Friday, March 30, 2012

Dogfish Head - Burton Baton (2009)

This is a blended beer that DFH has been brewing for the past several years and it's recently been gaining in popularity.  For Burton Baton DFH brews two 'threads' or batches of beer: an English-style Old Ale and an Imperial IPA. After fementating the separate beers in stainless tanks, the two are transferred and blended together in a large oak tank. Burton Baton sits on the wood for about a month.  When enjoying the Burton Baton, you'll find an awesome blend of the citrus notes from Northwestern hops melding with woody, vanilla notes from the oak. The wood also tends to mellow the 10% of the beer - so tread cautiously!  Burton Baton is brewed and released three times per year.

The ABV is 10.0 and the IBU rating is 70
Style - Imperial/Double IPA
Glass to use- Snifter, Tulip, Oversized Wine Glass
Delivery 12oz Bottle

Can be cellared for long periods, under the proper conditions.

The Pour - Orange in color and a thick tan head which dissipates.  Great lacing.
Aroma - Hoppy and citrus fruit - orange. 
Taste - Malty and hoppy.  Citrus and some spice and vanilla.  Fresh bottles have a harsh after taste however aging has mellowed out the harshness.
Mouth Feel - Medium carbonation and full body.
Drinkable - Very drinkable.  This had been aging for three years.  Some difference from a fresh bottle, no real hints of oak aging.  Starting to taste like an English Barley Wine, very nice.  The alcohol is well hidden.  This beer ages very well, I'll need to push it a few more years to maybe five or six to see how they turn out.

This beer pairs very with cheese and meats.

This beer gets a Duper rating of A
BeerAdvocate Rating = 93
Ratebeer Rating =98

Friday, March 23, 2012

Domaine Dupont - Givre Vintage 2006

This non sparkling "sweet wine" from apples, low in alcohol, has unique aromatic richness and sweetness. Domaine Dupont exclusive. Givre won a prize at the Innovative Food from Normandy competition.
Terroir:
 
Nutrient poor clay and marl soil,
perfect for giving small fruit.
Varieties:
 
90% of bittersweet apples
10% of acid apples
Harvesting: from October to November
Bottling: April
Residual sugar: 155 g per liter

At the end of the pressing process the must has already acquired the attractive golden amber tints of cider. After several weeks of fermentation in vats, the cider is racked and bottled.
Fermentation will subsequently continue slowly in the bottle, and the carbon dioxide that is naturally produced is retained by the cork to create the natural effervescence of cider.

The faint haze and the deposit present are the proofs of this bottle fermentation. They give the ciders from the Domaine Dupont their unique aromatic complexity. Stocked upright in good conditions (less than 15°C (59°F) the cider will improve and its mousse will become finer and more persistent.

The ABV is 6.9 and the IBU rating is n/a
Style - Ice Cider
Glass to use- Tulip, Champagne or wine glass
Delivery 375ml Bottle

Can be cellared for long periods, under the proper conditions.

The Pour - Pours a cloudy dark amber color.  No head. No lacing.
Aroma - Very nice strong apple aroma, backed apples. A mix of apples, spices and caramel.
Taste -  Very sweet, tart and apples.  Gets more complex as it warms up.
Mouth Feel - No carbonation, full body. Coats the mouth.
Drinkable - This is my first cider blog.  I've been looking for this bottle for a number of years.  I found it a Capones in Norristown.  At $25 for a 375ml bottle, it's very expensive but worth it.  Have to remember that it has been aged for five years.  Very well balanced.  I wounder what a fresh bottle taste like?

This beer pairs well with apple dishes, most cheeses and desserts.  Use as an aperitif or try it with foie gras.

This beer gets a Duper rating of A
BeerAdvocate Rating =nr
Ratebeer Rating =nr

Wednesday, March 7, 2012

Dogfish Head - Sahtea (2010)

This Ancient Ale is a modern take on a 9th-century Finnish beer.  The wort for Sah'tea is caramelized over white-hot river rocks, and the beer is fermented with a German weizen yeast. In addition to juniper berries foraged from the Finnish countryside, Sah'tea is flavored with black tea, cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and black pepper.  The spicing is subtle and balanced, and Sah'tea is a highly-quaffable, truly unique brew with a full mouth-feel.

Original Release Date: 05/2009

The ABV is 9.0 and the IBU rating is 6
Style - Shati
Glass to use- Pint Glass, Becker, Tumbler, or Stein
Delivery 750ml Bottle

Can be cellared for long periods, under the proper conditions.

The Pour - Pours a cloudy straw color with chunks! A white head. Good lacing.
Aroma - Strong spice like coriander and juniper, citrus fruits.
Taste -  Nice spicy taste and sweet.
Mouth Feel - Medium carbonation and body.
Drinkable - Very refreshing.  I like the strong spice taste.  Good for one glass maybe two in one sitting.  A bit overpowering flavor for multiple glasses.  Still, its good, give it a go.

This beer pairs well with most cheese and desserts.  I used it as a broth in a beef stew.

This beer gets a Duper rating of B+
BeerAdvocate Rating =89
Ratebeer Rating =96