Hopfen Weisse (Brooklyn Brewery)

I had to uncork this bottle as a follow up its German cousin the Schneider-Brooklyner Hopfen-Weisse. It can only get better considering this is basically the same beer, but brewed by Schneider's Hans Peter Drexler at the Brooklyn Brewery with American hops. What a great idea to collaborate on this type of project. I hope to see some other American and European breweries do something similar in the future.

Pours pale, cloudy dark orange. There is some yeast sediment floating around the glass as proof of the bottle conditioning. Never a bad thing. The head is big and fluffy and the carbonation levels seem to be spot on. Its not a beautiful looking beer but its not worth judging it just yet.

Smells nice and citrusy. The hops are definitely in the foreground while the spicy, clovey yeasty smells are in the background. There is some bitter orange that really hits the nose when I take another whiff of this one. Overall, its very intriguing. 

Wow, what a smooth drinking beer. The malt and hops are very well balance. There is some sweet citrus mingling the spicy yeast tastes. Its like biting into a juicy, hoppy orange. Well, that sounds a little strange but thats what I come up with. I have to say that I quite like this beer. Its very refreshing with quite a lot of flavor and that high ABV is pretty much undetectable.

Cheers to both Brooklyn and Schneider! 

BEER FACTS

Name: Brooklyner-Schneider Hopfen-Weisse

Style: Pale Weissbock

Brewery: Brooklyn Brewery

Location: Brooklyn, New York, USA

Container: 750 ml. corked bottle

Malts: Pale Wheat & Barley

Hops: Amarillo & Palisade

ABV: 8.5%

IBUs: ?

Hopfen Weisse (Brauerie G. Schneider & Sohn)

This a beer that combines the brewing prowess of two great beer countries. The old and the new. The big and bold with the practical and the genuine. The Schneider and Brooklyner version of the Hopfen-Weisse uses German hops and is brewed at the world famous and historic Schneider Weissbier Brewery in Kelheim. Below is a great description of this joint venture that I found on the importer's site: Schneider & Brooklyner Hopfen-Weisse is a collaboration between brewmasters Hans-Peter Drexler of the Schneider Weissbier Brewery and Garrett Oliver of The Brooklyn Brewery. Now, once again, together they bring you a small batch of their joint creation, a pale weissbock robustly dry-hopped with the Hallertauer Saphir variety grown in the fields near the Schneider brewery. Hoppy, zesty and supremely refreshing, Schneider & Brooklyner Hopfen-Weisse is a delicious blend of Bavarian craftsmanship and American ingenuity. Pours a glowing orange color that is cloudy with yeast and a big, fluffy head. The bubbles show a nice steady stream of carbonation. This beer looks amazing in a tall glass. I can't wait. At first the smell is spicy, clovey with some of that familiar banana smell that can be attributed to the yeast. The bitter and slightly citrusy hop aromas follow the strong spicy smells. This is quite a unique smelling brew.  That uniqueness continues with the first sip. That spicy, clovey taste is present but the nice floral and citrusy hoppiness quickly joins in. What a great blend of wheat, yeast and hops. I'm so used to hoppy beers like pale ales, IPAs and porters that this is a pleasant surprise. Its not super hoppy but the presence of the precious bittering flower is much more so in this beer than in any other wheat beer I've ever had. I can't wait to try the Brooklyner version of this one brewed with American hops.  One small thing that I do note about this beer is that it is pretty heavily carbonated compared to the other beers I've had from Schneider. I don't think that really takes away too much from this beer, but its definitely noticeable. Prosit! BEER FACTS Name: Schneider & Brooklyner Hopfen Weisse Style: Pale Weissbock Brewery: Brauerei G. Schneider & Sohn Location: Kelheim, Germany Container: 500 ml. bottle Malts: Pale Wheat & Barley Hops: Hallertauer Saphir ABV: 8.2% IBUs: 40

Péché Mortel (Brasserie Dieu Du Ciel)

I finally decided to indulge and pick up a bottle of this much talked about coffee stout from north of the border. This is also one of the few coffee stouts I've seen that is brewed with fair trade coffee. It gets incredible reviews online and as the style is one of my favorites it was hard to pass up (even at close to $6 a bottle). 

From the Dieu Du Ciel site:

Péché Mortel (French for "Mortal Sin") is an intensely black and dense beer with very pronounced roasted flavours. Fair trade coffee is infused during the brewing process, intensifying the bitterness of the beer and giving it a powerful coffee taste. Péché mortel is brewed to be savored; we invite you to drink it in moderation.

Pours an amazing jet black color with a beautiful coffee colored head. Another perfect replica of one hell of a giant shot of espresso. The head is thick and clings very tightly to the side of the glass. We are off to a great start...

Smells of fresh coffee grounds and sweet cream. There is also a mellow smoky vanilla smell that reminds me very much of the pipe tobacco my grandfather smoked. Dark chocolate bitterness also hits the nose.  Lots of strong inviting smells really draw you in!

Taste is fresh, strong, bitter Italian espresso followed by semi-sweet chocolate and rich cream. Amazingly smooth on the tongue and although the alcohol instantly warms you, it is in now way noticeable and in fact hides extremely well. All those great smells come out in the taste and provide for a very enjoyable and satisfying beer. 

Actually, that is an understatement. This beer is truly incredible. Péché Mortel is one of those rare beers that lives 

up to all the hype. Santé!

BEER FACTS

Name: Péché Mortel

Style: Imperial Coffee Stout

Brewery: Brasserie Dieu Du Ciel

Location: Montréal, Quebec, Canada

Container: 11.5 oz. bottle

Malts: ?

Hops: ?

ABV: 9.5%

IBUs: ?