Beer of the Week 9 and 10

Beer of the Week has been a little lazy lately. Because it’s been almost three weeks since an update you will be getting a two-fer this week. Unlike the last two-fer this one will be one good beer and one great beer.

Let’s get started.

First the good:

Founder’s Porter

Some Facts: Well, there isn't much out there about the Founders Brewery. The website is copyrighted 2004 and looks like it has not been updated since 2005. Here is what little can gleaned from the site. They were founded in 1997 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. That's about it. Most of the info on the history page is obsolete. The "Beer Styles" page is out of date as well. I do see ads for their beers in some of the industry magazines, but they remain largely a mystery. It has a 6.5 ABV%.


What They Say: The beer has a 4.16 out of 5.00 rating from the users at BeerAdvocate.com., for a grade of A-. The brothers have not reviewed it. It has a 3.99 out of 5.0 rating at RateBeer.com ranking it in the 99th percentile overall on the site and a 99.6th percentile within it's style.

What I Say: I poured from a 12oz. bottle into a pint glass. It has almost no head. It has a very deep, dark, brownish-black color, almost an inky black. The aroma is very faint. The mouthfeel is initially very smooth and creamy. It then gets a little bubbly, like champagne. The beer has a very bitter taste, like many porters. The aftertaste has strong coffee notes and a hint of cocoa. It is not sweet like chocolate or mocha, but bitter like cocoa. Overall it is a pretty good porter. I found this beer at the Wine Warehouse in Charlottesville, VA. I have only seen Founders at one other store, but I imagine is should be available at most speciality stores.

Final Rating: 4 out of 6 pints.


Now the great.

Delirium Nocturnum:

Some Facts: Delirium is brewed by Brouwerij Huyghe in Belgium. In an earlier edition of the Beer of the Week I reviewed Delirium Tremens, (in fact, it was the last two-fer). More information about the brewery and it's history can be found at their website (this link is for the English version of the site).
It has 8.5% ABV.

What They Say: This beer has a rating of 3.94 out of 5 by the users at BeerAdvocate.com, for a grade of B+. The brothers gave it an A-. It has a rating of 3.51 out of 5 at RateBeer.com, ranking it in the 86th percentile on the site, and the 67.7th percentile within it's style. There is a wide disparity in the ratings, so make sure you get a fresh bottle that has not been on the shelf for a long time.

What I Say: I poured from a 25.4 ounce bottle into a snifter. This beer has a nice head and dark, deep, brown color that still has a lot of clarity. It reminds me of a good root beer. The impressive aspect of this beer is the taste. It has an impeccable balance of hops, malt, and bitterness. I dare say the taste is perfectly balance. No characteristic overpowers. If I have one criticism it is this, because of the balance the beer lacks an identity. It doesn't pop. It is an extremely well crafted beer.
I found the beer at a Whole Foods grocery store.


Final Rating: 5 out of 6 pints.

- Gabe