On Saturday, November 15th I joined my brothers at a beer tasting at the Society Room, a well-appointed shebeen in Hartford, CT in honor of my brother Chris's birthday. It was a fantastic opportunity to hang out with my bros, talk beer with pros, and--naturally--sample the suds. All of the big craft breweries were represented, along with quite a few small Massachusetts, Connecticut and even Westchester (New York) breweries. Despite strong showings from the likes of Dogfish Head's Pangaea (sweet, a hint of cinnamon), Blue Point brewery's Winter Ale (a healthy Scotch ale), and Sierra Nevada's Harvest Ale (an English-style ale with a soothing earthiness), my hands-down favorites were pretty much the entire Victory line. Specifically, I tried the Prima Pils (pils is a stretch here--it's too rich and hoppy, but tasty nonetheless), the Golden Monkey (the quintessential Belgian abbey ale--rom a US brewery!),
Hopdevil (the name says it all) and the Storm King Stout (bitter chocolate and rich coffee).
I must give the hugest honorable mention, though to everything from Schmaltz Brewery, particularly their Coney Island Albino Python. This beer was literally like no other I have ever tasted, not least because it incorporates fennel and ginger into the brewing process.
