Puckerfest Finale Tonight!

It figures, I go back to Minnesota for a few days for some quality family time (BTW Nicole, it was a beautiful wedding!), and the cafe has some of the busiest nights on record.

I was happy to hear the Double Mountain and Cascade events were a hit, but at the same time I was a little crushed that I missed both versions of the Devil's Kriek AND the Barrel 323 that Neil, Curtis, and I worked so hard to pick out....

BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE!

Since many of you, and a few of us, never got a chance to try the Barrel 323 we convinced Curtis and Ron over at Cascade (aka Raccoon Lodge) to pull another 5 gallon keg out of the barrel for us, and it's on tap now. This WILL be the last chance to try it, so be sure to get down here this evening if you missed it on Monday.

Here's the full line-up of puckering delights for this evening:

• Cascade Brewing - Barrel 323: Last time I tried this it was pulled directly from the barrel, which means it was warm and flat. I know it had a distinct woody nose and a deep underlying sour quality. I'm dying to try it chilled and carbonated, so this will be the first thing I go for when I get off work...
  
• Rock Bottom - Maude Flanders: I have no idea what this actually is, but if I'm not mistaken it's a blend of several of the previous "Flanders" beers that have come out over the last couple years. All I can say for sure is that it's barrel-aged, fairly sour, and pretty darn delicious. Okely dokely!
  
• Cantillon - St. Lamvinus: Sour beer meets sour grapes. This one is out there, even by Cantillon standards. I would be very surprised if this lasted through the night, so be sure to put it high on the list if you want to be sure and have a glass.
  
• Full Sail - Berliner Weisse: This was brewed as part of Full Sail's "Brewer's Share" Program which allows each of their talented brewers to go a little nuts and brew (almost) whatever they want on the pilot system inside the Riverplace location. It's a crystal clear, pale gold color with a frothy, rapidly diminishing head that leaves wispy trails down the glass. At roughly 4%abv this lightly tart and lemony brew is a perfect way to wash away the 90 degree day we're having.
  
• The Bruery - White Zin: I haven't had this one yet (I've got some catching up to do), but local Ratebeerian BoFNjackson glowingly describes it: Poured cloudy orange with a white head. Spiced, dry aroma. Flavors were high in acidity with a tangy fruit character and a honey, herbal sweetness. Really dry with strong vinegar too. Buttery, shortbread-like malts and apple fruits in the finish. - Sounds great to me!
  
• The Bruery - Hottenroth Berliner Weisse: This one is a little cloudier than the Full Sail version, and a little lower in alcohol. Try them side by side and see which one you prefer.
  
• Roots - Flanders Red: Over 2 years in the making, this obscenely strong (for the style) sour red was partially aged in pinot barrels. Wood, vinous notes, sour cherry, and raspberry seed earthiness compete for your attention while the alcohol quietly sneaks up behind you...
  
• Trade Route - Sweet & Sour Ginger: This didn't sound like a very good concept when I first heard about it, but I've got to admit that the folks at Trade Route pulled it off. As one person on Ratebeer notes,it's like drinking sweet and sour chicken, but in a good way.
  
• New Belgium - La Terroir: This pale counterpart to the La Folie is dry-hopped in order to impart a slightly more bitter edge to the beer.
  
• New Belgium - La Folie: "The Folly" is darker, woodier, and a little more sour than the Le Terroir. Frankly, this as about as close to Rodenbach as you're going to get from an American producer.
  

As I write this the Ommegang rouge just bit the dust. We may slip something else into the line-up, but I'll edit this post if we do. Tune in tomorrow for a run down on any new arrivals we may receive; with the PIB starting tomorrow there's a good chance the distributors may have some extra cases of some of the featured brews.

Cheers, and pucker up!

PuckerFest - The (Almost) Complete Line Up

OK, here's the deal. I can't really tell you when any of these things are going to go on tap because we only have 8 faucets to run the sours through (we need to keep some "normal" beers on), and we have close to 20 different offerings lined up. There's also a couple of local breweries that have promised kegs, but have yet to deliver them (you know who you are!) and I don't want to get people's hopes up unnecessarily. That said, here's an almost complete list of puckertastic beer.

Currently On Tap:

Cantillon - Vigneronne: Light and delicate, yet aggressively sour. Malted grain meet pressed grape. This is a beer of incredible contradiction that somehow transcends both beer and wine to become something which can only be called Vigneronne. Judging by sales, this was the most popular pour last night, and the keg is already 1/3 gone. I'd give it until Thursday at the latest.

New Belgium - La Folie: New Belgium's Brewmaster, Peter Boukaert, previously helmed Belgium's classic Rodenbach brewery, so it's no surprise that NBB's barrel-aged Flemish sour is amazingly close to the traditional example. Truly wonderful stuff. At the current pace the keg will probably kick on Thursday.

Dogfish - Festina Peche: Described as a "Neo-Berliner Weisse", DFH has once again taken something old and put an extreme spin on it. In this case "extreme" doesn't mean alcohol, just an extremely delicious combination of tart, fruity sourness wrapped up in a 4.5% package. Lots of flavor, not a lot of booze. I want to see someone drink a boot of this.

Cascade - Flander's Red: Ron and Curtis from Cascade Brewing (aka Raccoon Lodge) have been blending, aging, and generally having fun with barrels for a couple of years now. Their take on a Flemish sour is a little softer and sweeter than New Belgium's, but still loaded with woody, funky goodness.

Full Sail - Belmont Blend #1: I'll be perfectly honest; this beer is not for everyone. The initial aroma has been compared rather unfavorably to acetone (nail polish remover), and it's sure to turn a lot of people off before they even take a sip. I would encourage you to make an effort, and not give up on it too quickly. Once the nose and palate desensitize to the sharp aroma, a bevy of interesting things start to rise out of the glass. In the mouth it has a slightly full bodied feel and a little sweetness on the tongue, and the sour, woody notes are lightened considerably by the fruity Belgian yeast character of the base beer into which it was blended. Since this wouldn't be a proper Full Sail beer without some hops, we mixed in a portion of Prodigal Sun for good measure. The result is that the sweet and sour fades from the mouth as you swallow and then get overtaken by a long trail of bitterness in the throat. Like I said, most definitely not for everyone, but I hope you'll give it a chance.

Verhaeghe - Echte Kriekenbier: Verhaeghe is best known for their Duchesse de Bourgogne, a rather acetic Belgian red ale. The Echte Kriekenbier is essentially barrel-aged Duchesse that has had a second fermentation on cherries. Tart and sour, but still approachable and fruity. This one is also going quick, and probably won't last through Wednesday.

Lucky Lab - Belgian Sour Cherry: This is one of the only beers in the line-up that I haven't previously had, because someone drank the sample bottle that Ben Flerchinger was kind enough to drop off last week. I'll update this part after work when I've had a chance to try it.


Coming Soon:

Please note: All tapping times listed below are approximate. The faster the initial line up goes, the faster we can get the rest of these tasty treats on tap. Conversely, if things last longer than expected we may have a couple sour beers left for a few days after the event. If you have any questions about what's on tap please check the front page of our website. I promise we'll keep it updated all week long.

Double Mountain - Devil's Kriek: According to Charlie Devereux, this is the very last keg of their intensely fruity kriek. At 8% abv, it's also one of the strongest entries in the line-up. The kriek was made by aging a batch of the Devil's Kitchen on hundreds of pounds of local cherries for several months. The resulting beer is strong, tart, full-bodied, and bright freaking red. Serious Crayola red. It's pretty cool to look at, and even better to drink. Expect this to go on later in the week.

BJ's Portland - Enfant Terrible: This brew started life as a fairly mild mannered Belgian blonde ale, but like Superman in a phone booth it underwent some serious transformation during a year of barrel aging with lambic yeast. It's funky, dry, and chock full of fruity yeast character. Since BJ's is no longer brewing in town, and Vasili has moved to Rock Bottom, there's no telling if or when we'll ever see this beer again. The Enfant will probably go on tap Thursday or Friday.

Rock Bottom Portland - Ned Flanders: This sour ale was a huge hit at OBF 2006 and Puckerfest #1. We squirreled away the very last keg and have been sitting on it since last year, eagerly anticipating one last chance to taste this. Expect it to be on tap over the weekend.

Liefman's - Kriek: Another Belgian classic, Liefman's Kriek (based on a sour brown ale) has a more pronounced malt flavor than the other Flemish sours in our line-up. Given Leifman's financial difficulties, and recent acquisition by Duvel Moortgat, this could be one of the last kegs we'll get from the "original" company. This should be on tap by Thursday or Friday.

Cascade - Brewing Cuvee: This is an evolving, experimental creation blended from several different barrels. Tart apple character meets earthy, barnyard funkiness. It's fairly strong, yet dry and light bodied, a true testament to the sugar digesting abilities of our tiny microbial friends. This will replace the Cascade Flanders Red when it blows; if I had to guess I'd say Friday.

Walking Man - Blootvoeste Bruin: This very special brew is made by blending Walking Man's Barefoot Brown with a batch of Kombucha. This is the one other beer I haven't had a chance to try (not for lack of trying), so here's a great description from after4ever, a ratebeer.com member from Washington:

Opaque dark brown with thinnish tan rim and light lace. Pungent sweet and sour nose that somehow seems to come and go. Rich, creamy body on the high side of medium. Nutty, sugary, cinnamony, red-apple-y mid-palate. Long clinging apple finish. Really beautiful once it warms up a bit.

You can expect this one to be on tap over the weekend for the grand puckering finale.

Cantillon - St. Lamvinus: St. Lamvinus is created by blending Cantillon's gueuze with French wine grapes. The grapes generally come from Bordeaux, but they pick a different winery every year which makes each batch a unique creation. There's a wonderfully enlightening description of the history and process on the importer's website, and it's well worth the read if you have a couple minutes. This will go on tap this weekend for the finale.


Like I said up top, there's still a few kegs that haven't been delivered yet, so check back for more surprises if and when the stragglers get delivered.

Cheers, and pucker hard!

Prepare to Pucker!

The day has finally arrived, and Puckerfest 2008 is upon us. We have 5 funky beers on tap right now, and we'll be adding more as the days go by.

More details to follow, but here's the initial line-up:

• Cantillon - Vigneronne
• New Belgium - La Folie
• Dogfish Head - Festina Peche
• Six Rivers - Framboise
• Verhaeghe - Echte Kriekenbier

We also have a limited number Puckerfest T-shirts to commemorate the event. Get them while you can!

Shelton Bros. Beer Tasting Sunday May 6

Come and sample a variety of beers from around the world at the Belmont Station Biercafe!

This Sunday (May 6) Ron Extract, National Sales Director for Shelton Brothers Importers will
host a sampling of these fine beers:

T'ij Zatte (Netherlands)
Ridgeway IPA (England)
Nogne' O Porter (Norway)
Geants Goliath Tripel (Belgium)
Jolly Pumpkin Maracaibo (Michigan)
Cantillon Kriek (Belgium)
Kapuziner Weissbier (Germany)
Monchshof Schwarzbier (Germany)

This event is FREE and open to all those over 21. We will offer
special pricing on these beers to go during the event only!