Thanks to everyone who came out last night for the kick-ass tasting of De Proef. Pretty amazing stuff. After dinner at the Yacht Club, we thanked Don by sampling a bit from the bruisin’ beer cellar—which is again disorganized after our trip to Five Points Bottle Shop the other week. (We just aren’t as organized as KP.)

Anyhoo! Four little beauties were shared for a mighty fine end to an evening.

The Lost Abbey: The Angel’s Share ‘08 Bourbon Barrel Aged
From the Patron Sinner’s club, this 375ml is a truly heavenly beer—same recipe as The Angel’s Share, but aged in bourbon barrels. Pours dark and thick with nice dose of carbonation. Smells divine with notes of vanilla from the wood. Though still pretty “hot” on the alcohol side, a good balance keeps it quaffable. Basically, you can smell this one with the glass in your lap and feel it as it goes down, warming your throat. There are a load of overlapping flavors, though mainly caramel and bourbon. From the label: “Way down in Kentucky and across the pond in Scotland, distillers age their whiskeys for many years in oak barrels. Over time, some whiskey is lost to evaporation. They refer to this loss of spirits as The Angel’s Share. Each time a barrel is filled, a measure of this liquid seeps into the oak and is lost forever.”

Montegioco: Dolii Raptor
We could kick ourselves for not ordering this when we picked-up Bran, but did acquire a bottle. Dolii Raptor is Demon Hunter aged in Barbera wine barrels. Pours a dark orange color with a nice fluffy head. Dark fruit is immediately noted on the nose with hints of plums and grapes. The nifty surprise with this one is the little hop-kick at the end. You just don’t expect it, adding a nice touch.

Barley: BB Dexi
The only one of the bunch to be found in-store, we have been waiting for a special time to crack this one open. BB Dexi (aka BB10) blew us away. Though pricey at $30, hands-down, it’s worth it. We were expecting a barleywine and instead were surprised at a hefty, stout-like, winter warmer. What makes this so special is its tie to Italian wines (like Dolii Raptor), as the beer is spiced with “Sapa of Cannonau”—the boiled wort of Italian Cannonau red wine grapes. Thick and so, so yummy, we take you to B. United, who can sum it up better than we can: “A natural ‘vinosity’ accompanies us along the trip, from the warm and sumptuos scent of caramel, cocoa, dried plum, morello cherry and ’strawberry’ grapes to the palate rich of complex avors such as caramel, chocolate, liquorice, and plums with notes of sweet dried fruits such as grapes and sultana.”

Saint Somewhere: Saison Athene
New Florida brewery, Saint Somewhere, only puts out three beers to date. This saison is spiced of cinnamon and nutmeg, slightly hoppy with a hint of funk on the finish. Never had a saison like it. (It’s currently a favorite of Philip’s, too.) We were all remarking how wonderful this would be during the holidays as an alternative to the pumpkin ales. If you head to Florida for business or pleasure, pick up some Somewhere.