Notes: Warning

An unpleasant surprise in my basement this weekend. While organizing the portion of the basement where I store my homebrew equipment, I opened a case of wheat beer that I had brewed this summer. The batch was relegated to the basement because it was flawed. While not so bad that I need to dump it, it's not great. I keep it around and have a beer from the case every once and a while, hoping it will get better with age. Unfortunately, when I opened the box, I discovered tiny shards of glass--one of the bottles had exploded! I'll be drinking the rest of these REALLY soon so that I don't end up with shrapnel all over the basement. Bummer.

And to Matt, who helped me brew this batch and may have a few bottles left over, take caution. You have been warned.

Technorati Tags: beer, brewing, craft beer, homebrewing, overcarbonation

Review: Bell's Best Brown

Here's the second installment in my reviews of Great Lakes area breweries (Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois)--this one from Bell's, one of my favorite area breweries. In fact, my sister-in-law is getting married in Ann Arbor next summer and we are planning a side trip to check out the Bell's Eccentric Cafe.

Brewery: Bell's Brewery
Brewery Location: Southwest Michigan
Beer: Bell's Best Brown
BJCP Style: 11A. Mild (English Brown Ale)
Serving: Bottle

A: Pours brownish amber, slightly murky. Not a lot of head retention--mostly a small ring around the outside of the glass.

S: Nutty chocolate aroma, hints of raisin as it warms.

T: Caramel with hints of coffee and toffee; low hop flavor--malt flavor dominates.

M: Moderate--low to medium carbonation.

D: This beer would be great as a session beer. It is smooth and easy to drink. Flavorful, but not overpowering. I only picked up a single bottle, and when I finished, I wished I had bought a sixer. However, given a choice between this and Bell's Porter, I'd go for the porter every time.

Most BA reviewers liked it. Many seem to agree, however, that as good as this beer is, some of Bell's other offerings are stronger.

Technorati Tags: beer, craft brew, Michigan, Bell's, Kalamazoo, Bell's Best Brown, brown ale, brewing, craft beer

Review: Thirsty Dog Old Leghumper

I recently decided to start focusing on beers and brewing in the Great Lakes region (specifically Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, and Illinois). Most blogs seem to focus on the coasts or Colorado, so the Great Lakes region seems underrepresented (despite the fact that we have some amazing beers here). In keeping with this new found mission, I present the first of what I hope will be a long series of local beer reviews.

I started with Thirsty Dog Brewing Company's Old Leghumper Robust Porter. At one time, this brewery was Dayton's only true brewpub (although they've since packed up and left us dry). So here goes:

Brewery: Thirsty Dog Brewing Company
Brewery Location: Northeast Ohio
Beer: Old Leghumper Robust Porter
BJCP Style: 12B Robust Porter
Serving: Bottle

A: Opaque, black, pours thick, rich mocha head, head settles quickly, but rings the edge of the glass.

S: Sweet, dark roast aroma--black and chocolate malts

T: Assertive roasted malt presence up front--you can really taste the black and chocolate malts; some slickness on the tongue; slight presence of chocolate and coffee, but mainly overpowered by roast bitterness.

M: Full mouthfeel, although not overly carbonated.

D: The roast bitterness is a bit overwhelming for me, although appropriate for the style. Pairs well with extra sharp cheddar cheese. Overall, I think the roasty taste is out of balance with the chocolate and coffee flavors. This beer is decent, but there are other examples of the style that I prefer more. Not sure I'd buy another sixer, but I would order it if it were on tap someplace and I'd certainly recommend it to a friend.

Most BA reviewers seem to like it more than I do (note that I've added this review to BA, too).

Technorati Tags: beer, craft brew, Ohio, Thirsty Dog, Dayton, Old Leghumper, robust porter, brewing, craft beer

Events: More Jungle Jim's Tastings

I'm getting very excited about the Garrett Oliver discussion/food and beer tasting at Jungle Jim's on November 10th. Finally lined up a couple of folks to go, and now I just have to get the tix. Look for a write-up to follow (assuming tix are still available).

There are two more upcoming tastings that look promising. The first offers a head-to-head comparison between new world (read: American) craft brews and old world (read: European) brews. November 24th at 7:00 pm.

The other tasting may be equally engaging. The description is a little vague, but I take it to be a sampling of holiday beers found locally (and please correct me if you understand otherwise). This is the kind of tasting I've been waiting for! I've been planning to focus more blog space to Ohio (and Indiana and Michigan and Illinois) brewing, and it sounds like this tasting may fit in well. December 8th at 7:00 pm.

Also, RateBeer.com reports another unique beer outing in Cincinnati--this one at Dilly Deli. Jim Cline, of Rogue Brewery, will be in town with lots of his brewery's beers in tow (including a keg of Rogue Hop Heaven Ale). November 9th from 5-10 pm.

Technorati Tags: beer, craft brew, Garrett Oliver, Jungle Jim's, Ohio, Dilly Deli, Ratebeer.com, Rogue, new world, old world, tasting, American beer, European beer, Cincinnati, Brooklyn Brewery

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

News: Brooks' "Longneck Tail"

Thanks to Jonathon for passing along this article by Jay R. Brooks that links the success of craft breweries to Chris Anderson's Long Tail theory.

A summary for those not familiar with the theory: traditional business models follow the Pareto principle, which states that about 80 percent of sales can be derived from the top 20 percent of product. Anderson has observed businesses turning this model on its head. The two most cited examples, Amazon.com and iTunes, make more money cumulatively from the 80 percent of their inventory that is purchased less frequently (the obscure books or songs) than the "hits" that make up the top 20 percent.

Brooks relates this theory to craft-brew by noting that although three main brewers still dominate the market (Budmillcoors), the craft brew industry survives by catering to the less mainstream tastes.

The Long Tail theory is hot right now, so it's being applied to all sorts of industries. Could this be a backlash against corporate homogenization? Whatever the case, it's certainly good news for those who brew and those who appreciate craft beers.

And be sure to check out Brooks' beer blog, Brookston Beer Bulletin. Brooks is a veteran beer writer with great insight into the industry.

Technorati Tags: beer, craft brew, Chris Anderson, Long Tail, Budmillcoors, Jay R. Brooks, Pareto principle, brewing, craft beer

Notes: Oktoberfest Origins

I was curious about the history of Oktoberfest, and why it always ends just as October begins. This may be old news for some, but I thought I'd post a couple informative links to aide the uninformed.

The first link is to the official Oktoberfest site. Lots of good information. Be sure to check out the FAQ section to see a calendar for the next six (6) years and the answer to the why Sept. question.

The second link is to a BeerAdvocate article that does a nice job summarizing the history of the event.

I've been trying to get my hands on as much Oktoberfest and as much Pumpkin Ale as possible. Two (2) Oktoberfests worth mentioning (I don't have time to do a full review, so just a few comments will have to suffice):

• Once again, Sam Adams Oktoberfest is a solid beer. However, it seems to me that the best Sam Adams O'fest was about 3-4 years ago. Although I enjoy it and look forward to it every year, it's never been as good since.
• Summit's Oktoberfest was a lot stronger than I had expected. Lots of great tastes--a nice, chewy malty flavor. I think the high alcohol was a little out of balance though, because it came off kind of harsh.
  

Will continue to hunt for more O-fests. Also plan to record some notes about pumpkin ales sometime soon.

Technorati Tags: beer, brewing, craft beer, Octoberfest, Oktoberfest, origins, O-fest, Samuel Adams, Summit, Beer Advocate