Recap: October Beer Appreciation Night

Last Friday, Nathan hosted the beer appreciation group at his place. Our Beer Appreciation Nights consist of a loose collection of folks here in Dayton who meet on a semi-regular basis, each bringing something interesting for folks to sample. It had been a long while since our last regular meeting, although I hosted the summer picnic in July and many of us attended AleFest in August.

As usual, we had another great beer line-up. First and foremost was the pony of Two Brothers’ Heavy-Handed IPA (and the accompany pint glasses Nate provide as party-favors) that our host schlepped back from the brewery outside of Chicago. A lot of us were really anticipating this beer, and we were not disappointed. Super hoppy, with a malty-backbone that balanced the hops. The aroma alone was enough to make one drool.

In addition to the keg, we sampled the following (pic to follow soon):

• Thunder Hole Ale (Bar Harbor Brewing Company)
• Blue Goat Doppelbock (New Holland Brewing Company)
• Imperial Pumpkin Ale (Weyerbacher Brewing Company)
• Cadillac Mountain Stout (Bar Harbor Brewing Company)
• Kalamazoo Stout (Bell’s Brewery, Inc.)
• In-Heat Wheat (Flying Dog Brewery)
• Monarch White Ale (Two Brothers Brewing Company)
• 120 Minute IPA (Dogfish Head)
• Professor Gesser’s Mind Numbing Ale (Bluegrass Brewing Company)

All the beers were excellent. Some notes on specific beers:

• The Bar Harbor brews were a treat imported on the back of a pick-up truck from Maine. The Thunder Hole Ale would make a great session beer, if only one could get more of it round these parts.
• The Blue Goat Doppelbock really impressed the group. Great malt character, and the high alcohol was subdued.
• The Imperial Pumpkin Ale was a treat because several of us had tried it at the Boston’s Bistro tasting a week prior. I was really intrigued with the floral aroma.
• Prior to this evening’s festivities, I could have sworn I had tried the 120 Min IPA. After tasting it, I am certain I’ve never had it or anything like it. It was astounding! Very well-balanced. I’d love to drink more of this, if only we could get it regularly in Ohio
• Not technically a beer, but containing beer--at Jonathon’s suggestion, Nathan picked up a couple of pounds of the Cabot's Harpoon IPA cheese. It was a huge hit.

We had about 8-10 folks there, which is about the usual size. There were a lot of new folks this time around--I'm glad to see us outreach to folks with growing interests in craft beers. The next Beer Appreciation Night is set for sometime in December, but may not actually contain any beer. George and Shane are eager to host a bourbon night (and we are eager to attend).

Thanks again to Nathan for hosting, and for setting the bar so high!

Technorati Tags: beer, craft brew, Dayton, Ohio, tasting, Two Brothers, Bar Harbor, New Holland, Weyerbacher, Cabots, Harpoon, Bluegrass, Bell's, Flying Dog, Dogfish Head