-Reviewed- 2007 Gulden Draak Vintage Belgian Ale

I just love great beer, don't you? This one's an excellent Belgian style ale from 2007, the Gulden Draak Vintage. Tasted Sunday, December 7th. Gotta be ready for the ferocious head when carefully poured from the 750ml. Nice lacing throughout. Color was almost exactly like looking at a glass of Coca Cola (sans the large bubbles and ice cubes). Just beautiful.

Smell had a moderate amount of "mustiness", which may or may not have been due to the glass I poured it into. Anyways, there's also caramel, toffee, and some kind of nut.

Upon tasting this year, the '07 Draak is showing it's colors almost perfectly. But on a most interesting note: the very first thing I realized also surprised me. This was was literally a flashback moment. And the beer that caused the flashback was more than worthy enough -Gouden Carolus Grand Cru of the Emperor. Pick any year. At a generic level, the Draak has a pretty close approximate "essence" of the Gouden Carolus. That perfect balance of sweet and sour, hinting almost at a Iambic essence. But then the serious malt backbone and precious yeasts, distinctive of this style of ale, all combine in just the right amounts to create just the right results.

Mouthfeel is noticeably "softer" after a year's aging. The vigorous carbonation is still there, but with a very smooth consistency- similar in some ways to a good cream ale. Very little if any "burn" from the modest but nevertheless present, 7.5% alcohol. And that's a good thing. Gives me a chance at something else when this one's empty.

All of this adds up to one outstanding beer. I had this beer once before, last year in '07 when I picked up two. One to try at the time, and one to age. Well, I'm excited to say the '07 Gulden Draak has aged beautifully during only it's first year in the cellar! I just hope I can find someone who would be willing to share their bottle a year from now.

I can say this with confidence: after not only tasting, but savoring the entire damn bottle, I feel that given just a little more time at only 2 years old, the '07 Draak will be at the top of it's game. I just wouldn't push my own luck going for three years, although I think it should be able to take more.

This is one of those real gems you find once in a while which doesn't take very long (or much waiting for in your cellar) to really mature!

Downers? Hmmm.... Maybe the fact I just poured my last bottle for this experiment. That's okay though. I enjoyed it tremendously and will treasure the memory. On the other hand... This year the '07 Draak is really that good. So if anyone has an extra bottle in their cellar, it wouldn't take much to twist my arm if they were willing to share their bottle with me next year...

Beer and the People Who Drink Them

There are generally three kinds of beer drinkers. First there are the people who say they drink beer, but rarely do, and only do so when the conditions are just right for them to be in the mood for a bottle or pint.

Then there are beer drinkers who are defined because they usually have a favorite "go to" beer and generally drink for the same reasons every time: socially to party and/or get hammered, such as at the ball game or some other event, or they just like to drink beer and do so regularly anytime and anywhere. Some of these people might even be considered alcoholics, but who am I to judge? They are still my fellow beer drinkers! Anyway, these are the "masses", or people who drink the mainstream commercial swill I call "mass produced, watered down fizzy yellow excuse for a lager". You know, the stuff by AB or Miller and to a lesser extent, other names such as Corona, Rolling Rock, etc. come to mind. There are quite a few, but they are all generally the same.

For many years I fell into that second category. After all, my "go to" beer used to be Coors Light Silver Bullets in the 15-pack cans. But as I got older and my tastes began to change I wanted to cry out... "there's got to be more than this!" I eventually felt like I was in the grip of the big beer conglomerates and a slave to lackluster fizzy yellow beer. But at the same time I knew the "craft beer movement" was just getting into full swing, yet I was afraid to try anything new (again, those damn "mega breweries"). Just like most other people who were slaves to the onslaught of TV commercials during football games, billboards, magazine ads and the like, not to mention the peer pressure that this was what everyone else was drinking. So in essence, I essentially stopped drinking beer after I got married. It wasn't until a few years ago that a very close friend of mine introduced me to a brave new world and I have never looked back. FREEDOM! For a while I felt guilty as if I were sneaking around behind the backs of "Big Beer", but I digress...

Finally, there are those people who hold beer in a certain light. People who simply see beer as a part of "life itself". An elixir of life -one of the great pleasures God has bestowed upon man. He gave man the ingredients, means, and inspiration to create and enjoy what he has created. And just as important, share that creation with others to experience. These are people who consider beer as sacred and to be respected. Why? Because like people, good beer has personality and character. This manifests itself in the qualities, or attributes of the beer's style. And what's interesting about that last statement is the fact that within a style there is an almost unlimited number of differences in each beer.

With that said about the third type of beer drinker, the universe is wide open to try new beers and expand one's horizons to the unconventional mind set that "I can have more than just ONE favorite beer." In fact, I have close to a dozen beers that fit that description, and that in turn fuels my desire to try new beers when and where I can. It could end there, but I also have developed a further zealousness to find and categorize those beers which I consider the "Holy Grail" of all the beers I have yet tasted to date.

These beers are the "best" of the best. To describe that in a nutshell: Beers that simple have all of the characteristics of what I like, but are amplified to a level where I simply sit back after a sip and say, "wow"! That's what its' all about. Right there in that glass. Personifying liquid perfection. Beer that I would have again, and again. Not because it's cheap or "easy to drink", but because that beer touched my senses in a way that other lesser beers simply can't. Can those beers still be enjoyed? Of course, and I do drink them -either intentionally or it might have been something during a tasting that I hadn't tried before and thought "it's not bad, but it's not a... or a..." But they just don't give me butterflies when I am anticipating drinking them as do certain beers such as Stone 10th Anniversary, Hair of the Dog's Doggie Claws, Avery's Maharajah, Goose Island Bourbon County Stout, Left Coast's Hop Juice, or Harmon Rajah's Royal IPA, to name a few.

And then there's aged beer. Yes, that's right. "Wine people" see that statement and cannot fathom that just like their fine wines, certain beer can be aged. And when aged properly, can truly become something different and better than it was when it was brewed. This can be illustrated by a recent tasting I attended in Washington with a couple of like minded buddies. Part of the reason we did this particular tasting was due to the fact that I came accross an extremely rare opportunity to purchase some select ancient Stone beers. For example, considering that this is 2008, we sampled several aged beers dating back to 1999. A standout was a 2003 Stone Double Bastard that was an experience nothing short of existential.

11th Hour review of Hop Juice

Well, I couldn't go to bed this evening without experiencing another Hop Juice! The last (and first) time I had the Hop Juice, I was at a very good friend's home in Lakewood, WA. for a historic tasting which I'll explore later in this blog. For now, let's just say that we experienced some of the most sublime beers the average person can get their hands on. Sublime because not only were most of them what we considered our "best of the best", but it's interesting to note that certain ones also happened to be aged to perfection! Many of these ended up being what we considered (and still do) to be the holy grails for their styles. The Hop Juice included. Well, maybe it's not that good, but still sublime just the same.

And since I just picked some up today...

Left Coast Brewing Co.'s Hop Juice is by far a standout in the DIPA arena, and really should be called an Imperial IPA. Yeah, that line can be blurred, but it is weighing in at 9.4% ABV and exhibits all of the same qualities as the IIPA's that I love -Avery's Maharajah, Boundary Bay Imperial IPA, Southern Tier Unearthly, Bear Republic Racer X, Deschutes Hop Henge, Harmon Brewing's Rajah's Royal IPA, Port Hop 15, Green Flash Imperial. The list goes on. Hop Juice not only belongs in this list, but also makes my short list -as in the "best of the best".

That sounds like tremendous praise, and it is. So let's explore why...

Appearance: Clear, coppery amber color. This beer has an unusual quality where the carbonation is rather high as shown by the volume of energetic bubbles visible trying to break the surface tension. However, the head you would expect to form from these bubbles should be massive, but quite the contrary. The head was relatively "thin" but the lacing left behing was beautful and delicate.

Smell: Pine forest, notes of citrus -especially orange and grapefruit. Maybe some fresh cut grass (I'm not sure on that one, but I'll confirm that next time I have a bottle). When you first get a whiff of this beer fresh poured it smells like just walking into a flower shop. The overall aroma was "flowers", but a combination of lots of different kinds of flowers. Don't smell any alcohol whatsoever. Just fruity, malty harmony.

Taste: Bitter hops on the front, which gives way only a little to a slightly acidic "orange peel" citrusy flavor. Then a slight "sticky" sweetness on the finish from the malty goodness that balances this puppy out. Note: The hops stick with you for the entire journey, and then are still reminding you that your last sip was about 45 seconds ago. So you have to have another to indulge that craving. Just a hint of that alcohol is present, it's masked very well.

Mouthfeel: Medium thick, and a tad bit "oily", but too much so- this actually is a good thing and may be a signature attribute for this beer. Then, finally the alcohol makes it's appearance to remind you it's there -at 9.4%. It's not over the top or interferes with the drinkability or enjoyment -but quite the opposite. Similar to many DIPAs and Imperials.

Drinkability: If I wanted to, I could put away two of these in one evening. But the alcohol content would remind me part way through that second bottle why I shouldn't. Very drinkable and "friendly". This is a beer that's become a "standard" for me and definitely belongs in my top 10 DIPA/IIPA.

Thanksgiving's gone... Christmas is next!

Well, in the aftermath of Thanksgiving turkey I realized I did not imbibe nearly as much as I'd planned. I brought three really good beers along with me and only had one. They were Avery "Ale to the Chief" (which I had), as well as The Bruery's "Trade Winds" and also an Alaskan Baltic Porter. The "Chief" was solid as always -acceptably hoppy with a matching malt backbone for balance. Could be hoppier, but I'm really not nitpicking. It's still good.

However, on a more positive note, I did score a HUGE find at Holiday Wine Cellar in Escondido. They had one bottle shy of a case of Stone 10th left in their stock! It is now no more. Likely there are very few if any other places you can still get any of this stuff.

Stone 10th Anniversary ranks near the top of my list of "Best beers I've tasted. Ever." And for good reason. The 10th is one of those very few DIPA/Imperials that actually bend the rules and get better with time. It's now essentially metamorphosed into a fine Barleywine! I have always questioned whether the 10th was an Imperial or a Barleywine since it's initial relaese. But now I suspect that the brewer may have intentionally crafted this beer this way.

There's a large number of people out there who have lost respect for this beer, and I think partly because of the general rule where "hoppy beer is meant to be consumed FRESH!" Certainly this is the case with Pliny the Elder and many others. A hoppy beer more than 6-8 months old is quickly heading down the path to no longer being any good. But this is just not the case with the Stone 10th. On the surface, it's essentially gone from "hop bomb" to "malt bomb", and for some people that may be a good thing or bad. On the surface. But upon pouring a glass today you immerse yourself into a brave new world where this beer has truly found a second lease on life as an entirely new and different beer. And it's all good!

Also got a nice supply of both Hop Juice and Goose Island Bourbon County Stout some of which will be heading north shortly. Oh and I grabbed a Full Sail "21" while I was at it. The 21 is just a really great example of what a Doppelbock should be. I gotta have one every once in a while, and the holidays couldn't be a better time.

Speaking of holidays, this is one of my most favorite times of the year. A time for giving and sharing. And my favorite thing to do is share good beer with good friends. And this year will be as good as any. I'm looking forward to a great December and new year!

Here we go...

Happy Thanksgiving, and Welcome!

Do you drink beer? No? Then hasta la vista, baby! Just kidding. Gotta start somewhere, right? Despite the fact that I am the "PC Guru" of computer support where I live, this is technically my first blog. So this should be interesting. Especially since the theme of this blog is all about beer and where to get it. Well, at least where to go for a worthy pint or find that elusive bottle of something special you heard about. Or been looking for. Forever.

But, I digress... I live in Duarte, CA. -a city within the San Gabriel Valley, a vast populated area near Los Angeles (Think Pasadena, CA and you're there). My name is Todd. Or "Ramone", or "Bigs", or some other name if you were around during my past. And that past had a past. Or several pasts to be precise. But more on that best seller later. Maybe. Anyways, I was a "typical" beer drinker long before I discovered what beer really could be.

Back in the day... There was a time when Coors light "Silver Bullets" by the 15-pack was the beer du jour. And a little bit 'o that green herb not generally used for cooking (I didn't say "baking") never hurt either.

This past 1/2 decade... Nothing under 5.5% ABV. That's alcohol. But again, I digress...

Beer. But "worthy beer", and not that mass produced, watered down fizzy yellow excuse for a lager intended to make wussies feel like men either! Worthy beer. Like wine, especially fine wine, beer can be aged with extremely positive and rewarding results. A metamorphosis of alchemy like no other. Well, maybe wine, but you know what I mean. Certain beers when fresh are simply fantastic and can be one of life's simple pleasures -as in "dad's little helper".

However, like expensive fine wines that really benefit from aging, there also happens to be a very encouraging number of those "certain" beers out there just waiting to be discovered. Beers where, if the right amount of time and care is applied, you end up with not only a diamond that once may have been fantastic "in the rough" (when fresh), but has evolved and become a beer that an imbiber cannot help but savor as a part of life itself! Beer that's elevated to an entirely new level and remains burned indelibly in one's memory. Beers that stand out as being on your "what would I have with me on a desert island" list. Or whatever. These are beers that when compared to what you could get in a fine wine for 2 weeks pay, are one helluva bargain.

So on we go... This blog will reflect a number of things -occasional trips to my favorite local haunts for a pint, travels far and wide, as well as tasting notes and comments from purchases I make including my own extensive beer "cellar".

Ps. I grew up in Tacoma, WA., which is where my roots are -including a very good friend (and fellow beer blogger) who I've know for most of my life. He's the one responsible for me drinking beer in the first place. And later "reintroduced" me to what beer really could be. Check out Fitz's blog: "Beering Around Tacoma"!

Thanks for stopping by and be sure to check back frequently for all sorts of interesting rants!

-Todd