BrewNost, Numblips!

"Welcome to BrewNost! An international beer tasting along the mighty Cedar River. Presented by Wells Fargo in partnership with John's Grocery to benefit the National Czech and Slovak Museum and Library. October 7, 2005."

I only tried 7 beers tonight... yet I'm having a very hard time typing. My lips are numb. Here is a list of my samples for the evening (rated on a star system 1 [*] through 4 [****]):
1. Herold Pivovar; Bohemian Black Lager - Dark brown to black, dense cream head, oily richness. Flavors reminiscent of bittersweet chocolate, with some sappy bitterness and a long, dry smoky finish. *** (Czech and Slovak Republics)
2. St Bernardus, Brouwerij; St. Bernardus ABT 12 - A deep caramel abbey ale, smooth, creamy and full bodied with big richness of texture that has a lingering mouthfeel and is very assertive, like a warming coconut brandy. ** (Belgium)
3. Dupont Brasserie; Saison Dupont - A classic Belgian farmhouse ale, a beautifully balanced, complex beer with refreshing fruitiness and long, dry finish. It is bottled unfiltered so it may be cloudy or have a slight sediment, but this is normal and perfectly natural. *** (Belgium)
4. Heller Brau - Trum K.G.; Schlenkerla Rauchbier UrBock - An unusual brew made entirely from smoked malt. This method imparts a strong smoked peaty dryness that creates the perfect accompaniment to rich German dishes. This beer is brewed each autumn for the Urbock-celebration at the Schlenkerla tavern in Bamberg. **** (Germany)
5. Harvery's & Son LTD.; A. Le Coq Imperial Extra Double Stout - Originally made by a Belgian, the brewer moved to England and started exporting his heavy stout to Imperial Russia, where it gained popularity with the Czar and the Imperial Court. Soon Russia became England's greatest market for beer. In the early twentieth century, high tariffs forced the brewery to move to modern day Estonia. Five years later, the Bolsheviks arrived and shut down the brewery. Fortunately, the recipe survived and now this "Baltic Porter" or Imperial Stout can be enjoyed once again. This nectar is a huge complex beer with deep roasty chocolate notes, which can be served with ice cream for an Imperial Float - try one! * (England) Note: I thought this tasted like a dry, effervescent, port wine.
6. Coopers Brewing LTD.; Pale Ale - Naturally fermented in the 'Burton-on-Trent' style, it also features a fine, cloudy residue which can be stirred through the beer by tipping the bottle before drinking. **** (Australia)
7. Schild Brau Amber - Millstream's most popular beer, this easy drinking German Marzen style beer is the best of all beer worlds. Caramel roasted malt is carefully balanced by German Hallertau finishing hops. *** (Iowa, USA)


Then - a la popular sit-com blunder - I bid on a silent auction item as a means to up the price. Of course, I ended up winning the prize at the end of the night. I won 2 tickets to see Tomas Kubinek - Certified Lunatic & Master of the Impossible: "between the unbelievably bad magic tricks, the chicken clucking, water-burbling, the hair standing on end, missing finger tricks, and absurd acrobatics, Kubinek deserves the title "Certified Lunatic." He also deserved the reaction from those members of the audience, who, had they not been so busy rolling around on the floor like mirthful marbles, would have applauded even louder and longer." Above-left is the print displayed with the bid sheet.