4 Beer Reviews with Doug on Tap

This week Doug Johnson joins us on The Catholic Man Show to talk about beer, grilling and smoking, and being a stay at home dad. Doug is a blogger over at Doug on Tap as well as the husband of Abby Johnson, pro-life author and speaker.

When we first reached out to Doug, being that we knew he was a beer guy, we thought it would be fun to take 4 beers and write a review of each beer.

In order to have a wide variety of beers, we had Doug pick 2 beers, David pick 1, and Adam pick 1.

Let us know if you agree or disagree with our reviews and which beers you would like us to review in the future!

Chimay Grand Reserve (Blue)

Doug’s first pick

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Doug’s Review:

This is one of my all-time favorite beers. It’s easily in my TOP 5. With the high alcohol content, beautiful hazy bronze color, and nice warm finish, I could drink this beer anytime, anywhere. It smells so good, it should be a candle. What I love most about this beer is that you can find it everywhere and most beer lovers have heard of it. From seasoned beer snobs to people that are just starting to branch out, I have never met anyone that doesn’t like Chimay (Blue). Also, you’re supposed to pour it into a big ole goblet. Who doesn’t feel super regal drinking out of a goblet? Now fetch me my sword and shield!!!

If you are trying this beer for the first time, please share with a friend and make sure you have a safe way to get home. The large bottle and high alcohol content will sneak up on you while you’re having a good time. Pace yourselves, my friends.

David’s Review:

This beer holds a lot of sentimental value for me.  Back in the day, before I had a mature beer world view, I used to classify beer into one of two categories: Light and Dark.  And all I knew what that I didn’t like “dark” beer.  I will forever owe a debt to Chimay Blue because as soon as I tried it my tiny little beer world was shattered!  Chimay Blue was like the sacrament of Confirmation for my taste buds and the moment that carbonated chrism touched my lips, my beer world became a man. 

In the Glass: pouring the Belgium beauty is like a storm a reddish-brown and cream colors until they finally settle into an amber brown color with a foamy head that won’t run out on you.

On the Nose: rich caramel with notes of fruit

Taste:  The stuff of legends.  If they had run out of beer at the wedding at Cana then Jesus would have turned water into THIS!  Caramel, malt, brown sugar, and the same fruit flavor as the aroma. If you’ve never had a Belgium beer then start here.

Adam’s Review:

Catholic’s sure know how to make a good beer huh? St. Brigit of Kildare is quoted as saying, “I should like a great lake of ale, for the King of Kings. I should like the family of heaven to be drinking it through time eternal.” I imagine St. Brigit saying this after trying this beer.  It’s aesthetically pleasing dark reddish brown color is typically poured into a beer goblet. Although high in alcohol content, the smell of caramel, nuts, and malts is what hits your nose. For people who don’t like Belgian style beers, this one would probably be an exception. There’s a balance of smooth and a warming finishes will keep you savoring and sipping the beer.

Founders Dirty Bastard Scottish Style Ale

Doug’s second pick

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Doug’s Review: 

Scotch Ales/ Wee Heavy are not among my favorite beer styles, but I still like to grab one every so often. This beer smells better than it tastes, but that not a bad thing because it tastes great. I prefer beers that sit between 6.5% and 10% ABV. Founders Dirty Bastard is right in the sweet spot at 8.5%. There are a lot of different flavors to look for in this beer. One sip, you might catch some caramel. The next sip, you’ll catch some nice roasted malts with coffee. You might even find yourself asking, “Are there figs in this??” All good things.

Quick story. This beer is a sentimental favorite of mine because a good friend brought me a pack of Dirty Bastards and about a pound of cooked bacon while we were at the hospital when our third child was born. That was one of the most thoughtful gifts ever. Oh, and he also brought us the Eucharist because it was on a Sunday and we couldn’t make it to Mass. That was awesome too.

David’s Review:

This is one of my go-to’s because Founders brewery does such a good job of making great beer that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg.

In the Glass: Very dark brown with tan foamy head.  Visibility approximately 0

On the Nose:  Coffee, chocolate, and maybe a little bit of caramel

Taste:  Just like the aroma there are flavors of chocolate and coffee with some smokey molasses.

Adam’s Review:

I’m a big Founders Brewing fan. I don’t have the cash to drop on all the expensive beers out there but I really don’t care to drink a Bud Light. Founders has come out with some good tasting beers for a relatively cheaper price point. This beer and All Day IPA are my go-to when strapped for cash. The only thing about the beer I hate is the name. I really don’t promote it because I dislike the name so much (what was the name they decided not to go with?!). Nonetheless, this beer is a rich flavored beer that reminds me of a drizzly fall day tailgating before my favorite college football team takes the field. It’s a filling bready beer packed with flavors of gingerbread, molasses, chocolate, and fig. It is a nice beer to have with a cigar as well!

Avery Brewing – Tweak

David’s choice

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Doug’s Review:

N/A. His beer guy fell through. COME ON BEER GUY!

David’s Review:

This Bourban barrel aged Imperial Coffee Stout is basically a beer lovers fantasy, and is 16% alcohol!

 In the glass: Image a dark brown color that is so dark it is as close as you can get to black without actually getting there.

On the Nose: Coffee, chocolate, vanilla, and you can almost smell the bourbon barrels.

Taste: Before I talk about what flavors are in the beer, I want to mention what isn’t: the flavor of alcohol.  You would expect that a beer with 16% would have an obvious alcohol “burn” to it, but this one doesn’t.  What you do have are flavors of coffee (depending on the age of the beer), MALT, vanilla, and cherries.

The only reason I don’t keep this one in the fridge all the time is because it is $12-$15 per bottle. Ouch!

Adam’s Review:

Not for the faint of heart! Or a weak heart! The vanilla, coffee, and chocolate taste is strong in this one. I would like to try it on draft somewhere as well! Consumed around 55 degrees, the almost black motor oil color has a bourbon aroma from being aged for 4 months in bourbon barrels. This is a sipping beer for me due to the combo of high alcohol content and the coffee acidity. I would love to try this beer again on a cold winter night, reading a book by the fireplace.

Sixpoint Lo-Res

Adam’s choice

sixpoint lo res

Doug’s Review:

Great beer. Beautiful to look at and it smells fantastic. Would I buy this beer on my own? Probably not, but I certainly wouldn’t turn it down if you handed it to me. If you like super hoppy, extra bitter, almost sticky IPAs… this beer is for you. IPA’s are not my favorite style, but some of my best beer drinking buddies are big time hop heads. I would absolutely recommend this beer to IPA lovers and even IPA appreciators like my self. IF your looking to pair this beer with something, I would go with some spicy Thai food. 

David’s Review:

In the Glass: A murky tangerine color, you can just barely see your hand on the other side of the glass

On the Nose: The hoppy scent of pine is present, as with most IPAs.  But what stands out to me the most is the smell of mango and passion fruit.

Taste: The citrus is present from start to finish, orange at the beginning and with a long finish of grapefruit.

Adam’s Review:

I’m a big IPA fan. I like the old school hoppy IPA’s and I like the new creamy/citrusy IPA’s. There’s very few IPA’s that I haven’t enjoyed.

Lo-Res by Sixpoint is a great blend of hoppy bitterness with citrus undertones. While still having the dry body of an IPA, the finish is crisp and clean. A great IPA for spring, summer, or fall.


NOTE: As always here on The Catholic Man Show, we promote virtue and self-mastery. This includes drinking alcohol. We do not promote or encourage underage drinking or drinking to the point of intoxication. Our body is the temple of the Holy Spirit.

In Catholicism, the pint, the pipe and the Cross can all fit together. – G.K. Chesterton

 

About the author, Adam

Adam is the Director of Communications for the Diocese of Tulsa and Eastern Oklahoma, CEO of St. Michael Catholic Radio, Co-host of TCMS, Author from Ascension Press, Husband and Father of 5 children.

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