Solstice beer session

[randy_byers]

Scott and carl were over last night. We made a list this time, so we could remember what was upstairs in the fridge.





Update: More misspellings: It should have been "LambickX", with a K. From yet another new geuze blender, this was their first release.

Comments

[daveon.livejournal.com]

So you're ready for Panto then :)

[randy-byers.livejournal.com]

Is that today? Oof.

[holyoutlaw.livejournal.com]

"Lambic" always makes me think of "iambic." Lambic pentameter would be doggerel written while drunk.

[randy-byers.livejournal.com]

I love it!

[randy-byers.livejournal.com]

Lambic pentameter would be five stumbling beats.

[holyoutlaw.livejournal.com]

"The Stumbling Beats" is the name of the group, lambic pentameter is what you rap in, and beer is what you rap about. Go!

[fishlifter.livejournal.com]

And once again I wonder why it is I don't live in Seattle. Hope you all had as good a time as those pictures suggest.

Which Black Hole is that? White wine barrel? (I had a bottle of the red wine one in the Craft Beer Co. last week, having first enjoyed half a pint at the extremely enjoyable Meet the Brewer session with Mikkeller at Cask in the autumn... It's only lunchtime but I'm on holiday and I could just drink some now, or some oak-aged Yeti which I do actually have in the house. But that won't get our fanzines posted.)

And barrel-aged Old Rasputin? I'm just going to think about that for a while. And not in any way go out to The Claret to have some Dark Star Imperial Stout to console myself. (Although possibly, if we go out later to put the fanzines in the big post box, we could stop there on the way back. Holidays. I love 'em. Hope yours are good too.)

[randy-byers.livejournal.com]

Woohoo! Fanzine! Go, Fishlifters!

As for the Black Hole, the label says it was aged in bourbon barrels. The wine-barrel varieties sound interesting! The Old Rasputin was also aged in bourbon barrels, and it had a very nice vanilla flavor. Lovely stuff.

Happy holidays!

[fishlifter.livejournal.com]

Having became rather fond of Redemption's Bourbon Dusk at last year's Old Ale Festival at the White Horse, I would definitely like to try both the Old Rasputin and Black Hole in bourbon barrels, and having seen comments downstream shall be encouraging reverendjim even more about that plan of a trip to the BrewDog bar in early January...

It rained yesterday afternoon and we couldn't be arsed to go out in it. Fanzine consequently posted this morning.

[reverendjim.livejournal.com]

Wow, that certainly looks like a good line-up. There are a few I had to look up to see who made them (still unsure about "American Winter Classic") but they all sound like things I'd want to drink.

Barrel-aged Old Rasputin sounds rather wonderful. BrewDog's new bar in London has had the Black Hole aged in cognac barrels on tap, though I've not got around to it yet. More new geuze? Hell, yeah, I'd be up for that. Definitely looks like a good night all round.

There's a gathering round chez fishlifter on Friday night; I think I shall have a rummage and see what interesting brews I can dig out for that.

[randy-byers.livejournal.com]

We didn't get to the American Winter Classic, which was by a local brewery that I've forgotten the name of. A newish one, I think. Scott brought a growler of that, just in case we ran out of beer, ho ho ho.

The two Trader Joe's were made by Unibroue, as you probably discovered. The LambickX cost an arm and a leg, but it was really good. (We paired it with shots of Oban, which was an incredible taste combination.)

The Black Hole in cognac barrels sounds amazing!

[reverendjim.livejournal.com]

I've had a couple of Unibroue bottles in the past and thought them pretty decent but not seen any for years; presumably some distribution change or something. Seems slightly odd as I thought they had some major money behind them.

Strubbe have a beer on my 100 Belgian list that I'm yet to track down. I'm sure I've seen it in the past, but not since I started "the project". Hm, really need to write more up at some point.

I should be off to the BrewDog bar again in a few minutes. I may see if they have the cognac Black Hole, but they're supposedly having six beers from Lagunitas tonight, which is a first for the UK, so it might end up being a hoppy night rather than a dark (and stormy) one.

[randy-byers.livejournal.com]

I've been enjoying some of Lagunitas lately, despite the fact that I'm not a big fan of uber-hoppy beers in general. Their pale ale is is nice, and their holiday beer is a very hoppy brown ale that I also liked despite the fact that it wasn't a typical winter ale. It's more like Sierra Nevada's Celebration, I guess. They also had a sour version of their Little Sumpin that was quite good. Ooh yes, and Google has reminded me that their Doppel Weizen has been my favorite thing by them so far.

[reverendjim.livejournal.com]

Well I had their pale ale (New DogTown) last night and it was indeed nice. I also went for the Hop Stoopid and Maximus, which went down nicely too. pingopark had the Little Sumpin Wild, which I'd say was more "Belgian" than "sour" but seemed rather good from my taste.

I assume the holiday beer you mention is the Brown Shugga; I've heard good things about it before. Though from their website it looks like they've not made it this year.
One of the barmen last night said the brewery is massively expanding next year, so if that means they have more beer to send over here then, judging from last night, I'll be fine with that.

[randy-byers.livejournal.com]

Shows you how closely I've been paying attention! What they released this year (which I had) was Lagunitas Sucks Holiday Ale: "This sad holiday season we didn’t have the brewing capacity to make our favorite seasonal brew, the widely feared BrownShugga’ Ale." This has to do with the massive expansion, I guess. So they made this beer instead, which they categorize as an American Strong Ale -- "a ‘Cereal Medley’ of Barley, Rye, Wheat, and Oats…. Full of complexishness from the 4 grains, and weighing in at 7.85% abv, then joyously dry-hopped for that big aroma and resinous hop flavor."

"Complexishness" seems kind of a hedge, doesn't it? Anyway, "resinous hop flavor" sounds about right from my memory.

Actually, I don't think I've ever had the Brown Shugga, but I'll make sure to try it next year.

[fishlifter.livejournal.com]

I am looking forward to the results of your rummaging.

Especially since you actually get your beer delivered when you order it...

[reverendjim.livejournal.com]

Are the boots to encourage me? Hmmmmmm....

Anyway there's at least one thing I was thinking of bringing that's on fringefaan's list. Or possibly a variant of it. We'll see.