Hop Talk

Beer-a-Day #183

For all their ubiquity I can’t believe I haven’t written anything about one of these before. And I like drinking local.

Our 60 Minute IPA is continuously & intensely hopped. A session India Pale Ale brewed with Warrior, Amarillo & ‘Mystery Hop X.’ A powerful East Coast I.P.A. with a lot of citrusy hop character. The session beer for hardcore beer enthusiasts!

Light amber in color, with an off-white head. Loads of hops in the aroma; the grapefruit is pronounced. That is good, and I can taste every one of those 60 IBUs.

I will be having this again and again.

Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA

Beer-a-Day #182

Halfway through the year, and I’ve just about exhausted the selection at my favorite retailer. I’ve taken to shopping with a list of things I shouldn’t get.

Named for the delicate engravings popularized by 19th century seafarers, Scrimshaw is a fresh tasting Pilsner brewed in the finest European tradition using Munich malt and, Hallertauer and Tettnang hops. Scrimshaw has a subtle hop character, a crisp, clean palate, and a dry finish.

Pale, but not quite blonde. Copious white head. Earthy and a little fruity. Refreshing. Goes pretty well with this tomato, basil, bread dish my wife made. I’d have this again.

North Coast Scrimshaw

Al started his Beer-a-Day project back on Jan 1, 2009 and he hasn’t missed a day yet! Today marks the half-way point.

Personally, I think he is crazy for attempting this but if anyone can do it, it’s him.

Let’s all raise a glass and give Al a big cheer for his accomplishment.

Cheers!

Beer-a-Day #181

Nothing refreshes you more than this naturally cloudy wheat beer with its wonderful yeasty fragrance and taste. Goes well with dishes that do not have too intensive a flavour, especially that Bavarian speciality ‘Weisswurst’ or white sausage.

Original wort: 12,7 % weight
Bittering power: 14
Alcohol content: 5,4 % vol.
Calories: 210 kcal/0,5 l

Hazy yellow with copious head. Floral with a little bubblegum. I’m not generally down with the wheat beers, but that’s a darn good one. That is in the top five best wheat beers I’ve ever had. Sadly, I only have the one.

Brauerei Weihenstephan

Beer-a-Day #180

Hook & Ladder Lighter™ is the right choice when you desire a flavorful beer with a “lighter” body.

This is one of my wife’s favorites. So much so that since it’s the only one in the house, I’ll be lucky to get a couple of healthy quaffs before it “mysteriously” disappears.

Pale gold with a white head. Aroma is a bit fruity, even more so in the taste. It is light. They say 3.2% ABV and only 94 calories in each 12 oz. serving.

Hook & Ladder Brewing Company

Wow!

Would you believe we’ve reached 1,000 articles here on Hop Talk? We hit the milestone with Beer-a-Day #179: Hoegaarden. It took us a little less than three years to get here from Ron’s first post back in July, 2006. (Qualified? Check.)

Did I expect to reach this milestone? I’m not sure. Frankly, I don’t think I was sure we’d get through the first year. I guess I’m just too stubborn to give up.

In any event, I’ve had a great time doing this and am looking forward to the next several thousand.

Beer-a-Day #179

Is it just me, or is everyone and his brother rolling out wheat beers? Well, this one bills itself as “the original Belgian White beer” and it’s darn hot outside. I am in need of something refreshing.

Very pale and hazy. Lots of spice in the aroma: coriander, orange peel, something floral. Flavor is citrusy and “soft”. Very refreshing.

Hoegaarden

Beer pouring and tasting basics reminds me of the Sam Adams laser etched pint glass for the perfect pint. Here’s a hint of what goes into making that glass.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hu3jYojnbPM

Beer-a-Day #178

My wife’s dear friend Ellen took our kids to see a movie, leaving us with an hour and forty-five minutes to kill.

So, of course we went to a brewpub.

On tap was the new “1634 Ale”, brewed to celebrate the founding of the Maryland colony. From the press release:

“1634 Ale” was created by Tom Flores, master brewer at Brewer’s Alley, following research of historic recipes and raw materials available in centuries past. “We used ingredients that would have been found in the austere conditions of early colonial Maryland,” said Flores of his rye-based ale recipe that also includes malted wheat, molasses and caraway. Flores says caramel and dark malts round out the flavor of the “lighter bodied ale.”Flores’ potable recreation has captured the attention of industry officials and the media alike who have sampled “1634 Ale” in the past month. “Early reports of the beer’s upcoming release were published in “Beverage Journal,” the Maryland / DC industry trade publication, as well as in the mass media and on beer blogs, – raising interest in the ale,” said Flores. Maryland State Governor, Martin O’Malley was among state officials who sampled the “1634 Ale” on Maryland Day, March 29, in Historic St. Mary’s City.

Phil Bowers, president of Brewer’s Alley, Inc., says that he is proud that his brewery was called upon to create the beer but not surprised that beer was incorporated into the state celebration. “Fermented beverages such as beer and hard cider were something of a necessity in the New World, where drinkable water was scarce,” he said, particularly within the early- discovered Atlantic coastal regions, such as St. Mary’s City, where inland water was brackish.

It certainly was interesting, with a number of unusual flavors, but none of them overpowering. I thought it was rather good.

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you know that the Kindle is Amazon.com’s new extraordinarily popular e-book reader. (Or, as Amazon puts it, “Wireless Reading Device”.)

Anyway, the folks at Amazon have seen fit to add Hop Talk as an available subscription for the Kindle. So, if you want the convenience of following Hop Talk on your “Wireless Reading Device” you can do so for the more-than-reasonable subscription price of $0.99 per month. If you’re not sure, there’s even a 14-day free trial on all Kindle blog subscriptions.

Hop Talk (Kindle Edition)