July 7, 2009

Apple of My Eye: Hard Cider Roundup

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You could say cider and I haven’t really been the best of friends.

My first exposure to strong cider was in Ireland when, amidst many pints of Guinness at a small pub in Galway, I was challenged to a drinking competition by a local who thought a kid from Minnesota couldn’t outdrink a seafaring Irishman in a test of chugging ability. Well, he was right, as I proceeded to quickly down an entire glass of hard cider (I’ve suppressed which brand) in less than five seconds, narrowly being beaten by my nearly incomprehensible competitor (real Irish accents are tough enough to discern, let alone after a dozen drinks). I then proceeded to stumble to the back of the pub in search of the restroom so I could discretely get sick, only to discover that the door marked “Lads” actually opened up to the alley behind the establishment where several other drinking compatriots were relieving themselves on a stone wall. Classy.

Fast forward about 10 years. My palate has improved, while my tolerance has not. So I thought it was time to give this category another go to see what the world of strong cider, at least locally in the Twin Cities, had to offer. If it was good enough in 14th century Ireland to baptize babies in (weird, but true), then I guess it deserves another look.

Crispin Natural Hard Apple Cider
Crispin is a local company, in the sense that they’re headquartered here in Minneapolis. They don’t use Minnesota apples, but rather produce their cider out in northern California. According to the company, they take the high road compared to competitors by refusing to use any malt, spirits, grape alcohols or additives like sugar or colorants. Just pure, wholesome apple juice blends. They naturally ferment with classic red wine yeasts to give it its unique flavor. And wine is a pretty apt descriptor, as it reminded me much more of a fine white wine than what I’d assumed would be a cloying, sappy cider. Crispin comes in three varietals, the original, brut and a light version. I went with the original for this taste test.

Poured with a very quickly dissipating head, almost like champagne. Light golden coloring, reminiscent of a very light lager. Beautiful bouquet of apple, pear and other delicate fruit in the nose. I found it interesting that the aroma actually reminded me of a mellow apple flavored Jolley Rancher candy. Not a knock, just what I associated it with. The taste is unique, a nice tang up front with soft apple that gently fades into a smooth finish. Not overly tart or aggressive in the least. I did notice a slightly perceptible bit of alcohol in the finish.Comes in at just 5% ABV, so you could certainly sit down with a few of these on a warm summer evening. I enjoyed this one, and look forward to trying their other two offerings.

Rating: A- 

Magners Irish Cider
This is Great Britian’s number one selling hard cider. Made in County Tipperary, Ireland, the company uses 17 different apple varieties to make their unique blend, and are in fact one of the largest purchasers of apple crops in the country (both Republic and Northern Ireland).

Poured a comparatively darker color than Crispin, more like a ruddy orange. As a beer guy, the aroma of Magners was surprisingly more pleasing to my sensibilities, having a very woody, almost hop-like character. Definitely not as much of the overt apple smell. Taste was relatively sweet, not as delicate as Crispin. More of the earthy, woody character as well. I notice the ingredient listing on the side of the bottle rattles off sugar, malic acid, preservatives and added coloring. Hmm, I guess Crispin wasn’t kidding. Magners is 6% ABV, which wasn’t very noticeable. Not bad overall, reminded me more of a beer in some ways. A very different cider than the first one in the line-up.

Rating: B-

Original Sin Hard Cider
This one comes out of New York, although it appears to be contract brewed down in Florida by Indian River Brewing. They use Granny Smith apples and champagne yeast, which is very evident in the pour. Very light and effervescent, with a watered down lemonade coloring. They also claim no additives, and I’d buy that as the apple aroma comes off much better than Magners. I can definitely tell they use Granny Smith, as you get some of that biting ester in the nose. The taste is surprisingly not that bitter, but what is there tends to linger throughout the finish. Another one that comes in at 6% ABV.

Rating: B+

White Winter Hard Apple Cider
Brewed up in the Bayfield Peninsula of Wisconsin, White Winter  is apparently more of a winery and mead maker. Poured very light, just the slightest tinge of straw coloring. A bit of that woodiness in the aroma mixed with apple, but not as evident as Magners. I was a little disappointed with the taste, as there really didn’t seem to be much to it. Fairly watery, not much apple, but you do get a definite bite in the finish. They use a touch of honey to brew this cider, and you can tell in the distinctly dry quality throughout. Only 4.5% ABV, so the lightest of the bunch.

Rating: B-

 

July 7, 2009

Dueling Buckets

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I love the smell of fermenting beer in the morning.

 

July 5, 2009

India Brown Ale and Lambic Brew Days

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Long holiday weekends call for ambitious brewing plans.

It’s been quite a while since I was out in the garage brewing, so I decided on Saturday to go with an India Brown Ale, which is more or less just a slight grain variation on the last IPA I brewed, adding some chocolate malt, roasted barley and biscuit malt into the mix. I know, I know…I’ve been talking a big game recently about how eager I was to brew up a Victory Wild Devil clone using brett, but I made a game-time decision to go with this one. But don’t worry, you’ll hear more about brett in just a minute…

The color after the boil came out just right, Newcastle-ish. But this had a a hell of alot more hops, as in about 6 ounces worth in the boil (for a 5 gallon batch — take that Miller Lite). I plan to dry hop with a couple more ounces to give it that beautiful IPA aroma, balanced (hopefully) by a nice biscuit and toffee maltiness. Very excited for this one.

After I got done cleaning up after the brew day, I sat down to relax and enjoy a beer, and out of nowhere was hit with the brewing bug again. I thought I’d gotten it out of my system for a while, but I was fortunately mistaken. I figured I’d take advantage of the energy burst, so on the spot I decided I would brew a lambic the following day, which is a style I’ve never done before. I did some research and reading, and formulated what seemed to be a pretty standard all-grain recipe…half malted and flaked wheat with the other half pilsner malt. One ounce of Saaz in the beginning of the boil.

The real trick with lambics, of course, is the fermentation. So in primary I went with a standard Belgian abbey strain from Wyeast, and in secondary I’ll add a big helping of brettanomyces to give it that funky “wild” quality. I may also drop in some oak chips to impart a little barrel-aged characteristic. After 6 months or so, once the brett has had time to do its magic, I’ll add my fruit (haven’t decided what to go with yet, maybe cherry or peach). I was shooting for a target OG of 1.050, but ended up coming in a little short at 1.036. I’m not worried about it, since the fruit will help add quite a bit more sugar in secondary fermentation. I won’t be bottling this for some time to come, and won’t even taste it until about a year from now.     

Recipes below, both for 5 gallon batches. Oh, and a short video update on my mini hop yard at the bottom.

The Captain’s India Brown Ale

Mash at 152 for 60 minutes
Target OG 1.066

8 lb. Golden Promise
1.5 lb. Caramunich I
1 lb. Biscuit malt
10 oz. Crystal 60L
8 oz. Chocolate malt
2 oz. Roasted barley

1 oz. Warrior (in boil at 60 min.)
1 oz. Magnum (in boil at 60 min.)
0.3 oz. Amarillo (in boil at 20 min.)
0.3 oz. Simcoe (in boil at 20 min.)
0.3 oz. Amarillo (in boil at 15 min.)
0.3 oz. Simcoe (in boil at 15 min.)
0.3 oz. Amarillo (in boil at 10 min.)
0.3 oz. Simcoe (in boil at 10 min.)
0.3 oz. Amarillo (in boil at 5 min.)
0.3 oz. Simcoe (in boil at 5 min.)
0.3 oz. Amarillo (in boil at flame out)
0.3 oz. Simcoe (in boil at flame out)
2 oz. Simcoe (dry hop)
1 oz. Amarillo (dry hop)

Wyeast 1335 British Ale II

The Captain’s Lambic (Fruit TBD)

Mash at 152 for 60 minutes
Target OG 1.050

4.5 lb. Pilsner malt
3.5 lb. Malted wheat
1 lb. Flaked wheat

1 oz. aged Saaz* (in boil at 60 min.)

Wyeast 1762 Belgian Abbey II (primary)

After 2-3 weeks, rack to secondary and pitch Wyeast 5526 Brettanomyces Lambicus to introduce souring characteristic
Let age in secondary at least 6 months, then rack beer onto 6-8 lb. of tart fruit (sour cherry, peach, raspberry, etc.)
Let age another 6 months, then bottle

* You can artificially age the hops by throwing them in the oven for a few hours at a low temp, about 200 degrees F, until the pungent aroma is muted. Not as good as using old, cheesy hops, but it works. 

 

July 1, 2009

The Lost Abbey Carnevale

Posted by amm002 under Rating: B | Tags: |
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DSC02238I know Tomme Arthur, brewmaster at Lost Abbey, has gotten knocked around the blogosphere a fair amount for what many in the beer community see as a lapse in quality and customer care related to the release of their 2008 Brandy Barrel-Aged Angel’s Share that apparently lacked sufficient carbonation. More on that saga here.

I don’t really have a horse in this race, as I wasn’t one of the folks that signed up to be part of the “Patron Saints and Sinners Club,” because frankly $235 plus shipping costs for what amounted to six bombers of beer (two 375 ml bottles every other month, to be exact) seemed a tad steep for my blood. But I can see both sides of the coin on this issue…from a customer’s perspective, when you pay about $40 for the equivalent of a bomber, there’s a reasonable expectation that everything about that bottle better be in pristine condition, even down to the wiring on the cork cage. On the otherhand, reading Tomme’s explanation, I absolutely understand the pressures that must be associated with getting product out the door in a timely manner to meet customer demand. Because as a homebrewer, I know firsthand that variables involved in bottle conditioning (yeast population, available fermentables, temperature) can greatly impact the speed in which the beer inside is ready to be properly served. Sometimes you get a batch that carbonates in a week, and sometimes it takes a month. Sometimes it’s even overcarbonated. It can be a crap shoot, which is why I generally prefer kegging. But I think what some people might forget, as much as they have a reasonable expectation to getting what they pay for, is that beer — and more specifically HIGH QUALITY craft beer — is a living and breathing organism. And consequently, there is a possibility for variation in product, especially in small handcrafted batches as Lost Abbey was dealing with. I’d expect these bottles in question would have eventually carbonated just fine, given some time in the cellar. But if some of these folks are like me, patience is in short supply, especially when you have a fantastic beer package sitting on your doorstep.   

In the end, I think the Angel’s Share thing was an unfortunate incident that probably put a small black eye on what is otherwise, at least in my opinion, a high quality brewery. Their reputation will surely recover.

Thankfully, none of these issues presented themselves when I popped a bottle of their Carnevale, a saison-style ale that uses a healthy dose of brettanomyces to set it apart from many others in its category. I don’t know what it is, but I am completely enamored with wild yeast, I just love it.

Poured a hazy golden color, with a nice foamy head. Very cloudy with yeast, and a definite funky aroma from the brett. A bit spicy and some citrus notes, but it’s largely overshadowed by the musty yeast. The flavor was OK, some sweet maltiness, but not as crisp, clean and effervescent as I tend to prefer in saisons. It seemed kind of “muddy.” I suppose some of this could be from the brett’s overall dominance. Mouthfeel was good, full and smooth. 

A unique saison. But a little one-dimensional, even for a guy that really enjoys brett.

Rating: B

 

June 30, 2009

Great Divide Espresso Oak-Aged Yeti

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DSC02243The Yeti returns…

I had the fortune of trying the original version of Great Divide’s Yeti Imperial Stout several months ago on draught at The Happy Gnome. A lovely beer. Shortly thereafter, I stumbled upon a bottle of the Espresso Oak-Aged version at Four Firkins, and frankly forgot about it for a few months as it hid in the back of my beer shelf. During a backyard bonfire party, my brother-in-law resurrected it, and I’m glad he did, because it’s one of the better stouts I’ve had in quite some time.

Thick pour into a snifter, big bursting head. Great coffee aroma, like you just walked into a bustling cafe. The oak was very subtle, not too aggressive or overpowering which is what can sometimes happen with these types of beers, like the brewer is trying to make a statement.

The coffee bitterness in the taste is nicely balanced by the deep malt and sweet vanilla oakiness. Some dark fruit lingering in the background. Very thick mouthfeel. There’s a lot going on here, but I think it works well. Highly complex, but understated.

A great sipper by the fire.

Rating: A-

 

June 26, 2009

Aventinus Doppelbock

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I gotta say, my first reaction to the Michael Jackson news was “who gives a shit.”

But after a couple hours went by, and the more I thought about it, I had an uncharacteristic reaction to the whole thing. I actually got a bit sentimental. As weird as he was in his later years, and as much as I think the guy really did have some inappropriate relationships with children, I couldn’t help but remember back to me as a six-year-old…the Mini Captain. It was 1983, and I was down in our basement family room with my parents, anxiously waiting for the debut of Michael’s new video “Thriller.” My mom was a huge Michael fan, more than anything, and despite her love for the Gloved One she vehemently argued with my dad that it might be too scary for a young guy like me. My dad retorted back that it was just a silly video, just a bunch of stupid make-up and goofy dance moves.

My dad must have won out, as the lights dimmed and the short film popped up on the screen of our console television. I hid behind the couch for most of the video, scared out of my mind as the zombies curiously danced about, flinching as Michael appeared on the screen with sunken eyes and rotting flesh. It was one of those childhood memories that sticks with you, as it was such an iconic, shared moment in time across our culture. I’m a huge horror movie fan, but to this day, that video, as benign as it is compared to today’s standards, still gives me the chills. Maybe the news today snuck up and hit me the way it did because my mom, who died several years ago, always loved his music. Kind of the second passing of something that I held close. I don’t know. But either way, the world will surely mourn his loss for some time to come.     

Sigh. So back to the beer.

My buddy Aaron at the Vice Blog kindly shipped this one out to me, Aventinus Doppelbock from Schneider & Sohns. I’ve never run across it here in the Twin Cities (if anyone knows where it is around here, please, do tell). Aventinus is a weizen starkbier, translated from German “strong wheat beer,” or more commonly known as a doppelbock.

Beautiful pour into a slender pilsner glass, giving way to a rich ruby brown coloring. Fabulous head retention. Aroma of soft, ripe bananas and cloves. Very perfumey and light with some pleasant phenols in the background. Some yeast also present. The taste is mildly sweet up front, segueing into a lingering bite in the middle. Spicy, bready and a bit toasty. Nice carbonation throughout, prickly and refreshing. Nice mouthfeel. There’s really nothing about this that I don’t enjoy.

I’m not generally a big fan of wheat-style beers, but this one changes my mind in a big way. Clocks in at 8.2% ABV, and let me tell you, it’s dangerously…no, criminally drinkable. You’d think wheat would be too weak to mask that kind of heft in a beer, but Schneider & Sohn found a way to do it.

Makes me want to do the moonwalk.

Rating: A+

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June 25, 2009

Westmalle Dubbel

Posted by amm002 under Rating: B Minus, Rating: C Plus | Tags: , |
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DSC02310I guess it’s tough for most breweries to bat 1.000. Even if you only make three beers.

I was a little surprised with my experience with Westmalle Dubbel, considering their tripel is generally regarded as the benchmark of the style. In fact, it ranks very high on my Top 20 list. But the dubbel left just a little to be desired, especially when compared to its peer group in the Trappist/Abbey category.

Poured with a rich mahogony coloring and a decent head that hung around for a bit. Aroma was earthy, a pretty balanced mix between caramel and some fruity esters. I get some plum. Solid yeast backbone. Also seemed hoppier, maybe even spicier, than other Trappist dubbels like Chimay Premiere, for example.

While the introduction was pleasant overall, Westmalle Dubbel fell flat on the back end for me. A very dry, very bitter characteristic with not much of the malty sweetness that I look for in a dubbel. Not very complex or interesting. It almost bordered on sour, the furthest thing from rich and creamy. I was a bit surprised by all of this. Also a fairly weak mouthfeel, thin and a bit watery. Again, not what I expected. Didn’t pick up any alcohol in the finish, which was good. But that might be the only redeeming quality to the taste experience.  

I feel like I need to give this one another shot at some point given Westmalle’s reputation. When I look back at my review of their tripel, I wonder if Westmalle just trends to the drier, spicier side of the equation, even in a beer that isn’t generally supposed to take on those qualities. To be fair, it’s better than some dubbels I’ve had, but not nearly what I’d expect from a Trappist brewery of its ilk. Bit of a disappointment.

Rating: B-/C+

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June 23, 2009

The Naked Grouse Scotch Whisky

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First off, I am no scotch expert.

Sure, I love The Macallan, Lagavulin, and even a blend like Johnnie Walker (Black or better) in a pinch. And I’d like to think my palate is trained enough to discern a “good” scotch whisky from a poorly crafted one. I know what I like, and I know what I don’t like. Although, my general approach to scotch out in the wild is more like Jon Favreau in that classic scene from Swingers. Yeah, guy behind the guy.

I recently came into the possession of a beautifully crafted bottle of The Naked Grouse, a new offering from The Edrington Group, the folks that bring you The Famous Grouse, Scotland’s most popular scotch whisky (not an indication that it’s necessarily good, just saying). I won’t belabor you with all the details on The Naked Grouse, as Heavy Table recently ran a very good overview. However, I will tell you that The Naked Grouse is only sold in the Twin Cities right now, their first test market in the U.S. for the product. So if it works here, you should see it soon in your area.

I took it neat, which is how I always prefer my scotch*. They blend several spirits to make it, using The Famous Grouse as the base and adding single malts from The Macallan and Highland Park, so I would guess you could consider this a “higher end” blended scotch whisky. They age it in sherry casks for a short while, helping mature the blend.

I buried my nose in the glass for about 15 minutes before I even took my first sip. The aroma is sweeter than I’d expect for an 80 proof scotch, maybe from the grain whisky they use to smooth things out. Definite vanilla and caramel, and really not much of the harsh alcohol characteristic that seems to turn off many scotch novices. Pretty creamy and inviting.  

I took a nice sip, and then spit it out. Call me a complete dork, but this is in fact a good thing when you’re tasting scotch whisky. The high alcohol content (of most spirits, actually) mask the true flavor profile of the liquor. So clearing the liquid actually gives you a much better impression of what’s truly going on. Nice roasted flavor, almost like chocolate. A little oakey, and you can pick up a bit of the sherry.

I don’t think mouthfeel is a consideration with a scotch like it is with a beer, primarily since it isn’t carbonated. But The Naked Grouse did pleasantly explode off the tongue in the finish, leading to a subtle, yet building, alcohol burn that enveloped my mouth.

I enjoyed this one, and think it’d be a nice pick for folks interested in dipping their toes into the world of scotch. Well done.    

 Rating: B+

* As I’ve said before on this blog, adding a dab of lukewarm water to liven up the whisky is just fine. But seriously, putting ice in a finely crafted spirit is like dumping cubes into a highly regarded vintage of pouilly fuisse to chill it down. Total waste.

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June 18, 2009

Hop Watch 2009 – Part Deux

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Just a quick update on my mini hop yard.

The Cascade plant is really climbing. Granted, I didn’t have it in the ground until mid May, but it’s showing huge gains just in the past few weeks (check out where it was just recently). Compared to the hop plants I saw at Barley John’s last weekend, I’m guessing next year it’ll be much further along by this point. No flowers yet, but those likely won’t come until mid to late summer. Also, my Horizon plant just started peeking out of the pot I planted it in, so I’m hoping it’ll take off in the next couple weeks. I’ll likely get another trellis and put it next to the Cascade plant, taking care so the two bines don’t mix in with each other. 

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June 17, 2009

Barley John’s Wild Brunette and Dark Knight

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Some of the best beer in the world is brewed in the most unassuming of locations. Barley John’s in New Brighton certainly fits that bill. Tucked near the corner of County Road D and Old Highway 8, Barley John’s may not be as prolific in offerings as other legendary brewpubs like Minneapolis Town Hall. But they make up for it in quality.

When I was there over the weekend, I was informed that the brewhouse was under construction, meaning most of their beers weren’t available. A little disappointing, but manageable given the knowledge that they’re planning to double their capacity by adding two new fermentors. Of the handful of beers that were on draught, the two that I tried were more than excellent.

DSC02200Wild Brunette (Wild Rice Brown Ale)
What a uniquely delicious beer, and a perfect way to blend a very Minnesotan ingredient, wild rice, with a pleasing brown ale.

A bit of reddish wild rice residue in the small head ringing the glass. Definite wild rice in the aroma, which one might think would be odd, but it seemed very appropriate with a nice bouquet of earthy almond and vanilla coupled.

Taste was a mix of nuttiness and sweet malt, with some of the rice also coming through. Relatively strong for a brown ale, about 7.5%.

Rating: A-  

DSC02206Dark Knight
Oh, the Dark Knight. I’ve been waiting to try this one for quite a while, as it only makes an appearance very occasionally. For some reason I was under the impression it was their imperial stout, but turns out it’s actually a double fermented, barrel aged baltic porter that comes in at a whopping 13.5%. According to the brewery, they age the beer more than eight months in 15 and 20 year bourbon casks from Old Fitzgerald Distillery. And let me tell you…this beer is no joke.

Not much of the roasted, smokey quality like I expected, given it’s a baltic porter. But it literally smelled like a straight shot of bourbon, incredibly potent up front. One of the most aggressive beers I’ve ever smelled. Taste was complex as could be…lots of dark fruits, almost port-like in its intensity. More of the bourbon in the flavor as well. Big alcohol burn in the finish, but it didn’t turn me off. I had about half of my small snifter, maybe 3 or 4 ounces, and felt completely satisfied with it. Any more and I might have needed a ride home. This could be one of the best ass-kicker style of beers I’ve ever had, top five for sure.

Rating: A+ 

In addition to enjoying a couple incredibly nice beers, I also really enjoyed hanging out on Barley John’s patio flanked by rows of thriving hop plants. A very nice touch.

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