Justintoxicated. - Vancouver, BC

Chouffe, (Belgium)

Verdict : 1st Place - La Chouffe, 2nd) Houblon 3rd) Mc Chouffe

1) Mc Chouffe, 8% ABV

My notes:

• My Rating: B
  
• Why I love it: malty rich
• Where I got it: Legacy Liquor
• How much: $4 , 330ml, 2011
• Do I love this enough to drink it again: no
• Would I recommend this to beer aficionados: yes

Tasting notes: pours dark root beer brown, small head ,sticky lacing, micro CO2, lots of active CO2 streams. Medium malts on the nose. Tastes of malted caramel, alcohol kicks in the mids, 8/10-level heavy sweetness, a bit of roastedness, mild cinnamon/nutmeg spices, cola, silky creamy mouthfeel, finishes rich deep bitter but also alcoholic. Medium complexity, med-high depth, good transitions, good carry, good drinkability. No wow-factor here; I prefer the La Chouffe or the Houblon.

2) La Chouffe, 8% ABV

My notes:

• My Rating: B+
  
• Why I love it: super smooth and crisp
• Where I got it: Legacy Liquor
• How much: $4 , 330ml, 2011
• Do I love this enough to drink it again: no
• Would I recommend this to beer aficionados: yes

Tasting notes: pours clear dark amber, almost no head, micro CO2. Minor malts on the nose. 7/10-level sweetness, alcoholic backdrop, sweet malts, honey, chamomile, orange, cinnamon, coriander, creamy mouthfeel, tingly CO2, clean finish with only traces of bitterness. Medium complexity, medium depth, great transitions, good carry, great drinkability. Like the Houblon but without the long lingering bitter finish.

3) Houblon Chouffe - Dobbelen IPA tripel, 9% ABV

My notes:

• My Rating: B+
  
• Why I love it: smoothly crisp
• Where I got it: Legacy Liquor
• How much: $4 , 330ml, 2011
• Do I love this enough to drink it again: no
• Would I recommend this to beer aficionados: yes

Tasting notes: pours bright amber yellow, small head, micro CO2. Medium malts on the nose. Burst of 8/10-level sweetness up front, alcoholic malts, orange citrus, dry hops, pine, ends with a long lingering bitter finish. Medium complexity, medium depth, good transitions, good carry, good drinkability. All-around solid tripel.

Mort Subite Kriek (Cherry), 4.5% ABV, (Belgium)

About:

“The Kriek Mort Subite is brewed according to the ancestral lambic recipe. This original Belgian beer ferments spontaneously. Enriched with cherries, it matures soft and slowly in oaken casks. To be served cool. Ingredients: water, malted barley, wheat, cherry juice and elderberry juice, corn, sugar, hops.”

My notes:

• My Rating: A-
  
• Why I love it: extremely clean cherry flavour
• Where I got it: BC Liquor Stores
• How much: $5 , 375ml, 2011
• Do I love this enough to drink it again: yes definitely
• Would I recommend this to beer aficionados: yes definitely

Tasting notes: pours clear vampiric red, minimal head with almost no retention, and a few slow-moving CO2 streams. Red cherry juice on the nose. Drinks with a gentle 6/10-level sweetness, cherry juice up front, 3/10-level tartness and a mild sourness, tingly and soft carbonation, light malted finish. Some notes of elderberry with the cherry. Low-medium complexity, low-medium depth, excellent transitions, good carry, great drinkability. Super smooth and easy to drink, solid and always worth a go.

Hennepin (Farmhouse Saison Ale) - Ommegang (Duvel), 7.7% ABV, (Puurs, Belgium)

On the back label:

“Father Hennepin was the Belgian missionary who discovered Niagara Falls. Our Hennepin is a rare Saison Farmhouse Ale - pale, hoppy, crisp, and rustic - like Tintin, Magritte, and Audrey Hepburn, Hennepin is famous, but not for being Belgian!”

Rare Vos (Belgian-style Amber Ale) - Brewery Ommegang, 6.5% ABV, (Cooperstown, NY)

On the back label:

“Rare Vos is Flemish for “Sly Fox” and the name of one of Brussels’ great cafés. It is also the name of our cunning Belgian-style Amber, which sports a mellow, fruity character and an elusive spiciness.”

• My Rating: B
• Why I like it: crisp + fruity apricot and creamy finish 
• Where I got it: Brewery Creek
• How much: ~$14, 1 Pint 9.4 fl.oz, Oct/2011
• Do I love this enough to drink it again: No
• Would I recommend this to beer afficianados: Yes

Tasting notes: pours light amber with a good thick head and layered retention,  sticky lacing, small CO2, lots of active CO2 streams. Hybrid banana & apricot on the nose. Drinks silky creamy up front, tastes of banana, apricot, medium hops, light malt, 6/10-level sweetness, hints of coriander, and transitions into a sharp-aggressive lingering tart, citrus, bitter finish. Medium complexity, medium-high depth, good transitions, great carry, great drinkability. Very nice and balanced for its ABV.

Augustijn, (Ertvelde, Belgium)

Which I like better: Augustijn Grand Cru

1) Blonde, 7% ABV

My Notes:

• My Rating: B+
• Why I like it: thirst quenching-orange soda
• Where I got it: Brewery Creek
• How much: ~$4, 330ml
• Do I love this enough to drink it again: Unlikely
• Would I recommend this to beer afficianados: Def Yes

Tasting Notes: pours pure cloudy orange, very nice thick foamy head, thick retention, sticky lacing, active CO2 streams but not as many as the Grand cru. A bit of malty orange on the nose. 1st few sips were extremely thirst quenching. Tastes of orange jam, 7/10-sweetness malts, apples, semi-sweet lingering bitter finish. It gets progressively sweeter as the beer warms. Medium complexity, medium depth, good carry, good transitions, very nice drinkability. Not as complex as the Grand Cru and also needs to drunk in a chilled glass asap before it warms and becomes way too sweet.

2) Grand Cru, 9% ABV

My Notes:

• My Rating: A-
• Why I like it: apricot/lemon fruity drinkability
• Where I got it: Brewery Creek
• How much: ~$4, 330ml
• Do I love this enough to drink it again: Unlikely
• Would I recommend this to beer afficianados: Yes

Tasting Notes: pours golden amber, nice thick foamy head, thick retention, sticky lacing, very active clustered CO2 streams. A bit of peach on the nose. Smooth creamy 5/10 sweetness up front, 4/10-bitterness malts in the mids, apricot, bitter lemon, ultra clean mouthfeel, dry bitter slightly hoppy finish. Alcohol is well masked though detectable. Medium complexity, medium-high depth, long length, great carry, excellent transitions, fabulous drinkability. A winner here.

Leffe, (Belgium)

Which I like better: Leffe Blonde

1) Blonde, 6.6% ABV

My Notes:

• My Rating: C+
• Why I like it: very crisp and drinkable
• Where I got it: BC Liquor Stores
• How much: $15, 6x330ml
• Do I love this enough to drink it again: No, not complex enough
• Would I recommend this to beer afficianados: No

Tasting Notes: pours glowing dark orange, small head, nice lacing, thin layer of retention, ultra-micro CO2, tons of active CO2 streams. Consume between 5-6C. Medium-thick malts on the nose. Starts very creamy, 6/10 sweetness, mainly malts, banana and faint notes of honey and chamomile. Finishes malty 3/10-bitterness. Low-medium complexity, medium depth, medium bitter length, not much carry, good transitions, great drinkability. Not much in terms of a wide range of flavours, but extremely crisp and pairs well with heavy foods - creamy pasta, meat, lamb, pizza, etc.

2) Brune, 6.5% ABV

On the back label:

“The authentic Belgian abbey beer: The roasted barley malts give this Leffe Brune its sweet caramel yet bitter taste”

My Notes:

• My Rating: C+
• Why I like it: sweet caramel malts
• Where I got it: Legacy Liquor Store
• How much: $17, 6x330ml (after 10%)
• Do I love this enough to drink it again: No, not complex enough
• Would I recommend this to beer afficianados: No

Tasting Notes: pours milk chocolate brown, nice thick foamy head, thick retention, sticky lacing, plethura of CO2 streams. A bit of malt on the nose, but otherwise rather muted. Detection of alcohol up front, fizzy tingly and then creamy CO2, caramel malts, fig/date/redberry fruitiness, 7/10-sweetness level, roasted 6/10-bitterness level with a dry lingering alcoholic finish. Low-medium complexity, medium depth, medium length, okay carry, good transitions, great drinkability. A decent beer but too sweet for my tastes. A 6-pack is overkill.

Cuvée des Trolls spéciale 10 Years - Brasserie Dubuisson freres, 7% ABV, (Pipaix, Belgium)

On the back of the bottle:

“Brewed in limited quantity, this 10th anniversary edition accentuates the delicate qualities and fruity aroma of Cuvée des Trolls thanks to the bottle refermentation.”

My Notes:

• My Rating: A-
• Why I like it: solid balanced fruity-malty-bitter-hoppy beer
• Where I got it: Brewery Creek (?)
• How much: $10, 75cl
• Do I love this enough to drink it again: No, don’t love it enough
• Would I recommend this to beer afficianados: Yes

Tasting Notes: pours cloudy amber yellow, decent sized foamy head, layer of micro CO2 retention, sticky lacing all around, plentiful active CO2 streams. Sugared malts on the nose. Drinks with an extremely smooth and creamy mouthfeel, apricots, grapefruit tang/bitterness, malts, 6/10-sweetness level, finishes clean with a slight warmth. Minor alcohol detection throughout. Medium complexity, med-high depth, short-med length, good carry, good transitions, excellent drinkability. Superb quality beer.

Ommegang Abbey Ale - Brewery Ommegang, 8.5% ABV, (Puurs, Belgium) *(Listed in the “1001 Beers you must taste before you die”)

On the front and back label:

“Brewed and bottled exceptionally in Belgium for Brewery Ommegang of Cooperstown, NY. Ommegang is a Belgian Abbey Ale-top fermented and bottle conditioned, yielding a rich, fruity, aromatic, burgundian brew. Ommegang Abbey Dubbel is inspired by the centuries-old brewing traditions of Belgian Trappist monks.Named after Belgium’s oldest medieval fest, every bottle of Ommegang is cause for celebration.”

My Notes:

• My Rating: A-
• Why I like it: deep, sweet, fruity, and bitter all-in-one
• Where I got it: Brewery Creek, Oct-2011
• How much: $14, 750ml
• Do I love this enough to drink it again: No
• Would I recommend this to beer afficianados: Yes

Tasting Notes: pours maroon-red/brown, 1-inch foamy head, sticky lacing, long retention, ultra-active fast moving CO2 streams. A bit of malt on the nose, muted. Initial creamy mouthfeel, predominantly 6/10 sweet red fruit (cassis), quickly transitions in to a dark fruit fig and 4/10 bitter dryness that is soft at first but grows stronger. Medium-high complexity, med-high depth, long length, excellent transitions, full-bodied, great carry, excellent drinkability. Overall very smooth and drinkable, gets you buzzed quite fast.

Pilaarbijter Brune, 6.5% ABV, (Bavikhove, Belgium)

from the ratebeer.com website:

“Dark ale, fermented in the bottle.
Inspired by a Breughel painting, “The Flemish Proverbs” (1559), in which several Flemish proverbs are depicted amongst which is the expression “He’s a pilaarbijter” (“pillar biter”), which means, ’He’s a hypocritical man.’”

Scaldis Noel Premium (Anno 1768) - Brasserie Dubuisson Freres, 13% ABV, Belgium

On the back label:

“The strongest Christmas Belgian beer. Brewed exceptionally fro the Christmas period, Scaldis de Noel, a brilliant, red-amber ale will delight the most demanding connoisseurs. The Scalcis [SIC] de Noel Premium is not filtered and refermented in the bottle”