Follow Sean Inman to the best in craft beer
I am a big fan of beer movies. Especially ones that show me a side or place that I haven’t seen yet. Enter……
BATB Promo 3.0 from Taylor Brush on Vimeo.
Once you get past the obligatory, “Belgian beer is the best” there is a nice bit of history and discussion of the Art of Brewing which sometimes gets short shrift to the science aspect. Tim Webb is knowledgeable about Belgium to the max so I am looking forward to more of this series.
From Switzerland comes this smokey brew that utilizes Souchong tea.
“This beer was first brewed on contract by mines asphalt Travers (NE). We wanted to reconstruct the peculiar smell and smoke of asphalt using malts smoked over beech wood and with the Lapsong Tary Suchong, smoked Chinese tea grade. It is available in very limited quantities at the Brasserie. This beer is amber with a tight foam, its bouquet of smoky aroma and a different smell of caramel. On the palate it is creamy and soft on the attack, developing a bitterness and fruity smoke, marked by the astringency of the tea in China.”
New Belgium is really pushing the envelope with their Lips of Faith series. Berliner Weiss to Eric’s ale and now this…..
“Le Terroir Dry Hopped Sour Ale is the second Lips of Faith beer now available in limited markets. Le Terroir is a French term meaning “of the earth.” Used to reference the environmental conditions that affect the brew, New Belgium prefers to think about the terroir of our foeders, the wooden barrels that age sour beers in varying temperatures, humidity and vibrations. Add in another variable by dry-hopping with peachy, mango-like amarillo hops, and Le Terroir changes every time it is brewed.”
UPDATE: I had this beer recently at the Library Alehouse in Santa Monica and it is really good. Better in small doses because of the acidity but this has great hops and mango taste. It is so balanced that the sour doesn’t take over. One of my best of 2011 so far.
The second installment of Canadian breweries takes us to Half Pints Brewery in Winnipeg.
They have a Little Scrapper IPA with Amarillo and Cascade hops. As well as a brown, amber and stout. All of which are unfiltered and unpasteurized.
They also conduct “flavor training” courses and have cask ale nights.
This month we run the stylistic gamut from a brown ale with coconut, to an IPA with juniper to a collaborative Scotch Ale.
Click the link above, then click it again and a PDF should pop up that you can print out and hand directly to the beer store clerk.
A Beer in the Hand is my featured blogger of the month.
This is what first caught my eye on the site:
BrewDog Abstrakt AB:01
BrewDog Abstrakt AB:02
BrewDog Abstrakt AB:03
BrewDog Abstrakt AB:04
Limited edition beers are like catnip to me but then I started reading the posts too and they are really good and have some home brew information that I sorely lack.
So take a read.
In my interweb browsing, I came across this tidbit from way back in February…..
“Today, U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer announced that he is joining more than 20 bipartisan colleagues to introduce legislation that will cut the excise tax on small breweries in half, helping small brewers across New York reinvest in their business, hire new employees, and revitalize downtown communities. Currently, brewers pay a $7 excise tax for the first 60,000 barrels they brew per year. Under the BEER Act that Schumer will introduce, that rate is slashed to $3.50 per barrel, resulting in potential savings of $210,000 per year for the brewery. The bill also cuts the tax by $2 on the next 1,940,000 barrels produced, resulting in potential savings of $3,880,000 each year. This totals over $4 million in potential annual savings for these brewers. Allowing small breweries to reinvest in their companies is good for the surrounding communities, as many build state-of-the-art structures or renovate existing buildings, preventing blight and creating good-paying jobs.
“Small breweries throughout Upstate New York not only brew great beer, they also create great jobs,” Schumer said. “By cutting taxes for these small businesses, we can help grow the economy and put more New Yorkers back to work in stable, good-paying jobs. Breweries are the crown jewels of so many of our communities, and many of them have renovated charming old warehouses in downtowns across the state. Putting more money back into these businesses will be good for economic development, good for jobs, and good for New York.””
OK, so I want you to follow this link HERE.
Now that you are back. I would love to hear any stories you have about this happening. Me being an unassuming sort, tend to not argue with the barkeep and just get a better beer.
But how does one go about getting bad beer off the tap? Do you tweet it? And if so, do you tweet that the beer is bad or just to beware that it was off tasting to you?
I would probably just inform the manager next if the barkeep does nothing and let the next level make the call.
It has been too long since I posted the specifications of a beer style for the education of myself and any interested reader and since I have two Stone Barley Wines in the ‘fridge, I decided to check out the Beer Judge Certification guidelines.
“Aroma: Very rich and intense maltiness. Hop character moderate to assertive and often showcases citrusy or resiny American varieties (although other varieties, such as floral, earthy or spicy English varieties or a blend of varieties, may be used). Low to moderately strong fruity esters and alcohol aromatics. Malt character may be sweet, caramelly, bready, or fairly neutral. However, the intensity of aromatics often subsides with age. No diacetyl.
Appearance: Color may range from light amber to medium copper; may rarely be as dark as light brown. Often has ruby highlights. Moderately-low to large off-white to light tan head; may have low head retention. May be cloudy with chill haze at cooler temperatures, but generally clears to good to brilliant clarity as it warms. The color may appear to have great depth, as if viewed through a thick glass lens. High alcohol and viscosity may be visible in “legs” when beer is swirled in a glass.
Flavor: Strong, intense malt flavor with noticeable bitterness. Moderately low to moderately high malty sweetness on the palate, although the finish may be somewhat sweet to quite dry (depending on aging). Hop bitterness may range from moderately strong to aggressive. While strongly malty, the balance should always seem bitter. Moderate to high hop flavor (any variety).”
Another first for Beervana. A not-for-profit pub!
Oregon Public House is REALLY for the public.
“The customer will purchase their food, beverage, and choose where they wish their individual proceeds will to go to from a short list of local charities. This ground-breaking model for business is literally the first of its kind and we believe this could begin a new wave of business and mission that has the possibility of changing the way we work, spend and care for our communities.”
That is some serious out of the box thinking.