Eric Michaud at Novare Res has raised the bar (pun intended) for brewers nights! We stopped in last night after the Kotzschmar Organ concert (www.foko.org) and were astounded to find 14 Allagash brews on tap, three of which were on cask. Also on offer was a series of cheese pairings, a different cheese for each beer. Truly a tour de force.
I very much enjoyed the Tripel Rosalare, only the second time I’ve had this beer. This has to be one of the finest American interpretations of a Belgian sour: tart, complex, something to savor all evening (well, if there weren’t 13 other beers beckoning). A comparable experience might be the Cambridge Brewing Cerise Casee (www.cambrew.com/seasonals.html)
A second high point for me was the Belgian Black on cask, aged with cocoa nibs. While I enjoy the smooth sophistication of the Belgian style black, I also like the roasted bite of an English stout. This beer offered a little of each. The cocoa added the expected chocolate note, but also added a welcome bitterness to the finish.
This was a terrific evening. As Jason mentioned elsewhere, mark your calendars for Tuesday nights…
July 2nd, 2008 at 10:44 am
Jan,
I was typing up my thoughts on Allagash Night this morning too, but it seems you beat me to the punch. I stopped in for about 45 minutes last night. The beer was fabulous (though I was driving, so I could only try the tripel rosalare) and the cheese selections quite interesting as well.
My only complaint was that it was very warm inside, and raining outside, so I couldn’t really go out to cool off. Perhaps a few large window fans to move the air through the space would help. I know that’s a fairly minor detail, but hot, humid conditions make for a less-than-optimal cheese experience.
I’ll certainly be there next week for Sam and the Dogfish crew. I’ll line up transportation too, as I’m sure I won’t be able to resist trying more than one…
-Jason