Iki Beer with Green Tea and Yuzu- a Belgian brewed, Japanese luxury surprise.

So, when I think of Japanese beers, I know a couple of well-known brews , such as Asahi, and Kirin Ichiban. Both of the aforementioned beers are pretty damned good, so when I saw this one, I wasn't expecting anything near what I experienced. The bottle is stylish as heck, and after opening, you are greeted by a very small  head, and light-yellowed effervescence . You can immediately notice the redolence of citrus, grass, and even a bit of "tea", and that is because this beer is infused with the aforementioned ingredients(green tea and a citrus fruit called "Yuzu"), and the taste is very light and refreshing. After I was half-way done, the flavors seemed to meld together perfectly and it wasn't too much, nor did it overwhelm the palate.

This beer is one of the better ones I have tried this year, and I highly recommend it as a precursor to any white meats, fish, sushi, etc. for the best combination. You could drink it without an accompanying meal, but I don't know that the experience would be as enjoyable.



Fun fact- this brew is actually made by a Belgian brewery called "De Proefbrouwerij", and they are known for brewing pale/dark ales. This beer appears to be an experiment for them, and it is a damned successful one in my opinion.

Price: 2,50€






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Lapin Kulta- Ei tippa tapa eikä ämpäriin huku

This is my first Finnish beer. While it was a tad expensive for the size-I spent almost four euros for a 33cl bottle-I can't really complain as the beer, for me ,was a fresh surprise. The head was very small, the taste didn't overwhelm the palate(very sweet , honey mixed with a "malty" taste), odours were very common, quite redolent of Heineken and a typical Belgian Lambic( somewhat fruity and grainy all at once), and the color was a nice golden yellow.


It's a decent beer for Summer barbecues and chilling, but not for the price. Unless I am in Finland and can get the beer at local price, this was my first and last one.

Price: 4€


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Fun Facts:
Lapin Kulta (in English, Gold of Lapland, arguably Lapp Gold) was a brewery in the Lapland town of Tornio, Finland. It was founded in 1873 under the name Torneå Bryggeri Aktiebolag (Tornio Brewery Limited Company in Swedish).

La Montreuilloise Blanche- un chef-d'œuvre organique( An organic masterpiece)

Whenever I hear the words "organic" and "beer"mentioned in the same breath, I usually run the other way. I'm not sure how much more organic a beer needs to be , at least in regards to how organic most beer already is(at least here in Europe, save of course for cheap water in cans that passes for beer, Budweiser and Coors, *cough*) . However, I had recently been presented with this beer at our last BBQ by a friend, and was expecting to be underwhelmed. Boy was I wrong!

I won't dive into why I dislike "organic" foods, let alone the labels, but this beer was truly a surprise. Upon opening the bottle, I was immediately overtaken by the smell of yeast(the cloudy pour with various particles, easily visible, prepared me for such) and a different tasting variety of hops(not sure where they came from, but they tasted slightly bitter sweet, almost "pickley" ). It had a lively, slightly fruity taste, with a mix of citrus and light floral notes, and was so smooth that, thanks to the mixture of heat, heavy eating , and the excellent taste of this beer, I was able to quaff a 75cl bottle in under ten minutes ,with the help of my brother in law of course.  I'm still wary of organic, but this brew is definitely worth a try.

Price:  €3,50

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3 Monts Flanders Golden Ale: Une véritable bière ( A real beer)

The first thing that stands out about this Belgian style beer is the  ABV of 8.50%. I say this, as this is usually off-putting to me in regards to beer.  I like to keep it around 6-7% max so that the alcohol doesn't mask whatever flavor the beer may have. This is not the case here. The beer pours a nice golden yellow with a pinky finger nail sized head, plenty of small bubbles, and a nice misty after fizz. Upon taking your first taste, your nose is greeted by an aroma of anise, cloves, and yeast. The taste is somewhat fruity and bitter at the same time, with accents of lemon, pineapple, pear, and maybe even white grapes. This beer is definitively better with a big meal, as again, the abv is surprisingly well-hidden. Definitely a tasty Bière de Garde worth a try.



                                                 






Price: 2,65 €  for a 75CL bottle




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Interesting fact: The name of the beer refers to three hills in Flanders, Mont Noir in Belgium and Mont Cassel & Mont des Cats both on the French side of the border.

Liquid gold : Marks & Spencer Sussex Golden Ale

This is a wonderful, low ABV(3.8%) golden ale marketed as a traditional Sussex bitter. The beer pours a light-golden color with a 90 second lasting quarter-inch head. Plenty of yeast sediments can be seen on the bottom( a good thing in my opinion), and the aroma is quite "grassy", with hints of floral, lime, and malt. The taste is a nice mix of grapefruit, light orange , and minimally sweet leaving a perfect "bitter" aftertaste in the mouth.  This is one of my favorite beers from M&S's, though it is a bit on the expensive side.

Price: £2.29 per bottle(about €3,49)

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Downing The Black : Guinness West Indies Porter review

I love Guinness , and I was happy to see a couple new offerings from St. James’s Gate, in particularly  this one. Off the bat, the abv is a bit higher than the average Guinness, but not at all off putting at 6.00%.  It pours the typical black that one would expect with a small lasting tan head. Upon tasting, you are greeted with roasted malt, caramel, and even a bit of coffee. The aroma is a bit "chocolatey", if I may say, and there is little to no carbonation present. You are left with a bit of a watery, bitter taste after each drink, and overall, one was enough for me.   Not bad at all, but I think I will stick with the Draught  from now on.

Fun fact: Looking to drink beer while on a diet? A pint of the good stuff contains only 198 calories. That’s less than most light beers, wine, orange juice or even low fat

                               

                              

Price: £2 or €2.59(note: I got mine on sale from the local market for about 1.69)

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Black Isle Organic Red Kite - The Scottish brew that won't get you "guttered "

When I think of Scotland, I usually think of kilts, Nessie, scotch and bagpipes. I was surprised to find they have a really great selection of ale as well. Though not my first Scottish beer, this one is my first to be reviewed.  A quick thanks to my buddy Cedric for introducing me to it.


The label says it all,, and I was curious to see what an "organic" beer tastes like. The first thing I noticed after opening this one was the smell of spices, herbs, butterscotch, and caramel. The beer poured a reddish-brown colour and had a creamy head.  The taste was very "malty", and it was somewhat medium- bitter with a nutty after-taste.  I really enjoyed this beer and wish it was easier to come by here in France. I'd suggest trying it at least once. Overall, not too shabby for a red ale.



Fun fact: In Scotland, there is evidence that some sort of fermented beverages were being "brewed" possibly as early as the mid- to late-4th millennium BC as is evidenced in archaeological findings from sites such as at Balfarg/Balbirnie complex in Fife and at Kinloch on the Isle of Rhum. These "beers" were likely little more than a cereal-based porridge with the addition of flavorings such as meadowsweet.

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Price: £2.39/ €3.03