How about this winter we are having? Snow and ice and more snow. Trees down, power out, then on, then back out and finally back on. It’s been a roller coaster of abuse by Mother Nature that has left many of us sick and tired of winter weather. Maybe I am a bit masochistic though, because I have rather enjoyed these repeated spankings by good ‘ol Ma Nature.
Thank you mother, may I have another! I am of the opinion that such inconveniences as snow, ice and loss of electricity not only oblige us to be more resourceful but also to relax, endure and imbibe. I have certainly done my fair share of imbibing throughout this onslaught of mixed precipitation and polar vortexes (what a lame media term for “really, really cold”). But this obligatory imbibing is not without consequence. My beer cellar has been depleted to record lows so I set out today on a mission to replenish my stock to a level that would see me through the rest of these chilly days and into springtime.
For those of you who don’t know, there is no better place to shop for single bottles of beer than Media’s own Pinocchio’s Beer Garden to Go. Offering over 1,000 different bottles of beer, this would surely be the place to rebuild my beer collection to a satisfactory or even grand inventory. But what would beer shopping be without first sipping a brew or two? With 23 delicious taps to choose from, my decision was a difficult one. Feeling the need for something seasonal, warming and delectable, I settled on Troegs’ Flying Mouflan.
This American barleywine was just what the doctor ordered! With a gorgeous ruby color and thick tan head, the visual appeal of this brew was enough to get me excited already. But then the aroma! A quote from Hulk Hogan in a very old Right Guard commercial came to mind. “A sublime palace of odoriferous emanations.”
Now I’m no Hulkamaniac and I don’t really know what the Hulkster meant but in this case, I took it to mean that the notes of sweet candied fruit, earthy hops and slight booziness made for a nose that promised a fabulous flavor would follow. How right I was! Candied dark fruits (think plum and raisin) mixed nicely with toasty caramel and even faint bitter chocolate to complete a malt profile that was balanced perfectly with lightly resinous, citrusy and earthy hop notes and a warming booziness that reminds you of the 9.3% ABV.
You won’t have any trouble finding the Mouflan at a bar or bottle shop near you but I highly recommend you make the trip to Pinocchio’s. This pizza restaurant meets beer mecca will surely offer you everything from world class beer to amazing pizza with awesome service sandwiched in between. Ask for Dan in the Beer Garden to Go…he is a beer genius and will help you find the perfect beer. In the restaurant, ask for Colleen and tell her I said hello. Enjoy your Flying Mouflan and if you figure out what the hell a mouflan is, let me know. Cheers!
Find Pinocchio’s Beer Garden to Go at 31 E. Baltimore Ave. in Media; phone: (610) 566-7767. More of Kerry Watson’s beer reviews here.
