Despite having lived in Boston for years, this was my first American Craft Beer Festival. I haven’t gone previously because the event just seemed to big to be good. In fact, I almost didn’t go again this year either, but after seeing the stellar lineup of brewers I changed my mind last minute. I couldn’t resist. ACBF 2013 was packed with a seriously impressive and diverse roster of nearly 150 breweries – from the local, to the start-ups to some of the top national brewers that aren’t available in New England yet (like Duck-Rabbit and DC Brau). There were more than enough great brewers in attendance to satisfy even the geekiest of craft beer geeks. Cult breweries like Lawson’s Finest Liquids and Maine Beer Co. were just icing on the cake.

Unfortunately, no Heady at this Fest. Just Heady shirts.

I’m not always the first to give praise to Beer Advocate productions, but I’ve got to give credit where credit is due. This was a really well done event. Even the flow and management of the overall event was pro. Which is key, because most of us go to these events to taste good beer. And when the event producers do their job, the beer can stand front and center. And sure, there were long lines at points, but they moved fast and it’s too be expected when you have this many craft beer fans in one place trying to edge out the crowds for a freshly tapped keg of Double Sunshine.

On the subject of good beer, there were quite a few beers and breweries that stood out. Of course, in one four-hour session it was literally impossible to sample everything on my list. So, my take is a result of my personal selections throughout the day, and I’m sure I missed out on more than a few really great ones. But, all that aside, here’s my short list of five beers and breweries that rose to the top.

Top Pick: Tree House Brewing Co. Julius
Ever since I read about Tree House Brewing in the Weekly Dig a couple months ago, I’ve been intrigued. I haven’t made it out to their brewery in Western Mass yet, and they don’t distribute, so when I saw they were going to be at ACBF they were one of the top stops on my list. I sampled a few of their beers at the fest, and they were all excellent, but the one that hit it over the fence for me was their IPA, Julius. This beer was my number one pick for the entire day. Absolutely stellar. A huge pine and citrus hop nose, earthy and deceivingly complex with a big finish and a little caramel and spiced malt on the back. Wow. Seriously, if you live in the area, get out to Brimfield, MA stat and pick up a growler of this stuff. You can thank me later.

NoDa Brewing Co.
Another major standout was NoDa Brewing from Charlotte, North Carolina. This is a relatively new brewery (launched in October, 2011) that wasn’t on my radar until literally about two weeks ago when a co-worker gave me one of their beers for my birthday. She had brought it back from a recent trip down south, as NoDa isn’t distributed in the Northeast. At the fest, I asked NoDa owner, Todd Ford, why he came to ACBF since they don’t distribute in the area and he answered simply, “We love this festival. It’s fun. And when the Alstrom Brothers ask you to come, you come.” And I’m really glad they did because their Hop Drop n’ Roll IPA was easily one of the top beers of the day. As was their porter, CoCo Loco – impeccably balanced, rich and roasty.

Night Shift Brewing Ever Weiss
Night Shift has quickly become one of my favorite breweries in the Boston area. These guys never cease to amaze me with their creative approach and constant drive to push the limits. I’ve kept up with most of their beer offerings over the last year or so, but I hadn’t got a chance to taste their Ever Weiss yet so jumped at the opportunity. A few hours into the festival, it was finally that pucker-up sour beer I was looking for. Sours are getting easier to find at American craft beer festivals, but they’re still not all that common. Especially beers this sour and this well brewed. As a side note, I noticed that Night Shift just did a collaboration with NoDa in the week leading up to ACBF. Keep your eye out for that one!

Lawson’s Finest line that never ended

Lawson’s Finest Liquids
Lawson’s was arguably the most buzzed about brewery of the fest, and the constantly long line in front of their booth was hardly a deterrent for those who wanted to get a taste of their juice. Lawson’s is another brewery that doesn’t distribute in the Boston area, but they recently did a collaboration project with Jack’s Abby – a smoked maple lager that was released a few weeks back. Both Lawson’s and Jack’s Abby had the maple lager available for sampling at the festival but the big hype was on Lawson’s Double Sunshine Imperial IPA.

I wound up tasting a few of Lawson’s brews – including Double Sunshine, the Smoked Maple collab beer and their IPA, Chinooker’d. If there’s one key takeaway from Lawson’s it’s this – these are not subtle beers. Double Sunshine is a massive hop attack, fresh as can be, bursting with an awesome intensity. Chinooker’d was a little more subtle (which is not saying much), very woody… still very hop forward, but just a little more nuanced. Both, mighty delicious beers if you like that big, flavor bursting, in your face style.

Maine Beer Co. Pilot Batch Pale Ale
Maine Beer Co is another New England favorite of mine and I was really excited to see them at this event. They had run out of Lunch by the time I wandered over to their booth, and I would be lying if I said I wasn’t just a bit disappointed I didn’t get to try some fresh off the tap. But, the consolation prize actually wound up being even more satisfying – a pilot batch pale ale made from Citra and Simcoe hops that was eye-rolling-back-into-head delicious. A fruity and piney nose, light, mellow and perfectly balanced like you’d expect from MBCo. Quite opposite from the massive attack flavors of Lawson’s. Subtle, complex, and flavorful… This is why I love these guys. Damn, I hope they put this one into production.

There were plenty of other beers and breweries to write home about, many of which I had never had the pleasure of sampling prior. Duck-Rabbit’s barrel-aged baltic porter was excellent, High Horse Brewing and Oxbow were both awesome finds, and of course there were a few local breweries that I wasn’t able to visit because I just ran out of time. Notch had a Kvasnicove Lager that I heard great things about, Mystic always has great stuff. And Trillium. Damn! I’m kicking myself that I didn’t get over to Trillium, but they’re about a ten minute walk from my office, so I think I’ll manage to try their beer soon enough.

So, what’s the moral of the story? You can’t tell a book by its cover. This was a damn good craft beer event and there’s no doubt I’ll be back next year. Here are a few more pictures from the day.

The event was crowded, but the masses were managed well.

Despite being one of the growing number of craft breweries owned in part by a macro, Goose Island it still producing some excellent beer.

Duck-Rabbit’s barrel-aged baltic porter was a highlight

Foolproof was one of a few newer Rhode Island breweries present

Lawson’s was perhaps the most buzzed about brewery of the day

I’m a fan of Otter Creek’s beer, and this newly released Russian Imperial Stout is another winner.

Did you go to ACBF this year? What’d you think?

By the time I pulled up to the farm in Gardiner, NY, my memories of Brooklyn from earlier that morning had faded somewhere along the peaceful drive up Interstate 87. New York’s Hudson Valley region is astonishingly beautiful. It has the ability to strip the concrete walls of New York City from your brain and replace it with lush green and rolling hills. It’s a much needed breath of fresh air away from the intensity of the city.

Gable Erenzo met me inside the distillery center – a wood farmhouse filled with barrels and a tasting bar, along with various farm-related knick knacks. Gable is a distiller and brand ambassador for Tuthilltown. His father, Ralph, started the distillery back in 2003 with partner Brian Lee, and together this team has been responsible for building the spirits operation – New York state’s first whiskey distillery since prohibition. I had met Gable a number of months prior at an event in Boston, but it was nice to see him at home, on his own turf.

The distillery site is picturesque. Surrounded by farmland, lush trees and a pacing river, Tuthilltown truly invokes a sense of tranquility and history. Outside the restaurant building that lies on the property, a sign remembering the Tuthilltown Gristmill notes the property as a historic landmark. For 220 years, the Gristmill used waterpower to render local grains to flour. Now, Tuthilltown is a true farm distillery, using local grain and ingredients to power a spirits business that has gone nationwide.

Gable showed me around the various buildings on the property. We walked out into the pouring rain, trudged through mud and into the shelter of the distillery building, which was in the process of being renovated. A few new 3,000-gallon fermenters stood tall and gleaming, nearly touching the ceiling and casting shadows on the more modest grain mash and other not-so-commercial equipment in the shop. According to Gable, it takes six batches a day to fill one of the fermenters. Growth is certainly on the horizon.

A set of beautiful German copper stills stood behind enclosed glass. Upon questioning I learned that the distillery had recently gone through a nearly devastating fire that started in the still room. The renovations and newly constructed “safe area” was meant to keep the stills “safely” away from the rest of the operation, just in case… Examining the stills it’s easy to see where the fire took its tole. The copper is still scarred from the flames.

From the distillery facility we headed back out into the wet Hudson Valley air, trying to avoid puddles that had gathered in the mud as Gable and I walked hastily toward the bottling room. Productions like this are always great reminders of what craft distilling is all about. You get used to seeing finished product at retail shops and bars, and its easy to forget that not all spirits are created in massive production facilities like many of our favorite Scotch whiskies and mainstream Bourbons. Tuthilltown is absolutely a craft production (despite their Hudson whiskeys being part of the William Grant & Sons portfolio), and the bottling line with a single-bottle hand-dipping wax station is a clear reminder of this.

Tuthilltown started selling its spirits in 2005, and in the eight years since has created a solid lineup of products with their Hudson whiskeys leading the charge. 90% of the grains are sourced within 10 miles from the distillery, with the exception of the barley for the Single Malt. Apparently, there just aren’t the local resources yet to provide the quantity of malted barley needed. The Hudson whiskeys – including the Single Malt, Baby Bourbon, Manhattan Rye, Four Grain Bourbon and unaged New York Corn Whiskey are fairly available nationwide at quality retailers. Tuthilltown’s smaller production products like the Half Moon Orchard Gin and the Indigenous Vodka (both made from locally sourced apples) have more limited availability in New York and the Northeast.

DrinkInsider Pick: Hudson Baby Bourbon
Out of the distillery’s solid lineup of spirits, their Baby Bourbon is my top pick. Frankly, both of Tuthilltown’s Hudson Bourbons were standouts, but the Baby Bourbon had that extra something to kick it up a notch. It also just happens to be the first Bourbon distilled in New York.

Made from 100% corn whiskey, the Baby Bourbon is aged between 2-4 years and is smooth and mellow with a rich, building spice on the finish. At 46%, it’s got a nice little bite. But, if a biting whiskey isn’t your thing, you may prefer their equally delicious Four Grain Bourbon. On the nose, a bit of buttered popcorn mixes with green oak and vanilla. On the palate, a light sweetness is quickly masked by dry and building spice, and a balanced profile of vanilla and caramel. A nicely done craft Bourbon. 89 points

If you’re up in the Hudson Valley area, or find yourself looking for a day trip out of New York City, I’d highly recommend swinging out to Tuthilltown. The place is beautiful and the spirits are well done. There’s also a neat little restaurant on the property for an after-sampling lunch.

Here are some more pictures from my visit:

Bourbon, the cat

Inside the tasting room

Single-bottle wax dipping “station”

Looking out of the tasting room

Then, go and add something like, “125th Anniversary,” and I’m putty in your hands.

As many of you whiskey geeks know, the annual Four Roses spring release is their Limited Edition Single Barrel, and here in Massachusetts the 2013 release just hit the market. Although the Limited Edition Small Batch (fall release) took the highest honors last year, the Single Barrel is also a terrific whiskey year in and year out that should not go overlooked. And, if you are thinking about picking up a bottle, don’t be a dummy and wait. Only 4,000 bottles were released, and with all the buzz Four Roses has been getting recently, these bottles probably won’t last long.

The 2013 Single Barrel is actually quite a special release for Four Roses because it marks their 125th anniversary in the bourbon biz. Aged 13 years, this whiskey is about a year or two older than most of the Single Barrel bottlings and at just a hair under 120 proof its got enough firepower to knock your grandma out of her chair. The recipe for this single barrel is OBSK (one of ten unique recipes that Four Roses uses across their product line), which is a 60% corn, high-rye mash bill, full bodied and rich in spice. Last year’s 2012 Limited Edition Single Barrel release came from their OESK recipe, which is 75% corn. And the year prior, OBSQ. It’s these differences in barrel selection and recipe choice that makes the annual release always an exciting endeavor.

I’m not going to beat around the bush, this is a fiery and spicy beast of a bourbon. Seriously, take a baseball bat and smash your car window. That’s what this whiskey feels like when it hits your mouth. Okay, it’s no 140 proof Stagg, but that’s more like a take your mack truck and drive it full speed through a brick wall. See, it’s all relative.

But, even monster’s have their soft side.

The first thing you notice about this bourbon is the big rye spice up front on the nose, dry and oaky. Comparing side by side, it’s slightly less of a sweet aroma than last year’s single barrel release. Less red candy cherry, more dusty earth. But with a few drops of water, the spice retreats and lets out the sweet notes of maple syrup, french toast, candy cherry and those orange popsicles with vanilla ice cream in the middle that I used to have as a kid. There’s also a little nuttiness and a heaping of smokey ashtray. Lots going on.

Without water, the whiskey is fiery on the palate – as to be expected at 120 proof – with a building spice that goes on and on. With a few drops to take the edge off, some of the quintessential Four Roses comes through – cinnamon, chocolate, candy red cherry and spice on the finish. Interestingly, where I found the 2012 to be a little more fruit/sweet-forward on the nose, it’s an unexpected switch on the palate. Last year’s was a little dryer and astringent in the mouth with the sweet notes more subdued under the spice. On the 2013 I get more chocolate and candy pushing through.

Overall, it’s another winner for Four Roses. Although, where I gave last years Limited Edition Single Barrel a 91-point score, I’m coming in at 90 on this one. Still, damn delicious.

Francis Ford Coppola has been in the wine business since 1975, which for you film buffs, equates to just one year after the famed director released The Godfather II. Coppola’s first vintage, under the Niebaum-Coppola name, was in 1977; just two years prior to the release of Apocalypse Now. So, in short, while Mr. Coppola was off making some of the most epic crime and war films of all time, he managed to pursue a lifelong passion and open up a family wine business in Napa Valley that is now almost 40 years in the making.

On this particular evening in early spring, I joined fellow media and a number of representatives from the Francis Ford Coppola Winery for a wine dinner at Ruth’s Chris, one of the country’s classic steak house chains. The evening was lead by Coppola’s Director of Winemaking, Corey Beck, and featured a four-course pairing highlighting a number of Coppola’s latest selections from his arsenal of labels, and a finely prepared meal that could have easily satisfied the Godfather himself.

Like Coppola, winemaker Corey Beck’s history in the Napa Valley has some serious roots. Beck grew up in the area and spent summer vacations working alongside his grandfather at Chateau Montelena. He later earned a full-time gig at the historic winery before eventually joining Coppola’s team at Inglenook (formerly Rubicon Estate, Niebaum-Coppola) in 1998. Together, Coppola and Beck have been at the helm of driving the wine vision forward and in 2010 they launched the impressive Francis Ford Coppola Winery in Alexander Valley. Although I haven’t been, this winery resort sounds and looks nearly as epic as some of Coppola’s films from the 1970s.

The evening at Ruth’s Chris Steak House started off with casual conversation accompanied by Sophia, a light and fruity Prosecco-style Blanc de Blanc made with a blend of Pinot Blanc, Muscat, and Riesling. The wine was originally made in 1998 for Francis’ daughter Sophia’s wedding. They made just enough for the family and the festivities, but found the wine to be so well recieved that Sophia became a staple of the Coppola collection. Like all of Coppola’s wines, Sophia is packaged with its own unique touch, in this case a pink cellophane wrapper that adorns the bottle like a woman’s dress. According to Cory, it’s one of Francis’ niches. “All of our packaging has something different,” he mentioned. “All of the labels have a meaning and they’re all designed by Francis. It’s either about a family member or paying homage to Gustave Niebaum (the founder of the original Inglenook Winery Estate). There’s always a story behind it.”

The first wine pairing featured the Coppola Diamond Chardonnay and a chilled shellfish salad with tiger shrimp, lump crab meat, spring greens, and white balsamic vinaigrette. Beck created this wine during his first year with the winery and modeled it after the work he had been doing at Chateau Montelena – “Burgundian in style, not a lot of wood, good acidity.” Although I wasn’t overtaken by this “Burgundian” comparison, I did enjoy the wine as a fresh and bright pairing to the salad. There was a nice smokey element to the wine which was quite nice paired with its fresh fruit and I thought the lively acidity was a nice contrast to the creaminess of the wine. The Diamond Chardonnay retails for under $15.

The second course, a delicious wild mushroom risotto featuring cremini mushrooms, fresh thyme and Romano cheese was paired with Coppola’s 2011 Votre Sante Pinot Noir. This was quite a comfort pairing, between the rich and creamy risotto and the rich, silky Pinot. Both had a rustic, earthy quality that played well together, and I’d have to admit that this was my favorite pairing of the evening. For a retail price of just around $14, the Votre Sante is a solid deal in a wine world that is often short of good under $15 Pinot’s. The wine on its own is just a tad over where my palate likes to be on the fruit scale, but with food (especially this earthy risotto) it was an absolute winner.

The third pairing featured Coppola’s flagship wine, Black Label Diamond Claret, paired with an 8 oz filet and lobster tail Rockefeller (stuffed with creamy spinach and Romano cheese). Yes, this was a decadent pairing, and no, I couldn’t finish my plate. But I’d be lying if I told you I didn’t enjoy every bite and every sip.

“The Claret is the one wine that really got us started,” said Corey Beck to a roomful of happy diners. “When Francis bought the Inglenook Estate in the 1970s, he bought it from the Gustav Neibaum family that had originally started the winery in 1889. It was one of the first wineries in California. In fact it was bonded winery number nine. And, at that time they made a Claret. When Francis bought the winery he invited Robert Mondavi over and brought him down to the cellar and pulled out a bottle of 1901 Claret – Black Label, Gustav Neibaum. He opened the bottle and Robert Mondavi’s eyes go crazy and says I knew California could make wines that age! And that’s why we make the black label Claret.”

The Diamond Claret retails for about $20, though I’ve seen it for much less at discount wine shops.

The final pairing of the evening featured a “rich and sinful” flourless chocolate cake with fresh berries along with Coppola’s 2010 Directors Cut Cabernet. On its own, the cake was my favorite part of the meal. I must admit, I have a sweet tooth and this dark and sexy thing wouldn’t stop taunting me with its deliciousness. The wine, however, stood its ground without getting totally overtaken by the utter fist-pounding richness of the cake. It too, was deep, dark and bold, and to be honest, a bit of a step up from the Claret (though, both Cabernet-focused wines).

According to Corey, the Directors Cut line is the first time that Francis Ford Coppola let the film career and the wine career come together on a bottle of wine. The Director’s Cut is essentially the winery’s reserve offering, and the packaging is quite unique in that it’s the only one that has a full wrap around label. Out of all of Coppola’s wines this is probably the one that comes to mind as quintessential Coppola because it stands out so much on the shelves. Not to say their other’s don’t, but there’s something special (and especially film-y) about this one.

The wine itself is a rich and powerful Bordeaux blend that typically retails in the mid-$20 range.

It’s always interesting when art and wine come together. With these particular wines, it’s clear that the artistic influence from Francis Ford Coppola is present throughout the packaging and the stories. All of the wines we had on this wonderful evening in Boston were enjoyable, especially with the food pairings. If you aren’t familiar with Coppola’s wines, I’d encourage you to seek them out. They won’t be hard to find at your local wine retailer and I think you’ll find that for their reasonable prices, they’ll provide solid go-to’s in that $12 – $25 range.

Thanks to the Francis Ford Coppola Winery crew along with the team from 42west for coordinating this dinner.

I heard the news via IM, ironically, through a contact who lives halfway across the world. I had been talking to a colleague about something routine at the time and saw the IM pop up on my screen out of the corner of my eye. I thought it was rather odd, perhaps a joke. But upon further investigation on Twitter it quickly became apparent that there was something big going on. I quickly scrolled through my Facebook feed, jumped to a few news websites, googled “explosions in Boston.” It couldn’t be… but it was… true. The Boston Marathon had been attacked.

The course of events and the roller coaster of emotions that occurred over the coming days was a new experience for me. And a new experience for the vast majority of Bostonians. On Friday, the Governor put a mandatory lockdown on seven cities around the Boston area, including my own city of Cambridge. It was the first beautiful spring day after a long and snowy winter and the streets were deserted. As were offices, retail shops, bars and restaurants all over the area. It was an eerie site to see.

Looking back at how the city reacted, I’m not sure I can agree with how everything went down. But there’s no doubt that the best of Boston’s determination and togetherness came out. At the end of the day the suspects were caught, and if nothing else, it was a much needed moment of relief after a week of trying events. A close of a small chapter. But, lives were lost and forever changed, and a red splash across one of Massachusetts’ proudest days was scorched in the cement on Boylston Street.

The Tavern, Framingham | Photo by Mike Johnson FestPics.com

People have stood tall in the aftermath. In particular, I’d like to recognize the efforts of the local craft beer community who has come together to raise money for those that were affected during the events of this past week. Jack’s Abby put together a fundraiser event at The Tavern in Framingham to Buy Boston a Beer. Over 20 brewers from across New England chipped in and local retailers and beer enthusiasts donated bottles for raffle. Almost $9,000 was raised. Sam Adams announced that all profits from their 26.2 Marathon beer would be donated to help the cause as well. Craft Beer Cellar, who had recently raised nearly $2,000 to help open their new local-only craft beer shop in Winchester, MA, diverted those funds to Marathon support, in addition to donating a portion of sales during the week.

These are just a few examples of the Massachusetts drink community coming together to help out. Countless other groups, individuals and industries have also banded together to raise money and provide support for the relief efforts. It has truly been a humbling experience to see communities across Massachusetts come together. I’ve been living in this area for nearly 12 years, and I’ve never been so proud to call Boston home. And I’m especially proud to be a part of such a great local beer community.

Photo by Mike Johnson FestPics.com

My heartfelt support goes out to all of those individuals, families and friends who were affected by this tragic event. I hope that the Marathon will come back next year, stronger than it ever has been before. And I also hope that we as Americans may take a good look at the events that transpired and keep them in context. Let’s build on the good, learn from the bad, and keep moving down the path with our eyes ahead.

Cheers.

Thanks to Mike Johnson at FestPics.com for sharing his photography from the Buy Boston a Beer event.

Of course, lounging on sun-soaked deck is not the only occasion for a session brew. It’s pretty much that all-year-rounder beer that finds its home after work, on long nights, in the morning… I mean, whatever floats your boat. But, there is only one Session Beer Day and it just happens to be this coming sunday, April 7th. So, what better way to welcome it in than by catching up with two of session beer’s most vocal advocates, Chris Lohring and Lew Bryson.

Chris doing “market research” in Munich – photo courtesy of notchbrewing.com

As the brewmaster of America’s first session beer company, Notch, Chris has been instrumental in creating awareness for the session category. Since I last spoke to Chris (about a year ago), he has expanded his product line to include a handful of limited releases and unique styles like Černe Pivo and Polotmavy, and continues to show how low alcohol craft beer can be just as flavorful and creative as its higher ABV siblings. Notch is also rolling out their first IPA this week, aptly titled, Left of the Dial.

Despite a handful of new session beer releases by various brewers across the US, Chris is still a stand alone in the category when it comes to session-only. “We’ve come a long way,” says Lohring. “But we’ve only scratched the surface. And supporters are far out numbering the haters, finally… I see the look on consumers faces when they try a beer at 4% and have the epiphany that lower ABV beer can have flavor.”

According to Chris, “The major milestone this year will be that Notch will cease to be the only session beer brand in the US (we’ll always be first!)… I am thrilled, because I can’t do this alone. Like craft beer 25 years ago, the more in the category the better, because there will be more to tell the story.”

Lew Bryson, from American Beer Blogger

If there’s someone other than Chris Lohring who knows how to tell this story of session beer, it’s fellow advocate, and champion for many things drink-related, Lew Bryson. In addition to being the Managing Editor of Whisky Advocate (my favorite magazine), a highly respected beer writer and a proponent for the privatization of the state-run liquor stores in Pennsylvania, Lew also runs a website called The Session Beer Project – one of the foremost web outposts for all things session.

“The number of brewers jumping on the bandwagon, however heavily, is actually good news,” said Bryson. “It proves the session brand is catching on; brewers want to have a session beer. Boston Beer and Deschutes have session beers now, Stone has their quite nice Levitation Ale, and all that’s a big deal; it’s real support, done right. At the base of this, it’s just going back to the roots of why craft beer happened: variety. Session beer adds variety to the craft beer scene, tasty beers that can be enjoyed in volume.”

Founders and Jack’s Abby both put out some mighty tasty session brews over the past year.

Personally, I couldn’t agree more with that statement. But, there is still a certain population of beer drinkers who don’t fully “get” it. Some see lower alcohol beer as a shortcoming. A typical response being, “why should I pay the same amount for less alcohol?” Others debate where the line for session should be drawn. And, perhaps, that’s where a lot of the confusion comes in.

“Unfortunately, consistency of message is a problem, which ties directly into awareness,” said Bryson. “Session is getting the same kind of press interest that craft beer did 25 years ago and extreme beer did 5 years ago, but the message is muddled. BeerAdvocate and the Alström Brothers say session beers are 5% or lower; Adrian ‘D_I_N_G’ Dingle very vocally lays down 4.0% as an ironclad limit, citing English tradition; and I’m firmly in the pragmatic middle at 4.5%, while the GABF’s standards are all over the map.”

The latest release from Notch, Chris’ first session IPA.

So, what’s next for session beer? How does it keep moving forward and growing as a category? From Lew’s perspective, the main part of session beer advocacy in the coming year is police work. “I’ve seen beers as high as 7.5% labeled “session,” and that just DOES. NOT. GET IT. The point of session beer is not to be less alcohol than a big beer. Chris actually nails it with his catchphrase, “have fun left of the dial.” We’re looking for good-tasting LOW-alcohol beers, not LOWER-alcohol beers.”

For Chris and Notch, it’s full steam ahead. He’s got a few new beers coming to market, including the IPA which drops this week and a German-style beer coming for Memorial Day. He also has a few projects that he’s working on that he can’t talk about yet, but “they involve new beers and packages that will be released this year, and then a longer term thing in the works too. How’s that for being vague?”

But, if one thing is for sure, the 4.5% ceiling is not stifling Chris’ creativity. “Nothing makes one more creative than to impose a limitation,” he mentioned. “I have never felt more creative than when brewing session beer. When anything goes, we end up with the kitchen sink beers we have today. And I never have the urge to brew a strong beer, I’ve played that gig already and I’m on to new challenges.”

For Lew, the biggest factor in gaining the awareness is media. “That’s what started this whole thing for me,” said Bryson. “Back in 2007, I was complaining to a brewer that they only made big, extreme beers, they never made a big deal out of session-strength, drinkable beers. ‘That’s your fault,’ he said, and explained that the big beers got all the press… So I decided to do something about that, and started the Session Beer Project, and it’s been pretty successful: the media IS talking about session beers. I just wish they knew what they were talking about!”

“Now we’re into the next phases,” continued Bryson. “Where the brewers and importers see that there’s an emerging demand for these beers — and Chris’s success with Notch was a BIG part of that, way out of proportion to his sales — so more beers are happening, we’re seeing session beer events, Session Beer Day, and bars doing dedicated session beer taps. It’s only going to build…”

So, as a fan of session beer, I’m trying to do my part by spreading the gospel as well. It has been exciting to see all of the new session beers released over the past year, but as both Chris Lohring and Lew Bryson pointed out, we’re just scratching the surface on what this category can become. Speaking of, there are a whole bunch of events going on for Session Beer Day (#sessionbeerday) this coming weekend, including a day-long event calendar put on by the Notch crew. If you’re in the Boston area, you should definitely check it out.

A big thanks to Chris and Lew for their continued energy toward pushing the session beer message, and for taking the time to contribute to this post. To thank them, I highly recommend that you go out and buy many cases of Notch and subscriptions to Whisky Advocate. Cheers.

But, we’re not here to talk about packaging, are we? We’re here to talk about whiskey. And this 10-year Bulleit is another solid addition to a lineup that already includes one of the better rye’s in the $25 range.

There have been a number of reviews on this whiskey drifting about the Interwebs ever since the product was released at the beginning of this year. The question I have seen brought up the most has been about the difference in price between this new 10-year and the original, no age statement Bulleit bourbon. Generally speaking, the difference is about $20, or nearly a 45% increase. I mean, I hear what people are saying but it’s not like they went from $60 to $130 (like Elijah Craig did when they added 2-years to their 18 year bourbon). It’s Bulleit’s foray into premium Bourbon drinking. Let’s give them that. And, heck, you get this sweet orange box, too!

The Tasting:

On the nose, the bourbon comes off dry and oaky, with a sharp, peppery spice. There’s a hint of sweet cherry candy, with orange-infused maple sugar, vanilla and clove. With a little water, I get some fruitier dried berry notes as well. The wood is persistent throughout.

Hollis Bulleit representing at Julio’s Go Whiskey Weekend 2013

On the palate, the whiskey is round and fruity up front, very dry and spicy in the back. I get more of that orange citrus, vanilla and caramel. There’s a lot of wood notes here that create a rich astringency throughout the mouth. There also big spice notes, particularly cinnamon and clove, which build and stay through a long, warm finish. A hint of black licorice comes out with a drop of water. Overall, I find the palate balanced, but definitely skewing spicy and wood-heavy. Seems just right at the 91.2 bottling proof. Enough kick to give your mouth a ride, but not too much to require water.

I like this bourbon quite a bit. At $35-$39 retail it’d be a home run, but the $45-$50 price tag (depending on your market) makes purchase a little more of a decision. Especially considering the competition in that price bracket. Personally, I enjoy the extra wood age and dry spicy character brought out by the few additional years in oak. Some reviewers have commented otherwise about that aspect of this whiskey. And I can see what they’re getting at, but I felt the extra wood here was, overall, in check. Then again, I’m a big fan of dry and spicy whiskeys, so if you’re not, this may not be your cup of tea. 88 Points. A solid buy.

Have you tried the Bulleit 10 year bourbon? What do you think? Worth the jump in price?

Thanks to Christina at Taylor for the sample.

Suzanne Schalow and Kate Baker are the founders of Craft Beer Cellar in Massachusetts, and when it comes to pushing craft beer and craft beer knowledge to the next level, these two women are seriously passionate. A passion, I may add, that’s paying off for them, and for the community around them. After seeing success on their first retail store in Belmont, they’ve begun expansion plans to open additional stores in Massachusetts, starting with a local, New England-only craft beer store in Winchester.

I had the opportunity to chat with these two self-admitting beer geeks on a mellow morning in March, just as Boston’s Beer Week was kicking off. I wanted to get their take on the current craft consumer mindset, how breweries are pushing the envelope on topics like freshness, and how knowledge and education are impacting the industry. If there’s one thing that became clear from our conversation, it’s that Suzanne and Kate are ready to put craft beer to the test on all fronts.

Anyone who is familiar with CBC knows that you are serious about craft beer education and knowledge. I’m curious how this translates to your staff and how some of your craft beer education initiatives (like the craft beer study groups) came into the mix.

Suzanne: The craft beer study groups started out with us wanting to ready anyone on our team for second level Cicerone certification. Our staff is 100% Cicerone level one certified and I feel pretty proud of that… [Cicerone is, generally speaking, the equivalent of Sommelier in wine speak]

We have one woman on staff who’s taking the test in April, she does all of our social media and PR. We’ve actually required her to be Cicerone level 2 by the end of this year and Cicerone 3 by the end of next year. She’s going to stay with us and help grow this brand. She’s gotta be one of the most knowledgable people in the country. She’s gotta get on that train. We’re also readying ourselves for the third level which is two days – 75% tasting. It’s not going to be easy. You go, am I ready for this? Can I blindly pick out any beer style in this store?

But that’s where it started. And, as we talked to people in the beer industry we realized there was an extreme need for education. I mean, it’s fun. It’s not like it’s super hardcore. Some people come in late and say, “I’m really sorry,” and it’s like, if you can’t be late to beer school then what can you be late to? But we wound up filling it up. There were about five slots that were filled with people just wanting to learn. It was a good mix.

I think it’s great. There really isn’t anything like that around for beer, especially anything that’s open to consumers – at least not here in the Boston area. I mean look at how many opportunities for education exist in the wine industry. Why shouldn’t craft beer have that? 

Suzanne: Yea, it’s coming. I mean one of the things we do with all of the staff here is that we’ll take like a Hoponious Union, for example. That stuff is so fresh and you can see bottled on February 27th so we wrote on the cap and stuck it in the refrigerator and let it stay there for exactly three months and then opened it and did it side by side with a fresh one.

I think that’s something that a lot of consumers would be interested in doing as well. I know I’ve often wondered, and I think it’d be a great learning experience. Did you notice a big difference?

Suzanne: Yes. I mean, was it not drinkable? No. But (there were differences) on many many levels, not just one. It wasn’t as hoppy. It wasn’t as sharp. There were a lot of things about it. It was a little bit more of a sloppy beer. And I’m not picking on their beer. I mean, we’ve got some old Deviant Dales that we’re intentionally saving that we’re going to hold for six months because it’s in a can and we really want to crack it open next to a fresh one. I think this education can never stop. But I do subscribe to it.

We had a driver ask us once, he said, “Okay, I don’t get it. Why are you keeping that beer when it’s nine months old but you’re sending that one back?” And I said, well this one’s 12% alcohol and it’s a Belgian-style Quad. So we explained it to him and it’s cool that our delivery drivers are now getting in tune. Sometimes they won’t even bring stuff in. They’ll say, “Yea I got so and so pale ale and I didn’t even bring it in because it’s old.” Well what does it say? “Oh, September” Good call.

I would have to imagine that Craft Beer Cellar has some of the most knowledgable craft beer customers in the state. And, because of that, I’d imagine that things like beer freshness really matter. Have you noticed a change in buying behavior and decision making? Are more people buying beers to hold onto?

Suzanne: I think about 50% of our customers are beer geeks. It goes without saying that they make decisions based on certain factors and that other 50%, we’re just seeing a huge change. I think we’ve survived from day one on 50% of our customers being beer geeks. At the same time that group grows, so does our entire customer base so it stays pretty steady…

IPA’s are our number one style. Or, hoppy beer, I should say. And I’ve watched the way people have grown in the way that they’re buying those beers… now they look at one and go, “oh, 90 IBU’s, yea I know that’s pretty bitter.” But, yes, as this group grows it makes sense that more and more people are storing and cellaring beers. There’s a big movement as well for drink it fresh.

Definitely. Producers like Stone and The Alchemist have made some pretty big strides in promoting beer freshness recently. That said, it’s still easy to come by 6-month old IPA’s on shelves of retailers. Hell, I hate to admit it, but you still may come across 6-month old IPA’s in my fridge! Where do you think the biggest education challenges are? On the distributor side? Retailers and bars? Consumers? All of the above? 

Suzanne: I think it’s all across the board. I think that consumers have a lot to learn but one of the reasons this place (Craft Beer Cellar) is on fire is because consumers feel like they can come here and get an education. They know they can ask a question about a beer and that question is going to be answered accurately. Everybody here can answer the question about what beer is on our shelves, what style it is, what ABV it is… so I think it just goes without saying that the consumer is interested. The distributor has had to change. They’ve come some distance but there is still tons and tons of work to do. Even from the way they handle it.

…But, you know, we’re all in this together. Everybody’s got work to do.

I’m curious what you think about Stone’s Enjoy By series? Do you think it’s helping with education? Do you think that’s why they do things like this, or, for instance: stonebrew.com/freshbeer?

Suzanne: Yes. Absolutely. I think it’s brilliant.

You don’t think it’s marketing? I mean, I think it’s cool, but I’m also a marketer by trade. Granted, I also think it’s cool from a craft beer lover’s perspective as well. So, perhaps it’s a hybrid…

Kate: Yes, but I still think it speaks to their (Stone’s) desire to educate the consumer and to provide the consumer with fresh beer. I mean what better way to say, “you better drink this by April 1…” and people are clamoring and then they’re drinking it and then they’re loving it and now they can’t wait for the next one.

Suzanne: Having worked with Stone for a long time I have always known them to believe in fresh beer. It exists in their company philosophy, but they’ve also got some smarty beer geek up in marketing that was like “hey, let’s take this to another level…”

I didn’t even get one this go around. We blew through 20 cases in 5 and a half hours.

Wow. That’s unbelievable. It really is amazing how big the audience is now for good, limited release beers like this. I couldn’t believe how fast you sold out of Troegs Nugget Nectar this past month. 

Suzanne: Yes… and we got double what we got last year. We blew through about 130 cases. The truth is that our business is growing. Craft beer is growing… we were talking last night and one of our employees was saying “I hope we see craft beer get up to 30-40% market share.” She said, “I dream about stuff like that.” And I said, yes, me too.

I’ll cheers to that! It’s an exciting time in craft beer. There’s no question about that.

Suzanne: Yes, it certainly is. We actually finalized our lease yesterday on the second store in Winchester. We’ll get everything wrapped up on Monday. This store will be New England beers only. We think it’s the right time. There’s some great stuff coming out in New England right now. May as well give it a try. See if it sticks to the wall. All we really want to do is get good beer in front of people.

—

And really, that’s what it’s all about, right? Good beer.

A big thanks to Suzanne and Kate at Craft Beer Cellar for their time and for being huge supporters of craft beer in New England. If you want to contribute to making this New England-only Craft Beer Cellar a reality, GO HERE. There’s also an upcoming off-flavor tasting course on April 10th that CBC is offering. Information can be found HERE.

As the first reoccurring annual bourbon release of the year, Evan Williams Single Barrel Vintage in a way sets the stage for the rest of the annual whiskey releases to come. And, rightfully so, as this whiskey is on its 17th year of production! Pretty amazing considering where the Bourbon industry was at that point in time. It must’ve taken a lot of foresight and faith to start working on a single barrel vintage release project like this in the mid 90s. Thankfully, now, it’s just one of a growing multitude of these types of whiskeys.

The 2003 vintage just recently hit the market and, as I’ve been doing every year since the 1999 vintage, I picked up a bottle as soon as I could. All Evan Williams Single Barrel Vintage whiskeys are aged nine years, and are hand-selected from single barrels by Heaven Hill master distillers Parker and Craig Beam. The whiskey is bottled at 43.3% and has a hand-written barrel number and bottle date. This particular bottle I’m drinking from is number 168, barreled on April 15, 2003 and bottled on February 14, 2013.

The first thing you notice about the Evan Williams Single Barrel is the wonderful aroma – a mix of woody vanilla, cinnamon red hots, candied orange, maple syrup, earthy spice and a little root vegetal note. The previous few years had more of a cherry fruit note, which isn’t as present here. Last year’s release, in particular, had a very fruity candy cherry thing going on that I wasn’t too fond of, so nice to see a slight variation.

On the front palate I get a creamy rich vanilla, with dry peppery cinnamon and toffee. There’s a really nice oak spice, with rich orange, mellow honey and a long warm finish. The 2003 comes off dryer and spicier than in recent years. Tasting them side by side, there are a lot of similarities to the 2000. Which is a high compliment, because I still think 2000 has been one of the very best EWSBV releases of all time. There’s also a little more earthiness here than in some of the previous years.

In comparison to last year’s 2002 vintage, the 2003 is less sweet, and overall has a more complex flavor profile. Compared to the high bar that 2000 and 2001 set, I felt that last year’s release missed the mark just a bit, so the 2003 for me is a step back onto the great path that the Evan Williams Single Barrel was on. As John Hansell put it, this whiskey is “seamless and perilously drinkable.” And, seriously, kicking back and sipping on this whiskey is completely satisfying. I’m not quite as high as the 93 point review that Whisky Advocate just gave EWSBV 2003, but I’m close. Especially when you consider that this is going to cost you $30 or less. 91 points. Highly Recommended.

Big thanks to Larry at Heaven Hill for the sample.

A few distilleries and whisky companies, in particular, have jumped out on my radar recently as some of the truly innovative whiskymakers. At Julio’s Liquors Go Whiskey Weekend the other week, I had the opportunity to meet some of these folks and really get a taste for their products that are changing the landscape.

Blue corn and smoked oak, two major characteristics of Balcones impressive lineup.

Balcones Distilling
Perhaps you’d be surprised to hear that one of the most innovative craft distillers in America is based in Waco, Texas. On the other hand, if you’ve been paying attention to whisky media at all lately, you’re probably not surprised to see Balcones name at the top of the list here.

I recently had an opportunity to try their lineup of whiskies and, I’ve got to tell you… wow! How does a distillery so young produce whiskies this mature and sophisticated? You’d probably have to ask head distiller, Chip Tate, about that; but from a consumer’s perspective, these Balcones whiskies are adding something truly unique to the whiskey market. True Blue and Baby Blue are whiskies both made from Hopi blue corn, which creates a completely unique profile that’s much more raw corn flavor than you get from traditional yellow corn. I wound up picking up a bottle of the True Blue 100 and I can’t stop drinking it. It’s just that unique and delicious.

Chip Tate of Balcones and Gable Erenzo of Hudson Whiskey (another innovative craft distiller)

Another wildly unique whisky from Balcones is Brimstone which is a smoked whiskey. Mind you, this is not a peat smoke whiskey. Balcones actually smokes their whisky with Texas scrub oak so you wind up with this rustic, backwoods, campfire smoke element that smacks you upside the head and leaves you stunned (in a good way, of course). The beauty of this whisky is that although the smoke is big and in your face, it’s balanced with all of the delicious whiskey notes from the fresh corn, fruit and rich sweetness.

And, I’d be doing you a disservice if I didn’t also mention Balcones Single Malt as well. This is where your head spins a bit trying to figure out how they’ve developed such a rich and fantastic whiskey in just a few years of distilling and aging. I guess there’s a reason why this distillery is winning awards left and right, like Whisky Magazine’s Best Craft Whiskey Distiller of the Year. The Single Malt isn’t doing too bad on the awards circuit itself. It’s easily up there with some of the best single malts being produced in America right now, and I’d venture to say that this whisky can hold its own on a global stage. The fact that it’s as young as it is just makes that feat even more impressive.

Talking to Winston Edwards, Brand Ambassador for Balcones, I learned of a few new products coming to market in the very near future. I can’t tell you the exact details of said releases (for fear that Winston may come back to Boston and drink all of my hard-to-find beer), but there is some really exciting stuff on the horizon for this Texas distillery. Keep your eyes peeled!

St. George’s 30th Anniversary Whiskey is made using some of the oldest single malt in America.

St. George Spirits
When most of us think and talk about craft distilling in America, we often address it as a relatively new thing. And certainly, the vast majority of craft distillers in America have popped up in the last few years. Balcones, for instance, started in 2008. But, St. George Spirits out of Northern California is a major exception. 10-15 years from now when craft distilling in the US is as big as craft beer is now, we’re going to look back at St. George much like the way we look at Sam Adams or Sierra Nevada. Seriously, these guys were way ahead of the curve. In fact, they just released a 30th Anniversary Single Malt whiskey to mark this rather impressive occasion.

I got a chance to taste the 30th Anniversary release at Julio’s and I am happy to report that it is nothing short of mind blowing. It was made using some of the distillery’s oldest heritage barrels, thus containing some of the oldest single malt whiskey available from any American distillery. It’s rich, creamy, silky, fruity, spicy… aged to perfection. And talk about ballsy innovation, it was finished in a barrel that once held pear eau de vie so it has got this really interesting pear undertone that just hits it over the top. Of course, at $400 retail, you may never be able to get your hands on one of the 715 bottles that were released, but even if you don’t, make sure to go out of your way to try St. George’s regular Single Malt release. It’ll give you a peak into where the American craft whiskey industry is going.

John Glaser enlightening the Go Whiskey crowds on blended malt whiskey.

Compass Box
I’ve always been a little so so on blended whisky. But John Glaser of Compass Box has completely changed my mind… well, at least in regards to his own blended Scotch whiskies. I don’t know what kind of mad science lab Mr. Glaser is running over there in London, but he’s doing some truly magnificent work producing whiskies that are paving their own path and spinning a lot of Scotch traditionalists on their heads. At Go Whiskey Weekend, John gave a seminar for about 50 folks – myself included – and tasted us through his diverse lineup of products. One thing that becomes clear when tasting these whiskies is that John is going to all lengths to craft whiskies that are truly one-of-a-kind and of the highest quality. Each of his whiskies are all impeccably balanced and hand-selected through endless tests using whiskies from a range of Scotch distilleries and some of the best barrels that can be bought (including some rather expensive French oak barrels). When it comes to putting this much care and craft into blended whisky, John Glaser and Compass Box are pretty much in a world of their own.

Vatted Malt’s went out with a bang. The Last Vatted Malt is a masterpiece.

The true testament for me in regards to Compass Box was that during the entire Go Whiskey Weekend (after tasting through at least 100 different whiskies) Compass Box had my favorite $40 and under Scotch (Great King Street) and my favorite $250 and over Scotch (The Last Vatted Malt). My hat is off to John Glaser for these two impressive whiskies. I honestly cannot think of a better Scotch in the $40 price range than Great King Street. But The Last Vatted Malt… good God! That is a special, special spirit. It pains me greatly to know that this whisky wasn’t released in the US. This release was literally the last vatted malt ever produced in the UK. At 11:59am on the eve before the law was changed banning the usage of the term “Vatted” (it was changed to “Blended”), John and his crazy Compass Box buddies stepped out in front of Big Ben in the heart of London and poured this whisky into bottle, sealed the cork and declared this whisky the last vatted malt, ever. And, man what a vatted malt it is.

I don’t know about you, but I’m pretty damn excited about the innovation that is taking place in the whisky industry. From Chip Tate of Balcones to Jörg Rupf of St. George to John Glaser of Compass Box, the future of whisky is looking as bright as ever. Keep pushing, guys. We look forward to more innovation to come.