Burgers and Brews

Sierra Nevada, Ovila Dubbel

2011-04-10T22:50:00.002-04:00

Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.
Grade: B

Part one of a three part series of beers brewed in partnership between Sierra Nevada Brewing and New Clairvaux, an actual honest-to-god monastery in California. Ken Grossman, the owner of Sierra Nevada is extremely interested in traditional abbey ales, brewed with the seasons. It's a bold departure from the brewery's obvious strength, hoppy American ales.

Pours with an active foamy head that falls down to a coating on the beer after a minute or two. It's got a great red-brown, almost mahogany color. Cloudy, but that's to be expected with this style. It was a little cold when I first poured it, so as I'm warming it up the tell-tale Belgian aromas start to come out. There's toffee, caramel, some dark fruit, a little banana, and some bread in the nose. The mouthfeel is a little full and the carbonation is very fine, so there's a little tickle from it but it doesn't lift the beer off the palate. The flavors in this beer are nicely subtle and very well balanced. Sweetness can be expected from a dubbel, but here it's kept in check. There are certainly the classic notes of plum, fig, and even a little raisin here, but there's a bready/caramel-like backbone that carries most of the beer's flavor. Toast starts to become more obvious as the beer warms, adding a great additional layer.

It's easy to say this beer is well made, it has all the aspects of a dubbel that it should. What's more, this is probably the best dubbel I've ever had, all the others being repressively sweet or overly laden with raisin flavor. All that being said, I just think I'm not a big fan of the style. The sweetness is a bit much for me, but that's not to say this is a bad beer by any means. It stayed true to the tradition, and the result was something Americans don't often get to experience in it's fresh state; an honest-to-god American abbey ale.

Firestone Walker, Porter

2011-03-29T18:39:00.001-04:00

Firestone Walker
Grade: A-

Firestone Walker is known for their huge, amazing, expertly crafted beers aged in their famous barrel program in Paso Robles, California. What a lot of East Coasters like myself are slow to learn is that their "normal" beers are anything but. Firestone's porter is another of those beers that I think should be held up as the best example of a style. Yeah those guys can do a mean oak-aged IPA, but they can also put out a beer so solid and flavorful that I want a perpetual tap of it at my house.

Nice and dark, with a dark red glow when you hold it up to the light. The light tan head comes up readily and falls to a foamy coating on the beer. Clean caramel and toffee aromas come up when it is swirled, some bread and coffee are in there as well, but it's not aggressive overall. The flavor is full of chocolate, roast, dark toasted bread, and caramel. The body is medium and finishes dry, very nicely balanced with a solid level of carbonation adding a little tingle. Overall the beer is smooth and a little creamy, which may be from the oat flakes used.

There are none of the acrid, burnt, or overly bitter elements in this beer that I've had with other porters. Too often porter and stout are used interchangeably, just another name for a dark beer. Where stout is meant to have some bitter edge to it, porter is supposed to be a supremely 'sessionable' beer. Walkers Reserve is a good example of what a smooth, low alcohol, and very high flavor beer porter really is. In this age of "Imperial Everything," sometimes we need to step back and realize the skill, effort, and nuance some of these lower alcohol beers have. And it just plain drinks good! Tons of flavor with drinkability? Sign me up.

Clown Shoes, Hoppy Feet Black IPA

2011-03-28T18:37:00.001-04:00

Well, let's keep this ball rollin' shall we? Another excellent beer from the booming beer-state of Massachusetts. There have been a large number of new and exciting beer-ventures starting up in Mass (or, as I refer to it: Connecticut's Hat), and the Clown Shoes line has come out as a clear frontrunner. Their Black IPA, the new, hot beer style on the scene has become (in this beer geek's mind) a benchmark for the style. If you have one Black IPA this year, make it this one.

Clown Shoes
Grade: A

This beer pours as black as the stout I just reviewed, but the head is much lighter in color. It's super creamy, thick, and laces the glass like crazy. The aroma jumping up from this beer is heady, to say the least. Huge hop notes, grapefruit, peach, pine, and citrus mingle with the darker, more mocha-like aromas of the malts. It isn't a combination that you would think would work (and in many cases doesn't), but here I'm in love with it. There's toast and bread in the nose as well, combining with some sweeter caramel to round out the aroma.

Mouthfeel is medium, edging slightly into the thicker zone until the carbonation steps in to lighten things up. The citrus from the hops carry into the flavor, enlivened by the chocolate and the roast. The bitterness is absolutely there, there's no mistaking this is an IPA. However that roast element puts a whole new layer on the flavor, combining with the slightly sweeter bready/caramel in the background. This beer is an amazing example of balance between such strong flavors. Roast and aggressive hops are two elements in beer that rarely work well together.

The Black IPA (Dark IPA, Cascadian Dark Ale, etc) is a fairly new style to the world of beer, and it's been attempted by almost every major brewer in the US. Unlike so many of the examples from those brewers, I feel like this beer is exactly what a Black IPA should be. It's not just another hoppy stout, nor is it an IPA that they tossed a bunch of roasted malts into, like so many others have made before. This is something much more than that, it's a re-imagining the use of roasted malts and American hops in beer.

2009 Great Lakes, Blackout Stout

2011-03-27T18:48:00.000-04:00

Check. Check. This thing on?

Oh look! A keyboard! *blows off dust* Perhaps I can write something with it! But what about?

How about.....beer?

Pulling this one out of the cellar, and it has about as much dust on it as this blog does.

Great Lakes Brewing Company
Grade: B

I'll admit, I'm not much of a beer trader. The phenomenon appeared when beer geeks from across the country realized that they could trade beers with each other, going over the heads of distributors and negating the need to spend days in a car and hundreds on gas just to reach a state where their favorite beer was available. To me, Imperial Stout Trooper is a local treasure. Wonderful, but accessible. To someone in the Midwest, it's a legend only whispered in dark corners, talked about, but never seen. To a New Englander, New Holland's Dragon's Milk is just as legendary, and just as unattainable. So when this New Englander traded a couple bottles of IST with a Midwesterner for a couple bottles of Dragon's Milk, imagine this New Englander's surprise when the generous Midwesterner included a bonus bottle of Great Lakes Brewing Company's Blackout Stout in the box!

A thick, mocha-colored head leaps up from this beer and laces the glass very nicely. As it sits, the head forms a meringue that obstinately sits and doesn't move. The aromas are powerful, big pungant dark fruit and raisin notes, some brown sugar and some roast chime in too. Mouthfeel is smooth, yet not thick or viscous. The flavors of chocolate, toasted rye bread, and coffee are much more pronounced on the tongue than they were in the aroma. The raisin and fig elements are there, but they take a background to the more earthy, chocolaty flavors.

As a beer that's been cellared since 2009, it's remarkable how well this has held up. The flavors that you associate with aged beer are here, but the true flavor of those roasted malts still perpetuate. It's certainly not a bitter beer, either from hops or from the roasted malts (if hops were here, they've long since dropped out). There is a wonderful roundness with this beer, well proportioned ingredients that come together to make something more than the sum of it's parts. It's no lightweight, however. The 9% ABV is there, mostly in the warming sensation while drinking it, but also in a slight alcohol sweetness that can linger on the back of the tongue.

This is one of those beers that I would use as an example of "complex balance." Generally, this beer drinks good. I can take sip after sip, I can have another pint if you offered it to me (even in it's aged state). On a more in-depth level, there's no lack of flavors to explore. Chocolate, earth, mocha, spice, raisin, fig, bread, anise, burnt sugar...the list can go on and on. A plethora of flavors, but all coming together to work in harmony.

Bigfeet: '09, '10, '11 Vertical Tasting

2011-02-14T19:08:00.003-05:00

I wrote not to long ago about a vertical tasting I did of Sierra Nevada's Celebration, and came to the conclusion that just because a beer has the same label year to year, doesn't mean what's in the bottle is the same year to year. Building off of this idea, I reached into my cellar and brought a few bottles of Bigfoot into the light. Granted, this is one of my favorite beers from one of my favorite breweries. One might think this makes me biased, and I'd have to admit that I am. However just because I've already passed judgment on this beer and found it outstanding, there still is much to learn about how beer develops over time, and the role hops and malt play in that development.

2009
Grade: A

Pours fairly cloudy, very nearly opaque, with a nice dark auburn color and highlights of red and gold. The head is a foamy light tan that recedes into a coating on the beer after leaving nice lacing on the glass. The aroma is powerful, to say the least. Malt leads here, dark molasses and something like darkly toasted rye bread come out. There's a bit of candy-like sweetness in the aroma as well, most likely from the high alcohol content. There are still some lingering hop elements that smell earthy and spicy, maybe a touch of pine as well. The aroma is complex and intriguing. Mouthfeel is a bit creamy, little carbonation, but it finishes nicely dry. The most interesting thing I find about the flavor is how balanced this is. The elements of dark toasted bread, caramel and molasses, and earthy hops combine to make this one of the best aged beers I've ever tried. One thing I find (pleasantly) odd is I don't taste any of the prune, plum, fig, or raisin flavors your normally associate with an aged beer. I like it even more as it warms, the alcohol is so well restrained that even at 55 degrees it still doesn't taste hot or harsh. This is an absolute pleasure, and I'm sad that I have to put the bottle aside to try the others before my palate is blown.

2010
Grade: A-

The head comes up a little more readily than in the 2009, and with a slightly lighter color as well. This beer is much clearer than the last, with a much more rich deep red color. Aroma is much more subdued here, which I find odd. Some of the same toasty, caramel-like elements are there, and there are herbal, slightly spicy hop aromas too. Overall I'm hunting for the nose on this beer. Not quite as creamy of a mouthfeel, the carbonation is a little more alive here, but as ever a dry finish. The flavor in this beer more than makes up for it's lack in aroma. Sweet toffee and caramel are juxtaposed against tropical fruit and peach flavors from the hops. The alcohol takes a back seat, except for that tell-tale warming sensation that lets you know you're drinking a 9.6% abv beer. A completely different flavor profile than that of the 2009, but just as balanced and drinkable. The hops are much more flavorful here, and while the bitterness is there, it's countered by the massive amounts of sweeter malts. The result allows you to taste multiple nuances of the ingredients, the caramel and toast from the malts, the peach and stone fruit from the hops, and the crisp bitterness that scrubs the tongue and gets you ready for another sip.

2011
Grade: A-

The tan head comes up with a bit of coaxing, but falls into the beer more completely than the other two. This beer a very nice red hue, with a bit of brown that makes me think of mahogany. It's also the most clear of the three, I can read this post through it. The nose is full of floral hops, combining with a toasty and slightly cereal malt presence. There is a little sweetness in the aroma, which makes me think of a double IPA (which when fresh, this beer is commonly referred to as). The carbonation is much more lively here, scrubbing the tongue and adding an acidity that the other two beers did not have at all. Hops are bursting in the flavor; floral, earth, pine, peach, and grass. The malts are certainly there, but the toast and caramel that I tasted in the other two are certainly taking a backseat to the hop flavor. Bitterness is also higher here, aided by the acidic carbonation. While this is a different animal entirely from both the 2009 and the 2010, I'm seeing how the ingredients in this beer change over time.

Top Of The Class!

2011-02-10T07:01:00.000-05:00

I want to give a big thanks to all the people who wasted their perfectly good time reading about beer on Burgers and Brews. Because of you guys, this blog has been featured in the Wikio Top 20 for beer two months in the row! Out of the literally thousands of blogs listed on the site, you guys brought this one up to the #10 spot in January, and we're still sticking around with the #18 spot for February. Guess this means I need to get off my ass and get a few more articles done.

To the beer store!

Sierra Nevada, Hoptimum

2011-01-31T19:11:00.000-05:00

Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.
Grade: A-

A big shout-out and thanks to my friends at Sonoma Wines and Spirits for hooking me up with this lovely little bottle. It's rare to find people who strive to be purveyors of fine beer, and approach it with such zeal. I am very lucky to have local business owners who care as much as I do about a simple little thing like beer. Be sure to check out their blog at The Cork Stops Here for some well written reviews of all things fermented.

Ok, let's just begin with the fact that I want the label of this beer blown up poster-size and hung on my wall. That aside, the buzz around this beer puts it dangerously close to the "hype beer" status. Limited in quantity, sought after by geeks of all backgrounds, and from a brewery known to deliver on excellence in the hop department. All these things together make for a lot of media (ok, blogger) attention, which tends to inflate expectations. I purposely wanted to avoid that so it didn't influence my delicate palate. I failed miserably. But in the interest of journalistic integrity, I forced myself to erase the memories of others reactions and form my own opinions. Had I known exactly how strong this beer was, I could have just had a bottle and erased all the memories I wanted.

A nice creamy head tops a crystal clear, brass colored beer. Very floral hops in the nose. Pine, citrus, peach, some slight tropical fruit, and maybe a little resin. There are some slightly sweet alcohol notes coming through as well, most likely from that 10% ABV.

Mouthfeel is fairly heavy, and while the carbonation isn't low, it certainly doesn't cut through the thick malt presence. Hops continue into the flavor, bright and fruity, with some citrus accents. I'm getting a lot of peach and tropical fruit nuances from the hops, which is working well with the bigger malt backbone. The bitterness is actually quite restrained, working to dry out the finish but certainly not getting in the way of the flavor of either hops or malt. There is some warming as you drink this beer, and there is a bit of alcohol hotness in the flavor as well. Neither of these things are particularly distracting, but they're noticeable.

I'm liking the showcase of the hop flavor without the usual accompanying bitterness, it really allows you to taste the nuances of those hops. I'm not sure if it's aided by the high alcohol, but I haven't had a beer that allowed you to taste those differences that wasn't Imperial. It's a well brewed beer, but while Sierra Nevada remains my favorite brewery, I can't say it's the best I've ever had (not to say it isn't up there though).

There are many out there comparing this beer to Russian River's Pliny the Elder, and unfortunately I can't agree with them. There's a drinkability aspect to Pliny that allows you to have one after the other, with Hoptimum I'm finding that one pint is good, but it's enough. The alcohol in this beer isn't exactly hidden (in it's flavor or in it's effects), and I think that's the only problem. Otherwise this is an excellent hop-centric beer from a brewery that (I believe) started America's love affair with the hop.

New Years Eve: Celebrations Through The Years

2011-01-03T21:17:00.001-05:00

Well, with the year coming to a close and everyone posting about the special beers they popped on New Years, I figured I'd throw my hat into the ring. While I didn't have anything insanely rare (well, there was that bottle of Utopias that was going around), I did bring out a few bottles of Sierra Nevada Celebration that I had been saving each year since 2008. I've had vintage Sierra Nevada Bigfoot barleywine before, but I wanted to try their other famous seasonal with some age on it, and I was a bit surprised by what I found.

2008 Celebration
Grade: B

Pours a nice hazy orange with some amber highlights, and a slightly thin head that dissipates relatively quickly. The citrus hops in the nose is still extremely potent, which is surprising after so long in the bottle. There's some malty sweetness in the aroma as well, almost candy-like. The body is medium to medium-light, with a crisp level of carbonation that scrubs the tongue. Hops are still in the front of the flavor, but now there are other things trying to compete. There are some raisin, prune, and other dark fruit flavors coming in to play, and a bit of the wet-cardboard you get with older beers. Some of these flavors certainly are the effects of oxidation and age, like some of the molasses and brown sugar left in the aftertaste. However I don't feel like these elements detract from the beer, in fact I think it lends a great new dimension to a beer that's widely known and loved. If you're trying to get someone into the world of aged beers, I think this one is a good first step.

2009 Celebration
Grade: B-

The 2009 pours the same hazy orange/amber, but this time the head is more creamy and sticks around longer. The well-known citrus of the hops comes through as expected in the aroma, except that there is a great toasty malt presence too. I can get more variety in the hop nose as well, more grassy, piney hops that weren't in the 2008. The mouthfeel is medium and crisp, but the flavor has an immediate off note to it. It tastes a bit like burnt rubber, a bit acrid. The hops are much more forward in the flavor here, as well as in bitterness. But I think it's from that hop bitterness that I'm getting that off/burnt flavor from. The malts are more clean and crisp here, with toasty bready flavors that work to balance the hops. The dark fruit flavors from the 2008 aren't really here, except for faint notes of raisins in the aftertaste. Overall? I'm not sold on this one. It isn't quite the unique beer that the 2008 is, and it's not the fresh beer that the 2010 is. Looks like this beer needs to be either two years old or two weeks old.

2010 Celebration
Grade: A

A creamy, rocky head leaps up from this relatively clear, light amber beer. I'm not surprised to see that the color is lighter than the older beers, due to them being oxidized over time. However what I am surprised by is the clarity of this years offering. Unlike the previous two, 2010 is much less hazy and allows much more light through it. It isn't brilliantly clear by any means, but this beer makes the other two look murky by comparison. Intense, green hop aroma explode from the glass. Citrus, grapefruit, peach, pineapple, and a little grassy pine comprise the nose. The mouthfeel is fuller than the 2009, with slightly less carbonation and a creamier feel. Hops are front and center in the flavor as well, but these are different hops than the 2009, or at least they're much fresher. The fruity aromas of the hops are echoed in the flavor, rounding out a bitterness that seems much more dialed down than that of the 2009. The malts are simple, but effective here. They maintain just enough sweetness to counter the hops, but by no means impede them. This beer is why so many beer-geeks clamor for this ale year after year.

Maybe there's a bell curve with aging this beer. It's good when it's fresh, it's not so good after a year, and then after two years it's good again. It's possible. Another explanation (the one that I'm leaning towards) is that Sierra Nevada tweaks their recipe each year. Hops after all are an agricultural ingredient, different from crop to crop. Those differences would account for the flavor changes that seem to have occurred through the years. I went into this tasting thinking that I would simply be trying the same beer, with differing amounts of age on them. What I discovered is that, like a wine-grape vintage, each year the beer is unique. The brewer is tasked with making the best beer possible with the ingredients available to them. But just because a beer carries the same label year to year, doesn't mean the beer inside the bottle is a clone of the year previous.

Beer in Africa: Tusker Premium Lager

2010-12-21T11:14:00.001-05:00

Recently a friend of mine traveled to Kenya with Build Africa, an organization that works in rural African areas to help create education and income opportunities. Part of her trip included a several day hike up Mt. Kilimanjaro, culminating (in my mind at least) with a few beers at a local watering hole. Knowing the love that my friends and I have for unique beer, she smuggled a few bottles back in her socks.

Tusker is like every other industrial lager in that it's light bodied, crisp, low on taste, and widely available. The other common factor is that it's highly drinkable. I think it's safe to say that most places in Africa are pretty darn hot, and after hiking the tallest mountain on the continent I'd want something light and refreshing. Enter Tusker.

I can't say that this is the best beer I've ever had, but it isn't the worst either. It doesn't have any flaws, there aren't any off-flavors, and since it was smuggled back directly from it's origin, it's actually very fresh. The only issue is that it's unremarkable in light of all the amazing craft beer here in the States. It is interesting to see how mass-produced lagers aren't just an American tradition, but all over the world people are drinking essentially the same kind of beer, even if the labels are different.

The perception might be that Africa is slightly backwards, a "third world" continent. But Tusker is an African-made beer, brewed and distributed by Africans. It's obvious that they know how to brew a good, clean beer, and they can package and distribute that beer just as well as any of the "big guys" here in the US. While politics and poverty might still be the country's image, I at least know that if I find myself there, I can get a good cold one.

The Session #46 Wrapup

2010-12-05T12:13:00.001-05:00

Wow. Apparently you guys had a lot to say about unexpected and surprising beer experiences! Here's a rundown of everyone's posts, it made for (a lot of) damn good reading!

The Beer Nut wrote about a local brewpub in Dublin, Ireland that had been coasting downhill for some time. On his last visit, he was surprised to find that management has revitalized the establishment, complete with a new brewer and a unique beer lineup.

Tom at Lug Wrench Brewing Company discovered that a local distillery malted and smoked their own barley to make their whiskey. Using local 6-row barley and apple and cherry wood, they achieved a unique smoke flavor in the finished product. Tom was lucky enough to walk away with some of that special malt, and brewed a great sounding rauchbier.

Derrick at Ramblings of a Beer Runner talked about how finding craft beer in places like 7-11 and Safeway isn't that unusual anymore, but that five years ago, it would have been shocking.

The eminent Stan Hieronymus from Appellation Beer wrote about how at any given turn you can land in a craft beer haven, like the Cat's Paw Casino in Bozeman, Montana advertising "20 microbrews for $1."

David at Beer PHXation remembered a trip to New Hampshire that lead him to the door of Moat Mountain Brewing Co. He was impressed with the quality for such a small town place, and suggests making it your center of operations if you travel up that way.

Lew from Seen Through a Glass recalled a trip to the boonies in Pennsylvania, which resulted in a stop at a local watering hole, plastered with Coors Lite signs. With low expectations he entered, and was amazed to see things like Tröegs Trogenator and Steenbrugge Tripel on the tap handles.

Simon writes on The Reluctant Scooper about his experience with a well known name, Chimay. Despite how much he knew about the beer itself, the community where it's produced offered many revelations.

Bob from beer.bobarnott.com told us about a trip to Italy, where his prejudice about the beer was wonderfully dispelled as he enjoyed a flavorful, hoppy Italian beer at a beer bar called "Bir & Fud."

Greg at The Pour Curator takes a different tack and examines how two beer companies work to keep their advertising intriguing and unexpected.

Jay Brooks of the Brookston Beer Bulletin says "In the intervening 30+ years since those first unexpected beer experiences when I lived in New York, the journey I started then has led me to one unexpected discovery after another."

Jon wrote on The Brew Site about discovering great beer at, of all places, an Oregon wine tasting room. He discovered that the winery owner is the sister of Vinnie Cilurzo, owner of Russian River Brewing Co., and therefore always has Pliny the Elder on tap.

Mark at Kaedrin Beer Blog recalls when, while still a Natty Ice drinker, he pointed randomly at a beer menu and ended up with Ommegang Hennepin. The result blew his mind, and to honor that he reviews Ommegang's new offering, Adoration.

Sean from Beer Search Party writes about two experiences where he was in the right place at the right time. At two events, fellow beer geeks shared rare beers with him, completely randomly and out of a shared love of good beer.

At Brewed For Thought, Mario tells us about a business trip that took him to North Carolina. After being discouraged by his research on the area, he finds out that one of the executives of the company he's meeting with owns a brewery, just outside of town.

Alan at A Good Beer Blog posted about a rare Westvleteren 8 that was shipped to him from Europe, a surprise payment for an advertising job.

Jay from A Beer In Hand talks about a favorite local taproom, famous for their craft beers and low prices. One day bombers of Stone's Vertical Epic appeared on the menu...for $5!

Thomas at the Geistbear Brewing Blog recently moved to North Carolina, and was disappointed by the beer scene. But things were changing, rapidly. "Maps of course are static documents and can't tell you the changes happening behind the pins or what is going on with the people on the ground." There have been at least six brewery openings since he's arrived with more on the way, showing that North Carolina is ground zero for the next craft beer boom.

The Session #46: An Unexpected Discovery

2010-12-03T09:37:00.000-05:00

The Session is a monthly collaboration of beer bloggers that share their views on a common theme. This month Burgers and Brews is hosting the topic "An Unexpected Discovery," finding craft beer in the last place you were looking for it. I've asked people to share a place where they've accidentally stumbled upon a new or interesting beer, or share an experience where they've been surprised by a new brewery or beer style.

As a self admitted beer-geek I seek every opportunity I can to find new beers. While traveling I make it a point to research, look up reviews online, and map out the closest beer bar, brewpub, or bottle shop. Some might call this anal. I call it being thorough. But more often than not, it’s the unintended beer discovery that gives me the most thrill. It might be a run down dive, a yuppie bar, a backcountry gas station, or a sketchy bodega, but when I find good craft beer in places like this, completely unlooked for, it’s more rewarding than all those planned brewery visits.

While traveling to Colorado recently I endeavored to experience as much of the beer scene on the way as possible, culminating of course in Denver, a beer haven if there ever was one (there’s a reason the Great American Beer Festival is held there every year). I was a bit worried though, because there were a lot of states between Connecticut and Colorado that aren’t exactly on the cutting edge of beer. My prejudice led me to be lax in my research, so as we were passing through Columbus, Ohio I wasn’t expecting to find anything interesting. I love being wrong.

In search of lunch and a cold beer we parked in the first space we could find on the street in Columbus. We noticed a little shop across the way that apparently was a hot dog joint. It didn’t look like much, and with a name like Dirty Frank’s it didn’t instill confidence. We shuffled into the place and were surprised to see a full sized bar running the length of the small shop. On tap were at least eight different beers, ranging from New Belgium’s Ranger IPA to the local Great Lakes Dortmunder Gold. The bottle list was small, but included Delirium Tremens and something I haven’t seen before, O’Fallon Brewing Hemp Hop Rye, an amber ale made with hemp seeds. It just so happened that it was also the $3 bottle special of the day. I ordered three.

While I can’t say it was a religious experience, the beer was very drinkable and was precisely the cure for the hot summer weather. Combined with a specialty hot dog menu that was over thirty items long, all of which were $3 to $4, we were in heaven. At this point we were behind schedule, we needed to get back on the road in order to make it to the next destination in time. However the cool air conditioning, the good cheap food, and a very respectable taplist lulled us into a sense of relaxation and comfort. Yeah we wouldn’t be getting into our destination until 1am, so what? We were having fun, and we had discovered a little beer spot that as far as we knew, was completely off the map.

While the other beer destinations we went to on that trip might have had better beer, it was this random and completely unplanned stop in Columbus, Ohio that sticks in my mind. A ton of people know about the Falling Rock in Denver. How many people know about Dirty Frank’s?

Tell us about a beer experience that took you by surprise. Post a link to your blog in the comments section below, and I'll consolidate them all into an easy to read separate post. I'm very excited to see everyone's response!

Cavalry Brewing, Hatch Plug

2010-11-26T16:05:00.002-05:00

Cavalry Brewing Co.
Grade: A

Cavalry is Connecticut's newest brewery, joining the likes of Hooker Brewing and the large number of brewpubs in the state. Mike McCreary is the owner and brewer, and decided to pursue his dream after the economy collapsed in 2008. He themes his brewery and his beers on his years of military experience, and crafts them in the style he learned while brewing in the UK and Scotland. Brewing English style beers might not sound very sexy (no Quadruple Imperial IPA?), but that's exactly why these beers are so good. They're unassuming, simple, well made, and generally drinkable. Americans can't really appreciate English beer, mostly because by the time the stuff from England gets to us, it's seen better days. Enter Calvary, producing authentic, delicious, and most importantly, fresh examples of English beer.

Pours absolutely crystal clear, with not much head that dissipates to a coating on the top of the beer. The color is light auburn, with reddish gold tones. Bready caramel comes up from the aroma, slightly sweet but with a grainy background. Some subtle fruit aromas are there as well, but take a back seat to the cereal-like grains. The flavor is full of bread, toast, biscuit, very light caramel and some very slight candy sweetness. There isn't much in the way of hop aroma or flavor, except for what I describe as a slight earthy/spicy note. The bitterness is there, keeping things dry and crisp and not overpowering the malts.

This is a very tasty beer, it reminds me a lot of some Scottish 80 Shillings and some more English style milds and bitters I've had before. It's got a great cereal flavor from the malts that manages not to be cloyingly sweet at all. This is very drinkable, and a nice departure from the classic pale ale that most startup breweries do. Being able to deliver big malt flavor, while balancing drinkability with lower alcohol is a difficult job to say the least. Cavalry is a very welcome addition to the Connecticut brewing scene.

The Session #46, An Unexpected Discovery

2010-11-09T19:10:00.001-05:00

The Session is a monthly get-together of beer bloggers all posting on a common topic, and yours truly is hosting the next one! The Session was started by Stan Hieronymous and Jay Brooks, and has been around for almost 3 years. It's produced some great topics and some great posts, so go check out the past Sessions here.

I recently drove out to Colorado for a concert, and realized this was a perfect opportunity to stop at as many "beer destinations" as I could. I researched, plotted routes, looked at maps, and generally planned the entire trip around beer. What I was surprised to find was that despite all the amazing stops I planned, one of the best beer experiences of the trip was completely accidental. I found great beer in the last place I thought to look for it.

Has this happened to you? Maybe you stumbled upon a no-name brewpub somewhere and found the perfect pale ale. Maybe, buried in the back of your local beer store, you found a dusty bottle of rare barleywine. Perhaps a friend turned you on to a beer that changed your mind about a brewery or a style. Write about a beer experience that took you by surprise.

So here's how it works: write a post based on this topic on December 3rd, then post a link to your blog in the comments section here. I'll post a "roundup" of everyone's posts the next day. That's it!

Sierra Nevada, Estate Homegrown Ale

2010-10-30T15:18:00.001-04:00

Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.
Grade: A

Estate is one of Sierra Nevada's annual releases, using the newly certified organic hops (and now barley) that they grew themselves on their own farmland. This beer, from beginning to end, was made by the brewers. Winemakers have long appreciated the idea of regional impact when it comes to ingredients. Cabernet grapes grown in France are not the same as Cabernet grapes grown in California. In the brewing world the ingredients all come from maltsters and commercial hop growers, sometimes from many regions. Therefore one brewing company may be using the exact same ingredients as the next one. Up until now the only way to differentiate between breweries was based on how they put those same ingredients together. Sierra Nevada has decided to do everything themselves, from growing barley from seed to harvesting their own hops. That means that the contents of this bottle are unique, and not reproducible anywhere else other than the Sierra Nevada Brewing Company in Chico, California.

Pours a light amber, nicely clear with an offwhite head that laces up the glass something fierce. The color is a bit darker than some Sierra Nevada ales, mahogany and gold mix to make a combination much like the crystallized amber sap you see pre-historic insects trapped in. The aroma is absolutely, positively, irrefutably about hops. Pine, citrus, grass, grapefruit, resin, peach; it's like a hoppy wonderland. All the aromas are so pronounced, so floral that it really takes me aback. I have only had one or two beers that have smelled so wonderful as this, and I think one of them was a Sierra Nevada.

Medium to light mouthfeel, with a restrained level of carbonation. While the aroma completely blew me away by it's unabashed celebration of the hop in all it's glory, the flavor is oddly subtle. The bitterness is not overwhelming at all, in fact it drinks a lot like a normal pale ale, maybe even less bitter than that. This doesn't mean that it's weak sauce, instead the focus seems to be in the flavor and aroma areas. Citrus, peach, and a general "floral" flavor are here, mixing ever so perfectly with a toasty malt balance that I've rarely experienced.

I've written before about balance, and more often than not Sierra has been my example of what that is. Here is yet another facet of balance that Sierra yet again takes the lead on. Some brewers (and beer drinkers) equate "hoppiness" with bitterness, and to some extent that is true. But anyone can throw a bunch of hops into a beer and call it hoppy. It takes skill and years of experience to coax out the subtleties and nuance of the hop, to make it more than just a function of "bittering units" and treat it like the delicate and flavorful ingredient that it is. Sierra has succeeded in making a balanced, hoppy, flavorful, and most importantly in my book, drinkable beer. The tendency in the beer industry is to go big with your special releases, to blow the doors off your competition (and the tastebuds off consumer's tongues). Sierra has instead endeavored to make what can only be called a delicious beer, approachable by the novice and respected by the expert.

Stone Vertical Epic, 10.10.10

2010-10-26T18:42:00.001-04:00

Stone Brewing Co.
Grade: B-

The Vertical Epic series is a unique and now quite famous anniversary offering from Stone Brewing. As we approach the final release date of 12.12.12, people around the world are clamoring to eBay and trading with other beer geeks trying to amass a complete collection of these beers, starting with the 02.02.02. You can check out my review of the 09.09.09 here. Each year the beer is different, sometimes markedly so. This year Stone made a strong Belgian pale ale with, among other things, an addition of Muscat, Gewurztraminer, and Sauvignon Blanc wine grapes.

Pours a pale straw color, with only a slight haze and a head that falls to a coating fairly quickly. Certainly a Belgian yeast character in the nose, full banana, clove, spice, floral elements, and a tiny hint of alcohol. Despite being "Belgian" in character, the aroma is clean and crisp, not carrying any sweet notes or funk at all. The mouthfeel is a bit coating, the carbonation is medium and doesn't really lift the beer off the tongue much. There is fruity sweetness, but not cloying at all. The wine grape juice is immediately noticeable, adding a very fresh fruit flavor to the banana of the Belgian yeast. The balance is fairly nice, the sweeter elements of the grapes aren't taking over the yeast character.

There is a complexity in the background that is hard to nail down, but it feels like after every sip I'm missing something. Not that the beer is lacking, it just feels like there's an additional element or combination of elements that is hidden in the background. Will this come out more as it ages? I can only hope. Being a Belgian inspired ale, the hopping and bitterness is very minimal, but it still manages to finish semi-dry. I just wish the carbonation was a little higher, I feel like it might cut through some of the wine grape sweetness that at times can be a little full on the palate.

Another inspired offering from Stone that goes well outside their comfort zone. I like when breweries try to expand their horizons, particularly breweries like Stone who have been labeled a "hoppy brewer." They makes tons of money selling those hoppy beers, they don't really need to do anything else. Yet they still are driven to push boundaries and experiment. Sometimes those experiments don't work. I can't say that this beer is to the standard that many of Stone's other beers are at. However I can say that they made an inspired, unique, and well crafted offering. One that I'm anxious to try come 12.12.12, when everyone around the world will be pulling out all their hoarded Vertical Epic beers.

Thomas Hardy, 1999

2010-10-12T06:48:00.002-04:00

Thomas Hardy
Grade: C

Ok, I know I said I wouldn’t do reviews on insanely rare and difficult to get beers, but this one literally fell into my lap. A friend of mine spotted a few of these in the back of some run-down backwoods liquor store and nabbed them. By stroke of luck he happened to grab the 1999 vintage, which was the last to be produced by the original English brewery.

Thomas Hardy was probably the first beer to break the $5 per bottle mark in American markets. Now the likes of Brewdog and Dogfish Head regularly put out uber-expensive, 12 oz beers, usually ridiculously high in alcohol. These beers are sometimes referred to as “hype” beers, designed to stir up interest, but not lead sales. Both Dogfish Head and Brewdog have regular production beers, so they’re not relying on the sales of these hype beers.

But Hardy is of a different ilk. Beer connoisseurs treat this beer like a rare port or cognac, trading different “vintages” that reach back to the sixties. It’s worth noting that this is absolutely the exception to the rule. If you stick a Bud Light in a cellar for a couple decades don’t expect it to come out tasting great. This is one of the few beers in the world that was not only expected to be aged, but was designed for it.

Pours a deep, dark red with little to no head. Despite being bottle conditioned and most likely mis-handled, it is actually quite clear. The aroma is full of toffee, sweetness from the malts, some bread, and a little bit of caramel/butterscotch. There is a definite level of oxidation going on here, there’s a wet-cardboard nose mixed with damp cellar. The flavor is very sweet, but complex. Some raisin and prune are there, mixed with brown sugar and a toffee flavor. The bitterness is very subdued, in fact it’s hard to find at all. Alcohol is present as well, which is to be expected at about 11% alcohol by volume. The very low level of carbonation makes this beer feel very thick on the tongue.

My colleagues were not impressed by this beer, and while I wasn’t completely disappointed I wasn’t going to jump on the Thomas Hardy bandwagon just yet. I think there are two types of beer appreciation, the first is that of an enthusiast, sitting around with friends, enjoying a few good pints, and relaxing at the end of a hard day. The other is that of a connoisseur, sipping at very rare, expensive, and hard to get beers and pondering every drop. Which do I fall into? I think it all comes down to what makes you happy. Does geeking-out and analyzing a beer to death do it for you? Then more power to you. Personally I like to sit back, share an interesting (and drinkable) beer with friends, and not worry too much about it. After all, it’s just beer guys. :)

99!

2010-10-04T15:59:00.000-04:00

99 posts about beer on the blog, 99 posts about beer! Thanks to everyone who has choosen to waste their perfectly good time reading about my thoughts on beer.

The Session #44: Frankenstein Beers

2010-09-30T12:31:00.001-04:00

This month The Session is hosted by Ashley from Drink With The Wench, and in keeping with the Halloween theme of October she poses the topic of “Frankenstein Beers.” From her blog:

Many craft brewers are like Frankenstein. They have become mad scientists obsessed with defying the laws of brewing and creating beers that transcend style guidelines. These “Frankenstein Beers” challenge the way people perceive beer. They are freaks of nature — big, bold and intense. The ingredients resemble those of a beer and the brewing process might appear to be normal, but some aspects of the entire experience are experimental, unorthodox and insane.

An altercation with these beers produces confusion in the eye of the taster … is it a beer, or a monster?

Frankenstein for me has always evoked the image of a huge man-like monster, intended by it’s creator to be greater than the sum of its mismatched parts. Depending on the version of the story, the monster is either an evil hulk bent on destroying the world, or a misunderstood and maligned gentle soul. Surprisingly it’s very easy to translate this idea into the beer world.

Like Frankenstein, a lot of brewers have begun meddling with “hybrid” beer styles, combining (sometimes radically) different types into one. Like the two notions of Frankenstein, the evil monster and the misunderstood creation, two of these hybrid beers stick out for me. One is the Belgian IPA, and the other is the Black IPA.

I feel like the Belgian IPA falls into the category of the movie monster that was rotten from the beginning. This new style looked good on paper, combining the citrusy and piney aspects of American hops with the fruity and spicy esters of Belgian yeast. However like Frankenstein, the result is not at all what was intended. The Belgian yeasts do not play well with the bitterness from the hops, resulting in a burnt plastic flavor that I’ve tasted across many examples of the style.

The Black IPA (Dark IPA, Cascadian Dark Ale, that’s a whole ‘nother post) is an example of a good beer that is simply misunderstood. When presented with a Black IPA, a consumer might be confused. Is this a hoppy stout or a roasty IPA? Sometimes brewers themselves aren’t sure which way they want to take the style. Some try and take a standard stout recipe and load it with hops, while others approach it more like a schwartzbier, looking for dark color and only a hint of roast. At its core Black IPAs are good beers, the flavors make sense and work together. Like Mary Shelly’s Monster, it’s a beer style that is searching for its identity.

A Burger Worth Dying For, or My Food Is Trying to Kill Me

2010-09-21T10:29:00.001-04:00

Usually humans kill animals to make their food, however this is food that kills you back. Anyone flipping through cable channels has most likely seen the ridiculous Heart Attack Grill. Billing themselves as "the only honest restaurant in America," they've taken the idea of the calorie laden burger to the absolute extreme. Rather than hide the fact that the average burger is incredibly bad for you, they celebrate it. Burgers named the "Quadruple Bypass" stack four huge patties sky high, and when combined with their fries (cooked in pure lard, by the way), you have a meal that has the caloric content to keep you running for a solid week.

Oh, and if you weigh over 350 lbs, you eat for free.

Burgers and Brews: A Breakdown

2010-09-15T09:56:00.002-04:00

There are a lot of beer blogs out there. A lot. A quick look at the Blogs of Note section on this site will give you a hint of that. So why add another one? Why join the ranks of so many other beer enthusiasts who just can’t seem to keep their mouths shut? What do I, middle of the road beer-geek that I am, have to contribute to the ever expanding universe of craft beer?

Not a whole helluva lot.

What I can offer is simply this: an honest, unfiltered, average Joe opinion on beers that you can go out to the store and actually buy. I won’t focus on super-rare, extremely limited, one-off beers that you have to give up your firstborn for (although, if anyone is willing to supply them, I’ll gladly give it the full B&B treatment). Nor will I focus on beers that aren’t available in the New England area (once again, if some fall into my lap, I won’t push them away). I want you the reader to be able to read about a beer, and be able to go out and buy that beer (or not). I make no excuses for being a Northeast-centric beer-writer. This is where I live. This is where I drink.

It’s come to my attention that some people think my grading system is, to put it nicely, arbitrary. I don’t argue this. I’ll be the first to admit that I don’t have a strict rubric for these grades, but I do have some very general guidelines. There are two extremes in my grading. The highest grade, an A+, is the best beer I’ve ever had. I would literally crawl naked over a pit of pissed off lobsters to get a sip of this beer. If I had a kid, I would name it after this beer. I would drink this beer, and only this beer, until I died (be it from old age or cirrhosis of the liver, whichever comes first).

On the other end of the spectrum is obviously an F-. To qualify for this esteemed honor, the beer would have to be so vile that I wouldn’t be able to swallow a second sip. The aroma would burn my nose-hairs, cause instant vertigo/nausea, and possibly cause my hair to catch on fire. The flavor would be enough to induce dry-heaves and a loss of faith in God, with a possible side effect of death. This beer would be a good substitute for Drain-O as I pour it down the sink.

Everything else? Well, I guess that’s up to my mood. Sometimes I can forgive an industrial-light lager for being what it is, and focus on the positives. Sometimes I’ll rip a beer a new orifice. Sometimes I can grade a beer a C one day and a B the next. Why? Because it’s just one man’s opinion, it’s one data point. Let my interpretations be a jumping off point for you, a place to start. Curious about a beer? Take a look at what I had to say about it, then go see for yourself. Agree with me? Let me know. It gives me the warm fuzzies. Think I’m full of crap? Tell me! You might even convince me to change my mind. Either way, you’ll be educating yourself about the ever expanding world of craft beer.

Harpoon, Triticus

2010-09-05T13:58:00.002-04:00

Harpoon Brewing Co.
Grade: B+

Don't drink this beer at a party, you'll wake up the next morning with various things written across your face and inexplicable photos of you on Facebook. This is one of those beers where I realize my background and knowledge of other beer types is incomplete. Harpoon calls this beer a "wheat wine," which is essentially a beer made with a very large amount of wheat, and bumped up in alcohol content. I have a feeling this beer has more in common with German and Belgian strong ales like doppelbocks and tripels, than the American styles I'm used to. This is an area of expertise where sadly, I'm not very well versed. I can't make those connections with those styles or draw associations. But what I can do is tell you if this is a good beer.

This is a good beer.

The first thing that surprises me about this beer is the color. I had no idea this was a darker beer, when I hear "wheat" in the description I immediately think of lighter beers, like hefeweizens (color prejudice, I know). The color is a deep brown, almost opaque. The tan head that comes up isn't very thick, and falls to a lacing after a little while. Sweet aromas are in the nose, candy, caramel, some banana and bubblegum are there too. The flavor is like I'm sipping on a completely different beer than the one I was just smelling. Roast, dark chocolate, and some coffee mix in with the sweet sugars and caramel. The more you drink this beer, the more the sweetness drops out and is balanced by the darker roasted flavors. In fact it seems to change them, the sweeter flavors turn more into raisins and dates as you drink. The mouthfeel is medium light, not heavy at all despite the very large alcohol percentage (11.5% ABV). There's no alcohol burn at all in the flavor, only that warming sensation as you drink it. This tastes very much like an imperial stout got it on with a Belgian golden strong ale. The finish is dry, and with some backup bitterness from the hops makes me want another sip.

The problem I have with a lot of "winter warmer" style beers is the alcohol level is almost always accompanied by a huge thick mouthfeel, and overly sweet flavors. I don't want to drink these types of beers, even if I'm only intending to have one pint due to the alcohol content. I see a winter warmer as one of those beers you don't mind having on a cold day in front of a fire. That alcohol warmth is exactly what I'm looking for, but that's it. I want the rest of my beer to be quenching and dry, allowing me to readily take another sip, not brace myself for the onslaught of a hot, fusel-laden booze bomb. I can take another sip of Triticus, and keep sipping it 'til it's gone. Then I'll most likely lay down and fall into a warm and cozy winter nights sleep, hopefully without someone writing something suggestive on my face.

The Session #43: The New Kids on the Block

2010-09-03T06:45:00.000-04:00

The Session is a chance for beer bloggers to write on a shared topic each month. This month Carla over at The Beer Babe is hosting, with the topic “New Kids on the Block.” From her site:

“With the astounding growth of the number of craft breweries this year, chances are there’s a new one in development, or has just started out in your area… How does their beer compare to the craft beer scene in your area? Are they doing anything in a new/exciting way? What advice, as a beer consumer, would you give to these new breweries?”

Some say that America is going through a “beer renaissance.” For the first time since the 1920’s, the number of breweries in the U.S. has exceeded pre-Prohibition numbers. Movement to de-centralize food and beverages is widespread. Emphasis on locally produced items has reached every market. Popular (or least the loudest) opinion is that macro-lagers are inferior to local, small batch craft beer. There isn’t a better time to be opening a brewery… right?

With the increased national awareness of craft beer comes an increased expectation of quality. While the appeal of locally produced brews certainly gets people excited, it’s the quality that keeps them coming back. Just because a brewery is local, doesn’t mean it is producing good beer. However if a brewery can combine the local attitude of a true craft brewer with excellent and exciting beers, they can rocket to “beer-stardom.” If they can’t, they’re relegated to the heap with all the other pretenders.

Recently a private company took over the newly closed Hops Brewery near me, and re-opened as Carson’s Brewhouse, keeping the original Hops brew system (and brewer). Locals were excited that we would finally have a local brewery that could produce some exciting new beers, not the corporate-mandated boring recipes that they had been pumping out for years. Unfortunately we were wrong. The beers were just as safe as they had always been, catering to the BudMillerCoors crowd and served sub-arctic in frosty mugs. Essentially Hops in sheep’s clothing. Rumor has it that a consultant is coming in to try and turn things around, but it’s a testament to the advanced palates of the public that making fizzy yellow beer is a sure way to go out of business.

On the other end of the spectrum would be Pretty Things Beer and Ale Project in Massachusetts. Even without a physical brewery to call their own (they brew on another brewery’s system, details in their own words here), they have exploded on the beer scene with their unique and downright tasty beers. They bottle only in 22oz bombers and have limited tap accounts. At the recent ACBF held in Boston, they were easily the most sought after brewery at the event…again. The year before, only a few months after producing their first beers, they were the toast of the town. They hold frequent events, release parties, and beer dinners throughout the Boston and New York areas, which creates a sense of community. Not only is this beer awesome, it’s local.

Upon tasting their beers and hearing their story at ACBF, I immediately went out the next day and bought everything they made. I bought the beers because they were good, but I also bought them because I wanted the brewery to succeed. Because they worked so hard to create that sense of involvement, of community, I will support them in everything they do.

Was I sucked into the hype? Did I drink the Kool-Aid? Why did I, cynical beer enthusiast (snob) that I am, suddenly decide to jump on the Pretty Things bandwagon? Because the beer is damn good. Take away everything else, the beer stands out on it’s own. No amount of hype, swag, promotion, prostitution, or cajoling can make a bad craft beer popular. That might work for that BudMillerCoors crowd, but craft beer drinkers know better. They already see past the marketing of those big guys, they look at quality.

So here's my advice to all those new and upcoming craft beer makers out there: brew good beer. It really is that simple. If you put out a good product, the community is going to get behind you and welcome you with open arms. But if the beer ain’t good, we ain’t gonna drink it.

Sam Adams, Black Lager

2010-08-30T20:48:00.000-04:00

Boston Beer Company
Grade: B-

Appears black at first, but when you hold it up to the light, it becomes a deep blood red. A tan head tops the beer, falling to a thin layer fairly quickly. Dark brown sugar, molasses, bread and toast all come up from the aroma. It's very well hidden, but there's a slight element of sulfur that tells me this is indeed a lager. Roast and sweetness battle it out on the first sip. There's a definite coffee/dark chocolate flavor, indeed it finishes relatively dry with a bit of that roasty bitterness left on the tongue. The caramel and toffee are there as well, lending a sweet counterpoint only slightly less forward than the roast. There are a tiny bit of spicy hops in there as well, but it's barely noticeable.

This beer drinks a lot like a stout, and if you poured this for me I'd probably say that's what it is. There are certainly some lager elements here, the smoother body and overall clean profile are the most obvious. The sweeter flavors are also something I'd be used to finding in a lager, like a bock. But those roasty, coffee and chocolate flavors are not subtle here at all. They're playing a major role, and while some traditional shwartzbiers (as the style is known in Germany, where it started) certainly do have those elements, they don't have them in this magnitude.

But while this beer isn't exactly what it claims to be, it doesn't make it a bad beer. It's expertly brewed, very clean, and I can tell that the flavors in this beer are intended, a specific recipe decision. While I may not agree with those decisions, I think that the brewers achieved the flavors they wanted. It drinks like a stout...but a good stout. A nice, smooth, sultry stout. A stout that you'd pick up in a bar and bring home. A stout you'd play Barry White for. A stout you'd want to pop open only to realize, all too late, that it isn't a stout at all. It's a lager.

I don't know, some people are into that.

Magic Hat, Hex

2010-08-25T20:08:00.000-04:00

Magic Hat Brewing Co.
Grade: C+

It wasn't my intention to have a string of Oktoberfest beer reviews, but seeing as how it is fast approaching the German festival season (Oktoberfest begins in September, those guys know how to party!) I figured I'd just keep the ball rolling. So I'll focus on American breweries, mostly because all the authentic German stuff is pretty old and beat up by the time it gets to these shores (and I'm pretty sure they keep all the best stuff for themselves anyway). Seeing as how almost every American brewer is putting out an Oktoberfest, I took it upon myself to weed through and expose the pretenders.

If you'd like to see some reviews of different Oktoberfest beers from last year, check out the Harpoon, Sam Adams, Blue Point, Ayinger, Clipper City, and Hofbrau Munchen writeups. Popular style around this time of year, isn't it?

A thin white fizz comes up from an aggressive pour, then dissipates into literally nothing. The beer itself is perfectly clear, and the color is a deep golden with amber highlights. There's not a whole lot in the aroma, I'm actually getting a little green apple amidst the lager sulfurs. The mouthfeel is a sturdy medium, big on the palate but not thick or cloying. Carbonation scrubs the tongue, which highlights some of the hop bittering. Unlike Heavy Seas, this beer has much more hop flavor, highlighting some more spicy, earthy hop varieties. There is a fair amount of toast and bread, with a little bit of caramel thrown in too. There's a bit of a roast flavor in there as well, almost a small acrid note. It seems that after just having the Prosit! that this beer is muted. It shares many of the same flavors, but just dialed way down.

While Magic Hat surely isn't known for adhering to styles, I have to say that this beer pays homage well. This isn't quite an Oktoberfest (the label does say "OURtoberfest" after all), but the basics are all there. Where they seem to have deviated is in the hop profile, giving it a bit more of an American edge. It's not perfectly brewed however. There are a few off notes, mostly the acrid roast and the green apple aroma. Not to mention the non-existent head. To say that it's out of style I think is correct, but to say it's a bad beer I think isn't quite accurate either. Say rather, that it was a good first attempt, and worth brewing again with some tweaks. But knowing Magic Hat once they perfect this recipe, they'll retire it like all the other good ones in their lineup.

Speaking of which, be on the lookout for the resurrection of HI.P.A., formally their spring seasonal now coming back as a fall release. I was a big fan of this beer, and naturally they mothballed it. Gladly, enough people were of like mind and bugged Magic Hat to bring it back around. Hopefully it will live up to my hazy memory of it.

Heavy Seas, Prosit Imperial Oktoberfest

2010-08-24T19:05:00.000-04:00

Heavy Seas Brewing Co.
Grade: A

After the disappointment of the Berkshire Oktoberfest, I felt the need to prove that Americans can brew a damn good Marzen, and lo and behold, Heavy Seas (formally Clipper City) releases their Prosit! Oktoberfest Lager.

Prosit (pronounced PRO-sht) is the German version of "cheers," and during Oktoberfest it may be the most commonly uttered word in the entire country of Germany. Heavy Seas put this beer out last year as a part of their "Mutiny Fleet" portfolio, a collection of seasonal releases in 22oz bottles that push the boundaries of flavor and alcohol content. However despite the aggressive positioning, each and every one of these beers are balanced and perfectly brewed, but still edgy enough to give most beer geeks a nice little hard on. I actually gasped when I saw that this beer was back for another year, and grabbed it like the greedy little nerd that I am.

A puffy white head comes up from a very clear amber lager, and falls to a thin film on the surface. Some sweet aromas mix with more grainy, earthy notes. Caramel pairs with bread, some candy-like notes mix with toast. The characteristic sulfur elements of a lager are very few, if they're here at all. There's a slight little bit of fruit, but it's more like a subtle candy fruit than a banana note.

The mouthfeel is medium, just barely edging towards medium-full, with a slightly lower level of carbonation than I was expecting. At first the flavors of toffee and very light caramel hit your palate, but then there are layers and layers of bread and toast coming after it, with a firm yet subdued bittering at the end. The complexity of the flavor is matched only by it's balance. I'm not overwhelmed at all. In fact, I'm growing more intrigued after each sip. The hop bitterness does an excellent job of scrubbing off some of the sweeter flavors from my tongue, allowing me to start each sip fresh without becoming fatigued. The caramel and toffee are complimented so well by the bread and biscuit flavors that, while I can taste each one individually, nothing clashes. If there is a 9% ABV in here, I can't find it. There are absolutely no hot alcohols or strained esters, in fact the only indication this isn't a session beer is the slight warming sensation after half a pint.

Technically this beer is a little outside the true "Oktoberfest" guidelines by being so high in alcohol. That being said, this beer is the most authentic and true German style Marzen I've found yet. How do I know? How do I, having only the limited available examples available to me, know that this is the (American) holy grail of Oktoberfests? Because I can drink a lot of this. And I mean, a LOT. I want liters of this, never ending buckets of this beer brought to me by busty German women in tight fitting dirndls. It makes me want sausage, and oompa music. I want to wander from place to place for two weeks, wondering only where my next liter of this beer is. This, dear reader, is what comes to my mind when the word "Oktoberfest" is mentioned.

Prosit.

Berkshire Brewing Co., Oktoberfest Lager

2010-08-22T16:41:00.000-04:00

Berkshire Brewing Co.
Grade: D+

A white head is slow to form, and what does appear falls to a thin coating very quickly. The color is a nice mahogany, with some amber highlights. Sweet candy, caramel, and toffee come up from the glass. There's a fruity element as well, slightly banana. Mouthfeel is fairly big, a bit viscous with a lower level of carbonation. The flavor is very sweet, caramel and candy. Banana comes through in the flavor as well, and it leaves a sweet coating on the tongue. There are some bread flavors here, but the sweetness makes it read more like banana bread than a dry, toasty flavor.

This beer is an example of what "cloying" sweetness is, that lingering layer of sweet that takes over your palate. A higher level of carbonation might have been able to lift some of that sweetness up off the tongue, countering the caramel flavors with some acidity from the carbonation. However the low level of bubbles makes this beer feel very flat, and a bit syrupy. I'm not sure if this was intended, or if it is a result of poor packaging, but the result is there. I find myself wanting to hook this beer up to my tank of CO2 and giving it a quick burst to liven it up again. Still, I don't think that carbonation is this beer's only fault. The residual sweetness left is completely out of style with an Oktoberfest, which should be dry, bready, and toasty. The point of Oktoberfest beers is to be drinkable...in mass quantity. I have trouble taking another sip of Berkshire's offering, the sweetness is simply too much.

Berkshire is a very local beer, serving only a few states in New England. Their product is not pasteurized, and their labeling warns to keep all their bottles refrigerated at all times. This results in a very fresh, uniquely flavored line of beers, with an identifiable house flavor... when you're in Massachusetts. The farther these beers travel from the brewery, the lower the level of quality. Despite their strict distribution rules (all retail stores MUST keep all of their beers in a refrigerated case) the beers seem to suffer from problems. And these problems seem to stem not from being left on shelves too long, but from the brewery itself.

From recipe formulation to fermentation management, the Oktoberfest Lager is simply not a good beer. It doesn't approach the style of Oktoberfest by a long shot, that can be certain. But it also doesn't drink well. As an example, Otter Creek's Oktoberfest is not at all (stylistically) an Oktoberfest. But it's a drinkable beer, enjoyable, and overall well brewed. I can certainly have a few of them in a row. Berkshire's version is so sweet that my palate is fatigued after one pint. And on my rubric for judging beers, the most important question is this: do I want another pint? The answer for Berkshire? No.

"33" Export and the Dragonboat Festival

2010-08-22T10:50:00.000-04:00

Thanks to a passing Facebook message I was turned on to the Dragonboat Festival in downtown Hartford, CT. Figuring that there would be some decent food being cooked up, I decided to head down there for some lunch. I was surprised to find that in addition to some very good Thai food there were a selection of Asian beers to try. Seems everywhere I go, beer in there. It's a nice problem to have.

There were all the usual suspects, Asahi and Sapporo, but a different one caught my eye. "33" Export, apparently a Vietnamese beer (brewed by the French). It had the classic light straw color of a lager, with aromas of corn, not much in the way of sulfurs though. The body was light, with a slightly thicker mouthfeel than I was expecting from a light lager. There were some sweeter flavors mixed in with some vegetal ones, which made me think of coconut. An odd beer, but it went well with my Pad Thai.

Made fresh on the spot, I was lucky to get some fresh off the wok. Combined with curried veggies and some BBQ chicken, I was a happy camper. Naturally I put way too much Sriracha sauce on mine, so the slightly sweet Asian lagers helped out with that quite a bit.

The Dragonboat races were pretty interesting too, the teams seemed to range from the weekend warrior to seasoned professionals (complete with custom paddle cases slung over their shoulder like a tennis player). It was a fun spur of the moment outing, to be sure.

Paddling those boats is exhausting work. Oh, and did I mention there were free sake shots? There were free sake shots.

Anchor, Humming Ale

2010-08-19T20:36:00.000-04:00

Anchor Brewing Co.
Grade: B+

Humming ale? I have no idea, but Anchor claims it's an old brewing term. I guess I'll buy that. A creamy white head tops a nicely clear golden ale. There's a little bit of particulate floating around, most likely the residual yeast from bottle conditioning. The aroma is unique to be sure, nicely spicy. There are hops here, but I can't readily identify them. It's nice to find a hoppy ale that doesn't have the usual citrus/pine that most American beers have. There's a bit of a bread-like, toast in the aroma as well. The flavor carries those spicy, earthy hops, but a pronounced malt flavor, purely of grains hits the palate first. The body is getting towards the lighter side, thinning out a little at the end. There is a good amount of lingering hop bitterness, not acrid, but certainly present. There isn't much sweetness in this beer at all, it finishes very dry.

I can absolutely see this as a good summer beer. It's crisp, refreshing, and flavorful enough to keep me interested. A common problem I have with many "summer" beers is that they are all to often flavorless. Just because it's hot out doesn't mean I want to drink beer-flavored water. This beer is not only crisp and dry enough to drink on a hot day, but it has a unique hop character that I'm not used to. Anchor has managed to make a hoppy beer without the crutch of the classic America citrus hop, which is exciting to me. I'd put this in my cooler, certainly, but is it a groundbreaking ale? No. But I wouldn't turn one down if you offered it to me.

Chow.com's Burger Rundown

2010-08-19T16:24:00.000-04:00

Chow.com's Burger Recipes

I realize that I've been pretty heavy on the Brews portion of the blog, and woefully negligant of the Burgers. This is in large part due to my Nazi apartment complex and their ban on charcoal grills, but that's a rant for another day. So I'll leave it to the folks over at Chow.com, because they've put together a great selection of classic and haute cuisine burger recipes. Ranging from a Big Mac (special sauce included) to Daniel Boulud's Bull Market burger, with black truffles and fois gras. What's more, they pair many of the burgers with some insightful beer selections.

Craft Beer Fast Becoming Corporate Beer

2010-08-19T07:49:00.000-04:00

The buying and selling of companies is nothing new, but to the craft beer industry it’s a scary and much feared concept. When America’s largest brewery, Anheuser Busch was sold to the Belgian corporation InBev a few years ago, it showed that no one was safe from corporate dollars, not even the biggest of the “big boys.” Until recently craft beer has been very much under the radar of larger investment firms, taking up less than 5% of the total market share. But since the craft beer boom began a few years ago, the pace of craft beer growth has caused many of these brewers to grow up a little too fast.

In order to sustain this rapid growth, larger craft brewers have started to conglomerate. The Craft Brewers Alliance is a publicly traded parent company, which consists of Redhook, Widmer, Goose Island, and the newly acquired Kona Brewing Company. Other breweries like Long Trail have bought smaller companies outright, such as Otter Creek and Wolavers. Unique and trailblazing breweries such as Anchor and Magic Hat, known for their independent identity, have been bought out by investment firms.

Does this mean the end of craft beer as we know it? Actually, yes.

To some it seemed inevitable that these very successful beer companies, founded on hard work and ingenuity, would eventually have to sell out. They simply grew too much, too fast. Boston Beer Company, makers of Sam Adams is set to break the 2 million barrel mark this year, no longer qualifying it as a “craft brewery” in the law’s eyes. I think it’s obvious that we will see many of the brands that we have grown to love become bland and homogeneous as the corporate bean counters take the helm.

Is there any hope at all? I think so, and I think it lies in a very old idea. Its roots lie in pre-prohibition America. In those days there were over 1400 breweries across the US. This was mostly due to the fact that beer couldn’t be transported over long distances, or easily kept at refrigerated temperatures. Therefore many regional breweries were needed in order to supply each part of the US with fresh beer. Much like the traditional brewing traditions in Europe, each city in America had several of its own, unique, and privately owned breweries.

The recent “nano-brewery” movement in the US has started to revive this tradition. These very small companies, often only producing one to three barrels at a time, are popping up almost everywhere. The ability to start with minimal capital, combined with a growing national appreciation for “local made” products has made this a very appealing business model. Companies like Hess Brewing in San Diego and White Birch in New Hampshire are examples of very small companies making product for only their immediate area.

I think this is the future of craft beer. Growing and becoming nationally distributed will always end the same way, with our much beloved breweries being gobbled up by the suits and dumbed down to meet shareholder expectations. The future of flavor lies with the small independent brewers, who realize that their own local economy is enough to sustain them.

Brooklyn Brewing Co., Sorachi Ace

2010-08-14T12:53:00.000-04:00

Brooklyn Brewing Co.
Grade: A

I missed my chance to try this at ACBF this year, but luckily I found a single bottle recently. At $13 for a single caged and corked 750ml, I was a bit hesitant. Moreover, most American sasions I've had in the past have been a disappointment. However the notion of trying a new hop (Sorachi Ace) was too intriguing to be left alone. The hop itself was originated in Japan back in the 80's, but didn't catch on in popularity. Recently, Oregon has adopted the hop and it is now being produced again, albeit in very limited quantities. Brooklyn has been known to produce some very clean, dry, and style appropriate Belgian beers before (Brooklyner Weisse), so I decided to take a chance and dive into one of the latest of their Brewmaster series.

A hazy, lightly straw colored ale sits under a fluffy white head of foam that sticks around, but doesn't leave much lacing on the glass. There's a huge nose of citrus, lemon, peach, and grapefruit, along with a little bit of clove-like spice. Immediately you know that this is a saison. The carbonation level is fairly high, which is appropriate for this style. It tingles on the tongue, and seems to try and play against a more creamy mouthfeel than I was anticipating. An interesting contradiction. It finishes nicely dry, which usually is a problem with many American made saisons. The flavor is quite fruity, but in a very fresh kind of way. The esters are so clean here that it literally tastes like fresh fruit puree was added, although I know for sure it's simply the Belgian saison yeast character. My first impression is that it tastes much like a papaya juice from Papaya King, with a lot of seltzer added (hmm, that sounds like a damn good cocktail base...).

I don't know what the Sorachi Ace hops tastes like, and I'm having trouble identifying that specific hop character in this beer. I question the decision to make this beer a platform for displaying the Sorachi Ace hop. Saisons are usually defined by the robust yeast character, and I think this beer is no exception. Therefore I don't know if it's the fruity yeast esters I'm tasting, or if it's a character of the hop. It's a little confusing, so I went to the Brooklyn website to get some more info. They describe the flavor of the hop as "lemony." I completely agree, I certainly get a lemon-citrus flavor from this beer. But if I was just drinking this, with no other information, I wouldn't be able to tell you if that flavor was yeast or hop derived. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love this beer. It's a unique flavor profile while still remaining a "saison."

All in all, I wish I had gallons of this beer for consumption during the summer months. It's refreshing, light, fruity, and dry. At the same time however, the 7.8% ABV might be a little strong for a summer session beer. Perhaps Brooklyn will lower the ABV a little and release this beer in cans. I can't think of a more perfect beach drink than this. It certainly has inspired me to attempt to brew this myself, if I can only get a good source of those Sorachi Ace hops. But brewing saison is tricky, so I hope that Brooklyn decides to up production of this beer. Sometimes, it's better to leave it to the experts.

Sierra Nevada, Tumbler

2010-08-12T19:44:00.000-04:00

Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.
Grade: B

An Autumn beer? In August?

I guess in retrospect the transition from summer to fall is a quick one after all. In the span of a month or so the weather turns from sweltering to chilly and the beers go from pilsners to porters. Still, it's a little unusual to walk in to your local store in flip flops and pick up a beer with Autumn leaves all over it.

Tumbler is the replacement for the Anniversary Ale, which wasn't a failure of a beer, but was simply too similar to the much beloved Celebration Ale that came out right after it. To mix up the seasonal lineup, Sierra departed from their comfort zone of hoppy pale ales and went down a decidedly more malty path.

A rocky off-white head floats on top of a perfectly clear auburn ale. The aromas are of sweet toffee and biscuit, with a tiny little bit of coffee-like roast. There's a definate roast quality in the flavor, bitter coffee and toasted dark bread. There isn't much sweetness here, it's kept very much in check by those roast elements. There's a solid bittering from hops as well, some even make it into the flavor as spicy and earthy notes. The mouthfeel is perfectly medium, finishing dry yet with enough body to carry all the malty flavors. Lingering bitterness is left on the tongue, though I'm not sure if it's from the hops or if the malts are a little acrid or harsh. The beer isn't out of balance however, these malt driven flavors are present but not overly assertive. This isn't on the level of a stout or a porter, it absolutely lives up to the brown ale name on the label.

This beer is out of place right now, mostly because it's August. Had I been drinking this in Autumn like the label suggests, I think I would be much more open to the coffee and hearty malt flavors here. It's not a bad beer by any stretch, in fact it's one of the more flavorful examples of an American brown ale I've ever had. However brown ales haven't found the niche market in America that beers like pilsner or IPA have. Even dark beers like stouts and porters have their followings, but brown ale seems to have fallen through the cracks. Hopefully with the coast to coast distribution of this beer, combined with the trusted name of Sierra Nevada, brown ale will find it's place among the other classic American styles.

The Session #42: A Special Place, A Special Beer

2010-08-06T09:13:00.000-04:00

I've recently stumbled upon The Session, a roundup of beer bloggers started by eminent Bay Area blogger Jay Brooks and the equally note-worty Stan Hieronymus. This weeks Session is hosted by Derrick Peterman over at Ramblings of a Beer Runner. Once I read the topic for this month I knew exactly what I wanted to write about.

My friends will find it no surprise that I am once again waxing poetic about McSorley's Old Ale House in New York City. I've written about it before, in what some might call a back-handed tone. While it might seem disingenuous, I feel that my previous post was at least accurate. There really are old wishbones dangling from a light fixture, and yes, they have collected so much dust that they have formed stalactites (Stalagmites? My elementary teachers are banging their heads right now).

So why am I fascinated with the place? If it were any other dive, I’d rip it a new one on Yelp and be done with it. What keeps me coming back? The answer is personal history. Oh, and beer.

My parents met at New York University in the 70’s, and spent many a night huddled around one of the deeply carven and unvarnished tables of McSorley’s. My mother remembers fondly the day that the bar was finally forced to admit women. It was a strictly male establishment for well over a hundred years (When one of the owners died in the early 1900's the deed passed to his wife, but she never stepped foot in the place the whole time she owned it). My mother was no “Women’s Lib” activist by any means, but she did love sticking it to the old geezers who haunted the place. She loved it so much she had her bachelorette party there. Spite, it seems, is a very good drug.

It isn’t just that family connection that keeps me coming back to this dingy old place. It’s not the history either, though sitting in this bar and simply looking around is worth a semester in a history class. It’s the beer. This is perhaps the last old-world pub in America serving their own beer (light and dark, no crazy brand names here) the same way they have been for generations. Although the beer itself is now contract brewed off-premises, drinking it in the surroundings of McSorley’s adds a dimension that isn’t quantifiable. I’ve tasted the bottled version of McSorley’s Ale, and it’s not the same. You need to have this beer poured into two small mugs, half full of foam by a barkeep with a black trashbag tied around his waste. You need to order a round of these beers for your friends, be amazed as the bar-back grabs ten of these mugs Oktoberfest-style and jump as he slams them down on the table. Then you’ll be able to taste the difference that drinking at McSorley’s makes.

Wagner Brewing, Sled Dog Reserve Triplebock

2010-07-29T19:16:00.000-04:00

Wagner Valley Brewery
Grade: B+

One of the best things about craft beer is discovering new and interesting breweries and sharing them with friends. I received this bottle from a friend who recently took a trip out to the Finger Lakes region in New York. There he found Wagner Vineyards. Yes, I said vineyards. This brewery is actually part of a winery, but don't think that this means the beer takes a back seat. These brewers are serious about their craft, and it shows in their beers.

The brewery itself is a testament to this seriousness. It consists of a 20 barrel imported German brewhouse, designed specifically for decoction brewing (a process that results in a signature caramelization of the beer). The brewers abide by the German Purity Law (called the Reinheitsgebot) which allows only water, yeast, hops, and malt to used in the brewing process. This attention to tradition has garnered them more than a few medals from the Great American Beer Festival, considered the most prestigious beer competition in America.

My friend gifted me a 750ml bottle of their Sled Dog Triplebock, one of the brewery's reserve offerings. It pours caramel brown, almost mahogany with a head that settles out very quickly. The aroma is of caramel, molasses and toffee, with some slightly earthy notes. It's very aromatic, immediately leaping up from the glass into my nose. The body is chewy and big, creamy but not coating. The carbonation scrubs just enough of the beer from your tongue that you're not overwhelmed. The flavor continues the caramel/toffee notes with a hint of the molasses. It's a sweet, very malty beer, but an earthy bitterness gives enough balance to not make it too cloying. Alcohol comes through a bit as a spicy, hot note, but it you have to look for it. Very well hidden for a 10% abv beer. It's a sweet malt bomb to be sure, certainly something I'd want on a cold winters night in front of a fire.

Go West, Young Man

2010-07-27T13:53:00.000-04:00

Recently yours truly took a little vacation road trip out to the great city of Denver, Colorado. While this wasn't strictly a "beer vacation," I did try and take a few notes on some of the beers we enjoyed along the way. I realized two things on this trip, the first was mixing vacation mentality with beer and expecting to get any decent writing out of it is ludicrous. The second was that, if you look hard enough and have more than a little luck on your side, you can find good food and craft beer almost anywhere.

Our first stop was certainly not a beer destination, but it was an oasis in the desert for us weary travelers. Leaving from Connecticut, we marched across the vast and corn-ridden state that is Pennsylvania. After many hours we were tired, hungry, and thirsty for something other than rest-stop Gatorade and what I dubbed the "road taco."

We pulled off into the first sizable town we saw and lo and behold, Puirseil's Pub in Lewisburg was there to meet us. Hot food, a jazz quartet, and fresh cold Yuengling on tap was exactly what we needed. Yuengling is one of those beers that most beer snobs would turn their nose up at. It's an American light lager, a little too close in style to Bud Miller or Coors. However due to nostalgia, and the fact that it's not available in many states, many people clamor for it. We ordered ours topped with some Guinness.

Our travels took us farther west, hooking around the Gateway Arch to St Louis, Missouri. We again stopped for the night, exhausted from our travels. A quick Google search produced Cicero's, a beer bar with an admittedly confusing Italian food theme. I'm not sure what the Italian food had to do with the 200+ beers available, but it was in a fun part of town and had a great night life, so we decided to go for it. The food was unfortunately pretty mediocre, but the taplist was extraordinary. I finally had my first Moose Drool by Big Sky Brewing, and was not disappointed. It was exciting to see more and more different beers becoming available as we moved farther west.

Eventually we reached our destination, Denver. However, in keeping with the theme of the trip, we didn't arrive in the city until just before midnight. Starving and desperate, we made a bee-line for the Falling Rock, one of the legendary Denver beer bars. We arrived five minutes before the menu changed to the late night offerings (mostly fried stuff that didn't look appealing). Our waiter was absolutely outstanding. He got our orders in right under the wire, and had beers to our table before we even got settled. Being that it was late, and we were exhausted, I don't have notes on the beers we had. I just know they were good.

The next day we took a hike in the Rockies, and on the way back we passed a little mountain town called Idaho Springs. We decided to stop in and see what the town was about, and was surprised to find this was the home of Tommyknocker Brewing! Amazed at our luck, we stopped in and picked up a six pack of their Pick Axe pale ale, a nicely crisp and hoppy brew. This particular beer isn't available on our coast, and I'm not a fan of the Tommyknocker beers that are. It's nice to see that this brewery can do the hoppy pale ales, not just the sweet and overly viscous Maple Nut brown ale that we get back home.

Eventually we visited a brewpub that I'd only heard of once or twice, but we decided to try it anyway. Wynkoop Brewing Company is a stones throw away from the Falling Rock in downtown Denver, and is home to a very large, completely house-made taplist. Once I saw that list, I knew we were in for a good time. The chile pale ale, with Ancho and Anaheim peppers was a standout. I've had chile beers before, and this one had just enough tingle with a great fruity/bell pepper taste that was refreshing and unique. They had both an ESB and an IPA on cask, as well as a great selection of other styles. The food was fantastic, my shepherds pie actually had lamb in it!

Downstairs the brewery keeps it's barrels, with all different kinds of sour beers aging away. It was a homebrewer's dream. Notice the commercial strains that each barrel has been inoculated with.

Stone, 14th Anniversary Emperial IPA

2010-07-18T15:14:00.000-04:00

Stone Brewing Co.
Grade: B+

This beer was brewed in keeping with the traditions of England, from which the style "India Pale Ale" originated. In the past decade however, American breweries have adopted the style as their own and taken it to unthinkable heights (led by breweries like Stone). Now to mark their 14th anniversary, Stone has decided to step back and honor the style that made them famous. Sort of.

This beer is brewed with almost exclusively English ingredients, from the malt to the hops, even the strain of yeast used to ferment it. However, the quantities of each of those ingredients are a little different. In fact, most English brewers that looked at the ingredient bill for this beer would think they were making four batches of beer, not one. But, so it goes with Stone. They draw a line in the sand and are usually the first ones to step over it. Did they score again? Depends on how you look at it.

A fluffy white head floats on top of a slightly cloudy, straw colored beer. There are some notes of citrus in the nose, but pine and spice seem to be the more dominant hop aromas. Bready malt characteristics are there too, but the hops and a bit of candy-like sweetness are prevalent.

The mouthfeel is quite full, and the carbonation is low. There is an immediate slam of bitterness when you take a sip, tons of earth, spice, and pine linger in the flavor. There is some alcohol related sweetness, and it seems to be carried by the bigger mouthfeel of the beer. The hops are doing a fairly good job balancing the sweetness, but it's not what I would call a "balanced" beer. Like two guitarists battling it out onstage to see who can play the loudest, the hops and the malts have been drastically ramped up here.

Americans have established a kind of benchmark for IPAs, and I don't think it's unfair to say that West Coast IPAs are that benchmark. Those are the kinds of beers that all other IPAs are judged against, and Stone has brewed more than a few of those benchmark beers. They are certainly known as an IPA brewer, but for them to dial it back and approach this style from a very different perspective, and very English perspective, is unusual. While I am perfectly happy with West Coast style IPAs, I must admit that sometimes I wonder if the style can be taken in other directions. And sometimes it's as simple as taking it back to basics. Stone went old school, using only traditional ingredients and came up with flavors that had been largely forgotten. Granted, they "imperialized" the recipe quite a bit, but then again, they wouldn't be Stone if they hadn't.

Rogue, OREgasmic Ale

2010-07-15T19:38:00.000-04:00

Rogue Brewing Co.
Grade: C+

Ok, so I already did my rant on Rogues "Grow Your Own" proprietary ingredient kick in a previous review, so go there for the snark. This is another in an increasing series of "Chatoe Rogue" estate beers. With a name like "OREgasmic Ale," it already has a lot to live up to. Yeah, yeah, I get the Oregon pride reference. And Oregonians have a lot to be proud of, particularly their beer (hi John!). I just hope that this beer can live up to both it's name and the long history of Oregon craft beer that comes before it.

Cloudy and orange, with an off-white head. Citrus in the aroma, actually it's downright orange-y. Some sweet malt notes are in there as well, candy-like. The mouthfeel is fairly light, but not in a good way. It seems watery, and the carbonation level makes it taste a little like seltzer water. The flavor has a lot of hoppy goodness, again the bright orange/citrus takes center stage, followed by a slightly candy sweet malt element. There is a little bread and grain note, but mostly this beer is about the hops. Bitterness isn't overpowering at all, in fact it's kept fairly well in check. Instead the hops are focused more in the flavor and aroma department.

It might be my mind playing tricks on me, but these "new" grains and hops that the brewers are using make the beer taste, well, different. Not that it doesn't read as "beer," but it has just enough uniqueness to set it apart from most other brews. Most beers use the same types of ingredients (albiet in countless different ways), but the source of those ingredients are more or less the same for all brewers. Using a proprietary ingredient, one that actually is unique unto itself, is something not many brewers are doing.

Is Rogue doing it well? I don't know. The lack of mouthfeel and structure in this beer is distracting. There's nothing for the hops to cling to as the beer passes over your tongue, it just gets washed away in a spritzy, watery moment. This beer illustrates the importance of having a nice solid malt backbone to hoppy beers. Without it the beer becomes a bit insipid, like drinking a hopped tonic water. Is it the new ingredients fault? The marketing department? Has Rogue succumbed to the "bean counters" as the head brewer, John Maier so lovingly refers to them as?

I don't think so. Yeah, so the beer not the best, big deal. It's different. And I can tell you, finding something that truly is different in the beer-world is a welcome surprise. All to often brewers are riffing on the recipes and beer styles of others, without being brave enough to step outside the style guidelines and just make something new. No, this is not the best beer in the world. But then again, Rogue only has just begun. There were a lot of prototypes before we made a rocket that got to the moon, and a lot of those prototypes blew up. But we learned, we improved, and we kept going. Why shouldn't we do the same with beer? Why are we stuck in this rut of styles and traditions, and even ingredients? I mean c'mon, it ain't rocket science...

Lagunitas, Undercover Investigation Shutdown Ale

2010-07-01T19:11:00.000-04:00

Lagunitas Brewing Co.
Grade: B+

A beautiful tan head leaps up from the crystal clear, dark copper ale. Dank and sticky hop aromas rise up from the glass, mixed with more than a little alcohol nose. The malt aromas are very prevalent as well, dark rye bread and toast, with some molasses and brown sugar as well. The hops are not easily overlooked though, the pine and resin aromas mix with some slightly lighter citrus and peach.

A medium body carries the bitter, and slightly sweet flavors over the tongue. Caramel and burnt sugars are in the forefront, with a generous helping of citrus and peach/apricot. The bitterness is in your face, making no apologies, and generally knocking your tongue into blissful submission. Somehow this bitterness isn't overwhelming, perhaps due to the perceived sweetness from the alcohol and the high hopping rate balancing it. While it certainly isn't a session beer, it can be sipped pretty continuously without significant fatigue. Unusual considering the alcohol level (9.75% ABV) and the bitterness (72 IBU). I think it's that the bitterness only stays on your tongue just long enough, and then dissipates. I've had beers that finish downright acrid and harsh, leaving a lingering flavor on your tongue that no amount of scrubbing can relieve.

Lagunitas is sometimes hit or miss with me. Like most west coast breweries, they do IPA's well, but not much else. This isn't always a bad thing. Concentrating on that which you do well, and growing in that genre is sometimes more noble and praiseworthy than trying to become a jack of all trades, and ending up a master of none. Wilco Tango Foxtrot seems like a aberration compared to Undercover. How can a brewery make two such different and technically variant beers almost at the same time? Wilco was way to bitter, unbalanced, and hard to drink. Undercover is certainly not balanced, but in a very good way. It drinks very well. Too well. After a while you suddenly realize that this is indeed a very strong beer and that you need to sit down and have a few glasses of water.

I prefer to drink my beer from a master, and Lagunitas is certainly one of the most masterful at handling hops. What shouldn't be downplayed, however, is their ability to pair these hops with the right kind of malts to make a cohesive and drinkable beer. To say that a brewery is "only" good at IPA's is to ignore the vast amount of skill and thought making an IPA takes. I just wish Lagunitas was more consistent with their beers. To follow Wilco with something as well brewed as Undercover makes the consumer very confused. Will this next Lagunitas beer be as awesome as Undercover? Or will it be as bad as Wilco? It seems like a roll of the dice every time.

Lagunitas Brewing, Wilco Tango Foxtrot

2010-06-07T20:51:00.000-04:00

Lagunitas Brewing
Grade: C

Brewed as a follow up to the previous "Correction Ale" brewed in honor of our economy tanking, Lagunitas had planned on this beer being named "Recovery Ale." However as things progressed and the release date of the beer approached, recovery still seemed a long way off. Hence the re-name: Wilco Tango Foxtrot, or WTF for short. In keeping with this expression of economic frustration, 22oz bottles of this beer sold for a mere $4 to $5, keeping it very much in the reach of all those out of work beer lovers.

A beautiful auburn-red ale sits underneath a foamy tan head, and leaves some very nice lacing on the glass. The aroma from a foot away is hops, hops, hops. When you stick your nose into the glass however, the sweeter caramels and biscuit come through. The mouthfeel meanders around medium, leaning a little into the heavy side. Roast comes through quite predominately, aided by some very aggressive bitterness from the hops. It almost is too much, the roast and bitterness get together and gang up on the lighter, more delicate hop flavors. Even the maltier notes get a little lost.

As I drink this, I'm starting to notice the caramels from the malts. There is a bit of sweetness there, and maybe a little heat from alcohol. But each time I'm done taking a sip that incredible acrid bitterness lingers on my tongue, leaving me with a not so great flavor in my mouth. I can see this beer being very good, if only the hops were more in the flavor area and less in the bitterness area. It seems like the roasted malts are doing the job of bittering this beer just fine without the hops. As it is however, it's too imbalanced for me. WTF indeed.

Widmer Brothers, Brewers Reserve Prickly Pear Braggot

2010-05-21T20:18:00.000-04:00

Widmer Brothers Brewing Co.
Grade: C+

My God, what a hiatus!

Life got in the way, as life often does. But no more. No my friends, I have filled the fridge with a selection of new and fresh off the truck releases, and it's back to the grind. I figured that with such a long wait between reviews, I had better make this a good one. So I tried to find the weirdest beer I could find, and ended up with Widmer Brothers Prickly Pear Braggot. What the hell is a braggot? Essentially it's a beer made with a large amount of honey, sometimes up to half of the ingredients, with malted barley making up the rest. It results in a very unique and interesting beer, one that few commercial brewers do well.

A thin white head drops to practically nothing after a semi-vigorous pour. The beer is crystal clear, like, I can read the newspaper through this, clear. The color is a beautiful orange gold. Actually it reminds me of honey. The aroma has very obvious sweet elements, toffee and sweet caramel. There's some fruit in there as well, tending more towards the stone fruit rather than a citrus. Some bread mixes in with the sweet, sugar nose, giving it a nice complexity.

The mouthfeel trends towards medium, but not coating or syrupy. Given the aroma I expected to be able to pour this on my pancakes, but the reality is that the body is nicely balanced. The flavor gives me more of that light-colored caramel sweetness, almost candy-like. I don't know what prickly pear smells or tastes like, but I would say that there is a slight hint of fruit in here, but not much. I have to say that honey is the main flavor component here. There are some floral notes mixed in with everything else, but the sweetness is covering up some of these nuances. Surprisingly enough, there is some bitterness. It comes in a little late, but it does work to strike a balance between the sweetness of the honey. While sweeter than I normally like my beers, the finish leaves my palate relatively dry, and ready for another sip.

I don't think I would reach for this on a regular basis, but I can't say it's a bad beer. In fact it's very clean, pretty well balanced (for a honey-beer), and in general tastes pretty good. In fact, it tastes like a beer, which I sometimes find lacking in the (rare) commercial examples of this style. I think Widmer is one of those beer companies that kind of fell off the map when the craft beer boom hit. But with these very assertive and bold Brewers Reserve beers, I think that Widmer is going to find themselves in the limelight again.

Tuckerman Brewing Co., Headwall Alt

2010-04-26T16:33:00.000-04:00

Tuckerman Brewing Co.
Grade: B+

An offwhite head tops a slightly hazy, auburn-colored beer. The nose has only a little of the lager sulfurs one might expect with an altbier. Mostly there are sweeter caramels and some toasty, bready aromas. The mouthfeel is fairly light, going down very easy. There's a good sweetness here, like a light caramel, but there is some hop bitterness in the background that counters it nicely. The body, while light, does carry some of the malty heft that you would want to find in this style of beer. While not going over the top by any means, the result is a very balanced, drinkable brew. On my recent trip to the brewery in New Hampshire, I found myself enjoying quite a few of these.

Tuckerman is a relatively small brewery that makes only three types of beer (for now). Their distribution footprint is very New England centric, focusing mostly on the New Hampshire markets. However this works very much to their advantage, as their beers and marketing focus on the local culture of New Hampshire heavily. The name "Tuckerman" is taken from a section of Mount Washington, which looms over the brewery and the town of Conway.

My friends and I decided to brave some of the trails of Mt. Washington and climb to Tuckerman Ridge, where we would stop and enjoy some of Tuckerman Brewery's offerings. Strangely, they tasted much better after ascending a few thousand feet.

Naturally, the trip back down was a lot more enjoyable than the trip up.

Smuttynose, Hanami Ale

2010-04-09T19:44:00.000-04:00

Smuttynose Brewing Co.
Grade: D

This one goes out to my ex-pat friend Rory, who right now is most likely sippin' on a tall-boy of Sapporo under some mind-bogglingly beautiful cherry blossoms in Japan. Check out his blog. Hell, even donate a buck or two to his beer-fund. You'll be a better person for it. Anyhoo, Hanami are the annual parties that the Japanese hold to celebrate the blooming of the cherry blossom trees. Basically they hang out under the trees, drink, and be generally weird. Again, I refer to my friend Rory's blog, it's a wealth of knowledge on just how weird and awesome things get over there. I guess Smuttynose decided it would be a good idea to brew a cherry flavored Hanami beer. I'm not sure I agree with that decision.

A slightly off-white head sits atop a hazy, very red ale. The red is a little disconcerting in it's vibrancy, but I suppose that's the influence of the cherries. The head drops to a coating on the beer fairly quickly, not leaving much lace. I can immediately smell the cherries, and flashbacks to Sam Adams Cherry Wheat make me involuntarily shudder. The cherry here isn't quite as bad as Sam Adams though, some bread aromas are present too. Mouthfeel is very light. Whoa. Lot of mineral flavors here, like a rusty penny. The cherry is sour and tangy, not very sweet. The mineral and metallic flavors are almost too much for me, it's overpowering the whole beer. I saved the cap, and inspected the bottle, but there doesn't seem to be any problems with either. As I sip, the off-flavor seems to be settling down, but that might just be me getting acclimated to it.

The ale is light, the cherry is kept to a reasonable level, and sweetness overall is not bad. The finish is dry, with a moderate amount of carbonation. The cherry character seems fresh, if only because it tastes tart and sour. Honestly, this wouldn't be such a bad beer if that metallic/mineral off-flavor wasn't there. The flavor has moved into the middle palate now, and leaves that metallic flavor on your tongue. This is too much, this one is going down the drain.

I'm not sure what happened here. Bottling issues? Recipe issues? Either are possibilities. I've tasted that exact same metallic flavor before in other beers of completely different styles, so it would lead me to think that something happened in packaging. Which is too bad, considering many people will judge an entire line of beer from that first sip. I've had Smuttynose before, albeit 5 years ago at a music festival after already imbibing quite a bit during the day. I couldn't finish my bottle then either. It was a long time ago, however that one bad instance stayed with me to this day, until (for the first time in 5 years) I bought this bottle of Smuttynose. Lo and behold, it's circling the drain. Bad luck? Inconsistent brewing practices? Not sure. But it's going to take a long time and a lot of expensive therapy to make me pick up a bottle of Smuttynose again.

Sierra Nevada, Fritz and Ken's Ale

2010-04-06T19:38:00.001-04:00

Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.
Grade: A

The first in Sierra Nevada's 30th Anniversary series, Fritz and Ken's Ale is a rich, dark stout bottled in caged and corked limited edition 750ml bottles.Yours truly has acquired two of these unique beers, one to try now for all you adoring readers, and another to stow away in some dark, dank cellar to try again in the future (hopefully the distant future, if my willpower allows). Why call this beer Fritz and Ken? Read on.

Fritz Maytag is the owner and founder of Anchor Brewing Company in California, one of the cornerstones of American Craft Brewing. Sierra Nevada is also considered one of those cornerstones, so for their 30th Anniversary, they decided to release a series of collaborative beers to highlight the "Pioneers of Brewing." Ken Grossman, the founder and owner of Sierra Nevada teamed up with the "godfather of brewing" to make a robust dark stout, like the ones that turned both Fritz and Ken on to craft beer in the early days. The result, needless to say, is outstanding.

An incredible tan head leaps up from the glass, despite a careful pour. The foam cascades like I've only seen Guinness do, which I suppose is due to the bottle carbonation. Obsidian black, not a bit of light penetrates it. The foam leaves amazing lacing on the glass, and looks like it's going to stay put until the last sip. Roast and coffee in the aroma, with some brighter hoppy notes as well. A little citrus from the hops, thankfully not too much though, as I think it would compete with the darker malt aromas. A little toffee and caramel, and what might possibly be some alcohols, but my mind may be playing tricks.

A medium heavy mouthfeel that coats the mouth fairly well. The carbonation is there, but subtle enough not to add too much acidity, but just a sparkle at the end of the sip. Coffee and chocolate are in the flavor, with sweet caramels and some spice from the hops. It is solidly bitter, which is a very nice counterpoint to the bigger body and slight sweetness. The finish is not sweet, but the fullness of the body cannot be denied. You are left with quite a lot of this beer on your palate as you drink it. Certainly drinkable now, but I'm very eager to see what this beer becomes as it ages.

An almost perfect example of what an imperial stout should be. The alcohol isn't tasted or even felt until you (try) and stand up. The roast and coffee balance perfectly with the chocolate and caramel, leaving neither acrid bitterness nor cloying sweetness. The body is big, rich, and full, but completely drinkable. This beer was expertly designed to be perfectly drinkable right now, or in two to three years. It is easy to see how two founding fathers of brewing in America could come together and make something this solid, true, and downright tasty.

I must admit, I have a soft spot for Sierra Nevada. They have rarely ever let me down, and more often than not have completely exceeded my expectations. While collaboration brews aren't always successful (I'm looking at you, Dogfish Head), the next three in this 30th Anniversary series are going to be on my must have list. Who's next on the list? Well, let's see. There's Charlie Papazian and Fred Eckhart, the fathers of homebrewing in America, credited as the men who "launched a thousand breweries." After them it's Jack McAuilffe, whose New Albion brewery was light-years ahead of it's time. And the third is a Sierra Nevada exclusive: borrowing from the idea of blending wine from different barrels to gain the best example of a vintage, the last release will be a blend of Sierra Nevada's Bigfoot barleywine, the Celebration ale, and the flagship Pale Ale, generously dryhopped and aged in oak. I just had to wipe the drool from my keyboard.

Oskar Blues, Gubna Imperial IPA

2010-03-29T19:40:00.000-04:00

Grade: A
Oskar Blues Brewing Co.

Now, I know what you're going to say. You're saying "oh look, he's reviewing another imperial IPA, how original." This ones different. I think. I hope. Well, for 4 bucks a can, it had damn well better be. Actually scratch that; if this beer actually is good, then I'm going to go broke trying to drink it. Seems like a lose/lose either way, but I'm going to soldier on. Why? Because I do this for all of you. That, at least, is what I tell myself.

Very clear, very light, and very deceiving. The unwary drinker might mistake this for a Budweiser sitting on the bar. As soon as they got a whiff of it however, would instantly realize this is nothing of the sort. Very dank, herbal nose, with grass, pine, resin, some skunk, citrus, grapefruit, and peach. There's no mistaking this aroma, hops are the first and last thing on the menu. There are some malt notes in there as well, some alcohol hints, but not much can be detected beyond the hops.

The mouthfeel is on the medium heavy side, creamy but not viscous. Fruit flavors from the hops blend with bitterness and resin. I can certainly taste the tropical fruit from some of the hops used, grapefruit and peach being some of the major flavor notes. The bitterness is there, lingering in the aftertaste with some bite from carbonation, but not much. Overall this beer is reserved on the bubbles, which allows you to taste those wonderful hop flavors that so often are scrubbed away. The malts are there, some sweetness is present, but I feel like it's the "false sweetness" you sometimes get from ridiculously hopped beers. It reads kind of like a candy sweet, but in reality it's simply the hop resins in such amazing concentration.

Dammit. I like it. I have to say that in a world saturated by IPAs in all of their various forms, this one stands out. This beer's strength lies in the freshness of the hops, the light, tropical fruitiness that they imbue into the beer combined with a malt profile that delivers the mouthfeel and the alcohol content, without getting in the way at all. This may be a 10% ABV beer, but you wouldn't know it at all. Until you had a few and stood up. Another reason why this beer rates so highly, is the fact that it's drinkable. Personally, I could sit down with a few of these and wile away an afternoon. I wouldn't call it session-able by any means, but it doesn't assault you with overwhelming bitterness, sweetness, or alcohol, which can fatigue the palate in no time. Instead we get to bask in the glory of the hop, masterfully rendered in this dangerously drinkable beer. My one and only qualm with this beer is the price. The difference between an A and an A+ is how many clams I have to shell out for it. I suppose greatness must be paid for, but I still think it's a bit excessive. Guess I have to get a second job...

Brewpub Review: Carson's

2010-03-25T22:31:00.000-04:00

Formally one of the locations of the Hops chain of brewpubs, Carson's in Newington, Connecticut opened only a few months after the Hops restaurant closed. Employing many of the original staff (including the head brewer) the new restaurant has the original kitchen and much of the original layout, including the 7 barrel copper clad brewing system. The beers however, aren't quite the corporate-mandated swill recipes from the old Hops days.

Carson's, unlike it's predecessor Hops, is not a chain. This shows most obviously in the food menu, which is much more eclectic and diverse. The food quality was very good, my burger was cooked almost illegally medium rare and my wife's turkey club was on some top notch, handmade bread. The garlic fries were stupidly good. "Evil" is what my wife dubbed them. They are epically garlicky. You will wake up the next morning and repel vampires up to 30 miles away.

I ordered up their Porterhouse Ale, and had the choice of 12, 16, or 22 ounces, which I thought was a nice option. When it arrived I noticed immediately that it was freezing cold. Currently two of the four beers on their menu feature very light ales, presumably for the BudMillerCoors crowd. It seems the serving temperatures are geared towards the "frosty mug" end as well. I tried to warm it up as best I could so I could actually taste what was going on.

Served nice and dark, with a good tan head and some slight redness at the edges of the glass. This beer is obviously supposed to be a porter in style, but as far as the carbonation is concerned, it's way too high. It seems that not only the temperatures are geared towards the light-beer end, but the spritzy carbonation as well. This gives the beer a much more biting, acidic flavor than it would had it been less carbed. The roast is not too aggressive, letting the coffee, chocolate, and toast come through. The beer overall is very clean, and generally unoffensive. The finish is nicely dry, almost no residual sweetness is left. There is a little bit of an ashy, cigarette aftertaste. A safe, if incorrectly served, porter. It get's a B- from me.

Next up was the Amber Ale. Again, very cold and very carbonated. There is some hop nose going on, but not a ton. Sweet caramel and some toast are in the aroma as well. The color is a nice brownish red, with a tan head and a fair amount of haze. The flavor has a lot of bread and toast, with caramel and toffee mixing in. There is some hop bitterness here, as well as some slight herbal hops in the flavor, but the malts seems to sing the most here. The malt sweetness is just enough, paired with the bread and biscuit to give the impression of English, or even some Scottish ales. If the carbonation and temperature were dialed back on this, I would drink it all night. As it stands, it's a B.

All in all, Carson's is a solid, if not outstanding place. The food is very good, American fair, and the beers are very...well, safe. I can't see any imperial barrel aged sour IPAs coming out of this place any time soon, but one can hope. Perhaps when things have settled down, and the owners are less worried about the bottom line, they'll give the brewer a little more free reign. Then we could see some really interesting things coming out of this pub in the future. Until then it seems like they are shooting for the middle of the road beer drinker, much the same way Hops did. Perhaps they can succeed in weening them off the light lagers and lead them further into the world of beer. I will wait at the bar and see.

Springtime in New York: Gingerman and Union Square Farmers Market

2010-03-24T23:31:00.000-04:00

Earlier I went to the Union Square farmers market, and had to resist the urge to fill my backpack with the amazing array of veggies. All in-state producers, some of them organic, and all of them seasonal. No oranges here, just the first bitter greens and root vegetables, like potatoes. Oh the potatoes! It made my Irish heart sing.

Yes, even street vendors are on Twitter now.

Later, in my search for New Beer Distributors, I stumbled upon the Whole Foods on Bowery. Wow, is how I’d summarize my reaction. They had a completely separate beer section from the rest of the store, complete with a growler filling station. I nabbed a can of the Oskar Blues Gubna IPA, for a hefty 4 bucks. Someone checking out before me told me it was worth it. We shall see.

They also had these little bags of grains for brewing your own beer. They sell one gallon jugs with all you need to brew a tiny little batch of beer in your tiny little New York apartment. Cute.

I finished my trip by hitting up the Gingerman, a short walk down the street from Rattle N Hum. I’ve been to the Gingerman relatively late on a Saturday, and it was a wonder that we were ever served. When possible, sample the amazing beers at these great beer bars earlier in the day. Drink some water, eat some amazing cheap food, maybe take a nap. Then wake up ready to hit the town and brave the crowds. Of course you won’t receive the best of the best beer-wise, but that’s to be expected. Indeed, even if you did endeavor to try to find the diamonds in the rough amid the countless bars in Manhattan, you wouldn’t be able to sit and enjoy them with the frat boy next to you boasting about how many cars he bench.

The first beer I tried was a cask ale from Two Brothers, called The Bitter End. Golden with some red tints, and a nice white head that ain’t goin’ nowhere. The aroma is amazingly hoppy, wonderful pine and citrus. The cask conditioning smooths the beer out, but the bitterness can’t be denied. Smooth and creamy, yet finishing dry and carrying a lot of the hop flavor with it. The bitterness isn’t acrid or harsh here at all, in fact, the hops sing mostly in the flavor alone. The malts are just sweet enough to counter some of the bitter from the hops. I can’t imagine this beer served any other way, this is absolutely perfect. Tons of hop aroma and flavor, with almost none of the hard, bitter, resin, and rot-got you would get with a normal IPA. I'm giving this one an enthusiastic A.

I was on my way out, but noticed something interesting on the menu. Redstone Nectar of the Hops. Hops in mead? I had to try it. Definite honey aroma, a bit pungent and assertive. The body is medium light, finishing very dry. The honey sweetness is there in flavor, with some of the spice from the hops coming through. While I wouldn’t call it ‘bitter’ per se, the difference made by the hops is perceptible, while not overpowering. The herbal-ness of the hops seems to echo some of the floral elements of the honey. Overall a very clean mead, no off flavors from fermentation, indeed it’s crystal clear and quite dry. The floral notes of the honey itself are accented by the use of the hops, which impart both the herbal/floral elements and the slightly resinous bitterness. Interesting, to say the least. My favorite mead ever? Not really. I'll give it a B-.

New York in Springtime: Rattle N Hum and Captain Lawrence

2010-03-23T11:34:00.000-04:00

Something I love/hate about New York bars is the open air feel. When the weather is wonderful, as it is now, the wafting breeze coming in through the open storefront of Rattle N Hum is almost as intoxicating as the beer. However during the sweltering summer months these storefronts still remain open…because there is no air conditioning. When I was at this bar with my friends last April, we almost passed out in our hummus.

Speaking of hummus, Rattle N Hum’s is outstanding. Served with warm grilled pita bread and a small salad of cucumber, spinach, red pepper, tomato and a balsamic vinaigrette (an actual salad!). The hummus is wonderful, sprinkled with paprika and dosed with, what I think may be lemon. I want them to bottle it so I can get it at home. Actually I want them to inject it into me intravenously. Now, on to the beer.

Captain Lawrence Freshchester Pale Ale. Poured with a huge head, and leaves insane lacing on the glass. Served a little warm, but that might be on purpose. Some English yeast characters, fruity, a little sweet. Low carbonation, but some good bitterness at the end. The citrus from some of the hops are doing good things with the fruit from the yeast. This is an English pint of beer, to be sure. Not a very big beer at 5.2%, but exactly what I was looking for after walking around the city for a while. A very deserved A-.

I decided to continue on with my Captain Lawrence theme, and got the Liquid Gold Belgian pale ale. Wonderful banana and clove/spice aroma. Golden with a slight haze. Flavor is sweet and fruity, with some spice notes following in the aftertaste. The carbonation lends a nice sharpness, and the finish is fairly dry. A nice, straightforward, Belgian pale ale. I don’t know why, but Belgian pale ale is a style that doesn’t get much press. It’s not a wheat beer, like a hefeweizen or a weissbier. It has it’s own character, with some bitterness from hops to back it up. Not to say hops are the dominating factor here, as they too often are in American beers. Belgian pale ale is all about the yeast, and the esters it produces. Captain Lawrence seems to have a better handle on the world of American hops and Belgian yeast than most American (or Belgian) brewers do. I gave this one a B+.

New York in Springtime: Street Fairs and the Blind Tiger

2010-03-21T12:10:00.000-04:00

Recently I spent a day in New York City, wandering about and hitting up some of my favorite beer bars and food spots. After stopping for a papaya juice at Gray's Papaya and a falafel at Mamouns in Greenwich Village, I stumbled upon a small street fair. One food stand caught my eye, mostly because it didn’t have all the flashy signage and yelling hawkers.

Barely noticeable amid the smoke and banners of the other food vendors a Vietnamese couple, most likely a husband and wife, were selling very fresh, very good, and very cheap food. I ended up with some pork spring rolls with Thai chile sauce.

Absolutely fantastic. They also had some pad Thai with some very good looking peanut sauce, but I was fresh off my falafel, and simply couldn’t fit any more. I did, however, have just enough room for a beer or two.

I headed down to the Blind Tiger to see what I could see. I ended up with a Speakeasy Big Daddy IPA on cask. Golden, slightly hazy, with very little carbonation. The lack of carbonation mellowed the beer considerably. Not a lot of bitterness or hop flavor. There was a bit of a soapy off flavor as well, and I don't think it was the glass. This beer was more like a pale ale, although the spring rolls I had with the Thai chile sauce may have effected that. Sure did put out the burn though! Not sure I'd get it again however. I gave it a C.

Next was a Nogne 100. Poured good and dark, with a nice dark fruit aroma to it. Some molasses and raisin, and a bit of alcohol note in the flavor. Carbonation was lively, which helped cut through a little of the body, and made it easily quaff-able. There was hop bitterness in there as well, which helped it to finish nicely dry. Dangerous for a 10% beer. I graded it a B+. There were other beers I’d wanted to try, like the six single hop Mikkeller beers that were being featured. but in order to be able to stand up properly, I had to pass.

After wandering around the Village a little longer to work off that barleywine, I hopped a subway and headed uptown to see what Rattle N Hum had to offer.

Curry Pork Burgers with Spicy Ketchup

2010-03-14T17:14:00.000-04:00

Recipe courtesy Food Network

Ingredients

2 1/2 pounds ground pork
2 teaspoons ground coriander
2 teaspoons curry powder
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3 scallions, chopped
2 large clove garlic, finely chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
6 hamburger buns
1 head butter lettuce
2 to 3 tomatoes, sliced
Spicy Ketchup (recipe follows)

Directions

In a large bowl, using your hands mix together pork, coriander, curry powder, Worcestershire, cayenne, scallions and garlic, seasoning well with salt and pepper. Make 6 even patties and put in refrigerator until ready to cook. Heat a large fry pan over medium-high heat, add oil. Sear patties until golden brown on both sides and cooked through, about 5 minutes per side. Cook in batches, if necessary. Serve inside hamburger buns topped with lettuce leaf, tomato slice and spicy ketchup.

Spicy Ketchup

1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon butter
1 cup ketchup
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 scallion, finely chopped

In a saucepan over medium heat, lightly saute garlic in butter, about 2 minutes. Add ketchup, red pepper flakes and cayenne pepper. Cook another 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in scallions. Cool before serving.

Rogue, Dirtoir Black Lager

2010-03-03T19:53:00.000-05:00

Rogue Brewing
Grade: B+

I didn't want to like this beer. I took one look at the labeling and said "no way." I mean come on, "Chatoe Rogue?" Really? Slogans like "Grow the Revolution" and "GYO" (grow your own) cover the bottle. Proprietary hop strains named "Independent" and "Revolution" were used, not to mention a house made malt variety called "Risk" (notice the TM folks!). Rogue is a brewery that produces an astounding number of beers, and sometimes it seems like the marketing department has more control over what goes out the door than the brewer John Maier does. With this particular beer however, it seems like the master brewer who launched the "brewery of a thousand labels" had a major part to play in its creation.

It's impossible to see anything through this incredibly black beer, even the head is the color of deep dark hazelnut. Chocolate, coffee, roast, and some lager sulfurs are in the nose. There are some sweet caramel and toffee notes in there as well. This is certainly one of those beers I can just sit here sniffing. The mouthfeel is nicely medium, walking the line between a big chewy stout and the crisp lager that the label says it is. Roast, coffee, nuttiness, dark bitter chocolate, as well as some surprising hop flavor and bitterness. Wasn't expecting to find herbal, spicy hops in such a stout-like beer, but I guess that's just me being color prejudiced. There are some lager sulfurs in the flavor as well, more in the aftertaste. Reminds me a little of mega-swill lagers, but only for a second.

The dark roasts are nicely balanced here, the flavors are rich, forward, and generally delicious. Like I mentioned before, the body isn't very full at all, and that lets each sip go down very easily. The finish carries a lot of that coffee and chocolate with it, but no acridity or unwelcome bitterness. Generally, I like this beer. It's like a big, flavorful, dry stout that met a nice shwartzbier and got it on. The bastard love child is Dirtoir Black Lager, which I am happy to adopt as a new go-to dark beer. Some may say (like yours truly) that the idea of an entirely estate made beer is a rip-off of Sierra Nevada's. Well even if that's the case, it isn't necessarily a bad thing. Gimmicky? Maybe. But good.

Green Flash Brewing Co., Hop Head Red Ale

2010-03-01T18:51:00.000-05:00

Green Flash Brewing Co.
Grade: B-

Green Flash is almost synonymous with west coast style IPAs, so it makes sense that they would join the ranks of breweries that are trying to push the style even further.Without forgoing the aggressive bitterness or higher alcohol content that make west coast IPA what it is, Green Flash has instead explored the world of malts, and how they interact and play off of their good pal the hop. Is this to be held up as an example of what's to come? Perhaps not, but I think it's a good leap in the right direction.

A light khaki head tops a very dark and luscious ruby red ale. There is a fair amount of cloudiness however, and some particulate floaters. To me this isn't a detriment, but some consumers might have a problem with it. Aroma has some toast and bread, with pine, earth, garlic, and citrus notes from the hops. The carbonation is lively, which accents a high level of hop bitterness. I'm getting a little bit of a mineral off-flavor, like rusty pennies. The hops are nice and floral, the resinous pine and the bright citrus work very well together, running all the way through the beer from the first sip to the aftertaste. There is some caramel sweetness here, but it's far from cloying. In fact the beer finishes nicely dry, and like a classic west coast IPA, very bitter.

But this isn't a classic west coast IPA. This may come from one of the biggest names in west coast IPAs, but the color is something to be marveled at. The deep, dark red is nothing if not enticing, however the 'floaties' that are swimming in it might put off many beer drinkers. Personally, I don't have a problem with cloudy beer. If anything it means that so many hops were stuffed into it that it caused a haze, which I take as a good sign. However the cloudiness detracts from the color itself. The particulates block light from passing through the beer, which muddies the color somewhat.

Would this beer be better filtered? Maybe, at least in appearance. But I think the more interesting part of this beer is the use of some darker malts in conjunction with the hops. Much like it's cousin the black (or dark) IPA, this 'red IPA' not only challenges you with it's appearance, but with it's complex malt profile. I think that the future of IPA lies in the direction Green Flash and some other breweries are going, which is finding balance between a hop bomb and an aggressively malty beer. Personally, I find this beer a nice departure (if not a very far one) from the traditional India Pale Ale.

Pretty Things, Once Upon a Time XXXX Mild Ale

2010-02-28T11:22:00.000-05:00

Pretty Things Beer and Ale Project
Grade: B

Saturday, February 27th, 2010 was the 178th anniversary of the brewing of a very special beer by the Truman, Hanbury, Buxton and Co. brewery in London, England. Dann Paquette, owner/brewer of Pretty Things Beer and Ale Project worked with brewing historian Ron Pattinson to reproduce this "mild" ale (meaning "sold young") exactly as it was brewed back then. The result nearly destroyed the brewery, took three days to clean up, and generally was considered to be "a complete and utter disaster."

"Despite this we had a wort worth fermenting..." Dann said. The release party was held at Deep Ellum in Allston, Massachusetts, with Dickensian period costumes mixing with the hipster clothing of the younger crowd. The beer was served by gravity from an oak cask, as well as hand pumped from a stainless firkin. You can see video of Dann's speech and the tapping of the cask here. As for the beer itself, the oak cask was tapped in less than twenty minutes, with the firkin following about a half hour later. Needless to say, the line of people wrapped around the building were disappointed. Thankfully this intrepid beer seeker was there an hour early, and got some of the last of the oak cask XXXX Mild to try. Oh, and did I mention this beer is over 10% ABV? It's over 10% ABV.

Dann, looking smashing in his wonderful hat and pipe

Appearance is nicely clear, with a little bit of haze, but not much. The gravity cask doesn't produce much head, but what little there was came out white and foamy. The color is a very nice red, with light auburn tints at the edges. The aroma has a lot of fruit in it, which isn't unusual from an English style ale. In his speech, Dann mentioned that there was no refrigeration done on this beer. It fermented naturally at ambient, February temperatures, which leads the yeast to give off more of that fruity quality. There is a slight note of alcohol in the nose, but its hidden behind some candy-like sweetness.

The mouthfeel is understandably full bodied, the cask conditioning lends only a minimal amount of carbonation to the beer. Because there was no refrigeration used, even when storing the beer in the cask, the serving temperature is much warmer than most American beers, which allows a lot of the flavors and esters to come out. The flavor has fruit, banana, plums, burnt sugar, and some candy sweetness. There are some slight oxidative notes as well, but that's understandable since the oak cask "breathes," letting small amounts of oxygen into the beer over time. The sweetness is countered by an earthy, woody, slightly vanilla flavor from the wood. The wood itself is nicely mellow, not like the bourbon or whiskey barrels some other breweries use. Despite the massive amount of Kent Golding hops used (4.5 lbs per barrel!) the bitterness isn't very present. It seems like some of the tannins from the oak are drying out the beer in the aftertaste, instead of the hop bitterness balancing the sweetness of the malt.

The mass of people eager for a taste

The beer is unusual, certainly interesting, and generally something that beer geeks like myself would crawl over broken glass to try (driving two hours and trying to find parking isn't quite broken glass, but whatever). However, despite the fact that the 10% ABV isn't noticeable, the beer certainly isn't a sessionable ale. Some of my less beer geeky drinking companions were interested in the beer, but when it came right down to it, they wouldn't order a second. And I reluctantly have to say I agree with them. It might be the warm serving temperature, the sweetness, or the lack of carbonation, but the American palate isn't quite ready for traditional English beers. Yet. We're slowly coming around, and I have a feeling that future beers from the Once Upon a Time series from Pretty Things will show us the way.

Willimantic Brewing Company, Edge of Darkness

2010-02-24T22:28:00.001-05:00

Recently Willimantic Brewing Company released the last few drops of Edge of Darkness, a wet-hopped American brown ale brewed at Sierra Nevada’s Beer Camp this past September. Dave Wollner, owner and head brewer of Willimantic was on hand to add his expertise in IPA recipe development to the beer. In addition to this limited release, Dave also tapped a keg of 2008 vintage Sierra Nevada Bigfoot Barleywine, as well as his very limited Barrel Aged Sour Double IPA.

Edge of Darkness

Willimantic Brewing Company

Grade: A-

Even after a few months, this beer is still nicely floral. The sweeter caramel and roast notes from the darker malts come through, but there’s still enough hops in the nose to remind you this was we-hopped. The color is a very deep dark brown, with red/amber hues at the edges (Edge of Darkness?). At first glance one might mistake this beer for a stout. The hops have subdued over time, but the citrus from 120 pounds of Centennial hops are hard to miss. The finish is moderately dry with some roast notes following up the bitterness. A good drinking beer, something that I wish Sierra Nevada would brew and package on a regular basis. For now, I’m glad I got the chance to taste it at my favorite local brewpub.

Dave with Ken and Steve Grossman

2008 Bigfoot Barleywine

Sierra Nevada Brewing Company

Grade: B+

A study in what time does to a beer. The floral hops are almost completely gone. The raisins, figs, plums, brown sugar and molasses flavors of the malts are very forward. Bitterness is still there, but the most amazing thing is how different this beer is from a 2010 Bigfoot. Side by side, a 2008 and 2010 Bigfoot are two completely different beers.

Barrel Aged IPA^2 Blend

Willimantic Brewing Company

Grade: C

IPA^2 is a limited blend of Willimantic’s Pushing the Envelope (an IPA hopped with Chinook, Tomahawk, Simcoe and Ahtanum hops) and a barrel-aged double IPA.The twist is that this big, hoppy, oaked double IPA is soured. Yes, soured. Maybe even on purpose. The sourness is tangy, very floral, puckering, and is immediately noticeable. The oak aromas of earth and vanilla mingle in with the piney hops. The first sip confuses, as hop bitterness wrestles with the oaky sourness. A confusing, interesting, and very unique beer. Not sure I can have more than one though. Some of my drinking companions had trouble finishing theirs.

Moylan's, Hopsickle Imperial Ale

2010-02-16T19:53:00.000-05:00

Grade: B+

Moylan's Brewery

I had the chance to try a few of Moylan’s beers at Rattle ’n Hum in New York City a while ago. We did a vertical tasting of sorts, the standard IPA, then the double IPA, ending of course with Hopsickle, the “Triple Hoppy” imperial IPA. The progression of beers was astounding, each one building on the successes of the former. I won’t say for a moment that this particular beer is balanced, it surely isn’t. It’s a celebration of hops, a true “hop bomb” in every way. In short, Moylan’s makes good beer. Go out, buy some, and drink it.

A slightly hazy, golden amber beer topped off with a creamy, offwhite head. There’s no mistaking it in the aroma, there’s hops in them thar hills. Pungent pine and resin, with tropical fruit notes, pineapple and grapefruit. The alcohol is mingling in the nose as well, with the caramel-sweet undertones of the malts. The body is full and rich, thick on the tongue with only a medium low level of carbonation to try and liven it up. The hops, and bitterness in general dominate in the front palate. Peach and tropical fruits mix with pine and earth.

The bitterness is full and throughout, however it’s not unpleasant paired with the thicker, fuller mouthfeel. Floral elements of grass and plant life linger in the background. The sweeter caramels and lighter toffee flavors of the malts are not to be missed however, behind all these hops. The malts give this beer a big, hearty feel to it. You absolutely know you’re drinking an imperial IPA, not from boozy alcohol flavors, but rather from the big malt and hop flavors.

Harpoon, Island Creek Oyster Stout

2010-02-15T18:56:00.000-05:00

Grade: B

Harpoon Brewing Co.

In the candy and dessert world, it’s long been said that adding a little salt to chocolate will make the flavor explode on your tongue. So it would stand to reason that the addition of the briny, salty oysters would have the same effect on the chocolate and coffee notes of a stout. Almost like adding MSG to a beer (for all you Always Sunny fans, please refrence Season 3, Episode 6).

A dark tan head tops an obsidian dark beer, falling to a creamy layer that laces the glass incredibly well. Chocolate, coffee, roast, wheat, oats, and bread are in the aroma. There’s another element there as well, but it’s hard to put my finger on it. It’s almost salty, which I guess could be some brine from the oysters.

Roast, almost too aggressive in the upfront flavor, but it gives way to the coffee and chocolate. Both of these flavors are carried well by the medium, almost creamy body and mouthfeel. Despite the fullness of the mouthfeel, the finish is nicely dry, and there is more tingle from carbonation than I expected. The acidity from the bubbles cuts through some of the creaminess and aids the roast in coming forward. There is a bit of sweetness in the middle palate, but next to the big coffee and roast flavors, it’s actually very pleasant.

Never having had oysters, I can’t say for a fact that oyster flavor is the x-factor here. But I would be willing to bet that unless you were told, you probably wouldn’t realize oysters were used at all. Instead this is a classic, expertly made stout, with a little something else. Enough to make you pause in mid-sip and say, “wow, I like this, but I have no idea why.”

I don’t know who got the crazy idea to toss a bunch of oysters into a stout, but I’m sure glad they did.

Sapporo Reserve

2010-02-07T16:49:00.000-05:00

Grade: C
Sapporo

A friend of mine who has been living in Japan (check out his ridiculously awesome blog Follow Rory) came back this past holiday season and gifted me the curious bag of bar snacks you see above. From what I can tell, they are essentially croutons and almonds with a judicious amount of salt. What, I wondered, could possibly go with these? As I passed the import section of a not-so-local bottle shop, Sapporo Reserve caught my eye. Perfect! Japanese beer for Japanese bar snacks, and what’s more, I’ve never had this kind of Sapporo before. I popped a crouton in my mouth and dove in.

Golden and nicely clear, with a slightly offwhite and frothy head. The aroma is immediately the sulfurs of a lager, it makes me think of Coors Light. Under that there are some slightly sweeter caramel and toffee notes. The maltier, more bread-like nose becomes more pronounced as the head drops and the beer sits for a moment or two. The mouthfeel is medium light, with medium low levels of carbonation. The flavors are subtle, but do continue the notes from the aroma, some caramel and toast. It’s very one dimensional, however. The bitterness is fairly low in this beer, and while it is a lager in style and shouldn’t be too hoppy, I still think it needs something more. The malts are very simple here, delivering the slight caramel and toffee from the aroma, but not much else. It finishes dry, and doesn’t leave much of anything on the tongue as aftertaste.

All that said, this is an extremely clean beer. No off flavors are present at all, everything is very crisp and meticulous. Like the macro-breweries of America, Sapporo may not be the most flavorful thing in the world, but it’s certainly one of the most consistent. Compared to the countless Sapporos I’ve downed at my local sushi place (Sake, in Wethersfield in case anyone’s interested) this beer registers as one notch higher on the flavor scale. It’s a crisp, clean lager that pairs quite well with yellowtail tuna and eel maki sushi. This beer is best enjoyed ice cold, by the pitcher, in a secret basement sake bar in midtown Manhattan. Try it yourself. You’ll see.

Oh, and the Cratz is actually quite tasty.

Captain Lawrence, Xtra Gold

2010-02-01T20:32:00.000-05:00

Grade: A
Captain Lawrence Brewing Co.

I figured that since I sang the praises of this beer in the previous post, it deserved the full Burgers and Brews treatment, and not just a passing impression from a festival. You've probably heard me espouse the view on this blog that Belgian IPAs are the holy grail of brewing. It's just beyond our grasp, the chemistry of Belgian yeast paired with American hops is an undiscovered country, full of wild wonders and horrible pitfalls. I wanted to be there when the science met the imagination, when the worlds of Belgian ale and American hop bombs could be one. To that end I've tried many an essay in the craft, hoping each time that the next would achieve this lofty goal, and I've been let down terribly every time. But this time friends, this time...I believe I have found the holy grail...and it's made in New York.

Crystal clear and light golden straw in color, with a frothy pure white head that laces the glass nicely. Hops are foremost in the aroma, citrus, peach, a tiny little bit of pine, and maybe some pineapple. Upon swirling it around a little, the Belgian aromas come out, the slight spice and banana mixing and mingling with the hops in a very interesting, and intriguing way. There is a very nice and pronounced hop flavor in the first sip, the peach and pineapple coming through loud and clear.

The most interesting part, however, is the fact that the hops carry almost no bitterness with them. The flavor evolves from the hoppy and citrus forward first sip into the more Belgian flavors of clove and banana. The finish is incredibly smooth, balanced, and dry. Exactly what you'd expect from a classic Belgian golden strong ale. The way this beer progresses in one sip is a miracle to me. The ability to take the best parts of both an IPA and a Belgian golden strong (i.e. the huge floral aroma and flavor of hops and the complex esters from Belgian yeast) and blend them together is something many have strived for, but few have attained. And I would argue no one has achieved the balance that Captain Lawrence has. At the end of every sip I'm left with such a wonderful mix of hops, malt, and fruit esters that my hand unconsciously reaches for the glass again and again.

The Mohegan Sun 2010 Wine and Food Fest

2010-01-31T10:42:00.000-05:00

Alright, I know this is a beer and food blog, but this event can't go unmentioned. I had the privledge to attend the Mohegan Sun Wine and Food Festival at the Mohegan Sun casino this past Saturday, January 30th in Uncasville, CT. Outside of the 1000+ wines available for tasting there was also a fair amount of beer to be had. Breweries including Dogfish Head, Captain Lawrence, and Blue Point among others were pouring some of their offerings.

Some standouts included the Captain Lawrence Xtra Gold, a Belgian golden strong with a huge dose of American Amarillo hops. The hops are added at the end for a wonderful hoppy aroma, without the clashing bitterness that other Belgian IPAs have. Honestly, I think I may have found my perfect example of a Belgian IPA.

There was also the infamous Randal out at the Dogfish Head table. This time they were pushing the India Brown Ale through coffee beans. What came out on the other side was a creamy, more coffee than beer drink. This is probably the only way I could drink India Brown Ale in the future, mostly because it completely covers up the beer.

Across the room there was the Woodchuck cider company, pouring their newest seasonal cider. One of my companions said that "it smells like spring and tastes like Easter." My wife went further and said it "was like a mix of jellybeans, chocolate, and plastic grass." I agreed, and didn't finish my sample.

The food was was a big part of this festival as well, with offerings from the area's best restaurants. I tried an Angel Roll from Feng, easily one of the better sushi rolls I've ever had. It did have a huge amount of garnish, but under all that was some beautiful tuna.

Even if you aren't a wine aficionado, a wine festival is a great way to become exposed to the world of wine. The ability to taste so many different styles of wine from so many different producers is a rare treat. I think that next year I will be springing for tickets to both days of the festival, instead of just one. With so many wines to try, and so much food to experience, it really can't be crammed into one day. My companions and I stumbled back out into the casino after five hours of tasting bliss, my palate humming with all the wonderful things that I had tried. This will become an annual event for us.

Sierra Nevada, Glissade

2010-01-22T18:51:00.000-05:00

Grade: A-
Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.

Sierra Nevada is another brewery who isn’t afraid to change something when it’s not working. The beer that held the previous Spring seasonal spot, the ESB (Early Spring Beer, and yes, I think it was a cop-out too), just wasn’t up to Sierra Nevada standards. An obvious weak spot, the brewery decided to swap it out with a tried and true recipe from the olden German brewing days, a golden bock. While not exactly what beer snobs might call a traditional “bock,” Glissade is certainly an easy drinkin,’ balanced brew, and I for one am damn glad they made the change.

A nice white head tops off a perfectly clear, golden beer and falls to a layer of foam on the surface. Sulfur aromas come out after swirling a little, followed by bread and cereal. Mouthfeel is medium, with a good amount of tingling carbonation on the tongue. Flavors of bread, honey, toast, and some caramel/toffee mix and mingle on the palate. Earth and black pepper are in play as well, perhaps a result of Sierra Nevada’s famous hops? There is good hop bitterness, the flavors of herbal, bitter hops linger on the back of the tongue. Hops don’t make their way into the flavor much, but the spicy sting of the bitterness carries into the beer as a nice counter to the bread and honey sweetness.

This beer finishes dry and crisp, yet with a good amount of residual flavor. Not only are you left wanting another sip, there is enough flavor left on your tongue to remind you exactly why you want another sip. The lager elements of crisp dryness, relatively light body, and toasty grain flavors all make this an easily quaffable beer. I can easily see myself ordering more than a few pints of this.

Samuel Adams, Noble Pils

2010-01-21T18:46:00.000-05:00

Grade: B+

Boston Beer Company

A surprisingly balanced and very flavorful beer from Sam Adams. Instead of trying to appeal to the masses with the newest fruit infused wheat beer, they went back to the German roots of brewing, and dug up a tried and true pilsner recipe. While most American mega-swills are technically considered pilsners in style, Sam Adams reminds consumers that pilsner is a flavorful, full bodied, and fairly well hopped style of beer. Finally, not another version of a fruit beer.

A nice, fluffy white head tops a completely clear golden lager. The aroma has some toast and caramel in it, with a small amount of lager sulfur, but not much. Some slightly spicy, herbal hop notes are coming through as well. The body is medium to light and dries out quickly, but not so quick as to scrub away the lingering bread and hop bitterness from the back of the tongue. The flavors here are immediately of toast and bread, with some caramel and honey sweetness right behind it. The hop flavor is subdued, but the spicy, floral elements it does have compliment the dry, almost nutty characters of the malts. The carbonation isn’t overdone at all, leaving enough tingle on the tongue to liven up the beer, but not to get in the way. Bitterness is certainly there in the aftertaste, which is a nice way to end a slightly sweet, certainly traditional pilsner beer.

This is one of Sam Adams’ seasonal releases, and will replace the ill-received White Ale in the Spring slot. The White Ale (surprise, another wheat beer!) was spiced with a plethora of spices and herbs, and seemed typical of the Boston Beer Company’s philosophy of cramming as many weird things into a beer as possible for the seasonal releases. What the brewers at Sam Adams seemed to not realize was the reason for their popularity wasn’t the Cherry Wheat or the Cranberry Lambic, it was the Boston Lager. A simple, balanced, clean, flavorful, traditional beer.

From a marketing standpoint I can see why they pushed the Coastal Wheat and the Blackberry Witbier (what is it with Sam Adams and wheat beers?), but the fact of the matter is good beer is made simply. We don’t need grains of paradise (really?) in our beers, just give us water, malt, hops, and yeast. Put it together however you want, but just keep it simple. The result is almost always something I’ll want to order again and again.

Flying Dog Brewing Co., Raging Bitch

2010-01-13T19:24:00.000-05:00

Grade: C
Flying Dog Brewing Co.

I've reviewed a few Belgian IPAs before (check out Great Divide, Belgica and Green Flash, Le Freak), and have been left wanting. The style is still in its infancy. Many say that the two styles are mutually exclusive, and never the twain shall meet. Others say that this is the future of beer, and we should embrace it. My opinion is still somewhere in the middle. I'm not sure that Raging Bitch can convince me that Belgian IPA has a place in the world of beer.

An offwhite, slightly orange head leaps up from the mostly clear, golden ale. There are some small particulates in suspension, but nothing to detract from the appearance. Belgian fruit esters are the first thing in the aroma, banana, some spice, pine, and citrus. Mouthfeel is medium and finishes a bit dry, bitterness lingers on the tongue. The first sip is confusing as hell. There is big hop bitterness, with pine and resin in the flavor, but almost at exactly the same time Belgian esters of banana, clove, and smoothness from wheat come in. Initially it's jarring to say the least, bordering on unpleasant. The Belgian elements make you want to relax and sit back, expecting a smooth and mild ale. Then the IPA elements come in, and smack you squarely in the face.

As I continue to sip this beer, the elements come together a little more. The banana fruits are starting to meld with the hops, some of the citrus flavors are beginning to make sense with the spice esters from the yeast. But the thing that makes me question this beer is the fact that it has taken me half a pint to start to get into it. Shouldn't a good beer make me love it at first sip? Or is this new style an aquired taste, like an oaky cabernet or a bold single barrel bourbon? I have to admit that I'm growing to like this beer, but not enough to order another pint.

Magic Hat Brewing Co., Vinyl

2010-01-08T19:14:00.000-05:00

Grade: A-
Magic Hat Brewing Co.

It’s a little odd to walk into my local bottle shop from the frigid cold and snow to find a spring beer on the shelf. However, with the recent success of Howl, I was intrigued. Magic Hat hasn’t treated me particularly well in the past (I’m looking at you, Circus Boy), but I was willing to see what this new brew was all about. I’m glad I did too, because I think I’ve discovered my new spring go-to beer. I’m sad to see the Hi.P.A. go, but the crown has been passed to a worthy successor.

Pours auburn and very clear, with a slightly tan head that falls to a thin coating. The aroma has the sulfurs that are common with all lagers. Bread, caramel, toast, and some very slight herbal notes are there as well. The mouthfeel is light, but still has enough body to carry the malty flavors. Toast, bread, and some caramel are the main flavor components. There is bitterness there, the herbal hops carry into the flavor but play second fiddle to the malts. The finish is dry, with some of that lingering bitterness that cleans the palate and makes you instinctively go for another sip.

While Magic Hat can be a little hit or miss with their recipes, the recent seasonal brews have been spot on. The new winter beer, Howl, is a great black lager and this spring offering is cut from the same cloth. Like Howl, this lager is both refreshing but packed with flavor, balanced more to the malts than hops. It’s nice to see a brewery try to achieve a lot of flavor with malts, instead of just throwing as many hops in as possible. If Magic Hat continues this trend, we might see them advance beyond the “college beer snob” label that they have long been equated with. I have to admit, I had a bit of a prejudice against Magic Hat. But with Howl and Vinyl on the menu, I’m starting to come around.

Life and Limb vs. Limb and Life

2010-01-07T18:20:00.000-05:00

Dogfish Head and Sierra Nevada, Life and Limb

Life and Limb, and its little brother Limb and Life are two beers cut from the same barley. Termed a partigyle, these beers are made from the same ingredients, but are as different as can be. Sierra Nevada and Dogfish Head collaborated to make this unique offering, the details of which can be found at the Limb and Life website (yes, it has its own website). Eli Cannon’s in Middletown offered a side by side tasting of the beers, and I was eager to see what they were like, head to head. Sierra Nevada is one of my absolute favorite breweries, and Dogfish Head is one of my least. Will the joining of the two be greater than the sum of its parts? Or will the best of the best mixed with the worst of the worst merely end up in mediocrity?

Life and Limb
Grade: B-

Pours very dark brown, almost opaque, with ruby red hues when held to the light. The head is thick, hazelnut in color, and laces the glass well. The aroma holds a lot of sugar-sweetness, candy, caramel, molasses, and some alcohol notes. Dark fruits are there as well, along with hints of roast and coffee. There is no hop aroma to speak of. The mouthfeel is full and rich, with very tiny bubbles of carbonation from the bottle conditioning. Without that carbonation the beer would feel very cloying. The flavor echoes much of the aroma with candy sweetness, caramel, maple syrup, some slightly acrid roast, raisins, and plums. In short, despite Sierra Nevada’s best efforts, this is another overly sweet Dogfish Head beer.

Limb and Life
Grade: B

First of all, despite being made from the same basic ingredients, this is a completely different beer. An offwhite, creamy head tops a brown, semi translucent beer with some slightly red tinges. The aroma is immediately of bread, toast, grain, caramel, and most notably, hops. The smell of the hops reminds me, literally, of a grassy field after a sudden summer rain (I know, sounds like a detergent commercial). The body is medium, notably drier than its bigger brother, and finishes clean with a lower level of carbonation. The bread, grain, and toast from the aroma carry into the flavor, yet without much sweetness to speak of. The hops are in the flavor as well, grassy, earthy, and herbal. The hops are a very welcome and surprisingly balanced addition to this malty brown ale. There are some slight citrus notes to the hops, but for the most part the herbs and earth come through, playing very well with the grainy, nutty, cereal-like qualities of the malts.

What can we take away from all this? This is another case of beers that are known more for their rarity than their actual taste. Production was extremely limited on Limb and Life, sometimes only a single case would be delivered to an entire state. In the case of Connecticut, the bottles were given to owners of retail stores as Christmas gifts, not even intended for sale to the public. Life and Limb, the smaller of the two beers, is on draft only, and very few of those kegs made their way out past the west coast. Because of this scarcity, people clamored to get a taste (including this intrepid beer geek). I’m glad that I got the opportunity, but if this beer was on the shelves year round I’d pass it by. I did manage to acquire a single bottle of Life and Limb through an unnamed and very generous source, so we’ll see how it ages. I’ll let you know in three years.

Imperial Stout Trooper Cask with Cherry Puree and Vanilla Beans

2010-01-06T19:53:00.000-05:00

Grade: A-
New England Brewing Co.

Finding Imperial Stout Trooper is a bit like trying to find a four leaf clover. It is an extremely limited release, and possibly one of the most sought after beers on the east coast, and for good reason. It’s a very solid Russian Imperial Stout, up there with the likes of Old Rasputin in my opinion. But it’s the rarity of the beer that makes it fun. Finding one is like finding the gold at the end of the rainbow. Finding it on tap is like finding the leprechaun that owns the gold and giving him a big hug. Finding a one-off-never-see-it-again-one-and-done cask of Stout Trooper is right up there with being abducted by aliens made of Jell-o.

Poured into a snifter from a hand-drawn cask at Prime 16 in New Haven. Obsidian black, with a dark mocha head that foams up and leaves some nice lacing on the sides. The aroma is full of chocolate, coffee, caramel, some roast, dark ripe stone fruit, and a little of that vanilla. The vanilla lends a nose of milk chocolate to the beer, softening it considerably. Served at the appropriate 55 degrees, the beer opens up more as it warms. The cherries aren’t in the aroma much at all, they stay well hidden with the other fruit esters that already exist in the beer.

The flavor is very much Imperial Stout Trooper, in that the additions to the cask don’t detract from the essence of the beer. Mouthfeel is full and creamy from the cask treatment with little carbonation to speak of. The flavors of chocolate and coffee are foremost, with the vanilla coming up to round out the roast a little. The flavors are rich here, echoing the aromas of milk chocolate without being sweet at all. The cherry is there in the middle palate, subtle and playing very well with the other elements of the beer.

Imperial Stout Trooper is a solid beer to be sure. Adding things like cherries and vanilla beans might ruin an otherwise balanced and well crafted beer. New England used a reserved hand in this special release, allowing the beer to simply be itself with one or two different aspects. However, a large part of Imperial Stout Trooper isn’t necessarily the beer itself, but the event. The rarity of it makes each glass special, and something to talk about with your friends. Finding this beer (particularly in cask form) is like finding your way into a secret club, where word of mouth is the only way to get in. If this beer was in larger production, it might not have such a cult following. I at least can say “I was there” when the one and only cask of Cherry Vanilla Imperial Stout Trooper kicked.

Chipotle Pork Cheeseburgers

2009-12-30T09:23:00.000-05:00

Epicurious.com

Ingredients

1 pound ground pork (not lean)
2 teaspoons minced chipotle in adobo plus 1 teaspoon adobo sauce
2 garlic cloves, forced through a garlic press
4 slices Muenster cheese
4 hamburger buns, toasted
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 large tomatillo (1/4 pound), husked and rinsed, then sliced
1/2 small avocado, sliced
1/2 cup cilantro sprigs

Directions

Prepare a gas grill for direct-heat cooking over medium heat
Gently mix pork, chipotle, garlic, and a scant teaspoon salt until just combined. Form into 4 (1/2-inch-thick) patties.
Oil grill rack, then grill patties, covered, 4 minutes.
Flip patties and top with a slice of cheese. Grill, covered, until just cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes more.
Spread buns with mayonnaise and assemble burgers with tomatillo, avocado, and cilantro.

Ballast Point Brewing, Sculpin IPA

2009-12-27T17:49:00.000-05:00

Grade: A
Ballast Point Brewing Co.

The hops are much more light and fruity in this beer than other IPAs I've had. The overall impressions I get are light, floral, fruity, tropical, and in general, delicious. Don't think for a second this means the beer is weak in the hop department. It's a hop-heads delight, showcasing just how expertly the Ballast Point brewers handle their ingredients. I also like that this beer is just a normal IPA at 7% ABV, despite it being a very limited release. It's not imperial, or double, or oak aged, or spiced with some exotic kind of bean that only grows on one mountainside in China. This is simply an expertly crafted, easy drinking, hop-delivery-vehicle that will satisfy even the most discriminating hop-aficionado.

An off-white head leaps up from the glass as this crystal clear, light golden straw beer is poured. Pine, citrus, peach and tropical fruit are in the aroma. If there is malt character in the nose, I can't smell it. The hops are forward and assertive, and downright dank. The flavor bursts with hops in every way. The bright citrus and peach flavors come through immediately, followed closely with the pine and resin. The bitterness is solid, with a slight drying effect on the late palate. The flavors in this beer scream of tropical citrus and fruit, without any impression of sweetness at all. The hops themselves are providing the profile of this beer, with the malts playing a very muted, but supporting role. There is a lingering impression of bitterness and peach in the aftertaste, with a bone dry finish. I want to drink this beer til I fall over.

Laughing Dog Brewing, Alpha Dog Imperial IPA

2009-12-22T20:18:00.000-05:00

Grade: A-
Laughing Dog Brewing

I've often said that hops should be treated like wine grapes, certain varieties have certain characteristics. Some of these varieties can be blended together to create something greater than the sum of it's parts. Rarely however, can you mix a dozen different wine grapes together and produce a good wine. Alpha Dog, like any good cabernet or pinot noir, is the product of a knowledgeable and patient hand.

Laughing Dog Brewing's website immediately states that the reason for the brewery's existence was to fill the void of hoppy beers in America. Based in Idaho and founded only a few years ago in 2005, I think they have succeeded in their goal. This beer is a celebration of the hop, and unlike other IPAs that have a plethora of hop varieties added, this beer only has two. This isn't a detriment. The range of flavors the Columbus and Mt. Hood hops produce are much more developed and refined than if buckets of random hops were added.

Pours very clear, light golden straw with a creamy white head that looks like it's frozen in time. The hops immediately smack you in the face with aroma, to the point where you recoil in shock. Some herbal goodness, mixed with bright citrus, tangerine pineapple and grapefruit. There is earth in the nose as well, vegetal, almost garlicky. Some slight alcohol aromas come through after swirling around a bit, followed by a little bread and caramel.

Mouthfeel is in the medium-light range with a dry enough finish that I want another sip, but also a certain creaminess that gives this beer legs. The hops are present in such concentration in the flavor that the resin and citrus elements mimic sweetness. Hops are the name of the game here, but while they are solidly bitter, pungent in aroma, and ubiquitous in the flavor, the lighter body and mouthfeel deliver them in a very approachable manner. The flavors of tropical fruit, peach, and citrus are throughout. There are some more earthy and herbal parts to them as well, not to mention a solid and unapologetic bitterness. The aftertaste does carry some very slight metallic off-flavors, with some of the less desirable vegetal flavors.

Victory Brewing Co., Yakima Twilight

2009-12-17T19:22:00.000-05:00

Grade: B+
Victory Brewing Co.

Victory Brewing is known for some very decent IPAs, but Yakima Twilight is a venture into the relatively new world of dark IPAs. The challenge is balancing the elements of hoppy bitterness with roasty bitterness, traditionally two elements in beer that have been mutually exclusive. I think this beer achieves balance between the two, while slipping in an undetectable 8.7% ABV to boot.

A tan head leaps up from the glass, thick and rocky. The beer is garnet, with brown tints and a small amount of cloudiness. Hops are forward in the aroma, pine needles and bitter orange peel mix together. The mouthfeel is coming across fairly medium, with a good amount of carbonation. Hops come through in the flavor, herbs, spice, and resin. Some fruity esters from the yeast mix with the herbal hops, peach and light stone fruit. There is a roast element here as well, but it's not too heavy handed. The hops are not only adding a very solid bitterness to this beer, but they also play a bit part in the flavor itself. There is a slight off-flavor of plastic coming through in the aftertaste, most likely from those whole leaf hops.

The hops used in this beer come from the Yakima Valley in Washington, and are generally considered the most aggressive, and uniquely American. The dark malts used here are well played, adding just enough body and roast to compliment the hops. Something else to consider here, this beer is 8.7% alcohol by volume. Unless you look at the label, you would have no idea it was this strong. The balance achieved with these pungent hops, roasty malts, and high ABV is a testament to the brewer's skill. Victory is a brewery that sometimes goes under the radar, but really shouldn't. They are certainly on my short list of best IPAs, and this dark IPA is another example of an American brewery mastering the use of the hop.

Dogfish Head Brewing Co., Olde School

2009-12-16T19:15:00.000-05:00

Grade: C-
Dogfish Head Brewing Co.

Perhaps this beer is young. The directions on the bottle state repeatedly that this beer does well with some age on it. It also mentions that it is a bottle conditioned ale, complete with a cowboy pouring a packet marked "yeast" into a bottle on the label. If left to it's own devices, would the yeast packaged with this ale eat up some of the sugars still present, resulting in a drier, less sweet, more alcoholic beer? Most likely not. But it's nice to dream sometimes.

This beer is perfectly clear, auburn, with a slightly off-white head that disappears pretty quickly. Fruit, banana, a little spice and some alcohol notes are in the nose. After a little swirl the caramels and toffee aromas come out, along with more alcohol elements, which at 15% ABV is expected I suppose. Mouthfeel is creamy, full, and very rich. Almost no carbonation to speak of. The flavor is immediately boozy, with a general feeling of sweet coming after. The fruit and banana are still there, but now the caramel and brown sugar come in, followed closely by a little raisin. The sweetness is very forward, almost as much as the hot alcohols. Generally this beer is cloying, coating the tongue and delivering the flavors of the malts on a very sweet platter.

The flavors aren't bad however. There is very little roast in this beer, which I would have liked to cut through the sweetness, but the caramel and brown sugar are pleasant. The fruit esters lightens up the profile a bit, the creamy mouthfeel only bolstering the perception of banana. Final opinion? A classic example of Dogfish Head: too sweet, too boozy, and generally unbalanced.

Samuel Adams Brewing Co., Blackberry Witbier

2009-12-12T14:08:00.000-05:00

Grade: C
Samuel Adams Brewing Co.

So why am I doing this again?

A Sam Adams beer? A Sam Adams fruit beer? Have I lost my last shred of sanity?

I guess it's just a masochistic streak, but I have to know. I just can't leave this on the shelf, unexplored. But that's the beauty of mix-a-sixes; you only have to drink one.

Appearance is a light straw, only very slightly hazy. Not what I'd expect from a wheat beer. The foam is pure white, forms a nice head but dissipates quickly. The nose is all blackberry, not cloyingly sweet, but immediately identifiable. Perhaps a little citrus as well, no hops whatsoever (which is appropriate). No yeast or spice noticable, which is dissapointing. The mouthfeel is medium bodied, the only indicator of wheat. The blackberry is present, but again not sweet. If there are spice notes, they are very subdued. The finish is fairly dry, which makes taking another sip easy.

While I wouldn't go out of my way for this beer, I can't say that I hate it. This is no Cherry Wheat or Cranberry Lambic, that's for sure. To call it a witbier however, I think is taking it a bit far. I understand it's a branding thing; they already have a Cherry Wheat, so a Blackberry Wheat would be redundant, but that's what this is. The easily identifiable characteristics of witbier, (corriander, orange peel, wheat tang and weizen yeast cloudiness and flavor) are not present.

As a good drinking beer, I would go to this. Perhaps when I'm mowing my lawn in the summer, or if I'm feeling a little un-manly. Or perhaps as a maintainer, after the long night of barlywines and double IPAs, this beer would cleanse the palate nicely and keep the buzz going. Besides, by the end of a night like the one just described, not many are going to care what you're drinking anyway.

Shmaltz Brewing Co., Jewbelation 13th Anniversary

2009-12-11T20:24:00.000-05:00

Grade: B+
Shmaltz Brewing Co.

You'd think that a beer advertising "13 malts, 13 hops, and 13% alcohol by volume" for a 13th anniversary would be nothing more than a marketing ploy. And if you looked at the labeling from Schmaltz Brewing Company, you might be more confidant in that assumption. He'Brew, The Chosen Beer is the line of ales that Schmaltz Brewing produces, with names like Rejewvenator, Genesis Ale, and this one, Jewbelation. If you want to see how far the shtick goes, simply pick up a bottle and read the label. The kitsch goes on, even into the small print. But don't dismiss this brewery simply by the stereotypical Jewish overtures.

Pours thick, viscous, and black as night with a creamy tan head. When held up to the light, blood red hues come through. The aroma is very aggressive, with dark fruit, molasses, raisins, plums, dates, some slight notes of chocolate, and caramel sweetness. There is a bit of spice and herb in there, but not overt at all. The alcohol is noticeable in the nose as well, which I guess is to be expected with a 13% beer.

The mouthfeel is thick with a little tingle of carbonation, but not nearly enough to cut through this beer. The fruit from the aroma is in the flavor as well, but the roast and bread flavors from the malts contend with them. The finish is slightly sweet, but there is certainly enough bitterness to balance it. Raisin, dark black strap molasses, roast coffee, very bitter chocolate, and dark maple syrup are the main players in the flavor. The sweetness throughout the beer is countered quite well by the bitterness, which isn't hoppy and floral like in an IPA, but is certainly there. The aftertaste as you smack your lips is almost as aggressive and flavor-forward as the actual beer.

While this is a massive beer, with a massive amount of ingredients, it doesn't drink badly. In fact, the alcohol is very well hidden in all the roast and sweetness. While it certainly isn't a lawnmower beer, I don't mind taking another sip of this. I find that the hop bitterness scrubs my palate clean of the sweet flavors, so I can take another sip without being overwhelmed.

Harpoon Brewing Co., Ginger Wheat

2009-12-09T19:53:00.000-05:00

Grade: A
Harpoon Brewing Co.

Sometimes limited edition beers are so layered, complex, and stuffed with strange ingredients that they are just too much. It's refreshing to find a beer that does include a strange ingredient, but simply decides to showcase it. The decision to pair the ginger with a light, relatively neutral wheat beer was a good one. I think the slight wheat tang works very well with the spicy, bright flavors of the ginger.

The one lasting impression I get from this beer is that it's refreshing. Fans of sushi will know ginger for it's palate cleansing attributes. The reason for the lump of pickled ginger next to your California roll is so you can clean up your taste buds in order to try the next course. Personally, I am craving a big platter of sushi right now, as I think this beer would pair perfectly with it. In fact, I've never encountered a beer that so directly inspired me to pair it with a food.

Pours fairly clear with a fluffy white head that takes it's time going away. The color is light straw, with tinges of gold. The ginger is immediately noticible, the first thing that hits your nose when you take a whiff. While the ginger is dominating, the wheat has a little tangy-element in there as well, and seems to work well with it's counterpart. Honestly, I've never smelled anything like this in a beer before. The mouthfeel is light, but there is a slightly creamy impression from the wheat. The ginger carries over into the flavor, but here the malts and the wheat start to come in more. The ginger is domineering though, and it's tough to get anything more out of this beer. There is a citrus note in the flavor that isn't hoppy. Upon looking at the label, it says that lemon juice was added, as well as honey. The citrus must be from the lemon juice, because there is a slight acidity coming from this beer, and it's not the carbonation. The honey may be adding a little to the mouthfeel and roundness of the beer, but I think it's primarily there to bump up the alcohol, which comes in at an even 7%.

Let me be clear: if you do not like ginger, you will not like this beer. However as I am a fan of ginger, I have to say that this is wonderfully inspiring. I want to cook with this, a stir fry with chicken and snow peas. I want to eat sushi with this. I want to drink this after a flight of double IPAs and barlywines, to bring my palate back to life and allow me to taste again. I wasn't looking for inspiration when I picked up this beer. Honestly I wasn't too thrilled with the idea of it, but I figured it was worth a look at least. I'm glad I looked.

Unibroue, La Fin Du Monde

2009-12-07T12:48:00.000-05:00

Grade: B+
Unibroue

Appearance is light golden, fairly clear with some particulate in suspension. The head dissipates quickly, although this might be due to my careful pour. There is a layer of sediment in the bottom of the bottle that is the result of bottle conditioning, which I tried to leave behind. When I opened the bottle to begin with, it gushed slightly, which wasn't an encouraging sign. Some banana and slight spice in the nose, a little bit of bready yeast feel as well, though not overt at all. Almost no hop character to speak of, and the malt aroma is clean but present. Fruit notes stayed mostly subdued, though the banana and spice blended nicely.

Mouthfeel is medium, meandering towards heavy. The slightly heavy mouthfeel is counted rather aggressively by the high level of carbonation, which tingles on the tongue and adds that acidic bite. The banana and clove/spice in the nose carries through to the taste, which balances quite well with the malts. There is a slight bready, toasty note from the grains here, indicative of Belgian pale malts. The alcohol is barely perceptible, but there. The sips are warming as you drink. The carbonic acids from the high carbonation makes me feel like it is a touch cidery, which might be a hint of the cane sugar that is used in most traditional golden strong ales. It finishes rather dry, leaving some of that sparkling character on the tongue that you might find from a champagne.

Most don't think of Canada when they think of beer, or at least they think of Molsens and Labatts. Unibroue has flown under the radar for many years, however their Belgian ales are possibly the most true to the traditional style that our continent has. Aging the beer in the bottles with the yeast, letting it carbonate naturally instead of with tanks of co2 is what sets them apart. Not only that, but the European (particularly French and Belgian) brewing traditions that they have absorbed, in relation to types of malts and yeast are closer to Belgian roots than many American brewers can claim.

I have to say that, while I can't drink many Belgian Golden Strong Ales, I enjoy drinking them immensely. The ingredients are few, but the heritage and quality of those ingredients make this beer what it is. The only reason for the B+ rating is that, with the explosion of beer consciousness in America, you can readily find Belgian beers (from Belgium) right next to Unibroue in many stores. And while Unibroue puts out an excellent product, Belgians still have the market cornered on Belgian beers.

In the meantime, I think I'll have another Unibroue.

Stone Brewing Co., Vertical Epic 09 09 09

2009-12-06T10:44:00.000-05:00

Grade: C+
Stone Brewing Co.

Immediately as this beer is poured from the bottle, you know you're in for something aggressive. It is inky black, pours like motor oil. It has a downright brown head that, when poured vigorously is thick and long lasting. The aroma is of stone fruit, dark roast, coffee, burnt sugars, chocolate, and wood. This is definitely on my list of beers that I would be happy just smelling. Mouthfeel is thick, but it seems to be from minimal carbonation and not viscous liquid. There might be some wood aging going on here. There is a tannin structure that is nice and chewy, giving the beer a very particular body, like that of a very big Cabernet. While the beer is big in the front of the palate, the finish and aftertaste are nicely dry. While not unusual to find in wines, the drop off of body and sweetness in the back palate and aftertaste leave the beer feeling a little “thin” at the end.

The flavors are complex and varied, but the overall impression is of off-balance...for now. This beer was intended to be consumed with the release of the last beer in the series, on 12-12-12. It would be understandable, actually it would be expected, that Stone would brew something that would mature and develop over time. There is fig and plum in the flavor, with chocolate and roast backing it up. Coffee seems to be a lingering element that shows itself throughout the palate. There is some slight astringency to the roast in the back of the palate. While this beer is undoubtedly dark and daring, there isn't much sweetness to speak of. In fact the roast and the coffee seem to be the prime players here, with the wood and slight tannic elements coming close behind. There is supposed to be orange peel in this beer, but I feel like it gets completely lost in all the other malts. While there is bittering here, I'm not noticing much in the way of hop character. Some herbal, spicy notes make their way into the flavor, but they don't detract from the overall roast quality of the beer.

Stone thought this one out, and I think I can see where this is going. As beers age they become a bit sweeter, the astringent roast drops out, mouthfeel gets fuller, and fruit esters become more raisin and fig-like. These are all the things that I feel this beer is currently missing, and I think it's the first time that I've had a beer specifically designed to be consumed three years from it's release date. Stone has done something unique with this beer, and all their Vertical Epic series. They have allowed the consumer to taste the beer as it exists now, and then directed them to taste it again years down the road. This way, the consumer will understand and appreciate how a beer morphs over time, seeing where it came from and comparing it to where it could go. The idea of aging beer is new to many, and I'm glad that we have Stone to teach the masses the joys of cellaring and aging beer.

Willimantic Brewing Co., Millenium IPA

2009-12-05T15:16:00.000-05:00

Grade: C
Willimantic Brewing Co.

Reviewed live from the Willimantic Brewing Co. free wifi service! Beer and free wifi? What more could you ask for?

Arrives cloudy with no head, but that's typical of a brewpub. Color is a golden straw, with tinges of orange. Aroma is almost nil, some slight spice and sweet malt notes coming through. The mouthfeel is medium, just enough to hold the carbonation in place. Spice, pepper, and pine are the hop characters in the flavor. A slight off-flavor of detergent and plastic lingers in the background (could simply be a soapy glass). There is a slight sweetness to the malt, those who have brewed beer before would characterize it as unfermented sweet wort (what beer is called before the fermentation process). There are bread elements along with some toast to
lend to the malt profile. The hops are bitter here, but certainly not overly so. There is a good firm bittering, but it's held in check by the sweetness of the malts. The hops used are not the normal citrus types found in most American IPAs, but are of the more spicy, noble variety.

Willimantic Brewing Company is known for IPAs, and they push the envelope of the style to it's limit. The owner/brewer Dave Wollner explores many different approaches to the style, and like all experiments, not all come out perfect. This latest rendition of his IPA falls a little short, seeming to suffer from an excess of sweetness. The best part about Willimantic Brewing Company, however is the fact that almost every other week, a new beer comes out. Most often, it's a beer that has never been done before, or is an exciting experiment. The fun of going to Willimantic Brewing Company is the variety and trying new things. Do those new things always hit the mark? No, but that's alright. You know that in another week another strange, wonderful, and challenging beer is on the way. It's what keeps me coming back, even after a slightly negative experience.

Other beers of note for the evening included their Festive Ale, a double IPA made with hops that were grown literally on the brewery building. It was a higher alcohol brew, but had none of the hot, fusal alcohol notes. Overall it was extremely balanced, and a favorite of mine. The winner for the evening was a beer that was made kind of haphazardly, with remnants of ingredients left over from other beers. The I'm Not Sure ale, made with over 8 different malts was outstanding. Malty, bready, toasty, and dry, with plenty of flavor. It was very similar to a Scottish ale, and I'll be sad to see it go. Hopefully Dave wrote down what went into this beer, because I'd love to see it again.

McSorley's Alehouse, New York City

2009-12-03T21:17:00.000-05:00

McSorley's Alehouse

If ever you find yourself in New York City with a hankering for bad service, disgusting surroundings, and surprisingly decent beer, go to McSorley’s Ale House in Greenwich Village. The outside is made up to look like an old-world pub from the darker days of the city, which is appropriate because it is an old-world pub from the darker days of the city. It was an all male establishment until the mid seventies, when my mother and the women’s rights movement busted in and messed up their chauvinist ideals. With the exception of the addition of a second bathroom, this by no means changed the ambiance of the place.

At first glance the outside looks fairly respectable. Upon entering however, you realize (all too late) what you’ve gotten yourself into. People notice different things first. I noticed the sawdust that covered the floor, acting much like kitty litter to sop up the spilled drink, vomit, and blood. Others might notice the deeply scarred wooden tables that are proudly touted as “original.” The markings on these surfaces are so layered that they look like a predecessor to cuneiform or a language long ago lost to modern man.

Perhaps not the worst, but certainly the most memorable item in the establishment would be the chandelier that hangs over the bar itself. The light that comes from its yellowed globes is negligible at best, the glass coated by generations (literally) of smoke and human grease. Hanging off the arms of the fixture itself are wishbones. Turkey wishbones. Unwashed, festering, meat remnants still clinging desperately to the dried out bones, dust and mold growing on them like stalagmites. Dozens of them, hanging from every hook on the chandelier possible, swinging over the drinks of the patrons below.

My parents wax poetic about the “old hangout” from their college days, which at the time of this writing was thirty years prior. When they went back recently, they were thrilled to find that nothing had changed, except perhaps that there was a half an inch or two more dust and grime coating the pictures that covered every inch of the walls.

There are only two beers at McSorley’s, light and dark. I don’t know what will happen to you if you try to order anything else, so I’m not responsible if you try. They are a house brew, which is surprisingly good given the dive-ambiance. Ordering drinks at this pub takes a little getting used to. If you order “one” at the bar, the tender turns and grabs two mugs, grasping them by the handle in one hand (no Bud Light pints here), and runs them unceremoniously under the tap, which seems to be perpetually running. He does not wait until the head drops, but plunks the two mugs in front of you, usually only half filled with actual beer, the rest a foamy but tasty head. With a scowl at your obviously out-of-towner smell, he’ll turn away from you and probably ignore you for the next half hour.

For an impressive display, go with five or six friends and order a round for everyone at the table. The barkeep will fill and carry ten to fifteen mugs, all gripped in his big meaty hands by the handles Oktoberfest-style and clunk them down on the table so loudly that you’ll jump at the noise, even if you see him coming.

The menu at McSorley’s is limited at best, but I suggest the local delicacy, a cheese platter with McSorley’s famous hot mustard. This arrives at your table on a paper plate with a plastic knife, a handful of sliced cheese squares, a plastic Dixie-cup with the hot mustard squirted into it, some raw onion slices, and a sleeve of Saltines sometimes (but not always) sealed. It may not look like much, but don’t let the macho-chauvinist surroundings make you headstrong. The hot mustard is hot. The cheese is simply a vehicle for the mustard, and doesn’t do much to cut the heat from the mustard. Obviously the only way to make the flames subside is to order another round, if the bartender can stand to see your ugly mug again.

Otter Creek, Quercus Vitis Humulus

2009-12-01T21:33:00.000-05:00

Grade: A-
Otter Creek Brewing Co.

Pours a nice bright red, with tinges of brown at the edges. An offwhite head forms quickly, but dissipates into a coating after a few seconds. Banana, peach, earth, and vanilla mix in the aroma. There are some fusel, slightly plastic off-notes there as well. The mouthfeel is medium to a little thick, the carbonation kicking up a little tingle. The oak plays tricks with the mouthfeel, adding a slight tannic, drying element that is rather enjoyable. It adds a dimension to beer that usually only exists in wine.

The flavor is complex, but not overwhelming or unbalanced. The yeast throws a lot of the banana, fruit, and clove-spice that you might expect from a Bavarian lager. The juice from the wine grapes add vinocity and a little acidity, which play really well with the slight plum and date notes from the yeast. The alcohol is very big in this beer (12%), but you only notice it from the warming sensation as you drink. The complexities of this beer are many and varied, changing with every sip. Sometimes it's the elements of the barleywine that comes through, sometimes the grape juice, sometimes the oak; even the champagne yeast used to finish the beer comes through.

For Otter Creek to put out a beer this complex, this mature, this daring, is completely unusual of the brand. They have been known for solid ales in their production lineup, and even a few winners in their limited edition 22oz series. However this beer tops them all in design, execution, and thought process. A surprise, but a welcome surprise. For a jaded beer drinker such as yours truly, this is a wonderful, weird, and crazy deviation from the norm. Would I drink another pint of this? Perhaps not. The alcohol level alone would relegate me to a snifter-full. But sip for sip, I would suggest this to any beer-geek who has been bored by the endless parade of imperial stouts and double IPAs on the market.

Mole Roasted Turkey with Masa Stuffing and Chile Gravy

2009-11-26T11:45:00.000-05:00

In honor of the greatest of all holidays, National Turkey Killing Day, here's a recipe that breaks the monotony of the same old roasted bird. Recipe courtesy of Epicurious.com.

For turkey:

1 (12- to 14-pound) turkey, any feathers or quills removed with tweezers or needlenose pliers; neck, heart, and gizzard removed and reserved for making Quick Turkey Stock (discard liver or reserve for another use)
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
Turkey Mole Sauce
Masa Stuffing
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Approximately 2 cups Quick Turkey Stock

For gravy:

2 cups Quick Turkey Stock
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon chile powder

Special equipment: large flameproof roasting pan with flat or V-shaped rack; kitchen string; aluminum foil; bulb baster (optional); instant-read thermometer

Prepare turkey:

Rinse turkey and pat dry. Sprinkle inside and out with salt and pepper and transfer to roasting pan. Set aside 1 1/2 cups mole for serving (refrigerate until ready to use), then coat turkey inside and out with remainder. Cover turkey with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour and up to 8 hours.

Arrange oven rack in lowest position and preheat oven to 450°F. Butter 2-quart casserole or 8-inch square baking dish.

Loosely fill main cavity of turkey with stuffing. Transfer remaining stuffing to prepared dish and drizzle with 1/2 cup stock. Cover with aluminum foil and refrigerate until ready to bake. Dab turkey all over with melted butter. Tuck wing tips under breast and loosely tie legs together with kitchen string. Pour 1/4 cup stock into pan.

Roast turkey 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350°F, cover turkey loosely with foil, and continue roasting 45 minutes more. Remove foil, add 1/4 cup stock to pan, and continue to roast, basting with pan juices every 30 minutes, 1 1/2 hours more.

Increase oven temperature to 450°F, rotate pan 180° in oven, and add 1/4 cup stock to pan. Remove extra stuffing from refrigerator (do not uncover) and transfer to oven alongside turkey. Bake 30 minutes, then uncover and bake until top is golden brown, about 15 minutes more. Keep warm, covered. Meanwhile, continue to roast turkey, adding 1/4 cup stock to pan and basting every 15 minutes, until instant-read thermometer inserted in thickest part of thigh (do not touch bone) registers 170°F, about 45 minutes to 1 1/2 hours more (2 1/2 to 3 hours total).

Transfer turkey to platter (do not clean roasting pan). Insert thermometer into center of stuffing. If thermometer does not read 165°F, remove stuffing and microwave until 165°F. Keep warm. Let turkey rest at least 1/2 hour before carving.

While turkey is resting, make gravy:

Straddle roasting pan across 2 burners on moderately high heat. Add stock and bring to boil, scraping up browned bits on bottom of pan. Remove from heat.

In medium saucepan melt butter. Whisk in flour and cook, whisking constantly, until roux is golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add stock mixture in steady stream, whisking constantly to prevent lumps, then simmer until thickened slightly, about 2 minutes. Strain through fine-mesh sieve into medium bowl and stir in lime juice, salt, and chile powder. Keep warm.

In small saucepan over low heat, gently reheat reserved mole sauce. Serve turkey with gravy and mole alongside.

Thomas Hooker Brewing Co., Nor'easter

2009-11-21T17:20:00.000-05:00

Grade: C
Thomas Hooker Brewing Co.

An accidentally aggressive pour produces an offwhite head that disappears into the beer pretty quickly. Very clear, with a rich mahogany brown/red hue. Lager sulfurs come through clearly in the aroma, followed by some bready notes. Light caramel sweetness is there in the nose, with some crisp toast and grain. As the sample warms notes of cinnamon and nutmeg are noticeable, but not overt at all. Gingerbread comes to mind.

And gingerbread it is. Mouthfeel is fairly heavy bodied, with minimal carbonation. Bread, toast, brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg are all immediately identifiable. There is sweetness here that makes me feel like I literally just ate some kind of holiday dessert bread. The finish isn't exactly cloying, but its getting real close. The sweetness reminds me of the frosting on a ginger-spice cupcake. There is something about the flavor combination in the middle palate that confuses me though. I get a kind of artificial sweetener/plastic-like flavor that is hard to nail down. Upon inspection of the bottle, it states that this is a "lager with artificial flavor." Well that explains it.

There are a few beer elements here, some of the bread and biscuit notes from the pilsner malt are present, but the sweet/spice flavors are overwhelming them. The spicing on this beer isn't out of balance, per se. I've had spiced holiday beers that tasted like licking the inside of a Christmas Tree Store. However the sweet, semi-cloying, and overall dessert-like qualities of this beer are too much for me. I am infamous for passing on sweets and desserts, but I don't think I'm alone in saying those kinds of flavors have no place in beer. Interesting, bold, and risky. Not to be misogynistic, but I think this beer will find a home with a lot of female drinkers.

Long Trail Brewing Co., Imperial Porter

2009-11-20T19:11:00.000-05:00

Grade: B
Long Trail Brewing Co.

A dark mocha head leaps up from the glass, with rocky foam that slowly recedes into nice lacing. While the color is most certainly black and opaque, when put up to a light source some red hues can be seen. When viewed this way, you can see that the beer actually is crystal clear (no haze or cloudiness). Alcohol notes, with sweet caramel and toffee are the first on the scene aroma-wise. A quick swirl brings out the coffee, roast, and dark chocolate. A medium body hits the tongue, with a moderate amount of carbonation that doesn't offend, but puts it a little outside the norm for porter. Traditionally porters are served with very low carbonation, like most English style beers. The first thing I notice about the flavor of this beer is how clean it is. Universally, Long Trail beers seemed to be scrubbed and polished until they squeak with cleanliness. Often (to my palate) that is a negative thing. Filtering tends to strip many elements of flavor that make up the balance of a beer.

The coffee and roast are there in the flavor, backed by some sweeter caramels. Alcohol is noticeable, but not distracting. It's appropriate for an imperial porter to have some alcohol elements present in the flavor. The finish is fairly dry, without much lingering flavor on the tongue. Some dark fruit can be sensed in the background, but it's very slight, and takes a definitive backseat to the roast and coffee. I warmed my sample slightly, hoping to bring out more flavors, but it seems like the lack of complexity is simply a recipe issue. While not the most full flavored porter I've ever had, it remains extremely drinkable.

Long Trail seems to design their beers for the median beer drinker. These are people who have just come off Coors and Bud and are looking for something more, without venturing into the double IPAs and oak aged espresso stouts. Throughout Long Trail's portfolio, drinkability (to borrow a phrase from the Evil Empire known as Budweiser) has always been a major element. Pick up any Long Trail beer and you can finish that beer without difficulty. In these Brewmaster Series beers they try to push the envelope, yet seem to still cling to that mantra of "approachable" beer. While solid and very quaffable, the Brewmaster Series Imperial Porter by Long Trail doesn't exactly curl my toes. Although, sometimes you just want a good, solid beer to drink. And when that mood strikes me, more often than not I reach for a Long Trail.

Magic Hat Brewing Co., Howl

2009-11-16T19:43:00.000-05:00

Grade: A
Magic Hat Brewing Co.

A khaki colored head tops an almost completely opaque black beer, with slight tinges of red at the edges. The aroma is I have to admit, a little odd. The lager sulfurs and grainy pilsner malt smells are there, typical of a lager, but there's something else as well. Light elements of coffee and roast, but very faint. It may simply be the result of mixing this particular yeast with roasted malts, but the aroma isn't entirely pleasing. Mouthfeel is medium light, finishing dry, with a fairly high level of carbonation that prickles on the tongue. Coffee and chocolate are overwhelming on the first sip, like a nice robust porter or a very dark dry stout. The pilsner malts add a slight bit of bready, biscuit-like sweetness that counteracts the roast beautifully. At no time is this beer acrid or burnt tasting.

Overall this is a mighty nice beer. It fulfills my desperate need for a drinkable, full flavored, chocolaty-coffee-stout-like beer that is as refreshing as it is dark. Winter often brings around sweet, overly spiced and generally heavy beers that fill you up and make you put on those insulating winter pounds. This beer has the elements of a drinkable lager, with enough flavor to make you settle down in an overstuffed chair by the fire. I will be picking up a six pack of this as soon as possible.

Captain Lawrence Brewing Co., Captain's Reserve Imperial IPA

2009-11-12T19:10:00.000-05:00

Grade: A
Captain Lawrence Brewing Co.

This beer is extremely brilliant, with a white head that doesn't froth much, but stays put. The color is light straw with tinges of gold. Incredible aromas of dark, delicious, and herbal hops greet you as you swirl the glass. Pine, citrus, grapefruit, peppery spice, and dark leafy herbs make up the nose, followed by a muted but present toast and biscuit from the malts. There is absolutely no question, however, that this beer is made to be a hop delivery vehicle.

The mouthfeel is medium, bordering on slightly thick. The carbonation is present and needed, cutting into that full-bodied feeling with a little acidity. Hops again in the flavor, the pine and grapefruit are certainly the main players. A resinous, bitter sap impression is there as well. Make no mistake that this beer is bitter, but the fuller body seems to carry it well. The sparkle from the carbonation seems to scrub your tongue after a sip, so the bitterness doesn't stick in your mouth. I have to say that the carbonation is playing a key role here, allowing the hops to truly pop. While hop flavor abounds, there isn't the vegetal or plant-like qualities that some fresh hop beers, or even other double IPAs have. While the malts are subdued, they can't be ignored. They do much more than lend body and alcohol to this beer, the bread, caramel, and toast I'm getting marry perfectly with the hops.

Captain Lawrence Brewing Co. (a newcomer to the Connecticut area) is a well known, respected, and sought after brewery nationwide. I now see why. And I now realize what a very good decision it was to break into this market with a double IPA of this caliber. I can't wait to try the rest of this brewery's offerings, and you can bet you'll see them here when I do.

Avery Brewing Co., Dugana

2009-11-05T19:18:00.000-05:00

Grade: A-
Avery Brewing Co.

A very light tan head tops a dark golden, slightly amber beer so clear you can read a newspaper through it. The aroma is a smack in the face of hops. Pine, gooey resin, spice, some earth, grapefruit and lime are the main players in the nose. Some biscuit and caramel are in the background, but the hops are dominating. Mouthfeel is medium to medium heavy, coating the tongue and leaving only a little tingle from carbonation. There is assertive bitterness here, almost tannic with some roasty qualities, possibly from some darker malts. The hops lend an almost vegetable-like element to the flavor, which can be summed up simply as "dank." Malts are present, simple in flavor profile and dry.

The hop flavors echo many of the notes from the aroma, with pine, grapefruit, and spice being forefront. The bitterness is sharp and aggressive, but surprisingly balanced. It lingers on the tongue, but instead of a harsh, acidic and burning sensation there is flavor. The pine and resin carry through to the finish, leaving you with something to actually taste. The grapefruit is there too, which is surprising. I'm actually enjoying the flavors from the bittering hops here, throughout the beer, from the aroma to the finish.

While this beer is certainly on the double side of IPA, with alcohol and unbalanced hops aplenty, I've had worse. When looking for double IPAs it's nice to find something that delivers that dose of hop lupulin I need in a slightly new and different way. The masterful way the bittering was handled here is certainly the star of the beer. To manage a beer that is decidedly bitter, but not unpleasantly so, is challenging to say the least. I'd be curious to see what this tastes like in a year or two. Due to the sheer volume of hops (with their preservative properties) I'd wager that it doesn't change much at all. To the cynics who would say this is simply a hopped up version of Avery's standard double IPA Maharaja, I would simply ask them to put the two beers side by side and decide themselves. To me a brewery that can make two distinct, flavorful, and well thought out double IPAs deserves some props.

Italian Sausage With Cider Braised Leeks and Apples

2009-11-03T18:21:00.000-05:00

Leeks and apples braised in hard cider lend a great sweetness to counter the sharpness of the cheddar. Use a high quality pork sausage and a very sharp cheddar.

Serves 6

Ingredients

2 tablespoons butter
2 cups thinly sliced leeks
1 apple, diced
1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds
Pinch of ground allspice
Kosher salt
1 1/2 cups hard apple cider
6 grilled hot dog buns
Dijon mustard
6 grilled Italian sausage
2 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, grated

Melt butter in large skillet over medium heat. Add leeks and apple. Cover and cook until tender, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Mix in caraway and allspice, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Add hard cider and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer uncovered, until most of liquid is cooked away, about 15 minutes.

Spread dijon mustard on the toasted buns, top with the grilled sausage and sprinkle cheese over all. Top each sausage with the leek mixture.

Bacon Swiss Burgers with Tomato and Avocado

2009-10-27T19:24:00.000-04:00

The burger and food sections of this blog have been sorely lacking, I'll now do my best to rectify that.

Makes 4 burgers

Ingredients:

8 slices bacon
1 pound ground beef chuck or sirloin
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 or 2 dashes Tabasco sauce
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
4 slices Swiss cheese
4 hamburger buns, toasted
Thinly sliced ripe tomato
Thinly sliced red onion
Sliced ripe avocado
Lettuce leaves

Cooking Directions

1. If grilling the burgers, preheat a barbecue grill to medium-high.

2. While the grill is heating up, cook the bacon on the stovetop in a large skillet over medium-low heat until it is just crisp, 6 to 7 minutes. Transfer the bacon to a plate lined with paper towels and set it aside to drain. (If you prefer to panfry the burgers, reserve 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat in the skillet.)

3. Place the beef, Worcestershire, Tabasco, thyme, and salt and pepper in a bowl, and toss lightly with a fork to combine. Form the mixture into 4 patties, each about 3 inches in diameter and 1 inch thick.

4. When you are ready to grill the burgers, oil the grill grate well. Add the burgers and grill for about 3 minutes for rare, 4 minutes for medium-rare meat. Turn them over and grill for another 3 or 4 minutes, topping the burgers with the cheese in the last minute of cooking. (Or panfry the burgers in the hot bacon fat over medium heat for 3 minutes per side for rare meat, adding the cheese as described.)

5. Place the burgers on the toasted buns, and top them with the bacon, tomato, onion, avocado, and lettuce.

Recipe from Epicurious

Speakeasy Ales and Lagers, Prohibition Ale

2009-10-06T18:47:00.000-04:00

Grade: B+
Speakeasy Ales and Lagers

A tan head tops a dark golden/red ale that appears fairly hazy. The aroma is of caramel and sweet toffee, with backgrounds of raisins, figs, and toast. Mouthfeel is medium light, finishing semi-dry with a restrained carbonation. There is some sweetness in the flavor, but toast and bread come out more than the caramel and candy. In fact, I'm surprised with the restrained hand used in the flavor here. The aroma would have me bracing for a sweet, caramel/toffee bomb with a cloying aftertaste. The reality is there are much more dry, cereal-like elements here than sweet. Sweetness is present, but plays a nice counterpoint to the toast. There are very slight metallic off flavors, but nothing that stands out as an obvious flaw. Hops are used appropriately, giving a good bittering to the beer without overpowering the malt characters.

In general this is a good drinkin' beer, sweet enough to be a red ale and dry enough for me to order another pint. I remembered this brewery from the Beer Advocate American Craft Beer Festival. Despite my taste buds being assailed from all the extreme beers offered, I was able to appreciate how drinkable all the Speakeasy beers were.

Often we're enamored with the unusual, the weird, the experimental and loudly praise a brewery who is able to successfully execute those kinds of beers. All too often I think, we overlook the brewery that puts out a solid, consistent, and enjoyable beer time and again. I like variety, I wouldn't be writing this if I didn't. But there are times when I simply want to drink some good beers with my friends, and sadly the doubleimperialoakagedespressolager isn't conducive to sitting around and drinking all day. If I'm looking for a good solid beer with plenty of flavor, without all the bells and whistles, I'm going to reach for Speakeasy beers.

Green Flash Brewing Co, Le Freak

2009-10-05T18:27:00.000-04:00

Grade: B-
Green Flash Brewing Co.

Ok, the last Belgian IPA I tasted was so terrible I poured it out and cursed it's name. We'll see how Green Flash holds up, they haven't let me down yet...

The color is light straw with hints of gold, topped with a white head that is thin, but persistent. Aroma is aggressive and complex. Spice mixed with Belgian funk, some banana and peach come through most predominately. Some slight alcohol notes mingle with herbal, piney hop aromas. Mouthfeel is medium, coating the tongue yet letting the carbonation scrub away any lingering sweetness for a fairly dry finish. The flavor balances the peach and banana well with some very bready, biscuit-like malts. Belgian flavors are certainly here, but you aren't allowed to linger on them due to the heavy hop bitterness. Some citrus and grapefruit are somewhere in the middle to late palate, possibly from the American hops used. Neither the funk nor the hop flavor are overdone here, however the only element out of balance seems to be the bitterness. It's very present, almost overbearing, and doesn't allow you to sit and savor the sip. I find myself swallowing the beer before I'm done tasting it because the bitterness comes in and destroys the Belgian characteristics.

This is a difficult style to brew, mostly due to the fact that it was only created a few years ago. Belgian brewers liked the aggressive American IPAs, and wanted to create a fusion between their style and the American. The result was a beer with perfect Belgian elements, but completely unbalanced hop elements. Likewise Americans tried to emulate the Belgians, adding their own knowledge of hops to the Belgian yeast strains of their brothers across the pond. The result was an appropriately hopped beer, but one with competing and often terrible yeast esters. The common problem seems to be that Belgians can't work with American hops, and Americans can't work with Belgian yeasts.

There are countless other examples of this style, both from Americans and Belgians that are completely undrinkable. This beer, while it has issues, is not unpalatable. Beer fans who have been following this innovation in style have a unique opportunity. They are able to taste an evolution in beer making at every stage, starting with the terrible first attempts, and working their way up to (hopefully) a perfectly balanced new style of beer. Le Freak is another step forward in this evolution, yet it hasn't come into it's own yet. If we were to associate the progression of this style of beer to humanity, I would say that Le Freak is a fully functional Cro-Magnon. It's starting to mess around with fire, building tools, and turning grunts into language, but it's not what we would call "human" yet. It's getting there.

Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., Harvest Wet Hop Ale

2009-10-04T16:00:00.000-04:00

Grade: B-
Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.

An offwhite head tops a crystal clear golden/copper ale. Fresh cut grass, herbs, citrus, and earth mingle in the aroma. Slightly vegetal, sulfuric offnotes in the nose. Mouthfeel is medium light, slipping past the tongue quickly and leaving only a slight bitterness on the back of the palate. The flavor echoes those herbal, vegetal characters from the aroma. The bitterness is present, playing a strong role in the progression of this beer from beginning to end. Some citrus, lemon, and lime elements come through from the hops. I can't shake that grassy, vegetal feeling however, and I know it comes from using fresh picked whole hops. The malts are here, but as in most Sierra Nevada beers, take a definitive backseat to the driving force of the hops.

Wet hop beers are made with fresh hops that aren't dried, but are added to the brew kettle almost immediately after being harvested. These types of beers are obviously only produced once a year when the harvest comes around. The hops themselves are still 70% to 80% water at that point, which means that significantly more 'wet' hops are needed to impart hoppy flavor to a beer versus dried hops. Hops are essentially leaves, and they carry with them the resinous and grasslike flavors that fresh cut plants have. If you use a lot of them in a brew, they will not only give you that bitterness you're looking for, but a lot of vegetal flavors as well.

It seems that most wet hop beers, while rare and sought after, all have that same offputting plant-like quality. Personally I find that beers made with dry hops offer the brewer much more control and much more consistency. After all, we want to taste the hops as they exist in the beer, not as they existed on the vine. No one eats wine grapes from the vineyard. Instead they're harvested and changed in the winemaking process to yield flavors that hearken to the grape as it was on the vine, yet is a unique flavor that only exists in the glass. I feel the same way about hops; only when they are dried and concentrated to their purest essence do they truly show their uniqueness.

Lagunitas Brewing Co., Little Sumpin' Extra

2009-10-01T18:49:00.000-04:00

Grade: B
Lagunitas Brewing Co.

My apologies for not updating, a combination of laziness and events beyond my control have kept me away. I'm currently typing this on my desktop computer, as the laptop I typed my Stone 09.09.09 review on decided it had enough of life. Someday I will extract that review from it's decaying corpse, but for now, I'm chained to the desk. We soldier on.

A slightly aggressive pour produces a slightly offwhite head that isn't hanging around long. The color is a very light golden straw, with brilliant clarity. The aroma gives me citrus and fruit, along with grapefruit and pineapple. There is a slight soapy, detergent-like character to the nose which is a little offputting (and no, it's not the glass. I poured another sample into a glass I know is clean and got the same thing.). Some pine, resin, and herbal spice are coming through as well. Obviously this is a liberally hopped beer, much in the style of Lagunitas.

Mouthfeel is medium to medium light, with a slight coating of the tongue which is dissolved by the bubbles of the carbonation at the end. The flavor is hops to be sure, the resin and grapefruit coming through loud and clear. Obviously hops are the star of this show, and there are a lot of different players on stage. The grapefruit and pineapple are one variety. The citrus and lemon are another. Finally backing them all up are the piney, grassy, herbal ones. While they all can be found in this beer without too much looking, I'm not sure they blend particularly well. It's a bit too loud on this stage, it's like each hop variety is trying to play a solo at the same time.

The malt character here is notably subdued, with only a faint toast and slight caramel sweetness to it. This is a hop showcase to be sure, I'm just not convinced the malts form a sound enough foundation for them. The bitterness in general is quite sharp, aided by the relative dryness. Water may be playing a role in the harsh bitterness as well. Harder water yields a more sharp and in your face 'pop' to the hops, which in many styles is appropriate. Softer water mutes them a bit, allowing more malt presence to come forward.

As a limited release, I have to say that Little Sumpin' Extra is not a terrible beer. A bumped up, "imperialized" version of their Little Sumpin' Sumpin' (a seasonal released this past summer), Little Sumpin' Extra delivers the high alcohol punch the label promises. However, the sharp bitterness and the cacophony of hop profiles are a little too offputting. An interesting beer, but one I'm glad isn't going to be around long.

Hofbrau Munchen, Oktoberfest

2009-09-06T20:36:00.000-04:00

Grade: C
Hofbrau Munchen

Pours completely clear with a white foamy head and a extremely pale, yellow color. I'm really surprised to see how lightly colored this is, without looking closely it could be mistaken for a Bud Light in a glass. Aroma is immediately of sulfur and grain. Some slight toast is in there as well, but mostly it smells like most German lagers that have been sitting in a green bottle: skunky. Mouthfeel is medium light to light, with a lively carbonation on the tongue and a dry finish. The flavor mirrors the aroma; sulfur from the lager yeast and some slight toast and biscuit from the malts. There aren't any real sweet elements to this beer at all. It's quite dry, and has very little to no hop presence. The high level of carbonation lends a slightly acidic and astringent element to the toast and roast from some of the malts. I'm getting some esters from the yeast as it warms, and despite being very dry I can say with certainty there is no corn/sugar/anything else in this beer. This is a German pilsner malt beer all the way, it's just that the pilsner malt has been attenuated so much, there isn't much residual flavor left.

Well, I think that's going to conclude my Oktoberfest tasting flight. Overall, this beer is what many Germans have come to think of when they hear Oktoberfest, a light colored lager that drinks easy and in mass quantity. To call this an Oktoberfest is almost insulting. A German lager it certainly is, to call it a good German lager is even still appropriate. However, to say that this “Oktoberfest” beer is any different than the lagers already mass produced in Germany is just plain wrong. Except maybe for a microscopic malt adjustment, it's the same lager repackaged and sold as a seasonal beer.

It's sad to see that the style of the Marzen, once synonymous with Oktoberfest, has become a subcategory in the German beer scene. Now Marzen is something special, something that the connoisseurs drink, but not the majority of the population. Thankfully the American craft beer movement has saved this style of beer from obscurity, and strives to restore it to it's former glory. While the Americans haven't quite nailed down the style, it at least should serve as a sign to the German brewers that there is still a demand for malty, dry, flavorful lagers and that they should stop following in the footsteps of Budweiser and Becks. Make good beer, and they will come.

Clipper City Brewing Co., Marzhon

2009-09-02T18:52:00.000-04:00

Grade: B-

Clipper City Brewing Co.

Pours with a white head that doesn't stick around long, and a light gold/straw color with orange hues. Not many sulfurs in the aroma, definite honey and general floral notes. Sweetness is in the nose, but toast and biscuit come through assertively as well. Some slight caramel and toffee in there as well, but not much. Mouthfeel is medium to medium-light, and doesn't dry out too much at the back of the palate. Flavors are immediately of toast, cereal, grains, and bread. The honey-like sweetness carries through to the flavor, and plays a welcome supporting role to the grainy malts. It's a clean beer, no esters from the lager yeast, only a very slight fruit note. There are certainly hops in this beer, trending to the more spicy, herbal noble hops like Hallertaur or Saaz. Dark sugars and molasses linger somewhere in the background, but are certainly not a main element of this beer. Some of the toasty, grainy malts lend some astringency to the back of the palate after a few sips. Brown sugar seems to linger after half a pint.

I'm not sure what parts of this beer are intended to be a Marzen style lager and what aren't. While Clipper City is making no bones about being an Oktoberfest "style" lager, they style they seemed to follow more closely is that of a grainy pilsner. While there is some sweetness in this beer, it doesn't seem to follow the same dark caramel and rich malt flavor that other Oktoberfest beers have. While not entirely a bad beer, I do think it suffers from a bit of an identity crisis. It tastes good, but it's not something I'm going to buy a six pack of.

Clipper City is a brewery that seems to have things backwards. Their Heavy Seas portfolio of bigger, higher in alcohol beers are more well known than their normal, production line of pale ale, pre-prohibition lager, and golden ale. In fact, their main line of beers are only to be found in Maryland, Washington DC, and Virginia, while their Heavy Seas line covers most of the east coast. Their newest addition, the Marzhon, may find a niche market close to the brewery. But for the rest of the country, I hope they keep putting out Heavy Seas.

Ayinger, Oktoberfest-marzen

2009-09-01T18:42:00.000-04:00

Grade: B
Ayinger

Pours golden straw, with tinges of copper and a only slightly offwhite head. Lager sulfurs are present, but not overpowering at all. Sweet caramel, raisin, figs, molasses, and plum play in the aroma. It's a wonderful smell, the fruit and the sweet notes mix and mingle so well. It's malt forward to be sure. Mouthfeel is medium, with only a slight drying out at the back of the palate. The flavor has many burnt sugar and molasses elements, playing up some of the roast from the malts. The caramel is less sweet than American Oktoberfests, as if it were a darker, more bitter caramel. I'm getting much more yeast esters in this beer than the American ones. The plums, figs, and some of the raisin may be attributed to their proprietary lager yeast in conjunction to the German malts used.

Do I like this beer more than the American versions? Not exactly. Do I think it's a better example of the style? Absolutely. When making German-style beers, leave it to the Germans. But just because something is authentic doesn't mean it's good. The burnt sugars and the slight astringency it lends doesn't tickle my fancy that much. It's a good beer, however I wouldn't always reach for it. Is it a better Oktoberfest than the American versions? You bet.

By the way, the art on the cap of this beer is awesome.

Blue Point Brewing Co., Oktoberfest

2009-08-31T19:39:00.000-04:00

Grade: B
Blue Point Brewing Co.

Pours a light golden amber, very clear with an offwhite head that dissipates quickly. Malty sweetness with some of that lager sulfur are in the aroma, with some slight toast and bread following late. Mouthfeel is medium to light, with a much more aggressive carbonation profile than other Oktoberfest beers I've had. It lays a prickling tingle down on your tongue as you sip. The flavor is nicely sweet, with the caramels and the toffee you'd expect. The malt sweetness here isn't overpowering at all, between the lighter body and the acidic influence of the carbonation, it balances well. The flavor has that bread and toast you'd want from pilsner malts, but there's some kind of darker malt as well, lending a background element of roast that is just barely perceivable. There is bittering here as well, and some spice elements from hops are coming through.

While still not my ideal example of a Marzen Oktoberfest, Blue Point comes much closer to hitting the mark than the first two. Balancing the sweet flavors of caramel and sugar with the solid bittering and dry finish make this beer quite drinkable, and doesn't leave a question as to what kind of beer you've got in your hand. If I was handed a pint of this without seeing the label, I would be able to say this is an Oktoberfest style. Is it all that it could be? Maybe not. But so far, Blue Point takes the top place in this Oktoberfest tasting flight.

Samuel Adams, Oktoberfest

2009-08-27T18:48:00.000-04:00

Grade: B-
Boston Beer Company

Pours quite clear with an offwhite head and an amber/rusty color. Lager sulfurs are in the aroma, as well as sweet caramels, a little brown sugar, and some raisin. Some toast comes after you warm the glass a bit. Mouthfeel is medium light to light, finishing dryer than it starts. The lager elements of sulfur and clean yeast character are present in the flavor. Some toasty, bready notes follow the caramel and the toffee. Sweetness isn't present here, however. This beer feels quite dry from beginning to end. There aren't many fruity esters to speak of, but if you had to twist my arm I'd say there was a faint background of plums and dates.

I think that there are two examples of Oktoberfest beers, as the Germans make them. They have a clean, light colored lager that gets poured by the liter, and resembles many of the larger German brewery's products (Becks, Heineken, etc.). They also have something called a Marzen, which is darker and more malt forward, yet is still a lager like it's lighter colored cousin. Traditionally, this darker version was what was served as the Oktoberfest beer, but with the expansion of mega-breweries the beer got lighter and lighter over time, and was praised more for it's ability to be consumed in mass quantities rather than for it's taste.

I think I'm noticing a bit of a trend with these larger American craft brewers. They seem to think that all lagers must be squeaky clean and go down smooth, like the lager now being served as an Oktoberfest in Germany. I find that Boston Beer Company's Oktoberfest falls into the category of this lighter, more macro-centric beer. Unoffensive, yet also uninspiring.

Harpoon Brewing Co., Octoberfest

2009-08-26T18:30:00.000-04:00

Grade: C
Harpoon Brewing Co.

Alright, in honor of the upcoming Octoberfest season (which, by the way, starts in the middle of September. Those Germans know how to party!) I've decided to try a selection of American made Octoberfest style beers, to see how the home teams stack up. This will be the first of many. Remember, I do this for all of you...

Pours a deep, rich amber with a tan head that dissipates after a minute or two. The clarity is what I would call brilliant, absolutely crystal clear with bubbles running up the sides of the glass. Rich notes of caramel in the aroma. Slightly grainy, toasty elements as well. Some of the sulfur you might expect from a lager is there. Raisin and brown sugar rounds out nose. Mouthfeel is light, passing over the palate with ease. There is a dry finish, and not too much sweetness in general. Roast and husky grain flavors come out when you first sip, followed by only a little of the caramel I sensed in the aroma. Overall I'm having trouble discerning individual elements of flavor, as there doesn't seem to be many to discern. The raisin is only just barely there, followed by a very faint note of dates. The malt profile is clean, absurdly so. It almost feels like this beer has been stripped of it's flavor through the filtering process, which may well have been exactly what happened.

Harpoon is one of those breweries that makes good drinking beer, but doesn't seem to push the envelope with flavor. They play it very safe, dancing around a bland flavor profile that doesn't offend. It makes sense that they would want to cater to the general population, not everyone is going to order an oak aged imperial espresso stout after all. However to call this beer an Oktoberfest seems to do the style an injustice. While Oktoberfest is a fairly simple beer ingredient wise, those few ingredients handled well result in massively flavorful and robust beers. While in the spirit of the style, I don't think this beer can measure up. Non craft-beer drinkers will find this a pleasant, yet familiar deviation from the mega-lagers of America. Just don't offer this beer to a German, or you'll get your face punched in.

Avery Brewing Co., Maharaja Imperial IPA

2009-08-23T13:04:00.000-04:00

Grade: B
Avery Brewing Co.

Alright, I've been on a bit of a double IPA kick, sue me.

Pours with a decent, khaki colored head that foams up and stays put. Appearance is cloudy, orange and gold. Aroma is of aggressive hops and malt. Pine, spice, a hint of citrus, earth, toffee sweetness, toast, and bread. Mouthfeel is full and rich, coating the palate and punctuated only a little by the carbonation. There is fruit is the flavor, peaches, apricots, and other stone fruit. The hops carry this fruity sweetness, balancing it with some good resinous flavor and a present but not too firm bittering. The malts are there with their slightly alcoholic and sweet presence. In the finish the body stays with you, almost too much. The hops do their best to bitter at the back of the palate, to balance that malt sweetness, but it's not really enough. Hops aren't coming across quite as aggressively as I've had in other IPAs. While I appreciate the need for balance, I want to get smacked in the face with my hops in a double IPA. The alcohol, while present here isn't overpowering at all. In fact you only notice the 10.69% ABV from the warming sensation as you drink.

In the world of double IPAs, there isn't a lot of variation, at least when it comes to recipes. Put a ton of malt in, a ton of hops, and you're 90% there. The rest is where individual brewers put their stamp of originality on the beer. Avery has achieved an interesting result with the Maharaja, in that the sweetness comes across as a fruity ester. Most double IPAs will go the burnt caramel, molasses/brown sugar, raisin route. While this works for many of these beers, it can get kind of boring. Bright, fruity esters don't normally make their way into big IPAs like this, and that's something I find attractive about this beer. Overall it's a pleasant beer to sip, it does have an original element, but in the end I'm not getting the full hop experience. If your palate is up to it, include Avery Maharaja in a flight of double IPAs to share with your friends. Just don't order more than one pint of it at the bar, you'll end up being carried home.

Dogfish Head, 90 Minute IPA vs. Squall IPA

2009-08-10T19:20:00.000-04:00

Going on a bit of a Dogfish Head marathon here, but the Squall IPA just became available here, so I figured now was a good time.

Supposedly, the Squall IPA is an unfiltered, bottle conditioned version of their 90 Minute IPA. So I figured, why not compare the two? Are these two different beers, or is this simply a marketing ploy? Let's find out.

90 Minute IPA

Grade: B

Pours a crystal clear golden brown, almost the color of whiskey. An offwhite head tops this beer, but dissipates into a slightly foamy coating. There are piney, resinous hop notes in the aroma, with definitive malt characters as well. Caramel sweetness and some slight toast from the malts are prevalent, as well as some alcohol character. Mouthfeel is full, with only very slight carbonation tingle and a semi-dry finish. Hops are forward and carry the piney flavors with them from the aroma. Malt kicks in afterward, with Dogfish Head's signature caramel sweetness. Molasses and raisin come in as well, telling me that perhaps this bottle has been sitting for a while. Biscut and roast come to the back of the palate, and a lingering strong bitterness dominates the aftertaste.

Squall IPA

Grade: B+

Pours with a thick, offwhite head that lingers for a long time. Appearance is astoundingly clear, much more clear than I would be looking for in an unfiltered IPA. The color is slightly darker than the 90 Minute. The hops dominate in the aroma, fresh and grassy, with citrus and pine coming through strongly. There are some malt characteristics in the aroma as well, but not nearly as dominating as the 90. Mouthfeel is full, coating the palate and finishing only slightly dryer than it started. The malt sweetness comes through here, however the caramel is given a lighter hand, as well as the roast and biscut. It seem that the sweetness hallmark of Dogfish is unavoidable, however. The molasses and the raisin character I was seeing in the 90 minute isn't here however, and the hop bitterness overall is sudued.

Overall impression? Generally I find the 90 Minute too sweet for my tastes, despite the great hop profile. The new Squall IPA, while just as sweet, has a softer feel to it, with a more balanced character. The bottle conditioning lends a new and interesting dimension to the 90 minute, which I have to say I like better than the original. If I had to choose between the two, I'd go with the Squall.