High Octane Ales and Beers: A Recent Tasting
by Ed Young (Photos by Jerry Hall)
Frugal MacDoogal's Monthly Guest Wine Letter October, 2005
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If you’ve been in the store lately, you’re sure to have noticed the large new shelves devoted to high-end, high-alcohol beers and ales. This is the fastest growing segment of the malt beverage market, and Frugal’s has taken notice.
These “boutique” micro-brews are on the wine/liquor side of the store because their alcohol content is in excess of the 6% limit for classification as beer.
One hot day last month, just to try something different, John, Derek, and I got together to taste eight of the best. As at wine tastings, we started with the lightest brews first and saved the heaviest for last. I have long been fond of beers and ales, but this tasting was a real eye opener that introduced me to a new dimension of enjoyment. Here are the brews we tried and the tasting notes. (Click on any small bottle for a larger image.) |
 | | Baltica Extra Pale Beer. Russia, 8.0 % alcohol. Russia is not noted for its brewing tradition, but this light beer was quite the best that anyone had tasted from this country. The hops are much in evidence, but there is no bitterness. The finish is far more satisfying than that of other pale ales that the group had tried. Just a bit sweet at the end, but not excessively so. $1.99 for 16.9 oz. bottle.
Stone India Pale Ale. California (San Diego). 6.9% alcohol. This one had an awesome aroma! Big mouth taste, and big hops on the finish. Not overly bitter-more floral or citrus-like. The critics on the Opinionated Beer Page (website) called this one “fantastic”, and added that Stone’s has the best brewery in the U.S. right now. They gave this a score of 8 on a scale of 10. $4.29 for 22 oz. bottle. |  |
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Georg Schneider’s Wiesen Edel-Weisse Hefe-Weizen. Germany, 6.2% alcohol. This is a big organic beer made with wheat. Somewhat rustic aroma, with nice effervescence. Pretty color, nice and cloudy. Yeasty and flavorful, with a big clove taste on the finish. $2.99 for 16.9 oz. bottle.
Chimay Red Label Trappist Ale. Belgium, 7.0% alcohol. Trappist monks have been brewing ales for centuries and, by law, only those that are actually made in the monastery can use the Trappist name on the label. This one, made from a recipe said to be 800 years old, is nice and sweet, and the lightest of the three Chimay ales. Wonderful gold, coppery color with a creamy head and a slight hint of apricots. Very smooth. $3.29 for 11 oz. bottle; $7.29 for 25.4 oz. bottle. |  |
 | | Old Jock Dark Amber. Scotland, 6.7% alcohol. In the interest of full disclosure, I am Scottish on my mother’s side. I’ve come to admire both of Scotland’s national beverages, and this is one of the best of the brews. It is hardy and malty, with just a hint of mocha. Very smooth, with a wonderful lingering finish. If you can’t be in the Highlands, drinking this is the next best thing. Needless to say, my personal favorite. $4.49 for a 16.9 oz. bottle.
Celebrator Dopplebock. Germany, 6.7% alcohol. Strong aroma; so rich and malty it is almost “chewy”. This beer has a thick, fluffy head and is loaded with flavor. Very dark amber brown with a hint of raisins and other fruity aromas. Big taste- a little heavier than the previous entries. The critics say that this one sets the standard for judging all other “double bock” beers. They give it a perfect “10”. Enough said. $12.99 for a 4-pack of 11.2 oz. bottles. |  |
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Corsendonk Abbey Brown Ale. Belgium, 7.5% alcohol. There is a lot going on with this ale. A robust dark amber, it is yeasty, malty, fruity, and slightly smoky. The incredible finish is reminiscent of raisins, dark chocolate, and port. Corsendonk also brews a pale ale that we didn’t taste, but which comes highly recommended. Derek, the real beer guru of the tasting group, ranked this as his #1 choice. $3.49 for a 12 oz. bottle; $9.99 for a 25.4 oz. bottle. (750 ml.)
Lion Stout. Sri Lanka (formerly Ceylon), 8.0 % alcohol. I had no idea we would find a stout of this quality from such an obscure country. The label notes that this brew has won 5 international gold medals! This was last on the menu because it was the biggest, richest, and darkest beer we tasted. It had a pronounced coffee taste with a slight hint of chocolate on the finish. John has been stocking this one at home and he ranked it his #1 favorite. Delicious, but not for the faint of palate. $2.99 for a 22 oz. bottle, or $7.99 for a 6-pack of 12 oz. bottles. |  |
This was a real learning experience for someone who has been writing only about wines. These brews are relatively hard to find, and are much sought after by aficionados, not only in Middle Tennessee, but even from nearby states! They are flying off the shelves. I learned that beer drinkers have palates too, and that many of the tasting notes we used to describe these brews, are similar to those in wine tasting. I learned, too, that there are as many variations among beers and ales as for wines regarding color, viscosity, “nose”, finish, etc. These beers and ales are a bit pricier than what you may be accustomed to, but they are unique, limited production malt beverages, not to be confused with everyday run-of-the-mill brews.
If you’ve been drinking brands such as Samuel Smith, Sierra Nevada, or Anchor Steam (sold on the beer side of Frugal’s), come on over to the other side and try some of these, or some of the others we didn’t have time to include. There are many more choices than we could handle at one sitting.
Derek or John will be happy to discuss your preferences and to recommend something that you’re sure to enjoy.
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