The Session: Rogue's Old Crustacean

The first Friday of each month marks The Session, a chance for beer bloggers to unite and share a pint. Veteran beverage reporter Rick Lyke has graciously agreed to host this month's tasting at his blog Lyke 2 Drink. This month's theme is The Brew Zoo. Rick explains:

The Brew Zoo is the topic selected for The Session #7. The basic rule is that either the brewery or the beer must have a real live creature in its name. We will also allow beers with prominent animal label art (think Geary's Ale from Maine and its Lobster) to be added to the Brew Zoo.

After I read this, I realized that nearly every other beer had some sort of animal connection. What was I to do? As I was heading home from an appointment this afternoon, the answer came to me. I drove past Bee Gee's Mini Mart, known to have some rare beers that you can't find in other local stores. Rumor had it that they still had some of the Stone Vertical Epic 03.03.03 and 04.04.04 (gargoyles count, right?). Turns out they didn't, but they did have Rogue's Old Crustacean, vintage 2002. This was too good a find to pass up, so I picked up a few bottles and steered home.

Inspired by its name, this beer conjures nautical adventures. When it sets sail from its home port, it is an intensely hoppy beer. This vintage sits at 120 IBU, and even 5 years later, the hops bellow out like a ship full of drunken sailors, pillaging the senses. But it's also a huge beer, cresting at about 11.5% ABV. As a result, it's a hugely malty beer. Swimming beneath the hoppy chorus is a leviathan of licorice, caramel, plum, and port flavors, poised like an overgrown lobster to rise up from the depths and destroy the noisy drunkards. This will be an epic battle worthy of Melville and Verne, one that I'll gladly be following (from the shore, of course).

Technorati Tags: beer, brewing, craft brew, homebrewing, The Session, Rick Lyke, The Brew Zoo, Bee Gee's Mini Mart, Stone Vertical Epic, Rogue, Old Crustacean, barleywine, Melville, Verne, drunken sailors, crustacean

News: Raise a Toast to Michael Jackson

The brewing (and drinking) community is planning a national toast on September 30th to remember beverage literati Michael Jackson, who died last week. Details, as well as many links to remembrances of Jackson, can be found on the Beer Hunter website.

Technorati Tags: beer, brewing, craft brew, homebrewing, Michael Jackson

News: Michael Jackson is dead

Sad news for beer lovers today. Patriarch and brew luminary Michael Jackson died yesterday. Forever known as "No, not that Michael Jackson," Jackson was a world-renowned beer hunter with a huge influence over today's upsurge in craft beer appreciation.

Below are a few links to other blog posts about his death. (If you only click one of the links, check out the last one. Lew Bryson has a nicely done tribute.)

A Good Beer Blog
Appellation Beer
Brookston Beer Bulletin
Seen Through a Glass

Update: Another link, this time with a full article:
BellaOnline

Technorati Tags: beer, brewing, craft brew, homebrewing, Michael Jackson

Event: Dayton AleFest 2007

It's time once again for the Dayton AleFest. It's next Saturday, August 25th at Carillon Historic Park in Kettering, OH. This'll be my fourth year. We always have a great time--there are nearly 300 beers from about 50 breweries. Tix are $30 in advance (see Belmont Party Supply, Arrow Wine, The Little Store, Boston's Bistro), and $35 at the door. Best bet is to get your tix in advance--there's always a long line and you risk them being sold out if you wait until the day of.

Check the local bars (particularly Tank's and Boston's) for pre-parties and mass transit. I will warn you--be sure you've got a designated driver well in advance--the small samples go down quickly and easily and you'll be in no shape to drive.

Here's hoping it doesn't rain again (we're 2 for 3 on thunderstorms since I've been attending). Check this site after the event--I'll do my best to take note. (Here are my notes from last year.)

Technorati Tags: beer, brewing, craft beer, AleFest, Dayton, Joe Waizmann, beer tasting, beer culture, events, Tank's, Boston's, Arrow Wine, The Little Store

Recap: Michigan Vacation, part 1

Earlier this month, my wife and I, along with our boys, spent about 8 days in Michigan--the Midwest's Beer Mecca. We started the trip in Ann Arbor, where her sister was getting married in the historic Michigan Theater. While most of that portion of the trip was devoted to the wedding, we were able to snag some good beer and take a few trips to the local brew pubs. And the best part about being in Michigan was that virtually every bar or restaurant we went to served great, local beer on tap. In fact, the wedding itself featured Bell's Oberon on tap. Below are a few of the beer notables from Ann Arbor.

Super Liquor IV
Not much of a name, but a great selection! We were lucky enough to stay right down the road from this craft brew haven. The selection rivaled my local, Belmont Party Supply, which is quite a feat. The best part was the access to the myriad beers I couldn't get in Ohio. After long deliberation, I choose Dark Horse Brewing's Crooked Tree IPA, a solidly-built IPA with strong pine hop flavors.

Arbor Brewing Company
Friday night, Grandma watched the boys while G and I headed out to this staple brewery. The place was packed, but I think most of the folks there were somehow related to the wedding. I bounced around from relative to relative, trading tastes for the various beers. There were two cask ales on tap--an IPA and a porter, and both were excellent. I also tried the Dark Corner 2007 and the Big Ben House Mild. The Dark Corner was a huge, high-gravity beer, while the mild is something I could have ordered again and again. My wife gave her thumbs up to both the Bavarian Bliss Hefe Weizen and the Brasserie Greff Blonde.



Grizzly Peak Brewing Company
We hung around in Ann Arbor for an extra day after the wedding to check out the town. For dinner, we hit Grizzly Peak, the other local brewpub. GP has a real Colorado feel. I had a grade chicken cherry salad, paired with their Cascade Ale, which happened to be cask conditioned. And I rounded the meal off with their Bear Paw Porter. Both beers were very well-done, although it's the porter that I can still conjure the taste of weeks later.



After Ann Arbor, we headed west to Grand Haven. Look for details about our trip to Bell's and New Holland, coming soon in part 2.

Technorati Tags: beer, brewing, craft beer, Michigan, Michigan Theater, Ann Arbor, Dark Horse Brewing, Crooked Tree IPA, Super Liquor IV, Arbor Brewing, Dark Corner 2007, Big Ben House Mild, Bavarian Bliss Hefe Weizen, Brasserie Greff Blonde, Grizzly Peak, Cascade Ale, Bear Paw Porter, Bell's, Oberon, New Holland

Review: Deschutes Black Butte Porter

Deschutes Black Butte Porter is the fourth beer I sampled from my West Coast exchange with Jay at Hedonist Beer Jive. (I have made notes on the Lost Coast Great White--I just have to get around to typing them up.) Forgive the terrible photo. My wife has the camera, so I had to use my phone. Never preferred, although it's far better than I had expected.

I first heard of Deschutes the year my oldest son was born. We were visiting friends in Seattle and one of them talked a lot about Deschutes and Pyramid. Unfortunately, I tried so many beers on that trip that I have no idea which, if any, Deschutes I tried. Glad then that Jay sent along two samples (the next review will be for the Mirror Pond Pale Ale).

A quick jump over to the brewery's website reveals two things about this beer. First, it's Deschutes' flagship beers. Second, this beer has won a LOT of awards. The site also reveals a potential contradiction. Most of the awards are for Brown Porters. However, this particular beer is an exemplar in the BJCP list for a Robust Porter. What gives?

Brewery: Deschutes Brewery, Inc.
Brewery Location: Bend, Oregon
Beer: Black Butte Porter
BJCP Style: 12B. Robust Porter
Serving: Bottle

Appearance: Black, with a thick vanilla-colored head. Light does not pass through easily, and there is little apparent carbonation, aside from the head.

Smell: The nose isn't huge on this beer, as I might have expected. I pick up some faint presence of black liquorice and some roasted notes. Would have expected coffee or chocolate, but don't pick up much. Perhaps some warming vanilla.

Taste: Deep and dark; lots of roasted flavor, with some chocolate and coffee rounding it out. The chocolate and crystal malts are evident, as is some residual sweetness. The beer ranks at 30 IBUs, but the hops subside to the darker malt flavors. Some diacetyl slickness mid to swallow.

Mouthfeel: Not as full as I would have expected--it's surprisingly easy to drink. Good thing, too, since I'm drinking this in the middle of July and it's about 85 degrees outside. Almost a tad on the watery side, but the beer comes across more as refreshing than weak.

Drinkability: I think it must be the roasty, black malt flavors that push the BJCP to classify this beer as a Robust Porter. However, in other regards, it's a lot lighter and smoother on the palate than other Robust Porters I've tried. It actually reminds me of a tasty Schwartzbeer I had recently. My overall impression is that it is heavy on the roasted flavors, a little light on the chocolate notes that I usually prefer in a porter, yet I'd still recommend it to friends. And better yet, I'd still seek it out. Porter is one of my favorite styles, so it'd be interesting to line this up against Great Lakes' Edmund Fitzgerald, Bell's Porter, and Sierra Nevada's Porter to see where in that line it fits.

Technorati Tags: beer, brewing, craft beer, Deschutes, Black Butte Porter, porter, BJCP, Beer Judge Certification Program, Robust Porter, brown porter, Oregon, West Coast beers, Hedonist Beer Jive, Great Lakes, Edmund Fitzgerald, Bell's, Sierra Nevada, review, tasting note

Event: Ohio Brew Week

A reminder that Ohio Brew Week is just over the horizon. Athens, Ohio hosts the week-long celebration of Ohio breweries and microbreweries July 16th through the 21st.

If you haven't been to Athens yet, this would be the time to go. My wife and I are both OU graduates and share fond memories of the place. And the best time to visit is the summer, when the hordes of students haven't overrun the town.

Unfortunately, I won't be able to attend personally this year, but am actively seeking volunteers to go and report back to this blog. Feel free to post a comment if you are willing to volunteer.

Below is a press release from the folks promoting the event:

May 23, 2007

OHIO BREW WEEK CELEBRATES OHIO’S CRAFT BEERS

ATHENS, OH—Ohio Brew Week celebrates the diversity of Ohio’s micro-brewed beers and the independent establishments that serve them. The second year of the state’s newest festival will be held July 16-21st in Athens, Ohio at restaurants and venues throughout the downtown area. Ohio Brew Week will feature 50 craft beers from 15 microbreweries around the state. The weeklong event includes seminars on the history of beer, the history of taverns, home brewing demonstrations, beer-related videos and movies, cooking with beer demonstrations, pool tournaments, local musicians and beer song contests. The week culminates with the presentation of the People’s Choice Award during Saturday’s Boogie on the Bricks community festival.

Julie Bradford, editor and co-owner of All About Beer magazine and successful website, will be the keynote speaker for Brew Week. Bradford will speak about cooking with beer, beer/food pairings, women & beer and beer’s impact on society.

This year there will be a cooking with Ohio microbrews competition for amateurs and professionals and beer-related entrees, appetizers and desserts at most restaurants in the area. Prizes will be awarded in several categories. Bradford and other food writers will serve on the panel.

In addition, there will be a progressive dart tournament at participating venues throughout the week. A Brew Choo Choo ride on the Hocking Valley Scenic Railway is being planned, along with an Art Walk through the Historic Arts District in Nelsonville. Formal tasting of individual breweries’ microbrews will be held a different places every night throughout the week. Most of the restaurants and taverns will feature beer-flavored foods, including beer ice cream, and paw paw beer. Each restaurant will also have live musical entertainment each evening. The Official Brew Week meatball eating competition will be held on Thursday.

“Ohio Brew Week celebrates the rich flavors of Ohio microbrews and the contributions this growing industry of Ohio microbreweries makes to the state,” says Dan Gates, director of Ohio Brew Week. “Ohio’s Brew Week is the only week-long event in the world that provides the opportunity to talk directly with brewers, hear nationally-known beer experts and brew writers and editors, and sample some of the tastiest beers made on the planet.”

Ohio Brew Week will be celebration of tastes, adds Gates. “The breweries all have new and flavorful microbrews for this year and the restaurants are creating unusual beer-related foods. Visitors will get a real taste of our Appalachian culture, regional foods, and these craft beers.”

Last year’s first Brew Week showed that interest in micro-brewing is growing in the state and the rest of the U.S., says Jon Sparhawk, one of the originators of the event, “because people are thirsty for new experiences. The visitors last year enjoyed learning about the art form of micro brewing and sampling some of the most interesting and flavorful microbrews around. They also enjoyed experiencing the rich artistic talents in the Athens area: our artisans, chefs and the fun, comfortable places to gather and socialize. 2007 promises to be even more entertaining.”

Throughout the week, 17 restaurants, pubs and taverns in the Athens area will be featuring speakers, demonstrations and beer-related foods and specials. Most of the venues are within easy walking distance of each other. The local bus system will be circulating along the tasting route as well. Attendees will vote on their favorite micro-brewed beer throughout the week with the People’s Choice Award being presented during the band concert on Saturday, July 21.

Athens provides a relaxed and scenic atmosphere for exploring the new flavors of microbrews and for networking with other brewers, and other microbrew fans, adds Gates.

Ohio Brew Week is co-sponsored by Dine Across America and the Athens County Convention and Visitors Bureau and WWS Communications.

Technorati Tags: beer, brewing, craft brew, homebrewing, Ohio Brew Week, Athens, Ohio, Boogie on the Bricks, People’s Choice Award, Julie Bradford, All About Beer, beer and food pairings, cooking with beer, women and beer, Brew Choo Choo, Hocking Valley Scenic Railway, Art Walk, Historic Arts District, Nelsonville, beer tasting, Dan Gates, Melody Sands, Dine Across America, Athens County Convention and Visitors Bureau, WWS Communications