Bam Biere hits with bitterness

Posted August 23, 2007 by jmstremcha
Categories: Uncategorized

Last week, I was able to write about Jolly Pumpkin’s Calabaza Blanca. I continue to be intrigued by the Jolly Pumpkin beers, so when a reader e-mailed to remind me that Bam Biere would be on cask at the Happy Gnome this week, I couldn’t resist (nor could I get there on Thursday).

When work finally let up, I headed into the Gnome on Sunday to find a number of fellow beer geeks. Ms. BeerGeek and I joined them, and I eagerly ordered the Bam Biere.

Despite the website’s description, I would call it amber more than golden. The aroma was a now-familiar mix of sourness and spicy hops. The flavor had a sweet bready attack, which gave way to the most interesting part of the beer: a formidable bitterness. Surprisingly, the bitterness was not hoppy, rather it was like orange peel or Angostura bitters (for you cocktail fans out there). Eventually, this gave way to the yeasty, bready wheat flavor I find so enjoyable in Jolly Pumpkin beers.

I continue to find Jolly Pumpkin beers beguiling. I commented on Sunday, “They aren’t like the same pale ale everyone makes.” They’re different and complex. They’re a little bit of a mystery and a little bit of a surprise. They’re highly enjoyable every time.

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By Golly, a big Jolly Cask

Posted August 16, 2007 by jmstremcha
Categories: Belgian, Restaurants, Sour beers

On the same night I tried Flat Earth’s Angry Earth, I also had the opportunity to try Jolly Pumpkin’s Calabaza Blanca on cask at the Happy Gnome. I was curious to get a third taste of Jolly Pumpkin.

The first bottle, I had over a year ago when Jolly Pumpkin first was distributed in MN, was a nice Belgain ale the Oro de Calabaza. It was something like a wit crossed with a strong golden, with a light influence of the wood and wild Belgian yeast (the later two being hallmarks making Jolly Pumpkin special).

The next bottle I was reviewing for the Twin Cities Imbiber. It was again the Oro de Calabaza strongly sour — totally interesting, but totally different from the first bottle.

What would I get the third time - with a different beer? From the cask, the beer was flatter, of course, but it was also less sour in the attack. There was more oakiness and perhaps most pleasingly, the sourness gave way to a yeasty/rising bread/wheaty flavor in the middle. Finally, there was a slight hoppy finish.

The fourth time? I don’t know what I’m going to get. It’s clear Jolly Pumpkin’s barrel-aging is evolving, changing and allowing their beers to have lives of their own. I think this is interesting and wildly exciting, so I’ll be looking for more jolly-ness in my life.

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Flat Earth’s Organic?!

Posted August 13, 2007 by jmstremcha
Categories: Belgian, Hoppy Beers, Restaurants

Last week, I jumped a technological hurdle on got “What Ale’s Thee” onto my iPod. This allowed me to use my commute to think about beer. In the latest edition, Phil and Alvey talk with the owners of Flat Earth Brewing. So, by the time I got to work, I was all excited to go get some Flat Earth beer. The next night, I found myself at the Happy Gnome and in a position to order their Angry Earth Pale Ale.

I’d had the Belgian Pale in the past and found it to be a perfectly passable beer, not totally unlike a beer I brew myself. I’d heard, however, that organic brewing ingredients weren’t quite up to the quality of conventional ingredients (running contrary to my food preference and evidence). I wondered what this would mean for Angry Earth?

I found it meant good things…and bad. The aroma was certainly suprising. I expected more hop aroma. What I found was something slightly off-putting. To me, it was kind of a pumpkin-guts vegetal thing. Tentatively, I sipped… There was a lovely bright, freshness to the hop flavor. I loved this, but I had a hard time getting past the funk.

When I passed it around to other homebrewers, they agreed it was a little weird, chalked it up to organic ingredients and moved on to other beers.

Myself, I’ll go back to the Belgian Pale and I’m still anxious to try the Element 115 Cali Common, but I guess I won’t run out for organic beers or ingredients any time soon.

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The Session #6: Chilling Experience with Miller

Posted August 3, 2007 by jmstremcha
Categories: Fruit beers, Macrobrew, The Session

If you read the style guidelines for an “Lite American Lager” (an example of which would be say, Miller Lite), you’d find things like the following:
“Hop Aroma: low to none”
“Malt Aroma: low to none”
“Hop Flavor: low to none”
“Malt Flavor: low to none”

If you were to read further in the guidelines for fruit beers, you’d find that fruit character in a beer should be balanced with the “base” style. So, if the base style were an American Light Lager, you might expect the fruit character to be — you guessed it — low to none!

By this analysis, I have to say that Miller Chill hits the mark (and reluctantly give it a great score). The salt and lime reportedly in the beer is more of a suggestion than an actual flavor or aroma. The latter, incidentally, is a suggestion more of Sprite than of an actual lime.

I picked up this beer to participation in “Session #6” on fruit beer. I was curious about it. And, Ms. BeerGeek’s coworkers were claiming it was the greatest thing since sliced bread (see post on Beer like Wonderbread).

If it were a hot day and I’d just mowed the lawn…sounds a like an okay beer. If I were at someone’s house and they handed me a bottle…I probably wouldn’t ask for water.

Will I eagerly consume the next 5 bottles of Chill I own? Nope.

Comments: 5 Comments

Maine Attractions: English-style

Posted July 24, 2007 by jmstremcha
Categories: Hoppy Beers

I was kept away from posting last week by a business trip to Maine. While there, I had occasion to try some of the local brews. I was surprised and impressed by the number of local breweries in the area.

The first and most available beer I had was Shipyard’s (pronounced ship-yaaaad) Export Ale. I was immediately reminded of a post Stan at Appellation Beer put up a couple of weeks ago on East coast vs. West coast pale ales.

The Export was definitely in the East Coast/English Ale camp. The beer was a little more malt forward than some of West Coast styles with nice caramelly notes. The most distinguishing character was the hop flavor and arome which bore the woodsy, resiny trademarks of English varieties (like Fuggles). Finally, the beer even had a hint of “Burtonized” water, giving it just the slightest bit of what I describe as a baking soda taste. This also has the effect of accentuating the hop bitterness in a palate cleansing, sharp, short bite kind of way.

I found the same trend with many of the beers I tasted in ME: they followed an English-style. I appreciated the change of pace from the most West Coast style beers often found here in MN.

Since we are in the mid-west, can’t we have it both ways!?

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CynicAle No More

Posted July 13, 2007 by jmstremcha
Categories: Belgian, Restaurants, Yeasty Beers

Last night, Ms. BeerGeek had the excellent idea that we bike over to try the Sea Salt Eatery in Minnehaha Park. I regret to say we hadn’t been there yet, despite good reviews and ample time.

While there, I tried Surly’s Cynic Ale, which they’ve claimed as a Saison. I had it last summer and wasn’t too impressed. It was enjoyable enough, but it followed the pattern of their beers - aggressively hopped above all, but not very saison-y. I was pleasantly surprised at how GOOD my Cynic was this time around!

It had all the things a Saison should: extra-finish, hints of spicy/fruity yeast character and a little bit of the funk. The aroma was light and fruity, like bitter orange and peaches. The taste was dry, slightly astringent and complex the way green tea is when it’s slightly over steeped: hop bitterness, white pepper, lavender and lemon zest. At the end, just a hint of the magic Belgian yeast funk that makes Saison’s so great.

To be fair, this Cynic may have benefited from the halo effect of a perfect 70F night, fantiatic seafood, and being outdoors at arguably one of the Twin Cities’ finest natural landmarks, Minnehaha Falls.

That said, Surly does acknowledge (and affirm my memory) that they “tweaked the recipe a little bit this year” - more like improved by leaps and bounds. This is easily Surly’s best beer - I’m a cynic no more!

Comments: 2 Comments

Beer bland like Wonderbread

Posted July 11, 2007 by jmstremcha
Categories: Uncategorized

I’ve been working my way through Marian Ogle’s “Ambitious Brew: the History of American Beer,” which is really the history of the American macrobrew. That works for me because I was interested in the book in part to find out how the dominant American beers came to be so uninteresting despite the brewing traditions of our English and German ancestors. I found it hard to believe the magic yeast from a German castle smuggled across the Atlantic in an immigrant’s pocket (as told at the Miller brewery) was intended for a Miller Lite-like beer.

Ogle describes the early brewing process and prohibition in some detail. That’s where I thought flavor-lite beers were born. Truth be told, it was the much-exalted American consumer who launched bland beer:

As the rest of the food industrialized in the late-40s and 50s, Americans in their Wonderbreadiness found beer too flavorful and hoppy. CAN YOU IMAGINE? Beer sales slumped and breweries dumbed down beer to meet consumer demand.

In an encouraging sign that the pendulum is swinging the other direction, Beer Advocate reviews the new recipe Michelob, which now (again?) is brewed with all grains. You gotta start somewhere, right?

Comments: 2 Comments

Beers that changed America

Posted July 5, 2007 by jmstremcha
Categories: Uncategorized

Appellation Beer has a thought provoking post today: 10 Beers that Changed America. I recommend it to anyone thinking about the evolution of American beer.

It got me thinking about the craft beers that have shaped Minnesota. Certainly, Summit’s Extra Pale Ale looms large. I also think Surly’s Furious and Bender, both for their “extreme” nature and their 16-oz, 4-pack delivery.

Any other nominations?

Comments: 5 Comments

New Belgium lands the Mothership

Posted July 4, 2007 by jmstremcha
Categories: Belgian, Yeasty Beers

I gather there has been some excitement about the New Belgium beers coming to Minnesota. This enthusiasm is not without merit. New Belgium makes some great beers. In my opinion, though, their best beers aren’t coming to MN . . .yet. According to the Twin Cities Imbiber, only the 1554, Fat Tire and as I found, the Mothership Wit are in town and in 22 oz. bottles.

Since I know Fat Tire pretty well, I picked up the other two and tried the Wit last night. The color was light yellow with greenish under-tones, almost like a young sauvignon blanc. Compared with other Wits, it was also remarkably clear.

The spicy character was light in the aroma. There was a surprisingly strong bready note to the nose.

The spice character was relatively strong in the beginning of flavor. There was the expected coriander note, as well as some other spiciness I couldn’t quite identify. The spicy notes early gave way to a subtle and pleasant sourness in the middle. The sourness was generally citrusy/acidity. Although balanced by a strong carbonation, sweetness finished the beer; I thought lingering into the aftertaste a bit.

I perceive wheat to give beers a distinct mouthfeel. I’m not sure others would agree, but I always think of it as a bit “chewy,” in a paradoxically creamy kind of a way. The Wit style generally has a fair amount of wheat in the grist, and I found that kind of mouthfeel in this beer.

Would I recommend the Wit? You bet. It’s especially attractive as a “gateway beer,” for the drinker who’s ready the next step into real beer from the world of Blue Moon or even wine. It would be great with Sushi, light pasta, shrimp on the grill, or anything with herbs and citrus. Perfect for summer!

(Note: I’m still waiting for “Skinny Dip,” NB’s summer seasonal to make it to MN, along with the stellar Tripel).

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Wine and Cheese - no way!

Posted June 26, 2007 by jmstremcha
Categories: Hoppy Beers, With cheese

Most folks think of wine and cheese as a natural pair - no way! Beer and cheese on the other hand are made for each other.

I’d always believed this to be fact myself, but then, I’m biased. I’ve also heard wine lovers say about the only thing cheese does for wine is mute the tannins in big reds.

I was further encouraged by Dara Moskowitz Grumdahl in this week’s City Pages. In her column, she quotes Ken Liss, owner of the Premier Cheese Shop, talking about how much he likes beer with cheese. I’ve found Dara’s asessment about both the quality and selection of cheese and the customer service at Premier to be true. All are excellent (and worth the drive I make from the opposite end of the metro. )

I love beer with cheese, too. In her column, Dara talks about the way Bell’s Two-Hearted pairs well with a variety of cheeses. I especially like its hoppiness with sharp English cheddars, but look forward to trying some of her pairing suggestions. Stouts work surprisingly well with blues. Wheat beers with fresh cheeses…more in future posts…

So, Wine Geeks, Cheese Geeks, and Beer Geeks agree: cheese and beer!

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