Revisiting the past

So, most of my early forays into craft beer are due to my dad. He drinks interesting and odd beers, and he has usually been okay with me sipping them. One of the first of these I remember was at the grand opening of Victoria Gastro Pub, so it was years ago, maybe even before I went to college.

He had ordered this hilariously named beer, Arrogant Bastard. It sounded ridiculous and I had to try some. It went down like tile cleaner though, bitter and horrid. Ever since then I've always shied away from Stone's Arrogant Bastard. But I realized that it's been years, and I owed it another try. If just for the name, I had to try Arrogant Bastard again.

And much to my surprise, it was pretty damn delicious. The beer has a pretty prodigious head, which sticks around for a while. The bitterness is still a pretty major aftertaste, lingering for quite a while. But as the beer warms, the bitterness becomes less pronounced, and overall the taste isn't super bitter. Definitely hoppy, with some grapefruit and chocolate. This wasn't my favorite beer ever, but it was challenging, and interesting, and I feel like I conquered a pretty major part of my past.

I also had the good fortune to try Lagunitas Wilco Tango Foxtrot, an imperial brown ale. The name is absolutely fitting, as this beer comes on strong and stays powerful but delicious. It's nutty, with some caramel and chocolate, and a nice malt sweetness, but an undertone of hops that keeps this from being a sweet beer. A seriously tasty brown ale, this is a more powerful version of a typically tame beer. Definitely recommend a try for anyone who likes brown ales.

Victoria Gastro Pub

Victoria Gastro Pub is a little restaurant in Columbia MD. It's been here for a few years, and I actually went fairly soon after it opened. But with moving about and it being a fancy place, I haven't been back in years.

It's still as expensive as ever, but damned if that will ever deter me again. They have an excellent beer selection, a nice atmosphere, and ridiculously delicious (and expensive) foods. Particularly their "poutine", or duck fat fries. These delicious fries come out piping hot, covered in duck fat gravy and melted Gruyere cheese. Also there are still pieces of dark meat here and there. Good god there were delicious.

But the food is not all I was drooling about last night. They have an excellent tap selection - everything from Smuttynose Robust Porter, to Troegs Nugget Nectar, to Rogue Morimoto Imperial Pils. But most importantly they had Goose Island Bourbon County Stout.

This heavy hitter weighs in at 13% abv and won a god medal at the 2006 world beer cup. I've seen it on numerous other blogs as one of their favorite stouts, so despite many other tempting options, I decided I had to give this bad boy a try.

And wow was I glad I did. It poured black, and smelled of chocolate and vanilla, with a rich cocoa colored head. The first sip is all chocolate, with some smokey caramel. As it mellows, flavors of vanilla and charred oak really emerge, making this beer taste almost like a nice bourbon more than a stout. But it is ever so drinkable, and utterly delicious.

This isn't a desert beer, nor is it a drink during the game with some friends. This is a beer to sit and sip and appreciate. And maybe have a cigar with - something I'm dying to try now. Long story short, if you're a stout man like myself, give this one a try for damn sure.

-The Unabashed Ungourmet

P.S. - Not enough to write a review, but went to a beer tasting. Lagunitas Brown Shugga was very tasty, and their IPA was shockingly drinkable for someone who doesn't love IPAs. Their correction ale was pretty good too, with some citrusy tastes. All in all a good bunch.

Boozy Beer

Whew. I always manage to forget just how strong a 10% abv beer is. I always figure heck, it's a regular beer, maybe two. Except then I down a bomber and begin to feel tipsy.

Now, it might be that my college alcohol tolerance is gone, but damn if it isn't strong. I find most breweries doing a lot more strong beers, but thats mostly a function of going after higher end beers. I'm not entirely sure why they have a higher alcohol content, but I'm not in a position to complain.

The latest in these escapades was Lagunitas Cappuccino Stout. Not that dark as stouts go, it pours with an impressive and frothy head. The smell is very boozy, with the obvious notes of coffee.

The taste really just expands on this. A rich, boozy flavor, infused with the taste of coffee, sweet to drink but with a little bit of a bitter aftertaste. There's also an earthy taste, one that reminded me of dogfish head's chicory stout, but which I can't quite place. It might just be bitter coffee grounds, or the herb flavors of roasted chicory, but it's quite distinct.

A tasty beer, and a hell of a coffee stout, I was tempted to add a little milk or creamer, but I didn't want to sully this unique beer. The bottle says brewed with real coffee, and I damn well believe them. Easily one of the stronger coffee stouts I've had, but certainly not for ametuers. I feel like this might make a great apertif, but even just sipping it was a little strong.

More to come!

-The Unabashed Ungourmet