Mike Loves Beer

Name – Panil Barriquee
Country – Italy
Type – Flanders Red Ale

My work week is just about over.  After 9 days of working in a row I just need to complete today and I’m off for 4 days.  I have to do this once a month.  As much as I love having 4 days in a row off I just hate working 10 days in a row before that.  Ugh, that’s life.

But on a good note I would like to public congratulate my good friend Phil from Dos Beerigos for becoming the South Florida rep for Cigar City Brewing.  The man deserves it and will do a great job.  I guess that will mean he will be blogging even less than almost never.  But there’s still United We Drink right?

So as my work week winds to an end I opened up a bottle of something I was going to try to save but my taste buds got the better of me.  Today I’m reviewing Panil Barriquee out of Italy.  It’s a Flanders Red that’s aged in oak barrels.  To be honest I’ve had this one numerous times at tastings but finally got a bottle of my own and just needed to open it.

It pours a reddish brown color into my tulip from the Bruery.  There is a small off white head but it’s gone pretty quickly.

Right as soon as I opened the bottle I got scents of freshly peeled Granny Smith apples.  When I put my nose into the glass for a smell there is a good funk with hints of cherries, grapes and plums.  I can pick up an ever slight bit of oak in there as well.

The taste has a nice tart flavor of the fruits.  It is a bit acidic in there too.  There is notes of vinegar and then finishes off with the oak that leaves a dry finish.

The bottle I have was marked as batch 12 from 2010.  So I would make a guess that this was bottled late in 2010 so it probably had a good 8 months of age on it.  I’ve had some many year old ones of this before too and I just got to say I think it’s a fantastic beer.

It’s no surprise to many that sours are my favorite styles.  I wish I could drink them everyday.  But alas they aren’t that easy to get a hold of and are usually expensive.  This baby is around $18 for the 750ml bottle.  But they are great occasion beers like celebrating a friend getting a job or yourself having worked a period of time without a day off.  That’s how I do.

Or you can go grab a bottle and let it age.  As I mentioned it still tastes great with a few years on it.  So if that special occasion isn’t just around the corner you can feel alright just laying this one down until one pops up.

Grade - A

Name – Duchesse De Bourgogne
Country – United States
Type – Flanders Red Ale

Appearance – Pours a deep mahogany type color with a big sand colored head.

Smell – Holy hand grenade of Antioch Batman, this thing assaulted my nostrils with vinegar.  There is a funky sweetness to it as well but man is the vinegar smell strong.

Taste – Oh jeez it’s back.  More vinegar in the taste.  Some sourness and in opinion, ham.  Yes the Christmas dinner type of ham.  These are not mixing well to me.

I have not done this in a very long time but this was a sink beer.  I fought through half a glass and just couldn’t take it anymore.  That vinegar and ham taste was way too strong for me.  And this really made me sad because this is one of a very few amount of sour beers we can find easily down here.  I at first thought something was wrong with my bottle but after determining my take on it I saw some reviews and they seem to be one with the vinegar.  I guess that is the way it’s suppose to be.  It’s just not my thing for sour.  I prefer the sweet, tart sour.  I won’t completely murder it’s grade but this is really low on my scale.  Let the hate start flying my way.

Overall Grade – D-

Name – Zoetzuur Flemish Ale
Country – Belgium
Type – Flanders Red Ale

Appearance – Pours a pretty dark red that borders on brown.  There is a nice white head but it disappears pretty quickly.

Smell – Cherries and yeast is pretty much what you pick up.

Taste – Awesome tart flavor of cherries, lemon and some sour apple.  The yeast gives it a mild funk.

I love me some sour ales.  My friend Brian brought this to the Coffee District a week or so ago and I really liked it so I went ahead and picked up a bottle myself.  This is such an easy beer to drink and will probably be a staple in the summer for me.  If you like sours definitely give this a try.  Sorry for the picture quality.  I left my camera at home and had to make due with the phone.

Overall Grade – A