Beery Christmas to All, and To All a Good Pint

I hope every one has had a merry Christmas, happy Hanukkah, joyous Kwanzaa, and a festive Festivus.

As part of my family's Christmas Eve tradition, we made a gingerbread house with the kids.  I don't particularly care how it ends up, but if they would just stop touching everything for a second so I could build the house part, that would be great.  I think I need to start with a couple of beers next time.

Christmas morning was a great success.  There were a few beers in my stocking.  I have a big stocking.  I will try and get these reviewed before New Year's Eve.

Cheers and Beers!

I Hate it When I Wake Up Dead

I was hoping to tie Left Hand Brewing's new Barrel Aged Wake Up Dead with the finale of Walking Dead, but the timing was off a bit.  Walking Dead finished up a few weeks ago, and Wake Up Dead just hit shelves recently.  Instead I did the next best thing, I paired it with a childhood favorite, Mystery Science Theater 3000.  We just started watching Netflix streaming through the Wii.  Pretty cool setup, and there is a solid library of MST3K to choose from.

I remember as a kid, using the highest VCR technology, I would record each episode.    Joel and the robots would get me laughing so hard I peed a little.  After I cleaned myself up I could rewind to where I left off.  It could take me about three hours to watch an hour movie.

Tonight we choose the MST3K classic, The Killer Shrews.  That's the one where dogs were dressed up as giant killer shrews, and all the acting took place in front of a wet bar.  It was extra special because Mrs Monkey and I watched it with Monkey Boy.  We introduced a new generation to bad movies.  Thankfully it is a lot easier to pause and rewind when the Boy peed his pants a little.

On to the beer.  22 oz bottle poured into a Corsendonk Christmas Ale tulip glass. A thin khaki colored head drops down quickly, only spotty lacing. This is not completely out of line for a barrel aged beer, but is a little disappointing. The body color is a light black with a reddish hue. I see a lot of highlights that come through the center.

The smell is a straight up stout. Lots of dark roasted notes, mostly coffee and dark bread. I do not get any of the char flavors that usually come with a barrel aged beer. Taste does recover the char flavoring, but it is still very light.  Slightly herbal tea characteristics.  Not a lot of bold moves here.

Mouthfeel is a lot thinner than what I would expect of an Imperial Stout. It drinks very smooth, I do not get the feeling that this is a beer over 10% ABV. This is not a bad beer in general, but I don't think it lives up to the expectations of a barrel aged Imperial Stout. I think I am more impressed with the label than the beer.  It was absolutely the right beer for watching MST3K.

To Infinium and Beyond

The much anticipated Infinium came out this week.  Infinium is the collaboration between Samuel Adams and Germany's Weihenstephan Brewery, the world's oldest brewery.  The two brewers were attempting to create a completely new beer style while still following the traditional German beer purity law, Reinheitsgebot. Under that guideline, they could only use hops, barley, water, and yeast to create the beer. What they ended up with is a Champagne-like beer. Bière de Champagne is a relatively new style, mostly from Belgium, so it's not exactly a brand new style. Even still, this limited release is generating a lot of buzz. I have heard reports of a single bottle going for $30-$40 in Kansas. I picked up one bottle at Gomer's Midtown for $17, and then another bottle at Bubbles in Gladstone for $15.

750 ml corked bottle poured into a Champagne flute. There is a quick flash of white fizzy head that disappears almost immediately and leaves no lacing. The body color is a clear dark yellow. Even though there is no head or lacing, there is still a lot of carbonation activity.

Once the cork popped there was an initial dry Champagne smell. As it warmed up it became a sweet, fruiter aroma. I was getting a lot of white grapes and apples. Hops barely make an appearance. A little floral flavoring blends in with the fruitiness.

Mouthfeel is a little heavier than a traditional Champagne, but the effervescent carbonation keeps it light and crisp. The yeast creates a bone dry finish. This is an interesting experiment. The label was dated 2010 but not marked as a one time release, so I wonder if this will be a seasonal release. We will see next year.

Better Watch Out, Better Not Cry - Southern Tier Krampus

American kids get it too easy.  If they are naughty all they get from Santa is coal.  And these days it's probably coal-looking candy.  I tried explaining this concept to our three year old, and she had no idea what coal is.  So I told her coal is a black rock.  If you are naughty you get rocks.  She wasn't too impressed with that threat.  I can see her thinking about what she will do with a rock if she doesn't get the Zombie Barbie Underwater Dream House she wants.

Naughty kids in parts of Europe have more at stake.  In that part of the world naughty kids are visited by Krampus, the Christmas Devil.  While Saint Nick gives out presents to good little boys and girls, Krampus goes around and beats the naughty kids with a stick.  Often he will stuff the brats into a sack or basket and drag them around by chains.  I would think this is more of a deterrent for bad behavior than a rock.

Southern Tier has made a seasonal beer to celebrate Krampus the Christmas Devil.  22 oz bottle poured into a pokel glass. Huge chunks of sticky head stands over two inches. Great retention leaves cotton balls of lace on the glass. Body color is a coppery amber. Great clarity here. Beautiful beer to look at.

This is a lager for hop-heads. The smell is a smack of leafy hops. A blend of citrusy grapefruit comes in around the edges. There is a hint of bready malt sweetness that is overpowered by the hops. The taste of the first sip is an assault of hops. Incredible noble hops bitterness. I still get a green leafiness more than a standard hops pine needle flavor. As my mouth adjusts, more citrus flavors come into play. Mostly grapefruit, with a hint of spearmint. All though the hops a bold malt backbone keeps things together. It has a dry breadiness quality, the sweet keeps the hops in check.

Mouthfeel is a lot heavier than most lagers. The heavy malt bill creates a chewy quality. The 9% ABV does not even play a factor when put up against the massive hops flavor. Southern Tier calls this an Imperial Helles Lager.  I don't think that is accurate, but I don't know what else to call it.  An absolute slow sipper. Unless you were naughty, which in that case be prepared for a Krampus Holiday beating.

Schlafly Launches Brewer's Choice Line with Bavarian-Style Weissbier

Schlafly has released images of the first label in their new Brewer's Choice line has been approved. The Bavarian-Style Weissbier uses Schlafly's No. 15 yeast strain.  They will be packaged as 12 oz six-packs, and should be on the shelves Spring, 2011.

Troika Brodsky, Schlafly's Communication Director, gave me this additional information on the  Weissbier and the Brewer's Choice line:

Technically, Scotch Ale will be the transition beer for the series, but the packaging will be the same. The Brewer's Choice series functions as a C seasonal where in the past we only had and A an B (for example, Coffee Stout and ESB or Summer lager & Raspberry). This will be widely available (at least thats my understanding) but probably not for very long. Once it's gone, it's gone. Most likely these will be one offs, so every Brewer's Choice will be unique, kind of like New Glarus' Unplugged Series. I know we've got one more planned for 2011 but it's too soon to announce. No reason we couldnt see more than 3 Brewer's Choice's in 2012. Lots of flexibility here to do whatever we want.

It is always exciting when brewers get to flex their muscles and show off a little.  But when you are "That good," there is nothing wrong with showing off a little.  I can't wait to try the Weissbier, and then see what comes next.

Weston Brewing Wins Gold at Brain of Brewers

Weston Brewing's Drop Kick Ale won a Gold Medal at the Brain of Brewing competition, hosted by Lallemand Brewing Yeast.  The Gold was in the Amber Ale category.  Drop Kick is sort of a hybrid English Brown/Bitter, and it is my favorite beer Weston puts out.  According to Weston Brewing, Drop Kick beat out 50 other contestants to win the category.

This is a big win for Weston Brewing.  For a long time they have been the local underdog.  I admire their tenacity and I continue to root for them.  Congratulations!

Get What Done?

A couple of new tap handles are popping up around the area from Nebraska brewer SchillingBridge.  They are first introducing 70 SchillingBridge, a Scotch Ale, and Git-R-Done, a light lager.  According to their website, SchillingBridge acquired a licensing agreement to use the catch-phrase "Git-R-Done."  They hope that "this new venture will help to accelerate our vision of economic revitalization by creating a legacy of jobs for future generations, as well as keeping our rural dream alive and Pawnee City on the map as a destination site for years to come."  That is a pretty high expectation from a catch phrase.

I found this on tap at The Stables in Kearney. Poured into a shaker pint glass. Very thin white head and no lacing at all. Body is a crystal clear pale yellow. Almost no carbonation.  Smell has a grainy corn aroma. No hops or any other levels of aroma. Taste is a watered down excuse of a lager. If I wanted a Bud Light I would have ordered a Bud Light. This was an incredibly uninspired beer. I guess with the name SchillingBridge is trying to attract the Blue Collar Comedy fans. The problem with that is they already have a beer, Bud Light. Did this Git-R-Done? Not really.

I Want a Red Ryder BB Gun...

"With a compass in the stock and this thing that tells time."

Seriously, that is what I would like for Christmas.  It's not all beer and games at the Monkey household.  It was for a while, until someone lost an eye.  I never had a BB gun as a kid, I settled for a NES Light Gun.  That was OK, but now I actually have a practical reason for wanting a BB gun, as in the raccoons that think they have squatter's rights on my deck at night.

There are still many beer related items on my Christmas wish list.  I'm hoping I was good enough this year to score at least some of these.

First up is a Corney Keg system for home-brewing.  I have only done a few batches so far, and I already see the downside of bottling.  It's a pain in the ass.  I could get to the beer a lot faster if it was kegged. A Corney Keg is a five gallon keg that was originally used for soda, but have gained wide use with home-brewers.  These setups vary in price around the internet, but the average seems to be around $40.  Bacchus & Barleycorn have these on occasion.

Next would be some cool glass ware.  I have mentioned this before, but I am a bit of a glassware junkie.  Shaker pints are fine for day-to-day drinking, and a lot has already been said about proper glassware for different beers.  Stemware always goes over well, especially if it comes in a gift-set with beer.  Something I don't have is a stoneware tankard.  1001 Beer Steins have some nice, high-end steins.  Full disclosure, 1001 Beer Steins is a paid advertiser on Show-Me Beer, but that doesn't mean I can't like the product.  It would be nice to have a big Santa stein to take off the shelf every Christmas Eve.  I would fill it with an Imperial Stout or Barleywine to drink as I put together another Barbie Dream House.  That is going to have to be a tradition for another year.

 Books always make a great gift, and "A New Religion in Mecca - Memoir of a Renegade Brewery in St. Louis by Schlafly founder, Tom Schlafly has been on my want list for some time.  Just being in Missouri we have picked up the general story of Schlafly, but it would be great to hear it in his own words.  Another book I want to get is "Hometown Beer - A History of Kansas City's Breweries."  This was the companion book to the local PBS documentary on Kansas City beer from about ten years ago.  The book is out of print, but it can be found.  I have not been able to find the documentary on DVD.

I new bottle opener would be nice.  And not just any keychain opener, I have tons of those.  I want one of these babies that KC Wort Hog discovered.  I have seen something like this in action before, and for a crown collector it is a beautiful thing indeed.  It may be something I will have to just make.

Finally, beer.  And any beer will do.  It doesn't have to be something I've never had before, though that is a bonus.  A six pack of Hamm's will fit into my stocking just as well as a bottle of Utopias.

Cheers and Beers, and Hoppy Holidays!

Without Interruption - Odell Isolation Ale

This time of year is hectic.  Holidays, holiday shopping, kids events, family events.  Too many people, too close together.  It gets to be too much for me.  Maybe it's my Social Anxiety Disorder kicking in, or maybe I'm just anti-social, but I need a break from being around people this time of year.  That break happened for me last night.  Mrs. Monkey had an overnight event with the middle Monkey Girl.  Monkey Boy went down the street to spend the night with his friend, probably geeking out all night to video games.  Fine by me.  After little Monkey Girl went to bed, I pretty much had the house to myself. 

I didn't even know what to do with myself.  I could watch whatever b I wanted to.  Without interruption.  I could play my Wii games.  Without interruption.  I could surf any internet page.  Without interruption.  Most importantly, I could sit back and drink a beer.  Without interruption.

I had picked up some Odell Isolation Ale earlier in the week.  Isolation Ale is in my Top Five favorite winter warmers and I look forward to getting some each year.  The intention behind the name has more to do with being snowed in, but we have yet to see any snow this year.  I thought it was ironically appropriate for my evening of alone-ness.

12 oz bottle, with another very nice looking Odell woodcut label, poured into an imperial pint glass. Not much of a head, only about a 1/4 inch thick, but the lacing was persistent. Color was a dark yet clear reddish brown. Smell is mildly wood-like, sort of like fresh cut pine or spruce. Bit of smokiness. Wood flavor in the taste comes through strongly, like a campfire. Spicy notes add to the smokiness. Slight hops tang.

Mouthfeel is medium bodied and has a smooth warmth. As a Winter Warmer, it doesn't really pack a big punch, but that's OK. It's a very nice and relaxing beer. Very good for just sitting back and watching TV.  Perfect for getting away from people for a while.

Pub Warmer - Weston Brew Labs 3

Weston Brewing has quietly released their third Brew Labs limited edition, Pub Warmer.  This is a winter warmer spiced with nutmeg, cinnamon, and allspice.  I really like winter warmers and spiced beers.  Anchor's Our Special Ale and Schlafly's Christmas Ale are a couple of my all time favorite beers.  That said, I really want to like this beer.  For too long Weston Brewing has been the punchline to beer jokes.  I don't want to slam the guys from Weston, I really do like them.  I think they are a bunch of nice guys who, unfortunately, have a history of putting out sub-par beers.  Let's see if the jokes are over.

22 oz bottle poured into a Corsendonk Christmas Ale tulip. A thin white head quickly recedes but leaves a thin lace cap for the rest of the drink. Not much in the way of lacing on the glass. Body color has a pretty vibrant chestnut color.

The label says it was spiced with cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice. Boy, they are not kidding. The smell has a strong "spice shop" aroma. Not one of the spices is standing out, they are mixed in together. I like that smell, but it doesn't translate over to the taste very well. It becomes a muddy mess. I can't even tell what the base beer is through all the spices. This could be improved with a more balanced measurement of the spices.

The mouthfeel has a fine "silty" texture from the spices which I'm not enjoying very much. The initial gravity is listed as 1.049, but there is no final gravity to calculate the actual ABV. I'm guessing somewhere between 5% and 6% ABV.  This may be a situation where some aging may mellow out the spices and create a better balance.  I'm just not sure I want to give this the cellar space to try that out.

Harvest Dance of Joy

Boulevard Brewing Harvest Dance just came out this week.  Is it just me, or has the price of a Smokestack limited release come down?  I may be wrong, but seem to recall last year's version had a sticker price of around $12-$14.  This year I snagged a couple of bottles for $8.  Not that I'm complaining.  My wallet is doing a Dance of Joy for every buck saved, especially this time of year.  No matter how many times I tell them, the kids will not believe me when I tell them empty beer bottles are the latest Barbie Dream House accessory.  And bottles do not plug into the XBox or Wii either.

On to the beer.

This year's Harvest Dance is really good, but it could be a little better.  Even though it was released about a month later than it was last year, it seems a little young.  The flavors and spices are not quite popping the way it did last year.  It is still has a really good heavy wheat flavor, but I think with a little age the spiciness will develop and it will be even better.  What I recommend is buying up as much as you can and then wait.  Harvest Dance is still a seasonal, so once it's gone it's gone until next year.

Cheers and Beers!