Couple Quickies

The Brooklyn Brown Ale I received in a trade recently was 5 months past its "best by" date but I took the plunge anyway, hoping I would get something still fairly drinkable. The smell is pretty good, although maybe slightly oxidized. Lots of caramel sweetness is there. The same goes for the taste, with a sharp toasted malt presence before a nice chocolaty aftertaste. I probably would have never guessed this beer was that much past it's prime. I probably would have never noticed. This is a beer I would definitely search out again if I could find it fresh. Brown ale has quickly become one of my favorite styles of beer (after not getting off to such a great start with a Sam Smith's Nut Brown I had once).


Switching things up was a Belgian-style golden ale, the Deschutes 19th Anniversary Ale. Their 19th anniversary was last year, so this getting up there in age, but should be supported reasonably by its 8.7% ABV. The reviews on this were pretty lukewarm, but I thought it was a nice tasting Belgian-style beer. It provided a lot of the earthiness a standard Belgian would, with a sweetness in there as well. Although I don't drink Delirium Tremens that often, I would really compare this to what I remember of the Delirium. Really light and effervescent, pretty good, but not great.