Columbia, MD October 17, 2018
It was Bell’s Brewery Pint Night at Frisco Tap House. Surprisingly, things were slow at our favorite watering hole – more fun for us.
Besides delicious world-class beer, we had long visits at our table from some of our favorite beer people: Frisco’s manager, Keith; Bell’s rep, Chris; and Steven of Bond Distributing.
I followed Steven’s recommendation and had Bell’s L’appel Du Vide Blackberry, an amazing sour ale. As my friends know, I’m stingy with my Untappd ratings and rarely give out “4s”. I gave L’appel Du Vide Blackberry a 4.25. Besides being really cool to say in a French accent, this wooden foeder-aged blackberry sour ale is complex, melding blackberry sweetness with just the right amount of wild tartness. Plus, it’s only 4% ABV! (BTW, I’m Brewer56 on Untappd.)
Thanks to dBear, we have a picture of this terrific ale. Also, note that Frisco has new 10-oz glassware. I like the new, lighter glasses. The old clunky goblets are heavy and not nearly as elegant.
Bell’s L’appel du Vide Blackberry, photo by dBearA touch of Kalamazoo comes to Columbia, MD. Bell’s Beer List:
| Ale | Style | Beer Advocate rating | ABV | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amber Ale | Amber or Red Ale | 3.84 | 5.8% | |
| Best Brown | Brown | 3.83 | 5.8% | |
| L'appel Du Vide Blackberry | Wild Ale | 4.18 | 4.0% | Wow! Foeder-aged. The blackberry sweetness balances the tartness. |
| Octoberfest | Octoberfest | 3.63 | 5.5% | Nice fest beer, not toasty |
| Special Double Cream Stout | Stout | 3.96 | 6.1% | Not a milk stout but sweet and roasty |
| Two Hearted Ale | IPA | 4.27 | 7% | Some might argue, the best beer in the US? |
| The Oracle | DIPA | 4.16 | 10% | |
| The Wild One | Wild Ale | 4.15 | 4.15% | A solid sour, also foeder-aged. |
I was surprised at their Double Cream Stout. I was expecting more milk or cream and less roasted flavors. Chris explained that no lactose was included in this sweet stout. The “cream” indicates the sweetness of this ale.
Quote of the night came from Frisco’s manager, Keith: “My check liver light just came on.” I’ll store that gem away for next Philly Beer Week.
And BTW, Frisco is launching the San Diego brewery, Modern Times, tonight. Don’t miss this brewery’s first visit to Maryland.
Cheers!
Warren
The Special Double Cream Stout sound delicious