It is misty with rain this last of October morning. I let my beloved cat, Belle, peek out the door and decide it wasn’t worth going out and getting wet, Very quiet too, with only a distant hum of a machine here and there, including the ancient Norge refrigerator, down here in the beer jazz cave, recently wired for the Internet.
Opening the old cold foot soldier, you need a flashlight to see what the contents are inside. The door light switch gave up the ghost last spring…
Let’s see what is in… oh yes, Avery’s Old Jubilation Ale! A tremendous malty pour with a chocolate ester nose. What does it taste like? Well, as a new world take on old English Winter Ale, it has a flavor note in the profile that is more like chocolate grape, rather than chocolate raisin. Deep and smooth with plenty of complexity.

What else is… oh yes, Samuel Adams Winter Lager, just arrived in the local stores this week. This version of their spiced dunkel weizenbock could very well be the best they have ever produced. Spices are used but are not overbearing, making this still a lager, rather than their equally great wassail, Old Fezziwg. I have often wished that Samuel Adams would produce a variety 12 pack that consists of 3 beers: Winter Lager, Old Fezziwg, and Holiday Porter.

Another perusal of Norge reveals that other than a few bottles of Point Classic Amber, there is nothing more important than going out and restocking this fridge with good beer. Halloween is one of the best reasons to party. There is music to be played. Creepy monster movies to watch. A day of celebration for young and old where Jack-O-Lanterns all unite. And you know the old saying: There is no such thing as too much beer!

Happy Halloween and thank you!

Much has happened since neglecting my favorite web site, due to crazy local events. I refuse to bore you with those details, so let me get to the subject at hand: Beer!
I am sure by now almost everybody has tasted their fall marzen, or what is commonly called Oktoberfest. I usually sample as many of these as possible, but this year I slacked off a bit, but still had time to try the Kostritzer version from the black bier people in Germany. A change of pace from the caramel malt laden versions around, like Samuel Adams Octoberfest.
But the caramel malt profile has become synonymous with autumn beers in the United States. As the weather turns cooler the body has a need for more malts, which makes super hop productions seem out of season for the moment.
Since it is autumn and we are rapidly moving towards Halloween, I do want to mention one of my favorite seasonal productions, that being Saranac Pumpkin Ale.
Many compare this beer to pumpkin pie, although I do not eat pumpkin pie as a rule. No, what I like about this pumpkin ale is the recipe. I prefer it over Brooklyn Brewery’s Post Road, which Matt Brewing does the contract brewing for.
About a month ago I attended a distributor trade show where Rochester, New York brewer Dundee had samples of their Oktoberfest. A very good take on the style, that is not as widely distributed as it should.
I also got to sample Sierra-Nevada’s Chico Estate. A complete “in-house” brew, using hops grown by the brewery. It was quite good, but time limitations prevented the kind of serious, sit down contemplation this smooth ale demanded.
At the very same show (hell, it might as well been called a party) the Schlitz Gusto folks were in full promotional mode. Schlitz Gusto is the trade book name for the revived early 1960’s formula of Schlitz, before the marketing geniuses came up with the idea of tweaking the recipe, to supposedly produce more, while using less ingredients. That lead to the ultimate disaster where Schlitz, the number one beer in America since World War II, lost its market dominance to Budweiser, and never gained it back. As a kid, I heard beer drinking adults refer to Schlitz as “Shits” when the reformulated suds turned people away in droves.
But corporate amnesia was in full play this evening. Like Microsoft wanting you to buy 7 and forget all about something once known as Vista, the Schlitz Gusto had not only tied in to their daddy or granddaddy’s beer, with its Schlitz classic logo, they even had buttons promoting it as the beer of choice for the 1969 Woodstock music festival.
I also had to marvel at the riffs being used by the sales representative. Not only was he promoting Schlitz with quite a bit of gusto, he also had on hand their strong (8.5%) malt liquor, which he made a distinction that it was not malt liquor (which is in fact, a rather ambiguous term) but a high gravity lager.
Which was also in full play at this trade show, the distinction between craft, regional retro and corporate has becomes pretty much of a blur. I know the so-called craft brewers want to seperate themselves from the rest of the brewing industry, but is that actually possible, or is it by now, just another marketing ploy? I mean after trying Samuel Adams Coastal Wheat, how is it different than other big brewer’s wheat productions? From Coors’ Blue Moon to Bud Light Golden Wheat?
As I stated in a previous post, the recipe is the final deciding factor. Consolidation of brewing interests can reek havoc on a beloved brew. Take what A-B Inbev as done to the venerable Bass Ale. Corporate concerns have forgotten all about the character of this famous ale, that once upon a time, in Burton-On-Trent England, was brewed with gypsum mineral rich water that provided a somewhat chalky but delicious finish. None of that is present in the concoction now sold as Bass.
Luckily, some recipes have not been changed, or in rare cases, actually improved. Two of the early winter arrivals are outstanding: Avery’s Old Jubilation Ale and Flying Dog’s K-9. Both of these examples show that if you are going to fork out some serious money for a six pack of beer, it had better be worth it. In the case of these two, I would say it is.
As always my only prayer is thank you.

It should come as little surprise that Sierra Nevada Brewing Company, known for their obsession with fresh hops, would produce for this year’s Anniversary Ale, an IPA brewed with what they describe as “sustainably grown Cascade hops”.
Over the 29 years the brewery has been in operation, Sierra Nevada has revealed time and again, to be one of the finest craft breweries in the United States. This 2009 Anniversary Ale not only showcases the magnificence of Cascade hops, but with the balance inherent in this recipe, serves as a gentle reminder of the other fine productions in their portfolio, from Torpedo to Pale Ale to Stout to Porter year round, to their holiday seasonal Celebration Ale to the deep winter Big Foot barley-wine style Ale. Not to forget the richly layered Hop Harvest Signature Series, a hemispheric tribute to wet hops, and soon it seems a production is coming from the Chico Estate, utilising hops grown by the brewery.
20 years ago things were quite different here in the Midwest. I remember the first time I tasted Celebration Ale 1989 and was nearly overwhelmed by tasting an IPA like recipe, presented as a holiday beer. Which was quite new in those days, and was made even more exotic by the fact, that Sierra Nevada beers had very limited availability. Things like Big Foot were unknown legends. But all that changed as we moved into the 21st century. Sierra Nevada beers are available nearly everywhere, and despite an increase in production size, they remain ales of the highest quality.
Of course the brewery’s personality is not for everyone. People who do not like pronounced hops should stay clear. But judging by the spectacular success of their year round Torpedo IPA, there are plenty of folks who like hop heavy beers.
It’s good when good things happen from a good brewery. Cheers and Thank You.
The Beer Doctor

Okay, I do not want this to be a downer, but reality reveals the economy has come up short and money continues to dry up and blow away. Not good for the quality beer drinker, who see their favorite brands being yanked up up a dollar or more, and this being a dusty summer, what can a thirsty seeker do? Well, first there is the inexpensive beers: mostly adjunct grain lagers, sometimes with added ferment-ables, or ice brewed, for a bit more of a kick. Then there are those renowned retrospective classics: Pabst Blue Ribbon, Burger Classic, Old Milwaukee, etc… forget the aesthetics of glass bottles, the aluminum can will have to do. Despite the disparaging of beer in a can, the Ball corporation produces what is undoubtedly one the most efficient packages in the world, with a water based coating that completely eliminates the possibility of any metallic flavor, since the beer never actually touches the aluminium.
Beer is somewhat expensive in the state of Ohio. For economic classification, I’ll start with beer that costs 50 cents for twelve ounces. This of course includes those 24 ounce dollar cans, which of late includes Icehouse, Labatt Blue and Labatt Ice. After that there is the one dollar for twelve ounces tier, which includes $2 “oil cans” of Foster’s, the one time Aussie beer now brewed in Georgia and Texas. Also a 24 ounce bottle of Samuel Adams Boston Lager, which is the least expensive of their entire line.
Budweiser American Ale fits into this group, a twenty two ounce bottle for $1.79.
The first part of this summer has been economically tough, from county property taxes to tires for the family car. There other personal family catastrophes that I will not bore you with. Suffice to say that when I dropped in at my local beer store a few weeks back, the owner pointed to the recently acquired Anchor Summer Beer, which I replied, after noticing the $10 price tag, “No, I can’t do that, that is way above my pay grade.”
Which brings up a recent incident with Pyramid Breweries Curve Ball, a one time Kolsch-style summer ale that now sports new urban graphic packaging. But the beer itself incredibly, was absolutely awful. The package claims the beer is “a deceptively delicious diversion”… think again sports fans. The other sting to this was that Curve Ball retails at $9.57, tax included. Nothing bites like losing money on a very lame beer.

As the year moves toward the summer solstice, thoughts turn towards the summer beers that this year I haven’t even sampled. With the exception of one: Wacko, the deliciously red colored ale from The Magic Hat Brewing Company, a surprisingly full bodied work, even if the alcohol level only clocks in at 4.5% abv.  But the finish of this well made ale reflects Magic Hat’s distinct personality, probably mostly due to the use of their own yeast.
I know I said I just sampled one summer offering, but I forgot, I also tried Widmer Brothers Brewery’s Drifter Pale Ale, a complex yet subtle flavor profile, with a harmonious balance of malt and hops, that is very gentle and yet very flavorful. Odd too that this is of a much higher strength than Wacko (5.7%), but with a much lighter body. Incongruous viscosity, so to speak.
In terms of beer development, this is probably the best of times. Craft brewers (which is a misnomer, since brewing any good beer involves craftsmanship, but more on that in a moment) and large brewers, continue to present new offerings, whether it is a bold flavor experimental recipe, or a revival of  beer brands made in an earlier time; such as the return of fully krausened  Old Style, the revival of original Schlitz, and the revival of a beer long ago associated with the Cincinnati Reds: Burger.
Which reminds me of a remarkable statement I came across by Joe Schiraldi, Vice President of brewing operations at The Left Hand Brewing Company. It seems that Mr. Schiraldi recently attended some “craft” brewing conference, where some keynote speaker went out of his way to trash the so-called macro brewers. Joe took offense at this because Mr. Schiraldi knew, that the craftsmanship and quality control done on a large scale, is just as important as a tiny brew kettle. And even more important where the innovations and knowledge discovered by the titans of beer business, that are now used by everyone, from craft brewer to home brewer. Anyway, Joe Schiraldi said this: “The title of the latest block buster movie BEER WARS elicits this response from me: “No thanks… I would prefer to make happy beer to promote peace, understanding and detente among all people.”
Which is the way I see things myself. Once upon a time I too adhered to the beer snob credo that found it necessary to criticize what someone else enjoyed drinking. Ah but I was so much older then, I’m younger than that now, as Saint Bob would say.
Another good example of this happened on a thread at the Beer Advocate web site. The topic posted was why there was so little respect for Budweiser American Ale? I posted a comment that I thought A-B did a great job at creating a highly drinkable ale, of consistent quality, now available nearly everywhere. I received one angry response that said: “I would never buy that garbage.”
Which made me wonder what was considered to be garbage? The Cascade hops? The two-row barley malts? Or simply the fact that it is brewed without any adjunct grains? Strange too that such language is employed at Beer Advocate, who uses the credo: “respect beer”. Does that only apply to the boutique breweries who obtain cult like status? Or does that apply to the traditional role of beer as the drink of the people?
The term respect beer means for me, having some appreciation for all the work and love that went into you being able to enjoy the beer that you have, whatever the recipe style. To simply know, that the people engaged in producing that brew were involved in a positive activity. As the folks at The Bear Republic Brewing Company say: make beer, not bombs.
Thank you, the only prayer
The Beer Doctor

Fifteen years ago when the craft brew world was starting to go into orbit, few at the time would have imagined that the orbit is permanent, or L5 as they say. Recently sampling  Great Lakes Grassroots Ale, I was struck by the fact a brewery located in Cleveland, Ohio could produce an herbal farmhouse style of ale, found in Belgian and French farms, and somewhat rare, even in their countries of origin. Mind you, it is not my favorite beer, but the Belgian yeast strain, combined with the herbs, keep this in authentic context. On the bottle’s label, it is referred to as a mild ale, which when you see that it is 6.2% abv, they are using the term mild in the Belgian sense of the word. In British vocabulary this ale would be deemed strong.
But there is certainly something to be said about sitting in the backyard, on one of the warmest days so far this year, amidst abundant foliage and sunlight, and pouring this beautiful golden ale into what could be rightfully called a performance ale glass,  which exhibits this beer in all its saison glory.

Brewers in the United States are very interested in all different styles of beer. Take Andygator from The Abita Brewing Company in Louisiana. A big southern take on the traditional German Mai bock. Packaged into a 22oz bottle (a bomber as the beer crowd calls it) this 8% golden boy, is most definitely a bottle for two. If you open this while alone, well its time to get happy and responisble ( by not performing any tasks that require responsibility). Time to sit back and enjoy the malty golden nectar.
Which brings me to a point I would like to make. As The Beer Doctor, I was schooled in tasting by Beer Hound James D. Robertson, who taught me as a taster, its my job to meet any beer’s recipe halfway. In other words, if I am sampling a beer brewed with corn grits, say Straub or Pabst for example, I am not going to compare it with an all malt recipe. To say that beers made with adjunct grains are inferior is to deny the history of brewing (especially in the United States) that brought them about. Whether it is macrobrews or craft brewed, these marketing terms are incredibly overrated, because in truth, it is the recipe that counts, and how it is put into production. Of course branding has something to say, when it comes to satisfying the ticklish consumer palate. That is why Heineken Lager is sold in green bottles. Why Corona is sold as some fantasy beach vacation, rather than the dull migrant cooler that it actually is. Stella Artois is another marketing coup, taking a rather common table lager from Belgium, and making it “Reassuringly Expensive” as it was touted in England up until a couple of years ago.
The price of beer is often used as a way to determine the quality of the beer. After many years in the trenches, so to speak, I can assure the dear reader that this is not so. But people believe what they want to believe, so I am not at all surprised  when I observe someone forking out serious dough, for a six pack of something I would consider not worth buying at half the prize. Such is essential human freedom, and bless us all for deciding what each of us  wants to drink.
The recipe is the thing that will catch the conscience of The Beer Doctor. Whether it is new world or old world or downright acrchaic (such as brew lagered for months in stone caves). If it tastes good or interesting, it is going to be counted. Cheers!

With Spring comes bock, and with the arrival of Genesee Bock 12 packs in cans, it seems to harken back to a simpler time. Which seems to be effecting regional brewers across the country, who are rediscovering archival bock recipes to revive. A good example of this is Stegmaier Brewhouse Bock, a turn of the 20th century recipe that reminds me of the estery magic possible in an all malt, traditional German style recipe. In fact, although I thoroughly enjoy Anchor Bock, Leinenkugel’s 188 Bock, and Christian Moerlein Emancipator, I think the Stegmaier takes the prize for astounding flavor not magic.
Samuel Adams Double Bock has undergone a change in marketing strategy that I can not say I approve of. It use to be, for many many years, Double Bock appeared for a short six weeks of the year in six pack or case. Now it has been revamped to be produced year round as a four pack in their Imperial Series, kicking up the alcohol strength past 9% abv, I guess to help justify spending $10 on four bottles of beer. Unfortunately, many stores who carry Sam Adams beer, are a bit gun  shy on carrying an expensive four pack. So it has actually become more difficult to find the new version, of which I still have not tried.
ASomething definately worth checking out is Shiner 100th Anniversary Commemorator, a top fermented dunkel weizen dopplebock, a style usually associated with Schneider & Sohn’s Aventinus or Erdinger’s Pikantus. Here the Spoetzl Brewery takes on the recipe Texas style, performed with flavorful audacity. Not to be missed.
There are many other examples of bock this year available, including Dundee Pale Bock and Summit Mai Bock, both fine examples of the golden coloured late spring style. Many others, due to logistical distribution factors, I will not able to sample, including Yuengling Bock, found one state to the east of me. Anyway, here’s to bock! In its myriad recipe forms. To the restorative powers of malts I say cheers! and as always my only prayer is thank you.

2009 is proving to be an interesting year.  The arrival of Samuel Adams Blackberry Witbier is a very pleasant addition indeed. Too many fruit flavored beers miss the mark, but that is not the case with this recipe. A thirst quenching, delicious beer that, at 5.5% abv, is substantial enough to be enjoyed anytime of the year. A welcome addition to the Sam Adams permanent portfolio.
Another addition to yearly production is Sierra Nevada Torpedo IPA Ale. An orange-copper colored pour that is lively, with a surprisingly subtle, hops rich nose. “Torpedo” refers to the “hop torpedo” method created by Sierra Nevada, to uniquely dry hop this ale, which is only logical, from the brewery known for its obsessive hops personality. An uncompromising American IPA, well designed for those who love this brewing style, where intense hop floral resins combine with malts to create a complex, citrus-layered palate, that finishes as long as the day therein.
The same can be said for their annual barleywine style, Sierra Nevada Bigfoot Ale 2009, where the hug malt presentation does not escape Sierra Nevada’s hops assertion. This was an “extreme beer” long before anyone had coined the term. A welcome selection for post-holiday, dead-of-winter. A seriously deep brew with complex bitterness, for those who can sip and enjoy, a truly heavy beer.
A very good seasonal now available is Pandora’s Bock from Breckenridge Brewery. A lively dark copper pour, with a rich malty palate, offset somewhat by hops, making it rather doughy in the finish. Four different malts are used, along with a traditional Bavarian lager yeast, and Strisselspalt and Chinook hops, combine well to perform their magic. A tasty, beautiful presentation.
Matt Brewing has released their St. Patrick’s Day offering, with their Saranac Irish Red Ale. A festive, pleasurable event in the Irish amber style. Nothing is out of place here. A tasty drinkable beer, from start to finish. Have a case or two of this, for a crowd.
In the state of Ohio, in February, six packs of beers from Mendociono Brewing Company are on sale at $6.99 (+). A very good offering is their White Hawk Original IPA, with its subtle (as opposed to overwhelming) aromatic nose. Like nearly all American versions of India Pale Ale, this is aggressively hopped to say the least.
Hoppy beers have become quite a rage amongst beer seekers lately, and there are plenty of examples to choose from. White Hawk is Mendocino’s year round offering, and at 7% abv, it is a couple of notches in strength below the hops blow-out, extreme, “Imperial” versions. But there is plenty of flavor here. There is more of an apricot note in the citrus palate, fairly mild and finishes long.
Another interesting offering is Mendocino’s Black Eye Ale, a rich dark pour with a reddish undertone. This “black and tan” combines Black Hawk Stout with their Eye Of The Hawk Red Ale, producing a smooth malty, 6.5% abv, presentation. Here hops and malts blissfully co-exist. There are many flavor notes here, but why get ponderous? This top fermented blend is designed for drinkability (in a 22oz bottle at that), which it most certainly is, with a silky smooth finish.
Bock beers keep arriving this time of year. This season Jacob Leinenkugel Brewery decided to revive their brewery’s first 19th century recipe. 1888 Bock is dark amber in color, and a gentle malts showcase, serving as a reminder that bock beer  has been a part of the American beer vocabulary for a very long time. The use of pale and dark malts keeps this tasty and festive.
Last but not least, Anchor Brewing Company’s Anchor Bock, is a very fine example of American bock. A luxurious, deep brown pour, that combines barley and wheat malts to produce an outstanding beer, with many flavorful notes. This is the first time I have sampled this beer, and the fact that this was a fresh sample, made this a very glorious experience.
Cheers!

New Year’s celebration turned out to be a blast. Not only were there many holiday offerings to choose from, the reappearence of the Genesee Beer 30 can pack, turned out to be quite handy during the endless college bowl football games. Also, I was fortunate to get a hold of the Rochester, New York brewery’s Dundee Festive Ale, a quite good wassail with substantial strength (6.2% abv), made to seem more exotic at this locale, because of its limited availability.
With still plenty of winter to endure, I still have bottles of Avery’s Old Jubilation ale, and a couple of Goose Island’s Christmas Ale to toast things up a bit. I look forward to the season of bock (just around the corner) including this year, a first sampling of Leinenkugel’s 1888 Bock, using the recipe from that year.
This post is short and sweet. Here’s hoping everyone has a peaceful and prosperous New Year. Later… Beer Doctor. Thank You.

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.