Beers, beers, beers.

Baltika #9 Extra

2008-04-15T20:34:00.003-04:00

Smells coppery; lagery, pretty light on the nose. Tastes sweet, with a fair bit of thickness. Not too crisp of a finish, and you can taste the alcohol a bit.

Honestly, I'm not sure what I was expecting, but this is a little more like malt liquor than I'm usually interested in. I wouldn't get it again, and I can't think of anyone I'd recommend it to.

Moylan's Kilt Lifter Scotch-Style Ale

2008-04-07T14:00:00.000-04:00

Smells sweet and grainy. Not syrup sweet, though. Taste is a little big, but seems simple at first. Develops some sweetness, a hint of fruit, and maybe smoke?

Not quite as thick and assertive as I expect, so maybe not style accurate, but pretty good.

Sierra Nevada Extra Special Bitters

2008-03-18T16:54:00.003-04:00

While visiting al3x this weekend in San Francisco he and I ended up doing one of the things we do best, helping a local beer seller deal with an overcrowded stock by drinking a few bottles of them and relieving them of their blight. Altruism at it's finest, though in spite of our good intentions they seem insistent we pay them as we provide this assistance. Must be a West Coast thing.

Anyway in the course of our mid consumption musings we both voiced our shared love of ESBs. They tend to appeal to my enjoyment of hops laden IPAs and Imperial Stouts, but in a much milder, easier to drink way. In that way I ended up finding myself wanting a late afternoon beverage and passed over the always enjoyable Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA that Mayorga in Columbia Heights has on tap for Sierra Nevada's ESB.

Easy to drink with a nice mild hoppy flavor yet no major standout traits, it's really a very appealing, middle of the road ESB, as good for being enjoyed on it's own as I imagine it would be as a session beer. While served a bit over chilled (it is a British style beer after all) it's pleasingly crisp taste. A small hit of citrus rounds out this crisp amber brew. Overall a great beer, definitely worth a repeat.

Dogfish Head Palo Santo Marron

2008-03-17T13:00:00.002-04:00

A rarity: a Dogfish beer that I saw on the shelf without having heard about it beforehand. Clearly I am slipping.

Nose: some wood, subdued fruit (almost tropical, but not quite). Tastes like an amped up brown - slightly sweet malt backbone, roasted notes, wood (not oak). Well carbonated, which balances out the thickness. Pleasantly sweet aftertaste.

This might age interestingly - it's not bad now. Didn't blow me away, though, so I doubt I'll bother aging it (as the "cellar" is already quite full). Not a Dogfish I'm compelled to immediately get more of, but there's two more bottles that could change my mind.

Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier Marzen, and Aecht Schlenkerla Fastenbier

2008-03-17T12:50:00.000-04:00

In case readers haven't noticed, I've been going back through my notes and posting some older ones. In going through them, I saw notes for the Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier Marzen, which I'd tried after getting intensely curious about. Next thing I know, I'm out at Rustico, and they've got the Schlenkerla Fastenbier on tap, so I figured it was a sign.

First up, the marzen:
Smells smoky, almost meaty - like this smoked mozzerella I had the other night. Slightly sweet, though. Taste starts and ends smoky. Slight malty sweetness in the middle - clearly a fine beer underneath the smoking. This would be great with the right kind of food. By the end of the bottle, the pork/bacon tones of the smoke get to be a bit much, and being a pretty thick beer, it's a little hard to finish.

So, that experience, while sounding pretty positive in my notes, was not entirely - the bacon flavors were pretty intense, and I wasn't left with an overwhelming desire to have another rauchbier anytime soon. But I ordered the fastenbier anyway, and when the bartender said it was less intense, I was greatly encouraged.

Smells coppery, only a hint of smoke. Definitely smoke in the flavor, but not super porky. Lagery, crisp and clean otherwise. More enjoyable than the marzen, as the balance is a lot more even. Easy to drink the whole pour, and I could imagine having more than one - definitely the better beer for a cookout.

Brauerei Heller-Trum makes three other beers, one of which isn't smoked. The other two are a pretty widely available urbock, and a weizen I don't recall having seen anywhere before. The urbock I remain a little dubious of, as I'd expect the thickness would soak up a lot more smoke, but I'm now very curious as to how the smoke interacts with the weizen. Definitely one to keep an eye out for.

Bell's Batch 8000

2008-03-15T21:29:00.002-04:00

This was really an imperial wit, which was very intriguing to me - you don't see that every day.

Smells tart and wit like. Hint of alcohol under orange-citrus. Taste is simply imperial wit - sweet and bold, fruity yeastiness, dry finish - a lot of what you expect from a wit, but with the volume turned up, and a bit thicker. You can feel the gravity: this is a summer beer, but for the end of the evening.

Unibroue Blanche de Chambly

2008-03-15T21:25:00.001-04:00

Big yeasty nose. Highly carbonated, lemony tart, crisp and refreshing. A little pepper in the finish. Nothing mind blowing, but faithful to style and made with quality. A not-infrequent purchase for me.

Oskar Blues Old Chub - Scottish Style Ale

2008-03-15T18:00:00.002-04:00

Smells sweet, like chocolate cake. Big syrupy mouthfeel; reasonable carbonation, though. Sweet caramel, touches of chocolate, slight fruit in the finish. Heavy, but alcohol is well hidden, and it's still quite drinkable (though as it warms, the thickness can get a little cloying).

I've repurchased this a number of times, and have found that while I enjoy it, not every beer geek I meet does, and it goes over terribly with non-geeks, probably due to the thickness. Recommended, but don't bring it to a party.

Weihenstephaner Vitus

2008-03-15T17:55:00.004-04:00

Just after I'm talking about how I rarely see weizenbocks, I'm in my favorite beer store and see this one, from a brand I have faith in, usually.

Smell is wheat-beery, without yeast character, sort of like an American hefeweizen. Slightly sweet, wheat beer flavor. A little thick, chewy. Tart finish.

Less sweet and dessert-like than I expected - a lot like a heavier American wheat. Good though, but I wouldn't go out of my way to get it again - I like my weizenbocks to be more syrupy, basically, and with more yeastiness.

Victory Baltic Thunder

2008-03-15T17:51:00.002-04:00

Big nose of fruit, but slightly sour. There's an odd grain note I can't quite place - that note stays in the back of the taste, with a little fruit and cocoa. Finishes a little metallic, sort of sour.

Kind of weird; not quite what I'd expected. Good? Not sure I'd go out of my way to get it again, but if it were on tap...

As it warms, a sweeter malt shines through. Still some odd flavors, but better at cellar temperature.

And on later reflection, my bad impressions have something to do with my expectations: I'd forgotten I was drinking a lager. That explains the finish, and the "odd flavors". Not wholeheartedly recommended, but pretty decent for what it is.

Dogfish Head Golden Era Pilsner

2008-03-11T17:21:00.002-04:00

Smells like a hop bomb: flowery, green, resinous. Taste is bitter through and through. A fair bit of alcohol presence. Like the 90 Min., but without as much malty sweet base to offset the hops. Not so good if you ask me - unbalanced - but hop heads should enjoy it. Why I bothered, I'm not so sure - odds of me enjoying this were pretty low.

Victory Moonglow

2008-03-11T17:08:00.002-04:00

I like most of the weizenbocks I've ever had, but the only one I see with any regularity is Schneider's Aventinus.

Smells yeasty, like a normal wheat beer, and sweet, caramelly. Taste is sweet, with a tart finish, and fruit and caramel maltiness in the middle. Spicier as it warms. Not very complex, and a little dry, but still quite tasty. I'd probably pick an Aventinus over this if presented with both, but variety's nice, and I'd love to see more weizenbocks out there.

Otter Creek Otter Mon Jamaican Style Stout

2008-03-11T16:56:00.002-04:00

Like the Smuttynose Big Beer Series, I've also watched Otter Creek's World Tour series with interest. I don't recall ever having had a "Jamaican Style Stout", so I suppose I can't really speak to whether or not this is true to that style (assuming that's a real style).

Nose is odd - a little hop greenness, a woody note, something almost like rum (I suspect I was projecting here - there's almost no way I really smelled that, is there?). Mouth is not crisp or especially sweet. Feels full in the mouth, dark chocolate notes and dark roasty flavors, though not too strong - a little thin almost.

Interesting, but not too exciting. I didn't get more of this, and probably wouldn't rush to pick it up if I saw it again someplace.

Picobrouwerij Alvinne Gasper Ale

2008-03-11T16:49:00.003-04:00

This was emphatically recommended to me by a bartender at Rustico - recommended with quiet profanity, in fact.

Smell is musty hop and belgian yeast, a little green apple. Sweet up front, full bodied, fruits (green apple), sour end, bitter finish. A little alcohol presence. Maybe a little more tart and bitter than I'd like, but interesting - a different character than other Belgian-style IPAs I've had.

I probably wouldn't get it again, but I've recommended it to a number of people I know who like hoppy beers (especially those who don't normally like Belgians), and I was inspired to pick up their Podge Belgian Imperial Stout (which I apparently never took notes for, but it was good, honest).

Bell's Third Coast Old Ale: 2006 vintage

2008-03-11T16:35:00.002-04:00

Taken from my cellar earlier this year, this was originally purchased in December of 2006 - no indication of when it was bottled, but probably not long before that. I have no notes from when I first drank it, but suffice to say I enjoyed it enough to try aging it a little.

Smell: thick, molasses. Similar taste, sugars, dark, vanilla, dried fruit, plum. A little bitter finish, spicy, some alcohol heat. Without notes I can't really compare it to a fresher version and note what's changed, but I suspect that in another year (maybe two) this will be pretty fantastic.

Hitachino Nest Espresso Stout

2008-03-11T16:30:00.002-04:00

Slight nose of coffee with a little chocolate. Clashing flavors: coffee, burnt, some chocolate, slightly tart and bitter. Sweetish up front, dry and burnt in the finish. Poor balance overall, with too much burnt coffee flavor. Unfortunately this is about what I expected - Hitachino Nest makes a good beer on occasion, but this isn't the first time I've had one of their beers that tasted muddled and confused. I wonder if it's a difference between the Japanese and American palettes, though that seems sort of unlikely.

Smuttynose Baltic Porter

2008-03-11T16:01:00.002-04:00

Another in their Big Beer Series, which I am on record as mostly enjoying. Big nose, fruit and coffee. Light carbonation, thick mouthfeel. Coffee and dark fruits are the up front flavors, with roasty malt coming right after. Finishes fairly crisp with only a little bitterness.

Solidly made, balanced and without offense. If memory serves I ultimately picked up more than one of these while they were still around.

Abita Mardi Gras Bock

2008-03-11T15:51:00.003-04:00

I like Abita, on the whole - their beers are never terribly complex, but usually satisfy well enough. This was no real exception to that. Smell is grainy and sweet. Taste is slightly caramelly malt, not too sweet, with a crisp finish. Uncomplicated, but quite pleasant and definitely drinkable.

It's a limited offering that seemed to come and go pretty quickly, but if it's around next year I'll pick it up.

Belgium Roundup

2008-03-10T12:37:00.000-04:00

Friends of mine already know this, but you, dear reader, may not: I was in Belgium at the end of last month. Something of a present to me for finishing my undergrad (and getting in all my grad school applications), I went with my girlfriend and a pair of good friends, largely for beer tourism (with some time in Amsterdam afterward to sate the others).

More devoted bloggers would have taken notes for every single beer they drank. I didn't. The thought definitely occurred to me, but in the end, it just didn't seem feasible - I drank a lot of beers. I've been meaning to type up a summary, though, so here goes.

We stayed in Brussels, mainly for tourist reasons. Much of Belgium is accessible by train, but large portions of the country are just countryside with little of interest to, say, the non-beer-geek friend who'd joined us. Brussels is of course known for gueuze and other lambics, of which I'm not really a huge fan.

Regardless, we toured the Cantillon brewery, where things are still done in the very old style - lots of dusty, cobwebby barrels, for example, and the main fermentor is a enormous and gorgeous wide and shallow copper tray the size of a room. The beers we sampled weren't that much to my liking; my palette isn't really able to get beyond how acidic they are. I did get to try their faro, which was pretty interesting - theirs tasted a lot like iced tea. I made a point to try other faros, primarily since they're wholly unavailable here at home, and generally found that most others are quite sweet (with dark sugars), and pretty refreshing.

I did enjoy the lambics at A La Mort Subite, which were sweeter, less acidic, and more quaffable than most others I've had. Delirium Café, home of over 2000 beers, was not quite what I'd really hoped - the list is a huge binder, with highlights in the front section, and the rest is alphabetical without descriptions. I took my time going through it, but wished there had been some editorializing somewhere.

I'd wanted very much to visit one of the seven trappist breweries, but my preliminary research had made that seem unlikely, as most of them aren't open to the public. We opted to visit the most commercial of them, the Koningshoeven monastery. A pleasant, though slightly lengthy train ride got us there - it's in the Netherlands, not Belgium - and there was a guided tour of their old and new breweries (the former, about what you'd expect of a smaller craft brewer, with copper kettles; the latter, basically a commercial facility - InBev essentially does the brewing there, and a number of non-trappist beers are produced on the premises). The tour ended somewhat poorly, when a group of British chavs, who had showed up late for the tour, separated from the group and robbed the cashbox at the office where the tour originated. Our guide was pretty shaken, but still served us each a 33 cL bottle of any of their beers we chose, and give us a full 750 mL bottle of the quadrupel to take home.

My number one priority for visiting Belgium was to get to try the Westvleteren beers, famously unavailable outside of a pretty small radius around the monastery, and also famously delicious. I did get to try a bottle of their quad, the 12, which was indeed tasty - I brought an extra bottle back, which I've yet to drink; expect a proper review when I do.

Amsterdam was a little disappointing for beer: most Dutch beers seem to be aping the Belgian styles with mixed success. Food in Amsterdam was also pretty underwhelming - if your interests are in food and beverage tourism, I can't really recommend it.

Belgium was really pleasant - a pretty relaxing reward for my accomplishments. I don't know that I'd go back anytime soon - the number of beers available can be pretty daunting, but I was surprised to see how many were available, or popular even, back home. For beer travel, my sights are presently set on Germany.

Finally, I'll just say that I've abbreviated this a fair bit, I think, and it's still somewhat lengthy. I could probably have gone into greater detail, but I have to assume the the contents of my personal vacation are not necessarily of interest to everyone who may be reading. But if you're curious about anything I've left out, feel free to ask questions in the comments or via email!

Session 12: Weyerbacher Blithering Idiot

2008-02-01T00:01:00.000-05:00

I'd spoken about this session with a friend, who said something like "barleywines? Yeah, I can only drink about one per year." Which sort of sums up my feelings (though I believe I've actually already drank one this winter). As much as I love big, thick, and strong beers, barleywines always are a little more aggressive than I want for most drinking situations. I've probably never drank one while out at a bar - they're for sipping at home, in the evening, in cold weather.

That's my stereotype, anyway. My other problem with barleywines is specifically with American-style barleywines (and this should be predictable to anyone who's read this blog before): too hoppy. A barleywine, for me, should be sweet, with any heat or spiciness coming from alcohol. Bitter, citrusy American barleywines drink like a punishment rather than the contemplative evening drink I expect.

But the review: Weyerbacher generally does all right by me, favoring bigger styles, and almost never failing outright - I've had beers from them which I probably wouldn't have again, but nothing truly bad. And they don't tend to overhop, in my experience. Still, not knowing before purchasing if this was English- or American-style gave me pause.

It poured an attractive dark amber. Some woodsy hop aroma, a little resinous; sweet around the edges. Taste started sweet, turned spicy and hot as the carbonation kicked in, then a little hop bitter (not too aggressively), ending with a sweet aftertaste. This progression really struck me - not something you get that often. Flavors are dark sugars, molasses, some fruit, a solid malt undercurrent. A little boozy toward the end, but not too much.

Really great balance - beats an overhopped American barleywine any day. And not excessively sweet like some English-styles are, either. Most of the BeerAdvocates complain about too much alcohol presence, which is sort of understandable - you can tell it's strong, sure - but what do you expect? Aging probably would mellow that a bit, but I wouldn't say it's necessary.

As my one barleywine of the year, a fine choice.

Tommyknocker Imperial Nut Brown Ale

2008-01-13T23:46:00.000-05:00

This has a nice, sweet maple smell. Not too sweet in the mouth, maple and lightly roasty malt with a little alcohol presence. Not the most subtle flavor, but an imperial brown is a nice thing sometimes.

This is the second time I've bought a sixpack of this, which should say something. Recommended.

Beer in the Bay Area

2008-01-10T18:39:00.001-05:00

A couple years ago, I started getting splitting headaches when I drank the sort of full-bodied red wine that I'd come to enjoy. A lesser man might have despaired, but I found solace in the wide and wonderful world of beer. Since then, I've become something of a beer connoisseur, to the point that I'm taking a trip to Belgium later this month almost solely for beer tourism.

The Bay Area is a pretty good place for beer, and getting better. Here's what I've discovered since moving here in mid-2007:

Beer Shops

The City Beer Store is located a bit out of the way in SOMA, the City Beer Store manages to stock an impressive selection of bottles given their meager space. They also have a few things on tap, and you can purchase a tasting glass and hang out at their petite bar or the couple of spare tables they've set up. It's not a particularly inviting place, and seems to attract a khaki-slacks after-work crowd who pack the bar; expect guys in blue Oxfords talking their girlfriends into trying raspberry lambics. I've spent upwards of $40 every time I've been here and haven't yet been offered any help or suggestions, and have had to stand around awkwardly until someone rings me up. So, even though this place is maybe a ten minute walk from my apartment, I almost never bother.

Healthy Spirits is nestled between the Lower Haight and the Castro, this inconspicuous neighborhood bodega happens to have probably the best selection of Belgian beer in San Francisco proper. Always friendly, the staff here keeps the place open late and always has great suggestions. A hidden gem. Apparently they're hiring a "resident beer guru", so I'm hopeful that their business continues to grow.

Whole Foods SOMA, well, I live here, literally; my apartment is directly above the place. An entire aisle is nothing but refrigerated beer on one side. The case is organized by nationality: American beers on the left, then Belgian and various European countries, then German, then English, and finally a mix of Asian, Australian, and Mexican/South American beers. More or less, the two far ends of the case are crap. Almost all the American beer is local Californian microbrews, and almost all of them suck with the notable exception of North Coast. The Belgian and German selections are where it's at, and they get new stuff in often enough to find intriguing new bottles a couple times a week. They also keep some hard-to-find stuff in regular stock, like the Witkap Pater Single and several brews from the Japanese Hitachino Nest label.

Beer Bars

Toronado is San Francisco's biggest disappointment for beer lovers. A casual pub in the Haight with scads of taps in frequent rotation sounds unfuckupable in theory, but Toronado manages to take this simple formula and botch it. How? It's dark, it's dirty, it's cramped, and they insist on keeping their taps stocked with shitty West Coast beers for most of the year, save month-long Barleywine and Belgian festivals. There's a list of mostly Belgian bottles, but it's kept behind the bar. Toronado's final deal-breaker, though, is the bartender. She'll take a five-minute phone call while fifteen people are waiting to order drinks. She'll let you order a round for five people one night and demand everyone's identification and physical presence at the bar the next, insulting you for expecting otherwise. She's the worst bartender I've suffered, and she's always there, fuck-you glare fixed in place. I don't bother with Toronado anymore, but their clientele of apathetic regulars will probably keep the place open until doomsday.

The Alembic is primarily for cocktails and hard liquor, but they keep some tasty beers stocked from time to time. Not much of interest on draft, but good bottles. They manage to select better West Coast brews than most. Get there early, though, because they fill up.

The Monk's Kettle recently opened up in the Mission, and they're clearly going for the upscale beer market. While their name implies Belgians, their draft and bottle list covers a little bit of everything, although nothing you won't find at Whole Foods or the City Beer Store. It's a pretty setting, and they actually have a decent food menu. I would've fallen in love with this place if weren't for one thing: the prices. The Monk's Kettle is overcharging outrageously for both glasses and bottles alike. Expect to pay double what Whole Foods charges for run-of-the-mill Belgian bottles, $11-12 for meager 8 oz. pours of nice stuff on draft, and even a couple extra bucks for pours of over-hopped local brews. My biggest concern is that newbies to the beer world are going to think that these prices are commonplace for good beer, and that the cost will turn them off. Until the Monk's Kettle decides to charge a fair price for their suds, I'm not going to be a frequent customer.

The Trappist, which opened just a month ago in Oakland, is the Bay Area's beer salvation as far as I'm concerned. This beautiful bar is a quick four block walk from the Oakland City Center/12th Street BART station, and it's practically easier to get to from SOMA than the above establishments. Their beer list is almost exclusively Belgian, and they pour every label-paired glass with care. The proprietors have apparently done their share of beer tourism in Belgium and wanted to bring back the feeling from the pubs there. If they've met that goal, I'm all the more excited for my upcoming trip, as it's a warm, friendly, and completely relaxing place to enjoy great beer at a reasonable price. The only nitpicks are the small size of the bar and the lack of table service, which makes for a huddled mass around the bar as the evening wares on. Still, I'd recommend The Trappist above any other beer establishment in the Bay Area, heads and shoulders.

Summary

The Bay won't do you wrong if you're into beer. I haven't even begun to explore the breweries in surrounding towns, and I'm sure there are spots I don't know about. Still, I miss the DC area beer scene, which boasted larger, more comfortable establishments with broader selections and far more friendly personalities. Hopefully some of the smaller places above, like Healthy Spirits and The Trappist, will be able to grow into larger spaces as time goes by and encourage fairer prices and better service in their competition.

Allagash Black

2008-01-09T23:15:00.000-05:00

Smells like black coffee - dark and roasty. Lots of coffee and chocolate in the mouth, with a little Belgian fruitiness in the end. Amply carbonated and smooth, with a crisp and slightly bitter finish. This is interesting, but not quite as Belgian-ish as I'd expected.

Worth a try, but I doubt that I'll get it again. I don't think it's really interesting enough for $12.

Session 11: Algaüer Cambonator

2008-01-04T22:22:00.001-05:00

It's a new year, a new Session, and a new commitment to this blog. I'll be posting more, but with a slight format change: reviews will be shorter, note-style, so as to allow me to actually post more often.

That said:

Nose is malty sweet, with a little pear aroma. Caramel and fruit in the mouth, with a little syrupy thickness. Finishes crisp and fruity, with more pear and apple.

Satisfying, and a repeat order for sure.

Session 10: Winter Beer Roundup

2007-12-07T23:14:00.000-05:00

It's not so much that I don't want to post here - it's just that this has been a busy semester. That and the fact that I don't like to shortchange the reader and just post notes.

That said, here are some notes!

My girlfriend loves winter, and always gets excited about winter beers. She picked up an assortment, and demanded I try each one and give notes. Frankly, none of them really blew me away; my idea of a good winter beer is just a bigger beer like an old ale or a good quadrupel. I was really surprised by how hoppy some of these beers are - hops are not, to me, a winter flavor.

Her favorite winter beer is the Anderson Valley Winter Solstice, mostly because of all the vanilla and spice flavors. Oddly we've been having a hard time finding it this year, which is why it's not in the table.