Her cold, cold heart . . .

More from an earlier beer story.

OK, so yes, I found two beers in the car one night right before a very hard freeze.

Trouble is, there were three in there.

Found the remains of the bottle of the third in the morning, and the beer looked like that foam you spray to fill in holes in the wall. What a terrible end for a bottle of Ex-Wife Bitter Blonde Ale from Freeport Brewing Company. Yep, that's what I said "Ex Wife, etc." (You will note I did not say "bitter end.)

I was a touch depressed because it's another one of those beers that you buy because of the name and then it turns out to be pretty decent. (Even though it's not one of my favorite styles).

Anyway, on to the Cadillac Mtn. Stout from Bar Harbor (Maine) Brewing Company.

I always wonder about beers that feature a medal-winning note on the label. In this case, it's a "Platinum" from the 1995 World Beer Championships, marking it a world champion dry stout.

Now, I first bought it because I had heard good recommendations. I figure beer medals involve being in the right place at the right time, and heck, this one's 12 years old.

It's also one of the best stouts I have had.

What's cool about this one is that it gives you strong notes of chocolate, yet it's not brewed with chocolate. It's also balanced -- but very strong -- in hops and malts. Very big-tasting beer and very smooth.

It's the top-rated stout on Beer Advocate, which I did not realize until I just went to check its alcohol content (6.7, fairly alcoholic).

I use BA as a reference, and I have been on the site for more than five years. There will be a lot more about the site and the guys behind it as we go on.

PS: The 12-year-old single malt also spent the night in the car, but by God's Teeth, it didn't freeze.

More on the Belgian White front . . .

Yes, the sacrifice goes on.

Still on the Belgian White Trail and hitting two more , as I continue to try to figure out just how good I think the Long Trail Belgian White is.

One minor point, the distributor here in the North Country of upstate New York are not getting it yet, so I continue to ask package store owners to see what they can do. The nice thing is that I am on the Vermont border, and so can take a run over there if needed. I heard from sources it’s not in central Massachusetts yet, either. This is their Spring seasonal, so I hope it will be out soon.

First up is Allagash White, one of the more common Belgian Whites on tap, at least in the Northeast. It’s made by a terrific brewery in Portland, Maine, and I have always been a big fan. It’s a little more expensive than most of the others I’m trying, given the fact that it comes in four-packs rather than the six-packs that most others come in. (Note: The Southampton White I reviewed recently came in a 22-ounce bomber.)

This is a fine beer. A little more lemony than most, but it doesn’t have quite the peppery flavor that some other beers in this style have. It’s also a touch lighter than most. It’s definitely one of the better examples, but I still like the Long Trail better.

The second one is, believe it or not, a Coors product. A lot of people do not know that Blue Moon, one of the first mass-market Belgian Whites. Coors did a number of the Moon beers – including an early pumpkin ale. Anheuser Busch is finally getting the idea. (See the new blueberry ale they have out).

Anyway, I always liked the Allagash better than the Bllue Moon, and that’s still the case. The Blue Moon is thinner than the others and has, a bit of an aftertaste. It’s very light compared to the others, and does not carry a lot of fruit taste.

I did get a chance to visit Long Trail again today, because my daughter -- who just turned 21 -- was visiting. The Belgian's still as good as ever, and so is the Imperial Stout, which will nor be up much longer.