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Beer number one for the evening was the Saison Dupont, a Belgian farmhouse ale with a fruity flavor and very slight bitterness that jumps out of its bottle with gusto.  A Saison is a farmhouse ale, traditionally brewed in the winter to be consumed during the summer. The Saison Dupont ranks eighteenth on the top fifty beers list from which I’ve been working recently, and although I’m not sure I’d rank it so highly, I definitely support its presence there.  As I poured it into the tall Pilsner glass, it foamed like a rabid dog, but it went down easy and left a great little aftertaste. Certainly not the best Belgian ale you can find, but if you’re looking for something a little different from the usual fare, it’s certainly worthwhile.

The second beer of the evening was number two on the list, the Kulmbacher Eisbock. The world’s first and most highly acclaimed ice beer, the Kulmbacher Eisbock was discovered by a stroke of luck when, according to beer legend, a young brewer’s apprentice accidentally left a barrel of of bock beer outside on a cold Bavarian night.  The barrel was discovered the next spring, broken open but with a rich, concentrated brew left behind. This is a big, malty beer with a deceptive scent. When I cracked the bottle, I thought it would definitely be a sipper, but I was shocked at how easily it went down. Again, I’m not sure if I’d rank it at number two on the top fifty beers of all time, but it definitely deserves to be up there. Additionally, this marks my first foray into authentic German beer, and I can’t imagine a better way to start. Zum Wohl!