Rick Lyke over at Lyke2Drink has this month’s Session, and the theme is “The Brew Zoo“. Essentially if an animal is present in the name of the beer or brewery, or if an animal is linked with the branding, it’s in. Rick put it this way:

“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.”

In addition to the theme, another important point to note is that this month’s Session is appropriately dedicated to prominent beer author, Mr. Michael Jackson (to whom all beer lovers owe a large debt of gratitude).

So let’s see what animal Brewerman will contribute to the zoo.

Kiuchi Brewery – Hitachino Nest White Ale
Kiuchi Brewery is located in Japan. The iconic owl on the front is present on all the Hitachino Nest beers. It is one of the more distinct Japanese labels making this little bird easy to spot in the bottleshops’ coolers. This is one of their top selling beers for a reason. It’s an award-winner that people like. Let’s see what it’s all about.
Appearance: Classic haze of a white. Straw color. White head that quickly dissipates.
Smell: Whites are traditionally brewed with orange peel and coriander. This one appears to be no exception as the aroma is heavy on both fronts, but the coriander is coupled with an apparent nutmeg addition. Hops are not obvious or even apparent, which is to be expected for the style.
Taste: Nice, heavy fruit and spice sitting on top of the classic wheat-heavy grain bill. It is a big, bright flavor that dissipates cleanly.
Mouthfeel: Light and clean with lively carbonation that plays well with the flavor.
Drinkability: I like this beer, and will definitely pick more up the next chance I get. It is easy drinking and clean finishing despite the prevalent spice, which might be a bit on the strong side for some fans of Belgian witbiers

Ratebeer: 3.43/5 [80 percentile]
Beeradvocate: 3.99/5 [87 percentile]

So play nice with the other animals, little Hitachino Nest owl. Know that we’ll all be coming to visit you and your other Brew Zoo friends regularly.

Cheers!

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!

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.

The guys over at Hop Talk have the next Session.  This one’s a bit on the abstract side and should yield a broad spectrum of entries. The theme … Atmosphere.

Beer is about more than flavor, IBUs, and the debate over what is a craft beer and what isn’t. It’s about Life. It’s the proverbial icing on the cake.

So, we want to know about the “Atmosphere” in which you enjoy beer. Where is your favorite place to have a beer? When? With whom? Most importantly:

Why?

Because while life isn’t all about beer, beer is all about life.

So pour yourselves something good, and stop to think about it.  When are those occasions where beer was an integral part of the equation that yielded The Perfect Session?  Is it the people or the place or the time?  Is it a favorite joint (no … not that kind)?  What’s the setting?

Weigh in.

Here we are on another first friday of the month. Time to drink some local brews as specified by the host of this month’s installation of The Session. This month’s theme is Local Brews. The general idea of this month’s theme is to point visitors to the beer/brewery/region that represents the best of what the local area has to offer.

Bend, OR is smack-dab in the middle of the state and is home to several breweries including an obvious choice of focus for this theme – Deschutes Brewery. They’re the brewpub in town that sports the long line of framed GABF medals as you head down the hallway toward the bathrooms. These guys have a production brew-house away from the pub that produces the beer that allows them to achieve their distribution goals.

The brewpub is located downtown and has about 15 handles pouring year-round, seasonal, and one-off beers. There’s also usually two beers on cask at any given time, and a single special handle called the X Tap. This is usually reserved for something the brewers are playing around with like a Lavendar Pale Ale or Lemongrass Wheat. There’s a 12 barrel system that’s always got something going. For a comprehensive list of what’s currently on tap, check out the brewery’s Now Pouring page.

In the spirit of The Session, my wife and I headed down to Deschutes for dinner and a pint. I was pleasantly surprised to find a rare favorite on tap. The Mirror Mirror barley wine. This was brewed quite a while ago, and while I still have a few in the cellar, I can’t bring myself to crack one quite yet. This is what the 2005 vintage bottle says:

This unique barley wine is the happy result of our brewers’ patience and hard work. Brewed in early 2005 and then aged four months in French oak wine barrels, Mirror Mirror has a lusciously layered profile with hints of raisin and oak – perfect for slow sips and fireside conversations.

Despite the cheesy marketing-speak of “fireside conversations”, this is one damned good barley wine. The raisin and oak are very prevalent, but are leaned up against a fantasticly-assertive malt/hop presence to achieve a fantastically balanced overall profile. I had this with a smoked meat and cheese apetizer platter and couldn’t have been happier. It was a fantastic meal. It’s so very nice to have a place in town where you stop in for a pint and find this waiting for you on tap.

Just two blocks over from Deschutes is another brew pub that has brought a GABF medal back to Central Oregon – The Bend Brewing Company. While they don’t have as many irregular beers going, their Brewmaster, Tonya Cornett, has produced among the best Oregon beers I’ve ever tasted.

The BBC won their GABF medal for the Hop Head Imperial IPA. Two years ago, she pulled out a bourbon barrel Imperial Porter that blew my mind. A perfectly balanced, assertive blend of two things I love … big porters and bourbon. A lot of people do the barrel aging thing, but to get such pronounced flavors, and have it not tip over in any one direction … the girl’s got tallent.

My not-to-miss, probably-will-be-on-tap recommendations (depending upon your style preference):

• Inversion IPA, – Deschutes (assertively-hopped, classic Northwest IPA)
• Cask Bachelor Bitter – Deschutes (easy session cask beer that’s just way too easy to drink)
• Nitro Obsidian Stout – Deschutes (excellent roasty stout)
• Black Butte Porter – Deschutes (widely distributed and super-tasty … definitely don’t pass up if porter’s your game)
• Elk Lake India Pale Ale – Bend Brewing Company (another solid NW IPA … bring on the hops)
• Outback Old Ale – Bend Brewing Company (chewy, malty, raisins, caramel … yum!)

And, of course, if you see anything in the seasonals that sounds good, take a chance or ask for a taster … these people know what they’re doing, and are more than happy to hook you up.

Now I think it’s time to go raid the cellar for a bottle of Deschutes, The Abyss to finish off the evening. Cheers!