Beer 34: Haand Nissefar or The One Where My Head Explodes

I'm looking at 2012 as the year that I try new things and really force myself out of my comfort zone.  I promised myself I would say yes more and take more chances.  With that in mind, I bought tickets to a dance party / photography exhibit opening which is happening this weekend.  I like photography but I don't dance.  Ok, I dance after enough drinks to make me forget I have no rhythm.  I cannot imagine what that looks like other than AWESOME.  My dance party / exhibit opening has a surprise guest DJ and because I live in a very fun world in my head, that guest DJ is ?uestlove from The Roots.  I'll let you know on Sunday how that all plays out.

I've also been harboring a desire to start a little event planning business on the side.  Well, today I had a truly unbelievable opportunity drop into my lap.  On one hand it could kick my event planning gig into high gear; on the other, it is going to involve a hell of a lot of work and a giant leap of faith in myself.  So do I have what it takes to say yes to a new adventure?  I like to think yes.  Yes, I do.

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Lancaster Brewing Co.'s Milk Stout

Tonight's beer is from Lancaster Brewing and it is their foray into the world of milk stouts.  Like the other stouts I've sampled this week, it pours dark as night.  It has a light tan head that quickly disappears.  The smell is sweet caramel and roasted.  The flavor is strong on chocolate, coffee and milk flavors.  The roasted flavor is  upfront and is balanced by the sweet coffee and milk flavors.  It is incredibly tasty.

When visiting the Lancaster Brewing Company establishment this past June, I ordered their beer sampler.  Above and beyond the insane number of samples provided, there was an opportunity to mix the milk stout with their strawberry wheat beer to create what I can only describe as a super beer.  It was true awesomeness in my teeny tiny sample glass.  God bless you, Lancaster Brewing Company.  God bless.

OK.  So this is the second time in 30-odd days that I've managed to forget that I've already drank a brewery.  &^$*@(&!!!  I even wrote about the goddamned sampler in my other post. So much for the beer doesn't kill brain cells theory.

New brewery.  Tonight's real beer is from Norway.  It's Haand Bryggeriet's Nissefar.  Bryggeriet = Brewery.  Nissefar = Father Christmas.  This beer is for happy gnomes.  Whatever.  I've had a bunch of beer tonight.

Anyway this isn't a stout so my milk stout series has gone completely awry.  This one is an "old ale" but presents like a stout (at least to me).  It is almost opaque in my glass and dark, dark brown.  I get lots of roasted malts and a hint of coffee...maybe some caramel.  It is surprisingly smooth and light given it's appearance.  It finishes dry and almost reminds me of rye bread.

Cheers, folks!  It's the weekend and I'm going to watch a scary movie and try to figure out when exactly my memory gave out.