XVIth Chapel: Roses on Roses
Fort George Brewery

Sample Date
Apr01
2012
Bottle Number
243
Brewed In
Astoria
Oregon
ABV
9.2%
Season
Special
IBU
?
Rating
Tasting Notes
From the side of the bottle:
Five years ago we opened a little brewpub in the downstairs corner of the Fort George Building in historic downtown Astoria. Today we take up nearly an entire city block; three buildings, two breweries, two bars, an event space, and a canning line with all run by almost 50 hard-working employees. With a beer in the plans for almost as long as we've been operational, this is our expression of what a brewery can accomplish in five short, but intense years.
Well, that's nice... happy anniversary, Fort George! It doesn't really tell me what this beer is all about, though; for that, I had to visit their website, where I learned a little more about what's inside the bottle, and why this beer has such a long name:
The XVIth Chapel is technically a double IPA fermented with a flamboyant strain of Belgian yeast. The brewer’s skill is put to the test in order to finesse the bitter and aromatic hop profile with the fruity esters produced during the long fermentation cycle. With plenty of delicious Galena, Centennial, and Amarillo hops to balance out the spice of the farmhouse yeast, the XVIth is a perfect blend of bitter and sweet.
But what about that "Roses on Roses" part? From what I can gather, the above-referenced "XVIth Chapel" was draft-only. This particular beer used that same formula, but takes it a step further:
Take the XVIth Chapel, age it in Four Roses bourbon barrels, condition it on rose hips and more hops.
...and ta-daaa! XVIth Chapel: Roses on Roses. Whew, that was a lot of information! Let's move on to the important stuff: how'd it taste? Pretty damn good, actually! It smells quite floral right from the get-go, with some subtle rose aromas. The Belgian yeast provides a somewhat aggressive, distinct playfulness, which is very interesting when paired with such a generously-hopped IPA body. Quite spicy! I'm not sure that the hops necessarily "balance out" that yeasty spice, but they definitely create a more interesting and complex flavor profile. A smooth, creamy, lightly malted base provides a surprisingly smooth finish. My only disappointment with this beer was that I didn't really notice much bourbon flavor; I'd have loved to have been able to do a side-by-side against the original XVIth Chapel to see how much influence the barrel-aging process had. Needless to say, though, I really enjoyed this beer and would recommend it to anyone with an adventurous palate. Cheers, Fort George, here's to another five years!
Fort George Roses on Roses 2012-04-01 Oregon Beer Project Rating: 4 out of 5
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