#218: Brooklyn Brewery » Hammarby Syndrome (Spiced Amber)

Brooklyn heads to Stockholm, pays homage to ancient Swedish beers...

The Brewery: Brooklyn Brewery (Brooklyn, NY)
The Brew:  Hammarby Syndrome (Spiced Amber)
Availability:  Bottles, draft (limited)
ABV: 8.0%
Rating: 8.8/10
Location: Victoire

On my way up to see my cousin for her birthday last month, I had a chance to stop into Rochester's Victoire on East Ave for a bite and a pint with my partner and one of my best friends in the area. After some serious decision difficulty between the Bison Meatloaf sandwich and the handmade Belgian Sausage (and happily moving forward with the former), I picked up a flight of 3 Belgian-style favorites, but made room for the oddly monikered Hammarby Syndrome, from Brooklyn's Brewmaster's Reserve series.

The beer was created in celebration of the Brooklyn's New Carnegie Brewery in Stockholm, Sweden and a nod to the local Football team (Stockholm Syndrome... Hammarby Syndrome... get it?). It's a unique Amber Strong Ale, brewed with spelt and spruce fonds - both paying homage to ancient Swedish brewing.

The beer itself is a deep, glowing amber, topped with a ring of white head and emitting pleasant aromas of fruit, especially strawberry. On to the palate, it's deep, dark fruit flavors with a mild earthiness and esters, backed by prickly carbonation. Notes of grain, sweet malt, and soft caramel are in there as well. More flavors of pecan, spice, and faint peach continue to swirl, but never dominate

Overall, it's elegant, rustic, and subtly intricate. Recommended for those with a delicate palate looking for complexity without shock value.

#183: Brooklyn Brewing » Fire & Ice (Smoked Porter)

Smokey warmth for cold, dark nights...

The Brewery: Brooklyn Brewery (Brooklyn, NY)
The Brew:  Fire & Ice (Smoked Porter)
Availability:  Bottles, draft (limited)
ABV: 7.2%
Rating: 8.7/10
Location: Felicia's Atomic Lounge

The Story: A week or so back, I was in Felicia's and overheard talk of Brooklyn's Fire & Ice heading to their tap lines later in the month. I'd never heard of the brew and immediately hit the search engine. As it turns out, Fire & Ice is the latest in Brooklyn's Brewmaster Reserve series. My interest was peaked to say the least as their Cuvée La Boîte melted my mind up in Rochester and The Companion was one of the non-Vermont highlights from Vermont.

After wrapping up a show in Syracuse, I bombed back to Ithaca with my friend Bimini to meet up with my partner Mel as Fire & Ice had just hit the line earlier that evening.

The Beer: A pint glass full of deep, dark, jet-black liquid is lade in front of me with a thick, bubbly mocha head - which surprisingly faded relatively quickly with minimal lacing.

Prickly carbonation hits my tongue with a creamy, silky mouthfeel behind the bubbles. Deep roasted flavors of smoke, soft coffee, and caramel grace my palate. It's smooth, warming, cooling, and calming with significant bitterness of the smoke and dark malts. Firm chocolate notes enter early and stay throughout the glass with support from nutty flavors and faint dark fruits.

Overall, a must-try for any dark brew lover, but not quite as mind-melting as some of their other offerings. That said, it's absolutely worth checking out. I'll be going back for round two soon and may have some additional notes to share...

#116: Brooklyn Brewery » Cuvée La Boîte (Spiced Grand Cru)

My first visit to Victoire Belgian beer bar...

The Brewery: Brooklyn Brewery (Brooklyn, NY)
The Brew:  Cuvée La Boîte (Spiced Grand Cru)
Availability:  Bottles, draft (limited)
ABV: 7.9%
Rating: 9.3/10
Location: Victoire

The Story? Over the summer, while on tour, the owner of Ithaca's The Westy asked if I'd had a chance to swing by Victoire during our stop in Rochester. I hadn't. In fact, I hadn't even heard of it yet. A Belgian beer bar on East Ave?  I vowed not to miss that opportunity again. Having returned to my old stomping grounds this past weekend, I kept up that promise to myself. It's good to promise yourself good beer.

Victoire itself is tucked into the lower level, on a corner on East Ave's vibrant strip. One boastful parallel-park job later and I'm on my way in, noting the outdoor patio for when warm weather returns to Rochester. I was greeted by friendly staff and an elderly couple kindly scooched over to allow me ample access to the bar and a seat while a jazz band started up. A quick glance at the beer menu showed numerous familiar flagship and seasonal offerings from Belgian and Belgian-style staples such as Chimay, Duvel, Ommegang, Stillwater, Unibroue, Leffe, and DuPont, even Kwak and Rodenbach. For me, the Brooklyn Cuvee La Boite and Duchesse de Bourgogne were immediate stand-outs that I hadn't experienced yet.

Cuvee La Boite is part of Brooklyn Brewery's Brewmaster's Reserve series and is brewed in the Grand Cru tradition with Wildflower Honey, Lior’s unique blend of Mishmish N.33 (lemon, saffron, crystalized honey), fresh kaffir lime leaves, and rare Espe- lette peppers from the French Pyrénées. Wow.


The Beer? Cuvee La Boite serves up with a thick, white head of foam perched on cloudy, golden liquid. The nose is a complex menagerie of spices with subtle notes of lemon, honey, and yeast. Every scent and spice appears interwoven, relying on the others and is all about the bouquet sum rather than it's individual pieces.

I take a long first sip and immediately take note how incredibly smooth this is. At first the flavor is straightforward and typically Belgian, but in an instant, it blooms with all sorts of interesting characteristics.

The silky smooth mouthfeel is complemented by an amazing array of flavors - pepper, crème brûlée, mild banana, honey, honey comb, vanilla, wheat, with a slight touch of ester far off on the finish which coats the tongue nicely with all that spice.

Overall this is probably the smoothest beers I've ever enjoyed. The whole experience is elegant and sublime. A recommended reserve for the discerning enthusiast that won't break the bank.

#079: Brooklyn Brewery » The Companion 2011 (Wheat Wine)

From Brooklyn's Brewmaster's Reserve series...

The Brewery: Brooklyn Brewery (Brooklyn, NY)
The Brew: The Companion 2011 (Wheat Wine)
Availability: Bottles & draft (limited, brewed once)
ABV: 9.0%
Rating: 8.7/10
Location: Farmhouse Tap & Grill

The Story? Continuing our meal and run through the draft list at Farmhouse Tap & Grill, my eyes caught a Brooklyn's 2011 Brewmaster's Reserve release - The Companion. I'm fairly partial to wheat wines, when I can find them, and have only had a few chances at Brooklyn's Reserve series, much less one that has been waiting for two years.

The Beer?  I really took my time with this one. First impressions are a sweet nose with distinct apple and pear notes on the nose. The appearance is opaque, orange-amber with a ring of white head.

On to the taste, it's quite satisfying. Pleasant apple and bourbon flavors right up front are reminiscent of a high-end, mature cider. The Companion is far less sweet than some wheat wines I've encountered. Instead, it boasts a full, silky, drinkable body with new flavors evolving through out the glass.

Hints of nutmeg, white grape, toffee peak their way in, along side mild, boozy heat from the unabashed 9.0% ABV. There's something autumn-like about he flavors as well. Subtle, creative, and understated.

Recommended for those seeking a quality, atypical beer experience.