Cellaring Beers: Chimay Speciale Cent Cinquante.  Abbey de Scourmont, Chimay, Belgium    At  Six Years From our “Vault”

Date:  February 28, 2018

The Story—  We’re not sure how this beer slipped through our drinking fingers when we bought it fresh in 2013, but maybe that’s OK anyway.   Trappist Belgian ales cellar well — the big ones, we were told at the brewery to lay down their dubbel for five years.  We assume they planned on people cellaring this special edition of this iconic beer.   We think it was something of a one off and not a relabeling.

Father Robert, who was at the time the number two monk at the brewery, took us on a several hours tour of the brewery and the bottling and cheese making facility down the road.   We’ve never forgotten his wisdom in summarizing what almost every brewery of any faith- or no faith at all– has encompassed:  “Our purpose is to take the gifts from God and make them useful to man.”   Thank you Father Robert.  Thank you God.

And on a side note– one of my favorite stories of the French Revolution involves Chimay.  At the height of the terror of the French Revolution, Robespierre imprisoned the mistress (later wife) of Jean Lambert Tallien, one of the legislative leaders of the assembly that authorized the Terror.  She apparently wrote him a letter accusing him of cowardice in yielding to Robespierre’s bloody campaign.  Fighting tears the next day, Tallien rose and condemned Robespierre and he was followed by numerous others.   Robespierre went to the guillotine the next day and Mme. Tallien, now known as the Grand Dame of Thermidor, went on to become Princess of Chimay.

The Beer— At six years it’s lost the sparkling brightness of the Chimay White Label– if this edition ever had the same level of carbonation.   It still shows the tasty smooth, but gently spicy depth and complexity that has made Chimay famous far from its monastery complex.   Just a bit of heat late attests to its strength.  .

Value — good to very good.   No one sells a beer like this cheap, but if you’re employed, this is why you work.

Values:  “fair” is a good beer at an above market price, “good” is worth the money, “very good” is a bargain, and “excellent” is a steal.

 Starting Tomorrow:  TEN TOP TRIPELS for Spring.   Tripels are beers that can be enjoyed any time of year — their subtle and even enough for warmer months, but deep and complex enough for the depths of winter.   Our favorite season for them, however, is springtime: if it’s warm enough to sip them outside, great, but if it’s a chilly evening they’re perfect for a last-of-the-winter fire.

In February, we’ve dug into our legendary “vault” where we’ve been storing hundreds of bottles of beer waiting for the right time to taste them (or sell them for charity).   The charity market has slowed, so we’re working through them in front of a fire and finding some disappointments, but more very surprising delights.   You can find the full list –eventually– here on this “index post.”

 We’re often asked to share our tasting notes on over 33,000 beers; this blog is in answer to those requests.   Not all our notes, though.  The great beer writer Michael Jackson admirably followed the Thumper Rule, and we’ll try to do the same.  (“If you can’t say something nice, don’t say nuthin’ at all.”)   All the beers we post are from the top half of our ratings and most are from the top quarter.   Of greater value, we think, are the stories behind the beers,   and we try to give you enough about the brewery, the style and the places to find great beer to help you on your own beer journeys.   At CulturAle Press we try to write books and publish posts that will help you “Drink Well and Travel Safely.”

Cellaring Beers:   Eel River Raven’s Eye Imperial Stout, Fortuna, California.  At Ten Years From our “Vault”

Date:  February 27, 2018

The Story—  Eel River has been brewing since the first craft wave of the 90s.  Like many successful breweries they’ve expanded beyond their base.   The brewery started in Fortuna, California, and there is still a pub and restaurant there, but the beer now comes from Scotia.   We haven’t focused on the differences.  This one was from Fortuna.

The brewery asserts it is the first certified organic brewery in the United States, which is something of an accomplishment.   It’s not that hard to find good quality organic malt and hops today, but not so twenty years ago.  All too often we could taste the “organic” edge to the beer before we even looked at the label to confirm it.  That Eel River was able to hold its own in a field dominated by those taking an easier path says much for them.

Still, when we first tasted this beer it seemed to have a bit of the organic curse to it.   An Imperial Stout should have been more complex and much smoother.   We bought a second bottle a couple of years later and forgot about it.   What a blessing. Who knew we should have bought a case?

The Beer—  Head’s pretty much gone, but that doesn’t really matter.  The booze is obvious from the start and dark malts fill the palate.   Chewy rich malts continue with some chocolate, some husk, and some cream.  Herbal notes add breadth.

Value — Excellent, at least if you have the patience to put it down.   This beer still retails for well under ten bucks a bomber.   We’re going to be replenishing the vault soon with more of it.

Values:  “fair” is a good beer at an above market price, “good” is worth the money, “very good” is a bargain, and “excellent” is a steal.

 In February, we’re digging into our legendary “vault” where we’ve been storing hundreds of bottles of beer waiting for the right time to taste them (or sell them for charity).   The charity market has slowed, so we’re working through them in front of a fire and finding some disappointments, but more very surprising delights.   You can find the full list –eventually– here on this “index post.”

 We’re often asked to share our tasting notes on over 33,000 beers; this blog is in answer to those requests.   Not all our notes, though.  The great beer writer Michael Jackson admirably followed the Thumper Rule, and we’ll try to do the same.  (“If you can’t say something nice, don’t say nuthin’ at all.”)   All the beers we post are from the top half of our ratings and most are from the top quarter.   Of greater value, we think, are the stories behind the beers,   and we try to give you enough about the brewery, the style and the places to find great beer to help you on your own beer journeys.   At CulturAle Press we try to write books and publish posts that will help you “Drink Well and Travel Safely.”

Cellaring Beers: Ommegang (Belgian style abbey ale)  At 8 Years From our “Vault”

Date:  February 25, 2018

The Story—  A pair of beer distributors opened Ommegang Brewery in 1997 in Cooperstown, New York, with an ambitious plan of bringing Belgian beer to America without a ship.  They received critical advice from the Moortgat brewery in Breedonk, Belgium.  By 2006 it had grown to the point at which Moortgat (Duvel) took it over.   The Moortgat empire has since grown to include Boulevard in Kansas City and Firestone Walker in California.  Even before Mootgat’s actual ownership, the brewery brewed very Belgian tasting beers at a faction of the cost of imports.

The Beer—  Ommegang’s first beer, the Belgian Abbey is a double style strong dark ale featuring a blend of spices that are on a pretty short leash.  Deep dark fruits in aroma and taste.   The taste includes berry fruit and hints of chocolate.  It’s certainly aged, but it’s interesting and still viable.   The brewery says to drink it fresh, but also provides instructions on how to lay it down. Belgian Monks we’ve talked to said that a good dubbel can improve for at least three years and be very good at five.  The 8 years here is a stretch.  I’d like to try this at half the age, but still,  it’s pretty remarkable for 8 years in a warm room. Ellie’s notes – drier (attenuated sugars), dark fruit juices, some woody tang shows age.

Value —  Good to very good.  Ommegang was one of the best bargains in the country it its early years, but the price has edged up.  It’s still a bargain if you can find a retail outlet that doesn’t put a “Belgian” premium on its markup.

Values:  “fair” is a good beer at an above market price, “good” is worth the money, “very good” is a bargain, and “excellent” is a steal.

 In February, we’re digging into our legendary “vault” where we’ve been storing hundreds of bottles of beer waiting for the right time to taste them (or sell them for charity).   The charity market has slowed, so we’re working through them in front of a fire and finding some disappointments, but more very surprising delights.   You can find the full list –eventually– here on this “index post.”

 We’re often asked to share our tasting notes on over 33,000 beers; this blog is in answer to those requests.   Not all our notes, though.  The great beer writer Michael Jackson admirably followed the Thumper Rule, and we’ll try to do the same.  (“If you can’t say something nice, don’t say nuthin’ at all.”)   All the beers we post are from the top half of our ratings and most are from the top quarter.   Of greater value, we think, are the stories behind the beers,   and we try to give you enough about the brewery, the style and the places to find great beer to help you on your own beer journeys.   At CulturAle Press we try to write books and publish posts that will help you “Drink Well and Travel Safely.”

Cellaring Beers: Great Divide Espresso Oak Aged Yeti Oak with Coffee Imperial Stout, Denver, Co.  At 8 Years From our “Vault”

Date:  February 24, 2018

The Story—  Great Divide started as a small Denver Brewery in 1994, but has become a nationally recognized brewery of a wide range of fine beers.   Their Yeti series has become close to a mega strength flagship of sorts.   They clearly had fun with a range of variations on the theme.

This beer was one of the best we tasted in 2012.   We set a bottle aside in a group of beers for a charity event that never transpired and unearthed it this winter.  Fresh, it tasted of rich cherry dark malt, with clean dark malts and a bitter that was easier to find 7 years ago than today.  Chocolate, espresso, and a subtle oak all added breadth.

The Beer—Rich and dark and boozy;  somewhat woody with plenty of dark and chocolate malts;  Rich holds.  Its shows few signs of age and shows some interesting notes that weren’t there before.   Most of the espresso is pretty subtle by now– there’s more dark caramel and, of course, some of the bitterness has mellowed as well.     Ellie’s notes – yummy mocha Kahlua smooth; the bitter has eased off and old oak imperials rock: this has improved.

It’s a guess, but I think as good as this beer is now, it might have peaked at about 5 years.

Value — Very good to excellent.   We paid $7.00 for a 22 ounce bottle — OK, it was seven years ago and all prices have risen sharply, but the range of flavors were exceptional then and just as interesting now.

Values:  “fair” is a good beer at an above market price, “good” is worth the money, “very good” is a bargain, and “excellent” is a steal.

 In February, we’re digging into our legendary “vault” where we’ve been storing hundreds of bottles of beer waiting for the right time to taste them (or sell them for charity).   The charity market has slowed, so we’re working through them in front of a fire and finding some disappointments, but more very surprising delights.   You can find the full list –eventually– here on this “index post.”

 We’re often asked to share our tasting notes on over 33,000 beers; this blog is in answer to those requests.   Not all our notes, though.  The great beer writer Michael Jackson admirably followed the Thumper Rule, and we’ll try to do the same.  (“If you can’t say something nice, don’t say nuthin’ at all.”)   All the beers we post are from the top half of our ratings and most are from the top quarter.   Of greater value, we think, are the stories behind the beers,   and we try to give you enough about the brewery, the style and the places to find great beer to help you on your own beer journeys.   At CulturAle Press we try to write books and publish posts that will help you “Drink Well and Travel Safely.”