The BeerCast

Of all the beer styles out there (and there are plenty), one of the most complex has to be the Saison. Deriving from the Francophone word for ‘season’ these beers were drunk by thirsty Walloon farmhands during the summer harvest, having been brewed during the previous winter and stored over spring. Consequently they had to be refreshing and relatively low in alcohol (farm implements and 9% ales not tending to complement each other). In some cases, they were distributed to the workers instead of water – so were very weak. As they had to last two seasons before being drunk they were quite highly hopped.

When Beer Hunter Michael Jackson visited the Dupont brewery in 1991, head brewer Marc Rosier told him that a saison “must be a good, honest beer. It should have character. It is essential that it has soul.” So were these beers treasured by the brewers as a classic Belgian style, or seen as the brewing equivalent of silage for the workers? Over the years, the style waned in popularity so much that it almost became endangered – only in the Walloon province of Hainaut were brewers still regularly making them. But, thankfully, the style recovered and more European – and then American – producers began adding a saison to their range.

Alongside the fact that today’s brewers are keen to re-establish links to the past, another reason for the resurgence in saisons could be the freedom they impart. These days Belgian farmworkers probably drink something very different (the non-mechanised ones, anyway) – so the modern-day saison need not be around 3%. The mix and balance of hops are completely up to the brewer, as are the addition of other flavours – spices, herbs, etc. They can be the traditional golden haze right up to darker, punchier examples. Basically, as long as there’s a whiff of the barnyard about it, anything goes for the saison.

In that spirit, three of the leading faces of America’s craft beer revolution have combined to produce a collaboration beer (surely the hot topic of last year) – and they decided to produce a saison. Dogfish Head, Stone and Victory brewing put out some fantastic beers. In fact between them they probably produce three of the best American IPA’s available (90 minute IPA, Ruination IPA and Hop Devil, respectively). Back in 2003 the CEO’s of these three breweries formed BUFF – Brewers United for Freedom of Flavor [sic] – so their new collaboration was named Saison du Buff.

Brewed once by each of the three, to the same recipe, the saison was released in 2010 in a different bottle depending on whose version it was. We managed to get hold of the Stone variant, which comes in their flagship smokey etched bottle. It pours like a true saison – massively foamy with a big pillowy head over the hazy yellow beer. The thing that separates Saison du Buff from other modern interpretations are the adjuncts – each of these three versions also contains sage, parsley, rosemary and thyme. This shows in the herbal sweetness on the nose, with a touch of grass and that distinctive barnyard straw tang.

If the nose – which is really something – yields only a ‘mixed herb’ aroma, on the palate some begin to define themselves. Rosemary is the one that came across the most – arguably the strongest-tasting of the four herbs. The parsley and thyme remain in the faintly vegetal background, and to be honest it’s so long since I’ve tasted sage I probably couldn’t pick it out anyway – but the mix of flavours is fascinating. As you’re thinking about this, the alcohol finish comes on (Saison du Buff is 6%) and really finishes off the beer well. It’s an incredibly interesting collaboration and fantastically drinkable.

BeerCast 58, and on this particular podcast we deal with some extremely lengthily-titled Americans. Shovels went on a pre-Christmas sun trip to Florida, and as we’re never off-duty brought back a selection of strong American craft beers for us to review – not to mention the receipts for a $130 round trip to get them. We open up the show with Sierra Nevada Southern Hemisphere Harvest 2010 (6.7%), before moving up the west coast to Oregon for Rogue Dry Hopped St. Rogue Red Ale (5.2%) – a malty red ale to balance the pale-heavy podcast. Next beer up is Hoppin’ Frog Hoppin’ to Heaven IPA (6.8%) from Akron in Ohio, before we finish on the strongest of the night – Southern Tier UnEarthly Imperial IPA (11.0%). Will his expensive beer run have been worth it? Joining Shovels are Grooben, Richard, and MrB.




1. Southern Hemisphere Harvest 2010 (6.7%abv)
Sierra Nevada Brewing Co, Chico, California.
22oz US glass bottle

On the 5th of November 1980, the Sierra Nevada brewery produced the first batch of their now-famous Pale Ale. Founded just the year before in Chico by ex-homebrewer Ken Grossman, they have gone on to become one of the largest and highest rated breweries in America. We wouldn’t be any kind of beer website not to feature plenty of SN output – we sampled their Porter in BeerCast #21 and their Estate 2009 in BeerCast #50 – the autumnal version of the beer we sample tonight. Fresh hops from New Zealand are freighted to California for a spring Harvest ale from the Southern Hemisphere.

What They Say -
“Robust hop character presents an intriguing floral-citrus aroma leading to layers of fresh-hop spiciness. Enjoy!” [Official Website]

What We Say…
Richard – Has a vinous, winey character and I think it’s very very nice 9
Shovels – I shouldn’t compare to the Harvest, but I just prefer that 8½
MrB – SN grow hops, so why ship them from NZ? Is there that striking a difference? I’m loving the beer but I’m not getting the point 8½
Grooben – Tough to distinguish from the other, I’m not complaining 8

2. Dry Hopped St. Rogue Red Ale (5.2%abv)
Rogue Ales, Newport, Oregon.
22oz US glass bottle

Rogue began life in the Oregon city of Ashland in 1988. A group of college friends decided to make the familiar jump from homebrewing into something more serious – it must have helped that one of them was also an accountant. After less than a year in Ashland they relocated to larger premises in coastal Newport, and have since gone from strength to strength, having produced over sixty beers, and won countless awards. Fond of long names, we sampled their Morimoto Black Obi Soba Ale in BeerCast #53, and this time we get to grips with their dry hopped red ale, St Rogue.

What They Say -
“Reddish copper in color, a roasty malt flavor with a hoppy sprucy finish.” [Official Website]

What We Say…
Grooben – It’s not strong, but has a beautiful rounded maltiness 8½
MrB – I wish there was a bit more sparkle to it, but it’s amazing 8½
Shovels – Subtle and mild, I really love the aroma 8½
Richard – I like that sweet maltiness that doesn’t take over 8½

3. Hoppin’ to Heaven IPA (6.8%abv)
Hoppin’ Frog Brewery, Akron, Ohio.
22oz US glass bottle

Continuing our theme, Hoppin’ Frog were founded in 2006 by another ex-homebrewer, Fred Karm. After brewing his own back in the 90′s, he worked for Akron area microbrewpub Thirsty Dog, until they ceased production in 2005. Spotting an opportunity, Fred bought the brewing gear and set up on his own. Having been nicknamed ‘the frog’ because of his mastery of hops, he named the new venture Hoppin’ Frog. Within two years, Fred had to expand to premises three times the size to keep up with demand.

What They Say -
“A classic, robust American IPA with a spicy, assertive citrusy American hop character balanced with a full-bodied, rich malt taste.” [Official Website]

What We Say…
MrB – Hoppy, sweet and sparkly – almost Belgian-esque 8½
Richard – Love that hop flavour, really effervescent on the palate 8½
Shovels – There’s a narrow intensity that’s really nice 8
Grooben – Sweet with big floaty chunks, love the frog 8

4. UnEarthly Imperial IPA (11.0%abv)
Southern Tier Brewing Co, Lakewood, New York.
22oz US glass bottle

The far south-western pointy corner of New York State is known as the Southern Tier – and back in 2002 Phineas DeMink and Allen ‘Skip’ Yahn decided to bring brewing back to the tier. Their two early flagships were a pilsner and a mild, but things really took off for them with the release of an IPA. They produce a staggering array of Imperials – an imperial extra pale ale, imperial red ale, imperial black ale, imperial hefeweizen, oak-aged imperial IPA, imperial oatmeal stout, imperial pumpkin ale, imperial lager, and an imperial crème brulee milk stout. Tonight we sample their imperial IPA UnEarthly, the abv of which varies depending on the batch – ours charges in at 11%.

What They Say -
“An Uninhibited Infusion of Hops. We continue our commitment to innovation with our most aggressive offering yet. Unearthly is a manifestation of the brewers crafts, skilfully balancing art and the forces of nature to produce a divine liquid.” [Official Website]

What We Say…
MrB – It moves slower than water – I don’t like sweet things in the slightest but the hops are just enough 8
Richard – It’s like drinking pineapple hop treacle 7½
Shovels – It’s harder core than Hardcore IPA, that’s for sure 7
Grooben – Struggling with this one, it’s just too syrupy everywhere 5½

Panellists – (clockwise from top left) Grooben, MrB, Shovels, Richard

BeerCast panel verdict
Sierra Nevada Southern Hemisphere Harvest 2010 34/40
Rogue St Rogue Dry Hopped Red Ale 34/40
Hoppin’ Frog Hoppin’ to Heaven IPA 33½/40
Southern Tier UnEarthly Imperial IPA 28/40

Please keep those comments and emails coming in, and check back in a couple of weeks for our next podcast – a showcase special featuring Warwickshire’s Purity Brewery. Stay tuned…

Back in November we brought you the summary of a tasting hosted by the UK’s leading Ratebeer.com exponent, Craig Garvie. Having powered through 6,200 beers and sakes, Craig decided to get a regular group together to taste unusual beers and have a social occasion at the same time. Like a book group, except with less Jane Austen. Anyway, mid-January seemed like a good time to do it again, so the BeerCast descended on Craig’s house with a few beers – the infamous Garlic Beer amongst them (which amazingly he liked).

To give you an idea of what was to come, the warmup beer was one of the ’100 Belgian beers to try before you die’ (from the book of the same name) – Fantôme Black Ghost (8%), an unusually spiced farmhouse ale. Sour and yeasty, it set the tone for the evening, as rare and expensive beers appeared left right and centre. Not to mention beers that score in the uppermost percentiles on the ticker websites. Bells Java Stout (7.5%) and Goose Island Fleur (7%) were up next, both fascinatingly interesting.

There was no time to rest, however, as we moved on to the big guns – possibly the biggest of all American craft beer guns – Three Floyds Darklord (15%). Such is the mystique that surrounds this particular beer, it deserves it’s own individual review – so check back for our thoughts later. In Ratebeer’s recently announced Top 50 global beers, Darklord placed fourth. Just as I was thinking how impressive that was – the next beer up was even higher on that list.

Hailing from Örebro in Sweden, Närke Kaggen Stormaktsporter (9.5%) is currently joint top of Ratebeer’s rankings. Out of the many tens of thousands of beers listed, it sits atop the pile with an aggregate score of 4.48 out of 5. Only the peerless Westvleteren 12 stands shoulder to shoulder with this Scandinavian imperial porter, having currently achieved the same score. Whether you consider it to be the joint best beer in the world or not, that’s a pretty impressive achievement.

As expected, it pours a thick, gloopy black with no head. The aromas and flavours of Kaggen Stormaktsporter are almost hard to put into words – it’s extremely viscous, with an oaky, slightly smoked finish. Big alcohol backbone reminiscent of Madeira or sherry, with a sweetness that gives way to alcohol burn. What else is there to say? These beers are so complex everyone has a different opinion – I’m just glad that I got to sample them to add mine to the mix (my score being 4.1, by the way).

From there, the big beers kept on coming. Another astonishingly rare bottle came out next – Lost Abbey’s now-retired Veritas Ale 003 (8.0%) – a blend of three of their other beers, which apparently fetches up to $300 a bottle on eBay. Only sour fans would contemplate that kind of outlay – incredibly tart, sharp and puckering – pickled onions, gooseberries and balsamic vinegar was what I wrote down. Just too sour for me.

We then whizzed through a few more – Mikkeller Funk(e)* or fung’ke e’st r (9.4%), a Brettanomyces aged, yet quite honeylike Belgian-style beer with a bizarre name (apparently it reads as funky easter), then De Molen Stoombier Gedrooghopt Safir (5.6%), and from Australia the 5.8% Cascade Stout. We still had time for more rareness – Firestone Walker Eleven (11%) and Thirteen (12%), two more retired barrel-aged imperials full of sweet syrupyness.

I had time for a nip of one of the few BrewDog beers I’ve not tried – Sink the Bismarck (41%) – the massively hopped IPA slipped me by when it was released, and having tried all the other abv war ‘beers’, I gave it a go. It’s quite something on the nose – enormous alcohol aroma, combined with a massive hop presence. It tastes of burning heather honey, pine air freshner and Dettol. Extremely oily and astringent, more liqueur than beer – it’s incredibly fascinating.

Anyway, time was drawing to a close, and we powered on to yet another limited edition beer – Goose Island Bourbon Country Rare (13.5%), which comes in a single malt-style presentation box. Big pruney bourbon aromas dominate this one, with a massive whisky taste combined with a dark sweetness. It’s so astringent that there’s actually a kick to the back of the throat at the moment of swallowing – a challenging brew, no doubt.

Time to wrap up this post – as ever it could be almost three times in length. Finishing with the strangest beer on the agenda – Baladin’s Xyauyù (13.5%), and not just for the spellcheck-challenging name. I’ll replicate here my tasting notes, written at the time, to try and sum up this Italian monster… Thin viscous browny-red. Grain whiskyish sake aroma. Flavours of raisins? Whisky/cognac palate. Cloyingly sweet. Marzipan. Brown sugar – Demerara.

Massive thanks to Craig for the tasting, and to all those who brought these spectacular beers along.

Following on from showcasing the excellent Kernel Brewery, our 53rd BeerCast takes a look at one of the traditional styles of Europe – Schwarzbiers. These dark lagers from Thuringia and Saxony have spread to breweries across the world, keen the experiment with the characteristic bitter malty style. We sampled the market leader (in terms of sales) – Köstritzer Schwarzbier – back in BeerCast #25. This time we try two German examples, and two American – Kulmbacher Mönschof (4.9%) from Eastern Bavaria is our first beer, before we sample Hummel-Brau Cowboy (5.0%) from Bamberg in Franconia. Our third beer is Saranac Black Forest (5.2%) from the Matt Brewing Co in Utica, New York, before we finish with compatriot Oregon’s Rogue Brewing Co – Morimoto Black Obi Soba Ale (5.0%). We also have a fifth beer – an exclusive (at the time) tasting of the new 5.5% Hefeweizen from Edinburgh’s Stewart Brewing, sampled two weeks before the official release date. On the panel today are Grooben, Richard, MrB and Shovels.



1. Kulmbacher Mönschof Schwarzbier (4.9%abv)
Kulmbacher Brauerei, Kulmbach, Bavaria, Germany.
500ml glass bottle

Bavaria is the birthplace of many a beer style – and both of tonight’s German schwarzbiers hail from that southerly state. The first comes from the town of Kulmbach – twin town of Scotland’s own Kilmarnock – and home to the largest museum in the world devoted to tin soldiers. The Kulmbacher Brauerei produce a range of traditional German-style beers under a variety of labels. “Mönschof” beers were produced by Kulmbacher Mönchshof Bräu until they were absorbed by the larger Kulmbacher Brauerei in 1999.

What They Say -
“Mönchshof Schwarzbier- “the Black Pils”- is a brewing wonder and a brew-lover’s dream. Supremely drinkable, dry and beautifully hopped, yet loaded with dark malt flavour.” [Official Website]

What We Say…
Richard – Smoky aroma, bitter chocolate aftertaste, it’s tremendous 9
MrB – Malty German lager, I’m absolutely loving this 8½
Grooben – As a schwarzbier, I prefer this to Köstritzer 8
Shovels – Got a little bit of smoke, big caramel hit at the end 8

2. Hummel-Brau Cowboy (5.0%abv)
Brauerei Hummel Merkendorf, Bamberg, Upper Franconia, Germany
500ml glass bottle

The Brauerei Julius Hummel were founded in 1846 in the brewery-packed region of Franconia. The most famous style to emerge from here is the infamous smoked Rauchbier (once summed up by MrB as like “drinking hotdogs in a blender”). In comparison with the rest of Bavaria, beers that emerge from Franconia tend to slightly hoppier – those that don’t taste like a packet of smoky bacon crisps, anyhow. As with Kulmbacher, Hummel-Brau put out the standard range of teutonic tipples, all with the same distinctive triple crowned labelling system – apart from their schwarzbier, which for some reason features a rodeo cowboy.

What We Say…
MrB – A non-offensive dark lager-based beer 5
Grooben – Not black, no roasty maltiness – why is it a schwarzbier? 5
Shovels – I would drink it again if someone bought it for me 5
Richard – Smells like stewed tea, watery and too thin 4

3. Saranac Black Forest (5.2%abv)
Saranac/Matt Brewing Co, Utica, New York, USA.
355ml glass bottle

The Matt Brewing Company may not be based in Germany, but they have the historical links to the schwarzbierland – founder Francis Xavier Matt was a German-born immigrant to the USA when he founded the company in 1888. His sons carried on – and today the Matt Brewing Company is in the hands of the fourth generation of his descendants, still brewing German-themed beers in the foothills of the Adirondacks. The Saranac brand is named after a nearby lake, which itself comes from the Iroquois word for ‘cluster of stars’.

What They Say -
“A Bavarian black beer with caramel malt sweetness and trademark rich, creamy head. A fitting homage to our Grandfather’s apprenticeship at the Duke of Baden’s brewery in Germany’s Black Forest region.” [Official Website]

What We Say…
Shovels – Quite a nice balance of the added sweetness and the malt 7
MrB – Tastes like an Anchor special, some sugar on the tongue 7
Grooben – Nice red colour, decent fruity blackcurrant taste 7
Richard – Like drinking a black forest gateaux, gets a bit sweet 6½

4. Morimoto Black Obi Soba Ale (5.0%abv)
Rogue Brewing Co, Newport, Oregon, USA.
750ml glass bottle

The Rogue brewery began life exactly 100 years after Matt Brewing, on the other side of the continent in Ashland, Oregon. A group of college friends decided to make the familiar jump from homebrewing into something more serious – it must have helped that one of them was also an accountant. After less than a year in Ashland they relocated to larger premises in coastal Newport in 1989, and have since gone from strength to strength, having produced over sixty beers, and won countless awards. Although not technically a schwarzbier, their Morimoto Obi Soba Ale is black, and is dedicated to their distributor in Japan.

What They Say -
“A richer version of our Soba Ale with the addition of specialty malts and a special blend of hops to give it a fuller, nutty flavor while retaining a clean, crisp finish.” [Official Website]

What We Say…
MrB – Looks like a bottle of soy sauce, smells like teryaki 8½
Grooben – Does have a soy kind of thing going on, an excellent beer 8
Shovels – The most complicated beer tonight, quite earthy 7½
Richard – Every taste is different – sherry, soy, roasty, salty, it’s fascinatingly interesting 7

5. Stewart Hefeweizen (5.5%abv)
Stewart Brewing, Loanhead, Midlothian, Scotland.
330ml glass bottle

We also featured a bonus fifth (non-schwarz)beer on the podcast – Stewart Hefeweizen. The Stewart Brewery based just outside the BeerCast’s home city are obviously no stranger to us – yet although we’ve reviewed most of their beers, we’ve never actually featured any on our BeerCasts. A good chance to make amends for that was when Steve Stewart gave us some pre-release samples of their brand new hefeweizen. We put out a detailed review as part of the 45th Session on wheat beer, but at the time of recording, this was our first taste of the new beer. It has since become publicly available following a launch at Edinburgh’s Cloisters pub on the 16th of November.

What They Say -
“Fermented with a classic wheat beer yeast this is a cloudy, complex and beautiful beer with aromas of cloves, banana, blueberries and subtle spices.  A blend of Maris Otter, Wheat, Oats and Caramalt combine to create a creamy texture and a golden hue.” [Official Website]

What We Say…
Shovels – Tastes more Belgian, the spice comes out in the aftertaste 8
Richard – Warm it tastes of custard creams, cloves and pear too 7½
MrB – Smells and tastes of bananas, very highly carbonated 7
Grooben – Got a hint of pear, there’s complexity when it warms 7

Panellists – (clockwise from top left) Grooben, MrB, Shovels, Richard

BeerCast panel verdict
Kulmbacher Mönschof Schwarzbier 33½/40
Rogue Morimoto Black Obi Soba Ale 31/40
Stewart Brewing Hefeweizen 29½/40
Matt Brewing Co Saranac Black Forest 27½/40
Hummel-Brau Cowboy Schwarzbier 19/40

Please keep those comments and emails coming in, and check back in a couple of weeks for our 54th BeerCast…the final ‘regular’ BeerCast of the year, before our annual Christmas Special, and then the excitement of our 2010 Beer of the Year Show. Who will make it? Stay tuned…

If you combine a random Thursday night with a 25% sale at your local bottle shop (Appellation Wine), then to me a random selection of American craft beers is the result. Doug Odell was in the UK earlier in the year, and gave a tutored tasting of his beers at Appellation – which we missed, thanks to a cruel twist of fate. As a result of his visit, several Odell beers are now available here, so I picked up one I’d not had before – St Lupulin Extra Pale Ale (6.5%) – along with a couple from Longmont’s Left Hand Brewery – Blackjack Porter (5.8%) and Sawtooth Ale (4.8%). A second porter seemed in order to balance the two hoppy ales, so into the basket went Anchor Porter (5.6%).



Left Hand Sawtooth Ale (4.8%)
Left Hand Brewing Company, Longmont CO
355ml bottle
First out of the gate was an ESB – Left Hand’s Sawtooth Ale – the first beer they ever brewed, which has now become their most popular. I’ve always thought ESB’s are a good fit for American craft brewers, being punchier than the traditional British bitter. They can be fired out as a 5%ish session beer for the US drinkers who would prefer something a bit weightier than the 3.8% long-drinkers over here. Sawtooth pours a clear copper colour with a fluffy white head. Aromas of hops, caramel and toffee continue into the flavour, which becomes quite sweet as the caramel tastes come out on the finish.

Odell St Lupulin Extra Pale Ale (6.5%)
Odell Brewing Company, Fort Collins CO
355ml bottle
It’s pretty much impossible to feature four American craft beers without at least one heavy on the hops. Odell’s EPA (we’re heavy on the acronyms tonight) pours a lovely golden colour, and has a wonderful citrus hop aroma. On the palate, it’s like a glass of 5-Alive – lemons, passion fruit, mango – together with a touch of sweetness that leads to a mildly bitter aftertaste. Odell’s summer seasonal (first released in 2009), it really hides the alcohol very well. The warm days may be a memory, but it still tastes pretty good on a Scottish November night. St Lupulin may be fictional, but we have no objections to raising a glass to him.

Left Hand Blackjack Porter (5.8%)
Left Hand Brewing Company, Longmont CO
355ml bottle
Given that we are in November and the clocks have fallen well and truly back, it has to be Porter time. Nothing combats a gale-wracked, window-rattling evening like a smooth, roasty brew – so the last two selections from the fast-emptying fridge at Appellation were two darker beers. Firstly, Left Hand Blackjack Porter – which pours the pre-requisite dark blackish brown with the short-lived tan head. The aroma is actually pretty smoky, alongside the roasted malts. Roasted coffee is the first flavour, before the smoke pays another visit, leading into the aftertaste. The almost 6% alcohol really isn’t that prevalent other than as a gentle warming – which is as it should be for the style.

Anchor Porter (5.6%)
Anchor Brewery, San Francisco CA
355ml bottle
In direct comparison with the porter from Colorado comes the equivalent from the west coast, and the brewing giants at Anchor. I have actually had Anchor Porter before, but as an accompaniment to the Black Jack it seemed like a great idea. And so it proved – the San Franciscan is deeper, darker and significantly more bitter. There’s a wonderful liquorice aftertaste following the balanced coffee and hop bitterness. I’ve always loved the design of Anchor beers, with their distinctive shaped bottles and labels. Look out soon for a review of their Humming Ale – not to mention the obligatory appearance of Our Special Ale 2010 in our Christmas podcast.