My first pick . . . The Lost Abbey

Niche within a niche within a niche. Fantasy Great American Beer Festival “team.” So I’ll be brief.

Through the generosity of Jonathan Surratt, the genius behind The Beer Mapping Project, we once again get the Beer Mapping Fantasy Draught. I tied for third in 2007, missed last year (we were in Switzerland).

I sure was suprised to get The Lost Abbey with the 12th pick.

Tomorrow regular blogging will resume, because I can’t imagine reading about somebody’s fantasy football team (although I’ve seen the beer companies have start to toss all sorts of marketing support in that direction).

But if you care then follow the draft here.

 

GABF book signings

Are you going to be at the Great American Beer Festival next week?

If so please stop by the GABF Bookstore on Thursday (6:30-7:30 p.m.) or Friday (6:30-7 p.m.) and say hello. If you are carrying around a copy of Brew Like a Monk, or for that matter Frank Applegate of Santa Fe, I’ll be happy to sign in.

Craft defined, v437865.3

Tom Cizauskas does a fair amount of rehashing in ongoing discussion of “what’s craft beer?” that I’m promising myself I won’t get involved in today, but at the very end manages to put into words one of those hard to verbalize youknowitwhenyouseeit things.

It’s the joy of the beer itself (and the joy of brewing the beer) and the sense of connecting with their community that separate small (or ‘craft’ or micro or local) breweries from their much bigger brethren.

My only addition/quibble is that not all small or local breweries qualify.

 

Session #31 wrapped up, #32 announced

The SessionBetterBeerBlog has the roundup for Session #31: “Best Summer Beer” and Girl Like Beer announced the topic of No. 32 (Oct. 2): Eastern Beers.

I would like you to pick your favorite beer made east form your hometown but east enough that it is already in a different country. It can be from the closest country or from the furthest. Explain why do you like this beer. What is the coolest stereotype associated with the country the beer comes from (of course according to you)? And one more thing. If you do a video or picture of the beer (not obligatory of course) try to include the flag of the country.

Given that all the world’s traditional brewing nations, as well as the Republic of Texas, lie east of New Mexico no way can I pick a single favorite but finding a good beer should be easy.

 

Stone Vertical Epic Ale 09.09.09

Stone Vertical Epic Ale 09.09.09

I’m writing about Stone Vertical Epic Ale 09.09.09 because the brewery sent me a bottle. That doesn’t mean I’ll blog about the next beer that shows up at my doorstep, or even that we’ll drink it. (At 8.9% abv and in a 22-ounce bottle this is definitely a “we” beer.)

If it were just kind of OK I might write about it eventually and I might not. If I disliked it as much at 04.04.04 I’d be telling you it sucked. As is my habit I bought two bottles of 04.04.04 in April of 2004. We opened one not long after and cared for it so little we dumped it. Waited several months and tried again. Dumped again. Obviously we should have never opened the second one and instead sold it on eBay (current bid $40).

This is one to go out and buy (I already did, in fact — my local store had three cases early this afternoon). Since 12.12.12. isn’t that far off you might even want to consider saving a bottle for some sort of grand event (sans 04.04.04). It’s got the heft to age. I don’t expect that any of the three bottles I bought ($5.99 apiece) will be around.

That’s pretty much all I have to say. Mitch Steele’s excellent tasting notes don’t need adding to, but were I scoring this beer (fat chance) I would give it six out of a possible five for mouthfeel.