After last year's event, hubs and I were waiting quite a while for this year's Craft Beer Meal that Comes Before Lunch (CBMTCBL,) planned by the fine ladies & gents of Hoosier Beer Geek. This past Saturday, we made our way to Brugge with tickets in hand and stomachs ready for a what would be a great morning.
Here is a run down on the brews we got to sip:
New Albanian's Old Lightening Rod
A seasonal release, this is a smooth darker ale with molasses flavor. It was deliciously paired with a cheese from Goose the Market. The cheese was of a brie texture and taste, but very smooth. Creamy and buttery, it had been wrapped in wood, giving the rind a slight salty and earthy finish. I can picture the cheese oozing between the wood and huge grape leaves that were placed one on top and bottom. I apologize, being the cheese lover that I am, I really concentrated more on the cheese. But I can tell you that the beer complimented it well, not overpowering but cleansing the palate for each bite.
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| Black Coffee |
Brugge Black Coffee
Subtly sweet smell, also had a strong coffee backbone. Subtle chocolate taste to the palate.
Broad Ripple Brewpub ESB
Not carbonated like a standard ESB, but once warmed up a bit it was subtly bitter. A bit more hoppy than anything, but a decent brew.
Dogfish Head My Antonia
Sadly, Dogfish no longer sells their beer in Indiana. Which is unfortunate, because this was my first taste of this particular brew and I would love to try it again (and again...) A hoppy pilsner, I enjoyed how smooth it was. Very drinkable for being an Imperial - surprisingly refreshing for a hoppy beer.
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| Mmm...chocolate bacon... |
Sun King Baconator 2
Last year, we got to enjoy the original baconator beer, but this year, a slight twist was added. The bacon was infused with milk chocolate from Indy's Best Chocolate. So you had the sweetness taste from the chocolate, but a subtle smokey flavor from the bacon. It was very good - cheers Sun King!
Lafayette Brewing Bumpyface Agave Wheatwine
A thicker alcohol taste than I anticipated, and also more smooth. Not much of an opinion on this one, didn't really stand out to me or the hubs.
Schlafly Raspberry Coffee Stout
This may be my favorite of the day. It had a light raspberry smell, but a rich coffee flavor. It made me think of those chocolate covered raspberry jelly treats I ate as a child. But don't be thinking it was sweet, only subtle sweet because of the rich stout flavor. I really enjoyed it - and there is quite a story behind it involving a grocery store and how it is made just for them. Yum.
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| With poplar syrup addition |
Brugge Bad Kitty
We weren't originally going to be tasting this, but the scheduled woodruff wasn't delivered (it was stuck in Illinois somewhere). A sour beer, it wasn't something I loved at first sip, but this is because I'm not a sour beer fan. But, with a bit of their poplar syrup (which they mix in with their mustard normally...mmm...so good) added to the mix, it was pleasantly refreshing.
The food - oh yes, those frites that Brugge serves up. We were given three choices, and I got to taste a little bit of each due to some sharing friends (thank you friends!):
Steak & Eggs, served with frites. I've reviewed the steak & eggs
time and
time again and am happy to report it is still delish. For the first few bites, I thought my steak was over seasoned, but the more I ate, the more I disagreed with myself. Eggs were perfectly fried with a soft yolk for the frites and steak to soak up. And of course, the fantastic frites. I chose two different dipping sauces: hot curry and bleu cheese, this time around and both were phenomenal. Nom.
German Cheese & Meat Platter. Kyle had ordered this, and there was a variety of fruits, meats, cheeses and spreads. I nibbled on some dragon fruit, which was very bland and some mustard cheese. That cheese was fantastic, mustard seeds popping with each bite. Nom again.
Sweet Potato & Goat Cheese Crepes. If you know me, you know that I adore goat cheese and sweet potatoes and crepes are also ranked highly. But really, I just adore goat cheese. Unfortunately, I didn't order it. Fortunately, Kristin (my vegetarian, beer loving gal) did! My nibble was rich with earthy components, bursting with great herb flavor (thyme maybe?) The goat cheese was creamy, big dollops inside the thin crepe. Delish. If it wasn't for those frites, I would have ordered this hands down.
Another successful event, we had a great time with our friends while noshing on some treats and sipping some brews. Unfortunately, we had to take off rather quickly for another event that afternoon (more to come) so we missed out on the misc. tastes offered by HBG and their collection. But I'm sure it was a grand time.
Thank you HBG's for another great event, and the Brugge for being a fantastic host location. The servers, the cooks, and all those involved - cheers to all of you for a great morning. I look forward to next year's event (and word to the wise, if you missed out, make sure to your ticket early!)
