Brooklyn Local 1

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

750ml - Got this as a Christmas present from my son. Poured a slightly cloudy yellow amber in color with a medium white head that hung around. Aroma is citrus and nice Belgian yeastiness. Flavor is malty with a nice bready yeast profile that lingers. Some citrus, banana with a mild hop bitterness mixed in on the finish. Alcohol is well hidden. A very drinkable beer.

[730-20071001] 1pt9.4floz (w/ jerc, Radek Kliber, tupalev). Light straw and banana tropical fruit aroma with some citrus hops. Slightly hazy, light orange brown body with a long-lasting foamy white head. Flavour continues mango and citrus hops. Medium body. Nice as it warms, well-balanced though the alcohol could be hidden a little more.

First off, the bottle itself deserves mention… the sleek industrial look, the raised detail, the simple metallic and enameled earthtone label graphics… conspire for bold visual impact, like a Soviet propaganda poster. Upon opening, even the hidden cork surfaces reveal stamped art. The beer within is a near-clear hay color, happily carbonated with large and small bubbles, and hoists an average sized, finely beaded head. Lace is curiously non-sticky, and slumps off the glass as if it were teflon. The nose boasts mixed tropical fruits, five spice, bubblegum wrapper, and perhaps pear. Flavors form a tight spicy cluster, and include gingerbread, peppery papadums, a suggestion of caramel, brettanomyces leatheriness, and a hint of musty marmalade hops (Fuggle or a Fuggle derivative?) Also, just a flicker of rubbery/yeasty bite. Medium bodied and dry as dust with steel wool carbonation. A riotous finale begins with a clipped clove and appleskin finish, leading into a lingering flinty bitter aftertaste with granny smith and grape tannin flavors, and key lime acidity. Finally, a retroactive, gum-tingling encore produces a cold/hot tension of menthol and beesting ethanol. Although the flavors and sensations limit themselves to a narrow, spicy path, tremendous harmony and complexity exists here. The beer seems and interesting fusion of BSA (abv), tripel (phenolic and bitter), and saison (tart and dry). I could easily imagine it paired with garlicky General Tso chicken, Caesar salad, blackened catfish with parsley garnish and parmesan grits, or salty-funky country ham and whole grain mustard.

750, corked and baled. #0457. Thanks, GoldTwins! Pours a crystal clear lemony yellow with a surging, poofy platinum blonde head. Plenty of lace. Plenty of rising tiny bubbles in the middle of the glass. Gorgeous stuff. Seriously powerful sugary nose--big blast of bubble gum and cake frosting persists long after the cork’s in the trash can. Medium body, slightly fizzy but not exceptionally so. Lots of sticky white sugar on the mid-palate. Kind of hard to find much else. Maybe they could have worked out a way to ferment it a third time and clean up some of this white stuff...of course, then it would have been some sort of cream ale. Interesting but still too sweet.

Pours a mostly translucent golden with an medium frothy white head that laced. Aroma of mixed citrus, orange peel, some Belgian yeast esters, cheerios, green apple, corriander (?) and other various spices. Flavor was a nice mix of the same. ABV not there for 9%. A very crisp, refreshing Belgian strong ale with some bready malt notes, lots of various citrus notes and lots of nice spiciness. Well done!

Very solid Saison beer here, and I would definitely call this a Saison over a "Belgian Strong Ale" -- it’s pretty typical to style and should not be lumped in with the mess that is Belgian Strong. Brooklyn makes another solid beer, just overpriced in this case.

A golden beer with a white head. Aroma has notes of spices and the flavor is a combination of spices, fruit, and malts.

12/23/2007: Brookllyn Local 1 is a cloudy, bright golden orange color with a foamy, frothy, and mostly lasting off-white head. The aroma has a nice tropical fruitiness and some residual sweetness. This carries over into the flavor that also has some peppery notes, citrus, alcohol, some mild pineapple and bubblegum, and fruity, estery, candi tones. The finish has a slight sour tang with some light bitterness that follows. This beer has a medium-light body and is lightly effervescent on the palate without being too fizzy or over-carbonated. Overall this is a pretty solid Belgian-styled ale. Brooklyn Brewery did a really nice job with this one and I look forward to having this again in the future!

1 pint 9.4 fl. oz. bottle (9% Alc. by Vol.) from ross. Thanks Ross! I appreciate it! Rating #328 for this beer...