Has it really been 3 weeks since my last post? Work has been a 7 day a week thing up until the recent Thanksgiving holiday. I've found time to drink a few beers along the way, but not the time to take notes and comment. So when I traveled to Kentucky last weekend I was on a mission to taste a few new brews and get a post up. All of my family always enjoys good food, wine, liquor, and beer when we get together for the holidays. I knew I would have plenty of people to help me work through a number of large bottles and multi-packs. However, I was worried that Kentucky, the home of Bourbon, might not offer the best craft/micro beer selection even if I was going to be in the larger city of Louisville. Enter Liquor Barn to the rescue. My brother and I walked into this behemoth of a store and I knew we had a good shot of finding a few new brews along with a couple of my favorites to share. As one aunt called it when we got back to the house...Toys-R-Us for adults. She was spot on with that analogy! A row of imports and a row of crafts. Stone, Dogfish, Avery, Flying Dog, and many more. I loaded the cart with a mix of everything but focused on making sure I picked up a few that I knew would please. Here's what we opened and tried through out the day:
- Avery Thirteen - A Weizen Dopplebock full of malt sweetness (22 oz)
- Avery Maharaja - An Imperial IPA jam packed with hops (22 oz)
- Bell's Double Cream Stout - One of my all time favorite stouts and a model for one of my own home brew recipes (6 pack bottles)
- Stone Arrogant Bastard - A beer that helped send me down the current path of beer obsession (22 oz)
- Stone IPA - Left over from a recent trip to see my mom, Refrigeration is a great thing! (6 pack)
- Flying Dog Woody Creek White - A Belgian-style I reviewed a while back that I knew several people would enjoy more than the larger beers above (6 pack bottles)
- Kentucky Bourbon Ale from Lexington Brewing Co - New and never tried, A little too mild in my opinion for a Bourbon beer, Balanced and drinkable with soft vanilla, oak and bourbon flavors but without any complexity from the beer (6 pack bottles)
- Dogfish Head Olde School Barley Wine - I was sold on the brewery and the 15% alcohol level, Something had to compete with all of the bourbon and scotch! I did not check, but I believe that this was the most recent 2007 bottling. (4 pack bottles)
The Dogfish Head Olde School was a hit among those of use who prefer bigger beers or barrel-aged liquors. Here are my notes on this gigantic brew fresh off a napkin from the dinner table:
- Appearance - Dark copper color, cloudy without much light passing through, Little to no head
which quickly fades - Aroma - Raisin, darker dried fruit sweetness, alcohol and some very subtle spice (cinnamon came to mind but I do not think that was right, no spice is listed as an ingredient)
- Taste - Begins with a big burst of malt and fruit flavors (orange on top of the dried fruits noticed in the aroma), Again some spice but I cannot be sure that was not the aroma playing tricks on my tongue, Alcohol hides at first coming through as warmth and lingering heat, As the beer warms the alcohol asserts itself much more aggressively, Bitterness apparent but without hop flavors, Less American-style barley wine and almost a huge old ale
After tasting I went back and read the label on the beer a little closer. The text reveals a little more about the ingredients and purpose of this brew:
"Inspired by a tale of a cask doctor who brought sluggish ales back to life by suspending a fig in them. Brewed from 100% Maris Otter pale ale malt, a blend of fine hops and conditioned on dates and figs. User Instructions: open bottle, pour contents into two snifters. Enjoy. ALTERNATIVELY: Walk hand-in-neck with bottle into the middle of the woods. Use shovel to dig 2x2 hole three feet deep. Seal bottle in plastic bag. Place in hole and pack with dirt. Memorize location and leave. Return exactly one year later. Dig up bottle, open and enjoy."
I definitely agree that this beer needs some age before reaching its full potential. I left my extra at my aunt and uncle's for them to enjoy so if you pick up a 4 pack send me a bottle or two. Or throw a bottle in the cellar and let me know how they taste on down the road. I think it will be worth the wait to see how Olde School mellows over time.
Happy Belated Thanksgiving! Guess that means holiday beers are hitting the shelves as I type. Time to head back to the beer store.
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