Beer of the Moment - Hook Norton Twelve Days

One of the things I love about beer is that every beer and brewery has a story, and sometimes the story is as interesting as the beer itself. That is the case with the Hook Norton Brewery, located in Oxfordshire County, England. The brewery is one of the last remaining Victorian 'tower breweries' and they have been brewing at the site since 1849. Even more interesting, the brewery still employs the use of a steam engine that has been running for almost 110 years. It is believed to be the oldest running steam engine in England that is still used for its original purpose. And if that is not enough history and charm, they also have shire horses that deliver the beer in the local area. If I were visiting England, this would be high on my list of places to visit. For more info, see their wiki page, or this blog.

Obviously there is a reason for all of this talk about a historic brewery in England. They have released a special holiday beer, the Twelve Days. I'll be honest, I haven't been drinking a lot of English beers in the past few years. While I cut my teeth on beers like Samuel Smiths and Fullers, I have tended towards drinking more brash American beers, or funky Belgians. I really need to go back across the pond to sample a few more beers from this storied beer country. The Twelve Days is a dark English bitter, and it really shines with a toasted, nutty malt flavor that dominates the beer. As stated on the website, this beer would go excellent with some nutty cheeses. The Twelve Days would be considered mild by American standards, but it is delicious none the less. England has a long tradition of doing special beers for Christmas, and I hope to try a few more during the holiday season.

Beer of the Moment - Olfabrikken Kloster Jule

This is the first of what I hope will be several beer of the moments devoted to special holiday releases. First up is the Kloster Jule from Olfabrikken, a small brewery in Roskilde, Denmark. The brewery was started in 2003 by a couple of Danish friends who had a passion for strongly flavored unpasteurized beers. There was some concern in the beer world when Olfabrikken was purchased by Gourmetbryggeriet early this year, but judging by the taste of this beer, I think some of the concerns can be laid to rest.

The Kloster Jule is a belgian strong ale, that includes an addition of Danish sour cherries, candy sugar and licorice root. It is everything a great Christmas beer should be. The 9.5 percent alcohol gives it some warmth, the cherries add some tartness, and the malt gives off some nice chocolate notes. The smell and the taste are wonderful, and would be a great addition to the holiday meal table, or as an after dinner drink.

Beer of the Moment - Peche Mortel

Yes, its been awhile since I have posted a Beer of the Moment. My original idea for this beer was to pick a 'summer but not summer beer'. Well, after having my first bottle of Peche Mortel, that post will have to wait. Peche Mortel is definitely not what one would consider a summer beer, but good beer doesn't care about what season it is.

Peche Mortel is brewed by Dieu du Ciel a small brewpub/brewery in Montreal, Canada, that makes a variety of styles from Belgians to American IPA's. The beer they are best known for is the Peche Mortel, a highly rated Imperial Stout that combines the intense richness of coffee with a deep roasted malts. The taste is one to savor, with cocoa intermingling with the coffee, and a great creamy mouthfeel. This reminds me of the Pisgah Valdez, only with a bit more body. Coffee lovers, stout lovers, or just beer lovers should definitely run to Bruisin' Ales to pick one up, as supplies are limited. While picking this up, you should look over the full selection of Dieu Du Ciel beers. I also sampled the Rosee D'hibscus, which is a Belgian Wheat style ale brewed with you guessed it, hibiscus.

Beer of the Moment - Green Flash West Coast IPA

It looks like people are not the only things coming from California to Asheville these days. This week marked the introduction of two California breweries to the Asheville market, Lagunitas Brewing Company out of Petaluma and Green Flash Brewing out of Vista, near San Diego. San Diego has become quite the beer city over the past decade or so, and they are home to such heralded breweries as Stone, Port Brewing, and Ballast Point. Well you can add Green Flash to this list as well.

An interesting aside is how Green Flash Brewing got its name. A green flash is an optical phenomenon that occurs when the sun sets, and is best seen with a good view of the horizon on a clear day when certain atmospheric conditions are present. As seen in this picture, a hovering green 'flash' occurs just over the setting sun for a few fleeting seconds. We may not be in the right locale to see a green flash, but we are fortunate that we can drink a great San Diego export while we dream about sitting on a west coast beach at sunset.

The appropriately named West Coast IPA is an excellent example of the tradition of highly hopped beers coming from that part of the country. The beer is unfiltered, so don't be alarmed by its hazy appearance, and it has a beautiful copper color. The taste is all about the hops, and it exhibits both grapefruit and piney flavors that make for a beer that any hop head will love. The malt is slightly sweet which helps to counteract the hop bitterness. This is truly one of the best 'west coast style' IPA's that I have had, and it is an excellent addition to our growing availability of good beers.

Beer(s) of the Moment - Samuel Adams Longshot

First of all, a confession. I don't drink Samuel Adams that much. I tend to support smaller craft breweries and local beers, but that doesn't mean I don't respect what they do. They sometimes get a bad rap for being too commercial, but I think that they should be applauded for both their history and their support of the craft brewing industry. Their television commercials are educational and emphasize ingredients and quality over misogynistic themes that accentuate the lowest common denominator. And it doesn't stop there. Recently, Sam Adams offered a very generous sale of hops to smaller brewers to help them out in the current hop shortage, and they offered the hops at cost, with no profit for themselves. I have to tip my hat to them, and the Longshot beer releases are just another way that Sam Adams supports brewers.

The Longshot contest occurs every year as a homebrewing competition, where the winners are announced at the Great American Beer Festival and Sam Adams promises to brew their beers to be released in a special six pack. Typically there are three beers in the six pack, two from the open competition between homebrewers and one beer for the best homebrew from a Sam Adams employee. This year was a little different, as only two beers are in the six pack. One of the winners this year was Mike McDole's Double IPA, but due to the unavailability of certain hops (there were seven in the recipe), it was not able to be included with this year's beer, but should be included in next year's batch.

Let's talk about the beer. First up is the Grape Pale Ale, a recipe created by Sam Adams employee Lili Hess. As the name suggests, this is a pale ale brewed with grapes and a surprising addition of maple syrup. The syrup lends a bit of sweetness to the beer, and of course there is a grape fruitiness as well, but overall the flavors are fairly mild and it makes for a pretty easy drinking pale ale that would be nice on a warm summer day.

The star of the six pack is the Weizenbock, brewed by Illinois homebrewer Rodney Kibzey. Weizenbocks are a fairly rare style of beer, sort of an amalgamation of a Hefeweizen and a Dopplebock, basically a strong dark wheat beer. Probably the best known beer of this style is Aventinus, a beer I love, so it's no surprise that I really liked this beer. It is dark, fruity, with a wonderful spicy finish. I would love to see more commercial representations of this style.

So the next time you walk into a grocery store and see a six pack of Sam Adams, just try to remember all the good things they have done and are doing for craft beer.

Beer of the Moment - Bell's Hopslam

While I have been professing my love for all things Belgian recently, I still consider myself a hophead, and I love a good double IPA. Thankfully, Bells has recently released this year's version of their Hopslam, a delectable double IPA that more than satiates my love for hops. Bells has been in the North Carolina market for a little over a year now, and they have proven to be quite a popular brewery, making some excellent stouts and also their Two Hearted Ale, a great hop showcase itself. But that beer only hints at the hop bomb that the Hopslam is.

The Hopslam pours a light orangish hue, and the smell only hints at the intense hop taste that explodes in your mouth upon the first sip. The hops are citrusy with tons of fresh hop flavor, but it is not as bitter as some and there is just enough malty sweetness to create some balance with the hops. This is truly one of the best Double IPA's in the country, rivaling some of the more well known West Coast versions of the beer. The beer is a whopping 10 percent alcohol, but it lacks any alcohol burn, making it surprisingly easy to drink for such a big beer.

This beer is a limited release and will likely only be available for a couple of weeks. If you love hops, I would definitely suggest picking up a six pack of this great tasting beer.

Beer of the Moment - Fantôme Saison

You may recall a post of mine back in October, where I talked about the Fantôme de Noel and lamented because I couldn't get beers from this brewery in Asheville. I'm proud to say that there is a new ghost in town.

I've had several Fantôme beers before, but I was never able to find their signature brew, the Saison. I certainly never expected it to be on the shelf at Bruisin' Ales on my return to North Carolina. But lo and behold, there it was, and after pinching myself several times, I quickly grabbed a couple of bottles.

First, a little bit about Saisons. Often called farmhouse ales, saisons were originally brewed for farm workers to be drank in the summertime, but thankfully for us, they are now available year round. One of the most unusual characteristics of Saisons is the high fermentation temperature that yields an often spicy, peppery finish. Up until just a few days ago, my favorite beer of this style was the Avec Les Bons Voeux, brewed by Brasserie Dupont. But I think I have a new favorite.

Fantôme's interpretation of the style is just about perfect. A melange of fruit, earth, spice, and sour combine to form a wonderfully complex taste without any one element overpowering the other. This is a fantastic beer, and my long wait to try it was not disappointing in the least. I suggest you pick up a bottle of it while it is available, because when the ghost disappears it might be a long while before you see it again.

Beer of the Moment - French Broad Wee Heavy-est

Yes, this is Bruisin Ale's Beer of the Month. And yes, I have already mentioned it before in a previous post. But I wanted to spotlight a local brew in this installment of Beer of the Moment, and what better way to do that then to highlight French Broad's first ever bottled brew.

First, I have some history with the Wee Heavy. This beer originated long ago at Jack of the Wood, when Jonas Rembert was the head brewer. When I moved here in 1997, JOTW was in its infancy, less than 6 months old. My wife and I were visiting to make plans for a possible move, and a long Saturday night at Jack of the Wood drinking Wee Heavys helped to seal the deal. This was a time when a handful of people would be at Jack on a Saturday night, a far cry from the much busier nights nowadays.

Well Jonas left Jack of the Wood in 2000, and he reintroduced the Wee Heavy after founding the French Broad Brewing Company. The beer has since seen a slight reformulation since North Carolina popped the 6 percent cap and it was renamed the Wee Heavy-er. And now, Drew Barton has put his own spin on the recipe with the latest incarnation of the beer, the Wee Heavy-est. This beer has even more malty goodness packed into it, and it appropriately weighs in at a hefty 9 percent. But that doesn't mean that this beer isn't drinkable. It retains its roots in taste to the original, but what really sets this beer in a different direction is the addition of belgian yeast, which adds a whole new level of complexity to the beer. I think it goes quite well with the rich caramel malts, and the yeast adds some fruitiness as well as some spice. This is a limited release, so be sure to get some as it won't last long. Drew also might surprise us with another bottled beer by the end of the year.

Beer of the Moment - Unibroue La Terrible

Its funny how things work. I had bought another beer with the intention of doing a 'Beer of the Moment', but then I opened up this bottle of Unibroue's La Terrible that I picked up on my trip to Durham. After one sip, I knew this was going to be the beer I was going to write about.

I have professed my love for Belgian style beers here before, and this beer hits all the right notes. There is the fruity, slightly funky aroma that is often associated with Belgian beer styles. The aroma gives just a few hints to what you are in store when you taste it. Before I go on, let me talk a little bit about Unibroue. First of all, they are not located in Belgium, but instead in the very French influenced city of Montreal. This brewery has been making Belgian style beers for nearly two decades, and they are most famous for their exceptional Belgian strong pale ale, La Fin Du Monde (and I'm feeling fine). They offer a wide variety of Belgian inspired beers, and for anyone who wants to dip their toes into Belgian beers, they are an excellent starting point.

Back to the beer. The taste is sublime. It pours a dark, nearly black color, with an effervescent head that tests your patience as it settles. As it hits your tongue, you can taste a little anise, a bit of caramel, and some fig like notes, which all come together in a very pleasant aftertaste that leaves you begging for another sip. This is one of those beers where I immediately wished that I had another one in the fridge. Run, do not walk, to your nearest specialty beer store to see if they have it in stock. I know for sure that it is at Bruisin' Ales, and this is a beer that should not be missed, and goes well with the cool nights that we are finally experiencing.

Beer of the Moment - Sierra Nevada Harvest Ale

A quick aside before I move on to the beer. Every time I sit down to write a Beer of the Moment, I inevitably start singing it to the tune of Asia's oh so catchy 80's super hit, Heat of the Moment. And now you can do the same. Maybe I can work up an entire song. "It was the beer of the moment, telling me what those hops meant". Well that's all I got so far.

Speaking of hops, (segue!) this moment's featured beer is a showcase of fresh hop taste. Eleven years ago, the folks at Sierra Nevada decided to brew a pale ale with 'wet' hops. How is this different you ask? Beers are traditionally brewed with dried hops that have been kilned to remove the moisture so that they can be preserved for use at a later date. This works out very well, but the drying process removes some of the natural resin and oil that is present. By brewing with freshly picked, or wet hops, you are able to retain the full flavor profile of the hop, which gives the beer a fresher, more oily hop taste. This is not an easy process, as hops begin to degrade as soon as they are picked. In order to retain the freshness of the hops, they are picked and shipped to the brewery where they must be ready to use the hops immediately. In Sierra Nevada's case, they get their hops from Yakima, Washington, which in turn are loaded on a truck that drives straight to Chico, California where they are unloaded and added to the boil, and all this usually happens within 48 hours. A few other brewers have followed suit, but there is obviously a catch. You have to be within close proximity to the hop source, so most fresh hop beers are produced by west coast breweries where a majority of the hops are grown.

Sierra has traditionally only released their Harvest Ale in kegs, but this year they decided to brew enough so that they could bottle it and distribute it nationally. Fortunately, we here in Asheville can pick up the special 24 ounce bottles, which are currently available at Bruisin' Ales and may be available elsewhere in limited quantities. The beer itself is a great testament to fresh hop taste. This is not a 'hop bomb', so those expecting some huge IPA may be disappointed. However, this beer is not lacking in hop flavor, and displays a wonderful herbal and grassy aroma. The hops dance on the tongue with an ever so slight bitterness, and a mild oily finish. This is a well balanced beer, and the malts provide a nice backbone to complement the hop flavor. Unlike some other beers, this is not meant to be laid down for any length of time. Drink this one as soon as possible, as the fresh hop taste will degrade over time. I have also seen this on tap in years past at both Barley's and Westville Pub, but this year you don't have to leave the house to try this wonderful beer.

Here is a direct link to Sierra Nevada's Harvest Ale page, and if you scroll down you can watch a video that talks about the history of the beer. I am only aware of one other fresh hop beer that we will see here in Asheville, Great Divide's Fresh Hop Pale Ale, which should be available in the next couple of weeks.

Beer of the Moment - Pannepøt

If I had to be confined to drinking beers from one particular country, I would probably choose Belgium. Now granted, the U.S. is a very close second, as we have a much larger variety of beer styles to choose from. But there is a complexity and depth of flavor that I experience with Belgian beers that is rarely reproduced in this country, with a few exceptions of course.

America's love for Belgian beers can be traced back to one person. Michael Jackson single handedly helped foster a love for Belgian beer in the states. Of course we are not talking about the one-gloved pop singer, but the English born beer writer whose books, the World Guide to Beer and The Great Beers of Belgium introduced the American drinking public to a whole new array of beer styles and tastes. He once called Belgium the 'Disneyland of beer', and having had many a Belgian ale I cannot disagree with him. Unfortunately, Michael Jackson passed away last Thursday, and his contributions to beer culture cannot be quantified.

I believe that if Michael Jackson had not written about the great beers of Belgium, I may not be sitting here drinking this wonderful Belgian strong ale today. Pannepøt is brewed by de Struise Brouwers, a relatively new brewery in Belgium, but the taste is reminiscent of other, more established Belgian breweries. The beer could be labeled a Quadrupel, which is a strong Belgian ale brewed with dark candied sugar, spices, and Belgian yeast. There is definitely an element of dark fruit to go along with the sweet sugar and a subtle but nice alcohol burn that is often associated with this style. At ten percent, it is a sipping beer, one to be savored with a good meal or a cool autumn night, which I hope will be here shortly. There are two versions of this beer, the Pannepot and the Pannepøt. The only difference on the bottle is the 'ø', which was especially brewed for the Danish market, but can be found here in the states. There are differences between the two beers, and the one with the regular 'o' is one of the highest rated beers on Beer Advocate and on Rate Beer, and from reading the reviews they are very similar in taste.

I hope that everyone will tip a glass of beer to Michael Jackson, who was instrumental in opening our eyes to great beers from around the globe.

Beer of the Moment - Mikkeller Beer Geek Breakfast Stout

Belgium. Germany. England. The United States. Each of these countries can arguably lay claim to be being one of the best beer regions in the world. But Scandinavia? Well something is brewing in the land of fjords, and it isn’t just socialized medicine. There is a craft beer movement afoot, one that would make Aegir, the Norse god of brewing, proud.

Would anyone have guessed that the number one rated beer on RateBeer.com would be from Sweden? The Närke Kaggen Stormaktsporter has gotten rave reviews for both its complexity and balance. Unfortunately, this is not available in the states. But there are a couple of other Scandanavian breweries that have made their way across the Atlantic, and they are available here in Asheville. Nøgne Ø is brewed in Lillesand, Norway, and has adopted several American beer styles into its repertoire (check this blog to read up on the Norwegian beer scene). I have seen their pale ale on the shelf at Bruisin’ Ales, but I have yet to pick one up. However, I was able to grab another beer from Scandinavia that has whetted my appetite for more beers from Northern Europe.

Mikkeller is a Danish brewery, the name being an amalgamation of the names of the homebrewers who started the brewery, Mikkel Borg Bjergsø and Kristian Klarup Keller. Within a year of brewing, they were named Brewery of the Year by the Danish Beer Enthusiasts, and after having a few sips of their Beer Geek Breakfast Stout, I can see why. The initial smell alone tells you what you are in for, with a coffee aroma that will definitely perk up your nose, and eventually your taste buds. This stout is as well crafted as any American Imperial Stout that I have come across. The coffee taste is prominent, but not overwhelming, and is complemented by hints of dark chocolate and toasted malt. This is a fine brew, and I hope to see more of Mikkeller’s offerings come to the states. The Beer Geek Breakfast Stout is available at Brusin’ Ales and Greenlife.

A friendly reminder to look at my calendar to the right to see what beer events are happening in the area. I will be attending both the Foothills Oktoberfest on Thursday night at Barleys, and the West meets East beer tasting event at Bruisin’ Ales on Saturday. If you see a bespectacled, tall, hairy blonde guy, be sure and say hello.

Beer(s) of the Moment

I can't promise a regularly scheduled beer review column, so I have aptly titled this post as 'Beer of the Moment'. I am hoping to occasionally post on beers available in the area that are worth taking a look at. So without further ado, on to the beers.

Sierra Nevada is celebrating their 27th Anniversary this year. It is amazing to think about how long they have been going at it, and their Pale Ale is partially responsible for the craft beer revolution we are experiencing today. Its nice to know that if I step foot into any town in America, it is likely that I can find a Sierra Nevada Pale Ale amongst the Bud, Miller, and Coors offerings that are so ubiquitous in grocery stores and gas stations everywhere. To celebrate their anniversary, they have released their Anniversary Ale, a highly hopped IPA that showcases the Cascade hop that Sierra Nevada has utilized for years. This is not an over the top IPA, but it shines with the fresh taste of the citrusy Cascade hops that has defined the West Coast style of beers for the past decade or so. At just under 6 percent alcohol, it is sessionable and tasty as well. I was able to pick up a 6 pack at Earthfare, but I imagine it could be found at most of the good beer stores in town over the next several weeks.

My second featured beer is Ommegedon, brewed by Ommegang, perhaps the best American example of Belgian style ales. This is a Belgian Pale Ale, not unlike a Duvel, but with a twist. It was bottled with a dose of Brettanomyces giving it an ever so slightly sour and funky finish that complements the subtle spices and candied sugar. The Brett is in the background now, but with a month or two of aging it should give this beer a more earthy finish. This is a limited release, so get it while you can. I bought mine at Bruisin' Ales.

I have added a calendar to the right side of the blog, and I hope to keep it updated with beer related events in the area.