Tuesday, May 24, 2011

I "Dubh" Thee, Sir Loin of Beef!

OK, so I spent the weekend watching Looney Tunes with my 6 year-old nephew. And it was awesome. Unfortunately I don't think kids get a lot of those jokes, but they love it anyway. I know I sure did when I was that age. He thinks Bugs is mean to people, and I was trying to explain that Bugs in only getting back at people that wronged him first. He's not mean, he's just giving people (or pigs, ducks, etc.) what's coming to them. It doesn't hurt that he happens to be smarter than everyone else. So what if he likes to dress up like a girl ALL THE TIME? What's so wrong about a cross-dressing vigilante rabbit? I think it took a lot of creativity on the part of Mel Blanc to come up with that type of character. What was he smoking, really, when you think about it?

But enough about Bugs Bunny. Let's talk about the Dubh. To be more specific, that would be Harviestoun Ola Dubh 18 Year, on tap at The Fred Bar on Thursday night. Here is the skinny:

Ola Dubh (or "Black Oil") is so named because it is gloopy and viscous. This limited release has been matured in casks from Orkney’s award-winning Highland Park distillery to add complimentary whisky notes to what is already an amazing brew. It is chocolatey with a roasty, bittersweet aftertaste.


So you are basically dealing with a killer Scottish Old Ale (like a barley wine) that has been aged in Highland Park 18 Year Old Scotch barrels. If you have to ask if Highland Park is good scotch, then you can't afford it. Do I actually have to tell you how rare this beer is on draft? Please.

As if that wasn't enough, we will also be pouring a keg of Dogfish Head Hellhound On My Ale that same night. Need info on that beer, here you go (this is from the brewery):

2011 marks the 100th birthday of Mississippi Delta bluesman Robert Johnson who, according to legend, sold his soul down at the crossroads in a midnight bargain and changed music forever. Working again with our friends at Sony Legacy (yup, the same folks we did our Miles Davis-inspired Bitches Brew with), Dogfish Head pays tribute to this blues legend by gettin the hellhounds off his trail and into this finely-crafted ale. Hellhound is a super-hoppy ale that hits 100 IBUs in the brewhouse, 10.0 ABV, 10.0 SRM in color, and dry-hopped with 100% centennial hops at a rate of 100 kilos per 100 barrel brew-length. Can you tell we at Dogfish are stoked for this mighty musical centennial? To accentuate and magnify the citrusy notes of the centennial hops (and as a shout out to Robert Johnsons mentor Blind Lemon Jefferson) we add dried lemon peel and flesh to the whirlpool.


I don't often tell you guys much about what goes on at The Fred Bar, but these kinds of things are relatively common down there. If you like rare beer and you have a few bucks you are ready to part with (Translation: Rare beer ain't cheap pal!), you should pay that place a visit. Jason does a great job making sure that no matter how beer geeky you get, he has something to pique your interest.


In fact, if you are into tequila, he just brought in some wild looking (and tasty) bottles of a brand called KAH. Whoever finishes the bottle gets to take the empty one home. Now before you get too excited, this is not an incitement to get a few friends together and try to drink you way through a bottle. Nobody--and I mean nobody--likes to see you sloppy-assed, tequila-barf drunk. Don't be that guy, because that guy (hopefully) gets his as kicked a lot.


I hope everyone enjoys their weekend. If you are near Newnan on Friday, I will be down there for a cask of Heavy Seas Holy Sheet! getting tapped at 6:00 pm. I also want to encourage you to put June 1st on your calendar. Why? Well, we have a cask of Duck Rabbit The End Of Reason at The Fred Bar. I know that you are curious, so let me tell you what all of that means: A high-gravity Baltic Porter, turned sour on purpose, aged in whiskey barrel, then cherries are added to it. Duck Rabbit is a brewery in eastern North Carolina. Other than making some crazy beers like this one, there is no relation to Looney Tunes, Daffy Duck or Bugs Bunny. June 1st is a Wednesday. Be there. Bye.