Beer - #498 - Unibroue - La Fin du Monde

Canadian Beer, Canadian Music, Can I count and Can I share?

"The end of the world"  - Triple fermented ale, Mildly yeasty with a complex palate of malt, fruit and spice notes followed by a smooth, dry finish"

Unibroue La Fin du Monde, a beer I've been looking forward to, Brewed by Unibroue (Sapporo) in the style that is  Abbey Tripel and they are in Chambly, Canada.

This is 9% ABV, and 19 IBU beer, it is in this bottle (12 fl oz) 355ml a 2.52 standard drink thing and there are around 270 calories.

[caption id="attachment_9911" align="alignleft" width="300"] It would make a good song title[/caption]

"The excellence of triple fermentation through a blend of special yeasts gives this malt beverage an exquisitely robust flavour of exceptional refinement"

To this date, La Fin du Monde has earned more medals and awards, including some of the world’s highest honors, than any other Canadian beer.

This is a Bottle conditioned beer, and having watched the video this is a beer that needs gentle rolling and bold pouring. Otherwise it could be the end of the world right ?

I've bee drinking other beer, in a break from buying the new and adventurous, I think I got into a bit of dilemma about getting to write about beer  #500 and therefore stopped drinking new beer, the OCD in me wants to post in numerical sequential order, and not as I drink them, because the order would then look a bit weird.  So I've made my mind up about the next two beers #499 and #500 and I've made a start on the next lot. This means that November was a beer lite month.

I digress though.

I like the presentation, the foil adds a certain lift, Aroma is that slightly sour sweet that you'd expect.

Lovely golden orange pour with a deep and rewarding looking head of foam.

Deep mouthfeel too, lots of sugars and sweetness in this, nice bold bitterness, this is smooth drinking  thing. Pretty much as you'd expect and this is delivered pretty well, nothing to harsh at the edges, the astringent alcohol note not present, the soft full mouthfeel counterbalances the bitterness, the sweetness a soft pillow in the mouth. Complaints? I have not many.

If anything this isn't bold enough with the flavours that you might think you like, banana, bubblegum,  or the citrus tangs. But it is a beer that is worth drinking and worth the contemplation, and has been worth the wait.

This has been an easy drinking full flavour profile sweet and sour beer of some merit. Despite the way it settles in the glass to look a bit average it manages to keep it all together. It looks a picture of colour, the head of great joy disappeared early which was disappointing, the nice carbonation at the first settles, and you get left with a still looking cloudy headless beer.

A beer that I enjoyed as a good beer, and they are precious.

Didn't need a foods to go with this, it was just a bit awesome all on it's own, and as usual when this happens I sit and pout not having had the foresight to buy two. Then again two would stop me having the next one, #499.....

The pdubyah-o-meter rates this as 9.25 a of its things from the thing.  Looks are deceiving as this packs some decent flavours and reminds me how much I like the Belgium beer profiles (and of a beer in the fridge - Mikkeller – Mielcke & Hurtigkarl, which I have found to be most enjoyable (I even found a place that despite my protestations has it priced incorrectly by 50%, mad if I don't have one))

The double dip review

1. Am I enjoying it? Yes


2. Would I have another? Yes, this is a cracker of a beer.


3. Would I share with a friend on a porch and set the world to rights? Yes I would, this is delightful and isn't the thing you'd talk about, it's a really good beer, enjoyable for what it is, conversational but not demanding a conversation. Brilliant.

Musically is count have been Avril or Alanis, but I settled on "Cowboy Junkies" this is their standout track amongst many - Sweet Jane

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BHRFZFmEq9o

Cowboy Junkies are a Canadian alternative country/blues/folk rock band. The group was formed in Toronto in 1985.

ABBEY TRIPEL

Like other abbey ales, Tripels are strong, yeasty-malty beers. But they are also pale, and have a notable hop profile. Hop bitterness may be higher than a typical abbey ale, up to 35IBUs. But the finish is where the hops really shine, as tripels should finish fairly dry. Otherwise, maltiness is still essential to the style, and the assertive yeast note typical of all abbey ales will be more apparent in tripels, since they do not have the rich dark malts to distract the palate. Alcohol flavours feature more prominently in Tripels that in just about any other style.

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Beer - #497 - Renaissance / 8 Wired - Wirecutter

Collaborative beer, Collaborative music, Collaborative Maths and a Collaboration Celebration.

This is A hoppy Scotch Ale brewed in collaboration bewteen 8 Wired Brewing & Renaissance Brewing.

500ml in the bottle that is of an 8.2% ABV beer, being  3.27 standard drink units in NZ and 249 calories a serve (330ml)

Renaissance / 8 Wired Wirecutter is brewed by Renaissance Brewing in the style that is of a  Scotch Ale and they are in Blenheim, New Zealand

[caption id="attachment_9889" align="alignleft" width="300"] Saturday Cracker[/caption]

To celebrate our years together we have done one final collaboration which is a meld of our two famous flagship beers, Stonecutter and Hopwired.
Wirecutter is therefore a Scotch Ale with big malt, huge amounts of New Zealand hops and a nice hint of smokiness.
A fitting way to cut the cord!

I've had both the Hopwired (9) and the Stonecutter (7) so a mash up might result in an 8 on average?

You'd think that would be possible, it could end up being higher the sum of the parts and all that.

What could possibly go wrong?

Certainly a hop burst of aroma on opening, it's pleasant on it's own, but I doubt it'd make a good cologne.

500ml doesn't quite fill a pint glass and the small head doesn't fill the gap. It pours a lovely golden orange brown, the head darker and although tiny is persistent, I did try to get fuller but alas not. It would just have been bling.

Wow that is an explosion of tastes, lots of hops and resin and malt and sugars, a length of carry that stops just short of full and finishes somewhat sour sticky.  There is so much going on.

The hops and the associated grassiness are the dominant force though in this mismatch. I'm kind of struggling to grasp what is going on.

Lots of hops makes you go all IPA. Lots of Malt makes you go in a different direction like a Pale, I get the thinking that got them here, the best of what you did the best of what we did, I'm sure on paper great, in the glass though, not so much.

Not undrinkable though, far from it, both the hops and sweetness carry this to be quite the beer with an interesting mouthfeel, but it is a bit loud and shouty, a bit of a hooligan. I would doubt that this is on the 'keeper' list at the brewery, not only because of circumstance, if you put that aside this just does not work well as  a beer.

Summing up then you can tell I'm not a fan.

The pdubyah-o-meter rates this as a middle of the road and average  7 a of its things from the thing.  They tell you what it is, and they tell you why it is, I'm not convinced they stood around and gave the high-fives when it emerged.

The double dip review

1. Am I enjoying it? Not so much.


2. Would I have another? Either of the parts perhaps, not the mash-up.


3. Would I share with a friend on a porch and set the world to rights? I'd find this difficult to keep a straight face about, it is either a malted up IPA or a Hopped up Scotch, and it doesn't make a lot of sense.

Musicness I was listening to more Shoegaze , this is  "Guilty of Everything" by Nothing. Guilty of Everything is the debut studio album released by the American band Nothing. You'd find them on Bandcamp, Spotify and possibly iTunes if you had to.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1nVkqyDxros

I wasn't that engaged with this either, I prefer the softer end of shoe gaze rather the the soaring heavy bursts, but there are glimpses and pearls in this.

SCOTCH ALE

Scotch Ale was the name given to a strong pale ale from Edinburgh in the 19th century. This was typical of the strong pale ales brewed in Britain at that time - mainly pale barley malt and moderate hopping, and were not that stylistically different to English Strong Ales or Barley Wines. The name however became regionalised so that a strong pale ale from Scotland became known as a Scotch Ale or Wee Heavy. Beers using the designation Scotch Ale are popular in the USA where most examples are brewed locally. Examples of beers brewed in the USA under the name Wee Heavy tend to be 7% abv and higher, while Scottish brewed examples, such as Belhavens Wee Heavy, are typically between 5.5% and 6.5% abv.

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Beer - #496 - Wigram - Munchner Dunkel

Oddly named beer, odd music, odd numbers and the odd night out.

A Wigram Munchner Dunkel, recent winner in the New World inaugural beer awards and a beer that I hadn't had, so this closes that gap.

Wigram Munchner Dunkel is brewed by Wigram Brewing Company in the style that is Dunkel/Tmavý and thy are based in Christchurch, New Zealand.

It's of 5.2% ABV and comes in a 500ml bottle, so that would be 156 calories a serve, and bottle is 2.05 standard drink units in NZ.

[caption id="attachment_9881" align="alignright" width="300"] New haircut - new beer[/caption]

German style dark lager with toasted malt flavours and aroma.

Lightly hopped using classic varieties. This brown lager beer is refreshing with subtle bitterness and rich malt characters.

Brown Lager - expecting something more like Cola coloured -  what could possibly go wrong.

Wet biscuit aroma, slightly tart, possibly more like burnt chocolate.

I can tell it's well carbonated as a head has risen in the bottle whilst I've been having a good snort of the aroma.

The chocolate aroma is really strong when it's in the glass, really big! and it looks amazing in the glass, a really pretty beer, with a tan head of decent firmness and persistence.

The taste whilst at first is a bitter rush it really settles down and it's quite the refreshing thing.

My first Dunkel then, I was worried that I wouldn't enjoy it, or that it would be a taste that was difficult to grasp, or understand, and aside from the really big aroma of the chocolate as mentioned this is making me smile.

I like the bitterness that finishes towards sweetness in particular. This also has a magnificent amount of carbonation, and at just the right level that I enjoy. It sits well in the glass to, some lacing and the head really is persistent.

Deserves its recent gold medal then.

The pdubyah-o-meter rates this as 8.5 a of its things from the thing. It's better, by a long way, than I thought it would be, and that is really something when that happens.

Not a 10 though, because in my own way and of my own taste this, despite being really great, isn't really a beer style that gets it that high, does not 'ring my bell', but that's me being me.

8.5 on the pdubyah-o-meter though  is there between Very good and Great (and nearer to Great).

I'd pick this if I was out an about and wanted a beer that would be both enjoyable and quirky different from the mainstream beer that might be available.

I don't know that this would be beer for the everyman, the aroma is strong, and that might be the bit that turns you off. Getting past that though I wish I had another, because if I was being honest this is a beer that could keep you engaged for a few and not become boring.

The double dip review

1. Am I enjoying it? Surprisingly and pleasingly so.


2. Would I have another? Gosh yes I think this has more going for it than not.


3. Would I share with a friend on a porch and set the world to rights? Yes, it might not be to everyone's nose, the chocolate aroma is high, but the beer itself is very refreshing and enjoyable, light and engaging. Get in!

Musically I was listening to Jakob, a 3-piece band from NZ, no words just impossible music and a really top video for this track called "Blind them with Science" from a very good album called "Sines"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t4ovUVNs4VY

You'll find them on Spotify, Bandcamp, Facebook and probably iTunes if you look.

DUNKEL

Copper to dark brown. Medium body. Nutty, toasted, chocolate like malty sweetness in aroma and flavor. Medium bitterness. Low "noble-type" hop flavor and aroma. No fruitiness or esters

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5 Beers to go to get to #500

I have a couple of beers in mind, and in the fridge that I should consider as the landmark #500 beer, of no real on other than it's #500.  500 individual beers that I've drunk at home, in bottles or cans, sometimes in a fill-your-own, but always at home. I should get out more.



500 is a big number, and it's here that I begin to realise that I've put a bit of effort into what essentially is a hobby blog. I've only brought beers that are available in shops, even if sometimes they might have been limited release and difficult to get, and occasionally to keep it real commercial non-craft beers that are popular or well known, I'm not a total beer snob, and definitely not an expert.

I've only ever had 3 beers given to me by either the brewer or importer in that number, and so this isn't a call for sponsorship, or consideration for sponsorship, although I will take free beer in return for writing about it in my own way.

I'm looking for help though in getting to that number and whilst I have two beers that I'm considering as the #500 I'm soliciting suggestions.

The beers I have as part of the final 5 (to get me to 500) are;

1. Epic Coffee and Fig Stout - 2014 version. Only that I've had this on tap a few times since it's launch and might be biased as it's very good, I also have a 2013 bottle, I could do a comparative?

1. Rogue Double Chocolate Stout. This has been in the fridge for a few weeks.

3. Unibroue La Fin du Monde. I have this in the fridge too.

But I really am looking for ideas on what I might do to get to the 500 mark, and am looking for some suggestions or recommends, bearing in mind that although we get a fair amount of the good beer here in New Zealand there are some things that just don't make it here, like Russian River Pliny the Elder, for instance, and I don't recall seeing any Cigar city beers either.

I'll take all suggestions and I'll make a best effort to obtain the beer suggested, and if it's not in the final 5 I'm sure it'll be in the next 5. Don't hold back, if nothing else it's a way of sharing your own favourites that I might get a chance to like to.

Beer - #495 - Epic - Pale Ale

Addressing a beer remiss, I go for the Epic Pale Ale, Epic Music, Epic numbers and an Epic night out, or in.

Supreme Champion Beer - New Zealand International Beer Awards.(2006)

This comes in both a 330ml 4-pack and a 500ml bottle, I have a little of each. I'm sure the insides is the same for both.  This is a 5.4%ABV brew and in the 330ml bottle that's 1.4 standard drink units. and about 162 calories.

Epic Pale Ale,  from Epic Brewing Company (NZ) is brewed at Steam Brewing Company in the style that is American Pale Ale and that happens in Auckland, New Zealand

[caption id="attachment_9856" align="alignleft" width="300"] Epic![/caption]

You can only drink so many beers in a lifetime, so you better make each one count.

That's where we can help. Because at Epic we're obsessed with creating big hop-fuelled beers.

This takes a shed-load of skill. It also takes a shed-load of hops. In fact there are 23 crammed into this bottle.*

Many brewers would call that 'insane'.

We call it flavour

[caption id="attachment_9858" align="alignright" width="238"] The label says 15 or 23 - squint a bit you'll see it[/caption]

*Or there are 15 in the smaller bottle.

This would a bit like the 900 grapes in a bottle of wine thing, I'm guessing that each bottle requires 15/23 hops to make 

What you're led to believe; Impressive aroma of grapefruit and perfumy rose petals, flavour of luscious creamy malt sweetness and summerfruit and citrus, and a finish of lingering bitterness and residual, nearly oily fruity sweet flavour.

What could go wrong?

It has a very hoppy aroma on opening,  And pours the most amazing orange golden brown with a nice but fleeting head. Looks well carbonated in the glass.

Aroma don't really bloom in the glass.

This is slightly sharper than I was expecting but it is surprisingly pleasant and pleasing, and I can see why it has a lot of fans.  The aroma does come back and you get a nose of the hops before the sup, and then you get a  warm malty beer that has a reasonable bitterness and a finish that is more towards dry.

As a drink-alone beer this does come up a bit short in the body, and  therefore does need some food accompaniment to bring out its best points.

As a quaffable beer though, it's pretty easy drinking and there isn't a lot of negative points that make you reluctant to have another sup and I find myself with an empty glass and a wondering where it all went. No really I did.

Recapping though and all things considered I'm therefore not a huge fan of this, or perhaps it's the style that I'm not big on. Being foolish, as I am, I have a 4-pack of the smaller bottles to soldier through, but lucky for me there is some robust food on the way so that should balance up nicely.

The pdubyah-o-meter rates this as 7 a of its things from the thing. It's churlish to mark this other than a competent good not the unfathomable scale of things that are the thing. It's not horrible, it's not the worlds greatest beer, it's worlds better than some I've had the pleasure of drinking.

The double dip review

• Am I enjoying it? Yes its amiable beer that has good character.


• Would I have another? Yes I'd be happy to drink more of this, I have plenty :-)


• Would I share with a friend on a porch and set the world to rights? I would, it's a beer that isn't like a domestic 12 pack, it's just a little edgy and has flavour and character that would suit most beer drinkers, I'd certainly take it to a party.

Music wasn't really Epic, more the mellow, this is a band called "The Ocean Party" and this track "Head Down" from an album called "Soft Focus", the music was a lot warmer and calmer than the blustery chilly day out in the open. They're on Spotify, Bandcamp and Facebook if you want to look them up.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cEZ-HLiUk0U

AMERICAN PALE ALE

American Pale Ales are light in color, ranging from golden to a light copper color. The style of this beer is defined by the American hops used. American hops typically have high bitterness and aroma.This is a perfect beer for big fare like grilled burgers or combination pizzas, as well as lighter fare like sushi and green salads.

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