Beer: Sour Power Sampler Pack (Petrus and Monk's Cafe)

As the popularity of the old-school "sour" and wild farmhouse ale grows, Global Beer Network (United States distributors for Belgian greats like Gulden Draak and Piraat) has released a "Sour Power" mix pack. Retailing for around $24, this set of six 11.2 oz. brews includes 2 bottles each of Petrus Oud Bruin, Petrus Aged Pale Ale, and Monk's Cafe Flemish Sour Ale. Here are my in-depth looks at each of these fine brews.

First up is the Monk's Cafe Flemish Sour Ale from Brewery Van Steenberge, which I've had before and always enjoyed. At 5.50% ABV, this is a light and highly enjoyable experience unlike any other beer I've had before or since. It pours a lovely deep, clean ruby with a substantial head and superlative lace. The aroma is a fruity, musty sour vibe, with hints of tart cherries. Taste proved similar, with a delicious and refreshingly light-bodied feel. Tart berries and cherry dominated, with some sweetness and earthy elements rounding out the palate. Delicious, unique, and a tasty brew!

Next up, we have Petrus Oud Bruin. Produced by Brewery Bavik, this "old brown" ale is made by combining aged pale ale with fresh brown ale. It's a light drinker, at a modest 5.5% ABV. It's also a delicious thirst quencher. This one pours a clean ruby-brown, with a thick head of carbonation and an attractive lace web. Nose is caramel, a bit of fruitiness, and a yeasty earthiness. Pretty appealing and complex. The taste is sweet and malty up front, with tons of fruit and berries. I get some tartness more towards the finish. Subtle, unique, and quite enjoyable.

Finally, we have the heavier Petrus Aged Pale Ale (at 7.3% ABV), which is a golden ale aged in Calvados Barrels from Alsace, France for 24-36 months, then dry hopped. It pours a cloudy golden, with a medium head of fine white bubbles. Thin lace. Nose is tangy and sour, with indications of fruit, green apple, and a lactic, yeasty character. Nice. Taste is nicely soured, with green apple tones most prominent. I get no trace of the oak barrels that this was aged in. Instead, it's a wild and tangy tart fruit vibe with a slight warming finish. A delicious treat!

For serious craft beer fans, this is a very worthy set of unique brews from some of the world's finest Belgian craft breweries, and at around $4 a bottle (you'd pay that much for a junk lager at your local bar), the Sour Pour Sampler Pack is a bargain for the experience and the taste.

For more info and for a list of local stores carrying Global Beer Network merchandise, visit:

Global Beer Network site

Winterbeer...

Ah, it's been too long again, sports fans. Here's another quick rundown on some cool imported and craft beer from around the world...maybe not all particularly "Winter" brews, but tasty nonetheless. Ratings range from 1 (crap beer) to 3 (decent, drinkable) to 5 (perfect and transcendent). As always, enjoy your local and craft beer, and down with corporate beer!

HOEGAARDEN WITBIER (Belgium) - 3.5
Pours a faint, pale gold, with a rich and immaculate white head. Nose is spicy sweet, with hints of citrus, coriander, and flowers. The taste is rich and spiced, but with a light body. Definitely lighter and less complex than other Belgian ales. Hoegaarden has a friendly and mild taste, is easy to drink, and is one I'd consider a good stepping stone to the more impressive Belgian Trappist ales.

STEGMAIER WINTER WARMER (Wilkes-Barre, PA) - 3.0
A clear and attractive amber brown color here, with a solid head of foam in my ale glass. I get scents of biscuits, yeasty, and a little fruit maybe. The taste is bold and malty, with an almost maple syrup followthrough. This heavily sweetened punch seems to hide the relatively high alcohol content (it's 7.2%). Good, but not outstanding.

UPLAND KOMODO DRAGON FLY BLACK IPA (Bloomington, IN) - 4.0
Nice one, here. I dig the cool artwork (a winged Komodo dragon). Pours black as pitch, with a lathery lacing. First off, the nose is rich and floral. Definitely lively and fresh, and definitely in line with a normal IPA. Tasting, however, draws a different conclusion. Sure, there's a strong hops presence, so Komodo brings the staples of an IPA -- bitter and pungent, but it also has a burnt chocolate undertone there, too, like a stout. Wickedly interesting to mash up these two distinct beer styles. Kudos to Upland for a wild left-field creation. Tasty!

BECK'S DARK (Bremen, Germany) - 3.0
Pours dark (but not black) for certain, with solid lacing. Smell is a familiar semi-skunkiness, similar to Beck's lager or Heineken (or St. Pauli Girl lager). Flavor is slightly bitter and skunky, but certainly not bad. Decent and quite drinkable, but not one I'd look for, given a choice.

Happy new beer!

Sure, it's a wee bit early to be celebrating the new beer, or is it? This month sees a few of my recent personal tastings, more of which can be found on my beeradvocate.com page. Ratings run the gamut from 1 (nasty, dirty, horrible) to 5 (a taste experience to relish). With that in mind, beers of a 3 or 4 are excellent and worthy. Remember to taste responsibly, and to support your local and craft breweries. Forget BMC corporate "beer" and their monopolizing tactics! Argh! Sermon over and out.

LEFFE BLONDE (Belgium) - 3.5
This traditional abbey-style ale flows with a heavy lacing and a sweet, fruity, yeasty scent -- typically indicative of the style. Points there. The flavor is sweet, with a hint of spice and ripened fruit -- maybe orange. Somewhat on the heavy and sweet side, but definitely drinkable.

BELL'S WINTER WHITE ALE (Comstock, MI) - 4.0
First impression here is with the nose - all flowery citrus zestiness - instantly appealing. Pours a cloudy, murky pale gold, with a rich froth. Taste is sharp and spicy, with hints of clove and orange, but if you're thinking Blue Moon, think of it's bigger, stronger brother. This beer is bold and distinctive, and a definite winner.

SAMUEL ADAMS LATITUDE 48 IPA (Boston, MA) - 4.0
Served only slightly chilled in my New Belgium ale glass, this big and hoppy IPA has a deep, grassy, floral, herbal nose, with huge lacing. Attractively amber in color, this one is smooth and easy up front, followed by a swift kick of hoppiness. But it's not a hop bomb as this may suggest. It's really a steady and balanced flavor, with hints of citrus and spice. Very delicious and a superlative IPA.

STELLA ARTOIS (Belgium) - 3.0
Belgian in origin, but not at all representative of the region's preferred/famous style, this pale golden lager with a thick lace does manage to stand out among the plethora of mainstream lagers out there. The scent is almost floral - a definite spicy, hoppy sharpness and presence. The taste follows this, with more complexity and depth than similar brews. Not half bad, and a solid step in-between mainstream and craft beer.

Beertember 2010!

So I've been backlogged with good brews (and some far-ranging music)...here's an installment of beer reviews from the late August to September period. Look out for another beer installment SOON! And don't forget to fight for your right to choose your beer. Corporate beer sucks! Indie beer, baybee! Power to the people, not to shareholders! Remember, my reviews range from a 1 (infected toilet water) to 5 (the fountain of youth). So, a 3 would be a decent (but not outstanding) beer. Got it? And a-one, and a-two, a beer for me, and a beer for you! Hah!

CASTELLO (Italy) - 2.0
Hmm. A thin, pallid appearance and major skunky odor are immediately apparent with this Italian lager. Not a good place to start. Taste is weak, watery, and, well, bland. There's little to grasp taste-wise. I know there are some good craft brews from Italy, but I've yet to encounter one, unfortunately! Awful stuff here.

GREAT DIVIDE - BELGICA (Denver, CO) - 4.0
A "Belgian-style India Pale Ale"? Now that's something I've never had before. Kudos to Great Divide for creativity. Anyhow, Belgica pours a non-threatening pale gold (like a lager), but the sweet and spicy floral notes are prominent and welcoming. My first taste landed me headfirst on the spice train -- warm and peppery. with an outlying hint of citrus underneath. Definitely one for the more adventurous, but quite delicious.

TYRANENA BREWING - ROCKY'S REVENGE (Lake Mills, WI) - 4.0
This cloudy brown ale I'd never seen nor heard of, but it packs a wicked punch. Starting with the endearingly cool "sea monster" bottle art with local legend on the label doesn't hurt. But what matters most is the taste, and "Rocky's Revenge" hit me straight away with a strong nutty, hoppy kick. There's some chocolate notes, too, most definitely, but none of the coffee-like tones of a porter. It's sweet and malty, but, like, heavy, man. A real winner and a unique beer.

BECK'S OKTOBERFEST (Germany) - 3.5
This malty red-amber brew pours with solid lacing, and a rich, yeasty biscuit toastiness upon initial sips. Not really a complex beer, but more than pleasing to my palate. Good showing, especially from the usually sub-par Beck's label.

CHIMAY - TRIPEL (Belgium) - 5.0
Poured into my ale goblet with a rush of carbonation and a sweet, fruity aroma. Very appealing and attractive! The cloudy, golden appearance shows plenty of yeasty sediment, too, and the first taste is a rich and spicy flavor, followed by a slight alcohol presence. Coriander, clove, and candy sugar also come through in this complex and perfectly-done Belgian abbey ale. The hoppy "rolling" finish is just icing on the cake. Absolutely a beautiful and delicious beer!

DARK HORSE BREWING - Perkulator Coffee Doppelbock (Marshall, MI) - 3.0
A cloudy, opaque amber at first pour, this hearty brew smells of sweet malts and roasty chocolate coffee. Initial taste is a palatable sweetness, tempered by an almost fruity character. Maybe a hint of raisin or spice with a final wash of alcohol. Certainly not as coffee-oriented or intense as I'd expected. Love the bottle art, though!

CARLSBERG ELEPHANT (Denmark) - 3.0
Pours a rich, amber-gold with plenty of head and lacing. This nice 7.2% ABV lager has a nicely floral nose and a balanced malty flavor profile -- not too challenging or challenging but certainly enjoyable and easy-going. A good, solid beer with a surprising alcohol kick.

AVERY BREWING - SALVATION BELGIAN-STYLE GOLDEN ALE (Boulder,CO) - 5.0
The ornate, busy, and artful label design is fitting for this opaque golden ale with a brisk 9% ABV content. The taste is rich, malty, and sweet with floral, fruity overtones and a hop-edged finish. A complex flavor that's pleasing and surprisingly palatable. Superb!

AVERY BREWING - THE REVEREND BELGIAN-STYLE QUADRUPEL ALE (Boulder, CO) - 3.5

Opaque, cloudy red-amber with average to medium lacing. Poured this one into a small wine goblet. First whiff is a sweet candy, some clove, spice, and then a profound jab of alcohol burn. At 10% ABV, this one's definitely a sipper. Faithful to the Belgian style, but substantially more assertive. Quite tasty, but perhaps a mite too heavy-duty to really enjoy often.

Mid-Summer Beer Lowdown

Here's my impressions of some of this season's beers. My tastes are growing to appreciate every kind of beer, and those with unique or standout tastes are more likely to impress. I do have issues with generic American lager-styles, for they taint the novice's impression of what diverse flavors, consistencies, colors, and complexities a good beer can have. Damn you one and all, macros! Keep beer local, or at least independent! Hail beer!

My ratings scale goes from 1 being absolutely detestable hogwash to 2 being tolerable, 3 is average/drinkable, 4 is exceptional and worthy of praise and purchase, and 5 is a masterstroke, an artisan ale/lager/cider that deserves your support NOW!

For more info on these and other beers, visit this site (where you can find my reviews archived):

Beer Advocate

St. BERNARDUS ABT 12 ABBEY ALE (Watou, Belgium) - 5

Ah, this is the real deal. A true abbey ale from Belgium, this one pours a dark amber and is characteristically spiced, rich and heavy. It's opacity demonstrates the large amount of yeasty sediment, and this is one beer that would be even better aged. It's 10% ABV, so St. Bernardus is a sipper, and with a complex and fairly unique flavor, it's a sure winner.

JK'S SCRUMPY HARD CIDER (Flushing, MI) - 5

Nice foggy appearance, and tastes like, well, a sweet, farm-fresh cider should (albeit with a fermented nip). Seriously, this is some tasty stuff, and ideal for a sweltering Summer's day. And it's organic! No headache-inducing sulfites here, just pure apple juice and yeast. I've always been partial to Woodchuck brand ciders (Dark & Dry, please), but this one dispenses with that notion. I'll be picking some of these up for the lady and myself, pronto.

HOEGAARDEN WITBIER (Hoegaarden, Belgium) - 3

Another Belgian this month (a treat)! This one's a white ale, with a clouded, pale appearance and plenty of spice, hinting at citrus and clove. It's kinda sweet and malty, definitely easy on the palate. Can be compared to Blue Moon, though Hoegaarden has more of a spice edge, and does not require a slice of orange to balance itself. Enjoyable.

BASS PALE ALE (Luton, England) - 3

A nice amber ale with a thick head, this Bass is a mildly-bitter pale ale, pretty well-balanced with a much lower acidity than India Pale Ales. I detect faint tastes of caramel or maple filtering through. Tasty enough, not too complex but certainly satisfying.

Spring Into Beer!

Ah, though the briskness of Winter is still here, it's not long for this world...and this month's beer-a-thon is a wholly international one! That has absolutely nothing to do with Spring, but...

This month I was granted some time with some exceptional craft brews, indeed! As for the ratings, 5 is godlike, 4 is excellent, 3 is average, 2 is drinkable, 1 is swill. As ever, I urge you all to seek out independent brewers for your drinking pleasure.

LOWENBRAU - ORIGINAL (Munich, Germany) - 2.5

The legendary Lowenbrau name was tarnished a bit in the 70's as corporate American brewers changed the 'recipe' for American tastes. This, however, is the real thing. This lager pours crystal-clear and foamy, and the taste has a subtly sour finish. A typically Munich-style lager, this one's not at all bad, but nor is it outstanding. For fans of Heineken.

CZECHVAR - PREMIUM CZECH LAGER (Czech Republic) - 3.5

This one's a pale yellow in color, with fair head retention. Initial sniff reveals an almost fruity scent, and the taste is rich and full, with an almost biscuity, malty overtone. A very mild finish, though. This one's outstanding for it's class, solid and full of character.

WITTEKERKE (Belgium) - 3.5

Ah, the anticipation. This fine Belgian (hard to go wrong with Belgian beers, though) pours white and very murky/cloudy, with a thick head and sweet nose. The taste is sweet and steady, with light citrus and floral notes. Quite pleasant and very much what you'd expect from a Belgian witte (wheat) beer. And it's far better than Blue Moon.

MIKKELLOR - 'BEER GEEK BRUNCH WEASEL' IMPERIAL OATMEAL STOUT (Norway) - 4

Hmm. In contrast to the other brews surveyed this month, this one's a deep, deep black, and smells like (surprise) fine coffee. But more interesting is the back-story here. Didja know that this one's made with coffee beans? How about rare, premium coffee beans? Well, yeah, but get this...these same choice (only the best) coffee beans are consumed by weasel-like Southeast Asian civet cats (google it), who, uhh, 'process' the coffee beans, then dookie them out after being treated (partially digested). Their droppings are then collected for the expensive coffee (and, thus, this beer). Yipes! Anyhow, what's really important is the taste, right? It's strong, pungent, alcoholic (10.9%), and very coffeelike. Really tasty stuff, and perfect if you like alcohol with your coffee. Yum.

Beers for the Dog/Cat Days

A couple of new beer reviews, tailormade for the sweltering days of this Global Warming Midwestern US Summer:

STELLA ARTOIS (Belgium)
Belgium's best-known lager pours crystal-clear with a minimal head. Very low hoppy presence here, and more on the malty side. Not terrible, just plain and unremarkable. Most any other beer from Belgium (try anything labeled 'Abbey ale') is well-worthy of your attention and money, but this one's just blah.

MODELO ESPECIAL (Mexico)
Another golden lager, this one among Mexico's more prominent brews. Suffice to say, if you like Corona, this one might do it for you, too. Nice and light, Modelo is a superb summer beer, and works really well with a slice (or infusion) of lime. Refreshing and ideal for these dog (or cat?) days.

(beer models: Griffin and Daphne)

New Belgium Breweries

Once upon a time there was a boy. And this boy really loved going to concerts. One night, he found himself (and his brother) in Saint Louie, at one of these shows. The boys ordered a beer that they hadn't had before. It was Belgian-style. And lo, this beer was deemed Fat Tire. The beer was godlike. The show rocked hard, too. It was an emotional experience, with the hops and malts and intense flavors mixing with the emotional and intense music. And thus, a passion for Fat Tire was born. This 'Fat Tire' was not available locally, so the boys dreamed of once again having such a beer. Years passed, and future trips to St. Louis proved fruitful in drinking more of this lovely, sweet nectar of brews. Friends would, upon special request, import these beers via long, arduous roadtrips. And the beer was still good. The stuff of dreams, even.

Then, it was discovered that this beer was not Belgian at all, but it was produced in Colorado by New Belgium Breweries. And said brew wasn't alone. There were other beers in the family. Other friends (some well-entrenched in beer-lore and knowledge - talking about you John) mentioned other types of New Belgium beers that dwarfed the mighty Fat Tire. And that these beers may be distributed to the farther Midwest next year or so, but that wasn't soon enough. It was agreed that the Radiohead concert was a good excuse to seek out more beer, and hopefully not empty the bank account too deeply.

And so it was, this past week, that my beautiful Cori and I located a late-night grocer (Schnuck's is the best!) in St. Louis and loaded up a cartful of New Belgium products. And they were on sale! $7.49 a 6-pack! Actually, it was almost embarrassing - $80 on beer, with no other groceries or household supplies to mask the evident alcoholicism. But it had to be done. Wow. Such a variety of new beers to experience and enjoy, and yet others still never seen. Indeed, the future looks bright, from this angle.

I have now tried maybe 4 or 5 types of New Belgium beers, which are created at the first wind-powered brewery in the US, and by a company that is environmentally-conscious and renewable-resource-minded. But the bottom line is, the beers are damned good! Complex and refreshing, the Abbey Belgian-style ale is a solid choice, being a Belgian Trappist style, with actual Belgian yeast strains and a crisp, malty presence. Fat Tire is a good choice for the beginner, being relatively light but with a nice floral bouquet. Trippel is yummy and rich, while others I've yet to taste will be remarked upon here later. Suffice to say, New Belgium is a superb brewery making some waves with folks like us at Goatsden HQ. If you're located in one of the more Western-oriented US states, you are fortunate to have access to these fine beers. And if you travel that way, be sure to find some for yourself. Especially as I may not share mine! Hah!

New Belgium