Hop Talk Football League

We still have some open slots for the Hop Talk Fantasy Football League. View the original article for details: Play fantasy football with the guys from Hop Talk

p.s. Draft Day is August 1.

Red, White and Brew

I was out of town over the weekend to celebrate a couple of milestone birthdays with the other half of the Hop Talk Advisory Panel: Don and Max. Good times, good times.

As such, I wasn’t able to attend the Red, White and Brew event in downtown Brunswick for First Friday. My wife was able to attend as my proxy, though.

Diane Ellis, Naomi Everett, JT Smith from Flying Dog, and former Miss Brunswick Railroad Days A. Danaher

JT, a Brunswick native, was the Flying Dog representative, and he brought the In-Heat Wheat and Tire Bite Golden Ale. (Naomi preferred the Wheat.) Of course, Naomi’s favorite Flying Dog brew is the Doggie Style Pale Ale, which JT found a little surprising because it’s so hoppy. My wife, though, loves those grapefruity hops.

Other highlights of the event include food (Memphis-style pit beef BBQ, baked beans, cole slaw), ice cream, and live music by Jumptown. About 200 hundred people attended, with proceeds going to support Brunswick Main Street.

Wild Goose Snow Goose Winter Ale

Beer-a-Day #186

What do you know? Another winter beer on clearance.

Snow Goose is a Winter Warmer that has become a Mid-Atlantic tradition. Snow Goose pours a clear, deep, rich mahogany with a creamy, off-white head. The aromas are warm, toasty malts and caramel with just a hint of hops. Finishes clean
and dry.

Medium-dark brown with orange highlights; beige head. I can definitely smell the caramel and a bit of vanilla.  Medium body with nice roastiness and more caramel. I rather like that.

Wild Goose Brewery Snow Goose Winter Ale

Rogue American Amber Ale

Beer-a-Day #185

July 4th, American Independence Day. What better way to celebrate than with an American-brewed craft beer?

From the Rogue website:

Tasting Notes:

Tawny in color, with a coffee aroma, tight head and a delicate roasted malt accent. Generous use of hops and a smooth finish.

9 Ingredients:
Malts: Northwest Harrington and Klages, 95-115 and 135-165 Crystal.
Hops: Kent Golding and Cascade.
Yeast & Water: Rogue’s Pacman Yeast and Free Range Coastal Water.

Specs:
13º PLATO
53 IBU
73.1 AA
33º Lovibond

Well I certainly don’t disagree with their description. That’s darn good. An appropriate accompaniment to our neighbors’ fireworks show.

Good Read on a Better Brew

A friend of mine gave me a great article from the New Yorker on beer called A Better Brew. It was about Dogfish Head Brewing, their founder Sam Calagione, and extreme beers. But it was more than that… it was an extremely well written story that really gives you a good picture of Dogfish Head and what they are about. I highly suggest taking the time to read the full article. Here is one of the ways the author, Calvin Trillin, discovered what Sam Calagione believes about extreme beer,

Extreme beer is a return to normality, too, Calagione believes. It’s just the normality of a thousand years ago, or several thousand, rather than a hundred. If the Reinheitsgebot is still the touchstone for most American brewers, Calagione’s is a bronze bowl from King Midas’ tomb.

One of the things I found most interesting was the lengths Dogfish Head would go through just to try something different. For example, they brewed with heated rocks because when sahti was first brewed in the middle ages they used wooden kettles; so hot rocks was the method of choice.

The online New Yorker also has an audio discussion about the article with additional insight. Again, this is some high quality stuff (not like you would find on just some beer blog). It is also worth a listen.

Otter Creek Winter Ale

Beer-a-Day #184

My favorite retailer was having a clearance sale on some out-of-season beers. Well why the heck not?

The new special release is a smooth brown ale, with a touch of raspberry. Rich and toasty with a warming body and light hops, this will be a malty and perfectly fruited beer- very appealing and comforting. Just right for wintertime.

Well, I suppose I could crank up the air conditioning…

Chocolatey brown with a thin head. A bit of molasses in the aroma and some raspberries. A bit of roastiness in the flavor, light body, some more raspberries. Light body. I don’t know that I’d save this just for winter.

Otter Creek Winter Ale

Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA

Beer-a-Day #183

For all their ubiquity I can’t believe I haven’t written anything about one of these before. And I like drinking local.

Our 60 Minute IPA is continuously & intensely hopped. A session India Pale Ale brewed with Warrior, Amarillo & ‘Mystery Hop X.’ A powerful East Coast I.P.A. with a lot of citrusy hop character. The session beer for hardcore beer enthusiasts!

Light amber in color, with an off-white head. Loads of hops in the aroma; the grapefruit is pronounced. That is good, and I can taste every one of those 60 IBUs.

I will be having this again and again.

Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA

North Coast Scrimshaw

Beer-a-Day #182

Halfway through the year, and I’ve just about exhausted the selection at my favorite retailer. I’ve taken to shopping with a list of things I shouldn’t get.

Named for the delicate engravings popularized by 19th century seafarers, Scrimshaw is a fresh tasting Pilsner brewed in the finest European tradition using Munich malt and, Hallertauer and Tettnang hops. Scrimshaw has a subtle hop character, a crisp, clean palate, and a dry finish.

Pale, but not quite blonde. Copious white head. Earthy and a little fruity. Refreshing. Goes pretty well with this tomato, basil, bread dish my wife made. I’d have this again.

North Coast Scrimshaw

Cheers! Go Al!

Al started his Beer-a-Day project back on Jan 1, 2009 and he hasn’t missed a day yet! Today marks the half-way point.

Personally, I think he is crazy for attempting this but if anyone can do it, it’s him.

Let’s all raise a glass and give Al a big cheer for his accomplishment.

Cheers!

Weihenstephaner Hefe Weissbier

Beer-a-Day #181

Nothing refreshes you more than this naturally cloudy wheat beer with its wonderful yeasty fragrance and taste. Goes well with dishes that do not have too intensive a flavour, especially that Bavarian speciality ‘Weisswurst’ or white sausage.

Original wort: 12,7 % weight
Bittering power: 14
Alcohol content: 5,4 % vol.
Calories: 210 kcal/0,5 l

Hazy yellow with copious head. Floral with a little bubblegum. I’m not generally down with the wheat beers, but that’s a darn good one. That is in the top five best wheat beers I’ve ever had. Sadly, I only have the one.

Brauerei Weihenstephan

Hook & Ladder Lighter

Beer-a-Day #180

Hook & Ladder Lighter™ is the right choice when you desire a flavorful beer with a “lighter” body.

This is one of my wife’s favorites. So much so that since it’s the only one in the house, I’ll be lucky to get a couple of healthy quaffs before it “mysteriously” disappears.

Pale gold with a white head. Aroma is a bit fruity, even more so in the taste. It is light. They say 3.2% ABV and only 94 calories in each 12 oz. serving.

Hook & Ladder Brewing Company

One Thousand Articles

Wow!

Would you believe we’ve reached 1,000 articles here on Hop Talk? We hit the milestone with Beer-a-Day #179: Hoegaarden. It took us a little less than three years to get here from Ron’s first post back in July, 2006. (Qualified? Check.)

Did I expect to reach this milestone? I’m not sure. Frankly, I don’t think I was sure we’d get through the first year. I guess I’m just too stubborn to give up.

In any event, I’ve had a great time doing this and am looking forward to the next several thousand.

Hoegaarden

Beer-a-Day #179

Is it just me, or is everyone and his brother rolling out wheat beers? Well, this one bills itself as “the original Belgian White beer” and it’s darn hot outside. I am in need of something refreshing.

Very pale and hazy. Lots of spice in the aroma: coriander, orange peel, something floral. Flavor is citrusy and “soft”. Very refreshing.

Hoegaarden

Sam Adams Custom Made Glass

Beer pouring and tasting basics reminds me of the Sam Adams laser etched pint glass for the perfect pint. Here’s a hint of what goes into making that glass.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hu3jYojnbPM

Brewer’s Alley 1634 Ale

Beer-a-Day #178

My wife’s dear friend Ellen took our kids to see a movie, leaving us with an hour and forty-five minutes to kill.

So, of course we went to a brewpub.

On tap was the new “1634 Ale”, brewed to celebrate the founding of the Maryland colony. From the press release:

“1634 Ale” was created by Tom Flores, master brewer at Brewer’s Alley, following research of historic recipes and raw materials available in centuries past. “We used ingredients that would have been found in the austere conditions of early colonial Maryland,” said Flores of his rye-based ale recipe that also includes malted wheat, molasses and caraway. Flores says caramel and dark malts round out the flavor of the “lighter bodied ale.”Flores’ potable recreation has captured the attention of industry officials and the media alike who have sampled “1634 Ale” in the past month. “Early reports of the beer’s upcoming release were published in “Beverage Journal,” the Maryland / DC industry trade publication, as well as in the mass media and on beer blogs, – raising interest in the ale,” said Flores. Maryland State Governor, Martin O’Malley was among state officials who sampled the “1634 Ale” on Maryland Day, March 29, in Historic St. Mary’s City.

Phil Bowers, president of Brewer’s Alley, Inc., says that he is proud that his brewery was called upon to create the beer but not surprised that beer was incorporated into the state celebration. “Fermented beverages such as beer and hard cider were something of a necessity in the New World, where drinkable water was scarce,” he said, particularly within the early- discovered Atlantic coastal regions, such as St. Mary’s City, where inland water was brackish.

It certainly was interesting, with a number of unusual flavors, but none of them overpowering. I thought it was rather good.

Update: Brewer’s Alley is also bottling the 1634 Ale. Look for it at your local retailer.

Hop Talk Kindle Edition

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you know that the Kindle is Amazon.com’s new extraordinarily popular e-book reader. (Or, as Amazon puts it, “Wireless Reading Device”.)

Anyway, the folks at Amazon have seen fit to add Hop Talk as an available subscription for the Kindle. So, if you want the convenience of following Hop Talk on your “Wireless Reading Device” you can do so for the more-than-reasonable subscription price of $0.99 per month. If you’re not sure, there’s even a 14-day free trial on all Kindle blog subscriptions.

Hop Talk (Kindle Edition)

Rock Bottom Raccoon Red

Beer-a-Day #177

My boss and I took a member of the server team out to celebrate some good cross-team collaboration. Where better than the local brewpub?

I had some buffalo wings (pretty good, actually, for being so far from Buffalo) and washed them down with their Raccoon Red. Nice and malty, with just a bit of hops. It was good.

Rock Bottom – Bethesda

Samuel Adams Imperial White

Beer-a-Day #176

This is another in the Samuel Adams Imperial Series.

Samuel Adams® Imperial White is a new perspective on the classic witbier style. Witbiers are normally light and refreshing with a fruity finish and we wanted to see how these characteristics would stand up when we amped up the recipe. We were totally blown away by the flavors that were created by this beer.

This is not just a more intense version of our spring seasonal Samuel Adams® White Ale. Imperial White is a new recipe that stands on it own merits. In fact, it is more of a wine substitute than just another refreshing witbier. This is a beer that should be sipped and savored and you’ll be amazed at the flavors you’ll discover as the beer warms and opens up.

Witbiers are not generally a favorite of mine, but this sounds intriguing.

Medium amber and hazy; thick, off-white head. It smells like a wit, but much bigger. Big body. It reminds me of a doppelbock, honestly. Some alcohol heat.

10.3% ABV. This will be my only beer of the evening, but I will thoroughly enjoy it.

Beer pouring and tasting basics

This will be fairly basic for some (most?) of you, but here’s a video of Dave McLean, owner and brewmaster of Magnolia Pub and Brewery, showing some folks how to pour and appreciate a beer.

http://fora.tv/2009/06/15/The_Science_of_a_Good_Beer# Down_to_a_Science_The_Right_Way_to_Pour_and_Taste_a_Beer

(via Geeks are Sexy)

Red White and Brew in Brunswick, MD – July 3, 2009

Sadly, I’ll be out of town that weekend. But if you’ll be in the Central Maryland area this may be of interest to you. Especially if you like small Maryland towns.

• Event on Facebook
• Brunswick Main Street web site