Beers and Booze

Chris is beer blogging, too, with a goal of dominating the BC beer blogging market! I'll try to think up enough to say about a beer to write some reviews for it.

Palo Santo Marron, Dogfish Head, DE

The New Yorker had an article that it introduced by discussing Dogfish Head's Palo Santo Marron.

It was thick and sweet. Its called a "malt beverage", so I suspect it isn't brewed with hops, and it definitely tastes malty.

We split a 12 fl.oz. (about 350 ml by modern measures) bottle among three. I don't think I could drink a pint, and I don't think I'll buy it again, either, though it was fun to try. The New Yorker article is better than the beer!

Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout, North Coast Brewing, CA

I really, really, like this, despite not usually liking high alcohol beer. I agree with this review:

"These folk don't fool around with their beers. Very big, very complex, and downright kick-ass."
-The BrewGuide

I want to try the special aged Rasputin, but I can't! Life is hard. :-)

On Wednesday, November 26, North Coast will bottle the long-awaited Old Rasputin XI to celebrate the eleventh anniversary of the first bottling of Old Rasputin. This special batch of Old Rasputin has been aging for a year in oak bourbon barrels, and it is truly amazing—even more depth and complexity than we had hoped for. Old Rasputin XI will be available only at the Brewery retail store in Fort Bragg beginning on Friday, November 28—the day after Thanksgiving. (How about that for perfect holiday timing!) It will be packaged in a 500 ml. bottle with commemorative labels and a cork and cage finish at $12.95 per bottle. Limit is one case per customer. Some for now, some for cellaring. Sorry, we are unable to ship beer to consumers. Don’t be left out of this milestone event. When this batch is gone, it’s gone.

Roman says the Russian on the label says "A good friend is not born".

Vive le vent / Jingle bells

J'ai fini mon premier livre de leçon d'accordéon. Ça finit avec Vive le vent! Alors voici les résultats!

Puppet theatre in progress

Now we will paint and add the decorations! Hans is doing a fabulous job!

Chocolate Porter, Phillips Brewing, BC

I like Phillips. Reasonable beers, well-made.

And one weird one, the chocolate porter! Julie and I walked over to the Locus for a pint tonight (Julie's idea to cool down after some vigorous yogging). The chocolate was on tap, and it was pretty tasty! Definitely tasted of chocolate, but not too strong or weird. Very enjoyable!

Porter, Okanagan Spring, BC

OK Spring was the first craft beer I remember in BC that was sold by the bottle. It was also the beer of choice for many treeplanters in the late 80s, early 90s. So much so that I once walked into a BCLD store in Vernon, and the woman behind the counter said "sorry, we're out of okanagan springs. where are you planting?".

Anyhow, at that time craft breweries were called microbreweries, because they were, and they all had enough pride to make a range of beers that actually TASTED different (no honey brown, brown lager, pale ale, crystal ale, gold lager, etc.). Granville Island Hotel, I'm talking to you!

So, OK's was the first porter I drank. I found it a bit thick and soupy at the time and preferred their stout, but when chilled to mountain stream temperature out back of the tent, it was perfect. Not refrigerator cold, not room temperature either. Good at the end of a hot dirty day.

Anyhow, they have a porter again. Its pretty tasty, but 8.5%ABV, and you can feel that!

Bete Noir, Paddock Wood Brewing, SK

Yeah, from Saskatoon!

Mike really liked this. I though it was good, not great. It had a bit too much of that "burnt" flavour stouts can get.

Eight-Ball Stout, Lost Coast Brewery, CA

I really liked this stout! Its about $14/6 at Brewery Creek, which is OK, and as tasty as the St. Ambroise.

Raspberry Porter, Tree Brewing Co, BC

Nice! A bit of rasberry taste, and a nice porter. Will drink it again.