Beer Advent Day 3

Duchesse de Bourgogne
Reddish-brown Flemish ale
Brouwerij Verhaeghe, Vichte, Belgium
0.33liter bottle, 6%abv

This is quite nice.

Pours dark amber to light brown, with a thick light-colored head that lingers well.

Aroma is of subtle cola notes, with a slight hint of spice and wild yeast notes.

Flavor is delightful -- there's a great sweet malt base balanced by a subtle sourness and some light bitterness in the finish.

This is a damn tasty beer -- I've never seen it before, so if you do, grab it, you won't be disappointed.

Fearless Scottish Ale

As noted below, this is the second advent beer. Although I haven't had the first one yet, I tried it at the big Belgian tasting last night, and it will age nicely.

Anyway, this is a nice mellow malty ale, very appropriate for the style. Nice and clear with a good amber color. Flavor is all about the malt, although it's balanced and not overly sweet.

A nice change from all the over-the-top beers from last night.

Beer Advent Day 2

Fearless Scottish Ale
16oz can, 5.3%abv
Fearless Brewing Company, Estacada, Oregon

Being Belgian Beer #11

Quelque Chose
50% dark ale and 50% brown ale brewed with cherries.
8%abv
Unibroue, Quebec, Canada

Served over ice, very interesting spicy holiday ale.

Being Belgian Beer #10

Experimental Raspberry Lambic, Hanssens Artisanaal, Dworp, Belgium.

Ridiculously sour -- too much so without a food pairing, luckily we had dessert to go with it.

Final food course

Belgian chocolate chestnut truffle mousse.

Being Belgian Beer #9

Wadesda #1
Sour Belgian ale. Very tasty, extremely sour, but super yummeh. Technically it's a blend of a lambic and a Trippel, but the Trippel is not terribly apparent.

Being Belgian Beer #8

2008 Pannepot Reserva
Old fisherman's ale aged on oak
10%abv

Tasty.

3rd food course

Ardennes style stewed Venison with poached apples and potatoes.

Yummeh.

Being Belgian Beer #7

Malheur Brut Reserve, champagne style beer. Tasty -- a good alternative to sparkling wines for special occasions.

Being Belgian Beer #6

Melange a Trois, Belgian Blond aged in chardonnay barrels, from... NEBRASKA!?!

Wow, a good beer from Nebraska, a pleasant surprise.

Food course #2

Cream of squash soup with mussels.

Being Belgian Beer #5

De Prouf Pinhead Flemish Primitive wild ale.

Extremely yummeh. Lots of funky wild ale notes.

Being Belgian Beer #4

La Bavaisienne Bier de Garde

Similar to the previous saison, but with a more complex malt character and better balance.

Being Belgian Beer #3

De Ranke Saison -- very bitter. Quite different than the previous two.

Being Belgian Beer #2

Stille Nacht -- which happens to be the first beer in the advent calendar too.

1st food course

Meat, cheese and veggies. Yummeh!

Being Belgian Beer #1

I probably won't say too much about the beers as we go. This is the first one -- it's a Swiss "after ski" ale, served warm (!). Surprisingly tasty.

Being Belgian #7

It's time again for the big Belgian beer/food extravaganza. Good times ahead this evening!

Beer Advent Day 1!

It's the first day of Advent, so here's the first beer.

It's Stille Nacht from De Dolle Brouwers in Belgium. 12%abv, 0.33 liter bottle, bottled October 2009.

I've never had it before, so I'm looking forward to trying it tonight!

Speaking of Advent...

Just a quick reminder of the beers from last year to get us prepped for the bounty of daily beer awesomeness to come...

Happy Thanksgiving

After a couple days of cold and snow, turkey day cleared and warmed up a smidge. Beautiful scenery and good weather are two of many things, including the annual beer advent calendar starting Sunday, to be thankful for.

Happy Thanksgiving!

No more cast

I just have to wear this thing for a few more weeks. At least I can take it off for showering.

Wreck The Halls

Hoppy Holiday Ale
Full Sail Brewing, Hood River, Oregon
22oz bottle, 6.5%abv

This one is better than the last, but still not super. Billed on the label as a "sublime hybrid of an american IPA and a winter warmer" -- it's not really sublime, and I'm not really getting much of the hybrid bit either. If they simply billed it as an American IPA, it would be a good beer. It's all hops, both in the nose and taste, with little body or spiciness.

It's a tasty beer, it just really doesn't feel like it fits well in the winter category.

Old Humbug Winter Ale

Southern Oregon Brewing, Medford, Oregon
22oz Bottle, 8.2%abv

This is meh. Color is dark and clear. Light head dissipates quickly. Slight malt aroma but not really a ton of anything in the nose. There's is a hint of paper in the nose. Flavor is sort of "off" with more paper notes. There's a dry, bitter finish, but the bitterness is a bit harsh.

Overall not impressed.

Bear Republic Tribute Brown Ale

American Brown Ale
22oz bottle, 6.3%abv
Bear Republic Brewing, Healdsburg, CA

Pours dark brown with a medium tan head.

Aroma is malty with subtle hops.

Flavor is strongly malty, with a solid hit of roastiness that hits immediately.

Finishes nicely dry and balanced but not overly bitter.

A very nice American Brown from the republic of bears.

Dogfish Head Palo Santo Marron

Brown Ale aged in palo santo wooden casks.
Dogfish Head Brewing, Milton Delaware.
12%abv, 12 oz bottle

This is super yummy. Pours thick and black with a nice dark brown head. Aroma is lots of malt with some great vanilla and caramel notes. Nice rich mouthfeel but surprisingly drinkable for as crazy strong as it is.

Highly recommended.

The verdict is in...

and my wrist is broken. I'm sentenced to 17 more days in a cast. At least I get it off before Thanksgiving.

And since I had to get another cast -- on election day -- I went with blue to support my side...