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Anyone who knows me or regularly reads this blog knows I received my all-grain equipment two months ago, and made big plans to brew a Belgian Witbier.  Two months later … where’s the f’n beer?!?!  Well, we hit summer here in the high desert of Central Oregon, and I didn’t have air conditioning. The fermentation temperatures would have been way too hot for doing what I wanted to do.  I wanted a clean, slightly-tart, Wit, and the house temperatures of around 80° F would have been way too hot for fermentation and conditioning. So I waited and started looking into ways to control the fermentation temperature.

My wife is at home during the day. She had finally had enough of the miserable house temperatures, so we pulled the trigger on air conditioning for the house. First of all, how the hell did it take us this long? It was getting to the point where it was so hot in the house that I was barely able to think (much less fire up the burners for a batch). Now the house is sitting at a very comfortable 72° - 73°. Sounds like the upper range of the idea temperature for many ale strains, no?

So I’m back in the game people. I’m going to formulate the recipe and slot the time to actually brew this week. I’ll post the plans when I have them.

Think positive beer thoughts, people.

I picked up this beer at The Bier Stein in Eugene.  Jolly Pumpkin focuses on Belgian Style ales, and has been popping up more in my reading of American-made Belgian style ales.  This is the first tasting of a Jolly Pumpkin beer on Brewerman, but the second one that I’ve had.  I recall really enjoying the Oro de Calabaza as the first example of their product.  Given the way this one went, I wish that I could more easily get their stuff here in Bend.

Appearance: White head of big bubbles sitting on top of a clear, straw colored beer.  Big carbonation.
Smell: Smells like a Wit!  Spice and wheat and yeast and subtle floral notes
Taste: Tartness and yeast play off the wheat carbonation and just barely-sweet base.  The spice hits right at the beginning of the taste and slowly bleeds into the tartness that lingers after the swallow.  There’s a slight bitterness, and the footprint left after the swallow is light.  Green apple and pear flavors are present.  A bit more tart than I’m used to with Wits, but very easy to enjoy.
Mouthfeel: Lively carbonation, Light on the tongue.
Drinkability: I liked it.  At 4.8% ABV, this is a very refreshing beer that can easily be downed by a single person (at least it was easy for me ).  I wish that I could more-easily get my hands on more of Jolly Pumpkin’s beers.  Very tasty.

This month’s session is all about the fruit beers, a topic near and dear to my heart.  Many people think the idea of fruit in beer is some sign of serious personality wussification.  I must admit that I get a bit disappointed by those people who roll their eyes when they hear a beer was made with fruit.  I feel this point of view, which I run into quite frequently, makes people miss the boat on many wonderfully complex beers of so many varied styles.  Luckily the guys over at Beer, Beats & Bites decided to allow us to revisit the topic.  My hope is that this Session will show the many different applications of fruits in beer.

I decided start off today’s entry while enjoying one of Dogfish Head’s creations, Black and Blue.  They describe it as a “Malt beverage fermented with black raspberry & blueberry puree”.  Yeaaaaaaah!  You can’t front on that!

Appearance: Small off-white head that dissipates rapidly. Ruby hued amber with a bit of carbonation, but not too lively.
Smell: Fruit fruit and more fruit. Reminds me of the same big-fruit smell that comes off of a jam, but not too overwhelming.
Taste: Malt up front, and despite the aroma being so full of fruit, it takes a back seat to the malt flavor that hits you up front.  The flavors of blueberry and blackberry hit all together, but are distinctly discernable.  There are earthy notes of tobacco and spice that are accentuated by the big booze that is readily apparent in the finish.  It isn’t burning alcohol, but a warming alcohol that props up the big flavors found in this beer.  As it warms, the fruit comes forward more.  A bit of nice sour as well.
Mouthfeel: A bit of an oily mouthfeel, but does have a good long, satisfying finish.  Only slight carbonation.
Drinkability: I like this beer, but it is a bit challenging given all that is going on with the big fruit and big alcohol.  I would say that I will enjoy finishing the bottle as I finish up The Session that this tasting is for.

I think the problem most people have with fruit beers is that the ones they’ve tried have been too sweet.  For example, I’ve heard many complaints from people to whom I’ve served Lindeman’s Framboise saying that “it tastes like cough syrup”.  It’s that cloying, sweet, not-at-all-like-beer flavor that throws people off.  But a fruit beer doesn’t have to taste like a Jolly Rancher (unless that’s what you’re going for).  The fruit can be the star, co-star, or just a bit-player in the back.

For example, Cantillon’s Rosé de Gambrinus is made with raspberries. Microorganisms go ape shit on what would otherwise be a heavily fruit-flavored beer producing a sour, tart, beautifully colored, and a tasty, excellent example of its style.  The raspberries are there, but way under the tart and sour. Unibroue’s Éphémère Apple is a great example of a Wit flavored with green apples. It is tart, dry, not too sweet, and is just a bit sour. It is quite the refreshing beer in the summer time.

My Red Ass Brown is a brown ale that ferments out in the primary then is transferred onto 5-6 pounds of raspberries in the secondary where it sits for about 2-4 weeks. The yeast reactivates and chews through a lot of the new sugars introduced by the raspberries leaving behind a tartness that blends well into the nutty sweet brown ale backdrop. I love this beer for the transition from summer to fall.

So as you can see, fruit beers can be other things besides the sweet, cloying beers that some people come to think of when they hear “fruit beer”.  So don’t be afraid people. Branch out from your IPAs and Pilsners.  Use all colors of the beer palette, and feel the flavor of the fermenting fruit!

Cheers!

My wife and I just got back from Eugene, OR where we saw Queens Of The Stone Age play (epic show!), and this gave me an opportunity to visit a store I had read about on Beer Advocate called The Bier Stein.  We had allowed ourselves only two days in Eugene because it was mid-week, but we snuck in a 30 minute recon visit before the show, intending on visiting the store for a buying binge the next day if it was worthy.  If you want to skip the beer geekery, the short story is, the store is worthy.

How could you think anything else about a store that welcomes you with an 8 foot Sasquatch clutching a beer?  We happened to luck out as they were doing tastings of Willamette Brewery’s beers, and their IPA, I discovered, is awesome.  This place is one of those stores that will sell you the bottle and allow you to drink it, on premises, in a social setting.  There were plenty of people taking advantage, too.  Every one of the tables was taken, with an empty bottle of AleSmith’s Yule Smith (or something equally as acceptable) sitting in the middle of the people crowded around it.  It was a beautiful sight.

After the initial visit, I knew I had to come back the next day. On the way out of town, I dropped by and spent about thirty minutes checking the place out. The store is has a small restaurant and a few handles pouring good beer.  The kitchen is in the back of the space, and is sectioned off from the main room by a series of built-in cabinets that hold different styles from Belgians to barley wines.  The kitchen is directly across from a series of stand-up cold cases divided by region.

I ended up speaking with several different people about their recommendations, and their suggestions were right in line with what I was looking for.  Kristina, who I understand is one of the owners, was a great resource, really knew her stuff, and was a pleasure to speak with.  It’s always nice to find a bottle shop that staffs up with people who are true beer enthusiasts.

So here’s what I ended up taking home:

• AleSmith - Yule Smith Holiday Ale (Summer)
• AleSmith - Decadence Anniversary Ale
• Cantillon - Rosé de Gambrinus
• Victory - Prima Pils
• Victory - Storm King Imperial Stout
• Great Divide - Oak Aged Yeti Imperial Stout
• Great Divide - Hercules Double IPA
• Dogfish Head - Burton Baton Oak Aged Imperial IPA
• Brouwerij Het Anker - Gouden Carolus Cuvee Van De Keizer
• St. Bernard Brouwerij - Grotten Flemish Ale (Pierre Celis Signature Collection)
• St. Bernard Brouwerij - Grotten Brown Ale (Pierre Celis Signature Collection)
• Brasserie de Blaugies - Bière Darbyste
• Brasserie Fantôme - Été
• Jolly Pumpkin - Maracaibo Especial
• Jolly Pumpkin - Calabaza Blanca

As you can see, their selection doesn’t suck. It was such a pleasurable experience shopping there, that I’ll be sure to return each time I go anywhere near Eugene. I was bummed to hear that I was going to be missing a keg of Lagunitas’ Hop Stoopid and a tasting of Green Flash Brewery’s beers. Still, with the selection I saw, these guys will probably always have something good going on.

Needless to say, I love the place. Next time you’re in Eugene, drop by for a pint or 3. You won’t be disappointed.

It’s Wenesday afternoon, and it has taken me this long to digest our epic weekend in Portland. Beyond the beerfest, we hung out with friends who I haven’t seen in a while and ate amazing sushi at Masu. It was a great weekend. In addition to the friends and food, I was able to take in two full sessions at the 3 day-long Portland Internaltional Beerfest. I love the PIB and SIB. They are the beerfests that really allow access to a wide variety of beers from all over the world. From Belgians to Germans to English to Americans (and all points in between) … they were all well represented.

The people running the PIB and SIB are doing a hell of a job. These events are among the best that I’ve had the experience to go to in the NW region. There are other epic Northwest beerfests (there will be post soon on the upcoming Oregon Brewers Festival), but they tend to focus on the styles brewed (and beer points of view held) here … in our own backyard. I want a full palette for my palate (sorry … couldn’t resist that cheese), and the PIB and SIB give me that. Thanks guys.

My only gripe, as it is with all beer fests that use volunteers as pourers, is that the volunteers don’t know enough about the beers they’re pouring. That really sucks for the people who enjoy a beer and want to know about the ingredients or brewing techniques. Not to mention how it sucks for the brewery as a truly memorable beer can be swept into the soon-to-be-forgotten confines of the drinker’s alcohol-soaked short-term memory. If the drinker doesn’t have additional information about the beer to help him/her remember something about it (e.g. what the hell is the shochu that was used to make the Hitachino XH?), it is often forgotten before the first Tylenol is taken the next morning.

But that really is my only complaint. So without any further bitching, in order of general enjoyment, here’s the way I got my drink on:

Mikkeler Beer Geek Breakfast Stout: WOW! Simply amazing. Rich, velvety, roasty stout goodness. The aroma, flavor, and mouthfeel are all what you would expect a great imperial stout to be. I feel like I could reduce this beer down and make excellent brownies with it. All I can say is, grain, yeast, hops, roast all perfectly deep and balanced. If you ever have a chance to get you hands on this, buy as much as you can. Epic.

Hitachino XH: This beer is cloudy, murkey orange-brown. Beer stuff floating around preventing light from going through … I love it. It smells malty and doesn’t have much of a head at all. Aged in shochu (a distilled Japan beverage) barrels, the flavor really comes through in a very balanced way. The slightly spicy hop flavor is there. There is a bit of a pleasant tart aftertaste that is almost begianny, but not citrusy like a witbier. This tartness gives way to the shochu, sake-like flavor that really works here. Truly an amazing beer.

Sick Duck: A great cloudy black/brown Stout that has a really chocolatey hit to it. This isn’t like the Chocolate Stout from Rogue, but more of a rich/deep/roasty chocolate with a weighty mouthfeel to it. Big malt, with an amazing big roasted flavor. The time this beer spent in Pyrat barrels becomes quickly apparent. Really good.

De Proef KO: Much clearer than the big cloudy’s that I’ve had. The aroma is like sugar … almost cotton candy. There’s a huge yeast component to the aroma. Prickly carbonation. This is a well-balanced beer. Really amazing. Pale straw yellow in color that is almost like a trippel. It is nice to really taste the hop bitterness in a Belgian like this. It is subtle but present. A very favorable beer. I need to get my hands on more from this brewery.

Allagash Curieux - A bit of a deep straw color with a nice head half-way through the 4 oz taster. It smells so good! Honeysuckle and mellon stand out in the aroma. It is so tasty. The mouthfeel is good and strong, but not too heavy or thick. There’s a hint of hops, which help balance the mellon fruity side of the flavor. All the Allagash tends to have that hint of harshness in the finish that I can’t ever put well into words, and this one has it as well. But everything else is so good in this one that I can’t knock it off the favorites list. It really is a fantastic beer.

So those were my winners. Other beers that were worth drinking many of included Great Divide’s Oak-Aged Yeti and Hercules Imperial IPA, Tomme Arthur’s Reserve Signature Ale, Uerige Doppel-Sticke, the Baron Pils, and of course the Rodenbach Grand Cru. If you didn’t make it this year, put it on your calendars for next year. You owe it to yourself.

So many beers, so little time, such a fragile liver. Cheers!

Just a quick post to remind all that the Portland International Beerfest is this Friday through Sunday.  The scheduled hours are as follows:

Friday - 4:00 PM through 10:00 PM
Saturday - 12:00 PM through 10:00 PM
Sunday - 12:00 PM through 7:00 PM

Here’s a recap of what I think are the outstanding beers being poured this year.  Plan on getting there early if you want to get your hands on some of the outstanding limited edition brews that tend to go quickly at this event.

Cheers, and hope to see you there.  I’ll be among the many people slurring their words as we all bake in the heat.  Ummm … heat and high-alcohol beers … bring the hangover, bring the funk.

The guys over at Hop Talk are hosting this month’s The Session, so check out their recap to see how we all view the same animal: beer and the atmosphere in which we enjoy it. I’m sure we’re all going to be hitting this from a bunch of different directions. I’m sure that there are going to be multiple answers for many of us too. I also think that there will most definitely be common themes throughout the posts.

For some Session writers, it will be the place that makes their ultimate beer drinking experience. For others - the people and interactions. Some will have a more-subtle, abstract set of criteria for their setting.

To me, it boils down to any setting that allows for the full appreciation of and focus on the beer. In preparation for writing this entry, I found myself thinking about those memorable times in the past that involved drinking beer: my first beer bong, the time when I was knocked on my ass by a 64 oz OE (Olde English 800 … that’s Old with an ‘e’ people … pinkies up when drinking from the jug), driving to Oklahoma after Texas quit serving to get lower alcohol beer, my first kegger, my first blackout … these are not unique experiences. They are rights of passage for many of us that result in cherished memories, but not because of the beer itself. The beer was simply fuel for bonding or something more chunderous.

There are, however, other memories that more properly reflect and respect what I believe this Session is all about: the atmosphere in which I fully enjoy drinking a beer. Where better to start than when I was first in that “atmosphere”. I grew up in Texas, and had the great fortune of being there when Celis White was brewed in Austin. The first time I had that beer was perfection. Hot Texas sun beating down on a group of people used to drinking cheap beer. I do not recall how it ended up in my hand, but I do recall the first sip. That prick of the carbonation, the spice, the citrus aroma and flavor, that beautiful color. I couldn’t believe that this was beer. Amazing.

Another good example of that atmosphere involved a Hefe Weizen. My buddy had recently returned from Austria, and had been raving about Edelweiss beer. I had since developed an idea about what might make this beer special. I had been drinking Shiner Bock by now (and Celis White up until it was discontinued by Miller). On a typical night out, we ended up at The Gingerman. I walked in with my buddies, saw rows and rows of tap handles, didn’t recognize any of them, and was immediately intimidated. I deferred to my well-traveled friend. After speaking with the bartender, he picked out a Tucher Hefe Weizen. We were told to pour almost all the bottle out, and then swish the remaining amount to dislodge the yeast at the bottom of the bottle. We obeyed, and my eyes opened up a little wider. We talked about the beer, its flavor, color, cloudiness, and why the yeast was important. We tried the Dunkel Hefe Weizen as well, and it was equally delicious.

Yet another time was when my wife and I went camping by a river in Central Washington on a 100+ degree day. We had packed a Witbier my buddy brewed for his wedding. We were hanging out, just the two of us, and the beer was finally cold enough to pop open. It was epic … the orange peel, the yeast, the time spent just hanging out together without anything or anytone else around. It was a great beer.

The final example was during one of the times when my friend, Chris, and I were brewing together. We had established a pattern of drinking as many new beers as we could while brewing (without messing up the hopping schedule). Among the beers was a Bell’s Expedition Stout, a sour Flemish Ale, and one of our previous home brews. Each was discussed, dissected, and thoroughly enjoyed. All were excellent.

Each of these experiences shared one thing in common: they’re all social settings that fully integrate the appreciation of the above-average beers being consumed. In each example, I was able to focus on the beer without forcing it. It was effortless. So in short, that’s it … effortless, seamless integration of great beer and social situations that further my understanding the topic. May we all spend more time in that Atmosphere.

Todd over at BeerAdvocate.com recently posted about receiving an email that confirms a rumored upcoming fall seasonal from Sierra Nevada that will commemorate their 27th anniversary. It will be an American IPA with generous doses of Cascades. They’re going to be dry hopping this one, so it should be sporting that great citrus aroma Cascades are now famous for. This will hopefully be the west coast IPA that I know Sierra Nevada is capable of making. We’ll just have to see.

I’ve also started to encounter reviews of AleSmith’s 10th anniversary beer, Decadence - Dead By Dawn. Their description of this beer states that it is based upon their Evil Dead Red, so I can only deduce that they are paying homage to the Sam Raimi’s classic series of Evil Dead movies. “I’ll swallow your soul!” I love this brewery with each new beer of theirs I try. They really go for brewing the highest quality example of whatever style they tackle.

I’m open for any pointers on how to get my hands on what sounds like a couple of awesome beers. Anyone?

My wife and I just got back from running errands. One of the stops was at Newport Market. I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised to finally see some new additions to the beer aisle. AleSmith is one of those new additions, and it’s about damned time! Those guys are crazy-good brewers, and the good folks at Newport pulled in four different styles: Wee Heavy Scotch Ale, Old Numbskull Barley Wine, Grand Cru Belgian Ale, and the ever-popular Speedway Stout. All of these beers are award winners and fantastic examples of the amazing abilities of AleSmith. I spoke with the guys at Newport, and they said that they only have a limited supply. If any of the styles sound appealing, get off your ass and get down there before it is gone.

In addition, they are carrying Caldera’s Pale Ale which is a great example of the new trend of good beer being packaged in cans. Don’t think that this is one of those crappy American beers because it is in 6 pack cans. It is sitting in the section of the beer aisle that it is for a reason. It is a decent beer packaged in a convenient vessel. The can is back bitches! But don’t act now … there’s more.

Green Flash, from San Diego, is represented with their 6 packs of IPA. This is one of my buddy’s favorite IPA’s. Great balance of hop aroma, flavor and they aren’t weak on the bitterness … it is one refreshing beer.

This isn’t just about Newport Market. This is also about all those local beer stores. Let them know that you want to keep those high-quality new beers coming. Let them know their customer base is sophisticated enough to appreciate these non-standards. Let them know we want to see more.

I met some of the members of the Central Oregon Homebrewers Organization (COHO) here in Bend, Oregon over a year ago, and have meant to go check out a meeting for some time. Well, Wednesday was about damned time. I looked up when the meeting was going to take place, and they had it posted that it took place between 6:30 and 9:00. Unfortunately I had another meeting to make at 8:00, but figured some time would be better than none. Have to say it was a good time.

I drove up to the new Homebrew shop (which is at the old homebrew shop location on Division) which is a by-product of opened Tyler selling off that portion of the Silver Moon brewery’s business. I walked in to see a table set up with all kinds of things including ounce bags of hops, small bags of pre-measured grain, individual beers from Dick’s Brewing Company, and other items. I didn’t know it, but they were going to raffle this stuff off. Cool idea. There was pizza from Cibelli’s in the back and a bunch of different beers, some on tap … some in bottles that were within site. Everyone had a beer, and everyone was talking about anything and everything under the brewing sun. Gravity, brewing at altitude, IBUs, competitions, other homebrew clubs, previous trips, group brews … it was great.

I walked in, and several people came up to me and introduced themselves. They quickly directed me to the beers, where I started on my journey for the evening. This was my first homebrew club meeting ever, and it was like what I hear all homebrew club meetings are like in one regard: lots of homebrew. I had two different IPAs, a Rauch-Porter (no it wasn’t too smoky), a Belgian Strong, and a couple of different meads. Now that’s just what I had. Other choices were available, but I wanted to be coherent when I met up with my buddy at 8:00.

Their site had indicated that they were going to cover making a stir plate, and using it to make yeast starters. I know how to make a yeast starter, but I’ve really wanted to make a stir plate, so this was one of the topics that drew me in. I was kind of bummed that that didn’t take place in the time that I was there, and I don’t think that they covered it after I left. They hadn’t done the raffle yet, but who knows.

All in all everyone in the group appears to like one another. Like any group, there are people who are more outspoken than others, and that’s natural. It is good to see that no one is afraid to ask questions, and no one is afraid to be the sage providing the answer. I think that there’s definitely a knowledge dynamic present at homebrew clubs that presents numerous learning opportunities for its members.

It was a good time, and I’ll gladly attend another COHO meeting.