Beer Tasting – The Market @ Washington & High – 1/20/2012
Howdy fellow snobs!
I do hope this post finds you well. This past Friday night many of us gathered at The Market @ Washington & High for another stellar beer tasting. I know I have posted about these many times but you really can’t beat this – $25 gets you 5 brews to taste, 2 pints/bottles of whatever you choose, a top-notch dinner AND 10% off of anything in the store after the tasting. Plus you get to hang out with fellow beer snobs, see familiar faces and hang out with the beer doctor himself, Dr. Todd White.
This past Friday we started out with an awesome dinner that consisted of a grass fed beef hamburger topped with smoked cheddar cheese from Sweetwater Valley Farm, local heirloom hydroponic (I don’t know what that means) tomatoes and fresh greens served on a sourdough bun from the Bakery Lady. Wow – that’s all I have to say about that, just wow. On the side we had some tater chips and tater salad – probably my favorite things to pair with a tasty burger.
So, after some beer related updates – including a discussion that is the awesomeness of the TN Winter Beer Fest on February 4th– we dove right in.
Chatoe Rogue Good Chit Pilsner: I’ve been pretty open and honest about my feelings towards pilsners and while I’ll drink them, they aren’t my favorite. So when I saw this one popped open, I didn’t get too excited. However, I must say, impressive. What’s cool about this beer is that Rogue grew the barley that went into this beer. From the bottle, “Chit” refers to the start of the rootlets that emerge from the embryo of the kernel once steeping is complete and germination begins. Now, that’s what happens while they are floor-malting – which is a hands on process that is done over 8 days. In a nutshell, these guys are in pursuit of a no-additives, pure brew from soil to palate. This is a light, hazy beer with a lingering head. There are some light floral scents but the nose is pretty light on this beer. It’s clean, crisp with a bitterness at the back – very fresh and the liberty hops really comes through. This beer is going on my “dock beer” list.
Shiner Dortmunder: This is the spring ale from our friends at the Spoetzl brewery in Shiner, TX. A dortmunder is a German-style pilsner that is usually noted by it’s bitterness and dryness. Shiner served up a very nice clear lager with a great head. On the nose several noted it smelled like a hay field! Definitely a clean outdoorsy smell to this beer. It’s a little sweet with some bittering at the end but overall very smooth. Nice beer but not incredibly memorable.
Foothills Hoppyum: I’m no stranger to this IPA. This beer pours clear and golden with an awesome head. The floral scents, honey, clove, and citrus are firm and it has a great easy taste; it’s bitter but not too strong, and a little sweet. Several commented on the grapefruit finish. Probably not the favorite amongst the group but this is a beer I always enjoy.
1554: Those that know me know that this brew has a special place in my heart as it is the beer that got Mrs. Beer Snob to discover that dark beers are pretty tasty. While dark, this beer isn’t heavy and there are certainly coffee and chocolate tones on the nose and the palate. Great beer and one I always enjoy.
BBC Darkstar Porter: This one was a new one for me. Dark beer with amber tones and a head that lingers on the glass. This was a very malty beer with some bittering but not much. Chocolate and coffee notes were present and while this is a nice porter it was more malty than I was expecting. We did pair it with some baklava which was pretty nice if I do say so myself.
Overall another great tasting at The Market @ Washington & High. Next one will be on February 10th at 7pm. Make sure you get signed up before it’s too late. These tastings sell out fast!
Cheers!
