Gustatory Libation Front

A New Beer Exp[ CONTENT OVERRIDE: KILROY2.0 IS HERE!!! ]

2009-10-27T13:57:00.005-04:00

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7. Dogfish Head Lawnmower

2009-10-22T22:55:00.004-04:00

During a recent dinner at the Dogfish Head Alehouse in Gaithersburg, MD, I elected to try the Lawnmower, which is billed as their "starter" beer for people who are used to drinking the standard American lager. I figured that I needed to try it once, and that it couldn't be that bad...

Vitals:

Name: Dogfish Head Lawnmower

Brewery: Dogfish Head

Style: American pale ale (Category 10A, BJCP 2008 Style Guidelines)

Alcohol: 4.0%

Serving: draft pint

Scoring (in solidarity with Charlie the Beer Guy):

Appearance: 3 - Hazy straw yellow with a scant white head that faded to a faint lace.

Nose: 1 - A hint of bready malt, but barely present.

Taste: 4 - A gentle hit of grassy hop bitterness upfront, with grainy malts predominating through the middle to the finish.

Mouthfeel: 4 - Light-bodied throughout, with a small amount of carbonation. No aftertaste.

Holistic: 4 - Clearly better than any American lager, but not something I'd seek out in most circumstances, especially given that it's only served at Dogfish Head alehouses where every other beer available is far more interesting.

Overall: 16 - In the interest of full disclosure, both stronger beer and rich food were had before trying the Lawnmower, which very likely downplayed my appreciation. Other reviews I've seen have scored it significantly higher in the nose and taste departments, which may also have been a keg factor as well. In any case, not something I'll seek out again, but definitely recommended for those not used to the strength and richness of Dogfish Head's other brews.

Beer & Bacon Post Mortem

2009-09-26T23:00:00.003-04:00

Beer and Bacon
Originally uploaded by DocOperon

The Heavy Seas Beer & Bacon Festival last weekend was quite the worthy experience, even if work obligations earlier in the day meant that Laura and I could only visit for a short (and late) lunch.

I was able to sample my favorite of Clipper City's offerings, Loose Cannon (an IPA I'd compare favorably to Stone Brewery's Ruination or Dogfish Head's 90 Minute), as well as their Pale Ale (a quite solid British style), Gold Ale (very solid American style), and Prosit (an "Imperial Lager" of the new Mutiny Fleet line). The list of various eateries offering bacon foodstuffs was impressive, although most of them didn't quite live up to the epic-level bacon tastiness I had envisioned. The clear best of these was the station serving up a rotating selection of different bacon, as pictured above.

All in all, a good time. Hopefully, the sold-out success of this event will spur Clipper City to host more like it in the future.

The Heavy Seas Beer & Bacon Festival

2009-08-13T23:02:00.009-04:00

This coming Saturday is International Talk Like a Pirate Day, and to celebrate, Clipper City Brewery is holding an event, much like last year. This time around, they have billed it as The Heavy Seas Beer and Bacon Festival. Behold the glorious details from a recent email:

The Heavy Seas Beer & Bacon Festival
September 19th
Noon - 4pm
...at the Brewery

15+ Bacons, 10+ Beers, 10+ Restaurants, Live Music From Dirty Secret and More! Baltimore's Best Brewery and Over 10 of its Finest Restaurants have convened to salute nature's greatest food: Bacon!

Tickets are only $40 and include ALL-YOU-CARE-TO-TASTE beer and fabulous bacon.

Just a sampling of what you can expect…
Bottomless samples of Heavy Seas favorites and some special new brews made up for the occasion.
Special "Treasure" For Anyone Who Dresses as a Pirate - since it is National Talk Like A Pirate Day.
15+ Different Bacons From All Over The World.

RESTAURANTS AND FOOD STATIONS CONFIRMED WITH MANY MORE TO BE ADDED:

Abercrombie Restaurant and Lounge - Bacon Donuts
Alonzo’s – Bacon Explosion / Cocoa Crisps
Bacon Salt
Bad Decisions
Captain Thom’s – Cannon Fire Cornbread & Butt Blaster Baked Beans
Crazy Lil’s – Bacon Mac & Cheese
Ciao Bella
Vande Farms Meats
Squealin’ Sauce – Piggy Candy
Sweet Cascade’s – Bacon and Chocolate

...more coming soon!

Despite being trip booked with work and social activities this weekend, I will be making time to attend. Tickets are limited, and more information about the event and ticket availability can be found here. It's the best beer in Baltimore and tasty swineflesh... for all that is good and pirate-y, you must go.

6. Dogfish Head Theobroma

2009-08-04T20:17:00.003-04:00

To say that I have been anticipating this beer for quite awhile now is understatement most pure. After giving up actively looking for it, due to scarcity of supply, I finally stumbled on a few bottles at the King's Contrivance Liquors and Smoke Shop last weekend. The hype of this brew's ingredients and origin were nigh-legendary - but did it live up to my expectations?

Vitals:

Name: Dogfish Head Theobroma

Brewery: Dogfish Head

Style: Spice/herb/vegetable beer (Category 21A, BJCP 2008 Style Guidelines)

Alcohol: 9.0%

Serving: 25.4-ounce bottle, chilled, served in a freezer-stored Samuel Adams Boston Lager Pint Glass

Scoring (in solidarity with Charlie the Beer Guy):

Appearance: 6 - Pours a peach-amber color, that resides clear in the glass, and is a deep gold towards the bottom. The head is foamy and white, fading slowly to a moderate lace.

Nose: 5 - Subtle, with notes of citrus, honey, cocoa, and a spicy background.

Taste: 7 - A solid mix of equal parts fruity base and honey, with a hint of cocoa in the background. The chili flavor builds up strong in the middle and through the end, where it leaves a pleasant burn in the aftertaste, mixed with a residual sweetness.

Mouthfeel: 8 - The body and carbonation are medium and well-balanced, and consistant throughout each drink. Beyond the chili spice, there's little aftertaste to speak of.

Holistic: 6 - The varying tastes and ingredients are so well balanced that beyond the chili flavor, none of them stand out. The cocoa in particular seems to be barely present, and lost in the shuffle.

Overall: 32 - A good beer, but not at all what I was expecting. From the initial descriptions of ingredients, I was looking for a cocoa/chocolate punch that never came, but was pleasantly surprised by the chili intensity. All in all, far more balanced than I anticipated, and quite quaffable. It strikes me as been good for an occasional glass, but not quite unique enough to seek out on a regular basis.

5. Fordham Doppelbock

2009-08-01T20:50:00.004-04:00

Much to my pleasure, I discovered a solitary remaining bottle of this in my fridge from a purchase several months ago. I've had this on draft at the Ram's Head Tavern at Savage Mill, and is my favorite of their seasonal selections.

Vitals:

Name: Fordham Doppelbock

Brewery: Fordham Brewing Company

Style: Doppelbock (Category 5C, BJCP 2008 Style Guidelines)

Alcohol: 8.0%

Serving: 12-ounce bottle, chilled, served in a freezer-stored Harpoon IPA pint glass

Scoring (in solidarity with Charlie the Beer Guy):

Appearance: 8 - Pours a rich brown color, that resides as a deep brown-ruby in the glass. The head is a thick sudsy brown, that fades to no lace.

Nose: 6 - More subtle in intensity than expected. A bready and sweet maltiness predominates, with fig notes in the backround.

Taste: 7 - A sweet, dark fruitiness is strong up front, akin to fig or plum. The middle sees some smokey and spicy flavors come out, but they don't overwhelm the other flavors. There is an alcohol burn in the finish, along with a gentle bitterness.

Mouthfeel: 6 - The body starts out full, but fades quickly to a surprising thinness, and no aftertaste.

Holistic: 7 - This works well for me overall, although several aspects, such as the mouthfeel, don't fully jive with the strength of the style.

Overall: 34 - Despite having a lesser opinion of the lager style as a whole, doppelbocks are something I find quite appealing. This offering is a local seasonal favorite of mine, despite being somewhat uneven in terms of representing doppelbocks as a whole. It complements a hearty meal well, and it even lends itself to sessioning for those of stronger constitutions.

of birthdays and beverages, mid-July 2009

2009-07-21T23:47:00.008-04:00

This past weekend, I had the good fortune of attending Jared's Bat-Party in glorious celebration of his birthday. In keeping with the theme, a menu of Bat-Related mixed beverages had been devised. I tried several, the most interesting of which being the Joker Shooter:

The Joker Shooter: 2/3 shot Midori, 1/3 shot Irish Creme. The resultant effect was that the Irish Creme layered on top, if done correctly. Visually pleasing, and quite tasty.

Of course, being wholly unable to "leave well enough alone," I tried a couple of other speculative mixes of my own:

The Black Joker: 2/3 shot Midori, 1/3 shot Kahlua. The resultant effect was that the Kahlua layered on the bottom. Visually interesting, but not so pleasing. Something about the mix brought a bitterness out of the Kahlua, and the "chocolate melon" taste that resulted is not something I'd recommend.
The Asian Joker: 2/3 shot Midori, 1/3 shot lemonade. The resultant effect was that the lemonade mixed with the Midori, although a portion of the Midori did layer out on the bottom, on close inspection. Not visually interesting, but quite sweet and tasty.

Also this past weekend, I was sadly not able to attend Jason's dapper party in glorious celebration of his birthday. Jason did craft a beverage in the good southern tradition, and posted the enticing recipe that I must try at my earliest convenience:

The Blueberry Martini: as rogued from his post...

Handful of fresh blueberries
1.5 oz vodka
0.5 oz blue curacao
2 tsp fresh-squeezed lemon juice
---
muddle the berries in a cocktail shaker, add vodka, blue curacao, and lemon juice. Fill shaker with crushed ice. Shake it like you mean it. Strain into a martini glass. Enjoy!

Happy Birthday, gentlemen.

Schmidt's Sausage Haus

2009-07-03T22:52:00.013-04:00

Despite hailing from the Cincinnati area and having a penchant for German foodstuffs, I had never made it up to Schmidt's before leaving Ohio. More recently, I heard tell of legends of Schmidt's from Origins attendees, specifically in terms of their legendary cream puff desserts that were reportedly each the size of a human head. At last year's Origins, there wasn't time to stop by, but this year I finally made my repast. And oh, what tasty goodness abounded...

Food - The food at Schmidt's is rich German fare, the clear centerpiece of which are the many sausage dishes. All of their sausages are made in-house, the most marketable variety being the Bahama Mama - a fusion of German sausage and citrus-spice flavors that was my favorite of what they had on offer. While they have numerous entrees, sausage plates, and sandwiches available, the centerpiece of their menu is the all-you-can-eat German Autobahn Buffet.

Beer - The beer selection is broad. As one might expect, there are a variety of German imports available, such as Warsteiner Dunkel. They also have a core selection of local microbrew offerings, including the Elevator Brewing Company's Three Frogs IPA. All draft beers are available in three glass sizes, the largest of which is a proper stein... as It Should Be.
Desserts - I am led to understand that all of the desserts are wonderful, but to be honest, I came for the creme puffs. They did not disappoint, although it turns out that describing their size as being akin to that of a human head is somewhat misleading... unless one specifically meant "the size of the head of a rather plump child," which would be more like it. The puff-heads are made on-site, and come in numerous standard and special flavors, such as chocolate, peanut butter, and classic vanilla.

I am pleased to have finally sampled the delicious glory that is Schmidt's. It has my highest recommendation for German cuisine and atmosphere of any stateside restaurant I've visited since my trip to Munich (I should get around to documenting that at some point), and I expect to return there in the future as a rare treat. That said, I am even more pleased that I do not live close enough to be tempted to go back easily. It's selections are diametrically opposed to such important ideals as "weight and portion control," and it's an easy place to fall off the wagon from one's dietary commitment, as Mr. Miller notes.

For more information about the restaurant and it's history, check out their website and menu. And to give you a better taste of Schmidt's, here is a segment from the Travel Channel's Man v. Food program:

Balticon 2009 Bacon

2009-05-29T23:08:00.004-04:00

I have not had the BLT sandwich at the Balticon hotel, but this past weekend, Mur did. And when it came out in it's crispy, piled-high glory, Evo was there to provide photographic witness.

He could only offer the following tweet comment on the matter: "All of the pigs were sacrificed for @mightymur's BLT."

Indeed, Evo. Indeed, they were.

Farpoint 2009 Libations

2009-03-13T14:20:00.007-04:00

Balticon is this weekend, and in gearing up for the convention, I am reminded that I never posted the Farpoint libations list. At Farpoint in February, the hotel bartender got into the spirit of the con with some zeal, and devised a Star Trek-inspired beverage selection for the bar. For the curious, here are the drinks and recipes:

Actuarian Fizz: lemon juice, grenadine, gin, & club soda

Chech'tluth: bourbon, gin, club soda, peppermint schnapps, & Johnnie Walker

Klingon Bloodwine: red wine infused with ginger, & fresh chilies

Black Hole: Kahlua, Smirnoff "w"odka, & lemon juice

Antimatter Shot: Sambuca, Blue Curacao

Klingon Martini: gin, vermouth, & a dash of Bloodwine - as budding martini aficionado, I couldn't pass this up. It... wasn't as bad as I feared. With better gin, it could have been "good." Also, it didn't really look "Klingon":

The Picard Cocktail: 8 oz. of Earl Grey tea hot, 1 oz. Grand Marnier - Jared had this one and was willing to share. It was surprisingly good.

Vulcan Mind Meld: 1 part ouzo, 1 part rum (151 proof)

Talos IV Coffee: 3 parts Grand Marnier, 1 part coffee

Klingon Disrupter: Jim Bean, Patron Tequila, cinnamon schnapps

I'm not normally a "mixed drinks" fellow, but if there are similar options next year, I may need to explore them a bit more.

Obligatory Thanksgiving Post

2008-11-27T20:00:00.003-05:00

It must be Thanksgiving, as there is no other explanation for the sudden appearance of the following inflatable abomination of confused symbology slumped in my neighbor's yard:

For our own part, the feast was well-apportioned and heartily enjoyed, and I continued my Thanksgiving tradition of cracking open a bottle of Dogfish Head's wonderful Chateau Jiahu to mark the occasion.

Enjoy yourselves, but don't be too gluttonous. Obesity and excess are not, in most cases, things to be thankful for.

From the Dregs of the Sea to the Dregs of Oktoberfest

2008-09-26T20:24:00.008-04:00

And so it came to pass that the International Talk Like A Pirate Day event at the Clipper City Brewery was attended, and ended up being quite good.

The front office area contained a small but well-stocked bar serving all of their main brews, including the just-in-season Winter Storm. The stated requirement to be served this latter brew was to wear "pirate garb," for which patrons were screened by the serving wench. Due to time constraints and a broken toe, I chose not to come in costume, and instead wore a Pirates of the Caribbean shirt. Sadly, this didn't pass muster. However, everyone did receive an eyepatch at the door, which did count... when worn properly and uttering an appropriate piratical phrase.

The back warehouse was set up with taps, tables, not too ridiculously priced brisket and sausage-based food. Portable latrines were set up on the back loading platform, leading to it being affectionately referred to as... wait for it... the "poop deck." Pirate filk band The Salty Dogs, as well as founder Hugh Sisson, made the rounds and encouraged the joviality. The event was advertised as having an upper limit of 200 people, and it appears that roughly that number were in attendance, many of whom had a nigh-Rennfest level of detail to there costumery.

My and Laura’s evening was most pleasantly spent with Tom, Carrie, and Greg. Plans were made on how to appropriate NASA technology to suck a stack of cases of Loose Cannon back to our respective homes, but sadly the time and engineering constraints were too much to overcome.

Overall, I’d call this a success, especially given the Heavy Seas pint glass I walked away with. On the basis of this, I definitely will make time for future Clipper City on-site events.

I am currently in Munich, taking a week of vacation while Laura is at a JWST conference. Sadly (or perhaps not), we have missed Oktoberfest’s official ending by a week. I suspect there may still be some beer left in this country, however...

Talking Like a Pirate Tonight in the Clipper City

2008-09-19T15:58:00.004-04:00

Today is International Talk Like A Pirate Day, and to celebrate, the local Clipper City Brewery is having an event this evening from 19:00 - 22:00 EST that will include food, beer tasting, and live music. Laura and I will be stopping by, both because it sounds like fun, and I'm quite the fan of their Heavy Seas line of beers.

If you are near the Baltimore area at all this evening, I encourage you to check it out. Details are here.

Harpoon Tasting at the Perfect Pour - 09.12.08

2008-09-13T01:22:00.006-04:00

As previously mentioned, I was recently turned on the The Perfect Pour (by Melanie, to whom I owe great thanks!), a new local beer and wine establishment. It is my new Beer Mecca (TM cmdln). They have, hands down, the best selection of domestic and international microbrews that I have seen yet, at the very least in my area. Another pleasant discovery is that they host regular beer samplings.

Tonight I stopped by for the Harpoon beer tasting. I had the pleasure of chatting with Nick from Harpoon about their current and upcoming offerings, as well as tasting the following brews, none of which I have had previously:

UFO (UnFiltered Offering) Hefeweizen - A solid example of hefeweizen style, and worthy future exploration.
Octoberfest - I'm not a big fan of the Marzen/Octoberfest lager style, and this struck me as being par for the course, but quite drinkable.
IPA - Very good, and compared favorably to similar brews like the Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA. Then again, I am biased towards this style. :)

The conversation was as good as the beer, and I was interested to hear of Harpoon's upcoming Leviathan Series. The Triticus, a 14.3% wheat-wine ale aged in bourbon casks, sounds particularly intriguing, and will be the first release under that label.

I ended up walking away with a six-pack of the IPA and a Harpoon IPA pint glass, which made for a lovely cap on the event. I plan on attending other tastings there, a schedule of which can be found on The Perfect Pour's website.

4. Southern Tier Creme Brulee Imperial Milk Stout

2008-09-06T21:25:00.003-04:00

I was recently turned on to a new local beverage store, the Perfect Pour, and I am insanely happy to have found it - they have the single best beer selection I have yet seen in my area. This particular brew came highly recommended from the staff, and I was not disappointed.

Vitals:

Name: Creme Brulee Imperial Milk Stout

Brewery: Southern Tier Brewing Company

Style: Sweet Stout (Category 13B, BJCP 2008 Style Guidelines)

Alcohol: 10.0%

Serving: 22-ounce bottle, chilled, served in a freezer-stored Rifts pint glass

Scoring (in solidarity with Charlie the Beer Guy):

Appearance: 9 - Pours a totally opaque brown-black, with no light penetration. The head is brown and foamy, fading slowly to a thin lace.

Aroma: 10 - Simply amazing. A powerful slug of vanilla, with butterscotch-caramel notes and a slight alcoholic undercurrent.

Taste: 9 - Very sweet, with a strong mix of vanilla and chocolate notes upfront. Roasty butterscotch and coffee flavors come out in the middle, with a pleasant bitter roastiness in the finish that persists. Little evidence of its high alcohol content.

Mouthfeel: 9 - Thick and rich, with little carbonation evident. Very smooth and silky.

Holistic: 9 - This mad hybrid of a dessert, a coffee drink, and a beer just blew me away. Wow.

Overall: 46 - Very impressive. While not for swift consumption or for all occasions, this is a serious treat that seems best at home complimenting dessert after a large meal. I definitely intend to pick this up again, perhaps to go along with a holiday dinner or two.

Post-Balticon 42 Libation List

2008-05-31T22:43:00.003-04:00

I still have to write up the post-mortem for the con itself, but the libatory social dynamics were different from previous events. The focus was more on the bar than room parties, so this makes the first con where what I brought... was essentially what I left with.
Clearly, a tragedy of epic proportions.

However, there was a "magic cooler" effect, as my cooler was stashed in someone else's room. As such, in addition to the previous list, I've also come away with:

I feel dirty entering that last one. Especially considering that the person who brought it was looking to pawn it off on unsuspecting people, because he has no desire to drink it. (Not to name any names... Tee.)

In any case, this leaves me well-stocked for the next con... or social occasion. Or, in the case of the latter "beer," a riot that requires mini-Moltov cocktails.

Balticon 42 Libation List

2008-05-22T13:30:00.004-04:00

Once again, it's that time - Balticon check-in for me is later today! There are many lessons to be learned from last year's experience, one of which is (hopefully) that if I bring less brews, perhaps the "magic cooler effect" will be diminished, and I may come home with less.

We shall see... :)

Here is the list of libations I will be bringing with me:

Clipper City Holy Sheet
Dogfish Head 120 Minute IPA, World Wide Stout, and Burton Baton
Lindemans Framboise and Kriek Lambics
Unibroue 17
Woodchuck Granny Smith Draft Cider
and the appropriate fixings for a proper martini may show up, as well...

Once again, physicianhood will prevail - the above will be consumed with the greatest responsibility by all.

Remember! Alcohol kills germs, baby.

3. Kells Irish Style Lager

2008-03-17T23:19:00.005-04:00

I bid you a happy St. Patrick's Day! My previous musings from last year can be found here. I stopped by Calvert to pick up something appropriate to celebrate the day with, and chose this brew, which I have not sampled before. I may have chosen poorly...

Vitals:

Name: Kells Irish Style Lager

Brewery: Rogue Ales

Style: Premium American Lager (Category 1C, BJCP 2008 Style Guidelines)

Alcohol: 5.0%

Serving: 22-ounce bottle, chilled, served in a freezer-stored "Playing for Keeps" pint glass

Scoring (in solidarity with Charlie the Beer Guy):

Appearance: 3 - Pours a dark straw color, mostly clear, but with a slight precipitate haze towards the bottom. The frothy white head slowly fades to a clumpy film.

Aroma: 3 - Very low, with grainy malts and the barest hint of apple.

Taste: 3 - Fairly crisp and dry upfront, with mild grainy flavor balanced with hop bitterness. The latter persists in the center as the malt fades. No other notable flavors detected. A slight bitter remainder in the finish that fades swiftly.

Mouthfeel: 3 - Light, but not overly watery. Well-carbonated with a slight bite.

Holistic: 2 - Just didn't do it for me. This style is low down on my list, and my expectations of something described as an "Irish Style Lager" were quite disappointed.

Overall: 14 - Post-drink research demonstrates that the intent of this libation was to create an "American beer that would float Guinness," done so by the owners of the Kells Irish Pubs of the west coast. In that, it seems they've succeeded - hence my disappointment in looking for a classically "Irish" beverage. Their website claims that this beer has a "green apple bite flavor," which would have made it far more interesting had I detected it. This would make a good session beer, however, if better choices were not available.

The Revolution, Revived!

2008-03-16T14:01:00.005-04:00

The Revoluton is not dead! Merely... biding it's time.

The truth of the matter is that for a period of time, I decided to consolidate all of my blogging to my main website, thinking that it would be easier for me to maintain. On further reflection, I've discovered that this likely isn't the case - rather, it does make more sense to continue to post "food and drink" related matter here, for the sake of ease for both myself and you, the GLF convert.

Viva La Revolucion!

To this end, I've reposted here my take on the upcoming 2008 offerings from Dogfish Head, as well as my first two brew reviews - the Dogfish Head Palo Santo Marron, and the Stone Old Guardian Barley Wine, 2008 Release.

I'd also like to highlight a couple of blogs that are furthering the work of the Revolution:

#include {beer.h} - Tom from the Command Line podcast recently established this separate site for his own beer reviews and experiences. The punk is also aping my review format, but imitation = flattery, right? ;) (And to point out where respect is due, my template is loosely stolen from Thom, so I have little room to talk...)
Garlic Is Love - Carrie from The Signal podcast has an obsession with all things culinary, and shares it here. She is a fan of both bacon and garlic, so that makes her site an imperative on my list!

2. Stone Old Guardian Barley Wine, 2008 Release

2008-02-23T12:54:00.000-05:00

I happened across this brew the other night at Calvert, which had just been released by Stone as their current seasonal offering.

Vitals:

Name: Old Guardian Barley Wine, 2008 Release

Brewery: Stone Brewing Company

Style: American Barleywine (Category 19C, BJCP 2008 Style Guidelines)

Alcohol: 11.26%

Serving: 22-ounce bottle, chilled, served in a freezer-stored "Playing for Keeps" pint glass

Scoring (in solidarity with Charlie the Beer Guy):

Appearance: 6 - Pours a strong copper that is initially hazy, but gains clarity as it warms. Topped with a white effervescent head that slowly fades to a lacy sheet.

Aroma: 5 - Predominantly malty, with a hint of fruit and spice. More subdued than expected.

Taste: 7 - Strong malt flavor upfront, accompanied by fruity and spicy notes. Hop bitterness becomes more assertive in the center. Alcohol notable, but not overwhelming. Lingering bitterness and bready notes in the finish.

Mouthfeel: 7 - Moderate but not quite full-bodied, with notable alcohol warmth. Slight dryness to the finish.

Holistic: 7 - Tasty, but "less extreme" of a take on this style than I was expecting from Stone. The nose was slightly disappointing.

Overall: 32 - A great offering. Beats many barleywines I've tried, but doesn't unseat the Dogfish Head Olde School as my favorite of the style.

1. Dogfish Head Palo Santo Marron

2008-02-22T01:13:00.000-05:00

Through fortuitous circumstances, two cases arrived at Calvert (one of my three local Beer Meccas) the day before I stopped by. As I've been looking forward to this new release from Dogfish Head, as previously described, I walked away with a nice supply.

Vitals:

Name: Santo Palo Marron ("Holy Tree Brown")
Brewery: Dogfish Head
Style: Wood-Aged Beer (Category 22C, BJCP 2008 Style Guidelines) - aged in 10,000-gallon Paraguayan Palo Santo wood brewing vessels
Alcohol: 12%
Serving: 12-ounce bottle, chilled, served in freezer-stored "Celebrating 25 Years of Palladium Books" pint glass

Scoring (in solidarity with Charlie the Beer Guy):

Appearance: 9 - Pours a completely opaque dark brown that is nearly black, and impenetrable to light. Topped with a thick, sudsy brown head that fades slowly to a thin lace. Looks beautiful!
Aroma: 7 - Malty, with caramel notes, and a surprising lack of alcohol for its ABV. Tempting, but relatively mild.
Taste: 8 - Sweet and malty, with predominant caramel and vanilla notes, with a slight hint of coffee. Notable but mild smokiness appears midway. No lingering aftertaste.
Mouthfeel: 8 - Moderate to slightly heavy, but not cloying. Very smooth.
Holistic: 8 - Tasty, very well-balanced, and more subtle than expected. If it's possible for a brew of this strength to be smooth and balanced enough to be a session beer, then this is it.
Overall: 40 - I am very impressed. Dogfish Head has pulled off subtle artistry where I was expecting something more pronounced, and in a beer style that's not my first choice. I'll definitely be seeking out the Palo Santo Marron when it's available.

Dogfish Head 2008 Beer Release Schedule and New Brew Preview

2008-01-17T18:11:00.001-05:00

Dogfish Head has published its beer release schedule for the year. 2008 may now officially begin! (Well, I jest with that last bit. A little.)

I am an unabashed fan of Dogfish Head's brews. While I am enthusiastic about seeking out and trying different beers from any (and all, eventually) microbreweries, DFH continues to maintain a particular hold on my refrigerator. Their variety of offerings is amazing in terms of style and flavor, and their degree of quality is consistantly excellent. I have honestly only ever been disappointed in two of their beers - the Chicory Stout and the Festina Peche - and in both case, because I found them to be merely "good." A list of my preferred beverages would be solidly dominated by DFH selections, and topped with my all-time favorite, the ridiculously extreme 120 Minute IPA.

So, it is with great enthusiasm that I peruse the 2008 schedule. As usual, there is a core selection of Year-Round Beers, as well as Seasonal Releases. I am greatly pleased that the Midas Touch Golden Elixir (another personal favorite, and the beverage singlehandedly responsible for my last name being a vengeful cry in some circles: "Cmaaarrr!" - a story for another time) has been reinstated this year in a more year-round capacity.

Of greater note is the extensive list of Limited Releases, which are some the most creative, excellent, and downright bizarre brews in existence anywhere. These include the previously revered 120 Minute IPA, the awesome World Wide Stout, and the brilliant Burton Baton... the last of which I need to keep an eye out for next month, because it was quite teh skarce in 2007. That said, there are two all-new beverages on the list, and I am seriously excited.

The first of these is the Palo Santo Marron, or "Holy Tree Brown," which is new to bottled distribution. It was previously available once before, at the end of 2006, on-tap only in their Rehoboth Beach brewpub location. This one sounds quite interesting - from the website:

An unfiltered, unfettered, unprecedented brown ale aged in handmade wooden brewing vessels. The caramel and vanilla complexity unique to this beer comes from the exotic Paraguayan Palo Santo wood from which these tanks were crafted. Palo Santo means "holy tree" and it's wood has been used in South American wine-making communities.

This beer is a 12% abv, highly roasty, and malty brown ale aged on the Palo Santo wood. It was a huge hit at our Rehoboth Beach brewpub when first released in November of 2006, so it's coming back... into full production.

At 10,000 gallons each, these are the largest wooden brewing vessels built in America since before Prohibition. It's all very exciting. We have wood. Now you do too.

That said, the one I'm incredibly stoked for is the Theobroma - "Food of the Gods." Tee and I heard a vague bit about this a few weeks back at the Gaithersburg brewpub, and its great to have some more details. By way of background, DFH has a working relationship with the University of Pennsylvania archeology department. If drinking vessels are found at a dig site, they are subjected to molecular archaeological techniques to analyze the residue of the evaporated contents. If the findings seem to be of an unusual fermented beverage, then DFH has been able to get access to the deduced components of the drinks, and "resurrect" libations that may not have been brewed for thousands of years. Products thus far include the previously venerated Midas Touch (discovered in the tomb of a Phrygian ruler in ~700 B.C. who is believed to have inspired the tales of King Midas), the wonderful Chateau Jiahu (found in the 9,000 year-old Neolithic village of Jiahu in Hinan province, Northern China), and now... Theobroma. From the website:

This beer is based on chemical analysis of pottery fragments found in Honduras which revealed the earliest known alcoholic chocolate drink used by early civilizations to toast special occasions. The discovery of this beverage pushed back the earliest use of cocoa for human consumption more than 500 years to 1200 BC. As per the analysis, Dogfish Head’s Theobroma (food of the gods) is brewed with Aztec cocoa powder and cocoa nibs, honey, chilies, and annatto (fragrant tree seeds). Theobroma is 10% abv and will be available in Champagne bottles for an August 2008 release. Special kegs from our test batches may be available earlier in the year at Dogfish events around the country!

Yes, 2008 is shaping up to be an excellent year for libation enthusiasm!

post-Balticon Libation List

2007-06-03T17:04:00.001-04:00

There was a glorious amount of libating at Balticon, and much of what I brought was consumed well, and in the company of excellent people, and this makes me happy.

That said, I was unaware that my lowly cooler is, indeed, a "magic cooler." When all was said and done, I ended up with an even greater variety of libations afterwards than I had brought originally, and almost as many bottles. This was due to 1. long stretches during two evenings when I was Off Doing Other Things, and so the unsupervised "magic cooler" was added to by others looking for a good home for what they brought, and 2. "donations" at the end of the con from those flying elsewhere and unable to take their refreshments with them.

Here is the tally:

Apparently, this means that I won't need to buy anything further for Dragon*Con.

Riiight.

Balticon Libation List

2007-05-24T10:32:00.001-04:00

I'm checking in to the Balticon hotel today. It will, in short form, be an absolute blast.

Here is the list of libations I will be bringing with me:

Clearly, this has the makings of a hell of a party. That said, physicianhood will prevail, and the above will be consumed with the greatest responsibility by all, I'm sure.

Besides... alcohol kills germs, baby.

Grove's Beer Log

2007-05-15T17:00:00.001-04:00

This is Grove's Beer Log.

Hailing from Oslo, Norway, Geir Ove ("grove" - get it?) Grønmo documents his thoughts and experiences with the art of home brewing. Included are plenty of images of his equipment and exploits, as well as discussion of the various brews that he has produced and musings on homebrewing in general.

Check it out, and give him some comment love!