Merge pull request #29 from j031/fat-turkey-festival-post

Fat turkey festival post

Author: j031

_posts/2023-07-13-a-journey-through-time-with-20-years-of-bigfoot-barleywine.md

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+---
+title: "A Journey Through Time with 20 Years of Bigfoot Barleywine"
+date: "2023-07-13"
+tags: Barleywine Bigfoot Beer Vertical TravelReviews 
+layout: posts
+excerpt: "Have you ever wondered what it's like to taste the history of a beer in one sitting? We saved over 20 years of Bigfoot Barleywine to try."
+---
+
+Have you ever wondered what it's like to taste the history of a beer in one sitting? We saved over 20 years of Bigfoot Barleywine to try. 
+
+Nearly a decade ago, Patrick and I found ourselves at an unassuming charity auction during the UMMO (Upper Mississippi Mash Out) home brew competition. That night, destiny had a plan; a 12-year vertical collection of Sierra Nevada's Bigfoot Barleywine became Patrick's new treasure. 
+
+If you haven’t had a chance to try Sierra Nevada’s Bigfoot barleywine it is a rich and robust beer that can be aged for years. You can see what other folks think of the flavors by visiting sites like beer advocate, [https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/140/2671/](https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/140/2671/). 
+
+Fast-forward to July 13th, 2023, and what was once a simple homebrew judge training group evolved into "Style Busters," Patrick's monthly rare beer club. A group of friends dedicated to flavor appreciation and home brewing, this club served as the launchpad for our odyssey—into rare beer, verticals, and beer vacations.
+
+Picture an enchanting summer evening; the sky a brilliant tapestry of orange and blue, setting the stage for our liquid voyage through time. Not just a beer tasting, this was a gastronomic saga, pairing two decades of barleywine with a culinary collection of desserts, cakes, savory puff pastries, and cheeses.
+
+  
+
+The weeks leading up to the event were a scavenger hunt. We consulted experts, scoured recipe books, and even collaborated with a local bakery in West Allis to create bespoke treats with Bigfoot Barleywine 2023.
+
+## Beer Pairing Chart
+
+  
+
+|   |   |   |
+|---|---|---|
+|Food|Beer|Notes|
+|Chocolate & Chocolate Desserts|Older Barleywines|Rich malt complements chocolate|
+|Chocolate & Chocolate Desserts|Younger Barleywines|Sweetness from Chocolate balances the beers bitterness|
+|Cheeses|Younger Barleywines|Hoppy bitterness balances strong cheeses|
+|Pastries|Mixed Vintages|Sweet and savory elements work with complex beer flavors|
+
+  
+  
+
+[The Bread Pedalers](https://www.thebreadpedalers.com/) bespoke treats:
+
+- Flourless Chocolate Bundt Cake: A dark chocolate ganache drizzle flavored with the 2023 Big Foot Barley Wine.
+    
+- Pear Gorgonzola Puff Pastry: Filling and beer honey drizzle enhanced by the 2023 Big Foot Barley Wine.
+    
+- Beer Honeycomb Candy Toffee: This inventive dessert added a delightful crunch and was crafted to capture the aroma of the beer in the bubbles of the hard candy. It tasted bready and included the hoppy aroma of Big Foot 2023. But we had to watch our teeth as it was very sticky.
+    
+
+We also had homemade chocolate brownies and cake desserts. Some included walnuts, a good pairing for barleywine. 
+
+![A selection of desserts](/assets/img/20-year-bigfoot-barleywine-dessert-pairings.jpg)
+
+The dessert pairings
+
+We also had a selection of robust and funky cheese. There was a hearty discussion about where we found our pairings and how we decided on what to bring.
+
+![Selection of cheeses and crackers](/assets/img/20-year-bigfoot-barleywine-cheese-pairings.jpg)
+
+The Cheese & Crackers
+
+As we began popping open the first bottles we noticed something surprising. Before 2008, the bottles had twist off caps. This meant that the first 6 years were heavily oxidized and flat. The flavors changed substantially in 2008 with the first crown caps. We began to get some carbonation and the oxidation was significantly reduced. So more robust bread notes and lighter dark fruits. There was also more bitterness.
+
+It was surprising to see just how similar and stable the flavors were over long periods of time. According to my taste buds the sweet spot was 2016 - 2021 (2 to 8 years old). This allowed some of the strong resiny hops to mellow and blend with the malt. It also allowed some of the more complex malt flavors to develop.
+
+I enjoyed all of the pairings and learned that I won’t be drinking this fresh. I’ll always give it 2-5 years before opening and will probably do a more reasonable 3-5 year vertical, so I have more room to enjoy the pairings before I’m full.
+
+![Close up of bottls to show when the twist off caps were removed](/assets/img/20-year-bigfoot-barleywine-bottle-closeup.jpg)
+
+This wasn't merely a tasting; it was a story of homebrewing, friendships, and the search for flavor. When we sat down that evening, what unfolded was a decade in the making. A celebration of passion, craft, storytelling, and the bond forged through shared experiences.
+
+## Appendix of pairing notes
+
+These are some resources for tasting and pairing beer with food:
+
+- [https://www.brewersassociation.org/attachments/0000/2095/Beer_and_Food_Flyer_MDC.pdf](https://www.brewersassociation.org/attachments/0000/2095/Beer_and_Food_Flyer_MDC.pdf)
+    
+- [https://www.randymosher.com/Tasting-Beer](https://www.randymosher.com/Tasting-Beer)
+    
+
+## Appendix of flavor notes
+
+|   |   |   |   |   |
+|---|---|---|---|---|
+|2002|2003|2004|2005|2006|
+|- Carmel notes<br>    <br>- Rich<br>    <br>- Flat<br>    <br>- Oxidized<br>    <br>- Twist-off caps?|- Chocolatey<br>    <br>- Lower caramel<br>    <br>- Rich<br>    <br>- Flat<br>    <br>- Oxidized<br>    <br>- Twist-off Cap|Similar to 2003, no carbonation and oxidized malt notes|Similar to 2003, no carbonation and oxidized malt notes|Slight hops perhaps, still flat and oxidized.|
+|2007|2008|2009|2010|2011|
+|We are starting to get worried about how many of these have twist offs. <br><br>  <br><br>Slight hops but still mostly oxidized malt. Not horrible as it is rich and fruit like but not what I expected.|- Moderate low carbonation<br>    <br>- More hop flavors, resiny<br>    <br>- More bitter and less oxidation<br>    <br>- Still low bitterness but not sweet<br>    <br>- rich bread malt<br>    <br>- First year with crown caps! Finally some carbonation.|Similar to 2008|Similar to 2009|Starting to get more hoppy but still like 2008.|
+|2012|2013|2014|2015|2016|
+|Similar to 2011|Similar more hop falvor|Simlar to 2013|Bitterness is starting to get moderate. Still very rich and bready|- Malty bread like<br>    <br>- Resiny hops <br>    <br>- moderate bitterness|
+|2017|2018|2019|2020|2021|
+|Similar to 2016|Simlar to 2017|- Did not have|- Starting to get more bitter<br>    <br>- Resiny hop flavors are lighter|- moderate bitterness balanaced with malt<br>    <br>- Bready malt<br>    <br>- Resiny hops|
+|2022|2023||||
+|- Did not have|- Firm bitterness <br>    <br>- Lots of hop aroma<br>    <br>- Rich malt is low<br>    <br>- We used this for the honeycomb beer toffee candy||||

_posts/2024-10-17-Zymarium-Meadery-Orlando-Oct-2024.md

@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 ---
-title: "Zymarium Meadery Orlando - October Vampire Bar THemed Visit"
+title: "Zymarium Meadery Orlando - October Vampire Bar Themed Visit"
 date: "2024-10-17"
 tags: Meadery Orlando Travel Reviews Wine Halloween Honey
 layout: posts