Blue Collar Beer Review #4: Sierra Nevada Estate Ale 2011

 

   Sierra Nevada, out of Chico, California is one of the most well known, respected Craft Brewers in the country.  Their beers aren't over-the-top crazy like Dogfish Head, or many others.  They never try too hard.  They make consistently delicious, amazingly crafted beers that are simple, but still interesting, and very approachable.  Many of their beers are prime examples of the given style.

   Sierra Nevada has also become one of the very few Estate ale producers.  Just like in wine, the ingredients for an Estate Ale are all grown on site.  For these special release beers, rather than sourcing barley and hops, Sierra Nevada grows their own organic hops and barley.

   Estate is a wet hopped American IPA.  Wet hopping a beer is done by harvesting the fresh hop cones, and using them in the beer within 24 hours without drying them.  This changes the hop bill for a given beer because the drying process brings out the alpha acids in a hop which give that delicious flavor and aroma we all love.  A wet hop beer contains many times more hops because the alpha acids are not as pronounced.

   Why do this? Well it gives a significantly different flavor profile for one thing (I'm sure it's good for marketing too).  This is the first Wet Hopped beer I've had, and it very quickly dispelled the notion I had that wet hopping was simply a gimmick.  The higher hop content, and the fact that Sierra Nevada's harvesting operation is done by hand by a rather small workforce, means a higher production cost for this beer.  However, I found the $10 price tag for a 22oz bomber to be very reasonable.

   Some people may scoff at that which brings up a question.  I saw a couple in the grocery store looking at beer and wine.  They balked at $5-$10 bottles of Belgian Lambics and other brews, then decided "Let's just get a bottle of wine."  The bottle they chose was around $20.  Why does beer still have such a low perceived value?  What's the difference between a 22oz bottle of finely crafted beer, and a well made bottle of wine that makes it worth so much more per ounce, or at least easier to swallow the cost?  Is this just a result of how deeply ingrained the ad campaigns of the Big Boys have become?  I also wonder if this is just an American thing, or if it's a world wide epidemic.  I've caught myself doing it from time to time, but I'm learning that in beer, as in many things, you get what you pay for.  The one exception I've had lately was Name Tag lager from Trader Joe's ($2.99/6pk cans).  That was honestly a very good, interesting beer.  I suppose this should be left for another post.

Sierra Nevada - Estate Homegrown Ale

American IPA, Organic - 22oz Bomber

6.7% ABV

Appearance: Deep amber, copper color with a thick yet light off white head.  Head is VERY vigorous, and resilient, pour gently.

Aroma: Much like unfermented wort after hop additions.  It's a particular smell that I've never found in a finished beer.  Slightly earthy, slightly citrus hop aroma, a clean green aroma.  A rich, sweet malt aroma follows.  You can really smell the grains themselves.  If you know what barley smells like prior to, during, and after boiling, that is the aroma exactly.

Mouthfeel: Medium to medium-full bodied, rather creamy and quite smooth.  Despite the very vigorous head, carbonation is just right.

Taste: Delicately bitter and citrusy hops come just a hair before the pronounced flavor of barley. Slightly more bitter on the finish.  As it warms, the hops and bitterness become more pronounced and while the overall palate is not very long, the bitterness lingers subtly.  The taste, like the aroma is earthy and very similar to unfermented wort.

Overall: Ahhh.  Never have I had a beer that tasted quite like this.  I know many people enjoy the taste of unfermented wort, I don't.  I don't dislike it, but don't particularly care for it enough to drink it.  However, this tastes much like unfermented wort: Sweet, malty, with just enough hoppiness and bitterness to cleanse the palate.  If my wort tasted more like this, I'd have a hard time getting it to the fermenter.

   All this talk of wet hops (hops which are picked and used in the boil within 24 hours, without drying), I figured it was all just a gimmick.  The difference in a finished beer is obvious.  I wouldn't say one is better than the other, but there is a significant difference.  I love the fact that this is an Estate ale, and is organic.  This is one of the most perfectly balanced beers I've ever had.  It's well worthy of the fancy packaging and the reasonable price.  I would buy this beer again, and would love to brew it myself.

Rude Boy Oatmeal Brown: Part 2

   Before I get started on the brief second half of this post I wanted to mention a couple points that I left out in the previous post.

   The first being, that with my larger fermentor, out of habit I added a bit too much top off water which put me at  6 gallons in the fermentor.  Not a problem, it simply lowered the gravity of the beer to 5.4% ABV.  Still far from a session beer so A okay.

   Also, be sure not to forget you've got a jet blast bottle washer attached to the faucet...

It feels nothing like this.

   My original gravity into the fermentor was 1.051 (due to the above mentioned dilution).  Usually, with a gravity above 1.040 it's best to make a yeast starter to make sure the yeast cells don't work themselves to death, literally.  However, the Wyeast Smack Pack is a starter in and of itself.  It produces enough healthy cells to handle anything up to 1.060 which is perfect for Rude Boy.  It was a little slower to get going than I'm used to with my usual yeast tubes from White Labs, but within 24 hours a healthy, thick, if mellow Kräusen (In this context: the thick foam, meringue-like head formed during the initial fermentation stage, pronounced KROY-sen) was formed.

   Within 7 days, the Kräusen had fallen or settled back into the beer and it was time to rack to secondary, and at this time a specific gravity reading was taken.  A very healthy fermentation had brought us down to 1.010 after primary fermentation, that's an apparent attenuation of 79.6%.  Pretty efficient Yeastie Beasties.

   Rude Boy sat in secondary fermentation/clearing/conditioning for 14 days, and then was bottled.  I had planned to put half of the batch into a Party Pig but was unable to find replacement gaskets for my other two nameless Pigs.  It's the first time I've actually bottled a full 5 gallons.  Usually one loses 1/2 a gallon to trub (fermentor sediment), and other amounts between transferring, and gravity testing unless a refractometer is used.

   It's been sitting in bottles for a week, with one more to go, and seems to be carbonating well.  One thing that seems a regular, minor issue in my brews is head formation/retention.  It's a common issue for many homebrewers, especially towards the begining.  However it is improving for me and is purely astetic so I'm not too worried.  Though I have to admit, since I put more work and effort into this brew than any of my others, as well as more time, 5 weeks total from grain to glass, I'd like it to be very good quality.

   The extra care and patience (knock on wood) seems to be paying off.  A preliminary tasting during bottling showed a strong, clean hop aroma as expected from the large 3.2oz Willamette flame out addition.  However the hop flavor plays a definite back seat to the sweet, though not cloying, malt with hints of coffee and chocolate playing through slightly.  It's still got some conditioning to do, but it's the first brew I've done that I actually enjoyed drinking before it was carbed.

     I can't wait to see how it opens up with two weeks in the bottle and some carbonation.  As it stands, it may be the first brew I repeat, regularly.  A Blue Collar review of Rude Boy will be posted next Monday (if I have the patience to wait that long!)  SWMBO even said it would be one she would sit and drink regularly.  High praise for a yet unfinished brew.

Rude Boy Oatmeal Brown Part 1

   I decided to make something a bit different on my most recent brew day, an Oatmeal Brown.  I'd been debating between a few different styles but then this came out of nowhere.  I've never seen, or until recently, heard of a commercial version of an Oatmeal Brown, so it sounded very intriguing.

   In this post I'll share my recipe, and my Brew Day.

Rude Boy Oatmeal Brown

(Mini Mash)

• 2lbs Aromatic Malt (Belgian) (26 SRM)
• 1lbs Pale 2 Row Malt (US, 2.0 SRM)
• 12 oz Medium Crystal Malt (Simpson's) (55 SRM)
• 10.1 oz Golden Naked Oats (Simpson's) (10 SRM)
• 12 oz Special B Malt (155 SRM)
• 4 oz Chocolate Malt (450 SRM)
• 2lbs Light DME (Briess) (4.0 SRM)
• 3lbs, 2.4 oz Golden Light LME (Briess) (4.0 SRM)
• .25 oz Willamette (First Wort - 60 min)
• .75 oz Columbus (Tomahawk) (Boil - 60 min)
• 3.2 oz Willamette (Flame out - 0 min)
• Wyeast 1335 British Ale II yeast

Estimated OG: 1.068, 25.9 IBU's

Not pictured: 1oz whole cone Willamette hops

   For this brew, due to the oats and some of the other grain bill contributors, an actual mash had to be done.  That being the case, I think it's much more appropriate to call this a 'mini-mash' rather than a partial mash.  A whole mash is done, it's just smaller.  This was actually my first real mash and having more space would definitely have been beneficial.  Two kettles make this very easy, and instead of purchasing/building a Mash/Lauter tun, I just used a large grain bag.  For this brew I chose a simple, single infusion mash.

Stir thoroughly to break up clumps and aid conversion.

   For the mash you'll want to strike with 7.72qt of water at 160-162 °F to bring the mash temp to around 152 °F.  It needs to sit at this temp for 60 minutes.  I set my oven on the lowest possible setting, and left the oven door open.  It wasn't perfect, but it was good enough.  When I pulled the mash pot out of the oven, I saw soapy looking bubbles (like oil in water) which is an indication of starch conversion.

   You'll need just over 2.5 gallons of sparge water heated to 168 °F.  I had intended to use a colander resting over my kettle to hold the grain bag while I sparged.  Mine was too small so I used a slotted roasting pan which worked very well.  However, since then I've purchased an adjustable colander from my beloved Ikea.

   At this point, you want to add the first wort hop addition, .25 oz of Willamette and turn the heat up.  Once it reaches a good rolling boil, toss in the .75 oz of Columbus and start your timer.  This is a relatively low maintenance brew, so make sure to have plenty of good craft beer, or better yet, home brew to keep you hydrated during the next hour, Call of Duty: Black Ops helps to keep one occupied as well as cleaning as you go.

First Wort addition.

60 minute addition.

Massive Flame Out addition. 3.2 oz of Willamette pellets and whole cones.

   After cooling, it's time to pitch the yeast.  You'll want to let it warm up to room temp for at least 3 hours, smack it to break open the interior yeast packet (essentially making a starter), and give it a shake.  The package will swell indicating viable yeast (though you don't have to wait for it to swell).  After the wort is cooled, pitch the yeast into your primary where it will sit for 7 days.  I recently acquired a 7 gallon carboy for a new primary fermentor and the extra room really makes a world of difference.

   My next post will continue the journey from primary fermentation, into bottling.

Blue Collar Beer Review #3: Widmer Bros. Rotator Series: Falconer's IPA

 

   Widmer Bros. has begun a line of experimental IPA's billed The Rotator Series.  The idea is to express their home brewer tendencies.  The series first started off with the X-114 IPA, which, sadly I failed to snag up.  The second release, and the subject of tonight's review is the Falconer's IPA.  The aptly named IPA showcases the recently developed and released Falconer's Flight hops.

   Falconer's Flight is a hop pellet, a blend of several varietals of signature West Coast hops, a composite designed as a tribute to the late Northwest brewing icon, Glen Hay Falconer and the Glen Falconer Foundation, a non-profit organization which commemorates Mr. Falconer, and also gives scholarships to aspiring brewers.  The blend was created by Hopunion, LLC, a large, multi-grower company that produces a vast array of hops specifically for the craft beer industry.  A portion of the sales of the hops also goes to support the Glen Falconer Foundation.

   The hops were also used in Maritime's Decompression Ale, the commemorative beer of the 2011 Seattle Beer Week (I hope to try this as well if there's any more to be had).

Widmer Bros. Rotator Series: Falconer's IPA

12oz bottle, 7% ABV

Appearance: Deep, fairly dark amber, with a light white head.

Aroma: Green, resinous hops with a trace of citrus. Sweet and slightly musty.

Mouthfeel: Nothing special, just clean and refreshing.  Good body for the style.

Taste: Very bitter, and good vegetal.  Slightly resinous with citrus undertones.

Overall: A simple, well crafted, to-style IPA.  It really showcases the Falconer's Flight hops, which I was eager to experience.  Given the composition of the Falconer's Flight hop, I was expecting more citrus 'C' hop flavor than is found. However, there's no disappointment here.  There's nothing overly special about this brew, just a clean, well-made (as usual) beer from Widmer Bros.  The bitterness is just right, it is almost too much, rides the line between awesome and flaw.  Just when you're about to think maybe they over did it, it fades and you're left thinking "Ahhh!"  I greatly look forward to the next release in the series, but this also makes me disappointed that I didn't grab a bottle of the first release, the X-114 IPA.  Maybe it can still be found...

Blue Collar Beer Review: 15th Anniversary Escondidian Black Imperial IPA - Stone Brewing Co.

 Welcome to Blue Collar Beer Review #2!

 

 This beer touches on a topic that's relatively controversial in the craft beer world, Cascadian Dark Ale.  Being from the Republic of Cascadia myself, I'm a big fan of this 'style'.  The idea being to, if one closes their eyes, not be able to tell the difference between a Cascadian Dark Ale and an IPA but for subtle notes of the roasted malts, maybe a hint of chocolate and coffee.

Mmm, good stuff Maynard.

   Unfortunately, it also seems to invoke feelings of inadequacy and jealousy in others.  This includes powers that be (namely the Great American Beer Festival.  The BJCP has yet to make a decision), and legend Charlie Papazian, in regard to deciding on official beer style definitions. The concern is, to quote the Brew Your Own magazine article:

 "The name “Cascadian” was deleted as it was felt that non-Northwestern brewers may be turned off to the style if it hinted of regional exclusivity."

   You know, just like people were turned off of Steam beers when they changed the name to 'California Common', or Kölsch from Köln (Cologne), Germany which are named after the places in which they were created and intensely popular...

   So what do they do?  In an insulting blow, not only do they decide to call it American-Style India Black Ale, but they even modified the specifications of the style.  To make it less Cascadian.

   No one says "Man, I wish we could make a Berliner-Weisse.  If only we lived in Berlin!"  One can still brew the same style of beer, call it a Berliner-Weisse, and thus pay homage and respect to it's roots.  The CDA was created in the Pacific Northwest (Cascadia), the prime hop growing area of the United States, nay, the world. Though not 'officially' accepted as is, it is it's own distinct style.  Utilizing a hop selection exclusively from the region, Cascade, Centennial, Chinook, and other varieties developed in the area, it's a mascot, a representation of Beervana, Hoptopia, the Craft Brew Paradise which is my beloved Pacific Northwest Cascadia.

   I believe it's our hold on the hop world that inspires this jealous transgression, that causes the style guideline writers to insult us by taking away OUR beer.  California gets theirs, many regions in Europe and elsewhere have their own, official, distinctive styles, why are us Cascadians singled out?

   Obviously I'm proud of the style, that something so delicious was developed here, can only be made with ingredients from the Northwest.  This is a beer review though, so I'll climb down from my soap-box and get to it.

15th Anniversary Escondidian Imperial Black IPA - Stone Brewing

You are not worthy.

Stone Brewing Co. is based in Escondido, California and is known for their ridiculously hop heavy (with the exception of their surprisingly mild Smoked Porter), yet quality brews.  Greg Koch, CEO & Co-Founder is an interesting guy, but has quite the ego.  Though he's very self aware of it and takes pride in shoving that arrogance to the front.
   This is evidenced in every (worn out) diatribe on every one of their bottles, and in any interview I've ever seen him in.  As negative as this sounds, I'm a big fan of their beers, especially their IPA, and just about every other one I've had.  Their beers for the most part, range from awesome, to slightly less than awesome.
   This over-confidence is proven further in their own description of their 15th Anniversary Escondidian Imperial Black IPA (wait...a black India pale ale?) brew, stating that the name is a jab at the "Cascadians" and "Cascadian Dark Ales" laughing that if we can just decide to call a beer ours, so can they.  Here is my opinion of the brew:

Appearance: Dark, opaque chocolate color with a rich, dense nitrogen stout-like espresso head.  Pours                                                             thick.

Aroma: Black coffee, sweet cream, with green resiny hop intermingled.  Over all a mild, pleasing aroma.

Mouthfeel: Surprisingly light considering the pour, but a bit more body than other CDA's I've had.  It is very smooth and silky creamy.

Taste:  Roasted chocolate dominates followed by a sledgehammer of bittering hops that isn't accompanied by much needed flavor and aroma hops, but both flavors balance evenly in intensity.

Overall: It's what you would expect from Stone: Overly hopped, very bitter (maybe the bitterness comes from not being Cascadian?), but seems rushed, and not as well made as usually comes from Stone.  I love the rich yet light mouthfeel but I think it's far too chocolaty and bitter without aroma and flavor hops, hops that begin with 'C' which is what a CDA, and it's home region is all about.

   Sure, they call it something different, but it's intended as a representation of a CDA and just isn't a good one.  For a better example of a Cascadian Dark ale, Deschute's Hop in the Dark, or Widmer Bros. Pitch Black IPA (a favorite and prime example, though I don't care for how they wussed out on the name) are prime examples.  I wouldn't buy Stone's 15th Anniversary ale again, but if you've not had it, it's worth a go.

The best example of a CDA I've found, so far.

   Stone is known, and likes to make sure you know they are, for being over the top, revolutionary, etc. 10 or 15 years ago, being revolutionary meant pumping as much flavor and as many hops as you could in a beer since most was just watered down flavorless garbage. Thus, Stone's brews and philosophy were

   Times have changed, Stone hasn't, and the comparatively low-quality of this brew shows, to me at least, that they've run their shtick into the ground, but . Though I didn't find it very drinkable, the beer isn't all bad, and is by far not even close to one of the worst I've had.  However, I think this beer which woefully disengages from the CDA style and is really nothing more than an poorly over hopped, weak bodied chocolate stout, shows that maybe it's time for Stone to try something new, as their smash mouth tactics don't work for every style.  Like an old, punch-drunk boxer, though, they don't know when to move on or how to do anything else.

  Dear, Greg Koch and Stone Brewing,
Keep up the good work making good brews, but stop trying so hard to beat that dead horse.

   Sincerely,
      Stubborn Agnes

                                        

Blue Collar Beer Review 1: Elysian Brewing's Avatar Jasmine IPA

   Welcome to the first Blue Collar Beer Review.

    I love craft beer and home brewing, and the culture, and there are some amazing nuances and complexities in craft beer as there are in wine.  However, looking at the overly poetic, bloated reviews and descriptions of wines from basement sommaliers, and  some of those on Beer Advocate, I realized something: some people are trying way too hard.  These snobby 'evaluations' don't do well, in my opinion, at giving someone an idea of what a beer is like, whether they might want to try it.  Many lead to disappointment because of this, some may even deter someone from a beer they may actually enjoy.  Tasting beer, and wine for that matter, is about describing the flavors and sensations you get, as you get them.  The great reviews on Beer Advocate really embody this, they're plain, simple and real.

   Beer is easy, beer is fun, relaxing, enjoyable.  We shouldn't work too hard at it, or make it intimidating.  The more I learn about beer, the better I am able to enjoy it. I'm no Cicerone, nor am I BJCP certified (yet), and you may not taste or experience what I do, but I hope my descriptions will help you find more of the complexity of, and enjoyment in, your beer.  Perhaps help you re-experience a beloved brew all over again. I'll simply be posting my notes as I wrote them while tasting the beers, trying to follow some form of structure, and give my own, uncomplicated overall opinion, as a regular blue collar beer enthusiast.

   Elysian Brewing Co.

   Elysian Brewing Co. is a series of three brew pubs based in various locations in Seattle, WA.  Elysian was founded in 1995 by President/Head Brewer Dick Cantwell, CFO Joe Bisacca, and Sales & Marketing Director David Buhler.  Their first brewpub, a 220 seat beer hall opened in 1997 in Capitol Hill, one of Seattle's busiest, most populated and diverse neighborhoods.

   Elysian began bottling in 2001, and opened two subsequent brew pubs: Tangletown in 2003, and Elysian Fields in 2006.  In 2008, they began a collaboration with New Belgium Brewing.  This collaboration allows Elysian to brew large batches of their Immortal IPA at the New Belgium facilities, while New Belgium brews smaller, experimental batches at those owned by Elysian.  Elysian has also recently worked out a distribution deal with Anheuser-Busch and is becoming much more widely available nation wide.  You can find Elysian brews statewide in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Alaska, Colorado, and New Jersey, as well as in the metropolitan areas of Philadelphia, PA, and NYC Metro, NY.

   Now, on to the beer.


Avatar Jasmine IPA from Elysian Brewing

Elysian's description doesn't quite fit.

   6.3% ABV, 22oz bomber poured into a pint glass.

   I'm interested in infusing one of my own upcoming brews with lavender, so I was curious about a jasmine ale.  I picked up a bomber of Avatar, and here are my findings:

   It pours a deep golden, almost a light copper color. The head is thick, frothy, and very resilient.  This beer needed a slightly gentle pour.

   The aroma was very...interesting.  It was very sweet in a floral way, somewhat chalky or dusty.  It reminded me a bit of what candy necklaces smell like.  Jasmine was VERY dominant, I could detect no hop aroma, and certainly no malt.

   The body was quite light, which is okay for an IPA. I found the carbonation to be pretty low, lower than I'd prefer.  Jasmine overwhelms the flavor.  It's a very interesting taste with a very cool, leafy green quality.  Very vegetal and twiggy.   Despite Elysian's description of their beer:

   "...the taste is an elegant balance allowing the subtle flavor of jasmine to prevail while still delivering the I.P.A.'s essential hoppiness."

   I found nothing but a palate bludgeoning sledgehammer of jasmine in every aspect of the taste.  There is a good bitterness to it on the very perfumy finish which I can only assume is from hops.  However, I could not actually taste the hops, and again, as with the aroma, I couldn't detect any malt character either.

   Overall, I can appreciate this beer.  It's definitely worth a shot, especially if you enjoy jasmine tea.  I understand why some people enjoy it, but I think it needs work.  The jasmine is simply overpowering, and it just isn't a beer I'd care to drink even a full pint of (which I didn't).  Give it some more clean hoppiness, malt backbone, an English style IPA.  Make the jasmine a truly subtle secondary ingredient, and I believe Elysium would have a winner.


   Thanks for reading my review of Elysian Brewing's Avatar Jasmine IPA.  This is my first beer review so please feel free to comment below or email here and let me know what you think!  I hope you enjoyed it.

Cheers!

Stubborn Agnes

Devil Pig Helles update 1

   That's right.  Devil Pig.

   Carbonation started in Henry the Party Pig on July, 30th.  Since this is the first time I've carbed in The Pig, I thought I'd check every week or so and see how it is.  Being known for patience as I am, I just simply couldn't wait a whole week.

   So, I stuck my little sample cup under Henry's snout and gave it a punch.  To my surprise, a very frothy head instantly appeared, and began to clear to a rich golden hue.  The thick head remained, and was very slow to dissipate as little as it did.  Tasting the brew showed that it still had a little while to go before it was fully carbonated.  This made it even more surprising that it already showed such a perfect head, and decent lacing despite the low carbonation.

                                                               

   Already the flavor has changed and begun to open up.  No more the watery, bland liquid, subtle hoppiness and a quick, light, pleasing sour kick on the finish are already showing up.  It's very crisp and clean, refreshing for summer.  I was surprised by the very slight sour tang, as that's definitely not typical for the style.   I'll be interested to see how that plays out.  The body is still a little thin for my tastes, even for a lager.  It was also a bit cloudier than I'd hoped for but once chilled that should hopefully clear up.

  All in all a very promising beer thus far, I really like where this is going.  If it takes a full 3 weeks to carbonate in these temperatures (mid 70's) I'll be surprised.  Kudos to my model, Elizabeth!