my favorites new Pale Ales from 2008. I had 4 out of 5 of these at the breweries, which attests to the advantage of drinking this beer locally and fresh. my all time favorites include Bridgeport IPA, Mirror Pond Pale Ale, Anchor Liberty, Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, Full Sail Pale Ale,
Deschutes Green Lakes Pale Ale
Another organic beer that tops my lists this year. A nice, medium to light bodied fruity ale, with notes of toffee, caramel and biscuit throughout. The hop presence is light but clear, piney, and definitely more in the flavor than the aroma. Slightly dry and bitter finish.
Seabright Pelican Pale Ale
Light and crisp, with toasty highlights and hop depth, including piney and citrus overtones. Excellent session beer that has a distinct west coast profile without the "bigness" (aka, alcohol content), and very fresh and bright, a nice complement to my meal.
Great Divide Denver Pale Ale
This is a malt forward, more English style pale with an assertive hop presence. A very pine like resin flavor seems to dominate through the aroma, but biscuit, caramel and slight toffee flavors fight through upon tasting. Sight fruity, plum like esters finish complement throughout. Clean, creamy finish with light citrus hops, fresh and on site.
McMenamins Hammerhead
Tried at the Hawthorne, Portland.
Hoppy zestiness dominates this beer up front, a certain profile for Cascade. Citrus and caramel overtones are complemented throughout, with slight tangerine, grapefruit orange and even lemon in the nose , while biscuit and toffee serve as the backbone. A great fresh beer in a one of a kind setting.
Bridgeport Haymaker Extra Pale Ale
Considering I think of Bridgeport IPA as really more of a Pale Ale by today's aggressive standards, their pale ale was a pleasant surprise, almost a very hoppy small beer, or an American version of a bitter. This sample was tried on site, and was very biscuitty, toasty and slightly carmelly overall. A slightly grassy, lemony hop presence ran throughout. The overall impression is a crisp, dry grainy, and slightly hoppy beer. This is the lawnmower beer for hopheads.
Monday, January 12, 2009
Top 5 Witbiers
my favorites new Witbiers, also know as white beers, from 2008. non sours (or Jolly Pumpkin Calabaza Blanca would have topped this). all time favorites include Allgash White and Hoegaarden. I embarassingly have no Belgium one on here this year.
Trinity Witbier
Nice yeasty ale. Slightly lactic and sour, with spicy orange and coriander apparent. Fresh, slightly sweet, but a dry finish. Pleasant appearance (cloudly, off white) and aroma (spices, cardboard and tart). Just like I would expect while in Belgium, bravo.
Brugges White
One of the funkier-farmhouse wits of the year. A general lactic tang surrounds this beer throughout, with very lemony, grassy and wheaty flavors coming through. Slight citrus and floral, not refreshing, per se, but definitely interesting and authentic.
Unibroue Ephemere, Apple
This is a unique, refreshing ale that verges on and apple cider. Incredibly refreshing and drinkable, it has a nose of cider and the taste of green apples, but in all other aspects, it is a witbeer: hazy, large head, zesty and orange flavors, and a bready, wheaty backbone.
New Belgium Mothership Wit
I generally don't enjoy organic ales at all. I don't think the organics have caught up yet in terms of quality, or quality control, especially the malts. But a witbier as an organic? Why not. Most of the character from this ale come from the fermentation and spices. A refreshing, hazy and zesty ale, most of the flavor notes are played down, and the wheat flavor mostly comes through, surprisingly enough.
21st Amendment 8th Anniversary
This is a witbier made with an American wheat ale influence. A medium bodied, full flavored ale with wheat and toast-biscuit in the foreground, and coriander and orange peel in the finish.
Trinity Witbier
Nice yeasty ale. Slightly lactic and sour, with spicy orange and coriander apparent. Fresh, slightly sweet, but a dry finish. Pleasant appearance (cloudly, off white) and aroma (spices, cardboard and tart). Just like I would expect while in Belgium, bravo.
Brugges White
One of the funkier-farmhouse wits of the year. A general lactic tang surrounds this beer throughout, with very lemony, grassy and wheaty flavors coming through. Slight citrus and floral, not refreshing, per se, but definitely interesting and authentic.
Unibroue Ephemere, Apple
This is a unique, refreshing ale that verges on and apple cider. Incredibly refreshing and drinkable, it has a nose of cider and the taste of green apples, but in all other aspects, it is a witbeer: hazy, large head, zesty and orange flavors, and a bready, wheaty backbone.
New Belgium Mothership Wit
I generally don't enjoy organic ales at all. I don't think the organics have caught up yet in terms of quality, or quality control, especially the malts. But a witbier as an organic? Why not. Most of the character from this ale come from the fermentation and spices. A refreshing, hazy and zesty ale, most of the flavor notes are played down, and the wheat flavor mostly comes through, surprisingly enough.
21st Amendment 8th Anniversary
This is a witbier made with an American wheat ale influence. A medium bodied, full flavored ale with wheat and toast-biscuit in the foreground, and coriander and orange peel in the finish.
Top 5 Trippels-Goldens
my favorites new Trippels and Golden Strongs from 2008. all time favorites include Westmalle Trippel, Allagash Trippel, Trippel Karmeliet, Delerium Tremens, Duvel
Witches Brew
A well rounded ale, almost more like a golden strong than trippel in that it is less sweet than most. Grainy, biscutty backbone with the estery notes subdued, mostly being apples and pears. Great noble-spicy hop presence, and due to the carbonation quite dry and refreshing, with low to no warmth.
St. Bernardus Trippel
Hoppy, sweet and slightly fruity, a delicious Trappist Ale. All is in balance, it is rich, yet dry and lingering in the finish. The hops are prominent up front, yet it is not too bitter in the finish. This beer is a conundrum of sorts, has little complexity in any one aspect, but is an enjoyable ale.
Stone 888 Vertical Epic
A slightly thin but well balanced trippel, grainy background with notes of banana, pear, and bright citrus from the three varieties of American citrus-hops (Antheum, Amarillio and Summit I'm told). This is a quite quaffable beer, despite its high ABV at almost 9%. Spicy, hoppy and fruity, with a bitter finish.
Urthel Hibernus Quentum Trippel
An incredibly ester laden trippel. Strong pear and apple and slight clove flavors, with bready, biscuitty overtones and strong hop flavors at each end. Sweet and strong, very much how a trippel should be.
Fantome La Dalmatienne
Technically a saison, this beer seems to share more characteristics with a trippel to me, with its very sweet and fruity extremities. Thus I've placed it as one. Granted, an amber trippel at that. Very spicy sweet, with notes of orange, and a slightly lactic/barnyard and dusty character. Very mouth filling, with low hop character and bitterness.
Witches Brew
A well rounded ale, almost more like a golden strong than trippel in that it is less sweet than most. Grainy, biscutty backbone with the estery notes subdued, mostly being apples and pears. Great noble-spicy hop presence, and due to the carbonation quite dry and refreshing, with low to no warmth.
St. Bernardus Trippel
Hoppy, sweet and slightly fruity, a delicious Trappist Ale. All is in balance, it is rich, yet dry and lingering in the finish. The hops are prominent up front, yet it is not too bitter in the finish. This beer is a conundrum of sorts, has little complexity in any one aspect, but is an enjoyable ale.
Stone 888 Vertical Epic
A slightly thin but well balanced trippel, grainy background with notes of banana, pear, and bright citrus from the three varieties of American citrus-hops (Antheum, Amarillio and Summit I'm told). This is a quite quaffable beer, despite its high ABV at almost 9%. Spicy, hoppy and fruity, with a bitter finish.
Urthel Hibernus Quentum Trippel
An incredibly ester laden trippel. Strong pear and apple and slight clove flavors, with bready, biscuitty overtones and strong hop flavors at each end. Sweet and strong, very much how a trippel should be.
Fantome La Dalmatienne
Technically a saison, this beer seems to share more characteristics with a trippel to me, with its very sweet and fruity extremities. Thus I've placed it as one. Granted, an amber trippel at that. Very spicy sweet, with notes of orange, and a slightly lactic/barnyard and dusty character. Very mouth filling, with low hop character and bitterness.
Top 5 Saisons
my favorites new ones from 2008, not including Sour Saisons.
all time favorites include Saison DuPont, Dupont's Foret, Ommengang's Hennepin and the Lagunitas Farmhouse.
Malheur Brut Reserve
This may have been the most I paid retail for a beer in 2008 ... was it worth it? A champagne style Saison, brut, bubbly and very dry. Slight earthy,noble hops and biscuit notes in the nose. Biscuit and slight hoppy earthiness up front, then with pear, apple and slight bubblegum esters throughout the middle. The finish ends dry, bitter, and delicious.
Goose Island Saison
A very bitter and fruity Saison. Spicy, earthy noble hops up front, with pepper and pear-apple flavors throughout the middle. Bitter, but not a super dry finish, slightly creamy and spicy.
Trinity Farm House
Rich, dark, limited edition Saison, slightly maltier than others with a lactic and creamy edge to the style, very farmhouse. Still, a peppery, hoppy and bubbly ale with nice complex notes of dried fruits, tobacco and caramel. Nice interpretation, since I generally prefer the hazy gold versions.
Boulevard Saison
Refreshing and zesty Saison. Quite hoppy and more American interpretation, lacking lots of the peppery and farmhouse aspects, rather focusing on the fruity pear-apple esters and lemony-citrus aspects. Light graininess and grassiness throughout, with a slight bitterness at the finish. Very enjoyable.
North Coast Jubilee
This was the Whole Foods 25th Anniversary I bought at their store over two years later. Although this technically isn't a new beer, since I tried it then, it has improved so vastly with age that I had to place it in here. This straw colored Saison has wonderful apple, pear and citrus flavors, and is slightly sweet but effervescent, so well balanced.
Unfortunately it has been replaced by a much less drinkable and balanced beer in their lineup, Le Merle. Perhaps I should cellar a bottle of le Merle for a year or two, but I've generally thought a Saison is truly an ale meant to be consumed fresh? Maybe not.
all time favorites include Saison DuPont, Dupont's Foret, Ommengang's Hennepin and the Lagunitas Farmhouse.
Malheur Brut Reserve
This may have been the most I paid retail for a beer in 2008 ... was it worth it? A champagne style Saison, brut, bubbly and very dry. Slight earthy,noble hops and biscuit notes in the nose. Biscuit and slight hoppy earthiness up front, then with pear, apple and slight bubblegum esters throughout the middle. The finish ends dry, bitter, and delicious.
Goose Island Saison
A very bitter and fruity Saison. Spicy, earthy noble hops up front, with pepper and pear-apple flavors throughout the middle. Bitter, but not a super dry finish, slightly creamy and spicy.
Trinity Farm House
Rich, dark, limited edition Saison, slightly maltier than others with a lactic and creamy edge to the style, very farmhouse. Still, a peppery, hoppy and bubbly ale with nice complex notes of dried fruits, tobacco and caramel. Nice interpretation, since I generally prefer the hazy gold versions.
Boulevard Saison
Refreshing and zesty Saison. Quite hoppy and more American interpretation, lacking lots of the peppery and farmhouse aspects, rather focusing on the fruity pear-apple esters and lemony-citrus aspects. Light graininess and grassiness throughout, with a slight bitterness at the finish. Very enjoyable.
North Coast Jubilee
This was the Whole Foods 25th Anniversary I bought at their store over two years later. Although this technically isn't a new beer, since I tried it then, it has improved so vastly with age that I had to place it in here. This straw colored Saison has wonderful apple, pear and citrus flavors, and is slightly sweet but effervescent, so well balanced.
Unfortunately it has been replaced by a much less drinkable and balanced beer in their lineup, Le Merle. Perhaps I should cellar a bottle of le Merle for a year or two, but I've generally thought a Saison is truly an ale meant to be consumed fresh? Maybe not.
Top 5 Abbey Ales-Dubbels
my favorite Dark Belgian Abbey beers and Dubbels of 2008 - excluding Dark Strong ales. all time favorites include Westvleteren 8, Achel Bruin, Chimay Red and St. Bernardus Prior 8,
Bornem Dubbel
Plums, Figs and Raisins up front. Large off-white head. Belgian Lace. Toffee and biscuit notes deeper into the tasting. Smooth, no warming, and a nice yeasty, estery overtone. Classic Dubbel.
Lost and Found Abbey Ale
Complex, toasted malts with once again, dried fruits throughout and a low hop presence. The raisin flavor shone through in this one due to the addition of a raisin puree. I'm not sure whether the Belgians would be delighted or disgusted, but in any case, a great beer, maybe even one to cellar for a year to see where it ends up.
McChouffe Brown Ale
Very malty, roasty and nutty. Not as complex and fruity as many Dubbels-Brown ales, but smooth, like a scotch ale with a Belgian interpretation.
Urthel Parlus Magnificum
Rich, complex and malty ale. Notes of toffee, chocolate, caramel and prunes and figs in the nose. Rich, thick mouthfeel, but not quite bock level. Still attains bock level melanoidian complexity, and has additional notes of raisin, earth and tobacco in the flavor. Finish is sweet, but slight bitterness and has a noble, earthy and piney hop character
Rochefort 8
Walks the line with a Dark Strong, which most people consider it, this Abbey ale has a subdued aroma, is slightly sweet up front, rich in the middle, and slightly spicy hoppy in the finish. It has complex, aged and balanced flavor, with dried fruits, vanilla, figs, and even, dare I say it, slight cola.
Bornem Dubbel
Plums, Figs and Raisins up front. Large off-white head. Belgian Lace. Toffee and biscuit notes deeper into the tasting. Smooth, no warming, and a nice yeasty, estery overtone. Classic Dubbel.
Lost and Found Abbey Ale
Complex, toasted malts with once again, dried fruits throughout and a low hop presence. The raisin flavor shone through in this one due to the addition of a raisin puree. I'm not sure whether the Belgians would be delighted or disgusted, but in any case, a great beer, maybe even one to cellar for a year to see where it ends up.
McChouffe Brown Ale
Very malty, roasty and nutty. Not as complex and fruity as many Dubbels-Brown ales, but smooth, like a scotch ale with a Belgian interpretation.
Urthel Parlus Magnificum
Rich, complex and malty ale. Notes of toffee, chocolate, caramel and prunes and figs in the nose. Rich, thick mouthfeel, but not quite bock level. Still attains bock level melanoidian complexity, and has additional notes of raisin, earth and tobacco in the flavor. Finish is sweet, but slight bitterness and has a noble, earthy and piney hop character
Rochefort 8
Walks the line with a Dark Strong, which most people consider it, this Abbey ale has a subdued aroma, is slightly sweet up front, rich in the middle, and slightly spicy hoppy in the finish. It has complex, aged and balanced flavor, with dried fruits, vanilla, figs, and even, dare I say it, slight cola.
Friday, January 9, 2009
Most Unique New Beer Styles of 2008
Gose
Gose is an ale the orginates from Leipzig, Germany. It is very similar to a Berliner Wiesse. except that it sometime in the late 1800 it began gaining its lactic sourness from lactic acid rather than spontaneous fermentation and bacteria. It is also very similar to a Witbier. Currently 3 German Breweries produce it.
The Gose I had came from Herkimer Brewpub of Minneapolis, which focuses on German style lagers. I had the Gose Speziell Wizen. It is brewed with 50% wheat malt and is spiced with coriander and orange peel (Witbier.) It is then spiked with lactobacillius and salt (Berliner Wiesse, well at least the LactoB)
The sample I had at GABF came very ill advised. Surprisingly, many of the booths without representatives present came with servers knocking the beers they were serving, which I thought was awful. Granted, this beer is not for everyone, but after getting a small sample for starters, I asked for more. It was deliciously sour, and feety like a farmhouse ale, with nice spiciness and lactic tang in the finish. Sounds like a homebrew experiment ready to happen.
Stone Beer
This beer Boscos brews at its Memphis and Nashville locations. Its origins can be traced to the Rauchenfels brewery in Neustadt, Germany, which is also featured in Michael Jackson's the Beer Hunter series. Known as a stone beer, or stien bier, large stones are heated over a beechwood fire and lowered into the into the wort during the brewing process, where the steam and sizzling caramelizes and slightly burns the sugars present in the wort.
Boscos Famous Flaming Stone Beer uses pieces of pink Colorado granite are heated to 700 degrees in Boscos wood fired oven. It is a light, creamy and softly caramelized beer.
Milk Stout
Also known as a Sweet Stout, this is a stout containing Lactose, which is generally unfermentable by ale yeasts, and adds a lot of residual sweetness to an otherwise dry beer style. This beer was supposed to be very nutritious, and even was recommended to nursing mothers in the late 19th century.
The milk stout I had this year came from Three Floyds Brewing Co. from Hammond, Indiana. The Moloko Plus, as it is called, was very rich. It is very sweet up front, like milk chocolate, with caramel, cocoa and vanilla in the finish. It is jet black, and the texture is very silky, like velvet.
Eisbock
The Eisbock beer style was discovered by pure accident. Its origins date to 1890 Klumbach, Germany where the casks holding just finished Doppelbock bier froze over night. Upon removing ice from the partially frozen barrels, a new, fortified bock beer was discovered. Ranging from 9 to 14 percent ABV, this is a strong, warm and rich bock. Pretty brilliant accident, but not one for the light of heart.
I tried several Eisbocks this year, the best being Aventinus. , which was much warmer and sweeter than their delicious Wizenbock. I also tried Klumbacher , a smoother but less complex and flavorful version, and one by Lodi Brewing Company., which was very light, sweet, warm and much more toasty and caramelly.
100% Rye Beer
Granted, I've tried dozens of rye beers before. The use of rye in beer can be traced back to Regensburg, Germany, where a version of a Dunkelwizen was brewed with rye instead due to the lack of wheat in the area. Today, whether it be a traditional Roggenbier, a RyePA, or a Saison with Rye, its use is prevalent, and it adds a unique spicy character to beer.
100% rye beer? I didn't even know this was possible. I thought it was similar to wheat and other adjuncts, which lack the proper chemical makeup (in particular, the diastatic power ) to convert the starches to sugars. Well, not the case. But I could still see brewing with 100% rye to be a unique challenge. Most recipes I've seen go as high as 50-60%, but that's about it. The stuff is without hulls and has a high beta-glucan content, which makes for a long, complicated and sticky sparge.
Amazingly, there were a couple of 100% rye beers this year. Bear Republic's EZ Ryder stands out as the most drinkable, a spicy, doughy and refreshing all rye beer. I'm guessing they used a special variety of rye that has a much less subdued flavor, because although I expected it to be overpowering, it was quite sessionable.
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Top 10 Breweries 2008
These are my favorite 10 breweries from 2008 based on the new-to-me criteria, roughly in order:
Jolly Pumpkin Brewing
I originally had thought this brewery must be from Belgium after being introduced to two of their beers at a few local venues (CityBeer and La Trappe). Much to my amazement, they are actually a small artisianal brewery from Michigan with a full booth at GABF. They were serving five different Belgian style ales out of 750mL champagne corked bottles, most of them a variation of Flanders Style Barrel Aged Sour Ales. The Luciernaga (winner GABF Gold for the Saison category) and Calabaza Oro (2 GABF medals in previous years) were my favorite, both complex, refreshing and sour, but I also had the Oro de Clabaza, La Roja, the Maracaibo and the Bam Biere, all were delightful. We went back for seconds the first night of GABF, but by the time we returned on the third afternoon for some more, they were all out. Looking forward to getting my hands on the Perseguidor next year, a sour blend from select barrels served in only 12oz bottles.
Green Flash Brewing
Another new-to-me brewery for 2008, I first found Green Flash of San Diego in my local BevMo in February. I began with what I could find at the time, a delicious Trippel, a West Coast IPA and a Double Stout, which was one of my favorite Stouts for the year. While I enjoyed these findings, I wasn't really aware of their range until experiencing Le Freak and Barrel Aged Stout at GABF and then their Grand Cru, a dark strong, at the Pacific Coast Brewing Co annual holiday beer tasting, which was another of my favorites for the year. Bravo.
Firestone Walker Brewing
I won't lie: I've never had a taste for Firestone Walker's beers before this year. However, with their release of Union Jack IPA this year (GABF gold medal winner for American IPA this year, and also my personal favorite) and some much more unique barrel aged products I had at their Brewery Night at the Toronado earlier this year, they top my list as most improved. I particularly loved their Parabola (Imperial Barrel Aged Stout), Saucer Full of Secrets (High Gravity Belgian Barrel Aged Ale) and Velvet Mirkin (Barrel Aged Oatmeal Stout), the latter which I'm seeing more and more in local bars. Let hope they get more of these beers out of the labs and tasting festivals and out onto the shelves!
Port Brewing-Lost Abbey
As far as Southern California beers go in San Francisco, until a year or two ago as far as I can tell , Stone has pretty much had a corner on the market. With the advent of wonderful beer stores CityBeer and Healthy Spirits, though, gems like Port Brewing and their Lost Abbey Brand have found their way into the city. Although a few of their beers I had at GABF may have been a bit rich for my palate (Serpents Stout, Ten Commandments), they have a consistent lineup of great Belgian Ales. My favorites included Judgement Day, Lost and Found Abbey Ale, and the Red Barn Ale.
Russian River
I won't be shy: Russian River is my favorite brewery. In the world. Vinnie, their Brewer, is a wizard.
It falls so far down on the list this year because of the limited new offerings with which to acquaint myself. The year started strong with Beatification, a wonderful 100% spontaneously fermented Gueze style ale. A trip to the Brewery in the spring allowed me to experience Compunction, an sour-barrel aged ale brewed with pluots, and Rejection, a Belgian Black ale, both on tap, the latter of which I took a growler of for home. Both were good, but La Fleurette was little flat, not as sour and complex as their other barrel aged sour ales, and Rejection a little understated. In the summer, they had a Toronado Russian River night where I sampled La Fleurette, a joint venture with and Italian brewery and featuring rose petals, but I couldn't get past the floral, peppery character. Then at GABF came Consecration : A dark Belgian ale aged in American oak Cabernet Sauvignon Barrels, with Brett, Lactobacillus and Pediococcus (AKA, a wild yeast strain and two bacterias) and currants. Fantastic, rich, sour ale.
Good news: Consecration is in production, we should see it in 375 ml bottles this spring!
Deschutes
I love Deschutes. I've been drinking their beers every since I moved to San Francisco 7 years ago. Mirror Pond isn't my favorite, but is solid Pale Ale. Black Butte is my favorite Porter right behind Anchor. Obsidian is a slightly bitter but solid and roasty Stout. The problem is, I hadn't had or even heard of anything new from them in years (well, there was the Bond Street series, which I had no idea was them until just now though I have never been a huge fan.)
Enter the Reserve Series: the Abyss Imperial Bourbon Barrel Aged Stout, the Dissident, a Flanders Red Style ale (and a 2008 GABF Gold Medal Winner) and Black Butte XX, an Imperial Porter. These heavy hitters were very poplar
at GABF, and had some of the longest lines there.
Bear Republic
I've always thought of Bear Republic as a sort of a one-trick pony. Racer 5? Yeah, that beer is awesome. Best IPA out there. A night sessioning Racer 5, yes, that is a bad idea, but I won't say I haven't done it or won't again.
Don't get me wrong, Hop Rod Rye and Big Bear Stout are both enjoyable, but not outstanding, a little to middle of the road for their respective styles. I really didn't expect them to do anything more with IPAs or hops for that matter until I saw their booth at GABF, where they were serving about 8 beers, 6 of them never before witnessed by myself. I tried four: the Rebellion, the Apex, the EZ Ryder, and the Crazy Ivan. The Crazy Ivan, a Belgian Abbey-Dark Strong, was a little too sweet, thin and bitter at the finish. The EZ Ryder was pretty great, a 100% Rye Beer, which in itself is amazing, but didn't quite stand up to the first 100% Rye I had the night before. The true cheers go to the Rebellion and the Apex, both IPAs. The Rebellion is an in your face hop bomb, and all Simcoe, and much thinner and even dare say enjoyable-drinkable than Racer 5. The Apex was a Double IPA, and a fresh hopheads wet dream, with the powerful resin flavor, overt grassiness and citrus-earthy varieties showcased. Please bottle these two limited edition ales ASAP!
Allagash
New Years Resolution for 2009? Have more Allagash beers. I had plenty of opportunities, especially at CityBeer, to sample more of their offerings in 2008, but at $16-$30 a bottle, I was, well, a little reserved on putting that much up front. Their Classics Series I love, mostly the White, Trippel and Grand Cru, and they are very affordable at $6-$9 a bottle. Curieux, their Trippel aged in Jim Beam Barrels, is amazing in its complexity, and is possibly my favorite American barrel aged beer. I had a chance to sample four of their ales this year, and still I want more. It started with the Odyssey, a barrel aged then blended wheat beer. At GABF, I had the chance to sample their Interlude, a french oak (including merlot and syrah) barrel aged ale with Brett, and their Black Ale, a more stout like version of the style that leans toward the silky chocolate. At La Trappe I had the chance to try Les Deux Brasseurs, a collaboration between de Proef Brewing, which is a sour ale much along the lines of Orval (the orginal sour ale from my opinon).
De Proef is a brewery in Belgium that make such greats as Zoetzurr and Flemish Primitive. They make Dozens of very hard to find, mostly sour barrel aged, beers, the best list which I can find here. (2010 resolution: have more De Proef Beers, even if that means going to the brewery). For the past two years, they have been collaborating with American brewers on an ale: Tomme Arthur of Port Brewing for their Signature ale in 2007, and Jason Perkins of Allgash in 2008. This year promises to be John Mallet of Bells. 2010, Vinnie of Russian River? Anyone?
Sorry for the departure, De Proef would have been on this list if I had more. I finished the Allgash roundup this year on New Years Eve with the Four Malt, a rich abbey style ale fermented four times. It was a very enjoyable, malty and rich ale, a great way to end the year.
Brugge
Another artisianal brewery in the Upper Midwest specializing in Belgian Ales? Impossible, right?
Well, although they only had four offerings at the GABF, all bottle conditioned in 750mL champagne style bottles, they were delicious. They keep the offerings simple and straightforward, just like their product design and packaging (which gets my nod for best of 2008): A Black, a White, the Trippel de Rippel and the Diamond Kings. My favorites were the Black, a dry, rich, estery black ale, and the Diamond Kings, an dry and sour blond ale, and the most direct reference in their lineup I to Brugge itself (or Bruges, how we English speakers refer to it). The trippel was complex and fruity, and the wit had a dry, slightly farmhouse-feety character. Needless to say, I came back for samples the whole festival, as they somehow managed to fly under the radar. Now, if we could some how just figure out how to get their beer out of Indiana and to the West Coast.
Boulevard
My history with Boulevard goes way back, and was one of the original craft beers I began drinking in college at the University of Kansas, right after finding the new world of beer at Free State Brewing Co. They had three flagship beers at the time: their Pale Ale, Unfiltered Wheat and Bully Porter. Their Pale was good, a little on the malty English side (I knew little else then, alas). Their wheat was their most popular, a quaffable session beer with nice grainy overtones. Their Bully Porter, however, has always been their best offering in my opinion, as it opened my eyes to the world of dark beers beyond Guinness. A dark beer that could be robust, bitter, chocolatey, and warm. It obtained pseudo-mystical qualities in my mind. What did they put in this?
Much to my chagrin, there was no Bully Porter at the festival. It had been three years since I'd last had one, and I although I was quite upset, I wasn't going to let this get me down. They had Bob's 47, an Octoberfest, the Dingle Wide IPA, and two, count them, two Saisons, one fermented with Brett. The Saison was on the blond, dry and fruity end of the spectrum, and the Saison-Brett had a wonderful dynamic of sweet and sour that made me come back for more and more. Most of these are part of their recent Smokestack Series, bottle conditioned (often limited edition ales) that also includes trippel, quadrpel, and a Bourbon Barrel Quadrupel, a blended barrel aged quadrupel with cherries, a limited edition beer which I would love to get my hands on before they run out. Anyone?
Jolly Pumpkin Brewing
I originally had thought this brewery must be from Belgium after being introduced to two of their beers at a few local venues (CityBeer and La Trappe). Much to my amazement, they are actually a small artisianal brewery from Michigan with a full booth at GABF. They were serving five different Belgian style ales out of 750mL champagne corked bottles, most of them a variation of Flanders Style Barrel Aged Sour Ales. The Luciernaga (winner GABF Gold for the Saison category) and Calabaza Oro (2 GABF medals in previous years) were my favorite, both complex, refreshing and sour, but I also had the Oro de Clabaza, La Roja, the Maracaibo and the Bam Biere, all were delightful. We went back for seconds the first night of GABF, but by the time we returned on the third afternoon for some more, they were all out. Looking forward to getting my hands on the Perseguidor next year, a sour blend from select barrels served in only 12oz bottles.
Green Flash Brewing
Another new-to-me brewery for 2008, I first found Green Flash of San Diego in my local BevMo in February. I began with what I could find at the time, a delicious Trippel, a West Coast IPA and a Double Stout, which was one of my favorite Stouts for the year. While I enjoyed these findings, I wasn't really aware of their range until experiencing Le Freak and Barrel Aged Stout at GABF and then their Grand Cru, a dark strong, at the Pacific Coast Brewing Co annual holiday beer tasting, which was another of my favorites for the year. Bravo.
Firestone Walker Brewing
I won't lie: I've never had a taste for Firestone Walker's beers before this year. However, with their release of Union Jack IPA this year (GABF gold medal winner for American IPA this year, and also my personal favorite) and some much more unique barrel aged products I had at their Brewery Night at the Toronado earlier this year, they top my list as most improved. I particularly loved their Parabola (Imperial Barrel Aged Stout), Saucer Full of Secrets (High Gravity Belgian Barrel Aged Ale) and Velvet Mirkin (Barrel Aged Oatmeal Stout), the latter which I'm seeing more and more in local bars. Let hope they get more of these beers out of the labs and tasting festivals and out onto the shelves!
Port Brewing-Lost Abbey
As far as Southern California beers go in San Francisco, until a year or two ago as far as I can tell , Stone has pretty much had a corner on the market. With the advent of wonderful beer stores CityBeer and Healthy Spirits, though, gems like Port Brewing and their Lost Abbey Brand have found their way into the city. Although a few of their beers I had at GABF may have been a bit rich for my palate (Serpents Stout, Ten Commandments), they have a consistent lineup of great Belgian Ales. My favorites included Judgement Day, Lost and Found Abbey Ale, and the Red Barn Ale.
Russian River
I won't be shy: Russian River is my favorite brewery. In the world. Vinnie, their Brewer, is a wizard.
It falls so far down on the list this year because of the limited new offerings with which to acquaint myself. The year started strong with Beatification, a wonderful 100% spontaneously fermented Gueze style ale. A trip to the Brewery in the spring allowed me to experience Compunction, an sour-barrel aged ale brewed with pluots, and Rejection, a Belgian Black ale, both on tap, the latter of which I took a growler of for home. Both were good, but La Fleurette was little flat, not as sour and complex as their other barrel aged sour ales, and Rejection a little understated. In the summer, they had a Toronado Russian River night where I sampled La Fleurette, a joint venture with and Italian brewery and featuring rose petals, but I couldn't get past the floral, peppery character. Then at GABF came Consecration : A dark Belgian ale aged in American oak Cabernet Sauvignon Barrels, with Brett, Lactobacillus and Pediococcus (AKA, a wild yeast strain and two bacterias) and currants. Fantastic, rich, sour ale.
Good news: Consecration is in production, we should see it in 375 ml bottles this spring!
Deschutes
I love Deschutes. I've been drinking their beers every since I moved to San Francisco 7 years ago. Mirror Pond isn't my favorite, but is solid Pale Ale. Black Butte is my favorite Porter right behind Anchor. Obsidian is a slightly bitter but solid and roasty Stout. The problem is, I hadn't had or even heard of anything new from them in years (well, there was the Bond Street series, which I had no idea was them until just now though I have never been a huge fan.)
Enter the Reserve Series: the Abyss Imperial Bourbon Barrel Aged Stout, the Dissident, a Flanders Red Style ale (and a 2008 GABF Gold Medal Winner) and Black Butte XX, an Imperial Porter. These heavy hitters were very poplar
at GABF, and had some of the longest lines there.
Bear Republic
I've always thought of Bear Republic as a sort of a one-trick pony. Racer 5? Yeah, that beer is awesome. Best IPA out there. A night sessioning Racer 5, yes, that is a bad idea, but I won't say I haven't done it or won't again.
Don't get me wrong, Hop Rod Rye and Big Bear Stout are both enjoyable, but not outstanding, a little to middle of the road for their respective styles. I really didn't expect them to do anything more with IPAs or hops for that matter until I saw their booth at GABF, where they were serving about 8 beers, 6 of them never before witnessed by myself. I tried four: the Rebellion, the Apex, the EZ Ryder, and the Crazy Ivan. The Crazy Ivan, a Belgian Abbey-Dark Strong, was a little too sweet, thin and bitter at the finish. The EZ Ryder was pretty great, a 100% Rye Beer, which in itself is amazing, but didn't quite stand up to the first 100% Rye I had the night before. The true cheers go to the Rebellion and the Apex, both IPAs. The Rebellion is an in your face hop bomb, and all Simcoe, and much thinner and even dare say enjoyable-drinkable than Racer 5. The Apex was a Double IPA, and a fresh hopheads wet dream, with the powerful resin flavor, overt grassiness and citrus-earthy varieties showcased. Please bottle these two limited edition ales ASAP!
Allagash
New Years Resolution for 2009? Have more Allagash beers. I had plenty of opportunities, especially at CityBeer, to sample more of their offerings in 2008, but at $16-$30 a bottle, I was, well, a little reserved on putting that much up front. Their Classics Series I love, mostly the White, Trippel and Grand Cru, and they are very affordable at $6-$9 a bottle. Curieux, their Trippel aged in Jim Beam Barrels, is amazing in its complexity, and is possibly my favorite American barrel aged beer. I had a chance to sample four of their ales this year, and still I want more. It started with the Odyssey, a barrel aged then blended wheat beer. At GABF, I had the chance to sample their Interlude, a french oak (including merlot and syrah) barrel aged ale with Brett, and their Black Ale, a more stout like version of the style that leans toward the silky chocolate. At La Trappe I had the chance to try Les Deux Brasseurs, a collaboration between de Proef Brewing, which is a sour ale much along the lines of Orval (the orginal sour ale from my opinon).
De Proef is a brewery in Belgium that make such greats as Zoetzurr and Flemish Primitive. They make Dozens of very hard to find, mostly sour barrel aged, beers, the best list which I can find here. (2010 resolution: have more De Proef Beers, even if that means going to the brewery). For the past two years, they have been collaborating with American brewers on an ale: Tomme Arthur of Port Brewing for their Signature ale in 2007, and Jason Perkins of Allgash in 2008. This year promises to be John Mallet of Bells. 2010, Vinnie of Russian River? Anyone?
Sorry for the departure, De Proef would have been on this list if I had more. I finished the Allgash roundup this year on New Years Eve with the Four Malt, a rich abbey style ale fermented four times. It was a very enjoyable, malty and rich ale, a great way to end the year.
Brugge
Another artisianal brewery in the Upper Midwest specializing in Belgian Ales? Impossible, right?
Well, although they only had four offerings at the GABF, all bottle conditioned in 750mL champagne style bottles, they were delicious. They keep the offerings simple and straightforward, just like their product design and packaging (which gets my nod for best of 2008): A Black, a White, the Trippel de Rippel and the Diamond Kings. My favorites were the Black, a dry, rich, estery black ale, and the Diamond Kings, an dry and sour blond ale, and the most direct reference in their lineup I to Brugge itself (or Bruges, how we English speakers refer to it). The trippel was complex and fruity, and the wit had a dry, slightly farmhouse-feety character. Needless to say, I came back for samples the whole festival, as they somehow managed to fly under the radar. Now, if we could some how just figure out how to get their beer out of Indiana and to the West Coast.
Boulevard
My history with Boulevard goes way back, and was one of the original craft beers I began drinking in college at the University of Kansas, right after finding the new world of beer at Free State Brewing Co. They had three flagship beers at the time: their Pale Ale, Unfiltered Wheat and Bully Porter. Their Pale was good, a little on the malty English side (I knew little else then, alas). Their wheat was their most popular, a quaffable session beer with nice grainy overtones. Their Bully Porter, however, has always been their best offering in my opinion, as it opened my eyes to the world of dark beers beyond Guinness. A dark beer that could be robust, bitter, chocolatey, and warm. It obtained pseudo-mystical qualities in my mind. What did they put in this?
Much to my chagrin, there was no Bully Porter at the festival. It had been three years since I'd last had one, and I although I was quite upset, I wasn't going to let this get me down. They had Bob's 47, an Octoberfest, the Dingle Wide IPA, and two, count them, two Saisons, one fermented with Brett. The Saison was on the blond, dry and fruity end of the spectrum, and the Saison-Brett had a wonderful dynamic of sweet and sour that made me come back for more and more. Most of these are part of their recent Smokestack Series, bottle conditioned (often limited edition ales) that also includes trippel, quadrpel, and a Bourbon Barrel Quadrupel, a blended barrel aged quadrupel with cherries, a limited edition beer which I would love to get my hands on before they run out. Anyone?
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