Juniper Berries | Brewerianimelogs (Anime and Beer Lore)

Rating: 5/5

Gotlandricka by Jester King is a 6.9% ABV Smoked Sahti/Gotlandsdricke/Koduõlu brewed with Juniper and Sweet Myrica Gale.

Label:
Batch#2 – 12/08/2014
Farmhouse Ale brewed with smoked malt, juniper, and sweet gale.

Trespasser! You come to steal from the bounty of this land? My conjured flame beckoned this earth from the depths of the sea and sparked a blazing oath to let none defile it. I shall bring a burning ruin upon you. When at last I have robbed you even of speech, as your eyes beg for mercy and lungs gasp for your last of breath, you will again be denied as you draw in only the choking smoke of your own smoldering flesh.

Jester King is an authentic farmhouse brewery located in the beautiful Texas Hill Country on the outskirts of Austin. We brew what we like, drink what we want, and offer the rest to those who share our tastes.

Gotlandricka
ALC/VOL 6.9% FG 1.03 IBU 18

Ingredients: Hill Country Well Water, Beechwood Smoked Malted Barley, Birchwood Smoked Malted Barley, Rye, Oak Smoked Wheat, Hops, Juniper Berries, Sweet Gale, Farmhouse Yeast, Wild yeast from the Texas Hill Country. Native Souring Bacteria.

Contains: Wheat
Suitable for Vegetarian and Vegans
Notes: Gotlandsdricka, meaning “Drink of the Good Land”, is believed to have been the beer of the Vikings. Our rendition of this ancient style is inspired by the traditional farmhouse ales once brewed on the island of Gotland, off the coast of Sweden. Naturally occurring wild yeasts and bacteria impart a sense of place to this unfiltered, unpasteurized, and 100% bottle-conditioned beer.
==Introduction==

Ah good ol’ Jester King, one of Texas best hidden in the countryside. The place where my friend and fellow craft beer guru, Aaron Mendiola from beermetaldude.com had his wedding. Thanks to Aaron, I can get some good Jester King beers that normally I don’t think I will ever see, or at least not anytime soon. This time around, he graces the site with a really interesting one of the times of the Vikings, or at least inspired by them. These beers are always a pleasure and I have loved every one so far. Let’s see what this mighty bottle serves, Skál!!!

Aromas:
Rich floral notes like lavender, hibiscus, chamomile, funky must, smokey oak, beachwood, lemon, stone fruit peaches, apricots, mango, mushroom, Tejuino, coriander spice, sage spice, sea salt, oyster hints, earthy notes, notes of gin, wine grapes, lemons, juniper berries, peppercorn, wheat and citrus.

Flavors:
Rich smokey oak, lemon zest, mushroom, BBQ, farmhouse hay, brettanomyces, bacon notes, Tejuino (Mexican Maize drink with salt and lemon), peppercorns, wheat, coriander spice, citrus, floral notes, lavander, lemons, wine grapes, juniper berries, gin hints, sea salt, oysters, earthy notes, beachwood, complex oak character, hibiscus, chamomile hints, stone fruit peaches, apricots, mild mango notes and sage spice.

Aftertaste:
Rich oak, Tejuino, flowers, stone fruits, lemon, sea salt, peppercorn, sage, coriander, smoked bacon, mushrooms, earthy notes and farmhouse hay notes linger. No alcohol in the taste, Hazy golden full body, crisp, refreshing, moderate and effervescent mouthfeel with an easy to moderate drinkability.

Overall:
So much going on here. Jester King is always on top of their game. When it comes to farmhouse ales and sours, they really do focus on really bringing people out of the common perception of sours and into a realm where your taste buds escape to. Similarly to entering another dimension in perception. In this case, the world of sours and farmhouse from another dimension or even for the beer here, flavors believed to be long lost in the great past only to be brought back like a time machines. Only one way ticket to Valhalla, and Gotlandricka will take you there. A must try and I am fortunate to have a great friend like Aaron to bring me some beer from the lost lands of Texas. Thanks brother, Cheers!

Anime Corner:
Risty from Queen’s Blade was chosen in this pairing as I wanted to pair her with with the Viking on the label and what the beer represents. Essentially, she wears gear like a Viking but you can also tell she is really enjoying a feast! A feast of the land. What goes great with the feast of the land? This beer! The drink of the good land! Well, now, I believe we have the perfect pairing right here!

Sources:
http://41.media.tumblr.com/57fb18446522e970775f08ac01c9ce8d/tumblr_n4ounkhUzW1rei6xdo1_r1_1280.jpg
https://figyura.files.wordpress.com/2014/06/figyura_megahouse_risty_02.jpg

Rating: 5.65/5

2014 Contemplating Waterloo by Adelbert’s Brewery is 9.1% ABV Belgian Saison aged in Gin Barrels

Label:
While enjoying a beer with our good friends at Treaty Oak Distilling Co., we contemplated the possibilities of aging our beers in their barrels. Soon we were filling their Waterloo Antique Gin barrels with Philosophizer, our spicy and citrusy saison.

A complex array of lavender, juniper and oak from the barrel balanced with the Philosophizer to create a smooth, warming ale.

Pair this ale with dishes like chicken alfredo, veal scallopini and strawberry cheesecake.
___

Aldebert’s brewery is mostly exclusive to Texas but distribution is starting to come through in many places. This unique beer was provided to me by my good friend Aaron at www.beermetaldude.com. Gin is sometimes not really barrel-aged and this is probably the reason why we don’t see a lot of Gin-Barrel Aged beers as the composition of Gin includes a lot of botanicals and Juniper Berries. However, after looking at the Waterloo Antique Gin, these are put in a barrel so the extra complexity just rolls right off and the fact that the special saison which is already a flowery botanical like beer added, well, if there is a flowery Nirvana out there, let’s just hope this beer takes us there.

Aromas:
Lots of Lavender, Gin, Vanilla, grapes, flowers, peppercorn, hibiscus, citrus, honey dew melon, basil, orange citrus, sage spice, banana, rich plantains, rich oak, sugar cane, flan hints, brown sugar, stone fruit apricot, apples, juniper berries, green tea, chamomile, biscuit bread, clove spice, white wine, chardonay, coriander spice and rye.

Flavors:
Apples, raspberries, white wine grapes, citrus, stone fruit apricots, peaches, plum notes, Gin, vanilla, oak, dulce de leche caramel, honey dew melons, lavender, hibiscus, chamomile hints, green tea, plantains, banana, biscuit bread, sugar cane, flan, brown sugar, peppercorn, orange blossom honey, coriander, clove spice, rye bread, blue basil, ginger spice, chardonay, fancy wine and cheese party, juniper berries, blue berry muffins, cherries and blackberries.

Aftertaste:
Finishing up dry with only some gin, sugar cane sweetness, farmhouse hay, vanilla, oak and white wine grapes. Slight booziness but that is mainly from the Gin but it really doesn’t take way from the awesome flavor but inspires the beer. A sipping drinkability with a almost syrupy mouthfeel and clear to medium golden body.

Overall:
Exceeding a lot of expectations here. This is the first Gin Barrel-Aged Beer I have ever had and it sure flew past that perfect radar for me. There was a lot going on here and as I remember back in the day when I tried Gin I remember it had a unique taste which that and the flowery saison creates a complex berry and flowery type of beer. I highly recommend this one was it is rare to see Gin Barrel-aged beers but also the fact that this one works so damn well with a saison.

Anime Corner:
Original Character Tia Won by Plopinou was used in this pairing for different reasons. The label has shotguns being the first but overall it has to do with the color red and the red coats that the British wear in reference to the Battle of Waterloo which was the defeat of Napoleon Bonaparte in 1815. Sure, the character does not have a British army vest but red was a primary color. Anyways, that is what I thought of when I heard the name Waterloo although we already know it has to do with the Waterloo Antique Gin. Either way, I thought it was an interesting connection and I figure I would elaborate my choice in pairing.

Sources:
http://yytru.deviantart.com/art/Commission-Tia-461682273