What beer are you drinking now? #1100

That's Real Ale Blakkr, you mean.

 

I like the Cheap Trick.

 

You're right...lots of haters out there, but I love stouts and porters on nitro!

 

From the cellar to celebrate the Giants win!
2013 New Glarus 20th Anniversary Strong Ale

 

Was able to try Bell's 30th anniversary on Friday, and was wishing I had more bottles. Stopped in a bottle shop in Birmingham over the weekend, and found a lone sixer on the bottom shelf just asking to be adopted so enjoying another one tonight.

 

New Beer Sunday: 3 New reviews - all big - all strong - all autumnal - all in my top 10.
Orval
4.68/5 rDev +12.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
Retried this in tulip at cellar temp at home. Thrilling. I have to have one of these a month.
Upped my review. Out of heavy glass vase like bottle, mine stamped 7-2012 so 2.5 years old.
** re-review on 10-25-15 a 1 year old edition. Equally good.
O: Get ready for a wild, subtle, flowery experience....
A: Pours massive unstoppable head, on top of a very hazy apricot body. The head becomes the tallest set of floating rocks and leaves lots of lacing that make it look tough to wash the glass. One of the best looking beers ever. In a tulip, a .5 l glass, a nonic pint, a wine balloon, and in a Leffe Chalice.
Smell: Strong flower shop plus citrus nose; smells like a box of oranges sitting in a wet barn full of hay with jasmine and lavender flowers growing outside. And a beautiful woman lifting her skirt as she crosses a fresh stream while chewing violet gum.
**must let it warm. Do not drink cold or without cheese!
Taste: Complex. Starts with hops, and bitter fizz, and runs a long arc of flowers, grass, wet hay, barnyard, citrus flavors then a long, long, long dry finish, like good wine. Great with Cheese as Jason wrote. (Tonight French Comte) (cheese almost a must, in another case Irish cheddar with fresh baked bread, and another late harvest garden tomato with balsamic). Ultimate fine and creamy cheese beer pairing.
**As soon as I poured, I went back to the fridge for the cheddar. Cheese a must!
Mouthfeel: Interesting twist. A wee heavy, and long finish with dry bitterness. WIne-like, long long finish. I like it like I'd like a Jayer Cote de Nuit.
Drinkability: This is a great Trappist beer. I think it just rose above Chimay for me. Shimmy over Chimay, make room for Orval... You must try it. It's not for everyone. But it must have a following because it's been crafted since 1100.
Belgian fans must.

Rochefort 10
4.57/5 rDev +2.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
The best Rochefort by far. What I have been waiting for!
Amazing beer. As good as any wine. in my top 10.
Maybe one of the best beers ever made. up there with St. Bernardus Abt. 12.
A: The murky brown liquid pours with a turbulent smokey, rusty pour. A gravity defying, airy, tan head shows peppering of yeast, spice and sediment. The beer takes a very long time to settle with a half-inch head and lace specked with sediment.
S: Syrupy candy sweetness with fruitiness, spiciness, smokiness,and with a chocolate, tarry, treacle, brandy complexity.
T: Follows smell. Malty richness of dark sugars, caramels, and toffee melded with charred, toasty, chocolatey flavors. Fruitiness of a fall orchard of berries, grapes, dates, figs, plumbs, and apples - all slightly overripe and raisening. Next barrel aged woods with tang and autumnal, churchy mustiness.
F: Bold, full feel. The powder-sugar textures develop into a well-rounded beverage. Full, succulent textures balance the acidic fall fruit notes. Finishes with a dry, airy finish.
"A magical beer that defies modern brewing logic." as one reviewer wrote. A top 10!

Bourbon Barrel-Aged Arrogant Bastard Ale - Stone
4.54/5 rDev +16.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Wow! this was on my top 10 list in its former incarnation and it gets even better.
Tasted off Rochefort 10.
I love beers and wine that remind me of Church - the centuries old wood, incense, beeswax, herbs, reverence, taboo, ritual, cedar and oak.
STONE is a peak beer experience, Arrogant Bastard is the one to take if you get banished to the moon.
A: Deep ruby body, one of the best colors. Slightly hazed big tan khaki head with thick, sticky foam that resolves slowly. Fine graffiti lacing remains.
S: Much bigger flavor - liquor or wine like. Aroma starts with big dark fruit - red wine, late harvest, plums, cherry followed by stronger oak notes, incense, tobacco, char, and alcohol. Mild bourbon notes in the back.
T: Starts with creamy big dark fruit, plums, cherry, late harvest wine, and continues with strong oak, varnish, church-like incense, cedar, and dark alcohol soaked fruit...finally hints of bourbon and fall leaves in the finish.
F: Mouthfeel is full with modest carbonation, and the weight of the Bourbon barrel that mellows and rolls out long and deep. A mediation beer.
See if this big beer grow on you. Sipper, meditate, converse.

 

Tallgrass Double Pale Ale. This is growing on me. Cheers!

 

Last of my Weyerbacher with some meatloaf





Cheers!

 

Drinking these today too, bought a sixer of this and the boombox! going down way to easy. Cheers!

 

Enjoying a celebratory APA (with one of the best pale ales on the planet) reveling in the Giants win and their rightful place atop the NFC East!

And sadly, my last great ale until I reload at next weeks Mastemind release....Sing it with me, 'How dry I am....'

 

Killing Fridge Turds Now..



Tasty Fridge Turd I might add. A bit off but still pretty down with the Dankness.

Musical Selection:

 

Always heard great things about these guys and this is a damn good Saison. Definitely on the dry side but it hits the spot in all the right ways, cheers!

 

I guess I should Be Hoppy with leftovers.

Thanks again to @TheIPAHunter for this...

Floral, citrus rind, pine and fresh hops...a nice spicy and dry finish. Cheers.

 

Another fidy, 8/31/15,

With spaghetti and meatballs,

 

I seriously hate tappin' into the cellar but sometimes a man's gotta do what a man's gotta do, I'm ALL about sharing beer ... but, if I quirk tomorrow it will just end up down someone else's pie hole while I'm 6 feet under or with my ashes spread over the top of a macro/In-Bev brewery (my friends and family have a good sense of humor). Screw it, keepin' on the bourbon train theme into tonight with some local lovin' - this one is a 2011, such a great beer, especially with some age on it!

 

Nice enough weather today that the six year old could help could rake leaves and then jump in them, I could have a bonfire (and burn aforementioned leaves), carve pumpkins outside, and enjoy this beer with the wife.


Weather never matters when it comes to grilling.

 

#2, Alpine Ale, a very good APA. Full disclosure: I like this a lot better than #1 tonight.