Dubbel Trubbel

OMMEGANG (ABBEY ALE) - Brewery Ommegang
8.50%ABV
Serving: 750mL to tulip and snifter for K and moi

A: Two fingers of incredibly froth and a head that seemed so alive and inviting. Body is a dark brown and ruby. Head retention is nice; not much lacing to speak of.
S: Sweet, spicy, bitter chocolate undertones with hints of licorice. A semi-earthy aroma comes out, with some coffee and dark fruits in the back.
T: Incredibly sweet flavors in the beginning, reminiscent of a porter with tastes of chocolate and coffee. Complementary flavors of spice and a bitter hoppy finish. Fruit is left behind as well. Can’t taste the 8.50% abv one bit. Some metal is discernible immediately after the pour but that eventually dies out.
M and D: Medium-bodied with tons of yummy carbonation, though the beer is still smooth going down. So easy and pleasant to drink, and the alcohol really sneaks up.  Kara can vouch for that. I look forward to cracking open another 750 soon!
Ommegang - A+

pick up a bottle. now.

Anderson Valley Brewing Co., North Coast Brewing Co.

My favorite part of the weekend trip up to Mendocino County? It’s a tie between the various treks through the hills of The Other Place (the ranch where we stayed), and the taproom at Anderson Valley Brewing Co., just one minute away from our cottage in Boonville.

avbc taproom

le brewery

My favorite part of the brewery? Another tie. This time between the pleasure stools (you know you want to ask), and Deep Enders Dark Porter. Other beers tasted were Poleeko Gold Pale Ale, High Rollers Wheat, Brother David’s Double Abbey-style Ale and, Kara’s favorite, Winter Solstice Seasonal Ale. Five 5oz glasses for $9, and we picked up many 1pt, 6oz (750 mL?) bottles and 12oz six packs that would have been marked up $5 or $6 at the local co-op. A delicious deal for some delicious brews. Allowing dogs in the taproom was also a plus! Reviews to come on Deep Enders and Winter Solstice. For those of you who will be receiving AVBC goodies, please feel free to let the world know what you think. REVIEW AWAY!! Feel free to use comment space or ask me for login info. 

avbc brews, as captured by KT

The next day, we visited North Coast Brewing Co. up in Fort Bragg. It was a less memorable experience, as it was loud and … bro-y. Furthermore, the PranQster Belgian style ale I tried poured flat from the tap. I brought a nice sized bottle back with me and will be reviewing it soon, as there is massive potential for me to love it! 

ncbc brewery

Somewhere in between, we stopped at Navarro and Husch Vineyards. Mendocino is the “other” wine country, so we couldn’t pass it up (“other” = fewer people, less pretentious)! Kara bought a tasty Pinot that I can’t wait to try!

Navarro Winery; photo courtesy kt tech

I’ll leave ya’ll with a North Coast Brewing Co. beer that I reviewed earlier this month:

Tasted on Jan. 1st
BROTHER THELONIOUS BELGIAN STYLE ABBEY ALE - NCBC; Fort Bragg, CA
9.40%ABV, 32 IBUs 
Serving: 12oz bottle to label goblet
Enjoyed at Burgers and Brew, Davis, CA 

Light brown and mahogany hues with an off-white head that dissipates quickly with minimal lacing. Sweet, malty aromas with mostly toffee and caramel notes. Tastes of toffee, coffee, and oatmeal with the smallest trace of alcohol. Medium body of a slightly syrupy consistency makes sure the flavors stick to the palate for a while. This pleasurable, malty brew is very easy and fun to drink. I’d only have one, but I can see how the drinkability would make it easy to keep going!
Brother Thelonious - B+