Tuesdays with Zeno

Phil and I decided to head out into the State College snow to Zeno's tonight.

Last Friday, owner Dave gave me a sample of Dogfish Head Red & White, a Belgian Wit brewed with coriander and orange, fermented with Pinot Noir juice, and aged in oak casks (89% of the batch) and Pinot barrels(the remaining 11%, then the batches are mixed). Needless to say I had to try this one again, a full 10 oz. pour, so I did tonight.

Poured a murky, orangish-amber -- quite cloudy-- with a half finger head into a globe glass. Smell: citrus, pleasantly sweet, a little typical Belgium ester essence. First taste: sweet, wow this is sweet, but not cloying. I could tell from the first sip that there's a lot going on. Sweetness fades into a little orangy citrus, other fruity/florally qualities: maybe pear? I let this sit and warm for a bit, and the head gave way to a nice outer ring with moderate lacing. This is a great beer to look at. As it warmed, I picked up a little more fruit (typical trippel-style tastes) and also some vanilla on the finish. Then some notes of Pinot began to appear as well. Overall quite tasty. The mix of oak aging and Pinot is really interesting, unique. And at 10 % this was dangerously drinkable. Glad to have tried it.

Sadly my next two didn't quite live up to the first, though they were both Pa. brews -- a real plus in my book -- and fairly tasty.

#2. East End Big Hop (draft), from the tiny East End Brewery in Pittsburgh.
Poured a dark reddish amber. A creamy 3/4 in. head with very tight carbonation. Another gem to look at. But the smell and flavor just aren't there. Frankly, there's not much aroma: faint citrus, a little sweet grain. First taste: astringent, slightly pineapple bitterness up front. I really wanted to like this more than I did. Very muted, subtle hop flavor with a malty, caramel finish. I could have a few, definitely, if in the right company. Nothing great, though.

#3. Otto's Spruce Creek Lager (draft), from Otto's Brewpub in State College
Wasn't sure what to expect here. Beer Advocate calls this a Vienna lager. I grew up stopping at Spruce Creek Tavern, home of the famous tray of fries, en route to Penn State games, though, so the name reached out to me. Poured a yellowish, apple cider amber. Minimal head, no lacing-- could be the glass. Smells grainy, sweet. First taste: a little malt, a little caramel, fades into grain. Very quaffable, but not great. Having drunk the first two, I can't do this beer its proper justice, so I'll just leave it at that.

Here's Phil's take:

Tonight was definitely fun. I got to try three different beers, all very unique and tasty in their own right. First up, Old Dominion Oak Barrel Stout (draft).

This beer poured a nice black color with a big, creamy head. The first smell you get from the beer is a dark chocolate with roasted malts. Not surprisingly, the beer tasted exactly how it smelled. It had an incredibly rich, creamy texture while tasting like dark chocolate. There was very slight bitter hops at the end but nothing overpowering. As the Stout warmed, it developed an almost milky vanilla, adding to the complexity.

The De Ranke XX Bitter (draft) was my second beer for the night-- completely different from the Old Dominion before it. It poured a golden color with a nice thick head; it was fit for a king. The beer gave off a unique minty aroma while also having hints of apple cider. The beer ended up tasting like the smell, almost a herbal medicine quality to it. This beer was also considerably more bitter than the Oak Barrel Stout. As it warmed though, the slight metallic bitterness eased up which helped its drinkability.

Finally, quite possibly the most interesting for last, Hair of the Dog Adam. Now, before I describe the beer, I should give you a little background. Hair of the Dog is a small brewery from Portland, OR. You should have seen the look on my face when I realized that Zeno's had a few bottles of their beer. You see, Hair of the Dog doesn't distribute outside the west coast and a few random places, so I was incredibly surprised to see it here. I figured that the only way Zeno's could have this beer was if one of the owners had gone to Oregon and brought some back. The bottle that was brought to me confirmed my suspicions: it was a bottle of Adambier from batch 63. The beer is currently around Batch 72 so by my calculations, the beer that I was holding was at least four years old. My mouth watered as I anticipated the opening of a bottle conditioned beer aged for a few years.

I was not to be disappointed.

Hair of the Dog Adam Batch 63 (bottle) has some of the most unique smells and tastes that I have ever had the pleasure to come across. This is not your "get drunk" beer (although it will get you close). This beer is very strong and was probably more then the original 10% abv when I drank it. This beer is something you have while relaxing by a fireplace and reading a book. It is akin to sipping on a fine cognac. The beer immediately hits your senses as you pour it into a glass. It has a very thick and sweet smell, almost like dried fruits. The beer has a nice dark color with a bubbly head that dissapears quickly. The taste is similar to what you smell. It is a mix of dried fruit sweetness, roasted malts and alcohol. Ryan even mentions that it reminds him of a chocolate cake with bacon bits that he had a chance to try at a local Austrian restaurant.

All in all, it was a good night with good beer. Remember, enjoy the beers you drink and don't be afraid to try something new every once in a while. There are so many different kinds of beer out there that it would be a shame to limit yourself to a few.