Passover is Almost Over

We had planned to host a couple of Israeli craft beer tasting on Passover week, but they were cancelled for different reasons. All for the better, though. Had more time for myself and didn’t need to clear the living from from any evidence of math. I wasn’t afraid to lose my coolness, mind you; I honestly fear of my precious notes.

We did get to attend one tasting, though. It was a small-scale due to the absence of some of the regulars, who either observe Passover or spent time with their families, but The Secret Agent and I met a new guy, who brought some Czech beers that we haven’t tried before and will most likely not try again in the future. Some nations should stick to their traditional recipes and methods, I guess.

We did get to sample a few interesting beers in this session. The Dead Swedish Girl brought a couple of dark brews that are worth mentioning: Danish Liquorice porter by Det Lille Bryggeri that although smelled of liquorice was much ti my liking. There aren’t many tastes and aromas that repeal me, but anise/ liquorice is one of the few.  It also had malt and some chocolate to balance the smell, and a bitter, somewhat dry taste. Well carbonated, full body and all in all – pretty good.

The second bottle The Swedish brought was St. Ambroise Oatmeal Stout by Montrealian brewery McAuslan that had a sweet chocolate liquor aroma with hints of plum and a sweet-bitter-alcoholic taste that was nice altogether. Unlike the Lakrids Porter, this one had hardly any carbonation, but again, it was nice. Also, it was nice to discover that it appears in the 1001 book.

Our contribution to the tasting were also part of the 1001 challenge, but sadly, they weren’t on the awesome side of the scale:

Shipyard Fuggles IPA, that pours clear dark golden had an apple and malt aroma and tasted sweet. It was weird, not the kind of IPA you’d expect from an American craft brewery. Victory Hop Devil was also somewhat a disappointment. I believe it’s an old bottle. We’ve sampled this brewery before and liked what we had, but this IPA, despite having the “right” fruity aroma and the bitterness, was quite insignificant.

Rogue Yellow Snow IPA, that does not appear in the book, was the highlight of the tasting, not only for me but also for Big Bear Host, who specifically requested it. With a hazy amber colour and a creamy head, it poured beautifully. Its aroma was grassy, a little skunky and the taste was dry, grassy and bitter. Also, There’s a Frank Zappa song that shares title with this IPA:

Look! Beers #35, 36, 37 out of 1001 I must Try Before I Die!