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Now on to Part Two.

Where to begin, where to begin?

How about in Italy?  Yes, Italy!

Moretti makes a beer called La Rosa, which is a Dopplebock.  La Rosa has an ABV of 7.2% and a solid 84 rating with almost 400 reviews.  It’s currently on special both by the 6pk at $7.99 and by the case at $25.99, which are good prices for a quality import.  We recently did a Beer Tasting of the Moretti beers and the La Rosa was the big winner that impressed.  It has a nice malty sweetness that gives way to an Earthy touch of hops before turning back to a more subtle sweetness.  A very nice beer that would go well with BBQ foods, sandwiches and cheeses.

We have two brews from Anchorage brewing, who makes Belgian-style beers.  One of these we’ve had previously, their Whiteout Wit in 750ml bottles, which is aged in French Oak Chardonnay barrels.  Whiteout has an ABV of 6.5% and an 88 rating with over 100 reviews.  As a refresher, Whiteout has flavours of Wheat malt, Brett funk, lemon notes (bordering on a Berliner Weiss style), pepper, coriander, white wine/white grape and vanilla from the Chardonnay barrels.  A good to treat yourself to during the warm weather.

Anchorage’s second beer is Galaxy IPA, also in 750ml bottles.  Galaxy is a Belgian-style IPA, has an ABV of 7% and a 90 rating with over 60 reviews and is aged in French Oak barrels.  It’s flavours are a cornucopia of fruit essences (passion fruit, mango, peach, pineapple, lemon and tangerine), quite a few of them from the Galaxy hops no doubt.  It also has notes of white wine/white grape, coriander and oak and an ample amount of pepper and Brett funk to round it all out.  Sounds like another complex yet tasty offering from Anchorage.

From the Danish brewers OI comes their take on an American Brown Ale but with a twist, Mochaccino Messiah in 750ml bottles.  This is a new brew and we only got 6 bottles of it for now.  MM has an ABV of 7% and only a small handful of reviews, which all but one dissenter has good things to say about this beer.  MM’s flavours are of coffee (Italian roast), dark chocolate, black cherries, dark breads and toasted malts with a subtle undertone of floral yeast.  Said to drink more like a Stout than a Brown Ale and one reviewer even compared it to Founders’ Breakfast Stout.  Hey, sounds like a very intriguing beer that should be given some serious consideration.

Speaking of Stouts, we have 4 to tell you about.

First up is one we get every Summer and I’m talking about Southern Tier’s Creme’ Brule’ Imperial Stout in 22oz bottles.  If you’re a fan of both Stouts and Creme’ Brule’ or vanilla then you need to grab some of this while we have it as it never seems to last the year before it turns up again.  Creme’ Brule’ is rated an 88 with over 1000 reviews and weighs in with an ABV of 9.6%.  This is just a very very tasty rich and delicious brew.  Buy some for now and save some for later.  Actually, I heard that you can blend this beer with the PumKing for a heavenly taste of vanilla and pumpkin.  In fact, I had to try it last year and it is seriously good.  It is wonderful by itself as well, so don’t hesitate.

Do you remember Mackeson Stout?  We haven’t seen it in years, but it was a good sweet Milk Stout that was being brewed in the UK.  Well, for reasons too various and complex to sort through, it’s now been revived and is being brewed in the Caribbean, but hasn’t lost it’s flavour.  It’s available in 6pks, just as before.  I had this beer years ago and enjoyed it immensely then and am happy to report it’s still tasty.  It has that smooth yet rich body of a Milk Stout with flavours of sweet cream and chocolate, notes of black bread and roasted grains and even a hint of vanilla.  It’s ABV is somewhere in the neighbourhood of 5% and the version that was brewed out of the UK had a 91 rating.  The new version has nothing to be ashamed of, so Stout fans get on it.

New from McNeill’s out of Vermont is their Dark Angel Imperial Stout in 22oz bottles.  It has a hefty 10% ABV and an 86 rating with close to 70 reviews.  Dark Angel’s flavours are dark roasted malts, chocolate, molasses and coffee with notes of brown sugar and a hoppy bitter finish with smokey nuances.  Sounds like a curious Stout for you to challenge your taste buds with.

LIMITED BEER…..TAKING RESERVATION REQUESTS

Returning to our midst once again is Firestone Walker’s Parabola in 22oz bottles.  We have 12 bottles up for grabs, so e-mail back your reservation request for us to hold one of them for you (1 per customer due to the very limited supply).  Those of you who got your hands on this one before will have to defer to those who haven’t had the honour yet, but you may request a bottle in case we don’t get enough takers.  Here’s a refresher on Parabola:

Parabola is a Russian Imperial Stout with an ABV of 12.5% and a World Class rating of 99 and has been aged in Heaven Hill bourbon barrels.  It’s flavours are an intertwined complexity of dark chocolate, dark fruits, vanilla, roasted malts, mocha espesso, bouron, coffee and tobacco.  Just enough Earthy bitter hops to keep all the sweetness in check.

First come, first served.

From Belgium we have Vanberg & DeWulf’s Lambrucha in 750ml bottles, which is an unfiltered Lambic with a sour twist.  It’s a blend of a Lambic and Kombucha, a fermentation of sweetened tea.  Lambrucha’s ABV is only 3.5%, but it has an 86 rating with nearly 80 reviews.  It’s flavours are tea-like with some notes that can be compared to Chai, fruity yet funky yeast, lemon, lavender and ginger with an herbal tannic quality.  It is a lighter style for Summer drinking so don’t be put off by the unusual flavours.  Only 6 bottles to go around.

Keeping in line with the Belgian Wild/Lambic style is a collaboration beer from Sierra Nevada and Russian River Brewing, Brux Wild Ale in 750ml bottles.  We only got 1 case of this and I’m sure those of you who really know your craft beers are intrigued by the fact Russian River has had a hand in the making of this beer.  I saw this beer listed in our distributors price book, but it was listed as just being a Sierra Nevada beer with no mention of Russian River being part of it, otherwise I’d have ordered at least 3 cases of it, the bonus being I’m a fan of Wild Ales.  So Brux is up for grabs for reservation requests, first come first served.  Brux has an 8.3% ABV and an 88 rating with over 60 reviews thus far.  It’s flavours are caramel malt and a cracker-like grainy malt with notes of orange and lemon zest, pepper, Belgian spiciness and funky Brett with the natural sour notes of a Wild Ale and a Champagne-like carbonation.  Sour and Brett lovers should be all over this one.

From the Delaware brewers Dominion, whose Oak Barrel Stout is quite an impressive offering, comes their Double D Imperial IPA in 22oz bottles.  This is a new brew from them so only has a handful of ratings.  Double D’s ABV clocks in at 10%, so it does pack a punch.  It’s flavours are caramel and honey up front with some brown and candi sugar sweetness which some say almost compares to a Barelywine.  It is a hopbomb, though and has grapefruit and pine hops in abundance to remind you this is an IPA.  Sounds like this one may benefit some cellaring.

From the CA brewery Stone we have one of their latest unique brews, Smoked Porter Vanilla Bean in 12oz singles.  We only got 1 case of it, so once it’s sold out it will be a while before we see it again.  SPVB has an 89 rating with over 200 reviews and an ABV of 5.9%.  It’s flavours are naturally of vanilla and smoke (smokehouse) with notes of roasted coffee, chocolate, roasted malts and the faintest touch of coconut.  This should be a good sipper or to pair with desserts or BBQ.

LIMITED BEER…..TAKING RESERVATION REQUESTS

The last beer is one that should cause quite a stir, as the last time we got beers from Ballast Point we sold out of their Sculpin IPA in near record time.  This time we have their Dorado Double IPA in 22oz bottles.  As the Sculpin before it, we only got 1 case as it’s a very limited beer and Ballast Point only occasionally sends beer out to NJ, so we have to try and take advantage when we can.  Again, we will be taking e-mail reservation requests for this one, first come first served.

Dorado is rated 93 with over 300 reviews and has an ABV of 9.6%.  Dorado has a base of caramel and bready malt flavours with a bold hop profile from citrusy (lemon, grapefruit, orange) to tropical (papaya, mango, pineapple) to pine and resin.  A well balanced and rounded Double IPA that should entertain your palate with each sip.

Cheers!

(whew!)