Backyard Beer Tasting V.2

UPDATE-Jan. 12, 2010:It would appear we owe Kroger an apology. Magic Hat contacted me and said the “Best By” date on the Feast of Fools case I bought was misstamped. Looking at the individual bottles they indeed had 2010 as the “Best By” year. Another indicator this wasn’t a leftover from 2009 was there was Howl, which wasn’t in the 2009 Feast of Fools. The other issue was the first beer we tried was the Winter Odd Notion which is an “American Sour.” The Voice at Magic Hat said “It’s brewed with acidulated malts, which makes it make you pucker up.” Since most Winter Warmers are typically fruity or nutty we thought we’d been skunked. We didn’t see anything on the label saying it was sour, just that they were pushing the limits. We didn’t know which limits. Now that we know it is supposed be sour we will give them another try. (I have one bottle left). Sometimes you have to managed the expectations of your palate. This is a brew that might need a good food pairing to balance it out. Not sure we can do that with only 1 bottle but being a Cheap Bastard I’ll make it work.

Event: A couple of months ago Mark, Brett and I gathered in my backyard and sampled about 6 beers. Many I had brought back from a Michigan vacation. I was having the tasting as a payback for Mark and Brett cleaning out the litter box while I was gone. It was warm then. Now its cold and we’ve fired up the chimenea and have huddled around it to stay warm. I took a lot of notes from the last tasting but never posted them. I will post Backyard Taste V.1 later.
Notes: So. This was to be a special Winter Ale tasting. It’s cold outside. What a perfect time to enjoy Winter ales. Brett and Mark set out to buy some but found that Augusta has pretty much run out of Winter Ales. The 2 Below is gone from most stores. No, Winter Warmers, no Christmas ales. They settled for some more interesting beers. I stopped and bought a Feast of Fools pack from Magic Hat from Kroger on Washington Road (Augusta). Little did I know I was buying beer that expired at the end of March 2009.

Brett backed out at the last minute so it was just Mark and Dad-in-Law. He brought an Abbey Ale and something called New Grist. We tried the Magic Hat brews but had to stop. It was an insult to Magic Hat that Kroger did. We tried the Odd Notion Winter 2009 and it was horrible. We then took a taste of 9 and that was it. No more. I’ve had 9 on tap and it’s a good beer. Although Brett and Mark said someone at an unnamed store steered them away from buying 9 saying “it has something artificial tasting in it. So, we didn’t make it to the Lucky Kat or the Howl. I was looking forward to trying them.

We also had some really great chili that Mom-in-law made. I tossed on some wings on the grill that were seasoned up with some “Fowl Stuff” seasoning I got for Christmas. They were tasty if I do say so myself.

So, we gave up on the Winter Ale angle and tried Mark’s two brews. We will save Brett’s for when he can make it.

So after we finished Mark’s two brews we brought out the Courvoisier. It was a nice Winter warmer for sitting around the fire. It was a nice evening.

Here is what we tasted:
Ommegang Abbey Ale
What: This comes with a cork and a wire cage similar to sparkling wine. Very nutty. Immediately Mark started smiling. He loves it. Even Dad-in-law who doesn’t like dark beers likes it (because most dark beers he’s had are bitter). Very light for being an abbey style ale. I like it. Goes really nice with some hot pecans (hot as in baked with some hot sauce) we had before coming out to sit around the fire. Not heavy is the key, per Mark, and doesn’t hang with an after taste. The bottle says “rich, fruity, and aromatic, burgundian brew.” Mark says this would be high on his list for best beers. Right next to his beloved Jewbilation Ale. IThe label warns to not disturb it too much because it has yeast sediment but don’t be so scared to pour it fast enough to get a nice head. We did and it had a nice brown foamy head. Mark says the fruity taste is similar to dates with the fruit flavors reminding him of cognac.

This isn’t a hoppy beer. No bitterness at all. Flavorful. We’re sitting outside in the dark next to the fire so judging it’s color is a bit challenging. It looks like a dark amber. I think we have a winner for the evening.
From: Coopertown, New York
Brewery: Ommegang
Size: 25.9 oz

Lake Front New Grist
What: This is a beer made with sorghum and rice extract. Now, how a bunch of Yankees could find enough sorghum to make a brew is beyond me. This has a light color and is a light tasting beer. Mark said it was bitter but bitter usually describes something hoppy. The best way to describe it as being sharp. I guess this is the crisp taste the label touts.

Dad-in-law says “we pee darker than this”. The label says “a Crisp and refreshing session beer.” We all said at the same time “what’s a session beer.” I’ll Google it later. Maybe this would work as a beer after mowing the grass in July when it’s 100. But when it’s 28 degrees sitting outside next to the fire. Refreshing doesn’t come to mind.

Doesn’t have an aftertaste though. Okay, the jury is starting to shift. They say this would be a great beer when it’s hot. So, in 6 months when it’s 100 damn degrees will test that theory. But for now. It’s too cold to enjoy this brew.
Brewery: New Grist

2 Responses to “Backyard Beer Tasting V.2”

1. MarkA says:

   January 11, 2010 at 9:34 am

   Sunday evening is usually a time of depression. Work the next day, early to bed, etc. But, this past Sunday night was very enjoyable thanks to Dan and Mrs. Dan hosting a beer tasting at their house.
   At first, I was a bit concerned about sitting around a fire on a cold night (28 degrees), but in retrospect, that added another dimension to the evening. Nothing like telling stories around a fire and enjoying a good beer!
   I found a new favorite beer – Ommegang Abbey Ale and had a delicious meal of homeade chili, thanks to Mrs. Dan-in-law and a great spinach salad thanks to Mrs. Dan.
   Wasn’t shot in the head over the New Grist beer. A bit wimpy for me. Not much personality and more like a cheap light beer.
   As Dan reviewed, the Magic Hat was horrible thanks to Kroger keeping expired stock on the shelf.

   Thanks again Dan and Mrs. Dan for a great evening!
2. Vern says:

   January 20, 2010 at 7:15 pm

   Where does all that sorghum come from? Kansas, mostly.

   http://www.usda.gov/oce/weather/pubs/Other/MWCACP/Graphs/USA/sorghum.pdf