Just bought!!

Today the state monopoly had its monthly release. I stood in line, just like the bread lines in the former Soviet union, to get my hands on these beauties...:-)

De La Senne Taras Boulba
De Molen Op & Top
Green Flash West Coast India Pale Ale
Epic Mayhem
Epic Stout
Rodenbach Vintage 2008
SKA Decadent Imperial IPA
SKA Nefarious Ten Pin Imperial Porter

The weekend is planned!! :-)

London Report - Part 3 (the final one!)

Found some english beers that are in the book on tap in some pubs in London and I jumped at the chance to get a few more notch on my belt.... and who could resist this environment...?

No 76 - Sharp´s Doom Bar  (England)
This beauty has a light, elegant and fresh nose with notes of strawberry, orange, licorice and sweet hay - a very complex and nice nose. Lovely balance. Very, very good.
The taste is fine, fresh and easy gulpable with notes of hay, orange peel and some strawberry jam. A fine bitterness in the finish. Just lovely!

94p   (tasted from cask - 2011/02)

No 77 - Thornbridge Jaipur  (England)
I was really enjoying the Doom Bar above and didn´t think it could get any better - but I was wrong!
The nose on this one was so good I wanted to put my head in the glas! The nose just oozes from the glas with notes of ginger, orange peel, dry honey, lime and wet rocks. Very, very deep. It has almost the scent of a great Riesling with a spicy twist. Beautiful!
The taste matches the nose with lovely notes of honey, orange ice cream, ginger and freshly cut grass. The bitterness is high but matches the fruit just great. Long and balanced. This is a stunner!

97p   (tasted from cask - 2011/02)

No 78 - Timothy Taylor´s Landlord  (England)
A soft, nice, creamy nose with notes of caramell, almonds, grass and sweet hops. Very good. A traditionell bitter. Very good.
The taste is cool, soft and very nice with notes of fudge, orange peel and sweet hay. A soft, fine bitterness. Very good. This is the kind of beer you could drink pint after pint after pint, just beacuse its so agreeable and good.

90p   (tasted from cask - 2011/02)

No 79 - Little Creatures Pale Ale  (Australia)
This London trip finished with an aussie on the room while trying to pack suitcases that after a few days in London were difficult to close...
The nose is fresh and fine with lots of sweet hops, some caramell and dried flowers. A touch of coconut after a while. Very good.
The taste is fine, cool and refreshing with good sweet yellow fruit and a nice bitterness in the finish. Ends very dry, but in a good way. Liked this one very much.

90p   (tasted from bottle - 2011/02)

No 74-75 - Great Divide Titan IPA & Hercules Double IPA (USA)

Had a fun time tasting these two big beers from the Great Divide Brewery.

The Titan IPA opens up with a big, expressive nose with notes of peach, orange peel, summer flowers and detergent (in a positive way!). Very deep and complex. There is a touch of urinal also, but, that too, in a good way! Very, very good.

The taste is big but fresh as a daisy with notes of peach, almonds, warm grass and tangerine. Very long and intense. Lots of sweet, fresh hops. This reminds med of Indianvikens Pale Ale from Nynäshamn, and that is a great reference. This is a stunning beer!

95p   (tasted from cask - 2011/01)

The Hercules Double IPA is a big but kind hoppy monster with lovely notes of lemoncello, white peppar, summer flowers and bucketloads of sweet peaches. Very deep, complex and fine.

But the taste...it doesn´t by far live up to the expectations that the nose brings. It is massive with lots of bitterness and dried fruits. And that fruit has been soaking in alcohol... Flat in the middle. The finish is very long and intense but the bitterness is a tad too high for my liking. Loved the nose but the taste was only ok.

88p   (tasted from bottle - 2011/01)