Fitger's Apricot Wheat

Another one on tap (I'm fairly sure this is a regular) that I've had in a growler before. Really bad picture due to terrible lighting (again, the 10 seats at the bar were taken, and there is awful lighting everywhere else, especially at night), but, hey, just let me have this one, okay?
Notes from a growler in February, 2007:


Hazed dull orange, or more correct, apricot, under a 1/2" of bone white foam. Looks the part.

Straight up apricot aroma, with glimmers of citrus on the side, a trickle of lemon and orange.

Smooth, sweet, soft and fruity flavor. Mmmm, wheaty. Nice, creamy texture. That about says it all.

Light bodied, tasty, and terribly drinkable. I like this. Not my style so much anymore, but come July I'd fairly toss 'em back.

Fitger's Wildfire Lager

My last beer of the night last night was one I didn't want to have, but had to have. Just in order to share these notes with you. As you may or may not know, my intention with this blog is to share what I'm drinking now, even if the notes were originally written long ago. Doing this means that I'm not going to post any reviews of beers I'm not drinking currently. All of the notes have to be accompanied by a photo of the very beer I'm drinking now. So, I had to have a glass of this stuff. Told the bartender of my voyage and the long years I've waited to get here, and he insisted on buying me the beer.
Almost seven years ago, June of 2005, a friend, Paul, if I remember correctly, brought me a growler of this, and here is what I wrote:

I had the previous version of this at the Autumn Brew Review 2004, last fall, and it set my face on fire! Supposedly mellower, this is the new brew, courtesy of a growler delivered by fantome, bless his heart.

Peppers peek out on first pouring the brew, hot, hot, hot!!!

Clear amber/crimson color, no head at all...
Aroma: ow! Hot, hot, hot!!! 100% peppery! wow, what a mix!
Taste: AAAHHH!!!! OWWWW!!! OH, JEEZUS!!! AH, AH, AH, Ah, A?HHHH!!!!@HOLY F*@$!!! SH*%!!!
...take a drink of water...does no good...MY MOUTH IS ON FIRE!!! AGAIN!!!

I think I'd prefer this as an ale, actually, with a bit more going on in it, to provide some balance, something else going on to contend with the heat...the HEAT! WHOA< GOD, IT's STILL ATTACKING MY TONGUE@!!! AAAHHH!!!!

I swear to God, I will finish this pint...on this, I swear...OW!!! I really mean it!!!
Holy F*^&..pant, pant...wheeze, wheexe...Holy m%th#rF87=ng H#((!!

Better than Crazy Ed's Cave Creek, but still suffers by lacking the body and flavor it would get just by being top fermented with ale yeast, I think, ever humbly...

more water, gulp, gulp, cool down, cool down...

I loook at the 1/2 pint left, and fear it...what will I do with the rest of the growler?
water, water, water...yet temperature still rises...

read fantome's review and hear of the peppers employed to learn of the intensity...Great Vishnu, Almighty Zeus, Most Honored Mohammad, Towering Jupiter, Blessed Buddha...someone save me!!!

...the drinkability is impaired because it can't be called "average" or anything higher...what can it be compared to? Nothing!

and, yet it's quite good, for what it is, which is nothing like anything else...my lips are ablaze, and I haven't touched it in 5 minutes...Oh, please, most benificent Odin...Jesus, Buddha, Spongebob...someone...help...someone help...
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This was almost my exact experience last night, but in this instance I had water constantly coming, and half a pale ale at my side, and there weren't 64 ounce to contend with. And what's more, I could still feel the flavor on my tongue nearly two days later.

Fitger's Big Boat Oatmeal Stout

My first beer of the day yesterday was Fitger's Big Boat Oatmeal Stout, on cask. I first wrote notes on it from a growler in July of 2006. And here they are:


Once again, I call the Brewhouse, am told the Stout isn't available in growlered form, and yet somehow my friend returns with a growler for me. Did he just know the secret handshake, or what?

Pours solid stygian, under a thinnish, though staying slab of cocoa foam.

Roast coffee hits the nose from the start, hints of chocolate, very earthy, yet invigorating...

And it lands on the palate fully in command, take no prisoners, storms the bastions, plows on through...big, forceful, but smooth...

Full bodied, to say the least, but not too thick, and very balanced in flavor, some bitter and some sweet, but not too much of either...just the right pithy mean. This is stout to be reckoned with, not too smooth, or bottomed out, it's sturdy, substantial, delivers consistently with flavor...and I've only finished half my first pint!

Damn, this is good stuff! I must make it up to Duluth and try it straight off the tap!

(looking at other reviews,well, I definitely am not drinking anything "light" or "watery". Either this is a better batch/new recipe, or it's better from the growler than the nitro tap!)

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Finally having it at the brewery, I was more than satisfied in each and every aspect!

Fitger's Brewhouse El Nino IPA

There's a "Feiffer" comic strip from the 1950's with a an embarassed man and a confused woman sitting at a cafe table. She asks him to repeat the incredible information that he'd sheepishly revealed. This dance goes on for several panels, until he's ready to finally spit it out once again, and in the final panel he whispers the scandal to her: "I've never been to Europe."

I think of this strip whenever I tell people I've never been to Duluth, and they can't believe their ears. What can I say, neither school, or work, or family, or friends have ever provided the opportunity. No kayaking, or hikes, or any kind of visit to the north shore of Lake Superior. 

I don't drive, or own a car, I'm not married, or have a significant other. The situation just never presented itself. There's no rapid transit light rail line to carry me there. I would say to the amazed ears of my friends, "hey, next time you go, take me with you." 

This approach finally worked, and my friend Ed Jackson had time off in the middle of the week, during my two usual days off, Tuesday and Wednesday. He got us a motel room, and drove us on up, so now, finally, I'm in Duluth, and a few blocks from the renowned Fitger's Brewhouse.

In the past eight years, I've reviewed 25 growlers from Fitger's, brought back by generous friends from their travels to Duluth, leaving me with four empty growlers to finally fill this week. Immediately after checking into the motel, we headed to the the pub, and I had my first ever pint of Fitger's beer at the location. I chose a Big Boat Oatmeal Stout on cask for my first, and El Nino IPA for my second. Here, then, notes from June, 2005, of Fitger's El Nino India Pale Ale:

Appearance: clear and deep-orange to ruby in tint, with a slim, but stable layer of foam keeping guard on top. 

Aroma: raw, piney hops at the fore, revealed in full after a few sniffs...vibrant and abundant in deep, dark fruit. Herbal...piney/sprucey..Dry-hopped? this is an aroma that needs time to open in order to fully spill forth all of it's delights. 

Big, bitter hoppy bite, quite a way to start, mellowing å bit as it's time to swallow. Bitterness lingers. Taste gets juicier with the next sip and gulp, bitterness hangs more on the tongue. Very tangy, with a simmering citric character, grapefruit, grape, berry, but raw, potent hops rubbing up against everything and utterly coating and dominating the palate...not that I mind. I like that kind of thing, mind you... 

Sweetish caramel malty background provides excellent support...very yummy, with the bitterness...this is "double-hopped", if I recall correctly...never settling down...balance schmalance, I say, leave these to professionals and go get yourself a "bitter". 

Damn this is nice. Like others have commented, it almost reminds me of Mama...almost, but I quite approve the effect and the intentions, and will enjoy the rest of this growler for sure, and look forward to more (on cask?) when next I visit Duluth. (....someday?...)

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To think, "some day" took nearly 7 years!

More Fitger's beers to come!

Harriet SolBock Maibock

Harriet SolBock Maibock. Available only at the brewery, debuted at SolBock Revival 2012, April 21, (unfortunate that there was virtually no "sol" that day), the official "hard open" of the Taproom, and for sale currently in growlers or on tap in aforementioned room.

I do like a good maibock from time to time, but would never consider it a "go-to" style for me. I'll still turn to one if the time is right, and it's well made. So, let's look at this one:

Bright golden color, slim white head. This is the second day for this growler. I opened it last night, but didn't feel like writing just then. My memory tells me that the head was larger in a fresh pour.

Aromatics: a mostly malty affair, with plenty of cereal grain, and whiffs of honey. Traces of malt sweetness.

Taste: Bright, full of flavor on the palate, big, shiny hops, and major malt, but all done in light, sunshiny fashion. Medium-bodied, light and highly drinkable, but with constant flashes of tastiness. After a while, it comes back to me, and I get it, as the hop bitterness gets more prominent, and stays long on the palate. This is not even close to a "traditional" maibock in any sense, and Harriet calls it a "Harriet-style" maibock, as the single hop employed is the tropical fruit-y American hop Amarillo. Long lasting bitter touch to match the buttery sweetness. German-style IPA? Or just a  clean malty lager, with persistent hoppiness? Mmmm and ahhh, zesty, malty, and a joy to consume.

Monschof Kellerbier

Kulmbacher Monschof Naturtrubes Kellerbier. I recall buying some Monschof beers domestically, but this one was imported "by hand" directly from Deutschland. Nothing but Deutsch on this label, so will pass on repeating it to you. ("Unfilterierter Biergenuss!") Oddly, the label info is in several languages. Did you know this is bier, beer, bier, birra special, cerveza, as well as miiypa? I could go on, but will not, so let us enjoy this product of Bavaria. 

Clouded, opaque, dark amber, nearly brown, with off-white head, leaving lace.

Malt and yeast-forward aromatics, some cereal grain, some sweetness.

Taste: again, yeast and dark malts are in large supply. Lightly fruity, just a little bit juicy. I'm immediately reminded why I like kellerbiers, that yeast really brings a lot of flavor. 

Goose Island Demolition Belgian-style Golden Ale

Goose Island Demolition Belgia-style Golden Ale. "Brewed to honor the brave souls who kept our brewpub open while wrecking balls tore down the mall around us. Cheers! Greg Hall, brewmaster." 7.2% ABV . Will remain fresh 180 days from the bottled on date. Bottled on: 8/10/11. Ooops. We're a bit off on this one. Well, let's find out the only way we can.

Bright golden color, beautiful white head, starts big and settles down to a slim layer.

Aroma: Spice hits the nose right off, quickly matched with citrus fruit. Cracked pepper and orange peel, under the glimmer of hops.

Taste: Sweet malt and zesty hops start us off.  Spicy, sweet, and sharp. Light body, malt flavor that's both crisp and juicy, ending just short of dry. Expertly consumable. And without the roar of high alcohol, although…just about.

Very likable Belgian Golden ale, but somewhat short of impressive.

Lift Bridge Irish Coffee Stout

Lift Bridge Irish Coffee Stout. Stout brewed with coffee. Brewed and bottled by Lift Bridge Brewing Company, Stillwater, Minnesota. "Irish Tales add to the flavor. They're practically ingredients." Oh, wait, more. "Inspired by the delightful combination of whiskey, sugar, and coffee, however, you don't have to be Irish and it doesn't have to be morning to enjoy this labor of love. Our Imperial Stout was aged in whiskey barrels, then blended with a big milk stout, and finally infused with locally roasted cold-pressed coffee. It's a complex beer meant to be shared with friends over an Irish toast." Maybe I'll get another to share with friends, this one I'm taking on solo, cause that's what I do. Also, this is 8% Alc./vol, and the bottle is 1 pint 9.4 fl. oz., 750 ml.

Full ebony appearance, lovely toasted tan head, looks fantastic, the best looking stout among they three I've had today.

Aroma: subtle wisps of whiskey at first, flavors of vanilla, toast, anise, bourbon. Then cocoa and cream.

Tasting it: Dry, lightly bitter, with the whiskey coming in quick and in full force. Blending an imperial stout, with a milk stout, great idea, actually. Sweetness comes in and dries out in a snap. Cream stout is in front now, roasted malt rises up, a thickness, a brilliantly dry, bitter end.

Balance is key, here. None of these essential ingredients dominate. It's overpoweringly coffee, or incredibly whiskey. But it's smooth, smooth and tasty. In the end, a subtle sweetness and mellow whiskey in on top. Very satisfying, very delicious. Another unique and impressive creation from Lift Bridge.

Stone/Troegs Cherry Chocolate Stout

A Collaboration by Jason Fields & Kevin Sheppard, Troegs, & Stone: Cherry Chocolate Stout. 12 fluid ounce bottle. 7.3% Alc/vol. Brewed and bottled by the Stone Brewing Company, Escondido, San Diego county, CA.
I will not repeat here the story told by Mitch Steele, Head Brewer, Stone Brewing Company, April, 2011. But it tells the tale of the brewing of this beer with gusto and enthusiasm, with none of the nonsense and hyperbole normally found on this bottles.

Intense black, thorough opacity, slim cocoa-tinged head, starts proud and dies down.

Roasted malt and espresso in the nose. Not much more, but we'll give it time. Let it open up. Hints of fruit, chocolate's starting to show. It's there, but not terribly loud, erring on the side of subtle.

So, drink up, already. Ah, here we have it happening in harmony, the rich, roasty malt, the mellow cherries, the sweet but serene chocolate. All in there at once, with no one side dominating another. Sweet chocolate and cherries never quite cloy, but close to it.

Full-bodied, rich and thick, beautifully layered, and delicately flavored. Medium length finish, and all in all, not too anything. Balance with complexity. Excellent combination.

The dry sour/sweet cherry flavors rolls back in, taking turns with chocolate. This one keeps growing and changing, and I find myself liking it more and more.

Thanks to Dennis Skrade for this gift.

New Glarus Cherry Stout

New Glarus Cherry Stout. Brewed and bottled in New Glarus, WI. On the side of the label, some of the same blah-blah-blah, then, "This is Dan's Gold Medal winning "Cherry Stout." This ale is aged in oak barrels to promote the spontaneous fermentation. Eight Wisconsin malted barleys combined with Wisconsin Montmorency cherries make for a complex and subtle taste experience that you may never find again. Discover why Dan is repeatedly recognized as the Best Brewmaster in America."

Dark brown color, mostly opaque, some clarity in spots. Pink-ish brown head appears, then slims down with certainty.

Ripe, vibrant cherry aromatics, happy mix of sweet and sour, rounded out by the oak barrel action.

Taste: Once in the mouth, more sweet and sour, more flashes of fruity brilliance. Not too much happens underneath, however. I feel that if this hadn't been called a stout, I'd find some way around this disappointment. As it is, I find it lacking a a "stout." Tell you what, I'll forget it as a "stout" and think of it as a dark version of the Wisconsin Cherry Red. If I didn't, I'd find the malt too mild, lacking roast, lacking a lot of stout-y elements. Removing that aspect of my expectations, I'd be very fond of the flavor.

St. Sebastiaan Golden Ale

So, here's a curiousity. The Sterkens brewery put out some rare bottles a few years, but these were not new beers at all, just new packaging using the talents of American cartoonist. For their golden ale, St. Sebastiaan, they had Ron Rege, Jr., provide an illustration for the label, as well as a version of his mini-comic, Yeast Hoist, hung around the bottleneck by a string. This venture included another bottle with the ink talents of Mat Brinkman for a large bottle of another of their offerings. I never picked that one up, due to the expense, and that I'm less of a fan of Mr. Brinkman. Expensive, they are, and the beer inside is the same as it ever was. Here are the notes I took in January, 2003 of St. Sebastiaan golden ale:

Hazy gold to dull orange in color, with towering, rocky, buzzing and highly aromatic head.

 Aroma is citrus, spice, lemon, straw, sugar.

Solid body, strong palate presence, a lively hop profile, with sweet maltiness behind it. Very distinct and uplifting taste and a pleasant finish that takes it's time.

A real reward in every sip, and a decent Duvel clone, but certainly not the same.

Schneider & Sohn Schneider Weisse Hefe -Weizen

Odd thing, here. I find this posted on BeerAdvocate as "Schneider Weisse Tap 7 Unser Original", and I haven't a clue what that means. Whatever it's sorted as, Schneider Weisse remains of my favorites hefe weizens, and here are my notes from March, 2003:


The color here is not what the average beer drinker expects a hefe to have, but this is the Bavarian style. A muddy dark orangish, nearly brown near the crown, lighter at the foot. The head on it is full,lush,voluminous, white.

Aroma is light, sweet, soft, delicious, delightful, focusing on flavors of citrus (lemon), honey, flowers, and mild spices.

 Texture and mouthfeel is extraordinarily smooth, with a graininess up front that fades fast.

Clean, brisk, uncomplicated, easily drunk, and yet brimming with taste. Substantial body, perfect malt, and a swift, but recurring, bright and lively finish. Citrusy hops return again and again to delight the tastebuds.

A very flavorful weizen, and a perfect brew for mealtime, hot Julytime, feellikehavinganotherbeertime.

Piraat Golden Ale

Here's one I tried for the first time in several years, and when I look at my already posted notes online, it seems as if I re-did a review from 2002, and replaced it in October, 2007. That sort of thing will happen. So, here we have it, Piraat, from Van Steenberge:


Let's try this one again...

11.2 oz bottle, buccaneer on the label, poured into an authentic Piraat tulip glass.

Bright golden hue, highly hazed, under neath a large, booming, puffy white head.
Nice.

Aroma: citrus and sour greets the nose first. Funky and fierce. Wowzers. Straw, lemon, honey, and pepper. Spicy.

A blast in the mouth, flush with fruit and dazzling spice. Big, juicy sweetness. Getting bigger, sweeter and hotter as we go in. Bodies a bit too thin to support all this, though...I could really go for some malt.

Looking at my 4 1/2 year old review, I have to wonder what was up with that bottle...or me...
This is nice stuff, but a bit out of wack. And it gets warmer and warmer, the flavor calming down, honey and lemon meets big, fat booze andbitter hops . Wish I could taste a few more things here, though...like malt and yeast.

Drink up, ye mateys! Arrr! Shiver me timbers! Avast! hoist the mizzen mast!

Furthermore Proper

Looking at notes from April, 2007, for this pale ale from Furthermore, of Spring Green, Wisconsin:

Clear, coppery, carbonated, with prodigious head. 

Clean, floral/herbal aroma, minor hops, aromatic & bittering...largely empty, though... 

Smooth on the tongue, lightly malty, toasty caramel malts, slight cereal taste, lacking hops..."moistness" is the major component here, wet and vacant... 

"Light-bodied", yes...but "classic",...not so sure. They could have given this some character, but instead chose to go with weak and wanting. Pity. 

Not bad, but could have been a lot better.

(Update: still not a big fan, though it combines drinkability and inoffensiveness with efficient ease.)

Bell's 25th Anniversary Ale

I wrote notes on this one back in September, 2010. Managed to scoot some bottles away, and pop the cap on one once in a while. Tasting great almost 2 years on. Let's just peek at those old notes:


Bell's tulip glass, check. Bell's coaster, check. Bell's bottle opener, check. Now on to put them all to use in drinking up some Bell's 25th Anniversary Ale.

Appearance, : clear, dusky crimson coloring, small but staying beige head. Looks good!

Aroma: rich, sweet caramel notes. Malt-driven ale all the way, very little hops coming through. Hints of molasses. A little spicy.

Taste: Mmmm. Hard to pigeonhole, tough to describe. Dark and slightly smokey, rich malt, viscous mouthfeel, alcohol becoming apparent. This feels most like a barley-wine, maybe something like a scotch ale, and a little like a Belgian strong dark. Caramel and toffee ahoy! The official description mentions "generous dry-hopping", but it's lost on me, even the "fragrant hop character."
All I'm getting is rich, sweet dark malt.
But very even-tempered, and I am now getting the hops, and they are well-balanced with the malt. Which is why it doesn't totally resemble a barley-wine, the sweetness is kept in check with hops wonderfully.
A wonderful, relaxing ale. How I wish I could actually get this in quantity. I'd love to have 2 or 3 of these in a row for a really righteous session.

Laughing Dog Devil Dog Imperial IPA

Laughing Dog Devil Dog Imperial India Pale Ale. Diabolus Canis Imperiiosus IPA. Tell us more, won't you? "the Devil Dog will chew you up and leave you whimpering for more. At 98 IBUs and with 7 pounds of hops to the barrel it is an all out assault on the senses. Devil Dog started as a labor of love, but quickly took on a life of it's own--leaving us drooling like Pavlov's dog at the mere mention of it's name. Triple dry hopped for that over the top hop flavor, more than one of these bad boys will cause you to howl at passing strangers, chew up you r toys and anything else you can get your sharp little teeth on."  And that is all for dog jokes. Please?

Thing is, though, I'm looking at that dog, he ain't so bad, …pretty adorable, actually.

More: Hops: Columbus, Northern Brewer, Ahtanum, Cascade and simcoe.

Malt: Pale, Carmel (sic), and Munich.

Bottled and Brewed by Laughing Dog Brewing, Ponderay, Idaho.

Let's just drink it, okay? 

Clouded, opaque, dark amber coloring, large, full flowering, snowy white head, lace leaving, I'd guess, if it would ever quit.

Aroma: boom boom boom! Thick, rich, resiny, phony, and wonderful. Just my stuff. Deep dark fruitiness, cognac and leather, and a hell of a lot more going on.

Taste: along comes chocolate. Plentiful hop bitterness overwhelmed by dark malt deliciousness. Very chocolatey. Fairly swallows over any fear of being overly bitter. In fact, I've never had an "Imperial IPA" as malty or sweet or chocolatey as this. Plenty malty, utterly overtaking what you expect to get from a hoppy ale. Is that what I like in an Imperial IPA? Ehhh, not so much. 

After all those damned idiotic dog jokes, I wasn't sure what to expect, but it's not delivering. The devil dog did not chew me up and I am not whimpering at all. Sigh…there's little integration, not much balance, no harmony, just a mess, and unlikable, too.

It's kind of a murky mess, and it's not hitting the right buttons with me. Alas. Not loving this. not even liking it.

Oskar Blues G'Knight Imperial Red Ale

Oskar Blues G'NKnight, Imperial Red.8.7 % ABV.
"Still Big, Still Red, Still Sticky. G'Kinght. If you knew the man behind this tribute, this ale needs no explanation. If you didn't, we're sorry." Okey, dokey. Hockey player, right? Or coach, or something. Something like that? Let's just drink it.

Clear, copper-y, off-white head, lace leaving.

Aroma: soft, sweet, malty, hoppy, caramel and cocoa.

Taste: Rich malt, smooth, lush caramel and toffee, with a touch of cocoa. Nice hoppiness rides on top, lays in thick, rides on out. Long finish, sticks in the palate, dominates and delights. Lush and delicious.

I like this very much.

Deschutes Red Chair NWPA

Deschutes Red Chair NWPA Northwest Pale Ale, Courageously crafted since 1988, Deschutes Brewery, For Fellow Explorers Everywhere. Witness the subtle aromatic seduction of the debut Northwest Pale Ale. Another Slap at Brewing Convention. Another Kick in the pants. ENJOY."

Wait, there's more: "Not up for a full-on hop assault? Red Chair NWPA is a smoother ride. Seven select European and domestic malts take a surprisingly plush satin turn on the way to a citrusy hop kick. Edges out, layers in."

Huh. Okay. Interesting. This is how they market a pale ale to hop freaks, who normally only stop for double IPAs. Let's look at it.

Clear, pale orange to copper appearance. Lean layer of creamy-toned lace-leaving froth atop.

Aroma: Explosion of soft citrus and pine in the nose, slightly sweet. Bitterness held in check by rich, toasty malt. Nice.

Taste: Caramel malt hits the tongue first, plush, indeed, smooth, for sure. Toasty, like I said, and utterly pleasant. Easy going in, and then, wouldn't you know, along come the hops, bouncing on the palate. A masterful marriage of hops and malt, evenly carbonated, medium-bodied, at 6.2 % ABV, not a terrific threat to my sobriety, if I maintain a modicum of moderation.

Serious yum going on, here. Plenty of tastiness, good censurability. They've got a hit on their hands.

New Belgium Dig Pale Ale

Dig Pale Ale, New Belgium, Spring Seasonal. "Unearth your bottle opener because this Pale ale is something you can Dig. Sorachi Ace hops provides a fresh Spring zing with incredible lemon aroma. Nelson Sauvin is next in line with bursts of passion fruit, mango and peach. American favorite, Cascade, provides notes of grapefruity citrus. Dry, crisp and clean, DIG pale ale plants the welcomed taste of Spring in you r hand." Alc. 5.6% by Vol.

Clear, reddish appearance, short head, slim, but staying, off-white.

Plenty of fruit in the nose, but most of all mild, clean, dry. Citrus notes, peach, pear, apple a little.

Taste: Crisp, clean, little hoppy, lean bodied, This is an intriguing blend of hops, create a refreshing and somehow still complex variety of flavors. All manner of fruit-y sensations, and hoppy delights, kept in a terse, tidy body. Good drinking pale ale, with plenty going on in the mouth. That's what it's all about, isn't it.
Nice choice for a spring seasonal. I'll probably get some more, before it's too late.

Unibroue Maudite

Unibroue Brewery of Chambly, Quebec, is one of my favorite breweries, and I've certainly been neglecting them here. I've only done two of the bottles, and this is the first of their beers I've tapped since getting this blog thing in gear. As much as I love their brews, I pass them over in favor I've new beers I've  yet to try. Such is my lot.
Maudite, "the Damned", is one of my favorites from one of my favorites. I can't believe it's taken me this long to tap a keg. There's a reason somewhere, but it's so preposterous, I won't speak of it. I will only sip this savory ale and reflect on my earliest notes from a bottle, back in February, 2003. It's another gusher, but I still mean every word.

The color is the loveliest, most perfect red you can imagine, the color of Satan's pajamas, and the head is bubbly, prickly, fantastically white.

Aroma is largely spicy, utterly delightful, with additional notes of dark fruits, berries, currant, citrus, and a hint of flowers, plus a good helping of lemon.

Good carbonation, and a massive deployment of hops upon the palate. The alcoholic component does not seem obvious at all, nay, it sneaks up upon you, as you innocently enjoy this delicious ale. Very smoth and tasty as anything on earth, heaven, or hell. Medium body, sufficient malt, but the hops are fully in charge here, and deliver the drinker into fully refreshing enjoyment.

One of the best beers in the whole damned world!