Beer Review - Duvel/Ommegang Beer Tasting

Beer Snobbery

Living in Texas where most restaurants sell Shiner Bock (a forgettable Texas beer) as an import, you really have to give kudos to those who try to educate the Bud Light swilling masses to appreciate beers with flavor.  Hats off to Keith Schlabs and the friendly folks at the Meddlesome Moth for sponsoring a beer tasting featuring rare beers from the Duvel Moortgat Brewery which also owns the Maredsous line of abbey ales (the pinnacle of Belgian Ales), La Chouffe Ales (and it's weird elf fixation), and the Ommegang Brewery in New York (one of the, if not the, finest breweries in the U.S.). 

Duvel Triple Hop - 9.5% ABV

Duvel is typically classified as a Strong Pale Ale while the Triple Hop is called a Holiday Beer.  As is typical of a Holiday Beer the Duvel Triple Hop is quite similar to the Duvel Ale but with 3 "special hops" added; 2 from Europe and 1 American, and a bit more alcohol.  The additional hops added a bit of interest to the taste but does not over power.  The cloudy, golden ale had a earthy nose, slightly yeasty.  It tastes a bit sour, slightly citrus with a long bitter finish that you would expect with the additonal hops.  While the Duvel Triple Hop a fine, fine ale, it is not so dissimilar from the Pale Ale to justify the $30 per bottle price tag.  We would suggest sticking with the Duvel Pale Ale.

Ommegang Biere de Mars - 6.5% ABV

Oh no!  Dissention in the ranks!  This belgian style amber ale was the subject of much discussion at the snob table and was either loved or hated by those tasting with no one pleading indifference.  The Ommegang brewers are experimenting with secondary fermentation and this is one of the results.  The yeast used in the second fermentation is a wild strain which gives it a "a bit of zing and some farmhouse funkiness".  The ale is cloudy with a golden brown color and you can slightly smell the sourness imparted by the wild yeast.  The flavor was really different...woodsy, ferny, lightly sour, dry, malty, peppery....almost undefinable....oh my.  This is a very interesting beer, very balanced, and will surely create conversation at your next get together.

Ommegang Triple Perfection - 8.9% ABV

Ommegang's Triple Perfection is a Belgian style triple ale and is their limited edition Christmas Ale.  It's cloudy with a glowing gold color and a persistant head and has a wonderful yeasty, fruity nose that you would expect in a Christmas Ale but with a additional hint of alcohol.  The flavor is spicy and peppery with hints of locorice, coriander and alcohol.  Not truly a Belgian triple but worth exploring and alas, you can only find it in their holiday multipack.

Maredsous Triple - 10% ABV

Maredsous Triple is an abbey ale produced by the monks at the Benedictine Abbey in Denee, Belgium so it is truly an abbey ale.....well.....kind of....in 1963 they were recruited by Duvel to produce an abbey ale for them.  So yes, it is and abbey ale, but....but....but I digress.

Also a seasonal ale, or a 'special occasion' ale as they call it, it has the the rich flavors, the maltiness, the alcohol that is typical of a Belgian triple.  The cloudy golden color and rich nose hints at what is to come...and that is magnificence.  Sweet and malty with a hint of citrus, balanced, creamy smooth...oh my goodness.  This one will warm your belly and dull your senses.  Relax, enjoy.

Ommegang Cave-Aged Abbey Ale '06 - 8% ABV

What annoying thing could a beer snob do to push the limits of snobbery?  To create the uber snob?  Hmmmm...I know!  I'll review a beer that you can't even get!
Ommegang Abbey Ale in and of itself is a magnificent classic Belgian style abbey ale.  Dark, rich, intensly flavored.  The smell is of molasses and malts and an insignificant head that rapidly dissipates from the cloudy, mahogany brew.  Taste the malts?  Yeah, and the spice along with the sweetness.  Coriander...maybe orange..and.....prunes?  Superb.  How could it be any better?  I'm glad you asked...well you put it in a cellar that averages 55 degrees for 4 years. Mother of god this is a good beer.....and you can't have any.

N'ice Chouffe - 10% ABV

Odd, or rather....different.  Everything about Brasserie d’ Achouffe’ and the Achouffe Brewery is different...odd.  The brewer is odd, crediting the success of their ales to the 'magic water' (magic water?  I shudder to think what he means by that) they use in the brewing process.  There is also the odd fixation with strange little elves (http://www.achouffe.be/en).  Their beer is absolutley different, odd, but good.  N'ice is their winter ale...strong, dark and delicious.   It is spiced with thyme and curaçao and lightly hopped....a well-balanced beer. Strangely, or rather oddly, there is little or no aroma, but why does that surprise me?  The beer is unfiltered and allowed a second fermentation in the bottle (and keg) so you will have a bit of sediment to deal with.  The best thing about this ale is that it is available on tap during the winter months, so go, now, and enjoy.

Special thanks to Prescott Carter and Duvel Moortgat USA, LTD.
http://www.duvelmoortgatusa.com/

Beer Review - Samual Smith's Winter Welcome

Samuel Smith's Winter Welcome - 6% ABV

Fall is progessing toward winter.  It is long past the time of year where you want a lighter, refreshing beer like the lagers or the wiess beers, the ones you crave when it is hot.  The Octoberfest beers are all but drained except for the few brewers that over produced or supply Octoberfest beers year around (poor misguided bastards).  Now is the time for the winter ales, the Christmas ales and the spiced ales.  You are sitting in front of the fire, sipping and nice wintertime seasonal ale (because you know that chugging beers in winter is just sad), you want flavor, you want warmth, you want a buzz and these are the things that the winter ales provide.

The first entry of the season is the Winter Welcome produced by those talented lads at the Samuel Smith Brewery in Tadcaster, England.  There is a lot of tradition at Samuel Smith's, the oldest brewery in Yorkshire (1758) and one of the few independent breweries left in England.  They use a yeast strain developed in the early 1900's and get their water from a well dug 200 years ago.  Their brewing vessels are vats made from huge slabs of slate, which add character to their ales and stouts.

Those of you that know Samuel Smith's Winter Welcome will first examine the label, which is designed anew every year.  The beer is also subject to change year to year, and this years is a decent brew.  A nice golden, brown color will greet you as you pour with a creamy head with small bubbles that give a nice creamy texture.  As is typical with a winter ale, there is a bit more hops, a bit more spice and a bit more alcohol than their brown ale.  It seems very simple at first, but as you get farther into the pint you will notice it is more complex than you thought.  This is a very drinkable ale and is perfect for your Thanksgiving dinner (yeah, it will be just dandy with turkey) or for your company Christmas party. 

If you have not tried the other Samuel Smith products I would highly recommend that you do so.  I have tried nearly all that they produce and never had a stinker.  Enjoy.

Samuel Smith's Old Brewery

Tadcaster, North Yorkshire, England LS249SB

Located on High Street in Tadcaster

http://www.samuelsmithsbrewery.co.uk/

Heart Attack of the Month - The Badwich

The Badwich at Fish's Bar-B-Que

Just thinking about this monstrosity makes me look around in panic for the nearest loo.  This is not your father's BBQ sandwich, this is one of the reasons Americans are FAT.

Take a fried hotlink sausage and place it on a sliced brisket (fatty brisket, of course) sandwich.  "Wow"  you say, "that is quite a mouthfull".  Yes indeed, but it is not close enough to a massive heart attack yet.  Now we add fried bologna.  "Wait, what?"  Yes my friends, fried bologna sandwiches are a staple in the dirty south.  You didn't know that?  Well then you were not trashy enough.  Hmmm, what could we add to finish the coronary?  Well cheese of course!  And not a good cheese, no, no no, we have to add chemical laden, not quite real American Cheese. 

"Surely that must be enough" you say through clenched teeth, as you feel the bile rising in the back of your thoat.  Yes, or rather no.  Hey, it's not a meal unless you serve the sandwich with greasy french fries and sweet tea, now is it?  Just for kicks, lets add a side of baked beans to help things move along.

Fish's Bar-B-Que sells lots o' Badwiches.  If you are feeling the need to get your cholesterol back up above 440 try one at:

Fish's Bar-B-Que
105 E Ballentine Rd
Tahlequah, OK 74464

Beer Review - 60 Minute IPA

Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA - 6.0% ABV

OK hopheads, this one is for you. 

The folks at Dogfish Head Craft Brewery are mighty proud of their hops.  With "more than 60 hop additions over a 60 minute boil" and "a slew of great NorthWest hops" they create a "powerful, but balanced East Coast I.P.A.".  Quite a lot of braggadocio concerning hops, don't you agree? 

Nice golden amber color with the floral nose that you would expect from a hoppy beer.  Average head that lasts and leaves a lacy pattern on your glass.

You will taste citrus, with earthy notes and just a bit of malt for balance.  Regardless of their claim, it is not as hoppy as many west coast beers and is really quite drinkable.  But as you notice above, it says an East Coast IPA, and compared with most east coast IPA's it is quite agressive.  Not a super ale, but not a dud either and I found it quite pleasant.  This would be a good one for a day to day beer in a hophead's cooler.

Dogfish Head Craft Brewery, Inc.

#6 Cannery Village Center

Milton, DE 19968

http://www.dogfish.com/

And if you happen to find yourself in Deleware (yeah, right) you may want to stop at their:

Rehoboth Beach Brewpub

320 Rehoboth Ave.

Rehoboth Beach, DE 19971

302-226-BREW

Beer Review - Kaiser Imperial Octoberfest

Kaiser Imperial Octoberfest - 9.3% ABV

As you have seen in previous reviews I am quite fond of Octoberfest brews.  Their balanced malty nature make them a delight for a crisp autumn day.  Hmmm, an Octoberfest by Avery?  This should be interesting.  Potent Potables for $200.00 Alex.

 The Avery brewing company, founded in 1993 in Boulder, Colorado, with the simple creedo that they brew what they want and to hell with market demands.  John Q. Public would more than likley not enjoy a single beer produced by these lunatics, but the Beer Snobs certainly do.

The Kaiser Imperial Octoberfest is another in The Dictator Series lineup of Imperials and from the best of my recollection (though admittedly after many years of brain cell abuse does not recollect as well as it use to recollect) the Kaiser used to be an Imperial Lager. 

The color of the Kaiser is typical of the Octoberfests, but just a little darker than normal.  Light, floral nose, mildly spicy and typical white head give no hint whatsoever about what is to come.  My friends, this is Octoberfest on steroids.  Huge, huge malts and big hops for balance, spicy, yet sweet at the same time.  All of this massive flavor almost covers up the high alcohol content...almost.  This is not a beer for an all night drinking session.  More than one or two of these beauties and you'll be going home early with an ugly chick.

Do yourself a favor and try one, and only one, of this wonderful beer.  Also try the White Rascal and the Ellie's Brown Ale....oh hell, try them all, you won't be dissappointed.

Avery Brewing Company

5757 Arapahoe Ave.

Boulder, Colorado.

http://www.averybrewing.com/index2.html

Beer Review - Octoberfest Beers

Octoberfest Beers - Texas vs. Germany

Octoberfest beers also known in Germany as Marzen are brewed in Bavaria during the Winter months from September to March (Marzen...get it?).  They are typically characterized by being malty, full bodied with an amber to dark brown color and a bit dry.  With Texas' affection to their distant German non-heritage, we thought it would be fun to compare the best Octoberfest brews being produced by theTexas breweries to the German counterparts along with Sam Adams Octoberfest, the best selling American produced Octoberfest beer.

With no basis other than  my personal taste these are ranked from least to most favorite.

6.  Sam Adams Octoberfest.  The largest American owned brewery left in the U.S., I cannot fathom why their beers are so popular.  I try them ever so often to see if it is me, perhaps I am missing something....nope, not me.  Marketed as a microbrew, their flavors make them slightly better than the mass produced swill that your father grew up drinking.  Their Octobefest is muted in color and flavor much like the rest of their specialty lines.  Let's call it the Stella Artois of the Octoberfest beers.

5.  Live Oak Oaktoberfest.  Richly malted and a bit hoppier than a typical Octoberfest beer, the dark color and flavor make it more like a brown ale than a typical Octoberfest.  Good though.

4. Warsteiner Oktoberfest.   Suprisingly fail for a German brewery.  With a very light color..almost orange, light nose, lightly carbonated and boring.  This is a very forgettable version of the marzen style.

3.  St. Arnold Oktoberfest.  Much like the Live Oak, the St. Arnold Octoberfest is also a tiny bit hoppier than the typical marzen.  The color is that of an Octoberfest beer, but the flavor is not so much like an Octoberfest beer.  They could also rename this as a brown ale and it would sell fine.

2. Franconia Oktoberfest. Wonderful ruby/amber color and great nose and great flavor, the darkest of the bunch. Fraconia beers tend to be a bit sweeter than I prefer, added to a beer that is slightly sweet by nature it was just too candy for me. Tone down the sugar a bit and this would be magnificent.

1. Paulaner Oktoberfest.  Nutty, malty, slightly sweet, balanced...ahhh, this is what an Octoberfest beer should be.  The rich flavors and light carbonnation makes this the perfect beer to sit on a patio, eating sausages and potatoes and drinking until you fall off of your chair.  Sounds good, off to Stan's to make that happen.

Synopsis - The Texas versions of the Octoberfest beers are worthy of a second glance, but they really need to do a bit of research about what a marzen beer is.  An Octoberfest beer should say 'autumn'...clear fall color, rich balanced flavor, lightly carbonnated, malty beer that would make you want to sit and drink all evening if you wished.    All in all the Texas versions that I tried are pretty good and to be fair to Germany, I did not include the best of the German brews, Ayinger, Spaten and Hoffbrau which are really fantastic Octoberfest beers and are not to be missed.  But they are still better than Sam Adams and with a bit more practice they could even match up with their German counterparts, but then again, this here ain't Germany, is it?

Beer Review - Great American Beer Festival

The Great American Beer Festival 2010

For the Beer Snob, there is a no greater thrill than a beer festival.  The ability to bounce from beer to beer, smelling, tasting, enjoying all of the differences that water, yeast, hops and malt can give.  At the GABF, the biggest beer festival in the world,  there were over 2,200 different beers to sample.  Did you get that?  Over 2,200 different beers! 

The festival has 4 sessions spread over 3 days beginning on Thursday and ending on Saturday evening and because of a loaded work schedule, we were only able to attend the last session on the last evening.  That means we had 5 hours to find the perfect beer.  Beer snobs take our beer sampling seriously, observing color, clarity, smell, taste...these things take time.  So, you have to be selective, choosing a few of your favorite types, medal winners, interesting sounding or rare beers one ounce at a time. 

UNFORTUNATELY, by the last session, the Saturday evening session, many of those are gone...RATS!  We also found that Saturday evening is when the idiots appear.  Lots and lots of idiots, wearing matching 'drinking team' shirts, swilling everything that they can get their hands on with no regard whatsoever of quality or type.  Pushing, shoving, yelling, flatulent idiots, all between me and liquid joy. 

I hope that I have not made is sound as if there were no great beers left.  No, no my friends, there were plenty, just many of those that I was really looking forward to sampling were long gone.  So here is a synopsis of the suds that I tried before I tired of stupidity and bailed.

Sprecker Brewery - This Glendale, Wisconsin  brewery was the only booth where I loved every beer that I sampled.  The Abbey Triple, Black Bavarian and Smoked Ale were all world class brews and worthy of road trip.

Barrel Aged TempT - Red Eye Brewing, Wausau, Wisconsin.  A golden belgian style ale.... yummy.

Wee Heavy scottish style ale and the O'Fallon Smoke ale were two fine entries from the O'Fallon Brewery in O'Fallon, Missouri.  Where?  Yeah, me too.

Dirty Bastard Scottish Ale - Founders Brewing Company in Grand Rapids, Michigan.  High Octane, peaty, smokey goodness.

The Capital Brewing Company in Washington D.C. had a Weizen Dopplebock that would make a German brewer proud.

The Black Lager from the Great Northern Brewing Company in Whitefish, Montana was more like a porter in flavor.  Call it what you will, I call it delicious.

The Grand Lake Brewing Company from Grand Lake, Colorado brews only small batches of artisan beers.  The Plaid Bastard strong scotch ale was full bodied, potent and magnificent.

Funkwerks may be the dumbest frigging name for a brewery I have ever heard.  Started by an award winning homebrewer in Fort Collins, Colorado, Funkwerks will be producing their Belgian style Saison for the general public in December.  It is as good a saison as I have ever tasted, and I have tasted a lot.

Horseheads Brewing in Horseheads, NY produced our biggest surprise of the evening.  Surprised by the ingredients and surprised that we liked it.  Hot-Jala-Heim uses Jalepeno and Anaheim peppers.  Smells like peppers, tastes like beer...with a kick.  Good wintertime treat.

Great Adirondack Brewing Company in Lake Placid, NY is part of the Great Adirondack Steak and Seafood Company.  If their food is as good as their Abbey Ale I will happily visit on our next trip to upstate.

I love bourbon...I love Stout....Bourbon Barrel Stout by the Green Flash Brewing Company in Vista California gave me wood.

By this time, we had samped beer from about 60% of the breweries on the floor in about 3 hours.  Perfect timing.  But the moron meter had reached 11 and we were forced to leave.  But much like the Pilgrams crawling on their hands and knees to the shrine at Lourdes in an attempt to be healed, we will come crawling back to Denver on September 29, 2011 to find our perfect beer.