The Viking Has Landed
22 May 2012 Leave a Comment
in beer, Norse Legend, Sam Adams, samuel adams, Uncategorized, Vikings Tags: beer, juniper berries
It is always a pleasure to discover a unique, tasty, beer recipe. This is certainly the case with Samuel Adams Norse Legend, the Boston Beer Company’s tribute to Sahti, the ancient ale style that took hold in Finland, hundreds of years ago, where juniper berries were used as a filter and preservative. Often said to be the invention of the Vikings, Sahti (also with its use of rye) is a virtual song of the earth in flavour, with its herbal, woody spiciness. It is also a reminder of the power of women (brewsters) in the history of brewing. Even this small batch recipe, nearly 8 years in perfecting, was created by a woman brewer at Samuel Adams.
How brewing beer has been exclusively associated with men, only exposes the lack of knowledge about history. For it was women, in ancient civilisations, who made the beer. An ancient saying went: sister, your grains are tasty, my comfort. And this tradition went back thousands of years.
ENJOY NOW OR AGE IT TO FURTHER DEVELOP RICH AND UNIQUE FLAVORS: So says the Norse Legend label. Which, in beer doctor terms, may not be possible, since this fresh version is so delicious, it is hard for me to imagine setting this down for awhile.
A RED FROM DOWN UNDER
12 May 2012 Leave a Comment
in beer, Sam Adams, samuel adams, Uncategorized Tags: jim koch, samuel adams, widmer bros
I have great admiration for the brewing efforts of Samuel Adams and their continual work to not only bring quality beer to the market, but also their indefatigable efforts to celebrate the best of world beer culture. An outstanding example of these principals can be found in their Samuel Adams Tasman Red.
There are many reasons why I enjoy this beer. One of these is the fact that this is a red ale, in this case a red IPA, which serves as a beautiful reminder that red beers were the rage, a craft beer universe or two ago, when brews such as Pete’s Wicked Red were considered exciting and bold, during the intial re-discovery of beer with flavour.
Another reason I enjoy this ale is its delicious use of Tasmanian hops: Galaxy and Topaz; giving this ale a southern hemisphere dimension, which in my limited experience has always been good, whether it is Sierra Nevada Spring Harvest or Widmer Bros Nelson IPA.
But probably the best reason I recommend this ale is its extensive use of what Sam Adams founder Jim Koch calls “special purpose malts”, that frankly refuse to back down, despite the spicy hop platform. In that odd way, this brew reminds me of something produced by Fuller’s of London, in a British commonwealth sort of sensibility.
For beer seekers of quality, this is one to not be missed. Who knows, maybe this brew will spark a retro-craft-beer revival of all things red.
Moving Forward Towards The Holidays
08 Nov 2011 Leave a Comment
in beer, beer of the bear, Breckenridge Christmas Ale, christmas, Great Divide Brewing Comany, Hudepohl Oktoberfest Bier, Hudy, Sam Adams, samuel adams, Samuel Adams Winter Lager, winter classics, winter English ale
For beer seekers this autumn has been a remarkable time. The celebration of marzen and pumpkin ales has proven remarkable. For The Beer Doctor, this year produced what I consider the beer of the year, in the United States at least: Hudepohl Oktoberfest Bier. A successful recipe that deliciously adheres to its German malty roots, and is a crowd pleaser, much in the same way as Samuel Adams Octoberfest. Designed to be enjoyed during this season, before giving way to the Holiday Special Brews, which have already started to arrive.
What for example, is to make of the perpetual favorites from out west, such as Breckenridge Christmas Ale, which has always been a beautiful New World take on Scottish Winter Ale that over years, has become a sublime achievement, where nothing is out of place in its palate profile.
The same can surely be said of Great Divide Hibernation Ale, a dry-hopped take on an old English Winter, where malts and hops do all the talking. As is also the case with Brooklyn Winter Ale, their holiday/winter tribute to the power of Maris Otter malt.
A careful perusal of spiced beer reveals there are many choices. Samuel Adams Winter Lager always has a huge fan base and rightfully so, considering the balanced obtained with spices added to the wheat bock recipe.
“A damn tasty winter beer,” is part of what Beer Advocate’s Todd Alstrom said of this beer, 9 years ago. Considering that I have sampled Winter Lager for at least 20 years, I marvel at the brewmasters’ skill at refining these exquisite recipes, bringing them to fruition, year after marvelous year.
Whenever I Think Of Steam
13 Oct 2011 Leave a Comment
in adjunct lager, Anchor Steam Beer, beer, California beer, California common, Crosley field, Fritz Maytag, Hudy, Old Style, Sam Adams, San Francisco, sierra nevada, Wrigley Field
I recently had the pleasure of returning to sample an old favorite, indeed what could easily be called the original craft brewed classic: Anchor Steam Beer. It maybe difficult for younger beer enthusiasts to imagine what it was like back in 1965, when a young Fritz Maytag became a fledgling brewer, purchasing an operation headed for oblivion.
What was the appeal? Well at that time the American brewing industry was chiefly concerned with moving “product”, which basically meant cereal based concoctions now commonly known as American lager. What brewers call adjunct lager. The pale golden coloured beers loved by so many millions of people, and, despite any inroads from the craft beer segment, are not going away anytime soon. The fact that Bud Light is 25% of the world beer market is really all that needs to be said.
The revival of regional recipes, the so-called retro movement, has reintroduced many of those all grain lagers, before marketing greed had corrupted their formulas. Thus beer brands remembered with nostalgic fondness have returned. Beers consumed at baseball games by a generation’s parents or grandparents, or once again available. In the case of Chicago’s Wrigley Field and Old Style, it never left.
This throws me back to when I was 10 years old, attending a Cincinnati Reds game at Crosley field. In those days, beer vendors lugged around cases of bottled beer, expertly pouring the entire bottle into paper cups, using sales pitches such as: “get moody with Hudy!” and what now would be considered irresponsible “One for the road!” since there was no cut off point for selling beer in those days: beer for all 9 innings.
So bland tasting, sometimes foul smelling adjunct lager was an accurate description of the American beer scene in 1965, when Fritz Maytag began the arduous task of keeping alive Steam beer, an all barley malt beer linked to the West coast of the 19th century. It wasn’t until 1971 that the modern Anchor Steam was first bottled. Years before Sierra Nevada and Samuel Adams even existed. So is Anchor Steam the grand daddy of them all? I would have to say yes.
A sampling of Anchor Steam reveals a beer with enormous character. It is most certainly wise not to serve this beer at the taste numbing temperature called ice cold. In fact, at a warmer temperature, Steam pours with luxurious natural carbonation. In other words, do not hurry when enjoying this beer. This beer produces what in old school language can be called a rocky headed pour. But what truly makes Steam the remarkable beer that it is, can be found in the dry finish. A gentle bitterness that is oblivious to a culture acclimated with soda pop.
The evolution of flavorful beer has seen the explosion of aggressively hopped beers. Perhaps the grace and nuance of recipes such as Anchor Steam are missed by a younger generation of beer drinkers. In fact I have heard people display an aversion to anything called lager, Which is unfortunate because this denies the possibility of experiencing an expertly made pilsener, or an exquisite rendition of bock. And of course, the lager referred to as California common, trademarked in San Francisco as Anchor Steam Beer.
Autumn Preparations
26 Aug 2011 Leave a Comment
in beer, Beer Advocate, Octoberfest, oktoberfest, Sam Adams, samuel adams, Shiner Oktoberfest, Spoetzl Brewery, St. Arnold Brewery, Stevens Point Brewery
Having recently opened a Twitter account (TheBeerDoctor2), I sent a tweet to Beer Advocate, jokingly asking if all the Oktoberfest beers could be listed on a single thread. “All is not possible” was their earnest reply, and indeed this is true.
Then there is always the perennial question: Which is the best Oktoberfest? Which is, when I come to think of it, a very silly question indeed. Each brewer has their own take on the Marzen style, Samuel Adams uses five kinds of malt. Leinenkugel four specialty hops. The Stevens Point Brewery in Wisconsin uses Vienna, Crystal, and two-row Munich malts, combined with Tettnanger, Hallertau, and Perle hops. Variations on a theme for sure.
Marzen being a bottom fermented beer takes time to produce. The Saint Arnold Brewery in Texas has their own take on this, replacing lager yeast with a top fermenting ale yeast. While their state brethren over at the Spoetzl Brewery produce Shiner Oktoberfest, using a more traditional approach, which is surprisingly moderate in alcohol. In other words, there is no such thing as the best Oktoberfest. The only criteria is freshness, and which flavor profile you like.
The authentic Oktoberfest beers, which are the six breweries located within the city of Munich, Germany, have a floral note in the finish, which I suspect is due to their proprietary house yeast, of which each brewery is so proud. A fresh five liter can of Hofbrau anyone?
Of course, Marzen style beer is not for everyone. The emphasis on malt, puts off some of the hop obsessed crowd, and quite remarkably, I have read people who say they quickly grow tired of the style, which seems odd, since this style of beer is consumed in the millions of liters.
It is also one of the most food friendly styles, complimenting many hearty dishes. Good beer and good food: what’s there not to love?
New Year Means More New Beer
02 Jan 2011 Leave a Comment
in adjunct lager, beer, beer dave gausepohl, Sam Adams, samuel adams, scotch ale, Uncategorized, white ale
There is welcome relief to the end of the so-called winter holiday season. Of course much of this is merely perception, because there are plenty of excuses to party further; the upcoming Mardi Gras and Super Bowl, along with whatever play off bowl, cross town rivalry or any other event of significance will suffice. When it comes to beer, perhaps 2011 should be the year that beer enthusiasts reach out to their cereal cooked swilling brothers and sisters, and tossing all cynical superiority aside and show, these millions of folks who have never experienced it, the absolute pleasure of a well brewed beer.
SAMUEL ADAMS, being a brand found nearly everywhere, is a good place to start. Their American Original variety 12 pack, recently released, might be a solid opening. Included in this sampler is the new Revolutionary Rye Ale, a rye spicy take, along with their great Noble Pils, a pilsener that Beer Dave Gausepohl said was amongst the finest produced in the world. I certainly agree.
Rounding out this tasty sampler, our S.A.’s Irish Red, their peat smoky Scotch Ale, their Belgian-American White Ale, and of course their flagship brand Samuel Adams Boston Lager.
You might be able to change the taste perceptions of the light lager drinker if you offer them a Noble Pils or White Ale. Even the famous Boston Lager is still a bit of a pine resin shock, to millions of beer drinkers. Which is what the so-called craft brew revolution was really all about: that beer is meant to have flavour.
There is still so much work to be done.
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.
The March of Marzen 2 and a 40th Anniversary
24 Sep 2010 Leave a Comment
in 40th anniversary, beck's, beer, bitches brew, dogfish head, marzen, miles davis, Octoberfest, oktoberfest, Sam Adams, samuel adams
I was recently asked what is the difference between German and American Oktoberfest. After many years of sampling these annual celebrations, I think it comes down to the yeast and the ester interaction with the malts and hops, which produces in the German versions, a very distinctive dry floral finish. People who complain that American takes on Marzen lack this, really have little to complain about, since fresh versions from Munich are available.
People who do not care for Samuel Adams Octoberfest (with a C rather than the usual K) do not seem to appreciate that Jim Koch and company have developed their own North American take on this style.
It is also equally true that elite beer drinkers have difficulty acknowledging that commercial interests such as Beck’s of Bremen, Germany, have shown they are quite capable of brewing a highly drinkable fest bier themselves.
Since the Marzen march continues to this day, I want to mention a somewhat extraordinary drinking experience from a couple of weeks ago, when I got my thirsty hands on a 25 ounce bottle of Dogfish Head Brewery’s tribute to the 40th anniversary of Miles Davis Bitches Brew, that groundbreaking 2 LP set that is considered by many as the beginning of jazz fusion music.
The Dogfish Head tribute is several parts imperial stout combined with a honey ale that uses gesho, a traditional African root used as a replacement for hops. The result is an incredibly balanced (yet mysterious!) presentation that is silky smooth, where neither the chocolate notes nor honey sweetness dominates. Some reviewers at Beer Advocate have said they taste alcohol, which despite this being a 9% ale, I could not detect at all. Just a delicious focused ale from start to finish.
Of course the perfect musical accompaniment for this is Miles Davis Bitches Brew, which 40 years later is still worth listening to.
Alas, bottles of the ale were sold out within a day around here. So it is very likely that I will never taste another. I am happy that I was able to experience it
The Beer Doctor’s Guide For Approaching Beer #2
06 Mar 2010 2 Comments
in beer, bock, genesee brewery, Sam Adams, samuel adams, Spoetzl Brewery
Okay it has taken awhile to getting this second installment of this series up and running, and that is due to the fact that there has been plenty of new beers to discover, along with other creative projects.
A true sign of the state of brewing in the United States, are the twin seasonal releases from Samuel Adams and Sierra Nevada. Samuel Adams Noble Pils is an extraordinary tribute to the pilsener style, using all the signature noble hop varieties, providing a doughy citrus experience of the highest caliber. Poured into a pilsner glass, it is like being emerged into an aromatic cloud of hops. This is, in this Beer Doc’s opinion, one of the finest beers ever made by The Boston Beer Company. The 22oz bottle version is in order here: a long relaxing sit down to taste all the hops complexity.
The same approach could be applied to Sierra Nevada Glissade, the Chico, California brewery’s tribute to German Maibock. Well known for their extensive use of cascade hops in their Pale Ale, this golden bock will surprise some with its adherence to European tradition, employing German Spalter, Slovenian Aurora and Styrian hops in the finish. What a remarkable tasting brew this is. The only thing comparable for me, was a fresh bottle of Hacker-Pschorr Maibock, I had many years ago. Available in a 24oz bottle, this too calls for an extensive, tasting investigation.
After mentioning these latest brews, it seems only proper to mention how to pour. Although much discussioin is spent on the style of glassware, I am reminded of what Spoetzl brewmaster Jimmy Mauric said, that the most important thing is to get the beer into a glass, so it can expand and breathe.
Pour Beer Straight Into The Middle of the glass, foam is good, it just needs to settle down…
Which reminds me of a time I was assisting a friend who just purchased a keg (full half barrel) and was buying a co2 system to keep it fresh. The chap at the beer hardware store said: “When you first tap it, it will mostly be foam, pour that off. After that, if it is still pretty foamy, simply drink faster.”
Waiting for the foam to subside is not a bad thing, unless of course you have an extreme immediate thirst. A luxurious pour can be had by anyone patient enough to let the brew do its thing. A can of the wonderful and quite affordable Genesee Bock is a copper colored beauty
to behold.
The visual aesthetics of beer is part of the beer-love experience. It is not surprising that so many Belgium breweries created their own distinctive glasses for presenting their brews. This is where artisanal craft comes in to play, big time.
What kind of glasses should be used? A pilsner (it doesn’t have to be fancy), a cylindrical ale glass, and a mug. The pilsner is great for lager, the ale glass for top fermented, the mug for both.
The Beer Doctor’s Guide For Approaching Beer
01 Jan 2010 1 Comment
in adjunct lager, anheuser-busch, beer, business, genesee brewery, Jim Koch, Little Kings, Pabst, Sam Adams
A new year brings with it a desire I have had for a long time to tackle the subject of beer from a beer lover’s viewpoint.
It has taken quite awhile on the search trail of this miraculous, human culinary invention, to arrive at these discoveries. The path has seen many articles of misinformation foisted on the unsuspecting, mostly for the sake of marketing. Here are 2 current examples:
1. Craft Beer is good, giant brewery beer is bad.
2. Giant commercial brewing interests are incapable of making good beer.
The term craft brewed is most often used as a catch-all description of beer with an abundance in flavor. All beer drinkers are guaranteed a right to enjoy only the highest quality beer. Proclaims Samuel Adams founder Jim Koch, in the Samuel Adams Beer Drinker’s Bill of Rights.
Further down in the declaration it states: III. Use of adjuncts such as corn syrup, rice or corn grits is strictly prohibited as it lightens the true character of a fine beer. Which is a convenient way to make you feel guilty if you actually enjoy drinking Pabst, Genesee, or Little Kings, or any other American “all grain” lager.
Craft brew puppies buy into the vast corporate conspiracy that created these adjunct monsters, supposedly for the sake of the old bottom line. Never mind that much of this simply flies in the face of actual history. How golden lager took over much of the beer drinking world because there was an absolute fascination with its clear golden color. Or that the use of corn and rice was an American invention of necessity, because back in the 19th century there was simply not enough European malts to supply this thirsty country.
Much has been said about national beers being devoid of personality. Again the assumed narrative of why this came about ignores the obvious fact that the brewing industry was nearly destroyed by the temperance religious zealots, and their political enablers, who created Prohibition. Legislation which combined religious cultural intolerance with anti-German hysteria. It is not surprising that things became bland, because after Prohibition was repealed, there were many restrictions placed upon beer that were downright ridiculous (I mean, have you ever heard of 3.2 beer? Sunday “small beer” in the state of Ohio for many years. At one time it was the only beer allowed to be sold in the Miami university town of Oxford, Ohio.). Beer over 6% abv was not allowed to be sold in this state, until the beginning of this century. Home brewing, of which Jim Koch created his first kitchen batch of Samuel Adams, was not legal until Jimmy Carter was President.
So this points up to the obvious question: Do you love beer? I have found over the years that this a very good starting point for approaching this wonderful topic, which I hope to explore in this series. You know the old saying: Do it with love, or don’t do it at all.
Cheers!
Thank you is my only prayer.
