How Spring Break Is Supposed To Treat Me

The days are getting warmer. Pollen is rampant. My eyes itch. My eyes water. What makes it better?

1) The completion of my first ever beer trade! I sent off five bottles of Pliny and some extras to Wisconsin, and Wisconsin sent back a 6-pack of Great Lakes’ Edmund Fitzgerald Porter, a 4-pack of GL Blackout Stout, and incredible extras (New Glarus Iced Barleywine, Tyranena’s The Devil Made Me Do It!, Sand Creek Oscar’s Chocolate Oatmeal Stout, and Founders Imperial Stout…mmmmmmmmmm). Thanks, Kyle! I will easily become addicted to this tres exciting way of trying new beers from around the country that aren’t distributed here. 

2) A stop at Russian River Brewing Co. on our way to the actual Russian River. I may have committed a small act of beer heresy when I savored a Torpedo just yards from the brewery in Santa Rosa. Perhaps my spending $25 for one bottle of beer at RR makes up for this. 

3) The acquisition of a snifter that used to belong to my grandpa. He’d keep two snifters and a bottle of E&J at the house for when he visited. L’chaim, grampapa. I’ll be thinking of you with each sip.

4) See the following:

TRIPPEL - Green Flash Brewing Co.; Vista, CA
9.70%ABV, 24IBUs
Serving: 22oz bomber to my newly acquired snifter
A: Small white head dissipates quickly to a ring; beer is an opaque, dark orange/golden/tan color (quite interesting indeed). Very little lacing on the glass.
S: Heavy ripe citrus (dole mandarin oranges/fruit cups in syrup come to mind). Very sweet aroma with a faint bitter-smelling hop aroma to round out. Some alcohol on the nose.
T: Sweet but balanced out by a bitter candy sweetness. Sweet citrus in aroma and some honey notes. The bitter starts to overwhelm, in an awkward vinegar kind of way. Hints of spice and a coming-and-going sense of alcohol. 
M: Light to medium, leaning towards the latter. There’s a slick mouthfeel to this brew.
D: I nursed this beer for a while. A hearty ABV/warming sensation to boot. This bottle was at 9.70%ABV. It looks like they kicked up the alcohol content just a bit. Definitely a good beer, though not the first trippel I’d reach for. I look forward to trying the Green Flash Barleywine hanging out in the fridge.
Trippel - B

light switch in the background? that's just me keepin' it classy.

BOURBON COUNTY STOUT - Goose Island; Chicago, IL
13.00%ABV, 60IBUs
Serving: 12oz to snifter
A: Despite some aggressiveness, the beer poured with nearly zero head and almost zero retention. What did happen, though, was the incredibly thick body would adhere to the glass. I’ve never seen anything like it. Pitch black with the slightest hints of brown in the light. 
S: Huge, complex aromas of licorice, vanilla, smatterings of coffee and an overwhelming bourbon nose.
T: Also huge and complex. Roasted, bittersweet chocolate. Huge black licorice flavors. The bourbon and alcohol burns as it slides down ever so smoothly. Vanilla and caramel add to the already sweet flavors. I feel like I wanted a little more balance to the taste, but still enjoyable.
M: Consistency of motor oil. Very smooth and slick. Very light carbonation. This is one of the thickest liquids I’ve consumed!
D: I split this 12oz for dessert. It was even too much for the two of us. It’s a great idea to take your time with this beer. I’d like to taste this batch a year from now.
Bourbon County - A

I wish I would have snapped a shot of the uber viscosity

Trust me. There is more to come, soon.

Corked Libations

A 750mL bottle of just about anything is good to split with someone you care about. A 750mL bottle of a Belgian-style ale is even better. Thanks to Elliott for giving Kara and me the opportunity to try the following:

MAREDSOUS 10 - Brouwerij Duvel Moortgat NV; Breendock-Puurs, Belgium
10.00%ABV
Serving: 750mL to tulip and large wine glass
A: Hazy amber/copper under a foamy, sticky white head. Decent amount of webbing and a ring of lace accompanying. Dark particles gather at the bottom of the tulip.
S: Spice over a sweet malt and fruit backbone.
T: Spicy in the beginning, ending in fruity. A somewhat toasted flavor with some bitterness pulling through. The alcohol hides really well in this incredibly balanced and consistent brew.
M: Lighter-bodied and slick with a good amount of carbonation.
D: Dangerously drinkable, with an incredibly sneaky ABV content. This is a great beer to pair to split and pair with a hearty dinner. We enjoyed this beer so much, we went out to dinner only days after polishing off the big bottle and had a 330mL serving in an authentic Maredsous chalice! This brew comes highly recommended. One note I might add is that this beer is bottle conditioned, if I remember correctly. The carbonated goodness came alive and was flowing all over the counter. Open with caution!
Maredsous - A
750mL bottles available at the co-op; 330mL bottles can be found at Burgers and Brew.

"G-d. Monks. History. Tradition. Beer. These are the things that make up an abbey."

HENNEPIN - Brewery Ommegang; Cooperstown, NY
7.70%ABV
Serving: 750mL to tulip
A: Somewhat foggy yellow-orange with a firm finger of white, rocky head. Decent head retention and lacing.
S: Citrus, hops and some sweet malts; undeniable spice on the nose.
T: I’ll break this part into two. The first half: Sweet start and a bitter finish. Wheaty and spicy, rounding out with yeasty, hoppy and eventually a baked/biscuity flavor as it warms slightly. Only a few minutes after that (into the second half now), earthy flavors pull through majorly, which was fine. But eventually my palate was overrun with grass, metal and blood. It was like sipping on a glass of blended farm. I loved the first half of this beer, but I was not a fan of it as it had a chance to warm a bit. 
M: Love the carbonation and spice combo. Lighter, refreshing body and just a touch or slightly bitter residue left on the palate.
D: This beer is as refreshing as any wheat…in the beginning anyway. I thought there was a serious breakdown or massive alteration in flavors. I look forward to enjoying one of the other Ommegang brews in my fridge, because this one was a minor letdown. I’m also willing to try another bottle, in case that was part of the issue.

Hennepin - B 
Available at the co-op every other time I browse the cooler (which is often). 

despite my issues, this is a truly beautiful beer

unibroue

This week, I enjoyed a couple of Belgian style brews from Unibroue. You can pick either of these up at the co-op in single 12oz bottles, which is a size I highly recommend for these big beers (unless you’re sharing, in which case I would head to Cost Plus and pick up 750mL bottles). 

hell much?

LA FIN DU MONDE - Unibroue; Chambly, Quebec, CAN
9.00%ABV
Serving: 12oz to tulip
A: A massive off-white head almost explodes out of the tulip. Body is a cloudy golden, amber and orange with floating yeast particles. Head retains like creamy foam and sticks around for 2+ hours (yes, I nursed the beer for that long).
S: Dark spices on the nose; sweet malty backdrop that’s very faint as a slight fruitiness slips through.
T: Very spicy dominance on the palate at first. Wheat flavors similar to Maudite, but not as present. Wonderful balance of malts and hops, which hides the 9% alcohol and the excess of bitterness characteristic of tripels. Sip ends in a bitter-to-sweet-and-back-to-bitter exhange, reminiscent of a bitter piece of grapefruit.
M: Light to medium-bodied with generous carbonation, which helps to pull the spices through. Creamy mouthfeel, leaving the palate coated in spices.
D: This is definitely a sipper. The alcohol is hidden really well and the ABV really sneaks up on you. 
La Fin - A 

MAUDITE - Unibroue
8.00%ABV
Serving: 12oz to tulip
A: Two to three fingers of an active/bubbly off-white head; body is a deep mahogany with amber hues along the bottom edge of the glass. Head retains as a small ring, and yeast from bottle fermentation settles along the bottom of the tulip. 
S: Spicy, and citrus. Reminiscent of a spicy witbier. 
T: Heavy wheat flavors with a touch of dark spice; malty character is balanced by a touch of hops; residuals of spices left gracefully on the tongue.
M: Medium-bodied with appropriate carbonation. 
D: Very smooth, with the alcohol completely unnoticed. Easy and pleasant to drink, meanwhile maintaining a heap of complexity. Most drinkable Belgian Strong I’ve had.
Maudite - A+ 

New Belgium brews

Someday, I’ll work for New Belgium Brewing Co. And I will ride my bike to work. And I will brag about my brewery being solar powered.

Reviewed on Dec. 11th
1554 ENLIGHTENED BLACK ALE - NBBCo.; Fort Collins, CO
5.50%ABV
Serving: 12oz bottle to pint 

Small head that disappears quickly; deep brown and red hues with limited lace down sides of glass. Smells of sweet malts, particularly chocolate. Hops apparent in moments, enough to call this beer well-balanced. Tastes of coffee, caramel and dark chocolate. Light mouthfeel with enough carbonation and memorable malts makes this beer easy and pleasant to drink, though I’m a little disappointed that this brew lacks a bigger flavor and body considering the name. It wouldn’t stop me from having another or recommending it to folks. I’d just change some things on the label.
1554 - B

 

Reviewed Dec. 28th
TRIPPEL BELGIAN STYLE ALE - NBBCo.
 7.80%ABV
Serving: 12oz to pint 

Transparent golden with a finger of white, creamy head that retains and leaves beautiful lace in the glass. Balance between deep malts and fruits in the aroma gives me an impression that the taste will be balanced as well. And indeed, it is. Roasty malt flavors that finish with florals, fruits and bitter left on the palate. Crisp carbonation, while medium to heavy-bodied in moments. This beer is great to sip on after dinner. 
TRIPPEL - B+