Show-Me Spring. Really, Please Show-Me Spring

This weekend was to be the first day of Spring.  And what does Kansas City do to celebrate?  Dumps 6-8 inches of snow from out of no where.  Seriously?  Two days earlier we had 65 degrees weather.  The kids were on Spring Break, playing outside in shorts.  To be honest, the local weather wizards did warn us, but they are wrong so often I really thought we would just get a dusting at most.  Boy was I wrong.

We were supposed to go to a Spring beer tasting over at KC Worthog's, but the weather did scare us off.  Sorry guys.  Friday night I did stock up on Cathedral Square White Ale, a wonderful Missouri offering to share with friends.  Instead we holed up Saturday as we watched the snow come down.  We watched our own snow-measuring device on the deck table, a beer bottle.  If the snow piles up over a standard 12 oz longneck, it's probably a good idea to stay inside.

While stocking up for the party I was eyeballing a Tripel Karmeliet gift set.  A four pack of beer comes with a kick ass tulip glass for $25.  A little steep for a casual beer excursion, but something to keep in mind.  My awesome wife thought otherwise.  She told me to go warm up the car while she was chilling her vodka in the wine chiller.  Oookay?  I should have known something was up, but I can be Captain Oblivious sometimes.  While we we unpacking our goods at home, she pops that gift set onto the bar.  Like I said, my wife is awesome.

11.2 oz bottle poured into my new Karmeliet tulip. With a crack of the crown, smokey vapors swirl up out of the bottle neck.  The first bottle I opened had not properly settle, so a geyser of foam erupted over the bar.  Very active carbonation creates a tall white head. The design of the glass traps the foam perfectly. The head recedes and leaves a fuzzy cap on the surface. Not much in the way of lacing, but with each turn of the glass the carbonation flares up. This is a very "Alive" beer. The color is a honey golden yellow with a dense clarity.

Smell is honey sweet and a little floral. There is a Belgian yeasty spice. Taste has a melon sweetness with a hint of green grassy hops. Carbonation adds to a white peppery spice. There is a light toasted grain flavor that comes in the finish.

Very crisp and scrubbing carbonation. I think it keeps the feel a lot lighter than what it would be otherwise. The three different grains, wheat, oats, and barley creates a smooth body. The 8.4% ABV is smooth and does not seem so high.  If you see this gift set, get it.