Our March 2019 meeting was not the first one hosted by Eric and Jessica Sforza and The Cutest Puppy On Four Legs ™. But it was the first hosted in The Love Shack, their renovated home office party room pub in the back yard. It will not be the last.
First, the space is simply awesome. Everyone (except the Sforzas) felt more than a twinge of envy surveying the wood paneling, 6-tap bar, timber-framed hearth, Vermont Castings wood stove, and comfy furniture. I’m sure there were a few discussions later that evening about transforming similar structures at other homes. But it would be very hard to equal what the Sforzas have done with that space.
Second, the bar is amazing. Beautiful reclaimed wood. Numerous taps. A beer engine. Tasting glasses. A glass rinser. Yeah, a real one. The amount of joy provided by that rinser was just a bit obscene. (We’re all going to look at Pierre a little differently from now on.)
Third, the food was over the top. Homemade sourdough. Many cheeses. And homemade cookies bearing the host’s own face. (For real.)
Fourth, the puppy. They don’t come any cuter.
And finally, the host’s own beer, mead, and cider. Which was all fantastic.
We dispensed with formal judging for this meeting and just sampled. There was a HUGE variety of entries across the range of beer, mead, and cider. Some commercial. Most homebrew. Almost all excellent. (My mead was a rare clunker.) Notes below.
So, an enormous “thank you” to the Sforzas! We will be back!
Tasting notes. I actually think I’m missing a few. I know I’m missing my own mead (which was bad anyway). And they were still pouring when I had to leave. But this is most of it:
- Jaime’s Orange Blossom Mead. Still, semi-sweet, 9%. LOTS of citrus, good acid, slightly petillant, hint of vanilla. Young (3 months). Made with Wyeast cider yeast(?)
- Eric’s Pyment. Still, dry, sack (18%). Made with 9lbs Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon grapes. Left on skins for months. Pink/red, hazy, very floral, hint of vanilla, bone dry, a touch too tannic, some peppery alcohol. Could benefit from a little backsweetening.
- Eric and Andy’s Acerglin (maple syrup mead). Still, standard strength. Made with maple sap and syrup. Blend of two fermentations. With vanilla and oak.
- Pierre’s Traditional Mead. Still, sack. Wildflower honey. A bit boozy and solventy, some apple notes, a little fusel, good acid/tannin balance, crystal clear. 3 years old.
- Pierre’s Cyser. Still, standard strength. NY juice and Costco honey. Hazy, sweet, tastes like plums and apples, tangy acid, balanced. 6 months old.
- Mara’s Cider. Backyard pressing with natural yeast and Brett. From 2015. Super funky, very acidic, briny, bone dry.
- Eric’s Cider. Beardsley juice from 2017. Placed at SNERHC. Caramelized apples, almost dry, petillant, a little thin.
- Eric’s Cider. Beardsley juice from 2018. Just kegged. Hazy, note of walnuts, refreshing, just a hint of sweetness.
- Jaime’s International Dark Lager. Dark brown, hazy, clean except for a slight vegetal note, very lager-y, super dry, quite roasty. Make with 3 year old Boho Lager yeast.
- Pierre’s Saison. Made from Charter Oak wort and Affligem yeast. Kegged 3 days prior. Aroma of dill, no funk, some pepper, very dry finish, needs bubbles.
- Eric’s US Blonde. Very grainy, clean, slightly hoppy, quite dry, refreshing, aromatic.
- Gerry’s US Amber with Peach Extract. Extract beer. Smells of mint and nutmeg, light in color.
- Eric’s Mint Chocolate Imperial Stout. Black, head never quits, smells and tastes exactly like Andes Mints in a glass. Made with Godiva powdered chocolate and mint tea leaves. Tea added when pitching yeast.
- Eric’s Dark Mild. Served via beer engine. Dark brown, loose head, light body, low carbonation, very malty, floral, dry. Yum.