Fire and Blood by Game of Thrones and Ommegang

April 8, 2014 by cloudx30 tagged ancho chiles, Belgian Amber Ale, Belgian beer, Belgian Red Ale, Belgian Style, Bloody Red Ale, Fire and Blood, Game of Thrones, Game of Thrones and Ommegang, Ommegang, Peppercorns | Leave a comment

Rating: 4.4/5

Fire and Blood by Game of Thrones and Ommegang is a 6.8% ABV Belgian Red Ale brewed with Ancho Chilies

Label:
Born of fire, like Daenerys’ dragons, this ale’s deep, dark-red hue evokes their every blazing breath. Sweet Malts succumbs wispy dryness, tinged with nutty spelt, spicy hops, and rye as ancho chilies portend piquant dark fruit.
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The third installment to the Game of Throne series of beers. While I don’t necessarily watch the show, I do love Ommegang beers and usually, they don’t disappoint. So when I heard of this red ale, I definitely wanted to try it to see what it is about. It may give some incites into some similar beers I may have had before. The one thing too about this ale though is that it is a Belgian style red and with chilies. The last time I had a Belgian beer with chilies was the Stone Vertical Epic 11.11.11. Now that was very good. I will have to see how this one relates.

Aromas:
Honey, banana, cloves, peppercorns, floral hops, subtle hints of pepper spice, musty farmhouse hay, dark fruit, figs, peach, rye, apricot, apples, honey, caramel, toffee and brown sugar.

Flavors:
Caramel, dark fruit raisins, banana cloves, cherry, peppercorns, subtle chile pepper spice, stone fruit, peach, apricot, rye, toffee, apples, honey, pecans, figs, floral hop notes, waffle cone, farmhouse hay, musty notes and brown sugar.

Aftertaste:
Caramel, toffee, honey and peppercorns linger. No alcohol in the taste. Moderate drinkability with medium mouthfeel.

Overall:
A very good Belgian Red with very good flavors. It is not too strong in the chile department and seems more of a supportive role for some of the sweet flavors which are also balanced by the hops and spices. Gimmick or not, this is a good beer but is not as close to the vertical epic. As a Belgian beer, it is great and I am a sucker for good decent Belgians. However, Ommegang offers some other great beers and you can definitely find a more appealing Belgian beer if you enjoy the different styles. This beer is worth a try at least once. This beer won’t age though as it is a 6% ABV but then again, who knows. I think this beer would pair well with a spicy plate as some of the chiles might actually start to come out more.

Anime Corner:
Original art from Dragon’s Crown, Original art from Crooz and original artwork by coffee cat were used in this pairing to represent the awesome dragon labels used in each of the Game of throne beers. Show casing these especially since this is a beer art website, I felt it was important to bring some of those dragon characters into focus but as well as display the fire and blood aspect of the beer in terms of the colors. There is a lot that can be said about these pieces of art which I am sure maybe obvious but you are more than welcome to let me know what you like seeing in these.

Evil Dead Red by Alesmith Brewing

October 10, 2013 by cloudx30 tagged A.B.A, Alesmith, Amber Ale, biscuit bread, Blood Red, Bloody Red Ale, caramel malts, Evil Dead Red, Guilty Gear, High School of the Dead, HOTD, Red Ale | Leave a comment

Rating: 5.2/5

Evil Dead Red by Alesmith brewing is a 6.66%ABV Amber/Red Ale. First limited bottle release.

Label:
Each Halloween we release this special concoction to celebrate one of our favorite holidays. Deep blood-red in color an intense aroma of pine and citrus from an abundance of American Hops balances the sweetness and rich, bready flavors of this bee’s caramel malts. The result is a fiendishly smooth brew that will make your taste buds scream with delight.

This beer pairs Excellent with Toffee, Caramel, Apples or your favorite Horror flick.
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After a long wait, 3 years to be exact, Alesmith finally releases their coveted Evil Dead Red Ale. I remember as far back as 2010 when the clerk at the local BevMo told my friend that they sold this in bottles but were out of stock, I remember looking it up only to find that it was never in stock. This is because it was never bottled until 2013. I remember its cousin the “My Bloody Valentine” and this is supposed to be way better. Well let’s see.

Aromas are of rich orange, grapefruit, pineapple, biscuit bread, caramel, piney and grassy hops, cherries, toffee, kiwi, strawberry, cinnamon, herbs, spice notes, earthy hops,nutmeg and raspberry candy notes

The flavors are herbs, spices, basil, oregano, caramel, grapefruit, orange, pineapple, grapefruit, apricot, strawberries, mango, pecans, honey, biscuit bread, toasted wheat bread, peanuts, cinnamon notes, rye bread, raspberries, walnuts, vanilla, butterscotch, kiwi dragon fruit, coconut, pecans, vanilla and toffee

The aftertaste is of caramel, herbal hops, citrus and nutty. The beer is perfectly balanced. Not to sweet not too bitter. Easy to moderate drinkability

Overall this is an awesome beer bringing forth some of the best flavors of what true ambers should be. Extremely delicious and extremely flavorful. Beeradvocate.com rates it 7th best in the world. In 2010, it used to be number one. Now that is is available more, it may turns those odds. This is very equivalent to the nugget nectar or pretty damn close to it.

My Bloody Valentine Ale, cousin of Evil Dead Red by Ale Smith

February 14, 2013 by cloudx30 tagged Ale Smith, Ale Smith brewing, Amber Ale, amber ales, Balanced Beers, Blood Red, Bloody Red Ale, cherries, Cherry Red Ale, Dark Cherries, Disgaea, Etna, Evil Dead Red, halloween brew, Happy Valentine's Day, IPA, my bloody valentine, My Bloody Valentine Ale Smith, Red Ale, Valentine's Day, world class beers | Leave a comment

Rating: 5/5

My Bloody Valentine Ale, cousin of Evil Dead Red by Ale Smith is a 6.66%ABV Amber/Red Ale. First time for this one :P. Truly a beer for the occasion. To share with your loved ones 😉

Label:
Don’t spend this single awareness day alone – grab a beer! The red-blooded cousin of Evil Dead Red Ale, our Halloween brew, is beautiful crimson color. Notes of caramel, toast, and bittersweet chocolate balance an intense bouquet of floral hop aromas that we know you’ll fall in love with. The finish leaves a pleasant, full-boded sweetness on the palate that won’t spread angry rumors about you to all you friends like that one time when I was… ohh… umm… Happy Valentine’s Day!

Pair this beer with jilted lovers, reservations for one, or your favorite emo album.”
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Upon opening this beer, well they sure as hell were not kidding. This is like an IPA fragrance with an Amber Ale body. Fragrances of rich grapefruit, citrus, piney, grassy hops, cherries, rye, blood >:[, peanuts, caramel, biscuit bread, pineapple, basil, herbs and spices, Valentine’s sugar candies and cinnamon. Flavors explode of crimson tart and sweet cherries, caramel, toffee, balance grassy and piney hops, citrus orange, mango, apricot, valentine’s candy, rye, cranberry, blood red tart raspberries, biscuit bread, chocolate, strong tropical fruits, peanuts and walnuts. The after taste stays with you with a balance of cherry sweetness mixing with with hoppy bitterness. Damn, quite the surprising Amber Ale. Extremely delicious, extremely balanced and extremely flavorful. A true amber among ambers. It is through and through one of the best damn Amber ales I have ever had. That is saying a lot considering it is like my 5th or 6th favorite style of beer. If Evil dead Red is at the top for Halloween World class beers, it is surely not a surprise why this is just freaking awesome!! Truly a love beer :3