Wednesday, March 26, 2014

Abbey Ale From Ommegang Brewing! So, How Does a 97 Beer Taste ????


Pretty Good!  It is no wonder that when beers score into the 90's,  they are going to be interesting at the very least.   "Good' is such a subjective term.  I mean,  if you do not like hot and spicy foods,  then there is probably nothing in the world that will get you to enjoy "Louisiana Spicy HOT Curry Chili."  ( Does anything like that even exist?)  By the same token, if you do not like dark beer,  there is a good chance you will not be impressed with a dark beer that is the top of is class. 
That being said, this beer was quite enjoyable.   And not in a "it is interesting, but I would not want to drink it everyday" kind of way.  This beer is VERY drinkable!   How would I define it?   Hmmm.   It is like a faint smell of a pleasant perfume on the air that reminds you of something....but then drifts away as if it was never there.   A gentle Zephyr that you chase but can never seem to catch.  Yet you continue to chase after it hoping you can catch it this time.
The flavor was like that:  Tough to nail down exactly, but crisp and clean enough to make me want to chase it.   Several times I thought it tasted like a smooth aftertaste of Hershey Milk chocolate.  Other times it had a gentle citric taste like 7UP.  According to the label, it had a "Malty" taste that was "rich".  I guess so.   I'm not sure what malt actually tastes like except from those days in my youth when dad would take us to a corner drug store and we would get a chocolate malt milk shake.   That should tell you something because I have not experienced that since I was in Grade School!  ( Think "Happy Days"  and "Grease")  I wonder when it was that they stopped having ice cream /shake stands in the corner drug store? 
Anyway, before I get to far off topic,   I would recommend this beer.  We were forced to buy the "wine bottle" version because they did not have the standard 4 pack we had been purchasing.   It was ok though,  we felt as if we were actually drinking a fine wine.  Although I have never had a wine that tastes that smooth and crisp and clean with hints of Chocolate and Sprite.  ( Maybe there is a wine that hits those notes, but wine can never be beer and vice versa.) 
As for the appetizers  we tried with it:   Gouda cheese, Kerry Gold cheese, pretzel chips and sesame crackers.  we also had a Rhubarb Tart that was AWESOME with the beer.   The Label suggested trying it with anything, but especially desserts.   The sweet from the rhubarb really brought out the Chocolate note, ( my opinion) perhaps because the tart was smoothly sweet instead of Sour or "tart" ( no pun intended)

So..If you are looking for a special event beer or just something to try that is new and interesting, I would recommend this beer.  So far, this brewing company had entertained Cheryl and myself  with ALL of their award winning beers.  However,  I think this is my favorite so far. 

Even though it scored lower on the scale than some of the others,  To ME...It hits the notes I like the best.   And isn't that what it is all about after all is said and done?  It's the Beer YOU like instead of the ones that the Judges think is the best.  I'm sure the score is the "How many notes and flavors can we find in this beer" instead of "this is the BEST BEER EVER!"   One man's wine is another man's swamp water....it is all up to the individual.

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