The Brü Revü – Harpoon Leviathan

The Harpoon Leviathan came from a recent Bums meeting and is Harpoon's version of an Imperial IPA.  The beer pours a gorgeous orange color with a nice head and loads of hops in the aroma.  The first taste gave me a hop attack!  There were loads of hops that bombed my palate, in a good way.  I was impressed.  As it warmed the sweet malt began to come through which gave the Leviathan a nicely balanced profile.  This was definitely an Imperial IPA and a great beer from Harpoon.  Go get one and have a hop attack!

Harpoon Leviathan Imperial IPA

 

The Brü Revü – Anderson Valley Brother David’s Triple

The Brother David’s Triple was my first beer from Anderson Valley that I received as a gift for Christmas.  The Triple was right up my alley as it is one of my favorite styles.  The Brother David’s Triple poured darker than most triples with more of an amber color than the typical golden color.  It had a good fruity Belgian yeast aroma that yielded a sweet and fruity flavor with plenty of the Belgian yeast notes of candy sugars and cloves.  There was little to no perceptible bitterness to this incredibly smooth and highly drinkable triple.  It had a high ABV which was well hidden and made it presence known as I drank this tasty triple too quickly.  I will be on the lookout for more Anderson Valley offerings.

Anderson Valley Brother David’s Triple

The Brü Revü – Ommegang Hennepin

The Ommegang Hennepin is another beer that came from the gift pack I received for Christmas.  The Hennepin is Ommegang’s Saison.  It was bottle conditioned so it poured with plenty of head and a “majestic golden hue”.  Once I fought through the head to get a taste I was rewarded with a beer that has a nice creamy texture but was very light on the palate which is as advertised.  There were citrusy notes that added a bit of pep on the tongue and created an all-around excellent beer.  This would be a great beer to have on a hot Texas day, although I found a way to enjoy it on a cold winter day.

Ommegang Hennepin

 

The Brü Revü – Adelbert’s Scratchin’ Hippo

Adelbert’s is another new brewery to the Austin area, and their Scratchin’ Hippo is their version of a Biere de Garde.  I had it on draft at Red’s Porch and it came in its own special glass, see photos below.  It was a reddish copper color with a Belgian yeast and dark fruit aroma.  The taste was sweet caramel malts, fruit and Belgian yeasts with a slight earthy tang.  It was more subtle than the Shlafly biere de garde but with enough complexity to keep me interested and coming back for more.  The Sctachin’ Hippo was great especially for a new brewery and puts Adelbert’s firmly on my radar.

Adelbert’s Scratchin’ Hippo

The Brü Revü – Clown Shoes Tramp Stamp

I had yet to try one of the Clown Shoes beers although I have seen them at the store for a while.  They all have interesting names and labels including the Tramp Stamp which is their Belgian Style IPA and apparently their labels are creating quite a stir, see here.  The beer poured an opaque orange that persisted throughout my tasting.  The aroma had the signature Belgian yeasts with a bit of hop which is true to the style.  The taste started with the sweet Belgian flavors that gave way to the bitter hops on the back end with a nice creamy mouthfeel.  It was a great beer that was true to the style and was a great introduction to Clown Shoes.  I will definitely be trying more of their beers in the future.

 Clown Shoes Tramp Stamp

The Brü Revü – New Belgium Trippel

Forget everything I have stated previously about a New Belgium beer or it being my favorite.  Their Trippel is easily my favorite and has been my “go to” beer for many years.  It is always easy to find and very cost effective for such a great beer… and I have a special weakness for Belgian Style Tripels.  It pours a gorgeous golden color with a decent head a plenty of carbonation.  The aroma is sweet and flowery with a hint of the Belgian yeast.  The taste is fantastic and very smooth with the Belgian yeast tones and a sweetness that balance a very smooth mouthfeel.  Sometimes I get a mild bitterness on the ending, but not this time.  It was smooth and well balanced throughout.  Mmmm… I need another one.

New Belgium Trippel

Beer Bums Meeting – February 2012 – Uncle Billy’s Brew & Que

We have decided to mix up our Beer Bums Meetings this year with a few brewery tours and brewpubs rather than the typical 6-pack tastings.  After 3 years it was getting difficult to come up with new themes!  The first of our “new” meetings was a trip to Uncle Billy’s Brew & Que where we got a private tour of their brewing facilities from their head brewer Amos and tasted all of their currently available beers.  Amos was great and a former engineer which hit all of us Architects right in the head.  See the photos below of their brewing facilities which are small and compact.  Amos mentioned they try to brew more in the English style and have a ton of respect for the technical prowess of the German brewers.  See the list below of all the beers we tried all of which were very good.  The Resinator, an IIPA, and Black Jesus were my favorites. The Black Jesus was a Belgian Black Ale aged in Maker’s Mark barrels with some souring bacteria thrown in for good measure.  They were currently getting their World Beer Cup entries ready so they were busier than usual.

Uncle Billys Black Jesus

Uncle Billys Resinator

Uncle Billys Agave Wheat

Uncle Billys Rylo's Rye

Uncle Billys Back 40 Blonde Ale

Uncle Billys Hill Country Organic Amber

Uncle Billys Axe Handle Pale Ale

 

 This is where the magic happens.

 Bright shiny tanks full of beer!













.... and a little bit of barrel aging.

It's the one that says "Black Jesus".

 An almost empty flight of beers.

mmmmm....  The Resinator!

The Brü Revü – Weihenstephaner Vitus

The Weihenstephaner Vitus is a weizenbock that is one of my favorite German beer styles.  It poured a cloudy golden color with a nice full creamy head and plenty of citrus on the nose. The taste had the signature German wheat beer tastes of banana, sweet candy, and a bit of citrus. The Vitus had a very creamy mouthfeel that spoke to its craftsmanship and elegantly balanced tasting experience. This was a great weizenbock and one that surprised me a bit as I didn't know what to expect.  The Vitus is a beer to look for and one that will pleasantly surprise any beer lover.

 Weihenstephaner Vitus

The Brü Revü – Founders Breakfast Stout

The Founders Breakfast Stout was the second beer I tried on my recent St. Louis trip while at dinner at the Bridge Tap Room.  This was a beer I had heard of before but is not available in Texas. I had yet to try it, and it was worth the wait!  It came on draft and was a dark brown/black with little head.  It smelled fantastic like a good cup of coffee with slight hints of chocolate.  Apparently it is brewed with Oats, chocolate and coffee and you can tell just with the initial aroma. The taste was out of this world!  The Breakfast Stout had hints of all those chocolate and coffee flavors exquisitely balanced with a deep rich texture and mouthfeel. It was a great Imperial Stout with the Oats, chocolate and coffee flavors delicately blended that justify all the lofty reviews.  This is definitely a beer to look for and one I hope will make its way to Texas soon!

 Founders Breakfast Stout

The Brü Revü – Schlafly Bière de Garde

On a recent trip to St. Louis I was fortunate enough to have dinner at the Bridge Tap house and try a few beers.   It's a great wine and beer bar with a plethora of brews on draft and in a bottle. I wanted to try something local so my first choice was a Shlafly Biere de Garde.  Shlafly is a local St. Louis brewery with several outstanding beers and a Biere de Garde is a French farmhouse style that is similar to a Belgian Saison.  It was on draft and arrived a deep reddish copper color.  It had a sour fruity aroma that gave way to a sweet maltiness on the first taste.  As it warmed the fruity esters and sweet malts balanced themselves excellently and I easily finished my beer.  I thoroughly enjoyed the Biere de Garde which was a great introduction to Shlafly and a perfect welcome to St. Louis.

Schlafly Bière de Garde

 
Photo of the bar at Bridge Tap House & Wine Bar
99 bottles of beer on the wall....

The Brü Revü – Ommegang Three Philosophers

I received the Ommegang gift pack for Christmas and the Three Philosophers was the first beer from the pack I tried and my first beer from Ommegang, surprisingly.  It’s a Belgian Quad with a bit of Belgian Kriek (cherry lambic) added to the mix which is an interesting idea. The Three Philosophers was a great looking beer as well as great tasting, with big malts and little to no hop bitterness.  I didn’t pick up any huge cherry flavor only a slight tartness on the end that gave this brew a nice complexity along with the Belgian yeasts and sweet malt.  It’s a great gateway beer for someone unfamiliar with a Belgian Style or a stronger style of beer, as the cherry lambic helps to mellow out the Belgian Quadrupel.  After the Three Philosophers I can’t wait to try the rest of the beers in my gift pack!

Ommegang Three Philosophers

The Brü Revü – Victory Storm King

I have had this beer in my fridge for more than 2 years.  I would like to say I was letting it age, but the reality is it was hidden in the back and I didn't even know it was there. What a great fridge find!  This poured black as motor oil with no head. It was thick and syrupy with lots of coffee and dark chocolate flavors that were deep and complex. The flavors only strengthened as it warmed and made his a truly outstanding beer. I can't say if it mellowed with age as I can't remember my initial impressions, but this is a truly exceptional Imperial Stout from Victory. 

Victory Storm King

The Brü Revü – St. Bernardus Christmas Ale

The St Bernardus Christmas Ale is the best Christmas beer and something to look forward to each Holiday. This particular bottle has been aging in my fridge for the last year and was a perfect quaff for a cold winter’s night.  The Christmas Ale is bottle conditioned so it poured with a generous head over its deep ruby brown body. The aroma was of fruits and malty sweetness with the taste following the same with some added complexity and a slight bitterness on the palate.  The creamy mouthfeel rounded out this truly excellent Christmas Ale that is a fantastic beer for the Holidays. 

St. Bernardus Christmas Ale

The Brü Revü – Widmer Brothers Pitch Black IPA

I don't have a lot of experience with Widmer Brothers, but their Pitch Black IPA was a good introduction.  I have had a few Black IPAs and this one seemed true to the style.  Looks like a porter but tastes like an IPA.  The aroma was not a full on hop assault, but rather a light hop aroma with a hint of sweet malt.  The taste was more on the sweet malt side with hints of chocolate and bitter roast.   It could have used a stronger hop presence for an IPA, but it was still a tasty beer.  It had a nice creamy body and was lighter than I expected.  All in all this was a very good beer although I would prefer my Black IPAs with more hops; I still thoroughly enjoyed this Pitch Black IPA.

Widmer Brothers Pitch Black IPA

The Brü Revü – De Struise Pannepeut – Old Monk’s Ale

The preface: My dad was lucky enough on a trip to Belgium to visit the De Struise brewery and get a “private” tour from the brewer himself as well as a few samples of their great beers.  He brought me back a few of their beers and of course a “proper” glass. 

The Pannepeut – Old Monk’s Ale gets confused with the more widely known Pannepot – Old Fisherman’s Ale but I was assured they are not the same.  This is a huge Belgian Strong Ale with great depth and complexity.  It had a malty sweet almost brown sugary taste with notes of rich caramel and dark candied fruits.  It had a medium bodied mouthfeel and hid its high alcohol content really well.  It was a great gift from my dad as De Struise makes World Class beers and this is no exception.  I may never have this one again and it’s a shame.  If only you could get their beer in Texas!  

De Struise Pannepeut - Old Monk's Ale

The Brü Revü – Southern Star Bombshell Blonde Ale

The Southern Star Bombshell Blonde Ale came from a Bums meeting that featured craft beers in a can, and was one I remember enjoying at the tasting. Blonde Ales are not usually something I drink but I found that I really enjoyed this one.  It poured a golden amber with a big frothy white head and plenty of fruity malt in the aroma.  For a lighter beer it had a nice full creamy mouthfeel with hints of fruit and apricot that I found appealing. This is not a complex in your face beer, but something that is light and refreshing with enough body to keep it interesting.  A great beer for our hot Texas summer days.

Southern Star Bombshell Blonde Ale