Tag Archives: World beers

Brewdog Lost

Brewdog Lost

Brewdog Lost Planet First Lager

www.brewdog.com

Brewed by BrewDog
Style: German Pilsner
Ellon, Aberdeenshire, Scotland

Brewdog. The two lads from Scotland that have set the craft beer world alight. Started in April 2007 by two good friends James Watt and Martin Dickie, BrewDog is a British multinational brewery and pub chain based in Ellon, Scotland.

Brewdog LostStarting small to eventually becoming a bit of a sensation in the brewing world, with all sorts of high jinks and marketing bull. To their credit they have always tried to push the boat out with exciting and innovative styles, using a wide array of mad and exotic ingredients from chilli, honey, chocolate, hemp, and mustard to name but a few.  And generally, they do tend to get the basics right……IE. their beers are actually quite bloody good, continuing to rake up a tonne of awards and prizes all over the globe.

Third time having a brew from those Scottish whippersnappers, having had their 5 A.M. Saint a while back which I found to be disappointingly very bland all things considering, but their Brewdog Punk IPA was simply FANTASTIC, easily making my top ten of all time….its tropical fruits really adding to the flavours and setting it apart from more regular IPA’s. Recommended. So lets see how the LP First lager gets on……….

Review: 440ml can of Brewdog Lost Planet First Lager: 4.5% vol.

In some places can gets cans with 4.7% volume, and there is also a non alcoholic version which amazingly only has 10 calories in it per 100ml, WOW!. 

Brewdog LostAs per usual one has to wade thought the usual PR and woke nonsense from Brewdog. From the can we get all this………“United we stand for better beer, fiercely defiant and independent”, 
“The worlds first carbon negative beer”, “brewed with surplus fresh bread”, “using 1/3 less water”, “powered by Brewdog wind turbines”, “plant trees, the lost forest in the Scottish highlands is an reforestation plan to help create a carbon clean planet” and this lovely gem….“by drinking this beer you are having a positive impact on the planet”. How about fuck off.

So basically the spiel is that its the ultimate ECO-Friendly beer…..windpower/recycling/less resources/ etc etc……..great, ha. And for the name Lost Lager, it is the return of what lagers should be like, long lost but now thanks to Brewdog, back again……clever eh? Meh!

On pour, getting a clear, light golden coloured brew with a very nice frothy white head that has good retention. Looks very good it has to be said. 5 out of 5 for the appearance.

Looks good, and also leaves some decent lacing behind. Nice.  

Light and faint smell, floral hops, but very, very faint. Not much at all on the nose, mild. 

Brewdog LostOnto the taste. A very light and smooth tasting lager taste, lovely and crisp on the tongue, very clean. Nothing too heavy or tinty, all clean and smooth. Hops on the low level and well balanced. 

A very good clean tasting lager that hits all the right notes. Lovely crispy mouthfuls. Yes top marks again to the Brewdog lads, nothing amazing but for a lager it does the job. 

Getting the malted barley, some earthy hops, and some fruit and citrus notes of apple and pear. Using both German saphir hops which give it its fruity kick, and German yeast giving its clean crisp, and lager taste. 

Very smooth, refreshing and a solid lager. Nothing that’s going to knock you out of your seat, but its simplicity that is the key here. Very drinkable. 

As usual and I have said it before, if they could cut out all the woke bull crap and just sell it as a normal top quality lager. I liked this beer a lot, not a huge array of flavours but its a simple lager and a very solid effort and it works. Will return again……

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Solothurner “Oufi” Rotbier

Solothurner “Oufi” Rotbier.

Solothurner “Oufi” Rotbier  

www.oeufi-bier.ch/bier/

Brewed by Öufi Brauerei
Style: Rotbier
Solothurn, Switzerland

A family run brewery from the small picturesque town of Solothurn in the north-west of Switzerland by the banks of the Aare and on the foot of the Weissenstein Jura mountains.

Solothurner “Oufi” RotbierÖufi brewery, named after the “Solothurner city number 11”,  was founded on the 11th of November, in 2000 by Alex Künzle, who had had enough of his job as a mineral water sales manager and decided to concentrate on his passion, brewing beer, setting up the Öufi brewery.

The number 11 is everywhere in Solothurn. There are 11 fountains, chapels, churches and a clock with a face showing only 11 hours. No wonder the local brewery also bears the evocative name “Öufi”. But why 11?  Well Solothurn’s history is closely tied to the ‘holy’ number 11. and all of the towns residents, both young and old, regard the number 11 as magical or even sacred.

The Öufi brewers are a real beer family. Alex Künzle’s sons, Florian and Moritz, are also, like their father, involved in the brewing process while mother Barbara takes care of all the administration with daughter Sophie; and graphic designer Louise, the youngest of the Künzle children, designs the labels for the Öufi beers.

The family must be doing something right as they offload about 40 beers a year, from Helles, Pilsners, Rotbiers, Weizen, to a large variety of season beers, using local water from Solothurn and the best natural ingredients at hand.

At their brewery they offer guided tours, beer tastings and even a two day course in brewing. if that is too much for you, you can always relax in their own onsite pub and restaurant! 

Review: 33cl bottle of Solothurner “Ouf”Rotbier: 5% vol.

Solothurner “Oufi” RotbierOn the bottle it says this is a “bio” beer, whatever that means? I think organically friendly? 

On pour getting a very nice and big frothy head, lot of carbonation making the beer lively. Very golden coloured amber looking beer.

Once it all settles down, it all looks very appetizing. Nice colour and good looking. 

Smell is one of pure lager on the nose

Also getting a bit of wheat

Not a bad aroma, lagery, but is OK

Found the taste to be pretty bland, not getting a whole lot on the old tastebuds at all.

Solothurner “Oufi” RotbierTastes of toffee detected at times.and I am getting the hops, and I guess you can feel that it is an organic beer, but overall this is a pretty poor effort at a lager me thinks.

Not much flavour, no kick, not getting anything at all really. Very light beer.

Not nice at all and considering I bought it from the source (Solothurn) that is pretty disappointing.

Maybe I got a bad batch, but I couldn’t get anything from the few bottles I bought…..not a zilch, nothing…..

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Warka Strong

Warka Strong 

https://www.grupazywiec.pl/marki/warka/

Brewed by Browary Warka (Grupa Żywiec – Heineken)
Style: Strong Euro Lager 
Warka, Poland

Warka Strong 

The Warka Brewery is one of Poland’s oldest breweries and belongs to the Żywiec Group. Żywiec Group itself is majority owned by the Dutch Heineken Group.

The brewery is in Warka, a small town in east-central Poland, a location with centuries-old brewing traditions. In 1478 Bolesław V, the Mazovian Prince, reserved to Warka the exclusive privilege to supply beer to his court.

The current plant was opened in 1975, under the Zakłady Piwowarskie w Warszawie (Warsaw Brewing Industries) and in 1999, Warka Brewery was purchased by Grupa Żywiec S.A. The brewery was modernized in 2004 and now has a production capacity between 200-350 million litres annually.

Review: 500ml bottle of Warka Strong Beer: 6.3% vol.

The ABV may also be 6.5% in some outlets. Comes in cans, bottles and on draught. 

Warka Strong On the bottle there is a very distinctive portrait of General Pułaski, a Polish nobleman, soldier, and military commander, who was from Warka. He was driven into exile and ended up in North America to help in the American Revolutionary War where he distinguished himself throughout, most notably when he saved the life of George Washington. He has been called, together with his counterpart Michael Kovats de Fabriczy, “the father of the American cavalry.” as they created the Pulaski Cavalry Legion and reformed the American cavalry as a whole. A hero in both his native Poland, and in the USA. In any case, it looks pretty cool, and is a good look on the bottle.

On the pour I am getting a bloody good looking beer. In fact it looks magnificent, lovely sparkling amber colour with a decent sized head, which does die in time but the beer still keeps its inviting look. Not bad at all.

Smell is of the cheap lager variety, very faint, not a whole lot on the nose. Malted barley, caramel and yeast. 

Onto the taste……..initially I am liking it. Yes, its ok……as expected it is strong, and with a lot of sweet malts and grainy flavours……a little tough on the palate, but just about manageable.

Warka Strong Deep taste, and it does take a while to get the hang of it…….it is a strong Euro lager after all, not my most favourite type of beers…….but after enough of these, I eventually adapted to the kick and enjoyed this over time. 

Bit gassy and yeasty, but relatively,and I say relatively here, smooth considering its 6.5%. All a bit subtle. 

Taste is medium sweet to bitter, has a small kick in it but with a smooth finish. 

OK, passable, if you have enough of them!! I’d hazard to say this is one more for getting smashed than quality and sophistication. Decent.

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Manufaktura Piwna – Irish stout

Belfast Irish Stout

Manufaktura Piwna – Irish stout

https://jablonowo.pl

Brewed by Browar Jablonowo
Style: Irish Stout
Wólka Kosowska, Poland

Manufaktura Piwna – Irish stoutJabłonowo Brewery is a brewery established in 1992, located in the small village of Jabłonowo, north of Poland. The Brewery is one of the few Polish independent, and family-owned, breweries in the country.

Initially, they only produced for the local market but over time, and with it great success, it expanded the range of its distribution, where now the brand can be seen all across Poland. It mainly specializes in lagers, dark beers, and flavoured beers. 

Review: 500ml bottle of Marfaktura Piwna Irish Stout: 6.5% vol.

Manufaktura Piwna – Irish stoutOn the bottle, the lettering of “Belfast” stands out big and clear. Also “strong with stout” caught the eye……”Original recipe” and “1997”……all very interesting. 

Comes in bottles, cans and even on draught in certain places if you happen to be so lucky. 

On the pour I get the expected pitch black look of a stout, but with a smaller than expected head…….some activity here but it does die a death…which is a little disappointing. 

Getting a very strong aroma of chocolate, very strong on the nose.

Very strong smell of chocolate and roasted malts, very strong. I like it, its inviting and pleasant on the nose.

Onto the taste……initial impressions are this is not too bad. As an Irish guy with a love of the Guinness I am naturally wary of stouts that try to match up, but this is alright, a tad bitter but that’s ok and I am getting the coffee. 

Manufaktura Piwna – Irish stoutIts a little overbearing with the harsh tones, and it would be nicer to get a more balanced brew, but as I said, it is ok. And you get a lot in the bottle, which is always a bonus. 

Tastes a bit like treacle, all black chocolate syrup, with a molasses flavour. I like it. Coffee, chocolate and dark malts, all flavoured and strong.

I found overtime, it calmed down with the roasted bitterness less overpowering, very manageable, chocolate and coffee through out. Its a slow burner and the longer I drank it the more I grew to enjoy it. Did the business in the end, and I’d consider it good for a session. 

Surprisingly decent, not bad for the style.

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The Chimay Collection

The Chimay Collection

Bières de Chimay

https://chimay.com

Brewed by Bières de Chimay
Abbaye de Scourmont, Chimay, Belgium

Chimay is a Trappist Brewery produced at the Abbey of Our Lady of Scourmont, in the small town of Chimay, south west Belgium
It is one of six breweries in Belgium authorized to display the hexagonal Authentic Trappist Product logo guaranteeing that their products are made, on site, in a Trappist abbey, by or under the control of monks, operate as a non profit outfit and that part of the income from its marketing is devoted to charities.

In the summer of 1850, a small group of monks established a settlement on the wild plateau of Scourmont near Chimay. Around the monastery a farm, a cheese plant, a Church and Abbey came to be. Later using water drawn from the Abbey well, the monks started brewing in 1862. Today as one of the biggest Trappist breweries in the world, Chimay beers are now found all over the world, still operating out of the Scourmont Abbey under the supervision of the monks. 

The Chimay CollectionDuring World War II , the abbey was taken over by the Nazis who had the temerity to melt the brewing vats, the bastards! Luckily possession was restored after the War, but unfortunately the monks had to start everything afresh again as so much was destroyed. 

This coincided with Father Théodore De Haene, in 1948, attending the University of Louvain where he learned beer making with Professor De Clerck. Together, they create the new brewer’s yeast for future Chimay beers. And the rest they say is history! 

Their most well known beers are as follows….

• Chimay Bleue (brown – 9% Vol – 33 cl ), called Grande Réserve in 75 cl .
• Chimay Blanche (Triple) (blonde / amber – 8% Vol – 33 cl ), called Cinq Cents in 75 cl .
• Chimay Rouge (brown – 7% Vol – 33 cl ), called Première in 75 cl .
• Chimay Dorée (blonde – 4.8% Vol – 33 cl ), it is originally the table beer of the monks of the abbey.
• Chimay Bleue Aged in barrels (brown – 10%). 

I got their most iconic bottles in a three pack, its red, white and blue collection, with a branded tulip-shaped glass and each bottle has been cellared for about 2 years.

Review: 0,33l bottle of Chimay Biere Triple, a Tripel Trappist Ale (Blanche/White): 8% vol.

Chimay Biere TripleCan come in 33l or 75l bottles, or on tap if you are lucky enough to be in Belgium, and only from about 20 or so elite hostelries after having met the brewery’s strict criteria! Named Cinq Cents in the 75l bottles 

Has a massive score of 93 and with it an “Outstanding” remark, from a certain beer review site. I know this is bound to disappoint so, ha ha. 

Chimay beer is neither filtered nor pasteurized, also its a high fermentation beer that re-ferments in the bottle.

Decent frothy head on the pour, all fine, white and creamy looking, with an amber golden colour to the beer. Looks pretty fine in the appearance.

Biggish frothy head. Amber colour. Fine creamy head. Looks ok.

Chimay Biere TripleThe aroma has a very piercing smell, very strong on the nose, slightly citrusy and fruity esters, very strong, very yeasty with spicy hop aromas.

Onto the taste, oh wow, hit straight away with the taste, pretty hoppy for sure. That’s tough to stomach if I am honest. Earthy start, woody, barley malts from the beginning. Wheaty in the aftertaste too. 

Sweet tastes from the malts, then the yeast and the bitter hops, not very enjoyable, kind of tastes like a bad medicine to take, with bubbles. Their is some sort of balance there between the sweet and the bitter, and there are a wide array of flavours, just I didn’t like all that very much!

Chimay Biere TripleBitter tastes, urgh. Hoppy bite, very much so. Over more sips it becomes more manageable but its not very nice, not one to enjoy. Fruity tastes found, orange peel and citrus. 

I know this is very popular, but fuck me I found it very hard to drink, and couldn’t enjoy it at all.

Yeasty, very strong in the taste, and the alcohol at 8% kicks you right in the bollix. Didn’t find any balance between the hops and yeast. 

Not nice. Don’t like it, too harsh and not enjoying it at all. To all the fans sorry but I am just a regular beer drinker with a well worn out palate, simple tastes here, no pretensions, so the Belgian tripel’s are just not up my street… 

Review: 0,33l bottle of Chimay Biere Brune, a Brown Ale (Rouge/Red): 7% vol.

Chimay Red (Brune)Can come in 33l or 75l bottles but not on tap. Known as Première in 0.75l bottles, “Red Cap” in 0.33l. Bottle conditioned, in that Chimay Rouge is a high fermentation beer that re-ferments in the bottle, “beer fermented in the bottle”.

Another Chimay with a massive rating on that beer review site. Another “Outstanding” score. 

Chimay Red (Brune) is the oldest of the Chimay Trappist beers, first brewed back in 1862, but after WW2 it had slight tweaks in the flavour but still remaining true to the old recipes. 

Colour is of a dark brown appearance, with a very small dark chocolatey coloured tan head that didn’t fill the tulip glass which was a little disappointing, perhaps I didn’t pour it correctly.

Smell is piercing, the fruits, especially of apricots, attacking straight off the bat, but doesn’t last, also of sweet malts, and a yeasty aroma. Ok but light.

For the taste I am getting a very fruity flavour, light and not as hoppy as the Blue, more manageable for me anyway.

Chimay Biere BruneGetting caramel and brown sugar especially in the aftertaste, it lingers and hangs around on the tastebuds. 

Their blurb states that this should taste of a “fruity taste accompanied by a slight bitterness”, I would say that’s spot on. Mild bitterness and lots of dark fruits. Yeast and sweet malts found in the taste too. A lot of malt in fact!

Still a light kick with the alcohol, feeling it after, bit light in the head after a couple of these bad boys. 

Overall its ok, nothing amazing and to be honest I found it a little bit dull. 

By the end of the beers they did start to grow on me a little more, and I can see how they could be nice to relax with over a long night. I might return, not sure!    

Review: 0,33l bottle of Chimay Grande Réserve, a Strong Ale (Bleue / Blue) 9% vol.

Chimay Grande RéserveChimay Bleue which in the large 75 cl bottle is called “Grande Réserve, bottle conditioned. 

And another high ranking beer from Chimay on the old beer review sites, scored as World class on one……. Jesus they are fairly popular alright! 

On the pour, well fuck me, the carbonation is out of control, loads of it, not leaving a whole lot left in the glass to finish off when most of it is gone to the bubbles. FFS. 

When it all settles, a massive froth and creamy white head appears, with a dark purple look, like a plum. Looks pretty good once it all calms down. 

Very good lacing, all over the glass, expected what with all that foam.

Chimay Grande RéserveLeft the second one on the fridge for a bit to see if it made any difference to the pour. It did, much better on the pour, still though not getting the Chimay tulip glass full, which is a tad bit disappointing, and a much smaller head than the first bottle. Still creamy though and pitch black in colour. Looks very smart…

On the nose it is very, very fruity, getting a really nice aroma, very pleasant. Also hints of black currant/red berry/plums. 

Yeasty and dark malts, with toffee and caramel, lovely.  Nice on the nose.

Onto the taste, very, very sweet taste coming from the barley malts and caramel, also very hoppy, overly hopped, which I find pretty hard to digest. True to form, a Belgian sour. Also can get the dark fruits.

Later on it all goes a bit flat, and its another Belgian I can not seem to get acquainted with. Not enjoyable for me.

Chimay Grande RéserveThe yeast is also strong, hitting you near the end, bit light headed after these two bottles. I think if I had a good few of these in a pub I’d be off my head and I might even enjoy them! Very strong! 

Bit dry in the mouth. Like a red wine, a hard hitting version. Fruity, plumy and cherry kind of taste. My mother, a big red wine drinker, loved this beer. A glass of wine, but stronger.

Taste is so so but top marks to kickability, powerful stuff. Overall, by the end I did get into it a little more and started to enjoy it, so perhaps I need a crate of them to sample next time, over a long evening. Have to revisit then, perhaps a good beer to get for a special one off celebration or for Christmas.

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