The Savage Boleks' Drunk Monk Belgian Tripel

After the success of my first homebrew, I decided to try something different.  I purchased another Brewer's Best kit.  This time, I decided I would brew a Belgian Tripel.  But I also decided to give it my own twist.   I purchased some dried bitter orange peel, some cardamom seeds and some coriander seeds.  I thought the bitter orange peel would be a good compliment to the Belgian candy sugar.  I also thought that the cardamom and coriander would provide a pepper taste to the beer.  So, during the brewing process, I added the bitter orange peel and a couple tablespoons of cracked cardamom seed and cracked coriander seed.

The fermentation process for this beer was much more subdued.  That may have been due to the fact that I let the beer ferment in the basement, which was cooler than the dining room (where the Rascal King fermented).  I was a little concerned about whether the fermentation, but I continued anyway.

The beer was a success, more or less.  The beer pours a golden brown, without much of a head, because there was not as much carbonation as I would have liked.  The Drunk Monk definitely has a different taste, which I thought would occur.  The beer has a peppery taste.  The beer is like a debate, between the sweetness of the candy sugar and the pepper of the cardamom and coriander.  The pepper wins, which is just fine with me.

I served the beer at our BBQ and had several bottles available for anyone who wanted to try it.  All but one of the bottles were consumed well before the end of the night. So, I guess people liked the beer. 

The beer is supposed to have an ABV of about 9%.  As with the Rascal King, I think the ABV fell a little short.  That just gives me a goal for the next time I brew the beer.

Obviously, as a homebrew, the beer is not for sale and is not available in stores.  You will just have to wait for the next party, assuming there is any left.

ENJOY!

Savage Boleks' Rascal King Imperial India Pale Ale

I am a big fan of craft beer and craft breweries, throughout the United States and around the world. You can see some of them on the right side of the blog under "Some Great Craft Brewers."  While I have no dreams of becoming a craft brewer, I did decide to start homebrewing as a hobby.

I chose to make an Imperial India Pale Ale as my first home brew, which is one of my favorite beer styles.  My beautiful wife, Clare, helped me make the beer.  Hence the "Savage Boleks."  This beer was made from a Brewer's Best kit and I followed the instructions to the letter.

The beer has a rascally history.  During the fermentation, the carboy blew its top because of the active fermentation.  Still, the beer turned out well.  It has a a deep brown color and a nice foam develops when poured.  Take a sniff of the beer and you are greeted by hops.  More hops follow when you drink the beer.  In fact, the beer has a very hoppy taste, which stays with you after each sip.  This is to be expected from an Imperial IPA, which is a beer style that uses more hops that other styles.

 

The beer is supposed to have an ABV of 9%, but I don't think I got the ABV that high.  Still, it is a very drinkable beer and a good first attempt at home brewing.  I offered the opportunity to try the beer to family and friends at our Open House/BBQ.  I guess people liked it, we went through a lot of them.

Obviously, as a homebrew, the beer is not for sale and is not available in stores.  You will just have to wait for the next party, assuming there is any left.  

ENJOY!