We've been back to SoCal for a couple weeks now and I just made it to World Market a few days ago to try out some new beers.
The first is... Dead Guy Ale ...brewed by Rogue Ales of Newport, Oregon.
Man, this was a good beer. I just finished it. First I drank it just by itself and it tasted great. Then Terri warmed up some spicy chicken - tortilla soup and it went really well with that too. It's got a slightly sweet flavour and I think it might be great with spicy food such as Thai.
These guys make a whole bunch of other cool looking beers. I must admit a lot of hem don't look that interesting to me...Pumpkin Patch Ale...nah, Santa's Private Reserve...nah.
6.8% alcohol...
Day Two
Smithwicks Red Ale, from Ireland.
Now this was a pretty good beer too. I would gladly drink this again. I have to say though that the one from yesterday..the Dead Guy Ale was more flavourful.
The back label says that this beer has been brewed for over 300 year so I guess it's been a popular brand.
Day Three
Weihenstephaner Festbier.
WOW! another great tasting beer. 3 in a row.
A Festbier is a beer drunk at a festival and in this case the Oktoberfest in Munich.
This website has a bunch more info on Festbiers.
They Weihenstephan brewery has been in operation almost 1,000 years.
Day Four
Belhaven Wee Heavy
I can't believe it!!! Another fantastic beer...very tasty...this one might even knock the present number one beer - the Dead Guy Ale - out of first pace..we may have to have a playoff round.
Another moderately high alcohol beer at 7.4%
This brewery is also a very old one and they'll be celebrating 300 years in 2019. It might be enough reason to visit Scotland again to join in the celebrations.
Their website.
Day Five
Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout.
YOWSA!!! This is one strong and tasty beer. 9% alcohol so more than one in the afternoon would be a bad idea.
I don't recall ever having a "stout" before - which is odd considering how much beer I drink. I was aware of them just never had one. I'll have more now.
Here's what Wikipedia says about stout beer.
And here's what the brewery says about the beer.
I poured it into a glass to show how dark it is. Almost like an espresso with a bit of crema on the top. Very thick and flavourful. You definitely only want one of these per day...maybe only one per week. A lot of calories in this guy I'm sure.
Day Six.
Sierra Nevada Summerfest Crisp Lager
Well I can't say for sure which of the beer won this beer war but I know it wasn't this one. Not a bad beer - just really nothing unusual going for it. Kind of like an MGD or a Budweiser ... probably tastes real good after you've been hauling hay bales all afternoon. But who does that anymore?
Only 5% alcohol and maybe that's part of the answer...the higher alcohol beers seem to have more flavour - at least to me. Maybe I'm just a piss head though and taste is all in my imagination.
I think there will have to be a run-off between the Dead Guy Ale and the Belhaven Wee Heavy. I'll have to drink them both at the same time ...a sip of one then a sip of the other..maybe some food too.
Stand by for that.