Milestones...

Sunday represented a significant personal milestone for OlderDaughter(tm), but due to scheduling conflicts, we delayed any celebratory efforts until Monday.

She decided that a trip to BD's Mongolian Barbeque was in order. For those that have never gone to BD's, it is something worth trying at least once. BD's presents a foodbar full of uncooked ingredients. It is up to the diner to select the meats, veggies, sauces, and spices that they want. Upon completion of this, a group of "grillers" cooks your creation on a large, very hot, circular iron slab. If one is brave, experimentation is the order of the day. For those that are uncertain, recipe cards of "tried and true" favorites are available.

I always enjoy BD's. Over the years, I've accumulated a handful of personally-created recipes that I know will be successful. The occasional experiment sometimes yields a new recipe for my collection, but I've had my share of "flops". BD's is "all you can eat" (although they do have a slighly cheaper one-bowl option), so experimentation is not generally a costly mistake.

Upon arrival, I immediately inspected the draught selections and was happy to find three worthy candidates: The ever-popular Blue Moon, Newcastle Brown Ale, and Samuel Adams Winter seasonal. Having opined about Blue Moon recently, I decided to drop it and weigh the other two options.

Newcastle will always hold a "special" place in my heart. A few years ago, ProphetX's team (Manchester United) and my team (Arsenal) were in a heated competition for the Premiership title (English Soccer). It wasn't until Alan Shearer from Newcastle United rocketed home a spectacular goal against (you guessed it) Manchester United that the title was sewn up for my Gunners. The next time ProphetX and I got together for a brew or two, I made sure to have a few Newcastle's -- mostly to drive home the "we won, you lost" point, but also because it is a fine beer.

However, yesterday's nod went to the Samuel Adams seasonal. A month from now, Newcastle will still be available, but the Winter Brew will be 9 months away.

My "base recipe" at BD's is made with Lamb. Additional flavoring comes from onions, soy sauce, teriyaki sauce, marinara, and some spices. All in all, it is a highly-flavored concoction that could overwhelm a weak-kneed beer. Sam's Winter Lager, on the other hand, had no trouble providing a refreshing partner to my food.

Now -- I'm an admitted fan of Lagers in general. Sam's Winter Seasonal has an outstanding dark color. I pick up a hint of cinnamon in the aroma from this beer, along with some orange and perhaps some ginger. To me, the aroma hints of sweetness, but the beer leads off fairly neutral and finishes slightly on the bitter side of the equation. I catch some hops in the finish, which also pleases me.

This is not an "in your face" dark beer. It is much "lighter" in taste than the color would indicate, but this is not to be confused with weakness or lack of character. Like most of Sam's creations, this beer produces a nice balance. It leads with hints of sweetness, but never goes over the top. It has malt character present, but doesn't overwhelm. The finish is sufficiently bitter to refresh. Another fine effort from the folks at Samuel Adams!