Chat Thread - Official BotRH Beer Club

[Tyler Glembo]

So, I mentioned that I was going to a Remy Martin cognac tasting.  I learned a heckuva lot about cognac (the good stuff is a blend with hundreds or thousands of variables to get it just right), Remy Martin is the oldest maker, all the grapes comes from the heart of the Cognac region, you lose a lot of Cognac to evaporation with large grain wood but you get a better result, Remy Martin loses over 8,000 bottles/yr to evaporation because they use the large grain wood.  On to pictures though!

 

 

It was held in the Carnegie Mellon Library at Mt. Vernon square

 

We walked in and they gave us a golden token for a drink.  I had a 1738 on the rocks.  After our drink they brought us into a room where we saw this

 

It was a mixology set.  They gave us some XO (basically means extra old) and had us taste and smell it.  Then each group was supposed to try to mix-up something that would be the same as the XO.  You had a bottle of 4yr old, 8yr old, and 14 yr old to mix from.  Our group got 2nd place in terms of being closest to the actual blend.

 

Here is our final mix (left) next to the XO (right).

 

Then we learned a bit more about the history of Remy, saw the original charter that allowed them (and only them) access to the heart of the Cognac region, etc.  Very cool/interesting stuff.

 

Then...and this is the amazing part, they brought us into a room where the bunged a barrel of Centaur.  Remy is turning 290 and every 10 years they do something for their birthday.  Well, this time they are releasing a cognac called "Centaur."  It hasn't hit the U.S. yet but will be ~$200/bottle when it does.  Anyways, the guy pipetted it straight for the barrel and gave us each some.  It blew me away.  Seriously.  Everything else, the XO, the 1738, all of that, I was like, "Meh, cognac."  But the Centaur I will go buy when it comes out.  A-MAZE-ING!  Seriously go get some as soon as you can.  Worth every penny of whatever you spend, I promise.

[Tyler Glembo]

Inspired by my Remy experience, I decided to go shopping today.  This is what I bought...

 

 

From left to right...

 

Triple Karmeliet, Firestone WookeyJack, Ommegang Scythe & Sickle Seasonal, AndyGator, Poperings Hommel Ale, Delirium Red, Ommegang 3 Philosophers, Allagash Curieux Bourbon Beer, Allagash Black, Heavy Seas Peg Leg, Maudite, Edmund Fitzgerald, and Lucifer. 

 

And I grabbed a couple cigars too, so tonight is going to be a good night ;-)

[Yates]

From left to right...

 

Triple Karmeliet, Firestone WookeyJack, Ommegang Scythe & Sickle Seasonal, AndyGator, Poperings Hommel Ale, Delirium Red, Ommegang 3 Philosophers, Allagash Curieux Bourbon Beer, Allagash Black, Heavy Seas Peg Leg, Maudite, Edmund Fitzgerald, and Lucifer.

You must have misplaced my invite... :(

 

Have you had any of these before? I've had all but the AndyGator, Lucifer, and Poperings.

[Tyler Glembo]

I haven't had the Wookey Jack (until an hour ago), the Scythe & Sickle seasonal, the Red, or the Black.  The rest I have.  And you're invited anytime you make it down this way.

 

You should definitely have the Lucifer and the Poperings, they are great.  The AndyGator is a nice beer, but not at the level of those two.

[Yates]

I'm a fan of the Wookey. The Allagash Black is REALLY nice and interesting beer. Good sipper. If I could encourage you to try the 3 Philosophers with a nice medium rare steak? It will blow your mind. Perfect pairing.

[Tyler Glembo]

The Wookey was good, but I'm still not a huge IPA guy.  I recognize why it's good but I don't appreciate it as much as I do other styles of beer.  I'm excited to try the Black, I've heard good things.  And I'll happily be persuaded to try any of these with a medium rare steak.  I like how you order your steak, sir!

 

Question for you, where could I get my hands on a Pliny?

[Yates]

Question for you, where could I get my hands on a Pliny?

Beer trade. That's it. Unless you have a hookup in the Santa Rosa/Sonomoa California area, that beer is near impossible to get. Kind of like Heady Topper. It's a Unicorn beer.

[Yates]

I like this bar. A lot.

http://thecitybeerhall.com/menus/

 

Why do I like them? They are tapping a barrel of Hill Farmstead Earl tonight.

 

I'm trying to figure out how to smuggle some out.

[Barmacral]

That is a pretty fantastic looking bar.

 

So Friday night I'm hosting dinner for a couple of friends who also like beer. I'm making a chicken bacon dish with a garlic mushroom sauce and want to try my hand at beer / food pairings. Thinking that I am going to do a La Trappe Blonde to go with this, I think it will suit it well.

[Yates]

Woah. There's a lot going on there. What's your thinking with the La Trappe and how it will pair?

[Barmacral]

I have a bunch of fairly strong flavours already in the food that may hide the chicken flavour somewhat, I'm hoping for another softer flavour that complements the chicken and helps it stand out a bit amongst the strong flavours. I'm not using huge amounts of bacon in this, and the garlic and mushroom sauce is a white creamy sauce. I opted to go complementary instead of contrast, and the La Trappe Blonde is strong but mellow flavour, nothing overwhelming that will take away from the food, but not light either. Based on what I've read, complementary is somewhat based on colour (though obviously not entirely), and hoppy beers should be avoided.

[Yates]

Yeah, hoppy supposedly goes better with spicy. Even then, it's kind of a tough pairing because it hits your pallet so hard. I'd pair a hoppy beer with something like a big soft pretzel with coarse salt and maybe a mustard dipping sauce. I think hoppy and doughy works better for me personally.

 

Anyway, I like the idea of the blonde. Let me know how it works out!

[Krakalakachkn]

Belgian blond sounds good.  I don't think a mild saison would hurt either.

[Barmacral]

Beer choice worked out really well. Both guests really liked it too.

[Tyler Glembo]

Will update your beer card shortly Barm.

 

 

Also, Yates, I hear you have some beer porn for me?

[Guest]

lol "beer porn"

 

 

i made some blasphemies this week end ... didn't drink beer at all but these :

 

 

 

glasses were wayyyyy too small lol

[Barmacral]

Wouldn't call it blasphemy to enjoy non-beer booze. Otherwise nobody would be able to enjoy whiskey or cognac. What are those drinks anyways?

[Yates]

Also, Yates, I hear you have some beer porn for me?

Big time. I'll post on Friday - only because I can't get to the pix until then. It might be more jizzy for homebrewers but I still think you will appreciate it.

[Tyler Glembo]

*rubs hands together in anticipation*

[Yates]

In the mean time, I had one of these today...

 

 

Yeah.  It's really good.  It's got some roast character and a hint of coffee without beating you over the head.  I would have liked a bit more body and maybe a touch more sweetness but really that's nitpicking.

[Guest]

Wouldn't call it blasphemy to enjoy non-beer booze. Otherwise nobody would be able to enjoy whiskey or cognac. What are those drinks anyways?

 

it is "peket" !

 

it's a kind of Jenever, with plenty of different tastes.

 

It has between 20 and 40 % of acohol, depending on the flavor.

 

I took cherry, kiwi and plenty of very belgian flavors lol

[Yates]

Beer porn - as promised:

 

"Is that a bourbon barrel you are fermenting your beer in, Yates?"

]

 

Why yes, yes it is.

 

We brewed 70 gallons of Old Ale and topped off a bourbon barrel we got from Allagash.

[Yates]

And if that doesn't get your juices flowing, this will:

 

 

Hill Farmstead Earl.  On tap.  Talk about a rare treat.

 

To be fair, it didn't live up to its "world class" reputation.  Don't get me wrong, it was a solid beer.  But I think I actually prefer Bell's Java Stout and the Bell's is a lot easier to get your hands on.  The Hill Farmstead had this bakers cocoa powder dryness to it that brought it down a notch for me.

[Krakalakachkn]

By the Beard of Zeus!

[Krakalakachkn]

The only Java stout I've ever had was infected.