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Advent Beer – Manchester Tripel

In a desperate attempt to catch up with the Advent Beer backlog, I went a bit mental on Sunday night and opened two big bottles. It was going to happen at some point, as I drank too many of the smaller bottles at the start, so it’s my own fault really. Marble’s Manchester Tripel is one of their special one off big bottle releases and is their take on a Belgian Tripel, evidently they also produced Manchester Dubbel, which would have been nice to try at the same time.

It poured a strong straw, or a lightish amber colour if you prefer, just like a classic Tripel in fact. A compact white head was easily formed and lasted for quite a while. It did eventually drop to a covering, but it stayed all the way down the glass.

The nose was immense, but it didn’t strike me a being that of a classical Tripel. My fist thought was that this beer has been shown a few hops, as it just had such a powerful aroma. There was also that Belgian Tripel thing going on round the edges too, with an obvious alcoholic, estery, warmth trying to come out from round the orangey hop notes. There might have also been a touch of yeasty dryness in there, just to make it even more complex.

It was massive in the mouth, with lots of warmth and loads of Belgian ester notes, especially in the after taste. I did get a bit of yeast in the pour, but it didn’t detract, it just added a little dryness to the mix. It was quite sweet, I kept thinking of golden syrup and caramelised bananas for some reason, not sure where those associations came from. Then there was a nice bitterness, which unfortunately didn’t last, as it was swept aside in a wave of alcohol that warmed the throat and lingered for an age.

I haven’t enjoyed a Tripel this much in ages, I normally avoid the style in favour of something hoppier and less estery. So yet more kudos to Marble for yet another stellar beer…

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By fatboab – 2011/12/20

Advent Beer – Æther Blæc 28 Year 2010

My previous Advent Beer was Hardknott’s Æther Blæc 27 Year 2010, so it it seemed logical to drink the sibling Æther Blæc 28 Year 2010 bottle as the next beer. It’s been aged in a barrel from the same distillery, that amazingly enough, had whisky in it for 28 years, rather than just 27 years. This kind of thing fascinates me, as you get to find out the characteristics of individual barrels and how they impart their flavours on and change the base beer.

It poured a jet black with a very good brown tan head. In fact, I wasn’t really paying attention at the end of the pour and the head came spilling over the edge of the glass from no where. Unlike the 27 Year though, the head didn’t last and dropped to a ring round the edge of the glass fairly quickly. Learning a lesson from the 27 year, I took this one out the fridge well before I started to drink it, so that it wasn’t too cold. I’d definitely say that both these beers shouldn’t be drunk cold.

The nose was quite intense, far more so than the 27 Year version. There was a definite woody edge to all the hedgerow fruit and I suppose, a bit of character from the whisky as well.

It felt smoother in the mouth than the 27 year version, and didn’t bubble on the tongue as much either. It was just as full bodied, but it felt more intense as well. Where the 27 year had been subtle and rounded, the 28 year was just more. It wasn’t in yer face, as such, it was just more powerful in all the flavours. The woodiness was greater, the fruity after taste was more intense and lingered longer. The hedgerow berry flavour was really to the fore as well, I wouldn’t say just blackberries, as there was quite a sharpness, so maybe some rowan berries or something similar in there too.

I’m amazed how much difference there was between the 27 year cask and the 28 year cask versions, but then I suppose each cask is different and it’s not as simple as just an extra year. I liked both versions and I’m not sure if I would prefer one over the other. I think the 27 year might just edge it for me though, but only because it was subtler, slightly more rounded and oh so ridiculously drinkable. That doesn’t mean this version was bad, far from it, it was excellent. The intense fruity berry flavour, lingering long after the last bit of liquid had slipped, languidly down my throat was joyful. I wait with baited breath for this years instalments, all three of them…


We’ve just been tasting Æther Blæc 2011 Sigma Edition this morning… Something went right. Very right.
2011/12/20 10:23 via EchofonReplyRetweetFavorite
@HardknottAlex
Alex Routledge

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By fatboab – 2011/12/20

Advent Beer – Æther Blæc 27 Year 2010

Æther Blæc is Hardknott’s, brewed once a year, barrel aged imperial stout. I had the 2009 version during last years Advent Beer and it was really nice. The only reason I had it for Advent Beer, is the same reason I’m having this bottle (and it’s sibling) for Advent Beer. I always think that whisky barrel aged beers will be too phenolic and whisky tasting and that I wont like them. I really need to get over my prejudices …

It poured pretty much jet black, with a brownish tan coloured head. It appeared to have quite a bit of condition as the head formed really rapidly and looked like it wanted to grow very large, very quickly. In reality, it stayed at about half a finger for ages and even an hour after pouring, was almost a complete covering. It was far too cold when first poured, so I left it for a bit to warm up and reveal itself.

There wasn’t a huge amount going on on the nose, but a deep inhale did bring forth some aromas. It was quite complex, I would have just said some sweet malty notes, but there was more than that. Bit’s of wood around the edges and some rich stewed plummy, fruit notes floating languidly around.

It was a little over carbonated to start with, but the wait for it to warm up helped in that regard. It was full in the mouth, with bags of flavour right from the start. Lots of malty flavours to start with, then the woodiness from the cask and a long juicy mouth watering, slightly phenolic after taste. I was really surprised at how drinkable it was, yes, you could tell it was strong, but it wasn’t hard work and I had to fight the temptation to glug it down without thinking.

I was half expecting a beer that was going to play second fiddle to the whisky barrel, but it didn’t. It had great balance between all the components and it was really nice to drink, fantastic even. If only all barrel aged beers tasted this good.

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By fatboab – 2011/12/19

Advent Beer – Dorothy Goodbody’s Imperial Stout

I’ve not had many Wye Valley beers, they don’t really appear on this side of the country much. This bottle arrived via my brother, who sent it for my birthday. It’s a beer I’ve wanted to try for a while, but just never got round to ordering, so I was well chuffed when it arrived in the post. It was a limited edition beer, brewed to mark the 25th anniversary of Wye Valley "producing quality beers". I can’t remember when it was brewed, for some reason I can’t find the news article on the brewery web site, but I do know that it was a while ago, so this is a slightly aged bottle.

It poured a very dark brown, so that it sat black in the glass. The head was a deep brown tan colour and reminded my of the foam you get on top of certain strong black coffees, it just had that kind of look about it. I didn’t really get much on the nose, faint whiffs of carbon dioxide maybe, but a distinct lack of any roasted character, which I was sort of expecting it to have.

It felt very soft in the mouth, there hadn’t been much of a phzzzt when opening the bottle, so I was sort of prepared for it to be like that. It wasn’t flat by any means, just a little on the soft side for my tastes. It felt quite boozy with loads of stewed fruit and some coffee flavours that reminded me of coffee ice cream. It was also sweet, malty and sweet, with a sweet lingering finish. Did I say it was sweet…?

After letting it sit for a while I thought it tasted slightly different, revealing more flavours that I hadn’t picked up on at the start. The coffee flavours were still there at the start, but were quickly supplanted by the sweetness and then some soft sweet dark chocolate notes. None of your 85% cocoa solids here, think more of Cadbury’s Bournville, that overly sweet dark chocolate that is an abomination to mankind and you’re on the right track. It was almost milky in the way the sweetness and chocolate notes interacted and this left no room for any bitterness.

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  • Dorothy Goodbody’s Imperial Stout, 7%, 500ml

I thought It was a solid, if unspectacular beer. I really missed some roasted malt flavours, or a bit of bitterness from some hops. I thought it was just too sweet, you could say a bit one dimensional, as all the other flavours were effectively bit parts to the sweetness. I think it would have been a really cracking beer if that had been the other way round, with the sweetness more in balance with the coffee and chocolate, but that’s just me.

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By fatboab – 2011/12/19

Secret Santa

It was Secret Santa at work last Friday. That awful once a year moment when you unwrap a gift from someone who doesn’t know you, but has tried to buy you something vaguely useful, but which is normally in the bin the moment you get home.

I’m not really sure why I take part, I normally stress about my gift and end up playing it safe with bath bombs, if it’s a lady, or a beer gift box, if it’s a bloke. I did buy someone a balloon modelling kit one year, the look on her face when she unwrapped it… I’ve received all sorts over the years; last years was a multifunction pen that masqueraded as a fork, knife, saw, screwdriver and file, you get the idea. I’ve never used it.

I normally end up disappointed, but not this year. This year someone hit the nail on the head and I got some beer! I also got ingredients for beer bread, in a 650ml bomber that I can use for homebrew afterwards, so in effect, a double present, excellent!

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By fatboab – 2011/12/19

Advent Beer – Past Masters XX Strong Ale

I’ve really not been going a good job of keeping up with the Advent Beer this year. I blame last weeks illness that saw me off work for three days, nothing to do with laziness… I’m still a beer behind, due to all the nights off I’ve had, but I should be caught up by tonight, just in time to slip back again, as I’m off down the pub with friends tomorrow. Anyway, onto the first of many updates today, Fuller’s Past Masters XX Strong Ale.

I had this beer last week and am writing this from some audio notes I took while drinking it, so I apologise in advance if it doesn’t make much sense. Evidently it poured a classic olde English marmalade colour, or a burnished copper brown if you preffer, with an slightly off white head. I thought it smelt like a Fuller’s beer, I think that just like 1845 and their Vintage Ale’s, the aroma has a certain quality about it that you don’t get from anyone else. There was a freshness about the nose as well, with subtle marmalade notes and hints of that yeasty, mustiness you sometimes get with bottle conditioned beers.

It didn’t look particularly lively in the glass, but it felt quite lively in the mouth. A good malty body gave way to that classic British hop juiciness and a lingering, slightly drying after taste. It was very complex, especially at the start and I was having trouble getting my thoughts out, that would have been the man flu. As I normally do, I jot down a few thoughts at the start and then again near the end of the glass, just to see if my opinion has changed. I didn’t get the chance with this beer though…

I had about a third of a glass left and was just having a quick conflab with my wife, when our kitten decided to knock my glass off the side table. Obviously it wasn’t intentional, the evil little git, but he broke my favourite Moor stemmed glass and wasted a third of a bottle of one of the best beers I’ve had this year. I wasn’t impressed. I’ve since been to Sainsbury’s, twice, to buy more and I’ll probably buy more next time I’m there.

I was seriously impressed. I know it would probably have tasted slightly different back in the day, but I can’t help feel a touch of jealousy for those alive at the time when this beer was around in it’s original incarnation. I really, really hope that Fuller’s do raid the archives and make more Past Masters beers.


E-mailed Ron to decide what the next Past Masters should be- guess what he said
2011/12/14 14:37 via webReplyRetweetFavorite
@FullersJohn
John Keeling

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By fatboab – 2011/12/19

Advent Beer – Gajes & Geteisem

I’ve been wanting to try this bottle ever since I first saw it on the shelf in the Bacchanalia. There was just something about a barrel aged Cherry Brett Stout that called to me, I’m not sure why. I was hoping it wasn’t going to be a bottle bomb, as there’s been too many of them from De Molen this year

It poured an almost jet back, but just like the BrewDog Old World Russian Imperial Stout, it was just a really, really, really, really dark brown. There wasn’t really any noise when the cork came out of the bottle and it was obvious immediately that it started to fall into the glass, that there was a serious lack of condition. Even pouring it from quite a height didn’t get much of a head forming, at least not a head that lasted any length of time.

When I initially poured, I thought I could definitely smell both the cherry and the brett. After it had been sitting in the glass for a while though, the main notes were those very boozy malty ones you get in massive stouts, without the cherry or the brett. There was also quite a bit of woody character as well, so as you can imagine, it was fairly complex.

It was pretty flat and lifeless in the mouth, which was a real disappointment, as it really needed a bit of carbonation to lift all the flavours and give a bit of spark. Without the carbonation to lift it and give that spark, it just felt a bit of a muddled mess. There was quite a lot of fusel alcohol, I’m not sure if this was from the Wild Turkey barrel, or just from the rather large ABV. Flavour wise it was huge, with massive chocolaty malt notes and a really woody after taste. I didn’t get much cherry flavour, but considering the final gravity was a dry 1007, I’m assuming that a lot of the sweetness was from them.

As for the brett, I couldn’t really detect it, there may have been a bit of barnyard at the backend, fleeting around the edges, but there was nothing standing up shouting brett. I’m assuming this was due to the lack of carbonation, as if the flavours had been separated a bit by the spark this would have delivered, it might have been detectable. This particular bottle was bottled on the second of December last year, so it’s had just over a year to mature, it might very well have just been a duff bottle, so your mileage may vary.

I had a similarly flat nip bottle of Hel & Verdoemenis 666 a while back and while it was a bit of a chore to drink, the flavours were all still in balance. The lack of carbonation in this bottle meant that as I got through it, I really began to dislike all the boozy, woody bourbon flavours. I know I’m not a fan of bourbon, but in the end it was just too much and I ended up ditching the last quarter of the bottle.

I was really, really looking forward to this and it was a massive let down, I should really stop letting my expectations run away with themselves.

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By fatboab – 2011/12/16

Advent Beer – Porter

I was out on Saturday night and we were round friends till nine o’clock on Sunday evening, I didn’t really fancy noshing into an 11% stout when we got back (it was the only thing in the fridge). I’ve been ill since then, off work and everything, so I’m a little behind on the Advent Beer and have thus been trying to double up and clear the back log, but it’s not working very well.

I had high hopes for this beer, especially after the Chestnut I had as an earlier Advent Beer. It poured a really, really dark brown with a reddish tinge at the edges. A very loose tan coloured head was, very, easily formed and did look like it was going to jump out the glass at one point. The main reason for the large head, was the massive over carbonation, the loud phzzzt, when I opened the bottle was a dead give away. Having said that, the head didn’t last and within two minutes was nothing but a faint ring round the edge of the glass.

The initial smell was chock full of massive coffee notes, with some plummy stewed fruit notes round the edges. I was hoping for a similar coffee explosion in the mouth, but it just turned to bubbles the moment it hit the tongue. There was some coffee in the after taste, but there was also a manky drying, almost yeasty flavour as well, which was really, really not nice. The coffee flavour also revealed itself as an acrid, burnt, bitter flavour, which also wasn’t so nice.

In an effort to get rid of some of the carbonation, I stuck a fork into the glass and gave it a quick stir. What a mistake! The beer turned into a foaming volcano and spewed out of the glass and all over the work top. I think I lost about half the bottle, but on the plus side, it was no longer over carbonated. Doing this also changed the head quite dramatically, where as it had been large loose bubbles that quickly disappeared, it was now small bubbles in a nice tight head that lasted for quite a while.

The nose became slightly muddled after the forking, with less separation between any of the notes and maybe an increase in a yeasty mustiness. I’m pretty sure I got a clean pour, but it’s hard to tell with an over carbonated dark beer. The taste had changed as well, with the initial part of the taste being pretty nondescript and a touch watery. Then the acrid, burnt coffee came in, with the stewed fruit and the afore mentioned mankiness.

To be honest, I poured the rest of it down the sink, as it just wasn’t very nice and I wasn’t enjoying it. I’ll put it down to being a rogue bad bottle and me not feeling so hot…

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By fatboab – 2011/12/16

Advent Beer – Old World Russian Imperial Stout

According to the BrewDog website, this beer is just Rip Tide in 660ml bottles, that was made exclusively for a US chain. However, it’s got a slightly different ABV to Rip Tide and from what I can remember tastes far, far better than Rip Tide ever did. I think they’re only selling a small amount through their online shop, so if you want some, you’d better hurry, as I doubt it’ll last that long. It was a last minute decision to add it to the Advent Beer list, mainly as I didn’t get my hands on it until a couple of days before December.

It poured jet black in the glass, but in reality it was a really, really, really, really dark, near impenetrable brown. A tan coloured head was easily formed, but didn’t last long, dropping to a covering and then a ring round the glass. I’m not sure what I was expecting, but I think I was expecting a beer with slightly more legs, just a bit thicker and more unctuous, it didn’t stick to the side of the glass as much as I was expecting.

The nose was all coffee, thick sweet malty coffee, with chocolate round the edges. At least that what I initially thought. By the time I got to the bottom of the bottle, the nose was all treacle, thick, sweet, pungent treacle.

Unsurprisingly, it was full in the mouth. It also had quite a bit of carbonation initially, almost too much, as it did get a bit bubbly in the mouth. The bubbliness did decrease the longer it sat in the glass though, but for a beer that isn’t bottle conditioned (at least I could see or taste any sediment), it was bordering on too fizzy. Flavour wise it was quite intense, with lots of treacle, molasses and hints of coffee and chocolate and a lingering sweet treacle after taste. There might also have been a touch of smoke, right at the back, just fleeting; although I may have been imagining it.

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It was nice, really nice, I liked all the treacle and molasses. I suppose you could say that it was a touch sweet, but personally, I think that might be classed as nit picking. I’m glad I have another bottle, I just hope it’s slightly less bubbly.

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By fatboab – 2011/12/13

Advent Beer – Old Manchester

I was in my local on Thursday night, I was there because Greene King have put it up for sale and as it’s the last pub in the village, the village wants to keep it open. So they are formulating a Plan B to buy the pub, if no one else buys it first, which is obviously Plan A. I don’t really use the pub, I feel a blog coming on about why, but I volunteered to be on the steering committee that is formulating the plan. That’s why there was no Advent Beer post on Thursday night or yesterday, so yet more catch up. I need to start being careful, otherwise I’ll be having to neck two 750ml bottles of 11% De Molen a night to keep on track…

Thursday’s Advent Beer was Marble Old Manchester, which is a fascinating beer. It’s fascinating, as it was a collaboration brew between Marble and John Keeling the Fuller’s head brewer and was destined for export to the US. I’m not sure why some of it got released into the UK market and to be honest, I wish it hadn’t, as you’re not going to like it.

It’s terrible, horrifically bad* in fact. So bad, you’re not going to want to drink your bottle. You’d think it would have been wonderfully balanced, that it would have tasted utterly fabulous and drank no where near it’s ABV. But no, it wasn’t, so don’t open your bottles, just put them away somewhere safe, I’ll buy them off you.

As a service to other beer geeks, I’m willing to buy all of your bottles, just so you don’t have to experience how bad it is. I’ll even drive round the entire country and pick them up so you don’t have to pay postage sending them to me. Honestly, you don’t want to drink it, I’ll fall on my sword so you don’t have to be disappointed. See I’ve even tweeted the Bacchanalia so they don’t sell anymore and thus have disappointed customers…


Dear @, don’t bother putting any more @ Old Manchester on the shelves, just put it all in my box… ;-)
2011/12/09 21:42 via Twitter for AndroidReplyRetweetFavorite
@RecentlyDrunk
Bob Arnott

* Obviously it’s not bad, it’s pretty spectacular, which is why I want it all for myself…

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By fatboab – 2011/12/10