Lost Abbey Carnevale is ready for a summer party

Big news in the Walker household today. And by household I mean me and my beer, because David is in NYC. I changed phone providers and am now the proud owner of an iPhone 4. I have a first generation iPhone in my desk somewhere and I'm excited to rejoin all them cool kids with their fancy phones. Keeping in with the celebration, I'm popping a Carvevale Ale from Lost Abbey! Here's to acquiring as many free applications as I can possibly stomach.

Carnevale is a 6.5% saison/farmhouse ale that pours an enormous head several fingers thick. It smells musty and earthy and once I sloth through the foam I'm tasting one spicy dish. Herb and pepper notes dance around the barn with citrus flavors. What stands out is how much is going on, yet, the beer stays light and refreshing. My palate personally enjoys saisons much more when they're not very tart or fruity, and this has several flavors familiar to a belgian blonde, which I enjoy. It's incredibly drinkable and although they say it's a winter beverage (Carnevale is in February), this would be more suitable for a Mid Summer Night's Dream performance in the park. THE ROCK rating.

Would C-3PO drink Lips of Faith Vrienden?

Back to work, and it was a pretty long one today. Bluh, came home and sat down to watch Chopped (I'll fight anyone who hates on that show) and then the Family Guy Star War series, we're in the middle of Something Something Something Dark Side. Good shit.

I grabbed this over the weekend at Whole Foods because most of the Lips of Faith beers have been good. It's a New Belgium/Allagash collaboration. Allagash-good, New Beligum-fingers crossed. I STILL can't smell that well thanks to my annoying cold, but I can smell this, and it's a little sour, funky, a little like a saison. Maybe that's coming from the hibiscus or endive? What does endive smell like? Isn't hibiscus a flower? What's going on here? It also tastes sour, fruity, though not as bad as a saison. A slight bit of smooth malt right at the beginning, but then its all sour from there. Finishes pretty nicely, sour/tart doesn't stick around too long, unlike...

Anthony Daniels. Kinda fruity, but overall a good thing. That is, a good thing if you can stand his odd mix of Star Wars sentimentalism (endive) and English manners (hibiscus). A fair match of personal qualities and beer flavors . Not really, just go with the "fruity" thing and it works.

Jolly Pumpkin Bam Noire the Night Before Halloween

Bought a bunch of wood at Home Depot and sanded it today, prepping to stain and build a big bookcase tomorrow on Halloween. Sanding wood and staining it is really just an excuse to day drink. Party. Now it's night and I'm catching up on the Jon Stewart/Colbert rally before causing trouble at a Halloween house party up on Mt. Olympus.

Rally for Sanity!

Drinking Bam Noire is like a night out with Emril. BAM!

Sorta but not really. It is, however, dark and sweet. This is a true dark saison farmhouse ale that combines lots of fruit including apple, peach and a little citrus. It tastes good and is surprisingly light and fruity for a dark ale, but unfortunately the taste is all upfront. Not much of a body and it finishes dry. It's good. It's different. It's something to try but I won't buy another. TRANSFORMERS rating.

Oh my gosh, Ommegang , Hennepin delivers

The last beer from Ommegang we drank last Friday, Three Philosophers, and was no good. However, the New York brewery rebounded with a beer chosen celebrate our first official group tasting with Blake L, Jay S, Sara P and Aaron B.

Hennepin is a 'Farmhouse Saison' and has a beautiful golden body with a sweet and floral and slightly spicy taste. It's crisp and delicious. I could say more, but in researching this beer, I found a comment on the Ommegang website that makes a very powerful statement which I'd like to share with you. Thank you everyone at the tasting, that night was a blast! BAD BOYS rating.

(posted 12/11/2007) "How sad that we learn some very important things at the late stages of our lives. I have spent a lifetime, well at least from about 16 to 85 looking for the perfect beer. Eureka, today I found it. I have no stock in the company, no vested interest, no axe to grind, but today I had a bottle of Hennepin Beer from the Ommegang Brewery. It has an alcohol content of 7.7% and a superb body and taste. Since I love you all, I am passing on my discovery." Robert (85 years old)

We appreciate your sentiment Robert.