If you’re a beer drinker and done any sort of travel planning to Scotland, you no doubt have heard of a strange Scottish creature by the name of a real ale. It’s something I get asked about frequently, particularly when with friends who stutteringly ask for a recommendation when at the bar trying to choose a beverage. (more…)

Type: Beer – Dubbel Ale/Belgian Ale
Name: Ommegang Abbey Ale
Price: $6.99 – 1 pt.
Made: Cooperstown, NY
Alc/Vol: 8.5%

I seem to have found another corked beer, and again this one is a good one. Maybe those who cork their beer give a little more into it to produce a better quality beverage? So what does this beer have to say for itself?

“Is a Belgian-style abbey dubbel yielding a rich, fruity, and aromatic, Burgundian brew…

Ommegang abbey dubbel is inspired by the centuries-old brewing traditions of Belgian Trappist monks. Named after Belgium’s oldest medieval fest, every bottle of Ommegang is cause for celebration.”

A celebration indeed, for a beer is worth a cheer in most if not all occasions. At least, that is for me and this one certainly brought along a whole party. The flavors were rich and complex, mixed with cinnamon and spice. The beer poured a deep chestnut color, so much so that I held it up to the light just to see if I could see through it…and I couldn’t.

The nose wouldn’t give away the complexity of this drink, there is something there but not in a sense of cheap spice casually tossed on top. Once you take a sip of this beer the first reaction is wow. It is different and not something I can easily compare it to however I can say that their inspired Trappist beer did not falter in quality and complexity.

“Brewery Ommegang is 3,264 miles from Brussels, but its heart is right in Belgium. It was created out of our devotion to the unique ales brewed by the county where brewing is an art and partaking is a passion.”

As a beer with 8.5% alc/vol you would expect a bit of that to come through in the taste, but instead you taste the rich malts, deep fruits and I don’t know why but I was getting a coffee-ish like taste. It wasn’t coffee or toffee, a rich oatmeal – deep creamy texture of a taste that I just can’t name. Due to the complexity it is hard to pick out all the characteristics. However there is a hint of sweetness masked in the complexity of this beer before the rich aftertaste comes through. It has a thick mouth feel with a lingering aftertaste and semi-dry finish.

And remember “the most profound joy has more of gravity than gaity in it” -montaigne

Overall this was a wonderful beer, however 1 pint of this beer had me feeling the alcohol. It is a deep rich creamy beer with a sweetness to it that is not something I can see myself sipping on all night, let alone on a hot summer day. This is something I can see myself enjoying as I sit next to a fire, or out camping at night. I give this beer 4 1/2 bananas out of 5. It is an amazing beer, which coming from the Duval family of ales that shouldn’t be a surprise.

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Chipotle Ale - Image Property of Rogue Brewing Co.

Type: Beer – Ale
Name: Rogue Chipotle Ale
Price: $5.99 – 1 pt.
Made: Newport, OR
Alc/Vol: 5.5%

“Dedicated to Spanish author Juan de la Cueva, who, in 1575, wrote of a Mexican dish that combined seedless chipotles with beer: Chipotle Ale is based on Rogue’s American Amber Ale, but delicately spiced with smoked chipotle chile peppers.”

I was excited when I saw this bottle, I’m a fan of all things spicy so when I saw chipotle and beer together I almost got as excited as I was when I saw beer and bananas together. Although, while that definitely had a banana presence I just wasn’t getting the jalapeno-chipotle kick I was hoping for. I’m kind of mixed on this beer, it was good and has drinkability so in that case it was good. However, I thought it was rather bland, at least from what I was expecting. No, I don’t want to feel like I’m sucking on a bottle of hot sauce but it just was more of a simple, malty, somewhat mild beer.

Even in the olfactory department it just didn’t have a kick. In fact the scent was almost non-existent. I had my nose so close trying to get a scent of anything that I ended up with foam on my nose.

As you drink this beer down you get a hint of spice and malt at the tail end. It has a nice thickness in its mouth feel but still remains thirst quenching. As I said this is a good beer, and I would recommend this beer to anyone. However, I wouldn’t be boasting it as a spiced, spicy, jalapeno, chitpotle anything. I give this beer 3 and a half out of 5 bananas. It’s a well balanced beer and for that I tip my hat to you Rogue.

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Image Property of Avery Brewing Co.

Type: Beer – Belgian Pale Ale
Name: Avery Brewing – Karma Ale
Price: $1.99
Made: Boulder, CO
Alc/Vol: 5.2%

This ale gets right to the point in where it gets its name from by putting it on the bottle.

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Type: Beer – Saison/Farmhouse Ale (Organic Beer)
Name: Brasserie Dupont’s Foret
Price: $5.99
Made: Tourpes, Belgium
Alc/Vol: 7.5%

This wonderful delicious beer tickled my taste buds to new levels – an organic delicious brew…who new?

I was suspicious of an organic beer and at first I assumed it was likely from California, no offense to the land of the former governator. Then I saw it, ‘Belgium’, and I got all sorts of excited and my tail started to wag. And yes dogs do that but we monkeys do not, so this is something special. Belgium is the land of beer, it’s my holy grail that I have not yet gorged myself on.

I popped the cork, yes cork, and took in a deep breath of lemon with similar scents that are more familiar with a pilsen. I filled up my glass to a golden orange color, slightly cloudy with a nice lacing head, although it was light.

I was getting excited from what I was seeing and smelling, and so I drank it in for all it was worth. OK I didn’t drink it all I sipped a few times to really get the flavoring but that doesn’t make for good writing now does it?

The beer had a crisp zest to it, while it is strong in alcohol it does not taste like it. It was blended perfectly, it is not overpowering but is not watered down either. Overall, just a really well made beer. I could see myself sipping on these all the time, well maybe more so in the summer seeing that it had a lemon spice to it, even though Saison beers are more of a winter style ale. Their was a nice mixture of spice with a slight bitter-dry finish that mellowed out the citrus taste.

Overall, I give this beer 4 1/2 out of 5 bananas. It is a bit pricey but then again most things that have the label ‘Organic’ do come with a heftier price tag. But this beer is worth your money even if it is just for a try.

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