Belgian Ales

Check this out, a pretty interesting tasting of Belgian-style ales in NY Times. I'll try to get a hold of some of these soon and give my opinion =) Thanks to Becca for the link! I had a really tastyBelgian style tripel last night with my brother Ben, the

It was delicious! Anyway, here's the article in NY Times.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/24/dining/reviews/24wine.html?pagewanted=2&ref=dining

This tasty merlot was part of my wine tasting class last night at the Wine & Cheese Gallery. I almost didn't get to try it, because I had to leave early for another commitment, but fortunately the instructor would not let me leave without trying it :)

This was a very smooth wine, with a pleasant aroma, and more body than most merlots I've had. It's really good.

Clos Du Val puts out some great cabs. The 2005 Cabernet from Napa Valley is a blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc, 3% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot. It has a pleasant nose, and a nice Napa Cab taste, and the blended grapes smooths out the flavor and add a unique finish and color.

The Damned One

Another distinctive and delicious beer by Unibroue, Maudite (the damned one) is a strong red ale, and is refermented in the bottle. The flavor is unique, and reminds me somewhat of a smoother, milder, and slightly less sweet version of Dogfish 120 minute IPA. This one's not an IPA, but is has a similar slightly-sweet flavor to it, and a wonderful aroma that just enhances the whole experience. I got it for about $10 for a four-pack, and it's definitely worth it to give it a try if you're never had one!

This delicious golden ale is triple fermented, and has a lovely fruity, light flavor. I find it a little more full-bodied than other golden ales, which I like a lot. Often I find golden ales a bit boring, bu this one's great!

Mmmm... unfiltered wheat beer...

This stuff is great. Picked some up at Dorn's in Gainesville. It has a good balance between a good solid wheat beer flavor, and is also light and crisp.

Dogfish Head 120 Minute IPA

This past weekend I enjoyed a fine specimen of beer I picked up at Total Wine & Spirits in Tampa: Dogfish Head 120 Minute IPA. My brother Ben and I split a 12 ounce bottle. I have been wanting to try this beer for quite some time, and finally found one to try. This is the motherlode of all IPAs, in my opinion.

Here's an informative and entertaining video I found on the dogfish website about this beer.



My notes: this beer drinks like a fine wine. As the video suggests, it's best enjoyed cool but not warm, and out of a wine glass or snifter. The flavor is not as harsh as I had imagined considering the level of hops, but instead it's rich, sweet, and very full of flavor. You really have to try it to see what it's like, as it's not comparable to any other beer I've had. Definitely a great beer.