Ali's Second Publick House Posting (Official Team Member)
Published by Unknown on Thursday, February 09, 2006 at 12:00 AM.
As Thom explained already at length, we went to teh Publick House tonight. Since my main purpose here is as cheese-master/gourmand, I must mention my delicious meal, a Publick House burger with Cheddar cheese with Dogfish Head Indian Brown BBQ Sauce and home cut fries.
Tonight was my first semi-learned tasting experience, as Thom and I discussed beer styles last night while discussing our potential beer samplings at Extreme Beer Fest (this Saturday). I decided ahead of time to try a Belgian Quadrupel (low on the hops) and a Porter or Stout.
Beer 1: St. Bernardus ABT 12, Quadrupel
Appearance: Served in an oversized wine glass, when the beer was brought to our table it had a thick beige head that had good retention but eventually reduced to about a quarter of an inch. The brew was an opaque dark brown.
Smell: Sweet, malty, and spicy, very much like other Belgian beers I've smelled.
Taste: Tingly up front with a very sweet center, maybe a biscuity finish?
Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied with light carbonation. I've written in my notes "munchy." I think I mean chewy.
Drinkablity: Very tasty, but high alcohol content means it's not a session beer.
Overall: I really like the malty flavor of this but it still has that crazy taste that's specific to Belgian beers that I'm not a fan of.
Dave on this beer: "This is the best beer I've ever tasted."
Beer 2: Rogue Mocha Porter, American Porter
Appearance: Beer was served in a Newcastle pint glass. It was totally opaque and a deep dark brown. The head was thin.
Smell: As expected, this beer smelled heavy and smoky.
Taste: Much more carbonated than what I've been drinking lately, it was tingly on the tongue at first, then intense espresso and subtle bittersweet chocolate flavors busted out. Pretty bitter finish.
Mouthfeel: Surprisingly light-bodied, but heavy in my tummy, especially after that huge burger!!
Drinkability: After that high ABV Bernardus and the burger, I was down for the count and needed Thom to help me finish, but not for lack of enjoyment. It does have a very strong, complex taste, so I probably wouldn't have more than one.
Overall: I tend to like more chocolatey than coffee-tasting porters, but this one wasn't bad.
Stay tuned for the X-treme Beer Fest
Tonight was my first semi-learned tasting experience, as Thom and I discussed beer styles last night while discussing our potential beer samplings at Extreme Beer Fest (this Saturday). I decided ahead of time to try a Belgian Quadrupel (low on the hops) and a Porter or Stout.
Beer 1: St. Bernardus ABT 12, Quadrupel
Appearance: Served in an oversized wine glass, when the beer was brought to our table it had a thick beige head that had good retention but eventually reduced to about a quarter of an inch. The brew was an opaque dark brown.
Smell: Sweet, malty, and spicy, very much like other Belgian beers I've smelled.
Taste: Tingly up front with a very sweet center, maybe a biscuity finish?
Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied with light carbonation. I've written in my notes "munchy." I think I mean chewy.
Drinkablity: Very tasty, but high alcohol content means it's not a session beer.
Overall: I really like the malty flavor of this but it still has that crazy taste that's specific to Belgian beers that I'm not a fan of.
Dave on this beer: "This is the best beer I've ever tasted."
Beer 2: Rogue Mocha Porter, American Porter
Appearance: Beer was served in a Newcastle pint glass. It was totally opaque and a deep dark brown. The head was thin.
Smell: As expected, this beer smelled heavy and smoky.
Taste: Much more carbonated than what I've been drinking lately, it was tingly on the tongue at first, then intense espresso and subtle bittersweet chocolate flavors busted out. Pretty bitter finish.
Mouthfeel: Surprisingly light-bodied, but heavy in my tummy, especially after that huge burger!!
Drinkability: After that high ABV Bernardus and the burger, I was down for the count and needed Thom to help me finish, but not for lack of enjoyment. It does have a very strong, complex taste, so I probably wouldn't have more than one.
Overall: I tend to like more chocolatey than coffee-tasting porters, but this one wasn't bad.
Stay tuned for the X-treme Beer Fest
Labels: American Porter, Brouwerij St. Bernardus, Quadrupel, Rogue Ales Brewery, The Publick House
