Finally!

I've just recovered from a rough patch in my commercial brew drinking.

Background: I recently moved to a new town (outside of St Louis from VA), and hadn't found a reliable beer store. When I did, I went wild. Pun somewhat intended, as I first went through a sour and abbey beer phase: Flanders Red, Kriek, Gueuze, St Bernardus, Rochefort, etc. I decided to leave Belgium behind and branch out a couple of weeks ago. I'm wondering if I had ruined my palate with those big and pungent beers.

I tried some beers that had been talked up in various places (here, Zymurgy, elsewhere). I'm not impressed...

Hobgoblin: flat texture, no depth of flavor either. Blah.

Omegang 3 Philosophers: after the kriek, this just tasted like an ale with an extra, just so cherry note, eh.

Odell's 90 Shilling: OK, not great, makes me wish I still had some of my extract wee heavy to drink instead.

OK, well, I'm over all that now, I cracked an Avery Imperial Stout "The Czar". Very good, huge, deep, fruity, malty, several layers of flavor. Awesome. That's what I'm talkin' about. I can't get Dogfish Head out here, and this is a great replacement for their big beers.

Thought you should know.

Killinger said:

OK, well, I'm over all over all of that now, I cracked a Avery Imperial Stout "The Czar". Very good, huge, deep, fruity, malty, several layers of flavor. Awesome. That's what I'm talkin' about. I can't get Dogfish Head out here, and this is a great replacement for their big beers.

Thought you should know.

Click to expand...

Everything from Avery is awesome! Definitely pick up a few Czars for cellaring (and look out for its big brother in a little bottle Mephistopheles)