Monthly Archives: September 2010

Newcastle Keg & the Geordie Schooner

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These new kegs are pretty cool and they are certainly very convenient for a party. We took this on a vacation to the shore and being able to fill up half-way, or all the way, was great. My kids were really attracted to it, too. They kept reminding mom & dad that whenever we wanted more to let them know and they would fill up for us. (is that wrong?)

I have to note that the tap broke on us and made mess. (no, we didn’t blame the kids)

As for the Newcastle Brown, I just don’t love this. They call it the lighter side of dark. I would call it, the weaker side of strong. This beer is insipid, despite its nice brown color. It is a great gateway beer… something that might help bring the masses closer to real craft beer.

My wife commented that the new style pub glasses are completely awesome! They take a lead from the Sam Adams glass and add a nucleation area to the inside with etchings. I admit, they are study and easy to hold; a very good beer glass.

Bison Brewing Chocolate Stout

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Bison Brewing of Berkeley California brews 13 beers, all of which are organic. They take pride in being Certified Organic, but they also take great pride in brewing great beers. I decided to check out their Chocolate Stout, which they proudly proclaim is brewed with cocoa.

The nose has a definite chocolaty feel, as does the lingering aftertaste. You get strong hints of coffee and a roasted finish that leaves the mouth with a caramel thickness that is not at all unpleasant. The Organic Chocolate Stout comes in at 5.0% ALC/VOL.

Evidently Bison uses cocoa powder in the mash, and it really comes through nicely without overpowering the smooth stout taste. Combine that with 5 different malts, and you have a stout on hand that tastes good, as well as feels good, being organic and all.

Bison Brewing in Berkeley is a leader in the emerging organic market we find springing up all over the West Coast. They take pride in buying their hops organically, and decreasing the pollution in our waterways (farming contributes to 70% of that pollution).

Buying organic is not a deal breaker for me. I enjoy any beer that is brewed with pride and complex flavors, but it is nice to know you can drink organic and not suffer in the taste category. On the contrary, Bison’s Chocolate Stout is an excellent stout that, as they claim on their website, “Is like Barry White’s voice in a bottle.”

Crispin Lansdowne

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I have the whole lot of Crispin’s to write about but I’m going to start with their latest release from their Artisanal Reserve series, the Lansdowne cloudy hard cider.

This is what they are calling a Stout cider, or, Unfiltered Extra Stout Bodied Super-Premium Export Quality – a marketing phrase for sure, but yes, it is premium and stout is is quite apropo.

Crispin crosses the best of the craft of brewing apple cider (hard cider) and the craft of brewing beer by using beer yeasts in this series of ciders. They are all natural which is something I’m becoming a bigger fan of every day. This Lansdowne is brewed with Irish stout yeast and organic molasses.

Let’s talk about what is in this (lovely) beverage… 140 calories, no preservatives, no added sugar, no added spirits or grains for added alcohol (still 6.9% ABV), gluten free, naturally fermented with an irish ale yeast. (how great does that sound!?!)

Let’s talk about how it tastes… I found this much like a Irish stout as it relates to the style points - very sweet but balanced with tartness from the apple. It is also strong, aka: stout. But it is all apple, and tastes like the cider I get from the farm down the road from my house in the fall but with added piquant essence.

A full bodied, confident & imposing cider. It produces a slight hint of butterscotch, balanced by a subtle fruitiness and slightly dry crisp finish and a uniquely full & buttery mouthfeel.

Small batch, hand crafted, super-premium hard apple cider smoothed with pure organic molasses and a kiss of organic honey for a complex, bold, heady flavor.

Goose Island Summertime Ale

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It’s hot. I like this.

Dan points out I have the wrong style identified and he is right! (see comments) But, it doesn’t change the fact that I still like it! Alt’s are a bit darker, a bit maltier, and a bit hoppy’er. I added the true definitions below. They both are traditional German-Style beers. Goose Island suggests serving in a Kolsch style glass. 

Alt’s  German-Style Kölsch’s are becoming a favorite of mine as just a nice, simple, beer that hits the spot anytime. I remember visiting Brewer’s Alley with Al and the gang at Octoberfest and they had the “Wedding Alt” on tap and that was the day that I remember saying to myself that I had better give these more attention when I see them. Since then, I’ve had the CTRL-ALT-DEL at Davidson Brother’s Brewery in Glens Falls, NY and now Goose Island has made a wonderful Summertine ale that is distributed to many. Try one! (Please comment on your favorite German-Style Kölsch’s OR Alt’s!)

German-Style Kölsch/Köln-Style Kölsch
Kölsch is warm fermented and aged at cold temperatures (German ale or alt-style beer). Kölsch is characterized by a golden to straw color and a slightly dry, subtly sweet softness on the palate, yet crisp. Good, dense head retention is desirable. A light fruitiness may be apparent, but is not necessary for this style. Caramel character should not be evident. The body is light to medium-light. This beer has low hop flavor and aroma with medium bitterness. Wheat can be used in brewing this beer. Ale yeast is used for fermentation, though lager yeast is sometimes used in the bottle or final cold conditioning process. Fruity esters should be minimally perceived, if at all. Chill haze should be absent.

German-Style Brown Ale/Düsseldorf-Style Altbier
Copper to brown in color, this German ale may be highly hopped and intensely bitter (although the 25 to 35 IBU range is more normal for the majority of Altbiers from Düsseldorf) and has a medium body and malty flavor. A variety of malts, including wheat, may be used. Hop character may be medium to high in the flavor and aroma. The overall impression is clean, crisp, and flavorful often with a dry finish. Fruity esters can be low to medium-low. No diacetyl or chill haze should be perceived.