Elaine and I know this couple, and in fact I have known the wife for more than 15 years. However, we have never really socialized uch with them before, but a mutual interest in Belgian beers had us get togethor last night with them. We had chicken braised in Belgian beer which was excellent.
Petrus Pale Ale- this was aged in my cellar for about 3 years as an experiment. Would this hold up to aging, and would it be OK? Well, the answer is clear on that- everyone loved this. Sour, but really smooth. It had a lighter color than I think it usually has, but the aging really made thi snice- I like it better than store bought. I want to buy another one or two to age- my only concern is that does it have a high turnover rate at the store I bought it from? I don’t want to buy stuff that has already been on the shelf for years. Anyway, buy, age, and drink this.
Margot- A Sour Blonde Ale from Hop Farm. I have not yet tried any Hop Farm beers so I was eager to try this as it is the latest of the cult and desired breweries. This was blond, subtley sour. Made with sour mash rather than brett. Very understated. Intellectual rather than hedonistic. Honestly, this seems to be a local style- the beers are almost burgundy like in that you have to comtemplate rather than they hit you in the face. This was only one of 500 bottles produced, but would worth it to have another in the cellar.
Westvleteren 8 Agred since 2011. A nice trappist styled beer. Fruit, banana, raisin. An excellent beer- very smooth. I will not age these any further but will drink the other 8’s I have up.
Cantillon Gueze Courtesy of a BB member. This is just fantastic. I like these beers more everytime I have them. The lemon rind characteristic is very good,very sour and fairly bitter as well. This was a big hit.
21st Crooked Birthday Suit This one was a total gem, and was my find of the night. I’d love to have more of this. Very sour, complex and bretty but nicely balanced, too. Very drinkable. This is more in your face while the Margot was subtle. Both excellent, depends on the style you like.
All in all, a great time.
