Archive for the 'Anderson Valley' category
Anderson Valley “High Rollers” Wheat Beer
The Anderson Valley “High Roller” Wheat was, admittedly, a disappointment. While I am a fan of the wheat beer category, this one contained a bitter blandness that was displeasing to the taste. While this claims to be an unfiltered wheat, it held less of the characteristic “cloudy” nature that I generally enjoy. I probably would not buy this beer again
Anderson Valley Brother David’s Double
This particular brew comes from a limited release offering from Anderson Valley – and, there seem to be two in this series, the Double and the Triple. I’ve had ‘em both – I’ll tell you about one of them now.
This double pours dark, but fairly opaque – it’s a nice tint and a good color. The aroma is typical of a good Belgian dubbel – roasted with hints of dark fruit. The taste of the beer is very pleasant. You can taste lots of dark fruit, lots of malt, and a slight twang of sweet/sour that sets it apart. Combine this with a solid abv of around 9% and you have a beer that is successful on all fronts. Overall, I would say that this American interpretation of the Belgian dubbel is excellent – I would certainly have this again, and I would likely choose it over many of its Belgian counterparts.
Anderson Valley Brother David’s Tripel
Unfortunately, I couldn’t find a picture of this beer anywhere. Instead, all I could find is this teensy little bit of picture of the Brother David’s Dubbel. But, the labels look the same, so try to recognize the pattern and look for this beer at your local beer store, because it’s worth a try.
This is an excellent tripel, but one that seems to lack any real defining characteristics. It is, essentially, a tripel by the books – dark orange, cloudy hue; sweet pungent aroma with hints of anise; full and slightly spicy flavor with a bit of citrus and requisite anis; taste lasts down the throat and lingers in the back of the mouth for a while after the finish. Perhaps the lack of real stand-out flavors is indicative of the great quality of the brew. It is extremely pleasant in a very generic way, when compared to other tripels. Perhaps the nearest comparison I can draw would be the Ommegang Abbey Style Ale. However, this isn’t an entirely fair comparison, as the Ommegang is darker and has a heavier anise taste. And, in most cases, I would prefer this Anderson Valley variety if given a choice between the two. An excellent beer, and it is refreshing to see such good beers coming from American brewers.
