Legendary Beer: Could Pliny The Younger actually be as perfect as it's purported to be?

Friday night after a tour of the Speakeasy Brewery, I joined Jay and company for dinner at La Trappe. I walked into the belgian bar and restaurant to discover that the beer fairy had been their recently and left a keg of a brew I never thunk would have the possibility to taste. Well I thunk wrong. Of all the beer bars in the world, I walked into the right one. Pliny The Younger was on tap for only $8.

Why is this such a big deal? While the highly rated Pliny The Elder is relatively available in well regarded beer bars across the West Coast, Russian River only makes the Younger once a year and in small amounts. It's available at a select few beer bars for a limited time (for only 2 weeks at the brewery), and it isn't bottled. If the Westvleteren 12 is the Cup of Christ for Belgian Beers, the Younger is the Holy Grail of IPA's. Why? Because it's rated...

Which explains my reaction:

The happiest of faces on the happiest of men.

Hallelujah! Hallllllelujuah! Ohhh Gloooria. I can't believe I had found it! There was a happy dance involved too, but sadly there's no footage available. Naturally like any good friend, the first thing I did was text David and Karl and unnecessarily gloat at my blind luck. Then I got down to brass tacks and tasted my second bucket list beer in as many months (Bruery's Black Tuesday in December being the other).

My first sip yielded goodness but not greatness, which surprised me. But then the wheels started to turn. Beer nerds speak of Pliny The Younger as if they are Ponce de Leon seeking the Fountain of Youth. The proportion of people speaking about it in hushed tones vs. those who have actually had it are very lopsided, which leads to exorbitantly high expectations. Regarding my first sip of the Younger, I had heard so much about its greatness that in my head, I was expecting to be either cured of cancer, live forever, or if I was really lucky, magically transform into Sam Malone. But what I've learned from tasting beers like the Westie and Black Tuesday is that you have to reign in your assumptions, break down the different elements of the beer (malt, hops, aroma, body, etc) and take the beer as a beer, not Unobtainium.

Cheers owner Sam Malone's Fountain of Youth

The Younger has a beautiful hop infused aroma that is both fruity and piney. The malt is smooth and almost creamy, and as the beer warms the hops flavors really shine. It does not cure cancer but it is basically a perfectly balanced beer and at 11%, this is an incredible feat. There is little or no trace of alcohol even as the beer nears room temperature. So do I agree this beer deserves a perfect 100 point rating? Yes. A hundred times yes. The Younger is a Triple IPA (which is unheard of, style wise) and so this beer must have an incredibly high IBU. In the hands of lesser brewers, the intense bitterness would most likely overwhelm the malt body and compete with the alcohol. Instead, all the ingredients are as perfectly balanced as I could perceive and result in a sublime symphony of flavor. BAD BOYS rating.

And yes, I had two glasses. When will I ever have a chance to drink the nectar of the gods again? It was glorious. Thank you La Trappe for being awesome.

Nogne Winter Ale makes me yearn for the Northern Lights

I started doing Krav Maga again yesterday after a 7 month relapse and in a cruel bit of voodoo magic, my body feels like it was hit for an hour instead of the heavy bag I was punching. I decided to start drinking new beers again on my days off as an incentive (like I really needed one) and today is the first in the timetable. I'm trying to drink as many winter beers as possible before the season runs out and will be doing a 21st Amendment winter warmer on Thursday as well.

Nogne has been good to me in the past and I feel it's one of those breweries everyone should know about, like The Bruery. It's from Norway and if you see a label carrying it's signature O, I cannot advocate enough you purchasing one. Their Imperial Stout received a Bad Boys rating back in September (http://www.beereveryday.com/2011/09/nogne-o-imperial-stout). I had a feeling that this brewery was the real deal, but will their Winter Ale prove me wrong?

This is ravenously good and it tastes like something Santa's elves would make. Crisp and spicy, a fireplace beer originating from a part of the world where it's mostly night during several months of the year. It warms the soul at 8.5% alcohol and incorporates flavors such as clove, licorice, raisin and cocoa nibs in a fantastically smooth way, like a bobsled track. COOL RUNNINGS!

Winter Warmers are generally a mixed bag, a complex bank heist that either happens according to plan or goes horribly wrong. This is definitely the former. With the later, the spice usually wears on you worse than watching the latest Dr. Pepper commercial:

Really not a fan of that commercial. An interesting insight that becomes muddled in the execution. Anywho, this Nogne Winter Ale is not as perfect as The Bruery's Two Turtle Doves but it's sublimely delicious and becomes addictive at first sip. What are the elves putting in the Norwegian water? BAD BOYS rating. 

Squatters Outer Darkness is devilishly delicious

Our skiing group is heading to the fancy shmancy St. Regis hotel at the base of Deer Valley ski mountain on our final night here. It's built at the top of the hill and you have to take a tram from the base of the mountain up to the resort. This company knows how to build brand luxury by creating an event out of a hotel stay. All that's missing is blowing of trumpets upon your arrival. Once you ride up the tram, which can hold around 20 people at capacity, you are looking down at everyone. You feel like the king of a castle. 

Speaking of kings, apparently the creator of Papa John's owns the entire top floor of the hotel. We're in the presence of delivery pizza royalty! Hot damn, I've really made it. Once we're on the outside patio, the view only supports my perception that this is less of a hotel and more of a castle.

The temperature is about to dip below the freezing mark and I'm dying to order a hot toddie, but Sam suggests that I order an ice cold beer that fits the occasion and surroundings. My fingers are numb but as the old saying goes, when in Rome...drink a beer (*citation needed). 

With the sun setting behind us, I order an Outer Darkness. It's from a local brewery, Squatters and it's one of their premium beers that arrives in a 750ml bottle. 

 The label is unquestionably cool. It has the eyes of Sauron from Lord of the Rings. Nerd alert

Look how beautiful it pours! There's a surprisingly light roast aroma with a bit of licorice that arrives out of a fantastic toffee colored head. The glass is cold but at 10.5%, this liquid is warming me up almost as well as a hot toddie. And it pours like pure unadulterated motor oil. I love it. The menu says it's "one of the most intensely flavored beers a brewer can create." Will the beer live up to these bold words?

Licorice and an intense roasted malt greets my tongue, as well as some oak and molasses. The brew lives up to the words on the label. This isn't a rich beer, but the unique flavors are incredibly intense. I'm not sure I've had a beer where the flavor characters of molasses and licorice assault my palate like this. A small sip will leave you tasting the licorice long afterwards. It stays with you, like the smell of a teenager who uses too much Axe body spray. It reminds me of drinking a liquor with a strong character, like Jaegermeister or Fernet. David would really like this beer and I hope he ends up in Utah sometime to sample this devil. I pour nearly two full glasses for other people in the group to taste and everyone loves it, but it certainly is not for the faint hearted. This actually quite accurately describes the people sitting around the table pretty well; our skiing group is nothing but adventurous. Sorry Obi Wan Kenobi, this SkyWalker is going over to the darkside. BAD BOYS rating.

At sunset, a hotel employee comes out with a sword and a bottle of champagne. Apparently at the end of each day they saber a bottle of champagne. Talk about classy! Here is a video of the event and it's about 2 minutes long because the gentleman tells a fascinating story about the origin of sabering a bottle. Could you guess that Napoleon had something to do with it? What a pint sized badass.

Bruery Black Tuesday and Melange #3 complete my life

I'm in Los Angeles for the weekend after booking spur of the moment tickets last week. My portfolio for ad school is due Wednesday and I wanted to get out of town and have my mind off it for a bit, so I'm back in the town I've called home for the last 9 years. We hear from Karl that there's an incredibly special beer pouring at The Bruery Provisions store, and of course that's the one place we don't really need an excuse to visit in the first place. Is it true that Black Tuesday is pouring here? Will we be too late?!

Black Tuesday, as you can read on the label below, is an Imperial Stout Aged in Bourbon Barrels. It's over 18% alcohol and it's been a Holy Grail for David and I for years now.

Every year the Bruery creates the opportunity to purchase a bottle of the brew online on a Tuesday and pick it up at the Bruery a week later. They sell out quickly and the website frequently crashes, so we've never been able to buy a bottle. But apparently The Bruery has made more this year. It's one of the highest rated beers on Beeradvocate, I believe, and it should be. Look at the price of the bottles on eBay:

Anyway, so we arrive and they not only have the Black Tuesday on tap, but the special edition Melange #3 which is 15.5% is also available. I'm stoked! These are beers off my bucket list. 

So the Melange #3 is a blend of three bourbon barrel aged strong ales. White Oak Sap is a wheat wine, especially made for the Melange, is combined with The Bruery anniversary series old ale (I believe the Cuir) and the imperial stout, Black Tuesday. Talk about the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. It's the beer on the left in the picture. It has an incredibly complex palate with chocolate, dark fruits, oak, vanilla and rich toffee. I mean, wow, so smooth. You can barely taste the alcohol too. It's one of those beers I could drink every day for the rest of my life. For $8 we are poured 4 oz of the Melange and 2oz of the Black Tuesday, on the right.

The Black Tuesday is aged in bourbon barrels for over a year and it has rich caramel, toasted malt, vanilla, and anise as some of the flavors. What's amazing is not only the complexity, but how well hidden the alcohol is. This is the 3rd beer I've tasted that's 18% and you can barely taste the alcohol. The other two were made by Dogfish Head, and the alcohol comes through like a hammer. Here it's a feather pillow. If the Melange is a beer I could wish to drink everyday, the Black Tuesday is my Friday night after work and special events drink. It's too powerful and too amazing to be drunk everyday, there needs to be an occasion, albeit a weekly occasion to drink this. What I love about the Bruery is they could make a living off making these two beers, but they're innovators and would become bored only making two beers. But God I wish they would. If these and a Bruery Mischief are the only beers in my beer closet for the rest of my life, I would survive.

After only drinking 6 oz of beer, both of us have a weird buzz going on. It's a very heady, kind of high, buzz because while we sipped these, the sips were incredibly potent and hit us all at once. Wild to be buzzed on half a can of beer. I must be feeling goofy because for these beers, I'd rather not be buzzed and continue drinking their complexity. But you can't always get what you want, right?

These beers were on my bucket list and I feel so incredibly appreciative towards life after drinking something this fantastic. Sounds a little sappy but true, it's pure greatness. The Black Tuesday has a 98 out of 100 rating on beer advocate: B.A. Black Tuesday. Like Spinal Tap's drummers, I'm a bit worried about spontaneous combustion right now. BAD BOYS rating to both, obviously. Thank you David for driving down here.

Beer 400 will be remembered as the 2011 Old Stock Ale that knocked my socks off

The final day of a beer every day is upon me. Here it is, the nice big number and beer I wanted to it end with. I chose a beer that would age well so I could revisit a year from today. And it's glorious, a 11.9% old ale from North Coast called the 2011 Old Stock.

I had the 2009 whiskey barrel aged at a Whole Foods tasting with Karl and it was so incredible I bought an additional one to age. It was beyond superb. The 2011 isn't aged in whiskey barrels but still is incredibly smooth, leaving no trace of the orbital alcohol level, and there's a great aroma of butterscotch and tobacco too.

In terms of smoothness and richness, this one is up there with a Trappist quadruple, like a Rochefort or Le Trappe. The flavor profile has chocolate, caramel and brown sugar notes. I could drink something like this for the rest of my days. I love old ales for their unique complexity and this only strengthens my bond with them. Wow. Such a fantastic way to end the year. BAD BOYS rating.

Tonight I leave for a bachelor party in Vegas and will spend the weekend with my brother and college friends. For the first time I won't need to seek out new beers, which is a very odd feeling. It's hard to describe, I've dedicated myself to a daily ritual and now the ritual is gone. I can't say I'm not a little saddened. What's next? Life without a daily beer? Yikes. Like I'm going to let that happen. If my liver had arms he/she/it would be punching me in the face for saying that.

Tuesday I leave for Sydney, Australia, where I'm semi excited to try their beers, which I hear are incredibly malty. It'll be a big change from the hoptastic beers of Southern California. Thank you for following me this year! The beer year may be over, but I'm really excited to continue my exploration in the future.

Nogne O Imperial Stout bottles my Oatmeal Stout

As the Labor Day weekend begins with a half-day at work, I head directly to my temple for my style of Friday Shabbat service at Beverage Warehouse.

This store has been our go-to beer supplier for the year and as you can tell, it is fantastically stocked. These two pictures only represent bottles in the bomber size, there's an entire wall of 4 and six pack options two long to photograph. This will probably be my final time here, as I'm moving to San Francisco shortly after a vacay in Australia, so I'm nostalgically taking pictures and taking the time to wistfully stroke my chin whiskers as I choose my final selections.

I pick out the beer of the day as well as my final, beer 400 beer in 400 days. I chose a beer that has fantastic potential for not only as a symbolic end to my experience, but also to revisit. I chose a 2011 North Coast Old Stock Ale. I plan to drink one next Friday, the 2nd in 6 months, and then the third a year from now. The final beer I will save for David's consumption. Revisiting a single beer as it ages will hopefully have the effect of purposing me to continue drinking and revisiting beers. Stay tuned a week from now to see how the first one does.

Afterward, I head home and bottle my 7th home brew and third partial mash, an Oatmeal Stout, with the help of Lindsey, who's unemployed butt makes itself useful as a bottle cleaner and capper. As always, I was worried about high temperatures, but this one tastes solid. It's a bit watery but the roast comes through nicely. I bottle it a happy homebrewer.

Classy glass for a classy beer

I celebrate with a newly acquired Imperial Stout from Nogne O, a Norwegian brewery. I've heard really great things and I'm excited to make it beer 393, on the day, of my first stout's bottling...

75 IBU's and 9% alcohol, these Norgie brewers don't back down. My first sips reveal an incredibly smooth and balanced product...like, fantastically so. Dark chocolate flavors with a slightly little roast and coffee and brown sugar flavor thrown in for good measure. I'm really enjoying how the hops balance out the malt. Rich but easy to drink -- this is motor oil light. The alcohol is so well hidden it's sneaking up on my brain as I finish the bomber. Half-day Fridays are off to a glorious start! This is strong, subtle and smooth. Absolutely worth the 8 bucks I spent on the bomber. BAD BOYS

Stone 15th Anniversary Imperial Black IPA is back in black

Another day in Hollywood winds down and I'm languishing in the office waiting for an 8:30 dinner. Wednesday next week, which the Milk is for Babies readers will come to know as "Beer/Day #398," will also be my final day working in the entertainment industry. 2 years at talent agencies, 1.5 year as a director's assistant and 1.5 as a producer's assistant and I'm calling it donzos. Advertising Grad school here I come! I'm alone in the office and feeling a bit wistful, wondering if I'll miss reading scripts and actors and directors. And the answer right now is, not really. But at least I'll still have a ton of fun stories...until I forget them.

 

Will I ever look at a script and see not a story but a dead tree? Jeez, that's morbid. Maybe it's the imperial (que John Williams Imperial March theme) black IPA from Stone Brewing. Their 15th anniversary beer is balls to the wall; 10.8% alcohol, bold hops and a beer style that is unusual but quickly gaining popularity, the black IPA.

 

This fella is rich and robust with earthy chocolate flavors and a one-two bitterness punch from the dark roast and hops. The alcohol is well blended with the bitterness. It’s full bodied and a little syrupy, like a very imperial stout, like the Velvet Glove from Iron Fist. Or it could just be that the beer is not very cold. The freezers suck here...

Well, at least mine don't want me to be the Keymaster. None of the beer's elements, as in your face as the dark roast and west coast hops can be, are overwhelming. It is intense though, so people who can't handle big beers, stand clear of the road. However, if you know Stone, you know that they're unapologetic in this regard. If you love the brashness and boldness of Stone Ruination, Arrogant Bastard (and especially Double Bastard), you will want to jump on the highway and say "HIT ME" with this one. It's unique, finely crafted and something to behold. BAD BOYS rating.

There’s a new wave of black IPA’s out there, I’ve tasted several just in the last couple of months, and once last year from Deschutes which was excellent (post). I don't think all IPA lovers will enjoy them, evidenced by David's unwelcoming embrace, but I really enjoy them. The style is tough to pull off but if done correctly, there is such a unique complexity from the roast and hops. I highly recommend trying the next one you see.

Btw, do you think as a father I'll be that weird dad who sings "400 beers on the wall, take one down pass it around, 399 beers on the wall. It was an imperial ipa and the rating was..." to help them sleep? The answer is no, because my future wife or ex-wife, depending on how the cookie crumbles, would kill me. I'll just have to make him read my blog when he's 11.

Bruery Black Orchard Dark Wit pulls off a hat trick

With my brother Warren in town and me moving out of LA in 6 weeks (you heard it here first), a trip to our favorite brewery The Bruery is in order. I'm designated driver on the way back, so naturally I drink several beers beforehand and plan to sober up while I'm at the brewery, but nobody believes I will! I don't know what I could have done to give them that belief...

 

After a detour to The Bruery Provisions store where Nick G, Warren, David, Aaron B, Jamie, Karl and his crew order some sampler plates and I stock up on beers from there store such as the Stone 15th Anniversary Imperial Black IPA, Iron Fist Velvet Glove and the brand new brew from The Bruery's Provisions Series, Snickelfritz, we're onto the main brewery.

Beer drinkers take blurry pictures. It's an occupational hazard

Upon arrival, I note a sign posted above the bar noting the Bruery produced 2500bbls last year - that's 31 gallons per 1 bbl - so 77,500 gallons. This year they produced 5000 bbls - 155,000 gallons - double! Wow. I've seen The Bruery in Chicago and New York, but I didn't realize until today after I asked the bartender, that this 4 year old brewery is in over 16 states. It's absolutely amazing. We started drinking their beer 3 years ago, and I suddenly feel like I've been at the epicenter of what will become one of the most renowned breweries in the United States. Bruery's a pretty damn special place. This will probably be my last time here which makes me sad - I might even miss the creepy babies hanging around here (Creepy Babies),  so I'm buying a long overdue hat to keep me company in San Francisco. 

The one beer I am going to have today is their seasonal Black Orchard Wit. The style is unique and I've never heard of a black belgian wit bier. It's 5.7% and chamomile is added for the aroma. This could be really amazing or Patrick Rue's day dream gone wrong, what will it be?

The flavor profile is fascinating and delicious, a subtle dark roast bitterness at the beginning that fades as the sweet belgian wit and spice (coriander and orange peel) subtle kick in. I'm going to use that word again because I don't know how else to convey this beer; it's so subtle. As far as unusual styles go, this is up there. I feel like the Bruery pulled of a hat trick here, combining all these ingredients to make a smooth and delicious brew. At the end of the day, we had already filled up our 3 growlers for the party at home with Loakal Red, Mischief, and Snickelfritz, when David walked away from the car and back into the brewery. He returned sometime later with a newly purchased 4th growler full of the Black Orchard. He bought (a probably unnecessary) 4th growler just to make sure we had more of the wit to drink this week because it was that good. A true gauge to the tastiness of any beer is the length a person will go to find and drink it. I think the 4th growler speaks to the power of this beer. BAD BOYS rating.

The brother's Davis take over a table

AleSmith Horny Devil mirrors Louie C.K. tonight

David's been saving this AleSmith since December 2010 and we're hoping to compare it to a newer Horny Devil soon. The room is filling with great irony as Warren, David and I are watching Louie C.K.'s latest episode, which is entirely focused upon the topic of masturbation. This season of LOUIE has been outrageously funny. This is the opening sequence from tonight's episode:

Louie is awesome, but the Fox News reporter gets a few jabs in as well, "Shakespeare definitely masturbated" being my favorite. Onto the beer! And Louie's "O" Face...oh oh oh

This is an 11% belgian golden strong brewed with coriander. The spice is deftly utilized with a soft touch. There's a light yeast aroma and the flavor is smooth and slightly sweet, not a lot of caramel going on but a very balanced sweetness. The alcohol is skillfuly hidden as well. This is a nectar of the gods. Did Michelangelo brew this ale? I'm very excited to see what an un-aged 2011 Horny Devil is like. BAD BOYS rating.

Bruery Acer Quercus syrups my day

I was planning to make my 7th home brew today, but after a 2 hour cleanup, the brew store was already closed. To console myself, I'm attacking my body with a 4 meat pizza and the highly touted 9.5% collaboration beer between The Bruery and Laweon's Finest Liquids, a nano brewery in Vermont. 

It’s technically a rye beer, but there’s so much more infused into this - an oak aged ale brewed with maple syrup and date sugar (and smoked malt). I'm hoping the rich combination will overload my senses and lull me into a blissful food coma.

 

The aroma is incredibly malty and the syrup balances out the bitter roasted malt with a fascinating sweetness. The smoked malt is subtle and kicks in at the end. Acer is smooth and complex, a true sweet stout. I think this is inspired and a ingeniously Promethean beer. BAD BOYS rating. Drinking this saved my day, until I realize that this is a limited production and there isn't any more to go around....NOOOOO

Westvleteren 12 - BEER 365!

We're about an hour away from the crush of people coming to the Beer Every Day Great Success Party. David cracks open our last beer, the highest rated beer in the world, the Westvleteren 12, a quadruple. I'll let the video do most of the talking.

It really is the smoothest quadruple, at 10.2%, I've ever had. There isn't a whole lot of complexity, but jebus it tastes so good and smooth. BAD BOYS rating, obviously. I'm a little high on the excitement right now, I can't believe this milestone is happening.

A cookie and a cake, the best of both worlds. THANKS TIFFANY!

A lot of people didn't think we would actually drink a different beer every day. Most thought there weren't that many beers available, to which I respond with:

or:

I don't really blame them for thinking this, it's a huge commitment and required focused dedication. And let's be honest, my longest relationship with a girlfriend is 6 months. 3 years ago. This year has doubled my longest relationship and guess what baby? It's still go'n strong. So whoever out there thought that I would date someone for a year before I drank a beer for a year, you obviously didn't realize I had my priorities straight. Zing.

A few people I'm especially thankful for, who experienced so many of the beers with us, are Karl, Tiffany, and Nick G. You guys were incredible this year and I am so proud and thankful that you are my friends. Karl is the most mentioned person on the blog besides David and is tagged in over 40 posts, nearly 1/9th of the beer we had this year, which if you consider the number of nights David and I were sitting in our apartment or having beers across town or countries from each other, incredibly impressive.


And, if I can toot my horn for a minute, I'm freaking damn proud that I've written about each and everyone one of these beers. Half of life, some people say, is just showing up. Well I showed up, drank a beer, and then chronicled my experiences. Too-tooot.

Having a blog is a lot of work, but it's also immensely rewarding. 14 months ago I had never thought I would be a blogger, but I really encourage everyone if that have a passion, to write about it. Take a picture every other day. Express yourself. Even if you don't share the blog, just go online and write about anything and everything, your life will change for the better. Anywho...

THE PARTY
So for our party, Karl orchestrated a blind tasting of five different beers from the year for David and I to compete with. I'll let the video I put together tell the tale of that and the overall party. About 25 people came to celebrate and celebrate we did. The evening was an amazing way to end an incredible year. I joked the next day with David, that even though we just finished drinking a every day for the last year, apparently, we can still party.

I'm going to post in the forthcoming weeks additional posts describing my year and what it meant to me. In the meantime, I put together a video slide-show of photos created from freeze frames in the 60 minutes of footage to hold you over in the meantime until I can edit the film down to an viewable duration.

This was an incredible year, thank you following along!

Slide-show below:

Tomorrow, David is going to take his first day off in 365 days from drinking a different beer, but I plan on continuing the experience until I reach a nice round number, maybe 400 or 425. And after that, I will absolutely still be reporting on beers and experiences. I can't just get enough.

Also, subscribe to the RSS feed above,or like our page on Facebook (to the right) to receive posts as soon as they are published.

Awesomeness prevails. Onward and upward!

Dogfish Head 120 min IPA is 18% of holy crap that's a lot of alcohol

I'm dragging David halfway across town after his long drive back from Carlsbad in an open air and doorless Jeep for good reason. At the Surly Goat, and several bars even further away from us, Dogfish Head has distributed an IPA that don't come around heeear very often.There is a single keg of Dogfish Head 120 min IPA on tap. We arrive to find Nick G already mixing it up with the owner of the Surly Goat, Alan.

David just saw the evil monkey from Family Guy behind the camera

 The bartender brings our pours out in Sherry glasses and I'm at first, a bit put off. Do you know who I am? A international, well known, vaguely familiar beer blogger and I deserve more...What's that? It's 18%?! Sweet Jesus Mary and Jebediah, I should've done my homework! I have only read about the mystery of this beer and for some reason didn't realize it's that strong. Touche bartender, touche.

I initially feel ridiculous holding a glass the size of a child's tea cup, but not after the first sip. If I hadn't known it was brewed by Dogfish Head, I would assume it's moonshine. David and I just had a discussion earlier this week about the perfect alcohol percent in beer, and we both agreed it was 8%. In our experience, anything over that and you begin tasting the alcohol. It's simply difficult to hide an element that intense. At 18%, how do you combat the sheer overwhelming power of alcohol? More hops of course.

A few sips in, I still feel like I'm drinking moonshine tea, but I'm extremely impressed with how well the signature Dogfish hops are hiding it. This is the strongest beer I've ever tasted (previous record, the 14.5% Bruery Cuir), but they have done an amazing job disguising it. Oh, be certain my face is turning red after a few sips, but wow, color me impressed. BAD BOYS rating. 

Westvleteren 8 is uniquely dubbel

David is headed to Carlsbad tomorrow for the night so we're doing our first midnight beer in a long time. Beer 363. Wow. Never would've thunk that our last 12:01am/next day beer would be the sought after Westvleteren. The real irony can be found in Davids 'beer a day' calender, announcing today's beer as the Ballast Point Calico Amber. I not only dislike ambers, but this particular one is...blerg. The Westvleteren 8 is basically the highest rated Dubbel in the world, so it should be a billion times better than any amber. Phew

As this is our return to the Westvleteren series, here is the original post discussing the brewery's history: http://www.beereveryday.com/2011/05/lost-abbey-inferno-weclomes-karl-and.html

There is a frothy, thick head that introduces a crisp body that's cleaner than most dubbels. It's richer too, with a bready center that numbs the sweet caramels down. What's really interesting and unusual, is the 8 has a grainy characteristic, probably from the use of a flaked malt. Imagine walking up a museum's modern, polished marble steps and then seeing the Rosetta Stone. Later, you probably don't remember the marble walking into the museum, but you remember the Rosetta Stone, its face marked and scratched up. It has history and character. For me, the grainy quality of this dubbel and the subtle construction of malts make this a truly unique brew. It's something to behold, not quite meeting my lofty expectations, rather, surprising them instead. BAD BOYS rating.

Orval Trappist forces me to investigate its complexity like a sleuth

The monks at Brasserie d'Orval only make two lines of beer; Orval and a 3.5% Petite Orval. The latter is brewed only for the monks consumption and the former is sold to support the monastery. The monks only need to sell one style of beer to survive (other trappist breweries sell at least 3), so how great must this be? I'm excited to find out about the beer and the weird fish tabs it comes with.

We sent out our end of the year beer party, and our friend Kenny let us know that it's actually International Beer Day http://www.internationalbeerday.com/

The Orval is a 6.9% Belgian Pale Ale that pours a bit darker, more of an orange amber with a gnarly white head. There is a very intense caramel and yeasty aroma. The first sip punches my tongue with spice and surprises the hell out of me. I didn't expect this from a Belgian Pale and especially a trappist. I make a comment to David and he shakes his head. "It's not spicy," he says, "it took me a while to get it. Keep going Watson." Thanks Sherlock. David has a much better palate than I, so I always default to him but I can't imagine what he's referring too.

There's no doubt about it, this is a complex beer. Caramel, dark fruit, and a great hop bite. As the carbonation dies down, I'm an idiot and still don't get it. David says, "think wild ale." Light bulb! Apparently, you can't just lead me to water, you have to dunk my head in it and hold me under to make me drink. What I mistook for spiciness initially, was a complex tartness. This is a pale ale that has dark, tart fruit tastes and a smooth finish? This is a very unique beer, and it's something I must try again soon to appreciate. The complexity is mind-bottling. They can age for 4 or 5 years, so maybe I'll buy two and save one for my 32 birthday. BAD BOYS rating.


The section below explains the odd fish with a piercing tag awkwardly attached to the bottle --

The legend of Orval

This stain-glass is evocative of the legend of Orval foundation. The monastery was born of an act of gratitude: Mathilda was a widow and her weddin-gring had accidentally fallen into the fountain. She prayed to the Lord and at once a trout rose to the surface with the precious ring in its mouth. Mathilda exclaimed : 'Truly this place is a Val d'Or'! " In gratitude, she decided to establish a monastery on the site.

See? Magical rainbow spewing fishes save the day. Ta-dahhhh

Chimay Grande Reserve helps me research pairing beer with food

Our final Chimay brew, the granddaddy 9% Belgian Dark Strong Grande Reserve. Tonight is a Walker night, and I'm staying in for some gentlemanly reading regarding the exquisite pairing of beer with food (thumbs nose at everyone). Excuse me David, where's the Grey Poupon?

 

The research, like drinking Chimay, is something I should have looked into a long time ago. Holding this chalice of Grande Reserve and smelling the sweetness and alcohol, I can't help help but think of Harrison Ford holding the wooden cup at the end of Indiana Jones And The Last Crusade. This beer seems so powerful, and it is the Grande Reserve after all (thumbs nose at everyone).

There is a richness, I have not sensed since......Old Ben Kenobi was here drinking Rochefort with us. It is almost too carbonated. Yet, all is forgotten once the dark caramel flavors border on chocolate hit my tongue. The complexity is there and its smoothness is unstoppable. The Grande Reserve could play with Rochefort 8 on the same doubles tennis team. Or star with Will Smith in a Michael Bay film. BAD BOYS rating.

Chimay, you've completely changed my opinion. I'm trying to be 'really honest' with myself lately, and the truth is I didn't give Chimay the credit it's due because everyone else fawns over it. I'm totally that guy (awkwardly wrinkles face at everyone). Also, that shirt doesn't look good on you and I just farted. See how being honest leads to embarrassment? Truthiness is overrated.

Another one of many serendipitous turns, the food pairing book I'm reading charts several types of beer styles, in the below table, but the only beer brand it specifically pairs with food is Chimay. Fancy that. Here are the Chimay pairings:
 

*Rule of thumb - Chimay Blue is dark like a Merlot wine and Chimay Tripel is close to Champagne.

PAIRINGS

Fish- Chimay Blue or Tripel

Game - Chimay Blue or Red

Poultry - Chimay Red or Tripel

Red Meat - Chimay Blue

White meat - Chimay Red

Shellfish - Chimay Blue or Tripel

Here is the overall beer pairings from the above pictured book, which is incredibly succinct in explaining its process and the organization is superb. I'm a big fan. The CAPITALIZED words in the primary pairing column denote an extremely COMPLIMENTARY pairing. My greatest surprise tonight was discovering the success of pairing of stouts, specifically Guinness with oysters. Who knew?

You'll see that beers typical for a region (Doppel Bocks/German) go very well with food typical of their region (game, sausage). It shows that going back hundreds of years to the beginning of brewing, people weren't just making beer for the alcohol, but for a higher and more specific purpose. Food!
 

BEER STYLE	PRIMARY PAIRING	SECONDARY PAIRING	NOTES
Amber Ale	barbecue, indian food, pasta, pork, sandwiches, spicy	asian, salad, chicken, fish, mexican, pizza, tomato	Avoid sweet dishes
Barleywine	cheese, blue, goat or strong; chocolate and dark chocolate	cheese, grueyre, chedder.	Think of barley wine as akin to port or sherry
Blanche	goat cheese, white fish, orange, pork, shellfish	apples, brunch, eggs benedict, omelets, pineapple, rabbit, salad
Bock	duck, HAM, pork, sausage	chicken, lamb, mole sauce, short ribs, venison
Brown Ale	hamburgers, sausage, steak	almonds, burritos, cajun, fried chicken, lamb, smoked fish
Doppel Bock	DUCK, GAME, PORK, VENISON, sausage	cheese, chiles rellenos, desserts, proscuitto, nuts, peppers, pumpkin, squash
Hefe Weizen		cheese, fruit, lemon, sweet and sour pork, shellfish
IPA	CHEESE, barbecue, chicken, cold red meat, pork, SALMON, seafood	crab cakes, mild curry, empanadas, enchiladas, fish, guacamole, hamburgers, indian food, mexican, shrimp, vietnamese, tapas, thai
Lager	PIZZA, SPICY FOOD, asian, chicken, fish, french fries, fried food, white meat	barbecue, Caribbean, indian, poached dishes, pork, poultry, salad, turkey, veal	Avoid: seafood, delicate dishes
Nut Brown		grilled beef, chicken, chinese, sausage, spicy
Oatmeal Stouts	chocolate desserts, stouts	barbecue, dark bread, crab cakes, ham, hearty food, ice cream, mole sauce, steak, stew
Oktoberfest		dry rubbed barbecue, chicken, fish, hamburgers, grilled meat, pork, pretzels, sausage	Avoid: seafood, tomatoes
Pale	SPICY DISHES, beef, cheese (cheddar, cheshire, guryere), duck, fish, fried food, lamb, salmon, sausage, seafood	barbecue, burritos, chicken tandoori, chili, gumbo, lobster, mexican, salsa, vinegar-based dishes
Pilsner	FISH, PIZZA, SPICY, SAUSAGE, MUSSELS, chicken, light cheese, pork, shellfish	caviar, spicy asian, chiles, clams, duck ham & grilled cheese sandwich pastrami, prosciutto, salads, smoke salmon, trout, veal	Avoid: delicate fish dishes, very hearty dishes
Saison	spicy dishes	aspertif, cheese, chicken, crab cakes, curry, tuna, salmon, jambalaya, salad, boiled seafood, steaks, thai and vietnamese
Scottish		roasted beef, ham, roasted lamb, sandwiches, sausage
Smoked Beer	BARBECUE, bacon, PORK, indian, mexican	smoked cheese, smoked fish, ham, hamburgers, roasted food, steak, spicy food
Spiced		carrot cake, spiced desserts, pumpkin pie
Stout	OYSTERS (Guinness), shellfish, fruit desserts, chocolate and cheese	ribs, braised dishes, Cajun, ham, roasted poultry, grilled salmon, swordfish, grilled tuna	American stouts are much more dessert friendly, Guinness is light.
Wheat/Wit	CHICKEN LIGHT AND SPICY, CRAB CAKES, FISH, SALAD, SEAFOOD, Indian, oysters, pasta, spicy, sushi, asian	egg dishes, calamari, jerk chicken, pad thai with shrimp, shellfish, scallops, sauerkraut, vegetable dishes