Jadyn and I got up relatively early on Sunday morning and checked out of the hotel. We drove back into Burlington and stopped at the City Market Onion-River Co-op to buy a few groceries. I remember getting strawberries and some of their on-tap Kombucha.
Kombucha is an herbal tea fermented by a a mixed culture of bacteria, including Acetobacter, and yeast, including Brettanomyces bruxellensis, Candida stellata and Schizosaccharomyces pombe among others. It has a pleasing tart flavor, and a bright, refreshing fizziness. If you're a fan of lambics you might enjoy Kombucha. Jadyn's been picking up G.T. Dave's Kombucha from Whole Foods occasionally. It's much tarter and more carbonated than some of the other brands that I've tried, very tasty and refreshing. Though, it has strands of the culture floating around which may put some people off (including myself somewhat). If you like lambics you might give Kombucha a try.
I do feel that i should give a disclaimer though. Kombucha is really fucking Granola. There are a lot of claims of its "natural" medicinal benefit, and as with other "natural remedies" it seems to be mostly horseshit. There are no actual quality studies backing any of this up. There was also a scare back in 1995 about the dangers of Kombucha, but most of these seemed to be related to contamination of home-brewed Kombucha. I don't believe for a second that it can cure cancer. I just think it's a tasty drink.
After we left Burlington, we drove to Stowe to have lunch at The Shed Restaurant & Brewery. I had a burger and fries for lunch and Jadyn had a spinach pastry item. After lunch we went to the Ben & Jerry's factory for a tour and ice cream.
858. Mountain Ale
Beer Stats:
Brewery: The Shed Restaurant & Brewery
Alcohol: 7.00%
Serving: Tap
Style: Old Ale, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance: 3.5 | Smell: 4.0 | Taste: 3.5 | Mouthfeel: 4.0 | Drinkability: 4.0
Overall: 3.7
I had a pint of their Mountain Ale with lunch. Pours a hazed, amber-brown. Topped by a thin, wispy, beige head. Lace clings to the side of the glass as the beer moves, but it only leaves sporadic patches. Toffee and caramel on the nose, notes of dates and prunes, and a hint of roastiness.
A malty, but not cloying, sweetness is predominant upfront. There are toffee and caramel flavors on top of a nice toasty flavor. Hints of dates and raisins in the center. The finosh is a mix of alcoholic spice and a light, but lingering, roasty bitterness. Medium-bodied, smooth, with moderate carbonation.
Tasty with a nice warming feel, definitely a good winter beer, but it was nice on this cool, overcast day.
859. Mocha Porter
Beer Stats:
Brewery: The Shed Restaurant & Brewery
Alcohol: ?
Serving: Tap
Style: American Porter, BJCP Style Guide
Jadyn had the Mocha Porter, which I drank a bit of. Black with a thick beige head that leaves trails of lace and retains well. The aroma is roasty with a light fruitiness, chocolate and coffee.
Lightly bready and toasty upfront. Moves into a fruity center with a nice, bitter, coffee finish. Light bodied, moderately carbonated, smooth.
Kombucha is an herbal tea fermented by a a mixed culture of bacteria, including Acetobacter, and yeast, including Brettanomyces bruxellensis, Candida stellata and Schizosaccharomyces pombe among others. It has a pleasing tart flavor, and a bright, refreshing fizziness. If you're a fan of lambics you might enjoy Kombucha. Jadyn's been picking up G.T. Dave's Kombucha from Whole Foods occasionally. It's much tarter and more carbonated than some of the other brands that I've tried, very tasty and refreshing. Though, it has strands of the culture floating around which may put some people off (including myself somewhat). If you like lambics you might give Kombucha a try.
I do feel that i should give a disclaimer though. Kombucha is really fucking Granola. There are a lot of claims of its "natural" medicinal benefit, and as with other "natural remedies" it seems to be mostly horseshit. There are no actual quality studies backing any of this up. There was also a scare back in 1995 about the dangers of Kombucha, but most of these seemed to be related to contamination of home-brewed Kombucha. I don't believe for a second that it can cure cancer. I just think it's a tasty drink.
After we left Burlington, we drove to Stowe to have lunch at The Shed Restaurant & Brewery. I had a burger and fries for lunch and Jadyn had a spinach pastry item. After lunch we went to the Ben & Jerry's factory for a tour and ice cream.
858. Mountain Ale
Beer Stats:
Brewery: The Shed Restaurant & Brewery
Alcohol: 7.00%
Serving: Tap
Style: Old Ale, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance: 3.5 | Smell: 4.0 | Taste: 3.5 | Mouthfeel: 4.0 | Drinkability: 4.0
Overall: 3.7
I had a pint of their Mountain Ale with lunch. Pours a hazed, amber-brown. Topped by a thin, wispy, beige head. Lace clings to the side of the glass as the beer moves, but it only leaves sporadic patches. Toffee and caramel on the nose, notes of dates and prunes, and a hint of roastiness.
A malty, but not cloying, sweetness is predominant upfront. There are toffee and caramel flavors on top of a nice toasty flavor. Hints of dates and raisins in the center. The finosh is a mix of alcoholic spice and a light, but lingering, roasty bitterness. Medium-bodied, smooth, with moderate carbonation.
Tasty with a nice warming feel, definitely a good winter beer, but it was nice on this cool, overcast day.
859. Mocha Porter
Beer Stats:
Brewery: The Shed Restaurant & Brewery
Alcohol: ?
Serving: Tap
Style: American Porter, BJCP Style Guide
Jadyn had the Mocha Porter, which I drank a bit of. Black with a thick beige head that leaves trails of lace and retains well. The aroma is roasty with a light fruitiness, chocolate and coffee.
Lightly bready and toasty upfront. Moves into a fruity center with a nice, bitter, coffee finish. Light bodied, moderately carbonated, smooth.
Labels: American Porter, Old Ale
