Three beers I hope you haven't heard of

Today's theme: three European beers I hope you haven't heard of.

When I walked into Market of Choice a few days ago, I spent several minutes looking for the beer aisle.  You know, the one right next to the ice cream, jam-packed with delicious domestics like "Budweiser" and "Rolling Rock".  After a few minutes of panic, I asked the nearest employee, who kindly pointed me to the back corner of the store.  What I found there was an oasis of amazing microbrews and imports that trumps any store in Corvallis.  The selection and variety of quality beers they have is just simply astounding.  So, I picked three beers that caught my eye and with my friends and fellow bloggers Katy Weaver, Jessica Marshall and Kyle Holzkamp, I went to town.


Haand Bryggeriet IPA (Norwegian IPA)

This beer pours an aggressively bubbly head due to the high carbonation.  The color is a light caramel, a little darker than your typical IPA, but certainly not into amber territory.  The beer was quite cloudy, with particulates floating around in the carbonation.  After letting the beer settle and breathe, the particulate settled to the bottom of the glass and the carbonation became more mild.

The aroma is slightly bitter, but noticeably spicy.  Once I got the smell of nutmeg, I had a hard time finding much else.  It certainly isn't anything like our Northwest IPA, there is no hoppy, evergreen smell at all.

The beer has a heavier mouthfeel than I'm used to in an IPA, and feels slightly oily.  No metallic taste though, which I find usually accompanies an oily feel.   The biggest thing I noticed was the lack of a strong hop taste.  This results in the 6.5% ABV being very present and detectable.  While it hardly tastes like a home-brew, I found this beer to be very raw from start to finish, which is exactly what a Norwegian IPA seems like it should be.

While the price tag will probably prohibit this becoming your go-to beer, I would certainly recommend trying this one out, especially with your IPA-snob friends who can compare and contrast it to a typical NW brew.

St. Peter's Cream Stout (Award-winning stout from the UK)

This brew was an easy choice.  Who doesn't love cream stouts?  That, and the shape and simplicity of the bottle grabbed my eye and made this a must-buy.

It pours a nice dark brown with a reddish tint when held up to the light.  Smooth, creamy head with a clearly defined line of separation between the head and the rest of the beer.  Very light carbonation made this an easy pour.

The nose is all bananas.  Right in your face, it greets you.  Not an unpleasant smell, but certainly unexpected.  I let mine sit for several minutes before drinking, and although the head eventually settles into a thin, but persistent ring, the aroma is always present.

The mouthfeel is probably my favorite thing about this beer.  It is incredibly smooth and surprisingly light, not as heavy or "chewy" as some stouts can be.

This was a very tasty beer, smooth, sweet and mild, with just a hint of bitterness hitting you towards the end.  Subtle dark chocolate flirts just a little bit with the dominant grain flavor, but it doesn't have any of the overpowering chocolate or burnt coffee flavor that can overwhelm many commercialized stouts.

With the interesting aroma and sweet taste of this beer, it hides its 6.5% ABV quite well, and is a very drinkable beer.  I would personally have no problem putting down multiples in an evening.  I would highly recommend this beer to anyone who enjoys stouts and wants to try something a little out of the ordinary.

Reinaert Wild Ale (Belgian Strong Pale Ale)

Anything that comes in a 750ml bottle automatically catches my eye.  I refused to be put off by the fact that I usually don't care much for Belgian Ales, and went with this potent 9% ABV ale anyway.

Pouring this beer was similar to pouring champagne; it was very bubbly, and left a lacy, quickly dissipating head.  The most striking thing about this beer was the incredibly pale color.  I'll be the first to admit I judge beers on how they look all the time, and I was expecting this to be a little darker in color.

The smell brings to mind apples and fresh cut grass.  Sweet and sour notes at the same time.  Really brings champagne to mind.  The taste is very similar to the smell, with apples the predominant flavor, and some sour yeasty notes coming in after.  The 9% ABV is almost imperceptible, without any of the cloying sweetness that can be typical of Belgian or Belgian-style ales.

This beer is a sophisticated, light-weight and well-balanced ale that is dangerously drinkable given its high ABV.  I would recommend this beer to anyone who is new to Belgian style ales, or a veteran looking for something new.

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