Brouwerij ‘t Brouwkot: Netebuk
Yet another great Belgian Ale from K&L. This guy comes to us from Brouwerij ‘t Brouwkot imported by a Twelve Percent LLC. This guy is great for a hot day or great as a dinner beer. In the nose it smells sweet with a hint of apple and in you mouth it just explodes… You get this sweet apple flowery nutty malt followed by a nice bitter to balance it all out.
Midnight Sun Brewing Co.: Panty Peeler
I have heard a lot of good things from Midnight Sun Brewing Co. but have never had a chance to try any of their beers out until now. For my inaugural brew from these guys I thought I would go with their Belgian Tripel called Panty Peeler… come on, with a name like that there was no way I would have to pass this guy up… This guy is an 8.5% Belgian Tripel brewed with bitter orange peel and coriander…
De Hoevebrouwers: Toria Tripel
Wow, this is a great beer. It reminds me of Damnation from Russian RIver Brewery, but has a strong bitter bite on the end which really balances this guy out. In the nose you get what smells like wild flowers and wheat, in the mouth you get the light complex classic Belgian blond malt and only after it goes down do you get the bitter bite. These are super hard to find in the states and K&L just hooked up with a new distributor that specializes in Belgian beers like this, so if you live in the Bay Area, you should look up K&L and pick up a couple.
The Bruery: Saison Rue
Freakin awesome! That is all I have to say about this guy… It is freakin awesome. This guy is a Belgian/French farmhouse ale. It is super complex. The nose is luscious and you get a little tartness from the bret which reminds me of a Russian River Bret brewed beer, but you also get a strong caramel, biscuit rye scent that just fills your nose. This guy is really aromatic. In the mouth it is slightly greasy and coats the mouth, but in an awesome way.
The Bruery: 2 Turtle Doves
Ok, so I’ve been saving this guy because… well, I’m not sure why… this guy has been sitting in the fridge for a couple months now and The Bruery makes some of my favorite craft beers soooo… actually, maybe that is why I have been saving this guy… wait who am I kidding, it is rainy and cold as shit outside and I am craving a dark rich beer…
Sierra Nevada/Dogfish Head: Life & Limb
Man I was freakin bummed out when this was released in November because I sent my brother who lives up in Chico out to the Sierra Nevada brewery to pick me up a couple bottles but they were already sold out…yea, freakin sucks… so just when I was finally getting over not getting to try this guy I got an email from my beer pusher Bryan at K&L saying that they just got some in!… I was so excited I almost peed my pants a little.
Cuvee Angelique: Dubbel Speciale
Dubbel Speciale is a magnificent dark Belgian ale. It is brewed according to the ancient “Dobbel Special Belge” style and rings up at 8.3% ABV. It comes wrapped up like a x-mas present which is awesome for two reasons… 1. it keeps the light out and 2. makes me feel like a kid opening up the best gift ever!
The Bruery: Rugbrod
God Damn, I am a fan of The Bruery’s beers! Rugbrod is a Dainish style ale. It means Rye Bread in Danish talk… In the nose you get some light sweetness from the malt, some Belgian-ish spiciness and chocolate. In the mouth you get a hint of cloves and bananas, a ton of chocolate, caramel and a rustic earthy flavor from the Rye malt which really does make this guy tastes like Rye Bread. Tis a great beer. This guy is super balanced, fresh and freakin flavorful.
Russian River Brewing Co: Salvation
So on my weekly beer run to K&L I was surprised to hear my beer pusher say that they just got in Salvation from Russian River Brewery… I have never had Salvation before…. they didn’t even have it at the brewery when we ran up to Santa Rosa a few months ago, so when he brought out the bottles from the back I got all excited. I could barely concentrate the rest of the day at work because all I wanted to do was break open one of my bottles and try it.
De Proef Brouwerij / Bell’s Brewery: Van Twee
Van Twee is a collaboration between De Proef Brouwerij of Belgium and Bell’s Brewery of Michigan. Taking the best of both Belgium and Michigan and mixing them into one nice beer. This guy is a mix between a super dark spicy belgian ale and a porter brewed with sour cherry juice. In the nose you get a sour spicy cherry scent similar to what you get from a lambic ale or a belgian ale brewed with Bret and lactobacillus.
AleSmith Brewing Co: Grand Cru Ale
A Grand Cru Ale is what breweries call their best of the best, and AleSmith’s Grand Cru lives up to the name. This guy is a dark spicy Belgian ale. It is on the sweet side, but it is perfectly balanced with what tastes like cloves and nutmeg and other spices. I am normally not the biggest fan of sweet beers, but the malt in this guy is complex, smooth and delicious….
The Bruery: Autumn Maple
Wow, Autumn Maple is another great beer from The Bruery! It is a seasonal dark Belgian style ale brewed with a ton of yams, a ton of spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and vanilla), molasses and maple syrup. The first sip of this guy is sweet and you get the strong alcohol flavor coming from the massive 10% ABV, but the next sip is pure awesomeness.
Russian River Brewing Co: Temptation
This is another extraordinary beer from RRBC. Just like Consecration this guy is aged in used wine barrels but instead of Cabernet barrels like Consecration this guy is aged 9 to 15 months in Chardonnay barrels. The nose is tarty and fruity, slightly sweet. Almost like a sour green apple. In the mouth it is magnificent. The tartness immediately makes your mouth water as the flavor fills your mouth.
Russian River Brewing Co: Consecration
I have seen this guy in the refrigerators of K&L for a couple months now but unfortunately the $20 price tag kept me from trying it. I knew this beer is probably awesome but it is hard to justify (especially to the wifey) paying $20 bucks for a bottle. Then I had an idea, we live in the bay area (about 2 hours from Santa Rosa), why don’t we take a road trip up there and try the beer at the source.[...]
Duvel
While I am on my Belgian Ale kick I decided to pick up one of the quintessential Belgian Ales, Duvel. This guy is pretty good. I would describe this guy as a mixture of a Pilsner and Belgian Ale. It is really light and blond, smells like a Pilsner, and even tastes like a Pilsner [...]
Russian River Brewing Co: Redemption
So, I went into K&L today during lunch and what do I find?… a new Belgian Ale from Russian River Brewery! Well, it is not a new ale, but it is new for K&L and me. Redemption. It is another great Belgian Ale from Vinnie Cilurzo at Russian River. It is a awesome golden ale [...]
Russian River Brewing Co: Damnation
I picked up one of these guys a few weeks ago on one of my weekly beer hunting trips to K&L. I have seen Damnation before but I have always avoided it thinking that with a name like Damnation, this guy is going to be either dark and bitter or super strong and sweet like [...]
Monk’s Ale
So one of the perks of being a self employed/freelance (aka unemployed) photographer is that I have the privilege of staying in touch with all the friends that have left California over the years. One of my favorite trips, and one I try to make at least once a year is to visit a college [...]
Leffe Blonde
There’s often a buffet of beers at a barkyard barbecue so I was hella quick to grab one of the Leffe Blondes still sitting on ice from a six pack someone brought. This beer is served in restaurants and bars with a specialty glass but of course that sh*t is nowhere available at backyard barbecues [...]
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