A s I was walking in I passed 2 people carrying out several boxes full of the evening’s featured beers. Sounds like a great tasting to me when you see people buying what they tasted.
And it was a good tasting. I really liked the Weyerbacher Merry Monks, the Great Divide Hoss Rye Lager, Left Hand Milk Stout and the Alagash Black. Do you see a pattern here. I really like the darker beers. Heck don’t forget the 2 brews from Anderson Valley. Those two brews are different.
The Winter Solstice pours out a dark amber but it is one of the lightest mouthfeel of any darker beer I’ve ever tried. This could best be described as a session beer. Sometimes session beers are in your face or so extreme in their flavor profile that you have to sip it. This beer is slightly sweet, light but it’s got a lot of spicy flavor. Not one to rush. This is one of those brews that you might have to try one for a couple of nights before deciding what it really tastes like.
Their Barney Flats Oatmeal Stout is more a traditional stout… almost. It also backs off and isn’t super dark tasting despite being super dark in color. I talked to the distributor who told me they were starting to sells these brews in cans. Sounds good to me.
Where: Wine World, 133 Georgia Ave., North Augusta, SC
803-279-9522
When: Friday, March 15, 2013, 5-8pm
Cost: $5 per person. You get a $2 rebate with the purchase of 6 bottles of the featured brews.
Here are the brews presented (click to see more):
- Victory Swing Session Saison
- Weyerbacher Merry Monks
- Great Divide Hoss Rye Lager
- Left Hand Milk Stout Nitro
- Caldera IPA
- Anderson Valley Winter Solstice
- Anderson Valley Barney Flats Oatmeal Stout
- Allagash Black
- Doc’s Draft Hard Apple Cider
- Rodenbach Flanders Red Ale
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Here are the detailed brew notes:
Victory Swing Session Saison
4.5% ABV. With its citrus swagger and spicy refreshment, Swing Session Saison offers you a jazzy jolt of joy. This Belgian-style ale is bracing but benign and enlivens any experience.–From their Website
From: Downingtown, Pennsylvania
Brewery: Victory Brewing
Goes with: Soft pretzel and mussels.
Weyerbacher Merry Monks
9.3% ABV. Merry Monks’ is a Belgian style Abby Tripel. To be true to the style, Merry Monks’ Ale is bottle conditioned. This means we add a bit of sugar and yeast just prior to bottling. This imparts a special effervescence to the beer, a creamier carbonation, and also extends the shelf life. The on-going fermentation inside the bottle will change the character of the beer as it ages, and you’ll find it becomes dryer with age. You may want to lay down a few bottles for future evaluation. We suggest storing at cellar temperatures – around 55°F – and away from light.
When you try this beer you’re in for a unique treat. The special effervescence and creaminess are immediately apparent when pouring. The pilsner malts combined with the Belgian yeast strains yield a remarkable and complex flavor- perhaps you’ll note subtle hints of banana. The flavor is nicely balanced and the finish moderate to dry, begging for the next sip. This 9.3% brew is available year-round.–From their Website
From: Easton, Pennsylvania
Brewery: Weyerbacher
Great Divide Hoss Rye Lager
6.2% ABV. HOSS is based on the Märzen lagers of Germany. Rich, layered malt notes, with hints of cherry and dark fruits, dominate, while the unique addition of rye imparts a slightly earthy, spicy character. Hoss finishes crisp and dry, and its brilliant red-orange color is a toast to the sunsets that make the perfect backdrop for this beer.–From their Website
From: Denver, Colorado
Brewery: Great Divide Brewing Company
Goes with: Veal bratwurst, barbeque chicken, carnitas (pork) tacos, Camembert cheese, German chocolate cake.
Left Hand Milk Stout Nitro
6% ABV. Dark & delicious, America’s great milk stout will change your perception about what a stout can be.
Pouring hard out of the bottle, Milk Stout Nitro cascades beautifully, building a tight, thick head like hard whipped cream. The aroma is of brown sugar and vanilla cream, with hints of roasted coffee. The pillowy head coats your upper lip and its creaminess entices your palate. Initial roasty, mocha flavors rise up, with slight hop & roast bitterness in the finish. The rest is pure bliss of milk chocolate fullness.–From their Website
From: Longmont, Colorado
Brewery: Left Hand Brewing Co.
Caldera IPA
6.1% ABV. An American-style India Pale Ale brewed with plenty of body and an assertive hop profile.–From their Website
From: Ashland, Oregon
Brewery: Caldera
Anderson Valley Winter Solstice
Warmth. Our Winter Solstice Seasonal Ale is a hand-crafted “winter warmer” with a deep amber hue and a rich, malty mouthfeel. Hints of toffee, spice, and caramel tickle the senses while the smooth, creamy finish will lift your spirits; a perfect beer to share with friends and family during the cold days and long nights of winter. 6.9% Only 6 IBU. Available September-February.–From their Website
From: Boonville, California
Brewery: Anderson Valley Brewing
Goes with: Roasted almonds, candied yams, baked spiral ham, pumpkin pie. Brie, Aged Cheddar.
Anderson Valley Barney Flats Oatmeal Stout
5.8% ABV. 14 IBU. Darkness. The deep ebony color, voluptuous mahogany head and bold, roasty flavors in our Barney Flats Oatmeal Stout are what serious beer drinkers expect from this style. Aromas of freshly baked bread, espresso, and dried cherries meld seamlessly with rich toffee flavors and a creamy mouth feel to create an unparalleled drinking experience.–From their Website
From: Boonville, California
Brewery: Anderson Valley Brewing
Goes with: French onion soup, pulled pork sliders, smoked meats, chocolate desserts. Smoked Gouda, Havarti.
Allagash Black
7.5% ABV. Allagash Black is a Belgian style stout brewed with 2 Row barley, torrified wheat, oats, both roasted and chocolate malt and a generous portion of dark caramelized candi sugar. The silky mouth feel is a great balance to the roasted character, coffee and dark chocolate notes expressed throughout this beer.–From their Website
From: Portland, Maine
Brewery: Allagash
Doc’s Draft Hard Apple Cider
This cider is semi-dry and wonderfully effervescent with a remarkably fresh apple nose. Its crisp, fruit forward taste and a clean, refreshing finish, have won our cider countless awards and praise. (5% alcohol)–From their Website
From: Warwick, New York
Brewery: Doc’s
Rodenbach Flanders Red Ale
RODENBACH is the unique Flanders Red-Brown Beer, accredited as a “traditional local product”. Mixed main fermentation and maturation in oak casks (“foeders”) give it the same sweet-sour flavour and complex fruitiness as wine. RODENBACH is composed of three-quarters young beer and one-quarter beer matured for two years in oak. RODENBACH is very refreshing and stimulates the appetite – the perfect aperitif!–From their Website
From: Belgium
Brewery: Rodenbach
