MXYZPTLK collaboration by Bottle Logic and J. Wakefield Brewing

 

 

Rating: 7/7

MXYZPTLK collaboration by Bottle Logic and J. Wakefield Brewing is a 13.11% ABV Imperial Porter brewed with Dulce De Leche, Cuban-Style Roasted Espresso Beans & Cassia Bark/Cinnamon sticks and aged in Rum Barrels

Label:

(MIX-IS-PIT-IL-ICKS)

==Introduction==

Named after DC comics mischievous character that breaks all physical laws of the DC universe with cartoon like antics. Similar to Arale by Akira Toriyama, a character that even breaks the Dragonball Universe. I think the assumption was for a beer that would break reality, or in this case, flavor perception and experience and possibly bring one into a journey accessing another realm of existence or even something unknown. Released in October 2017 through special ticket releases (which sold out in seconds) this beer is a collaboration with J Wakefield brewing. The last time I tried one from J Wakefield was with the Bruery’s sour collaboration with the use of dragon fruit. So while, J Wake Field is very popular in Florida, Bottle Logic is the same. It was hard to get this release to the point where I barely made it. While Bottle Logic has not been on my radar until recently due to their hard to get beers, I got lucky in obtaining this one. Mainly since it was a beer made with some really delicious ingredients. A beer with dulce de leche huh? Well, then, looks like “Someone Copies Mes”, since I once made a Goat Milk Dulce de leche Caramel and Banana Weizenbock homebrew. So While I know I can’t really compare, I am super intrigued by this one since it is a Café Cubano Tiramus inspired beer and wanted to see just how much of a hype this one might be. Let’s have a look, cheers!

Aromas:

Rum filled pastries, dark fruits, raisin capirotada, cinnamon, pecan pie, almond joy, toasted coconut, milk chocolate covered raisins, sweetened condensed milk, bananas, dulce de leche caramel, vanilla, pan dulce, fruit cake, Mexican chocolate, champurrado, mocha, Khalua, liqueur, tobacco, leather, ginger bread, espresso, Café Cubano Tiramasu, prune juice, flan, Jericalla Mexican custard and piloncillo sugar cone.

Flavors:

Super Rich, dulce de leche covered pan dulce, cinnamon, pecan pie, cuban dark fruit pastries, cuban coffee tiramasu, raisin capirotada, dark fruit prunes, raisins, plums, figs, currants, craisins, dried strawberries, raspberries, pomegranates, blueberries, funnel cake, Rum egg nog, Rum walnut nog, ginger bread, Mexican chocolate, milk chocolate, chocolate covered raisins, piloncillo sugar cone, champurrado, flan, Jericalla Mexican custard, borrachitos Mexican alcoholic jelly and milk candies, pumpkin pie, cane sugar, brown sugar, mocha, fancy coffee, espresso, roasted coffee, Khalua Liqueur, Irish cream, nutmeg, marshmallow smores, butter pecan ice cream, tobacco, leather, sweetened condensed milk, tres leches cake, bananas, clove spice, brown sugar, vanilla, roasted barley, tiramasu, toasted coconut and almond joy chocolate.

Aftertaste:

Aftertaste is chocolate covered raisins for days, mocha, ongoing Café Cubano Tiramasu, Marshmallow, Rum Eggnog, Mexican Hot chocolate, Ginger bread cookies, tobacco, milk and jelly alcoholic candies/borrachitos, rum, cinnamon, dark frits and rich dulce de leche that never ends! No alcohol in the taste, pitch black abyss full body, smooth, creamy, syrupy, chewy and velvety and sludgy mouthfeel. Sipping is a must! I cannot stress this enough, the drinkability is slow and steady. A whole glass like I poured is not a good idea! Save for later.

Overall:

Damn, Diabeetus… in a bottle! Not gonna lie, this is freaking amazing but surely took me like 2 hours to finish a small glass. This is literally the most sugar coma inducing beer but I love it!. Pure postre de Café Cubano. This is in that level of bucket list that might actually be that which makes one kick the bucket, but damn you’ll go through one hell of a ride indeed. I feel like this fits in one of those infomercials. You can use this to pour over ice cream or pancakes or anything! The sweetness is only slightly cloying but the coffee, rum, earthy, dark fruit and cinnamon complexity seem to cut a lot of the sugar pureness big time. Although it may be too much for some palettes, but that is probably for the best. The original MXYZPLK was not understood by the world of DC and maybe the real world may not get this one, but damn, if you truly want to know the heart of all pastries in the most complex form into another dimension, give this one a find or a trade.

Anime Corner:

Sash Lilac from Freedom Planet makes an appearance in this pairing of Bottle Logic mainly for the colors of the beer. Granted, not much pairs with her other other than colors, but that poncho/zarape she is wearing is reminiscent of Latin and the Americas in relation to some ingredients used such as the Dulce de Leche, Cuban Coffee and Cinnamon. The beer being Cuban inspired, the island surrounded by water and Lilac being a water dragon. I would like to think that in some instances, other than the rich lilac color, that she fits very well with this one. Besides, this is my 4th Bottle Logic beer I have ever had in bottle form aside from taps and so I really choose my characters wisely for the reviews. Lilac happens to be one of my top favorite anthropomorphic anime/video game characters.

 

 

2016 Ban-Anna’s Love Diablita De Leche Nectar by Nubis Sanctum Ales

 

Rating: 6.25/7
 
2016 Ban-Anna’s Love Diablita De Leche Nectar by Nubis Sanctum Ales is a 10% ABV Doppel Weizenbock brewed with Bananas and Goat Milk Dulce De leche Caramel aged in White Grape Wine.
 
My homebrew from last year now 1 year and 5 months old has developed some very nice flavors! The banana is hardly there but the dark fruit and caramel shine massively. It also has some very nice gamey taste from the goat milk. Definitely even more unique than when I first had it. Still one of my best creations.
 

 

Ban-Anna’s Love Diablita De Leche Nectar by Nubis Sanctum Ales

10001197_10103117644756880_7627100034381002526_oRating: 6/6

Ban-Anna’s Love Diablita De Leche Nectar by Nubis Sanctum Ales is a 10% ABV Doppel Weizenbock brewed with Bananas and Goat Milk Dulce De leche Caramel aged in White Grape Wine.

Label:
“They Say The Devil’s water it ain’t so sweet”…

Whoever said this has never tried it to begin with. Everyone has a sinful pleasure but none have ever made it a mission …

Until Anna came to bring these inner desires to manifestation the day she met with a mysterious woman who gave her a magic potion.

Since that time, Anna has had the magic touch. A simple drop or a touch from her would bring people’s most inner desires out. However, the more Anna shared, the more of her inner devil started to manifest.  She was a kind hearted devil though. Unlike the tales told.

Myth would have you believe that the root of all desserts stemmed from this very potion. Some say that what Anna drank was actually this ‘devil’s water’. Whether the mysterious lady from that day was an Angel or a Devil, the potion is enough to turn the holiest of man into a sinner.

Ingredients: Water, Malts, Hops, Bananas, Vanilla, Coronado Dulce de Leche Cajeta Caramel aged in White Grape Wine and Yeast.
12513960_10103011330775950_1825598058966416032_o (1)==Introduction==
Project #17 pays tribute to my need of making a beer similar to the Bananas Foster’s beer from Buffalo Bayou which was given to me a couple months ago by my friend Aaron Mendiola of www.beermetaldude.com. I had always wanted to make a Weizenbock for a long time ago since the style pays tribute to the Doppel Bocks and Dunkelweizens which are some of my favorite styles from Germany. Lucky for me, the Bananas Foster was a Weizenbock. Hence where I got a crazy idea of making something similar but taking my own experimentation into consideration. Essentially, I wanted to implement Coronado Dulce De Leche Cajeta de Cabra into the mix. It is a Mexican Dulce de Leche with Caramel which was aged in White Grape Wine or what they call, Envinado. Also, since I wanted to make a beer that would go well into a beer float. The more the better to make a delicious style such as this. I don’t think the implementation of Goat Milk Caramel has ever been done in a beer so it was definitely a chance to make something unique and special. Aside from the base weizenbock extract recipe I researched, I added a lot of Crystal 40 malts which made my partial mash even bigger. With all the ingredients in place I had something very special to work with. So after a long time, basically 10 weeks of waiting and racking done, here is the brew! Cheers!

Aromas:
Rich Bananas, dulce de leche caramel, goat milk, vanilla, dark fruit raisins, plums, cherries, currants, piloncillo sugar one, bubble gum, stone fruit peaches, pecan pie, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, Chunky Munkey ice cream, walnuts, plantains, tres leches cake, coffee cake, banana nut bread and flan hints
12801160_10103117646154080_5105050279066731204_n
Flavors:
Mexican Dulce de leche Goat Milk Caramel, vanilla, grilled bananas, clove spice, banana bread, coffee cake, pecan pie, sweetened condensed milk, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, coriander, wheat bread, rye bread, toasted rye bread, hazelnut nectar, stone fruit apricot and peach notes, leather hints, bubble gum, capirotada raisin bread pudding, piloncillo sugar cone, plantains, cinnamon hints, fruit cake, Chunky Munkey ice cream, grape wine notes, tres leches cake, flan, banana cream pie, toffee, cane sugar, rum hints, walnuts and Nutella hints.

Aftertaste:
Finishing up with bananas, goat milk dulce de leche caramel, vanilla, bubble gum, earthy notes, dark fruit, flan, tres leches cake, stone fruits, coriander spice, plantains, clove spice hints, and dark cherry notes. No alcohol in the taste, Crimson Blood and Dark medium Body, smooth, creamy, syrupy and chewy mouthfeel along with moderate drinkability.
12829404_10103117647017350_7862658038835570667_oOverall:
Yet another crazy experiment done successful. This came out to be such a very delicious brew that it truly is orgasmic! I was concerned about this project big time since I got some sediment left over since there was so much banana in the brew (About 25 bananas!!) When it came to the caramel, I was concerned about how to add it to the brew in secondary since caramel the caramel is made with Goat’s milk and you could really smell it when I boiled the caramel with water. I stuck to my guns and said fuck it, all in the name of good beer and experimentation. I am so thankful that the people that have tried it so far have really liked it and even though it was a one off batch of brew, I definitely would like to make this again and proceed with other experiments as well. Hope to some day make enough for some beer enthusiasts like yourself to try some day. Cheers!
12829343_10103105966470260_6006963412419146236_o
Anime Corner: (tl;dr)
Anna Nishikinomiya from Shimoneta, Asmodeus and Astaroth from Shinrabansho were used in this beer for many many reasons. During the research to make this beer, my friend Steven Blackburn from Iowa and I joked about the scene in Shimoneta where the girl Anna infused her “love nectar” into her cookies. So we basically discussed, if this beer is to be a true dessert, it has to be so damn good like a true nectar of gods. A beer that will basically make you orgasm since it would be so rich and ddelicious Essentially, all the sweetness from the bananas and caramel would become love nectar. The fact that I combined Anna on the label with Asmodeus is a play at the beer style, a DoppelWeizenbock or Double Buck/Goat Wheat beer. It is almost like a duality, Dr. Jekyll and Mr Hide kind of thing. Also, since goats have been used in some cultures to represent devils, I think it was fitting to put both Asmodeus and Astaroth on the label as well. This and the back that I literally used a Goat’s milk caramel into the beer, just adds to how much more the ingredients paired so well with the Weizenbock. The Doppel aspect also notes the fact that the beer is a stronger or Double/Imperial beer at 10%. In this beer, the Banana aspect, you can see Anna’s name is in Banana, and the whole Diablita de Leche is a play on the words Devil’s Milk. So you can see how I related Goat and Devil there. So then the whole thing with Astaroh and Asmodeus together is the Doppel Bock. Also, Since the grain bag burned a tiny bit at the bottom, the bitter earthiness of the brew can be seen as the burning of hell fire. Oh and Anna becomes Asmodeus after too much Love Nectar. Hope I covered everything.

Sources:
http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/35088274/images/1411600424581.png

Endless Nameless by Cigar City

12028748_10102826618919990_8601399048560632795_o 12017422_10102826619473880_7765847507134468512_oRating: 6/5

Endless Nameless by Cigar City is a ??% ABV Imperial Stout Aged in Heaven Hill Bourbon Barrels.

Label:
endless.
nameless.
imperial stout aged in bourbon barrels.

==Introduction==

A name used from a hidden track off of Nirvana’s album, Nevermind. Cigar city brings this very big whale of a beer off the depths of the Grunge Rock abyss. Simply put, the Nirvana tribute beer, this beer was released as part of the El Catador reserve release. Only those in that association would be allowed to get this one. I was able to snag this bottle as soon as I saw it on www.mybeercollectibles.com. Needless to say, that sit can be super pricey but luckily I got this at a decent price. I really got it since I wanted to bring it forth to the website and see how it is. Now, on with the show.

Aromas:
Smells like Beer Spirit, or its dark soul. Dark chocolate, milk chocolate, German & Belgian chocolate, bakers chocolate, sweetened condensed milk, Mexican 3 leches/Three Milks cake, flan, Dulce De Leche Caramel, Vanilla, Rich Bourbon, oak, marshmallows, grahama cracker smores, molasses, bananas, crème brulee, dark raisins, dark cherries, plums, mocha coffee, Kahlua, Irish cream, agave syrup, candi sugar, rock candy, pecan pie, leather, tobacco, brown sugar and hazelnut nectar.

Flavors:
Rich Dark chocolate, milk chocolate, German chocolate, Belgian Chocolate, Bakers Chocolate, Bananas, Flan, Vanilla, Bourbon, oak, Dulce De Leche Caramel, Mexican sweetened condensed milk, Mexican 3 leches/Three Milks cake, molasses, hazelnut nectar, tobacco, leather, rye, maple syrup, dark cherries, currants, plums, blueberries, raspberries, dark cherries, coconut pie, mocha, crème brulee, toffee, brown sugar, cotton candy, choco flan, candi sugar, rocky road icecream, almond joy, Kahlua, Irish cream, agave syrup, Yoohoo Chocolate Milk Shake, Chocolate cake and chocolate cheese cake.

Aftertaste:
Long lingering dulce de leche caramel, vanilla, flan, crème brulee, milk chocolate, dark chocolate, hazelnut, dark cherries, marshmallow, pecan pie, coconut pie, bananas, bourbon notes and chocolate cake. Slight booziness but super subtle to keep stuff balanced and not detract from the flavors, beyond the endless and nameless darkness of the abyss body, smooth and sipping drinkability, silky, velvety and syrupy mouth feel.

Overall:
Essentially, this is the Black Tuesday of Cigar City and the East Coast. So many reminiscent flavors of Black Tuesday but leaning more toward milk candies and desserts. Either way, this is ridiculously balanced with the amount of complexity and alcohol. This is definitely a world class beer and a must get to add to your collection of super whales. A Nirvana whale is one beast of a while to collect for a special occasion.

Anime Corner:
Ryuko Matoi from Kill La Kill (one of my top 4 anime girls) was used in this pairing to pair mainly with the name of the song and the meaning behind it as well as the darkness the beer represents. In the series, Ryuko had to deal with turmoil and darkness. This beer represents that very chaos and attitude in her heart when stuff was not going well in her life during the sad parts of the show. She pulled through ofcourse! She didn’t lose her way! Just like the frustration Kurt Cobain felt as they said fuck it when recording Lithium! And created the song. The beer is dark as the endless abyss with no name.

Sources:
http://static.tumblr.com/3a0b53c0f68bfa5cdf6c584209ffd8f7/9dd108p/eSmn9wfk0/tumblr_static_cq0y11ev48owsg4ksow8okscc.jpg

Gypsy Tart by The Bruery Terreux

11947972_10102795643824330_5746651540304252918_oRating: 5.5/6

Gypsy Tart by The Bruery Terreux is an 8.4% ABV Flemish Brown Ale.

Commercial Description:
Gypsy Tart is a Flanders-style brown ale with a California touch. A beer that can trace it’s origins to Great Britain, but more famously perfected in western Belgium, has been updated through our own modern techniques, delivering the sweet body and mildly tart finish that has won over numerous generations of beer drinkers in Europe. Our rendition of this wonderful beer style is perfect for both sour beer amateurs and advocates alike.

==Introduction==

Gypsy Tart, named after the evaporated milk pastry from England, is what this beer is based off. A dessert beer/sour. The last time I had something like this could be the Window Sill or “Rhubarb Pie” beer. This beer was released to Reserve Society members and you may have to try and trade for this one as I am not sure if the Bruery will release it to the public. Either way, a dessert pie like beer? Damn right, sign me up! Cheers!

Aromas:
Wine grapes, funky must, dark fruit raisins, cherries, cherry skins, Currant, figs, sweet purple yams, Chocolate, Blackberry cobbler, cherry cobbler, blackberry marzipan, lemons, port wine, weetened condensed milk, blackberry yogurt, coffee cake, dulce de leche caramel, grape sugar, muscavado sugar, candy sugar, concord grapes, flan hints, hazelnut nectar and pecan pie.

Flavors:
Dark Fruit Currant, figs, sweet purple yams, Blackberry cobbler, cherry cobbler, blackberry marzipan, grapes, gypsy tart pie, sweetened condensed milk, blackberry yogurt, coffee cake, dulce de leche caramel, grape sugar, muscavado sugar, candy sugar, concord grapes, flan hints, rock candy, coconut, toffee, hazelnut nectar, pecan pie, marzipan, almond fudge, rye bread, Danish cookies, lemon peel, tart citrus, oranges, lychee fruit, port wine, chocolate notes, piloncillo sugar cone, raisin bread pudding and Danish cream.

Aftertaste:
Grapes, hazelnut, blackberry yogurt, pecan pie, Blackberry cobbler, caramel, rye bread, raisn bread pudding and wine grapes. No alcohol in the taste, Blood Red and Brown Medium to Full Body, silky, smooth, creamy and syrupy mouth feel with a moderate drinkability.

Overall:
Possibly the best Flesmish Brown Ale I have ever had. Another exceptional balanced sweet and sour beer. This time, the interesting malty sweetness along with the tart sourness balances out making this a more sweeter beer. Somehow, their special recipe of a beer is hard to mimic. How can they make a dessert beer from a sour? Well, Belgian beers will show that it has been done and it can be done. The Bruery, being a Belgian inspired experimental brewery has shown this to the case many times. So for them to come up with a recipe that fits that aspect of sour and dessert at the same time, it nothing short of amazing. Unfortunately, when I got this, I had no idea what a Gypsy Tart was. Now that I know, I will have to wait some time as I cannot get anymore bottles of this. It was so damn good!

Anime Corner:
Zone-Tan from the Zone Archive Series was used in this pairing mainly for the color of the labels but also all the dark fruit and dessert flavors I was able to get from this beer. The whole dark fruit, purple yammy, yogurt, pie beer was definitely hitting so much of my taste buds, it was like how Zone tan looks in this picture. So damn attractive and Sexy lil’ pinup woman in a purple sweater. Yes, this was a real dessert.

Sources:
http://img0.reactor.cc/pics/comment/full/Zone-tan-Tarakanovich-Anime-Art-Anime-1714070.jpeg

Abbey by New Belgium

1512801_10101561386106690_1780227651_nRating: 4.8/5

Abbey by New Belgium is a 7% ABV Belgian Dubbel

Label:
A beauty of a Belgian dubbel with six different malts and an authentic Belgian yeast strain that’s happiest being served in a New Belgian globe glass.
___

Yes, I agree. While it would be plain and simple to use the NB globe glass, I decided against it since I wanted to use the Monkish glass to appeal to the art pairing. Anyways, this beer comes out every year around the Fall/Winter season ready for X-mas. I have never got a chance to review it since the last time I bought a 6 or a Folly 12 pack, they are all gone. This one did not get away and is here for the review. You can get this nation wide in 6 pack or the NB Winter Folly pack.

Aromas:
Rich banana bread, dark fruits like raisins, plums, figs, dulce de leche caramel notes, vanilla, chocolate hints, cinnamon, ginger bread, nutmeg, biscuit and toffee

Flavors:
Dulce de leche caramel notes, dark fruits forward from the raisins, the plums and figs, dates, banana bread, coffee and chocolate notes, cinnamon, ginger bread, nutmeg, earthy hop notes, molasses, anise notes, clove and coriander spice, peppercorns and bubble gum hints

Aftertaste:
Close to a dry finish but some biscuit, raisins, earthy hop bitterness and caramel linger for a little bit. Despite being a dubbel quite the easy drinking. No alcohol in the taste either.

Overall:
A Great beer very delicious. To the height of many of the New Belgium beers that I have tried, only some have made it with a high rating. This one takes the cake and is probably one of my favorite annual releases from New Belgium. This beer definitely makes it to the world class (14th best dubbel according to beer advocate). Belgian beer lovers will love this one

Anime Corner:
I am not sure who created this piece but I was able to find it when looking for different pictures online. This was a perfect pairing because it includes everything about Belgian Abbeys, monks, monasteries and so forth. A tribute to the Belgian abbeys

Blasphemy 2013 edition by Weyerbacher

1525721_10101561141237410_1864233356_n 1489261_10101561140638610_564518262_nRating: 5.9/5 

Blasphemy 2013 edition by Weyerbacher 11.8% ABV Belgian Quadruple aged in Whiskey Barrels

Label:
Blasphemy is our award winning QUAD aged in bourbon barrels. But not overaged, so we’ve picked up gentle vanilla oaky notes which complement rather than supersede the complex qualities that already make QUAD such an incredible beer.
___

Third Time’s a charm with this one. This is the 3rd time I review this beer and every time it is always one of the best Pecan Pie Quads ever. This year they are sporting a new label. Really awesome. This one I was able to get online as it is not sold from what I have seen, here in California.

Aromas:
Lots pecan pie, bourbon, vanilla, dulce de leche caramel, hazelnut, whipped cream, buttered toffee, bananas, coconut, oak and a ton of dark fruits like raisins, plums, cherries, figs, some wine characters champagne and flan.

Flavors:
Dulce de leche caramel, pecan pie, hazelnut, honey, walnuts, raisin bread pudding, vanilla ice cream, waffle cone, Irish cream, bananas, toasted coconut, oak, butterscotch, bourbon whiskey, cherries, dark fruits like raisins, plums, blue and black berries, port wine, apples, peaches, pears and some graham crackers and marshmallows.

Aftertaste:
The sweet vanilla, caramel, dark fruits, raisin bread pudding, rich pecan pie , hazelnut and bourbon notes linger for a while. The beer is a sipper with the alcohol only coming through as needed but not to detract from the sweet flavors. You get the bourbon and the quad flavors fine.

Overall:
Very similar to previous years and each just more exquisite. The 2 year version seems to be more hefty and buttery than this one but this is still over the top. Close to being on of my favorite quads in the world. Worth a pick up if you can find it. Belgian and Barrel Aged beer loves may love this one

Anime Corner:
Raven from Teen Titans I used for the new pairing to represent the new label colors. I used Raven to signify the raven that is on the label. I also used Dark Angel by Nezu-nyan of Deviant art in the original pairing of beer because everything from the background, to the raven, the cemetery and the blue night sky was part of the original label. Couldn’t find a better pairing 

Life is Like… collaboration by Cigar City and Mikkeller

1385491_10101445792577050_719922253_n 1377590_10101445792557090_145495964_n 1381631_10101445792696810_661862072_nRating: 6+/5 *My new second most favorite chocolate flavored beer ever. Why be limited 😦 ????

Life is Like… collaboration by Cigar City and Mikkeller is a 15% ABV Imperial Milk / Sweet Stout brewed with cherries & cacao nibs & aged in bourbon barrels

Label: 
An imperial sweet stout brewed with cherries and cacao nibs, which is then aged in bourbon barrels. This beer is brewed in collaboration with Mikkeller our generous friend from Copenhagen, Denmark. What you have here is a modest attempt to emulate the experience of biting into a chocolate-covered cherry candy. We hope you enjoy it but you never know what you’re gonna get.
___

Released exclusively at the Cigar City Brewing tap room, this one had become a quickly coveted beer. I was only able to grab a bottle by pure luck as now a days you either have to get them through trading or online sites that cater to rare beers. If you somehow stumble upon this treasure, the choice to drink now or save for later will be completely up to you. I have taken the brevity to do a review now but check several years later and see if the brew has completely changed into something, possibly extraordinary.

Aromas of this is exactly what I had expected and more!! Cordial Cherries, Chocolate covered cherry notes, vanilla dulce de leche caramel, milk chocolate, cherry rye bread, flan, bourbon, hazelnut, dark cherry notes, roasted coffee, Kahlua, mocha, banana, cloves and cake

The flavors are basically, Chocolate Rain brewed with cherries. The flavors are very awesome, on point and rich. Lots of rich cherries in the taste, Cordial Chocolate-covered cherries, raspberries, milk chocolate, dark chocolate, Kahlua, bourbon, mocha, banana notes, hazel nut, vanilla, cherry flan, dulce de leche caramel, cherry rye bread, dark fruits like raisins, figs, blueberry and raspberry jam notes, cherry skin and rich cherry cake

The aftertaste leaves like a combination of chocolate, cherry and vanilla syrup with some very nice bourbon notes. The alcohol is mildly present and really almost hidden. A very syrupy sipper. Almost like drinking liquid gourmet Cordial Chocolate cherries. As the beer warms up, more cherries start to come out. Give it some time and enjoy

Overall, just plug it into my veins!! Freaking awesomely delicious Chocolate Rain, basically with real cherries. Cigar City is The Bruery of the east coast for me. Now you add the awesome gypsy Mikkeller into the mash and you have a beer that is so rich and sweet, it really does make me wonder if the meaning of Life is like… enjoying it and making the best of it. A symbolic representation of life is most likely represented in this bottle or anything you love. Either that or this is Diabetes in a bottle (Willford Brimly voice). And in several years, if you are alive to enjoy it, take it and share it with the lucky ones. You most important ones because they are what make life worth living. This is true to what they say it is. To me, this is actually better than the than the Cherry Rye Bourbon County in the chocolate and cherry department.

Grand Cru by Rodenbach of Steenhuffel Belgium

992999_10101358398191100_635887340_n 1185481_10101358398121240_606586928_nRating: 5.09/5

Grand Cru by Rodenbach of Steenhuffel Belgium is a 6% ABV World Class Flanders Red Ale aged in oak vats. Composed of 33% “young” ale and 67% ale matured for two years

Label: 
Rodenbach Grand Cru is an exceptional Belgian ale known as Flemish Red Brown Ale. It enjoys a special status in Belgium as a “Traditional Regional” product. A mixed fermentation ale, Rodenbach is matured in oak vats, giving this ale a signature sweet-sour taste and intense bouquet with a very long after taste like a Grand Cru wine. Rodenbach Grand Cru is a blend of “young” ale (33%) and ale that has matured for two years (67%).
___

While looking for the old Lips of Faith New Belgium Grand Cru, I was recommended to get this one instead as it was highly recommended by one of the personnel at the store. I have had may experiences with Grand Crus and those have become a progressing favorite style of mine as I try more. When I read this was a Flanders ale or Flemish Red brown I was was kind of surprised. At first I thought, well, most grand crus are red or brown in color but a lot of Belgian Strong Dark Ales or even Quadruples. At that point I realized, this I had to see. To my surprise, this was not a sour beer at all, it was more delightful

Aromas are of wine grapes close to funky beer, but then I got a rush of greater dark cherry yogurt fragrances as well as dulce de leche caramel, vanilla, toffee, apples, pears, buttery biscuit, butterscotch, raspberries, cherry cobbler, cherry pie, figs, raisins and brown sugar.

The flavors was definitely not what I has presumed. You don’t get much sour notes, but instead more tangy cherry notes and more fruit driven flavors like apples, apricots, raisins, figs, wine grapes, raspberries, tart cranberries, currants and black berries. You also get dulce de caramel, vanilla, cherry cobbler, cherry pie notes, oak wood, light lemon dash, earthy spices, and Black cherry yogurt.

The aftertaste is caramel sweet and cherry tart with some nice light acidic and bready notes. Not your typical sour at all. Dark crimson blood body yet pleasing to drink.

Over all, I was highly impressed. This is the first time I try a Flanders that was not more tart to sour flavored. This is the sour noted beer that many of those people that love fruity beers but don’t like sours would absolutely love. Now I see why its simply amazing. Leave it to Belgium to create the best beers in the world. If they can take a lighty funky beer and make it compete with the quads and dark strongs as “Grand Crus”, that has got to be Godly.

Grand Cru by Alesmith Brewing

487395_10101297402412130_346199578_n 1000856_10101297404702540_549048764_nRating: 5.35/5*

Grand Cru by Alesmith Brewing is a 10%ABV Belgian Strong Dark Ale

Label: 
25.4 fl. oz. – First place California State Fair. Grand Cru is a term designating excellence and is reserved for the finest offering from a brewery. AleSmith Grand Cru is brewed once per year in small batches for limited vintage release.

AleSmith Grand Cru is a complex, amber-colored, malty Belgian-style ale. It is brewed using only the finest imported malts, hops and candi sugar, along with an authentic yeast strain from a Belgian Trappist Monastery. Traditionally bottle-conditioned, the secondary fermentation occurring in the bottle gives this ale a natural effervescence.

Taste this truly Grand Cru and you’ll agree: AleSmith’s hand-forged ales are crafted to perfection. 10% alcohol by volume. Brewed & bottled by AleSmith Brewing Co., San Diego, CA.
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Been passing this one up for a quite a while. Alesmith makes really great beer but I never got around to try this one. No longer though. I was able to find this one to give it a try and do a review. Grand Cru is sometimes a complex type that doesn’t really fall into a particular style other than some type of Belgian beer that is really awesome. I’ve considered some of the Grand Crus I have tried in the best as very Epic, this one is no different. In fact, it rates outstanding to world class in some of the beer rating websites.

Aromas a complex conundrum of good stuff. Dark fruits like figs, raisins, plums, wine grapes, cherries, raspberries, Dulce de leche caramel on rye toast, dates, vanilla, somewhat bourbon vanilla character, chocolate, coconut, pecan and hazelnut pie, cloves, bananas in caramel, toffee, butterscotch, candi sugars, brown sugar, apples and apricots.

Flavors are simply phenomenal! Lots or dulce de leche caramel, pecan and hazel nut pie covered in vanilla cream, chocolate Almond Joy with coconut, figs, raisins, plums, slight wine grape notes, dark cherries, raspberries, dates, caramel covered bananas, toffee, biscuit bread, phenols, clove spices, nutmeg, apples, peaches, candi sugar and butterscotch

This beer is kind of crazy as it reminds me a bit of the St. Bernardus and to some extent, hints of the Westy 12. The beer has definitely has a lot going for it. It is a little boozy but that is quite fine as the bready caramel and rich fruits cover that all up nicely. This is a great beer and many Belgian beer lovers will love this one. Alesmith, very well done.

*I Love sweet and Complex beers, this one put it over just a bit. This is my highest rating for a Grand Cru so far