The Beer Wrangler

Beer reviews, styles, food pairings and more

Archive for category 5 Tankards

New Glarus Black Wheat

Jan 17

Posted by Wrangler in 5 Tankards, Ale, Dunkel Weizen, United States, Wheat Beer, Winsconsin | No Comments

Wrangler Rating:

tankard.jpgtankard.jpgtankard.jpgtankard.jpg tankard.jpg (Outstanding)

New Glarus Brewing is to be found in Wisconsin in the U.S., and is owned by the Brewmaster Dan Carey, who has spent a lifetime perfecting his craft, and oversees a brewery that makes lots of limited release seasonal beers that keep their fans on their toes and interested with an ever-changing line-up.

Their version of the traditional German Dunkelweizen is simply called ‘Black Wheat’, but this beer is far from simple. The deep brown-black liquid, topped by a foamy caramel tan head is a delightfully complex beer, that exhibits lots of nuances, and  never dominate one another. Notes of light molasses. cocoa bean, caramel, nutmeg, banana and prune combine and balance well, to leave a bitter-sweet finish that contains a touch of orange peel.

Try this beer with a well flavoured Mexican chili, it’s light enough to refresh your palate, but has enough strength to stand up to, and compliment all those rich and spicy flavours.

*

ABV: 5.7%

Best Served: 7°C

Tags: , , , , , , ,

Delirium Tremens

Nov 24

Posted by Wrangler in 5 Tankards, Ale, Belgian Golden Ale, Belgium, Wallonia, Wrangler | No Comments

delirium_tremens

Wrangler Rating:

tankard.jpgtankard.jpgtankard.jpgtankard.jpgtankard.jpg (Outstanding)

Delirium Tremens is a strong golden ale that has a cult following amongst fans of Belgian beer, not only due to this powerful brew, but also the famous Delirium café in Brussels that keeps over 2000 beers for enthusiasts and tourists alike.  It pours with a gloriously fluffy, tightly bubbled head, that sits atop a very pale golden liquid. The nose is full of the slightly medicinal aroma of pear drops and spicy hops. This beer manages to be light and full-bodied at the same time; if that sounds like an oxymoron, I apologise, but it manages to pull off an intense flavour, while being surprisingly drinkable and refreshing. That’s not bad for a beer weighing in at almost 9% ABV. The flavours that fill your mouth mingle clove with banana and and lightly honeyed malt with subtly spicy hop notes. This complex and enjoyable beer hides its alcohol well, which means its easy to sit down and have a few, but not so easy to stand up…..

ABV: 8.7%

Best Served: 8°C

Tags: , , , , , ,

Driftwood Brewery Sartori Harvest IPA

Nov 5

Posted by Wrangler in 5 Tankards, Ale, American IPA, British Columbia, Canada, IPA, Pale Ale & Bitter, Wrangler | No Comments

Driftwoodsartoriharvest

Wrangler Rating:

tankard.jpgtankard.jpgtankard.jpgtankard.jpgtankard.jpg (Outstanding)

Driftwood Brewery Sartori Harvest IPA is a huge triumph for this small craft producer based on Vancouver Island. It has a nice ruddy amber colour and pours with a large frothy head. The aroma has a good even spicy hop note with a definite malt character. This beer has a great mouthfeel, and for me, has achieved  perfect balance of malt and hops for an India Pale Ale. They use ‘wet hopping’, which means that the local Chilliwack Centennial hops go into the brew fresh, without being dried, and it really gives great flavours of grapefruit and tangerine with an enjoyable floral kick. The thing that separates this IPA from many other good craft brewery examples, is that they get the balance of malt just right. There are lovely notes of caramel that support the hops like a back bone, and they all continue to the finish making this a very drinkable ale. This is one of the best IPAs I have had, and needs to be tasted by fans of the style. Pair this with a spicy fish soup, or barbecued pork marinated in a creole sauce.

*                                                                         ABV: 7%

*                                                                         Best Served: 8°C

Tags: , , , , , ,

Tasting Beer – by Randy Mosher

Oct 22

Posted by Wrangler in 5 Tankards, Books, Wrangler | No Comments

tasting-beer

Wrangler Rating:

tankard.jpgtankard.jpgtankard.jpgtankard.jpgtankard.jpg (Outstanding)

‘Tasting Beer’ by Randy Mosher is tagged as ‘An insider’s guide to the world of beer’ and promises the reader to have a ‘portable beer expert’ at their fingertips. There is no doubt that Randy Mosher knows his stuff. As the author of the homebrewers’ favourite ‘Radical Brewing’  and ‘The Brewers Companion’, he comes from the angle of industry pro (he serves on the board of the Brewers Association) as well as enthusiastic consumer and homebrewer. Having previously worked in the wine industry, and studied for exams, I have always felt that there wasn’t a really informative book teaching the reader about beer as there is in the wine world.  Randy Mosher plugs that gap with style. This book is as informative as it is accessible, and doesn’t scare the novice off with too much chemistry. Having said that, even the most knowledgeable connoisseur will enjoy reading this book and find plenty to learn about, whether it’s the history  of  brewing, or modern American variants on traditional styles. This book contains a barrel load of information, from judging beer festivals to food pairing, from British and Belgian Ales to the craft brew movement around the world, it’s all here. This is a fantastic read and anyone who wants to   deepen their knowledge and respect for this wonderful drink, has to buy this book.

Published by: Storey Publishing

ISBN: 978-1-60342-089-1

Tags: , , , ,

Fuller’s ESB

Oct 17

Posted by Wrangler in 5 Tankards, Ale, British Isles, ESB, England, Great Britain, Pale Ale & Bitter, Wrangler | 3 Comments

Fullers-esb1

Wrangler Rating:

tankard.jpgtankard.jpgtankard.jpgtankard.jpgtankard.jpg(Outstanding)

Fuller’s ESB lays claim to be the original Extra Special Bitter and its popularity across the world has made this one of Britain’s best known ales. It has a lovely medium amber colour with a loose head (typical for Southern English Bitters); the aroma is full of rich malt with some notes of yeasty bread flavours. The hops are far more noticeable on the palate, and are beautifully balanced with the strong maltiness that typifies the ESB style. They are present with a subtle spiciness that makes this a very drinkable and thirst-quenching beer. There are plenty of fruit flavours there as well, with a touch of pear and some nice orange zest on the finish. This is a great benchmark for the style and I for one could drink this ’til the cows come home! Have this with a steak and ale pie and mashed potato – preferably in a good pub!

ABV: 5.9%

Best Served: 10°C

Tags: , , , , ,

Dogfish Head Palo Santo Marron

Oct 5

Posted by Wrangler in 5 Tankards, Ale, American Brown Ale, Brown Ale, Delaware, Imperial Brown Ale, United States, Wrangler | No Comments

palo-santo-marron

Wrangler Rating:

tankard.jpgtankard.jpgtankard.jpgtankard.jpgtankard.jpg(Outstanding)

Dogfish Head Craft Brewery is one of the leading exponents of extreme beer and craft brewing in the world, and its founder Sam Calagione is treated with deep respect by the micro-brewing community as a whole. In the Palo Santo Marron he has created a giant of a beer, that offers a wealth of complexity that rivals a good fortified wine. It is fantastically full-bodied with notes on the nose that remind me of a Malmsey Madeira. The palate is full of rich caramel and molasses with big hints of licorice, and deep undertones of vanilla. The finish is long, roasted, bitter sweet with a touch of minerality and perhaps a hop or two fighting to be heard! This is a beer that should be sipped and savoured as a digestif or accompanying a strong, aged, real cheddar cheese. This proves what can be done with malt, hops, water and yeast, (brewed in the exotic South American Palo Santo wood), and it shows that beer can be just as complex and interesting as wine.

ABV: 12%

Best Served 14°C

Tags: , , , , ,

Traquair Jacobite Ale

Sep 23

Posted by Wrangler in 5 Tankards, Ale, British Isles, Flavoured Beer, Great Britain, Scotland, Specialty Ale, Spiced Ale, Wee Heavy / Scotch Ale, Wrangler | No Comments

Traquair_Jacobite_Ale

Wrangler Rating:

tankard.jpgtankard.jpgtankard.jpgtankard.jpgtankard.jpg(Outstanding)

Traquair Jacobite Ale is brewed in the historic Traquair House, one of the oldest inhabited houses in Britain. This beer descends from an 18th century recipe, and it has left us a very full-bodied Scotch Ale.   The name ‘Jacobite’ comes from the followers of King James II of England, VII of Scotland who was deposed as King of Great Britain by the Dutch William of Orange. In 1745 there was a final failed attempt to oust the German King George II in favour of Charles Stuart ( the grandson of James II/VII) and this beer commemorates the 250th anniversary of this rebellion.This is a marvelously well balanced spiced wee heavy, with a hit of  black treacle and aged red wine on the approach. Dark liquorice notes follow on, suggesting a touch of sweetness, with just a hint of the coriander, but the finish moves on to a wonderfully dry, vinous bitter cocoa bean denouement. This is a fantastic example of a flavoured strong ale, and should be tasted by anyone who considers themselves an aficionado of beer. I would drink this on its own as a digestif, instead of port or brandy as the flavours and strength make this a meal in itself.

*                                                          ABV: 8%

*                                                          Best Served: 12°C

Tags: , , , , , ,

Brooklyn Brewery Black Chocolate Stout

Aug 23

Posted by Wrangler in 5 Tankards, Ale, Imperial Stout, New York, Stout, United States, Wrangler | No Comments

brooklynchoko

Wrangler Rating:

tankard.jpgtankard.jpgtankard.jpgtankard.jpgtankard.jpg(Outstanding)

Brooklyn Brewery’s Black Chocolate Stout is an Imperial Russian Stout that weighs in at a mighty 10%, but the alcohol is well hidden by the monumentally full-bodied flavours that caress the palate. This stout’s colour is a deep inky black, and pours into the glass with a creamy caramel coloured head that slowly dissipates. You’d be fooled into thinking that there was real cocoa beans in the brew, but Garrett Oliver, the brewer, obtains that taste from malt alone! The dark bitter chocolate notes fill the mouth, but are balanced exquisitely by rich roasted sweet malt. Beneath the obvious flavours, there are hints of rich burnt fruit cake and licorice that comes to the fore on the finish.  This is a sumptuous stout and should be tried by every fan of the style. Pair this with a rich strawberry tart and double cream.

ABV: 10%

Best Served: 10°C

Tags: , , , , , ,

Crannóg Ales Back Hand of God Stout

Aug 12

Posted by Wrangler in 5 Tankards, Ale, British Columbia, Canada, Irish Dry Stout, Stout, Wrangler | No Comments

Backhandofgod1

Wrangler Rating:

tankard.jpgtankard.jpgtankard.jpgtankard.jpgtankard.jpg(Outstanding)

Crannóg Ales prides itself on making authentic Irish beers, and they do so with style! All their beers are certified organic, mostly made with hops and barley from their own farm. They are only available on draught, but are well worth searching out. This Irish style dry stout is a fabulously smooth brew. It has layers of coffee bean and dark cocoa flavours that linger on the palate. The richness fills your mouth, and dark roasted malty notes endow this beer with a very more-ish quality, which gives way to a classically dry but beautifully balanced finish. There are subtle hints of hop, and a faint background of well baked dried fruit.- Superb!

ABV:5.2 %

Best Served: 13°C

Tags: , , , , , ,