For my next entry in the Beer Basics 101 series, I'm donning my professor hat to explain two of the most basic yet most misunderstood beer terms: ale and lager. More specifically, what is the difference between the two?
Let me clarify something first: ale and lager are the names for the two subcategories of beer. Every style on Earth (with maybe one or two exceptions) falls into one or the other. I know that these terms can be confusing because they are often misused by people, including breweries because, let's face it, Anheuser-Busch's advertising department might not know much about beer. I've heard brewers and beer drinkers alike speak about stouts and ales as though they're two separate things. They're not. Stout is merely one type of ale. Please remember that all beers are either ales or lagers.
So what defines these two subcategories of the beer world? Well, that's a tough one. There aren't a ton of hard and fast rules that delineate between the two. What is quantitatively different is the yeast. The all-important yeast. In my style overview of German Hefeweizens, I briefly touched on yeast. The importance of yeast in a beer cannot be overstated. It is the metabolism of the yeast that provides alcohol and, therefore, defines beer. No yeast equals no beer. I further argue that yeast is the agent of change that has made beer such a mystifying drink throughout the millennia. It must be remembered that, for the vast majority of brewing history, human beings knew nothing of yeast. Beer dates back at least 6,000 years and likely much farther but it is only in the last few hundred years that we have known that yeast exists. Prior to the invention of the microscope, all beer was spontaneously fermented by wild, unseen yeast. This has enormous importance as pertains to the cultural significance of beer. Imagine you are a farmer who occasionally makes some beer, living in 4,000 B.C.E ancient Egypt. You are well familiar with the otherwise innocuous ingredients of barley and water. But you also know, through some happy accident, that if you combine the benign barley and water and store them for a period of weeks in one specific spot, that when you revisit your beverage you will find it has new, strange, and powerful abilities to alter your perceptions and state of consciousness. Since fermentation is a mechanism as yet unfathomable to you, you attribute these wonderful new properties to powers beyond your control. Perhaps your supreme God, a lesser god of the harvest or the grain, or even to the animus that you believe flows through all living things. It is this spiritual connection that enamors you of beer from your earliest encounters with it. Beer soon takes its place in various ceremonies and rites as a way of reaffirming your people's belief structure. It is through this great importance assigned to beer that beer eventually permeates its way to other aspects of your life and your experience is not dissimilar from the experiences of your contemporaries around the globe. Drinking beer, in this context, is not unlike Christian communion, wherein believers consume bread and wine as literal or figurative representations of Christ. The core of the rite of communion is to establish a connection with Christ, the same sort of connection sought after by our ancient, beer drinking predecessors. Sure, it's easy to dismiss my ramblings as the waxing philosophical of a delusional nerd because today, the magic is gone. We live in the scientific age and understand yeast so well that, like so many other things in our world, we've begun controlling it and bending it to our use. But the cultural history of beer leaves us an important message: that it is important to, at least occasionally, give beer its due deference because our ancestors thought it magical and used it as proof positive of their understanding of the world around them. And all that magic was thanks to yeast.
Whew, now that the flowery, philosophical geeky stuff is out of the way, let's get back on track. Differences in yeast define the difference between ale and lager. Yeast is a microorganism that is a member of the Fungus kingdom. These tiny little fungi do all kinds of things like make bread rise, provide texture and flavor to cheese, make wine, and make beer! It's this last one that I'm focusing on. Varieties of yeast used in beer fall into the species Saccharomyces cervisiae. S. cervisiae is the ale yeast, and all the infinite multitude of ale yeasts are members of this species, even though they have noticeable differences. These differences occur below the species level, similar to all dogs being classified as Canis familiaris. There are plenty of breeds of dog that look and act quite different, but they're all the same species. Same with the yeast. Lager yeasts, notably fewer in quantity, are known as Saccharomyces pastorianus, although this is based upon obsolete taxonomy. Lager yeasts are now recognized as yet another subtype of S. cervisiae, though the old nomenclature is still used.
Strains of ale yeast are too innumerable to name here (new ones are being created all the time) but there are essentially only two strains of lager yeast that produce the overwhelming majority of all lagers. The difference in ale and lager yeasts is that ale yeasts naturally rise to the top of the beer in the fermentation vessel and are thus known as top-fermenting. Additionally, ale yeasts ferment at relatively warm temperatures, around 60 to 65 degrees. Lager yeasts are just the opposite: they settle to the bottom of the fermenter (bottom fermenting) and ferment at cooler temperatures, usually around 45 degrees. Ales also ferment faster than lagers. In fact, the word lager is German for "storage" due to the long fermentation time.
Because of the difference in how they function, ale and lager yeasts have different properties as pertains to final aroma and flavor. Ale yeasts tend to be more expressive and produce a variety of byproducts that lend additional flavors to the beer. Lager yeasts typically ferment rather clean and depend upon the raw materials of malt and hops to do the heavy lifting in the flavor department. Thus, a rule of thumb is to say that ales are typically more flavorful and distinctive, while lagers tend to be more nuanced and easy drinking. This is a major oversimplification, however, and one should remember that there are exceptions to the rules. Kolsch, for example, is a very light and easy drinking, low flavor and mostly inoffensive ale whereas a doppelbock is a rich, malty, sweet and fruity lager. It is also important to remember that while ales are typically more flavorful, both ales and lagers have their place. I don't always want to drink an imperial stout that requires my full attention, ruins my taste buds, challenges my palate, and demands that I drink it in sips. Sometimes I just want a few bottles of a good pilsner so I can kick back and watch the games or enjoy a barbecue. I keep coming back to my mantra and you would do well to repeat after me: Beer should be fun. I hope this entry wasn't too long or complex. I try to keep it light and minimize how much I geek out on things like yeast, but this topic needed some real explanation because so few people really grasp something as basic as the difference between an ale and a lager. I know I said in my last Beer Basics post that I was going to keep these short and sweet. My bad. I hope they're still worthwhile. If you have any suggestions or questions, leave them in the comments. Thanks. Cheers!
Thursday, July 26, 2012
Monday, July 23, 2012
Stillwater As Follows Beer Review
For tonight's beer review, I'll be checking out As Follows from Stillwater Artisanal Ales based out of Baltimore, MD. Big thanks must go to the beer department at The Party Source in Bellevue, KY and especially their beer buyer Danny Gold for having recently begun carrying Stillwater beers. I've had a number of their offerings and I think they're all phenomenal. To have them in my backyard is a real treat, so thanks again guys. There were a couple of beers among the Stillwater offerings at Party Source that I hadn't had and As Follows was one of them so it seemed like a perfect time to review a beer that sounded like it would be right up my alley.
As I mentioned in my review of Stillwater/Hof ten Dormaal's Bronze Age, Stillwater specializes in Belgian styles and As Follows is no exception. For more on Stillwater, check out my aforementioned review of Bronze Age. As Follows is a Belgian Strong Golden Ale, aka Belgian Strong Pale Ale. I reviewed another beer in this style when I reviewed Sierra Nevada's Ovila Belgian Golden so if you'd like to learn a bit more about the style, please check there. As Follows caught my eye not only because it's from one of my favorite up-and-coming breweries doing a style I really dig, but because I think they added a twist to the tried and true Belgian Strong Golden Ale formula. They tout the beer as being "big, bold, hoppy, and gold." It's that magical word 'hoppy' that makes my ears perk up. A hoppy Belgian Strong Golden Ale, you say? Well, I guess I'll have to drink that one, I say! This potential addition of some big juicy hops is just the sort of thing that might send this beer over the edge. I've had hoppy Belgian goldens in the past (though it's been a while) and a couple have been transcendent. I'm hoping for that same experience here, but I won't know for sure til my nose is in the glass. Oh, I'm bubbling with excitement already! Stillwater additionally bills the beer as being, "an eschatological ale. . . built sturdy enough to withstand the apocalypse." This is all the more description I need to be eagerly anticipating this beer before I even cradle it gently in my trunk for the trip home. Let's get down to business.
The bottle is simply exquisite. I adore Stillwater's bottle presentation and As Follows stands tall among its peers. A very fine foil, like what one might expect on a good bottle of wine, conceals the bottle cap underneath on this 750ml bottle. The label art is, as with the rest of their beers, really intriguing. Being an eschatological ale, the label features the sort of retro doom-and-gloom, fire and brimstone artwork that immediately calls to mind Dante or John Milton. This evocative art really complements the whole experience. More brewers would do well to take a page out of Stillwater's book here. As I pour into my Libbey Poco Grande glass, I have to rein in my usual hearty pour because this beer is a frothy monster. A gigantic, three or more fingers of dense, creamy, mousse-like head fills my glass to the brim. After a couple minutes, the head that just won't quit has settled down into a quarter inch of iron-willed persistence. The head itself is a vibrant white. As the head settles, I'm able to appreciate the beer itself. It is a cloudy deep straw to hay in color. Lacing on the glass from the huge head is outrageous. Appearance: 15/15
Sticking my nose in the glass confirms the abundant presence of what I'd been hoping for - hops! I love hops almost as much as I love Belgian ales so this is perfect for me. Big, citrusy American hops dominate. Orange, tangerine, pineapple. I can also smell plenty of bready yeast notes and some spice in there as well. The spice smells almost peppery, but I'm unsure right now. All in all, this beer smells great. I get a few band-aid type phenols in there, but nothing too apparent. Nose: 24/25
Mmm, this beer tastes really good! On the palate, the hops are very apparent. While they're not as fresh as I'd like them to be (like, a hop addition yesterday), I know the freshness of the hops isn't the brewer's fault by the time it makes it to retail shelves so I won't hold it against them. The hops are only ever so slightly faded, revealing some traces of bitter astringency. But again, nothing too off-putting. The hops still complement the other flavors here quite well: Fruity yeast esters like banana and a touch of peach, distinctive spiciness that almost defines the beer. The more I drink it, the more I'm thinking the spice is a cross between black pepper and cloves. I also detect traces of bubblegum hiding in there. Palate: 48/50
The mouthfeel is superb. It is at once creamy and bubbly. The bodacious CO2 is ever present here. A body that sits comfortably on the higher end of medium coupled with ample carbonation make this 9% abv beer dangerously drinkable. As I sit here, I realize just how little is left in my glass or the bottle. They did a really great job with the body and texture here. Mouthfeel: 10/10
OVERALL: 97/100
I was fairly certain I would like this beer from the moment I found it waiting for me on the shelf. It is a beer that pays attention to details and rewards those able to see them. Is it the best Belgian Strong Golden Ale I've ever had? I don't think so, but that doesn't mean it isn't one heck of a beer that is fruity and drinkable enough for hot summer nights but complex and rich enough for wintertime nightcaps. This versatility will also translate well into an assortment of foods. Please, pair this beer with salads, breads, cheeses, chicken, fish, wild game, and fatty entrees that need a little hefty carbonation to cut the richness. I also wouldn't mind putting this beer with some desserts that include bread pudding and angel food cake. Cheers!
As I mentioned in my review of Stillwater/Hof ten Dormaal's Bronze Age, Stillwater specializes in Belgian styles and As Follows is no exception. For more on Stillwater, check out my aforementioned review of Bronze Age. As Follows is a Belgian Strong Golden Ale, aka Belgian Strong Pale Ale. I reviewed another beer in this style when I reviewed Sierra Nevada's Ovila Belgian Golden so if you'd like to learn a bit more about the style, please check there. As Follows caught my eye not only because it's from one of my favorite up-and-coming breweries doing a style I really dig, but because I think they added a twist to the tried and true Belgian Strong Golden Ale formula. They tout the beer as being "big, bold, hoppy, and gold." It's that magical word 'hoppy' that makes my ears perk up. A hoppy Belgian Strong Golden Ale, you say? Well, I guess I'll have to drink that one, I say! This potential addition of some big juicy hops is just the sort of thing that might send this beer over the edge. I've had hoppy Belgian goldens in the past (though it's been a while) and a couple have been transcendent. I'm hoping for that same experience here, but I won't know for sure til my nose is in the glass. Oh, I'm bubbling with excitement already! Stillwater additionally bills the beer as being, "an eschatological ale. . . built sturdy enough to withstand the apocalypse." This is all the more description I need to be eagerly anticipating this beer before I even cradle it gently in my trunk for the trip home. Let's get down to business.
The bottle is simply exquisite. I adore Stillwater's bottle presentation and As Follows stands tall among its peers. A very fine foil, like what one might expect on a good bottle of wine, conceals the bottle cap underneath on this 750ml bottle. The label art is, as with the rest of their beers, really intriguing. Being an eschatological ale, the label features the sort of retro doom-and-gloom, fire and brimstone artwork that immediately calls to mind Dante or John Milton. This evocative art really complements the whole experience. More brewers would do well to take a page out of Stillwater's book here. As I pour into my Libbey Poco Grande glass, I have to rein in my usual hearty pour because this beer is a frothy monster. A gigantic, three or more fingers of dense, creamy, mousse-like head fills my glass to the brim. After a couple minutes, the head that just won't quit has settled down into a quarter inch of iron-willed persistence. The head itself is a vibrant white. As the head settles, I'm able to appreciate the beer itself. It is a cloudy deep straw to hay in color. Lacing on the glass from the huge head is outrageous. Appearance: 15/15
Sticking my nose in the glass confirms the abundant presence of what I'd been hoping for - hops! I love hops almost as much as I love Belgian ales so this is perfect for me. Big, citrusy American hops dominate. Orange, tangerine, pineapple. I can also smell plenty of bready yeast notes and some spice in there as well. The spice smells almost peppery, but I'm unsure right now. All in all, this beer smells great. I get a few band-aid type phenols in there, but nothing too apparent. Nose: 24/25
Mmm, this beer tastes really good! On the palate, the hops are very apparent. While they're not as fresh as I'd like them to be (like, a hop addition yesterday), I know the freshness of the hops isn't the brewer's fault by the time it makes it to retail shelves so I won't hold it against them. The hops are only ever so slightly faded, revealing some traces of bitter astringency. But again, nothing too off-putting. The hops still complement the other flavors here quite well: Fruity yeast esters like banana and a touch of peach, distinctive spiciness that almost defines the beer. The more I drink it, the more I'm thinking the spice is a cross between black pepper and cloves. I also detect traces of bubblegum hiding in there. Palate: 48/50
The mouthfeel is superb. It is at once creamy and bubbly. The bodacious CO2 is ever present here. A body that sits comfortably on the higher end of medium coupled with ample carbonation make this 9% abv beer dangerously drinkable. As I sit here, I realize just how little is left in my glass or the bottle. They did a really great job with the body and texture here. Mouthfeel: 10/10
OVERALL: 97/100
I was fairly certain I would like this beer from the moment I found it waiting for me on the shelf. It is a beer that pays attention to details and rewards those able to see them. Is it the best Belgian Strong Golden Ale I've ever had? I don't think so, but that doesn't mean it isn't one heck of a beer that is fruity and drinkable enough for hot summer nights but complex and rich enough for wintertime nightcaps. This versatility will also translate well into an assortment of foods. Please, pair this beer with salads, breads, cheeses, chicken, fish, wild game, and fatty entrees that need a little hefty carbonation to cut the richness. I also wouldn't mind putting this beer with some desserts that include bread pudding and angel food cake. Cheers!
Goose Island Lolita Beer Review
I mentioned in my last review of Goose Island's Juliet that I had also come across a bottle of Goose Island's Lolita. Well tonight I'll be reviewing it. I decided to do them back to back to compare them as accurately as possible. I'm interested in which I'll like more.
I don't really have any brewery or style information to share here as the brewery and style are the same as Juliet, a sour ale made by Goose Island. Please see my review of Juliet for more information about Goose Island and sour ales. While Juliet is made with blackberries and aged in cabarnet barrels, Lolita is made with raspberries and aged in unidentified wine barrels. Both are fermented with an unidentified wild yeast and while Juliet comes out at 8% abv, Lolita clocks in at a respectable 9% abv, which is on the upper end of alcohol for any sour ale I've ever seen on either side of the Atlantic. Many Belgian Fruit Lambics, which serve as partial inspiration for both these beers, range from around 2.5% to 5% abv. Maybe both of these sister beers are imperial sours? Also, I mentioned in my previous review on Juliet that I suspected Goose Island of using Brettanomyces bruxellensis to ferment these beers, but I wish to issue a retraction. As I reflected on the beer last night, I decided it didn't exhibit any of the qualities I would expect from a brett-infused beer and that my palate was tasting something that wasn't actually there simply because it was on my mind. Yes, the power of suggestion can work on yourself. The only other information I could glean from the Goose Island website is that they recommend this beer to drinkers of Belgian framboise, a raspberry lambic. They also recommended serving Lolita with a wide variety of foods. That being said, let the review begin!
The beer is presented in the same 22oz bottle as Juliet, though the label is more of a true white and 'Lolita' is written in an all-caps, block letter font in a kind of raspberry color. A touch simple, but classy in its understated aesthetic. The beer pours an interesting pinkish orange, almost like a summer sunset or strongly brewed iced tea. A quarter inch pinkish beige head of countless little bubbles quickly dissipates into oblivion. The beer looks completely still after a moment, belying the plentiful carbonation that I know lurks among its depths. Appearance: 13/15
A lot of the same great funky and tart yeast flavors come billowing forth in the nose, confirming my suspicions that both Juliet and Lolita receive the same yeast treatment. I also smell definite oak, the wine barrels no doubt. Unfortunately, I'm not well-versed enough in wine to venture a guess as to which wine it may be. The beer smells vinous and a touch earthy. There's a little mustiness in there too. The raspberries are quite apparent as well, though not as dominate as I anticipated. They're duking it out for attention with all the other smells as well as a tannin astringency that bites the nostrils, ever so gently. Nose: 24/25
The raspberry comes springing forward much more in the palate. It is young, fresh, and vibrant. Its audacity is ameliorated by the oak and tannins that flank its approach. The raspberry character seems concentrated, more like a jam or preserve than the fruit itself. That certain unmistakable acidity inherent in raspberries is also apparent and serves to balance the sweetness nicely. The overall palate still conveys plenty of tart funkiness and moderate acidity tied together by fruit and oak. There's a certain creamy butter like flavor that flashes across the end of the palate right before disappearing down the throat, almost reminiscent of a buttery Chardonnay. That particular buttery flavor owes itself to a compound known as diacetyl which is unacceptable at any level in many styles but which can be tolerated at low levels in some Belgian sour ales as a strictly complementary flavor. That is the precise nature of this butter flavor, which makes me think it was intentional. It also puts Chardonnay on the top of my list for culprits responsible for the mystery wine barrels. Palate: 47/50
The mouthfeel was really good. A touch fuller than Juliet and more firmly in the medium range, this fuller body is still belied by abundant carbonation. There is a definite but not exuberant creaminess on the back end. Mostly marked by plenty of champagne carbonation and a springy, fruity body. Nicely done. Mouthfeel: 9/10
OVERALL: 93/100
Well, I definitely liked this beer too and it is another stellar addition to Goose Island's beer geek-centric beers. I think, all things being equal, that I ever so slightly preferred the Juliet. I thought the body was more spot on and the blackberry flavor there intermingled with the oak better. That being said, Lolita is a wonderful beer that I might buy another bottle of before it disappears off the shelves around here because I'd love to age a bottle for a couple years or so and see where it comes out. If you're wanting to get into sours, here's another great place to start as well as a beer that proves that summer beers don't have to be boring. Cheers!
I don't really have any brewery or style information to share here as the brewery and style are the same as Juliet, a sour ale made by Goose Island. Please see my review of Juliet for more information about Goose Island and sour ales. While Juliet is made with blackberries and aged in cabarnet barrels, Lolita is made with raspberries and aged in unidentified wine barrels. Both are fermented with an unidentified wild yeast and while Juliet comes out at 8% abv, Lolita clocks in at a respectable 9% abv, which is on the upper end of alcohol for any sour ale I've ever seen on either side of the Atlantic. Many Belgian Fruit Lambics, which serve as partial inspiration for both these beers, range from around 2.5% to 5% abv. Maybe both of these sister beers are imperial sours? Also, I mentioned in my previous review on Juliet that I suspected Goose Island of using Brettanomyces bruxellensis to ferment these beers, but I wish to issue a retraction. As I reflected on the beer last night, I decided it didn't exhibit any of the qualities I would expect from a brett-infused beer and that my palate was tasting something that wasn't actually there simply because it was on my mind. Yes, the power of suggestion can work on yourself. The only other information I could glean from the Goose Island website is that they recommend this beer to drinkers of Belgian framboise, a raspberry lambic. They also recommended serving Lolita with a wide variety of foods. That being said, let the review begin!
The beer is presented in the same 22oz bottle as Juliet, though the label is more of a true white and 'Lolita' is written in an all-caps, block letter font in a kind of raspberry color. A touch simple, but classy in its understated aesthetic. The beer pours an interesting pinkish orange, almost like a summer sunset or strongly brewed iced tea. A quarter inch pinkish beige head of countless little bubbles quickly dissipates into oblivion. The beer looks completely still after a moment, belying the plentiful carbonation that I know lurks among its depths. Appearance: 13/15
A lot of the same great funky and tart yeast flavors come billowing forth in the nose, confirming my suspicions that both Juliet and Lolita receive the same yeast treatment. I also smell definite oak, the wine barrels no doubt. Unfortunately, I'm not well-versed enough in wine to venture a guess as to which wine it may be. The beer smells vinous and a touch earthy. There's a little mustiness in there too. The raspberries are quite apparent as well, though not as dominate as I anticipated. They're duking it out for attention with all the other smells as well as a tannin astringency that bites the nostrils, ever so gently. Nose: 24/25
The raspberry comes springing forward much more in the palate. It is young, fresh, and vibrant. Its audacity is ameliorated by the oak and tannins that flank its approach. The raspberry character seems concentrated, more like a jam or preserve than the fruit itself. That certain unmistakable acidity inherent in raspberries is also apparent and serves to balance the sweetness nicely. The overall palate still conveys plenty of tart funkiness and moderate acidity tied together by fruit and oak. There's a certain creamy butter like flavor that flashes across the end of the palate right before disappearing down the throat, almost reminiscent of a buttery Chardonnay. That particular buttery flavor owes itself to a compound known as diacetyl which is unacceptable at any level in many styles but which can be tolerated at low levels in some Belgian sour ales as a strictly complementary flavor. That is the precise nature of this butter flavor, which makes me think it was intentional. It also puts Chardonnay on the top of my list for culprits responsible for the mystery wine barrels. Palate: 47/50
The mouthfeel was really good. A touch fuller than Juliet and more firmly in the medium range, this fuller body is still belied by abundant carbonation. There is a definite but not exuberant creaminess on the back end. Mostly marked by plenty of champagne carbonation and a springy, fruity body. Nicely done. Mouthfeel: 9/10
OVERALL: 93/100
Well, I definitely liked this beer too and it is another stellar addition to Goose Island's beer geek-centric beers. I think, all things being equal, that I ever so slightly preferred the Juliet. I thought the body was more spot on and the blackberry flavor there intermingled with the oak better. That being said, Lolita is a wonderful beer that I might buy another bottle of before it disappears off the shelves around here because I'd love to age a bottle for a couple years or so and see where it comes out. If you're wanting to get into sours, here's another great place to start as well as a beer that proves that summer beers don't have to be boring. Cheers!
Sunday, July 22, 2012
Goose Island Juliet Beer Review
Oh boy am I excited! Tonight I'm reviewing a beer that I've had in the back of my mind for a long time. Goose Island's Juliet is a beer that I had heard many great things about, but which I never seemed able to find. Today, in a stroke of pure luck, the good people at Hyde Park Wine & Spirits in Cincinnati just happened to get some in, as well as Juliet's sister beer Lolita. I'm excited for that beer too and will be reviewing it in the coming days.
Goose Island is a pretty big heavyweight in the brewing world. John Hall started the brewery as a brewpub in 1988 in Chicago, IL and expanded into a production brewery in the 1990s. He opened two brewery locations in Chicago and helped to define Midwestern beer culture. Goose Island is today available in an impressive 36 states and Europe. Last year, Goose Island lost its independence when it was purchased by Anheuser Busch-InBev, the beer conglomerate responsible for so many lackluster beers like Budwesier and Stella Artois. Now a wholly owned subsidiary, this was initially seen as a major blow to craft beer - just another instance of the big boys swallowing the competition. But what seems to be happening, at least for now, is that Goose Island is being left to their own devices to continue making beer their way while benefiting from the marketing campaigns and distribution resources of AB-InBev. This improved distribution is, in my opinion, the reason I was finally able to get my hands on Juliet (and Lolita). I also think that us beer geeks are benefiting from the AB-InBev distributors not being familiar with all these new beers they're selling. They're more concerned with selling product to retailers rather than carefully allocating each case so as to keep things fair among retailers and maximize hype. The end result is that places like Hyde Park Wine & Spirits that are willing to pay the high prices of premium beers like this can find themselves with sufficient quantities to support a far larger number of sales. While this is certainly less democratic, its a gold rush if you know where to shop for the good stuff. So for now, I am cautiously happy about Goose Island's merger with the enemy.
Juliet falls into a somewhat new category of American beer known as American Wild Ales. This still murkily demarcated style doesn't necessarily mean that the brewers used wild yeast, but they might have. A more proper but broader term to describe this style might be to simply call them sour ales. Yes, you heard right. Beers can be sour and sour can be good! This is a hip style in the beer world right now and draws a lot of attention from hardcore geeks and brewers looking to capitalize on the craze. I'll admit to as of yet not being a huge fan of sours, but they're growing on me even as they hurt my wallet (sours are invariably expensive). The reason this style is kind of murky is because American brewers have done something new with these beers. They trace their influence to the great sour ales of Belgium. The Belgian sour ale family includes such a multitude of styles that encompass so many brewing and aging techniques, blending processes, unusual ingredients, and wild or peculiar yeast and bacterial infections that I can't even begin to describe them here. Suffice it to say that these Belgian originals are endlessly creative and their American counterparts have built upon that creative legacy by adding their own twists, including barrel aging. The qualities that all sour ales will typically have in common is some level of sourness, moderate to high acidity, and tannin-like qualities similar to what one might find in wine. Speaking of, this style is the closest thing to wine in the beer world and a great sour ale would be a prime candidate for converting wine drinkers into beer drinkers. Just don't push conversion too hard; you don't want to seem snobby. After all, wine is supposed to be fun just like beer.
Juliet, in particular, is aged in cabarnet wine barrels with real blackberries after being fermented with wild yeasts (I'm guessing, before I even drink the beer, that they're using Brettanomyces bruxellensis, a popular funky yeast). The beer weighs in at 8% abv. Goose Island's website recommends it as a great beer for pinot noir drinkers. I'm interested to see what happens!
The bottle is very pretty, nicely adorned with an eye-catching yet understated off-white label that identifies the beer in purple cursive and also prominently displays the vintage, as if calling out to wine drinkers. Indeed, this beer is bottle-conditioned and sours are excellent candidates for aging, just like wine. After a moderate pour into my upright Libbey Poco Grande glass, I am left with a very beautiful, if somewhat delicate looking, rosy red beer whose excellent clarity shows off tinges of orange, red, and amber. The head is a pinkish white quarter inch of champagne-like bubbles that quickly dissipates to a razor thin ring. Among the more interesting beers I've seen in a while. Appearance: 14/15
Putting my nose in the glass is different for me. As I said, I'm not as well versed in sour ales as some other styles but I like what I smell. A wood tannin-like astringency greets me, backed by a pronounced fruity (blackberry?) note. A hearty swirl reveals some funky yeasty notes I recognize from some Brettanomyces-infused saisons. I definitely get oak, maybe some phenolic spice. But I like these spices; they seem inviting. They're not the nasty sort of band-aid phenols. There might be a trace of white vinegar in there, but this beer smells as appetizing as any sour I've encountered. Nose: 24/25
Oh wow, no wonder they said this was a good choice for pinot noir drinkers. Huge flavors of dark fruit, more assertively blackberry than in the nose, express themselves wrapped around a huge oak tree. These big oak flavors dance nicely with a great red wine-esque tannin character. The beer is unmistakably tart and this might repel some beer drinkers. But the tartness isn't offensive and even suggests the kind of tart one might find in a breezy red wine. The beer is off-dry, neither dry enough to pucker my lips nor sweet enough to cause cavities. The sugars are beautifully attenuated and leave me with a superbly balanced flavor profile that transitions and offers new flavors as it moves down my tongue and hits my throat. Upon further tasting, the tartness is beginning to become a little puckering, more dominant than I initially realized. This isn't bad, just different from my original impression. There's also definitely some light spice in there but I can't put my finger on it. Cloves? Cardamom? I also get some citrus buried in there, is that tangerine? Palate: 48/50
The mouthfeel might be my favorite thing about this beer, even though I thought the rest was pretty damn good. Spritzy, tingly carbonation dances across your tongue. A medium body lends enough weight to support the array of flavors. Finishes clean with a bone dry swallow, dry enough to bring you back for more. Mouthfeel: 10/10
OVERALL: 96/100
Yep. I love this beer. The wait has been worth it. This was one of those pivotal, trans-formative beers for me. It is my favorite sour ale (Sorry, La Folie. You had a good run.) and has helped me cross the threshold into truly loving sour ales, perhaps my last great frontier among beer styles. I thoroughly recommend this beer to all red wine drinkers and adventurous beer lovers like me. I love pairing beer with food and this beauty will work wonders with all kinds of stuff. The bar has been set very high for when I crack open Lolita. Cheers!
Goose Island is a pretty big heavyweight in the brewing world. John Hall started the brewery as a brewpub in 1988 in Chicago, IL and expanded into a production brewery in the 1990s. He opened two brewery locations in Chicago and helped to define Midwestern beer culture. Goose Island is today available in an impressive 36 states and Europe. Last year, Goose Island lost its independence when it was purchased by Anheuser Busch-InBev, the beer conglomerate responsible for so many lackluster beers like Budwesier and Stella Artois. Now a wholly owned subsidiary, this was initially seen as a major blow to craft beer - just another instance of the big boys swallowing the competition. But what seems to be happening, at least for now, is that Goose Island is being left to their own devices to continue making beer their way while benefiting from the marketing campaigns and distribution resources of AB-InBev. This improved distribution is, in my opinion, the reason I was finally able to get my hands on Juliet (and Lolita). I also think that us beer geeks are benefiting from the AB-InBev distributors not being familiar with all these new beers they're selling. They're more concerned with selling product to retailers rather than carefully allocating each case so as to keep things fair among retailers and maximize hype. The end result is that places like Hyde Park Wine & Spirits that are willing to pay the high prices of premium beers like this can find themselves with sufficient quantities to support a far larger number of sales. While this is certainly less democratic, its a gold rush if you know where to shop for the good stuff. So for now, I am cautiously happy about Goose Island's merger with the enemy.
Juliet falls into a somewhat new category of American beer known as American Wild Ales. This still murkily demarcated style doesn't necessarily mean that the brewers used wild yeast, but they might have. A more proper but broader term to describe this style might be to simply call them sour ales. Yes, you heard right. Beers can be sour and sour can be good! This is a hip style in the beer world right now and draws a lot of attention from hardcore geeks and brewers looking to capitalize on the craze. I'll admit to as of yet not being a huge fan of sours, but they're growing on me even as they hurt my wallet (sours are invariably expensive). The reason this style is kind of murky is because American brewers have done something new with these beers. They trace their influence to the great sour ales of Belgium. The Belgian sour ale family includes such a multitude of styles that encompass so many brewing and aging techniques, blending processes, unusual ingredients, and wild or peculiar yeast and bacterial infections that I can't even begin to describe them here. Suffice it to say that these Belgian originals are endlessly creative and their American counterparts have built upon that creative legacy by adding their own twists, including barrel aging. The qualities that all sour ales will typically have in common is some level of sourness, moderate to high acidity, and tannin-like qualities similar to what one might find in wine. Speaking of, this style is the closest thing to wine in the beer world and a great sour ale would be a prime candidate for converting wine drinkers into beer drinkers. Just don't push conversion too hard; you don't want to seem snobby. After all, wine is supposed to be fun just like beer.
Juliet, in particular, is aged in cabarnet wine barrels with real blackberries after being fermented with wild yeasts (I'm guessing, before I even drink the beer, that they're using Brettanomyces bruxellensis, a popular funky yeast). The beer weighs in at 8% abv. Goose Island's website recommends it as a great beer for pinot noir drinkers. I'm interested to see what happens!
The bottle is very pretty, nicely adorned with an eye-catching yet understated off-white label that identifies the beer in purple cursive and also prominently displays the vintage, as if calling out to wine drinkers. Indeed, this beer is bottle-conditioned and sours are excellent candidates for aging, just like wine. After a moderate pour into my upright Libbey Poco Grande glass, I am left with a very beautiful, if somewhat delicate looking, rosy red beer whose excellent clarity shows off tinges of orange, red, and amber. The head is a pinkish white quarter inch of champagne-like bubbles that quickly dissipates to a razor thin ring. Among the more interesting beers I've seen in a while. Appearance: 14/15
Putting my nose in the glass is different for me. As I said, I'm not as well versed in sour ales as some other styles but I like what I smell. A wood tannin-like astringency greets me, backed by a pronounced fruity (blackberry?) note. A hearty swirl reveals some funky yeasty notes I recognize from some Brettanomyces-infused saisons. I definitely get oak, maybe some phenolic spice. But I like these spices; they seem inviting. They're not the nasty sort of band-aid phenols. There might be a trace of white vinegar in there, but this beer smells as appetizing as any sour I've encountered. Nose: 24/25
Oh wow, no wonder they said this was a good choice for pinot noir drinkers. Huge flavors of dark fruit, more assertively blackberry than in the nose, express themselves wrapped around a huge oak tree. These big oak flavors dance nicely with a great red wine-esque tannin character. The beer is unmistakably tart and this might repel some beer drinkers. But the tartness isn't offensive and even suggests the kind of tart one might find in a breezy red wine. The beer is off-dry, neither dry enough to pucker my lips nor sweet enough to cause cavities. The sugars are beautifully attenuated and leave me with a superbly balanced flavor profile that transitions and offers new flavors as it moves down my tongue and hits my throat. Upon further tasting, the tartness is beginning to become a little puckering, more dominant than I initially realized. This isn't bad, just different from my original impression. There's also definitely some light spice in there but I can't put my finger on it. Cloves? Cardamom? I also get some citrus buried in there, is that tangerine? Palate: 48/50
The mouthfeel might be my favorite thing about this beer, even though I thought the rest was pretty damn good. Spritzy, tingly carbonation dances across your tongue. A medium body lends enough weight to support the array of flavors. Finishes clean with a bone dry swallow, dry enough to bring you back for more. Mouthfeel: 10/10
OVERALL: 96/100
Yep. I love this beer. The wait has been worth it. This was one of those pivotal, trans-formative beers for me. It is my favorite sour ale (Sorry, La Folie. You had a good run.) and has helped me cross the threshold into truly loving sour ales, perhaps my last great frontier among beer styles. I thoroughly recommend this beer to all red wine drinkers and adventurous beer lovers like me. I love pairing beer with food and this beauty will work wonders with all kinds of stuff. The bar has been set very high for when I crack open Lolita. Cheers!
Friday, July 20, 2012
Leinenkugel's Big Eddy Wee Heavy Scotch Ale Beer Review
For tonight's beer review, I'll be checking out a style that I wish there were more of - the Scotch Ale. For this, I'll be opening Leinenkugel's Big Eddy Wee Heavy Scotch Ale.
Scotch Ales, alternately known as Wee Heavys, are actually an extended family member of the large pale ale family. The Scotch Ale is not to confused with Scottish Ales, which are lighter in body and lower in alcohol but otherwise essentially the same beer. Wee Heavys, as I prefer to call them, spend a longer time boiling in the mash tun during brewing. This extra time caramelizes the wort and imparts sweet flavors and a deep copper to brown color to the beer. The style will also exhibit some smoky notes and there may even be a tea-like bitterness in some examples. The style is quite hefty and serves well as a winter warmer or nightcap as the alcohol by volume ranges from 8% up into double digits. It is the strongest of the pale ale family save for the Barleywine. This particular example from Leinenkugel's tips the scales at 9.5% abv. The best way I can think to describe this style is to say that it is a strong, rich, and sweet beer almost reminiscent of an amber ale on steroids with some notes of smoke and/or peat. I am a scotch drinker, on the rare occasion that I'm not drinking beer, and this is a big part of why this style appeals to me. I love my scotches smoky and peaty and I can find some of those characteristics right here. That's one of the things I love about beer, that beer can exhibit so many flavors from so many other foods and drinks.
The Leinenkugel Brewery is based in Chippewa Falls, WI. While they were founded eons ago in 1867 and survived Prohibition by bottling and selling soda water, they are today a wholly owned property of Coors. They are no longer an independent craft brewery. This is a common occurrence in the beer world; large breweries will often buy smaller craft breweries as a way of competing in the craft market or simply to own their competition entirely. This corporate ownership by Coors explains the pervasiveness of Leinenkugel's. Their beer is available in nearly every supermarket, corner store, gas station, and liquor shop in America. Few if any independent breweries have the type of production capabilities to reach that level of saturation - yet. The only one that comes close is Sierra Nevada. While Leinenkugel's has built its reputation largely upon beers I wouldn't touch with a ten foot pole (Summer Shandy, Berry Weiss), they have recently begun producing small batch, limited run beers under the Big Eddy name that retail at medium market prices, around $10 per 4 pack. Other entries in the series have included their Imperial Stout and Imperial IPA. All biases against breweries like Coors aside, these were decent beers. They were tasty and technically very good. My only complaint is that they might have not had enough personality. Both tasted exactly like the textbook definition of their respective styles, as though the BJCP guidelines had come to life in a beer. But there was nothing that made them stand out in a crowd, no defining feature, nothing memorable. I'm at a point in my beer drinking where I'm more interested in creativity and uniqueness than technical perfection. That being said, these are great beers to try if you're just getting into craft beer. I'll be curious to see if Big Eddy's Wee Heavy falls into the same trap. In the interest of full disclosure, I'll admit that this beer has very big shoes to fill as my favorite Wee Heavy is the much revered Alesmith Wee Heavy. I will honestly make every attempt to set this and my bias against Coors aside and judge this beer in its own right.
The beer is presented in the typical Leinenkugel's Big Eddy bottle, a typical 12oz brown bottle wrapped in a rustic brown label. Each beer in the Big Eddy series sports a different trim color to quickly differentiate each one. The Imperial Stout was red, the Imperial IPA green, and the Wee Heavy navy blue. Upon cracking the bottle cap and pouring strongly into my Libbey Poco Grande glass, I am met by a very deep copper colored beer with many highlights of ruby, amber, mahogany, and garnet. The light even exposes traces of a burgundy-like color. The head is only about a quarter inch of khaki foam that quickly drops back to a thin ring. This lower level of carbonation is perfectly acceptable for the style, though some do exhibit large heads. Appearance: 13/15
The nose is pleasing. Notes of molasses and caramel greet me upfront. Sweet, dark fruit esters accompany them to the party - plum and raisin perhaps? I have a finely tuned nose for peat and my nose tells me its in there. There's something earthy, peaty, and smoky about this beer that instantly recalls Islay scotches. More straight smoke masquerades behind the peat. I smell a campfire. A little biscuit-like bready malt dances around in there too. A delight to sniff. Nose: 23/25
The beer becomes smokier and sweeter on the palate. I readily identify roaring peat fires floating in the background combined with a faint cured meat-like smokiness. The sweet dark fruit flavors are vying for attention as well. All these flavors are wrapped up in a sturdy caramel backbone. It is very good but, despite my hopes to the contrary, this beer is beginning to resemble an imminently well crafted but perfectly forgettable beer just like its Big Eddy brethren. Palate: 45/50
The mouthfeel is decent; big and powerful. While it certainly tries hard, it does fall through on the back end of the swallow; a certain unmistakable wateriness come creeping in when instead I would be hoping for a final punch of bitterness or smoke to finish the job. Mouthfeel: 7/10
OVERALL: 88/100
Well, this beer landed about where I expected it to but hoping it wouldn't. Its a shame when a beer's biggest flaw is its utter mediocrity but that alone is enough to let it get lost in the shuffle of an ever-evolving world of beers to tantalize and entice. I just can't imagine remembering this beer in six months. It was still very decent and would be a great introduction to the style, though I'd sooner choose Founders Dirty Bastard as your initial foray into Wee Heavys. Sorry Leinenkugel's, I know you tried really hard with the Big Eddy series and I know what you were going for, but you're not quite there. Cheers!
Scotch Ales, alternately known as Wee Heavys, are actually an extended family member of the large pale ale family. The Scotch Ale is not to confused with Scottish Ales, which are lighter in body and lower in alcohol but otherwise essentially the same beer. Wee Heavys, as I prefer to call them, spend a longer time boiling in the mash tun during brewing. This extra time caramelizes the wort and imparts sweet flavors and a deep copper to brown color to the beer. The style will also exhibit some smoky notes and there may even be a tea-like bitterness in some examples. The style is quite hefty and serves well as a winter warmer or nightcap as the alcohol by volume ranges from 8% up into double digits. It is the strongest of the pale ale family save for the Barleywine. This particular example from Leinenkugel's tips the scales at 9.5% abv. The best way I can think to describe this style is to say that it is a strong, rich, and sweet beer almost reminiscent of an amber ale on steroids with some notes of smoke and/or peat. I am a scotch drinker, on the rare occasion that I'm not drinking beer, and this is a big part of why this style appeals to me. I love my scotches smoky and peaty and I can find some of those characteristics right here. That's one of the things I love about beer, that beer can exhibit so many flavors from so many other foods and drinks.
The Leinenkugel Brewery is based in Chippewa Falls, WI. While they were founded eons ago in 1867 and survived Prohibition by bottling and selling soda water, they are today a wholly owned property of Coors. They are no longer an independent craft brewery. This is a common occurrence in the beer world; large breweries will often buy smaller craft breweries as a way of competing in the craft market or simply to own their competition entirely. This corporate ownership by Coors explains the pervasiveness of Leinenkugel's. Their beer is available in nearly every supermarket, corner store, gas station, and liquor shop in America. Few if any independent breweries have the type of production capabilities to reach that level of saturation - yet. The only one that comes close is Sierra Nevada. While Leinenkugel's has built its reputation largely upon beers I wouldn't touch with a ten foot pole (Summer Shandy, Berry Weiss), they have recently begun producing small batch, limited run beers under the Big Eddy name that retail at medium market prices, around $10 per 4 pack. Other entries in the series have included their Imperial Stout and Imperial IPA. All biases against breweries like Coors aside, these were decent beers. They were tasty and technically very good. My only complaint is that they might have not had enough personality. Both tasted exactly like the textbook definition of their respective styles, as though the BJCP guidelines had come to life in a beer. But there was nothing that made them stand out in a crowd, no defining feature, nothing memorable. I'm at a point in my beer drinking where I'm more interested in creativity and uniqueness than technical perfection. That being said, these are great beers to try if you're just getting into craft beer. I'll be curious to see if Big Eddy's Wee Heavy falls into the same trap. In the interest of full disclosure, I'll admit that this beer has very big shoes to fill as my favorite Wee Heavy is the much revered Alesmith Wee Heavy. I will honestly make every attempt to set this and my bias against Coors aside and judge this beer in its own right.
The beer is presented in the typical Leinenkugel's Big Eddy bottle, a typical 12oz brown bottle wrapped in a rustic brown label. Each beer in the Big Eddy series sports a different trim color to quickly differentiate each one. The Imperial Stout was red, the Imperial IPA green, and the Wee Heavy navy blue. Upon cracking the bottle cap and pouring strongly into my Libbey Poco Grande glass, I am met by a very deep copper colored beer with many highlights of ruby, amber, mahogany, and garnet. The light even exposes traces of a burgundy-like color. The head is only about a quarter inch of khaki foam that quickly drops back to a thin ring. This lower level of carbonation is perfectly acceptable for the style, though some do exhibit large heads. Appearance: 13/15
The nose is pleasing. Notes of molasses and caramel greet me upfront. Sweet, dark fruit esters accompany them to the party - plum and raisin perhaps? I have a finely tuned nose for peat and my nose tells me its in there. There's something earthy, peaty, and smoky about this beer that instantly recalls Islay scotches. More straight smoke masquerades behind the peat. I smell a campfire. A little biscuit-like bready malt dances around in there too. A delight to sniff. Nose: 23/25
The beer becomes smokier and sweeter on the palate. I readily identify roaring peat fires floating in the background combined with a faint cured meat-like smokiness. The sweet dark fruit flavors are vying for attention as well. All these flavors are wrapped up in a sturdy caramel backbone. It is very good but, despite my hopes to the contrary, this beer is beginning to resemble an imminently well crafted but perfectly forgettable beer just like its Big Eddy brethren. Palate: 45/50
The mouthfeel is decent; big and powerful. While it certainly tries hard, it does fall through on the back end of the swallow; a certain unmistakable wateriness come creeping in when instead I would be hoping for a final punch of bitterness or smoke to finish the job. Mouthfeel: 7/10
OVERALL: 88/100
Well, this beer landed about where I expected it to but hoping it wouldn't. Its a shame when a beer's biggest flaw is its utter mediocrity but that alone is enough to let it get lost in the shuffle of an ever-evolving world of beers to tantalize and entice. I just can't imagine remembering this beer in six months. It was still very decent and would be a great introduction to the style, though I'd sooner choose Founders Dirty Bastard as your initial foray into Wee Heavys. Sorry Leinenkugel's, I know you tried really hard with the Big Eddy series and I know what you were going for, but you're not quite there. Cheers!
Thursday, July 19, 2012
Beer Basics 101: What is Beer?
Tonight I'm starting yet another series of posts entitled "Beer Basics 101." While my Beer Geekery 101 posts are written about the finer points of truly appreciating great beer, the Beer Basics 101 series will seek to answer some nuts and bolts questions, clear up confusion, and dispel commonly held myths. I hope this distinction makes sense and proves useful.
For this entry, I thought I'd start with some very fundamental topics that a lot of non-beer geek folks might find themselves at a loss to answer. First, what is beer? Beer, quite simply, is any beverage that is brewed, not distilled like hard liquor, and then fermented to low or moderate alcoholic strength wherein the fermentable sugars are derived from cereal grains. Make sense? What my best attempt at a broad technical definition means is that you make beer by steeping partially germinated cereal grains (partially germinated cereal grains are called "malts") in water and then exposing the resulting "tea" (known in the beer world as wort) to yeast that feeds upon the maltose sugars available in the malts (that's why you have to partially germinate them - to make the inner sugars available for yeast consumption). The process of yeast consuming sugars and converting them into byproducts, in the case of beer, alcohol and carbonation, is called fermentation. Between steeping the malt and pitching the yeast, most modern beers receive a hop addition, though this wasn't always the case as we look back in history. After the yeast is introduced, fermentation begins and the soon-to-be-beer is laid down for a period of weeks or months to allow fermentation to complete. The time necessary to complete fermentation varies by style and, more importantly, the particular strain of yeast being used. I mentioned that beer is derived from cereal grains. Cereal grains can refer to any number of different crops, though barley is the overwhelming choice worldwide today not only because of its abundance and ability to grow well in a variety of climates, but also because its physical structure and durability lend itself well to the brewing process. Aside from barley, a whole slew of grains may be used. They include but are not limited to: wheat, oats, rye, corn, rice, sorghum, millet, and spelt.
I think I'm going to keep my Beer Basics 101 posts short and sweet. I'd prefer they be a fast, easily digestible read so that educating yourself is quick and simple. I left a lot unsaid, even about the basics of what beer is, so my next post will focus on varieties of yeast and the difference between an ale and a lager. I'll then probably post about hop varieties so that these three short and snappy reads will give you an understanding of what's in your glass next time you crack one open. Cheers!
For this entry, I thought I'd start with some very fundamental topics that a lot of non-beer geek folks might find themselves at a loss to answer. First, what is beer? Beer, quite simply, is any beverage that is brewed, not distilled like hard liquor, and then fermented to low or moderate alcoholic strength wherein the fermentable sugars are derived from cereal grains. Make sense? What my best attempt at a broad technical definition means is that you make beer by steeping partially germinated cereal grains (partially germinated cereal grains are called "malts") in water and then exposing the resulting "tea" (known in the beer world as wort) to yeast that feeds upon the maltose sugars available in the malts (that's why you have to partially germinate them - to make the inner sugars available for yeast consumption). The process of yeast consuming sugars and converting them into byproducts, in the case of beer, alcohol and carbonation, is called fermentation. Between steeping the malt and pitching the yeast, most modern beers receive a hop addition, though this wasn't always the case as we look back in history. After the yeast is introduced, fermentation begins and the soon-to-be-beer is laid down for a period of weeks or months to allow fermentation to complete. The time necessary to complete fermentation varies by style and, more importantly, the particular strain of yeast being used. I mentioned that beer is derived from cereal grains. Cereal grains can refer to any number of different crops, though barley is the overwhelming choice worldwide today not only because of its abundance and ability to grow well in a variety of climates, but also because its physical structure and durability lend itself well to the brewing process. Aside from barley, a whole slew of grains may be used. They include but are not limited to: wheat, oats, rye, corn, rice, sorghum, millet, and spelt.
I think I'm going to keep my Beer Basics 101 posts short and sweet. I'd prefer they be a fast, easily digestible read so that educating yourself is quick and simple. I left a lot unsaid, even about the basics of what beer is, so my next post will focus on varieties of yeast and the difference between an ale and a lager. I'll then probably post about hop varieties so that these three short and snappy reads will give you an understanding of what's in your glass next time you crack one open. Cheers!
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Stillwater/Hof ten Dormaal Bronze Age Beer Review
Tonight I'll be reviewing an interesting beer, Bronze Age, a collaboration between Baltimore, MD based Stillwater Artisanal and the brewery Hof ten Dormaal in Tildonk, Belgium. This beer came to me by way of my wonderful girlfriend who stopped by famed beer store Bruisin' Ales in Asheville, NC when she was there back in April. Big props to her. Also, as I have also been to Bruisin' Ales in the past, I want to give a big shout-out and an even bigger thanks to everyone at Bruisin' Ales. While you have a selection that can't be beat, I think what makes you guys a world class beer store is your attitude and clear investment in and love for the beer community. Keep on keeping on!
Stillwater is a curious brewery as they're one of a handful of breweries I can think of that are nomads; that is, they don't have a brewery to call their own. Rather, they travel the country and world and brew their beers in other established breweries. This spirit of collaboration in the craft beer world is great. The most well known nomadic brewer is Mikkeller, which is a Danish brewery run by a guy named Mikkel, simply enough. Being a nomadic brewery means that your production might be a little inconsistent but it also gives you the opportunity to sow your beer seeds all over the place and brew a far greater variety of beers than would be possible under a single roof. For proof of this, one need look no further than Mikkeller's astonishingly long lineup of beers (ratebeer.com lists over 300 beers made by Mikkeller). Stillwater is very well regarded for their much smaller collection of beers including some of the best saisons on either side of the Atlantic. Since they focus mostly on Belgian styles, travelling to Belgium and working in tandem with Hof ten Dormaal to make a beer seemed a natural fit. Bronze Age would be called a saison or farmhouse ale. In fact, the label identifies the beer as a "Traditional Belgian Farmhouse Ale." For an in-depth explanation of saisons, please see my style overview. Remember when I said in my overview of saisons that they varied wildly from brewer to brewer and often contained unique ingredients? Well, Bronze Age is a prime example. They brewed it with a portion of the grain bill being spelt, an ancient and wild variety of wheat that was a staple of many European diets during the Bronze Age. The idea with this beer, insofar as I can deduce, was to reasonably recreate the type of beer that would've been produced in Belgium during the Bronze Age, which occurred there from about 1600 to 700 B.C.E. Let's step back in time, shall we?
The beer is beautifully presented in a 375ml (12.7oz) green bottle with a cork and cage finish. The label exhibits Stillwater's usual intriguing and eye-catching artwork that features two hands, one wrapping the other in guaze with a background that features wild wheat and what appears to be a brain. How very curious. The beer itself pours with a massive ivory head. I have to cut my usual strong pour short so as not to spill over the glass. I half expect this type of carbonation in beers like this, so I am unfazed. This 8% abv beauty is a light straw yellow that is semi-hazy. Everything looks great so far. Appearance: 14/15
After the head recedes over the course of a few minutes, leaving some lacing, I have space to really get my nose in the glass. I'm met with a very saison-ish nose. Classic hints of spice, pepper, some fruity esters. I smell some barnyard and cellar funkiness. Giving the glass a hard swirl clarifies some of those esters, there is pear and red apple very apparent. The pepper definitely smells like standard black table pepper. There is also a pleasing lemony zest to the nose. I think what I previously called barnyard could more accurately be called grassy. Solid nose and this beer so far has my taste buds jumping in anticipation. Nose: 23/25
Ah, tasting, my favorite part of beer. Doing this elaborate reviews with the beer right in front of me while I write about other aspects of the beer really drives up the anticipation and makes the payoff that much better. I taste a little more funkiness and mustiness than was in the nose. I still get that grassy note and I'm beginning to think that is due to the hops. I've never read anything about the exact hop bill on this beer, but I'm guessing Styrian. The pepper kind of bounces around throughout the beer, even as the beer transitions and travels from the front of my mouth to the back of my throat. The peppery spice makes a grand final gesture, giving me a quick blast of spice right as I swallow. Kind of lovely, actually. The esters of apple and pear are there too and help balance out the spice and the funk (Sidenote: The Spice and The Funk is now the name for my next homebrew when I make a saison. Don't steal my idea.). Very nice flavors overall and, while not groundbreaking, they are as unique as any saison and they're on-point for what I expect from the style. Palate: 45/50
The mouthfeel is nothing spectacular but very good nonetheless. Ample carbonation and a lean, dry body make this 8% complex ale immensely drinkable. It is very bubbly, almost champagne like. In case you're wondering, there is a beer style that very nearly approximates champagne. Its called biere de champagne. Its a new style still gaining traction in the beer world. Anyway, great mouthfeel. Mouthfeel: 9/10
OVERALL: 91/100
Well, its safe to say I liked this beer a lot. I'm a sucker for saisons and since my second area of geeky interest is history, throwing in a special ingredient like spelt and naming your beer 'Bronze Age' is sure to win me over. That being said, I think this beer is very solid and definitely worth a try if you find it. Cheers!
Stillwater is a curious brewery as they're one of a handful of breweries I can think of that are nomads; that is, they don't have a brewery to call their own. Rather, they travel the country and world and brew their beers in other established breweries. This spirit of collaboration in the craft beer world is great. The most well known nomadic brewer is Mikkeller, which is a Danish brewery run by a guy named Mikkel, simply enough. Being a nomadic brewery means that your production might be a little inconsistent but it also gives you the opportunity to sow your beer seeds all over the place and brew a far greater variety of beers than would be possible under a single roof. For proof of this, one need look no further than Mikkeller's astonishingly long lineup of beers (ratebeer.com lists over 300 beers made by Mikkeller). Stillwater is very well regarded for their much smaller collection of beers including some of the best saisons on either side of the Atlantic. Since they focus mostly on Belgian styles, travelling to Belgium and working in tandem with Hof ten Dormaal to make a beer seemed a natural fit. Bronze Age would be called a saison or farmhouse ale. In fact, the label identifies the beer as a "Traditional Belgian Farmhouse Ale." For an in-depth explanation of saisons, please see my style overview. Remember when I said in my overview of saisons that they varied wildly from brewer to brewer and often contained unique ingredients? Well, Bronze Age is a prime example. They brewed it with a portion of the grain bill being spelt, an ancient and wild variety of wheat that was a staple of many European diets during the Bronze Age. The idea with this beer, insofar as I can deduce, was to reasonably recreate the type of beer that would've been produced in Belgium during the Bronze Age, which occurred there from about 1600 to 700 B.C.E. Let's step back in time, shall we?
The beer is beautifully presented in a 375ml (12.7oz) green bottle with a cork and cage finish. The label exhibits Stillwater's usual intriguing and eye-catching artwork that features two hands, one wrapping the other in guaze with a background that features wild wheat and what appears to be a brain. How very curious. The beer itself pours with a massive ivory head. I have to cut my usual strong pour short so as not to spill over the glass. I half expect this type of carbonation in beers like this, so I am unfazed. This 8% abv beauty is a light straw yellow that is semi-hazy. Everything looks great so far. Appearance: 14/15
After the head recedes over the course of a few minutes, leaving some lacing, I have space to really get my nose in the glass. I'm met with a very saison-ish nose. Classic hints of spice, pepper, some fruity esters. I smell some barnyard and cellar funkiness. Giving the glass a hard swirl clarifies some of those esters, there is pear and red apple very apparent. The pepper definitely smells like standard black table pepper. There is also a pleasing lemony zest to the nose. I think what I previously called barnyard could more accurately be called grassy. Solid nose and this beer so far has my taste buds jumping in anticipation. Nose: 23/25
Ah, tasting, my favorite part of beer. Doing this elaborate reviews with the beer right in front of me while I write about other aspects of the beer really drives up the anticipation and makes the payoff that much better. I taste a little more funkiness and mustiness than was in the nose. I still get that grassy note and I'm beginning to think that is due to the hops. I've never read anything about the exact hop bill on this beer, but I'm guessing Styrian. The pepper kind of bounces around throughout the beer, even as the beer transitions and travels from the front of my mouth to the back of my throat. The peppery spice makes a grand final gesture, giving me a quick blast of spice right as I swallow. Kind of lovely, actually. The esters of apple and pear are there too and help balance out the spice and the funk (Sidenote: The Spice and The Funk is now the name for my next homebrew when I make a saison. Don't steal my idea.). Very nice flavors overall and, while not groundbreaking, they are as unique as any saison and they're on-point for what I expect from the style. Palate: 45/50
The mouthfeel is nothing spectacular but very good nonetheless. Ample carbonation and a lean, dry body make this 8% complex ale immensely drinkable. It is very bubbly, almost champagne like. In case you're wondering, there is a beer style that very nearly approximates champagne. Its called biere de champagne. Its a new style still gaining traction in the beer world. Anyway, great mouthfeel. Mouthfeel: 9/10
OVERALL: 91/100
Well, its safe to say I liked this beer a lot. I'm a sucker for saisons and since my second area of geeky interest is history, throwing in a special ingredient like spelt and naming your beer 'Bronze Age' is sure to win me over. That being said, I think this beer is very solid and definitely worth a try if you find it. Cheers!
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