TonightÂ’s beer is Saison Dupont brewed by Brasserie Dupont, Tourpes, Belgium. This is another beer that was donated by Petey of PeteyÂ’s Powderhorn. ItÂ’s a Belgian Farmhouse Ale. Unlike most American beers itÂ’s unfiltered and bottle conditioned.

This is bottled in an 11.2 Fl. Oz. bottle. It has a black label with a yellow and off white checkerboard pattern that is on a tilt across the label. In black letters in the middle of the checkerboard pattern is the name of the beer. The label boasts a 6.5% alcohol by volume. . On the back label there is a bit of a story about the beer and what exactly a Belgium Farmhouse Ale is exactly. “This increasingly rare specialty originated before the age of refrigeration as a beer to be brewed in winter for summer drinking. The style required a beer sturdy enough to age in the bottle but refreshing enough to be enjoyed in warm weather. “There’s a bit more to it, but you’ll have to buy a bottle to read it!

There is a hazy pale straw color to it. Light passes through easily enough, but the cloudiness makes seeing through it near to impossible. When poured into a pint glass a dense off-white head forms about half an inch thick. It fades slowly and even at the end a nice ring is still around the edge of the glass, with a film over the top. A creamy lacing forms on the side of the glass.

When brought to the nose, the first thing you notice is a spicy mixture of clove and coriander. There is a sweet banana-like scent. A touch of yeast carries the rest of the scents and there is a slight white pepper accent to it that brings it all together. The flavor is spiciness with a mellow fruit and hop flavor. The fruit sweetness is balanced by hop bitterness that combines for a beer that isnÂ’t too sweet nor is it too bitter. The taste is rather refreshing with a mild aftertaste that lingers gently.

This is a light bodied beer. The carbonation provides a crisp bite. There is a creaminess to it that is pleasant on the tongue, but isnÂ’t thick or coating.

This is a pleasant beer to drink. ItÂ’s light, flavorful and easy to drink. The sediment is a little disconcerting. This is an enjoyable beer to drink, and I would enjoy drinking this more on a hot summer day than on a gold winters evening. I give this beer 6 out of 10.

Posted by: Contagion at 10:22 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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Tonight IÂ’m reviewing another beer donated by Petey of PeteyÂ’s Powderhorn. Right now heÂ’s down in Florida enjoying himself at the same event I was supposed to go to. OÂ’well, it was worth the trade. The beer this week is BellÂ’s Lager Beer by BellÂ’s Brewery.

It came in a 12 oz brown bottle. There is a tan label with an old fashioned style map of the Great Lakes. Around the map are 8 icons. (Clockwise from top right) Water-skier, bridge, leaf, snow shoes, sailboat, pine tree, trout, paddle. At the top is the name of the beer flanked by a map compass and an anchor. Under the map it states “Lager of the Lakes”.

When I poured it into a pint glass, a half inch white head. It faded after five minutes into a film on the top. The color is of golden straw. There is a slight haziness to it. Light passes through easily enough.

The smell is dominated up front by grainy malts. There is a hint of hops to it that balances the scent out. A slight grassiness also is noticeable. The beer starts off with a nice crisp malt and follows through with a grassy hop taste. The flavor is very light, itÂ’s reminiscent of a pilsner. A little bland for a lager, but more flavor than a pilsner.

This is a medium bodied beer, with a light carbonation.

This was an enjoyable beer, which was easy to drink. Nothing overly rememberable about it, it tastes good, but it really is a run of the mill lager. The flavor is kind of like a pilsner, but it has a medium body to it. Realistically itÂ’s a good meal beer; you can drink this with a burger because the flavor wonÂ’t affect the flavor of the food. I give it 4.5 out of 10.

Posted by: Contagion at 07:30 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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damn you liver... it's time to turn you to stone!

Bad week at work, it's time to make my brain and liver pay for it.

Posted by: Contagion at 08:17 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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Last weekend at Fort Obie, Petey of PeteyÂ’s Powderhorn decided that he wanted to jump up on the enablers list and gifted me a box full of beers to review. Thanks Petey! I started with the first beer in the box that I had been chomping at the bit to review. Tonight IÂ’ll be reviewing Samuel Adams Chocolate Bock by Samuel Adams in Boston, MA.

It comes in an impressive 1 pint, 9.4 fl oz brown bottle, aka 25.4 fluid ounces. The label looks like cast pewter, texture and all. The name of the beer takes up most of it. What looks like hops are flowing around the edge to the bottom where it kind of resembles tilled fields. The bottle cap is covered with a plastic wrapper, which reminded me of how wine is sealed.

There is a nice dark brown coloring to it with a touch of crimson to it. Light passes through with much difficulty. When I initially poured it, an inch thick tan head formed. The head was made up of tiny bubbles. The head fades to a ring around the top of the beer. There is no lacing at all.

The smell is very simply that of chocolate and cocoa. You can make out the feint scent of malts as it warms. The taste is very simple as well; itÂ’s mostly chocolate with a touch of coffee malts. There is a bit of bitterness to it that one associates with coffee and dark chocolate. The aftertaste is reminiscent of chocolate milk.

This is a medium bodied beer, based on the appearance I was figuring it would be a bit more full bodied.

This beer costs about $14.99 a bottle locally (Thanks again Petey!); to be honest I was expecting a lot more from it. ItÂ’s not a bad beer, but for the price itÂ’s really not worth it. Based on the price, the bottle and the marketing, IÂ’m going to say this is one of those beers that is drunk by people being pretentious. I enjoyed the beer, but it was lacking in its simplicity. Overall I give it a 5.5 out of ten.

Posted by: Contagion at 08:21 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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