So, we had Tom Allen from North Coast in yesterday to help us taste his brews as their offerings are our beer of the month for January.

http://whipin.com/beer%20of%20the%20month.htm

Starting from the BEST American pilsner the SCrimshaw all the way thru to the amazing imperial stout Old Rasputin, I was smiling with every hop & malt.

The Scrimshaw has a wonderful floral quality to it, with its lite body and fresh hoppiness, its character and dimensionality is surprising and pleasing.

The Blue Star unfiltered wheat has to be also my favorite domestic hefe. Its cloudy somewhat buttery&yeastyness is perfectly balanced with the hops and an inclusion of lemon.

The Red Seal Ale is an awesome marzen style quaff, with a great hoppy character to it and weight and mouthfeel borderingon brown ales without the overtones of too much malt.

And of course (from my favorite category of beers) the imperial stout Old Rasputin has that deepdark&deliciousness to it thatcarries all the way thru from nose to incredible lingering finish. It is quite a WOW!

Just to add some more fun to this wonderful palate of tastinesses, we tried out the current 2005 vintage of the barley wine Old Stock along with our cellar release of the 2001 vintage. The hoppiness of the 2005 quite pleasing along with the toasted maltiness, both of which were quite accentuated in fuller tones and sublte graces in the 2001. Tom said that in four years, the 2005will be just as yummy (we put a couple cases in the cellar!)

yum,
~dipak