Salted Caramel Brownie Brown Ale

I should have known better.  New Belgium and Ben & Jerry’s collaborate on a 6.2% ABV brown ale and come up with Salted Caramel Brownie Brown Ale.  I hate to give bad reviews, and rarely publish a bad review, but this beer was really bad.  As my daughter said, “it tastes like a jar of pennies”.  She’s right.  Enough said.

Rocky’s Revenge

Barrel-aged beers are all the rage these days.  The kids just can’t seem to get enough of them.  Not surprisingly, some fall short of good and some are extremely good.  Rocky’s Revenge from Tyranena Brewing Co., Lake Mills, WI is definitely on the upper end of the scale.  Pepsi-brown with a good amount of carbonation and a single-layer head, Rocky’s Revenge is an American Brown Ale that stands out among browns, which admittedly is not so hard to do.  Rocky’s Revenge starts with the standard nutty, yeasty bouquet typical of the style, but quickly goes beyond with a mild-yet-noticeable bourbon vibe.  It’s even more pronounced in the flavor, with a touch of alcohol/booze tang in the nose.  The finish has a touch of dryness and lots of sweetness that thickens the saliva.  Rocky’s Revenge is not exactly a thirst-quencher, not is it a true sipper.  Get some crusty bread and a smoked cheese of some sort and enjoy a Rocky’s Revenge.

80/100 American Brown Ale

Turbodog

 

Image courtesy of Abita Brewing Company

Turbodog, from Abita Brewing Company, Abita Springs, LA, is a dark brown 5,6% ABV ale with a good light brown head and sticky lacing.  There is coffee in the nose, some chocolate too, caramel of the deep-roasted variety and a little yeast to boot.  Turbodog is smooth and creamy, toasty and malty and has a dry and bitter finish.  It’s a brown ale with personality and character.  The long-lasting bitterness may be too much for some, but give the underlying sweetness some credit for its balancing properties.  It’s a very drinkable, not-too-heavy brown ale.

82/100 Brown Ale

On a side note, it tastes even better with ribs at Blues City Cafe in Memphis!

Petrus Dubbel Bruin Ale

Petrus Double Brown Ale is a deep garnet, haze-free brew with lots of carbonation and a two-finger head that’s firm and long-lasting.  It leaves a good deal of Brussels lace as well.  It even leaves lace inside the bottle.  And going back to my opening sentence, once you pour the last ounce it is definitely not haze-free.  The bouquet is sharp caramel, yeasty and malty.  It’s sweet, it’s tart, and there’s something I can’t quite put my finger on.  Licorice?  It’s a bit like sour beer with a dose of fermented fruit.  Not my favorite style, but not a bad beer.  I don’t know if I’m qualified to rate Petrus Dubbel Bruin Ale as I have not a lot of comparisons to go back to, but I’d venture to say it’s a 61/100 Belgian Brown.

Dos Perros Ale

The next few posts will be about beer experiences I had last week in Nashville. Most were good, and one was tainted by my not being chosen as cellar man at Boscos, but that is a story for next time. A sad, sad story. Dos Perros Ale from Yazoo Brewing Company is a beer in the style of Mexican beers such as Negra Modello (which I love) with it’s roots in the old Austrian brewing traditions. My first impressions that it smelled like Fat Tire, a little yeasty and earthy, but in a positive way. It is medium brown with light carbonation and a minimal, quickly dissipating head. As I said, there is yeast in the bouquet, along with a touch of coffee. The texture is light, smooth and a bit creamy. The flavor is mild and follows the example of the bouquet with yeast, mild coffee, lightly sweet caramel and a lightly hopped finish. It is very quaffable and I could see it going well with some chicken enchiladas, blacks beans and rice. 65/100