Beer style of the week; Belgian Dubbel (Double Ale)

Originating in the Trappist Abbey of Westmalle in 1856, here is a style that effectively bridges the Belgian Strong Dark Ale and Belgian Tripel. The Dubbel should be fairly malty, lightly spicy, slightly astringent with a somewhat (but not over-powering) alcoholic backing. Dubbles may display some plum or prune-like fruitiness, maybe even a little pear-like tastes and aromas. A bit of molasses or candi sugar sweetness is to be expected. The body should be fairly full, yet not thick or syrupy.

Dubbles are the perfect ale to make Beef Carbonade (the national dish of Belgium) with.

Pair with rich stews, a variety of cheese, salamis or creamy desserts.

From the land of origin

Trappist Westvleteren 8 – Brouwerji Westveteren, Belgium – 8% ABV

Served at about 55F in a Westy silver-rimmed glass. It pours a deep and dark mahogany with a substantial beige head and some trailing, sliding and sticky lace. Sweet malt, fruit soaked in rum, hops, yeast and a mild pine scent make up the complex aroma. The lightly herbal malt features caramel and candy sugar sweetness in a rich velvety, nearly oily body. Beautiful symphonies of flavors mingle and harmonize. Ripe banana, plums, vanilla, fruitcake, coriander and cloves vie for attention within the dark rum-like warming alcohol background. Piney esters and an ever so slightly camphor astringency provide more interesting tastes. This wonderful brew pairs nicely with Molanari salami and Cabot Vintage Cheddar, and as can be imagined, any gourmet offering. Pure bliss!

Trappist Achel 8° Bruin - Brouwerij der St. Benedictusabdij - Achelse, Belgium – 8% ABV

11.2 dark brown bottle. Freshness date etched on back label (07/12) Served in a Piraat Goblet

It pours a deep, dark orange-hued amber.

A whiff of fresh honeycomb rises immediately from the bottle to glass. A yeasty smell is noticed throughout the glass. A faded horse stable aroma lingers in the background. A sweet malty smell comes and goes. A whiff of citrus is steady, if light.

Sweet caramel malty flavors dominate early, and then give way to citrusy grapefruit and orange-zest bitterness. A mild taste of cloves and peppery spices add, rather than detract from the overall malt to hop ratio.

A taste of sweet honey and hint of bourbon gives this Trappist its unique edge. Nice Brew!

Corsendonk Pater Abbey Brown Ale – Brouwerji Corsendonk – Oud-Turnhout, Belgium – 7.5% ABV

One of the nicest colors in a beer...fun to examine. Sort of a cloudy root beer/plum/teak with a nice off-white head which fades, but remains as a thin cover then reveals a runny lace. Fun to examine! The aroma is complex with a yeasty clove dominating and citrus, herbal malt and alcoholic fragrances coming into play. Medium bodied with a slightly oily feel and citrus bitterness is noticeable. Wood-pressed apple cider comes to mind.

New England

Allagash Dubbel – Allagash Brewing Co. – Portland, Maine – 7% ABV

12 oz. bottle. Freshness date not noticed.

It pours clear ruby-hued mahogany color with a two finger dark beige head and loads of lacings.

Big aromas of raisin, prune juice, caramel, molasses, and cherry brandy.

Tastes of raisins, ripe plums, caramel, toasted malt, toffee, and slight yeasty spiciness mingle and balance. A bit of apple brandy is noticed in the finish.

This highly drinkable Dubbel is medium bodied with a moderate effervescence. It becomes slight oily and slick as it warms. Very nice representation of the style!

Saint Boltoph’s Town – Pretty Things Beer and Ale Project – Massachusetts – 5.9%

Ok, it’s really listed as a Brown Ale, but I think it fits very nicely into the Dubbel style.

22oz brown bottle. Bottled on date stamped on cap top label. (Batch 10)

Served in a standard pint glass.

Pours a dark brownish amber mahogany color with a solid 2" beige head and lots of webby lacing.

Smells of roasted barley, barn, and resinous and citrusy hops blend nicely together. A whiff mixed fruit soaked in mellow rum floats in the background.

Brown Malty backbone with a touch of toffee. Evenly matched hoppy balance. A light taste of prunes with a hint of tobacco.

This is an amped up Brown Ale. It can easily slide into an Autumn or Fall Ale, or even Dubbel style profile. There's more malt, hops and alcoholic punch to this wonderfully crafted ale, than you find in your standard English Brown Ale.

Just a lovely ale for a cool evening! Very nice!

Next week; Whiskey and other boozy barrel-aged beers.

Salut!

Quote: “Belgian beer has mystique: Some of it’s made by monks. Some of it tastes really, really weird. Some of its labels show elves and devils. People who know beer are sometimes unable to resist blowing huge chunks of cash on it. It is the Disneyland of beer.” – The late Michael Jackson, Beer Writer

Beer style of the week; The Bastards-One of a kind- Imperial Blueberry Ale

Week 34

Ok, let’s see, we’ve dealt with three bastards so far, then we had a whole summer of warm-weather beers to sample and contemplate; June 19, 2011 was the last bastard. It was Imperial Pumpkin Ale (which has since caught fire and is no longer a bastard); http://www.examiner.com/beer-in-boston/beer-style-of-the-week-the-bastards-one-of-a-kind-imperial-pumpkin-ale. Just before that it was Imperial Pumpkin Stout (which has also gained followers); http://www.examiner.com/beer-in-boston/beer-style-of-the-week-one-of-a-kind-beer-the-bastards-2-of-4. Our first bastard, is still a bastard, Samuel Adams Utopias; http://www.examiner.com/beer-in-boston/beer-style-of-the-week-one-of-a-kind-the-bastards-1-of-4-review-1.

This week, we find a style that may also go the route of Imperial Pumpkin and gain some serious followers of Bluebeery Brandy (yes, I made that up just now) and lovers of strong fruit ales. Finally an extreme beer that can serve two masters, brandy lovers and strong blueberry beer lovers.

Serve with blueberry-glazed duck! Or ice-cream!

Smashed Blueberry – Shipyard Signature Series – Shipyard Brewery – Portland, Maine – 9% ABV

22oz dark brown bottle. No freshness date.

Served in a Piraat snifter.

The color is an unusual purple-hued dark mahogany. Minor particles of what I assume are blueberry pulp floats in a thin layer just beneath the tannish head.

Smells of mixed berries, roasted malt, resinous hops and boozy alcohol blend together. A slight floral scent inches forward. The smell of blueberries is there, but not jumping out.

The flavors mirror the aromas. Certainly fruit cup loaded with tart blueberries is upfront. Fruited vodka and mixed hops mingle with a solid malty taste. The sweetness is just about right.

I should be sipping and swigging, but find myself slugging and gulping. Oh oh!

Not at all what I expected...and that's good for my tastes.

Good job Alan Pugsley! Very bold brew!

So, not only will this potent brew provide a mellow buzz, it should have plenty of anti-oxidants to help with healthy brain functions! Ying and yang if there ever was…

Next week; This Old New England Beer Examiner examines Old London Pubs Part II

Quote:

“Boughs have their fruit and blossom,
At all times of the year,
Rivers are running over
With red beer and brown beer” - William Butler Yeats

Beer style of the week; Pumpkin Ale

Beer style of the week; Pumpkin Ale

Week 34

“Each year, the Great Pumpkin rises out of the pumpkin patch that he thinks is the most sincere. He's gotta pick this one. He's got to. I don't see how a pumpkin patch can be more sincere than this one. You can look around and there's not a sign of hypocrisy. Nothing but sincerity as far as the eye can see.” – Linus Van Pelt from, ‘It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown’ - 1966

Now, finally, here’s a beer that has deep roots as a New England original. Pumpkin Ale goes back to the days of the beer-loving Pilgrims. When barley or wheat grains were depleted, and beer was desired, (actually beer was needed because their water sources weren’t always safe to drink) these crafty brewers turned to other fermentable plants and vegetations. Turnip and bran and pumpkins were commonly used in place of barley malt as a suitable fermentable.

Samuel Stearns, author of ' The American Herbal; or, Materia Medica’ (published in 1801), listed pumpkin beer (among other ales) as especially healthful, noting:

"Different kinds of beer, ale, &c. are often prepared according to the prescriptions of the physicians, all of which, as well as pumpkin and bran beer, partake of the virtues of the ingredients put into such liquors."

A popular song written in the 1600’s paid homage to the pumpkin ale.

“Instead of pottage and puddings and custards and pies,
Our pumpkins and parsnips are common supplies;
We have pumpkin at morning and pumpkin at noon;
If it was not for pumpkins we should be undone
... Hey down, down, hey down derry down....
If barley be wanting to make into malt
We must be contented and think it no fault
For we can make liquor, to sweeten our lips,
Of pumpkins and parsnips and walnut-tree chips”.

The walnut tree chips, by the way, were used in place of hops as a bittering agent. Cleaver boys, those Puritans!

Not all pumpkin ales are created equal, but most are welcoming the fall-type ales. Pumpkin ales, as of this writing, range in ABV from a mild 4% ABV to 10% ABV for the Imperial versions. They pair nicely with a wide variety of foods, from mellow creamy cheeses, to brats, to root veggies, to turkey dinner with all the trimmings, to (you guessed it, Pumpkin Pie…with pumpkin ice cream). Try drizzling an Imperial Pumpkin over vanilla or cinnamon ice cream. Lovely!

Let’s start with my very favorite mild Pumpkin Ale:

Great Pumpkin Ale - Cambridge Brewing Co. – Brewed at Mercury Brewing, Ipswich, MA – 4.2% 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 by Will Meyers of CBC!

Smutty Nose Pumpkin Ale – Smutty Nose Brewing – Portsmouth, New Hampshire – 6% ABV

This is a Pumpkin Ale our Pilgrim forefathers would surely approve of. Unlike some of the pretender "pumpkin" ales on the market, this one has Real Pumpkin inside!

It pours a hazy goldish amber with a nice off-white head and some trails and webs of sticky lace. The aroma is of pumpkin pie...with beer. A sweet biscuity malty mixes well with mellow pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla. A mild lemony citrus offers a nice balance to the malt and spices. A faint flavor reminiscent of eggnog and rum comes to mind. It really goes down easy and was gone before I had the chance to appropriately conclude this review. Yum!

My favorite Imperial Pumpkin:

Smashed Pumpkin – Shipyard Brewing – 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.

Let's see how it ages...

Others well worth a try:

Punkin Ale – Dog Fish Head – Milton, Delaware – 7%ABV

Post Road Pumpkin Ale – Contract brewed by Brooklyn Brewery – 5% ABV

Wachusett Imperial Pumpkin – Westminster, Massachusetts – 8% ABV

Cheers!

Quote: “There are three things I have learned never to discuss with people: religion, politics and the Great Pumpkin. – Linus Van Pelt

Beer Style of the week; Oktoberfest-Marzen

Oktoberfest 201^th Anniversary 1810-2011

The first Oktoberfest took place on October 18, 1810 in a meadow next to the town gates of Munich, Germany. The original celebration began during the marriage of The Crown Prince Ludwig of Bavaria (later Ludwig I.) to Princess Therese of Saxonia "Sachsen-Hildburghausen". The meadow was christened later in honor of the bride "Theresienwiese" (Meadow of Therese). There were horse races and a celebration of food, beer and life, which lasted five days…seven for some who were unable to find their way out. Beer was tapped in simple huts. This was a special, more potent brew known as a Marzen. It was brewed in March, aged in cool cellars (lagered) and tapped in the fall. While the king, his court and his attendants sat in their tents, the commoners were allowed to party in the open air. The fact that it rained the entire time was a testament to the quality and quantity of the beer. No amount of continuously mud-soaked pants could deter the thirsty revelers and dampen their spirits…so to speak. Today’s Oktoberfest still takes place in Munich on some of the same grounds. The horse racing no longer takes place, although there remains a small local produce and farming exhibition. The event now takes on a more carnival atmosphere with Ferris wheels and roller coasters and a little something for everyone, but there can be no doubt as to the main attraction.

Local brewers, Hacker-Pschorr, Spaten, and Paulaner produce some of the most authentic representations of the style, while Lowenbrau, Augustiner and Ayenger set up tents (Beer Halls) for their particular take on the Oktoberfest style. The Munich Oktoberfest now runs 16 days. In this time 6 million visitors consume 6 million liters of beer and 400,000 of sausages. It is the world’s largest annual public event.

This year the event runs from September 17 – October 3, 2011. If you can’t make it to Munich, you can still enjoy an Oktoberfest beer. And you don’t need to soak your lederhosen to enjoy your Marzen/Oktoberfest beer.

From the land of Origin

Hacker Pschorr Oktoberfest– Munich, Germany – 5.8% ABV

Deep Gold/Amber with orange hues in color with a sweet off-white lasting head and sticky, clingy lace. Lightly caramel sweet aroma with a hint of citrus. Slightly citrus, lightly tea-like and a touch of metallic hop bitterness. Rounded malt and hop balance. Honey and fresh fruit notes. Really velvety smooth. Rich, Bold, Tasty! IMHO, Hacker Pschorr one of the very best representations of the true Oktoberfest beers. Wow!

Spaten Oktoberfest – Spaten-Franziskaner Brau – Munich, Germany – 5.9% ABV

This is one fine example of an Oktoberfest. It pours an orange-hued deep amber with a fast fading beige head. A pleasant malty aroma and fresh bread dough are backed by a mild whiff of hops. The malt is fairly sweet and has a light doughy flavor and hint of toffee. Lime-like citrusy and a light taste of tea offer a mild ballast for the dominant malt quality. A faint flavor of candy apples is detected. The body is a bit buttery and velvety liquid. It’s hard not to take large gulps and then reach for another. In fact, that’s just what I’m going to do now!

Weihenstephaner – Freising, Germany – 5.8% ABV

From the World’s Oldest Brewery.

The color is a cloudy golden amber with a medium-sized snow-white head and lots of sticky and trailing lace.

The smell is certainly German OFest-like. Grassy malt, citrus fruit, pears, minty herbs and a hint of vodka.

Sweet honey maltiness supports a nice blend of citric and spicy hops. A little fresh bread, mellon and hint of mint round things out.

The body is slick, almost buttery and so rounded and smooth.

You really should buy at least two of these beauties because it goes down so easy and delightful.

New England O’Fests

Samuel Adams Octoberfest – Boston Beer Co. – 5.3% ABV

Served in a nonic tumbler.

It pours a deep amber color with a fast-fading off-white head along with some patchy and trailing lacing.

Smells of doughy malt and Milk Duds are backed by a smell of fruit cup an a hint of citrus zest.

The sweet and full malt body borders on a syrupy consistency. Tastes of mixed fruit, sweet malt and mild limes are all very in balance.

It's a nice O-Fest, yet a bit heavier than their German counterparts.

Thomas Hooker Octoberfest Lager – Bloomfield, Connecticut – 6.1% ABV

12 oz brown bottle.

Served in a heavy glass mug.

It pours a deep golden amber color with a fast-fading off-white head along with some patchy trailing lacing.

A strong whiff of wet sweet malt rises up at first pours and lasts for quite awhile. Smells of mixed fruit cup, citrus and cut field hay follow, as does a bit a alcohol fuminess.

This is as bold as an Octoberfest can be without rising into a stronger Lager style range like a Maibock, but I like it as it is.

Flavors of sweet caramel malt, tastes of pears, fresh bread, tea-like, and citrusy hops are finished with a light taste of golden rum.

The body is full and somewhat slick. The flavors come together and blend nicely as it warms.

Newport Storm Regenschauer Oktoberfest – Coastal Extreme Brewing – 5.3% ABV

12oz brown bottle. No freshness date. Bottle code 0.223 (?)

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)

Others worth a try

Harpoon Octoberfest

Narragansett Fest

Next week; Pumpkins; They're not just for Halloween and pie anymore!

Cheers! And Prost!

Quote” “It takes beer to make thirst worthwhile.” – German Proverb

Great photos of Oktoberfest 2011

http://www.theatlantic.com/infocus/2011/09/oktoberfest-2011/100151/

Beer style of the week; Autumn Ale

Week 33

First, to be clear, there is no officially recognized beer style designated as “Autumn” Ale. There are, however groups of ales that successfully, if loosely, convey the spirit of the demi-season bridging summer to fall. Heck, there is even debate about the defined difference between autumn and fall, but let’s forget all that and go with our simplistic explanation. Fall begins later when signs of frost begin and the leaves have fallen (fall) to the ground. You want a more bracing and substantial brew to warm your insides, and more importantly, it give me more styles to write about.

The Autumn Ale might slide a bit into the English Brown Ale style, if you don’t mind an extra dose of hops, a bit more roasted malt and the resulting kick of alcohol. Or, if you prefer to accept another brewer’s interpretation of what kind of ale best conveys the sense of Autumn, maybe a slightly amped up American Amber or Red Ale will fit the bill.

Whatever style the brewer borrows from, the Autumn Ale should have a solid malt body with a deep amber, or auburn to brown ale color, a substantial off-white to beige head, an assertive (not aggressive) hop profile and a bit more robust than the style it’s born from.

You know it’s time to locate your favorite sweater, windbreaker, lawn rake, and college football schedule when the first sightings of Autumn Ale hit the packies.

While Autumn Ale seems to be an American hybrid of some traditional English ale styles, we can find some of those originals still fit nicely into the theme of the season. Samuel Smith’s Nut Brown Ale comes immediately to mind as ale to enjoy in Autumn weather, although maybe it lacks a bit of the warming alcoholic kick I thought might be needed to create a new sub style.

Autumn Ales

Sierra Nevada Tumbler – Chico, California – 5.5% ABV12 oz. dark brown bottle. No freshness date. Marvelous dark auburn, brown leathery color with a medium-sized beige head on top. Loads of sticky lacing clings to the glass throughout.The aroma is mostly malt-driven, with dry grain, caramel malt and farina wheat smells. There is a bit of fruit and citrus peel to the hop aroma.The flavors are under-whelming. I expected a strong, sweet malty taste with a solid hop blend for support, but was a little disappointed. It sort of reminds me of a New Castle Ale, except with a bit more of a hop and alcohol kick.The body has an unexpected spritzy effervescence. I would like a little more solid, rich malty body in an autumn ale. Something to stand up to creamy, thick autumn stews, perhaps.

New England Autumns

Geary’s Autumn Ale – D.L. Geary’s Brewing – Portland, Maine – 5.8% ABV

This Autumn Ale is in a class of its own. Sort of a cross breed of Hampshire Special - sans the piney effect, and Pale Ale.It pours a wonderful teak color with a thin tan head. A nice blend of roasted malt and hops make up the initial burst of aroma. The aroma fades rather quickly. The full-bodied toasty malt is lightly sweet, with hints of caramel and dark coffee, and in the Geary's fashion, a little on the raw-edged side. Bitter citrusy hops mingle with a mild metallic tang and a slightly peppery spiciness. The flavors tend to balance towards the end and this brew just glides down the throat in a rich, almost buttery, velvety textured liquid. Oh my!

Long Trail Harvest – Long Trail Brewing Co. Bridgewater Corners, Vermont – 4.6% ABV

12oz brown bottle. Freshness date on label.
It pours a tan/cordovan with a smallish off-white head and some patchy and trailing lace.
The aroma is mostly of sweet malt and brown bread.
It's not as malty as one would expect after reading on the label about all the malts used in the brewing.
There's a light caramel sweetness and a taste of fresh marble rye, along with the essence of brown bread.
A sweet lime-like bitterness is matched by a taste of hard water and faint metallic tang.
This is a flavorful brew despite the fact that it is low in alcohol.
Nice stuff to quell spicy chili.

Pretty Things – St. Boltoph’s Town (Not listed as an Autumn Ale, but a damn good one anyway!) 5.9% ABV22oz brown bottle. Bottled on date stamped on cap top label. (Batch 10)

Served in a standard pint glass. Pours a dark brownish amber mahogany color with a solid 2" beige head and lots of webby lacing. Smells of roasted barley, barn, and resinous and citrusy hops blend nicely together. A whiff mixed fruit soaked in mellow rum floats in the background.

Brown Malty backbone with a touch of toffee. Evenly matched hoppy balance. A light taste of prunes with a hint of tobacco.

This is an amped up Brown Ale. It can easily slide into an Autumn or Fall Ale style profile. There's more malt, hops and alcoholic punch to this wonderfully crafted ale, than you find in your standard English Brown Ale.

Just a lovely ale for a cool evening! Very nice!

Smuttynose Old Brown Dog Ale – Portsmouth, New Hampshire – 6.5% ABV

On Tap served in a standard pint glass

It pours a burnt, orange-hued tan leather color with a medium-sized beige head and a fair amount of webby lacing.

A pleasant aroma of roasty brown malt rises at first pour. A light tea-light follows and lingers throughout. Mild resinous hops and a touch of alcohol fuminess round out the aromas.

The flavors match the smells to near perfection, with the exception being, a hint of a metallic tang noticed in the aftertaste.

This is a very fluid liquidy brew. The alcohol is fairly well disguised, so don’t just sit there enjoying one after the other and thinking to yourself, “man, these are tasty suckers, I can drink these all day long!”

Now, where’d I leave my favorite sweatshirt?

Next week; Oktoberfest (It’s on right now! – Sept 17 – Oct 3)

Quote: “And young and old come forth to play
On a sunshine holiday,
Till the live-long daylight fail;
Then to the spicy nut-brown ale” – John Milton – 1608 - 1674