Re: What beer are you drinking? Winter 13/14

A little beer tasting last night to ward off the chill. After a week in Hawaii it is bad enough to have to come home and temps hovering around 32 with expectations of single digit lows the next couple of days only add insult to injury.

JAN 2014 beer tasting 3.JPGJAN 2014 beer tasting 2.JPGJAN 2014 beer tasting 1.JPG
A focus on stouts and porters but a good bit of variety including the first FFF's I have tried. My plans to take notes quickly evaporated so this is what I can recall. JAN 2014 beer tasting 4.JPG
Lineup included several home brews from "the Mostly Harmless Brewing Company", a couple of friends who enjoy making their own.
Hair of the Dog Oatmeal Stout - Didn't turn out well as noted by the makers themselves. Overly carbonated and spewing freely when opened so that by the time you drink it the beer is practically flat.
Senor Saison - a jalapeno saison that was pretty good and might make a nice companion with some tequila
MoMo Smash - a single malt, single hops beer with Maris Otter malt and Mosaic hops, hence the name, and some candied ginger. Cold it was hard to pick out the ginger but it was better a little closer to room temperature.

Others were:
AleSmith Speedway Stout - solid with lots of coffee flavors but not spectacular. Then again it was one of the later beers tried.
Sierra Nevada Brux - A nice moderate sour that helped close out the evening.
Cigar City Marshal Zhukov's Imperial Stout - excellent stout, thick and chewy.
FFF Alpha Klaus Xmas Porter - Way too hoppy for a porter for my taste. I suppose that is their trademark. Not very balanced to me. Similar reports from others.
FFF Gumballhead - A bit out of place with the heavier beers but you don't turn down the opportunity when you have it so one of the first tried. Fairly intense grapefruit hoppy bitterness. Not really my thing but others liked it.
FFF Robert the Bruce - Again a bit underwhelmed. Tried it compared to Dirty Bastard and Claymore which I liked better.
Great Divide Claymore Wee Heavy - an interesting smoked malt flavor not present in the other two scotch ales.
Founders Dirty Bastard - always reliable, this was my favorite of the three Scotch ales we tried.
Dogfish Head Ta Henket - A bit like drinking spaghetti or a pizza. A lot of oregano. A bit odd.
A growler of Burnt Hickory Brewing Kolb's Farm Barrel Aged Imperial Stout with coffee and honey. Aged in Prichard Double Chocolate bourbon barrels. Surprisingly excellent! This a small local brewery in Kennesaw, GA. Don't think it is available in a bottle.
Chimay Blue - Always good!
De Struise Brouwers Rio Reserva - Absolutely superb! A twice barrel aged Belgian Quad. First in wine barrels for a year then in bourbon. Would buy more despite the high price if I could get it. But I suspect it would be hard to find now. Rio Reserva.JPG
Scaldis Noel Belgian Dark Ale - Excellent
Scaldis Prestige barrel aged Belgian Pale Ale - Pricey but also excelent.

Through in some pork salami, lardo and few other treats and it was a good night!

That yella whiskey runnin' down my throat like honey dew vine water and I took another slash…