Guavaween

Yeah, it's the Friday before Halloween. Yeah, Halloween is on Sunday this year, but we all know all the parties are still happening tonight or tomorrow. Yeah, we are to old to maybe care as much as some of us do about this pagan holiday gone all Hallmark. Here in Tampa, though, we have the adult answer to the kiddies Halloween.

Guavaween.

Started in 1985, Guavaween serves as the main fundraiser for the historic city of Ybor's Chamber of Commerce. A family oriented affair in the daylight hours, it turns to the dark side after the sun goes down. It is not uncommon for people to be arrested for nudity, peeing, having sex, property damage and any other indecencies an alcohol fueled mob of 50,000 to 120,000 people in costume may be capable of.

In honor of the fruit that is so popular in the Southern U.S., Central and South America and  for Guavaween the fantastic collective brewing genius that is Cigar City Brewing whipped up a unique Fall Seasonal in the Saison Style.

 Saison (aka Farmhouse Ale) is a unique style of ale. Until recent years the Saison was falling of the beer lovers radar. It was thought of as "endangered", but that is no longer the case.

Saison tends to be fruity, but not really sweet, tart to sour, good strong yeast profile that is a little musty at times with a good spiciness. Typical abv. ranges from 5%-8%.

Brewery:

Cigar City Brewing

Tampa, Florida

http://www.cigarcitybrewing.com/

Name/Style:

Guava Grove/Saison

ABV(alcohol by volume):

8%

 Cigar City often brews beer that are tributes to some element of Tampa and its history. Their Jai Alai IPA is in memory of the long gone fronton where the sport was once played, Maduro Brown Ale is for the long history of cigar manufacturing in Ybor, ect. Guava Grove is for the love of Cuban cuisine and Guavaween.
To get the guava into their Saison, Cigar City does a secondary fermentation on real guava.
The aroma when you open the bottle is great. It gets even better when poured into a glass. As the cloudy, golden tangerine colored brew fills my glass the guava is light, but present with hints of flowers, citrus zest and a little funk from the yeast. The fact that this is going to be a tart beer is evident before it gets anywhere near my lips.
 Tartness runs throughout the entire taste experience. What I believe are pale malts are barely perceptible giving freedom for the fruit characteristics to take over. Lemon, guava, and maybe a little pineapple. Just a touch of sweetness. A little peppery.  They mention banana being present, but not really picking up on that to much. Nice earthy, funky yeast pairs wonderfully with the tart. There in a medium body to the mouth-feel. Finishes very dry and yet very refreshing. I could drink this all day.

Musical Pairing:

Artist:

Buena Vista Social Club

Song:

Chan Chan

Album:

Buena Vista Social Club

One of the great Cuban bands to reach the ears of the world. At the time of the recording of their self-titled album some of the members were as old as 90. Beautiful, soulful music to accompany a beautiful, soulful beer.



Pumpkin Smashings: Part Three

Wow! It is the end of October already! This year is sure is flying by. That means I need to really get cracking on more BrewSound posts because I'm going for 500 "Likes" on FaceBook by years end. And you folks aren't going to be sharing this if I don't keep it flush with new material. Thanks to everyone who has already "Liked"(125 at time of posting) and shared this blog with their friends or follows via a feed. And thanks to the few that have made some comments and given suggestions for future ideas for BrewSounds. You all are the people that will help make BrewSounds more enjoyable for everyone and more popular with everybody. And don't forget I am on Twitter, too. Tweet up a storm.

Alright. As promised I am doing another segment of Autumn Ears & Beers today. We have covered one Oktoberfest and two Pumpkin Ales. I'm going to make it three Pumpkin Ales today because, well, I love Pumpkin Ale and I'm really starting to get jazzed for Halloween.

Brewery:

Dogfish Head Craft Brewing

Milton, Delaware

www.dogfish.com

Name/Style:

Punkin/Pumpkin Ale

ABV(alcohol by volume):

7%

Dogfish Head is one of the most well respected breweries in the United States for a reason. They make a huge variety of craft brew using a seemingly endless list of ingredients that most people would not even consider putting into beer. From adding tea, to mixing in juices, to aging beer in wine barrels, Dogfish are always pushing the limits of what breweries do with beer recipes.

With their their Fall Seasonal brew, Punkin, they put themselves right at the top for Pumpkin Ales. Not as high in alcohol as the Weyerbacher Imperial pumpkin, but holding it's own at 7% it is still not a beer to mess around with. Appears a crystal clear honey orange when viewed with sunlight behind it. Changes to a more brown-orange in not so direct light. There isn't any haze to the body, but you can see some tiny particulation floating in the middle of the glass. Spice remnants most likely. 

The aroma is a little more subdued than other Pumpkin Ales, but it is still very pleasing. Bready pie crust with nutmeg, allspice, brown sugar, pumpkin and malt. Alcohol esters comes through all the spices, too. 

I think for me what sets this Pumpkin Ale apart from others is this one seems to have the most pumpkin flavor to it. Other beers tend to be spice-centric, which this one doesn't fall short on by any means, but I can really taste the pumpkin. It carries all the other flavors instead of relying on the spices to convey the pie characteristics. Pumpkin up front followed by a yeasty breadiness and nutmeg and allspice. The malt melds beautifully with the spice and alcohol.  Mouth-feel is a little creamy. Fishes with a  slight sweetness. The pumpkin flavor remains in the aftertaste. This is the ale by which I measure all Pumpkin Ales. A masterpiece.

Musical Pairing:

Artist:

The White Stripes

Song:

We're Going To Be Friends

Album:

White Blood Cells

The Whites Stripes of Detroit, Michigan are one of the most innovative rockers in the last decade, although the more you know about The White Stripes the more you know Jack White is really just trying to create the emotion of old delta blues in a modern drum and guitar style."We're Going To Be Friends" might be most recognizable as the song used during the intro to the film Napoleon Dynamite. I think we can all agree that Dogfish Punkin and whoever tries it are going to be friends.

Dead Leaves And The Dirty Ground

My Kind Of Bastard

Happy Tuesday, BrewSounders. (That's what I'm calling you now)

Today I'll be talking more beer from my Michigan trip.

The style is one of my favorites. The brewery is one of the best in the U.S., in my opinion. And the beer itself is one of my all-time favorite beers. Ever.
Seriously.

Let's talk Scotch Ale.

Scottish Style Ale is a variant of Strong Pale Ale believed to be developed in Edinburgh, Scotland in the late 18th or early 19th century. The traditional characteristics of Scottish Ale are a deep red/copper color that can vary to a dark brown, sweet flavors from malts and unfermented sugars also imparting a rich mouth-feel and a low hop profile with an abv. around 5-7% . The color and much of the sweet flavor comes from a long boil of the wort, resulting a caramelization. Wort (pronounced wert ) is kind of like tea. Grain and malt are boiled in water with hops being added at different points along the boil to impart different characteristics (taste, color, smell). It is then fermented to produce alcohol and carbonation.

Scotch Ale is a stronger version of the Scottish Ale. Deeper in color, higher alcohol content, sweeter caramel malt and roasted characters.

Wee Heavy is Scotch Ale, also. Used in place of and/or used to represent the strongest of the Scotch Ale Style.

Brewery:

Founders Brewing Company

Grand Rapids, Michigan

http://www.foundersbrewing.com/

Name/Style:

Dirty Bastard/Scotch Ale/Wee Heavy

ABV(alcohol by volume):

8.5%

Founders Brewing likes to think of themselves as brewers who brew beer not for the masses, but for beer people. I can't disagree. Though, this tasty gem is very accessible for a Founders brew. I even shared a few with my mother over some pleasant conversation. 

Pours a stunning deep mahogany that is a little hazy with a topping of big almond toned head that lingers the whole session. This is one of the most beautiful beers you will ever see. No lie, I'm actually salivating a little as I type just thinking about it...Anyway. 

The aroma from Dirty Bastard is rich caramel,  brown sugar, toffee, dark fruits(date like, maybe), with a touch of roasted malt and alcohol. Doesn't have the smokiness that often accompanies Scotch Ale. 

The taste is INCREDIBLE. Everything present in the nose is there on the tongue. Creamy caramel, toffee, the fruitiness, all mingle with a sweet malt backbone and a spice from the alcohol. There is also higher than normal hop bitterness. Some peat flavor comes through, but it is mostly on the end of the taste experience. For the uninitiated, when I say peat, yes I mean the stuff used in gardening. It is burned to dry and roast barley. This barley then imparts the peat characteristics to the ale. Often coming through as smoky, here in Dirty Bastard it is more earthy. Might sound strange, but it is delicious. 

Smooth as velvet is how I would describe the mouth-feel. Finishes dry enough to keep the sweetness from being overbearing or cloying. If ever you see this mouthwatering malt bomb do not hesitate to buy it and then send me one. (No distribution in Florida)

Musical Pairings:

Artist:

Skids

Song:

The Saints Are Coming

Album:

Wide Open EP

Formed in the late 1970's, Skids (often referred to as The Skids) were one of the only new-wave-punk outfits out of Scotland to make it on the international music scene. There biggest hit being "Into The Valley".

From The Homeland

Brewsounds is back in action! 

I am happy to report my trip to Michigan was a success. The weather was perfect for the duration of my visit and I got to hang out with some good friends. I didn't get to try as many brews as I would have liked, though. One of the downsides to visiting small towns is that businesses do not run on city hours. The day I had the most time to visit several of my favorite watering holes in my hometown of Mount Pleasant is also the day that one restaurant, The Brass Cafe, is closed. I also walked up to the Mount Pleasant Brewing Company's original locale, Mountain Town Station, only to find they would be opening at 4pm, and by then I would be in a different city. All of my venturing around town was not all for nothing, though. There is always one place I know I can go.

The Bird Bar & Grill is the oldest bar in town (it's current location has been open since the 1940's) and is also one of the most popular. And for good reason. The family run business knows what they are doing. They know how to treat a customer and know how to keep them coming back.

My friend Sue was behind the bar when I got there. We hugged, did some catching up and talked some gossip. Then we got down to business. I ordered a Swiss, Mushroom, Onion Burger (no exaggeration one of the best burgers I've had in my life) and a brew.

Brewery:

New Holland Brewing Company

Holland, Michigan

http://newhollandbrew.com/corp/

Name/Style:

Mad Hatter IPA/India Pale Ale

ABV(alcohol by volume):

5.8%

I had this one on draft poured into a pint. Poured a orange-copper color with a thin head that broke down quite quickly leaving a micron-thin lacing that sort of reminded me of fuzzy white mold that you might find on bread.

Very light carbonation in this one. Only the occasional set of bubbles rising up off the inside bottom of the glass. Slightly dissapointing, that. I like my lower abv. brews with a little more carbonation. Adds a little kick on the tongue.

The nose was good and bright with hops and a backbone of malt. Nice piney hop taste. Bit of citrus/grapefruit, too. Not very bitter. Maybe 70IBU(international bitter units) which would fall in the lower end of the spectrum of true IPA's. The malt characteristics are well balanced with the pine/cirtus of the hops. Finished wheaty.

Not a mind blowing IPA, but spot on for the style

Musical Pairings:

We all hear the jokes about Michigan and it's economy. I've heard jabs on shows like Saturday Night Live and amongst my own friends here in Florida, but the reality of the situation is not a funny one. Michigan has been ravished by the auto industry and it's backhanded treatment of it's once heavily employed population. Major cities like Detroit and Flint now look like something you would see in an occupied warzone.
It's not funny. It is sad. And it is real.

There is still a lot of beauty and a lot of strong people that call Michigan home. I always will, no matter where I wind up in this world. Sufjan Stevens is from Michigan and his first album in "The 50 States" project, a series of albums he plans to make of all 50 states, is heartbreaking and glorius all at once. One of my favorite albums of all time.

Artist:

Sufjan Stevens

Song:

Flint (For The Unemployed And Underpaid)

Album:
Michigan





Michigan Update

Hello everyone. I apologize for the lack of activity over the last two days. I am currently in Michigan this week and have been trying some of the best the state has to offer. I will be posting reviews when I get back to Tampa Bay on Wednesday. I've had an incredibly crazy schedule while here, but BrewSounds has and will still be active on Facebook so keep checking there for more up to the minute updates. Also don't forget you can follow BrewSounds on Twitter.

  

Here is a short list of some of the tasty treats I've been drinking.

Founders Brewing Company-Dirty Bastard Scotch Style Ale

Bells Brewing Company-Kalamazoo Stout (Thanks Mom)

New Holland Brewing Company- Mad Hatter India Pale Ale

Mt. Pleasant Brewing Company-Train Wreck Ale

I also want to let you know that I will be starting a new segment called Local Brews & Bands where I will be interviewing some of the best bands in the state of Florida. We will talk music, playing shows and of course beer. In the first installment I will be talking to the totally amazing Auto?Automatic?? about their new album, which they are recording as I type.

But that's all your getting out of me for now. Keep reading and keep spreading the word!

Gone To The Dark Side

Greetings, fellow beer lovers! It's Friday! All this week we have talked about two of the most popular Fall Seasonals, the Pumpkin Ale and of course the Ocktoberfest. Today I want to walk a different trail. I am going to be going up to Michigan and checking out some awesome beers from some amazing breweries over the weekend so I wanted to cover something a little off the beaten path to kickstart my weekend. A style that is sort of new to the official vernacular of beer geeks. Cascadian Dark Ale/Black India Pale Ale.

Black India Pale Ale? What is that? And what the hell is Casacadian Dark Ale? And how are these related? 
First thing's first.
 India Pale Ale or IPA  was first made in England in the 1700's. IPA's are a heavily hopped, high abv. variant of Pale Ale. The big hop profile(hops are a natural preservative) worked in concert with the higher alcohol content to preserve the ales for shipment to English soldiers stationed in India at that time. India Pale Ale. Got it? Good.
Cascadian Dark Ale is named after the Cascade Hop. An American hop named after the Cascade Mountain Range where they are grown in the Pacific Northwest. Cascade hops have a very citrus/pine scent and taste that was used in the development of the Cascadian Dark Ale/Black IPA . The black part of Black IPA comes from the large amount of malt and grain used to give the beer a very nearly or completely black appearance.

Brewery:

Stone Brewing Company

Escondido, California

Brewery Website: http://www.stonebrew.com/

Name/Style:

Stone Sublimely Self-Righteous Ale/Cascadian Dark Ale/Black IPA

ABV(alcohol by content):

8.7%

Alright, now that we have gotten all the background info out of the way let's get to the goods. Stone Brewing Company is known for their unwaivering dedication to bitterness. All their beers brandish verbose labels that give the brewers a pat on the back all while conveying that you are"unworthy". Their words, not mine. Arrogance as an art is their style. In  fact one of their most popular ales is called Arrogant Bastard. 'Nuff said, right? But Stone Brewing is the real deal. And this bomber full of contradiction is, too.


Pours black with just the slightest hint of merlot on the bottom edge of my goblet. A thick milky mocha head settles to a lace that covers the entire surface of the beer all while sticking to the side in a film. Mostly hops in the nose, but chocolate malt fills in the rest.
This one is smooooth. Doesn't carry the IBU's(international bitterness unit) that I've come to expect from Stone, but not in a disappointing way. Hops are forefront on the tongue, but the chocolate malt really blends and mellows things down. Not really even getting much alcohol spice. It does warm the tummy, though. As the beer shifts towards the aftertaste an interesting back and forth between the hop bitterness and the malt bitterness takes place. Very unique. Very interesting. Good full mouth-feel to make this one hell of a beer. Sublime.


Musical Pairings:

Artist:

Kanye West

Song:
Run Away

Kanye West, love him or hate him, is a superstar of epic proportions. He exudes an arrogance and absolute self-righteousness that has never been wielded on such a grand scale and with such success before in human history. What more can I say. Let's have a toast for the douche bags. 

Pumpkin Smashings: Part Two

Hello, again. Welcome to another dose of BrewSounds. Yesterday we looked at a monstrous Imperial Oktoberfest called The Kaiser. Today in our third segment of Autumn Ears & Beers, where I review Fall Seasonals, I want to bring us back to another Pumpkin Ale.

In Part One of Autumn Ears & Beers we looked at Smuttynose Pumpkin Ale. This beer was good stuff. Incredibly drinkable with a classy understated taste and great mouth-feel. But today I don't want understated. I want something bigger. I want to take what Imperial tends to impart upon beer(darker hues, heavier mouth-feel, higher abv., bigger malt characteristics) and  combine that with the deliciousness that is Pumpkin Ale.

Brewery:

Weyerbacher Brewing Company

Easton, Pennsylvania

http://www.weyerbacher.com/

Name/Style:

Imperial Pumpkin Ale/Pumpkin Ale

ABV(alcohol by volume):

8%

 I talked about "Big Beers" a little yesterday and how some breweries, like Avery Brewing Company, focus on making them more than others. Weyerbacher is most definitely one of these breweries. The vast majority of their beers are over 8% abv. In fact less than 1/3 of the beers they currently make are under 8% abv. These guys like their beers big and they show it. As far as Pumpkin Ale goes this is about as big as they get. Only a handful have 8% abv. or higher. Weyerbacher really is setting the bar with this one. 

Pours a rich orange/amber. It looks like there may be some sediment floating around, but mainly crystal clear. An oatmeal tinged head about 3/4 of an inch in height is quite creamy. Settles to a lace that doesn't even cover the whole top of the beer, though. Thickens towards the edge of the goblet.

Wow! What a bouquet! It smells of pumpkin pie even from several feet away. The scent does diffuse considerably as the head breaks down. Much more subtle, but with all the usual suspects showing up for the party. Cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, ginger. Also carries a biscuit or pie crust quality.

Now, this being an Imperial version of the Pumpkin Ale it brings a big malt character to the table. Not dark and bitter, but slightly sweet and richer than the traditional. A touch of rye is present as the flavor shifts towards the spices. Cinnamon and nutmeg with a touch of alcohol and pumpkin. Weyerbacher does use real pumpkin in the process of brewing, choosing to opt of the "Pumpkin Flavoring". A very nice bready/biscuity aftertaste mingles with the spices and a touch of alcohol. 

:

Musical Pairings:

Artist:

Harvestman

Album: 
Lashing The Rye

Steve Von Till of Neurosis plays haunting experimental folk incorporating elements of ambient and drone on this, his first album under the name Harvestman.

Artist:
Steven Von Till
Album:
If I Should Fall To The Field


Steven Von Till's second solo album. Released in 2002.

Oktober

Hello and thank you for joining me again here at Brewsounds. This is part two of Autumn Ears & Beers. Here will be reviewing Fall Seasonal brews and pairings with some great tunes to match. 

In the previous segment we looked at a rock solid example of the Pumkin Ale style from Smuttynose Brewing Co. Today in part two we will look at the Oktoberfest style. 

Oktoberfest is a style of German beer known as Märzen. Or more specifically Märzenbier. Now what is Märzen?  You see, back in the Old Country long before there was refrigeration beer could only be made in the cooler months because the summer was too hot for brewing. The beer was more likely to get infected from bacteria. So most beer was made in March. Hence, Märzen. Much of the beer made early in the year was cellared to allow fermentation and to avoid high temperatures. Some were also brewed at a higher gravity (i.e. higher alcohol content) to help better preserve the beer through the summer. Once fall arrived these beers were busted out to enjoy. Especially once Oktoberfest was established, which dates back to 1810. Märzen and Oktoberfest are essentially the same brews, but the Oktoberfest is typically slightly darker, more full bodied than the Märzen and with a slightly higher hops profile. Also the typical Märzen is between 4% and 6% abv. while the typical Oktoberfest is between 5% and 7% abv.

Brewery:

Avery Brewing Company

Brewery Website: http://www.averybrewing.com/

Name/Style: 

The Kaiser/Märzenbier/Oktoberfest

ABV(alcohol by volume):

10.03%

Now forget everything you just learned about Märzen. This is an Imperial Oktoberfest... Avery style. Avery is an American brewery out of the beer mecca that is Boulder, Colorado. They are one of the breweries leading the "Big Beer" craze we have in the states and have taken up the banner and never looked back.  By "Big Beer" I mean high abv. brews, hop bombs(brews with incredibly strong hop presence), malt bombs(very rich darker beers) and crazy strong stouts(one at 16% abv. which I will be going over as we near Halloween).  The Kaiser is everything I would expect from these guys and a little more.

This copper colored beauty come is a 22oz bottle known as a "Bomber". They brew and bottle this stuff in one vintage on August 1st every year so this is truly seasonal in every sense. Pours out a deep rich copper with an average head for a beer with this much alcohol content. Minimal carbonation. The lacing on this one is thick and sticky! The scent is big caramel maltiness, a little alcohol esters, too. Slightly bread-like in a small way. Not much in the way of a hop profile, but it is there. Just a bit fruity. 

The taste is even bigger than the smell. Huge malt character. Remember me mentioning malt bombs? Well this is a prime example. Imperial usually implies a large increase in the amount of malt used in the brewing process and this is IMPERIAL. But there is more there than malt. You get a warm spiciness from the alcohol as it makes its way to your tummy. Nice. And the hops sort of round out the end of the taste experience with some fruit flavors and tiny bit of bitterness. Starts sweet and ends sweet, but not too intense. This is one bomber that could really get you bombed in no time. Take this one on as a sipper.

:
Musical Pairings


Now I intend to expand the music we cover more over the next few weeks. More information as to why the beer pairs well with the music. More recommendations and bringing in a local music/local brew aspect here and there. I hope to even get some interviews with some of the Tampa Bays best bands to talk music and a little beer.
But today I have only one pairing for The Kaiser.
Behold.
Richard Wagner-Ride Of The Valkyries, from Die Walküre

                        

Pumpkin Smashings

Welcome to the first installment of BeerSounds Autumn Ears & Beers. In this segment we will cover some great seasonal brews and some great seasonal sounds.


 Here in the Tampa Bay area we have been enjoying a first hint of cooler weather to come while much else of the country is well in the swing of Autumn. While the days are getting shorter and shorter and the nights getting colder and longer many turn their thoughts towards Thanksgiving and Halloween. The latter ushering in ghouls and goblins seeking candy at the front door and toilet paper flying through the trees. The former brings me memories of holiday get togethers with friends and  family. Tables full of food and plates overflowing with the gargantuan portions they strain to contain. All the good stuff we shouldn't eat is stacked high. Cranberry jams, turkey drenched in brown gravy,  three kinds of stuffing, home-made mashed potatoes whipped with cream not milk, pumpkin pie and if you look in the right places before you head to the party, pumpkin ale.

Brewery:
Smuttynose Brewing Company
Brewery website:  http://www.smuttynose.com/
Name/Stlye:
Pumkpin Ale/Pumpkin Ale
ABV(alcohol by volume):
6%

This is Smuttynose Brewing Company's seasonal Pumpkin Ale. Brewed in a style true to its colonial roots this pumpkin ale uses real pumpkin puree in the mash, instead of adding mystery "pumpkin flavor" that you will see on some other craft style ales, along with traditional spices. Those spices are what dominate the nose as the beer is poured into a my goblet. Nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger are right up front while the pumpkin, though it hides behind the spices, is present. A touch of malt is there, too. Very pleasant. Copper/Amber in the heart while turning to a more golden hue at the edge of the glass. Slight haze. All this capped by a creamy head made of tight white bubbles.