PIB 2008: The Best of the Rest
In the last of my posts on the Portland International Beer Festival, which opens this afternoon at four, I will bat clean-up. There are a number of beers that didn't fit into earlier categories, but which deserve mention. Since there hasn't been a lot of chatter one these posts, let me throw it open to you: which beers are you looking forward to?
Cantillon Cognac-Barrel Gueuze (Belgium)
Cantillon acquired some oak barrels that had aged cognac for 15 years. They added their gueuze for another two. Wow.
La Choulette Framboise (France)
This is actually a bière de garde (France's only extant indigenous beer style) that has been brewed with raspberry juice. It is described as dry rather than sweet, and the raspberry is purported to be a relatively minor note. Intriguing...
De Molen Rasputin Imperial Stout (Holland)
I'm a sucker for gimmicks, and the gimmick here is that De Molen is brewed just once a year--this particular vintage on March 17th 2007. It was later bottled on April 27th. That means it will arrive a little over a year old, which means it ought to be ready for sampling.
Harviestoun Ola Dubh 30 Yr (Scotland)
Ola Dubh means engine oil, a name Harviestoun gives to a beer that's somewhere between a stout and old ale. It has been aged in Highland Park malt whisky barrels. This one aged in a barrels of 30-year-old whisky. It will be tapped at 2 pm Saturday, and will probably run out quickly.
Cheers to all. Hope to see you there--
Cantillon Cognac-Barrel Gueuze (Belgium)
Cantillon acquired some oak barrels that had aged cognac for 15 years. They added their gueuze for another two. Wow.
La Choulette Framboise (France)
This is actually a bière de garde (France's only extant indigenous beer style) that has been brewed with raspberry juice. It is described as dry rather than sweet, and the raspberry is purported to be a relatively minor note. Intriguing...
De Molen Rasputin Imperial Stout (Holland)
I'm a sucker for gimmicks, and the gimmick here is that De Molen is brewed just once a year--this particular vintage on March 17th 2007. It was later bottled on April 27th. That means it will arrive a little over a year old, which means it ought to be ready for sampling.
Harviestoun Ola Dubh 30 Yr (Scotland)
Ola Dubh means engine oil, a name Harviestoun gives to a beer that's somewhere between a stout and old ale. It has been aged in Highland Park malt whisky barrels. This one aged in a barrels of 30-year-old whisky. It will be tapped at 2 pm Saturday, and will probably run out quickly.
Cheers to all. Hope to see you there--