Saturday has rolled around again, reflecting on a week of highs and lows, a rough week at work, a great bagpipe lesson, breakthroughs with the wife and kid and a service project that frankly cleared my soul... all in all, a good week. So good news! I will not be going to hell in the express lane that I previously thought that I was in. What better way to end a roller coaster week than to hang with a buddy and "help" him brew beer... Meaning of course, that I drank a whole mess of beer, watched the Sox TROUNCE the Yanks in an amazing 11 to 16 comeback all while watching Jason work his brewer's magic. He's making several batches of the "Wedding beer" which I've reviewed in previous blogs. Good beer, it should prove to be the hit of the reception... or the ceremony itself!! Either way, Jason's BierKeller is well stocked and while I brought over a sixer of a curiosity brew, Jason allowed me to drink some beers that were, honestly, pretty good.
We'll start off with the curiosity beer... For the record, I bought this based on Jason's blog "Brewing the Perfect Beer" (linked to this blog). It wasn't a direct recommendation, however I just had to try it considering how much effort was brought to the documentary, "Beer Wars". Anat Baron's (brewer and documentary maker/co founder of the Boston Beer Co.) Edison Beer works well enough for an American beer and in fact holds up well to the style. It's pretty clearly an attempt to match the larger Light (or Lite thank you marketing for destroying the English Language) American Lagers (Coors, Budwiser etc.) and bring a craft brew feel to it. Frankly, I'm not quite sure what to make of it. It was a hot day in the Commonwealth today, it was a hot, toilsome emotionally rewarding day at Rebuilding Together, Boston and a GREAT day for a light beer. While there were other options on the shelf, I chose this one, thinking that there was perhaps a little bit of care brought to its creation. I wasn't wrong, it's clear that a lot of care went into this beer, however I did find it to be relatively uninspired. It had a good body, somewhat initially ricey (is that an adjective outside of Pee Wee's Playhouse?) taste and an even weirder aftertaste. I really wasn't sure what to make of it and had a difficult time placing some of the flavors. It's not a bad beer and perhaps would go well with BBQ or I might use it to use it in fondue or beer bread. However I wasn't totally wowed by it. As a side note, I've had some kind of off luck with buying beer at Trader Joe's... the TJ's beers in general are kind of bland (and frankly terrible, avoid them at all costs) I'd suggest going to a liquor store that takes their time in choosing quality beers. They've made SOME good choices... but by in large, the selection is poor.
The second beer was equally odd... well, we'll call it eccentric as it was a pretty good beer overall. In my family, when something is "interesting" it could go either way. Either it's interesting meaning truly neat OR it could be interesting meaning please stop this conversation... cooooouuld it get any weirder? The Duck-Rabbit Craft Brewery's Amber Ale, dependent on what you're into, malty beers or hoppy, dry or sweet, is a beer you'll either love or hate. In general, I like a beer with good balance, but this one trends well into the dry, malty side and it was hardly unpleasant. It's got a light hop flavor but the malt is what really comes through. It's clearly got a carmelized malt which gives it a bit of zing and a good body that made it a pleasure to drink. I had a hard time pairing it with anything in my head, but thinking further on it, I would imagine it good with a Vietnamese short rib recipe I made about a year ago. The salt of the fish sauce combined the sweetness of the brown sugar would compliment this beer. I'll see if I can find that recipe and will post it as soon as I can. I'm not sure that this one can be bought in the local area, however if you find it, give it a shot. I, personally found it to be pretty decent.
Still working on getting a brew recipe together, I have hops frozen in the freezer that need to be used and I'm thinking that a good light summer 4th of July brew is in order. Considering they're centennial hops, I think that the wife and I can throw something together on the fly.
Well friends, I'll be signing off now.
Be Well, Brew Well,
(a currently somewhat impaired) Rob Anderson
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Wachussadisappointment
Well Ale-merica... I'm filled with a nagging sense of "Meh...". I want to start out by saying that it honestly pains me to write this post. However, I've been underwhelmed by my first beer (or in this case beers) since starting this blog. I think I'm even more dissappointed since the brewery is generally a hometown favorite of mine. It's not that they're bad beers, I think I just expected more from them. Dear God, I really AM turning into my parents!!
The Wachusett(pronounced like it is spelled Wah-Chu-Set)Brewing Company like I said generally puts out some tasty beers. The Blueberry Ale and the Black Shack Porter are two of my personal faves and I'd definitely put the Blueberry in particular in my top 25. However, over the past two weeks, I've had some of their other inventions which frankly, in my opinion fell a bit flat.
I bought Wachusett Nut Brown Ale when visiting a friend, selfishly of course wanting to try one myself! I was excited I hadn't seen a new Wachusett beer in my local liquor store also known as a "packey" here in MA, in a VERY long time. The Nut Brown Ale was not a bad beer, it just wasn't what I was expecting. I have high expectations based on my previous encounters with the WBC. Drinking this was sort of like picking up a glass of water only to find out all to late that it's really filled with rum. Not unwelcome, just not what you were looking for and certainly not what you were looking for to slake your thirst. The almost $10 I THOUGHT was worth it considering the quality I had come to rely on. Sadly, I feel that it was grossly overpriced. The body was somewhat watery, the taste was somewhat flat and lacking in both Maltiness and Hoppiness. Again, not a truly terrible beer, but certainly not worth the $10 a six-pack price tag. Perhaps the theft of their extremely expensive brass overflow a few years ago or the recent hop crisis has hit them harder than I thought, but let's all be frank... dropping a Hamilton for 6 beers is a bit steep even for the Commonwealth...
Now undeterred, I thought to myself, "this is a fluke, This is Wachusett we're talking about! Hometown heros, farm freshness, pride of the Nashoba Valley area! Surely this HAS to be a one time event." So this Friday, while hanging out and watching the Sox with my Dad in "The Pub" aka "Jack Sheehan's Pub" aka my parent's basement (it's a lot cooler than it sounds... Pool table, several flat screens and one in the bathroom... saaweeet.), I decided to grab a beer. My parents, living in close proximity to the brewery seem to always have a 6er of one of the Wachusett beers on hand. The Green Monsta Ale is what is currently on deck at at Jack Sheehan's. This beer gets its namesake clearly from a colorful play on our lack of ability to pronounce the letter "R" here in MA. It's an efficiency of language thing and closest to the King's English I'll have you know...At least that's what the History Channel said... TV's never lied to me before! So as far as cleverness in marketing, kudos. The beer is not terrible. However, the Monsta was not exactly 40 ft tall certainly not crushing the denizens of downtown Tokyo, much less greater Boston... The Monsta failed to wow me and I felt did not perform as I felt it should. I expected a hoppy IPA-ish beer and I was met with a beer that had an initial flavor of light malt, a bit of a grainy mouth and then a finish that tasted, honestly, like grass. While I was reminded of Fenway... I don't think I've ever had a yen to EAT the outfield! The flavors beyond freshly mowed sod were a bit flat and I surprised even myself by not finishing the beer.
Look... I know that they're not all going to be winners and that perhaps my palate differs from everyone elses. I'm still going to enjoy my faves from the WBC... and like the Red Sox, it's exciting when you win and it's disappointing to watch a loss, but I'll stick by ya regardless. Best of luck Wachusett. Despite these experiences I've loved other beers you put out and am honestly looking forward to trying whatever you've got coming down the pike.
Visit the Wachusett Brewery at:
http://www.wachusettbrew.com
The Wachusett(pronounced like it is spelled Wah-Chu-Set)Brewing Company like I said generally puts out some tasty beers. The Blueberry Ale and the Black Shack Porter are two of my personal faves and I'd definitely put the Blueberry in particular in my top 25. However, over the past two weeks, I've had some of their other inventions which frankly, in my opinion fell a bit flat.
I bought Wachusett Nut Brown Ale when visiting a friend, selfishly of course wanting to try one myself! I was excited I hadn't seen a new Wachusett beer in my local liquor store also known as a "packey" here in MA, in a VERY long time. The Nut Brown Ale was not a bad beer, it just wasn't what I was expecting. I have high expectations based on my previous encounters with the WBC. Drinking this was sort of like picking up a glass of water only to find out all to late that it's really filled with rum. Not unwelcome, just not what you were looking for and certainly not what you were looking for to slake your thirst. The almost $10 I THOUGHT was worth it considering the quality I had come to rely on. Sadly, I feel that it was grossly overpriced. The body was somewhat watery, the taste was somewhat flat and lacking in both Maltiness and Hoppiness. Again, not a truly terrible beer, but certainly not worth the $10 a six-pack price tag. Perhaps the theft of their extremely expensive brass overflow a few years ago or the recent hop crisis has hit them harder than I thought, but let's all be frank... dropping a Hamilton for 6 beers is a bit steep even for the Commonwealth...
Now undeterred, I thought to myself, "this is a fluke, This is Wachusett we're talking about! Hometown heros, farm freshness, pride of the Nashoba Valley area! Surely this HAS to be a one time event." So this Friday, while hanging out and watching the Sox with my Dad in "The Pub" aka "Jack Sheehan's Pub" aka my parent's basement (it's a lot cooler than it sounds... Pool table, several flat screens and one in the bathroom... saaweeet.), I decided to grab a beer. My parents, living in close proximity to the brewery seem to always have a 6er of one of the Wachusett beers on hand. The Green Monsta Ale is what is currently on deck at at Jack Sheehan's. This beer gets its namesake clearly from a colorful play on our lack of ability to pronounce the letter "R" here in MA. It's an efficiency of language thing and closest to the King's English I'll have you know...At least that's what the History Channel said... TV's never lied to me before! So as far as cleverness in marketing, kudos. The beer is not terrible. However, the Monsta was not exactly 40 ft tall certainly not crushing the denizens of downtown Tokyo, much less greater Boston... The Monsta failed to wow me and I felt did not perform as I felt it should. I expected a hoppy IPA-ish beer and I was met with a beer that had an initial flavor of light malt, a bit of a grainy mouth and then a finish that tasted, honestly, like grass. While I was reminded of Fenway... I don't think I've ever had a yen to EAT the outfield! The flavors beyond freshly mowed sod were a bit flat and I surprised even myself by not finishing the beer.
Look... I know that they're not all going to be winners and that perhaps my palate differs from everyone elses. I'm still going to enjoy my faves from the WBC... and like the Red Sox, it's exciting when you win and it's disappointing to watch a loss, but I'll stick by ya regardless. Best of luck Wachusett. Despite these experiences I've loved other beers you put out and am honestly looking forward to trying whatever you've got coming down the pike.
Visit the Wachusett Brewery at:
http://www.wachusettbrew.com
Thursday, April 16, 2009
He Brewin'
Gang,
There's nothing quite so satisfying in life as passing on knowlege. It truly is the path to immortality. Not like in "Highlander" where decapitated souls pass on knowledge through lightening shows and pyrotechnics... I know that when my head leaves my shoulders, the conversation takes on an ackward silence that just seems to pervade the room... Did no one else find Christopher Lambert an odd choice as a scotsman? I mean, I could understand every word he was saying... that's not Scottish at all!!! But I digress...
Good Friday should have been called GREAT Friday thanks to our friend Matt. Matt is our friend who we've built into a full blown He'brewer. "Today I am a man!!" Happy "Bar"-Mitzvah Mattie! Can (I make any more jokes during passover? I schvitzing here... but seriously Matties a Mensch...) Friday was Bottling day!! We were joined by our friends Dan "the dog walker" and my neighbor and good friend and quasi-professional brewer Jason, currently training for the Iron Man Triathalon. This night might have gotten him a bit off track on his diet... sorry buddy, but my permission slip as well as Dan's were signed and I think we were all down for a party!
The night was just what I needed. Guy food, Guy beer, Guy talk. Matt's poor wife came down for a quick 15 minutes or so before she realized where the conversations were headed... but it's so warm and familiar here in the gutter!!! While I, like any good Irish Catholic, ignored Good Friday, Matt and his family celebrated Passover. This resulted in probably the funniest and frankly quickest version of the passover story ever replete with finger puppet plagues!! Oooh Lice!! You know it's going to be a good one when the story starts out "so this dude Pharoah..." Thankfully, after a few beers, my Parochial school training kicked in and I could fill in the blanks to compete the tale that frankly made the sweeping Charlton Heston epic look like community theater. Well played Matt. The academy should be calling ANY day now.
On to the beer!! Let my bottle caps gooooo!
Matt is brewing a SUPER hoppy IPA. We hopped it with fuggles hops and then dry hopped it with Kent Goldings (BITTER). I think that the IBU's are topping out at around 85 to 90. Based on the initial tastings, it's actually going to turn out to be a tasty beer. The malt is going to balance off the hops quite nicely, but there's definitely going to be a bitter back taste. It's got a light and somewhat hazy amber hue which should clear up after bottling and aging. My friends who are true brew-nuts are going to kill me for my next statement, but I need to be true to my tastes: Now, I like a good hoppy IPA but I've had a few that just go way too far. We're not shipping this stuff to the troops in India, people... Matt's on the other hand appears to be quite pleasant and although it's going to have some sharp nasal notes and a somewhat bitter aftertaste, I think it's going to be a good brew which should mellow with age.
No good brewing experience would be complete without MORE BEER! We had a few decent beers including an IPA that Jason brewed which I will affectionately term "the Wedding Beer". Jason is brewing a big batch of this for a friend's wedding. (See Jason's Blog, it's an excellent source of info and adds a level of science which I so clearly lack) While not a taste I usually equate to IPAs, Jason's brew had a slight and light mouth and a grapefruity aftertaste. Overall a great beer. Jason takes his time with his beers and is meticulous about his process. I wish I put as much care into my homebrew attempts!
In addition to the wedding beer, we were treated to a growler of the Opa IPA from the Opa Opa steakhouse and Brewery in Southhampton, MA. Opa generally puts out a good product and here they've made no exception. This is truly what a hoppy IPA needs to be. This one had some kick to it and the brew frankly is tasty and was appropriately paired with a Chicken Curry and Steamed rice which was prepared by yours truly... Simple recipe, Chicken, onions, two Italian HOT peppers and a bottle of Patak's brand Butter Chicken Curry Sauce. Top notch taste, easy and frankly HOT HOT HOT. I think to a person we built up a bead of sweat each. I've never been disappointed by it. Our spicy holy S*&T burn your face off journey continued with a local favorite: Wings from Buff's Pub in Newton. These are wings I'd wait in line for. Spicy, tangy, and slathered in a Honey Hot Sauce. It's a remarkable concoction and I ALWAYS enjoy having them. If you're in town, make the trip to Buff's. I think that the Opa IPA stood up well to strong food, however, I think it might be a bit too much on its own.
The night, all in all was a great success and Guys and gals, beer is no good unless it's shared with good friends. I'm glad I have friends like this to clink glasses with. Thanks a ton guys. I can't WAIT to do it again!!!
Brew well, be well.
Yours Truly
Rob Anderson
Mmmmmm. Pre Beer Ghaaawwaaaaaaa...
Who ordered Chinese? For the record... not a Buff's Wing.
The "Masters" at work... (insert sarcastic snarky comment of your choice here.)
Hey Man... that's not even mine... I'm holding it for a friend!
Yes Mattie, 80% of brewing is Janitorial work... Keep cleaning!
That's SCIENCE FOO! Recognize!
Professor Jason holding the class captivated
The Proud Papa and his beer...
Which label is better? White border or no border? Weigh in with your opinion
"Looks Like I picked the wrong day to stop sniffing glue": Jason on labeling duty
New Uses for the Thigh master! Matt capping his new brew
Wait... you want us to put this where?
There's nothing quite so satisfying in life as passing on knowlege. It truly is the path to immortality. Not like in "Highlander" where decapitated souls pass on knowledge through lightening shows and pyrotechnics... I know that when my head leaves my shoulders, the conversation takes on an ackward silence that just seems to pervade the room... Did no one else find Christopher Lambert an odd choice as a scotsman? I mean, I could understand every word he was saying... that's not Scottish at all!!! But I digress...
Good Friday should have been called GREAT Friday thanks to our friend Matt. Matt is our friend who we've built into a full blown He'brewer. "Today I am a man!!" Happy "Bar"-Mitzvah Mattie! Can (I make any more jokes during passover? I schvitzing here... but seriously Matties a Mensch...) Friday was Bottling day!! We were joined by our friends Dan "the dog walker" and my neighbor and good friend and quasi-professional brewer Jason, currently training for the Iron Man Triathalon. This night might have gotten him a bit off track on his diet... sorry buddy, but my permission slip as well as Dan's were signed and I think we were all down for a party!
The night was just what I needed. Guy food, Guy beer, Guy talk. Matt's poor wife came down for a quick 15 minutes or so before she realized where the conversations were headed... but it's so warm and familiar here in the gutter!!! While I, like any good Irish Catholic, ignored Good Friday, Matt and his family celebrated Passover. This resulted in probably the funniest and frankly quickest version of the passover story ever replete with finger puppet plagues!! Oooh Lice!! You know it's going to be a good one when the story starts out "so this dude Pharoah..." Thankfully, after a few beers, my Parochial school training kicked in and I could fill in the blanks to compete the tale that frankly made the sweeping Charlton Heston epic look like community theater. Well played Matt. The academy should be calling ANY day now.
On to the beer!! Let my bottle caps gooooo!
Matt is brewing a SUPER hoppy IPA. We hopped it with fuggles hops and then dry hopped it with Kent Goldings (BITTER). I think that the IBU's are topping out at around 85 to 90. Based on the initial tastings, it's actually going to turn out to be a tasty beer. The malt is going to balance off the hops quite nicely, but there's definitely going to be a bitter back taste. It's got a light and somewhat hazy amber hue which should clear up after bottling and aging. My friends who are true brew-nuts are going to kill me for my next statement, but I need to be true to my tastes: Now, I like a good hoppy IPA but I've had a few that just go way too far. We're not shipping this stuff to the troops in India, people... Matt's on the other hand appears to be quite pleasant and although it's going to have some sharp nasal notes and a somewhat bitter aftertaste, I think it's going to be a good brew which should mellow with age.
No good brewing experience would be complete without MORE BEER! We had a few decent beers including an IPA that Jason brewed which I will affectionately term "the Wedding Beer". Jason is brewing a big batch of this for a friend's wedding. (See Jason's Blog, it's an excellent source of info and adds a level of science which I so clearly lack) While not a taste I usually equate to IPAs, Jason's brew had a slight and light mouth and a grapefruity aftertaste. Overall a great beer. Jason takes his time with his beers and is meticulous about his process. I wish I put as much care into my homebrew attempts!
In addition to the wedding beer, we were treated to a growler of the Opa IPA from the Opa Opa steakhouse and Brewery in Southhampton, MA. Opa generally puts out a good product and here they've made no exception. This is truly what a hoppy IPA needs to be. This one had some kick to it and the brew frankly is tasty and was appropriately paired with a Chicken Curry and Steamed rice which was prepared by yours truly... Simple recipe, Chicken, onions, two Italian HOT peppers and a bottle of Patak's brand Butter Chicken Curry Sauce. Top notch taste, easy and frankly HOT HOT HOT. I think to a person we built up a bead of sweat each. I've never been disappointed by it. Our spicy holy S*&T burn your face off journey continued with a local favorite: Wings from Buff's Pub in Newton. These are wings I'd wait in line for. Spicy, tangy, and slathered in a Honey Hot Sauce. It's a remarkable concoction and I ALWAYS enjoy having them. If you're in town, make the trip to Buff's. I think that the Opa IPA stood up well to strong food, however, I think it might be a bit too much on its own.
The night, all in all was a great success and Guys and gals, beer is no good unless it's shared with good friends. I'm glad I have friends like this to clink glasses with. Thanks a ton guys. I can't WAIT to do it again!!!
Brew well, be well.
Yours Truly
Rob Anderson
Mmmmmm. Pre Beer Ghaaawwaaaaaaa...
Who ordered Chinese? For the record... not a Buff's Wing.
The "Masters" at work... (insert sarcastic snarky comment of your choice here.)
Hey Man... that's not even mine... I'm holding it for a friend!
Yes Mattie, 80% of brewing is Janitorial work... Keep cleaning!
That's SCIENCE FOO! Recognize!
Professor Jason holding the class captivated
The Proud Papa and his beer...
Which label is better? White border or no border? Weigh in with your opinion
"Looks Like I picked the wrong day to stop sniffing glue": Jason on labeling duty
New Uses for the Thigh master! Matt capping his new brew
Wait... you want us to put this where?
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Charlie Bucket and the Magic brewery tour
"Lois, everyone has their sanctuary. The Catholics have churches, fat people have Wisconsin and I have the Pawtucket Brewery" - Peter Griffin
(And this is me BEFORE the tour!! Have you ever seen such Childish GLEE?!? Tee hee!!)
I have a golden ticket and it got me into one of the best brewery tours I've ever had the pleasure of taking. Or rather... the best TWO tours that I've ever sort of remembered! The Misses, several Fairfield Alums and I got the rare opportunity to visit Jim Koch's Wonka-Like mad scientist laboratory in Jamaica Plains, MA known as the Boston Beer Co. The trip itself through "JP" was an adventure as we dodged the usual Boston traffic and pedestrians who were clearly comfortable with their mortality. The drive there is something out of Beerfest. If you're reading this blog, you know exactly the scene I'm talking about... the blind guy in the robe, the kid on the tricycle, the yodeling... Flying through neighborhoods you only see on the 10 O'Clock news and Rap videos, you question whether this is going to be a fantastic voyage or a Ghetto version of "Deliverance". "Where you goin' suburban boy!!". But finally and true to the Google maps 3D vision, we arrived at the place where Domestic Beer's renaissance began. Thanks to Jim Koch, no longer would American beer be considered the laughing stock of Bavaria, Belgium and dare I say it, Canada, eh? Jim's quest towards the perfection of a hand crafted beer and the use of quality ingredients is more than evident in his home away from home. He more than knocks the point home... he hammers it into your skull. So much so, that the tour guides invite you to taste and smell their ingredients in their raw form. For the record beer Neophytes... don't EAT the hops!! Jim's brain child Boston Lager was, for a very long time the only American beer to adhere to Reinheitgebot. Literally translated as "purity order" it is the German Beer Purity law that states that a beer sold in Deutschland can be only consist of Grain, Hops, Water and Yeast. (Yeast being added much later after the discovery that beer was not made by magic but instead, the microorganism we know and love today. However, this author isn't totally convinced that magic isn't involved...)
(L.)Rob (R.)KINNEY!! Disney, the happiest place on earth?!?! My a$$!!
When the wife and I arrived, we were greeted by my friend Kinney. You'll recognize him as the teddybear like Filipino from the Boston Globe ads and movies like "The Game Plan" with Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. (You're welcome for the plug K man). While we waited for our Alumni tour group, we couldn't help but notice the sign that said "Last tour 5:30". It being about 5:27, we were worried that our group wouldn't make the last show. Having come here to see the brewery, we jumped in line and took the standard Sam Adams Tour whereupon, approximately 30 seconds into the tour, I was labeled "the Beer Geek". I wear that monniker proudly!
"Here are the fermenting tanks, Here are the ingredients, taste this, smell that, yes this is your dream kitchen, no you can't afford this, no don't touch that, no you can't sip from the tanks, no you can't take it home... yes you're an embarrasement to your wife and friends, Let's hit the tasting room!"
Generally speaking I've never had a Sam Adams beer that I didn't like. I take that back, their scottish ale is a little funky if had on it's own... not a fan. However, by and large, their dedication to providing fresh beer really does make the difference. We had the opportunity to have the Boston Lager, Cherry Wheat and the White Ale. We also had the opportunity to SMELL the Utopia Bottle. At often over $130.00US a bottle, it was a rare treat. Beer Good, company good, tour good. All in all, I would call it a successful day...
Then, out of the corner of my eye, I saw another tour group going through the paces. I turned to Kinney and said... "I thought WE were the last tour?" He surmised that we were the last OFFICIAL tour. It was at that moment that I saw a woman who had been in a few classes with me at Fairfield and whom I recognized through the same fuzzy beer filter that I remembered from college and our time down at "the sea grape". It was then that I realized that my tour was far from over.
Skipping perhaps a bit too gleefully from the tasting room, Kinny, another associate and I convinced my wife that we SHOULD go on the second tour. We caught up with the group and fired through the tour again. Personally I was grateful to see the Mash-ton, fermenters and various gagetry again. (hugs all around... We had a moment (Sniff...) fare thee well my lovelies) This tour moved a little quicker than the last and we waltzed our way to the "special tasting room" Yay VIP priviledges!! Thank you FU!! Through the alumni group, we had access to one of the head purchasers for Sam Adams (our personal Tour Guide). Where I consider myself to be a beer Geek... he literally has a masters in Fermentology. My hero! His review of each beer was more than thorough and frankly we all had the opportunity to try the full board of fare that Sam's had to offer for the season.
1. Boston Lager: I think that even people who aren't "beer people" have had a boston lager. Let's skip that one for today... if you want me to review it, let me know... but I can sum it up in four words... good beer. 'nuff said.
2. Cherry Wheat: I've had more than a few Cherry Wheats in my day and to a bottle, they've all had this kind of weird bitter, syrupy quality to them that I've, on the whole,(giggedy) not enjoyed. Sam Adam's had a different take on the style in the fact that they used real dried Cherries in the process as opposed to an extract. While not overwhelmingly cherry-ish, it had a pleasant flavor, a great nose and a slightly rosey hue. I would pair it with perhaps Game (elk or deer) or a Duck a l'orange (Peking Duck would also be fantastic with this beverage). All in all, a decent beer although I personally couln't have more than one or two. The Misses, also a beer geek and brewster was in LOVE with this beer.
3. White Ale: If you're looking for a new favorite beer, this should be it. Sam Adam's Spring introduction is a nice segue from Winter to Spring. It is a hazy, spicy beer done in the style of a Weissbier (wheat or white beer... thank you year of German lessons). I think the experimental side of Sam Adams comes out in this as they have 6 different spices boiled in during the brewing process. I'll do my best to remember... Lemon, Rose Hips, Coriander, Anise... In short, stuff that only Beirdos (Beer weirdos like myself) would think of putting into a beer much less a muffin. This is a grand beer by itself... I'm having one right now as a matter of fact. However, this would go well with a Fish or Vegetarian dish perhaps a light Chicken Dish with Lemon Sauce (Chicken Francese would be a GREAT pairing). Also, the introduction of Anise would make it a natural pairing with any Chinese food cooked with traditional Five Spice.
4. Alors mes amis la piece de resistance!! A TRUE surprise of the VIP tour, our host presented us with the 27% ABV (alcohol by volume) wunderkind of the beer community, the Sam Adams Utopia. This beer has made it into the Guinness Book of World Records as the Highest alcohol beer in the WORLD. Now, normally, one would think a.) too much alcohol will make this beer taste awful and b.) can Yeast LIVE in almost 30% Booze? The Einsteins at Sam Adams have found a way. Yes, I asked. No they wouldn't divulge the process... trust me I BEGGED. There have been arguments and bier pundits who have pooh poohed the Utopia stating that it cannot possibly still be considered beer and in fact it's very construction defies usual brewing logic. They start the process like any other beer, put it in spent Burgundy and Whiskey Casks, age it for several years et Voila! Utopia. The drink itself drinks more like an Aperitif and has reminicient charactaristics therof It's thick, has an alcoholic afterbite and frankly tastes like a port! Now, Super Yeast apparently can't live on regular corn or cane sugar so they feed the beast straight maple sugar from our friends in Vermont. It gives it a slightly maple syrup flavor and finish and if I could afford the $130-150 price tag, I'd put it on my Waffles in the morning. Yes, it's THAT good. The employees at the Boston Beer Co. get a bottle as part of their bonus every year. I'm totally in the wrong industry... I did ask for an application although it only came out as "thanks... beer. good... Job?" I'm fairly certain that I failed the interview... Bottom line: if you're a true beer dork, then you at least have to smell the bottle (see the people in the "ordinary joe" tour line)
(Above: A clear sign that the second tour might have been a BAD idea!! No Kinney NO!!)
Suffice it to say friends, this trip was an inspiration. The misses and I will be brewing this weekend, attempting, like Icarus to touch the greatness that we were allowed to witness in this Cathederal to Suds, this Temple to Fermentation this House of Hops.
Thanks to my friends at The Fairfield U Alumni Society, (Steven thanks for setting it up, Kinney, thanks for the memories, I'll be repressing most of them), the Fine People at Sam Adams, including our tour GUIDES and the waitstaff. Most importantly, thanks to Jim Koch for inspiring a nation of brewers and showing us that yes, there CAN be better beer made right here in the States.
Thanks for reading gang, Looking forward to my next post!!
Rob Anderson (Certified and Branded by the brewers at Sam Adams as a "Beer Geek")
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