The Tipplers' Night In ... Review by Big Love

An outcome of being a procrastinator is that one often finds that one has the last word on a matter. This can be good or bad and, as it is unintentional, it rarely has any specific advantage. In this case, I find myself the fifth reviewer of the evening to register my thoughts, and, to tell you the truth (not that I would consider lying to any of you...really), I am unsure what I can add to the discussion. However, as a dedicated professional, I find myself compelled to at least try.

The evening featured a wide variety of styles and tastes. The 3 Monts was a great opener--the smell of apples and white grapes and the feel of champagne make drinking it very pleasant indeed. The Oro de Caladaza is a really odd beer, with complex Belgian-style yeast and a faint taste of sweet pickles (thanks for that, deebag). The Delerium Tremens had a lovely balance of sweet and sour, with a very short taste and virtually no aftertaste. The mahogany-hued Traquair House Ale brought out tastes of candy and caramel. I favour Traquair's Jacobite Ale slightly over this, but it is a wonderful beer nonetheless. The highlight of the evening for me was the Unibroue 17, which features a plethora of tastes--some spicy, some sweet, some savoury--which all slip out subtly from underneath a strong, sweet malt. The Goose Island Bourbon County Brand Stout was black, syrupy and almost impossibly sweet, with tastes of smoke, nuts, caramel and oak making it a truly complex brew. The Pike Tandem is a well balanced beer with a hint of fishiness. I was very intrigued by the Sara Buckwheat beer, which was, not surprisingly, very 'wheaty'. I flaked out after the Pelican Kiwanda Cream Ale, but not before marvelling at its bright, almost flourescent yellowness. It has a mild taste, but its subtleties (if indeed it has any) were lost on my well used palate by this point in the evening.

All in all, the event was a smashing success. It goes without saying, I suppose, that I very much look forward to part two...