Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Post 'Love-in' post

G'day again everyone.

Just made it back from Adelaide and wanted to let you know how the Valentine's Day plan worked out.

Well, I have a slight sunburn from the visit to the beach, but apart from that the drinks went down well, and we all got up for Phoenix.

So the line up last night before the gig went as such
1) J.J. Prum 2007 Wehlener Sonnenuhr Spatlese - Okay, so not normally do you start with a wine and then go to beer, but this German Riesling is so delicate with the fruit and lovely serberty sweetness that I had to have it first. Was great to find this in Adelaide (good on ya East End Cellars!), and share with my sis, Jac and Pete. Not the best Prum I have ever had, but had all the lovely flavours and textures that I dig in this wine. Okay, okay, enough on the wine.
2) Anderson Valley Boont Amber Ale- So I have tried the stout from these guys and was a little put off by it, but must say this was the perfect beer to come off the Prum and onto the later beers. There is a lovely caramel malt that drew through from the sugar of the Prum and held very well through the beer til the 'cleansing' hops (yes, quite mild on the hops thank you very much) came on the back palate. Big thanks to the staff at the Wheatsheaf Hotel for putting up with my questioning for and hour and for picking this beer after all that. It worked a treat!
3) Rochefort 10: Okay, have spoken many time about this beer, and only had it recently with Brad and Seda, but is a damn good beer and can enjoy it anytime. The caramel flavour from the Boont was darkened further through this beer, with all of us tasting the chocolate hint that the malt goes into with this beer. You definitely feel the alcohol jump up as well at 11.3%, but at least there were 4 or us sharing it.
4) Moo Brew Vintage Stout (09 edition, # 674) - my second tasting of the '09, and was prepared for the over-carbonation this time, so didn't waste as much as previously. The overcarbonation really takes away from the smoothness of the '08 edition that allowed the fuller flavour to come through and transport you out of your body. The differing technique used on this edition may not have worked, but am still amazing that this beer only got to 50 in the top 100 craft beers in Australia. I understand that it's limited status really does skew the result, so guess am happy to even see it there at all, even if in my mind it the best beer produced in Australia. A great 'blockbuster' beer to end on before hitting the gig, and amazed to find such a limited beer in a pub to purchase.

So again, big thanks to the Wheatie for helping me put together this journey, thanks to Cat, Jac and Pete for coming on the journey with me, and thanks to Phoenix for putting on another great show after we had had a taste of all this. Sweet pub, sweet drinks, and sweet tunes, all on a syrupy Valentine's Day.


Cheers,

Beef

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