I take a New Belgium kriek for a spin…
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TgwkdGLFmF0]
City Beer Store
I stumbled upon this wonderful store when I was passing through San Francisco. Over 300 different bottles of really great stuff. I purchased Siamese Twin from Uncommon Brewers, some obscure Norwegian beer with spruce tips and the seldom seen Kriek from New Belgium. And if that is not enough, you can sit and have tastes while you are there!
There should be a place like this in every city worth its salt.
Extended Beer tasting review
1. Port Brewing – Hot Rocks Lager
Nice and malty. I like the fact that it was a collaboration with Tonya Cornett at Bend Brewing and that they were trying a new brewing technique. Had a nice full flavor without losing that lager style completely. Would be really good with a hamburger or ribs.
2. New Belgium – Mighty Arrow Pale Ale
A slight but noticeable citrus tang. Beautiful color and carbonation. Like a cross between a pale and an IPA that captures the essence of both. This would be an excellent gateway beer for people who aren’t into big hoppy beers. Chicken or pork in a citrus glaze or rosemary would taste excellent with this.
3. Telegraph – Reserve Wheat
First taste is very sour then it settles down some. Made with lemon verbena which accounts for the pucker but not very refreshing and not as easy to drink as the Mighty Arrow or the Hot Rocks. I would have to say that this goes into the noble experiment category.
4. Ommegang – Ommegeddon
Very funky smell. Barnyardy to the max. Complex but still a little on the astringent side. The brettamyoces yeast doesn’t do it for me. Sort of like the Telegraph in that it is thin but not easy to drink. Because this beer has such an overpowering aroma and taste, I would hesitate to pair it with any food because it would compete against the food instead of complement.
5. La Baladin – Nora
When I opened this bottle, it erupted which is sad considering the cost. My first sip of this was all pepper. I didn’t taste other spices but still drinkable. Very complex. Alot of things going on with this beer. This is another beer that defies food pairing but I think it might work nicely with a Caesar salad.
My favorite was the New Belgium with the Hot Rocks lager taking the silver medal and the La Baladin the bronze.
The results show
Today’s just concluded Beer Discovery Tasting had quite a few surprises. Today’s tasting was a wide range of beers that, I personally, had not tried but that I knew the brewers were good because I had tried their wares before.
On the list were Port Brewing’s Hot Rocks Lager which pours very dark but was well received. Nice malty brew that would go great with a burger or ribs. The second beer got even better reviews. The Mighty Arrow from New Belgium has a lovely citrusy hop tang without being in your face. New Belgium really makes people pleasing beers. The Reserve Wheat from Telegraph in Santa Barbara was the least enjoyed of the five. Very sour for a wheat beer but not good lambic sour. It was made with lemon verbena. Better as a dessert beer maybe. Next up was Ommegedon from Ommegang. This beer divided the panel. Some enjoyed it but others could not get over the bret funkiness of it. All liked the nuclear label. Lastly the winner of the night was Nora from La Baladin in Italy. Has a peppery, cinnamon taste that people really liked. Probably the most complex and different beer of the night but obviously well made.
A big shout out to Charlie, Julie, Marguerite, Karen, Jennie, Robert & Marcie for their excellent questions and willingness to try really new and different beers.
P.S. They would all go well with oatmeal cookies.
Beer Discovery Afternoon
Sunday, April 26th at 3pm sharp. Five beers (see list below) will be poured to the first nine that RSVP. For this tasting, I was aiming for lighter beers. For me, a really good pale ale or lager is hard to find. They are delicate in comparison to hop bombs or dubbels. So you can’t overpower a taster. But they are perfect for hot weather climes like Los Angeles. But enough from me, later I will publish the reactions to these brews from my panel of guests.
New Belgium – Mighty Arrow
Port Brewing – Hot Rocks Lager
Ommegang – Ommeggedon
Telegraph – Reserve Wheat
+ Mystery Beer