Can’t Get Enough of Your Love

Good news for fans of Starr Hill’s The Love hefeweizen (this includes myself). Beginning April 1, this beer will be available year-round, barring some sick and twisted April Fool’s joke. Nothing like being able to drink the 2008 Great American Beer Festival silver medal winner for South German-style Hefeweizen any time you want. Although I liked it just fine without the decoration and critical acclaim, too.

Something Wicked This Way Comes

What’s the opposite of Unearthly? Iniquity. Southern Tier Iniquity, if you hadn’t guessed, and we could be seeing it in the Richmond area in the next week or two.

Iniquity is listed on the label as “Black Ale” and is part of Southern Tier’s Imperial Series of beers (whose lineup seems to grow from week to week). So if you thought they weren’t occupying enough space at your local specialty beer shop, your wish has been granted.

This particular release is really a black IPA, using debittered black malt according to beernews.org. Brings to mind the Stone XI, which I thought was a worthy and underrated beer. At 9% abv, it’s lower in alcohol content than Unearthly, not to mention being on the opposite end of the spectrum as far as color is concerned. That, and there’s some different hopping to make this the “antithesis of Unearthly.”

If you’re out and about in Richmond, grab a bottle and taste the Iniquity.

-1 For Beer in Cheese

Whilst perusing the aisles of the local Kroger in search of a cheese to pair with some beer, I found myself in a quandary. Should I opt for that delicious Humboldt Fog goat cheese, or take a chance on a gouda that I’d heard nothing about? But then the label of this one particular caught my eye:  “Cahill’s Irish Cheddar with Porter Ale English Cheese.” Irish cheddar? English cheese? Porter? Didn’t quite make sense, but I had pick up a small wedge to find out more.

And since I was in such a risk-taking state of mind, I thought, what better to pair a cheese made with porter than… a porter? Well, smoked porter to be exact. So, the Stone Smoked Porter and the Left Hand Smokejumper I had sitting around would be the guinea pigs for this little experiment.

The Stone has a voluminous off-white head, and the beer let some light through its dark brown mass. In contrast, the Left Hand lets in none whatsoever, and its head is certainly a few shades darker than its counterpart. In the nose, roasted malt flavors were the order of the day for the Stone Smoked Porter:  chocolate mixes in with a faint smoke accent, making it smell almost boozy. It’s very drinkable up front with a lively carbonation and noticeable roast coffee notes that transition seamlessly into a drying and smoky finish. Not too heavy on the smoke, which was a good thing. This beer matches well with the cheese, the cheddar providing a salty backdrop that worked with the smoke, and the carbonation doing a great job of scrubbing the palate. It seems to sync up in complementary stride with the medium body of the Stone.

The Smokejumper, on the other hand (no pun intended), seems much more smoky in the nose and to the taste than the first beer. There is a noticeable grainy and almost DMS-like note to the Smokejumper that I’m not so keen on, but remember it being a decent drink on tap. From the obsidian color and the cascading head formation, I could tell this would be a little more dense and malty. There’s bitter, dark chocolate at the fore, and a fuller body to it. Because of these traits, it didn’t work as well with the particular cheese I had picked out. It seemed to overpower the salty and fatty characteristics in the Cahill.

I’d be lying if I said the cheese itself was delicious. It wasn’t. In fact, it was a very strange combination that I won’t bother with again. Plus, it looked like a slice of chocolate marbled cake, and it would camouflage itself on my counter without that cutting board there in the picture. So much for buying cheese for novelty’s sake. Next time, it’s back to basics.

Four in Hand

Last Sunday afternoon was made for a beer tasting. Cold and rainy, there wasn’t much else to do but clear out some special beers with a friend and watch some college basketball and hockey. That’s the great thing about March:  the weather may take a turn for the worse, but there’s good sporting events on the tube. Combine that with some bread and Chimay cheese, and you’re set for the day.

First on the list was the new Brooklyn Local 2. Having tried the Local 1, which was decent enough, I wasn’t sure what we’d be getting into with this second round. Turns out, the sequel is actually better than the original, in my opinion. The gang over at Brooklyn Brewery tend to skew Belgian, even on their collaboration with Schneider, but this is a darker, more complex relative of its predecessor. It appeared mahogany with russet and rouge highlights, topped by a fluffy and creamy-looking ecru head. Candy sugar, malt sweetness, and the kiss of honey added were noticeable in the nose. When sipped, I could definitely detect the citrus peel and some toffee notes, in addition to a spiciness that was like coriander but could have emanated from the yeast. Finishing clean and dry, with lively carbonation, this one was a winner.

Next up, a January 2007 Allagash Interlude. I’d been told that this was drinking quite nicely as of late, which makes me sound like a pompous jackass, but it’s the truth… that it’s still tasty, not that I’m actually a pompous jackass. Anyway, the beer was a shade of golden-orange sunburst, with tannic and Brett wrapped up with candy sugar, none taking center stage, but all accounted for. These scents were picked up on the tongue, with hops being evident and balancing in concert with the woody oak character up front. The Brett then took over and carried these flavors through, being just enough to provide some funk, but not sour the whole thing.

Third came a beer that’s not yet available in our market, but may be on shelves and in bars around town in the very near future. It’s Victory Brewing’s Wild Devil, a Brettanomyces-infused version of Hop Devil that was rather interesting. Apparently, Victory creates their beers with the idea that they should be enjoyed fresh, not aged. Seeing as how the label listed it as having been bottled on March 3rd, and we were cracking this beer that came from Pennsylvania on March 15, I don’t think you could get much fresher than that unless you hit the brewery.

Pouring a brilliant amber color, I examined it with a critical eye as I really wanted to get a feel for what this beer was all about. German malt, assertive hops, and Brett funkiness came together for a mellowed out, drier incarnation of Hop Devil. Comparing the Wild Devil right next to its sibling, I came to admire this newer twist moreso than the original. I think it’s because the hops were toned down and less oily probably due to the Brett, which allowed for a more rounded flavor profile that I almost picked up a smoky trait. The Black Diamond cheddar we had got along famously with both versions, though.

Finally, it was time for the Brooklyn Black Ops, which truly lived up to its name. No illumination got through this sucker, not even when held to a nearby light source. A thick head the color of milk chocolate formed slowly at the top. Giving it the ol’ swirl-n-sniff, I picked up oaky and almost piney notes in the bouquet. The bourbon barrel characteristic was definitely there when tipping this one back, but luckily it wasn’t overboard like so many other barrel-aged beers. I had a feeling that Brooklyn would still remain somewhat reserved on such an offering, and they did. In addition to the wood, I could taste chocolate with a complementary hint of vanilla, and I assume the Champagne yeast used in re-fermentation helped temper the oak enough to make it drinkable yet multifaceted at the same time.

So, for all intents and purposes, it was a relaxing and I guess somewhat productive Sunday. I got to sip some great beers and stay out of the elements that dreary afternoon. Besides, I’d rather be drinkin’ in my house than singin’ in the rain.

+1 For Beer and Cheese

River City Cellars will be hosting a Blue Mountain beer tasting tonight from 5-7pm. 

They’ll be doling out samples of Full Nelson Pale Ale, Classic Lager, and Evil 8, alongside some goat’s milk chevre from CaroMont Farm out in Esmont, Virginia which is located in southern Albemarle County. Your host will be none other than brewmaster Taylor Smack.

Tasting beer you brew that the public enjoys while eating quality cheese… how’s that for a dream job?

The Local Versus The Outsider

With warm weather just around the corner, it’s time to pit two IPAs against one another in a taste-test battle to see which one I arbitrarily like better. Both cost $1.70 per bottle, and this is not a blind taste test. It would probably be cooler if it was, though.

First up is Starr Hill’s Northern Lights IPA. While the label reads “5.8% abv”, the Starr Hill website lists it as 7.2%, which is the same alcohol by volume as the Torpedo. It’s a see-through amber color with an eggshell head. Looks like there’s a malt backbone to this one, too, seeing the bubbles cascade to the top. The aroma is piney and cat-like, with a spritz of citrus, paired with what smells like an underlying sweetness with a touch of toffee from the grain bill.

Sipping this beer, there is an oily bitterness that enters in the middle, with the front being grainy and slightly biscuity, but rather forgettable. In fact, the basis of malt for this beer seems to echo the others in the Starr Hill lineup, which I’ve heard is central to their brewing. Northern Lights finishes with a dry, bitter character that dies quickly in the aftertaste. Cascade hops are the main bittering ingredient here apparently, but seem to have an odd interplay with the grainy malt profile.

Now onto the outsider: Sierra Nevada’s new Torpedo “Extra IPA.” Supposedly not quite a double IPA, but in between that and a regular IPA. We won’t get into that whole style debate thing here. Suffice it to say that the BJCP may come up with the new “tweenPA” we’ve all been waiting for. Torpedo pours almost the exact same color as Northern Lights, albeit with a bit more head carbonation that’s a shade or two darker. Again, piney hops come to the fore, with herbal and citrus notes, although it smells less oily than its counterpart. In the beginning, the pale malt gives way to a focused hop bitterness that slides all the way back and leaves some traces of its hop content on the back of the mouth. The level of carbonation makes gives it a silkier feeling than the Northern Lights at the same time tasting lighter and more bitter.

All in all, I’d say the Torpedo is put together better than the Northern Lights. While both beers will satisfy your hop craving, I think Sierra Nevada takes it a step further with its effort. Starr Hill tends to shoot for the common beerdrinker market, but in turn sometimes comes up short with its attempts to expand stylistically (see their lime and ginger-enhanced Jomo Lager prepared for the Great American Beer Festival. Yikes!).

Though it’s not like there won’t be a thousand new IPAs to try this year.

Bawlmerese

From the looks of it, they celebrate Oktoberfest every day in Baltimore.

Clipper City’s MärzHon, an Oktoberfest-style beer brewed year-round, is as much an homage to its hometown as it is an example of the good beer-related things happening in it. The name is a clever nod to the ubiquitous use of the abbreviation “hon” to refer to anyone in the Charm City, part of the Bawlmerese lexicon. Not only that, but the label is a piece of art by itself, taking a tongue-in-cheek approach to Baltimore stereotypes. And while I’m on the subject, Clipper City definitely gets points for the notched freshness markings at the bottom.

Inspecting the glass, MärzHon is a transparent, illustrious amber color with a nose full of biscuity malt, a touch of toffee, and something in the way back that almost resembles a squeeze of citrus. It opens up with plenty of pilsner malt on the palate, that raw grain flavor going right to the tastebuds. On the sides of the tongue, you can taste the sweeter caramel notes of the Vienna, which melds deftly to comprise the malt profile. Most certainly a balanced beer with enough German hops in the mix to draw the malt down and usher in a smooth, slightly drying finish.

Only a hint of the flavor is left behind, and this is one of those beers that entices you to keep sipping, which shouldn’t be too much of a concern at just over 5% alcohol by volume. It’s just unfortunate I haven’t seen it on sale in the Richmond market.

While Clipper City is probably better known for its Heavy Seas line of beers (which are worthy of praise in their own right), the MärzHon is an example of an everyday beer that’s not ordinary.

New Arrival

Central Virginia could be getting a taste of the Highlands soon. Well, the Highland Brewing Company, to be exact.

Yes, that’s right. The Gaelic-themed brewery out of Asheville, North Carolina is planning to roll out the barrels here in Virginia, which I’m sure will delight anyone who’s visited our neighbor to the south and sampled what’s brewing down there. Soon it’ll be all the Black Mocha Stout and Kashmir IPA you can handle.

From what I gather, Highland has anticipated this kind of growth for their brand and aim to expand in order to slake the thirsts of better beer drinkers in the Southeast, so working with a distributor here in the Richmond area is a wise choice - hitting another nearby populous region. And that’s a big win for us as well.

But what’s more amazing is where Highland Brewing Company comes from. According to the US Census Bureau, the estimated population of Asheville was 72,789 in 2006. However, they’ve got four other breweries/brewpubs (Asheville Brewing, French Broad, Green Man, and Wedge)  in town aside from Highland, with an additional organic brewery (Pisgah) not even half an hour east. If approximately 20% of the population is under 18 according to that same census data, add a few more percentage points for those adults under 21 years of age, and you have a drinking-age population of about 56,000. Served by five local brewing outlets. Which is insane.

Must be something about that fresh mountain spring water. Start sending it up our way!