It’s Not the End of the World

Today seriously sucked. I will not be taking my engineering license exam after all.  All the preparation I put in was for not, as a former employer basically stabbed me in the back. I could let this ruin my day but instead I sought a solution. I grabbed some flowers for the wife, some tasty treats and a few frosty brews. 

Originally I had two beers on my mind, Three Philosophers and Anderson Valley’s 20th Anniversary. When I found the Three Philosophers I changed my mind, next to it was Ommegeddon, and the scorched earth bottle only seemed appropriate.

I got home, tossed the flowers in some water and went straight for my beer.  Ommegang is brewed by Moortgat, same brewers tat bring us Duvel.  The brew pours a cloudy gold color with a big pillowy head. There are huge amounts of carbonation and the head rises through the glass quickly, just like its more famous Belgian cousin.  The aroma is of alcohol, banana and bitter hops.  This brew is very similar to the Duvel in many ways. While the label lets you know this is a Brett beer, its not all that funky but has quite the tart finish with big grapefruit flavors coming through.  This beer reminds me of Houblon Chouffe with less hops.

I realize that this probably wasn’t the best choice, given my original choice of Three Philosophers as these beers are very different, so I set out for a replacement.  I wanted an Imperial Stout, something dark, something rich.  I walked the aisles of BevMo and my wife picked out a bottle of Unibroue’s Chambly Noire.

We had dinner plans, so this one had to wait.  This was OK, because BevMo doesn’t keep their beers cold.  When I got home, I went straight for the fridge.  With night having fallen long ago, this deep ruby red, near black brew was perfect given the setting.  The aroma is of dark ripe fruits, yeast and alcohol.  Surprisingly light on the palate, Noire is a little watery but with a nice subtle barnyard flavor to go with the dark sweet malts.  The finish is very clean for this dry dark ale and you’re left some clove and horsecollar funk.

So the day is coming to an end, and I really don’t feel that bad.  In case you’re wondering, I should be able to take my test in the Spring when it is offered again, so this isn’t a huge problem.  In the end, I think I made two poor decisions today.  I should have started with the Three Philosphers, but that wouldn’t have played into the post title.  Had I known the post title, I might have grabbed a different selection from Unibroue, possibly La Fin Du Monde.  Maybe next time.

Either way, the tasty brews did help get me back on track and get ready for a weekend of rest.