Orval Trappist Ale

Well, I still have some posts to update from when I was home.  And since I realize that everyone loves hearing from me, I'll throw the last one up here.  Before that, what happened to Mr. Why Do You Never Post?  But seriously, if you have left the internet then I am essentially talking to no one.  The internet can be so lonely.

Orval Trappist Ale

Appearance- A golden orange with a billowing egg shell white head.  The head is pillowy and resilient and a half finger sticks around.  It is slightly hazy and leaves behind a sticky lacing.

Smell- Tart fruits with a reasonable amount of lemon.  Some medicinal and phenolic smells with little underlying malt sweetness.  Some earthy, musty character as well.

Taste- The lemon and citrus flavors are not as pronounced in the taste although they are noticeable lingering in the background.  Medicinal and other phenolic flavors are apparent throughout the beer.  The earthy, musty, slightly barnyard-esque characteristics starts in the middle of the beer and carries through the finish.  Slightly tart, but certainly not mouth puckering and it is not off putting.  Slight hop bitterness in the finish.

Mouthfeel- Medium or possibly medium-light body.  Carbonation is slightly prickly on the tongue at first, but it has become more smooth as the beer has settled.  The finish is dry.

Overall and Notes- A great belgian beer as the earthy character makes this both different from others in the same style and it provides it with a little more character.  As a person who edges towards the funky/sour end of the beer chain, this is my type of beer.  That being said, it is not likely to offend others who do not prefer funk all that much.  So go get the beer or else.

Great Divide Wolfgang Doppelbock Lager

Well, unfortunately I am lacking on the update, but at this point that should be no surprise.  So the scenery in the pictures may be... a tad bit late?  Oh well, get used to it.  The good news (possibly bad for some?) is that I mustered up the ability to write a measly couple paragraphs again.  Life is hard, isn't it?

Wolfgang Doppelbock Lager

Appearance- An amber color with ruby highlights.  Tan head as a thin layer of creamy carbonation sticks around.  Slight lacing and the color is clear.

Smell- Classic bready component that is normally found in a doppelbock.  Caramel very noitceable as it lingers in the malt sweetness.  There seems to be a slight weird; I want to say piney, but that is not exactly it.

Taste- A very rich malt taste that is abundant in bready character with slight amounts of nut.  Seems to be a hint of roasted malt in the finish of the beer and that is where the nutty flavor seems to become most apparent.  A caramel sweetness compliments the malt character as well from the middle of the beer into the finish.

Mouthfeel- Medium bodied with smooth carbonation.  Sweet flavor as expected.

Overall and Notes- A great doppelbock, and I have to admit that I was not expecting it to be this enjoyable, especially after the one strange component in the smell.  Glad to see a great doppelbock released by an American brewery.

Half Acre Big Hugs

Ever since I decided on moving to Chicago, someone has been nagging me to grab Big Hugs.  Well, in the past that was easier said than done a my schedule has made attending beer events some what difficult at this time of year (damn you responsibility!).  That being said, I got lucky and met someone from Half Acre this year and they were kind enough to actually get me a growler of Big Hugs at their release party that I was once again unable to attend.  I may have had a little too much fun rubbing it in someone's face...

Half Acre Big Hugs

Appearance- An opaque black color as no light appears to shine through.  A small tan heard disappears almost entirely except for a small ring, but this is a growler that I got earlier in the weeks so that probably has something to do with it.  Small amounts of lacing as well.

Smell- A rich full chocolate smell right away.  Moderate to high amounts of roasted malts are layered with smells of dark chocolate.  Hints of coffee, and more specifically, espresso as well.  Although there are compliments of espresso, the chocolate and roasted malts dominate this beer.  Small to moderate amounts of alcohol are noticeable towards the end.

Taste- There is a smooth chocolate similar to the smell.  The chocolate seems to be almost bitter sweet throughout the beer, jumping from one to the other.  Medium to high amounts of roasted malt are apparent throughout.  Some malt sweetness can be tasted as well.  Light amount of coffee/espresso, but it does not quite stack up to the chocolate character.  Currants can be tasted slightly, but are washed away rather quickly.  Although this is a 10% alcohol beer, there is only a small amount noticeable at the end of the beer.

Mouthfeel- Full bodied and slightly creamy.  Some alcohol warmth towards the end.  terribly smooth for 10% beer.

Overall- I have been looking forward to this beer and it did not disappoint.  Incredibly smooth for its size and its combination of chocolate and roasted malts while still managing to balance out the alcohol.  Also, look at that label.  Seriously.  Look at it.  How could you say no to Big Hugs?  Just google that and have fun with all the variations.

X-Mas Ale-egations Brew Day

Well, I'm trying to keep up with this blog thing again, but I have had some other things on my mind.  The good news is that I was asked to brew a beer for the firm I work at.  And lets be serious, I don't have a chance on making it with my legal skill or intelligence, so I have to find something else to trick people into liking me.

I personally have never been a huge fan of spiced beer, but I need to both find a style that was not offensive to a large number of people, and one that would fit the season.  That being said, a spiced beer around this time can still be enjoyable.  More importantly, I got to to make incredibly terrible puns!  In the short time I had, I could only come up with two that were so bad as to put them on a bottle and embarrass myself: X-Mas Ale-egations and the Yule Against Perpetuities (yeaaaaaaaaah law jokes!).  The second didn't fit so I went with X-Mas Ale-egations and we were off.

X-Mas Ale-egations

Recipe

Batch size: 6.0 gallons
Original Gravity: 1.074
Final Gravity: 1.022
Boil Time: 60 minutes

Grain

18.5 lbs. English Maris Otter
0.75 lb. Crystal 80L
0.25 lb. Black Patent Malt

Hops

1.0 oz Horizon @ 60 minutes

Spices

1/2 broken up cinnamon stick @ 1 minute
1/3 tsp Ginger @ 1 minute
1/8 tsp Nutmeg @ 1 minute
1/8 tsp Allspice @ 1 minute

Yeast
Made yeast starter two days in advance from Wyeast 1028 London Ale

Unfortunately, I was a bit rusty since I haven't brewed a while.  During the process, I forgot it was supposed to be a 90 minute boil and stopped at 60 resulting in more beer than I had expected, and a less strong one than originally planned.  The good news is that since it was for people other than me, it was nice to have the alcohol percentage a little lower as to not get me in trouble.  That and I got more beer to hand out to friends.  Unfortunately, I cannot find the rest of my notes for this one, so this will have to do!

2009 Goose Island Bourbon County

Well, I had been waiting a while to open up this one, and what better excuse than being home for the holidays.  I mean, I have to choose something to keep my mind off Ohio.  And as newly minted man with a mustache, I insist on drinking out of a snifter.  Now if I could only grow proper facial hair...


2009 Goose Island Bourbon County

Appearance- An opaque motor oil black color as tot he best of my knowledge, no light is making it through this one.  A small tan head disappears quickly leaving no sign of its existence behind.  Obviously there is not much lacing as well.  This isn't terribly surprising with the age on this beer.

Smell- There is still a fair amount of wood present in the smell that is accompanied by a musty sort of smell.  Tons of roasted malt with coffee undertones that is expected.  A moderate vanilla smell helps bring together the beer with a pleasant amount of bourbon.  The musty character continues throughout the beer as well.

Taste- A rich and complex malt flavor drives this beer's profile.  The roasted barley, coffee, and smooth chocolate mold together wonderfully.  Compared to younger versions of this beer, this is amazingly more smooth and enjoyable.  It does not just taste like a big beer, rather each component has seemed to fall into its place.  There are small amounts of dark fruit esters in the middle right before an alcohol taste finishes out the beer.

Mouthfeel- Full bodied and chewy.  There is very little carbonation to go with the full body and the alcohol leaves a warming taste as well.

Overall and Notes- This was well worth the wait.  Much smoother than a fresh bottle and I would even like to see one more year on this one.  My only regret is not putting another one of these bottles away.

Also, remember you can still donate to my disgusting mustache!  This is the last week!

I'm Back/ Jolly Pumpkin de Viento

Well, it may have taken some time, but I am officially back!  The summer was full of beer fun and me trying to concentrate on being a real human.  Obviously, I am sick of that and am once again dedicated to not acting my age!  Told you it would happen, sucker!

So with new residence in Chicago and a new year, I grabbed a new beer.  Jolly Pumpkin de Viento struck my eye because of my questionable obsession with Jolly Pumpkin and simply because I had not seen it before.  So lets get to it.

Jolly Pumpkin de Viento


Appearance- A dark brown, but not quite an opaque black. There are red tinges along the edges where the light shines through. A tan foamy head is resilient and looks slightly creamy. Decent lacing as well.

Smell- Smell is not as strong as I expected. The smell of coffee and roasted malts is moderate in strength. There is a lingering tart smell in the background. It also seems as if there is a slight bandaid or plastic smell as well.

Taste- Once again, the beer starts with a coffee roast taste, but the strength leaves you wanting a little more punch. It has the slight peppery taste of the saison towards the end. The end of the beer brings just the slightest tart flavor (the least amount I have experienced in a Jolly Pumpkin). More prominent is a plastic or bandaid taste, but it is not overpowering. 

Mouthfeel- Medium mouthfeel with a dry finish like you would expect from a saison. Carbonation is smooth.

Overall- This generally leaves you wanting more from one of the ends: i.e. more roast and coffee or more sour and funk. Unfortunately this gets stuck somewhere in the middle. That being said, still enjoyable and a weird concept as well.

From the bottle: "March 15th, 2012 a tornado tore through Dexter, missing the brewery, but not all of our neighbors.  What could we do to help?  Hmmm.  We do know how to make beer.  So make a beer is what we did.  This beer.  Teaming up with co conspirators Great Lakes Coffee Roasting Company, Schera's Algerian Restaurant and The Abu Nawas Beverage Company to create a collaborative beer like none other.  A dark and smoky sour Saison full of rich aromatic coffee and the spicy heat of a secret Algerian spice blend. "  Also nice to not that proceeds go to the Dexter Relief Fund!

Well speaking of funds, I am shamelessly going to plug myself.  I am growing a mustache in for the month of November in order to raise money for prostate cancer research. (Movember!)  Please think about about donating and make fun of how ridiculous I look.  http://mobro.co/kevinlolli

Also, the good news is, I still am terrible at designing webpages/blogs!  Woo!

Jolly Pumpkin Oro de Calabaza

Holy crap, a new glass!  I'm working on it, alright.  I left all my other ones in Ohio.  If you were unaware, I love Jolly Pumpkin.  In fact, I used some of their bottle conditioned wild yeast to make my own sour beer in the past.  I know that they probably aren't on the scale of some Russian River sours and others out west, but I haven't been out there.  Anyways, these are solid beers nonetheless and I will probably always have a fondness for them since they are what got me into funky/sour beers.  Although I have had this one in the past, it's time to review it!

Oro de Calabaza


Appearance- Golden yellow in color with a layer of persistent white head.  The body is slightly cloudy while lacing sticks to the side of the glass.

Smell- A sour tart smell pounds the nostrils immediately.  It seems mostly to be lactic acid rather than acetic as well as some barnyard funk as well.  Beneath all the funk and sour is some citrus, most notably that of lemon with some grassy character that probably melds in with the barnyard character as well.

Taste- A muted front with some slight funk.  The funky barnyard flavors begin to rise in the middle with an increase in sour as well.  There is some slight citrus, but not what I noticed in the smell.  Slight peak of tartness in the finish that carries into a barnyard aftertaste.

Mouthfeel- Medium-light body with moderate carbonation.  Very dry finish.

Overall and Notes- The last time I had this beer on tap at South Park in Dayton, there seemed to be a lot more umph and more importantly, more sour.  I know that Jolly Pumpkin has been said to be a little less consistent than other sour brewers in there creation because of a lack of blending (I believe that was the explanation, someone correct me if I'm wrong).  That being said, still a solid beer.  Jolly Pumpkin doesn't disappoint me and I'm sure any day I will find myself fighting the urge to buy one of every one of their beers.