Beer Tasting-Wine World-Feb. 10

If the first 45 minutes of this tasting was any indication of the total attendance I hope they had enough to last the whole 3 hours. This was a really nice tasting that had a great variety but tended to stay toward the dark and malty side. With that said this was a great Wintertime Brew tasting (nevermind that our “Winter” lasted for about 10 hours in early January).

There was a steady crowd starting right at the 5 PM start with the crowd steadily growing until I left at 5:45. Before leaving I asked several tasters what they liked. Chris had just tried the Fort Collins Kidd Black Lager (a smoked porter) that he said it would be excellent with fish and chips. All that did was make me hungry.

I asked Matt, Brett and Scott what they liked (as they were selecting some brews for purchase) and they basically liked everything but several stood out. Matt and Scott both picked the the Kidd Black and the 1825 Original Porter. Matt also added Wychwood King Goblin and the Ft. Collins Major Tom’s Pomegranate Wheat. Scott added the Urthel Samaranth 12 Quadrium Ale and the St. Louis Framboise Fruit (Raspberry) Lambic. Brett selected the He’brew Bittersweet RIPA and the Ft. Collins Double Chocolate Stout.

The Fort Collins Major Tom is different for sure. It starts off hoppy and finishes with the distinctive pomegranate flavor.

After trying all 10 brews it’s difficult to select a single favorite. I think my favorites were the Ft. Collins Double Chocolate Stout, 1825 Original Flag Porter and the Butte Creek Organic Pale Ale. Those pretty much ran the gamut from heavy to light (with light not implying a “Lite” styled beer).

The cheeses were also excellent, several with beer underpinnings. Tonight they had Red Dragon English Cheddar (with wholegrain mustard and ale), British Cotswold, Cablanca Goat Gouda and Celtic Vintage Irish Cheddar with Porter Beer.

Where: Wine World, 133 Georgia Ave., North Augusta, SC
803-279-9522

When: Friday, Feb. 10, 2012, 5-8pm
Cost: $5 per person. You get a $3 rebate with the purchase of 6 bottles of the featured brews

Here are the brews presented (click to see more):

1. Fort Collins Major Tom’s Pomegranate Wheat
2. Butte Creek Organic Pale Ale
3. Butte Creek Organic IPA
4. Fort Collins Kidd Black Lager
5. Wychwood King Goblin English Strong Ale
6. 1825 Original Flag Porter
7. Fort Collins Double Chocolate Stout
8. He’brew Bittersweet Lenny’s R.I.P.A.
9. Urthel Samaranth 12 Quadrium Ale
10. St Louis Framboise Lambic

Here are the detailed brew notes:
Fort Collins Major Tom’s Pomegranate Wheat
What: “Our take on an American Classic is refreshingly crisp Major Tom’s Pomegranate Wheat. This unique creation is brewed with real pomegranates and filtered to a bright finish. The result is a striking straw blonde color and sweet-tart finish The perfect session beer
From: Fort Collins, Colorado
Brewery: Fort Collins Brewery

Butte Creek Organic Pale Ale
What: Butte Creek Pale Ale is medium bodied with a hint of caramel sweetness complemented by a generous hop flavor and aroma. It is 5.0% alcohol by volume.
From: Mendocino, California
Brewery: Mendocino Brewing

Butte Creek Organic IPA
What: Butte Creek India Pale Ale is full bodied with a mild caramel malt flavor and liberal hop presence. A delight for all hop-heads. It is 6.4% alcohol by volume.
From: Mendocino, California
Brewery: Mendocino Brewing

Fort Collins Kidd Black Lager
What: Schwarzbier was crafted to taste much lighter than it looks. Chocolate malt lends Kidd its color while German Tettnang hops create the minimal bitterness of this brew. We’ve added a dash of smoked malt to make our Schwarzbier slightly more complex.
From: Fort Collins, Colorado
Brewery: Fort Collins Brewery

Wychwood King Goblin English Strong Ale
What: Brewed only on a Full Lunar Moon. As the moon casts its eerie light over the shadowy old Eagle Brewery, a magical brew gurgles forth from the casks. A beer enlivened by the energies of the universe, when the elements are converging into a harmonious alignment. Truly a brew fit for a celestial majesty.

King Goblin is hand crafted from roasted chocolate and crystal malts, with a timely infusion of fuggles, sovereign, styrian and cascade hops to produce an indulgently rich, full, smooth beer of exceptional quality and character.

A full, rich, sublimely fruity and satisfying indulgent beer; a beer for the connoisseur of the finer things.–From their Website
From: Oxfordshire, England
Brewery: Wychwood Brewery

1825 Original Flag Porter

Fort Collins Double Chocolate Stout
What: The current seasonal brew for Fort Collins. Big chocolate and roast flavors abound as subtle hop bitterness evens out the sweetness of a rich malt profile in our most decadent brew yet. This blushing black beer is complimented by a thick tawny head and lively chocolate nose.–From their Website
From: Fort Collins, Colorado
Brewery: Fort Collins Brewery

He’brew Bittersweet Lenny’s R.I.P.A.
What: Ladies and Gentlemen, Shmaltz Brewing Co. is proud to present Bittersweet Lenny’s R.I.P.A. Brewed with an obscene amount of malts and hops. Shocking flavors – far beyond contemporary community standards. We cooked up the straight dope for the growing minyans of our nation’s Radical Beer junkies. Judges may not be able to define “Radical Beer,” but you’ll damn well know it when you taste it. Bruce died, officially declared a pauper by the State of California, personally broken and financially bankrupt simply for challenging America’s moral hypocrisies with words. The memorial playbill read: “Yes, we killed him. Because he picked on the wrong god.” -Directed by, the Courts, the Cops, the Church… and his own self-destructive super ego. Like Noah lying naked and loaded in his tent after the apocalyptic deluge: a witness, a patron saint, a father of what was to come. Sick, Dirty, Prophetic Lenny: a scapegoat, a martyr, a supreme inspiration.From Burlesque to Broadway, Carnegie Hall to the Courtroom, Long Island to Lima, Ohio to L.A., savor the provocative spirit of Lenny’s R.I.P.A., our HE’BREW monument to the richness, the bitterness and the sacred sweetness that is life… L’Chaim!. Jeremy Cowan, proprietor. –From their Website
From: New York
Brewery: Shmaltz Brewing Company

Urthel Samaranth 12 Quadrium Ale
What: Urthel Samaranth 12 Quadrium Ale is a malty, full-bodied special Ale, brewed in a way that only Belgian Brewers can. Huge mouthfeel and layers and levels of flavor make Urthel Samaranth the perfect beer for the end of a meal or at the finish of a special day. And when you want something different, Urthel Samaranth 12 Quadrium Ale is with its fine bitterness, definitely something different… Try it! First brewed at Van Steenberge, now brewed at Koningshoeven – La Trappe brewery.

From: Netherlands
Brewery: La Trappe

St Louis Framboise Lambic
What: he pours were from a 750ml size bottle similar to one used for sparkling wines, using a cork and a wire seal. The From their website: “Premium Raspberry is a beer made from traditional Gueuze Lambic, to which 25 per cent of fresh raspberry juice and natural sugar is added. A clear, dark red beer is obtained with a pink head. With an alcohol content of only 2.8 per cent and its fruity character, this is a beer which is a tempting tipple, when drunk young or old. The elegantly-shaped glass reinforces the image and symbolizes the natural charm of this full-bodied Raspberry (a raspberry beer).”
From: Belgium
Brewery: Van Honsebrouck Brewery