Things I am thinking and things I have thought

It is amazing to me just how much I have learned in such a small amount of time. (I know I still have SOOOO much more to learn.) I have learned a lot about Belgian beers lately, about lambics and guezes and instantaneous fermentation and so much more. Upon entering a beer store I feel like I have a slight idea what I am looking at. My biggest teachers in this piece of my journey have been Chris, the owner of both Ebenezer’s and Lion’s Pride, Leigh and Ryan, some of the lovely bar tenders at Lion’s Pride and my fellow blogger Jim Flanagan. Porter has also been a huge help. We have gone through this adventure together and his love of research has really helped me out. (I am impulsive while he likes to take his time to look things up.)

Speaking of Porter I must admit to you all that this blog and what it stands for has brought us closer together. I have heard people talk about taking classes together and how it strengthens your bond. Porter and I aren’t traditionalists so we are finding our own “classrooms” to help teach us beer. I highly recommend to all of you that you and your partner find something you both like and really learn more about it together. I was looking through my camera the other night and got that warm fuzzy feeling thinking about all of the good times we have had so far and how many more we have already planned.

Another person I care a good deal for has a website that helps with finding good bar deals in Boston. The website, Brewspy.com is moving into the Portland area mighty soon and I suggest you all jump on the wagon now so you can say you were in the know before anyone else.

It seems that there is so much I want to tell you all then I get on here and get so excited I forget nearly everything. Let’s see…..oh I need to tell you about the Belgian Beer Fest at Lion’s Pride. We are currently in the middle. It lasts for 9 days, Friday through Saturday. When Porter and I saw the schedule we had to decide which events we wanted to go to the most as everyday was sure to bring something new and wonderful. There were three days we knew that we HAD to go to: the first night, Allagash night and the night Chris came back from Belgium with special little goodies. We figured three trips to Brunswick were probably enough. Allagash night and Chris night have not occurred yet but the first night has and it was awesome. We tried so many wonderful things. We even got to try Kabert. It is this really rare beer that was made from a combination of Kate the Great (remember her?) and Black Albert (a special beer brewed especially for Eb’s). This is what I wrote in my handy little note book:

“Some people are strong and powerful on their own but become much better when the right person comes into their lives.”

Ok, cheese fest I know but I was feeling in a very loving, romantic mood.

Porter and I decided that we would only give point values to the beers we tried so that we could also enjoy that atmosphere and not get lost in our beers. I think I should get tape recorder because I talk about my beers as I try them but taking the time to write everything down sometimes ruins the flow of an evening. Here they are: (all out of 5)

Katy:                                                       Porter:

‘t Smisje Kerst              3.5                      La Rulles Triple                 4

Cantillon Lou Pepe       4                         St. Bernardus Abt 12         4

07 Kriek

DeGlazen Torren          3.5                     ‘t Smisje Plus                     3.5

Jan de Litche                                            Double IPA

BFM Bon-Chien          3.5

The BFM beer has quite a funny tale. Based on my little French knowledge I see chien and think dog but somehow it translates to something to do with a good cat. (I can’t remember exactly.)

I have a couple of final thoughts and I think the best way to address these are bulleted as they don’t really have anything to do with much except that they are important to me:

• Porter and I went to Novare Res and had a few very delicious beers. I enjoyed a vanilla bean stout by Maine Beer Company. It was poured out of a trash can. I had called to see if they had it but they said they were out but within 20 mins they called me and told me the MBC guys had just rolled in some more. (Thanks for the call back guys!) I also tried a Brooklyn Brewmasters Cookie Jar. OMG you guys. It was crazy good. (Please excuse my teenage outburst but it was that good!) It tasted like a spicy oatmeal raisin cookie made with apple sauce. The very nice lady sitting next to me helped me figure out some of the aromas I was smelling. (Thank you.) Our bartender, Shahin was great. He even put up with some of my over top trading requests. I am now officially a HUGE fan of Novare.

• I have been in contact with the Three Guys Brewing guys. I hope to have their story for you in the near future. I am really starting to love knowing the back story of all the beers I am drinking. I have yet to try any Three Guys beers but I am one of their facebook friends and quite intrigued.

• And finally: I need to better with my reviews. I need to put them on more often but I love the free-flowing-ness that I can write in and reviews are soooo much more structured. Perhaps I have to fix that. I need to come up with a system that works well for me so I can use this as a resource. I will work on it and get back to you.

Don’t forget to try something new, you might just like it!

Katy Too