San Francisco thoughts

Just left San Francisco after my first trip to the bay area. I had a lot of dope beer this weekend, and not all of it local. I ended up leaving with a RR Consecration and Temptation, and a Deschutes Black Butte XXI and a Valley Brewing Uberhoppy.

Thoughts:
Monk's Kettle - ridiculously overpriced, wide variety of beers but I seriously didn't want anything they had on draft (maybe says something about me), dropped $7.50 on a big pint of Pliny (overpriced). Their bottle list was impressive but, again, was extremely pricey. I just don't love Pliny, but I can understand why it's considered a great beer. It's a bit too bitter and dry for me, but that's just my preference for sweeter DIPAs revealing itself.

Toronado - I heard the service sucked but going on Monday night was fine and the bartender gave me a gratis beer and poured me a nice sample of another one without me even asking. I went back on Tuesday and it was a bit more crowded, but I was able to get a table and sit with three other people I knew with no big issue. Great prices - 4 buck Blind Pig and 4.50 Pliny, as an example. Most other domestics were in the $4 range. They had a pretty good selection, but I heard that it wasn't as full a draft list as usual. I had the absolutely amazing Dupont Avec Les Bons Voeux and one of the better beers I've ever had, Firestone-Walker Double Jack [review forthcoming]. I had some other good stuff as well, but those stood out.

City Beer Store - This is a small place that clearly caters to beer nerds. Along with six rotating taps, it features two big coolers stocked with most everything they sell on the shelves and you can open anything for $1 corkage fee. I met an old old internet friend and he dropped some coin on the fantastic Mikkeller/Brewdog Devine [sic] Rebel barleywine ($15 for 12 ounces) and the fucking amazing Avery Mephistopheles Stout (I don't even like stouts that much and think this is a perfect beer). The server was nice and knowledgeable, which helps.

I wasn't actually blown away by SF as a beer town, but it certainly has it's good spots worth checking out. I'm glad to have left with some good west coast stuff, too.

Review: Bell's The Oracle DIPA

Poured from the bottle into a Sam Adams Sensory glass.

Appearance: The beer pours an opaque apricot, and my mildly aggressive pour left a thin head that quickly dissipated. A nice level of carbonation is exhibited. Noting spectacular in the looks department but an attractive color.

Smell: A great nose on this - some peach, some citrus, some resinous hops, some slightly sour funk going on. Very fragrant and inviting.

Taste: A truly interesting beer. I'm reminded of Port Brewing's Hop 15 (or at least what I remember of that) - extremely thick, with a high level of syrupy, effervescent fruitiness. A sharp sour green apple bites through the initial sweetness for a bit, then is drowned with a clover honey finish that eventually gives way to that always unpleasant alkaline baking soda sensation on the tongue due to the IBUs.

Mouthfeel: I love a thick beer with a rich, creamy mouthfeel, so I'm all about The Oracle. The carbonation is quite good, and it's a nice mouthful of beer without being syrupy.

Overall, it's a darn good beer. It's going to rate outstanding and exceptional on the review sites due to it's rarity, but honestly I think I prefer the similar, and better, Hop Slam. The alkaline finish is just distasteful to me and keeps it from being a truly great beer. I'd give it an A-/B+.

Review: GLBC Commodore Perry

Poured from the bottle into a Sam Adams sensory glass. This bottle was only a week or two off the bottling line, as I got it from a buddy who gets me a lot of underfills...

Appearance: The color isn't anything special, really, but it's pours quite clear with a nice head and good retention. A good level of carbonation is exhibited with a steady stream of bubbles rising from the nucleation points in the glass.

Smell: A very nice and strong aroma, indeed. A nice malt mixes with slightly citrus, lemon aromas, and some fresh grassiness.

Taste: A creamy mild sweetness is complemented with a bit of bready malt, and finished up with clean, sweet bitter hop flavors. Everything is well integrated - the sweetness never overpowers the mild bitterness, and the finish is clean on the palate - but still reminding you it's an IPA. I'd say for non-imperial IPA it's one of my favorites.

Mouthfeel: The mouthfeel is fantastic for a single IPA. Thick and rich, but never syrupy, and with a perfect level of carbonation. The mouthfeel perfectly complements the flavors of the beer and enhances the entire package. For the style, I think it's worth a 5.

Drinkability: It's extremely drinkable, due to the great taste and wonderful mouthfeel. I'm nearly done with my glass as I finish this review, actually... and really wouldn't mind another!

One of the best of the GLBC brews, in my opinion. An A- single IPA for sure.

Review: Nøgne Ø India Pale Ale

Poured from a bottle into a snifter glass over at Mark's place.

Look: An opaque apricot, almost cloudy, with a moderate but lasting head. Not necessarily visually appealing.

Smell: A slightly sour and funky aroma, not very floral or piney in the least. It was moderate in intensity and not super enticing.

Taste: I got notes of sweet fruit, pear, and low-AA hops, with some lingering bitterness on the tongue. Definitely a euro IPA with more of a funky fruity bitterness as opposed to the citrus of American hops.

Mouthfeel: It was pretty good, a creamy effervescent beer without reaching sparkling.

Drinkability: It's definitely tasty and chuggable, and not a taste bud overloader. I'm not a huge fan of euro IPAs, though, and this isn't an exception to that rule. I definitely prefer their Sunturnbrew barleywine over this.

Some quick tasting notes

Bill and I made a quick stop to Rustico last evening in search of a few good drafts. As if in answer to my question of "where in DC can I get Loose Cannon's Big DIPA," Rustico just happened to have it on draft, along with one of my favorite beers, Avery Maharaja, and Weyebacher Double Simcoe IPA on cask. Bill and I each got a big 16 ounce pour of Big DIPA, and my take on it was that it's good, but not great. It's in the Maharaja style of sticky, sweetish, DIPAs, but lacks the complexity and great nose that exemplifies the style. I first had it in Cleveland, and after this second pour, I don't need it again.

I then got a small pour of Maharaja while Bill quaffed the Double Simcoe. The cask pour was surprisingly delightful, which is hard for me to say, as I usually heavily dislike casks. The Double Simcoe was really nice - a thick, internal kind of carbonation that lended it body and weight beyond any cask I've had before. After a swig, a number of tiny bubbles would be rising up the side of the glass... very appealing. My Maharaja was as good as always, of course.

Ah, IPA... when will I get sick of you for good?

Review: Harpoon Leviathan Imperial IPA

Poured from a bottle into a Sam Adams Sensory glass.

Look: A very mildly hazy golden orange brew with a thin head. A very light amount of cabronation is evident rising from the nucleation points. Attractive, sure, but not beautiful.

Smell: A really great nose on this one, sweet, resinous, citrus, floral - pretty damn big. Definitely pulls you in for a taste.

Taste: Really, really, big for something out of a 12 ounce bottle, even though that statement makes no sense... It has a huge aromatic hop flavor hits your mouth with a rich sweetness that isn't cloying in the least. The initial flavors subside to the typical DIPA dry-bitter tongue that isn't exactly ideal. Complex and definitely ingriguing, but you can definitely tell it's high alcohol. Very tasty.

Mouthfeel: A nice, fairly thick brew with good levels of carbonation. I could say the usual "dances across the tongue" stuff, but that's a little silly here. It's got a really nice overall texture and is assuredly appealing, but nothing either outstanding or deplorable.

Drinkability: This is a fantastic Imperial with a ton of flavor, and if you like the style the bottle will be gone before you know it. It's a big beer that doesn't really hide the booze, but full of big flavors and aromas and shows you what an IPA can be if pushed to the limits. A winner from Harpoon, definitely heads and shoulders above their normal fare.

Review: Dogfish Head Burton Baton

I poured a 12 ounce bottle from this year's batch into a Sam Adams Sensory glass.

Look: Appealing golden reddish-brown with a slightly tan head, I didn't get much head on my pour from a 12 ounce bottle, but I went easy on it. A steady stream of bubbles arose from the nucleation points at the bottom of my Sam Adams glass. The thin head quickly dissipated, but some light lacing was evident.

Smell: Not too strong, but a vanilla oakiness with maybe some fruit and hops - nothing too overpowering in the least.

Taste: This has some of the characteristics of all the trendy burbon-barrel aged beers but none of the overpowering flavor some of them exhibit. The initial flavors are sweet but not too sweet, with some nice caramel, vanilla, oak, and fruitiness, without being cloying. The snap of bitterness cleans the palate nicely with some sweetness and effervescence remaining on the tongue. I expected a beer with fairly low carbonation, but I feel the moderately high levels help to avoid an overly sweet and sticky beer. Some of the baking soda flavors I've been hating about high-IBU beers make their appearance a minute or so after swallowing, but aren't abhorrent.

Mouthfeel: As I mentioned, I think the carbonation levels help create a truly excellent mouthfeel - nearly on the levels of Saison Dupont perfection. It's full and smooth in the mouth and the sweetness is well-displayed, but the bubbles and hop snap leaves your tongue feeling ready for more.

Drinkability: Honestly, I consider most any beer highly drinkable if it's a style I enjoy. Burton Baton is quite dangerous, as the high ABV is disguised by a truly excellent mouthfeel that allows you to take one swig after another. A great beer from a brewery I would expect to make a high-end DIPA.

The Lupulin Reunulin!

Note: I started this post the day after the event, but unforseen circumstances, a job interview, and a 3.5 day music festival complicated things. Better late than never, right?

Man oh man, was the Lupulin Reunulin fantastic! My understanding of this event is that it is the evolution of a friendly competition between a few east and west coast brewers to determine who made the best and biggest IPA. I believe this is the second year of the "Reunulin", where some of the best brewers and brewery owners get together to talk about beer, the beer industry, and bust each others balls on stage for a few hours, while the audience members get to sample a ton of amazing beers, laugh and learn.

On the stage last night were:

1. Tomme Arthur from Lost Abbey/Port Brewing, in San Marcos, CA.
2. Adam Avery from Avery Brewing Company, in Boulder, CO.
3. Sam Calagione from Dogfish Head, in Milton, DE.
4. Vinnie Cilurzo from Russian River, in Santa Rosa, CA.
5. Bill Madden from Vintage 50, a local brewpub in Leesburg, VA.
6. Rob Tod from Allagash Brewing, in Portland, ME.
7. Eventually, the esteemed Ken Grossman and his son from Sierra Nevada, in Chico, CA.

So right there you have some of the best in the industry on the stage. What's awesome about the dynamic between these guys is that it's a tight-knit crew. There were hugs between people from the different breweries, their wives, etc. They've taken trips to Europe together, brewed together, and more or less created an industry together. These guys know each other well, and therefore have free range to give each other total hell for the audience's amusement. More importantly, they know beer and the industry, and are great sources of information for beer geeks.

It won't do the event justice to try to summarize anything that was said, but there was a lineup of 16 beers from 6 brewers to enjoy. Here they are, in order, with my thoughts:

1. Dogfish Head Festina Peche: Nothing rare or weird here, and a beer I find barely drinkable. It's a clear golden ale with a sour, fruity aroma and a sour apple taste with nearly no hop flavor. I find it incredibly linear and not even very peachy at all.
2. Port Brewing Hot Rocks Stein Lager: This beer was created and brewed by Bend Brewing's Tonya Cornett with the help of Tomme Arthur (if I recall correctly), and uses hot rocks to heat the wort, which lends some really interesting characteristics. It pours a dark caramel, and has a very toasty aroma. It had a syrupy, toasty flavor, with a bit of hop bitterness on the finish, but leaves the mouth a bit dry. I found it excellent and yet another beer I wish I could get here.
3. Avery Brabant Barrel Aged 100% Brett: This beer utilized two yeast strains, according to my notes. It was a dark, dense beer, with a bubbly head, and a fruity, winey scent. It had a vaguely winey flavor as well, with a slightly tart and dry finish.
4. Vintage 50 Molotov Hoptail: This is a newer creation of the local Bill Madden, and one I really wish I liked... It was a cloudy, foamy IPA with a very generically hoppy aroma. The taste was very fresh and creamy, with a lot of forward hop flavors. I found it to have a very "homebrew" character and it didn't really resemble the output of the more industrialized brewers. It also had a base, alkaline flavor in there that was quite off-putting.
5. Allagash Confluence: Golden with a very juicy, fruity aroma. I found the taste very juicy and thin, with a bit of juicy tang - disappointing. I will note that I had this a week or so later at a different bar and found it quite different, so I won't say it's universally bad or anything.
6. Russian River Blind Pig IPA: Basically a classic west coast IPA, and it didn't disappoint. A super clear, deep golden beer with a bitter hoppy aroma. The flavor is very balanced with a slightly sweet, hoppy, citrus flavor and a smooth mouthfeel.
7. Dogfish Head Pale India/Hoppy Onion: A bizzare new creation of DFH that involves indian spices and sweet onions..... don't ask me. It poured a hazy, golden color, and smelt of sweet onions and spices (unsurprisingly). You could definitely taste the ingredients, and the lightly spiced flavor definitely sticks around in your mouth. It was pretty darn good in a weird way, but I'd have to see how well a 12oz bottle went down.
8. Lost Abbey Carnevale Bretted Saison: I don't have much written down besides that it was a golden color, smelled of vaguely familiar saison aromas, and had a sweet, flavorful taste with a slight tang. Couldn't have been that great, I guess.
   
9. Avery Maharaja Imperial IPA: This blew me away, and cemented itself into my top 10(ish) beers. It was a clear, deep golden beer with a thick head, and my notes say "best smelling IPA ever?" - sweet and hoppy. It was incredibly flavorful and "mad bitter", but it must have had a lot going on besides bitterness for me to write "Amazing!!!"
10. Allagash Hugh Malone: This was easily the best Belgian IPA I've had, and even though I find the style silly and mostly sub-par, this was a very high quality beer. It poured a hazy, caramel color, with a "saisony" aroma. It was definitely a hoppy belgian saison flavor, with a nice hoppy finish, and my only note besides that is "awesome!!" I'll update later on when I pour the bottle I just purchased.
11. Vintage 50 Headknocker: A cask ale that I actually liked, which is saying something. A golden brown, mild smelling english style barleywine. It had a nice mouthfeel, although it was a bit thin up front.
12. Port Brewing 3rd Anniversary Pale Strong Ale: Clear and golden, with a sweet smell. This was amazing... sweet, sticky, totally my style. My note for this? "YES!!!" Another gem from Port.
13. Russian River Consecration: Aged in cabernet barrels, this brown, toasted caramel colored brew had a syrupy, sweet/sour aroma. The flavor was HUGE, with a delightful sour flavor, while not being overly acidic. A great brew that I responded to with "wow".
14. Dogfish Head Palo Santo Marron: Nothing new to me, but still a great beer. A deep, dark ale with a dark head, the flavor is a sharp, sweet candy with some liquor. Definitely recommended if you haven't had it.
15. Avery Mephistopheles Stout: At this point, my notes say: "16%!!" and "Huge, awesome". Grab one if you see one, I know I will.
    
16. Vintage 50 Wee Heavy 2002: No notes. I think it was pretty good at least. :)

I thought this event was amazing, so much knowledge passed along by some of the best brewers in the country, and the rare appearance of Ken from Sierra Nevada - I felt very fortunate to taste the beers and get the experience. A great night.

Secondary fermentation - easy, right?

The thing that has become most obvious to me after my first experience with home brewing is that EVERYTHING TAKES LONGER THAN YOU THINK, even if you think to think about every damn thing involved. If you haven't brewed before, trust me, you haven't - especially in an all grain process. I'll be posting pictures and a write up of my first brew day later, but I wanted to talk a little about moving my beer to secondary last night.

Mark and Bill are the guys who have the space and equipment, so my first batch has been fermenting in their basement for about 5 days now, and the primary fermentation appeared to be over. I told Mark that it couldn't take more than a half hour, all I had to do was clean the 5 gallon carboy and siphon off the beer from the primary fermenter. You know what takes a long time? Cleaning carboys. Why does brewing have to involve so much damn WATER? Every time I think about brewing in my apartment I start imagining methods to get some kind of rubber flooring I can put down in there....

So basically I cleaned and sanitized the 5 gallon carboy, cleaned the autosiphon Mark had used to transfer beer to the bottling bucket, tried to sanitize that, and cleaned and sanitized an airlock. Took it down to the basement and siphoned the beer off to the carboy. Then I tossed in the pellet hops for dry hopping and about 3/5 of the oak cubes. I was a bit worried that I hadn't waited long enough for the primary to finish - the bubbling was no longer active, but the krausen was suspended and had not settled back into the beer. Maybe that's a good thing? I dunno, we'll see. Secondary fermentation is debated heavily on forums and such, so hopefully I didn't make things worse instead of better.

Updates to come!

The Euros make some weird DIPA

I've recently had two Imperial IPAs from european breweries that were wildly different from the beer I typically enjoy - that being American Imperial IPA, of course. I'll just put my cards on the table here - I love big, sticky, resiny beers, loaded with flavor. Sometimes, though, one has to branch out and explore the world, and the opportunity to try some new big IPA is hard to pass up.

I was in Atlanta last week, and at the excellent Porter I tried Brewdog's Hardcore IPA. Brewdog is a Scottish brewery with a unique brand and a penchant for brewing big beers. However, calling this an Imperial IPA is a stretch, since the beer that poured out of the bottle was a thick, creamy, fruity beer that tasted vaguely ciderish. Low carbonation, very low hop aroma, and very low bitterness. You could sense what they were going for, perhaps, but there was none of the zest that only a face full of alpha-acid rich hops can bring to a drink. I mean, it wasn't a bad beer at all - very drinkable and enjoyable, really - but it's hard to fathom what they were doing besides purposefully making a non-American Imperial IPA.

I had a similar beer tonight at the far-too-close Rustico, who had an Impy IPA out of Denmark, WinterCoat's Double Hop. While I could ignore their choice to serve it in what was essentially a mojito glass, I couldn't overlook the similarity in taste and composition to Brewdog's offering. Low carbonation, low bitterness, little hop aroma, but big apple flavors and a thick, creamy mouthfeel. It drank easily enough (but little doesn't for me, sadly), but it certainly didn't quench my thirst for IBUs.

So what's up with these breweries? Are they making statements against the American DIPA trends, making poor imitations, or just making a bigger ale with familiar flavors for their local markets? It's not quite a trend by any means, but it's something to keep an eye on.