The Return of The Belgian Beer Fest!!!

I happened to see this on twitter...(geek) and I all ready have my ticket for session two on Saturday 10/17...Hope to see you all there!!!

http://beeradvocate.com/store/product_info.php/products_id/155?osCsid=741498542a5f6f64bd5bacd7435f398a

What's your favorite format?

Had a 22 the other night and it was heaven, might be my favorite type, especially the second glass as it warms slowly. What is your favorite format? Tap, 12 oz, growler, 40oz? I'd love to hear your thoughts!

What have you been up to?

I feel bad. I know I shouldn't, but I do. The last few weeks have been a little hectic; a baby who doesn't sleep, diy construction/destruction of a deck/patio, and a job that just keeps getting busier. But fear not, I still have been sampling, tasting, brewing, and trying many different beers, its just about all I can do to keep it all together!

Brooklyn Brewery

After the tasting the other night, I decided to go for the variety pack and dig into the Local One, neither would disappoint. Local one is a great all around beer, nice spices, fluffy head, nice orange hue, tasty with a steak dinner. The Brooklyn variety pack included their Lager, Brown, Pennant Ale, and East India Pale ale, all of which were very solid beers and I am tempted to try and keep some in the fridge at all times!

Pretty Things

After being not so blown away by the Jack D' Or, I recently tried the St. Boltophs Town rustic brown and the Baby Tree quad brewed with figs and I'm sure glad I did. Not only is it a local brew, the flavors and nose on both were pretty exciting. Full bodied, unrestrained, tasty tasty beers. Highly recommended.

Victory Brewing

Ok, Hop Devil is good, but it just made me want to go buy a Stone product instead. The Prima Pils, although I can see its hoppy merits and smooth taste, I'm just not into any Pilsners right now, please someone recommend something so I will change my mind! Golden Monkey is a strong showing for a Belgian strong, and it really did match well with the carbonara I made that night. Strong beer, sneaks up on ya!

Three Philosophers

Nick bought me this bottle for my birthday. I came home one Saturday night after pulling a double and thought, now is the time. A nice Belgian quad with the slightest hint of cherry and fruit. Nice dark amber color, not sure you could see through it...put me in my place, and I enjoyed the dark flavor tones to it. Excited to try more Brewery Ommegang offerings.

There have been more, there will be more, but alas, time for work. I am looking forward to the ACBF, get your tickets soon, Saturday night 6pm session. Corey and I are already confirmed. I cant wait!

Hear Ye, HEAR YE!!!

The ACBF is at the Seaport World Trade center June 19th and 20th. I was hoping that we would be able to make this event our June meeting (I know, we don't even have a May event scheduled yet), but with this kind of thing, tickets are involved, and the good sessions sell out quickly. Corey(seeker) and I (spleeb) thought that the Saturday night Session Two(6-9:30pm) would be the time when the most of us could attend. I am planning on purchasing my tickets within the next day or so, please, PLEASE let me know if you guys think another time would be better for the bunch!!! Here is the link(http://beeradvocate.com/acbf/) to the site where you can find out all the info and purchase tickets!

Saison!!!

Tuedsay night: Hamburgers, baked beans, salad, and Great Divide Saison. Mmmm, what a combo. The lady and I enjoyed a 22 of this wonderfully crafted saison which lived up to the description on the bottle as well as the preconceived notions in my head. It tasted just like I imagined it, slight hay on the nose, some citrus, some spice. A nice fluffy head poured into a over sized wine goblet, hazy golden color, everything seemed just right!

Wednesday night: Lemon-Spinach pesto atop grilled chicken breast, roasted garlic-rosemary potatoes, and zucchini on the grill, and Pretty Things Jack D' Or "saison americain". To be honest, one of my best coordinated and timed grill experiences of my life, and my excitement only grew as I opened the cap on the saison. A surprising rush of hops to the nose, I thought, well, this is a nice surprise. But alas, I must put it a hair behind the Great Divide from the night before. Trust me, this is a very good beer, it went very well with the lemon in my pesto, and I am enjoying it as I write this, especially in that crystal wine glass, but it seems just a hair less focused than the previous, something seems to be missing. Hmm, very interested in trying some other offerings by Pretty Things, Drink Local!

Saison?

Just finished reading about Saison style beers and I cant wait to grab a few bottles and jump in. Luckily, Corey found a cheaper spot in Porter Sq. to get Fantome, so I am now in possession of two bottles, one to try and one to age. I'd love to hear others thoughts or ideas on the style!

Allagash Tripel Reserve

I've had this in my fridge for about a week and last night I couldn't wait any longer! It was corked, champagne style, and the label said it was suitable for cellaring to further develop the flavors of this Belgian style ale. Soooo...... I popped it open and poured it into my trusty tulip glass. It had a medium dense white head that faded not too quickly into a solid 1/8 inch which remained for the duration of the session, suggesting a silky mouth feel. It had a fantastic golden-orange-yellow color and gave up distinctly sweet aromas of bright tropical fruit. It was not overly carbonated with a honey-sweet background that finished very crisp and lingered nicely on the palate for some time. Despite it's full and complex flavor, this tripel managed to retain a perfectly light and balanced profile which, even with it's 9.0% ABV, makes this delicious version of a Belgian Ale, a perfect companion for a relaxing summer's evening, sitting on the porch, watching the cars go by.

Oh, and it's brewed in Portland Maine, so when you drink this you not only get a great local beer but you're supporting local business too! I give this guy an A+