KevinReddirt
Midland, United States 🇺🇸 MemberOptions
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KevinReddirt (2165) reviewed Out of Darkness from Jopen 1 week ago
Appearance - 9 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7.5 | Texture - 7 | Overall - 8
15 cl pour at Jopenkerk about a week ago. We only had a brief time at the brewery and I made this my only selection. Nice presentation, a shiny amber-brown body with a decent parchment tan head. It tasted of caramel, hops, grain, plums and hard candy. One of the better American style barley wines I can recall sampling.
KevinReddirt (2165) reviewed Drinking Crayons from Icarus Brewing 1 week ago
Appearance - 7 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7.5 | Texture - 7 | Overall - 7
One pint can that came from Half Time. A snifter is prepared, I pour. The view is an indistinct pale yellow with a copious amount of fully white foam that quickly disperses. I smell something that is lightly tropical, perhaps some citrus, where is this going? The taste has both of those with pineapple and accompanying sweetness, guava, a spot of lemons, white bread, peaches and mangoes. Sweet to a significant degree. A small touch of hops that offsets slightly. Okay enough.
KevinReddirt has a new country beer tick achievement
Level 2 for Spain ticks with a total of 10 from this country.
Candy Man Can from Basqueland Brewing was the one that did it!
1 week ago
KevinReddirt (2165) reviewed Candy Man Can from Basqueland Brewing 1 week ago
Appearance - 7 | Aroma - 7.5 | Flavor - 8.5 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8
I have a 440 ml can obtained from my main Belgian beer retailer quite a while ago. My experience with Basqueland beers has been rather positive so I have hopes for this quadrupel. A Belgian glass ready, I open the can and pour. The body is a La Trappe quad brown with a slender cover of very fine bubbles that is consistently recharged. I get a mostly traditional quadrupel scent. Ripe fruit, grain, yeast and a sweetness somehow. The drink continues the beer's traditional roots. Red plums, raisins, baked bread, malt, a small astringency, candy and paper. No let down for me in expectations, I have a decent quad here.
Setting - 9 | Selection - 8 | Service - 8 | Food - 6 | Value - 7 | Overall - 8
On a whirlwind visit to Haarlem, my wife and I stopped at Jopenkerk as the last place. We stepped through the entrance and were blown away by the interior, really nice. I mean surprisingly tasteful, updated and rather large. There were a lot of people inside, mostly locals I think. Pressed for time I could only order one beer from the tap list and I made it a barley wine. I selected well. This place met and exceeded all expectations.
Setting - 9 | Selection - 10 | Service - 9 | Food - 7 | Value - 8 | Overall - 9
A tour took us to Haarlem and I visited Melger's before we ventured on to Jopenkerk nearby. Fairly large inside and absolutely full of beers that I can appreciate. With assistance from the helpful people working there I found five dark Belgian ales that I've not had before, the standout was a Gulpener Barrel-Aged Cognac quadrupel. This store is one of the best I have encountered in Europe in all ways.
Setting - 8 | Selection - 8 | Service - 7 | Food - 8 | Value - 6 | Overall - 8
Visited while on holiday in London. They describe themselves as a modern pub, fairly apt. A surprisingly large number of taps. Two beers I tried while there, a decently good DDH IPA and an aspirational barley wine. Good service, a really good burger and onion rings. Pricing was curious but that is okay, I was on holiday.
KevinReddirt (2165) reviewed Noctivaga from Sinnister Brew 2 weeks ago
Appearance - 7 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 7 | Overall - 7
A half pint from draft at The Bear in Paddington area. Clear amber color with a minimal skim of light tan foam. I smelled the peat immediately and there was little room for other than a spot of ripe fruit, no up front from the server. The taste was little different, peaty smoke, caramel, red plums and grain. Different drummers.
KevinReddirt (2165) reviewed Sjokooo from Berghoeve Brouwerij 2 weeks ago
Appearance - 7 | Aroma - 7.5 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 7 | Overall - 7
I have a 33 bottle acquired at Melger’s in Haarlem earlier today. Using the best available glass, I make the pour. I see a dark cola brown liquid finished by a thin ring of silver-tan bubbles. The nose is dark fruit with chocolate malt in the background. I get a taste considerably different from the smell. Scorched toast, malt, some hoppy bitterness, enough chocolate to be noticeable, a bit of dark plums and cereal. Not bad but not exciting. I do have to say this beer is better than the only other chocolate quad I’ve sampled previously.
KevinReddirt (2165) reviewed Ulriken from 7 Fjell Bryggeri 3 weeks ago
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8
My 33 cl bottle came from Vinmonopolet Bergen about a week ago. I use a glass from the room and make the pour. I view an interestingly dark gold body completed by a sparse ring of off-white foam. I take a sniff to get a nice hops entry along with grain, citrus and a sweetish effect. A drink now. There’s plenty of hops, some caramel, bread, orange rind and enough grapefruit to register. Decently dense. Tasty IPA, this one caught me by surprise.