Rochefort Trappistes 10, Redux

Ahoy, my fellow honorary Brewski Brothers!

The gauntlet hath been thrown down, now I am here to giveth thy review on the Rochefort Trappistes 10.

My eyes don't lie. They tell me what I see and I what I don't see. This particular beer pours out to have a coffee-like color, with a slight mahogany tint. The carbonation was sufficient and is best described as moderate when compared to other Trappistes ales. Translated, it didn't foam over and stain my carpet...Damn you foamy Monks! I'd ask them to pay various dry cleaning bills, but when I attempt to contact them, they suddenly claim to have taken a vow of silence...Anyway. The Rochefort is full of fruit, most evident to me is something in the vain of grape/raisin/plum. Also worth noting is a good dollop of hazelnut. This may lead you to believe that it is sweet, but it is not. It has good maltiness and the finish is long, dry and crisp. At 11.3% alcohol, this is one spicy meatball. The alcohol is briefly quite warming, but it fades in synchronicity with the finish.

The Rochefort Trappistes 10 is widely regarded as one of the best beers in the world. Believe the hype. This beer has the brute force of a heavyweight boxer, but is nimble enough outpoint most other trappist ales with balance and depth. Or as Muhammad Ali would say, "It floats like a butterfly and stings like a bee."

Rochefort Trappistes 10

Another Trappist Beer? Yes! Why? Because it's awesome! This beer was something special. So much so that my fellow ESB (that's Extra Special Bro) will be posting his own thoughts on it as well shortly.

This beer poured a deep burgundy/brown color that became even more intense with the sediment. The beer smells tremendous with hints of dark fruit and malts. The first sip is extremely impressive. There's loads of fruit with a wonderful sweetness that is not in the least bit over the top, and the high alcohol of the beer gives an incredible warming sensation all over. There is also a hint of grape, which I find extremely enjoyable.

Rochefort carries a hefty price tag at $5.99 for an 11.2 oz bottle, but this beer is too good to pass up. If you see it, buy it! But it now! There's nothing to lose in this investment. The Trappist Beers receive lots of praise, and for good reason... but with their high cost, how can you be sure you're not getting an over-hyped beer (coughOrvalcough)? Well take my word on this one. You will not be disappointed. This is how beer was intended.

Konings hoeven Quadrupel Trappist Ale

Ahhh the Trappist Beers. Monks sure know how to brew beer, don't they? With so many choices like Chimay, Rochefort, Westmalle, Orval, and others, what makes Konings hoeven special? Well, unlike the above mentioned, Konings hoven is one of the few Trappist Beers brewed outside of Belgium. It's brewed in the Netherlands. So what does that matter? Well, I guess it really doesn't, but it's just a little FYI... You're welcome.

So let's talk about the beer itself. The beer we sampled is a quadrupel. My fellow Brewski Bro-mo describes it as "birthday cake in a bottle" and that description is not that far off. The beer poured a clear red with a somewhat tan, moderate sized head. I can smell this beer as I pour it. When I get my nose down in there, the aroma is very fruity, with sweet Belgian candy sugar and a slight bit of yeast. This beer seems incredibly light and is easy drinking... Which is surprising at 10% alcohol by volume. The flavor is very sweet, with figs, candy sugar, prunes, and even the alcohol giving a nice flavor and warming feeling in this beer. This is yet another fine Trappist Beer... a bit pricey(as are the others), but still worth it with it's great drinkability and high alcohol.

There is a serious brainstorm occurring between the Brewski-Bros right now. So watch out, Beer Baron! Your reign of lame beer reviews and crappy beer selection will soon be at an end. I swear that the mission statement is coming some time soon, also. We're too busy drinking beer for your benefit... You're welcome, again.

Southern Tier Un*Earthly Imperial IPA

Hello hops!

This beer is a sheer bitchslap of hop aroma after a clear, golden pour. The brew's head settled around one inch above the beer level and slowly dissipated over the next few minutes. The aroma of the hops is quite floral and citrusy, finishing with a slight dash of evergreen tree.

Upon first taste, I was in love. Much like love, it started of sweetly. Sweet pink grapefruit, blood orange other tropical fruits. Also like love, after awhile, things became bitter. The grapefruit turned into lemon zest and pine. After some rockiness, the Southern Tier Un*Earthly IPA finished smoothly with a nice malty character.

Overall, this is a brilliant effort from Southern Tier. Unlike quite a few imperial IPAs, the Un*Earthly doesn't get distracted by focusing on International Bitterness Units. It refuses to enter that pissing contest. Rather, it flaunts its rich flowery hops while rocking the suburbs at 11.0% alcohol. It is as near of an example of perfection among double India pale ales as I have come across. Three cheers for Southern Tier!

Dogfish Head Immort Ale

So here is the first review of a work in progress, but I suppose it's time to stop being lazy and get a review posted. Since this is the first beer review, why not make it of Dogfish Head? The brewery rarely disappoints and is always interesting. The beer we have here is Immort Ale. According to Dogfish's website, it's a barelywine. We're not so sure we agree.
The beer poured a dark red, with a thin head. The aromas were very malty with a hint of hops, and vanilla coming through strongly. The first sip quickly brings on lots of caramel, malty sweetness with loads of vanilla and plenty of oak coming through. The maple syrup is detectable underneath the two. The finish is slightly bitter with the hops finally playing their part. This certainly is a strong ale, (coming in at 11%) which could qualify it as a barleywine. It seems like more of a malty American Strong Ale to us. Perhaps it qualifies as more of a traditional English barleywine. Either way, this brew does not disappoint.

This is a rather boring review for such a good beer, but I just wanted to get something up on the site. There will be more to come soon hopefully, as well as some info on who we are. Perhaps a mission statement next? I don't know. The Beer Baron will die.