Thought I’d share some info and pictures on my three beer tastings I do in the Adirondacks every year. Here you see the first one, held August 25th, 2012.
I would have a few clearer, closer, pictures of the bottles and cans, but they really didn’t come out very well. We had just under 30 beers, Here are a few….
The Breury, Trade Winds Belgian Triple with Thai Basil. Everyone got the basil and we generally agreed this was more a Belgian Tripel than…
Sprecher Abbey Belgian Tripel: more an ale with White Labs Abbey Yeast. Oh, and to the Syracuse club members who came to the tasting, my mind blanked out when I was describing differences between a Tripel and other Belgian ales. The main thing this was missing in this example was Belgian white candy sugar. It does create a distinct taste.
Thornbridge St. Petersburg Imperial Russian: this is probably very much like the Brits actually exported to Moscow, loved by the Czar. Not as aggressive as American, this provides more subtle malt complexity, less hops. Since this was an aged sample there was a hint of almost oak-aged to it. My guess is this would age quite well even beyond the year I’ve had it. Everyone loved it. Well, everyone but the Miller-lite drinker.
Rasputin: this was distilled in Nashville, TN by Corsair Artisan from an Old Rasputin (North Coast) clone. My opinion is changing: yes, there is a hint of OR in the product, but whiskey tends to be more astringent than beer, due in part to the distilling process, so it’s a tad tough to isolate.
B25: my own Braggot made from a mead using cherry cider as a base and a brown ale.
Brandon Jones’ Sour Brown: OK, I have no idea what Brandon specifically called this brew, he gave all the judges two bottles at the Music City Brewer’s competition last November. We are fellow club members. I tasted it then and wondered where all the sour was. I’m glad to report it had developed nicely in the bottle and, yes, tis sour now.
Geuze Mariage Parfait: more horse blankety than rhubarb. Have one coming up I think is more rhubarb.
Hoppin Frog Doris the Destroyer: One of my favorite beers from a small brewery in Akron, OH. Viscous, substantial abv. (above 11, if I remember right) …this is black gold in a glass, IMO.
West 6th IPA and Sierra Nevada Pale Ale: I had bought half a case for Salt City Brewers to have when they came up, but a snafu kept all but two away. We did a comparison. The SN was hoppier and obviously, mostly, American hopped. A bit more bitter and hoppier than a Pale, despite being a classic. The 6th was spot on and, yes, probably Cascade or some other grapefruit-like hop. One of our tasters may have nailed the other hop as Willamette. This made it more complex and interesting.
More after next weekend where we’ll be on the front porch of Beaver River Lodge.