Tasting No. 11 @ Metche’s (day 2)

PETIT LA CHOUFFE

http://www.achouffe.be/en

ABV 8%

OH GOD! I heart the garden gnome!!! The real selling point is the hoppy coriander taste and rich garden herbs and spices all blending in on themselves in taste. This was the first ale I discovered a year or so ago that made me appreciate the Belgian ale. I don’t drink it often, because I’m not a regular Belgian ale drinker—please understand, that stuff is dynamite, but too much is explosive! I’m always a willing taster of Belgian ales if offered, but I rarely choose one to drink at the pub…unless its just to sample it. But I DO appreciate that art work in terms of the brew master.

Tasting No. 10 @ Metche’s (day 2)

Aron Faria’s Home Brewed Porter

This was the second home brew I had tasted of Aron’s and the beginning of my next step in beer appreciation: making your own at home!!! I met Aron at BevMo (of all places) pouring the wine tastings and his enthusiasm for beer chat soon caught my attention—he wasn’t talking wine anymore, and I liked it! I forgot how much I love talking about beer! See?! I’m even blogging, since I can’t always find a willing ear to listen, haha! He generously gave me a bottle of his porter and I took it willingly, even though I’m not a big porter fan. But I soon realized that the only reason I didn’t like porters is because of the amount of bad ones I’d tasted. Aron’s was good, balanced, rich porter taste—not too sweet. It was Metche’s favorite and impressed the hell out of me. Since then I’ve paid a lot more attention to home brewing. Thank you Aron! Thanks for being a generous and knowledgeable soul that understands the fine art of home brewing—tasting is SO BEE-LEE-ving!



Tasting No. 9 @ Metche’s (day 2)

Samuel Smith’s Old Brewery Pale Alehttp://www.merchantduvin.com/pages/5_breweries/samsmith.html 

Oh how I love drinking this brewery and this pale ale fits right in the line-up as “holding its own” under pressure of tasting. This was the first time trying this and I’m glad I did: for one, this is classic English ale; lovely, broad tasting sweet malted barley, and a rich ale mouth feel. What I refer to as a “good sipping ale” meaning, all you need is this ale and a pal for a lovely time. Sometimes food distracts from great brew, and this ale should be tasted if only once on its own, not paired. It’s a meal in itself. Also, I LOVE the rich amber color of this brew in the glass…so inviting!



Tasting No. 8 @ Metche’s (day 2)

Banana Bread Beer

http://www.wellsandyoungs.co.uk/

ABV 5.2%
Banana Bread Beer you say? Wonder what that tastes like? Well its like drinking banana bread made with a beer batter. Bulls-eye! Not much more to say except perhaps this beer would pair well with fried plantains.



Tasting No. 7 @ Metche’s (day 2)

Sea Dog Blue Paw Wheat Ale

http://www.seadogbrewing.com/seadogbrews.php

ABV 4.7%
Well, this one is like drinking a blueberry muffin with butter…maybe it’s a breakfast beer, haha!

Tasting No. 6 @ Metche’s (day 2)

Bitburger Premium Beer

http://www.bitburger.com/

“Bitte ein Bit!” (That’s German for “one Bitburger please,” but it sounds better in German.) I hate to say “skunky” about a German beer, in fact, I don’t find skunky beers offensive, there’s a time and place for skunky beers and this was the time and place. Now this was a good skunky-crisp with slightly sweet malt finish—very drinkable, excellent German beer. I love seeing this often in beer retail stores that have a good import selection.

Tasting No. 5 @ Metche’s (day 2)

Anderson Valley, Boont ESB (Extra Special Beer)

http://www.avbc.com/beers/boont-extra-special-beer/

ABV 6.8%
This was a revelation in bitter for me; I love a hoppy brew to be sure! This fell right into place. I bought this in a variety pack and it was the surprise I love—found the ruby red hop citrus along with smooth, balanced flavor. Another staple in my ale arsenal of love.