The End of Matt's Beer Blog

As you can tell my posting has slowed down significantly, and almost has become non-existent. I won't be posting to this website anymore, and all of my posting will be housed over at Hoosier Beer Geek. We've got some amazing things going on over there right now, and with me going back to grad school, and little feet running around the house I just don't have the time for everything I normally had going on. I am going to contribute only to Hoosier Beer Geek. I started this website to help me catalog the many different beers that I tried, and really try to train my palate as best I could. Thanks to the very few people that read this and commented over the last year and some change.

Cheers!
Matt

Trappist Westvleteren 8

Beer: Westvleteren 8
Brewery Location: Westvleteren, Belgium
Beer Style: Dubbel
ABV: 8%



This is the much sought after Westvleteren 8. I've been wanting more of the Westie 12, but I've never had the 8 before. The numbers (there is debate over this) usually correspond to the alcohol getting stronger in strength, but not the ABV content. This Abbey makes a 6, 8, and a 12. Each one gets stronger in alcohol content as you go up, but doesn't mean they are 6%, 8% or 12% ABV. I've read it is a tradition from long before beer bottles had labels the number would indicate the certain type of beer you were looking for. I've also read that it means they refer to an old measuring unit of the density, the Belgian law at the time, which corresponds to the density of the wort before fermentation. The second idea makes more sense to me, but I can see both happening, and perhaps it was a hybrid of both.

This brewery is the rarest of the seven Trappist breweries. Most of the other Trappist breweries are easily found here in America, and Koningshoeven and Rochefort are my personal favorites. Let's see if this beer lives up to the hype.

Appearance: Pours a deep mahogany color with a decent sized tan head on it. This beer didn't leave any lacing either on my glass.
Smell: I get a good dose of dark fruit dominated by raisins on the nose. I am also getting caramel, sugar, and a little bit of alcohol.
Taste: I am getting plenty of malt character upfront with molasses and caramel, and a prominent grape flavor, a hint of spice, and just a touch of chocolate as well.
Mouthfeel: The prickly carbonation leaves a fairly dry sensation at the back of my palate.
Drinkability: A very nice sipper, and if there beer were readily available I would purchase it often.

I thought this was a very good beer, but is not head and shoulders above the competition that we can get here in Indiana. I've been coming around so much more to the Belgian style beers, and the dubbel is one of my favorites.

My favorite dubbel's that are available locally: La Trappe Dubbel from Konigshoeven, Rochefort 8 from Rochefort, and a stellar domestic dubble is Pere Jacques from Goose Island, and Abbey Belgian Style Ale from New Belgium.

Cheers!
Matt

Brouwerij Liefmans Goudenband

Beer: Brouwerij Liemans Goudenband
Brewery Location: Oudenaarde, Belgium
Beer Style: Oud Bruin
ABV: 8.0%


Ever since I had a bottle of The Dissident I've searched out the Flander's Oud Bruin (Old Brown) style. I just loved everything about the first sip that I took, and it is a style that I've been wanting to explore. Goudenband is fairly readily available around town and a great example of the style. This beer can be aged for 10 years according to the cap. I included two pictures of this beer. This will come wrapped in paper when you see it out, but they also label the bottle in the paper as well.

Appearance: This beer pours a cloudy reddish brown color with a very thin head that left no lacing to speak of.
Smell: The first smell I get is a slight vinegar twang, but as that gets out of the way a myriad of complex smells come to life. I am getting oak, vanilla, sour cherries, plums, subtle earthiness, and some caramel. What a nose!
Taste: The taste is as complex as the nose, but adds a few more flavors in as well. Sour cherries start this beer of, but quickly many other flavors including wood, vanilla, tart apple, and apple vinegar all come to life. I am also getting some brett type flavors like leather and horse blanket, but that is fairly subtle.
Mouthfeel: This beer is quite effervescent, and there is no detectable alcohol on the mouth either.
Drinkability: This is a dangerous 8% ABV beer. This would pair well with food.

This was an amazingly complex and very enjoyable beer. The price might keep people away, but I think it still is quite the affordable luxury. If you like Belgian brown ales this should be at the top of your list to pick up and try.

Cheers!
Matt

Pannepøt Old Fisherman's Ale

Beer: Pannepøt Old Fisherman's Ale
Brewery Location: De Panne, Belgium
Beer Style: Quadruple
ABV: 10%


I just got this bottle around Christmas time and have been wanting an occasion to try it, and I watched In Bruges the other night, so I figured that was as good a time as any. I love the Quad style, and it is perfect for a cold winter's evening I think.

Appearance: This beer pours a dark mahogany with amber highlights around the edges with a decent sized two fingers worth of head that had fairly good staying power.
Smell: The nose is full of cloves, nutmeg, dark fruits, and a slight acidic vinegar twist to it as well.
Taste: The flavor profile is full of dark fruits including cherries, raisins, and plums. I also get some concord grape jelly in there in as well. I get a bit of coffee and a bready malt that works well here.
Mouthfeel: This beer is full bodied with lots of fine carbonation that renders itself quite smooth and creamy.
Drinkability: Even at the high ABV the alcohol is hidden and this was a great and relaxing drinking experience.

I really enjoyed this beer, and will be picking up a few more of these in the very near future if I can find this version. If you have seen In Bruges I highly doubt that Colin Farrell's character would call this beer his nickname for Belgian Beer. This was a great beer and an even better drinking experience.

Cheers!
Matt

Alaskan Baltic Porter

Beer: Alaskan Baltic Porter
Brewing Location: Juneau, AK
Beer Style: Baltic Porter
ABV: 9.8%


One of my favorite styles that I've only really began to love over the past year is the Baltic porter. It gets its influence from English porters and Russian imperial stouts. What is unique about a Baltic porter is that it can be made using either cold fermenting lager yeast or warmer ale yeast and still fit BJCP guidelines. I am not really sure what brewers are and are not using lager yeast, but I am going to assume that this one was made using an ale yeast.

I got this beer in trade recently, but you can order it from Liquid Solutions as well right now.

Appearance: Pours an obsidian black color, but when held up to the light pecan shell highlights show themselves around the edges. There wasn't much of a head on this beer, and it left minimal lacing on my glass.
Smell: There is plenty of molasses, vanilla, oak, dark cherries, and other dark fruit coming to life. As the beer warms I get port wine and chocolate as well.
Taste: The chocolate comes to life upfront with the dark fruits (dominated by cherry) round initial flavors out. In mid-drink I get more grassy hops and vanilla finished by a dry roasted malt flavor.
Mouthfeel: This beer is thick and smooth with a decent amount of carbonation, and the alcohol was well hidden.
Drinkability: This beer is quite delicious, but is quite heavy and is really only a sipper. I would certainly buy this beer again.

I enjoyed this beer quite a bit. It isn't the best of the style that I've had, but is a very solid offering from Alaskan Brewing. I've got another bottle to age, and I am curious about the cherry and vanilla flavors that this beer has fresh, and I hope with some age the malt will come out a bit more. Either way I think this was damn good fresh, and could be even better with a bit of age on it.

Cheers!
Matt

Founder's Porter

Beer: Founder's Porter
Brewing Location: Grand Rapids, MI
Beer Style: American Porter
ABV: 6.5%




It appears as if I've been reviewing a large number of Founder's beers lately, but I just happened to buy a sixer of this beer when I bought the imperial stout. I've heard this is going to be in their regular rotation and not a seasonal beer. Founder's has not bottled this offering in several years I don't think.


Appearance: Pours a dark black color with two finders worth of dark tan head. The head collapsed fairly quickly, but left decent spotty lacing on the walls of my pint glass.
Smell: Dark roasted malt and black malt dominate with chocolate, sorghum, and coffee present as well.
Taste: The flavor profile is a rich combination of the things in the nose with plenty of roasted grain, a touch of grassy hops, dark chocolate, and coffee combine into a wonderful drinking experience.
Mouthfeel: Good carbonation with coats the mouth nicely, with the alcohol hidden quite well.
Drinkability: I will certainly be buying this beer again. This is pretty much everything I am looking for in a porter.

Until now my favorite American porter was Edmund Fitzgerald from Great Lakes, but this beer eclipses that for me. Both are tremendous beer in their own rights, but this beer gets the nudge over the Great Lakes. I love how robust and rich this beer is, and will have a permanent spot in my cellar.

Cheers!
Matt

Founder's Imperial Stout

Beer: Founder's Imperial Stout
Brewery Location: Grand Rapids, MI
Beer Style: Russian Imperial Stout
ABV: 10.5%



I've been lazy during the holidays and was not really writing much. I am back though with a really amazing beer that I've been looking forward to for a very long time. I had this on tap last year when I went to Founder's for the weekend, and have wanted some in the bottle since that time. Last night seemed to be the best opportunity to open one of these up. Indiana got a very limited supply of this beer, and if you can still find it around town you will most likely only be allowed to buy one or two bottles. I am hoping that more will hit town in the coming weeks, and it will be much like breakfast stout. Breakfast stout was limited when it first came to town, but now you can still easily find four packs of it all over town right now.

Appearance: This beer glugs into my pint glass and settles into a jet black body with a small mocha colored head that quickly dissipated, but it did leave some spotty lacing on my pint glass.
Smell: The nose is a rich combination of roasted malt and coffee with an almost grassy hop scent as well. There is a hint of alcohol and chocolate at the back end of this offering as well.
Taste: The flavor profile is amazing complex with flavors that outshine the nose on this beer. The main flavors are of the rich and roasted malt, but as the beer warmed past cellar temp I began to get currants, plums, dates, espresso beans, caramel, chocolate, and anise. There are many flavors, but all combine so well on the palate to make a very pleasurable workout for your taste buds.
Mouthfeel: This beer is smooth as silk with the alcohol only barely noticeable on the mouth. It has good carbonation for a RIS, and it leaves an overall dry sensation in my mouth.
Drinkability: This beer is dangerously good, and I wish I had the opportunity to purchase much more of this amazing beer.



Overall I love just about everything about this offering, and this is one of my favorite Russian imperial stouts. I let this beer warm past cellar temperature and I am very glad that I did. One of the most complex, yet easiest to drink imperial stouts that I've had recently. Founder's has yet to do me wrong on any of their beers. Well done again to the team at Founder's.

Cheers!
Matt

De Struise Brouwers Black Albert

Beer: De Struise Brouwers Black Albert
Brewery Location: De Panne, Belgium
Beer Style: Belgian Royal Stout (Russian Imperial Stout)
ABV: 13%




I certainly hear about all of the new beer that is coming to town, and the hype behind this beer was fairly intense among the beer geeks/blogs/beer forums. I try my best not to read anything about a new beer until after I've had it. I've found that inevitably a beer will never live up to the hype that it is given if you really get yourself wrapped around how good a beer may or may not be. De Struise makes some great beer, and one of my favorites is their Old Fisherman's Ale. If you make a great Quad, I will pretty taste anything you make after that.

This beer was brewed especially for the Ebanezer's Pub in Lovell Maine. The beer was actually brewed in Maine under the specifications of De Struise. They call it a new style: a Belgian Royal Stout, but it was brewed in the Russian Imperial stout style and where it is classified.

Appearance: This pours a deep brown color that is very close to black with a thin swirl of brown froth that quickly dissipated. The beer coats the glass extremely well, but left minimal lacing.
Smell: I let this beer warm for 45 minutes outside of the fridge, and the nose was still subtle with scents of chocolate and dark fruits, and it showed its Belgian roots with the unmistakable scent of Belgian style yeast.
Taste: The flavor profile is heavy on the front of the tongue with coffee and dark bitter chocolate. The middle of the beer gives flavors of dark cherries, plums, and figs before being ending on a bitter note.
Mouthfeel: The warming alcohol quickly catches up with you, but for a RIS this beer has a thinner mouthfeel than I would have expected and has the mouthfeel of a good Quad, but not a RIS.
Drinkability: The alcohol is well hidden for a 13% beer, but the price would keep me away from this beer.

I am certainly glad that I got to try this beer, and overall is was a pretty good beer, but not worth a dollar and ounce though is what is equates to. If this beer were in a four pack around 15-20$ I would buy it often, but 12 bucks for a 11.2 oz bottle it needs to either be one of the best RIS's that I've tried or one of the best Quad's that I've tried, and it doesn't make it into either category for me.

Cheers!
Matt

Port Brewing Old Viscocity

Beer: Port Brewing Old Viscosity
Brewery Location: San Marcos, CA
Beer Style: American Strong Ale
ABV: 10%


I've had several offerings from Port/Lost Abbey brewing and this is one that I've not been able to get a hold of from them. The good news is that they are now distributing a large selection of their line-up to Chicago now, so if you are in the area their beers are well worth checking out. I just got this one in trade this past week.

The "American Strong Ale" is just a catch all category here and it doesn't really fit into any particular style. The beer used 20% of the blend has been aged in bourbon barrels.

Appearance: This beer pours a very deep and dark brown color with a very small dark brown head on it.
Smell: The nose starts out with plenty of sweet molasses, licorice, chocolate, and smokey charred oak. The aroma is quite sweet and as the beer warmed toffee and caramel are very present.
Taste: The flavor profile starts out with a blast roasted malt and dark cherries. The finish has plenty of bourbon, anise, and even some coffee lingering in the background.
Mouthfeel: It is very thick and chewy with the alcohol very apparent in the mouthfeel, but at 10% that is to be expected.
Drinkability: I wouldn't reach for this very often, but this sipper is nice if you like bourbon barrel aged type beers.

I personally wasn't a big fan of this beer. The alcohol and bourbon overtook most of the other flavors and the complexity of this beer didn't shine through as well as it should have. I am curious if some age on this beer would mellow out those flavors a little bit, and then I think this beer would be a real winner. I tend to vary more on the side of balance when it comes to bourbon barrel aged beers. If that is your thing though you will enjoy this beer a great deal.

Cheers!
Matt

Anderson Valley Barney Flats Oatmeal Stout

Beer: Anderson Valley Barney Flats Oatmeal Stout
Brewery Location: Boonville, CA
Beer Style: Oatmeal Stout
ABV: 5.7%



It seems I've only been in the mood for dark beer latley, but I haven't been in a mood to polish off a bomber of anything lately so I've been working through some of the 12 oz bottles that I have, and this is one that I got in trade recently. You can find them in every single state that touches us, but for one reason or another we don't get them in Indiana. I didn't realize how much beer they must brew based on how many states they are in. Here is the link to their distribution map. The represent the West coast, Mid West, and East coast quite nicely.

Appearance: This beer pours a very dark brown, almost black, color with tremendous head and it left amazing lacing on the walls of my pint glass.
Smell: The smell is rather "soft" and I get scents of chocolate, grassy hops, and roasted grain.
Taste: The flavor starts out with the roasted malt coming in very nicely and was quite pleasant. It was followed with a combination of cocoa, caramel, and there is also an orchard fruitiness to it as well, but that flavor is really hidden nicely, but supports the other flavors quite well.
Mouthfeel: This is the only spot this beer loses points with me. The mouthfeel is quite thin, but leaves a good chocolaty flavor on the back of the palate with medium carbonation.
Drinkability: I would certainly purchase more of this beer, and it will be a new six pack that I will be picking up when I go to Jungle Jim's in Cincinnati.

Overall this is a very nice and quite quaff able stout. I liked that it is a beer that won't get in the way of conversation, and this is a great beer to sit around with friends and relax with. I think this would be an excelling entry stout for people, and a good example of the style. The pricing on this beer is also nice with a six pack running around $8.99.

Cheers!
Matt

Tröegs Dead Reckoning Porter

Beer: Tröegs Dead Reckoning Porter
Brewery Location: Harrisburg, PA
Beer Style: American Porter
ABV: 5.8%


I've enjoyed the beers I've had from Tröegs. It is sad that we don't get it in Indiana as they seem like a really rock solid brewery and brew some great beer across most beer styles. Their Troegenator Doublebock was my favorite a few weeks back when we did a food and beer pairing for Thanksgiving. This is another of their seasonal beers, and it is on its tail end of their most recent run, but you can probably still find it on the shelves if you are in a state that sells them.


Appearance: Pours a very deep brown color with a big two fingers worth of tan head. This beer leaves tremendous lacing and left sheets of it all over my glass until the very end.
Smell: I get loads of caramel and roast grain along with a citrus and piney hop scent that is working well together.
Taste: The sweet caramel rushes to the front of the palate followed quickly by the hop bitterness bite. The hops leave an almost fruity and citrus flavor along with caramel. There is a roasted nut quality as well as the beer warmed. The flavors work well together, and if I hadn't tasted it I wouldn't think that they would.
Mouthfeel: The carbonation is a little high, but it is medium bodied and quite smooth.
Drinkability: This was quite refreshing, and with the ABV I would have another quite easily.

I usually like my porters with the American hop profile left out of them, but this beer combined all the flavors nicely and changed my mind about the American porter if it is brewed like this beer. This is another great beer from Tröegs.

Cheers!
Matt

Flying Dog Gonzo Imperial Porter

Beer: Flying Dog Gonzo Imperial Porter
Brewery Location: Denver, CO and Frederick, MD
Beer Style: American Imperial Stout
ABV: 7.8%



I haven't reviewed a single beer from Flying Dog, and until this beer I don't think that I've had a beer from them in about four or five years. They are a very big craft brewer though. I looked through their website and say they are in 46 states. I would imagine that Sierra Nevada and Sam Adams are all fifty states. They must make a ton of beer to open up two brewing locations as well. I picked up a four pack of this recently and this is my first time around with this beer in any vintage.

Appearance: This beer pours an opaque black color with a small mocha colored head that had minimal staying power with no lacing on my glass.
Scent: Black malt and coffee dominate the nose on this beer, but as the beer warmed I also get dark fruit, smoke, and alcohol.
Flavor: The roasted malt comes in full force to start the beer, but is quickly followed by a rather strong hop bitterness. I also get more dark fruit, sugar sweet chocolate, and freeze dried coffee grounds. The flavors seem to be everywhere and nothing is really melding very well for me.
Mouthfeel: The texture is my favorite aspect and is very creamy and full bodied with good carbonation on this offering, but the alcohol was quite present on this offering.
Drinkability: I would most likely only have of these in a sitting, and I wouldn't seek out this beer very often.

I thought the flavors were all over the board and the alcohol twinge on the mouthfeel wasn't very welcomed on this beer. I've read that aging this beer really makes it much better. I hope that it does because I wasn't really that big of a fan of this beer, and I had high hopes for it.

Cheers!
Matt

Ølfabrikken Porter

Beer: Ølfabrikken Porter
Brewery Location: Denmark
Beer Style: Baltic Porter
ABV: 8.0%


I was looking for something a little different to hopefully watch my Ball State Cardinals go undefeated last night, and I reach for this beer that I've had in the cellar for several months.

I really like the Baltic porter style. It is stronger than a regular porter, but not quite a robust as a Russian Imperial Stout. It is a good go-between those styles. We just started getting this beer in Indiana in 22 oz bombers, but this bottle is from Jungle Jim's in Cincinnati. I haven't seen this sized bottle in Indiana yet, but perhaps we will get two sizes of it eventually. I've been looking forward to trying this beer after hearing a great deal of hype over it.
Appearance: Pours an obsidian black color with a decent sized light tan colored head with very good staying power for the entire beer.
Smell: Impressive scents of roasted grain, coffee, caramel, milk chocolate, and a hint of vanilla in the nose.
Taste: The flavor profile is the perfect continuation of the nose with base flavors of milk chocolate, coffee, caramel, licorice, and plums. The flavors combine brilliantly with no harsh alcohol burn as well.
Mouthfeel: This beer is full bodied and very smooth with the warming alcohol coming in at the back of the palate with moderate carbonation.
Drinkability: This was an awesome Baltic porter, I will be stocking the cellar with a few bottles of this tasty beer.

As you can tell I was quite impressed with this beer. I loved everything about this beer, and wished I had another bottled of it after I was through with this one. If you are a fan of big stouts and porters you should grab a bottle of this and give it a try. This was my first beer from Ølfabrikken, and they knocked it out of the park on this beer.

Cheers!
Matt

B.O.R.I.S. The Crusher Oatmeal-Imperial Stout

Beer: Hoppin' Frog B.O.R.I.S. The Crusher Oatmeal-Imperial Stout
Brewery Location: Akron, OH
Beer Style: Russian Imperial Stout
ABV: 9.4%


Bodacious Oatmeal Russian Imperial Stout is what the B.O.R.I.S. stands for if you were wondering. Hoppin' Frog is a really nice regional brewer from Ohio. I've tried about five of their offerings and have only one on this site for review. As far as I know I think they only send out their beer in bombers, and their brewery does sell direct to the public, but they do not have any type of brewpub/bar at the brewery. I really liked their DIPA, Black and Tan, Silk Porter, and the Gulden Fraug from what I remember.

Appearance: BORIS pours a very dark black with brown highlights around the edges, and it is capped off with a very thin head that dissipated quite quickly and left minimal lacing.
Smell: The nose starts off with plenty of roasted grain, coffee, bitter chocolate, and some oat flakes coming in nicely as well.
Taste: The flavor profile is much more pronounced than the smell with big flavors of roasted malt, espresso, bitter chocolate, oats, and a thick dark fruit quality as well.
Mouthfeel: The oats make this RIS one of the smoothest stouts with this much alcohol that you will find. The warming alcohol kicks in after only a few drinks in this thick and chewy sipper.
Drinkability: This beer is delicious and very easy to drink.


This is an excellent and well priced Russian Imperial Stout. The addition of the oats really makes the mouthfeel my favorite aspect of the beer. The flavor profile is complex with the alcohol well hidden that you don't find often in many big stouts. This is certainly one of my new favorite imperial stouts.

Cheers!
Matt

Weihenstephaner Vitus

Beer: Weihenstephaner Vitus
Brewery Location: Freising, Germany
Beer Style: Weizenbock
ABV: 7.7%



Weizenbock is a more powerful and stronger weizen style wheat beer. They tend to be higher in alcohol and will tend to be darker in color than their other wheat beer brethren. Weihenstephaner makes some amazing beer across board, and they prove what a mega brewer can pump out to the public. I may not like a certain style of beer from them, but the underlying beer has been a great example of the style in every case that I've had a beer from them.

Vitus pours a hazy straw yellow color with a very large bright white head that had good retention for most of the beer. I expected for this beer to a bit darker. The nose smells of a good hefe with plenty of banana, cloves, and apples and pears. The flavor follows the nose to perfection, but it also adds in some bubblegum, lemons, and the classic wheat flavor comes in very nice as well. The mouthfeel is medium bodied with some gentle alcohol warming on the backend of things. This is very drinkable and drinks like their regular hefe with more alcohol and plenty of flavor.

If you are a fan of their Hefe you will be a big fan of this beer. This wasn't quite what I was expecting out of this beer, but I ended up really enjoying this beer. I can't remember what I paid for this beer, but for some reason 2.89$ sounds about right at the Crown on 31 and Shelby in Indianapolis. You can't trust stock picks right now, but I am going to put a heavy buy call on this beer. This is another great beer from one of the world's best brewers.

Cheers!
Matt