Beer of the Weekend #546: Rare Vos
The beer tonight is the last beer in my custom sixer of February recommendation candidates: Rare Vos, brewed by the Brewery Ommegang of Cooperstown, New York.
Beer on carpet! Today I decided to eschew my MacBook to write reviews by hand and transcribe them later. Earlier today I was in the kitchen and tonight I was in the basement (watching Iowa State die by the three). I need to shake things up so I do not get burned out (said after 545 tastings).
Serving type: 12-ounce bottle. No freshness date.
Appearance: Poured into a tulip (though a tall pint glass — the recommended glassware, I assume — is printed on the label). The color is cloudy caramel-amber. Two fingers of dense, beige, buttery head settled slowly, leaving lacing along the glass.
Smell: Spicy, malty, and fruity. Reminds me a little of a Unibroue beer (Trois Pistoles?). Clove and pepper spice, caramel, banana, and apple. It smells very enticing. There is also a noticeable yeast influence. Orange emerges slowly but eventually makes a strong showing.
Taste: Very tasty and much like the aroma. Full, yeasty mouthfeel. Caramel, light pepper, mostly clove and yeast spice. The banana and apple are not as prominent but are still present. The orange citrus is there, too.
Drinkability: Very tasty stuff. I think we have a winner!
Fun facts about Rare Vos:
-Style: Amber ale.
-Price: $2.79/bottle at John’s Grocery in Iowa City.
-Alcohol content: 6.5 percent ABV.
-Serving temperature: This has to be the worst typo I have ever seen on a beer label. Written on the label is “Serve at 40ºF/50ºC.” 50ºC? That is 122ºF. I don’t think so. I think they mean 5ºC (41ºF).
-Food pairings: Written on the label is, “Enjoy as a session beer or with mussels, fries, and other pub foods.”
-According to the label, the beer is “named after a café just outside of Brussels: De Rare Vos, or ‘The Sly Fox.’”
The Quiet Man’s grade: A-.
Beer on carpet! Today I decided to eschew my MacBook to write reviews by hand and transcribe them later. Earlier today I was in the kitchen and tonight I was in the basement (watching Iowa State die by the three). I need to shake things up so I do not get burned out (said after 545 tastings).
Serving type: 12-ounce bottle. No freshness date.
Appearance: Poured into a tulip (though a tall pint glass — the recommended glassware, I assume — is printed on the label). The color is cloudy caramel-amber. Two fingers of dense, beige, buttery head settled slowly, leaving lacing along the glass.
Smell: Spicy, malty, and fruity. Reminds me a little of a Unibroue beer (Trois Pistoles?). Clove and pepper spice, caramel, banana, and apple. It smells very enticing. There is also a noticeable yeast influence. Orange emerges slowly but eventually makes a strong showing.
Taste: Very tasty and much like the aroma. Full, yeasty mouthfeel. Caramel, light pepper, mostly clove and yeast spice. The banana and apple are not as prominent but are still present. The orange citrus is there, too.
Drinkability: Very tasty stuff. I think we have a winner!
Fun facts about Rare Vos:
-Style: Amber ale.
-Price: $2.79/bottle at John’s Grocery in Iowa City.
-Alcohol content: 6.5 percent ABV.
-Serving temperature: This has to be the worst typo I have ever seen on a beer label. Written on the label is “Serve at 40ºF/50ºC.” 50ºC? That is 122ºF. I don’t think so. I think they mean 5ºC (41ºF).
-Food pairings: Written on the label is, “Enjoy as a session beer or with mussels, fries, and other pub foods.”
-According to the label, the beer is “named after a café just outside of Brussels: De Rare Vos, or ‘The Sly Fox.’”
The Quiet Man’s grade: A-.
