St. Feuillien Saison

June 5, 2012July 2, 2012 / Adam Barhan / Leave a comment

St. Feuillien Saison, originally uploaded by adambarhan.

Appearance: Really light deep yellow. Strong head that fades and leaces lace.

Smell: Not much of anything, not a funky saison

Taste: I don’t remember anything that stood out other than a light saison that was somewhat bland.

Mouthfeel: Light body not much carbonation for a saison.

Drinkability: Average beer in that it forgettable. Not good enough to be talked about but not horrible either. Will give it another shot when its not the last beer of the night. Had it at Friendly Spot

Serving type: bottle

Victory Saison de Buff

May 31, 2012July 2, 2012 / Adam Barhan / Leave a comment

Victory Saison de Buff, originally uploaded by adambarhan.

Appearance: Pours a clear golden color with a respectable head that leaves a fair bit of lacing

Smell: Very herb like, with sage and rosemary with a bit of tart lemon

Taste: Starts with a lot of herbs and makes its way to a bready backbone with hints of lemon.

Mouthfeel: Medium body with moderate carbonation

Overall: Very nicely done for a saison, need to try all three versions side by side.
Serving type: bottle

Jolly Pumpkin Bam Bière

May 28, 2012July 2, 2012 / Adam Barhan / Leave a comment

Jolly Pumpkin Bam Bière, originally uploaded by adambarhan.

Appearance: Pours a nearly clear, yellow body with a fizzy, white head.

Smell: A touch of maltiness with scents of coriander and farmhouse funk

Taste: Light malt sweetness and flavor with a nice amount of lemons and bananas. Some Belgian-type spices thrown in. Both lightly bitter and sour on the lasting finish.

Mouthfeel: Medium-thin body. Moderate carbonation.

Drinkability: A very good Saison from JP

Serving type: bottle

De Proefbrouwerij Zoetzuur Flemish Ale

May 26, 2012July 2, 2012 / Adam Barhan / Leave a comment

De Proefbrouwerij Zoetzuur Flemish Ale, originally uploaded by adambarhan.

A: Pours a light amber brown with some haze.

S: Plenty of sour cherries on the front with a bit of vinegar, some lactic notes, and a hint of malt sweetness as well.

T: A ton acidity and some vinegar. Good cherry notes along with a bit of sweetness that goes well with the sourness. Not too much oak, but a decent dryness with some tannins

M: The body is medium with a very lively carbonation and a dry finish.

D: A nice example of the style, not the best from them but not bad either. Was looking for something more sour but maybe it would age into that. Would buy again

Serving type: bottle

Mikkeller It’s Alive

May 25, 2012July 2, 2012 / Adam Barhan / Leave a comment

Mikkeller It’s Alive, originally uploaded by adambarhan.

A: Very clumpy and thick head, leaving sticky lacing. Pretty standard for the style. Beer is more orange than pale yellow.

S: Aroma is tart, funky, citrusy and a touch of dirt. Definitely noticeable Brettanomyces, not too many Belgian qualities coming though.

T: Funky more than citrusy, almost moldy cheese in flavor. Has a bit of sweetness towards the end, but this one definitely leaves a Brett flavor in your mouth.

M: Thin and low carbonation, has a creamy mouth feel that just fades into funk quickly. Not overly enjoyable.

O: Not great. This makes the 4th or 5th mediocre beer from Mikkeller. I will stick to Draft Bear from them.

Serving type: bottle

Samual Adams Verloren

May 22, 2012July 2, 2012 / Adam Barhan / Leave a comment

Samual Adams Verloren, originally uploaded by adambarhan.

A: Pours slightly hazy golden/orange color with a one finger white head that fades rather quickly leaving a very thin white cap on top. Thin and random lacing.

S: Some wheat and bready malt, a little mineral/salt aroma. Some very faint fruit aromas and light spice.

T: A little bit of lemon rind up front. More light spice, mostly coriander, some more citrus, and more mineral flavor.

M: Medium bodied with medium carbonation. Slightly dry finish.

O: Not bad, not too much salt coming through at all. Would by it again.

Serving type: bottle

Ranger Creek Small Batch Series 1

May 21, 2012July 2, 2012 / Adam Barhan / Leave a comment

Ranger Creek Small Batch Series 1, originally uploaded by adambarhan.

A: Pours a light copper color.

S: Infected. The wax smells of bad Swiss cheese. I took all the wax off and washed the bottle. Still present.

T: Still infected. Has a Bretty character to it as well as sour notes. Me thinks there was some contamination.

M: Medium bodied with medium carbonation. Slightly dry finish.

O:Would like to try an uninfected bottle. Cool bottle display though.

Serving type: bottle

Exposure Brewing ESB

May 8, 2012July 2, 2012 / Adam Barhan / Leave a comment

Exposure Brewing ESB, originally uploaded by adambarhan.

A: Pours is amber/light copper with a creamy off-white head.

S: Some moderate caramel and toffee notes and a floral, earthy hoppiness. Not an overly intense nose, but it’s an English style.

T: Very bready on the palate with a mild amount of hop bitterness. Again, the hops are primarily floral and earthy, and the sweetness is not quite as noticeable as on the nose.

M: The body is medium and so is the level of carbonation. The finish leaves a lingering bitterness.

D: Not too bad, I am not sure I would call it great but not bad for the first attempt.

Russian River Damnation

April 30, 2012July 2, 2012 / Adam Barhan / Leave a comment

Russian River Damnation, originally uploaded by adambarhan.

A: nice golden color with a white, fluffy head

S: The distinctive Belgian yeastiness with plenty of spice–mostly coriander and pepper. Apple, pear and honey flavors come through as it warms

T: Up front, this one is definitely sweet and malty. The apple and pear flavors show themselvesas it warms but are not overpowering. The finish has a light floral hop bitterness to contribute to a balanced beer.

M: The body is medium and slightly sticky and sweet. The carbonation is moderate and, despite the sweetness, is actually a bit dry and well attenuated.

D: A well balanced and really flavorful beer from RR

Serving type: bottle Batch 063