SBG's Top 10 Beers

I have been asked many times, “What are your favorite beers?” so I have decided to answer this question in a public forum.


1. Triple Karmeliet - I like this one because it is flavorful and crisp. It has just the right hint of spices to appeal to your pallet, but does not overwhelm you will sweetness.


2. Peche Mortel - I love this complex but well balanced rich and creamy mocha flavored brew. It has a great “mouthfeel”. I hate that term, but it really holds true for why I love the Peche Mortel. If you have ever had a milk shake you know what I am talking about. When you drink a milk shake the flavors (like the vanilla syrup) coat and linger in your mouth – leaving you with a really pleasant experience. The Peche Mortel coffee and chocolate (and I don’t know why I taste it – but banana) linger in your mouth for a while.

3. Cantillon Rose de Gambrinus - Sour and pink how could you go wrong? LOL – the Gambrinus has an intense fruity sourness with a clean finish. You can not only taste the raspberries, but the farm they came from – what some people may call “earth tones”. To me it tastes like a farm – in a good way. ;)


4. Rochefort 10 – To me, this is the quintessential example of a traditional Trappist beer. Rochefort 10 pours out of the bottle this rich dark color, and immediately fills your glass/nose with sweet raisins and dates, bready yeast, malty goodness, and just the right hint of spices. This beer has been brewed for generations with love – and you can taste it. Yummy!!


5. Anything Ommegang – I love them, I love them I love them.
a. Rouge – for funkyness
b. Hennepin – for a farmhouse Saison
c. Ommegang – Toasted malt and big sweet taste


6. Lost Abby – Bourbon-Barrel Angle’s Share – “oh my this is good” is what I thought the first time I had this beer. Served and looks like a bourbon, but tastes like a finely-crafted beer. It has a unique oak, caramel, and vanilla topped off with a bit of heat from the alcohol. On a cold winter night, when you want something to sip – this is a super pick.


7. Czechvar – Even though this beer is now owned by InBev I still love it. It is clean, crisp, and refreshing. It can quench your thirst like no sports drink could ever do. It is an all-rounder beer. Watch out, because of the green bottle it can be skunked from time to time. However I would say 85% of the time it is fine.



8. La Chouffe – I know I am bias when it comes to Chouffe as I spent my honeymoon in A’Chouffe – but that is only because I love the beer so much. La Chouffe is a light-bodied, easy to drink, Belgium Pale Ale that has an amazing finish because it leaves you wanting more. Be careful though, it is deceptively strong and can knock off your socks if you are not careful because it leaves you wanting more. This beer is so good I named my cat Chouffe.


9. St. Peters English Ale - I know this has a bad wrap on Beer Advocate, however this golden ale to me has wonderful fruity and floral hops with a true taste of caramel malt. I love caramel malt. I eat it raw sometimes. It is hard to find a beer that promotes Vs. hides this base malt – and I love it.

10. Russian River's Pliny the Elder – HOPS – what else can I say. JK. This big hopped IPA will not disappoint. It is dry with a crisp hoppy bite. It is rated as the top IPA in the US, and deserves the recognition.








Alternate - Fullers ESB – on Cask – I put this on the list, because to me Fullers ESB in bottles is OK, on cask – it is amazing. Fullers ESB makes me feel like I am experiencing England. Not only modern England, but the England of the last few hundred years. When I sample Fullers ESB (on cask) I remember my past trips and reminisce vicariously through the beer itself. It moved me so much that it prompted me to take a trip to the UK. I am not going to describe the flavors but simply say – you have to try it.

Oakar Blues on Men Of A Certain Age

As I am doing a bit of web surfing, I remembered hearing about a TV show called - Men of a Certain Age, so I decided to check it out. The TV show is OK, but the beer they drink on the show is great. The actors were drinking Oskar Blue’s Dale’s Pale Ale. Although I was not so interested in the show, I would consider watching it because of the beer selection.

Long Trail Ale for $12.99

I wanted to do a quick blog about our local Market Basket. I love my Market Basket in Seabrook NH. They have such a wonderful beer selection. And their prices are fantastic. I got a 12 pack of Long Trail Ale for $12.99! That is like $1.08 per beer. This is a great beer to have as a staple in the house.

Hands-down my favorite Long Trail beer is the BlackBerry Wheat. I think that it is under valuated in the beer community. It may not be an end-all-be-all beer, but if you crack one of those open on a hot summer day – there is nothing better. So the next summer night you are heading to the store to get some Corona – pick up a Blackberry Wheat, you won’t be disappointed.

Beer Advocate's Most-Wanted Beers - SBGs Take

Well the #1 most wanted is of course Portsmouth Brewery's Kate the Great. Every beer geek that does not live in the area always asks about Kate The Great. It’s not that I don’t like Kate The Great or that I don’t like the beer, but to be honest, I think it is just a good beer. However, I am really happy about Kate The Great's status because I am planning on going to Kate the Great day, and buying my allotted 2 beers, holding on to them for a few months and sell them at a profit. So if you are looking for some Kate in September time frame, let me know. LOL ;)

There were a few I was surprised about.
1. Coming in second was the Russian River Dark Lord not surprising, but the fact that it beat Westvleteren 12 is a shocker.
2. Another one that shocked me was Older Viscosity. Not that it was on the list, but that people wanted it so bad. I see it all the time. I tend to frequent places that specialize in beer so I understand why I thought it readily available to everyone.
3. The third one that surprised me was the Great Lakes Barrel-Aged Blackout Stout. I love Great Lakes, if it was readily available here I would drink it more often. So, I was not surprised to see the brewery, but I was surprised that it was not their Christmas Ale. Although their Christmas beer is readily available during the holiday season, once they are out, they are out and almost impossible to find. This beer is so good that it prompted a new holiday song. Check it out – 25,000 hits on the video – it is so funny. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8kwF-TvMi_Q
4. Again Brewery on the list – this time Bell’s – not surprising - but HopSlam Ale Vs. Two Hearted – that I question.

I am not surprised that Pliny the Younger beat Pliny the Elder. Most beer geeks have probably tried Elder not Younger. I myself have not sampled the Younger – yet.

I do see a couple of themes; people really like Russian River, and I need to search out more beers.

All-in-all I don’t disagree with the Most-Wanted Beers of 2010 list.

Latest Beer Advocate Magazine – Beer in Review – My take on - All-Time Top Beers On Planet Earth

As there are 6 main categories for this year’s review, so I will make this a series of blogs so as not to bore you.

So let’s start with the #1 - All-Time Top Beers On Planet Earth. First let me lament of the fact that 10 out of the 25 beers listed were Imperial Stouts. I understand that those are complex beers, but there are other styles that are not even on the list. IE Lambics, Flemish Sours, Pilsners, etc – that if you have ever done any brewing yourself you know are in their own right complex. I could, and probably will soon make my own list. So I am a bit disappointed in the lack of variety.

Topping the BA charts is Westvleteren 12 – that is not a shock, but a bit of a disappointment. I think it is a great beer, but the top beer on the planet – I am not sure I would agree. I do agree with many of their other choices including – Pliny the Elder, Founders Kentucky Breakfast Stout, Rochefort 10, St. Bernadus Abt 12 (which I think is comparable to the Westvleteren 12, but 1/5 the price), and my #1 off this list Dieu Du Ciel’s Peche Mortel. Oh what a great beer that is. Even though I was sick the last time I went to Montreal, I had to go to Dieu Du Ciel and get a Peche!

I do think that others on the list are quite good, but I would not put as All-Time Top Beer On Planet Earth.

I will admit that I have some of the beers listed, yet. Such as Dreadnaught IPA, Bell’s HopSlam Ale (although I have had many other Bell’s like their Two Hearted – that should have been on this list), Masala Mama IPA, and Darness by Surley Brewing Company. So I can’t comment on those.

All in all, it is not a horrible list, but one that should be scrutinized a bit more before dissing some very wonderful styles.

Be on the lookout for my top beers!

Beer Advocate’s Lentil Soup

So last night we (and by we I mean the MR – as I am the worst chef in the world) made the Lentil Soup from the Beer Advocate magazine. I have to say that it was really good. I expected it to be mediocre, but I was pleasantly surprised. We are vegetarians, so we did not add the pork, but it was still great. The only thing that was disappointing was that we only made a ½ portion.

This is a fabulous recipe and I totally recommend that you try it at home.

Up next for us on the menu is page 27’s White Bean Soup with Wit Gremolata.

Ebenezer's Vs. Lion's Pride, Funky Buddha Vs. The Office

I realize that it has been a while, and I need to catch up.

Here is my recap of the last few weeks.

Went to Maine in December, but did not go to Ebenezer’s. However I did go to the Lion’s Pride (Brunswick, ME) – IT SUCKED. I had such high expectations and it totally flopped. All the warmth, energy, and passion that makes you dive way the heck out of the way to Lovell Maine (that is where Eb’s is located) is gone. Food there is just mediocre. Staff there is a bit lack luster. If they do know about beer, they were not sharing their knowledge with the customers. Even the bartender there did not want to chat. I can not tell you how many times I have been to Ebenezer’s and had Chris (the owner) convince me to buy an expensive bottle of beer – and to be honest – I was happy to do it. They were always great. It is also a real pity that the awesome brewing equipment displayed in the back of the brew house is not being used. It is not even hooked up, it is a glorified closet. I can’t believe that this got an A+ review on Beer Advocate. Yes, they do have a beautiful tap system, and a couple of fridges full of nice bottled beer – that does not make it a good bar. However I do have confidence in Chris and Jennifer that they can make the Lion’s Pride a success. They just need to bring out the spirit of the place.

On a brighter note, I was on a trip to Boca Raton Florida and found an awesome little bar called the Funky Buddha Lounge. The atmosphere was super comfortable, people were friendly and knowledgeable, and the beer menu was Awesome. Their description of Bud Light was great - "St. Louis Water, with a hint of beer flavor. If you still want it after reading the rest of the menu it will cost you $30" I had a Lost Coast tangerine wheat beer. It was awesome. It is my 2nd favorite fruit beer - after the Ithaca Apricot Ale. This to me deserves an A+ rating on Beer Advocate.

Also on our trip to Florida we went to a new restaurant called The Office in Delray Beach. You would not believe what we found. They claimed to have “Chimay Grand Reserve” (so Chimay Blue) on tap. That is impossible. NOBODY in the US has it on tap. The description was also for the Blue. It could have only been the Red or White. So I asked the bartender if it was Red or White and here is what she said “well the tap handle is Red, so probably Red”. It was White.

I was in Baltimore the other day, but did not have anything besides a Yuengling – a great beer.

We also had a few more brew sessions and made some more great beer.

So those are some of the highlights of the last few weeks.