Even though 2009 doesn’t make it’s grand entrance for another 10 hours (at the time of this post), I’d like to wish all of the people who visit this site a safe and Happy New Year! 2008 has been quite a year for BetterBeerBlog. I’ve brewed more beers this year than I ever have in past years and I’ve gotten the chance to taste some really great beers from some well known and not so well known breweries. Sammy and I have visited many new places we’ve never been to or would have even known of this year. Most importantly, we’ve made some pretty good friends this year, all in the name of beer!
As I look forward to 2009, I can’t help but be worried and excited all at the same time. The economy has been the worst it’s ever been and there hasn’t been any signs that the Recession is going to let up any time soon. As a result, California is on the brink of bankruptcy and job security seems to be a myth.
Still, there’s a lot to be excited over. We have a new President ready to be sworn in during the next few weeks and the Bay Area beer scene will be at it’s busiest with the upcoming SF Beer Week in February. If all goes according to plan, BetterBeerBlog will have it’s world turned upside down in 2009.
Once again, I’d like to thank everyone who took the time to support this site by sending me emails, leaving comments and reading. It feels good to get the feedback and to know that all my efforts are not in vain or lost in the enormity of the Internet. With that being said, here are the last two beer reviews of 2008.
Mointte Brune, Brasserie Dupont, 8.5% ABV
A few days before Christmas, the wife and I decided to have dinner with a few friends at Tee Nee Thai over on the Alameda in downtown San Jose. As I’ve written before, what really separates Tee Nee Thai from other Thai restaurants is their Belgian Beer selection. They have 11 different Monasteries represented with a total of 18 Belgian beers on their bottle list. The first I had was Moinette Brune, from Brasserie Dupont.
Moinette Brune has moussey, beige head while the beer is a hazy, dark brown/caramel in color. This is a malt forward beer with slight dark fruit notes and some spiciness in the aroma and flavor. This was a full bodied beer with medium-high carbonation and a dry finish.
Grimbergen Double, Abbey (Abji)j Van Grimbergen, 6.5%
This beer pours out a dark brown with ruby highlights and a beige head. The aroma is primarily sweet malt, multi-grain bready in character, with a slight tartness and brown rice note. The flavor of the beer is primarily sweet malt with a lactic sourness running underneath. There is also a citric quality to the beer as well. Medium in body with medium carbonation, this beer reminds me of a light Flanders Red.
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