h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Hitachino Nest Espresso Stout, 330ml bottle 7.5%abv
( http://hitachinonest.com )

The pour
-nice photo with an another review http://whosisbrew.com/?p=469 -

Moderate pour yields a rather classic-in-appearance stout. Very dark brown, opaque really...minimal carbonation evident just below a finger of mocha-coloured head(with moderate retention).

Aroma

Roasty malt with a bittersweet chocolate 'edge' to it...bit of dark roast coffee coming through.

Taste

Maltiness with distinct coffee/espresso notes ...very much like a moka pot or stovetop espresso. Bit of chocolate and a slight(but noticeable nonetheless)smokiness. A dry finish. Very nice medium bodied mouthfeel, quite a good stout imho. A nice compliment to this Neal's Yard Lancashire cheese from Paddy's International Cheese Market, which a local blog http://bruleeblog.com/2010/04/neals-yard-dairy-london informs me is known as Montgomery's Cheddar there in The U.K.

Additonal Hockley Black & Tan notes

Quite complimentary to both the Neal's Yard Lancashire and the Gouda with cumin. Subtly enhancing the nuttiness of the Neal's Yard & rather momentarily highlighting the cumin(adding just a brief glint of brightness, so to speak).

Scholary significance? Beers with a diploma?

http://www.onlinecollege.org/2011/05/17/25-beers-with-scholarly-significance

Personally, although not a college student, I can vouch for the Route des epices & the rather venerable Guinness.

HaandBryggeriet Odin's Tipple(a dark Norse ale, though BeerAdvocate classifies it as a Russian Imperial Stout...& I resoundingly agree!), 500ml bottle 11%abv...batch 329, brewed on Dec. 3 2010, best before Dec. 3 2014

The pour

Moderate pour yields a darker-than-dark cola brown ale, though a bit of dark tan/amber translucence shows through near the edges. No actual head, just a ring of tight tan foam-dense though fleeting lacing...nice alcohol 'legs'.

Aroma

Roasty malt and black coffee...bit of dark fruit, in the sense of brandy-soaked raisins. A hint of bittersweet chocolate...ever-So-Very-faint notes of vanilla(caramel?)and anise.

Taste
Oh I like this! Malt & cold coffee-I detect some hops hiding in here- with a sort of Tia Maria/Kahlua vinous edge to it. Bittersweet chocolate and those boozy raisins pop in'n'out playfully...with a bit of a sour fruit character, like blackberries or a tart raspberry/gooseberry blend. Very full-bodied with a rather creamy silky mouthfeel. As the flavours fade there's an unmistakable alcohol warming at the back of the tongue...and a pleasant dry finish. Would that even a third of the reputed 'stout's I've had were favourably comparable to either this or the Dark Force! Will Definitely be picking up more of both the Dark Force and Odin's Tipple! (Quite possibly a few Norwegian Wood as well)



Oh(not that it's a glaring ommision), additional notes since I still have the bottles. Norwegian Wood batch 320, bottled Oct. 14 2010...best before Oct. 14 2012. Dark Force batch 332, bottled on Dec. 15 2010...best before Dec. 15 2012.

Nice visual(photo) http://www.flickr.com/photos/brostad/5552114569/

That is a nice illustration of how Odin's Tipple looks. I ws quite surprised at the lack of carbonation (not just the lack of head) in my bottle. Was yours a little flat as well, or must I try another bottle?

I must say, I had a bottle of Amber's' Pale Ale with dinner (tortellini in a garlic-parsley-and-thyme-sauteed-in-olive-oil-and-butter sauce) and I found it (the beer) to be quite, quite unenjoyable. I don't know if it was a bad bottle, if Gord the brewmaster has been mucking about with the recipe, or if my tastes are changing.

I'm just now having a

Gulden Draak
33cl, 10.5%
(once voted Best Beer in the World)

The ~Pour:

Dark like coffee, small head -- a ring around the glass and a little swirling spiral galaxy in the middle of the surface.

The Aroma:


Gol darn allergies! Through stuffed nose I detect:

Belgian fruity maltiness. Not much else.

The taste:

A definite coffeeness and perhaps cloves. Very little fruit in the first taste. There's a definite chocolate tone in the finish -- perhaps even milk chocolate. Although it sits at 10.5%, the alcohol doesn't dominate as it does with some high alcohol beers. Gulden Draak is very smooth and very richly flavoured -- I'm finding a hint of cinnamon now.

The rich mix of flavours certainly would make Gulden Draak an ideal winter evening warmer, but it is also so smooth and refreshing -- no thick lingering after-taste -- that it would be equally suitable for special summertime moments.

Very, very nice.

No my bottle was quite good...I suppose a touch more carbonation might've made a difference but then again I was very impressed. So as I said I will be buying a few more bottles.

Oh something of interest to go with the morning or whatever.

http://www.reddit.com/r/liquor/

I enjoyed the link about 'lost' drinks.


Now . . .


Duvel Belgian Specialty Strong Beer

330 ml/ 8.5%

The Pour:

Big white fairly persistent head, light golden yellow.

Nose:

Malt, hops, alcohol. Something a little grassy. A summery aroma.

Mouth:

Very effervescent with a nice solid body. Malty and spicy with hops. Very refreshing and clean. This is certainly not a Trappist style -- almost has a Pilsner feel. Very clean, did I mention?


Interestingly, I've decided to do a bit of looking about on wikithingy, and it turns out that, while it is technically a strong pale ale, it's made with Pilsner malt and Saaz hops, which would explain why I felt a Pilsner connection.

I very much like this Duvel!

The 'Duvel' you say!

On a somewhat related note, another Belgian.

Trappist Achel Brun(Dubbel), 33cl. bottle 8%abv

The pour

Moderate pour yields a somewhat cloudy yet rather beautifully translucent darker copper ale. Abundant carbonation and a two finger pale tan head...nice lacing.

Aroma

Rather vinous and fruity(apple, pear and a hint of white grape)...just a hint of citrus too, mainly the astringency. Very subtle spiciness...a bit peppery.

Taste

Malty and fruity, although unlike the nose I detect a fair bit of raisin and plum...and cherry?? Some sugary sweetness as well. The maltiness lingers, providing a nice background for whisps of toffee, vanilla and cinnamon. Hmm, a yeastiness emerges from the shadows with that Belgian banana bread quality. Nice medium mouthfeeel and higher carbonation, or higher end of moderate carbonation. Very clean and crisp...drier finish, with a bitter edge to it. Quite a decent Trappist Dubbel...enjoyable enough, but rather unexceptional.

As a change of pace, I cracked a fairly old big bottle (the bottle is from Alley Kat's big bottle series) of my home made dark ale. To be honest, I was quite shocked at its quality, if I do say so myself.

It had a magnificent tan head with tremendous lacing -- it still clings now even after about half an hour, and the flavour is just dandy. There might have been one or two off notes in the nose, but, all in all, I'm feeling a wee bit proud of it.

And the cost is nothing to sneeze at: about 40 bucks for forty-six pints. Something tells me that 46 bottles of Odin's Tipple might cost a little more than forty bucks.

Good guess-timation, methinks!

On a partially related topic (yes, they Do serve beer...Tsing Tao?)...

I'm off to sample some Asian cuisine tomorrow. Thai, Chinese or perhaps Vietnamese(although Chinese may not be a prominent part of the menu). A family-owned & operated business in the NAIT(Northern Alberta Institute of Technology)/118th avenue area, called Lan's Asian Grill...found nothing but rave reviews online!

A trivia note from a sister of beer:


I've read that about the only wine that is suggestible as an accompaniment to Asian cuisine is Gewurztraminer.

I wonder if Lan's has a (short) wine list.


You must `post your impressions

Hmm, yes I may just take notes, so to speak. I'll have to ask Tom when I arrive. He handles 'front of house' & is by all accounts very affable and/or talkative(a wonderful host).

Alright, four chicken thighs(the breasts tend to dry out easily if overcooked)marinating in the Kenmount Road Stout. Should be a nice enhancement to chicken mole...might have to try it with the Aaaiiiieeeeee Caramba.

Of course yesterday I'd neglected to post a couple other reddit links.

http://www.reddit.com/r/beer

(although I had posted^ that in the past, hadn't I)

http://www.reddit.com/r/wine

HaandBryggeriet Dark Force Double Extreme Imperial Wheat Stout
500ml/9%

The Pour:

A chocolatey brown head with a good persistence. Very dark brown. The sediment in the bottom of the bottle is particularly heavy in this bottle-conditioned item: care must be taken in the pour and the receiving vessel must be of adequate volume so the pour can be made in one smooth motion, catching the sludge in the bottle.

The Aroma:

Malty and roasted. Coffee and chocolate. A touch of hops.

The taste:

Chocolate! Sweet and full-bodied with a nice degree of roasted coffee, roasted malt and hops on the finish. For something initially so sweet and candylike, very well balanced. If beer were coffee, this would be cappuccino.

*whispers*Don't tell Neil Herbst but thanks to a totally serendipitous impulse purchase at Tienda Latina this evening, I've transformed the Loaded Goat Maibock into somewhat of a Schwarzbier. A little 7oz/207ml bottle of a non-alcoholic malt beverage called malta polar(pronounced 'polaar', I assume). Just 2/3 of the little bottle transforms the amber Maibock into a rather glorious cola brown.

Don't tell him or he'll do the same thing and bottle it as a new beer.

Ah, nicely said! '..this would be cappuccino.' I picked one up earlier to store/age awhile.

Quite likely , you Never know!

The bottle of Dark Force I had this evening was 'brewed' December 15th of last year (I'll assume that's the bottling date), so, five months old. I have never seen such heavy, firm load of sediment at the bottom of a bottle conditioned beer. I don't think it has any `particular significance, but it's interesting to note.