More imports (unless you live in Belgium), but widely distributed. See if you can guess the theme.
Orval, a Trappist Ale.
and
Tripel Karmeliet, a triple abbey ale.
Unrelated Thought: I neglected to thank Jack Mangan for lending me his talents as the “Voice of Wikipedia” in show #3. Thanks Jack!
Prebeer Preamble: Move over you chocolate bunnies and sugary peeps, bock beer is in town to show you what being a spring-related consumable is all about! And while were at it, let’s upgrade to doppelbocks!
Beer 1: Paulaner Salvator. Eric joins me yet again, and our first bock is the orignator of the dopplebock style. Is its reputation hooey, or is it a world renowned beer for a reason?
Interbeer Interlude: Burpin’ Legends: “Bottom of the Barrel” Some say bock beers are made from the dregs scraped out of the fermenters when brewers do their spring cleaning. Getting to the bottom of this legend leads to some very disgusting places indeed.
Beer 2: Urbock 23, from Eggenberg Germany’s Castle Brewery. The birds are twirping, we’ve caught a happy little buzz, and then Eric and I reach for a big gothic freaky beer. Will our afternoon recover?
Beer Geek Moment: “Specific Gravity”. Everything you ever wanted to know about this technical bit of brewspeak, with only a little math.
Postbeer Postscript: Will our ratings favor the old stand-by, or will the beefy Austrian bust in, Ah-noldlike, and win the day?
This time around, one beer should be relatively easy to find and one’s a little tricky. This would be a good week to find that BIG import beer store, if you haven’t already done so. Unless, of course, you live in Germany.
Paulaner Salvator [alternatives: Ayinger Celebrator, Spaten Optimator, Sam Adams Double Bock or any self-described "dopplebock"]
Eggenberg Urbock 23 [alterantives: Weihenstephaner Korbinian, Gordon Biersch Blonde Bock, Rogue Dead Guy Ale, Smuttynose Maibock. These are all aprroximations, and not terrifically good ones. At least you'll get an idea...]
Keep in mind these are considerably non-gateway beers. Worth finding, but not for the faint of heart.
Prebeer Preamble: How much impact does the vessel from which your beer flows have on your beer enjoyment? Are bottles “better” than cans but “worse” than kegs?
Beer 1: New Belgium’s 1554. Eric and I start our show with a bottle in front of us. After pouring, the beer’s appearance tells one tale, but upon tasting, tells another…intriguing…
Interbeer Interlude: Burpin’ Legends: “Draft vs. Bottle”. Eric and I are joined by Oregonian friends Jason and Beth, as well as my formidably lovely wife Carolyn, to empirically test the assumption that draft beer tastes better than bottled.
Beer 2: Old Chub, from Oskar Blues. Eyebrows cocked skeptically, Eric and I reach for a *can* of Scottish ale. Say wha?!? Once in the glass, will its aluminum origins still taint it?
Beer Geek Moment: “The Pour”. Proper pouring techniques to assure that your next beer delights the eye as well as the palate.
Postbeer Postscript: Does Old Chub’s pop-top delivery system help or hurt it against 1554’s classy bottle in our evaluations? Or is this whole bottle/can/keg thing just a tempest in a beer glass?
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