the Bottle Forager: 2013 Bottle crushin !

Various bottle shares from 2013....

Highlights:

Hill Farmstead Art

Pours a light golden color with a two finger plus sticky foam... the nose has some nice aromas of grass, vinous citrus and some oak. The palate is balanced beautifully with nice pineapple undertones that back up the grassy citrusy and lemon tartness. Nice touch of earth yeast and pepper on the finish.

Crooked Stave Batch #1

Pours a murky maroon brown color with a frothy pinkish brown foam that settles out fairly quickly. On the nose its deep tart complexity at its best; tangy raspberry, wet woody funk, earthy and a touch of vinegar. The palate is bright and full of jammy raspberry notes that keep it amazingly drinkable yet still funky and complex in the mid to late palate. Lots of earthy tang and a refreshing finish.

Russian River Temptation

Pours a blondish golden color with a finger of fizzy sticky foam. On the nose its subtle yet complex... vinous fruit, bits of mineral, barnyard brett, pineapple, watermelon and a touch of oak. The palate is light and complex with nice tropical notes of pineapple, mango, granny smith apple. Great touch of acidity and tartness but well balanced and rounded out beautifully by the oak undertones....

If you have never tried a beer from Loverbeer your missing out, complex Italian sour beers that are priced on the higher end but worth its weight in flavor... in fact here is the brewer pouring his beer at last years B. United open house !

Pannepot Grand Reserve 2008
2008 VIntage. Pours a rich black umber color with a thick frothy khaki colored foam. On the nose its soft and inviting with nice notes of wet wood, herbal earthy spice, dark fruit and a touch of dark bitter chocolate. On the palate its continues with a mysterious complexity and balanced harmony that the nose hints at. Rich flavorful beer with amazing mouthfeel and a real palate pleaser from start to finish. I wish i could have one of these everyday i get home from work it truly is a perfect beer !

Crooked Stave W.W.B.Y.
Pours a hazy light golden orange color with a finger or so of fizzy foam. On the nose its tart with hints of tropical citrus fruit, exotic spice and barnyard funk. On the palate its bright and focused. Nice spicy funk mingle with tart lemon and a sweet mango tropical backdrop. All these aspects are balanced beautifully and none of them outshine the other. This beer was tremendously drinkable and full of complexity all the while. YUM !

Trinity Old Growth
Pours a deep brown rusty color with a touch of ruby color on the edge. No visible bubble or head. Aromas are tart cherry, earthy funk and some vinous cider vinegar. On the palate its sour and very acidic. A bit to much vinegar comes through making this a palate wrecker, mouth puckering beer thats good for a sip or two but overall a bit to acidic for my palate. Maybe a touch more sweetness and a little carbonation would liven it up. The wild flavors are all there I just wish they were a lil more subtle.

Cantillon Saint-Gilloise
Pours a light golden color with a finger of fizzy foam. Aromas are earthy hops, citrus, dank funk and tart lemon. On the palate its balances bitter in tart perfectly with nice grapefruit, lemon and pine filling out the palate with a moderately sour kick and a nice dry finish.

Anchorage Love Buzz
Pours a bright orange golden color with three fingers of fizzy foam. On the nose its tart oaky funk, citrus, pepper spice and some nice vinous berry notes too. On the palate its follows the nose nicely. Spicy peppery citrus leads into some nice earthy bitter hop flavors that flow and brighten into some berry fruit and funk on the late palate. Delicious.

Hill Farmstead Juicy

Slight gusher...Pours a slightly hazy rusty golden color with a few fingers of fizzy foam. On the nose its got a great base of barnyard brett, dank earthy hops, berry, tart citrus and some round barrel oak touches. On the palate its a complex balance between rustic barnyard and bright acidic vinous fruit. Amazingly good but hard to put your finger on exactly what the best part is. A true beer to ponder and sip...flavors just keep appearing. YUM

I remember this night... New Years 2013

De Dolle Stille Nacht Reserva 2010
Pours a hazy brownish copper color with a trace of bubble that settles very quickly. On the nose its hugely complex, vinous tart fruit, cherry, berry, cider, vinegar, sweet toffee, toasted almond, oak, warm boozy spice. The palate follows with all that and more. The mouthfeel is round and silky with just a hint of bubble that carries the palate from funky vinous barrel fruit to sweet nutty caramel.... lingering notes of everything with tons more on the palate than words can describe yet still drinkable and enjoyable. Wowzah !

Hi lights include:

Stillwater Brunello Barrel Aged Debauched
Pours a hazy brownish copper color with a trace of bubble that settles very quickly. On the nose its hugely complex, vinous tart fruit, cherry, berry, cider, vinegar, sweet toffee, toasted almond, oak, warm boozy spice. The palate follows with all that and more. The mouthfeel is round and silky with just a hint of bubble that carries the palate from funky vinous barrel fruit to sweet nutty caramel.... lingering notes of everything with tons more on the palate than words can describe yet still drinkable and enjoyable. Wowzah !

Cigar City Marshal Zhukov's
Pours a thick viscous burnt umber black color with a finger of deep mocha foam... aromas are soft and inviting, roasted chocolate, spent coffee and lactic sugar sweetness. The palate follows suit with a nice velvety body... rich chewy and full of well balance chocolate sweetness and complex hints of dark fruit and tobacco. Really perfect finish thats dry and layered.

Big group of tasty beers on this occasion... Crooked Stave Surette & W.W.B.I. , Night Shift Mainer Weisse, Cigar City Moat, Bruery White Chocolate and Jackie O's Bourbon Barrel Skipping Stones !

Loving the Grassroots Brother Soigne so much along with some interesting Odell's brews a vintage Lost Abbey Cuvee de Tomme 2009 !

9 of the first releases Prairie Artisan Ales... that was when everything they released was in 750mls !

A few additions to the Prairie tasting.

Highlights from this bottle share were trying the Cigar City Kalevipoeg and its bourbon barrel aged companion Kalvipoeg at the Gates of Hell, Ale Apothecary La Tache and the fresh Professor Fritz Briem 1809 Berliner Weisse side by side with a 2009 vintage.

Bourbon Barrel Aged Stout Showdown...

Couple of delicious Hill Farmstead brews, vintage Kuhnhenns and a slice of Hanssens sour cherry pie aka Scarenbecca Kriek !

A rooftop bottle share... Logsdon Peche n Brett, Cerasus and Kili Wit !

Stellar selection for the rooftop bottleshare including Hill Farmstead Arthur Batch #1, Crooked Stave W.W.B.V. and Cantillon Fou Foune.

Pannepot tasting...

Nice Autumn time bottle share !

Birthday camping selections in the Northeast Kingdom of VT !

Hair of the Dog Bourbon Fred
Pours a deep burnt sienna color with a trace of bubbles... aromas are big bourbon, oak, caramel and composted matter. The palate follows the with much more nuanced sweet notes... caramel, toffee, burnt sugar and dates. Earthy deep bourbon soaked wood, leather round out the back end of the palate. Obviously could use a touch of carbonation to liven up the flavors a touch but overall a big bad barley wine !

Port Brewing Older Viscosity
Pours a deep rich burnt sienna almost black color with a finger of eggshell gaseous foam. The nose is full of big bourbon notes, boozy raisin, sweet caramel and a touch of vanilla. The palate follows with big burnt caramel sweetness that mingles nicely with the heavy oak bourbon notes. Lots of rustic earthy notes in the background and a long sugary boozy finish

New Glarus R&D Bourbon Kriek 2010
Pours a rusty ruby brown with a trace of tan gaseous bubbles... the nose is rich cherry, boozy sweetness and nuances of old wood. The palate is full of fruit notes black cherry, apple, berry... pretty much tastes like a well balanced juicy juice that was aged in a old bourbon barrel. Nice rustic edges... tartness and a touch of bourbon heat comes through mid to late palate. Tasty !

Jackie O's Cabernet Barrel Aged Aberrance
Pours a deep van dyke brown color with eggshell foam. Leather, vinous fruit, bitter cocoa, rustic grain, tart plum, wet oak, musty basement, soil.

Huge line up from a pretty epic rooftop bottle share that ended in a tragic accident.

Great line up with Resurgam and Duck Duck Gooze funk, Flora softness Straight Jacket toffee and chocolate spiced Hunnahpu on the menu.

Damn the Firestone 14 was fantastic as well a special batch of Oxbow batch #5 Single Barrel (blueberry wine barrel edition), Upland Blueberry Lambic 2010 vintages was also a standout !

Pumpkin beer tasting from Hallow's Eve... Midnight Sun TREAT and Almanac Heirloom Pumpkin Barleywine aged in Brandy Barrels are the only two from this lineup Id say are worth trying. Uggh !