Beer Style of the Week – The Bastards (One of a Kind Beer) Part 3 of 4
Week 20
As we learned from our friend, Horst Dornbusch, German Beer Historian and Writer, a beer “Style” cannot be created from a single or even two or three similarly brewed beers. A “Style” is created when there are several brewers who create a beer that can be compared and contrasted to one another. For example; Pale Ale – There are literally 1000 different, yet similarly brewed Pale Ales. Imperial Stouts – While there are perhaps 100 on the shelves or on tap around the globe, there are plenty enough to weigh against and compare to each other. Even Imperial Coffee or Imperial Java Stouts meet the criteria to fit into a “Style”.
On the other hand, we find beers like Samuel Adam’s Utopias that more closely resemble a Sherry, at 27% ABV than a beer, that fall loosely into the “Strong Ale” category, yet it is a one of a kind brew with nothing to compare it to.
Q: Is Pumpkin Ale a style?
A: Yes, glad you asked! It’s one of the oldest American original styles. The early colonists learned to brew beer with whatever fermentable fruits and/or vegetables they could get their blessed little hands on. Pumpkin, tree bark (for bittering), molasses, squash, you name it. Beer was important and damn the lack of barley malt and hops, if they wanted beer, they improvised!
Q: So what about Imperial Pumpkin Stout Ale?
A: We covered that “Bastard” in Part 2 with Cape Ann’s Fisherman’s Imperial Pumpkin Stout. There are a few Imperial Pumpkin Stouts floating around out there, but certainly not enough to fit into a style.
So that’s where we find this week’s ‘Beer Style of the Week’- The Bastards Part 3 - Shipyard’s Smashed Pumpkin (Pugley’s Signature Series) It’s an amped-up Pumpkin Ale on steroids, sans the Stout!
Shipyard Brewing – Smashed Pumpkin – 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 is big but balanced and wonderfully rich and decadent.
Goes well with Turkey Dinner and of course, Pumpkin Pie with Whipped Cream
Let’s see how it ages...
Cheers and Happy Father’s Day! (even if you’re reading this after your special day)
London, England
It is with a bit of regret I must report a sad reality. The dreary old darkened public houses of London’s fabled past are, well, to be frank, fading into the past. That isn’t to say the Public Houses (Pubs) are dying out altogether – far from it. They who are amiable to change with the times are simply evolving into a brighter, lighter future. Those who dwell in the past will be passed over in time. Rubbing shoulders with sweaty chimney sweeps and coal miners who would blurt out incomprehensible slurry sentences such as, “I say…cromp frumptonly blithering trousers rather and by-the-by? Ay, mate?” are beginning to lose their “charm.”
A pub can retain its cozy charm without being dark, musty, cigarette smoke-choking bat caves. The furniture can be comfortable and inviting without being old tattered sagging, worn out fart catchers. A decent pub can allow for more than four basic ale choices, one red or white wine and a few blended whiskeys.
Just how does the modern day public house keep up with the times?
They throw the dusty drapes out and open the shades wide, add a few lights and a couple mirrors, lighten the paint tint, expand and freshen up the menu a bit, add a touch of modern flair (not to yuppie extremes, of course), and most importantly, add a little more alcoholic beverage selections (read more craft beer choices here), and comme par magie, you have the new old London Pub.
There are, I’m glad to report, plenty of old established London pubs who have managed to retain their original inviting DNA footprint whilst welcoming all generations and spectrums and classes of the new world order. And speaking of which, I think I’ll order another fine ale!
The public house or publican for short, or pub, shorter still is not to be confused with restaurants, taverns or brewpubs. Pubs, likes churches, in one form or another have traditionally been the focal point of many communities. They’ve been a place for the locals to gather, gossip, shoot the shit, and discuss local and world events, politics, family life and death. Monarchies and governments have been overthrown and wars waged over pints in local pubs. To put it into context, the pub serves as the platform, ale is the social lubricant. Since the Bronze Age Britain (2500 – 850 BC), pubs have been deeply embedded into the English, Irish and Scottish way of life. Meet at the pub; grab a pint and talk…in that order.
Many of the classic pubs will offer the Ploughman’s Lunch (usually consisting of; Crusty Bread, Local Cheeses and Meats (mostly Hams), Pickles and Chutney. Many Pubs will also serve Pasty Meat Pies)
You can sample Beer-battered Fish and Chips, Bangers (local sausages) and Mash (Potatoes) served with peas and Bread Pudding for dessert.
Here are just a few London Pubs that are well worth a visit:
The White Horse – Soho – Samuel Smith’s Brewery Owned – 45 Rupert St. This is a charming and cozy pub where the actors and actresses spill noisily in from the nearby theaters to greet, congratulate and toast each other. Tin ceilings, wood paneled walls, old paint-thickened window panes and comfy seating add to the traditional pub feel of this historic old pub. The staff is attentive, the ale is served properly, and the authentic English Pub Food is spot on! You can really feel the character(s) of Jolly Old London
The Red Lion – Mayfair/Piccadilly – 2 Duke of York St. (off Jermyn St) - Fuller’s Owned –Charming old Victorian etched mirrors (installed originally so the barkeep could keep his eye on illicit dealings, especially the prostitutes who might sneak in for some quick business). The Red Lion is the only pub in the area to survive the Luftwaffe‘s bombing raids during WWII. Try their home-made Meat Pie paired with a fresh Fuller's Bitter. Tasty stuff!
Marquess of Anglesey – Covent Garden - 39 Bow St. - Young’s Owned Pub. Try the award winning Steak and Ale Pie and/or Pork Pie. The West Country Beef Burger comes highly recommended as does the Salmon and Smoked Haddock Cakes. There are 3 vegetarian options.
The Nags Head – Belgravia/Knightsbridge – 53 Kinnerton St- Free House– This is the kind of pub Dickens himself would recognize. It’s old (250 year old), worn (in a very comforting way) intimate, cozy and charming. Pink ceramic hand pulls are mounted atop a gorgeous pewter draft engine. An eclectic assortment of posters, knick knacks and bric-a-bracs lend an interesting foreground to the dark wood paneling and bare wood floors. The compact but great beer selection is poured at the proper temperature. The food is authentic and true to an old pub. And praise the Pub Gods; no cell phone chatter is allowed! Marvelously preserved old Public House!
Draft House – Tower Bridge – 206 Tower Bridge Road -Free House – 27 Beers on Tap – 4 Cask Ales on a rotating basis – 180 Bottles of Beer – An eclectic gourmet food menu – A knowledgeable and friendly wait staff – Maybe it’s more of a Beer Bar than your traditional Pub, but it’s definitely a fantastic place to grab a couple pints and dinner. Do not miss The Draft House (3 locations in the London area)…no excuses!!! http://www.drafthouse.co.uk/drafthouse/towerBridge.asp
New England Alternatives:
British Beer Company (7 Locations) http://www.examiner.com/beer-in-boston/a-local-pub-this-side-of-the-pond-review
Pour Farm Tavern – New Bedford, MA http://www.examiner.com/beer-in-boston/beer-road-trip-the-pour-farm-tavern-review
Gritty McDuff’s – Portland, ME http://www.examiner.com/beer-in-boston/beer-road-trip-the-pour-farm-tavern-review
The Publick House (a Belgian-style pub) 1648 Beacon St Brookline, MA http://beeradvocate.com/beer/user_review/2247
Long live the Pub! They are not dying, just evolving.
Cheers!
Quote: “He is not deserving the name of Englishman who speaketh against ale, that is, good ale.” – George Borrow – 1803-1881
Beer Research 101
Read All About It - There are many books about beer and many websites dedicated to beer lovers all over the world. Before we get started it would be prudent to mention some the very best sources for learning more about our topic or for just picking up some tips to help us better understand this wonderful beverage we enjoy today. If you are looking to find books about beer written by a beer expert, the late Michael Jackson is synonymous with the modern craft-brew revolution. His 1977 book, The World Guide to Beer undeniably sparked many people to reconsider the bland, flavorless beer they were stuck drinking and seek out a better brew. Michael was also on the money with his Beer Companion and Pocket Guide to Beer. Sadly, Michael passed away to the big cozy pub in the sky in August 2007. He is missed not only for his fine writing about Scotch and Beer, but for his obvious love of life and making friends wherever he went. To learn more about this beer-writing pioneer visit his website at: www.beerhunter.com.
The Beer Companion – A Connoisseur’s Guide to the World’s Finest Craft Beers by Stephen Snyder is a fine source of information. It’s well laid out and it’s a good book to pick up as a beer reference guide.
If you can find it, Beers of the World by Bill Yenne is one of the best coffee table-style books about beer written. The illustrations and photographs are quite pleasant to admire.
America’s Best Beers – A Complete Guide to the More than 350 Microbreweries and Brewpubs Across America By Christopher Finch and W. Scott Griffiths is a strongly opinionated beer rating guide. You may not agree with the tastes of these two beer connoisseurs, but that’s fine. This book has a solid foundation laid down by two experts and that should serve as inspiration for aspiring students of beer.
100 Years of Brewing, written by a German scholar and first published in 1903 by H.S. Rich & Co. and reprinted in 1974 by Arno, is a 781 page volume about the beer industry in the US at that time. The historical references to beer through the ages are detailed in a scholarly manner, but being that it was written by a German and translated into English during the late 1800s and early 1900s. The names of countries and regions of the earth at that time were curiously named. It was quite a chore to understand and cross-reference some of the author’s references of peoples and countries that existed thousands of years ago, but the effort was well worth it.
Speaking of German authors, Horst Dornbusch has written several books detailing Germany’s long brewing history. His writing is a rare combination of professorial detail and fun reading. “Prost – The Story of German Beer” is a must read. Good stuff! http://www.amazon.com/Prost-German-Horst-D-Dornbusch/dp/0937381551
Closer to home, we have New England beer writer, Andy Crouch’s “Good Guide to New England Beer”. Andy’s a full time lawyer, but his passion is beer. Pick up a copy of his book and a sixer of New England beer at the packie and enjoy! http://www.amazon.com/Good-Beer-Guide-New-England/dp/1584654694
As far as user-friendly websites go: www.beeradvocate.com. BeerAdvocate (BA) is a clear winner. BA encourages user participation. Hosted by brothers Jason and Todd Alström, the Beer Advocate allows you to submit articles, opinions and information about great beer finds. It’s a great place to find out about beer related events around the globe. The BeerAdvocate’s mission is to encourage its members to go out and spread the gospel of a better beer, thus encouraging pubs, bars restaurants and retailers to stock a better selection of great beers. Question about a certain beer? Enter the Forum. The site is very well run and its members truly care about the betterment and promotion of good beer. I’ve met many true beer lovers and people that I consider to be actual beer connoisseurs at BA who have become my friends. The brothers have also launched a monthly magazine by the same name.
Other worth-while sites to visit are Steve Beaumont’s World of Beer.com (lots of articles), RateBeer.com and Michael Jackson’s BeerHunter.com (good articles and beer-related shopping here – though there’s a good deal of advertising to wade through, however, tastefully presented).
A good resource for finding many books and items for sale on the subject of beer, go to; www.beerbooks.com The BeerBooks site is well laid out and fun to peruse.
Ideas, suggestions, historical facts, funny beer related stories, or any contributions by you, the reader, to the better understanding of beer, are welcome. Please feel free to comment on this or any of my articles.
Thanks and Cheers!
Why no, we’re not sitting around doing nothing. We’re researching beer.
London, England
Week 18
The very first thing you notice after you inspect the color and head of the English Bitter
and take a deep inhale, and finally that long gulp, is that it’s not really bitter at all, in fact,
it’s a fairly mellow ale when compared to standard Pale Ales, and especially IPAs.
The Bitter was so named in Jolly Old England to set it apart from the Mild or Small ales
of the 1830's. Today, the Bitter Ale is a pleasant, quaffable session ale. Golden to amber
in color, fairly well balanced aroma and flavor profiles. The alcohol by volume (ABV)
ranges from 3.7% ABV (any lower and it falls more into the Small Beer style) to around
5% ABV) The Extra Bitter Style ranges from around 5% ABV to 6.2% ABV.
The Bitter style, in my humble opinion is one of the very best ales to serve as a Cask-
conditioned style. Because the Bitter is a subtle and traditional ale style, it needs to be
brewed to close to exacting standards. The aroma and flavor profiles don’t smack you
over the head, instead you have the pleasure of seeking them out and finding them.
Ahhh!
From the UK – The land of origin
Bluebird Bitter – Coniston Brewing Company – Coniston, Cumbria, England – 4.2% ABV
Served in a standard pint glass.
This bottle conditioned Bitter pours a nice amber/dull copper with a bubbly white head
that fades to a thin rim. The aroma is an equal balance of fruity, citrusy hops and malt.
The lightly sweet biscuity malt melds with fruit flavors and a tea-like bitterness. A mild
taste of limes can be detected in the background. This mild bitter provides a nice, easy
contrast from the big winter brews I've been enjoying lately. This brew will always be
welcome in my fridge.
Jeffery Hudson Bitter – Oakham Brewery – Peterborough, UK. – 3.8% ABV
On Cask at NERAX
It pours a pale straw gold color with a larger than normal (for a cask) white head.
It has a grassy hay-like aroma, with a mild resinous smell.
A dry malty flavor emerges, as does a solid oaky taste.
A tea-like flavor is tinged with a hint of peppery spice and just a whisper of apple peel.
It finishes dry and clean.
Fuller’s ESB (Extra Special Bitter) – Fuller Smith & Turner – Chiswick, London, England
Had this on tap in London…and wherever else I find myself.
It pours a beautiful amberish teak in color with a rich full malty body and light wood
notes. Wonderful sweet malt, fresh hop and fruity aroma. The full of complex blend
of English hops provide ample bitterness and a hint mellow apples. Very balanced,
rich and smooth. A slight alcohol fume appears in an out to remind you of its near
6% potency. Nice white head is worth a picture. This is seriously professional ale that
improves in flavor throughout!
New England representation
Gritty McDuff’s – Portland, Maine – 5% ABV
On-tap in Portland, ME.
This brew is SO much better on-tap than the bottled version. They are like two
completely different beers.
It pours a tannish-amber with a fast-fading bubbly head and a fair amount of sticky
lacing.
The aroma is almost completely grainy malt with a light smell of tea and floral hop.
The malt is biscuity and a bit raw and grainy tasting, with just a touch of sweetness.
The hops have a sharp and edgy citrus bite, with a mild tea-like taste and faint metallic
tang. It begins to sweeten a bit towards the end, but all in all, it has a fairly dry finish.
Amherst ESB – Amherst Brewing – Amherst, Mass. 5.3% ABV
My son, Ben took me and his two younger brothers (they had the root beer) to this nice
college town Brew Pub on his 21st Birthday a few back (I paid).
Nice ESB! Rusty Amber with a foamy off white head and nice trails of lace. Pleasant
hop and sweet malty aroma. Medium malty body and plenty of metallic and citrusy
hops. Well rounded and balanced. Again, it’s hard to judge "In the Moment" when my
wonderful sons are present. But, I think it's a pretty good beer.
A pint of Bitter in a cozy pub is the perfect remedy to brighten up a dreary day, or even if
it's sunny and bright, a Bitter makes it better.
Cheers!
Quote: "There are only two acceptable times of day to enjoy beer...day time and night
time" - Beer Researcher
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