Blackened Hops vs. New World Porter

Colleen and I decided to do an impromptu beer tasting/judging between two beers within the same style: Black IPA. Some are calling it American Black Ale, or Cascadian Dark Ale, or however else one should deem a dark, hoppy, bitter beer. It's a new style that is quickly becoming quite popular to brew, and in fact I am brewing one with my father tomorrow! The two beers we tasted were "Blackened Hops" from the Sam Adams Longshot Homebrew Competition and "New World Porter" from Avery. New World Porter is actually classified as an "American Porter," suggesting it's a more bitter porter. But, in many contexts and on their newer label, it reads as a Black IPA.

The Blackened Hops had a strong hoppy flavor--floral, citrus, and pine. A bit "grassy." The flavor was malty, a bit smoky, some faint roasted grains, and more bitterness from the hops. This was a nicely balanced beer, not over the top in any direction. It nicely maintained it's head for the entire glass, too.

New World Porter definitely tasted more like a porter. Surprise! There was not nearly as much hoppy aroma, hardly any if that. It had a chocolaty, coffee, smoky flavor, and more malt than the other. There was definitely a lot of hop bitterness, particularly if you had "porter" in your mind. But the bitterness was not overwhelming, and probably not all that present if thinking "IPA." There really wasn't much about this that screamed, "IPA!" but the bitterness was clearly at a higher IBU (international bittering units). Overall, we liked it but were not totally impressed.

The winner?



You got it: Blackened Hops! This is a really nice, hoppy, yet dark and roasty ale. A strong example of what this style is supposed to taste (and smell) like. Nicely done, Rodney Kibzey!

[Addition info: Although black in color, it should be noted that these beers are not thick and heavy in body like a stout. People who may be reluctant to enjoy a stout because of this characteristic should not back away from a Black IPA. They have a similar medium body and drinkability like any other IPA.]

In Love with a Gal Named, Sofie!

Sorry, Colleen. You're quite wonderful, too. But you'll have to share my affection with Sofie. She is a Belgian Farmhouse Ale created by Goose Island Brewing Co. out of Chicago. On a side note, you may be interested to know that Goose Island was recently "bought out" by Anheuser-Busch. Look it up and enjoy a fun debate of the pros and cons with a fellow craft beer enthusiast.
Now, focusing back on the wonderful Sofie.

Sofie has quickly become one of my favorite beers. She is light, complex, flavorful, and refreshing. The aroma and flavor are both bursting with citrus and a slight Belgiany funkiness. She is tart, a bit sweet yet dry on the finish, and effervescent. She's a bit different from other Saisons or Belgian farmhouse ales, but she maintains many similar qualities. She just has a bit more citrus/orange flavor than other flavors that I'd expect, such as a "barnyard," yeasty, hay type flavor (if that appeals to you). Sofie does have a peppery spiciness that others share, which is nice.

The bottle description itself is a bit vague. It reads, "80% Belgian style Ale blended with 20% Belgian Style Ale aged in wine barrels with orange peel." The orange peel part is obvious, but nowhere does it specify it as a Saison or farmhouse ale. The bottle also explains that it develops in the bottle for up to 5 years. That's interesting. Perhaps I'll try to hold on to a few bottles just to test the aging process. That is, if I can keep from drinking them!

Goose Island's website is a bit more descriptive about the brewing process and flavor profiles. I won't repeat what they say in case you want to read it for yourself. They do say that it pairs well with shellfish or with Brie cheese. I'm currently enjoying Sofie with wild Coho salmon over organic greens and tomato, which I find pairs just fine. This really is a perfect beer for the summer. So those looking for a fantastic alternative to typical beers you drink in the heat, definitely pick up Sofie. You can usually find a 22 oz bomber in any liquor store that has a good beer selection. I was excited to find that Julio's out in Westboro had a four pack of 12 oz bottles, which allows me to only sample smaller amounts while having more fresh, unopened bottles to enjoy later.

Sofie may be a bit different, and perhaps a stretch, if you are only used to drinking typical American beers or macro-produced lagers. Belgian beers sometimes take some time getting used to. But, man, the complexity and refreshing flavors are unmatched. I definitely urge you to try this one. Goose Island really makes some spectacular beers (another beer among my top choices is their Bourbon County Stout....holy cow!). I just hope the merge with AB doesn't negatively impact the quality of their beers. Anyways, I hope you find Sofie as mesmerizing as I do. She's a beauty! Cheers!!

Experimenting with Hard Cider

I blogged about this a few posts ago, but I'll give another description of this brewing session again just for fun. Last fall, Colleen and I took a trip to Carlson's Orchards to feed the annual craving for fresh, New England apples. I had been wanting to brew a batch of hard cider, so this was the perfect opportunity to get some needed supplies. I've only brewed one cider before this, and it turned out awful! So, I was determined to get it right. This time, I felt like getting creative. I decided to take the same base recipe and use different yeasts to compare how these yeasts impact the outcome of the cider. So here is the recipe:

4 gallons apple cider
4 pounds brown sugar

That's it!! Once mixed I split it into 5 1-gallon carboys and added the following yeasts:

1. Nottingham Ale Yeast. This is a tradition British ale yeast that "produces low concentrations of fruity and estery aroma." Two gallons got this yeast.
2. Safale US-05. This is another, yet different, commonly used ale yeast (American) that "produces well balanced beers with low diacetyl and a very clean, crisp end palate." Two gallons got this yeast.
3. Cote de Blancs. This is a wine yeast that "produces fine, fruity aromas" and is "recommended for reds, whites, sparkling cuvées and non-grape fruit wines (especially apple, it is reported)." Only one gallon got this yeast.

After fermentation finished, I conditioned the ciders in my wine fridge for a few months to let them age. Today, we bottled them, adding some table sugar and dry yeast to ensure carbonation. Today was the first time I got to taste the
ciders, although they are obviously still young, uncarbonated, and just not ready. It was fun trying them though. Once they are fully ready, I'll give a more detailed update. But, for now, what I can say is that the Nottingham yeast cider seemed to be the most tart (surprisingly) and the wine yeast tasted the most fruity and sweet. The US-05 had the most genuine apple cider type flavor. But, we'll see what happens in a few months.

Judging the Stout

Every few months I invite a selection of close friends and beer lovers to enjoy and evaluate a particular style of beer. Each time, the group blindly tastes different examples of a style and judges each one across particular parameters. Doing this blindly eliminates being influenced by marketing, past experience, or other pressures. They simply rely on their senses. This does bring with it new challenges, as most have not been asked to break down beers in such a detailed manner, picking out very specific flavors, aromas, and other characteristics. The tasting crew has consistently done a fantastic job and put forth a concerted effort to consider each beer. It's been a lot of fun to witness! This time, we evaluated stouts. I presented six examples, attempting to have the group taste different subtypes of the stout, noticing how they differ from one another. Here are the results:

1. Wolaver's Oatmeal Stout

Tasting Notes:
"Coffee, chocolate; soft, thin; very drinkable, but not too interesting"
"Nutty, gentle; smooth, not bitter"
"Roasty, burnt, slightly dry"
"Caramel; not typically stouty consistency"
"Sweet, smoky, silky"
"Malty, soapy, bland"

Average Score: C+ (3.45)

2. Saranac Irish Stout

Tasting Notes:
"Stronger coffee flavor, creamy, enjoyable"
"Sweet, earthy, roasted, bitter"
"hop?"
"Chocolate"
"Thin, smoky, roasty"
"Licorice?"

Average Score: B- (3.77)

3. Young's Double Chocolate Stout

Tasting Notes:
"Coffee, chocolate, sweet, creamy"
"Cream, vanilla, low carbonation"
"Aromatic, creamy, chocolate, vanilla"
"Sweet, malty, chocolate, smooth"
"Coffee, coffee"
"Strong coffee; too milky for my liking"

Average Score: B+ (4.37) [three A scores]

4. Left Hand Milk Stout

Tasting Notes:
"Beer; sweet, coffee"
"Smoked, roasted, sweet, nutty, malty, creamy"
"Subtle sweetness"
"Smoked mostly at the end not front, dry"
"Hoppy, dry, strong"
"Nice and bitter, hoppy, strong flavor"

Average Score: B (4.13)

5. Dark Horse Brewing Co. "Fore" Smoked Stout

Tasting Notes:
"Strong coffee flavor; too flavorful but enjoyable in small amounts"
"Tar, thick"
"Full, bitter, espresso"
"Smoky, dry, bitter"
"Tarry, complex"
"Slight raisins, bittersweet chocolate"

Average Score: B (4.03) [two A scores]

6. Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout

Tasting Notes:
"Alcoholic, too strong"
"Sharp, tart"
"Nice, tart, strong bitter, slight smokiness"
"Not chocolaty, grainy"
"Hoppy, alcoholic, malty, sharp, tart, bitter"

Average Score: B- (3.6) [scores ranged from F to A-]


So, the winner is--Young's Double Chocolate Stout!
And, the loser is--Wolaver's Oatmeal Stout!

The winning beer is not a huge surprise to me, as Young's is a very enjoyable, very enticing, very flavorful stout. I am a bit surprised about Wolaver's, as I believe most people typically enjoy this one. However, it clearly fell short during this evaluation. I must add the note that in many judging sessions, it is quite common that the earlier beers being judged do not score as well. Who knows why. Perhaps the judges are saving their exceptional scores in case better beers come along. With that being said, I gave the panel a "starter" stout to calibrate their palates and discuss openly what they are tasting. This was a random home brew I picked up, and everyone probably liked this one the best of the whole night. So, that kind of screws up my theory on the order of taste preferences.

In any case, it was a really fun night of tasting stouts. I can't wait until the next judging sessions. Cheers!!

Shifting Focus

Due to some recent inspiration, I've decided to focus my blog completely on anything and everything I imbibe. I will try to share with you beverages that I create or discover, enjoy or despise. Although this has been most of what I've already begun to post about, at this point I will limit all of my posts to this passion of mine. And I won't simply talk about beer. I will share my thoughts on bourbon, mead, spirits, coffee, tea, and more. And I promise to try my hardest to actually keep somewhat of a routine and not leave too much time between posts. I'll at least try.

Ok, so for my first post of this new shift, I bring you: Rittenhouse 100--Straight Rye Whiskey.


I have enjoyed bourbon for a few years now. But, I have only recently started to enjoy rye whiskey, thanks to my fellow imbiber, David Zade. So, it only makes sense to get out there and find some worthy rye whiskeys to "evaluate."

I first learned of Rittenhouse 100 in Imbibe Magazine (notice one of my inspirations for my new title?). After a blind tasting of six ryes, Rittenhouse came out on top with 4.5/5 stars. They described it as: "full and sweet with layers of toasted grain and vanilla backed by a peppery spice.....complex.....well-rounded and balanced with enough nuance and backbone to make it great for sipping or mixing." This was also priced lowest of the six, ranging from $22-48. Ryes can reach much higher of course, but they were only testing a few under $50, which is good for my wallet!

Location Purchased: Julio's Liquors, Westborough, MA

Specs: 750 ml, 100 proof (50% abv), $19.99 (!!!)

Impressions:
Imbibe Magazine definitely got it right. I really enjoy this whiskey. It has the caramel and vanilla that I am used to with most bourbons. But it is drier and spicier, giving it a nice balance. I taste some really nice honey flavors, while a slight tobacco and pepper flavor sneaks in the swallow. It is a sweeter rye than a few I've had, which is good for those just getting into ryes. This is a strong drink at 50% abv and could easily be cut with a splash of water or ice. This might smooth it out more and perhaps bring out even more flavors and layers. The concept of adding water to a spirit first threw me off. But the more I read about how to enjoy bourbons, and the more I experiment, I realize that this definitely has its benefits. Either way, Rittenhouse 100 is a great rye whiskey and I'm pretty excited that it's only $20. Of course, that's a bit dangerous, since it will allow me to drink it up faster. At least we can rest assured that I have rock solid will power!

Cheers!!