Beer: Maredsous 10 Tripel

Strong beer! Maredsous is an interesting tripel!
by Daniel Spiess
Licensed under Creative Commons

Brewery: Maredsous Abbey (licensed to Duvel Moortgat Brewery) Denée, Belgium (Duvel Moortgat Brewery is located in Breendonk, Belgium)

Overview:The Maredsous Abbey has three distinct beers that are produced, the blonde, the brown, and the tripel, though they are often known simply by their alcohol contents, 6, 8, and 10 respectively.  The tripel is the strongest of the Maredsous beers, still using the traditional recipe to make a strong and complex beer.

Aroma: Sweet, malty aroma.  Some hints of floral notes.  Alcohol evident.  Some light citrus noted by my lovely wife.  Hint of sweet spice.

Appearance: Opaque amber color with strong orange highlights and a hint of rose.  Thick, foamy and frothy white head which leaves some lacing on the glass.  Best served in a goblet.  (A Maredsous goblet if you have one).

Flavor: Some bitter, balancing out the hops well, with an alcohol warmth that ends in your throat.  Spicy, not too slick in the mouthfeel.  Some malty sweetness with a definite residual alcohol left in the long finish, building as well on the tongue as you drink more of the glass.  Some bitter orange and cinnamon is present, along with hints of other spices, such as clove, hiding beneath the surface.

Overall Impression: This is a very good beer, but I can't help thinking that something is just off balance with it.  Perhaps it is the bitterness or the overly present alcohol that throws it in your face just a little more than you might want.  Still, it is a complex flavor and good blend of spiciness, even as it does not attempt to hide much of the high alcohol burn.  The malty sweetness does make this go down smoother than a whisky might, so while it may be more suited for a conversational night at the bar than straight shots of liquor, it will still punch you in the face after just a few.

Vitals:
Style Belgian Tripel
Price $11.99/four-pack
Found In Local Liquor Store
Alcohol Content 10% by volume
Availability Year-round

Beer: Weihenstephaner Korbinian

Used with permission
Staatsbrauerei Weihenstephan

Brewery: Braurei Weihenstephan Freising, Germany

Overview: Weihenstephaner Korbinian is a doppelbock brewed at the oldest operating brewery in the world.  The Braurei Weihenstephan has been in operation since 1040, almost one thousand years of brewing beer.

Aroma:Roast, some alcohol, malt sweetness.  Hints of raisins mixed with caramel.  Relatively no hop aroma.

Appearance: Dark brown with small tan head that does not persist long.  Clear, but can appear opaque in the right lighting (biergarten lighting perhaps).  Some light ruby highlights can be barely perceived giving a light glow from light reflected off bottom of glass.

Flavor: Roasted grains and hop bitterness balance out this big beer.  Some flavors of coffee and toasted cocoa.  Finish shows some sweetness and occasional alcohol.  Leaves a delicious roasted aftertaste.  Medium body supports the flavor.

Overall Impression: For a big bock, weighing in at over 7% alcohol, the Korbinian is still a highly drinkable beer, aided in part by the good body and roasted grains that keep any alcohol slickness out of the flavor of the beer.  Very smooth, rich beer with loads of malty sweetness that could sneak up on you after a few.

Vitals:
Style Doppelbock
Price $3.99/1 pt. 0.9 oz bottle
Found In Regional Liquor Store
Alcohol Content 7.4% by volume
Availability Year-round
Bitterness 32 IBU

Next Week Happy Hour Review: Maredsous 10 Tripel

Beer: Buffalo Bill's Orange Blossom Cream Ale

Brewery: Buffalo Bill's Brewery Hayward, California

Overview: Buffalo Bill's Brewery is a brewpub that has come to national distribution with its Fall seasonal Pumpkin Ale.  Buffalo Bill's has been expanding their line of fruit and herb spiced beers and recently introduced the Orange Blossom Cream Ale, a traditional American Cream Ale, but with the additions of honey, orange peel, and extract of orange blossom.

Aroma: Strong tart citrus overtones, some light malt sweetness just underneath.  Orange blossom most noticeable, but hints of berry and other fruits blend with it.  Light honey scent may be noticed after tasting and getting some fatigue from the blossom flavor.

Appearance:Clear, straw gold, with quickly dissipating head of large bubbles.  No lasting foam.

Flavor: Light, floral initial flavor, with light body and high carbonation in the mouthfeel.  Some bitter orange flavor, mild spice.  Floral notes of the orange blossom tend to overwhelm any actual fruit flavors.  Notes of leaf cuttings and other greenery.  Very fresh flavor.

Overall Impression: This is a light and easy drinking beer that is definitely best suited for spring or early summer.  However, this is most likely not going to become a staple for me.  I do find the drink refreshing, but the heavy orange blossom flavor does get to be a little overwhelming and even fatigues the palate after half a beer or so.  It does tend to mellow after the first, and perhaps it was my expectation of more citrus and less citrus blossom that needed adjustment.  Still, while this is a very interesting blend and seasonal, other than a quick lawnmower beer, I will most likely set this one aside and wait for Buffalo Bill's Pumpkin Ales in the fall.

Vitals:
Style Spice/Herb/Vegetable Beer
Price $7.99/six-pack
Found In Chain Import Store
Alcohol Content 5.2% by volume
Availability Spring/Summer Seasonal
Bitterness 13 IBU

Next Week Happy Hour Review: Weihenstephaner Korbinian

Beer: Delirium Tremens (2009)

Bruxelas - Pub Delirium Tremens by Marcelo Costa
Licensed via Creative Commons

Brewery: Huyghe Brewery Melle/Ghent, Belgium

Overview: Produced in the oldest active brewery in Ghent, Belgium, Delirium Tremens has been referred to as "the best beer in the world" (sometimes even by me).

Aroma: Some rose, orange, peach or apricot flavors, some of the candi sugar, pure sweetness.  As you get to the bottom of the bottle, may find more overwhelming orange in the citrus.

Appearance: Beautiful golden color, with hints of orange.  Effervescent white head.  Clear at first, may have some clouding with sediment as you work through the bottle.

Flavor: Effervescence carries over to mouthfeel, like a champagne. Some bitterness, but balanced.  Alcohol warmth not particularly detected, a rarity among Belgians.  Instead the hops bitterness and some sweetness masks it well.  In the flavor, I get some bitter orange, along with some of the sweetness.  Some spice from clove elements.  Finish is crisp, with strong lingering hop bitterness.  Beer does change in complexity as you work through the bottle and may have some strong malty sweetness, some burnt caramel at times.

Overall Impression: I used to claim this was my "favorite beer in the world" though I am not sure that claim still holds true, I do give it credit for pulling me into the world of the Belgian ales headlong.  I still do love this beer and its seductive ability to trick you with its citrus and slight bitter masking of the underlying alcohol, hiding the warmth that you are likely to find in many other Belgians of this strength.  As you work through a large (1 pt, 9.4 oz) bottle, you will find the beer has a tendency to change slightly, as you notice complexity and previous flavors tire.  I did bust out my own personal Delirium Tremens glass (like the one in the picture) for this tasting, though I was not able to mimic the three to four finger head displayed in the pour.  I love that the cork on the bottle displayed the bottle year (2009), which will, of course, lead me to need to review this beer again in the future.  While I can't for certain say this is still my favorite beer, it is a delight to drink, a good way to get yourself in trouble (fast) if you are not paying attention, and a beer that everyone should try (at least once, or twice if you slammed it down the first time).

Vitals:
Style Belgian Golden Strong Ale
Price $10.99/1 pt, 9.4 oz bottle
Found In Regional Liquor Store
Alcohol Content 8.5% by volume
Availability Year-round

Next Week Happy Hour Review: Buffalo Bill's Orange Blossom Cream Ale