27 December 2013

KOTBR #153 - Camaraderie and Short Prose

Jim writes:

At one time, Hoosier Beer Geek's stock-in-trade was the beer roundtable. This was the whole reason the blog started seven years ago:  the beer review. Twice a month, we, as the Knights of the Beer Roundtable, would gather at someone's house, at a brewery, or at a bar to drink and review beer. Then we'd post our reviews, which usually focused on some sort of weird theme.

We don't do much reviewing anymore because we're busy old folks, but also because we came to realize that the value of the roundtable is not in the reviews themselves but in the fact that we get to see each other and enjoy each other's company (which these days doesn't happen often enough).

In short, camaraderie is the value of the roundtable.

So last week, we gathered for our seventh and final roundtable of the year. Ostensibly, this was going to be a holiday beer roundtable, but we really used it as an excuse to clear out our beer cellars and, yes, to renew our sense of camaraderie. Here are some thoughts on some of the beers from that benevolent beer gauntlet, conveyed in the spirit of the Four Word Film Review because no one likes long beer reviews. But I'm going to cheat a little and use five words for each beer instead of four:

The Bruery 2 Turtle Doves: Toasted pecans, not roasted birds.

Three Floyds Alpha Klaus Christmas Porter vertical (2011, 2012, & 2013): Younger Klaus is better Klaus.

August Schell Star of the North Berliner Weisse: Screw winter; summer beer's here.

AleSmith Yule Smith Imperial Red Ale: Just a jolly red DIPA.

He'Brew Jewbelation Reborn: Seventeen malts and hops. Meshuggah.

Goose Island Bourbon County Brand Coffee Stout (2013): Jump, java, and wail, man.

Goose Island King Henry (2012): Hail the Monarch of Barleywines!

Stiegl Grapefruit Radler: Don't wait; join #TeamRadler now.

Jolly Pumpkin Noel de Calabaza: Christmas spices. Tart finish. Excelente.

Perennial Sump Coffee Stout: Sump pumped up something delicious.

Four from the Bruery:  2 Turtle Doves, 3 French Hens, 4 Calling Birds, and 6 Geese a-Laying

Three Floyds Alpha Klaus Christmas Porter Vertical (2011, 2012, and 2013)



Perennial Abraxas Imperial Stout

August Schell Star of the North Berliner Weisse

AleSmith Yule Smith Imperial Red Ale

Jackie O's Mystic Mama IPA

Jackie O's Chomo-Lungma Honey Nut Brown Ale

Jason writes:

Hanukkah, Christmas
Yuletide, Saturnalia,
Kwanza, Festivus.

Holidays are here.
Here is my gift to you all:
Haiku beer review.

2 Turtle Doves makes
Mick Jagger sing brown sugar
Why you taste so good?

3 French Hens: boozy.
A fresh Belgian dark cookie
Like mom never made.

4 Calling Birds: ginger.
Skipper too. Professor builds
Coconut brewhouse.

6 Geese-a-laying:
Syrup sweet and quite a treat.
Will not hiss at you.

Alpha Klaus Vert.
Eleven, eh. Twelve, okay.
Thirteen: Yes! Hops! Best!

A cowboy meal: Sump.
Sam Elliot wakes up to
Whiskey and coffee

Abraxas coffee.
Taste of cocoa, not much else.
I pity the fool

The Star of the North
Makes me head for the mountains
Of some other beer.

Yulesmith: may be red.
But IPA, IPA,
It’s an IPA

Chomo-lungma: Dude.
Honey Nut Cheerios, but
With brown and not milk.

Mystic Mama says
Come here Big Daddy. Suck my
Hoppy Titties. What?

Hey Pumpkin Head!
Noel de Calabaza.
Says to pucker up!

Raspberry Tart says
Hey raspberry puss, you should
pucker up too, pal!

Haiku Remix One:
Mix Sump and Raspberry Tart
Chocofruitywow.

This is not Kosher.
Jewbelation Reborn is
Bottle of pulled pork.

Haiku Remix Two:
Mix Reborn and Radler for
A luau pig beer.

BCS Coffee:
more coffee than Sump, it’s in
My head, might be dead.

Firestone Walker
Fifteenth Anniversary.
Big name, but big taste.

Sigh. My true beer love.
King Henry, I wish I were
Heir to your fortune.

Parabola is
Chocolate milk in the form
Of a tasty beer.

Jolly Pumpkin Noel de Calabaza

He'Brew Jewbelation Reborn

Goose Island Bourbon County Brand Coffee Stout (2013)

Goose Island King Henry Barleywine (2012)

Firestone Walker Parabola Imperial Stout (2011)

Stiegl Grapefruit Radler

Perennial Sump Coffee Stout (2013)

New Glarus Raspberry Tart

Fin
We at Hoosier Beer Geek hope you've had a great holiday season. Cheers to more great beer in 2014!

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