Port(er) City?

In case you hadn't heard, Alexandria's got a brewery, Port City Brewing. I haven't had the opportunity to try all of the brews, but I can attest that their porter is particularly delicious. Full-bodied and roasty, this ain't no wussy watery porter. This one is strong enough to carry the American Porter moniker proudly.

Further, it is guaranteed to make Economics homework infinitely more interesting.
-Holz

Get Witty Wit It

It's a shame that working has to get in the way of the important things in life, such as writing about beer. Thus is the burden I bear.

No major news in HolzBrew land. On Monday I racked the Imperial Wit that I brewed a few weeks back into secondary. The sample I tasted was coming along nicely. Per the picture, I have been soaking 1 oz. of medium french oak cubes in Grand Marnier for last 3 - 4 weeks and I added those cubes as well as the rest of the bottle in the picture to the secondary fermenter. In short, I liquored up my brew and I'm hoping to score.

Dogfish's Red and White has served as inspiration for this interesting brew. Wit beer is generally a style that I hold in the realm of good. Tasty and refreshing, but not quite fully satisfying. If you don't believe me, pour up a glass of Allagash Wit and then do a side by side tasting with Allgash's Tripel (or better yet the Curieux), most likely you'll find the Wit to be somewhat bland when compared to something like a full flavored tripel. That's not to say that there isn't a time and place for Wit, just that the time and place is usually low on the HolzBrew list of thangs to brew. BUT after trying DFH Red and White for the first time a few months back I realized that a Wit pared with another libation might take the beer into the taste stratosphere. We're talking flavor country here folks (as opposed to flavor county) DFH brews their Wit with Pinot Noir and ages it in Pinot barrels. Additionally, their brew tips the scales around 10% ABV. My only knock on this near perfect brew is that it is a little too syrupy and sweet for most everyday consumption.

Now I realize that Grand Marnier isn't pinot noir, but in my usual style, I like making up a recipe that is truly my own. That being said, a traditional Belgian Wit is usually brewed with bitter orange peel, so my thought was the wonderful orange essence that is GM would naturally jive in a slightly larger than normal Belgian Wit. Success? I'll keep you posted.

Stay Witty,

HolzBrew

Samichlaus 2006

This is a follow-on from my post last year (check out last year's post for all the delicious details) about the 2006 Samichalus that Meg and I were gifted for our wedding. This was the final one left in our wedding gift 4-pack.

Much like in the financial markets, 2009 was hard on the 2006 batch of Samichlaus. A lot of the "complexities" from last year mellowed out even futher making the beer taste like a root beer tootsie pop with a little alcohol sting on the back end. I wish there was more to describe, but that was pretty much it, a sugary brown alcohol laced perma-flavor across the palate. Great if you forgot what tootsie pops taste like, but not so great if you were expecting beer nirvana.

Oh well, the 2008 and 2009 tastings were pretty nice, so 2 out of 3 ain't bad.

-HolzBrew

PS - Stop by Norm's (in Vienna) tonight, to try some Yards beers from Philadelphia!
The brewery’s sending Chris down to pour some samples between 5-8pm.

Transgressions

"I have let my family down and I regret those transgressions with all of my heart, but it's not really my fault because I was hopped up on that high gravity HolzBrew. I have not been true to my values and the behavior my family deserves. I am not without faults and I am far short of perfect. I am dealing with my behavior and personal failings behind closed doors with my family. Those feelings should be shared by us alone, but everyone should enjoy a HolzBrew from time to time."

-Tiger Woulds

Shocking words from the golf-icon yesterday. Who would have thought that the 'ole HolzBrew played a role in his transgressions?

Seriously though, who is tired of this story already? Me. Tiger's coming back like Kobe next year and probably going to win the Grand Slam.

I spent a few days in Durham, NC over the holiday weekend and got the chance to try some brews that are not available in the NOVA area. Namely from Triangle Brewing and Big Boss Brewing. I had the Triangle Golden Strong Belgian Ale. It was pretty nice, a sweet banana smell, with a lightly spicy Belgian body to match. I also tried the Big Boss Coffee Stout (I think it is called Aces and Ates). Also, a nice offering, as you would expect the taste was nice and roasty with a very noticeable coffee bitterness. Until just now, I didn't realize both of these beers were 8.0% ABV, kind of explains why I felt half-cocked after having these two beers with lunch. I was also looking around for Foothills Brewing offerings at Sam's Qwick Mart, but unfortunately I didn't realize that they don't bottle their beer.

I brought back a 22 oz. of Rye Hopper by French Broad and a 22 oz. of Highland Brewing Black Mocha Stout. I am looking forward to trying both of those (both from Asheville). The Misses and I also brought back a BrewDog Bashah and Punk IPA, because we don't really see the BrewDog stuff up in VA. Both of these beers were great. I had been hearing some hype about the Bashah and I had to see for myself. Believe the hype. The Bashah is serious flavor country. I'll spare you a lengthy review and just tell you to GET SOME, if you can find it.



The guys from BrewDog picking out casks in which to age the Bashah.

Also, I saw this comical article yesterday about another new beer from BrewDog:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/russ-wellen/beer-gone-nuclear-can-onl_b_372895.html

A few highlights:

"A controversial Scottish brewery has launched what it described as the world's strongest beer -- with a 32% alcohol content. Tactical Nuclear Penguin has been unveiled by BrewDog of Fraserburgh."

and

"If BrewDog's new beer was called "Strategic Nuclear," the wary drinker might fear the high alcohol content would lay waste to him, her, or the whole bar. "Tactical" suggests that, if the beer is used judiciously, its effects are manageable."

Those Scots are crazy. A 12oz. bottle of this stuff, might kill you.

-HolzBrew

Holy Mother of Bourbon

Many beer aficionados are aware of the bourbon barrel fad that has passed through craft brew nation the last 3 or 4 years. Quite honestly, at times it seems like some late adopters have just started doing it in order to keep up with the Joneses. That's a shame because a well thought out bourbon barrel brew is a spectacle to behold. Well I haven't had a bourbon barrel brew lately that really stood out amongst the crowd, until this evening. While browsing the new arrivals at Norm's, I came across Backwoods Bastard by Founders. As a kid who went to school in southern Virginia (Go Hokies!) is apt to do, the bourbon barrel brews usually catch my eye. I couldn't resist.

The thing that really made this beer stand out from the other bourbon beers is that the bourbon flavor was big and fresh and in your face. This beer isn't for the faint of heart. Seriously, Mrs. HolzBrew had one wiff of it and turned up her nose. You've got to love bourbon (not just tolerate it) in order to appreciate this one.

Here goes:

Look:dark brown to deep copper in color. A thin tan head slowly forms during then pour and then instantly fades. The carbonation level is fairly low.

Smell: The initial nose is sweet maltiness followed by a pronounced woodiness. Then a bit of char and a whole lot of bourbon and alcohol.

Drink: The first sip is a malt and bourbon explosion. The alcohol is hot and spicy on the back end. Lots of bourbon in this one the scotch malts fill in the background.

Overall: Personally I love the fresh and biting bourbon side of this beer. Browsing some of the reviews on beeradvocate some people feel this is "over-bourboned." They are right, but thats why I like it. It's an A in my book, but if you have an aversion to bourbon this might rank fairly low to you.


“How well I remember my first encounter with The Devil's Brew. I happened to stumble across a case of bourbon -- and went right on stumbling for several days thereafter.”

-W. C. Fields

Where the Wild Things Are

"Inside all of us is a Wild Thing"
— Where the Wild Things Are

Inside a bottle of Victory's Wild Devil is a wild yeast, whose name is Brettanomyces (or Brett for short).

From the Victory website:

"Bold, spicy, menacingly delicious HopDevil takes on an entirely new dimension when subjected to a ‘wild’ yeast fermentation. A sharp, tart edge has been added by this fermentation that plays into the caramel sweet malt deliciously and creates complex interplay with the citrus accented hops."

I picked up a bottle of this last night from Whole foods on my way home. Now I'm a big fan of Victory and I particularly love Hop Devil, so a Brett version of the Devil sounded intriguing. Here goes:

Look: First, I had to cool this one down quickly as I picked it up at room temperature and didn't get home from work until late. So in order to chill rapidly I used my Cooper Cooler. I think the combination of this naturally being a well carbonated brew and the spinning method used to cool it caused a massive eruption upon opening. Once the overflow settled down I poured into a Chimay goblet-style glass. Poured up a brilliant orange color with lots of off-white foamy head. After a few minutes the head dissipated some, but remained to some extent all the way through my consumption.

Smell: The smell is quite complex. Some citrus and floral hops, caramel malt, and wafts of the Brett horse blanket, leatheriness. Definitely funked up.

Drink: The taste is complex, but more muted than the nose let on. Citrus and piney hops up front. The caramel malt that is so noticeable in Hop Devil is there, but is blended in with some definite earthiness. The Brett funkiness kind of jumbles the flavors up, but not necessarily enhancing things.

Overall: B-, definite street-cred bump to Victory for trying something different like this, but it isn't quite mind blowing. Not bad, but not great. I think I'll keep to the standard Hop Devil and Victory's other fantastic offerings.

DIPA Battle Royale

Double IPA ("DIPA") or Imperial IPA ("IIPA"), whichever you fancy, has become the crown jewel of the craft brewer. The DIPA allows the brewer to showcase his (or her) hop and malt prowess to the max. DIPAs typically have alcohol content in excess of 8% by volume. International Bittering Units (general measure of a beer's bitterness, although there is some controversy on how IBUs should be calculated) are very high, 70+ are typical for the style. The "imperial" reference in the latter name for this style is most likely a tip of the hat to the Russian "Imperial" Stout, a significantly stronger version of the English Stout.

This truly American invention, most likely started in San Diego - generally most people recognize that the first DIPA (at least the first commercial DIPA) was brewed in 1994 by Vinnie Cilurzo of the Blind Pig Brewing Company (currently the owner of Russian River Brewing!). Cilurzo claims he "accidentally" created the style by adding 50% too much malt to his mash tun. He then "corrected" this mistake by adding 100% more hops.

Some argue that many of the stronger DIPAs could be alternately classified as American barleywines or even, dare I say, a Triple IPA ("TIPA"). As a relatively new style, it is still being determined. It is currently one of the fastest growing styles in the craft beer industry.

In the last two weeks I had the pleasure of trying three new (at least they were new to me) DIPAs.

Ohhh it's on!

Dogfish Head Burton Baton

In this corner the east coast king of hops, Dogfish Head. Most everyone in this area is familiar with Dogfish and their portfolio of adventurous beers. Dogfish can claim at least 3 different DIPAs in their "regular" rotation of beers: 90 minute IPA, 120 minute IPA (although if you are going to have a TIPA category, this one would fit the bill), and Burton Baton.

Burton Baton as described by DFH is, "a blend of oak-aged English strong ale and our 90 Minute I.P.A." First, this beer is quite difficult to find, I had been looking for it for close to a year. Well having a wife who works at a beer store has its perks. Mrs. HolzBrew was able to pick us up two bottles of this last week, after Norm's received all of two cases from the distributor. It weighs in at a strong 10% ABV.

Look: Hazy amber with a moderate lining of off-white lace. Absolutely sticks to the side of the glass.

Smell: Aroma is noticeably oaky and woody, with a sweet, malty aroma. The hops are herbal and blend well with the oaky aroma, but not overly hop pungent as some DIPAs can be.

Drink: Citrusy, spicy, and earthy hop flavor, but no over the top hoppiness. Lots of maltiness, tons of sticky sweet caramel flavor. A little oakiness towards the end. Despite the high ABV level there is very little in the way of noticeable alcohol astringency.

Overall Grade: I thought this was a pretty cool beer. I guess my only critique was that it was a little too sweet, making it difficult to ever drink more than one per evening. Good stuff from a great brewer, I give it an B+ overall.


Stone 13th Anniversary Ale

In this corner, the west coast king of trash talk, Stone Brewing Company. A lot of people know Stone from their Arrogant Bastard Ales as well as their incredible IPA and regular year round DIPA offering, Stone Ruination. Multiple times Mrs. HolzBrew has claimed that Stone makes hands down the best American IPA on the market, this coming from a woman who knows her hops is no distinction to be taken lightly. Well every year Stone releases an anniversary ale and wouldn't you know they decided to go big this year to declare that they have finally become a teenager. As described by Stone, "Stone 13th Anniversary Ale has 4.5 lbs of hops per barrel-more hops per barrel than any beer Stone has ever brewed." Impressive to say the least. (Note: Technically Stone is calling this an Imperial Red, I'm not sure there is much of a significant difference and I thought it was close enough to a DIPA to be included in this competition.) 9.5% ABV.

Look: Pours up a deep red, but completely clear, no haze whatsoever. I'm always impressed at how clear Stone beers are. Thick ring of head.

Smell: Citrusy, grapefruit and piney hoppiness. Additionally, the malt is also there with caramel, and toffee aroma. Smells awesome.

Drink: Big citrus flavors come out in the front, a little oily. Then very malty flavors through the middle, toffee and caramel like flavor. Finishes noticeably bitter but not brutally bitter. Complex and very balanced.

Overall Grade: Pretty Awesome! If you can find it on the shelves and you like hops, pick it up. Overall Grade A-.

He'Brew Bittersweet Lenny's R.I.P.A.

In this corner the King of the Jews, He'Brew Brewing. I can't remember if I have tried this one before. But lucky me they had it on tap two weeks ago at Galaxy Hut in Clarendon. He'Brew makes some pretty good stuff, I reviewed their Jewbelation 12 back around Christmas (or more appropriately Hanukkah), and loved it. I actually believe they are a contract brewer and a lot of their stuff is brewed by Anderson Valley. You gotta love a brewer with a sense of humor though. I believe this one is dedicated to the late Lenny Bruce. Another big one at 10% ABV.

Look: Pours a very copper color. Topped healthy and thick, off-white foam head with great retention.

Smell: Piney and resiny hop nose with some slightly peppery notes most likely form the rye. Aroma also is sweet maltiness with caramel and even some tropical fruit in there.

Drink: A very dense chewy and creamy mouthfeel. The taste is malty no doubt with lot of syrupy fruit flavor and caramel, and toffee notes. Huge hop flavor of grapefruit, orange, and a spicy pine. A little noticeable alcoholic heat on this one , but it complements the spiciness of the rye and bready flavors quite well.

Overall Grade: This beer is straight baller. Crazy delicious like Mr. Pibb and Red Vines. A+++.


Well, it was a great battle, but my favorite DIPA of these three has to be the He'Brew Bittersweet Lenny's R.I.P.A.. Quite honestly if you are a self described hophead you'll love all three of these.

Keep it DIPA, IIPA, or TIPA,

HolzBrew

A Night of Debauchery

Ahhh yes, we all have our guilty pleasures. And sometimes we take it to the excess. Well, the wife has girls night tonight and I was left all on my lonesome. What's a fella to do? Indulge in temptation!

Knowing that I would be left to my own devices I swung by ... KFC on my way home. That's right HolzBrew, a man with such a sophisticated palate, secretly loves mass produced fried chicken. As I was near Norm's Beer and Wine, I stopped in to pick up some beer to accompany my bucket-o-sin. After informing Jeff, one of Norm's finest lieutenants, of my intentions he vehemently recommended Rogue's Dad's Little Helper Malt Liquor. I admit to have fallin' way too easily.

How does it end? Well the Colonel never disappoints (perhaps its his high ranking military title). First, don't be deceived by the measly three pieces of fried chicken you see served up above. I managed 7 pieces and that did not include any wings. I suspect my stomach won't be thanking me in the morning. But what about the beer? Well its a malt liquor, and it bought back some suppressed memories from college that's for sure. But here is a review for heaven's sake:

Look: Poured with some bubble bath style (sudsy) white head that faded expeditiously. Straight yellow in color.

Smell: Aroma of grainy malt. I detect some corn in the background and a slight note of ethanol.

Drink: Upfront sweet taste, just enough hops to keep the malt from being overwhelmingly cloying. Graininess and alcohol presence are showcased to say the least. Finishes sweet.

Overall: C

As far as malt liquor goes I guess this is the best I've ever had, but that's not saying too much. It served its purpose as a redneck accompaniment to my fried chicken. But I believe the shelf price was $5.99 for the 22oz. bottle, there are so many better choices in the same tax bracket.

Keep it greasy and malted,

HolzBrew

Got Wood?

Well I decided to crack open one of the Old Woodie Ales that I bottled about 10 days ago and I've got wood ... serious oak flavor that is.

Look: Pours up an amber with major orange highlights. This beer has got junk in the trunk, lots of yeast settling down to the bottom of the glass. Fairly hazy, similar to a Hefe.

Smell: The brett really takes over the smell, major sweaty-horsey aroma. A perfumy oak characteristic manages to slip in there as well.

Drink: Brett and sour funk upfront, no doubt. Earthy with lots of Oak flavor. Maltiness blends in with da funk through the middle. Hops bitterness and some acidity on the back end.

Actually, I am fairly content with my first foray into the world of wild yeasts. Next time, maybe back off the wood some and go with some American hops to add a little grapefruit to complement the funk and sourness.

Make sure to remind me and I'll bring some by next time I'm in your neighborhood, you won't find anything like this at your grocery store, that's for sure.

Stay Woody,

HolzBrew

Baltic Porter Review

Opened a homebrewed Baltic Porter ("Blackheart") tonight that I bottled last year on April 6th and I wanted to see how it held up with one year plus of age under the belt. A couple of quick specs on the Balt-Port, 8.5% ABV, brewed with California Lager Yeast fermented at room temps, and German Tradition hops for flavor and aroma. Here goes in HolzBrew LSD (not the drugs, but look, smell, drink) review fashion:

Look: As you can see above from the shoddy cell phone picture, this mother is dark as night. No sunlight penetrates it's murky depths. An average-sized deep tan lacing clings to the side of the glass.

Smell: Major maple, caramel, and toffee aroma, not much in the way of hop aroma

Drink: Lots of flavors up front, coffee, toasty malts, a little chocolate, caramel, and even a little, dare I say, root beer flavor. Hop bitterness jumps in through the middle and back end to help round this off the palate and avoid a cloying sweet after taste. No major flavor from the hops other than some needed bitterness to balance out the malt. Stickiness on the lips.


I don't rate my own beers on the academic scale, but I enjoyed this one all the way through. I've got one 12oz. and a 22oz. of this batch left, not sure if it will make it another year.

Don't forget about the big dark beers during the summertime.

Once you go black...

HolzBrew

Cans, Bottles, Reviews, Oh my!

A couple of new beers rolled through the HolzBrew household this weekend and I thought I'd share my thoughts with the world wide web.


Würzburger Hofbräu Premium Pilsner

I just love the way the name of this brewery sounds, Wurz-burger! Any German word with a "z" sounds cool and then throw in "burger", which sounds delicious, and you've got a winning name. Maybe I should rename the 'ole home-brewery "Holzburger."

I was talking to my buddy Richard at Norm's this past Friday and he said that this pils had been flying off the shelves and that he was a big fan. I figured it would be hard to go wrong. I love a good German pilsner in the summertime.

Look: Pale straw yellow in color with a wonderful bright white lace.

Smell: Spicy Euro noble hops up front. A subtle graininess in the back ground.

Drink: Medium body with an excellent crisp taste. Spicy hop bitterness with herbal notes, imagine lemongrass. Light graininess finishes, leaving a slight bite on the palate which drys this beer up as it finishes. I also detect a slight buttery note, which I know many disapprove of, but I find it pleasing as long as it is slight.

What's not to like? Nothing. This beer is a King of its style.

Overall: A+


21st Amendment IPA

Similar to Wurzburger this brewer has a pretty cool name ... and it distributes its beer in a can. I love having some great canned options such as this, for the summertime. Cans are just easier to transport.

Look: Pours up a yellow/orange color with average head that quickly dissipates (I've always noticed that canned beer doe snot pour up with a thick head, how come?).

Smell: Tropical fruit aroma amid west coast hoppiness.

Drink: Moderate body mouth feel with a slightly sweet maltiness (i.e. the tropical fruitiness mentioned earlier), generous hoppiness but not overly aggressive.

A great summertime option for the hophead on the go. Cans are great for the beach, pool, park, etc.

Overall: B+


Get 'burgered, get canned or get both,

HolzBrew

Founders Day

Today's post will cover Founder's Day the day that originated from a proclamation by the United States Continental Congress on October 11, 1782 in response to Great Britain's expected military defeat in the American Revolutionary War. JUST KIDDING ...

If your into beer and you live in Virginia you've probably heard that in the last couple of weeks your favorite beer stores have been receiving shipments of Founders Brewing Company's delicious beers. Having in-laws who live in the Midwest I fortunately was already familiar with several of Founders excellent beverages. My sources tell me that local distributors are or will be carrying up to 8 different Founder's beers:

1. Centennial IPA
2. Dirty Bastard Scotch Ale
3. Curmudeon Old Ale
4. Pale Ale
5. Breakfast Stout
6. Double Trouble
7. Porter
8. Imperial Stout

Last week I picked up a sixer of Dirty B and a 4 pack of Double Trouble. Here goes my initial thoughts on these two new additions to the local market:

Dirty Bastard

Pours up a dark red/copper with average sized creamy tan head.

The smell is absolutely fantastic. Lots of malt, cocoa, toffee, and some pine from the hops.

The flavor is as the name implies: Straight Dirty, in a good way (like phat, which doesn't mean you need to lay off the donuts). Toasted malt, spiciness, piney hops, and a hint of chocolate all mashed together. A little alcohol flavor on the back end.

Somewhere between a medium and heavy mouthfeel.

Despite the relatively high ABV, this is dangerously drinkable.

Where most Scotch ales are usually a focus on malt with very little in the way of hops, this one really brings a nice hopiness to the table that makes this beer unique. A must try!

Overall Grade: A

Double Trouble

Pours up a thick golden color, and fairly clear. Good head retention with approximately one finger of white head.

The smell fills the nose with fruitiness. Most notable distinguishable smells are apricot and citrus. Not much in the way of malt smell here.

The taste is sweetness up front with a lot of honey and hints of caramel and biscuit-bready malts. As you would expect from double IPA, the hops kick into overdrive and you get the taste of pine and grapefruit all the way through this great brew.

Thick bodied, and as well-balanced as an IIPA can get.

Despite tipping the scales at 9.4% ABV the alcohol is pretty well hidden throughout.

I like Double IPAs as much as anyone and this is a really good double IPA, but not so much so that I plan to stock my shelves with it in case of distribution scarcity. If you're are down with double IPAs, pick this one up and enjoy it.

Overall Grade: B

Get Found,

HolzBrew

Samichlaus 2006

Meg and I were given a 4 four pack of Samichlaus as a wedding gift in 2007 (the beer was actually bottled in 2006). If you are not familiar with Samichlaus here is the description from their website:

“Samichlaus” beer is brewed once a year, in each case on December 6th, and stored and matured afterwards for over 10 months before it is bottled. "Samichlaus” beer can mature for many years in the bottle; older vintages obtain a complexity and receive their creamy warm aftertaste. This beer can be served with heavy meals and desserts, particularly with chocolate - or as digestive and meditations drink. According to the Guinness Book of Records, it is the strongest lager beer in the world with 14 % alcohol and 32° original extract content. It is brewed exclusively of natural raw ingredients after the purity requirement of 1516.

Meg and I have enjoyed one of these fine brews each year since we were married in 2007. We have one left for 2010.

I'll have to say that this beer has changed quite a bit since we first tried it in 2007. During our first tasting in 2007, Meg and I were both overwhelmed with the over the top alcohol hotness of it. It also had a lot of bourbon overtones.

As expected this beer has really mellowed out and is much easier to appreciate the complexities. Here goes:

An aggressive pour yields almost no head whatsoever (that's what she said), but it has a nice deep orange color. It has a nice bready, and caramel aroma. As you might expect, this beer is quite sweet and malty. Raisins, figs, brown sugar and maple syrup come out with a little yeast flavor on the back end. Very little in the way of hop flavor. The mouthfeel is smooth and syrupy. This is definitely a dessert beer to split with a friend. If you drank more than one of these, it would put you down big time (or take you down to Chinatown!).

If I must place a rating on this one, I'd give it a straight B. This one is kind of hard to rate it, because there really isn't anything that comes to mind to compare it against, so it definitely gets a uniqueness street cred bump. But its not the kind of beer that you are going to run out and buy whole bunch of. Definitely a very cool wedding gift for fellow beer geeks.

-HolzBrew

Spotting a Unicorn - the famed Obamagang

Last weekend Meg and I hit up Paradiso in Gtown for dinner. I had been searching the area for the mythical Obamagang by the Cooperstown brewing giant Ommegang (I think that they qualify as "giants" now that they are part of the Duvel family of beers, no?). Well I found it, sure enough the 'diso had it on draft downstairs in the birreria paradiso (try saying that three times fast). If haven't heard of the Obamagang it was a special release brewed for the inauguration of one Mr. Barrack Obama. The TTB wouldn't officially let them call the beer Obamagang on the keg labels, so it is known legally as Inauguration Ale 2009. It had a limited release in DC, NYC, Syracuse, Philly, Chicago and Boston.

So how was it? I enjoyed this one immensely. Perhaps in line with our new prez, this beer defies any style classification. I think it is described somewhere as between a porter and a stout with kriek added. I guess that's a pretty decent description. This beer is all about malt, so don't go expecting much in the way of hops. In the above picture (sorry for the graininess, I used my cell camera) it is the beer on the right. As you can probably see it pours up an opaque brown with a small amount of white lacy head. The smell is largely toffee and chocolate. The taste has notes of chocolate, espresso, and interestingly roasted peanuts. I actually was drinking while eating some salty olives and the combination of the two left me with the distinct after taste of pretzels. The beer actually finishes with a little bit of tartness due to the kriek, which I thought was really unique.


If you can find this special release in your neck of the woods, don't delay because I'm sure its drying up fast.

-HolzBrew

Triple Bastard

One plus one equals three. Pretty good math for a CPA, eh? One plus one definitely equals three when your talking about enjoying Stone Brewing Company's full line of Bastard Ales. One Stone Arrogant Bastard followed up with a Stone Double Bastard (one arrogant bastard + one double bastard = three bastards).

Well the 2008 Double Bastard starting hitting the shelves a couple of weeks ago and it was only a matter of time before Meg and I picked up a bomber of this bad boy. I thought it would be a good idea to also pick up one of the regular Arrogant Bastard and do a side by side comparison. Here goes:

Arrogant Bastard

This has been one of my favorite beers for years. What's not to like? A big hoppy American strong ale that's available all year round, yes please.


Smell: Massive hop smell as well as toasted grains, fruity esters and alcohol.

Appearance: Reddish brown in color with an off-white lace. Really frothy, and sticky head that retains remarkably well.

Taste: Rich, full and complex. Big malty sweetness with caramel, chocolate and toasted/roasted flavours. Fantastic raw hop profile, very coarse. The hoppiness helps to balance all the malt flavors. Very assertive when cold, as it warms up the beer becomes smoother.

As its name implies this beer means business.



Double Bastard


Smell: Very sweet smelling, caramel and pineapple.

Appearance: Pours a thick brown with garnet highlights. a relatively fast-fading off-white head that leaves a ring of solid, foamy lace.

Taste: Crazy sweet! but in a good way. More of a berry sweetness, with far less maltiness than the regular Arrogant Bastard. Chewy and sticky mothfeel. There's also a very nice spicy bitterness that lingers well past the end of the sip, a very piney hop profile. The alcohol is very present, but this should not be a surprise since it's 10.5% ABV.

This would be a great one to age and to see the complexity of this beer reach full maturity.



Conclusion, I love the regular Arrogant Bastard and I think that its just more approachable. The double bastard at over 10% is tough to get through by oneself (they only come in 22oz. bottles ... they also come in this size, seriously). If you are in to big beers that push the limit, pick up two double bastards and have one now and age the second for a year or two.


Happy Holidays,

HolzBrew


PS- I was inspired by this bastard-off and I think that I will be brewing something akin to Arrogant Bastard this week to have on draft around the house.

Keep their heads ringing

Last Friday, Meg and I hit up Norm's and I picked up something very new that I had not heard of and I thought I'd share. It's brewed by RJ Rockers. I know, it sounds like a fake brewery, doesn't it? The same way PJ Skadoo's sounds like a fake restaurant that might appear on a Saturday morning episode of Saved by the Bell. But I assure you that it is a real brewery in Spartansburg, SC. A couple of weeks ago Norm's was sampling two RJ Rocker brews, the Patriot Pale Ale and the Bell Ringer. Both brews were great. Here goes some tasting notes:

Patriot Pale

Pours a golden yellow color with average white head. The smell is very grassy. The taste was mostly citrusy with a little grassiness. Mouthfeel was medium bodied with an average amount of carbonation.

All in all this one was very drinkable. I was reading some of the reviews on BA and some people were comparing it to Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, I personally thought it was a little different (maybe the grassiness) and worth picking up. This is what a pale ale should be, flavorful, but still easy to drink. I would have bought a sixer, but lately I have been home brewing pale ales like they are going out of style, so I decided to pass until I finish up my home brew pales. A great choice for tailgate season.


Bell Ringer

Right from the start I knew I was going to like this beer. With a name like Bell Ringer you know you are in for some "in your face hoppiness." I note that BA has this listed as a Double IPA. However, the RJ Rockers website does not classify this as a Double IPA. I like to think of it more as an American Strong Ale, mainly because the color is darker than your usual DIPA and the hops are not as aggressive as your usual DIPA. Whatever!

It pours a deep caramel color with little head. It smells of hops. There is a hint of malt, but the hops are dominate. Citrusy hops more than piney hops. The taste is complex, there is a fruity tartness to it that reminds me of purple sweet tarts (unique, eh?). There are plenty of citrusy hops, but not over done.

Don't drink more than a couple or the 8.5% ABV will sneak up on you and ... ring your bell. I picked up a sixer and I am loving it.


-HolzBrew

Mas

Wednesday night Meg and I went for drinks with a friend in Arlington, on our way back we stopped at Westover Market. I had heard that this place a had a great beer selection, but wasn't convinced based upon the exterior. So we decided to investigate ourselves. The above photo was taken from their website. They have as termed on their website the "Great Wall of Beer" which is pretty true to form. Meg and I were very impressed with their selection of beers, they had all of our favorites (Victory, Stone, Avery, Troegs, etc.) and lots of stuff we weren't familiar with. the only criticism I had of the place is that its unorganized. You've literally got beer piling up all over the place, but that's not such a bad problem to have. We got to talking with the owner and he informed us that every first Friday of the month and every second Saturday, they have beer and wine tastings with live music. It all sounded very cool and in the spirit of promoting quality beer. Check out their website for more information: http://www.westovermarket.com/index.html

So as of last post we had picked up a bottle of Hopsinjoor and Merry Monks. We also picked up a bottle of "Ale to the Chief" from Westover on Wednesday. Finally, we hit up Norm's lat night for the usual routine. Here is a quick once over on some of these beers:

Gouden Hopsinjoor: I can't get enough of these Belgian IPAs. Lots of fruit, pepper, and spice on the tongue. Starts off with a citrusy lemon zest and morphs into a piney hop explosion. The malt backbone is barely noticeable leaving only a little sweetness and body. Overall: B+

Weyerbacher Merry Monks: First, this bottle was impossible to open, Meg and I literally had to use wine cork remover to get this thing open. I believe this is considered a tripel, but it pours an orange color which is somewhat unusual for a tripel (rules be damned!). It had a nice balance of flavors with lightly toasted malts up front and a heavy dose of syrupy fruit flavors (largely apricots). It finished with a subtle hop bite on the back side. The alcohol remains well hidden. This is as it should be an exploration of malt and fruit flavors with just a touch of hops. Overall: B+

Avery Ale to the Chief: Now I usually don't like to post much in the way of negativity, but I just couldn't get behind this one. I think the most upsetting thing is that Meg and I are big Avery fans and perhaps we had high expectations (this beer scores well on beeradvocate). For a double IPA the hops were unremarkable. The alcohol taste is very present. Sharp and harsh bitterness in the finish. Meg and I didn't even finish the 22oz. bottle. Overall: D



-HolzBrew

Sampling

As usual Meg and I hit up Norm's last night to hang out with Rich and the gang while we were waiting for our sushi order. We sampled a couple of different things and I probably would have bought everything if money was no object. Here goes:

Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale

-I will undoubtedly buy a couple of six packs this fall, because nothing says its November like this annual favorite

-As usual it had a big hop flavor, but this year it tasted more minerally/soapy to me than in years past. Not as much floral hop kick as had two years ago.


He'brew Jewbelation Twelve

-This was a really cool beer. Brewed with 12 malts and 12 hops (oh yeah its 12% ABV). This beer was huge and tough to describe, a whole lotta flavors crammed into this bad boy. Very malty with caramel, toffee, and even some chocolate flavor.

-If you like barleywines or strong ales pick this one up.


Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout

-This is usually one of the best values on the shelf. In years past you have been able to pick up sixers of this for $7.99. Its tough to find big imperial stouts for that price.

-Last year I felt that BCS was kind of "hot" in that you could really taste the alcohol and feel it up in your nose. This year's batch tasted much smoother, almost creamy. I can't wait to pick up some of this for the colder months.


As usual it was a fun trip to Norm's. We ended up picking up a bottle of Weyerbacher Merry Monks and Gouden Hopsinjoor.

-HolzBrew

Early ‘fest reviews

It’s only mid-September and I’ve been fortunate enough to have tried several Oktoberfest offerings already. I thought I’d give you my take and hopefully steer your towards some fantastic fall beers. Here we go:


Left Hand Oktoberfest

The reigning champion of my taste buds does it again this year. Last year this one really took me by surprise. It pours a deep copper color with a thin cream colored head. The smell is outright malty and sweet. Taste wise this is on the sweet side from start to finish, but not cloyingly sweet or syrupy. The hops finish with mild bitterness, which really doesn’t change the flavor of the beer, but it does help balance it out.

If you were so inclined you could sit down with a six pack of this and finish it. This stuff is eternally drinkable. The only bad part of this beer is the price, somewhat steep at $12 a six pack, and availability.

Rating: A


Samuel Adams Octoberfest

Sam Adams continues to disrespect the German spelling of this name by dropping the “k” in favor of a “c.” Perhaps this is Sam Adams’ (Boston Beer Company) way of keeping it American, no doubt. I’ve got friends who lose their minds every year when this comes out, this year I understand why. Last year this beer just seemed like a boring, watery ‘fest beer, but this year it’s like they remembered that this malt monster is something special. It pours an orange-amber color. The smell is subtle maltiness. The taste is an explosion of toasty, caramel, and roasted maltiness. The hops are middle of the road, but a bit more aggressive than the Left Hand and similarly they help balance out this brew.

This is a great one for fall tailgating or picnics. Another plus is that this one is a little easier on the wallet at around $8 a sixer.

Rating: A


Lancaster Oktoberfest

This one was a surprise. First to clarify my rating, I thought this was a cool non-traditional ‘fest beer as will be discussed, but I had to knock the overall down to a B, because of its departure from tradition. First, it poured an amber-copper color and slightly hazy. The taste was malty with brown sugar undertones and … wait for it … wait for it … a cider flavor. I don’t think that a cider flavor is desirable generally speaking in any sort of lager, but it kind of works in this one. Actually I think this one was Meg’s favorite Oktoberfest so far. I think that if you’re a lover of ales versus lagers then this might be the Oktoberfest for you. I say this because generally you associate ales with “fruity” type flavors and lagers are generally “cleaner” tasting.

We only bought two singles of this, so I have no idea how much a six pack will run you. Give this a try if you aren’t interested in the traditional Oktoberfest style.

Rating: B


Penn Oktoberfest

This one pours a clear tawny orange with a small foamy white head. Aromas and tastes are pretty straightforward: simple malty backbone with a touch of hops at the end and a clean aftertaste.

Rating: B-


Hacker-Pschorr Oktoberfest

Every year I try a couple German brewed Oktoberfests thinking that this year I’ve finally found the original, the mothership so to speak, but every year I am consistently disappointed. Maybe it’s because these German brewed babies are shipped all the way across the Atlantic and the conditions aren’t always optimal for storage. I suspect German brewed Oktoberfest tastes better in Germany. That being said this one receives pretty high marks on beeradvocate, so maybe I’m just off my rocker. Pours more of a reddish amber color, very clear. A little spicy in the nose, sweet upfront, but then it kind of just fizzles out. Not offensive, but I get kind of bored drinking this one.

Rating: C

End of Session Oppression

For the last couple of weeks I haven't had more than a beer or two on any given day. Whereas its good for your liver to drink in moderation (blah, blah, blah), its always nice to get together with family and/or friends and drain the stockpiles from time to time. This past Fourth of July weekends was one of those times. The wife and I headed out to Columbus, OH for the long weekend to see her folks. One of the great things about going to see the in-laws is that my father-in-law shares the same passion that I do for things fermented. He managed to save up a nice selection of beers for our visit. Well here goes a few notes on some of things we sampled:


Three Floyds "Dreadnaught IPA"

Anytime you get the opportunity to drink anything from Three Floyds take it. This is one serious double IPA. As I was once told many many years ago from an old man I worked with at a moving company "Richard's don't play" when he was describing to me his favorite types of malt liquors, well "Dreadnaught don't play." This beer is the epitome of an American Hop-Bomb, the beer literally finishes with a wall of bitterness. To some that might not sound good, but I absolutely loved it.


Avery/Russian River "Collaboration Not Lititgation"

The back story on this beer is kind of interesting. Adam Avery (of Avery Brewing) and Vinnie Cilurzo (of Russian River) both realized that they offered a belgian beer called Salvation. Instead of suing one another to decide who could keep the rights to the name of those delicious brews, they got together and created a beer by mixing those two beers together and realsing it under the above stated name. This beer is viscous with a spicy clove and banana flavor upfront which is followed up by some floral hop flavor that really helps balance out the maltiness. The viscousity of the beer and its maltiness reminded somewhat of molasses. Anyone who likes belgian beers needs to try this one.


Brasserie de Rochefort "Trapisstes Rochefort 10"

All in all I think I had great expectations for this beer. Not bad, but definitely not earth-shattering. It had a very smooth creamy flavor and it hinted at a banana smoothie. Deceptively smooth so much so that its hard to believe that it is in excess of 11% ABV, scary.


Unibroue "La Fin Du Monde"

Loved it. A fantastic tripel with a peppery and clove spiciness and a nice dry finish. Buy some of this!

Unibroue "Trois Pistoles"

I remember liking this, but I can't recall any specifics about it. I think I had already had a couple of beers at that point.

De Proefbrouwerij "Saison Imperiale"

I did not enjoy this one. Enough said.

Elevator "Doppelbock"

Really good, but I think it is miscategorized. It tasted a lot like a porter or maybe a stout. It lacked that german smoothness that you usually expect from a doppelbock.


Until next time,

HolzBrew