Achouffe - McChouffe Brown Ale

Dead Soldier

Where to Dig Up More About This Beer

McChouffe Brown Ale

Brasserie D'Achouffe

Rue du Village 32

6666 Achouffe, Belgium

Est.late 1970's

(2006 as part of Duvel-Moortgat)

www.achouffe.be

Brain Damage Quotient = 8.0 % ABV

Fluid Oz. = 25.4

Postmortem Brew Review

Hazy, dark brown color.

Notes of Belgian yeast, dark breads and fruits. Some alcohol noticeable.

One finger, tan head. Disappears quickly leaving little lacing.

Tastes slightly spicy, peppery. Dark fruits; sticky raisin tastes predominate.

Soft carbonation.
Light to medium bodied. Nice flavor complexity.

Grim Reaper's Eulogy

Brasserie D'Achouffe is a Belgian brewer that has been around for several decades. Recently they came under the arm of Duvel-Moortgat, a fine purveyor of Belgian ales. This brown ale (Scottish ale/Abbey ale) is made with spring water from the Ardennes region, long known for their refreshing and restorative powers. English Golding and Saaz hops are combined with pilsener malts and top fermenting Belgian yeast to produce this hand crafted ale. The final touch is double fermentation (bottle fermenting) that features a soft, natural carbonation.

Their gnomes embellish the bottles of all the ales produced from the Brasserie giving its branding a cute and impish playfulness. I was inspired to try this brown ale after not being able to help but notice the decoratively painted bottle. I was hooked on the taste. Since it is a large bottle with a large amount of ABV, you will make many friends with this one!

Don't think you like Belgians? Try McChouffe and see the difference hand crafting and fine ingredients make.

You can catch up with me later, frolicking with the gnomes...

Crazy Cat Lady Beer - Monks on the Beach Black Belgian Imperial IPA

Dead Soldier

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Monks on the Beach Black Belgian Imperial IPA

Crazy Cat Lady Beer Co.

Gainesville, FL USA

Est. 2010

http://crazycatladybeer.com
and
twitter.com/CatLadyBeer

Brain Damage Quotient = 17.4 % ABV

Fluid Oz. = 12.0

Postmortem Brew Review

Solid, deep brown color.
Sweet malt aroma with hint of yeast and alcohol.
Defined hops on the nose.
Moderate carbonation.
Two finger, caramel tan head with stringed lace.
Full mouth feel; malted bodied.  Full-on hops. Trace alcohol as it warms. 

Grim Reaper's Eulogy
Another of my special reviews by "pico brewers" - - - Black Belgian Imperial IPA by Crazy Cat Beer Lady.

To bring you up to speed, here's what I wrote in a past entry for Crazy Cat Lady Beer:

It's about friends, and beer. And then, it's about good friends and good beer. The FLAbrew crew came, saw and conquered a tweetup at The Cock & Bull in Sarasota recently. In the house were some of the best cellered micro beers and ales, opened between friends.

After a while, we all realized there was a bit too much to be drunk, even by us seasoned beer aficionados. What to do with all this good stuff? Well, this is where my good twitter friend Amie put a couple of her home brews in my direction. Remember, I said good friends and good beer...

Here's the brewer's self proclaimed Black Belgian Imperial IPA from Amie. What an outstanding billet! This 17.4% ABV 'bomb' has a bunch of great ingredients to pack a punch. Amie divulges this about Monks on the Beach,

"I brewed that {MOTB} for my Iron Brewer entry, and I'm pretty happy with it... ...We had to use chocolate malt, citra hops, and tea. That beer is made to be a black IPA (I hopped the hell out of it), and I wanted some serious malt presence, so I used a lot of it and Belgian Strong Ale Yeast so that it could turn all that lovely malt into alcohol." - Amie

It warms in the glass to bring out the malts and the yeast components in great aroma and tongue textures. A wonderful, make that dangerously wonderful concoction. The bittering hops round out the malty sweetness.

Amie admitted to me that the carbonation might be light:

"Unfortunately, I've never had one that carbonated.. but if you would shake it up, put it somewhere in the 70 degree temp range, it should carb up nicely in a couple of weeks."

Fortunately, I kept it stored at room temp for several weeks longer, then chilled it up for 48 hours. What you see in the photo is the carbonation results I got. I was expecting a wimpy head by her description, but instead was rewarded with a magnificent pour.

With a mouthful of a name and a mouthful of ingredients, I found this to be a very enjoyable brew. Banging hops with wonderful malt and yeast components. Cheers, Amie!

Brouwerij Huyghe - DELIRIUM Noel

Pink Elephant

Where to Dig Up More About This Beer
DELIRIUM Noel
Brouwerij Huyghe
Melle, Belgium
Est. 1654
www.delirium.be

Brain Damage Quotient = 10.0 % ABV
Fluid Oz. = 25.4

Postmortem Brew Review
Reddish brown body color.
Spices, rich dark fruit smells. Slight alcohol presence.
Two finger near tan colored head that dissipates rapidly. Spotty lacing.
Sugary sweet malts, with figgy taste. Light spice notes that give a tart finish.
Medium carbonation.
Light to medium bodied mouth feel. A bit boozy.

Grim Reaper's Eulogy
Pink elephants, indeed! I asked Mrs. Reaper if she would indulge the Noel with me on this chilly January's afternoon. She had a 6 oz portion, I had the rest and a 'rest' as I retired to the crypt's parlor for a snooze. For heaven's sake, please don't have this whole thing and expect to go anywhere, but sleep, afterwords.

Never fear - the elephants won't trample you as sleep overcomes your mind and body. Instead, you will find it just the trick for lazing on a Sunday afternoon. Sweet dreams, Joyeaux Noel!

The Bruery - Autumn Maple Belgian Style Brown Ale

Dead Soldier

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Autumn Maple Belgian Style Brown Ale

The Bruery

715 Dunn Way

Placentia, CA USA

Est. 2008

www.thebruery.com

Brain Damage Quotient = 10.5 % ABV

Fluid Oz. = 12.0 

Postmortem Brew Review

Rusty deep amber to clear brown color.

Malt sweetness with slight dry nuttiness in aroma.

One finger off-white head that quickly vanishes.

Sweet caramel malt taste with lingering finish.

Minimal amount of carbonation.

Light to medium bodied. A bit boozy on the finish.

Grim Reaper's Eulogy

Autumn Maple is a Belgian-Style Brown Ale that weighs in at a hefty 10.5% ABV. The bottle label exclaims, "We don't need pumpkins in our beer!" And it's true, they don't. Most people do not realize that pumpkin, in and of itself, does not have much taste. It is the spices that make the flavor.

This beer is packed with flavor. Maple is pronounced, but you'll find a variety of sugary caramel things like sweet yams, cinnamon, brown sugar and more, hinting in the background.  There's almost too much going on in the bottle. Sweetness abounds, but happily with no cloying taste.  We made it the 'meal' beer with our turkey day spread. It was starchy enough to stand on its own with the varieties of food on the table.  Autumn Maple was well received by all in attendance.

Autumn Maple is practically a meal in itself. Its creamy texture and warming alcohol went down with ease...almost too easy!

Brooklyn - Local 2

Dead Soldier

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Brooklyn Local 2
Brooklyn Brewery
#1 Brewers Row
79 North 11th Street
Brooklyn , NY USA
Est. 1988
www.brooklynbrewery.com

Brain Damage Quotient = 9.0 % ABV
Fluid Oz. = 25.4

Postmortem Brew Review
Deep brown color with a ruby red tinge.
Belgian yeast and fig/prune aromas.
Tan colored foaming head goes to about one finger high.
Great rings of lacing up and down the glass.
Honey in the taste along with the Belgian yeast. A bit dry at the end of the sip.
Good amount of carbonation without going overboard.
Slight note of alcohol but mellow finish.
Medium to full bodied mouth feel. 

Grim Reaper's Eulogy
Another great Brooklyn brew, the sibling to Local 1.  Unlike its brethren, Local 2 is a darker, maltier ale.  Notably Belgian in style and notably high in ABV.

We definitely took note as three of us shared this magnificent ale and all found the alcohol by the bottom of our glass.

Pick 1 or 2 and you'll have a winner of an ale.

Avery - The Beast

Dead Monster

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The Beast - Grand Cru
Avery Brewing
5763 Arapahoe Ave.
Boulder, CO USA
Est. 1993
www.averybrewing.com 

Brain Damage Quotient = 14.9 % ABV
Fluid Oz. = 12.0 

Postmortem Brew Review
Brown color with ruby tones.
Fruitiness like figs and dates with heavy malt and a whiff of alcohol.
Some complex aromas like molasses and honey and nutmeg seem to be present.
Fast dissipating head that makes a scant cover.
Legs of syrup lacing on run down the glass.
Deep taste with some biting hops (68 IBU's).
Medium to full malty mouth feel with a slight alcohol bite. 

Grim Reaper's Eulogy
Whoa!  Strap yourself to your barstool!

Treating someone to their first experience at WOB, we kept coming back to the discussion this particular item.  I have sampled it from tap in the past, but never enough to have for a review.  So I ordered the beertendress to return with a bottle of this wild canine of brews.  And the beast from within the bottle was unleashed.  We all sipped  and sampled..one of us a bit more than the others. And the beast came out.  It was a "you-have-to-be-there" experience.

Needless to say, we all enjoyed it immensely.  Their website notes that this brew can be cellared for up to 10 years! That puts the Grand in the Grand Cru although the designation is usually reserved for the birthplace of wines.

One final word of caution:
This one rang in at around one dollar per ABV when ordered at the World of Beer in Viera, FL. But you'll find it's worth every penny!

Unibroue - Maudite

Taps for a Dead Soldier

Where to Dig Up More About This Beer
Maudite
Unibroue Inc.
80, Des Carrieres
Chambly, Quebec Canada
Est. 1992
unibroue.com/products/maudite

Brain Damage Quotient = 8.0 % ABV
Fluid Oz. = 12.0 (On Tap)

Postmortem Brew Review
Hazy amber with reddish hues.
Fruity esters and spices.  Corriander and faint hops in the background.
Two fingered caramel head with medium carbonation.
Strings and dots of lacing coat the entire glass.
Very slight alcohol taste as it warms, but not distracting.
Full flavor.  All aromas and tastes intensify as it warms.

Grim Reaper's Eulogy
Muahahaha! I could not have put it better...Maudite means, "The Damned One".  The logo portrays men rowing a wooden canoe, paddling across a blood red sky with the full moon lighting their way.  A horned headed and winged gargoyle has arms folded and is sending a sly grin your way.  His look seems to express knowledge of a great peril awaiting these flying boatmen.  Does this seem typically Canuckle-headed to you, too?

Anyway, about the ale...it's as crazy as the artwork!  There is a spiciness to the boquet on this ale and it is very full of flavor.  It definitely blooms in aroma and flavor the longer you let it sit and warm slightly from the tap, in your glass.  As with strong ales and high ABV beers, let it sit a bit and explore the fullness of its character.

The website mentions it can be cellared for up to 5 years.  You won't be able to wait that long...else you go mad and paddle your canoe in the sky, too!  Ha-haha-ha!  Try some and see how you too will become one of the damned!

Dogfish Head - Raison D'Etre

Dead Soldier

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Dogfish Head - Raison D'Etre
Dogfish Head Craft Brewery
6 Cannery Village Center
Milton, DE USA
Est. 1995
www.dogfish.com 

Brain Damage Quotient = 8.0 % ABV
Fluid Oz. = 12.0 

Postmortem Brew Review
Dark brown with reddish tones.
Mostly a malty aroma with subtle sweetness.
Fast dissipating, tan head with minimal lacing.
Medium mouth feel, no overpowering raisin flavor.

Grim Reaper's Eulogy
Raison D'Etre, a pun of the French phrase, "Raison d'être", meaning "reason for being". I don't know what the reason for the raisin being in the brew was, but I found it neither horrible nor fantastic. It fell somewhere in the middle which is where we all do, causing us to ponder the 'human condition' of our own reason for being. Does this beer have a complex?

While the raisin flavor was not as overpowering as had been anticipated, nether was it abundantly present. So, like French philosophy, I just didn't get it.

'Being' was my first foray into Dogfish Head brews, but I will not let it be my last. They have some impressive street cred, so we'll go get some of their other mainstream ales and analyze them on the couch some time in the future. Our session is up for this week, see the receptionist on the way out.

De Dolle - Stille Nacht (Silent Night) 2008

Dead Snowman

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Stille Nacht 2008
De Dolle Brouwer
Roeselarestraat 12B
8160 Esen, Belgium
Est. 1980
Brewery founded 1835
www.dedollebrouwers.be

Brain Damage Quotient = 12.0% ABV
Fluid Oz. = 11.6 

Postmortem Brew Review
Reddish brown; the color of mahogany.
Fruity, floral with a slight spice presence in the aroma.
Turbid in the bottle and glass.
Suspended unfiltered particles, left over from brewing process.
Caramel/tan double forming head with specks from aforementioned particles.
Complex, medium to heavy body.

Grim Reaper's Eulogy
Where to begin? I want a moment to wipe away a tear...

This beer is magnificent. I cannot find the words to describe it, but will give it a try...(sniff, ah Reaper, compose yourself, now.)

A little history first. This beer is brewed for Christmas by De Dolle. Suffice to say, I encourage you to read what they have to say about their own creation on their website.

This beer has been hanging out in the chiller for several weeks now and was treated with the respect of a first time science experiment. Popping the top of the 2008 vintage cap produced what can be described only as a mini-spontaneous fermentation. A wispy puff of thick beer 'smoke' brought tingles of anticipation. The pour caused a cascading effect that saw an upper creamy head appear followed underneath by active rolling carbonation.

The suspended particles were an interesting curiosity that, (dare I say?), frightened even me. I thought of filtering it on the pour, but thought again and instead was rewarded with specks of detritus hanging in the everlasting foamy head. In other words, how shall I say? I know........what makes a doughnut even better? DOH, sprinkles!!!

It is to date the highest ABV sampled, ringing in at 12%. As you know that can haunt the flavor by overpowering it with a distinct alcohol aftertaste, but not here. Not even a hint of it.

The rich, sweet & savory body rolls over your taste buds like a malty, hoppy, fruity river of goodness! A nice bounce of hops at the end of the sip smooths our the candy-like sweetness. It's not to be gulped or even drunk by the 6-pack at a time, but sampled by the sip. I would like to think that Silent Night was brewed more to expand your mind than to expand your waistline, so pace yourself with these, won't you?

One or two bottles will probably induce an out of the body experience. And at 12% ABV, you'll want a designated driver, else I will see you sooner rather than later, muhahahaa muhaahaaahaa.

Silent Night....Holy Cow !

Gulden Draak Ale

Dead Soldier

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Gulden Draak Ale
Brouwerij Van Steenberge
Lindenlan 25
B-9940 Ertvelde, Belgium
Est. 1874
www.vansteenberge.com

Brain Damage Quotient = 10.5 % ABV
Fluid Oz. = 11.2 

Postmortem Brew Review
Crimson brown translucent.
Fruits in the aroma; bananas, figs, raisins and a hint of clove.
Deep, luxurious foaming head that builds and builds.
Wafted lacing along the length of the glass.
Medium to full bodied in mouth feel. 

Grim Reaper's Eulogy
Oooh mama mama...what a treat. The nose on this beer is fruity and sweet, but not in an overpowering way. It pours out a looking a bit like maple syrup. The high alcohol content does not detract as I have noticed with other high ABV beers and ales, and only has a hint of alcohol taste at the very last sip of the glass.

It is a beer to stand on its own and would make a great aperitif, if beers can aspire to that realm. Gulden Draak is however like drinking two-and-a-half of anything else and has such a complex set of flavors that you might want to set it aside for savoring.

With it's distinctive white bottle your first though might be to mistake it for milk; and you'd be wrong. Unless that is you were thinking "milk of the gods." Friend, my advice is slay one of these dragons when you get the chance.