Beer #300 – Aphrodite by Brewery Ommegang

Aphrodite by Brewery Ommegang

Today marks the last big milestone, my 300th beer.  It is hard to believe I have made it this far.  Even know there are 65 more beers I have to drink, a bit over two months, it feels like the home stretch.  As much as I have enjoyed doing this and getting the chance to try beers I would have never probably given a second glance, I can’t wait until it is over.  At times it seems like it has overtaken my life.  It can be a pain pouring, taking a photo, tasting, & blogging when away from home weather on vacation or just a family gathering or just after a long day at work.  With that said…let me introduce beer #300…Aphrodite by Brewery Ommegang.

Brewery Ommegang brews this Fruit Beer in Cooperstown, New York.  The ABV comes in at 8.9%.  Aphrodite as you may know is the Greek Goddess of Love and Lust.

The Goddess of Love (Lust) poured a ruby red with a large pink head.  The lacing left behind was quite nice.  Raspberries…no doubt about it on the nose.  A bit of pear and watermelon were also there.  The watermelon was interesting in that it is not an aroma I have really picked up on in other beers other than a specific watermelon beer.  Yeast and bread crust round out the nose.  I took a sip and man did I pucker up, this was quite tart.  The raspberries greeted me first in the taste along with blackberries.  This was quite the berry-licious beer!  About mid mouthful, it got a bit sweet with grapes and some black cherry flavors.  Near the end it got tart and a bit sour with a hoppy grass like flavor.  It had a solid medium body with a bunch of very fine carbonation.  The alcohol was hidden nicely here.  This was quite refreshing to drink.

I was digging this, I’m a fan of Fruit Beers and raspberries so this was right up my alley.  One thing I didn’t like about it was the price.  At $15.99 for the 750 ml bottle (same size as a typical wine bottle)…it was the most expensive beer I have had.  My wife thought this was one of the best beers she has ever had.  I wouldn’t go that far…but it was quite good.

Rating: B+

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Beer #213 – Rare Vos by Brewery Ommegang

Rare Vos by Brewery Ommegang

My bottle collection in the basement is growing everyday.  Yep…I have been saving every bottle, to the dismay of my wife, for the last photo of every bottle in one shot.  Of course that will be minus the beers I have had on draft.  Now lets journey to Cooperstown, New York to Brewery Ommegang for beer #213.

Today’s beer is Rare Vos.  According to the label, Rare Vos is Flemish for “Sly Fox” and it is also a famous cafe in Brussels.  This Belgian Dark Ale has an ABV of 6.5%.

It poured a cloudy, hazy shade of amber with an orange tint it.  Topping it off was a nice two-finger width creamy off-white head.  Nice nose on this one with a clove like spiciness, citrusy orange, and bready malts.  The malty goodness (think toast) hits you up front in the taste and then it gets spicy and fruity all the way to the dry, bitter finish.  Nice creamy mouthfeel with a medium body and moderate carbonation made this nice and drinkable for me.

I have to say at first smell and taste, this threw me for a loop.  The label mentions Amber Ale and that was what I was expecting.  I guess I should have noticed printed above the Amber Ale it said True Belgian Style.  To be honest, knowing it was from Brewery Ommegang, I should have known this wasn’t a straight up Amber Ale since all they brew is Belgian style beers.

I enjoyed this one quite a bit.  This was one of those beers that got even better as it came down to room temperature as it got even creamier and smoother. Good stuff from a brewer in the same home town of the Major League Baseball Hall Of Fame.

Rating: B+

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Beer #45 – Three Philosophers by Brewery Ommegang

Three Philosophers by Brewery Ommegang

Well drinking a beer with seaweed (see yesterdays review) did nothing to ward off the snowstorm.  I awoke to 6 inches of fresh white powder and an odd taste in my mouth, sort of like the Atlantic Ocean.

Beer #45 is Three Philosophers by Brewery Ommegang.  Three Philosophers is a Quadrupel.  It was created by blending a Belgian ale with a cherry lambic.  The ABV comes in nicely at 9.8%.

It has been a while since I broke out the tulip, so into the  snow it went.  The head was absolutely magnificent!  Big and fluffy!  The color of this brew was a deep dark brown just slightly cloudy.  The nose was cherries and roasted malts and that Belgian yeast aroma.  Taste was booze up front followed by some sweet cherry flavors.  Mouthfeel was really nice and smooth with a slightly heavy body…almost syrupy.  I could drink this all night long…at a slow pace that is.

I liked this quite a bit.  Good stuff indeed!

Rating: A

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Beer #33 – Ommegang Adoration by Brewery Ommegang

 

Ommegang Adoration by Brewery Ommegang

I would like to wish everyone out there who has been following along on my beer journey a very Happy New Year!!!

The last beer of 2010 will come from Brewery Ommegang.  Ommegang is from the home of the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame, Cooperstown, NY.  Beer #33 is Ommegang Adoration, a Belgian Strong Dark Ale or as Ommegang likes to call it, a Special Winter Ale.  This brew checks in at an ABV of 10%.

The appearance was a dark cloudy brown with a two finger width tan head.  My nose went into the tulip glass and the first thing that hit me was booze.  I also picked up citrus notes and raisins all along with a spicy aroma and plenty of  malty sweetness.  Taste was sweet malts with orange and lots of spiciness.  It had quite the boozy finish with that warming sensation you get from higher alcohol drinks.  This brew was a bit syrupy and felt slightly thick in the mouth.  There wasn’t much carbonation going on.  This is definitely a sipper and probably great for cold winter night.

Unfortunately, this wasn’t one of my favorites.  I felt it was too boozy and a bit too sweet.  Not that it isn’t a good brew, definitely above average, it just wasn’t for me.  I did find it kind of grew on me as it warmed up.

Again…to everyone out there…Happy New Year!!!!

Rating: B

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Beer #18 – Ommegang Witte by Brewery Ommegang

Ommegang Witte by Brewery Ommegang

Well Mother Nature went and did it.  I left work today and was greeted in the parking lot by that white stuff people love so much.  Good thing it was only a dusting.  I can’t stand it, “oh it looks so pretty!!!” people say.  Funny, I don’t here people saying that after the snow has been alongside a busy highway for a week or so and now is a ugly shade of gray.  It was cold outside, cold in my car and that made me start to think of spring and summer and those great warmer days.  And what is better on a nice summer day then a refreshing Witbier?  Seems like a good introduction to beer #18, Ommegang Witte by Brewery Ommegang.  This beer is, as mentioned earlier, a Witbier, a Belgium Wheat with an ABV of 5.1%.

A nice hazy pale yellow with a one finger width white head filled the glass.  The nose was greeted by a yeasty, sweet spiciness, and citrusy (orange) aroma.  Into the mouth it went and what I tasted up front was that citrus followed by a very faint coriander taste.  It finished really dry with a bit tartness.  As it warmed up, more citrus came out in the taste.  Mouthfeel was on the light side with some slight carbonation.  A very easy beer to drink and with the low ABV of 5.1%, many could be enjoyed if that was ones prerogative.

A decent beer overall but I prefer Allagash White, a similar style (Witbier) to this on that warm summer day.

Rating: B

 

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