S'il vous plaît, more hops!

Another French drinking evening that was packed with Belgian clove spice and little gnomes, today. We are having great weather in France, so outdoor drinking is essential and equally essential is chilled (appropiately priced) beer. The Delirium Café in Orléans, has a great outside seating that one can shuffle around to meet grouping arrangments, but beware the outdated beer bible and it's incorectly priced "craft" beers.

[caption id="attachment_1159" align="alignleft" width="240"] What an abomination.[/caption]

 

Although I've learned not to ask for American beers for fear of getting a Busweiser or Duff (a completely fictional beer from The Simpsons, which seems to be associated with America is if The Simpsons were reality), I haven't given up on my Hop Hunting in France just yet.

I asked the watier for the most hoppy (houblon) beer that they had- I'd even settle for that beastly Duvel Triple Hop. My mouth was screaming for heat beating hop bursts and I was like a pregnant woman craving pickles and ice cream!

He came back with this:

Hop Hunting Fail

At 9.3% ABV Mr.Urbock, while being a perfectly lovely beer on a regular occasion, is like malted sugar syrup in the summer weather. The head disappeared before I had finished pouring and only continued to devalue itself as time went on. The nutty, earth tones of the brew warmed into existence and I was wishing I had followed the French and ordered La Chouffe with it's thick, snowy head.

Again, like a picky five year old, I was the last person to make my second order. After sipping the hugely spiced and fruited La Chouffe, I amended my longing to be French and reverted to pouting. Once all my friends had ordered I grabbed the waiter for another try at hop achievement.

[caption id="attachment_1143" align="alignright" width="418"] La Chouffe is hopped with belgian sweat- not recommended good for hot weather.[/caption]

I explained to the waiter what an IPA and how important hops are to American well being. He said they had nothing close to that, that Urbock has a lot of hops and he suggested maybe I should try the Delirium. I'm sure Urbock does have a good handfull of hops, to counter act the mountain of crystal malt used to feed the yeast that create the high abv, but I was looking for hop presence.

Wilted like a wet flower, recently trampled by a pack of wild horses, I opted for the highest alcohol beer that was least stressing on the palate: La Corsaire.

Nitch drudges on. Having failed at hop hunting, she reverts back to pirate status. Yarg.

XOXO