Belgium by way of Brooklyn

On Friday, I finally had a chance to dig into some new beers.  I should have been writing about beer and music for the November Beer Blogging Friday, but I found myself wanting to do nothing more than relax and enjoy a beer.  I think the topic is a great one.  I almost always put my posts together with the assistance of iTunes.  Just one of those weeks!  So I reached into my fridge and pulled out a 750 mL Belgian-style offering from Brooklyn Brewery: Local 1.  For all the beer drinking I do, I have to admit that my knowledge and experience with Brooklyn is limited.  They have good distribution, but I always seemed to be in a place where they weren't. 

Most of my knowledge of Brooklyn Brewery is based only on my reading of Beer School and The Brewmaster's Table.  So when I saw this cool looking bottle and the name of the brewery, I made a marketer somewhere happy.  Brand equity meets "Ohhh....look at the pretty bottle".  Yep...a moment of weakness.  "Pretty" rarely gets me to buy a beer.  I think I'll have to put more of this purchase decision back on the brewery and their reputation. 

Here is the text from the bottle:

In Williamsburg, Brooklyn, we forge barley malt and hops from Germany, aromatic raw sugar from Mauritius and yeast from Belgium into our latest beer, Brooklyn Local 1. Behind the full golden color you'll find an alluring aroma, a dynamic complex of flavors. Belgian flair, Brooklyn fortitude and a dusting of our special yeast. To create this beer, we use the old technique of 100% bottle re-fermentation, a practice now rare even in Europe. It gives this beer a palate of unusual depth. Enjoy it locally or globally, as an aperitif or with your favorite dishes. It is particularly nice with spicy seafood and with fine cheeses.

A lot of verbiage and it sounds a little lofty, but exactly what I would expect based on The Brewmaster's Table.  Warning you now...my notes on the tasting won't follow the same style!

• Appearance - Cloudy, golden, bottle was sideways in my fridge so I stirred the "dusting" up off the bottom, thin head but still a creamy appearance
• Aroma -  Sweetness like you would get from an unrefined and darker sugar, pineapple with some citrus, spice
• Taste - Sweet but very well carbonated leading to a dry, spicy finish, strong Belgian-style flavors, alcohol noticeable especially as the beer warms up
• Food pairing - I was all out of spicy seafood so I opted for a turkey sandwich with a blend of 6 Italian cheeses fresh from a plastic bag (just a few steps above the Kraft stuff that comes in a can and sprinkles), The cheese brought out the alcohol and highlighted some bitterness and astringency in the finish (I can see how fine cheeses would be a good match.  I was fresh out of fine, though.)

Final verdict....a refreshing, balanced beer.  Not exactly middle of the road but certainly not overly aggressive.  Enjoyable yet a bit expensive for repeated purchase.  I think I'll seek out a few of their other beers before cycling back to Local 1.