So I did a little holiday shopping today...

And this is what I came home with:



Already had:

Redstone Meadery Blackberry Nectar
Sierra Nevada Bigfoot 2008 Barleywine x4

New:
Sierra Nevada 2008 Celebration Ale x6
Ommegang Three Philosophers x4
Girardin Gueuze 1882 Black Label x1
Rodenbach Grand Cru x1
Chimay Gift Pack x1
Semiclaus x1
Sierra Nevada 12th Wet Hop Harvest Ale x1
Hoegaarden x1 (felt like a Wit)
Ommegang Abbey Ale x1
Ommegang Hennepin x1
Weihenstephan Kristall x1
Julius Echter Hefe-Weisse x1
Budweiser American Ale x1 (wanted to try it)

I feel like I am in beer heaven tonight!

Drink the wet hop soon. I am sure that will not hold up well.

You could keep that samichlaus until the end of time.

carnevoodoo said:

Drink the wet hop soon. I am sure that will not hold up well.

You could keep that samichlaus until the end of time.

Click to expand...

I am planning on drinking the Wet Hop while watching football on Saturday.

The Gueuze, Budweiser and Kristallweizen are already gone
The Budweiser was surprisingly decent, a nice initial sweetness followed by a mellow bitterness that was quite pleasant. I couldn't quite identify it as Cascade, but it certainly did have American character. One of the best BMCs I have had, and middle-of-the road overall. I would buy it again if I need a cheap session beer for some occasion where I don't want to "waste" my homebrew or more expensive craft beer.

The other two were pretty much as one would expect, although I was a little disappointed in the Gueuze - the sourness was a bit too harsh, masking the other complex flavors that were hiding in the background just dying to come out, but never got a chance. A brief initial hit of sweetness followed by amorphous fruitiness (maybe strawberry?) is all too soon followed up by an immense sourness. The aftertaste lingers a bit like an acidic white whine. That one I will probably not buy again (at least not at $7.50 a bottle), preferring La Folie among the very few sour beers I have tried thus far.

The Kristallweizen was nice. I am not a huge fan of German wheat beers, but I have only ever had Hefeweizens. I figured the Kristall would be much more subdued in flavor and aroma, but that didn't seem to be the case. Banana overwhelmed flavor and aroma, with hints of clove-like spicyness.

Overall, an interesting, enjoyable drinking evening, and I am looking forward to Saturday to try some more.

Damn I love Grand Cru. It'll put hair on your chest.

If you have tried La Folie, the rest of the sours you try will either be a let down or a good compliment to what you've already had. Sure, they'll be different, but you've already had one of the best.

That said, the Rodenbach bottle you got is really fantastic. You should pick up a bottle of Petrus Aged Pale if you ever see it around. It is one of the best beers to clean your palate at the end of the night. Not overly sour, and finishes pretty clean.