Author Archive for Josh

WWJD?

Published by Josh on December 20, 2007 in Beer Reviews. 0 Comments

When he wasn’t busy turning water into wine, I like to think Jesus would have been a beer drinker. Hell, with that long hair and Birkenstocks, I’m willing to bet he enjoyed the occasional bong rip too.

At about the same time that barley was first being used to make beer, and grapes to make wine, it has been discovered that some heady dudes in Northern China were making some righteous nectar of their own. This discovery led Molecular Archeologist Dr. Patrick McGovern of the University of PA and the boys over at Dogfish Head to team up and try to recreate this curious beverage. That’s right, he’s a Molecular Archeologist.

Let me just say that I was very much in love with Dogfish Head before I had the pleasure of purchasing their Chateau Jiahu. Now that I’ve had the honor, as my wife would say when she sees the likes of Denzel Washington or Johnny Depp, I wish I could have ten thousand of their babies.

I mean, look at the label on this fucker…

Tell me that ain’t the sexiest beer label you ever did see. Labels aside, this is one complex and fascinating brew. To quote the horse’s mouth, Sam and the gang over at DFH have this to say about the concoction:

In keeping with historic evidence, Dogfish brewers used pre-gelatinized rice flakes, Wildflower honey, Muscat grapes, barley malt, hawthorn fruit, and Chrysanthemum flowers. The rice and barley malt were added together to make the mash for starch conversion and degredation. The resulting sweet wort was then run into the kettle. The honey, grapes, Hawthorn fruit, and Chrysanthemum flowers were then added. The entire mixture was boiled for 45 minutes, then cooled. The resulting sweet liquid was pitched with a fresh culture of Sake yeast and allowed to ferment a month before the transfer into a chilled secondary tank.

Come on, how cool is that?!

I’m always a little skeptical of “beers” like this. I always fear that they’re going to try to be too far out there and have no real substance. That was not the case here. This thing has a whole lot going on palate-wise. From the 750 ml bottle to the wine glass, this brew looks like and smells of honey. It’s a hazy yellow with orange hues and a modest white head. It smells of fruit, flowers, honey and a touch of spice.

In the mouth, it’s almost like a wine, perhaps a riesling? Fruity flavors of apricot, melon and grapes. It also oozes honey. Despite the lack of hops, there is a slight bitterness to balance out the sweet. It is my opinion that they used the Chrysanthemum flowers for bittering in place of the hops. I wouldn’t know for sure as I’ve never actually tasted Chrysanthemum flowers by themselves, it’s just a hunch.

To say I was impressed with this beverage would be an understatement. I’m impressed on many levels. It’s very pleasant to drink, but it’s also incredibly cool that the brewery put so much research into creating something that nobody has for thousands of years. I hate to be that guy that buys a bottle for it’s label, but I can’t hide my attraction to this label that Tara McPherson designed for them. She also designed the label for their Fort brew, which I just managed to score three bottles of as well! Yay me!

So, fellow beer lovers, as we prepare to celebrate the birth of lil’ baby Jesus, I ask you to ponder this question. What would Jesus drink? I’m willing to bet he’d dig on some Chateau Jiahu. I’m betting you will too. If you can find it, I encourage you to run out now and round up as many as you can. They won’t be around long. If you’re lucky enough to grab some, round up a couple of your closest friends to enjoy it with. This is a very special brew.

PERFECT PAELLA

Published by Josh on December 18, 2007 in Recipes. 0 Comments

In an attempt to keep the buzz from our trip to Barcelona going, and the monotony of the day-to-day at bay, I decided to christen one of the two paella pans that I proudly returned home with. This is a dish that has deep roots for Mrs. Kegs and Kitchen. Her grandma used to make a version of her own that will make Lady J’s eyes roll back in her head at the mere mention of it. I had stiff competition to say the least.

I’d done my research. I’d even seen the real deal come out of the kitchen at the birthplace of paella. I clocked many hours studying the site of Sarah Jay, the apparent Queen of Paella. She laid it all out for me. This was how one is supposed to make paella, all I had to do was take notes and duplicate.

I went with the traditional seafood version. In reality, a paella can be whatever the hell you want it to be. There are several more common versions among those lucky enough to have originated from Spain. The most traditional is the seafood version which starts with the rice and saffron mixture that all of them do, and then brings it with the shrimp, mussels and scallops. I wanted to keep it real, so this was the direction that I chose.

At first glance, the recipe is a little intimidating, but in the end this dish was a snap. Here’s what’s in it:

  • 1/3 lb. shrimp, peeled
  • Pinch of saffron threads
  • Salt to taste
  • 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1/3 lb. scallops (or calamari, cut in rings)
  • 1/2 onion, grated on the largest holes of a box grater
  • 6 garlic cloves, peeled
  • 1 ripe tomato, halved and grated on the largest holes of a box grater (discard the skin)
  • 1 1/2 cups medium grain rice
  • 8 small mussels or clams (1/2 lb.), scrubbed
  • 1 lemon, cut in wedges for garnish
  • 3 1/2 cups of either fish or chicken stock

    • First thing to do is to cook the skrimps and scallops in the pan, with some olive oil, over medium heat. Once they’re done (only about 2 minutes) put them aside.

    Now you need to make your sofrito. You need about a tablespoon of oil over medium heat. Add your garlic and onions and cook for a minute or two. Then add your tomato and a pinch of salt and continue cooking this mixture down until you have a darker, thicker version, about 10-15 minutes. This is sofrito.

    Bring your stock up to a simmer and toast your saffron in a dry pan or toaster oven, until it turns a dark red. After they’re toasted, crush the saffron threads in a small bowl using the back of a spoon. Add this powder to your broth and stir.

    Now add your rice to the sofrito mixture, still over medium heat. You want to cook it until it starts to turn transparent (a couple of minutes). At this point you can crank up the heat and add your broth. Stir or shake the pan to get a level bed of rice. Once it starts to boil, add your mussels. Take care to place them in a presentable pattern as you will not stir the dish again, and this dish is all about the presentation and the WOWS! that are sure to follow.

    Bring the heat back down to about medium high and continue cooking until you start to see the rice appear above the liquid line. Lower the heat again to medium low and continue to cook until all of the liquid has been absorbed. Taste a piece of rice to make sure it’s al dente. If not, add a little more liquid and keep cookin’

    Add your shrimp and scallops right on top of the rice and cover the pan with foil. Continue cooking for a couple more minutes. Then crank the heat up again to start browning the bottom layer. You want the rice on the bottom of the pan to start to caramelize, this is called socarrat. The sign of a perfect paella is a nice layer of socarrat on the bottom of the pan. Many say that this is the best part.

    Take the pan off of the heat, leave it covered for about 5 minutes and place it on the table. The paella continues to cook slightly during this resting period, it’s important, don’t skip it, Skippy.

    With everyone’s attention, remove the foil, garnish with lemon wedges and stand back to watch the reaction. In Spain, most families would eat it right out of the pan. This is intended to be a dish that you quite literally share with the rest of the table. That’s part of what I love about it, a meal that really brings everyone together.

    So, gather up the ones you love and give this dish a shot. It’s a great intro to the cuisine of Spain, and the concept of communal eating.

    Enjoy!

    WEEKEND REPORT

    Published by Josh on December 15, 2007 in Uncategorized. 1 Comment

    There’s been a flurry of activity at Kegs and Kitchen headquarters. Instead of a bunch of small posts, I thought I’d combine some.

    First, Friday night, Lefty and I staged “The Battle of the Belgians” at his house. It was a steel cage fight to the death that left only the Rare Vos from Ommegang standing.

    It was a painful, bloody match for all involved. Chairs were thrown. There were several cheap shots square in the nuts, and at least one man left on a stretcher. But it was both an educational and exciting match to witness. Those Belgians are fucking crazy.

    Saturday brought much time in the kitchen. First up was crab cakes for the lady. They were super easy, and she seemed to enjoy them quite a bit. Crab meat, diced shallots, roasted red pepper, bread crumbs, fresh thyme, a tablespoon of mustard, splash of white wine and an egg. Booyah.

    I followed the cakes up with a first time ever dish. I had to put my recent bounty from The Johnson’s Backyard Garden to use. I had some eggplant and thought of either baba ganoush or eggplant parm. I wish I’d gone with the ganoush. I hadn’t had eggplant parmesan since I was very young when I decided that I really didn’t care for it. Turns out it’s still far from my favorite dish. I just cut the eggplant into 1/4 inch slices, breaded and pan fried them and then layered them with a basic marinara sauce, parmigiano-reggiano and mozzarella in two layers.

    Then I baked it covered with foil for 30 minutes, and without for another 15 at 350 degrees. We had it with a glass of Clayhouse Adobe Red, which was quite good. The eggplant dish wasn’t bad either, I think it really just isn’t my thing.

    And the top story of the report this weekend, Kegs and Kitchen was linked to for that Broccoli Cheddah Soup post a couple of weeks ago. It seems Eli in Indiana paired my soup with venison backstrap. Most interestingly, he used his own homebrewed steam beer in the soup. High five Eli!

    FROM THE CELLAR: FULLER’S VINTAGE ALE 2007

    Published by Josh on December 12, 2007 in Beer Reviews and From the Cellar. 3 Comments

    Welcome to the first installment of the new series, From the Cellar, where I talk about a very special bottle that I’ve got stashed away in a dark closet, otherwise known as my cellar. As much as I wish I did, I don’t have a real cellar. I live in Texas. I could build one yes, but I prefer my lightproof cardboard box with dividers, in the innermost closet of our house. It’s not ideal, but it does the trick.

    If you’ve never heard of cellaring beer, you’re not alone. When most people think of a cellar, they immediately think of wine. Cellaring beer is starting to become more common though. Vertical tastings, where one tastes several versions of a specific beer, from different consecutive years are starting to pop up at some bottle shops and on the blogs of other beer geeks. Here in Austin, one of my favorite local shops The Whip In has a beer cellar with some real treats from years gone by, stashed away awaiting their triumphant return. Their list is much more impressive than mine, but I’m working hard to assemble an equally extensive museum de beer.

    Right now, I’ve got four bottles each of about five different beers that should do pretty well with some aging. Three of those five are from my favorite brewery of all time, Dogfish Head. They seem to brew quite a few beers that benefit from a few years in a cool, dark environment.

    I was recently on the hunt for a new one to add to the collection. My wife was on her way to Spec’s for some wine and I asked her to pick up a few bottles of the Fuller’s Vintage that had just been released. I figured they would know exactly what she was looking for, and that they would have it. They didn’t.

    I went a day or two later to confirm, and to talk to Steven, the beer dude that’s always there, about getting it for me. I was pretty surprised when he didn’t even know what I was talking about. He called his distributor though and found out that they would be getting some in. Now I have four of those sturdy mahogany boxes in my closet waiting to see what a few years of maturity might do for them.

    I couldn’t resist trying one though, so I got an extra. I want to have a point of reference for where each beer began to compare it to over the years. This post will serve as that reference. It will also be fairly short and sweet compared to other beer reviews as this isn’t really when this beer is meant to be consumed and it would be unfair to judge it right now.

    Bottle #119614- Pours a deep copper color, with orange hues. The head is tan and creamy. Reeks of malts. The aroma also reminds me of freshly tilled earth, from the yeast left in the bottle. This malt bomb is thick and oily, bitter and boozy and will most likely be delicious in a couple of years. Right now though, it’s just too much. I can’t wait to try this one again over the coming years. I expect it to mellow out quite a bit and to give those sweet malts their spot at center stage. The British hops should be much more subdued and the alcohol a little more hidden. See you next year ‘07 Fullers!

    So, the next time you’re out shopping for some new brews to try, consider getting something that you can age. If you have a beer lover in your life, this would make a great gift. Get a few bottles of something special and they can think of you each year they open the cellar to check in on it.

    The criteria for a good candidate for aging are fairly simple. Not all beers will benefit from years in the cellar though. Barleywines, Imperial Stouts, Old Ales, Belgian strong ales, these would do well. IPA’s, not so much, as their hop flavor will start to diminish almost immediately and could be gone in as little as a year. One exception to that theory that I have in my cellar is Dogfish Head’s 120 Minute IPA. At 20% abv this beer is begging to be sent to time-out. Also, with the amount of hops they used in brewing and dry hopping, it’s unlikely that it will ever be unnoticeable.

    Any beer that says it’s “bottle conditioned” would probably be a good candidate for cellaring too. This means that they’ve left yeast in the bottle which will continue to change the profile of the beer for many years to come.

    The only hard part about cellaring is the patience. Knowing that you’ve got these special brews patiently waiting for you to bring them out can be a real test of your will. The rewards should be worthwhile though. Just think of it like that old friend from college that you only talk to once or twice a year, but when you do it’s like the world stands still for the two of you to get caught up on each other’s lives. It will be so much more enjoyable if you delay that gratification, and let that beer rest. It will thank you for it.

    NAUGHTY OR NICE?

    Published by Josh on December 7, 2007 in Beer Reviews and The Session. 4 Comments

    My first Beer Blogging Friday. I just started this blog a few weeks ago, but when I learned about The Session last week I knew I had to do it. What a cool concept, and what an opportunity to throw myself out there in the mix. Thanks to fellow Texan beer blogger Ted Duchesne of Barley Vine for hosting it this month.

    Enough with the niceties.

    The theme, Winter seasonals. While I don’t really care for Winter, I do like seasonals. I can do this. But, what will I write about? Just get some beers and figure it out later. Another pleasant shopping experience at Spec’s later, I came home with Santa’s Private Reserve from Rogue and Lump of Coal from Ridgeway Brewing in the UK.

    With the introductions out of the way, let’s check the list and see who was naughty, and who was nice…

    First up, Santa’s Private Reserve. According to Rogue’s website:

    “Rogue’s annual holiday offering, Santa’s Private Reserve, is a variation of the classic Saint Rogue Red, but with double the hops–including Chinook, and Centennial, and a mystery hop called Rudolph by head brewer John “more hops” Maier!”

    Apparently, it also uses John’s proprietary top-fermenting Pacman yeast which was all the rage a year ago in the homebrewing community when they finally released it to the masses. I don’t know what all they did to this thing, but I loved it.

    Pours a deep rust colored red, and forms a nice thick off white head. Smells sweet, like butterscotch candy and caramel. I also pick up on the floral hop aroma first, followed by the piney type… like a Christmas tree.

    This beer tastes almost exactly like it smells. First sweet, I get brown sugar. Then some dried fruit, raisins and such. Then come the hops. Nice citrus and melon tastes from the hops up front, then the fresh pine needles on the finish. Upon further inspection, I think I taste some cinnamon in the background.

    In the mouth, it’s crisp, but also a little thick and chewy. Carbonation was perfect. This beer is like no other Red I’ve ever had. Highly recommended, especially to the hopheads who might want to try something new this season. I think I’ll pick up a few more of these to fight off this frigid Texas winter.

    That brings us to the other part of review, the Lump of Coal. Let me just say I’d be super pissed if I got this in my stocking.

    It seemed gimmicky on the shelf, but I wanted something that I figured nobody else would be reviewing. I’m betting I found it. From the description on the bottle.

    “Looking forward to a depressing holiday? Here is liquid consolation. This 8% bittersweet chocolate stout is the best you could hope for in these dark times. Actually, come to think of it, considering how bad you’ve been, this little coal-black gem is more than you deserve for Christmas this year.”

    You better make a damn good beer if you’re gonna talk to me that way! While this wasn’t a bad beer, nothing about it, other than the higher than average ABV, said Winter seasonal to me. In fact, it was a rather average stout, in my opinion.

    Dark as coal with a “blink and it’s gone” head, this one looked rather blah from the get-go. Don’t get too close when you take a whiff. You might burn your nose hairs with the boozy aroma. I smell some yeast and chocolaty malts too.

    Sweet, roasted malts appear first in the taste. Then I get a traces of vanilla, molasses and toffee. It’s hard to get beyond the astringent bite of alcohol though. It’s almost like they were just trying to get this thing to 8% with no regard for how it would affect the taste. Very unbalanced in the mouth. This beer also suffers from a lack of carbonation and feels very watery going down. No need to check my list twice, this one is only getting some of itself this holiday season.

    This was a fun assignment. In total, I brought five winter seasonals home to try. I wanted to see what would inspire me to write something. Now that I’ve been through it, I think I’ve developed a new appreciation for this style. Done right, they really do make you want to curl up by the fire to read a good book or reflect on the year’s events.

    Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to grab that other bottle of Santa’s Reserve and dream of a white Christmas in Austin. Hey, a guy can dream can’t he?

    WHAT THE HELL IS VEGGIE QUE???

    Published by Josh on December 5, 2007 in Restaurant/Bar Reviews. 3 Comments

    The list of things that I love about Austin is nearly endless. Somewhere near the top of the list though is how easy this city makes it to be a vegetarian. Perfect example. New barbeque restaurant opens. I check it out for several reasons, one of which is that they’re also brewing their own beer and the other is that lots of people in my life appreciate good que.

    The place is getting quite a bit of attention, so I pull up their fancy new website to check the menu. As I read through the various types of smoked meats available, I notice something I’ve never heard of. Veggie Que? We need to check this place out.

    First let’s talk about the beer. I found out about Uncle Billy’s Brew & Que from an email from the Austin Zealots group of homebrewers. Turns out part of the reason for all of the hype surrounding this new restaurant from the founders of Austin Java, is that they managed to secure local celebrity brewmaster Brian Peters to man the kettles. Brian developed quite a cult following due to his involvement with The Bitter End and Live Oak Brewing. This was a smart move to bring him on board, as great beer can make up for average food. I was greeted by the bartender and informed him that I was there to try their sampler. Here’s the lineup.

    From left to right we have the Back 40 Blonde Ale, Haystack Hefeweisen, Uncle Billy’s Organic Amber, Ax Handle Pale Ale, Uncle Billy’s IPA and the seasonal Black Sabbath.

    Back 40: Blegh! Tastes like I’m out in the back 40 right now, chowin’ on same hay. Granted, this is not one of my favorite styles, but I’m not crazy about this version, at all. Very dry and little going on the flavor or aroma departments. Won’t be ordering this one again.

    Haystack Hefeweisen: Now we’re talkin’. This is a one of my favorite styles, and I approve of this attempt. Plenty of banana and clove in the nose and the mouth. Also, an interesting subtle flavor of bubble gum on the finish, must be their yeast? Very interesting hefe and I see myself drinking more of these once it gets hot again.

    Organic Amber: In the glass this beer looks just like Fat Tire. The taste is much more robust. Very nutty, nice malty finish. Nice creamy feel in the mouth, goes down easy.

    Ax Handle PA: Is this a Sierra Nevada PA clone? Starting with the nose and traveling over the palate this beer screams Cascade hops. Citrusy start, evergreen finish with plenty of sweet malts to balance it out. Not an original beer, but quite good for sure.

    IPA: Pretty standard American IPA. Menu says they used Simcoe and Ahtanum hops both in the boil and for dry hopping. Pleasant mix of big malts, followed by the bitter bite of hops. Nothing to write home about, but it’ll cure your hankerin’ for an IPA, as it did this night.

    Black Sabbath seasonal: Whoa! There’s that bubble gum flavor again! I’m betting they used the same yeast for this one that they did for the hefe. Beautiful black color, creamy brown head. Earthy yeast aroma. Smoky malt flavor with coffee and chocolate undertones. Slight hop presence way in the background. This was the star of the evening for sure. This is what I wish Shiner’s black beer tasted like.

    Just as I finished the sampler, Lady J arrived to join me for dinner. After being seated at a table, I scan the menu for the mysterious veggie que, check. It says I can get it as a sandwich, I like sandwiches, we’ll go with that. Our friendly server arrives to take our order and promptly informs me that they’re “out of veggie que”. I give him a blank stare as if to say “what do you mean? That’s the only reason this vegetarian came to this here bbq joint.” After some prodding we get him to admit that actually, the veggie que has been removed from the menu due to lack of interest. Shocker. Not the end of the world, there are plenty of homestyle sides to combine as a meal. I create a plate o’ starch out of mashed potatoes and mac n cheese, with a salad on the side. My wife ordered the baby back ribs.

    The ribs looked pretty standard, not falling off the bone, but she says they were pretty good. My taters were pretty heavy on the salt, but still edible. The mac and cheese appeared to be made with “cheese product” rather than the real thing, and they had some nice crispy breadcrumbs that seemed to be used as a garnish rather than having been baked with the noodles. The salad was a salad, nothing fancy, but what one would expect at such an establishment.

    All in all, this was a pleasant experience. The atmosphere was good with that rustic, chic barnyard feel to it. Servers were all very friendly and attentive. Most of the beers were above average, with one that was a touch under perfect. While the food was pretty meh, I have a tip for those wanting to check this place out. Go during happy hour and order some beers. Then mosey on over to the steaming chaffing dishes on the side of the bar and fix yourself some free soft tacos with brisket or chicken to soak up the brews. You’ll be glad you did.

    BROCCOLI CHEDDAH (& DIPA) SOUP

    Published by Josh on November 30, 2007 in Recipes. 5 Comments

    Wednesday, 6:15 pm. I get home from work and immediately start doing a mental inventory of what all I’ve got stashed away in the kegerator. It didn’t take me long to decide on the Breckenridge Brewery 471 Small Batch double hopped IPA. I poured it in a glass, as I do. Then I started in on it. It was a damn fine beer, which I’ll probably have to review some other time. I’m not reviewing the beer right now because what followed my drinking about half of the bomber is much more interesting at the moment.

    As much as I was enjoying the beer, I needed to come up with a plan for dinner STAT. Just like that, it came to me. “I need to enjoy the second half of this beverage with some sort of cheese… and it’s a little chilly out. I’m thinking I need to make broccoli cheddar soup… with beer in it! ” It was the greatest idea I’d had in some time, I could feel it.

    Fast forward 23 minutes later, ingredients in hand…

    pre-soup

    1/4 cup of butter
    1 lb block of cheddar
    2 lbs of broccoli
    1 medium yellow onion
    1/2 cup of flour
    1 1/2 cups of milk
    1 quart of vegetable broth
    3 cloves of garlic
    salt and pepper to taste
    and about three fingers up on my pint glass of the DIPA mentioned previously

    1. Dice the onion and garlic and cook them together in the butter, on medium heat, for about 5 minutes.

    2. Add broccoli to heat and cover for another 5.

    3. Add broth and beer, turn heat up to high and cover until boiling.

    4. Combine milk and flour in a bowl and mix well.

    5. Slowly whisk the milk/flour mixture into the boiling pot and lower heat to med-high.

    6. Slowly add grated cheddar to pot, stirring continuously.

    7. Once cheese is melted add salt and pepper, stir well, lower heat again and cover. Let simmer for as long as you can stand it. Serve with some nice crusty bread.

    Sorry Jim, you still rock.

    Published by Josh on November 29, 2007 in Beer News. 2 Comments

     

    Call it karma or whatever but I was feeling a little guilty for giving ol’ Jim Koch a hard time for that Imperial Pilsner he got $10 from me for. The day I posted that review, I saw an interesting article on Beer Advocate regarding Jim and his Longshot Homebrew Contest.

    For those that aren’t familiar, Sam Adams puts on a contest for homebrewers around the nation to submit a sample of their best brew with the possibility of having it brewed professionally and distributed nationally. How cool is that?

    Well, it seems that this year there was a bit of controversy surrounding the contest. Apparently the beer that was selected as the winner was a double IPA brewed by Mike McDole. It was announced that he was the winner and plans were started to make his beer. There was just one problem, the world wide hop shortage that we’ve been hearing so much about. It was determined that the brewery would not be able to duplicate Mike’s recipe because they simply couldn’t get all of the hop varieties that he used. So, in the end it was left up to Mike whether or not he wanted them to substitute the unavailable hops with other types, undoubtedly changing the profile of his prized beer. Mike made what I think was the right decision and requested that they hold off on brewing his recipe until they could do it exactly as he intended.

    The folks at Sam Adams received a shitstorm of complaints from beer lovers everywhere, which prompted Jim Koch to draft a reply to Todd Alstrom of Beer Advocate where the controversy began. Here is a copy of his reply which I think was incredibly classy:

    Todd -As you know from helping me with the LongShot judging, Mike McDole won our Samuel Adams Homebrew Contest with a delicious and complex Double IPA. We planned to brew his beer for national distribution as part of our LongShot 2008 6-pack. Back in June when we picked this beer, we had no idea there would be a hop shortage of unprecedented dimensions. Most of the seven varieties of hops in Mike’s recipe are literally sold out. They were not available at any price. We had possible substitutes for the missing hops but they would have changed the taste of Mike’s beer. Since we don’t normally buy these hop varieties we didn’t have existing contracts with farmers in place. All of the hops dealers and farmers we’ve approached to try to secure the hops to brew Mike’s beer already had their allotments promised to other breweries. I reached out to Mike last week to alert him to the problem. I presented him a plan to brew his recipe substituting hops that we already have or can secure. Ultimately that would have been a different beer. We were willing to go ahead and make a version of Mike’s Double IPA. Since it was Mike’s beer, we left the final decision up to him as the brewer. And he made what I consider the right decision for a brewer to make. Neither Mike nor I wanted to compromise the beer. It’s just too good. Together we both decided to go to plan B. We are going to defer the introduction of Mike McDole’s Double IPA until next year when we can get the right hops. We have already started the hunt for hops from next season’s crop. As you’ll remember from the judging based on the sample brew that we tasted, this is a beer worth waiting for. Cheers!Jim Koch
    Founder & Brewer
    Samuel Adams / Boston Beer Company

    Nice work Jim. You did the right thing, and you rock for putting this contest together in the first place. Sorry for that comment about your panties!

    Please, support your local brewpub.

    Published by Josh on November 28, 2007 in PSA's and Restaurant/Bar Reviews. 6 Comments

    Draught House

    Still buzzed from an after-work trip to one of my favorite local pubs, I feel inspired to preach a little. Consider it a PSA. Deal with it.

    I’m just sayin’, without places like The Draught House in beautiful Austin, Tx… being a beer geek would be a much more reclusive hobby. If I could only find beers like Bear Republic’s Racer 5 or Stone’s IPA at my local beer store, I’d never leave the house. I love browsing the aisles of any of my favorite beer stores and then enjoying the fruits of my labor at home, in my own glassware, on my own couch. But there’s still something really special about throwing back a few craft brews at your local pub.

    Less than an hour ago, I enjoyed free pizza and the two beers mentioned above (on tap, mind you.) in what is arguably one of the coolest “neighborhood bars” in the country. When you pull into the parking lot at the Draught House, there will be people standing in the lot enjoying a beer discussing current events or the buggy javascript that they’re dealing with at their job (as was the topic next to me tonight). Inside, you may find free pizza, bratwurst or cheap house beers that they’ve made on site. There’s at least one dog, if not several, hanging out on the patio. Behind the bar is the best part though. There you’ll find 50 or so taps proudly displaying their respective brewery’s handle. This is one of the few times that I truly feel like that kid in the candy store. There are beers from everywhere from California all the way to Belgium. IPA’s, stouts, brown ales, seasonals, you name it.

    Let’s face it, most of the beer drinking population is perfectly happy drinking watered down piss. The likes of Anheuser Busch have taken everything that’s fun and good about beer and stripped it all away. With their gargantuan maketing budgets, their front row seats at every major American sporting event and their shiny models they’ve somehow convinced most of the people that consider themselves “beer drinkers” that their products are acceptable. I say it’s time we start telling people otherwise.

    Even tonight, at a place where you’d expect to find only craft beer drinkers I witnessed a couple of middle aged guys that came in and were immediately troubled by the selection behind the bar. They sort of looked at each other and then one of them sheepishly asks the friendly bartender “which one of these is going to be your lightest beer? We’d like two of them.” It was kinda like watching a couple of housewives shopping for a hammer drill. I could tell that they could see no reason why there would be so many damn choices up there. There’s supposed to be the token 2 or 3 name brands and their lighter counterparts along with that one tap of the dark stuff that only the aficionados drink. What in the holy hell could all of these other choices be?

    I wish that I’d just taken a minute to stop by their table and suggest a couple of choices. They looked like nice enough guys. They probably would have appreciated the advice and it probably would have made them feel a bit more confident about branching out and trying some new beers. It would have given them something to brag to their other buddies on the golf course about, that Bellhaven’s Scottish Ale they were drinking the other night.

    So, here’s my challenge to everyone, including myself. Let’s take every available opportunity to plant that seed and spark that curiosity in someone to explore the world of craft beers. I promise, you know at least one of these people right now. The ones who call themselves beer drinkers, but don’t like their beer to taste like beer. Take them under your wing and buy a few rounds at your favorite local brewpub. Or give the guy next door one of your homebrews and show him how easy it could be for him to make his favorite style of beer. You get the idea, let’s spread the word. We’ve got our work cut out for us. I mean, look at that hot chick in the magazine that’s going to like me if I’m carrying a six pack of Budweiser next time I’m at the beach.

    Samuel Adams Hallertau Imperial Pilsner Review

    Published by Josh on November 27, 2007 in Beer Reviews. 2 Comments

     

    Since when can a wimpy little pilsner don the Imperial title? After Jim Koch goes to Germany and returns with enough Hallertau hops to make 10 barrels of beer, but decides to just make one, I guess. It says it right there on the bottle “An intense hop experience.” It’s not like they didn’t warn you.

    I’d been eyeing this four pack in the cooler of my local beer slinger for a couple of weeks, and the curiosity was killing me. I always make it a point to try any new offering that comes from the fine folks at Sam Adams. Sometimes it’s a hit, as was the case with their Honey Porter, and other times it’s a flop… Cherry Wheat anyone? But they’re always exciting to try. Something just didn’t seem right to me about this one. Don’t get me wrong, I like Imperial Anything, so that wasn’t the part of the name that bothered me. Anytime a brewer decides they’re going to double the alcohol and/or hop volume, I’ll take two please.

    It was the second half of the name, that pesky pilsner, that just didn’t sit well with me. How could such a drab style with it’s bottom fermenting yeast and it’s crisp, clean finish, try to call itself Imperial? If you’re going to call yourself an Imperial, you better jump out of that bottle and bitch slap me into a hoppy booze induced stupor.  It also helps to start out with a bold style to hide all of that fury from your unsuspecting audience until the very last second, and then WHAM!

    Like Britney Spears exiting Paris Hilton’s Mercedes, everything is right out in the open for all to see when it comes to pilsners. There’s no sweet, malty backbone to use as a disguise because that bottom feedin’ yeast done ate it all up. There are no floral notes because noble hops don’t smell like flowers, damn it. It is what it is, and it ain’t Imperial y’all. </end Britney Spears impersonation>

    In the glass, the Impy pilsner is the color of hay at dusk. Gold, with orange and red highlights. The head is full and strong, imperial, if you will.

    The aroma is over-the-top hops. Most of the hop aroma is of the grassy variety, followed by fresh pine needles. If you really hunker down and get a good whiff, you’ll pick up spices too, followed by more hops. Huff it once more and you’ll get very subtle biscuit notes, like that of a graham cracker. There are many layers to this scent. It leads me to believe the same will be true of it’s flavor.

    As soon as it hits my lips I feel the resinous presence of Hallertau. It washes over my tongue and seems to fill every crack and crevice with it’s syrupy hop blast. Bitter, bitter, bitter. Where’s the malt??? I need some grain to balance out the bite of these hops. It’s almost suffocating. Remember all of those smells I mentioned? Yeah, they’re nowhere to be found in the taste. It’s an all-out hop attack that seems to have killed the pilsner on it’s way out of the bottle.

    I have to say that I’m disappointed with this one. I really wanted to like it, but I had a feeling I wouldn’t. It’s just too one dimensional. If you’re going to go crazy with hops, which I encourage you to do, you’d better go crazy with the malt too. It also helps to use more than one hop variety, and let them mingle a bit. This was way too heavy on the Hallertau and horribly lacking in anything that resembles two row malts.

    Sorry Jim, but it’s back to the drawing boards on this one. Next time, maybe try an Imperial Stout.. and for the love of god put some panties on! Nobody wants to see that!