tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-59462221923936162412024-03-13T09:20:03.049-07:00The BeerocratA premier beer blog<br /><br />Where there is no such thing as "last call"The Beerocrathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05042082377287701663noreply@blogger.comBlogger85125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5946222192393616241.post-66316145883518829212010-10-09T00:21:00.000-07:002010-10-09T12:18:21.062-07:00CanFest 2010 Winners<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXpmM_7ArJrjWRixwmQ3GQmx0f6_0DlgLKdEgg2coMkjpzc0WVVMH5FzKXNoa_J_XFxGy0TfQ837_9eFPApyXS17etkjoq7NhjlXUzIMKdp-d3TPZMaT4i35FciZG7h8qeJm1Gjv5wPZZx/s1600/IMG_20101008_181606.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 239px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXpmM_7ArJrjWRixwmQ3GQmx0f6_0DlgLKdEgg2coMkjpzc0WVVMH5FzKXNoa_J_XFxGy0TfQ837_9eFPApyXS17etkjoq7NhjlXUzIMKdp-d3TPZMaT4i35FciZG7h8qeJm1Gjv5wPZZx/s320/IMG_20101008_181606.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5525945128437971090" border="0" /></a><br />Today (technically yesterday) I attended the trophy ceremony for CanFest 2010, the Reno International Canned Beer Festival, presented by Reno's own Buckbean Brewing Company. The awards were given in advance of CanFest's public festival, which will be held tomorrow (technically today) at 6PM at the Grand Sierra Resort's Silver State Pavilion. Over 60 (!) canned beers will be available for unlimited tasting until 9:30. Tickets are $35 at the door, but only $30 if bought in advance...like at Buckbean. I will see you there. (I wish I had a site to link you to, so here's <a href="http://www.buckbeanbeer.com/">Buckbean's site</a> instead.)<br /><br />Of those 60+ beers, 15 were awarded trophies in five categories tonight. And the awards go to:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">IPA Category</span><br /><ul><li>Gold: Oasis Ale, <a href="http://www.tallgrassbeer.com/index.html">Tallgrass Brewing Co.</a>, Manhattan, KS<br /></li><li>Silver: IPA, Tallgrass Brewing Co., Manhattan, KS<br /></li><li>Bronze: Epic IPA, <a href="http://www.mammothbrewingco.com/">Mammoth Brewing Co.</a>, Mammoth Lakes, CA</li></ul><span style="font-weight: bold;">Pale/Amber Ale Category<span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></span><ul><li>Gold: Big Swell IPA, <a href="http://www.mauibrewingco.com/">Maui Brewing Co.</a>, Lahaina, Maui, HI<br /></li><li>Silver: Dale's Pale Ale, <a href="http://www.oskarblues.com/">Oskar Blues Brewery</a>, Longmont, CO<br /></li><li>Bronze: Epicenter, <a href="http://santanbrewing.com/">SanTan Brewing Co.</a>, Chandler, AZ</li></ul><span style="font-weight: bold;">Dark Ales Category</span><br /><ul><li>Gold: Gordon Imperial Red, Oskar Blues Brewery, Longmont, CO<br /></li><li>Silver: Kilt Lifter Scottish Style Ale, <a href="http://www.fourpeaks.com/">Four Peaks Brewing</a>, Tempe, AZ<br /></li><li>Bronze: Ale, Tallgrass Brewing Co., Manhattan, KS</li></ul><span style="font-weight: bold;">Other Ales Category</span><br /><ul><li>Gold: Sunbru Kölsch, Four Peaks Brewing, Tempe, AZ<br /></li><li>Silver: Trout Slayer Ale, <a href="http://www.bigskybrew.com/">Big Sky Brewing Co.</a>, Missoula, MT<br /></li><li>Bronze: Coconut Porter, Maui Brewing Co., Lahaina, Maui, HI</li></ul><span style="font-weight: bold;">Lager Category</span><br /><ul><li>Gold: Viennese Lager, <a href="http://www.bohemianbrewery.com/">Bohemian Brewery</a>, Salt Lake City, UT<br /></li><li>Silver: Santa Fe Oktoberfest, <a href="http://www.santafebrewing.com/">Santa Fe Brewing Co.</a>, Santa Fe, NM<br /></li><li>Bronze: Coors Banquet, Coors Brewing Co., Golden, CO <span style="font-style: italic;">(they didn't receive much of an applause)</span></li></ul><span style="font-weight: bold;">Best In Show</span><br /><ul><li>Sunbru Kölsch, Four Peaks Brewing, Tempe, AZ<br /></li></ul>Congratulations to all the winners, especially Tallgrass, a newcomer this year who cleaned up with three trophies! Other big winners (i.e. multiple trophies) included Four Peaks from Arizona, Maui Brewing from Hawaii, and mainstay Oskar Blues from Colorado. I look forward to having all your beers tomorrow.<br /><br />Prost!<br /><br />(Special thanks to the awesome folks at Buckbean.)The Beerocrathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05042082377287701663noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5946222192393616241.post-76400256012375208082010-09-19T20:40:00.000-07:002010-09-19T23:48:53.236-07:00Reflections on the GABF<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtKRtdIXVthbqCGTm4qdVHo59j5c2ww73lZGhHQs5yacm2m1-Y3DC6-o3gD-xwOK7ZvJUFjIATDaCQ8QKzFylI-qvDBvTyErLspRBv6au2neFvfHIo85QeID8Y1SEmPrcybLg9u5HPaeUv/s1600/gabf_2010.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtKRtdIXVthbqCGTm4qdVHo59j5c2ww73lZGhHQs5yacm2m1-Y3DC6-o3gD-xwOK7ZvJUFjIATDaCQ8QKzFylI-qvDBvTyErLspRBv6au2neFvfHIo85QeID8Y1SEmPrcybLg9u5HPaeUv/s320/gabf_2010.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5518858709851333698" border="0" /></a>So, the party's over. At the Colorado Convention Center, the last bits of the 2010 Great American Beer Festival are being torn down and packed up. Janitorial crews are scrubbing the floors and walls. Brewery representatives are headed back to their respective cities, and college kids are returning to campus. And bloggers, such as yours truly, are reflecting upon the festival gone by.<br /><br />This was my first GABF, and it won't be my last. My wife and I went for two nights this time around, but I could see myself going for all three. There might be a couple changes to the routine next time around, such as staying within stumbling distance of the convention center and not really trying to explore Denver by foot in between sessions. Also, I may have to sign up for the <a href="http://www.brewersassociation.org/">Brewers Association</a> or the <a href="http://www.homebrewersassociation.org/">American Homebrewers Association</a> to get into their Member's Only Saturday session or go on Thursday night instead to try and beet the college kids.<br /><br />I had many good beers at the GABF, but only a few that I would call amazing beers, and all of them seemed to be from Colorado, a state I've neglected to cover in my reviews thus far. First of all, I fell in love with <a href="http://www.wynkoop.com/beer">Wynkoop's</a> Patty's Chile Beer, a 2006 GABF Bronze Medal winner in the Fruit and Vegetable beer category. It had a strong chili pepper aroma without the overt spiciness that I was expecting from a pepper-infused beer. It is one of my new favorites. Also one that I enjoyed was <a href="http://yakandyetibrewpub.blogspot.com/">Yak & Yeti</a>'s Chai Milk Stout (auto-"corrected" to "Chair Milk Stout" in one of my tweets); I've never tried a beer infused with tea before, but they did a fantastic job. Finally, <a href="http://www.myspace.com/rockymountainbrewing">Rocky Mountain Brewing</a>'s Da' Yoopers tasted almost exactly like cherry pie filling. I've never had so many creative beers at one time. Great job all around, guys!<br /><br />Also, I took the time (probably too much time) while there to talk to some of the brewmasters and brewery representatives that were there. Here is my list of awesome breweries from the festival, along with any awards they won last night (the full list of winners can be found <a href="http://www.greatamericanbeerfestival.com/wp-content/themes/2010/assets/uploads/gabf10_winners.pdf">here</a>):<br /><ul><li><a href="http://www.alaskanbeer.com/">Alaskan Brewing Co.</a> - Always great to talk to and support. Another Gold for the <a href="http://thebeerocrat.blogspot.com/2007/09/alaskan-smoked-porter-2006-vintage.html">Smoked Porter</a>'s 2009 edition. Not a surprise there.</li><li><a href="http://www.trinitybeer.net/">Trinity Beer Co.</a> - Great IPA out of Rhode Island, which won the Bronze in the Imperial India Pale Ale category.</li><li><a href="http://www.horseheadsbrewing.com/">Horseheads Brewing, Inc.</a> (NY) - Another good East Coast brewery, though I can't remember what I had. Blame it on being buzzed.</li><li><a href="http://www.nolabrewing.com/home/">NOLA Brewing</a> (LA) - Great Brown Ale, great people to talk to.</li><li><a href="http://www.fullsailbrewing.com/">Full Sail Brewing</a> (OR) - Dedicated staff, which is what you get when the employees own the place.</li><li><a href="http://www.widmer.com/default.aspx">Widmer Brothers Brewing Co.</a> (OR) - Still one of my favorite breweries to visit and support. Bronzes in the Hefeweizen (for their famous <a href="http://thebeerocrat.blogspot.com/2007/06/widmer-hefeweizen.html">Hefe</a>) and the Ordinary or Special Bitter (for their Drop Top Amber Ale)</li><li><a href="http://www.redhook.com/">Redhook</a> (WA/NH) - I toured the Woodinville, WA brewery many times in college. So many fond memories. Passionate about the beer. Shoulda tried the Copperhook, one of my college beers, if they had it.</li><li><a href="http://www.laurelwoodbrewpub.com/">Laurelwood Brewing Co.</a> (OR) - Another Portland brewery that I'd probably be addicted to if I still lived there. Deranger took the Bronze in the Imperial Red Ale category.</li><li><a href="http://www.10barrel.com/">10 Barrel Brewing Co.</a> (OR) - So there's apparently more to great Bend beers than just Deschutes. Sold out by the time I got there. Draft only. Last year's Bronze in the Out of Category awards for their S1NIST0R Black Ale.</li><li>Can't forget <a href="http://www.deschutesbrewery.com/default.aspx">Deschutes</a> (OR), also sold out when I got there, but I have a bottle of Abyss waiting for the holiday season. Gold for their Mirror Pond Pale Ale (Classic English-Style Pale Ale), Silver for their Gluten Free beer (Gluten Free) and their Wowzenbock (German-Style Wheat Ale), and Bronze for their Bachelor ESB (Extra Special Bitter or Strong Bitter).<br /></li><li><a href="http://www.ninkasibrewing.com/">Ninkasi Brewing</a> (OR) - Another SOL, but I met co-founder Jamie Floyd. Awesome guy. Can't wait to try some of your beer.</li><li><a href="http://www.wynkoop.com/">Wynkoop Brewing Co.</a> (CO) - The aforementioned Chile Beer is my new favorite beer, and their food ain't bad either.</li><li><a href="http://www.brooklynbrewery.com/index.php/landing/">Brooklyn Brewery</a> (NY) - Finally! An east coast brewery doing something interesting that isn't Sam Adams! I took a zymological journey with them and their odd-but-tasty beers. Their Manhattan Project tasted like a Manhattan.</li></ul>Congratulations one and all! I look forward to talking with you in the future.<br /><br />For now, however, I must rest and start another week of work. I am continuing work on the redesign and the migration of this blog as you read, but I felt this entry couldn't wait. So until next time: Prost!<br /><br />P.S. I have to give a big thumbs up to the Reno area's own <a href="http://www.greatbasinbrewingco.com/">Great Basin Brewing Co.</a>, who took home a Bronze in the Experimental Beer category -- Nevada's only medal!The Beerocrathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05042082377287701663noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5946222192393616241.post-10453694242488413852010-08-07T15:23:00.000-07:002010-08-07T15:40:59.677-07:00Big Site News!Dear loyal Beerocrat readers,<br /><br />As you may or may not have noticed, I haven't been active on this blog ever since my spring break last year. I figured I would let you in on what's been going on. In the months since I've published my last post, I've:<br /><ol><li>Successfully switched jobs,</li><li>Passed another semester of grad school,</li><li>Went on an awesome vacation to Ireland and Scotland, and</li><li>Purchased two tickets for the upcoming Great American Beer Festival in Denver</li></ol>However, there is a fifth thing that is on my list of stuff getting done, one that isn't quite so apparent. I am going to be moving this blog to a new address: <a href="http://www.thebeerocrat.com/">www.TheBeerocrat.com</a>! Being the web developer that I am, I am writing the entire codebase and designing the site myself so that I can have complete control over how my site should look, act, and feel.<br /><br />Right now, all going to thebeerocrat.com does is take you back to this Blogspot blog, but that will change in the near future. I have been working behind-the-scenes to get things up and running and integrating it with social media, Web 2.0, and other overused tech buzzwords. For example, all of my established blog posts are now ported over (including all your comments) and my permanent RSS and Atom feeds have been created and tested. And, like everyone these days, I now have a Facebook page and Twitter feed which will be integrated into the site.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">RSS Feeds:</span> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/TheBeerocrat">Atom</a> and <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/TheBeerocratRSS">RSS 2.0</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Facebook:</span> <a href="http://www.facebook.com/thebeerocrat">Jonathan "Beerocrat"</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Twitter:</span> <a href="http://twitter.com/thebeerocrat">@thebeerocrat</a><br /><br />Hopefully this will mark a positive step for the Beerocrat and its followers. I would like to thank everyone who has helped make this blog the way it is. I also would like to thank Blogger for the more than three years of blogging that I've done.<br /><br />And, as always: Prost!The Beerocrathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05042082377287701663noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5946222192393616241.post-1069345024529494692007-06-28T21:16:00.000-07:002010-03-29T23:26:16.412-07:00Hair of the Dog Ruth<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrRa8ftOZAuIxRc9REFu9RFIWM4VUBXlEg_LHwdGQLb3OdGacl9xHcc_8cLIegQNyMgzjJejdFLIIY55l8KjNk3s8GxA0DTbd3VEIJi0yePHgAXNxnY4htdRxM5R9qVdpqR_NLVGj6xZWo/s1600-h/IMG_1301A.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrRa8ftOZAuIxRc9REFu9RFIWM4VUBXlEg_LHwdGQLb3OdGacl9xHcc_8cLIegQNyMgzjJejdFLIIY55l8KjNk3s8GxA0DTbd3VEIJi0yePHgAXNxnY4htdRxM5R9qVdpqR_NLVGj6xZWo/s320/IMG_1301A.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5081342234765559218" border="0" /></a><br />First off, I would like to dedicate this post to all the dogs in my life: Tess (my dog, pictured left), Spanky (my fiancée's dog, pictured right), Truckee (my friend's dog, not pictured), and Hercules (my friend's <span style="font-style: italic;">other</span> dog, not pictured). They are the four-legged loves of my life.<br /><br />Now, on with the beer.<br /><br />The third beer I purchased in the Northwest was from a brewery called Hair of the Dog (hence the dog dedications above), a small brewery founded by Alan Sprints in November 1993 out of Portland. Most of their beers have are named for people or at least seem like they do. I personally have had two different Hair of the Dogs before, the flagship Adam (named for an extinct German beer style, <span style="font-style: italic;">Adambier</span>), and Fred (named for beer writer/historian Fred Eckhardt, the inspiration for brewing the Adam and first person to purchase it). Both of those beers have an impressive 10% ABV, and utilize "bottle-conditioning," or when new yeast and beer is added to finished beer to make it age like a fine wine. To help determine how much an Adam or Fred has aged, Hair of the Dog has put "vintage numbers" on their bottles denoting the batch of the brew. They still have their first vintage of each (Adams from 1994, Freds from 1997) that the brewers taste every so often to see what new flavors have developed. Hair of the Dog is still a small outfit, essentially a one-man operation that brews 5,000 cases of all their beers (not 5,000 per beer) each year.<br /><br />The Ruth, a 4.5% All-American Ale, is named after founder/brewmaster Alan Sprints' grandmother, Ruth, a fitting tribute if I do say so myself. When I spoke with Alan, he said that he expected it to be one of his most popular beers, but it actually is the least popular. However, it has maintained a loyal following of people who do not enjoy the stronger Adam and Fred. The bottle says to "Have one on Granny," so I did just that.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgArFe9TWu33CJX304QFwHlm4GwVCQSqsuojAKEzA8j1wMNm18ZmRnTkIoVNC3jFiTEcjGIxC_5mV9dxBUyDt4_tP3oSS7ySSs8FulS9hd0FHAx-SA8q9NXkDIOuELFKAW2VsgIFesXBig5/s1600-h/IMG_1301.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgArFe9TWu33CJX304QFwHlm4GwVCQSqsuojAKEzA8j1wMNm18ZmRnTkIoVNC3jFiTEcjGIxC_5mV9dxBUyDt4_tP3oSS7ySSs8FulS9hd0FHAx-SA8q9NXkDIOuELFKAW2VsgIFesXBig5/s320/IMG_1301.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5081353255651640770" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Here are the stats:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >Hair of the Dog Ruth</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">BREWERY:</span> Hair of the Dog Brewing Co., Portland, OR, USA<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FIRST BREWED:</span> 2000-2001<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">CALORIES/SERVING:</span> ~180 per 12 oz. bottle<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">BITTERNESS:</span> ~30 IBUs (varies year to year)<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">ABV:</span> 4.5%<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">ORIGINAL GRAVITY:</span> 12° Plato (1048.58)<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">MALTS:</span> Pale<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">HOPS:</span> Crystal<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">SERVING TEMPERATURE:</span> 50-55°F (10-13°C)<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FOODS TO PAIR WITH:</span> Pizza, hamburgers, hot dogs, sushi, even apple pie<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">AWARDS:</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">Never entered in judging contests</span><br /><br />The ABV came from the bottle's label, and the rest was answered by a phone call to the brewery on June 29th, 2007 at 12:45 PM PDT. Thank you very much Alan!<br /><br />This beer, while light on alcohol, definitely packs a great color and scent; the color was a rich cloudy amber color and its scent was wheaty with a hint of citrus, a pleasant surprise. The head was nice with a slight off-white color, and it did not dissipate. It's taste was very smooth and inviting, with only the slightest bite that I actually liked. The finish was equally smooth, with a milky aftertaste that didn't last long enough to go sour. I thought that the alcohol was starting to settle at the bottom towards the end, something I don't like in beers, but it wasn't enough to deter me from truly enjoying it.<br /><br />Overall, this beer is a keeper, perfect for kicking back this Independence Day.<br /><br />Woof!The Beerocrathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05042082377287701663noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5946222192393616241.post-22963799759226071572010-03-22T23:31:00.000-07:002010-03-22T23:31:50.803-07:00SalvaVida<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe3PnT3feqAYk5SjFOTTgX9-BoC6D3KSzdvaR1lfhYsoUSltGibSjAAEy8d2974A4m91kdaZD3VEt7t7Z9ayy_WNCoeslnGmUcqQJZm34HXBgFVxfEqrQNUd3BcLoSuH52hCC9Me0myO4j/s1600-h/SalvaVida.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe3PnT3feqAYk5SjFOTTgX9-BoC6D3KSzdvaR1lfhYsoUSltGibSjAAEy8d2974A4m91kdaZD3VEt7t7Z9ayy_WNCoeslnGmUcqQJZm34HXBgFVxfEqrQNUd3BcLoSuH52hCC9Me0myO4j/s320/SalvaVida.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5451711700710237426" border="0" /></a><br />Before getting to the meat of this entry, I want to let you all know to expect a hiatus coming up this week. It was great being able to write some entries during my spring break, but The Beerocrat has to hit the books again this week, so maybe expect one more entry this week, then possibly irregular updates until mid-May.<br /><br />Stumbling along Reno's Irish Row this St. Patrick's Day, I stopped in the King Ranch market to see if I could grab some more Guinness to continue the celebration at a friend's house. I figured they'd have some because everyone's a little bit Irish on St. Paddy's Day, right? Apparently not there; all they had were Latin-American beers and your typical domestic fare. In my semi-drunken state, I remember staring in awe at the number of different countries that were represented, which I guess makes sense, considering it serves a sizable Hispanic population nearby. For some reason, the Honduran beer SalvaVida caught my eye, so I grabbed a 6-pack.<br /><br />The story of the Cervecería Hondureña is interesting. The Standard Fruit and Steamship Company started the Compañía Industrial Ceibeña in 1902 to produce electricity, water, ice, soft drink, and cold storage service in Honduras. In 1915, the government of the banana republic declared that the CIC could market and produce beer, and they did just that, with their first beer, SalvaVida (meaning "lifesaver") brewed the following year. In 1935, the CIC merged with the Cervecería Unión combined to form the Cervecería Hondureña. In 2001, the brewery became a part of the SABMiller family of breweries, which probably brought the beer to the states for the first time. Just last year, the brewery won the gold medal in the Australian International Beer Awards for the large brewery category, and its Imperial lager won the lager category (Cervecería Hondureña <a href="http://www.cerveceriahondurena.com/quienes.php?orden_id=4&parent_id=1&r=">History</a> and <a href="http://www.cerveceriahondurena.com/cervezas.php?pagp_id=31&orden_id=19">SalvaVida</a> pages, the <a href="http://www.beerawards.com/pdfs/2009-AIBA-Winners-MR-200309.pdf">AIBA 2009 awards announcement</a>)<br /><br />Here come the stats:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >SalvaVida</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">BREWERY:</span> Cervecería Hondureña, S.A. de C.V., San Pedro Sula, Honduras<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">U.S. IMPORTER:</span> G.K. Skaggs, Inc., Irvine, CA<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">STYLE:</span> Lager<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FIRST BREWED:</span> 1916<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">CALORIES/SERVING:</span> ~170 per 12 oz. bottle<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">BITTERNESS:</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">ABV:</span> 4.8%<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">ORIGINAL GRAVITY:</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">MALTS:</span> "Caramelized malt"<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">HOPS:</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">SERVING TEMPERATURE:</span> 46°F (8°C)<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FOODS TO PAIR WITH:</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">AWARDS:</span><br /><br />Everything except the bitterness, original gravity, hops, food pairings, and awards came from <a href="http://www.cerveceriahondurena.com/cervezas.php?pagp_id=31&orden_id=19">Cerveceria Hondureña's SalvaVida website</a>. I will need to either e-mail the brewery or call/e-mail the U.S. importer for the rest, if they'll give it up.<br /><br />Like most Latin American pilsners, SalvaVida poured a dull golden color into my glass. It had an almost non-existent bubbly white head that dissipated almost immediately. The beer's nose smelt very strongly of hops and metal, once again very characteristic of a pilsner from that part of the world. The taste of the beer was also hoppy and metallic with a malty undertone and a carbonated mouthfeel. At first, the taste was mostly clean and crisp with almost no after taste. However, as I drank more of the beer, it started to taste bitter, and the aftertaste built on itself.<br /><br />With exception of the finish, this beer is largely interchangeable with most other Central American beers I've had, and I imagine if I had some burritas, Honduran tamales, or pastelitos de carne (similar to El Salvadoran papusas, I believe) it may have complemented it better. Still, if you're interested, pick one up at your local Hispanic store.<br /><br />¡Salud y amor y tiempo para disfrutarlo!The Beerocrathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05042082377287701663noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5946222192393616241.post-13831037249366715232010-03-17T02:56:00.000-07:002010-03-17T02:56:00.595-07:00Guinness 250 Anniversary Stout<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8HxRXg0gby5KhQ4bIQXUaLI76s-A4MGBDE4uXIAxRhdP5XPHjqlduqf3PxWCbG0LavX1IyKpEOu4dad2ZQLctduyIHbAnIZ3qFYcXNExVpIF73QG7wIZFQPKsBzR47SiBYBOGViUTxHE4/s1600-h/Guinness_250_Anniversary_Stout.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8HxRXg0gby5KhQ4bIQXUaLI76s-A4MGBDE4uXIAxRhdP5XPHjqlduqf3PxWCbG0LavX1IyKpEOu4dad2ZQLctduyIHbAnIZ3qFYcXNExVpIF73QG7wIZFQPKsBzR47SiBYBOGViUTxHE4/s320/Guinness_250_Anniversary_Stout.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449476838137832114" /></a><br />Before today's entry, I would like to wish everyone a Happy St. Patrick's Day. Please party responsibly.<br /><br />In honor of St. Patrick's Day, I decided to have a special Guinness: their 250 Anniversary Stout, released last year to honor the 250th anniversary of Arthur Guinness signing a 9000-year lease on a disused brewery in Dublin at St. James' Gate in 1759. Apparently, he had an initial cost of £100 and an annual rent of £45, which makes me wonder if the deal is still on (I'd hope so). So, what better way to celebrate the start of the <i>next</i> 250 years than with the anniversary stout? This marks the third Guinness product I've reviewed, after the <a href="http://thebeerocrat.blogspot.com/2007/09/guinness-extra-stout.html">Extra Stout</a> and the <a href="http://thebeerocrat.blogspot.com/2007/09/guinness-foreign-extra-stout.html">Jamaican version of the Foreign Extra Stout</a>; I plan to review the Draught when I get a proper pint at the St. James' Gate brewery in May. (<a href="http://www.diageo.com/ourbrands/categories/Pages/Beers.aspx#guinness">Diageo Beer Brands</a>)<br /><br />Here come the stats:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >Guinness 250 Anniversary Stout</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">BREWERY:</span> Guinness Ltd., Dublin, Ireland<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">U.S. IMPORTER:</span> Diageo-Guinness USA, Inc., Norwalk, CT<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">STYLE:</span> Stout<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FIRST BREWED:</span> 2009<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">CALORIES/SERVING:</span> 136.3 per 11.2 oz. bottle<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">BITTERNESS:</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">ABV:</span> 5%<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">ORIGINAL GRAVITY:</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">MALTS:</span> "Two types"<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">HOPS:</span> "Triple hops"<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">SERVING TEMPERATURE:</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FOODS TO PAIR WITH:</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">AWARDS:</span><br /><br />I got the first brewed, calories, ABV, malts and hops from an <a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30093096/">MSNBC article on the beer</a>. I'll probably fire off an e-mail to Guinness or Diageo for the rest, but I won't hold my breath.<br /><br />The beer, like every other Guinness product I've had, pours black as night into the bottle. I messed up and poured this beer as I would've poured a Guinness Draught, but it turns out I wasn't supposed to; what little head that resulted was tan in color, a little whiter than the other Guinnesses. The aroma was similar to that of Guinness Foreign Extra Stout: a pleasing dark chocolate nose. The taste of the beer was certainly more carbonated and less creamy than the Draught, with a little more malty flavor. That maltiness lingered slightly in the aftertaste, but it wasn't overbearing.<br /><br />Overall, a well-crafted beer from Guinness, but it doesn't evoke the same memories that the Draught does. This beer is only available for a limited time in the US, Australia, and Singapore (but not Ireland, curiously), and may already be sold out in some locations. (Booze Bros. in Reno, where I grabbed this one, still had 5 after I grabbed mine.)<br /><br />Sláinte!The Beerocrathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05042082377287701663noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5946222192393616241.post-36760781898541165282010-03-13T19:00:00.000-08:002010-03-15T23:24:20.149-07:00Lhasa Beer<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFfhkcIjXdGs6ZAvAbFSMt4l8MoJ0537oxStXR5f67HpVmBGXvM6YEilrWs5PlTFu1AEU0VQkjW08prpwsSL17tTerl39FsvrrKLG0ckdZwJn3Y0EMX5XMVeho3Nd1HiI6GRf_rrM0g5u-/s1600-h/Lhasa_Beer.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFfhkcIjXdGs6ZAvAbFSMt4l8MoJ0537oxStXR5f67HpVmBGXvM6YEilrWs5PlTFu1AEU0VQkjW08prpwsSL17tTerl39FsvrrKLG0ckdZwJn3Y0EMX5XMVeho3Nd1HiI6GRf_rrM0g5u-/s320/Lhasa_Beer.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5448318319208297314" /></a><br />I'm always on the lookout for beers that come from exotic corners of the globe. So when I was reading my September 2009 issue of <i>All About Beer</i> magazine a few months ago, I noticed an ad for a new imported beer from Tibet, called Lhasa Beer. I immediately looked around Reno for the beer, mostly in the Asian markets and at Whole Foods, but I came up empty-handed. Flash-forward to Christmas, when I was visiting family members in Austin, Texas. My wife and I went to the main Whole Foods store there, and while I was looking around, I found that they sold this beer. I had to snag it and bring it back to Reno.<br /><br />It is important to note that the Lhasa Beer that Americans receive in this country is different than the Lhasa Beer that Tibetans drink. Both are brewed by the Tibet Lhasa Brewery, founded in 1989 in Lhasa, Tibet, as a joint venture between two corporations; half is owned by the Danish Carlsberg Group and a Danish government development fund, and half is owned by a domestic corporation that is traded on the Shen Zhen stock exchange. However, the beer we get is specially designed for the US market, an all-malt Dortmunder lager with up to 30% Tibetan barley (with the remainder coming from Australia) and Saaz hops. The Lhasa Beer consumed in Tibet is a rice beer brewed with a lot of other adjuncts in it, and it is this beer, and others brewed by Tibet Lhasa (which, by the way, is the highest brewery in the world), that accounts for 70% of all beer consumed in Tibet. (<a href="http://www.lhasabeerusa.com/the-beer">Lhasa Beer</a>, <a href="http://www.lhasabeerusa.com/ingredients">Ingredients</a>, <a href="http://www.lhasabeerusa.com/brewery">Brewery</a>)<br /><br />What's really cool about this beer is that its U.S. importer, Dzambuling Imports LLC, likes to make a point that 10% of their net profits are reinvested back into "direct philanthropic intervention in Tibet," calling it "good karma." While some people may think that this is just a marketing gimmick, I actually had the privilege of speaking to people in management at Dzambuling who assured me otherwise. They told me that the brewery employs 250 full-time workers, 3/4 of whom are Tibetan, and one worker's salary is sufficient to support one family. Each one also gets full benefits, health care, and a retirement program, and upper management at the brewery even gets housing. The brewery has working conditions that are on a par with a modern well-run American brewery (a photo of the bottling line is below). Finally, even though they aren't yet profitable, they are currently making contributions in support of educating children in Tibet. Good karma, indeed. (<a href="http://www.lhasabeerusa.com/brewery">Brewery</a>, Interview with Management)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidWOUFQjQhEzkzcguZkPrDljcerdkPv3XNhCMpMION1Lyrxomu0iA1w5kH1iPGHsXSXzrjynPomcCeA0_oB8i264-plpTEOGxdHSCCcxLgjv5M95U-BdJOaUSXha26CClFzKSPHZiOodZw/s1600-h/Lhasa_Beer_Factory_JC_6.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidWOUFQjQhEzkzcguZkPrDljcerdkPv3XNhCMpMION1Lyrxomu0iA1w5kH1iPGHsXSXzrjynPomcCeA0_oB8i264-plpTEOGxdHSCCcxLgjv5M95U-BdJOaUSXha26CClFzKSPHZiOodZw/s320/Lhasa_Beer_Factory_JC_6.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5427520781052004146" border="0" /></a><br />Here come the stats:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >Lhasa Beer</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">BREWERY:</span> Tibet Lhasa Brewery Company Ltd., Lhasa, Tibet*<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">US IMPORTER:</span> Dzambuling Imports LLC, El Cerrito, CA<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">STYLE:</span> Dortmunder lager<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FIRST BREWED:</span> 2009<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">CALORIES/SERVING:</span> <em>Never tested</em><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">BITTERNESS:</span> ~20 IBU<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">ABV:</span> 4.6%<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">ORIGINAL GRAVITY:</span> 11.3° Plato (1045.62)<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">MALTS:</span> Up to 30% Tibetan 2-row barley, 70% or more Australian 2-row barley<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">HOPS:</span> <em>Aroma:</em> Saaz; <em>Bittering:</em> (some variety)<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">SERVING TEMPERATURE:</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FOODS TO PAIR WITH:</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">AWARDS:</span> 2009 WBC Silver Medal (Dortmunder Lager)<br /><br /><span style="font-size:70%;">*I count Tibet as its own country, even though China technically has administrative control over the region. I would count Taiwan similarly. It's not so much a political thing as it is an "exotic" thing.</span><br /><br />Information on the first-brewed, malts and hops came from <a href="http://www.lhasabeerusa.com/ingredients">the Ingredients page</a>, the ABV comes from <a href="http://www.lhasabeerusa.com/the-beer">the Beer page</a>, and the award information comes from the <a href="http://www.tastings.com/scout_beer.lasso?id=190012">Beverage Tasting Institute's review</a>. The remainder of the information came from an interview with management at Dzambuling Imports LLC.<br /><br />The first thing that hit me was this beer's strong pilsneresque aroma as it hit the glass. A deeper smell reveals a hoppy floral bouquet. The beer poured a yellow-golden color with a bright white head. The taste was carbonated and a bit hoppy for a 20 IBU beer. The finish was very crisp and light, leaving no trace of the hoppiness it originally had.<br /><br />Lhasa Beer makes for a drinking experience that you can feel good about, both taste- and karma-wise. Pick one up wherever they distribute it, which will also include Reno and Las Vegas in the near future.<br /><br />ཉེཔོནང (Nyepo nang)!The Beerocrathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05042082377287701663noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5946222192393616241.post-91885446254692846842010-03-13T21:58:00.000-08:002010-03-13T23:12:49.391-08:00Almaza<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX2lTGdwVim9d8-srYXr-7scQskyiNoYQuQ826HdTlVAc0_sIYpUdA4KLMz8P4qhU9kP59I6_DUBbsgn4QmWOE8WJ_zn5TU8n_epXbQS6W_iLOqjkHjug3eE2j8mkVRFSOzzL0THOLNsP4/s1600-h/Almaza.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX2lTGdwVim9d8-srYXr-7scQskyiNoYQuQ826HdTlVAc0_sIYpUdA4KLMz8P4qhU9kP59I6_DUBbsgn4QmWOE8WJ_zn5TU8n_epXbQS6W_iLOqjkHjug3eE2j8mkVRFSOzzL0THOLNsP4/s320/Almaza.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5448378689611621634" /></a><br />My wife and I took a mini-vacation to the Monterey Bay area for Valentine's Day. When we were in the Cannary Row area, I found a little Mediterranean market that had all sorts of funky Greek, Russian, and North African/Mediterranean foods and drinks. I was fascinated by their beer fridge; in addition to beers from the Baltic region and Greece, I found a beer from Lebanon, so naturally I had to buy it. That beer: Almaza, a pilsner.<br /><br />The Brasserie Almaza S.A.L. was founded in the Baouchriye sector of Beirut in 1933 by Lebanese shareholders as the Brasserie Franco-Libano-Syrienne; the name stems from the fact that France administered Lebanon (then the Lebanese Republic) at that time, but still administered under the French Mandate of Syria. Lebanon saw many conflicts throughout its existence, and throughout the bombardments, Almaza still kept brewing its beer, changing its name to the Brasserie Almaza S.A.L. in the 1990's. (<a href="http://www.almaza-beer.com/profile.asp">Almaza profile</a>)<br /><br />In 1995, Almaza beer became the only beer brewed in Lebanon (no longer true, ever since the <a href="http://961beer.com/">961 Brewery</a> opened in Beirut in 2006). In 2002, the Heineken group purchased a significant portion of the brewery, which means I'm not sure if the beer I purchased was actually brewed in Lebanon. In addition to the Almaza pilsner, their flagship, they began brewing Rex strong ale (8% ABV) in 2004 and Almaza Pure Malt (6% ABV) in 2007; they originally began experimenting with additional styles in the 1990's. Since Lebanon has a large Muslim population, it also brews Laziza (a non-alcoholic malt beverage it acquired in 2003) and Almaza 0% Alcohol. The only thing I wasn't able to find was when their pilsner was first brewed (I assume 1933, when the brewery opened) and what "Almaza" means; "al-maza" is a type of Mediterranean tapas called mezze, and "almaza" means "why," so I'm not sure. (<a href="http://www.almaza-beer.com/profile.asp">Almaza profile</a>)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >Almaza</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">BREWERY:</span> Brasserie Almaza S.A.L., Beirut, Lebanon<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">U.S. IMPORTER:</span> Lebanese Arak Corporation, Glendale, CA<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">STYLE:</span> Pilsner<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FIRST BREWED:</span> 1933 (as far as I can tell)<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">CALORIES/SERVING:</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">BITTERNESS:</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">ABV:</span> 4.1%<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">ORIGINAL GRAVITY:</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">MALTS:</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">HOPS:</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">SERVING TEMPERATURE:</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FOODS TO PAIR WITH:</span> Lebanese food, I imagine<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">AWARDS:</span><br /><br />The year comes from the <a href="http://www.almaza-beer.com/profile.asp">Almaza website</a>, and the (limited) rest comes from the bottle and the <a href="http://lacproducts.com/beer_lebanese.php">importer's website</a>. I think some e-mails are in order.<br /><br />When I poured the beer, a smell I can only describe as "pilsner" emitted from the brew. It was that hoppy metallic aroma that I've smelled in beers from Poland to Honduras. Full disclosure: I'm not a fan of that smell, but I fully support anyone who does. Also for full disclosure: I'm fairly certain the beer smelled funky; I'm not sure how long my bottle had been in the case, and the green bottle doesn't exactly help with UV radiation and hop oil spoilage. The beer had a light golden color with a white head that dissipated moderately quickly. Taste-wise, this beer tasted like a diluted version of Okocim, which was nice; no penny in the taste and a light carbonation. There also was a little skunk in the taste, which I chalk up to the bottle and its unknown age. The finish was a little bit of a sticky hoppy taste, with a slight touch of skunk.<br /><br />I probably would've liked this beer more if it were fresher or newer. I'm sure those people who like pilsners will enjoy this one. Order one from your local Lebanese restaurant in the U.S., Canada, the U.K., France, Australia, or the Persian Gulf.<br /><br />Kesak!The Beerocrathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05042082377287701663noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5946222192393616241.post-29287440273071277962010-01-17T00:24:00.000-08:002010-01-17T00:25:05.892-08:00Harar Beer<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoro5EnIB-q3w1PEQ_SBS5Pk4U0YPDrWlE6b811bf2V_a85cU5Ydp3DXtmM8yj8EjnsY9S7Gv1Pap2PMW0EiPkaX4uk433nurqNXtfL18zlQFE1ACN9hbbE7HXTj-eIn04-vbmcxm-Tpf3/s1600-h/IMG_0141.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoro5EnIB-q3w1PEQ_SBS5Pk4U0YPDrWlE6b811bf2V_a85cU5Ydp3DXtmM8yj8EjnsY9S7Gv1Pap2PMW0EiPkaX4uk433nurqNXtfL18zlQFE1ACN9hbbE7HXTj-eIn04-vbmcxm-Tpf3/s320/IMG_0141.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5427620794960881922" border="0" /></a><br />Let's go back in time to January 2008. The economy was still somewhat good but about to burst, George W. Bush was still president, Michael Phelps was dreaming of eight Gold Medals in Beijing, and in Reno, a new Ethiopian restaurant, called <a href="http://www.zagolofreno.com/">Zagol</a>, opened up. Me, my wife, and my parents-in-law decided to try it out. The food was interesting, the honey wine was fantastic, and the beer was <a href="http://thebeerocrat.blogspot.com/2008/01/hakim-stout.html">Hakim Stout</a>, what I called a "surprisingly good beer". Some of the commentors agreed, some didn't, but hey, we all have different tastes, and that's why I never bad-mouth a beer.<br /><br />Now, we come back to the present. Barack Obama is president, Michael Jackson is dead, Alabama won the BCS National Championship game, and the family returned to Zagol for my father-in-law's birthday. Last time, I came with a 1.3 megapixel cameraphone, but this time, I came prepared with a 10 megapixel digital camera. I even knew that I wanted the light beer this time. Problem is, I had no idea what it was called, and neither did our waitress last time. I soon found out it was Harar Beer, a lager from the same brewery as Hakim Stout (thus the brewery info is the same). This beer is brewed in the pilsner style and runs at 4.25% ABV, less than the stout. Like the stout, the name of the beer is printed on the label in English as well as in Ethiopian, with the transliteration of the text being "Harar Bīrā," or (surprise!) Harar Beer.<br /><br />Unfortunately, <span style="font-style: italic;">also</span> like the stout, there's not a lot of information about the beer itself, so I've decided to include a little more brewery information. Of Ethiopia's four breweries, the Harar Brewery Share Co. is the only one who exports. It gets its brewery equipment from the Czech Republic, so it's no wonder that what is probably their flagship beer is in fact a pilsner. Their hops come from Germany, and the malt comes from the Assela Malt Factory in Assela (it used to be imported before the factory opened up). From what I've read, the brewery seems to be in good working condition, and it draws its water from the Genela Spring located on-property, as well as the Finkile deep well and the Alemaya Pump Station. (<a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20080208111926/http://www.telecom.net.et/%7Eepa/Sectors/beverages_prof.html">The Beverages Sector: The Private Sector</a>)<br /><br />Here come the stats:<br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Harar Beer</span></strong><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">BREWERY:</span> Harar Brewery Share Co., Harar, Ethiopia<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">US IMPORTER:</span> NTS Enterprises, Oakland, CA<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">STYLE:</span> Pilsner<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FIRST BREWED:</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">CALORIES/SERVING:</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">BITTERNESS:</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">ABV:</span> 4.25%<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">ORIGINAL GRAVITY:</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">MALTS:</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">HOPS:</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">SERVING TEMPERATURE:</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FOODS TO PAIR WITH:</span> Ethiopian food<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">AWARDS:</span><br /><br />I got this extremely limited information from the bottle. I really need to e-mail the brewery with my questions. Who knows, maybe they'll answer.<br /><br />This beer poured a golden color with a very nondescript white head that faded away almost instantaneously. The beer had a very malty aroma to it, but I thought it was pleasant. The taste was a little sweeter than I was used to for pilsners and was a nice surprise. I tasted malts, slight hops, carbonation, and a citrus taste reminiscent of a hefeweizen. The aftertaste was a combination of hops and slight metal, but faded pretty quickly. Matching the beer with Ethiopian food like Gored Gored and Ya Doro Wat made the aftertaste non-existant.<br /><br />I liked this beer better than the Hakim Stout and better than most other pilsners I've had. Some complain that it's too sweet, but I think it's nice to not have a lager that tastes like I'm sucking a penny. Like Hakim Stout, you can find it at your favorite African restaurant or importer.<br /><br />T'chen chen!The Beerocrathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05042082377287701663noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5946222192393616241.post-90135121025747857832010-01-16T17:02:00.000-08:002010-01-16T17:07:04.560-08:00Famosa (Gallo)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR6XPgNC1Ps8OEy4jC94i6oO567fzdC9X66P6T0xgnNkUSeoFOvEt5YxsbLUmlYSoi83hz03sx_tDrQv0hxMocUdt_-PBzvfzRvgjsRY81cIzg6A2eWvGUcTqvGWNGrSMy-ONpe02yT7GU/s1600-h/IMG_0068.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR6XPgNC1Ps8OEy4jC94i6oO567fzdC9X66P6T0xgnNkUSeoFOvEt5YxsbLUmlYSoi83hz03sx_tDrQv0hxMocUdt_-PBzvfzRvgjsRY81cIzg6A2eWvGUcTqvGWNGrSMy-ONpe02yT7GU/s320/IMG_0068.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5427502144667577506" border="0" /></a><br />This is a beer that recently was distributed to the Reno area, or at least to my favorite beer store, Booze Bros. I was in the mood for a Latin American lager, I saw the bottle, I saw the country of origin as another I can check off my list (Guatemala, by the way), I purchased.<br /><br />Famosa (Spanish for "famous") is the export name for a beer Guatemalans call Gallo (Spanish for "Rooster"), explaining the black stylized rooster on the bottle. <span style="font-style: italic;">Why</span> there's a stylized rooster on the bottle, I wasn't sure, so I had it explained to me by a brewery spokesperson. I originally thought that the rooster was in fact a Resplendent Quetzal, Guatemala's national bird, whose image adorns the flag, coat of arms, and currency (which is also named the Quetzal), but I was wrong. In 1896, one of the family members of the brewery owners (not mentioned, but I assume it's the Castillo family; read on) decided to put a rooster on the bottle of their "Lager-Bier", I imagine as a sort of trademark. Ten years later, people started asking for a beer "with the Rooster on the bottle," eventually being shortened to "The Rooster," and thus, the name El Gallo was born. (E-mail to Central Beers)<br /><br />The brewery itself was established in 1881 by Mariano and Rafael Castillo Córdova as Castillo Hermanos, with German brewmasters Herr Stiller and William Spitz arriving in 1895. The beer now known as Gallo in Guatemala and Famosa elsewhere was first brewed in 1896, and it has won numerous awards since. According to the Famosa spokesperson, the brewery is now owned by the 4th and 5th generations of family members, and it is one of only two independent breweries in Latin America. (<a href="http://www.cerveceriacentroamericana.com/gallo.html">Gallo beer information</a>; I did my best with the translation, but if anyone can assist, I would be grateful)<br /><br />Here come the stats:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >Famosa (Gallo)</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">BREWERY:</span> Cervecería Centro Americana, S.A., Guatemala City, Guatemala<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">US IMPORTER:</span> Central Beer Import and Export, Inc., Miami, FL, USA<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">STYLE:</span> Lager<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FIRST BREWED:</span> 1896<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">CALORIES/SERVING:</span> 145 per 12 oz. bottle (135-155 on average)<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">BITTERNESS:</span> 20 IBUs (18-22 on average)<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">ABV:</span> 5%<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">ORIGINAL GRAVITY:</span> 11.5° Plato (1046.47)<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">MALTS:</span> Malts from Denmark, Sweden, and Germany<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">HOPS:</span> Hops from Yakima Valley, Washington<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">SERVING TEMPERATURE:</span> 32-41 °F (0-5 °C)<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FOODS TO PAIR WITH:</span> Guatemalan food, but also "sea food, Italian pasta or steak" among other things<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">AWARDS:</span> 25 Monde Selection awards since 1967, including 21 gold medals (which itself includes 10 straight golds), 1 Great Gold medal in 1992, and the Crystal Prestige Award; 1914 gold medal at the Panama Pacific International Exhibition<br /><br />All information, except for the OG, malts, hops, and serving temp, came from <a href="http://centralbeer.com/famosa_beer.php">Central Beer's Famosa website</a>; the rest came from an e-mail to the importer, Central Beer Import and Export.<br /><br />The beer itself poured a clear light golden color that bubbled up into a nice clean white head. The scent of the beer reminded me of many a pilsner and Latin American lager I have drank, which makes sense considering this is your basic Latin American lager. The beer itself tasted of carbonation and a slight hoppiness with just a hint of malt. The good news is that the aftertaste was not overly bitter or metallic, a problem that befalls many beers from this part of the world (my theory is that it has to do with the water). It was a light hoppy aftertaste that lingered for a little while.<br /><br />Overall, not a bad beer, but I imagine that the entire experience would be greatly improved served alongside some tamales or chile rellenos or other Guatemalan food (and yes, apparently most Guatemalan food is also Mexican food). Certainly far from the worst Central American lager I've had. Your favorite Guatemalan restaurant or Latin American grocer probably has this beer, so pick one up.<br /><br />¡Salud!The Beerocrathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05042082377287701663noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5946222192393616241.post-55963843226099161952007-06-20T21:50:00.000-07:002010-01-16T17:02:30.266-08:00Cerveza QuilmesOn a recent trip to Sacramento, I wandered into one of the best beer stores in Northern California: BevMo!, a liquor, beer, and wine store. I tell you this: When I saw their beer selection, I was a kid in a candy store. I've never been giddy about much in my life, but I was giddy about their beer selection. I couldn't decide on one single beer, so I found a "beers of the world" 10-pack, featuring South American, European, and American beers. One of those beers is an Argentinian selection, Quilmes.<br /><br />Originally brewed by the Cervecería y Maltería Quilmes in the Quilmes district of Buenos Aires, Argentina (hence the name) in 1890, Quilmes Cerveza is a light lager that has become the pride of the South American nation. Quilmes is <span style="font-style: italic;">the</span> beer in Argentina, sponsoring the national soccer team and even using the country's colors on its label. The brewery itself was opened in 1888 by German Otto Bemberg. The brewery produces other Quilmes brands, including Quilmes Bock and Quilmes Stout.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAjMGbFGI053aEUzuGH22o06G2I1-SqG0E8kkJpU5ZB-HOnq8UkWwuOmQRX61rLKcL738vY3bpv16Pr-J1QT4Wf5UGHVfzqaNFV0jqmbXs-jT6WjEjld6Mc8JAbBwaWauoFrPeRvp0bEzL/s1600-h/IMG_1277.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAjMGbFGI053aEUzuGH22o06G2I1-SqG0E8kkJpU5ZB-HOnq8UkWwuOmQRX61rLKcL738vY3bpv16Pr-J1QT4Wf5UGHVfzqaNFV0jqmbXs-jT6WjEjld6Mc8JAbBwaWauoFrPeRvp0bEzL/s320/IMG_1277.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5078521864195282482" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Here are the stats:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;">CERVEZA QUILMES</span><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;">BREWERY:</span><span> InBev/</span>Cervecería y Maltería Quilmes<span>, Buenos Aires, Argentina<br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;">FIRST BREWED:</span> 1890<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">CALORIES/SERVING:</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">BITTERNESS:</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">ABV:</span> 4.9%<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">ORIGINAL GRAVITY:</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">MALTS:</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">HOPS: Bittering:</span> ; <span style="font-weight: bold;">Aroma:</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FOODS TO PAIR WITH:</span> Potato Chips<br /><br />Not much is known about this beer, but I will fire off an e-mail (in bad Spanish) to try and fill in some of those blanks. The ones that are there are from <span style="font-style: italic;">Beers of the World</span>, the Quilmes website (<a href="http://www.quilmes.com.ar/">http://www.quilmes.com.ar</a>, in Spanish), or the Quilmes label.<br /><br />The instant I poured the beer, I noted a faint aroma that reminded me of regular Coors. The beer was a nice golden color with a massive white foam. I felt that it had a nice light taste, not harsh at all, and had a nice aftertaste that tasted like grains. Becky, my fiancée, also tasted the beer and described it as a light summery beer with no aftertaste, perfect for relaxing. I am inclined to agree. Who knows, I may even stock my next barbecue with coolers full of Quilmes.<br /><br />Okay, probably not.<br /><br />¡Salud!The Beerocrathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05042082377287701663noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5946222192393616241.post-73880614425405213222010-01-02T20:30:00.000-08:002010-01-02T23:10:02.711-08:00Shiner 100 Commemorator<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg47PTxJKturuXr0owWkzzr-1QgzKHtymQDoVUPRaIlLsHvvnMa5sWSE9_FrCl2oCcDocWIB1jewaCnDozJNgMlh_vmIC30TNJ7xaUiSFfwhQSMxv6gCDSSRUeeFMygX3y_FwdV6mwMUPyh/s1600-h/IMG_0067.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg47PTxJKturuXr0owWkzzr-1QgzKHtymQDoVUPRaIlLsHvvnMa5sWSE9_FrCl2oCcDocWIB1jewaCnDozJNgMlh_vmIC30TNJ7xaUiSFfwhQSMxv6gCDSSRUeeFMygX3y_FwdV6mwMUPyh/s320/IMG_0067.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5422404328273829314" border="0" /></a><br />When I went to Texas for Christmas vacation, I of course wanted to check out the local beer flare. And in many parts of the state, when it's not one of the Big 3, the two big Texas beers are Lone Star (what one friend in San Antonio called "Texas' Budweiser") and Shiner. I only had one bottle of Lone Star, but I had a fair amount of Shiner, both the flagship Bock (4.4% ABV) and the winter seasonal Holiday Cheer (5.4% ABV). Both beers were very delicious and were highlights of my trip, along with a trip to the <a href="http://www.bluestarbrewing.com/brewery/index.html">Blue Star Brewery</a> and <a href="http://latunagrill.com/">La Tuna</a> for drinks.<br /><br />It was when I got home that I discovered that Spoetzl, the brewery that makes Shiner, celebrated their 100th anniversary this last year, and they released a special beer to commemorate the event, called, er, 100 Commemorator, a Doppelbock-style lager that Spoetzl notes was used as "liquid bread" by monks fasting during Lent. The anniversary of the "little brewery" in Shiner was one of the many that occurred involving beer, including Guinness' 250th anniversary and Rogue's Sesquicentennial Ale to celebrate Oregon's 150th birthday. Since it was only available for the entirety of 2009, I figured that I should pick one up while I can find them in 2010.<br /><br />After doing a little research, I discovered that this is the last of the anniversary beers that Spoetzl brewed. They started in 2006 with 97 Bohemian Black Lager, and followed up with 98 Bavarian-Style Amber in 2007 and 99 Munich-Style Helles Lager in 2008. Too bad I didn't try them when they came out, although I lucked out on the 97, which is back for good.<br /><br />Spoetzl Brewery, so named after first brewmaster Kosmos Spoetzl, was founded in 1909 as the Shiner Brewing Association by German and Czech immigrants in Shiner, Texas, first releasing Shiner Premium that same year. In 1913, they released Shiner Bock, and in 1914 the Association recruited Spoetzl to head up the brewing operation; he ended up buying the brewery the next year. They managed to survive Prohibition by brewing near-beer (and, rumor has it, Shiner Premium for local farmers), and Spoetzl survived until 1950, when he passed away; at that time, his daughter took over and renamed it the K. Spoetzl Brewery. I'm not entirely sure when Shiner expanded out of Texas for the first time, but I do know they expanded to North Texas officially in 1992, so it probably was pretty recent. (<a href="http://www.shiner.com/main.php?page=history">Spoetzl Brewery</a> → History)<br /><br />Here come the stats:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >Shiner 100 Commemorator</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">BREWERY:</span> Spoetzl Brewery, Shiner, TX, USA<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">STYLE:</span> Doppelbock<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FIRST BREWED:</span> 2009<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">CALORIES/SERVING:</span> ??<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">BITTERNESS:</span> 17 IBU<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">ABV:</span> 6.7%<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">ORIGINAL GRAVITY:</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">MALTS:</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">HOPS:</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">SERVING TEMPERATURE:</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FOODS TO PAIR WITH:</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">AWARDS:</span><br /><br />The style, bitterness, and ABV come from Shiner's 100 Commemorator website (<a href="http://www.shiner.com/main.php?page=beer">What's On Tap</a> → 100 Commemorator). The rest will hopefully come as a response to an e-mail I'm going to send to the brewery.<br /><br />The beer poured a mid-amber color and produced a light tannish foamy head. The aroma was fruity in nature and pleasant to my nose. The beer itself also tasted fruity but also very malty as well, proving the liquid bread reputation this style is known for. The taste also is slightly hoppy and also felt "heavy" and complex, if that makes sense. The aftertaste reminds me of a sweet dark bread, and it was pleasant and non-intrusive.<br /><br />I snagged one from my usual haunt Booze Bros. in Reno, but if you want to grab one, you better do it soon!<br /><br />Prost!The Beerocrathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05042082377287701663noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5946222192393616241.post-39755509082423547242009-08-23T21:07:00.000-07:002009-08-23T21:08:03.700-07:00Nøgne Ø Porter<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifvCrXJNpzTzFHcWzOFC-FusfoDtX51t2d2X6XrqDlDLUwpvWzbBOLSGguBEpGLOepQnZFhd1Yx0zuVB15qSS8Y2IKehIsUKods4n1K2douRKstrGHko9niwvXsk1q0l1fUkQYIJfvm9uT/s1600-h/IMG_0713.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifvCrXJNpzTzFHcWzOFC-FusfoDtX51t2d2X6XrqDlDLUwpvWzbBOLSGguBEpGLOepQnZFhd1Yx0zuVB15qSS8Y2IKehIsUKods4n1K2douRKstrGHko9niwvXsk1q0l1fUkQYIJfvm9uT/s320/IMG_0713.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5373376464203630834" border="0" /></a><br />I am always on the lookout for new beers that come into the Reno area, and one just arrived recently that I had seen before. Over Christmas, in Portland, I told you that I had found a cool beer named "Ø" amongst other foreign beers (I eventually settled on <a href="http://thebeerocrat.blogspot.com/2009/01/hinano-tahiti.html">Hinano Tahiti</a>, a French Polynesian beer). Apparently, the brewery itself, not the beer, is named Ø, and it's actually not Ø, it's Nøgne Ø, Norwegian for "naked island". I can't remember the style that I saw in Portland, but the one on sale at Booze Bros. was their Porter. It came highly recommended, so I had to snag it, even though the price tag was a little steep. (Not as steep as in Norway, where it can fetch €12, or $17, a bottle, more than twice what I paid.)<br /><br />Nøgne Ø (full name "Nøgne Ø - The Uncompromising Brewery" when translated from Norwegian) was started by two Norwegian homebrewers, Kjetil Jikiun and Gunnar Wiig, in Grimstad, Norway (a town about 4 hours SW of Oslo), in 2002. Jikiun, an airline pilot, started homebrewing in 1997 after bringing homebrewing supplies back from Seattle and Chicago. He met Wiig and, after months of persuasion, convinced him to join him in his pursuit. You see, like many countries (including the US), Norway's beer market is dominated by two main breweries, Carlsberg-Ringnes and Hansa-Borg, which control 85% of Norway's beer market. Combine that with strict alcohol control laws (no advertising, alcohol more than 4.75% ABV must be sold in state-run liquor stores, Internet legislation, high taxes, etc.), and it seems unlikely that any micro could survive.<br /><br />And yet, Nøgne Ø (and many others) has, mostly thanks to exporting 70% of its crop to more tolerant countries. Even though they've had some pretty rough times over the last 7 years, it seems as if Jikiun and his crew have found their niche introducing new beer styles (mostly ales and bottle-conditioned beers) to Norwegians and sharing their interpretations with the rest of the world. The porter in particular was first homebrewed by Jikiun in 2000 and was released commercially in 2003. Jikiun himself has a soft-spot for this particular beer; says Jikiun, "Our porter was developed by me, and I am the one who have made the adjustments required, when we have changed brewing equipment or there has been inconsistencies in malt/hop supplies ... [it] is my baby." (Various pages on <a href="http://www.nogne-o.com/">Nøgne Ø's site</a> that can't be direct-linked, <i>All About Beer</i> November 2007)<br /><br />Here come the stats:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >Nøgne Ø Porter</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">BREWERY:</span> Nøgne Ø Brewery, Grimstad, Norway<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">US IMPORTER:</span> Shelton Brothers, Belchertown, MA<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">STYLE:</span> Porter<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FIRST BREWED:</span> 2000 as a homebrew, 2003 commercially<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">CALORIES/SERVING:</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">Never tested</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">BITTERNESS:</span> 30 IBUs<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">ABV:</span> 7%<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">ORIGINAL GRAVITY:</span> 16.5° Plato (1068.04)<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">MALTS:</span> Maris Otter, Munich, caramel, black malt, and chocolate malt<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">HOPS:</span> Centennial and Northern Brewer hops<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">SERVING TEMPERATURE:</span> 50 °F (10 °C)<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FOODS TO PAIR WITH:</span> Dark chocolate, cheese, red meat dishes<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">AWARDS:</span> 2008 World Beer Championships Silver Medal (Robust Porter)<br /><br />I got all but First Brewed, Calories, and the Awards from Nøgne Ø Porter's website (no direct link, so go to <a href="http://www.nogne-o.com/">the Homepage</a> → Our Beers → Porter). The rest was generously provided by Kjetil Jikiun, head brewer at Nøgne Ø. <span style="font-style: italic;">Tusen takk</span>, Kjetil!<br /><br />The head exploded out of this beer, even while I was trying to pour it the right way; it emerged a large fluffy copper color. The beer itself was an extremely dark brown, so dark that no light shone through it, despite my efforts. The smell was very pleasant, with a malty and slightly hoppy aroma with strong sweet coffee and chocolate overtones. The beer itself tasted sweet and malty with a larger amount of hoppiness than its smell. The finish dissolves into a strong coffee aroma, but it doesn't leave a bad aftertaste.<br /><br />Overall, Nøgne Ø is a very well-crafted and complex beer. The beer, and the brewery, deserve all the praise they get for improving the quality of beer in Norway. Jikiun and company are doing something special in that part of Scandanavia, so pick one up in one of the 43 states Shelton Brothers distributes Nøgne Ø's beers to, or also in Finland, Sweden, or Japan for that matter.<br /><br />Skål!The Beerocrathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05042082377287701663noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5946222192393616241.post-63371284152713131342008-06-04T18:26:00.000-07:002009-08-20T22:48:32.479-07:00Hite Exfeel-SIn my last post, I mentioned that I was in the far-off land of South Korea, experiencing the culture and the beer. Furthermore, I said I going to write a blurb about my experiences and post it here as part of some entries about Korean beer. Wellllll...the ensuing entry I wrote in my notebook during the 10-hour flight between Seoul and San Francisco clocked in at almost <strong>12 full pages</strong> of unadulterated text, so that's probably not going to appear here. So, let me sum it up South Korea for you: Technologically-savvy, wants Korean unification under South Korean rule, hates Japan, dislikes American military, loves American civilians, wants to be more western, kimchi, kimchi, kimchi.<br /><br />Drinking is a big part of South Korean culture, especially between the boss and his co-workers. The drinking age is 18, and no one bats an eye at drinking in public. People mostly drink <em>soju</em>, a rice vodka; some sort of bamboo-based alcohol that tastes like apple cider; and <em>makkele</em> (not sure on the spelling), a thick white rice beer; all were delicious. Then there was the beer. I was deeply saddened to discover that there was virtually no good beer in all of South Korea. The three main brands, Hite, OB, and Cass, were South Korean equivalents to Miller, Bud, and Coors. I had just about every brand of beer I could find in the numerous convenience stores around where I was staying, and I can tell you that for the first time, I'd've taken a Bud over another can of Hite or Cass Lemon. The best the country is Guinness, but <em>no</em>, I <em>had</em> to have a Hite Black Beer Stout instead.<br /><br />To quote Hugh Grant in <em>Music and Lyrics</em>, "God, I suffer for my art."<br /><br />On every trip aborad, I try to bring a beer back from the country I came from. This time, it was Hite (pronounced like "height") Exfeel-S. It caught my eye, not because of the green bottle (sigh...), but because of its claim as "The stylish beer with fiber." Yes, fiber. They put 1.65 grams of fiber in every 330 ml bottle because Koreans apparently don't get enough fiber. No really, that's what they claim on <a href="http://english.hite.com/h_brand/html/brand_beer04.asp">Hite's website</a>. Ingenious, in my opinion. Other than its fiberousness, I can't tell you any historical information about the beer, but according to <a href="http://english.hite.com/h_about/html/about_history01.asp">Hite's website</a>, the company itself started as the Chosun Beer Company in 1933, growing due to various acquisitions and mergers throughout the years.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh43yAe4u2uVPg_EHMfigwalgP91TUXnKZSqTzh4Tzkd3zR2EY1JV_hldKX4o9yCX4kHLNqgjAhoXXYpgJ4vk3IqubpQQnhOoCPLUxx7DVRnvTrjB0zKAdevph4fRr3nbaAM5U3NyMfzN_H/s1600-h/IMG_2344.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh43yAe4u2uVPg_EHMfigwalgP91TUXnKZSqTzh4Tzkd3zR2EY1JV_hldKX4o9yCX4kHLNqgjAhoXXYpgJ4vk3IqubpQQnhOoCPLUxx7DVRnvTrjB0zKAdevph4fRr3nbaAM5U3NyMfzN_H/s320/IMG_2344.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5208206496773553618" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Here come the stats:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >Hite Exfeel-S</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">BREWERY:</span> The Hite Co., Ltd., Yeongdeungpo-Dong, Yeongdeungpo, Seoul, South Korea<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">STYLE:</span> "Fiber beer"<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FIRST BREWED:</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">CALORIES/SERVING:</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">DIETARY FIBER/SERVING:</span> 1.65 g per 330 ml bottle<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">BITTERNESS:</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">ABV:</span> 4.1%<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">ORIGINAL GRAVITY:</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">MALTS:</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">HOPS:</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">SERVING TEMPERATURE:</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FOODS TO PAIR WITH:</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">AWARDS:</span><br /><br />The limited information came from <a href="http://english.hite.com/h_brand/html/brand_beer04.asp">Hite's English Site</a>, except the location of Hite's headquarters, which came from <a href="http://www.hoovers.com/hite/--ID__105288,target__company_location--/free-co-samples-index.xhtml">some sales lead site</a>.<br /><br />When I poured the beer, it was a clear golden color with a foamy white head. The smell was pretty nondescript, smelling like a Bud or Coors. But what <em>really</em> threw me was the taste. Man oh man was it bad. And I don't like to bad mouth a beer, but the taste was <em>horrible</em>. I tried this with some friends, and one of them described the taste as "grass beer." I would describe its taste more like a spoilage-riddled Becks Light. To make matters worse, the aftertaste was a stale spoilage-riddled Becks Light flavor, and it just kept building and building as the beer got warmer. Yuck.<br /><br />While I admire their attempt to get Koreans to add more fiber to their diets by slipping it into their beer, they should've put it in a better beer. Their website claims that "Simply holding [Exfeel-]S makes you a style leader." I say, simply holding Exfeel-S makes you a person holding the worst beer I've ever tasted. If you go to Korea, avoid Exfeel-S in the convenience stores and grab a Guinness. Or seek out the rare Korean microbrewery, whose beers aren't sold in most convenience stores over there. Or (I never thought I'd say this) don't have a beer.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijlPG5T5jEQNwpLL89_ndfNgkdL9nh19vJ0R00I4GQt7iz441SzFH8zXqierkK1bhxhdkYkIs2N5t1jQCeEyfZSHLgP_D-W04MsLR-iETN_WSQYdxDMTSQsVIFzlfrCgNcbLERmxUgQT0g/s1600-h/IMG_2346.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijlPG5T5jEQNwpLL89_ndfNgkdL9nh19vJ0R00I4GQt7iz441SzFH8zXqierkK1bhxhdkYkIs2N5t1jQCeEyfZSHLgP_D-W04MsLR-iETN_WSQYdxDMTSQsVIFzlfrCgNcbLERmxUgQT0g/s320/IMG_2346.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5208206608442703330" border="0" /></a><br /><br />건배 (Geonbae)!The Beerocrathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05042082377287701663noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5946222192393616241.post-91249963127295295212008-04-22T17:12:00.000-07:002009-08-20T22:48:04.157-07:00The Beerocrat Abroad: South Korea안녕하세요 (hello), and welcome to another episode of The Beerocrat Abroad. This week, the Beerocrat is spending almost two weeks in and around Seoul, South Korea, visiting a friend and experiencing the culture, which of course means that I'll be having a beer or two while I'm here. While I may not be able to upload pictures at this time, I'll do my best to relay my experiences while in Seoul. It's gonna be another one of those longs posts again, so you have been warned.<br /><br />건배 (Geonbae)!The Beerocrathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05042082377287701663noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5946222192393616241.post-9042644365539368682009-08-16T18:52:00.000-07:002009-08-16T18:51:48.392-07:00Pike Kilt Lifter<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq2cMSjZiEFUfS58eHmif2-3JHIuskREWkqTGOJhN9IZcK_JVwawQUYRZoCVklcg2busbiqdtcpoVgXtl9-2zM6Hhi_-PdEniy0bEOr7QAubaA4bLZquK0flSfQ_oJXywYKPpuiEAf00M3/s1600-h/IMG_0712.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq2cMSjZiEFUfS58eHmif2-3JHIuskREWkqTGOJhN9IZcK_JVwawQUYRZoCVklcg2busbiqdtcpoVgXtl9-2zM6Hhi_-PdEniy0bEOr7QAubaA4bLZquK0flSfQ_oJXywYKPpuiEAf00M3/s320/IMG_0712.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5370739206255919730" border="0" /></a><br />At the end of our Alaskan cruise, my wife and I were dropped off in Seattle. Now, while I am very biased towards Portland's beer history, Seattle is a great beer town, full of well-known and obscure brews alike. One of them is the Pike Brewing Co., situated a couple blocks from the historic Pike Place Market. Being one of the more widely distributed of Seattle's breweries (they distribute to WA, OR, ID, MT, UT, and AK in the United States and BC in Canada, but not Nevada!), I had to check it out. Unfortunately, I only had enough time to dash in, pick out a bottle I thought looked cool, and dash out. That bottle: Kilt Lifter, a Scotch-style ale that was first brewed in 1990.<br /><br />Pike itself was opened in 1989 by Charles and Rose Ann Finkel under Seattle's Pike Place Market, in what they call "one of the smallest breweries with the tallest smokestack". There, they brewed their Pike Pale, an Amber ale, and XXXXX Stout, but it wasn't long before they expanded to the Kilt Lifter, as well as numerous other styles, such as a barleywine, IPA, and even Belgian-style doubles and tripels. Pike got a big boost when it was spoken of favorably by the late great Beer Hunter Michael Jackson in 1991, and they've never looked back. They've won numerous awards at many festivals and judgings, and <i>All About Beer</i> magazine ranked their IPA as one of the 5 best in the country and one of the 10 best in the world. Now, as far as Kilt Lifter's awards go, I may have missed some (mostly because I was tired when prepping this entry), but in 2006-2008, <a href="http://www.brewingnews.com/northwest/"><i>Northwest Brewing News</i></a> rated it the Best Northwest Scotch Ale. (<a href="http://www.pikebrewing.com/">Pike Brewing Website</a> → History)<br /><br />Here come the stats:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >Pike Kilt Lifter</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">BREWERY:</span> Pike Brewing Co., Seattle, WA, USA<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">STYLE:</span> Scotch ale<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FIRST BREWED:</span> 1990<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">CALORIES/SERVING:</span> ~190 per 12 oz. bottle<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">BITTERNESS:</span> 27 IBUs<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">ABV:</span> 6.5%<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">ORIGINAL GRAVITY:</span> 15.58° Plato (1064)<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">MALTS:</span> Peated, pale, crystal, Munich<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">HOPS:</span> Magnum, East Kent Goldings<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">SERVING TEMPERATURE:</span> 45-50 °F (7-10 °C)<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FOODS TO PAIR WITH:</span> Pike pulled pork sandwich, salmon sandwich, Kilt Lifter mac n' cheese (all of which are on Pike's brewpub menu)<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">AWARDS:</span> 2006-2008 Best Northwest Scotch Style Ale as voted by readers of <i>Northwest Brewing News</i><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">INTERESTING FACTS:</span> It's their most popular beer, equally popular amongst men and women alike, and it's "extremely popular around St. Patrick's Day", which is odd considering that it's a Scottish styled beer on an Irish holiday<br /><br />Much of the info comes from <a href="http://www.pikebrewing.com/">Pike's Flash-based website</a>; first brewed and awards come from History, and bitterness, ABV, OG, malts, and hops come from the Kilt Lifter "page". The rest of the information comes from Pike's own Head Brewer, Drew Cluley. Thanks again for the info!<br /><br />The beer poured very smoothly, revealing a medium amber color and a white foamy head. The nose was very malty and sweet, with just a touch of hoppiness to it. The beer itself tasted malty and carbonated in equal amounts, perfectly balanced. As the beer warmed up, a little smokiness emerged as the maltiness and carbonation waned. The finish started off a little stale, but actually ended up quite nicely. Overall, a pretty good beer.<br /><br />I am more of a wheat beer and stout fan, and not usually one for strong ales, but I really enjoyed this beer. Check this one out the next time you're in Seattle or anywhere in the Pacific Northwest.<br /><br />Prost!The Beerocrathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05042082377287701663noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5946222192393616241.post-35429607072652258402009-08-15T23:45:00.000-07:002009-08-15T23:46:03.332-07:00Saigon Export<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZIw5C9XPjBGyndt4n5m19i2M2X3lAJ99zUJ2ehbakwE0WM9u4AcVIsnw25xaz6UZk8RgY-J_Hq2aBg5KaFFV2UqIpcxBGOGen6id88SY-SNbTFDQZ6FntjIOOD_wZi_ft0q6ecfFd4OkT/s1600-h/IMG_0709.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZIw5C9XPjBGyndt4n5m19i2M2X3lAJ99zUJ2ehbakwE0WM9u4AcVIsnw25xaz6UZk8RgY-J_Hq2aBg5KaFFV2UqIpcxBGOGen6id88SY-SNbTFDQZ6FntjIOOD_wZi_ft0q6ecfFd4OkT/s320/IMG_0709.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5370448758118888914" border="0" /></a><br />Recently, I was at the Golden Flower Vietnamese restaurant in downtown Reno, enjoying some of their delicious phở. When I went to pay, I looked over in the cooler next to the counter, and something caught my eye. Next to the "33" Export (which I <a href="http://thebeerocrat.blogspot.com/2008/10/33-export.html">reviewed back in October 2008</a>) was a bottle with a similarly-designed label: Saigon Export. I decided I needed to buy a bottle and try out another beer from Viet Nam.<br /><br />Unlike the French-Australian-Vietnamese-whatever brewing situation of "33" Export, Saigon Export's label actually matches what it says in RateBeer's <i>The Beer Guide</i>; it is actually brewed by the Saigon Beer Co. (or "Saigon Beer-Alcohol-Beverage Corp." on the label, or its abbreviation of "Sabeco"), actually based in Saigon (a.k.a. Ho Chi Minh City), actually in Viet Nam. I was able to find that Sabeco brews both Saigon Export and "333" Beer (according to this <a href="http://in.reuters.com/article/asiaCompanyAndMarkets/idINHAN2010420080102?pageNumber=2&virtualBrandChannel=0">Reuters report about Sabeco's IPO</a>), which adds a new wrinkle to the "33"/"333" brewing situation; this means I may need to update the entry.<br /><br />Furthermore, I found Sabeco's Vietnamese site and, thanks to Google Translate, I was able to cobble together a little more info about the beer and its history; apparently, Sabeco was formed in 1977 from a merger the Official Southern Beer-Wine Company (I think that's how it's translated) and the Cho Lon Beer Factory; I assume that it was around this time that Saigon Export was created. I could be wrong, so I may need to verify this info with the US importer. (<a href="http://www.sabeco.com.vn/newscontent.aspx?cateid=408&contentid=434">Saigon Export page</a>, <a href="http://www.sabeco.com.vn/newscontent.aspx?cateid=471">Sabeco History</a>, both pages in Vietnamese)<br /><br />Here come the stats:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >Saigon Export</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">BREWERY:</span> Saigon Beer-Alcohol-Beverage Corp., Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">US IMPORTER:</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">STYLE:</span> Rice beer, lager<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FIRST BREWED:</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">CALORIES/SERVING:</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">BITTERNESS:</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">ABV:</span> 4.9%<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">ORIGINAL GRAVITY:</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">MALTS:</span> "Malt"<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">HOPS:</span> "Hop"<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">SERVING TEMPERATURE:</span> 50-54°F (10-12°C)<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FOODS TO PAIR WITH:</span> Vietnamese food, I suppose<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">AWARDS:</span><br /><br />I got name, importer, ABV, malts, and hops off the bottle, and serving temperature from <a href="http://www.sabeco.com.vn/newscontent.aspx?cateid=408&contentid=434">Sabeco's Saigon Export site</a>. Is there more to come from the U.S. importer? Stay tuned!<br /><br />This beer started off similarly to "33" and other Asian lagers I've had, mostly in keeping with the golden color and bright white bubbly head that dissipated rapidly (although I am trying to pour my beers better). However, the similarities between Saigon Export and the other Vietnamese beer end there. I caught a big whiff of a hoppy but overly metallic scent that turned me off; now it was starting to remind me of Central American lagers. The taste certainly exuded that same metal undertone along with more carbonation, like a pilsner. Finally, the aftertaste that lingered was more metal, as if I had been sucking on a penny.<br /><br />Overall, Saigon Export was a very disappointing brew. I had high hopes for this beer ever since I had "33", but unfortunately it reminded me about the worst attributes of various beer styles I've had: The inconsistencies of some Asian beers, the poor water quality of some Central American beers, and the metallic taste of Eastern European pilsners. Maybe it goes better with Phở, I dunno. All I know is, I'm grabbing a "33" next time I'm at the Golden Flower. However, if you wish to try this beer for yourself, you can probably grab one at your local Vietnamese restaurant or Asian supermarket. Besides, it's not even nearly as bad as Korea's <a href="http://thebeerocrat.blogspot.com/2008/06/hite-exfeel-s.htmlhttp://thebeerocrat.blogspot.com/2008/06/hite-exfeel-s.html">Hite Exfeel-S</a>. But I still wouldn't spend $4 on this one.<br /><br />Cạn ly!<br /><br />(Today's foreign language lesson: <span style="font-style: italic;">Beer</span> in Vietnamese is <span style="font-style: italic;">bia</span>)The Beerocrathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05042082377287701663noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5946222192393616241.post-55498395064186056862009-08-06T21:52:00.000-07:002009-08-07T23:01:01.191-07:00Cusqueña Premium<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc86VQ66CCtM1EmmrXnifSokXwiJ8puEJSeBcrSZeH9fBJnrzYZaj0l5GdleOA0hpTKAD0p5kIM40Zqur5D6jcHPsqQJuqtx9LS2elkTg8Z-1LawIW9Wwq4JRhjEBQ08iz9aQfc6t5JBi_/s1600-h/IMG_0704.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc86VQ66CCtM1EmmrXnifSokXwiJ8puEJSeBcrSZeH9fBJnrzYZaj0l5GdleOA0hpTKAD0p5kIM40Zqur5D6jcHPsqQJuqtx9LS2elkTg8Z-1LawIW9Wwq4JRhjEBQ08iz9aQfc6t5JBi_/s320/IMG_0704.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367081630210312738" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">UPDATE:</span> Additional information was found once I called the importer and found out it was MillerCoors.<br /><br />About 6 months ago, I noticed that a new restaurant was going to open in a strip mall on Moana Ln. near Kietzke. It was called "El Tumi," and they specialized in Peruvian food. I thought, <i>How exotic, I'll need to try them when they open up.</i> And for the next half a year, I was always so disappointed driving by and continually seeing the "Coming Soon" banner still waving in front of the restaurant. I was worried that they would never open in this economy.<br /><br />Well, as luck would have it, about a week ago, I noticed that they were finally opened for business. So I took my wife out to Peruvian food tonight to see how the cuisine was comparable to other Latin American food I've had while in Reno. I have to comment that the food was excellent for the price. My wife got a half rotisserie chicken for $6, and I got a delicious chicken, pork, and potato dish called <i>carapulera</i> for $8.95. The fried plantains were also fantastic.<br /><br />But enough about the food: While I was there, I had to try one of their Peruvian beers. Of the two that were offered (Cristal and Cusqueña), I had to go with Cusqueña for no other reason that it sounded more Spanish (it's the "ñ"). Now, just from looking at their <a href="http://www.cusquena.com.pe/home/home.asp">Peruvian website</a>, I imagine that Cusqueña as a company is similar to Budweiser, mostly because it appears they sponsor all sorts of sporting events, concerts, and movies without giving a detailed history of the company of their beers.<br /><br />So I called the 800 number of the US Importer, "Latam Imports," supposedly based in Fort Worth, Texas. Turns out that Latam Imports is another name for MillerCoors International Brands (which imports Cristal, as well as Pilsner Urquell and others). He directed me to <a href="http://www.millercoors.com/news/facts-and-resources/miller-coors-brands.aspx">MillerCoors' "Great Beers" website</a> (click Imports and scroll down) and <a href="http://www.cusquenabeer.com/">Cusqueña's English website</a> (which for some reason I was unable to find) for the information I didn't get from the Spanish website. So here goes the history; hopefully it's accurate and not just a legend.<br /><br />In 1908, two German brewers came to Cusco, Peru, and found that the water there was incredibly pure. So they decided to brew a European-style lager in Cusco that adhered to the <span style="font-style: italic;">Reinheitsgebot</span>, or the 1516 German Purity Law, using this water. Enter Cusqueña (Spanish for "from Cusco"), which was first brewed in 1911 and is still apparently brewed using that same water source found 18,000 feet in the Andes. The teardrop bottle shape caught my eye when it was served to me. The bottle also contains an engraving of an Inca wall, including the famous "12 angle stone," a one-ton stone crafted to have 12 unique sides that still sits on a main street in Cusco today. (Like I said, it all sounds pretty legendary, but hopefully true as well.) (Various pages on <a href="http://www.cusquenabeer.com/">Cusqueña's English site</a>)<br /><br />Here come the stats.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >Cusqueña Premium</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">BREWERY:</span> Union de Cervecerias Peruanas Backus Y Johnston S.S.A., Lima, Peru<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">US IMPORTER:</span> Latam Imports, Fort Worth, TX<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">ALSO KNOWN AS:</span> MillerCoors International Brands, Milwaukee, WI<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">STYLE:</span> Pilsner<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FIRST BREWED:</span> 1911<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">CALORIES/SERVING:</span> 130 per 11.2 oz. bottle (I've also seen 140 and 143 for 12 oz.)<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">BITTERNESS:</span> 13 IBUs<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">ABV:</span> 4.8% (I've also seen 5%)<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">ORIGINAL GRAVITY:</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">(proprietary)</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">MALTS:</span> Meltcalfe, Scarlett, Caramel, and Barke<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">HOPS:</span> Nuggest, Styrian, Saaz<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">SERVING TEMPERATURE:</span> 36°F (2°C) (the Spanish site advocates serving it between 28 and 35°F, or between -2 and 2°C)<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FOODS TO PAIR WITH:</span> Peruvian foods, I assume; also couscous tabouleh, spicy prawn stew, steamed scallops, and <a href="http://www.cusquenabeer.com/intena_facts2.aspx">others</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">AWARDS:</span><br /><br />The brewery and importer came from the bottle; style, and the first three malts came from <a href="http://www.cusquena.com.pe/productos/ingredientes.asp">Cusqueña's Ingredients page</a>, translated from Spanish; first brewed, calories, IBUs, the last malt, hops, and serving temperature came from <a href="http://www.cusquenabeer.com/interna_facts.aspx">Cusqueña's Facts</a> page; and additional food pairings came from <a href="http://www.cusquenabeer.com/intena_facts2.aspx">Cusqueña's Food Pairings</a> page.<br /><br />This beer was served to me in an 11.2 oz. bottle accompanied by a frosted mug, which made it look all the more delicious after I poured it. It had a foamy white head with a translucent golden color. At this point, it reminded me of Corona, but with a stronger grainy nose. The real difference between Cusqueña and other Latin-American lagers I've had is that this one had no metallic taste, which I usually chalk up to bad water when brewing. In fact, now that I think about it, Cusqueña may have been one of the best pilsners I've had, mostly because it <i>didn't</i> taste like it was brewed using pocket change. It wasn't skunky, and tasted malty with a little bit of a hoppy bite, but nothing even approaching an IPA. The finish was faint, with a little bit of malt and fruity notes before vanishing.<br /><br />While it's not my favorite beer in the world, it's a pretty good beer considering it's from a part of the world that brews mostly forgettable lagers. It paired very well with my carapulera, and I imagine other Peruvian dishes would go well too. Since it's the height of summer, it'd even make a good thirst-quencher after a long day's work (or relaxation) in the sun. In Reno, you can pick one up at El Tumi (although they're kind of expensive) and possibly Machu Picchu, the other Peruvian restaurant in town; otherwise, your local Peruvian restaurant or store may have it. Or, use this <a href="http://www.cusquenabeer.com/interna_findcusquena.aspx">Find Cusqueña</a> tool I found (it may be out of date, as it only listed locations in Las Vegas for Nevada).<br /><br />¡Salud y amor y tiempo para disfrutarlo!The Beerocrathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05042082377287701663noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5946222192393616241.post-52376694586103854572009-06-03T20:06:00.000-07:002009-06-04T20:06:08.367-07:00Alaskan White Ale<strong>NOTE:</strong> This entry contains updated information courtesy of the Alaskan Brew Crew.<br /><br />The Beerocrat is back after a long absence.<br /><br />My wife and I just returned from an Alaskan cruise last week, where we marveled at the unparalleled beauty of Alaska'a glaciers, mountains, and wildlife. I also had to make a pit-stop at Juneau's Alaskan Brewery to take the tour (and of course, have some beer). While I was there, I noticed that Alaskan released a new beer, Alaskan White, that looked particularly tasty. Our friend from college, who lives in Juneau and was taking us around the city for the day, said that ever since Alaskan released its version of a Belgian witbier, people in Juneau have been drinking it as if it was water. Since I wasn't sure of its availability in Reno, I had to grab a bottle.<br /><br />Alaskan White Ale has had a long journey. It was originally brewed by Alaskan brewer Tracy Bird as a part of their Rough Draft program in 2001. Ever since then, Alaskan's Brew Crew has been fine-tuning the recipe, finally making it available to the state of Alaska earlier this year. However, they also made it available in the rest of Alaska's distribution area (AZ, CA, CO, ID, MT, NV, OR, WA, and WY) in early May. (I also heard on the tour that New Mexico and Minnesota may be next on Alaskan's list, so keep your eyes peeled!) (<a href="http://www.alaskanbeer.com/artman/publish/article_210.shtml">Alaskan White Ale Press Release</a>)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVL_LqdwCo0gy415ofQXZWZ_3HfWlawKZ1fciRBenmai3M6UfpBrKOFGiTT8nFEkCZIEDGzoaHnaaaxHi8O8am1asTEjcC2ly995Fv344Z7roD8Hb0FkLte0ERIi3XWt9jByBYGIFy6-kB/s1600-h/IMG_0703.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVL_LqdwCo0gy415ofQXZWZ_3HfWlawKZ1fciRBenmai3M6UfpBrKOFGiTT8nFEkCZIEDGzoaHnaaaxHi8O8am1asTEjcC2ly995Fv344Z7roD8Hb0FkLte0ERIi3XWt9jByBYGIFy6-kB/s320/IMG_0703.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5343273647136682258" /></a><br />Here come the stats:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >Alaskan White Ale</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">BREWERY:</span> Alaskan Brewing Co., Juneau, AK, USA<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">STYLE:</span> Witbier<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FIRST BREWED:</span> 2001<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">CALORIES/SERVING:</span> ~157 per 12 oz. bottle<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">BITTERNESS:</span> 15 IBUs<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">ABV:</span> 5.3%<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">ORIGINAL GRAVITY:</span> 11.63° Plato (1047)<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">MALTS:</span> Pale malt, malted wheat, and others<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">HOPS:</span> <i>(proprietary)</i><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">SPICES:</span> Coriander, bitter orange peel<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">SERVING TEMPERATURE:</span> 47 °F (8 °C)<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FOODS TO PAIR WITH:</span> Spicy food, lighter fare, fresh summer salads, grilled shrimp, grilled halibut<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">AWARDS:</span> Bronze in the West Coast Commercial Craft Beer competition (although Alaskan looks forward to entering it into many future competitions, including the GABF, World Beer Cup, and European Beer Star)<br /><br />All info except the calories, malts, hops, and serving temperature comes from Alaskan's White Ale <a href="http://www.alaskanbeer.com/abw.html">homepage</a> and <a href="http://www.alaskanbeer.com/artman/publish/article_210.shtml">press release</a>. The rest comes from the great folks at the Alaskan Brew Crew. Thanks again for the information guys, and keep up the good work!<br /><br />This beer had a wafting citrus aroma that erupted from the glass during pouring. The beer had a semi-cloudy golden color to it, accompanied by a bright white fluffy head. The taste was a little hoppy but wasn't overpowering; I also could taste a little maltiness and citrus flavor, and it wasn't too carbonated either. The finish was very smooth with no stale aftertaste.<br /><br />It's easy to see why this beer is a favorite of Alaskans whenever the sun comes out. I would love to have a pint on tap sometime, but I may just have to settle for a 6-pack. Pick one up this summer anywhere west of the Rockies.<br /><br />Prost!The Beerocrathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05042082377287701663noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5946222192393616241.post-34614715911340193252009-01-18T00:22:00.000-08:002009-01-18T00:22:37.003-08:00Bridgeport Old Knucklehead #12I finally got my hands on a bottle!<br /><br />Ever since I've found out about this beer in my <i>Beers of the World</i> book, I've wanted one. I have always been a fan of the barley wine: its thickness, its ability to warm you from the inside, its high alcohol content, and especially its rich flavor. I have not reviewed too many barley wines, the only ones being <a href="http://thebeerocrat.blogspot.com/2007/09/youngs-old-nick-barley-wine.html">Young's Old Nick</a> and <a href="http://thebeerocrat.blogspot.com/2008/02/hair-of-dog-doggie-claws-2007-vintage.html">Hair of the Dog Doggie Claws</a>.<br /><br />BridgePort Old Knucklehead marks my second Oregon barley wine and my second BridgePort beer reviewed, my first being <a href="http://thebeerocrat.blogspot.com/2007/11/bridgeport-ebenezer-ale.html">Ebenezer Ale</a> (see that entry for a history of BridgePort). First brewed in 1989, this beer was designated a BridgePort Big Brew in February 2008. The batch I have, number 12, was aged in American Oak Bourbon barrels and blended back into the cask, which adds a wealth of flavor and complexity to the brew. The numbers not only correspond to the batch, but used to also designate a "knucklehead," or someone who has contributed to the brewing process. I'm not sure to whom #12 is or if they even do that anymore. Oh, and I believe it's bottle conditioned too, but it doesn't say so on the bottle. More fodder for the e-mail. (<a href="http://www.bridgeportbrew.com/#/our_beers/">BridgePort - Our Beers</a> → Old Knucklehead)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5X__FVhn-OI87GYI7nZyqbV90FAMfcoWwpI394ax-vEcPsS_Ts2RzH-ALBeL6CcorCYEcXGPiwO9iDlGiB9AvnjOT4ezrBvMuSLhYHH30hrZJ9fHfXmSqjfWDT-cbkXppHcstpTcgiq0V/s1600-h/IMG_0609.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5X__FVhn-OI87GYI7nZyqbV90FAMfcoWwpI394ax-vEcPsS_Ts2RzH-ALBeL6CcorCYEcXGPiwO9iDlGiB9AvnjOT4ezrBvMuSLhYHH30hrZJ9fHfXmSqjfWDT-cbkXppHcstpTcgiq0V/s320/IMG_0609.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292544363024859538" /></a><br />Here come the stats:<br /><br /><font style="font-weight: bold;" size="4">BridgePort Old Knucklehead #12</font><br /><font style="font-weight: bold;">BREWERY:</font> BridgePort Brewing Co., Portland, OR, USA<br /><font style="font-weight: bold;">STYLE:</font> Barley wine<br /><font style="font-weight: bold;">FIRST BREWED:</font> 1989 (this vintage brewed 2008)<br /><font style="font-weight: bold;">CALORIES/SERVING:</font><br /><font style="font-weight: bold;">BITTERNESS:</font> 60 IBUs<br /><font style="font-weight: bold;">ABV:</font> 9.1%<br /><font style="font-weight: bold;">ORIGINAL GRAVITY:</font> 20.8° Plato (1087.32)<br /><font style="font-weight: bold;">MALTS:</font><br /><font style="font-weight: bold;">HOPS:</font><br /><font style="font-weight: bold;">SERVING TEMPERATURE:</font> 55 °F (13 °C)<br /><font style="font-weight: bold;">FOODS TO PAIR WITH:</font> Desserts, by itself as "an after-dinner libation" (<i>Beers of the World</i> also suggests sausage casserole)<br /><font style="font-weight: bold;">AWARDS:</font> 2002 Brewing Industry International Awards (silver medal), 2000 Great Alaska Beer and Barley Wine Festival (2nd place), rated "Highly Recommended" by the Beverage Tasting Institute in 2002<br /><br />I got all but the calories, malts, hops, and serving temp from the Old Knucklehead page. (Since they've switched to Flash, you need to go to <a href="http://www.bridgeportbrew.com/#/our_beers/">Our Beers</a> and click "Old Knucklehead".) The serving temp came from <i>Beers of the World</i>. A phone call or e-mail may get me the rest of the info.<br /><br />This beer has a strong aroma, most evident as I poured it into my glass. It definitely had a malty syrupy nose that had just a little sweetness to it. A clear brown color also exposed an off-white, almost tan-colored head. The beer itself had a little bit of sweetness to it, but quickly transformed into an alcoholy malt flavor that, like the smell, was syrupy and thick. Because of all the alcohol (I mean, it is 9.1%), that was the flavor left in my mouth, which to me tastes similar to a hop aftertaste, but better.<br /><br />This beer is excellently crafted, and I can appreciate its complexity. Since I had it laying around for almost a year in varying temperatures, who knows what a fresh Knucklehead, or one that further conditions for another year or two, will taste. Pick one up in the next month or so. Hell, grab three or four and let some sit for awhile before trying them.<br /><br />Also: Stay tuned to The Beerocrat because next I will get to some beers I've been dying to review: Trappist beers!<br /><br />Prost!The Beerocrathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05042082377287701663noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5946222192393616241.post-55068349100108854642009-01-11T21:17:00.000-08:002009-01-12T22:25:37.604-08:00Blue Dawg Wild BlueI have no idea where or when I picked up this beer, but I know that I got it at some point from a friend. I think it was the one who moved to San Diego four months ago because he gave me a few beers that were lingering in his fridge before the move. Anyway, when I was trying to figure out what to have tonight, I found the Blue Dawg Wild Blue blueberry lager in the back of the fridge and decided to give it a go.<br /><br />It is allegedly brewed by the Blue Dawg Brewery out of Baldwinsville, New York. I say "allegedly" because the Blue Dawg Brewery is a special group within Anheuser-Busch. It may be brewed in Baldwinsville, but it's still a product of the big three. I wonder why A-B needs to hide behind an obscure brewery to produce a decent beer; my guess is that the beer snobs would never go for a Budweiser Blue Lager because they hate the big three, and the economy/regular beer drinkers would get Bud, Busch, or Natty Light instead. Coors takes a similar line with Blue Moon, and I'm sure Miller has a similar situation with some craft beer, although none come to mind at the moment.<br /><br />After digging a little, I found some information about this particular beer. It was first brewed in 2005 and released to a few cities in Michigan, Illinois, and Wisconsin, after which it was further test-marketed in St. Louis in December 2007; it was nationally released last year. A-B decided that it was good enough to put in the Fruit Beer category at the 2006 North American Beer Awards. It was a smart decision too, winning the gold that year. (<a href="http://www.anheuser-busch.com/brandPages/wildBlue.html">Wild Blue product info</a>)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHmDpNobH5QdgQLljC6ruaAP8jS039YT0jMaFy3fR9p7U4zxQ-n59Bn6aWAOLc-phixByhjLcHXBgADQlJvYPz2nIgAU9QbCTyALuoEtlyEdijSzH2k7pREOmP6rSdDfcnSHEtiqL-hi54/s1600-h/IMG_0578.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHmDpNobH5QdgQLljC6ruaAP8jS039YT0jMaFy3fR9p7U4zxQ-n59Bn6aWAOLc-phixByhjLcHXBgADQlJvYPz2nIgAU9QbCTyALuoEtlyEdijSzH2k7pREOmP6rSdDfcnSHEtiqL-hi54/s320/IMG_0578.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5290278744606150530" /></a><br />Here come the stats:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >Blue Dawg Wild Blue</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">BREWERY:</span> Blue Dawg Brewey, Baldwinsville, NY, USA; Anheuser-Busch, St. Louis, MO, USA<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">STYLE:</span> "Fruit-infused lager"<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FIRST BREWED:</span> 2005<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">CALORIES/SERVING:</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">BITTERNESS:</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">ABV:</span> 8%<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">ORIGINAL GRAVITY:</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">MALTS:</span> 2- and 6-row barley<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">HOPS:</span> "Aroma hops" from the Willamette Valley, "German hops" from the Hallertau region of Bavaria<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">SERVING TEMPERATURE:</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FOODS TO PAIR WITH:</span> "pork rib roast with fig and pistachio stuffing ... pork tenderloin with apricot mustard ... fruit salad with ginger syrup ... mixed-green salad with dried fruit"<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">AWARDS:</span> 2006 NABF Gold Medal (Fruit Beer)<br /><br />The bulk of this information came from the <a href="http://www.anheuser-busch.com/brandPages/wildBlue.html">Wild Blue product info page</a>. I will try to get some info from the brewery, but a lot will probably be proprietary, and besides, who at big three breweries ever listen to a little ol' blogger like me?<br /><br />This beer caught my eye with its reddish-purplish color and light purple head, but now that I know it's by A-B, I'm sure that was an intentional gimmick; the color probably comes from the blueberry syrup that they added to the beer. The head itself was very bubbly but thin, and it didn't last long. It had the pleasant aroma of blueberries with subtle hoppiness. However, the beer itself was a little too carbonated and tasted too much like alcohol, although the blueberry flavor was the dominant one. The alcohol of this beer definitely settled towards the bottom, though, especially as the beer went flat (and it went flat quickly). The aftertaste was sugary and fruity, once again with the blueberry in the lead.<br /><br />This beer was a little too sugary for my taste, seeming to be a step or two above Smirnoff Ice, mostly because the sugar didn't leave that weird residue in my mouth this time around. This is a beer for people who don't like the taste of beer, similar to lambic beers but produced like a macrobrew. If you want a fruit beer, you <i>could</i> try this one, but I'd stick to the real fruit beers like Lindemans.<br /><br />Cheers!The Beerocrathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05042082377287701663noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5946222192393616241.post-87289270949741734952009-01-11T00:22:00.000-08:002009-01-11T22:22:19.730-08:00Widmer OktoFor the last two or so years, I've always wanted to try this beer. Unfortunately, whenever I ran to the stores to try and grab one, they were always sold out, and the season was always almost over. Finally, when I was in Portland during Labor Day 2008, I managed to find this beer (with the help of my parents).<br /><br />I don't know much about the history of Widmer Okto, such as how it came about and when it was first brewed. Those will be asked in an e-mail I send to Widmer. (I'm gonna have them running around for a long time!) I do know that this beer is a Munich style ale intended to match the style of beer found at Oktoberfests worldwide. Widmer itself holds an annual Oktoberfest in Portland, with food, music, and a lot of good beer. Sounds like a party to me.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpA9wiUaQQcO_EyUuab4QoDw2wun8mfHBVWuH_0AYUBb7khYaAOkvOGMJKitHu3kZOgWIaY6Hh8M1245L93Ta6Q0bEgicnxFq15AddS7_D_noxsgRtjmqqwAU82weGaBlbdtq88D_EOQdi/s1600-h/IMG_0577.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpA9wiUaQQcO_EyUuab4QoDw2wun8mfHBVWuH_0AYUBb7khYaAOkvOGMJKitHu3kZOgWIaY6Hh8M1245L93Ta6Q0bEgicnxFq15AddS7_D_noxsgRtjmqqwAU82weGaBlbdtq88D_EOQdi/s320/IMG_0577.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5289960494860568130" /></a><br />Here come the stats:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >Widmer Okto</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">BREWERY:</span> Widmer Brothers Brewing Co., Portland, OR, USA<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">STYLE:</span> Munich Style Ale<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FIRST BREWED:</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">CALORIES/SERVING:</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">BITTERNESS:</span> 25 IBU<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">ABV:</span> 5.5%<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">ORIGINAL GRAVITY:</span> 13° Plato (1052.85)<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">MALTS:</span> Pale, Caramel, Munich 60L, Extra Special, Carapils Malt<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">HOPS:</span> <i>Bittering:</i> Alchemy; <i>Aroma:</i> Mt. Hood, Tettnanger<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">SERVING TEMPERATURE:</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FOODS TO PAIR WITH:</span> "Grilled bratwurst, burgers & other hearty fall fare"<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">AWARDS:</span><br /><br />Most of my information comes from <a href="http://www.widmer.com/beer_okto.aspx">Widmer's Okto webpage</a>. An e-mail to the brewery is in order for the rest of them.<br /><br />This beer poured a dark amber, but not dark brownish, color with an accompanying small cream-colored bubbly head. I really enjoyed the nose of this beer, which contained malts, hops, and a slight hint of fruit. The taste was a little too carbonated, in my opinion, but then the maltiness came through along with some citrus flavors. The aftertaste was faint and malty, and didn't wear out its welcome.<br /><br />I enjoyed this beer, like I do so many other Widmer beers. This would be a great beer for any occasion, but especially for your local Oktoberfest. Since it's available nationwide (except Utah and Oklahoma) between early August and late October, I guess you'll just have to wait until then.<br /><br />Prost!The Beerocrathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05042082377287701663noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5946222192393616241.post-75256996988093087602009-01-10T00:21:00.000-08:002009-01-10T02:22:07.339-08:00Widmer BrrrThis was the other (actually, the first) beer that I snagged in Portland over my Christmas vacation. At the time, most of the northern states, including Oregon, were buried under massive amounts of snow; Portland in particular had 15 inches of the white stuff between December 20th and December 24th, when my wife and I landed at PDX. It was amazing that we were even able to fly into the airport at 1 in the morning. We honestly consider it a miracle that we made it.<br /><br />While stocking up on some supplies at the Safeway in town, I couldn't help but notice that there was a new Widmer brew for sale: Brrr, described on the bottle as a "seasonal ale." What was the most shocking about finding this beer was that there were no 6-packs of Widmer's traditional winter seasonal, Snow Plow Milk Stout. A little research reveals that their <a href="http://www.widmer.com/beer_snow.aspx">website</a> has changed the availability to "Limited Release," whatever that means. I think I need to place an e-mail to the brewery and find out what's what.<br /><br />As far as Brrr is concerned, this is a new brew, coming out as Widmer's first new winter seasonal in four years. It's possible that this may have been brewed before 2008, but only served in their Gasthaus Pub; I'm checking on that. Speaking of which, Gasthaus says that their beer has "[n]otable hop aroma and flavor" and "[s]tealthly alcohol content." I guess when you clock in at 7.2% ABV, it should be classified as "stealthy." (Widmer Newsletter from Nov 11 2008, <a href="http://www.widmer.com/beer_brrr.aspx">Widmer Brrr website</a>, <a href="http://www.widmer.com/whats_on_tap.aspx">Gasthaus Pub's What's on Tap</a>)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBQpTYOxTkNGlakZn3_aMwcVUP2HKUUMNn9JQRow4y0wruKmkp1IdqbTKcCpGPaFcnSCAE6Tjn_7YUdUkShRnhu6w3K8CUrJLWKAPZ0fdPayMfU_G9fHV79eT9xVyLG8tlwBtiv2hrIOz5/s1600-h/IMG_0576.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBQpTYOxTkNGlakZn3_aMwcVUP2HKUUMNn9JQRow4y0wruKmkp1IdqbTKcCpGPaFcnSCAE6Tjn_7YUdUkShRnhu6w3K8CUrJLWKAPZ0fdPayMfU_G9fHV79eT9xVyLG8tlwBtiv2hrIOz5/s320/IMG_0576.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5289594101814723298" border="0" /></a><br />Here come the stats:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >Widmer Brrr</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">BREWERY:</span> Widmer Brother Brewing Co., Portland, OR, USA<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">STYLE:</span> Seasonal Ale<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FIRST BREWED:</span> 2008<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">CALORIES/SERVING:</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">BITTERNESS:</span> 50 IBU<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">ABV:</span> 7.2%<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">ORIGINAL GRAVITY:</span> 17° Plato (1070.25)<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">MALTS:</span> Pale, Caramel 10L & 80L, Munich 10L, Carapils, Dark Chocolate<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">HOPS:</span> <i>Bittering:</i> Alchemy; <i>Aroma:</i> Simcoe & Cascade<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">SERVING TEMPERATURE:</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FOODS TO PAIR WITH:</span> "Holiday favorites like turkey and ham"<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">AWARDS:</span><br /><br />I got most of this from <a href="http://www.widmer.com/beer_brrr.aspx">Widmer's Brrr website</a>. An e-mail to Widmer should net me the rest.<br /><br />When I originally went to taste this beer, it had been frozen solid by my stupid beer fridge (speaking of "brrr"), so I let it thaw in the fridge for a couple days, drinking and reviewing <a href="http://thebeerocrat.blogspot.com/2009/01/hinano-tahiti.html">Hinano Tahiti</a> instead. When it was ready and I finally poured it into the glass, it had a gorgeous dark reddish-brown color with some flecks (probably yeast or remnants of the freezing). The head was a puffy light tannish color. The nose was very hoppy and reminded me a lot of Widmer's own <a href="http://thebeerocrat.blogspot.com/2007/09/widmer-broken-halo-ipa.html">Broken Halo IPA</a> (they use the same or similar malts and hops in each), though not as strong. This beer, however, had a <b>stronger</b> hop flavor than Broken Halo, and was carbonated to boot. Like many IPAs, this beer did leave that hoppy aftertaste in my mouth.<br /><br />This is the problem I have with reviewing IPA-style beers. One may think that I'm bad-mouthing this beer because I didn't particularly enjoy its flavor, and that is blatantly false. Is Widmer Brrr a good, well-crafted beer? Yes. Did I enjoy its flavor? No, because IPAs aren't my beer style of choice; stouts, porters, and strong ales are. However, anyone who enjoys IPAs will <b>love</b> this beer hands down. It is a well-crafted beer, yet another winner from Widmer, and perfect for hop-heads. Me? I'll be stealing some bottle-conditioned Snow Plow from my father-in-law's fridge. Mmmm.<br /><br />Widmer says it was only available through the first week of January, but if you hurry, you may still find some on the shelves.<br /><br />Prost!The Beerocrathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05042082377287701663noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5946222192393616241.post-3783805851834226972009-01-07T22:16:00.000-08:002009-01-08T17:13:32.911-08:00Hinano TahitiWhen I was in Portland over Christmas, I went shopping at the local Cost Plus World Market to see what their beer selection was like compared to Reno. I have to say that while a lot of beers were the same, they had some pretty cool beers from other countries (I found a Norwegian beer named "Ø"!). One of my finds was a Tahitian beer by the name of Hinano Tahiti, which I snatched up.<br /><br />From what I gathered on their website and on the bottle, this beer was first brewed in Tahiti in 1955. For the opening year they went all out, engraving their distinctive "vahine" (Tahitian for "woman" or "girl") logo onto their bottles and launching the Miss Hinano festival. They then expanded internationally: China got Hinano Tahiti in 1960, Japan in 1991, and France in 1992; it is unknown when it was imported into the United States for the first time. The 33 cL longneck bottle (the size I bought) was introduced in 1998. I still have no idea what "Hinano" means...it's probably Tahitian for something. I asked that question in the e-mail (<a href="http://www.hinano.com/html/home.php?v=ok&lang=us&a=1980">Website</a>)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJSkANTvR1vYKlT_FRcg_rKuQ3qcMMZk2bWDoMV1qrYn6N7kvItDiRKfsfnPNHm9xI0NF8FoD-c107VkXLuj999WbprAXLN2PKxV8S0f7qVcbSVgmfEcs8Z-PhBMI8tbUUTGsrfjRjVLBV/s1600-h/IMG_0575.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJSkANTvR1vYKlT_FRcg_rKuQ3qcMMZk2bWDoMV1qrYn6N7kvItDiRKfsfnPNHm9xI0NF8FoD-c107VkXLuj999WbprAXLN2PKxV8S0f7qVcbSVgmfEcs8Z-PhBMI8tbUUTGsrfjRjVLBV/s320/IMG_0575.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5288812995222704946" border="0" /></a><br />Here come the stats:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >Hinano Tahiti</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">BREWERY:</span> Brasserie de Tahiti S.A., Papeete, Tahiti<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">U.S. IMPORTER:</span> Young's Market Company, Orange, CA, USA<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">STYLE:</span> Lager, maybe a pilsner<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FIRST BREWED:</span> 1955<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">CALORIES/SERVING:</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">BITTERNESS:</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">ABV:</span> 5%<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">ORIGINAL GRAVITY:</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">MALTS:</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">HOPS:</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">SERVING TEMPERATURE:</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FOODS TO PAIR WITH:</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">AWARDS:</span> "Gold medal in Luxembourg, Brussels"<br /><br />This information either came from the bottle or <a href="http://www.hinano.com/html/home.php?v=ok&lang=us&a=1980">Hinano Tahiti's website</a>, which is unfortunately Flash-based to prevent direct linking. I plan on sending an e-mail to both Brasserie de Tahiti S.A. and Young's Market Company asking them about additional information on this beer.<br /><br />For an 11.15 oz. beer, this one almost overflowed my glass (probably because it took a little tumble just before I took it out of my beer fridge). It poured a pale yellow color, almost like a slightly opaque straw color, but the accompanying head was puffy, bright white, and long-lasting. The smell had a mixture of metal and citrus, which reminded me of pilsners. The taste pretty much reflected its nose, except I could taste the carbonation and bitterness. Its aftertaste originally held the same taste slightly, then changed to a wheaty taste, but after the first few sips, that pilsner taste was all I could taste (leading me to say "taste" six times this sentence...I think I need to go to bed). I'm sure part of the reason my tastebuds had trouble with this beer is that it was served just above freezing thanks to a fridge malfunction.<br /><br />All in all, not a bad beer, especially if you enjoy those Central and Eastern European pilsners like Pilsner Urquell. Not my cup of tea, but people like bitterness more than I do. I have no clue on distribution, but it's probably only found in select stores on the West Coast.<br /><br />Manuia!<br />–OR–<br />À votre santé !<br /><br /><strong>UPDATE:</strong> Special thanks to Hinatea, who told me that "vahine" means "woman", "girl", or "lady", and that "cheers" translates to "manuia".The Beerocrathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05042082377287701663noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5946222192393616241.post-67808709229800236692008-10-11T21:04:00.000-07:002008-12-25T00:51:27.186-08:00"33" ExportAs summer turns to fall (or, in Reno, skipping fall entirely and segueing right into winter), light, summery beers fall by the wayside, giving way to thicker, darker, chewier beers that warm you from the inside out. I have plenty of those beers in my mini-fridge, but I wanted to have one last crack at a summery lager. That, and we were out at Vietnamese food tonight and the urge hit me to pick up the blog again.<br /><br />The beer I tried is another of your standard Asian beers, "33" Export. Now, this beer is very confusing to me, especially trying to discern the origin. The bottle says it's from Vietnam, but RateBeer's <em>The Beer Guide</em> claims it's brewed by Heineken in Schiltigheim, Alsace, France. I also could find virtually zero information from what I would consider an official site. No brewery page, no importer page, no real whiffs of any kind on the information front. <a href="http://www.heineken.fr">Heineken's French site</a> is down (according to Archive.org, since <strong>February 12th of this year</strong>), and for some reason RateBeer is being flagged by Firefox 3 as being a malicious site, so I had to dig elsewhere. I tried going through Archive.org's caches of the site, except that since it's Flash-based, nothing loads properly, and the older ones I can get to work don't mention "33" at all.<br /><br />The only thing I know is that the Vietnamese brewery that the bottle claims brewed this beer used be owned by Foster's (yes, <em>that</em> Foster's) but was sold to Singapore's Asia Pacific Breweries in 2006. They still make Foster's and other local beers, but no mention of "33" exists on their web site. The only other information I even have about it is a random Flickr picture of a French bottle of "33" complete with information...where the ABV on the bottle doesn't match the ABV in the photo comments. I think I believe the Flickr guy, though, when he says that Heineken France holds the recipe but VBL Tien Giang Ltd. holds a license, which allows the bottle to say "Product of Vietnam" on it. <strong>UPDATED See below</strong> (<a href="http://www.apb.com.sg/abt-Mkts-Vietnam.html">APB in Vietnam</a>, <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ralph-dot/2784271897/">random Flickr image</a>)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAwavCz9gjPoMd8CX4Rij63hODhviN75OjyUneCZW6aUjn0brK9LY1_fAdVAdRdlsGJGlfPt2z9zJdoKAYJGXXlwSzohQZ0tm6Gbt7z7l8V_FDv0Nk36A8esfi6FCYzIYqw1GtG_njBTaQ/s1600-h/IMG_0413.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAwavCz9gjPoMd8CX4Rij63hODhviN75OjyUneCZW6aUjn0brK9LY1_fAdVAdRdlsGJGlfPt2z9zJdoKAYJGXXlwSzohQZ0tm6Gbt7z7l8V_FDv0Nk36A8esfi6FCYzIYqw1GtG_njBTaQ/s320/IMG_0413.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5256166646079142818" /></a><br />(I took a picture on my cell phone at the restaurant, but it's a -3 megapixel camera, so this empty bottle shot is all you get this time around.)<br /><br />Here come the (limited) stats:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >"33" Export</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">BREWERY:</span> VBL Tien Giang Limited, My Tho Industrial Zone, Binh Duc Commune, Chau Thanh District, Tien Giang Province, Viet Nam (yes, all that was on the bottle)<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">US IMPORTER:</span> Nicolas Wines, Westport, CT, USA<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">STYLE:</span> Lager<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FIRST BREWED:</span> <br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">CALORIES/SERVING:</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">BITTERNESS:</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">ABV:</span> 4.5%<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">ORIGINAL GRAVITY:</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">MALTS:</span> "Malt"<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">HOPS:</span> "Hops" (descriptive, no?)<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">SERVING TEMPERATURE:</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FOODS TO PAIR WITH:</span> Vietnamese food, I imagine<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">AWARDS:</span><br /><br />I got this information off the bottle, and also from a nice e-mail from Nicolas Wines (see below).<br /><br />This beer pretty much looks like your standard Asian lager: bright gold in color, bright white head, hoppy aroma, the whole nine yards. At first, the taste was somewhat under average. Better than most beers I've had from the region (I'm looking at you, Singha and South Korea), but still somewhat pedestrian in taste. Then I tried it after I took a bite from my Srirachi and fish sauce-infused beef ball pho, and the beer took on an enjoyably sweet characteristic, almost champagne-like in transformation. The hoppiness of the beer lingered, but it wasn't distracting, probably because I shoveled another mouthful of hot noodles in my trap less than 10 seconds later.<br /><br />I guess these Asian lagers are supposed to complement the dishes they are served with (hell, I guess that's every alcoholic beverage). Unlike some beers I thought didn't (once again, Singha...), this one paired very well with my pho. Does this mean that I'm off the micros and hitting the French/Vietnamese suds from now on? Um, no. Not quite. But I will admit it wasn't half bad...at least while my tongue was on fire.<br /><br />Cạn ly!<br /><br />P.S. I still have no clue what the "33" means. It might be the year of first brew. It might be the recipe number. It might be its Beverage Testing Institute score. It might be absolutely nothing, which is why it's in quotes. One for the ages, I guess. Raise a glass below if you have any ideas.<br /><br /><strong>UPDATE:</strong> Imagine my surprise when I received an e-mail from someone at Nicolas Wines, the official importers of 33 Export, without any prompting or nagging. They were able to confirm that the beer I tasted did in fact come from Vietnam's VBL, formerly Foster's Tien Giang. Also, they were able to shed light on the origin of "33"; apparently, it "refers to the size of the original bottles at 11.2 ounces, which is a third of a liter," or 33 centiliters. Makes sense if you ask me, although I'm waiting for one of the big three to call their beer "12." I guess stateside you can only use a number in the name if it refers to that beer's calories.<br /><br />Thanks again Nicolas Wines for your submission! I raise my glass to you.The Beerocrathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05042082377287701663noreply@blogger.com25