The Beer Tap

Belgian IPA, the Unconnected Life, and Homebrew Mishaps

Its been a tough week!  My Internet at home has been down for almost a week now.  I had forgotten what's it like not having instant access to sports scores, news, and weather.  I even tried a local coffee shop last night to get this post up, but they were also having issues.

Compounding the lack of connectivity was disappointment on the homebrew front.  2 of the last 3 beers I've made have been well below expectations.  An amber clone lacked the necessary solid malt backbone and was slightly tainted by some wild bugs along the way.  After handing out some advice on sanitation to the guys over at Monday Night Brewery, it seems only fitting that I would run into issues of my own.  Hoses have been replaced and the bleach is on stand by for use before my next batch (and no that's not going into the beer).  I also ended up with an IPA at the low end of the bitterness threshold while a bit heavy on hop flavor, but it was an experiment and I am less upset about that one.  It is still drinkable.  Luckily my kolsch finished up quite nicely after 2 months of lagering in the fridge.  I expect that keg to go quick!

Enough lamenting about my woes and on to some beer...Back two weeks ago I was at Cafe Hollander here in town which offers a solid selection of Belgian beers in the bottle and on tap.  In fact, the only American beers on tap are all Belgian Wheat beers with a few other European imports thrown in for variety.  So if you go, designate a driver, order up some Patat Frites, and work your way down the extensive beer menu.  On this trip, I was there with a couple of people from work and one of the guys was a homebrewer.  He recommended that we try this Belgian IPA he had sampled before.  Yeah...a Belgian IPA.  How could this be?  What would this taste like?  I was sold and the bottle of Chouffe Houblon Dobbelen IPA Tripel by Brasserie d' Achouffe was ordered.  Here is the breweries description of the beer and its pertinent specifications:

A unique marriage between the English tradition of IPAs, the new American revolution of Imperial IPAs and the classic Belgian way of brewing. Houblon Chouffe, although very much hopped as it is, showcases the unique balance between a very strong IPA and a very special Belgian Tripel exclusively created for this ale (Big malty body, distinct dryness, expressive estery fruitiness). - IBU: 59, Original Gravity: 1092

The beer poured with an amazing head of thick creamy foam that rode all the way to the bottom of the glass maintaining a pyramid-like shape imparted from the special glass.  Rarely do I get too excited about head retention, but this was absolutely amazing and added to the enjoyment of the beer.  The beer was a pleasant mix of a Belgian tripel and the higher hopping rates typically found in IPAs, although not at the Imperial IPA level currently showing up here in the states.  Overall I found this to be an intriguing beer with a complexity of flavors that change as the beer moves from the front of your tongue to the swallow.  I didn't take detailed notes on the tasting, but wanted to share my general enjoyment of the beer nonetheless.  For more detailed reviews be sure to check out notes on Rate Beer.  Better yet, run by Whole Foods (I have seen it there in multiple cities) and pick up a bottle yourself.  You won't be disappointed!  If you do, be sure to come back and drop your tasting notes in the comments.

Bitterness and the Tongue

Every day or two I make a lap around some of the other beer blogs out there to help round out all of my beer related news reading.  Today I found a very interesting post by the guys over at Hop Talk about hop bitterness and how it is perceived on the tongue.  They reference an article that was originally posted by Eric Trimmer over at Trouble Brewing which quotes one of Trimmer's scientist friends who spent a year studying beer.  I won't rehash the article here, but the basic gist is that hop bitterness (from iso-alpha-acids) is perceived on different parts of the tongue than other food bitterness.  It even includes a do-it-yourself home experiment so that you too can experience the difference.  Drinking beer in the name of science.  Nice!  Check out the article to learn more and impress your beer drinking friends with this bit of trivia.

Zymurgy's Best Commercial Beers in America

Earlier this month, Zymurgy magazine released its annual list of the best commercial beers in America as voted on by members of the American Homebrewers Association.  Last year, Sierra Nevada Bigfoot and New Belgium Fat Tire tied for the best beer in the country.  This year, 1,100 voters decided to hand the distinction over to Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA.  The exact method of voting and ranking isn't revealed in the article, but I imagine it to be fairly consistent over the 5 year period that the survey has been completed.

Let's look at the top 10 beers as ranked by this group of homebrewers:

• First: Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA
• Tied for Second: Sierra Nevada Pale Ale and Stone Arrogant Bastard
• Tied for Fourth: Alaskan Smoked Porter, Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA, Guinness Draught, North Coast Old Rasputin, Schneider Aventinus, and Sierra Nevada Celebration

No surprise here that the top ten is dominated by flavor packed beers with 5 being centered around hop flavor and bitterness.  In fact, when I look at the entire list of 61 beers provided, 22 are hop-centric as classified by me.  Should it be any surprise that more than a third of the top beers are hop heavy?  Of course not!  Home brewers have been piling hops into beers for years testing the limits of drinkability in search of the perfect "hop bomb".  Other stats from the list of 61: 12 Belgian style beers, 5 imperial/high alcohol stouts, a number of barley wines, and only 6 non-Belgian imports.

An interesting peak into the minds of what homebrewers are drinking these days.  Obviously there are many other great beers out there, but unfortunately they are not all equally distributed across the US.  Some less widely available beers certainly got votes, but not at a level sufficient for them to make the list. 

Another interesting award handed out by the magazine was the Spirit of the Homebrewer Award.  The total number of votes received by a brewer is divided by the total production in barrels.  This years winner was AleSmith Brewing Co of San Diego.  I have been to the brewery and can honestly say that they pump out 1,200 barrels of beer from the smallest space possible so this award is very appropriate.  AleSmith also produces some wonderful beers including Speedway Stout which tied for 34th.  I picked up a bottle in LA last weekend and look forward to drinking it sometime this week.

Diagree with this list?  Then, what are your top five beers?  Or even ten?  Leave your list in the comments section so I can see what my readers prefer to drink.

Craft Brew Kicking Ass and Taking Names - Part 2

According to a recent report by AC Nielsen, craft beers are gaining share in supermarkets thanks to increased distribution.  Craft brews increased their share by 0.7 share points compared to the prior year for the 4 week period ending 7/7/07.  And its not just this one 4 week period that has been strong.  This was the 6th consecutive 4 week period of growth!  I know I have been buying a lot lately, but that isn't just me helping to increase performance.  According to the report, supermarkets are devoting more shelf space to craft style beers (note they include Sam Adams and other large brewers within the craft category) with the average supermarket carrying 22.5 percent more craft items during the latest four week period.  This increased availability is being credited as one of the main drivers of share growth.  That could be trouble for the big brewers if people continue to develop a taste for fuller flavored beer.  In fact, I also recently read that supermarket scanner data has shown a number of people buying both an economy light beer (Keystone, Natty Light, Best, etc.) and a craft style beer in the same trip to the grocery store.  Wow!  Here's how I read that....the consumer has decided that if they are going to drink a light American lager then they are going to go cheap.  Then they will treat themselves to a craft style beer rather than the macro brewed American "Premium" that may have been the normal purchase in the past.  That could spell trouble for mass beer marketers looking to differentiate through branding.  The consumer is seeing less differentiation between economy beers and Bud Light, Miller Lite, and Coors Light as the full flavored crafts have helped to change the definition of "different".  Now of course this is on a smaller scale....right now.  Will it ever reach critical mass?  Probably not, but I do expect it to be enough of a problem for the big three to take notice.  After all...craft beer just tastes so gooooood!     

Beer Advocate...the mag

Last week I had the opportunity to borrow a copy of the new Beer Advocate magazine from a co-worker.  I had received all of the emails inviting me to be a founding subscriber, but for some reason just couldn't get excited about shelling out the $20 for 12 issues.  I already get Brew Your Own and Zymurgy and a number of other non-beer magazines do maybe I felt I was at my limit for monthly reading.  But with the opportunity to read an issue for free, I decided I could sneak the BA into the rotation.

On Wednesday night I sat down with a pint of homebrew and read the July issue cover to cover.  The look and feel of the magazine is definitely upscale and you can tell that there was a good bit of thought around the design, graphics and photos.  The Alstrom brothers, founders of Beer Advocate.com, are trying to help raise beer to a new level so it is no surprise that the form of the magazine is so impressive.  (Although I was a little surprised by the number of times the last line of a story was cut off leaving me to fill in the end of the last sentence.  A little annoying after a while!)

This issue contained a decent selection of articles including a pseudo-interview with Rob Tod of Allagash, an editorial on faux craft beer from the big guys, a couple tidbits of beer in the news, and of course a healthy dose of beer reviews.  However, I was most impressed with an article on 5 of the best beer chefs in the US.  Not only do they discuss the history of each chef and how they became focused on beer, but the author was also able to get a number of their recipes to share.  One of the chef's profiled, Sean Paxton, even has a website where you can find additional recipes: homebrewchef.com.  I looked through the listing and think that there are enough recipes there to keep me busy experiementing in the kitchen for a while.  The article has also given me a few places to visit next time I am near any of the 5 restaurants.  In fact, next weekend I'll be in SoCal and will probably make my way to Stone World Bistro for lunch on Sunday.  The restaurant was not open when I moved away and I am anxious to see how the space and the menu came together.  All over a Ruination IPA of course!

Overall, I was pretty impressed with the magazine and am glad I found a chance to get my hands on an issue.  I might even have to subscribe...unless it keeps showing up on my desk for free of course! 

Toronado 20th Anniversary

Earlier this week I read over at the Brookston Beer Bulletin about the upcoming 20th anniversary celebration for Toronado in San Francisco.  Festivities begin on August 9th and continue on through the weekend.  This is one of my favorite beer places in the city and from what I read they seem to be off to a good start with the planning.  I know I have a number of readers in the San Fran area and wanted to pass along info on the event.  Check out what details have been released over at the original post.

While you are at the Brookston Beer Bulletin, be sure to check out some of Jay Brooks' other posts.  He is extremely plugged in to the craft and micro brew scene (he writes for a number of publications) and always has great opinions on the world of beer.  I stop by the site just about every day!

Also...on my way to SoCal tomorrow morning so I should have plenty to write about over the weekend.  My mouth is watering just thinking about all the beers that don't make it to my side of the country!

Terrapin Rye Pale Ale and The Vortex

Last week on my way to Daytona, I made a quick pit stop for a night in Atlanta.  I was staying in Midtown so I ducked into The Vortex Bar and Grill for lunch on the 4th.  I went to undergrad in Atlanta and was a frequent visitor for both the burgers and the beer.  In fact, the tap and bottle selection probably helped launch my quest to try new and unique beers that some may say is now a borderline obsession.  While there last week, I decided to limit myself to US crafts that aren't available where I live.  One immediately jumped out and I quickly ordered up a 20 oz Imperial pint of Terrapin Rye Pale Ale.  I have heard of the beer many times, but for some reason I cannot pinpoint what I read that had me so excited to try it.  I know the guys over at Monday Night Brewery have mentioned it before, but I do not think they praised it to a cult like level.  Hey...I had never tried it, so that's enough reason to get me pumped!

A little history on the beer that I discovered on Terrapin's website now that I am home...the Rye Pale Ale was first released in 2002 and 6 months after its release won the American Pale Ale Gold medal at the GABF.  Not bad and reminiscent of Sam Adams when they first launched.  I was also surprised to discover the number of different malts and hops used to produce the beer:

• Malt: 2-row pale, Munich, Malted Rye, Biscuit Malt, Honey Malt
• Hops: Amarillo, Cascade, East Kent Goldings, Fuggle, Magnum
• IBU's: 45
• O.G.: 13.5
• ABV: 5.3%

I did not take detailed tasting notes while at the Vortex, but decided instead to test my shorthand and memory.  Probably not the best idea considering the weekend that followed but here goes!

• Appearance: Copper to caramel color, lasting tan head
• Aroma: Some malt sweetness noticeable, citrus and grapefruit aromas
• Taste: Lightly toasted malt and biscuit/bread flavors, Slightly spicy and biting on the tongue, A dryness from the use of the rye comes through, Not over powering with bitterness, pine and herbal hop flavors

The verdict?  Definitely worthy of another pint.  Very drinkable yet still somewhat complex and nuanced.  A good choice to start the holiday weekend!

Do I Smell a Terpene?

Aaron Rowe over at the WIRED Science blog forwarded me an article that he wrote about research into the chemicals responsible for the spicy aromas associated with noble hops and I thought it worth sharing.  It includes a couple of complex chemical names, but the article itself is very easy to read.  So don't freak out if you are not versed in the complexities of organic chemistry and analytical methods.  Still a little worried?  Here's a quick cliff notes version:

Researchers in Australia and New Zealand used a complex analytical method to separate all of the chemicals found in hops and then asked evaluators to match what they smelled against a list of descriptors.  According to the author, a similar method has been used in the evaluation of wine, coffee, and even manure (I hope they paid them well for that one!)  Just think of it as smelling hops one chemical at a time to figure out exactly what chemical causes fruit vs. floral vs. spicy aromas.  Turns out 5 different chemicals stood out from the others and they all happened to be from the same class of chemicals, terpenes.  Where was this experiment when I was in college doing one of what felt like hundreds of labs?!?!?  I guarantee I never did one anywhere close to "What does my beer smell like?"  Although a few were probably sub-titled "Written while drinking beer".

So what does this mean for brewing?  An area to focus on for producing new hop varieties most likely.  Many of the hop varieties used today are genetic mutations of previously used varieties.  Scientist may now be able to modify a hop variety to increase or decrease the production of a particular terpene.  In doing so, a brewer will be able to better control the aroma of a finished beer by using this new hop.  So don't go adding pine sap to your brew just yet (its high in terpenes)!  I'd wait and leave the terpene modifications to the real professionals.  And please, no matter how tempting, do not even think about using words like Eugeneol and Beta-ionone to describe the aroma on a beer. (Yes...someone out there will do it at some point.  Absolutely tragic!)

A break in the action

I apologize for the break in the action over the last week, but I was out of town without access to the internet.  I did, however, have time to try a couple new beers in Atlanta while only there for a few short hours.  I also made the trek down to Daytona Beach for the NASCAR Pepsi 400.  Not exactly the capital of micro/craft brew consumption, but still plenty of observations on beer consumption among one of the most coveted groups for mass marketers.  As I have time over the next few days, I'll put together posts on both the beer in Atlanta and the race.  I also hope to catch up on the Beer Blogging Session I missed last Friday, but that may be more of a reaction to all of the other posts already out there.