Day Three

Hey, my wife had a rare Sunday off, and you know, spending time with her seems more important than yet more Belgian beer, so.....

I finally arrive to find two Miller Lite-MILLER LITE, fer cryin' out loud--drinkers bogarting the spot I had used for the past two days, so in the interest of plugging in without creating a tripping hazard I'm behind the doormen's table next to the front window.... new photocopied/printed lists have replaced the now-fantasy-laden menus of two days ago.

Kasteel Rouge, on the new menu, kicks moments before I can order one for Jenny. In compensation, a full order Oude Beersel Framboise, apparently just put on a nitro tap to replace something else..... bright mahagony/red amber, tart nose, poor head retention, a very nice sweet-tart combo, sour raspberries against a somewhat gentle lambic backbone.

I'm not sure which thought is worse: Miller Lite drinkers here, or someone chugging Malheur 12 FROM THE BOTTLE. Am I sexist if I point out that all three in question are women?

Brewers Art La Petroleuse firkin (and they're tilting it to pour mine) 7.8%--okay, this is room temperature, but nice. Amber, a bit of sediment, nice funky flavor, pretty hard to pin down, just a good Biere de Garde.

Barkeep gets me while I'm still looking over the tap list for something I haven't had..... damn, usually I find a choice and wait 2-3 minutes to get waited on.... Achouffe Houblon Chouffe 9% double IPA--okay, it's getting hard for me to find something I haven't had before, if not almost "routinely" (and that speaks more for Max's than for my drinking)........ very pale, light haze, good HR, nice hoppy nose, terrific I2PA/Belgian flavor. This is what I imagine a Belgian imperial pils should taste like--it's restrained on malt and showcases the hops.

The crowd this afternoon seems a little lighter but a litter rowdier--seemingly too many habitual sports junkies and young pubcrawlers blundering into the event. The Daytona 500 started a few minutes ago, it seems. In this short time, no less than three patrons have walked out with cases of bottles/glasses. One said he was taking them to California for trading.

de Glazen Toren Canaster 9.5% Winter Scotch Ale, seemingly the only "Belgian Scotch" of the weekend: deep mahagony, nearly bright, thin nose, nice head retention. a bit cold, let me let this warm up a bit.

Meanwhile, some idiot raised his Miller Lite bottle into the overhead ceiling fan, sending it out of his hand and to the floor (spilled but in one piece). It's obviously the Lite/Smirnoff cooler drinkers that are the "problem" today; thankfully they're BADLY outnumbered. (^_^)

I just found the Legends rep, who allowed me to finish off a 750 of Orkney Dark Island Reserve 10%, sold only in Md., DC, and Portland, Oregon (30 cases total in USA): Dark as used motor oil, stupendous whisky/wood nose atop a Hardy's/Lees Harvest fruitcake..... oh, gad, forgive me but this is the best one of the weekend! luscious toffee/butterscotch lacing a big whisky-oaked big stout, laced with figs and dates.

Back to Canaster: nice and malty, rich balance of stone fruits in the flavor (or is that leftover Orkney?), less funky and more malty beer than most of today's oferings.