Coconut Delight

"Nicaraguan rum barrels." Those three words caught my eye.  I follow the general rule of not buying beer or wine based on the label.  But, the label had those three words: "Nicaraguan rum barrels."  Those words were intriguing to me.  After all, I don't drink Flor de Cana (Nicaraguan rum).  

Those three words also include a "story," or at least a tale told by the brewers:

Like all great legends, the facts are in dispute.  Coconut Delight is named for one of the most notorious and important pirate ships in history.  Batchelors Delight. Captained by the infamous buccaneers Davis, Wafer and Kingson, who won the ship in a card game. After years of pirating in the Caribbean, the trio were set on retiring in Virginia.  They were arrested near Hampton Roads and spent nearly 3 years in prison.  They were able to negotiate their freedom by gicing up a large portion of their booty, which King William used for the "charitable purpose" of founding the College of William and Mary.

Pirates, rum, beer. That is quite the story for what turns out to be quite the beer.  At this point, I should say that, as much as the "Nicaraguan rum barrels" intrigued me, the notion of a coconut quadrupel ale gave me some pause.  I am not a big fan of any beer that is brewed with coconut.  While I like the flavor of coconut, I have a hard time finding a beer that works with the ingredient. 

Enter Lickinghole Creek.  This is a farm brewery that produces hops, barley and beer on 290 acres in Goochland, Virginia.  The beer is begins with well water that is drawn from the property and purified on site.  And, then there is the coconut.  So, let's get to the beer. 

The Coconut Delight pours pitch black, which is a hue that one expects from an Imperial Stout, not a Belgian-style quadrupel.  Likewise, there is a cream foam that, with the pitch black color of the beer is something that is more akin to a Harviestoun Old Dubh.  

Moving to the aroma, there are strong elements of coconut, wrapped with candy sugar.  One reviewer described it as a "Mound's bar."  I can see that description, which carries through to some extent in the taste of the beer.  The flavor is very coconut forward, with some boozy liquor in the background.  There is some indications of that rum in the background, but it has a difficult time breaking through the strong coconut flavor in the beer.  That rum becomes more present as the beer warms over time. 

This beer changed my opinion about the use of coconut in beer.  The Coconut Delight is a very good beer, even if it seems to stray a little from what one would expect from a quadrupel beer.  For $12.39, this beer is definitely worth the price and if I ever find it again on a shelf, I will definitely buy it again. 

ENJOY!

The Sprecher Series, Part Four ... The Quadrupel

It is the last of the Sprecher Series. In the past, I have previously reviewed the other three beers in that series: the Enkel, the Dubbel and the Tripel. The final beer is the Quadrupel, which is the last in the line of the Belgian style of brewing.

As it turns out, the Belgian Quadrupel is probably my favorite style of beer.  I have also drank some mighty fine Quads in my time, such as the La Trappe Quadrupel.  In other words, the bar is very high.  And, after the somewhat disappointing experience with the Sprecher Tripel, I would not be completely honest if I did not say I was wary of this particular offering.  Nevertheless, I committed myself to trying and blogging about all four of the Sprecher Belgian beers, because I wanted to go through the exercise of thinking about and writing about each of the Belgian beer styles.  So, here it goes ....

The brewers describe the beer in the following words: a "massive mouthful of malt goodness balanced by warming alcohol with a whisper of bitterness and playful spice."  They add that there are "[p]redominant flavors" of "caramelized sugar, toffee, dried fruits (fig, cherry, raisin, plum), molasses, light spice (clove, pepper, nutmeg) and a slight hint of citrus."  That is a very tall order. 

It is also one that falls a slight bit short.  The Quadrupel pours a cola brown in color.  There are aromas of raisins and plums, which are also featured in the flavor of the beer.  The caramelized sugar also features prominently, hence the Belgian candy taste.  While there is a slight tartness to the beer, I do not think that falls in the category of either a "light spice" or "citrus."  Nevertheless, it is present against the booziness of the beer in the background. 

The Belgian Quad was a good quadrupel.  Certainly a better example of a quadrupel than the tripel was as an example of a Belgian Tripel.  With this beer and review completed, it draws to an end my Sprecher Series.  But, it is no La Trappe.  If I ever make my way back out to Wisconsin, I may find another Belgian Quad to double check my impressions.  Until then, 

ENJOY!

Brookeville Beer Farm's Quadrupel

Hunter S. Thompson once said, "There is an ancient Celtic axiom that 'good people drink good beer.'"  If that axiom is true, then the Belgians must be really good people, because quadrupels -- a style created by trappist brewers in Belgium -- are really good beers.  In fact, the quadrupel is probably my favorite style of beer.  That is saying a lot, because I like a lot of different styles.

A farm-to-brewery in rural Montgomery County -- the Brookeville Beer Farm --  has produced a very good quadrupel.  I came across this beer by accident.  I was sitting at a local restaurant, which had a tap for some local breweries like Brookeville and Waredaca Brewing.  When the waitress stated that the Brookville beer was a quadrupel.  I ordered one.  The beer was so good that I decided to make a trip out to the brewery to get a growler of the quadrupel.  I brought the beer home to enjoy and to do a blog post, although it took a very long time for me to get around to writing that post.  But, here it is ...

The Brookeville Beer Farm's Quadrupel pours a nice brown color, with some amber hues that show through depending upon the light.  As it is poured into the glass, a thin light foam develops on the surface of the beer, akin to cirrus or cirrocumulus clouds.  The aromatic elements of the beer rise through those foam clouds to reveal a malty, somewhat bready nose to the beer.

The aroma was just the introduction. The taste elements of the beer include banana, bubblegum and a little clove.  There was also some nutmeg or allspice that could be detected, which provided some further complexity to the quadrupel beer.  The mouthfeel of this beer is particularly noteworthy.  It is very smooth, with a slight sweetness that introduces a considerable booziness.  That booziness seems greater than the ABV, which is 9.2% (a bit on the low end for quadrupels).  Thus, this beer stands tall with higher powered quadrupels.

The Brookeville Beer Farm's Quadrupel stands as probably the best beer that I have had from the brewery.  I am not just saying that because it is a quadrupel; rather, I am saying that because it is the beer that best fits the style with respect to color, aroma and taste.  Although it is not currently on the taps at the brewery, I hope it comes back soon.

ENJOY!

Trappistes Rochefort 10

It has been described as one of the five beers that will change one's life.  Craft beer aficionados who have a special place in their heart for Trappist beers would readily agree with that description.  The beer ... the 10.  The ultimate beer produced by the Trappist monks at the Abbaye St. Remy, near Rochefort, Belgium.

That the beer would have such a distinguished honor comes as no surprise.  Records show that those monks at Abbaye St. Remy have been brewing beer since at least 1595 and perhaps as far back as 1464, which was when Cistercian monks took over the monastery and abbey. 

After a few hundred years, the monks refined their brewing skills to three beers.  Each is represented by a number.  The 6.  The 8.  The 10.  Translated: the dubbel, the tripel and the quadrupel.  That is a very basic categorization of the three beers when put side-by-side with traditional Belgian beer styles.

Despite the long history of brewing at the Abbaye St. Remy, the monks have been brewing the 10 since the late 1940s or early 1950s.  The ingredients include what you would expect -- water, barley malt, hops and yeast -- but also candi sugar and coriander.  

The 10 pours a nice chestnut brown.  There is a slight foam that develops as the beer is poured, but that foam quickly recedes to the edge of the glass, exposing the full liquid to allow the aroma to greet the nose.  That aroma has a certain sweetness from it, such as boozy cherries or molasses, with a light clove note.  As with most beers, the aroma carries over to a certain extent with the taste of the beer.  However, the taste of the 10 is not so much as dark cherry and molasses, but more reminiscent of plums and figs.  There is a certain  je ne sais quoi aspect to the taste.  Perhaps a little banana or clove, which would be more expected from a tripel than a quadrupel.

This is a very, very good beer.  I now understand why most reviewers rank this beer as one of the best beers in the world.  I have had this beer cellared for so long that I forgot what I paid for it.  But, if you happen across a bottle in your local beer store, it is definitely worth it.

ENJOY!

De Struise Brouwers Pannepot Riserva (2009)

 De Struise Brouwers, or "The Sturdy Brewers," is a craft brewer located in Woesten-Vleteren in the Belgian province of West Flanders.  According to Wikipedia, the owners of an ostrich farm in Lo-Reninge -- Urbain Cotteau and Philippe Dreissens -- partnered with a local winemaker, Carlo Grootaert, to found the brewery.  The name De Struise is derived derives from the Belgian word for ostrich, which is also slang for "tough."  Thus, the Sturdy Brewers.

Those brewers have produced a wide range of beers.  One of those beers is the Pannepot Riserva.  The label tells the story: "we first brewed Pannepot in 2001, as a tribute to the local fishermen from our village of De Panne."  It continues, "Pannepot Riserva was the idea of my colleague, Carlo, who proposed to age Pannepot in oak barrels that he found in France."  The first brewing to be aged in barrels was in 2005.  The brewers have continued the tradition, including the aging of the 2009 brewing of the Pannepot.  I recently opened a bottle of this beer to give it a try.  

This is not my first experience with Pannepot.  Previously, I reviewed the Pannepot Grand Riserva (2005), which was one of the bottles from that initial aging of beer in oak barrels.  The Pannepot is brewed in the style of a Belgian Quadrupel.  The Riserva (2009) shares a lot in common with its older brethren, the Grand Riserva (2005).

The Pannepot Riserva pours a chocolate brown or cola in color, with a light brown foam.  The aroma has elements of caramel, malts, alcohol and yeast.  There is also a sweetness in the nose of this beer, reminiscent of Belgian candy, sugar or dark fruits. The sweetness of the aroma carries over to the taste of the Pannepot.  The aging of this beer in oak barrels has left its mark on this beer, rounding out the flavors and, perhaps, accentuating the alcohol.   As with the Grand Riserva, there is a little Bourbon vanilla interlaced in the taste of the beer. 

I picked this beer up at a Binny's outside of Chicago.  I have not seen it at any stores in the United States.  If you should happen to see one, you should pick it up if only for the fact that you might not see it again.  

ENJOY!

The Monk's Brew

They are often called "gypsy brewers," innovative craft brewers who, because they lack a brick-and-mortar brewery, rely upon the kindness and cooperation of others.  Freed from the worries of running an established brewery, these itinerant brewers can spend more time thinking about different and innovative ways to brew beer. 

Whenever there is a discussion of "gypsy brewers," it inevitable includes a reference to Mikkeller.  "Based" in Copenhagan, Denmark, Mikkel Borg Bjergsø and his team have worked with a variety of brewers to produce beers with names like "Beer Geek Breakfast," "Black Hole," and the "Hop Bomb Challenge."  Another one of Mikkeller's beers is the "Monk's Brew."

Mikkeller brewed the Monk's Brew at De Proef Brouwerij in Lochristi-Hijfte, Belgium.  The Monk's Brew is a Belgian Quadrupel, inspired by Belgium's independent Trappist breweries such those operated by the Rochefort and Westvleteren monasteries.  (Both of those monasteries produce some great beers.)  The "Brew" is a concoction of water, malt (both pilsner and pale), candy syrup, cassonade sugar, hops (Northern Brewer, hallertauer and Styrian Goldings), and ale yeast.

The result is a dark Belgian Ale.  The Monk’s Brew pours a deep brown color with a surprising garnet edge. The dense, light tan foam faded slowly to a thin ring that covered the surface of the beer.  The aroma of the beer clearly reveals its Belgian inspiration, with elements of candy sugar, dark fruits (think plums or raisins), and roasted malts.  The alcohol is clearly present in the aroma, which is expected given the 10% ABV.

As for the taste, the Monk's Brew drew from traditional elements of Belgian quadruples, with flavors of dark cherries and other such fruits (once again, raisins) on a background of caramel and chocolate.  The body of this beer is very malty and, thanks to the sugar, quite sweet.

When it comes to pairing a quadrupel like the Monk's Brew with food, that can present a challenge.  Like barleywines and other high powered beers, Quadrupels are sometimes best enjoyed by themselves. However, these beers can also be paired with meat dishes, including game, and a range of cheeses, including Asiago, Brie and blue cheeses. 

The Monk's Brew is available at craft beer stores with a good international selection.  It sells for about $13.99 a bottle.

ENJOY!

De Struise Brouwers Pannepot Grand Riserva Vintage (2005)

My father, brother-in-law and myself were shopping at a Binny's for some craft beers.  Personally, I was looking for beers that I had never seen before and cannot find around where I live.  My dad struck up a conversation with one of the employees about the beer selection.  The employee showed my dad a bottle of Pannepot Grand Riserva Vintage (2005), a beer that the Binny's had never stocked before and, according to the employee, probably would not stock again.  This particular beer is a very rare one.  Only 3,000 bottles were filled ... for the entire world.  Yet, there were half a dozen bottles on the shelf of that particular Binny's. Knowing of my particular objectives during this shopping trip, my dad alerted me to this beer.  We both bought a bottle and it sat in my basement for a few months.  Eventually, I decided to try it recently.  

The Pannepot is a beer brewed by De Struise Brouwers, a Belgian brewer located in Oostvleveren, Belgium.  De Struise first brewed the Pannepot in 2001, a Belgian quadrupel that is dedicated to the local fishermen from the village of De Panne.  After brewing the beer for a few years, one of the brewer's colleagues proposed to age the Pannepot in French oak barrels.  De Struise experimented with the aging of its beer with a batch brewed in 2005 (hence, the 2005 vintage).  The brewer aged the beer in those oak barrels for 24 months.  De Struise bottled some of the beer, which sold out immediately.  Rather than sell the remaining beer, the brewer decided to age it for another eight months in second hand Calvados barrels.  After this second aging, De Struise filled only 3,000 bottles.

The Pannepot Grand Riserva pours a chocolate brown in color.  The aroma has elements of caramel and yeast.  There is also a sweetness in the nose of this beer, reminiscent of Belgian candy, sugar or dark fruits. The sweetness carries over to the taste of this beer.  The aging in oak barrels and Calvados barrels has definitely contributed to the taste of this beer.  The oak wood has toned down some of the quadrupel flavors.  By contrast, the Calvados barrels provides a little apple tartness, which shines through every once in a while.  The tartness is an interesting contrast to the Belgian candy sweetness of the beer.  Finally, there is a little Bourbon vanilla interlaced amongst the sweetness and tartness, providing the final layer of complexity to the taste of this beer.   

This beer is definitely a sipping beer.  Of course, this is fine given it has a 10% ABV.  Given there is only 3,000 bottles, it is very rare and unlikely to be seen again.  If you see it, it sells for about $12.99 a bottle.  

ENJOY!

La Trappe Quadrupel

The label reads, "[s]ince 1884, the monks of Koningshovoen have brewed La Trappe Ales to support themselves."  That immediately caught my attention.  I have always been fascinated by Trappist beers, and, I have even reviewed one such beer, Orval.   The fascination comes from the fact that monks have been brewing beer (or making wine) for centuries.  The beers often had a purpose ... they would consume the beers during fasting periods.

Another thing that fascinates me about Trappist beers is that there are few beers that are still brewed by, or under the direction of monks.  There are a lot of "abbey ales," but few to none of those ales are Trappist ales.  They are simply the efforts of those outside of the brotherhood to recreate Trappist beers.

Most Trappist beers are made in Belgium; however, there is one beer that is made by monks in the Netherlands ... La Trappe.  I recently purchased a bottle of La Trappe's Quadrupel. The monks produce this beer with pale, caramel, Munich and roast malts, along wtih Hallertau, Northern Brew, Slovenien and Super Steiner hops.  The monks also used a strain of yeast unique to Koningshovoen.  Each beer is bottle conditioned for a full, complex flavor and long shelf life.  It can be aged like a fine wine. 

The Quadrupel pours a rust, copper color. The beer is highly carbonated, as the pictures show.  The foam stuck around for quite a while.  The aromatic elements of the beer provide a traditional Belgian experience: yeast, bananas and cloves.  Some of those flavors carry through to the taste.  Most notably, the bananas and cloves can be detected with each taste.  These flavors are joined by flavors of caramel and a warming sense of alcohol.  (The beer has an ABV of 10%, along with 25 IBUs.) 

This beer is a sipping beer, meant to be enjoyed by itself.  For that reason, I really do not have any suggestions for food pairings.  Just pour a glass of the beer, sit out on a porch or a deck, take a deep breath, and enjoy.

This beer is available at stores with a large selection of imports.  A bottle will set you back about $16.99.  But it is worth it.  

ENJOY!

Sierra Nevada's Ovila Quadrupel

Nearly a year ago, I posted a review about Sierra Nevada's Ovila Dubbel.  The beer caught my attention because I had never seen a Dubbel from Sierra Nevada, let alone one that was made in collaboration with the Abbey of New Clairvaux.  

I did a little research and discovered the interesting background behind Sierra Nevada and the Abbey.  The brewer and the monks have worked to produce beers that have historically been brewed by monasteries for centuries.  A portion of proceeds from the sale of the Ovila Dubbel goes toward the restoration of the historic Santa Maria de Ovila chapter house on the grounds of the Abbey of New Clairvaux.  This medieval style building stood for eight centuries in Spain.  William Randolph Hearst purchased the building in 1931 and planned to use the stones for a castle at San Simeon.  Although Hearst never built his castle, the stones will be used to build a house at the New Clairvaux Abbey.

A "Quadrupel" is the name of the is the brand name of the beer produced by De Koningshoeven Brewery, a trappist brewery in the Netherlands.  It is also the name of a Belgian strong beer that is brewed to be stronger than a Tripel or Dubbel. 

The Ovila Quad pours a color that resembles Coca-Cola or decaffeinated coffee.  A light tan foam was formed, which quickly receded to the edges of the glass.  The aromatic elements of this beer are classic Belgian aromas ... yeast, a little fruit (think bananas), and Belgian candy. The flavors of Quad feature that banana, with cloves.  Other flavors include malts, caramel or molasses and a sense of alcohol that comes with high-alcohol beers.  (The Ovila has an ABV of 10.4%.) 

The fruit and malt flavors of this beer make it a good pairing with foods that have a little spice.  Those flavors, along with the warmth of the alcohol, help to tame the heat of the chiles.  I think that this beer pairs well with the Busca de Cuerdo.  This beer is also paired well with sweet desserts.  Of course, the Ovila Quad is also enjoyable on its own.

I found this beer at a local grocery store.  A 22-ounce bottle sells for about $11.99.  

ENJOY!