Goodbye to Summer - Sealed With a Beer

OH, CANADA!

Once upon a time many of us who reside in the border states (that is the US/Canadian border) viewed Canada as a kind of Mecca of good beer. I attended college a short drive from the border and periodically my compatriots and I would jump into whichever car had gas enough to get there and back again and head for the Great White North (a term used to refer to the amount of snow up there, not the fact that the country is predominantly Caucasian; though, paradoxically, we here in Central New York generally get much more snow - residing as we do on the receiving end of Lake Ontario - than much of Southern Canada, so to them we should be referred to as the Great White South. Okay, come to think of it, that's not such a good idea). Anyway, once there, we would load up on cases of Brador, John Labatt's Export Ale, Moosehead Beer, Molson Export Ale as well as others. Were they better than the crop of mass produced beers we were stuck with in the States? Well, Brador was a bigger beer than most in the States, weighing in at a whopping 6% ABV. Most were actually ales as opposed to the same-old-same-old lagers we were getting south of the border. And to add insult to injury, American brewers foisted the dreaded light or lite beer on the world. It was as if someone said, "Let's see if we can we make American beers even more tasteless than they already are."

Then came the Great Craft Beer Revolution in the US. Suddenly American beers had flavor, aroma, color, panache. And soon those Canadian beers just could not measure up. But Canada, like much of the rest of the civilized world, is catching on to the craft beer craze. on a recent trip to Quebec City I was pleased to find a number of delicious craft beers that never make it to the States. We see plenty of Molson Canadian and Labatt's Blue. Not so much so with beers such as Red Racer from Central City Brewing or Nutcracker Porter from Black Oak Brewery.  The Canadian craft beer industry seems to be growing quickly and, at least in the urban areas, is catching on. We visited a number of brew pubs while in Quebec City and they seem to be thriving. The selection of beer styles is wide and varied so that whatever you crave, be it Sours, Stouts, Wheats, IPAs, German, Belgian, British, or American, you can find it. Happily for me, IPAs and Pale Ales were numerous, often unique and tasty.

   

SEALED WITH A BEER

Though we've got to say good-bye to the summer, here's our take on a few seasonal brews that will no doubt return next year.

LONG TRAIL SUMMER ALE

LONG TRAIL BREWING

THE BEER FACTS: STYLE: Summer Ale; BREWER: Long Trail Brewing Co., Bridgewater Corners, VT; ABV: 4.3%; IBUs: 32; MALT: Pilsner; HOPS: Citra

WHAT THE BREWER SAYS: "An unfiltered golden ale made to chill out summer's hottest days. Remarkabley light on the palate, with a soft Polsner malt character and a distinct citrus hop character... Each sip finishes with a refreshing bitterness that invites another. At 4.3% ABV, this golden beauty is a truly quaffable drinking experience."

COLOR: lemon-yellow straw, unfiltered

POUR: Decent head, white

AROMA: Soapy, lemon (Pledge?)

BODY: Toward the light side

TASTE: Lemon/citrus with Pilsner malt base

OVERALL IMPRESSION: Between "I Could Drink This" and "Can't Get Enough!"

COMMENTS: "A little hoppier and more bitter than I would have expected from a summer ale; Lemon notes for sure; Quenches your thirst; Nice hot weather beer; Good golf cart/lawn-mower beer; Definitely more flavor than I've seen in most summer ales; Very drinkable beer, for sure."

BROOKLYN SUMMER ALE

BROOKLYN BREWING

THE BEER FACTS: STYLE: English Pale Ale; BREWER: Brooklyn Brewery, Brooklyn, NY: ABV: 5.0%; MALTS: British Pale, German Pilsner; HOPS:Ahtanum, Willamette, Cascade, Amarillo

WHAT THE BREWER SAYS: "Brooklyn Summer Ale is a refreshing, flaorful pale ale made to accompany you on all your warm weather adventures. 100% British 2-row barley brings its famed bready flavors, capped off with German and American hops to provide a snappy, clean bitterness and a bright aroma. It's a sunny pale ale, Brooklyn style."

COLOR: Pale yellow

POUR: Decent head

AROMA: Grassy

BODY: Light

TASTE: Not a lot! Slight hint of citrus hop at the end, maybe. Some pale malt to it. But very thin and watery.

OVERALL IMPRESSION: Leave it on the Shelf.

COMMENTS: "Thin body and thin taste; Not much hop presence - not much flavor, period; Tastes like a mega-brew beer to me; Could have been brewed by Bud; Disappointing, I like some of their other beers a lot."

SAM ADAMS SUMMER ALE

SAMUEL ADAMS BREWING

THE BEER FACTS: STYLE: American Pale Wheat Ale; BREWER: Samuel Adams Brewing, Boston, Mass., ABV: 5.3%; IBU: 7; MALT: Samuel Adams two-row pale malt blend, malted wheat; HOPS: Hallertau Mittelfrueh, Saaz Noble.

WHAT THE BREWER SAYS: "Same delicious beer, brand new look. Summer Ale returns for its 21st year with limited edition packaging that’s as exciting as a summertime adventure. From the blazing yellow of the afternoon sun to the fiery orange of an evening sunset to the electric blue tint of a summer night, the colors of Summer Ale and its crisp, citrusy flavor, are your perfect companion anywhere, anytime."

COLOR: Straw

POUR: Decent white head

AROMA: Hay

BODY: Thin

TASTE: Cloves, banana and lemon

OVERALL IMPRESSION:  I Could Drink This

COMMENTS: "No finish, no real hop to it; Nothing offensive; At least it's not a sour; sip with a straw; Kind of a weak lemonade taste to it; It's kind of what I expect when I see the words 'Summer Ale' on a beer, so I guess if that's what they were aiming for, they hit the nail on the head; It's just a kind of a meh beer."

CITRA SEA

HARPOON BREWING

THE BEER FACTS: STYLE: Citra IPA; BREWER: Harpoon Brewery; ABV: 5.8%; IBUs; 45; HOPS: Citra

WHAT THE BREWER SAYS: "Citra hops provide a juicy citrus character in this grapefruit peel-infused IPA. The malt blend adds depth and a touch of sweetness and gives the beer its bronze hue and medium body. The finish is all citrus, all day. This IPA is easygoing and ripe with citrus flavor. Happy summer."

COLOR: Golden

POUR: Decent though short-lived head

AROMA: Grapefruit peel

BODY: Between light and medium

TASTE: Grapefruit and citurs with slight malt backing

OVERALL IMPRESSION: Between "I Could Drink This" and "Can't Get Enough!"

COMMENTS: "Would quench your thirst; Real nice beer; I liked it; I'd buy it; Has a nice IPA bite to it, but very light on its feet; The citrus taste does have a nice summer feel without being bland or tasting like some boring mega-brew."

PORCHDICK CITRA PALE ALE

COPPER CITY BREWING

THE BEER FACTS: STYLE: Pale Ale; BREWER: Copper City Brewing Co., Rome, NY; ABV: 5.9%; HOPS: Citra

WHAT THE BREWER SAYS: "A refreshingly ballsy pale ale! Lightly malted and dry hopped with Citra hops."

COLOR: Copper

POUR: Near Guinness-class head, big and long-lasting.

AROMA: Not a strong aroma, perhaps a bit metallic.

BODY: Medium

TASTE: Balanced with more malt presence than most of the others, bit of citrus. A little toffee and clove in there.

OVERALL IMPRESSION: Darn near "Can't Get Enough!"

COMMENTS: "More of an English style than American; Really nice taste; Nice flavor - nice finish; A small alcohol bite at the end; Real nice 'after-taste' to it; Fills the mouth; Some clove and toffee going on in there I think; Nice beer."

NU SKOOL IPA

SOUTHERN TIER

THE BEER FACTS: STYLE: India Pale Ale; BREWER: Southern Tier Brewing Co., Lakewood, NY; ABV: 6.0%; HOPS: IBUs: 55; HOPS: Combination of new American and experimental hops.

WHAT THE BREWER SAYS: "This beer shocases just how far we've come with alluring aromas and explosive flavors using only new American and experimental hops. There's no need to add anything else. It's time to graduate to the next level of hop flavors with Nu Skool IPA."

COLOR: Golden, pale

POUR: Big, white, nearly Guinness-class head,

AROMA: Citrus, grapefruit

BODY: Medium

TASTE: Piney up front with strong tropical fruit flavors laid over a sweet maltiness.

OVERALL IMPRESSION: Can't Get Enough!

COMMENTS: "Perfect IPA; Nice bitterness with malt sweetness; Nice crisp finish; I like this tropical fruit hoppiness; This is a 'summer' beer that I can really warm up to; Much superior to the light beer styles many brewers seem to default to for a summer ale."

GRINDSTONE SUMMER ALE

GRINDSTONE BREWING

THE BEER FACTS: STYLE: Summer IPA; BREWER: Grindstone Brewing, Pulaski, NY; ABV: 6.3%; MALT: 2 Row and 6 Row brewers' malt; HOPS: Citra, Mosaic

WHAT THE BREWER SAYS: "It's this summer's brew. Enjoy it while it lasts!"

COLOR: Unfiltered Straw

POUR: Better than Decent Head

AROMA: Grassy

BODY: Between Medium and Full

TASTE: Hints of grapefruit and citrus with a solid malt that gives it a bit more body than most Summer Ales. Bit of breadiness and pine.

OVERALL IMPRESSION: Can't Get Enough!

COMMENTS: "Fills the mouth; More complex than a lot of the summer ales, bigger bodied; Can't brew it fast enough? Why is he such a slacker?; Terrific beer!; Very tasty, nice change-up from some of the lighter ales of summer."

GHOST HAMMER SEASONAL ALE

STONE BREWING

THE BEER FACTS:STYLE: STYLE: India Pale Ale: BREWER: Stone Brewing Co., San Diego, CA; ABV: 6.7%; IBUs: 56; HOPS: Loral
WHAT THE BREWER SAYS: "A fermenting beer never slumbers. Consequently, there is always scattered activity tending ou precious beers throughout the dark hours. In these late nights and wee hours that hallowed responsibility falls to the shoulders of the overnight Brew Crew...This IPA, liberally hopped with Loral (TM), honors our intrepid overnight team by naming it after their mischievous poltergeist companion - the Ghost Hammer."

COLOR: Unfiltered clover honey

POUR: Better than Decent Head

AROMA: A bit dank, grassy

BODY: A bit more than Medium

TASTE: Citrus, floral, tropical fruit, touch of lemon, bit of toffee

OVERALL IMPRESSION: Can't Get Enough!

COMMENTS: "Nice finish; Stone always knows what they're doing; Another nicely balanced seasonal beer that shouldn't be seasonal - would buy it year round; I really like this; Very few Stone beers I haven't liked - even their Pilsner is okay."

QUICK SHOUT OUT

We started the session off with a real nice "palate cleanser" - Roll Away IPA from Lost Nation Brewery out of Morrisville, VT. It was not a summer ale so we didn't include it in our reviews. But it was an awesome beer and a great way to start off the festivities.

WHO WEATHERED OUR SUMMER ALE CRITIQUE?

We ended with a rare three-way tie for first place. Our favorite three were:

Grindstone Summer Ale - a bit more body, somewhat maltier than your typical summer ale.

Stone's Ghost Hammer IPA - another well-balanced brew with a bit more complexity than one would typically see in a summer ale. Big, bold IPA with a lot of flavor.

Southern Tier's Nu Skool IPA - we felt this was what a summer ale should be like: bright, full-flavored with a big tropical fruit punch to it.

2. Copper City's Porchdick Pale Ale - we really liked this beer which had a decidedly British vibe to it - delicious beer.

3. Harpoon's Citra Sea - a definite summery feel to this one without being bland or tasting like a run-of-the-mill mega-brew lager. Very easy drinking with refreshing citus zing.

4. Long Trail Summer Ale - another good summery ale - light without being flavorless.

5. Sam Adams Summer Ale - an inoffensive, okay beer but not one any of us would actively seek out.

6. Brooklyn Summer Ale - we found very disappointing. Very little flavor, reminding us more of a mega-brew blah beer than a craft beer. Wouldn't buy it, period.

Up next: Buy local!

Sláinte,

The BOTB Guys

Vermont Comes to Central New York

A TASTE OF VERMONT

I happened upon an online article from USA Today. It was one of those "top 10" type articles and they listed their top 10 states for craft beer. It includes the states you would expect - California, Washington State, Oregon - but missing from the list is one I expected to see: Vermont. Vermont was one of the early adapters to craft beer. You could get good beer in Vermont while some of those   other states were still stuck in the Mega-brew malaise that had overtaken the country. Then I realized the list was based on the number of craft breweries in each state, from #1 California's 268 to #10 Illinois' 54 (New York came in a respectable #8, by the way, with 72 and growing). Vermont has, according to the Vermont Brewer's Association, 38 craft breweries. But look at the size of Vermont compared to the size of, say, California or Oregon.

Being our neighbor to the East (and having a BOTB member whose two sons reside in that state and regularly supply us with Vermont brews) we have become quite familiar with Vermont's wealth of good beer. I began to tick off the Vermont breweries whose wares we have had the opportunity to sample: The Alchemist, Burlington, Crop Bistro, Fiddlehead, Harpoon, Hill Farmstead, Long Trail, Magic Hat, Northshire, Otter Creek, Lawson, Norwich Inn, Switchback, Rock Art, Wolaver's, Zero Gravity. So I dug a little deeper and found that as of 2011 Vermont had the greatest number of breweries per capita of any state in the Union. That was more like it! To paraphrase Huck Finn, you can't swing a dead cat in Vermont without hitting a brewery.

This month the BOTB guys had the opportunity to sample Vermont beers from Long Trail, Otter Creek, The Shed and Wolaver's. Some strayed from our hop-centric wheelhouse, meaning they aren't our mug of beer, but they might be yours. As usual, we give you an objective look at five aspects of the beer (Color, Pour, Aroma, Body, and Taste). We then give our Overall Impression which ranges from "Leave it on the shelf" (not one we'd buy) to "I Could Drink That" (a good, solid brew) to "Can't Get Enough" (Excellent beer we would actively seek out). Our last section is our Comments where we fire off-the-cuff and sometimes off-topic and occasionally off-color opinions in a sort of stream of consciousness (perhaps approaching unconsciousness) free-for-all.

And remember, our opinions are filtered through the taste buds of Guys who love hoppy beers.

Here's what we found:

WILDFLOWER WHEAT

WOLAVER'S FINE ORGANIC ALES

The Beer Facts: BREWER: Wolaver's, Middlebury, VT; STYLE: Pale Wheat Ale; ABV: 4.25%; IBUs: 15; HOPS: NA; MALT: NA; SPECIAL INGREDIENTS: Honey and Chamomile flowers 

What the Brewer Says: "Wildflower Wheat is a delicious, unfiltered wheat ale brewed with organic chamomile flowers and a hint of pure, organic honey."

Color: Golden

Pour: Slight head with some lacing

Aroma: Not a strong aroma, slight floral and a bit of wheat

Body: Light

Taste: Zesty. Slightly sweet, with a bit of lemon and honey.

Overall Impression: Alas, we would Leave it on the Shelf.

Comments: "Light tasting; Can taste the honey in it; A nice picnic beer; Would rather drink this than a Shandy; Crisp finish; The honey gives it an interesting taste that kind of separates it; Not really a wheat fan, and 15 IBUs is a bit light weight for my taste; A summery, easy to drink kind of beer should be served cold on a hot day."

SUMMER ALE 

LONG TRAIL BREWING CO.

The Beer Facts: BREWER: Long Trail Brewing Co., Bridgewater Corners, VT; STYLE: Session Ale; ABV: 4.3%; IBUs: 32; MALTS: Pilsner; HOPS: Citra

What the Brewer Says: "An unfiltered golden ale made to chill out summer's hottest days. Remarkably light on the palate, with a soft Pilsner malt character and a distinct citrus hop aroma deriving from dry-hopped additions of Citra hops. Each sip finishes with a refreshing bitterness that invites another. At 4.3% ABV, this golden beauty is a truly quaffable drinking experience."

Color: Straw

Pour: Decent head with sustained lacing

Aroma: Floral

Body: Somewhat light

Taste: Citrus, with hints of lemon after a light malt opening

Overall Impression: I Could Drink This!

Comments: "Nice bitterness to it; One of the better summer ales I've ever had; A lot to be said for a session beer in the summer; In a lawn chair, ice cold...nice; Comes through at the right time; If you weren't yet into craft beer this would be a good 'gateway' beer; I would actually take this to a summer party; It's nice to see a summer ale with a little bite to it;  A good, easy-drinking beer, well done Long Trail."

OVER EASY

OTTER CREEK

The Beer Facts: BREWER: Otter Creek, Middlebury, VT; ABV: 4.6%; IBUs: 40; HOPS AND MALT: NA

What the Brewer Says: "A brand new addition to Otter Creek's year-round lineup... Look for it in six-packs and 12 packs."

Color: Straw

Pour: Somewhat better than Decent head

Aroma: Sweet grapefruit, citrus 

Body: A bit more than Light

Taste: Nice bitter hoppy edge, with strong grapefruit/citrus notes

Overall Impression: I Could Drink This!

Comments: "Bitter finish; Certainly nothing objectionable here; Tasty; Better than many of the session IPAs I've had; Nice kind of grapefruit/orange taste to it with a great IPA bitter bite; I'm a fan; It's a session so not complex, but really good sort of more-than-one-beer beer."

MOSTLY CLOUDY

 4.7LONG TRAIL

The Beer Facts: BREWER: Long Trail Brewing Co., Bridgewater Corners, VT; STYLE: Belgian Witbier; ABV:4.7%; IBUs: 12; MALT AND HOPS: NA 

What the Brewer Says: "A mostly cloudy body is capped with a light, fluffy head that reveals soft notes of  citrus and spices. Whether you prefer partly sunny or mostly cloudy, this brew will happily keep your glass half full." 

Color: Unfiltered gold

Pour: Big, Guinness class head

Aroma: Spicy, soap

Body: Light

Taste: A bit sweet and citrusy, hints of lemon

Overall Impression: Leave it on the shelf

Comments: "This is one of those tough ones, I don't really care for Belgian Witbiers, and this is solidly in that taste profile, so if you favor those, I suppose you'd like this. I'm not a fan; Champagne effervescence; Faint coriander taste; Has to be icy cold to drink; Watery mouthfeel; Typical of Belgian Witbiers."  

LONG TRAIL ALE

LONG TRAIL BREWING

The Beer Facts: BREWER: Long Trail Brewing Co., Bridgewater Corners, VT; STYLE: Amber Ale - German Style Altbier; ABV: 5.0%; IBUs: 28

What the Brewer Says: "First brewed in 1989, Long Trail Ale is a full-bodied amber ale brewed with our top fermenting house yeast that yields a complex, clean flavor."

Color: Copper

Pour: Decent, bubbly head

Aroma: Caramel, malt, nutty

Body: Light to Medium

Taste: Roasted malt, caramel, nutty

Overall Impression: I Could Drink This!

Comments: "This is one of those beers I remember having in the early years of craft beer; It's one of the beers that got me into craft beers; Nice, nutty, malty flavor; A comfort beer; Kind of reminds me of some good Oktoberfest beers."

FRESH SLICE

OTTER CREEK BREWING CO.

The Beer Facts: BREWER: Otter Creek Brewing, Middlebury, VT; STYLE: Belgian Style White IPA; ABV: 5.5%; IBUs: 45 

What the Brewer Says: "A summer sipper built for lawn chairs, lawn games and lawn mowing, Fresh Slice  features the spicy, estery flavor profile of Belgian yeast laced with the juicy hop flavors and aromas of American hops."

Color: Hazy orange

Pour: Slight head with some lacing

Aroma: A little spicy and citrusy

Body: Light

Taste: Orange, grapefruit, citrus and strong coriander

Overall Impression: A divisive lean toward Leave it on the Shelf

Comments: "One of those beers some will love some will not, I didn't particularly care for it; Strong Belgian yeast taste; Doesn't have the hop presence for an IPA; Too much coriander; Not my first choice; I'm not getting the coriander as strongly as you guys, I thought it was okay; I'd take this over Magic Hat #9; If you're a Belgian fan, you'd like this."

BACKSEAT BERNER

OTTER CREEK

The Beer Facts: BREWER: Otter Creek Brewing, Middlebury, VT; STYLE: American India Pale Ale; ABV: 7.0%; IBUs: 68 

What the Brewer Says: "The first year-round IPA in Otter Creek history, Backseat Berner is an American beauty that's loaded with juicy hops. Like Oslo, Brewmaster Mike's 150 pound Bernese mountain dog that adorns the label, Backseat Berner is your everday companion for life's adventures."

Color: Hazy orange

Pour: Decent Head

Aroma: Grassy

Body: Medium

Taste: Grapefuit and grass, with hints of toffee, caramel, butterscotch

Overall Impression: Can't Get Enough!!

Comments: "Delicious!; Perhaps the best Otter Creek beer I've ever had; Real nice mouthfeel; Nice, pleasing beer; I'd buy this in a heartbeat - in fact I'm going to be looking for it; I'd put it on my front burner."

MOUNTAIN ALE

THE SHED

The Beer Facts: BREWER: The Shed Brewery, Middlebury, VT; STYLE: English Strong Ale; ABV: 7.4%; IBUs: 35; HOPS: Mt. Hood, Northern Brewer 

What the Brewer Says: "This unfiltered English Strong Ale is a medium to full-bodied ale, with pronounced caramel and toffee notes, followed by a roasted finish."

Color: Amber

Pour: Decent Head

Aroma: Caramel

Body: Between Medium and Full

Taste: Malty with hints of toffee and caramel. Nice bit of hop to it.

Overall Impression: Can't Get Enough!

Comments: "Really nice brown ale; Reminiscent of British style beers; Like Newcastle on steroids; Toffee/caramel backbone with slight hop presence; Malty presence that just stays in the mouth; Not an IPA, but we love it; Sweet beer that would appeal to people who don't want a hoppy beer, but want a beer with flavor."

LIMBO IPA

LONG TRAIL BREWING CO.

The Beer Facts: BREWER: Long Trail Brewing Co.,Bridgewater Corners, VT;STYLE: Double IPA; ABV: 7.4%; IBUs: 80

What the Brewer Says: "A big mouth-watering IPA brimming with all the flavors and aromas of the new breed of hops coming from Australia and the Pacific Northwest."

Color: Orange/Amber

Pour: Decent Head with lingering lace

Aroma: Straw, grass, tropical fruit, some pine 

Body: Approaching full

Taste: Balanced with a nice bitter bite, a hoppy finish with hints of bread. A warm alcohol presence.

Overall Impression: Can't Get Enough!!

Comments: "I really like this beer; It's been in my fridge since they came out with it; Absolutely delicious; Nice name, too; Long Trail's finest!; I like it better than their regular IPA, and I like that; Terrific; It's got a nice complexity that you just can't get in some of the session IPAs; You also gotta' love that it is reasonably priced, I've had some double IPAs that cost a lot more that weren't half as good."

THE RESULTS

If you've been following us at all, you probably could have guessed the results, but here's a quick breakdown from favorite to least.

1. LIMBO IPA - This was an absolute winner. It's a terrific, full-flavored IPA - strong enough to have a bit of an alcohol warming without being so strong that you can't have a second one. 

2. BACKSEAT BERNER - It was a tough call between this and Limbo.  Both are right in our wheelhouse. Like Limbo it is a complex beer with a solid malt foundation supporting tasty citrus/hop notes. Our favorite Otter Creek.

3. MOUNTAIN ALE - This one surprised us as it isn't an IPA and it isn't extremely hoppy, but we all were taken with its big malty flavor highlighted by toffee and caramel notes. Classically British, but bigger than most Brit beers. Having said that, there was also enough of a hop presence to set it apart from other brown ales. A delightful beer.

4. OVER EASY - We found this to be a very pleasant, easy-drinking Session Ale, as hoppy as many session IPAs we've tried. At 4.6% we saw this as an excellent summer golf cart/lawn mower/boat beer.

5. LONG TRAIL ALE -  Many of us remember this beer fondly as one of our early craft beer experiences. A solid balanced Amber Ale.

6. LONG TRAIL SUMMER ALE - This is a summer ale with a surprising amount of hop presence. One of the better summer ales we've had.

7. FRESH SLICE - The strong coriander presence in this beer was a bit of a turn-off for us. We wouldn't seek it out but it is representative of the White IPA style.

8. WILDFLOWER WHEAT - The honey gave this a unique taste, still a bit of a lightweight for our tastes.

9. MOSTLY CLOUDY - Loved the name, but not so much the beer. Again, strictly a question of personal taste here. If you like Belgian-style, low IBU beers often served with a lemon or orange slice, you'll like this. But as unapologetic hopheads, this just wasn't what we look for in a beer.

Up Next:
The BOTB Guys look close to home as we check out some of the latest New York State brews.

Sláinte,

The BOTB Guys