Beer Style of the Week - Bitter Ale

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.

Advertisement

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

Imperial Pumpkin Stout - A Bastard Style of Beer

Beer Style of the Week – The One of a Kind Beer (The Bastards) Imperial Pumpkin Stout - Part 2 of 4

Week 17

A few weeks ago I have was having a deep beer discussion with German Beer Historian and Writer, Horst Dornbusch (FYI- All beer discussions with Horst can become deep… as in, put-on-your-thinking-cap-deep). I wondered what “style” of beer Samuel Adams/Weihenstephaner collaboration, Infinium fell into. Is it a Biere De Champagne? Horst, catching me slightly off balance asked me a seemingly simple question in reply? He asked, “Is a Raspberry Vanilla Cream Wheat Double IPA a style?” Huh? I replied back. He clarified, “How many brewers need to brew the same type of beer, for it to be considered a real “style”. He added that for a beer to fall into a “style” category there must be at least some comparative analysis. In other words, several brewers need to create a beer using similar ingredients and similar brewing techniques and processes so that a “style” of beer can be compared to and matched to each other.

We didn't determine an exact quantity of brewers brewing a similar beer to qualify for a "Style" designation, but we did agree that at least, several brewers need to brew the same "type" of beer in order for it to fit into a "Style" range.

And that, my friends leads us to our second, One of a kind Bastard beer series;

The Imperial Pumpkin Stout.

Fisherman's Imperial Pumpkin Stout – Cape Ann Brewing – Gloucester, MA – 11% ABV

22 oz dark brown bottle. Freshness date not noticed.

Served in a Nonic tumbler.

It pours a ruby-hued dark chocolate color with fast-fading tannish head.

Big robust whiffs of pumpkin and roasted malt blast forward, followed by pumpkin pie nutmeg spices and a trailing resinous hop nose. A perfumy rum vapor rises through and lasts throughout. Interesting compound aromas...

The flavors are not shy! Tastes of dark rum, coffee, cocoa, pumpkin, spices and resiny hops pound away at all spaces and corners of the mouth. It's all quite good! I'm looking for some subtle tastes, and I guess a faint taste of limes and a little prune flavor may be present...though they tend to peak through, then shy away.

The body is rich and almost syrupy...nearly cloying, though maybe correct for what it is.

It's a bastard style, belonging to several mothers and fathers and maybe some distant relatives, but it will always be welcome to dwell in my cellar.

Let’s welcome the Bastards everywhere. They may not fit into any one style, but they do provide an enriching diversity upon the olfactory senses.

Cheers to the Bastards!

Quote: “Did you ever taste beer?” “I had a sip of it once,” said the small servant. “Here’s a state of things!” cried Mr. Swiveller…”She never tasted it-it can’t be tasted in a sip!” – Charles Dickens (1812-1870) from ‘Nicholas Nickleby’

Beer Picnic & Party at Ben Fuller's

Beer Picnic with Hennipen on Tap!!!! 2 Shots & a Beer Smoked Beans, Venison Carpaccio, Beer Bread and Chili, Beer Wings, even Beer Cupcakes!!!

Thanks Paula and Ben!

Beer Picnic & Party at Ben Fuller's

Hennipen on Tap!!! 2 Shots and a Beer Smoked Beans, Venison Carpaccio, Beer Bread, Chili 'n Beer, Beer Wings and even Beer Cupcakes!

Happy 20th Anniversary/or Birthday Ipswich (aka Mercury Brewing)

Ipswich 20th Anniversay Imperial Pale Ale

Hey Ipswich, You'll be of legal drinking age in less than one year!

22 0z Dark brown bottle. No freshness date noticed.
Served in a Sam Adams fluted glass.
It pours a cloudy dark amber color with a fast-fading beige head and some sticky, trailing lacing.
It's got an IPA-amount of hoppiness to the nose. Grapefruit, and lemon zest citrus smells ride atop a solid grainy malty aromas. A late whiff of alcohol enters, as done a faint smell of oranges. A smell of wild flowers finishes.
The flavors mirror the smells in every way. A bit of a resinous hop bitterness is noticed in the aftertaste.
The 8% ABV is no surprise, in fact it tastes stronger than it is.
This brew goes well with sharp aged cheddar.

Beer Style of the Week - One of a Kind (The Bastards) 1 of 4

Samuel Adams – Utopias – Boston Beer Company – Boston, MA – 27% ABV

Jim Koch, Founder and President of Boston’s Samuel Adams (Boston Beer Company) has been at the forefront of America’s Brew Revolution. When he entered the micro/craft beer scene, there was only a hand full of true craft beers being brewed. Today, Samuel Adams is perhaps the most well-known name in Craft Beer industry. Since launching their flagship brew, Boston Lager, Samuel Adams has released over a hundred different variations of dozen of styles, but none has approached the extremeness in style as Utopias.

Utopias were first released in May of 2003. At the time it was rated the most potent beer on the planet, weighing in at 24% ABV. The second release was a bit stronger at 25% ABV. The newest release, just hitting the shelves comes in at a whopping 27% ABV.

Here is Jim Koch’s description of Utopia’s 2009 Release:

Sweet fire, with a rich malt and wood complexity.

Truly the epitome of brewing's two thousand year evolution; Samuel Adams Utopias® offers a flavor not just unlike any other beer but unlike any other beverage in the world. The 2009 release is a blend of batches, some having been aged up to 16 years in the barrel room of our Boston Brewery, in a variety of woods. We aged a portion of the beer in hand-selected, single-use bourbon casks from the award-winning Buffalo Trace Distillery. The latest batch also spent time in Portuguese muscatel finishing casks, as well as sherry, brandy and Cognac casks. This flavorful, slightly fruity brew has a sweet, malty flavor that is reminiscent of a deep, rich vintage port, fine cognac or aged sherry.

My friend and fellow researcher, Larry each bought one bottle of the first release in May of 2003. We decided one bottle would be opened within the year, the other in the distant future. The resealable twist cap is supposed to keep the "beer" in fine condition much as brandy or sherry can be recorked (time would tell).

The collectible brew-kettle shaped decanter is a copper-coated ceramic. A limited Edition # was stamped on the bottom (01644).

It pours a dark toffee/amber color. There was no head or lace, just a light syrupy slide down the inside of the glass when tilted.

A sherry-like aroma mingles with maple, lemon peel, caramel and alcohol. A faint whiff of vanilla lingers throughout.

Nutty caramel, sherry, raisins, maple, honey and candy sugar are housed within a solid, slightly smoky malt. A mild lemony citrus flows from the middle to the back of the tongue. Traces of milk chocolate and oranges are noticed, as is a slight saltiness. Fumy and warming alcohol is present throughout.

This brew still maintains a distant ale quality, however creamy, oily and brandy-like.

Almost true to our plan, we opened Larry’s within a month and we cracked mine open two years later. To our amazement, very little had change with time. Perhaps a bit mellower? Hard telling…

The 2011, and strongest version thus far has just been released. One is being saved for me at A Taste for Wine and Spirits in Cohasset. This will be opened on October 23^rd, for my son, Liam’s wedding reception. Ain’t love grand?

Cheers!

Quote: Beer…”A high and mighty liquor” – Julius Caesar

Beer Style of the Week - Doppelbock (Double Bock)

Week 14

We played a silly game as a kid called, ‘Buck Buck how many fingers do I have up?’ The details of the game escape me now, but that’s not the point. I’m “researching” new game for silly adults called ‘Bock Bock, How many fingers am I holding up?’ After each player downs a six pack of Doppelbock, the player who best remembers what game they are playing, hollers, “Bock, Bock how many fingers am I holding up?”– The answer is always, “I’ll let you know when the room stops spinning.”

So, the point is; avoid playing any Bock Bock games and do not drink a sixer of Double Bock then attempt to count fingers.

The Bock (Billy Goat in German) style was originally brewed as an ale from an area surrounding Einbeck, Germany. A bigger, stronger Bock, the Doppelbock, evolved as the head-butting beer of the lager family.

Traditional Doppelbocks are malty, sweet, lightly to moderately hopped and fairly strong in alcohol by volume (from around 7.0% - 11.5% ABV). The color ranges from a teaky light amber/brown to ruby-hued mahogany. The off-white to beige head should be rich and creamy, though in the higher ABV versions, the head will dissipate rather quickly. The aroma is malt focused with noticeable whiffs of alcohol present. Citrus and fruity notes may be in the background. The body is slick and full, but not necessarily heavy. Monks who must forego solid foods during fasting sessions have used the Doppel Bock as “Liquid Bread”. Speaking of food, Doppelbocks go well with a wide variety of menus. Try pairing with creamy cheeses and sausages, or duck with rich berry sauces, or mixed grilled meats. Wake up your vanilla ice cream by adding a little strong Doppelbock!

Germany (land of Origin)

Ayinger Celebrator – Aying, Germany – 6.7% ABV (A mild version of the style)

It pours a tar black with a smallish beige head and a bit of sticky lace. Aromas of dark chocolate, licorice, coffee and slight alcohol fuminess lasts a god long time. A heavy, almost oily malt body is home to many rich flavors and tastes. Strong coffee, chocolate and fresh rye bread-like tastes are upfront. Tastes of licorice, orange zest, toffee and nice alcohol finish get together very nicely. As it warms a taste of prunes develops. This is one satisfying brew!

Paulaner Salvator – Munich, Germany – 7.9% ABV

It pours a deep red amber with a full beige head.

A full sweet malt and lightly smoky smell mix with a fruity and slightly perfumy scent.

The biscuity malt is thick and rich, with caramel sweetness and chock full of nuts.

It's abundantly hopped. Lots of citrus notes with just a touch of a metallic tang.

The well-hidden alcohol effect comes on as a sensation before you know it.

This is a robust and complex brew!

Austria (The Biggest Doppelbock out there!)

Brauerie Schloss Eggenberg - Samichlaus (Santa Claus) – Vorchdorf, Austria – 14% ABV

The World’s Most Extraordinary Beer. Bottled 2002. Sampled in 2004.

This Rare Malt Liquor is dark maple in color with a fast fading beige head. The aroma is rummy and malty with a faint trace of hops sneaking through. The full sweet malt houses highly hopped citrus bitterness. Dark rum flavors mingle with strong honey and light lemony taste. Strongly Alcoholic at 14%) abv. But, it slides easily and dangerously down.

One of my favorite liqueurs or sherries.

Italy

Moretti - La Rossa Birra Doppio Malto (Don’t you just love saying, Doppio Malto??!!!??) 7.2% ABV

This uniquely styled Doppelbock pours a dark rusty color with firm beige head. A big sweet malty aroma offers a bit of damp hay and hop background a bit of alcohol is noticed upon opening. The heavy sweet malt (think 10/40 weight motor oil) is the focus of this brew. Flavors of fresh baked bread and sweet caramel flood the mouth and soothingly bathe the throat. A lemony lime sour bitterness mixed with a faint apple taste delivers a little hard cider-like flavor. The alcohol is noticeable, but not overpowering.

Mama Mia!!! Chio Bella!!!

New England Representations

Thomas Hooker – Liberator Doppel Bock – Bloomfield, Connecticut – 8% ABV

16.9oz dark brown swing top bottle.

It pours a very dark and deep ruby-hued mahogany color with a fast-fading beige head, along with thin scattered patches of lacing.

It smells like a malt monster with big whiffs of caramel and damp hay accompanied by notes of dried barley and leather.

Tastes of burnt crème brulee, sweet caramel, Ovaltine, milk chocolate, tobacco and leather are all quite upfront and noticeable. A slight background taste of prune juice is detected in the background.

A mellow Myers Lemony tartness provides some contrast to the big, bold malty body, as does a dose of a metallic bite. Though make no mistake, this brew is all about the malt structure with well-applied hop reminders.

Lovely Stuff!

Samuel Adams – Imperial Series Double Bock – 9.5% ABV

12oz brown bottle. Date etched on side label.

It pours a ruby-hued teakish color with a nice thick yellow-tinged beige head and a fair amount of lacing.

The aroma is mostly of sweet malt, with a noticeable whiff of horse barn.

Man, this is one malty brew! Remember Ovaltine? There's a resemblance here.

Notes of milk chocolate and doughy buttered bread come to mind. A bit of honey and molasses add to the sweet sensation

Although there is plenty of raw and edgy resinous hop bitterness, their impact is tempered by the full powerful body of malt.

A taste of golden rum enters the picture and flitters around the peripherals of the all mighty maltiness and vies for attention with its equally dominated hop sibling.

Yeah, Sam Adams is a big brewer, but that doesn’t mean they don’t still brew good, or even excellent beers. This is one really fine brew!

Fisherman’s Navigator – Cape Ann Brewing – Gloucester, MA – 7% ABV

Served in a 20oz tall mug.

Pours a tannish amber color with a 1” tannish beige head and a fair amount of webby lacing.

Smells of grainy barn malt, sweet cereal and a bit of resinous malt mingle together well.

The taste is layered with sweet caramel maltiness and a light dose of resiny and metallic hop bitterness. A faint taste of dark tea edges forward. A warming alcohol is noticed upon exhale late.

The body is a bit on the light side for the style, but is very gulpable!

According to an article in Wikipedia, there are over 200 “ators” registered for the dopplebock style in the German patent office.

Quote: “It’s extraordinary how friendly you can make a lot of people on a couple bottles of beer” –

Baron Frankenstein – “Frankenstein”