Obama Celebration Beer!

Celebrating the inauguration of Obama? Drowning your sorrows as a member of the other wing of the Incumbent Party? Staying home because of slick roads? Or just in the mood to drink a new beer while people-watching?

The Belgian-tinged/owned Brewery Ommegang in New York State produced a new beer to celebrate the incoming (five hours to go and counting) president. They wanted to call it Obamagang, but the Powers That Be intervened. It's supposed to be a dark ale, between a porter and stout, with the faintest touch of cherry and chocolate, weighing in at 6.2%

Acording to brewery rep Larrt Bennett, it should be available beginning today/tonight at:
*Frisco Grille, Columbia
*Racers Cafe, Harford Road
*Mahaffey's, Canton
*Alonso's, Cold Spring Lane [huh?!? Since when have they been into craft beer?]
*and, of course, Max's Taphouse, Fells Point, where it's being tapped for the Tuesday night Beer Social @ 6 pm. (See you at the latter.)

UPDATE: Tasting notes: Dark for a porter, light for a stout; VERY dry and roasty--some would say slightly burnt coffee, others would say well-burned. A bit of subdued fruit teasing at the back of the palate, but mostly a well-roasted dark ale; give it long enough, and the char mellows, allowing the fruit and subtle chocolate to sneak out. More English than Belgian; if you're looking for Belgian funk, it isn't there.