"Research" at Estrella

As I said a couple of posts ago, I did not brew beer for Estrella this year. Because of this, I was worried that it was not going to be a good beer year. I did, however, bring some interesting beers, all of them imports.

Here is an inventory of what I brought:

• Cantillon Kriek
• Cantillon Classic Gueuze
• Vieille Provision Saison Dupont
• Weihenstephaner Korbinian Dopplebock
• Zatec
• Morland "Hen's Tooth" Bottle Conditioned English Ale
• Paulaner Octoberfest Marzen
• Samuel Smith's Oatmeal Stout
• Lindeman's Kriek
• Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier Urbock
  
• Czechvar
• Spaten Optimator
• Hoegaarden Witbier
• Young's Double Chocolate Stout

To be honest, in some ways it was better. Typically, I bring two or three kegs, which amounts to, not coincidentally, two or three types of beer. This year, I brought many many types of beer, from all over Europe. It was actually nice to have a variety.

Some of the beers are ones that I've been wanting to try for years, such a Cantillon, the master of Belgian lambics, and Schlenkerla Rauchbier, my first ever Bamberg smoked beer. It is funny: Though I've been wanting to try them for so long, both those beers were a great disappointment, though I'm glad a tried them. The rauchbier was terribly phenolic, from the smoke, I guess. And the lambic? Well, it tasted very sour, the same kind of sour that you get when you throw up a little in your mouth. Most of the other beers were big hits, however.

I chalk this year's Estrella up to "research."