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Ugh. What a liver-killing weekend. After drinking for 15 solid hours yesterday (mostly Burger, some cheap piss lager and 5 different beers from Staas brewing - their DIPA upcoming for a review), my liver was about to pack up and leave. So, what to do today? How about North Market's Micro Brew Festival? Sounds good.
Like last year, we helped out our friends at Barley's and poured for them. So, as I was barely able to look or stand straight, it was time to prime my liver and get to it. Barley's had their Hoptoberfest, Infinity Grand Cru, Bloodthirst Wheat, Scottish ale, and the show stopper, the Bourbon Meyer (a Bourbon BA Russian Imperial Stout with peanut butter and chocolate). A couple samples of their brews to refresh my memory of the fantastic flavors that are in each and parts of a soft pretzel, and BAM, good to go. 14 or more different brews were consumed while pouring and chatting up different brewmasters, dancing with my pouring partners for the fuck's sake of it (we had volunteers at 2 other tables dancing with us at one point).
After the festival ended, we headed over to their brew pub for some grub, a pint and a growler. Gabe (brewer/wholesale/dept of awesome) recommended we try this, a Belgian Golden ale that's been aged in the brewery for one year. He said it keeps getting better and better. Well, with Gabe's description, we now are sitting at home with a growler of this nectar.
This is a gorgeous golden color that's perfectly clear with a small amount of white head. Looking at this more, it has some small bubbles coming up as a reminder that, despite this being aged for a year, this has some carbonation. The aroma on this is sweet, Belgian candi sugar, with some esters of the yeast permeating in perfect harmony with the sweetness. It's not the banana/clove/bubble gum esters most Belgian yeast strains have, no, this is more of the esters that are given off from Trappist ales. The flavor on this though.... holy gold Batman. There's a rush of sweetness with some dark stone fruit with some banana that fades as this slithers down your throat. This is interesting. There's so much going on with this to where each sip is giving off different flavors, it's hard to full describe aside from awesome. This finishes dry, like a good wine. With the amount of sweetness, I figured there would be some stickiness to the mouthfeel, but not really. Gabe was right. It improves with age and has a certain fruitiness about it. The 7.6% ABV makes it smooth drinking without being overly boozy.
Once again, Barley's is amazing. If you haven't been there, make it a point to visit them next time you're in Columbus. Whether it be for one of our many sports teams (The Buckeyes, The Crew, and The Blue Jackets all rule, btw), business or any other reason, seriously, get your ass to Barley's for the beer and the amazing food (we cannot speak enough of the Sauerkraut Balls)
As I take another sip, again, the profile has changed. It's good.
4.8/5 caps
-Nathan-
As we were walking up to the festival, we were passed several people who were doing their daily/weekly/whatever runs, walks, or bike rides in Goodale Park. I noted that, while they were possibly ridding themselves of the damages incurred from drinking all day yesterday or otherwise just being healthy, we were choosing to heal ourselves from the debauchery that was yesterday by attending a beer festival. Because sometimes, that's just how you gotta roll. I'll also note that while I rarely have a hangover any more, I woke up to a hell of a headache this morning. Two Excedrin and two cups of coffee later, I was ready to pour some beer and rub elbows with some of the best brewers in the state. (Also, said pretzel and several samples had me right back on track.)
Mind you, last year after the same festival, we enjoyed a pint of this in Barley's Ale House. A year later, we revisit this golden beauty. Nathan nailed the appearance perfectly. Honestly, it tastes like liquid gold as it slides down your throat. What comes to mind when I take a sniff is golden raisins, even though it neither tastes nor smells like raisins (thank goodness; raisins are one of the few foods I really despise). Can someone please explain that to me???? Seriously. It tastes nothing and smells nothing like raisins, and yet, that is precisely what comes to mind when I smell or even think of this beer. Aroma-wise, it smells just like Russian black bread. Like the stuff you can only get in Russia, because the ingredients here are just different enough to make it a completely different beast in the States. Or probably any other country. There's a honey/molasses note that is prevalent in the nose. Perhaps it's Belgian golden candi sugar. If so, I want to put that on my cereal. Oh wait, I don't really eat much cereal. Ummmmm, there is currently a mini-mosh pit breaking out behind me. I've completely lost my train of thought. It has completely derailed. Where was I? About to take a sip? Oh. Yeah. That's it.
Let's do that.
Let's make that a thing.
So, taking a sip, once again, it's like liquid gold sliding down your throat. Yes, there is some oh-so-faint banana, some vague esters, but this is the smoothest bit of liquid gold I've had in a long time. There are notes of honey and orange that appear on occasion. It's smoother than a velvet Elvis. Every now and again, you might, just maybe get a hint of something peppery on the back of the palate. But it is enveloped and cased within this liquid gold. I'm pretty sure Gabe, Angelo, Kyle, and Adam have somehow managed to liquefy gold and put it into a keg. And keep it in a liquid state for a year.
Please let it also be noted that Barley's, for me, at least, is a must-see on any tour from out-of-towners. A very relaxed, unpretentious atmosphere with beers and food that deserve a fuckton of pretense? My kinda place. [Note: the aforementioned fuckton is in metric, not standard units.]
4.9/5 Only because I'm more of a silver girl than I am gold (although apparently I do like gold going down the gullet. Yes, that is what she said)
-Jennie
Food Pairing: Barley's mussels. Even Nathan, who despises seafood, was contemplating ordering some tonight.
Music Pairing: "Apache" Sugarhill Gang
Cheese Pairing: A small-batch local habanero jack
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