Samuel Smith Winter Welcome Ale

Posted on by Evan

Brewed in Tadcaster, England, Samuel Smith Winter Welcome Ale is a 6% beer. This ale is brewed around Christmas with whole-dried Fuggle & Golding hops. There is malted barley, water, yeast, and seaweed Finings. This ale is the same each year, except for the artwork on the label. That is the only yearly change. This ale pours a deep golden color with a creamy two-finger white head. The aroma has a light sweetness and is malted. The flavor is lightly sweet, smooth, and somewhat spiced. It has a bit of malt flavor. This beer has a light-bodied mouthfeel. Then it comes to a nice, semi-sweet, and smooth finish. This has a nice and light aftertaste with a faint bread note. It doesn’t stick around too long. This beer is good, but it isn’t exceptional; it’s a B+ beer. It’s a good drinking beer, meaning it is easy to drink and you could have three or four. I would recommend it. Just remember, there are slightly beer versions of this beer out there. Please stay safe, be kind to each other, and remember to enjoy responsibly! Cheers!

Straffe Hendrik Xmas Blend Barrel Age Quadruple Blend

Posted on by Evan

I have been to Brewer De Haan Man in Bruges, Belgium. They produce Straffe Hendrik, and this particular beer is the Xmas Blend Barrel-Aged Quadruple, which is 11% ABV. This beer is only available at Christmas time in 750ml bottles. This quad is bottled fermented and aged in American or French oak, either a whiskey, rum, or Bordeaux, and Calvados. They also use young quadruple ale as well as barrel-aged beer. This quad pours brown with a one-finger cream beige head. That head sticks to the top of the beer like a creamy film. The aroma is of vanilla, sweetness, and it’s boozy. The flavor is sweet, vanilla, booze, and light nutty flavors. This has a full-bodied mouthfeel. Then this beer finishes with a rich vanilla and boozy flavor. The aftertaste is light, with sweet vanilla notes that do linger for a while. This Xmas Blend is a delicious beer that gets an A+. It is 11% ABV, but that is not really reflected in the flavor. I would highly recommend this to you. It has a good, strong flavor without being too overpowering. This would be a great addition to any holiday party. Please stay safe, be kind to each other, and remember to enjoy responsibly! Cheers!

Royal Bliss Brewing Co. X Down for Doughnuts Down for Doughnuts Pastry Stout

Posted on by Evan

Down for Doughnuts is a 7.1% ABV pastry stout from Royal Bliss Brewing in collaboration with local family-run Down for Doughnuts in Mooresville, North Carolina. According to Royal Bliss, this stout is everything you love about doughnuts without being overly heavy. This stout pours black with a one-finger, thick beige head. The aroma is roasted, nutty, rich, and sweet. The beer’s flavor is nutty, roasted, rich, and velvety sweet. This beer has a full-bodied mouthfeel. Then this stout finishes with a sweet and roasted flavor. This beer has a lingering sweet aftertaste. It is good and has the essence of a doughnut. Down for Doughnuts Pastry Stout is an A, and yes, you should try it. It is worth it. It is not heavy at all, and the flavor is not overpowering. It is just right and delicious. Please stay safe, be kind to each other, and remember to enjoy responsibly! Cheers!

Perennial Artisan Ales Southside Blonde

Posted on by Evan

This dry-hopped Belgian-style Blonde Ale from Perennial Artisan Ale is 5% ABV and the first beer since returning from Africa. This beer is from St. Louis, Missouri. I don’t think I’ve had a Perennial beer before. This beer may be the first. This beer pours yellow with a two-finger white head that fades into wispy lacing. The aroma is floral, dry, clean, and a little lemony. The flavor is also floral, a little lemony, dry, and clean. This beer has a medium body mouthfeel. This ale finishes with a lemony, clean, and dry flavor. The aftertaste is dry, with not much lemon flavor. That lemon has faded and is nearly gone. Southside Blonde doesn’t scream Belgian-style by way of taste. But it is not too bad, and that gives it a B-. I would say you should try it. It is overall light flavored and good, but doesn’t make me think of other, better Belgian beers. Please stay safe, be kind to each other, and remember to enjoy responsibly! Cheers!

Cape Brewing Co. Amber Weiss

Posted on by Evan

The second day in Cape Town, South Africa I had a local craft beer from Cape Brewing Co. This beer is their Amber Weiss. This beer is 5.4% ABV, and it pours light amber with a two-finger off-white head. The aroma is lightly sweet and malty. There is not much of a Weiss aroma. The flavor is unlike a Weiss beer and is more amber. There is a light malted sweetness and now wheat. This has a medium-bodied mouthfeel. Then it finishes with a bittersweet malt note. The aftertaste is a bit off with a bitter note and not much else. This was not really a Weiss beer but more of an Amber. I give this a D. I would not have this beer. It tastes like it was not properly brewed or had lesser-quality ingredients. Please stay safe, be kind to each other, and remember to enjoy responsibly! Cheers!

Kapstadt Brauhaus Lager

Posted on by Evan

Kapstadt Brauhaus is a brewpub-type restaurant in South Africa. This is Kapstadt Lager, 4.5% ABV. I had this lager on tap at the Victoria and Albert Waterfront in Cape Town. This lager pours golden with an almost two-finger white head. The aroma is biscuits and corn. The flavor is lightly sweetened and bready. This has a light-bodied mouthfeel. Then this lager finishes smooth with a light sweet note. There is not much in the aftertaste but a light biscuit note. This is an easy refreshing beer that is a B-. It is well-brewed and not trying too hard to impress. But it lacks much flavor, which holds it back slightly. If you are in South Africa, I suggest you try this Lager. Please stay safe, be kind to each other, and remember to enjoy responsibly! Cheers

Swakopmund Brewing Company Special Brew & Helles

Posted on by Evan

As I cruise the west coast of Africa, I keep finding local beer. Recently, while touring Walvis Bay, Namibia, I had a late lunch in nearby Swakopmund. I found a brewpub restaurant Brewery & Butcher that made Swakopmund Brewing Company beers. The first beer I had was their Special Brew, a smoked beer. This beer was a bock beer with an ABV of 7.4%. This bock beer pours a dark brown with a big three-finger beige mushroom head. The aroma is smoky and malty. The taste is sweet, smoky, malty, and deep. This beer has a full-bodied mouthfeel. Then this beer finishes with a malted smoked flavor. The smoky flavor fades in the aftertaste with hints of fading sweetness. This was such a delicious beer that is an A+. This isn’t like inhaling a campfire and is quite drinkable. This is a beer that you should have. 

Then I had a smaller Helles Lager. This beer is 5.2% ABV. This lager pours a mildly golden color with a two-finger white head. The aroma is sweet and fruity with a light bread note. The flavor is mildly sweet and fruity with subtle hop notes. This has a light-bodied mouthfeel. Then it has a semi-sweet finish. The aftertaste has fading sweetness and fruity flavors. This one was good, A-. It was refreshing and smooth. Easy to drink and another that is not to be missed. So if you are in Swakopmund, Namibia then you should go to the Brewer & Butcher. Please stay safe, be kind to each other, and remember to enjoy responsibly!

Accra Brewery Club Premium Lager

Posted on by Evan

I sailed into Sekondi-Tokoradi, Ghana. I toured this African city, and at the end of the tour, we stopped at the Rainbow Hotel to watch traditional Ghanaian dancers. They handed out local Club Beer. This is a premium lager produced by Accra Brewery, Accra is the capital city of Ghana. This lager is 5% ABV. This beer pours gold with a two-finger white head. The aroma is sweet and lightly hopped. The taste is sweet, lightly hopped, and smooth. This lager has a light-bodied mouthfeel. Then it finishes with a light sweetness and some hop notes. There is not much aftertaste but a light metallic flavor. This reminds me of most macro beers you find in the US. It’s not bad, but it’s not memorable. This Club beer is a D+. It’s interesting because you’d never see beer from Ghana in North America. I did enjoy it cause it was SO HOT out. But I would not run back to Club Premium Lager. Please stay safe, be kind to each other, and remember to enjoy responsibly! Cheers!

Bell Bottling Company Goldfinch Strong Premium Beer

Posted on by Evan

I toured Banjul, a city in The Gambia. Towards the end of the tour, we stopped at a local resort restaurant for a beverage. They had the local Bell Bottling Company Goldfinch. This is a 5% ABV premium strong beer. I drank this Goldfinch straight from the bottle. This Pilsner beer is golden in color with a one-finger white head. The aroma is sweet and malty. The flavor has a strong malt-sweet taste. This has a medium-bodied mouthfeel. This beer then comes to a strong malt finish. The aftertaste is sweet but a little less sweet. Overall all I enjoyed Goldfinch. I give this one an A- and would recommend this beer if you are in The Gambia. It has a nice malty backbone with just the right amount of sweetness. Refreshing too. Please stay safe, be kind to each other, and remember to enjoy responsibly! Cheers!

Ceris Strela Kriola

Posted on by Evan

I arrived in Cape Verde by ship and I took a hike. Later I had lunch by the seaside and had Ceris Strela Kriola the local Helles Lager of the island. This lager is 5% ABV. Strela means star in Portuguese. This beer pours golden with a one-finger white head. The head faded steadily. The aroma is lightly sweet and fruity with a faint malt note. The flavor is lightly sweet, hoppy, and fruity. I did get the faintest malt flavor. This has a light-bodied mouthfeel. Then it finishes with semi-sweet fruity with a tiny hop note. The aftertaste is a fading sweetness. This is not a bad beer, it is a refreshing beer. But I think I have had better Helle Lagers, but I would recommend this because you might never have it again. Please stay safe, be kind to each other, and remember to enjoy responsibly! Cheers!