B-DAY SPECIAL - One of the best B-Day Cards I have ever got.
Thanks a lot Martynko!

Just to keep the tradition - its is really a nice card, it has a beautituf taste of friendship and fresh aroma of change. Bit sadly, it leaves the bitter aftertaste of friends spread all around the world. Really unique one!

Brasserie de la Senne:

Taras Boulba - Belgian Ale

Zinne Bir - Blonde

Jambe-de-Bois - Triple

Brusseleir - Black IPA

Today, I would like to present an overview of the beers made by the Brasserie de la Senne (Thanks to João for making it possible).  

For the introduction – according to their web page Brasserie de la Senne is a small Brussel-based brewery. They are producing five different beer styles – black IPA, triple, ale, blonde and stout. Sadly – I am missing the stout. But here is a word or two about the others:

Brusseleir – Zwët IPA/Black IPA – this beer is a real miracle – it came the moment I have almost lost my hope to find a good Belgium-made IPA. Sadly, for that beer style, local brewers try to enforce the localization of the style, making Belgian IPAs sparkling and rather mild. Luckily these guys understood properly why do you add hops in IPA. It is to make it bitter! And the overall aroma is malt and caramel. Really well balanced and tasty beer.

Jambe-de-Bois – triple. Yes, yes, yes – finally somebody realized that you could hop your triple to be bitter! Apparently there are 49IBU in this beer. For an IPA this would be a joke, but for a Triple it’s a considerable value. And the combination of the spicy-citrus aroma and the bitterness really knocked me down. Awesome beer.

Zinnebir – blonde. Very well made mix of mild floral aromas, bit of citron peel and hops. What is more important – even if there is a strong hoppy taste, the beer is still true to its blonde nature. Not heavy, rather noble. Might be the best blonde I have ever had. Nice.

Taras Boulba – Belgian Ale. Just to be honest – after reading some of the reviews, I start to believe that something was wrong with my bottle. People claim that this is low carbonated beer containing floral and hoppy aromas. Looking somewhat like Weizen. Well – my bottle was freaking carbonated. The level of carbonation was aggressive, Taras Boulba was bubbling like the Vesuvius at the day of eruption.  In you combine this with an overwhelming bitterness and NO other aroma… It was simply horrible. Just ta be sure – I have asked my wife to taste a little – and then we had to pour the rest in the sink.

Summa summarum: 3 great beers and one disappointment. Still – great job guys from Brasserie de la Senne!

Accidental Jedi

Style: IPA (triple)
Tested: Bottle, June 2016
Brewed: Edge Brewing (Spain)






We all knows that Spanish people are crazy, don´t we? All this things like corrida, la tomatina, running with the bulls or the human pyramid festival (just to name a few) could not be invented by a nation that is fully sane. Accidental Jedi is exactly fitting the scheme - why brew a boring double (imperial) IPA, of you can brew the freaking awesome TRIPLE IPA. And here it is - thick and oily piece of craft beer mastery. It will blow your mind with its tropical fruits aroma that is only slightly covering the 100 IBU. Lovely!
My suggestion is to drink it with some serious grilled piece of meat to soften this experience and soothe your taste buds.

Karmeliten Kloster Gold

Style: helles
Tested: Bottle, early 2015
Brewed: Karmeliten Brauerei Karl Stum, Germany

Problem with beer testing is that I have tried a lot of beer, that simply is average. Not good, not bad just average. I have always postponed to write about this beers, but this is the week (or two), where I will try to get rid of them. Karmeliten Kloster Gold is just average, nothing special. NOTHING.

IRLBACHER PREMIUM

Style: helles

Tested: Bottle, 2015

Brewed: Schlossbrauerei Irlbach, Germany

Probably, if I would be born around this brewery, this would be the beer I would drink and love. Since I am not - Irlbacher Premium is just another boring, lame product of German Brew Law. Its not bad beer, its not good either. Boring.

Viru

Style: Pils
Tested: bottle, spring 2015
Brewed: A. le Coq Brewery, Estland

Viru is the firs beer from Estland I have ever tried. That is a plus. It is also a well made commercial beer, pils-style, that can easily stand a comparison with any German commercial Pils. On contrary - this means that Viru is also boring like hell and I don´t really see any reason to buy it again.

Alsfelder Landbrauerei Bock

Style: Bock
Tested: Bottle, early 2015
Brewed: Alsfelder Landbrauerei

My new favorite Bock from Germany. Strong, aromatic, tasty - one of the best bocks Germany gave us. And its eve better - you can get it in Bio Markts and Rewe. Go for it.