Beer style of the week; The New England Beer All-Star Team

Week 52

It has been a lot of fun drinking and thinking about all the wonderful beers profiled in Beer style of the week for the past 51 Sundays. As a result of the column, many people have asked not only what my very favorite beer style is, but what my favorite beer is. The simplified answer to both questions has always been, depends. Depends on the weather, the season, the mood I’m in, the company I keep, the spontaneous urge to try something different, the meal or snack in front of me, or just what is being offered me at the moment.

Now if you were to hold a gun to my head and demand an answer, NOW! (not that I personally suggest this approach). I could begin prattling off all the styles and beers near and dear to me, along with providing minute detailed analysis, specific situational rational and cloudy recollections of my every thought about beer in general. You would turn the gun on yourself…

That said, there are some beers I come back to time after time. They are dependable beers. I look forward to their company. I miss them when they’re out of season. Some foods must be paired with certain beers. You salivate just thinking about that special occasion (must wipe the keyboard now).

Here they are…

Spring Time Beer

Maibock (Takes the sting out of a damp drizzly day)

Narragansett Bock – Narragansett Brewing – Providence, Rhode Island – 6.5% ABV

16 oz. can. No freshness date, except for some code stamped on the bottom.

Served in a tall Harpoon Nonic glass.

The color is brassy amber with a fast-fading white head. Thin wisps of webby lacing cling to the glass.

A grassy, wet hay smell dominates, followed by a light peaty malty aroma. A mild citrusy smell is followed by slightly boozy white rum fuminess.

The malt and hop flavors are fairly evenly matched. Bready dough, honey sweetness, metallic and citrusy hop bite and a separate and unmistakable rummy alcoholic punch all greet the buds in random order. A very faint taste of orange zest peeks in.

It's an unusual bock in that the flavor profiles remain distinct and apart, even as it warms.

This is definitely one of the better beer values ($6.50 a 16 oz.sixer, no less) in the New England area.

American Double (Pull on an old sweater, start up a low-burning beach fire, grab a hoppy/boozy brew…enjoy!)

Heady Topper – The Alchemist – Waterbury, Vermont – 8% ABV

Shared a 22oz bottle with a very generous friend.

Served in Delirium goblets.

Pours a hazy pale orange color with a fluffy, but fading white head. Lots of sticky and patchy lacing rims the glass.

A big whiff of pine and wild flowers blast out of the gate. A resinous hop aroma rises and pulls a dry malty smell, along with some perfumy citrus and a little mellow rum.

The tastes follow the aromas very closely. Very hoppy, yet held in check by a solid caramel malt with some honey sweetness.

So flavorful, yet so drinkable!

Summer Beer

Pilsner (Lawn-mowing or Goin’ Fishin’ Beer)

Samuel Adams Noble Pils – Boston Beer Company – Boston, Massachusetts – 4.9% ABV

On Tap. Pils Glass. Boston

It pours a shiny brassy golden color with a frothy snow-covered head. A good amount of sticky lacing trims the glass.

A very fragrant smell of flowery and citrus hops rises from the glass. A light aroma of fresh baked bread is in the background. A sweet malty smell lingers throughout.

Not as hoppy as I had prepared my taste-buds for, but plenty of hop tastes to ponder. There's citrusy and metallic, and floral and resinous. And a touch of leather and tobacco. My oh my, this is good!

A nice sweet, doughy malty backbone keeps the hoppiness in Czech.

It's difficult to have just one of these babies. Very well done!

Helles Lager (Refreshing after exercise, or day at the beach, or listening to the Red Sox on the radio on a hot summer’s night)

Thomas Hooker Munich Style Lager – Thomas Hooker Ales & Lagers – Bloomfield, CT – 4.6% ABV

Served in a standard pint glass.

Pours a pale yellow golden color with a solid snow-white head and some webby and trailing lacing throughout.

The aroma carries a mild noble hoppiness and a grainy bread smell upfront. A light whiff of wild flowers and herbs peeks through.

The flavors are very balanced. The lightly roasted malt has a touch of sweetness. The hops provide some metallic tang and a mild lime-like citrusy bitterness.

While the body is light in color, it has some depth. As the spritzy carbonation fades, a sweet and rounded caramel sweetness emerges providing a slick and refreshing, gulpable brew. Lots of flavors for a fairly small beer!

Saison (Late Summer – Cool Evenings)

Jack D’or – Pretty Things Beer & Ale Project – Westport, MA – 6.4% ABV

22oz brown bottle. Bottled on date on top label.

Served in a Piraat fluted goblet.

It pours a very deep and cloudy caramel/amber color with a thin beige head on top along with loads of lacing.

Nice citrusy and musty fruit smells rise at first pour. Sweet fruit and spicy smells linger. A light alcohol fuminess comes and goes.

The flavors represent the style very nicely, with the exception of the hop profile being the dominant taste, though it works extremely well for this particular farmhouse. Edgy citrus peel and resinous hoppy bitterness are tempered with a lightly sweet caramel malt. A faint metallic tang inches through in the background. Tastes of a crusty baguette come to mind.

It's a very well-made brew! Lots of creativity involved with this Saison Americain!

Fall Beer

Newport Storm Regenschauer Oktoberfest – Coastal Extreme Brewing – Newport, RI – 5.6% ABV

12oz brown bottle. No freshness date. Bottle code 0.223 (?) I felt compelled to include a representative from Rhode Island as it has been unrepresented in this Beer Style of the week series.

IMHO, this is one of Coastal's better offerings. It pours an Autumn-like honey/amber with orangey hues. The off-white head fades rather fast. A robust sweet malt aroma blends with a bit of hops and mild alcohol fuminess. The malty body is reminiscent of a Vienna/Oktoberfest blend - Velvety smooth, almost oily, and just a tad pasty. A mild citrus, ripe pear taste and light spiciness are in proper proportion to this malty brew. This will go well with Autumn Stew (Squash, apples, chicken stock, spices and a dash of maple syrup)

Pumpkin Ale

CBC Great Pumpkin – Cambridge Brewing Company – Cambridge, MA – 4.5% ABV

22 oz. brown bottle. Bottled on date and Batch # stamped.

Poured in a nonic tumbler.

It has a shiny, orange-hued copper color with a thin to medium-sized white head along with some lace dotting the glass.

It smells similar to a mild pale ale with caramel malt, dry grass, tea-like hops and whiffs of pumpkin and spice that linger in the background throughout.

The flavors are very balanced. You get the pleasure of seeking the tastes rather than them finding you. Mellow tastes of fresh doughy pumpkin bread, blend with mild tea and lemon with honey flavors. The spiciness is in check. A little peppery nutmeg, a dose of tart citrus, and then a clean finish.

Wonderful, wonderful creation here!

Imperial Pumpkin (while Reading ‘The Legend of Sleepy Hollow’ on a frosty, moon-lit night)

Smashed Pumpkin – Shipyard Brewing Co. – Portland, Maine – 9% ABV

22oz brown bottle. Served in a Chimay goblet.

It pours an oily, orange-hued amber color with a beige head along with some wisps of trailing lacing.

A strong and delightful whiff of rum-soaked pumpkin pie rises at first pour. I think I can actually smell the crust! The nutmeg spiciness is subdued, but thoughts of Thanksgiving dessert flood my senses. A solid malty smell mingles with some spicy and citrusy hops. Dark rum in the nose never fades.

The flavors are bold and upfront. Very little in the way of subtleties. Big spiced pumpkin taste, Big Doughy Maltiness, Big Ruminess, and not so big, yet noticeable hoppiness.

SO much better than Shipyard's other Pumpkin Ale, and not because it's much bigger. It's big but balanced and wonderfully rich and decadent.

Winter Beer

English Strong Ale/Warmer (Button up your overcoat)

Geary’s Hampshire Special – DL Geary’s Brewing – Portland, Maine – 7% ABV

This is a winter seasonal - Must Try! Deep golden bronze/amber with a tint of red. Very complex dry robust malt with a trace of sweetness. Powerfully hopped, then dry hopped for good measure. The maltiness rolls forward throughout the glass and begins to reveals a trace of berries and some smoothness. An unusual, but nice pine essence is long lasting. The alcohol is noticed, though not overly so. The creamy beige head lingers and nice lace is formed. As with all of D.L. Geary’s brews, there sort of a raw wildness, like Maine itself. It’s easy to picture a Norman Rockwell Maine coast pub scene in winter where the cheerful patrons are toasting one another with a frosty mug of Hampshire Special. Now that really warms the heart! BTW – Hampshire Special pairs really well with hearty stews. Try braising a roast with this ale in place of Burgundy wine.

Imperial Stout (Baby, it’s COLD outside!)

Smuttynose Imperial Stout – Smuttynose Brewing – Portsmouth, NH – 9.8% ABV

Reviewed in 2003

This "Big Beer Series" is proof that BA and like beer lover groups are making an impression upon brewers and they are responding by digging out the top ingredients and notching up their brewing techniques in order to appease our ever growing thirst for excellent beer. This mild Imperial Stout is pitch black in color with a thin brown fading head and lots of sticky, patchy lace. Bitter chocolate, sweet malt, hop and mild alcohol aroma. A thick and rich chocolaty malt is nearly perfectly matched with sharp citrus bitterness and lightly astringent and pine-like flavors and light alcohol lung-feel. The creamy, almost oily liquid is quite luscious and very drinkable, although the intensity fades towards the end of the glass.

Quadrupel

Allagash FOUR – Allagash Brewing Co. – Portland, Maine – 10% ABV

Corked brown bomber. Man, was that thing under pressure! Poured into Piraat tulip-shaped glass.

It pours a deep amber and mahogany color with a firm beige head.

A big whiff of sweet malt rises up. The smell of a freshly opened tin of toffee comes to mind, as does the smell of Kahlua.

Abundantly malted with tastes of buttery caramel, fresh banana bread, and hint of maple.

The hops provide the citrusy flavors of sweet pink grapefruit and orange zest, along with a good blend of peppery spices. A faint taste of cloves and coriander sneak in as accompaniments, but just to add complexity not to showcase themselves.

Nice warming brew!

Everyday Beer

Sam Adams Boston Ale/Stock Ale – Boston Beer Company – Boston, MA – 5.4% ABV

Stock Ale is my favorite "everyday" ale. When researching and rating a vast array of ales and lagers, from delicate pilsners to over-whelming imperial stouts and barleywines, it's good to find an ale with which to refresh the palette or to simply enjoy without research in mind (yes, at times we need a break from the daily grind). This ale has a deep copper color with reddish hues, nice malty body and is amply hopped. The separation between the distinct malt and hops flavors, smooth out and become more balanced after a few gulps. The fresh finishing hop aroma lingers. There's a clean fruity finish and nice long lasting head. It goes very well with a wide variety of foods. Now I’ve gone and made myself thirsty for one!

Well, there you have it. 52 weeks have passed and yet there is something like 13,000 beers yet to discover. I hope you’ve enjoyed ‘Beer styles of week’ as much as I’ve enjoyed putting it together.

Now back to work I go!

Cheers everyone!

Quote: “Beer, if drank with moderation, softens the temper, cheers the spirit and promotes health." Thomas Jefferson

Beer Style of the Week – Witbier (White Beer) – French (la bière blanche)

Week 21

Looks like we missed a week, due to many factors, mainly concerning the author was busy drinking the beer without actually writing about the beer (he always take notes, at least).

Summer is finally here in New England and we can look forward to a wide variety of beers that are better suited to hot dog days in the sun. Light German-style Lagers, Kölch, Crisp Pilsners, Summer Ryes, English Bitters and even mild Porters and Stouts may fill the bill (they can be quite refreshing!)

This week we focus on a style that should be in the Top 3 all time of Summer Beers. The Wit, or Biere Blanche. If you go to any beer rating website you will find a very wide range of reviews and comments concerning White Ales. There seems to be a love it or hate it, or a complete indifference to it (especially the French versions). They are a very distinctive and unique ale style. Comparing them to any other style of beer does them an injustice. Don’t even bother sampling a Wit after downing an IPA or any hoppy, or high ABV beer. You’ll totally miss the point. Go at them with a clean palette and an open mind and chances are you’ll come back for more.

Witbier is a very hazy pale (whiteish) unfiltered, top fermenting beer, generally brewed with a high percentage of wheat in the mash. A mix of light oats are sometimes thrown into the kettles for added sweetness and/or body. Oftentimes known as White Beer, the Wit is spiced and flavored with citrus peel, coriander, pepper, ginger and/or a bit of bitter orange. A good Witbier has subtle flavor and aroma profiles. Nothing should jump out a grab our taste buds by the neck. Instead, we have the pleasure of seeking and finding a refreshing and highly drinkable beer. Many proper beer bars will offer a wedge of lemon or lime on the side to squeeze into the glass. An improper bar squeezes the citrus and leaves the wedge in your glass. THIS IS WRONG! To squeeze or not to squeeze should be left up to the customer.

Witbiers should be fairly low in alcohol at 4% - 5.2% ABV. Trappist Wits and Double Wits have more alcoholic punch and should not be considered Summer-time, lawn-mowing beers. We do want you to keep all of your toes attached to your feet, after all. German Berliner Weisse and Hefe Weisse are different, separate styles and will be profiled in a later article.

Wits pair very well with mild creamy cheeses, fresh mixed salads, shellfish, grilled fish or chicken. Try it with Middle Eastern foods such as Hummus, Minty Tabouli, Grilled Eggplant and Falafel.

Belgium and France (Land of Origin)

Hoegaarden Original - Brouwerij van Hoegaarden – Hoegaarden, Belgium – 4.9% ABV

At first glance you wonder if the waitress accidentally brought a tulip-shaped glass of milky yellow dishwater to your table. Then, oh yeah! This is the White Ale I ordered. It just looks the way it's supposed to! The cloudy pale, off white, tinted yellow color reveals a light body. Whiffs of clove and hop aroma with a trace of alcohol rise up. High in complex bitter hops with citrus undertones. Extra Dry. Fine Carbonation with a fizzy head and fine lace. Very sharp and spicy.

Amadeus Biere Blanche – Les Brasseurs de Gayant – Douai Cedex, France – 4.5% ABV

750 ml Corked bottle. Freshness date stamped on back. Served in a tall Weisse Glass.

It pours a hazy milky lemonade color with a very fast-fading snowy white head. Some thin wispy lacing trails down and dissolves.

Nice lemony and peppery smells rise at first pour. A light smell of bread dough, cloves and orange zest inch forward. Is that cardamom in the distance?

The flavors mirror the aromas in nearly every way. The tart, astringent lemon taste is perhaps a bit too over the top, but it does cut through and declare its dominance.

An odd peppery saline is noticed in the after taste, and then seems to vanish. It could be the bottom of bottle sediment. I need to try this one again to be sure.

Spain

Estrella Damm Inedit – Barcelona, Spain – 4.8% ABV

26.4 oz. dark olive green bottle. Freshness date stamped on neck label.

Listed as a Witbier, more like a mild farmhouse.

The color is an opaque, foggy caramel candy with a rocky, firm white head. Patchy and trailing lace lasts throughout the glass.

Aromas of herbs and flowers are present at first pour. Smells of coriander and citrus follow and remain. A light whiff of wet cut grass seems out of place. A hint of banana sneaks in late. The flavors are mild yet distinct. Orange Tang, herbs, and a little wheat in the background. Tastes of tart Chardonnay, citrus peel and limes are very pleasant. As in the aroma, a slight taste of banana is noticed as it warms.

This is a very gulpable brew! Complex, but subtle. Unusual and difficult to compare.

Nice fringe beer, but pricey!

Netherlands Biere De Blanche

Wieckse Witte – De Ridder Brewery – Maastricht, Netherlands – 5% ABV

I ordered this Biere Blanc (White Beer) at a bar in Belgium and of course, assumed it was brewed in Belgium. I didn't find out until I returned home and looked it up to complete my notes. Oh well! This cloudy gold brew has more body than I expected. The medium hops have grapefruit-like and citrusy bitterness. A clovey aroma is quite noticeable. Clove-like flavors dominate while a faint hint of camphor can be tasted. Overall this is a delicate, yet flavorful and balanced beer. Quite drinkable.

New England Whites

Allagash White – Portland, Maine – 5.2% ABV 12 oz. Stubby brown bottle. Served in a fluted Weizen beer glass.
It pours a cloudy lemony creamy off-yellow color with a full frothy, fluffy white head and loads of clingy lacing.
The smell is a clean mix of fresh bread dough, citrusy lemon zest, spices, cloves, and citrusy hops. A faint smell of green banana and a wisp of vodka trail.
The flavors are amazingly balanced as well. Tart citrus, oranges, wheat malt, citrusy hops and a mix of spices, most notably white pepper and coriander mingle together nicely.
The mouthfeel has a slightly astringent tang to it, though it seem to have a thirst cutting effect.
This White can hang with the French and Belgian Wits any day!

Long Trail White – Bridgewater Corners, Vermont – 4.7% ABV

12 oz. brown bottle - Served in a Sam Adams fluted glass.

It' got the cloudy Witbier off-yellow color, but the head fades rather quickly.

The aroma is subdued for the style, with not much in the way of citrus or spiciness. A little lime smell. A bit of malt. Not much else.

The flavor department is much the same.

I'm afraid that the brewers were trying to be too careful not to go crazy with the spiciness and the edgy citrus and orange flavors, but in doing so they have missed the point of the Witbier.

But all that aside, I like this beer as palette cleanser. It's sort of a nice beer to keep on hand for newbies to the style as an entry level Belgian White.

Samuel Adams White Ale is a very worthy Summer Seasonal Offering

Harpoon’s UFO White may be the most popular of all New England White Ales. Cisco’s White Lady is also an easy-to-find- White and is available in cans ( think boating, camping and beach!)

Viva la Biere de Blanche!!!

Salut!!!

Quote: “May Ninkasi (Sumerian Goddess of Intoxicating Beverages) live with you,

Let her pour your beer everlasting.

My sister, your grain – its beer is tasty, my comfort” – Sumerian greeting