Employee Tasting Notes

Last night a handfull of us from Belmont Station got together next door at the Horse Brass pub and tried out some new beers and a few ciders. Some we had tasted before, some we had not. And despite the thick plume of smoke in the house, here's what I gathered from the tasting (thanks to Chris and the gang for their input):

La Brique Manoir du Parc Apple Cider (St. Josephs France) This 5% ABV cider seemed to gather the consensus that it was rather uninteresting. Chris even noted a slight medicinal "band-aid" finish that others agreed on. I thought it was decent, but really nothing to write home about.

La Brique Manoir du Parc Pear Cider Slightly less alcoholic than the company's apple variety (3% ABV), this cider drew our interest considerably more. Made from fifteen different kinds of pairs, it posessed a pleasant and refreshing finish.

Blanche des Moines Belgian White This beer is one being considered by local distributors, and it was quite qualpable. At 4.5% ABV it offers a mildly spiced, light and crisp flavor with faint lemon notes.

Brother Thelonius Belgian Abbey Style Ale Hailing from Fort Bragg, CA's North Coast Brewing, this big beer (9% ABW) was smooth and well-balanced despite being high octane. Bolstered by an outstanding label depicting Thelonius Monk with a halo of piano keys, BT was a tasting favorite with a rich reddish hue and a soft, mildly carbonated, "leathery" mouthfeel. The alcohol was well hidden in this spectacular brew.

Bison Gingerbread Ale Known for their choice organic beers, this Bison beer was perhaps not as noteworthy as others produced by the Berkeley, CA brewery. With a nice ginger nose, the taste of its namesake was less prevalent. The finish was dry like a gingersnap. Definitely not a session beer, but this 6.8% ABW 22-ouncer is worth a try for its innovation.

Pike Tandem Double Ale An incredible beer brewed in much the same way as a Belgian double, but with North American yeast. Hardy (7.5% ABW), crispy, generously hopped, but superbly balanced, this one was a keeper! I gathered mild carmel notes and agreed with others that this one was worth trying again.

Pike's XXXXX Stout This one has been available for a while at Belmont Station, and we sure hope it sticks around. With an attractive gray-brown head and frothy lace, this 6.6% ABW stout posesses undertones of coffee from its various roasted malts.

Steelhead Extra Pale Mad River Brewing is known for its boldly hopped brews and big bitter bite. This one is no exception. As the name suggests, it is pale in color while maintaining a robust and citrusy fruit hop flavor. Hopheads will really appreciate this mildly alcholic beer with a powerfully bitter leave.

Steelhead Double IPA Mad River is indeed mad for this hophead dream come true. This imperial (8.6% ABW) brew is tenaciously hopped and bombasticly bitter. For a lover of flowery powerful NW-styled beer, this is perhaps the best buy at Belmont Station.

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Editor's note: If you're one of our fine beer distributors, please take note of this article. This is the second in an ongoing series of weekly tasting sessions. All the beer and cider for these tastings was given to us for the purpose of educating employees who can't afford to buy every single beer in the store. In our rather "hands-on" environment it's been proven time and again that the employees sell what they know and love. Ideally, it's a win-win situation - we get to try something for free and you sell more great beer. If you'd like your beer featured in an upcoming tasting please stop in during business hours and ask for Chris.

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Tags: Beer, Belmont Station, tasting session, Manoir du Parc, Blanche des Moines, North Coast Brewing, Bison Brewing, Pike Brewing, Mad River Brewing