Bountiful Beer

I kicked off February with a beer tasting at Java Vino. The store was much more than I had expected. It was very nice with tables, comfy chairs, and a large bar area. They serve coffee, wine, and beer (apparently). They had five brewers set up around the store for our sampling pleasure. To be thorough, I tried one of everything...and then some. I had a few stand-out favorites.

At La Crosse's Pearl Street Brewery, they were sampling a new rolled out stout, That's What I'm Talkin' Bout. It was very, very good with a smokey flavor. I don't have specific comments from the brewer on this one because it wasn't listed in our beer tasting brochure. It is a new one and after checking http://www.pearlstreetbrewery.com/, noticed that it isn't even listed on their website yet. My tastebuds hope to encounter this one again soon.

The winner of the show was the Samuel Smith Oatmeal Stout. The brochure describes it as "Almost opaque, with an unusually silky texture and complex, medium-dry velvet palate." I said it was "Super very good. Coffee flavor." I have to admit this was the last brewer we sampled and I had sampled a lot. But it still wins out. After checking the web at http://www.merchantduvin.com/pages/5_breweries/samsmith_oatmeal_stout.html, I find it humorous to note that it was originally a drink for lactating mothers. If I ever find myself in that boat, I'm going to remember that!

The one I marked Best of Show (I hadn't yet tried the previous deliciousness), was Lindemans Pomme. http://www.merchantduvin.com/pages/5_breweries/lindemans_pomme.html. The brochure describes it as "Smooth, light body with the fresh flavor of real apples and a light green apple tartness." My friend said it tasted like a green apple Jolly Rancher where I thought it tasted like cider made from green apples. Very good and not too sweet, but I'm not sure how much you could drink in one sitting. This would be a good one for the non-beer enthusiasts.

Also worth noting was a Dirty Martini Cheese Ball Dip. I wish I had found that for my martini party last summer, but I still plan to work it into a future party. It was salty goodness. All in all, it was a great way to kick off February. By the way, 19 days, 19 hours, and 17 minutes until Cozumel.

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