Its been a while since my last #Beersaturday post but today I have two very different beers to review, a Belgium trappist ale and a Canadian Pale ale. The first was malty and the second hoppy. Lets see how they faired shall we.
Trappistes Rochefort
Brewery: Abbaye de Saint Remy
Origin: Belgium
Style: Trappiste Belgian Beer
Abv: 9.2%
IBU: Unknown
SRM: Unknown
Marketing: This beer was bought for me by a friend. The label is simple, with a tan color scheme contrasted with a rich brown, old style text. Not a lot of information about the beer but I think thats pretty common for a European beers? Its a simple label design but works for a beer brewed by monks.
Color: A rich brown color with a tan head of tiny bubbles. The beer was very hazy and definitely unfiltered.
Nose: It had a strong aroma of fresh bread and a predominant yeast aroma also. Brown sugar and caramel in the back ground.
Taste: The beer was sweet up front but not sickly, with not a lot of bitterness in the finish. I found it to have a pretty standard flavor profile for a Belgian beer. There was a distinct alcohol taste to the beer but was surprisingly mild considering the 9.2% abv. Bready notes and caramel and toffee were also present.
Texture: Mildly carbonated. Full bodied mouthfeel.
Here's a photo of my beer beside my friends gin drink.
Impression: This was a great beer with a lot of flavor and a big kick with the 9.2% abv. I could definitely feel it after one beer, though I probably haven't had a sip of alcohol in well over a month at this point. It was surprisingly fresh tasting considering that it was an import. It must be the high alcohol content thats keeping it from spoiling. I liked this beer a lot and it actually reminded me of my time in Europe. I would buy this one again.
Jutsu Pale Ale
Brewery: Bellwoods Brewing Co Origin: Toronto ON Canada Style: Pale Ale Abv: 5.6 IBU: Unknown SRM: Unknown
Marketing: The name is interesting and sounds Japanese to me though I can't say why. The color scheme is yellow, red and navy blue in a four pronged star pattern. No information on the back of the can really. The beer is marketed as a strong beer, which in Canada is anything over 5.0% abv I guess. 5.6% abv isn't that strong really, especially considering the 9.2% Belgium beer I just reviewed. But whatever. I like the design of the can overall. It has a retro sort of vibe to it that I dig.
Color: The beer poured a hazy bright yellow color reminiscent of fruit necatar. The head of foam was white and airy and dissipated rather quickly. A small ring of bubbles did last for while.
Nose: Fruity hoppy aroma with a strong smell of pineapple.
Taste: Mildly sweet but very tangy with a strong bitter finish that lingered on the tongue a little. The taste was very fruity with notes of pineapple and grapefruit. It almost tasted like a radler to me but less sweet and with more alcohol.
Texture: Heavily carbonated with strong angry bubbles. There was a velvety texture underneath that gave a weightiness to the mouthfeel. I'd say that it was medium bodied.
Impression: I like this one for a pale ale. It was fresh and crisp tasting. It was hoppy but I found it refreshing the day I drank it. I've bought it before and I'll buy it again.
