Nov 28, 2013

Marc's Chocolate Bock

Marc's Chocolate Bock
Brauerei Gebr. Maisel Bayreuth (Link in German)
750 ml 7,5%

This family run brewery which is currently operating in the fourth generation (They are mainly known for their Weissbier Maisel's Weisse) recently started producing a line of high quality craft beers aimed at people like me.... the 750ml bottle costs around 5€ which is an OK price for me, but when you consider that you can get a 500ml can for cheaper than a Euro in any supermarket in Germany, it does put things into perspective.

This is a short interlude to the Dr. H. series as this was brought to me by my brother who already gave me an Indian Pale Ale from the same series, alas I was lazy and didn't blog about it.

The nice bottle looks well worth the money. It has a normal cap and not a cork like the bigger Belgium ones which miiight make it look a tad bit less worthy but seriously I don't care that much about it. The 2 part labels are classic and a bit minimalistic with the rear one offering taste descriptions. (Which I tend to evade as I'll auto-magically start tasting what I read...) It also shows the printed signature of whoever in an attempt to make it look more ... I dunno what. :P.

With the 7,5% of it and the effect the small Chimay had on me a few days back I expect to end having a nap later on :P. I do like my Chocolate Stouts so I'm looking forward to this Chocolate Bock.

I chose a 0,4 l Pils 'Tulip' glass for this, simply as I have no idea what glass would be fitting for it.
Likewise I was unsure what a good temperature would be for it... so I had it first in the fridge at around 8 C and then put it outside for 30 min at 1C... I chilled the glass as well as I realized that the same beer often has more than one taste sensations when tried in different temps.

It pours very oily and the very light caramel colored head is very fine and also very long lasting.
Fine bubbles from below fuel it and I wonder how the carbonation shall be. I noticed a nice warm smell already while pouring though now that the foam is covering it, the olfactory sensation isn't the strongest. I catch distant tones of dark chocolate, roasted malts and very faint hints of berries. A soft sweetness that reminds me of slightly burned caramel.

As the head still hasn't faded I'll enjoy a little beard in addition to my Movember one..

Dark chocolate and cacao are also what sticks out taste wise. The carbonation is good, maybe a bit too strong for me but that might also stem from the fact that I just smoked a pipe.
The taste is very full and rich and lingers on the tongue for quite a while, in which softer nuances mix into it like the burned caramel I mentioned before.

As in with the Chimay I can't taste the alcohol which always is a good thing, though I can feel a warmth in my tummy that must stem from either the percentage or the chocolaty goodness.

One of the best Chocolate themed beers I have had. It stays beer without aiming to be liquid chocolate... something other Chocolate beers fail.

I must say I am a big fan of the craft line Maisel is producing!

RateBeer seems to like it too.

The brewers themself say the following: http://www.maiselandfriends.com/en


Thanks to my brother for carrying the bottle to me.

Prost!

DMW

Nov 25, 2013

Chimay Bleue

Chimay Bleue
Bières de Chimay
0,33l   9%

Part 3 in the Dr.H series and the last of the smaller bottles before I hit the biiiig babies.
I'm really looking forward to this because it is basically leading Rate Beer with a straight 100.

I remember that I have had that beer before and that I did share the high rating but it was before my writing times. Maybe this is a great off-work beer as I just got home. I love Trappist Beers and have had most of them ... Argh it's one of these days when i just wanna drink and not write that much. I did chose my Westmalle Trappist Glass for this beauty.
As all trappists this is top-fermented and bottle conditioned. The blue Chimay is the strongest in the Chimay series and if my typing slurs at the end.. well you know why :).

The label is classical just showing the Chimay letters and blue color that identify it as the strong version of the series. It's a small bottle with the name of the abbey on it.
Some pages say that the yeast in trappists should be mixed in later but I usually just mix it in from the beginning on. According to the label the surplus money the monks make with the beer is put to charity.. drinking with a great conscience YAY.
I made a bit of a mistake when pouring so the head ended more like a cappuccino....
The head is full, caramel colored and lasts relative long. The bubbles are bigger than I usually see em. 
Color wise this is dark red like coke held in front of a light bulb but cloudy. The yeast can be seen.

It smells like a very rich bread, the yeast is noticeably there, which isn't a bad thing. There are very slight tones of lemon peel and pepper present.

It starts with a tickle, a fruity rich sensation on the tip of the tongue that then explodes throughout the mouth. Once oxygen is let into the mouth, a rich bitterness mixes with the combination. Carbonation is perfect and there are new aspects with every sip. It starts with nice fruit tones and ends with peppery coffee taste. The alcohol is not noticeable at all, it doesn't linger nor is it overly detectable.

I know why I liked it back then, I know why this leads rate beer and I need to keep in mind to get this more often. Again thanks Dr. H!

Prost!

DMW


Nov 22, 2013

Rodenbach

Rodenbach
Palm Brewery
250ml
5,2%

Day two of the Dr.H. series. After yesterdays iron, sugar, color beer we continue with a Flanders Red Ale and I am _really_ looking forward to this. 

The classic red label which appeals to me nicely, just because it is very simple, states that this was matured in oak casks and a mixture of 3/4 young beer and 1/4 2 year matured beer.
Wikipedia has something more to say about this kind of beer and details on how it is fermented with different organisms than your around the corner waterhole beer.
Ratebeer also knows something about it and it has been described as lambic without fruit. As I am known to drink even Berliner Weisse without the syrup because I like the crisp tartness of it I am very interested. Already sad that this comes in a 250ml bottle... partly as I'm not sure what glass to use and partly because well it's just half a pint and I'm a big boy :P. Alas, the next 2 parts of the Dr.H. Series will feature da big bottles so my liver can enjoy the holiday.... for now.

As I already mentioned I do like the label. It's a bit retro but very clear with a high recognition value.

As I still had the glass from yesterday around (freshly washed of course) I shall use this one, after I left it outside for a while to get nice and cool.

It pours a nice red almost like watered down Coke a nice red-brown. The head was difficult to produce and dissipated rather fast, leaving a very thin brownish foam layer.
It looks strongly carbonated but that we shall find out when tasting.

I can definitely smell the oak barrel in it, a muskiness I know from when I used to visit our vintner. Slight iron tones and a strong plum tone are persisting.

The label states added sugar which usually makes my alarm bells ring but I guess those nasty bacteria friends need something to eat too.. Soooooo let's drink friends!

Now the taste is something really special. It's sour with a distinct plum tone though that's only the first sip. It also has sweet tones in it which are cleverly hidden and can be found dancing on the tip of ones tongue. The carbonation is just perfect and it's a perfect harmony between sugar, tartness, fruit and spice. Maybe a tad bit on the tart side. The taste changes with the amount of oxygen allowed in the mouth and every sip allows new explorations. The oak barrels can be very softly found on the back of my palate but is not very strong and makes an overall perfect piece.

I truly like this one! Uncle Dirk gives his approval! Thank you Dr.H. - a lot!

Prost!
DMW

Nov 21, 2013

Diekirch Grand Cru

And then there was real life... and conventions and laziness and I dunno... less beer.. but now the days are getting shorter, the coldness is creeping into my bones and I had Dr. Henry A friend of mine present me with a bag full of beery goodness to write about. Give Beer, will write about... that's a great slogan.... if anyone wants to donate something....

But ähm yeah.. after I got to introduce Dr. H. to some Finnish beerses he decided I need to get to know some other stuff so here we are the Dr. H series!

Kicking it off today is the

Diekirch Grand Cru
330 ml
5,1%

I instantly disliked the color... it's a dirty brownish and a glance at the ingredients indeed show that they use a color in their beer.. something I am a tad bit sceptical about.. why does a beer need a dye to make it appealing. Anyways besides the happy addition of E150c the head is nice and it comes with a fine cream colored foam which is stronger on the outside and less persisting towards the middle of the glass. I chose a classical Kellerbier glas for it... mainly because it came in a 330ml bottle and I don't own too many of those.

It's not having a very strong smell, really just very fine and hidden fruity notes, mixed with the presence of yeast. Some cinnamon and wintery spices maybe... but as I said.. it's so decent that I might imagine those.

Now for the taste...

It's crisp, bitter but also has some sweet tones... sadly as the ingredients show the sweetness comes from added Invert Sugar which lingers over the good beery taste. It's not bad though. The slight taste of Iron forms a nice combo with the existing bitterness. It ends with a fresh, crisp aftertaste.

I like it, but as I already mentioned I'm not sure why it needs sugar and colorant.
A nice start for the Dr.H. Series!

Prost!