Brickway Maple Pecan Brown Ale

There might be some good beer in there somewhere, but it tastes like I'm drinking a glass of maple syrup. Urk.

Avery Brewing Out of Bounds Stout

A few months back I was at Yia-Yia's for Avery night and tried several of their fines beers. It seems like it's one of those breweries where you'll never find a bad beer. Out of Bounds Stout is just a stout, nothing fancy, no added flavoring, no unnecessary amounts of hops in order to call it a stout IPA or some such nonsense.  A good stout doesn't need a hyphen, it just is. Out of Bounds Stout pours, as you might expect, an impenetrable black with a one-finger beige head. But even though there's no added flavors, the malt and hops add all kinds of aromas and flavors: chocolate, coffee, toffee, caramel. Some sweetness (is this a milk stout maybe?) and a creamy thickness. Everything that you could possibly ask for in a stout. Bring me more!

Boulevard Snow & Tell Oak-Aged Scotch Ale

Not bourbon barrel oak ages, but oak-aged nonetheless, Snow & Tell pours a maple syrupy hue, with a one-pinky tan head. Heavy, almost chewy mouthfeel, with malty character and oak as well (probably from the oak-aging!). Slight smokiness, but not as much as you'd expect from a Scotch ale. However there's some dark fruit overtones. There's some caramel peeking out as the temperature rises, however I'd classify this as a "training wheels" Scotch Ale. What I mean by that it's a version of the style that isn't as strong as a really good version, so it won't run off the neophytes. Overall, not bad, but not as good as I'd expected.

Zipline Winter Ale

As I discussed in the last article, winter ale, aka winter warmers, are a broad category and cover a lot of ground. Zipline opted to go back to basics and present a stripped-down, no frills version of this winter favorite. They added rye to the malt and let that and the hops give the illusion of added spices...brilliant! The brew pours a hazy nut brown, with a scanty head. Floral/piney hops predominate, but dark fruit peaks out shyly from behind the IBU's. Zipline has never let me down, and this ale is a definite keeper for the cold nights around the Winter Solstice. Check it out if you see it on tap somewhere.

Elysian Brewing Bifrost Winter Ale

"Winter Ale" is a very broad category and generally refers to a pale ale or blonde ale which is jazzed up with spices. Bifrost clocks in at 58 IBU's, pretty respectful for a pale ale, and maybe even an IPA. There's some citrus notes right up front, possibly orange zest, with some muted cinnamon and caramel as well. There's also some alcohol heat, like you might get from a Bareleywine or a Belgian Quadruppel, understandable at 8.3% ABV. Referring back to my characterization of winter warmers as a "broad category", Bifrost is well outside the norm for warmers: the color is a golden, rather than the usual brown, there's more citrus than spice, and a lot more hoppy than I would expect. Great tasting, but in my opinion incorrectly labelled.

Blue Moon Cappuccino Oatmeal Stout

Blue Moon, as a pretend craft beer (it's always been owned by Miller-Coors, unlike existing crafts later bought out by the big kids) has had a mixed record with beer styles - some are top of the line, others are bottom of the barrel. The Cappuccino Oatmeal Stout is one of the better ones. Pouring a deep, dark brown with a one-finger head, this is a good representation of an oatmeal stout, thick and creamy. The coffee flavor predominates, but there are also some less evident chocolate and caramel notes. At only 10 IBU's the hop character is subdued at best. If you're a stout fan, you'll enjoy this.

Sam Adams Hopflake IPA

Sam Adams had a white IPA before Hopflake IPA - it was called Whitewater IPA. I believe the difference in this one is that it has lemongrass added for flavoring. Oh, that and the hops arranged in the shape of a snowflake on the label. To remind my fellow beer geeks, a white IPA is typically a Belgian or Farmhouse Style ale with a high IBU count (i.e. lots of hops). I like the white IPA style, despite its bandwagoney use of "IPA" as shorthand for anything with more than 35 IBU's. Typically, and Hopflake is no exception, the style melds the smoothness of the Belgian/Saisson/Farmhouse style with hoppiness resulting in a refreshing brew. Hopflake is an okay white IPA, absolutely nothing wrong with it, but one of my criticisms of their seasonal variety packs in the past has been a lack of actual associate with the season - sometimes the same beers show up in the winter and the summer sampler packs. That makes no sense. That all being said, I'll enjoy the rest of this one, and even the second one, and surely someone will be convinced that it's Christmassy due to the festive label.

Sam Adams Ginger Beer

I've been avoiding the Sam Adams variety packs recently, primarily because they've been offering less variety, i.e. three each of four varieties, rather than two each of six varieties, and frankly, what's been in them hasn't been that exciting. I received the Winter Classics variety 12-pack as a consolation prize after having to wait 4 months for a $10 rebate. Ginger Beer is one of the new ones. The Ginger Beer pours a golden copper hue with a tiny white head. Ginger is definitely evident, as well as the advertised lemongrass, but there's also hints of clove and cinnamon. There's 55 IBU's, and outside the spices, it feels like a pale ale. Oftentimes the seasonal offerings don't really match up with the season, but Ginger Beer assuredly has a holiday feel to it.

Red Hook "Out of Your Gourd" Pumpkin Porter

From August 16th, 2015
Last of the pumpkin ales currently in my fridge, Out of Your Gourd pumpkin porter is a surefire winner. Pours a chocolate brown with a frothy tan one-finger head, this isn't one of those ales where the flavoring overwhelms the beeriness of the beer...if you know what I mean. Solid roasted malt foundation, sweet, but not cloying. Lots of spices floating around but not clamoring for attention: nutmeg, cinnamon, even a little cranberry. If you're a porter guy or gal, if you're a pumpkin ale aficionado, then this gourds for you!

Notes added September 6, 2016
My appreciation for this porter increases every time I taste it. The head poured a lot deeper this year, four fingers easily with that reverse waterfall effect that characterizes a porter or stout pour. One thing that I did not notice last year was the maple syrup, which evidently gave Out of Your Gourd  its sweetness, but did not seem overly mapley this year, even when I knew it was there. This is by far one of my favorite pumpkin ales and one of my favorite porters.

Wasatch Black O'Lantern Pumpkin Stout

From October 2015
I was looking for Red Hook's Out of Your Gourd Pumpkin Porter, but sadly they were out, but the helpful beer store guy suggested this pumpkin stout from the Utah Beer Collective: Black O'Lantern. It poured a deep mahogany, with scarlet highlights and a brief tan head. The mouthfeel was very thick and creamy, there was pumpkin and spices, but not overmuch, mostly nutmeg. It had an almost eggnogy taste to it, if that makes sense. Pretty decent stout, but if you're looking for a great pumpkin ale, this isn't it.

Updated September 6, 2016
I've changed my opinion since last year. While the words I used to describe the beer are pretty spot on, I think I must have been disappointed that I couldn't find any of the Red Hook pumpkin porter last year. Trying one now, I'm much more impressed than I was last year. Even without the pumpkin this would be a very good stout, the pumpkin spices just add to the seasonal feel.  I'd upgrade my opinion to "this is an outstanding pumpkin stout"

Rubus Black Blackberry Porter

Despite the 90° temperature outside, it is time for the Fall beers, the glorious stouts and porters, the upstanding Oktoberfests and all those other Autumn brews. I've tried a few Brau Brothers beers, but this is my first porter. Rubus Black pours a deep dark brown, almost black. The head is scantier than I expected from a porter, about a half finger that quickly disappears. What you can't help but notice is the blackberry aroma. It's very blackberry-ish, extremely blackberry scented and blackberry flavored. Not that blackberry is a bad thing - I like blackberry, but maybe a bit too much. In addition to the blackberry, there's a 8.9% ABV, and even though there's no mention of barrel aging, there seems like there's a bourbon edge to it. I would guess that some spicy barbecue or Mexican dishes would complement this beer very well. Overall, pretty decent, but an outlier in the taste department.

Brickway Coffee Vanilla Stout

Another offering in the "Session Series" out of Omaha's Brickway Brewery. Using cold-pressed coffee (look it up, I don't know what that is!) from Grey Plume added to their oatmeal stout with a bit of vanilla thrown in. As I poured it from the can I was immediately aware of the strong coffee and vanilla aromas. I'm not always in favor of adding flavorings to beer, as it sometimes distracts from the "beeriness" of the brew; but chocolate, coffee and vanilla consistently add to the quality a well-brewed stout or porter. This stout pours a mahogany brown with a "reverse waterfall" four-finger head which slowly recedes to a thick, tan coating. Aside from the flavorings, this appears to be a dry, that is non-sweet, stout. The ABV is a very sessionable 5% and the hop character that is sharp, but not overwhelming. I can definitely see myself enjoying a few of these on a chilly autumn night.

Ales: Stouts and Porters

This article is not about dark beers. "Dark" is not a flavor, "dark" is not a beer style, "dark" is, broadly, a color. I will be discussing beers that are dark, but there are other beers out there that are dark hued but have completely different characteristics from the stouts and porters. Originally porters were a style of beer that was popular among the working class, the porters, of England in the 18th Century. Lagering and advances in brewing technology made it possible to brew an almost clear ale, but the darker malts were cheaper and the darker color became associated with the working class. Initially porters had a higher OG (original gravity) which translated into a higher alcohol content and heavier texture. This gradually changed as brewers looked for cheaper ways to produce their beers, even going so far as to use coloring to give it the expected hue. In the 20th Century craft brewers brought back the old style with it's heavier, creamier consistency. The main difference, in theory, between a porter and a stout is one of degree. Stouts are considered to be heavier and stronger than porters. Early on, a particular heavy or high alcohol porter was called extra superior, extra or double porter, or extra stout. In reality, whether a beer is called a stout or porter is often a matter of what markets better, which name sounds better with the name of the brewery for instance.

Within the stout/porter category, there are several subcategories. One of the earliest was Russian Imperial Stout, so named because it was exported to Russian for the Czar. Imperial Stout was characterized by a very high alcohol content. The appellation Imperial has come to be used for high alcohol versions of  other styles. Baltic Porters are similar in taste, but are typically lower in alcohol content. Milk Stout, also called Sweet Stout is a popular style. Brewed partially with lactose, which is not fermentable by beer yeast, the residual lactose sugar imparts a sweet creaminess to the stout. Dry, or Irish, Stout is kind of the opposite of the sweet stout. It's hoppier and drier; Guinness is a good example of this style.

Many stouts and porters have a distinct chocolate or coffee taste. This is not necessarily due to any flavoring being added, but qualities of the malts themselves.

Stouts and porters are perfect for cooler weather, and also go well with chocolate or other sweet desserts.

Don't be afraid of the dark...beer

Empyrean Kölsch

The Kölsch is one of my favorite beer styles, a cross between an ale & a lager, it's at once crisp & refreshing and flavorful. Empyrean's take on the style, which originated in Cologne, Germany (Köln to the natives) pours the color of fresh pineapple with a three-finger snowy head. The alcohol content is four and change, with a bitterness score of 22 IBU. There are faint traces of peach and mango in the flavor profile, and breadiness that comes out as the beer warms up. Perfect for summer, but a great companion for spicy sausages or chili in the cooler months. Best Kölsch I've sampled yet!

Empyrean Peachy Keen Sour Ale

Sour beers are an acquired taste. I have acquired it.

Often when I go to Yia-Yia's for some "fancy" beer, I order some kind of sour beer - a gose, a lambic or a berliner weisse, the bartender always says to me, in a conspiratorial tone "You know that's a sour beer, don't you?" I started enjoying sour beers a few years ago when I was offered some samples of Goose Island's sour Belgian, Lolita and some of her sisters. Peachy Keen was originally a win barrel-aged beer, available only on draft. The bottled version does not seem to be barrel aged however. It pours a hazy golden hue with ruby highlights, minimal head, and a very low hop profile (21 IBU). Very light; it would serve equally well as a summer beer or an autumn ale in place of a Märzen. The peach flavor predominates, but it goes very well with the sour edge. If you're a fan of the sours, this is one that you would enjoy. 9/10 on the IGB Scale.

Ales: India Pale Ale

Related tangentially to pale ales, the India Pale Ale (IPA) has become, along with America's love affair with hops, one of the more popular styles in the craft beer explosion. The back story of the India Pale Ale style is that English brewers made a high-alcohol, high-hops version of their regular pale ales for shipment to colonial troops and administrators in India, since hops and alcohol both act as preservatives. There has been some doubt lately cast about the veracity of this legend. The style languished until being revived by craft brewers over the last two decades. An IPA in its basic form tends to be a medium amber in hue and very bitter, although the form the bitterness takes depends on the variety of hops used. Two major trends in IPA's have surfaced recently. One is a "race to the top" in the use of hops. Brewers have been trying to outdo each other with the hop content of their beers, coming out with beers with IBU's (International Bitterness Units) creeping upward from a respectable 40-45 to 70 to (the highest I've seen) 104 by Lagunitas. I've been told by a local brewer that you can't increase actual bitterness without limit, that eventually you reach a point where adding additional hops have no effect. As I mentioned before, the way the bitterness is expressed varies. Some high hop content IPA's are very smooth, while others taste like you could remove paint with it! The other trend is where brewers call everything an IPA. A hoppy red ale is a Red IPA; you have Black IPA's, Belgian IPA's; IPL's (India Pale Lagers) and who-knows-what-else. This is mainly to capitalize on the IPA's popularity, and it tells you, for instance, that a black IPA is a beer that tastes like an IPA but is dark in color. Low or medium bitter ales with a lower alcohol content are being touted as "session IPA's" (a session beer is one with a lower alcohol content, enabling one to drink more of them in one drinking session) - but to my way of thinking they're just pale ales under another name.

Ales: Brown Ale

Brown ales are...well...brown. Okay, there's more to it than that, but the style is definitely named for the color of the beer, which is...brown! Generally brown ales are lightly hopped and have a slightly nutty flavor to them. The craft beer industry has gotten more creative in naming their beers the last few years, so you'll often see brown ales called something else, because "brown ale" just doesn't have the zip of "Mahogany Autumn Ale" or some such. Occassionally a brown ale will have coffee notes, or even have coffee or chocolate added. A prominant example of a brown ale is Newcastle, likely the best known and granddaddy of brown ales. Brown ales are usually light enough that they don't trigger the "I don't like dem dark beers" reaction, but with enough body and flavor to differentiate from the run of the mill lagers.

Ales: Pale Ale

After the "basic" ales mentioned in the last article, we have pale ales. A pale ale may or may not end up with a pale golden hue - the "pale" refers to the type of malt used. In general a pale ale refers to an ale that is more aggressively hopped than an amber, but not so much as an IPA. Pale Ales tend to be about 5% ABV, with some as high as 6%. Originally pale ales came about due to technology changes in the heating process in the 1800's. Previously the direct heat caused the malt to darken, producing the darker stouts and porters. The new direct heating method yielded a pale malt and thus a paler ale. (This is similar to the advent of Pilsners in Bohemia). In England, this style of beer was also called "bitter" interchangeably with "pale ale". American brewers shied away from the term "bitter". It wasn't until recent years that the term "bitter" shed its negative connotations in the U.S. In England, and eventually in America, there were subcategories of Bitter, such as Best Bitter, Extra Special Bitter (ESB). Pale Ale was for a while the most popular of the craft beer categories, but became overshadowed by IPA's, so much that what would have been called a pale ale might now be called a "Session IPA" or simply an IPA with a low IBU count.

Pale ale is often a good introduction to craft beer noobs since it looks like a light beer and doesn't set off dark beer alarm bells. I've occassionally seen people picking up a pale ale under the mistaken belief that it is "light".

Sam Adams Rebel Grapefruit IPA

The label says that it's brewed with real grapefruit, so I was expecting something like a radler or a shandy, but I was pleasantly surprised with the complexity of the latest offering in Sam Adams' Rebel series. You can taste the grapefruit, but at first it seems like it's a characteristic of the hops rather than added flavoring. Speaking of hops, the IBU level is 52, which is not super high on the hoppiness scale, but fairly bitter nonetheless. the beer warms up a little, I can detect some of the actual grapefruit in the mix - more like grapefruit peel than grapefruit juice though. Back to the hops - there is some grapefruitiness in the hop bill, but pine notes as well, making this an interesting brew to say the least. I'd recommend this as a summer ale and give it a 7.5 on the IGB scale of tastiness.

Ales: Amber, Red and Blonde

The ale styles known as Amber, Red and Blonde are what I like to think of as your "basic" ales. There's nothing fancy going on here, no truckloads of unnecessary hops, no addition of flavorings like fruit or coffee, just plain ol' ale! One could think of these ales as the craft beer industry's answer to the American pale lager...a much wittier and more well-read answer! They all clock in at 4.5 - 6% ABV and have a moderate hop profile of 25-30 IBU. They all tend to be similar in some respects to lagers, but with a layer of subtlty and complexity not found in most lagers. The main difference among these three styles is color. The blondes are naturally a golden yellow, the reds a coppery red and the ambers somewhere in between, although some reds can differ in taste, with a sweeter, maltier character reminiscent of a Vienna Lager or a Märzen. Of the amber ales, New Belgium's Fat Tire is a great example, as is Nebraska-brewed Lucky Bucket and Odell's 90 Schilling. Red Ales seem to proliferate around St. Patrick's Day, with Killian's being a great example of the style. Don't confuse a red ale with that Midwest abomination, beer mixed with tomato juice!

Ales

Now that we have examined lagers in a fair amount of detail, it's time to move on to ales. Twenty years ago it could be said that most beers in the United States were lagers, with a few (mostly imported) exceptions like Guinness. The main difference between lagers and ales is the type of yeast and the associated fermentation. Lagers use bottom, or cold fermenting yeast, while ales use top or warm fermenting yeast. The effective difference is that in general a lager will be clear and "crisp" while an ale, due to the heat generated in fermentation, will have a variety of flavors that are present without any addition of flavoring agents. Until recently most small brewers produced ales rather than lagers. The reason for this is that brewing a lager ties up the equipment for longer periods of time due to the necessity for lagering, that is letting the beer age in a cool place for a period of time - sometimes months. A small craft brewery. microbrew or brewpub could not afford to tie up their equipment for that long. In the last decade however, some of what used to be small batch brewers have expanded (sometimes due to being bought out by the beer giants) and have added lagers, especially Märzens to their selection. Ales are by far the older of the two main families of beers, but were nudged aside by the lager in the 1900's, only to gain prominance again in the 21st century.

In this series on ales, we'll be looking at the following main styles:

• Blonde
• Amber Ale
• Pale Ale
• Strong Ale
• Cream Ale
• Red Ale
• Brown Ale
• Extra Special Bitter (ESB)
• Steam Ales (Summer Common)
• Porters
• Stouts
• India Pale Ale (IPA)
• Belgian Beers (including dubbels, trippels, quadrupels)
• Farmhouse/Saisson
• Alternate grains (wheat beers, rye beers)
• Scotch and Scottish Ale
• Rauchbiers (smoked ales)
• Barleywine

That's a lot of different styles! Some styles may be combined into one article if they are similar. We'll also be looking at combination styles like Belgian IPA and descriptors such as "imperial". At the end, perhaps as a separate series, we'll look at the hybrids like Kölsch and Altbier. 

We've got a lot to cover, so let's get going!

Ales: Don't Be Afraid of the Dark

Following is a repost of an article from March 2014, I thought I'd open up the series on ales with these musings on dark beer and some of the myths associated with it. I am also including a link to an article about the relative heaviness of dark and light beers
https://www.craftbeer.com/craft-beer-muses/the-lighter-side-of-dark-debunking-the-myths-surrounding-dark-beer


How often do I hear people say "I don't like dark beer". I used to respond "dark is just a color". While this is technically true and there is nothing about the color of a beer that reliably indicates the flavor, heaviness or hoppiness of a beer, beers that are typically darker colored tend, in general, to taste different than your run of the mill lager.What I generally ask now  is "what kind of dark beer don't you like?"  because there is a wide variety and divergence among the many darker-hued beers. Most people don't really know what dark beers that they don't like.

Most people's first experience of beer is a lager. Budweiser, Miller, Coors and most of the mass produced beers are lagers. Outside of any discussion of what makes a "good" beer, lagers are cold fermented and then "lagered", or aged in a cool place, which results in a cool, crisp taste and a clear, golden color. This is usually the standard against which most people judge other styles of beer. But even among the light-colored beers there is a vast difference in flavor, bitterness (hoppiness),heaviness (original gravity) and alcohol content. Belgians, IPA's, Pale Ales, Witbiers and ESB's all have relatively light coloration, but still might not be palatable to novice lager drinkers.

Most styles that are typically brewed to a golden or amber hue can also be brewed with darker malts that give the beer a brown or chocolate color, but still have the same basic flavor as their lighter cousins. Black lagers have become common in the last few years, as well as black IPA's, both of which could be mistaken for an amber lager or IPA if consumed with eyes shut. Styles such as brown ale or altbier are very light in flavor but are a copper color.

When most people say they don't like dark beer, they, in most cases are referring to Guinness Stout, which for years was the most commonly available of the darker-colored beers. Guinness, like many Irish or English stouts and porters, tend to be fairly bitter and have a distinctive taste quite unlike lagers. However, recently, other varieties of stouts and porters have appeared on the market, notably sweet, or milk, stouts, which are made with lactose, which does not convert to alcohol. These brews tend to be creamier and sweeter than stouts like Guinness. Imperial Stouts are often hoppier and higher in alcohol content.

Belgians are another style where the beers are frequently dark in color. However, a Belgian might be a bright yellow or it might be a deep mahogany with no discernible difference in taste. Bocks, a lager that is richer in taste than a standard lager, can be deep brown, or golden, also with no taste difference than can be noticed.

Keep in mind, that not all beer styles are supposed to all taste the same, no more than a cup of coffee is supposed to taste like a cup of tea or a mug of hot chocolate. But somehow beer drinkers expect that a pale ale is supposed to taste like a lager.

So, when someone says that they don't like "dark beer", what styles have they tried? Are they cutting themselves off from the rich variety of lagers and ales due to something as unimportant as the color? If you've tried an Imperial Stout and didn't like it, fine, that thick bitterness has nothing to do with the smooth whiskey finish of a bourbon oak barrel aged quadruple Belgian.

Don't be afraid of the dark.

Samuel Adams Cherry Wheat

Ill-Gotten Booty did a review of Sam Adams Cherry Wheat several years ago. At the time I classified it as one of the few Sam Adams beers that I didn't like...cough syrup is what I compared it to. My view has softened a bit over the last few years, but man, this beer is still very cherry! The first key to enjoying a fruit beer is accept the basic fact that it's a fruit beer! I used to think that adding fruit to an ale or lager distracted the drinker from the beeriness of the brew, but I have tried so many fruit beers over the years that I have come over to the fruity side. Don't get me wrong, a well-crafted pale ale or stout trumps a fruit beer any day, but these guys have their place. If you're a summer beer guy or gal, or just are into the whole fruit thing, you'd probably like this one. Let's give it a 5.5 on the IGB scale.

Pilsner

The town of Plzeň in Bohemia is the home of the style of beer that we now know as pilsner. Moving away from the traditional methods of brewing using top-fermenting yeasts, brewers in Plzeň began to experiment using the Bavarian method of fermentation with bottom fermenting yeasts and lagering. 

Since most beers, both lagers and ales, of that time tended to be dark brown in hue, the appearance of a pale, clear beer was quite unique. The golden color was in large part due to a new method of heating the malt - indirect heat, which prevented a darkening  and smokiness of the brew that direct heat caused. The water was unusually mineral-free (soft) which contributed to the clarity of the beer. The brewers in Plzeň and surrounding areas also were very free with hops, giving the new style a bitter edge. This style became so popular that many of the brewers who eventually emigrated to America specialized in it once they set up their own breweries in The States. The Plzen style, or Pilsner became the dominant style of the major brewers and was what most Americans thought of as "beer" through most of the 1900's, although the mass producers eventually modified their beers to be less hoppy and added adjuncts (grains other than barley) to produce a more consistant product.

Märzen (Oktoberfest) & Vienna Lager

The term Märzen derives from the German word for the month of March. Before refrigeration it was difficult to brew beer in the summer months, so beer would be brewed over the winter and stored in caves (lagers)to keep it fresh. (For more detail on this, see the blog post on lagers).

Some of the lagered beer, brewed in March, would be saved until the harvest festivals in October, maturing and fermenting over the summer and into the early autumn. This märzenbier became an important feature of the Oktoberfest held in Munich each year. Originally the Oktoberfestbier was a dark lager, but over the last 150 years have tended to lighter hues. The predominant Oktoberfestbier has been a Vienna lager style (think Sam Adams, Dos Equis or Yuengling) for many years. Since at least 1990, Oktoberfestbiers in Germany have been golden, while American versions tend to have an amber-red cast, similar to an Irish Red. Märzens tend to be low in hop character, with a slightly sweet maltiness. 

A Vienna lager is a style that is very similar to a Märzen, having originated in the city of Vienna in Austria, south of Munich in Bavaria. They tend to be reddish in color and malty sweet, with a low IBU (hoppiness) count. many Mexican beers like Dos Equis and Negra Modelo are Vienna-style lagers, in large part due to immigration from Austria in the 1800's. 

Bock

Bock beer is another type of lager, that is considered a Spring seasonal, but unfortunately, you don't see too much of these days. As lagers, bocks use bottom, or cold, fermenting yeasts, and are lagered, or allowed to mature in a cool environment. Traditionally these were the first beers brewed in the Spring, and were used as a celebratory beer at the end of Lent, but there are also traditions which speak of monks drining bocks during fasts as sources of nourishment. In general, a bock is stronger than average (6.5 - 7% ABV) and tends to be darker than most lagers. Hop profile is low, usually around 20-25 IBU and has a sweet malty character. Other versions of the bock include the maibock, brewed in May. Maibocks tend to be lighter and hoppier. A dopplebock, or double bock can be up to 10-12% ABV. Right now bocks for some reason are not very popular, so they're not being brewed in great numbers; that and the fact that lagering ties up a small craft brewery's equipment longer than does an ale is also a factor.

Avery's Liliko'i Kepolo

Last beer of the night at Yia-Yia's, this one was a passion fruit flavored Witbier. It poured a brilliant hazy yellow, with a decent sized bright white head. Very refreshing - I recommend it highly for summer drinking. In addition to the passionfruit, one might detect some lemon and coriander. Perhaps even some orange and lemon peel. Of all the beers that I tried, this one was probably the most approachable for the beer novice. I rate this pretty high on the IGB scale.

Avery's Uncle Jacob's Stout

It was Avery Brewing night at Yia-Yia's last night and this was the first one that I tried. At 17.1% ABV I had it in a six ounce glass. I pint glass would have probably put me in a coma. It's an oak bourbon barrel aged stout, but felt kind of like a chocolate quad. The aroma reeked of alcohol, but it didn't assault the tongue as I expected. It was one of the smoothest brews I've experienced in quite a while. The mouthfeel was very thick and heavy, I might even say...stout. there was some definite bourbon character, as well as a melange of dark fruits: black cherry, figs, raisins. Asit warmed up the chocolate notes came to life, as well as some vanilla. It really stretched this one out, partly out of respect for the high ABV, but also because it was so complexly tasty, I just couldn't rush it. Head on down to Yia-Yia's and get some for yourself.

Leinenkugel's Heart of Oak Vienna Lager

The best way to describe the Vienna lager style is to compare it to Samuel Adams Boston Lager, Negra Modelo and Dos Equis. Heart of Oak pours a coppery hue with a three finger tan head. Low IBUs, but there is a bit of a hop bite lurking at the back of the taste profile. Sweet maltiness predominates, with some caramel, and some smokiness, presumably from the oak. I'd say it would be a great Autumn beer, similar in some respects to an Oktoberfest. Works pretty well as an early Spring beer as well.

Leinenkugel IPL (India Pale Lager)

It's an IPA! It's a lager! It's neither! It's both! Hoppy as advertised, IPL pours a coppery amber with a pinky-width of a head...scanty, but it doesn't go away. The hops give a predominantly citrus feel, with some hidden pine notes. It somewhat reminds me of a good pilsner...not those Americanized, mass-produced LCD lagers, but a good Czech pils. Might not have been what they were going for, but other than the color (a true Pilsner will be a bright golden hue) they have it nailed.

Leinenkugel Big Butt Dopplebock

At one time in the life of Ill-Gotten Booty, Leinenkugel was my favorite beer. I had graduated from Budweiser, but had not yet discovered the vast universe of craft beers. Leinie's Red was my regular at O'Rourke's and I usually had some Honey Weiss and Creamy Dark in the fridge. Since I liked to try the darker brews I picked up some Big Butt Doppelbock. Bocks are Spring seasonals, a style of lager that in my opinion you don't see enough of these days. Originally brewed as the first beer at the end of Winter/beginning of Spring. It's typically dark and malty, lower in hops than average. The "butt" in "big butt" comes from the association of mountain rams head butting each other with bock. Who knows why there is such an association?  Doppel  or Double bock tends to be stronger and a bit darker. Leinie's version pours a nutty brown with a two-finger tan head. Big Butt has a sweet, malty character with overtones of apple and pear. There's a hint of chocolate, but just a hint. The body is lighter than I remembered from days past. Fairly decent bock, but not the best out there. Nonetheless, I'm glad that they brought it back. A little Leinie's trivia: Leinenkugel pulled this beer from their seasonal rotation because  of low sales, not anticipating the fad for darker craft beers that was to come.

Beer Styles: Miscellaneous Lagers

We've looked at the origin of the lager, as well as the popular style known as American Pale Lager. Now we'll check out some other popular lager styles.

In the ancient times of beer brewing, each locality had its own variety of beer. Differences in water quality; availability of flavorings, including hops; and the varieties of grain all influenced the beer that each area produced. As lagering became more prevalent, the varieties became more regional, more there were still distinct differences.

Dunkel, a German word meaning "dark" was the name for a family of German lagers characterized by their dark brown color. Helles is the German word indicating a lighter color. Both the Helles and Dunkel varieties are attributed to the Munich region and are typically referred to as Munich Helles and Munich Dunkel. A subcategory of the dunkel is the Schwarzbier, literally "black beer". This lager is heavier and less sweet than a dunkel. A style that has many descendants among Mexican beers (as well as Yuengling and Sam Adams) is the Vienna Lager. Vienna style lagers tend to be red to amber in hue and have a sweet, malty character. A rauchbier is simply a smoked lager. American brewers brew versions of all of these lagers.

In general, these lagers can be described as crisp, and are often clear without the haziness you often get in an ale. There are nuanced differences in taste among these different lagers, but are all recognizable as part of the same beer family.

Coming up: Pilsener, Bock, Märzen (Octoberfest)

Empyrean Ales Carpe Brewem: Old Fashioned Bourbon Barrel Aged Stout

Stout brewed with lactose then aged in bourbon barrels with orange peel and cherry flavor - 6-7% ABV

I picked up this little beauty as part of Empyrean's variety 12-pack (on sale!). I have a soft spot for bourbon barrel-aged brews, so I was excited to try this stout. In a lot of ways it doesn't conform to expectations that one might have of a stout, it isn't super dark, like many stouts are; nor is it heavy as you would assume a stout to be; most barrel-aged brews tend to be higher in ABV, this one is less than 7%, which makes it eminently drinkable. I suspect that the bourbon barrel may have used in previous batches, as the bourbon-oak character is somewhat subdued, but gives a pleasantly warm tinge to the brew. There's chocolate, coffee and some caramel as well. The cherry flavoring adds a little zip to the mix and the orange peel rounds it all out. Overall a pretty good drink...even if it is "dark"...

Dundee Porter

One learns to expect certain things from a porter; one of those things is a dark, light-resistant hue. Dundee's porter is one of the lightest in color of any porter than I can recall. It's more along the lines of an altbier, or a dunkelwiezen, or even a red ale. But the aroma and taste that one would expect from a porter is present and accounted for. There's a mixture of coffee and vanilla that predominates, as well as a bit of chocolate and hazelnut. And, if I'm not imagining it, a ghost of a peanut butter taste as well. Overall a pretty fair porter that I would try again if the opportunity presented itself.

Dundee Pilsner

Picked these up in a variety pack the other day, following is a review from 2011. 

Another fine brew from the summer craft pack, new this year. The first thing I noticed was the hard-to-describe taste most often associated with Belgian Wits or farmhouse Ales. From there, the hops clamored for attention, but didn't get all obnoxious on me. A solid lager and an appropriate summer brew.

And a few added remarks:
There's a little mango and apricot, but very, very subtle. I just found out that Dundee is owned by Genessee, an upper New York brewery. This is a great representation of the classic pilsner style. 

Dundee IPA

Pours a nice orangey color, medium thick head. The hops weren't evident at first, but came out more as I progressed farther down the glass, although not as prominent as one would expect from an IPA. Not bad, but I wouldn't drive out of my way for a 6 pack.

Dundee English-Style Ale

Pours a light orange color with a healthy white head. Not sure what they would be going for with an English-style ale, but whatever their goal, what they achieved was a medium-hoppy ale, with some subtle aromas evocative of ripe apples and honey. A little bit of pear as it warmed up. A little sweeter than I normally like, but not too much. As Bubbles would say: "Deeeecent"

Beer Styles: The Classic Imports

Early in my beer drinking career there were far fewer choices than there are now, and most of these choices were American pale lagers. Budweiser and its higher status cousin, Michelob, Miller and local varieties like Schmidt's and Schaeffer's. However, for the adventurous among us, there were the imports.

During the sixties the notion that European-brewed beer was superior to American beer took hold. Returning servicemen who had been stationed in Germany sang the praises of German beer in particular and imported lagers began to develop a following in the United States. The imported beers that I recall from my youth are Heineken, Becks, Lowenbrau and Guinness. Back then, I really didn't know squat about beer, and drank imports because they made me seem more knowledgeable and sophisticated than I actually was.

Guinness was possibly the only stout that I encountered before the craft beet explosion of the last twenty years. A lot of people that I knew drank Guinness on St. Patrick's Day, but I didn't see a lot of consumption during the rest of the year, although it was considered by many to be one of the "good" beers. A persistent misconception about Guinness is that it is stronger than "regular" beers, which is not true. The alcohol content is in the same general range as an American pale lager and in my opinion it's not appreciably heavier than run-of-the-mill lagers. Their is a noticeably higher hop content and a roasted malt character that differentiate it from pale lagers. Guinness is what most people are referring to when they think of "dark beer", whether they like it or not!

Heineken, Becks, and Lowenbrau were all pale lagers, although they all made dark versions; Heineken was from Holland and the others were from Germany. I remember thinking, when drinking a Heineken, that there as something wrong with it. Part of it was that the European beers were hoppier and had more flavor than an American beer, but part of it was that the beer had skunked. The main reason that a beer can go bad is the influence of ultraviolet light which will cause the beer to take on a "skunky" aroma and taste. Since these beers were packaged in clear glass bottles there was ample opportunity for UV contamination, especially since they did not sell as fast as cheaper-priced American beers. For years I thought that this was just how German and Dutch beers tasted and eventually moved away from them. However, now Heineken can be purchased in cans - I notice that the canned version tastes a lot better than the glass version.

Other imports that have gained in popularity, but that I did not see much in my younger days are Fosters, Corona and Negra Modelo. Fosters is Australian in origin and comes in their signature 24 oz. cans. Corona and Negra Modelo are Mexican brews.

These days you can get imports from all over the world. Specialty beer stores carry beers from the U.K., Russia and Japan as well as Germany and Belgium. But back in my younger days, there wewre few to choose from.

Beer Styles: American Pale Lager

Much maligned, the American pale lager was (and based on sales, still is) the most popular beer style in the United States and perhaps the world. There are several different reasons for this. One is the fact that in the late 1800's, early 1900's there was a large influx of German immigrants, and many of them had been brewers back home. There had been beer brewing from the earliest days of North American colonization, but that had been mostly by small local brewers. Frederick Pabst, Adolphus Busch, and immigrant brewers with names like Stroh, Miller and Schlitz turned it into a serious business. At the time of this "German Invasion", the pilsener style was the cool new thing in Europe. A hoppy, pale lager that was crisp and clear, pilseners had nudged out many of the local varieties of beer in the European beer-drinking regions, so it was natural that the newly American beer producers would seek to emulate this style. A second influence on what would become classic American beer styles was the difference between European (2 row) barley and American (6 row) barley. The American variety had several characteristics which negatively influenced the taste of American-brewed beer, so corn was added to the grain mix. Later, during a period of grain  rationing, rice was also added - this practice continued after rationing ended.

The big influence on how beer developed in the United States was Prohibition. For thirteen years it was illegal to brew or consume beer. Most of the smaller brewers went out of business, with only the largest able to weather the storm by producing root beer, ginger beer and other items. When beer production geared up after the 21st Amendment was passed, it was no longer a predominantly local affair. The surviving brewers now had to appeal to a wide clientele, not just the tastes of the drinkers in their city, so the beers post-Prohibition were geared to theoretically appeal to everyone. A style that we now refer to as Vienna Lager may have been representative of the pre-Prohibition beers. Vienna, now in Austria, was home to many German-speaking brewers who emigrated to North America, including Mexico. Representatives of this style include Samuel Adams Boston Lager, Yuengling, Negra Modelo and Bohemía. Post-Prohibition lagers were brewed with a lower hop profile and what many refer to as a least-common-denominator flavor, not only to appeal to the largest segment of the population, but to appeal to women as well.

None if this is to suggest that mass-produced beers taste bad, it's just that they don't vary much from  one to another and the flavor is overly processed - think your run-of-the-mill white bread or a McDonald's hamburger - okay, but nothing special. Until recent years there wasn't much to choose from outside of the giants: Budweiser, Miller, Coors etc were all pretty similar, the only variety one might find in most markets came from the imports: Guinness Stout (for the adventurous), Heinekin and Lowenbrau were the ones that I recall from my youth. In the next installment, we'll look at those "classic" imports

Beer Styles: Lager Origins

Even though lagers are the more recent type of beer, most mass-produced beers today are lagers in one form or another. Let's examine why.

Beer has been produced for millennia. However for most of that time, brewing was a seasonal activity, confined to the cold months. Before pasteurization, before refrigeration, before anyone even knew about microorganisms like yeast, let alone understood what they did, beer had to be brewed during the time of year when the heat wouldn't cause it to spoil quickly. Local water and local strains of yeast determined in large part how a beer would turn out. Beer makers in Germany discovered the process of lagering fortuitously. In order to be able to have some beer available in the warmer months, some German brewers stored some of the beer brewed at the tail end of winter in mountain caves (Ger. lager), packed in snow and ice. What they didn't realize was that the beer would continue to mature while stored in this manner. And although they didn't know about the role of yeast in brewing, they were in effect breeding hardier, bottom-fermenting yeast that eventually made for more stable beers. This style of beer became known as a lager, typified by the use of bottom-fermenting yeast that was able to ferment at lower temperatures. Despite most modern lagers being light-colored, lagers of this era tended to be darker, probably as a result of the high heat used in the malting processing. Several different styles of lager emerged from this new method of brewing. One is the style that we now know as Oktoberfest. In keeping with the habit of summer lagering, the last beer of the winter batch was set aside in March to be cracked open again in October, these Märzens are the backbone of the yearly Munich Oktoberfest. Bocks are beers that, rather than being laid down in March, are generally consumed in March, brewed with a higher alcohol contact, their ostensible purpose was to provide sustenance throughout the Lenten season. Bocks generally are a bit hoppier than average, and are charecterized by a robust malt profile and tend to be a little sweeter. In my opinion there's a dearth of bocks these days. The mainstream, run-of-the-mill lagers were divided up into two main varieties: helles (light or pale) and dunkel (dark), although the helles came along later, after the advent of the pilsener.

In 1842, in the town of Plzen in Bohemia (now part of the Czech Republic) the first golden lager was produced. Since most beers, both lagers and ales, of that time tended to be dark brown in hue, the appearance of a pale, clear beer was quite unique. The golden color was in large part due to a new method of heating the malt - indirect heat, which prevented a darkening  and smokiness of the brew that direct heat caused. The water was unusually mineral-free (soft) which contributed to the clarity of the beer. The brewers in Plzen and surrounding areas also were very free with hops, giving the new style a bitter edge. This style became so popular that many of the brewers who eventually emigrated to America specialized in it once they set up their own breweries in The States. The Plzen style, or Pilsener became the dominant style of the major brewers and was what most Americans thought of as "beer" through most of the 1900's, although the mass producers eventually modified their beers to be less hoppy and added adjuncts (grains other than barley) to produce a more consistant product.

Boulevard Tasting Room Series: Belgian Style IPA

The hue of an over-ripe pineapple, or perhaps an apricot of a certain age, with a cumulus-inspired three-finger head that coquette-ishly recedes to a thin lacy coverlet, this Belgian style ale is the real deal. Wheat, bananas, clove, a hint of bubble gum and a melange of citrus all contribute to this masterpiece of brewing artisanship. It clocks in at 57 IBUs, but doesn't seem overly hoppy, to my surprise, especially since they did some dry hopping. Overall an outstanding brew that I'd recommend any day of the week.

Bouevard Tasting Room Series: Black Pale Ale

Ours a deep brown, almost black, with a two-finger head the color chocolate milk. Despite it being billed as a pale ale that just happens to be dark, it tastes more like a light, hoppy porter to me. There are some chocolate and coffee notes that you wouldn't usually get in a pale ale. If you ignore what they're calling it and just drink it, you'll appreciate it a lot more.

Beer Styles: Lager vs. Ale

Many of the readers of Ill-Gotten Booty Beer Reviews know their beer. This is just a reminder for most of you!

Ales and lagers are the two main subdivisions of beer. Ales are beers, lagers are beers. Generally, a beer is an alcoholic beverage derived from fermented grain. Most beer comes from barley, with a significant minority deriving from wheat. Most American mass-produced beers also include adjuncts, like rice and corn. Rye has also become popular in recent years. Beverages that are produced using fermented fruit are, in general, classified as wines or ciders. with fruit-flavored beers, the fruit is usually a flavoring, while there is still a grain base that is being fermented. Fermentation takes place due to the action of microorganisms (yeast) upon sugar, which they convert into alcohol.

Prior to the scientific advances that led to the discovery of bacteria and other microorganisms in the 1800's, fermentation was poorly understood. The various yeasts that catalyzed fermentation were "wild" yeasts that were to be found in the environment where the brewing took place. It was not until the last several century or so that yeast strains were cultivated and stored to ensure standardization in the brewing process. The Lambic style is one of the few that still employ the use of wild yeasts.

Of the two main categories of beer, ales are the oldest. The naturally occurring yeasts were "warm fermenting" or "top fermenting", meaning that a certain amount of heat was involved and the used up yeast floated to the top of the ale once the fermentation was done. For centuries, perhaps millennia, all beers were what we would classify as ales.

Before the science of microbiology was developed, the reason, not only for fermentation, but for spoilage, was not understood. Some brewers in the colder regions of Germany, however, discovered that keeping an ale cold would extend its life. They began the custom of brewing a batch in March, before it started warming up in the Spring, and storing it in a cave (German: lager) packed in the last ice and snow of the season, to be brought out in October - hence the Oktoberfest festival. (these beers were, and still are, called Märzen Ales, German for "March"). They soon discovered that, not only did this process preserve the beer, but it continued to ferment and "condition", producing a clearer and crisper tasting brew. Thus began the style that we now call the lager. Later, when the role of yeast was better understood, it was discovered that the strains of yeast that survived the lagering process were hardier and when introduced into fresh batches "bottom fermented" and would ferment at a lower temperature than the ale yeast.

Today, most mass-produced beers are lagers. The lagering process allows for greater standardization. What we think of as "beer" is largely shaped by what the large brweries put out. Most small-batch, craft and micro-brews are ales. Brewing an ale allows for more subtle flavor profiles, as the warm fermentation process releases more of the "esters" that give an ale a distinctive flavor. There is also the matter of the lagering process being more time consuming - a small brewer often cannot afford to tie up their equipment for the time required.

Future posts will discuss the many styles and substyles of ales and lagers, as well as hybrids such as Kölsch and Altbier.

New Belgium 1554 Black Lager

The first thing I noticed when I pulled this bottle out of the fridge was that 1554 Black Lager used to be called 1554 Black Ale. What the hell? So I did a little research, which took all of about 2 minutes on the interwebs. It turns out that the beer has not changed, it has always been a lager brewed with ale yeast (kind of like an Altbier) that they wanted to call a lager. However, in Texas, a ridiculous law (I know, imagine that, a stupid law in Texas) decreed that any beer with an ABV of 5% or higher had to be called an ale. I noticed this on a Sam Adams variety pack a few years ago, and now I know the answer! I am attaching a link to the New Belgium explanation as well as to my previous review.

http://www.newbelgium.com/community/Blog/new-belgium-brewing/2014/02/10/Did-you-notice-the-change-to-1554

http://ill-gottenbooty.blogspot.com/2013/04/new-belgium-1554-enlightened-black-ale.html

New Belgium RyePA

Yay! Another IPA! This guy pours the color of dark honey with a quickly receding tannish head. The rye contribution always adds a solid character to an ale, very much like the flavor of some lightly toasted rye bread. The hops are of the piney variety and there are some citrus notes throughout. Hints of coriander and black pepper round it all out. A good one to try if you're a hop-head!

Citradelic Tangerine IPA

I posted a few reviews last year bemoaning the trend toward labelling everything an IPA. It's a great example of branding: IPAs are popular, so call everything an IPA. Citradelic is only at 50 IBUs, so maybe just a strong pale ale. Nonetheless, this is a pretty tasty brew. Pouring an orange-amber with a three-finger head that quickly subsides to a lacy white foam, the scent of tangerine is there, but not overpowering, which you so often get with these fruity beers. There is also an obvious pineapple contribution to the mix, as well as some lemon and orange. Solid ale, but like a lot of what I'm seeing this season, could be better seen as a summer ale, rather than a cold-weather offering.

Baraboo Chocolate Porter

Last chocolate ale in the house! I'd never heard of this label before, but I'm glad I picked this one up. It poured, as it should, a deep, dark, almost-black, with a four finger head that shrunk down to a half-finger head pretty quickly. Like the picture indicates, this chocolate porter brings to mind hot cocoa and marshmallows. There's also some coffee bean hiding in there as well. Pretty decent if you like thick, creamy, chocolaty porters...which I do.

Fort Collins Brewery Chocolate Stout

What's up with all these chocolate brews lately? In Ill-Gotten Booty's opinion, chocolate is a very appropriate addition to stouts and porters. It poured a deep brown, almost black, with some reddish highlights. There's some roughness from the hops, but a thick smoothness that evens it all out. What else is in there? Another review mentions black olives, which to me seems absurd (a word never before used on IGB Beer Reviews), but I do detect some coffee, a little licorice, and some smokiness. This is a pretty decent  brew...7/10 on the IGB scale. Black olives...really?

Hiram's Bones Porter

A little bit of trivia about the name Hiram's Bones: In 1828 Hiram Scott fell ill returning to St. Louis on an expedition with the Rocky Mountain Fur Company. He was abandoned by his companions. His bones were found the following Spring, quite a distance from where they left him. Scotts Bluff is named for him.

Kincaider Brewing is based in Broken Bow, Nebraska - another fine addition to the crop of local brewers here in the state.

Hiram's Bones pours a cloudy dark brown, with a two-finger head that magically grows to four as it settles in the glass. There's a rich malty taste, as one would expect from a porter, with a nice tang from the hops. Notes of coffee and chocolate swirl around. There is something a bit off though, at first I thought it might be smoked malt, but I'm not sure. The mouthfeel is a bit thinner than I'd expect from a porter, but not enough to detract from the taste. Overall a solid brew from the new kid on the block.