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Monthly Archives: March 2013

Review of Emelisse TIPA

Hi guys. For today’s craft beer review I’m going to be trying the Emelisse TIPA produced by Brouwerij Emelisse located in Kamperland, Netherlands.

I’ve never had a brew from these guys. As a matter of fact, I had never even heard of them or seen a beer on the shelves, so when I saw it I had to pick it up and give it a try.

I found their website, emelisse.nl, and I copied the commercial description for everyone.

Double is sometimes not enough. Besides the double India Pale Ale is now also the Triple IPA developed. And yes, that means that there are three times as many hops is used as usual. Take a sturdy chair, sit back and enjoy …

Let’s give it a try.

This beer came in an 11.16 oz. bottle and it boasted an ABV of 10.0%.

It poured a hazy, dull orange to caramel color. The cap was of an egg shell tint, somewhat smooth and kind of soft. It was sized well and the retention time was solid. The lacing was thick and clingy and a lot was left on the sides of the glass as it worked its way down.

The nose burst with a strong caramel malt. A hint or two of tropical fruit. Mostly pineapple. Quite a bit of resin and earthy hops along with a robust bready malt and a light waft of booze.

The taste released a great shot of sweet caramel malt and bittering hops. More pineapple, however with an additional relish of orange citrus. Bold piney and resinous characteristics with definite savors of alcohol.

The mouthfeel was medium to medium/full bodied. Smooth, sticky, chewy and thick. Medium to low carbonation with a good deal of warmth and a ton of flavor left behind on the palate after the swallow.

Overall, I found this to be a very good beer. It was hopped to death that’s for sure. It was more of a sipper for me. I could probably only have just one during a session. It’s not too far removed from a heavily hopped American Barleywine in my opinion. Just a little less intense. It’s easily worth a try if you can get it. I’d really like to try another brew from these guys to see what else they are concocting. So, the next time you guys go beer shopping, look for the Emelisse TIPA and give it a try. I think you may like it.

Thanks for reading and commenting everyone. I really appreciate it.

Until next time. Cheers.

Score: 4.0 out of 5

Grade: B+

2 Comments

Posted by Beer Apprentice on March 28, 2013 in Country: Netherlands, Emelisse

Review of Freigeist Ottekolong

26 Mar

What’s up guys? Once again it’s time for another craft beer review. This time I’m going to be trying the Freigeist Ottekolong produced by the Gasthaus-Brauerei Braustelle located in Koln, Germany.

This is a brewery that I’ve just recently discovered. As a matter of fact, this is only my second brew from these guys.

The website, braustelle.com, is rather limited on information about their beers, so let’s just try it and see for ourselves how it is.

Let’s sip.

This beer came in a 16.9 oz. bottle and it had an ABV of 4.8%.

It poured a very cloudy, hazy, golden/yellow color. Some brighter yellow highlights were apparent around the bottom of the glass. The crown was white, fluffy, soft and semi-creamy. It was sized very well and the retention time was excellent. The lacing was outstanding too. This beer had a great presentation for an unfiltered Kolsch. Very attractive.

The nose consisted of a lot of grass and grain. It was somewhat musty smelling as well. Some bready hints and a little bit of orange citrus helped out. As I continued to stick my nose in it became overloaded with aromas of wet hay and stale crackers. Hmm. Not the best bouquet I’ve ever experienced.

The flavor contained more of a “wheaty” type of taste. A lot of Pilsner-esque malts with a subtle citrus sweetness and day old bread. Again, significant amounts of musty grain, grass and hay. Oh well… it is what it is I guess. Not horrible by any means though.

The mouthfeel was medium to medium/thin bodied. Smooth, fairly dry, quite crisp, thirst quenching and refreshing. The carbonation was prime for the style and a befitting amount of flavor was left covering the palate after each gulp of the liquid.

Well… this beer was ok I guess. I’m not sure how fresh it was however. It seemed a bit stale in both the taste and the aroma. Although, not anything that I couldn’t work my way through. The beer looked fine, the taste was alright, the mouthfeel was very good and the drinkability was quite good, however the aroma took a little getting used to. I’d like to try it again sometime to see if my interpretation changes with a second tasting. Have any of you guys ever tasted the Freigeist Ottekolong? What did you think of it? Please leave a comment and tell me all about it. I’d like to see if any of you had the same experience I had.

Thanks for reading and commenting everyone. I really appreciate it.

Until next time. Cheers.

Score: 3.3 out of 5

Grade: B-

Review of Jester King Buddha’s Brew

25 Mar

Hello everyone. For today’s craft beer review I’m going to be tasting the Jester King Buddha’s Brew made by the Jester King Craft Brewery located in Austin, Texas.

All of these Jester King brews that I’ve had so far have been really tasty, so I’m looking forward to giving this one a go too.

From the website, jesterkingbrewery.com, we find this description of the Buddha’s Brew.

The first Jester King beer to be fermented entirely in oak. Unfermented wort was racked directly to oak barrels and inoculated with souring bacteria. From there, it spent months aging in our barrel room before being blended with live kombucha at bottling. Unfiltered, unpasteurized & naturally carbonated through re-fermentation in the bottle.

Sounds good. Let’s have a sip.

This beer has an ABV of 4.7% and it comes in a 25.4 oz. bottle.

It poured a mostly clear, radiant, golden color. It formed a white head of decent size from an easy pour. The texture was sudsy, soapy and fizzy. The retention time lacked a little bit and not much lacing was left behind as it subsided. It got a lot more hazy as I poured the bottom third of the bottle. Still an ok looking beer though.

The aroma consisted of white grapes and hints of lemon. Both of which produced a very light tart smell. Evidence of wood and a meager amount of barnyard funk were found as well. Tones of grass and wheat became more apparent as it warmed. Honestly, I didn’t get a whole lot of the kombucha tea that was mentioned in the commercial description. It wasn’t a bad aroma though. Quite good actually.

The taste released a very relaxing sourness and tartness. Not “lip puckering” at all. More of the grapes and lemon citrus, but again, very manageable and easy going. Some funk was available, however not an overabundance. A light relish of oak protruded on the back end and the grassiness became stronger as I went along. Still no tea however.

The mouthfeel was medium to medium/thin bodied. Smooth, but crisp, dry and refreshing. The carbonation was lively on the tongue and a sturdy amount of flavor was left behind for me to enjoy between sips.

Overall, I thought this to be a respectable beer. It was very easy to drink and it would pair very well with the upcoming Spring and Summer season. Enough character was available to keep me interested for the entire drink that’s for sure. Now, I don’t think it’s on par with some of the other Sours that I’ve tried in the past, but I do believe that this beer could be enjoyed by most anyone looking to explore the style and I think that it is acceptable enough to be appreciated by even the most advanced craft beer geek. Either way, pick up the Jester King Buddha’s Brew the next time you see it and give it a try. I’d love to hear another opinion.

Thanks for reading everyone. Don’t be afraid to comment.

Until next time. Cheers.

Score: 3.75 out of 5

Grade: B