Summer Is Coming?

I like to think that summer is just around the corner, but the fact that our birdbath keeps freezing every night makes me wonder...

Regardless, Alaskan breweries are gearing up to face the onslaught of tourists that will soon be descending upon our fair state.  Hopefully those tourists will get the chance to experience the exceptional craft brews that Alaska has to offer.  If you have any doubt how special Alaska is, just take a look at this graphic:

As you can see, Alaska is one of the top states in the nation when it comes to breweries per capita.  Having a small population helps, of course, but our 22 (and counting) breweries and brewpubs are quite a respectable number.  So if you're involved in the tourist business, even if it's just carting your relatives from Outside around, please make it a point to expose them to some of our homegrown Alaskan craft beer.

Speaking of Alaskan craft beer, let's talk about Alaskan Brewing Company's craft beer.  Or rather, let's look and listen to them talk about it.  Here's a brand new video they've released:

Nicely done, and I'm happy they emphasize how unique things are in Alaska.

This week is American Craft Beer Week and Kenai River Brewing Company has been celebrating in style, with $6 growler specials on a different one of their beers each day.  They've also got two new brews on tap, Imperial Rye Pale Ale (I.R.P.A.) and Black Water Bend-R Black IPA.  I'll have reviews of both later in the blog.

Over at Kassik's Brewery, Orion's Quest Red Ale is back on tap, along with a small amount of Chocolate Cherry Stout and Big Nutz Imperial Brown.  Get 'em before they're gone!  Kassik's also was one of the sponsors of last week's Trivapalooza fundraiser.  After a three year run as champion, the team I am on came in second by two points, so it was nice to be able to drown my sorrows in a Morning Wood IPA.  Well done to Kassik's for supporting this worthy local cause.

At St. Elias Brewing, Zach Henry & crew are also gearing up for the tourists.  How can you tell?  Because Island Girl Ale is back on the chalkboard!  Yes, the raspberry-flavored brew so popular with the ladies is on offer again; you can read my review of it in my 6/15/2010 blog.  Zach also has a hefeweizen on tap, which is being served in proper 20 oz glasses for $5 each.  As things warm up, either would be a good choice to enjoy while sitting in the sun on their patio.

Now let's move on to some beer reviews:

Click to enlarge

I've been uniformly impressed with the beers from Southern Tier Brewing Company, out of upstate  New York.  The latest one I've found to try was their Unearthly Imperial IPA, at 9.5% ABV.  It poured a nice, clear copper color in the glass, with a good-sized white head.  The aroma was of crisp floral hops.  The beer is run through a hopback filled with Styrian Goldings, then dry-hopped with a mixture of Centennial, Cascade, and Chinook hops.  They were all accounted for in the aroma!  Tasting it, the beer presented a very clean bitterness and concealed the high alcohol content quite well, making it more drinkable than your average hop bomb imperial IPA.  Another very nice beer from Southern Tier.

As I mentioned in last week's blog, when I was in Anchorage I stopped by La Bodega in its new location.  While I was there, I picked up a liter of Midnight Sun's Oak-aged T.R.E.A.T. Imperial Chocolate Pumpkin Porter, which was on tap at their growler bar.  I'd had T.R.E.A.T. before, though I not the oak-aged version, but I don't think I've ever written up a review, so here it is.  It poured completely opaque, with a nice tan head.  The aroma lead off with roasted coffee & dark chocolate notes, followed by the wood and then the pumpkin spices.  On the palate there was excellent mouthfeel, with just the proper degree of chewiness.  The flavor profile was very rich and complex; I picked up dark chocolate, roasted coffee, raisins, spices again, and a touch of alcohol from the 7.8% ABV.  Not everyone is crazy for pumpkin beers, but if you like the spice profile, you'll love T.R.E.A.T., especially with the added layer of complexity from the oak aging.

Rye can be a tricky ingredient for a brewer, both from a process standpoint and from its impact on the flavor profile.  Doug Hogue demonstrated his complete mastery of both areas with his latest offering, Imperial Rye Pale Ale, or I.R.P.A. for short.  (Don't ask me what's up with all these "initial" beers.  Is it the latest fad among brewers?)  It poured a beautiful dark copper with a big, cream-colored head.  The aroma announced the distinctive presence of Summit hops, which I believe Doug said was the only variety he used in the beer.  On the palate there was good carbonation, excellent bitterness as well as good hop flavor, plus the peppery notes that I always associate with rye, ending with a fair amount of alcohol heat from the 10% ABV.  This is a really big beer, but deceptively drinkable.

Joe & Bender: Separated at Birth?

Knowing Joe Gilman as I do, it would not surprise me to learn that he's a fan of the animated series FUTURAMA.  After all, he seems to have modeled his personality on that of Bender the robot (or maybe it was the other way round?).  So I can't help but wonder if the "Bend-R" in Black Water Bend-R  Black IPA is a subtle tribute to this cartoon character.  This is the first recipe that Joe has created, and he has really set a very high bar for himself.  Unusually, he chose to use a lot of roasted barley in his recipe, something you'd expect more in a stout than in a Black IPA.  The result is a completely black brew with a dark tan, almost coffee-colored head.  The characteristic aroma of Citra hops comes booming out of the glass.  The color is so dark that you expect it to be heavy or chewy on the palate, but it is actually quite light.  There is a ton of bitterness and plenty of roasty notes, all tied together with good carbonation.  All-in-all, this is one of the best Black IPAs I've ever had; it may be his first time at the plate, but as far as I'm concerned, Joe hit this one out of the park.  If you like hoppy beers, you really need to give Black Water Bend-R Black IPA a try.

Well, that's about it for now.  I hope you enjoy what's left of American Craft Beer Week.  Keep your fingers crossed that summer does come to the Kenai eventually; it would be nice if things could stay above freezing at night...

Until Next time, Cheers!

More Excuses

 Damn, seems like every time I go to write this blog, I have to start out with making excuses as to why it's either late or was missing all together the previous week.  Too many irons in the fire, not enough hours in the day, etc., etc. So pick whatever excuse seems best to you and consider it to be the one I'm using for not getting a blog out last week.  Now let's move on.

I don't usually bother with news about overseas breweries, but this one is just too amazing to pass up.  Click here to read how the huge conglomerate Diageo (owner of Guinness, Heineken, and numerous other brands) threw its weight around to deny BrewDog an award and got caught red-handed.  It doesn't surprise me that this sort of stuff goes on, but it does surprise me that anyone would think they could be so brazen about it and not have it blow up in their face. To me it's telling that such a big company would feel so threatened by a small craft outfit to actually do something like this; even they must know that craft beer is the future of the industry.

On a more positive awards note, Alaskan Brewing Company reeled in another three medals, this time from the World Beer Cup, the international competition sponsored every two years by the Brewers Association. Judges blind tasted 3,921 beers from 799 breweries in 54 countries to award gold, silver, and bronze medals in 95 beer categories.  Alaskan Stout took the bronze medal in the Oatmeal Stout category, Alaskan IPA took the bronze in the American-style  Strong Pale Ale category, and Alaskan Amber took the silver in Irish Red Ale category.  Congratulations to the gang in Juneau and keep up the good work!

More good news:  Jim Roberts, AKA Dr. Fermento, the Dean of Alaskan Beer Writers and a good friend, has resumed publishing his occasional newsletter-style blog, know as Da Rant.  If you're interested in the Alaskan Beer Scene at all and you're not on his mailing list, you are missing out.  Send him an email at james.roberts@gci.net to receive a copy.

Here a chance to win something cool:A travel company known as Zephyr Adventures has teamed with World Class Beer, Untapped, New Belgium Brewery, and Draft Magazine to give away a free spot on an upcoming Colorado Hike, Bike, Beer and Brewpubs Adventure, plus round-trip airfare to Denver.  Follow this link to register for a chance to win this free trip.

I was in Anchorage for one day this week for a conference.  Meetings lasted most of the day so I didn't get to do much except drive up and drive back, but I made a point to delay departure for a few minutes to check out La Bodega's new store.  I talked about all of the upgrades in their new location in prior blogs, so I won't rehash them here, but I will say this: WOW!  The place looks fantastic, the growler bar is great, and I'm really confident that this is going to boost the craft beer profile in Anchorage tremendously.  Here are some photos, courtesy of my wife Elaine:

Exterior shot

Looking right from the growler bar

Interior shot

Looking left toward the growler bar

Close up of the growler bar

If you live in Anchorage and haven't checked La Bodega out yet, what the heck are you waiting for?

OK, let's turn to some reviews.

Click to enlarge

Here's a new brew from Ommegang Brewery in Cooperstown, NY: The Art of Darkness.  All of Ommegang's beers are of the highest quality and this new brew is no exception.  Brewed in the style of a Belgian Strong Dark, it poured an almost-opaque ruby color with a giant khaki head.  The nose was of dark fruits (plums, figs, raisins) plus earthy, spicy Belgian yeast elements.  On the palate, there was more of the same, with plums, raisins, figs, and some chocolate notes blending into a rich and complex ensemble.  A fine take on the style and another proof that you don't to be Belgian to brew absolutely fabulous Belgian beer.

 I also have had the chance to sample several beers in Samuel Smith Brewery's Organic line of beers and cider.  Samuel Smith's is a very traditional brewery located in Tadcaster in the U.K., famous for still fermenting their beers in open fermenters made from huge slabs of  Yorkshire slate.  Their beers have been imported into the US for decades by Merchant du Vin.  In fact, I can remember times in the late 80's and early 90's when they were about the only decent British ales you could find in this country.  These days they have much more company, but they are still producing some excellent brews, including their classic Yorkshire Stingo Ale, which I reviewed back on 8/31/2010.

With regards to the value of paying for organic brews, you will have to decide for yourself whether or not the added cost is "worth it" for you.  Personally, I have been perfectly satisfied with non-organic beers, but if you feel strongly on the subject Samuel Smith's is now presenting you with a viable option.

The organic line consists of a cider, a lager, a best bitter, and fruit beers: cherry, raspberry, strawberry, and most recently apricot.  I have tried several, and found them all to be uniformly well made; I particularly enjoyed the Organic Lager Beer.  It poured a lovely straw gold, very clear, with a big white head.  It had a nice, clean hop aroma and a very crisp, clean and refreshing taste.  It was more in the style of a German than a Czech lager and quite delicious.

Among the fruit ales, I found the Apricot Ale to be the most interesting.  I am not overly fond of apricots, but even so I enjoyed this beer.  It poured a cloudy orange-gold with a nice white head and a strong apricot aroma,  On the palate, there was enough natural tartness to keep the beer from being too cloyingly sweet, as fruit beers can sometime be.  I'm not sure I'd have another, but I suspect that's because I'm not as big a fan of apricots as someone else might be.  If you like apricots, this is definitely the beer for you.

Well, that's about it for this week.  Hopefully next week's blog will be out on time.  I will certainly do my best to make it so.

Until Next Time, Cheers!

The Taste of Wood

Well, no blog last week.  Sorry about that; I had a few too many irons in the fire, and it was what fell off the plate.  That means this week's is extra long, as I have lots of news to report.

Former wine barrels waiting to be filled

Last blog I mentioned that I was going to write about my latest home brew project, Captain Merrill's Strong Ale.  The main reason I decided to brew this particular beer (besides the fact that I like drinking home brew) is to explore the effect that wood-aging has on a beer.  You'd think think that that would be something easy to learn, given that every where you turn, someone is offering a barrel-aged version of this or that brew from their stable of beers.  However, I wanted to study the impact of the wood on the beer, not the impact of the wood AND whatever other alcoholic beverage had previously been stored in the barrel.  Darn few brewers out there use fresh barrels (mainly due to their expense); most choose used bourbon or wine barrels, which can be obtained much more cheaply.  So if I wanted to taste a beer aged on fresh oak, it was easiest to make it myself.

The other reason I decided to brew this beer was that in my experience, to really understand something, you have to do it yourself.  You can read all the books you want about beer and brewing, but if you've never actually made a batch of beer (or at the very least helped someone else brew), you can't really understand what it's all about.

My great great great great great grandfather

So to explore the question of oak and ale, I decided to harken back to our colonial days and craft a beer like that my ancestor, Captain Benjamin Merrill, might have drunk in 1771, prior to his execution for treason by the Royal Governor of the then-colony of North Carolina.  It's a little known part of American history, and one I was never taught about in school, but if you would like to learn more about this prelude to the American Revolution, you could start here.

Since the settlers of North Carolina at this time would still have thought of themselves as British, I decided to use classic English hops, East Kent Goldings and Fuggles, and an English yeast, White Labs Dry English Ale Yeast (WLP007).  For specialty malts, the only thing I used was some Crystal 120L, which gave the beer a lovely dark ruby color.  My target was about 8% ABV, and after three weeks of primary fermentation, I racked the beer to a secondary to start the wood aging.  I used three ounces of medium toast American oak cubes and left the beer on them for eight weeks before bottling.  After two more weeks to condition in the bottle, I was ready to give it a try.

Captain Merrill's Strong Ale poured a lovely deep ruby color with  a nice cream-colored head.  The aroma was primarily from the oak aging; hop aroma was pretty non-existent.  On the palate there was good carbonation and a nice mouthfeel, with the oaky notes very prominent and good balance between the malt and hops.  The finish was long and pretty dry, inviting another taste.  I was very pleased with the end result, both as an experiment to study the impact of wood on a beer absent any other alcoholic flavors and as a successful batch of home brew that was very enjoyable to drink.  Here's to you, Captain Merrill!

Moving on to beer news, Midnight Sun in Anchorage is gearing up for their 17th Annual Anniversary Celebration at The Loft this Saturday, April 28th.  They will be tapping a keg of Wolf Spirit Sparkling Ale at 11:00 am; this is a recreation of the first beer that they brewed, which was tapped at the Haines Beer Fest all those many years ago.  Congratulations to Barb, Mark, and the rest of the crew; wish I could be there for the festivities!

I also have some information on upcoming Midnight Sun releases.  This year they are not doing a new "series", such as they have in the past.  Instead, they are doing a Ten Most Wanted, bringing back the ten most popular beers from previous series.  So when you recognize some of the names below, you'll know why.  Here's what I got from Darcy Kniefel, who's now managing The Loft:

Brandie's Panties aka Panty Peeler Tripel Aged in Brandy Barrels: "One of our top selling beers gets a lift from the brandy barrels.  This sold out FAST last summer so we are looking to bottle some up this year.  Tasting this by end of May, we reserve the right to keep it aging if the brandy barrels tell us to do so."

Berserker Imperial Stout: "Rolling out in June, we will have draught and bottle of this Imperial Stout available."

Brewtality: "This was Head Brewer Jeremiah Boone's Brew back when we did the Brew Crew Series and it is back with a vengeance.  This Espresso Black Bier expected to roll in June, bottles and draught."

Sex Machine: "Sour Brown for James Brown will roll out in July.  This is coming in from our Funk Tank Series.  Expect a disco ball extravaganza to bring on the funk!"

New Black: "Tops on the list of most requested returns, this Belgian Dark Strong aged with Brett and black currants had a taste like no other. September is our expected due date on this yum."

Oaked Son of Berserker: "The second running of Berserker Imperial Stout is currently sitting in oak barrels to age up, we should have this out in time for Autumn sipping in September."

Also on the Anchorage front, La Bodega has completed its move from University Center and is now open at the new E. Benson location (right next to Cafe Amsterdam).  One of the benefits of their new place is that now they have space for a growler bar!  Here's their initial line-up of beers, ciders, and mead available:

Kodiak Island Snowshoe Pale Ale

Midnight Sun Oak-Aged T.R.E.A.T.

Sleeping Lady Cherry Grand Cru

King Street IPA

Kenai River Gummi Bear Tripel

Ommegang BPA

De Proef Broederlijke

Green Flash Hop Head Red

Staropramen 

Konigshaven Quadruple

Celestial Meadery Razzery

Angry Orchard Apple Cider

Spire Apple Cider

Owner Pamela Hatzis does ask that you bring a clean growler and a cap, as they have not yet received their shipment of La Bodega growlers.

I got an email from another blogger, Jason; he write The Frugal Dad blog.  He had a recent post on beer and food pairing that included a nice infographic.  Check it out here.

Alaskan Brewing has announced that they will be "exporting" their Rough Draft series outside of Alaska for the first time, by sending them to select bars in the Pacific Northwest.  The first beer to be offered will be their Free Ride American Pale Ale. Click here for the complete press release.

Here on the Kenai, Odie's Deli on the Sterling Highway in Soldotna is now serving beers from Kassik's Brewery and Kenai River Brewing Company, as well as wine and hard cider.  They have five taps, two for each of the local breweries and the fifth for the cider, plus cans of Sunken Isle IPA and Skilak Scottish from Kenai River.  Now that they've got their beer and wine license, Odie's is beefing up their evening schedule with Pub Quiz Trivia every Wednesday night from 6 to 8 PM.  The entry fee is $5 for a team of up to four people and the winning team takes home all the fees.  Pub Trivia Night is a long-standing tradition in many British pubs, so I'm happy to see it getting going here in Soldotna!

Friday nights at Odie's will be live music night, with bands playing from 6 to 8:30 pm.  They will be serving food until 8 all summer long, and once a month there will be a five course set menu dinner, cooked by the talented Chef Joel DeLong.  Look for the dinners to start including beer pairings soon.  The next one is this Saturday, April 28th and costs $40. 

OK, let's do some reviews:

Brasserie Dupont's Posca Rusitca: Since their Saison Dupont is one of my top five or six all-time favorite beers, I was expecting quite a lot from the beer, and it did not disappoint.  The cork released with a loud pop, before pouring a very clear gold in the glass with a huge white head.  The aroma was classic Dupont house yeast -- earthy, spicy, unmistakable, at least to me-- plus spices and floral hops.  The beer description would seem to indicate that no hops are used, just spices and herbs, but I sure seem to taste some in it.  Actually, it seemed very similar to Saison Dupont, though perhaps a little spicier and it had the same wonderfully dry finish.  Overall, another excellent beer from an absolutely classic Belgian farmhouse brewery.  I wouldn't hesitate to pick up a bottle if the saison is unavailable or just for a change of pace.  8% ABV.

Another brew I picked up during my last Anchorage trip: Imperial Gemini Ale from Southern Tier Brewing in New York state.  Southern Tier has been producing some extremely impressive beers lately, so it's become SOP for me to snag any new one I see.  This particular brew is a blend of two of their beers: 50% unfiltered Hoppe and 50%  Unearthly.  I haven't had either yet, so I can't really speak as to which contributes what to Gemini,  but the end result is pretty darn good.

Gemini poured a nice copper color with an off-white head that left excellent lacing on the glass.  The aroma was classic Pacific Northwest hops and a check of the label indicated that they were all in there: Amarillo, Centennial,Cascade, Chinook, & Columbus. On the palate the bitterness was assertive but not excessive; this beer is quite hoppy but not a total hop bomb.  It hides its 9% ABV quite well, and I had no trouble finishing the 22 oz bottle by myself.  Another very nice brew from Southern Tier; I'm very happy that we're seeing their brews up here in Alaska.

The final brew I purchased in Anchorage was a bottle of Old Tom Strong Ale, brewed by Robinson Family Brewers, located in Stockport, UK.  Stockport is in the northwest of England, just southeast of Manchester.  Old Tom is a classic British Strong or Old Ale, and one I had never had the opportunity to try before, despite living in the UK for three years, so I wasted no time in grabbing a bottle.  Beside the original Old Tom, which has been brewed to the same recipe since 1899, there were two other versions available, one brewed with chocolate and one brewed with ginger.  Being something of a traditionalist, I stuck to the original version.

Old Tom poured a lovely deep ruby color, semi-translucent, with a small, cream-colored head.  The aroma is very complex, with elements of wood, dark fruits, and caramel malt.  All the same elements are pleasant on the palate, giving it a real sherry-like flavor.  I can see how this brew has become to be such a classic example of this style; it was absolutely fabulous.  If you like British ales, I strongly recommend you give Old Tom a try if you can.

Drift Wood Old Ale

Finally, let's look at a couple of local brews.  St. Elias Brewing has Drift Wood Old Ale currently on tap. I wrote about it in my last blog.  Here's a full review:

As you can see from the photo, Drift Wood pours a dark chestnut color with a tan head.  The aroma is slightly tart, with malty notes.  The tartness continues on the palate, with a very complex taste, including wood, cherries, and caramel.  The carbonation is nice, and the mouthfeel is good.  This brew is very refreshing and quite drinkable for an Old Ale at 7.5%.  Another delicious if slightly serendipitous brew from Zach Henry at St. Elias.

Over at Kenai River Brewing, they have have M.I.T.H. (Monks In The Hood) Dubbel on tap.  This is an unusual blend of Belgian Abbey Style with American hops.  It poured a dark amber with a small, fast-dissipating tan head.  The Mt. Hood hops announced their presence in the nose, along with the classic Belgian yeast spiciness.  On the palate there were raisins, plums, plenty of hop bitterness, and some other spicy notes.  Overall, I'm not sure the American hops really worked here; they seemed a little too brash for the subtler dubbel flavors, but that's more a matter of personal taste, I'd guess.  M.I.T.H. weighs in at 6.8% and is well-worth trying to see what you think of it.

Well, that's it for this time around.  Get out and enjoy the sun and drink some good craft beer.

Until Next Time, Cheers!

Getting Ahead of the Game

I'm going to be pretty busy toward the end of this week with some big events at work, so I thought I'd try to get this week's blog out a little early.

Alaskan Brewing has announced that they have a great deal of new apparel available in their web store.  You can find it here.

I mentioned this in my last blog, but to reiterate: La Bodega will be closed until Friday, 20 April, for the move to their new location, right next to Cafe Amsterdam on Benson.  They had a big moving sale last weekend, so hopefully people in Anchorage got to take advantage of that.  I'm very much looking forward to seeing their new digs.

Kassik's Brewery will be featured at a three-course beer dinner at the Sitzmark Restaurant of the Alyeska Resort this Sunday, April 15th, from 7 to 10 pm.  Chef Jason Porter will be creating the food, and Kassik's will be providing the beer.  Price is $39 per person and you must be 21 or older to attend.  Find further info here.

Kenai River Brewing reports that their Gummi Bear Tripel is sold out.  It only lasted about ten days, which is a real tribute to its popularity. To replace it, this Friday will see the release of M.I.T.H (Monks In The Hood) Dubbel, a 6.8% Belgian abbey ale using M.t Hood hops, brewed by assistant brewer Cory.  Also, look for their Falconer's Flight Single Hop IPA to be on soon.

Cask -conditioned Brass Monkey ESB

At St. Elias Brewing, last Friday was First Firkin Friday, so I made a point to stop by and have a couple of pints of their Brass Monkey ESB from the cask.  Pulled via their hand pump, the pint had that wonderful creamy carbonation that only cask conditioning can provide, plus some added hoppiness from the East Kent Goldings used to dry hop it.  The whole experience was so wonderful (and my buddy Tom was buying) that I just had to have another as soon as I had finished the first one.  I'd say that's pretty much the definition of a session beer...

Now that Vanilla Bean Porter is gone, Zach Henry has put a new beer on tap: Drift Wood Old Ale.  Here's what he had to say about it: "This style recalls the type of beer brewed before the Industrial Revolution, stored for months or years in unlined wooden vats.  The beer would pick up a tart character from wild yeasts and tannins in the woods.  Ours aged in oak barrels over a year, where complex flavors of sweet malt and oak work together with tart fruity nuances to produce a wonderfully complex Old Ale."  I got to taste a small sample a few ago ; it's delicious.

Zach also reports that he's dosed several of his barrels with brettanomyces, so we can look forward to some new and funky brews over the next few months.

That more or less covers the news, so let's hit a couple of reviews.

There's a new brew on sale at Fred Meyer from Ninkasi Brewing Company of  Eugene, Oregon.  Their ReNewAle 2012 Porter, 5.9% ABV and 35 IBUs, is available in both 22 oz bombers and six-packs.  I picked up one of the former to give it a try.  It poured completely opaque, with a nice khaki head. The nose was of bittersweet chocolate, with some hops aroma around the edges.  There was good mouthfeel, with more chocolate flavors, balance by roast malt and hop bitterness, making for a rich and fairly complex taste.   Overall, this is a nice example of a robust porter. Next time around, I think I'll grab a six-pack.

Finally, I had a bottle of Alameda Brewing's Bad Bunny Imperial Cream Ale that a friend brought back from Portland, Oregon.  An Imperial Cream Ale is a bit on an oxymoron as a style, since Cream Ales are typically around 5%, not the 8.2% of this beer.  Still, these days anything can be made "Imperial"; just ratchet up the alcohol level.  Heck, I've even seen an Imperial Mild, and if there's any style which should never be "imperialized", it's that one.

Anyway, this Bad Bunny poured a slightly cloudy gold with a nice white head.  The aroma was of Saaz hops and some fruity ale notes.  Good malt backbone, with some creaminess from the use of flaked maize, and a good amount of bitterness for balance.  A bit unusual in its flavor profile and strength, but still quite enjoyable.  Worth looking up if you find yourself in the Portland area.

Well, that's about it for this week.  I should have some more beers of interest to talk about in my next blog, including my latest home brew, Captain Merrill's Strong Ale.

Until Next Time, Cheers!

Big News

Those of you who actually bother to read this blog to the bitter end have probably been wondering about the cryptic reference to "an exciting piece of news" that I made two weeks ago.  It's taken longer than I thought to lock down the details but here it is at last:

Kevin R. Tubbs, the long-time Alaska Correspondent for the Northwest Brewing News and author of its "Ales on Top of the World" column, is stepping down, and I have been asked to take his place, starting with the June/July issue.  This is very exciting for me and more than a bit scary, as Kevin will be leaving me some very big shoes to fill.  Still, this will hopefully give me even more chances to do one of my favorite things, write about craft beer in Alaska.  By the way, if you aren't subscribed to the Brewing News, you really ought to give it some serious consideration...

On the national beer front, New Belgium Brewing has announced that its hew East Caost brewery will be in Asheville, NC. It will be a 200-bbl brewhouse, with an annual production of 400,00 barrels.  Construction will start next year, with the brewery slated to go on-line in 2015.  By choosing Asheville, they are following in the footsteps of Sierra Nevada Brewing, which announced earlier this year that they would be building their new brewery there.  Looks like Asheville may be finally earning its much-disputed title as the "Best Beer Town in the U.S."

La Bodega in Anchorage will be having a Moving Sale this Friday and Saturday.  It's 5% off everything in the store, buy 6 bottles of beer or wine and get 10% off, buy 12 22 oz or larger bottles of beer and get 15% off, buy 12 bottles of wine and get 15% off, and all sake/liquor is 20% off!  It's a great chance to stock up.  La Bodega will be closed for their big move to their new location starting on Easter Sunday.  They hope to be open for business again on Friday, April 20th.

Last Friday, Kenai River Brewing released their eagerly-awaited Gummi Bear Tripel.  I'm told Friday and Saturday were the two busiest days the brewery has seen, ever!  That's pretty impressive.  There is big demand for this unique brew.  For example, it will be on offer at the Taste of Alaska Beer Festival on Saturday, April 21st at The Pub on the University of Alaska Fairbanks campus.  It's 6 to 10 pm, $30 in advance or $35 at the door.

A week later, Kenai River and several other breweries will also be pouring at the 2nd Annual Beer & Mead Social, being held at the Tap Root in Anchorage on April 28th. There will be two session, noon to 3 PM and 4 to 7 PM. Participants will have the opportunity to sample beer, mead, and spirits from Alaska’s best breweries, meaderies, and distilleries, and to discuss the finer points of the libations. Participants will also receive a custom souvenir 6.5 oz glass that they can take home, and 15 tickets each good for a 3 oz pour at any of the participating vendor booths. There will also be food for all ticket holders. A portion of this event’s profits will be donated to Green Star Inc., a local non-profit organization that helps businesses develop green initiatives in the workplace.  You can purchase tickets by clicking here, and see the poster below for a complete list of breweries.

Click to enlarge

Oh, and the next Single Hop IPA that I forgot last week?  Well, no wonder I forgot, since it's not really a single hop!  It will be brewed with Falconer's Flight, the proprietary hop blend from Hop Union.  Should be very interesting.

Moving on to St. Elias Brewing Company, this Friday is First Firkin Friday.  Stop by and get some delicious Brass Monkey ESB on cask from their hand pump.  This style of beer was created to be served from the cask, so this is your chance to experience it as it was meant to be served.

I don't get over there often enough, but Hooligan's Lodge in Soldotna has some very interesting brews from Alaskan Brewing on tap.  I hear they've got both Ghost Town Brown and Fresh Hop ESB, from Alaskan's Rough Draft series, on tap.  You can only find these Rough Drafts at a couple of places outside Juneau, like Humpy's & Cafe Amsterdam in Anchorage, so we're lucky to have the chance to try them right here in Soldotna.

Let's move on to some reviews:

"Borrowed" from KRB's Facebook page

First up, Kenai River's Gummi Bear Tripel.  If you drink this beer expecting to taste gummi bears, I'm sorry to disappoint you.  The only gummi bear "flavor" you're likely to find is if you eat the candy that the folks at the Kenai River Taproom like to garnish glasses with.  It stands to reason I guess; the candies are pretty much pure sugar, so once they go into the boil...

Regardless, the beer poured a lovely orange-gold, with a small, fast-dissipating  white head.  The aroma is the classic earthy, spicy notes that I always associate with Belgian yeast, followed by a slight bit of alcohol (not surprising since it's 9+% ABV), and some hop.  On the palate it's not too heavy or boozy, but fairly dry, with some good bitterness and a long, nice finish.  It's a very well-executed tripel, right up there with Midnight Sun's Panty Peeler or any of the other American takes on this classic Belgian style.

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Speaking of Belgian beers, I tried a new one: Hop Ruiter Blonde Ale, from De Scheldebrouwerij, in the town of Turnhout,  NE of Antwerp, near the Dutch border. Stylistically, this is a Belgian Strong Golden Ale, like Duvel.  It poured the beautiful clear gold with the massive rocky white head that is typical of the style.  The aroma was bright with delicious hop aroma (Styrian Goldings?) and notes from the Belgian yeast.  On the palate, the beer was almost effervescent from the excellent carbonation, and had good bitterness backed with plenty of hop flavor.  A truly excellent beer, as good as (or dare I say better?) than the style-defining Duvel.  If you like the Strong Golden Ale style, this one is worth seeking out. I found my bottle at La Bodega in Anchorage.

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While at La Bodega, I also picked up a bottle of Ommegang Brewing's Witte.  This brewery always does a great job on their Belgian-style brews, though not always in expected ways.  Case it point, Witte poured a crystal clear gold with a nice white head, rather than the cloudy straw color of a traditional Belgian wit.  The aroma was of coriander and citrus, along with spicy Belgian yeast notes.  The body was light with good carbonation and a nice balance of the flavor elements.  It's not spectacular but it's very refreshing.  It would be just the thing after mowing the lawn on a hot summer day.

Finally, I dipped into some of the plunder from my SoCal trip in February and opened my bottle of The Bruery's Saison De Lente.  I've never been disappointed in a beer from this brewery, and Saison De Lente was no exception.  It poured a slightly cloudy orange-gold with a huge white head.  The aroma immediately confirmed the presence of brettanomyces, with the characteristic barnyard funk, mingling with some citrusy hop aromas.  Carbonation was fantastic, and the beer was nice and dry on the palate, which is how I like my saisons, backed up by a touch of funky tartness from the brett.  Overall, this beer reminded me of a Saison Dupont, with a touch of brett.  Since I consider Saison Dupont to be the benchmark for the style and one of the top ten beers in the world, this is high praise from me.  I just wish we could get these beers here in Alaska.  Hand-importing them from the Lower 48 is getting to be a drag...

Well, that's about it for this week.  Enjoy your spring if you live Outside and try not to get flooded by Break Up, if you're an Alaskan like me.

Until Nest Time, Cheers!

A Tale of Two Beers

With apologies to Charles Dickens, here's my tale of two parts of the beer business.  Let's start with craft brewing.  The Brewers Association has once again totaled up all their statistics for the growth of craft brewing in the last year and presented it in a very cool infographic. Let's look at the highlights.

Craft brewing has finally cracked the 5% volume share of the US beer market; this is even as the total US beer market's volume decline 1.32%.  A growing number of people realize that what's important about beer is flavor and quality, not slick ad campaigns and cheap prices.

Craft beer also continues to grow its retail dollar sales; craft retail sales hit $8.7 billion, which is a 15% growth over last year.  Some of that is due to the general inflation in the economy (the price of everything is going up, thanks to the Federal Reserve's money printing), but not all of it.  Once again, we see that craft beer lovers don't mind paying a little extra for quality.

The volume of craft beer brewed has also continued to increase, jumping another 13.2% since last year, with just under 11.5 million barrels being produced.

 The number of breweries has also hit a new record high, with 1,989 in the US, 1,938 of which are craft breweries or brewpubs.  Openings greatly outnumbered closings, with 250 of the former versus only 37 of the latter, which is more good news.

Finally, and perhaps most importantly in today's economy, small brewing companies employed 103,585 people, a not inconsequential contribution to local economies.

That's the first tale of beer, the tale of craft.  Now let's move on the the second tale of beer.

Reuters reports that because AB-InBev managed to cut its corporate debt two years ahead of schedule, executive bonuses totaling $1.33 billion dollars were triggered. Among the 40 executives who will receive a part of this bonus, Chief Executive Carlos Brito is scheduled to receive over $133 million dollars.  To put that number into perspective, this one executive will receive a bonus that is greater than the entire gross revenue of Stone Brewing & Brooklyn Brewing (two of the largest craft breweries) combined.

Sorta puts things in perspective, doesn't it?

Moving from the global perspective back here to Alaska, there's a pretty cool beer event taking place this weekend in Talkeetna.  Starting at 5 PM on Friday, March 30, and continuing through 1 PM on Sunday, April 1st, Talkeetna Beer Trippin' 2012, the "Dark Side of the Brew" will take place.  This event is organized by the Twister Creek Restaurant, Denali Brewing Company and the Great Northern Brewers of Anchorage, but it is open to the general public.  There are beer and music events scheduled throughout the weekend, so if you can make it to Talkeetna, you should really check it out.

Here's a schedule of events; click on it to enlarge:

 

In more local news, Kenai River Brewing will be releasing their nationally-known Gummi Bear Tripel this Friday, March 30.  I'm not kidding when I say nationally-known; this beer has gotten press (mostly good but some pretty hostile) from coast-to-coast.  Google it if you don't believe me.  Hard to believe no one's ever done it before commercially.  They will also have a new Single Hop IPA on soon; Joe Gilman told me the hop, but I neglected to write it down and now I can't remember it.  Speaking of Joe, he now has his arm brace off and is back to brewing; if you see him, ask him to show you his crazy scar.  Looks like somebody unzipped his arm, which I guess is essentially what they did.  Glad you're back in the game (brewing, not curling), Joe!

Out at Kassik's Brewery, they have a new beer on tap: Vanilla Bean Cream Ale at 5.5% ABV.  Word is, it's pretty popular, so if you're out their way, stop by to give it a try.

I wrote last week about the new brews at St. Elias Brewing Company, Red-Headed StepChild Imperial Red and Brass Monkey ESB.  There's another beer waiting in the wings, name unknown, but it's a barrel-aged Old Ale, with some unique properties.  Stay tuned for more information when it's actually released.  Plus, next Friday, April 6, I'm hoping we'll see a cask of Brass Monkey ESB on hand pump. Definitely not to be missed!  

Finally, a couple of beer reviews.  First, the return of a perennial favorite, Midnight Sun's Arctic Devil Barley Wine, 2011 vintage.  This is one of the top barley wine's in the world, IMHO, and this year's version does not disappoint.  It poured a deep, translucent chestnut, with a cream-colored head.  The aroma was heavy on caramel-malt elements, then oaky notes from the barrel aging and a bit of alcohol.  On the palate, this is definitely an English-style barely wine, with the hops (Challenger, Cascade, & Fuggles) playing back-up to the huge malt flavors, but with a surprisingly dry finish.  At 13.4% ABV and 20 IBUs, this is a huge beer, but it's surprisingly drinkable.  Finishing a 22 oz bottle in 2 or 3 hours after dinner was no struggle.  I made sure to purchase a couple of bottles to cellar, as it's sure to age well.  Another excellent beer from the folks at Midnight Sun!

I also tried a bottle of Avery Brewing's Salvation Belgian Golden Ale that I purchased at La Bodega in Anchorage.  I poured it into my Duvel tulip , and it poured true to style, with a clear gold color and a massive & rocky white head of pinpoint carbonation.  The aroma was primarily the earthy, spicy notes that scream Belgian yeast.  On the palate there was good carbonation and an excellent clean bitterness.  It was not as dry as a Duvel, but was still tremendously refreshing. It also concealed its 9% ABV in a dangerously deceptive way, just like the archetype of the style.  A delicious take on a classic Belgian style from Avery Brewing Company.

Well, that's about it for this week.  I hope all of my fellow Alaskans out there are enjoying break up as much as I am.  Time to trade those snow boots for the Xtra Tuffs.

Until Next Time, Cheers!

Happy Birthday, Ken!

Elaine and I happened to be in Anchorage Sunday evening, which turned out to be quite fortuitous.  It seems March 18 was Ken Pajak's 60th birthday, and since we were in town, we were able to make it to his party at Cafe Amsterdam.  We had an early start the next day, so we didn't stay too late, but the food was great, the beers were exotic and plentiful, and a great time was had by all.  Here's to another 60, Ken!

Since the Alaska State Legislature in currently in session -- meaning no Alaskan's Life, Liberty, or Property is safe-- I thought the following graphic might be a timely reminder of just what greedy b******s they are.  Please note which state is Numero Uno when it comes to having the highest excise tax on beer:

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Now take a look as this graph:

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Look at all the states we're behind! Hell, I'm brewing more than 40 gallons a year.  This is embarrassing; we need to pick up the pace. I'm doing my part; how about you?

On Monday, I was knocking around Anchorage, doing some shopping, while Elaine attended a conference.  After lunch, I dropped by the Snow Goose to see what Gabe Fletcher was up to.  I found him in the middle of brewing another batch of his Galaxy White IPA; while I was there he finished the boil, whirlpooled it, and started moving it down to his oak foudres.  Speaking of foudres, Gabe is in the process of purchasing four more of these huge wooden vessels; this will give him a total of six.  I guess he will need them, given the popularity of Galaxy; Gabe tells me he expects to bottle 5,200 hundred cases of it this year, plus another 1300 cases of it's big brother, Double Galaxy.  According to Gabe, Double Galaxy will be just like it's namesake, just with lots more of everything: more alcohol, more Galaxy hops, more spices, and more 'quat.  Here are some photos I snapped:

Foudre, awaiting filling.

The other foudre

Wine casks awaiting filling with Love Buzz Saison!

Gabe adding the spice bag to the kettle

Seems to me that Gabe's biggest problem is that he keeps outgrowing his space.  Darned if I know how he's going to shoehorn four more foudres in there, but I'm sure glad he's making such great beers for the rest of us to enjoy!

Also from Anchorage, congratulations to Michael Kiker of Celestial Meads, who brought home more medals from the 2012 Mazer Cup Mead Competition in Boulder, CO than any other meadery in the world!   Celestial earned five medals (two Gold, a Silver, and two Bronzes).  Once again, we see that Alaskans produce some of the highest quality products in the entire world.  Well done, Michael!

Moving on to the Peninsula, I had a chance to taste Kenai River Brewing's soon to be released Gummi Bear Tripel a week ago.  It will not be released until next Friday, 3/30, but I can tell you that this is one fine-tasting tripel.  Doug and the boys used 20 pounds of Belgian candi sugar plus 15 pounds of gummi bears to produce this 9.2% ABV brew.  Tasting it, I have to say that I couldn't find any gummi flavors, just all the wonderful Belgian yeast notes you'd expect from a tripel.  Regardless of what they used to make it, this is a great beer and I plan to grab more as soon as it's released!

While I was at Kenai River, I finally got some shots of their new Taproom.  Here they are:

This is a great place to hangout and have a beer or two.  There's no food service, but the brewery is happy for folks to bring food in from any of the surrounding restaurants or fast-food joints.  So be sure to stop by and check it out if you haven't already.  Also while I was there, I finally picked up a quart of their excellent Russian Imperial Stout; here's my formal review:

It poured totally opaque, with a nice tan head.  The nose was of caramel and coffee, with a little more emphasis on the former than on the roasty coffee aromas.  On the palate there was good mouthfeel, with the degree of chewiness that I like in a big imperial stout.  The rich flavors of caramel and roasted malt were superbly balanced, with just a touch of alcohol heat around the edges, and a long, lingering finish.  Several of my friends have said they think this is the best beer they've ever had from Kenai River.  As for me, my heart still belongs to their Skilak Wee Heavy, but this Russian Imperial  Stout is a close second.  Nice job, guys!

One last piece of Kenai River news: Odie's Deli in Soldotna is getting a beer and wine license and will be offering Kenai River beers both on tap and in the can.  Besides Skilak Scottish and Sunken Isle IPA in cans, look for two brews on tap, Peninsula Brewers Reserve and another (possibly rotating) selection.  There is also talk on monthly beer dinners; I should have more info on these soon.

Over at St. Elias Brewing, Zach Henry has two new beers on.  One is a return of regular spring visitor, his Brass Monkey ESB.  Besides the standard draft version, Zach has filled his casks with some dry-hopped versions of this brew, so we should all be able to enjoy it on hand pump before too much longer.  This year Zach went back to using exclusively English hops, including Fuggles and East Kent Goldings.  This makes for a beer a little less aggressively hoppy than last year's, which included Amarillo hops.  This year's ESB is also darker, showing a deep ruby color in the glass and has a rich malt backbone for the hops to hang off of.  Very nice and I can't wait to taste it from the cask!

The second new brew is Red-Headed StepChild, an Imperial Red Ale aged for six month in Hungarian oak red wine barrels. The resulting 9% ABV beer is a slightly cloudy, dark red ale with a lovely cream-colored head.  The aroma is fairly hoppy (Citra, I think but I did not confirm this).  On the palate, there's good carbonation and nice mouthfeel, with the bitterness arriving first, followed by some caramel, then a touch of wood.  No perceivable alcohol heat, but this is definitely a sipper not a session brew.  This beer should be particularly attractive to the red wine drinkers out there.

Moving on to bottled beer reviews, Here are a few new beers I tried since my last blog:

Southern Tier Brewing's Imperial Chokolat Stout.  I picked this bottle up at Country Liquors in Kenai.  It poured perfectly opaque with a small tan head.  The aroma was pure dark chocolate, and I mean absolutely pure.  This beer had more chocolate aroma than any other beer I've ever had.  On the tongue the chocolate was a little more restrained than in the nose, but it was still very forceful, balanced by some roastiness from the malts used.  Great mouthfeel and a touch of heat from the 10% ABV on the finish.  If chocolate stouts are your thing, you'll go crazy over this one.

Alaskan Brewing's Birch Bock, latest in their Pilot Series.  This doppelbock made with birch syrup a dark honey-amber with a small, fast-dissipating head.  The aroma is clean caramel, nothing else.  On the tongue, this one expresses as a very clean lager, with good mouthfeel and sweetness from the syrup, falling away gradually to a nice finish.  The 8.5% ABV is well hidden, making this one dangerously drinkable.  A very nice doppelbock, with the Alaskan-made birch syrup very nicely integrated into the flavor profile.

Bridgeport Brewing's Raven Mad Imperial Porter.  I picked this one up at Fred Meyer, with an eye toward recommending it to my friend Curt.  He loves big, whiskey-barrel aged brews, and the label said that 50% of this beer was such, blended with the other 50% aged on oak sans whiskey.  It poured nicely, dark with a big khaki head.  The nose was of coffee and vanilla notes (likely from the oak), but no whiskey.  On the palate, I was a bit disappointed, as the whiskey element was pretty non-existent.  Usually with beers like this, my problem is with too much whiskey, rather than too little.  I like the beer to dominate, and the spirit to play second fiddle.  Here, the whiskey was so far in the background, I couldn't really find it at all.  That being said, the beer had good carbonation, nice mouthfeel, and plenty of roasty flavors.  As a 7.5% ABV imperial porter, it wasn't bad; as a whiskey-barrel aged one, it was a little disappointing.

Victory Brewing's Prima Pils.  This is one of the top craft pilsners in the US, and a beer I've been wanting to try for some time.  I finally picked up a couple from La Bodega during my trip to Anchorage last weekend.  However, when I pulled them out to drink later in the week, I found I'd made a rookie mistake and failed to check the Best By date.  We're a long way from anywhere up here in Alaska, and getting beers in a timely manner is often a problem.  I drank these beers on March 22, exactly two months past their Best By date of 1/22/12.  Given how critical freshness is for pilsners (perhaps more so than any other style), it wouldn't be fair for me to really review this beer based on the samples I drank, so I will limit myself to saying that even two months past due, they were still quite good, and I look forward to grabbing some fresher examples in the future.  If you are reading this somewhere where you can get Prima Pils fresh and you like pilsners, I suggest you give it a try.

Well, that's it for this week.  Stand by for me to share a pretty exciting piece of news next week.  Until then, keep searching out those good craft brews.

Until Next Time, Cheers!