It’s always up for debate what’s the best beer, in any category that you chose to select. There is a chunk of latin that I like – in di gustibus non disputatum – even though I quit latin (and some might say English) when I left a fancy school in Canterbury – says that there is no accounting for taste, or taste is relative to your awareness?
All said, I was given an awesome bottle of beer recently, by none other than Garrett Oliver of the Brooklyn Brewery (thanks!!). I had already had a sneak preview by Kelly, one of the brewers of said beer, so I was even more pleased to recieve this beer.
I took it to a recent tasting, amongst like-minded beer loving friends, because a Danish friend, and beer lover was in town. We shared many a beer, my two entrants to the evening, well three if you include a schwartzbeer that I made, were the beer above, and the Jasmine IPA, Fantabulous Resplendance X from Three Floyds.
I hate to talk about leagues of beer, and the like – but this beer is up there with many many of the top beers around the world. The UK beers, like the excellent Old Chimneys King Henrys Reserve, Durham Temptation/Bendiction, are close – but the the beer above, was the show stopper, an 11% barley wine aged in Pedro Xinmenez casks. Bright floral orange blossom, and citrus notes. Incredible stuff. so smooth. Where as I have bumped into plenty of amazing sour ales, massive imperial stouts, incredible hop bombs – just this year – this beer was a more than a pleasant experience.
The beer, Barrel Aged “Alliance” from Thornbridge Hall. whether or not it’s the best beer in the UK, but over many big Imperial Stouts that draw big plaudits – this had something of a newness/vibrancy – freshness of style that I found it change from what I had experience before with experiential beers!
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reflection and redemption
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