Follow Sean Inman to the best in craft beer
I am going through a bit of a phase where I am in search of traditional solid examples of styles. I enjoy the creative impulse that brewers are following but it seems to be a bit aggressive at times. Maybe a plain Wit won’t sell even with the combined might of Terrapin and New Belgium but why make a Dark Wit, then add rye, then “Imperialize” it and then barrel age it? Seems over the top to me. The Rye Wit sounds better to me.
Once in a while, the bigger players in the beer industry make a good commercial. Just Google Anna Kendrick + Beer for one such example. Usually though, it is for bad beer. Maybe both boxes can be ticked off in this example though.
Newcastle is starting a collaboration series across Europe. They are starting with Caledonian for a Scotch Ale and have noted beer geek and home brewer and Stone fan, Wil Wheaton to pitch the beer.
…and….
Not a huge fan of the artwork on the Jester King labels but I have to admit the liquid within is usually pretty tasty and I like the chutzpah of the extremely long name. Which translates from German to English as, “collaboration beer with Czech hops, wild yeast, and bacteria”. The partner in this farmhouse beer is Live Oak from Austin, known for their German/Czech beers. And I also like that this was brewed in one brewery and the yeast added in another. I know how hard logistics can be with beer so the fact that they added this extra step is pretty cool. And as I mention, repeatedly, I hope to see bottles in LA if Texas doesn’t buy it all up.
Maybe it is because I will be going up to Portland soon, or that Breakside won gold in the IPA category at the Great American Beer Festival but I really want to try this beer.
Oh right, that’s why this made my mouth water, Toro Bravo. Potatoes Bravo and their Melon Salad are awesome. I am a big fan of restaurant and brewer collaborations. I think it kicks more ideas loose because there is a shared vocabulary but still there are major differences between chef and brewer.
I was so busy reading the label of this 30 Years – 30 Beers collaboration between Widmer and Gigantic that I didn’t research the beer itself before taking a sip.
Boy, was I surprised because this is a tart and super fruity beer. I saw hoppy on the label and expected IPA but got a sour instead. Once that initial shock wore off, I was quite taken with this beer. Grapefruit pith, mango and fruit punch. Loads of acidity here too. The aroma carries no hint of it. Just barnyard funk. Twice I was lulled into thinking something else was coming.
Whatever position you hold in the craft v crafty debate, this beer should be tasted to be believed. Really top notch.
Ommegang brewmaster Phil Leinhart is the latest to join Steven Pauwels the brewmaster at Boulevard for a collaborative brew. And befitting the Belgian background of these two Belgian owned breweries they have gone the Saison route. They brewed up a batch of wort wand split it into two fermentors. One had Boulevard’s primary Belgian yeast strain pitched into it, and the other got Ommegang’s house yeast strain. Then the two now different beers were blended into one, Collaboration No. 4. Oh and some sweet orange peel, lemon peel, coriander and grains of paradise were added in which is very wit-ish. Maybe it’s a new hybrid? SaiWit. Witson?
I will be reviewing ALL 13 of the special Sierra Nevada Beer Camp collaborations this month. I had my non-drinking wife randomly select the order and the next beer on the docket is from Bell’s Brewery, Maillard’s Odyssey.
I think I have a contender for favorite. The MO pours similar to the previous Double Latte. A very dark brown with an espresso head. But then it veers off as I get a crazy mix of flavors. Coffee. Chocolate. Fig. And even a bracing dose of hops.
And it is very zippy. Not viscous or syrupy at all. At the end I start getting a slight burnt char flavor that just stacks on top of the rest to form a really interesting brew. This beer and the New Glarus were the most anticipated in my mind because we don’t get them here in LA and this works great.
I have not been a big fan of Stone hop bombs. Probably a palate thing on my part. They just seem muddled to me. Whereas their GoTo Session and Enjoy By seem simpler and tastier. But this collaboration has me intrigued because it brings three distinct brewers together. Plus I think the world of Julian Shrago of Beachwood, so I will be getting this just for his 1/3 contribution.
The legend of the traveling dairy tank grows and is now immortalized in milk stout form with the collaboration of Eagle Rock with AleSmith.
As it was explained by the ERB, “Several years ago, AleSmith was kind enough to sell us their old brewhouse when they were upgrading to a new one and it seemed fitting pay homage to these tanks history by brewing a style that employs lactose sugar derived from milk.”
The new collab pours dark with a creamy head to it. Getting a mixture of chocolate and tar that really works together. But beware this does not taste 10% at all. It is a strong one that catches up with you while you are having your next round. It is also very smooth as opposed to lactose sweet. This is not only a pretty beer but a nice sipper. Makes me want more beers from both breweries.
Thanks to the kindness of the people at Coronado Brewing and Coronado PR, I got to taste the second of the collaborations between San Diego and Tampa’s Cigar City Brewing.
Jurata is a Baltic-esque / Polish version of the mermaid. Akin to the one gracing the Coronado labels but in much colder waters than San Diego.
Now I have had a few Cigar City collaborative beers thanks to Congregation Ale House having a special night but this is probably the best of the bunch. I did not care for the Widmer Gentleman’s Club beers (especially at their price point) and the Tropical Tripel was a mess.
Jurata pours a dark brown with hints of black. There is tons of lacing as the head recedes. Smells almost like a milk stout. Notes of sweet chocolate are first on the scene. The taste adds a touch of smoke to the equation which tones down that milk chocolate domination and the carbonation really helps in that regard as well. Hint of cigar in there too. With a touch less sweetness would be rated even higher.
Later this year, I will be able to compare this against the Eagle Rock Brewing / Maltose Falcons version
