New Beer Department in West County.

The Wine and Cheese Place in West County
Ballwin, MO 636-227-9001

(plus plenty of COLD beer now)
We have expanded our beer selection at our Ballwin location. Go in and check it out. New beers include:
Dieu de Ciel Peche Mortel
Avery (The Beast, Kaiser, 14er ESB, Red Point, Karma, IPA, Ellie's Brown, Collaboration, Salvation, Reverend, Hog Heaven)
Nogne (#100, IPA, Stout, Porter)
Mikkeller (Black Stout, Draft, Black Hole, Stateside IPA, All Others Pale)
Toren (Angelique, Jan de Lichte, Saison D'Erpe-Mere)
Nils Oscar (Kalasol, Barley Wine, IPA)
Brasserie de Franches Montagnes (Abbaye de Saint Bon Chien, Cuvee du 7eme, La Meule)
Bells Brewery (Two Heart, Oberon, Amber, Pale Ale, Stout, Porter, Third Coast)
De Molen (Rasputin, Storm & Averij)

and many others:
Westmalle, Leffe, Hoegaarden, Staropramen, Czechvar, Zatec, Grotten, Loterbol, Kasteel Rouge, La Senne, Chimay, Haandbryggeriet, Watou, Boulevard Smokestack, Odells, Left Hand, O'Fallon, Schlafly, Moosbacher, Unibroue, Hobgoblin, BrewDog, Paradox, Kronenbourg, Aecht, Schneider, Spaten, Weihenstephaner, Aventinus, Monschoff, Bitburger, Dinkel Acker, Baird, Meantime, Old Peculier, Ola Dubh, Belhaven, Skullsplitter, Belhavens, Macqueens Nessie, Rulles, Achel, Bear Republic, Maredsous, Alvinne, 't Smisje, Rochefort, Magners, Southern Tier, Grande Blanche, Rogue, Great Divide, Abita, and more....

The tiny De Molen brewery...since 2004

De Molen
SSS London Triple Stout...$15.99 / 25oz
This is a 1914, pre-World War I, recipe that they re-created from Whitbread brewing logs. A small production of only 696 bottles made that are able to age for 5 years.





Porter London Style ...$15.99 / 25oz
This is a also a 1914 pre-war recipe that was re-created from the Whitbread brewing logs. Read more about these beers on Ron Pattinson's blog.




Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout...$21.99 / 25oz btl
A very small production stout that comes in a vintage looking label and it is corked finished like Champange and then covered in black wax. Very nice packaging. The front label gives you all this information:

Handcrafted Beer
Brewed December 14, 2007
Bottled February 1, 2008
only 524 BOTTLES made and each bottle numbered
This beer can age for 25 years
--rated 96 percentiel on www.ratebeer.com
Rated "A-" by http://www.beeradvocate.com/



De Molen Storm & Avery...$15.99 / 25 oz
"Storm and Damage"(again, only 6 bottles available)
9.2% Alcohol. Made in small batches, only 650 bottles made each batch.This is their Imperial Double IPA.
Rated 94 percentile on www.ratebeer.com
Rated "A" on www.beeradvocate.com

De Molen Donder and Bliksem...$15.99 / 25oz
"Thunder & Lightning"
Doppelbock


De Molen Pek and Veren...$15.99 / 25oz
"Tar & Feathers"
Hand Crafted Dutch Smoked Stout






"Brouwerij de Molen is one of the top few breweries in the windmill country...The most notable beer of the bunch coming overseas is the Rasputin Imperial Stout. ..A few more notes on the beers. You won’t find a whole lot written about this brewery (in English, at least) outside of Pattinson’s blog. That’s because of two of the aforementioned beers were brewed to order for Pattinson, himself, who is quite into beer history: the Whitbread 1914 SSS (a “triple Stout”) and Porter, both based on recipes of the time (pre-WWI) before popularity in darker beers waned in London. Both appear to be limited bottlings as well. The other three beers are: Donder and Bliksem (means Thunder & Lightning in English), a pilsener; Storm & Averij (Storm & Damage), a double IPA; Pek & Veren (Tar & Feathers), a Smoked beer." -- http://www.beernews.org/

Very limited beers just arrived

These just arrived today at Forsyth...
more info when I get time...very limited and hard to get beers.

Left Hand Oktoberfest
Gouden Carolus Hopsinjoor
O'Fallon Pumpkin Ale
De Molen Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout (524 btls made)
De Molen SSS Triple Stout (696 bottles made)
De Molen Porter London Style (708 btls made)
De Molen Donder and Bliksem
De Molen Pek and Veren
Bieres 23 Ambree
Bieres 23 Biere de Mars
Haandbriggeriet Norse Dark Porter
Haandbriggeriet Haandbakk Sour Ale aged in Oak Batch 49
Haandbriggeriet IPA
Haandbriggeriet Dobbel Dram Double IPA
DeProeuf Flemish Primitive #4

Fresh Saison here...

Just in at Forsyth...

Schlafly Saison Ale...$7.79 / 6pk

Bottled on August 27th -- Super Fresh!

"A fruity Belgian ale. Amber in color and medium-bodied, this ale offers that familiar tart character contributed by the Belgian yeast." - Schlafly

Russian River Brewery - bad news.

We got a lot of requests for their beer...

FYI -- we have tried to get Russian River Brewing, but...

"Thanks for the e-mail, unfortunately we do not have plans to distribute Missouri, we are a very small company and can hardly keep up with the markets we are in now. Our plans are not to grow the company into a national brand, we'd much rather keep it on a smaller more manageable side." -- Vinnie Cilurzo, Brewer / Owner of Russian River Brewing

New beers in stock now!

O'Fallon Pumpkin Ale is in stock plus...

Schlafly Pumpkin Ale...$8.79 / 6pk
"A full-bodied, deep reddish amber beer made with pumpkin and butternut squash and spiced with nutmeg, clove and cinnamon. Celebrate the bounty of harvest with this rich, malty ale and invoke the season of plenty" -- Schlafly




Avery Kaiser Oktoberfest...$6.99 / 22oz
Beer Style: Imperial Oktoberfest Lager
"The Kaiser once said, "Give me a woman who loves beer and I will conquer the world." If the Kaiser and his significant other had tipped this bottle, we'd all be "sprechenden Deutsch!" We took all that is good in a traditional Oktoberfest - gorgeous, deep copper sheen, massive malty backbone and spicy, floral, pungent noble hops - then intensified each into this, an Imperial Oktoberfest." -- Avery Brewing






Avery The Beast...$7.99 / 12 oz
Batch #6 bottled 2008 (only 16.31% alcohol!)

Beer Style: Belgian Grand Cru
"The Beast is a seducer - accomodating, complicated, powerful, dark and created to last the ages. With a deep burgundy color and aromas of honey, nutmeg, mandarin orange and pineapple, this massive and challenging brew has flavors akin to a beautiful Carribean rum. Dates, plums, raisins and molasses are dominant in a rich vinous texture. Cellarable for 10+ years." -- Avery Brewing







Gouden Carolus Cuvee van de Keizer...$37.99 MAGNUM
Very limited double bottle 2008 vintage!
"The unique brewing of the Cuvee Van De Keizer, with only extra fine Belgian hops and with a higher alcohol level of 11%, guarantees this beer to age excellently over several years time with a complexity and intensity usually reserved for the finest of wines. Attesting to the innate mystery and intensity of a cellarable beer is tis brew's beautiful ruby brown, almost henna color. With a light-brown, velvety head and sweet, powerful notes of wood, yeast, and plums, the Cuvee suprises one's palate with subtle hints of caramel and even fresh green apples. Drinking a Cuvee Van De Keizer is a fully sensory experience, so be certain to breathe in its fruity, almost delicate aroma that complements a richly roasted malted, yet softly dense body. It's a truly sugary brew in every sense, errin on the natural, fresh and refreshing side of sweetness." -- importer

Hot new beer releases....

Mikkeller Black Hole Stout...$9.49 / pint
"An imperial stout brewed with: water, malt, roasted barley, flaked oats, dark cassanade, honey, hops, coffee, vanilla and ale yeast. Finally……! Black Hole is what Mikkeller is all about. Daring, vulgar and extreme. From the very beginning Mikkellers goal has been to push the limit and with this warming, intense imperial stout, a new chapter in the Danish beer history has been written. The high bitterness from the hops and the sweetness from the malt and alcohol, creates a good balance which makes Black Hole an explosion of nuances, but also leaves a feeling of a perfect and complex beer – in the heavyweight category." -- importer
If you have not tried any Mikkeller yet, you are missing out...delicious, delicious beers.
more beers from Mikkeller


Nogne # 100 Barley Wine Style Ale...$8.49 / pint
"Our 100th batch, brewed for the enjoyment of the brewers, but popular demand forced us to release it commercially. This malty, yet light bodied ale has a massive hop bitterness. Most enjoyable in a comfortable chair in front of a roaring fire. Recommended serving temperature 16°C/61°F Ingredients: Maris Otter, wheat, and chocolate malt; Columbus, Chinook, and Centennial hops; English ale yeast, and our local Grimstad water. " -- Nogne
other Nogne we have in stock




Brasserie Dieu du Ciel Peche Mortel..$4.99 / 11oz
Back in stock!
"The tiny ‘Dieu du Ciel!’ brew-pub, just at the edge of Montrèal's city center, has developed an incredible reputation and a devoted following in only a few short years. The young brewer, Jean-François, has never had any formal training as a brewer, but he is a natural, with superb skills and flawless instincts.‘Dieu du Ciel!’ is a common exclamation, meaning ‘God in Heaven!’ more or less, which is undoubtedly the most polite oath you are likely to hear in Montrèal – a city with a well-known penchant for turning religious sentiments into profanity." -- more info



Eisenbahn Vigorosa...$13.99 / 6pk
Unfiltered Wheat Doublebock

"Eisenbahn's Vigorosa is an effervescent unfiltered wheat double bock with notes of toasted whole-grain bread, bananas, and chocolate." -- importer


more beers from Eisenhahn

De Ranke Guldenberg...$12.99 / 25oz

"De Ranke beers are robust and flavorful and famous for their massive hoppiness. Made in small batches only on the weekends, they are quickly gaining a reputation as the best specialty beers of Belgium. A strong blonde ale of about 8.5% alc. by volume that claims vaguely to be an “abbey” beer, Guldenberg bears no resemblance whatsoever to any Tripel you may have sampled, except in color perhaps. It is very hoppy and malty (though not quite as assertive as De Ranke’s XX Bitter). A wine-loving friend of ours pronounced it “too good to be beer.” We’ll just say that Guldenberg shows just how good beer can be." -- importer

t'Smitsje Great Reserva...$5.69 / 11oz
Very limited-aged in scotch barrels.
"'tsmisje Kerst matured in Michel Couvreur’s whiskey barrels.Appearance: Excellent carbonation. nice head.Flavors: Rich flavours from fruit, woody hints of whisky.Finish: Very warming with a slight alcohol burn and very soft whiskey flavor." -- importer

Ridgeway Brewery
"It’s a sad tale, the closing of the venerable Brakspear brewery in Henley-on-Thames, where the most famous and surely the best Bitter in England has been made for centuries. The brewery, in operation since 1779, was sold off in 2002 in parts to make room for an upscale hotel, and everyone who worked there was let go, without so much as a by-your-leave. But for beer lovers, the closing was not a complete disaster. Thankfully, the master brewer at Brakspear, Peter Scholey, determined to strike out on his own. Peter has set up shop as Ridgeway Brewing, not so far from Henley, and already he’s putting out beers so good they could almost make you forget Brakspear altogether."

Foreign Export Stout...$5.29 / pint
"Ridgeway FES bottle matures ina similar way to vintage port. Roasted malts and leaf hops initially provide an aroma of breakfast coffee and fresh spices that gradually fades to reveal licorice, caramel and raisin notes that are products of the ageing process. Beneath all this change sits a a solid and resilient backbone of bitter English hop." -- Ridgeway

Bad King John English Black Ale...$5.29 / pint
"Bad King John is black...bitter...intense...like the ruthless man it honours. Do not come here looking for subtlety!" -- Ridgeway

Ivanhoe English Pale Ale...$5.29 / pint
"A beautiful, dark red, classic English ale from one of the U.K.’s most prolific and sought-after brewers. The idea, you see, was to make the most "English" beer you’ve ever tasted, and damn it, this ale hits the target. We’ll have none of your dreadfully over-hopped, thin, and drippy modern confections this time ‘round. Ivanhoe is the real thing." -- importer

Blue...$5.29 / pint
"Dinstintively hoppy, lively, refreshing. Blue is the first bottle conditioned ale brewed deliberately to taste great chilled. Try shared in two stemmed glasses to appreciate hop derived muscadet aromas." -- Ridgeway

New Absolut - limited production

Absolut Los Angeles
In stock now at all four stores.


A very limited release -- only 60 cases made it to St. Louis. This is the second "city" vodka release, the first was New Orleans.


"ABSOLUT® Los Angeles is a unique and innovative blend of flavors, just like the city itself. The aromaticblend of Acai, Acerola, Pomegranate, and Blueberry, is a nod to the city's trendy, environmentally forward,and health-conscious ideals. Like all ABSOLUT® Flavors, it is made with 100% natural ingredients, so try some of these delicious recipes and be one of the few who get to experience ABSOLUT® Los Angeles first-hand. " -- Absolut

Drink recipes


Absolut is donating $250,000 to Green Way LA.
more info about the charity


Vote for St. Louis as the next Absolut city...
Vote now

Most exciting beer release this year.

Norrebro Bryghus

Denmark
This is our first allocation of these beers including the very sought after collaboration with Dogfish Head. Dogfish Head is our most requested brewery that we still cannot get here in St. Louis, (we need to keep sending them emails to get them to distribute here). We also got a few others from Norrebro including their famous IPA, Barley Wine and Espresso Stout. These are very, very, very limited.
(currently only at Forsyth, call 314-727-8788 for availability)


Old Odense Ale....$13.99 / 20.3 oz - SOLD OUT!!
Collaboration with Dogfish Head
(we are limiting this one to 1 bottle per person to give more people a chance to taste it)
"(København, Denmark) - Delaware-based Dogfish Head posted a press release yesterday on its website detailing a new beer to come out on which it collaborated with Danish brewers, Norrebro Norrebro Bryghus. According to the release, the brew is based on a “15th century pre-hop era gruit ale recipe from the town of Odense [...] a delicate sweetness that balances the sour tartness, making it far more accessible than a Belgian lambic.” Dogfish Head notes that Old Odense Ale is being imported to the states through the Shelton Brothers.
Sam Calagione, DFH Founder and President, traveled to Denmark in early June of last year. There he met with friend and owner of Norrebro Bryghus, Anders Kissmeyer. They dug up an old recipe, Calagione brought over some family-made maple syrup, they added some local nature artifacts, and the rest is history. This may be the second history-themed beer for DFH to come out in August, the other being Dogfish Head Theobroma." -- http://www.beernews.org/

"Flash forward to 2008… the beer is ready to go and Anders is actually exporting some of this single-batch, limited edition brew to the United States! Old Odense Ale is available in the US through Shelton Brothers Importing of Belchertown, MA. Get in touch with them if you want to track some of it down!" -- Dogfish Head Brewery, 7/30/2008

La Granja Stout...$13.99 / 20.3oz

Stout brewed with coffee

"This 7.5 % ABV beer is based on an English Sweet Stout. Our version has been added a cold water extract of organic, Mexican, single estate espresso coffee beans. The result is a discreet but delicate coffee aroma blending in with the roasted aromas from the dark malts and the other spicy stout aromas. The taste is slightly sweet, medium bodied with a balanced bitterness and after palate." -- Norrebro

North Bridge Extreme....$13.99 / 20.3 oz

Imperial India Pale Ale

"...is a present from the brewers to Brew master Anders on the first anniversary of Nørrebro Bryghus. Inspired by the southwest Californian triple IPA’s, it is brewed with British ale malts, adjusted with several colour malts and spiced with extreme amounts of hops. A dark golden extremely bitter ale (9,5 % ABV) with a prominent hop aroma. Should be enjoyed as the final beer of the evening – Your taste buds can’t be used after drinking this ale!" -- Norrebro

"Norrebro Bryghus is most well-known for its North Bridge Extreme Double IPA." -- www.beernews.org

2006 Little Korkny Ale...$22.99 / 20.3oz

Barley-Wine Style Ale

"Little Korkny Ale - Nørrebro Bryghus first Barley Wine as the style is called. Full bodied ale made of Pale ale and Crystal malt among others. A strong 12.25% ABV beer, with a distinct sweetness and a well defines taste of cascade hops as well as a dash of plums and caramel." -- Brewery

Beer and Food

We have significantly expanded our beer departments in all of our stores. West County and Provisions Gourmet Market are still in progress, but I wanted to highlight a few of the favorite new beers. These are beers that you need to try if you have not yet. Beers that will change your view of what good beer can taste like. Our beer department is getting rave reviews, we now have people driving from 3 hours away to get some of these very hard to get beers. Many of these beers you do not find anywhere else.

Nogne from Norway

Nogne, which means "naked island", was started by two home brewers in Norway and they have started a brewing revolution in Norway. They started brewing in 2002, but their first shipment to the U.S. was not until 2006. We are proud to help introduce the beers to St. Louis and the midwest. I have really enjoyed everything from this brewery. All they make are bottle-conditioned ales. These are ales where more yeast is added to the bottle just before sealing. This starts the second fermentation in the bottle which gives it natural carbonation and also adds an extra layer of complexity and increases the shelf life considerably. Many bottle-conditioned ales can last for 10 years or more--don't try that with your "macro" lager.

Try their great Saison, IPA, Porter, and Imperial Stout
More info on Nogne

Haandbryggeriet "Hand Brewery"

This is a tiny brewer in Denmark that is run by only 4 people that hand bottle (hence the name) their whole production. As I mentioned, they are very small, they only bottle less than 300 cases per week! Their beers are very limited, very hard to get and well worth the search because they create some of the more original brews you can find. A new favorite with our customers is their Dark Force, they claim it is the ONLY stout made from wheat-Dark Force Double Extreme Imperial Wheat Stout. They also brew a great smoked beer that is worth a try called Norwegian Wood Smoked.

more info on these two Haandbryggeriet Beers

Beer and Food

Some people have made comments that some of these beers are more expensive ($6-$10/pint), but you need to look at beer more like wine. These beers are not brewed to drink a 12 pack while cutting the grass or at the baseball game. These beers are produced to be served at the dinner table, or to be shared with your friends to discuss them like wine. Beer is the new wine! Many craft brewers promote their beers with food, Jim Koch with Sam Adams, Garrett Oliver with Brooklyn Brewery, Nogne, Haandbryggeriet, and Mikkeller. In fact, I am reading a great book by Garrett Oliver that tells the history of beer and focuses on matching food and beer--The Brewmaster's Table.

Beer is not just for cutting the grass or with hamburgers and hot dogs anymore. Here are some recommendations on the brewers websites:

Haandbryggeriet Norwegian Wood:

Goes well with smoked or cured meat / serrano ham, cured sausage, roasted pork etc
Haandbryggeriet Dark Force:

Goes very well with sweet deserts and bitter chocolate or just nipping to it in front of the fireplace.

Nogne Saison:
Goes well with seafood, particularly oysters

Nogne Porter:

Try with dark chocolate, cheese, or red meat dishes

Nogne Imperial Stout:
Great with vanilla ice cream or dark chocolate.

Nogne IPA

Ideal with barbequed or smoked meat dishes.

Beer News!

Mikkeller All Others Pale...$8.49
"All Others Pale - as in 'All Others Pale By Comparison' - is our cheeky take on an American tradition, but naturally with a Danish touch. It is a well-balanced, light-bodied thirst quencer, perfect after a hard day's work or on hot summer days...but loads of fresh green hops and a subtle malty background make this pale ale the refreshing choice year 'round!" -- Mikkeller
Rated 94/100 Ratebeer.com
This is our first shipment of this beer from Mikkeller. Mikkeller continues to impress me, I have not found one of their beers that I do not like. I just wish we could get more.


.
Jenlain Printemps Bieres de Mars...$6.99 / 25oz
"Special beers for Spring are an old tradition among France’s famous farmhouse bière de garde breweries. Typically, the brewers offered their very best stuff in this season, usually under the name Bière de Mars (March beer), or, more recently, as Bière de Printemps – Spring Beer. In the days before refrigeration, farmer-brewers always brewed in the colder months to avoid problems with their yeasts, which tend to be rather cantankerous in the warmer weather. The first and best beers of the season were brewed in early winter, when cellars were coldest, using the freshly harvested malt and hops of the autumn just passed. This special beer was stored and re-fermented for two months or more, and offered for drinking in early Spring.
With relatively recent advances in technology, and following the ravages of two world wars, much has changed in French farmhouse brewing. Making beer is of course an all-year-round occupation now..." -- importer


Birrificio di Como Birolla Malthus...$12.99 / pint

Chestnut Ale:
Hops: Kent Goldings & Cascade
Malts: Pilsner , Pale, Caramalt, chocolate malt
"Malthus Birolla is a chestnut ale brewed with roasted chestnuts and honey harvested from local thorntree and chestnut trees. The roasted chestnuts are added to the wort and the thorntree honey & chestnut tree honey are added to maturation tank." -- importer


Other beer news:
Back in stock -
Hitachino White Ale 11oz and 25oz.
(the importer and distributor had been out)
Breckenridge Small Batch 471 Double Hopped IPA

Last call for the year on these seasonals...what is on the shelf is it...
Blue Moon Honeymoon (they are switching to Pumpkin)
Leinenkugels Summer Shandy
Last call on Unibroue 15 Anniversary - what is on the shelf is it.
Also...
we got in one more case of each at Forsyth of
Bells Java Stout and Sparkling Ale
(both retired by the Bell's, they are not being made anymore.)

Oktoberfests and Pumpkin ales are arriving already....
Weihenstephaner Festbier
Schlafly Oktoberfest
Spaten Oktoberfest
Southern Tier PumKing
Blue Moon Pumpkin
Sam Adams Oktoberfest
Becks Oktoberfest

Amazing Trappist tasting!

A very rare treat for beer geeks!
(Sold out already, Sorry!
We are taking a waiting list if there are any cancellations)
Trappist Ale Tasting
There are currently seven breweries that are allowed to have their products wear the Authentic Trappist Product logo.


Wednesday - September 24, 2008
6pm-8pm
We will taste beers from all 6 breweries available here!
Chimay - 2 of the 3
Orval - only 1 made
Rochefort - 2 of the 3 (not sure which yet)
Westmalle - both Dubbel and Tripel
Achel - Blonde and Bruin (we are trying to get the Trappist Extra in time)
Koningshoeven - probably Quad and Tripel
Price for the tasting is $25 / person

As a bonus I will bring the 7th Brewery not available for sale
Westvleteren Blonde, 8, and 12-- only available at the Brewery
(not available for sale, from my personal stash)



Reservations required. 314-727-8788
Payment required at time of reservation.
(Cancellation with full refund available up to 7 days before the tasting, no refund after that)

The tasting will be limited to 18 people -- 1.5 ounce pour of each beer.
(I only have 33oz each of the Westies)
We will be tasting out of Riedel Bordeaux glasses. Large bowl similar to a Trappist glass.


The Wine and Cheese Place
7435 Forsyth Blvd.
Clayton, MO 63105
In our tasting room.

Feel free to leave comments and suggestions on the tasting. I am still trying decide how many to do per flight and how to arrange the order of the beers.



There are only 7 breweries allowed to carry the Trappist logo
These criteria must be followed:
**The beer must be brewed within the walls of a Trappist abbey, by or under control of Trappist monks.


**The brewery, the choices of brewing, and the commercial orientations must obviously depend on the monastic community.


**The economic purpose of the brewery must be directed toward assistance and not toward financial profit.

This association has a legal standing, and its logo gives to the consumer some information and guarantees about the produce.(criteria from Wikipedia.com)

More exciting beers have arrived!

Many new beers have arrived, some are repeats of limited beers that we sold out of before.

Available at Forsyth and Rock Hill, unless noted. (ask at Rock Hill, they still might be in the boxes)

These beers are hard to get and very limited! Don't miss out.

De Molen Rasputin - (Forsyth only)

Just received a new batch. Only 380 bottles made. Limit 1 bottle per person.

(previous batch - sold out)

De Molen Storm & Averij

We just received another case.

Mikkeller It's Alive - new

Mikkeller Monks Brew - new

Mikkeller Draft Beer - more arrived

Mikkeller Black Stout 17.5% -- another case arrived

Mikkeller Stateside IPA - more arrived

Bieres-23 Biere de Mars - new

Cantillon Lou Pepe Gueze - new

Duyster's Loterbol Brown (750) - new

Only 60 cases imported to the U.S. each year

Duyster's Loterbol Blond

Duyster's production is only 650 cases total per year! Very hard to get!

Haandbryggeriet Dark Force

Double Extreme Imperial Wheat - more arrived

De Molen Brewery

Our second bottling has arrived of the two De Molen brews! Do not miss it this time!

De Molen Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout...$21.99 / 25oz btl
A very small production stout that comes in a vintage looking label and it is corked finished like Champange and then covered in black wax. Very nice packaging.

The front label gives you all this information:
Handcrafted Beer
Brewed May 15, 2008
Bottled June 3, 2008
only 380 BOTTLES made this batch and each bottle numbered
This beer can age for 25 years

We only have 6 bottles with bottle numbers #202, #217, #284, #355, #370, #371



"Commercial Description: Color 199.7 EBU, bitterness 81.7 EBU, OG 1102, FG 1026, hops are Premiant and Saaz. This beer is only brewed a couple of times each year. The 2007 version has 297 bottles (brewed March 17th 2007, bottled April 27th 2007). Best before 25 years after bottling." --rated 96 percentiel on www.ratebeer.com

"The most notable beer of the bunch coming overseas is the Rasputin Imperial Stout. According to British Guild of Beer Writer and beer blogger, Ron Pattinson, “[the brewer, Menno] brews it just once a year in very limited quantities. It’s wonderful stuff. You have about two weeks to get to Bodegraven, judging by the depleted shelves, if you want to try the 2007 vintage.” The label (see below) shows that the batch was only large enough to fit 499 bottles. It has not been confirmed whether all bottles will be hitting the states." -- http://www.beernews.org/

Rated "A-" by http://www.beeradvocate.com/



De Molen Storm & Avery...$15.99 / 25 oz
"Storm and Damage"
9.2% Alcohol.
Made in small batches, only 650 bottles made each time. This is their Imperial Double IPA. Rated 94 percentile on www.ratebeer.com

Rated "A" on www.beeradvocate.com

Bieres23 - Biere de Mars - France

Available online

Bières23 - Brasserie Artisanale
"Brewed by a cranky Englishman" -- brewer

Bieres23 Bier de Mars....$11.99
French Golden Farmhouse Ale
"Micro brewery in la Creuse, Limousin.
Welcome to Bières23, named to match the departmental number 23 of the Creuse. We are located in St. Etienne de Fursac, a small town that sits astride the river Gartempe, about ten kilometres south of the town of La Souterraine and within an hour of the spectacular city of Limoges.
Award Winning Beers
After many years of brewing award winning beers in England we have moved over to La Creuse in the beautiful Limousin region of France and created Bières23. As devotees of artisan brewing our aim at Bières23 is to produce both Continental and English style beers by the high fermentation method, using only the finest natural ingredients, water, malt, hops and yeast." -- brewery
Bieres23 website


A Little Bit About Us Here At Bières23
By John Davidson (Brew master)
"I taught myself brewing from books and asking questions. Like a lot of people I started with home brewing when my children were growing up. The next step was to learn more about the art of brewing, which enabled me to turn my hobby into a very successful business. My wife and I started Swale Brewery in Sittingbourne in 1995 and then moved to Grafty Green near Maidstone at the end of 2001. We exported our award winning beer to America, Sweden and Denmark."



Biere de Mars is a Saison/Farmhouse Ale

"Saisons are sturdy farmhouse ale that was traditionally brewed in the winter, to be consumed throughout the summer months. Not so long ago it was close to being an endangered style, but over recent years there's been a massive revival; especially in the US. This is a very complex style, many are very fruit in the aroma and flavor. Look for earthy yeast tones, mild to moderate tartness. Lot of spice and with a medium bitterness. They tend to be semi-dry with many only having touch of sweetness." -- http://www.beeradvocate.com/

Cantillon Lou Pepe

Cantillon Lou Pepe Geuze

2005 Vintage...$21.99 / 750ml

"The traditional Lambic is a beer whose spontaneous fermentation cannot be controlled entirely by the brewer. Due to the influence of many factors, the taste and the aromas of our product are different every time we brew.
In a lambic brewery, every bottling (about 50 each season at the Cantillon brewery) results in a beer with its own more or less complex taste. These differences are one of the characteristics of the Gueuze, Kriek or Framboise. The lambic beers are blended in order to neutralize these differences and to be able to offer our customers a beer with a harmonious taste the whole season through.

The Lou Pepe beers deviate from these principles. The Gueuze Lou Pepe is made with two years old lambic beers with a mellow taste, often coming from barrels in which only wine has been kept before. In July, the same kind of beer is used to make the Lou Pepe Kriek and Framboise. With these beers too, the fruits are soaked in barrels coming directly from Bordeaux.
The second fermentation of these particular beers is not caused by the addition of young lambic but of a sweet liquor. The yeast will transform the sugar in carbon dioxide. All the lambic beers which are used, are brewed in the same season and the use of liquor instead of young lambic makes the taste of the fruit more intense. The Kriek and the Rosé de Gambrinus contain 200 g of fruits per liter on an average, while the Lou Pepe beers contain about 300 g. This fruity taste, combined with the wine flavour coming from the Bordeaux barrels, distinguishes these special beers from the other Cantillon products.
The particular name of these beers comes from the south-west of France, a region the Cantillon family is very fond of. In this beautiful region, the grandfather is called Lou Pepe. To his grandchildren Florian, Simon, Louis and Sylvain, the master-brewer is the Lou Pepe of the North."

---brewery

Left Hand Twin Sisters

Left Hand Brewing Company
Their latest big beer series has arrived.

Twin Sisters Double IPA Ale....$10.99

Just arrived today at our Forsyth location.

"A literal hop farm with twice as much hops as most IPAs"

" For as long as people have inhabited Colorado's Front Range, the Twin Sisters have had a strong impact on Colorado residents. The views from atop the 11,428' peaks are breathtaking and afford sweeping views of the entirety of Rocky Mountain National Park. As an expression of admiration we have crafted an ale that exhibits a profound impact all its own. At 11428 IBU's (just kidding), Twin Sisters is a mountainous testament to hops, and that they bring. A feeling of ease and relaxation become apparent for all whom would dare to climb it. So for all that enjoy summiting ales with copious hops additions to achieve a felling of contentment and awe, we offer Twin Sisters Double IPA. Enjoy!" -- Left Hand

Weihenstephaner Fest Bier almost made it today. It will arrive on Tuesday of next week. It just missed the truck. It is in St. Louis, and we will taste it next Friday at Rock Hill and Clayton.