Posted on 25 januari 2012. Tags: Beer review, Duff Beer
A Pale Lager
From Eschweger Klosterbrauerei, Germany
4.9& ABV. Currently in Beställningssortiment (nr 89972). Due for T9 launch Feb 1st with SB Art No 1590. 20.90SEK (330 ml bottle).
A very pale yellow, like Bart's skin colour when he's feeling unwell. Fizzy bleached white head. Doh!
Grassy, grainy, some very faint citrus but mostly corn chips. Smells industrial, as though it has been brewed at the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant. Doh!
Moderately sweet, some sweetcorn and caramel. Quite fizzy. To say it's light tasting would be an understatement on par with saying the universe is quite large. If there is any hop bitterness I couldn't find it. Doh!
A Krusty Burger? To be fair this beer is all about mates, summer days, saunas and slapstick fun. It's probably just best to drink it ice-cold while flashing food on the BBQ and then switch to something else when it's time to eat.
Nerd note
OK so you're probably going to be a fan of Homer and the Simpsons to buy this beer and on that level this is all a bit of fun. Amazingly the German brewery that produces it has apparently avoided any legal action from the Fox Broadcasting Company, stating it is their "own brand with no connection to the Simpsons from our perspective". Whatever you want to believe just as The Simpsons is a parody of modern American culture this novelty beer is a parody of the Reinheitsgebot. So take it for what it is - a funny beer with a cool name that's riding on the back of a cult TV show. I think it's appropriate to end here with the words of Homer himself: "All right, brain. You don't like me and I don't like you, but let's just do this and I can get back to killing you with beer".
Posted in Beer Reviews
Posted on 24 januari 2012. Tags: Beer review, BrewDog Abstrakt 08
A Deconstructed Blonde Imperial Stout (yes you read that right!)
From BrewDog, Fraserburgh, Scotland
11.8% ABV. SB Art No 11627-03. 125SEK (375ml bottle) (960 bottles being released Feb 1)
I really don't know what I was expecting. Imperial stouts are, almost without exception, very dark brown bordering on black. That's always been the way of it. Lots of dark malts makes the beer dark. It's a reliable fact of life, like getting a huge spot just before your big night out. Then this beer came along and upset the order of things. Now I wouldn't exactly call it blonde (strawberry blonde at a push perhaps) but it certainly throws you off the scent straight away by pouring a deep orange/amber with a thick off-white head.
Ok - so the eyes have been deceived. Time to trick your sense of smell. Coffee is the first thing that hits me, sending my mind spinning back to a bottle of Mikkeller Koppi Coffee IPA I had last year, only this beer's more intense and sweeter. Maple syrup, chocolate, oranges, oak and the faintest hint of liquorice. Despite its hefty ABV I get no obvious booze. The nose is nothing short of glorious. I could sniff it for hours.
By now I'm so confused anything could happen. This is a glutinous beer, with a thick, warming body and boy is it sweet! There's more than a suggestion of an American barley wine here - with chocolate and coffee added. Caramel and candy floss and a peppery (chilli?) finish. Ends a little hot.
What does one eat with a deconstructed blonde imperial stout? Nothing at all perhaps? It's certainly massive enough to be enjoyed on its own in a snifter glass (remember to let it warm up first to get the most out of it). However the sweet syrup notes blended with chocolate and coffee make this a fascinating dessert and cheese beer. What about a black liquorice creme brulee or a dangerously stinky gorgonzola, stilton or a hunk of 5 year+ aged English cheddar?
Nerd note
Six key ingredients went into this truly novel beer: Oats, liquorice, heavily toasted oak chips, cacoa, coffee and smoked malt. The oats help give the beer its incredibly thick, luscious mouthfeel while the cacoa was grated into the beer after fermentation to allow it to 'stew'. The beer was then aged on coffee beans to extract the flavour without transferring any of the colour and for good measure it was also aged on toasted oak chips for some roasted mellowness. For many reasons this is one of the most fun BrewDog beers I have experienced. I would love to see the beer style police try to pigeon-hole this one!
Please Note: I work with BrewDog in Scandinavia, so please consider this when reading my review.
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Posted on 23 januari 2012. Tags: Beer review, Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale 2011
An India Pale Ale
From Sierra Nevada Brewing Company, Chico, California
6.8% ABV. Systembolaget Article Number TBC. 27.90SEK (350ml bottle)
The first time I wrote about this beer I called it "one of the prettiest beers you'll ever see in a glass". I don't see any reason to change a word after pouring up this year's offering. As I wrote last year "the colour amber is often used to describe beer but Celebration Ale really is ultra AMBER. It’s the colour of sunsets you only ever see on holidays abroad".
Only fresh whole hops - the first of the US growing season - are used in this beer, giving it an intensely piney, grassy and 'green' aroma. In another style of beer you might say the hops smell young and unfinished. Here the fact they are so raw makes the beer what it is. But lets not forget the malts because this is an IPA with extra everything and the pale and caramel malts used provide a perfect stage for the hops while adding richness and thickness to the beer.
Hoppy orange marmalade/ spicy mango chutney flavours mixed in with green grass and violin rosin (what can I say - I played the violin as a kid and used to get bored easily). A rich English toffee backbone. An assertive, bordering on unsettling, bitter finish that surpasses the beer's 65 IBU rating and stings the sides of the tongue, remaining long after the glass is empty. This is a rough, tough yet charming powerhouse of a US beer. If Mickey Rourke was a beer he'd probably be this one.
Why not take the Chico brewery's own advice and pair this beer "with any wood-grilled steak, especially a ribeye with house-made steak sauce."
Nerd note
The brewery describes this annual classic as a fresh hop ale to highlight the use of fast picked whole hops cones that have been dried and shipped within seven days of harvest in the field.
It is brewed using US Cascade, Centennial and Chinook hops to a recipe that has not changed since 1983. That’s what makes this beer so fascinating because it demonstrates the concept of hop ‘vintage’ almost better than any other beer I know, with any annual fluctuations in flavours almost solely due to the quality and characteristics of that year’s hop harvest. Last year I rated it 4.3. This year I'm going a shade under that as I feel there's less fruit and more bitter edge than last year and right now I'm favouring drinkability in my beers. That could of course change at a moment's notice. That said this is a seasonal classic so whatever you do go and buy it, drink it, age it. Just don't miss it!
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Posted on 22 januari 2012. Tags: Mohawk Unfiltered Lager, Stefan Gustavsson
A Vienna Lager (with ambitions to be a pale ale)
From Mohawk Brewing Brewing Company (Stefan Gustavsson), Sweden. (brewed at De Proefbrouwerij, Belgium)
5.3& ABV. 35 IBUs. Coming to the Systembolaget June 1st. Currently available in selected restaurants & bars.
It has the orangy golden shimmer of a Vienna lager and the rawness of a homebrewed beer as it pours at first slightly hazy before getting progressively more and more cloudy as the yeast in the bottle mixes into the beer. Small, fragile white head. I just love the unfiltered look!
Oh what a difference from the last lager I reviewed! Not a hint of metal or artificial malt sweetness. Here there's a subtle hint of tangerines and toffee and lightly toasted white bread. Some flowers and cream too. Everything smells authentic, wholesome, handmade.
The key to this beer is not so much in its taste - although it delivers some deliciously juicy orange and passionfruit flavours - but it's the almost frightening ease in which you drink it. There is such an exquisite balance between the crisp German bittering hops and the 'fruit salad' US and NZ aroma and dry-hops that it's practically impossible to resist gulping it down. The unfiltered approach combined with bottle priming creates a satisfying and soft mouthfeel.
As the picture suggests this lager is the perfect counter to spicy Mexican food. I had my bottle together with strips of beef fried in garlic, chilli, cumin and lime, home-baked tortilla breads, oven-grilled vegetables with chill, garlic, coriander and goats cheese and all this served with guacamole and homemade salsa. It really doesn't get any better.
Nerd note
This is another beer from Swedish 'flying brewer' Stefan 'Mr Mohawk' Gustavsson brewed at De Proefbrouwerij in Belgium. It is described as a mash-up between a Vienna lager and a 'new world' pale ale - a description that is spot on in my book. Bottle conditioning means there is some yeast 'throw' in the bottle so it's up to you if you want to pour it gently or give it a whirl and slam it all into your glass. I'm a fan of the second approach! I'm not sure how many bottles are coming to the Systembolaget this June but I doubt if they are going to be enough. I'm coming out early with my predication that this is going to be one of the summer smashes of 2012!
Posted in Beer Reviews
Posted on 18 januari 2012. Tags: Beer review, Mariestads Old Ox
A Bock (this could be argued)
From Spendrups Bryggeri, Sweden
6.9% ABV. Systembolaget Article Number 1379. 16.90SEK (500ml bottle)
Pours a translucid golden yellow with a small white head that collapses very quickly, leaving small reminders of its rather forgettable existence on the glass.
This beer models itself on a bock, which by definition means you should expect a lager beer brewed with an abundance of malts to deliver a full-bodied, alcoholic beer. What I got was that fake malt sweetness you get from practically any typical Eurolager that's been amplified a bit by the booze. Plus almonds.
Light toffee sweetness, slightly grainy, wholemeal loaf, wet paper and a little oily mouthfeel thanks to the ABV. My biggest issue was the faint taste of metal, as though the bags of malt used to brew the beer had been left in a car workshop the night before mashing in and had somehow absorbed a touch of engine block. A surprisingly sharp mineral bitter finish. Alcohol is present but not brutal. To cut a long story short it's a competent strong industrial lager that's pretty cheap to buy.
The alcohol muscle in this beer enables it to pair well with more 'meaty' and intense flavoured fish such as salmon and spicy Asian dishes. Why not combine the two and serve with grilled/baked salmon that has been marinated in olive oil, sesame oil, rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, brown sugar, pressed garlic, pepper and chopped onion?
Nerd note
Old Ox was originally the flagship brand of the original brewery in Mariestad and launched back in 1957. It was a shade stronger then at 7.2% but was altered around 2008 by Spendrups apparently because of the high costs of malt at the time. The name Old Ox is a reference to the city's coat of arms. It has also recently been launched in a 500ml can.
Posted in Beer Reviews
Posted on 25 november 2011. Tags: Beer review, Brasserie Theillier, La Bavaisienne Ambrée
A Biere De Garde
From Brasserie Theillier, France
6.5% ABV. SB Art No. 89035. 29.00SEK (250ml bottle) Beställningssortiment Only (case of 24)
Beautiful clear burnt orange colour with a frothy cinnamon-coloured head. Kind of reminds me of vintage leather, like one of those cool tan leather jackets Steve McQueen (and my dad) used to wear in the 70s.
There's a colossal amount of caramel and Seville orange coming through. It's a masterclass in how to tease the most out of malt. There's some perfume and spiciness in there to - a hint of the Bazaar....
Although the mouthfeel is a little thin it is still quite creamy. Lots of soft butter, orange and woody spices, finishing with a snappy burnt bitterness that neatly balances the candy sweetness.
Biere De Gardes are one of my favourite food beers because of their rich, subtly spicy character, wide range of fruity esters, restrained phenols in the nose, and relatively lively carbonation. This 'thriller from Theillier' should work well with veal, lamb or pork as well as with a variety of seafood, salads and spicy soups.
Nerd note
Brasserie Theillier is a 'picture postcard' of a farmhouse brewery in the sleepy village of Bavay in northern France. with an annual production of just 25,000L. It was started around 1850 and the current Head Brewer Michel Theillier is the seventh generation of his family to continue the tradition of producing hand-crafted beers.
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Posted on 18 november 2011. Tags: Stone Brewing Co, Stone Old Guardian Belgo-Barley Wine
A Barley Wine
From Stone Brewing Comapny, California, USA
12% ABV. SB ARt No 11158. 80.20SEK (650ml bottle)
A coppery amber crowned with an egg-white head that tries valiantly to smother the alcoholic body of this beer but quickly realises it’s a battle it can never win and capitulates, fizzling away to nothing. Swirl the glass and the sticky lacing hints of the sweetness to come…..
Like freshly dipped toffee apples rolled in hop leaves and candyfloss. Wood and caramel too, with some herby phenolic spices, particularly cloves.
This beer has more character than Robin Williams on Red Bull in his Mork and Mindy days. It starts insanely sweet, with loud flavours of rich malty caramel and toast, then somehow manages to turn a little sour with hints of unripe cherries before morphing into a sharp hot citrus finish. But hang on…..it’s not over yet. Just wait another 15 seconds and KAPOW – the hops sucker-punch you and tazer your tongue!
To be honest I’m not sure. A gruyere might help to temper it a bit but I doubt it so I’d probably try and find the most stinky, radioactive hunk of mouldy cheese I could find and see if it’s brave enough to take this one on. Whatever you pair it with it better have some big flavours!
Nerd note
This odd beer was created when Stone’s brewing team spiked a few barrels of their Old Guardian Barley Wine with their house Belgian yeast strain, It is part of an ‘Odd Beers for Odd Years' program, in which the pioneering US brewery plans to release quirky beers in years ending with odd numbers (2011, 2013, 2015 etc).
Posted in Beer Reviews
Posted on 17 november 2011.
A Coffee Stout
From Nils Oscar, Sweden
6.4% ABV. SB Art No. 110277. 21.90SEK (330ml bottle)
Pours a clear red mahogany brown with a latte-coloured head that collapses pretty quickly to a 'petri dish' finish.
Certainly lives up to its name, with a distinct aroma of freshly ground coffee, dark chocolate, nutmeg and suggestions of berry fruits. Also smells of stainless steel when cold, so let this warm up a bit if you've been keeping it in the fridge.
Initially a creamy mouthfeel - almost as though this coffee stout has some steamed milk in it - and a crisp, roasted coffee flavour, combined with some subtle medium-sweet red berry flavours and hazelnuts. Towards the end things get a little more 'uncomfortable' as the beer's mouthfeel loses a bit of its fullness and finishes slightly sour as the roasted flavour shifts from standard coffee to expresso, leaving a slightly burnt bitter and salty (?) aftertaste that lingers for a long time after the glass is empty. Complex and intriguing.
The obvious fit would seem to be any dessert that has coffee and/or chocolate flavours in it. However as this is pretty safe bet why not take more of a risk and pair it with älgwallenbergarna (a kind of posh elk 'burger') or chicken with a coffee mole sauce?
Nerd note
Nils Oscar turned to Swedish coffee roastery Johan & Nyström for advice on which coffee to use - an expresso made from coffee from Fazenda Ambiental Fortaleza in Brasil which in known for its sweetness and fruitiness as the coffee plant fruit is left to ripen fully before being picked and dried in the sun.
Posted in Beer Reviews
Posted on 25 oktober 2011. Tags: Review, Stallhagen Baltic Porter
A Baltic Porter
From Stallhagen
7% ABV. 500ml bottle. Gift. Currently not available at monopoly.
You can hear the head as it froths into life during the pour and then fizzle like one of those firework sparklers as it vanishes in seconds, leaving absolutely nothing behind except an almost pitch black flat-looking beer. Not particularly pretty.
Milk chocolate and cling-film. Roasted nuts, brown bread, some faint cigar ash and treacle. Nice, but like the island it comes from it's somewhere in between one thing and another......
Almost flat in the mouth, as though the effort of the pour ripped most of the CO2 from the beer. Some coffee-creamer lactic action over milk chocolate and prunes. Medium-sweet slightly underweight body and a mild lightly smoked bitter finish.
A ‘tame’ Baltic Porter like this adds depth to your meat marinade recipe both to the flavour and to give tenderness to grilled meats. It should also pair well paired with boiled ham and mustard dressing (something to bear in mind at Christmas approaches).
Nerd note
The name Stallhagen comes from the area the brewery occupies in Åland, which was used by the Swedish King Gustav Vasa in the beginning of the 16th century while visiting the island. His residence had stables (stall) and an enclosed pasture (hage), hence the name Stallhagen. The brewery was founded in 1865 and brewed until 1938. Some 66 years later in 2004 it reopened for business.
Posted in Beer Reviews
Posted on 05 oktober 2011. Tags: Old Tom, Robinsons Brewery, Strong ale
A Strong Ale
From Robinsons Brewery, UK.
8.5% ABV. Systembolaget Article Number 1624. 24.80SEK (330ml bottle)
Pours a carnelian reddish-brown with a fizzy cream head that dissipates quickly into nothing. Whirl the glass and you get some nice sticky lacing that hints at the sweetness that lies ahead. If an ale could look 'old' (in a good way) it would look something like this. Perfect!
Lots going on! There's a candy and fruit element dominating here, like Crème de Cassis meets melted red winegums. Add a hint of coffee, subtle toffee, alcohol, wood and a sprinkle of wet earth. My notes read "a British Belgium?" referring to my flashbacks to young Belgium quardruples with this beer's malty, marzipan and spicy nose.
Plummy and syrupy up front, with peppery hops from the get-go that build and build then linger. This beer is more British than the Queen, with the elegance and body of Helen Mirran and all the fruit of Graham Norton. Powerful yet artful it finishes in a drying port wine-like finale.
From the picture you can see I tried Old Tom with some home-baked Blueberry sponge and it was a good match. Even better might be a slice of fruitcake or why not wait until Christmas and pair it with some traditional English mince pies? The port wine references shouldn't be overlooked, making this a clear winner with blue cheeses like Stilton.
Nerd note
Old Tom Original Strong Ale has been named by British real ale organisation CAMRA as the Supreme Champion Winter Beer of Britain no less than three times as well as World’s Best Dark Ale, The World’s Best Strong Ale and the Worlds Best Barley Wine at the World Beer Awards. You get the idea - this beer comes highly recommended! Rightfully so too, as it is a truly stunning example of a British strong ale.
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