Smuttynose Brewing Company - Smuttynose Winter Ale

Serving Type: 12 oz. bottle, poured into a plastic cup

This Winter seasonal from New Hampshire-based Smuttynose pours a rich mahogany body with a tawny, warming glow. The moderately-sized tan head is made of a frothy foam and features medium retention and solid lacing. Chocolately aroma matches earthy hops and a very mild smoke. Moderate spiciness rounds out the nose and builds further on the Wintery theme.

The beer is spicy up front with velvety carbonation. Roasted malts are impressive and despite the carbonation the beer seems silky smooth. Earthy and nicely smoky, the beer is no smoke bomb, but satisfyingly complex. The finish is dry and layered with dark flavors and a lingering smoke and light sweetness.

Final Verdict: B+

"Blue Moon Brewing Company" a/k/a Coors Brewing Company - Blue Moon Winter Abbey Ale

Brewed In: Boulder, CO
Serving Type: 12 oz. bottle, poured into a plastic cup

Among a number of seasonals from Blue Moon Brewing Company (ahem) Coors comes the Blue Moon Winter Abbey Ale. The beer, fashioned after a Beligan dubbel, pours a crystal-clear, medium-brown body with a ruby glow. The head is a large creamy yellowed tan with solid retention. It leaves layers of lace at the top of the glass (err, plastic cup). A big malty nose features minor grassiness on the back end. Mild toasted caramel notes are slightly soured by graininess. Overall it seems fairly dry with a slight sweet kick.

Carbonation is big and crisp up front, but yields to a light wateriness. The beer seems more like a brown ale than a Belgian dubbel or abbey ale. There's a light earthiness with mild wood notes and a faded hint of chocolate. Malts take the center stage, but remain underwhelming. They're thin with a lagery base malt undertone. The finish is mildly medicinal with a dry sweetness.

Final Verdict: C*

* - While I think this is a better beer, I gave a C to the regular Blue Moon Belgian White as well. I think that this Winter Seasonal is a bit better as beers go, but not quite enough to earn it a C+. It is a far cry from a Belgian Dubbel, but it is functional as a brown ale, and not what I'd call bad at that.

The Bruery - Mischief

Serving Type: 750ml bottle, poured into a 25cl glass


This Belgian-style Strong Pale Ale from The Bruery pours a hazy glowing orange body, very light in appearance. Light floating yeast sediment is bumped about by continually rising streams of carbonation. The airy white foam head musters excellent retention and leaves large chunky swathes of lace on the glass as it fades. The nose is sweet and very spicy. Sweet and tart grape-like notes contrast the cellary and dusty aromas.

The mouthfeel is light and airy with crisp, playful carbonation that leaves the beer almost evaporating on the tongue. Despite the robust nose, the flavor is very mild overall. Light malts are golden with a dusting of dry hops. A mild spritz of citrus refreshes the palate. The finish is tingling, yet dry and almost incidental seeming. A mild chest heat finishes off the beer. Despite the bold flavor profile the beer is mild and almost reserved.


Final Verdict: A-

Victory Brewing Company - Golden Monkey

Purchased From: Spiritus Wines
Serving Type: 750 ml bottle, poured into a goblet

Golden Monkey from Victory Brewing Company pours a light orange body with mild golden-yellow undertones. The body is hazy and topped by a creamy and voluminous white head of foam. The head has excellent retention and leaves elegant wisps of lacing on the glass. The nose is spicy with minor citrus aromatics. Coriander and a very modest clove mix with the beer's significant malt base and moderate sweetness.

Velvety crisp carbonation greets the tongue on the first sip and produces an airy mouthfeel that dispels some of the beer's alcohol. Big sweet malts are tempered by the traditional witbier-type spices and hints of cracked white pepper. Dry aromatic hops cut through the malts as well. Minor earthy tones meld with the dry finish and the beer departs with a minor chest warming feeling. The beer isn't bursting with as much flavor as many other tripels, but is a very solid entry from Victory.

Final Verdict: B

Bierbrouwerij de Koningshoeven - Tilburg's Dutch Brown Ale

Purchased From: Harvest Fine Wines & Spirits
Serving Type: 330 mL bottle, poured into a tulip glass

Koningshoeven is the only certified Trappist brewery in the Netherlands and produces most of its beers under the brand La Trappe. Tilburg's Dutch is the exception and features and eyecatchingly-bizarre label design. The beer's deep brown body and ruby glow give it an appearance of a magnificent mahogany. Despite its depth, the beer is crystal clear. The light tan medium-to-large head is mildly creamy and its moderate retention leaves a ring of lace around the glass. The nose is lightly earthy and slightly nutty for a classic brown ale nose. Caramel and toffee notes add a light sweetness atop minor coffee-like hints. 

Terrific Belgian-style yeast adds a cellary must edge to the beer and sets Tilburg's dutch far apart from most other typical brown ales. The toasted malts are prominent and provide a mild woodiness and extensive sweet caramel notes. The beer is highly drinkable, but not overly crisp. The carbonation is somewhat tempered and the beer finishes with a lingering dryness.

Final Verdict: A-

Brewery Ommegang - BPA - Belgian-style Pale Ale

Purchased From: Harvest Fine Wines & Spirits
Serving Type: 12 oz. bottle, poured into a tulip glass

The Belgian-style Pale Ale from Ommegang, the brewery that does everything 'Belgian-style' pours a hazy orange body with a warm golden glow. Rushing carbonation rises from the center of the glass. The head is massive, emphasized by the shape of the tulip glass. The foam is airy and cloud-like in off-white with large carbonation bubbles. The spicy nose is accentuated on the head of the beer and carries oily orange peel essence.

BPA comes off fresh, despite its huge spicy notes. Coriander is paired citrusy orange sweetness. Fresh malts provide a sweetness to balance the spice character to create an herbal and leafy characteristic to the beer. Meanwhile, dry hops add big aromatics. The mouthfeel is crisp with solid carbonation, but surprisingly leads to a slick finish that is slightly boozy with a bit of backend heat. The beer is very drinkable, but not exactly in the sessionable range.

Final Verdict: A-

Birrifico le Baladin - Super Baladin Ale

Purchased From: Harvest Fine Wines & Spirits
Serving Type: 8.45 oz. bottle, poured into a tulip glass

This interesting Italian take on a Belgian strong ale comes in an uniquely-shaped and disappointingly-small 8.45 oz. bottle. The beer pours a fuzzy amber cider with a fine yeast suspension and gently rising carbonation. The head is a fluffy light tan made of fine carbonation bubbles. The retention is solid for the original size, but leaves very little lacing behind. The nose is slightly spicy with a huge white grape juice component. Light candied fruit notes show the beer's significant Belgian influences.

The beer is lightly earthy with a gritty grain texture. It's very sweet up front with apricots and dried fruit essence. The beer is fairly complex and spicy with just a hint of alcohol. The finish is slightly thin, but it delivers a lasting bouquet of mild citrus notes and a considerable winey character. Expensive for sure, but worth a try for this rare import.

Final Verdict: B+

Allagash Brewing Company - Tripel

Purchased From: Harvest Fine Wines & Spirits
Serving Type: 12 oz. bottle, poured into a goblet

On recommendation from a friend and reader, Julie Markus, I picked up a four-pack of Allagash's Tripel. Being a fan of Allagash White, it didn't take much convincing to buy some of this beer. The beer pours a hazy, light orange with a fine yeast suspension. The head is thin, but creamy with light retention. The lacing is broad and chunky. The nose is sweet and citrusy with spicy notes. Prominent coriander with a slight hint of lavender adds pleasant depth to the aroma.

The beer is sweet up front and clearly strong. This is an excellent tripel that manages its 9% ABV quite well. Three's a fruity tone to the beer and the spiciness develops an herbal balance to the powerful malts and alcohol. It's smooth with a clean mouthfeel that makes it refreshing and highly drinkable. There's a barely perceptible hint of leafy green vegetables on the finish with lasting spiciness and hints of alcohol.

Final Verdict: A

Harpoon Brewery - Harpoon Leviathan - Quad

Purchased From: Harvest Fine Wines & Spirits
Serving Type: 12 oz. bottle, poured into a snifter

Harpoon's 11.75% ABV quadrupel comes from their Leviathan series of beers. It pours a deep mahogany with a radiating ruby gleam. The tan head is moderate in size with a short-lived retention. It sticks around for a while as a thin layer of foam clinging to the top of the beer. As with most strong ales, the lacing here is nearly nonexistent. There's a potent sweetness on the nose with a yeasty Belgian must. A moderate spiciness adds a hint of depth.

There's only modest alcohol on the foretaste with heaps of very sweet dark fruits. The overt sugariness is tempered slightly by a peppery and complex spiciness. The beer is extremely sweet, but not cloying. The commanding nature of the beer's toothsome nature comes in part from the addition of Belgian Dark Candi Syrup. The finish is clean but carries a significant warming alcohol that heats the chest.

Final Verdict: A-

Kiuchi Brewery - Hitachino Nest Ancient Nipponia

Purchased From: Harvest Fine Wines & Spirits
Serving Type: 550 mL bottle, poured into a tulip glass

Ancient Nipponia is a limited release from the Japanese Kiuchi Brewery, which was unfortunately damaged in the recent disasters in Japan.* The beer comes in a very interesting deep green tinted 550 mL bottle. The Japanese take on a Belgian Pale Ale is very yellowy on the pour, but results in a glowing and radient gold beer. It is very hazy with floating yeast and a huge creamy off-white head with excellent retention. The nose is spicy with a light yeasty dust. Citrus notes are huge and give the beer a fruity and bright appeal. There's a nice even sweetness to round off the aroma.

The body seems initially thin, but a bit of aeration lends itself to a more full-bodied mouthfeel. There's a slight lagery character to the beer. Big honey sweetness defines the foretaste. The hop character is unique and gave me a lot of trouble in defining its qualities. The beer is brewed with the rare Sorachi hop varietal that seems present throughout. Notes of sweet rice with toasted sesame seeds lend this beer a squarely Japanese edge.

The hops carry through to the finish providing for a very interesting and unique finale. On the back end there's a slight banana character and perceptible Belgian saison-like qualities. The beer is tasty and extremely drinkable, but doesn't really seem like a true Belgian Pale Ale, it is, however, a very interesting take on the style. It's a bit too pricey for my tastes, but it is still worth checking out this limited release beer, if you can find a bottle.

Final Verdict: B+

*The brewery was damaged in the initial earthquake that struck Japan last month. However, it appear as if the damage was not too significant to shutter the facility. For the time being it looks as if exports of beer from the brewery are on hold. While in the stages of recovery, the brewery has taken to bottling water for those left displaced or otherwise affected by the disaster.

Dogfish Head Craft Brewery - Raison D'Être

Purchased From: Beltway Fine Wine
Serving Type: 12 oz. bottle, poured into a goblet

Can Dogfish's "Raison D'Être" really live up to its self-prescribed position as a reason to live? It's a tall order, but seems more like a clever play on words, just to let you know that it's brewed with raisins. The beer pours a rich mahogany with a ruby glow. The head is a thin, light tan that is similarly light on retention and lacing.

The nose is quite sweet, but carries some earthy tones as well. The raisins are notably present in the nose, assuring your of their presence. Teaming up, a bit of dark cherry perfume makes it through the malts as well. The mouthfeel is initially silky, but quite subdued and very light on carbonation. There's a brown sugar edge to the beer which is prominent, but straddles the border with cloying. There's a clear Belgian influence here. As the beer rounds out a bit of spice and alcohol develop on the finish.

Final Verdict: B-

Brewery Ommegang - Rare Vos

Purchased From: Beltway Fine Wine
Serving Type: 12 oz. bottle, poured into a tulip glass

After the Abbey Ale and Hennepin, Rare Vos, the Belgian Dark Ale from Ommegang, promises another great performance from the New York-based, abbey-inspired brewer. The beer pours a hazy copper brown with a radiant orange glow. There's a healthy head of yellowed foam with a creamy consistency. The lacing was light overall, but elegant in its presentation. The nose is highly aromatic with spices and a mild dustiness. A minor clove element plays with a light, but floral, hopping and mild phenols.

The beer is sweet and fruity up from. The carbonation is huge and tingly and makes the beer extremely crisp and drinkable, but avoids reducing the overall flavor. The clove and spices come through from the nose nicely and mix with mild banana for a very tasty beer. The finish has an interesting, almost coarse texture and supports a mild, slowly growing heat.

Final Verdict: A

Brewery Ommegang - Hennepin

Purchased From: Beltway Fine Wine
Serving Type: 12 oz. bottle, poured into a tulip glass

Ommegang is back with two more beers this week after making a brief appearance during the first week of this blog's active life. Today is Hennepin, the Belgian-inspired Saison from the New York brewery. The beer pours a hazy, light yellow straw with a huge, rushing active carbonation from the center of the glass. The airy white head is massive with large carbonation bubbles for a light and fluffy consistency. The retention is excellent and leaves thick and chunky lacing on the glass.

The nose is spicy and complex with a cellary must. The Belgian-influence is abundantly clear, making for a very promising American take on a traditional style. The beer is very spice oriented off the front, with an extremely crisp mouthfeel. Mid-palate the beer seems to turn silky allowing its delicate and nuanced notes to shine through. Lemon and citrus make the beer extremely refreshing. The beer is dry for the finish and its alcohol seems to peak late. It comes through a bit stronger than I would've liked, even for a 7.7% ABV. While it seems like the heat could be managed a bit better in such a distinctive beer, this remains an extremely solid American Saison-style beer.

Final Verdict: B+

Flying Dog Brewery - Raging Bitch Belgian-style IPA

Purchased From: Harvest Fine Wines & Spirits
Serving Type: 12 oz. bottle, poured into a tulip glass

Another bold beer from Flying Dog, this vulgar brew is an American-made, Belgian-inspired take on the india pale ale. It pours a surprisingly crystal clear orange-tinted amber body with quite high active carbonation. The head is of healthy size with a yellowed hue. Orchestrated by a light crackling sound, the foam slowly dissipates and leaves bits of lace on the glass. The nose of the beer is very hoppy with some underlying and slightly doughy malts. The 'Belgian' component also comes through on the nose with a slight musty character and minor coriander spicing. There are definite hints of the popular Belgian Witbier style to be found here.

The hops are bitter with a certain acidity. The sticky sweet malts only barely eek out beneath the hops. The beer seems quite strong, but not really heated. It's clear, though, that the considerable hopping is masking some of the beer's 8.3% ABV. As it spends some time open and warming, the beer seems to open up a bit allowing some of the caramel nuance to make an appearance. The finish is slightly herbal and spicy, but the Witbier-like qualities of the nose seem largely lost on the tasting. I think it's less lack of attention to detail that understates the Belgian influence, but that the tremendous hop character of a powerful IPA tends to dominate the palate, leaving little room for subtlety.

Final Verdict: B+

Stoudts - Triple

Stoudts - Triple

Purchased From: Harvest Fine Wines & Spirits

Serving Type: 12 oz. bottle, poured into a goblet

Stoutds’ Triple is a take on the strong Belgian style and pours a slightly burnt orange body with a heavy white head that doesn’t last for long. The cloudy beer is diffuse with floating yeast. The nose is very sweet with some typical Belgian spices including coriander and some orangey citrus aroma. It smells a bit like a witbier, but with alcoholic fumes evaporating from the glass.

There’s a nice upfront spiciness and the beer is initially sweet, but borders heavily on cloying. The alcohol heat steps in early, and nearly crushes all of the flavor in the beer. After the bombardment the mouthfeel seems to go a bit flat and watery. Both the finish and the aftertaste are alcoholic and unpleasant. One thing most good Belgian Tripels do is mask their considerable alcohol content with malts, hops, and spice. This one can’t seem to come close to that achievement.

Final Verdict: D

Brooklyn Brewery - Brooklyn Local 2

Brooklyn Brewery - Brooklyn Local 2

Purchased From: Copaco Liquors & Fine Wines

Serving Type: 750 mL bottle, corked and caged, poured into a snifter

The Local 2 from Brooklyn is the Dark companion to the Local 1. This take on a Belgian Strong Dark Ale is more than competent, like its lighter counterpart. It pours a dark earthen hazy brown with a thin tan head. The retention is modest and there’s not much lacing, but that doesn’t detract. The sticky sweet alcoholic nose is rife with figs and dates and a moderate dusting of yeast.

Dark fruits combine with an alcoholic spiciness to create a pleasant warming feeling that makes this a great cool-weather beer. Raw honey and molasses sugar sweeten the hefty ale nicely. The crisp, dancing carbonation, creates a refreshing mouthfeel despite the domineering character of this beer. Another great entry from Brooklyn Brewery.

Final Verdict: A-

Brooklyn Brewery - Brooklyn Local 1

Brooklyn Brewery - Brooklyn Local 1

Purchased From: Copaco Liquors & Fine Wine

Serving Type: 750 mL bottle with cork & cage, poured into a snifter

I reviewed the collaboration between Brooklyn Brewery and G. Schneider & Sohn, but this is the first review of a beer directly from Brooklyn. The Brooklyn Local 1 is the brewery’s interpretation of a Belgian Strong Pale Ale, and it’s great.

The hazy pale gold body has a subdued reg blow with a large frothy while head and excellent retention. The lacing on this one is great as well. The nose is characterized by bright fruits and a bit of yeast. A sweetness comes into play with delicate apricots and layers of spice.

The beer has a light and airy mouthfeel, but has a mild alcoholic tinge (9% ABV). The flavor is dense and fruity with peppery tones. Along with the pepper comes a light spicing of clove and bits of ginger. Also present are suggestions of vanilla. Crisp apples accompany a light Champagne-like character. This beer is delicious and saunters out with a dry bitter finish.

Final Verdict: A

Samuel Adams - White Ale

Samuel Adams - White Ale

Purchased From: Harvest Fine Wines & Spirits

Serving Type: 12 oz. bottle, poured into a mug

Samuel Adams White Ale is the Boston Beer Company’s take on a traditional Belgian witbier. It pours the requisite light yellow body, but comes with plenty of orange tones and a moderate haze. This one doesn’t cloud quite as well as Hoegaarden or Allagash White. The medium head is slightly creamy and carries a medium retention. The slightly astringent malt nose also packs an orangey citrus aroma and mild hops, clove and white pepper.

Unlike some other Belgian-style ales, the foam doesn’t impart a ton of flavor here. Wheat malts are vibrant and very citrusy. The sweetness is pleasant and clean. Unfortunately, the mouthfeel and the finish are both a tad too watery for my taste. The spices come through in the end, to the rescue of this beer. The salvation is a bit short-lived as the spices meet a blandish aftertaste.

Final Verdict: B-

Allagash - White

Allagash - White

Purchased From: Harvest Fine Wines & Spirits

Serving Type: 12 oz. bottle, poured into a mug

Allagash White is an excellent example of a Belgian White Ale, except that it is from Maine! One quick note, make sure to give this beer a proper pour for full effect and flavor. Pour about four fifths into the glass then give the last fifth a vigorous swirl in the bottle and top off your glass. This adds to the appearance considerably and rounds off the taste nicely.

The body is extremely yellow, nearly florescent, but with a silky and milky complexion. There’s plenty of frothy white foam head with solid retention. Not a whole lot in the way of lacing here, but still a pleasant looking beer. The nose is spicy and malty. It’s at once refreshing and complex.

The wheat malt is sweet and mildy tart. Before topping off the beer with the last bit of yeast and sediment the tartness is much more pronounced. Not off-putting, but not as nicely mellowed. There are citrus fruit notes to be picked up as well. The spices, which seem to include coriander, clove, and pepper make up a considerable amount of the flavor here and complete this beer very well. 

Final Verdict: A-

Empire Brewing Company - White Aphro

Empire Brewing Company - White Aphro

Consumed at: Empire Brewing Company brewpub in Syracuse, NY

Serving Type: On tap at the brewpub, poured into a pint glass

Empire Brewing Company is a restaurant and pub in Armory Square in Syracuse, NY. They’ve got an extremely varied menu of foods made up of largely locally-sourced ingredients. They’ve also got a brewing operation at the location, which produces many interesting, and differently-styled ales and lagers. First, I had their India Pale Ale, a straightforward IPA, with tons of hops, a cloudy body, and a solid crisp finish. After the meal I ordered their White Aphro Belgian-styled ale.

White Aphro is a Belgian-style take on their Aphrodisiac Ale. This beer is brewed using a Belgian yeast strain and includes wheat malts to produce the distinctive Belgian White flavor. Like the non-Belgian variety, this White version includes prevalent ginger and lavender notes. During the brewing process the ingredients are added to provide a very powerful, but not overblown, complexity of flavor.

While strong, the White Aphro is not overbearing, crisp, and highly drinkable. There’s a slight astringency to the aftertaste, similar to what you might notice in other wheat ales. Worth checking out if you’re in the area, they’ve got a rotating menu of beers brewed on-site.