A Flowery Song

Background: Belgian-style farmhouse ale, available as a seasonal release in 750ml bottles. Very energetic carbonation; make sure to chill before opening, and it may be wise to open it over the sink rather than your computer keyboard or photographic equipment. Even a gentle pour produces an impressive head of foam.

Nose: Funky and earthy; a bit of barnyard, a bit of cellar.

Taste: Tart and refreshing. Lemons, black pepper, coriander.

Overall: Good Saison! Not a traditional choice for the middle of winter, but the acidity and earthiness went nicely with the steak and kidney pie I was having.

Background: Farmhouse-style ale brewed with spelt. As you know, Bob, spelt is a species of wheat.

Nose: Fresh-mown grass, soft wheat, fruity esters, and spicy phenols.

Taste: Slightly sweet pale malt body, slight tartness, mild noble hop flavour. A little lemony, some spicy phenolic character, light herbal influences.

Overall: After the first bottle I wasn’t sure what to think, but on reflection I’ve decided that it’s really very good.

Background: Belgian-style blonde with strawberries.

Nose: Boozy strawberries with a hint of spicy phenols.

Taste: Fresh, floral strawberry high notes, smooth fruity body, cedar and herb influences.

Overall: Very nice indeed. Well balanced, full-throated fruit flavour that manages not to be overpowering.

Background: Brewed by the (semi) local Bell's Brewery, BeerAdvocate list this as a Belgian Strong Dark Ale.

Appearance: Pours a murky black with coppery brown edges and head. The minimal head quickly dissipates, leaving a ring of fine, dense bubbles around the edge of the glass. A bit of yeast sediment.

Nose: Dark, roasted malts with just a hint of spiciness.

Taste: Drying roast character in the finish to offset the initial rich, chocolaty rush. Complex interplaying flavours include figs, raisins, smoky/spicy phenols, walnuts, and caramel.

Overall: Very nice. Strikes me as a cross between a strong porter and a dubbel more than an actual Belgian style, but no matter which cubbyhole you place this beer in it's still flavourful, well-balanced, and extremely drinkable.

The mission: “How did you get into good beer?”

Now that's an interesting question.

First off, the phrasing is interesting. I've never been into bad beer. I've never even been into light lagers, which is what all too many beer elitists mean when they refer to bad beer. I would think that one wouldn't “get into” something unless it was felt that that thing was good. So why specify good? Shouldn't the question simply be, “How did you get into beer”? Well, I guess it's not really that important.

I remember the first time I drank an alcoholic beverage. A couple of months prior to turning 22, I had some wine. I don't recall the year or the producer, but I know that it was a single-varietal Greek wine made from Moschofilero. I didn't care for it. I also remember the second time I drank an alcoholic beverage. About a month later, I tried Glenfiddich. Now this was something I could get behind, as it didn't taste like spoiled grapes. In fact, it tasted downright good. Being the highly logical person that I am, this caused me to embark on a mission to become a connoisseur of non-distilled alcoholic beverages derived from Vitis vinifera. Yes, that's right: I went back to wine and began amassing as much knowledge as I could about how it was made and how it was supposed to be approached. A couple of months later, having gained a new appreciation for wine, I went back to whisky and other distilled spirits and read voraciously about them.

What does this have to do with beer? Well, it seemed only natural to me that I should give it a try; after all, it was a fairly major division of alcoholic beverages. Having two introductions to disparate beverage families under my belt, I determined not to make the same mistake with beer as I had with wine–it seemed to me that I could do this by learning something about it ahead of time. Sadly, I'm much better at determining that sort of thing than I am at following through. A few days later I was perusing the shelves at my local Trader Joe's and saw beer! Right next to the wine! So I grabbed a four-pack and put it in my cart. Tried a couple of the bottles over the next week, but found it unimpressive. Then I did the voracious reading thing again, tried a few more beers, and haven't looked back since.

So I suppose now is as good a time as any to do some looking back. That first beer was Ommegang's Abbey Ale, and I just so happen to have the fourth and final bottle from that original purchase cellared.

Background: Dubbel-style bottle-conditioned ale from Brewery Ommegang in Cooperstown, New York. Non-vintage, and no age code on the bottle; purchased in 2006.

Appearance: Seal is still good and the cap hasn't rusted. A bit of foaming even before the pour. Pours a brownish burgundy with a cap of red-tinted foam.

Nose: Sweet and sour cherries, burnt toffee, plums, and a bit of spice.

Taste: Rich, malty, and fruity, with a lot of spiciness on the high notes and a somewhat wine-like impression overall.

Mouthfeel: Smooth and silky, a bare hint of alcohol.

Overall: Definitely good. Really wants to be paired with food, though; I'd like a nice leg of lamb right now.

Background: Homebrewed by HomeBrewTalk member Evets. Received as part of the 08/08/08 RIS swap.

Appearance: Deep golden-brown, good clarity. Thin off-white head quickly subsides into a ring around the edge, but the ring then proceeds to stick around.

Nose: Smells Belgian. Spicy phenols, citrusy esters. A hint of caramel. Some alcohol is evident, but that's okay.

Taste: Spicy and fruity. Moderate peppery phenols, light fruity esters. Herbal hops in the middle, medium-high bitterness lasting into the finish. Said finish is on the sweet side.

Mouthfeel: Good, zippy carbonation. Medium body is bordering on too much, but manages not to cross over. Creamy and slightly warming, a very slight hint of solventy alcohol.

Overall: Decent, decent. I'd like to see a drier finish and the alcohol is a bit evident. On the aesthetics side, it's darker than it should be–but that doesn't affect the drinkability, which it has plenty of.

Background: A Trappist-style tripel from the Arbor Brewing Company.

Appearance: Lightly clouded amber.

Nose: Honeyed malt and not much else. Hint of sourness.

Taste: Tropical fruit esters, honey, light pepper spice, herbal hops, grainy malt, slight acid tinge, lemony citrus, finishes dry with more herbal notes and light phenols. Medium bitterness balances the residual sweetness.

Mouthfeel: Smooth and creamy medium body; light carbonation.

Overall: Carbonation is a bit low, but the flavours are nicely complex and in balance. As per the style, the 10% ABV sneaks up on you before beating you over the head. Very drinkable.

Background: From Dragonmead in Warren, Michigan comes this Belgian-style tripel.

Appearance: Hazy peach body.

Nose: Sweet bread, banana, and bubble gum.

Taste: Light malt, yeast, white pepper, mild phenolic spiciness, with banana and clove esters floating on top. Finish shows a medium-high hop bitterness and a bit of earthiness.

Mouthfeel: Medium body, effervescent carbonation feels coarse.

Overall: Fairly good, but not top-class. I'd like to see a creamier mouthfeel and a slightly dryer finish.

Background: Barrel aged, bottle conditioned pale ale from Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales in Dexter, Michigan. Brewed “in the Grand Cru tradition” with coriander and grains of paradise.

Appearance: Nice light amber with a large rocky head that displays great retention.

Smell: Sweet malt with some sharp brett character, citrusy hops and hints of spice.

Taste: Medium hop bitterness on an earthy barnyard background with mild notes of oak. Mildly sweet amd slightly sour, some nice fruity yeasty notes and peppery spiciness complement the lemony citrus flavours quite well.

Mouthfeel: Full-bodied, lively carbonated.

Drinkability: Decent Belgian-style pale ale. Pairs nicely with a strong blue cheese and spicy Asian cuisine.