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Don't Pay The Ransom, I Escaped

Where've I been lately? Away from the computer, that's where. Sorry there hasn't been any snarky industry commentary or any of my absolutely gripping beer reviews. I've just been preoccupied with other things, primarily working my fingers to the bone and relaxing with a beer or two at home most nights.

As for the blog, I was forced to change the template because there were some issues with the layout. Anyway, it's obviously got a new look, and I hope it's not too harmful on the eyes. I did the best I could with what little talent I have, and included a couple features I hope are helpful.

Anyway, I did manage to have some fun over the weekend and take some notes on it, so don't think I haven't been fitting beer into my schedule whenever possible.

Sunday was a day to kick back, take in some afternoon hockey, and taste some fine beer. My friend Steve has been complaining about the amount of beer he has just sitting, not being consumed, and I've had the same problem as of late. What to do? Impromptu tasting, that's what.

We supped some Lake Placid Ubu Ale, a musty, smoky, and rather complex brown ale with a light body. Not a bad way to start off. Then came the Regenboog 'TSmisje Dubbel, brewed with honey and dates. The only Regenboog I've had was their Kerst, which really blew me away. However, this offering didn't do as much for me. It was sweet and boozy, similar to an Old Ale, but with less of a syrupy malt flavor. Something about it didn't overly impress me, but I like the idea behind it regardless.

Next was an Eel River Triple Exultation (which is an Old Ale) that's I've been hanging onto for a while, and I'm almost positive it's over a year old. I started taking some notes on it, but said screw it... that was one I wanted to soak up and let linger in the memory. Nevertheless, I recommend it.

Following this was a De Ranke Bitter XX and a Russian River Damnation to cap it off. Supposedly the "hoppiest beer of Belgium," the De Ranke left me wanting, but more than likely because of all the hype it's received over the years. Granted, it's an IPA Tripel, and it possessed plenty of citrusy hop and pale malt flavors, but for some reason, I'm not a fan. It could be the fusion of style that gets to me; with Belgian sugar and a hopping that seems kind of misplaced, it makes for an odd match-up. I think Houblon Chouffe really nails it, but it seems like a tough combination to brew and have it come out somewhat balanced. Maybe I just need to sit down with another one of these, but at $17 or more a bottle, I may have to hold off on picking that one up again.

The Damnation (Batch 12), on the other hand, was quite a treat. Its aroma was biscuity, pale malt, and even a yeasty presence, with a backbone of citrus and banana-like notes. On the palate, it was a juicy, bready, and full of banana, which was offset by a perfect funky hop bitterness. The malt and sweetness made for a solid, well-balanced beer that had plenty of complexity and a smooth aftertaste of the aforementioned flavors.

There were some cheeses there: that absolutely excellent Black Diamond Aged Cheddar, a one year-old Gouda, and some Stilton-wrapped-in-something abomination. It wasn't really a pairing per se, Steve just happened to have some cheese laying around, and purchased that Stilton one that came highly recommended (which we both found laughable). But regardless, it was a great afternoon to sit and chip away at our stockpiles.

The Session #14: Beer People

All this week I've been trying to think of something to write about for The Session's "Beer People" topic. Being my first crack at this thing, I wanted to give it a proper go and post something worth reading. But for the life of me, nothing really stuck out.

Then, last night, while sitting in a local watering hole, it hit me. "Look around you," I thought, "you're sitting in a place founded by beer people." That place was none other than Capital Ale House.

I know I've waxed poetically about that bar before, but since this Session is about the social aspect of beer, what better subject than a few of the people who make my social enjoyment of good beer possible? Therefore, I've picked a sampling of the staff, rather than just one person, who I feel reflect the beer culture the company is trying to foster here in Richmond.

A couple of narratives will accompany this, to help bolster my case. And I may get a little long-winded, so humor me.

Steal the Glass Night is a weekly event hosted by Cap Ale at both their Downtown and West End locations. The name is exactly what it implies: drink the beer, take home the glass. Several breweries have been featured over the years, having their branded glassware carried away in the hands of many a thirsty drinker, from the erstwhile after-work patron to the die-hard regular.

One standout was last year's Oktoberfest STGN, in which giant dimpled Spaten mugs were given out, being filled to the brim with Marzens from various Munich breweries, all at a quite reasonable price. I trudged up there feeling sick as a dog, having come down with some sort of sinus pressure headache, and almost considered not even going. When I finally got to the bar, having waited outside in line for a while, I found that some of the kegs were already kicked, giving a new meaning to the phrase "Ozapft Is!". But no matter, because I was able to get served promptly by the helpful bar staff, wading through a sea of people, and still have a good time.

Just recently, this past Tuesday night to be exact, they featured Allagash offerings and their rather appealing glassware. I arrived at the Innsbrook location at quarter after six, trying to lift my spirits from a grueling day at work. Allagash Black had already kicked. I couldn't believe it. I went with a glass of Odyssey instead, and wasn't let down at all. Plus, I got the last pour before they ran out of that!

The Allagash Victor was being tapped at 8:30. That was one of the reasons I came out, too, so I waited patiently, and in the meantime enjoyed my black bean burger and frittes. Fearing not being able to get a pour of Victor, I made sure to let the bartenders know that I'd be interested in one beforehand. After perusing Celebrator Beer News, I hear someone call out "Eric!" I look around, eventually to find Chris behind the bar, holding up a shimmering glass of Victor and pointing at it. "All you, man!" he said as I took my drink and thanked him with a knowing grin.

When the Victor was tapped, administrative staff Jacob and Bridget came out from the Downtown location to celebrate. These are two people who know their beer, and make a dogged effort to get the good stuff here in Richmond. I feel perhaps that we're seen as a smaller market not worth the consideration, or a place many might overlook. But the fact is that with a few great beer stores, and an even fewer amount of excellent beer bars, we still hold our own when it comes to drinking quality beer. And it's all thanks to these fine beer people. Nevertheless, it's always great to see them and be able to have a more personable discussion with the people who are pulling the levers (or the pints!) and making these kinds of events happen. Reaching out to the better beer community in our area is something they do with great fervor, and it doesn't go unnoticed.

Seeing a bunch of beer lovers out that night, like my jovial buddy Ed who always comes bearing gifts, and Anna, who got off work and joined the fun on the other side of the bar, left an impression in my mind about so many things related to the social side of beer. For instance, how many establishments today can you develop such a friendly rapport with the help? With efficiency and commercialization running rampant these days, it feels like we suffer on the human side of the equation. Capital Ale House, in a way, restores my faith in people. May sound a little bold or melodramatic, but I feel it's apt.

So there I was last night, enjoying a 1996 Gale's Prize Old Ale, an '05 Liefmans Goudenband, and later, splitting a bottle of Blue Mountain Brewery's Mandolin with fellow cerevisaphile Steve, all the while chatting it up with the folks around us. What I thought would be a quick beer after work turned into an evening of socializing, good food, and even better beer. One guy even stopped to talk to us about the Mandolin, commenting that he had savored some earlier in the night. He was on his way out, but didn't make it too far; he ended up staying and hanging out with us for another hour or so, all of this coming together thanks to beer.

And there I sat, that little voice in the back of mind going, "What am I going to write about?"

Revenge of the Geeks

Looks like the beer blog landscape is having a bulldozer tear through it. Its name: terminology. Specifically, what to call someone who spends a lot of time and money on seeking out new beer and savoring it.

It seems like with all the coverage the term "beer geek" is getting, the topic is being flogged to death. Not only that, but the hotly debated "beer critic" discussion has received plenty of scrutiny. So why make a post about it, right? Why even throw my comments into the fray? At the same time, I'd be remiss if I didn't chime in on my own personal space here, rather than taking up more real estate on someone's never-ending comment section. So here goes.

That discussion over at Appellation Beer about what it means to be a "critic" has me pondering over what the professional beer writers are feeling. There appear to be certain "beer lovers" (we'll go with Stonch's term for now) who desire a more critical eye among those who are paid for their words. Citing the lack of professional beer critics, whatever the criteria may be, some consumers are starting to feel that most of the beers analyzed are given glowing reviews, while at the same time negative reviews are few and far between. Seems to rest on the old adage of "if you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all." Or it could just be there's a lot of really great, good, and mediocre beer out there that's hard to debase.

This is just my own personal perspective, but I'm starting to think that these professional beer writers feel as though they are still students of beer, not experts. Something tells me they feel they're in no real position to tell anyone what to drink, or discredit a beer that may just be getting off the ground, regardless of their years of experience or the fact that they make a living of the written word. And besides, it's not just beer reviews that they write. With all the talk of what beer lovers wish to call themselves, a lot of terms have been rejected because they seem too pretentious, too snobbish. In turn, beer lovers, and writers it seems, are perhaps worried that their world will start to get the same reputation as wine: elitist.

At the same time, we're struggling with gaining respect and breaking the image of macro-swilling sweathogs (that's right, a Welcome Back, Kotter reference). Since taste is so subjective, they may be worried about creating a culture of bandwagoneers that jump at the next overhyped beer, ignoring a lot of really great options out there. The pros may be leaving things like strong criticism to the blogs or beer rating websites, for the unrestrained format they provide. That parallel exists in relation to the news media and bloggers, too.

But now, let's get to the heart of the matter here. Some folks seem to have an issue with the term "beer geek." It reminds me of a conversation in a BeerAdvocate forum regarding the phrase "Extreme Beer." One party, on the consumer side, saw Extreme Beer as a positive label, while those looking at it from an industry standpoint saw it as a pejorative. Is this merely a phrase to describe all beer that pushes the envelope when it comes to brewing techniques and flavor profiles? Or is it an off-putting moniker that hurts the craft brewing segment as a whole?

And furthermore, is it even something to be concerned about?

The "beer geek" label has never really bothered me much at all, but then again, not many people really call me a beer geek. It does have a self-effacing quality to it that brings humility to the subject, but it also may alienate. To tell the truth, I'm sure many in the general public would be confused as to what that even means. And I'm sure you'd get varying definitions depending upon whom you ask. Come to think of it, my friends usually just say, "Oh, he's really into beer," which is typically followed by my own explanation of what that means to me, in order to avoid association with popped-collar party-boys. So some simplification would help.

I do like Stonch's "beer lover" (over at Boak and Bailey's blog) and Evan Rail's "beer head" (at Alan's A Good Beer Blog) out of pure ease of use and lack of perceived arrogance. But by the same token, Gregg Smith's "cerevisaphile," which I've adopted for use on this blog, seems to strike a respectful balance between geeky and grandiose, at least in print. The fact that it gets to the Latin root word and uses a proper suffix is quite appealing. Although it may seem too high-level in everyday conversation, it would be no different than explaining what a "beer geek" is to someone who's uninitiated. Now that I think about it, it's just a Latinized version of "beer lover." Both work for me.

My advice: pick your own poison. The distinction of language can sometimes be nothing more than splitting hairs, and be based on cultural environment. If you're a "ticker", call yourself one. Just a fan of pubs and real ale? "Beer enthusiast" works just fine. Or, if you're comfortable enough with the term already, then embrace "beer geek"dom in all its glory.

I've got a couple favorites I plan on using interchangeably. How about you?

Ringwood Resplendence

I like to consider myself a student of beer, somewhat in the vein of Plato: "I know that I know nothing." Or maybe that's more like Sgt. Schultz. Regardless, I've indentified a certain flavor profile I can't get enough of, and discovered the delicious offerings of a brewery I've been waiting to get my hands on. Both have led me to appreciate the intricacies of flavor and the challenges brewers face with Ringwood yeast.

Reining in the diacetyl notes is the biggest issue when dealing with Ringwood. I've heard some rumblings that many detest the strain completely because of these buttery or butterscotch flavors, but I'm a fanatic. I'm finding that amongst German and Czech lagers, that rounded diacetyl taste is what I live for; and with ales, it's that good ol' fashioned Ringwood yeast that hits the spot for me.

Characteristic of many classic English ales, Ringwood has gained a small cult following here in the United States. In some beer I've loved, such as Geary's Pale Ale, I had no idea that Ringwood was what played such an important role; I just knew I liked it. I even mentioned the Austin model brewing apparatus used by brewers that make some of my favorite beers in my write-up of Williamsburg AleWerks a while back. There's also an informative article on the history of Ringwood in the States that appeared in Yankee Brew News, now hosted over at RealBeer. This past weekend I had three offerings from a brewery I've yet to sample anything from: Portland, Maine's Shipyard Brewery.

While visiting family this weekend, I picked up some Shipyard Export, Fuggles IPA, and Old Thumper.

The Export was phenomenal.

It poured a completely transparent, coppery goldenrod hue with some small flakes in suspension, with solid head formation and retention. The aroma was somewhat grainy pale malt with a certain funk to it, almost mildewy, but enticing. There was a soft touch of Werther's Original in the nose (a candy I loved growing up, and still do), and that infamous aroma of buttery diacetyl.

I was sold at first sip. Plenty of Pilsner-like malt, nice and grain-like, up front crescendoed to a buttery-smooth middle that faded gracefully to a slightly dry finish that left behind some of those butter notes and a subtle hop bitterness. The palate was suprisingly complex, yet reserved and relaxed. The carbonation didn't get in the way at all, letting the whirl of flavors speak for themselves. I was truly impressed.

When I got to the Fuggles IPA, I was a bit disappointed to be honest. While expecting a shade or two more of the hop strain that lent its name to the label, I got what seemed to be like more Export. Not that this beer was horrible, just that it didn't seem to distinguish itself from the other beer all that much.

The Fuggles IPA also looked strikingly similar to the Export, except for the fact that there were no floaties and it may have been a hair more amber in color. In the bouquet, I could barely pick up the floral aromatics of the Fuggles, but that tempting buttery scent got me again. Still, I had to wonder about the bitterness level.

Even the taste was uncannily like that of the Export, with the grainy and diacetyl profile being prevalent. There more detectable hops in the taste, with a little bitterness up front, but not much to make this one stand out, unfortunately.

I was also slightly confused as the cap for the Export stated "1992-2007 / 15 Years", while the cap for the IPA read "Est. 1994." But according to their website, their brewpub started in 1992, while the brewery itself began putting out a larger variety in 1994. Case closed.

At the end of the evening, I also sampled the Old Thumper, which is a Ringwood Brewery/Shipyard production, and loved it. Didn't take many notes on it, just absorbed for what it was and marked it as "tasty" in the memory bank.

But I must say, I'm officially enamored with the Ringwood yeast strain and Shipyard Brewery now that I've connected the dots.

Here's to knowing nothing!

Mergers & Acquisitions

Let me preface this post by issuing a disclaimer: this is more industry news about Heineken. You have been forewarned.

On Tuesday I mentioned Heineken's purchase of Drinks Union in the Czech Republic. Something that hadn't occurred to me was all the buying and expansion happening elsewhere. In that post, I also included Carlsberg's previous acquisition of Baltika in the Scottish & Newcastle deal. So how about some more Russian beer news?

Apparently, Heineken is planning to invest in its Volga Brewery, to the tune of €117 million, or about $182 million. The Volga Brewery produces Russian beer brands PIT, Okhota, and Bochkarev, which ranked in the top 20 Russian brands by Interbrand Zintzmeyer & Lux in 2007. However, the report also indicated that Bochkarev was on the decline last year.

By ramping up funds for improving efficiency and marketing, Heineken may yet become an even bigger player in the Russian beer market, and could revive brands that need assistance. They've already got their hands in several cookie jars there, such as Ivan Taranov Breweries and Stepan Razin, through the acquisition of St. Petersburg's Bravo International.

So while Carlsberg is getting a big slice of the Russian pie with Baltic Beverage Holdings, Heineken wants its slice to get bigger. And with this investment, that may well happen.

Furthermore, after agreeing to a joint venture with Diageo and Namibia Breweries Ltd. in South Africa earlier this month, they've already broken ground on a new brewery just outside Johannesburg. The city's economic daily Business Day reported that the DNH Drinks venture needed to complete the project as soon as possible because of the costs of importing Amstel into the country, according to analyst Chris Gilmour, and the facility is expected to be finished by the end of 2009.

At the end of the article, Mr. Gilmour alludes to the possibilty of a joint venture with Anheuser-Busch for the 2010 World Cup being held in South Africa. What better way to accommodate all those thirsty football fans than with a new megabrewery? Definitely a smart move on Heienken's part.

But with so many lucrative deals going on these days, it's hard to keep track of it all.

I took a little creative license with the cartoon at the top. My glib attempt at humor.

An Imperial Line-up

Tonight was a night I had planned just for me. After having put in extra work on the job for several consecutive days, it was time for a much deserved reward. And that, my friends, was a little college basketball and a Troegs Nugget Nectar vertical.

That's right, from '06 to '08: three years of Nuggety Nectary magic.

Ever since my friend Marty shared a year-old one of these babies with me two years ago, I've been plotting on my own little vertical tasting. After drinking most of the stock I acquired in 2006, as tasty as it was, I had one remaining survivor. And tonight, he'd live no longer.

Let's start at the beginning, shall we? First up was the 2006, and I gave it time to open up. There was a noticeable caramel malt presence, smelling sweet and toffee-like. Minimal on the hop aromas, but a mellowed Nugget scent came through, almost adding an earthy aroma. Also, it had an herbal quality, but only slightly and in the vein of dried sage. It actually resembled a Barleywine in the bouquet, for all intents and purposes.

On the initial sip, the first thing that stuck out was the relaxed carbonation, making the beer slide effortlessly across the palate and, because of the age, not leaving really anything behind. Overall, this beer was soft but still tasty in its own right, mostly the delicate toffee flavors that appeared toward the middle and finish. To make somewhat of a leap, it's kind of like drinking a Werther's Original with a faint, grassy hop flavor, but with no real bitterness of which to speak.

Moving on to the 2007 vintage, I found more of that earthy hop aroma, but with a stronger sense of, dare I say, animal urine. Sounds odd, but to be precise, it's really a complex and herbal smell, with not so much of the toffee and malt coming through. There was more liveliness in regards to the hop profile, which was almost spicy, and the grassy notes had been ratcheted up a notch.

Again, very light in body, with carbonation at a minimum, although a hair more than the 2006. A more robust, albeit flattened, hop profile came through in the taste, with the tiniest hint of bitterness in the finish. Malt sweetness was diminutive here as well, but there was a general easy-drinking balance that allowed the hops to take center stage; all the taste, but very little bitterness involved.

Lastly we arrive at this year's version. Here's where the hops showed up, not surprisingly. There were nice grassy, herbal hop notes in the nose, with a grapefruit citrus flair, but not too strong. A maltier backbone is detected, making for an even more complex and engaging bouquet.

This was even more balanced fresh than I recall, which makes me think it was a good reason to do a vertical tasting. It completely mirrored its aromatics: the herbal and spicy complexity blending with the sweet, amber malt side for an impeccable balance. Carbonation was more perky, drawing attention to the hops, but at the same time emphasizing their subtlety. Oddly enough, the finishing bitterness seemed identical to the 2007, which I hadn't expected.

I've always found Nugget Nectar from Troegs to be a fascinating seasonal release, but have only come to truly appreciate it with this vertical tasting. While I doubt it would be worth much after more than two years of cellaring, it certainly offered some perspective on how it ages over time. The next time you pick some up, drink it fresh, then stash some for a year. You'll be amazed at the results.

Mutual Distrust

Could all this talk of market saturation be just that, talk? According to the ever-observant BrewBlog from Miller, Anheuser-Busch plans on rolling out some new styles under the Michelob brand name. Here we go, this is A-B's official take on Crafting a Better Beer.

The four styles Anheuser-Busch has applied for are as follows: Michelob Brown Ale, Michelob Red Ale, Michelob Bohemian Pilsner, and... wait for it... wait for itttt..... Michelob Dunkel Weisse!

I have no idea what they'll taste like, and frankly, I'd like to get my hands on some when it becomes available. Not having tasted any of them yet, I'm going to go ahead and spout off about them anyway. Don't like it? Start your own blog then.

First off, I see a strong parallel to the Miller Lite Brewers Collection, by offering styles that would seemingly appear to a large portion of the general beer-drinking population. Can't fault them for that, I guess. They are commercial brewing juggernauts after all, and their goal is to move some units. Tapping into the craft beer segment is a wise decision for their purposes.

For some reason, I'm holding out hope. I don't know why, but I feel like this could be a more palatable answer to Miller's two-pronged "lite" and "craft" approach. By not focusing on appealing to two different groups, it appears they're targeting one in particular: the trade-uppers. Sure, Michelob is technically an "Amber Ale" already, so how much different or phenomenal could the "Red Ale" be? And okay, maybe adding "Bohemian" in front of the word Pilsner may be slick marketing to draw people away from the "True Pilsner" that is Miller Lite. I don't know, I'm no marketing genius.

The cynic in me wants to be doubtful, but the beer lover in me wants to remain hopeful.

Second, a Dunkel Weisse?! There's this voice inside me saying, "This might not be half bad." If you were competing with Blue Moon, Pyramid, and potentially this new Miller Lite Brewers Collection (one of which is an American Wheat Ale), wouldn't you want to crank it up a notch? Make a dark wheat beer, and minds are blown. Sure, it could just be a little food coloring added to the mix, or it could be a tastier take on an American wheat-style beer. Only time will tell.

At the moment, the label approval will be for kegs only, but we may see bottles coming down the pipeline if the reception is positive and sales are successful. These four new beers will add to an already fairly diverse Michelob portfolio, but if they're anything like their predecessors, we probably shouldn't be expecting too much.

It seems to me, if you're marketing something to craft beer lovers, you'd better step your game up. However, if you're marketing something to the general beer-drinking public as "craft" in order to boost sales and/or command a premium price, you're going to piss off a lot of beer geeks who probably aren't buying your products anyway.

Is that the defintion of "win-win" or "mutual distrust"?

One Big Heine

It looks like Dutch brewing powerhouse Heineken has swallowed up more smaller, weaker prey. This time, it's Drinks Union in the Czech Republic.

Already owners of the Starbrono and Krušovice brands, Heineken is looking to increase their market share in the Czech Republic, a country they deem to be rife with potential for expansion. This move essentially gives Heineken 12 percent of the market share in the Czech Republic, although the price tag for the deal has yet to be revealed. Some people have had a problem with it for a while.

With Denmark's Carlsberg successfully gaining control of Baltika through Baltic Beverage Holdings (BBH) as part of the deal for Scottish & Newcastle, Heineken has the opportunity to expand in a market that has yet to be fully tapped.

Both moves appear to be quite shrewd and well thought-out, as Eastern Europe seems to be ripe for the picking, so to speak. With a multitude of industrial-style lagers already saturating the place, it seems like a conglomeration of these breweries is a logical fit. This is not to say that all Eastern European lagers fall into this camp, just that it mirrors other countries in terms of sales of the cheaper, more commercial variety (see: the United States).

The danger is losing the variety of more traditional and exceptional beer being produced in these countries. I know, the whole "sky is falling" argument again. But really, I'm hoping to get to Prague in May, and I'm looking forward to sampling all it has to offer, especially when it comes to beer. I may be romanticizing the situation a bit, but it's a little disheartening to hear about the narrowing beer market in places historically associated with certain beers and styles, veritable Meccas of fermented grain.

Alas, that seems to be the path we're on these days.

Going Grès

At the aforementioned Dogfish Head beer and cheese pairing I sampled a formidable French cow's milk cheese that hailed from Lorraine in northeast France. Bordering its sister region Alsace as well as Germany, Lorraine is also home to Les Brasseurs de Lorraine, located in Pont-à-Mousson. Two local favorites when it comes to cheese are Alsatian Munster and Grès des Vosges, which are both aromatic cow's cheeses with pink rinds.

The Grès des Vosges had originally been paired with the Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA, which I thought went well, but for some reason I thought I could do better. Opening the wrapping, my nostrils were filled with the smell of onion and sharp farmhouse scents, and I'm kicking myself for not pairing this with a saison or a gueuze. Tonight I've opened up the Southern Tier Hoppe instead, hoping to see how a balanced pale ale that's been kicked up a notch (much like the 90 Minute) will tackle the creaminess and the funky flavors simultaneously.

The idea behind this is to see if this pairing will work based on what I imagine the key flavors to be. With no real idea as to how to pair such an obscure cheese, I'm sort of grabbing at straws here. Should I get something that would work better with a brie, or perhaps a beer that might pick up the more subtle, meaty and nutty notes? Let's just say I've got Hoppe.

Biting into the cheese, I'm struck by how much funkier and onion-like it is, in addition to being quite creamy. My palate is immediately coated in a thick layer of fat as the softness of the cheese provides a lot of cover. Sipping on the Hoppe, the carbonation cuts through most of the viscous cheese and the sharpness of the piney hops parries the tangy taste. A sweet, caramel-like malt flavor brings up the rear, but seems more out of place than I had anticipated and doesn't seem to fulfill the role I had envisioned.

While the Hoppe is a solid example of balanced brewing, being an "Imperial Extra Pale Ale", it doesn't quite rise to the challenge of the Grès des Vosges. The cheese is just a hair too formidable for the beer, which I think is due to my underestimation of the cheese when I first sampled it. All it requires is a swig or two more of the Hoppe and that does the trick, but I feel I could do better with the pairing.

Who knows, I may try this with a Saison Dupont soon and give you the results. Although I'll bet an offering from Les Brasseurs de Lorraine would be unstoppable; a veritable beer terroir, if you will.

Sense and Sensibility

In an attempt to avoid sounding like a crotchety old man, and perhaps risking sounding like a sell-out, I'm going to applaud Australian brewers Foster's and Lion Nathan for deciding to pull alcoholic energy drinks from the market. Aimed at RTD (Ready To Drink) products with higher alcohol contents and alcoholic beverages with additives such as taurine or caffeine, Foster's will cap their RTDs at 7% abv. Both Foster's Group and Lion Nathan are limiting the container volume and completely ceasing production of these malternative energy drinks, in an effort to curb irresponsible drinking by promoting a culture of moderation.

I can't say I've ever been a huge fan of these sorts of drinks, and I've expressed my opinion about them in this very space before. But I do understand that people enjoy sugary alcoholic drinks, like ready-made margaritas or "hard" lemonade. My question is: why the energy boost? If you need a pick-me-up, drink some coffee, or better yet, take a nap. And if that's the case, should you really be consuming a lot of alcohol?

The 7% cap on these particular RTDs may seem like a neo-Prohibitionist act here in the US, but remember, it's self-imposed by Foster's, and it's not like they're brewing up world-renowned Tripels either. Therefore, I give Kudos to their efforts and would like to see some of the larger outfits around here follow suit. Although I realize some may not be able to survive without their B-to-the-E.


UPDATE: Just came across another article related to the alcoholic energy drink craze. Drink it up.

Thirsty Thursday

All day I had been looking forward to checking out the Dogfish Head tasting down at River City Cellars. A local gourmet shop that primarily focuses on wine, River City Cellars also features a cache of select craft beer in addition to superb cheeses. Not only did they have a variety of Dogfish Head products for sale, poured by a brewery rep (now legal again!), but they also had a small sampling of cheese to pair with each beer.

First up was the Aprihop with a cheese from Spain called Drunken Goat. The pairing was decent enough, but it didn't really sing to me, so to speak. The Red & White, however, went splendidly with an Australian blue cheese called Roaring 40's Blue, with the fruity flavors of orange and Pinot Noir juxtaposed against the formidable funk of the cheese. Raison d'Etre and Black & Blue were paired adequately with a French cow cheese and an Italian sheep cheese respectively.

The standout for me was the 90 Minute IPA with the Gres des Vosges French cow cheese. Talk about buttery, this stuff coated the palate like no other, and the 90 Minute was just the ticket for such a fatty cheese. I was so impressed, I left the 90 Minute and picked up just the cheese to try with other Imperial IPAs to see how it does.

Lastly came the Burton Baton, a beer I had yet to try. This beer is a blend of the 90 Minute with an oak-aged English strong ale, and while it didn't seem incredibly standout, there was enough of a unique quality to it that I bought a four-pack in order to sit down with a bottle in the near future. I'm wondering if the plethora of flavors on my tongue got in the way of tasting this one at the end of the line.

And sadly, there wasn't any Palo Santo Marron to be found. Trust me, I asked. But there was some good news. While apparently Maryland and DC have already gotten label approval, Virginia just recently did so, but we should be seeing some by the end of April. I don't want to build my expectations too high, but I'm interested to see what the eccentric mind of Sam Calagione has come up with lately.

Nevertheless, after retiring to my abode, I whipped up a simple Italian meal and settled in to watch some first-round March Madness action. At the tasting, I also picked up a 3 year-old Gouda that I sampled with Steve for the last beer and cheese pairing we conducted. It didn't make the cut last time around, but only because we had a Gouda at the previous event. Still, I had been craving this cheese for a while, and decided to spring for a small wedge.

I sliced up some cubes and paired them with a Geary's London Porter, which is brewed in Maine mind you, to see what magic they could make together. Although I was a bit wary, to be honest, because at that first pairing, the other aged (but still younger) Gouda we all tried went remarkably well with a Fuller's ESB. Could I be getting too malty for my own good here?

The answer was "no". Geary's London Porter always strikes me as a well-balanced, easy drinking porter with not too much roasted malt and a lighter body. There are some sweeter, almost toffee-like notes that paired nicely with the more intense nutty and buttery taste of the cheese, like a complementary relationship, with one side making up in the places the other lacks. Not that either lack anything as far as taste goes, but you get my drift; good accompaniment. The carbonation battled the delicious saltiness and lifted the fat and proteins that coated the tongue. A solid pairing, even for going a little out on a limb.

If you ask me, this kind of Thursday needs to happen more often.

The Numbers Don't Lie

Come November, for whom will you cast your vote in the presidential election? If you're a beer drinker, chances are you're voting for Senator John McCain.

Conversely, wine drinkers would prefer to cast their ballot for Senators Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama. But somehow, I don't feel so sure that these poll numbers add up. Voters that prefer beer give McCain an edge over Clinton, but are dead even when he matches up to Obama. Furthermore, the article states that "28 percent of all Americans say they prefer beer to wine and 31 percent say they would rather have a glass of wine than a bottle of brew. (The rest claim that they never drink under any circumstances.)"

It could be that I don't have enough of a statistical background, or am just really out of touch with my fellow citizens, but that would mean that 41% of all Americans never drink alcohol. Supposing, for argument's sake, that the adult population of drinking age in the United States is 225 million exactly (as I'm assuming they're talking about all Americans age 21 or older). We're talking about 92,250,000 teetotalers. Could that be accurate, almost half the drinking-age population never drinking alcohol in any form?

I guess these little blurbs are fun facts to throw into the seriousness of political debate, like the question, Who Do You Want to Have a Beer With? And perhaps, as someone who's more of a beer pedant than the general populace, I look a little too in-depth at innocuous things such as this.

But further in this article from CNN is the assertion that these divergent perspectives "are really matters of gender and class – men are big beer drinkers while women prefer wine over beer, as do higher-income Americans and college graduates." To me, this hints the wine-snob connotation in the public eye.

Maybe I've been reading too much Garrett Oliver or something, but I find the historical association with wine and sophistication to be a near unshakable perception that's completely misguided; almost as if anyone who is wealthy or college educated or both should grow out of their "beer phase." Ergo, something expensive automatically translates into good taste. Anyone in the wine world could refute that argument almost immediately when it comes to their precious vino, much of which can be purchased at reasonable prices (yes, even for the good stuff).

I'm ranting, aren't I? Alright then, let me distill my thoughts here. First, I'm in no way endorsing any presidential candidate, but using this political article to bolster my point. Which brings me to my second item, that even though craft brewing in America is experiencing what some may consider a renaissance, there's still a long way to go in terms of public perception and acceptance.

As I've said before, beer should not become or attempt to become the "new wine," but it does deserve a lot more respect.

Legalese

Tom Cizauskas over at Yours For Good Fermentables is now able to pour some Clipper City at gourmet shops all around our great Commonwealth. Turns out, he wasn't able to do so before.

I don't know about you, but I think it's great to be able to sample the wares of someone who knows the ins and outs of their product. Sure, there's a goal to sell something, and someone who isn't a brewery representative could be just as knowledgeable. But still, I'm always up for the insight of a person who's got a hand in the success of the business, because chances are they have all sorts of brewing tidbits and gems to impart.

As a matter of fact, the Virginia General Assembly has been tackling alcohol-related issues left and right this session. Canal boat operators can get licenses to serve alcohol to passengers, letting people imbibe freely on the waterways (as long as they're not navigating). Amphitheatres and arenas in Roanoke can now sell wine and beer to patrons.

And, interestingly enough, in my brief online browsing session I looked over the town charter for Bowling Green, which actually has this stipulation:

...to regulate, control, license and/or tax the manufacture, bottling, sale,
distribution, transportation, handling, advertising, possession, dispensing,
drinking and use of alcohol, brandy, rum, whiskey, gin, wine, beer, lager beer,
ale, porter, stout...

Who knew such a small town would be up on their beer styles?