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This has been a long time coming; Terrapin Beer Company has officially opened its Athens, GA brewing facility. After years of contract brewing, Terrapin’s Co-Founders, President John Cochran and Brewmaster Brian “Spike” Buckowski, acquired a lease for their own 45,000 sq. ft. brewery back in March 2007. Nearly one year later, they’re ready to get production rolling, even outfitting the place with a 22oz bottling line.
According to BeerAdvocate.com, there is a new experimental line of beers being issued by Terrapin that will be known as the “Side Project” series. These will be available in 22oz bottles, and hopefully with the new brewery they’ll be able to quickly increase their production and distribution range (to a place like, I dunno, Virginia for example). Their bold and near-reckless attitude toward brewing will culminate in a beer called Hop Shortage Ale, which will apparently be “one hop bomb of a beer,” an almost maniacal laugh in the face of the malt and hop crisis.
Tours of the facility will take place Monday and Thursday nights from 5-7pm, and every second Saturday each month from 2-5pm. Visit their website for more information.
Speaking of Jeopardy!, there was actually a beer category in Double Jeopardy during last night’s program. The ‘questions’ were as follows:
What is Budweiser?
What is Miller Lite?
What is Coors?
What is Dos Equis?
What is Sam Adams?
Okay, so for a trivia show aimed at general knowledge, I can accept that the ‘answer’ clues were for mass-consumption beers, and was glad they threw in a little history for the Dos Equis and Sam Adams ones. Always a plus for the history buffs that’re into quality libations.
Following this programming, I watched The Good German for free OnDemand, cracked open an Aktien-Brauerei Kaufbeuren AG Spezialbier Edel, and savored the smooth, buttery pale malt goodness that is a real lager (as opposed to The Great American Lager). Just a few ways I was able fit beer into my busy schedule.
That’s right, we’ve done it again. The Commonwealth of Virginia has produced another champion. Matt Venzke has officially been crowned Beerdrinker of the Year by Wynkoop Brewing!
The torch was passed down from last year’s winner and fellow Virginian, Diane Catanzaro. So give it up for back-to-back victories, and thanks to both Diane and Matt for making us proud!
As promised, tonight we have two heavyweight Baltic Porters battling it out to see who takes the title of Biggest, Baddest, and Maltiest. Will this spell Victory for the Thunder, or will we see a new titleholder by the end of tonight’s bout? The champion steps into the ring a lean 8.5% abv, while the challenger’s weight is unknown, making it all the more interesting.
We’ve already discussed the basics, so now it’s all about who can prove themselves worthy enough to be King of the Baltic Porters. This is the central jewel in the crown of Porter Week, and I, your most humble judge of this contest, can’t wait to get to the action. So enough of the preliminary hype, let’s get to it!
For tonight’s bout, we’re using a Ten Point Must System. I want a fair and clean fight. No hitting below the belt, and always break on my command. Now click pint glasses.
Smuttynose Baltic Porter
The pour resembled coffee in most every way, cascading down the side of the tilted nonic pint glass in a torrent of mahogany, and having a full black color to it afterward. A thin, milk chocolate-hued head formed on top accumulating to about a centimeter, then dissipating quickly. Even when held to light, nothing gets through, and this looks like a pretty serious contender right off the bat.
When giving the Smutty a whiff, there’s a subtle complexity that’s noticeable right away, picking up an earthy, dark chocolate malt aroma with some roasted coffee notes in tow. Smells slightly boozy with a hint of dark fruit as an added plus, with what I want to say is a faint presence of smoke. At first sip, the most revealing aspect on the palate actually appears to be the hop profile. A sweet chocolate-flavored introduction is immediately swept under by a bitter and roasty body that surges forth and sharply coats the tongue, ultimately fading in the stretch. Roasted notes cling to the sides of the palate in the wake of the bitterness, and astringent coffee seems to reappear in the aftertaste, echoing the hop bitterness.
For a hefty beer, the body is actually more in the medium range, not too heavy but still packing a malty punch, as expected. Its low carbonation is complementary to the style and aforementioned flavor characteristics, which tip-toe and stomp across the palate simultaneously. Finish becomes cleaner the further into this beer you get, an endearing quality in my opinion. This challenger has proven itself a worthy competitor, but let’s see how it stacks up against the champ.
Scorecard:
Appearance – 9
Aroma – 10
Taste – 10
Texture – 10
Total = 39
Victory Baltic Thunder
This one had a less viscous looking texture from the pour, with less density on the side of the glass than the Smutty. A quick flash of off-white head amassed to about 3/4 of a finger, but also made a quick exit. When held to light, this beer is actually translucent, albeit a dark mahogany tone with burgundy highlights.
More of a grainy, floral, and fruity nose than its competitor, all displaying more subtlety, too. There’s just a lighter, sweeter smelling bouquet I get out of this one, which intrigues me in terms of how it’s going to taste. I soon get an answer; this beer is completely different from the challenger. That grain malt character is a lot more prevalent and noticeable up front, and actually carries all the way into the finish. Roasted malt appears toward the end, with a thinner-than-anticipated body. To put things into perspective, this is more reminiscent of a Schwarzbier than a Russian Imperial Stout, and feels like more of a lager. The finish is a lot cleaner and more drying than the Smutty, taking on a totally divergent character, and there is more toffee and less acidity in this one.
While playing to different aspects of taste and body, this beer has a lighter touch to palate, and accentuates the delicacies not brought out in the first selection. What it lacks in weight, it makes up for in flavor, but will this be enough to maintain the title?
Scorecard:
Appearance – 9
Aroma – 10
Taste – 9
Texture – 9
Total = 37
Ladies and gentlemen, we have a winner. By unanimous decision, the new heavyweight champion of the world… Smuttynose Baltic Porter!
Talk about an upset, this one had all the markings of a classic slugfest. For the first two rounds, Smutty and Thunder went at it toe-to-toe, punch-for-punch on appearance and aroma. Both had the goods up front, but the delivery and stamina of the Smuttynose Baltic Porter was too much for the quick and whispy Baltic Thunder from Victory. Both gave the fight of a lifetime, but the challenger was able to get an edge and exploit it.
So long for now. But could there be a rematch in the future? Or will another contender try to knock the new champ off his well-earned throne? Until then… Make Mine a Smutty!
In keeping with the porter theme, and in honor of our first president, I’ve decided to review Washington’s Porter from Williamsburg AleWerks. It’s George Washington’s birthday today, and history is one of my topics of interest, so anything I can do to link that with beer is a good thing.
Madeira wine may have been used to toast the signing of the Declaration of Independence, but Washington was also a huge advocate of porter. But apparently, Washington had given up drinking English porter and madeira wine as part of a “non-consumption agreement” in 1774, which was aimed at curbing imported goods, amounting to a boycott aimed at the British.
Later, a Philadelphia brewer named Robert Hare was given the right to supply Washington’s estate with his own American porter, of which Washington was a huge fan. Many believe Hare’s to be the first actual porter brewed in the United States.
More on Washington’s beery background can be found here and here.
As for now, it’s time to examine the American porter sitting right in front of me. Washington’s Porter pours a black/dark mahogany color that is impervious to light and topped by roughly three-and-a-half inches of khaki, foamy head. Some clinging and lace appears along the sides of the glass as the head recedes. The beer provides a rather robust roasted coffee aroma in the nose, but not so strong that it overpowers. Really, it just smells rich rather than forceful. This is backed by a touch of chocolate malt sweetness, as well as an almost floral hop presence that’s ever-so slight, perhaps being influenced by the yeast.
The hop profile is actually more pronounced than expected, with a bitter streak running right through it all the way through the palate. Roasted coffee malt flavors stick to the sides of the tongue, buttressing the light and bitter middle. Finish is somewhat drying and rather benign, with a lingering hop feel in the aftertaste. The beer’s texture is rather creamy, with plenty of carbonation that balances a syrupy feel underneath all the bubbles.
Not sure if this was intended to be a stab at Hare’s original porter, an attempt at just an early version, or if they just wanted to brew a porter with some historical Virginia connection. Either way, not a bad beer overall. Can’t say that I’m overly impressed with this one, but it does bring a unique version to the table.
For more history and alcohol, click here.
Back with a vengeance!
That’s right, it’s time for another beer and cheese pairing, so mark your calendars for Sunday, March 2nd. We’ve got four new cheeses with an estimated eight beers to pair so far, and for this one, there should be plenty of crossover matching. For the cheese we have:
1. Black Diamond Aged Cheddar
2. Cave-aged Swiss Gruyere
3. Blue de Basque
4. Thomas Hoe Stilton
Essentially we’ve got two milder cheeses that have been aged for a while (and taste phenomenal), and two bolder cheeses designed to stand up to the bigger beers in our line-up. Even still, the Blue and Stilton we’ve selected are not nearly as formidable as the last one we had, and will probably better complement our selections. The beer list, in no particular order, is as follows:
1. Brooklyn Monster Ale 2007
2. Houblon Chouffe Dobbelen IPA Tripel
3. Anchor Liberty Ale
4. Left Hand Goosinator Doppelbock 2007
5. Rochefort 8
6. Saison Dupont
7. Sierra Nevada ESB
8. Hanssens Oude Gueuze
I’m particularly looking forward to seeing how the Stilton holds up to the Brooklyn Monster and if the buttery earthiness of the Gruyere will dovetail with the Goosinator. That Gueuze should be a tantalizing match with both the Stilton and the Blue. You’ve got to love the versatility of both these products.
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If you’re interested in attending, feel free to drop me a line for the location and other questions you might have. BeerAdvocates can RSVP here.
How do you get your buzz? Do you prefer caffeine or other derivative stimulants to keep you going, or do you go for the more relaxing effects of alcohol? Or maybe both? How about simultaneously? Bring it on!
With the advent of sickly-sweet malternatives or ‘alcopops’ such as Smirnoff Ice and Mike’s Hard Lemonade, brewers and distillers have been running amok with off-the-wall ideas for adding flavor to alcohol, creating a more varietal drinks market. One of those ideas involved putting guarana or taurine or caffeine or whatever else you can think of into a sweet alcoholic drink for that added kick you need whilst imbibing.
Now, some of these manufacturers (because I mean really, is anybody considering this anywhere close to ‘craft’?) are under attack by a handful of state attorneys general for their marketing strategies, claiming that underage drinkers may be drawn to the flashy packaging. Hopefully this moral crusade will slowly cripple this particular scourge of alcoholic beverages until it completely dies out. Just make sure to allow the craft beer to keep flowing freely.*
And sorry to harp on this again and again, but I mean really… Miller Chill? Really? The increasingly smug BrewBlog reports that Chill far surpassed other new beer brands in supermarket sales last year, grossing $40.8 million. So I guess somebody’s buying the stuff, I just haven’t met anyone admitting to it yet.
*Must be at least 21 to enjoy this statement. Prices and participation may vary.
This week now has a de facto theme: porter. Basically, I’ve got nothing better to do than to review a couple of porters and share some insight, mine (limited) or otherwise (vast).
For a primer on the development of the style in the United Kingdom, I suggest checking out some well-researched articles by Ron Pattinson and the Zythophile. If you’re interested in finding out about the evolution of this style over time, the raw data relating to different breweries malting and hopping these beers in their early stages, the advent of “stout” porter and its social history, then both are great resources and an entertaining read. I’ve also been peeking back at Garrett Oliver’s The Brewmaster’s Table for pairing and history, which also brings up the original practice of blending porter.
But for now, I’m going to switch gears and play the Don King of beer reviews. Ladies and gentlemen, coming later this week… the ultimate showdown, the thrilla with perhaps a hint of vanilla, a Baltic battle royale: Victory Baltic Thunder vs. Smuttynose Baltic Porter. The challenger is a hefty contender from New England that’s out to prove itself worthy amongst so many other Big Beer Series offerings, throwing caution to the wind and extra malt in the mash. The champ is a reincarnation of its former self, the infamous Heavyweight Brewing Perkuno’s Hammer recipe reissued as the rumblin’ Baltic Thunder.
Will the young upstart have a chance at stealing the champ’s ‘thunder’, or will the king retain his crown as undisputed Heavyweight in the realm of all that is malty and Baltic? Find out later this week!
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