Beer and Cheese, Part 2:
Second half! (I will review in order of cheeses and their beer pairings)


Boulevard Smokestack Series Nommo Dubel:   I’m being to have increasing faith in the Smokestack line from Boulevard.  Their willingness to make good beers that are just left of center appeals to all those timid but curious beer drinkers as well as the adventurous souls like us.  The beer pours a nice dark blonde with good clarity and a strong nose of spices with a bit of banana, a good and surprising combo.  The taste is slightly sweet but balanced by the malts in the beer which brings out a subtle banana and caramel flavoring.  A nice balance of flavors and carbonation, worth sampling if you ever get a chance. 

Paired with a Monte Veronese


Dogfish Head Black and Blue:  Come on, you know I had to have on DfH brew in this whole little experiment.  Going with one of their more fruity beers, the Black and Blue is a deceivingly delicious brew that made a some members of this little dinner skeptical about it; mainly fearing an overly sweet beer, I had to be the brave one this sampling by taking the first sip on the sample glass.  A traditional ale brewed with blackberries and blueberries, I was surprised how much of the flavor is left in the beer.  The beer pours an almost kool-aid like color being light purple in color and having a nose of berries and hops.  The taste is more blueberry than anything with only a slight hint of sweetness and a strong alcohol aftertaste (to be fair, the description on line does warn of this beer having a high ABV due to the yeast that are used in the fermentation process).  Another home run in my mind for DfH, though may not be in everyone’s wheelhouse.  This is available in Texas, you’ll just have to hunt for it. 

Paired with Smoked Gouda and Vella Mezzo Secco

He’brew Origin Pomegranate Ale:  I was really excited about this beer; I love anything made from pomegranates and a I love beer, what’s not to loose?  Well, flavor is one.  I went into dirink this beer with expectations of amazing beer and was met with something far less impressive.  The beer pours with a slight head (even in a small sample size) and is a slight reddish amber color with a nose of floral notes and fruit.  The taste is very much like a middle of the road amber ale with a hint of pom juice on the back end and the after taste, but that’s all, nothing else.  I’d avoid this one in the future if I were you.

Paired with Queso Al Pimenton

Ranger La Bestia Aimable:  Brewed and bottled out of Ranger Creek in San Antonio, we have to throw a bone to our state breweries on a night like this.  One of those beers that I bought because the label was interesting as well as the description having me hooked with claims of a nose of berry and fig with cinnamon, nutmeg and black pepper notes, how could I resist?  Throw in “rich, dark fruit flavors” to the taste and you have a super complex beer….which isn’t necessarily a good thing.  I found this beer to be a little to overwhelming with all they were trying to do with it.  I like my beers complex, but this was ridiculous.  My compatriots seemed to enjoy it a lot more than I, which I was okay with.  Not my cup of tea but maybe, for someone else, it would be the next great thing.

Paired with a Manchego

North Coast Old Rasputin Anniversary Ale: Our dessert beer.  Paired with a coconut milk dark chocolate ice cream, this was beyond awesome.  North Coast takes their already amazing Old Rasputin and ages it in bourbon barrels before bottling it (not sure how long it stays in those barrels, my guess is around a year).  This beer is just like the normal Rasputin beer, but with a nose of bourbon and a complex taste of chocolate and vanilla with a whiskey aftertaste.  Amazing beer, I have been watching like a hawk for this one to show up again, and if it does, I think I’ll invest in half a case.  Probably one of the best beer’s I’ve had all year.