Photos from Yellow Springs Brewery opening

File this under, er, better late than never. 

I was out of town the weekend the Yellow Springs Brewery opened, so I missed the big bash. Luckily, Jared was there to snap a few photos and take some notes. 

The grand opening saw a steady stream of patrons from the minute the door opened until hours later, at closing. Limited seating in the capacity crowd, but guests didn't seem to mind. Lots of YS residence and Dayton locals showed up to support the brewery. 

Great beers, all which were clean and crisp. The Captain Stardust Saison, which was a later tapping, kicked first. The 6.5% ABV draft had a nice floral note. Other noted favorites were the Dark Mild (3.9% ABV) English-style ale and the Porter (5.8% ABV).

I'm hoping to make a trip out there soon. I've been able to try a few of the beers on tap around town and have been very impressed. Until then, I'll just have to gawk at these pics from the opening. Nate, Lisa, and Jeffrey seem to have a good thing going. 

Beer Geek Weekend: FFFXV and FOBAB 9

The second weekend in November, I hit a double header of beer tastings in the Chicago-land area: The Three Floyds XV Anniversary Party and the 9th Annual Festival of Wood and Barrel Aged Beers.

My write-up for the Dayton City Paper ran this week, and you can see it here.

Three Floyds was frustrating, as we stood in line for about 3 hours, just to buy our beers. It's true what they say about FFF events being very poorly organized. The last hour or so was fun, but then we had to rush off to get to FOBAB. Still, brought home a bottle of Baller Stout and a case of Zombie Dust, the FFF American Pale Ale that is simply amazing.

FOBAB was fun, as always, with a lot of crazy beers (see the

highlights in the article). This year, my media pass let me "backstage" to talk to some of the brewers and organizers, which was cool. (It also got me taller pours of the samples, which I probably, in retrospect, didn't need). I'll be back there next year, although I think I'll stick to a single event next year!

Resurrection of KevBrews

A day before the two-year anniversary of my last post, I have decided to resume posting. During the hiatus, I landed a new job and my wife and I had our third child (and first daughter). But I haven't given up my love of beer, just lost the time to write about it. Now that things are settling in, it's time to start writing again.

Some quick notes of local or personal interest:

- The 11th annual Dayton Alefest took place in Carillon Park last weekend. I have attended for the last 6 years (since we moved back to Ohio) and this was BY FAR the best weather--dry, sunny, and in the mid-70s. Attendance continues to grow each year. This year there were more draft beers than I recall in the past, most which were conveniently clustered in one area. Some whispers about Cavalier's lack of participation, which meant no Dogfish Head (no Randall) or Stone. That was disappointing, but I still imbibed a lot of interesting beers including Bell's Third Coast Old Ale and Goose Island Night Stalker, both on tap.

- Speaking of Bell's, the family and I took our annual summer vacation to western Michigan, this time to Ludington. We stopped at Bell's Eccentric Cafe for lunch, where I tried their Wild One, a delicious sour ale. Most of the family turned up their noses at it, but I thought it was incredibly third quenching and paired well with my burger.

- While in Ludington, we hit Jamesport Brewing. I was disappointed that they were out of their IPA, but thier dry stout made up for it. And, the burger was one of the best I've had in a long, long time. The group consensus was the beer was B+ good, but the food was a solid A.

- Finally had a chance to brew again (it had been nearly as long ago that I brewed as when I last posted). I was shooting for a twist on a British bitter. A session beer (only 3.6% ABV), but using late addition Centennial hops rather than a traditional British hop. The brew was an experiment to see if I could brew outside, with the boys (age 5 and 3) and keep them entertained while still producing a solid brew. Call it Daddy multi-tasking. I put it into the keg today and was impressed thus far. Will let it carbonate naturally, they chill and serve next week.

- Joined the Passport club at The Pub last night. Only 52 beers left to try before I get $4 pints for life. Last night, the cask was BrewDog Paradox Smokehead, with a really nice Scotch peatiness. Body was a bit thin, but the smokiness made up for it.

That's all for today. I'm shooting for updates at least weekly, although I have a backlog of items to notes this month.

Technorati Tags: AleFest, Bell's, Eccentric Cafe, Wild One, Third Coast Ale, Goose Island, Night Stalker, Cavalier, Ludington, Jamesport Brewing, The Pub, Passport club, BrewDog, Paradox, Smokehead, brewing, homebrewing, beer

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

Recap: Allagash Night

First, let me start by assuring what few readers I have left that I have not dropped off of the face of the planet (although there have been a few weeks where it certainly seemed like that)! Instead, please consider my hiatus a time of regrouping--I've been collecting things to write about for the last few weeks and finally, now, have the time to put ink to paper (or fingers to keyboard).

On to our story. For about a year, I've been picking up bottles of Allagash's rarer beers. It started when I had my first taste of Curieux that Kyle brought to the initial beer appreciation night. I had had some of Allagash's year round stock, but nothing like this! That was the best bourbon-aged beer I had ever had. I was hooked and couldn't wait to get more.

But, as in any good story, there were complications. Turns out that these beers weren't distributed in Dayton. Kyle had picked up his bottle at Jungle Jim's, outside of Cincinnati. And the bottles aren't cheap--anywhere from $10-$15 per bottle (which is little compared to a bottle of wine, but substantial when you are used to paying much less than that for a sixer).

Damn. This wasn't going to be easy. But, like any good beer geek, eventually I made my way south. And at first, I was disappointed. The Curieux was completely sold out. I sulked around the aisle for a bit, then discovered that there were several other beers available from the same series. I settled on the 2005 Interlude, vaguely recalling a review I had read around that time. And when I asked around about it, folks confirmed that I made the right choice.

So I waited for the right opportunity to open this relatively rare and unique find. I didn't want to squander it all on myself--something this interesting needs to be shared. I waited. And I waited. And I kept waiting and waiting, never finding the right moment.

In the meantime, I started heading down to JJ's more often--this was right around the time when I saw Garrett Oliver speak there. And each time I went, I picked up another bottle of a rare Allagash and dutifully cellared it next to the Interlude.

Eventually, I realized that I had started to amass a small but respectable collection. Now I really needed an occasion to pop them open! His timing impeccable, Kyle started reminding me that he was still sitting on a bottle of 2005 Odyssey that he had also picked up when he bought the Curieux.

We starting envisioning Allagash Night. But again, when to do it? We tossed around several dates, but it never took hold. Until about 3 weeks ago. I just finished teaching and Kyle was looking to blow off some steam, so we summoned a few of the guys. The instructions were simple--come to my house, but don't come with anything other than Allagash beer.

The hope was that we would get to try the entire line-up. We came close. There were about 16 bottles, all told. And I think we were able to try everything listed on their website except the Hugh Malone, the Grand Cru, the Anniversary Ales, and the Victoria Ale. And we were able to try a few vertical tastings. The complete list is below:

• White
• Dubbel
• Tripel
• Speciale Reserve
  
• Four
• Curieux
• Odyssey 2005
• Odyssey 2006
• Musette 2005
• Musette 2006
• Interlude 2005
• Interlude 2006

I wasn't great about taking notes, but there were a few beers that left a strong impression. I really enjoyed the Four and ended up going back for seconds and thirds with it (for some reason, we had a LOT of the Four). The pairing of Interludes was interesting, too. Surprisingly, I enjoyed the 2006 more than the 2005--the taste was a lot bolder, tarter, more aggressive in the younger beer. I don't think the interesting character in the younger version aged well--it was too muted in the 2005.


All and all, it was a great night. I'm a little burned out on Allagash beers at the moment, but it was interesting to try so many of them in one evening. There was definitely a defining characteristic to all of them. And now I have a great collection of bottles, which I will have to fill with homebrew. (at some point, I'll add some pics, although I can't seem to get my phone to upload them at the moment).

Technorati Tags: beer, brewing, craft beer, Allagash, Allagash Brewing, Beer Appreciation, Jungle Jim's, tasting, beer tasting, white ale, dubbel, tripel, Speciale Reserve, Four, Curieux, Odyssey, Musette, Interlude, barrel-aged, ale, Serie D'Origine

Recap: St. Patrick's Day Pub Crawl

Several of us set out on a St. Paddy's day crawl Saturday, hitting some of Dayton's better beer bars. It's been about 3 years in the making--Alex and I were to do a crawl a few years ago, but each year, it hasn't worked out. Finally, this year, the stars aligned.

We started the morning at Boston's Bistro. They opened at 6 am, and business was steady and picking up when we arrived at 10:30. Boston's has a great selection of beers, and the draft selection featured most of Barrelhouse's line. Between the three of us, we sampled the Boss Cox Double Dark IPA (cask), the Red Legg ale, the Cumberland Pale Ale, the Hocking Hills Hefeweizen, and the Scotch Ale, as well as some requisite Guinness pints.

Lunchtime found us trekking across town to Taggart's (with a quick stop at Pug's Dog House for some Chicago-style hot dogs). Taggart's is a neighborhood bar that my wife's stepsister's husband co-owns with his sister. Taggart's is a great bar (round the corner from my house), with a regular following. We watch OSU football games there. Recently, Mike has been stocking more and more craft beers. For a while, you could get Beamish for $2.50 a pint and the Goose Island beers always seem to be on special. Recently, they've brought in Arrogant Bastard, which Mike tells me has been selling well.

We caught part of the OSU/Xavier basketball game, drinking Goose Island Kilgubbin's, Guinness, and Murphy's stouts, before mixing in shots of bourbon.

After picking up a cigar from the smoke shop next door, we headed to Tank's, where Benjamin joined us. More food and more bourbon. For the life of me, I can't recall which beer I had (that's probably due to the bourbon), but Tank's regularly has a great selection of bottled and draft beers.

Later, we parted ways with Benjamin and headed out to the clubhouse, a warehouse studio hangout that Shane rents with another mutual friend. Complete with a pool table, a bourbon bar, a killer record collection, and huge picture windows that offer great views of the city, the clubhouse is a perfect place to whittle away an afternoon or evening. Kyle and Nathan eventually joined us, and Kyle brought some Mt. Carmel's copper ale and some Dogfish Head Blue & White.

Finally, one last stop: the Trolley Stop, to see our friend Denise. The Trolley is another local hangout that usually has several interesting beers on tap. Saturday, we ordered rounds of Dogfish Head 60 min. IPA. Needless to say, after that beer, most of us were done for the night. But it was great to hit some Dayton beer hot spots without suffering the ubiquitous green beer.

Technorati Tags: beer, brewing, craft brew, Dayton, Ohio, pub crawl, Boston's Bistro, Taggart's, Tank's, The Trolley Stop, Barrelhouse Brewing, Mt. Carmel's, Goose Island, Beamish, Guinness, Dogfish Head, St. Paddy's Day, St. Patrick's Day

Recap: Founders Tasting at Jungle Jim

(File this one under "better late than never." Guess that's what happens when you have little ones at home . . . )

The last Friday of January, Jungle Jim's welcomed Dave Engbers of Founders Brewing to host a tasting of his brewery's beers, including several beers rarely or never seen outside of the Founders Taproom.

I chatted with Dave prior to the start of the tasting. What a great guy--warm, friendly, more than happy to talk about his brewery. He talked about the tap room being a proving ground for new beers, that they will try out a recipe for a new beer, gauge the response, then tweak the recipe again. They brew the experimental beers mainly in 20 barrel batches, which Dave explains lasts about 4 weeks. This time frame is long enough that they can see how many repeat orders they get for the beer, once the newness factor wears off. He noted that Red's Rye was formulated in this manner, expect that in the tap room it was dubbed RyePA.

During the tasting, Dave also talked a good bit about the company history. Not long after he graduated college, he and a buddy decided to change course and start a brewery. They began small and, at first, brewed the sorts of traditional brews typical of microbreweries. As they watched small breweries around them go under, and as they say America's tastes start to change, they adapted their business model, brewing big, more adventurous brews. Today, it is these brews for which they are known. (Their Kentucky Breakfast Stout is number 4 on BeerAdvocate's top beers, their regular Breakfast Stout is number 11).

Dave Engbers guards the Dry Hopped Pale Ale

The brewery is still somewhat small, although they just doubled their capacity and will soon be brewing about 8000 barrels a year. Distribution is still relatively modest, too. I wouldn't expect that to change wildly, even with the enlarged capacity. Instead, they seem to be committing to quenching the desire locally--last year they were only able to fill about 60% of the orders that came in. Great news for those of us in the Great Lakes region!



The beer list was fantastic. A little shorter than the usual Jungle Jim's tasting (they usually include 10 beers), but this one made up for any perceived shortcomings in uniqueness (two of the beers were small batch beers, served for the first time outside of the tasting room) and in punch (the beers started at 6.2% abv, with several between 8% and 10%).

• Dry Hopped Pale Ale--round hop aroma that was floral and crisp; malty, but the citrus hop flavors upstage the malt; clean finish
• Centennial Ale--bigger than the dry hopped, with a HUGE Centennial citrus hop aroma; overall taste is much more balanced than the aroma would suggest, with a bittersweet finish
• Dirty Bastard (draft)--I was anxious about this beer, given the lackluster impression when I reviewed it several months ago. At the time, I wondered if the bottle I'd picked up hadn't gone bad. Now I'm certain that was the case. This version of the beer tasted nothing like the earlier beer I'd tried. It was huge, sweet, and well-rounded, with hints of plum and raisin. Lots of hop flavor, and not much peat, but very solid, well-rounded. I'll have to pick up another bottle at some point soon.
• Red's Rye--I've had several rye beers before, but nothing quite like this. With 11% rye in the mash, the beer has a reddish coloring and a crisp, grainy taste. The Amarillo hops give it a huge grapefruit flavor.
  
• Double Trouble Imperial IPA (draft)--Only a handful of kegs are available of this very limited release beer. Brewery Jeremy Kosmicki and his father brewed this IIPA one weekend. The hops give it a huge, hop-cheese nose, and the taste is bitter without being one-dimensional. Glad to have tried it.
• Blushing Monk Belgian Razz (draft)--another tap room exclusive. This beer was loosely based on the Rubaeus, on overload. I'm not generally a fan of fruit beers, but this was something else. Nearly like a raspberry sorbet--clean, refreshing, a 10% abv palate cleanser.
• Breakfast Stout (draft)--I was lucky enough to grab a 4-pack at an earlier tasting, so I'd had this legendary beer before. However, it was even better on tap--enough so that I grabbed a growler for a later date.
  

I hadn't had a lot of Founders beers before going to this tasting. I was really impressed both with Dave and with his beers. I'm starting to understand why so many of their beers are in such high demand. (The next batch of Kentucky Breakfast Stout is set for release on March 15th). Oh, and be sure to check out Founders on myspace.

Nathan, Jason, and Scott with Breakfast Stout

Technorati Tags: beer, brewing, craft beer, Founders, Jungle Jim's, Michigan, brewery, tasting, Cincinnati, tap room, taproom, Breakfast Stout, Kentucky Breakfast Stout, Beer Advocate, Great Lakes, Dry Hopped Pale Ale, Centennial Ale, Dirty Bastard Scotch Ale, Red's Rye, rye, malt, hops, Double Trouble IIPA, Jeremy Kosmicki, Blushing Monk Belgian Razz, Rubaeus, myspace

Recap: Jungle Jim's Best of the New Tasting

Friday night, we headed down to Fairfield (north of Cincinnati) for our third Jungle Jim's beer tasting. The theme of the night was beers that were new to the Ohio market in 2006.

Derek, who hosted the last tasting, also ran this event, giving insightful commentary about the beers themselves, as well as the state of the beer industry (including a long discussion on Budmillcoors' recent reactions to the continued growth of the craft brew industry). He noted that this was a more difficult tasting to arrange this year than in years past because many breweries were limited from introducing new products by the ever-progressive state of Ohio.

Nevertheless, Derek arranged an interesting flight, with some old favorites and a fair number of beers I hadn't yet tried (or have even seen on the shelves of our local brew store). Below is the order, as well as a few comments about each.

• Bell's Lager Beer (Bell's Brewery, Inc.)--sharp Saaz hop taste, relatively clean finish, with some metallic bite; an interesting beer, and a good one to start the night off with, but probably my least favorite offering from Bell's.
• Celis White (Michigan Brewing Co.)--the classic Wit Bier has returned to Ohio; different that I recall when I first tasted it, years ago; a lot sweeter (almost too sweet), with loads of citrus and spice (particularly clove, presumably from the yeast).
• Black Dog Ale (Spanish Peaks Brewing Co.)--on the sweet side, with low to moderate hops; easy to drink
• Cocoa Porter (Tommyknocker Brewery)--strong chocolate nose, followed by strong chocolate taste; similar to Young's Double Chocolate, although not as smooth, and more powdery; slightest hints of roast flavor buried under mounds of cocoa
• Prohibition Ale (Speakeasy Ales & Lagers)--this beer was a surprise hit--I thought the Speakeasy bit would be gimmicky, with a less than stellar beer, but I was pleasantly surprised; well-hopped with floral note and citrus and pine flavors
• Double White (Southampton Ales & Lagers)--clove in the nose; tart mouthfeel; spices well-balanced; less sweet than Celis--drier
• Celis Grand Cru (Michigan Brewing Co.)--spiciness, largely due to yeast; with slight hints of Brett in finish; honey and Champagne mouthfeel
• Big Daddy IPA (Speakeasy Ales & Lagers)--another nice surprise with big piney hops reminicent of Rogue's Santa's Private Reserve; well-balanced, with malt carrying hops (citrus up front, then fades to pine) throughout swallow
• Buffalo Stout (Brouwerij Van Den Bossche)--Belgian yeast dominates flavor, with hints of roast and chocolate swirling about; huge, effervescent mouthfeel
• HopSickle (Moylan's Brewing Co.)--smells like opening a fresh bag of hops; extremely bitter, but somehow the beer works; probably the most complex hop flavor I've encountered

The full lineup

The only real disappointment of the night was that Ed was on vacation and had the keys to the adjacent bar, so we weren't able to hang out and put back a few pints after the event. A real bummer since there was still clearly a keg of HopSlam!

More upcoming tastings at Jungle Jim's:

January 26
Dave Engbers of Founders Brewing hosts. Expect BIG beers. Very big beers.

February 9
Old World vs. New World--European brews take on their American upstart cousins.

February 23
Mike Dewey of Mt. Carmel Brewing Company hosts. Mike runs a nano-brewery that is quickly gaining ground in the southwestern Ohio region. Special fondness for this brewery since it is located about 1/4 of a mile from the neighborhood where I grew up.

Greg demonstrates a true wit bier

Technorati Tags: beer, brewing, craft brew, beer tasting, Jungle Jim's, Cincinnati, Ohio, Bell's Lager Beer, Bell's Brewery, Celis White, Michigan Brewing Company, Black Dog Ale, Spanish Peaks Brewing Company, Cocoa Porter, Tommyknocker Brewery, Prohibition Ale, Speakeasy Ales & Lagers, Double White, Southampton Ales & Lagers, Celis Grand Cru, Big Daddy IPA, Buffalo Stout, Brouwerij Van Den Bossche, HopSickle, Moylan's Brewing Company

Recap: Seasonal Beer Tasting at Jungle Jim's

Friday night, Nathan, Kelly, Gina, and I met at Jungle Jim's for their winter seasonals tasting, held at the new, adjacent Oscar Event Center. At about 40 to 50 people, the crowd was intimate, but significantly smaller than the turnout for the Garrett Oliver tasting. Instead of housing us in the ballroom, this tasting took place in the smaller, but impeccable, bar.

Ten beers filled the docket (see full list, with comments, below), ranging from a delicate and crisp B.B. Burgerbrau pilsner, to Bell's bombastic HopSlam and Avery's murky and cryptic The Czar. As we sampled each beer, our host Derek provided context, while Ed, in charge of the event, diligently delivered new bottles and spirited away the empties.

At the end of the event, Ed distributed swag (Dos Equis and Tecate shirts, and enigmatic Guinness bags) and Derek met many of us back at the grocery store, where a select few were given the opportunity to purchase rare four-packs of this year's Founder's Breakfast Stout (Jungle Jim's only received a handful of cases this year, so supplies were very limited.) In addition to the Founders, the four of us filled a cart with other rarities and delectables before heading back upstairs to the bar for a final pint of the HopSlam (with complementary glassware).

There were no stinkers on the beer list, although many who have a lower tolerance for Harpoon's Winter Warmer may disagree. (Derek pointed out that you either love the beer or find it disgusting. Apparently, the table next to us fell into the latter category--they ended up opening up a Victory Storm King Stout as a "palatte cleanser"!) Here's the list in full:

• B.B. Burgerbrau (Budejovicky Mestansky Pivovar)--sweet, crisp, with an apricot color. No skunkiness, in spite of the green bottles (3.5 out of 5)
  
• Winter White (Bell's Brewery)--fruity esters, along with some clove spiciness; tartness from wheat malt; some hints of orange peel; Gina's favorite (4 out of 5)
• Leffe Blonde (InBev Belguim)--golden malt notes in aroma, with a touch of caramel; low hops; some slight oxidation in the bottle we tried (3.25 out of 5)
  
• Nut Brown Ale (Samuel Smith)--tawny color; some raisin in nose; very subtle hops; low diacetyl (3.75 out of 5)
  
• Winter Warmer (Harpoon Brewing Company)--heavy, HEAVY spice in the nose, followed by overwhelming cinnamon and nutmeg flavors; tastes like pumpkin pie. Not for everyone, although I liked this a lot better than the first time I tried it, about 5 years ago. (3 out of 5)
  
• Double White (Southampton Ales & Lagers)--clove in the nose; tart mouthfeel; spices well-balanced (4 out of 5)
  
• Christmas Ale (Great Lakes Brewing Company)--beautiful color and very nice nose; spice overpowers flavor (could it be the ginger); despite its popularity, I think there are better holiday beers out there (3 out of 5)
  
• Santa's Private Reserve (Rogue Ales)--spruce taste as part of a very nice hop profile; dry finish, not overly complex, but bold flavors (4.5 out of 5)
  
• HopSlam (Bell's Brewery)--nothing I say about this beer will do it justice; wonderful citrus hop flavor--clean pineapple/grapefruit aroma and flavor (4.85 out of 5)
  
• The Czar (Avery Brewing Company)--well-balanced, although it would probably be even better after about 6 months in the cellar; clean, roasty, but not overpowering. At the time, I didn't think it was overly hoppy, but wonder how much of that was influenced by the HopSlam that preceded it (4.5 out of 5)
  

The HopSlam was the obvious crowd favorite. I was quoted as saying, after taking the first drink, "I could retire now." For me, this beer represents the feeling I would expect after looking back on one's entire career, and looking forward to my remaining years, devoted entirely to leisure and grandkids.

I've said it before, and will repeat it here: if you find yourself in Cincinnati on the night of a Jungle Jim's tasting, make the trek up north. You won't regret it.

The Great Lakes Brewing Company Christmas Ale

The line-up, just before trying the HopSlam

The line-up, after the HopSlam!

Me, Nathan, and Kelly

Gina, my lovely (and patient) wife

Technorati Tags: beer, craft_brew, tasting, Cincinnati, Ohio, Jungle_Jims, BBBurgerbrau, Bells, Winter_White, Leffe_Blonde, Samuel_Smith, nut_brown, Harpoon, winter_warmer, Southampton, double_white_ale, Great_Lakes_Brewing_Company, Christmas_ale, Santas_Private_Reserve, Rogue, HopSlam, The_Czar, Avery, Founders, Breakfast_Stout, hops, malt, seasonals

Recap: Garrett Oliver at Jungle Jim's

A couple of weeks ago (and you'll have to excuse the lateness of this post--it's been a hectic coupla' weeks), Garrett Oliver hosted a tasting at Jungle Jim's, just outside of Cincinnati. As most of you know, Oliver is the headmaster of Brooklyn Brewery, as well as the acclaimed author of The Brewmaster's Table: Discovering the Pleasures of Real Beer with Real Food and an evangelical spreading the gospel of food and beer pairings.

I accompanied Jim, Kelly, and Nathan to this event. Before the formal hosting began, Oliver sat down with our table for about 20 minutes to answer some questions from Jim, who will be running a piece in the Dayton Daily News soon.

Garrett Oliver discussing one of the samples (photo courtesy of Jim Witmer)

Oliver ran through his brewing background, relating how his time in London left him craving real beer once he was back in the states. So, in 1989, he started brewing for the Manhattan Brewing Company. A few years later, he jumped over to Brooklyn Brewery, where he is now the brewmaster and VP.

He discussed his devotion to educating the general public about craft brew, especially as it relates to food and beer pairings. He hosts hundreds of tastings a year like the one we participated in. Some of these include beer/wine competitions against some of New York's most noted sommeliers. Readers of this blog will also recall Oliver's numerous appearances in articles on beer, as well as his recent book (see above). And Oliver's work appears to be paying off. As evidence, Oliver explained that Gramercy Tavern, one of NY's hottest restaurants, has now added a vintage beer list to their already large beer offering.

Oliver also previewed some exciting news from Brooklyn Brewing. First, he detailed Brooklyn's new bottling line, which will soon be filling a 750 ml corked, bottle-fermented brew based on Brooklyn's Blast! experimental IPA. He contrasted Brooklyn's bottle-conditioning method, which would be similar to the method homebrewers use (priming suger and a yeast charge creating all of the beer's carbonation), with that of most other commercially-available bottle-conditioned beers, which Oliver maintains are usually almost completely carbonated before they go into bottles, and are just given a quick yeast charge.

He also discussed the results of a collaboration with Belgian brewer Achouffe. Oliver recently visited this Belgian brewery, and folks from the brewery returned the visit, bringing with them some of their yeast. Look for something from this collaboration relatively soon, presumably in small batches.

Oliver was then called to his hostly duties. In addressing the crowd of more than 100, he first discussed a phenomom that might be best described as the "supermarket matrix," where we as consumers buy food as fuel, not primarily for the purpose of enjoying the food in and of itself. The best example was commercial bread. He contrasted homemade bread with store-bought bread and noted that shelf-life, not taste, drives the way that commercial bread is made. He then brought the analogy home to craft beer, highlighting the change from "utlitiarian" macro-beers to flavorful craft brews.

Then, after a quick overview of the brewing process (including an explaination of ales vs. lagers and pale vs. dark beers), he launched into the tasting. As we samples each of the nine beers, Oliver discussed why beer, with its complex tastes, often pairs better with foods than wine does. He noted that while wines can contrast with foods, they can't compliment the range of flavors that beers do. He empasized, as an example, how the carmelized flavors in grilled and roasted meats play well with similar flavors in brown ales.

Here's the full list of the beers we tried:

• Pilsner (amazingly crisp, slight sulphur note. One of my favorites of the evening)
  
• Penant Ale '55 (The first of several beers we tasted brewed with Maris Otter malts)
• Lager (a Vienna lager)
  
• Brown (another Maris Otter beer)
• Winter Ale (sorry, no link, but Oliver noted that this beer was first brewed for export to Denmark)
• East India Pale Ale (very nice hop balance)
  
• Blast! (Unique!--floral citrus up front, but an abrupt change mid-swallow, as a piney hop taste and a dry finish dominate)
• Monster Barleywine (the final Maris Otter beer, and one that I picked up a sixer of on the way out)
  
• Black Chocolate Stout (a great dessert beer that uses malt to acheive the chocolate flavor)
  

My favorite was Blast!, which I hope makes its way out my way when the bottling line is complete. I've never tasted anything quite like it. The Pilsner and the Barleywine also still stand out as favorites.

If Garrett Oliver hosts a tasting anywhere near you, go. He is extremely knowledge. He also seems to be a really nice guy. And if you live near Cincinnati, definitely check out some of the other tastings at Jungle Jim's.

Garrett Oliver with me (okay, it's not as great a pic as the one Jim took, but it was cool to have met Oliver personally)

Technorati Tags: beer, craft brew, Garrett Oliver, Brooklyn Brewery, Blast!, Jungle Jim's, Cincinnati, food pairings, tasting, brewing, craft beer

Recap: October Beer Appreciation Night

Last Friday, Nathan hosted the beer appreciation group at his place. Our Beer Appreciation Nights consist of a loose collection of folks here in Dayton who meet on a semi-regular basis, each bringing something interesting for folks to sample. It had been a long while since our last regular meeting, although I hosted the summer picnic in July and many of us attended AleFest in August.

As usual, we had another great beer line-up. First and foremost was the pony of Two Brothers’ Heavy-Handed IPA (and the accompany pint glasses Nate provide as party-favors) that our host schlepped back from the brewery outside of Chicago. A lot of us were really anticipating this beer, and we were not disappointed. Super hoppy, with a malty-backbone that balanced the hops. The aroma alone was enough to make one drool.

In addition to the keg, we sampled the following (pic to follow soon):

• Thunder Hole Ale (Bar Harbor Brewing Company)
• Blue Goat Doppelbock (New Holland Brewing Company)
• Imperial Pumpkin Ale (Weyerbacher Brewing Company)
• Cadillac Mountain Stout (Bar Harbor Brewing Company)
• Kalamazoo Stout (Bell’s Brewery, Inc.)
• In-Heat Wheat (Flying Dog Brewery)
• Monarch White Ale (Two Brothers Brewing Company)
• 120 Minute IPA (Dogfish Head)
• Professor Gesser’s Mind Numbing Ale (Bluegrass Brewing Company)

All the beers were excellent. Some notes on specific beers:

• The Bar Harbor brews were a treat imported on the back of a pick-up truck from Maine. The Thunder Hole Ale would make a great session beer, if only one could get more of it round these parts.
• The Blue Goat Doppelbock really impressed the group. Great malt character, and the high alcohol was subdued.
• The Imperial Pumpkin Ale was a treat because several of us had tried it at the Boston’s Bistro tasting a week prior. I was really intrigued with the floral aroma.
• Prior to this evening’s festivities, I could have sworn I had tried the 120 Min IPA. After tasting it, I am certain I’ve never had it or anything like it. It was astounding! Very well-balanced. I’d love to drink more of this, if only we could get it regularly in Ohio
• Not technically a beer, but containing beer--at Jonathon’s suggestion, Nathan picked up a couple of pounds of the Cabot's Harpoon IPA cheese. It was a huge hit.

We had about 8-10 folks there, which is about the usual size. There were a lot of new folks this time around--I'm glad to see us outreach to folks with growing interests in craft beers. The next Beer Appreciation Night is set for sometime in December, but may not actually contain any beer. George and Shane are eager to host a bourbon night (and we are eager to attend).

Thanks again to Nathan for hosting, and for setting the bar so high!

Technorati Tags: beer, craft brew, Dayton, Ohio, tasting, Two Brothers, Bar Harbor, New Holland, Weyerbacher, Cabots, Harpoon, Bluegrass, Bell's, Flying Dog, Dogfish Head

Review: New Holland Red Tulip Ale

My friend Kyle is a huge fan of this beer, but for some reason, I've never had an opportunity to try it, or scarcely any other New Holland brews. But now I see what Kyle likes so much. Look for more reviews from this brewery, hopefully very soon!

Brewery: New Holland Brewing Company
Brewery Location: Southwest Michigan
Beer: Red Tulip Ale
BJCP Style: 10B. American Amber Ale
Serving: Bottle

A: Low carbonation results in a skimpy head. Body is deep red, almost the color of cherry wood. Slightly murky.

S: Sweet malty aroma; low hops.

T: Big round malt flavor; touches of caramel and fruit, with the slightest hints of smoke, vanilla, and oak. Low hops.

M: Creamy, full; feels prickly on tongue.

D: Wow, this is so much different than most red ales! I had more or less given up on this style, but this beer may have turned me around. Such full flavor. I'll be trying more New Holland beers, and will be looking for this on tap come Spring.

Overall, the folks at BA seem to agree with me, although I seem to be the only one picking up on a vanilla flavor.

As an interesting aside, a portion of the proceeds of this beer goes to support the Holland, Michigan Tulip Festival each spring.

Technorati Tags: beer, brewing, craft beer, craft brew, Michigan, New Holland, Holland, Red Tulip Ale, amber, red ale, Tulip Festival

Tasting: Boston's Bistro Pumpkin Ales

Last Thursday, Dave Boston hosted Boston's Bistro's monthly beer tasting, this time in his newly painted tasting room. As I reported in an earlier post, this month's style was primarily pumpkin ales (although Breckenridge's Vanilla Porter and Stone's 10th Anniversary Ale snuck in to round out the bill). The clear crowd favorite was Weyenbacher's Imperial Pumpkin Ale, followed by Dogfish Head's Punkin' Ale as a very close second. Although Buffalo Bill's Pumpkin Ale (alleged to be the first craft pumpkin brew) was the group's third choice, I did not care for it and ranked it last, after the Southampton and the New Holland brews.

Not surprisingly, the Stone 10th Anniversary Ale was a big hit. The Breckenridge got mixed reviews. I thought the vanilla was overwhelming, although I noticed that the flavor rounded out as it warmed. This might be an interesting beer to cook with.

Some pics below. Boston's hosts tasting monthly. $5 gets you samples of 7 beers.


Shane, Jim, and Theresa engage in a pre-tasting conversation.











Batman, our facilitator

















The pour.













Shane and George evaluate beers (and George applies terms from his anti-glossary)











The spread.









Shane with Dave Boston, Boston's Bistro owner and beer aficionado

Technorati Tags: beer, craft brew, Boston's Bistro, tasting, Dayton, Ohio, pumpkin ales, Weyebacher, Dogfish Head, Stone, Southampton, New Holland, Buffalo Bill's, brewing, craft beer

News: GABF recaps

Missed the Great American Beer Festival? No worries. Check out the links below for full coverage. And mark your calendar for Oct 11-13, 2007 to head for Denver for next year's festival.

Rick Lyke's blog Lyke2Drink featured great coverage. In addition to reporting from the exhibition floor, Lyke takes his readers into media only events that happened in conjunction with the event.

Jay R. Brooks' blog also includes extensive coverage, including lot of photos.

And the list of winners can be found here.

Technorati Tags: Great American Beer Festival, GABF, beer, brewing, craft beer, Denver, Colorado, Lyke2Drink, Brookston, winners list