Zipfer - Original Lager

Zipfer Original - - Brauerei Zipf, Austria - 5.4% ABV
11.2 oz brown bottle. Freshness code stamped on front label.
Served in a Sam Adams fluted glass.
It pours a hazy pale gold color with a medium-sized pure white head and some trailing and sticky lace.
A nice herbal grassy smell rises up. A light smell of doughy bread mingles with a mild resinous and floral hop.
The flavors are in harmony and very balanced. Light roasted malt and floral and metallic hops meld together with a very faint vodka-like alcoholic vapor.
The mouthfeel is slightly more raspy than the style calls for, though certainly not out of line.
A good beer for brats and kraut.

Mayflower Golden Ale

Mayflower Brewing - Plymouth, MA - 4.7% ABV
12 oz dark brown bottle. Pkg. date stamped on label.
Served in a Sam Adams fluted glass.
A firm 2" snow-white head floats upon a pale clear golden body. Wispy trails of webby lace rim the glass.
The smell is grassy, with a mix of dry malt and dried fruit.
Tastes of edgy metallic and tea-like hops are forward. The lightly roasted malt has a vague sweetness and wheat cracker taste.
It's a tad bit overly dry, but true to the style, so can't fault it there. Nice session brew!

Captain Swain's Extra Stout

Captain Swain’s Extra Stout – Cisco Brewers Nantucket, MA – 8% ABV

This is a complete re-edit from my review on 10-14-2003.

No doubt I had a bottle gone bad the first time around.

It pours a very deep cola color with a 1" tan head and loads of lacing.

Smells of a horse barn that had a slight fire the night before - In a completely good way. Smells of roasted malt, burnt toast, coffee, chocolate and flowers follow.

A big taste of roasted chocolate malt is dominant, but the resinous and citrusy hops are no shrinking violets. It's roasty, toasty and tart, with a hint of pine!

The mouthfeel is near perfect for the style. Not too oily, nor too heavy.

I wish I had re-tried this earlier. Good, solid stout!

Joshua Norton Russian Imperial Stout

Haverhill Brewing - Haverhill, MA 9.3% abv
22oz dark brown bottle. Freshness date etched on label.
Served in a standard pint glass.
The color is like thick, spent motor oil with a thin, fast-fading tannish head along with some patchy and trailing lace.
Roasted chocolate malt smells are upfront, while the resinous hop aroma fades quickly and the alcoholic fuminess is very well disguised.
The flavor profile is quite subtle for the style. Naturally, there's the roasted malt-forward flavors, with tastes of coffee, dark chocolate, doughy rye bread and molasses. The hops display some tea-like and slightly metallic edgy bitterness, but way in the distance. Some light rummy alcoholic tastes are also noticeable but fairly subdued.
It's an Imperial Stout that goes down surprisingly easy and that could prove dangerous to me.
Goes well with creme brulee and vanilla ice cream.

Mathematicians Reinvent the Beer widget

This just in from MIT Technology Review:
http://www.technologyreview.com/blog/arxiv/26470/
The question amongst many beer enthusiasts, myself included is, why not just brew a beer to its ultimate perfection, rather than add a gizmo?

Another question that puzzles others is why doesn't the Mass-Mega-Swill Brewers in the US use the widget to improve the head and body of their poorly made beers?

Comments please.

The Greatest Beer in the World is...

In contest after contest, in online Beer Rating surveys, in taste-testing with the so called Beer Experts, and in competitions with experienced Beer Judges from the world over, Westvlereten Abt 12, a Strong Belgian Ale (Quadrupel) from The Abbey of Saint Sixtus of Westvlereten, Flanders, Belgium, is rated the very best beer in the world. There is one exception however; raters on one online beer site (of which I am a proud member) has Pliny the Younger, an Imperial IPA from Russian River Brewing in California edging out the Abt 12 from Westvlereten, but the ratings on that particular site are often skewed by enthusiasts of very high octane beer (over 10% alcohol by volume). As a point of reference, there are 0 Czech Pilsners, 0 English Ales and 0 German Lagers in that site’s Top 100. That’s a real head scratcher! That aside, along with the Abt 12’s lofty title of Greatest in the World, we might add, Hardest to Obtain Beer in the World as well.

Does the rarity of any object of our desires contribute to our naturally elevating its status even before we are lucky or persistent enough to obtain it? Probably. But in this case, the Abt 12 produced by the Cistercian Trappist Monks of Saint Sixtus is truly of another world. Heavenly stuff!

It pours a deep dark murky (in a good way) leathery amber color with a rich, frothy tannish beige head as a crown. An earthy aroma of cut hay, coffee, cocoa, sweet malt, resinous hops and warming dark rum alcohol excite the olfactory senses. Sweet caramel malt, buttery biscuits, toffee, banana, lemon zest, light pine, hint of herbs and flavors of dark rum mingle and dance in perfect rhythm and harmony. Velvety smooth and lush on the palette. This is a very drinkable brew for something of this strength (10.2% ABV). Is there a perfect beer out there? This comes mighty close! These Monks are deeply inspired to brew perfection after all.

Now for the bad news. Westvlereten is easier to pronounce than it is to get. I’ve copied and pasted a page from their website to assist (confound) you further:

The Westvleteren "Trappist" is sold exclusively at the abbey store, and only after having made a reservation by telephone (+32 (0)70/21.00.45).

How does one reserve beer?

1. See our web page Up-to-date Information for information regarding when reservations will be accepted for which beer and how much beer can be reserved at any one time.
2. At the time indicated, call us using the beer phone number (+32 (0)70/21.00.45)
3. Then you can make an appointment (date and time) with the beer phone operator, providing the license plate number of the car which will be used to pick up the order.
   Address of our abbey and beer store is: Donkerstraat 12, B -8640 Westvleteren

Busy Signals and Limited Reservations

Please take into account that you may often get a busy signal when you call to make a reservation, due to the fact that our beer lines are overburdened! You're not the only one who is calling at that moment. Due to our small-scale production, the number of telephone calls is much greater than the number of available reservations. That means it's a matter of having a lot of patience as well as a lot of luck.

In order to allow as many customers as possible to make a reservation, there are several limitations built into the reservation process:

• Automobiles:reservations are made by license plate number, and the automobile bearing that license plate can pick up an order only once during any calendar month.

• Telephones:
  - Each specific telephone number can reach the beer phone only once during any calendar month to make a reservation. If that telephone number attempts to call a second time within the same calendar month, the call will be automatically interrupted. There's no sense in calling back if you've already made a reservation within the same calendar month.
  - Anonymous telephone numbers are not accepted.
  - Land phones and cell phones have an equal chance. All telephone zones are treated equally.

There's no sense in trying to contact our beer sales outlet or the brewery - in any way at all - if you don't succeeds in placing a reservation. Any such attempts will receive no response.

Thanks in advance for your understanding and your patience!

Prices

Our beer is sold by the crate, with 24 bottles per crate. From the 1st of October 2009 on, beer prices (excluding the deposit for the crate and the bottles) are :

Trappist Westvleteren Blond

(5,8 vol.% ABV)

28,00 euros

Trappist Westvleteren 8 (dark)

(8 vol.% ABV)

32,00 euros

Trappist Westvleteren 12 (dark)

(10,2 vol.% ABV)

38,00 euros

Deposit for empty bottles and crate: 12 euros (9.60 euros for the crate plus 0.10 euros per bottle). Empty bottles and crates can be returned only if undamaged. The wooden crates should be kept in a dry place.

Conditions

Westvleteren Trappist is sold only to individual customers. Every customer agrees not to re-sell the beer to any third party.

Opening Hours

Unless otherwise specified (see our page with Up-to-date Information), the empty bottles and crates can be returned to the sales desk any afternoon between 14:00 and 17:00. When there is no beer for sale, it might be that the sales desk is only open between 15:00 and 16:30. Our beer shop is closed on Fridays, Sundays and national holidays as well as January 1-14 and the week following the third Sunday of September.

Our beer can also be enjoyed in the welcome center 'In De Vrede', across the street from the abbey. Here you can also visit the Claustrum , an exhibition room with a presentation of life in the abbey as well as information about the brewery and the brewing process.

Now you see why a trip to Belgium is a great idea after all! And immersing oneself in Belgian culture is the best way to fully appreciate its greatness.

Another method, although somewhat risky, is to befriend a Belgian on www.beeradvocate.com or RateBeer.com and trade that person a king’s ransom for a couple bottles. If the beer isn’t held up at customs, or if it doesn’t freeze, or break in transit, you will be rewarded in a most glorious way. Hear the angels singing yet?

So, what are some other alternatives in New England to get you closer to an idea of the taste of this very rare and voluptuous beer?

One, is to locate a bottle of St. Bernardus Abt 12. It’s much easier to find and does have many of the same delicious characteristics as Westvlereten Abt 12. In fact there is quite a bit of history linking these two west Flanders breweries. Another tasty option is Rochefort 10. Like Westvlereten, Rochefort is also an authentic Trappist beer, brewed by monks of the Cistercian Order. It’s a tad bit stronger at 11.3% ABV, compared to 10.2% ABV, but there are a lot of similarities in the aroma and flavor profiles.

Closer to home, from Portland, Maine we have Allagash Four, a Quad brewed with four malts, four different hops, four natural sugars and four different strains of yeast. Interesting beer! Another somewhat local option is Rigor Mortis, a Belgian-style Quadrupel brewed at Brasserie Dieu Du Ciel in Quebec, Canada. Silly name, serious brew! Very tasty!

This researcher would very much like to hear about your experiences with any of these or other Quadrupel ales you may have encountered.

Thanks for reading and Cheers!

Quote: “Oh many a peer of England brews Livelier liquor than the Muse, And malt does more than Milton can To justify God's ways to man. Ale, man, ale's the stuff to drink For fellows whom it hurts to think.” - Alfred E. Housman, from ‘A Shropshire Lad’

Beer Style of the Week - Pale Ales

Each week we examine a particular beer style and then recommend the beers that best fit that style’s profile. Week one of fifty two – Pale Ale

Pale Ale

Pale ale is a classic British style ale. Not really pale but lighter in color than Porters or Brown Ales. The style calls for an earthy medium to full malt body with a dark golden to deep copper color. The head should produce a good-sized rocky off-white to beige head. Well hopped, though not overly so, with a combination of two or more of East Kent Goldings, British First Gold, Fuggles, or Challenger hops. The malt should be brewed from pale English Two row barley. A lightly sweet caramel sweetness and a bit of a fruity taste is the norm. A taste of biscuits is quite common to the style. Some pale ales allow for a mineral and/or herbal taste to edge through the flavor profile, though preferably in the background. The United States brewers have taken liberties and developed quite a few different takes on the style. These are not “classic pale ales” and should be noted as such. Five good original classic examples are Young’s Special London Ale, Samuel Smith’s Old Brewery Pale Ale, Fuller’s London Pride, Timothy Taylor’s Landlord and arguably,Bass Ale.

There are several well-crafted Pale Ales brewed in New England, which respect and adhere to at least, the original style profile.

Samuel Adams Pale Ale – Boston, MA 12oz brown bottle. Freshness date on label.

It pours a shiny brass color with a thin to medium-sized white head and a fair amount of sticky lace.

A blend of doughy malt and citrusy hop aromas fade rather quickly.

Lightly roasted biscuity malt with a light caramel sweetness provides a good foundation for the generously applied hops.

Citrusy tartness and a mild metallic tang mix with a light tea-like after taste.

This Pale Ale is dry from start to finish. It could have had a little more sweetness, but still enjoyable.

Cisco Brewing - Whale’s Tale Pale Ale – Nantucket, MA 22.9oz dark brown bottle. No freshness date.

It pours a hazy orangey amber with a big lasting off-white head on top.

It smells a lot like cut fruit and macerated berries. A light hay-like aroma is present in the background.

A slight cidery, astringent tartness arrives in the sprightly effervescent bubbles. A bit like Sahti with that distinct juniper branch bitterness. As it sits for a while, tastes of ripe green apple and citrus lemon vie for attention. A light bread flavor followed by dry malty taste is noticed.

The 5.8%abv is well hidden, that is until the effects begin to kick in.

It does improve as it warms, but so do lots of other craft beers.

Tremont Ale – Brewed by Shipyard Brewing – Maine

12oz bottle. Freshness date etched on left side of label.

It pours a bright copper color with a white head that fades to a constant thin rim. Some sticky and trailing laces remain.

A floral and resinous hop smell rises strong at first pour and lasts halfway through the glass. A background smell of biscuity malt lasts throughout.

A somewhat grassy and biscuity malt reveals some caramel sweetness as it warms.

A harsh, sharp-edged citrus bitterness mingles with a taste of tea with lemon. I recommend this beer as a session beer, or a good beer to drink while watching sports.

Geary’s Pale Ale – Portland, ME – 4.5% abv

12oz dark brown bottle. No freshness date. Poured into a standard pint glass.

It pours an orange-hued amber with a light beige fluffy head, with some trailing and spotty lace. An earthy aroma, with caramel malt, slight fruitiness, resinous hops. Edgy bitterness, slightly fruity with some caramel sweetness. As in the aroma, the hops have a resinous bite. A dose of West Coast hops lend a bit more of a piney bitterness than your typical Pale Ale. Medium to light bodied with spritely effervescence. Fairly good impression of an English Pale ale with a bit more edgy bitterness!

Steel Rail Extra Pale Ale – Berkshire Brewing – S. Deerfield, MA – 5.3% abv

On draft. No freshness date. Poured into standard pint glass.

It pours a dull gold with a cascading, then fast fading white head. Plenty of lace sticks to the glass. The aroma of fresh cut hay and mild hops lasts a fair amount of time. The biscuity malt is lightly roasted and provides a nice body for the mildly citrus and metallic bitterness to dwell in. A faint flavor of apples, a touch of sweetness, and a hint of sunflower seeds make for a nice, if mildly flavored ale.

Thomas Hooker American Pale Ale – Brookfield, CT – 5.4% abv

12 oz. brown bottle. No freshness date noticed. Served in a Samuel Adams Lager glass.

The color is an orange-hued amber with a thin white head, along with some sticky and trailing lacing. Earthy dry malt, hay, and grass aroma with a hint of resinous herbal hoppiness.

The taste is fairly balanced between hops and malt. Dry and crisp at first drink, then some caramel sweetness an herbal tastes break through. A sprightly effervescence dissipates quickly and evolves nicely into harmonious blend of Pale Ale goodness. A very close cousin to an English Pale ale if there is one.

West Coast Pale Ales are a distinctively different animal. The hop bitterness is more upfront as they tend to use west coast hop varieties such as Cascade, Willamette, and Chinook with a higher alpha bitterness rating. West Coast Pale Ales tend to have a piney or resinous bitterness not found in the English style. Prime examples are; Sierra Nevada, Anchor Liberty Ale, and Stone Pale Ale.

Belgian Pales Ales are in a league of their own and will be profiled in a future Beer Style of the Week profile.

Next week: Pilsners and Pils-style Lagers.

Quote: “Dost thou think, because thou art virtuous, there shall be no more cakes and ale?” - Shakespeare 'Twelfth Night'

Continue reading on Examiner.com: Beer Style of the Week - Pale Ales - Boston Beer | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/beer-in-boston/beer-style-of-the-week-pale-ales#ixzz1FJ0bTjo3