Beer style of the week; American-style India Pale Ale (IPA)

Week 26

Last week we explored the origins of the original English India Pale Ale style; http://www.examiner.com/beer-in-boston/beer-style-of-the-week-english-style-india-pale-ale-ipa

Just to recap; the IPA was created out of necessity because the Pale Ales that English brewers were shipping to India didn’t survive the long ocean voyages very well. By the time the beer arrived it had gone stale. The English troops stationed there were not satisfied with tea and bland beer alone, so the brewers pitched loads more hops (a natural preservative) into the brew kettle. The results not only saved the beer’s beeriness, it also created a stronger more flavorful brew.

This week we focus on an IPA style that’s similar, yet distinctly different from the English IPA; the edgier, stronger, slightly unruly, American IPA. Whilst British men wear proper trousers when supping IPA’s, America men wear pants or cargo shorts while slugging down their IPA’s.

The traditional English brewers of IPA’s tend to use the traditional hops varieties (Challenger, Goldings, Fuggles, Target) and pale barley along with a little crystal malt (Victory, Maris Otter), and yeast strains such as Ringwood known to brewers for centuries. The American versions are all over the place as far as hop, malt and yeast varieties are concerned. And speaking of differences, New England IPA’s differ from Mid-West, Northern, Central and West Coast IPA’s. At any rate, IPA’s, no matter where they originate, they should be hop-forward ales with medium to solid malt backbones. The malt characteristics of New England IPA’s can be described as biscuity, bready, with caramel or honey-tasting sweetness. The hop profiles are rangy from piney, floral, citrusy, grapefruit, metallic, tea-like, resinous, spicy or all of the above. Gotta love that freedom to explore! Also, gotta expect a few flops when brewers chuck massive doses of ingredients into the brew kettle simply because they can.

Let’s look at a couple West Coast and Mid-West America IPA’s to compare and contrast to New England versions;

West Coast IPA’s

Racer 5 IPA – Bear Republic – Healdsburg, California – 7.0 ABV

This is a big IPA...could be an Imperial IPA and no one would bitch. It pours a bright shiny copper with a medium-sized off-white head and some trails of lace. The aroma is mostly made up of fragrant floral hops, with a hint of sweet malt. The body is fairly full and sweet for the style. Caramel and vanilla wafer come to mind. A big blast of fresh sharp-edged hops jumps out with grapefruit, lemon zest and a faint metallic tang. The warming alcohol mixed with the lush sweetness gives this brew a sort of brandied candy flavor, only a tad more astringent in the finish.

Stone IPA – Stone Brewing – Escondido, California – 6.9% ABV

This shiny copper IPA is loaded with fresh whole hop flavors. The aroma is almost totally floral hop based. The medium/rich malt body doesn't provide much competition for the hops, but it plays a nice supporting role, while offering a trace herbal, earthy character. Full grapefruity, pine and citrus bitterness lasts. Lightly sweet with some noticeable alcohol kick that melds seamlessly with the hops. Lasting White Head and nice sticky lace. A nice representation of the style.

Mid-West

Bell’s Two-hearted Ale – Bell’s Brewery – Kalamazoo, Michigan – 7% ABV

12oz brown bottle. No freshness date.

It pours a wonderful honey amber color with a medium-sized white head and a fair amount of trailing and sticky lace.

A big blast of floral hops is noticed upon opening the bottle and increases in intensity during the pour. Citrusy hops and a faint malt smell emerge briefly, then fade. The floral hop aroma remains.

A lightly sweet biscuity malt flavor meekly sets the table for the abundance of hop flavors. Grapefruit, lemons, orange zest and limes make up a jowl clinching citrusy hit. A mild metallic bite and some peppery spices act as seasonings for this potently charged IPA.

Had the Brits invented this stuff during their colonization of India, they'd be flying the Union Jack in Bombay today.

New England IPA’s

Smuttynose Finest Kind IPA - Portsmouth, New Hampshire – 6.9% ABV

12oz brown bottle. Freshness date etched on label.

It pours a hazy orange-hued amber with a big, slow-fading off-white head and lots of sticky, clinging and trailing lacing.

A big whiff of floral hop is released immediately upon opening the bottle. Deep citrusy fragrant grapefruit and orange zest follow, as does a light smell of pinesap. A distant malty grain smell is noticed with a bit more concentration.

A lightly sweet caramel malt is revealed incrementally as it warms. A mild taste of pears comes to mind.

Sharp-edged grapefruit and lemon zest bitterness really perk the pucker up. A bit of fumy alcohol is noticed from time to time. For all of the abundant hoppiness, this brew maintains a nice, lightly creamy malt body.

Hi.P.A. – Magic Hat Brewing – Burlington, Vermont – 6.7% ABV

Pours an orangey amber with a rapidly dissipating head, which leaves a thin sheet and small specks of lace. A fragrant floral and citrusy hop aroma dominates a lightly doughy smell. The sweet malt begins to emerge after a few gulps. Grapefruit, lemon and lime and a slightly metallic bitterness overwhelms at first swallow, and then mellows out slightly. The alcohol kick gains some ground and becomes more noticeable towards the end of the glass. I like the fact that MH relies on traditional beer ingredients in brewing this IPA. I'm not a fan of their propensity to use flavorings (#9, Miss Bliss, Hocus Pocus Lemon and Ginger).

Other worthy New Englanders

Samuel Adam’s Latitude 48

Harpoon IPA (very consistent!)

Leatherlips from The Tap & Haverhill Brewery

Indie Pale Ale from Cisco Brewers

Pucker up everybody! There are IPA’s to be had at every packie, beer bar, brew pub and restaurant in New England. Full flavored, hoppy, juicy, spicy, they are versatile beers!

Next up; Double IPA’s (Hop Monsters)

Quote: “Gimme a pigfoot and a bottle of beer” – Besse Smith, American Blues singer (1894-1937)

Beer style of the Week – Schwarzbier (Black Beer) – Week 10

We haven’t visited Germany as the foundation for one of our Beer styles of the Week in quite some time. So here we have a lager style so unique to the south eastern region of Germany that very few countries have taken a serious stab at capturing the execution of the original idea. Schwarzbier may be one of the, if not the oldest scientifically proven beer styles in Europe. While we know that lagers are a relatively new style when compared to ale, lager (which means cellared) have been brewed for quite some time, although not in the controlled brewing conditions and methods we understand today. A crock found in 1935 in an ancient burial ground dated from around 800 BC in west of Kulmbach, Germany contained residues of blacken barley bread used for brewing Black Beer. If it was brewed and fermented in a cool cave or cellar, we can be sure it was a lager. Today’s Schwarzbier is firmly in the lager family.

Today Black Beer falls into many different style ranges, from the original Schwarz lager, to the paler cousins from Bavaria, the Dunkel, to Black Ales, and Black IPAs, to the amped up “Imperial” Blacks.

The Schwarz, in general terms is a mellow, medium-bodied black lager. It ranges in color from a slightly transparent black to a ruby-hued cola color. The bitterness to malt ratio is fairly balanced. There is typically very little fruity or citrusy notes. Light smokiness in aroma and flavor is common. A proper Schwarz is very gulpable and goes well with a wide variety of foods. All the smells and aromas are subtle. Nothing jumps out and grabs you. Instead, you find what lies inside by searching and savoring.

Germany

Kostritzer – Thuringen, Germany – 4.8% ABV

11.2oz dark brown bottle. Freshness date stamped on back label.

Served in an over-sized handled mug.

It pours a burnt cola color with a tannish beige head and lots of webby lacing.

The aroma is of clear and clean toasted malt. A light whiff of distant wildflowers is imagined (or real?)

True to the style, it's a delicate balance of slightly honey sweet toasted malt and mildly resinous and metallic hop. A little alcohol hints in the aftertaste.

This is one mellow fellow! Looks are deceiving!

So very drinkable! Try this with really spicy dishes and/or a variety of cheeses and salamis.

Monchoff – Kulmbacher, Germany 4.9% ABV

This very Black Beer is dark black coffee in color. The almost oily herbal malt is medium in body. The pleasant slightly fruity, malty, hoppy nose is a joy to breathe, though act quick, it doesn’t last. Amply hopped with Pilsner-type bittering hops. Dry yet lightly sweet with a hint of apples. Nice mix of malt and hops make for a balanced brew. Restrained yet bursting with flavors with a little effort.

South of the Border (Many Germans have migrated to South and Central America the past hundred years and have brought with them the beer styles they have been accustomed to)

Brazil

Xingu Black Beer – Santa Maria, Brazil – 4.7% ABV

Big dark bottle. No freshness date.

It pours the darkest red-hued mahogany possible before blackness. A bubbly tan head fades fast. Very little lace. Sweet malt aroma, with a vague smell of apples in the background

A sweet syrupy thick malt is doughy and a bit smoky.

Amply Hopped with a very unique pectin, herb and citrusy taste. A honey sweetness reemerges towards the end. It feels more potent than its listed 4.7%.

Mexico

Modelo Negra – Mexico City, Mexico – 5.4% ABV

Ha ha! Negra is really a Munich Dunkel Lager, not a Schwarzbier.

New England

Magic Hat Demo Black IPA – Burlington, VT – 6% ABV

12oz brown bottle. Freshness date stamped on bottle neck.
Served in a standard pint glass.
It pours a mahogany-hued black with a fading beige head, along with some splotchy lacing.
Smells of cut dry pine and slightly burnt rye toast, mingle with citrusy and resinous hops.
Unlike a Schwarzbier, the hop flavors are upfront and dominant. Citrus, spruce, resinous and metallic hops are strong, but reluctantly give way to a fairly solid malty body. Rye toast and graham crackers with a touch of honey follow in behind the hops. A little boozy alcohol staggers in and joins the party, but sort of off to the side, belching and hiccupping now and then, but not totally inappropriate.
Nice beer to pair with grilled meats and veggies or spicy Asian dishes.

Black Hops – Blue Hills Brewery – Canton, MA – 6.7% ABV

12oz brown bottle. Served in a standard pint glass.

It pours a root beer black with a fast-fading tan head, along with some patchy lacing.

Smells or burnt rye toast, sweet malt, resinous and citrusy hops mix around, and come and go at will. A little dose of rummy fumes sneaks in and lasts throughout.

The flavors are balanced like a Schwarzbier, but unlike a Schwarz, the flavors are big and in your face. There are no subtleties here. Like loud but lovable cousins, this beer is difficult to ignore, but easy to get along with. And you look forward to future visits from them. This is a very liquid ale. Goes down real fast in large gulps.

Good stuff!

White Birch – Indulgence Ale – Imperial Black Ale? – Hookset, NH – 9% ABV

22oz dark brown bottle. Bottled on date on front label.

Served in a tall nonic glass.

One of the tannest heads I've ever seen floats atop an impenetrable brown-tinted black body.

Smells of chocolate, coffee, licorice, root beer, wet gym socks, chimneys, with a bit of citrus peeking through, are all jumbled together.

The flavors are a bit all over the place as well. Cocoa, coffee with cream, fruit cup, banana bread, molasses, resinous and citrusy hops and warming alcohol blast around without any thought of balance or harmony, but then why not just make a really BIG freaking beer??!!?!??

It's not really a Schwarz or Imperial Schwarz or an Imperial Chocolate Stout, or anything in between. It is what it is. A BIG Dark Mystery Beer!

Prost!!!!

Quote: “The selling of bad beer is a crime against Christian love.” - The law in the City of Augsburg, Germany – 13^th century