Beer Dude: Lukcy Basartd Ale

Beer Dude: Lukcy Basartd Ale: " The mind games keep coming with this one. I only had to look at the name five times before I actually realized the spelling. Am I ..."

Lukcy Basartd Ale

    

     The mind games keep coming with this one. I only had to look at the name five times before I actually realized the spelling.  Am I really that slow? This ale is reportedly 50% Arrogant Bastard and 50% Double Bastard.

      I poured this blended ale into an English style pint glass and immediately recognized the familiar copper color brew and creamy head. Add a bright, floral hop and I might expect this to be a Double Bastard based on the initial factors.

      Lukcy Basartd was less malty than Double Bastard with nice lacing and a medium mouth feel. It is well balanced without too much of an alcohol bite at an abv 8.5%. Don't miss out on an opportunity to try this beer. Let me know what you think. Cheers.

Beer Dude: San Diego Beer Week Stone Rare Beer Breakfast

Beer Dude: San Diego Beer Week Stone Rare Beer Breakfast: " Congratulations to Stone Brewing Company and their wonderful staff for putting on a fantastic event! The amazing beer selection and gr..."

San Diego Beer Week Stone Rare Beer Breakfast

     Congratulations to Stone Brewing Company and their wonderful staff  for putting on a fantastic event! The amazing beer selection and great food on a perfect Southern California morning converged in the beautiful beer garden of the Stone Bistro. The air was filled with  live Jazz  and talk about all of the wonderful beers available for tasting on this Friday morning. This event rendered the perfect salute to the start of San Diego's Beer Week 2010. I'm not trying to kiss anybody's ass and overdo the superlatives in describing this event, but  really, it was just that good.
     Who would have thought that there would be that many people willing to drink beer at a 9 am breakfast?
I started with Mikkeller Beer Geek Breakfast to go with my Eben-Hazer Egg omelet complete with fresh shaved  Oregon black truffle and T&H Stone Smoked Porter smoked sausage, a great start for the morning. Then the beers started flowing for me. I'm talking about Goose Island Bourbon County Brand Stout, Stone Imperial Russian Stout 10th Anniversary Special Blend, Avery Rumpkin.... I punctuated some of the beers with the appetizer station having a braised pork belly with a sweet Clementine marmalade on a biscuit and the in house smoked salmon on a mini bagel with cream cheese both of which tasted fantastic.
      The beer list was simply unbelievable and the abv seemed to hover around 10% or higher. This breakfast was not for the faint of heart. I had a great time and am very confident the others in attendance would request this kind of beer breakfast in the future. Thank you Stone!

Beer Dude: 2010 Mikkeller Devine Rebel

Beer Dude: 2010 Mikkeller Devine Rebel: "Mikkeller puts out some really nice beers like Beer Geek Breakfast, Rauch Geek Breakfast and Black Hole. Add on a collaboration with Brew ..."

2010 Mikkeller Devine Rebel

Mikkeller puts out some really nice beers like Beer Geek Breakfast, Rauch Geek Breakfast and Black Hole.  Add on a collaboration with  Brew Dog and  my expectations were rising  for Devine Rebel. I have heard some good things about this beer. The time came to taste the beer....
I opened the beer and heard the classic sound, then poured a flat copper colored beer.No head, no lacing and very few bubbles. The taste was unremarkable and quite disappointing.  I'm sure after reading Beer Advocate  seeing all of the positive reviews about the beer, I had purchased a bad bottle. Yes my friends, it happens. I spoke to Marvin at Distillers Outlet Liquor about my disappointment and he told me that there were a group of bottles that were flat and that his distributor had taken back some of the flat bottles. The moral to the story is that if a bottled beer is not what you had expected and missing head, carbonation and taste, you could have a bad beer or just maybe a just a bad bottle.Life is short, move on.

Beer Dude: Fullers Vintage Ale 2007

Beer Dude: Fullers Vintage Ale 2007: " Writing about beers that I have enjoyed gives me an opportunity to re-live the beer experience and think about the fun that was had w..."

Fullers Vintage Ale 2007

     Writing about beers that I have enjoyed gives me an opportunity to re-live the beer experience and think about the fun that was had with friends while drinking it. This Fullers Vintage Ale 2007, Bottle number 143489  has been in my cellar (closet) since I bought it in 2007. I bought several of these bottles because my son will be 21 in 2027 and I want to have a beer with him on that day that is nearly as old as he will be. With this goal in mind, I have to conduct periodic surveys of my supply to  insure that my storage system is not harming any of my precious liquids.
     I dusted the beer box off and placed it in my fridge before going to work Friday morning and thought about that beer all day long. By the time I got home I was ready to devour it. I poured this clear, copper colored ale into an English pint glass and produced a fine two fingered head. There was a touch of yeast in the pour so I waited for this to settle which also provided an opportunity for the beer to warm and open flavors. The smell was malty with light hops characteristic of English style ales. Once I tasted this beer I was captivated. This beer was so smooth and rich with lacing that lined the glass. At 8.5% abv, this ale delivered all the way around.

Beer Dude: Ninkasi Brewing Company, Total Domination IPA

Beer Dude: Ninkasi Brewing Company, Total Domination IPA: " It's Friday here in San Diego CA and my girl had prepared this incredible Wild Alaskan Coho Salmon with a white wine and leek cream sau..."

Ninkasi Brewing Company, Total Domination IPA

     It's Friday here in San Diego CA and my girl had prepared this incredible Wild Alaskan Coho Salmon with a white wine and leek cream sauce. I thought that this would pair well with the Total Domination IPA  my cousin had been telling me about just a few short weeks ago. Turns out she's a college age gal living in Eugene and happens to know good beer when she tastes it. She couldn't believe that I had never heard of Ninkasi and told me I should try it. Being that I value my family and their opinion, I wouldn't want to miss out on a quality beer so I honored her request when I came across Ninkasi at BevMo.
     Wow, I'm impressed. This beer poured a copper color with an active head into a tulip shaped glass. Not really having an idea of what I was getting into, I felt that this was the proper glass choice. Floral hops came to the nose with a smooth hoppy flavor that didn't bite my tongue but  was present to the point that I could appreciate the flavor of the hops throughout the quaff. I sensed citrus like grapefruit  with a touch of maltiness which I thought was good too. Adding to my experience was the smooth mouth feel which left a thin coating on my tongue then finishing quickly. All that remained was the solid lacing on my glass.
     I found this beer to be very flavorful and at 6.7% abv and 65 IBU,  I could drink this IPA as a session beer. As my first beer from Ninkasi, this was a great experience. I'm glad Samantha has good taste in beer.  I can't wait to get into more of  what Ninkasi has to offer.

Beer Dude: NYC Beer Tour

Beer Dude: NYC Beer Tour: " I can't believe that it took me 41 years to get to NYC. I have traveled to many countries on this planet of ours and had never been to..."

NYC Beer Tour

     I can't believe that it took me 41 years to get to NYC. I have traveled to many countries on this planet of ours and had never been to New York City until last week. Life and opportunity have kept me from going until now. Time, circumstances and pure stupid luck aligned  for this Dude to make his journey and it happened to coincide with NYC Craft Beer Week.
     My good fortune continued as my NYC beer experience began at the Ginger Man for no other reason than it was closest to our hotel and I was in need of some good beer. I was immediately impressed with the warmth of the Ginger Man's decor when I walked in the door. The staff was friendly, helpful and honest with their opinions about beers I should try. I had explained that I'm from San Diego and that I wanted a good beer that I didn't think I could get here at home. This led me to 400lb Monkey by Left Hand Brewing out of Longmont, Colorado. I wasn't sure if I could get this beer here in San Diego so I figured that I'd start with it. I'm glad I did. The beer was refreshing and went down easily. I could have spent time with a beer like this, but had to move on.
     My next beer was the BrewDog Paradox Springbank on Cask. I have had this in the bottle but didn't want to miss the opportunity to have it on cask. For me, this was a nice transition from 400lb Monkey, but I managed to get a sample of Goose Island Bourbon County Stout and this set my taste buds on fire. Nothing against Paradox, but I'm a sucker for the bourbon. This was a fantastic beer! Don't take my word for it, check out what the some of the reviewers at the Beer Advocate say about this beer and you will understand why I was so impressed. My only question is how or where  do I get more of this in San Diego. By this point I was thoroughly impressed with the Ginger Man and had to find out where else I might go in NYC to find beers that would broaden my horizons. The staff at the Ginger Man sent me to Rattle-N-Hum, and they also pointed out that I should stop in at the Whole Foods so that I could get a few bottles to bring home. To those of you in NYC that will be seeing this posting, you are so lucky to have the beer collection in that store, they have done a great job with it, and again, the staff there was so helpful.
     I was not disappointed by what I found at Rattle-N-Hum which was a more intense beer experience and a little closer to what I'm used to here in Southern California. The staff was kind and supportive of my quest for  beer that I can't get at home. I started with a beer made by Cigar City Brewing Company called Jai Alai .This was followed by Marshal Zhukov, a seasonal Russian Imperial Stout by Cigar City that I thought was really good. I followed that one with a Left Hand Imperial Stout and ended with the Left Hand, Twin Sister DIPA. Thank God that session ended when it did because those were some  pretty alcohol laden beers and I had another day of beer drinking ahead of me. I still had to make my way to the Blind Tiger.
     The Blind Tiger was a popular place with the locals. The bartenders were very helpful and patient as the place was loud, busy and challenging to order a beer. Well worth the effort as I completely trusted the bartender and drank what he or she brought me and tried to figure out what it was after the fact. Not my ideal way of doing things, but given the crowds, I was just thankful I had a beer. My first beer I think, was Harpoon Brewery's, Triticus.  The next beer was a Smuttynose Big A IPA followed by a Brooklyn Brewery Detonation Ale. All three of these beers have an abv from 9% to 11%. Needless to say, I was feeling pretty good by this point and still had maintain some semblance of order as we made our way to dinner. 
     By the end of the trip I was ready to come home. I needed the detox from the beers and needed to catch up on things that had been neglected. I thought the people of NYC were generally friendly and helpful. The beer bars were great because beer lovers understand another beer lovers drive toward discovery. I'm looking forward to a return visit.

Beer Dude: Hitachino Nest Beer XH

Beer Dude: Hitachino Nest Beer XH: " What an interesting beer! Perhaps interesting is a less than positive way to begin a review, but I'll just say that I thought this beer..."

Hitachino Nest Beer XH

     What an interesting beer! Perhaps interesting is a less than positive way to begin a review, but I'll just say that I thought this beer was great. What makes Hitachino Nest Beer XH interesting is all of the variables used in making this type of beer. This is true craft beer, Japanese style.
When I taste an Imperial Stout that has been oak barrel, bourbon barrel, or wine barrel aged, I can relate to the bite and flavor because I have a frame of reference. I am familiar with the flavors and am able to taste the various components and enjoy the experience. That said, I'm no stranger to Sake either. When I tasted Hitachino Nest Beer XH, I didn't know what to expect. I found myself trying to find a reference point from this beer to others that I had drank before and couldn't quite put my finger on it.
 When  poured, out came a clear reddish amber beer with a very lively head with nice lacing. The smell reminded me of oranges and clove. The taste didn't disappoint either. There was a bit of a tart bite up front which I think was the brettanomyces. There was some sweetness and fruitiness that developed as the beer warmed. I would like to be able to say that this flavor was due to the "Sake" cask, but the casks are Shochu. This is where some light needs to be shed. In Japan, Sake is a general term referring to all alcohol type beverages.
 By contrast, Shochu is distilled and isn't necessarily Sake, the brewed, lower alcohol content drink we North Americans would like to call it. This is merely the difficulty of direct translation. My intention for pointing this out is merely to enlighten and to suggest that I believe some of the flavors of this beer could be attributed to the fermentable used in the making of the distilled Shochu within the cask.
     In the end, Hitachino Nest Beer XH was an exciting beer worthy of purchase if the opportunity presents itself. I will buy more if I can get my hands on it. Cheers.  


*(It is important to note that the website link shows a beer with a very similar label adding Extra High and listing an abv of 8%. The beer I have reviewed here was 7% and the label is reflected in the photo.)

Beer Dude: 'Dark Force' by HaandBryggerie

Beer Dude: 'Dark Force' by HaandBryggerie: " I'm so pleased to have been given this beer for my birthday. This one was right up my alley. Dark Force by HaandBryggerieHaandBryggerie i..."

'Dark Force' by HaandBryggerie

   I'm so pleased to have been given this beer for my birthday. This one was right up my alley. Dark Force by HaandBryggerie is a double wheat,  Russian Imperial Stout  from Norway with an abv of 8.5%. 
     The bottle pour produced a deep and dark beer with a tall coffee colored head disappearing after a few minutes leaving a moderate amount of lacing. The nose directly translated to the taste.  Bourbon, coffee and chocolate as well as licorice flavors carried from nose to tongue. For me, this was a well balanced beer with very little alcohol bite. 
     This beer had a lighter yet smooth mouth feel  when compared to other Russian Imperial Stouts which to me, was possibly due to its double wheat crafting. This is not a bad thing which could have led me to drink another if I had it on hand.
     This beer is well worth trying. You might find this beer available at Olive Tree Markett in Ocean Beach or at Distillers Outlet in Poway. Both of these locations have a great selection of beers with motivated and knowledgeable staff. Give it a try and let me know what you think. If there are any beers any of you think I should try, by all means, say so in the comments section.
     
     

Pizza Port Older Viscosity

     When I hear about any beer that is an Imperial Stout aged in oak bourbon barrels, I'm interested. Even more so if that beer is crafted by Pizza Port Brewing Company of San Marcos, CA.  Older Viscosity is just the kind of beer that gets my motor running.
     Poured at 50 degrees into a snifter, this 375 ml bottle of jet black beer produced very little head. Although there was a pop of at the opening as well as lingering of bluish gas in the lumen of the bottle, the beer seemed rather calm. My first thought was that the beer was too cold or that the beer had somehow been mishandled. I had driven from San Diego to Las Vegas with the beer under refrigeration and after 5 seconds trying to explain my situation, I gave up and just drank the beer.
     The Bourbon notes hit my nose adding to my excitement as I began my taste. Bourbon, chocolate and hints of raisin were the initial tastes I got as well as a touch of the alcohol one gets with a 12% beer. Definitely pleasant and very well balanced. I decided to take my time with this one not only because of the abv, but I think I might have made a mistake and served it too cold. I continued to enjoy this beer as it warmed and noticed its wonderful mouth feel. There was a creamy, smooth texture that I could feel coating my mouth.
     I found this to be a valuable beer experience and consider myself lucky to have purchased three bottles of this when I did and have learned that I will serve it at a warmer temperature. Obviously this will cellar well so I will look forward to enjoying this beer in a few years. This beer is definitely worth grabbing and holding.

Beer Dude: Allagash Curieux 2007

Beer Dude: Allagash Curieux 2007: " I read once that 'patience is bitter, but its fruit is sweet.' I don't know if that means Rousseau enjoyed bottle conditioned beers or..."

Allagash Curieux 2007

     I read once that "patience is bitter, but its fruit is sweet." I don't know if that means Rousseau enjoyed bottle conditioned beers or not, but  his saying definitely applies to the 2007 Allagash Curieux  reviewed here. This beer was from a batch of the 670 cases bottled in November 2007. I have had this Belgian style tripel on draft before and the quality did not compare to the bottle held for the past few years, and consumed last night.
     As the label states, this beer ages very well and proved to be an experience I richly enjoyed. I'm a fan of the oak bourbon barrel aged beers in general. There's something about the smooth bourbon notes in the finish that keeps me coming back.
     This beer definitely grabbed my attention with the vanilla and bourbon flavors and smooth mouth feel at the first sip. Served in a tulip glass at about 50 degrees, the honey colored beer produced a tall, fine, white head characteristic of Belgian ales. The beer opened nicely as it warmed and maintained nice lacing in the glass.  I recommend that one take their time in drinking this 11% abv (alcohol by volume) beer. Not only because of the abv,  but the beer seemed to evolve well as it warmed.
     This beer is a bit on the pricey side at $16 compared to some of the other beers out there. Allagash Curieux is well worth the expense if you like to hold and age beers. Remember, life is too short to drink bad beer.
    
    

Stone Double Bastard 2008

          I was feeling Friday from the moment I woke up Friday morning. Four day work weeks are great and all, but I had been working all week to cram the fifth day in. Sound familiar?  I put the 2008 Double Bastard, decade anniversary  into the fridge as my reward. Released in November of 2008, this 10.5% abv Double IPA pours a medium caramel color with a nice cream colored head. The nose was powerfully floral with an obviously high IBU. The first sip was full of intensity. Definitely a Double Bastard.

Poured into a Stone 14th Anniversary tasting glass for the primary reason of self control. If I pour this beer into a taller glass, I drink the beer that much faster. I'm just trying to extend my pleasure.  Ya know what I mean? This was a fantastic beer, I'm looking forward to this years release with great anticipation. Remember, life is too short to drink bad beer.

Beer Dude: Val-Dieu Grand Cru

Beer Dude: Val-Dieu Grand Cru: "What is a Grand Cru? What does it mean? Is it a style of beer? Where does the term come from? In the mid 19th Century, Napoleon III ord..."

Val-Dieu Grand Cru

What is a Grand Cru? What does it mean? Is it a style of beer? Where does the term come from? 

     In the mid 19th Century, Napoleon III ordered the creation of a classification system for all of the wines of the Bordeaux Region. This  resulted in a multi-level system with the top level being designated as the Grand Cru. In English this term is loosely translated as "great growth" and it used when the highest potential for greatness has been shown. This is not a one time statement of quality but of the potential for the Vintner or Brewer.

     Great Dude! How does this relate to the Val-Dieu? Well, in 1997 the Brasserie de l'Abbaye du Val-Dieu was established in the abbey farm, and began brewing their abbey beer in the tradition of the former Val-Dieu Monks. They arrived at the fantastic beer that is the Val-Dieu Grand Cru. This quadruple Belgian Ale pours a dark Mahogany color with rich and creamy head that had only a moderate retention. The lacing was moderate as well. I found the flavor to be fantastic including Cinnamon, pear, and chocolate. Well balanced without the overwhelming yeasty taste of brettanomyces up front or in the finish. 

     Fortunately this beer can be be found year round and is worth having a few on hand. I know Olive Tree Market in O.B has this on the shelf now. The beer will pair nicely with all kinds of food. I really enjoyed the beer with peanut butter filled pretzels from Costco. 

Cheers!

Beer Dude: Stone14th Anniversary

Beer Dude: Stone14th Anniversary: "What a great beer weekend here in San Diego, CA. We celebrated Stone's14th Anniversary at Cal State San Marcos. The beer was great and the w..."

Stone14th Anniversary

What a great beer weekend here in San Diego, CA. We celebrated Stone's14th Anniversary at Cal State San Marcos. The beer was great and the weather was too. I had an awesome opportunity to speak with many dedicated beer drinkers about one of my favorite subjects...beer! People were talking about Humulus Lager from The Bruery, Orange County, CA. Holey...This beer is up there with Pliny and Racer 5! No joke! When will it be bottled and distributed? Where and when can I get it?

I was also glad to see my first love at the party. There's nothing like a first love and  Sierra Nevada was in the house...emotional pause...the nostalgia is kicking in...Have you ever had a bad Sierra Nevada? Hell I named my two Boxers Sierra and Nevada. I've been buying this beer as long as I have been able to find a way to get it. No worries though, I'm much older now and my parents figured it out years ago so their cool with it.

Stone's Russian Imperial stout was there too. I wish I could get a couple of bottles of that one. That was great!!!! The last five years blended into one beer. Beauty in a glass. That would go great after a steak dinner. Forget dessert.

Mikkeller was there too. WOW!!! See the entry in my blog about Beer Geek Breakfast and you will know that I appreciate what they do. The beer is so smooth and well crafted. Some of the future plans for Beer Geek sound great. I'll look forward to getting some of these bottles. Definitely more to come from Mikkeller.

Then there was Lagunitas, I don't want to be redundant when I say have you ever had a bad.... But Lagunitas is awesome. I could go on about their beers, see  the write up of their Russian Imperial Stout. Maximus, Hairy Eyeball, and Brown Shugga are some of my other favorites and they make so many good beers.

AleSmith ...I had to bring unknowing people I met along the way to your booth because people shouldn't leave the party never  having tasted the craftmanship of your beers. I get growlers to share with friends regularly. Anything I could write about your beer would come short of the justice you have earned. Your GABF gold medals speak for themselves. Aside from the fact that your Speedway Stout is one of my most favorite beers on the planet.

At the end of the day, my girl and I had a great time. I understand the deal with the 10 tastes as the Police were able to demonstrate for us what happens when you drink too much and forget your manners. I hope everything worked out okay for everyone. There were many beers that I still wanted to taste. I tasted the cheese and thought that was cool, but what do you think about mustards? Maybe its my German heritage, but that sounded good to me. I'm looking forward to the next gathering. Cheers!

Beer Dude: Lost Abbey Inferno Ale

Beer Dude: Lost Abbey Inferno Ale: "Where do I begin with this beer made by Lost Abbey in San Marcos, CA. I'll start with the pour, which reminded me of a Duvel in the way the ..."

Lost Abbey Inferno Ale

Where do I begin with this beer made by Lost Abbey in San Marcos, CA. I'll start with the pour, which reminded me of a Duvel in the way the head formed so dense and meringue like. What followed was to me, a crisp and clean smell of citrus. The smooth citrus with the sweetness of the Belgian yeast was a fantastic combination that I highly recommend. The beer went down so well when paired with Cedar Plank Salmon and Salad. At the time I was disappointed that I only chilled one 22 oz bottle. At 8.5% Alcohol by Volume, this beer did its job and I would gladly recommend it.

Beer Dude: Lagunitas Russian Imperial Stout

Beer Dude: Lagunitas Russian Imperial Stout: "This is an impressive Russian Imperial Stout! Honestly, have you ever had a bad beer by Lagunitas? I don't think I have. This beer begins wi..."

Lagunitas Russian Imperial Stout

This is an impressive Russian Imperial Stout! Honestly, have you ever had a bad beer by Lagunitas? I don't think I have. This beer begins with a deep dark pour with an espresso colored head. The first taste is of smooth milk chocolate finishing nicely with espresso. This 22 oz beer went down so well it was hard to believe that it was gone. With the IBU at 72.45 and OG of 1.082 there is no wonder how the wild eyed charlatan from Voldvostogniaky was able to down four bottles of this stuff. At 8.2% alcohol by volume, I don't think he was feeling too much.You will understand my reference once you read the vignette on the side of the bottle.

Oatmeal Stout brewed with Coffee

Mikkeller Beer Geek Breakfast

The name of the beer says a lot. Beer Geek Breakfast is a coffee infused oatmeal stout that might substitute for breakfast if you have the day off or if you like to go to work with a bit of a buzz on. It is 7.5% alcohol by volume and comes in a 17 oz bottle. It 's a hearty, full bodied beer from Nogne O, Grimstad, Norway. My first thought when I tasted this beer was that it was a hell of a lot better than the Wells Banana Bread Beer. That said, I found Beer Geek to be very drinkable and was surprised to find that I had drank the entire bottle while cooking dinner.This beer is lighter and less complex than other Oatmeal stouts thus lending to its drink ability. I look forward to having more of this beer in my closet. It seems best suited with a steak dinner or dessert like chocolate cake. Suit yourself, this is a great beer and it never hurts to have a few of these around. After all, life is too short to drink bad beer.

What Was I Thinking?

I may not be the most conventional person when it comes to trying out new beers. I might actually take the advice of one of the people at Bevmo and take home a bottle of beer like Wells Banana Bread Beer. Now I'm not the kind of person that likes fruit in my beer, but in this case I was willing to take a risk based on a recommendation from an excited  Bevmo staff member. I thought "this beer can't be that bad, can it?" I should have put the beer down and run the other way.  This malt beer was an amber color with a thin head, weak lacing and distinct banana nose. The initial taste was surprising in that I didn't know what I had just tasted. The second and third taste were to decide what it was I didn't like about the beer. By the fourth taste, I was pouring the bottle down the drain.  At a younger point in my life I would have remembered my masculinity, and sucked back that beer considering it a lesson learned. At this stage of my life, I consider myself man enough to throw out a perfectly cold beer because I didn't like it  despite the fact that it was $7. Besides, I had a Mikkeller Beer Geek Breakfast waiting for me in the fridge. Life is too short for bad beer.

Nectar of the gods!

Deschutes Abyss is the most amazing beer ever made! I just went to a vertical tasting at Holiday Wine Cellar on Saturday and was so stoked to get to taste the '07, '08, and '09 vertical. We started with the '09 and ended with the '07 which was near perfect, I was so excited by the perfection of the '07 that I'll start there. The nose, flavor, and mouth feel were fantastic. The color was dark like my heart. No light could possibly penetrate this Imperial Stout. We could talk about the temperature of the beer, but honestly, who would  really take the time to put a thermometer in a beer like this. Believe me when I tell you all of the coffee and anise flavors came through in this richly complex yet  balanced and drinkable nectar. No doubt this was a treat.
The '08 was fantastic as well. Retrospectively, this beer did well given the context of the vertical. The taster was able to appreciate the maturation when compared to the '07. I'm incentivised to keep this beer in the closet for another year or two to see how it turns out. The colors of the beer and the foam were consistent to my eyes throughout the vertical tasting. The taste again was of coffee, licorice and oak. Not as mellowed as the '07, but worthy of the discipline of waiting the two years to open the bottle. The '08 is well worth holding in my opinion.
Then there was the '09. I'm well aware of the controversy surrounding the possible 'infection' resulting in the hint of sour cherries. In this tasting, I believe that the sour cherries flavor was there. I am also aware that the power of suggestion is significant, but I tasted it. Does that mean the beer was bad? That's for the individual to decide. Just because someone doesn't like something desn't mean it isn't any good. You are all entitled to your opinion and mine is that I liked the '09 Abyss, cherries and all. I don't think it will be another '07 quality. Let's wait a couple of years to find out. Maybe it will be great. Mabe it will make a great marinde.