Brooklyn Local Two
Review Date 9/4/2010
Try?
Re-buy?
One thing you can say about the Brooklyn Brewing Company: they never lack for the dramatic. Case in point: Brooklyn Local 2 Ale, another entry in the company's line of specialty brews . The company calls it a "Belgian inspired strong dark ale" on their website, while the bottle describes the beer as "Ale brewed with honey and citrus peel".
Here in Brooklyn we've combined European malts and hops, Belgian dark sugar, and raw wildflower honey from a New York family farm to create Brooklyn Local 2. Our special Belgian yeast adds hints of spice to the dark fruit, caramel, and chocolate flavors. After 100% bottle re-fermentation, the beer reveals a marvelous fry complexity, enjoyable by itself or at the dinner table.
The bottle itself is a work of art. A thick champagne-styled 750ml bottle fashioned from thick glass embossed with the Brooklyn logo and a label that proudly proclaims this as "Local 2" in gold and green. The whole affair is topped off with a caged cork to complete the impression that this will be no ordinary brew, indeed.
Brooklyn Local 2 is available year-round, which is a good thing. I aged my bottle for a year before drinking, so I'll likely enjoy the next one young to see the difference. The beer is made with English Chocolate Malt and German Pilsner Malt, it's hopped with Auroras, East Kent Goldings, and Perles. The honey is actually the "local" ingredient here.
I pop the cap on my bottle of Brooklyn Local 2 and watch as it erupts like a long dormant volcano suddenly brought back to life. First wisps of vapor and then a gush of foam emerge from the bottle, spilling forth liquid upon my table like an ineluctable lava flow. After all that settled a bit, I pour some into a tulip-shaped glass, remarking upon the chestnut brown color and creamy white head. I take a whiff. Right away, I know I’m in for a treat, as the nose is full of sweet dark malt aromas, fragrant honey, funky Belgian yeast, and a hint of flowery hops.
Time for a sip, and right away I love the dark malty sweetness of this one. Chocolate, brown sugar, molasses, caramel, a hint of citrus, dark fruit (raisin and ripe apple come to mind), and aromatic honey are all detectable. Distinctly Belgian yeast notes are very apparent as well in this delightful Dubbel-style ale with a kick. The finish is on the sweet side, with maybe some flowery hops poking through but not a lot of bitterness. It’s the alcohol more than the hops that dry this one out.
And at 9%, Brooklyn Local 2 is a bit stronger than most dubbels, which tend towards the 7% to 8% range. It seems a little thinner in body, but it’s incredibly complex and absolutely delicious.
Don't miss it.
And remember, try a new beer today, and drink outside the box.
