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Category Archives: Anderson Valley

Review of Anderson Valley Brother David’s Triple

Hello everyone. For today’s craft beer review I’m going to be trying the Brother David’s Triple brewed by the Anderson Valley Brewing Company situated in Boonville, California.

Trippels are one of my favorite styles and I’ve always enjoyed the brews that I’ve tried from Anderson Valley, so this should be an excellent pairing between brewery and style.

When checking the website, avbc.com, I stumbled upon this description.

Trippel. Similar to Belgian-style Strong Pales, this beer is often characterized by its lighter color, spicy aromatics, and complexity. Brother David’s Triple is brewed with copious amounts of pale malts as well as Belgian candi sugar, giving it a deep golden hue, medium body and rich mouth feel. The dense head gives off aromas of candied orange peel, clover honey, pears, and a hint of freshly mown fields. The fruity esters and spicy hop flavors balance the phenolic characteristics leading to a peppery, citrusy finish.

Sounds tasty. Let’s drink.

This brew came in a 25.4 oz. bottle with an ABV of 10.0%.

It poured a very pristine and beautiful color. It was a clear, golden orange shade with golden yellow highlights around the edges of the chalice. From a decently aggressive pour the crown was small and fizzy. It dissipated rather quickly also. A little bit of lacing was left behind, but not much to be honest.

The aroma delivered tones of lemon citrus and lemon grass infused with hints of pepper and yeast. Some breadiness was detected too. Further into the rather complex nose were wafts of banana and green apple. Even though the fragrance was intricate, I thought it to be very mild. None of the characteristics really “popped” nor was the alcohol identified. Man, I was way off from their description, wasn’t I? Oh well, still not bad.

The flavor was similar to the aroma for sure. Lemon citrus and lemon grass intertwined with some white bread, green apple skins and subtle banana. To be truthful, it almost had a wheat beer type of taste. Some alcohol was noticed at the back end, however it disappeared after a few sips.

The mouthfeel was medium bodied. Dry, kind of spritzy and crisp. It was even somewhat refreshing for a 10% beer. The carbonation was of medium to high strength and a very minute amount of warmth was felt in my chest. A decent bit of flavor was left behind between sips though.

Well, this was an ok beer for sure even though I found hardly any of the characteristics that Anderson Valley listed in the commercial description. Maybe my nose and palate are broken. Still, it’s easily worth a try if you happen to see it. The drinkability was pretty good too. Now, don’t get me wrong, it’s not a beer to just turn up and pound, but for its size I had absolutely no trouble at all in finishing this bottle all by myself. I don’t think the Anderson Valley Brother David’s Triple is quite on par with some of the other Belgian Trippels that I’ve had in the past, but it does represent the style fairly well. I’d, no doubt, drink it again. Have any of you folks ever had this beer? What did you think about it? Feel free to leave me a comment and tell me of your opinion. I’d love to hear from you.

Thanks for reading everyone. I really appreciate it.

Until next time. Cheers.

Score: 3.75 out of 5

Grade: B

Review of Anderson Valley Barney Flats Oatmeal Stout

23 Apr

Hello everyone. For today’s craft beer review I’m going to be drinking the Barney Flats Oatmeal Stout produced by the Anderson Valley Brewing Company located in Boonville, California.

It’s been forever since I last reviewed an Anderson Valley brew. I’ve always thought that they produced solid beverages, so I’m pretty excited about trying this one.

From the website, avbc.com, we find this little description to get us in the mood.

Darkness. The deep ebony color, voluptuous mahogany head and bold, roasty flavors in our Barney Flats Oatmeal Stout are what serious beer drinkers expect from this style. Aromas of freshly baked bread, espresso, and dried cherries meld seamlessly with rich toffee flavors and a creamy mouth feel to create an unparalleled drinking experience.

Let’s give it a try.

This brew came in a 12 oz. bottle and it had an ABV of 5.8%.

It poured a very deep brown color with some ruby hues outlining the bottom and edges of the glass. The cap was tan, smooth and creamy. It was decently sized, yet the retention time was only “so-so”. I thought that since it was a relatively low ABV Stout that it might hang around for a while. Oh well, the lacing seemed alright though.

The bouquet smelled of sweet oatmeal and creamy milk. Some decent shots of chocolate as well as some light notes of coffee bean and toasted grains. The aroma was pretty nice. It wasn’t anything overly robust or complicated, however it was balanced well and it presented the proper attributes.

The flavor gave the impression of being more forward with the bitter coffee characteristics. Maybe even a touch of tobacco also. It definitely released some roasted malts, toasted grains and toasted bread crusts. The chocolate and the oatmeal savors were a little bit muted, yet they were still accounted for.

The mouthfeel was a sturdy medium. Smooth, chewy, mostly dry and just a touch chalky. Medium/low carbonation along with a firm amount of flavor was left behind to enjoy between sips.

Well, we have a pretty good beer here. I don’t think it’s quite “world class” or anything, but it’s still mostly proper. It wasn’t as sweet as I typically like my Oatmeal Stouts, but I wouldn’t have a problem picking this up again or imbibing if it were offered. The drinkability was good and with the lower ABV I believe I could set a few of these down during a session without any trouble. Easily a beer to try during the Fall season. So, if you see the Anderson Valley Barney Flats Oatmeal Stout, and you have yet to try it, pick it up and give it a go. You may be surprised as to how nice it is.

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

Until next time. Cheers.

Score: 3.85 out of 5

Grade: B+

Review of Anderson Valley Brother David’s Double

13 Jan

Hi guys. For today’s craft beer review I’m going to be drinking the Brother David’s Double Abbey Style Ale brewed by the Anderson Valley Brewing Company located in Boonville, California.

I’ve enjoyed all of the Anderson Valley Brewing Company products that I’ve tried so far and I would be surprised if I didn’t like this one, so…..

Let’s get to the description of the Brother David’s Double Abbey Style Ale from the website, avbc.com.

Winner of the 2011 Great American Beer Festival ® Gold Medal, Brother David’s Double is rich, dark brown ode to maltiness, with rich dark-chocolate creaminess, and the scent of banana and tropical fruit esters. Faint hop notes linger in the background against classic belgian carbonation.

As with all of our products, Brother David’s Double is never sterile filtered nor heat pasteurized.

I’m ready for a sip. How ’bout you?

This beer came in a 22 oz. bottle and it had an ABV of 9.0%.

The brew poured a hazy, burgundy to dark brown color with a small, tight, compact, light tan head. It was mostly smooth and relatively creamy. The retention time could have been a little bit better, but the lacing looked ok.

The nose began with a nice waft of dark fruits. Figs, plums, dates and dark grapes. I was able to detect only a dab of the banana. Some hints of alcohol (rum) integrated well with some toasted breads and doughy biscuits. It was also quite yeasty with a trace of clove. Some sweet caramel came through a touch as the brew began to warm. The alcohol started to step forward a tad as I went along too. No matter, it still smelled nice.

The taste presented some rich, dark fruits. Again, the figs, plums, grapes and dates. I was having trouble finding much of the banana though. It was a little more yeasty and bready in the flavor than it was in the aroma. Savors of clove and some other assorted spices that I could not completely pinpoint. Some sugary sweetness from the caramel malt combined with the rum soaked biscuits to create a very nicely balanced taste.

The mouthfeel was medium bodied with a good amount of carbonation. Dry, smooth and chewy. A delicate warmth was felt as the brew crossed the palate and made its way down my throat. A good amount of flavor was left behind also. The tongue and throat were nicely covered.

Well, I wasn’t disappointed with this beer at all. I liked it considerably well. It’s not quite on par with the “Trappists” styled brews, but I thought it to be a decent interpretation none the less. It wasn’t nearly as robust or boisterous as those brews either, however I wouldn’t mind trying it again. It paired well with the cold evening on which I sampled it. I sipped on it for a lengthy period while letting it breath and develop and I never found anything displeasing. I’d say try it if you see it. It’s not overly complicated or elaborate, although it does maintain enough character to commission some analysis. So, pick up a bottle of the Anderson Valley Brother David’s Double Abbey Style Ale and let me know what you thought of it.

Thanks for reading and commenting folks. I hope you guys are doing well.

Until next time. Cheers.

Score: 3.9 out of 5
Grade: B+