Did You Save Room For Dessert?

Welcome back for another dose of BrewSounds! I hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving this year. I know I had a great one. 

Now that Turkeyday is out of the way we can start to think about Hanukkah, National Pearl Harbor Rememberance Day, Winter officially beginning, Christmas, Boxing Day(for our friends to the north), Kwanzaa and The New Year. That's a lot of opportunities to have some great meals and finish them with a great dessert. Some like ice cream or pie or cake or some combination of the three.

And some like Crème Brûlée.

Brewery:
Southern Tier Brewing Company
Lakewood, New York
www.southerntierbrewing.com


Name/Style:
Crème Brûlée Imperial Milk Stout/Milk Stout/Imperial Stout


ABV(alcohol by volume):
9.6% 

Milk Stouts are delicious, but not for everyone. They don't actually have milk in them, but during the brewing process extra unfermentable sugars are added, like lactose, to give the Stout its creamy mouth-feel and sweet taste. So watch out if you are lactose intolerant or have a milk allergy. This beer would ruin your night.

For the rest of us Milk Stouts are a creamy, sweet, tasty alternative to the dry Irish/English Stout or the sometimes brutal and bitter Russian/American Imperial or American Double Stout. 

 To start, Crème Brûlée is one of the most aromatic brews I have ever encountered. As soon as the cap is off the whole room fills with the smell of rich vanilla. Once poured into my goblet the vanilla makes room for malt and the heavy presence of alcohol. This stuff smells amazing and like a headache waiting to happen at the same time.

The bottle recommends serving at 42 °F which is much colder than what I or most anyone would recommend serving a Stout, but I will oblige. 

At it's coldest Crème Brûlée tastes of strong vanilla bean with caramel malt, but an overpowering amount of alcohol and a bitterness that doesn't seem to fit in. I don't know why anyone, especially the brewery, would recommend serving this so chilled. I have noticed that all Southern Tier brews in bombers have that recommendation. As it warms Crème Brûlée goes from an unpleasant mess to a much more pleasing drink. The alcohol slips back considerably. The vanilla, bordering on disgusting when super chilled, is smoother and the bitterness, though still present, as it should be, is more at home because the 2-row and caramel malts make themselves more obvious. The body is middle of the road. Not thick, not thin. Overall this is one ultra flavorful and unique brew. 

By no means is this a balanced beer. Some love it. Some hate it. I am ambivalent. I enjoyed trying it. I will try it again and see if I feel the same, but I will certainly recommend you try it. Bring it to your next social gathering for the holidays and let everyone sample a little. I'm sure it will be a hit. 

Musical Pairings:

Artist:

Keelhaul

Songs:

LWM

360

Album:

II

Keelhaul are an amazingly talented and shockingly unknown band from Cleveland, Ohio. They play a mostly instrumental mix of rock-your-ass-off post-hardcore, good ol' rock, beer, math-rock, chicken, fart jokes and emotive slow jams. I am putting these two songs from their out of this world awesome second album II in the order that I felt my Crème Brûlée experience went. Shocking, jilting, out of wackness that changed to a more orderly form and finally ends in a smooth, comforting way. By the way, everything from these fellas is beer fueled. They love beer. And they put out nothing but incredible albums... Even if they do make us wait 5 years for one here and there. 

Gold Dragons Are The Best Dragons

Today in BrewSounds I want to talk about our first foreign beer. It's dark. It's big. And it's from Belgium. 

It's a Belgian Strong Dark Ale.

Belgian beers and breweries are know to be some of the best in the world. Besides being home to six of the seven Trappist monasteries that brew beer, Belgium has the largest collection of breweries in Europe outside of The U.K., France and Germany with around 125.
Belgium's long history with brewing has created some of the most refined beer and styles on the planet including Lambic, Saison, Dubbel, Tripple, Quadruple, Blonde, Wheat, Belgian Pale Strong and todays style of choice, Belgian Strong Dark Ale.
Belgian Strong Dark Ale is a most closely related to the Belgian Dark Ale, obviously. Richer malt, higher abv, ect. Bigger in every department.

Brewery:
Brouwerij Van Steenberge N.V.
Lindenlaan 25 - B-9940 Ertvelde, Belgium
http://www.vansteenberge.com/

Name/Style:
Gulden Draak Dark Triple/Belgian Strong Dark Ale

ABV(alcohol by volume)

10%

Now, right off the bat some of you might have said to yourself, "It says Dark Triple in name. Why is this guy calling Gulden Draak a Belgian Strong Dark Ale?" The reason is simply that it does not technically fit the description of a Triple. They range from pale yellow to a sort of burnt orange. They tend to be sweet, but also have a lighter body all while keeping a high alcohol content. Belgian Strong Dark Ales tend to be sweet, have a thicker body and are dark with high alcohol content. Just like Gulden Draak. Hence, I am calling Gulden Draak a Belgian Strong Dark Ale.

The brewery website also calls Gulden Draak a "Barley Wine". But enough nit picking about styles. Let's talk presentation! 

Gulden Draak is a beauty of a beer. When poured into a tulip is produces a thick, chewy dome of head the color of butter pecan ice cream. The beer itself is a hazy dark brown bordering on raisin. The aroma is uncomplicated. Big on the alcohol, sweet malt and red grape. 

For an ale that has such a simple aroma Gulden Draak has quite a complex taste. The Spice and sweet malts blaze up front along with the grape presence. Grape is not too common a quality in brew, but it is delicious in this one. Toffee and yeast notes make themselves known along with a menagerie of subtleties that are hard to describe. There is a lot going on in here. I know there is a lot of alcohol, but other than a faint peppery spice it makes its appearance only in the warming sensation it gives me. Rich, smooth mouth-feel. Thick and almost slimy, but not going to far with it. Looooooong finish that is a pleasantly sweet and a touch herb-like. 

Musical Pairing:

Artist:

Gojira

Song:

Where Dragons Dwell

Album:

From Mars to Sirius


Gojira are a (believe it or not) totally awesome French metal band. I know, I know. A good French metal band?! These dudes write some seriously thick, heavy tunes, though. Some of the mid and late 2000's best metal riffs came off their albums From Mars to Sirius and The Way of All Flesh.

Bad Business 101

Today in BrewSounds I want to talk about honesty.

Honesty is of utmost importance in any relationship. It's the glue that keeps us together. It's transparency allows us to see each other for who we really are. 

What we like and don't like. What we loathe and what we love.  

 This applies whether we are talking about work or family. 

Friends or a mere acquittance. For some this takes longer to learn than others. I, for one, have been on both sides of dishonesty and can tell you, truthfully, both sides suck. It is the side that creates the dishonesty, though, that does the damage. Ruins marriages, breaks up families, tarnishes reputations and puts the "bad" in "bad business" like no other.

But, it's not just about being honest to others.

We must be honest with ourselves. We need to have a realistic and honest knowledge of our strengths.

And of our weaknesses.

Knowledge of ones own weaknesses can be used towards bettering oneself. Or it can be used to create a mask. To create a false impression. To make oneself appear bigger and better.

We all must avoid this for it is a trap. 
Each time we lie a bar is created. And with enough lies and enough time we are surely and inevitably surrounded by these bars. Trapped within them, sometimes to never escape.

Be honest with yourself. Be honest with the ones you love. Be honest with the ones you work with and for. And if you are a brewery don't ever, ever, ever be dishonest with craft brew people. We will see through your mask. We will know you for what you are. And we will talk about you, in a very honest fashion, with our friends and our family.

Brewery:

Fort Collins Brewery

Fort Collins, Colorado

www.fortcollinsbrewery.com/

Name/Style:

Double Chocolate Stout/American Double/Imperial Stout

ABV(alcohol by volume):

8.1%

This was my first Fort Collins Brewing beer I've ever tried and as I told the woman at the store, I was excited to try it. I love a good Stout as much as the next guy, but I am crazy for a good American Double Stout. The usual characteristics of an American Double Stout are similar to a Russian Imperial Stout, but taken to the typical American craft beer extreme. Big roasted malt profile, many brewed with chocolate or coffee, high alcohol content, large hop bite, full bodied with rich textures and a sweetness that remains as an aftertaste. Some are also aged in whiskey or bourbon barrels to make them even smoother.

FCB's Double Chocolate Stout states on the label, "Roasted malt, rich chocolate overtones, coffee undertones and impeccable balance."

Not quite.

I believe what they meant to say was huge coffee overtones with a hint of chocolate that actually mostly serves to make the bitterness from the hops, roasted malt and coffee even stronger. This bitterness goes looooong into the finish, which ends up dry. The body is too thin for the style, partly due to overcarbonation. The only part of this beer that really is characteristic of the American Double Stout style is the appearance. Opaque, dark brown with 1 finger of light tan colored head. Remember what I said earlier about masks and appearance? This is, to me, an example of a brewery trying to make their product look bigger and better than it truly is. FCB calls this one time release their "Most decadent creation." 

"Decadent" is a bit of a stretch. "Deceitful" is more like it.

Now, please understand that after all this ranting this beer is not a bad beer. It is a decent bitter Stout with emphasis on the coffee, but to call this a Double Chocolate Stout is just ridiculous. Anyone who likes and knows anything about a big, thick, awesome American Double would agree. Stout, yes. Coffee Stout, sure. American Double Stout with chocolate overtones and impeccable balance, no way.

I will be trying FCB's other beers in the future, but I will certainly hesitate to purchase next I see a Fort Collins brew. 

Musical Pairings:

What more is their to say.

Artist:

Queen

Song:

Liar

Album:

Queen

Artist:
Bikini Kill
Song:
Liar
Album:
CD Version Of The First Two Records

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".

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. 

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