Christmas is (almost) Here!!

Beer #14 Curieux/ Allagash Brewing Co, Portland, ME
Spending time with the family today, lots of laughs and story telling in store. Highlight for me is my nieces and our dogs pairing up - the girls are absolute animal lovers and they light up when they get to spend time with the hounds. Today's beer is another barrel aged ale, the Curieux from Allagash. Nice subtle oak flavor, just a hint of vanilla and some floral notes. Liking this one a lot. Would pick this over yesterday's offering due to the more subdued vanilla notes. Anything Allagash puts out is going to be great, so no surprise this one is delicious. Enough writing; time to enjoy the holiday.

Thing to Think About Today:
On Christmas Eve, it's a must that we go with the finest Christmas carol ever.  Everything else is a battle for second place.  I present without further delay: Bing Crosby and David Bowie's masterpiece:  Peace on Earth/Little Drummer Boy.

Filmed in October of 1977 for a television special, this duet paired two diametrically opposed singers in the buttoned up Crosby and the buttoned down Bowie.  Regardless of their differences, they pulled this song off and created a beautiful moment.  Sadly, Bing Crosby would die just a month later before the special aired.  Should David Bowie ever show up at my house and ask to play the piano, we're definitely doing Panic in Detroit.

Peace on earth, goodwill to man.

Beer #12: Allagash Interlude

I could certainly live a life of leisure.  Mere words can't do justice to how much I'm enjoying having an entire week off.  I'm working out like a fiend, eating well, blogging mid afternoon (!), organizing the house...seriously.  If I didn't like having a paycheck so much, I'd quit my job.  Perhaps I'll start playing the lottery more.  

Today's beer is Allagash Interlude.  Two things influenced my selection of this particular Allagash.  

1.  The label tells me it's an ale aged in red wine barrels.  Win.

2.  It has Brettanomyces.  If you're curious enough to click that link, pay particular attention to the section on beer.  It lists a pretty fair number of my favorite beers.  I also like the description of what flavors Brettanomyces impart:  horse stable, bacon, spice, cloves, sweaty saddle, cheese.  Yes, please.  Win.

Gary once pointed out a beer while we were out noting, "Hey, order this. It claims to taste like a funky saddle."  And I did. I've also been swayed by a beer description citing stink, stank, stunk as characteristics.  Judge away, folks, judge away. 

Oh, wild ale, how I love thee.  In the glass it's surprisingly orange.  It reminded me of Beer #6 from Dogfish Head in looks.  In my nose, it smelled like funky red wine...Merlot or Syrah maybe?  Even before the first sip, I was anticipating the sour effervescence hitting my tongue and I was not disappointed.  At 9.5% ABV and sipping on a big bottle, I found a friend for the evening.   

Sidebar:  I make it a point not to read anything about the beer I've selected for the day until after I write my post.  I'm using this exercise to teach myself to taste in greater detail.  Imagine my delight when I just read the description of Interlude on Allagash's website and discovered that it is, in fact, aged in Merlot and Syrah wine barrels.  Win.  

Go get yourself a win and try some of Allagash's beers.  They tend to be big and bold and full of flavor.  Until tomorrow and lucky #13...