The BeerCast

There was a great bit of local news this week as Loanhead’s Stewart Brewing picked up a gong in the 2010 World Beer Awards. Hollyrood (5.0%) was named world’s best Blonde/Golden in the Pale Ale category, announced at the end of July by a selection of beer writers chaired by Roger Protz and Jeff Evans (news taking a while to filter through up here). It’s a great reward for Steve, Jo and the team, and is particularly impressive given that Hollyrood has only been bottled for around a year (originally being a tweaked version of their cask Pentland IPA recipe). Hopefully this will spur Stewart Brewing on to more awards in the future. Other Scottish winners were Arran’s Blonde (Europe’s best grain-only wheat beer), Innis & Gunn’s Innis & Gunn Original (Europe’s best speciality Pale Ale) - more good news for Edinburgh, and two awards for Harviestoun; Ola Dubh Special 40 Reserve winning World’s best dark speciality ale, and Old Engine Oil taking Europe’s best porter.

Stewart Brewing
2010 World Beer Awards winners

There’s definitely a reason why BrewDog elicit more conversation and comment than any other Scottish brewer – arguably any other British brewer. Just when you think their last wacky stunt is the peak of ingenuity/madness, within a couple of months there’s another press release, another bizarre and totally pointless beer that enters the market. Anybody who has come across the work of the Fraserburgh twosome will be familiar with the marketing angle they have taken (and well and truly cornered – in the UK at least). The ‘us against them’ mentality (usually the ‘them’ being the Portman Group or the rightwing press, or both), the uncompromising and often nonsensical language on their products.

But underneath all this is the foundation – some very good beers. We’ve been writing about and featuring BrewDog’s output ever since we started (the BeerCast and BrewDog both began life in April 2007). To be honest, they make it very easy to write about them – the attention-grabbing releases, packaging and branding. And they are at it again. Announced today is the zenith of their ‘abv war’ with all and sundry – most notably the German producer Schorschbräu – over who can (or would want to) brew the “beer” with the highest alcohol content. Following in the footsteps of Tactical Nuclear Penguin (32%) and Sink the Bismarck! (41%) is their newest offering The End of History (55%). Oh, and it comes in rather unusual packaging – roadkill.

Yes, for £500 you can acquire a bottle of The End of History inside a real, dead stoat. Splash out another two hundred and get a £700 grey squirrel jacket. I’m guessing the animals are somehow attached to the bottle, and you can’t transfer the stoat to your next 330ml bottle – it would make a talking point at barbecues, after all. The actual beverage inside is Belgian-style blonde infused with juniper and nettles. There’s no mention on the website of how they come about the 55% abv – which is a shame given all the discussion on what constitutes a beer once you get beyond around 25%. But as the whole ethos of BrewDog revolves around fucking the trend, once again their specific brewing methods will get people talking.

Surely there’s no way back from this – where the hell do they go next? Quintuple hopping IPA’s? Making leather-effect bottle labels out of skin flakes from Tom Jones? The trouble with an astonishing stunt like The End of History – which is surely what it can only be – is how you top it. As the name of the beer refers to Francis Fukuyama’s theory of the pinnacle (and therefore end) of evolution, maybe it signals the end of BrewDog’s crazy phase once and for all, not just the end of their abv one-upmanship race with Schorschbräu.

It would be great if they could henceforth stick to what they do best – things like the outstanding Hardcore IPA, Trashy Blonde, 77 lager, Atlantic IPA - now more than ever would be the time to switch to a Stone/Dogfish Head-esque mentality of strong (i.e. 7-12%), flavourful craft beers. Of course, this is pretty much what they do already – it’s just that their fantastic core beers are overshadowed by the stunts. It’s time for BrewDog to flood the market – not with outlandish press releases, but with their everyday beers – to show those people intrigued by the publicity that behind all the self-indulgent controversy there are actually two highly talented brewers.

**UPDATE** All bottles sold out on the first day of release **UPDATE**

The End of History release, BrewDog blog

We never thought that we’d make it all the way to fifty podcasts – and if you’ve listened to our first few then probably you didn’t either – but here we are. Three years and 181 beers later and we’re having a mini celebration in honour of our half century. We thought long and hard about what to do for a 50th show, eventually deciding on the popular ‘bring a beer’ theme, only with a more explosive feel to it. Podcast regulars Richard, MrB, Shovels and Grooben were tasked with sourcing an unusual, rare or liver-trembling beer to put to the panel, and the results were pretty spectacular.

We ended up with (literally) some real corkers, as we begin with Grooben’s offering – Neuzeller Anti-Aging Bier (4.8%) from Germany, containing specific ingredients to actually make you younger. Apparently. Next up was Richard’s choice – the limited edition BrewDog Abstrakt AB:01 (10.2%), a vanilla bean-infused Belgian-style quad from Fraserburgh’s finest. Third on the podcast was Sierra Nevada Estate 2009 (6.7%). Provided by Shovels, this wet-hopped ale is pretty rare this side of the Atlantic. Finally MrB rounds things off in enormous fashion, unveiling Brasserie d’Achouffe’s Big Chouffe Anno 2010 (8.0%), a magnum of their famed La Chouffe blond ale. Thanks to all for providing, and special thanks to everybody who has downloaded, listened to, or commented on one of our podcasts over the years. Here’s to fifty more!

1. Neuzeller Anti-Aging Bier (4.8%abv)
Klosterbrauerei Neuzelle GmbH, Neuzelle, Brandenburg, Germany. 500ml glass bottle

There are well-established health benefits of drinking good beer – the high levels of Vitamin B6 can protect against heart disease, for example – but the claims on a bottle of Neuzeller Anti-Aging Bier (4.8%) take things even further. Several bizarre-sounding adjuncts have been added, resulting in an elixir of youth – this beer actually claims to make you younger (although this may be as a result of the beer acting on the antioxidant Vitamin E in the body). Flavonoids are naturally found in hops, but by adding more in their beer Klosterbrauerei are really pushing the anti-carcinogen properties of the nation’s favourite drink. But just when you’re sold on the idea, discovering the beer has algae added as well sounds very strange, and when a quick check of their website reveals Klosterbrauerei also make a Badebier – ‘bath beer’ – ”for outside application as bath salts and for internal application as a beverage”, then the mind really boggles.

What They Say -
“We have now formulated an “anti-aging” beer. Having consulted with several universities and health institutes, our beer contains: Water from hotsprings, rich in minerals, flavonoids, beer (malt, water, hop, yeast), and spirulina (Algae).” [Official Website]

What We Say…
Shovels - I quite like that, it reminds me of Erdinger Dunkel 8
Grooben - I wanted to find something completely different! 7
Richard - Smells a bit portery but with that extra vegetable hint that must be the algae 6½
MrB - Presumably all other beer is pro-aging? 6

2. BrewDog Abstrakt AB:01 (10.2%abv)
BrewDog Ltd, Fraserburgh, Scotland. 750ml glass bottle

BrewDog are without doubt the most talked-about brewery in Scotland, with their charismatic press releases and wacky ideas. Not afraid to experiment, at times they produce some fantastic beers – and at others some pretty duff ones. But there’s no denying they always elicit strong opinions. What is often overlooked amidst all the hoo-hah over 41% beers and Portman Group-baiting is that they have only been going for just over three years. The first BrewDog brew rolled off the Kessock plant lines in April 2007 – which by a rather neat co-incidence was the exact month the BeerCast began as well. So with that in mind, and given the numerous BrewDog beers featured over the years on these pages and podcasts, it would be remiss of us not top try their newest (at time of press) offering – the limited edition Abstrakt AB:01, the first of a new concept brand from the Aberdeenshire duo.

What They Say -
“Abstrakt will only ever brew and release a beer once. BrewDog’s Abstrakt is about exciting, progressive and conceptual beers, beers which not only push the boundaries but smash them up completely.” [Official Website]

What We Say…
MrB - The first taste was lovely, it’s like a Belgian tripel 8½
Richard - Sweet full mouthfeel but the alcohol balances it out 8½
Shovels - Subtle for BrewDog, not much aftertaste apart from alcohol 8½
Grooben - It’s got sweetness but I wouldn’t have guessed vanilla 7

3. Sierra Nevada Estate (2009) (6.7%abv)
Sierra Nevada Brewing Co, Chico, California, USA.
710ml glass bottle (24oz US)

Sierra Nevada are one of the cornerstones of American craft brewing, and as a result have almost unrivalled access to types and strains of hops. Hailing from California, their mighty reach spreads all the way to the hopgrounds of Washington State, where they conduct research into new strains and varieties. They also like to experiment, and a few years ago came up with the idea of brewing a seasonal ale using only freshly-picked hops, rather than waiting for dried or using a combination of dried and fresh. This ‘wet hop’ ale is produced every Autumn, and as you’d expect has a pretty hefty hop whack about it. We sampled the 2009 Estate vintage, purchased from the excellent UtoBeer stall in London’s Borough Market, which only contains ingredients sourced from the Sierra Nevada estate in Chico.

What They Say -
“This Estate Ale is rich with the flavors of the valley—featuring hops with earthy, grapefruit-like flavors and layered spicy aromas and barley with mild sweetness and smooth, toasted flavors. Together, these crops grow alongside the brewery to make a truly unique brew.” [Official Website]

What We Say…
Richard - It’s wonderful, there’s a little bit of a spicy edge to it 9
Shovels - More IPA than double IPA, really hoppy but not overpowering 9
MrB - Has extra bitterness compared to sweeter Torpedo IPA 9
Grooben - There’s no way I’m not going to like this 9

4. La Chouffe Big Chouffe (8.0%abv)
Brasserie d’Achouffe, Achouffe, Houffalize, Wallonia, Belgium.
1500ml glass bottle (magnum)

Grape lovers will possibly know the fact that a magnum is 2 standard bottles of wine, or 1½ litres for the metric types amongst us. In Belgium – as pretty much every grain lover knows – they do things just a little bit bigger and better, so why not have a magnum of beer? Brasserie d’Achouffe’s bending gnome (‘Chouffe’ in Walloon dialect) grins out from beer fridges and bottle-shop shelves throughout the beery world. Their flagship 8% blond ale La Chouffe is released every year in a hefty magnum, which is branded Big Chouffe, and has a customised alternate label drawn by a famous comic artist. The 2010 vintage collected by MrB (from the Brasserie itself, in person, no less) was illustrated by Johan de Moor, son of legendary Belgian cartoonist Bob de Moor.

What They Say -
“La Chouffe is an unfiltered blonde beer, which is refermented in the bottle as well as the keg. It is pleasantly fruity, spiced with coriander, and with a light hop taste.” [Official Website]

What We Say…
MrB - Had it on draught and liked it, it’s just as good in the bottle 8
Richard - I can taste the coriander and cloves in there 7½
Grooben - Doesn’t taste 8%, I give it an extra point for the bottle 7
Shovels - I usually have a problem with Belgian beers because of the alcohol strength, but it’s drinkable for a wheat beer 7

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

BeerCast panel verdict
Sierra Nevada Estate 2009 (36/40)
BrewDog Abstrakt AB:01 (32½/40)
Brasserie d’Achouffe Big Chouffe (29½/40)
Neuzeller Anti-Aging Bier (27½/40)

Stay tuned for our next podcast, as we get back into the more regular swing of things with BeerCast #51, an episode revolving around some of the other things MrB brought back from his trip to Alsace and Belgium ….

As we’ve said before, we’re big fans of Orkney here on the BeerCast (not least panellist Grooben who grew up there), and the ales that come from that part of the world, courtesy of Sinclair Orkney and Highland. Rob Hill started off at the first, and then left to found the second. It’s been a tremendous few weeks for the Swannay brewery, recently winning the Champion Beer of Scotland with Orkney Blast. Of course, Dark Munro won in 2007 and Scapa Special in 2008 [Sinclair got their own back in 2009 when Raven Ale got the gong], the islands are dominating the beer festivals. Bottled beers have become more and more important for Highland, having released their first batch in 2004. I’ve managed to track down most of them, until finding Orkney IPA (4.8%) in one of our local Edinburgh-area bottle shops (probably having been hand-delivered by Rob’s son Lewis).

The label isn’t short of superlatives, advertising “A world-class IPA”, and “A stunningly hopped modern IPA”. It’s extremely pale and golden, with a bustling initial fizz that totally disperses within thirty seconds. The aroma is really eye-opening - massive tropical fruit, with only some hops, and a touch of citrus. The taste is sweet hops, with a slightly building dry finish that pushes into a long hop aftertaste. This is the best part of the flavour - the incredibly fruity mango start is pretty sweet for an IPA, which is probably also due to the sub 5%abv not supplying an alcohol kick. But the back end saves it, and that refreshing aftertaste makes it a very good session beer indeed.

Last night saw the launch of two new beers from Stewart Brewing – their fairly new Doppelbock (7.0%) and their very new Pilsen (5.6%) – which was only bottled at the weekend following eleven weeks of conditioning. The BeerCast were invited along, so we turned up at the Windsor Buffet on Elm Row and joined in the fun. After a quick chat with Steve and Jo Stewart – not to mention a couple of complimentary pints of Holyrood - the pilsner came out for sampling.

It poured a nice pale gold colour with some haze, and had a pretty dominant hop aroma - some orange and even stone fruit on the nose, which was pretty unexpected. Of the two main branches of pilsner, Stewarts’ points very much down the Bohemian – Saaz rather than noble hops, but there’s no corresponding spice or earthy maltiness in the aroma. This continues in the taste – pretty hop-forward for a pilsner, but considering it had only been bottled a few days ago the ‘rawness’ is to be expected. The aftertaste is dry and bitter, with just a touch of malt.

This reminded me very much of the Appellation tasting we attended in May, where the then-new Doppelbock had just been bottled. That time it was also slightly unbalanced – but the tasting last night has proved how far it has come. With a couple of months under its belt the doppelbock is outstanding – full toasty flavours of malt, with just a touch of sweetness, and the 7% alcohol giving a warming finish. Compared with my tasting notes from back in May the difference was really noticeable, the flavours have really come together.

Turning back to the Pilsen, the consensus was that it’s a very drinkable, hoppy lager. It really doesn’t taste 5.6% at all - it could really sneak up on you in a session. Although it lacks some of the characteristic Bohemian maltiness at the moment, hopefully those flavours will come. The bottle design is almost identical to the doppelbock – we were debating whether this would cause confusion - but having a signature range in conjunction with the recently re-branded regular bottled lineup is a nice idea, and will hopefully mean more experimentation for Stewart Brewing in the future.

Thanks again to Steve and Jo for the invite to the tasting

Stewart Brewing website