Summer Ales and Barleywines

DA BEER:
FIRST & FOREMOST:
Ladies and gents... I have a quick Kudos to give out in the name of progress. My buddy Dave... really a guy who I met for 5 minutes... at Trader Joe's in Framingham has proven himself to be a noble beer advocate. In the past I've written that Trader Joe's is a place to avoid when it comes to beer. They're still not putting out what I would consider to be true quality beers, however they're getting there and I applaud their efforts, particularly my boy Dave, an employee of Trader Joes who, on behalf of all the other beer geeks out there made a phone call to the senior purchasers at TJ's and demanded (not asked) that the grocery store carry more in the way of quality beer. THANK YOU, Dave THANK YOU!! Trader Joe's has always carried Chimay (trappist style ale), Magic Hat out of VT, as well as the Smuttynose brewing company. All are excellent ales, however the selection in general at Trader Joe's, frankly has been poor. My most recent trip to TJ's this past weekend, yielded a most impressive result. The store in Framingham, MA had more beer! Not only that, they had more QUALITY beer! I'm pleased to see that they made some progress and I look forward to what they come out with next. In short, THANKS DAVE!!

In conjunction with my first story, I grabbed two beers that piqued my interest. The Smuttynose Barleywine and the Sierra Nevada Summer.

The Sierra Nevada Summer was, in short, a delight. I've always enjoyed their products as they generally brew a drinkable beer for the masses, with a flavor that is interesting enough for beer dorks to love. Pick up the summer... that's all I have to say. I drank it a bit warm, and while I wish that I had let it sit for a while longer, the almost room temperature beer was not bad. It's a dry crisp lager with a snappy hop finish and in general is a delight to drink. Well done Sierra Nevada! I'll probably be sharing this one with friends as the season progresses.

Smuttynose has almost always pleased me with the product they put out. A Portsmouth, NH outfit, I've threatened among friends to visit the brewery out of sheer curiosity. This was a special recommendation by DAVE and frankly even as I drink it now... a great call. Barleywines in general are an interesting breed... they're technically considered beer, however they are called Barleywine for their unusually high alcohol contents ranging from 8 to 12%. Judging by the Tuesday night buzz I'm sporting, my guess is that we're in and around the 12% range... The thing I like about Barleywines is the complexity. There's a graininess to the Smuttynose but there are other elements to it that I positively love. There's a fruity nose to it, a citric, hoppy kick and an alcohol bite to the finish. In all, it's a great beer to have... with friends. This thing is kicking my butt even as we speak!

What to pair it with... initial thoughts are Carne Asada tacos... but there's already a heavy acidic tone to this... I'll swing completely opposite and suggest either a.) fish & chips as a nod to it's English heritage or b.) Death by Chocolate 8 layer fudge cake. It's a heavy ale with a need to balance it's bold taste with a bold sweetness. Either way, this one could stand on its own as a social beer among friends. Given that it's sold in the big bottle, I'd grab a pal to enjoy this one with.

Good luck out there, I'd appreciate any beers you'd like me to review and of course any feedback on these posts.

Skol!

Rob