This one was even better. Admittedly, I was one the fence about paying the $90 per person price tag. But, since the first dinner was so great, I sucked it up and bought the tickets.
I'm so glad I did! It was worth it.
The Sourcopia Beer Dinner was an amazing experience. The beers were (of course) delicious and the food was fabulous.
This beer dinner featured pre-release tastings of four new Two Roads brews - three sours and Roadsmary's Other Baby - plus a course featuring the newly release Unorthodox Ale.
The food was prepared by Chef Plum (Kristopher Plummer). Each course was inspired by the beers he was pairing the course with and, in some dishes, the beer was used in the recipe.
As each beer was being served, brewmastter Phil Markowski discussed the brew and answered questions. Then Chef Plum would describe each course and why he paired the beer with it. Each dish went wonderfully well with the beer served with it.
My dining companions? Well, they were just delightful. We chatted and laughed and shared the experience. I finally got to meet Dan and Kristien of fellow bloggers OmNomCT. And got the chance to chat with Chef Plum. Of course, there were photo-ops with old friends and new friends.
Kriek (5.2% ABV) is a cherry infused lambic.
The aroma was mouthwateringly tart with the subtlest breath of fruit.
The taste, hmmm, not at all what I expected. My prior experience is that lambics are typically overly sweet and often syrupy. This was neither of these things and oh-so good. It was lip-smackingly tart and nary a bit sweet with whisper of cherries. The finish is dry and leaves you salivating.
The mouthfeel is light and tingly.
Overall: very good.
Gueuze (5.2% ABV) is a blend of young and older lambics.
It has a hazy honey appearance with a smallish white head.
The aroma tart and a wee bit funky.
The taste is wicked tart with a touch of Belgian funk. It very much reminded me of Krazy Pucker - Two Road's Berliner Weisse. Except it was so much more. More sour, more flavor. The finish is dry and crisp.
The mouthfeel is medium-light with loads of happy bubbles.
Overall: very good
Philsamic is an American wild ale brewed with aged balsamic vinegar.
It is a dark burnt orange color with a huge root-beer like head.
The aroma is difficult to describe. There is a definite undercurrent of balsamic.
The taste, indeed, has a balsamic quality without being vinegary. However, it wasn't nearly as balsamic-y as I had expected, Again, hard to describe as I have no basis for comparison. It has a kind of earthiness but not in a hoppy way. In fact, it's not bitter nor is it sweet nor particularly sour. It is truly unique. Definitely worth a try if you can get your hands on some.
Overall: interesting
Unorthodox (9.2% ABV) is a Russian imperial stout. It is Igor's Dream without the barrel aging will become a year-round offering.
It is as dark as pitch with a mocha colored head.
The aroma is roasty malts, dark cocoa, coffee, and a hint of hops.
The taste is true to the style - dark malts, bitter chocolate, roasted coffee, and dark dried fruit. There is some sweetness and a surprising bit of hoppiness. The finish is mildly bitter.
The mouthfeel is full and warm.
Overall: very good
Roadsmary's Other Baby (6.8% ABV) is a pumpkin beer. It is uncut and aged two months longer than the original Roadsmary's Baby.
It is a reddish orange with a loose lingering head.
The aroma . . . holy cow. You can literally drink in the smell and taste the beer. Pumpkin, spices, and awesomeness.
The taste is similar to Roadsmary's Baby but it is smoother, less spicy, and more fresh pumpkin. I like it so much better and that's saying something since I like Roadsmary's Baby so flippin' much. Crazy! Get this one while you can. Extremely limited release.
Overall: awesome.
No comments:
Post a Comment