Comments on: SF Beer Week ’09 Open Thread for Wednesday

By: Jessica Yadegaran

Jessica Yadegaran — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 18:07:25 +0000

I know what you mean. The first time I experienced that rustic sour berry flavor was with a golden raspberry colored lambic I had at the Trappist when they first opened. It was the first time I’d tried a beer like that, and I had to do a double take (or sip). Really opened my palate.

I may be a grape girl, but I know I speak for all wine lovers (especially those that participate in large format tastings) when I say that I would not survive without the mouth-cleansing brightness of lower alcohol Belgian beauties. After a day at Premiere, the annual Napa Valley auction and schmooze fest, I would seriously turn down Screaming Eagle for a Stella. You look around and all these fancy pants winemakers are drinking Coronas. If they can’t find that, they’ll go for crisp Sauvignon Blanc.

Oh and Gail, thanks so much for the offer. What an honor to represent Bill! Unfortunately, that time for the beer judging on Sunday conflicts with another event. Hang in there everyone. I know he feels your energy and he’s going to recover!!!

By: Jim Smith

Jim Smith — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 00:54:21 +0000

Really wish I coulda been at either event last night but it’s sure tough on school nights…Told Vinnie on Saturday that Beatification 003 is absolutely extraordinary and perhaps even – THE BEST EVER (reflecting Gail’s comments in the post above) and I anxiously await the 004 batch down the road. Consecration is killer too. Still thinking positive thoughts about Bill and his road to recovery. To all of my fellow beer aficionados who all wish his presence for a toast again – Salud Bill!

By: Gail Williams

Gail Williams — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 23:56:40 +0000

Thanks for suggesting the community blog, Andrew. Maybe we can keep Bill’s spot all warm and welcoming for him.

Jessica, you will just love the cheese and beer event. I met Bill there for the first time a few years ago, actually, and had a lovely conversation with him. Some of the Sonoma cheese we had were totally awesome, and Rogue does some of their own cheeses too.

I was at Toronado for ‘tion night, too. (Russion River beers are named with words that end in ‘tion, from Damnation to Rejection (the annual black Belgian Valentine’s day beer!) The newest one, Mortification, is about the sneakiest beer I have ever had. It is 11% but tastes more like a lower-alcohol Belgian dubbel than a Quad. Though I suppose Quad is be definition a double dubbel, so I should not be surprised. It goes down scary-easy, and is sure to be a grand success.

However, sour beers fascinate me, so a retasting of the 20th Anniversary — aging gloriously with that wonderful touch of brown sugar malt in all that sour woodsy complexity — and the cherry finish of Supplication, which is all kinds of “rustic” sour until that fruit peaks out in the first part of the finish — plus the new Beatification which is either the Best Ever or I’m just falling in love more with the local micro organisms — OK, it was terrific. (I know Bill always writes for both fanatics and casual beer readsers, so if this “sour” talk seems really esoteric, looking up LAMBIC in Wikipedia can be helpful.)

As Darian has posted, we toasted Bill’s health. Thinking of him all the time.

I was expecting to taste with him Sunday at the Beer Judging 101 event. Jessica, perhaps you’d be able to take his spot? I’ll email you. Thanks for doing this.

By: Scott B.

Scott B. — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 23:26:04 +0000

I didn’t get around to trying the Mortification. Now I wish that I had. It took forever to order a round last night. I really enjoyed the Damnation Batch 23 though.

By: Shail

Shail — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 22:57:34 +0000

I have to agree with Darian 100%. The Mortification was excellent and the Consecration may be my new favorite RR brett beer. I got a chance to speak to Vinnie and his wife Natalie, both are just really nice people. I asked Vinnie about any plans to bottle Pliny the Younger, he said probably not. The production time and the concern that bars may serve PTY past expiration were the 2 main reasons why he doesn’t plan to bottle PTY. I respect a brewer who respects the quality of his/her product more than his/her sales. Cheers!

By: Jesse

Jesse — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 21:08:58 +0000

It was a great time – including a very nice toast for Bill. Pictures and a few tasting notes here:

http://beerandnosh.com/2009/02/sf-beer-week-russian-river-at-toronado/

For me, the real winner was Erudition, an aged Saison with Brett.

- Jesse

By: Darian

Darian — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 20:56:40 +0000

Was at Toronado last night – did not get to meet Vinnie, though. The place was mobbed but the Russian River beers were worth the wait. There were even a few bottles of Toronado’s 20th Anniversary Ale floating around. I have to say Mortification – the RR quad – is my new favorite. Consecration running a close second. We raised a toast in Bill’s honor last night.

By: Andrew Alden

Andrew Alden — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 20:24:34 +0000

Wish I could get out and see some of this. But Sierra Nevada ESB is a fine consolation, a real English whiff to it.

Get better, Bill.

By: Mario (Brewed For Thought)

Mario (Brewed For Thought) — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 19:13:06 +0000

Toasted William at the Sonoma Springs event at the Toad in the Hole. We’re all pulling for you Bill.

http://www.brewedforthought.com/?p=1047