Brooklyn Cuvee de Cardoz

Brewed by Brooklyn Brewery
Style: Belgian Strong Ale
Brooklyn, New York USA

Pours a hazy amber with a nice white head. Smells of coriander, ginger, some licorice, sweet wheat. Tastes of dry malt, spicy, full bodied. Enjoyable.

This one poured a nice cloudy yellow/orange color with an off white head. Aroma was fresh cut hops, lots of different spices, and some yeasty notes as well. Flavor was extremely complex, clove, cinnamon, citrus, floral hops and other things that I couldnt pick up but there was certainly more there. Alcohol was also hiddewn very well. I would have guess 5-6. A very differnet and unique brew that I would actively seek out

On tap at Tyler’s, Durham, with durhambeer. Pours like brandy, with a nice layer of carbonation on top. Smells like brandy? No, smells like a delicious samosa that’s been turned into beer. Very complex aroma indeed, with an initial sweetness that eventually lets you in on its spicy secrets. Body is a bit thin, and the flavors aren’t quite as complex as the nose (often just a kind of generic sharpness). But I kinda dug it.

2009-08-02. Dark yellow body with an off white head.(3+) Sweet aroma, floral with herbaceous touches. Flavour is similar, light florals and spice, touch of fruit/coconut? Light bitterness, sweet fruit in aftertaste. Smooth average plus bodied palate. (3+) On tap at Coles, Buffalo

Aroma is a bit sweet, a little twang. Flavor has bit of rice and sweetness with a mustyness.

I got a growler of this from Stony Brook Beverage! I knew this was going to be quite an experience from reading the description they had posted in the store, but I had no idea my pallet could taste so many different things in one sip. This is a wild brew, but great when paired with the right food. I thoroughly enjoyed it with my sushi dinner. Very unique and well worth it if you are the daring type.

She was placed before me in a gorgeous Brooklyn Brewery snifter bearing their logo in frosted simplicity on the front. Further proof, imo, that sometimes simple is best. I am about to find out though that the contents inside her beautifully simple glass are anything but. Hazy golden orange, a rocky head of off-white foam fades into a thin film which is appropriately thicker around the edges. I could be on the other side of the room and her nose would still find me and lay me out on the floor. Mint, black licorice, parsley, and cilantro are followed by a blossoming explosion of flowers and pollen. Anise and mint is everywhere, permeating her heavily pungent nose which borders on being so complex that she is in danger of overwhelming herself. Overripe bananas, pineapple, mango, and sugar syrup. Poppy seeds and lemon cream reminds me of the moist, heavy lemon poppy seed muffins I used to bake years ago using all-natural ingredients. Phew. I take a step back to gather my senses before wading through her nose to partake of the actual brew itself. A creamy mouthfeel makes for a pleasantly soft presence which works largely in her favor; if she had been thick and heavy, the explosion of flavors upon my tongue would be too overwhelming. Again, I feel that precarious balance of too much and just enough. The Cuvee de Cardoz is a sipper to be sure. Mint and black licorice permeates her palate and lingers long in my breath. Creamy overripe bananas perfectly compliment her creamy mouthfeel while green chilies, celery, white pepper, more mint and black licorice drown my senses. The more I quaff, the more I am left pondering an interesting quandary: her exuberant complexity is threatening to dull her palate, resulting in a rather simple beer despite the sheer diversity and quantity of quality ingredients that went into making this beer. Later than sooner, I sup the last of her golden nectar, savoring her seemingly never-ending finish of pungent bananas, lemon cream, mint, anise, and herbs.

A bit too thick and rich for my tastes, but still a good beer. Very unique and a one-of-a-kind beer, trepidation aside, she is definitely worth trying. Different strokes for different folks, though I definitely can appreciate what Garret and Floyd Cardoz were trying to accomplish.

A lightly hazed blonde ale with a thin white head. Aroma of incense, caramel, pinneaplles, and cream. In mouth, a nice sweet fruity malt, with orange peels, candy sugar, a bbit of peppered white pepper. Medium bodied. Tap at BCTC 2009