365 different beers from 365 different breweries in 365 days with random musings on beer, food, music, sports, dogs and anything else interesting along the way
But you didn't come here for the music, you came for the beer. Today's beer is HaandBryggeriet'sOdin's Tipple, a dark Norse ale. This particular one is one of only 3,500 bottles in Batch 507. I'm not sure how Odin's Tipple came to be in my house, but I'm glad it did.
It poured an almost black, brown shade with a rosy and deep cocoa color head. The color on this beer's head was remarkable. It smelled of cherry, wood and cola. The flavor is bright with a lingering hoppy aftertaste. It's a combination of fruity and roast coffee. I would also say that it was one of the most challenging beers I've had since starting Blog Named Brew. There was a lot going on with the flavor and the velvety texture definitely turned it into an extended, sipping experience.
Beer #76 Farewell Ale / Haand Bryggeriet, Drammen, Norway
The blogger's life is a glamorous one, indeed. Take for example my Friday evening:
1. Get movie from Redbox
2. Get dinner from McDonald's
3. Eat dinner
4. Watch movie.
THE CLUB CAN'T EVEN HANDLE ME RIGHT NOW!
To combat my lack of Friday night excitement, I'll trot out an interesting beer to get tonight moving. I'm going with a Norwegian beer, the Farewell Ale from Haand. The beer pours with a foamy tan head. The aroma isn't overly powerful, but the taste has a warm and smoky roasted malt flavor and some earthy, peppery notes. There's a thin mouthfeel, and overall the beer reminds me of a porter.
Now, I'll be the first to admit this beer probably isn't my style. However, it's well done because the flavors don't overwhelm you, but rather pull you in slowly. Is this an every day beer for me? No, because I'd sooner drink a saison or an IPA, but this was a good beer. Also, I'm glad I finally had the opportunity to cross Haand off my list; Teresa's Next Door has been pouring a variety of their winter beers, but every one I've tried (including the one Marci sampled last month) have been way, way, way too smoky or roasted or burnt. Maybe the arrival of spring is mellowing them out? I also wanted to try this beer after reading the story on the inspiration for its creation. I'll let this blurb from Haand's website tell the tale:
Farewell Ale is our interpretation of an old traditional Norwegian custom. Beer has always been an important part of the Norwegian culture and beer was always part of the important occasions in life. This was also the case when a person passed away. It was customary on all farms to have some malt at hand in case of a sudden death. Nobody was buried before the beer was ready and they could be toasted off to a good afterlife. This beer was called Gravøl (funeral ale). Our Farewell ale is a dark and flavourful beer, with lots of spicy flavours, but still easy to drink with a special flavour not often found in beer.
I love the concept: in case of death, brew beer!!! I had a picture of this beer all shiny and new in my glass, but my awesome phone didn't save it. Awesome.
Thing to Think About Today:
I guess I should have planned this better and offered up some Philadelphia 76ers highlights to coordinate with our 76th beer, but seeing how you've already been introduced to the Doctor and Darryl Dawkins, I should probably give that topic a break.
Ah, screw it.... sort of.
We'll dip our toe in the water of the Sixers by suggesting you think about a local Philly guy, G-Love, who manages to pay homage to both his favorite basketball franchise and the decrepit road systems we're forced to use when navigating to and from the City of Brotherly Love. HIT IT, G!
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.
