A co-worker who gets to drive a cop car called and said he had a delivery for me. Fine as long as it is not a summons, I thought. And lo and behold what were gifted me but a beer from the Basque area of France, bought by a pal of his when recently visiting St. Pierre and Miquelon, the tiny French province off Newfoundland. It cost 2.28 Euros for 330 ml at 5.5% and is from a small brewery called Akerbeltz, their amber or ambrée Gorrosta. Most neato of all is that no one has reviewed the beer on the Beer Advocate. Very interesting opportunity for me. Click on the picture for a close up of the label.
This well illustrates my policy on giving me things. You can. More when I open this.
Comments
Alan - October 4, 2005 6:21 PM
I finally opened this after a couple of weeks in the fridge to let it settle out. I think this had gone through a bit of an extended life on the shelf but as it was real ale - with a very large yeast deposit on the bottom of the bottle - all is well. It is fairly dry with a high carbonation level. A rocky lively off-white foam head sits over light to medium amber ale. There is not much to the taste, though it is a bit cidery and there is a bit of a rough edge hop showing up. I think I will let it warm up to see if more flavours come out.
Alan - October 4, 2005 6:43 PM
Later: very cidery, even vineous. It could be that the beer has eaten itself, taken all the residual sugars that an amber might have and eaten them in the bottle. There is a hoppy element to it and sourness from the yeast. Who knows? This beer is so far for me from any context this is what the Basques of France may like. It would certainly go well with seafood.