Four Very Different Beers
Notes on four very different beers I tried recently
Unibroue Éphémère
Not as sweet as a Lindemann's, this white ale from Canada (5.5% ABV) had a complex, spice-inflected apple taste, much like apple pie spice sprinkled on a tart Granny Smith. The apple flavors are present, but not overwhelming, just what I'm looking for in a refreshing fruit beer.
Dogfish Head Raison D'Être
I picked up this beer during a "special six pack" beer run that Boyfriend and I made to the Euromarket in Astoria a couple of weeks ago. I had read about Dogfish Head's so-called extreme brewing and, though somewhat turned off by the whole enterprise, I was curious to try something from the brewery. But to date, every type of beer I came across seemed, well, too extreme. However, the special brew Raison D'Être (8% ABV) was a Belgian style malty beer that promised flavors of green raisins. It tasted dark, malty, and full of caramel flavors, but not heavy. Think two steps below a sipping beer, the kind of beer you don't want to drink stone cold. What I did like was a very mild counterbalance of hops to the sweetness. I didn't taste the green raisin so much, and the head dissipated almost immediately after pouring. I would drink it again on its own (not with food), but wouldn't drink it all night.
Amadeus Biere Blanche
Lemon! Lehhhhhhhmon! Lemonlemonlemon! Another beer bought on the Euromarket run, there's not much more to say about this witbier (4.5% ABV) from Les Brasseurs de Gayant, France. It tastes and smells strongly like an extra citrusy lemon. To be more precise, it takes like lemon peel. Overpriced: I think we paid close to $14 for a 750ml bottle. Never again!
Krušovice Cern (Dark)
I had a hefty mug of this beer at Zlata Praha, a nearby Czech restaurant, for only $5. Correction: I had two huge mugs of the stuff, and they were great, with tall fluffy heads, alongside my meal of stuffed cabbage rolls. Because I prefer malty beers, I tend to only drink more bitter ones with food, most often German or Eastern European food (though I'll have a lager with Asian food here and there). The Krušovice Cern is from a the Royal Brewery Královský Pivovar Krušovice and has 3.8% ABV.
Unibroue Éphémère
Not as sweet as a Lindemann's, this white ale from Canada (5.5% ABV) had a complex, spice-inflected apple taste, much like apple pie spice sprinkled on a tart Granny Smith. The apple flavors are present, but not overwhelming, just what I'm looking for in a refreshing fruit beer.
Dogfish Head Raison D'Être
I picked up this beer during a "special six pack" beer run that Boyfriend and I made to the Euromarket in Astoria a couple of weeks ago. I had read about Dogfish Head's so-called extreme brewing and, though somewhat turned off by the whole enterprise, I was curious to try something from the brewery. But to date, every type of beer I came across seemed, well, too extreme. However, the special brew Raison D'Être (8% ABV) was a Belgian style malty beer that promised flavors of green raisins. It tasted dark, malty, and full of caramel flavors, but not heavy. Think two steps below a sipping beer, the kind of beer you don't want to drink stone cold. What I did like was a very mild counterbalance of hops to the sweetness. I didn't taste the green raisin so much, and the head dissipated almost immediately after pouring. I would drink it again on its own (not with food), but wouldn't drink it all night.
Amadeus Biere Blanche
Lemon! Lehhhhhhhmon! Lemonlemonlemon! Another beer bought on the Euromarket run, there's not much more to say about this witbier (4.5% ABV) from Les Brasseurs de Gayant, France. It tastes and smells strongly like an extra citrusy lemon. To be more precise, it takes like lemon peel. Overpriced: I think we paid close to $14 for a 750ml bottle. Never again!
Krušovice Cern (Dark)
I had a hefty mug of this beer at Zlata Praha, a nearby Czech restaurant, for only $5. Correction: I had two huge mugs of the stuff, and they were great, with tall fluffy heads, alongside my meal of stuffed cabbage rolls. Because I prefer malty beers, I tend to only drink more bitter ones with food, most often German or Eastern European food (though I'll have a lager with Asian food here and there). The Krušovice Cern is from a the Royal Brewery Královský Pivovar Krušovice and has 3.8% ABV.