RateBeer Roundup IV
Ever had nineteen beers in one night? How did you feel the next morning? Probably about as chirpy as I was the day after our latest RateBeer tasting at Craig Garvie’s. The Scottish king of the Tickers, every month or so Craig gathers people together at his house for an onslaught of outstanding beer. Thanks to his connections and fellow RateBeerians, there’s always an astonishing selection of the rare and famous on offer. This time was no exception…
Beginning with a bang as ever, first out of the blocks was Surly Darkness (9.6%) – a famed imperial stout released each year with a different monster on the label. Ours was the vampire vintage, and true to form was a smooth, sweet fruity menace, with a bitter ashy finish. There were hops in there as well, plus a coffee finish – yet the whole thing was really well balanced with all the potentially conflicting flavours.
Next up – a stinker! Does occasionally happen, even with such esteemed company. Kentucky Ale Bourbon Barrel Ale, at the tremendously specific 8.19% was flat, sweet and woody. The mix of bourbon and an unexpected watery finish combined to leave a taste similar to coconut milk – really not that great. Fortunately, Uinta Detour Double IPA (9.5%) brought us back nicely.
The next beer of note – after a very interesting Mikkeller Yeast Series Lager (which tasted like an IPA but finished like a pilsner) – was Fullers Vintage Ale 1999 (8.5%). How to sum this one up? In a word, fabulous. Twelve years old, and as a result mild and mellow flavours of sweet fruit cake, marzipan, toffee, sherry. Drinking this was effortless – the balance of rich, warming tastes was just lovely.
We then fired through a couple of De Molens – Op&Top (wheaty and lagerish), and Rijn&Veen (frighteningly carbonated sour wheat beer), and a couple of Kernels – IPA Citra 6.2 (outstanding), and Export India Porter (likewise). The next beer on offer was a true rarity – one of the Holy Grails of drinking. So much so, that it deserves it’s own post – so check back later for our thoughts on Sam Adams Utopias (22%) – the strongest brewed (i.e. not freeze-distilled) beer in the world.
Feeling pretty merry, we still had eight more to get through: US Craft Beer fans – check out some of these names…Lost Abbey 10 Commandments (10%), Surly Wet (6.3%), Oskar Blues One Hit Wonder (9%), Cigar City Humidor Series Jai Alai cedar-aged IPA (7.5%). The latter was the pick – although they were all good – woody from the cedar and bitter from the huge hopload. They were all good, however.
Back to Europe and the wonderfully named Ægir Bryggeri Tors Hammer (13.2%), a crunching barley wine of caramel, toffee and syrupy figs. There was no let up. This was followed by the even-more-crunching 19.1% Mikkeller Big Worst Barley Wine: Bourbon Edition, at which point I was pounding the table and begging for mercy. Tip a couple of shots of Jack Daniel’s into an imperial stout, see what happens.
Unsurprisingly I really can’t remember much about the last two beers – Deuchars IPA and Belhaven Best. They may well have been Cigar City Either (11.2%) and Cigar City Or (11.2%), my notes are more or less gibberish. Nineteen beers down, and time to leave the genial (and generous) company of Craig, to head home for a lie down and a spot of quiet whimpering.
Just looking at the alcohol by volumes of the beers we got through brings tears to my eyes…
9.6 8.19 9.5 6.2 8.0 5.0 8.5 4.5 5.7 5.1 22.0 10.0 6.3 9.0 7.5 13.2 19.1 11.2 11.2
