New Cheese: Winnimere, Holden Trail

WINNIMERE, Jasper Hills Farm, Greenboro, VT

Cow, Raw, Washed Rind, Savory

Is a take on Jura Mountain classics like Vacherin Mont d’Or or Försterkäse. In keeping with tradition, this decadent cheese is made only during winter months when Jasper Hill’s Ayrshire cows are giving rich, hay-fed raw milk. Winnimere is named for the corner of Caspian Lake where the Kehlers’ grandfather had an ice fishing shack.

SENSORY NOTES - Young cheeses are wrapped in strips of spruce cambium, the tree’s flexible inner bark layer, harvested from Jasper Hill Farm’s woodlands. During aging, the cheese is washed in a cultured salt brine to help even rind development. At 60 days, this cheese is spoonably soft and tastes of bacon, sweet cream, and spruce.

PAIRING AND SERVICE - Winnimere is best enjoyed by peeling a way a bit of the top rind and diving in with spoon and some friends. If portioning for retail, an effort should be made to sell the remainder of the wheel before day’s end. Pair with a smoky, meaty red wine or porter-style beer alongside some Vermont whey-fed bacon.

Winner of American Cheese Society's 'Best in Show' Award, 2013

HOLDEN TRAIL, Grafton Cellars, Grafton, VT

Sheep, Raw, 6 Months, Sharp and Milky

Limited run (only about 2,000lbs) raw sheep cheese. Washed early with whey, then a natural rind is allowed to develop. Grafton Village is known for bigger production cheddars, are developing an artisan program.

ON TAP! Ballast Point Sea Rose, Brooklyn Brown, Foundation Afterglow, Exhibit A Briefcase Porter, Founder's Baltic Porter

BALLAST  POINT, SEA ROSE

Style: Cherry Wheat

Abv: 4.0%

Size, Price: 16oz, $7.50

This is a brand new, and rather unusual offering from Ballast Point, given their propensity towards hoppy, high-flavor brews. At only 4% ABV, this one is much lighter. It has a nice pink hue and is crystal clear, almost resembling n sparkling rose.  Brewed as a light wheat beer to which cherries and pomegranates are added.   

Nose: Cherries, raspberries, and flowers over a background of sourdough.

Taste: Very mild, and focuses primarily on the tartness produced by the cherries and pomegranates that are added, which provides a gose-like sourness. No big hop or malt flavors, just refreshing with a clean texture.

BROOKLYN BROWN

Style: American Brown Ale

Abv: 5.6%
Size, Price: 16oz, $7.25

This is the award-winning original American brown ale, first brewed as a holiday specialty, and now one of Brooklyn’s most popular beers year-round. Northern English brown ales tend to be strong and dry, while southern English brown ales are milder and sweeter. Brooklyn Brown Ale combines the best of those classic styles and then adds an American accent in the form of a firm hop character and roasty palate. A blend of six malts, some of them roasted, give this beer its deep russet-brown color and complex malt flavor, fruity, smooth and rich, with a caramel, chocolate and coffee background. Generous late hopping brings forward a nice hop aroma to complete the picture. Brooklyn Brown Ale is full-flavored but retains a smoothness and easy drinkability that has made it one of the most popular dark beers in the Northeast.

EXHIBIT A, BRIEFCASE PORTER

Style: American Porter

Abv: 5.4%

Size, Price: 16oz, $7.25

Previously known as “Demo Tape Five,” this beer has grown up and gotten it’s own name! The brewers spent some time refining the process a bit to get this beer right where they wanted it. All the roasted malts for this beer come from Valley Malt in Hadley, MA.

Nose: Dark roasted malt, carob and dark chocolate, pumpernickel bread, and dark roast coffee.

Taste: Very full flavored for the ABV, with lots of earthy roast, some super dark chocolate, rye, and espresso.

FOUNDATION, AFTERGLOW

Style: American IPA

Abv:  7%

Size, Price: 12oz, $7.5

From the Brewer: “Afterglow is an American IPA, rich in West Coast and South Pacific hop flavors and aroma.  The juicy malt base enhances the notes of tangerine, pine, and berries from the hops.  It finishes with a pleasingly dank and firm bitterness.”

FOUNDER’S, BALTIC PORTER

Style:

Abv.: 5.9%

Size, Price: 16oz, $8.75

Brewed using lager yeast and true to the Baltic Porter style, expect a complex texture with hints of chocolate, caramel and roasted coffee.   

Coming Soon, To a Draft Near You: Wicked Weed "French Toast" & "Freak of Nature"; Night Shift "Morph," "OHTT Simcoe," & "Divine Intervention"

WICKED WEED, FRENCH TOAST

Style: Winter Seasonal, Imperial stout

Abv.: 8.4%

Size, Price: 12 oz, $7.75

Wicked Weed says: “The scuttle of dried leaves blowing across the sidewalk; brisk, cool days filled with invigorating mountain air; the sweet, welcoming scent of French Toast cooking in our families’ kitchens: This is winter, and French Toast Imperial Stout is the perfect accompaniment to the season. This robust, dark stout is finely complimented by zesty cinnamon, smooth vanilla, and the comforting sweetness of only the best maple syrup. Cheers to the season!” How atmospheric!

Tasting Notes: Pours opaque, dark brown in color, with 1/4 inch head. Taste is big vanilla, cinnamon, graham cracker, and cocoa. Sweet, medium-heavy bodied, and moderate carbonation.

WICKED WEED, FREAK OF NATURE

Style: Double IPA

Abv: 8.5%

Size, Price: 12 oz, $8.25

The Freak of Nature is WW’s San Francisco inspired hoppy monster. At 8% abv and who knows how many ibu’s, this beer is their shrine to the Hop.  They dry hop with 48lbs per batch, which is over 3 lbs of hops per barrel. In keeping with the classic style of the West Coast double, sugar plays a large part in creating this dry and minimally bitter double IPA. The Freak is particularly “pintable” for the style, “so if you dare to enter, we welcome you to the Freak Show.”

Nose: Citrus, grassy, weedy

Flavor: Big, grassy, and dank with a dry finish.  Mega hop bomb.

NIGHT SHIFT, DIVINE INTERVENTION

Style: Belgian Dubbel

Abv: 6.6%

Size, Price: 16 oz., $8.00

Brand new, limited release brewer project, originally conceived as a NS taproom exclusive.  Limited cans have been released, I’m not sure how we got ahold of one of these kegs, but amazing!  Dark amber in color, you should expect some fruity, estery qualities with a fairly full body.  There’s not a lot of information out there on this specific brew, but it’s Night Shift and we might be the only ones to have it, so SWEET!

NIGHT SHIFT, MORPH

Style: IPA

Abv: (5.7%)

Size, Price:  16 oz., $8.25

Morph is a rotating IPA series with new recipes from batch to batch. The brewers at Night Shift experiment with different hops and malts to showcase a range of IPA varieties. For a specific can's/keg’s batch details, they recommend you to “refer to packaged date on bottom of can and look...for batch notes” on their website.  This keg is from Batch #44, released on 2/24/2017.  This edition features Simcoe and Cascade hops; juicy aromas; slightly floral; balanced bitterness. (5.7%)

NIGHT SHIFT, ONE HOP THIS TIME: SIMCOE

Style: IPA

Abv.: 6.0%

Size, Price: 16 oz., $8.25

An IPA series focusing on a single hop varietal.  This particular hop is Simcoe, a very popular variety with a broad applicability in beer making.  It is known for passion fruit, pine, berry and earth characteristics.

Now on Tap: Schilling Poppy's Moonship, SN Beer Camp Golden IPA, Von Trapp Dunkel, Petrus Aged Red, Liquid Riot Blue Note

SCHILLING, POPPY’S MOONSHIP

Style: Gose

Abv:  4.8%

Size, Price:  12 oz., $7.50

Schiling says:

We brew progressive continental European-inspired beers that we are personally passionate about. These beers tell a story about us—where we’ve been, where we’re going, and what we value. We brew in small (7-barrel) batches, and many of these beers will never be distributed beyond our brewery’s taproom by choice.  We believe that enjoying fresh Schilling beer in our converted 18th-century grist mill on the Ammonoosuc River offers an unparalleled drinking experience–one that allows us to showcase both our passion for beer and love of the North Country.  Many of our beers are available only at our brewery’s taproom in Littleton, NH. We distribute in limited quantities (i.e. when we have enough beer) to select craft beer retailers in Vermont and Massachusetts.

Poppy’s Moonship is brewed with coriander and sea salt. It features an assertive sourness delivered by lactobacillus. At 50% wheat, this sour beer is refreshing and flavorful. Gose is a unique style, as it falls outside of the German Beer Purity and tax laws that govern German brewing.      

Nose: Funky, citrusy.

Tasting Notes: Assertive lemon-tart sourness balanced by sea salt and a malty finish.

VON TRAPP, DUNKEL LAGER

Style: Munich Dunkel

Abv:  5.7%

Size, Price:  16 oz., $7.50

Johannes von Trapp worked to start a brewery at Trapp Family Lodge for almost a decade before it became a reality in the spring of 2010.  The brewery was originally a modest facility located in the lower level of the Lodge’s Deli/Bakery. In 2015 they opened a new 30,000 sq. ft. brewery located on Luce Hill Rd. featuring a Rolec Brew House and capable of producing up to 50,000 barrels of beer annually.  Beers are available at the Lodge or in multiple restaurants and bars throughout Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Maine, Rhode Island, New York, and Connecticut.

Nose: Creamy, toffee aromatics.

Tasting Notes: Roasted malt flavors, but medium bodied with a dry, clean finish.  

SIERRA NEVADA, BEER CAMP GOLDEN IPA

Style: American IPA

Abv:  5.9%

Size, Price:  16 oz., $7.50

Beer Camp is a traveling beer festival put on by Sierra Nevada every summer.  They pull together the brewers of some of the top craft breweries in the country to share their favorite beers and collaborate on new brews.  According to Sierra Nevada, “At Beer Camp, no beer style is off limits, so we jumped at the idea of doing a Golden IPA using wheat malt for a light, dry body and bold American and experimental hops for intense citrus flavor. The perfect spring seasonal, we invite you to enjoy this year’s Beer Camp encore.”

PETRUS, AGED RED

Style: Belgian Sour

Abv: 8.5%

Size, Price: 12 oz, $11

Petrus is a hyper-traditional producer of sour beers in Belgium.  They pride themselves on making “slow, unpredictable and wild beer that takes lots of patience.”  All of their beers feature a portion aged for 2 years in oak foeders (220-hectolitre, or approximately 5,800 gallon, French oak casks) to naturally sour.  Petrus Aged Red is a blend of 15% Petrus Aged Pale (a pure foeder beer that has been aged for 2 years in oak foeders) and 85% dubbel bruin with cherries.

Tasting notes: For the fruit beer lover, but with an ideal sweet-sour balance. Full-bodied, fruity and refreshingly sour at the same time.

LIQUID RIOT, BLUE NOTE

Style: Porter

Abv: 6%

Size, Price: 16 oz, $7.50

Liquid Riot, once known as Infinity Brewing, is based on the waterfront in Portland, Maine.  They are both a brewery and a distillery.  Blue Note is made to be a traditional British style of Porter, with a much lighter body than many American porters.

Tasting Notes: Clear dark brown, featuring a creamy brown head with good retention. Aromas of roasted malt, cinnamon, mint. Taste is roasted dark coffee over a background of mint and hints of green coffee.

Back in stock with a new vintage: 2015 Daniel Seguinot Chablis

2015 Daniel Seguinot Chablis

Where: Maligny, Chablis AOC

Who: Daniel Seguinot et filles (=and daughters)

What: Chardonnay (Chablis=Chardonnay always and forever)

Tastes like: Very bright, high acid, crisp, mineral driven white.

What to pair with: light green things, seafood of any kind. The classic pairing is oysters for your frame of reference.

Our Domaine is located in Maligny, 8 km north of Chablis, on the North-South main road of the Serein valley.

Maligny is one of the 19 villages that benefit from the world-renowned Chablis wine appellation.

Thanks to a privileged South-West sun exposure, our village, leaning against the right bank of the Serein river, provides rich and well balanced wines.

Among 5 000 ha of planted vineyards, 300 ha sit on the district of Maligny.

Our village is lucky enough to gather four levels of appellation: Petit Chablis, Chablis, Chablis Premier Cru Fourchaume and Chablis Premier Cru Homme Mort.

As far back as we can go in the family tree, the Seguinots have always been working on vineyards.

Daniel settled in 1971 on about 2 ha of Chablis vineyards with his father and grandfather’s help. Later on, in 1975, he extended the Domaine on 3 ha of Fourchaume and Homme Mort vineyards.

The Domaine has been constantly evolving since the last 40 years and now covers 20 ha.

The nicest achievement and the best reward for Daniel was when his two daughters were born. Emilie proudly took over from him in 2003 and Laurence in 2008 in order to perpetuate the family tradition. 

The father/daughter close relationship allows enhancing quality and authenticity of our wines.  Each year, our wines are awarded in different competitions and tasting guides comforting us in our choices for winemakers.

2015 João Portugal Ramos Alvarinho

2015 João Portugal Ramos Alvarinho

Where: Melgaço sub region, Vinho Verde, Portugal

Who: João Portugal Ramos

What: 100% Alvarinho (known as Albariño in neighboring Spain)

Tastes like: lemon and grapefruit zest are the prominent notes, with some white peach qualities on the nose. Very zippy, bright acid, light body with slight roundness on the palate.

What to pair with: Patio days. Also, great to start off a meal, great with lighter seafood, salads or greens.

Born into a family with a long history of wine production, João Portugal Ramos obtained a degree in agronomy from the Institute of Agronomy in Lisbon. After a period of training at the National Viticulture Studies Centre in Dois Portos, in 1980 he began his career as an oenologist and in 1990 he purchased his own property in the Alentejo region. João is considered by many to be the Piero Antinori of Portugal and a pioneer in the region focusing on lower yields, estate fruit, varietal character, biodiversity and sustainability. He and his family continue to innovate and more recently purchased property, planted vineyards and built a winery in the Vinho Verde, DOC. In 2013 he released the inaugural vintage of his single varietal Alvarhino.

Vinho Verde is the largest DOC located in the northwest of Portugal with 9 sub-zones so it is important to note the fruit source and for this wine the sources were chosen very carefully. The amphitheater-shaped mountain range of the region has the greatest influence on climate - the "natural shelter" that is created limits the Atlantic influence, which is characteristic of the region. Thus, in the sub-region of Monção and Melgaço there are higher average temperatures in summer (better ripening), lower humidity (less incidence of mold) and also lower average annual rainfall than in the rest of Vinho Verde region which allows the grapes to ripen harmoniously without being diluted.

It's baaaack! 2015 Mauro Molino Langhe Nebbiolo

2015 Mauro Molino Langhe Nebbiolo                 $12/48

Where: Langhe, Piedmont, Italy

Who: Mauro Molino

What: 100% Nebbiolo

Tastes like: Classic young nebbiolo--cherry fruit, pretty flowers, quite a bit of tannin and balanced acidity.

What to pair with: Grilled meat, any kind of poultry, cured meat. Lovely on its own, too.

Production Notes: From 10-30 year old vines in Monforte d’Alba and Guarene. Fermentation in stainless steel, then aging 6 months in large French oak casks coopered in Austria. 1000 cases produced.

Producer Profile:

Mauro Molino, Matteo and Martina’s father, founded the estate. In 1973 Mauro graduated from enology school in Alba, and then followed that with five years of winemaking experience in Emilia Romagna. In 1979 after his father’s passing, he returned home to the family farm in La Morra and began consulting for local wineries while building up his own estate. 1982 was the first vintage from the famed family parcel in Conca dell’Annunziata, the conch-shaped parcel pictured above, and the rest is history. In 2003 Matteo joined the company and became a familiar face to our staff, and then in 2009, Matteo’s sister also joined the gang. Today they manage approximately 12 hectares of vineyards, 50% dedicated to Nebbiolo for Barolo, and the rest mostly Barbera, and Dolcetto. This estate practices sustainable viticulture.

Vineyard Management: Integrated insect and disease control is followed. Control treatments are carried out only when strictly necessary (an expert consults for the estate). Sulfur- and copper-based products are mainly used. A minimum number of insect-control treatments are applied and only with low-environmental-impact products. Natural cover crops (grass cover) are left in the rows between the vines. In autumn the soil on every other row between the vines is tilled. Only organic fertilizers are used. Very low doses of SO2 are added to the wines (the minimum to prevent oxidation)