It’s only been about a week, but it feels forever since my last published review. Good thing I have plenty in the hopper to get caught up with.

The first is a doppelbock from Victory Brewing that I happened across on a recent trip to Cork & Fork in Gainesville, VA. This dark lager was perfect for one of the first truly warms days we’ve had in quite some time. It’s rich, malty character hit the spot nicely while playing with the kid and dogs in the back yard.

Appearance

The brew pours clear and copper in color with a quickly fading, off-white head.

Aroma

The dark, toasted malts layer deep on the nose with hints of caramel and a slight roast. There’s a fruity tanginess in the mix that I can’t quite place. It could be part of the hop profile, but I didn’t really get any overly hoppy notes. For 7.6% ABV the alcohol only makes a subtle appearance.

Taste

There’s something within the deep, rich malt backbone that gives this beer a slightly lighter, fruity character. I still can’t place my finger on it, but it’s a nice twist on the style. The sweet caramel and bready nature of the malts dominate the palate for the most part, but don’t completely mask the hop and fruity elements to this beer. The caramel lingers nicely in the finish after the warming alcohol has subsided. It’s not overly potent its ABV, but the alcohol is fairly apparent in the mix.

Overall

Perhaps it was the timing of this beer that made it so enjoyable, but I have a feeling it’s just a damned fine beer to begin with. It’s a sweet, rich beer that never leans too far in any one direction, but is well balanced on the palate. I wish I had purchased more of it.

Rating: 3.5/5

The results were pretty much where I expected them to be, but the number of you that had higher and 25% ABV in your beer was a surprise — not a huge surprise, mind you, but one nonetheless. No one had topped out their ABV at 5%, which is what I expected.

The Results

The results are in.

After reviewing the results, I quickly came to the conclusion that I had a couple of shortcomings in the poll itself. The final numbers are great, but I think I should have asked a couple of more questions. For instance, a geographic location or, at the very least, the name/brand of your highest ABV beer would have been quite interesting. I realized the name/brand issue almost immediately upon publishing the poll, but I couldn’t amend it as some of you are quick on the draw and I already had a couple of submissions within minutes of launching it.

Perhaps, I’ll run the poll again at a later date and include the omitted questions, as well. At any rate, thanks again for participating.

The other brews for the year include:

• Summer Wheat: Summer Seasonal. American-style Hefeweizen (available May – July)
• Oktoberfest: Fall Seasonal. Traditional Märzen-style lager (available August – October)
• Festive Ale: Winter Seasonal. Hearty ale with spices (available Noveber – January).

Be on the look out.

Founded in 1874, Batemans is one of the few remaining multi-generational family brewers in England. Now under the guidance of fourth-generation of family management, the Brewery has prospered not only on the strength of its flagship Triple XB (XXXB) but also by an imaginative expansion of the range of bottled ales.

Mr. George’s is identical to the beer sold in England known as Batemans Dark Lord, but re-named for the U.S. market due to a trademark conflict. Dark Lord has been one of Batemans most awarded beers. In both 2007 & 2008 it was named among “The World’s Fifty Best Beers” at the Drinks International Beer Challenge.

Dark Lord has a deep black color with reddish hints and is capped by rich creamy foam. The aroma features roasted grain notes with spicy-citrus hop notes. The palate is roasty with hints of coffee and licorice and an underlying fruit accent and long finish. It will be sold in cases of 12/16.9 ounce bottles, with a suggested retail price of $4.99. 5% alcohol by volume.

“Our Father (known at the Brewery as Mr. George) was keenly interested in having our brand return to the USA after a lengthy absence. We’re pleased to name the beer in his honor to celebrate our second year back in America,” noted Marketing Director Jaclyn Bateman.

“Ruby Porter is a rare style that I believe is very well-suited to the American specialty beer consumer’s palate,” commented SBS Founder and President, Alan Shapiro. “I am thrilled to add this beer to the SBS portfolio.”

SBS-Imports was created in 2003 by specialty beer industry veteran Alan Shapiro. In addition to Batemans, SBS represents Aspall English Cyders from Suffolk, England and the De Proef Brewmaster’s Collection from Lochristi, Belgium. SBS also is a partner in Reunion – A Beer for Hope, which raises funds for the Institute for Myeloma & Bone Cancer Research. More information is available at www.sbs-imports.com.

This month’s Session is brought to us by The Ferm. The topic: “The Display Shelf: When to Drink the Good Stuff.”

I’m still relatively new to cellaring, having only started my meager collection in the winter of 2006/2007. I’ve got a variety of stuff tucked away in the back corner, the oldest of which is from 2007 (although, I have had the rare 2006 vintage).

I’m excited to have a couple of bottles of each year since from the Stone Vertical Epic series. I’ve got a few Belgians (Chouffe, Chimay, Orval) dating from early 2007. Mostly, though, a majority of the bottles that I’ve got are from the 2008-2009 time frame with more of a leaning toward stouts and barley wines.

It’s messy, but it’s mine.

Storing away beer isn’t easy for me. Sure, I know what to look for in a potential brew to put away for a few years, but when it comes to actually waiting, maintaining patience through that time has been rough. It also doesn’t help that I keep those bottles that don’t fit in the fridge — and are meant to be consumed that week — in the same area as my older bottles. So every time I go in to get a beer, I’m tempted and teased by those older goodies. Listen… you can hear them calling me even now.

Some Chouffee Noel, Gouden Carolous, Chimay and more…

So, shortly after this post, I’m going to come up with a plan to better protect and preserve the cellar selection. I will definitely start by isolating the older stuff from the spill over from the fridge.

I’m also going to reorganize the selection for easier management. I’m not sure if I should do this by date, brand or specific bottle, but I do know that the haphazard method I am currently using isn’t the best.

I guess I’m taking this opportunity with The Session to ask for some advice on my current cellaring situation — letting those bottles sit still for longer than I have. I’m certainly open to suggestions and ideas. Please, think of the beer, won’t you.

I actually bought this bottle on a whim while visiting a new-to-me establishment a short drive from the house. I had never heard of Brasserie des Géants, but does that really matter when it comes to Belgian holiday seasonals? I’m pretty much a sucker for anything from that area of the world with “noël” on the label.

After getting the stash of bottles safely home, a little research revealed that Brasserie des Géants was only recently established around 2000 at the site of a castle dating back to the 13th century. There wasn’t any description on the brewery’s website of what I may find in this particular beer, but I can say that whatever is in there has produced one of the best winter seasonals I’ve had.

Appearance

Be careful when pouring this beer. The amount of head it produced on each pour was impressive and showcased some impressive retention. The liquid in the glass was a hazy, rusty brown in color.

Aroma

There is a boat load of spices in the nose of this one. There’s a tangy, fruity presence that complements the Belgian yeast perfectly. As far as the spices go, I picked up some clove, but for the most part the collective smell of the herbs was too deep and layered for me to really pick out anything else.

Taste

Noël Des Géants turned out maltier than I expected, leading with a lightly toasted, bisquity malt that’s quickly followed the slightly sweet candied sugar of the Belgian yeast and a pile of herbs/spices. Overall, it’s a wonderfully balanced beer with a crisp, medium body and a warming, semi-dry finish.

Overall

I hadn’t really expected much from this beer having picked it up randomly at the store, but I’ll be damned if I can come up with but a handful of winter/holiday seasonals that are better than this one. It’s right up there at the top. The herbs, malts and Belgian candy all come together nicely into a complex, yet completely drinkable beer. I hope the store has more when I head back that way this weekend.

Rating: 4.5/5

Based on the original Luna Park (1903 – 1946), one of Coney Island’s four historic amusement parks, Zamperla USA puts the city’s Coney Island redevelopment plan into motion, and Shmaltz Brewing is very excited to be an ongoing reveller in this ambitious effort. Luna Lager™ commemorates the launch of the new Luna Park 2010, and brings to life a delicious newcomer to their award-winning craft lager lineup for the community to enjoy this summer at America’s Playground. Mayor Michael Bloomberg made the official announcement regarding Luna Park on Tuesday, February 16, 2010 at the New York Aquarium (Surf Avenue & W. 8th Street).

Proceeds from Coney Island Craft Lagers® also continue to help Coney Island USA, a 501(c)(3) Arts Non-Profit fulfill its mission to defend the honor of lost forms of American popular culture in Brooklyn’s historic Coney Island neighborhood. Coney Island Luna Lager™ will be available this summer throughout New York City in 22 oz. bottles and a very limited supply of kegs at specialty shops and select bars.

After a slump in sales and a disastrous repackaging in the late ’90s, the makers of Duneed Original Honey Brown Lager are poised for a comeback. The company has returned to the original label artwork and a lower price — this lager brewed with honey is hitting the shelves once again.

I can distinctly remember passing this beer quickly by on the shelves in my formative drinking years in college. I mean why the hell would I want to drink honey — and if the beer wasn’t a pale yellow in color it was too thick for me. Oh, look how far I’ve come. My tastes have certainly matured. I wonder if my past assumptions of this beer were justified.

Luckily a couple of samples arrived on the front steps just the other day for me to finally try this beer out.

Appearance

Pouring a medium amber in color with a decent frothy head, Honey Brown Lager certainly looks the part.

Aroma

The initial couple of whiffs of the beer only revealed your standard lager aroma. But diving in deeper the sweet honey does come into play complementing the bisquity malts.

Taste

there’s really nothing outstandingly good or bad about this beer. The lighter mouthfeel and slightly sweet malt/honey combination make this one an easy drinker — and at about 4.5% ABV an enjoyable session beer. The beer has a lingering finish that reveals more of the honey aspect to the beers name.

Overall

The label artwork for the brew is definitely a misnomer. Sure there’s honey in there, but it’s certainly not brown. Perhaps that adds to some of the confusion when folks like myself are perusing the shelves of their local store. At any rate, it’s an easily drinkable brew that is smooth and clean. It would serve nicely as a stepping stone into more full flavored beers within the craft beer realm.

Rating: 3/5