Yeast! The aroma will carry you away.

Hello again all,

All week I have been thinking about what I could possibly write about. It didn't hit me until this morning that I actually have a story to tell you.
On Friday night I have a beer or two and play Trivia Persuit with two of the smartest people I know (the wife and cousin Jack). Last Friday night I had two thirds of an Ommegang Abbey Ale. I corked it and thought I'd finish it on Saturday.
Saturday came and around noon I popped the cork. As usual for me, I put about three ounces in my glass. As I sipped away the remainder of the bottle in this fashion, I saved just a little bit of beer to shake loose the yeast that had held itself way down in the bottom of the bottle. That my friends, is what they call bottle fermentation.
Now the grand finish to a perfect Belgian Ale. I poured the yeast in my glass. I'd say at the most it was half an ounce. I held my hand over the glass, held the glass tightly and swirled it. Then.................brought it to my nose and inhaled slowly and with purpose. I wanted to experience what so many of the pros and brewery web sites have said...........
SPICE!!!!!!! It was there - MY GOD.............IT WAS THERE! What exactly did I smell? Well, to start I had a wonderful aroma of orange. I think I got the sensation of clove and it was very fruity.
I wish I could tell you in more detail the exact aromas but I can't. I chalk it up to my inexperience. I encourage you to do this because as my header says, I'm a novice and if you're following me, we're learning together.
A trip to the Ommegang Brewery this month is going to help with my education. So look for that post to help make future posts more informative.

P.S. I did win the game that night. --- AHHHH - The sweet smell of success.

Beers to you,

Ken