St. Somewhere Brewing Company's Lectio Divina Belgian Style Ale

Having lived in Florida for 22 of my 23 years, one would think I would be familiar with all the cool things to do there. Since I am also passionate about beer, it would follow that I would know about the few breweries in Florida, yet it was not until my first visit to the Tampa Total Wine and More that I discovered the St. Somewhere Brewing Company. The St. Somewhere Brewery is located in Tarpon Springs, Florida and specializes in brewing traditional Belgian style ales. Florida is a state more known for its beaches and hurricanes than brewing amazing beer, so I was a bit skeptical at first. 2009 represented my first California Christmas, and my thoughtful mom, knowing that I love beer and was missing Florida, literally sent me a taste of home—two bottles from the St. Somewhere Brewing Company, based just 20 miles away from the place I called home for 22 years. I really wasn’t expecting much at first, since I had never heard of a “true” Floridian brewery, but I was excited to try a beer that was born in Florida, just like me. (Yuengling doesn’t count as a “true” Florida brewery because it was originally based in Pennsylvania.) It was simply an added bonus that this particular local brewery specialized in Belgian style ales—my favorite!

St. Somewhere Brewing Company’s Lectio Divina Belgian Style Ale

Appearance: Reddish, burnt orange in color, unfiltered and cloudy with decent amounts of cream-colored head that disappeared quickly.

Aroma: Inviting and fruity, complex with hints of grapes and raisins

Taste: Highly carbonated (so much so that after I took off the wire cage, the cork flew off by itself!) dry, tart beginning with hints of green apple and pear in the middle and a crisp, dry, quick finish.

Alcohol: 8% (Interesting to note that Belgian strong ales traditionally have extremely high ABVs. 8% is on the lower end of the spectrum)

I was pleasantly surprised by my first introduction to the St. Somewhere Brewery--I knew that Tarpon Springs had excellent Greek food, but now I can honestly say that they offer great beer as well. I think the lower alcohol percentage (again, lower for a traditional Belgian ale) actually works to this beer's advantage because you can drink a few during those humid Floridian summers without knocking yourself out. This beer could easily be enjoyed by itself, but would also pair nicely with lighter fare like a salad or fruit plate.

Fun fact: Lectio Divina is Latin for “divine reading” and refers to a method of religious reading intended to invite spiritual insights. Although I didn't have any spiritual visions while quaffing this Belgian style brew, I was divinely impressed by this little known local brewery. I recommend this beer to anyone who likes Belgian style ales or wants to get in on one of Tarpon Springs' delicious hidden gems.

Trader Joe's 2009 Vintage Ale

One of my resolutions for 2010 is to update my beer blog on a more regular basis. Ironically, it has taken me nearly all of January to post ONE. However, my procrastination, visits from extended-stay guests, holiday travels and the passing of my beloved Pa Bob prevented me from feeling particularly motivated until today. (Do not be dismayed, fellow beer afficionados, for there will be plenty of exciting and tasty reviews for 2010.) This entry is a month overdue, yet the deliciousness of the beer mandates that I post this review anyway.

My friend Melissa loves the holidays, and Christmas especially. I love beers, especially holiday and special release beers, so it only made sense that we put on a holiday beer tasting in December to get us in the Christmas spirit. Between the two of us, we found 6 holiday beers to try. We agreed to taste them all and then I would write a review on our favorite--which was hands down Trader Joe's 2009 Vintage Ale. The first candidate was Blue Moon Brewing Company's Full Moon Winter Ale which was a decent and well balanced beer with a sweet finish. The second was Samuel Adam's Winter Lager which had the cinnamon and nutmeg spices we were craving in a holiday brew. The third we tried was the Alaskan Winter Lager, which had a crisp taste and refreshing minty finish. (This was our second favorite by a landslide.) Rounding out the middle of our tasting we had the Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale--we found it to be a celebration of hops more than a holiday ale in this case. Finally, the last beer we tried was Delirium's Noel, which was hoppy and had a warming effect that lasted all the way down. While each beer offered us something special and delicious, Trader Joe's 2009 Vintage Ale (candidate number 5) was truly unique and outstanding.

Trader Joe's 2009 Vintage Ale

Appearance: Coca-Cola colored and extremely dark, unfiltered and opaque with healthy amounts of tan/sand colored thick foamy head

Aroma: Sweet with hints of citrus, dates and cocoa (it actually smelled like Nesquik mix!)

Taste: Very much like a chocolate soda in terms of sweetness but with slightly less carbonation. It had a malty, sugary cocoa start with a light mouthfeel that gave way to a lemony zest that grabbed the sides of your tongue. It was one-of-a-kind and unlike any other beer I have tried before.

Alcohol: a surprisingly undetectable 9.2%

I have always heard that Trader Joe's is a mecca for delicious and affordable beers but I had never gotten the chance to personally test that claim. Upon reading the sleek and simple black label, I was impressed to learn that Trader Joe's had collaborated with Unibroue, a Canadian brewery that specializes in Belgian strong ales (See review of 31 August 2009). Trader Joe's offers a limited release vintage ale that changes its style every year, much like my beloved Allagash Fluxus, so get the 2009 while you can! This particular vintage ale has bits of live yeast in it, (also known as "lees") so while it can be enjoyed immediately, the beer will become more complex and mature over time. I highly recommend this ale to anyone with an adventurous palate who is looking for something different. While we found the 2009's warm cocoa flavors and spice to embody our definition of the perfect holiday beer, anyone who likes dark ales and Belgian strong ales could easily fall in love with Trader Joe's 2009 Vintage Ale--and at $5 for a 1 pint 9 oz bottle, you can't afford not to try it. The woman in front of us at Trader Joe's literally bought 20 bottles of the 2009 Vintage Ale, and after tasting it myself, I see why!