Gold Medal Winner?

One thing that irks me when it comes to beer is labeling. I’m of the mind that if you’re going to use a term, use it consistently with your products. Especially when you feature contradictory/misspelled terminology on the very same label. But Ballast Point out of San Diego definitely gets some demerits from the start for the following description on the label of their Wahoo Wheat Beer:

Wahoo Wheat Beer is an unfiltered Belgian style Wheat Beer (hefewiezen) [sic] spiced with coriander, orange peel, and curacao. This authentic “Wit” beer is characterized by its appearance, produced by the use of unmalted wheat and oats.

Keeping it to “Wheat Beer” would’ve been fine with me. Just pick one.

Moving on, the many-named beer in question is a somewhat hazy, pale straw color; it almost resembles lemonade with a meringue topping. The nose is very grainy, with lemon and orange peel and wheat being the dominant traits. There is a slight hint of banana and an even fainter wisp of coriander, but no real clove-like or spicy notes.

The mouthfeel is watery and weak. It’s more akin to a light lager in the way it falls flat and dries out at the end, leaving you longing for something more. In essence, this is a Belgian-style Wit (which the Web site also sticks to somewhat). While the semisweet citrus notes are appealing up front, this beer lacks the ability to impress any further.

I’ll be honest, I’m not a huge fan of Witbier in general, but I feel as though I can appreciate a good beer in any category or genre you choose to put them in. To me, these beers normally have an edge of crispness and a refreshing nature. While the label also boasts of this particular beer winning a gold medal at the 2002 LA County Fair, you have to wonder what else it was stacked up against to deserve such a prestigious honor.

Southern Tier Back Burner

Another in the Imperial series for Southern Tier, the Back Burner Barley Wine (as they call it… I prefer “barelywine”) pours a see-through color that slides somewhere in between ruby and amber. A cascade of off-white bubbles takes its time accumulating at the top, and as the head recedes it leaves a firm web of lace on the glass. In the nose, the hop profile brings to mind juicy grapefruit, but at to an acceptable degree, allowing the light and dark caramel malt to offer a complementary aroma.

According to the bottle, they employ four types of hops to complete the flavor profile:  Chinook, Willamette, Amarillo, and Centennial.  As an aside, it’s great to see what actually goes into the beer you’re drinking, right there on the label. Homebrewers rejoice, or perhaps just geek out. I know I am. On the palate, there is a sweet and bitter introduction that segues masterfully into a rounder, fuller center, and the malt has a chance to carry the bitterness through to the end. The citrus blend provided by those four hops mesh quite well with that toffee-like undercurrent, giving a sense of balance.

For all its hop content, you never get completely assaulted by this beer. It’s incredibly well done, especially considering the alcohol content at 10% abv, which is hardly noticeable when sipping. In the finish, a fresh bitterness hangs around but doesn’t become an unwelcome guest. Since the beer is full-bodied and slightly resiny from the hops, the amount of carbonation is enough to keep the tongue from accumulating an unpleasant stickiness.

If you spot this seasonal release whilst out on the town, do your self a favor and savor the the flavor, while it’s still winter.

Good Beer, Fine Dining

Want five-star accommodations in Richmond? Hit the Jefferson Hotel.

Want to attend a five-star beer dinner in Richmond? See above.

Dogfish Head is throwing a food and beer gala at the Jefferson in downtown Richmond on Wednesday, March 4th with a mouth-watering lineup. As of late, they’ve been getting the word out about pairing fine cuisine with beer, having recently hit Capital Ale House in Fredericksburg and Midlothian for beer and cheese events. So if you’re in the area and looking to see what it’s all about, look no further. The menu for next week’s dinner is as follows:

• Garlic Roasted Prince Edward Island Mussels paired with 60-minute IPA
• Pan Roasted Burgundy Escargot with their 90-minute IPA
• A Trio of Pork accompanied by Indian Brown Ale
• Slow Cooked Beef Short Ribs with Raison D’etre
• Roaring Forties Blue Cheese with the 120-minute IPA

Even as a vegetarian, I’ve got to say… PEI mussels and Burgundy Escargot?! Both look like interesting selections alongside both the 60- and 90-minute IPAs. And as anyone remotely familiar with Richmond knows, the Jefferson is no slouch when it comes to food or drink, as is evident from the menu for this soiree. Seventy-five dollars includes everything, so you don’t have to incur any added expenses. Unless you really want to hit the bar afterwards for some single-malt Scotch (which I recommend any time).

If you’re looking for an upscale beer dinner, this one’s got class written all over it.

Ale Without a Name

For my second attempt at homebrewing solo, I went for a Porter style beer. I wasn’t sure what to expect, so I can’t be disappointed with what I got. After picking up on some things I discovered first go-round with my American Mild, I tried to modify the recipe a smidgen to see if I could create a beer with similar and distinctly different characteristics.

The Porter (which lacks an official, snazzy name) poured an opaque licorice black, but I swear I could make out a sepia brown hue in there. At any rate, the black patent had done its job. There was a vigorous formation of off-white head that receded at a decent clip without leaving much of any lacing on the glass. The reason I got more foam out of this batch, as compared to my previous one, was the addition of organic cane sugar to the one-and-a-quarter cup of dry malt extract I blended for priming. Again, glad to see that had the desired effect on the beer.

Giving the unnamed Porter a whiff, I could instantly recognize that sweet pale malt scent I got from my Mild, as well as the coffee note from the small amount of roasted barley I added to the grain bill. Both smelled as intended, so I was pleased that I could recreate and modify that recipe with some success. But what about the taste?

Right off the bat, the hop presence was more noticeable. I had upped the hop content by about half an ounce to provide a more balanced flavor with the type of specialty malt I had included. Not only that, but the malt sweetness came through better than expected, which I attribute to the White Labs London Ale yeast I used. It’s supposed to impart less flavor to the finished product and add a little dryness, as opposed to the pear/honey notes I got from the Burton strain I employed for the Mild.

The mouthfeel was at the same time slick and velvety, and thanks to the addition of little more sugar in a different form, this helped. While it still felt somewhat thin, the level of carbonation added a different, but welcome, dynamic to the mix. One great quality was the cleaner finish, which I attribute to the yeast. This Porter may be too green to really savor just yet, but cracking this first bottle has given me an indication that I’m hitting some of the marks I’ve set for myself when it comes to brewing my own batches of beer.

Rather than brewing one style over and over, my aim with this batch was to build off of my first try and see if I could improve, or at least notice the subtle differences in the various components involved. I may continue down this path, and might look to brew a heavier Stout in the near future. But for now, I’m content drinking the fruit of my labor and contemplating the great beer beyond.

The After-Work Beer

For those who haven’t peeked your nosy beaks into the microscopic inner-workings of the business community in my neighborhood (Downtown Richmond), you may be surprised/apathetic to discover that Main Street Market and Deli is closing its doors at the end of the month. Well, in their words, they’re “looking for a new lease,” but as of yet they haven’t found one. And without a place to relocate, they’re getting rid of inventory at great prices.

I’m not sure how many local Richmonders actually stumble across this blog, but I have a feeling it’s not too many. But for those of you that have and continue to, you may be interested to know that all beer, wine, and grocery sales there are now 35% off. Knowing next to nothing about wine brands (I’m still learning the grape varietals, dammit!), I’m at a loss as to whether that’s any good. Groceries, you might find some worthwhile frozen stuff as well as specialty cooking items – the place isn’t huge, though. However, you still may find some decent beer left.

It’s a shame to see this place go, as I’d stop in from time to time for a beer tasting, or to pick up a sixer to savor during the weeknights. Being right down the street, it was the ultimate convenience. But alas, their lease wasn’t written in stone.

Let me save you any suspense:  the selection won’t appeal to the geeks out there. Their shelves have been stocked mostly with Brooklyn, Starr Hill, Magic Hat, Blue Mountain, and Sam Adams varities, in addition to your Bud, Heineken, Stella options. But last night I was able to purchase a total of six six-packs and two large Duvels for under $50. Sierra Nevada Porter, Starr Hill Amber, Rogue Dead Guy… these are beers that I’d drink most any time and be thankful I’m drinking something quality. These are the kind of beers that I don’t have to worry about being a “special release” or any such nonsense. I don’t even think about it, I just drink it and enjoy it.

I call it the after-work beer. Something that’s drinkable, may not be “Sessionable” by definition, but more of a go-to kind of beverage – not to mention being sold off at incredibly reasonable prices. That definitely reduces the stress level right there. And in this economy, what could be better than a fridge full of that?

Ales from Lagerland

EDIT

Tomorrow night at 6pm, Capital Ale House Midlothian will be hosting the Unusual German Ales Tasting with Ron Fischer from B. United Imports. It will be held in their upstairs lounge. I will be there. You, most likely, will not. But if you are in the Greater Richmond area and have nothing to do but geek out, hit that event up.

Alles klar, Herr Kommissar?

Turns out, the event will actually be held from 5 to 6:30pm, and feature the likes of Uerige and Reissdorf. Seeing as how I have ready access to beers like this – and already know that I love drinking them - I don’t consider them “unusual” enough to travel half an hour to taste.

If you do, then go forth and drink away.

Legislating Economics

Many see Oregon as a beer lover’s paradise, where brewer and consumer can delight in one of the lowest taxes in the United States on their favorite beverage, as well as the diversity of a healthy beer scene that comes with such a benefit. But in a time when everyone is second-guessing the stability of their economies, be it state, local, or federal, the issue of taxation is sure to raise some eyebrows. Oregon is no different.

While projections have been thrown out all over the place as to how much such a tax increase would end up costing customer and publican, distributor and brewer, the real concern is the state’s budget. All over the country, as individual states await their slice of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act that Washington is doling out, lawmakers are determined to stave off budget cuts and bolster their economies in advance. Therefore, activities and products considered “vices” are targeted as a way to increase tax revenue for programs and services that are in dire need of assistance.

House Bill 2461 would levy a “prevention, treatment and recovery tax on malt beverages,” which is aimed at funding alcohol abuse prevention programs. Far be it from me to label or stereotype, but the alcoholics I’ve come across in my day are miles away from being known as beer or whisk(e)y snobs. More often than not, they’re reaching for the cheap beers provided by national and multinational conglomerates. This is in addition to fortified wine and bargain liquors – not just items under the “malt beverages” umbrella. So if you want to tax alcoholics for alcohol abuse prevention, it would seem the best method would be all or nothing.

Let’s also consider the effect this could have on Oregon brewers. Consider Oregon to be a placename, synonymous with [insert your politically defined geographic region here]. It’s one thing to tax a company that distributes its products around the world, but entirely another to impose the same thing on smaller outfits operating within your own borders. These breweries and brewpubs would more than likely suffer due to rising costs on their own beer, whether it increases the price of a pint in their establishment or raises the cost through the distribution/retail network. Putting the squeeze on locally-based entities could cost jobs, which in turn create tax revenue, and sales, which do the same.

In Colorado, access to these products is the main concern. A bill before the state’s legislature would extend the sale of beer over 3.2% alcohol by weight (just over 4% by volume) to grocery and convenience stores. House Bill 1192 would effectively “ensure economic equity” (in its own words) to retailers that aren’t solely in the business of wine, spirits, and malt beverages.

Essentially, “craft” and import specialty beers have operated in a separate retail realm in Colorado, something that brewers and liquor store owners are fighting to keep in place. It seems somewhat confusing that brewers would not want to get their product out to the most possible venues for sale. However, one main concern is that less consideration will be given to local Colorado breweries in favor of cheaper, out-of-state options, according to the Colorado Brewers Guild. And obviously, liquor stores want to retain the exclusive right of selling higher-alcohol beer without having several other types of outlets interfere with these sales.

The arguments laid out above illustrate the problems of legislating economics. By increasing taxes on certain products, you run the risk of losing more revenue from the labor market to the checkout line. By broadening the scope of beer sales through state alcohol laws, you may be able to increase overall purchases, but at the expense of local businesses. Different issues with the same desired results:  strengthening the state budget and economy. In both cases, there is a focus on not only beer in particular, but the impact these pieces of legislation could have on breweries, bars, and retailers in their respective states in general. All of this in the midst of the biggest economic downturn in decades.

But in the end, someone’s got to pay.

 

Tip o’ the hat to Ed for pointing me to the Oregon beer tax legislation!

Correction

I’m taking Sí Tapas off my list. Why? Because after eating there Thursday night, I discovered that they had gotten rid of their quality beer selection and replaced it with domestic swill. So Blue Moon made the list. Big deal. You already know my thoughts on that. And if you don’t, you can surmise them without a link to a previous post by that sentence alone. After talking with the waiter, apparently the economic downturn has hit them pretty hard, so they’re forced to carry cheaper wines and beers, although the wine list was looking a lot better than the beer one.

However, if you’re hungry and looking for delicious tapas, Spanish-style, and an excellent playlist featuring the works of Ibrahim Ferrer, I recommend hitting up 214 N. Lombardy Street in Richmond. Just don’t expect good beer. Opt for the Woodford Reserve, like I did.