Brooklyn Local 1

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

Serve in Trappist glass, Tulip, Tumbler

Bottle. Hazy golden color, large white head, moderate retention. Aroma of orange peel and light spice. Taste has lemon peel, oatmeal, flowers. Nice.

Bottle pours cloudy yellow-gold with huge fluffy white head. Aroma of cloves, citrus, spices, slight hops. Taste light fruits, citrus, clove, slight coriander, spices, Belgian yeast. Palate full and carbonated. Finish somewhat prolonged with mild hops. Slight alcohol, less than you’d think for this ABV. Hard to categorize this one, really seems mainly like a strong tripel with saison notes creeping in. Pretty good but I wouldn’t go out of my way for it given the abundance of Belgian styles out there.

Bottle at home. Sadly I left it open and it’s a bit flat. Pale, hazy amber with a white head. Cloves, yeast and some spice on the nose, with slight (but not unpleasant) skunkiness. Smooth and rich, with subtle fruitiess that develops into broad yeast. Slight bitter aftertaste. Pretty interesting.

Hazy orange-yellow with a huge fluffy white head that retains well and leaves little lacing. Banana and bubblegum on the nose, with additional notes of spices, red apple, citrus, and some light funk. The flavor is sweet, with spices, citrus, yeast, and warm alcohol. Medium body with frothy carbonation. Nice and complex, but somewhat filling for the style. Not bad.

UPDATED: DEC 30, 2011 Bottle. Poured a cloudy medium yellowish orange with a very large (2-3 finger) white frothy head that had great longevity and excellent lacing. The aroma was moderately heavy of grain malts, an earthy yeast and flowery hops with nice notes of citrus, banana and a bit of spice (coriander I believe). It tasted kind of sweet with a hint of citrus at first and then became a bit bitter and quite yeasty with a mild alcohol finish leaving a nice bold flavor lingering on the taste buds for a long while. Mouthfeel was right in the middle of light and medium in body and had a dry texture with a nice prickly carbonation. Overall a great Strong Ale with a medley of components coming together for one really fantastic tasting brew which does a nice job of concealing the high alcohol content.

A very elegant and well-balanced beer. Versatile as well, pairing well with a variety of foods. Or, by itself, although the abv is high for an aperitif (but very well hidden).

Pale golden pour off white head .... spicy and fruity yeast aroma and sugar with a floral hop as well .... taste is peppery and floral hoppy with a light sugar and fruity yeast finish dry and hoppy/sugary .... interesting and different with the raw sugar pretty high carbonation ... Not bad but not great

Normally, I’m not a huge fan of Belgian golden and pale ales as they tend to be a little too peppery and dry for my tastes (I actually find Duvel  to be only okay instead of outstanding). But then along comes Brooklyn Local 1 - an American beer that emulates the style very well using actual Belgian yeast, German malts and hops, and African sugar - and now I have a whole new outlook on the style! Maybe I’m just a big fan of American updates and improvements on "Old World" styles.
 
I poured a 750ml bottle into a tulip glass (not all at once, of course!).

Appearance: A beautiful bright yellow color that almost glows! Very hazy, yet there is plenty of tiny carbonation bubbles to be observed rushing to the top. Forms a huge, bright white, fluffy head. It lasts a long time but never leaves much lacing (odd).

Smell: If I didn’t know any better I’d think this was a Belgian beer with its banana-like esters and a spring flower garden fragrance. It’s perfumey and slightly tropical, although I think it might be a tad too light-smelling.

Taste: This is basically the American version of Duvel only better. This beer has a much cleaner, lighter taste. You get a definite banana flavor from start to finish with a touch of citrusy/tropical fruit flavors not unlike those found in a witbier or saison. It’s lemony and would pair extremely well with fish. The aftertaste is dry and akin to black pepper, but not nearly as "dirty" tasting as Duvel.

Mouthfeel: This beer doesn’t tear up or dance on my tongue the way an authentic Belgian might, but there definitely is a strong presence in the mouth. At the same time, the fluffy head and thick body impart a comforting softness.

Drinkability: Because it’s so highly carbonated, Brooklyn Local 1 is definitely a sipper, lest you take massive belches after each swig. There’s a strong drying feeling in the aftertaste, not unlike a dry white wine. Not as crisp or refreshing as you’d associate with the style. The 9% ABV isn’t apparent in the nose or palate, but you’ll definitely feel it after one serving. Not a good idea to drink an entire bottle yourself.

Overall, an impressive beer for its "Belgian in American clothes" character. Perhaps a bit simple, but a tasty beer to be sure. I like it and recommend it.

NOTE: Watch the video version of this review at:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xu41xCaZiuU