Saturday, May 29, 2010

BEER#14: BELL'S JAVA STOUT



The fourteenth beer I chose to film was Bell's Java Stout. Like HopSlam, I found it at Capone's bottle shop while visiting the Philadelphia area in March. I think I may have kept this one around a bit too long though...

WHAT I LIKED ABOUT THIS BEER: A good looking beer. Nice black body with a creamy, light tan head and a moderate coat of lacing. Very nice coffee aroma and flavor, you can tell some good coffee was added to this one. The roast malt characteristics of a stout are there as well.

The problem here was that the beer was sour. I am pretty sure it is not meant to be sour based on other people's reviews. I was only able to buy one bottle and it must have been a bad one or spent too long in my fridge. I am determined to get a fresh bottle of this in the future because I know Bell's beer pretty well and I can tell this one was just a bit off. I still appreciated the great coffee aspect of the beer but the sourness got to be a bit much.


FINAL GRADE: Can't really judge, good beer but possibly bad bottle.

Saturday, May 22, 2010

BEER#13: BELL'S HOPSLAM



The thirteenth beer I chose to film was Bell's HopSlam. One of the most talked about Double IPAs I can think of. Found it at Capone's bottle shop while visiting the Philadelphia area in March.

WHAT I LIKED ABOUT THIS BEER: Good looking beer, nice head and cloud on top with some spots of fine lacing on the glass. Smell and taste are great. Upon opening, a blast of hops left the bottle and could be smelled from several feet away. The aroma and taste were both a good balance of caramel malt and fruity/citrus hops. Orange, apricot, pineapple and grapefruit come to mind for the hops. The taste also has a large peel flavor to it. A great moderate level of bitterness is employed in the mouthfeel. The actual body of HopSlam was extremely creamy. On par with most pricey Double IPAs but definitely worth it. 10% IIPA that retains the style's characteristics rather than going toward more of a Barleywine feel. A very nice balance of the signature Bell's caramel malt flavor with great hops.

The only thing that could really be improved is the looks. The lacing and head were a bit lackluster. I have had better tasting and smelling Double IPAs but this one is not far from the best.


FINAL GRADE: 4.35 / 5 = A (for great taste, smell and mouthfeel, good looks and drinkability)

Saturday, May 15, 2010

BEER#12: DRIE FONTEINEN OUDE KRIEK



The twelfth beer I chose to film was Drie Fonteinen Oude Kriek. I must say it was a good way to top off the day where I did a college presentation about lambics. Spontaneously fermented ales are in a league of their own.

WHAT I LIKED ABOUT THIS BEER: A great pink/red color that make almost any Kriek look so appetizing. The smell was a good blend of cherry up front with some oak and funk/barnyard in the background. The taste was an awesome balance of classic Kriek flavors. Ripe sour cherries up front. A very dry beer, hate sweets in lambics. Oak and viney wine notes come into play nicely. The yeast notes and funk are here as well. Some bitterness rounds it all out with some acetic notes but they don't overcome the other great flavors. Mouthfeel was the standard light fizzy bodied lambic.

The only real problem here is the price. Spontaneously fermented beers and other wild ales are just too pricey. I understand where the price comes from and the beer is usually worth it but it really is a special occasion beer.


FINAL GRADE: 4.30 / 5 = A (for great taste and looks, good smell, mouthfeel and drinkability)