Beer tasting

Cafe Society
#1

I attended a beer tasting last weekend at my local beeremporium. It was awesome. Pennsylvania is behind most of the nation/world but our liquor laws are slowly catching up.

The one before this was “sour beers” themed. This one was all beer imported by Merchant du Vin.

We tasted many of Samuel Smith’s ales and stouts. The apricot ale really rocked! Also tasted were Lindeman’s Lambics, a bunch of Trappist ales, Zatec Czech lagers, and some Pinkus German organic beers. I believe there were 33 altogether.

A rep from Merchant duVin gave a talk with pictures form each brewery/abbey/whatever. There were prizes galore (I won a glass).:smiley:

Anyone else been to a beer tasting lately? Any interesting themes?

#2

A “beer club” I was part of in NC did this. I esp loved the IPA tastings :slight_smile: Though IPAs are something I have to be in the mood for. Fun thing to do though. Didn’t cost too much and you get to try a number of diff beers (I think they were 2 oz samples).

And what’s wrong with IC Light?? :wink:

#3

Heh. I’ve drunk IC Light. These pats sometimes people have only that in a keg at their party.

I actually like some pedestrian beers. We take Bud Light Lime kayaking, for instance!:eek:

Working in the yard, I’ve been enjoying Michelob Ultra 19th Hole, a tea/lemonade/beer.

#4

Up until recently I was not a beer snob, but since I’ve been brewing my own I’ve become one. The typical national beers are nothing but watered down junk. The micro breweries are usually good. Same Adams still makes a good national marketed beer.

#5

Had 1/4 bottle of Sam Adams Utopias last year. Man!

#6

It is neat, particularly if someone else is buying… Closest thing to Madiera I’ve ever had in beer. Quite the treat.

Merchant du Vin brings in quite a few really interesting beers. Ayinger, Orval, Rochefort, Traquair, Westmalle: all are among the world standard-bearers for their classes (Trippel, Dopplebock, Trappist, Lambic, and however you class Traquair) of beer.

Sounds like fun.

#7

The order that you listed the actual brands of beer in doesn’t correctly correspond with their respective styles, does it?

#8

Well, I listed the breweries alphabetically, but not the styles. The styles’ order also doesn’t map to the breweries, so I’m not, e.g., familar with Ayinger making a Trippel… (Though it’d be really good, I’d think? A wheat Trippel, with gobs of candy sugar and weird banana-y esters from the wheat? I’d buy it.)

However, I’d put: Ayinger Celebrator (in the U.S.) Dopplebock, Westmalle Trippel (and a Trappist too), Rochefort ‘10’ Trappist, Lindemans Kriek and Traquair House Ale among the finest beers/lambics in the world.

#9

Yep, it was a great tasting, indeed!

Can’t wait to see what the next one’s theme will be. I hear there will be an Xmas tasting, but hopefully there will be one or two more before then.

#10

Those esters, isoamyl acetate, come from the yeast.