Posts tagged Beer

2012 Hsin’s Beer Adventure #8_Amstel_Golden

~ sunshine golden, thick fizzy head, with spacious taste ~

Style: Dortmunder / Export Lager  ABV: 7.0% 

Time: Year-round

Color: sunshine golden

Drinking temperature: 3~7 ° C.

Hsin’s rating: Looks: 4 | Smell: 3 | Taste: 3.5 | Feel: 4 | Overall: 3.625

Hsin’s feeling: 

Appearance: beautiful sunshine golden with nice carbonated bubbles; thick soapy head, with good lasting time

Smell: lager style, with light banana yeasts aroma and hop order

Taste: some spices and coriander fill the taste profile with little dry and bitterness left for aftertaste
Overall:
Very pleasant experience, it starts with the beautiful sunshine golden color and then comes with full carbonated bubbles making thick soapy head and an good lasting time.  The slightly sweet banana flavor melts into typical lager style. Without too much bitter aftertaste in the mouse, it offers kind of fresh and slight dry feeling.
Brand Story
Amstel is one of the top beer brand in Netherlands for its easygoing price and widely access. Founded in 1870 on the Mauritskade in Amsterdam, Netherlands, it export product around 36 million litres each year. It was acquired by Heineken International in 1968. After the closure of its main brewery in 1982, it move to Zoeterwoude with the main Heineken plant.
Cuisine:
I drank it after heavy flavor of italian tomato pesto sauce pasta. Very fresh, and pleasant. The light sweetness kind of standing out from the heavy meal aftertaste. 

Reference:


2012 Hsin’s Beer Adventure #7

Hertog Jan_Weizener

~ hazy yellow, thick soapy head, sweet aroma with easygoing character ~

Style: Hefeweizen  ABV: 5.7% 
Notes:  

Time: Year-round

Characteristic:obstinate

Type: wheat beer

Color: deep gold with a light mist

Taste: fresh whole-heartedly with characteristic bitter tones and a nice strong finish.


Drinking temperature: 3 ° C.

Hsin’s rating: Looks: 3 | Smell: 4 | Taste: 4 | Feel: 4 | Overall: 3.75

Hsin’s feeling: 

Appearance: nice murky yellow hazy body, thick soapy head, with good lasting time

Smell: typical Hefeweizen smell, with banana yeasts aroma

Taste: sweet and bitterness come at the same time; two different flavors are well-blended, with little dry and bitterness left for aftertaste

Overall:
It’s like a light version of Hefeweizen with more German influence. It’s pleasant drinkable wheat beer with low abv. Personally I like wheat beer. This Weizener kept the character of Hertog Jan and extended the product line for more diversity which is a good approach. I will recommend it serves as a begging of the drinking night or some refreshing break.  

Cuisine:

After the first time using Belgian Ale to cook “Apricot ale spicy chicken legs”, I change it to Weizener tonight. Different from the aromatic & bitterness from Ale, Weizener provides more fresh sweet taste and lighter alcohol taste. While I would also recommend to cook some chicken with this beer and also some sweet sauce to provide fresher taste.

Reference:

Hefeweizen 

 
Description:
A south German style of wheat beer (weissbier) made with a typical ratio of 50:50, or even higher, wheat. A yeast that produces a unique phenolic flavors of banana and cloves with an often dry and tart edge, some spiciness, bubblegum or notes of apples. Little hop bitterness, and a moderate level of alcohol. The “Hefe” prefix means “with yeast”, hence the beers unfiltered and cloudy appearance. Poured into a traditional Weizen glass, the Hefeweizen can be one sexy looking beer. 
Often served with a lemon wedge (popularized by Americans), to either cut the wheat or yeast edge, which many either find to be a flavorful snap … or an insult and something that damages the beer’s taste and head retention.
Average alcohol by volume (abv) range: 4.0-7.0%   [ ? ] 
View the Top Beers for Hefeweizen


2012 Hsin’s Beer Adventure #6

Hertog Jan_Oerblond

~ Beautiful blond, light sweet aroma shining under the sunshine ~

Style Belgian Pale Ale |  6.20% ABV 
Notes:  

Time: Year-round

Characteristic:Refined bitter

Type: Fermented blonde

Color: Copper blonde

Taste: pleasant tingling with pleasant bitterness that slowly


Drinking temperature: 6-8 ° C.

Hsin’s rating: Looks: 4 | Smell: 3.5 | Taste: 4.5 | Feel: 4.5 | Overall: 4.125

Hsin’s feeling: 

Appearance: copper blonde with lots of carbonated bubble rising

Smell: light malty, corn, sweet fruit aroma

Taste: pleasant, sweet and smooth taste disguise the existing hop bitter; bitter taste is not so much as typical Belgian Pale Ale would be, and it disappears quickly leaving very fresh aftertaste

Overall:
It a really pleasant beer. Even I am not a big fan of typical Belgian Pale Ale for its bitterness. It encourages me to try more similar style. I would definitely recommend it if you are in the light drinking mood tonight. Or even go with strong taste food
Cuisine:

For its well-know bitterness, I tried to make “Apricot ale spicy chicken sauce” tonight. The aromatic sweet and lightly bitterness from ale blended very well with spicy chicken legs and apricot jam ( Bonne Maman Abrikozen Confiture)

Reference:
Story:
Belgian Pale Ale  
Description:
Belgian Pales consume the Belgian brewing scene, and were initially brewed to compete with Pilseners during the WWII time frame. They differ from other regional Pale Ale varieties, by traditionally being less bitter, using aged hops for a delicate hop finish, and boasting sweetish to toasty malt overtones. They should be decanted properly, leaving the yeast in the bottle. This will showcase their brilliant color range from pale straw yellow to amber hues. Most will be crowned with thick, clinging, rocky white heads. Flavors and aromas will vary. Some have natural spice characters from yeast and hops, while others are spiced. 

There’s a recent growing trend to make much more “hoppy” Pale Ales, to entice the US market and its hopheads. See De Ranke XX Bitter.

Average alcohol by volume (abv) range: 4.0-7.0%   [ ? ] 

View the Top Beers for Belgian Pale Ale 

2012 Hsin’s Beer Adventure #5

Hertog Jan_Grand Prestige

~ Serious powerful beer with distinguishable Sweet and bitter flavor ~

Brewed by: Arcense Stoombierbouwerij (Hertog Jan Brouwerij) Netherlands 

Style Belgian Strong Dark Ale |  10.00% ABV 

Notes:  

Time: Year-round

Characteristic: Hertog Jan’s pride and joy

Type: High fermentation of barley wine.

Color: Deep brown

Taste: full and ripe, sweet and bitter distinguishable. 

Drinking temperature: 10-12 ° C.

Hsin’s rating: Looks: 4 | Smell: 4 | Taste: 4 | Feel: 3.5 | Overall: 3.875

Hsin’s feeling: 

Appearance: dark brown beer almost make carbonated bubbles invisible

Smell: roasted malt, caramel, sweet fruit order

Taste: sweet fruity in the first sip, then complicated spices shape the strong characteristic, soon after comes with bitterness from hop, the aftertaste is very dry and bitter. The aftertaste is surprising bitter. After that, I got used to it and start to like the bitter but balanced flavor.

Overall:

it a interesting beer, different layers of tastes are distinguishable, blending well with complicated species.

10% is hard to tell from the taste, how come they disguise it so well in the complex flavor

Cuisine:

I tried tonight with salad but it seems too strong. Then when I had soft, loose texture and smoked ham, it goes well with that. I would recommend it go with single flavor dishes ( not so many species) or some snacks, like ham, maybe some spanish tapas

2012 Hsin’s Beer Adventure #4

Hertog Jan_Bockbier

~ Dark beer sweet blend with iron rusty taste ~

Style | Bock |  ABV 6.5% 

Notes:  

Time: Year-round

Characteristic: pronounced stubborn

Type: seasonal beer with high fermentation

Color: Dark / Brown

Taste: full, creamy, and caramel

Drinking temperature: 10-12 ° C.

Hsin’s rating: Looks: 4 | Smell: 3.5 | Taste: 3.5 | Feel: 3.5 | Overall: 3.625

Hsin’s feeling: 

Appearance: dark beer with little white top which disappear quickly

Smell: caramel, sweet with some brown sugar  order

Taste: sweet caramel in the first sip, then comes with bitterness from hop and some spices, the aftertaste is a little bit dry with some irony feeling

Overall:

It offers a power taste, with variety in sequence: sweet -> bitter -> irony dry. 

Cuisine:

With this bitter taste, I paired with italian tomato sauce including some pineapple and honey to balance. It turns out quite nice.
Story: Bock Beer

Bock is a strong lager of German origin. Several substyles exist, including maibockor helles bock, a paler, more hopped version generally made for consumption at spring festivals; doppelbock, a stronger and maltier version; and eisbock, a much stronger version made by partially freezing the beer and removing the water ice that forms.

Originally a dark beer, a modern bock can range from light copper to brown in colour.[1] The style is very popular, with many examples brewed internationally. [wikipedia]

In Netherlands, most bockiers tend to be seasonal beer. They are among the only few specialty beers that existed besides lager for a long time. Microbreweries may prefer to seasonally brew a bokbier.  [wikipedia]

Reference
1. http://www.hertogjan.nl/site/040104-Bockbier.php ( second picture is from official website)
Extended Readings:
1. The pleasant of bockbier
2. There history of bock_It All Started in Einbeck

 


How to Choose Gourmet Beer

Collective marks of Belgium Beer

2012 Hsin’s Beer Adventure #3

La Trappe_Tripel

~ Fruity order continues with fresh aftertaste ~

Brewed by: Bierbrouwerij De Koningshoeven B.V. Netherlands
Style | Tripel |  ABV 8.0% 
Notes:  

Time: Year-round

Characteristic: fruity and fresh aftertaste with good hop balance

Type: Trappist beer including the use of coriander owes it its spicy character. 

Taste: fruity with bitter adult show

Color: golden amber

Drinking temperature: 10-14 ° C.

Hsin’s rating: Looks: 4 | Smell: 4 | Taste: 4.5 | Feel: 4.5 | Overall: 4.25

Hsin’s feeling: 

Appearance: golden amber with thick creamy white top which disappear quickly

Smell: Aroma with typical famous belgium yeast 

Taste: Fruity like pear/ apple combining some spicy and floral 

Overall:

It’s really a good example of Tripel. Nowadays there are only 7 triple in the world, 6 of them are from Belgium except this one is from Netherlands. With the very tasty  and fruity belgium style but lighter and smoother. The good combination with hop, the balance between bitterness and sweetness. The aftertaste is surprising good. With very fresh feeling and a little bit dry but light sweet flavor in the mouth. I really enjoy it.

Cuisine:

I put some of it into the tomato & olive pasta sauce. The flavor balance the acidic taste from olives and make a nice surprising balance. The new lesson of beer food paring is that beer with dry and fresh taste goes well with acidic pasta sauce. ( especially tomato and olive ingredients)

Story:

A Trappist beer is abeerbrewed by or under control of Trappist monks. There are a total of 174 Trappist monasteries worldwide (as of April 2011); only seven (six in Belgium, one in the Netherlands) produce Trappist beer and are authorized to label their beers with the Authentic Trappist Product logo that indicates a compliance to the various rules of the International Trappist Association. ( cited from wikipedia)

Reference:

http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/184/658

http://www.latrappe.nl/content.asp?m=M7&s=P104&l=EN

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trappist_beer

http://www.beerparadise.be/emc.asp?pageId=727

My new adventure ” 2012 Hsin’s Beer Adventure”

tributes to our beer/ wine master and my good friend Peter Journeay Kaler. 

Thanks Peter for teaching me how to enjoy the real flavor of beer/ wine and shared lots of knowledge & stories with me.

It makes drinking is not just drinking.

It’s part of culture. It’s part of life.

It’s part of story. It’s part of like.

I will never forget during our crazy eastern european trip in the summer vacation 2011, we tasted 33 different kinds of beer in Prague in 5 days. That’s the story!!!

Good luck~ Welcome to a new story~ 

Flavor in Beer