Beer Wednesday: Rigor Mortis by Dieu de Ciel

I recently had the Rigor Mortis by Brasserie Dieu de Ciel, a French Canadian brewery, and immediately loved it. Any reader who recalls my affinity for smooth and delicious darker beers will not be surprised - Rigor Mortis is one of the smoothest and most delicious strong amber ales I've ever had. It's instantly one of my favorite beers.

Beer Wednesday: Palo Santo Marron by Dogfish Head

I like Dogfish Head because they are not afraid to take chances and brew interesting, unique beers. Their Palo Santo Marron is a great example. This beer is very strong (12% ABV) and is described as a "malt beverage" on the bottle. It was apparently brewed in tanks made out of South American Palo santo wood, which I had never heard of before. Regardless of the wood type, using wood barrels to add flavor to fermented drinks is a time-tested tradition in wine making (oak is popular) and has caught on in brewing also.

Beer Wednesday: Affligem Noel and St Bernardus Christmas Ale

That's right, Belgian Christmas beers! Because I'm pretentious like that. I had the Affligem Noel and St. Bernardus Christmas Ale over the weekend, and I really liked them both. Very good holiday beers, I'd recommend them to anyone who digs strong, cold-weather beers.

Beer Wednesday: Stone Brewery Anniversary

This last weekend I attended Stone Brewery's 14th Anniversary Celebration held at Cal State San Marcos. It was not as brutally hot as expected and the beers were fantastic.

Beer Wednesday: Cuvee van de Keizer blue by Gouden Carolus

The Cuvee van de Keizer Blauw (blue) by Gouden Carolus is a big beer. I mean BIG. Not dark like a big imperial stout, but big in the sense that it's got a very heavy mouth feel, it's thick and viscous, and it's super sweet and rich. It was described to me as a quadrupel, but since I don't know exactly what that means I'm going with the description I see online of a "belgian strong dark ale."

Impromptu Beer Reaction: Ale of the Hermit by Hermitage Brewing Co

I have to admit - and this will shock you - that I drink more beers than just those that we review on Wet Wednesdays. Many of those beers don't bear a public reaction because they're well known and not as interesting, or maybe they simply aren't that great and I don't want to waste your time reading about something you probably don't want to put in your mouth.

Sometimes, though, I find a beer which I want to talk about but doesn't seem ripe for a full on Wet Wednesday. I drank the Ale of the Hermit by Hermitage Brewing Co. the other night and had just such a reaction. I thought it was smooth and malty, with a little funkiness but enough to scare me. The Ale of the Hermit tastes mild, which I didn't mind, and the slight caramel and roasty flavors were pleasant to me. But as we know I am a fan of smooth, easy-drinking beers with mild flavors. That's how my palate rolls. I was surprised to see this beer get some very negative scores at ratebeer, so maybe it's not for everyone.



Ale of the Hermit is listed as a "Belgian strong ale" and has 8% ABV. I paid $3.49 for a 17oz bottle at BevMo. I'd recommend Ale of the Hermit to beer drinkers who likes a strong beer with a smooth flavor profile.