Farmhouse Ale (Smuttynose Brewing Co.)

Its bittersweet to see Smutty's Farmhouse Ale in the stores nowadays. That means that the Big A's days are numbered but it also means another delicious beer is now available! 

The label reads:

Our Farmhouse Ale is an homage to traditional European beers brewed quenching the thirst of farm workers or "Saisonares".

A unique Belgian Saison yeast is used to impart a mixture of spicy, fruity & earthy notes along with lip smacking palatability.

Pours a slightly cloudy, clean, crisp orange color. The head is stark white and about an inch of fluffy goodness. Lots of bubbles make this beer look alive and quite refreshing.

Smells spicy and funky just like it should. Lots of sweet apple smells also combine with the organic/earthy notes and even some hints of leather. This smell is exceptional.

Taste is more of that spice and funk that comes from the yeast strain. The sweet fruit tastes are also present with a nice dry finish. Its an excellent example of the style in my opinion. Actually, this is probably one of the best saisons that I've had. The Smutty Big Beer series is pretty much flawless so far this year. 

BEER FACTS

Name: Farmhouse Ale

Style: Saison/Farmhouse Ale

Brewery: Smuttynose Brewing Company

Location: Portsmouth, New Hampshire, USA

Container: 22 oz. bottle

Malts: ?

Hops: ?

ABV: 7.5%

IBUs: ?

The Smuttynose BIG BEER Series is:

Baltic Porter - mid-January 
Imperial Stout - mid-February
Maibock - early April
Big A IPA - early May 
Farmhouse Ale - early June
Wheat Wine mid-August
Barley Wine - early October
S'muttonator Double Bock - mid-November

PranQster (North Coast Brewing Company)

What can I say about the PranQster? Its another release from North Coast in Nor-Cal that deserves your attention. Everything else they brew is outstanding so this is you won't want to miss.

The pour itself reminds me of a tripel with quite a bit more carbonation. The head is very bubbly and there is quite a lot of action with this beer. If you hold it up to the light it looks like a pilsner. Its pale gold in color with lots of bubbles coming up from below.

The smell is actually faintly hoppy and citrusy, a bit yeasty and some sugary sweet malt. A couple more whiffs bring about some spiciness. All in all,  a pretty decent smelling beer.

Taste is quite sweet and fruity. The carbonation pushes the taste over your tongue and the sweetness is very nicely mixed with some spiciness. This is a very well balanced beer that is remarkably refreshing. I'm pretty amazed by the way the pour, the smell and the taste all seem to stand apart and yet they come together so well. This is a very bubbly , light looking, hoppy/citrusy/spicy smelling beer that has a lot of fruity and sweet tastes to it. All of the characters are very unique.

I'd have to say that I am a big fan of this one. Its such a great all around beer. It reminds me a tad bit of its full-blooded Belgian cousing Orval. Its very full-flavored with lots of character and yet it looks like an easy drinking light tasting beer. Don't let that fool you, the PranQster is just what it says it is...

BEER FACTS

Name: PranQster Belgian Style Golden Ale

Style: Belgian Style Strong Pale Ale

Brewery: North Coast Brewing Company

Location: Fort Bragg, California, USA

Container: 12 oz. bottle

Malts: ?

Hops: ?

ABV: 7.6%

IBUs: 20

Raison D'Être (Dogfish Head)

Raison D'Être translates from the French simply as "reason for being". As someone whose life somewhat revolves around good beer, I'd say that a lot of beers could carry a name like this one! 

The label reads:

"A deep mahogany ale brewed with Belgian beet sugars, green raisins & a sense of purpose." 

Pours a deep dark amber and ruby colored hue. The head is about half a finger high and seems to be glued to the top of this beer. Its not going anywhere anytime soon. 

Smells sort of toasty and a bit like coffee. That can't be right, can it? Some nice sweet sugary tones come out along with a very slight vinous smell. 

Taste is VERY malty. Very sweet like brown sugar. Not a whole lot else jumps out right away. I'm waiting for the green raisins but I'm thinking thats not going to happen. There is an ever so slight taste of bitter fruit in the finish. Maybe that could be the alcohol though, this one is pretty hefty. 

Personally, I love some of the other Dogfish Head brews a lot more than this one. But, thats just my opinion. Give it a shot and form your own. Nothing they brew can be considered anything but good and most of them are great. This one's unique thats for sure!

BEER FACTS

Name: Raison D'Être

Style: Belgian Style Strong Dark Ale

Brewery: Dogfish Head Craft Brewed Ales

Location: Milton, Delaware, USA

Container: 12 oz. bottle

Malts: ?

Hops: ?

ABV: 8%

IBUs: 36

Tripel Ale (Allagash)

Slowly but surely I'll make my way through all of Allagash's bottled offerings. The Tripel is one of four available in 12 ounce bottles. The others are the White, Dubbel and the Grand Cru. Its tripel time...

Label reads:

"Our golden hued 9% ABV tripel ale is marked by passion fruit and herbal notes in the aroma, with suggestion of honey surfacing from its complex palate. Perfect as an aperitif or compliment to fine cuisine."

From the Allagash site:

"This golden hued ale is marked by passion fruit and herbal notes in the aroma, with subtle suggestions of banana and honey surfacing from its deep and complex palate. The Tripel's finish is remarkably long and soothing."

Pours a sunny orange color thats a bit opaque. On top is a thin head that may have been bigger and badder if I had let the bottle warm up for a bit longer. 

Smells sweet and sugary with some clove and banana coming through. Some alcohol notes come through along with some herbal or medicinal smells.

Such a delicious beer. Lots of sweetness marked with bitterness that finishes at the tip of the tongue. Very crisp and quite juicy and refreshing (apple juice?). The stomach warming effects add a nice little sensation that definitely rounds out a quite enjoyable drinking experience. In plain words, the Tripel is outstanding. I'll need to get a corked bottle and age it a bit and see just how good this one can get.

BEER FACTS

Name: Tripel Ale

Style: Tripel

Brewery: Allagash Brewing Company

Location: Portland, Maine, USA

Container: 12 oz. bottle

Malts: ?
Hops: ?

ABV: 9%

IBU’s: ?

Brewed in Maine

Dubbel Reserve Ale (Allagash)

The Allagash Dubbel Reserve is the same beer (as far as I know) as the Allagash Dubbel that you can purchase in four packs. However, each bottle is corked and labeled with a particular batch number. This enables you to age a few bottles and attempt to taste some subtle differences between the batches. I'm not really sure how old "Batch 71" is but my guess is that it is a fairly recent release. I didn't age this for more than maybe a month so I don't even considered it "cellared". More than anything I just wanted to compare the corked with the capped.

Pours a beautiful amber, slightly reddish hue with a very nice, thick fluffy head. Carbonation is a little less than I remember the small bottle having. A Belgian chalice sure can present a beer nicely. 

Smell is burnt sugar, toast and strong sweet malt. There are also hints of molasses and caramel in the nose. 

Taste is smooth and the initial flavors seem to be a little less intense. Definitely a lot of malty sweetness but the rich fruit flavors are a lot more hidden. The spiciness of the yeast makes itself present along with burnt sugar and toast that are also present in the smell. Feels like silk in your mouth, very easy drinking beer. 

Overall I love this beer. Its definitely one of my favorites here in Maine. I think I need to buy a few different batches and cellar them for some time and have a nice little "Dubbel Party" sometime in the future.

BEER FACTS

Name: Dubbel Reserve Ale (Batch #71)

Style: Dubbel

Brewery: Allagash Brewing Company

Location: Portland, Maine, USA

Container: 750 ml. bottle

Malts: 7 different ones
Hops: ?

ABV: 7%

IBU’s: ?

Brewed in Maine

Kerberos (Flying Dog Brewery)

I want to start by saying that if Stephanie Kerchner at Flying Dog ever makes it to Portland, Maine I'd like to shake her hand and buy her a few pints. You see, Stephanie sent me a bottle of this beer along with a bunch of information about Flying Dog's beers. She is also quite possibly the nicest PR person I've ever encountered online. Cheers Stephanie!  

In Greek mythology Kerberos is the hound of Hades. Its pretty apparent that the three-headed, fire breathing beast on the label is not a mild-mannered little puppy and neither is this potent Tripel. Kerberos is the newest release from Flying Dog and should complement their Canis Major series quite well. By the way, you can now get all four of the Canis Major beers in one convenient mixed four pack!

Kerberos pours a nice, dark golden color with a thin lacy head. There is some haziness to it and its very apparent that this is not a thin watery beer.  Lots of nice tiny bubbles make this beer look alive and well. 

The smell is wheaty, yeasty and pancake syrupy. I also get small amounts of clove, some dark fruit and some other spiciness. As it warms there are some definite earth (dirt and grass) tones as well.

Tastes slightly bitter with some sweetness up front. The aftertaste is dry with some subtle spiciness. Its also quite warming thanks to the high ABV, which is to be expected from a tripel, but its also amazingly easy to drink. I like that this beer is bottle conditioned and that Flying Dog has branched out to another style, that is always commendable. Its a great attempt at a rather difficult style. 

BEER FACTS

Name: Kerberos

Style: Tripel

Brewery: Flying Dog Brewery

Location: Denver, Colorado and Frederick, Maryland, USA

Container: 12 oz. bottle

Malts: 2-Row Pilsner, Aromatic

Hops: Golding & Saaz

ABV: 8.5%

IBUs: 27

Cru D'Or (North Coast Brewing Company)

Cru D'Or is one of two organic offerings (the other being Old Plowshare Stout) from North Coast Brewing Company out of Fort Bragg, California. Cru D'Or which means "Golden Vintage" in French, was originally brewed exclusively for the 25th Anniversary of Whole Foods. I guess its appropriate that I found this bottle at the local Whole Foods.

Pours a very dark mahogany color with a rich creamy head. I let this glass sit for about 15 minutes and the head didn't go away at all, in fact it became thicker and tighter. This is an impressive looking pour.

Leaning in for a whiff of this brings a strong wallop of juicy apple and yeasty smells to the nose. Their is some subtle spiciness along with some definite malty sweetness. Lots of very appropriate smells for the style. I think we are 2 for 2 so far...

The taste is very smooth and the alcohol I couldn't smell too much of definitely comes through on my tongue. The strong fruitiness is really not as present as I hoped but the spiciness is more than I expected. The smoothness is very nice and as I continue to drink this one a lot of tastes become apparent and the complexity really comes out. Way to go North Coast! 

BEER FACTS

Name: Cru D'Or

Style: Dubbel

Brewery: North Coast Brewing Company

Location: Fort Bragg, California, USA

Container: 12 oz. bottle

Malts: ?

Hops: ?

ABV: 8%

IBUs: ?

Holy Sheet (Clipper City Brewing Company)

Holy Sheet! What a name for a beer. I absolutely love it! Don't let the name fool you though, this beer is no joke. Its another high octane contribution to the Heavy Seas collection from Clipper City Brewing Company out of Baltimore.

The label says:

"From the centuries-old tradition of Belgian Abbey monks comes our "Über Abbey" Ale. Aromatic and full bodied, pouring deep burgundy in color, it's bold, it's Heavy Seas. Grab a line...Holy Sheet!...or you'll be swept overboard. Seasonally available in February while supplies last."

Pours very, very dark brown with hints of ruby redness (you can call that burgundy if you'd like). The head is stark white and fluffy and about a half inch in thickness. Its a nice rich head that hangs on (just like the pirate on the label).

Smell is strong, sweet fruit with a touch of alcohol. Call me crazy but I am reminded just a little of Play-Doh when I smell this beer. Mainly, though, I am getting sweet fermented fruit and maybe a bit of cinnamon.

Taste is impressive with this one. Lots of sweetness, juicy fruits and a nice bit of warming from the high alcohol. This is a rich and flavorful beer and a great American version of a strong Abbey ale. This is a very unique beer with quite a bit of complexity.  Another great beer from the Heavy Seas collection! 

I love how American brewers aren't afraid to reproduce styles like this. It shows versatility as well as dedication to providing variety to the craft beer consumers in the US. 

Also, if you look closely at the label you'll notice the pirate is saying "Holy @#%*!" as he holds on for dear life during what looks to be one hell of storm! Too funny...

BEER FACTS

Name: Holy Sheet (Über Abbey Ale)

Style: Belgian Strong Dark Ale

Brewery: Clipper City Brewing Company

Location: Baltimore, Maryland, USA

Container: 12 oz. bottle

Malts: ?

Hops: ?

ABV: 9%

IBUs: ?

The Heavy Seas Collection is:

Small Craft Warning Über pils - Strong Pilsner (Year Round)

Loose Cannon Hop3 Ale - India Pale Ale (Year Round)

Peg Leg Stout - Imperial Stout (Year Round)

Holy Sheet - Strong, Dark Belgian Ale (February Release)

Red Sky at Night - Saison Ale (May Release)

Hang Ten - Weizen Dopplebock (July Release)

Winter Storm - ESB (mid-October Release)

Below Decks - Barleywine (December Release)

Red Sky at Night (Clipper City Brewing Company)

This is my first review of one of the Heavy Seas beers from Clipper City Brewing Company. The Red Sky at Night... is their newest release, and a good place to start. Eventually, I will work my way through this line of beer from the Baltimore, Maryland brewery.

The label on the Red Sky at Night... says the following (read with pirate voice), "This here pounder has a fine layer of yeast at her bottom. It won't send you to Davy Jones' locker, but will protect your brew from the rigors of life at sea!"

It also says the following (read without pirate voice), "A sailor's delight - and even a landlubber's! Red Sky at Night is not red, its a saison - a Belgian farmhouse style ale. Imported Belgian yeast, candi sucre, and wheat malt deliver a refreshing yet intensely spicy and fruity ale."

The term, "Red Sky at Night", refers to an old sailor's term relating to a red sky at night ("sailor's delight"), or smooth sailing with fair weather. This was the opposite of "Red Sky in Morning", which resulted in, "sailor take warning", or bad weather and, of course, sailing that day.

Pours a light, golden color. Was I expecting something red? Maybe just a little, but then again, I didn't really read the bottle. Well, this one is a clean yellowish color with about a half finger of foam at the top.

Smell is spicy and yeasty. A saison is a Belgian farmhouse ale and this beer definitely does a great job of fitting every required taste and smell to be considered such. Its a bit peppery and definitely has that Belgian yeast smell to it.

Taste is rich, fruity with hints of spice at the end. Wow, this is an outstanding beer. Its just so well rounded. It starts out sweet and just finishes in a way that makes me think its an imported Belgian saison but yet so much fresher. Served nice and cold its a very, very drinkable beer. I love all the flavors the Red Sky at Night imparts; spices, yeast and dark fruits. This is an excellent beer. These Heavy Seas beers keep on impressing me!

BEER FACTS

Name: Red Sky at Night...

Style: Belgian Farmhouse or Saison Ale

Brewery: Clipper City Brewing Company

Location: Baltimore, Maryland, USA

Container: 12 oz. bottle

Malts: