Beer-a-Day #8
This is one of those “go-to” beers. Nothing extreme, although it’s plenty hoppy. Nice amber color, off-white head, medium body, pleasantly balanced (to me, anyway).
This is one of those beers I can always count on.
Beer-a-Day #7
Cold and rainy out. In fact, it’s starting to ice up. A good time for a winter warmer.
Clay Pipe is a contract brewer in Frederick, Maryland. I like to buy local when I can. Pursuit of Happiness is their Winter Warmer.
Pours a nice deep amber with some chill haze. Lots of hop spice in the aroma. Medium-heavy body, with nice malt sweetness and a hefty amount of hops. That’s good.
Hey Ron! I think you’d like this one.
Clay Pipe Pursuit of Happiness
Beer-a-Day #6
Taking a break from the barley wines, I’ve got an Anchor Porter.
Color is opaque black with a tan head. Some fruitiness in the aroma with some pleasant roastiness. Flavor is a bit smokey with a touch of raisins.
In last Friday’s New York Times, Eric Asimov discussed a tasting of (pricey!) beers aged in oak barrels or, less commonly, aged with oak chips. They tasted a wide range: From lambics to stouts to pale ale.
So, why are these beers so expensive? Garrett Oliver, the brewmaster at the Brooklyn Brewery, cites the high cost of labor and storage for these beers, which are made by hand in small lots. What’s more, barrels themselves can be very expensive. Brooklyn has just issued its own barrel-aged beer, Black Ops, which was not available in time for our tasting. It costs around $20 for a 25.4-ounce bottle.
Obviously, these are not beers for chugging. They are specialized brews that can go beautifully with food. The tangy lambic-style beers would go well with seafood or cheeses. The richer imperial stout-style brews could be just the thing with chocolate. As for the cost, well, think of them as you would of a bottle of wine for sharing. You wouldn’t mind paying $35 for a bottle of wine, would you? Don’t answer that.
Roll Out the Barrel, Open Your Wallet
I have had Oaked Arrogant Bastard from Stone Brewing and Barley and Hops did a bourbon-barrel stout that I rather liked, but can’t remember any others. I’ll have to see if my favorite retailer carries any of those mentioned in the article.
Beer-a-Day #5
Barley Wine week continues.
I don’t recall having this one before, which is surprising considering Victory beers are readily available around here and the name is a hoot.
Medium-dark brown with red highlights. Finger’s width worth of head. Spiced plum in the aroma. Pleasantly bitter without overt sweetness and a rather thick body.
Victory Brewing Old Horizontal
The Session is a monthly one-day event held by beer bloggers around the world, where they each post their thoughts on a unified theme.
That theme, for February, is Tripels, hosted by David at Musings Over a Pint.
Beer is best when it’s shared, and a strong beer is just right for sharing. Belgian Tripels are big beers with a flavor profile that is enjoyed by both experienced and new beer fans. Be it an intimate evening, or watching a ball game on TV, a Tripel is made for sipping and sharing. For Session #24 the theme is “A Tripel for Two.” What Tripel would you pick to share with that good friend, family member, or lover?
If you have a beer or beer-related blog, it’s easy to participate in The Session. Pick a Belgian-style Tripel to review. Tell us why it’s your pick to share with that special someone. Be sure to include a review of the beer so that others might be inspired to choose that beer for a special moment. Bonus points if the person with whom you are sharing the beer includes their review as well.
This episode of the Session will take place on February 6, 2009. Details here: Announcing Session #24 – A Tripel for a Two
Beer-a-Day #4
I went with some dear friends today to Barley and Hops for “Kids Eat Free Sunday”, so I took a break from barley wines.
I had a Schifferstadt Stout, a nice dry Irish stout. It was inky black with a thin layer of foam. Some nice roasty nuttiness in the aroma in the flavor. Smooth and refreshing.
Russ from Simple Home Brew Beer made the 1,000th comment here at Hop Talk.
To celebrate this milestone, we wanted to send Russ a 365 Bottles of Beer Page-A-Day 2009 Desk Calendar
So, Russ, I’m afraid all I can offer you is this fifteen minutes of fame.
Thanks to Russ and everyone else who has offered their thoughts and opinions. I look forward to reading more.
