Perm's Brew Picks and More

We've Moved!

2009-10-09T09:27:00.000-07:00

Come see us at

The Blog It Is A-Changin'

2009-09-07T06:42:00.000-07:00

(with apologies to Dylan).

In honor of the Second Anniversary of the St. Cecilia Brewery this month, and in ongoing frustration with Blogspot, expect some major-overhaul changes around these parts.

Consider yourselves warned!

And now it is....September?!?

2009-09-06T10:30:00.001-07:00

Never let the silence fool you. We here at Perm's Picks have been quite busy with all things zymurgical, even if these e-pages have been silent over the past 4 months. Beer happens; life intervenes.

On the homebrew front, we last left you, O Sparse Readership, with the Beach Gaelic Symphony in its aging stage and the Weiss-bier in the fermenter. Some updates are owed: The Gaelic Symphony Ale is no more. All has been consumed. And it was good. Probably one of the most pleasant, all-around Good Beers that I've brewed. It might be due a reprise in months to come. The Weiss-Bier (Opus 2) turned out nicely, but is not my favorite. I've about decided that a good, authentic German-tasting Hefeweizen is quite difficult to achieve in the extract-brewing world. My first round in '08 was nice, but quite plain and boring, and lacking in the banana-clove quality that I was going for. I attempted a manipulation of the process this time around, and ended up with clovey banana bread in a bottle. Also not ideal. I take great consolation, though, in the fact that some folks loved it. Good for them -- they keep me brewing!

Following the Silvius Leopold Weiss (still the best musicologically-inspired name for a beer EVER), I tried my hand an an American-style IPA. With a twist, though, because I had a stash of Czech hops on hand and wanted to use them. So, I devised the Antonín Dvořak New World IPA, inspired (of course) by the great Symphony No.9 ("From the New World") of Dvořak: a piece of music written in America, with American-inspired themes, by a Czech composer. Seemed fitting to me.

The brew's success is in its exquisite flavor and high drinkability. Its failure, though, is twofold: continental noble hops lack the citrus zing and bittering punch of New World (West Coast) hop varieties, the ones that we have come to expect in our American IPAs; and I had a mysterious under-carbonation pandemic affect quite a few of my bottles. So, reluctantly, I must consign my New World IPA to the ranks of homebrewing mediocrity. Although, I am sampling one, as I write this, which is perfectly carbonated and quite tasty. With the hop identity, though, it leans more toward a strong Amber Ale. (ABV ~ 7%)

On the horizon (in fact, happening this very afternoon) is a leap of faith: my second foray into the world of fruit beers. My first, nigh on a year ago, was the ill-fated Colonial Pumpkin Ale, now known in the Perm household as the "cooking beer." I'm confident, though, that I now possess the knowledge-tools to make this one a success. I have in my freezer about 5 pounds of local-grown (VERY local), organic blueberries, and on my table an American Wheat Beer kit. The hopeful result: Rhapsody in Blue, a blueberry-wheat ale tipping its hat to the great (but tragically short-lived) George Gershwin. It will also feature my first experiment with brewing into tertiary fermentation: most of my brews undergo primary fermentation (after the yeast is pitched into the vat/carboy with the ingredients) and secondary (the wort is racked [transferred] to another carboy to filter and reduce sediment, and in all the excitement the yeast sometimes wakes up from its nap and goes to work again). Teritary will simply mean racking it an additional time -- I'm going to add the blueberries to the secondary, and don't want all that organic pulpy gunk in my finished product, hence an additional filtering step.

Finally, some Gershwin fun (the man himself, from a rare 1920s recording):

George comes in on the piano at 1:02.

Next Post: Some Perm's Brew Picks from the summertime!

May Homebrew News

2009-05-05T17:39:00.000-07:00

Looking back....

I. The Stammerer is Stammer-pendous. It is a remarkable brew that, if I were doing a blind tasting, I would swear were a top-dollar Real Article. It's amazing. And there's not a lot of it, so I'm definitely hoarding this one. Although another is going to need to be popped open soon, so that Mrs. Perm can write her review!

II. The Josquin Saison is quite pleasant -- same yeast strain as the Stammerer and the APA, making a nice trio of Belgian-themed ales. It's not quite as spicy as if I had used a specifically Saison strain of yeast, and not quite as dry as I was hoping for, but it still delivers the goods.

It's also stee-rong. I was hoping for 7% ABV, and ended up with closer to between 8 and 9. Not sure how or why that happened, since most of my brews end up UNDER the projected gravity. I can only point to a vigorous, warm primary fermentation: I stuck that puppy in a closet with a space heater and it went to TOWN.

It's a winner with an array of foods (as any saison worth its salt should be) and is also great on its own -- I'm fond of sitting in the solo hammock-chair on the front porch during these spring/early summer rain showers, Josquin in hand, and letting the moment soak in. (Or, as the great Strong Bad once quipped, "On certain evenings in late spring, a Cool One can be very refreshing...")

I'm also holding a few back, as this one is sure to be an all-star in the cellar.

Looking Sideways...

I. The Gaelic Ale clone is in the bottle and will come forth for its tasting in a couple of weeks. And it has a St. Cecilia name --

Amy Beach Gaelic Symphony Ale

Had to cast about just a bit for this one, but I like the result. Amy Marcy Cheney Beach (self-called in her American-published compositions, Mrs. H.H.A. Beach) (1867-1944) was a late-19th century pianist and composer of New England stock with a penchant and flair for the Celtic Romanticism that was all the rage in those days, penning a number of piano solos with Scottish allusions, as well as the Symphony in E Minor, "The Gaelic." She was a wonderful composer.

Much like the ale from which this recipe takes its cue, Beach's music was solidly American, but firmly rooted in the classic European tradition, and often took its romantic inspiration from the mythology and poetry of Scotland.

II. I've just started the next brew: a reprise of the Silvius Leopold (Hefe) Weiss, with a reformulated recipe courtesy of Alex at Hops & Vines. I'm feeling good about this one, and think this recipe will be an improvement over last year's.

Just for fun, here's another couple of great moments from Weiss:

Looking ahead...

I'm getting excited about incorporating some local ingredients into my

upcoming brews: in addition to the hops that I'm growing in my friend

CW's garden, I've also been given the green light to avail myself of his

plenteous blueberry (and raspberry) bushes. I'm seeing a blueberry

wheat ale in my future, probably in July (and already have a name picked

out!). I'm also looking ahead to trying my hand at a Gruit Ale. What's

that, you may ask? Well, come back to a future post and find out! Suffice

to say, my version will involve juniper, rosemary, and whatever other crazy

herbs I can get my hands on.

hoppin' to it! A baby Cascade. They've more than doubled in size since this shot was taken.

So where's the Perm's Pick? It has been quite a while, has it not. Never

fear, I've not given up that pursuit: it's simply been a goodly while since I've

partaken of anything new (to me) that's quite worthy of the distinction. My

recent beer-purchasing/quaffing forays have involved tried-and-true favorites

such as Bell's Two Hearted Ale, Anderson Valley Boont Amber, and a mighty

fine Hefe-glass of Weihenstephaner. Oh, and Harpoon's Raspberry Wheat Ale

gets a solid honorable mention. Don't worry, though, I've got a bottle of something

over here that I'm eager to break out, and think just might make Pick standards.

Stay tuned....

Gah!

2009-04-07T09:53:00.000-07:00

So, a self-annoyance: I make meticulous notes on my homebrew sessions, only to lose the sheet upon which said meticulous notes have been made. That being the case, I am not entirely sure the exact time of primary and secondary fermentations, nor what the final ABV of the Josquin des Prez is! My estimate (based on numerical recollections, never my strong suit) is between 8.3 and 8.5%. At any rate, STRONG.

That can, however, be countered with two bits of GOOD news:

1) I have procured three hop rhizomes (two Cascade and a Willamette) from my favorite Homebrew Supply Store, and the hope is to get them in the ground soon! My landlord (and gardening buddy) CW is erecting some trellises at his place, where they should flourish. Here's hoping.

2) I took a sneak-peak at the Stammerer Quadrupel Ale and it is GOOD. Damn good. Amazingly, I'd-pay-nine-dollars-for-a-bottle kind of good. If this is any indication what we could do on a regular basis, then JT and I are brewing geniuses. Stay posted for a review sometime soon, but believe you me I'm going to try to nurse these precious bottles for a long, long time.

3) New homebrew *hopefully* getting started this evening -- a clone rendition of our very own backyard Highland Gaelic Ale.

Some Updates: Tasting Notes and Homebrew

2009-03-20T20:04:00.001-07:00

I. New Belgium lands in NC

As of March, New Belgium's (CO) oft-touted beers are available in the great state of North Carolina. Off the bat, three 22-oz bottles are being distributed, and I managed to get my grubby hands on all three fairly early on at the new, neighborly, nice Saluda Wine & Cheese Market up the road. So early, in fact, that *I* was actually the person to open up the cases and take out the first bottles of two of them.

That very same day (March 7) was an unseasonably warm 70+ degrees F, so I decided the first to be sampled, on our porch, would be the Mothership Wit (Mothership is what NB employees affectionately call the brewery), a classic Belgian white/wheat ale.

Appearance: 4/5. Very pale...the color of straw, or cloudy fresh lemonade, or ginger beer. A nice billowy white head floats on top.

Aroma: 4.5/5. Divine, summery goodness. Rich and complex while still light. Notes of cereal, hay, chamomile, coriander, light citrus (grapefruit?), grass.

Taste: 4/5. A delight, if ever so slightly thin at first blush. As it lingers, though, complexity comes out: grain, citrus zest, coriander, chamomile, honey, lots of wheat. A tangy finish.

Palate: 2.5/5. Too damn watery at the beginning, almost salty at the end.

Overall: 4/5. A great beer to welcome the first warm day of March -- and also to welcome NB to my NC palate. This beer stands up to many Belgian wits I've had (Wittekerke, for example) and certainly is better than most American versions in my recent memory. Here's a curiosity: when taken in small sips, it comes across as unpleasantly watery -- but when gulped, it's rich and creamy.

This would be excellent with -lightly herbed/grilled whitefish with pineapple salsa

-salted almonds or cashews

-ceviche

-goat cheese omelet with dill

-lighter Greek/Lebanese fare

Combined score: 3.95/5 (B+)

II. Homebrew follow-up, as promised.

Here's the brew recipe for the saison:

0.5 lb Durst pilsner malt

0.5 lb wheat malt

soak 60 minutes (hey, why not?)

6 lb Northwestern Gold LME

2 lb Gold DME

1 lb corn sugar

1 oz Hallertau hops (start of boil)

1 oz US Golding hops (last 20 minutes)

1 oz Styrian Golding hops (end of boil)

boil 60 minutes

Yeast: 4th generation cultivated Bastogne Yeast (originally from the Stammerer Ale)

Per Alex's suggestion, I'm trying a warmer, longer primary fermentation on this one, which I'm calling

Josquin des Prez

Josquin, who himself hailed from the rural borderland between France and Flemish Belgium (the political map, of course, very different in the late 15th century), the very home of the Saison style. And, really, as Josquin is one of the truly great composers in the history of Western Europe, it seemed fitting to pair his name with one of the truly great beer styles. And given the fact that this brew is on its way to being a whopper -- I was aiming or 7% ABV, but we're pushing 9 last I checked -- one of the Giants (Josquin) seems to be called for.

And, following bloggy tradition, I feel the need to finish off with a few musical homages to the great man. He was as instrumental as any one person in completing the stylistic transition from the late Medieval aesthetic into that now known as the Renaissance. Here are some of his best:

New Digs, New Homebrew...and the Man in Black

2009-03-20T05:13:00.000-07:00

So on March 1 we made the move to our new place, just up the road from our previous residence - and, given the fact that it's still a rental, we love it! Slightly smaller (more appropriate size) and in MUCH better condition. Lots of character.

And still lots of space for brewing and cellaring. Photos will come soon...we only found the camera battery charger yesterday.

And speaking of finds, the landlord had 3 boxes of swing-top Grolsch bottles in the basement: "you can have 'em, just give me some of the beer, man!" I believe were his exact words.

I unleashed the "Appalachian Pale Ale" yesterday and it is de-licious. Probably my favorite homebrew creation thus far. This one will be worth posting tasting notes, for sure. This more than makes up for the failed attempt at this same basic recipe a couple of months back, and the re-used Bastogne yeast (harvested from the joint project with JT) makes it go down REALLY smooth. This is something of a celebrity brew for another reason, as well -- it moved to the new apartment with us, mid-ferment! I'll admit to being quite apprehensive about hauling the carboy up the road, but it seemed to work out just fine. I left it in secondary for an extra week, just to give it more settling time.

And I've got a Saison bubbling away in the closet (started it last Friday). This is my first foray into the farmhouse genre, so we'll see what happens. Also using some harvested Bastogne yeast for this go-round. Thanks to the aforementioned closet and a little space heater, I've attempted the warm-ferment that is often recommended for a Saison. At this point, it looks nice and cloudy.

Name, brew recipe, and label to be unveiled soon...but with a centuries-old origin in the rural borderlands between Flanders and France, I've got a great idea for the nomenclature on this one.

In other music-meets-beer news, I stumbled across this:

This looks pretty exciting to me. If I were in NYC on the 26th, dog(fish)gone it if I wouldn't make it out for that!

What's This? A Homebrew Post from Perm??

2009-02-10T06:29:00.000-08:00

Don't let the e-silence fool you. St. Cecilia brewing has been at work and it's time for some updates.

I. The Big Quad

My Asheville buddy JT Southbound and I have collaborated on a clone brew of proportions that, if not quite epic, are at least horizon-stretching for both of us. I refer to a homebrewing take on the illustriously famed Westvleteren Trappist 12, courtesy of my beloved book Beer Captured.

Westvleteren is the smallest of the seven brew-producing Trappist monasteries (Chimay, Orval, Rochefort, de Koningshoeven, Westmalle, Achelse Kluis, Westvleteren), yet produces arguably the most sought-after and highly regarded beer of them all. They also don't export their product -- it is officially for sale only at two locations, the monastery itself and a small pub across the road. In my personal cellar, I do proudly claim a single bottle of a Westy yellow-cap (the "12") which I'm hoarding fiercely.

Our homebrew version deviates ever so slightly from the printed recipe, but certainly maintains the spirit and overall effect of the Abbey Quadrupel. It breaks down like this (you can see where we slightly modified the recipe to make it our own):

1 lb Cara-Munich malt (recipe: 18 oz)

1 lb Belgian Biscuit malt (recipe: 8 oz Belgian aromatic; 7 oz Belgian biscuit)

4 oz Special B malt

4 oz British Chocolate malt (recipe: 2 oz)

3 lb Extra Light DME

1 lb Pilsen XL DME

6.6 lb XL LME (recipe: 10.75 lb XL DME; we had 10.6 total)

1 lb light candi sugar

4 oz turbinado sugar (recipe: 4 oz Amber candi)

6 oz Malto-dextrin

1 oz Organic NZ Hallertau hops (AA 7%): flavor/aroma

1.25 oz Cascade hops (5.9% AA): bittering (recipe: Styrian Goldings)

1 oz Irish moss

White Labs Bastogne Ale yeast

We ended up a bit closer to 6 gallons than 5, which lowered the OG from the projected 1105 down to about 1085. The final gravity was right where it needed to be, around 1020 or so, so our estimated ABV is more along the lines of 9.1% than the hoped-for 10.6. Still, formidable and nothing to shake an asperges at. Plus, more bottles for us.

But I get ahead of myself....we brewed on December 19, then JT transferred it over to secondary on Dec.27. There it sat and happily did its thing until February 4, when JT pitched a second dose of the same yeast strain (captured at the time of racking) and got it chugging again. On the 6th, we reconvened, threw in the priming sugar (I believe it was corn sugar), and bottled away, mostly in corked 750 mL Belgian bottles (it only seemed fitting). Each of us made off with half the batch.

Now the great waiting game begins. We agreed to not break any out until we were together again, provisionally looking at mid-March for the first sampling. These bad boys should be good to go until at least 2012, though!

On my end of things, for St. Cecilia purposes I'm calling it "Notker Balbulus Stammerer Quadrupel Ale" -- managing to squeeze in another mostly-appropriate double entendre. Notker of St. Gall was a late-9th/early-10th century Benedictine monk and composer/theorist who was known as Balbulus, or the Stammerer. He's also one of the very earliest Western composers for whom we have both a name and surviving music connected with that name (900AD!) Great name for a strong Quad, if you ask me -- too much of this and you're sure to be stammering! I also was pleased to find a monastic composer (I know, Benedictine, not Cistercian -- are we going to split hairs here??) for this tribute brew.

contemplating the proper hop additions?

II. RVW's Down Ampney Coffee Porter

The December brew is, actually, almost all gone! It was a wonderful success and the fact that there are just a handful of bottles left is testament to that. I will say, a mere ounce of coarse-ground beans added to the wort went a LONG way. I could have done a half ounce and it still would have been plenty coffee for the end result. I'm glad I didn't follow my initial hunch and and more during the secondary.

III. Pisgah Pale Clone, Take Two

My November batch was to be a rendering of Hops & Vines' Pisgah Pale Ale clone recipe, which (as reported) went strangely south. I've kept the bottles, and a recent tasting suggested to me that all *might* not be lost, but I'm going to let them sit for a good 6 months before I try any again. Odds are, there's no salvaging.

I thought this kit had so much potential for greatness, though, I just had to try again. So, in the fermenter now is the seedling of my Swannanoa Appalachian Pale Ale.

It varies most significantly from both the source kit and the November attempt in that I'm using a second-generation batch of the same Bastogne Ale yeast from the Stammerer Quad. This will mark the first time that I've brewed using saved yeast from a previous batch. (If all goes according to plan, I'll use this yeast yet again next month in my projected Saison.)

So, what we'll have is an American Pale Ale with a decidedly Belgian twist, which I am inclined to think will be nothing short of lovely.

Here's the bill:

1 lb. Crystal malt (60 L)

1 lb. Munich malt

6 lbs. Gold LME

1 lb. Gold DME

1 oz Chinook hops (bittering)

1 oz Cascade hops (bittering)

1 oz Chinook hops (aroma/flavor)

1 oz Cascade hops (aroma/flavor)

1 tsp Irish Moss

Bastogne Ale Yeast (2nd Generation, harvested from December 19th brewing)

I may or may not dry hop at the end of the process; I'll leave that to my mood come secondary time. The Original Gravity was 1050, so as long as there's a good yeast feeding frenzy we should be on track for something in the 6% department.

I also did something a bit different this time in that I added more water to the boil -- 3 1/2 gallons, as opposed to my usual 2 or 2 1/2. I'm hoping this will result in a greater depth of character in the end result.

Our Founding Fathers, the Separatists

2009-02-08T17:03:00.000-08:00

And now, an important note on our American history, from thestraightdope.com:

Dear Cecil:

Is it true the Mayflower landed at Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1620 because the ship ran out of beer? I have been told that barrels of beer were the most voluminous and important item in the hold because water couldn't stay drinkable on a ship for that long.

— James C., Massachusetts

You heard right, more or less: The Mayflower colonists decided to settle at Plymouth because they were running low on beer. In an age when so many have lost their moral compass, it's comforting to know that people in the old days had their priorities straight.

Pretty much everything you think you know about the Pilgrims is wrong (including their being called Pilgrims--that term didn't catch on until centuries later), so it's not surprising the beer angle slipped under the radar. Here's the story, assembled with the help of my doughty research assistant Bibliophage:

On November 9, 1620 [November 19 by modern reckoning], after 64 days at sea, the Mayflower sighted Cape Cod. You may inquire: What sort of idiot would sail across the north Atlantic at the height of storm season? The voyagers probably asked themselves the same question. They'd initially left Southampton, England, in August, but one of their two ships, the Speedwell, sprang a leak. Repair attempts failed, and by the time the travelers had consolidated themselves on the Mayflower, a month had passed. Then they spent an extra couple weeks under sail due to bad weather, arriving just in time for winter. That was problem one.

Problem two was that Cape Cod was not where the colonists were supposed to be. Their patent from the Virginia Company of London authorized them to establish a plantation between 38 and 41 degrees north latitude; the tip of Cape Cod was just north of 42 degrees. The group dutifully attempted to sail south, but shoals and contrary winds kiboshed that idea. Some now spoke of splitting up. Contrary to what we imagine, the colonists weren't united by religion. Of the 102 passengers, around 40 were Separatists (i.e., separated from the Church of England), a like number were regular folks recruited by the London merchants who underwrote the expedition, and the balance were hired men, servants, and so on. Finding themselves at odds in a legal no-man's-land, the colonists drafted the Mayflower Compact. The 41 who signed it on November 11 included no women but were otherwise pretty cool, consisting of Seps and non-Seps, masters and servants, all bound by the realization that has animated every republic since: If we don't stick together we're wolf chow.

The question remained exactly where the colonists should set up shop. Looking at the map now, you'd think a little bird would have twittered: Boston! You can found Boston! Apparently not. The choice came down to someplace called Anguum (probably near the present town of Ipswich), or else what the ship's navigator called "Thievish Harbor," in the direction of what's now known as Plymouth Bay. The latter being closer, the colonists headed there and found the location promising, in part because the land had been cleared earlier by Native American farmers who then conveniently died due to European-borne pestilence. The voyagers weren't disposed to be fussy: "We could not now take time for further search or consideration, our victuals being much spent, especially our beer, and it being now the 19th of December" (Mourt's Relation, 1622, commonly attributed to colonists William Bradford and Edward Winslow). Plymouth it was.

Beer was a dietary mainstay in those days. Chances are the beverage in question was "ship's beer," a not-very-alcoholic concoction that, along with the even weaker "small beer," was drunk in formidable quantities during the colonial era (upwards of a quart per day seems to have been a typical ration). Undoubtedly an advantage was that, unlike more perishable foodstuffs, ship's beer would keep during long voyages and, having been boiled, was likely purer than ordinary water.

The colonists used up their beer by Christmas. At first the ship's captain gave them a little out of the crew's supply, but when sickness, possibly scurvy, began felling the travelers (about half died that first winter), things got ugly. "As this calamity fell among the passengers that were to be left here to plant, and were hasted ashore and made to drink water that the seamen might have the more beer, and one in his sickness desiring but a small can of beer, it was answered that if he were their own father he should have none" (Bradford, History of Plymouth Plantation, circa 1650). The captain relented when his own men began getting sick too, evidently not wanting it to be known to history that, in addition to being late, lost, etc, he was the SOB who hogged the beer.

— Cecil Adams

^{Source: http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/2625/did-the-pilgrims-land-on-plymouth-rock-because-they-ran-out-of-beer, accessed 2/8/09.}

Thinking local

2009-02-07T16:58:00.001-08:00

What is Brooklyn Local 1?

Let us begin with the caption on the bottle:

In Williamsburg, Brooklyn, we forge barley malt and hops from Germany, aromatic raw sugar from Mauritius, and yeast from Belgium into Brooklyn Local 1. Behind the golden color, find a dynamic complex of flavors, Belgian flair, Brooklyn fortitude, and a dusting of yeast after 100% bottle re-fermentation. Enjoy it locally or globally, as an aperitif or with your favorite dishes.

Now, a quotation from The New York Times:

Steve Hindy, the president and cofounder of the brewery, said he and the brewmaster, Garrett Oliver, “had always been fascinated by Belgian-style beers and knew we could produce them here” — here being North 11th Street, within sight of the Williamsburg waterfront. In the eight-week process, the ale comes out of fermentation tanks flat and is allowed to ferment again in the bottle.¹

And what of the result? Read on, brothers-in-beer.

It comes out of the bottle golden, almost exactly apricot-colored, with terrific carbonation, and pours up a bodacious head.

The nose is very yeasty and hits all the right notes for a saison (even if I am drinking it in February and not at the late summer harvest, as is customary).

In the mouth, it's malty and dry, with citrus (orange) notes, honey, some spices. When cool, it has a nice long finish. Nothing surprising, if you know your Belgians, but a very solid composition within the style.

It is also 9% ABV and comes in a 750 mL bottle, so if you're not careful it will take you to school.

Stay tuned: Brooklyn Local 2 comes out this month.

^{1. http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/11/03/a-trademark-dispute-brewed-in-a-bottle/}

Oy Vey

2009-01-11T16:56:00.000-08:00

So, here it is January for crying out loud and I'm back-logged for posting like nobody's business.

Here's my lame disclaimer:
1) Advent and Christmas seasons for an Episcopal Organist/Choirmaster = nuts. Blogging simply got shoved to the bottom of the priorities list.
2) As mentioned in my previous post, my laptop fried the week before Christmas (see #1). General mayhem and gnashing of teeth ensued.
3) Some homebrewing setbacks left me somewhat less than eager to chronicle my achievements -- much like the writers of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, I'm more keen to document my successes than I am my defeats (see below).

But, culturally speaking, January 1 makes all things new (including an amazing new office computer), so here we go into the *third calendar year* for Perm's Brew Picks and More.

So, a bit of housecleaning/catching up is in order from the tail-end of '08. Here we go:

I. Homebrewing News.

When last I logged in, the Pumpkin Ale was in secondary and the APA was on the docket. Both went south in a big way. Beyond recovery? Only time can tell.

For the pumpkin ale, I've decided my big mistake was to re-soak the bag o'pumpkin in the secondary. WAAAAY too much vegetable taste in the finished product: something akin to pumpkin juice mixed with amber ale. And an odd sour note that may or may not be foreign funk. I'm going to let these puppies sit in the bottle for a few months to see what sort of mellowing magic time can work. The silver lining: they're still perfectly fine for cooking with.

As far as the APA goes, I'm still not quite sure what went wrong, but once again there's the possibility of a foreign influence (wild yeast, or even something more nefarious like mold) influencing the elixir. Possibly some unwanted diacetyl, too. I'm also going to let it sit for a severe quantity of time to see if anything evens out. This might be one for loss-cutting and moving on.

In the wake of these two morale-crushers, 2008 appears to have ended splendidly, though. After a prelimiary tasting, my December brewing project can be counted a wonderful success:

Ralph Vaughan Williams' Down Ampney Coffee Porter

In addition to winning the prize for longest name yet, it's also named in honor of the 50th anniversary of the great man's passing from this life. Vaughan Williams, being quintessentially English, deserved a quintessentially English brew, of course -- and what can be more fitting than Porter?

It doesn't get much more sublime than this...

The coffee was a late-minute snap decision of mine, just for fun. I coarsely-ground 1 oz of dark-roast beans, and then tossed them into the cooling wort post-boil (5 gallons, mind you). For the next week or so, I was convinced that I had brewed 5 gallons of kahlua. By bottling time, though, the coffee had mellowed out and blended with the other elements.
An official tasting will come soon.

And my January brew (actually begun in late December) is a foray into the joys of co-brewing with a friend. I wish I could say that this is my first foray into joint brewing, but I must sadly recall the events of April 2004.
JT and I have embarked on a pretty ambitious project: a clone of Westvleteren Abt 12 (the [in]famous Trappist beer -- the one that *isn't* exported to the US). We're set to bottle in a couple of weeks, then bulk-age the monster until March or later. Stay tuned for updates.

2. Election Night Special

Only 2 months late! No worries!
Mrs. Perm and I celebrated Election Night with a couple of premium Carolina Cigar Company Churchills, and for the occasion I broke out one of my bottles of Harviestoun Ola Dubh 12.

[photo to come]

This is an incredible whisky-barrel-aged Scottish Old Ale from the makers of Old Engine Oil.
Limited-edition 330 mL bottles, each individually numbered.
Here's the run-down:

Appearance: Black...black is the color of my true-love beer! A very thin tan head around the edge of the glass frames the goodness. 5/5

Aroma: Tar, tobacco, peat, smoke, hops, strong malt, and molasses. Not for the faint of heart. Or the Miller drinker. 5/5

Taste: Malt, peat smoke, mild hops, treacle. It flows seamlessly from the nose to the taste, with wonderful whisky notes throughout. Dark-chocolate liqueur-like, to boot. 5/5

Palate: Mellow, smooth, very slight alcohol tinge, thick, and viscous. 5/5

Overall: Fantastic! A great Old Ale -- great sipping beer, and wonderful with that medium-blend cigar. It was a bit steep at $8.50 for a 330 mL bottle, but for a one-offer (And for a momentous event), it's definitely something special. And not a disappointment. 4.95: A+

3. New Years' in Beer Land

New Years' 2008-2009 was not intentionally planned to be beer-themed, but combine Perm with Asheville (and haut cuisine) and it's hard not to have it end up being so. Here's a summary of the December 31 adventure:

I. Jack of the Wood (Green Man Brewing's home)
Early supper here.
Green Man Imperial Stout (w/Surf & Turf)
Green Man IPA

II. The Thirsty Monk
Gouden Carolus Noel
(chocolate platter)
Off-license (in the US! I know!) bottle of Bell's Winter Wheat (wit), back to the hotel and the crazy-jet bathtub with this one

III. Barley's Taproom
The quest for the short-supply 2008 Pisgah Baptista (not bottled at all!) is finally successful, one hammock-taxi ride (for the ladies) later. 10-12 oz or so draught is well worth the hunt for this gem.

IV. The Bier Garden
Appalachian Copperhead Ale
Allagash Dubbel (bottle)

To follow: A trio of Perm's Monthly Picks, and a review of our New Years' Day multi-course feast.

December Pre-update

2008-12-16T11:08:00.000-08:00

There are a few updates ready or near-ready to be posted...BUT, being an Organist in December ("AAAAGGGGHHHHH") AND having a computer death on my hands...I'll ask you indulge and excuse my lack of posting at the moment.

Time now for some wise words of Charlie Papazian, dean of Homebrewing:
"Relax, don't worry, have a homebrew."

Hooray Beer!

2008-11-28T16:45:00.000-08:00

An honorable mention from the annals of beer advertising:

Homebrew Updates 4 Nov. 2008

2008-11-04T08:36:00.000-08:00

I hope everybody is voting or has already voted. This month's All About Beer magazine had an interesting article about past US Presidents and beer, from Washington and Jefferson the homebrewers to Martin Van Buren the party animal to Rutherford B. Hayes the tee-totaller and his First Lady "Lemonade Lucy," to FDR who overturned Prohibition, and Jimmy Carter -- who signed into law the provision that makes homebrewing possible today.

Last month's William Billings Colonial Pumpkin Ale is in the bottle and conditioning. Preliminary pre-carbonation taste tests hint that it's going to be nice.

Here's the run-down, since I didn't include it in the last post:

1 lb Briess Caramel 20L specialty grains

6.3 lb NB Amber Malt Syrup

6 lb 9 oz fresh local pumpkin, oven-roasted and mashed into pulp

3 oz Cascade hops

7 oz wildflower honey and Grade B Vermont maple syrup

1/4 oz grated fresh ginger

1 cinnamon stick

4 whole cloves

1/2 ts allspice (ground)

1/2 ts nutmeg (ground)

White Labs Belgian Ale Yeast

I soaked the grains and the pumpkin (in a mesh strain bag) in 1 gallon water @ 150F for 40 minutes, then rinsed both bags with another 1/2 gallon water.

Water brought to the boil: malt extract, honey/maple syrup, 1 oz hops, and 3 lb pumpkin (in bag) added to boil. Boil for 60 minutes, adding 1 ts Irish Moss and 1/2 oz hops at 45 minutes. Add final 1/2 oz hops and all spices at 60 minutes.

Topped up to 6 gallons (hence why a lower gravity) cold water and pitched yeast at 70F.

Original Gravity: 1043 (if I'd left it at 5 gallons, would have been closer to my target of 1065, but I also had significantly less honey/maple syrup to use than the source recipe called for, which also brought the gravity down).

Left in primary for 8 days, then racked to secondary, throwing in 4 oz brown sugar and 3.5 lb pumpkin pulp in a mesh bag. In secondary for 13 days.

Final Gravity: 1007

Alcohol by Volume: 5.0%

Primed with cane sugar and bottled. I'm going to leave it alone until Nov.24, for the first taste-test on Thanksgiving Eve.

I intentionally went light on the spice profile, following the recommendations of a few fellow brewers on beeradvocate.com, and also in order to let the natural flavors of the pumpkin have a chance to come through. I didn't want to make a pumpkin pie ale, which is what many end up being -- too much spice, and that's all you end up tasting.

And, the November homebrew is in the pot! I took a detour from my original plan (Belgian Dubbel) and got inspired by a Pisgah Pale Ale clone kit from Hops & Vines of Asheville. Pisgah is an excellent brewery, and their Pale Ale is one of the best APAs I've had, local or otherwise. And since Mrs. Perm always advocates for me to brew hoppy pale ales, it seemed like the thing to do. The pumpkin ale has a longer waiting period than my standard brews, and a Dubbel would have had an even longer hibernation period.

For nomenclature, I wanted to pay tribute to the source inspiration for this recipe (Pisgah Brewing in Black Mountain, NC). I've decided to call it

Black Mountain Appalachian Pale Ale

Here's the photo for the label:

The tag line will read: "Our homage to one of the finest breweries (and one of the finest brews) of the Blue Ridge -- and the music that has echoed in these hills for centuries."

I'm quite fond of the play on the acronym at work here: APA, of course, being "American Pale Ale," but "Appalachian" works nicely in its tip-o-the-hat to Pisgah.

In the interest of having the composer theme unbroken, I considered styling it "Aaron Copland's Appalachian Spring Ale," but that's all about Pennsylvania and is based on a poem about the Adirondacks. Not the same.

I do confess a deep fondness for Appalachian folk music (Old Time, ballads, etc.) and it seems entirely appropriate to send one of my St. Cecilia tributes in that direction. Plus, it gives me an excuse for more YouTube gems here:

Dirk Powell and Riley Baugus are two of the shining stars of the Old Time revival. And "Cumberland Gap" is one of my favorite Old Time numbers.

Profile and brew overview to come.

Sixpoint follow-up

2008-10-30T05:46:00.000-07:00

On the heels of the New York Times article, the people at Metromix have created a very fine photo essay on the operations of Sixpoint Craft Ales. Worth the look for anyone (again: everyone) who loves good beer and the art of the brewer. In this instance, loving Brooklyn is helpful, but not necessary.

INSIDE: Sixpoint Craft Ales

NYTimes: Brooklyn Returns to a Heady Time

2008-10-29T18:30:00.001-07:00

This article in today's food section is well worth reading for anyone (that is: everyone) with an interest in the political economy of local breweries. Featured in this photo, as in the article, are some of the offerings of Sixpoint, a Brooklyn craft brewery responsible for some seriously tasty beer that doesn't have to rely on charity to score highly in all departments. Extra points are awarded for their brews' cool names, especially the Sixpoint Brownstone, the Sweet Action, and the Righteous Ale.

NY Times: Brooklyn Returns to a Heady Time
SEE ALSO: Sixpoint Craft Ales

Beer a Better Investment than Newspapers

2008-10-20T08:44:00.001-07:00

As readers of this fair blog probably suspected, it turns out that investing in beer over the past three years would have yielded a far more satisfying return than plunking down cash for newspaper stocks.

This intrepid blogge r has done the math and determined that spending $10,000 on kegs of Bud (more on this in a minute) and re-investing your $75 returned deposit underneath your mattress would result in approximately $4,125 cash in hand. Newspapers? Not so much. The Grey Lady is the only stock currently above that $4,125 watermark and a $10,000 investment in McPaper would leave you with a paltry $1,833 as of the middle of last week.

Of course, my only issue with this post is - why Bud? Running the same numbers with a list price of $179 for 1/2 keg of Brooklyn Brown still leaves you with a tidy $2,925 under your mattress and you've spent the past three years drinking a brew that is, in fact, quite fine. Or, go for variety, as the Brooklyn Brown seems to be fairly representative in price of the better brews.

This even goes beyond quality versus quantity. Sure you could drink the equivalent of 6 Bud's per day for three years. But then what about the medical costs associated with alcoholism and cirrhosis of the liver? And surely those who live near good local brewery's would better serve their local economy by buying local and rewarding the toils of their friendly local craftspeople.

This is not even to mention the amount of homebrew that $10,000 of supplies and materials could produce! So here's to beer, and not newspapers. Bottoms up to you all until the next time!

Perm's Pick for October

2008-10-10T18:12:00.000-07:00

I have not posted a true "Pick" in quite a while.

As it should be, methinks, since these Picks are not for the every-day, run-of-the-mill Good Beers, but for those that truly stand out from the crowd in their uniqueness.

I do think it's time to present another, this one from the well-respected Quebecois-Canadian brewery Dieu du Ciel. I've heard great things about Dieu du Ciel, but this particular brew was my first foray into their oeuvre. And, quite honestly, this one was a tangential, whim pick. I was stocking up for my October cellar stash at Ye Olde Bruisin' Ales, and happened to be telling Jason how much I appreciated his prior recommendation of Saison Pipaix. He then said, "Well, if you appreciated the peppery notes of the Pipaix, you should check this one out..." and fetched me a 12-ounce bottle of the present goodness. Brewed with green and black peppercorns, in fact.

Route des Épices

Rye Ale brewed with green and black peppercorns, 5% Alcohol by Volume

From the Brewery's own description...

"La Route des épices est une bière de seigle dégageant d'agréables arômes et saveurs de poivre provenant de l’incorporation de cette épice durant le brassage. En bouche, on retrouve aussi des saveurs de malt, de céréales fraîches, et des notes de fruits, de chocolat et de caramel. En arrière-goût, le poivre revient en force et laisse une agréable sensation épicée sur la langue et l'arrière du palais, permettant d'atteindre le juste équilibre entre le piquant et les autres saveurs..."

That is to say,

"Initially, the beer reveals flavours of fresh grain and malt, which give it notes of chocolate, caramel, and fruit. The pepper flavour and aroma is fully revealed in the finish, which leaves a pleasant, spicy, tingling sensation on the tongue."

Odd, I know. But you know what, it works.

Here's my review:

Appearance: Dark siena brown, similar to an American Brown or a dark Pumpkin ale. Lots of light-tan foamy head. 4.5 / 5

Aroma: Enticing! Dark, deep malt; black and white pepper leads into shades of cocoa, cardamom, salt, coriander, and rye, with an earthy-floral (is that basil?) finish. 4 / 5

Taste: Rich and complex: this is truly a caravan-journey across the Spice Road. Dark tones of rye and bourbon, with a flashy peppercorn showing and a spicy finish. Dandelion shows up, as well as (again) cardamom, with slight hints of white chocolate. 4.5 / 5

Palate: A strong pepper finish -- almost hot on the throat, and yet I want to sip again and again... 3.5 / 5

Overall: Very unusual! Very pleasant, too...Dark, mysterious, appropriately bitter. 4 / 5

Great with (I would imagine) a whole array of foods -- peppery steak for sure; smoked cheeses; anything grilled. I had it alongside a chicken-gorgonzola-walnut pasta: it was *almost* too strong for the dish, but in the end it did work well together, thanks to that gorgonzola-blue cheese. I'd try this one with mole sauce in a heartbeat. Or, for that matter, curry fries.

Final: 4.25 / 5 (A-)

My only advice: don't drink it too cold. You'll miss out.

Épic

October Homebrew News

2008-10-10T05:48:00.000-07:00

I. It's Here and It's Good.

Just how good, I'll let Mrs. Perm post her tasting notes and say. Suffice to say, I'm damn proud of this one.

II. The Howells English Mild Ale continues to be a bit pedestrian and boring. Nothing wrong with it, and it goes great with a bowl of bison chili, just nothing to write home about. I've made much better brews than this. Perhaps it (like so many others before) just needs to sit in the bottle and age for a while yet. But I'm not holding out for greatness.

III. Gearing up for the next batch:

William Billings Colonial Pumpkin Ale

I spent the better part of the first half of today brewing this one. Look for a future post devoted to it (with photos). It's by far the most experimental brew I've worked on yet; I'm looking for it to be good -- but as all true experiments are wont to be, there's no real telling how the final product will pan out. Suffice to say at this point in the game, the color is lovely.

IV. Happy Birthday!!

St. Cecilia Brewery celebrated its One Year mark in September, and the crazy brewer forgot to mark the occasion with a note...however, I couldn't think of a finer brew to mark the occasion with than that Irish Stout. Man, it's good.

Wisdom from our National Sage

2008-09-27T11:07:00.000-07:00

"I doubt not that moderate Drinking has been improv'd for the Diffusion of Knowledge among the ingenious Part of Mankind...drinking does not improve our Faculties, but it enables us to use them."

Benjamin Franklin, Silence Dogood, No. 12, 1722.

(full text here)

BREWGRASS 08

2008-09-23T05:08:00.000-07:00

I have said it elsewhere before; I'll say it here loudly and clearly; I'll say it again I'm sure:

Brewgrass rocked my socks off.

I (and Mrs. Perm) have been a mostly-annual participant in the Durham, NC World Beer Festival since 2002. We have come to love it dearly ("It's the best thing that Durham has to offer."), have very very fond memories of festivals past spent with friends, and were sorry to realize that we wouldn't be able to make the trek this year to attend. I can credit the WBF with introducing me to any number of then-new, now-favorite brews. I raise my glass to thee in Toast, World Beer Festival.

I can, however, unequivocally state that the Great Smokies Craft Brewers Brewgrass Festival blows the Durham fest out of the water. Yes, it's quite smaller. Yes, there are significantly fewer breweries -- and significantly fewer brews -- representing a smaller geographic spread than at the WBF. Be as that may, Brewgrass for me has successfully captured the certain je ne sais quoi of Atmosphere that a "Beer Festival" should represent. I firmly believe in the quality over quantity focus, and believe that BG has nailed that one on the head.

Where Brewgrass got it right:

* Limiting the number of attendees. Yes, it was crowded. Certainly, it could easily have been much more crowded than it was. The size of the crowd was manageable and reasonable. I hope they continue this practice.

* The Venue. MLK Park is perfect for this thing.

* Having one 7-hour session rather than two 4-hour sessions (a la Durham). Four hours is a long time to sample beers. And yet there was much less of a sense of haste with the proceedings, having those additional three hours. One could take a sample brew, return to one's chair, take some notes, relish in the beer, savor it, and return at one's leisure to the next brewery tent. Here's a great example also of how fewer breweries to choose from works in your favor.

* Having the space, ability, space, permission, expectation, and, yes, space to bring a chair and use it. And sit down. Next year, we're definitely getting closer to the stage.

* Being generally Chill about everything. Laid-back, relaxed, happy. Not that those things don't happen at Other Beer Festivals I've attended. But Brewgrass really does capture that ambience beautifully. (Can we credit Asheville with this fact? Or the demeanor of those who come to this thing? I can say, I did not miss the preponderance [being one myself] of that certain demographic of Duke (graduate-) students and Triangle Yuppies.)

* Very nice souvenir tasting glasses.

* Lest we forget or overlook it: The Music. The lineup of bands was stellar and the front-and-centeredness of the stage was entirely appropriate and enjoyable.

The weather was perfect. The people were nice. And the beers were stupendous.

I began the day set to take detailed tasting notes and be all nerdy, BA-style. After about 3 or 4, though, the just-take-it-easy-and-have-fun mood got the best of me, and I decided to do just that. Enjoy the day, make mental notes of outstanding samples, and simply soak it all in.

The bands:

1. Brushfire Stankgrass. We noticed how as the day went on, the bands successively got more and more "traditional" in style. The first group was barely even "Newgrass," let alone Blue. They did have a banjo. And they were quite good, in an Avett Brothers/Carbon Leaf sort of vein.

2. The Biscuit Burners. These folks were probably my favorite. Also flirting with a "Newgrass" sound, a few of their songs had a pronounced Indian influence (was that a sitar up there?) -- perfect for the Asheville-hippies.

3. Dixie Bee Liners. Yeah, I was drinking.

4. Greensky Bluegrass.

5. Cadillac Sky -- these guys were fantastic, and really made me want to be closer to the stage.

What could have been better? A cigar vendor.

The Calm Before the Storm.

The Brewery Lineup was Stellar. 42 by my count, 30 of which were from either North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, or north Georgia. With a total of at least 175 beers or so (the guide booklet wasn't completely accurate in its listings). Of those 42, Mrs. Perm and I managed to make it to 22 breweries and sample about 45 brews. Modest in the grand scheme, perhaps, but I, at least, have very few regrets about how I made out.

There were two or three breweries that I missed on purpose (Foothills, Big Boss, Sam Adams), but only a couple that I wanted to hit up and didn't (Duck Rabbit, Heinzelmannchen).

At first I was slightly bummed that there were not free water bottles (Durham does do this, or at least used to), but once we discovered the preponderance of jugs o' water at the brewery booths (ostensibly for cleaning out your tasting glass), my complaints washed away. Plus, the $2 we did spend on water bottles went to Big Brothers & Big Sisters of Asheville.

Highlights of the brew tastings:

* Dogfish Head and their Randall. 60-Minute IPA filtered through basil, mint, and coffee. YOWZA! Their Festina Peche was also a highlight.

* Highland's limited-release Imperial Black Mocha Stout. Definitely in my Top 3 of the day.

* Pisgah Valdez -- another strong coffee stout, this one with organic, fair-trade coffee beans.

* French Broad's Saison. American breweries often struggle with making a successful farmhouse ale. French Broad nailed it. The Altbier was also a winner.

* Green Man had their ESB in a hand-pump cask. It was heavenly.

* Magic Hat Jinx. Strong ale brewed with peat-smoked whisky malt.

* Outer Banks Slap Happy Abbey.

Thomas Creek's Vanilla Cream Ale -- surprising!

Great Divide Wild Berry.

Low-lights:

* Rogue (OR) Brewing's Old Crustacean Barleywine. I don't know how they get off calling that a barleywine. I also don't know the story behind the naming of this one, but "Old Crustacean" pretty much tastes like the name suggests that it might.

* Triangle Brewing (NC)'s Xtra Pale Ale. As Homer Simpson might say, "Bo-ring!"

Here's a list of what we tried. I'll have a review of a few of them forthcoming. This posting is already long enough.

Asheville Brewing Co. Old School Pale Ale, Ninja Porter.

Brooklyn Brewery. Post Road Pumpkin Ale.

Catawba Valley Brewing (NC). King Don Pumpkin Ale.

Coast Brewing (Charleston, SC). Hopart IPA, ALTerior Motive Altbier.

Dogfish Head Brewing. Festina Peche (a "Neo-Berliner Weisse"), 60-Minute IPA (Randallised!)

French Broad Brewing Co. (NC) Wee Heavier Scotch Ale, Altbier, Gateway Kolsch, 13 Rebels ESB, Saison.

Green Man Brewing (NC). Pale Ale, Cask-conditioned ESB, Porter.

Highland Brewing. Gaelic Ale, Imperial Black Mocha Stout.

Magic Hat. Lucky Kat IPA, Number 9, Jinx.

Moon River Brewing (GA). Wild Wacky Wit, Swamp Fox IPA, Captain's Porter.

Outer Banks Brewing (NC). Slap Happy Abbey.

Pisgah Brewing (NC). Valdez, Endless Summer.

Rogue Brewing. Old Crustacean Barleywine.

Sierra Nevada (CA). Anniversary Ale.

Terrapin Beer Co. (GA). India Style Brown Ale, Big Hoppy Monster Imperial Red Ale.

Tommyknocker Brewery (CO). English Style Pale Ale (dry hopped with Kent Goldings & Fuggles)

Thomas Creek Brewing (SC). Doppelbock, Vanilla Cream Ale.

Triangle Brewing (NC). Belgian Style Golden Ale, Xtra Pale Ale.

Victory Brewing (PA). Prima Pils, Hop Devil IPA

Yazoo Brewing (TN). Hefeweizen.

Great Divide (CO.) Wild Berry Ale.

A local brewing favorite. Find the Hasid look-alike?

The scene of pure magic -- Imperial Black Mocha Stout.

And, lest we forget, the food was great -- Doc Chey's Noodle House (the fried gyoza dumplings were DELICIOUS), Barley's Taproom pizzas, and amazing organic bratwurst from Greenlife Grocery's deli (with equally amazing "Lusty Monk" mustard).

Running into old friends makes a good day into a Great one.

'Tis the season...

I can't tell you how many comments I got from this shirt. I think I'll have to wear it again next year.

A final parting shot. There's that cute tasting glass again. Filled with Moon River Wit, by the way. That's a good wit.

Beer in the Media roundup...

2008-09-19T08:29:00.000-07:00

This might make a fun recurring feature: what's going on with brew news (and opinions!) across the globe, with appropriate snide remarks by yours truly.

First off, a potential tragedy in Scotland.
This is so ridiculous I must paste the entire article in-line.

SKULL SPLITTER ALE MAY FACE AXE AFTER PORTMAN REPORT

The Orkney Brewery has mounted a vigorous defence of its award winning Skull Splitter ale, which could be withdrawn from sale in the UK following a report claiming its Viking branded bottles had an “aggressive” theme. The report, by management consultancy PIPC, was commissioned by controversial drinks marketing watchdog, the Portman Group, to investigate compliance with an industry code of practice on the naming, packaging and promotion of alcohol.
Skull Splitter, an 8.5% ale created over 20 years ago and sold internationally, was singled out in the PIPC report because “it’s name implies violence and also the impact the strength may have on the drinker”.
The report claimed that, potentially, Skull Splitter was in breach of the drinks industry’s code and the Portman Group will meet later in the year to consider what action, if any, it may take against the Orkney Brewery. That action could include an instruction to UK retailers not to stock the ale.
Fearing one of its longest established and most popular ales could be withdrawn from sale in the UK, the brewery has now launched a campaign to save Skull Splitter, a former Champion Winter Ale of Britain.
Already commended for leading the way with efforts to increase awareness of sensible drinking, the brewery – set to undergo a major redevelopment - has repeatedly stressed to the Portman Group that the ale is in fact named after Thorfinn Hausakluif, the Seventh Viking Earl of Orkney - nicknamed “Skull Splitter”.
Orkney Brewery’s parent company, Sinclair Breweries Ltd, is mustering support for its case ahead of the final decision by the Portman Group.
Norman Sinclair, managing director of Sinclair Breweries Ltd, said: “We’re completely stunned by the hard line the Portman Group has taken with Skullsplitter. When they first raised their concerns with us on the back of the PIPC report we fully explained the historical background to the name and, as responsible brewers, we were happy to try and work with them to find a solution. Indeed, we’ve cooperated with them every step of the way but it’s apparently got us nowhere.
“Again and again we have stressed to the Portman Group that Skull Splitter, like all our beers, is a high quality, hand crafted product designed to be savoured by adults who enjoy the real ale experience. We never target any of our beers at a young market, nor do we allow them to be sold cut price. In addition, Skull Splitter is not sold in supermarkets.”
Mr Sinclair said he had reminded the Portman Group that Sinclair Breweries Ltd, which also owns Kinlochleven’s Atlas Brewery, was the first small, independent brewer to incorporate new government alcohol consumption guidelines on all its labelling.
“We’ve always promoted a responsible attitude towards our products and, whilst we recognise that the Portman Group is trying to address a very real problem with under age drinking in this country, real ales are not the cause of these issues,” he said. “Sadly, the Portman Group does not appear to have grasped this fact. They have chosen to disregard everything we’ve said about the history of Orkney and the associated branding of what is a carefully crafted and well loved product, enjoyed the world over.”
He added: “We await their final decision with considerable concern. It’s almost inconceivable that a quality product such as Skull Splitter, one that has won numerous industry awards, could disappear from sale in the UK and I sincerely hope that common sense prevails.”

Two words: Namby-Pamby.

It seems the Bloody English are at it again! It is also apparent that the Portman Group has no sense for irony nor humour. I can only imagine that they would frown on such beer names as Duvel ( = Satan! Aaagh!), Weyerbacher Old Heathen ( = paganism!), Mt. Shasta's Weed Ales (marijuana use), and any number of Unibroue names (Maudite, Trois Pistoles...). And let's not forget Biere de Boucanier or Midnight Sun's Lust Ale.

Needless to say, the Skull Splitter is a fine, fine brew.

Second, some "fun things" from your friends and mine at Anheuser-Busch. Apparently they are unleashing an "American Ale" in the next week or two. Could it be that a corporate giant is quaking in the boots because of the Craft movement? Or is it a matter of saying, "hey, we can play this game, too!"

However you spin it, I think the immortal words of one Jesus Quintana are apt: "Bush-league psyche-out stuff: laughable, man!!"

By way of editorial, you can't do much better than my good friends at Bruisin' Ales:

The deluge of fake craft is upon us.

favorite quotes:
"If you managed to make it through that Bud tutorial, they say 25 ibu's is 'hoppy.' Try telling that to a Double IPA-hophead and they'll likely spit it back in your face. Read this BeerAdvocate forum post where a Bud rep allegedly compares Bud American Ale to Sierra Nevada Pale Ale 'but without all that nasty hoppy bite aftertaste.' Oh, my!"
"Will we try Budweiser American Ale? Maybe. Will we carry it? Absolutely not."

And three, for good measure:

Brewgrass is upon us!

Tomorrow, Mrs. Perm and I will be heading up to good ol' Asheville for the Twelfth Annual Greak Smokies Craft Brewers Brewgrass Festival. The weather looks to be perfect (high of 74 F, mild wind at 7-9 mph, few clouds...) and the Brewery lineup looks superb.

Come back soon for photos and reviews!

It's good to be the Queen....

2008-09-14T18:56:00.000-07:00

Queen mistakenly sent 2,000 pints of beer

2 days ago

'LONDON (AFP) — Queen Elizabeth II was mistakenly sent 2,000 pints of beer when one of her royal residences was confused with a nearby pub, it has emerged.

Royal staff had no record of any such order when a truck turned up at Windsor Castle on Wednesday with 12 barrels of lager ahead of England's football World Cup qualifying match with Croatia in Zagreb.

A quick telephone call revealed the mistake -- the booze had been destined for the Windsor Castle pub five miles away in Maidenhead in Berkshire county.

"We have received mail for the royal household here before but I think this is the first time they have received anything meant for us," said pub manager Misko Coric, who had ordered the beer for the football match.'

It does not say whether Her Majesty used Royal Prerogative to keep the beer at her castle or not. Seeing how it was an undisclosed brand of "lager," and not a cask ale, the temptation might not have been as grand.

September Interlude...

2008-09-10T18:48:00.000-07:00

I. Cellaring Pays Off.

Sara and I cracked into the final 4 remaining IPAs (from April). Three words: At Their Peak. I believe, over the entire course of my share of those bottles, I continually uttered the phrase, "Damn! I brewed THIS." Brewing note to self: 4-5 months is apparently the moment d'or for IPA. It's well known in cellaring circles that hops fade with cellaring, but apparently there's something of a bell curve at work, because the profile was hops all the way for these babies. I have a renewed energy for homebrewing -- and letting my brews sit for a few months -- after tasting those luscious treats. Wow.

II. The Waiting Game.

The Howells English Mild Ale is in the bottle and waiting to mature. I broke a couple out tonight to sample: very basic, very pleasant (read: almost boring in their straightforwardness). They need to sit maybe a week or so more to get really good, but my preview-tasting at least tells me that they're not duds. When I went to bottle them, I noticed a thin layer of hop/yeast trub on the surface of the brew, which is not really common -- it concerned me just a little bit (mold?? could mold have gotten in there??? Did it not ferment at all?) but after pouring into a glass and sampling, my fears were laid to rest.

With this one weighing it at just over 3% ABV, I figured that the obligatory put-6-aside-in-the cellar habit might be suspended for this brew. After the glorious IPA discovery, though, I think I owe it to myself to keep some aside until midwinter. I'm pretty sure they'll mature nicely.

III. Things to Come.

I've brewed my first Irish Stout (I'm very proud -- in my nerdy sort of way -- at the label I've devised for this one. Coming soon to a blog near you.) and racked it into the secondary fermenter. It's due to go into bottles this weekend and get broken out maybe on 1 October, as a reward to myself for surviving the dentist that day.

For this one, I've returned once again to my friends at Asheville Brewers' Supply for the ingredients and recipe:

6 lbs Northwestern Dark Malt Extract syrup

1 lb Briess Dark DME

1 lb crushed grain (.75 English black patent malt, .25 American roast barley)

1 oz Challenger hops (added @ 10 minutes)

1 oz Irish Moss (added @ 55 min.)

1 oz East Kent Goldings hops (added @ 60 min.)

Total boil = 70 minutes.

White Labs Irish Ale Yeast pitched @ 85 F.

OG = 1046, so we're looking at something in the 5.x% range, depending on the final gravity. So, it'll be stronger than Guinness, and one of the strongest ones I've brewed thus far...

September Homebrew Tasting Notes

2008-09-06T15:47:00.001-07:00

Lest ye think that Perm has vanished into church-work-stress oblivion, here's a new post.

August ended up being quite a nice month -- a birthday party for Sara, a birthday/vacation trip to the beach (complete with Orval and Chimay Blue), and a severe bout with Appalachian Trail Syndrome. On top of that, I broke out the Organic Nut-Brown Ale and brewed a batch of English Mild.

For starters: The Beach.

DeBordieu is always nice, but I felt this trip to be especially refreshing. As we ended up being there on my birthday, I had some birthday treats to relish. Sara surprised me with a bottle of Ardbeg (my current favorite Scotch), which went very well with my Lianos Dos Palmas!

But I'm getting ahead of myself.

Birthday dinner consisted of fettucine alfredo with grilled fresh bacon-wrapped, onions, and zucchini, served up with an Orval Trappiste. Simply divine.

For dessert, we tried our hands at a Chimay-based zabaglione, with mediocre results. But the

Chimay was transcendent, as always!

I took some alone time and did a 3-day stint on the AT in the Roan Mountain vicinity (NC/TN state line, between Mitchell and Yancey Counties [NC] and Carter County [TN]). It was beautiful, inspiring, and exhausting, and I ended my sojourn with a swing through the Jack of the Wood pub in Asheville for a hot lunch (I hiked back to the car in fog and wet shoes) and a pint of their great Gold Ale. Let me tell you what, there is nothing better after 3 nights in the woods and 20+ pounds on your back for 30 miles than a pint of that Gold Ale in the environs of a nearly-empty English-style pub in Asheville. It was a moment nearly as transcendent as being atop a 6000' bald.

The reason I started this post, believe it or not, was to review my Byrd's Browning Ale (the organic nut-brown). So, without further ado, here's the run-down.

Check out that sweet new Brooklyn Brewery glass, too...

Appearance: 4/5

A lovely brown color, like milk chocolate or dark nutmeg. A bit cloudy (but hey! it's homebrew), a thin head that is nice and white.

Aroma: 3.5/5

Faint hops, "young-beer-sweet-funky" (I don't know what else to call it), walnuts, with a bit of earthiness.

Taste: 4.5/5

It's fairly complex. Caramel, roasted peanuts, honey, and a slight floral finish. Nice job!

Palate: 4.5/5

Bubbly/dry/sharply-spritzy-yet-smooth. It's easy and refreshing, with a warming finish.

Overall: 4/5

Not bad! It's not my favorite of my homebrews (ESB still holds that title, I think), but it's certainly not my least favorite, either. Highly drinkable -- my biggest complaint is in the nose. It's quite good with a peanut-sauce Asian dish (I had it with shrimp summer rolls, and it was a winner).

Combined score (out of 5): 4.15

August Homebrew News

2008-08-11T14:00:00.001-07:00

William Byrd's Browning Ale
is my latest creation. It is also the most original brew (in terms of recipe origin) I've attempted thus far. The inspiration for the recipe came from the Beer Captured (have I mentioned recently how much I love this book??) clone version of Samuel Smith's Nut-Brown Ale, but I decided to take some detours from the ingredient list of the recipe-as-published, most notably in the use of organic malts and priming sugar.

Here's the overview:

5 oz Organic Crystal Malt
5 oz Organic Chocolate Malt
Steeped in 1.5 gal water @ 150 F for 30 minutes, sparged with 1/2 gal.

Increase water to 3 gal. Water brought to the boil. Add:
6 lb Briess Extra-Light Organic Dry Malt Extract
1 oz East Kent Goldings (5.5% AA) hops
1/2 oz Fuggles (4.3% AA) hops

At 45 minutes add:
1/2 oz Fuggles
1 tsp Irish Moss

Boil for 15 minutes more. Chill, add to carboy with 2.6 gal cold water. Pitch yeast (White Labs British Ale) at 70 F.
Original Gravity: 1.050
Bottling ABV: 5.4%

It sat in the primary for 7 days, then got racked into secondary for another 7 days (was going to be 5 days, but I got lazy). Went into the bottles on the 28th, and I'm planning on breaking the tester out on August 16.

Browning refers to a (once) popular song from Elizabethan days ("The leaves be green/ The nuts be brown/ They hang so high/ They will not come down") used in a famous variation set for Viols by the great William Byrd. In the words of my former teacher, Dr. Silbiger, "The lyrics are probably naughty." As the comments from a few postings back show, another contender for the title of this one was Purcell's Nut Brown Lass. She'll have to wait for a later worthy brew.

I was unsuccessful in finding a video with a performance of Browning (at least one that's in-tune or well-played), but here's a delightful work of Byrd's, (another one with roots in a salaciously-worded song, The Carman's Whistle).

II. In the Hopper

I've just racked my next brew into the secondary. This one, an English Mild Ale kit from Northern Brewer, is destined to become Herbert Howells English Ale. The English Mild is actually a form of Brown Ale, once nearly ubiquitous in brewery-pubs across England but now mostly limited to the Midlands. Mild Ale is a session beer, usually with between 2.8 and 4.5% alcohol by volume. Mild is most commonly found as a cask ale, pointing to its origin as a local-brewed pub standard. This will not be one that I attempt to age for any significant amount of time.

It consists of:
0.125 lb Simpson's Chocolate Malt
0.25 lb Crisp Amber Malt
0.25 lb Crisp Brown Malt
Steeped in 1.5 gal water for 20 minutes.

At the boil, added:
1 lb Briess Sparkling Amber DME
3.15 lb NB Amber Malt Syrup

After 15 minutes, added:
0.5 oz Target (10 % AA) hops

After 45 minutes, added:
1 tsp Irish Moss

Cooled, added cold water, pitched yeast (White Labs Burton Ale).

The plan is to bottle on the 15th and break it out for a try on the 30th.

Northern Brewer's stock is rising pretty high in my book. They are very well-priced (even factoring shipping charges in!!), have a broad array of ingredients, kits, and supplies in their catalogue (both online and in print), and are constantly adding new kits and styles to their quiver. I expect I'll continue to do business with them. I don't want to neglect my local brew supply shops (Asheville Brewers and Hops & Vines), but until such a time as we live significantly closer to those shops (or travel to & fro much more regularly) it's hard to countenance paying (often) more for the same ingredients, on top of paying for gasoline to get there, when I can have UPS (who's already on the road anyway) drive it to me at competitive cost. This isn't quite following the party line on the buying-local scheme, but I justify it in a few ways:

1) This is homebrewing. I'm already making a political statement and doing my part to be off-the-grid.

2) The Local Brew Supply shops don't get their ingredients and supplies from their backyard garden (or factory). Odds are, they might order from NB as well.

The Beer Chef Strikes Again

2008-08-07T16:24:00.000-07:00

Doppelbock Thai Pork Balls with Peanut Sauce

First, the Doppelbock:

The recipe called for Troëgs Troeginator Double Bock, but failing to secure any I opted for a classic German expression of the style from a foolproof brewery (see the review of the beer at the bottom of this posting). As only 1/3 cup's worth is called for in the recipe, and I secured a 500 mL bottle for the occasion, plenty was left for our tasting enjoyment.

The Recipe (modified from All About Beer's Beer Lover's Cookbook):

I like pork! Can I have some pork?

1.5 pounds ground pork (the original was for chicken; I doubt we'll ever try it that way, the pork was so good, provided we can continue to find good free-range organic pork)

1 small onion, diced
1/2 bell pepper (preferably red), diced
1 egg
Bread crumbs (maybe 1.5 Cups' worth, but have more on hand)
2 ts chili sauce (we didn't use any, substituting cayenne pepper instead -- but only about 1/8 - 1/4 ts!)
1 T fresh ginger, minced
1/3 C Doppelbock
1 diced jalapeno or other mildly hot pepper
2 or 3 ts soy sauce (I like Tamari)
1/3 C diced fresh basil
1-2 T fresh lime juice
Any other hot sauce or Asian sauce, to taste. Toasted sesame oil is always a hit.

Mix all ingredients in a large bowl, adding more breadcrumbs if you judge it too moist. The consistency should be just like homemade burgers. If you like, let the mixture stand, refrigerated, for a few hours. (We didn't do this.) Heat oven to 325 F. Form the mix into balls about 2 inches in diameter (if they're too big, they'll fall apart -- think Italian meatball-size). Sautee in oil (I like peanut or safflower for Asian cooking) on each side, until golden brown. Place on paper towels to soak up excess oil, then put them on a baking pan or cookie sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes. Serve with your favorite Southeast Asian-inspired dipping sauce. We whipped up a spicy ginger peanut sauce that was perfect , and served them alongside snap peas and rice noodles for a meal.

I can't express how delicious these things were. And the pairing with a glass of Korbinian was simply delightful. I don't know if I would have ventured a Thai-themed dish with sweet-strong-dark German Bock as an ingredient, without the prompting of a recipe to tell me to do so, but the result was perfect. This dish will be made again in our household.

Regarding the Beer:
Weihenstephaner Korbinian Doppelbock

Appearance: Dark brown, looks suspiciously like Coca-Cola in my pilsener glass. 4/5

Aroma: A tad (but just a tad) on the weak side in my book. Nicely malty and caramelly. 3/5

Taste: Very nice! Raisins, caramel, a subtle but solid Noble Hop presence, nutty and toasty. 4.2/5

Palate: Spritzy. 4.5/5

Overall: It's no Curator or Celebrator to be sure, but for the price (much cheaper than either of those!) it can't be beat. Perfect with the above meal; it would also pair nicely with an array of desserts. 4/5

Total overall score: 3.85.

As the summer wanes....

2008-08-03T09:22:00.000-07:00

I've got a few updates to post, including another installment in the cooking-with-beer department (Doppelbock Thai pork balls) and some homebrewing news, but as I enjoy posting photos along with my text, and I am a lazy man (quite possibly the laziest in Polk County, which does NOT put me in the running for laziest worldwide), those will just have to wait until I feel like dealing with photo uploads.

The mostly-organic Brown Ale is going in bottles this afternoon, and will be followed closely by the startup of an English Mild Ale.

In the meantime, here's a new (to me) beer-related blog I've stumbled across that looks fairly interesting.

A Witty Tasting

2008-07-11T09:46:00.000-07:00

I will never again shortchange the "wait 3 weeks before trying your homebrew" rule. I never cease to be amazed how such amazing transformations can take place in the span of just a few days.

I broke out one of the Wittes yesterday evening with dinner, but didn't feel like reviewing. I'm glad I did wait, because even in the space of 18 hours, it has improved even more. The early-sample off-putting nose has vanished, and the resulting brew is well-nuanced and quite tasty.

Here's the breakdown:

Appearance: Very cloudy, with thin white lacing. It looks somewhat like liquid peach in the glass. The photos keep coming out with a redder hue than it actually is -- a nice shade of orange tan. 3.5

Aroma: A fruity bouquet! I promise that no fruit flavorings were added past the organic peel (3/4 oz, added in the last 10 minutes of the boil). Banana, pomegranate, lemon, orange, peach, apple, strawberry -- they all make a cameo. Also, notes of honey, with a tinge of sweet-and-sour. 4.0

Taste: Not as strong as the nose, but let it breathe for a couple of minutes and it opens up very nicely. Refreshing for sure. The coriander (I used 2 teaspoons, added with the orange peel) comes right on through. There's a citrus edge, some floral action, and a nice mild and gentle hop finish. This is one well-balanced package. 3.7

Palate: Just a tiny bit syrupy on the way down; past that it's mostly great and definitely thirst-quenching. 3.0

Overall: I'm damn proud of this one and impressed with myself. In retrospect, I probably could have boosted that coriander on up to a Tablespoon, and next time I'll get a bit more creative with the spices (cardamom? chamomile? definitely.) I'm imagining all sorts of food pairings, not the least of which being some sweet-and-sour bird action (duck, anyone?), seafood (lemon-butter lobster or crayfish), and even fruit dessert (warm apple pie or peach custard with some vanilla ice cream). 3.7

Overall Score (out of 5): 3.8

Inspiring words from my favorite Roman....

2008-07-10T11:46:00.000-07:00

I just stumbled across this quote from Thomas Merton (1915-1968):

"I drink beer whenever I can lay my hands on any. I love beer, and by that very fact, the world."

It has that certain Mertonian straightforwardness about it that makes me very reluctant to doubt its authenticity. I'm sure it's straight from the source.
What a true sage.

Contemplating the Real Presence, or a Cold One?

Homebrewing: At Wit's End

2008-07-10T11:25:00.000-07:00

I think there is something inherent in being a classically-trained musician that lends itself to a penchant for puns. I have known quite a number of conductors, theorists, composers, and church musicians over the years who all had something of a soft spot (if not an obsession) with the games of wordplay. And those of you who know me even a little realize that I am not immune to this disease (or is it a gift...?). In fact, one reason for my choice of Brewery nomenclature was the vast array of punning potential. (Just wait till I get my lagering fridge -- you know that Johann Sebastian Bock is on the way!!)

When one is handed the gift of a beer style most often called Wit, it seems indeed that the paronomasial gods are smiling. I finally decided on subtlety for this one -- Wit (also Witte), after all, is simply Flemish for "White." Hence, the little-known Robert White, of Lamentations of Jeremiah (should-be-) fame. Once I discovered, however, a 17th-century Flemish painter named Edouard Witte (a near-contemporary of White, and best-known for his perspective canvases of brightly-lit church interiors), I knew what was going on my label.

The beer itself? Well, I once again made the mistake of sampling the brew too early, before giving it ample time to set itself up in the bottle (the result: a hugely powerful and overwhelming nose of musty cellar, and something soapy. The same thing happened with my IPA, and the only thing it took to remove it was time). My plan is to do a genuine sample-tasting this evening. Hopefully the neonascent aromas will have dissipated themselves by this point (nearly 3 weeks since bottling).

Next up: a mostly-organic Nut Brown Ale.

The new hobby: see? It's not just me.

2008-06-26T06:50:00.000-07:00

A fantastic article appeared in the New York Times yesterday on beer cellaring.

Here is the article.

It is quite well-written and entertaining besides.

I would have loved to have been in on that 36-year vertical tasting of Thomas Hardy's. Wow!

And, I've got a new dream: buy an old gold mine in Colorado and convert the mine shaft into a beer cellar. Double-wow.

Homebrewing and Home-cooking

2008-06-22T16:51:00.000-07:00

I. The Silvius Leopold (Hefe) Weiss was unveiled at the Dillwyn Beer Festivus last month, but I thought it needed an official review here, since Sara and I have been almost exclusively drinking it over the past month (we're also finishing off the cellared Niel Gow Scots Ale from October). One thing this particular batch has revealed to me is the importance of mixing the priming sugar thoroughly before bottling: this batch has fallen prey to a very uneven carbonation rate from one bottle to the next, a flaw I can attribute to my adding the priming syrup to the top of the bottling bucket, rather than the bottom. The above photograph shows the best of the batch, while you can get a good example of another bottle's pour in the photo at the bottom of this post. I must say, it is a testament to the overall flavor profile of this brew that even the flat ones have been drinkable.

Appearance: Almost orange. Nice and cloudy. When it's present, the head is billowy and foamy white, and thins out fairly fast. 3.5
Aroma: Not strong enough for me. Malt and sugar predominate, with a faint banana and even fainter allspice trailing behind. 3
Taste: This is where it comes alive! Bananas and cloves throughout, with a mild hop backbone. There is the slightest hint of a metallic/mineral presence, undoubtedly a result of our hard tap water. 3.5
Palate: (when properly carbonated) spritzy, refreshing, and quenching. 4
Overall: The main problem, as stated above, is the inconsistency of the carbonation from one bottle to the next. When it's on, it's quite good, very good, if not quite great. 3

It is a champion with late spring/summery foods: see the review that follows. It's also a winner with tuna/pasta salad, which brings a not-unpleasant sulfurish edge to the flavor.

Plugging these numbers into the BeerAdvocate rating formula yields an overall rating score of 3.4 (B-). Suffice to say, I'm most assuredly stricter on my own brews than, say, Sara would be, but as the craftsman in question, I think that's only natural. I'm on a constant quest to tweak and perfect my creations. So, this B- reflects my opinion that this brew is not my favorite that I've made, but still quite good.

II. One of the tangential benefits of having a lot of homebrew around the house is its availability for use in the kitchen (yes, I do enjoy cooking with beer....occasionally I even put it in the food....yuk yuk yuk...)

Beer is a great addition to any number of recipes, from breads to reductions to glazes to stews. (See my earlier post about beer in bread)

Last week, I decided to try my hand at some grilled chicken, and, inspired by Michael Pollan, decided to brine the chicken breasts prior to grilling. Brining, essentially, means soaking the meat in a salt-water solution, much like a marinade. So what did I do, of course, but add some of the Silvius Leopold Hefe-Weiss in with the brine solution. It was a wonderful thing to do -- one of the great benefits of brining is that it keeps the chicken quite moist throughout the grilling process, so you don't end up with a dry bird on your plate. It also (somehow...hooray for salt...) reduces the cooking time needed.
The real genius, though, lay in my also creating a beer-based barbecue sauce for the breast, again with the hefe-weiss. The combination was divine.
The side dish, a springtime potato salad taken from Barbara Kingsolver's Animal, Vegetable, Miracle. contained no beer. What better food-beverage combination, though, than potato salad and German beer?

note the mostly flat beer in the glass.

I'm providing rough outlines of the recipes here, but do note that they are only approximations, not exacts. (The spring potato salad recipe can be found at the link above -- it is simple and delicious!)

BEER BARBECUE SAUCE
1 C prepared barbecue sauce (I favor the local-made stuff, sans the evil High-Fructose Corn Syrup)
1/2 - 1 C ketchup (again, preferably without HFCS)
2/3 C Beer (the sky's the limit -- I used homebrew hefe-weiss)
1/4 C honey, molasses, or malt syrup (I used organic barley malt syrup)
2 T lemon juice
2 T red wine vinegar
2 T dijon mustard -- dark pub (beer!) mustard might be fun to try as well
1 T worcestershire sauce -- I left this out and it was not missed
1 t tabasco or other hot pepper sauce
1/2 t black pepper
Optional:
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 onion, finely chopped
(I was lazy so left both of these out)

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Place in a saucepan and cook over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes, until thickened. Will also work well as a heavy marinade (before heating).

GRILLED BRINED CHICKEN BREAST

1) Pound the cuts of chicken to an even thickness (about 1/2 inch thick, depending on size). This will help in an even and quicker cooking. It also breaks up the meat a little, allowing the brine to permeate better.

2) Prepare the brine: dissolve 1 1/2 T of unionized table salt (or 1/4 C kosher salt) and 1/4 C coarse sugar (I like demerara or turbinado) in 6 C cold water + 1 C ligher-style beer (I used hefe-weiss; Wit, IPA or ESB would be fun to try, too) + 1 C boiling water. (The boiling water helps dissolve the salt & sugar faster.) Make sure the brine solution is cool (room temperature) before adding the chicken. You can brine in a large bowl, a shallow covered baking dish, or a large ziplock bag, so long as the pieces of chicken are completely immersed in the liquid. Brine for at least 30 minutes, but don't overdo it -- for 2 or 4 breasts, no more than an hour or an hour and a half.
The sugar is great because it helps caramelize the surface of the chicken as it grills.

3) Have your grill (either outdoor or stovetop -- I used our excellent Lodge cast-iron two-eye stovetop grill pan) completely heated when the brining is done. Take the chicken directly from the brine to the grill -- don't pat dry or anything. Place the chicken on the hottest part of the heating surface. Try to turn it only once (if grilling outdoors, leave the lid off), and cook over direct heat. Don't overcook -- depending on the heat of your grill or grill pan, it might take as little as 4 minutes (remember that brining speeds up the cooking time; you just want to make sure that it is cooked through and not pink anywhere).

Beer and Food (NOT Coors and Peanuts) on Network TV!

2008-06-11T15:16:00.000-07:00

The times they are a' changing, and anyone who wonders otherwise (cerevisially, anyway), should check out NBC at 10:00 tomorrow (Thursday, 12 June), which will feature an interview with Dogfish Head mastermind Sam Calagione and his business cohort, Marnie Old. Here's a good preview article via Todd Alstrom on BeerAdvocate. Please overlook the sophomoric misuse of its/it's. I am curious to check out the book they'll be discussing (He Said Beer, She Said Wine, pictured above).

In honor of One Year...

2008-06-06T12:37:00.001-07:00

Perm's Brew Picks' one-year anniversary came and went last week, but appropriately enough, we were out of town on a (partially) beer-related field trip.

That's right, kids, it's time to report back on the

Fourth Annual Dillwyn Beer Festivus!

After last year's deluge of brews, we decided to rein in a bit and tone the selections back to a manageable number, and also broke the tastings into two sessions. Here are Perm's notes:

PRE-SESSION (aka Lunch)

French Broad Altbier (growler) 4.2 (A-)
Appearance: 4.5 Aroma: 4 Taste: 4 Palate/Feel: 4.5 Overall drinkability: 4.5
This one is very nice!! The appearance is caramel bronze, a bit reddish, with a nice thin head.
The aroma is smoky, with notes of caramel, mild hops, and black pepper. The taste is nicely herbal, sweet (not too sweet!) and smoky. On the palate, VERY smooth with a pleasant crispness.
Overall, this is truly excellent. Perfect with an array of foods (had ours with venison and chicken soft tacos) but this one also would be great for easy-sipping summer evenings.
I'm not terribly familiar with the altbier style, but if they're all as good as this beer then I need to investigate much more thoroughly!

SESSION ONE

Legend Hefeweizen 3.25 (C+)
Appearance: Cloudy tan-yellow, with a poofy white head. 3.5
Aroma: Pretty standard -- banana, clove, cane sugar. 3.5
Taste: banana, clove, with a bit of sulfur and sweetness and something that is almost (for lack of a better word) fishy. James River water? 3
Palate: not bad, but a bit thin on the finish. 3
Overall: Not the best Legend brew, nor the best weizen, but it's really not bad. When I returned to it later in the evening, I had a more favorable impression of it. 3.5

Samuel Smith's Organic Ale 3.4 (B-)
I'm hoping that perhaps the bottle was a bit old. All in all, I was disappointed from a brewery I usually adore.
Appearance: golden-red, a bubbly head. Pretty. 4
Aroma: Basic. Malt and faint weak hops. The malt predominates. 3
Taste: Bitter and hoppy, but VERY subtle about those things. Minerally, with a slight pumpkin-spice thing. All in all, it tastes like malt extract to me! 3.5
Palate: sharp, spritzy, with a sweet finish. 3
Overall: It's not bad at all -- just rather boring, lacking a kick or some flair. Would be a good session-with-food beer when you want the food to be the star. 3

St. Cecilia Sir Charles IPA
See Sara's star review of this one in the previous entry. All in all, I'm quite pleased with how it turned out. When next I brew an IPA, I'm going to tweak the recipe to allow for a bit more hop presence. I might even try a mild dry-hopping just for fun...who knows?

Highland St. Teresa Pale Ale 4 (B+)
Appearance: 4 Aroma: 4 Taste: 3.7 Palate: 4 Overall: 4
A great session beer, and a great American Pale Ale, from a great brewery.
The aroma is invitingly full of hops and toast. Lots of hops (without being West-Coast overdone) on the tongue, with a snappy palate on the finish. It might be slightly on the thin side, but it truly is excellent. Try it with good fresh Indian curry dishes and you'll be glad you did.

Black Toad Dark Ale 4.1 (A-)
No expectations whatsoever going into this one...Black Toad is an unknown brewery to me!
Appearance: Dr. Pepper. Cherry Coke. 3.5
Aroma: A smorgasbord! Chocolate, malt, chestnuts, hazelnuts, Cocoa Puffs 4
Taste: Smoky and deep. Not as rich as the nose, but quite nice! 4.5
Palate: Silky and chewy 4
Overall: Very nice, very drinkable. I'm impressed with these Illini. 4

Kennebunkport Porter 4.25 (A-)
What a nice porter from an unheard of (to me) brewery in Maine (one of my favorite microbrewery states!).
Appearance: Almost pitch, at least in a basement lounge under fluorescent lamps. A slight scarlet red keeping the colour interesting. 4.5
Aroma: Amazingly exceptional -- coffee, hazelnut, Frangelico. 5
Taste: Rich! Almost keeps pace with the nose. Nutty, Frangelico-like; sweetish, dark cherry, a good hop twist, and a bit of Worcestershire near the end. 4
Palate: The weakest link. Almost oily. 3.5
Overall: I give this one high marks for being unexpected. I'm not sure if I'd ever be up for having more than one at a time, but it's creatively great! Bravo. 4

SESSION TWO

Weihenstephaner Hefe Weissbier 4.25 (A-)
Appearance: 4 Aroma: 4 Taste: 4.5 Palate: 4 Overall:4.5

God, I love this beer. There's a reason I based my first hefeweizen homebrew off of a clone recipe of this one. I can't say it's the greatest hefeweizen I've had, but it's a perennial winner in the all-around category for me.

The usual cloves and bananas are present, for sure, but its solid taste and well-balanced craftbeership must be given full marks for steady quality.

Sehr gut.

St. Cecilia Silvius Leopold (hefe) Weiss
So it's definitely not up to the Weihenstephaner as far as I'm concerned, but I'm pleased. Although I do have to say, it was somewhat miraculous that the two pint bottles that I took along for the tasting were perfectly carbonated. The first three I had upon returning home had not yet spritzed up!

St. Sylvestre 3 Monts Biere de Garde 4.65 (A+)
I have found a new favorite Biere de Garde, for sure!

Appearance: yellow with a white head. When I say yellow, I mean Miller-Lite-yellow. Mountain Dew yellow. Chamomile beer, really. 4
Aroma: Grass, hay, yeast (Flemish yeast! ahhhh), hops. Wonderful without overpowering 4.5
Taste: Spring water, clover, hay, candi sugar-sweetness, pears, boxwoods. Delectably intoxicating to the tastebuds. 5
Palate: Spritzy with a sour finish, leaving you craving for more. 5
Overall: A truly excellent craft farmhouse ale. 4.5

I've about decided to stop trying American craft "Farmhouse ales" because they simply can't compete with the real thing (exception: Hennepin and anything out of Quebec). This would be amazing with French cooking -- rabbit, quail, coq au vin, anything you'd serve with Champagne. I can't wait to buy a case and stick it in my cellar!

Big Boss Bad Penny Brown Ale 3.85 (B+)
Finally, a decent brew from Big Boss. I know it was largely only a name-change situation, but it seems to me that quality suffered QUITE a bit when Edenton Street became Big Boss. I long for the days of Horniblow's Ale. Sigh. This one, however, ain't half bad!

Appearance: like coffee with a head 4
Aroma: Coffee, nuts, dark chocolate, chicory 3.5
Taste: Coffee, toffee 4
Palate: Very smooth! Bravo! 4
Overall: A bit watery on the end (what I call the "American curse"), much like a cold Irish Coffee -- rather dark for a brown ale, almost a light porter. Nice work, really. 3.5

Petrus Gouden Tripel 4.65 (A+)
A nice subdued label with a jolly monastic and a slogan that says, "The key to Heaven." It was absolutely incredibly delicious.

Appearance: Gold in liquid form. A lovely Belgian head. 5
Aroma: Graham crackers, straw, apples, bananas 4.5
Taste: Citrus tartness. Solid and excellent. Leaves me craving more. 4.5
Palate: Refreshing. Quenching. Alcohol content is WELL hidden. 5
Overall: What can I say? Wonderful. Great with lemon coconut macaroons. Great with anything at anytime (not really, but I find this stuff incredibly satisfying.) 4.5

Unibroue Maudite 4.65 (A+)
Unibroue consistently brews a high-quality product. And by high, I mean Himalayan. Maudite for me is no exception, possibly even my current favourite of their year-round offerings.

Appearance: A cloudy copper-red. 4
Aroma: A bouquet of sugar, cloves, and dark cherries. 4.5
Taste: Wheat, perhaps something akin to a faint peanut brittle...I can't resist simply calling it, "ambrosia." 5
Palate: spritzy and quenching. As the Unibroue people describe it themselves, a cognac-like finish. 5
Overall: What a brew! This one is great all by itself. Also try it with hearty foods that otherwise might get the chianti or merlot treatments: pasta, tomato-based dishes, red meat (beef stew!), or artisanal pizza. A clear winner all-around. 4.5

Lagunitas Lucky 13 4 (B+)
Interestingly good. (Or goodly interesting?)
Appearance: Like a dark bourbon with head 4
Aroma: Hops (Cascade? Mt. Hood?), bitter tobacco 4
Taste: Earthy! hops, leather, tobacco, strong alcohol notes -- almost whisky-like. 4
Palate: Nice and spritzy. 4
Overall: Don't know if I'd commit to buying a 4-or 6-pack of this, but I would definitely revisit it, given the opportunity. Nice. 4

Stone Smoked Porter 3.3 (B-)
As Stone is as of yet unavailable in my state (NC), I must continue to seek it out when visiting friends abroad (VA). As this particular offering I found to be averagish-good, I'm not sorely lamenting its absence at my LBS...yet it was still worth trying to be sure.
Appearance: Coca-cola, pure and simple 3.5
Aroma: Weak smoke permeates all else. 3
Taste: Smoky porter! An American take on an English style mixed with Rauchbier. 3.5
Palate: Average 3
Overall, it's a one-trick pony, not especially smoky (but then again I love Rauchbier). 3

I kinda dig it -- one caveat, though, if you're not into the smoky beer thing, don't bother with this one!

New Holland "The Poet" Oatmeal Stout 4.4 (A)
This was the surprise of the night for me -- VERY well brewed! This one inspires me to seek out New Holland more thoroughly.
Appearance: Black, black, black. Imposing in the glass. 4
Aroma: Oatmeal, for sure. Sweet and malty with a fine balance between the two. 4.5
Taste: Nice! Chocolate predominates, with a nice slight-hop presence. I take another sip. And another... 4.5
Palate: Smooth and spritzy, just the way I like it. 4.5
Overall: This is an excellent stout! Bravo, good friends at New Holland. Here's one to revisit time and again. I'd love this with vanilla ice cream, or scallops for that matter. Or with my favorite movie. 4.5

Duck-Rabbit Barleywine 4.75 (A+)
Of course Barleywine belongs at the end of a progressive tasting, due to its strong and heady nature. But, that's a shame in some ways, because if the tasting waxes long, you just won't have the patience or the palate to truly appreciate the work of art that a fine barleywine can be. And the Duck-Rabbit is high art, for sure. This one is a real treat. The Duck-Rabbit folks consistently brew top-of-the-line products. I can only surmise that living and working in Farmville, NC inspires the brewers to spend long, long hours at their work indoors (where it is presumably air conditioned and has more interesting landscapes..).
Appearance: Russet-copper color. Mahogany, really. And as one would expect, no appreciable head to speak of. 4.5
Aroma: A real treasure-trove here: leather, tobacco, hops, cloves, allspice, and even a hint of oregano. 5
Taste: Banana, clove, caramel, allspice, grapes, brown sugar, and hops. Oy vey pass me another snifter! 5
Palate: A dry and warming finish. 4
Overall: Well-rounded for sure. This is one to cellar in bulk! 4.5

Drinking this makes me long for winter -- seated in front of a roaring fire with my D-R Barleywine in one hand and a nice cavendish pipe in the other. Wearing a wool waistcoat, to be sure.

June review by Mrs. Perm

2008-06-04T08:32:00.000-07:00

Mark has been bugging me for WEEKS now about posting a review of the St. Cecilia IPA. SO. Annoying. He will NOT let this one go, and honestly, I have taken my time because I want to be very intentional about what I say about this fine, fine brew.

In short: I adore it.

When your husband is a home-brewer, you have to be careful about how you critique the result of hours of patience, fine tuning, and love that goes into every pint. I have a few thoughts to share - but not in the style of: "Nose, hmmm, it's a mild bouquet of sandalwood, cloves and bananas... I give it a 4.725." No. No. No. I feel there is a time and a place for these types of beer reviews, but Mark's IPA implores for a reviewer to look beyond the five senses and peer deep into its very soul. This is a beer which speaks to you on a very nostalgic level - at least it does me. It hearkens back to a time when I was a student at App - and the time of year when the weather would change in the mountains. All of a sudden, the frosty mornings gave way to green tree leaves and cool breezes. It practically BEGGED you to skip class and have a barbecue on the apartment building's lawn. My friends and I would drink beer in Solo cups until dusk fell, lingering outside as long as possible. Everything we cooked tasted good, and the beer was a background for good times, laughing together, and beautiful spring weather.

This beer is like that. It is the perfect springtime brew. Here it is June (the effin' weather here is already switching to SUMMER) - and as I type, I am sipping on the very last bottle (other than the six we've cellared) and thinking back to simpler, happy times.

Perm's Brew Pick for May

2008-05-27T07:38:00.000-07:00

Samuel Smith's Nut Brown Ale

No frills, no gimmicks, just a steady familiar brew this time around. It is probably worth noting that this is my second Pick involving the Samuel Smith Old Brewery, Tadcaster. (See January 2008 for the previous entry.)

For me, Sammy S's Nut Brown is a classic among classics. This is the stuff of which (English) legends are made. It is unassuming, the opposite of brash, reliable, trustworthy, good for the long haul, friendly, cheerful, and agreeable with an array of foods.

Essentially, this beer is akin to how the English would like to think of themselves as a people.

It definitely has that peculiar Yorkshire-water minerality -- which, as Garrett Oliver (and others) will tell you, is highly prized by the local beer aficionados. After all, the town of Tadcaster (whence it cometh) sits atop a limestone-rich water table. It's a bit weird, but I can see why it's prized. It lends a certain mineral-water refreshingness to the brew, to be sure, sort of a beer version of San Pellegrino.

In the glass, it bears a lovely copper-brown color with the trademark elusively-thin English head. The nose is slight, but the careful taster will be patient with it and be rewarded with rich caramel, roasted malt, hay, and subdued-yet-holding-their-own hops. On the tongue, the mineral quality shows up full force, along with a nice ale-style fruitiness (not too strong) and pleasant malt roundness. The palate is dry, crisp, and the paragon of refreshing. One could, even at 5% ABV, drink it all night.

With food, the Nut Brown is fairly catholic and generous: anything from a pork loin to roast beef to grilled chicken to cheddar cheese to mild curry to (what I had) trout dip on toasts.

It's also excellent all by itself.

Back from Asheville

2008-05-26T08:58:00.000-07:00

May 21-23 the Missus and I enjoyed our third wedding anniversary with a trip to our favorite local urban area, Asheville. As one might infer, beer was involved. Here are some of the cerevisial highlights:

I. The Bier Garden.
Excellent beer destination in Asheville! Right downtown, across from Malaprop's Bookstore.
Roomy -- if anything, it's TOO roomy, lending a certain reclaimed-retail-mall-space feel that one might not want in their watering hole of choice. However, the bar proper is cozy and just-slightly-Victorian-enough to be inviting, and there's no fear of bumping elbows and spilling your pint. Game room in the back, nice clean restrooms, and lots of European football (the one with the round ball) on the telly.

The bartender was one of the most friendly, engaging, energetic I've seen recently. Bravo. The selection -- well, it's the (technically) widest tap-and-bottle selection in town. What's to complain about? We were also there (who knew??) on "Irish night" -- special prices on Smithwicks and Guinness pints, as well as on Jamesons! Prices (even without the Irish specials) were, for the most part, quite reasonable. The high-gravities seemed a bit silly ($11 for a Chimay Blue? Give me a break!) but most of the standard session draughts and bottles where quite reasonably marked. And, for the record, fun glassware.

We didn't try the food, but the table next to us had some good-looking snacks on their plates.We're definitely going back, and definitely to try out the food menu next time.

I tried two brews at the Garden, which, ironically enough, weren't that stellar (but that wasn't the bar's fault -- although perhaps with the Pisgah it might have been). Sara fared much better: a ($2.50!!!) Smithwick's draught, and a Dogfish Head 90 Minute (also on draught!)

Here were my goes:

1. Pisgah Organic American Pale Ale (1 Litre pour)

First off, perhaps getting a litre-size was not the best idea. I was so impressed that the establishment offered the litre option for the taps (and at the prices!) that I felt like I couldn't pass up the opportunity. Just not sure if this was the best brew to go with.I also must say that I have been a fan of Pisgah brewing for some time. (link to earlier post) Organic or no, this particular offering is probably my least favorite of their array, however.

Appearance: Copper, cloudy, like a good craft APA should be. Inviting. (3.5/5)
Nose: What in the world!?! My least favourite part of the whole experience. Again, might have been the litre mug, might have been an off-tap, who knows? An off nose, at any rate: almost on the way to a "rancid" quality. To the point where in order to enjoy the taste (which I did) I had to close off my nose whilst sipping. (2/5)
Taste: Smooth and hoppy. All of Pisgah's brews must use the same yeast strain, because I recognized a certain Pisgah-y familiarity on the tongue. (3.5/5)
Palate: Snappy and crisp. Very APA-appropriate. (4/5)
Overall: I'm disappointed in a very good brewery for this one. Again, I might have had an off tap or an off glass. Drink it cold, is my advice. (3.2 -- C+)

2. Wittekerke

Appearance: What can I say? Yellow. Brightly so, like a Hoegaarden on steroids. Like perhaps the beer includes carotenoids. (3/5)
Aroma: At first blush, coriander, with a sweet grain-maltiness. At second blush, more of the same, with a nice shallow depth. (4/5)
Taste: OK. Classic wit, nothing spectacular, but nothing off either. (3/5)
Palate/Mouthfeel: A bit on the sticky side but amply refreshing. (4/5)
Overall: Not my favorite witbier, but it will definitely suit the bill if you're looking for a wit to drink and it happens to be what they have. All in all, somewhat plain. Interesting that the "kerke" in question on their label/tap handle is a plain white clapboard frame thing, because that's the overall effect of the beverage: plain, unassuming, mainline-protestant-style witbier. No stone bell towers or fancy stained glass with this one. (3.35 -- B-)

II. Old Europe Bistro
A nice outdoor patio right in old downtown. I had seafood chowder and an order of local-caught trout dip on toast; she had an amazing salmon dish with the same soup. Really nice place; I'm eager to go back and try the lunch menu.

Not a huge beer list, but:
a) Sara got Sierra Nevada Pale Ale and loved it! (There's a story here -- way back in the spring of '03, I persuaded her to get a pint while on a trip to NYC, saying, "you'll love it!" It did not go over well. Five years later, though, my now-hop-head wife is singing another tune. So, in the [very] long run, I was right. She did love it. It just took a while.)

b) I had a Samuel Smith's Nut Brown Ale (see separate review forthwith).

III. French Broad tasting at the Brewery
This was a throwback to our first anniversary (also spent in Asheville). "Support Your Local Brewery" is a common bumper-sticker and t-shirt logo these days. Well, with French Broad up the road, it's fairly easy -- and enjoyable -- to do so. And with offerings such as their Irish Stout, how could I not support them full-force? Pints, half-pints, and growlers available right there in the brewery tasting room, where they also feature live music more often than not. The only caveat, the tasting room closes at 8pm on weeknights.

About that Irish Stout...
First off, it's no Guinness. At 5.8% ABV, don't try to put this one back as if it were. You'll be sorry. In a good way? Perhaps. If you don't have to drive, any way.

Appearance:Dark, dark dark. Like a black steer's tuckuss on a moonless Prairie night. There was no bottom. (Well, unfortunately, there WAS a bottom to my glass). (4.5/5)
The nose is rich, hoppy, floral, inviting. Luring me in for the kill... (4.5/5)
Taste: A lovely roasted malt pervasiveness leads me along to an almost chicory presence that I find absolutely divine. O for a blackened catfish, or wood-roasted scallops, or charred Argentine steak! The pairing would be seamless. (4.5/5)
Palate:It finishes silky and smooth all the way down, if sitting somewhat heavily on the bottom (but then again, this was an after-dinner beer for me, perhaps not the best situation). (4.5/5)
Overall: Bravo and bravo again! (4.4 -- A)

IV. Lunch buffet at Mela Indian Restaurant
Well, this is a personal favorite repeat spot for us. The discovery this time around was simply this: drink Highland St. Teresa's Pale Ale with spicy Indian curry!!!

The Thirsty Monk...again

2008-05-24T13:23:00.000-07:00

Yes, I did review the Monk in the entry "Mid-May Notes." At the risk of redundancy, here's a second jab at a review with aspirations for as little overlap as I can muster...but, after all, such a place as this must surely deserve extra attention. More to the point, I wanted to review the brews I had whilst visiting the Monk, so found a recapturing of the ambiance helpful in that regard...

First of all, I have to give this place very high marks simply for the fact that it exists. In Asheville, no less. Very commendable, very impressive -- I'm overjoyed to have such a specialty place so close by in our little corner of the world. The decor is great. The place is impossibly clean (hooray!) and minimalistically decorated the way I wish my basement looked. I like the ambiance a lot. The selection is incredible. I thought this sort of place only existed in my wild fantasies. Or in Belgium. Apparently, there are enough other beer fetishists out there -- again, in Western NC -- to warrant the creation of such an establishment. 14 rotating taps of the finest Belgian and Belgian-style offerings. Hundreds of bottles, 750 mL and smaller sizes, to more than round out the discriminating palate. My slight disappointment was that a couple of the menu items listed (and tap heads that I saw right in front of me) were not available that particular night. Too bad! However, there was plenty else to choose from.

As I stated in my earlier review, my larger disappointment was with the food selection -- talk about skimpy! True, they do not have an in-house kitchen that I could discern. As it now stands, go for the beer -- definitely! Eat before you go. But try that cheese platter with some tripel. It will be fantastic.

Sampled at the Monk, via the flight option (smaller-sized servings at a lower price, their answer to the Half Pint. Lest you fret unduly, though, rest assured that the flight sizes are quite generous. No 3-ounce nonsense here):

1) North Coast Brother Thelonious (Dubbel, 9.0% ABV)
Ironic that my least-favorite during a night of Belgian-styles was the non-native-Belgian? Probably not. North Coast, on the whole, does amazing work. Old Stock Ale, Old Rasputin...This one, though, while good, couldn't hold much of a 4-foot liturgical taper to some of its Old-World brethren.

Appearance: Dr. Pepper. (3.5/5)
Aroma: STRONG!!! Caramel, dates, raisins (4/5)
Taste: Again, raisins. Apricots, figs, dates, sorghum. (4/5)
Palate: My least favorite aspect of this beer. It's too thin, and disintegrates too soon. Almost watery for something so strong. (3/5)
Overall: Good, sweet, and strong, but too sweet, too rich. Drink this one in small quantities. Perfect match with a cardamom chocolate, though. (3.75 -- B)

2) Dupont Biere de Miel Biologique (Organic Saison with Honey, 8% ABV)
God, this is good stuff. Where has it been hiding all my beer-drinking life? I must say, in the interest of full journalistic disclosure, that my fair wife did not care for this beer. Me, I thought it was the best stuff I'd had since Easter.

Appearance: Looks suspiciously like mead. (4/5)
Aroma: Wildflowers, honey, and malt. (4.5/5)
Taste: Hominy, and non-sweet honey. (5/5)
Palate: PERFECT! Smooth with a bit of spritz. (5/5)
Overall: Quite refreshing and thirst-quenching. The fact that it's 8% ABV is WELL hidden. Saison-ish. The fact that it's a Dupont creation is not surprising given the high level of quality. The fact that it's organic makes me very happy. Amazing beer. More of this. Often. (4.65 -- A+)

3)Huyghe Delirium Nocturnum (Belgian Strong Dark Ale, 8.5% ABV)
Once I discovered how to appreciate and enjoy the Tremens (and oh, but I do), I've been itching to try their other offerings: the Noel, and this, the Nocturnum.

Appearance: Dark ruby red, with a thick head. Enticing if a bit intimidating. (5/5)
Aroma: Sour cherry, brown sugar, faint mild hops. (4/5)
Taste: A carnival ride: sour water, raisins, cherry pits, white pepper, pears, a bitter hop finish. (3.5/5)
Palate: Perfect, really. (5/5)
Overall: Not quite as good as Tremens in my book, but still very solid! Great with chocolate. (4.1 -- A-)

4) Liefmans Kriekbier (Cherry fruited lambic ale. 6% ABV)
First Off: The best Fruited Lambic I've ever had, bar none. One of the best Lambics I've had, period, fruited or otherwise. Wow. They use real cherries, unlike some other kriek brewers. Also: this technically wasn't one of my flight choices, but instead my flight buddy's. I wish it were mine. I willed it to be so. This is crazy stuff.

Appearance: Reddish-purple, with a pink head. Dark, mysterious, and enticing. (4.5/5)
Aroma: Cherry pits, slightly sour with a sweet-tart edge. It's inviting me to pour it down my gullet, but my nose is so entranced that I just want to sniff it all night. (5/5)
Taste: A fruity smorgasbord, but not fruity in the way that sorority spring breaks are fruity -- this is a mature, decadent (yes), refined, high-class fruity. strawberry, raspberry, and (yes) fine cherry notes, along with (if there is such a thing!) gourmet bubble gum and sweet tarts, although the name of this game is "not too sweet!" A sour brett. yeast taste rounds it off. (4.5/5)
Palate: Perfect. A study in nuance and style. (5/5)
Overall: Amazing, really. Again, the best fruited lambic I've ever had. More, please!! (4.65 -- A+)

Papa's got a brand new brew!

2008-05-23T13:32:00.000-07:00

What began back in Goochland County VA as the Bathtub Brewery has gone through many iterations, produced much to be proud of and a few over which we still hang our head in shame. Halcyon days, friends, full of wonder, extremes of temperature and plenteous brew. Having shared many partners (but never owing money all around town) in this endeavor, I have resurrected eight years of fine brewing tradition in the northernmost corner of the Shenandoah Valley. Our brewery, as our beer, is as yet unnamed but big plans are in the works including kegs, taps and occasional cross-border trips with trunks full of contraband and ringers - with weight - at the ready.
To wit, some pictures, our recipe and a call for creative nomenclature (both beer and brewery)

Ingredients (3 Gallon batch)

3.75 lbs Coopers Wheat Malt Extract

1/2 lb Crystal Malt
1/2 lb Pilsen Malt

2 oz. US Saaz Hops (boil), 2 tsp Grains of Paradise (1 boil, 1 finishing)

1 packet Nottingham Ale Yeast (pictured above), 3 Gal. Water

Saturday, May 17
Proceedings

Steep Crystal/Pilsen malt in 2 gal. water, bringing to a slow boil
Remove grains at boil and add Malt Extract, 2 oz US Saaz Hops, 1 tsp Grains of Paradise
Boil 60 minutes
Remove hops, boil 10 minutes
Add 1 tsp Grains of Paradise
Boil 5 minutes, remove grains
Cool Wort
Add to Carboy, top off with cold water.
Pitch yeast.
Wait.

Sunday, May 18

Enjoy the sweet aroma and delightful experience of happily bubble wort, soon to be beer.
Updates forthcoming after bottling.
Cheers!

Two Christmas presents, Part II

2008-05-19T16:33:00.000-07:00

Cumberland Pale Ale

Another beer whose head got the best of me: it was huge, thick, and stubborn. My pouring, I will admit however, was perhaps overly casual. Fucking amateurs.

The BarrelHouse Brewing Company of Cincinnati, which started out in 1995 as a brewpub and has grown into a regional microbrewery of high repute with a cleverly-named line, has this to say about the beer:

Early Cincinnati brewers shipping their beers into Tennessee would generously hop their beer to prevent spoilage during the long arduous trip over the Cumberland Trail. This classic interpretation of the American Pale Ale features a solid foundation of pale malt loaded with fresh Cascade hops. Here's to getting where you're going!

I like any brewery that believes beer is necessary to getting where you're going. Where are my car keys? And hand me my beer! A very Dude attitude.

The Cumberland is pretty standard APA. Beneath all of that head is a clear copper and a promising nose more suggestive of good malt than powerful hops.

Indeed the suggestions of the nose are borne out, or rather further developed, by the mouth: the Cumberland is not as hop-dominated as the label suggests. It's not bad, just a smoother and less potent exposition of the form than many of its peers. Very clean in the mouth, with a very brief aftertaste of malty sweetness. Notes of orange and grain.

Overall, a very drinkable, if not overwhelmingly exciting beer. 4.6% ABV.

Very briefly...

2008-05-17T17:20:00.000-07:00

This was simply too good to pass up.

What we can surmise:

1) Times is hard in Montgomery.
2) The beer scene is NOT good in Alabama.
3) If you're walking down the street with a 12-pack of Bud Light in your possession, you just might get shot.

What we can suggest:

If someone approaches you and demands you yield your Bud Light, consider it a fortuitous and profitable occasion. Don't wait for the firearm.

The Moon Under Water

2008-05-13T07:46:00.000-07:00

When I think George Orwell, a few things pop into my mind at first blush:

* Barnyard Animals and their political schemes.

* 1984

* The current socio-political landscape

From henceforth, however, I'll have to add a fourth asterisk to that list: The Moon Under Water.
The MUW is the name of both a brief essay by Orwell, and of the pub that said essay describes in loving detail. It is a pleasant essay full of love, nostalgia, even a hint of wistfulness. It premiered in the London Evening Standard on 9 February, 1946.

Here is the essay for your reading enjoyment. I suggest a pint in hand for the reading.

Two Christmas presents, Part I

2008-05-12T17:51:00.000-07:00

Wailing Wench

For Christmas, I received two large bottles, which have languished in my cellar, all but forgotten. However, with spring has come the time to test them appropriately, to give them their due.

First to be sampled and savored is the Wailing Wench ale, an offering from the Middle Ages Brewing Co., Ltd., in Syracuse, NY, which must be the seedier cousin to the St. Cecilia Brewery of Tryon, NC. Both take their inspiration from earlier times, but in the stead of John Dowland or Charles Parry, Middle Ages gives us the Wailing Wench. As befits any reference to Merrie England, the label is bawdy and in very poor taste. Wonderful woman. We're all very fond of her. Very free-spirited.

The beer does not disappoint; it is very tasty. A dark, cloudy copper in color, with only a moderate head, the Wailing Wench provides abundant hops to the palate (as is promised – with much innuendo that would please any contemporary or admirer of the Middle Ages – on the label: "Screaming with hops"), and a mild, pleasant aftertaste. And, weighing in at 8% ABV, it packs almost all the necessary ingredients for a good time. Brandt can't watch though, or he has to pay a hundred.

Stay tuned for Part II.

Mid-may notes

2008-05-06T10:49:00.000-07:00

I. The hefeweizen has been, as of earlier today, moved into the secondary fermenter. All signs point to a winner: current gravity readings are spot-on, it's a lovely orange color, and it smells divinely weissenig: bananas and cloves out the wazoo. I can't wait.

II. The Sir Charles IPA is out and shining. It amazes me how the bottle-conditioning is like clockwork: sample a newbie even one day prior to go-time, and you'll be disappointed. A mere 24 hours later, and it's a different beverage entirely. I could set my calendars by the conditioning of homebrew.
I'm loving this IPA. Not as heady or hoppy as some, it nevertheless fits the bill and is quite tasty. Sara promises to write a review on the blog soon.

III. Slowly but steadily, I have entered into the next realm of the all-consuming beer hobby: the cellar. It may seem a bit counterintuitive to lay down (or, in the case of beer, "keep vertical") bottles of something that often include a "best by" date on the label, but rest assured there are any number of brews out there that not only stand up to cellar aging for months or even years, but also some that downright benefit from it. The most likely candidates are those with high alcohol content (7% ABV or higher), and those that are bottle-conditioned. However, certain stouts and porters, and even some fruit beers like lambics, also carry a penchant for the long haul. Much like wine, the keys are dark space, cool temperatures, and no movement. With our new living space's basement, I've alotted a corner across from our wine cellar (also nascent but hopeful) for some beer-cellaring experimentation. In the coming months, I'm hoping to be adding to it fairly regularly. And blogging about it as well.
A great inspiration: The Brew Basement.

IV. And speaking of (non-homebrew-ingredient) adjuncts, another fun aspect of the Beer Enthusia: glassware and stemware. Also, one thinks of wine and the myriad shapes and sizes and variations on "the bowl." Beer is coming into its own in this regard as well. Strike from your consciousness the frosted barrel-shaped mug. Think, instead, of something akin to this:
Of course, beer glasses come in many shapes and sizes: the familiar Guinness pint glass is the perfect receptacle for a good stout, or porter, or English-style ale. IPAs and English Ales also go great with those pint glasses that have the little bulge near the top. Those Oktoberfest tankard steins are perfect for a German lager. Hefeweizen goes best in a tall, elegant, curvy thing that looks a bit like something out of Star Wars. Stronger brews, abbey ales, and the like fare well in goblets and wine glasses. The Belgians go absolutely nuts, with individual breweries often having their own glassware -- some even that need separate stands just to hold them up. Why all the variation? Why all the fuss?
Well, much in the way with wine glassware, each beer style benefits best from having certain characteristics front and center (emphasize the nose, push the hoppy bitterness to the forefront, create more head, admire the sparkling clarity, allow it to breathe, etc.). The various shapes and sizes accommodate all these various traits differently for the different beers, maximizing the experience. Sure, you can drink a hefeweizen out of a Guinness glass. I do it all the time. But for serious tasting and appreciating, there's no beating the weiss glass. Plus, they look impressive. Plus, it's downright fun.
My current favorite beer glass style, if not quite my favorite beer, is the pilsner. Here it is, in action:

What about drinking right from the bottle? There's no better way to enjoy a Rolling Rock.

V. Experts and pros in the worlds of both cellar beers and stemware: the Belgians. Speaking of the Belgians, Sara and I finally scoped out Asheville's The Thirsty Monk on Friday night.

Stupendous! It's a bit on the pricey side of the equation, but they have the option of flight-size samples of their (14!) draughts, enabling a wider sampling at a reasonable bill. This is the closest I've seen anywhere in this country to the "half-pint" option commonplace in British and Irish pubs. And, I should add, TM's flight sizes are hefty enough to be worth your while: no festival tasting 2 ounces here! Most of the beers are also served in their own specialized glasses.
The Thirsty Monk has only been open since late December, and is still auspiciously new: the first smell one is greeted by upon entry is "clean." The whole place is spotless and immaculate, as if a Trappist with vows of silence had just been through with his mop and dustcloth. No smoking to be had, either. It looks as if they're still in the process of filling in the decor, but nothing says "good vibes" to me like a Delirium Tremens mirror and a big Chimay flag.

Points against them: I was a bit taken aback to hear the strains of "the Electric Slide" emanating from their speaker system when we walked in. The playlist did move on to something a bit more tolerable -- Gladys Knight, I think. But nothing says fine Belgian ales to me like...Motown and cheesy bad wedding reception line dances. I'm not sure what I would offer as a counter-suggestion: Gregorian chant would certainly add to the ethos of the space, but certainly not to the intent or the hopeful mood of the patrons. Acoustic folky instrumentals (roots, Americana, even some rollicking European folk tunes) might fit the bill. I mean, it is Asheville after all.
The bigger regret is the food situation: not having a kitchen of their own, they have risen to something of a creative occasion by providing not only Euro-inspired treats, but also ones that pair well with Belgian ale styles. Cheese platters, chocolate samplers, and cold baguette sandwiches and crepe sandwiches. That's the whole line, and once again price seems a little steep. Granted, one probably doesn't seek out a Belgian beer bar for the food, but for a place that opens at 4:00pm, it's a bit skimpy. If they ever get a kitchen situation worked out, I'd love to see some moules (steamed mussels...ahhh.) and frites (with or without the mayonnaise!).

The Next Homebrew...and the Next Chapter in Homebrewing

2008-05-03T08:37:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I started the next batch of St. Cecilia beer...a hefeweizen, timed to coincide with the arrival of summer in the Southern Appalachians. As I cannot resist a good pun, and have already titled my Dunkelweizen "Silvius Leopold WEISS (Dunkel)," it followed that the current batch would be called, again, Silvius Leopold WEISS (Hefe)."
And, because he's just that good (as is the current performer), here's another look -- or listen -- at the overlooked namesake genius:

Proof that beefy soccer jocks can also be incredibly sensitive interpreters of baroque music.

I also tried my hand at something new: rather than purchase a kit from Asheville Brewers Supply, complete with pre-selected ingredients and self-contained instruction sheet, I decided to delve into the wider world of recipes and ingredient purchase. The current batch is based on a "clone" recipe from a book I received for Christmas: Beer Captured by Tess and Mark Szamatulski. The source recipe is modeled on their interpretation of Weihenstephaner Hefeweissbier, one of the benchmarks of the style. Largely for the sake of trying something new, and seeing how there was no imminent trip to Asheville in sight, I ordered the ingredients from Northern Brewer, letting the UPS guy burn petroleum instead of me (as many of the ingredients I used come from the same exact source as those provided by ABS). I have departed slightly from the recipe as published, in terms of the priming/carbonation method: rather than use more dry malt extract, per the book method, I'm going to once again use my tried-and-true turbinado sugar method.

My only wonderment is the sheer simplicity of the recipe:

6 pounds of (Briess) dry wheat malt extract
1 ounce of Hallertau Herrsbrucker hops, added at the beginning of the boil
boiled in 2.5 gallons of water for 60 minutes
Cooled, added to primary fermenter containing 3 gallons cold water, pitch 1 vial of White Labs Hefeweizen liquid yeast.

I'm hoping that the minimalism of this recipe results in a pure, clean, subtle brew that would prompt my good buddy J-Wor to quip, "simple tools," rather than in an insipid, boring, tastes-like-wallpaper brew. We shall see.

I am unsure as to the Original Gravity of this one. In my ongoing battle against the hydrometer, I did something silly. I ended up being in quite a hurry to get it all finished and in the fermenter, as time crept up on me and Sara and I had a Community Chorus show to get to. In my hurry, along with sloshing quite a bit of wort onto the floor (again, have I mentioned how glad I am to be brewing in the basement?), I did my hydrometer gravity test of the wort BEFORE diluting it with all of the water. So, the reading came out to something astronomical, 1.106, which would yield an estimated ABV in the realm of 11%. Eek! Once I realized my error, I pondered how to calculate the correct diluted reading, since readings can't be taken once the yeast has been pitched.

Enter the computer age! Apparently there are a few software programs available to the homebrewer, designed to help track, sort, store, calculate, and otherwise aid the homebrewing enthusiast. After a tip and some discussion on the BeerAdvocate forum, I set off into the wild woods of the internets in search of a potentially helpful download-friendly executable file.
There are quite a few programs from which the uninitiated may choose. Keeping my eyes peeled for the magical word "Free," I first examined a program called Q-Brew. Let me tell you, not worth the 2 minutes it took to download. Q-Brew resided on my desktop for about 20 minutes before being expunged. I finally decided on taking advantage of the 21-day free trial offer from Beersmith. This program comes highly regarded and is, at least thus far, very user-friendly and versatile. Most importantly for the situation at hand, it also has a dilution calculator!
Entering in the digits, I find a corrected OG reading in the range of 1.050-1.053, right where it should be. Thus, depending on the final gravity, I should be looking at a hefeweizen with an ABV of 5.2%. Perfect.

And speaking of the internets, I also stumbed across this little gem. Wikiality, indeed.

And no, I do NOT, and will NOT, drink my weissbier with lemon or orange wedges. Gross. If you must commit such a travesty, I recommend this approach:

Searching for Beer in the Big City

2008-04-27T05:32:00.000-07:00

Some fellows talk about New York,
But I shall stay at home.
- Sarah Orne Jewett from "A Country Boy in Winter"

Imagine my delight when I yesterday stumbled upon a write up of BeerMenus.com, a site that indexes all the beers in all the gin joints of...um...New York City. My disappointment was mitigated, of course, by the long-held knowledge that here in the uppermost corner of the Shenandoah Valley both technology and fine brew arrive late to the party, if at all. And this is leaving at the door the small fact of being married to a Baptist minister, living at the frayed but still sturdy edge of our nations Bible Belt.

Still, our more cosmopolitan readers (see: New Yorkers) or those planning a trip to Gotham in the next few months will be well-advised to avail themselves of this fine tool. Search for your favorite ale, dubbel or imperial porter. Alternately, see what the cool kids are drinking, or browse the trendiest bars by neighborhood. And please don't try this in the Bronx, Staten Island or Queens where the safe bet is a Yeungling (at best) downed quickly and a subsequent quick metro hop to friendlier climes.

So when you're out there, be safe, obey all traffic signs and don't feed the hipsters. Happy drinking.

The IPA label

2008-04-23T09:37:00.000-07:00

Now we're passing into the inner corridors of Nerddom. But most of you were probably already aware of that.

Here's the IPA label, with what I trust carries the appropriate level of Victorian/Edwardian ethos, suitable for shipping to the Subcontinent:

She transferred into the secondary fermenter on Monday afternoon and looks to be bottled this weekend. I'm still not as handy (or confident) with the hydrometer as I'd like to be but as far as I can tell, everything points to an ABV in the ballpark of 5.something %. Also appropriate. I'm eagerly awaiting this one.

Parry, of course, being perhaps best known for his hymn-tune Jerusalem ("And did those feet in ancient times..." or, to familiars of The Hymnal 1982, "O day of peace that dimly shines..."), which should (also appropriately) stir the hearts of all Brittanophiles worthy of the title, especially upon this, St. George's Day.

My inner Scot cringes and scowls.

A philosphy of Beer - and inaugural review

2008-04-23T07:53:00.000-07:00

First, a philosphy of beer:
mmmmm...beer...

Ok, that's out of the way.

As for a first review I think it only appropriate to quote the Bard (I am, of course, talking about Bob Dylan). "You gotta have heart. You gotta have lots of things. You gotta have a waterproof hat, and a dog you can trust. You gotta have your girlfriend's credit card..."

I'm confident that Mr. Zimmerman would agree that you also gotta have a favorite pale ale. An ale that reminds you just why you fell in love with drinking good beer. An aroma that wakes your senses in the same way as the first morning pot of coffee; an initial flavor across your tongue like the spoonful of fruity pebbles into which you inconceivably (but fortuitously) dropped a handful of sourpatch kids. All the while a rock-solid baseline of malt and barley hold fast against the excess that leads to mere frivolity - a weatherbeaten, centuries-old upright bass accompanied by the jazz-fusion stick man who, today, respectfully restrains himself to the high hat and snare in a loving rendition of his favorite classic.

You gotta have lots of things. At the top of my list is a cold refreshing pint of Flying Dog's "Doggie Style" Classic American Pale Ale. Until next time, drink heartily and well.

Into the Deep End (an introduction)

2008-04-22T18:05:00.001-07:00

I have long lurked in the back alleys of the Internet, skulking by this blog from time to time in order to fellowship transitively with fellow beer aficionados. Having been, many moons ago, extended an invitation to join the fray, I have heretofore chosen to remain in the shadows.

Well my friends, no longer. And thus, I feel an introduction is in order.

I have decided to write primarily out of my great and abiding affection for this blog's eponymous founder. I write also out of a sense of duty, our histories of beer being so closely interwoven that my continued silence would somehow start subtly unraveling the thread. And like all writers I scribble in part out of vanity - the desire to set fleeting thoughts of questionable importance to a somewhat less impermanent medium.

Beyond friendship, I have several other connections to this blog. Like Mrs. A-G I too cut my beer drinking teeth on the fabled late nineties high school favorite - Icehouse. Perhaps more significantly, like Mr. A-G I once picked up and was enchanted by Garrett Oliver's The Brewmaster's Table. I found, however, that it was not his passion for beer sommeliership that ultimately captured my attention. It was instead his devotion to the very craft of brewing. The jazz-like combination of ingredients. The science of proportions. The centuries of tradition, almost lost to industrialized America before the Depression Era necessity revived the small independent brewer.

I am thus little concerned with how a beer will taste to the denizens of the modern day foie gras speakeasies of lower Chicago who order a glass to accompany their $40 salad garnished with the force-fed liver of an unfortunate waterfowl. Instead, I relish the pleasure of a cold pint poured on the back porch of a rental house in eastern Goochland county, guzzled with the satisfaction of knowing that there's no cable, no air conditioning, beans and rice for dinner and a pair of $10 mixed six-packs in the refrigerator. It is in that spirit that I hope to review a few of my favorite things on this blog.

In the next issue: A philosphy of beer, and an inaugural review. Until Then.

St. Cecilia Reports...The Latest in Homebrewing, and Some "Greening" Tips

2008-04-17T15:32:00.000-07:00

The New Digs.

The St. Cecilia Brewery has set up shop in its new venue! I'm quite excited.

Running water is at hand. As is a small countertop for drying and storage.

Plenty of space to stow the empties. And who cares if a mess is made?

The unofficial brewery mascot. And note, at the top of the photo, a hot-plate I purchased at the church rummage sale for $6. Now the entire brewing operation can take place in the basement -- boiling, washing, filling, you name it. No running back and forth to the kitchen.

To celebrate the new space, the arrival of spring/warm weather, AND the first brewing since my Lenten hiatus, I'm firing up an IPA -- Sir Charles (Hubert Hastings Parry) India Ale (check back soon for a picture of the label).

I started the batch on Saturday the 12th. Here's the lineup:
6 lb. Cooper's Light malt extract syrup
1 lb. Northwestern Pilsen Dry Malt extract
2 lb. crushed grain: 75% German Vienna malt, 25% Biscuit malt
1 oz each Cluster, Buillion, and Brewers Gold hops
White Labs Burton Ale yeast.
The ABS wanted to give me California Ale yeast, but I opted for the Burton yeast, hoping for a more classic "English" taste as a result.

I'm pretty excited about the IPA, as is my Hop-head wife.

Although, it's time for a funny anecdote. After pitching the yeast and capping the carboy, I was excited to see the yeast begin to activate (the fancy word for frothy, bubbling, fermenting yeast is Kräusen) much sooner than most of my brews heretofore have experienced -- instead of a day or two, Kräusen was happening within a few hours. I'm not sure whether to attribute that to the cooler temperature of the room, or the temperature of the wort when the yeast was pitched, or the particular combination of ingredients. At any rate, it's been fermenting up a storm. This morning, I just so happened to come into the brewery room in the basement to collect a couple of empty boxes, and discovered that the airlock (which seals off the carboy and keeps the wee beasties out of the brew) had blow clean off the carboy -- the crazy yeast activity had clogged the airlock, and the force of CO2 being expelled from the carboy pushed the clogged airlock clean out of the neck, like a bottle rocket. No harm should come to the brew, I think, because so much CO2 is leaving the carboy that I doubt anything can enter into the batch. I'll have to keep a closer watch from here on out.

I'm also doing what I can to "green up" (or, should I say, "Blue up"??) my brewing process. I haven't yet ordered organic brewing supplies from Seven Bridges Co-Op (saving that for May or June), but there are some other things to be done:

1) Reduction of water use.

We're still suffering an extreme drought in NC. Water use is -- or should be -- a big deal
Instead of immersing all the various equipment in a tub of sanitizer solution, spritz the sanitizer solution and rinse.

Instead of washing bottles in the dishwasher, use the sink faucet bottle-washer adapter, and collect the water in a tub in your sink. Use that water for plant-watering or compost-moistening purposes.

Use greywater (see below) for non-consumable purposes (soaking labels off bottles, etc.)

2) Recycling of materials, particularly water.

Bottles are the obvious ones here (I have not bought new empty bottles since my very first batch in September), but it can go much further than that.

Reuse sanitizer water/solution -- after cleaning the carboy, tubing, etc, use the same sanitizer solution for bottles and such.

Spent grains not only make great compost, but also can be dried and used in homemade breads.
I've even used dried spent grains as a crouton substitute on salads. Dried spent grains are also a big hit in the bird feeder. The hop slugde can go in the compost bin or pile.

I'm also a big fan of taking the wort chiller water to the garden/yard (I do the same thing with the water I soak bottles in to remove the labels -- water which I have collected from my shower in buckets [aka "grey water"]).

NB. If you're worried about glue (or soap) residue from labels making its way into your garden veggies, check into setting up a greywater treatment (a miniature wetland, really -- it's amazing how many beasties get cleaned up just by filtering through root systems!). I don't have one of these things set up yet, but it's on my wish list. I should add that my shower greywater benefits from non-toxic shampoo and soap that I use.

I haven't tried this yet, but I bet I could take the water from my wort chiller (it's just water) and add it to the washing machine next time we do laundry. Or use it for non-dishwasher dishes.

3)Reduction of paper used.

OK, most homebrewers won't even need to worry about this one. However, those like myself who enjoy making labels for their brews must contend with the paper use involved. I've decided, instead of slapping labels (no more than 6 or 9 labels per page, depending on how big they are) on all 50-or-so bottles in each batch, to only print out enough labels per batch for my cellared brews, and maybe a couple that I give away (so one sheet of paper per batch, rather than upwards of 6 -- and with at least one beer brewed per month, those pages add up pretty quick).

At the end of the day, of course, homebrewing is quite sustainable without even trying to be, and without going nuts -- reuse of containers, no distribution to speak of (the petrol used to ship my supplies to me pales in comparison to loading cases of bottles on trucks and sending them all over the country), and no gross cleaning chemicals that most commercial breweries use. I'm sure I'm forgetting some aspects here, also.

Maybe I should look into kegging down the road -- that would be even more minimalist and resource-reducing.

A Good Time for Beer

2008-03-29T09:02:00.000-07:00

The Hudson Valley, where I live, is something of a hidden gem, especially considering its location. A land of great natural beauty (think of the Hudson River School), and diverse landscape, it lacks a great unifying industry (such as the winemaking in Napa and Sonoma) and so is not seasonally overrun with tourists. Rather, we have rolling hills, historic towns, horse, dairy, cattle, and produce farms, the River itself, and the oldest mountains on earth. It is a generalist's country, and definitively disproves the theory that the polymath is good at everything but excellent at nothing. Rather, it is the whole that is excellent.

The Hyde Park branch of the Roosevelt family gave us FDR, who loved his house on the river above all others (the White House included), and gave his home county (Dutchess) many fine civic buildings and miles of stone walls during the WPA.

But none of this matters here. What matters is that 75 years ago, fulfilling a campaign promise, FDR's administration saw the ratification of the 21st Amendment, and as a direct result, we all not only enjoy delicious beers daily, but also do we write and publish this blog without being imprisoned for sedition.

In celebration of this, Historic Hyde Park, in conjunction with the FDR National Historic Site (yes, the Department of the Interior), is sponsoring a Beer Festival and the produce of some local breweries. FDR would be pleased.

I intend for this posting to be the first part of two, the second to be written, of course, after sampling the brews and paying due homage at the gravesite.

"All that is within me cries out to go back to my home on the Hudson River." ~FDR

links of interest:
Chatham Brewing Co.
Olde Saratoga Brewing
Hudson Valley Fresh
Home of FDR
Hudson Valley Institute
Historic Hudson Valley
Empire State Brewery Trail

Nice, if short, article on Indian Food and Beer

2008-03-27T07:03:00.000-07:00

In his masterly tome, The Brewmaster's Table, devoted to the art of pairing beer with food, Garrett Oliver (of Brooklyn Brewery fame) writes about Indian cuisine and the pitfalls of drinking wine -- especially red wine -- with it:

"I can't tell you how many times I have seen nearly full bottles of wine, especially reds, abandoned on the tables in fine Indian restaurants. The food had ruined the wine, and the wine had ruined the food. The diner had somehow imagined that a Barolo could hold its own against a vindaloo or had sent a California Chardonnay to its death against a powerful chutney. What a shame!" (The Brewmaster's Table, p.86)

I tend to agree. It is at best an impaired, risky conjoining on the palate, and at worst a disastrous culinary nightmare.

So how about a beer? Here's a great little article from the Morning Advertiser (UK) -- if anyone knows their curry (And their beer), it's surely the British. In the aforementioned quote from Oliver, he goes on to say, "Weissbier would have saved those meals; in fact, it would have made them spectacular."

From personal experience, I have a handful of can't-go-wrong beer-and-Indian pairings:

For milder, creamy-sauce dishes (especially those with coconut), go for an Allagash White -- it works wonders with desserts, too. This pairing came to me at our favorite Asheville Indian destination, Mela, where they serve Allagash on tap.

For the more fiery curries, go for Ayinger Ur-Weisse, Schneider Weisse, Samuel Smith's India Ale, or Sierra Nevada Pale Ale.

If you've got a 5-alarm Vindaloo, why not break out the Avery Maharajah Imperial IPA?

mmm....curry.....

The brew of the earth

2008-03-24T20:26:00.000-07:00

I like organic beers. They don't necessarily all taste good, but the spirit is well with them: the fruits of the earth, unadulterated (except by the mash tun), and transformed into delicious liquid bread. It's like having a farm in the glass.

For my birthday, a friend who knows me well, and properly, gave me a bottle of the Butte Creek IPA (the bottle above, on the left), wrapped appropriately in a brown paper bag. Very exciting!

It packs a hefty 7.1% ABV, and so tastes good and will, on an empty stomach, leave one feeling pretty well too.

This beer pours a head of epic scale, stability, and stubbornness. Even observing proper decanting techniques, two fingers of beer yielded a head that filled the rest of the glass and could not be reduced by gentle blowing, nor indeed even by waiting. In the end, I lacked sufficient patience to observe the head's full life cycle, and so the only remaining course of action was to love the whole beer, head first.

I recommend this to everyone, especially lovers of IPA. The first sip made me roll my eyes and think, "This tastes like the earth! Where does "dirt" usually figure into brewing, once the hops have been harvested?" However, more sustained drinking revealed a snappy, honey-colored IPA of full body. This is not your grandfather's English IPA, and like you, it is American, bold, and modern, but is also somewhat unsurprisingly (given the back-to-basics character of today's craft brewing culture) a truer IPA than what many modern British factories pour. I give it high marks for hoppiness, refreshingness (my term), and all-around tastiness.

Butte Creek Brewing is in Chico, California, and not – as I first thought – in Chino, where, seriously, he did six months for exposing himself to an eight-year-old.

Perm's Pick of the Month for March: Dupont Forêt

2008-03-24T08:33:00.000-07:00

Gather 'round, kids, it's time for another installment of Perm's Beer Pick!

In Belgium (and, I presume, much of Europe) this ale goes by the moniker "Moinette Biologique" (the "Organic Nun"), but over here look for a whimsical label vaguely resembling medieval tapestries and bearing the title "Forêt." It is an organic Saison (the label claims it is the only organic ale brewed in Belgium, at least by a commercial brewery) brewed by Brasserie Dupont, the purveyors of such fine offerings as Saison Dupont, Moinette Brune and Avec les Bons Voeux.
The Forêt holds its own against any of the other products put forth by this brewery; indeed, it rises near the top for me.

I've had said brew in the past, but never in a situation where I could prepare a review. I bought a 750 mL bottle a few days ago (from the Hendersonville Food Co-Op) to break out with our Easter Dinner on Sunday afternoon, and was it ever worth it.

For my enjoyment, I poured it into a Unibroue tulip glass, forming a huge foamy/rocky head. This beer is beautiful: the color of gold, hay at sunrise, and strong chamomile tea, with bubbles a-plenty rising from the bottom of the glass.

On the nose, this ale continues to unfold a plethora of offerings the longer I linger -- burnt sugar, caramel, grass and hay, almonds, cardamom, and (my favorite), boxwoods after a summer rain.

The taste picks up right where the nose leaves off: almonds, spice, white pepper, raw unrefined sugar and caramel, with a tart (almost mild citrus) twist. Superb!!

Nor does the palate disappoint: even thought the beer is slightly sweet on the tongue, the palate is cava-dry and bubbly. Wonderful stuff.
Its ABV strength registers at 7.5%, but it is quite well hidden -- so beware! It's easy to quaff this stuff fairly liberally.

Here was the culinary line-up:

Duck, marinated in orange puree and fresh rosemary, then oven-roasted with onions (mixed with brown sugar to caramelize)
saffron brown rice with peas
balsamic reduction sauce
homemade rosemary olive oil sourdough rolls
fruit salad
sweet ricotta tart with orange zest crust.

[ignore the interloper bottle of wine, of course...]

The main course AND the dessert were near-perfect matches for the beer.

mmm....dessert....

And, on top of all that, it's organic!

New Digs

2008-03-16T12:05:00.000-07:00

So we're now about 2 weeks into our new abode, and we're getting settled in and enjoying the vast new tracks of floorspace on which to stretch our legs and terrorize our cat with the greatest cat toy ever. And I'm enjoying the greatest commute to work ever -- 5 minutes if I'm slow or stupid.

[this photo has not been digitally tampered with]

This also means that there is now a huge amount of space for the brewing operations -- including dedicated running water, cool-temperature (cellar, in fact!) space for storage, and it's all out of the way, so no more boxes and empties overflowing into our living space. The only missing piece to this is that I'll still need to use the kitchen stove for boiling (wah wah, right?). I'm not concerned about that. I've even got space aplenty for if/when I decide to branch into lagering and need a fridge or chest freezer. I've also begun a compost bin, so in go the spent grains (the ones I'm not baking with, at any rate!).

The plan is to resume brewing operation in April with an IPA. I'm also hoping to try getting supplies from 7 Bridges Cooperative in San Francisco -- all organic ingredients.

Perm's Brew Picks is concerned with much more than just homebrewing, of course, and the new house affords space for the other sides of this hobby as well. We have a great little built-in liquor/glassware cabinet in the dining room: some of our more attractive stems and goblets are now on display, as well as a storage cabinet below where bottles of brews can rest in the dark. And, of course, the aforementioned downstairs cellar for longer-term aging.

And, lest we forget, a terrific front porch upon which can be enjoyed any of Perm's Monthly Picks!

He that drinks beer, thinks beer.

2008-02-21T19:40:00.000-08:00

I rose politely in the club
And said, 'I feel a little bored;
Will someone take me to a pub?
~Chesterton, A Ballade of An Anti-puritan

Homebrewing Hiatus news

2008-02-13T08:37:00.000-08:00

I'm gearing up for a diocesan mission trip to Mexico (through Habitat for Humanity) next week. An internet search for "Mexican Craft Beers" yielded results that lead me to think I will not have much trouble staying focused on the house-building work at hand! I have heard of a Mexican Christmas Lager called "Noche Buena" that's supposed to be good, but it's out of season anyway.

Along with the fact that Sara and I are moving -- just across town -- and a Lenten spirit of simplicity, there won't be any more homebrews from St. Cecilia (the subsidiary of Big Perm Enterprises, of course*) until April. However, our new digs (more on this in future journal postings on our other blog sites, I'm sure), an awesome free-standing house, features a massive basement that Sara has assured me can be my Graves-man-cave. No more brewing in the downstairs 1/2 bath! I'll be able to spread out and do some serious brewing. First up, I think, will be an IPA.

The John Dowland Lachrymae ESB might be getting a sneak-peak tasting on Friday night before I head out, and Sara has said she'll post a review of the Dunkel Weizen.

* HA! I should start putting that on my beer labels: "St. Cecilia Brewing is a subsidiary of Big Perm Enterprises."

3-Beer Bread; or, Using Every Part of the (Home Brewed) Buffalo

2008-02-07T08:51:00.000-08:00

So I suppose a more accurate name would be "Thrice Barleyed Bread" or "Triple Barley Bread" or some such, but I like the ring of "Three Beer Bread," because it's good and misleading: there are not 3 beers in this bread.
It is (or was), however, a sourdough loaf associated with beer-related ingredients thrice-over.

1) The sourdough starter has been fed, in place of water with a bit of under-carbonated homebrew Dunkel Weizen (I opened the bottle too early).

2) The loaf was sweetened with, instead of sugar or honey, organic barley malt syrup.
3) The loaf included a healthy dose of spent grains from my ESB homebrew.

The whole thing was inspired by a Trebor Brodt (a German spent-grain loaf) that I attempted a few weeks ago. I thought, "why not try it in a sourdough recipe?" And then thought, "Why not feed my sourdough starter with a bit of beer?" And it just took off from there.

I also counted a for-the-most-part success in creating a steam oven for the baking. Place a small cast-iron skillet in the bottom of the oven, and right when the loaf is placed in the oven, pour boiling water into the skillet and shut the oven door. It's much easier with 2 people, but I managed to do it by myself. The steamy oven creates that nice, dark, crisp crust on the bread.

I'm still very much an apprentice when it comes to baking sourdough, and this loaf was by no means perfect, but I was quite satisfied with the results. While still dense, it was by far the least-dense of all my sourdough attempts thus far. I was hoping for a nice boule shape, but the dough slacked out into a blob before I could get it into the oven. I think I know how to tweak this for next time, though!

In addition to being almost-not-dense, the loaf had a lovely orangish tint and a lovely faint-barley aroma. Quite yummy, with those spent grains adding a fun texture. The malt syrup definitely left its stamp with a barleyish sweetness reminiscent of Grape Nuts. I thought the bread was fantastic for sandwiches with honey mustard and chicken salad. Next time I'm going to aspire for a taller loaf-shape, or that elusive boule.

Ah, the joys of cooking with bread, and recycling at least a bit of homebrewing by-product -- and, of course, a great solution for the opened-too-early-not-yet-carbonated beer!

WHOA.

2008-01-24T05:32:00.000-08:00

This was too good to pass up...

This is for real.

Not sure about the results, but he's so technical and thorough, I'm sure it's quite solid. Apparently New Zealanders take their homebrewing...and their hobbies...quite seriously.

Perm's Beer Pick for January 2008 -- Samuel Smith's Winter Welcome

2008-01-13T17:22:00.000-08:00

So in my Christmas stocking this past year (welcome to the Ardrey-Graves household!) was a 550 mL bottle of Samuel Smith's Winter Welcome Ale. I finally broke it out tonight, and it was absolutely fantastic, a clear choice for a Perm's Pick.

I've been drinking a lot of dark beer and high-gravity farmhouse/Belgian/abbey beer of late, so it was quite nice and refreshing to return to a classic pale English style, and remind myself why I love English beer so much. Here's my tasting-notes rundown:

Bottle of the 07/08 vintage, poured into an American pint glass.

Appearance: Beautiful copper color, lots of bubbles rising to the head -- which is a nice foamy off-white, and sticks around. 5/5

Nose: I can sense it even before I get close. Nice hop aroma (Goldings? Fuggles?), also hay, malt, and rural English rain. 4/5

Taste: slightly spritzy, and spice right off the bat. What is that? mild cinnamon? allspice? This opens up into a wider smorgasbord -- artisan hearth bread, toasted walnuts. As it warms, some roasted caramel malts enter in. Very earthy, very English, wonderful. 4.5/5

Palate: very nice and pleasant, if perhaps fading a bit too quickly. Which does, however, serve to bring the glass back to my lips that much sooner. 3.8/5

Overall: Excellent. Another winner from Sam Smith's. 4.2/5

I had it along with a venison hutspot (crock-potted venison steak, with mashed potatoes-and-carrots-and-onion) with homemade soda bread (with dried spent brewing grains!), and it was spot-on. I think I'll be getting this one each winter for sure.

Here is a link to a page (from Merchant du Vin) with good information on the brewery and its town of Tadcaster, Yorkshire.

A Completely Amazing Dinner Experience

2008-01-12T12:37:00.000-08:00

So, this report is long-overdue.

On New Years' Eve, Sara and I participated in a 7-course dining extravaganza with our friends Tasi & Kristen and the Perkins family in Springfield, VA. Each participant (or participant household) is responsible for the preparation of one of the courses. The tradition is that Doug (Tasi's dad), quite the oenophile, pairs each course with an appropriate wine. Being the cerevisaphile (how's that for a great word!?) that I have fast become, and knowing that Uncle Charlie (a homebrew veteran of over a decade) would be present, I couldn't resist bringing a couple of special brews along as well.

This proved quite interesting and exciting -- while I've participated in both wine dinners and beer dinners in the past, and performed no small amount of personal, unscientific thought and practice in the food-pairing department, this was my first opportunity for head-to-head comparison of wine and beer paired with a dish. I loved it. Overview: in every case, the beer was at least as good as the wine, vis a vis the food. In a couple of courses, the beer (I thought) blew the wine out of the water.

Course One (Appetizer): seafood crepe with shrimp and lobster tail. Absolutely delicious. It was paired with a Martini & Rossi Asti sparkling white wine that I could not abide. I gave it a 2.0/5 simply because the crepe made it taste better and it sort of worked. Unfortunately, the beer hadn't come out yet at this point, but a nice Hefeweizen would have been the ticket, I'm sure.

Course Two (Soup): Sara's knock-em-dead French Onion Soup. Doug paired it with a 2006 Duckhorn Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc -- very respectable with the soup, more of a pleasant counterpoint than a true blending harmony (a trend to be repeated throughout the evening). But then Charlie and I broke out the Cesar Franck Belgian Ale, and true harmony ensued. An amazingly excellent pairing! The caramel from the roasted onions found its partner in the roasted malt and candi sugar in the beer.

Course Three (Salad): spinach salad with clementines, walnuts, cranberries, and balsamic vinaigrette dressing. The Wine: 2004 Jefferson Vineyards Johannesburg Riesling. This was probably, in my opinion, one of the best food-to-wine pairings of the night (even though it was not my favorite wine). The beer: Leinenkugel Sunset Wheat. Also an excellent pairing, as good as the wine -- citrus notes responded to the orange slices in the salad.

Course Four (Fish): Blackened catfish with a rice medley. This was one of my favorite food courses, hands-down. The Wine: 2005 Zind Humbrecht Gewurztraminer. Solidly and amazing, this was a perfect pairing (Wunderbar, I said). It was going to be hard to have a beer pair as well as this wine did....until Charlie broke out one of his homebrews, a "citrus Bitter." And wouldn't you know it (Charlie also prepared the fish), that beer melted right into the catfish, and was divine. It didn't dethrone the Gewurz, but it was right up there with it nonetheless.

(An entremet of pineapple sorbet and a walk around the block prepared us for the good things to come.)

Course Five (Meat): Venison tenderloin with a madeira and onion marinade, served with scallions and garlic green beans. I love venison, and this was among the best I've eaten. The Wine: 2003 Domaine Font de Michelle Chateauneuf du Pape. A red among reds: deep, dark, strong, valiant, bold. It was a very nice wine, but almost too strong for the venison. The beer: Neil Gow's Scottish Ale. When eating well-prepared game, go with a Scottish-style beer. Period. The beer won that round, and it was a tough one to win.

Course Six (Dessert): homemade baklava. The Wine: 2003 Chateau Guiraud Sauternes. Heavenly. I gave this wine a 4.0 and didn't attempt a beer pairing, instead saving my big guns for the course to come....

Course Seven (Cheese): Assortment of five goat cheeses from Spinning Spider in Marshall, NC: chevre, raw milk cheddar, raw milk wensleydale, raw milk gouda, and camilla. The Wine: Bodegas Osborne Oloroso (Medium) 10-year-old Jerez (sherry). Lots of folks couldn't abide the sherry. I liked it, and it was nice with the cheeses. But, the beer really shone here: Brasserie DuPont III Avec les Bons Voeux AND Tripel Karmeliet. The Tripel Karmeliet was the clear favorite, although I stand by the DuPont as a perfect pair with the gouda. It was amazing how that Tripel could pair so effortlessly with such an assortment of different cheeses. The beer, I think, vanquished the wine. I don't think I can ever now go back to wine-and-cheese with any sort of clear conscience.

The Fifth Round of Homebrew (Part One)

2008-01-12T12:21:00.000-08:00

I'm currently beginning Homebrew #5, destined to become "John Dowland's Lachrymae -- English Bitter Ale" (if you're curious about that one, try here.) This will be my first foray into an English-style beer, and also my first time using Irish Moss as a clarifying agent.

(what ever would I do without Wikipedia?)

Here's the run-down, courtesy once again of Asheville Brewers Supply:

1 lb crushed grains (.2 lb American Munich malt/ .2 lb Belgian biscuit malt/ .6 lb British 2-row Crystal malt), steeped 55 minutes

5 gallons of Alleghany County (NC) mountain water!

6 lb Northwestern Gold syrup extract
1 lb Briess Golden Light DME

1 oz Brewers Gold hops @ 5 min
1 oz Willamette hops @ 20
1 oz Willamette @ 45

1 tsp Irish Moss @ 30 min

off boil @ 45 min

White Labs (liquid) London Ale yeast

I'll most likely (depending on fermentation) primary for 7 days or so and secondary for 7-10 days after that. Hoping for an ABV somewhere in the 4% range, but that aspect (predicting gravity) is still a complete mystery to me.

I couldn't resist following up the Weiss posting with a similar tip-o'-the-hat to Dowland:

A homebrewing question

2008-01-10T06:22:00.001-08:00

Before I post on an awesome New Years Eve dining experience, I'd like to temporarily transform this page into a forum and pose a question to my fellow homebrewers:

Do you use any sort of wort chiller? If so, is it homemade or purchased pre-made? Thoughts?

EXTREME beers

2008-01-09T07:57:00.000-08:00

The NYTimes did an interesting spread on "extreme beers," versions of European beers that Americans have supped up. These are things like "Double IPA" or "Hop Wallop." Some brewers and beer critics did a taste test and you can read all about their results.

The beers tested:

Dogfish Head 90 Minute
Lagunitas Maximus IPA
Oskar Beers - Gordon Beer
Southern Tier - Un-earthly
Weyerbacher - Double Simcoe IPA

There are some other great multimedia links on this page to Belgian brews, Porters and other browns.

Dunkel Weizen, step 2

2007-12-23T11:59:00.000-08:00

Today for the first time I have departed from a set brew recipe in a significant sort of way.

I transferred the weizen wort into a secondary fermenter (carboy), but before so doing I added 11 oz of liquefied Smoky Mountain sourwood honey into the pot. I've read and forum'ed (I know that's not a word, but hey....) about the honey thing quite a bit and decided to take the plunge to see what happens -- it's all a big experiment, right? My goal is that the honey will give the dormant yeast something more to work on, upping the ABV percentage (had I bottled today, it would have ended up somewhere in the neighborhood of 4.6%). Just how much higher, we'll have to wait and see. The honey should also add some interesting notes to the final bouquet and taste -- it won't make it sweeter, or taste like mead, but it should give the beer a drier palate and add some floral notes. We shall see....

winter brews and Portland

2007-12-16T12:48:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Mark for adding me on to the blog. I'm happy to contribute as able.

My office staff went out for a end-o'-the-semester dinner and our boss chose the Widmer Brother's Gasthaus as our venue. Winter is a wonderful time to be in Portland as it's the season when everybody let's down their hair and tries something new. So if you are passing through Portland, here are some winter brews on tap NOW for your tasting pleasure.

Snow Plow - a cream ale on nitro, tastes like a piece of pie. Maybe the U.S. answer to Boddingtons?

Decorator - A "Weizendoppelbock." Okay, this might freak you out, but here goes. Bananas. Like very strong bananas. I thought it was amazing. Apparently the reviews are mixed as the bar maid wouldn't give me a pint until I'd tried a sample. Don't worry. You start to regain consciousness after a few sips.

Dortmunder Lager - not as whimpy as some lagers and great to follow the pungent Decorator

Widmer Hefeweizen - I'm cheating a bit. This is always on tap. We tried to clone this for our last batch of home brew. The beer turned out great but we haven't yet mastered the perfect balance of hoppy and malty that makes this one of the best beers in Portland. Don't leave the Northwest without knocking back a few.

They also serve a mead but I haven't been bold enough to try it yet. I'll report back with any more updates for the Christmas season.

Trebor Brot -- spent-grain bread

2007-12-15T07:42:00.000-08:00

When homebrewing with crushed grains (and not just extract), an unavoidable byproduct is the spent grains: the crushed grains, confined to a mesh bag, are strained in hot water to create a "tea" that becomes the base for the beer, but the mesh bags are removed before the boil, and are referred to as "spent." What to do with the spent grains?
The traditional approach is to feed them to your livestock: chickens, pigs, goats, and so forth love spent grains. Barring that, they make excellent compost.
What to do when you don't have any livestock, and haven't yet begun a compost operation (living on a 2nd-storey apartment with no yard or garden makes that a wee bit difficult)?

Why, bake with them, of course! I came across an issue of Southern Brew News a few months ago (they're often free for the taking at Asheville Brewers Supply) dedicated to cooking and baking with beer, and clipped out a recipe for Trebor Brot, a traditional German spent-grain bread. I decided to give it a whirl with my Dunkel weizen leftovers. And it's quite tasty! Definitely a good, hearty winter bread, reminiscent of those 7-grain loaves that artisanal bakeries make. I'm quite proud of the result.

Here's my modified recipe:

1 C warm water
1/2 C dark beer
2 Tb oil (I used olive for this go-round)
1 1/2 ts salt
1 1/2 ts active dry yeast
4 C total flour (I used all organic unbleached all-purpose, simply because that's what I had on hand. The original calls for 2 C unbleached, 1 C rye, and 1 C whole wheat. I see experimentation here!)
a measure of dried spent grains (the original calls for 40 g; I used a bit more than that)
2-3 Tb crushed flax seed (optional)
1 Tb vital wheat gluten flour (optional -- helps give it some "lift")

The easiest (read: quickest!) way to dry the spent grains is to spread them in a thin layer on a large plate and microwave for 6 minutes, flipping them over halfway through.

In a large bowl, mix 2 C flour, yeast, and the salt. Add the water/beer and oil, and beat (it will be VERY sticky -- if you're a hand-kneader like me, plastic/silicone or wooden spatulas are a big help here!). Add a cup of flour a time, kneading for 5 minutes after each flour addition. Add the gluten, flax, and spent grains along with the final cup of flour. Depending on the enviroment, you may need to add a bit more flour so it's not too sticky. Knead until the dough is a shaggy mass -- one thing I've learned is that you really can't over-knead, especially when kneading by hand.

Place the dough in a lightly oiled or floured bowl, and tightly cover with a warm, damp (thin) towel. Let the bread rise in a warm spot for about 2 hours. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

After rising, place dough on a pizza stone, form into the desired loaf shape (I like the round boule), cut the top with a sharp knife if you wish. No secondary rising is really needed with this one. Bake it at the bottom of the oven for 45-50 minutes. In the last 10 minutes of baking, lightly spray the loaf with water (this helps give the crust a golden color). Once desired color is achieved, remove and place on a wire rack to cool. Is it done yet? Knock the bottom of the loaf with your hand -- if it sounds hollow, it's baked.

Let cool for at least 15 mintues before slicing. Enjoy with a glass of beer!

--Thanks to Fred Scheer-Boscos of the Nashville Brewing Co. for this recipe.

New Round of Homebrew

2007-12-15T06:30:00.000-08:00

I once again took advantage of my mostly-day-off (had to greet the organ tuners and make sure that Sunday's bulletin got run first thing in the morning) by starting another round of homebrew. The recipe in question this go-round is a Dunkel Weizen; that is, a dark hefeweizen. I will say that for about 2 or 3 years running, Weihenstephaner Hefeweiss Dunkel has been among my very top favorites at the WBF -- I can't presume that what I've got in the fermenter will even come close to that goodness, but it's a style I love and am anxious to see what happens.

I do find it amusing that this beer is oft hight, "Dunkel Weiss," which means, of course, "Dark White." I also find it interesting that the two names frequently interchanged for this beer style, weizen and weisse (wheat and white), are only different from each other by a couple of letters. Handy and confusing! And, given my current naming scheme (composers and all that) I simply couldn't resist the urge to pun and style this go-round (and all my subsequent hefewiezen, I'm sure) Silvius Leopold Weiss, in honor of that great baroque composer and friend of Bach's that no one's ever heard of. He has his own webpage, and even shows up on YouTube a few times, including here, here, and here. His music is truly wonderful. Anyway, I'm having way too much fun with this thing. I've also made up a sample label for this one, and put the whole thing in a Fraktur font. I'm pretty pleased with it.

Here's what I did:

6 lbs Northwestern wheat extract (liquid)
1 lb Northwestern dark malt extract (dry)
1 lb crushed crystal malt grain
0.5 lb crushed chocolate wheat grain
1 oz Liberty pellet hops (bittering)
1 oz Tettnang pellet hops (finishing)
White Labs liquid German Ale/Koelsch yeast

Original Gravity chimed in at 1049.9 (I *think* -- I'm still getting used to this whole hydrometer thing), which sounds about right to me.

I also used (for the first time) NC mountain bottled spring water instead of tap. I have a particular aversion to and disgust of buying bottled water, but did this for a couple of reasons:
1) My parents now live on a farm in Ashe County, NC, with its own wonderful mountain spring. I'm anxious to make use of their spring water for future brews, and needed some gallon jugs with which to transport the water. Hence, the purchase.
2) I haven't had any disastrous results with the Tryon town water thus far, but it's still not my favorite. I really don't want beer with flouride and chlorine in it, as yummy as that sounds. So, this is also something of an experiment to see if there is any discernible difference in taste.
And, at the end of the day, I'm not using Dasani.

Finally, for good measure, one more Weiss:

Tasting a Wonderful Local Brewery

2007-12-14T12:01:00.001-08:00

I had the great fortune yesterday evening to sample 5 brews from Pisgah Brewing Company of Black Mountain, NC (just east of Asheville on I-40). All five were very good; two were excellent.

This tasting was one of the bi-monthly offerings at Bruisin' Ales, my current favorite purveyor of liquids and all-around cool store in Asheville. Two of the Pisgah brewers were on hand to pour the samples and answer questions, and as the house was much -- MUCH -- less packed than last week's Brooklyn affair, I had no trouble in chatting a bit with them.

First off, Pisgah is a certified-organic brewery, so all of their offerings have at least a plurality of organic ingredients (malt and hops especially). Kudos!

My only overarching negative about the brews is that most of them tend to have a somewhat thin and watery finish, even if it is extremely slight. (I started calling this the "American beer curse" some years ago, when I was a relative newbie to the craft beer thing; I know it's not scientifically sound or anything approaching universal, but it's nevertheless a trait that I can't help but notice popping up from time to time in many American brews). Oh, and the fact that they don't bottle most of their brews for store distribution -- kegs and growlers are the mainstay. But as they're a small brewery interested in quality control, I can't say I blame them.

The lineup:

1) Porter. At 6% ABV, this was their light offering for the evening. Made with a combination of five organic malts, this is a pleasant and easy contribution to the world of porter. A nice chocolatey opening salvo, with pleasant mild hop notes. Some smokiness is present, too, enabling it to match not only raspberries (a great combo) but savory dishes as well, I would think. A thin but smooth finish -- it ended much more abruptly and quickly than I was imagining it to. Overall, I gave it a B+

2) Equinox, "Amber harvest ale." 7.5% ABV. A mild nose that for some reason made me think of bubblegum -- but on the tongue it was anything but! A nice raisiny quality, with a lot more besides. It was superb with a cube of sharp cheddar, and I wrote to myself to try this with winter soup. A-/B+

3) Red Devil. 8% ABV. This is a Belgian-style blonde ale mixed with cherries and raspberries added to the secondary fermentation. I am not often a fan of fruit beer; I'm fond of Atlantic's Blueberry Ale, and the occasional old-school sour cherry lambic if the mood strikes me. But this was absolutely stupendous. Very well-balanced, and silky smooth. Oh, I could have gone home right then and there a happy man. My note was, "best fruit beer I've ever had, basically," which is probably a stretch, but not *too* big of a stretch. A/A-

4) Solstice. 9% ABV. This is their year-round Belgian Trippel offering. A sour nose (yum!) gives rise to fruity esters, and the only thing that made it less than superb was that once-again slightly watery finish. Otherwise, very solid and true to the style. Gouda made it better with regards to the finish. A-

5) Baptista. 11% ABV. Their "Belgian Noel" seasonal offering, a strong dark (but not too dark!) brew. Beautiful bronze color with a complex nose that immediately caught my attention -- too many things going on to single any one out, yet not too busy to be confusing. All I could say was, "Wow." This was clearly the coup-de-grace of the day for me. Truly complex, truly amazing...I must say that I have as of yet not had any true Christmas Ales from Belgium or the Netherlands, so I can't compare the Baptista against the heralds of the style, but style aside, I fell in love with this thing. And, no watery finish here! More along the lines of a dry barleywine or sherry finish, really. And wonderful with cheese all the way. More, please! Solid A

On a side note, I couldn't help but notice this label on the shelf on my way out the door:

No kidding. "Great Pig Steam." I am told it is an amazing ale. And that the Saison de Pipaix (this brewery's flagship style) is to die for. Best I can figure is, 1) it's a true farmhouse brewery. Pigs live on farms, and are really fun animals. 2) The folks at Pipaix are truly doing all that they can to make it clear that they are not a monastic brewery.

The troubles they are a-coming

2007-12-07T06:45:00.001-08:00

So, a month or two or three ago, news of the hop shortage and barley price increases began to spread about. So far, very little in-your-face results have been felt, at least here in the States (I had to get leaf hops instead of pellet in November, but that was about it).
That's not likely to remain the case.
Here's a short but notable article courtesy of the Brooklyn Brewery website. And it's not just NYC. We can expect changes probably after the New Year, I expect. The fellow at Asheville Brewers Supply yesterday told me that they'll be coming out with a new products catalogue in the next couple of weeks -- same products, higher prices. I won't be surprised if 6-packs and pub draughts rise in cost as well. Just how much more homebrewing will cost, only time will tell.

Another Great Tasting at Bruisin' Ales of Asheville

2007-12-07T06:20:00.000-08:00

Welcome to our new contributors, Sara, B.J., and AAK! It's wonderful to have you posting.

Yesterday evening Sara and I visited my new favorite beer purveyor, Brusin' Ales (on Broadway in Asheville -- see the link to their site on the sidebar). They do a free tasting every other Thursday, and occasionally have a slightly bigger to-do tasting as a fundraiser for their charity of choice, Friends of the Blue Ridge Parkway. Yesterday they outdid themselves. Jason Gavin of the Brooklyn Brewery (one of our favorites) was on hand with 9 (count them, 9) samples. Also present were folks from the Spinning Spider Creamery, a local goat cheese dairy from Madison County, with a good 5 or 6 varieties, along with cherries, raspberries, almonds, and little toasts to help complement the tastings.

Despite the huge crowd (fire code, anyone? I felt a little bit like I was at an indoor beer festival), it was probably the best tasting we've been to yet, at least at Bruisin'.
The lineup:

1. Local 1. The brewery's most recent regular offering, a Belgian-style strong golden ale (9% ABV).

2. Brown Ale. A classic and a legend in its own right. (5.6% ABV)

3. Winter Ale. Previously reviewed here over Thanksgiving. Still a winner in the Scottish style (6%)

4. Monster Ale Vintage '04. A classic Barleywine, if somewhat Americanized. Aged for 4 months. (10.8%)

5. Monster Ale Vintage '05.

6. Monster Ale '07. (What happened to the '06? "We drank it all," said Gavin.)

7. Black Chocolate Stout Vintage '04. An annual winter-season offering, Brooklyn's interpretation of a Russian Imperial Stout. (10.1%)

8. Black Chocolate Stout Vintage '05.

9. Black Chocolate Stout '07.

What was remarkable was that ever single one of these samplings was a hit with the goat cheeses. There were no strikeouts. I will say, however, that the Local 1, Brown Ale, and all 3 Monsters were an absolute hit with the cheese, perhaps even a home run in the case of the Local 1 and the '04 Monster. The '05 Stout paired with a cherry (they were excellent cherries) sparked fireworks in my mouth, a la Pixar's Ratatouille -- it was like best cherry cordial you've ever had, except with beer. The '07 Stout preferred the almonds.
What was interesting was to compare samples of the same brews from different years -- there were clear differences in both the Monster and the Stout. I preferred the '04 Monster Ale (the best balanced, I thought -- the '05 was much sweeter, and the '07 much younger and "zingier") and the '05 Stout (the chocolatiest of the three).

Sara....thoughts?

Sam Winter, tested in Boston

2007-12-06T16:24:00.000-08:00

The Beer: Sam Adams Winter Lager
The Food: clam chowder, turkey club
The Restaurant: 75 Chestnut, Boston, Mass.

Sam Adams is always a most respectable, if, to my mind, rarely an astonishing brewery. However, one is always correct to sample the local brews in any place, and so, when in Boston and faced with choosing among Guinness, the silver bullet, Harpoon IPA, and the Sam Adams Winter Lager (it was a pretty shallow draught list), I went with the Sam Winter, which seemed like a perfect choice for a snowy night in Beacon Hill.

One never has, of course, a pure tasting experience, in a sterile white room and no distractions. But who would want that? A sterile room with no company calls for 30 Busch Lights and a urinal, not something savoury, something worth considering, worth tasting. Of course we all know that the company and the food and the setting can enhance a beer, making the good better, and the great sublime, but virtually nothing can make a bad beer better (except another bad beer to follow). And anyway, where matters of taste are concerned, the scientific process should take a hike: bias is king, and not something to be controlled.

But back to the beer.

My first impression was that it looked like exactly what I needed. The color was an ideal coppery brown, dark but allowing light to pass and refract: sort of like a delicious brown swimming pool on a clear day in my glass. The head was present but not overwhelming, about a quarter inch deep, and of the color of peanut shells.

Not much aroma. It isn't done to draw too much attention to oneself in Boston. Puritanism runs deep (for more on Puritans and beer, even the English varieties, see video HERE, which comes from a website that will give one particular pause).

The taste delivered, gently, all of winter. Sort of like a carol sing in the mouth. Snappy and spicy: cloves, a bit of orange, cinnamon, maybe some ginger, which lingered on the finish, at least until replaced it with I a spoonful of chowder. Again we must remember that this is New England: Sam doesn't shout, he doesn't gesture – he used up all of those instincts in the Revolution. Rather, winter is suggested, or intoned.

This is not, in keeping with brewery custom, an astonishing beer, but a good, sound workhorse, something one could drink happily throughout the winter, a good companion to good food and good company. The aficionados might turn up their noses and scoff, but then they would forget that basic drinkability and pleasantness are the marks of a good beer. Luther seldom, I imagine, drank alone, whether his companions were men or books, and we know that our (the editorial we) northern European ancestors have always relied upon their beers to facilitate camaraderie. I recommend the Sam Winter for those times when one needs to be held by one's beer, comforted, and not challenged.

Sumttynose and the Hershey company

2007-12-06T16:09:00.001-08:00

Beer in question: Smuttynose Brewing Co.'s "Old Brown Dog Ale"
Food accompanying: Mac cheese (cheddar), peas, chicken
Venue: my house, in front of the fire

Color: reddish-brown (emphasis on the brown), permitting a bit of light.

Aroma (isn't this another word for "odor"?): Not so hoppy. Some chocolate comes through in the nose here, a foretaste of the (likely) very near future.

The Old Brown Dog offers no taste at first, or rather offers a fairly ordinary "dark beer" taste, then the flavors of leather and (particularly) chocolate rush over the taste buds and into the nose. The finish is long and chocolately, like trying to escape Colombia by way of a cacao plantation. This is not how I like my beer. A little less chocolate, or even the same amount of chocolate, up front would be okay, but because it forms the entirety of the long finish, each sip is spoilt.

I will consider the following exception before I condemn the Smuttynose people: each beer is a reflection of the place in which it is made. I grant the exception because Portsmouth is a town on the brief New Hampshire coast, and we all know how salt air affects everything: the texture of bedsheets, the color of weathered shingles, the temper of one's skin. So perhaps drinking the Old Brown Dog in its home on the cold seashore is an entirely different experience. Without being there, who can say how the air might affect the taste? Maybe, at home, the beer smells like daisies.

A philosophy of beer, if you will

2007-12-04T09:34:00.000-08:00

Hello boys!

This being my very first post here at House o' Perm, I thought I'd share some of my thoughts on brewing, sampling, and enjoying this fermented elixir we love so much. You will probably never see a post from me on here about the specifics of the brewing process, since I am completely uninvolved with this part of our household. My job consists of complaining about the yeasty smells and piles of equipment that are slowly taking over our downstairs bathroom, and, of course, happily consuming the beer once it's finished.

Nonetheless, I feel like Mark extended the blogger invitation to me not out of courtesy, but because I too have more just than just a blythe interest in the process of enjoying beer. As with many parts of my marriage, I stand in the doorway of this hobby, halfway between nerdy over-involvement and sarcastically poking fun at the passions of the crafter.

My very first beer (in college) was an Icehouse. Sitting on the mattress of a kid on my freshman hall, slice of Papa John's in hand, I sipped the nastiness of watery rice-malt brew. How many people start out this way? Is this the only entrance into the beer world? In my mind, there were two main things wrong with this memory:
1. It was an Icehouse. Ugh. Gag.
2. Drinking these beers was a goofy secret, under the radar of our watchful RA. Our sense of adulthood started with breaking the rules. Not only we were kinda lame, I'll admit - we were beginning a perception of alcohol, beer specifically, as a forbidden indulgence.

Working as a youth minister for the past few years, I know about the drinking culture my kids are confronted with. And I know some things will never change. Teenagers will always giggly sip beer, act inappropriately, and push the limits when they know they're not supposed to. Especially about rules that are placed upon them by adults. I think the only way we grow into being adults is learning how to deal with these rules and limits we put on ourselves - spiritually, emotionally, physically - by walking around within a safe framework and learning to think for yourself. But enough about that.

Returning to my earlier question: Why does this have to be the story most everyone has about their first beer? Why is loving beer a journey from the bottom up? (No pun intended.) Why do we start with the dregs before heading to the finer brews? Is there no redemption for the Coors and Miller drinkers out there?

And also: why is beer so often seen as a coarse beverage? At Thanksgiving, everyone appreciates the wine that's passed around the table, but we get strange looks when Mark brings a fine bottle of Saison. And also: why is beer seen as so masculine? I invite your thoughts.

(Sorry for the long winded-ness. I'm bored at work.)

Meanwhile, back in remedial homebrewing

2007-12-03T18:41:00.000-08:00

Thanks Mark for the invitation to post, and hello to Sara! The past few months have been a busy one in the homebrew wing of my house (the alcove under the stairs) as Jo and I have prepared for Christmas care packages. This year's gift will be a 4-pack incuding an ESB and a Belgian-Style Tripel.

I have one little rookie mistake to share here: failing to let the stopper dry sealing the glass carboy, and pressing a little too enthusiastically, I seem to have managed to cram the stopper all the way through the neck of the carboy and into the fermenting beer. Whoopsie...

This after a day of brewing, 4 days of initiall fermenting. I looked up at Jo, crestfallen...suddenly I was tempering my brew (the tripel) with a rubber stopper, with no idea of whether or not it would be physically possible to retrieve the stopper, even after we finish fermenting. Jo saved the day by finding a brewing blog which assured us that the stopper, sanitized as it was, was harmless. But if future samplers pick up on a slight bouquet of goodyear, then I might have a good reason for that one.

An American Wheat Doppelbock

2007-12-01T00:30:00.000-08:00

I broke into my nascent cellar tonight and tried my bottle of Clipper City (Baltimore, MD) Heavy Seas "Hang Ten" Weizen Doppelbock.

I was intrigued by the idea of a wheat doppelbock, and since it was put forth by a reputable brewer, thought I'd give this one a whirl. It's definitely a curious and complex brew, not at all unpleasant -- if not quite what I was expecting from a Doppelbock. I would never guess this one correctly in a blind taste test, that's for sure.

At the outset, it's reminiscent of a Belgian Strong Ale or a Flemish red -- even the color corresponds in that department, pouring a coppery rust color with the thinnest of heads.
It's slightly cloudy without being dull in the glass, and the head fades to the edges of the glass fairly quickly.

On the nose, I sense barley malt (true to a doppelbock), brown sugar, sawdust (like my grandfather's carpentry shop), and alcohol (at 10% ABV, that's no surprise).

The Belgian/Flemish charade continues on the tongue -- a sweet/sour quality that I associate with those great ales of the Low Countries introduces itself right away, and I immediately think of any number of food pairings. Also on the tongue comes a whole parade of tastes -- dark chocolate, caramel, sea salt, hops (Saaz?? Mt. Hood???), bananas, slight smoke (like smoked bacon), with a nice sour finish. (I'm still thinking, "how is this a lager?") The alcohol is definitely present, creating a nice warming after-taste.

The feel on the palate is great -- it's spritzy, and has a quality reminiscent of a dry wine.

This brew would be great with savory meat dishes (nothing too heavy -- venison, pork, duck, or maybe lamb would be perfect), or well-prepared sausages. I can also imagine asparagus pairing up well, and maybe even certain desserts (custard, creme brulee). I also envision this beer with a cheese course (gouda stands out).

I can't help but continue to think of Belgian Strong Ale (Kwak, Scaldis Prestige) or Flemish Red (Duchesse de Bourgogne) -- which, given that they are among my very favorite beers, is no bad thing. I'm not seeing how this beer could possibly be in the same family as Ayinger Celebrator, so I might not give it high style marks -- but on its own, as itself, it's great.

Neil Gow's Scottish Ale

2007-11-30T09:56:00.001-08:00

I do believe that this third round of homebrew is by far my favorite. I am quite, quite pleased at the way this one has turned out -- which is a nice surprise, since I was most worried about this one whilst in-production:

* At bottling time, I forgot to add the priming sugar to the bucket until after I had already filled about 12 bottles, so I did the unthinkable: I emptied the 12 bottles back into the bucket, and then added the priming sugar syrup.

* Upon resuming the bottling, I capped 3 bottles without topping them off, so I had to uncap them and do the top-offs, wasting 3 caps.

The moral of this story is, don't ever be in a rush whilst brewing OR bottling. I was worried that all the pouring back into the bucket would introduce too much oxygen to the mix, but it has turned out just fine.

It is a dark, dark brew, almost porter in color. It's a very dark coffee-ish brown, with a thin off-white head.

The aroma (granted, I've done the notes-tasting just after getting over a cold, so my sinuses are not quite as open and active as they probably should be...) presents toasted nuts, dark caramel, a wee bit of hay, and faint alcohol notes.

On the tongue, you're greeted with allspice, smoke, roasted grain, the slightest bit of cinnamon, caramel, a very slight ester note, and the faintest hint of those Kent Golding hops.

The palate is very pleasant: it's both spritzy and silky, and goes down warmly.

Sara and I poured half a bottle into a batch of venison-sweet potato-black bean chili we made, and it was stellar -- both in the bowl and the glass.

Venison is a most Scottish of dishes (even if chili is not) and the pairing is wonderful.
This ale is complex enough to pair well with any number of dishes, though. I'm excited to explore other avenues. The smokiness in particular should serve it well in conjunction with any number of hearty wintertime dishes. And, importantly, it's terrific all by itself.

Thanksgiving 2008, Part II. Brooklyn Winter Ale

2007-11-24T12:14:00.000-08:00

Brooklyn Brewery has long been one of my personal top-shelf favorite breweries. Everything Brooklyn puts forth is well worth having; I found their Winter Ale not their best offering, but still definitely worthy of a go. It's clearly in the Scottish Ale tradition -- dark, slightly sweet, not a whole lot in the way of hop flavors, with some added flavorful twists. It's wonderful on a blustery fall or winter night in front of a fireplace. Scottish floor-malted maris otter malts, English crystal malts, Belgian aromatic malts, American roasted malts, AND American oats, with Willamette hops. There's a punch to be packed, but it's not quite a heavyweight.

Appearance: reddish bronze, hazy, with a thin head.

Nose: Raisins, brown sugar, faint alcohol notes, a warm comforting aroma.

Taste: brown sugar, honey, roasted nuts, salt, malt, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves.

Palate: Warming, fizzy, and smooth

Overall: *Very* good, but I thought it could be better on the finish -- it just seems to drop off without saying goodbye, although it does pleasantly warm the throat. At 6%, it is slightly reminiscent of a weak barleywine with a Scots twist. It really was great with food -- what Sara and I had was caramel popcorn with nuts, and also pecan pie. I imagine it would be stellar with hearty winter foods -- savory stews, rich roast with gravy, a baked ham, or anything that has caramelized onions featured.

Next post....the unveiling of my own Neil Gow's Scottish Ale...here's to keeping my fingers crossed...

Thanksgiving 2008, Part I: Jenlain Ambree

2007-11-22T15:12:00.000-08:00

I was originally planning to bring the Castelian St. Amand Ale for this year's Thanksgiving feast, but ended up grabbing a bottle of the Jenlain Ambree (yet another notable French Biere de Garde) instead. It was definitely worth doing.

Jenlain, according to their own website (Brasserie Duyck), was the first brewery to package beers in 75 cL champagne-style bottles with wire-fastened corks. The Ambree is an unpasteurized biere de garde made from 3 different French barley malts and 3 different Alsatian hops. The 7.5% ABV is very very smooth.

Appearance: Lovely burnt caramel color with plenty of carbonation bubbles and a nice off-white head that thins out after a few seconds.
Aroma: Mild, caramelly, ever-so-slightly hoppy, faint hint of fruit -- peaches? and a whiff of hay to finish.
Flavor: Much more complex on the tongue than on the nose. A certain lagery quality reminiscent of Warsteiner (I seem to remember Castelian also exhibiting this lagery-ness), caramel/burnt sugar tones, a sharpness that says, "drink with farmhouse cheese!", and some rustic farm qualities: fresh grass, hay, nuts, herbs.
Palate: fantastically spritzy without being too champagne-like. Wonderful feel.
Overall: it’s no St Amand (still my favorite Biere de Garde, thus far) but more complex than Castelain.

The Ambree was truly excellent with Thanksgiving Dinner -- and what I especially appreciate, it was equally good with the main course and the dessert: it paired faultlessly with the turkey & dressing, gravy, veggie casseroles, and sweet potatoes, and then turned around and sang in harmony with the pumpkin pie, pecan pie, and apple crisp! Vive la biere francaise!

More Web Fun with Beer

2007-11-11T16:49:00.000-08:00

Well, I've ventured into www.ratebeer.com and set up an account for myself there. We'll see how far it goes and how much I get on board with it. My profile name, of course, is Perm.

Great article from the NYT

2007-11-07T06:43:00.000-08:00

I do have something of a love-hate relationship with the New York Times.
But as long as they keep publishing articles like this one, I'm all for them.

not strictly a beer post, but I think there's some crossover...

2007-11-05T18:15:00.000-08:00

One of my other newfound husband-passions is the baking of bread.

(NB. I'm using the word "husband" in its accurate Anglo-Saxon etymological sense -- the hus-band as one bound to the household; a homemaker if you will, every bit as much as the huswyf.)

One of my new years' resolutions for 2007 was to try my hand at sourdough; now that it's November I've finally gotten around to starting a starter-culture. In the attempt to find an out-of-the-way and warm place for the starter to live for the few days before it goes into the fridge, I opted for the downstairs 1/2-bath where the brewing magic currently takes place.

The sourdough starter is going wild.

I can only surmise that it is quite happy to be in the company of the currently-fermenting Scots Ale and that there must be whole legions of wild yeasts floating around that little room. The sponge is way ahead of schedule. This is exciting. Stay tuned; I'll return to this topic in future posts as I continue to explore and experiment with sourdough baking.

November's here, and so is the Belgian homebrew

2007-11-02T14:36:00.001-07:00

Even though it was probably a tad on the early side, I decided to break out the Belgian homebrew and see how it did.
Again, Sara was all ga-ga over the results. I think it's still a little young, and as it sits in the bottle will continue to mature nicely. That being said, I'm quite proud.
It's got a beautiful rust-copper reddish-brown color, reminiscent of cherry furniture (how's that for a creative comparison?). The nose (such as it is; I'm currently battling a cold, so my olfactories aren't all they should be..) brings to mind caramel, wildflower honey, roasted nuts, and the slightest hint of cinnamon. On the palate I get a spritzy warmth, delicate hopping, toffee, and brown sugar. It's a bit like a very mild Chimay (if I do say so myself) -- I expect it would go nicely with duck dishes or other game, and certain desserts (creme brulee, anyone?) as well as roasted nuts -- ooh, or pumpkin or pecan pie!
And at the end of the day, I'm ecstatic that all of my homebrews are not going to end up tasting the same. This couldn't be more different than the Green Zinger.
I attempted to use my new hydrometer to test the alcohol content of this one; I'm not sure I've mastered the device for total accuracy yet, but it appears (at the time of bottling) to be in the neighborhood of 5% ABV. I'll keep working on this device.

Being the nerd that I am, I've devised a naming scheme for my home brewing operation and all my various creations (the third round is already on the starting line). Given my love for music, especially classical music (hey, it's what I do), I've opted to call my moonlight operation the "St. Cecilia Brewery" in honor of the Patron Saint of music and composers, and name all the various brews after the great (and sometimes quite obscure) composers whom I love. I'll try to pair up styles with names based on nationality, alliteration, or just good old fashioned puns. Thus, my first batch has been christened "Maurice Greene Zinger" (I couldn't resist), and this recently opened creation is now "Cesar Franck's Belgian Ale."
I know I'm a dork; but hey, it's fun.

In other news, the world hop shortage is making its rounds and is being felt in all corners. When I picked up my Scots Ale kit from Asheville Brewers Supply last week, I had to get my Kent Goldings in leaf instead of pellet as I originally was going to; they were simply all out of the pellets. Whenever we get to the point where we're living in a house with land to do things with, I think it would be fun to try growing some hops. If I can get any rootstock at that point, that is.

October Housecleaning...

2007-10-21T17:51:00.001-07:00

While my second homebrew (a Belgian-style ale) is in mid-ferment, I thought I'd go through some old notes and post an assortment of bits that haven't made it onto a blog-post of their own.

I. A June Tasting
One of my first purchases from Bruisin' Ales in Asheville was a bottle of George Gale's Masterbrew Conquest Ale (2001 bottling). I let it sit for a whole month before breaking down and cracking it open...which is nothing compared to letting my tasting notes sit for 4 months before putting them up on here.
I have had the George Gale Prize Old Ale in the past and gave it high marks (in that Old Ale sort of way), but the Conquest Ale seemed to me to be another whole level of Old Ale-ness.

I found it to be raisiny, almost Madeira-like, also pleasantly nutty and malty. True to aged Old
Ale fashion, it had almost no head to it at all -- but, this is aged brew, so you mustn't think of it as "flat" beer. No more than you'd consider whisky to be flat. It does profit from being consumed not cold from the fridge, but letting the temperature rise some. It got better as it got warmer. I also found it best by itself (in sips, not gulps!), or with salted nuts. I remember thinking it might pair well with mild Asian (Chinese) cuisine. Overall, a much more delicate Old Ale than the Prize Old version, but an interesting tasting experience.

II. An Oktoberfest Tasting
Bruisin' Ales in Asheville periodically will do mini-tastings on a Thursday afternoon. About a month ago, I happened to be in town (the same day I was picking up my first batch of homebrewing supplies) and stopped by for a flight of Oktoberfest-themed brews.

Oktoberfest has never been my favorite variety; I often find it thin and unremarkable and consider many other German varieties much more worthwhile. However, I was curious to explore some American craft brewery takes on the style.

Not surprisingly, the "conservative style standard" of the lot, Otter Creek Oktoberfest, was my least favorite. I had more favorable opinions of the Left Hand Oktoberfest, another fine offering from a solid Colorado brewery.

My two favorites of the day were the funky ones: Avery's Kaiser Imperial Oktoberfest, one in their "Dictator Series" (along with the Czar and the Maharajah) of high-intensity strong takes on classic styles. The Kaiser is funky for sure: a lot of folks didn't care for it; and for a while I couldn't decide whether I liked it or not. It has a sweet and sour thing going on with it -- and what finally made me decide that I *did* like it was tossing back some dark chocolate bits that were on hand -- it was an amazing pair-up.

Finally, I took a liking to the Mt. Shasta Olde Ale from Butte Creek (CA). Complex and barley-wine-ish (quite different from the George Gale). Very nice! It made for a pleasant drive back home.

III. The 2007 Dillwyn (VA) Beer Festivus
This was the third such Fest we put on with our friends in Dillwyn, VA. The mistake we made this time around was too many beers (19), many of which were strong (6% ABV +) beginning too late at night (we didn't start the tasting till sometime between 9:30 and 10:00).
All that being said, I was able to take some decent notes (although notice how they get shorter and less detailed as the tasting progresses...)

Round One
1. Erdinger Pikantus Dunkler Weizenbock
A nice nose of raisins/grape juice. Very pleasant, considering how rich and dark.
The taste was also of raisins, and dates. Very pleasant, easy, if somewhat rich and grapey.
I thought it would be good to try with gamey dishes (such as duck!).

2. Moosbacher Lager
A nose of apples and pears. Not bubbly, but it seemed to need the bubbles.
Crisp -- think an autumn picnic with chicken salad.
Was not my favorite, but ok. Needs food to make it worthwhile.

3. Samuel Smith's Organic Lager
A very attractive gold color. Very light.
A subtle, slightly grainy nose. More bubbly than Moosbacher, and a nice malty sweetness.
Very light taste (to compliment the color), almost laughable, almost a weak Pilsner -- BUT still so much better than an American mass-produced (more hops, for sure). I believe the consensus was, good for a pitcher, along with oily fish, pizza, or perhaps mild Indian food.

Round Two
4. Brewery Ommegang Three Philosophers
98% Domestic ale, 2% imported Kriek (cherry) from Duvel in Belgium.
An acidic, dark nose, like a cherry cordial.
Tastes like a cherry cordial, too. Caramelly, and warm, definitely a dessert beer -- was excellent with dark-chocolate brownies; would also pair up well with shortbread, and perhaps pork chops with a cherry sauce.

5. Weienstephaner Kristall-Weisse
Very nice, clovey. Would be good with barbecue

6. Bavarian Hefeweise
Nice and simple, with a hint of bananas. Try with guacamole

7. Uerige (hefeweizen)
Sweet, hoppy, wheaty. Definitely a complex wheat offering: toasted almonds, dates, and figs all present. I enjoyed it.

8. Ommegang Rare Vos
A nice summery Belgian, slightly citrusy.
Very easy drinking, with a slight hint of frankincense. A keeper.

9. Orval Trappiste
An excellent abbey ale. Probably my favorite of the night. I had only good things to say about this one; unfortunately nothing detailed as far as nose or tasting notes, simply, "Amazing!"

10. Ommegang Belgian Abbey-style
Much sweeter than Orval. Good with peanuts, but its downfall is its sweetness.

11. Petrus
Aged Belgian Pale Ale.
I really dug this one, too. Brut-ish, bone dry, reminiscent of an unfruited lambic. Pleasantly sour and oaky. I'd be curious to try this (along with the St. Amand Ale) with a Thanksgiving turkey. A good find!

12. Unibroue Trois Pistoles
This one was a hit with the Belgian craft fans. One of my three favorites of the night; was also excellent with the dark-chocolate brownies. Quite complex, with a slight hint of blueberries, overall amazing.

Round 3
13. Black Sheep Ale (North Yorkshire)
Observation No.1: Do not drink this ale after a flight of Belgian-styles.
Try with grilled chicken

14. Legend (Richmond, VA) King James Ale
I have been fond of the Legend Brewery for years. This one, a dark brown ale, was quite nice. Almost "meaty" in its depth, would be great with hearty meals.

15. Issaquah Bullfrog Ale (connected with Rogue Ales)
Not as hoppy as I expected (hoppy, frogs, ha ha ha).
A pleasant, lager-ish pale ale.

Round 4
Here is where the night really got long and wore thin -- three Eastern European Porters and a German Doppelbock. Ugh.

16. Baltika Porter (Russia)
7.0% ABV, but smooth like silk.
Easy drinking, a good dessert beer. Definitely the best of the 3 porter offerings.

17. Sinebrychoff Porter (Finland)
Black. Darker than a black steer's tuckuss on a moonless prairie night. As in, very dark.
Some adjectives: licorice, coffee, sorghum molasses, soy sauce. Next!

18. Ettaler Klosterbrauerei Curator (Dunkler Doppelbock)
This was delicious, even if it was at the tail end of a long tasting. Sort of like the surprise gem of an aria in the final act of an interminable opera. Everything a doppelbock needs to be. Better, I thought, even than Ayinger's Celebrator. A nice hop balance with the sweet malt. Keep this one.

19. Zywiec Porter (Poland)
"Stee-rong!" This is called, going out with a bang. It was better than the Finnish porter, but my basic comment was, "It would make a good marinade."

At the end of the night, my top 4 were:
1) Orval Trappiste
2) Unibroue Trois Pistoles
3) Ettaler Curator Dunkler Doppelbock
4) Petrus Aged Belgian

The 12th Annual World Beer Festival....

2007-10-20T12:19:00.001-07:00

...was Mark's 5th and Sara's 4th Almost-Annual (we missed in 2005), and, as always, is worth blogging about.

155 Breweries and over 300 individual beers from around the world, all in one great place (the Old Durham Bulls ballpark, made famous by Bull Durham). There is hardly a better way to spend a sunny October afternoon.

As always, quality live music, including local favorite Big Fat Gap.

Sara and I attended along with our good seminary buddies Tasi and Ryan, who also are WBF veterans.

As always, it was quite crowded -- it might have just been me, but it seemed even more crowded this time around than in previous years.

Sara and I were quite pleased to discover that the Atlantic Brewing Co. from Bar Harbor, Maine was present -- this is one of the breweries we visited on our honeymoon and both agreed was our favorite. They have, for my taste, the single best blueberry ale around.

I definitely took my time this year, though, and made an effort to seek out new and unfamiliar brews. The result was, I think, significantly fewer samples for me overall, but prehaps a bit more discrimination involved. There were some overlaps with last year's list; I was interested to discover some differences in my rating from last year's....I'm sure that's a result not only of tasting-overload at an event like this (the tongue simply gets worn out after a while) but also simple subjectivity of the moment. I remember last year trying the Vorhaege Duchesse de Bourgogne and spitting it out because I thought it was horrible -- now it's one of my favorite all-time beers.

Here's the ratings run-down. As last year, I utilised a star-rating; although I introduced a couple of 4-stars into the mix to designate simply amazing brews (last year I only went as high as 3 stars).

First Place (4 stars)
Atlantic Brewing Co. (Maine, USA). This entire brewery gets an honorary 4-stars in my book.
Of note are:
Bar Harbor Blueberry Ale
Bar Harbor Real Ale -- Very English!
Coal Porter -- Amazing, chocolately, excellent balance.

Thomas Creek IPA (SC, USA) -- best IPA of the day.

Unibroue Brewery (Quebec, Canada). This is another brewery that wins a prize for me.
Including:
La Fin du Monde
Chambly Noire
Trois Pistoles
Maudite
Don de Dieu

Weyerbacher Merry Monk's Ale (Belgian-style Trippel) (PA, USA) -- the best American Belgian-style I've had.

Second Place (3 stars)
Bell's Brewery Best Brown Ale (PA, USA)

Big Boss Pumpkin Ale (NC, USA) -- Sara and I both thought this was the best pumpkin ale at the festival.

Brooklyn Brewery Local 1 (Belgian-style Ale) (NY, USA)

Duck-Rabbit Craft Brown Ale (NC, USA)

Front Street Dram Tree Scottish Ale (NC, USA) -- warm and chocolately

Thomas Creek Amber Ale (SC, USA)

Unibroue Ephemere Apple Ale (Quebec, Canada) -- NOT cider, but apple-infused ale. It's amazing.

Weihenstephaner Dunkel Weiss (Germany)

Weyerbacher Imperial Pumpkin Ale (PA, USA) -- Sara didn't like it, I did.

Wychwood Scarecrow Organic Ale (England) -- very pleasant and quaffable

Third Place (2 stars)
Bell's Two Hearted Ale (PA, USA) -- nice bitterness

Black Sheep Riggwelter Ale (England)

Brooklyn Brewmaster's Reserve (NY, USA) -- a hoppy wheat ale

Dogfish Head Punkin Ale (DE, USA)

DuPont Moinette Brune (Belgium)

Front Street Organic Lager (NC, USA) -- unexpected

Red Oak Battlefield Black Lager (NC, USA) -- this beer changed my opinion of this brewery (for the good)

Redenbach Redbach Cherry Lambic (Belgium) -- the best cherry/lambic of the day for me

St. Bernardus Grotten Brown (Belgium) -- excellent

Fourth Place (1 star)
Big Boss Helle's Belle Belgian Blonde (NC, USA) -- 1/2 star. A strange hominy presence in it.

Bosteels Pauwel Kwak (Belgium) -- too sweet and not enough depth for a higher rating.

Whitbread Pale Ale (England) -- tastes like a baguette

The great mass of beers in the middle that were pleasant enough but did not receive a rating.

Bottom of the Barrel -- beers I did not care for and received a frowny face
Big Boss Surrender Monkey (NC, USA). I'm not sure what they were going for here, but it just
didn't work.

Kaiser Xingu Black Beer (Brazil). Not my style, I guess.

Natty Greene's Old Town Brown Ale (NC, USA). Fell victim to the American watery-beer
syndrome.

I'm excited about the number of NC breweries that received high ratings from me. Absent is the Highland Brewery of Asheville, who was present, but since I've already blogged about them in the past I didn't feel the need to take notes on their fine brews.
Looking back at last year's list again, I'm also happy to see that there's less overlap than I thought. Interesting that Weihenstephaner Dunkel Weiss has received three stars two years in a row.
I believe that my single overall-favorite beer this year was the Atlantic Coal Porter. I could have easily stood at their booth and had multiple samples of that one all afternoon long. If only they had a wider distribution...

And finally, some more photos of the festival...

And my absolute favorite, the man in the hop suit.

The Inaugural Homebrew Session, Part III

2007-10-02T19:10:00.000-07:00

The two weeks are up, and we broke out the brew last night to see what it's up to.
Two words:

It's hoppy.

Now, it's not quite like drinking a vat of liquid hop flowers. Close, but not quite. It also has a very pleasant caramel creaminess, and a little malt finish, and something that reminds me of.....frankincense?
Most importantly, Sara loves it. The overt hoppiness is not bitter -- it's aromatic, for sure, but the bitterness is at a pleasant mildness. I think these hops will allow it to last for a long time. I could send it on a ship to India and it would survive the voyage.
The color is a beautiful copper-amber.

This would be great with food -- I think it wold pair up nicely with lemony seafood, a thick cheeseburger, a spinach salad with nuts, blue cheese and acidic/vinegary dressing-- or, conversely, (odd though it may sound) sour cream & chive potato chips -- something that is both savory and creamy.

It is, really a complex brew: hopped like a West-Coast imperial IPA, with pilsner malt and ale yeast, it's like a golden Czech pilsner-ale with a wild American flair. In short, it defies category.

It's a great way to start this brewing thing. I'm proud.
And I've got almost 2 cases left to enjoy.

St. Amand French Country Ale

2007-09-29T14:57:00.000-07:00

It's been long enough since there was an actual "pick" on "Perm's Brew Picks" that I decided it was high time to include another one.
And just in time, I've discovered a wonderful one, preventing me from putting some mildly interesting beer up here just for the sake of picking something.

I have encountered biere de garde before, a little over a year ago -- for a family Thanksgiving gathering I followed G. Oliver's advice and took a bottle of Castelain/Ch'ti along for the feast. It paired quite well with the banquet (indeed better than the red or even the white wine that was present) but I was a little underwhelmed with the brew as it stood alone -- I vaguely remember it being a little too much on the lagery side of the equation for me, although looking back now I expect that I was counting on a Belgian Saison or even a Strong Golden Ale, and although they are related, they are not the same things.

And now here I'm presented with St. Amand, offered by the same brewery as Castelain/Ch'ti (Brasserie Castelain), but it's a whole different ballgame.

St. Amand pours a handsome -- no, gorgeous -- copper color with plenty of generous head, even when poured slowly. The nose is extremely complex -- clay soil, caramel, butter, farmland, and fresh aromatic hops are all in there, along with some more elusive intangibles that are conjuring up all sorts of images of rural Europe for me. On the tongue, the caramel sings out with a spritzy edge, the hops keep it interesting, and the butter moves to the forefront, but what really does it for me is a slight sour twist towards the end -- reminiscent of those Flemish Ales that I've recently fallen in love with (such as Duchesse de Bourgogne). This says to me, "drink with food!"
I plan on trying it out with the mild dhal and curried shrimp we're about to have in a few minutes. I have moderately high hopes.

And I must say, after a very disappointing concert of bad French chamber music last night, it's quite nice to find something to so readily restore my appreciation for things Gallic. (I do, after all, claim descent from Huguenots...) Vive la biere francaise!

And I think it will also make an appearance next to the turkey, dressing, cranberry sauce, and everything else in about 7 weeks....

The greater Asheville area

2007-09-28T20:06:00.001-07:00

First of all, let me just say that Blogger.com is much much more blogger-friendly on Mozilla Firefox than on Internet Explorer. Why? Who can say. It just is.

Sara and I relocated to Tryon, NC from Raleigh at the beginning of this past summer. Raleigh, although by no stretch our favorite urban area, does nevertheless have any number of fantastic watering holes (the Flying Saucer, the Raleigh Times) and at least one solid brewery. I do miss those parts of the city.

Tryon is right on the state line with South Carolina, and one of my first impressions living here is that the townspeople are in a constant state of staving off invasions and incursions from folk across the line. It's an interesting little sub-culture as a result. Spartanburg is 35 minutes to the south; Asheville is 45 minutes to the north. Tryonites seem much more closely aligned with the former than with the latter -- which makes absolutely no sense to me whatsoever.

One thing I am learning is that Asheville has an excellent beer culture. Whether this statistic is true or not (and I have no reason to believe it is not), a friend told us that Asheville has more pubs per capita than any other town/city in NC. Here's a website to affirm that fact.

There are also any number of supremely solid breweries in the area: Highland, Asheville, French Broad, Green Man, Pisgah, Catawba, Asheville Pizza and Brewing, Heinzelmaennchen.... I'm partial to the French Broad brewery, if for no other reason than that Sara and I went there on our first wedding anniversary trip, caught some live bluegrass music, and made off with a souvenir tasting glass.

There are also quite an array of places to purchase solid brews in bottles, notable Bruisin' Ales (whom I have mentioned before), the Asheville Wine Market, Greenlife Grocery, and Earthfare.

What's frustrating is that Tryon is just far enough away that we can't hop in the car and zoom up to Asheville. My ecological conscience -- let alone the car budget -- won't allow such a thing. The upside is that, much closer to home, we've got the Purple Onion in Saluda, which has a dynamite beer selection, and frequent outstanding live music; most local markets stock Highland brews; and 25 minutes away is the Hendersonville Co-op, which has a small but stellar beer selection.

Even though the Durham World Beer Festival (held each October) will always and forever hold a very special place in our hearts, Western North Carolina plays host to any number of beer festivals itself -- and although as of yet we have not been able to attend any, I have no doubt as to our regular presence in the months and years to come.

And, how could I forget, Asheville Brewers Supply!

And lastly, I've just found a great local beer blog.

Outstanding.

Homebrew Interlude....

2007-09-25T18:21:00.000-07:00

So, while waiting for the homebrew to ready itself for testing and sampling, I thought up a fun blog entry: so here's Perm's Beer Chronology Timeline. Just how did I get to the point where I am now?

1989: my 6-year-old sister innocently asks my parents one day, after church, "What does the Devil do to you in hell? Does he make you drink beer?"

1990: a work team from the US comes down and stays with us in Santiago, the Dominican Republic. My parents, being gracious hosts, provide them with a few 6-packs. This is the first time I remember beer being in the household. My parents, of course, being Southern Baptist missionaries living in a fishbowl, do not consume.

1994: whilst bowling with my church youth group in Danville, VA, I accidentally pick up a cup of warm Miller-Lite-ish beer next to my own Dr. Pepper and take an almost-sip before I realize my mistake. I think it the most foul thing ever to touch my lips.

September, 1997: my college buddy Eric decides it's high time I learn to like beer. He has the 20-year-old me over to his room for a bottle of Corona, with lime. I genuinely like it. Much as I disdain the Corona now, I must admit it was a good entry point for someone who theretofore had only partaken of cheap wine and the occasional sissy fruity cocktail. I keep the bottle for almost 2 years as a souvenir of my conversion night.

October-December, 1997: My buddies Mark, theGhost, and Matt decide that Rolling Rock is good; we consume moderate amounts of the stuff and consider ourselves set apart for not getting trashed on Bud Light, Southpaw, and the Beast, as do most of our schoolmates.

January-March, 1998: sometime in the dawn of the New Year, theGhost discovers the goodness that is Guinness Draught. He spreads the Gospel, and I am a ready convert. We decide that all other brews must be set against the standard that Arthur has set. The phrase, "It's no Guinness" is born. Neither of us consume another Rolling Rock again.

March 17, 1998: theGhost and I celebrate St. Patrick's Day with a 6-pack of Corona and chips & salsa. We simply didn't know any better.

April, 1998: Killian's Irish Red enters the picture as another college favorite.

June-August, 1998: I spend the summer before my senior year in Richmond, working in the UR Music Library and at River Road Church, consuming quantities of Corona, Killian's, and Guinness whenever an of-age emissary comes around.

August 17, 1998: I celebrate my legality with a Legend Brown, my first official taste of Micro-brewed goodness. A light comes on in my head. It's followed by a party at my house where I'm gifted with Killian's and Guinness. David S. consumes 6 Guinness by himself, leading to the episode with the utterance of the immortal phrase, "I'm sorry, Perm."

August 18, 1998: I clean up David's 6 Guinni.

August-December, 1998: I discover the beauty of the design-your-own 6-pack at the Village Wine & Beer. I encounter many brews the world over, including JW Dundee's Honey Brown Lager, Pete's Wicked Ale, Sam Adams' Boston Lager, Tusker Kenyan Lager, Newcastle Brown, Harp, Bass Ale, Weienstephaner, Warsteiner, Lowenbrau, Grolsch, Heineken, Beck's, Mackeson's....I really don't know anything about what I'm buying, but I have a lot of fun trying a lot of different brews.
Hefeweizen is discovered. I go nuts.

October-December, 1998: One of my apartment-mate's buddies drinks all of my premium European brews and tries to replace them with MGD. I officially become a beer snob after this episode.

November, 1998: A visit to Duke University introduces me to my first taste of home-brew: Divinity Ale, brewed by a friend-of-a-friend at the Divinity School. It's tasty.

January-April, 1999: Bottom's Up Pizza and Penny Lane Pub provide me with good amounts of Legend Brewery offerings, and Guinness.

May-June, 1999: A trip to Scotland shows me just how much better Guinness is overseas. It also introduces me to Tennent's Lager, Caffrey's Irish Ale, and MacEwan's. I'm also intrigued by a brochure I see for "Heather Ale," but never get to try any.

August-December, 1999: Duke Music Departmental Happy Hours at Biddy Early's and the James Joyce. Guinness, Bass, and Boddington's.

November, 1999: I discover Hoegaarden. A whole new world of Belgian goodness opens up to me. Bob Parkins chides, "That's a summer beer!" I ignore him and enjoy it anyway.

December 2000: theGhost gets into homebrewing, I get into hefeweizen and witbier. Over New Years, I help theGhost bottle a batch. I'm intrigued.

October, 2002: My first beer festival (the Durham WBF). It's amazing, to say the least. If I hadn't been hooked before, I'm hooked for sure now.

April, 2004: As a cover-up for going to get Sara's engagement ring from the Fed Ex depot (long, long story), theGhost and I attempt a co-homebrew at my apartment. Something (we never quite decide what) goes horribly wrong and the brews all turn out tasting like Lysol. We conveniently forget the episode for the most part...although the marriage proposal turned out quite well.

October, 2004: Trip to a specialty beer store in Ithaca, NY introduces me to Val Dieu Belgian Abbey Ale.

May, 2005: Sara and I get married. Our friends throw us a pre-wedding party. Harpoon kegs are featured. Our honeymoon takes us to Maine, where we take time to visit a couple of breweries.

January, 2006: We visit England and France. Fun English beers: Youngs and Jennings.

August, 2006: I receive "The Brewmaster's Table" by Garrett Oliver and enjoy every page. Suddenly there's a new dimension to my hobby: food pairing.

May-June, 2007: Our household moves to Western NC and we begin the exploration of the beer offerings in the greater Asheville-radius area.

September, 2007: I celebrate the 10th anniversary of my enjoyment of beer by brewing my first batch of ale.