Pater-Raccoon Lodge and Adventures in Home Zymurgy

My how the time flies. It's been almost two months since my last post. I'm trying really hard to do this more often...I just, you know, suck at it. Anyway...

A couple of weeks ago, I visited the Raccoon Lodge again. I enjoy this place quite a bit. I first discovered it one lovely (or not) day with a good friend. We drove around looking for a place to lament the marriage of a good friend to someone kind of awful. We succeeded admirably, found good beer, good food, and a pretty epic Bloody Mary. The onion rings are delish, and the beer is usually pretty good. The usual line up is good, and the ever-rotating cast of seasonals, small batches, and experiments is usually pretty good. I drank a couple of different IPAs that evening, but have chosen to tell you all about this other thing I drank. They call it "Pater" after some guy they know/knew. The menu said more about it, but I didn't write it down. It was described as an aged red ale, but tasted much more like a lambic. Here are the specs...

Name: Pater
ABV: 8.12% (how exact!)
IBU: 7
Style: Aged red. I guess.
Serving Vessel: Snifter. I think. Not quite sure of the name of this particular piece of glassware.

So apparently this bad boy was aged 12-18 months in oak and cherry barrels. The cherry was pretty prevalent, the oak less so. There were also a ton of other flavors going on, such as cinnamon, currant, and peppercorn. It was super tart. Like, super. I like this in small doses, and this was about all I could handle. It had a very acidic, balsamic vinegar sort of flavor to it. Pater is pretty complex. I like him, but I'm not sure I'd go for it again. I do appreciate the patience and craftsmanship that goes into things like this. It poured a dark ruby with a slight pink head. If there had been any more in the glass, I may not have finished it...the tartness was on the verge of overpowering. I did like the dryness of the finish though, it was almost like drinking a really dry champagne. On the whole though, I do think everyone should try a sour beer once in their life...it is a really interesting experience to say the least. The usually available Lindeman's varieties are good, but if you are lucky enough to find a craft sour, do go for it, even if it's only once.

A brief note about the latest homebrew:
Last Sunday a friend and I brewed a 5 gallon batch of a dry Irish/oatmeal stout hybrid. It is fermenting away happily, and has lots of stuff settling out (dead yeast cells, coffee grounds, hop residue, chocolate, etc.), which is good. We will rack at least twice before kegging next month, just in time for St. Patty's. Here is a photo to hold you over...haha. I'll report back in a few days (hopefully) once I have had a chance to give it a preliminary, uncarbonated taste.

That said, happy trails to all, and I hope to be better at this in the future. Really, I do.

J