A- / 4.25
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | drink: 4.5

Poured from a 1+ year old cellar temperature bottle into a Delerium Tremens snifter. It is an opaque, dark brown liquid with a small head of tan foam and bubbles. I can see bubbles popping on top of the foam. There is no light penetration. Swirling the beer produces a bit of a film and a very good foam coating. The head has now settles to just a skim of foam. It’s a pretty beer, but I’ve seen better looking RISes. I can smell roasted malts, alcohol, caramel and some chocolate. Even with all of these candy scents, it doesn’t smell overly sweet. This is a tasty stout. Creamy milk chocolate and a few dark roasted malts greet my tongue as soon as I sip. Some bitterness moves in aa I swallow. It’s akin to dark chocolate, but not quite the same. Prehaps the year of aging has made the bitterness harder to identify? Also present in the finish and moreso in the aftertaste is a bit of alcohol burn. It is hot, but not exclusively in an alcoholic sense; it’s also ever so slightly peppery. The alcohol flavors aren’t too strong, but are certainly present. I imagine that the year of age has mellowed this flavor out as well. After swallowing, I can run my tongue over my mouth and pick up more chocolate and alcohol flavors. The Expedition leaves behind a persistent coat. It has lower levels of carbonation and is full-bodied. For a 10%+ ABV stout, this beer is pretty drinkable. I wouldn’t have more than one bottle of this, but each swallow goes down very well. If you can get your hands on some of this, I would highly recommend putting a few bottles in your cellar for a year or more.

Manchester Brewing Conspiracy Theory Oatmeal Stout

B+ / 3.85
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | drink: 4

I picked up this bottle at Smiley’s in Dover, NH on my way home from Kate Day 2010. I’m opening it tonight, I hope it is ok with a few months of age on it. The bottle has been kept in my cellar since I bought it, I’m pouring it into my Smuttynose Big Beer Series Tulip. This is a loud hiss as I pop the cap. I can feel the air escaping the bottle. I pour into the center of my glass. The liquid is very dark brown and entirely opaque. The head is made of brown bubbles and foam, but isn’t very large. In the time it took me to type these last few sentences, it has receded to a tiny skim that doesn’t even cover all of the liquid. Swirling the beer about brings back the head to a degree, but not as much as I’d like to see. It does leave a good coat on the sides of the glass. I stick my nose into the glass and inhale. I can smell roasted oats and semi-sweet chocolate. There also seems to be a bit of alcohol in the nose. I take a taste. It is a reasonable decent stout. I can taste the oatmeal, some toasted malts, and a bit of dark chocolate sweetness. It isn’t too thick. The carbonation isn’t too high, but I can feel it on my tongue. The mouthfeel reminds me of the Harpoon 100 bbl series Oyster Stout, but it has been a while since I had that beer, so I could be mistaken in their similarity. It is very drinkable. I am going to finish this 22oz bottle myself, but it could very easily be split by two beer fans over an appropriate meal. I don’t think I’d seek this one out again, just because it isn’t available in my area and if I found myself in Manchester Brewing’s distribution area, I would want to try another of the brewery’s offerings.

Clipper City Heavy Seas Below Decks Barley Wine Style Ale

B+ / 4
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | drink: 4

Poured from a cellar temperature bottle into a tulip glass. There is no date on the bottle, but I believe this is from the winter of 2009-2010. It has a tawny red/brown color that is very pretty. It looks a lot like port. The head is a thin layer of tan foam that has settled quickly to a skim. As a swirl the glass around, a good coat is left behind. The beer is translucent and I can make out a healthy amount of carbonation rising within. The aroma also reminds of a glass of port. There is warming quality. It smells alcoholic, but also of plums, raisins and oak. The beer has a strong English malt flavor. It is slightly bready, but also full of toffee, plum and caramel. Of course, there is also a lot of alcohol. The sweet coat that is left behind burns off of my mouth like the residue rubbing alcohol leaves behind. It turns into a detectable vapor that is strong but not off-putting. It doesn’t have as heavy of a body as I expected; in fact, it is slightly watery. This surprising lightness is tempered by the strong alcohol burn. I like this sensation, but I can see if affecting the drinkabilty of this beer for many consumers. I’m glad I have a couple bottles still left in my cellar; I will left them sit for a while before opening them. This beer is pretty enjoyable now, but I think some age will really improve it.

My first task was to go to the South Portland GIS database, which is linked off of the town’s homepage and lists every parcel of land in the tax assessor’s database.  Luckily for me, you can limit your search to every lot on any single street in town by choosing the street from a drop down menu.  I went into the html source code for the page and extracted the list of all of the streets, which I imported into a Google Docs spreadsheet.  I now have an almost complete list of streets in town.  I’ve come across a few streets that are officially named roads but do not appear in the GIS list, as there is no property that front-facing towards these streets, such as Billy Vachon street.  As I’ve come across these streets, I’ve added them into my spreadsheet.  Also, the GIS list contains paper roads and other addresses that exist on paper only.  For example, the database lists Benjamin W. Pickett street extension.  The normal Benjamin W. Pickett street is a short road by SMCC, yet I could find no extension on Google Maps.  Examining the GIS records, I discovered that the extension exists on paper as the official address of the Old Settlers Cemetery, which is surrounded by property owned by SMCC (you can see it here).  I’ve had to delete a few of these streets from my list.  The current number of distinct streets on my list is 526, but that is a rather volatile total.

I started this quest on March first and have so far been down a number of streets I never knew existed.  It’s really interesting to see all sorts of interesting houses and surprising sights (such as the great view of the Portland peninsula available from the top of the hill on Julia street).  I’ve also discovered some off-road areas accessible to the public I never knew existed, such as a walking path at the intersection of Marsh rd and Providence ave.

The other really fun aspect of all of this is the planning I get to do.  I try to make sure I can bike on as many streets as I can whenever I find myself in a new area.  Today, for work, I will need to bike to the school department’s off-campus program, houses in the Hamlin school at the intersection of Sawyer and Ocean.  There a re a number of dead end residential streets between Highland and Sawyer that I’ve never had an occasion to go down.  I’ll rectify that today.  I’m also planning on riding on a few streets off of Parrott street that I’ve been near.  All in all, I plan on riding on 18 new streets just in that small area.  I don’t feel the need to ride the entire length of a street for it to count towards my goal, but by the same token, I won’t cont a street if I only ride along it for a few feet.  I would like to go for a least a block.

With all of this great weather we’ve had recently, this has been a great way for me to enjoy sun and explore South Portland.

An award winning Marzen style Oktoberfest that presents a dark color and pours with a lacey tan head.  Aromas of Vienna and Caramel malt which balances well with its slightly sweet & fruity palate.  Oktoberfest takes place during the 16 days before the first Sunday in October in an area named the “Theresienwiese,” and is called “die Wiesen” or “the Meadow,” in Bavarian dialect for short.  SERVING SUGGESTIONS: Pairs well with German food, of course.  Serve in a pint glass, mug, stein or seidel at 45-50°F.  Cellar at 45-50°F but not recommended for extended cellaring.

That last sentence is one that stood out to me.  I knew that Pennichuck was defunct when I bought the beer, but I was hoping this bottle was from the past fall and only a few months old when I bought it.  Since Kate Day I’ve had the bottle in my cellar, and every time I venture down to select a beverage, I return to that extended cellaring warning.  Not able to take it any longer, I cracked the bottle open tonight, and I am glad I did.

Pennichuck The Big O Ocktoberfest Lager

A / 4.3
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | drink: 4.5

Poured from a cellar temp bottle into my old Binga’s Winga’s hand-thrown ceramic mug (a relic form the Portland Street location’s mug club days).  Because this is a ceramic mug, I can’t look in to see the beer, but while pouring, it appeared to be pretty rusty amber color.  I poured a couple ounces into a juice glass to confirm this, and I can now see that there is more of a brownish color to the Big O.  I can also see numerous streams of tiny bubbles rising.  Back to the mug, there is a good tan foam head.  The beer leaves good lacing.  It has a sweet, complex malty aroma; it certainly reminds me of autumn.  I can pick out brown sugar, banana bread, and caramel.  There is a real hearty sweetness to the smell.  The taste starts out bready, but it’s a darker bread, like Irish soda or honey whole wheat.  It’s sweet, slightly nutty and has some caramel to it.  There is a hint of estuary alcohol as I swallow, but it doesn’t really linger.  I can also taste raisins in the finish; this flavor, along with some brown sugar sweetness remain after swallowing.  It has a heavy body, it feels slightly thick and creamy.  It leaves a good coating behind.  The easily visible carbonation doesn’t play much of a role in the mouthfeel.  This is a very drinkable oktoberfest.  I can see it working very well on a rainy fall evening (it’s certainly working well on this raining spring night).  It’s a little strong, but I don’t see that being a problem.  This is a beer that calls out to be drank by the mug full, ABV be damned.  It’s too bad that this beer is no longer being produced.  I’m glad I was able to find this forgotten bottle.

A+ / 4.85
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | drink: 4.5

Poured from a cellar temperature bottle into a Maine Beer Company logo glass. The beer has a very dark amber color; it looks nearly brown in this dimly lit room. The head is large, tan colored, and made up of various sizes of bubbles. There is some patchy lacing. The aroma is very impressive. One whiff and I exclaimed aloud “wow!” It smells of very fresh hops. There is almost a toasted quality to the hops that I haven’t come across before. The bottle I have is super-fresh (bought today, delivered to the store earlier in the week, most likely bottled late last week), which must improve the aroma a lot. The flavor is just as impressive as the aroma; actually, I find it to be even more complex. It started out with a toasted flavor. It makes me imagine burnt embers leftover after a campfire. The hops kick in quickly. They are big, bitter and floral. The bitterness lends itself to the toasted aroma and initial flavor, perfectly complimenting the aroma. The is just a bit of sweetness in the mix. It lingers on, along with the bitterness, but last longer, which gives the sensation that the beer gets sweeter after you swallow it. After a few sips, the sides of my mouth felt a slight tug. The bitterness provides the slightest amount of puckering. The beer has a lighter body than I expected. There is plenty of carbonation in each swallow. As I mentioned above, the sweetness lingers on; this is through the coating. The beer goes down so easily. I can feel its strength slightly; after a few rounds this may become a problem. I don’t believe that the hops/bitter tastes will ever get overpowering. I could drink this beer all night. I feel so lucky that this beer is brewed and sold so close by.  Maine Beer Company have outdone themselves; this is a great balance of hops and all the malt qualities of a well-made amber.

After getting my glass, the big question was what to order first.  Do I go for a BFM, a Cantillion, a triple or something else?  Something else is only way to describe what I ordered, an Italian/American collaboration Imperial Pilsner.  It was far cry from the styles associated with Belgian brewers, but it was very tasty.

Birra Del Borgo/Dogfish Head My Antonia
A / 4.3
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | drink: 4

It has a very pretty tarnished gold color. It is very clear, as a good pilsner should be. It had a large foam head that was pure white; it left behind lots of lacing as I drank it. Surprisingly, I couldn’t see any carbonation rising within the glass. It had a musty yeast aroma with some sour citrus mixed in as well. My impressions of the flavor were creamy, malty, and a bit fruity. There was a touch of crystal sugar I could taste, a nod to the imperial nature of this beer, but it was subtle. It had a medium body and a medium level of coating. It felt good, but was not remarkable. I found it to be very drinkable. I thought it would go well with a pork dish. I could see myself enjoying a few glasses of this over a great meal.

After this beer, I was ready for a real Belgian ale.  I decided to go with a beer I had never tried, from one of my favorite Belgian Brewers.

De Glazen Toren Cuvee Angelique
A- / 4.1
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | drink: 4

This dubbel has a light brown/dark orange hue with a think skim of off-white bubbles. There is a bit of a coat that clings to the walls of the glass as I swirl the beer around. There is a bit of Belgian yeast in the aroma, but mostly I smell sweet and sour apples. I like it a lot. The flavor is crisp and slightly sour. I can taste green apples. I think I could also taste some caramel malts. It also had a slight nuttiness. The body was of medium intensity and there was a good amount of sharp carbonation that played on my tongue. It left a slight coat, but nothing too big. I found it to be pretty drinkable. There was a tartness to the aftertaste that may be a limiting factor as one approaches the end of a bottle. This would be an excellent beer to split with a friend, especially if you were both fans of the style.  It’s not my favorite dubbel or De Glazen Toren beer, but I am glad I ordered it.

I wanted to try another rare beer at this point, so I went with an entry in Brooklyn’s Brewmasters Series that I had not tried before.  I had been impressed with other beers in this series, so I had high hopes for this next pour.

Brooklyn Flemish Gold
B+ / 3.95
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | drink: 3.5

The Lion’s Pride had been sitting on this keg since the beer was first released, so it does have a few months of age on it. The beer has a glowing dirty yellow color. It reminds me of a slice of lemon meringue pie. The thick white foamy head helps complete the analogy. Patchy lace is left behind. The aroma is full of yeast. It’s crisp and dusty. It reminds of the beach, if that makes any sense; it doesn’t smell like the sea, but something in the nose makes me think of sitting in the sun, oceanside. The beer is slightly sweet up front. This turns to a biscuity taste that last throughout the swallow. There is a hint of sweet citrus thrown in for good measure. It has a light body and a bit of carbonation. Between the tiny bubbles and chill of the serving temperature, the beer has a great crispness. It’s a pretty drinkable beer, but I don’t think I’d order more than one.

I didn’t really know what I was ordering when I chose this beer.  I saw the word Flemish in the name and assumed that it would be tart or sour.  The beer was actually a farmhouse style ale, and it conformed to that style commendably, but it was not quite what I wanted.  Any disappointment I felt was quickly washed though.  Word began to circulate amongst the BA’s in attendance that although it wasn’t on the menu, you could inquire about a certain blend of Black Albert and Kate the Great.  In exchange for twelve American dollars, your friendly bartender would disappear into the back room and return with a small pour of a beautiful black liquid served in a wine glass.  This was my first “Oh Wow!” moment of the weekend.

Kabert
A / 4.45
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | drink: 5

This elusive beer is what is left over from a special mix made for last summer’s Belgian Beer Fest at Ebenezer’s.  It is made up of 2009 Portsmouth Kate the Great Imperial Stout and De Struise Black Albert, two stouts that rate very high in my book.  A small pour was all that was allowed, as there were only a few gallons available (if that).  It is unknown if this blend will ever be made again.  It appears black as night, with a thin tan head.  There is lots of coating and lace left behind as I swirl the beer around.  The complex nose was full of alcohol, coffee toffee and dark chocolate aromas.  My initial impressions of the taste had me picking out flavors of sweet malts, alcohol, chocolate, coffee and raspberries.  I could distinctly pick out the Kate and the Albert, which was quite surprising.  It had an amazing flavor.  I classify the body as being medium, but the heftiness of Kate shines through, making it feel fuller.  It leaves a stickiness on my lips, also reminiscent of the Kate that I tried earlier in the week.  There was hardly any carbonation, but it didn’t feel flat; It worked.  For a strong stout, this is so drinkable.  The only factor holding me back from enjoy glass after glass of this sublime beverage is the incredible rarity of it.  I hope other get to try it, for this beer is great.

I was so honored to be able to try this beer.  I never thought I’d get the opportunity to try something this rare and wonderful.  The Lion’s Pride never disappoints.  After this great strong, malty stout, I was nearing the end of my night.  I still needed to drive home, but I had one last round in me.  To offset all those malts, I wanted to leave with a bitter hop bomb.

‘t Smisje IPA+
A- / 4.2
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | drink: 4

Reviewed from my notes. Served on tap as part of the Lion’s Pride Belgian Beer Festival. The beer has an opaque peach color with a thin soapy white head. The Belgians know what a good strong IPA should look like, that’s for sure. The nose was full of floral hops and orange citrus, proving they also know what big IPAs should smell like. The taste begins with some floral hops up front, followed by some sweetness and a strong bitterness that goes strong until I swallow, and lingers on after that. The flavor also has a bit of peppery spice to it that adds a nice, strong Belgian touch to this style. It has a medium body and an average amount of carbonation. The sharp hop flavors feel good. I find the beer to be quite drinkable. Someone who isn’t into hoppy beers would probably not make it through one glass, but really, why would someone not into hops order this beer? If this one sounds good to you, seek it out.

So ended my first night at the BBF.  Saturday found me right back at the bar though.  I was there to celebrate my friend Robin’s birthday.  She and I were the first customers to arrive that morning, about 15 minutes after the bar unlocked its doors.  The lights were off and there was no one behind the bar.  Anna, the only staff member around, quickly came out from out back and took our orders.  Within minutes, more members of our party and separate group of beer lovers had entered the bar.  Within 30 minutes, the place bar area was nearing capacity.  I got the impression that this was far from normal for a Saturday morning at the Lion’s Pride.  Our bartender Leigh later told me that Jen, the owner, called her frantically to tell her the place was full of BA’s and that she needed to get in as soon as possible.  I love that BA’s have that kind of reputation.  We’re not mean or rowdy, we just want good beer; and when there is stuff as good as the Lion’s Pride was pouring, we will fill your bar before noon.

Cantillion Vigeronne
A / 4.3
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | drink: 4.5

Since I didn’t have any sour beers on Friday, I wanted to begin with one of the greats.  Cantillon has never disappointed me in the past.  The beer has a cloudy, opaque peach appearance, like a glass of juice or nectar. There was no head, per se, but I could see some individual bubbles on top that kind of looked like specs floating in the beer.. It coats the sides of the glass slightly. It has an aroma that is both musty and sour. I can smell some peach as well. The taste has some sourness, but not too much. It is a bit cider-like. It tastes aged, kind of like an old oxidized beer, but not quite. There were some ripe fruit flavors as well. It has a light body. There was a good tingling sensation from the sourness. I also felt a slight puckering after I swallowed. It was very drinkable. I could easily go through an entire bottle.

Wild enjoying my Cantillon, I was already thinking about what to order next.  I noticed on the master list that the La Rulles Tripel was brewed with Orval yeast.  Orval is a pretty unique beer, so I was curious if this triple had some of the same slightly funky qualities.  My next round had been decided upon.

La Rullés Triple
A / 4.3
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | drink: 4

Reviewed from my notes. The beer is colored golden orange and appears opaque. There is a thin skim of large soap bubbles atop the beer. There are lots of tiny bubbles that cling to the sides as I swirl the beer about the glass. It has a funky citrus aroma. There are some great smells from the Orval yeast, but also has great qualities you find in triples. I like it a lot. The taste also has a crisp funk flavor. I can also taste a bit of fruit. For some reason it tastes woodsy. It conjures up images of pine twigs, although I wouldn’t say it tastes like pine. Maybe be it just reminds me of being in a forest. It has a medium body with a touch of creaminess. It finishes crisp. It has an average amount of carbonation for the style. This beer doesn’t feel like it wants to be drank quickly; but it isn’t really a sipper either. I believe it just asks to be enjoyed.

Having enjoyed that triple, I wanted to try another, this time from a brewery whose other products I rather enjoy.

Kasteel Triple
A- / 4.05
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | drink: 3.5

The beer has a translucent golden yellow appearance. There is a thin ring of white soap bubbles on top of the beer. After swirling the beer around the glass, it deposits a good foamy film. As the amount of beer in my glass got lower, I noticed that looking straight down through the beer, it was clear; it was only transparent when viewed through the sides of the glass. It has a lemon citrus aroma, with a bit of musty yeast. The taste has some flavors of Belgian yeast, crisp lemon citrus, and both crystal and candy sugars. There is some hops present in the aftertaste. It has a medium body and plenty of carbonation that makes it feel a bit peppery. There is a little bit of mouthcoating, but not as much as the ABV lead me to expect. It’s a crisp beer, but the sweetness and strength would make me limit myself to one pour.

As I was finishing this glass of beer, I got an unexpected surprise.  Ryan reached into the cooler and pulled out a small cask.  He grabbed a mallet and spout and went off to tap an extremely rare cask of ‘t Smisje BBBourgondier.  It is one of only two or three casks produced.  The bottles of this beverage are hard enough to come by, but the casks are virtually nonexistent.  I was really looking forward to trying this beverage and quickly finished my triple so I could order a glass of it.

‘t Smisje BBBourgondier (cask’d)
A / 4.45
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | drink: 4.5

Reviewed from my notes of a rare cask pour at the Lion’s Pride’s Belgian Beer Festival. This cask was just tapped moments before I was served a glass; it had been stored in a cooler, so it was at a lower temperature than most cask beers are poured. It has a beautiful creamy copper/brown color. There are two fingers worth of white foam. The head settled slowly to an even skim of white. Perfect lace was left behind. This is exactly how a cask beer should look. It has a subtle aroma; a little cidery, spicy and sweet. It’s a good balance of the strong smells you get from a quad and the faint smells from casked beer. The flavor has sweet malts up front, with some crystal sugar and a slight cider taste. There is alcohol and pepper in the finish. It’s very unique and tasty. It has a lighter medium body; surprising for a quad, but right in line with a lot of the cask beers I’ve tried. There isn’t much carbonation, but more than other casks, perhaps keeping the cask chilled helped with this. The beer leaves a great sweet coating on my tongue. There are plenty of alcohol vapors as well. It is slightly stickier than I like; I would rate it a 4.25 if I could. This is supremely drinkable, considering the strength, alcohol and spice. It’s such a unique beer, I can’t really say if it exceeds or conforms to the expectations of any style. It’s just great.

I couldn’t top that final beverage, so this is where I ended my second day of the festival.  Sunday brought the signature event, the Belgian Beer Dinner.  I’m not a food critic, so I can’t rightly critique what I ate.  All I know is that it was amazing.  The courses are described here, as are the beers paired with each course.  I was unable to review the new beers I tried during the meal, as there was a lot going on, but I made sure to jot down some notes on the final beverage of the night, which constituted the first Russian River brew to cross my lips.

Russian River Consecration
A+ / 4.55
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | drink: 4

It is a clear beer with a dark plum color. There isn’t much head, just a thin off-white ring of foam where the beer touches the glass. The nose is just amazing, with notes of port, sherry and a bit of wild, sour yeast. I can taste sour grapes, both white and red; each has a distinct flavor profile. There is a warm alcohol ester aftertaste. It tastes incredible. There is a medium body with a ton of carbonation. The alcohol vapors feel great. The carbonation and sour flavors leave a little tingle on my tongue after I swallow. As a single glass pour, the beer is very drinkable. If I ever found myself in possession of a full bottle, I’d want to split it with a friend.

That certainly is a lot of great beer I’ve been able to try over the past three days.  The rest of the week should be no different.  On Tuesday, the Lion’s Pride welcomes Rob Tod, Jason Perkins and the other folks at Allagash for a night full of rare beers and something entirely new.  It’s a can’t miss event, along the lines of the Gargamel and Vagabond releases.  Thursday, owner Chris Lively returns from Belgium with what I can only assume will be an amazing collection of nearly impossible to obtain beer.  Luckily, he’s very generous with his rare finds.

I was served five 6 ounce pours.  I tried to take review worthy notes of each pour, but there was a lot of information coming at me quickly, so these reviews may not be as in-depth as I am used to writing.  Luckily for me, all five beers are worthy of revisiting, so I may get to  flesh out these reviews at some point.

Urthel Saisonnière

A- / 4.05
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | drink: 4

Reviewed from my notes. I was served a 6oz pour in a small wine glass. The kegged version of this beer has been filtered, but the bottles are unfiltered. It possesses a light straw color with a head of white soapy foam. Some pretty lacework was left behind as I enjoyed my pour. It has a strong yeast aroma with a hint of citrus; typical of the style, but of a high quality. The flavor is slightly biscuit-like, but has some sweetness to it as well. There is a slight tartness in the finish that is rather interesting. I could taste some peppery spices as well, but they were subtle. The body is a bit heavier than I expected, based upon the transparent appearance. That’s not to say it’s a heavy beer–I still classify it as light bodied–but it is not as light as I thought it would be. It has a perfect level of mouthcoating. I find it to be quite drinkable. I don’t see myself sticking with this one particular beer for multiple rounds, but I will enjoy this glass very much.

Bink Blond

B+ / 3.95
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | drink: 4.5

Reviewed from my notes based upon a 6oz pour served in a small wine glass. The beer sits in its glass like a yellow cloud with a thin cap of white bubbles. There is a slight yeast aroma to it, plus a hint of grass. I can’t smell much here, but that could be my fault, not the beer’s. It has a sweet and smooth flavor. I can pick out candy sugar as the source of the sweetness. The finish is dry with a slight peppery bite. The body of the beer is rather light, and I can feel plenty of carbonation tickling my tongue. There is very little in the way of a mouthcoat. I find ti to be very drinkable. The slight aftertaste may get old after a while, but I doubt it.

De Ranke Guldenberg

A- / 4.25
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | drink: 4.5

Reviewed from my notes, as based upon a 6oz bottle pour. The beer has a cloudy, dirty straw color, making it rather opaque. There is a thick head of white foam. There is a musty, slightly floral aroma; it’s a good balance of yeast and hops. The taste is crisp and dry. I can taste white grapes and a hint of alcohol. There is a musty and bitter finish that echoes the aromas picked up as a swallowed. It has a light body and an appropriate amount of carbonation for a tripel. There is a very slight coat left after each swallow. Swishing the beer around in my mouth produces a bit more of a coating, but nothing significant. It is a very drinkable tripel. This exagerated taster pour goes down very easily, and I could certainly continue and finish off the entire bottle. This is a beer worth seeking out.

Caracole Nostradamus

A- / 4.2
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | drink: 4

Reviewed from my notes. I was served a 6oz pour from a chilled, freshly opened bottle. The beer has a dark copper color. t is translucent and has a thin tan head that dissipated quickly. After a few minutes there was hardly any head left. There is a robust caramel aroma. I am also picking up on some slight pine tones as well. The beer has a sweet flavor, but nothing overwhelming or indicative of the higher ABV. I found this up front malt quality to be very good, but was incredibly impressed with the finish. There is a slightly sour taste in the finish and after taste. It is reminiscent of a Flemish Brown. I found it to be totally unexpected and very tasty. For a strong dark ale, there is a rather light body to this beer. It also has a lot of carbonation, but not enough to distract from the flavor. There are some welcome estery alcohol vapors in my mouth after I swallow. As I seem to find many Belgian beers, this one is very drinkable. I can see the sour aspects being a limiting factor for some drinkers, but personally, I could go for multiple rounds.

t’ Smisje Great Reserva

A- / 4.2
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | drink: 4

Reviewed from my notes. The notes are based upon a 6oz pour from one of a trio of bottles shared among the patrons of the Lion’s Pride last night. The Great Reserva is a version of the Catherine the Great aged for six months on cognac barrels. It has a dark brown color and a single finger of light brown foam. It is translucent, with a very dark center, but I can see some light sneaking in around the edges. It is most important to note that this does not look at all like I expected a big barrel-aged stout to look. Smisje can make a world class stout that doesn’t look anything like it’s American counterparts. There is a slightly funky, sweet smell. I didn’t pick up on as much of the cognac as I thought I would. The flavor has some sweet toffee malts. I can taste some of the cognac, but again, it’s not excessive. The amout of alcohol is very good and doesn’t overwhelm or distract. It has a medium body (again, not like most big stouts I’m familiar with) and medium carbonation. There is plenty of alcohol and carbonation in each swallow to tickle my tongue. It doesn’t have much mouthcoating; it is more of a cloud of estery vapors that I can feel after I swallow. I certainly wouldn’t call this a session beer, but for a high ABV Belgian stout aged in cognac barrels, it is remarkably drinkable. If you are lucky enough to see a bottle of this beer, buy it!

In other news, I’ll find myself back at the Lion’s Pride again tonight, for Gank the Goblet night featuring Maine Beer Company’s Spring Peeper Ale.  I think I may also have to order myself a glass of the Kasteel Cuvée Du Chateau, this Belgian brewery’s take on the English barleywine.  This is one of the rare draft selections advertised as part of the Belgian Beer Fest, but since it’s available now, I want to get a glass.  Also worthy of your attention are two beer events taking place in Portland tonight.  Novare will be hosting folks from Unibroue and pouring some rare selections (check out the list, posted at Beer Bloggers) and the Great Lost Bear will have special pricing on Brooklyn Beers, including the Manhattan Project, one of my favorite new beers.

I joined the club this past Sunday, after learning about it from my fellow beer advocate Matt.  I didn’t copy down the entire list of exclusive bottles, but I know it contained all three of the De Proef collaboration beers (with Tomme Arthur, Jason Perkins and John Mallett), the Froach 20th Anniversary beer, Black Albert and Mikkeller Cascade Single Hop IPA.  In the future, more bottles will be added, and as the stock dwindles, some bottles will be removed from the list.  There is also the possibility of special draft selections being part of the VIP club, but it appears the focus of the club is for Eric to share some special bottles with a group of loyal customers who mainly drink the draft list. [if you had a 20 oz chalice, wouldn't you stick to drafts as well?]  I’m excited to get back and try some more special bottles; I’ve been on the lookout for the Froach 20th Anniversary beer since I first heard of it a few months back.  I don’t know the policy of splitting big bottles from the list with non-VIP members, but if you see me at Novare and want to test the rules, just let me know.

I had already had a few rounds (there was a beer and chocolate pairing going on at the time of my visit), so I decided to inaugurate my card with a 12 oz seelction, the aforementioned Mikkeller Cascade.  Also that day, I reviewed a few other choice beverages, including what my be my favorite Cantillon selection, the St. Lamvinus.

Mikkeller Cascade Single Hop IPA

A- / 4.2
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | drink: 4

Poured from a chilled bottle into my Uprising chalice at Novare Res. It has an opaque, dark orange appearance. There is a thin white head. There is no visible carbonation, but it is a dark beer, so any rising bubbles may be hidden from view. The aroma is surprising. I can smell sweet malts and some fruity hops. They work very well together. It has a crisp, dry bitter flavor. It’s very hoppy! It starts out bitter, then bitter flavors return anew in the finish. Not surprisingly, there is a bitter aftertaste as well. It actually tastes slightly creamy at first. It has a world class level of flavor. It has a lighter medium body. It’s hard to tell if the tickle I feel on my tongue is due to the carbonation or the bitter hops. It feels good either way. I find it to be very drinkable for a bitter beer. I wouldn’t want an entire 4/6 pack, but I could easily finish this bottle. With just these 12 ounces, I won’t get tired of the bitter hops.

Wintercoat Mols Øl

B+ / 3.9
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | drink: 4

Reviewed from my notes. Hand pumped from a cask at Novare Res. The beer is a deep purple color with a soapy tan head. I am watching the head dissolve in front of me. There is some rising carbonation. It has a great cask beer look. I am not picking up much in the way of an aroma, just some slight woodsy notes. I can detect flavors of rye, plum, whiskey and a bite of alcohol. There may be some juniper in the mix as well. It’s a very complex beer. It has a medium body and not a very significant mouth coat. As for carbonation…let’s say if a beer with a lot of carbonation was like a huge mountain range, the Mols Øl is like some rolling hills; it’s not a flat beer, but it isn’t that difficult stomach [I'm not sure that analogy makes much sense now, but when I wrote it in my notebook I thought it was a good comparison]. This beer is not exactly what I was expecting from a Danish casked beer. The spices and complexity makes it hard to drink fast–I want to give each sip a lot of attention–yes it is still pretty drinkable.

Cantillion Saint Lamvinus

A+ / 4.55
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | drink: 5

Reviewed from my notes. Review based upon two 4 ounce pours I had, each served in a tiny wine glass at Novare Res’ Valentines Day beer and chocolate pairing. The beer has an opaque plum/cranberry hue. There is no head or visible carbonation. It is a beautiful looking beer. It has a great fruity, funky aroma. It is slightly champagne-like. A mildly sweet fruit flavor is the first thing I taste. Tartness kicks in as I swallow and lingers briefly. I am definitely tasting wine-like flavors (red grapes, mostly), but all in a great funk wrapper. It’s delicious. It has a crisp, dry light body. The tingly funk feeling is a great substitute for the carbonation bubbles you can usually feel in beers. There is a slight mouth coat. For a sour beer, this is amazingly drinkable. It really isn’t all that sour. I wish I had a bigger pour! It is definitely a sipper, but extremely enjoyable. Personally, I can’t see myself ever getting tired of this beer. It is near perfect.

Sebago Frye’s Leap IPA

B+ / 3.8
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | drink: 4

Reviewed from my tasting notes. Served at the Old Port Sebago location in a logo glass. The beer has a translucent, tarnished orange color. There is a thin head made of white soap bubbles. I can see lots of carbonation rising within. It’s aroma is earthy and has scents of grassy hops. It is not an overpowering smell. The beer tastes like a mouthful of hops. There is sweetness, citrus and lots of bitterness. The bitter flavor stay on long after I’ve swallowed. It’s body is lighter and feels slightly watery. It does have a good mouthcoating–a fine layer of sweet and bitter flavors/feelings. The carbonation compliments the bitter flavors. I find this to be a pretty drinkable beer, especially for a bitter IPA. The bitterness may prove to be too strong after a while, but this single pint drinks very well. A solid, reliable, local IPA that is worth revisiting.

Bonus review from a Monday afternoon tasting: Nøgne-ø/Jolly Pumpkin/Stone Special Holiday Ale

A / 4.3
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | drink: 4.5

Poured from a cellar temperature bottle into a Gouden Carolus chalice. It has a dark ruby/brown color, almost like a glass of cola. There is a modest tan foam head that settled down to a skim of foam. No light can penetrate through the sides of the glass, but near the top of the beer some light filters through and I can see bubbles rising to the top. The aroma can be classified and spiced malt. I am picking up nutmeg, sweet candy and a bit of juniper. It’s very interesting. It has a big roasted malt flavor. You can taste the rye a bit of the nuttiness from the chestnuts. It also has a touch of warm alcohol that lingers on, along with some forest-like flavors (probably the juniper I picked up in the nose) and finishes up with a slight coffee bitterness. I was surprised at how thick this beer was when I first tasted it. I rolls around your mouth and doesn’t want to leave once you’ve swallowed. It has the kind of body that demands respect and attention. It is hearty enough to earn the name winter warmer. Despite the big body and flavors, I find the beer to be quite drinkable. At no point do the spices overwhelm, nor does the ABV. This is an ideal beverage for a long winters night. Highly recommended!

Nothing says “Olympics” like the worlds largest dinosaur statue.  See this and other photos of the torch relay at Boston.com.