Im in.
Im in.
Okay, I'm going to get the ball rolling. I actually just reviewed this beer on my blog and think it will be a fun one to start off with. People on the west coast should be able to find it now, and it should be moving east over the next couple of weeks.
Ovila Saison
Produced by Sierra Nevada in collaboration with the monks of the Abbey of New Clairvaux
7% ABV
~$10/750ml bottle
Impression: A Southern CA orchard harvest.
Saison is my all-around favorite beer style and this is a great example of it. Saison is a traditional Belgian farmhouse style, and borders on having wild flavors.
Ovila Saison is golden rich and very earthy. Golden, orange marmalade, straw, and wood. It is a bit less wild than other Saisons, tasting like it came from a monastery more than a sweaty farm.
The thing that really impresses the heck out of me is that this beer seems to have a sense of terroir (to steal a wine term). It's a great example of a traditional Belgian style, but it somehow tastes Californian. It has those fun farm flavors, but they are the flavors of the CA valleys, not the fields of Belgium.
I think this may be the best Sierra Nevada beer that I've ever had.
Longer review on my blog at: http://brewercameron.wordpress.com/2011/07/24/ovila-saison/
:bump:
Rusted_Busted_Spit wrote: The only issue with craft beers is avaliablity.
The only issue with macrobrews is you berkeleyers aren't going to force me to drink any.
Josh wrote:Rusted_Busted_Spit wrote: The only issue with craft beers is avaliablity.The only issue with macrobrews is you berkeleyers aren't going to force me to drink any.
Seriously. Do people live somewhere (in North America) that they are not able to find Sierra Nevada or Sam Adams?
I've got the Sam Adams Summer Styles variety pack in the garage fridge.
The hint of jasmine in the East-West Kolsch brings back memories of my trips to Bali, Indonesia.
I'm not usually a fan of light crisp beers, but this is just so right on a hot Summer day.
So we done this or what?
I'll get a new beer over the weekend and post up.
Beer? It tastes like piss and doesn't give you a buzz unless you're a 12 year old girl. HTFU and drink yee some whiskey, homos.
I wouldn't know, I've never tried piss.
FlightService wrote: So we done this or what?
I think trying to get everyone to agree on and all buy the same beer at the same time is kind of herding cats. People just need to start getting some tasting notes up.
Right now we're starting with what people can find from Sierra Nevada and/or Sam Adams.
I've already got one review up. Get drinkin' and get postin'!
Salanis wrote:FlightService wrote: So we done this or what?I think trying to get everyone to agree on and all buy the same beer at the same time is kind of herding cats. People just need to start getting some tasting notes up. Right now we're starting with what people can find from Sierra Nevada and/or Sam Adams. I've already got one review up. Get drinkin' and get postin'!
IMHO, if we want this to happen, we need to:
A) Start a new thread (Just the reviews, not the debate)
B) Pick a particular Sam Adams beer (Sam Adams IS available just about everywhere)
C) Put a date on there to buy, drink, and review the beer by.
In any case, I'll have my beer review up by Tuesday.
I'm in, but I'm a creature of habit. I'm going to attempt to sample a random pick that someone else reviews and sample one of my own. I've been drinking a large amount of DFH lately, so I'll probably pick one of theirs first.
Derick Freese wrote: I'm in, but I'm a creature of habit. I'm going to attempt to sample a random pick that someone else reviews and sample one of my own. I've been drinking a large amount of DFH lately, so I'll probably pick one of theirs first.
Woot! I loves me some DFH.
I've been trying to find me some 120min, unsuccessfully. I'm enamored with Midas Touch and Festina Peche. Here's my review of the former: http://brewercameron.wordpress.com/2011/05/23/midas-touch/
Salanis wrote:Derick Freese wrote: I'm in, but I'm a creature of habit. I'm going to attempt to sample a random pick that someone else reviews and sample one of my own. I've been drinking a large amount of DFH lately, so I'll probably pick one of theirs first.Woot! I loves me some DFH. I've been trying to find me some 120min.
I don't think it will be available for a while, word has it they have had to dump the last two batches of it, one of them during the show on Discovery. I plan on touring the brewery sometime in the next few months and will ask about it and report back.
On the other hand, I am absolutely enamored with their ancient ales series. I haven't had a bad DFH beer yet, the only one I think I won't like is their famous pumpkin beer, but that is more my aversion to the style, not their particular offering.
flountown wrote: I haven't had a bad DFH beer yet, the only one I think I won't like is their famous pumpkin beer, but that is more my aversion to the style, not their particular offering.
I completely understand what you're saying. Almost all pumpkin beers I've had have sucked, and clearly been a case of trying to do something "festive" over something good.
I've had one or two GOOD pumpkin ales, and they were quite impressive. Definitely seasonal, but in the good way: like, during late fall a really thick, filling, slightly spicy beer is a really nice thing. I'm betting the DFH is in that later category and worth trying.
The only pumpkin beers I've ever had that are worth anything are DFH, Smuttynose, and maybe Heavy Seas Great Pumpkin. Shipyard Pumpkinhead (very popular locally) is flat out revolting.
Headed to Nashville tonight for Beerfest tomorrow.
Anyone else going?
I will be there at the Noon till 4 slot.
I remembered this thread when I saw one of the Ovila bottles today, and I brought it home, but whoops, the one I got was the Dubbel. Have you tried that one yet? Any thoughts? If I like it I'll give the Saison a chance when I find it :).
I have tried the Dubbel and I like it very much. I wasn't the only one who did either. A couple places around here had it on tap, but ran through it before I could get a chance to try it on draft.
As I recall, I found Ovilla Dubbel a nice take on the style. It was a drier and than I usually expect with some nice spicy notes and just a hint of alcohol warmth. Nice and aromatic.
Big advice drinking it: don't drink it super cold. The flavors will be a lot better if you let it warm up to like a cellar temperature.
Saison and Dubbel are fairly different styles. Saison has the color and body of like a Hefeweizen, Dubbel has the color and body of like a porter. They don't really have those flavors though. The Ovila Dubbel should give you a sense of quality, but not flavor of the Saison. The Saison is a way better beer for warm weather.
poopshovel wrote: Beer? It tastes like piss and doesn't give you a buzz unless you're a 12 year old girl. HTFU and drink yee some whiskey, homos.
In my mind, poopie, you're Ron Swanson.
You girls still writing the rules of the game, or is somebody ready to drink some beer?
I don't think rules are ever going to get written. I'm on to drinking. I'm just not posting a half dozen reviews before anyone else posts any.
Someone started a "Friday Afternoon Beer Review" thread... I say people need to just start posting reviews here.
When I said I have half a dozen ready to go... I mean it: http://brewercameron.wordpress.com/category/beer-reviews/
Midas Touch
Brewery: Dogfish Head
Style: Other… maybe Herb/Spice beer; A Beer/Wine/Mead brew
ABV: 9%
Impression: Like sitting in a caravan tent on a mountainside overlooking a windy, hot, spicy desert.
Description: This is a different beer. Along with the normal ingredients it’s brewed with muscat grapes, honey, and saffron and other spices from a recipe based on vessels discovered in the tomb of King Midas. Making this a sort of beer/wine/mead hybrid. The result is a dry incredibly flavorful and invigorating beverage. It’s a bit like a somewhat rowdy, dirty chardonnay.
Not an everyday beverage, but a very nice delicacy.
It would make a good indulgence at the end of a hot day, or paired with Mediterranean or Greek food like lamb, couscous, or falafel.
So are we allowed to discuss as well? When it comes to Midas Touch, it was my first experience with muscat grapes and I have to say they are my new favorite ingredient. They add an unexpected fresh crispness to the beer, that kind of feels like it balances the extra alcohol really well. I mean, I think it's the grapes, but I am not sure.
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