It was absolutely delicious. This is coming from one who normally does not drink Cider. It was so good, I had another. Then waited a couple of hours before I drove home.
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It’s always fun for me to visit the beer store when I’m fully stocked with my favorites; I tend to experiment more then, and sometimes find some fantastic offerings (like the Foulmouthed Brewing Company beers, who have greatly impressed me so far - and we will be sampling a couple more of their beers very soon). Let’s start tasting today’s new haul:
First up, something completely different: a mead. Not just any old boring mead, though. This is from Maine Mead Works, Portland Maine USA (located about 15 blocks from my home), and it’s called “Mango Habanero Limeade.” It’s described as “mead with lime juice, mango and habanero peppers.”
Hmm. Sounds a little gimmicky (I don’t have high hopes), but let’s give it a try.
It pours very pale, and almost completely still (void of effervescence). There’s a tiny, tiny bit of bubbly in it, but if you blink you’ll miss it.
The aroma is reminiscent of a decent Proseco, adding an odd (but not off-putting) character that, upon reflection, is a subdued but noticeable honey aroma, with perhaps a tiny, tiny bit of light vinegar mixed in, and some vague, hollow scent that reminds me a little bit of jicama and maybe agave.
Mouthfeel is not thin, as the appearance would suggest, but it’s certainly on the light side. Flavors of lime and mango are apparent; they aren’t extremely strong flavors, but they stand out against the relatively mild body and flavor of the honeyed mead.
The habanero shows itself on the finish, and while it’s not very hot on the tongue, it definitely makes itself known. The finish is moderately long, and as the pepper slowly fades, a sweet Rose’s Lime Juice flavor rises up and lingers for a while.
Ultimately, I would say it tastes of Mango slices drizzled with honey, spritzed with lime juice, and sprinkled with some powdered cayenne pepper. I wouldn’t call it subtle, but the flavors are neither strong nor assertive.
It’s good! Not great, and I wouldn’t want to drink them too often (while they are not overly sweet, they are a tad too sweet for me), but I will buy them again. I doubt I would drink more than 2 at a sitting; it’s a special little treat to have here and there. I’m not so sure I’d pair it with many foods, though.
Not a gimmick (though it brushes up closer to gimmicky than I would like), and it shows that quality ingredients and techniques have been used throughout. If you see it, I say it’s worth a sample at least.
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@anon83136962 - just wondering why the “vomit” emoji? Are you familiar with this mead?
Because, I gotta tell you, it’s not bad at all. A little hipster-ish, and a tiny bit too sweet (at least for me), but it’s an interesting, well-crafted and rather tasty drink. Probably the 2nd best mead I have ever tasted - not that I’ve tasted a lot of meads, but I’ve had a few through the years.
I’m just having a hard time thinking that someone - even someone who is not adventurous in trying new things - would find this objectionable.
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This was my tipple this evening. It’s not a short drink, it will last a couple of hours:
(It’s 7.3% ABV…)
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Well, let’s try another new (to me) drink.
This one is from Rising Tide Brewery, just a few blocks away from me here in Portland Maine USA. Rising Tide has never let me down (and their Pisces gose is my alltime favorite gose), so let’s see what we have here.
This is their Cherry Squadron. When I saw the name/label, I was hoping that it was a sour and, sure enough, the can proclaims it’s a “Kettle Sour Ale with Cherries.” Sounds good to me, lets pop one open!
Pours a slighlty hazy red, as expected, and resembles a Rodenbach with a somewhat brighter red color. The nose is similar to Rodenbach, but less full and complex.
And that also sums up the flavor. It’s like a very young Rodenbach. Flavors are more brash, less integrated. If they would age this in oak barrels for a bit it would really come alive. As it is, it’s similar to drinking a young, bold wine.
Since it is “Never filtered. never pasturized, live beer on board” I think I will lay a couple of cans down and see what happens over the next few months. Obviously, without being in oak barrels, they won’t pick up that complexity and that creamy vanilla mouthfeel, but the brashness may just settle down into something very, very good.
If you like Flanders reds, sours in general, and especially Rodenbach, this one would appeal to you. It’s younger, brasher, and less complex, but it’s got the same heart. Very, very good, and very recommended for the Sour Red fans among us.
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Tonight’s poison is:
Not only is this good, but I learned something. Namely that this beer was named after the city of Worcester, England, which was incorporated on June 14, 1722. I’m not as wordy as @anon3337769 so I’ll just suffice it to say that this is a good stout. It’s nice and dark and rich. It reminds me some of Guinness (looking at you @anon61101858) so if you like beers along those lines, then check it out.
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While I enjoy milk stouts, nothing beats a good dry stout IMO.
Guinness is one of the wonders of the world.
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That sounds like me, I wonder if it is available in NZ.
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A huge latte, I just woke up.
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LOL, Ditto
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Tap water.
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Did you gooble gooble the water?
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gobble gobble
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Let’s try Barn Beer, a wild farmhouse ale from Plan Bee Farm Brewery, Poughkeepsie, NY USA (“wild” as in made with wild yeast strains).
This is truly a barn beer - the brewery is located in a barn on their farm, and they note that “We source all our ingredients from the state of New York with many grown on site.” This includes the wild yeast they use, which is harvested from honey and honeycomb from their own bees. Fermented in oak barrels.
The aroma definitely tells you it’s a wild yeast; there’s noticeable funkiness.
It’s a mildly tart sour, on the lighter side of that style, with a clean, crisp, citrusy charcter. The wild yeast seems to be a very clean strain, with no unusual esters and just enough funkiness to keep things interesting. While the aroma suggested it would be a very funky ride, on the tongue the funk is not the primary focus - that would be the sourness, with earthy funk and citrus/lemon peel flavors providing a very good balance.
It reminds me a bit of Orval, interestingly; not as in “this tastes just like Orval” - it doesn’t - but there are some similarities. I think this is the only beer that I have ever even considered comparing to my beloved Orval.
The best way I can sum up any farmhouse/wild ale that I have tried is that it tastes honest. There’s just a purity about them that shines through. Exceptional beer, absolutely delicious.
When I finish this, I have no choice but to go back to the beer store and buy some more 
.
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Well, if it reminds you of Orval, it can’t possibly be bad.
Is it similar to lambic beer?
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It is quite similar to a lambic or gauze.
Flavor-wise, you know how Orval gets at around the 20-month mark? When the hoppiness is receding, and the funk is starting to show? Kinda like that, but without the banana bread that the Orval still has at that stage, and it’s a different flavor of funk - not quite as barnyard-ish. But it’s a much lighter body.
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Haha, I’ve always wondered what that means. Seen that he wrote it from time to time 
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It’s just the sound turkeys make in english. To gobble also means…att klunka, på svenska.
Jag var alltså jätte jätte rolig. 
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The usual. Guinness. Though I started the day with a rice beer called Gojira, made by Moa Breweries here in NZ. Very nice.
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I love Rodenbach (in my opinion the epitome/archetype of the Flanders Red style), so when I saw that the beer store had received some Rodenbach Vintage 2013, I eagerly grabbed a couple of bottles. I know in advance that I’m gonna like this.
From the label:
This exclusive, limited-edition Rodenbach Vintage 2013 was aged for 2 years in Foeder 149, the 59-year-old foeder that was carefully selected by our brewmaster, Rudi Ghequire, as the top performing foeder of the year. In fact, for many years No. 149 has been a leading foeder earning the nickname “The Sire” for its many noble batches…
The nose tells you it’s Rodenbach - there’s no mistaking that unique aroma - but it’s deeper, with far more sour than fruit, and it has a soft woody character that promises great things.
And - of course - it is indeed great. As you move through the Rodenbach line-up, from Regular to Grand Cru to Alexander, the flavor deepens and the complexity increases. This is a logical continuation of that progression. Everything that makes Rodenbach great is here in abundance, but as the aroma suggested, the fruit has receded. It’s very tart, it’s very sour, it’s very balsamic vinegary, but there’s a deep, deep mellowness integrating everything together in just the most spectacular way.
Everything is woven together into one big holistic wholeness. It’s very tart and sour, but also very smooth and rounded. It’s complex as hell, but that complexity is just so evenly blended.
One of the most perfect beers I have ever had. Extraordinary.
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