la table commune

firefly on cambie has introduced a series of tasting seminars they are calling "la table commune"

basically these are tastings for up to 12 people, hosted by firefly staff, and held at a long table where everyone sits and tastes and talks together - you know, a communal table!

i attended one on june 29th - women's introduction to beer

and have bought my ticket to another to be held on july 20th - introduction to craft beer

among our beers tasted, and in no particular order as compared to the order of tasting, were Fat Cat Brewery's Old Bad Cat barleywine, R&B's Dark Star oatmeal stout, Cannery Brewing's Naramata brown ale, Morte Subite framboise, Anderson Valley's IPA, Duchy Originals ale... and Kokanee.

i'd had the r&b oatmeal before, and am quite a fan

i'd also had the cannery naramata brown, and like it as well

the rest were new to me

loved, loved, loved the anderson valley ipa, was surprised to really enjoy the mort subite as i'm not usually a fruity person

i am not a barleywine fan.  good to know.  i managed to finish my sample of the old bad cat, which was more than pretty much everyone else in the tasting.  i found that once you got past the cat pee nose, it was a very interesting little tipple.

the one i was actually least fond of was the duchy ale.  i found it way too sour yeasty for my liking.  everyone else there enjoyed it though, so i'm definitely a minority of one on that one!

also included was a show and tell of malts and hops.  i love the smell of hops!  eating-wise, i'm much happier munching on the barley - not the dark roast, just the light one for me please.