On a quiet, Sunday evening, our first stop was dinner. As a rather large fan of the show Top Chef, it was never moreso exciting for me than when I first saw that Tom Colicchio had opened a Craft Restaurant (and Craftbar) in Atlanta (Buckhead). And having driven passed it several times wondering when I'd finally get the chance to stop in, I made it official this Sunday night.
An absolutely fabulous beer for any occasion, but coming in at an even 9.0%, it's definitely not something you want to drink all night, although it's balance and quick finish make it possible. Just be careful if you so choose.
With such a lavish meal ahead of me, in true Beer Bashers fashion, I kept it real with a beer selection rather than opting for the more traditional wine pairing. My first choice from the limited but adequately varied selection would have been the Wells & Young's Banana Bread Beer. I've heard many a splendid thing about this concoction, and even though it may not have paired nicely with my Duck Leg Confit, had my beautiful date liked banana, it would be the first beer I was reviewing for you all right now.
However, under the circumstances, and wanting nothing more than to share sips, I opted for a luxurious belgian-style from the canadian brewery, Unibroue. La Fin Du Monde (French for "The End of the Earth") is a belgian triple style ale with a golden-yellow hue (pretty standard, nothing outstanding), and a lingering, frothy head.
It's label: an impressionist's science fiction painting, with the top of the bottle wrapped in silver foil like a split of champagne.
The aroma literally flies out of the glass, smelling of sweet citrus rind and clove spiciness.
Ah, the first taste: Your classic belgian-inspired flavors of clove spice and high gravity alcohol content hit right away. As the beer glides past the middle of your tongue, a hint of pear fruitiness and malt sweetness rolls on into the back of your mouth, where it meets dry, slightly bitter hops creating a well-rounded balance with a dry, quick-decaying finish.
An absolutely fabulous beer for any occasion, but coming in at an even 9.0%, it's definitely not something you want to drink all night, although it's balance and quick finish make it possible. Just be careful if you so choose.
Of course I loved the duck confit with shallots in spinach and roasted fingerling potatoes with a gravy that tasted like you put the best thanksgiving dinner you've ever had into a blender and just poured it "right over the top, yeah?!" Of course I loved the braised, bourbon-glazed pork belly appetizer, with a mesclar greens salad, radish, house-made gourmet pickles, and creme fraiche. Of course I loved the striped bass with deconstructed brussel sprouts, Jerusalem artichoke purée, & grilled trompette mushrooms. I needn't even tell you that I loved the dark chocolate souffle with cream cheese creme fraiche and candied salt peanuts.
I needn't really have told you anything about the food at all, because I know we're all here for the beer! But, you gotta eat. You can't live entirely off of beer (believe me, I've tried), so if you're gonna, you might as well go to Craft on Peachtree Rd in Buckhead, because it is without a doubt, the best restaurant in Atlanta now!
Unibroue - La Fin Du Monde - Craftbar - Atlanta, GA - 03/22/09
Label - 4 out of 5
Color - 2.5 out of 5
Aroma - 4.5 out of 5
Taste - 8.5 out of 10
Total - 19.5 out of 25
Now, on to destination numero dos: mas cervasas antes de la cena. Uh, that means more beers after dinner, I think, which would probably make a whole lot more sense if I had either gone to a mexican place for such, or ordered a mexican beer. Neither of which were the case, so let me just continue.
Destination number 2 was P'Cheen in Inman Park. I have been to P'Cheen before and had a blast. Their beer selection is perfect; an offering for everyone's pallet. The last time I was there they had one of my all time favorites in a bottle - Brooklyner-Schneider Hopfen-weisse. A collaboration from two of my favs, Brooklyn Brewery and Schneider-Weisse. Mmmmmmm delicioso, but consider that saved for another review.
They no longer had Hopfen-weisse, so I went straight for the Fuller's. You pretty much can't go wrong with anything Fuller's in my book, but most places that carry anything Fuller's only carry their ESB, which is OUTSTANDINGLY delicious, however, it's always a rare treat when you find a place that ventures out a little further.
P'Cheen offers Fuller's London Pride, an absolutely BRILLIANT English Pale Ale, that truly does make London Proud. Bad teeth, worse weather, even worse food or not, the Brits know how to brew outstanding beer.
When looking at the label of a Fuller's London Pride, you can imagine stumbling through the streets of downtown London on a rainy day, looking for your next pub to nearly crawl into. Wait, no, that's a good thing, I swear. As with all the other Fuller's varieties, their label design is extremely professional and very indicative of the beer it's promoting.
London Pride pours a classic, reddish-brown. It's head is very minimal, yet the beer itself is fully carbonated. Plain and simple, it's a beer that just wants to get into your glass as quickly as possible, and be ready to drink the second that you are. No waiting for the head to subside b.s. Just, ready to get in my belly ASAP.
The aroma is probably the least interesting thing about it, as it fizzles as quickly as the head, almost instantly after pouring.
"Taste me!" It says to me from my 12oz. Chalis. I do. I know what to expect, but am NEVER disappointed. Warm, buttered biscuits attack my tongue, followed by a rich, sweet caramel maltiness, finished off with an absolutely perfect balance (for the style) of fruity, bitter, and earthy hops. And at under 5%, you can feel free to pound one after another, after another, and then proceed to follow your instincts that the label sets forth.
Fuller's - London Pride - P'Cheen - Atlanta, GA - 03/22/09
Label - 4.5 out of 5
Color - 4 out of 5
Aroma - 2.5 out of 5
Taste - 9 out of 10
Total - 20.5 out of 25
