The Beer Tap

A change in direction

18 months or so since the last post.  Amazing how busy life can get.  During that time I also began to realize that I will never be able to keep up with all of latest news, trends, new releases, etc.  Especially not as well as many of the other blogs out there.  So tonight, I am announcing a slight re-branding and re-launch of this blog.  I have been drinking beer for 15 years now.  And there is still so much about this fantastic beverage that I do not know.  (Granted I have to write off 5 of those years since I was in college, but that is a whole different story.)  All those years of beer drinking and still things I do not know?  Yeah...beer has so many dimensions including those beyond the senses.  Plus there are still breweries I have not visited.  Beers I have not tried.  Tasting skills I have not mastered. 

So tonight I sit here drinking a bomber of Three Floyds Dreadnaught I brought back from Chicago and I am inspired to get back to recording beer through my eyes.  I am re-purposing this blog.  Taking it back to one of the original reasons I started it in fact.  From here on out this is all about my journey through beer.  This is my outlet to capture my thoughts, learnings, impressions, and opinions.  Shared with all of you.  My friends, family, and random internet acquaintances. 

Here's to sharing a few great beers together!

Back in the brew house!

This weekend I will finally get back to home brewing for the first time since June/July of last year.  I am lucky enough to be off Friday and have an extra vacation day that I am taking Monday.  I figured there is no better way to start a long weekend than to brew up one of my best IPA recipes.  I think I will try to blog along the way to share all the mishaps and funny stories.  Learning to brew in a new place always leads to some sort of issue.  Broken hoses, wrong fittings, learning how to elevate 180 degree water...I am pretty sure I will really miss my old house along the way! 

Of course it wouldn't be much of a brew day without having some good beer around to sip on.  Since the kegs have been dry for near forever I will have to venture out to a store.  That should lead to a few more posts...if anyone is still reading!  Plus I have an idea for another post that details one benefit of drinking American lagers for an extended period.  Tune in for all the details!

A cold day brings me back

It has officially been forever since my last post.  Three months to the day to be exact.  Rest assured I have not stopped drinking beer during that time!  Work took over most of my personal life including time to seek out new beers and to keep up with the news.  In short review...new beers were released, hops are in short supply, prices are rising, and a few breweries were purchased.  And I think that gets us caught up.

Lately we have had a little bit of cooler weather here in Florida (below 60...burrrrr)which has made me crave a darker, full flavored, malty beer.  For some reason I always have this craving during the colder months.  Probably a matter of conditioning since a lot of breweries release porters, stouts, barley wines, and winter ales around that time.  Plus its hard to put down a heavy, high alcohol beer when its really hot out.  It can be done but I remember a particularly bad experience knocking down barley wine on a 85 degree day in Hawaii.

With the goal of satisfying my craving, I hopped in my car and was off to one of the near by convenience stores that happens to have a great selection of singles and 22 ouncers.  I stocked up on a few Belgians, Avery Hog Heaven, Lagunitas Maximus, and a Brooklyn Winter Ale.  About the best I could do without venturing out a little further.

First up is the Brooklyn Winter Ale.  This winter ale is a Scottish Ale made with floor malted Maris Otter malt, English crystal malts, Belgian aromatic malt, American roasted malts, and American oats.  Floor malting is a process where the barley is germinated on the floor of a large room before being roasted as opposed to in a vessel.  This is an old technique that is also utilized when making Scotch.  So how do all these malts come together?  Here are my thoughts: 

• Appearance: Copper color with a hint more red; Low head with only a small amount of tan foam hanging on to the side of the glass
• Aroma: Lightly roasted malt, toasted bread like aromas, little to no hop aroma
• Taste: Nice up front malt flavor; Nutty; Roasted sweetness lingers gently without overpowering; Very clean finish; Tight carbonation with medium body
• 6% ABV
• 16.5 degrees Plato

Overall, this was a very enjoyable beer with a good malt focus.  The Brooklyn Winter Ale is well balanced and never overly sweet.  As far as winter ales or winter warmers go, this is definitely a milder beer.  However, that in no way is a bad thing.  Definitely what I have come to expect from the Brooklyn Brewery...balanced, classic flavors. 

Giving Thanks for Beer

Has it really been 3 weeks since my last post?  Work has been a 7 day a week thing up until the recent Thanksgiving holiday.  I've found time to drink a few beers along the way, but not the time to take notes and comment.  So when I traveled to Kentucky last weekend I was on a mission to taste a few new brews and get a post up.  All of my family always enjoys good food, wine, liquor, and beer when we get together for the holidays.  I knew I would have plenty of people to help me work through a number of large bottles and multi-packs.  However, I was worried that Kentucky, the home of Bourbon, might not offer the best craft/micro beer selection even if I was going to be in the larger city of Louisville.  Enter Liquor Barn to the rescue.  My brother and I walked into this behemoth of a store and I knew we had a good shot of finding a few new brews along with a couple of my favorites to share.  As one aunt called it when we got back to the house...Toys-R-Us for adults.  She was spot on with that analogy!  A row of imports and a row of crafts.  Stone, Dogfish, Avery, Flying Dog, and many more.  I loaded the cart with a mix of everything but focused on making sure I picked up a few that I knew would please.  Here's what we opened and tried through out the day:

• Avery Thirteen - A Weizen Dopplebock full of malt sweetness (22 oz)
• Avery Maharaja - An Imperial IPA jam packed with hops (22 oz)
• Bell's Double Cream Stout - One of my all time favorite stouts and a model for one of my own home brew recipes (6 pack bottles)
• Stone Arrogant Bastard - A beer that helped send me down the current path of beer obsession (22 oz)
• Stone IPA - Left over from a recent trip to see my mom, Refrigeration is a great thing! (6 pack)
• Flying Dog Woody Creek White - A Belgian-style I reviewed a while back that I knew several people would enjoy more than the larger beers above (6 pack bottles)
• Kentucky Bourbon Ale from Lexington Brewing Co - New and never tried, A little too mild in my opinion for a Bourbon beer, Balanced and drinkable with soft vanilla, oak and bourbon flavors but without any complexity from the beer (6 pack bottles)
• Dogfish Head Olde School Barley Wine - I was sold on the brewery and the 15% alcohol level, Something had to compete with all of the bourbon and scotch!  I did not check, but I believe that this was the most recent 2007 bottling. (4 pack bottles)

The Dogfish Head Olde School was a hit among those of use who prefer bigger beers or barrel-aged liquors.  Here are my notes on this gigantic brew fresh off a napkin from the dinner table:

• Appearance - Dark copper color, cloudy without much light passing through, Little to no head which quickly fades
• Aroma - Raisin, darker dried fruit sweetness, alcohol and some very subtle spice (cinnamon came to mind but I do not think that was right, no spice is listed as an ingredient)
• Taste - Begins with a big burst of malt and fruit flavors (orange on top of the dried fruits noticed in the aroma), Again some spice but I cannot be sure that was not the aroma playing tricks on my tongue, Alcohol hides at first coming through as warmth and lingering heat, As the beer warms the alcohol asserts itself much more aggressively, Bitterness apparent but without hop flavors, Less American-style barley wine and almost a huge old ale

After tasting I went back and read the label on the beer a little closer.  The text reveals a little more about the ingredients and purpose of this brew:

"Inspired by a tale of a cask doctor who brought sluggish ales back to life by suspending a fig in them. Brewed from 100% Maris Otter pale ale malt, a blend of fine hops and conditioned on dates and figs. User Instructions: open bottle, pour contents into two snifters. Enjoy. ALTERNATIVELY: Walk hand-in-neck with bottle into the middle of the woods. Use shovel to dig 2x2 hole three feet deep. Seal bottle in plastic bag. Place in hole and pack with dirt. Memorize location and leave. Return exactly one year later. Dig up bottle, open and enjoy."

I definitely agree that this beer needs some age before reaching its full potential.  I left my extra at my aunt and uncle's for them to enjoy so if you pick up a 4 pack send me a bottle or two.  Or throw a bottle in the cellar and let me know how they taste on down the road.  I think it will be worth the wait to see how Olde School mellows over time.

Happy Belated Thanksgiving!  Guess that means holiday beers are hitting the shelves as I type.  Time to head back to the beer store.

Belgium by way of Brooklyn

On Friday, I finally had a chance to dig into some new beers.  I should have been writing about beer and music for the November Beer Blogging Friday, but I found myself wanting to do nothing more than relax and enjoy a beer.  I think the topic is a great one.  I almost always put my posts together with the assistance of iTunes.  Just one of those weeks!  So I reached into my fridge and pulled out a 750 mL Belgian-style offering from Brooklyn Brewery: Local 1.  For all the beer drinking I do, I have to admit that my knowledge and experience with Brooklyn is limited.  They have good distribution, but I always seemed to be in a place where they weren't. 

Most of my knowledge of Brooklyn Brewery is based only on my reading of Beer School and The Brewmaster's Table.  So when I saw this cool looking bottle and the name of the brewery, I made a marketer somewhere happy.  Brand equity meets "Ohhh....look at the pretty bottle".  Yep...a moment of weakness.  "Pretty" rarely gets me to buy a beer.  I think I'll have to put more of this purchase decision back on the brewery and their reputation. 

Here is the text from the bottle:

In Williamsburg, Brooklyn, we forge barley malt and hops from Germany, aromatic raw sugar from Mauritius and yeast from Belgium into our latest beer, Brooklyn Local 1. Behind the full golden color you'll find an alluring aroma, a dynamic complex of flavors. Belgian flair, Brooklyn fortitude and a dusting of our special yeast. To create this beer, we use the old technique of 100% bottle re-fermentation, a practice now rare even in Europe. It gives this beer a palate of unusual depth. Enjoy it locally or globally, as an aperitif or with your favorite dishes. It is particularly nice with spicy seafood and with fine cheeses.

A lot of verbiage and it sounds a little lofty, but exactly what I would expect based on The Brewmaster's Table.  Warning you now...my notes on the tasting won't follow the same style!

• Appearance - Cloudy, golden, bottle was sideways in my fridge so I stirred the "dusting" up off the bottom, thin head but still a creamy appearance
• Aroma -  Sweetness like you would get from an unrefined and darker sugar, pineapple with some citrus, spice
• Taste - Sweet but very well carbonated leading to a dry, spicy finish, strong Belgian-style flavors, alcohol noticeable especially as the beer warms up
• Food pairing - I was all out of spicy seafood so I opted for a turkey sandwich with a blend of 6 Italian cheeses fresh from a plastic bag (just a few steps above the Kraft stuff that comes in a can and sprinkles), The cheese brought out the alcohol and highlighted some bitterness and astringency in the finish (I can see how fine cheeses would be a good match.  I was fresh out of fine, though.)

Final verdict....a refreshing, balanced beer.  Not exactly middle of the road but certainly not overly aggressive.  Enjoyable yet a bit expensive for repeated purchase.  I think I'll seek out a few of their other beers before cycling back to Local 1. 

A few news nuggets

Good news on the beer hunting front.  I have found a solid supply of both craft and import beers just down the road from my house.  Finally!  After searching all of the grocery and liquor stores for miles, I think I finally have a place to source beers for my tastings.  Unfortunately they only sell multi-packs and they sell them at a hefty price.  Hmmmm.  To buy or not to buy?  That is the question.  My first visit I settled on buying.  If I find another place then I can change that decision in the future.  I have a couple other places to try based on recommendations from locals and Rate Beer.  Over all, I would say that Florida appears to be under developed as a craft market by about 4 years by my estimate.  Yes, I can find Sam Adams Boston Lager and a few other fuller flavored beers in a grocery, but the depth and choice is lower than what I have become accustomed to in Houston, LA and Milwaukee.  Luckily Bell's and Flying Dog have recently entered the market so I think things will begin to improve some.  Still a lot that I would like to see added though!  Here is what I picked up this past week and will taste as I have time: Dogfish World Wide Stout, Brooklyn Local 1, and Sam Adams Imperial Pilsner.  The Imperial Pilsner intrigued me because it is a single hop (Hallertau) beer which is always a great study on the bitterness, flavor, and aromas that can be coaxed from that particular variety.  The Pilsner also is a relatively mild base compared to a single hop IPA so the hops should be the star of the show.

Speaking of Sam Adams...anyone read about their cease and desist letter for the guy running for Mayor in Oregon?  Talk about bad PR!  I think this certainly qualifies as "Ready, Fire, Aim!"  Good luck to the lawyer who has to explain to Jim Koch why people are boycotting his beer.

In totally unrelated news, Ian Lendler of Mental Floss compiled a couple of alcohol related stories that I found humorous.  The story was picked up by CNN.  If you are in need of a distraction or a laugh, be sure to check it out.  Drinking Stories That Put Yours to Shame

Bison Farmhouse Ale

While surveying local beer stores on Saturday, I ran into a number of selections from Bison Brewing at a place just around the corner from my new apartment.  Last year at the GABF, a favorite among my friends was an "Organic Belgian" by Bison (or at least that is the title of the beer I wrote down).  My notes also mention that it was light and refreshing and had a nice biscuit flavor on top of the typical Belgian-style flavors.  Of course my notes weren't with me and I could only remember Bison and Belgian at the beer store.  So I grabbed a bottle of their 2007 Brewer's Reserve Farmhouse Ale hoping that this was the same beer.  After reviewing their website, I cannot be sure that this was the beer but it did win a Gold medal in 2006.  All I can do is taste it and see if I notice some of the same characteristics I noted.  Problem is my notes aren't exactly detailed so it might be a stretch.  Oh well...time to drink it and enjoy even if it isn't what I thought it might be.

Description of the beer from the website: "In the past era, hard working rural 'Saisonniers' consumed 5 liters per day of this style beer. We re-created it for today's modern worker using Belgian yeasts and sour mashing for a refreshing spiciness and acidity to enliven your palate. Bottle conditioning leaves some sediment, so decant by slowly pouring into a wide mouth glass."

• Appearance: Cloudy, a very lively gold color, sediment in the bottle and in the glass, creamy head built up on pouring but faded relatively quickly leaving on a small white ring around the inside edge of the glass
• Aroma: Spicy, slightly sweet, orange and another fruit that is hard to place, coriander, maybe a little clove, also some sourness and must but at good levels
• Taste: Begins with mild sweetness that quickly gives way to the spices and a dry, tart finish with the spices lingering; Easy drinking with most of the flavor up front but not overpowering; Well carbonated

After tasting the beer, I am sure this is not what I sampled at GABF last year.  There wasn't even a hint of biscuit or toasted flavors.  However, I was not disappointed that I got the wrong beer.  A tart beer on the mild side that I found refreshing and not overpowering.  A good way to end a long day of unpacking boxes in a city that is still hot and humid.  (Tasting completed on Saturday with the post just getting up today)

Thoughts on GABF Winners

Over the weekend, I finally had the time to print out and ponder all of the winners from last weeks GABF.  I saw a few familiar names, but mostly lots that falls into the category of "Never even heard of".  Let's start with the familiar...

In the Wood- and Barrel-Aged Sour Beers category, Temptation by Russian River took the Silver.  They also picked up another Silver for Blind Pig in the American-Style India Pale Ale category.  Russian River is a brewery that you can trust to put out very enjoyable beers and I certainly missing having access to them now that I am no longer on the West coast. 

The brewery that helped "raise" me in my craft beer drinking ways, St Arnold, won Gold in the German Style Kolsch category with their Fancy Lawnmower beer.  In the hot Texas summers, an easy drinking beer is a must.  Luckily they approach easy drinking without sacrificing taste!

Moylan's Brewing took Gold and Silver in the Imperial or Double IPA category for Hopsickle and Moylander respectively.  My first Moylan's experience came years ago on a trip to San Fran for New Years with Kilt Lifter.  A malty Scotch Ale that I always add to the cart when I see it!

Other winners I enjoy: Hog Heaven by Avery (Silver in Imperial or Double Red); Big Bear by Bear Republic (Silver in American-style Stout); Alaskan Smoked Porter 2004 (Bronze in Aged Beer); Four by Allagash (Bronze in Belgian-Style Abbey Ale); Double Cream Stout by Bells (Gold in Sweet Stout) which I have a clone recipe for and love to brew!

And of course the larger brew pubs also had a good showing with various locations of Gordon Biersch, Rock Bottom, and BJ's all taking home a medal.  Its great to see that they encourage the development of new recipes and experimentation even in these more corporate chains.  However, something tells me if they tried to keep the brewers down, there might be a revolt!

The award for complete domination of a category goes to Miller in the American Style Specialty Lager with Icehouse, Mickey's Ice, and Mickey's Malt Liquor winning all of the medals.  With 16 total entrants, I am wondering who else entered outside of the big three. 

So what about the less familiar?  To be honest way more than I'd like to admit fall into this category.  On a positive note...that means there are many more great beers to taste.  Places to seek out when I travel.  One has to have goals in life and it looks like trying to taste every beer made in the US is going to keep me busy!

Also, I found it interesting to discover how many categories there are: 75.  Since I have been digging into the world of finer American beers, there have always been a large number of style categories.  It feels like the list only continues to grow each year.  In no way is that a complaint!  Merely an observation.  Innovation in the brewing world has driven some of that increase.  Look at Barrel-Aged for example.  It was normal practice to store beer in barrels back before stainless kegs, but many of those were coated with pitch and not exposed to the wood.  Now beer is being fermented and stored in barrels after being used in the production of liquor and wine.  And some of those beers are normal alcohol level, strong, or sour leading to three categories just for the use of wood.  The strong ale category was popular as well with 72 total entrants.

The most entered category should be no surprise with 120 in American-style IPA.  Other popular categories among brewers include American-style Strong Pale Ale at 91 entrants, Double IPA and Red near 70, and American-style Pale Ale at 68.  Hops and higher alcohol are always a good direction for me.

Most important observation from studying the list of winners...going to the GABF is the better way to go.  I'll see you in Denver next Fall!

Great American Beer Festival Results

The Great American Beer Festival was last weekend in Denver and the medal results have been posted.  I haven't had a chance to dig through them yet, but plan to this weekend.  If I can find a really good beer store, it might just turn into a shopping list!  Life has settled down a little bit since the move and I should have some free time to beer hunt.

For now, check out this PDF if you just can't wait.

Miller Coors and Distribution

A very big announcement in the beer world today!  SAB Miller and Molson Coors have created a new joint venture to produce, market and sell their brands here in the US.  The deal helps the two companies gain scale while delivering an estimated $500 million dollars in annual savings according to the press release.  They will produce a combine 69 million BBLs which still trails A-B and their US sales of over 100 million BBLs.  I do not usually report too much news on the larger brewers, but I think that this could have an effect on the craft and micros of the brewing world. 

Part of the rationale behind completing the deal is the desire to improve distributor relations and generate efficiencies in distributor operations.  As it is now, a good number of distributors carry both Miller and Coors products while most A-B distributors are exclusive.  With two of the big three in the same house, Miller and Coors end up competing for distributor attention and resources.  If the deal closes, the new Miller Coors will contribute a large portion of the profitability to a distributor.  Add in the fact that a few of these distributors also carry Heineken, Sam Adams and some Mexican imports and its starting to get crowded.  Yes, all of these brands were there before, but on average none of them was the completely dominant player.  With one big supplier and several other important brands needing attention, what happens to a small volume craft or micro?  Will they still be able to get the support they need?  As long as the craft category continues to grow at over 10%, I think that there will be room for these brands.  Some have even established themselves as a solid player in a number of markets.  However, what happens when the category slows down?  While I think that overall craft/micros are here to stay, the growth we are currently witnessing is probably not sustainable.  Just recently, the Wall Street Journal reported on increased hop and malt costs that are having a greater impact on the craft segment.  Using more hops per barrel means a greater effect on costs.  Avoiding corn and rice in favor of using all malt also means that rising malt costs hurt the small guy as well.  The smaller breweries cannot afford to eat these increased costs because their margins are not huge to begin with.  Their only real option is to pass on the increased costs through price increases which may stall some of the growth. 

So how will all of this shake out?  I think that only time will tell.  It will be interesting to see how growing brands weather the change.  Will they be able to find new distributors to take their product into new states and regions?  I certainly hope so!  I for one enjoy added variety even if it does mean paying a little more.  I rarely let price stop me in the beer isle because I place great value on enjoying a full flavored, hop filled, malt loaded beer.        

Another key thing to note is that each distributor is ultimately their own business.  Brewers do not have the ability to force changes or limit the brands they carry unless they have agreed to limits as part of their operating agreement with a brewer (typical for A-B).  Most of the time, a brewer's and a distributor's interest aligns so suggestions from a brewer are taken into careful consideration by a distributor.  However, in the end they need to do what is right for their business and portfolio to ensure long term profitability and success.  The rationale may exist for certain houses to aggressively pursue new brands as part of their overall strategy, while not in others.  Especially with an increased reliance on a single supplier (OK...bad joke here but I can't help it.  Porter's 5 forces in action!  See also Porter if you need help with the pun.)

Should be an interesting year to see what changes do take place.  My comments are certainly at the aggregate level and generalizations.  Each market and distributor will shake out in their own way with a number of overarching trends describing the change.  I'll be sure to report back if I hear of any developments.

In the meantime...pop the top off of your favorite beer.  I'm headed to open a Lagunitas IPA right now.