Piraat Ale, Belgium

Piraat Ale – 3.5/5

Ahoy maties. I have the perfect beer to celebrate international talk like a pirate day. This little number from Belgium pours out cloudy amber and has a typical Belgian yeast flavor. It’s supposedly a Belgian IPA but I would liken it more to a strong ale. It’s not overly hoppy and is warm on the way down. It’s quite obvious that the ABV is over 10%.

While I enjoyed Priaat Ale, it blessed me with a bad case of heartburn which turned me off at the time. Having said that, I’m keen to give Piraat Ale a second chance and potentially bump up the rating a little. Definitely worth trying if you can find it.

Duchesse De Bourgogne, Belgium

Duchesse De Bourgogne– 4.5/5

I love grey imported beer when you can’t read the label as it often leads to surprises; hopefully good ones. This was another birthday beer from Jay and the Thomas girls and boy did it catch me off guard.
After pouring it out into a glass I took a nice big sniff as I always do. I felt like I had buried my head in a bag of salt and vinegar chips and taking a good old whiff. It had a really vinegary smell to it which tingled all the way up my nose. I took a sip and found it to be quite sour which lead me to do a quick google search from my phone to make sure it was supposed to be this way and hadn’t spoiled. After the first initial shock I went back for more and was getting notes of dark cherry coming through.

Overall it was very refreshing and quite pleasant. I can picture drinking Duchesse De Bourgogne with Thanks Giving turkey as an alternative to champagne. It’s definitely worth trying.

Ayinger Celebrator Doppelbock - Aying, Germany

Ayinger Celebrator Doppelbock - 4/5

This was another decent beer donated by Erin, Cheryl and Jay. It poured out nice and dark and had a fluffy head.

It has toasty notes up front and a nice coffee bitterness. If you're into malty beers then you'll love this little Baverian bombshell. With this in mind, it's not the greatest consumption beer and best left alone on warm summer days.

This beer would pair well with a nice, earthy Camembert or Fontina cheese.

Orval Trappist Ale - Brasserie d’Orval, Belgium

Orval Trappist Ale - 4.5/5

I feel my close friends are really starting to get to know me. Erin, Jay and Cheryl were nice enough to hand select some very interesting beers for my birthday and I finally got around to drinking them last weekend.

Although I have read about Orval and seen around, I was yet to experience this Belgian delight. From what I had heard, Orval is brewed with wild yeast therefore no two bottles with be exactly the same.

With this in mind, there are some common characteristics. Firstly, I was surprised to find how fizzy it was. It poured out a golden amber color and had a nice, thick head. It was dry and hoppy and finished a tiny bit sour. Overall, a fantastic brew. Thanks guys for introducing me to another world class Belgian ale.

A Le Coq Imperial Extra Double Stout (2003) – UK

A Le Coq Imperial Extra Double Stout (2003) - 5/5

This was another amazing birthday beer from Jeff and Virginia. I don’t really know where to start with this one as there was so much going on.

I was intrigued to find a wine style cork in the top and for the first time I had to use a wine bottle opener to unleash the malty goodness from within. It poured out thick and dark with little to no head or bubbles. This made me nervous that it might have spoiled due to poor handling or storage but after the first sip I was reassured that it was handled with care.
It was rather bitter and had a sharp, dark chocolate flavor. The mouth feel was almost like that of a red wine or port and I definitely got the sense that there was a high alcohol content.
With that in mind, A Le Coq is NOT a consumption beer. I would recommend sipping at it or saving it as a night cap.

I get the sense that this is a volatile beer and if improperly stored could easily disappoint. Overall, I was stoked with what I drank and was lucky enough to get a 2003 vintage in good condition. Keep in mind that a younger or poorly stored vintage could lead to an undesirable experience.

Thanks J&V, you’ve led me down the path to greatness once again.

Beer for thought

If beer = car

Then Hefeweizen = VW Karmann Ghia

Both are light, great for a summer day and known to be fruity.

Beer for thought

If beer = car

Then IPA = muscle car

Therefore American IPA = Camaro and English IPA = Aston Martin

Pint of Aston please.......

Men in slow motion

Most EPIC beer commercial EVER

Hopus – Brasserie Lefèbvre SA, Belgium

Hopus – Belgium - 4/5

Once again, good friends Jeff and Virginia (aka The Sizzlies) hooked me up with a fine selection of beers for my birthday. Amongst those chosen was Hopus from Belgium.

It came in a classic style pop-top bottle and poured a golden amber color. It was cloudy and full of sediment, but to me that equates to flavor.

It had a faint honey smell to it which was made more evident after a taste. Up front it had a classic Belgian flavor, then came the smooth hops, which was followed by the subtle honey note. As this was not a combination I had encountered before I was pleasantly surprised.

This was a thoroughly enjoyable drop and I’m quite sure I will be drinking it again. Jeff and Virginia have once again introduced me to a keeper. Thanks guys!!