Tag Archives: Golden Ale

Nocturnal Nectar by Freetail brewing

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12662009_10103044316607080_3612030585023838079_nRating: 4/5

Nocturnal Nectar by Freetail brewing is a 6.8% ABV Golden ale brewed with Agave, Flaked corn, and papaya.

Label:
Free your mind & your tail will follow

Look up to the Texas night sky & raise a glass to our bats! Yes bats, they helped to bring you this beer, through pollination, seed dispersal and pest control of three of its ingredients: agave, flaked corn, and papaya.

Bats help bring many of our everyday foods to the table including rice, coffee, sugar, numerous fruits and nuts, not to mention some of the most important of our Halloween treats.

Bats are out unseen gardeners, with foods from around the world relying on these nocturnal creatures.
==Introduction==

I received this special brew from my friend Aaron Mendiola at BeerMetalDude.com. This brew was made for a good cause. Brews like these I feel is a great way for craft beer to give back to the community. Definitely giving back to is a good way to establish once self not by the beer that they sell but by the good they do for society. I feel like the big guys like inBev just mainly spend on selling a product than making good beer and giving back to the community. That is an argument for another time. Anyways, let’s take a look at this delicious Batty brew.

Aromas:
Honey, wafflecone, honey comb, tropical fruit papaya, raspberries, dragon fruit, passion fruit, banana, clove spice, candi sugar, bubblegum, pilsner malt, grassy, herbal and floral hops, mescal hints, cane sugar and biscuit bread.

Flavors:
Bananas, agave nectar, lechugilla agave juice, honey, wafflecone, honey comb, tropical fruit papaya, raspberries, dragon fruit, passion fruit hints, grapes, biscuit bread, cane sugar, grassy, herbal and floral hops, hibiscus, candy sugar, peppercorn notes, mezcal hints and green tea,

Aftertaste:
Finishes dry with hints of tropical fruits, floral notes, honey, agave hints, hoppy notes and cereal graininess. No alcohol in the taste, golden light to hazy body, crisp, clean, smooth and refreshing mouthfeel and easy to drink.

Overall:
A very good brew showcasing so many delicious tropical fruit flavors and still remaining crisp, clean and very drink like a nice pilsner. The combination of the fruits are really present despite this being somewhat lightish of a brew. Something people can dig especially if your purchase goes to a good cause. Today bats, tomorrow, purple sea stars and next, save the Whalez!

Anime Corner:
Lilith Aensland from Darkstalkers was used in this pairing since I wanted to pair mainly with the theme of bats and extracting nectar. In this artwork, she is surrounded by flowers just like the bat is on the label. That along with some of the fruits in the beer that present themselves in the various colors of the art piece. This is a very rich nectar.

Sources:
http://e-shuushuu.net/images/2013-05-06-577426.jpeg

Reserva Piña by Five Stones of Cibolo Texas

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11145565_10102784732465780_1423726647216555056_o 11903656_10102784733693320_2438269228824236854_oRating: 5.65/6

Reserva Piña by Five Stones of Cibolo Texas is a 6.7% ABV Golden Ale hand crafted with fresh Pineapple and Roasted Jalapeño then aged in Tequila Oak chips.

Label:
An American Golden Ale handcrafted with fresh pineapple and hint of roasted jalapeño, then conditioned 45 days with tequila soaked oak chips.

==Introduction==

It has been a long time since my awesome friend Aaron and I traded for some good. We both were in very interesting points in our lives. Me busy learning home brewing and him getting experience at Busted Sandal and now working for Mad Pecker brewing of Texas. We have definitely come along way especially with the growth of our websites. Check my Aaron’s kick ass beer and metal pairings at www.beermetaldude.com. Some of the best inspirations in pairings that will definitely make you beer experience ever more awesome! I also want to thank his friends at Five Stones brewery out in Texas. Mahalo! guys once again as I was able to obtain the follow up beer to the Aloha Piña. I loved that beer and now this one with Tequila oak chips, MAN….. Well, enough imagining, let’s see how this one breaks into dimensions of taste. Cheers!

Aromas:
Citrus, Papaya, Pineapple, Agave, oak hints, Stone fruit apricots, peaches, grapefruit hints, peppercorn, honey, lavender, hibiscus, mezcal, lemon, caramel, vanilla, jalapeño hints, cherries, strawberries and biscuit bread.

Flavors:
Lots or Rich pineapple, toasted oak, Tequila notes, mezcal, jalapeño at mild heat, agave notes, cane sugar, sangria hints, cherries, raspberries, strawberries, dragon fruit, oranges, mango, papaya, kiwi, lemon grass, honey, rye bread, vanilla, caramel hints, biscuit bread, herbs, spices, flower notes like hibiscus, chamomile hints and lavender, peppercorn, Stone fruit apricots, apples, agave lechugilla hints (Mexican Agave juice), white grape notes, coriander spices, banana notes, clove hints, honey comb and mild sweetened condensed milk.

Aftertaste:
The Jalapeño heat lingers mildly but the pineapple, cherries, strawberries and other tropical flavors soothe and then lots herbs, oak, stone fruit, tequila notes, mezcal, coriander and banana hints linger. No alcohol in the taste, Hazy peach color medium body, Crisp, refreshing and slightly smooth mouthfeel, as well as an easy to medium drinkability.

Overall:
All I have to say is, make sure you order a pizza to go with this beer. Especially a Hawaiian with Jalapeños and cherries if they have it. You would come close to the awesomeness of this beer. Reminding me so much of the Aloha as it is the base for this but the Tequila unleashes other flavors that make this beer much more complex and takes it another step further than it originally could. Thanks to my good friend Aaron for hooking me up with this delicious treat which I could definitely have way more of it. Highly recommended.

Anime Corner:
Nonon Jakuzure from Kill La Kill was used in this pairing as I wanted to pair mainly the skeleton of the label but also some of the tropical colors and the red colors that would come from sangria and the berry flavors which I think came about thanks to the special aging of the beer. Nonon is pretty much a rebel without a cause, jams to her own beat and compliments this beer as the breweries experiments are a masterpiece and music to the tastes buds.

Sources:
http://img.4plebs.org/boards/tg/image/1387/66/1387669796830.jpg
http://img0.joyreactor.cc/pics/post/Anime-Anime-Art-Kill-la-Kill-1931263.png

St. Bernardus Extra 4 by Brouwerij St. Bernardus NV

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10593132_10101996994324330_9153501560502863547_nRating: 4.5/5

St. Bernardus Extra 4 by Brouwerij St. Bernardus NV is a 4.8% ABV Belgian Pale Ale/Belgian Single.

COMMERCIAL DESCRIPTION
Extra 4 is a classic Belgian “Single” style, light golden in color, full of flavor and character and brewed with more hops and bitterness in comparison to the other well known St Bernardus abbey ales. Extra 4 will be brewed with high fermentation and bottled conditioned with an ABV of 4.8%. Extra 4 will be a unique, tasty and refreshing spring and summer quencher with a lower alcohol content than such other popular St Bernardus products as Abt 12, Tripel and Prior 8.
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I never knew the Single style was actually Belgian pale ale. Dubbels are brow, Tripels can be light or hazy and Quads Dark and Strong. But Belgian Pale Ales are closer to the Golden Ales or Golden Blondes. I feel like I learn something with every beer I try and I am glad I can bring this knowledge to you. St. Bernardus beers are typically world class and some of the best beers out there and the number 12 is simply the best! Cheers and hope you enjoy my review!

Aromas:
Biscuit Bread, grains, vanilla, honey, caramel, peppercorns, sage spice, floral, grassy and herbal hops, citrus, lemon zest, lemon peel, clove spice, banana hints, honey comb, waffle cone, stone fruit and coriander spice.

Flavors:
Honey, bananas, clove spice, peppercorns, citrus, lemon peel, vanilla, dulce de leche caramel hints from the yeast they use, grassy and herbal hops, stone fruits hints of peaches, apricots and plums, sage spice, coriander spice and waffle cone.

Aftertaste:
Honey, biscuit bread, herbal and grassy hop linger for only a little bit before they dry. No alcohol in the taste whatsoever, easy to moderate drinkability, hazy medium body, light to moderate mouth feel, crisp and refreshing. Definitely for the summer.

Overall:
Very good indeed and not as heavy as other Belgian beers in terms of the full mouth feel or higher ABV. This is supposed to be lighter on purpose and is possibly the first time I try a Belgian ‘Single’, that is, if the Golden Ale, Belgian Pale or Belgian Blonde style were not the style referred here. Even though the flavors do math similarly to that of those styles. Either way, this is something I can definitely see myself drinking several on a summer day for sure. Still getting those nice Belgian flavors at a lower ABV. I would definitely recommend you try this out and see how you like this one.

Anime Corner:
Ryuko Matoi from Kill La Kill in her Super Saiyan/Fashion Week Mode was used in this pairing because I wanted to one of my four favorite anime characters in a St. Bernardus beer. If you look at my other St. Bernardus beers, you will find that I paired 1 of the 4 with one of the beers, except Tokyo since that one is unique. Anyways, when I heard this beer was coming out and I heard it was a beer style I had not heard before, I figured, this version of Ryuko is perfect for that golden ale. While she is more powerful than the ABV this beer carriers, the flavor is where the strength lies in.

Sources:
http://i.imgur.com/feUANQf.jpg

As follows Eschatological Ale by Stillwater Artisanal 2013

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1004512_10101346420020450_310169627_n

 

Rating: 5/5

As Follows Eschatological by Stillwater Artisanal is a 9% ABV Belgian Strong Pale Ale

Label:
===========

1. To come or go after; proceed behind 2. To move along the course of; take 3. To adhere to; practice 4. To engage in (a trade or occupation); work at 5. To come after in order, time, or position 6. To occur or be evident as a consequence of 7. To grasp the meaning or logic of; understand.
==============================

I have done several reviews on this beer and still to this day, freaking awesome beer. One of my favorite Belgian Pale Ales. The 2013 version now comes in 4 packs with a different description (Belgian Style Golden Ale vs. Eschatological Ale). The beer is pretty much the same but I think the 750ml bottle had more body too it. This still does not detract from the awesome flavors this beer provides. It is more available than ever and still… mysteriously evil and creepily delicious 😛 

2012 Review: https://brewerianimelogs.wordpress.com/2012/11/05/as-follows-eschatological-ale-by-stillwater-artisanal/

Black & Blue by Dogfish Head

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999069_10101295878895270_1465842618_nRating: 4.25/5

Black & Blue by Dogfish Head is a 10% ABV Belgian Golden Ale brewed with Black raspberry and Blueberry puree.

COMMERCIAL DESCRIPTION (ratebeer.com)
Black & Blue is golden Belgian Ale made with over 300 lbs of fresh blackberries and blueberries. With a deep purple full body and a long-lasting lacy pink head, this ale is both attractive and delicious! It is tart and fruity, like our brewers! The subtle bitterness of Hallertau and Saaz hops shines through the fruit forward flavor and sets the palate aglow. (30 IBUs). This tasty brew has smooth but noticeable alcohol warmth. Belgian yeast gives this brew a characteristically dry spicy finish. The beautiful interplay of fruit, spice, and alcohol is complimented by a soft malt profile, and a high level of carbonation.
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Aromas are of grapes, biscuit bread, raspberries, blueberries, wheat, cherries, citrus, peach, apples, coriander spice and strawberry jam.

The flavors are of lots of tart black and blueberries, wine grapes, apple, apricots, biscuit bread, wheat, apples, citrus, coriander spice, bananas on toast with strawberry jam, and clove notes.

Pretty sweet, fruity and tart beer. Hard to sense the alcohol. It is one of those beers that hides the alcohol very well. The beer almost feels sorta like a wine in the after taste but leaves a good amount of very nice residual banana and fruit on bread.

Overall, for people that like wine or fruit beers, this is very nice. What makes it that more delicious is the Belgian yeast strain which gives it that nice clovey, banana bread like flavors through out the beer. 

Certainly this does very good in comparison to other fruit beers. Except for maybe their Forte beer and the awesome Montegiocco Draco which is brewed with lots of Blueberries and makes is actually taste like a blueberry muffin. Anyways, that is another beer in a past review. Still, this beer does very well for itself. It is one of those beers that I would go with if I am in the mood for a fruit beer. Unless its chocolate and fruit, then that would be something else altogether

Beard Beer by Rogue Brewing company

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544192_10101131861751940_268162698_nRating: 4.25/5

Beard Beer by Rogue Brewing company is a Belgian Blonde/Golden Ale with an ABV of ~5.6%. Not sure if this is the final name of the beer or if it was a prototype release. Originally released in April 1st, 2013 whom many believed was a joke. Joking aside, the plans were already in motion for this beer’s development since 2012 which was going to be called “Chatoe Rogue New Crustacean Barleywine”. While this may still be true, the beard yeast will most likely be used in that project.

Label: 
Beard Beer is brewed with a yeast created from Brewmaster John Maier’s Beard. No Need to freak out, Brewers have used wild yeasts in beer making for centuries. John has had the same Old Growth Beard since 1983 and for over 15,000 brews, so it is no great surprise that a natural yeast ideal for brewing was discovered in his beard.

What does Beard Beer taste like? Try it, we think you’ll be surprised…

Ingredients:
Water
Hops
Barley
Beard Yeast

14deg Plato
25 IBU
71 AA
6deg L

http://johnsbeard.com/ 
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This is probably another one of those crazy open minded experiments for me. The last weird beet I tried was the Rocky Mountain Oyster stout which surprisingly was very awesome. Now there is really no beard hair in this beard but the yeast from John Maier’s beard was used to make this. Yeast is technically found almost anywhere and many of them have been known to be able to ferment sugars. So there is definitely nothing weird about this beer and science, or is there? Anyways, here’s to science! 

Upon opening this beer I got some very nice fragrant notes. Biscuit bread, citrus, guava, peppercorns, pineapple, banana, lychee fruit, pears and apples. The flavors are very good actually. Flavors are of biscuit bread, honey, slight caramel, peppercorns, apples, citrus, pineapple, bananas, slight mango, slight grassy bitterness, guava notes, spicy cloves, coriander and minor tart lemon peel. The aftertaste remains mainly bready and fruity with some nice spice and some bitterness. This is beer is basically a light Tripel or a saison. The beer is very drinkable, fruity, crisp and refreshing. This is the perfect beer for the coming summer and is perfect for the spring time. Don’t be afraid to try it, it really is is good.

*ABV is calculated based on Rogue’s notes on calculating ABV based on Plato divided by 2.5. In this case (14/2.5)=5.6% approximately (http://rogue.com/beers/beers.php )

Belzebuth by Brasserie Grain d’ Orge

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544440_10101072548785600_1010024809_nRating: 4/5

Belzebuth by Brasserie Grain d’ Orge of France is a 13%ABV Belgian Strong Blonde Ale.

Description:
Bottle (13% abv) and can (11.8%): Filtered.
Ingredients: Water, Barley Malt, Wheat, Rice, Sugar, Hops.
Alcohol content lowered in 2002 from 15% to 13% when brewery changed name from Jeanne d’Arc to Grain d’Orge.
“The dark amber coloured Belzebub offers an intense alcohol flavour with a strong supporting maltiness.”
The 11.8% version is canned in Holland.
___

When opening this little bottle you notices that there is definitely not a lot of beer. Exactly 8.4oz of it. This is the second time I try the beer and I have been meaning to do another review. It has been a couple years actually. The aromas are nice. Fragrances of honey, biscuit bread, citrus orange, dulce de leche caramel, vanilla, boozy almost like a sweet bourbon, oak, pears, grapes, peaches and some raisins. The flavors are pretty sweet. Belgian yeast phenolic, grapes, caramel, pears, peaches, orange, grape jelly, possibly a strawberry, honey, vanilla, slight raisin bread pudding and quite a good amount of alcohol. While the beer does have some really nice flavors worth checking out, for some, the alcohol could be distracting a bit. It is not as balanced as it could be and it semi hides the alcohol. Regardless, you can still tell about the flavors in this one. Quite good, not the best, but still quite good. Besides, a 13% Belgian style ale from France, you cant go wrong there 🙂

Bellerose Bière Blonde Extra by Brasserie Des Sources

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402237_10101006079954670_1172880957_n 602769_10101006079375830_413976880_nRating: 5/5

Bellerose Bière Blonde Extra by Brasserie Des Sources is a 6.5%ABV Golden Pale Bière de Garde

Label:
Bellerose is a Top fermented beer made with 3 hops from 3 different continents by Brasseries Des Sources(Brewery of the Springs). A mix between French “bière de Garde” and IPA with distinctive aromas of citrus & litchi with a hoppy but refreshing aftertaste ! After less than one year of brewing, this beer have won three medals in prestigious beer Competition and was elected as the “Best Ale over 5% in the UK” at the International Beer Challenge of London 2011 !
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According to the research, this beer is a Belgian IPA / French Biere de Garde Hybrid. Fragrances of this beer are of champagne, apples, lemon zest, citrus, biscuit bread, vanilla, flowers, pineapple, banana esters, hibiscus, lavender, french bread, cheese and slight grassy hop aromas. The flavors are of honey, citrus, lemon, vanilla, biscuit bread, Belgian yeast phenols, French Bread, apples, pears, banana, lychee fruit, pine apple, champagne, berries, peppercorns, chamomile (Manzanilla), roses, and pine. The after taste has some minor grassy and hoppy bitterness with honey sweetness that lingers. Never thought I would see a light bodied beer be so flavorful and yet so refreshing and easy to drink. For being an ale that is closest to a lager, this one is definitely delicious. Almost in the lines of a Tripel but without the over powering full body and easier to drink. Very hard to find but very delicious. If you can find it, get it and try it. C’est Magnifique!

5 Golden Rings by The Bruery

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424574_10100997914019270_1680951615_nRating: 4.8/5

5 Golden Rings by The Bruery is a 11.5% ABV Belgian Strong Golden Ale brewed with Pineapple Juice and Spices

Label:
The fifth verse in our “Twelve Beers of Christmas” saga incorporates sweet, cake-like spice into a rich and robust golden ale. Happy Holidays!
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This is the latest installment to the 12 beers of Christmas. The aromas of the 5 golden rings is reminiscent of some of those special Tripels or special Belgian Pale Ales. This has aromas of pineapple, apples, mango, guavas, apricots, banana cloves, biscuit bread and possibly like a vanilla danish. The flavors are of mango, pineapple, peaches, guavas, oranges, apples, pears, banana cloves, biscuit bread, bit of pepper corns, caramel, honey, vanilla, coriander spice, wheat and cane sugar. The aftertaste is of caramel, banana and more pineapple. Well hidden alcohol. Although it is a pretty sweet beer and I love sweet beers, the hard part is trying to distinguish between what was of flavors created through actual fermentation versus what was added to give it the easily noted flavors. I don’t really mind this at all. In fact I wouldn’t rate the beer this high if I didn’t think it was delicious but just be warned that you will get a great amount of pineapple which was a added versus fermentation created. Either way, great beer worth the try. People that don’t like tangy and sweet beers may not find this one appealing. To each his own I say. Besides, this is meant for aging. It is still too early in the tasting process to see it’s true potential over a several years. I am sure it will blow my mind next time :D.

Scaldis Blond Ale Triple by Brasserie Dubuisson Frères

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262738_10100964263659860_902611297_nRating: 4.75/5

Scaldis Blond Ale Triple by Brasserie Dubuisson Frères is a 10.5% ABV Belgian Triple

Label:
Scaldis Blond Triple is brasserie Dubuisson’s golden ale. Sharing the finesse and balance of all the delicious Scaldis beers it is an elegant and dry ale with wonderful orchard-fruit aromas of orange and peach. And because it is refermented in the bottle, it has the natural sparkle that perfectly compliments its flavors. Suitable for cellaring!
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Reminds me of the Cent Cinquante by Chimay. Smells like citrus, peach, pepper corns, honey, bread, biscuit. The flavors are of champagne, citrus, honey, biscuit bread, apples, peaches, grapes, little bit of banana, caramel, herbs, coriander, peppercorn, cloves, and other spices. This beer is quite like Allagash Fluxus and the Cent Cinquante by Chimay. Not as full bodied as some of the other Tripels I have tried but still very good. Lots of honey and citrus in the after taste. Give it a try if you love Belgian Beers. You might like this one 😛