LIPS OF FAITH
James Harrington is all smiles about the three new “Lips of Faith” series bombers from New Belgium that arrived in Prairie Village this week.
Starting with the Dunkel Weiss, this beer was envisioned by one of New Belgium’s brewmasters as a Dunkelweiss rediscovering a Hefeweissbier through a Belgian brewer’s lens. It opens with sweet clove, chocolate and banana notes that give way to a warm finish with a peppery tingle across the palate.
The 2011 La Folie Wood-Aged Sour Brown Ale is a Flanders-style brown ale that was fermented 1 to 3 years in French Oak before being bottled. This beer offers sour apple notes with a dry effervescence and earthy undertones.
Le Terroir is a dry hopped sour ale with flavors of peach and mango from the Amarillo hops. The name refers to the environmental conditions that affect the brew…the terroir of New Belgium; the wood barrels, temperatures, humidity and vibrations.
Updated March 25, 2011 4:50 pm CDT
 EMILY & JAMES' WINE REVIEW
By Emily & James Harrington *
Pine Ridge
Chenin Blanc- Viognier
2009 California
What began as an experimental blend for this well-known Napa Winery has become one of the brand's most beloved and most highly-regarded wines. This intriguing blend starts with Chenin Blanc, a white grape variety hailing from France's Loire Valley, where it is most commonly seen as Vouvray or Savenierres. It is a grape variety rarely seen as a varietal bottling in the U.S., but quality plantings in California's Dry Creek Valley have made this alternative white varietal more visible on wine shelves in recent years. Viognier makes up about 20% of the blend. This Southern French variety is an interesting one that exhibits ripe peach and apricot flavors with an irresistable floral quality, also contributing more body and viscocity to the wine. Harvested from the warm Lodi appellation in California, the Viognier really helps to make this wine more fleshy and well-rounded. These are two of Emily's favorite white grape varieties, so it is great to see them together in a way that is well-balanced and exhibits the great qualities that each grape has to offer. The Chenin Blanc comes through in the melon and pear flavors, while the Viognier gives great aromas of white peach and faint honeysuckle. This is a spot-on pairing with seared scallops or crab, but will also pair well with milder cheeses like Havarti or Manchego. For you ratings hounds, this wine has 5 years of high accolades, with this vintage receiving 90 points from Robert Parker!
*Both James, a member of our Prairie Village team, and Emily, who is on the staff in Lenexa, are Certified Sommeliers as recognized by the Court of Master Sommeliers
Updated March 11, 2011 8:35 pm CST
KIM'S BEER REVIEW
 By Kim Funari
Bridgeport Café Negro
Coffee Infused Porter
Style: American Porter
ABV: 5.5%
IBU: 30
This is a great dark beer, medium-bodied and laced with the flavor of freshly-roasted coffee. For the connoiseurs, the coffee flavor in this particular beer runs towards coffee
beans (think chocolate-covered espresso beans, sans chocolate), rather than the more clearly mocha flavors typical in most coffee-infused beers.
This beer has more than just coffee flavors, however. The malts carry a strong roasted flavor with a touch of sweetness, and there's a soft hint of bitterness from the hops. Altogether, this beer has an excellent balance of flavors, which, combined with a silky-smooth mouthfeel, make for a great drinking experience.
Fans of the Schlafly Coffee Stout and the Dieu du Ciel Péché Mortel should be sure to give this beer a try. It's creamy and warming on a cold rainy night.
Fair warning: the caffeine in the coffee does, in fact, work.
Updated March 8, 2011 7:15 pm CST
 KIM'S BEER REVIEW
By Kim Funari
Bridgeport Kingpin Double Red Ale
Style: American Double Red/Amber Ale
ABV: 7.2%
IBU: 65
Bridgeport Brewing Co., out of Portland, Oregon, is best known for its IPA, which has won a slew of awards for its bright floral-citrus character and sturdy malt backbone. The Kingpin is one of this brewery's newest beers, a fantatsic red ale out just in time for St.
Patrick's Day.
This beer pours a bright copper-red color with a bit of foamy, cream-colored head on top. The smell is predominantly sweet malts with just a hint of herbal bitterness on top.
Flavor-wise, this beer is a balanced combination caramel and biscuit-y type malts and a piney, herbal hop bite. The hops don't create a strongly bitter flavor so much as they lend a sharp mouthfeel to the ale - a good, sharp hop bite is my favorite calling card in a red ale, and I enjoyed it here. The mouthfeel is the highlight of this beer: the sharpness of the hops comes in combination with a rich, thick feeling from the malts and the high alcohol content. The combination of textures is complex and satisfying.
Overall, this is a great strong beer with enough alcohol for colder nights and enough hoppiness to bring in the warmer days. Fans of amber and red ales should definitely give this a try.
Updated March 1, 2011 7:15 pm CST |
