On the Eighth Day of Christmas, My True Love Gave to Me….

8 Corsendonks….(yeaaah, I wish)

Try one Christmas Ale.

ooh! a tin!

Corsendonk Christmas Ale: ABV: 8.5%

I really enjoyed drinking this beer.  But there’s not much to tell you it’s a Christmas Ale.  No big neon flashers like in American holiday brews.  Much like the St. Bernardus, the Corsendonk drinks like a good, delish Belgian.  Big maltiness with definite notes of orange peel and a bit of dry spice, like nutmeg and cinnamon on the finish.  Now normally, you would say, HELLO Delk, these are the things IN a Christmas beer.  And you would be right. Except that Corsendonk uses orange rind anyway, with coriander.

mmmm, yeast.

I am not a coriander aficionado, so I couldn’t honestly tell you it was in there. It probably is part of that spicy finish I perceive. Perhaps I need to go sniff some.

Like all Corsendonk beers, the Christmas Ale is bottle-fermented in dark, warm rooms for three weeks before release. Yum, give it to me.

I recommend trying this, and all Corsendonk beers.  Check out their website by clicking here. And P.S. I want one of those cool glasses….

CHEERS!

On the Seventh Day of Christmas, My True Love Gave to Me….

Six herbs and spices…

OOH, close folks. Close.

ooooh. looks magical swathed in soft light.

Gouden Carolus Noel: ABV: 10.5%

Hailing from one of the oldest breweries in Belgium (1369!), Gouden Carolus come on down! This brewery, known for the famous Cuvee van de Keizer, started making the Noel again in 2002 after 38 years of absence.  Now made in August of each year, the Noel rests for several months before release.

i want to go to there.

And whoa. This Strong Dark Ale is intense.  So, the name fits. Tons of dried, dark fruit aromas, like currant and fig come pouring out of the glass. Add to that malty sweetness, and  you can smell it from a foot away. And boy, that richness follows through on the palate.  A substantial yeastiness and sugar level is detectable as well as alcohol.  While I enjoyed it, I would suggest sharing this with others, and sipping.  This is not one to chug friends….

P.S. I went to what I thought was their website, http://www.goudencarolus.nl/, and I swear the man in the icon winked at me. Will someone out there check it out and tell me if I am crazy?! And since I cannot read it, I have NO IDEA what it says….I did find another site, which gives alot more understandable info on the Gouden Carolus lineup of brews. AND they make a whisky!! Click here to check it out.

CHEERS!

On the Sixth Day of Christmas, My True Love Gave to Me…..

6 pints of beer….

Here’s one of them!

Delirium Noel: ABV: 10%

Delirium Tremens is one of those beers people ALWAYS seem to have a story about. And it normally starts out, “I got so drunk drinking that beer!” The Noel is their Christmas brew, with a ramped up alcohol content. I had this tasty brew at both the free beer tasting at Cork & Bottle, and then on draft Saturday night at Avenue Pub.  I like this one, and it’s dangerously easy to drink.  But at 10% ABV, you’ve gotta be careful.  Suppress the desire to gulp it.

Refreshing and nose-appealing aromas of orange peel follow through as straight-up orange on the palate.  But let me be clear here.  This is NOT an orange-flavored beer, like an alcoholic Sunkist.  It is just one element, along with nice yeasty and malty notes, which also . Friends Ross and Mark detected notes of baby’s breath, but I couldn’t get it.

This beer is considered a Belgian Strong Dark Ale, although it is not nearly as dark or rich as say Rochefort 10.  Other examples of this type of beer are Chimay Grande Reserve (blue bottle), St. Bernardus Abt 12, Brasserie des Rocs, and Gouden Carolus Grand Cru of the Emperor.  So, if you are a fan of these delicious brews (I sure as hell am), it is likely you will like the Delirium.  If you are a fan of hoppy, bitter beers, maybe not your bag, as this one has some definite sweet, malty notes. Try one and let me know what you think!

CHEERS!

On the Fifth Day of Christmas, My True Love Gave to Me….

FREEEEE BEER TASTINNNGGGG……

Beer and the Saints make me happy.

Tonight was a sensory doozy.  Four delicious holiday beers AND four hearty, meat on your bones wines all in one house, Cork & Bottle.  If you couldn’t find what you liked tonight, well… you just weren’t trying hard enough….

Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale: ABV: 6.8%

This is a hopiday holiday beer from the Sierra Nevada folks. Think opposite from the Anchor Christmas, the other big American craft Christmas Ale of the season. The hops for Celebration are dried right after picking, to ensure the most flavor and aroma. Result? A big hop note, ESPECIALLY when compared with other holiday/Christmas brews.  If I am blind-tasting this guy, I am not saying Christmas beer.  There is none of the malty, sweet, mulling spice, dried fruit aromas one would expect.

great pic. keep making fun of me. I can take it.

Remember from my interview with Eric Jensen, brewmaster at PB Ale House in San Diego, it’s one of his favorites this time of year.  Why? Because he feels it is a great, balanced hop-centric beer. And if you are a hop-lover, than this might be your choice of holiday beer, i.e. NOT a typical Christmas brew.  But this style presented in the cold, blustery season of yultide meets its critics. One customer remarked, “This beer is just a cop-out.  Putting a regular hop-driven beer that could be out anytime of the year as your “Christmas Ale” is lame.  Try harder.”  Well, I do agree on one level that I would like to see Sierra stretch their wings a little and put out a richer, more unique holiday brew.  But, on the other hand, it’s Sierra Nevada, and hops is what they do! And I like this beer.  It is balanced, yet with vibrant and crisp citrus and grassy notes. So, charge forth SN, but when I’m itching for a warming, spicy, curl up in a blanket beer for my holidays, this one won’t be it. When I need to be woken out of an egg-nog, hot toddy coma, it will be. Chances are equal for both.

Abita Christmas Ale: ABV: ?

Thank you Abita, I enjoyed this beer. Easy-drinking, session-type holiday beer. AND I have to say I think this beer is a major improvement over years’ past with the Christmas Ale.  This year’s release had interesting notes of cinnamon, nutmeg, Indian spice (coriander?) and nutty aromas.  I need to try this on draft and report back. Overall, I think Abita is moving in the right direction with this offering. But guys, please put more info on your website!  You did it for your other brews, but petered out on the Christmas Ale.  And believe me, interested beer-drinkers wanna know!

The OTHER 2 beers of the night? Stay tuned!!! Gouden Carolus and Delirium Noel on deck.  GO CHRISTMAS BEER!

CHEERS!

On the Fourth Day of Christmas, My True Love Gave to Me….

12 Champagnes, and one little Shiner Cheer Beer.

ahhh the magic of bubbles!

WAIT. That sounds like the 12th Day of Christmas….

Ok, is it really fair to put ANY beer against 12 single-grower champagnes? I mean Henri Billiot, Pierre Peters, Rene Geoffrey, Pierre Gimmonet here folks.  SERIOUS champagnes with more complexity and depth than you could shake a stick at….

The answer is yes, and I’ll tell you why.  After all of that delicious, crisp or yeasty, bright or lush, vibrant or dense, wonderful array of Pinot Noir or Chardonnay based Champagnes, my palate yearned for something entirely different, a flavor profile set apart. Which is where beer comes in. Always my deliciously edible life-raft in the active sea of wine that I happily drown myself in. That’s a keeper quote.

So onto the beer of the Fourth Day:

nice old school packaging, just work on the recipe!!!

Shiner Holiday Cheer: ABV: 5.4%

Wellll, ok, so maybe it is tough to follow champagne, but I don’t think this is the issue here.  The beer is, according to the website, “brewed with Texas peaches and roasted pecans.” Being a big fan of both, I am simultaneously interested and worried, because I DO NOT like overt fruit in my beer. Let me clarify.  I enjoy a lambic poured over fresh fruit, or alongside a trifle or fruit tart.  It is absolutely delightful and it has its place.  But sitting down to a blueberry or raspberry wheat or the like is not my cup o’ tea.

So my guard is up, yet I am hopeful for something unique and different in the holiday brew genre….Well, it’s different.  The nose is…peach Jolly Ranchers.  No kidding, folks, sweet, extracted, syrupy, candy peach aroma.  With a good dose of Luden’s cherry “cough drops” a.k.a. candy on top.

The beer and website state it is brewed with pecans, but I just don’t get it.  And I am searching.  And in my nasal defense, this girl grew up with pecan trees in my Papaw’s field, and my mom and Mamaw baking more pecan pies than you could imagine in a lifetime.  I’m talking enough to sink a battleship here.  So I know what a pecan aroma is.  Add to that my 30 day crash course with porters and stouts and nutball galore. Nutty aromas…I’ve got ‘em. If you don’t believe me, then just put your nose in Lazy Magnolia’s Southern Pecan brew, and then tell me what pecan in beer smells like.

Guess which one this beer smells like?

I had hoped that the roasted nuttiness would show itself in the palate, but it was only that same candied peach profile that was so predominant in the nose.  I don’t know how anyone could drink more than one of these, unless you are seriously diggin’ on the peaches.  I honestly think if you dialed back that overwhelming aspect a few notches and ramped up the nuttiness, with a bit of spice, you could have an intriguing beer.  But as it stands, it is off-balanced and heavy-handed. Interesting enough for a Christmas beer lineup tasting, but needs a serious overhaul….

As for the Champagnes, holy wow. THAT is why I love sparkling wine…..

CHEERS!

On the Third Day of Christmas, My True Love Gave to Me….

3 yummy beers, and a 1 amazing glass of champagne!

The rain continues….and continues…..Somebody call Noah.

Me, Mike, and Mark. 60 years ago.

Today, with the rain closing in and the sky growing darker around us, friends and I shared a few delicious brews and the amazing 2000 Pierre Gimmonet Oenophile.  I gotta tell ya, champagne and beer go beautifully together. And I am not talking Miller High Life here people.

The brews? Rogue’s St. Rogue Red, Brewdog Hardcore IPA, and for my Christmas beer…

St. Bernardus Christmas Ale: ABV: 10%  This brewery, in operation since 1946, makes one of my favorite Belgians, the Abt 12. If you get a chance to have it on draft, take it and love it!

The Christmas Ale opens us with aromas of cherry vanilla that follows through on the palate.  Surprising but nice!  And definitely lots of savory and spicy yeast notes. Mark picks up notes of pumpkin on the nose. The palate is creamy and almost egg-noggy, not by taste, but that mouth-filling roundness.  As it warmed, Mike nailed definite aromas of peach, which resulted in a peaches-and-cream sorta thing that was absolutely delightful.  Only as the beer warmed did moments of alcohol heat arise, but still it drank smooth without burn. This beer was full of pleasant surprises, and made for a very enjoyable drink. Enjoy this large-format brew with friends!

And friends, run don’t walk to Cork & Bottle, and get yourself the VERY LIMITED Brewdog Hardcore IPA.  It’s is downright delicious.  As complex in aromatics and flavors as a fine wine. Gorgeous notes of citrus and tree fruit. Do yourself a BIG favor and drink this beer soon…

CHEERS!

P.S. It’s still raining…..

On the Second Day of Christmas, my True Love Gave to Me….

I categorically refuse to wear the santa hat. Ba humbug.

Two Christmas beers, and a Saints win, 13 and 0!!!!!

Sing it with me! Despite my acute nausea, lost voice, and near heart attack from today’s Saints game, a win brought my excitement to drink Christmas beers to a whole new level this afternoon.  And so, I headed to the Avenue Pub for celebratory liquid refreshment with my fellow Saints and beer lovers….

Mahrs Christmas Bock: ABV: 6%  Not a whole lot to say here.  Tastes like a simple, straight-forward bock.  If I was blind-tasting, I wouldn’t guess holiday.  Easy-drinking and fairly light in body, this is a brew that is made for quantity drinking, rather than highly intellectual banter.  Like most lagers, a crisp, and refreshing beer, this one with little complexity in aroma or flavor. Just ok, I will save my tummy room for more flavorful holiday brews…

my favorite beer model, Becca.

2008 Anchor Christmas Ale: ABV: 5.5%  Now THIS tastes like Christmas.  Welcoming notes of pine, clove, cinnamon, vanilla, and a pot full of mulling spices. As it warms, lots of dry cocoa. Rounded malty flavors mingle with the spices to make a warm, satisfying palate that makes you think of pies baking in the oven, lit christmas trees, and big roaring fireplaces. I wanna drink this every holiday-crazed day.  And I think I just might.  As soon as I hit the tarmac in North Cackalacky I am headed to my favorite beer shop, Lighthouse, and buying a 12-pack.

This is the 34th annual brewing of this beer, and for those of you as inept as mathematics as yours truly, that means their first batch was in good ole’ 1975. Wanna see all of their label since the first inaugural year? Click here! EVERY year the recipe is different, so it will always taste a little different from one year to the next.  (P.S. Their recipe is also secret and highly guarded, so good luck finding out what’s in there.) I have no idea how this tasted last year, as I was still in Italy, either drinking copious amounts of wine or Peroni. But a year later…I like it.

I am looking forward to drinking the 2009 release within the next few days…..Will report, so stay tuned….

I also drank the delicious beers, Unibroue La Fin Du Monde and Blanche de Chambly, and then…..another Anchor Christmas.  A fine Sunday Funday!!!!

CHEERS!

On the First Day of Christmas, my True Love Gave to Me….

Happy Holidays with beer! I'm putting on of these in my house. Gonna have to drink ALOT of Peroni....

A Rogue Santa’s Private Reserve.

WELLLLLL, friends, here we go with the 12 BEERS OF CHRISTMAS!!!!! The first night begins in the cozy, warm, and dry confines of my New Orleans apartment…..

It’s cold. Its torrentially raining. The streets are flooded. New Orleans is spending its Saturday night inside.  And so am I. Curled up on the couch with pillows and blankets, I am watching a string of holiday movies and drinking my first Christmas beer. Might as well inundate myself right?

Glitter snowflakes and Rogue Santa. Yes, beer lovers I realize the symmetry.

Rogue Santa’s Private Reserve: ABV: 6%, Red Ale

This delightful and easy-drinking beer is actually from LAST year’s release, 2008.  I have not yet had the 2009 release, but will report if I can get ahold of it. This beer is not vintage marked, but easily made the year of aging. Due to the fair amount of sediment in the bottom of the bottle, my thought is that it is either unfiltered or bottle-conditioned. But no such indication of either on their website. Anyone? Anyone? Bueller? Think I’ll give them a call on Monday.

Pours out a lovely light amber color, with orange hues. Not a ton of aromatics on the nose, but still some bright and vibrant notes of citrus, pine, and a bit of spice. And definite notes of yeast. More focused in the bottle, of course.

On the palate, a nice, smooth and rounded maltiness, a possible indication of Munich malt…Yep, it’s in there! (I learned about Munich malt from Eric Jensen) An easy, yet refreshing finish that makes it as easy as pie to take another sip.  As you approach the bottom of the bottle, the yeast aromatics intensify, but we are not talking Belgian beer here folks.  It’s still easy-going. Drink this beer while wrapping presents or watching holiday bowl games. You’ll be able to go through them like gangbusters.  Looking forward to trying the current release and comparing…..Stay tuned!

Happy 1st Day of Christmas!

CHEERS!

And the Winners are…….

HERE they are folks, FINALLY, my favorite, tip-top, cream o’ the crop picks from the 100 stouts and porters I drank through the month of November! YEAHHHH BEER!!!

(The numbers beside the selections indicate the review # in the blog. And yes, in some categories there is more than one winner. I’M SORRY. I just could NOT decide. Lets call it a tie.)

*BEST AMERICAN PORTER*

(#98) Great Lakes Edmund Fitzgerald Porter

(Smooth, balanced, and exactly what a porter should be)

*BEST IMPERIAL PORTER*

(#90) Rogue Imperial Porter

(This guy is a heavy-hitter and drinks like a stout)

*BEST BRITISH PORTER*

(#86) Old Slug Porter

(Bottle-Conditioned)(Let this baby warm up a bit and it will open up beautifully)

*BEST BALTIC PORTER*

(#33) Sinebrychoff Porter (has the intensity without the syrupy nose or finish)

*BEST SMOKED PORTER*

(#8)Stone Smoked Porter

(Not overdone, both smoky and meaty, well balanced)

*BEST AMERICAN STOUT(S)*

(#42)Green Flash Double Stout

(My statement stands. I want this in a keg by my bed. It’s just yummy)

(#64)Deschutes Obsidian Stout

(Such a wonderful example of an American stout. Not a flaw in sight)

(#19)Virgil Russell and Fred Lockett’s Man in Black Stout

(Absolutely delicious homebrew, deserves to be in production)

*BEST AMERICAN IMPERIAL STOUT*

(#89)Great Divide Yeti Imperial Stout

(A wonderfully made Imperial. Balanced. Exactly on the mark)

*BEST RUSSIAN IMPERIAL STOUT(S)*

(#78)Three Floyds Brewing Dark Lord

(just read the review. mind-blowing)

(#34)North Coast Old Rasputin

(incredibly complex aromas and flavors. Must try on cask. DRINK IN A TULIP!)

*BEST OATMEAL STOUT(S)*

(#40)Goose Island Oatmeal Stout

(a beer that has the complexity of a fine wine. really incredible)

(#12)Samuel Smith’s Oatmeal Stout

(always and forever, a true delicious classic)

*BEST CHOCOLATE STOUT(S)*

(#7)Brooklyn Brewery Black Chocolate Stout

(dark, dark chocolate, a liquid dessert)

(#3)Rogue Chocolate Stout

(a rich, dark chocolate profile. a classic)

*BEST COFFEE STOUT/PORTER*

(#29)Nils Oscar Coffee Stout

(clean and pure, like the best coffee. sub at brunch)

*BEST BARREL-AGED STOUT(S)*

(#39)Goose Island Bourbon County Stout

(unbelievable, drinks like a port, drink over hours!)

(#68)Brewdog Paradox Speyside

(incredible aromas and flavors, this too drink over time)

(#67)Brewdog Paradox Islay

(smoky, peaty, a whisky drinker’s beer)

*BEST IRISH STOUT*

Guinness (on draft)

Murphy’s (in can)

*BEST HYBRID BEER*

(#99) Mikkeller Beer Geek Breakfast

(An Oatmeal Stout brewed with coffee! YUMMY!)

*BEST ORGANIC BEER*

(#25) Bison Chocolate Stout

(clean, pure flavors. suprisingly light in body but well balanced)

*BEST MILK STOUT*

(#82) Lazy Magnolia Jefferson Sweet Potato Stout

(creamy, delicious, and smooth, try on nitro)

*BEST BEER THAT DOESN’T FIT INTO ANY CATEGORY*

(#23) Dark Force Double Extreme Imperial Wheat Stout

(possibly the darkest beer in the universe defies a category!)

FINALLY…..DRUMROLL PLEASE……….*THE #1 BEER OF 100?*

By sheer intensity, complexity, and wonderment……the Gold Medal, Blue Ribbon, Big cup, and Champion trophy goes to………..

DARK LORD Russian Imperial Stout from Three Floyds Brewing.

CHECK OUT THE REVIEWS OF ALL THE WINNERS!!!

For Amber Waves of Grain….

Everyone, meet Eric Jensen, brewmaster at Pacific Beach Alehouse in San Diego, California.  I first met Eric a year or so ago, when I lived in the beautiful Southern California city and worked at the sister restaurant, the famous Cane’s on Mission Beach. Eric became the brewer from the first rrrrr of the saw, and helped open the doors in April 2008 with four beers on tap: Whitewash Wheat, Crystal Pier Pale Ale, Amber Wave, and PB Porter (my fave).

That's Eric in black. Hey Jeff in the back!

From whence did all of this brewmastery spring forth?  Actually, like so many brewers and winemakers alike, Eric was in a job that he couldn’t bear any longer. In his case, accounting. His love of beer had always been a dominant force, as he was an accomplished homebrewer all the while.  So his decision to enroll in courses at the American Brewers Guild came naturally.  After a 12 week course in brewing, Eric took an unpaid internship in Berkeley, at Golden Pacific Brewery, which closed and is now Trumer. After working with the brewery for 2 years, he moved back to San Diego and began brewing with Karl Strauss, where he would remain for 6 1/2 years, becoming their head brewer.  After an additional 2 years at La Jolla Brewhouse, he decided it was time for a break, took a year off for traveling, and pursued another passion of his, woodworking. But it wouldn’t be too long till the kettles were clanging and the fermentation tanks bubbling in an Alice in Wonderland-type symphony, calling him back home to brewing…

So after chit-chatting and catching up for a bit, I posed the question I’ve been dying to ask him, and one I will continue to ask EVERY brewer I ever meet:  In today’s brewing world, what do YOU feel is the primary difference between and porter and a stout?

Eric in his domain...

Eric’s answer? In one simple, yet firm sentence, the level of roasted malt character in the beer.  You see, not only does the level of roasting affect flavor and bitterness, but also the color.  In a stout, you have more of the highly roasted malts,such as Black Patent and Chocolate Malts. Hence, darker color, more intense notes of coffee and chocolate, and a sizable bitterness on the finish. In comparison, porters are known for their use of crystal/caramel malts, which are stewed rather than roasted, and lends a rich, brown, caramel color and a malty sweetness in flavor, that manifests as toffee, caramel, and maple. And yes, I used caramel three times in the same sentence, but THAT’S the color and flavor folks. Also the addition of Munich malts, which are employed in Oktoberfest, Bock, and Marzen beers, often find their way into porters, and impart a maltiness to the brew.

Eric was inspired to start producing porter after having the Fuller’s London Porter on cask on vacation.  I said, “You’ve got to be @#$% kidding me. Fuller’s London Porter on CASK?” I couldn’t believe it. “How was it?” I implored.  ”AWESOME,” he replied.  (As you read in my review, I enjoyed drinking the Fuller’s. It was a smooth, easy, session-type beer perfect for a game or BBQ.  I can only imagine how ridiculously smooth it would have been on cask.  Like brown velvet…

So WHAT IS Eric loving these days in the beer universe?  For an IPA, the Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale (will be featured in my 12 beers of Christmas!) and Belgian Trippels, such as Trippel Karmeliet, and Green Flash’s Trippel.

The delicious Hopulent Double IPA from Eric. CHEERS!

Which leads me to my next question of what he is itchin’ to brew up a batch of… He gives an answer that causes me to give a silent squeal of delight: Belgian IPA.  Yes. Yes. Yes! Inspired by the Belgian breweries Orval and La Chouffe, and America’s own Green Flash Belgian IPA Le Freak, (all amazing beers), Eric is ready to develop his own. And I can’t wait to taste it.

You know the saying, Curiosity killed the cat? Well, I’m allergic to felines, and I’d already come this far, so I figured I was safe in asking what was in the works for upcoming beers….I was thrilled to hear Eric is planning an Imperial Porter for February and a Saint Patrick’s Day stout for March.

If you are in San Diego, stop by and get a growler of Eric's brews!

I shared with him my drinking experiences with the very divergent styles of Flying Dog Gonzo Imperial Porter and the Rogue Imperial Porter. Turns out that ole Gonzo is one of his favorites, and an inspiration with its vibrant hoppy character.  I look forward to tasting his version!  With the Patty’s Day stout, he plans to hop up and malt up a traditional Irish Dry Stout to make an interesting brew for the drinking man’s holiday.  Stay tuned for a title on both of these!!

Eric was such a pleasure to talk to, and I’m SURE I will be picking his brain many more times in the future.  If you are in or visit the San Diego area, stop by, ask for Joe the hot and awesome bartender, and try out Eric’s yummy brews.  Click here to see the current selection. (I like the porter, of course) Ohhh, and their Ahi Tuna Sandwich and sweet potato fries are DEEEELICIOUS.

CHEERS!