Random Samplings

Hope we don't disappoint anyone, but we opted to forgo our yearly foray into Oktoberfests. After a couple of Octobers worth of sampling these annual brews we came to the conclusion that most of them are so similar that it turns into an act of futility to try to judge one against the other. Pretty much every craft brewer produces their version of an Oktoberfest, and to stay true to the style they are of necessity malty German Marzens. While Germany is known for many wonderful things...

 

...hoppy beer is not one of them. The other option would be to do an all pumpkin ale meeting, but we're not masochists. After all, part of the reason for this whole BOTB venture into beerdom is an excuse to drink good beer. One pumpkin ale a year for me is plenty; it's one too many for Ron.

In the end Ron came up with the idea of just bringing a beer you like, possibly one that is not a brewery's flagship beer. Ergo, we ended up with a mixed bag of brews. So this month we'll check out what the BOTB Guys had to say about a variety of beers, plus Ron and I checked out some beers brewed in Georgia and South Carolina on a trip South. 

But First, Let's Check in at Beer Camp

 I want to throw out a solid "Way to go!" to Sierra Nevada for their current Beer Camp mixed 12. As I've mentioned before, I'm not always a fan of the mixed 12 packs because invariably there is a beer or two that ends up languishing in your fridge because you tried it and found you weren't a fan. I have a lot of faith in Sierra Nevada, though, so I thought I'd give their Beer Camp a shot. The current configuration contains: Oatmeal Stout (Beer Camp # 45), Imperial Red Ale (Beer Camp #65), Imperial Pilsner (Beer Camp # 43), Floral IPA (Beer Camp #53).

I must say, there is not a loser in the bunch. None will linger in the fridge for long. 

The Imperial Pilsner (5.6% ABV) somehow manages to be both light and full flavored, with the Crystal and Pacifica hops jumping right out at you  to deliver a surprising hop hit right off. 

The Oatmeal Stout (9.0% ABV) tastes like you always hope a stout is going to taste: rich, complex, full-bodied, with a smooth mocha flavor. A delicious, toasty taste. Definitely not a session beer, but a great sipping beer.

The Imperial Red Ale (8.1% ABV) has a very solid hop profile with a nice grapefruit-hop taste balanced by a rich malt backbone.

The Floral IPA (5.9% ABV) is not an in-your-face hop bomb, but it is a very easy-drinking IPA with a nice hoppy opening and a good full-bodied, balanced taste overall. In a strange twist, the IPA is the session beer of the bunch.

I have to say, this is one of the better mixed 12 packs I've ever had. I'm a big fan of Sierra Nevada (though not a cheerleader for them as you'll see with our review of Brux!). In fact one of the better fall seasonals out there is their Tumbler. You can usually count on them to throw a few more hops in the mix than other breweries.

Notes on Some Southern Brews

Ron and I and our respective wives took a quick trip to Georgia and South Carolina recently. Originally scheduled to fly from the 'Cuse to NYC and then to Charleston, SC, we were able to, thanks to the foresight of my spouse who kept a sharp eye on the impending path of Hurricane Sandy, switch flights and connect through Atlanta instead of what was about to become the Soggy  Apple. We lost a day off our trip, but that beat spending the entire time in LaGuardia.

We did a whirlwind tour of Savannah, GA, Hilton Head, SC, and Charleston, SC. And Ron and I attempted to sample as many different beers from those states as we could. Below are the notes we took on the various brews we tried.

Palmetto Pale Ale (Palmetto Brewing, Charleston, SC): Tastes very similar to Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. 

Westbrook IPA (Westbrook Brewing Co., Mt. Pleasant, SC): Unfiltered, nice lacing, nice floral hoppy aroma, 60 IBUs, 6.9% ABV. Solid hops flavor.

Lowryeder Rye IPA (Sweetwater Brewing, Atlanta, GA): Similar to Hot Rod Rye by Bear Republic. Very nice - Simcoe hops give it a rich, grapefruit/pine taste in a very balanced IPA. Sweetwater won "Small Brewery of the Year" award. Their motto: "We're not here for a long time, we're here for a good time."

Terrapin Hopsecutioner IPA (Terrapin Brewery, Athens, GA): 7.3% ABV; 71 IBU; "You may lose your hop head over this one!" Made with six different hops (Warrior, Chinook, Centennial, Simcoe, Amarillo, Cascade). Great beer! Big time hop aroma and taste.

Then there were three from the Moon River brewing Company. The name comes from the song written by Johnny Mercer, a native son of Savannah.

Swamp Fox IPA (Moon River Brewing, Savannah, GA): 7% ABV, Floral Hop aroma, nice hop presence, slight salty taste that works

Captain's Porter (Moon River Brewing, Savannah, GA): 5.3% ABV, typical proter, chocolate and coffee. 

Slo-Vannah American Pale Ale (Moon River Brewing, Savannah, GA) 4% ABV, malted oats added gives it a roasty, caramel taste to balance a moderate hop profile. Tastes stronger than 4%.

WHAT THE BRUX?

We kicked off our session at Ron and Vicky's with a specialty brew co-produced Sierra Nevada and Russian River breweries. It's one of those "special" concoctions that come in fancy bottles with corks. Like it was a wine. And it's priced like a wine as well, at a rather steep $14 a 750 ml. bottle. It's called a domesticated wild ale, which is, according to Russian River's web site, "...an ale fermented with Belgian yeast, finished be a secondary bottle fermentation with Brettanomyces Bruxellensis." (Thus the name).

This is one of those beers that, if you're a Belgian fan, you would probably find interesting. If you're a hophead - not so much so. Here's the down and dirty:

Brux - Sierra Nevada and Russian River

THE BEER FACTS: A Belgian domesticated wild ale; 8.3% ABV

WHAT THE BREWER SAYS: See above quote

COLOR: Pale wheat

POUR: Quite heady especially on the initial pour - 1/2 beer 1/2 head

 

AROMA: Grassy, grainy

BODY: Light

TASTE: Spicy/sweet, coriander, carbonated

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS: Leave it on the shelf - especially at that price!

COMMENTS: "Tastes like Old Fezziwig; Nothing to write home about; Carbonated, I don't totally dislike it, but I wouldn't actively seek it out, especially at $14 a bottle; Summer ale taste."

YOU WONDERFUL BASTARD, YOU!

Several years ago, as I was just beginning to stretch my beer taste buds, I stumbled upon a 22 ounce bottle of a beer called "Arrogant Bastard." I read the back of the bottle and had to try it. I one of the boldest bits of salesmanship I've ever seen, the long diatribe on the back of the bottle admonishes you to put it back because you probably are not going to like it, especially if your idea of beer is the yellow fizzy stuff made by the big breweries. In essence, it says that you are not worthy of such a beer as the one you are holding in your hands. I loved the bravura, and I loved the beer. Stones Brewery makes big, bold, no bullshit beers. They do not try to cater to the middle. Even their lower octane brews such as Levitation Ale are loaded with flavor and hopping with hops. So imagine my surprise when I realized we have never actually included Arrogant Bastard in any of our tastings! We remedied that situation at our last meeting.

THE BEER FACTS: ABV 7.2% - HOPS: Classified

WHAT THE BREWER SAYS: "This is an aggressive ale. You probably won't like it. It is quite doubtful that you have the taste or sophistication to be able to apperciate an ale of this quality and depth. We would suggest that you stick to safer and more familiar territory - maybe something with a multi-million dollar ad campaign aimed at convincing you it's made in a little brewery, or one that implies that their tasteless fizzy yellow beverage will give you moer sex appeal. Perhaps you think mult-million dollar ad campaigns make things taste better. Perhaps you're mouthing you words as you read this. At Stone Brewing, we believe that pandering to the lowest common denominator represents the height of tyranny - a virtual form of keeping the consumer barefoot and stupid. Brought forth upon an unsuspecting public in 1997, Arrogant Bastard Ale openly challenged the tyrannical overlords who were brazenly attempting to keep Americans chained in the shackles of poor taste. As the progenitor of its style, Arrogant Bastard Ale has reveled in its uncompromising celebration of intensity. There have been many nods to Arrogant Bastard Ale...even outright attempts to copy it...but only one can ever embody the true nature of liquid Arrogance!"

COLOR: Brown

POUR: Decent head.

AROMA: Hops, citrus, malt

BODY: Between medium and full

TASTE: Nice bitter hops, with a nutty malty fullness. Bit of nice alcohol burn to it.

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS: Can't Get Enough!!

COMMENTS: "Just a truly great beer!; Like an oral orgasm; Tough to beat this beer, it's big and bold, but you can have a few as well; It just fills your mouth; This is the beer that really pulled me into the craft beer world."

A MAGICAL BEER 

MIDDLE AGES WIZARD'S WINTER ALE

THE BEER FACTS: ABV 6.8%; a British style strong ale

WHAT THE BREWER SAYS: "A hearty British style strong ale with a deep chestnut color. A warming elixir that's magically delicious."

COLOR: Deep Chestnut (brown)

POUR: Decent head

AROMA: Malty, English yeast

BODY: Medium

TASTE: Caramel malt, hint of lemon, pine, nutty.

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS: Can't get enough!

COMMENTS: "Nice malty winter drink; Fireplace beer; Nicely balanced and warming; Good kick-back-by-the-fire-on-a-cold-winter's-night beer; Really balanced, you're not hit in the face by any particular flavor."

A BEER WITH BITE

NOSFERATU - GREAT LAKES BREWING

THE BEER FACTS: ABV 8%; IBU 70; Imperial Red Ale; HOPS: Simcoe, Cascade; MALT: Harrington two row base malt, Crystal 77, Special Roast.

WHAT THE BREWER SAYS: "Like vampires (most especially the notorious German vampire from the 1920's film era) this beer has a bit of a reputation as 'the beer with the bite.'"

COLOR: Mahogany

POUR: Decent head

AROMA: Strong hoppy scent

BODY: Between medium and full

TASTE: Dark fruit, grapefruit, caramel, roasty, brown sugar

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS: Can't Get Enough!!

COMMENTS: "I could frickin' drink that!; Finishes very nicely; Good aftertaste; Grows on you; Lots of hops, but very complex as well."

GRINDSTONE GRINDS OUT A FALL BREW

GRINDSTONE BREWERY'S AUTUMN SEASONAL

THE BEER FACTS: ABV 6.5%; IBU 65

WHAT THE BREWER SAYS: "It's a harvest beer with a hop kick, using all cone hops."

COLOR: Mahogany

POUR: Decent head with staying power

AROMA: Hoppy and malty

BODY: Medium

TASTE: Balanced with a nice bready, roasty tasted countered by a grapefruit/floral hop presence.

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS: Can't Get Enough!

COMMENTS: "I could drink that!; Not an overpowering hoppy taste; After you swallow it, it tastes good for a long time; Really nicely balanced flavor, much more full-flavored than most Oktoberfests out there."  

 Next up - With more and more breweries producing holiday beers, we're going to devote the next two meeting to those annual brews.

Slante,

The BOTB Guys 

  

Some Rye Comments

Microbrew Mecca

The West Coast is the Mecca of Microbrews. Look, I'm an East Coast guy and love the terrific craft breweries on our side of the continent (as well as those in between), but I have to bow before the wonder that is the West Coast. California, Oregon, Washington. You would be hard-pressed to find a bar or restaurant that doesn't have at least a couple of good craft beers. The craft beer movement began on the West Coast and there is a sense of pride in this. Other parts of the country, you can walk into a restaurant and ask if they have a good IPA only to be greeted with a blank stare. On the West Coast the look you get is more along the lines of "Are you kidding? Of course!"

My wife and I just returned from a week in Los Gatos (a beautiful little town not far from San Francisco). Before we left I Googled craft breweries in and around San Francisco. The resulting search produced a bounty of amazing breweries: Anchor, 21st Amendment, Rogues, Pyramid, Lagunitas, Thirsty Bear, Speakeasy, Southern Pacific - to name a few. Breweries and brew pubs sprout up there like dandelions on a spring lawn.  Needless to say, I enjoyed some terrific beer.

SHERMAN ON THE MOUNT

The St. Ives Conundrum

As I was going to St. Ives
I met a man with seven wives;
Each wife had seven sacks;
Each sack had seven cats;
Each cat had seven kits;
Kits, Cats, Sacks and Wives
How many were going to St. Ives?

The answer, as many of us know, is "one." Only "I" was going to St. Ives and along the way crossed paths with this group headed in the other direction. Unless...

-What if the narrator, walking alone, overtook this rather unwieldy group also headed to St. Ives. Well, in that case the number would be 2,802 (unless you don't count the narrator or the "man with seven wives" since the last two lines reference only "Kits, cats sacks and wives." In this case it would be 2,800). Or...

-Is the answer 2? The narrator merely said he met a man who had seven wives. He does not say that the wives and their various accouterments were on the road with him at that time. Or perhaps...

-The answer is zero. How so? Look again at the last two lines. The narrator references only the kits, cats, sacks and wives. If they are heading away from St. Ives then none of those mentioned are going to St. Ives. And yet...

-Could the answer be 2,752?  After all, sacks are not living entities. Or maybe...

-Nine is the answer. Is the narrator referring only to humans? (or seven if you apply the principle referenced twice earlier).

Facts are Stubborn, but Statistics are More Pliable - Mark Twain



The point of the above exercise is to point out how language and statistics can be manipulated to say pretty much whatever you want them to say. This manipulation of language and the use of statistics ("There are lies, damned lies and statistics" -also Mark Twain) have long been the tools of the trade for Madison Avenue. The advertising industry, once some level of government oversight was created, realized that outright lies wouldn't fly anymore and sought ways of making claims without really making them. Using questionable statistics continues to be right up there among the favorite ploys. "Special Morning - 33% more nutrition." More nutrition than what? A bag of M&M's? A box of rocks? Doesn't say. It's a classic example of an unfinished claim coupled with fishy statistics.

So when Miller Beer claims to be "triple hopped" what exactly does that mean? Well this is a great example of combining statistics with what is known as the "water is wet" claim. This particular bit of sneaky advertising makes a claim that sounds like it is exclusive to that particular brand, but in fact is true with virtually all brands. A great example was the old Folger's Coffee claim of being "mountain grown." The ads made it sound like this was an attribute unique to Folgers when, in fact, ALL coffees are mountain grown - that's where coffee beans grow best.

So when Miller makes their "triple hopped" claim (a claim that is a running joke among craft beer aficianados) what they are saying is that they are doing with Miller what pretty much all brewers do with all beers, have three hop additions: one for bittering, one for flavor and one for aroma.

It sounds like they are saying that there is three times the hops as some other beers. Yet Miller has an IBU barely out of the single digits (12) and anyone who knows beer knows that IBU's are related to hops. So theoretically, you could use a single hop flower in 100 barrels of beer, run the beer through it three times and call it triple hopped.

SOME RYE COMMENTS

"Sometimes when I reflect on all the beer I drink, I feel ashamed. Then I look into the glass and think about the workers in the brewery and all of their hopes and dreams. If I didn't drink this beer, they might be out of work and their dreams would be shattered. I think, 'It is better to drink this beer and let their dreams come true than be selfish and worry about my liver."  

                                                                       -Babe Ruth

Thought I'd give Sox fans (Dan)
equal time.

Alas, finding a day for our monthly BOTB meeting which accommodates seven guys with seven wives is often a daunting undertaking. Negotiating around work, trips, weddings, family obligations and holidays to pick the ideal weekend for a meeting where all and sundry can attend sometimes is just not possible. All of us at one time or another over the last couple of years have been unable to attend a meeting. This month it was Ron, our intrepid record keeper. As a result I had to do double duty - both compiling the information and writing the blog. Woe is me. Ron we miss ye.

But soldier on, we must. This month we finally accumulated enough Rye IPAs to put together a worthwhile competition. So without further ado, let's start off with...

BEAR REPUBLIC HOP ROD RYE

THE BEER FACTS: Style: Rye IPA; 8% ABV; 80 IBU;  Brewed with 18% rye malt; High gravity IPA

WHAT THE BREWER SAYS: Hop Rod Rye has a floral hop aroma and subtle caramel notes with a slightly earthy and spicy rye character.

POUR: Decent head

COLOR: Amber

AROMA: Floral hoppiness

BODY: Full

TASTE: Nice bitter hoppy finish. Grapefruit with a nutty, malty balance that gives this a rich, somewhat complex character.

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS: Oh, yeah! Can't Get Enough.

COMMENTS: "Oh, that is good; We should only review IPAs; You know how to improve on this? A bigger bottle!; This is GOOD beer; Worth opening another; You can't beat it!"

"I feel sorry for people who don't drink. When they wake up in the morning, that's as good as they're going to feel all day."
                                                       -Lyndon B. Johnson

WOOKEY JACK

FIRESTONE WALKER BREWERY

THE BEER FACTS: Style: Unfiltered black rye IPA; 8.3 ABV; 80 IBU; Color 45; MALTS: Pale, Malted Rye: dash of Cara-rye, Midnight wheat from Briess, De-bittered black malt, Dash of Wookey dust!; HOPS: German Magnum, citra and Amarillo.

WHAT THE BREWER SAYS: Rich, dark malts and spicy rye careen into bold, citrus laden hops creating a new dimension in IPA flavor.  At 80 IBU, Wookey Jack is gnarly on the outside yet complex and refined on the inside.

POUR: Near Guinness class - thick and rich

COLOR: Deep mahogany - almost black. Unfiltered. 

AROMA: Cascade hop piney

BODY: Toward the full/rich end of the spectrum

TASTE: Big citrus hop flavor with a nutty and malty backbone.

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS: Can't get enough!

COMMENTS: "I get a nice hop right off the bat, then a malty finish; I COULD DRINK THAT!; That is one gorgeous head; Firestone Walker has an impressive lineup; That Wookey Dust must be the secret to this beer; I could drink this beer all night long; Ron, it's a damn shame you're not getting any Wookey - after all, a growler opened is a growler drunk!"


"When I read about the evils of drinking, I give up reading."
                                                                         -Paul Hornung

RICH AND DAN'S  RYE IPA

HARPOON BREWERY

THE BEER FACTS: Style: Rye IPA; 6.9% ABV; 70 IBU; Color - 28 EBC; MALTS: Pale, Rye, Caramel 60, Flaked Rye, Vienna; HOPS: Centennial, Chinook, Falconer's Flight.

WHAT THE BREWER SAYS: "This beer is brewed with hops, a variety of malts, our proprietary yeast - the same yeast we've used since first brewing Harpoon Ale - and more hops. A lot more hops."

POUR: A little better than decent head 

COLOR: Golden, hazy, unfiltered

AROMA: Fruity, citrus-y, spicy rye aroma.

BODY: We placed it a bit beyond medium bodied.

TASTE: The most balanced thus far, leaning toward the hoppy/bitter end a bit. Strong malty, nutty middle mellows out the hops. Finishes with a grapefruit, citrus after taste.

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS: Can't Get Enough.

COMMENTS: "It's good, but it's not the Hop Rod or Wookey; It's a lot lighter in color than the others; I get no strong aroma of hop in this one; I like this so much better than Harpoon's regular IPA; It's a little more balanced than the others we've had; More of a session beer than the other two; This is a scary beer because you can drink a lot of it because it is very smooth."

"When we drink, we get drunk. When we get drunk, we fall asleep. When we fall asleep, we commit no sin. When we commit no sin, we go to heaven. So, let's all get drunk and go to heaven!"

                                                                           -George Bernard Shaw

FOUNDERS RED RYE P.A.

THE BEER FACTS: Style: Rye IPA; 6.6% ABV; 70 IBU; MALTS: four imported Belgian caramel malts, rye malt; HOPS: Amarillo

WHAT THE BREWER SAYS: "Serious hop bitterness, along with an unyielding grapefruit bouquet from the Amarillo dry hop, balances the malty richness of four imported Belgian caramel malts."

POUR: Better than decent tan head.

COLOR: Unfiltered crimson.

AROMA: Big grapefruit/citrus aroma

BODY: Between medium and full.

TASTE: Way out there on the bitter end of the scale with a strong grapefruit/hop taste balanced by a nutty, malty background.

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS: CAN'T GET ENOUGH!

COMMENTS: "The color's great!; Nice lace; It's got a deliciously hoppy bite; The rye imparts a softness to the finish; It's not as hopped up as the Hot Rod; Similar to Cascazilla."

"You can't have a real country unless you have a beer and an airline. It helps if you have some kind of a football team, or some nuclear weapons, but at the very least you need a beer."

                                                                   -Frank Zappa

SARANAC RYE IPA

THE BEER FACTS: Style: Rye IPA; 5.95% ABV; MALTS: Two-row, Rye; HOPS: Hallertau, Saaz

WHAT THE BREWER SAYS: "An IPA with a wry twist, Saranac Rye IPA is an aggressively hopped brew sure to take your taste buds on an adventure. We've stepped away from the mold of typical IPAs and selected premium rye malt and a unique mix of spicy hops. Look for a crisp, brazen finish." 

POUR: Not much of a head, some residual lacing.

COLOR: Pale wheat color.

AROMA: More malty than hoppy.

BODY: Somewhat less than medium.

TASTE: Halfway between balanced and bitter. Citrus notes with a light malt underpinning.

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS: I could drink this.

COMMENTS: "Tastes like their pilsner; Real bitter finish; We drank this out of order - should have started with this; A lighter beer by far than the others; Not impressed with it; Almost a lager; Not a very complex beer."

"Not all chemicals are bad. Without chemicals such as hydrogen and oxygen, for example, there would be no way to make water, a vital ingredient in beer."
                                                                    -Dave Barry

THE FINAL SCORE ON THE RYES

This was another of those BOTB meetings where we couldn't go wrong. All of these beers were very tasty and would be excellent additions to anyone's refrigerator. Having said that, however, we did generally prefer some of them over others. Each of us listed the beers 1-5 from our favorite to our least favorite. I then tallied the score and, as in golf, low score won. The final results were as follows:

Top choice was a tie between Bear Republic Hop Rod Rye and Firestone Walker's Wookey Jack. All six of us placed these as either our number one or number two choice. This was followed by Founder's Red's Rye IPA. It received 5 out of 6 third place votes. Harpoon got the other third place, and it came in fourth. Saranac was a unanimous fifth place. It's a fine beer, but in terms of complexity and big taste it just paled in comparison to the others.

"Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy."

                                                                  -Benjamin Franklin

A COUPLE FOR THE ROAD

We also had the opportunity to check out a couple of special brews sent to us by our friends at Sam Adams. Herewith is our evaluation of those.

VERLOREN GOSE

THE BEER FACTS: Style: Gose (unfiltered wheat ale); 6% ABV; 15 IBU; MALTS: Samuel Adams two-row pale malt blend, Munich, malted and unmalted wheat; HOPS: Saaz Noble hops; SPECIAL INGREDIENTS: Coriander and salt.

WHAT THE BREWER SAYS: "A link to the ales of Saxony that have all but vanished, Verloren (translating to 'lost') is a peculiar yet captivating brew.The Gose style with its base of an unfiltered wheat ale is light and refreshing yet also has a softness to it. Verloren's flavor is brought to life by an unexpected touch of salt for a mineral quality, and coriander for a peppery spice."

POUR: Good solid head with staying power.

COLOR: Unfiltered honey color.

AROMA: Flowery

BODY: A bit less than medium

TASTE: Tends toward the sweet end with hints of citrus, lemon, yeast, wheat and coriander.

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS: Halfway between "leave it on the shelf" and "I could drink this"

COMMENTS: "Snappy; A taste of lemon; You can taste the coriander, but not overpowering; I guess I can see the salt; A boat beer; Nice change of pace; Definitely a wheat summer beer - deck beer; I'd drink it if I was at Dan's and it was all he had."

"To some it's a six-pack, to me it's a support group in cans!"

                                                                -Leo Durocher

NORSE LEGEND FINNISH SAHTI

THE BEER FACTS: Style: Sahti (a Nordic ale); 7% ABV; 16 IBU; MALTS: Samuel Adams two-row pale malt blend, rye, Special B, Aromatic malt; HOPS: Hallertau Mittelfrueh Noble hops; COLOR: 30 SRM.

WHAT THE BREWER SAYS: "Deep amber in color, this rugged brew's distinctive aroma comes from aging on a bed of juniper berries. The herbal, woodsy and ripe citrus character of the juniper enlivens a sturdy and smooth malt background for a fresh and flavorful brew."

POUR: Almost a Guinness class head.

COLOR: Unfiltered deep copper to brown

AROMA: Somewhat sweet almost a caramel aroma

BODY: Full

TASTE: Toward the sweet end of the spectrum: malty, bready, nutty, hints of toffee and yeast.

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS: Partway between "I could drink this" and "Can't get enough."

COMMENTS: "Boy it dances in your mouth; A lot like a Baltic Porter; Woodsy - that's what I'm getting; I like it; The more I drink it, the better I like it; Nice winter evening beer; Fireplace beer; A rich beer."


Next up we go a bit wild card as we choose brews from various breweries other than their flagship beers. I'm thinking there may be an IPA or two in the mix. Just sayin'...

Sláinte,
The BOTB Guys





Autumn Adams

SHERMAN ON THE MOUNT

A Little Faux Mellencamp

Went to buy beer in a small town;

There's no craft brew in this small town;

No IPA .in my small home town;

Just lots a' Bud and Miller beer.

If I want good beer in this small town;

Need to drive miles from my ol' small town;

My beer money goes to some other big town;

Wish I could spend it here.

I do, in fact, live in a small town, and running to the local Big M to pick up a six of something good is, shall we say, problematic. The Big M has a nice, big walk-in beer cooler, so you would think that there would be plenty of room for a few good beers. But, once they have set aside room for Bud in: 30 packs, 24 packs, 12 packs, 6 packs, 12 ounce bottles, 12 ounce cans, 22 ounce bottles, various light versions with and without lime, not to mention various sizes, shapes and styles of Michelob (pricey Bud) and Busch (cheapo Bud), there is barely enough room left to squeeze in the mandatory Miller, Coors, Pabst varieties. There's usually a brief nod to foreign beers (Guinness, Becks). But craft beers? Well, there's Sam Adams Lager and usually Magic Hat No. 9 Not Quite Pale Ale.

But try to find an IPA. No way. A stout other than Guinness? You wish. A Porter? That's a tall order.There are lagers and light ales by the dozens. But other than a couple of flagship beers some of the larger craft brewers, there's nothing.
Now, none of this is new. I've bitched about it before ad infinitum as any reader of this blog knows. But I got thinking of the concept of "flagship" brews. Most breweries have what they consider their bread-and-butter beer. It's usually the one that got them on the map. Or it's their best seller. But is it their best beer? Below, strictly for the sake of debate, I've listed a number of breweries, their flagship beer, and then what I humbly consider a superior brew produced by them. This is strictly 100% subjective. The breweries chosen are fairly random ones which had a flagship brew that sort of jumped out at you. You are welcome to jump into the fray with your own examples or refute those I have selected. Of course, my preferences will lean heavily toward the hoppy.

SAM ADAMS

Flagship: Sam Adams Lager

 For a straight-up lager - it blows away the big brewery's lagers. There's no comparison. Just place it side-by-side next to any of the macro-brew lagers - it's darker, richer looking, with a thick, full off-white head that has some staying power. And the flavor is vastly superior (meaning that there actually IS flavor) with a decent if not extraordinary hop presence.    

Better Adams: Latitude 48 IPA

An exceptional and surprisingly affordable IPA. Well balanced but with a good hop kick to it. 

SIERRA NEVADA

Flagship: Sierra Nevada Pale Ale

Oftentimes a lifesaver in a restaurant or bar. It may well be the only decent beer available. It's tough to find a S-N beer that isn't good. Their pale ale is hoppier than many and is a classic West Coast Pale Ale. Terrific session beer. 

Better S-N: Ruthless Rye

I must admit, I've become a fan of Rye IPA's lately. Anything but pale, Ruthless Rye is a seasonal brew that you wish was year-round. The rye adds a complexity to a well-hopped brew. 

MAGIC HAT

Flagship: No. 9 Not Quite Pale Ale

Not quite a fan of this beer that seems to crop up all over. Apparently it's very popular as they never "retire" it like they do some of their others. It has a strong taste of apricot and wheat. I've seen it said that it makes a good introductory beer for someone not used to craft beers. Maybe. I have yet to find anyone who really likes this beer. Macro-brew drinkers won't go there and craft brew aficionados view it as a light-weight. 

Better Hat (by far): hI.P.A.

A much superior brew. At 70 IBUs it has a nice hop bitterness.

MIDDLE AGES

Flagship: Syracuse Pale Ale

A classic English style Pale Ale, more malt than hop. A very good session beer, but...

Better Middle: The Duke of Winship

A neat hybrid of Scotch Ale and English Porter. The Porter has a nice way of taking the sharp edge typical of Scotch Ales, creating a mellow brew with a complex, malty taste.

GREAT LAKES

Flagship: Dortmunder Gold

The beer that Great Lakes was built on, it's a golden lager with a kiss of hops.

Better Lake: Nosferatu Imperial Red Ale

A big, bold interesting brew. Powerfully hopped yet very balanced. 

GUINNESS

Flagship: Guinness Stout

Okay, so Guinness is not in any sense of the word a craft brewery. It is a world-wide brewer, and Guinness Stout is becoming nearly as ubiquitous as Budweiser. But since Guinness Stout is sort of the epitome of the style, I thought I'd include it here. For all the hoopla, Guinness Stout is a very easy-drinking, mild, malty beverage. 

Better Guinness

Guinness Foreign Extra

It's essentially a hopped up version of their stout. A few years ago they came out with Guinness 250 to celebrate 250 years of brewing. That beer was similar to this and was more popular in the US than in Ireland. 250 was a limited release and is no longer available, but Foreign Extra has been around for about 200 years and shows no sign of vanishing. While I enjoy a Guinness Stout now and then as a change of pace, I really like the Foreign Extra, though it is much more difficult to find.

DOGFISH HEAD

Flagship: 60 Minute IPA

A nice, inoffensive IPA. It won't hit you in the face with hops so it makes a good sort of entry-level IPA.

Better Dog: Indian Brown Ale

The obvious choice here would have been the 90 Minute or 120 Minute, but I decided to go in a different direction here with their Indian Brown Ale. It's a brown ale with hops for a kind of brown ale/IPA hybrid. 

STONE BREWING COMPANY

Flagship: Arrogant Bastard

"This is an aggressive ale. You probably won't like it. It is quite likely that you don't have the taste or sophistication to be able to appreciate an ale of this quality and depth. We would suggest that you stick to safer and more familiar territory - maybe something with a multi-million dollar ad campaign..." With those words printed boldly on their bottle, Stone Brewing fired a shot across the bow of the mega-brewers and challenged the American beer drinkers to strap on a pair and delve into the world of bold beers. Go here: http://www.stonebrew.com/arrogantbastard/ if you've never read the entire statement - it's a brilliant bit of  reverse psychology/mission statement/in-your-face-Budweiser promotion.

Better Stone: Arrogant Bastard

Come on. Tough to beat that ol' Bastard. However, you might want to try their version of "light" - Levitation Ale. The best low-alcohol (4.4%) beer I've ever had - amazingly hoppy and complex. 

NOSTALGIA JUST AIN'T WHAT IT USED TO BE

We kicked off our latest BOTB meeting with a bit of nostalgia. We opened the session with Genesee 12 Horse Ale. Dan provided us with some of those short retro-style bottles of this beer from our collective youths. Genesee Brewing is one of those regional breweries (Northeast) that survived the battle of the megabrews that decimated many of the smaller breweries through the '60's and '70's and into the '80's before the emergence of the micro-brews. It's a funny thing with regional companies: people either retain a fierce loyalty to their product inspired by pride of place, or else there is sort of self-loathing view that anything local and small can't possibly be very good. Genesee Beer has always had a loyal following; to the point that people who moved out of state routinely have cases shipped to them. On the other hand, there are those who loathed the beer which, really, was pretty much the same as every other American beer pre-craft beer times. 

So who had the Clydsdales first?

But Genny also produced some interesting brews other than their flagship Genesee Beer. One of them was 12 Horse Ale. And tipping one of those took us all on a nice trip down memory lane. 12 Horse was a bit different from Bud and the other Bud wanna' be's of the time. We didn't rate this beer or any of the other "palate cleansers" we enjoyed prior to the Sam Adams selections du jour. But our intrepid club recorder, Ron, did dutifully jot down some of the comments regarding the 12 Horse. To whit: "It's a good golf cart beer; It really takes me back; Has a clean finish; Not bad; There is no after-taste; It makes one awash with reminiscence; I had a Bud the other day, and this is better." Ron kindly did not divulge who had the Bud, but I must come clean. It was, alas, yours truly. One of those situations where I was a guest and it was the only beer. It would have been rude not to partake. But seriously, what a boring beer!

SAY GOODBYE TO SUMMER

WITH SAM ADAMS FALL LINEUP

Sam's sent us a few autumn selections this month, so it's time to leave those fruity summer ales behind and checkout the bounty of heartier, mostly malty brews that come with the changing of the leaves. (Thanks to Ron Walter for the above photo taken at Selkirk Shores.) 

             SAM ADAMS FAT JACK DOUBLE PUMPKIN ALE

THE BEER FACTS: Awesome label: a somewhat wrinkled, pudgy, pale pumpkin face with a sinister expression. 8.5% ABV; 25 IBUs; Color 25 SRM; Malts - Sam Adams 2 row malt blend, rye, special B, smoked malt; Hops - East Kent Golding, Fuggles; Other Stuff - Pumpkin, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice

WHAT THE BREWER SAYS: "Pleasantly plump and satisfied. This rich and luscious brew indulges in flavor with over 28 lbs. of pumpkin per barrel, for a full bodied sweetness and deep russet color."

POUR: Beautiful, foamy effervescent head the color of creamed coffee

COLOR: Antique walnut

AROMA: Caramel-ly

BODY: Medium to full

TASTE: Sweet, with notes of spices, smoke, toffee, and coffee

OVERALL IMPRESSION: "I Could Drink This!" (Though opinions - as noted below - varied greatly.)

COMMENTS: "Nice color and nice, creamy head; This could rewrite pumpkin beers; I kind of like it; They didn't disguise it enough - it still tastes like pumpkin beer; I would rather they used the pumpkins in pies; If this was the last beer served at my friends house, I would drink it; Dark porter taste with pumpkin; There seems to be little or no cloves or coriander taste, which is good in my opinion; It is more like a malty porter; It is a lot less sweet than last year's pumpkins; It is more beer-like than any other pumpkin beer I've ever had; If you put enough alcohol in it, you can even drink pumpkin beers."

SAM ADAMS OCTOBERFEST

Not our first time with this brew. We included it last year in our Oktoberfest tasting. New label though. Nice!  Samuel Adams gave us food pairings to accompany their Octoberfest. They suggested sausage. Yes, sausage! Come on - what doesn't go with sausage? I could (almost) drink a Bud with sausage. Oktoberfests are a German Marzaan style, so nothing says German like processed meat. 

THE BEER FACTS: 5.3% ABV; 15 IBUs; Malts: Sam Adams two-row malt blend, Munich -10, Caramel 60; Hops: Tettnang Tettnanger, Hallertau Mitterfrau Nobel Hops; Yeast: Sam Adams lager yeast

WHAT THE BREWER SAYS: "Samuel Adams Octoberfest has a rich, deep reddish amber hue which itself is reflective of the season. ...Octoberfest masterfully blends together five roasts of malt to create a delicious harmony of sweet flavors including caramel and toffee."

POUR: A better than decent head, slightly off color ecru

COLOR: Copper

AROMA: Malty

BODY: A bit less than medium

TASTE: More toward sweet than balanced, with strong notes of malt

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS: A somewhat indifferent "I could drink this."

COMMENTS: "Nice label' It's on tap at the Hot Spot in Sackett's Harbor and at Ruby Tuesday's; It really isn't much; Hey, it's refreshing; It's a malty marzen; It's pretty weak; Not a bad Oktoberfest; It's very drinkable; The Tasman Red would have been a much better and braver choice; It's a good example of the style; It's a little better than most Oktoberfests."

SAM ADAMS HAZEL BROWN

Next up: Hazel Brown from Sam Adam's Harvest Variety Pack. The label is, again, very pleasing. One might expect the usual nut brown ale, but the first whiff and the first taste tell you otherwise. This is a beer that tastes, not of fruit, but nuts (as the name implies). Ron reminisced about his in-laws' hazelnut trees, saying, "Yeah, that's the taste." Whether that's the taste you want in your beer or not is a matter of, well, personal taste. Nuts are great to eat with beer no matter what. 

THE BEER FACTS: 5.2% ABV; 20 IBUs; COLOR: 28 SRM; MALT: Samuel Adams two-row malt blend, Caramel 60, Dingeman's biscuit, Paul's Roasted Barley; HOPS: Hallertau Mittlefrueh Nobel Hops, East Kent Goldings.

WHAT THE BREWER SAYS: "In honor of the fall hazelnut harvest, we brew this flavorful nut brown ale. Its distinct hazelnut aroma and taste are accentuated by slightly sweet caramel and toffee malt notes. Medium in body, it finishes smooth with an underlying spiciness, making it a great choice for the fall."

POUR: Less than a decent head, not as pronounced as the others

COLOR: A nice looking brown

AROMA: Hazelnuts

BODY: Despite the claim by SA that it was medium, we felt it was pretty full, filling the mouth.

TASTE: Sweet with notes of toffee, a little caramel, and definitely hazelnuts.

OVERALL IMPRESSION: It fell somewhere between "leave it on the shelf" and "I could drink this."  Opinions varied according to one's tolerance for the taste of hazelnuts in beer.

COMMENTS: "It tastes like hazelnut coffee; It looks better than it tastes; Drink this before the Octoberfest; It has a bitter, clean finish; It's very different for a brown; If you're not fond of the hazelnut taste, you might not like it."

SAM ADAMS IRISH RED

It's kind of fun to revisit a beer to see what we now think of it, or see how the brewer may have tweaked the recipe a bit. And sometimes it's just a matter of what beer you had before. We checked out Irish Red when we were looking at Irish beers. It fared fairly well against other beers of its ilk.

THE BEER FACTS: 5.8% ABV; 25 IBUs; COLOR: 30 SRM; MALTS: Sam Adams 2-row malt blend, caramel 60; HOPS: East Kent Golding, English Fuggles; Hallertau Mittlefrueh Nobel Hops; YEAST: Samuel Adams ale yeast

WHAT THE BREWER SAYS: "The gentle rains and fertile soil of Ireland helped inspire this style of ale, known for being remarkably balanced. Pale and caramel malts give Samuel Adams Irish red its rich, deep red color and distinctive caramel flavor. The sweetness of the malt is pleasantly balanced by an earthy character from the East Kent Goldings hops. Samuel Adams Irish Red finishes smooth and leaves you wanting to take another sip."

POUR: Nice lace, good off-white head

COLOR: Red/brown/mahogany

AROMA: Yeasty/bready

BODY; Medium

TASTE: Midway between balanced and sweet with strong notes of yeast and bread

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS: "I could drink this!:

COMMENTS: "It has a bit of a bitter finish; A nice red; It kicks Killian's ass - it has a lot more hops; This is a nice red; It would be great on St. Patty's Day."

SAMUEL ADAMS CREAM STOUT

THE BEER FACTS: 4.9% ABV; 28 IBU; MALT: Samuel Adams 2-row pale malt blend; malted wheat, roasted unmalted barley, chocolate malt, caramel 60; HOPS: East Kent Goldings and English Fuggles; YEAST: Samuel Adams ale yeast

WHAT THE BREWER SAYS: Samuel Adams Cream Stout is a true cream stout, balancing body and sweetness, with the natural spiciness of grain and hand selected English hops. Our brewers use generous portions of roasted chocolate and caramel malts as well as roasted unmalted barley to impart a fullness of body, a roasty malt character and rich, creamy head. "

POUR:  Very nice, chocolate milk head

COLOR: Very dark to pitch black

AROMA: Chocolate, coffee, and sweet

BODY: Full, thick - filled the mouth

TASTE: There is a deep roast on the malt; sweet and a tasted of burnt cocoa

OVERALL IMPRESSION: Strong opposing opinions on this one so that the final verdict landed somewhere between "I could drink this!" and "Leave it on the shelf." 

COMMENTS: "It IS creamy; It's a one-glass kind of beer; It would make a good dessert beer for chocolate cake and ice cream."

Before we leave Sam, we have to comment on their specially designed glasses again. They seem to make every pour a Guinness- like event. It was noted that no longer would you need the nitrogen to get such a pretty and unique pour. Many thanks to Sam Adams (again) for their beers and their glasses. As has been said before: "They just do beer right!"

THIS AND THAT

We enjoyed a number of "palate cleanser" beers (otherwise known as "just drink 'em" beers) which we did not rate. They were a random selection brought in by each BOTB member. They included: Middle Ages 17th Anniversary Session IPA, Pyramid Outburst IPA, Great Lakes Burning River Pale Ale, Stone's Arrogant Bastard, Grindstone Brewery's latest summer ale. A few thoughts from random members:

Middle Ages 17th Anniversary Session IPA: : It smells as good as it tastes; It's one of the better tasting lighter (alcohol-wise) IPAs; It reminds me of Stone's Levitation - amazing hoppy flavor in a moderate alcohol beer; I'll tell you what - that's a good beer; What a pleasant surprise."

Pyramid Outburst IPA: "It's one more bite up from the Thunderhead; Nice hops; It's a really nice beer; I like that Outburst - I'll tell you."

Burning River: "That's a great pale ale; It's a big beer; This is good!"

Stone's Arrogant Bastard: "You can't beat that Bastard; They have a right to be arrogant; Stone makes some damn good beer."

Grindstone Brewery: "Oh, yeah; That's what I'm talkin' about; I've had bad home brew, I've had good home brew, this is great home brew - this could compete with a lot of the craft brewers out there."

We'll leave you with a few shots of open mic day at Riley's - after our tastings so everyone sounded amazing!

Next month we take a look at Ryes!

Sláinte!
The BOTB Guys