, New York. They are modeled after the traditional Belgian style brewery and specialize in producing Belgian-style ales. They opened up in 1997 and since then have established themselves as a Belgian presence in America.

Rare Vos is Flemish for “Sly Fox”. It is classified as a Belgian Ale and is the first of that style for my blog. This style is usually representative of the session ales in the Belgian style, and can range in color and flavors. They will always be below 7% alcohol however with this particular beer at 6.5%.

Got here just a few minutes early and grabbed a seat at the bar. It’s a bit more crowded than usual; I’m betting people got their tax returns and decided to celebrate. Anyways, the only downfall of reviewing at a bar is the cigarette smoke. Wouldn’t you know it as soon as I sit down, someone sits next to me and immediately drags the ash tray to him. I’m gonna smell this beer as fast as I can before my senses are tainted!!

Aroma is kinda weak, but I can detect some notes of Belgian yeast, tart fruit and quite a lot of grain. I’m surprised it does not have more to the nose.

Ok back to appearance. It pours almost clear, a light to medium orange color with a foamy white head.

Flavor is Belgian fruit and yeast right off the bat. Bubble gum and banana, with some yeasty notes. Grainy flavors come in as well with a slightly bitter finish. The sweet fruit flavors maintain throughout the flavor and make this quite nice.

I’m much more impressed than the first time I had this. I think this batch must be fresher than the first time I had it, because the fruit and bubble gum flavors really turn out nicely.

Cheers!

You know, I’ve realized that it’s been a long time since I’ve held a contest so it’s time for another. Up for grabs is this sweet Ommegang Rare Vos glass featured in the picture above. Answer this correctly and I will send it to you FOR FREE! Here’s the question: In yesterday’s post, I mentioned a big beer that I have plans for reviewing this week. (check the hint) Name the brewery this beer is from and post in the comments below. 🙂