Beer notes

[randy_byers]

Had another beer session with Scott and carl last night. I didn't even dip into the stash I brought back from Belgium and Britain. Instead my contribution was three years of Big Time Old Wooly Barleywine -- 2007, 2008, and 2009. (The 2010 was released a couple of weeks ago.) Note to reverendjim: You might as well drink that bottle of 2009 now, because all three years tasted practically identical. The 2007 might have been a tad sweeter, but that was about it. Aging it does smooth out the taste, but it appears that after one year there isn't any noticeable improvement. On the other hand, the text on the label seems to get darker.


(Click to enlarge. Click again for humongo-view.)

The three other beers we tried included the IPA from Airways Brewing in Kent, which was mostly notable for being one of the first bottles they've released. It's a perfectly fine strong IPA (about 8% ABV), but nothing special. The other two beers would make the high-heeled fishlifter happy, I bet. Dogfish Head's Bitches Brew (the label uses the artwork from Miles Davis' album) is a blend of three imperial stouts with something -- a mead? -- made with honey and gesho root, which is an African plant that has been used in the place of hops (according to Wikipedia). Don't know that I could taste the gesho, but I could taste the imperial stouts. Superb. In a similar vein was Lost Abbey's Deliverance, which is a blend of imperial stout and their Angel's Share barleywine. One of those beers -- like BrewDog's Tactical Nuclear Penguin -- that approaches the condition of liqueur. Divine.

Comments

[reverendjim.livejournal.com]

I don't think that Old Wooly is going to hang around for too much longer then. I may wait until there's a good handing it around opportunity. I'm looking forward to it.

Those last two sound rather fine. I've heard that Dogfish Head are stopping exporting to the UK as they don't have enough beer for the US, which is a bit of a shame. Not that we get much of their stuff, and haven't had it for long. I did get some Palo Santo on draught at the opening of a new bar the other month, which was a good end to a night out.

[randy-byers.livejournal.com]

I haven't had the Palo Santo, and there are actually a number of theirs I haven't tried. On the other hand I got a six-pack of their Indian Brown Ale last night. One of my favorites.

[reverendjim.livejournal.com]

I had the IBA earlier in the year; yeah, pretty nice. Have you had Mikkeller's Jackie Brown by the way? That's very good.
The Palo Santo's very much a "big" beer. 12%, dark and full of flavour. Really good.

[randy-byers.livejournal.com]

No, I haven't seen the Jackie Brown. In fact, I was kicking myself last night for not checking for Mikkellers while I was at Bottleworks.