A few of us gathered over at Ben's for the now-annual beer tasting over barbecue. Many thanks to Ben for graciously hosting us. I brought along plenty of bottles that are not available in Hong Kong from the States. Ben also contributed a few bottles too. All in all, a very fun evening filled with plenty of laughs and good brew.
The lineup. It's monstrous.
Off Color Brewing Yuzu Fierce, ABV 3.8%, Berliner Weissbier, Chicago
The brew pours a golden straw opaque color with a thick frothy head. On the get go, the yuzu scent is extremely pungent as the citrus just leaps out from the glass. I get plenty of yuzu, spice, straw, candied lemons and lettuce. The bouquet is very fragrant indeed. The beer boasts delicate effervescencemuch akin to that of bubbly if not Orangina soda. In fact, it actually tastes more like a bitter lemon soda rather than beer. Just like the nose, the palate has plenty of citrus peel and accompanying astringency. It is absolutely delicious. The finish is long, well-defined and sharp. I absolutely love the prickly, lively character in this. A very good beer for the style indeed. 91
2016 Smuttynose Brewing Smistletoe, ABV 8.5%, Bière de Garde, New Hampshire
This beer is very weird. It pours a dark red, ombre color, almost like that of a well-aged port, along with a thick, foamy head. The bouquet, likewise, smells of wine too. According to a friend who has partake in this particular brew, the wine even smells like "the stuff she pukes out the next day". But to me, it smells of grass, cherries and cough syrup. It is almost like an acidic lager. The palate, on the other hand, is precise. The carbonation helps provide the lift in structure, making the brew thick yet ethereal. Acidity is what comes best in hand now as it balances out this thickness. More cherries, malts, bread and caramel line the palate. Just like the nose, the medium-length finish is very funky as it boasts a sour yet yeasty end. This is well-made for sure, but it is too weird for me. 82
Mikkeller Nelson Sauvin Dry Hopped (Chardonnay Barrel Aged), ABV 9%, Bière de Champagne, Denmark
Even weirder brews on the lineup, and what more can personify this spirit more than Mikkeller's offerings. This wine barrel aged beer pours a dark amber color with minimal head, probably because of the relatively higher alcohol content. As aforementioned, this is first aged in chardonnay barrels and then reconditioned within the bottle, much like the production of champagne. As expected, there are plenty of wine characteristics in this brew. Smelling of lemons, bread malts, sugar cane, oak and nutmeg, this beer reminds me of a toasty, pinot noir-driven champagne. An abnormally large amount of bubbles line the core as the brew boasts a funky, yeasty structure. Very nice and interesting. Palate reflects the nose too and showcases plenty of funk, oak, citrus zest, brown sugar and meringue. The vinous finish is very long and is on the sweeter end of the spectrum. Nonetheless, the acidity kicks in the provide adequate balance. Very nice. 94
Maine Brewing Company Hop Program Beer IV, ABV 7%, American IPA, Maine
Ah - Maine Brewing. Hard to find even in the States, this is impossible to find in Hong Kong. Imagine the excitement when I revealed this relic to the crowd. It is no secret that MBC makes world class brews. And this is one that fits the bill entirely. The beer pours a golden, amber color with minimal head. On the get go, this West Coast style IPA is extremely fragrant. The tropical notes, in particular pineapples, are very apparent on the nose. Such a profile is indicative of the use of Mosaic and Citra hops. On the palate, the brew is frothy with decent structure. Bubbles are fine and the mousse is delicate. Just like the nose, the palate is on the sweet side with plenty of tropical fruits and bread malts. What impresses me the most is the balance. Everything, from acidity to astringency, is in perfect proportion. The end is yeasty as the brew ends in a pine-ladden, citrus-forward finish. There even is a touch of smoke which gives the brew substance. Absolutely delicious. 94
Firestone Walker Brewing Company Wookey Jack, ABV 8.3%, Black Rye IPA, California
This pours a jet black color, completely devoid of any bubbles. Judging from the appearance, there is plenty of viscosity from this black ale. On the nose, this brew yields plenty of roasted malts, char, toasted oak, malts, spice, brown sugar and even anise. While the brew has minimal head, it boasts plenty of bubbles on the palate. The structure is expansive as it is generous. The flavor profile is exactly what I would expect - coffee, pine, black toffee and herbs. Toasty and smoky, the beer even offers smoked meats and leather. All these are balanced by precise hoppiness and astringency. Although the finish is a bit short, the smoke-ladden profile is simply perfect for the weather. Wonderful stuff. 92
2016 Young Master Ales Mio (Whiskey Barrel Aged), ABV 9.5%, Belgian Quadrupel, Hong Kong
This is my first time trying local brews from Hong Kong. And I have to say I am sorely disappointed. Marketed as a limited series beer, the Young Master Mio (Bottle 610/940) pours a jet black color with minimal bubbles. The lacing is quite nice around the edges. On the nose, the beer offers plenty of oak, along with oak char, vanilla, toasted marshmallows, coffee and butterscotch. For a Belgian Quad, I find the 9.5% ABV lacking. And this is exactly what I feared in the structure. Despite the bubbles, the palate is thin and not as creamy as I had hoped. It simply does not live up to the yeastiness nor the winter-warming-ability of this style. While I still get malts, cereals, bourbons, vanilla and raisins on the palate, the finish is short and somewhat muted. In addition, the beer is very spicy in the finish, which begs me to question the balance in this brew. I am sure it has seen better days. Meanwhile, stick to the Rochefort 12, or better yet, Westvletern 12. 80
2015 Avery Brewing Samael's Ale, English Barley Wine, ABV 14.6%, English Barleywine, Colorado
With two years of age, the beer expectedly pours a dark, densely opaque amber color with barely any head. Upon pouring, the oak chips and charred vanilla immediately leap out from the glass. With that comes plenty of smoke, bourbon, coffee beans and vanilla. A touch of tangerine provides levity to the nose. Such a powerful, pungent nose. The palate is equally thick, much like that of syrup made of brown sugar. The structure is immensely generous and boozy. This helps accentuate the flavor profile of brown sugars, malts, buttered biscuits, toasted oak and currants. The finish is equally smoky and saccharine. I almost feel like I am drinking smoky coffee doused with syrup made from brown sugar. While I appreciate the effort, in which everything is taken to the extreme, the beer is too strong and too sweet for me. Would be better if there is more balance. For what it is, it almost reminds me of the over-extraction and overuse of oak that exist in plenty of Californian wine. 86
2015 Dogfish Head 120 Minute IPA, ABV 18%, Imperial IPA, Delaware
With an additional year of aging, this is now showing much better than last year. This monster pours a orange, ombre color with minimal head, no less because of the immensely high alcohol percentage. On the nose, the beer is fragrant and boasts plenty of pine, citrus and biscuit malts. Tertiary notes of leather and sugarcane are starting to pop up as well. On the palate, the structure is unctuous and surprisingly cool despite the high alcohol percentage. In fact, the beer masks the alcohol very well with the lack of heat on the palate. Just like the nose, the flavors are dominated with pine, cirus zest and sweet yeasty malts. The ending is very long and there is a smoky kick to it too. Starting to drink really well now. I wonder how the 2014 would taste compared to this with another year of aging too. 99
Buxton Brewery Omnipollo Yellow Belly, ABV 11.0%, Imperial Stout, United Kingdom
The bottle looks like it just came out from a KKK rally. This is ironic as the beer is brewed to combat "institutionalized racism". As such, this is "brewed to celebrate open-mindedness". For example, it is a peanut butter biscuit stout with no biscuits, butter nor nuts. This is a very interesting brew as it pours a jet black color akin to oil. It barely has any legs. I am generally impartial to stouts as it is not a genre I like. But I absolutely love this one. The peanut butter is so extremely pungent on the get go. With it is a supporting cast of toasty malts, toasted peanuts, weed, caramel, dark chocolate and coffee. The peanut butter really adds a funky, yet childhood-friendly memory component to the nose. On the palate, the structure is rich, generous and toasty. Carbonation is fine as the high alcohol brings forth flavors of rich toffee, burnt chocolate, s'mores, and peanut butter. It is almost like drinking a liquid butter finger. Finish is long and redolent of Reese's cups. Very enjoyable, yet very heavy and rich at the same time. This is outrageously wonderful stuff. 97
Well...this packaging.
Buxton Brewery Omnipollo Yellow Belly Sundae, ABV 12.0%, Imperial Stout, United Kingdom
If the previous one is of any indication, this is Yellow Belly on steroids. Just like the previous one, this brew pours a thick, jet black color almost akin to jet fuel. It likewise lacks the heady amidst the alcohol and oil-like body. There is minimal lacing, nonetheless. On the nose, the pungency is impressive. Peanut butter takes a backseat in this as chocolates and whiskey take the spotlight. Along with them comes vanilla, roasted malts, booze, and biscuits. Hell, the alcohol is front and center in this. On the palate, the beer is like oil - slick and rich. At the same time, the heat is particularly noticeable too. Flavor-wise, it is similar to the nose. There are plenty of peanuts, oak, chocolate syrup, coffee and toasted marshmallows. Compared to the previous, I almost find this too sickly sweet. Finish is particularly vinous, smoky and sweet. This is certainly over-the-top. While I do enjoy this, more balance would have bumped this from a good beer to an exceptional brew. 95
And with that, we blew off 2016. Here we come, 2017. Looking forward to the next year's already.