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

Yes, I see: you mention the double edged IPA in `post 404 and notes in 414. (I really have to catch up some time)

I must say that after taking a good bit of time over the glass, I found it very interesting. Not totally my cup of tea, but certainly worth the taste and `probably worth another taste sometime.


I'm not sure what to expect from the Neapolean.

Neapoleon Neapolitan Stout

341ml/6.7%

the conceit of this one is that it is flavoured with chocolate, strawberry and vanilla -- get it? Neapolitan ice cream.



The ~Pour


Thick, dark with a brief redish brown head fading rapidly to a ring and bit in the centre.


The Nose

Chocolate, vanilla, strawberry. No surprise here.



The Mouth

Certainly `pleasant! Chocolate is very `prominent with the strawberry and vanilla skipping along behind. There are undertones of coffee from what is probably a very nice chocoalte stout base. I would love to know what the base recipe is (I suspect it is the Ochsner's 1905 Alberta Porter).


The quote from Na`poleon, 'from the sublime to the ridiculous is but a ste`p' is extremely a`pt: this is a ridiculous idea for a beer, but, while not `perha`ps sublime, Nea`polean is certainly very enjoyable. My hat is off to Alley Kat.

I may just have to try that. It seems to me that's been around for some time now, likely a year or more.

On the topic of beer, particularly the Norwegian Wood, I just received a brief e-mal response/acknowledgement(from Jens Maudal at HaandBryggeriet). After finishing the bottle, I had found the 'Feedback' link or whatever on the website & sent a short complementary note to them...never Really expecting a reply.

Yes I was quite certain that I had read about a Dogfish Head expansion(see link).

http://www.brewbound.com/news/headlines/dogfish-head-plans-45-million-expansion/


So somewhere down the road, I may just get to try their Worldwide , etc..

http://www.dogfish.com/brews-spirits/the-brews/occassional-rarities/world-wide-stout.htm

Just a couple of the many etcs. (the Theobroma & Midas Touch are on 'my list' too)

http://www.dogfish.com/brews-spirits/the-brews/seasonal-brews/chicory-stout.htm

http://www.dogfish.com/brews-spirits/the-brews/occassional-rarities/immort-ale.htm

Although it doesn't seem to be online yet, Jason Foster makes mention in the current Vue magazine of a somewhat beery light at the end of the(Hudsons)tunnel. I must admit that I'd given them/Hudsons little-if-any consideration due their ho-humbeer selection. I may be paying a visit or two though. And quite likely three or four...or five, down the road.They're actually not much further from me than The Sugarbowl(roughly the same distance).

http://www.hudsonstaphouse.com/e/bac.html

And he promises more Canadian craft beers on tap within the next year.

I neglected to mention that the beers listed on the Hudsons site are all bottled beers...it's a start though!

Aha, here is that article.

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

coincidentally, I picked up a copy of the latest Vue just yesterday morning and immediately read Mr. Foster's column.

Dogfish Head Chateau Jiahu
'Ale brewed with honey and hawthorn fruit and fermented with grape juice'

750ml/8%


The ~Pour:

Amber/gold with a bit of haze. Lots of effervescence with a short lived head. A very attractive and rich looking brew.


The Aroma:

an indefinable (to me) berry aroma. little else.


The Mouth:

Very full bodied without quite being syru`py. A s`picy clove/cinnamon note very soon after entering the mouth. I can sense the gra`piness, although I wonder what gra`pe was used -- was it a Euro`pean wine gra`pe or a North American juice one? Definitely the dominant flavour is the berry.

Definitely a very `pleasant beverage an interesting not only for its ancient `pedigree.

The spiciness really `picks up` as the bottom of the bottle a`p`proaches. Very interesting. I could definitely see Chateau Jiahu being used for s`pecial occasions in the `place of Cham`pagne. Actually, I'd *like* to see it used that way. I may have to make some `plans for a s`pecial occasion. . .

I had been reading online(in regard to the young lady on the label)that Dogfish Headowner Sam Calagion had a dream in which a nude oriental woman presented him a glass of the brew. The tatoo(on her lower back)if I recall correctly, is the Chinese symbol for beer.

looks like this one: http://www.chinese-word.com/data/6250.html in the Li Book Style, but with the line in the bottom of the box section modified into a little tent.

A couple pairing notes...& to preface those -

http://billybrew.com/chocolate-and-beer-lover/ (nice to see I'm not alone, as it were)

I had picked up a few chocolates at Sweet Lollapalooza-in Commerce Place-Saturday. I decided later to stop by The Elephant & Castle(having just mentioned s to Brett Roy, chocolatier/proprietor of Lollapalooza http://www.sweetlollapalooza.com )for a pint of Guinness Export-on tap...and a salted caramel macadamia nut . I doubt the Guinness needs any explanation or introduction and I must admit that it outshone the chocolate somewhat. However I found the caramel/macadamia nut combinarion a splendidly low-key accompaniment, the subtly sweet caramely nuttiness just hovering in the background. And actually leaving a lingering aftertaste that was Quite pleasant. I'll definitely be returning to S/L for more chocolates & I assume picking up more Guinness at some point...although having it on tap is the preferred experience-and I suspect was somewhat influential in the aforementioned situatiion.

Also tried a geometrically-patterned burnt caramel chocolate with a glass of Alley Kat Amber next day. Also a wonderfully subtle match, the chocolate being a hand-in-glove(couldn't be a better fit)compliment to the Amber. The underlying caramel notes of the beer provided a mild intensification-enhancement really-of the caramel filling. The burnt quality wasn't apparent at first, but faded-in ever-so pleasantly!

Actually the other I tried with the Amber was a pleasant match as well, perhaps being a bit too subtle for my tastes(possibly showcasing a slightly higher degree of compatability?). The was a 50 gram Barkley Double Dark(organic)truffle bar - chocolatey decadence..embracing & mildly enhancing the chocolate notes of the brown ale.

But, some additional-non chocolate-pairing notes.

I found the Boscchetto al Tartufo cheese a wonderful match with the Mikkeller Beer Geek Bacon. The smokiness imparted by the smoked malts a splendid compliment to the woodsy flavour of the truffle shavings. And interestingly the Manchego seemed to subdue the smokiness somewhat & blend Quite wonderfully!

On a bit of a whim, lemon/chili flavoured Casava chips/(from Tienda Latina)were also a very harmonius pairing. Both the citrus & chili being subtly accented by the hop content of the (the Beer Geek Breakfast-oatmeal stout with coffee-but redone/rebrewed with smoked malts).

Nice pairings with the last bottle of that Chaman 4-pack. Very nice seamless meshing of the Chaman's hop character with a lemon-infused chocolate from Sweet Lollapalooza! Have to thank Brett, he was 'right on the money', so to speak-will have to ask him about truffles. Also quite a nice reaction with the last few pieces of that Barkley Double Dark Truffle bar! The malt character of the beer adding an extra dimension to the chocolate(pleasant enhancement). And the citrus quality of the hops being more prevalent at first & then becoming more distinctly piney in the somewhat lingering aftertaste.

And on that 'rebrewed/redone' note from post 554, I see numerous mentions(including on Canadian Beer News http://www.canadianbeernews.com )that this is a rerelease of the Neapoleon.

And I have a pairing 'curve ball' to throw at it - chocolate, vanilla & chipotle chili pepper. ( on one shoulder, on the other, but you really shouldn't ...oh go ahead-you Know you want to ...I'll think about it)

Oh that Is an actual combination -

http://www.escazuchocolates.com/iframe/

You may need to click on 'escazu chocolate bars' under categories...the red package, although the vanilla is only mentioned on the label.

I had, roughly a year ago(8-9 months?)tried the Escazu bar. However I'm Quite curious about another U.S.-made I bought today, the cacao grown in the Phillipines(not South America or Africa).

http://www.askinosie.com/p-75-77-davao-dark-chocolate-bar.aspx

Something I thought might be of interest -(no here...or questionable ingredients)

http://www.smithsonianmagazine.com/history-archaeology/The-Beer-Archaeologist.html?c=y&story=fullstory

Dr. Pat is the author of Ancient Wine http://books.google.com/books/about/Ancient_wine.html?id=NuUSVEAUrfIC a dandy book I have here which is the inspiration for the Greek Grog I'm going to try to make. I've got all the ingredients -- I just have to get around to grinding and boiling the malt . . .


So little time and so much to do!