Sean and Me, Last Train to Wensleydale and a Beer Tasting

My good buddy Sean, who lives in Alaska currently, spent the evening tasting some brews we picked up from AJ's Beer Warehouse the other week. We also enjoyed a game of Martin Wallace's Last Train to Wensleydale. I have the First Train to Nuremberg version, which is two games in one, back to back maps, but we decided to play the original.

The game moved along fairly evenly, with perhaps a slight lead by me but Sean kept on my heels and even 1 turn before the last tied me up. The final turn was the deciding, and it looked like Sean had me, by gaining more victory points with his final train delivery. Unfortunately for him, his profit/loss ended up being to his detriment and I ended up winning by 1 point. An extremely tight finish and a game I always enjoy playing.

On the tasting side, here's what we tried:

1) Evil Twin Brewing Low Life - a pilsner that is floral, with light citrus notes, medium light bodied, tastes of green tea, honey, grass/hay, is a tad bitter with sparse white legs and a straw color. 5.5% ABV.
2) Left Hand Sawtooth Nitro - an extra special/bitter with walnut, macadamia/beech nut, black tea, caramel, spice, nutmeg notes, really smooth but understandably (to an American who is not used to nitro) a little flat, sessionable, super earthy, with a light brown color and frothy head. 5.3% ABV. More here.
3) Robinsons Brewing Company Trooper - a true English bitter from over the pond kept fresh I assume by the can that really grew on me, notes of lemon meringue, tad metallic/copper/brass kettle or something, dank but with bright flavor, floral, a full mouthfeel, sessionable, tall off-white head and semi-dry. 4.7% ABV. More here.
4) Allagash Dubbel - for this not being my favorite style this was quite good, complex and malty with intense burnt clove, banana, raisin, chocolate, dark sugars, molasses, tobacco, leather, woodsy with slow droopy legs. 7% ABV. More here.
5) Finch's Beer Company Secret Stache Stout - a black colored milk stout with lactose and vanilla added, notes of bacon, maple/vanilla, coffee, milk chocolate, hazelnut, mocha, roasty and rich with a better taste than nose that slowly improves as the brew warms. 5.3% ABV. More here.
6) Atlantic Brewing Company Mount Desert Island Ginger - an unfiltered wheat ale with notes of exotic ginger, lavender, passion fruit, berries, pumpkin spice, apple crisp, a tad tart, crisp, spicy, refreshing, particulate with a white head. 5.7% ABV. More here.

Some great brews, but only one can win, my favorite of the night was the Atlantic Brewing Co. Mount Desert Island Ginger. My wife and I first discovered this beer in Maine on our honeymoon at the brewery itself and have never stopped singing Atlantic's praises. Having found this little beauty in Vermont up in Burlington just a couple days ago and wondered if it was fresh (the bottles were quite dusty) but were happy enough to give it a go anyway. Seems like it was alright after all.