Well, due to low RSVPs, we only had six people at tonight's meeting (hosted by Nate). It worked out well, however, and it was an enjoyable evening. Perhaps March is a busy time for many people, or perhaps Tuesday night is not good for some. Attendees were Nate, Eli, Jon, Lacey, Tom W., and Karl.
Jon & Lacey brought some excellent cheeses from the Cheese House? (shop?) on Rt 22, including an aged Provolone, a Dubliner, Gruyere, and an awesome Norwegian Goat Cheese.
The beer selection for the evening included nine beers:
*Weltenburger Asam Bock (Germany), a doppelbock [Tom W.]
Jolly Pumpkin Oro de Calabaza (MI), a biere de garde [Nate]
Victory V Twelve 2005 (PA), a Belgian strong ale [Jon & Lacey]
Jolly Pumpkin Maracaibo Especial (MI), a Belgian strong ale [Jon & Lacey]
Old Dominion Oak Barrel Stout (VA), a stout [Eli]
Samuel Smith Winter Welcome Ale (England), an English strong ale [Tom W.]
*Dogfish Head Shelter Pale Ale (DE), an American pale ale [Tom W.]
Bear Republic Red Rocket Ale (CA), an American strong ale [Nate]
Lindemans Cuvee Rene (Belgium), a gueuze lambic [Karl]
* denotes beer available in Indiana; remaining available in Pittsburgh.
No disappointments tonight - all the beers were spot on. The Jolly Pumpkin ales were a particular treat, as they closely resemble true Belgian ales though brewed in Michigan.
Thanks to everyone who brought beer!
Hopefully, more people will be able to make the April meeting.
Cheers,
The Indiana Beer Club
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2 comments:
Tonight was definitly one of the better tastings we've had yet. The standouts for me were...
Jolly Pumpkin Oro De Calabaza - I've had this beer on 3 or 4 different occasions, and this was by far the best batch yet. JP's beers tend to vary from batch to batch because of their old world techniques (open fermentation, barrel aging, etc...). This one was very acidic and pungent, and perfectly balanced.
Victory V12 - Nate had a typo on this, it was the 2005. Haven't had this one in a while, and it has mellowed out beautifully with age, although it seemed like it was getting near it's peak.
Jolly Pumpkin Maracaibo Especiale - Ok, I just can't say enough about JP. They are my favorite American brewery without a doubt, and with each bottle they are growing closer to becoming my favorite in the world. "Wild" beers like this are really only common in Belgium, and in my experience, JP is the only brewery outside of that country that has that "wild" flavor. And frankly, I'd take JP's brews over 80% of the Belgians. This one is dark and fruity, with very sour background flavors that balance perfectly.
Old Dominion Oak Barrel Stout - It's been about 2 years since I've had this little beauty, and I'm glad I got to revisit it. We had a nice amount of extreme brews tonite, and this was the polar opposite. Very subtle, balanced, and absurdly drinkable. I wish we could get this locally....
Lindemans Cuvee Rene - It's not often that there is not at least one bottle of this in our house. Why? It's perfect. The rest of Lindeman's products are garbage (in my opinion), but this one is fantastic. It's one of the only authentic Gueuze's available in America, and Nate can attest that an authentic Gueuze is nothing short of heaven in a glass.
Thanks for the brews guys, can't wait to do it again!
Nice summaries boys, I can't say anything you guys haven't already covered.
Good times and lots of laughs.
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