American Home Brewers Rally

Well I went to the American Home Brewers Rally at The Lost Abby brewery this weekend. It was a great time. If you are into home brewing I recommend joining the Brewers Association. You will be supporting a great cause.

I paid $43 to get a family membership for my fiance and I. That got me 4 tasting tickets and a entry into the raffle. The day started with everyone just hanging out in little groups but as the more and more beer was consumed people started to be more friendly. Pizza was provided by Pizza Port which was delicious.

I got to try Lost Abby Veritas 002 as it was released for this event. It was a very good tasting beer. While I didn't do tasting notes I will say that it had amazing amounts of complex flavors going on in it. Lots of fruit flavors and malts. I wish I could have taken home a growler of it. Since I couldn't I got a pint of it. While it was $8 for the pint it was well worth it. I think it was this pint that made me forget which color my raffle ticket was compaired to the free tasting tickets. It wasn't till the raffle that I realized that I had traded in my ticket for a free beer. Who knows maybe I would have won one of the cool prizes. Oh well maybe next time.

There was a tour of the brewery given by Tomme Arthur where he explained his philosophy on brewing. Tomme is one talented brewer and he has won numerous awards in national competitions. If you get a chance to sample Lost Abby beers I would do it. They are well worth the money.

Overall it was a great time. I got to meet alot of really cool people and the staff at Lost Abby rocks. So big thanks goes out to them for hosting a great event and also to the AHA.

I have a bunch of tasting notes I need to throw up in my next post. It ended up being an amazing beer weekend so there is much to cover!

Cheers,
Cromster

One more beer review for Friday night

Had one more Belgian beer tonight. This one was a triple called Dulle Teve which stands for "Mad Bitch." According to their website they told the US that it meant triple so that they wouldn't change the lable.

It is made by a brewery that I am really becoming fond of called De Dolle Brouwers.

This is a belgian style triple with an ABV of 10%



Here is the review...

• Poured from a Bottle into a trappist goblet
• Appearance - Golden yellow in color with a thick foamy white head. Good lacing and the head lasted the whole tasting.
• Smell - Citrus, yeast. Very sweet smelling. This beer has a great smell.
• Taste - Citrus, spices, yeast and hops, all with a good solid alcohol kick to it.
• Mouthfeel - Feels warm in the mouth with lots of bubbles. Almost reminds me of champange.
• Drinkability - This is one great tripel. I personally am a big fan of triples and this is one of the best I have had so far. I could see myself knocking back a few in a sitting.
• Rating = A

Cheers!

Cromster

Friday Night Beer Reviews

Friday night is here and it is time for some new beers! The first review for the night is Quintine Blonde from Brasserie Ellezelloise brewery in Belgium.


We purchased this beer in Belgium while on our beer quest at the recommendation of a wonderful gentleman named Nasser who runs the store Beer Mania in Brussels.

As you can see the bottle comes with a cool little flip top. Quintine is pronounced like the English word, "canteen."

This is a belgian style blonde ale with a ABV of 8.0%.

• Apperance - Hazy golden yellow with a creamy white head about 1-2 fingers deep. Good lacing all around the glass. Lots of sediment floating in this one.


• Smell - Citrus, apples and yeast. Sweet yet tart smelling with a good amount of alcohol.


• Taste - Yeast flavors are right up front with some hints of apple and citrus. The finish is very hoppy but not overpowering. The alcohol comes through strong in the end and warms the mouth.


• Mouthfeel - Good amount of carbonation with a nice crisp feel.


• Drinkability - If you are in the mood for a hoppy beer with a good crisp refreshing feel this beer is for you. I could drink this one alot on a nice warm summer day.


• Serving type: bottle poured into a trappist goblet.
• Rating = A-

This was a very enjoyable beer that I would recommend to anyone that likes blondes.

Cheers!
Cromster

Stone Brewery Special Tap Night

Finally my first beer review.

We went to Stone Brewery and Bistro Gardens last night to take part in their special release of Smoked Porter with Vanilla Bean.

If you have not been to Stone Brewery I highly recommend the trip if you live in San Diego. They have a great selection of beers and a amazing atmosphere. It is a great place to hang out with friends. Either at the bar or in the garden area out by the ponds and waterfall.

The food is a bit on the pricey side but you can't beat the beer. They also have many harder to find beers in bottles.

Anyways on to the first review.

• Appearance - Deep red color with a light foamy head. Moderate lacing on the glass.
• Smell - Smokey caramel and vanilla. I couldn't stop smelling this beer as I drank it.
• Taste - Tastes of coffee and vanilla with slight hints of chocolate and earth. Finish is mildy bitter
• Mouthfeel - Feels good in the mouth and hits the top of your palate with a mild alcohol bite.
• Drinkability - Very easy drinking and refreshing. I could drink this beer all night long thanks to the flavor and the lower ABV of 5.9%.
• Serving type: on-tap
• Rating = A

Cheers!
Cromster