The Beer Wrangler™ » 4 Tankards

Abbatiale Triple (Brasserie des Sources)

Brewlord — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 03:46:13 +0000

Wrangler Rating: (Excellent)

Abbatiale Triple is brewed by Brasserie des Sources in St-Amand les Eaux in northern France, and scored gold medals at the Paris beer competition in 2006 and 2008; now let’s see how it scores with me!

The cool packaging is the first thing you notice when you approach the beer shelf at your favourite local specialty ‘beertique’. With a white ceramic bottle, cork and a cage it makes me want to investigate further. As I draw nearer the bright golden label reads ‘Abbatiale Triple Blonde, 7% ABV 50cl 6-12°c, refermented in bottle, delicately flavoured with juniper berries, a genuine recipe from the middle . . . → Read More: Abbatiale Triple (Brasserie des Sources)

It’s Hammer Time -Phillips Style

The Beer Wrangler — Sun, 30 Jan 2011 06:25:54 +0000

Phillips Brewing make a highly regarded Imperial Stout every year in limited amounts which usually sells out fairly quickly. This year they released a bourbon whiskey barrel aged version in even smaller numbers. But is all that extra effort and cost worth it? I decided to gather the Wranglerette . . . → Read More: It’s Hammer Time -Phillips Style

Driftwood Fat Tug IPA

The Beer Wrangler — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 03:40:28 +0000

Wrangler Rating: (Excellent)

Driftwood’s Fat Tug IPA is the long awaited addition to the brewery’s regular line up that filled in the gaping hole of a classic Pacific Northwest IPA. A hefty 7% ABV and 80 IBUs sees this beer punching in the heavyweight category for a ‘standard’ IPA. The hit of hops is fresh, fruity and sharp, and will please the hop-heads out there. On the palate the hops retain their power and vibrancy, and cover the alcohol admirably. The malt is there too, but it is in a supporting role, and props up the hop flavours nicely. This is a . . . → Read More: Driftwood Fat Tug IPA

Samuel Smith Yorkshire Stingo

The Beer Wrangler — Tue, 28 Sep 2010 04:36:08 +0000

Wrangler Rating: (Excellent)

Samuel Smith Yorkshire Stingo is a classic in the British beer scene. It’s an Old Ale which means that it has had some time well spent in very old seasoned oak casks, many of which date back more than a century. Each year adds to the beer-soaked wood and helps them give more complexity to the finished product. This ale spends over a year conditioning in the oak and is bottled with yeast, so can condition further in the bottle. It pours a deep amber colour with a thick and lively tan head. The aromas are fruity and almost . . . → Read More: Samuel Smith Yorkshire Stingo

Driftwood Belle Royale

The Beer Wrangler — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 03:59:08 +0000

Wrangler Rating: (Excellent)

Driftwood Brewery Belle Royale is described as a Strong Belgian Cherry Ale, and seems to be based on a Tripel or strong golden ale recipe, with “900 pounds of cherries” added. They don’t specify how much beer gets the 900 pounds but we get the idea – there’s a lot, and they’re real cherries, not cherry flavour or syrup. It has a lovely pink amber colour, a thinnish head, with a spicy, fruity aroma. The flavour has a hit of sweet spice and sour red cherries that lingers on the palate and develops into a long finish with sweet . . . → Read More: Driftwood Belle Royale

Archiduc Belgian Beer (Brasserie d’Ecaussinnes)

The Beer Wrangler — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 04:41:26 +0000

Wrangler Rating: (Excellent)

Archiduc is an unassuming beer that doesn’t give too many clues as to what it is on the bottle (the Belgians obviously don’t have the same predilection for categorising as we do in North America). It is in fact a strongish Belgian Amber Ale with bags of flavour. It comes in a 750ml bottle that is corked and the beer has a deposit of yeast from the re-fermentation. It pours a rich amber hue with a medium tight head that slowly disappears. The aromas are spicy, rich and fruity, and the taste doesn’t disappoint after such an inviting whiff. . . . → Read More: Archiduc Belgian Beer (Brasserie d’Ecaussinnes)

Bath Ales Dark Hare

Wranglerette — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 04:42:18 +0000

Wrangler Rating: (Excellent)

Dark Hare, the latest offering from Bath Ales , with their beautiful hare themed labels, is absolutely delicious. As it pours into the glass you notice the deep ruddy brown colour, and the notes of toasted malt and dark chocolate on the nose. The very creamy mouthfeel is punctuated with molasses, which gives way to burnt chocolate as the fuggles hops leave their distinct taste on the finish.

A great Sunday afternoon brew, Dark Hare would also be fabulous with roast beef and Yorkshire pudding, créme brûlée or a not overly syrupy sticky toffee pudding.

ABV: 4%

Best Served: 11°C

. . . → Read More: Bath Ales Dark Hare

Phillips Double Dragon Imperial Red Ale

The Beer Wrangler — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 04:55:30 +0000

Wrangler Rating: (Excellent)

Phillips Double Dragon Imperial Red Ale is this British Columbian craft brewer’s pumped up version of an American Red Ale, which is a hoppier version of the Irish Red Ales. The Imperialisation of this fairly modern style of beer gives it a big punch in both the flavour and strength departments, so is not to be taken lightly!

This deep red ruby ale has a fairly hoppy aroma, with a robust full-bodied flavour. The rich roasted malt features heavily on the palate and is quite sweet, with notes of caramel, molasses and malty bread, but there is just the right . . . → Read More: Phillips Double Dragon Imperial Red Ale

Krusovice Imperial

The Beer Wrangler — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 04:19:41 +0000

Wrangler Rating: (Excellent)

Krusovice Imperial is a Czech Pilsner lager, that is eminently drinkable, and a great benchmark for this classic style of beer. It has a pale golden colour and fluffy head, with a nice level of carbonation that is a little less than many lagers, but makes this beer an easy one to drink. It is still refreshing though, as it relies on a great balance of sweet malt and bitterness rather than mere fizz. Although clean and crisp, it has a good dose of pale malt on the palate that leads into a dry, slightly citrus and herbal finish, . . . → Read More: Krusovice Imperial

3 Monts (Brasserie de Saint Sylvestre)

The Beer Wrangler — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 05:01:13 +0000

Wrangler Rating: (Excellent)

3 Monts is a strong Biere de Garde from the Flanders region of France, which is a style that can be hard to find outside of its native country, but is well worth the hunt especially if you are a fan of the more familiar Belgian Saison beer, which this is a close relative of. This beer gets a maturation period after fermentation at very cold temperatures to further enhance and integrate the complex flavours of this refreshing ale.

It has a bright, pale golden colour, with a long lasting, tightly knit head that genuinely stays with the beer, right . . . → Read More: 3 Monts (Brasserie de Saint Sylvestre)