Harpoon, Eddy and Arizona Beer

Beer on the Run Con't
Arizona Redux

If Arizona has a state color, it has to be brown: amber, beige, buff, burnt sienna, chestnut, coffee, dust, ecru, fawn, henna, mahogany, ochre, russet, rust, sepia, sorrel, tan, terra-cotta, toast, umber. Multiple shades of brown - and Arizona has them all. The yards are brown, playgrounds are brown, the multitude of stucco buildings are brown. Arizona's mountains' majesty is not purple but brown. 

The landscape is the very definition of hardscrabble. It is rocks and dirt and spiky plants. If the cities of the Northeastern rust belt are known for their "mean streets" then the deserts of Arizona are the "mean plains." Life is harsh. Water is sparse.                      

 It's adapt or die.

But it is the contrast of the burnt earth with the brilliant blue sky that creates a dramatic, severe beauty that is the American Southwest.

So,after a quick and profitable (beer-wise) trip to Florida, we headed to the this arid land for a few weeks, just North of the Mexican border in the little town of Sierra Vista, Arizona. We were on a grand-kids sitting mission while our daughter and son-in-law flew to Korea to pick up their new son.

So while there, I thought I'd check out the state of craft beer in the state of Arizona.

Last time here I found a limited number of craft beers - primarily Sam Adams and Sierra Nevada. However, in just a short period of time, the choices have grown exponentially, especially in the local Safeway and Frys grocery stores (local restaurants for the most part have yet to fully embrace craft beers). Safeway particularly has a nice selection in their fairly extensive craft beer section. It's not up there with Wegman's, but it's decent. The biggest surprise was something called "Double Take." There was an Amber and an IPA. I immediately checked them out and to my surprise, found that the beers were brewed in Rochester, New York (about an hour west of the BOTB home base)! I picked up a six pack of Double Take IPA. The packaging shows a curvaceous blond with the slogan, "It's a Head Snapper" (you are free to infer any double entendre you wish). The price was quite reasonable at under $7.00 for the six pack. I also grabbed a sixer of O'Dell's India Pale Ale as well. 

Once back at the ranch I did a little Googling and found that Double Take is brewed by Genesee Brewing. While Genesee has been brewing its Dundee series for a few years now, most of those beers are not particularly hoppy, so I was a bit concerned. It poured a kind of honey-amber in color with a full, rich head. The piney hops aroma leaps out of the glass. Hops absolutely dominate this tasty West-Coast style IPA. Brewed with Chinook, Centennial, and Columbus hops, the brew weighs in at 6.9% ABV with a very impressive 70 IBU. Pale, Chrystal, and Wheat malts balance somewhat, but, really, this beer is all about the hops. Unfortunately, for some reason the beer is not available in the very state in which it is brewed! Genesee sells it through Safeway, Vons, Pavilions, and Carrs. Hey, Genesee, what gives? Wegmans?

O'Dell's IPA, from O'Dell Brewing in Fort Collins, Colorado is  a more balanced beer than the Double Take. It's a tad bit stronger (7% vs 6.9%) but with less of a hop kick (60 IBU's vs. DT's 70). It's a clear honey gold in color with a nice head. It tends toward the more traditional English IPA brewed with American hops. It's a very smooth beer. Full flavored with a rich, malty backbone, nicely hopped.

But what about beer produced in Arizona? There are some good ones. Nimbus Brewery in Tucson has a nice bunch of brews. I was able to get hold of their Old Monkeyshine Strong Ale at a restaurant. Very nice beer. It's fairly potent at 8.2% ABV, yet you wouldn't know it. It's quite smooth with hints of raisin and dark fruit. Tasty.

Further north (we were down near the Mexican border) in Chandler is SanTan Brewery. I had a number of their beers - the best being their Devil's Ale (American pale ale), and their Hop Scotch IPA. Devil's Ale had won a gold in the GABF and Hop Scotch a silver. Both are excellent beers. Wish we could get hold of the IPA up our way.

Why Oh Why Gen X and Gen Y?

A recent article in USA Today on the craft brewing boom was quite interesting. It covers some of the points we mentioned previously concerning increasing sales and popularity of craft beers. The article then speculates on the causes of this increase. One theory proposed by Anheuser-Busch's vice president of marketing is that it is the Gen Y and GenXer's who are spearheading this growth. He feels that members of these groups are used to a lot more variety. Implied here is that the baby boomers are the ones who stick with the same old same old when it comes to beer. It seems an odd theory coming from A-B, the company whose concept of variety is to put the same basic beer in a variety of different containers. And if this is indeed the demographic driving the craft beer revolution, why do all of the Budweiser ads aim squarely at those age groups, ignoring the ones they consider their loyal consumers?

Personally I think the GenX/GenY argument is nonsense. It implies that after a certain age, say North of 50, everyone becomes hopelessly stuck in their ways and is unwilling to try anything new. I think it has little to do with age. There are those out there who seek out new and interesting experiences in food and drink at all ages. For years there was little for these people to choose from in American beer other than light lager and lighter lager. With the increasing availability of craft brews, they are discovering the joy of beer with real flavor. The bad news for A-B and the other mega-brewers is that once you develop a taste for good beer, there's no going back to the same old same old.

No matter what generation you're a part of - X'er, Y'er or Boomer.

MOSTLY HARPOON WITH A LITTLE BIG EDDY

Alas, I was not present for this particular meeting. We were, as I mentioned, in Arizona awaiting the arrival of our newest grandson. From the sounds of it, we missed a great meeting. At this time, therefore, I will turn the controls over to Ron, our peerless statistician and recorder of comments.

I'm of the belief that we just plain live right. For the umpteenth consecutive meeting, the weather was just beautiful for the latest Battle of the Beers tastings. The meeting was at our place in Pulaski. We were down a man, but we carried on.

As the heading indicates, the tastings this particular evening were mostly beers from Harpoon Brewery, which is located in Boston, Massachusetts. The samples Harpoon sent us were: Summer Beer, UFO, Rye IPA, IPA, Black IPA, Catamount Maple Wheat, Uber-Bock and Imperial IPA.
But before we get to these, a couple of shout-outs need to be acknowledged. Firstly, to Tom Stevens, who is a friend of Hal with a condo in the Grand Tetons. He sent a 12 pack of Grand Teton sampler. This included: Teton Ale (an amber), Howling Wolf (a weisse beer), Sweetgrass (American Pale Ale) and Bitch Creek (Extra Special Brown).  We didn't rate these, but enjoyed them prior to our official ratings. These are not available east of the Mississippi except to a distributor in Massachusetts and South Carolina. Although we didn't actuallly rate these samples, we did enjoy them and seemed to gravitate to the Sweetgrass.
A second shout-out goes to Leinenkugel, who sent us a sample of their Imperial IPA from their Big Eddy series. We did rate this after the Harpoons and the results will follow the main event.

Harpoon Summer Beer

Our meeting commenced with Harpoon's Summer Beer. This is a Kolsch style ale witha 5.0% ABV. It is available from April through August.

     Color: Pale yellow
     Pour: Decent head, fizzy and carbonated
     Aroma: Yeasty/bready
     Taste: Not much, a good lawn mower beer. Balanced - neither malty nor hoppy.
     Overall Impression: As would be expected - between "Can't stand it" and " I could drink this."
     Comments: "Good example of the style; A nice golf cart beer; Could be a boat beer; It's a good light summer beer; I would take this on a golf course before Coors Lite; It has a nice bitter, clean finish."

Harpoon UFO

     Rick's Notes: Thanks to Dan, I was able to sample some of the beers - including the Summer Beer. I felt it reminded me of a Pilsner - both in aroma and initial taste. Light, unoffensive beer. Best ice cold.

Our next beer, form Harpoon, was their UFO, a white unfiltered wheat beer. It has year-round availability in six-packs. It has an ABV of 4.8%.

     Color: nice looking, unfiiltered, cloudy, pale
     Pour: decent head, lasting lace
     Aroma: fruity, citrus
     Body: thin/light 
     Taste: sweet with notes of citrus, orange and spices
     Overall Impression: Midway ("I could drink this")
     Comments: "Mysterious translucency; Serve this really cold; I've tasted a lot worse; Light flavor and light malt; Not bad for a wheat beer; Similar to Blue Moon; Better than Circus Boy."

Harpoon's Rich and Dan's Rye IPA

Next on our agenda brought us a nice charge of hops, trying to overcome our deficit brought on by the first two samples. Harpoon makes a delicious Rye IPA, from the brewery's 100 Barrel Series. It has a 6.9% ABV and 70 IBU's.

      Color: honey

      Pour: Decent head with staying power, sort of an off-white foam

      Aroma: citrusy and piney hops

      Body: toward full/thick

      Taste: Very near bitter, hoppy

      Overall Impression: Can't Get Enough!

      Comments: "Oh my God, I could drink that!; The best I've had from Harpoon; It's better than their regular IPA; I used to keep Harpoon IPA in my fridge, but now I'll keep the Rye IPA; I want more of that."

      Rick's Notes: Excellent beer! Nice hops punch. Even though this is a hops forward brew, there is a nice balance with a warm malty base. Hoppier than their IPA, which I feel is a fairly balanced IPA. I felt it compared nicely with Ruthless Rye for S-N. I'd like to try the two head-to-head some time.

Harpoon IPA

A perennial favorite of the BOTB Guys, we next sampled some Harpoon IPA. A bit less high-octane than the Rye at 5.9% ABV and an IBU of 42.

     Color: Copper

     Pour: Average white head, moderate to little lacing and head retention

     Aroma: Toward the hoppy end

     Body: Between medium and full/thick

     Taste: Somewhat balanced though hop bitterness is in there 

     Overall Impression: Between "I could drink this" and "Can't get enough!"

     Comments: "The Rye kicks its ass; A great IPA; If we'd have had that before the rye, we'd have said, 'Oh my god, that's a great beer'; Nice, clean finish."

     Rick's Notes: Harpoon's IPA is a much more balanced beer than many IPA's and certainly not as hoppy as their Rye. It's a good beer, an easy drinking IPA that aims for a broader appeal than the more intense IPA's out there.

Harpoon's Black IPA

100 Barrel Series

From their 100 Barrel Series, Harpoon Black IPA was next on our palates. It has a 7.0% ABV and 67 IBU's. It is available in 22 ounce bottles and, if you're luck, on tap at your favorite tavern.

     Color: dark, dark - toward black

     Pour: decent chocolate milk color head with good retention and lacing

     Aroma: a nice nose with a cacophony of hops

     Body: toward full/thick

     Taste: hoppy and near bitter

     Overall Impression: Can't get enough!

     Comments: "The best black IPA I've tasted yet; Most other are too malty; Pretty darn good; Smooth...; Nice hop presence; Nice balance."

     Rick's Notes: Had an interesting discussion with Friend of BOTB Jeff over the use of the name "Black IPA" or "Dark IPA." His contention is this: "Since IPA means 'India PALE Ale,' how can something be a black or dark pale ale." Jeff makes an excellent point of course and, as a former English teacher, I appreciate the oxymoronic implication in the name. To me, however, IPA has become a somewhat generic term (like Kleenex or Scotch Tape even when the tissue of tape is produced by neither Kleenex nor 3M), letting the consumer know that the beer is hoppy. I have a much bigger problem with brewers who call their beers IPA when they are clearly not (see Alexander Keith's IPA). Anyhow, I suggest perhaps IDA or IBA (India Dark Ale or India Black Ale) to avoid confusion. 

Harpoon Catamount Maple Wheat

100 Barrel Series

We were under a hops spell, and to help snap us out of it for awhile, we were next offered up some Catamount Maple Wheat. That, again, is from the 100 Barrel Series and available, again, in 22 ounce bottles and on tap. The Maple Wheat has a 6.8% ABV and 21 IBU's.

     Color: Amber - like Grade A maple syrup

     Pour: Off-white head that disappeared fairly quickly and left a lingering ring around the glass

     Aroma: Malty to syrupy sweet

     Body: Full/thick

     Taste: Sweet, the maple syrup is evident.

     Overall Impression: I could drink this - a tribute to Harpoon after drinking a few of their fairly hoppy beers.

     Comments: "I'd put it on my waffles; I'd make some jack wax out of it; You could freeze it and make a Popsicle out of it; Has English yeast - tastes like bananas even though they try to disguise it with maple syrup; It's a good introductory beer to craft beers; Good to take to Thanksgiving dinner or other family gatherings."

      Rick's Notes: Didn't get to try this one either, but had a sudden craving for pancakes after reading the reviews.

Harpoon Uber-Bock

Leviathan Series

         Next up (and a month late) was from the Harpoon Leviathan Series: their Uber-Bock. It is pretty big at 9.0% ABV and 26 IBU's. Beers from the Leviathan Series are available in 22 ounce 4-packs.

     Color: brown

     Pour: Decent white head with fairly good retention

     Aroma: yeasty/malty and sweet

     Body: nearing full/thick

     Overall Impression: I could drink this!

     Comments: "It slams you initially; Like a Scotch ale; Very malty, there are no hops in there; Very sweet beer; It reminds me of Troeginator; It's a dessert beer; It reminds me of our brief deviation into Bocks; I could cook with it; It would have fit well into the Doppelbocks series; It's a good, big bock; A winter brew, a by-the-fireplace beer."

     Rick's Notes: Hints of toffee. Detected English yeast. Big, warm beer. Dark fruits in there. Mostly malt and a bit sweet. I agree with the "dessert beer" analysis. Not a session beer. Nice change-of -pace beer.

Harpoon Imperial IPA

Leviathan Series

Finally, from Harpoon and, again, from their Leviathan Series, was their Iperial IPA. It has a 10.0% ABV and claims to weigh in at 120 IBU's. Except for a couple of beers that strayed into the sweeter realm, on would think Harpoon read our blog (and our minds) by supplying some pretty hoppy beers. We thank them mightily.

     Color: amber

     Pour: fairly white and moderate with less than decent head retention

     Aroma: hoppy -citrus and pine

     Body: Full, thick

     Taste: Bitter

     Overall Impression: Can't Get Enough!

     Comments: "Oh my God, that's a big beer!; Wow!; You can't have more than a few of these; This is a beer and a half; It should have a skull and cross bones on the box; It's like DogfishHead 120; M-m-m-m, that's good; That's a real good double IPA."

     Rick's Notes: Yowza! Really good, complex beer. Amazingly easy to drink despite the aggressive 10% ABV. Nicely hopped, yes. But beyond that, it is one of those beers that just grace the entire palate, it seems.    

Big Eddy Imperial IPA

Leinenkugel Brewery

But, not so fast! Today was bonus day for us. Acoulple meetings ago we had some selections from Leinenkugel Brewer. At that time their Big Eddy series Imperial IPA wasn't available. Now it is, andhere it was. It is brewed with 5 different hops which accounts for its 78 IBU's. It also has a 9.0% ABV.

     Color: Tawny copper/deep honey

     Pour: Decent white head

     Aroma: Way toward hoppy, "Smells like something I could drink."

     Body: Full/thick

     Taste: bitter

     Overall Impression: Can't get enough!

     Comment: "I'd like to put it in a spritzer and just spray myself with it (admittedly this comment came at the end of 5 big beers and 2 IPA's - so we'll cut the reviewer some slack); I like the hoppy assertiveness; It's justice for their Shandy: That's not bad - very smooth; It's bitter, hoppy and smooth."


Up next, some Sam Adams and a few of our favorites.

Sláinte,
The BOTB Guys

Dopplebocks

Beer On The Run

Just returned from a quick trip to Fort Myers Beach in Florida. I love that stretch along the Gulf Coast because in a very short space you can go from a relatively secluded, serene setting teeming with wildlife to Jimmy Buffet Parrot-head beach party chic. It's a great place to spend some time, especially this time of year when temperatures in Central New York stubbornly cling to the 30's and 40's and the sun is a rare visitor. In fact, this little part of the world is practically paradise - if only you could get some good beer! At the risk of sounding like the proverbial broken record, I once again have to say that it seems that the warmer the climes, the lighter the beer. One of our favorite little places to stop for a quick appetizer and drink has a large outside deck overlooking the gulf. It's a pleasant place for a drink - the only problem is that the beer choices are: Bud, Bud Light, Coors Light, Miller Lite, Yuengling, Sunset Ale and something called Blowfish Ale. I asked our waitress about the Blowfish Ale. She said, "Well, it's basically Pabst Blue Ribbon." I had a Sunset Ale, which is very similar to Yuengling.

But on our way to lunch at Matanza's, we walked by a place called "Zushi, Zushi." It's a fairly new sushi bar. Suddenly my wife nudged me and said, "Look!" And what to my wondering eyes should appear, but a sign proclaiming, "Over 200 Craft Beers!" Attached to Zushi Zushi is a bar called House of Brewz. It's been open only a month or so and they have an impressive array of craft beers, with 50 plus on tap and an enormous selection of bottles (and cans). I had found paradise in paradise!
Check out their web site and directions here: http://www.houseofbrewz.com/   If you happen to be in the Fort Myers Beach area, it is definitely worth the stop.

While there I had Napa Smith Organic IPA, Ballast Big Eye IPA and Great Divide Hercules DIPA. All fine beers.

Later on our trip, we were in Orlando and had the opportunity to dine at Shipyard Brewing Company's brewpub. Shipyard is out of Portland, Maine. Had a very tasty Porter. Their ESB was a pleasant session beer. They also had on tap an Ommegang brew and Cigar City's Jai Alai IPA.

We finished the evening off at Orlando's World of Beers. In the space of a few days we had hit three terrific venues for craft beer. Good beer in hot weather! It's a beautiful thing. And speaks volumes about the growing popularity of craft beer.

SHERMAN ON THE MOUNT

COURT DECISION HURTS NEW YORK BREWERIES

One of the things that defines craft brewing is the incredible variety of brews and interesting takes on styles that innovative brewers produce. Unshackled by the mega-brew mandate of cheap ingredients and a minimum of hops, craft brewers have given us an amazing array of interesting beers. In New York State this has been aided by a tax exemption given to in-state brewers from a $150 brand label registration fee. In March, the New York State Supreme Court ruled in favor of a Massachusetts importer who claimed that an exemption to this tax and a 14 cent per gallon tax on beer produced gave an unfair advantage to in-state breweries. The exemption had helped fuel the growth of breweries in New York. The ruling could result in two unfortunate outcomes: 1. The cost of New York craft beers would go up, thus widening the gap between the cost of good beer and mass produces mega-brews, and 2. Fewer choices of interesting brews.
This will be an unfortunate development. Due to the fact that craft brewers use superior ingredients to make a superior beer to the mega-brews, craft brews are already more expensive than Bud-whatever. Craft brew aficionados have been willing to pay this in order to drink better beer. Now it appears we will have to pay even more. Not to mention the possibility that this will slow down the growth of craft brewing in New York - one of the few industries that have steadily grown in the state, adding much needed jobs and stimulating local economies.

Dopplebocks

A Little Bock History

Many years ago, here in the US, if you were looking

Getting Down to Business.

for something different when it came to American beers, you had to wait until spring. Spring was when a number of the smaller breweries that had avoided being gobbled up or driven out by the big guys produced their Bock beers. I remember looking forward to Bock beers because they meant something different and tastier than the average American brew. Each year that familiar green can with the goat would appear as Genesee rolled out their annual bock. Of course, legends grew up around Bocks. Because they were produced in the spring and they were much darker than they normal yellow lager out there, the myth developed that Bocks were a by-product of the left over sludge at the bottom of the barrels. That which remained after the "real" beer had been bottled. This is total nonsense. The Bock style is a distinctive style that goes back several centuries. It originated in the town of Einbeck in the 14th century. The beer was characterized by a darker color, a malty flavor with a slight hops presence. In the 17th century, brewers in Munich adapted the style to a lager. The style was known as Einbeck, after the town of origin, but when pronounced with a Bavarian accent, the name sounded like "Ein bock" which translates as "male goat" (or billy goat, as we call it). The symbol for the beer ever since has been a billy goat as a sort of enduring visual pun.
The BOTB guys decided to take on Doppelbocks or Double Bocks this month. These are essentially Bock beers on steroids. They are bigger, bolder and stronger than typical Bocks.

CELEBRATOR DOUBLE BOCK

AYINGER BREWERY, GERMANY

THE BEER FACTS:  6.7% ABV, Ranked among the best beers in the world by the Chicago Testing Institute and has won several Platinum Awards

WHAT THE BREWER SAYS: "A beer that has a dominant malty taste. This beer's origins in a monk's recipe are reflected in its heartiness.

POUR: Decent head, like chocolate milk

COLOR: Dark amber, almost brown.

AROMA: Yeasty/sweet

BODY: Full, thick - with a full mouth feel, you could almost chew it

TASTE: Sweet and malty, with notes of biscuit, bread or bread dough, with a sour back taste

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS: "I could drink this!"

COMMENTS: "I COULD drink this; It grows on you; Close to a porter. I'm not a huge fan of porters, but I like this; Almost a dessert beer; There seems to be more taste to it than a regular Bock; I taste coffee; Smooth; Warm aftertaste - surprising considering it's not a real high alcohol beer."

SAMUEL ADAMS DOUBLE BOCK

BOSTON BEER COMPANY, BOSTON, MASS

THE BEER FACTS: 9.5% ABV - sold in 12 ounce 4-packs. Available year-round. 2-row malt, Noble Hops. No black malt is used, eliminating the burnt malt taste.

WHAT THE BREWER SAYS: "One cannot help but appreciate Samuel Adams Double Bock's huge malt character. We use and enormous amount of malt, half a pound per bottle, to brew this intensely rich lager."

POUR: Decent to slightly less than average head

COLOR: Rich mahogony

AROMA: Yeasty/malty

BODY: Medium to Full, thick

TASTE: Sweet with a definite alcohol presence, with notes of bread and toffee

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS: Midway between "I could drink this!" and "Can't get enough!"

COMMENTS: "You can notice the alcohol; It fills the mouth; These guys have their (act) together; It is complex - hits a lot of notes when swished around the mouth; A very interesting taste."

SAMUEL ADAMS CINDER BOCK

BOSTON BEER COMPANY, BOSTON, MASS.

THE BEER FACTS: 9.4% ABV - Not technically a double, but at 9.4% it qualifies. It's a Rauch Bock, which means "smoked Bock" 

WHAT THE BREWER SAYS: "Smoky and rich, this brew begins with a rush of smoky, almost savory, aromas and flavors. The distinctive campfire smokiness of a rauchbier lingers and begins to reveal the rich and velvety malt smoothness of a double bock with notes of toffee and caramel. This roguish brew transforms from iths bold start to a hearty and satisfying finish." 

POUR: Decent head

COLOR: Mahogany

AROMA: Yeasty/malty/smoky

BODY: Full, thick

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS: "I could drink this!"

COMMENTS: "Fills the mouth almost as much as Sam Adams Double Bock; It's like dipping bacon in beer; I liked it a lot; I bet it would be good with eggs and toast; I think it would appeal more to a niche market as would a smoky porter."

SLED DOG  

WAGNER VALLEY BREWERY, LODI, NEW YORK

THE BEER FACTS: 8.5% ABV - brewed with imported Munich malts and Tettnanger Nobel Hops. Silver medal 2005 GABF.

WHAT THE BREWER SAYS: "A true Bavarian style Doppel (Double) Bock specially brewed with only improted Munich Malts that provide this Bier with intense, yet exceptionally smooth dark caramel and molasses flavors. The huge up front malt character has a wonderfully smooth strong alcohol presence that is balanced by imported Tettnanger Noble hops, making this bier incredibly rich and complex."

POUR: Decent head, with lingerie lacing. Separates nicely

COLOR: Mahogany

AROMA: Toward the malty side

BODY: Medium

TASTE: Toward the sweet side, with notes of butterscotch or toffee

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS: I could drink this!

COMMENTS: "Pretty sweet; Very interesting aftertaste; Good beer; Very malty with a little hops aftertaste; It's a decent beer; You could have a few of these; Not terribly complex, but a good, solid bock."

THE DOPPELROCK

GREAT LAKES BREWERY, CLEVELAND, OHIO

THE BEER FACTS: 7.8% ABV - MALTS: Harrington 2-row, Munich, Cara 45, Chocolate. HOPS: Hallertau (U.S. version of German Nobel Hops).

WHAT THE BREWER SAYS: "'Rock and Roll' may have been coined in Cleveland, but the influence of this genre reaches far beyond the shores of Lake Erie. Our Doppelrock bears witness to everything double: double bock flavor, dueling rockers and the double neck guitar made famous by many rock legends."

POUR: A bit short of having a decent head

AROMA: Sweet/malty

COLOR: Mahogany

BODY:  A little thicker than medium

TASTE: Malty/bready/sweet with notes of toffee

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS: I could drink this!

COMMENTS: "A little smoky; Dark roast malt; A little cleaner than most of the others; Pretty nice finish; Not as cloying; Easy to drink; Except for Holy Moses, and their Christmas seasonal, I haven't run across a Great Lakes I haven't liked; Love that Great Lakes."

TROEGENATOR

TROEGS BREWING COMPANY, HERSHEY, PENNSYLVANIA

THE BEER FACTS: 8.2% ABV - 25 IBU's - MALTS: Pilsner, Munich, Chocolate - HOPS: Hallertau, Saaz - YEAST: Lager

WHAT THE BREWER SAYS: "A double bock of epic proportions, beware, the Toegenator is deceiving smooth and delicious." 

POUR: A bit short of a decent head

COLOR: Rusty, brown/amber

AROMA: Malty, a little banana

BODY: Medium

TASTE: Sweet, with notes of dark sugar, banana, and butterscotch

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS: Between "I could drink this!" and "Leave it on the shelf."

COMMENTS: "A little over-sweet; Too sweet; Over the top sweet; Dessert/after dinner drink; If snow was still on the ground, it would be a dessert beer; Sweet, but I like it; Nice label; It's my least favorite so far."

HANG TEN

HEAVY SEAS BREWING COMPANY, BALTIMORE, MARYLAND

STRAY FACT: Clipper City Brewing Company has a sort of hierarchy classification - not unlike the scientific taxonomy of living creatures (kingdom, phylum, class...) With this beer we begin with Clipper City Brewing Company at the top, followed by these sub-categories: Heavy Seas Brewing Company - Mutiny Fleet - Hang Ten.

THE BEER FACTS: 10% ABV - Listed as "retired" but we were able to obtain a couple of bottles. German style Weizen Doppelbock.

WHAT THE BREWER SAYS: "A classic German-style weizen(doppel) bock, slightly cloudy and bursting with flavor. It will benefit with aging up to two years. VINTAGE DATED." (The bottles we tested were dated 2010 - so they had indeed had the opportunity to age appropriately.)

POUR: Less of a head than most, some lacing.

COLOR: Unfiltered amber.

AROMA: Yeasty/malty, fruity and sweet.

BODY: Full/thick

TASTE: Sweet, with notes of butterscotch

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS: I could drink this!

COMMENTS: "Almost a dessert beer, it's so sweet; Great label; One of the better wheat beers I've ever had - certainly one of the best two or three; I had never thought about a wheat beer being a bock; There is certainly a unique taste - like butterscotch or toffee - very warming; Nice tucked-up-by-the-fire-with-a-gale-raging-outside sort of beer; A nice hoppy beer would be a good follow-up."

VOODOO VATOR DOPPELBOCK

ATWATER BLOCK BREWING COMPANY, DETROIT, MICHIGAN

VooDoo Vator head AFTER
settling a bit!

THE BEER FACTS: 9.5% ABV - 26 IBU - MALTS: 2 Caramel malts, Munich.

WHAT THE BREWER SAYS: "This one is black and sweet. Its malty character derives from two caramel malts plus Munich malt, to create the smoothest high gravity beer."

POUR: HOLY COW!!! Super carbonated, beyond Guinness class. Meringue-like monster head that has real staying power.

COLOR: Deep brown almost black (despite what the brewery says)

AROMA: Sweet with a hop presence, with notes of malt, toffee, and coffee. It also had somewhat of a tart finish.

BODY: Full, Thick

TASTE: Sweet with a hop presence, with notes of malt, toffee, and coffee. It also has a somewhat tart finish.

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS: Midway between "I could drink this!" and "Can't get enough!"

COMMENTS: "Preferable to some because of a hop presence; Better than a milk moustache; A different taste for a doppelbock because of the hops; Probably a true bock lover wouldn't care a great deal for this; The heady pour is the most memorable part of this beer."

CONCLUSIONS

Kind of a tough call as to which was the favorite. They all fell roughly around the "Can't get enough!" range. This makes sense with any big beer like this in that, as tasty as it might be, you are not going to drink multiple pints of beers at the 8% ABV and up range. With some of these beers it would be close to the equivalent of downing a pint of wine. More than one might be just a bit much. Be that as it may, the top two seemed to be Samuel Adams Double Bock and VooDoo Vator Doppelbock. Toward the bottom was Troegenator, which came off as overly sweet and a bit cloying. 

The others were tasty brews which would make excellent sipping beers.  

Thought we'd finish off this month's post with a classic piece of literature. Back in 1914, a man by the name of Bill Carney was sent to the little town of Osceola, NY to "dry out." Osceola is in Lewis County in the rural northern reaches of New York State. He spent a summer there, and ultimately penned the following poem which has become immortal in this part of the world. I thought I might just share it with a wider audience. The poem was written in a letter to a friend back in Utica (whose name is also Bill, by the way).

Osceola My Ass

Friend Bill,

I am here in the country at work with my spade,

And I think it's the last place that God ever made.

There is nothing in sight but the hills and the trees,

And the swamps where you sink in the mud to your knees.

I'm as lonesome as Hell, and my only pastime

Is to sit down and write some damn foolish rhyme.

I can look out the door and see nothing but grass,

Up in dear Osceola, Osceola my ass!

I have grown rather thin since I came to this place,

And I don't look as good as I did in the face.

That bright glow of health is fast leaving my cheek,

And the rich crimson color has gone from my beak.

Though there's nothing to drink but tea, coffee and milk,

And buttermilk, too, we all drink by the glass,

Up in dear Osceola, Osceola my ass!

I don't know how long I can stand it like this,

There is not the least smell of beer in my piss;

And I think every night as I sit in my chair,

Of the old Hotel Phelan - how I wish I was there!

It is the longest that I have ever been on the rock,

And for God's sake, Bill, send me half a barrel of stock,

And I will drink to your health as I fill up my glass,

Up in dear Osceola, Osceola my ass!

I don't know what possessed me to come way out here,

For the folks never heard of Fort Schuyler Beer!

The people up here are a queer lot of mugs,

And I wish I was back with the rest of the bugs!

And believe me, this isn't my first big mistake,

For I'm all the time making some damn foolish break,

I go fishing for trout and catch nothing but bass-

Up in dear Osceola, Osceola my ass!

There is a place called Florence, nearly four miles from here,

Where they sell rotten whiskey and damn sight worse beer,

And up here it's hotter than Hell in July,

So it is then I will know what it is to be dry.

Just imagine me out in the fields pitching hay,

And the nearest saloon nearly four miles away!

On Sunday we have to drive four miles to Mass,

Up in dear Osceola, Osceola my ass!

But I can not leave now, for it's easy to see,

That they'd have hard work getting along without me.

I feed the horses and milk the cows,

And gaze on me pushing that god-damned old plow!

And plowing is something I don't like to do,

How I wish I was back there with you and your crew.

Yes, I'd like to be with you tonight, but Alas!

I'm in dear Osceola, Osceola my ass!

Some fool once wrote a song and described all the charms

Of the bright, happy days he spent on the farm,

How in childhood he'd wandered o'er valley and dell,

Chasing chipmunks and raising particular Hell!

How the songs of the bull-frog he'd love to admire.

And he'd never wrote that if his childhood he'd passed

Up in dear Osceola, Osceola my ass!

Well I have learned what seeds I should sow,

And what kind of shit makes the cabbages grow. 

With all of the farmers I've got quite a pull,

While I'm spreading manure I'm not throwing the bull!

I'm beginning to act like a big country boob,

When I go to the city, I'll blow out the gas,

I'm from dear Osceola, Osceola my ass!

Well, regards to the bunch and especially your dad,

For it's many a good laugh and smile we have had.

I would give fifty dollars, if I had the dough,

Just to hear Brother David recite "Osler Joe."

Now, Bill, I hope you will write to me soon,

And perhaps I'll be down there the last week in June,

For I know very well I am out of my class -

Up in dear Osceola, OSCEOLA MY ASS!

Sláinte,

The BOTB Guys

Game Changers

SHERMAN ON THE MOUNT

It's time we got back to the America we all loved. When men were men and women were women and kids were kids and red, white and blue and flag and country and patriotism and rugged individualism and God...well, as long as we're talking about the RIGHT God.

God help us! The Silly Season is upon us. That time when hyperbolic hysteria reigns. We've already been steeped in God fearin', tax hatin', Etch-a-Sketch wavin' rhetoric to the point where you're ready to pull out your Constitutionally guaranteed six-shooter and blast a Real 3D hole through your widescreen TV (then post the whole thing on Youtube - now THAT'S a viral video I'd watch.) And this is just the beginning! This is just the Republicans firing broadsides at each other - a little family squabble. Wait til a winner is picked and the real un-civil war begins.

There's one thing I can absolutely guarantee - patriotism and nostalgia will reign. And among the plethora of political ads you will find images that look like they were taken right out of the 1950's, shot on Super 8 film: grainy, jumpy images. You know, nostalgic.

The truth is, while "new" is not always synonymous with "better" - neither is "old." For some things, the "good ol' days" may indeed have been good. But not when it comes to American beer. From post-WWII to the '80's, American beers all began to become boringly similar.

But after decades of dominance by the big brewers, "craft brewing" clawed its way into the beer drinker's lexicon. Suddenly there were options - something other than light and lighter lagers out there. Beers with flavor. So who were the game changers in this case? As early as 1965, Anchor Brewing Company in San Francisco was able to cling to its own individuality thanks to Fritz Maytag, who purchased the brewery at that time. He flew in the face of the "blanding" of  American beer and resisted Anheuser-Busch monopolization of breweries by not selling out and continuing to produce Anchor's unique beers. Soon, home-brewers discovered that European ale recipes offered more variety and more taste than American mega-brews. There was a whole world of beers out there other than light lager. Brew pubs began to emerge and gradually micro-breweries. The early pioneers, besides Maytag, were Pete Slosberg and Mark Bronder of Pete's Brewing Company (Pete's Wicked Ale), Jim Koch (Sam Adams), and Larry Bell (Kalamazoo Brewing Company - now Bell's Brewing Inc.). Sierra Nevada Brewery opened in 1980 as well, and has been on the vanguard of cutting edge brews ever since. These companies started small in the 1980's and grew, for the most part, through word-of-mouth. If I had to guess, I would say that probably the first real micro-brew I remember trying might have been Pete's Wicked Ale (now contract brewed by Matt Brewing Company, maker of Saranac).

Craft beer sales grew through the '90's and continue to grow today. This past year (2011) volume has increased a whopping 13% while retail sales have jumped by an impressive 15% (thanks to BOTB friend, Jeff, for pointing us to craftbeer.com for this info). More and more beer drinkers are experiencing the joy of choice. In 1900 there were 1,751 breweries in the US. Prohibition in 1919 all but ruined most of them (some survived by producing soft drinks). The post-Prohibition high was 498 in 1940. But by 1983 the number of US breweries reached its nadir  with only 80 active breweries. Worse still, 92% of the country's beer production was controlled by only six breweries: A-B, Miller, Heilemen, Stroh, Coors, and Pabst. Even worse than that, they all made essentially the same beer!

By February of this year, the number of  breweries operating in the US had topped 2,000.

Choice is a beautiful thing!

H-Block Brewery

In celebration of those aforementioned beer pioneers and home brewers, the beers we tasted this month are beers you won't see on your store shelves any time soon. H Block Brewery in Oswego (and Buffalo), New York is a brewery which is currently on the ground floor. Justin Pylak and his partner in Buffalo are in the process of putting together a workable business plan in the hopes of building their business into a viable regional brewery. Right now, the beer is brewed in Buffalo, then Justin carbonates and bottles it in Oswego for distribution in the part of the state. They hope to make serious progress early this summer. In the meantime they have been finding investors and getting their beers out to various venues for tastings. 

Both partners are college seniors right now. The plan is to open in Oswego. Justin dropped off a mixed case of some of their beers for our expert analysis. As usual with us, opinions were mixed and varied depending on the beer style. The unanimous favorite, as you might guess, was the IPA. So without further ado, here's what we found.

By the way, at the end of each style we have helpfully provided ideas for possible names. H-Block has yet to settle on a theme, so name choices are pretty up-in-the-air. Kind of like picking out a name for your first-born. Any of you are welcome to add any ideas you may have.

MIXED BERRY WHEAT

As you well know, faithful reader, this would not be the style of beer we would choose. We have often bemoaned both fruity beers and wheat beers. But as always we tried to keep an open mind.

      COLOR: Pale yellow, wheat.

      POUR: Not a big head, but nicely carbonated.

      AROMA: Scent of fruit mixed with hay. Very spring-like.

      BODY: Light, thin.

      TASTE: Light and sweet, with very pronounced berry notes.

      OVERALL IMPRESSION: For us, we'd leave it on the shelf. It would be interesting to see what someone who liked this style would have thought.

      COMMENTS: "Bland. Tastes like a berry wheat; Best on a hot summer day served very cold; It's a light wheat beer; For those who like berry wheats it would score very well."

      SUGGESTED NAMES: Barry White Wheat; Berry Patch Brew; 

H Block Summer Cooler.

H Block Bock

Bocks tend to be more malty than hoppy, they can have a rich flavor and complex notes. The BOTB Guys appreciate that.

      COLOR: Unfiltered amber to brown.

      POUR: Decent head with a fair amount of lacing

      AROMA: Nice mellow kind of maltiness you would expect from a bock.

      BODY: Medium

      TASTE: Tended toward the sweet end of the spectrum, with malty notes. It was sweet in a good way, however, and not like a fruit infused sweetness.

      OVERALL IMPRESSION: Right in between the "I Could Drink This!" mark and "Can't Get Enough!" 

      COMMENTS: "Not a bad beer; Very drinkable; Nice; It's a good bock; I like it, it's good."

      SUGGESTED NAMES: H Block Bock is pretty good in and of itself (nice alliteration); Get Bock (ala The Beatles); Bock to the Future; Full Bock (thinking football, here - could be a whole line of bocks, from Quarter Bock to Half Bock to Full Bock - with the Full Bock name reserved for a double bock perhaps - just spitballin' here).

Red Ale

An appropriate beer for the day after St. Patrick's Day as red ales are generally associated with Irish ales. 

      COLOR: Unfiltered amber, and not quite as red as we expected.

      POUR: Decent head

      AROMA: Very faint aroma of malt.

      BODY: Thin to Medium

      TASTE: Initially balanced, but had a somewhat bitter finish. There were also notes of malt and nuts.

      OVERALL IMPRESSION: Fell short of "I could drink this!"

      COMMENTS: "There is no big flavor here; It's smooth and malty; Pretty well balanced; Kind of like a Killian; A session beer; It's a pretty beer."

      SUGGESTED NAMES: Red Sun At Night; Scarlet O'Hara; Crimson Tide (continuing the Football theme).

Oktoberfest

An Oktoberfest in March is a rare thing indeed. But there it was and taste it we did.

      COLOR: Tended toward the golden side of amber.

      POUR: Less than a decent head, but nonetheless had a bit of a head with some lacing.

      AROMA: Fairly neutral - neither hoppy nor malty

      BODY: Medium

      TASTE: Primarily balanced, not overwhelmingly malty nor hoppy. There was a slight citrus-y hop note.

      OVERALL IMPRESSION: Again, didn't quite make it to "I could drink this!" Very similar to most of the Oktoberfests we reviewed in the fall.

      COMMENTS: "Basically it tastes like an Oktoberfest is supposed to taste; I don't really care for it - the problem is it's brewed too 'middle of the road' for me; Not a strong beer - makes me think of a wheat beer; Another good session beer; Hit the expected Oktoberfest notes."

      SUGGESTED NAMES: Calm Before the Storm Oktoberfest; Harvest Home; Harvest Moon; Winter's Edge Oktoberfest; All Hallows Festivus, Kick-Off Autumn Brew).

IPA

No surprise here: this was our favorite of the bunch. Justin had wanted to send a Rye IPA as well, but it had not finished in time much to our disappointment. 

      COLOR: Nice buckwheat/honey color.

      POUR: Decent head with big bubbles, semi-lingering lace.

      AROMA: Definitely could smell the hops

      BODY: Medium

      TASTE: Somewhere between balanced and hoppy bitterness. There is a bitter finish to this beer with notes of citrus-y grapefruit.

      OVERALL IMPRESSION: Can't Get Enough!

      COMMENTS: "Not a lingering hops taste, but a nice hops presence; Maybe the best beer he brews; The more of this I drink, the better I like it; I could drink this, actually; There is a fuller taste on the front of the beer than at the end."

      SUGGESTED NAMES: Blizzard of '66 IPA; Cold Front IPA; Lake Effect IPA; Ontario IPA; Nine Mile IPA; Atomic IPA; Nuclear IPA, Hale Mary IPA (what can I say, I like football.)

Oatmeal Stout

Our final H Block was a dessert beer of sorts, their oatmeal stout. One expects notes of malt, coffee, chocolate, toffee - a hearty dark beer.

      COLOR: Beautiful deep black and opaque

      POUR: Decent head with nice lacing

      AROMA: Caramel syrup/malt.

      BODY: Thick full.

      TASTE: Sweet, with notes of roasted malt and oatmeal.

      OVERALL IMPRESSION: I could drink this!

      COMMENTS: "Holds to form - very recognizable; Tastes like an oatmeal stout; Pretty good stout; Not an overly sweet finish; A little watery in the middle where you expect a fuller flavor."

      SUGGESTED NAMES: H Block Breakfast Stout; Storm Warning Stout; St. Lawrence Stout; Fort Ontario Stout; Whiteout Stout, Linebacker Stout.

Many thanks to H-Block Brewery for providing us with these samples. We hope our critiques are helpful. Our advice to our loyal readers is the same as always - support local craft brewers. Every one of these brews is better than what you will find on the shelves from the mega-brewers.

A Little Unfinished Business...

When we reviewed Scottish Ales in January, our friends at Leinenkugel had none available at the time. However, their limited release Wee Heavy Scotch Ale - part of their Big Eddy Series - was available in March and they kindly sent us some. This was the first of the 2012 Big Eddy series. It was a big beer to kick off March's meeting, but we were thirsty and up for the task.

Leinenkugel's Big Eddy Wee Heavy Scottish Ale

      COLOR: Unfiltered brown to mahogany

      POUR: Scant tan head with some lacing

      AROMA: Very malty

      BODY: Full and thick. It filled the mouth

      TASTE: Quite sweet. It is brewed with eight malts and grains. Lots of malt was noted, with some caramel, and a hint of cherry or other dark fruit.

      OVERALL IMPRESSION: "I could drink this!"

      COMMENTS: "This should be a winter beer; A good dessert beer; Definitely a good Scottish ale; Complex - hits a lot of the regions of the tongue."

UPCOMING...

Saranac's 4th Annual Prohibition Party - April 27th 6-9 PM. Tickets are $40 if purchased by April 20th ($45 after that). Half the price of the ticket is tax deductible as proceeds will benefit the St. Elizabeth Medical Center Foundation.

Admission includes:

-Saranac Beverages (worth the price of admission right there)

-Hors d'oeuvres

-a 1930's costume contest

-silent auction

-live entertainment: local musicians: Lawless, Strung Sideways, Crushing June, and Rocky Graziano

Up next: Double Bocks (or Doppelbocks)

Sláinte,

The BOTB Guys