Liquid Solutions

Lot #57 97,98,99,2000,01,02 Bigfoot
Lot #58 1994 Lindemans Cuvee Rene

Boldly treading the boundary between port, wine and beer, l"Abbaye de Saint Bon-Chien is a unique ale aged in wooden casks which have been used for several years before to age Merlot, Merlot Cabernet, Whisky and then Grappa. It manages to merge into L"Abbaye all the complex aromas of a vintage red wine along with the delicate harmony and flavors of the wood and its former contents. This process requires close monitoring of the beer"s evolution. The final version is blended from different casks, to ensure optimal balance, complexity and enjoyment! A mere one thousand bottles have been earmarked for the US market in 2006.

Deep gold in color with a huge rocky head. The aroma is honey and floral up front with lemony ctrus peel. The flavor is tart with a good hop showing in the way of floral and resin flavors. The orange and coriander are there which is good considering that they are billing this as an imperial Wit. Light mouthfeel and creamy texture make for an easy beer with tons of flavor.

This is Bayern’s “Crystal Weizen” or in other word a filtered Hefeweizen. Much like their unfiltered version the beer pours a deep golden orange color (this time without the haze). The body is smooth and creamy and the flavor is lightly malty, with just a touch of minty hops and hint of spiciness. This beer is a more refreshing version of their Hefe, brighter in flavor but a tad more subdued.

Lakefront Gluten Free 12oz:

This gluten free brew is made from sorghum and rice instead of wheat or barley. It pours a straw / golden color with a thin head and has an apple and grain aroma. The flavor is a bit tart with a doughy grain flavor. A nice alternative for those who can not tolerate the glutens found in most beers.

This specialty brew from Anderson Valley comes is a nice package of a gold wax dipped 22oz bottle. It has a copper orange color to it. The aroma is bready with a sharper fruity tone (apricots??). The flavor is sweet and malty with hints of candied fruit. I think the all of the flavors of a good triple are there. I think that this beer will age well and could be cellared for some time.

Brown with orange tints to it, it pours with a large creamy head. Big fruity nose of ripe apples and figs with a touch of spicy yeast. Malty caramel and bread in flavor with the fore mentioned fruits mixing in with candy sugar. An excellent domestic double.

If you tried to order either Pannepots last week and we were out of stock, please try again. We got in another shipment

Pannepot is a wonderfully spiced, 10% dark Belgian brew that is everything I expect out of an exceptional Belgian and more. Dark brown in color this beer pours with a massive meringue like head. Sweet fruity aromas that come across fig, pear with spicy notes of cinnamon and a whiff of licorice. The flavor is malty with a touch of sweetness; fig is a major flavor with brown sugar, and hints of chocolate and clove. Great creamy mouth feel and the 10% does not get in the way. A+

This version of Pannepot was brewed for a beer fest in Denmark. The brew is similar to the regular Pannepot with a few differences. The color is more on the red side, the aroma does not seem to have the licorice note and the flavor has more of a raspberry fruitiness and none of the clove. What this gives you is a brew that is brighter in flavor and aroma with a lighter feel on the tongue but still has the rich complexity that is the hallmark of a good dark Belgian. It was a lot of fun to try them (Pannepot and Pannepot Danish) side by side and pick out the differences, and infer what the brewer sees as the difference between the Belgian and Danish markets.

Deschutes Bond St. 19th Ann. 22oz:



Due to a miss-print in the wholesale catalog we were without the Bond St. brew for a few weeks. It is now back in stock.

I hope many of you look forward to new Deschutes Bond Street releases like I do. This series is rock solid and when new ones like this come in I have HIGH expectations. The 19th Anniversary is a Belgian Golden style that comes in at a respectable 8.7%. The color is bright gold with a tight but thin head. The aroma is candy sugar sweet with malt and fruit tones (plum and tart apple). The flavor is not as sweet as you would think from the aroma and the fruit carries order well and the light citrus and spice hop bitterness although a bit off for a Belgian is perfect for this NW interpretation.

It’s all about the hops!!! Popped the top and it immediately smells like a bail of hops. Orange / amber in color with a big head that settles into a good layer. The aroma is hoppy with herbal and pine tones, a touch of citrus with just a whiff of creamy caramel. The flavor is big bitter up front with a resin hop flavor and a big lingering bitter finish. Hops, hops, and more hops.

Labels: Beer, Full Sail, son of spot

I knew I would love this one as soon as I took my first whiff. This dark Belgian pours a deep brown color with an amber tint. The head is exactly what you want out of a good Belgian that is big thick and persistent. The aroma is sweet and big with a fig and dark cherry quality with a bit of woodiness at the end. The high carbonation gives it a pillowy mouth feel but a prickly finish. The beer is sweet but not heavy or sticky. The flavor is of dark cherry with a light chocolate and licorice finish. Now this is my kind of beer!!!

This Belgian triple pours a nice golden orange color. It develops a big creamy head that laces well. The aroma is sweet with pear and banana. The flavor has a slight tartness in its fruitiness and has a late spice. The hopping is subtle, as the style calls for and the finish is dry with the fruit lingering.

Now that our new wine program is underway I have turned my attention to the Soda department. The problem we were faced with was that the packaging costs were too high to sell single bottles of soda. We have switched to case only sales with a different packaging scheme in order to lower packaging costs and try and make it feasible for you to buy some of the classic sodas you grew up with (Crush, Nesbits, Moxie) as well as some of the newer energy drinks (Jolt CX2, Bawls, Viso) . I hope you find some new things to try.

Matt

Viso Will is my current caffeinated beverage of choice. The Viso goal seems to be to provide people with a beverage that has the flavor of a great soda, the vitamins, minerals and electrolytes of a sports drink and some even have a caffeine level that surpasses Jolt Cola. The great thing about the Viso products is that although they have 100% of 12 vitamins and 2 minerals along with 2 electrolytes, but it does not taste like it. It tastes like a fruit drink that’s all.
Will is a diet energy drink flavored with natural cranberry and grapefruit essences. That along with the Splenda ™ (with none of the funny Splenda ™ aftertaste like some soft drinks) makes for a tart fruity drink that is light in body and I find myself drinking too fast. I don’t just drink Will because of the 100% of 12 vitamins and 300mg of caffeine. I drink it for the flavor AND the 100% of 12 vitamins and 300mg of caffeine.

Vigor has all of the vitamins, minerals, and electrolytes of the other Viso products but is flavored with natural Meyer lemon, lime, and strawberry essences. It is sweetened by organic evaporated cane juice, along with the kick of 300mg of caffeine.

Razza is raspberry and strawberry flavored drink with 12 vitamins, two electrolytesand and sweetened with zero calorie Splenda ™. The thing about Viso is the flavor, sure it is good for you but who cares about that when it is something you like. Drink it for the fun and feel good in the process.

Just when you thought you saw the last of Jolt cola, it is back and it is bigger (23.5oz) and badder than ever. Not only does it still have its great cola taste and a high caffeine JOLT but now comes packed with taurine, guarana, ginseng and b complex. A true pop culture classic with a modern twist.

The lemon lime flavor in Jolt’s diet “Ultra” makes it light and refreshing and works very well with the Splenda ™ sweetener. Like it says on the can it’s all positive, no funky aftertaste or medicinal flavors despite being diet AND jammed full of caffeine, taurine, guarana, ginseng and b complex. This is great stuff and I come back to it time and again.

Lemon Lime flavored jolt that is packed full of caffeine, taurine, guarana, ginseng and b complex.

Cherry cola flavored Jolt. The cherry is well matched with the cola and does not overpower it like many of today’s cherry colas. Like the other Jolts products it has an abundance of caffeine, taurine, guarana, ginseng and b complex.

Blue is a touch sweeter than the other four varieties of Jolt. With a light berry / cotton candy flavor it is sweet and packs a punch with its supply of caffeine, taurine, guarana, ginseng and b complex.

*** Auctions ***
Lot 55 3 bottles of 1996 Mad River John Barleycorn
Lot 56 Beer for Bob 3 Bottles 2000 Rogue Imperial Stout

Pannepot is a wonderfully spiced, 10% dark Belgian brew that is everything I expect out of an exceptional Belgian and more. Dark brown in color this beer pours with a massive meringue like head. Sweet fruity aromas that come across fig, pear with spicy notes of cinnamon and a whiff of licorice. The flavor is malty with a touch of sweetness; fig is a major flavor with brown sugar, and hints of chocolate and clove. Great creamy mouth feel and the 10% does not get in the way. A+

This version of Pannepot was brewed for a beer fest in Denmark. The brew is similar to the regular Pannepot with a few differences. The color is more on the red side, the aroma does not seem to have the licorice note and the flavor has more of a raspberry fruitiness and none of the clove. What this gives you is a brew that is brighter in flavor and aroma with a lighter feel on the tongue but still has the rich complexity that is the hallmark of a good dark Belgian. It was a lot of fun to try them (Pannepot and Pannepot Danish) side by side and pick out the differences, and infer what the brewer sees as the difference between the Belgian and Dutch markets.

This Norwegian gruit (non hopped) ale has a powerful aroma of smoke and juniper. It pours an amber brown color with a very big head. The flavor starts off with smoked malt (beechwood would be my guess but I suppose aspen would not be out of the question) that moves on to a touch of molasses and a bitter juniper mid to finish. Those flavors linger on the tongue for some time but the dryness of the finish leaves you wanting more.

A 9% imperial wheat stout that pours opaque black with mahogany around the edges. The aroma is light but has definite coffee, roasted barley and a whiff of floral hop. The flavor has a large wheat component with a grainy tart hit up front. The flavor then moves into the stout tones of dark malt and coffee then finishes with a grassy hop bitterness. It is not at all sweet like many imperial stouts and the medium light body makes it easy to drink even in warmer weather.

This Dutch beer is in an ancient style call a Gruit beer. What that means is that there is no hops in it. It uses instead, a mixture of herbs and spices. It has a large smooth malt flavor but it is cut through by the herbs and spices (the “Gruit” mixture). For those of you who do not like bitter beer this is for you.

Method champenoise Belgian style triple from Brazil. Deep golden in color Lust pours with a voluminous head. The aroma is sweet with bread, oranges and tart apple. The high carbonation gives it a prickly feeling on the tongue. The flavors are honey, with a light clove and ample fruit. The Champaign method gives it all of the flavor and complexity of a bottle conditioned beer but without the cloudy yeast at the bottom. I’m not sure which one I like better but Lust is sure going to give the Bosteels Deus a run for its money.
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Notes from the brewery
Eisenbahn Lust is the first beer in Brazil produced under the traditional champagne production method, the champenoise. After the first fermentation in the brewery the beer is sent to a winery, where it stays for three months and undergoes a secondary fermentation in the bottle. After that, the cuvee, remuage and dégorgement processes take place, ending in a fruity and refreshing beer, with a fine and persistent perlage. Ideal as an aperitif, pairing with cheeses and with desserts. The perfect beer for great celebrations.

750 ml / 11, 5% Vol
http://www.eisenbahn.com.br/ingles/cervejas/lust.php

This deep copper IPA was aged in oak barrels at the Argyle winery. It was also put through the Methode de Champenoise (the way they make Champagne). Sort of a domestic IPA version of the Bosteel’s Deus. The aroma is slightly woody with fruity hops. The cork and wire-basket bottle opens with a loud pop, has good carbonation but little head. The flavor is of piney, citrusy hop bitterness with a ting of Chardonnay and lightly malty in the finish.

Labels: Beer, ipa

This beer is a bottle-conditioned triple that goes through the Champagne method (riddling, disgorging, and dosing). What does that mean to you? All of the complex flavors of a well aged triple, small tight dense head, crystal clear without any filtering. Pale straw in color, spicy / gingery aroma and a sweet tropical fruity flavor with hints of clove and cinnamon spice.

Due to the fact that it is almost 100 degrees here, all orders are on hold until the weather breaks. If this is going to cause a problem for you please let me know.

Method champenoise Belgian style triple from Brazil. Deep golden in color Lust pours with a voluminous head. The aroma is sweet with bread, oranges and tart apple. The high carbonation gives it a prickly feeling on the tongue. The flavors are honey, with a light clove and ample fruit. The Champaign method gives it all of the flavor and complexity of a bottle conditioned beer but without the cloudy yeast at the bottom. I’m not sure which one I like better but Lust is sure going to give the Bosteels Deus a run for its money.
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Notes from the brewery
Eisenbahn Lust is the first beer in Brazil produced under the traditional champagne production method, the champenoise. After the first fermentation in the brewery the beer is sent to a winery, where it stays for three months and undergoes a secondary fermentation in the bottle. After that, the cuvee, remuage and dégorgement processes take place, ending in a fruity and refreshing beer, with a fine and persistent perlage. Ideal as an aperitif, pairing with cheeses and with desserts. The perfect beer for great celebrations.

750 ml / 11, 5% Vol
http://www.eisenbahn.com.br/ingles/cervejas/lust.php

Sorry due to the holiday there will be no auctions this week.

Rated 92 by Robert Parker. A delicious Cabernet at a fraction of the normal price - dense purple and sumptuous; perfumed with black currant, cedar, charcoal and spice-box; terrific fruit; medium-full body; opulent with tremendous purity and texture. Drink now and over the next 15 years!
A STEAL at $95 per bottle. Very limited availability -- only 24 bottles left!

This coffee oatmeal stout really is for the beer geek in all of us. Inky black with a very tight tan/brown head. The aroma is big coffee, and roasted barley. The flavor is, you guessed it, big on the coffee with hits of sweet black licorice, chocolate and grainy oats. The body is medium heavy and the finish is black malt dry with a hop bitterness that cuts through all of those dark flavors.

Most of the highest-rated Danish beers are from Mikkeller, and within the past few months, the brewery was voted the Best in Denmark by the Danish Beer Enthusiasts, and Beer Geek Breakfast has also just been voted the very best beer of Denmark.

This Belgain style IPA is pale golden yellow in color; it pours a touch hazy with a frothy, well sustained head. The aroma is sweet and orangy with a floral hop and pale malt. The flavor is bitter with an herbal hop flavor, a spicy yeast character with an underlying pale malt flavor. This is a DRY IPA, unlike some Belgian IPA who end up candy sweet and IPA bitter. It is not overwhelmingly bitter but since it is so dry it does not need a ton of bitterness to be balanced and refreshing. This is one of the best Belgain thirst quenchers and heat beaters I have ever had. A+