Saturday Morning Round-up: Goose Island Night and Other Fine Tastings

Good morning, its time for the Saturday round-up. This is where I get to write about all the great stuff that happened over the past few days but I have yet to report on. Well there is lots to write about today so let's get started.
Goose Island Night was great, the Blind Tiger just manages to score some of the best and rarest kegs and this was no exception (Looking forward to VSK next Wednesday -- same place, same time). I started things off with an obvious choice of Bourbon County Stout 2008, which much to my expectation tasted very similar to the bottle. Do I dare say I actually like it in the bottle better? I do, I think it has a slightly more enjoyable carbonation for me, which I think more effectively coats your tongue. The draft has sort of a good almost sherryness to it, personifying a much more fruity than usual flavor, but with that signature toasted marshmallow finish that I love so much. But, I'll tell you what they don't have in the bottle, especially over here in the NYC area, is the Blue Czar, which was fantastic! This beer essentially seemed to be a version of the BCS but aged shorter and with the addition of...blueberries! This was excellent. When done right, fruit flavors are some of the greatest addition to the beefiest biggest imperial stouts out there. But done poorly to a weak and inappropriate stout can just end up in disaster... a Goose Island bourbon barrel aged stout certainly does not fall into this category. This beer took on an almost fluffiness and I really enjoyed how the blueberry flavors danced on my tongue in the lightest and most complex way. Other notable beers from the night included Pappy Van Sherry which was their Imperial Red Ale aged in Pappy Van Winkle Barrels. Somewhat disappointing....smelled like Pappy Van Winkle, a whiskey I love and is one of the highest regarded bourbons in the world, but flavor didn't do it for me. I love the taste of fresh hops and this beer possessed the opposite, sort of a sour cloying taste personified by stale hops. But hey this beer was good, I just had higher expectations. There were great flavors of dry butterscotch developing in this one.
The Goose Island night was a huge success and one in which I took great pride in participating in. I'm always excited to try the great beers of a brewery with an incredible reputation.
In other news, some more treats from the package will now be revealed.

Three Floyds Dreadnaught anybody? Surprised that was in the package? I'm not. This is considered one of the best American craft IPAs there are out there, and the beer does not disappoint. It pours with a cloudy golden orange body with a nice dissipating fluffy white head. This beer just smells hops in all varietals. Spicy, herbal, earthy, piney, fruity, citrusy...all the great flavors of hops. But the taste is the same thing. You get it all with a beautiful golden malt flavor backing it up and making this Imperial IPA what? Yes, balanced. Malt flavors draw a similarity to Dogfish Head, but never this smooth. It has this incredible carbonation that just puts everything in its place. Makes this monster smooth, and incredibly drinkable. It finishes clean and the palette, yearning for the next sip. It's a delicious beer of an incredibly rare nature, one that will certainly become a part of all future orders from Chicago.
Southern Tier recently came out with a run of Oak Aged Ales called the Cuvee series. Cuvee #1 is the first foray into this series. The packaging is beautiful. The individual boxing, the foil label. But most importantly, what does the beer taste like? Its a beer of incredible deception cloaked in the mystery of oak aging. This beer is a monster, at 11% ABV, it is huge, but you'd never know. Such is the nature of this oak aged beast. It tastes great, just incredibly smooth. Yes smooth, is the word I'd use to describe it. Not honey, not vanilla, not even fruity or spicy. Although this beer possesses all those flavors, the most dominant flavor is yes, smooth. Such is the nature of a beer that melds its flavors so well, that hides its alcohol as almost imperceptible. This is an incredibly complex piece of brewers art. Its slightly Belgiany, yes I just made that up, and I could go without that, but it works well here, balancing the honey malt flavors with a certain dry spiciness. It's a great beer and a definite adder to the cellar.

What Saturday treats await tonight's palette?