Mekong is for Beer Lovers

We drove down to Mekong Restaurant in Richmond this week. The Vietnamese restaurant has been voted the Best Beer Bar in America for two years running. Proprietor An "Mekong" Bui's passion is craft beer and it shows in his restaurant, with the "Mekong is for beer lovers" and "Beer is the answer" slogans prominently displayed throughout.

The large draft selection is replete with hard-to-find beers. The crowded menu board behind the bar lists too many interesting beers to try in one short visit. We took a table in the dining room area and enjoyed a tasty Vietnamese dinner with our beer. The food menu is as extensive as the beer menu, though not being well-versed in the cuisine, I simply scanned for familiar ingredients, seasoned with enticing sauces. My shrimp and scallop dish with onions and a spicy oil was quite delicious. But, it was the beer that motivated the drive south.

Both Colleen and I opted for Gingerbread Stout from Hardywood Park Brewery. The pitch black Milk Stout has a mild, sweet vanilla and spice aroma. I found the aroma to be unexpectedly muted. The "gingerbread" did show itself in the flavor. The dark chocolate and roasted coffee flavored stout is enhanced with the tastes of gingerbread cookies; ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, molasses. The spiced aspect is not overwhelming, but grows as you drink the beer. The finish is somewhat bitter and astringent.

Gingerbread Stout and Oak Aged Yeti.
Social media photo by Colleen.

Another Virginia brewery, Center of the Universe, was represented on the beer menu by a beer with the intriguing name of El Duderino White Russian Milk Stout. As I was contemplating ordering another beer, I went back to the bar area to see if I could find An. I wanted to say hello since we'd never met in person. As soon as I introduced myself, the affable An remarked that there was a beer I had to try. He poured me a glass of what I suspected was El Duderino, which he confirmed. I took the glass back to our table and shared it with our party.

El Duderino White Russian Milk Stout is an interesting beer, and we had a hard time describing it. It was as dark as you'd expect from a milk stout, but the flavor diverged from the expected. There was some sweetness, and there was a burnt coffee flavor that predominated. A little vanilla and a hint of booze came through in the finish. This jury is still out on El Duderino, perhaps a side-by-side comparison to a proper White Russian is in order.

It was fortuitous that Great Divide Oak Aged Yeti was also on the menu at Mekong. Last week I enjoyed a glass of Yeti at Capital Ale House and remarked at the time I'd like to enjoyed the barrel-aged versions again. While at Mekong, our friend Checkered Flag selected the Oak Aged Yeti, and I got to steal a few sips of that as well.

In a coincidence that will be appreciated by the shooters reading this, as I was releasing my inner teenager and "checking in" on Facebook, I learned that we were "600 feet" distant from Colonial Shooting Academy. I am not very familiar with Richmond, and while I'd heard about this gun store and range, I did not know exactly where it was located. We all had a laugh realizing how close we were. Had we known, and planned accordingly, we could have visited the range before dinner! I now know there's a shooting and beer-related field trip in our future.

Dinner finished, we headed out for our drive home (first driving past the aforementioned shooting range.) When we had arrived for our early dinner, there were just a few tables occupied in the restaurant. As we left, at the normal dinner hour, there was a line of people going out the door waiting to get in to Mekong. Even on a Monday evening, folks seem to be ready to find out that beer is the answer.

A Dark Beer Evening

We went down to Capital Ale House for dinner and a beer or two last Friday. Due to the crowds, we were seated in the dining area instead of taking our preferred bar seats. The table servers are generally clueless about what's on tap, especially with regard to anything not listed on the (often outdated) beer menu. The dining table servers are well-versed in the food specials, but that's not really why we're there, is it? But, this is not an insurmountable problem, I simply make a point to review the tap handles myself whenever we end up at a table.

During my walk of the tap lineup, I spied a handle for Great Divide Yeti. It's been a while since I had this Russian Imperial Stout from one of my old favorite breweries. My first beer of the evening was an easy choice. This pitch black beer smells of dark roasted malt, espresso, dark chocolate, and a hint of smoke. The flavor is slightly sweet, with espresso and bitter chocolate notes. At 9.5% ABV it's a sipper, and was as enjoyable as I remember. Great Divide produces a number of versions of Yeti, including barrel-aged versions. Sipping my glass of Yeti the other night put me in the mood for tracking down a few of them once again.

My next beer choice was a bit more daunting. Do I repeat a beer I've enjoyed recently, while it's available, or try something new? I noticed on the menu that Sierra Nevada Narwhal was listed as an "upcoming" beer. Since the list was a couple of weeks old, and some of the other upcoming beers were already on, I took a shot and ordered the Narwhal. Unfortunately, our server returned with the news that it wasn't available. But for bonus points, he did return with samples of two other Stouts he suggested I might want to try; Blue Mountain Dark Hollow and Bell's Expedition Stout. Having had the Dark Hollow frequently, and recently, I opted for Expedition Stout. (Although I enjoyed the taster of the Blue Mountain beer as well.)

Bell's Expedition Stout is another dark Russian Stout, but one that takes "dark and bitter" to the next level. The aroma has roasted malt, and dark chocolate, with boozy underpinnings. To no surprise, the flavor profile continues with the same theme. The roasted malt, dark chocolate and espresso flavors are strong. The alcohol level makes its presence known in the flavor as well. A thick mouthfeel and a long-lingering bitter finish completes the picture. It's no secret that I like bold-flavored beers, and Expedition Stout met that preference quite well.

As an added beer bonus, Colleen was enjoying a flight of St. Bernardus beers; Witbier, Pater 6, Prior 8, Tripel, and Abt 12.  She graciously shared the flight with the rest of the table. It was a treat, and very interesting to sample most of the St. Bernardus lineup at one time. The Christmas Ale was listed as part of the flight as well, but was unavailable. Capital Ale House substituted N'Ice Chouffe, the Christmas Ale from Brasserie d'Achouffe, adding to the evening's beer variety. Not be daunted, we picked up a bottle of St. Bernardus Christmas Ale over the weekend for our upcoming Christmas celebrations at home.

As with most evenings at Capital Ale House, we left with full bellies and with memories of great beers.

An Afternoon of Beer & Food

On Saturday, we hosted the Beer and Food Tasting Event we had donated to our school's fundraising auction. Even though we've now put on this event for six years, the days leading up to it are filled with both anxiety and excited anticipation. Choosing just eight beers from the hundreds available is tough enough, but planning the accompanying food menu is a challenge too. The hardest part isn't picking what we're going to serve, it's narrowing it down! Even though planning, and beer shopping, starts weeks in advance, changes happen right up to the day of the event. But the work and stress all pays off when folks arrive and the fun begins.

Table ready for people, food and beer

We had eight people in for the tasting. Over the course of 4 hours we enjoyed eight different beers accompanied by eight different plates of food. I picked beers that showed the wide range of flavors available in craft beer, and purposefully selected beers that are easily found in the area. Colleen did an excellent job with the food. After deciding the type of food we wanted with each beer, she searched for recipes. One of the things that makes this exciting, is that she also uses this as an opportunity to try new recipes, so most of the recipes we've not had before. The menu pairings are based on our prior experiences with beer and food. With few exceptions, we don't repeat things we done previously. If I do say so myself, this menu was one of the best we've put together. All the combinations worked very well, and a few of the pairings were especially notable.

Vienna Lager

Devils Backbone Brewery, Roseland, Virginia

Vienna Lager (4.9% ABV)

Paired with Artichoke Dip and Tortilla Chips

Schwartz Bier

Devils Backbone Brewery, Roseland, Virginia

Schwartzbier  (4.9% ABV)

Paired with Antipasto Platter

Port City Optimal Wit 

Port City Brewing, Alexandria, Virginia

Belgian White Ale (5.0% ABV)

Paired with Peaches and Cream French Toast Casserole

Festina Pêche

Dogfish Head Brewery, Milton, Delaware

Berliner Weissbier (4.5% ABV)

Paired with Goat Cheese and Salmon Bites

Grateful Pale Ale

Star Hill Brewery, Crozet, Virginia

American Pale Ale (4.7% ABV)

Paired with Pork BBQ and Cornbread

Hercules Double IPA

Great Divide Brewing Company, Denver, Colorado

American Double/Imperial IPA (10% ABV)

Paired with Salty-Sweet Bacon Panini

Morning Glory Espresso Stout 

Old Dominion Brewing Company, Dover, Delaware

American Double / Imperial Stout (9.0% ABV)

Paired with Chocolate Lava Cake

Horn Dog Barley Wine

Flying Dog Brewery, Frederick, Maryland

Barley Wine Style Ale (10.2% ABV)

Paired with Blue Cheese, Sugared Walnuts and Pears

The two opening beers were chosen with a specific purpose in mind. Both beers are lagers, from the same brewery, both are equal in alcohol content, but the beers could hardly be more different. I wanted to address the false adage that dark beers are "heavy" and/or high in alcohol. Devils Backbone Schwartzbier is light bodied and very flavorful beer. One guest even commented before I made my pitch how she was expecting the beer to be heavy, and that she didn't usually like dark beer.

The Dogfish Head Fêstina Peche with Goat Cheese and Salmon Bites was a very popular serving. We'd never tried this combo, and in fact it's been a couple years since I drank this beer, but my memory of it was spot on. The sour, fruity beer stood up well to the strong flavors of the goat cheese and smoked salmon.

We served another grilled sandwich, this time a hearty, Salty-sweet Bacon Panini, with Great Divide Hercules Double IPA. I selected Hercules specifically for the shocking, strong flavor of the beer. One participant took a sip and immediately let out a "eeww"exclamation, so it worked. We all had a good laugh. The flavor of the beer held up well to the strong brie and bacon fillings.

The wrap up course of Flying Dog Horn Dog Barley Wine with Blue Cheese, Sugared Walnuts and Asian Brown-skinned Pears was a fitting, and surprisingly refreshing pairing. I selected a barley wine style ale specifically as a digestif. By this point in the feast everyone is quite full. Even though the beer is high in alcohol, it's a refreshing sipper especially in combination with the sugar-coated walnuts and fresh, juicy pears.

At the end of the afternoon even the more experienced craft beer drinkers in the crowd had a new appreciation and awareness of the variety available. And the one person who noted she really wasn't a beer drinker at the start, concluded that she actually does like it. It's just a matter of finding the right beer!

As good as the beers were, I have to admit that it's the tasty foods prepared by Colleen which make the event special. It's not just the beers that folks talk about, the tasty delights that Colleen prepares always impress. As one participant noted, "I liked the beer, but it was even better when I had the food with it." And that's why we do it.

All done but the cleanup

Herculean Memories

Several years ago my job required me to travel to Denver on a regular basis. As annoying as air travel was, and is, spending a few days in a great craft beer city made those trips tolerable. Without fail, I'd pay a visit to the Taproom at Great Divide Brewery to enjoy pints of their beers, including Great Divide Hercules Double IPA. The fact that Hercules is a favorite of mine is obvious from its frequent mention on these Musings. The beer was available, sporadically, in Virginia. I rarely bought it locally though. Why bring home well-traveled bottles when I was drinking it fresh, on draft at the source so often? However, I spied six-packs of Hercules on a store shelf recently, and since I'm no longer making those trips, I picked some up, for old times' sake.

Great Divide Hercules pours a deep copper color, with a thin but persistent beige head. The aroma is rich with pine and citrus hops, with some sweet malt thrown in. It's one of those beers that I spend as much time inhaling the aroma as I do tasting. And the taste follows right along with the aroma. The citrus and bitter hops are strong and intensely flavorful. There's a bit of sweetness in the background, but it serves only to balance and is not cloying. The mouthfeel is syrupy and sticky, and the bitter, resinous flavors linger in the mouth, for a long, long time.

This beer is as good as I remember. Digging out the Great Divide glass I brought home from the brewery helped to enliven those fond memories. Interestingly, during my visits to the brewery I'd often enjoy more than one pint of Hercules before heading off in search of dinner or to visit other breweries. These days, one glass of this 10% ABV drink is enough for the evening! I've still got five more waiting in the beer fridge to be enjoyed soon. I just have to find another evening with nothing else to do.

Espresso Oak Aged Yeti

Table for Two

I was killing some time in the local beverage store Friday afternoon, looking for some interesting beers to bring home, when I spied Great Divide Espresso Oak Aged Yeti Imperial Stout. Ah, the memories this brewery invokes. There was a time when I regularly travelled to Denver. I always looked forward to visiting the tasting room at Great Divide, and in fact that would be my first stop each evening before dinner. I've long been a fan of Yeti stout and have enjoyed the "standard" Yeti, the Oak Aged Yeti, and the Chocolate Oak Aged Yeti. I've not had the espresso-enhanced version. Needless to say, a bottle found its way home with me.

Espresso Oak Aged Yeti pours as black as night with a thick, mousse-like beige head. The aromas of dark roast coffee and dark chocolate greet the nose immediately. The head fairly quickly drops leaving behind a thin layer, but lots of lacing on the glass. The flavor is what I've come to expect from Yeti — rich, roasted notes, mildly bitter with a lingering, mild bitterness. The espresso addition may have enhanced the flavor a bit, but it isn't as prominent as I expected, and even hoped for.

Despite Spring-like weather, with temperatures in the 70's, I was looking forward to this dark, Winter-like treat. The bottle never even made it to the basement, but was served the same evening at room temperature. We enjoyed relaxing with our snifters of Yeti Stout. It was a great way to unwind after a busy week.

Another Health Benefit of Beer

Well, this is different...

The health benefits of beer have been reported, and debated, for some time. From advertising to more modern claims, I've heard it all. Or so I thought. The Great Divide BrewBlog has a post describing a beer massage, featuring of course, Great Divide beer. The Mile High Malt Scrub and Microbrew Massage is offered at Denver's Ritz-Carlton Spa. The 75-minute, $200 treatment features the brewery's Samurai Rice Ale and Yeti Imperial Stout. In addition to the beers being incorporated into a body rub, the recipient does get to drink both beers during the course of the massage.

I admit having had beer spilled on me more than once, and I never considered it a plus. But, as they say, we learn something new everyday.

See Beer Spa for a detailed description of the treatment.

Virginia Losing Great Divide

It was just two years ago that I was excited to report that Great Divide Brewing Company of Denver, Colorado was once again distributing in Virginia after a brief absence. Unfortunately this run of good fortune has ended for some in VA, at least for now. TheFullPint.com is reporting that Great Divide is pulling distribution from four states and six regions. The brewery issue the following statement:

We are pulling out of MI, RI, DE and CT due to our exponentially increasing orders. Additionally, we are pulling out of DC and southern and central VA. While we are excited to see this massive growth, we simply do not have the production capability to keep up with these orders. We appreciate the loyalty that our customers have shared with us in these states and hope to be back in the future.

While bad news for local Great Divide fans, the reason for this cutback isn't all bad. It means that Great Divide beers are so popular that the brewery can't keep up with demand.

From the statement above it appears that fans in Northern Virginia may still be in luck. Nonetheless, I think I'll have to make a stop on the way home from work and pick up a six-pack of my favorite Great Divide beer, Hercules Double IPA.

Beernews.org has more on the details behind Great Divide's decision.

Update: It looks like my home town is spared. As much as we hate to admit it, the Fredericksburg area is considered "northern Virginia." Our local distributor is Hop & Wine Beverage. Those in the area covered by Specialty Beverage will no longer get Great Divide.

Starting The New Year Off Right

Colleen and I wound down 2010 as we typically do; enjoying a good beer, watching a movie with our son, and calling it a night as soon as midnight rolls around. I hadn't selected a special beer in advance of the evening, so I dug deep in the beer fridge and came up with a bottle of Great Divide Oak Aged Yeti Imperial Stout. Like many of the beers I've put away, I don't know where or when I picked it up, but it was an unexpected surprise. We enjoyed the beer with some artery-clogging queso and chips. Not exactly a standard pairing but sometimes you just have to run with the mood.

2011 also started in a typical fashion; the celebration of Holy Mass for the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God. Shortly after Mass I made my way the outdoor pistol range to partake in another passion. I had the range to myself and spent the next hour and a half practicing my target transitions and running sprints between shooting positions. Without even making a New Year's resolution I got in some good exercise to start the year.

Later that evening, the muscles in my legs began revolting, and it was confirmed once again that I really do need to exercise more. But no problem, those aches were easily soothed by ending this day with yet another good beer. This time I selected a favorite Virginia beer, Starr Hill Northern Lights. I've long been a fan of Northern Lights. It's a good IPA that's "up front" enough to satisfy my hop-head cravings, yet balanced enough to keep drinking without killing the taste buds.

The beer, it always comes back to the beer.

The Session #28 - Think/Drink Globally

The 28th iteration of The Session is hosted by Brian Yaeger at Red, White, and Brew. The theme for this month is Think/Drink Globally.

So, in honor of Global Craft Beer Forever, I pose everyone writes about the farthest brewery (including brewpubs) you have visited and specifically the best beer you had there. Again, not your favorite or any old brewery you've been to, but the one that is the longest haul away, be it by airplane, car, ferry, rickshaw, whatever.

Well, for me, that's a simple assignment. I don't travel much, even for beer. However I am fortunate to be able to travel to Denver, CO on occasion for business. When I do, I make a point to visit the Great Divide Brewing Company and spend some time with the friendly folks at their Tap Room. Readers of the Musings know that I am a big fan of Great Divide beers. Picking any favorite beer is hard, but at Great Divide I would have to say it's the Hercules Double IPA. Double IPA is one of my favorite styles, and I especially enjoy this intensely hopped offering from Great Divide. Right from the start I enjoy the enticing aroma of citrus and malt. I often remark that I spend as much time with my nose in the glass as I do sipping. The flavor is strong, citrus hops with sufficient sweet malts to balance. This is a boldly flavored beer, but still nicely balanced. The finish is slightly bitter with a touch of alcohol warmth. Hercules is a beer to sip and linger over. Behind the big hop flavor lurks 9.1% ABV.

My evenings out in Denver typically start at the Great Divide Tap Room. I'll check out any limited or new beers they have on tap, but rarely fail to enjoy a Hercules while there. After a Hercules or two at the brewery, I'll begin my stroll to other Denver pubs and eateries such as Rock Bottom, Breckenridge, Falling Rock, to name a few.

Great Divide beers have only recently become once again available in Virginia. My local retailer didn't have Hercules when I last visited, but I will certainly pick some up if it appears. As far as the second part of the Session assignment, to drink and compare a similar beer, that will have to wait for a more appropriate time for a big DIPA than this Friday afternoon!

There are many points of interest in Denver for the beer enthusiast. Just reviewing my old posts about Denver and Great Divide has me yearning to make a return visit. You can read about some of those previous visits here.

Update, June 6: Brian has posted the Session roundup here.

Great Divide Returns to Virginia

Regular readers know that the Great Divide Taproom is on my "must stop" list whenever I visit Denver. Last June I lamented on this blog that Great Divide beers were no longer being distributed in Virginia. Recently I saw a post on Beer Advocate stating that the beers were back in Virginia. Not wanting to get my hopes up over a rumor, I immediately emailed Great Divide for confirmation. I received positive news from Patrick at the brewery today:

Thanks for getting in touch and for the support. You are correct, we are once again distributing to VA. We have two distributors there, Hop & Wine Beverage in Sterling and Specialty Beverage in Richmond. Let me know if you need anything else.

Regards,
Patrick Langlois
Great Divide Brewing Co.

Well, there you have it. I'm excited and look forward to seeing these beers on the shelves. (And there's a hint for my local retailers.)

A Few Evenings in Denver

I spent a few days in Denver this week on business. As I usually do, I managed to work in some beer stops as well. On Monday evening, my first stop was the Great Divide Tap Room. There I enjoyed a Hercules Double IPA. Hercules is one of my favorite beers and since Great Divide is no longer available in Virginia, at least one stop at the Tap Room is a must anytime I'm in Denver. There's no food at the Tap Room so my visit was cut short by a need for food. I walked down to the Breckenridge Brewpub for dinner. There I opted the Breckenridge 471 ESB and a buffalo burger. I started playing football bingo and got sucked into Monday Night Football. I only managed to get through the first half since the time zone difference was catching up to me.

Tuesday evening started out with a quick dinner of Empanadas and a Great Divide Denver Pale Ale at Buenos Aires Pizza. One of my beer goals for this trip was to have Russian River Blind Pig and Pliny the Elder, both of which I've never had before. I strolled over to Falling Rock Tap House where I had been told both beers are on tap. Unfortunately the Blind Pig was out but they did have Pliny the Elder. I was very surprised by just how smooth the Pliny was. It was not as "extreme" as I had expected. There was no clue, in the taste anyway, that this is an 8% ABV beer.

On Wednesday, my last evening in Denver, I headed over to Great Divide once again. Even though the official release party wasn't until Friday evening, they did have this year's Fresh Hop Ale and Hibernation Ale available. (Thanks to The Full Pint for the heads up.) I enjoyed a bottle of Hibernation. This limited release beer has a mild toffee aroma with a hint of chocolate. The taste was mildly sweet malt with the hop bitterness coming through in the finish. I enjoyed it very much but there was time for only one. I did also have a sample of the Fresh Hop Ale. Since I had originally expected to miss the release of these two beers this was really a surprise treat.

After the short visit to Great Divide I caught the light rail to meet up with Josh Mishell of Flying Dog Brewery for dinner. Josh and I headed over to Great Northern in Denver's Tech Center. The beer list at Great Northern is pretty impressive, especially for a restaurant, and the food is excellent. I enjoyed another new-to-me beer, Deschutes Green Lakes Organic Amber Ale. The Amber Ale was smooth malt up front with a moderately bitter hop finish. We were joined by Neal Stewart, also from Flying Dog, and enjoyed a very pleasant evening talking about beer, Twitter, blogging, and many other topics.

I had a great time in Denver, as always. As luck would have it, I was there the week before the Great American Beer Festival. This timing of my trip to Denver is not unusual. Last year I ended up with a trip to Denver the week after the GABF. That's okay, there's always next year.

And now to rest for a day before heading to Durham, NC for the World Beer Festival.

It's "Wet Hop" Beer Season

It's that time of year and many brewers are releasing their wet, or fresh hopped beers. Rather than using the typical dried hops, the hops are used in the brewing process fresh from the harvest. I'm quite fond of these beers and enjoy very much the stronger, "green" flavor imparted by the fresh hops. These are beers you definitely want to drink fresh as time will reduce the unique flavor imparted by the wet hops. Here are a couple of interesting videos about the process.

The folks at Sierra Nevada have a promotional video on their Harvest Ale. The video provides an informative look at what it takes to produce fresh hop beers. Some beautiful footage from the harvest fields is included as well. (Hat tip to slashfood.com.)

Great Divide Brewing Company of Denver was recently featured in a Denver Post article on their Fresh Hop Pale Ale. In the article, and accompanying video, the effort that goes into this annual beer is discussed. Chipper Dave at the Fermentedly Challenged blog reports that the Fresh Hop Pale Ale will be released on October 3.

The Sierra Nevada video is here.
The Great Divide video is here.

Denver Trip - Great Divide Tap Room

Each time I visit Denver I make it a point to visit the Great Divide Brewery Tap Room. The brewery's tasting room is open for just a few hours each day and offers a great opportunity to enjoy Great Divide beers. The beers are good and the people friendly. I posted about one of my previous visits here. Now that Great Divide beers are no longer being distributed in Virginia, a stop at the Tap Room is all the more important. I found time to spend several hours at the Tap Room this week, enjoying both the beer and pleasant conversation with the staff and other patrons.

Great Divide Hercules Double IPA is one of my favorite offerings from the brewery, and it was my first pick during my recent visit. So often Double IPA's end up being cloyingly sweet, with the malts overpowering the hops. Hercules keeps both flavor profiles in balance. Pine and citrus hops are present in both the aroma and flavor. At 9.1% ABV it's a sipper and a very enjoyable one.

Often you can find one of the Great Divide beers on cask in the Tap Room, but there was no cask on deck this time. There was however an Oak Aged Espresso Stout on tap. I was told this is a "Tap Room only" beer. The stout pours very dark, it's black except for the thin beige head. As to be expected the aroma is strong with espresso, along with some faint hop notes. Espresso predominates the flavor as well. There's a bit of a burn in the finish. I didn't ask but I'd guess the ABV in this is quite high. If you are in Denver I suggest heading over to Great Divide to try the Oak Aged Espresso Stout before it's all gone.

(When I return to Virginia I'll make a point to contact the distributor in Virginia and try to find out why Great Divide beers no longer grace our shelves.)

Cooling off with the Yeti

I recently wrote about enjoying an "out of season" dark beer, but the more I think about it, the more I realize that this is not an unusual occurrence. I do enjoy a good stout, no matter the season. Recently, after another 100° day, Colleen and I settled down for a late evening treat of Great Divide Oak Aged Yeti Imperial Stout. We've enjoyed this beer in the past, and this bottle I'd been holding on to for a year or so.

Upon pouring the beer into a couple of brandy snifters I was greeted by the aroma of oak, chocolate and roasted coffee. The bouquet is very pleasant and I found myself continually taking deep sniffs from the glass all the time I was drinking it. It's one of those "aaah" aromas. The beer pours opaque black with a small beige head. The flavor is a rich and complex blend of chocolate, vanilla, espresso, sweet malt, and molasses. The oak barrel flavoring from the aging is released even further as the beer warms. The Oak Aged Yeti Imperial Stout also has a substantial hoppiness that adds to the complexity. Despite the 9.5% ABV the beer goes down very smoothly.

Conventional wisdom tells us that Imperial Stouts are excellent partners to chocolate, and we did indeed enjoy a bit of chocolate with our drinks. However we also added some Dubliner Cheddar to the table. This dry Irish cheese is a favorite of ours and we've found it to go nicely with a wide variety of beers. The dry, sharp cheese stood up to the strong flavors and sweetness of the beer quite well.

I've been told that Great Divide beers are no longer being distributed in Virginia, which if true is a great loss. Perhaps it's time to grab any bottles of the Oak Aged Yeti that I run across in stores.

Beer #150

Tonight I had my 150th new beer of 2007. I wasn't looking for this "milepost" but a few weeks ago I realized I was getting close to 150 so I decided to watch for it. I've only counted beers where I had a full "serving". This number doesn't include brewery samples, such as the dozen or so we had at Boulder Beer this summer. Not sure if there's any significance to this milepost, but it's cool to think about.

The beer that made the 150 spot is Great Divide Hibernation Ale. I enjoyed this at the Tap Room at the Great Divide Brewery. This American Strong Ale was very easy to drink. I suspect the alcohol (8.10% ABV) could sneak up on you very easily if you aren't careful. I stopped after one. :-) The malt flavor was very well balanced against the hop background. I preferred this over the Odell Extra Special Red Ale I had last night.

I also had the privilege of having the very last tasting of the Belgian Hibernation before the keg ran dry. Patrick who runs the Great Divide Tap Room said this was a special version of Hibernation brewed with the Hades yeast. (Hades Ale is Great Divide's Belgian Strong Pale Ale.) I also picked up some Fresh Hop Ale to bring home.

From the "It's a Small World Department", I struck up a conversation at the Tap Room with a couple visiting from Harrisonburg, VA who were were doing a walking tour of downtown Denver breweries. At one point there were three people in the Tasting Room, and all were visiting from Virginia. Another couple came in before I left, but the place was pretty empty while I was there. Perhaps Denver is all 'beered out' from last week. :-)