new beers!

Last night after work I swung by belmont station to pick up a couple of bottles for an upcoming belgian beer tasting that I'm putting on. The idea is to have one beer to represent each of the various belgian styles, and to have that beer be the absolute best possible example of each style that I can get my hands on. The list is as follows:

Strong pale - Duvel
Witbier - Allagash white
Saison - Fantome
Unblended lambic - Cantillon Cuvee des Champions
Fruit Lambic - Boon Oude Kriek
Gueuze - Girardin 1882 black label
Tripel - La Fin Du Monde
Quadrupel - Rochefort 10
Flanders Red - Rodenbach Grand Cru
Belgian IPA - Urthel Hop-it
Belgian Strong Dark - Gouden Carolous Carolus D'or Cuvee van de Keizer
Biere de garde - Abbaye De Saint Bon-Chien

Last night, I picked up the Cantillon cuvee des champions, and the girardin 1882 black label. I already have the Abbaye De Saint Bon-Chien, the Urthel Hop-it, the Rodenbach grand cru, the rochefort 10, the la fin du monde, and the carolus d'or cuvee van de keizer. I'll pick up the rest this week. I was especially excited to pick up the Cuvee Des Champions. Only 420 bottles of it ever made it to the US, and it was only brewed once as a special release. There's more info about the beer from the importers if you click the picture of the bottle:



Anyway, while I was over at Belmont Station, picking up the bottles, I had a chance to stop in the bier cafe and try the Bruery Hottenroth Berliner Weiss. Absolutely delicious. Here's my favorite review from beer advocate:

pours a cloudy straw color with three fingers of tight pillowy white head. great retention and no lacings.

aroma is of funk and wet hay mainly with a subtle sour/sweet note that fades behind the funk. little else.

taste is very crisp and fresh on the palate with less funk and only a touch of sweet yeast on the back end. very well put together and refreshing. the light funk gives way to a subtle sour note on the back of the palate. excellent.

mouthfeel is light bodied, lightly effervescent and so crisp it cleanses the palate. the texture is lightly tart after a bit of warming.

drinkability is excellent. perfectly proportioned with a crisp, refreshing profile. an excellent summer beer with the perfect balance of funk and sourness. cheers!

The only thing I don't really agree with is his description of the sour notes, which I felt were quite strongly pronounced.

All around, I very good beer that I'd seek out again