Troegs-Flying Mouflan - Barley wine-style Ale

Troegs - Flying Mouflan - Harrisburg, PA - 9.3% abv
22 oz brown bottle. No freshness date.
The color is deep, dark amber/mahogany. A very fast-fading caramel head becomes a thin ring.
A big whiff of rum-soaked plums hits with a bang. Caramel malt, citrusy and floral hop smells are present throughout. A light smell of milk chocolate is noticed.
Flavors of a mixed fruit bowl drenched in dark rum and port wine come to mind. Prunes, raisins, pears, tangerine and pineapple, with a hint of banana. Does this count for my daily fruit intake? The citrusy hops poke through, as does a nice rich malty taste. Sweet caramel candy adds the sweetness note.
As the label suggests, I will cellar one and see how things transform in a year. If I can wait that long.

Schneider & Sons - Aventinus

25oz dark brown bottle. Freshness date on label.
Pours a dark ruby-hued brown with a thick and lasting beige/tan head with loads of clinging lace.
A big sweet smell of molasses and brown bread, along with smells of cloves, bananas and citrusy hops.
The full malt body carries tastes of toffee, fresh rye bread, molasses, figs, bananas and peppery spices.
A light lemon and lime bitterness and countering pleasant basil-like herbal taste softens the hop bite.
A light sweet rum-like alcohol fuminess lingers in the background.
Nice complex, though well-structured brew!
Try with a mix of salami, sausages with grainy mustard and cheeses.

Huvila - Baltic Porter

Huvila - Malmgardin (formally brewed at Savolina), Finland - Baltic Porter 7.0% abv
1 Pint 0.9 oz brown bottle. Bast Fore (Best before date) not legible. Poured into an Allagash goblet.
A real beautiful, nearly impenetrable dark coffee color with a reddish hue when held to the light. Big billowy tan head with loads of sticky lace raises expectation.
A fairly potent smell of dark chocolate rises at first pour. Smells of roasted malt, coffee and rye bread follow. A light whiff of peppery hop is noticed.
Tastes of coffee, bitter chocolate and rye crackers are dominant. Tea-like and flowery hops linger. A mild vodka-like fuminess inches forward as it warms. There is an odd astringent tartness that seems a bit out of place, though not too off-putting.
The body is a little thin for the style, yet its roots are certainly Baltic.
It improves as it warms (as does most beer), but this improvement is very noticeable.
I wish I had bought 2 now.
Try it alone or with creamy cheeses. Would go well with vanilla or coffee ice cream.

Oktoberfest 200th Anniversary-World's Largest Beer Festival

Oktoberfest 200^th Anniversary 1810-2010 - World's Largest Beer Festival

The very first Oktoberfest took place on October 18, 1810 in a meadow bordering the town gates of Munich, Germany. It didn't start out to be strictly a beer festival. It just blossomed that way. The original celebration bash was created during the marriage of The Crown Prince Ludwig of Bavaria (later Ludwig I.) to Princess Therese of Saxon" Sachsen-Hildburghausen". The meadow was christened later in honor of the bride "Theresienwiese" (Meadow of Therese). There were horse races, music and a celebration of food, life and beer. Lots of beer. The party lasted five days…seven for some who were unable to find their way home. The beer was tapped in simple huts. This was a special, more potent brew known as a Marzen. It was brewed in March, aged in cool cellars (lagered) and tapped in the fall. While the king, his court and attendants celebrated the reception in their comfortable tents, the commoners partied in the open air. The fact that it rained the entire time was a testament to the quality and quantity of the beer. Despite sloshing around in mud-soaked pants for days on end, the weather failed to deter the thirsty revelers or dampen their spirits…so to speak. These hearty Bavarians took the opportunity to party seriously! Today’s Oktoberfest still takes place in Munich on some of the very same grounds. The horse racing no longer takes place, although there remains a small local produce and farming exhibition. The event now takes on a more carnival atmosphere with Ferris wheels and roller coasters and a little something for everyone, but there can be no doubt as to the main attraction.

Local brewers, Hacker-Pschorr, Spaten, Hofbrau and Paulaner produce some of the most authentic representations of the style, while Lowenbrau, Augustiner and Ayenger set up tents (Beer Halls) for their particular take on the Oktoberfest style. The Munich Oktoberfest now runs 16 days. In this time 6 million visitors consume 6 million liters of beer and 400,000 of sausages. It is the world’s largest annual public event.

This year the event runs from September 18 – October 4, 2010. If you can’t make it to Munich, you can still enjoy an Oktoberfest beer or two. And you don’t need to soak your lederhosen to get into the spirit.

Cheers! And Prost!

Kirkland-Hefeweizen (Costco)

12 oz brown bottle. No freshness date noticed.
It pours and amberish tan color with a fast-fading off-white head.
It lacks most of the distinct Hefeweisen aroma one would normally expect. A wet hay and cereal grain smell mingle with a light hop and dose of cloves.
It tastes more like a Vienna Lager than a Hefe. The body is well-rounded and the flavor is pleasant enough...just off the mark.
It goes down smooth and easy. The 5.5% abv is very well disguised.
This is the kind of beer someone might brew as to not offend anyone. And that's the problem with it. I do like the idea that a large chain like Costco would reach out to their customers with a sampling of a better beer than the mass-mega swill producers make, but it would have been even better if they perhaps went a little more bold-flavored and hit the style range a bit more.
All in all, kudos to Costco. Now get out there and brew something over-the-top!

Serving type: bottle

BeerStyles-Beers from Ireland

Here's a clip from one of our "Beer Styles" shows.

Estella Damm - Inedit

Estrella Damm - Enedit - Barcellona, Spain - 4.8% abv
26.4 oz dark olive green bottle. Freshness date stamped on neck label.
Listed as a Witbier, more like a mild farmhouse.
The color is an opaque, foggy caramel candy with a rocky, firm white head. Patchy and trailing lace lasts throughout the glass.
Aromas of herbs and flowers are present at first pour. Smells of coriander and citrus follow and remain. A light whiff of wet cut grass seems out of place. A hint of banana sneaks in late.
The flavors are mild yet distinct. Orange Tang, herbs, and a little wheat in the background. Tastes of tart Chardonnay, citrus peel and limes are very pleasant. As in the aroma, a slight taste of banana is noticed as it warms.
This a very gulpable brew! Complex, but subtle. Unusual and difficult to compare.
Nice fringe beer!