Beer Glorious Beer

Beer. I really do love beer. Beer, beer, beer. Yes, I'm very aware that this is a wine blog, but the same things we discuss when we talk about wine, are very similar to the qualities of a good beer. The two are not mutually exclusive. Beer is as complex (maybe even more so - take that oenophiles) as a good bottle of wine or a bottle of scotch. It shouldn't be looked at like it's alcohol's bastard stepson. Nor should drinkers of beer be seen as just a bunch of blue-collar shlubs. I don't wanna go all Breakfast Club, but drinkers of good beer come from all walks of life. But, then again, beer drinkers know that.

Anyway, I'm not reviewing anything today. I just wanted to stop by and tell you about some things that I'm looking forward to trying. First, Sam Adams is (or has) introducing an Imperial Series of beers to its lineup. For those who don't know, Imperials are usually referred to as "big" beers. They are usually higher in gravity and therefore have a higher alcohol content. Other terms associated with this style of beer are Double and Triple as in Double IPA or Triple Bock. According to the Sam Adams Web site:

With the Samuel Adams Imperial Series our brewers offer beer lovers intense versions of some of their favorite traditional beer styles by boosting the quantity of ingredients and testing the limits of each traditional style. With more robust and complex flavors and nearly twice the alcohol by volume of your average beer, each style in the Imperial Series is intended to be savored and appreciated like a fine wine.

Heh. In your face wine snobs - "...and appreciated like a fine wine." Enthusiasts really should give the Double Bock, Imperial Stout or Imperial White a go. Unfortunately, you readers in Alabama, Idaho, Iowa, Mississippi, Montana, South Carolina and West Virginia will have to travel across state lines to pick these up.

250 years. Longer than the United States has been in existence. That's how long they've been brewing Guinness at St. James Gate. That means there's only...um... 8,750 years left on the original lease. Well for the first time in 20 some odd years, Guinness will offer a new, limited edition stout to commemorate the 250th anniversary of St. James Gate Brewery in Dublin. The new version of the "black stuff" will be fizzier, stronger and a single-pour version of its older, creamier sibling.

“This is more about refreshment and zing,” said Guinness master brewer Fergal Murray who created the new carbonated stout. “The stout has a different look and taste than anything our fans have ever experienced, but still retains the familiar character,” he said.

Guinness aficionados can grab the new stout starting April 24. I recommend stockpiling as the anniversary stout will only be available for six months.

Know of any new offerings or outstanding seasonals about to enter the market? Please let us know. We're always looking for something new to try. And, if you're a brewer, send your samples directly to me please...in large quantities...really large quantities.

Abominable Snowman and the Man-in-the-Moon

Hey there! How are you? Hope you all had a wonderful holiday season and that you find yourself motivated and energized in this new year. Ha! I actually wrote that with a straight face. Let's just say I hope you're able to stay awake late enough in the evening that you can enjoy a fine glass of wine or a nice cold beer or, hell, two fingers of your favorite single malt.

So, since this is only January, I am still abstaining from wine until Mrs. Big Dubya is able to, once again, knock back a bottle or two in a sitting with me. So, beer it is until then. I know, I know, can't you just sense the disappointment in my voice? It's just soooo hard. Anyway, let me tell you about what I've recently had worth trying:

Great Divide, Yeti Imperial Stout: Now, those of you who know me know of my affinity for Guinness. I loves me some Guinness. This is the stout I know and the one I compare all stouts to. Big mistake. Who knew that when I started reviewing beers here I would learn so much? Guinness is an Irish stout (huh, go figure). Imperial Stout, aka Russian Imperial Stout or Imperial Russian Stout, is decidedly not an Irish stout. Imperial Stout was first brewed in London by Thrale's Brewery for export to the Czar of Russia and was known as Thrale's Entire Porter. You're saying to yourself, "How the hell did we get on to porters?" We haven't - porter is just an alternative name for stout. Ok, getting back to the review. Holy crap I wasn't ready for that first sip. Remember what I said about Guinness? Yeah, this is not Guinness. In the glass it looked very much like stouts I've had before - deep, rich black with a medium-to-dark-brown, foamy head. The aroma was malty with hints of coffee. On the tongue it was full of flavor - the malt and coffee with some chocolate thrown in and also hints of some fruit and a touch of spiciness - but those had their asses kicked by the malt and coffee. The alcohol is also very evident, but mellowed by the richness of the flavors. I also appreciated the generous amount of hops which gave it a nice IPA quality (though not quite and I hope I'm not being sacrilegious at all by saying so). Overall it was a very nice beer that warmed the cockles of my heart and made my feet all tingly.

Victory, Old Horizontal Barleywine Style Ale: Note to self: beware a beer whose label shows the moon sleeping horizontally - could be taken as an omen and not a good one at that. It had been a while since I've had a barleywine - I believe I had a tasting of some at Barrington Brewery and that about knocked me out of my socks. I figured that since it was the New Year, might as well give something good and strong a go. For those of you who don't know, a barleywine is a strong ale which originated in England. It's called barleywine because it can be as strong as wine, but since it is made with grain - not fruit - it is indeed a beer. In the US, barleywines are required to be called "barleywine-style ale." In keeping with Victory, I chose to use a smaller font for STYLE in this header - much like they do on their label. This is what I would call a "fine, sippin' beer." This is a not a quench your thirst on a hot summer's day beer at all. It pours a deep-red/purple bordering on black. The aroma is full and fruity - there's grape and cherry - with hints of anise. In the mouth you can taste the grape and cherry - it is very sweet, but that sweetness is nicely balanced with a hoppy bitterness. It does have a strong alcohol content and will kick your ass if you're not careful. I recommend this one for after dinner - it makes for a very nice dessert beer or for sitting around a fire with a nice cigar.

Post-Script: Did you know that if you drink a White Russian followed by a Bloody Mary (or two) and then drink Ipswich IPAs, you will find yourself remarkably warm at the AFC Championship? You'll also find yourself eating Italian sausages covered in mustard, but you'll be warm.

Happy Holi-Beers

Beer, glorious beer! My apologies to Lionel Bart, but I believe Oliver! and his friends, had they been of drinking age, would have been singing the praises of hops and malt rather than sausage and mustard and cold jelly and custard.

I mentioned a couple of weeks ago that since we are, once again, in the family way, wine drinking will be shelved and I will turn my attention to providing some beer reviews. Beer. It's not just for breakfast anymore. No, that's not what I meant to say. Life is too short for crappy beer. Yes, that's better. Because, honestly, a good beer is just as good as a nice bottle of wine and should be enjoyed and appreciated similarly.

Smuttynose Winter Ale: At the suggestion of TwoBusy, I grabbed this seasonal offering. FYI: all reviews in this post are winter offerings. According to the Smuttynose site, the Winter Ale "is a full-bodied, amber beer brewed with a special Trappist ale yeast. Stylistically reminiscent of a Belgian Abbey Double, it features fruity aromas and flavor, balanced by soft Crystal hops." Yeah, this description just tells me that I have some learnin' to do. I will say that TwoBusy's recommendation was spot-on and it is a very fine beer and great winter brew for holiday parties or just sitting fireside watching the snow fall. It will certainly help you forget the twelve inches of snow in your driveway and the cookie sheet and broomstick you call a shovel waiting for you.

Ipswich Winter Ale: This one I picked up because of the strong showing of the Ipswich IPA, which is quite yummy. Yes, that's beer talk - yummy = more gooder. Yes, more beer jargon. Looks like you need some learnin' too. Anyway, it pours a rich medium brown with a nice head to it. It has a distinct malty aroma and taste and a nice dose of hops, but not overly so. Initial taste is sweet and the finish is a tad bitter, but not off-putting. Another enjoyable beer for this time of year.

Great Divide Hibernation Ale: I've heard great things about Great Divide Brewing, but have never taken the plunge and purchased anything from them. Something about being old and set in ways. But I decided I would allow them the opportunity to introduce themselves to me through their Hibernation Ale. What a great first impression. It's a strong ale that pours a deep red bordering on murky brown. The initial taste was a nice balance of malt and hops. I found that balance quite nice but would have enjoyed a little more hoppiness, but that's just me. That takes nothing away from this beer's goodness. Hibernation is an award-winning beer that also ages very well. Yes, I guess, much like wine, beer can be aged as well, which allows it to develop different character traits over time. See, you learn something new every day. This is not, however, a beer to be taken lightly or shotgunned as it comes in at 8.1% ABV - not too shabby. A very good sippin' beer.

Drinkin' Is Drinkin', Right?

Haven't been around these parts in a dog's age. Yeah, I don't know what that means either, but let's just say I haven't posted here in a looooong time. July? Holy crap, I suck. I'd say I have an excuse, but not two month's worth of them. I have an excuse now I can make public for not drinking much wine, but I really have shirked my responsibilities as a member of this fine site. Anyway....

This is not a wine post. For reasons mentioned above, we haven't been drinking any wine and I'm not one to go opening bottles and finishing them off myself. Well, not anymore. Let's leave the past in the past, shall we? Great. Moving on. I've been drinking more microbrews. That's not to say that I've been flogging my palate with Bud talls or Mich Lights and have only recently seen the light and the errors of my ways. Nooooooo. I've just been branching out and trying breweries with which I'm not all that familiar. I could extol the virtues of Sam Adams Octoberfest until the cows come home, but I thought I'd share some of the others I'm enjoying.

Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA
Oh, Lord has there ever been a better tasting IPA? I like hoppy beer. Scratch that - I have grown to love hoppy beer. There was a time when I was all about blondes and reds and "crispy" beers. No more. I'm all about the hops now. Dogfish is one of those brews I never paid any mind to - it's rare you find it on draft anywhere and when confronted by a slew of other offerings, I'm always tempted to stay with what I know: Hooker, Red Hook, Harpoon, etc. But, TwoBusy posted about a particular Dogfish a while back so I was intrigued. I grabbed this offering (a four-pack), encouraged as I was by the quote: Esquire Magazine calls our 90 Minute I.P.A., “perhaps the best I.P.A. in America.” Well, color me curious. You know what? It's good. Really good. But if you're not a fan of hops, you might want to stay away as it's up there on the International Bitterness Units clocking in at a 90 (for comparison: Guinness is in the 45-60 range and typical IPA is 40 and above). It also has an ABV of 9.0% - not quite the potency of EKU 28, but up there nonetheless. In short, well worth the purchase and added to the "buy again" list.

Magic Hat #9
I had my first Magic Hat #9 about seven or eight years ago. I remember I thought it was good, but didn't pay it much mind after that. Fast forward to this summer. I purchased the Magic Hat Variety Pack which offered Fat Angel, Circus Boy, Hocus Pocus and #9. A very good selection of beers, but I fell in love with the #9. The #9 is "not quite a pale ale" of the English Ale variety. It's malty and sweet and finishes both hoppy and fruity. See, Magic Hat adds apricot. But this is no fruit beer a la Dogfish's ApriHop - it's just a little extra flavor that if you concentrated hard enough you'd notice, but neither overpowers nor defines this great beer. Along with Fat Angel, goes on the "buy again" list.

I might start drinking some wine by myself for the next few months to maintain some posts here from the Dubyas, but I might also throw in some beer reviews from time-to-time as well, if you all don't mind.