HOLIDAY BEER NOTES
05 Dec 2011 Leave a Comment
in 21st Amendment Brewery, A Christmas Carol, Affligem Noel, beer, classic porter, Fireside Chat, holiday beer, porter, spiced winter ale, Uncategorized, wassail, winter English ale, world class beers
The eve of Saint Nicholas Day is a good a day as any to raise a toast and a cup of cheer to the magical effects of human goodness: With Saint Nicholas speed as it were, the patron saint of brewers.
I find it difficult to bah humbug those who think of cellaring holiday beers. For myself, nothing is quite so great as a freshly completed limited edition, so I do not consider ‘putting down’ (sounds like organized crime lingo) a few special edition bottles for some time later. I’ve always had the suspicion that people who obsess about ‘vertical tastings’, have a secret desire to be wine collectors. But what I am concerned with here is beer, and when it comes to holiday beer, it is most certainly, time to drink.
One of the great beauties of fresh beer is that you get to taste what the beer actually tastes like when it came out of the brewery. Affligem Noel, available fresh at the grocery store this year, is a prime example of what world class beer actually tastes like. How is it possible to describe its enormous quality and character? And without those typical musty notes attributed to cellared versions? Fresh is best. I would say for all holiday beers, whether spiced (wassail) versions or not. Sure many a winter beer will keep for quite some time, but that is most certainly not the point, because holiday beers are designed to be festive and celebratory.
Wassail recipes abound. 21st Amendment Brewery’s Fireside Chat is quite a kick both graphically and physically. A six-pack of cans containing strong spiced winter ale, with a depiction of FDR enjoying a holiday glass and a smoke. The ale itself is a powerful statement for beer in cans. Made at the old Cold Spring Brewery in Cold Spring, Minnesota. One of those “ho ho whoa!” brews available at this time of year.
“When this result was brought about, old Fezziwig, clapping his hands to stop the dance. cried out, “Well done!” and the fiddler plunged his hot face into a pot of porter, especially provided for that purpose.”
Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol
The game is afoot…
The Constancy Of Change
30 Aug 2011 Leave a Comment
in beer, bock, Breckenridge Brewing Co., Charles Finkel, holiday beer, Huber Brewing Company, hudepohl amber, Schlitz, the lion brewery, Uncategorized
Now don’t be afraid children if I tell you what it was like in the before. The before meaning that time before anyone used the term craft beer. A time when a bud never meets a stranger and imported Heineken was considered exotic. A time when, as Fritz Maytag pointed out, when beer was reduced to a lowly commodity where all of a brewery’s personality was expunged. Even being faithful to recipe formulas became suspect. Such was the case when marketing geniuses at Schlitz decided that cutting back on ingredients meant they could sell more beer. Not exactly. A fiasco that knocked the beer that made Milwaukee famous from its perch of Number 1 beer in America, which they abdicated to Anheuser-Busch Budweiser, never to be regained.
This has happened on many occasions. Many struggling regional breweries attempted the same thing. Offering new and improved versions of their brands, only to have their loyal drinking customers ask: what in the world is this?
Not a happy time to be sure, when beer became just an alcohol delivery platform where you had to watch out! for the Schlitz Malt Liquor Bull. All culinary connections nearly evaporated. Yes, this was the way it was in most of the beerscape: watery, pale golden and bland. Beer seekers had to go to great lengths to find something more tasty.
It is hard to describe what it was like, to a generation accustomed to seeing Samuel Adams, Sierra Nevada, nearly everywhere. There were a few brilliant exceptions. The long gone Joseph Huber Brewing Company made a delicious brew called Augsburger Bock. The six packs came with a bock marker that supplied some information:
“How did the name ‘bock’ originate? During the 1600′s, breweries in Germany had a fierce pride in the beers they brewed, particularly in Munich. Around 1614, news reached Munich that the beer in a northern German town–Einpoeck, today Einbeck–was clearly better. The Munich brewery quickly lured the Einpoeck brewmaster over, and to everyone’s delight, a heavy beer just like the one in Einpoeck was brewed. It became known as “Einpoeckisch” beer. Over the years, the word metamorphosed into “Bock”, but it always meant this very special, full-bodied beer.”
In the early 1980′s this was very rare, also stating: “To this day Augsburger Bock follows an original recipe laid down over 400 years ago. Aged a full 60 days before bottling. And made with only the finest of natural grains–a blend of of four roasted barley malts and imported German hops. Similarly, Augsburger’s rich Bock color is never darkened by caramelized syrups or food colorings. It comes from the sensitive heat treatment of the barley during the malting process. The result? A dark rich, flavorful Bock beer.”
Ending the bock marker with “Please let us know what you think”. Which in those pre-Internet days meant writing to Fred Huber, in Monroe, Wisconsin.
In fact, USP or snail mail was quite important 30 years ago. When Charles Finkel started the import company Merchant Du Vin, you were asked to write them in Seattle, Washington, and find out why that Samuel Smith Taddy Porter was so tasty. A pioneer in the beer revolution, Charles Finkel made a substantial contribution by marketing authentic beer styles, that at that time in the United States, were totally unknown. A good friend of the late Beer Hunter Michael Jackson, they partnered an advocacy for authentic beer that is very much with us today.
As someone who lived through and experienced those changes, I never take for granted all the brewing goodness available now. When I walk a block and a half to my local store I have incredible options when it comes to beer purchase, from Breckenridge to Hudepohl Amber to the Lion Stout from Sri Lanka.
The long haul it has always been on the road to great beer. Insane laws about alcohol strength prevented, and still does in some states, from many beers being sampled. Also equally insane, were laws that stated you couldn’t put a graphic depiction of Santa Claus on a Holiday beer because “it might appeal to children”.
I do say Thank You for the fact that much of this has changed. Beer is regaining the cultural and culinary respect it so richly deserves.
The Beloved Return Of Holiday Beer
26 Oct 2010 Leave a Comment
in anheuser-busch, beer, bock, chocolate bock, christmas, holiday beer, porter, Sam Adams, samuel adams, wassail, white ale, winter classics
It’s still early. Halloween hasn’t even arrived. But the release of beers seems to go on forever. Case in point: Samuel Adams Winter Classic Collection: probably the best selection ever for this annual sampler. For The Beer Doctor, there is not a single bad selection in the lot. As someone who has seen this offering over many years, I can honestly say this. Gone from the group was the always questionable Cranberry Lambic, which over the many years it kept reappearing I never met anyone who actually said they liked it. Gone too, are the thrown-ins from years past; the Sam Adams Light, the ridiculous lemon concoction known as Coastal Wheat, which was so bad that last year I abstained from buying the collection, which was sad, because that eliminated the possibility of drinking 2 of my favorites, Holiday Porter and Old Fezziwig Ale. Thankfully this year, that has been corrected. Joining these and the Winter Lager, is the extraordinary Samuel Adams Chocolate Bock and their Belgian style White Ale, along with their flagship brand, Samuel Adams Lager.
I often forget that my enthusiasm for flavorful beer often does not translate well to those unaccustomed to it. Watching people try these beers for the first time, folks who normally drink products like Bud Light, is an exhibition of bewilderment and complete surprise, especially upon discovering, sometimes for the very first time, that real beer actually does have real flavor. For the one quarter of the world’s beer drinking population who normally drink their Bud Light, this must come as a bit of a revelation.
The inclusion of the Chocolate Bock is a holiday treat. I have not been able to get over the focus of this recipe, using a bed of Ecuadorian dark chocolate nibs to produce a smooth as silk chocolaty masterpiece.
Old Fezziwig Ale, their beloved Christmas wassail is always welcome. I remember when this first came out, over 15 years ago, when it was in a 25.4oz bottle. As welcome now as then, a delicious festive experience.
This is equally true of their London-style Holiday Porter. It is difficult to imagine winter without having this, at least once.
The White Ale, a very good take on Belgian Whit, is a more interesting version of the beer style gone mainstream by Coors Blue Moon. Very crisp and lively, and very easy to drink.
In fact, as I said, these are all good. A very auspicious sign for the coming holiday season.
Home For The Holidays, Part 5
24 Dec 2009 Leave a Comment
in beer, bock, christmas, craft pack, holiday beer, Magic Hat Brewing, samuel adams, Shiner Holiday Cheer, sierra nevada, Stegmaier, the lion brewery, Uncategorized, winter English ale
You would have to have lived for awhile to comprehend the enormous changes in the beer universe over the last 30 years. Not so long ago, many people believed that Holiday beer simply meant putting a ribbon around a six-pack of Michelob… just as there are still some people who believe that bock is brewed in the spring, when breweries ‘clean out’ the bottoms of their vats.
On the other side of all this, there is a growing awareness that some fabled brews at Christmas time, which were once very difficult to obtain, have now been folded into the mainstream beer market. Being fairly old, I still remember when obtaining Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale, anywhere east of the Mississippi river, was very rare indeed. Now, at least until very recently, 12 pack boxes of SN Celebration could be obtained at the local Kroger, in ample supply. It is hard to believe that not so long ago, even the late fabled beer hunter, Michael Jackson, wondered if there was an actual market for beers that put emphasis on hops. By gobs, that seems like ancient history now, where a whole generation of new beer drinkers arrived at drinking age when hops and flavorful brew has become a given, from Samuel Adams, Magic Hat, Sierra Nevada and Stone, among many others.
At one time, I foolishly believed I could sample all the winter-holiday offerings available. But logistics, state tax laws, put an end to that illusion. Even beers once available in the Midwest have disappeared, often because a brewery’s production schedule simply can not keep up with distribution demands. Then there are (and still are) those special beloved brews that get snapped up as soon as they become available. This year it was Shiner Holiday Cheer that immediately comes to mind, A unique brew that used peaches and pecans… it disappeared in less than a week.
One barely noticed offering this year, from The Lion Brewery in Wilkes-Barre, PA is the Stegmaier Holiday Warmer, a strong ale take on English Winter Ale. A showcase of malt strength, it is not always fully appreciated by some of the younger beer drinkers, who think that hops and all of its extreme presentations, is the last word on what is beer. The same people who will shell out big time bucks for a sixer of Bell’s Hopslam, because for them, it is the ultimate beer, sometimes have difficulty fathoming malty depths.
But this Christmas, I am pretty well set up, with Lakefront Holiday Spice Lager, Breckenridge Christmas Ale, Stegmaier Hol;iday Warmer, Left Hand’s Fade To Black, Sierra Nevada Celebration in the 24 ounce bottle, etc etc…
As they say in the space program: “I am good to go and ready to launch.”
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, Thank you as always, my only prayer,
The Beer Doctor
Home For The Holidays Part 4
05 Dec 2009 Leave a Comment
in american ale, beer, christmas, dundee festive ale, genesee brewery, holiday beer, wassail
THE HOLIDAY BEER SEARCH CONTINUES might be the headline in a newspaper. The arrival of Dundee Festive Ale, from Rochester, New York, is indeed a welcome sight. One of the more affordable holiday offerings also happens to be one of the best. This is wassail that keeps the emphasis on being ale, with spices for support, rather than vice versa. In fact, I will not be coy about this, having tasted quite a few spiced ales this season, this is far better than that concoction Harpoon Brewery calls Winter Warmer.
I have always enjoyed Dundee Festive Ale, since it was introduced, but this year’s version is the best so far. There is plenty of flavors here, quite drinkable and smooth.
That’s all for now, Saint Nikolas day approaches. Prosit!
Home For The Holidays Part 2
25 Nov 2009 Leave a Comment
in american ale, Anchor Christmas, August Schell, beer, holiday beer, La Binchoise Speciale Noel, Uncategorized, wassail
Because of Charles Dickens, Christmas and associated holidays will always have a supernatural touch added to memories. Call this The Ghosts of Christmas Past as I remember memorable pleasant moments that now seem irretrievably lost:
For example, at one time, here in the state of Ohio, beers produced by The August Schell Brewing Company were available, including their annual winter/holiday offering. sometimes called Blizzard, but more often called Snowstorm.
Not only does Schell change the recipe every year, it also changes recipe styles. Forgive this old beer drinker’s war story, but I remember sampling their Cherry Bock, over a decade ago, when a carpenter friend I worked for, ordered a half-barrel to start up his holiday season with very festive authority.
This year I gather, that Snowstorm is a Baltic porter, but alas, unless I travel to another state, it will appear and disappear without ever tasting it.
Other famous American holiday brews sometimes take unexpected turns. Goose Island Christmas Ale, which use to be a Midwestern holiday staple (available often in affordable 12 packs) is now a limited 22oz affair. It seems the brewery in Chicago has gone off in nearly an entire new direction, with its Bourbon County Stout, which it describes on their web page as “a great cigar beer”, which personally I find aesthetically disgusting, but that’s just me.
One great Christmas ale that I am so happy to discover is still being produced, and that is the Belgian masterpiece La Binchoise Speciale Noel. Probably my favorite wassail in the entire world.
Speaking of spice ale, I recently tried Anchor Brewing’s “Our Special Ale” 35th edition, which is a lively, dark mahogany colored pour, with that prerequisite spicy-spruce aroma in the nose that is a trademark for a recipe that varies from year to year. I have sampled their Christmas Ale since the 17th edition, and this year’s version is not the most memorable, Although it is fairly easy to drink, with moderate strength, the palate starts out front with a citrus-soapy approach, but then gives way to some chocolate notes that seem hesitant at best. This ale is good, but not remarkable, when compared with other previous manifestations.
But of course, this holiday season is just getting started.
Thank you!
Home For The Holidays Part 1
20 Nov 2009 Leave a Comment
in beer, christmas, holiday beer, Lakefront brewing, Leinenkugel's, season's best, Shiner Holiday Cheer, sierra nevada, Uncategorized, wassail
When it comes to beer, the winter/holiday season will always be my favorite time of year. The annual return of many favorites made over so many years, they can rightfully be deemed classics. Memories abound here too. For I recall first tastings: Samuel Adams Winter Lager, when it was just a non spiced, raw wheat beer.
La Binchoise Speciale Noel: the incredible Belgian Christmas wassail, back when a gentleman from Michigan, Jeff Dafoe, introduced this world classic to the United States for the first time, 14 years ago.
I will also never forget my friend Gar’s reaction to first tasting Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale 1993: “that’s one spicy taco!”
It is impossible for me to forget these things. The first Anchor Brewing “Our Special Ale” was the 17th edition of their Christmas offering. As a determined seeker of beer, this was quite a revelation.
The same can said of my beloved Saranac Season’s Best (an all-time Beer Doctor favorite). At one time it was a Holiday Amber and then later, Nut Brown Lager. A Vienna style beer, rich in malt flavor with lively hops, but not extreme or boozy in any way. It has become nearly impossible to obtain in Ohio any longer. The brewery was kind enough to send a gift of a six pack, right after the New Year of 1997. Such kindness and generosity I will never forget.
There have been many surprises along the way. Coors Winterfest 1995, was truly a shock for how good it was in those days, when macro and mini breweries were marketed like the Berlin Wall, where never the twain shall meet.
I would also like to mention that Leinenkugel’s Winter Lager was a great moderately priced holiday beer, that alas, was abandoned. Much of the distinctive aspects of the Leinie portfolio has been lost, as they aggressively market more pedestrian beers.
Moving away from remembrance of beers past, I would like to mention that this year is the first time I’ve tried Shiner Holiday Cheer, a unique dark wheat ale brewed with peaches and pecans. A very tasty, original recipe contribution.
For flat-out big time boozy wassail, Lakefront Brewery’s Holiday Spice Lager Beer, is what the doctor ordered. A massive, full strength, bold Holiday beer.
Cheers!
My only prayer is Thank You!
The Beer Doctor
HAZY HOLIDAY DEFINITIONS
19 Dec 2008 Leave a Comment
in american ale, beer, bock, christmas, dunkel weizenbock, holiday beer, Sam Adams, samuel adams, Uncategorized, wassail
The Holiday/Winter beer investigations continue. I am going to have to do some travel to expand the portfolio of bottled offerings. Like all true lovers of this ancient beverage, we know, WE JUST SIMPLY KNOW, that there is no such thing as too much beer!
Now some misunderstood souls will see this as an endorsement for drinking excess, Not so! There are beers (Brooklyn’s Black Chocolate Stout for example) so rich and full that one is certainly enough. No, what I mean is, in the long scheme of things, like a beer blogger in Alaska once noted, you can be stocked full with all kinds of beer, but there will always be something you would like to have on hand, to make an occasion or holiday complete. It is the seeking where a lot of the love comes in.
Recently I went to beeradvocate.com to read what others thought of this year’s “Our Special Ale” from the Anchor Brewing Company. It was there I noticed that under category, it was listed as “winter warmer”. Winter Warmer? When did that become a recipe definition?
Mind you, I am old school. I was once at a trade show talking to sales reps from the Boston Beer Company, who happily discovered I knew more about the history of Samuel Adams Winter Lager than they did, simply because I was drinking it before they were legally old enough to imbibe. But the winter warmer definition is disturbing to me, because Winter/Holiday beers have always been my favorite subject. Winter warmer is a vague definition, like the equally stupid “session beer” which can best be described as: Well I see you guys are going to pound a few.
Winter/Holiday beers have many descriptions. Wassail for example, is ale with spices, Anchor’s 34th edition is a prime example. Winter Ale or Old English Ale, is a non-spiced ale that puts great emphasis on malts, and the interplay between malts and hops, that change definition somewhat, through the passage of time, when hops, which were once in the foreground, fade into the malty background. A once prime example of this was King & Barnes in England. Samuel Smith’s Winter Welcome is another. In the United States, Goose Island, Avery, Great Divide, all pay tribute to this, with big malty productions.
A more recent, but much beloved development is the West Coast idea of making India Pale Ale as a holiday offering. The most famous example of this is Sierra Nevada’s Celebration Ale. Mendocino Brewing does this also. So does Rogue Brewing, with their Santa’s Private Reserve Ale.
Another hoppy take is Holiday Amber, where hops are combined with a more malty approach, Magic Hat’s Roxy Rolles, is a fine example.
Bottom fermented beers, or what is known in the U.S. as lager, have their own storied history in the making of holiday beer. Christmas Bock, a tradition that dates back to at least 1543, with the world famous Wurzburger Holiday Bier. Penn Brewing continues this tradition with their St. Nikolaus Bock, along with other brewpubs and homebrewers. I have often been asked, is Sam Adams Winter Lager a wassail? Not exactly. It is a spiced, dunkelweizen bock. Old Fezziwig Ale is Samuel Adams wassail.
The term Festive Ale, is sometimes used, which often refers to strong barleywine style ales. In the United States, Stone Brewing’s Double Bastard Ale, is a prime example.
The Belgians have their own unique contribution to the holiday portfolio. Affligem’s Noel, Scaldis Noel, Stille Nocht, Delerium Noel are some examples. These are ales that sometimes use fruit, spices and honey. All are flavor rich and strong.
Add to all of this, ales that are aged in oak, and it becomes quite obvious that the term “winter warmer”, simply will not do, when describing the holiday beer universe.
As always, thank you.
EXTENDED HOLIDAYS
26 Nov 2008 1 Comment
in american ale, christmas, dunkel weizenbock, holiday beer, porter, Uncategorized, wassail
There are many different approaches to holiday beer. There is the English style old winter ale, the hoppy IPA style, the wassail style of ale, not to be confused with spiced versions of lager, such as Samuel Adams Winter Lager, a spiced dunkelweizen bock. Add to that the many variations of porter, imperial stouts which utilize cocoa and such, and you have a plethora of products to choose from.
To start off, I would like to cover some annual classics… given that distinction after many years of sampling. Snow Cap Ale from Pyramid Breweries comes to mind, its dark amber color, with its unmistakable malty nose. I could certainly make this one out in a blind taste test. The rich malty character made even more distinctive by the spicy interplay with the hops. Unmistakable.
Three Holiday offerings from breweries in Colorado, reveal how great United States brewing has become. Breckenridge Christmas Ale has always been good, but over the years this recipe has evolved to the point of greatness. A rich semi-dry palate from an invigorating malt presentation, that is complex but without being ponderous. A very festive holiday ale indeed.
Great Divide Brewing’s Hibernation Ale is a rich brown pour with a coppery undertone. A glorious take on strong winter ale, with plenty of malted strength and flavor complexity to make this a go-to choice on a cold winter night.
The same can be said of Avery’s Old Jubilation Ale, another big time malt creation, full of chocolate to mocha to vanilla notes. Another Colorado brew of marvelous depth. These beers seem to beg the question: do you want to slam some swill? or do you to drink an actual beer?
When it comes to holiday spiced ale in the United States, the inimitable champion is Anchor Brewing’s “Our Special Ale”, the 34th edition of their Christmas wassail, with its pine-spruce essence reappearing every year in the aroma. Staying within the palate parameters of this much discussed ale, that changes, or more accurately, adds variations to the recipe, year after year, this version in no way disappoints. A very festive, flavorful, easy to drink Christmas ale. I would forget about storing this for later, this beer has no need need to improve with time. There is plenty of complexity to experience while enjoying this fresh.
By contrast, Harpoon’s Winter Warmer is a straight forward, rather rough recipe, which simply puts emphasis on cinnamon and nutmeg.
Blue Moon’s Full Moon Winter Ale makes Belgian claims by its use of dark candy sugar, but it is not Belgian style ale at all. Instead, there is a full body, malty ale of moderate strength, that is hearty, smooth, and approachable.
One holiday creation, it is said will develop over five years, and that is Goose Island Christmas Ale, the mahogany colored pour from the Chicago beer company. Having sampled “vintage” versions, the ale will reveal its British based lineage, but this only deprives you of the wonderful flavor of a fresh bottle. With its chocolate-citrus flavor notes. This finishes with an orange-chocolate note. Fantastic. Not to be missed.
Probably one of the greatest recipes in production at present is Brooklyn Brewery’s Brooklyn Winter Ale, an almost unbelievable tribute to the Scottish Maris Otter malts. Of all the wonderful beers of this season, I hold this in the highest regard. Cheers!
MAKING THE HOLIDAYS HAPPY
07 Nov 2008 Leave a Comment
in beer, craft pack, holiday beer, season's best
Let’s face it, there is so much momentous stuff taking place. Politics, the economy, it is all one big rockin’ ball of confusion. But this year, I am not going to let any of these matters get in the way of enjoying the great holiday beers, and there are so many to choose from. Well choose is not the right word, because I want to sample as many as possible. The annual favorites return, but I am also seeking new samples everyday (Point Brewery’s St. Benedict’s Winter Ale come to mind, I will have to go out of state to obtain it.) It is time to celebrate.
A remarkable sampler this year is Saranac’s Winter Classics. Not only does the collection contain some remarkable recipes, but also included is my beloved Christmas favorite, Saranac Season’s Best. The nut brown lager that uses Belgian malts, this absolutely delicious (at least for myself) beer has a nutty profile unlike any other. Combine that with the other selections, E.S.B., India Dark Ale, Vanilla Stout, Belgian style ale, and the Bohemian style Pilsener, and you have a flavor adventure, all ready to go. The Bohemian style Pilsener would be great watching football, it is a mouth watering slammer. The E.S.B. is so dead on accurate, Fuller’s would approve. The Vanilla Stout, although is modest in strength, is in fact a meal in itself. This is one of Matt Brewing’s very best samplers.
Over in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, the people at Troegs have released their MAD ELF ALE. The Mad Elf Ale is an amber-brown coloured holiday offering. An eccentric recipe that uses cherries and honey. It is reminiscent of Belgian microbrewery celebrations, with full strength (11% abv), spicy and mysterious.
Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale 2008 is the classic hoppy offering from Chico, California. It is good to see this available in the twelve pack box. I never tire of its distinct personality.
The same can be said of Summit Brewing’s Winter Ale. This deep roasted malty ale, is very porter like, and perfect for when
the weather turns cold. There is not a better time of the year to showcase a brewery’s personality.
There are so many more to get to. This is but a humble beginning.
My only prayer is thank you…
