Category: I would love to taste,,,

These are the beers that I wish I could taste for the first time.

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100 for Karl


“Karl M. Strauss would have celebrated his 100th birthday on October 5th and Karl Strauss Brewing Company is honoring San Diego’s Godfather of Beer with the re-release of his namesake and favorite—Karl Strauss Amber. Karl sparked the craft beer renaissance in San Diego back in 1989 when he helped two gutsy kids open the city’s first craft brewery in more than 50 years.

He was born in a brewery in Minden, Germany, studied brewing at Weihenstephan University, worked for Pabst for 44 years, but is most remembered for his unwavering commitment to quality that helped lay a foundation for San Diego as a leading craft beer destination. To pay homage to the man who wrote the recipe and inspired a local craft beer movement, the company redesigned the Amber packaging featuring a hand-sketched image of Karl from his younger days.”

I am kind of amazed that they didn’t do this earlier then do an imperialized version for the 100th. But an honor is an honor.

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A Nouveau IPA


I had the good fortune to be taken up mountain to Tommyknocker during my last GABF visit and I enjoyed both the atmosphere of the surrounding area and the beers. And add in the use of local hops for their latest terroir style IPA and I just might visit their booth at this year’s GABF.

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Past Masters


Dogfish Head has resurrected a few ancient recipes but it is good to see that the folks at Fuller’s (teamed with Ron Pattinson) have dug into their own backyard to bring back some old recipes from their archives.

As their website explains, “The Brew Book has been the bible of brewing at Fuller’s since 1845. Every recipe of every beer ever brewed at the Griffin Brewery has been recorded in meticulous details, documenting the profound skills of generations of Master Brewers.

Today’s Master Brewer, John Keeling, will be recreating a number of epic ales, named ‘Past Masters’, with those precise recipes from the Brew Book.

Sourcing ingredients as close as possible to those originally used, each Past Master will be brewed with traditional techniques to recreate a truly authentic taste.

Only one Past Masters beer will be brewed in a single batch for each release. Each will be unique in its character, and will be a very special opportunity for beer lovers to taste the beer of our forefathers.”

And these are the first two beers made:
“XX Strong Ale
The first beer in the Past Masters series we have chosen to recreate is XX, a strong ale which is perfect for bottle conditioning. Brewed at 7.5% ABV, with the original recipe first used on September 2, 1891, it is dark, rich and full flavoured, with a distinctly warming character.

XX is deeply satisfying, and an unforgettable experience for those who love traditional English beer.

Double Stout
Past Masters Double Stout is the second in the series, brewed to a recipe from 4th August 1893 – a time when ‘stout’ meant ‘strong’. Its signature ingredient is Plumage Archer barley, carefully malted and kilned using 19th Century methods. Dark, brown and creamy this beer is brewed to 7.4% ABV and balances a rich fruity aroma with smoky, bittersweet chocolate notes.”

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a year round Almanac

One of the more interesting brewery and beer release schedules comes from Almanac Brewing. They have done three different beers timed to the seasons with different seasonal produce. Now they are coming out with year round beers!

“Our Honey Saison and Extra Pale Ale are the first farm-to-bottle Almanac brews available year-round in convenient 12oz. bottles. Perfectly balanced, these beers are brewed with California barley, hand-selected additions from local farms, citrusy hops and a touch of oak. Whether shared with friends over a celebratory dinner or afternoon picnic, we invite you to enjoy a new line of beers that could only come from California. Now available in 4-packs of 12oz bottles and on draft.”

Honey Saison : 4.8%ABV
“Our Honey Saison is a beer for all seasons. Brewed with Bay Area honey from Marshall Farms, wheat, California two-row barley and fresh, local ginger root for a hint of spice. Balanced with earthy Mount Hood and Saaz hops and finished with a touch of French oak, this is a refreshing brew enjoyed best with your favorite seasonal fare.”

Extra Pale Ale : 6.0% ABV
“Our Belgian-style Extra Pale Ale is brewed with heaps of sweet Mandarin oranges from Blossom Bluff Farms and California two-row barley. We dry-hop with generous doses of aromatic Cascade and Columbus hops and finish the beer with a hint of lightly toasted American oak.”

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Providence


Looks like Trader Joe’s is having Unibroue add to the private label beers that they supply with the coming soon Providential Belgian Golden Ale.

Not only can you get Unibroue branded beers at a discount at the chain there private label offerings are an absolute steal for the high quality you get. Just avoid the Boatswain beers. Not good.

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A Keg of Trolls


One of the packaging options that I wish I saw more of is the tiny keg. It makes buying great craft beer a bit easier to both carry and to afford and one option for this fall season is to pick up a very unique 5L Keg of Cuvee des Trolls.

The importers have this description, “Made with all blond malts and a hint of orange peel, Trolls is hazy blond. It has a lovely, fresh doughy aroma with a light but distinctly malty body, and bright orange notes. Perfect for Halloween!”

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St. Sebastian


Just the other day I was attempting to explain craft beer bottle sizes to an interested but not “into” craft beer person who was with me up until my switch from 22ounce bombers to 750mililiter large format bottles. I am glad I didn’t go into details on the ceramic bottles like the ones used by Brouwerij Sterkens for their St. Sebastiaan line (or the fact that there are two “A”s in Sebastiaan)
Thankfully Belgian styles don’t need too much explaining especially the blonde, strong Belgian pale and Dubbel in these huge “crocks” that I have started to see at local BevMo’s in L.A.

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Enlighten Me


Urban Chestnut in Missouri has begun the Enlightenment Series with Kaldis Coffee Sertãozinho Weiss. Which the label describes thusly, “The very specific purpose of our first coffee-bier collaboration was to unequivocally break the convention of traditional heavy-roasted, dark coffee beers. To do this we’ve taken a berry-nosed and earthy Brazilian coffee (Sertãozinho) and merged it with a traditional, clove and banana-estered, Bavarian Wheat Beer (Weissbier). The result – a stimulating infusion marked by overtones of sweet and tart fruit balanced by a subtle-but-not-bitter roast of rich tannins.”

I like to see specialty ingredients break away from one style and start spreading around. If the roast on the coffee is good then this could be a winner.

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15K


I am amazed whenever I see the longevity of some breweries and also of the brewers that man the kettles. I may not want to go near the Beard Beer but it is fantastic that John Maier has been brewing for so long.
“1 Brewer. 1 Brewery. 15,000 Brews: In 1989 John Maier started at the Rogue Ales Brewery in Newport, Oregon and was there for the very first Rogue brew – so began one of the longest standing relationships in the craft brewing industry. To commemorate 23 years, 900+ awards, and 15,000 batches Rogue is releasing 1515 bottles of BREW 15,000. This Belgian Stout will be available through a limited release on www.rogue.com – each bottle will be hand numbered and signed by John. Stay tuned for date of availability…”