I went back to Town Hall again yesterday for Markie's b-day.

For my first beer I tried the Dortmunder, which proved too biscuity. Apparently the Dortmunder is its own beer style ("these pale golden lagers exhibit a classic clean character with notes of biscuity malts") so I'll have to add this one to the wax museum of Styles I Don't Like:

Weizenbock
Dortmunder
Oatmeal Stout

Munich Dunkel gets one more chance. I know I don't like the Capital Brewery version, but there's room within that style for something good. In the case of the Dortmunder however, I don't like biscuity beers, so unless they start serving it with a lime (which is what saves Landshark for me) I don't see myself liking this style.

After that I just gave up on Town Hall beers entirely, opting instead for known quantities: a Reissdorf Kölsch (I always mispronounce this as "Reesdorf" instead of "Ricedorf") and an Old Rasputin Imperial Stout. Good, although somewhat wasted as a third beer.

Nevertheless, I'd convinced Nick to try the Old Rasputin on a strong recommendation-by-proxy from Ben, and it's hard to play beer roulette when you know that the person next to you has something mighty delicious. Mine got passed around a fair bit for other people to try.

Labels: Brauerei Heinrich Reissdorf, Dortmunder, Kolsch, North Coast Brewing, Old Rasputin, Reissdorf Kolsch, Russian Imperial Stout, Town Hall

Before Lost tonight I had another Grape Ale — it's drinkable, fine, but aside from the nose I don't really get the grape. C.f. Apple Jacks cereal.

(To which the brewers would no doubt reply, "We drink what we like!")

It was a two-hour season finale, so the Lost beers were a Lindemans Pêche
and an Old Rasputin.

Both beers were good, but dubious in sequence, and both suffered from comparison with similar beers I like more. In the case of the Pêche, I had a great Apricot lambic last time we watched Lost (that was somehow... "thicker" is the word I want to use?) and the peach flavor reminded me too much of all the bad peach schnapps I used to drink.

I know I like Old Rasputin, so this may just by my impression because I was following a lambic, but... Surly Darkness has a fullness I don't get here. This has a nice rich finish though, one that gets better as it warms.

Once it gets cold out again I think I'm going to visit the Imperial stouts; it's a bit weird drinking them in the summer.

Labels: APA, Boston Beer Company, Brouwerij Lindemans, Fruit Lambic, LongShot Grape Ale, Lost beers, North Coast Brewing, Old Rasputin, Peche, Russian Imperial Stout