Ho Ho Ho!!
Another 8 beers on the go!
December 9 – Galaxy Hoppy Belgian Blonde
Brewery: Ugly Duck Brewing Co.
Origin: Denmark
Alcohol: 6.5%
The first thing you’ll notice about this beer is its extremely artsy label. Once it is poured into the glass, you’ll see it is a cloudy golden colour with a small amount of sediment and a fairly standard head. The smell that hits the nose is that of a standard Belgian ale – lemon, citrus, bubblegum and a touch of spice. On the tongue, it is extremely light with most of the flavours you’ll smell crossing over. I would like to point out, however, that this beer is not sweet at all, extremely dry and a few sips in, tasted a little skunky. Overall, a fairly average experience.
Grade: 2.75 / 5
December 10 – Export Lager
Brewery: Ugly Duck Brewing Co. (in collaboration with Hornbeer)
Origin: Denmark
Alcohol: 5.5%
Unlike the previous entry, the label on this beer is not artsy at all. In fact, it is just plain boring. However, I would say probably fits the name. What we have here is a beer of standard golden colour with a slight haze and a good head. There isn’t much in terms of scent, but I didn’t really expect there to be. On the tongue we have a light, crisp beer that is slightly hoppy and maybe even a touch sour. There is no sweetness to it, which is surprising for a lager and a touch of spice. Overall, there isn’t much going but that might be part of its charm. A smooth ride throughout.
Grade: 3.25 / 5
December 11 – Can You Pass Me the Milk
Brewery: Browerij Frontaal
Origin: Netherlands
Alcohol: 4%
This cocoa milk stout has a cute and cartoony label of a hand reaching for a glass of milk. As we pour it into the glass, we are greeted by a beautifully dark stout with a thin head. Rising out of the glass is the faint scent of chocolate but not much else. The first few sips give us dark cocoa bitter with a slight sweetness, but unfortunately it falls flat on so many levels. Overall, we get a stout that is easy to drink but not really interesting.
Grade: 3 / 5
December 12 – Ceres Smoked Rye Scottish Ale
Brewery: Brouwerij Frontaal (in collaboration with Walhalla)
Origin: Netherlands
Alcohol: 5.2%
This beer has a beautiful amber/red brown colour in the glass that is begging to be tried. Sitting on the top is a thin, clumpy head that provides the beer with a bit of a milky haze. The smell coming out of the glass is of a brown bread dough with a hint of smoke in the background. Sipping reveals the yeast and malt with a slight touch of sour. However, there appears to be little to no smoke involved. Definitely a Scottish ale and certainly one that I would drink again – i just wouldn’t drink a lot of it.
Grade: 3 / 5
December 13 – Saison Strong Beer
Brewery: Yankee & Krout
Origin: Bavaria, Germany
Alcohol: 8%
This beer carries a very artsy and classy label. As you pour it into the glass you’ll notice a light golden haze with a bubbly head. The smell itself is that of a standard farmhouse with citrus and lemon. When it hits the tongue, you get a lemon bubblegum flavour with little noticeable alcohol which is nice. Once again, while not a bad beer, it is fairly typical and nothing to really write about.
Grade: 3.5 / 5
December 14 – Stout
Brewery: Yankee & Krout (in collaboration with Hoppebrou)
Origin: Bavaria, Germany
Alcohol: 5.4%
One again, another artsy label provided by the brewery which bounces off a fairly plain, not very creative name. The beer is a dark black brown, with a thin milky head. The nose will detect notes of molasses and cocoa which seduces you further into the glass. When the beer hits your lips you get an earthy, surprisingly light stout but it manages to hold its weight at the same time. On the tongue, you get a flash of sour that surprises you. Overall, this beer is smooth and tasty.
Grade: 4 / 5
December 15 – Ambra Amber Ale
Brewery: White Pony Microbrewery
Origin: Belgium
Alcohol: 9.3%
To start with, this beer has an absolutely adorable label with an elephant drawn in crayon. I have no idea where it came from, but I love it! The beer pours into the glass a deep golden amber colour that is clear and maintains a nice head. The aroma from the glass is a deep almost apple-y scent that reminds me of a home brew I made once many years ago. On the tongue, I found it quite sweet and intense – almost puckerish. I don’t really know how to feel about it. The biggest problem with this beer is that I don’t really know what it is trying to be.
Grade: 3.5 / 5
December 16 – Jefe
Brewery: White Pony Microbrewery
Origin: Belgium
Alcohol: 6%
The label on this beer is really confusing and crowded. The beer itself is a cloudy yellow gold with a thin but foamy head and a touch of sediment sitting at the bottom. A hefeweizen that boasts passion fruit delivers the scent right out of the gate with a touch of citrus to tame it. On the tongue, bitter citrus sour is accompanied by almost no sweetness but the passion fruit flavour is incredible. This beer is good but it may not be for everybody!
Grade: 3.5 / 5
We’ve passed the halfway point and there are only eight more days to go! Soon we’ll see what these last few days of advent have got in store for us. Stay tuned!!!
The CJBuzz 