Birra Moretti Review

“Acqua da Italia”

Country: Italy 

Brand: Birra Moretti

Brewery: Heineken Italia S.p.A., Sesto San Giovanni 
Package: Bottle (330 ml) 

Type: Premium Pale Lager

Age: NAS

ABV: 4.6%

Ingredients: Water, Malted Barley, Corn, Hops.
Antioxidant: Not Indicated
Stabiliser: Not Indicated

Colour: Golden Yellow 

Foam: Thin White Foam that dissolves quite quickly. Only a Thin head of Foam stays in the glass while enjoying your Moretti. Almost no Foam remains in the glass once you've finished it.

Nose: Extremely Light. Almost Non-Existent. A little Malt, very Light Grassy Hops, Straw, Bread Dough, Sweet Corn, very light Metal and a sprinkle of freshly squeezed Lime.

Taste: Light, slightly Watery and a little more Bitter than I expected. Medium Carbonation. I find some Malt, Yeast, Grassy Hops, Grain, Metallic notes, Dried Herbs, Citrus and a distant hint of Banana Ice-Cream.

Finish: Extremely Short, a little Bitter and Dry towards the end. I find some Grains, light Hops, Dried Herbs, cooked White Onions and a light Metallic note. 

Rating: ****** (Six out of Ten)

General Remarks: Birra Moretti was founded in 1859 by Luigi Boretti in the city of Udine. It remained a local beer until the 1990's when national distribution started.Today Birra Moretti is exported to over 40 countries including the USA, the UK, Canada, Japan and Brazil. Birra Moretti was bought by Heineken Int. in 1996. Birra Moretti also produces a Double Bock, a Premium Malt, a Blond Ale and a Non-Alcoholic Beer.

Drinking Experience: Okay. 

Conclusion: This is my first Italian Beer ever! Birra Moretti is a typical pale Lager. It's refreshing as long as you drink it cold but so is Water. I didn't find any significant Flavours and Aromas. It's not too Sweet and the little Bitterness is quite welcome. I will accept a Glass on a hot Summer Day but it's not a Beer I will buy on a regular basis. Mi Dispiace!

Jan van den Ende                                                                     June 23, 2015

Antarctica Original Review

“Cold As Ice”

Country: Brazil 

Brand: Antarctica Original

Brewery: Cervejaria Antarctica, Jaguariuna (SP)
Package: Bottle (600 ml) 

Type: American Adjunct Lager

Age: NAS

ABV: 5%

Ingredients: Water, Malt, Grains, Hops, Carbohydrates
Antioxidant: INS 316
Stabiliser: INS 405

Colour: Pale Golden

Foam: Very Thin White Foam that dissolves quickly. Only traces of Foam are visible in the glass while you are enjoying your Original. Only very few laces of Foam remain once you're done.

Nose: Extremely Light. Almost Non Existing. A bit of Malt, Sweet Corn, Yeast, Supermarket White Bread and Dough. A hint of Grassy Hops.

Taste: Thin, Watery but Refreshing, at least when you drink it cold like I did. The Carbonation is adequate. I find Sweet Grains (Corn and Rice), very Light Hops, Popcorn, a sprinkle of Lemon, Wet Newspaper and a little Iron.

Finish: Light and Watery. There's a light Bitterness towards the end that saves the day. I find Sweet Cereals (Corn and Rice), Light Hops and Malt, light Metal and Wet Newspaper.

Rating: ****** (Six out of Ten)

General Remarks: In 1906 the German immigrant Henrique Thielen founded the Adriatica Brewery in the city of Ponta Grossa in the state of Parana. In 1943, this Brewery was sold to Compania Antarctica Paulista. Nowadays, the latter is part of the Ambev Group. Adriatica's Pilsen Beer was called Original. When Paulista took over Adriatica, this Beer was subsequently called Antarctica Original. The Original sort of lost its way during the years but it was revived in 2010 in the original packaging. It's produced in relatively small lots and only for sale in the states of Sao Paulo and Parana.

The Ambev Brewery in Jaguariuna (SP) - Picture Credit: Engeform

Drinking Experience: Okay

Conclusion: This is a very simple Light Adjunct Lager. It's not as annoyingly Sweet as most Brazilian Beers of this type and it presents a light Bitterness that makes it more refreshing. But the Antarctica Original lacks interesting Aromas and Flavours. It makes a good companion during a Happy Hour with friends and colleagues. And I didn't detect any real Off-Notes. But that's all!

Jan van den Ende                                                                     June 18, 2015

Ayinger Bräuweisse Review

“Bavaria Goes Bananas”

Country: Germany

Brand: Ayinger Bräuweisse

Brewery: Brauerei Aying, Aying (Franz Inselkammer KG)
Package: Bottle (500 ml) 

Type: Light Coloured Wheat Beer (Hefe Weizen)

Age: NAS

ABV: 5.1%

Ingredients: Water, Wheat Malt, Barley Malt, Hops and Yeast.
Antioxidant: Not Indicated 
Stabiliser: Not Indicated

Colour: Hazy Pale Gold

Foam: Nice Dense Foam that unfortunately disappears very quickly. Only a Thin layer of Foam remains in the glass while enjoying your Ayinger. No traces of Foam remain in the glass once you finished it.

Nose: Yeast, Banana Ice Cream and Bubble Gum are the first impressions. I also find Lemon, Clove, Nutmeg, light Grassy Hops, Honey, Sweet Corn, Caramel Malt, Floral tones and Bread Dough.

Wrong Glass, Correct Beer!

Palate: Quite Light and slightly Watery. Adequate Carbonation. It's mainly Sweet with only a very light Bitterness for balance. The Banana Ice Cream is back together with Vanilla, Sweet Grain, Yeast, Honey, light Hops, Butterscotch, Bubble Gum, Orange, Lemon, Clove, Nutmeg, and Fresh Coriander.

Finish: Light and Short with Sweet Grain, Yeast, Banana, Green Apple, Vanilla, Bread, Clove, Pepper and a hint of Aniseed. Quite Dry and a little Bitter towards the end.

Rating: ******* (Seven out of Ten)

General Remarks: The Ayinger Brewery was founded in 1877 and is a medium sized independent Brewery, located in Aying (Bavaria) close to Munich. About 10% of their beers is exported, mainly to Europe and the USA but also for instance to Brazil. Their main line of Beers include Doppelbock, Dunkel, Lager, Keller and Dark Wheat Beer. Ayinger Beers won many trophies in European Beer Contests. A new Brewery building was opened in 1999.

Drinking Experience: Good 

Conclusion: In general I like to drink a Wheat Beer from time to time. I did have a few over the last couple of years, mainly from Germany and Austria. The Ayinger I'm tasting today is a nice representative of this type of Beer but not the best I've tasted. I find it a bit too Sweet and the initial Freshness of the Banana Ice-Cream and Bubble Gum becomes slightly annoying over time. This beer could do with some extra Hops in my opinion. It's certainly a well-made Wheat Beer but given the ample competition in this segment I don't think I will re-visit this soon. I will review another Wheat Beer from Germany in the coming weeks!

Jan van den Ende                                                                      June 12, 2015

Murphy's Irish Stout Review

“An Irishman in Edinburgh”

Country: Republic of Ireland

Brand: Murphy's Irish Stout

Brewery: Scottish & Newcastle UK Ltd, Edinburgh, Scotland 
Package: Tin Can (500 ml) 

Type: Irish Dry Stout

Age: NAS

ABV: 4%

Ingredients: Water, Malted Barley, Roasted Barley, Chocolate Malt and Hops.
Antioxidant: Not Indicated 
Stabiliser: Not Indicated

Colour: Very Dark Brown, almost Black with hints of Red. 

Foam: A finger of Nice Creamy Beige Foam remains in the Glass while you're enjoying your Murphy's. The Lacing is nice but almost no Foam remains in the glass once you have finished it.

Nose: Lighter than expected with Toasted Grains, Toffee, Yeast, Chocolate Milk, Malt, light Hops, Dry Earth and hints of Red Berries and Coffee.

Palate: Light, Watery and Slightly Bitter. The Carbonation is very Low. I find Toasted Grain, Malt, Sour Bread, Nut-Shells, light Hops, light Licorice, Dirty Earth, Wet Stones, Caramel, Chocolate Milk, Cold Coffee and hints of Red Berries and Metal. 

Finish: Light, Thin, Bitter-Sweet and slightly Sour with Toasted Grain, Malt, light Hops, Caramel, Yeast, Wet Stones, light Licorice and Stale Coffee.

Rating: ****** (Six out of Ten)

The Former Murphy's Brewery in Cork (Picture Credit: JD Traveller)

General Remarks: William Younger & Co and McEwans merged in 1931 and became Scottish Brewers. This company merged in 1960 with the Newcastle Breweries to form Scottish & Newcastle. This company grew very strong both in the UK and the Baltic countries and was finally bought after long negotiations by a consortium formed by Carlsberg and Heineken in 2008. The assets were split and Heineken a/o got the Scottish & Newcastle Brewery in Edinburgh. S & N is now formally known as Heineken UK. The Murphy's Irish Stout I'm tasting today was brewed in this Edinburgh distillery. The original Murphy's Brewery was founded in 1856 in Cork, Ireland by James J. Murphy. The Brewery was bought in 1983 by the Heineken Group. Murphy's has always been the most traditional competitor of Guiness Stout. Guiness is generally considered to be heavier and more bitter than Murphy's. Murphy's also produces an Irish Red. The water for the Brewery is sourced from the river Lee. The Can contains a nice little ball of Nitrogen to help produce the nice Creamy Foam.

Drinking Experience: Okay/Good

Conclusion: Murphy's Irish Stout is a delight for the eye when you pour it in your glass. The Dark Brown/Black of the Beer combines perfectly with the Rich Creamy Beige Foam. Full marks for presentation. But on the Nose and on the Palate Murphy's is quite Light, Thin and Watery. The ABV of only 4% does not help here of course. It's easily drinkable but it does not have interesting Aromas and Flavours. The Coffee - and Chocolate notes are very Thin and a bit Stale and Musty. Murphy's Irish Stout is not a bad Stout and I won't say no if one is offered. But it's also rather Thin and kinda Boring thus I won't buy it again.

Jan van den Ende                                                                      June 8, 2015

Karavelle Keller Review

“Minor Shipwreck”

Country: Brazil 

Brand: Karavelle Keller

Brewery: Cervejaria Independente Vera Cruz SA, Indaiatuba (SP)
Package: Bottle (600 ml) 

Type: Keller Lager (Not Filtrated)

Age: NAS

ABV: 4,5%

Ingredients: Water, Malted Grains, Hops, Yeast.
Antioxidant: Not Indicated 
Stabiliser: Not Indicated

Colour: A Hazy Pale Golden. Remember this Beer is not Filtrated.

Foam: Thin, slightly Off-White Foam that disappears quickly. Only a very thin Layer of Foam remains in the glass while drinking your Karavelle. No traces of Foam remain in the glass once you finished it. 

Nose: Light with Cereals, White Bread, Dough, Yeast, Grass, Straw, Lemon and Caramel. Very Light Hops.

Palate: Light and Watery. Sweet at first but slightly Sour and with some Bitterness towards the end. The Carbonation is adequate. I find White Bread, Toasted Cereals, Grass, Hay, light Hops, Lemon, Banana and a Metallic note. 

The Brewery

Finish: Sweet and Soapy. Dry towards the end. Not very pleasant. I find Grass, Cereals, Dough, Yeast, light Hops, Caramel, Lemon, Banana and Artificial Sweetener.

Rating: ***** (Five out of Ten)

Karavelle Bar in Sao Paulo

General Remarks: The artisanal Vera Cruz Brewery was founded very recently in 2012. Thanks to a clever marketing strategy and distribution, the Karavelle Beers are already available in supermarkets and special shops in - and around Sao Paulo. The Brewery also possesses two Bars/Outlets in the city of Sao Paulo. Their communications director is the well-known Brazilian singer Seu Jorge. Currently, the Brewery produces six different styles of Beer namely IPA, Pilsen, Weiss, Keller, Porter and Red Ale.

Drinking Experience: Not very satisfying

Conclusion: I had some Keller beer in Germany but that was way back in the 1980's. So it's hard for me to say if this Karavelle Keller would stand up to its German peers. I tend to think not as I am not at all pleased with this version brewed in the interior of the state of Sao Paulo. The Nose is all Bread, Dough and Yeast and on the Palate it's Light and Watery. I miss balance as Sweet, Sour and Bitter seem to fight - rather than complement each other. The Finish is the less agreeable part. A dry Artificial Sweetener-like taste remains in your mouth for quite a while and does not inspire you to have another sip. I must try a couple of other Karavelle beers as well but this Keller expression is not at all to my liking. Won't buy it again. 

Jan van den Ende                                                                      June 4, 2015

Chimay Blue Review

“Abbey Road”

Country: Belgium 

Brand: Chimay Blue 2014 (Grande Reserve)

Brewery: Scourmont Abbey (SA Bieres de Chimay, Baileux)  
Package: Bottle (33 cl) 

Type: Belgian Dark Strong Ale (Trappist)

Age: NAS

ABV: 9 %

Ingredients: Water, Malted Barley, Hop Extract, Yeast, Wheat Starch, Sugar and Malt Extract.
Antioxidant: Not Indicated
Stabiliser: Not Indicated
Gift from my friend Alexandre. Thanks a lot!

Colour: Dark Brown

Foam: Nice Off-White Foam that dissolves too quickly. Only a Creamy but Thin layer remains in the glass while drinking your Chimay Blue. Hardly any laces remain in the glass once you have finished it.

Nose: Sweet and Malty with Toffee, Whole Grain Bread, Yeast, Demerara Sugar, Treacle, Nutella, Black Currant Marmalade, Apples and Christmas Spices.

Palate: Relatively Rich, Bitter-Sweet, Yeasty and slightly Sour. I find Caramel, Toffee, Butterscotch, Treacle, Malt, light Hops, Toasted Grain, light Vanilla, Dry Earth, Dried Herbs, Raisins, ripe Bananas, Pepper, Nutmeg and Cloves. The Alcohol is nicely integrated. The Carbonation is adequate, perhaps a tad too high for this type of Ale.

Finish: Quite Long and Bitter-Sweet with Malt, Yeast, Black Currants, Espresso, Dried Fruits, Dry Earth and Butterscotch Chocolate. A light Metal Off-Note right at the end.

Rating: *******1/2  (Seven and a Half out of Ten)

The Scourmont Abbey

General Remarks: The Chimay Brewery was founded in 1862 and is located in the Scourmont Abbey and is one of the 11 Breweries in the world that produce Trappist Beer. The Beer is sold to support the monastery as well as selected charities and community development in the region. The Water for the beer is drawn from a well inside the monastery. The bottling plant is located outside the monastery and the beer is re-fermented in the bottles for around three weeks. Half the production is exported all over the world. Chimay produces three main beers, the Red with a Sweet Fruity Aroma at 7%, the slightly Bitter Blue at 9% and the hopped Triple at 8%. For their own consumption, the monks brew the Golden expression, a lighter and paler Ale bottled at 4.8%. Since 1876, the Abbey also produces Cheese. The Chimay Blue was initially brewed as a special Christmas beer, hence it carries a vintage on the label. I'm tasting the 2014 today. The Chimay Blue is not pasteurised and is said to improve its flavours over the years but I'm not patient enough in this respect. And it's really quite expensive here in Brazil at around 9 US Dollars for a 33 CL Bottle (May 2015) so I won't be stocking this Ale to see what happens in the future!

The four Chimay Beers with Blue in the Glass

Drinking Experience: Good.   

Conclusion: Chimay Blue is clearly a Beer made for sipping on a cold and rainy winter evening with a good book for companion. The ABV is a bit too high to consider having more than one or two in a session although the Alcohol is nicely integrated. This is my first Chimay and I must say I had expected a bit more. The Foam dissolves too quickly and the Delivery is slightly more watery than I had come to expect. I also find it a bit too Yeasty and I could live without the light Metal Off-Note in the Finish. Despite these little flaws however, the Chimay Blue is still a nice Ale and I look forward to try the other expressions from the Scourmont Abbey as well.

Jan van den Ende                                                                      June 1, 2015