Beer style of the week; English Strong Ale

Week 38

Brrrrr! Fall’s racing to winter and now’s the time to rummage around in the cellar for some robust, body-warming beers. If we can resist reaching for the really big ABV guns like Barley Wines for now, the English Strong Ales are the perfect “tweener” beer to bridge the seasons and mildly thaw our chilled extremities.

Any English Strong Ale worthy of the adjective, “strong” should be in the 6.2% – 8% ABV range. Any lower and it doesn’t really provide the warming effect, any stronger it becomes a Barley Wine or strong “Old Ale” (both are on the waiting list for style of week).

Dark copper to deep amber in color, malty backbone, dark fruit esters, and varying degrees of hoppiness and alcoholic profiles are the norm. As with most beer styles there are some conflicting variables, and nowadays that is the new norm.

From the land of origin

Fuller’s 1845 – Fuller Smith and Turner PLC – London, England – 6.3%

Sturdy brown 16.9oz brown bottle. Best Before Date.

It pours a dark teak with an orange tint. The medium-sized head dissipates slowly and leaves behind some patchy and trailing lace.

The aroma is mostly a big sweet malty one. Some woody notes peek through, as does a light smell of chocolate. A hint of rummy alcohol and vanilla extract is noticed.

The malt has a taste reminiscent of French toast. Toffee and chocolate flavors are quite pronounced. A woody taste is constantly in the background.

The sharp citrus bitterness is slightly tempered by a pear-like fruitiness.

This brew has a unique dual mouthfeel. It is at once sharp-edged with a restrained rawness to it. At the same time, there is a civilized balance and rounded sweet smoothness.

This is one of those rare brews that taste more alcoholic than it actually is. I would have guessed 8%ABV.

Young’s Special London Ale – Wells & Young’s – Bedford, England – 6.4% ABV

16.9oz brown bottle. Best before date stamped on bottle.

Listed as a Strong Bitter, it stills fits the English Strong style very well.

It pours a deep amber color with a medium-sized off-white head and some trails and sticky lace.

The aroma is a harmonious blend of lightly roasted malt and citrus hops, with a faint smell of tea in the background.

The full malt body has flavors of fresh bread dough and sweet caramel.

A delightful taste of fresh flowery hops.

This is a rich and complex brew, though all of the flavors are reserved and subdued. Well balanced! Very tasty and the flavor lasts!

Innis and Gunn Highland Cask – Edinburgh, Scotland – 7.1% ABV

11.2 oz. clear glass bottle (wrong!) Served in a standard pint glass.

Poured a coppery amber color with a fast-fading off-white head.
Smells off cut dried wood, caramel, dry malt, resinous hop followed by peaty scotch.

Flavors of caramel malt, wheat crackers, resinous and metallic hops mix. The cask whiskey taste pulls through in the finish.

The body, quite dry at first, mellows and becomes smooth and velvety as it warms.

This HAS to be marked down because of the clear glass bottles. The brewers must not respect their own beer.

New England

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

This was a winter seasonal - Must Try! Now available year-round.

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’s 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.

Pretty Things November 15^th, 1901 KK – Pretty Things Ale & Beer Project – Westport Mass. 7.8% ABV

22oz dark brown bottle. No Freshness date, although the legend on the label suggests cellaring.

Served in a nonic pint glass. From a recipe brewed on 11/15/1901

It pours a very deep dark smoky cola color with a firm and rocky tannish head and loads of lacing.

The smell is a little here and there. Burnt rye toast, grapefruit zest, coffee and bread dough is followed by a slightly astringent camphor and witch-hazel fuminess.

I like the overall flavor mix, although it reminds me of several homebrews I have sampled over the years. The citrusy and metallic hops are surprisingly up front. A resinous hop taste is always present, yet mild. Burnt sugar and rye crackers tastes follow and some warming alcohol is in the finish.

The mouthfeel is a tad raspy though not enough to keep me from taking some large gulps now and then.

Interesting brew!

Cheers!

Next week; Old Ale (Stronger Old Ale)

Quote: “We old folks have to find our pillows and cushions in our tankards. Strong beer is the milk of the old” – Martin Luther, 1483 - 1546k of the old."
-Martin Luther

This Old New England Beer Examiner examines the new Old London Pubs III

This is a series of my impressions of the very highest rated London Pubs according to CAMRA, Cask Marque, Time Out London and ViewLondon.com (along with some other very pleasant surprises along the way)

See part one for the criteria for a New Old Pub; http://www.examiner.com/beer-in-boston/this-old-new-england-beer-examiner-examines-the-new-old-london-pubs

My wife, Kathy and I set out from Boston with the plan to meet with eleven friends from five different countries, nine whom we’ve never actually met in person (just Face Book) to attend a play at The Hampstead Theater. The job of finding a place where we could all meet beforehand fell on me (I wouldn’t have it any other way) It turns out several worthy pubs were within walking distance of the theater, but only one kept jumping out at me as the best option for such a large, diverse group, where we could have a an attractive, authentic pub space to stretch out in and chat comfortably before the play. Oh, and I might mention The Washington was listed on CAMRA and Cask Marque as having cask-conditioned beer as well as several varieties of beer and cider tap selections. Like a crow to glass beads, I’m attracted to real pubs.

The Washington, www.thewashingtonhampstead.co.uk is a straight walk down Eton Ave off the Swiss Cottage Tube station exit. The Hampshire Theater will be to your right. Past the theater about four blocks down, you will see The Washington come into view at a busy 4 way crossing.

Stop for a moment to admire the subtly-Victorian building. The light pastel cream and green-trimmed exterior doesn’t catch the eye as much as it soothes the eye. Hanging flowers adorn the entry. A framed portrait of Washington (not George) keeps watch over the intersection below.

Step inside. Glance around to see if you might recognize any of your old and/or Face Book friends. But Oooo, spy the lovely pump handles atop the sturdy u-shaped oaken bar. Tap handles to either side are

spaced so that you can read them without straining your neck. Take in the cool chandeliers and the fancy etched mirrors and cozy, comfy seating arrangements. Check out the fancy logo tile work. Now THIS is a PUB!

Our friends hadn’t yet arrived, so it was a fine time to peruse the cask handles. I asked the young man behind the bar about a few of the selections. He admitted that he was in his first night on the job and would get someone more experienced to assist me. Rather than bullshitting, he was trained to defer to someone who actually knew the beer. This was a good sign.

A lovely woman bartender answered my questions and gave proper advice on which beers to try first. Examining my perfect pint, Landlord, Kate Tidey came over and introduced herself. This pub is run by Kate and her husband Terry Tidey, the great, great, great grandson of the original 1865 owner. The pride and care for the place and its history is evident throughout.

Our group finally arrived and we spent the next hour catching up and sampling the lovely beers in a roomy corner nook large enough for 12.

The Washington has a downstairs bar where music, quizzes and comedy nights take place, but it’s the upstairs bar that has captivated our group.

On the night we visited, Timothy Taylor Landlord, UBU Purity, Oakleaf IPA, Sharp’s Doombar and Itchen Valley Godfather’s were the delightful cask options. As mentioned, there’s also a fair selection of ciders plus an assortment of familiar Euro taps.

A mighty fine pub, The Washington!

Cheers!

Beer style of the week; Bockbier

Week 37

Back in May I covered Double Bock, a beer meant for cool spring evenings. This week, I bring you a slightly more gulpable beer that is nearly the perfect brew to accompany, or even added as an enriching ingredient to a fall stew on a chilly, damp night.

Bock is an old style German Lager, which probably found its way out into the public via German monasteries, where monks brewed big-bodied beers with substantial amounts of barley to get them through times of fasting. Full-bodied is normal, syrupy or cloying is completely wrong for the style (see Michelob Amber Bock below). The name “bock” may stem from beers from Einbeck, Germany (shortened to beck), or it may be rooted in pagan times where the Capricorn Goat (Bock) was seen as a sign of spring and the departure of winter. The Bock myth does make the ground hog myth look a little sad by comparison.

Today many Bocks are brewed year round. They come in many different shades and colors and varying strengths. Same goes for Double Bock.

Land of Origin

Mahr’s Christmas Bock – Bamberg, Germany – 6% ABV

This is my first and only Christmas Bock, thus far. What is it to be compared to?

It pours a deep amber with a thin off-white head and some trails of lace. An initial malty aroma fades rather quickly. A Euro-hop smell picks up where the malt fades. A distant, yet constant earthy smell remains throughout. At first swallow, the malt body seems a little thin for the winter-type style, but as it warms, more malty characteristics are revealed. A little sweet caramel and lots fresh baked bread favors begin to assert themselves. The hops possess a metallic bite and just a hint of limey bitterness. This brew sweetens and displays a lightly herbal character late in the glass. All in all a pretty good winter brew.

It can be compared to (distantly) Young's Winter Warmer…if Young’s was a lagered Bock instead of an ale.

Einbecker Ur-Bock – Einbeck, Germany – 6.5% ABV Initially this brew comes across as a tad unruly with alcohol the dominant presence, both in aroma and taste. By the second, third and fourth gulps the hops begin to assert themselves and take center stage. The amber/orange color stands alone in the beer world. I had to keep looking at it and holding it to different lights and upgrading my initial appearance rating. The taste is extremely complex, that too required a raise in points. The ample malt body never achieves a platform of its own. It instead plays a wonderful supporting role to the competing stars. The off white head’s performance is marvelous, though brief. Einbecker, by the way, is the inventor of the bock style. Because I was unsure of my ability to accurately rate this unusual style beer with one bottle, I found it necessary drink a second.

Scandinavia (It seems the Bock-style beers are popular in these northern climes)

Aass Bock – Aass Brewery – Drammen, Norway – 6.5% ABV

From notes: I received this from BA friend, francisweisen (now living in New Zealand). Thanks and skoal! I sampled this beer a looooong time ago, in the 70’s...before Michael Jackson began rating beer or started dangling babies from balconies, and it's just as I remembered it. Dark brown prune juice in color with a beige/tan head and slow-sliding lace. The aroma is particularly distinct with molasses, coffee, hops, and light alcohol fume. The molasses sweet malty body emits flavors of raisins and prunes and a hint of chocolate. The citrusy hops add just the right amount of bitterness for the style. Nice any season beer! Heh, heh…I want my Aass bock!

USA and New England Bocks

Michelob Amber Bock – Anheuser Busch – St. Louis, Missouri – 5.2% ABV

One of our duties as reviewers, other than enlightening our readers is to warn the unsuspecting, so here goes.

I sampled this horrible brew in 2003 at The Tiki Bar, an outdoor grill on the beach on Marco Island. Michelob was test-marketing Amber Bock in several states and it was my misfortune for having vacationed in Florida at this time. It was a sunny and balmy afternoon. Bikini clad beauties were bouncing around, showing off what they had developed over the winter (quite a distraction from my relaxed reading and quite the chore of appearing disinterested with my girlfriend's (now wife)harsh glare beating down upon the back of my neck). The smell of grilled shrimp and burgers wafted over me, exciting my remaining senses. I wandered over to the Tiki and noticed, with curious interest, Michelob Amber Bock on tap. Hmmm! How bad could it be? Well, despite my most excellent surroundings and laissez-faire attitude, the answer, to be kind is disgusting!

Flat dark tan in color and rapidly vanishing off-white head. Sweet sugary malt and soaked corncob aroma. The pasty-mealy, cloying malt is difficult to swallow. This bland, sweet tasting, lightly hopped beer is in keeping with the A-B tradition of marketing over quality brewing techniques. Again A-B had the opportunity to enter the craft brew market by brewing a really fine bock beer. They chose instead, the road of mass-produced-type swill and major advertising campaigns. Argh! In case you’re still interested, the rest of my vacation went very well despite A-B’s attempt to ruin it.

Samuel Adams Winter Lager – Boston Beer Company – Boston, Massachusetts – 5.6% ABV

Served in a standard pint glass.
It pours a dark ruby-hued amber color with a solid 2" beige head and plenty of web and trailing lacing.
The first smell is sweet wet malt and nut bread. A light whiff of mixed fruit cup with a hint of nutmeg and peppery spice follows.
If there was a liquid honey granola bar, this would be the recipe, less a mild taste of white rum and raisins.
A bit of of lime-like citrus taste pulls through in the aftertaste.
All in all, a solid Bock...not spectacular...but a solid brew.

Should Try

Goats Peak Bock – Paper City Brewery – Holyoke, Massachusetts – ABV Unknown

Cold weather is on the way. Don’t balk at Bock.

Quote: "No matter how rich you are, you can still only drink 17 to 18 liters of beer a day." - Anonymous German nobleman

Beer style of the week; Belgian Strong Dark Ale

Week 36 (Today is my son, Liam and future daughter-in-law’s wedding day! And niece, Jennifer’s Birthday! Cheers to all!)

Different than an English or American Strong Dark Ale, The Belgian Strong Dark Ale marches to the beat of a different brewer. Tannish to deep mahogany in color, big and bold maltiness, yet subtle in the hop and phenols department. Flavors of chocolate, toffee, coffee, dark ripe fruit are common. These are tricky beers. The alcoholic strength can be well-disguised, lurking quietly within the malty sweetness. Don’t be deceived, the Belgian Strong Dark Ale can provide a potent kick.

This is one of the styles brewed as a liquid “food” by Trappist monks to provide them with nourishment during periods of fasting. Drinking a few growlers of Belgian Strong Dark Ale on an empty stomach may bring you much closer to a God in many unusual ways.

From the land of origin

Chimay Grande Reserve (Blue) – Bieres de Chimay – Baileux, Belgium – 9% ABV

This unusual Trappist pours a deep mahogany with a frothy, foamy beige head and loads of clingy lace. The aroma is yeast, malty, hoppy with citrus and fruity notes. The body is heavy and a bit sweet and a little sour. Cloves, hops, over-ripe bananas and alcohol are in your face. A bit of spicy tastes lingers. This brew is really strong in most every way. Well made, but harmony and balance isn’t one of its strong points.

Abbaye Des Rocs Grand Cru Belgian Special Brown – Honnelles, Belgium – 9.5% ABV

This rare beauty pours an orange-tinted amber with a firm rocky beige head, and tons of sticky lace. The aroma is complex mix of crushed berries, damp earth, apples, sweet malt and light alcohol esters. A candy sweet flavor melds with fresh bread, caramel apples, mild lime-like bitterness, light pine, a hint of chocolate, and an ever so faint astringent camphor taste. A warming alcohol works its way through the crowded flavor field. The mouthfeel is buttery and smooth just after an initial fizzy effervescence. This should be a "must try" beer.

Canada

Trois Pistoles – Unibroue – Chambly Quebec, Canada -

This Dark Ale is a deep brown color with ruby highlights and tan head. The complex aroma includes roasted barley, spicy hops, fruit, cloves and fumes of alcohol. The deep rich malt houses flavors of caramel, toffee and a hint of banana. Highly hopped with spicy and lemony citrusy bitterness along with ripe mixed fruit. A powerful, well-made brew!

New England

Allagash Black – Allagash Brewing – Portland, Maine – 7.5% ABV

Served in an Allagash goblet.

Pours a blackened cola color with medium-sized khaki head and plenty of sticky lacing.

Smells of burnt roasted malts with notes of chocolate, coffee and toffee and some peppery spices.

Tastes like it smells with deeply roasted malt and mingling flavors of chocolate, resiny hop, spices and a slightly astringent yeasty background, followed a taste of dark rum.

A spritzy effervescence fades quickly and a fuller body is revealed. A bit more of the malty sweetness is noticed as it warms.

Others well worth a try

Raison d’etre – Dogfish Head (Rum-soaked prunes come to mind)

Mad Elf – Troegs Brewery (Fruity berries and extremely potent)

Local 2 – Brooklyn Brewery (Sugary and spicy and everything nicey)

Cheers and Salut!

Quote: “Life is too short to drink cheap beer” – Larry Hallahan, ‘Beer Styles’

This Old New England Beer Examiner examines the new Old London Pubs II

Harp, London is a mighty fine pub!; http://www.examiner.com/beer-in-boston/this-old-new-england-beer-examiner-examines-the-new-old-london-pubs-ii-review-1

Small packies face yet one more LARGE hurdle

If you love personal service when shopping for your favorite beer and wines, read on...; http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2011/08/11/renewed_wine_in_food_stores_debate_not_welcome_south_of_boston/

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