You should be getting the hang of this by now go here to read my column about the beers of autumn.
You can also read up on the The Bruery, Beachwood, Pizza Port and Stone adventure here.
09/09/09
Thank you Daily Pint for pouring the latest Vertical Epic from Stone! More on that in a bit. First, I have to say, that I really like Stone beers in French Oak. I had Arrogant Bastard from the Daily Pint handpump and it was smooth and hoppy with spice notes that could also make it a session beer. Of course, I recommended it to various people and they were taken aback. Presumably due to the lack of arrogance.
On to the Epic. It pours dark black and almost has the espresso head on it. It has spice notes and roasted notes and is easy to drink at first. Then the alcohol swoops in and it becomes more of a sipper. I am not a big dark beer fan but this is a complex beer with multiple flavors swirling in the glass.
photo courtesy of Richard Rosen
Tips for the newbie
I will be attending the Great American Beer Festival for the very first time this year. So if anyone out there on the interwebs has any tips or suggestions or advice. Hit me with it.
And if anyone wants to say hello or talk, I will be at the Rare Beer Event on Friday and if all goes according to plan, at the merchandise table on Saturday. I am really excited to get to know more beer geeks and drink in the atmosphere of this event.
1,525 and counting
According to the Brewers Association…
“At a time when many of the giant beer brands are declining, small and independent craft brewers are organically growing their share and slowly gaining shelf and restaurant menu space one glass of craft beer at a time.”
Beer menu for Search Party Canned beer tasting
So here is the menu….
We start with 21st Amendment Watermelon Wheat. A nice wheat beer with the refreshing taste of watermelon. When I tell people about this beer, they usually wince and say it must be bad. Then I pour it and opinions change.
Second is Caldera Pale Ale. A classic hoppy pale ale from Ashland. It is an excellent beer to push people to try who are stuck in lager land.
Third will be Moose Drool from Big Sky. An excellent amber/brown ale. Easy to drink with a lot of flavor.
Lastly, Siamese Twin from Uncommon Brewers. A strong yet spicy Belgian ale. Very complex.
If you are in New Orleans….
…you should check out Abita’s bar hops. It is a much classier way to sample the bars and hangouts of the Big Easy while sipping on a Satsuma beer.
If you are in North East Portland …
…then you should check out this event. Lompoc makes some good beer. LSD is one of my personal favorites. Even the roasty smoky beer has piqued my interest.
PORTLAND, Ore. – Sept. 4, 2009 – The brewers at Lompoc Brewing are welcoming autumn with a release party of their newest seasonal, Lompoc Oktoberfest. The event will take place Sept. 11 from 4 to 9 p.m. at the Sidebar, Lompoc’s new tasting room located at 3901A N. Williams.
Staying true to the theme, the evening will feature a buffet of sausages and snacks, as well as five other specialty and barrel fermented beers, and the opportunity to mingle with the Lompoc brewers.
Pale orange in color, Lompoc Oktoberfest features a clean malt flavor artfully balanced by a touch of Perle hops. A portion of the grains used was roasted in the oven at Lompoc’s Fifth Quadrant restaurant, giving the beer a slight biscuity flavor. The beer is 5% ABV and 15 IBUs. Lompoc Oktoberfest will be on draft in all five of Lompoc’s pubs beginning Sept. 14.
Party attendees will also have the opportunity to preview tasters of Monster Mash, Lompoc’s Halloween seasonal. An imperial porter, Monster Mash is a dark ale with strong chocolate and roast flavors and a touch of red fruit. It weighs in at 8% ABV and 50 IBUs.
Other beers on the menu include Smoked Gold, a twist on the brewery’s popular Fool’s Gold that includes the addition of beechwood smoked malt for a subtle note of wood smoke (4.6% ABV, 16 IBU); Flower of the Gods IPA, a summer seasonal hopped with Simcoe and Tettnangers for a slight citrus flavor followed by a spicy finish (6.4% ABV, 60 IBU); Barrel Fermented Red, Lompoc’s Proletariat Red 100% fermented in a vintage white English oak barrel for a malty and full bodied ale with a deep, rich red color and a slight touch of oak (6.2% ABV, 45 IBU); and Bourbon Barrel Aged LSD, a deep mahogany strong ale crafted with seven specialty malts, then aged in bourbon barrels for three months and cellared for an additional 10 (6.9% ABV, 58 IBU).
Funny beer news to start your week
from the Associated Press…
Heineken cracks down on tiny Swiss “Keineken”
AMSTERDAM — Swiss police have seized 1,000 bottles of locally made “Keineken” beer after the Dutch beer giant Heineken NV complained its brand was being infringed.
The name “Keineken” appears to be a pun in German meaning “No Heineken.”
Heineken spokesman Jeroen Breuer said Tuesday a judge in the Swiss canton of Obwalden ordered police to seize the brew after agreeing Keineken infringed the Heineken brand.
Breuer said Heineken doesn’t consider the size of its opponents when its brand is being misused.
“Whether the name is a joke or a way of getting publicity — those are questions for them to answer,” he said.
A note on Keineken’s Web site complains that foreign companies have “swallowed” all Switzerland’s independent brewers.
“Our name says it all: Keineken.”
Echigo Stout review
My mystery dark beer reviewer has this to say about another Japanese beer…
“Nice dark chocolate almost black color. Pretty hefty alcohol smell. 7% abv. Nice rich taste. Fairly full mouth feel. First after taste was pretty bitter but as I drank more the flavors melded nicely. Nice lacing on the glass as well. Drank after an green enchilada dinner while airing out my ole filled house. There’s little doubt that my taste buds have been influenced by my surroundings.
Even though I have only had 2 Japanese beers, they both seem somehow lighter and brighter than the us and Brit beers I’ve had.”
German Beer hall
from the L.A. Times…
Schnitzel, pretzels and beer!
German restaurant Schmidt’s Brauhaus is scheduled to open downtown this fall, serving regional favorites, including sausages, schnitzels and pretzels in a 7,000-square-foot space at Olympic Boulevard near Olive Street. There will be a biergarten separate from the dining area. Also, a new supper club called First & Hope is scheduled to open in the fall — at 1st and Hope streets — with “modern American comfort food,” according to a release. Schmidt’s Brauhaus, 330 W. Olympic Blvd., Los Angeles; (213) 514-5354; www.schmidtsbrauhaus.com.