review: Fuller's ESB Champion Ale

Today's beer adventure: Fuller's ESB Champion Ale (London, UK). 500ml Bottle. 5.9% ABV. Served in pint glass. Purchased at Willow Park Wine and Spirits @ ~$6.50/bottle.

The pour is red/amber. Small amount of head. Nose is sweet toasty malt, strawberries(?), banana, slight citrus.

The flavour is the same as the nose - sweet malt, citrus, bread, candied peel(?), banana. Finish is short and pleasing. Slight bitter on the end.

Rating is 8.0/10 dogs. I really like this beer, although I am not sure why this is called an ESB.  It has more to do flavour-wise with an Alt, or maybe even a light Imperial Stout if that is possible. The rating is purely due to my enjoyment of the beer, and not as a comparison to type. So there.

What other people think: http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/fullers-esb-bottle-keg/290/

review: Samuel Smith's Imperial Stout

Today's beer adventure: Samuel Smith's Imperial Stout (Yorkshire, UK). 550ml Bottle. 7.0% ABV. Served in pint glass. Purchased at Willow Park Wine and Spirits @ ~$6.50/bottle.

The pour is deep brown with ruby highlights. A big tan head with huge bubbles top the glass. The nose is deep dark fruit - dates, raisins and plums, pumpernickel bread, pears. 

The flavour is quite delicious. Dark fruitcake, bright yeasty notes, cherries, liquorice, warming alcohol, dark chocolate, coffee, slight bitterness on the relatively short finish. Thick mouthfeel...similar to port. Yummmmmmmmyyyyyy......

Rating is 8.75/10 dogs. Really solid stout. Very delicious. Wowee. Can't say much more.

What other people think: http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/113/782

review: Unibroue La Fin Du Monde Belgian-Style Tripel

Today's beer adventure: Unibroue La Fin Du Monde Belgian-Style Tripel (Chambly, QC). 750ml Bottle. 9.0%(!) ABV. Served in pint glass (should have been a tulip..but oh well). Purchased at SLGA @ $6.50/bottle.


The pour is a deep, cloudy amber with lively carbonation. Small amount of quickly dissipating head. The nose is coriander, sweet citrus - orange, lemon, grapefruit. Pepper. Yeast. Slight alcohol.

The flavour is heavenly. Bready malt, big citrus and coriander, bananas, raisins, cloves. The pepper is there in the taste as well. Dry champagne finish followed by warming alcohol. Creamy medium-thick mouthfeel.

Rating is 9/10 dogs. If it truly was La Fin Du Monde, this would definitely be a beer I would like to be enjoying during the end. LFDM is incredibly drinkable, so delicious. This is truly one of the best beers on the planet. I would bathe in it...get *that* image out of your head, then go and have one of these beers.

What other people think: http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/22/34

review: Bushwakker Arctic Dark Lager

Today's beer adventure: Bushwakker Arctic Dark Lager (Regina, SK). 2L Jug. 5.0% ABV. Served in my stolen BP pint glass. Purchased at brewpub offsale @ $15.00/2L

The pour is dark copper brown with one finger of off white head. Nose is sweet bready malt, some sweet dark fruit, slight coffee.

The first sip is full of toasted malt and dark fruit, citrusy hops. Mouthfeel is medium. Finish has some bitter dryness but also contains some sweet malt roastiness. This is a really tasty dark lager.

Rating is 7.5/10 dogs. Only available a couple of times a year, this is one of my favourites from the mighty Bushwakker. 

What other people think: http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/bushwakker-arctic-dark/31780/

review: Estrella Damm

Today's beer adventure: Estrella Damm (Spain). 500ml can. 4.6% ABV. Served in my neglected Great Western pint glass. Purchased at SLGA ~$3.50ish

The pour is straw yellow with a small amount of rapidly diminishing head. Lots of fine bubbly carbonation. Zero lacing on glass. Nose is of sweet grapefruit, lemon, grape esters?

Mouthfeel is light/medium. Flavour is YUMMY! Fruity, almost like white wine. Sweet malt and fruity hops. Grapefruit, lemon, slight orange, slight spice although I can't seem to place it. Dry finish..not much lingering. Very, very drinkable refreshing light lager.

Rating is 7.0/10. This beer is reminiscent of a Mexican/Caribbean beer in it's lightness, but is far more fruity and interesting. Definitely a repeat buy.

What other people think (and apparently I'm an idiot): http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/4949/14687

review: Gösser Pale Lager

Today's beer adventure: Gösser Pale Lager (Austria). 500ml can. 5.2% ABV. Served in my neglected Great Western pint glass. Purchased at SLGA ~$3.50

The pour is straw yellow with a fine head on top. Good carbonation..lively bubbles making their way up the glass. Nose is light hops, some malt..not much else. No real lacing.

Mouthfeel is light. Flavour is..well...like a light lager. Not much there. Slight slight grainy breadiness. Slight slight citrus hops. Finish is short and a touch dry. A bit more of the hop flavour on the end as well.

Rating is 4.5/10. Pretty boring. It has a leg up on Labatt's Blue or Molson Canadian, but isn't as good as say....Rolling Rock. Not offensive, but not something I would buy again.

What other people think: http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/4477/12678

24 best beers?

An article from Men's Journal..a few have been reviewed here..I guess I better stop being lazy and try the rest.. -> http://www.mensjournal.com/the-24-best-beers-in-america-gallery

review: Brasserie Dieu Du Ciel! Rescousse Altbier

Today's beer adventure: Brasserie Dieu Du Ciel! Rescousse Altbier (St-Jerome, QC). 341ml bottle. 5.0% ABV. Served in my neglected Great Western pint glass. Purchased at Willow Park Wine and Spirits in Regina ~$4.00/bottle

The pour is hazy burnt orange in colour. A single finger of head. Really nice lacing. Very little visible carbonation. Nose is fruity, although I can't quite place it. Biscuity malt sweetness, and then...something I really can't place...a bit sour maybe?

Mouthfeel is creamy, a bit viscous. Flavour is crisp. The fruit is there. The malt is there. The hops are definitely there - you get a bit of hop bitterness. All the flavours are subtle...so much I have trouble identifying precisely what they are...halfway through the pint I still have trouble. Finish is lingering bitter floral hops.

Rating is 6.5/10. Maybe if I had more than one I could figure out what it is that is in this beer. I don't DISlike it...it's a nice drinking beer.....but I would take other Alts ahead of this one. 

What other people think: http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/dieu-du-ciel-la-rescousse/136487/