An Eschatological Ale

Somewhere, there is a department that deals with four things ... death, judgment, heaven and hell.  If it were a department of a university, it might have had a list of professors, thinkers or writers that include Saint Augustine, who first conceived of the City of God; Ibn al-Nafis, an Arab physician who first described the pulmonary circulation of blood; Albert Camus, who wrote The Stranger, and José Guilherme Merquior, a Brazilian academic who wrote about the history of ideas.  All of these very different individuals dealt with eschatology -- those four things -- at some point in their works.

But what if eschatology was not a matter of thought, but of substance.  A substance like a liquid.  A liquid such as a beer.  An Eschalological Ale.  That is the idea of the brewer behind Stillwater Artisinal Ales.  A brewer without a brewery, Stillwater travels to other brewers, borrows their equipment (presumably for a fee) and brews its own beers.

The Eschatological Ale pours a golden in color, as if it is a saison or Belgian pale. The most suprising aspect of this beer comes right out of the bottle ... a large amount of foam.  Indeed, it took quite a while to be able to pour the glass as shown above.  The foam eventually recedes, leaving big puffy clouds on the surface of the beer.  Clouds that resemble some of the large puffy clouds in the sky as this post is being written.

As for the aroma and taste, the Eschatological Ale presents some of the best features of a Belgian beer.  The aromatics, for example, exhibit yeast, some sweet malts and a little, light citrus wrapped in a light biscut-like aroma.  The taste also reflects these aromatics, along with a slight sweetness and a little spice from something like white pepper.  There is a citrus flavor that somewhat resembles grapefruit.  Other fruit are also present, like peaches, grapes and applies.  There is the alcohol from the 9.0% ABV hides in the background, but it slowly becomes more noticealbe with each sip.

Overall, this beer is very good.  I found it at a local grocery store for about $11.99 for a twenty-two ounce bottle.

ENJOY!

A Tribute to St. Eadman ... Just Don't Draw Him

It is a little fuzzy.  Somewhat vague.  A picture could be made out, but someone has to connect the dots.  The dots are there.  There are even that many of them.  The only question is where to start.  As the struggle to decide grips the mind, it becomes clear that the dots are not dots at all.  They are people.  Only people. Still where to start?

Hunter S. Thompson, a.k.a. "Gonzo."  The journalist and author who got so deep into the story that he would figure as one of the central characters.  That was Gonzo.  

Ralph Steadman.  The British cartoonist who brought the Gonzo works to life with his unique, impressionist style.  Well, I am not sure that "impressionist" is the right description, but unique fits perfectly.   Steadman brought to life Thompon's works with images that have become as iconic as the words themselves.

George Stranahan.  Astrophysicist, photographer, writer, hunter, philantrophist and co-owner of Flying Dog Brewery.  Flying Dog first started in Colorado. That is where Stranahan met Hunter S. Thompson, who, in turn, introduced George to Ralph Steadman.  Soon enough, Ralph was not just bringing Hunter S. Thompson's work into the visual realm, but he was also drawing the art for Flying Dog's beer labels.  Make no mistake, Flying Dog is clearly inspired by Hunter S. Thompson, and the labels look as if ripped from the book jacket of Thompson's works. 

For all of his work with Hunter S. Thompson, Ralph Steadman never got the same recognition as Gonzo.  Or at least that is how it seems.  Or seemed, because Flying Dog has now given the cartoonist his due.  This recognition is perhaps the best of all types of recognition, because it can be imbibed.

Flying Dog released the "St. Eadman" as a Brewhouse Rarity.  The St. Eadman is brewed in the style of a Belgian Dark Ale.  The beer pouros a dark brown, with a large, vanilla colored foam.  the foam dissipates rather quickly, giving way to what the brewers describe as a beer having "bright fruity esters of pears and strawberries blend with caramel malt character and brown fruit notes of cherry and plum." 

This is a good description of the St. Eadman.The aroma is full of fruit such as raisins, figs and dark cherries, all of which are wrapped around a little caramel or toffee.  These elements are also apparent in the flavor of the beer, which is encased in a warm, boozy body with a sweetness that you would expect from a Belgian style beer.

The St. Eadman can obviously be enjoyed on its own, but it is also a beer that could pair well with certain types of foods.  I think that this beer would go well with soft cheeses, such as Camembert and Taleggio, as well as blue cheeses.  This Strong Ale could also pair well with roasted pork or beef dishes, served with a gravy or sauce that is not tomato-based. 

I found Flying Dog's St. Eadman Belgian Strong Ale at a local grocery store, but I have also seen it at beer stores.  A bottle sells for about $12.99.

ENJOY!

The Inferno

Corruption, greed and lust.  They're all represented on the hooks today.  Tomorrow, they'll be stringing Gluttony, Desire and Sloth.  Go ahead.  Tell yourself you're better then all of them.  But you can't.  Hell can be funny like that.  Down here it's all just sin.  Everyone here is screwed just like you.  They don't care who you sliced, diced or cheated.  No one is escaping this heinous place.

Those are the words on the label.  Well, most of the words.  The label continues:

Your roommate is an ax murderer.  Eerily, he's not threatening. How can he be? Here, the Fallen Angel owns your body, mind and soul.  As such, no one can take your life.  It's already been taken.  Or was it given?  Neither matters.  Did you seriously think you were living a virtuous life.  At least, Satan serves beer in Hell.  He brews it himself right there in that flame stoked cauldron.  Rumor has it the beer is straw yellow, bone dry and simply labeled Inferno. 

That is the introduction to the Inferno Ale, a beer that is brewed and bottled by Port Brewing Company in San Marcos, California.  The brewers produced this beer in the style of a Belgian Strong Ale, with an ABV of 8.5%. This is one of their year-round beers, and, it has the distinction of being the most carbonated of the beers, which becomes very apparent one you begin to pour it into a glass. 

The beer pours a cloudy, straw yellow in color, with a very large, puffy foam that takes a very long time to recede.  The aromatic elements of this beer draw present the picture of a field, with hints of straw, grass, and floral tones, tied together with scents of the yeast used in the brewing of the beer. 

As for the taste of the beer, it is truly bone dry, one of the driest beers that I have tasted in a long time.  The aromas of grass and flowers are present in the flavor of the beer, as well as a little .  There is a little of muskiness in the beer, but it is not overwhelming or off-putting.  In fact, I sort of expected it from having tasting a wide range of Belgian beers. 

The brewers at Lost Abbey suggest that this is a stand-alone beer.  In other words, it is meant to be enjoyed by itself, without food.  This beer was given to me as a gift, so I don't know how much it costs.  I also have to say that I have not seen Lost Abbey beers in the Mid-Atlantic region, although I have seen them at beer stores in Chicago. 

ENJOY!