Archive for Beer a Day
Blithering Idiot
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I’m shivering and rambling on like a Blithering Idiot.
About an hour ago, I shook off the snow and came back into the house after another epic battle against nature.
(Seriously New England, you’re killing me this winter.)
I’ve had a cup of coffee, and I’ve bundled up in layers, but I just can’t shake this feeling of being cold. I can hardly speak sense. My mind is gone.
Is this the end? Has winter finally driven me mad?
A quick look through The Fridge reveals a couple of barley wine brews that I’m sure will warm me up. And Weyerbacher’s Blithering Idiot looks just about right. It has an 11.1% ABV, and it’s been stored at 60 degrees — I’m not even going to chill it. I’m just too cold as it is.
Founders Breakfast Stout
Posted by: | CommentsCoffee in the morning. You don’t mess with that. 
Life needs its constants. Coffee in the morning is one of mine. And this morning, Saturday morning, I decided to branch out a bit.
But full disclaimer – my morning coffee came first. That’s the thing about constants. They live up to the name.
It was the chubby little kid on the Founders Brewing Company label for Breakfast Stout that convinced me I would need to drink this beer for breakfast. He’s holding his oatmeal bowl at an angle, to better scrape up the last vestige of hot cereal. Once you get past the creepy gaze, you realize he’s hypnotized with goodness.
Red Rocket Ale
Posted by: | CommentsDon’t tell my wife, but I do believe I’m falling in love with a redhead.
My new love claims to be Scottish, but she was born in Cloverdale, California (at a place called “Bear Republic“), and she suffers from questionable lineage. When pressed, she labels herself as a “bastardized Scottish style red” that “breaks all style molds”.
But I know her as a full-bodied heart breaker, with a sweet smell and gorgeous, dark complexion. And you’d do well not to let her looks fool you — she’s stronger than you might guess.
It’s an intoxicating relationship. I spent all day thinking about her, and despite my better judgment, I just couldn’t let things stay bottled up any longer.
Maybe you can help me decide what to do? Go visit her online profile and tell me what you think. She’s described as a “fiery red” who is frequently courted by “mountain bikers, and adventurous types worldwide”.
Left Hand Milk Stout
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One of the joys of this project has been, by design, discovering great new craft brewing companies. This helps offset the pain of not being able to try several of their beers at the same time.
But only a little.
Today’s beer, from Left Hand Brewing Company, is just one beer out of what looks to be a spectacular lineup of Left Hand brews. And a quick scan of their distribution network makes me think many of you will be able to try a bottle of Left Hand. (Sorry John D, it doesn’t look like Oregon is on their list.)
But I can’t completely “kowtow” to the Milk Stout. Poured into a goblet, no head formed, which really disappointed me. After a few flat seconds, a thin layer of foam quickly developed from nothing, and returned there just as fast.
“It’s a dud!” was my first thought.
My second thought, you ask? “It’s a milk dud!”
Fortunately, the beer wasn’t “udderly” disappointing. The stout had a roasted coffee aroma and a dark brown, almost black body. The java flavor dominated the taste in the beginning, but gradually gave way to a chocolaty, oatmealy, toasty malt.
I’ve had many porters and stouts that aim for the coffee essence and simply go overboard. But the Milk Stout doesn’t “curdle” your taste buds with an overpowering, or “bull”ying, taste. So if you are less adventurous in your beer drinking, you won’t have to “steer” clear of Left Hand’s Milk Stout. It’s a fairly sweet, completely accessible, and thoroughly drinkable beer.
And this is despite having a bottle that was fairly flat!
Unlike the cow on the label, this beer has a fairly light body and creamy mouth feel. In fact, toward the end of the glass, the chocolate malt and the creaminess made me think of chocolate milk.
If any of you try some Left Hand brews, please let me know what you think. I’d like to work a few more into my rotation this year.
Special Holiday Ale
Posted by: | CommentsI really have no idea how to describe today’s beer. For the full story, be sure to read the tale of collaboration posted at The Stone Blog.
“Special Holiday Ale” is a joint venture of Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales, Stone Brewing Company, and Nøgne Ø.
I came across Special Holiday Ale at my liquor store when its seemingly simple bottle — featuring a triangle linking the logos of Stone, Jolly Pumpkin, and Nøgne Ø — stood out simply by being so understated. I picked it up and, upon further inspection, surprising details became apparent. One such example being a haiku by Jolly Pumpkin’s head brewer, Ron Jeffries:
Triad formed
saged hills speak slowly
a beer is born
The bottle isn’t the only thing about this beer I would describe as nuanced.
Poured into a Duvel tulip glass, the ale is black cherry red. The beer developed a terrific foamy head that glided up the glass like a true Belgian. The color is tricky — it looks brown until the light catches it, revealing red highlights. It’s quite beautiful.
But the aroma, often a beer’s second chance to make a first impression, is complex enough to approach off putting. Stick with it though and you’re in for a treat.
For insight, let’s start out with the ingredients list. The list starts out simply enough: barley, hops, water, and yeast. Then comes malted oats and rye malt, which you don’t see often. But then things get decidedly strange — chestnuts, juniper berry, white sage & caraway seed!
The sage seems to dominate the nose; and it’s a leading player in the taste, too, toying with the toasty malts and hops. There’s a warm spicy element, which I think is the juniper but really don’t know.
Rich.
The description I keep returning to is “rich”. The velvet mouth feel, the robust aroma, the 9% Alc/Vol, the complexity of the flavors — there’s a richness to this beer that is undeniable. Also undeniable, this collaboration is a beer worth savoring.
If you find a bottle someplace, take your time.
After all, saged hills speak slowly.
