Archive for December, 2007

GRANDE, NON FAT, NO WHIP STOUT, PLEASE.

Published by Josh on December 30, 2007 in Beer Reviews. 1 Comment

Coffee and beer. Two of my favorite beverages. Combine them, and I’m in heaven. That’s exactly what those west coast hipsters over at Lagunitas did with their Cappuccino Stout.

I was at The Whip In a few weeks ago getting stocked up on Doppelbocks for January’s edition of The Session, and saw what appeared to be a very interesting new brew from Lagunitas. My instincts were spot on. Also on the heels of my own recent coffee beer brewing experiment, a coffee porter, I was feeling it.

Pours the color of motor oil, with a creamy tan head. The aroma is exactly what you’d expect. Roasted malts and espresso, all day long. The taste is the same, with a couple more layers. There are nice chocolate notes behind the bitterness of coffee, and layers of citrus and floral hops behind that. I’m sure it took every bit of restraint for these hopheads to keep the IBU’s lower than most of their brews, but it’s still there in a very balanced fashion.

In the mouth this beer has a creaminess that you’d expect from a cappuccino and light carbonation. I’m barely aware of the 8% at all. I could kill an entire afternoon sipping this on the patio.

The crowds over at Beer Advocate weren’t quite as supportive of this one as I am, giving it a solid B. I would give it an A- for sure. I love the balance of rich, roasted coffee, toasted malts and West Coast hops. There’s a nice smokiness that really brings the essence of coffee and beer together as one.

As an interesting sidenote, the beer porn above was taken on my back patio on one of these lovely 72 degree December afternoons we’ve had in Austin. On Christmas eve, we noticed a new resident on our patio, I call him Chuck the Christmas Owl.

APPLES TO APPLES

Published by Josh on December 27, 2007 in Beer Reviews and Pairing Beer with Food. 0 Comments

Well, I thought I better pull myself out of the holiday stupor and update the blog. I started a new tradition this year which was a Christmas breakfast consisting of crepes and latkes. I’ve always really liked eating crepes, but hadn’t tried making them before. It has also come to light in recent years that I might be about 25 percent Jewish, so I thought I’d embrace that heritage in a culinary fashion. I think we’ve got the start to a nice tradition. I made two fillings for the crepes, caramelized apples and a strawberry cream. The latkes were your basic shredded potatoes and onions, seasoned with salt, pepper and slivers of chives.

The following day at work, I wasn’t feeling much like working. I needed to figure out how to use the rest of the caramelized apples, and then it came to me. I had a bottle of Unibroue’s Ephemere that a guest brought to our last dinner party. I’d been saving it for a special occasion. What better occasion than having a bowl of apples sautéed in butter with cinnamon and brown sugar?

And just like that, we had one kick ass dessert. Caramelized apple crostinis next to Unibroue’s wit beer brewed with apple must. I topped the crostinis with a modest schmear of Monte Enebro cheese, followed by the apples.

The beer was a very nice change to the dark wintery brews I’ve been consuming. Not that I don’t like them, but it’s always nice to change things up. This beer is a Belgian style white ale, brewed with an apple must. As soon as you pop the cork, it’s like you got a smack upside the head from Granny Smith. The apple aroma is incredible and is enough to make your mouth water in anticipation. It pours a pale straw color, with a pure white head that dissipates quickly, leaving a thin ring around the top of the glass.

The first sip starts out with the taste of sweet, freshly pressed apple juice and finishes with the pleasant zing of spices. It’s very dry, and the carbonation level is way above average, not unlike champagne. The balance of fruit and spice is nearly perfect. Just enough sweet to balance out the tartness and to set the stage for the tickle of pie spices. The taste of green apple coats the tongue and seems to linger forever. I also pick up the flavor of yeast in a way that only a Belgian style beer could showcase. I say Belgian “style” because Unibroue actually comes from Canada, but their hearts are definitely closer to Brussels.

This is certainly a beer that I would consider above average. I’m not sure it would make a great session beer though, even with it’s moderate 5.5% abv. However, paired with some creamy white cheese and a fruity desert, I’m quite confident you’ll have dreams of sugar plums dancing in your head.

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.