Surly Ten Ale-- Five Years Later

Surly Ten Ale-- Five Years Later. Old Ale. 

9.5 % ABV, 63 IBU, Surly Brewing, Mpls./BC, MN. 

Maybe I didn't need to open this bottle tonight. After all, an old ale should last even longer than five years. But, you know what, I just felt like it. Why the hell not? I wish I had some party to bring it to, but, alas, ...here we are, with a beer to open and I wish I had someone to share it with. C'est la vie. (Is this a blatant cry for more of my friends, or potential friends, to invite me to their parties? Maybe. But this is still going down tonight.) 

Oh, those days of bomber bottles, and wax-coverings. Ah, nostalgia! So, so...so sweet, the memories! 

Dark burgundy hued, deep and opaque, large, rich, creamy tanned head. Looking great, five years on. 

In the nose: soft, malty, warm, rich. Grapes, dates, raisins, ...leather, tobacco...wer're in barleywine country. Plums, apples, rich malt, so much goodness. 

In the mouth: Mellow. Smooth, Malty. Rich. Just a little indulgent. A panoply of dark fruits, malt-forward, minor hops, much molasses, slightly syrupy, but well-balanced. I feel like I should compare against fresh notes. 

But first...I reviewed this one first in July of 2016, when it was brand new. I checked into it on Untappd nine times before today. The first check-in was from a the first bottle I bought and reviewed in September of 2016, them later, one at the taproom. Next, in October of '16, at Acadia. I must have been sitting on a keg for an event. A few days later, I posted a picture with a slurry of Surly tap handles.  Apparently, I still had it on in November, and then it next appeared at a Surly event at McKenzie's, and something at Jason's farm, and once in a while cracking one open at home, and this is my last one. 

It's still, five years later, huge, rich, powerful, full of flavor. I certainly could have waited several more years, but you never know, do you? Better safe than otherwise. The last thing I want to do is tell everyone: "I waited too long. I's past it's prime." This is not. There is no drop off in flavor, in body, in anything at all. This is brilliant, and I love it. 

De Proef / Surly Zwart Black Star

De Proef / Surly Zwart Black Star. 8%ABV. Old Ale brewed with star anise, aged on wood with brettanomyces. Brewmaster's Collaboration, Brewed & bottled (or canned) by: De Proefbrouwerij, Lochristi, Belgium, product of Belgium. Ben Smith, Jerrod Johnson, Surly Brewing, Dirk Naudts, De Proef Brouwerij.

Once again, I turn to can #4 of a twenty dollar 4-pack to take notes. I like the first three a lot. And now I will finally tell you about it.

Lightly hazed, burgundy/dark amber hue, long-lasting off-whitish, creamy head. Looking great.

In the nose: rich, malty, slightly sweet, fruity and funky. This one has it all. Not so much of that promised anise here, but so much else. Wow.

In the mouth: Dark fruit, stone fruit, grapes, plums, etc. Bigness and richness, wonderful play on the palate. Deep, complex, significant. Brett gives it a funky twist. The heralded anise plays it light. So much of the fruit and malt, very little hops in comparison, and the alcohol starts to creep in. I liked this from the start, and I'm digging it more and more.

This is my kind of beer. It's definitely an old ale, with plenty of Belgian character. Flat out delicious, and ever-so satisfying. Get out there and drink some!

For this year's De Proef Brouwerij's annual Brewmaster's Collaboration series, Dirk Naudts partnered with Surly's Jerrod Johnson and Ben Smith to craft an old ale with star anise and Brettanomyces, creating a delicious beer that will continue to develop with time.

The overall effect of the anise on the flavor is subdued and brilliantly integrated. It's reminiscent of oak tannins to a certain degree, providing an edge for structural purposes, and letting the dense caramelization remaining in that old ale roll out as dried dark fruits, cotton candy and chewy taffy. The impact of the Brettanomyces makes this comparatively dry and more easily drinkable than most old ales. 

Hammerheart Gorm the Old

Hammerheart Gorm the Old. Growler I've been sitting on for a few weeks. Missing the description band, because Tanner put it on Jason's growler accidentally. It's okay, I forgive him. (Kidding. No, I don't.)

Mesquite smoked old ale, 7.4% ABV.


Dark brown color, slim cocoa-tinged head.

In the nose: malty goodness, chocolate traces that will grow in scope as the beer warms. This has not spent enough time out of the fridge. Getting bigger and wider, but that cold is in the way. Gonna wait a bit...put on a Louis Armstrong record. Bah, bo be, be bo bay, oh, mama....Oh, no, this is a Hammerheart beer, it's got to be metal! And....I'm not into metal. Okay, I'll pretend Pops is metal. Give a new meaning to "Darkness on the Delta."....

As the cold drips away, and the beer starts to warm up, more flavors emerge, more smoke appears, all kinds of associations pop out, anise, pepper, brown sugar. I'm sure I'm missing a couple.

In the mouth: Pow! Bam! A forceful entry on the palate, much malt, more flavors, more smoke and
spice. Smooth and sumptuous, yet riddled with complexities. Warmer still, it's better and better. Smoke is nice and subtle, not too hot, not too intense up-front. Just right. Rich mouthfeel, full on the palate and unfiltered.

Hail, Gorm, first recognized king of Denmark!

Surly Ten Ale

Surly Ten. Old Ale. 9% ABV.

Surly brewed their first batch at the end of 2005, and released their first kegs in early February of 2006. Ten years. Wow. The 10th Anniversary beer has just been released, I got a couple bottles tonight, and couldn't resist.

Opened one right up and took these notes:

Dark chestnut brown color, tannish head, lasts long...
Aroma is sweet and nutty, deep and malty, little hop presence to speak of...nothing wrong with that...creamy, and inviting...

In the mouth: more of the same: smooth, creamy, malty, caramel and toffee tones low hop bitterness, if any, and just flat out deliciousness. Rich, lush, delicious malt in this. So good that it doesn't need a few more years. Drink it now. Maybe sock a few away, if you're so inclined.

This anniversary beer should surely please those who've been burned but the big booze of earlier years. This one isn't so "hot" that you can't drink it now,  but a few years on it can only give more complexities. nice, nice, nice.
a mellow version of 6?
This is described on the label as one to share, and share I did. The last third of the bottle was what I took notes on.
I will return to this one, again and again. Perhaps I'll have more to say about it with other visits to my lips.

Alesmith Olde Ale

Alesmith Olde Ale British-style Ale MMXIV, Brewed and bottled by Alesmith Brewing Company, San Diego, CA. Alc. 11% by Volume.

Appearance: darkly cast, deep burgundy, cream-toned head, slimmed, but lasting, and beautiful.

Aroma: spills out of the glass, with a prototypical old ale nose, plums, dates, grapes, brandy, leather, wine. Some pepper to match the fruit. All those delights and more in plentitude. Mmmm. Yeah.

Taste: mouth-filling. Senses-engaging. Palate-thrilling. Dazzles the tongue and mouth with full-on fruit and spice, rich and delicious. Malt forward for sure, a little bitter, and a little sweet. Big, though, big is the main word here. Another little-big word I cant lose hold of is yum. Just yummy. And just a little burnt. But beautiful. Dark, deep, delicious, and beautiful.

Town Hall Hamlet's Curse Old Ale

A new brew on at Town Hall! Have I had it before? Yes, almost eight years ago, according to a review I posted on BeerAdvocate in July, 2007. Here it is:


Deep magenta hue, slimmish head....

Sweetness in the nose, sweet, firm, distictly malty...dark fruits and minor caramel and toffee...a maltier affair, with plenty of British hops.

Slick, good texture on the palate, toasty, caramel-y, then the mellow fruit, very sweet, but not too much so, well-balanced, indeed.

Full-bodied, with plenty of trick and tickle on the tongue...a sweet and sassy affair...reminds me of Theakston's Old Peculiar...not too strong, thick and malty, but terribly significant and dripping with flavor. Nearly candyish in the malty sweetness, I nearly think. King Caramel.

So many good things going for it, it's tough not to love. Doesn't fit the season, but I've always got a hankering for a brew this good.
I need to start a party, just to have an excuse to spread a beer this good around. Yum, yum, and once again, yum!

De Proef Long of Tooth Ale (Surly Collaboration)

De Proef/Surly Brewmaster's  Collaboration  (Brewed and Bottled by DeProef Brouwerij, Lochristi, Belgium, Product of Belgium) Long of Tooth, 10% Alc by Vol.
What is it? A Belgian interpretation of an English Old Ale with cacao nibs added, for extra Belgian-ness.

Interesting color on this one: somewhere between cherry red and brown, not quite burgundy, but getting there. A slim ring of toasted tan foam rests above.

Aroma: stirringly complex. Dark fruit tones ring in first, some cherry, date, raisin notes, with cocoa right behind. Mellow, cool and promising.

Taste: Bright, brash and impressive entry on the palate. Low hop bitterness, this is a malty thing with an impressive array of flavors at play in the mouth. Caramel and toffee malt flavors swim with cocoa, raisins and more. All flavors are beautifully integrated, and it all hangs in a beautiful balance. Medium-bodied. Long, malty finish.

This one is never too sweet, never too full, not too much of anything, but packed full of plenty. Traces of a Dubbel at times, reminiscent of a strong dark ale, but completely it's own thing.

Let's read the label, shall we? "On March 31, 2014, the collaborative minds of Surly's Head Brewer Todd Haug and DeProef's BrewMaster Dirk Noudts brewed this one of a kind ale. Inspired by English Old Ales and Belgian chocolate they sat down and, over different tasting sessions, hammered out the "best" way to handle their vision.
The result is Long of Tooth Ale, dark gold in color with a complex grain bill, rife with notes of toffee, caramel, dried-fruit, cocoa, oaky-vanilla and finishing with classic Belgian character that only Brett can produce.
Suggested pairings include aged cheeses, grilled or roasted game, chocolate-caramel desserts or enjoy it all by itself!
Cheers from Minneapolis and Lochristi!
Todd & Dirk"

I paired it with ice cream, chocolate-caramel ice cream, mmm, mmm, good.

One caveat: it's a bit expensive, with the 750 ml bottle retailing for $17 -18, more than I usually pay. Is it worth it, though? Yes.

Thomas Hardy's Ale

I thought for a second when I wrote the title for this post, should I title it after the year the notes were taken or the year of the bottle I recent consumed? And here's why that's an issue. I often use my old notes taken years ago when I consume a beer today. That's one of the cardinal rules of this beer blog. I have a back log of almost 12 years of beer reviews, and I don't want to re-write notes every time I try a beer again. Also, beers won't be in this blog if I'm not currently drinking it. If I wrote notes in 2005, and will never try it again, or won't have a session where I take a picture of the new drink, then it will not appear here.

So, the other day, I had a 2008 Thomas Hardy's Ale, and did not takes notes. Here's why. It was the final bottle out of a case I bought for the Blue Nile the year it was released. After the penultimate bottle was purchased last year, I pulled the last one aside and reserved it for my final drink on my final night. And I was certainly in no shape for taking notes on that wonderful ale.

Here you have a photo of that bottle that lasted nearly 6 years in the coolers at the Blue Nile, but we're checking out the notes I took in 2005 on a bottles from 2003 that I somehow amazingly saved for 2 years. I haven't gotten any better at aging beers at home. Managed to do it at work, though.

From November 2005, notes on 2003 Thomas Hardy's Ale:


2003. #07043. Somehow I manged to hang onto this in the ol' closet for nearly 2 years.

Dark mahogany with crimson edges, slim toasted tan head.

Intense aromatics, big prune, sour cherries, bright, shining burgundy, leather, wood...a complex collection of flavors. Peppers meet raisins. Very port-like.

Immense in the mouth, rich, thick, juicy and wet. Floods the mouth with dark fruitiness, well-conditioned. Intensely flavorful. Tangy and tangible, a wonderful thing on the palate, coating goodness with every drop.
Amazing.
Astounding.
And very mellow, compared to the new bottles. I've got to exhibit such patience more often. (Hear it's a virtue.)

Full-bodied, long, sweet, languid finish.
Smooth and relaxing, luxurious.
Well worth the asking price.
And finally, if there's a finer wine than this ale, I want to know.
(Doubt it.)

Fuller's Vintage Ale 2009

Fuller's 2009 Bottle Conditioned Vintage Ale Limited Edition No. 105160. 1 pint, 0.9 fl. oz. "Best before end 2012." Whoops, really? Then why did I pay $7.99 for it, rather than get it on the cheap? How does a "Vintage Ale" only age for 3 years?
Alc. 8.5% Vol.
There's a lot of gobbledygook on the back, and I may need my glasses for the fancy script label copy.

Very hazed, deep mahogany, dark amber hue. Slim white head.

Aroma: Pungent malty/fruity aromatics. Plums and raisins. Port-like. Terrifically complex and arousing. Very vinous. Slightly sour. Barley-wine country, English-style. Low on hops, big with malt. I'm still only sniffing.

Time to drink: More of the same. Very mellow, cool, even-tempered. A still malty affair, loads of yeast character, very tasty. …I'm going to take a break and try to read the label:
 "I have crafted this very special ale from the finest Goldings hops, Tipple malted barley, and of course our own unique yeast to create  a truly extraordinary limited edition brew. Individually packed and numbered, this bottle of one of only one hundred and sixty thousand produced. Although we are obliged to produced a Best By Date of 2012, like a fine wine or whiskey, this mellow golden ale will improve with age for many more years. {well, that explains that, except…why are they obliged to date it 2012?} Being bottle conditioned, this beer will form a natural sediment, so pour carefully, sit back and enjoy this, the very finest of Fuller's ales."

Golden ale? Huh. Doesn't taste like one? Was it barrel-aged, or just bottle conditioned to age for 5 years or more? Nonetheless, it fits the profile of a classic English barley-wine, and definitely shows it's 4+ years. Probably doesn't have more left in it, or, as we say, it's reaching it's peak. Pretty nice peak.Makes a wonderful nightcap, this fine, frozen February night.

The Bruery Bois

I sort of yawned through the last couple bourbon barrel beers I tried. Can one from The Bruery continue with this trend? I sure hope not. Let's find out.

The Bruery Bois, (pronounced: "Bwah")Anno 2013 Anniversary, 100% Ale Aged in Bourbon Barrels. CONTAINS ALCOHOL. (Good to know.) The Bruery, Placentia, CA. Orange County, CA. Alc. 15% by Vol. (Eeep!) And a lot of teeny, teeny type. I'll try to read it later.

We have a murky magenta look here, muddy, dusky brown that nears purplish. Slim tan head that slips down swiftly.

Let's smell it, already. Whiskey wakes you right up with this one. But there's lots of complexity below. Much richness. Vanilla and cherry, with cocoa tints and some molasses. Sweetness, a whiff of smoke, plenty of wood character, and a ton of balance. Starts intense and forceful, but begins to mellow in the mouth.

Let's taste this sucker: Big-time bourbon flavoring in this massive ale. Here'a a beer that needs a water back. Large showing of fig, date, raisin, other dark fruits. Fullest body, low bitterness, moderate sweetness, woody character. Some charcoal,

"This sturdy beer marks our fifth anniversary and we are grateful for the outpouring of community. Together may our supporters, our brewery, and this beer grow in complexity and refinement over the years."

Lovely sentiment, but that didn't tell me all that much. The back label copy doesn't deliver on the details, either, except that it calls it an "old ale." Well, there's something. One big-ass, bourbon-y old ale. Yum-alicious, I says.

This one does buck that trend, as there is great flavor and complexity beyond the effects of the barrel.

Robinson's Old Tom Strong Ale

Do I love cats? If you know me at all, you know that it's true; but if you knew me before 2000, and knew me never again until now, you might be shocked at contemporary circumstances. I had been told, cajoled, and strongly insinuated that cat "ownership" would be beneficial to me in some way, shape or form, for many years, It took a crazy Cameroonian (seriously certifiable, no joke) to force one of her kittens upon me, and the bond we (little Hepzibah the cat and I) shared was so sweet and special, that, though Hepzibah only lived 5 years with me, I had been burned from then on as a cat man. She crawled up the length of my body to nestle on my shoulders! Who can survive that and not come out a cat lover?
My second cat after Hepzi wasn't quite as sociable, but that didn't make her any less lovable. I named her Naima, after John Coltrane's classic, gorgeous song. Maybe she caught the same disease that killed hepzi, I'm not sure, cat autopsie's are expensive.)
Now, my home is filled with two male cats, Rollie, who was quite a swinging male member when I took him in five years ago, (and only neutered earlier this year) and another orange striped stray, (with me one year now) who is known as Sonny Boy. Fourteen years ago, I would have called you crazy for calling me a cat person, but now, ...you're the crazy one!


Robinson's Old Tom Strong Ale, Frederic Robinson Brewery, Cheshire, England.

I've heard of this beer for so long, wanted to try it for seemingly forever, and finally it's here, and I just tapped a keg of it. An English Strong ale, a recipe from 1899, named for the brewery's cat (someone's got to kill the mice), a brewery that F. Robinson began after purchasing the Unicorn Pub in Cheshire, so long ago.

We're at a period of American Exceptionalism in brewing, locally and nation-wide, and it's both justified and baffling. Yeah, there's a ton of invention and evolution and boldly-going with the current American brewing scene, but this often is celebrated at the expense of what happened before Fritz Maytag ever ordered an Anchor beer or Ken Grossman ever thought of Cascade hops. Those old school originators knew from whence they came, but the current crop? And especially the fans and scenesters? I see the appreciation for English beers dwindling. German, even Belgian. Man, it came from somewhere, people. We didn't think it all up by ourselves, we just tweak it some.

And so, I enter into my first tasting of Robinson's Old Tom Ale. A strong ale (8.5% abv.) from the Robinson Brewery, Cheshire, England.

Very dark coloring, nearly black, with a beautiful off-white, creamy head above. Wonderful.

Aroma: deceptively soft, smooth and creamy. Malty-sweet, but even-tempered and expertly balanced.

Taste: Enters the palate full, rich and in complete domination. Rowdy, ruddy, and taking no prisoners. This brew tastes like an old tom behaves, it throws itself around without regard for societal norms and common regard. Dark fruit on the flavor, some spice, massive malt, some toffee and a touch of caramel. All very well-played and perfectly put. No over-weening hops, no over-bearing malt, but this is still a large beer, just like any Tom Cat strutting it's stuff.

I will now play some Lee Morgan. Great record with McCoy Tyner, Bob Cranshaw, Art Blakey, Jackie McLean, and Curtis Fuller. 1964, Blue Note records. And when that's done, we turn to "Stray Cat Strut" by The Stray Cats. We see it's composer Brian Setzer rather regularly, now that he's located in Minneapolis. He's got cat class, and he's got cat style.

Philosophical question: is the American barley-wine style better because it's bigger, and hoppier? I say, not necessarily. If you can't handle some subtlety, if you  need to be pounded on by every beer you try, …well, you're missing a lot. There is so much to be said with just plain old good taste. This is a barley-wine, but don't expect a ton of American-style over-hopping. Don't expect to be burned by over-…alcoholing…?
What's wrong with the classics, I ask, and I don't expect an answer, because I know what it should be. If you want something delicious, and beautiful, cool, calm and slightly cacophonous, Old Tom's your man. Deee-lightful. Tasty, tasty, tas-teee……

this is so good, so malty, cool, calm, and utterly lovely. My goodness. I like this more and more, as I drink it down. I'm practically in love with it, ...mmmm.

North Coast Old Stock Ale Otsuchi 2012

North Coast Old Stock Ale Otsuchi 2012. 11.7 % ABV.

There's a whole, long story about this beer, that I can't remember. Maybe it's online somewhere?

Murky maroon-ish, deep magenta hue, with a smallish off-white head.

Aroma: vast and malty ,rich, vinous, dark fruits aplenty.

Taste: cherry, grape, a little brandy-like. Medium to full-bodied. Maltastic. Delicerous. (I'm making up words now. That happens.)

Growing heat. Building flavors, increasing immensity.

Oddly, I don't love this, though I like it just enough. Maybe it needs some time, but I think all beers ought to be judged once they're released. Lovely enough, but didn't "wow" me.

Maybe it was the mood I was in, exhausted from bartending another New Year's Eve. I'll look at giving this one another shot.

Stone Old Guardian Barley-wine

Stone Old Guardian 2012. Looking back on notes from my first taste, in December, 2004:


Gorgeous hazy peachy appearance, with a slimmish layer of foam on top.

 Exhilirating nose...yeasty and citric at first, toasty and potent, from the top of it...wide open citric fruit character, not what I’d expected...serious smell, leaking in the alcoholic content, slowly, tingling with further fruitiness, begging me to finally taste...

 mmmm...this is a new kind of yumminess, one I don’t remember from other versions...citric sweetness, a delicious oxymoron, is chief among the flavor contributions..peach and apricot, mix with honey and spice, while the booze stands tall above it all, as well.
Very happy, humming, brilliant brew, this is...lands gladly on the palate, too, though it makes no considerable impact. Sits there comfortably, imparting juicy, jubilant flavor ...very interesting, and not what I expected, less like a typical American barleywine, and more like some English old ales, or even like certain Belgian brews, certainly in an exclusive class...this is a tangy thing, a powerfully flavored ale, confident and kind,it delivers it’s goodness, assured in it’s mission, it drops this delicacy and moves on, like all good soldiers should...

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bit of a ramble, that one, but I stick by it.

Founders Curmudgeon's Better Half

Founders Curmudgeon's Better Half, or if you want to be the beer geek of all beer geeks, "CBH". Old Ale brewed with molasses and aged in maple syrup bourbon barrels. "Maple syrup bourbon barrels?" What is that? Maple syrup bourbon barrels? Which ones? What? 11.9% ALC./VOL. Founders Brewing Company, Grand Rapids, MI. No gobbledygook whatsoever, only legal crap, so let's jump on in…

Dark crimson hue, small head, turns to a tight ring.

Aroma is utter decadence. Hedonism in a bottle. Maple and bourbon blended with old ale? How much richness can you take? Bam! Hit after hit of sweetness, least of which is the rich malt backbone. Whiskey, vanilla, cherries, maple and more.

Taste: All of that and so much more. Intensely delicious. Caramel, toffee and chocolate tones dance with the dark fruit and the effects of the barrel. Despite the incredible hugeness of this affair, it's even slightly a chore to drink. He says, perhaps too early. I'm not even halfway through this bottle, and damn, but I will finish it.

And damn, it is impressive. All the parts hang together in all the right ways, and the sweetness sticks out, bolstered by the booze, but it holds it's own appropriately. Mmmm, mmm, I have to say, mostly because I haven't said it yet, and sometimes it needs to be said. Mmm, says me, mmmm.

Bell's Third Coast Old Ale

Here's another gusher. Wrote about the big ol', 10.2% a.b.v barleywine, Bell's Third Coast Old Ale in Febrauary, 2003. Those notes follow now. The picture's is from a bottle consumed last night.

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Perfect dark violet/burgundy color, with an impressive, thick cocoa/tan head.

Aroma is majestic, and rich with flavorful connotations: sweet, sharp, and fruity, suggesting cherries, grapes, port wine, brandy, with a hint of anise, and chocolate.

Mouthfeel is dazzling in complexity, full, rewarding , and greatly alcoholic, taste is magnificent, dark, sweet, profound, and strong, accompanied by a lively hop ride on the tongue, awash in sweet, liquory flavors.

Alcohol content is not given on the label, but it has to be formidable, for a burnt quality lingers in the finish, and hangs around the mouth.

Wonderfully warming, expertly crafted, another prodigious acheivement from Larry Bell & Co.

All larger praises must be rescinded, as we hail the king of American barleywines!.

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So I still consider it the "king", eight years later? Well, looking at my review and rankings, the only one whose numbers come close is also from Bell's, Batch 6000. I gave that a 4.8 out of 5, gave Old Ale a 4.83. In descending order, the runners-up are: Stone Old Guardian, Sierra Nevada Bigfoot, Alesmith Old Numbskull, Three Floyds Behemoth Blonde, Great Divide Old Ruffian, and Moylan's Old Blarney.

Bell's Batch 10,000

Here's a story. And it's not of a lovely lady. It's of me, and a beer. What, that's not enough? Come on…

I've been drinking the Bell's 1000 batch series since 5000. Don't know if any of the others were ever in our market, but that was the first one I noticed, back in, back in, what? 2002? It was the first beer I tried to cellar for any length of time, as per brewery recommendations, and I managed to make the last bottle last about a year and a half.

Subsequent 1000-batch brews have been harder to cellar, especially as beer geekdom grows and the avarice heightens. The rare ones go quicker. I don't manage to make it out to the store as soon as the trucks hit the parking lot, and tend not to get many bottles to save. But I have gotten kegs of this series since 6K, and the final one in the series, (due the fact that this thousand-batch mark is easier and swifter to reach, and therefore less special), Batch 10,000, well, we got one 8-gallon keg at the Nile back in January and I manage to hold on to it until yesterday.

And here starts another part of our story. What profits the beer -geek bar-manager to tap a keg he cannot drink?

It is Minnesota Craft Beer week (as well as American Craft Beer Week, don't ask, I don't care to go into it)…and I chose the occasion of this Saturday, the 14th, yesterday, to finally tap the batch 10K keg I'd been sitting on all these months. But, meanwhile, I'd never even seen it on sale anywhere and had no opportunity to pick up case, 6-pack or bottle. What if I'd tapped it right at open, and the beer fans roared in, I worried whether I'd even get to drink one. Sure, I tasted some when I tapped it, but I didn't have enough to get intimate with it. Throughout the day people asked me to describe it, and I was tempted to point at someone else, and say, "ask him, he's drinking it." I rarely tap a beer I've never had, and this was a unique experience when I hadn't had time to formulate an opinion. I'd thought about tapping it the night before, but there just wasn't enough time then, either.

The event was advertised to take place from 4-9 pm, and as soon as 9 o'clock struck, I took the keg off tap. Disappointed a few people who came late, but, you know, snooze, lose, that equation.

Is this my 300th post? Well, let's let it be Bell's Batch 10, 000.

So, I rolled in tonight, hooked up the keg, and just under a pitcher was left. And I'm going to drink it now. What's left, I'll share with co-workers…so, here goes…

Deep, dark appearance, kind of a plummy brown, small, cocoa-tinged head, slim, but staying.

Aroma: chocolate at first, raisin and plum, dark malty goodness. Richness aplenty, but not too sweet. Wonderfully balanced. Delightful.

Taste: easy entry on the palate, with a charge of cocoa, dark, sweet, caramel and chocolate malt behind. Some vanilla and oak hints emerge, some bourbon tints, flaked chocolate, Sweetness is rising. At first it tastes like a stout, even an Imperial Stout, and now the flavors of a barley-wine, or old ale come rushing in. We're getting more prune, now, some date, some raisin, and more sourness, and higher alcohol feeling.

This is clearly a hybrid between a strong stout and an old ale, with no one side taking over. I kind of like that. No. wait…I really like it.

A little licorice, some char, deep woodiness, dark malt….the 5 months it's aged have mellowed it well. Mmmm, it's nice.

I'm finishing it up right now. Mmmm. Yes. Oh, wait, one more word: ahhhhh…..

North Coast Old Stock Ale 2009

Just tapped, as part of my new event, Imperial March, 1/2 our taps lines turned over to imperial stouts, double IPAs, and barley-wines for two weeks. My first time tapping this, and it's as yummy as when I first wrote about it, in June, 2003, about a vintage 2002 bottle. Here it is:


"Appearance: a brilliantly ruby reddish hue, with a darkish head that dies down immediately.
Aroma: dazzling! full of dark fruits (cherries, berries, grapes), and wine, port, cognac... a very evident alcoholic component!
Big hops, big malt, big booze: that's the basic lineup, but when it all tastes so good, who could want anything else
A sweet, syrupy characteristic shines through the mouthfeel...the fruit and the booze (brandyish) totally dominates the overall texture.
One thoroughly decadent ale, and a truly stand-out examples of a barley-wine."

Barley-wine, stock ale, old ale, strong ale, whatever you want to call it, it's wonderful. Or, one-derful. At 12.5% a.b.v., one is all you need.

Festivus 2010

Every year, a new holiday beer from Town Hall Brewery called Festivus (for the rest of us!) but different every time. This year, I had some at the brewery (after the stouts at Haute Dish, actually), but missed the pole, the airing of greivances, the feats of strength, etc. And took home a growler, which sat in the fridge for about two weeks. When I finally opened it to enjoy and take notes, here's what I wrote:

"Festivus 2010, Minneapolis Town Hall Brewery, best by…1/5? Ohmygod, only 3 days until it dies!)(just kidding, I bought this on the day it was released almost 2 weeks ago, and haven't touched it, but I know Town Hall growlers can last and last.)

Clear, amber color, dotted, off-white head, slim, but staying.

Aroma: floral, fruity, hoppy aroma. very pleasant, mild, and lovely.

Taste: brisk bitterness, bright, fresh, and a little astringent. Some citrus hop character, some lime and grapefruit, and then it's sweetness. Great interplay and balance. Nice little dance between hops and malt. Sweet, bitter, and a bit creamy. Some caramel malt sweetness.

High and easy drinking, that's for sure. Light to medium body/mouthfeel. Feels something like a bitter in profile, like a pale ale in hoppitude, almost aggressively hoppy, giving the palate a run for it's money."

So, guess what happened? I couldn't remember what style it was, and, since previous Festivus brews had been some kind of stout or dark ale, I wasn't sure if what I had was Festivus. Did I get the wrong beer? That's never happened. So, I had another at the pub last night, and learned anew what kind of beer it was that I had. An English old ale, with apple cider, and orange peel.
Who'da thunk it.