Featured Beer, week ending 5/1

Going out on a Monday night. Certainly one of the best things you can do, right? Who cares if you have to work in the morning? Well, that's just what Beth and I did, to meet up with our friends. We chose Deep Ellum, 1) For its central location 2) we have never been there before and we wanted to try. Little did we know that it was going to be Fluffy White Rabbits on Cask that night. The Brewer was there, plus a lot of the local beer geeks. Lucky us!

Who? Pretty Things Fluffy White Rabbits, Somerville, MA

What? Belgian Tripel 8.5% ABV

When? 4/25/11

Where? Deep Ellum, Allston, MA

Original Tweet: Pretty Things Fluffy White Rabbits (Cask). This was a nice thing to put on a cask. The hops are mellow, more flavorful. A must have! A-

Hype 8 / 10: Well, this is the beer's second time around the seasonal releases. I think that the key to good beer marketing is if you have a good beer but only put it out once a year, or longer, the the good will only fester into greatness. Imagine if Founder's KBS was available all year long? We would get to the point of, "Oh, it's too strong to drink that.. almost ever." But, as it goes, I look more forward to Pretty Things Historical Beers and Babayaga. But, seeing this also means the return of better weather. Or, at least it will after a few more years.

Taste 14 / 15: Tripels are fun because the are strong in alcohol, but easy to drink. It a good beer for someone who likes lighter beers, but wants to get drunk a little faster. Tripels in general are a great showcase of beer for someone who wants to expand their horizon. And Tripels do not tasty boozy at all. Which, really, is why they are great. With Fluffy, the hops were mellow, which I think was really due to the lack of carbonation. I know that it is a hoppy beer. I mean, it says so right on the label. I don't know how different hops are affected in a cask. I don't know if some shine, some fizzle, or Pretty Things just brewed their beer and put it into a barrel. I know that some people will add fresh hops at the end. But that's really the pleasure of drinking a cask, letting the flavors settle and mellow.

Memorability 13 / 15: I know every year that it's a beer that I need to drink. And I do. But I think that I need to go on a Tripel streak and really start to notice the differences in each kind. I gotta get me a bottle of Westmalle Tripel, to start, and then expand. You have to know where a beer comes from to really understand where the brewer is taking it. I know that I also liked the Sapient Tripel from Dark Horse. The latter being a more casual form of the style, but still respectable. But I am never like, "Damn, I have to have Fluffy White Rabbits, now!" But I do get a joy seeing it, and I know that's it good. It's just the taste that I have to be reminded of.

Environment 5 / 5: We had a great time at Deep Ellum. One of the biggest surprises was that one of our favorite bartenders from The Independent was now serving drinks there. She was thrilled to see us, and we were thrilled to see her. And then our friends came, and it was the first time we really had hanging out with them, just our couple and their couple. They are fantastically nice people and we look forward to hanging out with them again. But, even with that, a couple more awesome people showed up, and the night was maybe a round too long, but every smile and laugh was worth it.

X-Factor 5 / 5: It's all about the cask! I think that every beer should have at least one go around in a cask. Especially stronger or darker beers. I mean, you don't really want something light in a cask unless you know that you are going to sell it pretty fast. There is no carbonation to effect it. This, as a customer, is the closest you will get to knowing a beer without going straight to the factory itself. Back to Fluffy, this was great in a cask. I think that I will remember this pint when I see the bottle next time, and want to create a nice, refined, and fresh taste. You gotta love all the wonderful beer in the area, and this one is one of the best.

Score: 45 / 50, A-