Road Dog Porter 355ml, 6% - USA

Dark, dirt red color with a cappuccino head.

Roasted malts and coffee aroma.

Sweet taste at first, then we get some roasted malts with light smokyness in the background. Hints of coffee and toffee.

Next time I'll pass!


Update #55 for January month. Not bad I guess. See you all in February :)

Refsvindinge Den Gyldne Hest Ale No. 100 330ml, 5.7% - Denmark

Dark amber color with a small beige head.

Sweet malty aroma, nutmeg.

Malty flavor with hints of caramel and nuts. A bit metallic and sour in the aftertaste.

Barrel Aged B.O.R.I.S. Oatmeal Imperial Stout 650ml, 9.4% - USA

Oblique black, tiny brown head.

Bourbon aroma together with roasted malts, candy and caramel.

Rich flavor! Starts off with roasted malts, followed by dark chocolate, coffee and lot's of sweetness. Awesome, bitter aftertaste.

Amazing beer! Try it!

New beer shop: Bierkompass.de

While I was looking for Mikkeller's "wax" editions I stumbled upon a beer shop from Germany. The site indicated that they only ship via Germany, but the seller said that he's working on changing the shipping options and was more than happy to ship a package to Sweden. The free EU bank transfer worked out flawlessly.

The package was shipped out quickly and only one bottle was broken. Fortunately it was an Achel Blonde, which isn't a rarity and can always be replaced. The post office sure likes to play football with out parcels.

Right after I sent a list of the things I wanted, the seller told me about a new series of beers which he just got it. Revelation Cat Woodwork Series. Never really heard of them and the internet rumors say that they are hard to get, so I couldn't helped my self and bought one of each. Also, I found a St. Bernardus Tripel which I desired to try for a very long time, but all of the shops are always sold out. I even got the Blanche version which was also on my "to try" list.

A few Belgians beers were added to the list. Always wanted to try the infamous imperial stout from Brasserie Ellezelloise + I got Quintine Ambrée from the same brewery. And a few other things. The seller even shipped two bottles free of charge for me to review. :)

So I recommend you all to try this shop. Just email the seller with your order and he'll take care of the rest.

http://www.bierkompass.de/ <-- The address

Midas Touch Golden Elixir 355ml, 9% - USA

Light amber color with no head.

Saffron, grapefruit and spicy aroma.

Very spicy and bitter taste, but sweet at the same time. Saffron with mild honey.

The taste is not so pleasant to be honest. This is the first and last time I'm drinking this beer. =)

De Dolle Dulle Teve (Mad Bitch) 330ml, 10% - Belgium

Generous pour gave a cloudy amber color with a high fluffy head.

Fresh and yeasty smell, together with fruits, spices and hops.

Lovely taste. Starts off with a sweet and fruity flavor. Apples are present, together with orange peels and spices on top of that. Yeasty touch with a light bitter aftertaste.

Amazing beer!

p.s. Sorry for a blurry photo, don't know what happened there. ;)

Stone 13th Anniversary Ale 650ml, 9.5% - USA

Very dark red color with a dark thick head.

Hoppy aroma, lot's of citrus.

Fruity taste, I definitely get some apples. There's citrus somewhere there as well. Spice with a bitter hoppy aftertaste. Some cold, strong tea flavor.

Stone 09.09.09 Vertical Epic Ale 650ml, 8.6% - USA

Motor oil black color with a very thick mocha head. This looks like an imperial stout.

Sweet chocolate aroma, followed by coffee and bits of caramel.

Hoppy bitterness through out the whole taste. Lot's of spices, some coriander is noticeable in the background. The characteristics are pretty much the same as the nose. Chocolate, coffee with caramel.

Full body, a bit dry mouth feel. Quite enjoyable..!

De Koninck Amber 330ml, 5% - Belgium

Red color with a very tiny head.

Cherry aroma together with hints of citrus. Very little going on here.

Light taste with not enough flavor. Some cherries are visible, malty in the background.

Kind of a let down for me to be honest.

Bodacious Black & Tan 650ml, 7.6% - USA

First time I'm trying something like this..

Very dark brown, almost black appearance. A little head that settled instantly.

Sweet smell, full of caramel and chocolate.

Funky taste! It starts off as a stout and then right away covers by an IPA. It does have a taste of roasted malts together with toffee and hops.

I don't think that mixing beers in this way is a good idea. I'd rather drinks those two kinds separately. :)

Mean Manalishi Double IPA 650ml, 8.2% - USA

Reddish color with a slightly darker head. Some lacing.

Piney aroma with some grapefruit and grass.

Bitterness is noticeable from the start to the end. Grapefruit flavor topped with sweet and malty touch. I do get some alcohol in the aftertaste.

Nothing special really, moving on..!

Hoppin' To Heaven IPA 650ml, 6.8% - USA

Cloudy amber color with a thick and strong white head. Some lacing is visible.

Sweet smell together with caramel and some grapefruit.

Soft, velvet foam rolls down with the first sip. Strong taste for an IPA. Very little grapefruit, lot's of apples, sweet spices, perfume and soap. Hops are present.

Almost no bitterness in the aftertaste.

I think this needs more character and flavor.

(sorry for a blurry photo)

Caracole Ambrée 750ml, 7.5% - Belgium

Cloudy amber appearance topped with a dark white head.

Sour citrus, lemony aroma together with yeast in the background.

Fizzy carbonation hits the tongue with citrus, licorice and little hoppy bitterness. Slightly alco aftertaste.

Saxo 750ml, 7.5% - Belgium

Pours cloudy orange with a two finger fluffy white head.

Fresh citrus aroma, yeasty hints.

Sweet fruity taste, followed by strong spices and some citrus. With a pleasant hoppy bitterness in the aftertaste.

This is an ecological beer, although that doesn't concern me at all..

Founders Breakfast Stout 355ml, 8.3% - USA

Been meaning to try this for a very long time now. :)

Black color with a chocolate head which settled quickly.

Roasted malts, chocolate, coffee, vanilla. It has it all. Amazing!

Smokey, sweet and bitter flavor. Definitely there's some oatmeal in there. Topped with dark chocolate, coffee and toffee. Roasted malts are present in the aftertaste.

Amazing stout! Need to buy more! :)

Struise Tsjeeses 330ml, 10% - Belgium

Amazing orange color, with almost no head.

Yeasty aroma at first, followed by mild spices and sweet fruits.

Strong taste. Full of fruity flavors. Lot's of apples with a ginger hint. Orange peels are present. Little spicyness with a slightly bitter hoppy aftertaste.

Black Albert 330ml, 13% - Belgium

Very deep brown with a hot chocolate head.

Roasted malts and hints of chocolate.

Very rich flavor with a taste of alcohol thought out the whole glass.

Chocolate taste, together with roasted malts and lot's of prunes.

Very nice stout, although the high ABV of 13% could be lower. The carbonation can be distracting from time to time.

Pannepot Grand Reserva Vintage 2005 330ml, 10% - Belgium

We recently tried three beers from the amazing De Struise Brouwers and I don't regret it for a second. Pannepot, Black Albert and Tsjeeses all were unbelievable in their category. I'm definitely going to order more of them!

Here's the first review and it's for Pannepot Grand Reserva Vintage 2005, opened January 2010.

Poured dark brown with pretty much no head.

I do sense oak right away. Amazing smell! You just can't stop sniffing it.

What an astonishing taste! It actually reminds me a little bit of Westvleteren 12, but with a milder taste.

Fruit cake, lots of dried fruits. Mild, sweet spices and some candy.

Surprisingly good beer! Never tried a fresh one, but I'm pretty sure that the aging did the trick here. :)

High Tide Fresh Hop IPA 650ml, 6.5% - USA

Clear amber color with one finger white head.

Grapefruit at first, follows with some pines, perfume and fresh hops.

Slightly sweet taste as it touches the tongue, then instantly the bitterness appears from the hops. Grapefruit aftertaste here.

Lovely beer, the bitterness is just amazing.

Bush Prestige 750ml, 13% - Belgium

Red cherry color without any head or lacing what so ever. I doubt that a beer of this caliber should have any at all.

Sweet malty smell, together with some caramel and hops.

Huge tones of flowers and fruits. Figs and raisins are well hidden here. Very sour after taste.

Bush De Nuits 750ml, 13% - Belgium

Muddy brown color with a darkish head.

Fruity and sour smell, mostly apples. Brut champagne aroma.

Complex taste which seems to vary with every sip. At first I get dried plums, caramel and a tad of alcohol. Then the sourness appears, full of apples.

Quite an interesting beer with a roof high ABV.

Now moving on to the "Prestige" version.

Midtfyns Imperial Stout 500ml, 9.5% - Denmark

Full darkness, with a two finger crispy, thick, fluffy dark cappuccino head.

Some roasted malts at first, followed by coffee and dark chocolate.

Roasted malts flavor, together with burned sugar, hints of caramel and perhaps a gentle touch of prunes.

Full bodied with almost no carbonation. Creamy and light on the tongue.

Midtfyns Double IPA 500ml, 9.2% - Denmark

Dark amber appearance with an almost two finger head which leaves almost no lacing while settling.

Very fresh hoppy smell, with some pines in the background.

Starts off with a sweet caramel taste and finishes with a lovely bitter aftertaste. In which the high abv is noticeable.

Corsendonk Agnus 330ml, 7.5% - Belgium

Golden yellow color with a rich, white head. Very little lacing.

Yeasty and fruity aroma, together with citrus and some alcohol.

Enduring taste! Malty, with citrus, hops, warm alcohol and mild bitterness.

This one is a bit dry too, but still highly enjoyable.

Corsendonk Pater 330ml, 7.5% - Belgium

Very dark brown color with a full tan head.

Fresh, fruity and floral aroma. A bit of yeast is well hidden in the background.

Just as it hits the tongue I taste sour and citrus flavors. After wards appears a nice malty touch followed by apples.

This beer is dry, but well carbonated.

If you find it, go for it!

Blind Pig IPA 500ml, 6.1% - USA

This review is dedicated to Fredrik, the owner of Malt Humle Jäst & Vatten!

Light amber appearance with a whipped cream head which settled rapidly.

Grapefruit together with mild pines and a light hint of perfume. Lovely aroma.

Amazing taste! Just wow! Fresh bloody grapefruit together with piney flavour and some citrus somewhere there in the background. Bitter hoppy aftertaste. Which confirms that this is indeed a good IPA.

Very gentle and creamy beer. An amazingly good surprise!

Just some pics from last night!

I thought I'd just put up some pics from last night's tasting. My cat sure does like to attend every tasting we do! :D

Einbecker Winter-Bock 330ml, 7.5% - Germany

Darker amber appearance with a fluffy, vanilla head.

Sweet malty and caramel aroma.

Touch of caramel with the first sip. Malty flavor with dried fruits. Apricots most definitely and I think there are even some cherries. Bready aftertaste.

A beer that will keep you warm in the evening. Nothing to get too excited about though.

Another small update!

Picked up two bottles of Fra Till during Systemets Christmas sale. Never tried them before, so it's a good thing that I waited. Also, a few Westvleteren 12 from Denmark.

Bottoms up! :)

Chimay Grande Réserve (Blue) 2006 750ml, 9% - Belgium

I'll try to make this review short and not repeat the 2009 characteristics.

Same appearance as the 2009 bottle.

The smell is more fruity. Great touch of apples here.

The taste is more sour now, some citrus is there for sure. The spices are lighter here.

The character became more pronounced!

Chimay Grande Réserve (Blue) 2009 750ml, 9% - Belgium

Poured lovely brown color with a tan 1.5 finger head.

Complex smell. Lot's of dark fruits and spices going on here. I even get some wood.

Starts off with plums, raisins and prunes. There's definitely some caramel there. Bitter aftertaste with a gentle touch of alcohol.

And now to the 2006 bottle.

Chimay Tripel (White) 750ml, 8% - Belgium

Lovely orange color tapped with a charming two finger air full head. Once the beer was settled, it left some sticky lacing around the glass.

Freshness! Makes me think of summer. Earthly hops, together with a flower bouquet.

Pleasant hoppy taste through out the whole glass. Dark berries, black rowan, with a scent of perfume. Some citrus and orange peels.

Another great beer from Chimay.

Chimay Première (Red) 750ml, 7% - Belgium

It's time to review all three Chimays back to back + addition Réserve 2006. :)

Dark cherry appearance with a thick cappuccino head. Looks sturdy.

Sweet floral aroma, quite fruity. Hints of spices.

Winter cherry flavor with a slightly hoppy bitterness. Some yeast is present in the taste.

Medium body, smooth and silky. Nice carbonation on top of that. It's something you want to sit and sip slowly on. Lovely dubbel.

Beer Geek Breakfast 500ml, 7.5% - Denmark

I never got around trying the Brunch version, so I had to try at least the Breakfast. :)

Poured deep black color with a huge, air full, chocolate head. Looks really nice.

Smokey aroma balanced out with coffee, chocolate and even some tobacco.

Same characteristics as the smell. Very smokey taste, bitter, some cappuccino, chocolate, a bit salty in the after taste. Roasted malts together with some bitter hops.

Dry mouth feel, totally not what I expected. But in a good way of course. :)

Yay! More beer :)

This is the second time I buy beer from http://www.etregourmet.com/

Really good store with awesome prices, good service and very fast shipping. I'll be buying more and more beer from them! :)

Pauwel Kwak 750ml, 8.4% - Belgium

Cherry red color with a nice, crispy air full head.

Pretty sweet aroma, with caramel, fruits, flowers and malts. A bit bready. Not so much going on here really.

The taste is very sweet too and has a nice fruity flavor. Hints of caramel, together with various dried fruits. Hoppy after taste.

Tactical Nuclear Penguin + Tokyo

Just came home from the post office. Finally the package arrived. Picked up both Nuclear Penguin and the Tokyo beers. Very curious to find out how they taste. Will review them hopefully very soon. One thing that disappointed me is that the label on the Penguin was glued in a very sloppy way.

First package from Cracked Kettle

Today I received my very first package from Cracked Kettle and I must say I'm really impressed. I've heard a lot of good things about them and really had to place an order my self. Those guys have lot's of beer from all over the world and their American stock interests me the most.

So, my order was shipped within 24 hours and I of course got an email with a tracking number. The way they pack their beer is outstanding! Those guys used a beer crate!!!!!! Taped it all around, poured tons of shipping chips and used a sturdy cardboard. Now this is what I call a good shipping way! I wish other online stores would ship using beer crates, I'd pay a few extra euros for that.

Everything arrived safe and sound! I already tried one beer this evening. Since I spent 300 euros I'll be placing my next order with them some time next month.

People, feel more than safe to buy your beer from Cracked Kettle..!

Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier Urbock 500ml, 6.5% - Germany

Dark brown appearance with a little light brown head.

Amazing smell! First thing I got was single malt whiskey. Followed by prunes with a lot of smokiness in the background. And now I even get bacon! WOW!

Very easy to drink, considering that it has so much smoke in it.

I taste meat! Malts together with sweet caramel. Little bitterness in the aftertaste. Tells you that the hops are present.

I like that the medium carbonation is just about right for this beer. Highly enjoyable.

St. Bernardus Abt 12 330ml, 10.5% - Belgium

Dark brownish color with almost no head.

Fruity smell, mostly plums, some raisins.

Sweet taste starts off with dried fruits, chocolate, caramel and malt. Finishes with spices and rather strong alcohol after taste.

High carbonation, I'd prefer it to be more flatter.

St. Bernardus Prior 8 330ml, 8% - Belgium

This bottle is from 2008.

Very dark brown color after all the settlement ended up in the glass. Topped with a one finger creamy, beige head.

Sweet and floral aroma, some caramel with notes of spices.

Totally unexpected taste. Roasted malts, sweet caramel, mild spices and a tad yeasty.

Another complex beer from St.B, which reveals more characteristics after half of a glass.

St. Bernardus Pater 6 330ml, 6.7% - Belgium

Will be reviewing three bottles back to back. Unfortunately I couldn't get hold of the tripel.

This bottle is from 2007.

Brown color, poured into an original St. B glass. Bronze foam with some lacing.

I'd say it's pretty complex smell for this Dubbel. Citrus, spices, prunes and a lot of sweetness going around.

Very yeasty taste, but at the same time very light and gentle. Some caramel, citrus, figs, with spices in the background. Mild bitterness in the aftertaste.

Easy drinking beer, creamy and soft mouth feel.

Rebel Černý 500ml, 4.7% - Czech Republic

Very dark cherry red color, almost black. With a one finger mocha head.

Malty aroma with a little sense of caramel.

Sweet taste together with brown sugar and a tad of caramel.

This needs more power, a higher abv!

Rebel 500ml, 4.40% - Czech Republic

It's time to try a few pilsners. I don't enjoy them as much cause of their low ABV and lack of taste. Surely, some of them are good for a hot summer day.

This beer pours clear orange with a small head with very little lacing.

Malty aroma, bready and sweet.

Pretty much tasteless. Slightly malty taste with some bitterness.

Feels like someone took a good pilsner and blended it with water.