Beer - Birthday Brews - Revisiting Favourites

On Thursday I completed 31 years of life...and began my 32nd. That must mean it's a good time to enjoy some extra special beers!

So yes, for my 31st birthday I opened my mini beer cellar, which I began a year ago, and revisited some of my favourite beers.

Bringing in the next year of life on Wednesday night, the wife and I drank my saved bottle of Bridge Road Brewers B2 Bomber Belgian black IPA (which I blogged my love for last year).

Not surprisingly, the beer poured with a massive frothy head. It was no gusher, but the yeast must have still been working away for sometime, continuing the production of carbon dioxide. All that did, however, was slow down the process of pouring the beer. It still possessed a beautiful solid dark black appearance with a generous tan head.

With just under a year of age behind it, the B2 Bomber still tastes fantastic and drinks beautifully. Naturally, the hop character has mellowed and softened a bunch, but the rich and complex flavour was still in good form. A flavoursome combination of dark roasted malts, coffee, chocolate and dark fruits in a well balanced, warming package. I really love this beer!

Towards the bottom of the bottle, there was a small edge of a sour funk, indicating that the yeast may soon turn this beer a bit. So if you are sitting on a bottle of B2 Bomber, I recommend drinking it soon, unless you have a decent and controlled cellar set up.

In good news for lovers of this one-off anniversary ale from Bridge Road Brewers, Ben Kraus plans to brew and release a "revamped" version of B2 Bomber later this year! Awesome.

For my birthday present, the wife surprised me with a very special bounty of international craft beers that I have never tasted before...

Mikkeller Black Hole Barrel Aged (Peat), Mikkeller George! Barrel Aged (Bourbon Edition) and BrewDog Abstrakt AB:05 (bottle 3437 of 3600)!

These are extremely exciting beers for me. I have tried other versions of each - Mikkeller Black Hole Barrel Aged (Red Wine - Pinot) on one awesome night of big stouts at Biero Bar; had my first taste of Mikkeller George! in January this year and was blown away by the coffee kick; and BrewDog Abstrakt AB:04, which was enjoyed with the ABWG over dinner at Josie Bones. Each other those beers have been serious "WOW" beers for me and sit comfortably in my list of top 20 beers I have ever tasted. Hence, Jenn's above birthday present to me is something very special ...she's an awesome wife!

Birthday night, Thursday, we had a quite little birthday dinner at The Courthouse Hotel in North Melbourne. Dining from the bar menu and drinking excellent craft beers from tap, it was exactly my type of preferred dining experience. I wish I could visit The Courthouse more often...it is just so satifying to see many people drinking, discussing and enjoying a diverse range of beers.

Over dinner we enjoyed:

• the new McLaren Vale Beer Co Vale IPA - good easy drinking, but I'm not sure about the hop profile. The hop aroma was a little musty dirty, with a very flat bitterness and soft taste. I want more punch from an IPA. Although, I must say that this IPA worked wonderfully as a match for the beautifully soft Gorgonzola croquettes entree that we started the night with!
• Mountain Goat Oaky Porter - a bubble & squeak brew using left over incredients that hint at the inclusion of elements from the Thorny Goat Black IPA and Surefoot Stout. We had previously enjoyed this beer in draught growler form from Slowbeer, but enjoyed more on tap, possibly due to the better dispensing system as well as some improvement from an extra 2 weeks age behind it
• Hargreaves Hill ESB - Jenn drank this with her baked ricotta gnocchi, confit duck, spinach, olives
• Bridge Road Beer Chevalier Biere de Garde - I had with my Porterhouse steak, mash, rocket & red wine sauce. I love Biere de Garde so I always go for it when on tap, but it was a bit of a match-fail for my steak. There was much yeasty banana coming through the Biere de Gard and less of the usual lovely dark fruits. In hindsight, the Mountain Goat Oaky Porter or Hargreaves Hill Stout would have been a more appropriate match for my steak. Nonetheless, the meal was thoroughly enjoyable.

After dinner we trammed back into the city and headed up to Biero Bar for more good beer action, which included the Prickly Moses Black Panther IPA and the Morning Peninsula Brewery Brown Ale, which was shining a beatufiul hue of red in the candle light...

Prickly Moses Black Panther

Mornington Peninsula Brown Ale

Sometime after 10pm the music was turned up too loud in the fairly empty Biero Bar, which kinda killed our chilled out mood as we lazed on the couches and enjoyed good beer. We took it as a cue to waddled down the road to Penny Blue bar. A little birdy had told me that the Holgate Brewhouse Temptress was pouring from the bar's handpump. So, even though Temptress was available at Biero Bar for $5/$10 for a pot/pint, the handpump enough incentive to make the short journey down to Elizabeth St (and only $8 for a goblet is pretty good!).

This was my first visit to Penny Blue...and I loved it! I feel sad that it has taken me so long to discover this characterful little bar, beautifully located in the heart of Melbourne. Whilst I have known about it for some time, I have just never made it there...and I've been missing out! Penny Blue only has one beer tap, but it is an old English handpump beer engine. If that does not take your fancy, the craft beer selection in the fridge behind the bar is excellent. The bar is cosy and relaxed. The staff are good, with one guy behind the bar impressing me with his explanations of three local craft beers when a customer asked if they had any good American Pale Ales to try.

There was some glassphemy when my 2nd order of Temptress was poured into a tall Trumer Pilsner glass. Totally the wrong glass for a chocolate porter! But oh well, such a minor thing...by that time of night I was just happy to still be drinking good beer in any form...

And so ended my birthday day, with the joys of handpumped Temptress. However, the birthday beering did not end there...!

Friday started with a hair-of-the-dog breakfast. Home-made bacon, egg & cheese muffins (so much better than McDonalds will ever make!) alongside a glass of the spectacular Nøgne Ø God July Islay Edition, thanks to the generous & hardworking crew of Innspire. Whilst visiting the Innspire warehouse back in January I mentioned that God July Islay was one of my favourite beer discoveries in 2010 and was used to mark my 30th birthday. In return the Innspire guys gifted me with this bottle to celebrate my next birthday with, and I did, over breakfast the morning after. Win!

This Porter-like American Strong Ale has been matured in Oak casks previously containing Islay malt whisky. Many drinkers struggle with the strong Islay character, but I love the rich woody smokey baconness. And we're all about big peat and Islay kick at the moment, especially after the crazy beautiful explosion of Yeastie Boys' Rex Attitude!

Finally, last night (Friday), Jenn and I returned to our "local" (microbrewery) the Mountain Goat Brewery...aka goatbeer. There we had pizza for dinner and drank Three Golden Goats, more Oaky Porter and 2011 Oaky Rapunzel!

Mountain Goat's Rapunzel is another beer that I have blogged undying love for in the past. This 2011 release is the best yet!

The massive and potent 2010 version of the Rapunzel Belgian Strong Blond Ale has been soften substantially, because it has been blended with a touch of Steam Ale after 15 months of ageing in Chardonnay barrels. It is now so much more drinkable and dangerously sessionable, even though two is enough to knock you out.

The appearance is still the same, cloudy golden-orange with a decent white head that leaves loads of sexy lacing. The huge Chardonnay aroma remains, along with notes of grapefruit, apple and some vinegar at the back.

Rapunzel's complex taste is also still big but now better balanced, full of citrus fruits like orange, green apple, vanilla and a slight sweetness.

The oak aging is very evident in the astringency and short dry finish. This version was also extra oaky because it had been run through the Randy filled with French Oak chips, adding some extra oaky funk to the taste. It hinted at elements of a good Lambic Gueuze. Really good stuff.

All it needed was some crusty bread and brie to match!

12 Beers of Xmas - On the fourth day of Christmas....

On the fourth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me...a Mountain Goat Oak-aged Rapunzel (Belgian Strong Ale)...

Well...this post in my 12 Beers of Christmas series (which actually belongs to yesterday) was going to be about the new Summer small-batch from Mountain Goat, the "Goldilocks" Summer Ale, but it seems this beer is no more...with the few remaining kegs providing some carbonation problems, preventing it from being tapped at the Mountain Goat Brewery bar.

Thankfully, in its place last night at the Goat bar, they tapped one of my favourite beers from 2010 (Number 4 of 5 in my votes for the Local Taphouse Hottest 100) - the Mountain Goat Oaky Rapunzel (Barrel Aged Belgian Strong Ale)!

Since I have already blogged this beer, back when it was first released this year in March, I will not go into full detail about it now...but would love for you to revisit those posts:

• Mountain Goat Rapunzel (Part 1)
• Mountain Goat Rapunzel (Part 2: Oaked version)

After 8 months, Rapunzel is still very drinkable. Despite being a "sipper", this very big beer goes down very easily. However, the wine-like aroma and taste from the Chardonnay barrel-aging has probably over developed a little too much, as it now dominates and possesses a bit of a vinegary character. In a blind tasting, you may think that you are drinking a Semillon Sauv Blanc with a twist of pineapple!

The appearance is still beautiful - cloudy and golden - and the 8.5% alc/vol is amazingly well hidden.

Maybe this 2009 batch is just past its best days.  Nonetheless, I thoroughly enjoyed the two glasses of Oaky Rapunzel that I had...and probably would have drunk more, if I hadn't already consumed a pot and pint of "The Hoeff" Hefeweizen and a pot of the Steam Ale randied through Peaches and Mint...as well as itching to pop across the road for a "dessert" pot of Holgate Temptress at The Royston Hotel! (Such a delicious night!)

Great crowd at the Mountain Goat Brewery last night. Surprisingly, it was not jammed packed as it can be on Fridays, but everyone seemed quite cheery and festive.

Unfortunately, the night started on a sour note (initially from the non-appearance of Golidlocks, which was soon redeemed in spades by the tapping of Rapunzel), due to a rare moment of really bad bar service. When my wife ordered the first round, one of the bar staff took the money for 2 pots of The Hoeff, pouring one glass (which a froffy explosion, causing it to take a super long time to serve) and then disappearing without serving the second glass, seemingly ignoring said wife as she waited paitiently at the bar for glass 2...??

Thankfully, the beer goodness, quality music choice and general excellentness of Mountain Goat turned the night around quickly.

I also had an excellent chat to Mountain Goat Head Brewer, Jayne Lewis. I made my plea for the Rapunzel to be bottled in Rare Breed longnecks...and Jayne indicated that it may eventually happen. She noted that it won't work with the current formula, as the yeast strain they are using will not bottle condition, but she is very open to seeing Rapunzel bottled at some stage. Awesome!

Finally, if you are looking for something to do next Friday (Christmas Eve), I recommend getting down to the Mountain Goat Brewery, which will be open! There may even be another special Summer Ale on tap.

Alt Christmas Song of the Day: "Fairytale of New York" by The Pogues (with Kirsty MacColl)

...I'm at least happy that that change from Goldilocks to Rapunzel hasn't affected the connection to "Fairytale" of New York!

Beer - Mountain Goat Rapunzel (Part 2: Oaked version)

The Mountain Goat team showcased their delicious strong Belgian Golden Ale, Rapunzel, on Friday 26th March, with three versions on tap at the Goat Bar, along with matching food (mussels and frites).

The three versions available were:

1. "Blonde" Rapunzel (regular)
2. "Randied" Rapunzel (infused with peaches and nutmeg through a Randall)
3. "Oakey" Rapunzel (aged in a French Oak chardonnay barrel for 9 months)

As previous blogged, having first tried and loved the regular Rapunzel a few weeks earlier, I was excited to be back for another journey through a glass or two of this special brew...with added character. The Goat Bar was packed with a big crowd of beer lovers looking to do the same thing.

Due to the crowd, there was a fair wait and shuffle to reach the bar, but the Mountain Goat team should be commended for their great work in handling their customers. Plenty of staff were available, all moving quickly and effectively through each order. Furthermore, the wait simply provided more opportunity to enjoy the sights and smells of the Mountain Goat taps pouring each brew.

Poured into a 385ml stem glass, the first noticeable difference of the Oakey Rapunzel was its sightly darker golden colour, compared to the regular "Blonde". However, Oakey also seemed to be clearer, more transparent.

The aroma was also quite different, with still a strong fruity presences, but also a fairly predominate hit of chardonnay coming through. I was a little concerned a first, as it seemed the "white wine" smell would dominated the taste (not a good thing, to me).

Nonetheless, the taste was delicious, deep and complex. Maybe a little too sweet and, yes, at first it was too "winey"...but not for long...as subsequent sips brought out a solid blend of vanilla, apple and an excellent level of hops. Medium body, medium carbonation but also very smooth. The enjoyable 8.5% alcohol was definitely very well balanced.

I followed up the Oakey with a glass of the Randied...and was then well satisfied. Good beer indeed.

Ultimately, I probably preferred the regular "Blonde" Rapunzel, due to the sweetness of the "Oakey". However, the Mountain Goat brewers have certainly succeeded in providing another interesting quality brew with a unique twist to please any interested beer drinker looking to challenge the ordinary. Am looking forward to what they come out with next!

"Randy"...the Rapunzel, peaches and nutmeg filled Randall infuser.

Two sexy Rapunzels, ready to drink(regular "Blonde" on left, "Oakey" on right)

Beer - Mountain Goat Rapunzel (Part 1)

Wow...I have a new favourite beer...and her name is Rapunzel!

I have been waiting for over a year to try this highly regarded and very limited small-batch from the Mountain Goat team...and she did not disappoint.

Last Friday evening I headed back to the Mountain Goat Brewery in Richmond for the specific purpose of tasting this strong Belgian ale. Once again Melbourne had turned on some beautiful Autumn weather and the atmosphere at the Goat Bar was indeed a happy one.  Although, I thought it was actually relatively quiet for Beer O’Clock on a sunny Friday.

I ordered a Rapunzel (385ml tulip glass for $8) and watched with a little amusement as the high carbonation tap caused the beer to pour with a froth explosion into the glass.  It gave a delightful big head, as such a Belgian ale should, which slowly reduced, leaving plenty of lacing.  Standing on the bar, the beer looked very enticing, emitting a rich hazy golden-red colour.

The initial aroma was soft and fruity. A deeper inhale presented plenty of fruit, malt, toffee and a little spice. They use Pilsener Malt, German Hallertau hops and a Belgian Yeast strain to produce this beer.

With my first taste I was delighted by a hit of deliciousness! Wow, I loved it! The 7.7% alc/vol was very nicely hidden, with the luscious fruity taste winning the flavour battle. (I believe the alc/vol has reduced from 8.3% in 2009 to now 7.7% for 2010.)  I'm sure there are many flavours and characteristics of this beer that I will fail to mention, simply because I still have much to learn about beer tasting, but it's definitely complex in a very good way.

The medium body and high carbonation suited this beer perfectly, providing a beautiful balance throughout the whole mouth. I enjoyed allowing it to linger in my mouth. The Rapunzel also has quite a long finish (…I think that's what you call it).

What delighted me most about this beer was how perfectly consistent it remained throughout drinking down two glasses of it.  All aspects of the beer - taste, aroma, mouthful and drinkability - maintained the same character/consistency throughout each sip.

Like Red Hill’s Temptation (which I can’t really compare it to, because I’ve only tried the bottled Temptation, not a tap/keg version) Rapunzel is dangerously easy drinking for a strong ale. Not sessional though, because of the 7.7% alc/vol...but I was definitely ready for more after each glass.  Sensational stuff.  (I should probably pop down to Slowbeer and grab a Duval to try sometime soon…since it seems to be the general “benchmark” for Belgian Strong Pale Ales…yes?)

It is probably a good thing that Rapunzel is very limited. That way, I won’t become too familiar with it…as much as I wish I could. My recommendation is to drink it very slow and really savour it.

Call it inexperience, but I honestly don't know how this beer could be improved anymore...HOWEVER...I am looking forward to heading back to the Goat Bar's Get Back with Rapunzel event next Friday to try the "Oaked version" (which has spent 9 months in a French oak chardonnay barrel), as well as a Randied version.

I hear that the oaked version is really something extra special...and that will be Part 2.