A Night at Moe's

Just before Hurricane Irene, Jo and I took a short trip to Western Massachusetts to see her dad. It was supposed to be a weekend trip but we didn't want to drive home in the middle of the storm so we left early on Saturday. However, thanks to her dad's suggestion of heading to Moe's on Friday night after we arrived, I still managed to continue my tradition of always going there when I'm in town. Moe's is a really great bar in little old Lee, Mass. and if you are ever in the Berkshires you should be sure to stop there.

I started with the new Ommegang Aphrodite, a Belgian-style fruit beer made with raspberries and pear juice and inoculated with Brett.

Slightly funky nose, sort of reminiscent of aging raspberries. Light fruit flavor starts it off and a hint of funk follows it. Not super funky like a geuze or anything, just a hint of farmhouse. I think besides the aromas imparted from the brett yeast, the funk is partially from the raspberries. Fruity aftertaste lingers pleasantly as well. Very enjoyable.

Up next was Founders Curmudgeon, an old ale. A very different experience than the Aphrodite.

To me, it smelled like tobacco with a whiff of cocoa. Jo's dad thought it smelled a little like leather. Jo herself just thought it smelled weird. Tasted of caramel, cocoa, malt and some leathery notes at the start. Interesting, but definitely a little off-putting at first. However, as I drank more (possibly because of the 10% ABV), the weird tobacco and leather flavors faded into toffee, caramel, and flavorful bready notes. More enjoyable, way more mellow, and much tastier.

Last was a beer from a brewery I've never heard of, Hinterland Luna Coffee Stout, served on nitro.

Very creamy looking head because of the nitro pour. Smooth coffee nose. Coffee, vanilla, some chocolate, and roast. Very smooth body. A little more watery feeling than I usually like in a stout, but without ever having it not on nitro, it's hard to tell if it's like this normally or a result of the gas. I find that nitro beers can feel a little flat after the initial pour and it's a trade-off for the creaminess imparted by it.

I'll admit that I look forward to my visits to Lee partially because I get to go to Moe's. I'd say don't tell my wife, but she already knows. Plus she reads the blog so I just told her. Between visits to Moe's and Nejaimes Wine & Liquors, she likes to say I only visit to buy and drink beer. I always swear it's not true but sometimes it seems that way. But, really, if you're in Lee, be sure to stop by here. The ambiance is nice, the owner Josh is great, and the beer is always interesting. Just know there isn't any food but they allow you to bring in whatever so just order stuff from somewhere else.