Freezer burn and Ommegang

So, my beer for this evening was sort of tragic.

Not necessarily the beer itself, but the circumstances, and thus the end result.

So, it was the season finale for top chef, and I was going to be classy. I'd long ago purchased, and since forgotten about a prepared frozen gourmet do it yourself kit in the freezer. I'd made one earlier this year, a variant on chicken carbonara, and was suitably impressed.

For this evening, it was port wine steak with a pepper coating, along with rice and vegetables. I was excited.

For this special occasion, I was even cracking open the first of my Ommegang sample pack. I've always enjoyed Ommegang, and was excited to do the same tonight.

The beer, I decided, had to be somewhat dark and filling, if it was to compliment the meal. I settled on Ommegang's Abbey Ale, a dubbel.

It poured well, but I was little sloppy and it resulted in a bit of a head. The head itself, a nice tan color, was impressively thick.

The first smell is a pungent and complex combination, very dark, but spicy.

It tasted of spices, nuts, and maybe a some dark fruits, with a nice hop note. At first I found the hops to be a much in the aftertaste, but I figured since it was meant to be drank with a meal, the meal would help.

Much to dismay, a single cut into my steak revealed that it had long since succumbed to freezer burn, and was useless. So very sad.

Luckily the rice, with a mushroom risotto, was an excellent compliment to the beer. As I expect, the earthy notes from the mushrooms and vegetables mixed extremely well with the beer's darker, richer notes, as well as mellowing the hop influence. The beer is meant to be enjoyed with savory meats, so they claim, and I can only imagine it might have been even better.

My overall impression was a spicy dark beer, with a complex flavor array. I think there was some taste of a sweet dark fruit, like a plum, or a raisin. There was also a nice nuttiness or bread flavor that combined with the spices, but I couldn't necessarily separate it. I could also taste some dark, rich flavors like a rum or a brandy, as well as a cocoa at the end. It was all complimented with a nice hop flavor.

Overall a very enjoyable beer. I can imagine that it would've been even better with meat, and so I'm going to try it with that next time.

-The Unabashed Ungourmet

P.S. - The brewery identifies flavors of cinnamon and licorice, which both fit nicely with the spices and the darker flavors. Intriguing!

Mick O Sheas

So, I admit to being pretty skeptical of an Irish Pub in Baltimore. Not that it's tough to do, so much as they're dime a dozen.

Mick O Sheas though, was pretty impressive. They had a better than expected tap list (more in a moment), and the food was very good without being horribly expensive. I highly recommend getting O'Sheas Won tons; won tons stuffed with potato, cheddar, and bacon. Mmmmm good.

Anyway, so we had the fortune of a server error, and end up with an extra dogfish head 60 minute IPA to split. I found it surprisingly drinkable, especially considering I'm not a fan of pale ales, much less IPAs. The bitterness was ever present, but it didn't interfere with the potent (but indistinguishable to my immature palette) flavors.

The real treat though was the Resurrection Ale. It's a Belgian style ale, brewed here in Baltimore at The Brewer's Art. It was a delicious ale, sweet without being sugary, and with full rich flavors that made me think a little bit of a dubbel(later confirmed as the actual style!), or maybe just a more flavorful brown ale. Either way, it was all manner of delicious, especially at a robust 9% abv. Definitely give this a try if you get a chance.