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<title>Silicon Valley Sudzers - Homebrew club and beer enthusiasts</title> 
<subtitle>BeerBlog</subtitle> 
<link rel="self" href="http://www.sudzers.org/blog/atom.php" /> 

<updated>2008-05-12T12:00:00Z</updated>
<author> 
<name>Silicon Valley Sudzers</name> 
<email>dr_bubble@yahoo.com</email> 
<uri>http://www.sudzers.org</uri> 
</author> 
<id>http://www.sudzers.org/blog.php</id> 
<rights>Copyright 2008 Silicon Valley Sudzers - All Rights Reserved</rights> 
<entry> 
<title type="html"> 
<![CDATA[Monks Kettle in SF]]> 
</title>
<link rel="alternate" href="http://www.sudzers.org/blog.php?id=46" /> 
<id>http://www.sudzers.org/blog.php?id=46</id> 
<updated>2008-04-25T12:00:00Z</updated>
<published>2008-04-25T12:00:00Z</published>
<author>
<name>Pete Czerpak</name>
<uri>http://www.sudzers.org/memberprofiles/member.php?id=34</uri>
<email>pete_czerpak@hotmail.com</email>
</author>
<content type="html"> 
<![CDATA[ Last November, two new Belgian style bars opened in San Francisco.  Monks Kettle is located in the Mission area on 16th  Street.  I've been meaning to get there for the last few months but haven't found the time.  That and the reported difficulty in finding a stool or table didn't help with enthusiasm level.  BUt I finally went last night and was glad that I did.

They have about a dozen 4 person tables, a bar seating maybe two dozen, and then a back bar styled area with another few stools.  Rows of belgian glasses are stacked behind the bar and the mirrors make the place seem bigger than its actual narrowness.  i was actually surprised to see the TV on the wall in the front corner with the baseball game on.  24 taps fill out the bar area.

I had just come off a earlier evening run and then the mile and a half walk so I was thirsty and hungry.  MonksKettle makes a big deal about locally sourced and happy meals although with belgian-style beers, they're 
not all locally sourced obviously (and thankfully).  So I went with a big ol' hot german pretzel to start.  It was easily a foot across and nicely hot.  The dough was chewy with a decent brown crust and exactly correct amount of salt.  A little buttery was my only complaint.  Good peppery thick mustard to accompany it along with a less desireable cheese and ale sauce that could use some spicing up for its mellowness.  

My rehydration beverage of choice was a Bernadus "Abt12".  Dark, rich, and smooth and poured into a nondistinct wide mouthed pinotnoir styled glass.  I followed this with a new beer from Moonlight in SantaRosa, 'Working for Tips' served in a tulip style glass.  WfT was brown in color and used no hops.  Brian instead uses freshpicked redwood tips for "hopping".  I really liked it.  It wasn't over the top evergreen in flavor or nose and just tasted like a beer that was regularly hopped.  Very nice.

My burger entree came out nicely timed and just as desired with my pretzel urge fulfilled.  Burger was done just as asked which doesn't seem to happen all that much anymore unless you ask for welldone due to foodborne concerns.  Good tasting and fresh roll and the right amount of mushrooms and cheese piled on top.  I needed something rich to work with the burger so I went for a classic, not belgian at all, Stone Russian Imperial Stout in a tulip glass.  The bartender was especially proud to relay that it was one of 2 kegs in NorCal so I guess its a bit limited.  I had actually had a bottle of this last week and knew it would be a stellar beverage.  Very dark, plenty of roasted grain, and suprisingly well crafted alcohol.  I'd have had a second if I wasn't eyeing one other beer to finish up the night.

The beer list was pretty impressive.  Rodenbach Grand Cru on draft along with BarleyWineFest winning GnarlyWine from Lagunitas.  Lots of cool bottles.  They had the full RRBC bottled beer line including all recent releases of the barrel series., Supplication, Beautification, and the blond sour that I don't recall.  LaFolie was on the bottle menu as well although I recall a steep looking price on it.  American brewed beers on draft were well priced at $4-6 and belgian imports on draft hit the $8-12 range.  Pour sizes varied but were listed on the menu.  The menu was divided up similar to their website, by style for the bottle selections, making it easy to pick if you had a feel for what you wanted.

It was headed for the ninth inning of my evening out so I need to finish up with a bang!  I had overheard the bartender telling someone they were out of the 'DoubleDaddy' Imperial IPA but had something else in its place.  This info along with the Avery tap handle I noticed, left my hop loving mouth watering - Avery Maharaja Imperial IPA!!  On tap and knowing full well that I had enjoyed a bottle several weeks ago and probably wouldn't see it draft again locally, pushed me for yet another nonBelgian beverage.  Big fruity ale esters and lots of hops practically leapt from the tap across the bar area.  The draft version seemed more carbonated and better balanced than the slightly sweet tasting bottled version I mentioned.  I was very happy with my choice to end the evening.  And it was served by the full pint if you want it - no fancy glass needed.

Here is the seating scoop by the way so you could plan arrival time before being disappointed in challenging seating...... I walked in at 830 on a thursday to barely find standing room behind the bar.  By 915, a bunch of stools cleared out.  By 10, you could get a table.  Sadly, the kitchen is only open until 10ish but you can get food at the bar so you needn't wait for a table.

My bartender for the evening turns out to be an ex-Philadephia beerguy.  We chatted about DFH and Victory and he put in his request for a bottle of ApriHop for a trade since I'm heading east next week for travel.

Go check out MonksKettle! and have the pretzel too.
pete]]> 
</content> 
</entry> 
<entry> 
<title type="html"> 
<![CDATA[The water here in Bryan, TX is soft, but stinks of chlorine. I finally decided to put together a water filter for my growing brewery. I got the specs from the January 2007 issue of Brew magazine. They have yet to put that article online, so here it is. I built it for about $40, but you can probably do better.

Read the rest here:

Cheap Simple Water Filtering]]> 
</title>
<link rel="alternate" href="http://www.sudzers.org/blog.php?id=44" /> 
<id>http://www.sudzers.org/blog.php?id=44</id> 
<updated>2008-04-01T12:00:00Z</updated>
<published>2008-04-01T12:00:00Z</published>
<author>
<name>Dean Brundage</name>
<uri>http://www.sudzers.org/memberprofiles/member.php?id=16</uri>
<email>dean@deanandadie.net</email>
</author>
<content type="html"> 
<![CDATA[ The water here in Bryan, TX is soft, but stinks of chlorine. I finally decided to put together a water filter for my growing brewery. I got the specs from the January 2007 issue of Brew magazine. They have yet to put that article online, so here it is. I built it for about $40, but you can probably do better.

Read the rest here:

http://midnighthourbrewery.blogspot.com/2008/04/cheap-simple-water-filtering.html]]> 
</content> 
</entry> 
<entry> 
<title type="html"> 
<![CDATA[Two Plus Two = Four (Judgement Day)]]> 
</title>
<link rel="alternate" href="http://www.sudzers.org/blog.php?id=43" /> 
<id>http://www.sudzers.org/blog.php?id=43</id> 
<updated>2008-03-11T12:00:00Z</updated>
<published>2008-03-11T12:00:00Z</published>
<author>
<name>Pete Czerpak</name>
<uri>http://www.sudzers.org/memberprofiles/member.php?id=34</uri>
<email>pete_czerpak@hotmail.com</email>
</author>
<content type="html"> 
<![CDATA[ 2+2 = Four (Judgement Day Quad)

This is one of those year round selections made by Lost Abbey.  Of course, I hadn't had it until recently (February 19, 2008 to be exact), but I'm sure our friends in SoCal have been drinking it for months.  Now, Lost and Found is a terrific US dubbel style made with raisins.  The Judgement Day steps it up a notch and adds more alcohol and again, using some raisins as extra fermenting sugars.  Per the bottle, Judgement Day rolls in at 10.5% ABV in the style of Belgian Dark Quad.  I'd actually like to see VinnieC at RRBC throw down his own version of Quad especially now that he made his Damnation Batch #23 trippelistic jump atleast once.  I am a huge fan of that Salvation and if he went ahead and 2X'd it - most excellent!

"Judgement Day" (Lost Abbey, San Diego) opened initially with a strong bittersweet chocolate aroma straight out of the bottle.  It has a really deep brown color with a dark brown head.  

No red highlights typical of dubbels atleast to be seen when held to the light.  Sadly, the foam disappears quickly with the strength of this brew.  The quad smells of fruity belgian esters once its poured and displayed properly - spiced pears is what I found.  Light hints of alcohol are there as I began sipping.  Smooth and dark toasty malt emerge.  Its very palateable and no major roasted grains in the foreground.  Malt flavor is full of those biscuit-like notes from probably sizeable usage of munich and other belgian caramel type malts.  JD finishes nice and creamy with a pleasant smooth aftertaste.  Its almost doppelboch with a sizeable belgian estery touch.  Tingles of carbonation hit the palate in later tastes.  Anise emerges also so perhaps some carafa roast grains are hanging around in there.  Atleast this is what I found when combining them with belgian yeast esters in my own version of Belgian Quad.  My glass finished up as I was starting on some Indian takeout for dinner.  It appeared to bring forth further flavors of figs and also chocolate (finally).  How the chocolate didn't emerge until the end after leading out with this in the first nose hits, I don't know.

I'm glad to have a few bottles of this now stashed away.  Looking forward to RRBC being the northside distributor for Lost Abbey.  Hopefully it'll help keep the cellar more full of Tomme's good stuff.  Find some and stash it yourself.  It should age nicely like those wintery Bigfoots.

cheers.]]> 
</content> 
</entry> 
<entry> 
<title type="html"> 
<![CDATA[Don't Miss the Abyss]]> 
</title>
<link rel="alternate" href="http://www.sudzers.org/blog.php?id=41" /> 
<id>http://www.sudzers.org/blog.php?id=41</id> 
<updated>2008-01-17T12:00:00Z</updated>
<published>2008-01-17T12:00:00Z</published>
<author>
<name>Pete Czerpak</name>
<uri>http://www.sudzers.org/memberprofiles/member.php?id=34</uri>
<email>pete_czerpak@hotmail.com</email>
</author>
<content type="html"> 
<![CDATA[ Journey to the depths of "The Abyss"........  I visited Portland, OR last summer in search of tasty brews at the Oregon Brewers Festival as well as local pubs and shops.  A buddy asked me to pick him up some very unusual and rare imperial stout from the same cats who bring us Mirror Pond Pale, Black Butte Porter, and Obsidian Stout.  I've been a fan of the Obsidian for probably as long as its been available in NOrthern California.  I now sadly have to purchase this fine beverage in Truckee while up there skiing, but atleast it can be found.  Back to Oregon, no luck finding this rarity called "the Abyss" last summer - it was long gone for sure.

While in NY on Christmas holiday, I had one of my cellar aged Victory Storm Kings.  Nice and roasty.  Plenty of balancing bitterness and alcohol.  NOt too sweet.  A fine reminder of what winter brings.

So on to the rare imperial that was just released locally and will probably sell out soon.  Its a great beverage for unpacking books and installing shelving - just stay away from the saws-all power tools.  Unless you are using one to open the wax-sealed cap.

"the Abyss" Deschutes Brewing (Bend, OR)

Per the label, "The Abyss beckons".  This was how I felt.  Several were thoughtfully liberated for my basement and one even placed in the chiller for my arrival.  I left it to warm for an hour as I considered all the nice imperials I've tasted - Yeti from great Divide, Rasputin from NorthCoast, Stone RIS, Rogue Imperial, P2 from Bass Musueum, various incantations from Mountain Sun during Stout Month (probably just coming up soon in Feb), as well as a few real nice homebrewed ones.

The bottle is nicely wax capped - black of course.  11%ABV it reads along with mentioning the crazy ingredients and procedures of licorice, molasses, and oak aging of 1/3 the contents.  I think the old Rodenbach sour was about 1/3 old oak aged also so maybe that is the magic proportion.

I popped the cap after sawing away the nifty thick wax seal.  Aromas of intensely rich coffee, almost burnt, came forth.  The color is deep, deep, deep rich black with a fantastically brown head that doesn't stick around for too long.  But it sure did stick to the sides of the glass along with a real nice island in teh middle of the belgian style glass that never seemed to sink.  The pour brought out some earthiness and almost some basement.  Not like a sour beer but probably from barrel oxidation and maybe even the interesting extra ingredients mentioned above.  I 
think I read somewhere that 9 months of barrel aging were done.  The final sniff before I found my lips to the glass was ale fruit and mollasses.

A thick coating knowledge followed my tasting.  It was not overly sweet but just right and you could tell it was a hefty beer in both grain content and fermentability by those great yeasts.  

So not many excessive residual sugars that would make you want to pause before another taste - instead it pulled you to have more.  The alcohol heat or perhaps leftover bourbon barrel notes was noticeable in the background.  Maybe some real slight hints of acidic roasted grains for really pushing the envelope to get lots of roast character in there.  The color is still truely impressive and very black.  I don't think I could see hints of brown or hints of red - just solidly black.

The roasted character in general was solid and really present and smooth.  I'd like to know the dark grain blend they used for this one.  Malt character was spot on.  The bitterness was there and balancing with the roast.  No obvious hop character besides the earthy aroma notes.  So probably not a lot of big "C" american hops in the recipe.  The oak itself isn't so noticeable.  I was hoping for a bit of vanilla but just never found it.

Very good and very limited for a fair price.  I'd love to try it alongside the Speedway from Alesmith.  Although the next day would require plenty of coffee beans for the wakeup call.

cheers pete]]> 
</content> 
</entry> 
<entry> 
<title type="html"> 
<![CDATA[Where the Fuck Are My Hops Kölsch]]> 
</title>
<link rel="alternate" href="http://www.sudzers.org/blog.php?id=42" /> 
<id>http://www.sudzers.org/blog.php?id=42</id> 
<updated>2008-01-09T12:00:00Z</updated>
<published>2008-01-09T12:00:00Z</published>
<author>
<name>Dean Brundage</name>
<uri>http://www.sudzers.org/memberprofiles/member.php?id=16</uri>
<email>dean@deanandadie.net</email>
</author>
<content type="html"> 
<![CDATA[ First brew-day in Texas! There is no LHBS in B/CS so I ordered a Kölsch and a Bitter from Northern Brewer. I figured Kölsch is a good way to ease any megaswill-drinking new friends into good beer.

Read the rest here:

http://midnighthourbrewery.blogspot.com/2008/02/where-fuck-are-my-hops-klsch.html]]> 
</content> 
</entry> 
<entry> 
<title type="html"> 
<![CDATA[Kill Ugly Radio]]> 
</title>
<link rel="alternate" href="http://www.sudzers.org/blog.php?id=40" /> 
<id>http://www.sudzers.org/blog.php?id=40</id> 
<updated>2007-10-28T12:00:00Z</updated>
<published>2007-10-28T12:00:00Z</published>
<author>
<name>Nick Osborne</name>
<uri>http://www.sudzers.org/memberprofiles/member.php?id=3</uri>
<email>osbornen@yahoo.com</email>
</author>
<content type="html"> 
<![CDATA[ As you probably know, Lagunitas founder Tony Magee obtained the permission of the Zappa Family Trust to use original album art to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the release of Zappa's albums.

"Freak Out!" was the first, and was released last year.  His second album was "Absolutely Free".  However, Zappa wanted to call it "Kill Ugly Radio", but the record co wouldn't go along with it.  But Kill Ugly Radio artwork was featured inside the album.  To honor Zappa's wishes, Lagunitas named their second 40th anniversary tribute beer "Kill Ugly Radio", and it is currently available.

"This highly bitter slightly cynical brew pours a bright copper color with little head. The flavor and aroma is big on the hops with a large citrus pine component with only a hint of malt. Light in body and crisp in flavor makes this a hop lovers dream."

Yes, but where could one possibly find it locally on draft??

At my house!!

Being, (temporarily - I hope), a gentleman of leisure, John Watson, Gary Beal, and I headed north to Lagunitas last Wednesday.  Stephanie took us on a tour of the brewery and shared their expansion plans with us.  They are currently brewing 24 hrs a day, 7 days a week, and are still having difficulties keeping up with demand.  So a huge new mash tun is on its way along with additional fermentation tanks.

Then we headed to the tasting bar............
After (very) generous tastings of Kill Ugly Radio, Hop Stoopid, Imperial Red, Russian Imperial Stout, (and some Belgian style stuff - I think), I left with a keg of KUR, and Gary staggered out with 3 cases of various brews.

Time for lunch, so we stopped at Moylans, had our picture taken with Brandon, chatted with Denise Jones, the Brewmaster, ate our fill of fish and chips, washed down with one of the finest IPA's, and headed home.

Stop by for a pint of "Kill Ugly Radio"!

Cheers,
Nick]]> 
</content> 
</entry> 
<entry> 
<title type="html"> 
<![CDATA[Beerfirsts - "W12" ]]> 
</title>
<link rel="alternate" href="http://www.sudzers.org/blog.php?id=39" /> 
<id>http://www.sudzers.org/blog.php?id=39</id> 
<updated>2007-10-25T12:00:00Z</updated>
<published>2007-10-25T12:00:00Z</published>
<author>
<name>Pete Czerpak</name>
<uri>http://www.sudzers.org/memberprofiles/member.php?id=34</uri>
<email>pete_czerpak@hotmail.com</email>
</author>
<content type="html"> 
<![CDATA[ "Westy" or Westvleteren is a Trappist brewery that we speak in hushed tones about.  Its hard to get and not likely to get any easier to find.  They're not interested in expanding commercially so they produce what they want to for noble survival.  I had my first Westvleteren 12 (W12) last night and it wasn't even in a dream of beergeekdom.

Beer-firsts, they're funny things.  First microbrew other than Sam Adams - Pete's Wicked Brown Ale in the early 90s - liked it.  First german hefe-weizen - mid90s - didn't like it.  First batch of homebrew - 1995 - turned out OK using Eroica bittering hops.  First GABF attended - 1996.  First Oregon Brewers festival attended - 2001 - very good time.  First trip to Belgium - 2002 - 37 beers between 2 people in 4 days (good time in case you couldn't tell).  First sour brew done in the Rodenbach style - 2005 - still a dozen 750s left for sampling.  

Now first Westy12 - 2007 - here we go......

W12 sat for 4 days settling down in my cooler.  Believe me, it was a tough 4 days to wait, looking in on it every day, wondering if it was too fresh or something else would disappoint me.  

10.2%ABV is a lot of alcohol even in a fine Belgian beer.  Plenty from Belgium wander down in the 6.5% to 9% category but very few break that 10% barrier since they get a bit tougher to palate and so very costly to brew.

My cap was dated best before 29.08.10.  A very fresh bottle indeed from a late August bottling.  The bottles are simple with no label but a embrossed trappistbier lettering in the bottle neck.  I'm still wondering if it was too new and I should sit on it for a few more months.  No way!

Without further ceremony, I popped the cap, took a quick sniff and poured W12 into a shallow chalice thankfully from one of Westvleteren's brethren.  A pint glass is in no way appropriate.  The first thing I noticed is that even with a couple day long rest period, there was still a decent amount of bottle sediment.  I stoppped pouring just as it emerged leaving a previous half inch of W12 in the bottle all muddied up.  I'd have the vitamins later and keep my first glass clear and free of yeast bits.

The nose was of deep malt similar to that of the first runnings of a doppelbock.  It almost reminded me of cola probably due to some interesting belgian yeast caused spiciness interacting with some carmelized sugars.  Mild cocoa appeared also, especially with broader inhalations.  No obvious clove notes or apple pears like you might see in the tripels and strong goldens.  Very different nose than the Rochefort 10 from last week.

Beer color was of the deepest auburn and mahogney.  Certainly not black.  But some real good red highlights when held up to natural light.  The foamy head was a medium beige color with the bulk of it fading quickly thanks to the 12 designations high alcohol.  However, a thin veil of finely sized bursting bubbles kept recovering the surface of the beer with a great everpresent thin head.  The foam ring left after a taste easily clung to the glass walls never sliding back into the liquid.

Alcohol notes were my first impression.  Certainly not a subtle introductory taste to W12.  CReamy maltiness, powdered mocha like you see in the coffee shops, and some lighter espresso came through the palate.  Its very rich in layers.  No sharp acrid roast flavors.  Mouthfeelwise, its a much bigger tasting quad than the Rochefort offering #10 from last week.  Probably a lot fresher too so this one may fade to a finer drink in passing months.  Some spices left in the aftertaste along with pleasant malt and some alcohol remaining in your nasal cavities.

As my glass is nearly empty, the nose reminds me of a maple sugarhouse during production where they are boiling off all that water and concentrating the sugars from the sap.  

Concentrated intenseness would be a fair statement about W12.

What a beer, I'm ready for a second after some more aging time when further layers reveal themselves and the alcohol blends more fully.  Or perhaps after I find a W12 glass that has the branding.

cheers to those rare firsts in beer, pete]]> 
</content> 
</entry> 
<entry> 
<title type="html"> 
<![CDATA[Smoke Signal and Foam Everywhere]]> 
</title>
<link rel="alternate" href="http://www.sudzers.org/blog.php?id=38" /> 
<id>http://www.sudzers.org/blog.php?id=38</id> 
<updated>2007-10-15T12:00:00Z</updated>
<published>2007-10-15T12:00:00Z</published>
<author>
<name>Pete Czerpak</name>
<uri>http://www.sudzers.org/memberprofiles/member.php?id=34</uri>
<email>pete_czerpak@hotmail.com</email>
</author>
<content type="html"> 
<![CDATA[ I'm a huge fan of smoke beers.  Especially while sitting around a campfire.  Or, anywhere else.....  My first exposure was in the late 90s to Alaskan Smoked Porter and the Rogue Smoked beer.  I'm still a huge fan of the Alaskan and put some away every winter season.  The vertical tasting of them several years ago at the Toronado was excellent and showed real taste differences beyond just the smoke strength between something like 10 years of vintages.  The standard Stone Smoked Poter isn't my favorite due to the peat smoked malt used.  I like the alder wood grains from Alaskan, the beechwoood stuff from Weyermanns, and the apple and oak (I think) and others for the Vermont Pub and Brewery's Smoked Porter.

I've brewed a small share of smoked beers myself including an amber style with nearly 50% beechwood smoked grain and a smoked porter with maybe 20% smoked stuff in it.

While up in Portland in late July this summer for the Oregon Brewers Festival, I got to make a little side trip to a great little (but chock packed) bottle shop.  Along with a neat "method-champenoise" Double IPA that I picked up, I also found something from Oregon Trail in Corvallis, OR called "Smoke Signal".

"Smoke Signal" sits at 7.3% ABV on September 13.  The first sniff is a very malty beady aroma with just a wee hint of pleasant smoke.  Not bacon, but more like campfire from the night before lingering in the woods around the tents.  Its almost a doppelbockesque nose really.  The label mentions ale though, rather than lager.  We'll see how fruity it stands to be.

In my glass, the color is deep amber with brilliant clarity.  No haze or yeast sediment to be seen.  The head is beige and unfortuantely doesn't stick around long.  Carbonation is moderate so perhaps the reason for the low key head retention.

I willingly dive into this bit of camping to find what appears to be a nifty German grain bill.  The malt backbone is huge and not beaten down by hops or too much offensive smoke.  I'd call it a medium level of smoked grain.  Not too sweet and the flavor still holds to some malty germanic roots.  Mouthfeel is medium and expected with the alcohol level.  The smokiness comes through real nicely in the late palate.  I'd question the mention of ale but perhaps its one of the labelling mysteries about alcohol levels rather than style definition that the rest of us think about.

The alcohol levels appears well-build without any fusels kicking in.  I'm real psyched with this one and am raring for the release of the 2007 Alaskan Smoked Porter now.  Bring on the smoke!

Another great brew I found in Oregon comes from its PNW far-away sibling of Alaska.  "Epluche-Culotte" makes it south from MIdnight Sun Brewing in Anchorage.  A real light-weight at 9%ABV in the style of belgian trippel.  I left my bottle to warm up slightly for maybe an hour, but the pop of the cork and the pour got a bit crazy.  Foam everywhere but the ceiling in my kitchen.  Its always a disappointment to see this happen.  Whose fault - mine or the beers?  This time around it may be a bit of both since the beer was in fine condition otherwise - no wierd funk had taken over.  So, perhaps just some real good high volumes of carbon dioxide carbonation and the warmer serving temperatures inability to contain all that gassy goodness.

Anyways, the poured aroma was peaches and passion fruit esters along with some barely noticeable cloves.  Slight alcohol comes out in the first tastes with a sweet and fruity malt-like flavor of almost traditonal easter breads.  Just before your swallow is complete, its creamy and gentle in mouthfeel.  Probably some wheat in the grainbill - I'll toss out for you to contemplate grainbill construction of belgian trippels.  

The body comes across as not too thick and not too thin.  I'm sure the alcohol is helping out here.  When looking at the beer and not tasting it or wiping it from the table or ceiling, the color is a light orange with a slight yeasty haze.  Duvel would be slightly lighter in color for comparison even though thats a strong golden stylewise.  When the foam isn't pouring everywhere, its a tiny bubbled off-white color.  Perhaps the travels from Alaska on the potholed highway weren't so gentle for this one.  However, it was still excellent and didn't have the carbonic acid bite I'd guess given the flowing foam.

cheers and enjoy the occasional well-carbonated belgian bottled brew. pete]]> 
</content> 
</entry> 
<entry> 
<title type="html"> 
<![CDATA[Day Two In St Michaels]]> 
</title>
<link rel="alternate" href="http://www.sudzers.org/blog.php?id=37" /> 
<id>http://www.sudzers.org/blog.php?id=37</id> 
<updated>2007-08-11T12:00:00Z</updated>
<published>2007-08-11T12:00:00Z</published>
<author>
<name>Dean Brundage</name>
<uri>http://www.sudzers.org/memberprofiles/member.php?id=16</uri>
<email>dean@deanandadie.net</email>
</author>
<content type="html"> 
<![CDATA[ Day two in St Michaels. This year I discover that my uncle Ron's taste beer is more sophisticated than most. Delighted, he tells me of the ales at the C Street Pub on the main street (the one and only street in town). There is even an English-style ale there, which makes me salivate. My wife wants to spend the morning shopping with Aunt Dottie.

Read the rest:
http://midnighthourbrewery.blogspot.com/2007/08/day-two-in-st-michaels.html]]> 
</content> 
</entry> 
<entry> 
<title type="html"> 
<![CDATA[Fordham Lager]]> 
</title>
<link rel="alternate" href="http://www.sudzers.org/blog.php?id=35" /> 
<id>http://www.sudzers.org/blog.php?id=35</id> 
<updated>2007-08-10T12:00:00Z</updated>
<published>2007-08-10T12:00:00Z</published>
<author>
<name>Dean Brundage</name>
<uri>http://www.sudzers.org/memberprofiles/member.php?id=16</uri>
<email>dean@deanandadie.net</email>
</author>
<content type="html"> 
<![CDATA[ We just arrived at my aunt and uncle's weekend getaway (soon to be retirement) home in St Michaels, Maryland situated in an area known as the Eastern Shore of the Chesapeake Bay. A sleepy town on the surface but all around there is a quiet bustle of boutique shoppers and vacationers. The area is beautiful, my aunt and uncle's place an exemplar of subdued extravagance.

Read the rest here:
http://midnighthourbrewery.blogspot.com/2007/08/fordham-lager.html]]> 
</content> 
</entry> 
<entry> 
<title type="html"> 
<![CDATA[On Vacation, Tasting Beer]]> 
</title>
<link rel="alternate" href="http://www.sudzers.org/blog.php?id=34" /> 
<id>http://www.sudzers.org/blog.php?id=34</id> 
<updated>2007-08-06T12:00:00Z</updated>
<published>2007-08-06T12:00:00Z</published>
<author>
<name>Dean Brundage</name>
<uri>http://www.sudzers.org/memberprofiles/member.php?id=16</uri>
<email>dean@deanandadie.net</email>
</author>
<content type="html"> 
<![CDATA[ The weather report says 55% humidity, but it lies; the air feels much heavier. When we left the house, the reading indoors was 70% and I'd wager it is closer to 89% outside. A moist haze, unlike California smog, mingles high with threatening cumulous giving the sun an indistinct outline. I am escaping the ninety degree heat at one of the best Washington DC metro area's best Irish pubs – The Old Brogue. Situated in Great Falls, VA it lies a mere twenty minute <i>walk</i> from my grandfather's home and stables. We drove, however. It's hot. The pub is a typical Irish pub; picture Molly McGee's or O'Flaherty's. Dark wood everywhere, green accents, a tiny raised stage, and decent selection of pub beer.

Read the rest at the URL:

http://midnighthourbrewery.blogspot.com/2007/08/weather-report-says-55-humidity-but-it.html

Midnight Hour Brewery Blog]]> 
</content> 
</entry> 
<entry> 
<title type="html"> 
<![CDATA[Retry on Collaboration Not Litigation, Again]]> 
</title>
<link rel="alternate" href="http://www.sudzers.org/blog.php?id=33" /> 
<id>http://www.sudzers.org/blog.php?id=33</id> 
<updated>2007-07-18T12:00:00Z</updated>
<published>2007-07-18T12:00:00Z</published>
<author>
<name>Pete Czerpak</name>
<uri>http://www.sudzers.org/memberprofiles/member.php?id=34</uri>
<email>pete_czerpak@hotmail.com</email>
</author>
<content type="html"> 
<![CDATA[ Happy summertime!!

A beer 'cellar' or more properly closet is something that is really nice to have.  Its a place to stash those great bottles that would otherwise call your name a bit too frequently if stored in your food refridgerator.  Mine has a few cases of random onesy-twosy bottles of various vintages of all sorts of treats.  Barleywines, Stone Epics, Cantillon sours, Alaskan Smoked Porters......  It gets to a point every year where I actually break down and drink one every few days.  No special occasion needed even.

Here are some of those special bottles over the last few months.

Old Viscosity (tasted July 2):
Port Brewing has become a bit more available here lately.  They brew an impressive mix including crazy belgians and big west-coast style ales.  I'm not sure if they're made a lager yet.  This is advertised at 10% ABV and partially aged in bourbon barrels.  A moderate carbonation hiss escaped on opening the bottle cap.  Its not a cork finished brew.  The first sniff revealed an impressive espresso nose.  A liquor like espresso nose along with cotton candi esters jumped out as I poured it into a nifty glass.  It had a thick and rich black color.  The head is 
unfortuantely short lived which perhaps agrees with my notes on the carbonation level.  OV tastes of black roasted grains although it seems pretty smooth.  Some charred and tar notes definitely come through the alcohol also.  The soft mouthfeel is large as well but not sweet.  Kudos to Tomme on that for such a big beer.  As it warms up in the glass, those nice caramel and nougat notes pop into the air around the rim of the glass.  Hop bitterness is nicely high and in balance with all the crazy complexity.  I'd like to taste it side by side with Old Rasputin for a taste-off. 

Avante Guarde (tasted June 20):
Another treat from Port/Lost Abbey.  The labels are almost artwork and I'm ready for a t-shirt when they become available.  The bottle says 'farmhouse style' so I'm expecting something spicy and saison-like, perhaps with maybe some farmhouse funk from the compost or the fruit trees.  The cork pops solidly like all good belgians should.  I appreciate everyone going to the effort to bottle with corks and reyeast rather than bottle artifically with tanked carbon dioxide.  Nicely compacted lees (reported a mixed strain - both primary and bottlings) stay in the bottle bottom during the first glass.  Its a nice clear deep gold and almost orange color with an ivory foam head.  The head sticks around and hangs off the glass walls with some good tension.  Orange marmalade are my first thoughts of the rising scent.  The taste is a soft and pleasant balance of hops and malt.  The mouthfeel is medium and not at all dry like a SaisonduPont.  The flavor also lacks that farm fresh field smell that some saisons seem to have.  Further tastings reveal a classic belgian fruitiness towards cloves and earth notes.  Later aromas of apricots pop forth - maybe some Amarillos were used in the hopping schedule.  Also, I'm finding some roses and cream soda/vanilla at barely noticeable levels.  Originally, I didn't find the bittering too high but these thoughts changed as the brew sat in my glass longer and properly aired out.

Musette (tasted June somethingth):
Allagash is a brewery in Maine dedicated to solely making initially belgian beers and more recently interesting barrel-aged experimental stuff in the lines of no styles needed.  Originally you couldn't even gets their beers with a crown cap or in smaller bottles than 750mL.  Now, its a different story and their barrel experiments are getting around.  Musette was a good 6 months in the bottle when I released it into my glass.  Supposedly, another 10% ABV beer with only 515 cases made per the bottle label..  Wow, only 6,000 bottles making there way around the world. My thoughts at first were smooth and well-lagered uber-octoberfest.  Yep, a real big huge octobrefest.  Malt and toasty notes galore.  The bottle opened with a nice strong pop and poured with a nice amber color like a strong black tea.  Layers of belgian lace built as the foam rose up from a nicely aged bottle.  The finish is really pretty dry without the usual alcohol sweet. Perhaps those barrel aging ideas help out with this.  MOuthfeel seems belgian-like so I'm thinking some other form of sugar than just malted barley was used.  Its not a huge and cloying beer and is quite pleasant for the strength.  Eventually, the alcohol notes move closer to the front and I can find just some really tiny traces of roast or smoke late in the swallow of a mouthfull of Musette.  Taking my time, there is also a bit of astringency or bitterness too.  Soft flowing malt goes across your palate.  All the usual traces of oak aging are absent - no wood or vanilla.  After the bottle has sit for about 60 minutes in the house after a long fridge stay, its a tasty one to have.  I'd guess about 25 IBU but little in the way of flavor or aroma hops. Probably classified as a belgian wee-heavy or something of that nature.

Old Guardian 2004 (tasted April 24):
A nice dusty bottle from my stashes of early arrival in the Bay Area and ease of access to Stone's more limited beverages.  A cyclist pal visiting from upstate NY is reason enough to break this out and see what its got left for us.  On opening the cap, a definite hop blast is still felt on inhaling.  Some caramels wash by also with almost a brown sugar and cinnamon spice note to it.  My glass has a heavy alcohol nose dominating with that nice cinnamon toast quality.  Some creamy vanilla or slight maple bits can be found also.  Its a bright and clear orange color with a moderate duration deep beige head that clings nicely.  Sips reveal it to be smmoth and alcoholic regardless of the strong alcohol scent with light crystal malts obviously used.  A strong bitterness is there with a nice moderate hoppy middle.  No grapefruit or flowery hops notes, so probably no Cascades or Centennials in the hopping schedule.  A medium mouthfeel with a slight carbonic bite lingers after your glass leaves your lips.  The Old Guardian still has a great bitterness after these years of maybe not so careful aging.  Some settled out hop
tannic haze does emerge as the bottles level heads more towards empty.  The label mentions munich malt, Amarillo hops and 2 row pale.  10.06%ABV so that where the intense nose comes from.  Harry remarks on it as "heady and sinus expanding, no obvious alcohol, nice fruit overtones, and a noted spiceness".  Sounds pretty good, ehh?

A last thought, I had a bottle of Collaboration from our buddy Vinnie and Adam at Russian River and Avery Brewing.  Mucho better than the tapped sample I had at Toronado during 'Tion Fest in April.  None of the excessive fusel and cloves that I noticed in the draft.  I really enjoyed this bottle that I picked up over in the East Bay during a major beer purchase afternoon some months ago.  To all that haven't tried it, go get some.  I'd be up for trying it again just to make sure it's still cool - bring one by and we'll check it out.

cheers pete]]> 
</content> 
</entry> 
<entry> 
<title type="html"> 
<![CDATA[Sam Adams Treats Us Right]]> 
</title>
<link rel="alternate" href="http://www.sudzers.org/blog.php?id=32" /> 
<id>http://www.sudzers.org/blog.php?id=32</id> 
<updated>2007-06-17T12:00:00Z</updated>
<published>2007-06-17T12:00:00Z</published>
<author>
<name>Dean Brundage</name>
<uri>http://www.sudzers.org/memberprofiles/member.php?id=16</uri>
<email>dean@deanandadie.net</email>
</author>
<content type="html"> 
<![CDATA[ This month I judged at the Sam Adams Longshot Competition. It was an awesome weekend. Sam Adams put me and my wife up in the 5-star Hotel Nikko in San Francisco. They paid for meals, parking, rounds at the bar and provided beer (Sam Adams of course). In total the hotel bill was $12, only because I used their gym on Saturday morning. All they wanted was my opinion on some beer.

Read the rest....

http://midnighthourbrewery.blogspot.com/2007/06/sam-adams-treats-us-right.html]]> 
</content> 
</entry> 
<entry> 
<title type="html"> 
<![CDATA[Start of the summer outdoor tasting season]]> 
</title>
<link rel="alternate" href="http://www.sudzers.org/blog.php?id=31" /> 
<id>http://www.sudzers.org/blog.php?id=31</id> 
<updated>2007-05-25T12:00:00Z</updated>
<published>2007-05-25T12:00:00Z</published>
<author>
<name>Pete Czerpak</name>
<uri>http://www.sudzers.org/memberprofiles/member.php?id=34</uri>
<email>pete_czerpak@hotmail.com</email>
</author>
<content type="html"> 
<![CDATA[ Impromptu beer tastings are soooo nice.  People bring their extra special library beers that have been gathering dust and waiting for a special occasion.  The key is always that people search out and find the most interesting ones they can find for their contribution to the evening.  Sometimes they are gathered on road trips, carried on flights, sent by friends.  And other times they are homebrewed.  You must bring your own gold-rimmed glass though!

Recently one of these gatherings occured in South San Jose.  In attendance were beers from Weyerbacher and Victory out east, some english and belgian goodies, some Lefthand Colorado brew,some 4 year old SoCal Stone beer, and a really excellent homebrewed american stout with a heavy hop dose.  And a great South Indian cucumber salad was served as well with the Lefthand brew.

Weyerbacher Prophecy is an oaked aged belgian trippel style.  The oak came through nicely with some vanilla notes.  Notes of pear and passion fruit were obvious in the nose.  Just a hair over 9%ABV.

V12 from Victory in PA rates 12%ABV.  Its a quad or a belgian strong amber (new style).  I thought this was a bottle from my original stash from the 2001 timeframe but apparently I picked it up last year.  Very smooth for all the alcohol in it.

Pendle Witches Brew tastes like the English beer that it is.  A nice estery, fruity nose along with some toffee notes.  Did they make this one in a square fermentor?

Stone Vertical 03-03-03 has rested for 4 years mellowing into a delicate Belgian feast.  That nice aroma of old belgian with light esters and cloves.  Really soft mouthfeel.  I wish we had more of this still kicking around.  Its seemingly an abbey style atleast with the age.  Stone calls it a spiced dubbel from the alligator
pepper in it.

HopStoopid is a new IPA or doubleIPA from Lagunitas in Petaluma.  I'm really excited to get their new Saison one of these days.  Reportedly only hop oils are used in this beer - its sickly hoppy even without the natural hops in it.  The nose is pine-like as well as apricots.  Bitterness is solid and a solid hop flavor is there throughout your taste.

A 90 IBU monster with some rye in it is the Lefthand Twinsisters IIPA.  Cork finished and everything.  A stellar beer hand carried back from a trip to Colorado.  This went really well with the spciy cucumber salad.

Now to the homebrewed American stout.  It was bottle conditioned and packaged in summer 2005 and I think even won a medal at a local competition.  The hops had faded remarkably and left a creamy smooth stout that almost tasted barrel aged from some combination of the caramel malts used and the bottle conditioning.  Wow, I love it and want the recipe.  Almost a MilkyWay candy bar taste in a bottle.

Get together with some friends for a beer tasting this summer. And bring your best stuff.  SN Celebration vertical tastings can be fun.

cheers pete]]> 
</content> 
</entry> 
<entry> 
<title type="html"> 
<![CDATA[Funk 'Tion on Lower Haight]]> 
</title>
<link rel="alternate" href="http://www.sudzers.org/blog.php?id=30" /> 
<id>http://www.sudzers.org/blog.php?id=30</id> 
<updated>2007-05-07T12:00:00Z</updated>
<published>2007-05-07T12:00:00Z</published>
<author>
<name>Pete Czerpak</name>
<uri>http://www.sudzers.org/memberprofiles/member.php?id=34</uri>
<email>pete_czerpak@hotmail.com</email>
</author>
<content type="html"> 
<![CDATA[ Belgian Beer Month finished up at SF's Toronado last week with a gathering of funkola beers from Vinnie and Natalie at Russian River.  And what a gathering it was.  I recall hearing the bartenders crying of 'frustration' with the similarity in beer names and the fact that numbers had been assigned to the beers without telling them.  Demands of "write the beer names down" were met with glares and thirsty looks.  Many sodden pieces of napkin and scrawlings passed back and forth between patron and servers behind the bar.  I should have written my beverage demands on the pizza box sitting in front of us.  Us would happen to be myself and RJ from the Sudzers who is a huge sour beer fan of the n-th degree. 

Our early arrival enabled a choice set of two seats at the bar enabling easy flagging down when new beers were needed.  We ordered 3 or 4 at a time to keep the selections fresh and enable them to not get too warm between samplings.  As we actually arrived before the officials pourings began, RJ warmed up his taste buds with a lovely LaFolie that wasn't from RRBC but is still a spectacularly sour beer with Colorado roots.  I had one earlier in the month but it was my first LaFolie sighting in 2007.  And I think the same for RJs 2007 tastings.

On to the Funk'Tion - beers made with grapes, sour cherries, plumcots....... beers made with brett from the beginning...... beers made with brett at the end..... old spicy beers made with brett..... hoppy beers even made with brett..........  really all sorts of cool stuff including the RRBC/Avery blend dubbed Collaboration (but without funk influence).

Supplication has funk plus sour cherries and a long aging in red wine pinot noir barrels.  Its color was a deep amber.  The sour fruit was intense.  Cherry notes emerged after letting it sit and breath for a while.  Get some in 375mL bottles since you actually can.

Depuration is funk plus grapes.  The score was three to zero with guesses that the grapes were chardonnay.  The beer was a hazy gold with no head at all.  Grape notes were kinda dull initially but increasing with time.  Sourness was quite pleasant and not overpowering.  It was rumored to be the last available keg around per Mr. RRBC.

Compunction is funk plus a fruit that is a apricot/plum hybrid.  I've never eatten one of these fruits but I guess I've now had it in beer.  Visibly, its a light amber color with a nice tangy sour. Obvious fruit presence has completely fermented away.

Deification is hops plus funk.  Standard pale ale with brett finishing it off at the end.  Definite hoppy notes in the aroma.  The bitterness of the beer is decent.  It finishes with a pleasant lactic acid based sourness.  Color is quite pale and I think the bitterness balances quite nicely with the sour.  You can tell this was a bastardized pale ale.

Sanctification uses 100% brett fermentation from the get go.  Yupp, no normal brewers yeast in this one.  I have my own brett only beer sitting at home now and ready to go to kegging.  

Sanctification is a pale yellow brew with a great basement-like nose.  Musty and almost mildewy canvas like an old tent stored in your parents basement since the 1970s.  Mouthfeel is actually pretty full.  Bitterness flavors are pleasant and not obstructed with completely sour notes.  Some people feel that 100% brett only beverages don't have that intense sour tang  that developes when sour ales are only finished with brett at the end of fermentation.  It could have to do with cell count, growth rate, and byproducts of fermentation.

Erudition was a hidden gem of an old beer with brett.  A saison to begin with and you can certainly taste the correct background flavors.  It was a pale yellow color and had some seemingly wit-like fruity notes.  I noticed orange and citrus in the nose.  Lastly, the sour is an afterthought punch.  After resting this one, late spice notes start to emerge in the nose.  Also, some nice flowery aromas pop up in the secondary.  This beer has an impressive clarity probably since it was brewed back in 2005 and has sat slowly dropping out beasts and phenolic haze chemicals.

Beatification starts with a perfect nose of sour and basement.  Musty plus acidity to let you know you aren't going to be quaffing any normal beverage.  It was batch #2 and spontaneously fermented with naturally occuring bugs from the Sonoma region - there are certainly plenty of vineyards and fruit potential for the natural funk to live and breed on in the fields around Santa Rosa.  Vinnie wasn't passing any hints on this yet until he feels he has it figured out and stable.  The beer was minimally carbonated with a light gold color.  The flavors were lemon and sour like the gueze and lambic from Brussels.  It was tangy and nice without the huge sour of LaFolie.  I'd call it nicely balanced to the sour side.  When is batch #3 happening - or has it already?

Temptation gets a long chardonnay barrel aging.  And you can certainly tell.  Oak qualities were pretty huge in the taste along with the sourness.  The color was a pale and hazy gold.  Pear notes seemed to appear as the beer sat for a while and I focused on other things.

Collaboration, a beer made between RRBC and Adam Avery from Boulder, Colorado.  Each brewery had a belgian beer called Salvation.  To avoid legal battles, they commissioned this one together in honor of the matched naming.  Its not a funk beer and wasn't my favorite of the evening of 'Tions.  On pouring, it was dark amber with a decent foam head.  All the sour beers seemed to lack foam for certain.  Not sure if its related or not.  Anyways, my nose immediately noticed higher fruity alcohols and cloves.  These don't normally seem to occur in the Salvation from RRBC atleast.  Some bananas in the flavor once you begin drinking it.  Also, I noticed a raisiny and almost oxidized dark fruit character as well.  Perhaps an overdose of special B in the grain bill.

It was a pretty crazy night on the lower Haight for certain.  And RJ did miss his trainride southward home.  They did have the other non-funkola RRBC 'Tion beers, but I'll leave them for you to try at your leisure.

cheers pete

]]> 
</content> 
</entry> 
<entry> 
<title type="html"> 
<![CDATA[120 Minutes of IPA from DogfishHead]]> 
</title>
<link rel="alternate" href="http://www.sudzers.org/blog.php?id=29" /> 
<id>http://www.sudzers.org/blog.php?id=29</id> 
<updated>2007-04-18T12:00:00Z</updated>
<published>2007-04-18T12:00:00Z</published>
<author>
<name>Pete Czerpak</name>
<uri>http://www.sudzers.org/memberprofiles/member.php?id=34</uri>
<email>pete_czerpak@hotmail.com</email>
</author>
<content type="html"> 
<![CDATA[ Dogfish Head beers are an ellusive collection to find or get in Northern California.  In 2003, you used to see their "60 minute IPA" in Trader Joes.  No longer, now that East Coaster peoples needs far outweigh the distribution time to get it westwards.  DFH does hops nicely.  They do wierd ingredients like molasses, basmati rice, and peaches.  Crazy variety of really interesting beers.... 

Between DFH from Delaware, Hair of the Dog up in Portland, New Glarius in the Midwest, and Russian River Brewing quite closeby in Santa Rosa, a whole bunch of brewers really pushing and breaking boundaries with radical ingredients.

Here we go with "Dogfish Head 120 Minute IPA" as I promised so many months ago.

My bottle of DFG "120 minute IPA" was bottled in March 2006.  I picked it up in NY for something like $8.99/12 oz.  I bow my head in front of the bottle reflecting on all the hops, malt, and specialized brewing techniques that go into a beer of this size.  It sits for more than 30 minutes after removing it from the cooler so that I might better enjoy all its crazy nuances.  Ice cold would be such a wasted effort.  On opening the bottle, tawny caramels and butterscotch rum notes first hit my nose.  The carbonation is spot on for such a big beer.  Too little and the alcohol would be overwhelming.  I think the carbonation acidity really helps to balance its hugeness in ABV.

As the beer is poured, some vanilla floats off the rising beer level in my glass.  Alcohol breaks free next and you can feel its strength.  Finally, the nose is butterrum candies once and for all.  Its sits a brilliant light amber color with no haze.  Strange to have a beer with so much hops and still no haze.  Hops oils perhaps?  A firm beige fine bubbled head crowns this pour like a Belgian ale.  Its long lasting with a film of foam that climbs the sides of the glass defying gravity.  Supposedly this beer is dry-hopped every day for a month however, I still can't find hops in the aroma.  Not to worry though.....

Thoughts of my first sip are creamy, hoppy, alcoholic warmth.  A luscious, creamy mouthfeel helps distract you from the strenght of this beer though.  Its something over 18%ABV and rumored in various vintages to push 20ish%.  The hop bitterness is balancing with loads of fresh hop flavors.  They're flowery and citrusy with maybe some visions of mango or apricot also.

The Avery Demon series pushes the high alcohol boundaries also and I find them so much more sticky sweet than this example of DFH 120 minute IPA.  Its mouthfeel is heavy but its not sweet.  Some serious recipe tweaking was done in Delaware to make this drinkable but not quite quaffable.  A nice series to do is 60, 90, and then 120 minute IPAs with declining size glasses of each.  For the 120, only a taster is needed.

As this beer (is it really a beer) continues to warm, brown sugar, malt, and more alcohol found their way out of its depths.  Good to find this and have it.  Hope you can too.

One member of our brewclub puts together a selection of Christmas beers almost every year.  Depending on the number of participants, the number of beers varies.  Most are California and PNW based and they give you a good sampling on what to buy larger amounts of at the store.  This year it was two six packs of unique Xmas beers.  The variety of flavors is always pretty cool - some are spiced, some are more normal, some are highly hopped.  Here is Anchor Xmas 2006, Snow Plow Milk Stout from Widmer, and Full Sail Wassail.  I tasted these just after the New Year started in early January.

"Wassail" (Full Sail Brewing, Hood River, OR)

HOppy nose.  Spicy secondary aroma is evergreen and spruce-like.  The color is brown mahogney.  Very clear in clarity with a medium beige head of short life.  It tastes of soft malt and roasted flavors.  Not sweet or like a doppelboch though.  Almost a brown ale with a firm malt backbone.  6.5%ABV.  Medium mouthfeel with a creamy aftertaste.  the bitterness is nicely balancing and just a bit forward of the maltside of things.  It tastes similar to a Anchor Xmas but softer and more enjoyable.  Use of roasted malts is discernable in the taste.  All the color isn't just from munich and caratype grains.  Some biscuit notes in the taste also.

"Snow Plow Milk Stout" (Widmer Bros, Portland, OR)

Roasted grain aroma on decapping.  Head disappears quite quickly unfortunately.  Black color with some red highlights like a Guinness stout.  Beige foam briefly seen when poured into the glass.  Aromas of ale-like fruitiness esters combined with roasted grain from the glass.  Caramel and dark grains in taste.  Moderate to large body which is expected for a milk stout.  The aftertaste is slightly sweet and almost porter-like.  Mouthfeel isn't creamy as I'd wish for.  More carbonation would seem to enhance this beer by slightly drying it out.  Hopping appears moderate and doesn't quite balance the sweetness.  An oily thickness is noticeable on further warming.  No roasted dryness in the amount of dark grains used.  They appear balanced with plenty of crystal malt or lactose sugars.

"Our Special Ale 2006" (Anchor Brewing, SanFrancisco, CA)

Its the 32nd release.  Carbonation is moderate on opening.  Spruce notes in the aroma before I even pour it.  Historically, I have a hard time drinking Anchor Xmas release during the season of release from the strong spicy qualities.  On pouring, its an almost herbal nose.  Allspice, like molasses cookies, sweet spices.  No cinnamon though.  Thick and deep beige foam with fine bubbles.  Dark, dark reddish brown color in bright light.  Body is low to moderate with a slight dry astringency in the finish probably from some spices.  Its almost a bit watery. The flavor is spicy and dry malty.  Its drinkable at the moment unlike Xmas of years past.  NO aging is probably needed.  Further increased body would probably enhance this.  As the glass warms, some caramel notes appear in a background of sweet spices.  the body seems to build as it warms and the carbonation level eases.  Also, some more spruce and traditional porter notes in the aroma blossom out too.

cheers,
pete]]> 
</content> 
</entry> 
<entry> 
<title type="html"> 
<![CDATA[Toronado and "Old Ruffian"]]> 
</title>
<link rel="alternate" href="http://www.sudzers.org/blog.php?id=28" /> 
<id>http://www.sudzers.org/blog.php?id=28</id> 
<updated>2007-01-16T12:00:00Z</updated>
<published>2007-01-16T12:00:00Z</published>
<author>
<name>Pete Czerpak</name>
<uri>http://www.sudzers.org/memberprofiles/member.php?id=34</uri>
<email>pete_czerpak@hotmail.com</email>
</author>
<content type="html"> 
<![CDATA[ There was a pro-basketball game on the TV and progressive rock band Rush playing on the jukebox last friday evening when I walked into the Toronado.  It was crowded but I eventually managed a place at the bar in front of Johnie as he poured and pulled beers for patrons.  Plenty of weisbier, lager, and BigDaddys being served up.  4 songs later, the Rush onslaught ended.  I'm not sure who started playing them but they obviously only wanted Rush.  Older Rush at that....

Drakes "IPA" was on cask.  A great starter beer for me.  "None the Wizer" (Drakes) was also there and on tap.  It was a clear golden color.  White foam.  Mellowed out belgian character and clean.  I didn't know that Drakes was doing Belgian styles now too.  Not a lot of clove or bubblegum for sure.  I only had a taster.  Next up, something I hadn't heard of from St. Bernadus called "Celis Grottenbier".  Johnie said its a blended beer so I buy a whole glass.  Its the dark color of mahogney.  Nose is dubbelesque with a slight note of sourness.  Tasting is a very pleasant complexing sourness mixed with toasty and malty flavors along with some light chocolate.  Excellent choice here!  I finished up with a Old Foghorn from our friends at Anchor Brewing.  Whats there to say about that?

Moving on to a beer I secured while visiting Austin, TX this past summer for some work.  They're in the beer powerhouse state of Colorado and make the Yeti Imperial Stout which I've mentioned before as well as Hercules with its mounds of hops added.

"Old Ruffian" (Great Divide Brewing, Denver, CO)

Tasted on 1/11/07.  No alcohol mentioned on label but its a barleywine so get ready.  85-90 IBU advertised as well.

My bottle opened with a slow but quiet hiss of carbonation escape.  The smell from the newly opened bottle is caramels and malt.  Some strawberry-like fruitiness from the ale yeast and malt selection combination as well.  Uhh-ohh, no hops in the aroma either atleast from the newly opened botle.

A short beige head covers the deep amber brew when poured.  There is a slight haze in the barleywine when poured but this isn't atypical of english style ales with MarisOtter malt or hoppy beers with plenty of hop oils and other hop chemicals.  No rising bubbles after the pour so carbination does appear on the low side.

The first taste is above moderate sweetness with an underlying bitterness.  The bitterness appears slightly harsh on aftertaste and almost black peppery.  The beer finishes malt forward for sure.  It appears a bit rough and unrefined at cooler serving temperatures atleast when compared to classics like SN's "Bigfoot" barleywine.  The bottle remarks "big body, succulent sweetness, and massive hop character".  It appears to be right on 2.5 out of 3.

As Old Ruffian warms to conclusion, the alcohol seems well blended and not obvious, fruity ale character is certainly there, and you can find that moderate hop backbone.  Some higher carbination levels may help to dry it out a bit so the malty sweet doesn't takeover so much and impact the flavor.

Thanks for listening.  Upcoming Blog notice - DFH 120 minute IPA.

cheers pete]]> 
</content> 
</entry> 
<entry> 
<title type="html"> 
<![CDATA[One Barleywine from the Pacific Northwest]]> 
</title>
<link rel="alternate" href="http://www.sudzers.org/blog.php?id=27" /> 
<id>http://www.sudzers.org/blog.php?id=27</id> 
<updated>2007-01-04T12:00:00Z</updated>
<published>2007-01-04T12:00:00Z</published>
<author>
<name>Pete Czerpak</name>
<uri>http://www.sudzers.org/memberprofiles/member.php?id=34</uri>
<email>pete_czerpak@hotmail.com</email>
</author>
<content type="html"> 
<![CDATA[ "Dicks Barleywine Ale" (Dick's Brewing Company, Centralia, WA)
tasted Dec 19, 2006

This barleywine poured a deep crystal clear copper color with a low head of light beige foam.  By its appearance, carbonation was low to moderate.  Very little hop aroma was to be found however some low aromas of sweet malt and fruity esters were there.  9.9%ABV with a medium body and slightly sticky aftertaste round out the package.  

On tasting this strong ale, its quite smooth, perhaps from extensive aging in the bottle.  The balance is certainly to the malty side and probably has about 50 IBU of bitterness with not much in the way of aroma hops.  No nose of grass or grapefruit or clean herbs or spruce.  Any crystal malts used are probably in the 20 to 60 lovibond color area since no harsh and heavy caramel character can be noticed.   Ale-like fruity flavors are present and similar to fresh strawberries.  No oxidized character is present from old age so its aged gracefully.  

A real pleasant brew that is almost doppelbockish but with more esters and ale-fruit.  Dick's Barleywine appears to fit best as an english-style barleywine regardless of its Pacific Northwest roots, especially when compared to hopbombs like Old CRusty from Rogue with atleast twice the bitterness.  The contained alcohol is smooth as well from the well balanced malt and hops and probably a nice clean, low temperature fermentation.  Some OldFoghorn might be a good parallel comparison from around these parts.  

cheers and make plans for the Barleywine festival coming up in midFebruary in san Francisco.

pete]]> 
</content> 
</entry> 
<entry> 
<title type="html"> 
<![CDATA[Tomme's imaginative beer crusade in SoCal]]> 
</title>
<link rel="alternate" href="http://www.sudzers.org/blog.php?id=26" /> 
<id>http://www.sudzers.org/blog.php?id=26</id> 
<updated>2006-12-11T12:00:00Z</updated>
<published>2006-12-11T12:00:00Z</published>
<author>
<name>Pete Czerpak</name>
<uri>http://www.sudzers.org/memberprofiles/member.php?id=34</uri>
<email>pete_czerpak@hotmail.com</email>
</author>
<content type="html"> 
<![CDATA[ Months ago, I heard rumblings around the Califronia brewing scene that Tomme Arthur was working on something new and tasty.  It turns out this would become the new venture, The Lost Abbey.  A brewery dedicated to their first proclaimed commandment, "the most imaginative beers are our crusade".  This would truely be a righteous quest and they'd be producing them out of the old Stone Brewing facility just outside of San Diego who had also been a beer limit pusher in terms of both tasty and literal (on the labels) imagination.

I had sampled Old Viscosity a few months ago while sipping fresh hopped beers at the Toronado.  It was quite the contrast to the IPAs and such seen with the fresh dripping wet hops that day.  Black as could be.  BIg mouthfeel.  Smooth but present alcoholic warmth.  Big roasted coffee, dark chocolate tarry goodness.

On saturday, with rain pending in the bay Area, I slipped into the City Beer Store which I hadn't been to before.  Excessively large bottle selection.  Friendly and intelligent owner.  Atleast 4 taps pouring nifty brews.  The Xmas seasonal from Moonlight was the sample I tried that day on draft.  No spices that I could find.  A nice browne ale for the holidays I'd say.  While there, I picked up several big bottles from The Lost Abbey to check out how TommeA was doing.

"Red Barn Ale" (The Lost Abbey, San Diego)

Wheat and oats are major conponents in this farmhouse-saison styled beer.  Its a 750 mL corked bottle with a nice fine layer of yeast compacted on the bottle bottom.  The label looks to be almost artwork, I'd like it framed on my wall - rolling field, old farmhouse, babbling stream, a good place to set down for a picnic and a nap.....

After letting this warm up for nearly an hour from the cold, it poured a light orange color with a huge soft pillowy white foam head.  Great stability like the best weizens.  Clarity was excellent and surprizing given the oats and wheat components.  I thought the carbonation sounded a bit on the light side when pulling the cork and this appeared confirmed once the tasting began.

I detect hints of perfume and flowers on that first breath in.  Its almost a slightly lemony citrus too.  God love the combination of saison yeast and spices.

The taste is soft malt and almost sweet.  NOt at all dry like many belgian brewed saisons tend to be with their chalky, dry, and peppery character.  Interpretation and moving forward is where american brewers continue to move (aka - no stylistic boundaries for some brewers).  Hops are decidedly restrained for a beer coming out of an old Stone facility.  Wouldn't there be traces of those Chinooks from the Arrogant ghosts or something.  I think the moderate carbonation enhanced that feeling of sweetness.  Hopefully time will continue to improve this facet as well as the medium to med-high body.

As my glass is consumed, I notice a slight alcoholic warmth for a relatively low alcohol beer at 6.7%ABV.  I know that many folks tend to advertise using high fermentation temperatures to help dry these beers out as well as contribute spice notes with restrained actual spice additions.  For spiciness, I'm tasting notes of coriander maybe, along with some black pepper and ginger.  Later sips reveal a certain toastiness and even vanilla in the flavor. 

I have a bottle of the abbey/dubbel variety - "Lost and Found" set aside for a day of contemplation.  Perhaps this will happen before the holidays are over.

cheers,
pete]]> 
</content> 
</entry> 
<entry> 
<title type="html"> 
<![CDATA[WetHopFest and Pils from Bend]]> 
</title>
<link rel="alternate" href="http://www.sudzers.org/blog.php?id=25" /> 
<id>http://www.sudzers.org/blog.php?id=25</id> 
<updated>2006-11-01T12:00:00Z</updated>
<published>2006-11-01T12:00:00Z</published>
<author>
<name>Pete Czerpak</name>
<uri>http://www.sudzers.org/memberprofiles/member.php?id=34</uri>
<email>pete_czerpak@hotmail.com</email>
</author>
<content type="html"> 
<![CDATA[ September brings the end of summer and the hop picking season.  That means that fresh/wet hopped beers start to become available in October.  What exactly is a wet hopped beer - its a beer that uses hops right off the vine without being dried.  Hops are normally dried to removed water (more than 75% of the wet hop weight) and increase the shelf life.  Wet hops can't be stored too long.  

I missed Vic's FreshHopFest at the Bistro in Hayward this fall but I did make the Toronado FreshHopFest last weekend.  At the Toronado, even if you get strained by all the hops, there will always be something else to clear your palate with.  There were about 15 wet hop ales available (wonder what a freshhop imperial pils would taste like though?).  Standouts were Moonlight Brewings "Green Bud" of two varieties - one being solely chinook wet hops and the other being cascades.  Personally, I liked the cascades better.  "Hoptime" from Vinny at Russian River was also excellent tasting of hopjuiciness.  Finally, PizzaPort Carlsbad and San Clement both sent exceptional brews.  "Riptide" from SC was slightly hazy with a low head and had well rounded earthy hops of not mentioned strain.  "Springtide" from Carlsbad was more clear with a beige foam and a more aggressive hoppy flavor and bitterness from centenial and cascades.  Unfortunately, some minimal # of the other beers in the fest were tainted with diacetyl or not quite enough hops.

I cleared my palate with something from the new PortBrewing in SanDiego which is the old Stone facility.  "Lost and Found" on tap appeared to be a dubbel variety of amber color.  Nose was distinctly belgian with fruity esters.  Lots of plum and fig in the flavor probably from special B and a pretty complex grain bill.  The body was medium sized with a nice creaminess.  I couldn't find much cocoa or chocolate notes though.  Definitely worth getting some more of....

Last night was Halloween and I broke out a bottle of Deschutes Brewing "18th Anniversary Pilsner".  Its from the Bond Street Series and packaged in 22oz bombers.  5%ABV per the label and also of german pils stylistically.  The label is pretty cool with a handdrawn brewery interior scene including the numerals "1" and "8" in it from various brewing equipment pieces.

 Noble hops pop out at me soon as I pop the cap, a real good sign already.  Carbonation sounds moderate as well.  Using my pilsner glass, tall and tapered, this lager is a brilliantly clear bright pale yellow.  Clarity is extremely perfect with a nice white foam to cap off the glass.  Putting my nose into the glass but not the beer, noble hops again and clean malt.  Maybe more on the malt prevalent though.

This tasted of crisp lager.  Very clean with no ale fruitiness.  Maybe a bit of slight hop astringency and maybe a tiny hint of sulfur or sour tang.  Sour could maybe have been from acidity from elevated pils carbonation levels.  There is a good solid backbone of bitterness.  Not much hop flavor in the middle.  Its a delicate lager just like you'd hope for.  Definitely crisp on the palate. 

Later aromas of excellent clean maltiness come out.  Its not toasted dark malts like an octoberfest though.  More light and bready.  Some belgian lace hangs nicely in the glass from this well constructed lager.

I guess its lager season with the weather turning cooler outside.  No need to lair the lager now?

pete]]> 
</content> 
</entry> 
<entry> 
<title type="html"> 
<![CDATA[Spiceness with no added spices]]> 
</title>
<link rel="alternate" href="http://www.sudzers.org/blog.php?id=24" /> 
<id>http://www.sudzers.org/blog.php?id=24</id> 
<updated>2006-10-19T12:00:00Z</updated>
<published>2006-10-19T12:00:00Z</published>
<author>
<name>Pete Czerpak</name>
<uri>http://www.sudzers.org/memberprofiles/member.php?id=34</uri>
<email>pete_czerpak@hotmail.com</email>
</author>
<content type="html"> 
<![CDATA[ February 2,2002; March 3, 2003; April 4, 2004; May 5, 2005; June 6, 2006 - these are all release dates for the Stone Vertical Epic line of beers from the Southern California brewery.  In my home and on my windowsill, I have old empty bottles of Epic 2004, Epic 2005, and in storage I may even have some of the 2003.  Each is crazy different with some belgian characteristics usually present.  Not many other Stone brews head in this interesting European direction.  Most others are hoppy, alcoholic, and neutral in the yeast arena.  The Epics are definitely not, with Stone Brewing always pushing the bounds and heading towards PeterB of New Belgium Brewing and Rodenbach fame of "no styles in Belgium".

The 06/06/06 was released earlier this year and supposedly no spices are used in it.  The yeast is reportedly the Chimay strain (also used in the 2003 and 2005 Verticals) and used in the lower temperature regime to give less bubblegum notes and more of the earthy spicey stuff.  The notes on the bottle mention cedar and anise and 8.66%ABV.  Let just say that is all true.  Here I go ..... pouring the beer into an appropriate chalice shaped glass.....

06-06-06 Vertical Epic (Stone Brewing, san Diego, CA)

Immediate cedar scent as the bottle is opened.  Moderate pressure release saying that more time is needed to develop further bubbles or that perhaps the yeast are pretty pooped out with the high alcohol - only time will tell.  Toast and spice in the aroma as the contents are poured out.  The head is brown and the beer near black, but not quite there yet.  

A distinct Belgian fruityness on first sip.  Slight alcoholic burn in the the back of the throat.  Smooth stickiness of alcohol also on the inside of the your mouth.  On second tasting, its a complex thick and malty strong ale.  Lots of spices start to come out as it continues to breathe and warmup more.  Phenols, cinnamon, cloves....

Medium to full body for a Belgian ale.  Is this from the use of 2 row malt instead of the more traditional pilsner malt used in Europe?  Or perhaps the still developing carbonation?  Smooth mouthfeel also.

Some vanilla appears as it warms further.  Black licorice (aka. anise) too!  As the beer approaches cellar temperature, the fruitiness changes to prunes, boisenberries, dark cherries and almost mulled spices.  Bittersweet dark chocolate makes the last curtain of the shwo also.

Give this beer a hand.  Many changing costumes....  Get some if you can.  I tasted this one on August 7.

pete
]]> 
</content> 
</entry> 
<entry> 
<title type="html"> 
<![CDATA[Canned Brew from the 4 Corners]]> 
</title>
<link rel="alternate" href="http://www.sudzers.org/blog.php?id=23" /> 
<id>http://www.sudzers.org/blog.php?id=23</id> 
<updated>2006-09-26T12:00:00Z</updated>
<published>2006-09-26T12:00:00Z</published>
<author>
<name>Pete Czerpak</name>
<uri>http://www.sudzers.org/memberprofiles/member.php?id=34</uri>
<email>pete_czerpak@hotmail.com</email>
</author>
<content type="html"> 
<![CDATA[ Beer in cans?  No, CRAFT beer in cans!

Metallic you say?  BMC (BudMillerCoors) you say?  Cheap?  Nope, none of the above (including not cheap).  It seems that canned microbrew is all the latest rage (what's the next rage?).  And canned beer nowadays is nothing like canned beer from decades ago.

I've been drinking the Dales line of brew from Colorado for a few years now and they make a nice wee heavy and a great pale ale that are canned.  Friends always bring them on ski trips since we can drink them post-skiing while sitting in a hottub without worrying about broken glass.  Just earlier this year, our local 21st Amendment Brewing in San Francisco started canning their Watermelon Wheat and their IPA.  Unfortunately, the can sealing process wasn't completely perfected and my cans leaked both beer and carbonation giving me some really expensive flat tasting watermelon wheat.  I guess thats what I deserve drinking and buying beer made with fruit.

I was just out visiting friends in the FourCorners section of the country in Durango, CO and there is a great brewery there also canning some brews.  Their regular lineup has a great IPA but unfortunately this isn't canned yet.  The brewery is Steamworks and the canned brew is "Steam Engine Lager".  You can still race the actual steam engine train in a bike race every summer.  My buddy did this last year and just barely beat it.

"Steam Engine Lager" (Steamworks Brewing, Durango, CO)

This lager pours a deep copper color and fully brilliant with no hints of haze or yeast.  A low to medium beige head tops the glass (guess you can drink this straight from the can too).  The label says amber lager so the color is spot on as is the lack of cloudiness per a long lagering period.  

Breathing in deeply, the aroma is toasty malt sweetness.  No floral hops, just toasty.  And maybe a slight bit fruity (of course my cans travelled 1,000 miles in a FedEx truck along with my mountain bike) so maybe they were a bit mistreated, OK just a bit.

Flavor is completely malt forward - really pretty similar to an o'fest from Germany.  Alcohol is moderate at 5.1%ABV and just perfect for having after a long bikeride at 10,000 ft of elevation when you're hungary for BBQ but waiting for everyone else to finish the bike ride.  Low bitterness present and right to style for a malty lager.  The body is medium and slightly big in quaffing factor.  Creamy smooth finish.....  If the carbonation were higher, the mouthfeel might be right where I'd love it.

Glad I have another 4 or 5 cans to pass around to can-lovers locally.  Now to get that IPA canned up and I'd really be grateful.

cheers 
pete]]> 
</content> 
</entry> 
<entry> 
<title type="html"> 
<![CDATA[Searching for the Yeti]]> 
</title>
<link rel="alternate" href="http://www.sudzers.org/blog.php?id=22" /> 
<id>http://www.sudzers.org/blog.php?id=22</id> 
<updated>2006-08-15T12:00:00Z</updated>
<published>2006-08-15T12:00:00Z</published>
<author>
<name>Pete Czerpak</name>
<uri>http://www.sudzers.org/memberprofiles/member.php?id=34</uri>
<email>pete_czerpak@hotmail.com</email>
</author>
<content type="html"> 
<![CDATA[ Once in a while, its really nice to taste a brew that is not quite "in-season".  Its summertime so we're all drinking IPAs, pils, some lighter-colored belgian beers, and such.  The darker porters, imperials  of many varieties, and even barleywines are easier to find as the days  grow shorter and cooler.  NOt cold atleast here in the bayArea but cooler.

Oak aging is something I've toyed around a bit with while brewing.  I've done some oak aging of a Celebration-like IPA where it was bastardized with a sugar addition to bring it closer to an imperial IPA.  I've also tried some oak aging with a flanders red.  Oak is tough - too much goes a long way.  Too little and you're wondering why you bothered with the hassle.  After a year of mellowing, the Celebration-plus brew had a nice background of oak.  Prior to a year, you really knew it was there.

Here's one from Denver that is more on the mellow side of oak.  Plus its a nice big beer for summertime drinking after you mow the lawn and before you find that hammock.

"Oak Aged Yeti Imperial Stout" (Great Divide Brewing, Denver, CO)

I had big hopes for this beer from its label.  Oak aging (yes!), 75 IBU (yes!), and 9.5%ABV (guess its a big one then).  Where's my glass.  I let this warm up for half an hour before pouring.  

An oily blackness flows from the bottle as its tipped up.  I can smell some alcohol and practically feel the heat of the 9.5%.  Some vanilla notes also but more in subtlety.  The foam is deeply brown from all the dark grains in this beer.  And it sticks around nearly forever.  Hefeweizens have some foam stability but this foam just hangs and hangs which is surprising with all that alcohol complexity contained within.  Cocoa and black currants also permeate the room as my nose dips closer to the foam.
  
My tongue is thoroughly coated as I fill it with imperial stout.  Sweet maltiness with a wonderful big roasted flavor.  Alcohol as well so I guess the label is correct.  Its not hiddden though which might be its one flaw.  The good news is that its aroma is stronger than its flavor.  The mouthfeel is thick and heavy as one would guess for a big beer like this. 

Smoothness becomes more apparent as it continues to warm up and breath.  Should I have decanted this?  Oak is not obvious so perhaps it helps with the smoothness atleast.  I would like to try the regular old Yeti to see how the oak improves it.  Or not.  

Hoppiness is definitely still very present with a big agreeable bitterness to go with everything.  Some creaminess in the mouthfeel with intense burnt roasted coffee and toffee brings me to the bottom of the bottle.

Jump to a bit lighter beer..........................

Every summer I tell myself I'm going to make the long drive up to Bend., Oregon to sample the beer at Deschutes Brewing right at the source.  And maybe do some mountain biking or flyfishing as well.  The Bend area is great albeit a decent drive from here or even Portland.  I drove there from Portland once after OBF in a wicked downpour.

Deschutes has recently been turning out a line of seasonal limited release beers in bomber bottles.  Additionally they are still making the 6 packs of larger release seasonals that we're used to seeing.  I happen to find a great session beer a few months back while beer searching near Lake Tahoe.  I tried my last bottle of it last night while brewing.....

"Buzzsaw Brown Ale" (Deschutes Brewing, Bend, Oregon)

Apparently Bend, Or had its roots in the lumber industry like much of the PNW.  This beer pours a deep amber color with a slightly low head of beige foam.  As I popped the bottle cap off, some interesting biscuity notes and light caramels wafted by.  Lowering my nose to the glass, the aromas merged with some maltiness and ale-like fruit as well.  4.8% ABV leaves this as a great session beer for those really thirsty days or when you have the time to have a few.  Bitterness is nicely highlighted on tasting it with the previously smelled fruit and maltiness as well.  My glass sat as I worked the mash tun and as this beer warmed up, some caramel and toffee notes also sprung free.  the fruitiness is reminescent of the many english styles compared to the somewhat bland taste of the chico style yeast used by so many american craft brewers.

cheers, pete]]> 
</content> 
</entry> 
<entry> 
<title type="html"> 
<![CDATA[trappist dubbels plus one]]> 
</title>
<link rel="alternate" href="http://www.sudzers.org/blog.php?id=21" /> 
<id>http://www.sudzers.org/blog.php?id=21</id> 
<updated>2006-08-09T12:00:00Z</updated>
<published>2006-08-09T12:00:00Z</published>
<author>
<name>Pete Czerpak</name>
<uri>http://www.sudzers.org/memberprofiles/member.php?id=34</uri>
<email>pete_czerpak@hotmail.com</email>
</author>
<content type="html"> 
<![CDATA[ I visited Belgium 5 years ago and was unfortunately not able to get away from Bruges or Brussels enough to get to sample some of the Trappist ales at or near their sources.  My favorites Trappist styles are the darker ones like dubbels with their moderate alcohol (by relative standards), complex maltiness, and all over the palate spiceness and dark fruit flavors.

Westmalle Dubbel is a classic and easy to find with 7%ABV.  Rochefort 8 is slightly bigger at 9.2%ABV and tougher to find.  The Toronado even had a recent gathering for the increased availability of Rochefort on the west coast earlier this year.  Many chalises of Rochefort were raised for this.....

I did a comparison tasting between these two as well as a two year old homebrewed dubbel on draft.

It seems almost required to warm these after pulling them from the fridge....  so 30 minutes seemed about right based on thirst level and desire to not freeze off my tastebuds.  And no drinking them out of pint glasses either - proper belgian glassware is needed.

Appearances...........

Westmalle:
This poured a nice deep mahogney color with red highlights when held up to a light.  A deep beige head of foam topped off the glass.

Rochefort:
Again a mahogney color only with brown highlighst in the light.  Very creamy head of a lighter color than the Westmalle. Long lasting head and really nice belgian lace on the glass.

homebrew dubbel:
Darker color brown than the commercial examples.  The trappist version seem more a deep amber in comparison.  Also, had the brownest foam of the bunch similar to a porter or stout foam.


Aroma............

Westmalle: 
mild fruit and spice, fairly clean for a belgian yeast

Rochefort: 
malt and chocolate, some leather notes, fairly clean for a belgian yeast

homebrew dubbel: 
cocoa and dark malts, fruity esters, maybe some notes of oxidation


Taste..........

Westmalle: 
obvious fruitiness but not overwhelming, creamy mouthfeel, not heavy or cloying, dark malts not very obvious, alcohol is well-hidden, mild in terms of belgian character, very subtle marks of a dubbel style, smooth and mellow

Rochefort: 
medium mouthfeel with creamy sensations, smooth malt flavors, mild notes of chocolate, some toffee as well but merged nicely

homebrew dubbel: 
fruitiness prevalent, almost a tang to it, less smooth  than trappist versions, some dark bitter chocolate and raisin as well.


These were tasted together on June 21.

I guess that maybe some bottle conditioning could improve the draft homebrew dubbel and allow it to age more gracefully.  That and better control of fermentation temperature to reduce the fruitiness.

cheers, pete








]]> 
</content> 
</entry> 
<entry> 
<title type="html"> 
<![CDATA[Synthetic cork in a belgian beer!!!]]> 
</title>
<link rel="alternate" href="http://www.sudzers.org/blog.php?id=20" /> 
<id>http://www.sudzers.org/blog.php?id=20</id> 
<updated>2006-08-03T12:00:00Z</updated>
<published>2006-08-03T12:00:00Z</published>
<author>
<name>Pete Czerpak</name>
<uri>http://www.sudzers.org/memberprofiles/member.php?id=34</uri>
<email>pete_czerpak@hotmail.com</email>
</author>
<content type="html"> 
<![CDATA[ I just finished reading Farmhouse Ales by PhilM from Southampton Brewing in NY.  It covered biere de garde and saisons.  Classically they both were really broad in many stylistic aspects.  After several great homebrewed saison examples over the past year, I just last night brewed a Dupont-like beast.  All pils malt, Styrian Goldings hops, and the WhiteLabs saison yeast.  Hopefully it'll smell like fresh cracked pepper and flowery hay in the brewery tonight.

What I learned from the book is that the styles can be broad and that some examples even have some sour characteristics due to early brewery sanitization and cleanliness issues.  Modern day Fantome can have some of this sourness with extended aging.

I found an imperial saison, a so-called super saison, while beer shopping last weekend in SanFrancisco looking for some beverages to consume while working on my bicycle.  I saved it until last night when I brewed my saison and it showed off all the stylistic characteristics I had read about.

"Saison Imperiale" (De Proef Brouwerij, Belgium)

The bottle reads "mixed fermentation" so I wonder about the souring character mentioned above.  8.5%ABV - certainly beyond the refreshing you'd expect from a traditional saison after a day in the fields (your farmerworkers would be worthless after quenching their thirst).  I pop the cork to find a medium carbonation, much less than the pop after a Duvel or other highly carbonated belgian ale.  A slight acidic tang in the aroma passes by my nose.  Going for another sniff, I don't smell it again.  Is it real or imagined after reading the "mixed ferment" on the bottle?  Ohh yeah, the bottle is corked but for the first time that I've seen, using a synthetic cork!!!  

My glass is filled and on  pouring the aroma is fruity with some light malt.  No sour though (was the first sour a fleeting glimpse due to the pent up sourness being released?).  A beige head on a nice deep copper colored brew.  Good clarity although the amber is dark enough to make it challenging to see through anyways. 

My first taste is of toffee and soft thick maltiness.  Exactly what most biere de gardes are tasting of and not a sticky sweet thankfully.  I go back for another drink and this time I notice some spices and maybe even some hop aroma or chamomile use or something vaguely flowery.  By taste and color, I'm thinking BdG by the BJCP categories if you have to place it somewhere - not at all dry like a saison dupont.

As the glass continues to warm and I near pouring the dregs of the bottle, more spices are popping out.  Some of those traditional peppery flavors from the saison yeast.  And yes, as the beer finds cellar temperature, that very slight pleasant sour fruit tang emerges to help chase the remainder of the bottle down.

Hmmmm, complexity of malt, spices, and sour tang (plus the added synthetic cork for bottling). 

Some further brewing details from the Pacific Northwest Brewing News:
"OG = 1.072, coriander for spices, 30 IBU, 2 yeast strains."

cheers,
pete]]> 
</content> 
</entry> 
<entry> 
<title type="html"> 
<![CDATA[Spice, shutdown, and perfectly soured]]> 
</title>
<link rel="alternate" href="http://www.sudzers.org/blog.php?id=19" /> 
<id>http://www.sudzers.org/blog.php?id=19</id> 
<updated>2006-07-26T12:00:00Z</updated>
<published>2006-07-26T12:00:00Z</published>
<author>
<name>Pete Czerpak</name>
<uri>http://www.sudzers.org/memberprofiles/member.php?id=34</uri>
<email>pete_czerpak@hotmail.com</email>
</author>
<content type="html"> 
<![CDATA[ HOT! HOT! HOT!  Not exactly great weather for brewing beers unless you bust out a saison or happen to be aging some belgian-style ales.  Or happen to have a "lager-lair" like the Sudzers have obtained in the form of an additional lagering refridgerator to keep the fermentation temperatures down.

Saisons seem to be becoming all the rage.  PizzaPort does some interesting variations on them in sunscreen lingo, "SPF##".  A newer Central Coast Brewer, farmHouse Brewing (aka. CoastRange located in hot, hot Gilroy) also makes one they call "Saison7".  Here's some thoughts on it as the mercury peaks and seems to hang near 100......

"Saison 7" (farmhouse Brewing, Gilroy)
A reasonably strong alcoholic level of 6.8% ABV pushing the upper bounds of the style.  The aroma of clove and really interesting spicey esters blast out at first opening the bottle.  Its bottle conditioned as evidenced by the slight layer of settled yeast at the bottle bottom.  However, the yeast is fully crashed out after several days in the cold so the clarity is perfectly brilliant with a straw yellow color and nifty bright pure white foamy head.  On pouring into a glass, a wonderful perfumy aroma (almost slightly flowery) wafts away with notes of wheat also.  Wow, smells great so far and just like you'd hope for in a saison.  In taste, a pleasant wheaty flowery taste in total agreeement with the aroma from before.  MOuthfeel is very soft probably from the wheat content.  Alcohol is well hidden and not at all fusel-like.  As this beer warms, spices certainly emrge in the taste.  Some hoppiness or perhaps even peppery bitterness is lingering.  Do they use black pepper or aligator pepper, as I think Stone Brewing calls it, in this batch?  Great effort at a saison with plenty of complexity.  The flowery softness is spot-on. Tasted June 20.

We now jump to a somewhat humorously brewed beer from Lagunitas.  It seems they ran into a little problem with the law a while back and were temporarily closed from an infraction for 20 days.  On the bottle its described as an "especially bitter ale" (EBA).  To me this means pretty hoppy with probably a dose of alcohol thrown in to drown your bitterness in.  How did it come across?

"Undercover Investigation (Shutdown) Ale" (Lagunitas Brewing)
The bottle reads IBU=unrepentent, OG=unforgiven as I pour my glass after warming this for a while.  The 9.9%ABV made me want to warm it up slightly so I can taste all the hidden goodies in a beer like this.  Fruity cotton candy-like esters escape from the glass.  Its a medium copper-amber color with a thich beige foam filling the last 1/2 inch of glass.  A good clarity shows filtration as likely.  On second smell, you can find some spicy floral hops if you really pay attention.  Perhaps Amarillo?  On drinking it, first a big huge hop flavor and some low lovibond crystal.  There is a moderate background bitterness but not enough to dry out your tongue like Pliny the Elder.  The bittering and flavor hops appear to be spruce-like while the finishing aroma hops are not.  based on taste and numbers, its somewhat between an imperial IPA and lighter bodied barleywine.  The body is medium thick and creamy and easy drinking.  Bitterness continues to emerge as this EBA continues to warm.  Tasted June 20.

A long, long time ago in a bar in Boston I had my first taste of a Rodenbach beer (on draft!!!).  It was the esteemed Rodenbach Red (i thinks its called) which was a blend of Rodenbach that was aged on cherries for a period of time.  Wonderful combination of the sourness of typical aged Rodenback with the fruity cherries.  For a period of time, Rodenback availability of any style in the US dropped off quite a bit probably due to their purchase.  There were concerns about the brands survival.  Well, last Xmas after hearing rumor of East Coast availability again, I picked up a bottle for the lofty sum of $7.99 for a 750mL.  A proverbial steal!!!!  I hand carried it back to California and looked at it every few weeks when considering when to try it out.  The month of June arrived and I was planning another east coast trip so drink it I did with the thoughts that I would get more if I liked it.  Well, it did not disappoint.  And more was available, and hand-carried back here again. Perhaps you can convince me to crack one open in the future.

"Flemish Sour Ale" (Rodenbach, Belgium)
75% fresh Rodenbach beer and 25% multiple year oak aged Rodenbach are blended together for this masterpiece.  The old provides vivid sourness while the younger provides a malty sweeter balance.  Together, a great blend along with the oaky hints from barrel aging.  5.1%ABV means you can drink plenty of this without keeling over in the heat of a Flemish summer.  As I uncork the bottle, a strong pop is found much like champagne.  I smell the bottle to find tart fruit and excellent pleasant oak.  I pour it not into a pint glasss, but a tulip shaped belgian glass to help concentrate the aroma and flavors.  This time the smell is sour malt.  In the glass, this sour ale is a light brown amber color of great clarity with a thick long lasting beige head probably from extensive use of vienna or munich malt.  An acid tang with a tongue puckering sourness (no hiding this, ehh) on tasting the beer.  Just like you'd expect and hope for especially after having tried some of the USA bastardizations of this style - Rodenbach pretty much defines the styleguidelines.  The mouthfeel seems to be medium due to malt and acidity.  Sourness is not as excessive as some versions of LaFolie from NewBelgium which appears with regularity at the Toronado in SanFrancisco on tap.  I find some moderate acetic-acid but its not extreme on the vinegar side of things.  Some minor chocolate or darker roasted notes are there but very well hidden.  They could be barrel toast notes perhaps also.  Finally, Rodenbach is very pleasant as it warms through cellar temperatures.  Yes, I'm glad to have dranken this before heading east - 2 new bottles now sit in my cellaring area.

cheers and enjoy the heat.
pete  
]]> 
</content> 
</entry> 
<entry> 
<title type="html"> 
<![CDATA["Wish they all could be California... Hops!"]]> 
</title>
<link rel="alternate" href="http://www.sudzers.org/blog.php?id=17" /> 
<id>http://www.sudzers.org/blog.php?id=17</id> 
<updated>2006-06-21T12:00:00Z</updated>
<published>2006-06-21T12:00:00Z</published>
<author>
<name>Matthew Shoup</name>
<uri>http://www.sudzers.org/memberprofiles/member.php?id=2</uri>
<email>dr_bubble@yahoo.com</email>
</author>
<content type="html"> 
<![CDATA[ It goes without saying that West Coast beers represent some of the hoppiest beers present in today's American Craft Brew industry and perhaps on the planet.  Some might even go as far as saying that San Diego is THE beer Mecca for the west coast.  I'm inclined to believe this, outside of Russian River and a few "hop" spots in NorCal such as the Bistro and the well rounded Toronado.  I recently had the pleasure to re-visit the SoCal area for my sister in-law's graduation at UCSD this past weekend -- and what's a trip down to San Diego without a bit of beer hunting. 

My mind drifted in bitter-sweet hop thoughts as my plane landed in San Diego early on Friday morning.   The weather, nice and cool in the morning as the marine layer slowly burned off turning humidly pleasant into the afternoon with highs in the 80's.  Hot enough that I was ready for a thirst quenching beer, but you're not reading this for the weather report so on to the beer...

Between all of the mandatory "family" activities slated for the weekend, it was my number one objective to squeeze as much SoCal beer as I possibly could into the visit.  As a result, the first night we were in town I felt it was best to hit up a must visit spot -- none other than the infamous Pizza Port in Solana Beach.  http://www.pizzaport.com

As usual, the line for food and beer was out the door and down the street and there was no seating in sight.  It always amazes me that their brewing area is about the size of a shoe box and it's not behind any closed glass or separated from the rest of the dinning area.  I can only imagine what wonderful smells waft out into the dinning area when their equipment is in full force!  Brewing with the wonderful aromas of Pizza.  MmmmmmBeer and Pizza. To say they are maxed out of space in this place is an understatement.  Let's just say the wait paid off.

To name a few beers on their tap list:

California Honey Ale, Shark Bite Red Ale, Hot Spot Hefeweizen, Swami's IPA, Grandview Golden Ale, Ponto Pale Ale, Amigo Lager, Junk 'n da Trunkle Dunkle, Hop 15, Doc's Pale (On Cask), Port's Porter (On Nitro), The list goes on..

And of course a variety of quality guest beers were also available ranging from Drakes IPA to Stone's Pale and Ruination to Sierra's Pale that I didn't get to.

First on the list (in order of tasting):

California Honey Ale - A golden ale and the first beer I even tasted at Pizza port from my last trip that had inspired me to make a homebrew recipe.  I wanted to taste this beer again to see how it stood up against the beer I had brewed in its honor.  I found the originally to be slightly more bitter and hoppy than the recipe I had formulated and very refreshing!  Slight honey accents meshed with delicate malt complimented the Mt Hood and Liberty hops that resonated in the long bitter finish.  Delicious!  Dare I say the best beer of the night for drinkability.

Hot Spot Hefeweizen - Their seasonal summer brew.  Banana and clove flavors were present however leaning heavily to the Banana end of the spectrum.  I thought the beer lacked the carbonation and head retention for style but was pleased to see they did not include the so often fu fu lemon slice with the beer.  Granted when you compare this with the other amazing selections it was probably my least favorite beer of the evening however it was extremely quaffable indeed.

Port's Porter (On Nitro) - Wonderfully creamy porter.  Almost stout like in quality with bittersweet coffee and chocolate notes.  Apparently they brew this beer with Kiln Coffee Malt.  In the top three.

Doc's Pale (On Cask) - For all those cask lovers this is one not to miss.  Soft and delicate in mouthfeel in much of an English Bitter sort of way that only handpumped cask ale can provide yet assertively hoppy in true American pale ale style.  A true hybrid between English Style and American Flavor.  The second best beer of the night.  

Hop 15 - A double dose of American big-C and piney hops to go with their award winning Double IPA.  Darker in color than most double IPAs and with more malt than I expected.  You can't drink too many of these without getting in trouble as they serve them in full pint glasses.  

Junk 'n da Trunkle Dunkle - Finally I decided I would break out of my comfort zone and finished the night with this catchy named Dunkle.  Dark and complex melanoidal malts accompanied by a slight roastiness and toasty notes that dominated over the banana and clove weizen characteristics that played a supporting role to this tasty brew.  

Did I mention the pizza?  Hands down the best Pizza I've ever had or maybe that was just the Hop 15 talking.  Either way, one thing I've noticed about San Diego is that they really do have the Pizza and Grog down to a science. If you've never been to Pizza Port, it is a must!  Recently Pizza Port has taken over the old Stone brewery.  I can only guess that they are gearing up to distribute bottles.  Let's hope some of these beers finally make it up our way. 

The next day we were searching for a place for the celebratory post-graduation lunch.  I was pleasantly surprised to see that my sister in-law had selected a brewpub for our dinning pleasure (could that have been residual effects from the Hop 15?).  Although I had never heard of the La Jolla Brewing Company I held my breath in search for open-minded new beer experiences.  Sometimes when you haven't heard of a particular brewery it's for a good reason.  We arrived at the brewpub only to find that all the tables had been reserved for other parties.  Can you say reservations, please sis?  It took us 10 minutes for the bartender to even notice us so we could ask if they could squeeze us in and the place wasn't even crowded.  Needless to say the service was horrible, and we hadn't even ordered a beer yet!  It didn't take me long to notice they only had 5 house brews and served various macro swill bottles the likes of Budweiser, Heineken and Corona.  I may be stretching a bit on this one, but in my mind this is a certain red flag for trouble.  If you can't support your business with your own beers and are forced or willingly serve the macro swill to please your customers, I'm willing to bet your beers aren't that good.  Luckily enough, we left in search of a new location before I could disprove my theory.  I'm glad she didn't make the reservations after all. :D

Around mid afternoon after lunch at a less than mediocre Mediterranean joint (that shall remain nameless to protect the innocent and to stay positive), I was itching to wet my whistle with some local beer and I convinced everyone we needed to stop at Karl Strauss Brewing.  http://www.karlstrauss.com

This place is a lot like a Gordon Biersch in it's atmosphere and service but without the corporate franchise-ness and their beers prove it with the run of the mill brewpub regulars of golden, hefe, pale, amber, stout, Vienna lager, and IPA.   We ordered two samplers to share at the table and although they were not as beer-geekily interesting as some of the others of the trip, I found them to be very well made, clean and enjoyable.  My favorites were the Vienna Lager, A delicate helles styled lager finishing with Vienna malt complexity and their Stargazer IPA.  Although I thought their IPA was a bit heavy on the malt and a bit light on the hops it was still very tasty.  Of course, maybe that was the Hop 15 talking again..

It doesn't end here folks!  For all of you still reading this, beer with me.  I have two more locations to talk about and I'll try and make it brief. 
 
Our last day in town I decided to check out Oggi's Pizza and brewery.  http://www.oggis.com

With over 12 locations in the San Diego area alone it took a bit of work to find the closest one to our hotel.  The atmosphere was pleasant and sports-bar like and had a very friendly staff.  We opened the place @ 11am and as usual we ordered their sampler in search of their best.  I have two words for you....  "HOP JUICE".  A pure representation of a West Coast Double IPA.  The hop resins and bitterness stuck to my tongue almost as if I had put an ounce of centennial and simcoe hops in my mouth and sucked on them. "First Mouth Hops". I couldn't taste whether this was a single or a double IPA due to it's lovely and powerful hoppiness. Serious hoppage and no Randal required.  Elaine took one whiff of the glass and decided she wasn't even going to attempt it (more for me!).  I give this beer the "GuyPA" stamp of approval as it was the hoppiest beer of the trip! With so many hopped to the hilt beers down here in San Diego, this is by far no easy feat.  Needless to say, "HOP JUICE" wasn't just a clever name.  

No trip to San Diego is complete without a visit to O'Briens Pub and it was our last stop before turning home.  http://www.obrienspub.net

Dubbed "An American Pub" and "The Hoppiest Place on Earth", the atmosphere is modest and comfortable not to mention OBrien's has the most extensive tap and bottle list I've seen outside the Toronado.  I was disappointed to see they were fresh out of the Night Rider Imperial Stout served on cask. Doh!  It didn't hurt that they had the Spain vs. Tunisia game on a huge HD LCD display and the place was buzzing with energy and vibe.  Wanting to try two final local brews, it took me several minutes to decide on the correct hop choice and ordered a "Pure Hoppiness" brewed by Alpine Brewing.  Not as hoppy as I had remembered from the Bistro's IPA  Fest in Hayward but a very well made IPA with citrus grapefruit and orange notes that complimented its drier finish.  Lots of hops were present -- needless to say that it seemed a bit small for a double IPA especially after Oggi's "Hop Juice".   I thought I would change it up again and the final beer was to be Alesmith's Grand Cru.  It's not everyday you get to try such a true San Diego masterpiece, let alone on tap.  A lovely full bodied Belgian styled ale that arrived from the tap to my mouth in a tulip glass.  Dark caramel and molasses notes wafted from the glass I suspect from dark Belgian candy sugars.  The almost clear dark copper  beer had very little to no head or carbonation probably due to the amount of alcohol it contained.  Complex dark fruit of raisin and plum dominated the flavor that were accented by delicate Belgian yeast qualities finally dissolving into a warm and sticky-sweet almost cloying finish.  As I drank the beer my taste buds adjusted to it's finish and away from the hop centric qualities of the others for the day.  In contrast to all the hoppy beers I had this trip this one was a change in latitude for sure.

For those of you who are still reading this I must apologies for the length of this blog entry.  There's just so much to squeeze into this blog.  My spell checker can't seem to find "hoppiness" in its dictionary -- time to change that!  And for all those planning to attend our June meeting, who knows what might make an appearance.  Hope to share a little piece of SoCal's Beer Mecca with each of you then!

Cheers,

Matthew]]> 
</content> 
</entry> 
<entry> 
<title type="html"> 
<![CDATA[imperial-uber sticke alt]]> 
</title>
<link rel="alternate" href="http://www.sudzers.org/blog.php?id=16" /> 
<id>http://www.sudzers.org/blog.php?id=16</id> 
<updated>2006-06-16T12:00:00Z</updated>
<published>2006-06-16T12:00:00Z</published>
<author>
<name>Pete Czerpak</name>
<uri>http://www.sudzers.org/memberprofiles/member.php?id=34</uri>
<email>pete_czerpak@hotmail.com</email>
</author>
<content type="html"> 
<![CDATA[ Germany may the country with most "appelation" specific beers.  Helles in munich, kolsch in Cologne, alt in Dusseldorf - in addition to a few others.  I'm been pretty successful brewing kolsch-style ales the last few years.  The thing I like about them is their delicateness.  Similar to some lagers, mistakes are a challenge to hide in them.  Many of mine turn out more "sticke"-style which is something that I have adopted from the alt terminology meaning that my kolsch-style beers are slightly bigger and hoppier than those traditionally found in Cologne.  

Alt on the other hand is something I have barely dabbled in and really enjoy drinking.  I had my first tastes of it in 2002 at the great british beer festival in London where the german sales rep convinced me of the proper pronounciation of the brand, Z.U..  YOu can get the Dusseldorf brewed Z.U. brand in some bottle shops here in CA.  I've found it in SanFran, but not at BevMo.  Dave at Magnolia on Haight makes a great version as well which he served from authentic glassware to make it even cooler to drink.

While traveling for work last week to Austin, TX I came across Victory Brewing (PA) version of Alt which they call "tenth Anniversary Alt" to celebrate their birthday in 1996 and their roots in German brewing through education, inspiration, and cooperative brewing as their careers started.  Victory makes some awesome brews across all the style lines , HopDevil IPA, Storm King Imp Stout, Old Horizontal Barleywine, Golden Monkey Strong Golden, and manyothers that you can only get on the east coast or at their brewery on tap.  My moms favorite is the Golden Monkey.

Here are some thoughts on their "10th anniversary alt" which I liked enough on initial tasting to purchase a 6-pack of for bringing back to the bayArea.
- tasted June 14 after a 2 hour phone call to Japan
- described on bottle label as "amped up take on the 'sticke' version" - I'd describe it as an "imperial sticke" stylewise
- nice really malt aroma as soon as bottle was opened
- deep toastyness almost doppelbockesque on pouring
- no sulfur in aroma, more fruity malt-like with not so obvious mild hop aroma, no hints of roast grain use
- medium amber color with beige head
- little harshness at first sip in the back of the tongue, maybe its the combination of high noble hops and extrememaltiness   or perhaps signs of Victory pushing the decoction mash a bit hard for some astringency
- medium to full malty mouthfeel, hoppy aftertaste
- big hop bitterness and hop flavor too, not floral or citrusy though
- excellent toastiness coming out as it warms through cellar temperature
- overall impression 9/10 due to slight bit of astrigency
- good example of "uber-imperial-sticke- style of alt
 
My own homebrewed version of alt is slightly less hoppy than the Victory and a darker tint of amber.  My malt bill was mainly pils with a generous helping of munich plus a handfull of roasted grain for color assistance.  We'll see how it tastes after several weeks of cold lagering now that its kegged.  Ohh yeah, I used german ale/kolsch yeast.

cheers,
pete]]> 
</content> 
</entry> 
<entry> 
<title type="html"> 
<![CDATA[BJCP Class Session 1 Tasting Notes]]> 
</title>
<link rel="alternate" href="http://www.sudzers.org/blog.php?id=15" /> 
<id>http://www.sudzers.org/blog.php?id=15</id> 
<updated>2006-06-02T12:00:00Z</updated>
<published>2006-06-02T12:00:00Z</published>
<author>
<name>John Watson</name>
<uri>http://www.sudzers.org/memberprofiles/member.php?id=50</uri>
<email>jswatson04@yahoo.com</email>
</author>
<content type="html"> 
<![CDATA[ Here are some of my thoughts on the beer styles we tried last night.  

Remember next week we are tasting Amber Lagers, Dark Lagers and Bocks, so if you have any homebrewed examples of those you like to have tasted, let me know.  Cheers, John  

BJCP Class Session 1 Tasting Notes 

1A Lite American Lager: 
Coors Light (Grocery Outlet) First time I think I've ever bought a "Lite" beer. It was just as watery and tasteless as I remember from visits to friends houses, who drink nothing other than this kind of beer. I was surprised at the color/appearance.  I expected a Bit more lighter, more watery LOOKING beer. But side-by-side comparison, it was not really possible to tell it from the Standard or Premium.  

1B Standard American Lager: 
Budweiser (Albertsons) What can you say?  The classic example of the style. Surprisingly good after the previous weak watery beer. Why would anyone ever buy a "lite" beer is beyond me, especially when "standard" and "premium" versions  of the same brand are forsale at the exact same price.  

1C Premium American Lager: 
Miller Genuine Draft, Michelob (Albertsons) Did not really "get" that much of a difference between the Premium and the Standard.  Perhaps because of the difference brands, means we're comparing apples to oranges.  

1C Matt Shoup's Homebrew:
Nicely homebrewed example of a American Lager. Head was a bit weak.  Clarity was excellent. Probably the biggest "minus" was it had flavor! :-) Actually when I first had it I tasted it side-by-side with a Fosters Lager, and it seemed to have a lot more hop flavor than that one.  But then the next night went I tasted it next to the Bud and Miller above, it didn't seem as flavorful.  Maybe more equaling them. The first night I would have said it was approaching a "Classic American Pilsner" (sans corn) in style.  But the second night, my opinion had changed more toward it being  more within the guidelines of the Standard American Lager.  

1D. Munich Helles: 
Hofbrauhaus Original (BevMo) First time I've tried their version in the US. I had a big stein of it at their brewery a few years ago when I was in Munich. It seemed like it had a higher hop bitterness (IBU) than a typical  Munich Helles, that I recall other examples having (Spaten Premium is one that I tend to have a lot of ...). To me, the hop bitterness of this style should be more subdued, so the malt sweetness it more evident.  

1E. Dortmunder Export: 
Ayinger Jahrhundert (Beltramo's) Biggest disappointment of the night. Hard to believe that this was an Ayinger product. Perhaps it had just gotten stale with old age or something. That doesn't explain why it was hazy, however. The worst thing was I ran all over the place looking for a classic example, and the one that I finally found was this one (the usual old stand-bys were not to be found: i.e. DAB, Dortmunder Union, Gordon Beirsch Export). Export Helles is really not that different from Munich Helles, so it was sort of like trying two of the same style, and having a very good one, and a sort of poor one.  

2A. German Pilsner (Pils): 
Spaten Pils (Safeway) I thought it was a prefect example.  Just the right high hop bitterness, fairly fresh tasting.   German Pilsners should have a fairly hight hop bitterness (I remember having one in Germany what was so bitter it  made my teeth hurt ... well, almost). Perception of high hop bitterness, and more germany hop flavor, is what distinguishes this style from Bohemian Pilsner (below).  

2B. Bohemian Pilsener: 
Pilsner Urquell  (Safeway) The main difference in the Bohemian Pilsner and the above German Pilsner style, is the percieved hop bitterness in a Bohemian Pilsner is less. This is because a Bohemian Pilsner has a bit darker, more complex sweet malt character with balances it a bit more toward the malt. The other main difference is the use of Saaz hops, which I always think of as having a peppery character.  Seems like we were a bit rushed, trying to finish on  time, so we didn't get as much time to discuss this one. Pilsner Urquell is THE classic.  I thought this was a pretty good example.  I think I've had fresher versions in my life, but this one was pretty good.  The bottle I served came out  of a case, so I knew they had not been "skunked", which is a common problem wheh this beer when buying it from any supermarket.   You only buy bottles that have not been exposed to  any light. 
]]> 
</content> 
</entry> 
<entry> 
<title type="html"> 
<![CDATA[nicely drinkable sour brown from RRBC!]]> 
</title>
<link rel="alternate" href="http://www.sudzers.org/blog.php?id=14" /> 
<id>http://www.sudzers.org/blog.php?id=14</id> 
<updated>2006-05-16T12:00:00Z</updated>
<published>2006-05-16T12:00:00Z</published>
<author>
<name>Pete Czerpak</name>
<uri>http://www.sudzers.org/memberprofiles/member.php?id=34</uri>
<email>pete_czerpak@hotmail.com</email>
</author>
<content type="html"> 
<![CDATA[ My first visit to Russian River Brewing Company was actually when it was still part of Korbel Cellars/Champagne.  We sat on the patio and ate nifty fancy sandwiches and rather than taste champagne, I had Pliny the Elder on draft.  I was forever hooked on the hoppy excess of this beer and how it strips your tastebuds right off your tongue.

RRBC's newer adventures into barrel aging and funked out brews also carries high interest for me, especially after speaking with Vinnie at last years artisianal ales tasting in San Francisco where so many funked out beers were presented by both Vinnie and others that are really pushing the limits of american brewing techniques.

In addition, I did prepare a really great Damnation brined grilled eggplant over the weekend for a Mothers Day BBQ.

It is one of Vinny's funked out brews that I tasted last night on a day that reached towards the 90s in temperature.  Supposedly a brown ale aged in pinot noir barrels with additions of cherries, brett, lacto, and pedio funk!  You can check the RRBC website for fermentation details on their barrel aged brews and this one was fermented with the Orval primary strain which reportly finishes quite low and dry.  It was barrel aged for one year and then bottled.  I bought the bottle in fall 2005 after it was in the bottle for nearly 6 months and then yesterday it was consumed, 7 months later again.  So this beer was over 24 months old when I finally tasted it....... 
 
"Supplication" (Russian River Brewing Company, Santa Rosa, CA)
- tasted 5/15/06 after 30 minutes of warm up, in a tulip shaped glass
- 7% ABV
- an aroma of tangyness, sour cherries, and vinegar
- foam climbs out of the bottle in less than 30 seconds
- orange to red color with a nice beige foam and slight haze
- second aromas of sour citrus
- in taste, sour cherries and fruit, not aggressively tart or sweet though
- well-balanced sourness and easy to drink
- some mild caramels and malt as well
- no obvious pinot noir or oaky hints

I was a bit surprised at the color.  Not quite a browne ale.   I'd better describe it as an amber.  In addition, very little chocolate was noticeable in the taste, perhaps the long aging drops this out.  The foam rising out of the bottle as I took my first smells.  Those crazy beasts just keep on fermenting and chewing up the normally infermentable sugars over time.  What surprised me was the very drinkable quality.  It was never too sour and also never too sweet.  Compliments to the brewer!

I look forward to again tasting my flemish sour red now that the summer in underway and its probably better carbonated than 3 months ago.    


]]> 
</content> 
</entry> 
<entry> 
<title type="html"> 
<![CDATA[Doppelbock, fruit, and hops]]> 
</title>
<link rel="alternate" href="http://www.sudzers.org/blog.php?id=13" /> 
<id>http://www.sudzers.org/blog.php?id=13</id> 
<updated>2006-05-02T12:00:00Z</updated>
<published>2006-05-02T12:00:00Z</published>
<author>
<name>Pete Czerpak</name>
<uri>http://www.sudzers.org/memberprofiles/member.php?id=34</uri>
<email>pete_czerpak@hotmail.com</email>
</author>
<content type="html"> 
<![CDATA[ When company visits, you bring out the best malt and hops you have stashed way back in your cellars.  You take them to the best beer bars and breweries around.  And even occasionally, they bring the best brew they have from their home location.  My buddy, Harry, visited from the East Coast a few days ago and we did not disappoint in finding great beer and tasting well stored or long carried varieties.

On a drive north on 101, we stopped at Russian River Brewery in Santa Rosa.  They had just recently been awarded gold medals for their Pliny the Elder and also their Blind Pig IPA.  So what did I order for my BJCP judge friend but a pint of Pliny.  You have to have a gold medal winner.....  plus the hops are so forward that its lovely and refreshing while being nice and aggressive so that you know its an IPA.  He didn't quite pound it down but slowly savored its hoppy beauty.  I had the Blind Pig and enjoyed it as well for its almost balance atleast when compared to PtE.  A bunch of us also stopped on the way back south and we had pints of all three IPAs they were serving at our table as well as the new "lapDance" pale ale which was really nice and so easy to drink.

Another evening we stopped in SF at the Toronado to see what was available.....  Alaskan Smoked Porter - during the spring/summer no less!!!!!  Excellent, excellent, excellent!  I need to stop back and see if its still there for more tastings as I only had a half-pint of it.

One of the evenings we tasted a broad spectrum of beers out on my porch.  Here's a combination of our notes.....

"CFI lager" (CFI = colorado fourteeners initiative) Steamworks Brewery (durango CO)
- bright golden straw color
- scant, slow carbonation with short lived head
- slightly fruity aroma, lagerish nose
- tastes of biscuit malts and just a slight bitterness prior to finish
- creamy mouthfeel with slightly elevated body, not crisp and dry

"Bock" Anchor Brewing (san fran)
- moderate lasting dark white head
- deep copper to mahogney color with hints of red
- charry, rummy character to nose
- molasses and sweet malt with dry roast licorice
- moderate bitterness
- obvious toasted notes
- not as smooth as german bock style for sure
- some dark fruit/old ale characteristics
- medium body and fine carbonation but not distinctive in terms of smoothness

"2003 Transatlantic Kriek" New Belgium Brewing (fort collins, CO)
- 6.3%ABV
- color of Trader Joes CHerry juice, bright red and brilliant clarity after 3 yrs aging
- low and soft carbonation
- bright white head
- aroma of sweet marachino cherries and fruit
- sour cherries in flavor
- hints of some toasted malt
- might be better at higher carbonation levels
- no huge lactic, pedio character, pretty clean taste
- more sour cherry than sweet cherry in character
- pleasantly smooth

"Double Daddy Double IPA" Speakeasy Brewing (san fran)
- 9.5% ABV
- smooth hops and alcohol in aroma
- good clarity with orange to amber color and bright white head
- smooth hops and malt in taste too
- hops seem herbal and not citrusy
- not as crisp and aggressive as some double IPAs
- well balanced with lingering bitterness
- alcohol well blended but still slightly warming
- way too easy to drink

We also finished off (different night though) a liter of doppelbock called "Liberator" from Troutbrook Brewery/Thomas Hooker that my guest hand-carried from CT.  Here is what Harry thought:

- light tan, durable head, fluffy with some interspersed larger bubbles
- brown and fairly opaque
- heavy malt aroma
- slightly sweet malt in flavor, some licorice or maybe burnt molasses
- full bodied and creamy with nice soft carbonation
- easy to drink with vague finish in the back of the pallet encouraging a fresh drink

My notes read:

- brown, almost black color
- no hops or fruit in aroma = GOOD and to style, some caramel though
- liquid bready at first taste, very slightest hints of smoke flavor
- roasted grains a bit heavy in later sips
- medium to full body
- enjoyable on a cold damp no sun type of day
- great long lasting head!!
- well hidden alcohol even in aroma

happy sunshine to all. PJC




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</entry> 
<entry> 
<title type="html"> 
<![CDATA[Good people drink good beer!]]> 
</title>
<link rel="alternate" href="http://www.sudzers.org/blog.php?id=11" /> 
<id>http://www.sudzers.org/blog.php?id=11</id> 
<updated>2006-04-12T12:00:00Z</updated>
<published>2006-04-12T12:00:00Z</published>
<author>
<name>Pete Czerpak</name>
<uri>http://www.sudzers.org/memberprofiles/member.php?id=34</uri>
<email>pete_czerpak@hotmail.com</email>
</author>
<content type="html"> 
<![CDATA[ Wow, its been nearly a month since my taste buds were assaulted and carressed by a steady stream of funked out flemish sour red and brown ales at the last Sudzers meeting.  Our weather continues to resemble Belgium in the spring however.  Damp, cloudy, rain, mud......  

I've even managed to taste some great nonblogged ales while enjoying the snow that all the rain produces in the higher country.  I would recommend Alesmith Speedway Stout from down in sanDiego, FullSail imperial pilsner from up north in Hood River, OR, and HopHenge IPA from one of my favs in central Oregon, Deschutes Brewery.  A personal complaint against Deschutes is their continued inability to bring Obsidian Stout into the Bay Area.  They used to...  The market is large for foreign export stouts....  Why the heck not??

A nice thing is that I have found Old Rasputin imperial stout (NorthCoast Brewing) available on draft in Truckee at OBs pub.  What a nice way to remember the good skiing of days past.

On to some beer reviews........

Its kinda still winter time.  What happens in winter? duhh, water freezes.....  so here we have eis-bier.

Aventinus Weizen Eisboch (Germany)
- 12%ABV, 12 oz bottle tasted after 30 minutes warming up on 4/6/06, brewed 2004
- upon opening, aroma of toasty and bready malt
- strong whisp of carbonation also
- clear mahogney in color with yeast bits when poured to far (yes, bottle conditioned)
- quickly fading head, gone completely in 30 seconds
- sweet fruit and malt aroma at pour
- mildly spicy aroma too, no obvious cloves or bananas though
- moderate alcoholic heat on first sip
- malty sweet taste in not sweet like underattenuation
- similar to a very alcoholic doppelboch like Spaten, Paulener
- definitely smells like liquid dark, fruit bread 
- as it warms, alcohol much more obvious

We all like to imperialize everything... stouts... IPAs..... weizens..... porters....

Gonzo Imperial Porter (Flying Dog Brewery, Colorado)
- 12 oz bottle tasted at cellar temp on 4/6/06
- on the label "good people drink good beer", great bumper sticker material there
- strong carbonation on opening along with hop aroma release
- nice brown head with big open bubbles on pouring
- color = black brown with no highlights of red
- aroma is slight bit of fruitiness, roasted grains, and even alcohol (yes, imperialgoodness!)
- tasting shows a very pleasant roast, not harsh and aggressive at all
- mouthfeel is medium and not heavy showing good attenuation even for the gravity
- alcohol appears to be fairly well hidden with dark grains and hops, not superhot
- probably more on hoppy/balanced side of porter (fairly dry, not sweet)
- roast character is more gentle chocolate/light coffee, not astringent heavy coffee or charcoal
- as bouquet opens, you can find more alcohol
- doesn't appear to be brewed baltic porter style with lots of vienna or munich, more robust english style with lots of pale malt
- was it imperialized with sugar, not malt - may explain nice mouthfeel
- tastes somewhat similar to Deschutes Obsidian Stout I'd guess

Excessive rain and clouds lately.  So drink something from a brewery full of excess.  Hops, alcohol, malt, attitude.

Old Guardian 2006 (Stone Brewing, San Diego)
- 11.3%ABV, 22 oz bottle after 30 minutes of warmup on 4/10
- bottle explains same recipe as 2005 but first special release from new Stone brewery
- light caramel aroma on bottle opening
- nice carbon dioxide fog accompanies a moderate pssst of carbonation
- when poured into a pint glass, brilliant orange/red/amber color with nice beige foam
- apricot and zero to minimal flowery hops in aroma (WHAT????)
- very, very balanced for a barleywine, too balanced in fact
- not as heavy dark caramel forward as Old Foghorn
- not as hop forward as BigFoot
- notes of cotton candy and light tropical fruit.  No lemon or grapefruit.
- medium to light mouthfeel with some alcohol, not cloying, low final gravity I'd guess
- more in the realm of a double IPA but slightly more colored and less dry
- almost the "fat-tire of barleywines" - too not aggressive with alcohol almost too well-hidden
- I'd like more bitterness and aroma hops
- nice long lasting bubbles in the glass clinging to the glass sides, very fine sized too
- some solids in the bottle even though probably not bottle conditioned, hop phenols or poor filtration?
- more caramel notes as it warms for sure after 60 minutes
- great looking beer when swirled, nice one-quarter inch beige foam

Hood River is a town on the Columbia River Gorge.  the winds blast through there across the water making for fun times on a windsurfer or fun times if you have both car windows open.  Just tie down all the loose stuff in your car if you do this.  Full Sail Brewing has been around for a long time.  I think they are employee owned which is also something special for a larger brewery.

Equinox ESB (Full Sail, Oregon)
- 5.7% ABV, 22 oz bottle, Brewmasters Reserve 2006, warmed to cellar temperature, tasted 4/11
- not bottle conditioned, clear and brilliant pour
- lemony aroma on bottle opening, not really cascades-like though
- medium copper color, fine beige bubbles, exceptional clarity
- firm bitterness with herbal notes
- moderate caramel in taste
- somewhat bland and unexciting - glad I'm not the Brewmaster this represents
- low to minimal hop aroma
- no fruity ESB-like notes, nothing like a Fullers ESB or even an americanized hoppy ESB
- maybe some harsg toasty flavors
- I'm not too psyched about this one.
- I'd like some flowery hop notes besides the herbal bit if you really search well]]> 
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</entry> 
<entry> 
<title type="html"> 
<![CDATA[March Madness]]> 
</title>
<link rel="alternate" href="http://www.sudzers.org/blog.php?id=6" /> 
<id>http://www.sudzers.org/blog.php?id=6</id> 
<updated>2006-03-20T12:00:00Z</updated>
<published>2006-03-20T12:00:00Z</published>
<author>
<name>Pete Czerpak</name>
<uri>http://www.sudzers.org/memberprofiles/member.php?id=34</uri>
<email>pete_czerpak@hotmail.com</email>
</author>
<content type="html"> 
<![CDATA[ The weather has been stormy lately.  On these types of days, I walk around my local bottleshop looking for some beers I had heard about and hadn't tried yet or had never heard about,yet sounded interesting.

Drakes Brewing - its a local place making some splendid beers.  They're known to always seem to have a great entry in both the double IPA and IPA Festival.  Supposedly their friday