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Friday, November 9, 2012

Flaming Heart Volume IV

In stock now and now online

Compass Box
Flaming Heart Vatted Malt Scotch Whisky...$79.99
"This is a whisky born of fire, yet one with a big heart. Share and enjoy."
John Glaser


"Flaming Heart is back. Every few years, when we have the appropriate combination of aged whiskies, we are able to blend and bottle a new edition of the award-winning Flaming Heart. This is our fourth. It is a big, smoky malt whisky with rich, concentrated vanilla and spice character. It is unlike any other whisky, owing to the combination of distillery whiskies we use and the variety and quality of the casks." - Compass Box

95-97 Points and $25

In stock at Forsyth



2010 Chapoutier Occultum Lapidem...$24.99
These Chapoutier wines are sometimes reviewed by my colleagues David Schildknect in his Languedoc-Roussillon report and Lisa Perrotti-Brown in her reviews of Australian wines, so I will just list the wines, my score, and the region from which they emerge. They are of very high quality and deserve readers’ attention. Hopefully my prose has convinced more than a handful of readers to try these remarkable wines from one of the most fascinating and compelling personalities in the entire wine world, and one dedicated to the highest quality.
Rated 95-97/100 Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate

Hoptimum on SALE!!!

The distributor wants to move the rest of their Hoptimum

Big Sale!
We will taste it tonight at Forsyth along with our other beer tasting...
Sierra Nevada Hoptimum....$5.99 / 4pk






A group of hop-heads and publicans challenged our Beer Camp brewers to push the extremes of whole-cone hop brewing. The result is this: a 100 IBU, whole-cone hurricane of flavor. Simply put —Hoptimum: the biggest whole-cone IPA we have ever produced. Aggressively hopped, dry-hopped, AND torpedoed with our exclusive new hop varieties for ultra-intense flavors and aromas.


Resinous "new-school" and exclusive hop varieties carry the bold and aromatic nose. The flavor follows the aroma with layers of aggressive hoppiness, featuring notes of grapefruit rind, rose, lilac, cedar, and tropical fruit—all culminating in a dry and lasting finish.
info from Sierra Nevada

We are expanding again....

PRESS RELEASE:

The Wine & Cheese Place Announces another expansion!

The Wine & Cheese Place is delighted to announce that it will be expanding its newest location at 457 N. New Ballas Road in Creve Coeur which originally opened June 1, 2011.  The store continues to exceed sales expectations, and as a result, we are expanding the current location by an additional 50%.    This will give us a chance to add over 1,200 more wines, hundreds more beers, plus more scotch, vodka, gin, bourbon, tequila, rum, cognac, armagnac,  accessories, gourmet food items -- more of everything!   We are very happy to offer our customers the best selection in the area and give them a one stop shopping experience.


Watch for the expansion grand opening in February 2013.

More about The Wine and Cheese Place
The Wine & Cheese Place, a St. Louis retailer since 1982, currently operates stores in Clayton, Rock Hill, Creve Coeur, and Chesterfield.   Celebrating thirty years in wine and cheese business, The Wine & Cheese Place has built a reputation for having the area’s best selection of wine and liquor, especially single-malt scotch and rare bourbon. In the past five years it has expanded its offerings of beer to become one of the largest in the area. Imported and domestic cheeses and salamis are all fresh-cut and the stores offer the only fresh-roasted nuts in St. Louis.


For more information contact
Amos Kedmey, Executive Vice President
The Wine & Cheese Place
314.962.8150
amos@wineandcheeseplace.com

or

Paul Hayden, manager
The Wine & Cheese Place
314.727.8788
paul@wineandcheeseplace.com

Thursday, November 8, 2012

Troubadour Westkust




Troubadour Westkust...$13.99 / 750ml
Imperial Black IPA
Troubadour 'Westkust' is a dark, almost black beer with 9.2% alc V / V with a hoppy aroma, roasted malt, coffee and light notes of chocolate and vanilla. The taste is a balance between the taste of roasted malt and coffee followed by a strong but pleasant bitterness that slowly gets the upper hand and ensures a long hoppy finish.

" In the Hop-museum at Poperinge, brewery "The Musketeers" from Ursel presented their new beer: ‘Troubadour Westkust'.  It's a dark, almost black beer of 9,2 % alc. with the aroma of hops, roasted malt, coffee and touches of chocolate and vanille. "The taste is a balance between the characteristics of roasted malt and coffee, and the strong but pleasant bitterness which gets more pronounced in a long nice hoppy finish" says Stefaan Soetemans of Brewery The Musketeers.
The name is of course referring to the Flemish West Coast, where in the cultivation of hops has been a tradition for centuries. "That's why we are also pleased to present our new beer in Popering. Because our "Troubadour Westkust" is produced with 100% Belgian West Coast hops", explains Stefaan.

Barrel Aged madness....

In stock now at Forsyth -- now online also




Hof Ten Dormaal took the same beer and aged it in 8 different barrels --
we have them all in stock...
(we have 12 bottles of each)

$17.99 / 750ml each

No.1 - Jenever Barrel
No.2 - Cognac Barrel
No.3 - Madeira Barrel
No.4 - Armagnac Barrel
No.5- Sherry Barrel
No.6 - Port Barrel
No. 7 - Ardbeg Scotch Barrel
No.8 - Sauternes Barrel


More info about each....

Brew nº1: Gin (jenever)
The first beer made in our new oak aged gamma has been aged on Belgian Gin barrels. The aroma searches a balance between caramel, toasted bread and some fruity aspects such as apricot and plum. Also there is some form of spices, tasted as pepper and safran. The taste itself is mainly exotic fruit flavours, cassis and caramel. We end with a pure beer taste with a royal dose of heating alcohol.
Barrels:
provenance: Distillery Filliers near Ghent (Belgium)
contained the 100% authentic gin for 5 years



Brew nº2: Cognac
This complex beer was brewed in cognac barrels that have contained cognac for at least 40 years. You will experience a mild alcohol aroma that is balanced by vanilla overtones coming from the wood and a fresh fruitiness reminiscent of apricots. The mouthfeel is velvety with flavors of honey coming through with every sip.
Barrels:
provenance: family distilery Clos de Nancrevant, situated in Chanier (France)
contained cognac for at least 40 years.



Brew nº3: Madeira
This beer is comparable with the beer aged in the Armagnac barrels, however the aroma is much more subtle. You can experience a mild alcoholic aroma, with a balanced flavour of vanilla, coming from the wood, and a fresh fruitiness reminiscent of apricot. Tasting this will give you a velvety taste, the honey like sweetness masks the degree of alcohol. The aftertaste is dominated by almond so the comparison with Amaretto isn't far away. In short, the perfect dessert beer!
Barrels:
provenance: Madeira (Portugal)


Brew nº4: Armagnac
Like you expect from a beer that has matured on an Armagnac barrel, the aroma after pouring out is intense, complex and alcoholic which can point out the robust character of this special beer. You can smell some caramel and some biscuit odors. These come from the different malts and by fermenting on the wooden barrels. All this can also be found in the taste with some subtle nutty flavours, especially almond. The sweet aftertaste reminds of truffle.
Barrels:
provenance: France - Domaine Marquestau
Contained Armagnac for over 30 years.


Brew nº5: Sherry
The different flavors of this beer are manifested in a sublime order to achieve a harmonious yet complex taste sensation. 
Besides the instantly recognizable dry sherry flavor there also is room for the fresh and spicy scents of vegetative raw celery and a green pepper character. This follows in subtle fruity aromas of peach and candied apricot, with an undertone of tea extracts. Finished with a nutty touch, reminiscent of broken walnuts. The mainly fresh flavors that make up the smell of the beer are masterfully supported by more robust flavors. In the flavor we can find the typical duality of balsamic, compromise between sweet and sour, and finally conclude with a notion of liquorice. But this story is not over; the aftertaste brings a perfect marriage between alcohol warming and soothing sweetness.
Barrels:
provenance: Spain - Jerez


Brew nº6: Port
The wonderful aroma of this beer is clearly indebted to the time that has matured in port casks. 
This manifests itself primarily in a well-balanced marriage of hand fruity notes of apricot and dried raisins, complemented by full-flavored caramel and honey accents and also a range of flavors from the wood. These can be divided into several, perfectly complementary fractions, from the resinous spiciness of green wood, a creamy center with hints of vanilla to the deep flavors of mature oak and dried tobacco. Towards the end, the intensity of the flavor is greatly increased by the presence of alcohol and impressions of solvent, which is especially the fruitiness benefits and reminiscent of apricot and fresh fig. This assembly is perfectly finished with a long lasting, slightly syrupy aftertaste that leaves barely resting on the palate.
Barrels:
provenance: Portugal


Brew nº7: Ardberg Whiskey
Subtlety is not exactly a feature that can be attributed to this beer, it immediately grabs you by the throat and shows that it was matured Ardbeg-barrels, a whiskey known and renowned for its stunning and intense peated aroma. 
This fragrance fills then your nose and leads you to a well-stocked cigar box from the finest cedar wood, with a mixture of allspice, nutmeg and ignited matches. The mouth feel is rich and syrupy reminiscent of molasses, with the warm benevolence of generous alcohol contained. After the oil and leathery base of the peat, combines the superb taste the sweet, fresh notes of dried fruit and apricot with the roundness of honey in the background complemented with impressions of malt vinegar and smoked salmon. The aftertaste is long and compelling, robust and overwhelming like the beer itself, definitely not for wimps!
Barrels:
provenance: Scotland


Brew nº8: Sauternes
A description of the delicate aroma resembles a journey through a tropical greenhouse, the floral and fruity scents, the taster induced response. 
Orange blossom, violets and honeysuckle go hand in hand with pear, peach, lime and mango. The complexity is complemented with notes of vanilla and clove and complemented by a notion of lavender. After this fresh bouquet comes the resounding of a pleasant and unexpected surprise. The onset of the beer is sweet and reminiscent of homemade marmalade, to be taken over by the alcohol and a refreshing spiciness consisting hints of fresh sage and anise. It is at this time that the vinous character of the beer reaches its fullness and this puts seemingly effortlessly into the aftertaste, which inevitably seems to be not to think of grapes, which proved that a successful marriage between wine and beer is certainly possible.
Barrels:
provenance: France








Wednesday, November 7, 2012

Manchego on sale!


On sale now! Come in for a free taste!  Try before you buy - as it always has been for 30 years at The Wine and Cheese Place

Aged Manchego.....$12.99
Manchego cheese is the most important and well-known sheep’s milk cheese in Spain. The shape of this cheese is very characteristic and defined, due to the traditional use of esparto grass molds which imprints a zigzag pattern along the side of the cheese. The small wooden boards used for pressing the cheese also imprints the typical wheat ear pattern on the top and bottom.

This rustic molds are used outside of La Mancha as well. Thus, there are other Spanish sheep's milk cheese with similar shape and markings, known commonly as "Manchego style" cheese.

The true Manchego cheese, however, is made only from whole milk of the Manchega sheep raised in the "La Mancha" region. This region is a vast high plateau, more than 600 meters above sea level, which extends from east to west and north to south, adjoining the provinces of Toledo, Cuenca, Ciudad Real and Albacete, all in the Castile-La Mancha Autonomous Region southeast of Madrid.

Manchego cheese has a long historic and literary tradition, as it was mentioned by Cervantes in the legendary "Don Quixote of La Mancha". Today, there are two types of Manchego cheese: the farmhouse type, made with unpasteurized sheep's milk and the industrial type, made with pasteurized milk.

In both cases, however, milk from Manchega sheep is the only type used and the cheese is produced in clearly defined homogenous surroundings of wheat fields, fallow land and brush fields. The climate is extreme continental with cold winters and hot summers.

Cheddar with caramelized onions




Somerdale English Cheese
English cheddar with caramelized onion, perfect for left over turkey sandwiches 

Come in for a free taste

Tuesday, November 6, 2012

Kasteel Cuvee de Chateau 2010



Kasteel Cuvee de Chateau 2010....$9.99
Rated 95/100 RateBeer

THE JEWEL IN THE CROWN
The Cuvée du Château is really the culmination of 20 years expertise. Both the flavor and the taste of the Cuvée du Château (11% alcohol) are those of a mature Dark Castle that 10 years in peace could evolve in our cellars. The elegant velvet maturity of the dark brown beer, with notes of roasted and caramelized malt, followed by a subtle bitterness of fine English hops in the finish, making this prestigious "ale" a top gourmet beer that even the most demanding chef will not leave indifferent.

THE BREWERY
The castle of Ingelmunster has its origins in the 11th century.Brewery Van Honsebrouck bought the castle in 1986 and spent 3 years later his first Kasteelbier on the market. It's 20 years experience with Dark Castle and brilliant brewer understanding of the family Van Honsebrouck that led to the new Cuvée du Château: an unrivaled dark beer, that immediately the top of the Castle Gamma forms.

Rare Oak Aged Quadruple

Aged for a year in oak....
Limited, we only have 6 bottles.
Straffe Hendrik Heritage 2011...$22.99 / 750ml
This Straffe Hendrik Heritage is a special version of the well- known Straffe Hendrik Quadruple. The dark and heavy beer is allowed to mature for more than a year in oak casks in the bre- wery’s cellars, which date back to the Middle Ages. This gives the beer a more complex taste. The tannins form a harmonious unity with the rich flavours of the special malts. Straffe Hendrik Heritage is a beer that can be kept for several years, during which time the taste will further evolve in the bottle. As it gets older, a hint of port or Madeira wine will become more evident.

New Lips of Faith



In stock now and also online

New Belgium Lips of Faith Collab Brewery Vivant....$11.99 / 22oz
"New Belgium and Michigan's own, Brewery Vivant, each stuck a hand in for this wonderful collaboration. A bright Biere de Garde with a pale copper sheen, this beer is brewed with pale malt, and some oats for creaminess. Hopped with Sorachi Ace to reinforce the citrus bite from the bergamont addition. The Brewery Vivant Collaboration is refreshing, and strong. A hint of clove from Vivant's house yeast brings a spicy bit to the extra dry finish. Enjoy with friends.





New Belgium Lips of Faith Imperial Coffee Chocolate Stout...$7.19 / 22oz
"A stout from New Belgium? You'd better believe it. This is dark and rich, strong and roasty, and packed with Fort Collins own, Cafe Richesse espresso. Brewed with roasted barley and midnight wheat, the extra dark color is partnered with a firm pillow of mocha colored head. This malty imperial stout is spiced with fair trade cocoa nibs after fermentation for a nice chocolate flavor, and the coffee brings a pick-me-up zing for a full bodied and bold addition to the Lips of Faith Series."






Left Hand Fade to Black Volume 4

In stock at Forsyth and Rock Hill and now online



Left Hand Fade To Black Volume 4....$9.99 / 6pk
"Fade to Black. That time of year when the light fades away. Brewed for the darkness, Fade to Black speaks in volumes. Welcome to Volume 4, the Beer pours pitch black with an off white head. Citrus (bergamot) and roast dominates the nose. Slight sweet malt gets pushed back by initial citrusy hops followed by powerful Italian Amaro, gentian and hop bitterness. Finishing with a pleasant duality of dry roasted malts and hop bitterness." -- brewery

Left Hand Nitro Milk Stout

In stock now at all four stores....also online


Left Hand Nitro Milk Stout...$9.99 / 6pk

TAKING AMERICA BACK.

Dark & delicious, America’s great milk stout will change your perception about what a stout can be.Pouring hard out of the bottle, Milk Stout Nitro cascades beautifully, building a tight, thick head like hard whipped cream. The aroma is of brown sugar and vanilla cream, with hints of roasted coffee. The pillowy head coats your upper lip and its creaminess entices your palate. Initial roasty, mocha flavors rise up, with slight hop & roast bitterness in the finish. The rest is pure bliss of milk chocolate fullness.

From STLHops.com - 

Harvest Dance is back!!!


Harvest Dance Wheat Wine new version in stock!!



Boulevard Smokestack Harvest Dance Wheat Wine
available online also


"There was three men come out o' the west their fortunes for to try,And these three men made a solemn vow, John Barleycorn must die,They ploughed, they sowed, they harrowed him in, throwed clods upon his head,'Til these three men were satisfied John Barleycorn was dead.
"This grim little verse belongs to one of the oldest of English folk tunes. It depicts the cultivation of barley as a series of abuses and indignities committed upon pour little John Barleycorn, who eventually triumphs, reborn as beer and whiskey. Our Harvest Dance Wheat Wine is a celebration of John's cousin wheat, the great staple crop of Middle America. Wheat wines are a somewhat recent stylistic development, akin to barleywines in strength, but brewed with a large portion of wheat malt, which provides a soft mouthfeel to balance the big body of these warming brews. We add a generous helping of Hallertau and Citra hops, and age the beer on both French and American oak, resulting in a beer that opens up with a warming burst of tropical fruit flavors, adding subtle Sauvignon Blanc notes before rounding slowly to a dry, oaky finish. This is a perfect beer for sharing with friends and family as we gather together for the fall and winter holidays. Pairs well with aged cheeses or seasonal squash and pumpkin dishes. And though it may appear that Miss Wheat is about to be cut down in her prime, have no fear: just pour a glass of Harvest Dance and you'll find she's alive and well."


Four Roses Small Batch 2012

Limited...SOLD OUT







Four Roses Small Batch 2012...$64.99
Our Master Distiller has hand selected four remarkable Bourbons from our 10 distinct Bourbon recipes to become our Four Roses Limited Edition Small Batch for 2012. The four Bourbons, perfectly aged between 11 and 17 years have been artfully mingled at barrel strength to create mellow flavors of orange peel and ripe red raspberries that melt into balanced tones of dark chocolate and caramel custard. These four Bourbons are married into one of the most alluring spirits we’ve ever made. Available September 2012.
Tasting Notes
Nose: Creamy vanilla and citrus with hints of all spice, nutmeg and rich pipe tobacco.
Palate: Orange peel and ripe red raspberries, dark chocolate and caramel custard.
Finish: Mellow finish with wisps of soft cedar and vanilla.
Recipe
OBSV -17 years
OBSV – 11 years
OBSK – 12 years
OESK – 12 years

Sour Beer with Lauren Salazar!!!! New Belgium

In stock now at Rock Hill and Forsyth

New Belgium Lips of Faith Collab Brewery Vivant....$11.99 / 22oz
New Belgium Lips of Faith Imperial Coffee Chocolate Stout...$7.19 / 22oz


Taste these tonight along with Lips of Faith Lost Abbey Collaboration and whatever surprises that Lauren Salazar brings from the brewery!!

The Wine and Cheese Place is proud to present...

Meet Lauren Salazar
Sour Beer and Lips of Faith Tasting
Open House - please join us and tell your friends to welcome this special guest to St. Louis

TONIGHT-  Tuesday November 6, 2012 --- 5-7pm

The Wine and Cheese Place
7435 Forsyth Blvd, Clayton MO 63105
314.727.8788
The event will feature Lauren Salazar, New Belgium’s Wood Beer Cellar Manager and Blender and all around Sour Beer Rock Star, and will provide customers an opportunity to sample some of New Belgium’s highly regarded sour beers, La Folie and Tart Lychee.   In addition, we will also hope to have available more from our Lips of Faith series of small-batch artisanal beers.  


We will be tasting the two new releases plus more....
Lips of Faith Imperial Coffee Chocolate Stout
Lips of Faith Collab with Brewery Vivant Biere de Garde




From New Belgiums Blog...


Dear Brewery Vivant,

Your're the best, I mean it. I wanted to take a few minutes and write you a letter expressing my adulation. So, here it is... When we first met it was magical. New Belgium was starting the Michigan roll out process and there you were, in an awesome, old funeral home in Grand Rapids. Your beers we great right away. We stopped by to say hello, drink a little, and it turned out that everybody inside the old funeral home (turned brewery) was awesome too. With wonderful and like-minded individuals such as yourselves it didn't take very long for the idea of a collaboration to come to the front. 

First was the beer brewed at your place, in Grand Rapids: Escoffier. A bretta beer with French chef-er-y roots, and a beer dinner that was 12 courses long. 12 courses! The highlights that I read just barely did it justice. And the few cans you sent me left me craving more (can you send more?). The beer is all over Michigan now, and the Chicagoland area too, but really, it should be world-wide.

Then, we met Brian and Jacob (brewer, and head brewer, respectively). These guys came to Fort Collins to brew the other version of the collaboration. They were beyond friendly and extremely knowledgable in beer, it was a real treat to talk to them. The beer they made here, with our brewers, is not Escoffier, it's something else, but amazing too. This half of the collaboration is a biere de garde, of the farmhouse family (as with Escoffier). It has bergamot, orange peel, and uses your house biere de garde yeast (oh, so yummy). The collaboration's bottle is a 22oz-er. In homage to you, Brewery Vivant, Jodi put somes roosters on it, it's spectacular. To the right is a very dramatic picture of a mocked up bottle (the real bottle will be silk screened (just like the rest of our Lips of Faith)). 

I am very excited to taste this next half of our beer relationship, it promises to be a real gem. Oh, and Brewery Vivant, this beer will be available through our distribution network in about a month (or so). Maybe you can come back to Colorado and we can drink both sides of this beer collaboration together, while sitting around a fire, and maybe we can share our feelings and more beers. That would be nice.
Until we meet again Brewery Vivant, I miss you...
Yours, 
-Juicebox



More on 
 Lauren Salazar
"Lauren is the Sensory Specialist and a Quality team member at New Belgium Brewing Company, where she has been employed for over eleven years and sensory-focused for over ten. She developed the sensory program from a basic production check to its present program and is responsible for all facets from design to implementation to re-engineering. Other areas of interest and fun at the brewery include brewery-wide flavor training, new product development, small/esoteric beer production and wood barrel project blender. Lauren is a judge at the World Beer Cup and Great American Beer Festival, has presented and taught short courses for the CBC, WBC, AHA, ASBC, MBAA and many others.

Salazar received her BSW from the University of Georgia a lifetime ago and holds a Certificate from UC Davis for Applied Sensory Science and Consumer Testing." -- New Belgium

Monday, November 5, 2012

Six Row/TWCP Buffalo Killer Release Party

We are proud to announce the 6th beer released as part of The Wine and Cheese Place Barrel Aged program...
Six Row Buffalo Killer Release Party!
Hosted by Evan Hiatt, brewmaster at Six Row.
November 16th from 6pm-7pm
SOLD OUT

  • Limited to 30 people 
  • To be held in our tasting bar at our Forsyth location in Clayton
  • $10 per person
  • Informal tasting of both the Killer Whale and Buffalo Killer
  • We also have some cheese out for sampling with the beers
  • Very informal, you will get both beers when you arrive and stay as long as you like
  • Plus we will have up to 2 bottles of the Buffalo Killer Ale reserved and available for you to purchase that night. 


  • Plus we will be featuring Six Row's "regular beers" at our normal Friday night tasting from 4-6pm that night also (Nov 16) with Alaina from Grey Eagle.  This is an open house format.



This one is Six Row's Killer Whale ageing in a Buffalo Trace Bourbon Barrel since June 11.   Resting comfortably in barrel for almost 6 months.   

Buffalo Killer is the Killer Whale aged in a Buffalo Trace Bourbon Barrel.
Six Row Killer Whale:
This is the Second Anniversary Beer for Six Row Brewing Company. We took our Whale, a longtime favorite, and beefed it up into it’s “Killer” status of what essentially amounts to a barley wine equivalent. Deliciously strong, fruity, and floral, this beer is not to be taken lightly.
(ABV: 9.0%, Bitterness Units: 62.8 IBUs)

Here are some more details for your reading pleasure about our other barrel aged beers - click here.

The Wine and Cheese Place Barrel Aged Program:
So far these beers have been released and sold out...
#1 Schlafly Bourbon Barrel Aged Quadrupel
#2 2nd Shift Bourbon Barrel Aged LSD
#3 Perennial Bourbon Barrel Aged Devil's Heart of Gold
#4 Charleville Bourbon Barrel Aged Hairy Cow
#5 4 Hands Brewing Bona Fide Barrel-Aged Stout