The Beer Tap

Back in the brew house!

This weekend I will finally get back to home brewing for the first time since June/July of last year.  I am lucky enough to be off Friday and have an extra vacation day that I am taking Monday.  I figured there is no better way to start a long weekend than to brew up one of my best IPA recipes.  I think I will try to blog along the way to share all the mishaps and funny stories.  Learning to brew in a new place always leads to some sort of issue.  Broken hoses, wrong fittings, learning how to elevate 180 degree water...I am pretty sure I will really miss my old house along the way! 

Of course it wouldn't be much of a brew day without having some good beer around to sip on.  Since the kegs have been dry for near forever I will have to venture out to a store.  That should lead to a few more posts...if anyone is still reading!  Plus I have an idea for another post that details one benefit of drinking American lagers for an extended period.  Tune in for all the details!

Giving Thanks for Beer

Has it really been 3 weeks since my last post?  Work has been a 7 day a week thing up until the recent Thanksgiving holiday.  I've found time to drink a few beers along the way, but not the time to take notes and comment.  So when I traveled to Kentucky last weekend I was on a mission to taste a few new brews and get a post up.  All of my family always enjoys good food, wine, liquor, and beer when we get together for the holidays.  I knew I would have plenty of people to help me work through a number of large bottles and multi-packs.  However, I was worried that Kentucky, the home of Bourbon, might not offer the best craft/micro beer selection even if I was going to be in the larger city of Louisville.  Enter Liquor Barn to the rescue.  My brother and I walked into this behemoth of a store and I knew we had a good shot of finding a few new brews along with a couple of my favorites to share.  As one aunt called it when we got back to the house...Toys-R-Us for adults.  She was spot on with that analogy!  A row of imports and a row of crafts.  Stone, Dogfish, Avery, Flying Dog, and many more.  I loaded the cart with a mix of everything but focused on making sure I picked up a few that I knew would please.  Here's what we opened and tried through out the day:

• Avery Thirteen - A Weizen Dopplebock full of malt sweetness (22 oz)
• Avery Maharaja - An Imperial IPA jam packed with hops (22 oz)
• Bell's Double Cream Stout - One of my all time favorite stouts and a model for one of my own home brew recipes (6 pack bottles)
• Stone Arrogant Bastard - A beer that helped send me down the current path of beer obsession (22 oz)
• Stone IPA - Left over from a recent trip to see my mom, Refrigeration is a great thing! (6 pack)
• Flying Dog Woody Creek White - A Belgian-style I reviewed a while back that I knew several people would enjoy more than the larger beers above (6 pack bottles)
• Kentucky Bourbon Ale from Lexington Brewing Co - New and never tried, A little too mild in my opinion for a Bourbon beer, Balanced and drinkable with soft vanilla, oak and bourbon flavors but without any complexity from the beer (6 pack bottles)
• Dogfish Head Olde School Barley Wine - I was sold on the brewery and the 15% alcohol level, Something had to compete with all of the bourbon and scotch!  I did not check, but I believe that this was the most recent 2007 bottling. (4 pack bottles)

The Dogfish Head Olde School was a hit among those of use who prefer bigger beers or barrel-aged liquors.  Here are my notes on this gigantic brew fresh off a napkin from the dinner table:

• Appearance - Dark copper color, cloudy without much light passing through, Little to no head which quickly fades
• Aroma - Raisin, darker dried fruit sweetness, alcohol and some very subtle spice (cinnamon came to mind but I do not think that was right, no spice is listed as an ingredient)
• Taste - Begins with a big burst of malt and fruit flavors (orange on top of the dried fruits noticed in the aroma), Again some spice but I cannot be sure that was not the aroma playing tricks on my tongue, Alcohol hides at first coming through as warmth and lingering heat, As the beer warms the alcohol asserts itself much more aggressively, Bitterness apparent but without hop flavors, Less American-style barley wine and almost a huge old ale

After tasting I went back and read the label on the beer a little closer.  The text reveals a little more about the ingredients and purpose of this brew:

"Inspired by a tale of a cask doctor who brought sluggish ales back to life by suspending a fig in them. Brewed from 100% Maris Otter pale ale malt, a blend of fine hops and conditioned on dates and figs. User Instructions: open bottle, pour contents into two snifters. Enjoy. ALTERNATIVELY: Walk hand-in-neck with bottle into the middle of the woods. Use shovel to dig 2x2 hole three feet deep. Seal bottle in plastic bag. Place in hole and pack with dirt. Memorize location and leave. Return exactly one year later. Dig up bottle, open and enjoy."

I definitely agree that this beer needs some age before reaching its full potential.  I left my extra at my aunt and uncle's for them to enjoy so if you pick up a 4 pack send me a bottle or two.  Or throw a bottle in the cellar and let me know how they taste on down the road.  I think it will be worth the wait to see how Olde School mellows over time.

Happy Belated Thanksgiving!  Guess that means holiday beers are hitting the shelves as I type.  Time to head back to the beer store.

A few news nuggets

Good news on the beer hunting front.  I have found a solid supply of both craft and import beers just down the road from my house.  Finally!  After searching all of the grocery and liquor stores for miles, I think I finally have a place to source beers for my tastings.  Unfortunately they only sell multi-packs and they sell them at a hefty price.  Hmmmm.  To buy or not to buy?  That is the question.  My first visit I settled on buying.  If I find another place then I can change that decision in the future.  I have a couple other places to try based on recommendations from locals and Rate Beer.  Over all, I would say that Florida appears to be under developed as a craft market by about 4 years by my estimate.  Yes, I can find Sam Adams Boston Lager and a few other fuller flavored beers in a grocery, but the depth and choice is lower than what I have become accustomed to in Houston, LA and Milwaukee.  Luckily Bell's and Flying Dog have recently entered the market so I think things will begin to improve some.  Still a lot that I would like to see added though!  Here is what I picked up this past week and will taste as I have time: Dogfish World Wide Stout, Brooklyn Local 1, and Sam Adams Imperial Pilsner.  The Imperial Pilsner intrigued me because it is a single hop (Hallertau) beer which is always a great study on the bitterness, flavor, and aromas that can be coaxed from that particular variety.  The Pilsner also is a relatively mild base compared to a single hop IPA so the hops should be the star of the show.

Speaking of Sam Adams...anyone read about their cease and desist letter for the guy running for Mayor in Oregon?  Talk about bad PR!  I think this certainly qualifies as "Ready, Fire, Aim!"  Good luck to the lawyer who has to explain to Jim Koch why people are boycotting his beer.

In totally unrelated news, Ian Lendler of Mental Floss compiled a couple of alcohol related stories that I found humorous.  The story was picked up by CNN.  If you are in need of a distraction or a laugh, be sure to check it out.  Drinking Stories That Put Yours to Shame

Thoughts on GABF Winners

Over the weekend, I finally had the time to print out and ponder all of the winners from last weeks GABF.  I saw a few familiar names, but mostly lots that falls into the category of "Never even heard of".  Let's start with the familiar...

In the Wood- and Barrel-Aged Sour Beers category, Temptation by Russian River took the Silver.  They also picked up another Silver for Blind Pig in the American-Style India Pale Ale category.  Russian River is a brewery that you can trust to put out very enjoyable beers and I certainly missing having access to them now that I am no longer on the West coast. 

The brewery that helped "raise" me in my craft beer drinking ways, St Arnold, won Gold in the German Style Kolsch category with their Fancy Lawnmower beer.  In the hot Texas summers, an easy drinking beer is a must.  Luckily they approach easy drinking without sacrificing taste!

Moylan's Brewing took Gold and Silver in the Imperial or Double IPA category for Hopsickle and Moylander respectively.  My first Moylan's experience came years ago on a trip to San Fran for New Years with Kilt Lifter.  A malty Scotch Ale that I always add to the cart when I see it!

Other winners I enjoy: Hog Heaven by Avery (Silver in Imperial or Double Red); Big Bear by Bear Republic (Silver in American-style Stout); Alaskan Smoked Porter 2004 (Bronze in Aged Beer); Four by Allagash (Bronze in Belgian-Style Abbey Ale); Double Cream Stout by Bells (Gold in Sweet Stout) which I have a clone recipe for and love to brew!

And of course the larger brew pubs also had a good showing with various locations of Gordon Biersch, Rock Bottom, and BJ's all taking home a medal.  Its great to see that they encourage the development of new recipes and experimentation even in these more corporate chains.  However, something tells me if they tried to keep the brewers down, there might be a revolt!

The award for complete domination of a category goes to Miller in the American Style Specialty Lager with Icehouse, Mickey's Ice, and Mickey's Malt Liquor winning all of the medals.  With 16 total entrants, I am wondering who else entered outside of the big three. 

So what about the less familiar?  To be honest way more than I'd like to admit fall into this category.  On a positive note...that means there are many more great beers to taste.  Places to seek out when I travel.  One has to have goals in life and it looks like trying to taste every beer made in the US is going to keep me busy!

Also, I found it interesting to discover how many categories there are: 75.  Since I have been digging into the world of finer American beers, there have always been a large number of style categories.  It feels like the list only continues to grow each year.  In no way is that a complaint!  Merely an observation.  Innovation in the brewing world has driven some of that increase.  Look at Barrel-Aged for example.  It was normal practice to store beer in barrels back before stainless kegs, but many of those were coated with pitch and not exposed to the wood.  Now beer is being fermented and stored in barrels after being used in the production of liquor and wine.  And some of those beers are normal alcohol level, strong, or sour leading to three categories just for the use of wood.  The strong ale category was popular as well with 72 total entrants.

The most entered category should be no surprise with 120 in American-style IPA.  Other popular categories among brewers include American-style Strong Pale Ale at 91 entrants, Double IPA and Red near 70, and American-style Pale Ale at 68.  Hops and higher alcohol are always a good direction for me.

Most important observation from studying the list of winners...going to the GABF is the better way to go.  I'll see you in Denver next Fall!

Miller Coors and Distribution

A very big announcement in the beer world today!  SAB Miller and Molson Coors have created a new joint venture to produce, market and sell their brands here in the US.  The deal helps the two companies gain scale while delivering an estimated $500 million dollars in annual savings according to the press release.  They will produce a combine 69 million BBLs which still trails A-B and their US sales of over 100 million BBLs.  I do not usually report too much news on the larger brewers, but I think that this could have an effect on the craft and micros of the brewing world. 

Part of the rationale behind completing the deal is the desire to improve distributor relations and generate efficiencies in distributor operations.  As it is now, a good number of distributors carry both Miller and Coors products while most A-B distributors are exclusive.  With two of the big three in the same house, Miller and Coors end up competing for distributor attention and resources.  If the deal closes, the new Miller Coors will contribute a large portion of the profitability to a distributor.  Add in the fact that a few of these distributors also carry Heineken, Sam Adams and some Mexican imports and its starting to get crowded.  Yes, all of these brands were there before, but on average none of them was the completely dominant player.  With one big supplier and several other important brands needing attention, what happens to a small volume craft or micro?  Will they still be able to get the support they need?  As long as the craft category continues to grow at over 10%, I think that there will be room for these brands.  Some have even established themselves as a solid player in a number of markets.  However, what happens when the category slows down?  While I think that overall craft/micros are here to stay, the growth we are currently witnessing is probably not sustainable.  Just recently, the Wall Street Journal reported on increased hop and malt costs that are having a greater impact on the craft segment.  Using more hops per barrel means a greater effect on costs.  Avoiding corn and rice in favor of using all malt also means that rising malt costs hurt the small guy as well.  The smaller breweries cannot afford to eat these increased costs because their margins are not huge to begin with.  Their only real option is to pass on the increased costs through price increases which may stall some of the growth. 

So how will all of this shake out?  I think that only time will tell.  It will be interesting to see how growing brands weather the change.  Will they be able to find new distributors to take their product into new states and regions?  I certainly hope so!  I for one enjoy added variety even if it does mean paying a little more.  I rarely let price stop me in the beer isle because I place great value on enjoying a full flavored, hop filled, malt loaded beer.        

Another key thing to note is that each distributor is ultimately their own business.  Brewers do not have the ability to force changes or limit the brands they carry unless they have agreed to limits as part of their operating agreement with a brewer (typical for A-B).  Most of the time, a brewer's and a distributor's interest aligns so suggestions from a brewer are taken into careful consideration by a distributor.  However, in the end they need to do what is right for their business and portfolio to ensure long term profitability and success.  The rationale may exist for certain houses to aggressively pursue new brands as part of their overall strategy, while not in others.  Especially with an increased reliance on a single supplier (OK...bad joke here but I can't help it.  Porter's 5 forces in action!  See also Porter if you need help with the pun.)

Should be an interesting year to see what changes do take place.  My comments are certainly at the aggregate level and generalizations.  Each market and distributor will shake out in their own way with a number of overarching trends describing the change.  I'll be sure to report back if I hear of any developments.

In the meantime...pop the top off of your favorite beer.  I'm headed to open a Lagunitas IPA right now.

Change is a brewin'

Everything over time evolves and changes.  I've been blogging here for a year now for a variety of reasons and find myself at a fork in the road.  Over the last few days in my new job, I've come to realize that I am going to be much busier than in the past.  In fact I even thought at one point I would have to discontinue The Beer Tap.  As I was pondering how I should proceed, I had a bit of an epiphany.  Right now I am waiting for all of my stuff to arrive on Friday so I am currently living in an apartment with nothing but a couple of suitcases and an inflatable mattress.  During the evenings, I have been entertaining myself via the internet thanks to a gracious neighbor who is "sharing" their wireless.  I have also decided that a good activity would be to try and determine where the best beer stores and beer bars are in the Tampa area.  Hey...I need to know if I am going to have to make trips to fully stock up or can I swing past a local place when the mood strikes.  A fridge without a selection of beers is sad and quite frankly unacceptable in my house.  Tonight as I drove around from store to store, I realized that I am going to put the effort into finding new beers, visiting breweries, going on tours, and occasionally brewing even if I was going to stop blogging.  There really is no reason why I can't put together some posts on those adventures.  Time to step up and live the full beer life!  For the most part, the blog has evolved into a recording of my adventures in beer anyways.  Every so often I throw in some education or opinion pieces, but those are the minority.

So dry those eyes and stop your crying...The Beer Tap will live on!  In fact...I picked up a 4 pack of beers for my first local micro-brew tasting.  Headed to open one right now. 

The first beer in my new apartment is Pipers Pale Ale from Dunedin Brewery.  I had heard of the brewery before and the guy at the store recommended it.  Seemed a good enough reason to purchase a 4 pack.  First lesson in Tampa...don't listen to the people at that store!  The beer opened with a very loud hiss and release foreshadowing the trouble that would follow.  Pouring the beer slowly into a glass at an angle led to an eruption of foam and over flow.  I think I lost a good portion of the 16 oz bottle trying to get something drinkable into the cup.  The aroma was spicy with hints of roasted grain, but the flavors were not as pleasant with a metallic taste/sensation burying everything else.  My first thought was that this bottle had an infection or had been bottle carbonated and over primed.  When I checked out other tasting notes on Rate Beer, I found that others had similar experiences with this brew.  I think I understand what they were trying to accomplish with the beer, yet the execution in my opinion came up short by a good bit.  A disappointing start for the new place, but I am sure I will be able to find better this weekend!   

New state...new beers

As I am preparing for the big move, I have begun to clear out my inventory of beer.  I am not a huge collector, but its not uncommon for me to have 5 to 6 different types of beer in the fridge.  I'll often buy a six pack and move on to a new one before the first is gone.  I like to have variety because you never know what beer mood will strike next.  Tonight I opened a Great Lakes beer from last winter, Christmas Ale.  The date on the bottle said best before 2/20/07.  Its been stored cold at around 45 degrees F so I felt pretty safe opening the bottle and giving it a try.  The spice flavors and aromas had long subsided but malt and honey sweetness remained providing a great drinking experience.  About half way through the beer I realized that by moving so far I will be losing my access to a number of breweries and beers that I really enjoy.  What beers will I miss most?

• Lakefront Riverwest Stein - especially on tap
• Bell's Hopslam and all of their Stouts
• Founders Red's Rye and Dirty Bastard
• Tyrenena Brewers Gone Wild Series
• 3 Floyds Dreadnaught

On a brighter note, I will get to try and experience new beers not available to me here in Wisconsin.  A quick check of the Stone website reveals that they are not distributing in Florida.  (I am worthy you bastards! Expand your reach!)  I will have to continue to import it myself when I make it out to California. 

When I was finishing my undergrad degree in Atlanta, Sweetwater was starting to gain traction.  I remember drinking 420 and their IPA as I was beginning to further expand my beer tastes.  Its been a really long time (8 years?) since I have had either beer and my tastes have continued to evolve.  Will it still be as enjoyable?  There's a little bit of excitement around "re-discovering" Sweetwater.  Of course, they only distribute down as far as Northern Florida, so I may have to go out of my way for that journey.  Another beer that I had in Atlanta back over the 4th of July was Terrapin Rye.  That could become a regular six pack purchase and I have seen it at retail in the Tampa area.

Most importantly, there are all of the beers and breweries I have yet to discover.  I have heard of an annual Barley Wine festival in Dunedin.  Go ahead and sign me up!  Other than that...I'm jumping in blind! I'll have to dig in over at Rate Beer to find all of the good bars, beer stores, and breweries.  I know they are out there.  Are you as excited as I am?

So what beers from my collection will be making the trip with me?  Only my Vertical Epic series from Stone.  I have the 04.04.04, 05.05.05, 06.06.06, and 07.07.07 aging for a grand finale tasting on 12.12.12.  At that point I should have 9 total years of the 11 offered.  Mark it on your calendar to check the blog on 12.13.12 for notes on that tasting!