h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Brewsters(seasonal)Hawaiian Coconut Porter, 5.2%abv

Appearance

Just a thin ring and cap of tight pale brown foam when it was brought to the table. No visible carbonation(though mouthfeel proved otherwise). Dense rather persistent lacing.

Aroma

Roasty malt and a vaguely coconut milk aroma.

Taste

Hints of espresso and bittersweet chocolate show through an overall roasty malt flavour. Subtle coconut milk aftertaste unlike last year. The porter last year-the same coconut version-had more of a roasted coconut character.

A superb accompaniement to the pork filling of the Grilled Asiam Dumplings.The coconut even did an admirable job of taming the heat of the chili/vinegar dipping sauce. Speaking of which...after my last bite of sauce-dipped dumpling, a sip of porter brought out a distinct lime note(possibly from a ginger/lemongrass seasoning in the pork - unexpected but quite pleasant in any case).

Hopefully I'll get on that Coconut tomorrow, along with my notes on Alley Kat/Sherbrooke Aaiieeeeeeeeee Caramba!

Now I need to sleep.

A Tale Of Two Belgians ...couldn't resist

Chimay Red. 7%abv

Two and a half finger white head on a cloudy pale brown ale. Sediment and a bit of carbonation evident/ No lacing although the head lingers quite awhile.

Aroma

Faint aroma of Belgian yeast, a bit banana bready...hints of clove and nutmeg.

Taste

First impression is yeasty and malty, then a fruity juiciness emerges-think white grapes, pears and apples. Bit of an alcohol tickle and a drier finish. Quite nice...a good summer ale.

Piraat. 10.5%

The pour

Beautiful three finger head on a cloudy bronze ale. Abundant carbonatiion and nice lacing.

Aroma

Faint juicy aroma(white grape/apple).some alcohol - to be expected at 10.5%.

Taste

Vinous quality up front fading to a sort of apple/cinnamony drier finish. Actually quite nice! Reminds me somewhat of the La Chouffe Blonde.

Using Belgian s as a segue of sorts, I'm 'cellaring' an oak-aged Belgian
(the Pannepot Grand Reserva-'05 vintage, aged in oak then given another ten months in barrels previously used for Calvados). http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/15237/41690

http://vueweekly.com/dish/story/oak_is_no_joke/

Also aging/cellaring a couple Mikkeller brews that I have high hopes for. Highest in alcohol content is the 19.1% Big Worst American-style Barleywine aged in Bourbon barrels.

http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/13307/67734/ba=wordemupg

And the 17.5% Black Cognac Edition, aged in Cog...you see where I'm going

http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/mikkeller-40657-black-cognac-edition/135841/87088

And of course a bottle of Harviestoun's Ola Dubh Special Reserve 16.

http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/323/41012


Also optimistic about the 12% Dogfish Head Palo Santo Marron, aged in Paraguayan Palo Santo wood...reputedly the only wood so dense that it won't float. And a Brown that looks more like a .

http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/10099/33832

But, I'll soon be reviewing a recent discovery at Sherbrooke, the Accent Double Edged IPA(8%). A Double IPA aged in Scottish Whiskey casks produced by Alley Kat for nearby Accent European Lounge.

http://www.accentlounge.com

Very anticipated old ale here(farmhouse ale?). Here's the description from the label "Once every farm in Norway was required by law to brew it's own ale. All of that ale had a natural smoky taste, and most of it was spiced with juniper. With Norwegian Wood, we have recreated this traditional style.

HaandBryggeriet makes living beer, not pasteurized nor filtered, but refermented in the bottle to create natural carbonation."

HaandBryggereit(or Haand Brewery I assume) Norwegian Wood, 6.5%abv("Traditional Norwegian Smoked Ale with Juniper Berries")

The pour...from 500ml bottle

Lively two finger off-white head on a gloriously reddish orangey amber ale...a bit cloudy. Abundant carbonation and marvelous dense lacing.

Aroma

Faint malt and yeast aroma...a bit of berry comes through, rather fruity.

Taste

Very nice malt flavour, just a tiny bit of juniper dancing on the peripphery. Then a yeasty bread component comes out with wonderfully subtle smokiness in the mmediate background...the smokiness lingers-almost growing a bit-to a drier finish. I like this! To quote Lennon and McCartney "Isn't it good, Norwegian Wood"

I want to try that!


Where did you find it? (Sherbrooke, I expect)





I'm just trying to recover from far too much Chinese take-out.

At Sherbrooke the other day...found it both near the local beers(near the door) & on the eastern end of the south wall.

I should've added their website http://haandbryggeriet.net . There're a number of their beers I'm rather anxious try, aside from the Dark Force Wheat that I grabbed without hesitation the other day.

By the way . . .

You heard it here first (maybe):



Up next from Amber's (by summertime) . . .






Amber's Pilsner!


I went in today and said to Jim 'You know what would be nice on a hot summer's day? A nice, cold, dry pilsner.'

Jim responded 'Actually, Gord and I were just planning that this morning.'



Of course, knowing Jim, it might not be true.

O-h kay, rather questionable but somewhat interesting concept I suppose.

http://www.reddit.com/r/beer/comments/hak56/anybody_here_like_to_drink_beer_in-the_shower/

I don't know . . .

I'm thinking from a can maybe, but a dropped bottle(broken glass in the shower ).

After a morning spent gardening, I think I'll have a shower -- without the beer.

Ok call it a Friday afternoon/evening numerical thing, two 8's.

Harrviestoun Ola Dubh Special Reserve 16, 8%abv

The pour

Pours a verry dark cola brown, no carbonation that I can detect...though the mouthfeel shines light on it. Thin ring of pale brown foamy bubbles and fine layer/'cap' of same...reasonably dense transitory lacing.

Aroma

Roasty malts...some chocolate notes and a woody, rather smoky quality. Hints of coffee and a molasses/brown sugar sweetness. Tiny bit of fruitiness, like ripe dates...almost like rum-soaked raisins.

Taste

Initial roasty malt flavour, transforming to chocolate then a bit of coffee bitterness. But the chocolate makes a resurgence...bit of molasses/vanilla sweetness with a slight alcohol tickle and a drier finish. The 8% alcohol is very well hidden, I'm only feeling it as I finish the glass.

It provides a subtle emphasis to the 31% butter-caramel cream in a Zotter ButterCaramel bar. Again thankyou to my muse Kerstin@Kerstin's Chocolates.

Alley Kat for Accent European Lounge, Double Edged IPA, 8%abv

The pour

An orangey amber ale, abundant carbonation evident initially, though it 'dies out'. No actual head, just a ring of fine bubbles...nice though sporadic lacing.

Aroma

Initially malty and roasty, distinct caramel sweetness - a touch of woody character and just a hint of alcohol.

Taste

Primarily malty with an ever-so-slight vinous edge. Then ample(yet nicely restraained)hops step forward-rather unobtrusively-fading to a vaguely vanilla sweetness and a drier finish with a bit of a vinous quality(a bit like after a glass of sherry or port).

Quite nice actually! I may become somewhat of a 'regular' at Accent...the BBQ spices of these BBQ spiced almonds are pleasanty underlined, the beer nicely integrating with them.

I had a bit of a Belgian/Norwegian binge at the Keg 'n' Cork this afternoon. I came home with:

a bottle of dark force
a bottle of Odin's tipple
a bottle of Norwegian Wood
a bottle of Trappiste Rochefort 10
a bottle of Chimay blue top
a bottle of Duvel
and a four pack of St. Bernardus Tripel


I started the evening with a bottle of the St. Bernardus and wasn't hugely impressed, although it was pleasant enough:

St. Bernardus Tripel

330 ml 8%


That is one happy monk on the label!



Pour

Light yellow with a hint of amber. Marvelous head.

Aroma

Beery. A touch of fruitiness.

Taste

Smooth and full bodied. Flavour pedestrian, but quite pleasant. Malt and

hops and enough fruitiness to pass as trappist.


The note on the box 'Bringing Heavenly Nectar Within Reach' may indicate that

this is an entry level trappist ale, designed for newcomers to the type.

I'm not sure that the meal (cold, day old Chinese take-out)) accompanying did the beer justice.


***

Ah they have the Odin's Tipple! Splendid!

Yes. I think they received it (and `possibly the other two) just today. When the clerk tried to scan them, they weren't in the computer yet.

Actually, when I went in I said I was looking for 'Norwegian Wood' and the clerk (normally very knowledgeable; his name escapes me) said 'Never heard of it'.

Of course, I re`plied 'It's a Beatles song'

and he said,

'I loved that song!'

and I said,

'You can still love it. The song still exists even if the Beatles don't'

I told him that Sherbrooke had it and he said he'd look it u`p on the com`puter because it may be something that Sherbrooke had had in the cooler for years.

I went into the cooler and Norwegian Wood `practically lea`pt off the shelf at me.

I went back to the counter and said 'don't bother looking it u`p' and handed him the bottle.


Close to a Basil Fawlty imitation, he said 'Oh! NORwegian Wood! Yes, we have that!'

*taps temple contemplatively* Not that I'm All that worried about it, but reading over some comments on the Norwegian Wood a number of them mention both smoke in the aroma And a somewhat stronger smoke flavour. I didn't detect any smoke in the aroma. I neglected to mention that as I reached for the botle(to open it)I accidentally knocked it over. So I did get a bit of fizzy foam running out when I opened it. So 1) I'm considering trying a second bottle. And 2) I'm wondering about my other smoked beer, actually 'smoked '. Both Simon at HopZine.com & Mark Starr at thehopry.com are quite impressed with it. So I had seriously been planning on opening it tomorrow(it's a wonder I've waited this long). I'm debating whether or not I should save it for a side-by-side comparison with the Norwegian Wood.

But the smoked I refer to is the Mikkeller Beer Geek Bacon, actually just a rerelease of his Beer Geek Breakfast except with smoked malts this time. The other thing, it's labelled B/G Bacon overseas & Rauch Geek Breakfast here in north america. In fact I recall seeing the Rau(s?)ch Geek at Sherbrooke awhile back. Yet the two bottles I bought there just last week-1 for aging a bit-are both labelled 'B/G Bacon'. Not that that's a problem*shrugs*just had to 'unload'.

That was Rob at HopZine(that's the problem with watching numerous video review -opinions about the beers are what stick in your mind, names um Not so much. Actually, where a couple people refer to the bacony quality, Rob thinks it's more like Bavarian ham. But on that meaty note, Drew from Pittsburg certainly considers it meaty(did I just type 'meaty'...about a beer???)

http://365beers.wordpress.com/2011/02/04/beer-379365-mikkeller-beer-geek-bacon-bacon/

That's what I get for not previewin'!

http://365beers.wordpress.com/2011/02/24/beer-379365-mikkeller-beer-geek-bacon-bacon/