Deschutes Jubelale

Beer: Jubelale
Brewer: Deschutes Brewery, Bend, OR, USA
Type: Winter ale
Bottle: 12 fl. oz. bottle
ABV: 6.7%
IBUs: 60
Served in: Pint glass
Place of Purchase: Unknown - gift from our friend Louis!
Price: Also unknown! Thanks, Louis!!!

Happy 2010! It's our first beer review of the new year! It's definitely a late start for us (thanks to lingering illness - seriously, sick from December 25th to just a few days ago.) Your two Beeraucrats, (that's us - Mugsy and Jugsy), are finally able to actually SMELL and TASTE beer! We are now more than ready to bring you another year of loving beer!

It's mid-January and certainly still mid-Winter, so we will continue with our seasonal brew reviews!

On January 1st, our friends Louis and his wife Lindsey were kind enough to drive all the way from Idaho to Los Angeles just to bring us a couple of bottles of beer! OK, so maybe their trip was really to show off their new baby boy, Soren, to friends and family in Southern CA. Any way you slice it, the proud parents were kind enough to bring us a couple of bottles of Deschutes Jubelale to review!


Each year, Deschutes Brewery's Winter offering features a unique label with artwork by different local artists - this time by central Oregon artist, Tracy Leagjeld. We're thinking about starting our collection now.

Thank you, again, to Louis, Lindsey and Soren! And thank you to our Beeraucracy readers! We wish you a happy, healthy and beer-filled 2010!

In every proper review, your trusted husband & wife team of Beeraucrats will examine the Appearance, Aroma, Taste, Mouth-Feel, Drinkability and Overall Rating of the Beer and arrive at a Total Score from 1 to 10.

Deschutes Jubelale

APPEARANCE:

Mugsy: Dark brown yet not opaque. Becomes deep bronze when held to light. Average sized, lightly tan colored head that dissipates very quickly. Not much noticeable carbonation. No lacing is left on the glass as glass is emptied.
Jugsy: Reddish brown in color with strong copper hues. Carbonation is barely visible. Medium head dissipates very quickly. Particulate matter in bottom of glass. Leaves little to no lacing on the glass.

AROMA:

Mugsy: Strong, sweet malt aroma - almost a "chocolate milk" type of smell. Very slight hints of toffee. Hops are almost imperceptible but do come through in the end, especially after swirling glass.
Jugsy: Chocolate covered cherries and vanilla rum comprise the initial sweet scent. Strong aroma of chocolate malt along with a wheat and berry bread smell. The faintest hint of piny hops can also be detected.

TASTE:

Mugsy: Bitter roasted malt comes on first. Then a sweeter malt immediately follows. Hops are definitely there, however, more as an aftertaste. Very slight bitter dark chocolate aftertaste and slight coffee aftertaste.
Jugsy: Heavy roasted malt flavor dominates. Predominantly chocolate flavor with a hint of coffee. The fresh and bitter taste of piny hops reveals itself more in the aftertaste than the initial sip. If I really concentrate, I can sense a hint of fruity yeast, as well. The flavors are not as complex as the aroma would have you believe.

MOUTH-FEEL:

Mugsy: Creamy; almost like drinking a glass of watered-down chocolate milk. Slight sting from the bitterness of the malt and/or hops. Not even close to being watery, this one is on the heavy side. In fact, almost chewy - but not quite. Very slight coating left on the tongue. Goes down quite nicely.
Jugsy: Initial impression was creamy, but the more I drank, the more watery it seemed to become. The Jubelale is very mild on carbonation, perhaps too much so, as it gives the beer a thin feel. However, it does leave a malty/hoppy coating on the tongue.

DRINKABILITY:

Mugsy: At 6.7% ABV, this might not necessarily be everyone's best candidate for a session beer. However, I could easily throw back several and enjoy every drop. The heaviness may become a problem for me though when considering drinking more than one or two.
Jugsy: While the Jubelale might feel like a lighter Winter ale, its 6.7% ABV certainly packs a punch. Going on flavor alone, one could certainly drink a fair number of these, but the higher alcohol content would limit me to only one or two.

OVERALL:

Mugsy: Nice, complex beer. Quite a bit going on here as far as taste. Also, the creamy mouthfeel is quite nice. Just a little on the heavy side for me and maybe the tiniest bit too sugary, but hey, that's never stopped me before. Would pair very well with rich Winter foods or with desserts. Even with the heavy-handedness I would absolutely drink again, but only one or two. Or three.... Maybe four.
Jugsy: I wish I could have actually tasted all the complex aromas I smelled in this brew! I was looking forward to tasting this beer, not only because Louis went through so much trouble to get it into our hands, but also because its smell promised to deliver so much flavor! Overall, this is a fine seasonal ale - maybe not my favorite - but I will definitely seek out next year's batch!

SCORE:
Mugsy 7.0
Jugsy 6.6

Sierra Nevada 2009 Anniversary Ale

Beer: Sierra Nevada 2009 Anniversary Ale
Brewer: Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., Chico, CA USA
Type: American IPA
Bottle: 12 fl. oz. bottle
ABV: 5.9%
IBUs: 47
Served in: Pint glass



Place of Purchase: Silver Liquor, Sherman Oaks, CA
Price: $2 per bottle (Supermarket sells them for $9.99 / six-pack)

As you might have noticed, Mugsy and Jugsy are big fans of Belgians and IPAs. Many of the best beers in these categories can sometimes be difficult to find. And what’s the point of reviewing beers if YOU can’t try them?! Exactly.

So, we’re very excited about the Sierra Nevada 2009 Anniversary Ale because not only is it a fine example of an American IPA, but it’s also widely available pretty much everywhere!

Drink it up!

In every proper review, the Beeraucrats will examine the Appearance, Aroma, Taste, Mouth-Feel, Drinkability and Overall Rating of the Beer and arrive at a Total Score from 1 to 10.

Sierra Nevada 2009 Anniversary Ale

APPEARANCE:

Mugsy: Deep golden honey color with lots of red highlights. Plenty of carbonation visible. Medium, creamy looking head that lasts. Looks delicious!

Jugsy: Deep amber with red tones; visibly carbonated with a medium, frothy head that lasts. Leaves lacing on the glass.

AROMA:

Mugsy: First off is strong scent of bitter hops, a little bit of sour, mixed with citrus; lemons and even a little orange. Very slight note of fruit, like peach comes from underneath the hops and citrus. Smells delicious!

Jugsy: Citrus and spice notes hit the nose first, followed by mild floral hops and a healthy dose of yeasty sourdough.

TASTE:

Mugsy: First of course are the hops - and a little citrus, which is to be expected; but the there’s so much more! Aftertaste is of warm, roasted malt with a hint of toffee at the end. Little bit of orange peel, too. Taste is hoppy but not “soapy” as so many IPA’s can be. Very complex flavors here. Tastes delicious!

Jugsy: The sharp, bitter hops attack the tongue – and, if I didn’t know better, I’d say this beer has Quinine (because the aftertaste is very reminiscent of Tonic Water!) Strong citrus – orange peel flavors – throughout. The spice notes, possibly cloves or cardamom, are buried somewhat in the abundant hops flavor. Complex taste.

MOUTH-FEEL:

Mugsy: Head is wonderfully creamy as you first bring glass to lips. The bite of the hops is there and the carbonation is big. This goes down so smoothly, with a crisp, fresh feel.

Jugsy: Creamy but not heavy. Full-bodied with a fair amount of carbonation. Bitter aftertaste coats the tongue.

DRINKABILITY:

Mugsy: This one would be a perfect session beer. Not overpowering in its ABV nor too heavy on the palate. Refreshing and clean. Could drink this all night.

Jugsy: This is a very drinkable and enjoyable beer. At only 5.9% ABV, this brew manages to incorporate the complexity and flavor of a much higher ABV beer. Could certainly enjoy this in any atmosphere.

OVERALL:

Mugsy: Fantastic beer. Extremely complex, yet not overdone nor heavy. Thoroughly enjoyable beer! Wish I had purchased more than just the two bottles for Jugsy and me to review. Would go well with spicy foods, like Indian, Thai or Latin.

Jugsy: At first blush, it seemed surprisingly bitter for only 47 IBUs, but the bitterness mellows over time. The flavor blossoms upon warming – so let this brew rest for a while to taste its full complexity. Each sip made me more and more a fan of this Anniversary Ale. Good job, Sierra Nevada!

SCORE:

Mugsy: 9.0

Jugsy: 7.0

Chimay Ale Red

Chimay Ale Red

Brewed by: Scourmont Abbey, Belgium

Bottle: 11.20 fl. oz. bottle

ABV: 7.0%

Served In: Tulip glass

Place of purchase: Lucky Baldwin's, Pasadena

Price: $6


In honor of L.A. Beer Week, Mugsy and Jugsy decided to get out of the house and enjoy a great brew with our fellow beer-lovers! We certainly have our favorite spots, and from time-to-time, we'll be reviewing "live" from various quality watering-holes. Lucky Baldwin's in Pasadena, CA, is a (beer & wine) bar with a fantastic selection of specialty beers and frequent Beer Festivals.

Mugsy and Jugsy can be found there often!

On this particular occasion, we went specifically to meet Chimay's Head Brewer, Dominique Denis, and review Chimay Red! As you can imagine, the Chimay was flowing liberally that evening - so much so that the pub ran out of proper Chimay glasses!

(Ironically, had we reviewed this at home, the picture would have displayed our authentic Chimay glassware!)

In every proper review, the Beeraucrats will examine the Appearance, Aroma, Taste, Mouth-Feel, Drinkability and Overall Rating of the Beer and arrive at a Total Score from 1 to 10.

Chimay Ale Red

APPEARANCE:

Mugsy: Cloudy brown with a thin head. Very muddy even when held up to the light.
Jugsy: Rich brown and cloudy in appearance. Opaque, even when held up to the light. Virtually no head.

AROMA:

Mugsy: Fruity and spicy. Notes of apricot and clove. Slight bit of yeast comes through.
Jugsy: Subtle. Fragrant yeast and light malts. The competing scents at the pub make it very difficult to differentiate aromas.

TASTE:

Mugsy: Strong taste of sour fruit, apricots and sweet malt. Slight funk from yeast in aftertaste. Hints of spices; cloves come through.
Jugsy: Seems like a good balance of malts, yeast and hops. Has a woodsy character with yeast and slightly bitter hops aftertaste. Slight cola aftertaste as well. Can certainly taste the alcohol. Some kind of spice I can't quite identify - cinnamon?

MOUTH-FEEL:

Mugsy: Little bite from the hops; goes down quite easily & smoothly.
Jugsy: Creamy and light / refreshing taste. Finishes with biting carbonation.

DRINKABILITY:

Mugsy: Certainly begin to feel the 7% ABV, yet the smoothness when it goes down makes this one I could drink over and over again throughout the night.
Jugsy: Goes down very easily. Flavorful but light. Can drink this all night.

OVERALL:

Mugsy: This is certainly one of the great Belgian - let alone - Trappist Ales of the lot; a force to be reckoned with. Would go great with any rich meal or dessert. This legendary Ale's reputation is well-deserved. Would drink again any day of the week!
Jugsy: I'm told this is your classic Trappist Ale. If so, I like it a lot! Drinking Chimay on an empty stomach is not recommended! Once my french fries arrived, I was pretty sure I could drink this all night!

SCORE:
Mugsy: 8.25
Jugsy: 7