BEER ???

John Wine Snob says:
How about a beer? Yes, I an a wine Snob, but I am visiting St. Louis which is beer country. So on a sweltering summer day sometimes  I just gotta have me a few cold ones. Back on the Augusta Wine Trail we stopped at one last place – The Augusta Brewery. It was there that we encountered The Mod Squad; one black, one white, one blonde. Aaahhh, refreshing. My choice was the vert oozy stout. Very nice coffee flavor. Companions had a very good herby pale ale and a blonde. It was all naturally blonde all the way down…..
Four stars on each of these quaffsJohn Wine Snob says:
How about a beer? Yes, I an a wine Snob, but I am visiting St. Louis which is beer country. So on a sweltering summer day sometimes  I just gotta have me a few cold ones. Back on the Augusta Wine Trail we stopped at one last place – The Augusta Brewery. It was there that we encountered The Mod Squad; one black, one white, one blonde. Aaahhh, refreshing. My choice was the vert oozy stout. Very nice coffee flavor. Companions had a very good herby pale ale and a blonde. It was all naturally blonde all the way down…..
Four stars on each of these quaffsYou know that someone was bound to ask us: Do you review beer..The answer is well…I guess once in awhile :

John Wine/Beer Snob says:

We review wines to be sure, but recently I received an e-mail from my wonderful  friend in England whom I have known for nearly thirty years. Rebecca and I taught together in Moscow and embarked on some incredibly insane adventures. She reminded me of her partiality to the ales so for her I decided to review two English ales and one Russian Porter.

The Hens Tooth ale began brewing in England in 1711.  As I started to pour the color struck me first. That beautiful rusty orange that is so typical of English ales is mesmerizing.  A pure clean head of ethereal froth topped it off and the aroma was earthy and nutty. I have spent my share of time in English pubs,s ot this instantly evoked all of those memories. Swallowing through the spongy head is always and adventure with English ales. There was a beautiful rich flavor with a slight tinge of sweetness that oozed from underneath. This is not a brew to be served terribly cold. Chill it to about 50 degrees Fahrenheit and have it with English Stilton as I did and you cannot go wrong.

Next I drank a Baltika. This is the beer brewed in St. Petersburg that I had become so enamored of, and with good reason. They make about 11, I believe, different beers ranging from a very pale ale to a rich Imperial  Stout. The Porter is just what one expects form a Russian beer. It is just all out no nonsense thick goodness. There is a very earthy flavor of forest floor fodder with a little strong coffee making an appearance. One of the things that I love about Russia is that beer is almost not even considered an alcoholic drink. It is a summer quaff which on a hot day is often drunk on the street.

Finally I tried a Samuel Smith’s ale. I have always liked their nut brown ale so this I knew would also be a winner. There is a bit more body to this beer than the Hen’s Tooth. Nor does it have the slight sweetness. It reminded me of the time in a London Pub when Rod Stewart’s brother saved me from a beating by his body guard after a less than pleasant discussion about the Falkland Island conflict.