Some Delightful Beers From Our Southern Neighbour - But Especially Heady Topper

Canadians have many preconceptions about American beer.  One of these once had a basis in truth: that the race to the bottom towards more cheaply made, mass-produced, flavour-muted, adjunct lagers was exemplified by the poor quality of beer there.

What they were and are wrong about are:
1) That our cheaply made, mass-produced, flavour-muted, adjunct lagers were any better;
2) That ours was (or is) stronger (since American beers used to measure alcohol by weight, while we always measured alcohol by volume and... guess what?  4% ABW = 5% ABV!
3) That things haven't changed immensely.

As a Canadian, and as one who only grew to love hops, it took me a while to realize the American craft beer scene topped the world.  But it does, and we all owe their excellent craft brewers a nod, some deference, and a toast.  I hope we all catch up, because the best thing for good craft beer is more of it!

Recently, I not only traded for some Heady Topper, but also made a trip to Buffalo's Premier Gourmet, where I carefully sifted through their insane selection to pick out those I most desired to try.  These brief reviews consider the best of those.  Alas, none are regularly available in Ontario or Quebec, but let's bug the LCBO and SAQ to at least bring some of them in seasonally, if not regularly.

Heady Topper, a very limited run beer from small Vermont brewer, The Alchemist, has a remarkable reputation.  It allegedly sells out is days after weekly shipments meaning it is more frequently UNavailable, is only (un)available extremely locally even when stocked, is (like all Double IPAs) best consumed fresh, and makes beer geeks guffaw as it consistently receives raving reviews and currently tops the beeradvocate charts as the highest rated brew in the world (a title that varies by fad amongst the crowd-source, of course!)

Well?  It is delicious!  The can requests consumption from the can, which to me seems simply blasphemous as it would seemingly hide the nose, so I tried half of my first can in a can and the other from a tulip glass.  And... it does, oddly, show at least as well in the can!  I figured they said this since it is unfiltered and chunky with six types of hops presenting a chunky particulate visible within a glass, a description and image that some may find unappealing in their brew (but not I!).

The brewery describes Heady Topper as "not intended to be the strongest or most bitter DIPA.  It is brewed to give you wave after wave of hop flavor without any astringent bitterness... just enough malt to give this beer some backbone, but not enough to take the hops away from the center stage."  And...  deliver on that promise, it assuredly does!

This is truly a showcase of hops evolution that indeed does come in waves that transform expressing herbal, floral, piney, citrus, and resinous notes in various dimensions from the remarkable aroma through the dry, but not lingering or astringent finish.  Though far from balanced, it isn't excessively bitter; it is rather expressive in solid ways, if not quite malty enough for my usual DIPA preferences.  It doesn't, in other words, present that well-back-boned, balanced, yet dry typical DIPA profile, instead opting for neither excessive hops nor a substantial malt base as it truly does what it claims offerings waves of hop diversity without excess.

This post has been in draft for some time, but as the rest are left to notes and my memory falters, I will simply say that of many, the following impressed the most:

Stone Ruination IPA

Stone Sublimely Self-Righteous Ale

Great Divide Espresso Oak-Aged Yeti

Dogfish Head Indian Brown Ale

Troegs Nugget Nectar

And just a step further down the delicious line, but still in the realm of great, I'd add: Monk's Cafe Flemish Red Ale, Green Flash Rayon Vert, and both Clown Shoes' Brown Angel & Eagle Claw Fist.

Grab'em if and when you can and if they fit your tastes!

May Means One Main Thing: Mondial de la Biere!

It may be somewhat new for me, but May is an exciting time since my semester draws to a close allowing for some necessary family time, Steelhead fishing allows for my annual up-the-creek reprieve weekend, and Mondial de la Biere offers the best of the beer festivals!

This Montreal celebration of a worldwide selection of brews runs from Wednesday May 29 to Sunday June 2 this year, and promises a likely selection of 550 or so beers and special one-offs popping up at after-party events around the city's finer beer establishments.

Just what is so special about Mondial, itself?

Well, it truly offers a global selection of beers complete with excellent and unique oddities from around the planet - including Italian and Brazilian gems alongside the big-guns from the good'ol US of A.

Sure, the atmosphere gets partisome on Friday and Saturday, while the best brews are often gone by Sunday, but the diversity of excellent offerings, the early appeal, the rarity of the selection (often otherwise unavailable in Canada), and more make this an event not to be missed.

There are judged competitions here as well, judged by the qualified, not the drunk and most beers cost from $1-6 for a supposedly 4oz (but often 8+ oz) sample.

Yes, that can be cheap or pricey depending on the beer but with the possibility to taste excellent products one may never otherwise find here (or for a much cheaper price than they would cost with bar markup) make this a worthwhile endeavour indeed!

This year, I hope to make it to Benelux for the Vermont Brewers Association event multi-brewer cask event and hopefully also to Dieu du Ciel when they crack that Cantillon keg!

I should also cross my 1000th rated beer mark this year.

However, with such a selection, I highly recommend a plan!  Shortly, the exhibitor and beer list will be available.  One could quickly devolve into the drunken lout behaviour of the masses without getting to the prized gems if not for following a plan.  Going in blind is a sure path to becoming overwhelmed.

It is, perhaps, Mondial's best kept secret that Wednesday and Thursday at open are the best times to visit, with a nice sobering dinner before after-partys to avoid the rowdy insanity.  Unless that's what you're there for!

Sante!

Wishing the Winter Goodbye with Fond Recollections of its Best in Beer

If you thought the fact that I have been too busy to write of late meant I hadn't either had time to have a few good beers or that I hadn't found any worth writing about lately... you'd be wrong indeed!

I thought I'd briefly share the notable findings of the last two months as I start to catch up with what matters to us all herein: good beer!

However, many of my newly discovered loves come from trades and a trip to Premier Gourmet in Buffalo (with "ONLY 1500 beers to choose from"), though I will start with my new discoveries in Quebec and Ontario first and post on the many excellent US gems shortly.  Note that these beers aren't (all) from these places, but are available/procured there for those wanting to find mentioned products.

Ontario

On my first visit to Bellwoods Brewery, I thought, "Everything's good; if nothing's great at least nothing is even as bad as average...impressive enough."  On my second visit, things improved with what would become Grizzly Beer American Brown Ale, Roman Candle IPA and Monogamy (Summit) impressing.  But then... on my third visit... Hellwoods Imperial Stout and Witchshark Imperial IPA became my two favourite Bellwoods offerings thus far!  I brought home - and promptly devoured the Witchshark which was also available in bombers from the now-opened retail store.  Though not available at the LCBO, the brewpub is a gem and their retail store offers excellent product at a reasonable price.  If you have yet to experience the place - or these specific beers - hop to it, lest they move on to something else (that will likely be equally delicious!)

Though no longer available, with some outside help - thanks Shlomit! - I managed to grab a couple Great Lakes 25th Anniversary Imperial Black IPA's which, though delicious, resulted in one bottle for trade that brought back two cans of Heady Topper in return.  More on that shortly.  Yes, the Black IPA was remarkable with a complex combination of melon, pine, citrus, and rind on the nose complemented by a toastiness dried with a smoky citrus finish.  I mention this mainly to say that, though I have now procured a few of their final 25th Anniversary product - a Bourbon-Barrel Aged Imperial Stout - I have yet to drink them, but anticipate marvellous goodness and so encourage you strongly to grab any of them few that remain in LCBO stocks!

The LCBO has a strong spring seasonal release this year, and one of those yet available that has stood out for me is Lakefront's Bridge Burner Special Reserve Ale.  This American Strong Ale (8.5% ABV) has a piney and slightly herbal hoppy nose with a faint roasted maltiness that quickly dries out with a nice spicy hops finish.  A very, very good beer and at just over $5 for a bomber (650 ml) of a solid American Strong, it is a (rapidly disappearing) steal!

Quebec

I have been disappointed of late with any new Quebec discoveries, while still enjoying regular staples.  Though Les Trois Mousquetaires' Hopfenweisse - a hoppier US-style version of the hefeweizen - has been available for some time, as a moderate fan of wheat beers at best, I had not as yet spent the money for it.  However, a bring-your-own-beer sushi night necessitated a hefeweizen pairing, and this didn't disappoint!  Especially if you enjoy hefeweizens, grab one and pair it with some sushi for a nice matchup!

Though not new, my love affair with Tripel Karmeliet continues.  Sometimes available at the LCBO and always at the SAQ, this is a treat not to be missed!

As always, many super finds from the US pleased (and continue to do so), but that will be for my next review!

'Til then... cheers!

Blind-Quad Tasting: The Results

Part of my rationale for engagement in the Great Ontario Westvleteren Shit-Show of 12/12/12 was to procure some Westy for a blind tasting of Trappist and Abbey Quadrupels and Strong Dark Ales and, despite the delay in blogging about it, I am happy to say the event occurred and was a marvellous success!

Having had Westvleteren beforehand, I wanted to compare it without the inadvertent effect of name recognition determining my thoughts.  What resulted was an experience that taught me a great deal as well as offering lessons for others and for the future.  Those lessons will be elaborated shortly.

Who tasted what?

Five beer-geeks were able to participate and our nine-beer list included the following, comprised of 4 trappist offerings, 2 Belgian Abbey offerings, 2 Quebec offerings, and 1 American take on the style:

Westvleteren XII
Trappistes Rochefort 10
Koningshoeven/La Trappe Quadrupel
Chimay Grand Reserve (Blue)
St. Bernardus Abt 12
Gouden Carolus Cuvee Van de Keizer Blauw
Unibroue 17 Grand Reserve
Ommegang Three Philosophers
Charlevoix Dominus Vobiscum Hibernus

The most lamented absent-beer (as there were a few absent friends) was Achel Extra Buin, but alas we went ahead without it, it being nearly as difficult to procure as the Westy, though if and when I do again procure Achel, I will taste it, the Rochefort, and a remaining Westy alongside it.

How?  The Methodology

We each had some of all nine beers on the table at once by the end, with cups filled originally to about 4 ounces set atop numbered card-stock place-mats I created for the occasion so that people could return back and forth to directly compare each side by side.  Though I had devised a double-blind method of allowing everyone to participate without knowing which beer was which, a present non-participant poured and served for us allowing us all to imbibe without worry!

Several limitations can be noted: first, that these aren't always identical styles (with some considering the Quad a variation of the strong dark style) and the difference with the Van de Keizer was obvious as will be noted below.  Moreover, the U17 was over a year and a half cellar-aged and the Westvleteren was 10 months old according to the bottling date from the cap, while the others were much fresher.  However, as I often hear Rochefort to be better fresh and Westy to be better aged, I was curious and I believed I preferred Rochefort to the fabled Westvleteren.

Additionally, many of these beers can allegedly vary greatly by bottle and, for these reasons and others, I wouldn't presume these results to be definitive, though they do show a clear pattern that I think we can take fairly seriously.

The Group Results

My first lesson is how much blindness messes with what you previously thought - or, in other words, how much supposition plays a role at other times!  Yes, additional factors come into play - the order presented/first tasted, palate exhaustion, and many other factors affecting taste and smell on the day in question, but there are some telling trends the astute observer will quickly discover!

Though some us rated by personal Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP) assessment out of 50, others simply ranked, so we will go with ordinal ranking here - without consideration of precise distance between places.

And the results by average ranking (and # of people picking that beer in each position):

1st:   Rochefort 10 (Two 1sts, one 2nd, two 4ths: Avg 2.4)
2nd:   Westvleteren 12 (One 1st, One 2nd, Two 3rds, One 5th: Avg 2.8)
3rd:   Gouden Carolus Cuvee Van de Keizer Blauw (One 1st, Two 3rd, Two 4th: Avg 3)
4th:   Chimay Grand Reserve (One 1st, One 2nd, One 4th, One 5th, One 6th: Avg 3.6)
5th:   Dominus Vobiscum Hibernus (Two 2nd, One 5th, One 6th, One 7th: Avg 4.4)
6th:   St. Bernardus Abt 12 (One 5th, Two 6th, One 7th, One 8th: Avg 6.4)
7th:   Three Philosophers (One 3rd, One 5th, One 7th, Two 9th: Avg 6.6)
8th:   Unibroue 17 Grand Reserve (Two 5th, Three 8th: Avg 6.8)
9th:   La Trappe Quadrupel (One 3rd, One 8th, Three 9th: Avg 7.6)

My Own Results

These are followed by the BJCP rating out of 50 each received from me:

1st:   Chimay Grand Reserve (46)
2nd:   Rochefort 10 (44.5)
3rd Tie:   Westvleteren 12 (42)
3rd Tie:   Cuvee Van de Keizer Blauw (42)
5th:   Unibroue 17 (40.5)
6th:   St. Bernardus Abt 12 (39.5)
7th:   Dominus Vobiscum Hibernus (39)
8th:   La Trappe Quadrupel (37.5)
9th:   Ommegang Three Philosophers (37)

Drawing Conclusions

On the blind aspect:

Blindly, a few things stand out.  First, the ONE I certainly identified without doubt was the Gouden Carolus Cuvee Van de Keizer Blauw (Grand Cru of the Emperor) whose telling super-sweetness was a giveaway.  In the future, I think I'd leave such anomalies out of any such blind-event.  I still enjoyed it, but it spoiled the blindness for me on that level and though I tied it with (the one I didn't know was) Westvleteren, I knew I was choosing between unlike things and chose to leave them tied in ranking rather than choosing a preference.

Second, with the exception of the uber-sweet Van de Keizer, these are all so similar that - in a different setting - their BJCP scores alone would probably be closer together, but I felt compelled to differentiate substantially in order to leave space for others coming in-between.  The gap between these probably isn't - in most  cases - as huge as it might seem, since they are all solid beers!  The closeness of these products makes it very difficult to precisely differentiate, thus I may have exaggerated differences.

On the quality:

The above caveats aside, I think there is a clear division in quality here - even if it is slight.  My top four - Chimay, Rochefort, Westvleteren, and Cuvee Van de Keizer - were also the common consensus top four and I think that reflects that these three Trappist beers (and the Cuvee anomaly) rank atop the others and are the standard the beer-world aspires to for a legitimate reason.

Beneath them, I personally feel we see two more groups: that with U17, DV Hibernus, and St. Bernardus as solid, but not on the same playing field as the top Trappists themselves; and my personal low-end of Ommegang and Koningshoeven's offerings (which were my lowest rated quads beforehand, the blindness here lending credence to my initial assessments of them!)

On my own preconceptions:

I guessed the identities of the La Trappe and Rochefort successfully (as well as the Cuvee Van de Keizer) and found a few things I previously thought confirmed and one key shocking result.

Confirmations:

• St. Bernardus really isn't all that alike a Westy (at least a 9-month old one) which I had thought before though I had never tasted them side-by-side (blind or otherwise) - and every participant confirmed this.  Those of us with a taste remaining even came to the same conclusion after the results were revealed!
• Rochefort really is a gem and at $4.60 a bottle in Quebec and with a pending affordable Ontario/LCBO release means it should be most people's go-to quad.
• Westy really is good beyond the name, and so is worthy of praise, but the hype factor does play a role (as I predicted here).
• La Trappe really is of a lower standard in this style than the other trappists and the group as a whole seemed to confirm this.
• Personally, my first uncertainty about Three Philosophers (which found it not to be that remarkable) was confirmed here.

Shocker:

• I liked Chimay the most!?  I know Chimay makes solid beers, and never doubted it, but had no idea it would top these others for me in a blind assessment and figured it would be middle of the pack for me!
• I guess (at least after a cellared year) I couldn't truly discern the Unibroue yeast as I'd expected.  It had either mellowed or my own preconceptions led me to believe I dislike the yeast strain (and that it isn't as pronounced in this product as presumed).

Primarily, however...

and with some reptition, I'd emphasize that despite some inconsistencies, some methodological issues, the lack of replicability (and unlikelihood of it), etc - it seems fairly reliable to say that:

1. the Trappists deserve their recognition for these products - especially Chimay, Westvleteren, and Rochefort
2. Westvleteren is great but benefits from scarcity-induced hype (*says the blogger as if this is an earth-shattering revelation*)
3. Rochfort 10 is a gem and its ready availability and low price at the SAQ (and soon to be at the LCBO) mean no one need feel bad about missing out on Westvleteren, if they did
4. St. Bernardus Abt 12 is not the same beer as Westy 12.
5. Blind tastings are fun and telling, if not definitive, and tougher when 9 samples are considered.

More soon... I promise!

Somehow the Cuvee Van de Keizer got left out of the cruddy phone-photo!

Happy New Beer: My Personal Bests of 2012

This is just a quick, off-the-cuff list of some of my favourites from the past year of which the requirement was not necessarily being new but simply being new to me.

Beers (from 10 down to 1 - 1 being my favourite of the year)
First, honourable mentions to a few delicious gems that couldn't quite make the cut (since I had so many wonderful beers this year!): Westvleteren 12 (see original review here and despite its goodness, its story lends to the experience for which it reiterates its exceptionality), Dominus Vobiscum Brut (which might merit a higher score but I only had a sample at Mondial and would need a bottle available only from the brewery to give it a thorough tasting!), Dominus Vobiscum Lupulus, and Rodenbach Grand Cru (that I'd need to side-by-side with the Duchesse [#9 below] to truly be certain of their rankings).

10: Howe Sound Pothole Filler Imperial Stout is just a fine, malty-sweet-yet-cocoa/coffee-dry imperial stout.  A 9%er in a 1 litre bottle though makes for a share or a good night (Currently an LCBO seasonal - get it while you can!)

9: Brouwerij Verhaeghe Duchesse de Bourgogne.  Upon first tasting, I thought this was about my favourite beer ever and though numerous tastings since have assured its deliciousness, it is rather sweet for a sour and perhaps not quite funky enough for me to call the best, but certainly a gem nonetheless.  (Regularly available at the SAQ).

8: Dunham Lapatt Robust Porter is simply a marvellous example of the style and a true delight to drink. (Available at select Quebec retailers and finer Toronto bars, such as BarVolo, on rare occasion).

7: Charlevoix's Dominus Vobiscum Hibernus which demonstrates the effect of some nice spicy notes on a sweeter sort of quad.  (Select Quebec retailers).

6: Achel Extra Brune is probably my favourite quad to date and can be found only through private import or at finer beer bars in Toronto and Montreal (for my usual coverage area anyway!)

5: Nøgne Ø #100 would be my favourite 'pure' imperial IPA thus far with a fine malt backbone to a deliciously piney dryness.  (LCBO seasonal offering to grab now if you still can!)

4: Allagash Curieux, a bourbon-barrel aged tripel, available only in some US states goes to show how far ahead our Southern neighbours have gotten!

3: Cantillon 100% Bio Gueuze offers that perfect mixture of rarity and hype that actually converge with delicious sourness and clean, but present tart-funkiness without any semblance of sweetness.  You've gotta be a sour fan, but if you are, you've gotta drink this gueuze!  (Availability: almost nowhere almost never... but keep your eyes peeled!)

2: New Belgium Lips of Faith Cocoa Mole would have been the only thing I would have drank seconds of at Mondial... except... I had the last sample (before the end of day 2 of this 5 day event!)  Anyone going to the Western United States must try this - and could always bring me one for the recommendation! ;)

1: Dogfish Head Burton Baton.  Yet another US micro with no Canadian distribution, but another gem that blends DIPA, Old Ale, and oak-aged traditions to make a marvel of a complex beer I delightfully treasure.

Breweries
For me, this year was topped by (numerous) trips to Beau's and a visit to Dunham - both of which delighted.  Beau's impressing more by the day despite having been consumed before 2012 while Dunham likewise delighted on every front in the year of its discovery for me.  A special nod to Hill Farmstead whose only beer I have yet to try - Friendship and Farewell a cask collaboration IPA with Dieu du Ciel - served to reinforce their apparently well-deserved reputation!

Bars
This year led to many new Montreal discoveries (like Reservoir, L'Amere a Boire, Le Cheval Blanc, and Le Saint Bock) along with Toronto newbies Bellwoods Brewery, Indie Alehouse, the Granite (how had I never gotten there until now?), Barhop Bar, and more.  Though all impressed for various reasons on their own terms, Bellwoods, Indie, Barhop, and Le Saint Bock deserve special nods, while Vices et Versa is - hands down - the discovery of the year for me.

Events
Much as I enjoyed Brewery Market events (which have morphed into the Brewer's Backyard), and various smaller establishment events (and lament missing Cask Days yet again), as well as the immense enjoyment of Beau's Oktoberfest, Mondial truly reigns supreme!

'Til next year - check out those breweries, pubs, events, and beers that you can and continue through my explorations from here on in!  Happy new beer-year, and let's see the craft revolution continue!

In the Spirit of the Season: Samichlaus as Rated Beer #800

I use the word 'spirit' somewhat loosely since this beer is allegedly the world's strongest lager, coming in at a whopping 14% ABV (or higher at times than listed, allegedly up to 15%).  Samichlaus Classic, an Austrian-brewed doppelbock currently crafted by Brauerei Schloss Eggenberg, warms the chest as if drinking a spirit, and in this sense is truly more of a winter warmer than most of the ales that are actually made in that style... but I am jumping the gun a bit here if framing the discussion.

I picked this up at the SAQ for $4.60 a bottle, but the LCBO is allegedly stocking it this season (despite rejecting it in years past for allegedly marketing to children with the image of Saint Nick on the label seen below.)

This "world's most extraordinary beverage" (as the label claims) is brewed but once a year, on Saint Nicholas Day - December 6th - and is then aged and then likely re-fermented several times to get the alcoholic strength up over a period of 10 months before bottling.  Each bottle is dated with the year it was bottled, and my purchases were labelled 2011.  Thus, this beer was brewed December 6th, 2010, aged 10 months, bottled and has found it into my belly to warm my cockles for Festivus 2012.

Even from cellar temperature to room temperature, one can see the evolution of this beer and it is clearly better warm (and warming!).

It pours a reddish-light brown with a thin white-to-ever-so-faintly-off-white head of poor retention and lace, with any semblance of head gone within a minute.  On the nose it smells strongly of its high ABV alongside characteristic malty doppelbock notes of plums, dates, and brown sugar.  Tastewise, it is very sweet up front and dominated by caramel and baking bread notes, while it finishes with an-alcohol-laden dryness and the characteristic chest-warmth resembling a licqueur.  Typical of a lager, it offers a clean, crisp flavour that almost seems counter-intuitive to its rather substantial body.  It is quickly bereft of carbonation and remains sticky and like a cross between a sticky liqueur and a doppelbock for the remainder of its sipping life.  In this sense, its sweetness and alcoholic warmth make it almost a boozy dessert on its own.

Is it worth the hype?  Yes and no.  It is an experience - and a great one at that - warming and bridging divides between beer and liquor for a winter's eve over the holidays.  Is it my favourite doppelbock?  Probably not at (two years) fresh, but this allegedly ages well and mellows as it does so, so I will have to stick a few away and make a new holiday tradition of testing the aging evolution.

Grade (as a beer): A-
Grade (as a doppelbock): A-
Grade (as a warming winter drink): A
Grade (as a new holiday tradition with its legend, like those of its namesake, framing the discussion): A+

'Til next time, ta-ta and cheers!

The Call to Darkness: Two Divergent Strong, Dark Ales

Besides being on the darker side of things with high alcohol content, the two beers under review here share little in terms of characteristics.  The other things they have in common are being damn good and getting rated (as numbers 798 and 799) on the same day.

The first was Het Anker's Gouden Carolus Cuvee Van de Keizer Blauw (Grand Cru of the Emperor) at 11% ABV.  This was purchased from the LCBO for around $7 for a 750 ml bottle and provides great value for the money, such that I should have purchased several more including a few for the cellar!

It pours a nicely coloured deep ruby-reddish brown with a tan head of decent retention with some lacing remaining on the glass.  The aromas are of dark fruits, mainly plums and raisins, while the taste is very sweet, almost cloyingly so, and dominated by candied brown sugar with a hint of raisins.  The alcohol is basically undetectable (by mouth, but not by head), masked by a slight creaminess and a moderate carbonation.  It is darn good, and very enjoyable, if a bit explicitly sweeter than ideally desirable.  I wonder if a year in the cellar would mellow it out?  Still, a dangerous easy-drinker!  Grade: A

The second had been sitting here for quite some time as occasionally happens.  At $2.59 for a 341 ml bottle (in Quebec), this is an affordable imperial stout, and I was hoping it would impress (as my last affordable imperial stout did not, though Peche Mortel always does!)

And... L'Alchimiste Impérial Stout (7.9% ABV) doesn't disappoint as it pours a black body capped by a fizzy, audible brown head of decent retention and thick, if rapidly diminishing, lace.  Boldly aromatic and reminiscent mostly of a dark chocolate, with lightly smoky hints, while tasting similarly.  It begins a bit malty-sweet with roasted biscuity notes but quickly evolves to a finely drying and lingering bitter cocoa.  It is medium to full bodied, if a touch lighter than I'd like in the style, with a creaniness that wasn't expected alongside the audible carbonation/head.  Grade: A-

All in all, these made for an excellent beer day and I only hope that beer number 800 impresses just as well!

More on that soon, and as I have it!  Til then, Happy holidays Festivus!