I finally feel healthy enough (after 2+ months of limited smell and taste ability) to open a Christmas gift from my wife Olivia: a bottle of De Proef’s Flemish Primitive Wild Ale (Surly Bird).  As the name implies, it is a light Belgian-style ale (close to a Dubbel, perhaps), fermented with wild yeast and other critters.

Wow.

It pours with a nice, pillowy head.  The first sense is aroma, of a strong smelly cheese.  Like a Bleu, Stilton maybe, but smoother.  More like a very soft, runny cheese, but way more pungent than Continue reading →

A coworker directed us to a great German beer bar this weekend (thanks, Rene!).  Loreley in the Lower East Side has a great selection of German beers, especially Kölsch and Pilsner.  The Gaffel Kölsch was delicious and crisp, and the Jever Pisner was one of the best I’ve ever had.  But the hands-down winner of the evening was the  Continue reading →

I got a bottle of this from a nearby distributor.   Part of their “Reserve Collection.”  Looked interesting.  And it is, the same way a car accident can be interesting.

I should go on record here and say that while I’m not the world’s biggest fan of Blue Moon, I do enjoy a draft of it from time to time, as it is often the best beer in a standard Continue reading →