We’ve reviewed a few Evolution beers in the past, all of which are part of their “mainline” offerings. Their Barrel Aged beers, which I’ve had two of so far, are in my opinion in a class above the rest. Courtesy of my friend Matt in Delaware, I have their Fall Migration 2011 which is a Belgian-style Ale aged in Chardonnay barrels with brettanomyces.
In a totally unplanned coincidence I have another in New Belgium’s Lips of Faith series to review. This one, called Super Cru, is a 10% ABV Belgian Strong Pale Ale brewed with Asian pear juice. An interesting additive to be sure, and not one I’m very familiar with, or one that I have seen before. When this happens I find that it is best to dive right in.
My only connection to the relatively new Port City Brewing is Mike, and unfortunately his visits aren’t frequently enough to deliver their beer! On his most recent trip back, he brought with their first winter holiday beer, Tidings. Unlike most breweries that favor a Winter Warmer or Strong Dark Ale, Port City chose a Belgian Strong Pale Ale with honey and spices.
This past week was the lead up to Savor here in DC and there were a few beer events around. One such event was a Sierra Nevada event at Rustico in Arlington, VA. This event featured 15 different Sierra Nevada beers, but there was only one that I really wanted to try, the 2×4. This rare Belgian Strong Dark Ale has been on my must find list for a while. A mixture of 40% quad aged in brandy barrels with dates and currants, and 60% Dubbel — this beer has always looked promising.
Everyone is familiar with Brewery Ommegang out of Cooperstown, New York for their “Belgian brewing in America.” For tonight, I opened one of my Christmas gifts, a limited once-brewed seasonal release labeled Adoration. The Adoration is a Belgian Strong Dark Ale, sitting at 10% ABV inside a corked and caged 750 ml bottle.
