Goodbye, Hello

There’s a beer for every occasion.

One for leaving:

CUVEE DE CASTLETON – Captain Lawrence Brewing Co.; Pleasantville, NY
8.00%ABV
Serving: 500mL to flute

A: A pour straight down the middle results in a quick fizzy white head. It dissipates quickly and there’s no retention. The ale is a really cloudy golden color, varying in dark-light shades.
S: Stinky feet, horses, tart fruits with an emphasis on bitter lemon. Pretty clean and straightforward.
T: Similar to the aroma, but subtle. Very bitter fruits, with that lovely sour warhead flavor. The sour doesn’t have the biggest kick, though, and I was really hoping for that! It’s earthy, grassy, stinky, but still very clean for a sour. The residuals are surprisingly sweet, with the funky lemon turning into tart white grapes.
M: Medium carbonation and medium body, with tons of shifting residuals lingering behind. They range from sour to sweet, and back again.
D: I really enjoyed this one. Thanks, Jason, for giving me the opportunity to crack this open on a very special day (my post-LSAT reward)!
Cuvee – A-

And one for arriving…

BRUTE – Ithaca Brewing Co.; Ithaca, NY
7.00%ABV
Serving: 750mL to tulip. Four of them, to be exact.

A: Cloudy straw golden, very active and bubbly throughout the body. The head is white and foamy, filling up much of the tulip quickly. Decent retention for the style, in the way of a foamy cap. No lacing.
S: Pungent aromas of sour apple, citrus (mostly lemon). Tart and exciting! I don’t get a lot of grainy malt here. The brett and oak give off such wonderful aromas. The nose somewhat reminds me of riesling, grapes and other awesome fruits.
T: Tart and tart, at first anyways. A more subtle apple than expected from the nose. LOTS of lemon emphasized, both the fruity insides and the bitterness from the zest. I get earthy tones as well, but clean and more grass-like than dirt. Faint wood and mustiness from the oak.
M: Medium body with medium carbonation. A nice mouthfeel to complement an incredible beer.
D: One of the most drinkable sours, while not compromising on puckery goodness. I drank this whole bottle myself over roughly 7 hours, but I’d crack this open for a special occasion with friends any day.
Brute – A+

As the rain finally swooped in  to clean the dirty central valley air, I decided I needed something fitting to celebrate the imminent (and impeccable) view of the Sierra Nevadas. SN Torpedo was the lucky 6er. Welcome home.

OMGeddon

There are very few things I enjoy more than sitting on the porch with my pup at my feet and a new beer in my hand. The only thing that could make such a moment more enjoyable is … PIZZA! I enjoyed the following beer with a Mediterranean style pizza that was topped with an aged Provolone AND feta. It was an incredible pairing. The cork was inches from my eyes as it popped, but pain is a small price we have to pay to enjoy good beer.

OMMEGEDDON – Brewery Ommegang
 8.00%ABV
 March 2008 batch. Enjoyed in a tulip. 

A: the cork here just exploded immediately, and I should have guessed that the four fingers of white frothy head was imminent. Cloudy deep golden hues. Great puffy retention and some spots of lacing. 
S: and here come the fruit flies! Farmhouse funk to boot. Sour, and it’s all about wet horse blanket on the nose. There’s a really great earthiness serving as the backbone here. Lots of sour fruits, too. 
T: a really mellow funk greets my tongue. Not as sour in the flavors as I experienced on the nose, which is too bad because that’s really what I was looking forward to! Earth, with mostly dirt and grass. Again, mellow and subtle are the names of the game!
M: light body and medium carbonation. I’d almost like it to feel fizzier on my tongue. 
D: I imagine this is a good intro to wild ales. It’s mellow on the sour but still funky. Pair it with a smelly cheese, or some feta. Mmmmm.
Ommegeddon – B