Let's pretend your city flooded, you were driving around in it, finally found a safe place to stash your car, carried your groceries across a few blocks through 2 feet of water, and then you/your spouse got into a car accident an hour later. What would you drink?
If you were Ben, you'd go to work and your wife wouldn't let you drive your car to work because a few of your lights were out and your bumper was living on a prayer.
If you were me, you'd have a good college friend and her girlfriend over and have some beers.
Earlier this week we had a small party for Ben's friends in honor of his new job in beer! That's right, he quit Starbucks and is now an assistant manager at the kickass fair-priced, super-cool-but-not-full-of-themselves beer bar, Cambridge Common. I'm always worried we won't have enough to drink, so now we have an entire beer shelf with about 36+ beers on it leftover. Oops!
My choices to forget worrying about Ben:
Ipswich IPA: fruity, grapefruity and piney, not-too-heavy, lovely for a hot day. B+
Oskar Blues Dale's Pale Ale: I think this is my new favorite beer. Makes great brats, too. A Hoppy bite, but drinkable--even if the ABV's in my 6-7.5% ABV "trouble zone" (it doesn't TASTE as alcoholic as a higher ABV beer, but it's definitely more powerful than anything under 6%. I'm mostly likely to overindulge at beers in this range).
Smuttynose Star Island Single: Not my favorite Smuttynose beer, but still enjoyable. B/B+ A bit astringent--I prefer it with the right food.
I tried a sip of Wachusett Ryde, which I just wasn't in the mood for and I drain-poured. A friend brought a six pack and left five. I'll try again with food and re-examine. I wanted something lighter. It's still too hot in Boston.
And yes, I totally prefer beer with food. Dale's Pale is great with or without, though. Perhaps I need lists of beers I like by themselves. Smuttynose Brown Dog? Great on its own. I turned a few people onto that at our BBQ. And Southampton makes some great drinkin' beers. Yes, we got a lot of variety 12 packs!
What about you? What do you like to drink when you fear the four horsemen may be knocking in your neighborhood?
Showing posts with label Beth. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Beth. Show all posts
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Boston Bacon and Beer Festival 2010 (by Beth)
Yesterday was the much-anticipated Bacon and Beer Festival put on by @eatBoston and SoWa Sundays. I think it was a great festival, and I hope it really helped to get craft beer in more people's minds. I recognized a few local "celebrities." Top Chef season 1's Tiffani (I'm not your bitch, bitch) is apparently chef at the South End's Rocca Kitchen, the ladies of We are Not Martha were in attendance, and lots of brewers, of course. I also recognized lots of Beer Advocates, especially the festival organizers/captains/volunteers.
First, a little constructive criticism:
- The line--The line to get in was long and slow-moving. We are nerds and got there early, but I had friends who came 10 minutes after it started, it took them 30 minutes to get through, and there were more people behind them in line. Ticket holders had to get their names checked off a list--there was only one table for this, despite all the names being divided into four groups (A-C, etc). If you have to check names off a list, get 4 tables for the 4 groups, and make them not have to cross path with each other to get wristbanded (actually, with tables you could have check-in one end of the table and wristbands at the end of the table).
- Programs--would have been nice. I have no idea what I missed. Or what I ate.
- Slop buckets--a place to rinse beer cups and throw any unwanted beer would have been welcome
- Recycling/composting--I actually think they did a GREAT job at this. I was never looking for a place to put my stuff away. I never saw them overfill. Once things started winding down, though, some of the labels on the barrels disappeared and I didn't know where to throw things.
- Layout--interspersing beer and food would have made for a few more surprises. Going back and forth got difficult.
- Length--I think 4 hours was a bit long. We left between 4-5, when food started running out.
- Food and beer lines--moved amazingly quickly.
So, the fest! Unfortunately, I think I need a new camera as mine kept dying...then working again...then dying again. So, you get a picture of Ben chowing down on a beignet with lardon and mustard-IPA sauce.
Beer: Most of the beers I'd had before--this is not a criticism, just why I didn't take many notes. It was about local beer, and there was awesome local beer!
A few places I hadn't heard of before (Cody Brewing? I didn't remember to try them, unfortunately). Since there were no programs, note-taking got cumbersome. I did try Brooklyn's Dark Matter for the first time--it was oaky and went well with bacon. I tried to stick to dark/smokey beers for this fest. I got to introduce my friend Lauren to Pretty Things and she was quite impressed...Dann and Martha from PT also impressed my friend and her husband as people. They're so sweet. And they liked my wing-ed squirrel t-shirt my mother-in-law gave me! Always happy to get people to try beer I LOVE made by nice, local people. Cape Ann had a Tea Party Killer barleywine that I missed out on, but I did enjoy their pumpkin stout-a good, smokey choice for a bacon festival.
We tried a bunch of our usuals...Mayflower Brewing knew that Ben was wearing a Mike Doughty T-shirt ("More Bacon than the Pan Can Handle"); tried Old Brown Dog (with Bacon) again from Smuttynose...it was really cold. Raison d'Etra from Dogfish Head. That's all I remember!
Food: The food was all excellent that I ate (apparently someone made really bad chicken wings, though). I was especially impressed with The Fireplace's large chunk of bacon over some puree with a chickpea salad...thing (see, I WANT PROGRAMS). It was soooo yummy. The beignets with lardon and IPA/mustard sauce from Gaslight were amazing, too. B.good made an awesome bacon-chocolate shake, which I thought had peanut butter in it, but it might not have. Garden at the Cellar had stellar bacon-date-goat cheese things. To die for. Also enjoyed Atwood's bacon-egg steamed rolls with candied bacon and maple syrup topping. I ate other stuff, too, but can barely remember it.
Overall: I think this is a great idea for a festival. I really enjoyed getting to try all the foods--I've never been to a food event like this, and I actually had already felt like I was on Top Chef BEFORE I saw Tiffani walk by me! I was even thinking "did the chefs think about what it would be like to try to eat this standing up with a spork?" (The Fireplace's was surprisingly easy to eat with a spork!).
I heard people in line talking about how they hoped to learn more about beer and the event, and I hope they did! I hope this allowed people to reach out of their comfort zones and learn something new/appreciate a new beer. I definitely found some restaurants I want to try--must say I'm already a huge fan of b.good and The Fireplace, though!
Great idea, great venue, great recycling/composting, great food and beer. AWESOME value ($25...seriously. It was a fundraiser so all the vendors must have donated. The quality of beer and food would have made a $50 price tag a bargain, although one I couldn't have probably afforded anyway). I really really enjoyed myself while I was there, and my constructive criticism is just that--meant to be constructive in hopes that they offer this event again!
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Fluffy Bunnies and Social Media by Beth
A few weeks ago I found out on Twitter that Pretty Things Beer and Ale Project were coming out with a new beer called Fluffy White Rabbits. I was intrigued, not because of the name, but because I'm a total Pretty Things Fan Girl at this point (PTFG?). I wanted to try it, but couldn't make it to the Green Street launch party for a number of reasons, plus those kinds of things stress out this introvert to some degree.
Anywho, our favorite local bar, the Independent, posted to Facebook and Twitter that they had a keg on Friday. Oh yeah, we were so there. We actually had told them earlier in the week that they should try to get it because we were excited about the beer, so now we felt REALLY COOL that they had it. Anyhow, we went, enjoyed it, had two each, and ate some cheese (love their cheese plates, which is becoming an expensive side habit to this already expensive beer habit).
The beer was very drinkable...I actually didn't know the ABV until today (the website hadn't listed it on Friday and it wasn't on the Indo's beer list)...it's stronger than it tastes, but I didn't feel all that much effect from it. I was well fed though. Anyway, it's very drinkable, with a real hop presence, but not in an assertive IPA/DIPA way, more in a tingly aromatic way. Great, drinkable, tripel flavor...a slight astringency, a touch of funk, lovely balance.
This beer definitely screamed SPRINGTIME, which was welcome on such a beautiful day as Friday was...especially after the Nor'easter that flooded the whole dang state earlier in the week. Really, the beer tasted like that first day when spring starts to emerge, the grass and dampness permeates, and it's time for some sun.
Loved it. Run, find it. Enjoy it. If you can't find it, drink whatever from Pretty Things you can.
Anyway, I also wanted to publicly point out how much I appreciate following my local businesses on twitter/facebook--they post their specials, what's on tap, events I'd be interested in going to...and I show up. It's just really great having the information sent to me. Okay, so my wallet and impending unemployment could do without the constant temptations, but a little beer is necessary during these tough times. So thanks to the Indo, and Emma's Pizza, for always tempting me and reminding me how much I love visiting your establishments.
Anywho, our favorite local bar, the Independent, posted to Facebook and Twitter that they had a keg on Friday. Oh yeah, we were so there. We actually had told them earlier in the week that they should try to get it because we were excited about the beer, so now we felt REALLY COOL that they had it. Anyhow, we went, enjoyed it, had two each, and ate some cheese (love their cheese plates, which is becoming an expensive side habit to this already expensive beer habit).
The beer was very drinkable...I actually didn't know the ABV until today (the website hadn't listed it on Friday and it wasn't on the Indo's beer list)...it's stronger than it tastes, but I didn't feel all that much effect from it. I was well fed though. Anyway, it's very drinkable, with a real hop presence, but not in an assertive IPA/DIPA way, more in a tingly aromatic way. Great, drinkable, tripel flavor...a slight astringency, a touch of funk, lovely balance.
This beer definitely screamed SPRINGTIME, which was welcome on such a beautiful day as Friday was...especially after the Nor'easter that flooded the whole dang state earlier in the week. Really, the beer tasted like that first day when spring starts to emerge, the grass and dampness permeates, and it's time for some sun.
Loved it. Run, find it. Enjoy it. If you can't find it, drink whatever from Pretty Things you can.
Anyway, I also wanted to publicly point out how much I appreciate following my local businesses on twitter/facebook--they post their specials, what's on tap, events I'd be interested in going to...and I show up. It's just really great having the information sent to me. Okay, so my wallet and impending unemployment could do without the constant temptations, but a little beer is necessary during these tough times. So thanks to the Indo, and Emma's Pizza, for always tempting me and reminding me how much I love visiting your establishments.
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Beer Advocate's Extreme Beer Festival
Ben and I have attended 6 of Beer Advocate's beer festivals in the three years since we moved back to Boston. Our first festival was the 2007 Belgian beer festival (BBF), and then the American Craft Beer Festival (ACBF) in 2008. Fall 2008 we were in Belgium during the Belgian beer festival. Last spring, we decided that we really enjoyed the festivals so maybe we should help out, and we volunteered at the 2009 ACBF. Well, volunteering was awesome. So we also volunteered for BBF...and though we never had the inclination to attend one before, we volunteered for the Extreme Beer Festival last weekend. I must say, it's an awesome festival! I was always a little turned of by the amount of super-strong barrel-aged beers. Which I enjoy, but shelling out $ for 3 hours of only tasting them didn't appeal to me...I was worried about how I could stay sober and gt my money's worth. But volunteering doesn't come with that worry! You do, however, really have to stay sober when you volunteer.
Ben and I volunteered all day for the Saturday portion of the festival (the Friday night is a special "Night of the Barrels" and it's hard for me to get home from work in time to volunteer for it). Knowing that we wanted to try many of the excellent beers that would be available, we actually made lists so that we would be sure to not "waste" our sobriety on anything we weren't dying to try.
Anyway, we arrived at Cyclorama a little before 10am and got to work. We got our first session assignments and I was pouring beer for...Lost Abbey! That's really pretty cool, especially since I got to do so with Director of Brewery Operations, Tomme Arthur. He was nice, though he probably thought I was nerdy...as I was being super nerdy! Haha. So, first order of business, I had to try all of Lost Abbey's beers. I know, I know...tough life of the beer advocate volunteer. They were at the top of my list of beers to try, so I was pretty psyched with my assignment. They brought Oak-Aged Ten Commandments, Barrel-Fermented Serpent's Stout, Red Poppy Ale, Sinner's Blend 2009 (a barrel-aged blend of Serpent Stout, Ten Commandments, and Gift of the Magi), and a "secret framboise"* called Framboise de Amarosa...it was actually a double version of it. My favorite was probably the framboise, then Red Poppy. Yum, Belgian-style fruity sours. All of the beers were excellent, though. I may have tried them all twice to make sure they were still good.
My job the second session was patrol...so I wandered around asking if anyone needed me and drinking/sampling when I could.
Here are some of my thoughts (unfortunately I dropped my list at the festival, Ben found all of my papers but I just looked and the list isn't in it! At least I realized this and went through the program to mark things off)
Allagash Brewing Company
Victor Frankenstein 2008--this was awesome. Their "Victor" beer aged in a cask with grapes and "bugs"...not sure what that means. I've never had an Allagash I didn't like, and this was fruity and wonderful.
Birra del Borgo
Rubus-Lamponi--sour ale made with fresh raspberry. If I recall it was refreshing, but apparently forgettable.
Brewery Ommegang
Ommegeddon "Funkhouse Saison"...a little too much for me at the time I drank it
Dogfish Head Craft Brewery
They had this special contraption called "randall" where the beer would filter through additives like wood chips, orange peels, additional hops leaves, or espresso beans as they poured it. Added a lot of flavor.
Burton Baton Meets Randall w/Wood Chips
This was pretty woody. I liked it.
Red & White Meets Randall w/Orange Peels
This was fruity, refreshing, but still held its own. Really enjoyed this one.
World Wide Stout Meets Randall w/Espresso Coffee Beans
Probably my 2nd favorite beer of the night. The espresso was just an amazing complement and the way the flavor was used with the Randall was just amazing. An awesome treat.
I tried a sip of Wrath of Pecan from Ben and it was nice and smokey. Enjoyable.
Founders Brewing Company
Canadian Breakfast Stout--a syrup-barrel-aged chocolate coffee stout. My favorite beer of the festival. Smooth and complex. Definitely get maple, chocolate, and coffee flavors in it. Sweet but balanced. At the end of the fest, after clean-up, the volunteers got to drink some of the leftovers of this. I could have had two glasses, just relaxing. Loved it. A+
Ithaca Beer Company
LeBleu--a blueberry sour. I enjoyed this immensely. Tart.
Russian River Brewing Company
The Much Lusted After Pliny the Younger--Triple IPA: it was good, dry, hoppy, drinkable, enjoyable. But not my favorite beer ever. I didn't dislike it, though, at all. Great beer, just not what I was looking for that evening.
Supplication--Brown ale aged in pinot noir barrels w/Brett and sour cherries-- this was a very good beer and I liked it a lot.
Short's Brewing Company
Key Lime Pie--brewed w/lime puree, graham cracker, marshmallow, and milk sugar. I would NOT have tried this if I hadn't been asking all the volunteers what their favorite beers were. This was, actually, very very good and drinkable. Sweet and tasty. It felt like you were drinking a beery key lime pie, but not disgusting like that sounds. Awesome job on that.
I tried some of Ben's Plum Rye Bock and it was okay
Turtle Stout--another very sweet beer, stout brewed with chocolate, caramel, and pecans. Really enjoyed it, very decadent.
Sierra Nevada Brewing Company
Vintage 1994 Bigfoot Barleywine--I tried a sip of Ben's. This beer had mellowed, was really balanced and just great. A 16-year-old beer! Really impressive
Chocolate Chili Imperial Stout--stout with cocoa nibs and chipotle chills....I'd heard that most of the chili beers weren't very good, but this is exactly what I wanted. Smokey heat and chocolate. Yum.
Smuttynose Brewing Company
Bacon Brown Dog--I had really built this up in my head. 1) it was lighter in flavor and color than Brown Dog 2) The bacon flavor wasn't at the perfect level. I was disappointed in this beer, but again, I had built it up a lot in my head.
Potato Maple Porter--this was really enjoyable. Apparently I like maple flavor in beer (or, really, anything--like Starbucks Gold Coast Blend paired with maple!)
The Bruery
Mischief--still very good since the last time I had it. Very enjoyable hoppy golden strong ale.
I alluded to the fact that at the end of the night we got to drink from some of the kegs. One of the volunteers actually did a keg stand of Sam Adams' Utopias. Umm....it's like $100/bottle. But hey, he can say he did it. I tried some, and it's definitely a sipping beer. It'd be nice to try when I had time to enjoy it better. Apparently lots of the volunteers had combined Utopias and Canadian Breakfast Stout, which sounds good, but really my sample of Utopias was enough!
The next morning was the Hair of the Dog after-brunch at Cambridge Common. I had done such a good job of being social the day before that I sat by myself (Ben was working) and just people watched. The idea of chatting someone up was too much, though Candice Alstrom was super sweet to me which I appreciate, inviting me to sit with them. I just couldn't! Anyway, I had Dogfish Head's Black and Blue, which was great. And then a DFH World Wide Stout (since I'd enjoyed it so much with Randall). It was great, but way stronger than I anticipated. Being tipsy by 2pm is awesome. I wandered over to Ben's store after and he laughed at me.
Oh, and at this festival? I have never been flirted with by so many guys. Some dude even put his arm around me when I was standing next to Ben and declared me his "Canadian Breakfast Stout Girl" (well, he slurred that part). Ben was not amused. I was amused that I really did talk to so many guys! Now Ben knows what it's like when I see him being Barista McFlirtyPants. HA!
Volunteering is awesome, and soo soo worth the 13 hour day we put in. Our feet were killing us, but we were so happy and had a great time.
*I seriously told ONE person about this beer and then that's all anyone wanted. We had no signs for some reason, so no one knew where Lost Abbey was, so no lines. People who knew where we were came up, no joke, 10 times asking for the freakin' framboise. It was awesome, but still...there are other beers to try, people! The guys from Allagash, though, were so cute coming over and looking guilty asking for it. "Um, may I try the 'secret' beer?" YES!
Ben and I volunteered all day for the Saturday portion of the festival (the Friday night is a special "Night of the Barrels" and it's hard for me to get home from work in time to volunteer for it). Knowing that we wanted to try many of the excellent beers that would be available, we actually made lists so that we would be sure to not "waste" our sobriety on anything we weren't dying to try.
Anyway, we arrived at Cyclorama a little before 10am and got to work. We got our first session assignments and I was pouring beer for...Lost Abbey! That's really pretty cool, especially since I got to do so with Director of Brewery Operations, Tomme Arthur. He was nice, though he probably thought I was nerdy...as I was being super nerdy! Haha. So, first order of business, I had to try all of Lost Abbey's beers. I know, I know...tough life of the beer advocate volunteer. They were at the top of my list of beers to try, so I was pretty psyched with my assignment. They brought Oak-Aged Ten Commandments, Barrel-Fermented Serpent's Stout, Red Poppy Ale, Sinner's Blend 2009 (a barrel-aged blend of Serpent Stout, Ten Commandments, and Gift of the Magi), and a "secret framboise"* called Framboise de Amarosa...it was actually a double version of it. My favorite was probably the framboise, then Red Poppy. Yum, Belgian-style fruity sours. All of the beers were excellent, though. I may have tried them all twice to make sure they were still good.
My job the second session was patrol...so I wandered around asking if anyone needed me and drinking/sampling when I could.
Here are some of my thoughts (unfortunately I dropped my list at the festival, Ben found all of my papers but I just looked and the list isn't in it! At least I realized this and went through the program to mark things off)
Allagash Brewing Company
Victor Frankenstein 2008--this was awesome. Their "Victor" beer aged in a cask with grapes and "bugs"...not sure what that means. I've never had an Allagash I didn't like, and this was fruity and wonderful.
Birra del Borgo
Rubus-Lamponi--sour ale made with fresh raspberry. If I recall it was refreshing, but apparently forgettable.
Brewery Ommegang
Ommegeddon "Funkhouse Saison"...a little too much for me at the time I drank it
Dogfish Head Craft Brewery
They had this special contraption called "randall" where the beer would filter through additives like wood chips, orange peels, additional hops leaves, or espresso beans as they poured it. Added a lot of flavor.
Burton Baton Meets Randall w/Wood Chips
This was pretty woody. I liked it.
Red & White Meets Randall w/Orange Peels
This was fruity, refreshing, but still held its own. Really enjoyed this one.
World Wide Stout Meets Randall w/Espresso Coffee Beans
Probably my 2nd favorite beer of the night. The espresso was just an amazing complement and the way the flavor was used with the Randall was just amazing. An awesome treat.
I tried a sip of Wrath of Pecan from Ben and it was nice and smokey. Enjoyable.
Founders Brewing Company
Canadian Breakfast Stout--a syrup-barrel-aged chocolate coffee stout. My favorite beer of the festival. Smooth and complex. Definitely get maple, chocolate, and coffee flavors in it. Sweet but balanced. At the end of the fest, after clean-up, the volunteers got to drink some of the leftovers of this. I could have had two glasses, just relaxing. Loved it. A+
Ithaca Beer Company
LeBleu--a blueberry sour. I enjoyed this immensely. Tart.
Russian River Brewing Company
The Much Lusted After Pliny the Younger--Triple IPA: it was good, dry, hoppy, drinkable, enjoyable. But not my favorite beer ever. I didn't dislike it, though, at all. Great beer, just not what I was looking for that evening.
Supplication--Brown ale aged in pinot noir barrels w/Brett and sour cherries-- this was a very good beer and I liked it a lot.
Short's Brewing Company
Key Lime Pie--brewed w/lime puree, graham cracker, marshmallow, and milk sugar. I would NOT have tried this if I hadn't been asking all the volunteers what their favorite beers were. This was, actually, very very good and drinkable. Sweet and tasty. It felt like you were drinking a beery key lime pie, but not disgusting like that sounds. Awesome job on that.
I tried some of Ben's Plum Rye Bock and it was okay
Turtle Stout--another very sweet beer, stout brewed with chocolate, caramel, and pecans. Really enjoyed it, very decadent.
Sierra Nevada Brewing Company
Vintage 1994 Bigfoot Barleywine--I tried a sip of Ben's. This beer had mellowed, was really balanced and just great. A 16-year-old beer! Really impressive
Chocolate Chili Imperial Stout--stout with cocoa nibs and chipotle chills....I'd heard that most of the chili beers weren't very good, but this is exactly what I wanted. Smokey heat and chocolate. Yum.
Smuttynose Brewing Company
Bacon Brown Dog--I had really built this up in my head. 1) it was lighter in flavor and color than Brown Dog 2) The bacon flavor wasn't at the perfect level. I was disappointed in this beer, but again, I had built it up a lot in my head.
Potato Maple Porter--this was really enjoyable. Apparently I like maple flavor in beer (or, really, anything--like Starbucks Gold Coast Blend paired with maple!)
The Bruery
Mischief--still very good since the last time I had it. Very enjoyable hoppy golden strong ale.
I alluded to the fact that at the end of the night we got to drink from some of the kegs. One of the volunteers actually did a keg stand of Sam Adams' Utopias. Umm....it's like $100/bottle. But hey, he can say he did it. I tried some, and it's definitely a sipping beer. It'd be nice to try when I had time to enjoy it better. Apparently lots of the volunteers had combined Utopias and Canadian Breakfast Stout, which sounds good, but really my sample of Utopias was enough!
The next morning was the Hair of the Dog after-brunch at Cambridge Common. I had done such a good job of being social the day before that I sat by myself (Ben was working) and just people watched. The idea of chatting someone up was too much, though Candice Alstrom was super sweet to me which I appreciate, inviting me to sit with them. I just couldn't! Anyway, I had Dogfish Head's Black and Blue, which was great. And then a DFH World Wide Stout (since I'd enjoyed it so much with Randall). It was great, but way stronger than I anticipated. Being tipsy by 2pm is awesome. I wandered over to Ben's store after and he laughed at me.
Oh, and at this festival? I have never been flirted with by so many guys. Some dude even put his arm around me when I was standing next to Ben and declared me his "Canadian Breakfast Stout Girl" (well, he slurred that part). Ben was not amused. I was amused that I really did talk to so many guys! Now Ben knows what it's like when I see him being Barista McFlirtyPants. HA!
Volunteering is awesome, and soo soo worth the 13 hour day we put in. Our feet were killing us, but we were so happy and had a great time.
*I seriously told ONE person about this beer and then that's all anyone wanted. We had no signs for some reason, so no one knew where Lost Abbey was, so no lines. People who knew where we were came up, no joke, 10 times asking for the freakin' framboise. It was awesome, but still...there are other beers to try, people! The guys from Allagash, though, were so cute coming over and looking guilty asking for it. "Um, may I try the 'secret' beer?" YES!
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Return of the Christmas Beers (Beth)
We finally drank the beers we got each other for Christmas...we actually planned meals around them.
Last night was Kasteel Rouge, paired with bleu-cheese dried-cherry turkey meatloaf, mashed potatoes, and salad (spring greens, tomatoes, onions, dried cherries, and a white wine vinaigrette).
The first time I tried Kasteel Rouge was at Beer Advocate's Belgian Beer Fest in 2007. I remember how impressed I was to find a dark beer with cherries. Yeah, well, apparently my tastes have matured since then! I've been to Belgium again, another Belgian beer festival, and tried a lot more cherry-based beers...this is not a star, to me, anymore. It tasted...well...like cherry cough syrup. Overly sweet and syrupy in texture. Just not my thing anymore.
The food, actually, wasn't cherry enough to hold up to the hit of cherries. The meatloaf, done in the crockpot, was super dry...my fault as I started it cooking about 12 hours before we ate it. I have a biiiiig crockpot, and apparently there was just not enough food for being in there so long (I usually cook huge beef or pork roasts in my crockpot on days I work, not a pound of ground turkey). Next time I'd do the covered dish within the crockpot trick. Anyway, the meatloaf was dry, and did not have any bleu cheese flavor in it, despite using a particularly pungent one. It was so dry that I had to make emergency gravy. Life is tough.
Kasteel Rouge C+
Meatloaf B-
Overall satisfaction: Eh.
Tonight we drank Mikkeller's Santa's Little Helper (2009). To pair with the Christmas beer we did a holiday meal...roast turkey breast, Ben's famous stuffing, and bacon-onion green beans, and gravy (I couldn't find any frozen cranberries to make sauce!). Oh my. This meal was good. The beer might have been even better. Hints of cola, cocoa, strong hop presence, excellent maltiness. Great beer. Delicate. The Bruery's 2 Turtle Doves, while excellent, is a wee bit...overpowering. It's in-your-face. This is just a much more subtle and nuanced beer. (Full disclosure: since my last post I've had more Two Turtle Doves on New Year's Eve and we bought another bottle as our first cellaring beer...maybe it'll mellow a bit with age).
Dinner was great, I might add. Ben's stuffing never disappoints, and the butter-sage-shallot rub I used gave the meat so much flavor. Can't wait for leftovers!
Santa's Little Helper A-
Turkey A-
Overall satisfaction: nom nom nom with a side of tryptophan
Last night was Kasteel Rouge, paired with bleu-cheese dried-cherry turkey meatloaf, mashed potatoes, and salad (spring greens, tomatoes, onions, dried cherries, and a white wine vinaigrette).
The first time I tried Kasteel Rouge was at Beer Advocate's Belgian Beer Fest in 2007. I remember how impressed I was to find a dark beer with cherries. Yeah, well, apparently my tastes have matured since then! I've been to Belgium again, another Belgian beer festival, and tried a lot more cherry-based beers...this is not a star, to me, anymore. It tasted...well...like cherry cough syrup. Overly sweet and syrupy in texture. Just not my thing anymore.
The food, actually, wasn't cherry enough to hold up to the hit of cherries. The meatloaf, done in the crockpot, was super dry...my fault as I started it cooking about 12 hours before we ate it. I have a biiiiig crockpot, and apparently there was just not enough food for being in there so long (I usually cook huge beef or pork roasts in my crockpot on days I work, not a pound of ground turkey). Next time I'd do the covered dish within the crockpot trick. Anyway, the meatloaf was dry, and did not have any bleu cheese flavor in it, despite using a particularly pungent one. It was so dry that I had to make emergency gravy. Life is tough.
Kasteel Rouge C+
Meatloaf B-
Overall satisfaction: Eh.
Tonight we drank Mikkeller's Santa's Little Helper (2009). To pair with the Christmas beer we did a holiday meal...roast turkey breast, Ben's famous stuffing, and bacon-onion green beans, and gravy (I couldn't find any frozen cranberries to make sauce!). Oh my. This meal was good. The beer might have been even better. Hints of cola, cocoa, strong hop presence, excellent maltiness. Great beer. Delicate. The Bruery's 2 Turtle Doves, while excellent, is a wee bit...overpowering. It's in-your-face. This is just a much more subtle and nuanced beer. (Full disclosure: since my last post I've had more Two Turtle Doves on New Year's Eve and we bought another bottle as our first cellaring beer...maybe it'll mellow a bit with age).
Dinner was great, I might add. Ben's stuffing never disappoints, and the butter-sage-shallot rub I used gave the meat so much flavor. Can't wait for leftovers!
Santa's Little Helper A-
Turkey A-
Overall satisfaction: nom nom nom with a side of tryptophan
Friday, December 25, 2009
Christmas Beer
It's been a great beer week!
Ben and I went to The Indepedent for a beer and snack on Wednesday...we split a bottle of The Duchesse of Bourgogne. It was amazing and worth all the hype. Nice balance and interplay between sweet and sour, beautiful color, amazing aroma. Just a genuinely enjoyable beer.
Last night, Christmas Eve, we had pork chops for dinner so I wanted to go fruity. We tried the Sam Adams American Kriek. It was okay...a little too astringent for me, and the interplay between the sweet and sour was less organic than with the Duchesse...more jarring, really. Comparing it so closely to the Duchesse probably made me enjoy it less, actually. A really good shot at a hard beer style, though. The body was lighter, the aroma was fine, just a bit of a dud.
Today Ben gave me a bottle of Kasteel Rouge in my stocking...sense a theme? Ben's stocking contained a bottle of Mikkeler's Santa's Little Helper 2009. Neither of them have been opened yet. I also gave Ben The Beer Book (I paid more than that! But I bought it at a local independent book store, so that's okay)...which he's already reading. They list breweries around the world, giving examples of what they offer. He sees it as a "to-do list."
For Christmas dinner we brought a six pack of Anchor's Our Special Ale 2008 and a magnum of The Bruery's Two Turtle Doves. My mom was supposed to have wine for her and my sister, but I never saw it. My sister, who usually drinks Miller Lite and is a calorie counter, was adventurous and tried both of them. I'm pleased to report that my sister ENJOYED the Anchor! An aged Christmas ale! She thought it was great and even drank half of a second. The 2 Turtle Doves was too much for her, but my mom enjoyed it (even if she was surprised by the alcohol content). I must say that I love the 2008 Our Special Ale...I drank it last year and loved it, and I really like it more than the 2009, which is a little too sharp (it would probably react well to the aging, but I doubt it will age well in my fridge!). I can't wait to finish of the six pack! The 2008 was nutmegy, and a great beer to enjoy while thinking Christmas.
I thought the 2 Turtle Doves was an amazing beer as well. Dark, lovely body, rich flavor, intense. The alcohol content fit its flavor profile (I hate when something just tastes boozey!). Went well with dinner but went perfect with cake and ice cream for dessert.
Can't wait to crack open our new beers, finish off our Christmas ales (OSA 2008&2009, some Breckenridge Christmas we smuggled back from Thanksgiving in Kansas in our suitcase). May even be holding on for dear life to my last 4-pack of DFH Punkin Ale.
I love fall and winter beers!
Ben and I went to The Indepedent for a beer and snack on Wednesday...we split a bottle of The Duchesse of Bourgogne. It was amazing and worth all the hype. Nice balance and interplay between sweet and sour, beautiful color, amazing aroma. Just a genuinely enjoyable beer.
Last night, Christmas Eve, we had pork chops for dinner so I wanted to go fruity. We tried the Sam Adams American Kriek. It was okay...a little too astringent for me, and the interplay between the sweet and sour was less organic than with the Duchesse...more jarring, really. Comparing it so closely to the Duchesse probably made me enjoy it less, actually. A really good shot at a hard beer style, though. The body was lighter, the aroma was fine, just a bit of a dud.
Today Ben gave me a bottle of Kasteel Rouge in my stocking...sense a theme? Ben's stocking contained a bottle of Mikkeler's Santa's Little Helper 2009. Neither of them have been opened yet. I also gave Ben The Beer Book (I paid more than that! But I bought it at a local independent book store, so that's okay)...which he's already reading. They list breweries around the world, giving examples of what they offer. He sees it as a "to-do list."
For Christmas dinner we brought a six pack of Anchor's Our Special Ale 2008 and a magnum of The Bruery's Two Turtle Doves. My mom was supposed to have wine for her and my sister, but I never saw it. My sister, who usually drinks Miller Lite and is a calorie counter, was adventurous and tried both of them. I'm pleased to report that my sister ENJOYED the Anchor! An aged Christmas ale! She thought it was great and even drank half of a second. The 2 Turtle Doves was too much for her, but my mom enjoyed it (even if she was surprised by the alcohol content). I must say that I love the 2008 Our Special Ale...I drank it last year and loved it, and I really like it more than the 2009, which is a little too sharp (it would probably react well to the aging, but I doubt it will age well in my fridge!). I can't wait to finish of the six pack! The 2008 was nutmegy, and a great beer to enjoy while thinking Christmas.
I thought the 2 Turtle Doves was an amazing beer as well. Dark, lovely body, rich flavor, intense. The alcohol content fit its flavor profile (I hate when something just tastes boozey!). Went well with dinner but went perfect with cake and ice cream for dessert.
Can't wait to crack open our new beers, finish off our Christmas ales (OSA 2008&2009, some Breckenridge Christmas we smuggled back from Thanksgiving in Kansas in our suitcase). May even be holding on for dear life to my last 4-pack of DFH Punkin Ale.
I love fall and winter beers!
Thursday, April 2, 2009
#17 & 18 (they won't let me tag enough)
#17
Beer: Ipswich Original Ale
Brewery: Mercury Brewing Company, Massachusetts
Category: English Pale Ale
Date Drank: sometime with dinner the first week of the NCAA tournament :-P
Grade: B
Location purchased/drank: Whole Foods/home
Served from a: bottle
Complex, balanced, caramelly-flavor. Fruity overtones.
#18
Beer: Bass Pale Ale
Brewery: Bass Brewers Limited, UK
Category: English Pale Ale
Date Drank: 3/21/09
Grade: C+
Location purchased/drank: The Thirsty Scholar
Served from a: Tap
I know I'm in the minority on this, but this was my College Beer. Having a party? My friends all bought bottles of vodka and I stocked up my fridge with Bass. I will always associate it with those days, and therefore always have a fondness for it. Lovely gateway beer into craft beer. It's a lovely, drinkable, sessionable, flavorful beer (especially for beers available at Sam's Club or BJs or where ever we bought all our party supplies). Caramelly, almost-tannic. Nice beer, always a good back up choice for me.
Beer: Ipswich Original Ale
Brewery: Mercury Brewing Company, Massachusetts
Category: English Pale Ale
Date Drank: sometime with dinner the first week of the NCAA tournament :-P
Grade: B
Location purchased/drank: Whole Foods/home
Served from a: bottle
Complex, balanced, caramelly-flavor. Fruity overtones.
#18
Beer: Bass Pale Ale
Brewery: Bass Brewers Limited, UK
Category: English Pale Ale
Date Drank: 3/21/09
Grade: C+
Location purchased/drank: The Thirsty Scholar
Served from a: Tap
I know I'm in the minority on this, but this was my College Beer. Having a party? My friends all bought bottles of vodka and I stocked up my fridge with Bass. I will always associate it with those days, and therefore always have a fondness for it. Lovely gateway beer into craft beer. It's a lovely, drinkable, sessionable, flavorful beer (especially for beers available at Sam's Club or BJs or where ever we bought all our party supplies). Caramelly, almost-tannic. Nice beer, always a good back up choice for me.
Oh, hai #14-16
#14
Beer: Espresso Oak Ages Yeti Imperial Stout
Brewery: Great Divide Brewing Company, Colorado
Category: American Double/Imperial Stout
Date Drank: 3/13/09
Grade: A
Location purchased/drank: Common Ground in Allston
Served from a: tap
This beer was really amazing. Took forever to pour (I think I waited about 10 minutes for it). Gorgeously dark. Sweet, coffee-bitter, chocolately. Sensuous body--very smooth. This beer is well...sexy...and highly recommended.
#15
Beer: Left Hand Milk Stout
Brewery: Left Hand Brewing Company, Colorado
Category: Milk/Sweet Stout
Date Drank: 3/15/09
Grade: B
Location purchased/drank: The Miracle of Science in Cambridge
Served from a: tap
I loved this beer a few years ago, when I was really getting into craft. I remember that it won a gold medal at the GABF, which I thought was cool (but probably not the hardest thing in the world, either depending on category). It's got a great, creamy body/mouthfeel. The flavor, however, I find lacking, especially drinking this the day after the Espresso Oak Aged Yeti (damn, there are too many Yetis...but they're all so good!). This beer seems to me to be all about the mouth feel and not enough about the aroma, the flavor, the roastiness of a stout.
#16
Beer: Coffeehouse Porter
Brewery: Berkshire Brewing Company, Massachusetts
Category: American Porter
Date Drank: 3/16/09
Grade: A-
Location purchased/drank: The Independent
Served from a: Tap
This is one of my favorite beers. I get this quite often at the Indo, actually. Great heavy body, robust flavor, drinkable and just plain tasty. "Roasty" is a word used on beeradvocate and I have to agree. Yum! Not as refined in flavor as the Espresso Yeti, but still a great great beer.
Beer: Espresso Oak Ages Yeti Imperial Stout
Brewery: Great Divide Brewing Company, Colorado
Category: American Double/Imperial Stout
Date Drank: 3/13/09
Grade: A
Location purchased/drank: Common Ground in Allston
Served from a: tap
This beer was really amazing. Took forever to pour (I think I waited about 10 minutes for it). Gorgeously dark. Sweet, coffee-bitter, chocolately. Sensuous body--very smooth. This beer is well...sexy...and highly recommended.
#15
Beer: Left Hand Milk Stout
Brewery: Left Hand Brewing Company, Colorado
Category: Milk/Sweet Stout
Date Drank: 3/15/09
Grade: B
Location purchased/drank: The Miracle of Science in Cambridge
Served from a: tap
I loved this beer a few years ago, when I was really getting into craft. I remember that it won a gold medal at the GABF, which I thought was cool (but probably not the hardest thing in the world, either depending on category). It's got a great, creamy body/mouthfeel. The flavor, however, I find lacking, especially drinking this the day after the Espresso Oak Aged Yeti (damn, there are too many Yetis...but they're all so good!). This beer seems to me to be all about the mouth feel and not enough about the aroma, the flavor, the roastiness of a stout.
#16
Beer: Coffeehouse Porter
Brewery: Berkshire Brewing Company, Massachusetts
Category: American Porter
Date Drank: 3/16/09
Grade: A-
Location purchased/drank: The Independent
Served from a: Tap
This is one of my favorite beers. I get this quite often at the Indo, actually. Great heavy body, robust flavor, drinkable and just plain tasty. "Roasty" is a word used on beeradvocate and I have to agree. Yum! Not as refined in flavor as the Espresso Yeti, but still a great great beer.
Monday, March 9, 2009
#13 Beth
#13
Beer: Brutal Bitter Ale
Brewery: Rogue Ales Brewery, Oregon
Category: Extra Special/Strong Bitter
Date Drank: 3/9/09
Grade: B
Location purchased/drank: Wine and Cheese Cask/home
Served from a: 22 oz Bottle in a glass
Pours a hazy golden caramel with a strong head. Aroma of hops (grapefruity) but also yeast and a malty sweet background. I like it, but it's not my beer. A bit too much hops and not balanced by the malt--malt is there, but I like my malty beers. I'm sure it's good if you like hoppy beers (let's see Ben's review!)
Beer: Brutal Bitter Ale
Brewery: Rogue Ales Brewery, Oregon
Category: Extra Special/Strong Bitter
Date Drank: 3/9/09
Grade: B
Location purchased/drank: Wine and Cheese Cask/home
Served from a: 22 oz Bottle in a glass
Pours a hazy golden caramel with a strong head. Aroma of hops (grapefruity) but also yeast and a malty sweet background. I like it, but it's not my beer. A bit too much hops and not balanced by the malt--malt is there, but I like my malty beers. I'm sure it's good if you like hoppy beers (let's see Ben's review!)
Friday, March 6, 2009
#12, Beth
#12
Beer: Racer 5 IPA
Brewery: Bear Republic Brewery, California
Category: American IPA
Date Drank: 3/6/09
Grade: A
Location purchased/drank: Whole Foods/home
Served from a: Bottle
Honestly? I'm not a huge IPA fan. I taste them and I think "Okay, but I might as well be drinking grapefruit juice." Many double IPAs, the ones I like, usually have a hoppy balance to counteract the...grapefruitiness...of the beer, and I appreciate it. Single IPAs are generally not that complex in my experience. This beer? Is great. The flavor is a bit grapefruity (really, I think hops taste like grapefruit, and can't get over it), but there's a bit more balance. A floral quality. Maybe a hint of apples in the beer. It has a bit more body than most beers of its ilk...it lingers. Astringent on the tongue. Really drinkable. Great with Mexican food (which we've done twice, at least, with this six-pack. Forget what we drank with it last week)
Thursday, March 5, 2009
10 & 11, Beth
#10
Beer: Newcastle Brown Ale
Brewery: Scottish & Newcastle UK, Ltd; United Kingdom (Scotland)
Category: English Brown Ale
Date Drank: 3/5/09
Grade: B
Location purchased/drank: Punch's Alley (the bar at Wellesley College)
Served from a: bottle (no glass)
My beer was probably served too cold as it didn't have much flavor. Newcastle's one of those standby beers, at least for me. In the Sam Adams category...good, more likely to be available than other beers, not usually my first choice. Malty, hint of hops in background. Really, it was served too cold. But it's a college bar and what do I expect. Medium bodied.
#11
Beer: Grimbergen Dubbel
Brewery: Brouwerj Alken-Maes, Belgium
Category: Dubbel
Date Drank: 3/5/09
Grade: A-
Location purchased/drank: Wine and Cheese Cask, home
Served from a: Bottle, poured into a tulip-shaped glass
Drank this with pork chops tonight--good pairing. Brownish-reddish hue, low carbonation. Raisen-like flavor (but not cloying like Raison D'Etre). Sweet aroma--fruity, alcohol, yeast smells all present. Flavor is sweet, but not too sweet--making it great with the pork. Sour ending--almost like an Oude Kriek, but more mellow. Loved this beer since we had it in Brussels. Definitely don't serve too cold--my glass, that I'm still drinking, has been warming up for about an hour and tastes better and better as it does so. We keep our fridge a little too cold, but the flavor just pours out of it at a slightly warmer temperature.
Beer: Newcastle Brown Ale
Brewery: Scottish & Newcastle UK, Ltd; United Kingdom (Scotland)
Category: English Brown Ale
Date Drank: 3/5/09
Grade: B
Location purchased/drank: Punch's Alley (the bar at Wellesley College)
Served from a: bottle (no glass)
My beer was probably served too cold as it didn't have much flavor. Newcastle's one of those standby beers, at least for me. In the Sam Adams category...good, more likely to be available than other beers, not usually my first choice. Malty, hint of hops in background. Really, it was served too cold. But it's a college bar and what do I expect. Medium bodied.
#11
Beer: Grimbergen Dubbel
Brewery: Brouwerj Alken-Maes, Belgium
Category: Dubbel
Date Drank: 3/5/09
Grade: A-
Location purchased/drank: Wine and Cheese Cask, home
Served from a: Bottle, poured into a tulip-shaped glass
Drank this with pork chops tonight--good pairing. Brownish-reddish hue, low carbonation. Raisen-like flavor (but not cloying like Raison D'Etre). Sweet aroma--fruity, alcohol, yeast smells all present. Flavor is sweet, but not too sweet--making it great with the pork. Sour ending--almost like an Oude Kriek, but more mellow. Loved this beer since we had it in Brussels. Definitely don't serve too cold--my glass, that I'm still drinking, has been warming up for about an hour and tastes better and better as it does so. We keep our fridge a little too cold, but the flavor just pours out of it at a slightly warmer temperature.
Monday, March 2, 2009
8, 9: Beth Snow Beers
#8
Beer: Barney Flats Oatmeal Stout
Brewery: Anderson Valley Brewing Company, California
Category: Oatmeal Stout
Date Drank: 3/2/09
Grade: B+/A-
Location purchased/drank: The Independent
Served from a: Tap
Dark brown, lacing on glass. Very smooth and creamy (mouth-feel). Nice flavor: sweet with a hoppy balance. Caramel/chocolate/coffee/oatmeal flavors. Toasty. Very drinkable...5.7 ABV; sessionable. I really enjoyed the balance of this beer...stout flavor, but not overwhelming. Really enjoyable beer.
#9
Beer: Old Brown Dog
Brewery: Smuttynose Brewing Company, New Hampshire
Category: English Brown Ale
Date Drank: 3/2/09
Grade: A-
Location purchased/drank: The Independent
Served from a: Tap
This is one of my favorite session beers; I will gladly drink this (and most Smuttynose beers) anywhere, anytime. Great balance...malt flavor comes first, with a hoppy aftertaste (sort of the opposite of good, balanced IPA). Flavor is, as one BA drinker noted "charred oak, reminds me of a cold autumn day in New England"...and that's exactly when and why I want to drink it. It's a great New England beer. Simple, but good beer.
Beer: Barney Flats Oatmeal Stout
Brewery: Anderson Valley Brewing Company, California
Category: Oatmeal Stout
Date Drank: 3/2/09
Grade: B+/A-
Location purchased/drank: The Independent
Served from a: Tap
Dark brown, lacing on glass. Very smooth and creamy (mouth-feel). Nice flavor: sweet with a hoppy balance. Caramel/chocolate/coffee/oatmeal flavors. Toasty. Very drinkable...5.7 ABV; sessionable. I really enjoyed the balance of this beer...stout flavor, but not overwhelming. Really enjoyable beer.
#9
Beer: Old Brown Dog
Brewery: Smuttynose Brewing Company, New Hampshire
Category: English Brown Ale
Date Drank: 3/2/09
Grade: A-
Location purchased/drank: The Independent
Served from a: Tap
This is one of my favorite session beers; I will gladly drink this (and most Smuttynose beers) anywhere, anytime. Great balance...malt flavor comes first, with a hoppy aftertaste (sort of the opposite of good, balanced IPA). Flavor is, as one BA drinker noted "charred oak, reminds me of a cold autumn day in New England"...and that's exactly when and why I want to drink it. It's a great New England beer. Simple, but good beer.
Sunday, March 1, 2009
5, 6, 7: Beth
This is where it gets hard for me...writing about beer after going somewhere socially/where I'm not necessarily there for the beer. But I'm just gonna do it and let it be fun! This is not about being right, it's about learning. With that, here are 5/6/7
#5
Beer: Raison D'Etre
Brewery: Dogfish Head Craft Brewery, Delaware
Category: Belgian Strong Dark Ale
Date Drank: 2/26/09
Grade: B-
Location purchased/drank: Silvertone
Served from a: Tap
I loved this beer a year ago. I don't know if my tastes have evolved or if the year was better then (I think I was drinking the 2003) or if it's aged or what, but now I find it a little too...chewy and pruney. A little unpleasantness in the back of my mind as I drink this. It's even a little too sweet and I love a sweet, malty beer...I guess this is a sweet, fruity beer. I prefer sour fruity beers. I'm weird. Someone on beeradvocate mentioned it would be great for braising...and I think, in our hey-day with this beer we did make Flemish stew with it and it was great...I always think it would be great with pork or duck when I drink it. That raisiny, fruity sweetness would work well with those.
#6
Beer: Anchor Steam Beer
Brewery: Anchor Beer Company, California
Category: Steam Beer
Date Drank: 2/26/09
Grade: B-
Location purchased/drank: Silvertone
Served from a: Bottle
Another beer I've had before and didn't like as much this time. The restaurant served us just the bottle, we both took one swig and poured the rest into our glasses from the Raison D'Etre. I liked this on tap at the Burren, but now in a bottle it tasted stale (might be the restaurant's doing, though). Ben and I discussed its "honey and rye" flavors...not in a good way. Don't know a lot about the style, though. Just not my thing that night, but the more I think about how I liked it at the Burren, the more I think Silvertone skunked it. I added a link to Beer Advocate's style information.
#7
Beer: CaCow! Chocolate Milk Stout
Brewery: Cambridge Brewing Company, MA
Category: Milk/Sweet Stout
Date Drank: 2/28/09
Grade: A-
Location purchased/drank: Redbones
Served from a: tap
I really enjoy the creaminess of milk stouts. It's a pleasant chewiness. It's sweet and dry, too. Lots going on. It had a really intense flavor that reminded me of CBC's You Enjoy My Stout, but not as over-powering as that (I don't know how to describe it, but it was too much in YEMS, but a nice contrast in CaCow!). Rich and chocolately, dark and malty. Very nice beer.
#5
Beer: Raison D'Etre
Brewery: Dogfish Head Craft Brewery, Delaware
Category: Belgian Strong Dark Ale
Date Drank: 2/26/09
Grade: B-
Location purchased/drank: Silvertone
Served from a: Tap
I loved this beer a year ago. I don't know if my tastes have evolved or if the year was better then (I think I was drinking the 2003) or if it's aged or what, but now I find it a little too...chewy and pruney. A little unpleasantness in the back of my mind as I drink this. It's even a little too sweet and I love a sweet, malty beer...I guess this is a sweet, fruity beer. I prefer sour fruity beers. I'm weird. Someone on beeradvocate mentioned it would be great for braising...and I think, in our hey-day with this beer we did make Flemish stew with it and it was great...I always think it would be great with pork or duck when I drink it. That raisiny, fruity sweetness would work well with those.
#6
Beer: Anchor Steam Beer
Brewery: Anchor Beer Company, California
Category: Steam Beer
Date Drank: 2/26/09
Grade: B-
Location purchased/drank: Silvertone
Served from a: Bottle
Another beer I've had before and didn't like as much this time. The restaurant served us just the bottle, we both took one swig and poured the rest into our glasses from the Raison D'Etre. I liked this on tap at the Burren, but now in a bottle it tasted stale (might be the restaurant's doing, though). Ben and I discussed its "honey and rye" flavors...not in a good way. Don't know a lot about the style, though. Just not my thing that night, but the more I think about how I liked it at the Burren, the more I think Silvertone skunked it. I added a link to Beer Advocate's style information.
#7
Beer: CaCow! Chocolate Milk Stout
Brewery: Cambridge Brewing Company, MA
Category: Milk/Sweet Stout
Date Drank: 2/28/09
Grade: A-
Location purchased/drank: Redbones
Served from a: tap
I really enjoy the creaminess of milk stouts. It's a pleasant chewiness. It's sweet and dry, too. Lots going on. It had a really intense flavor that reminded me of CBC's You Enjoy My Stout, but not as over-powering as that (I don't know how to describe it, but it was too much in YEMS, but a nice contrast in CaCow!). Rich and chocolately, dark and malty. Very nice beer.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
#4, Beth
#4
Beer: Shakespeare Stout
Brewery: Rogue Ales Brewery, Oregon
Category: American Stout
Date Drank: 2/24/09
Grade: A
Location purchased/drank: Wine and Cheese Cask/home
Served from a: 22 0z bottle (in a glass)
I've had my fair share of stouts, so I feel more comfortable with this review. The beer was dark, almost black...with a thick nutty brown, but not foamy head (again, like stale foam, not like Guinness). The body was medium, the flavor dry and cleaning but hearty and chocolately with a hint of coffee. Rogue is one of my favorite breweries and this beer doesn't disappoint; I actually think it's a wonderful, drinkable (only 6% abv!) example of stout. I love dark coffee-like stouts as a rule, though.
Note: We drank this with BLTs. Mmmm...bacon and beeer. Much better than bacon beer...
Beer: Shakespeare Stout
Brewery: Rogue Ales Brewery, Oregon
Category: American Stout
Date Drank: 2/24/09
Grade: A
Location purchased/drank: Wine and Cheese Cask/home
Served from a: 22 0z bottle (in a glass)
I've had my fair share of stouts, so I feel more comfortable with this review. The beer was dark, almost black...with a thick nutty brown, but not foamy head (again, like stale foam, not like Guinness). The body was medium, the flavor dry and cleaning but hearty and chocolately with a hint of coffee. Rogue is one of my favorite breweries and this beer doesn't disappoint; I actually think it's a wonderful, drinkable (only 6% abv!) example of stout. I love dark coffee-like stouts as a rule, though.
Note: We drank this with BLTs. Mmmm...bacon and beeer. Much better than bacon beer...
Monday, February 23, 2009
#3
#3
Beer: Hennepin (Farmhouse Saison)
Brewery: Brewery Ommegang, New York
Category: Saison/Farmhouse Ale
Date Drank: 2/23/09
Grade: B+
Location purchased/drank: Wine and Cheese Cask/home
Served from a: 22 0z(?) bottle (in a glass)
This beer takes me back to Belgium (and makes me want to eat cheese with mustard and celery seed...all we have is shredded cheddar and bleu and goat cheese...not really going to work). Pale color, thick thick head...like stiff settled older foam on a latte. Lots of lacing on the glass. Smells sweet and fruity with that Belgiany yeasty smell. Light, cleansing on tongue. Nice flavor. I really like this one. Great example of the style, I think.
Beer: Hennepin (Farmhouse Saison)
Brewery: Brewery Ommegang, New York
Category: Saison/Farmhouse Ale
Date Drank: 2/23/09
Grade: B+
Location purchased/drank: Wine and Cheese Cask/home
Served from a: 22 0z(?) bottle (in a glass)
This beer takes me back to Belgium (and makes me want to eat cheese with mustard and celery seed...all we have is shredded cheddar and bleu and goat cheese...not really going to work). Pale color, thick thick head...like stiff settled older foam on a latte. Lots of lacing on the glass. Smells sweet and fruity with that Belgiany yeasty smell. Light, cleansing on tongue. Nice flavor. I really like this one. Great example of the style, I think.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
100 Beers
#2
Beer: Anchor Liberty Ale
Brewery: Anchor Brewing Company, California
Category: American Pale Ale
Date Drank: 2/22/09
Grade: B+
Location purchased/drank: Whole Foods/Home
Served from a: bottle
This is a great beer to have around the house. First tried it looking for a "plain ale" for beer-cheese bread--it's great in that, btw. Nice aroma, great with most of the foods we eat. Just a great session ale. Made us fall in love with Anchor. Also always makes me say "We've got the Liberty Ale..." like the Southwest Airlines ads for Philadelphia. Ha.
Beer: Anchor Liberty Ale
Brewery: Anchor Brewing Company, California
Category: American Pale Ale
Date Drank: 2/22/09
Grade: B+
Location purchased/drank: Whole Foods/Home
Served from a: bottle
This is a great beer to have around the house. First tried it looking for a "plain ale" for beer-cheese bread--it's great in that, btw. Nice aroma, great with most of the foods we eat. Just a great session ale. Made us fall in love with Anchor. Also always makes me say "We've got the Liberty Ale..." like the Southwest Airlines ads for Philadelphia. Ha.
100 Beers, Beth's turn
Okay, so it's not that I don't drink as often as Ben does, but rather that I'm starting this later than he is :-P
#1
Beer: Brown Shugga Ale
Brewery: Lagunitas Brewing Company, California
Category: American Strong Ale
Date Drank: 2/21/09
Grade: B+/A-
Location purchased/drank: The Independent in Somerville
Served from a : bottle
When we arrived at the Independent our waitress, Sarah, told us they had one bottle of this left if we'd like it. Having had it on tap about a month ago there, I jumped at the opportunity. I think this is a great beer. It has a really dry finish, a rich malty body, and it's sweet like sugar (it's brewed with sugar)--but not cloying. I think it's a great winter beer between the sugary aroma and flavor reminding me of winter baking, and the 9.9% abv helping to warm me up. In general, I find Lagunitas beer to be delightful, I must add.
I did also drink a Smuttynose Old Brown Dog ale on tap last night as well, but the stronger flavor and 9.9% abv of the Brown Shugga definitely colored my experience of it, so I don't feel I can accurately discuss it. OBD is one of my favorite session beers, though.
#1
Beer: Brown Shugga Ale
Brewery: Lagunitas Brewing Company, California
Category: American Strong Ale
Date Drank: 2/21/09
Grade: B+/A-
Location purchased/drank: The Independent in Somerville
Served from a : bottle
When we arrived at the Independent our waitress, Sarah, told us they had one bottle of this left if we'd like it. Having had it on tap about a month ago there, I jumped at the opportunity. I think this is a great beer. It has a really dry finish, a rich malty body, and it's sweet like sugar (it's brewed with sugar)--but not cloying. I think it's a great winter beer between the sugary aroma and flavor reminding me of winter baking, and the 9.9% abv helping to warm me up. In general, I find Lagunitas beer to be delightful, I must add.
I did also drink a Smuttynose Old Brown Dog ale on tap last night as well, but the stronger flavor and 9.9% abv of the Brown Shugga definitely colored my experience of it, so I don't feel I can accurately discuss it. OBD is one of my favorite session beers, though.
Friday, November 21, 2008
Brooklyn Brewery: Brooklyn Brown Ale
Beer: Brooklyn Brown Ale
Brewery: Brooklyn Brewery
Category: New York, Brown Ale
The Drinker: Beth
Grade: B+
Location purchased/drank: Whole Foods/Home
Served from a: Bottle
The Drink: Light body, yeasty aroma. Doesn't pair well with stir fry! Caramel undertones to aroma. Roasty sweet, spicey notes.
Notes: Great session beer, always a good choice (except with stir fry!)
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