Hop Session **revisited**

Recently I came across a bottle of "old" White Birch Hop Session in my stash - dated May 2012. Considering that this beer is meant to be consumed when fresh, a bottle that been sitting around for a year and a half probably isn't at it's optimal tasty goodness.

Of course I drank it despite that it was was way past its prime. I loathe to waste beer! That's alcohol abuse.

While the beer didn't taste awful by any stretch of the imagination, in fact it was actually quite good, it most likely didn't taste like the brewer had intended. Read the review here.

Since then I've been on a mission to find a fresh bottle. I visited a couple local-to-me beer stores and the freshest they had was still several months old. I bought a bottle anyway and drank it for comparison.








This bottle - dated March 2013 - was similar to the older one with the exception of a more prominent hop profile that made a good attempt to dominate the malty sweetness.

Not bad at all, but still not the in the time frame for its peak drinking condition.

So, I made a special trip all the way to New Hampshire; for Thanksgiving not for beer.

I went into one of my favorite pubs in the area - Red Parka Steakhouse and Pub. Their board proclaimed that they had Hop Session ON TAP! Holy guacamole! That's got to be as fresh as I can get without going to the brewery, right?  So, I ordered a glass. Alas, it was not to be. The keg had kicked. So sad. I cried into my back up beer choice - Brown Bag Milk Stout.

Not defeated I made a special trip to one of my places for craft beer in the North Conway area - Vista Country Store -  and found a bottle that was only a couple months old. Closer to the ideal but not as fresh gets.

This bottle - dated September 2013 - was pretty spankin' good.  Hoppier, bolder with a nice solid malt backbone for excellent balance. Delish!

Hop Session is a good hoppy beer with a nice sessionable alcohol content. Good stuff. Get some! But get it fresh!

Brown Bag Milk Stout

For me, a trip to the White Mountains wouldn't be complete without a trip to the Red Parka Steakhouse and Pub. They pretty have it all for a night out. They have a good selection of local craft beer, good food, friendly atomosphere, fun staff, and music from local bands.

I primarily go for the beer and the ribs, but the bartenders make a mean cocktail and the steaks are outstanding.

New on tap for me for my last trip was Long Trail Brown Bag Milk Stout.

In short, the brown bag series are small batches brewed to test new recipes with "generic" labeling to minimize cost - read more here.  Others in this series included an American Pale Ale, Smoked Brown Ale and a Maple Maibock.

Milk Stout (5.40% ABV) is #3 in the series. I'm glad to have had the chance to try it.







Poured from a tap into a pint sized mason jar, the Brown Bag Milk Stout was a very dark brown with a smallish, quickly disappinting head that left behind loose but clingy lace.

The aroma was quite nice. Roasty malt, fresh ground coffee, and sweet chocolate prevail.

The taste is much the same.  The malts are roasty but not bitter. They are complimented a fresh coffee and milk chocolate flavors. There are hints of caramel and vanilla that come through towards the end leaving behind a nice tasty aftertaste.

The mouth feel is creamy but thin; I expect a richer texture from a milk stout.

Brown Bag Milk Stout isn't the best milk stout I've had, but it's not bad by any stretch of the imaginate. Good and drinkable.

Overall, good.

Overheard at the Red Parka

The Red Parka Pub in Glen, NH has an impressive tap selection - some regulars, some rotating - so it's surprising that hubby and I have had them all. 

Carl, a bartender at the Red Parka, asked us if we'd had the Maple Maibock from Long Trail.  Wait WHAT??? Did he say Maple Maibock.  Two please!  

Then Carl went on to inform us that they were waiting for a keg to kick to hook it up.  He even brought out the tap handle and to taunt us.  What kind of sick torture is this?  So, of course, I asked which keg was about to blow so we could empty that bad boy?  He just laughed.  I think Carl might be evil.

Without any further guidance from the nefarious Carl, hubby and I did our bestest to contribute to getting a keg to kick but there's only so much two people can do.  Many days later . . . 

Finally!

The stars were aligned.  We got our favorite seat at the bar, and our favorite bartenders were tending bar - yes, one of those was Carl (he's not really such a bad guy - and the much anticipated beer was finally pouring.

Woot!

Carl poured a couple Maple Maibocks and graciously presented the tap handle for a photo op!  How cool is that?

As we were sipping the much anticipated brew, I overheard Carl talking with another patron.  He said, "The other day I was wondering what I wanted to be when I grow up."  Mind you, Carl is a gray-haired, bushy bearded fellow of crusty New England ilk.  Generally speaking, he pretty much is all growed up.  And then he said as he waived his arm indicating the barroom, "I guess I'm doing it!."  And then he leaned over to the patron he was conversing with and said in a hushed tone, "I'm not really grown up, though."

I know just how he feels.

Maple Maibock is Batch #4 of Long Trail's Brown Bag Series.  In short, the brown bag series are small batches brewed to test new recipes with "generic" labeling to minimize cost - read more here.  Others in this series included an American Pale Ale, Smoked Brown Ale and a Milk Stout.

Althought the Maple Maibock is #4 in the series, for some reason the tap handle was marked #5.  Whatever.

Maple Maibock (6.5% ABV) was served typical Red Parka style in a pint mason jar.  It is a clear golden amber with little head and some lacing.  The aroma was malty with a definite nose of maple goodness.  The taste was sweet and malty like a maibock should be.  The maple presence was apparent but I would have enjoyed a bigger maple flavor. There's a touch of bittering hops to balance out some of the sweetness. The mouthfeel is light to medium with good carbonation.  This is a very drinkable beer, very tasty.  Overall: very good.