The BeerCast

RateBeerians (and distant cousins the BeerAdvocaters) are, by nature, a committed bunch. Seeking out the rare and unusual, ticking their way through all and sundry, and spending huge amounts of money on their hobby along the way. Current RateBeer kings Ungstrup and fonefan are battling over supremacy, having totalled 22,251 and 22,200 beers sampled, respectively.*

How much must this have cost them over the years? Well, if they buy beer in the UK – as surely they must – then their pastime is now more expensive than ever, thanks to the duty rise. So one way to highlight the nature of well-made, strong beer, is to host a tasting of just that – which explains why we gathered at Craig Garvie’s (7,399 and counting) for an over 7.5% beer night. Bring it on!

First up, Flowerpots Brandy Mount barley wine (8.2%). Given the high abv limit, we were expecting plenty of barley wines and imperial stouts – and this one was pretty true to style. Fruity, plenty of rich caramel, and quite sweet. We then notched up the other type with Black Sheep Imperial Russian Stout (8.5%), a new beer from the Masham concern. Very different to their usual releases, it reminded me of liquorice Christmas pudding.

New Glarus Unplugged Bourbon Barrel Bock appeared next – several of those words usually make me hesitant, but this one was actually alright. It smelled a bit cheesy, but the whisky tones were muted – probably by deliberate Brettanomyces infection, which tarted things up a little (pun intended). We’re assuming it was over the 7.5% threshold, there was no abv on the bottle.

This was something of a theme – not only do some American states not require an alcohol by volume to be listed on the bottle, apparently (email in, if otherwise) one particular state tells brewers not to list alcohol content on their labels. Is this the same US state that forbids off-sales in anything other than crates? Why buy one bottle of thick, dark-looking beer when you are required, by law, to purchase 24?

So we rolled unknowingly through Founders Nemesis 2009, Mayflower Brewing Imperial Stout, and Haverhill/The Tap Joshua Norton. The Nemesis was aged in maple syrup casks (note to brewer – please, no), the Mayflower tasted incredibly strong – well over double figures, I’d wager. The Joshua Norton was by far the pick – imperial stout flavours wrapped in layers of cocoa.

Time for the Europeans! There’s something about the Low Countries that have inspired liver-flayingly strong beer – and we polished off a few in good order. Dutch brewer Berghoeve were represented by a couple of 8% crackers – Hammer Schout and Verre Vriend (which sounds like something you’d say to your best mate after a few). Both were outstanding, particularly the tripel/saison crossover of the latter.

Back to the UK next with (inevitably if you’re drinking strong British beer) a couple of Kernels – the 9.1% Imperial Marzen, and 8.9% Big Brick Red Rye Ale. We’ll be doing another feature on the Kernel later on in our big beer month, so stay tuned. Both of these are as good as everything else Evin puts his hand to. We also tried two old Fullers Vintages – 2002 and 2006. The ’02 divided opinions, but I thought it had aged superbly.

The thing I love about these RateBeer tastings is that you fly through things. Before long, the next bottle was opened – de Struise’s monstrously brilliant Black Albert (13%). It doesn’t really click that just before we’d opened a beer that had been aging for nine years. Mind you, Black Albert will make you forget just about anything, it’s a fabulous sweet, roasty mocha stout.

We had a few more on the night, which concluded with another masterpiece from de Struise – Pannepot Gran Reserva (10%) – the 2005 vintage. Nineteen beers in all, every single one over 7.5%. Did any of us wake with a headache? Were we fighting in the streets? Apparently Shovels got up at 7am the next morning and went mountain biking, then played a round of golf! Beer over 7.5% is not the cause of society’s problems. Why tax it like it is?

* These figures will since have changed, both since I wrote this post, and since you started reading this sentence…

Here at the BeerCast we’re always on the lookout for new and interesting things, partly to keep the readership happy – and partly to appease our flirtatious tastebuds. CAMRA Chair Colin Valentine recently criticised bloggers for having such an outlook – and it got us thinking. Maybe we are guilty of bypassing the timeless to concentrate on the next big thing. What about the classics? So, starting today, we have a new regular feature – rediscovering these “lost” beers. We begin with a British institution.

Fullers first brewed their Extra Special Bitter in 1971, as a winter seasonal to replace an older brand – Old Burton Extra. At that time, the beer scene here was at a nadir thanks to the despicable keg revolution – and it really took off. ESB quickly became a permanent fixture, partly thanks to the competition, and probably also in part due to the 5.5% abv – making it then one of the strongest beers in regular production.

Described as ‘perilously drinkable’ by BeerHunter Michael Jackson, it won Champion Beer of Britain in 1978, and never looked back. Since then, it won that award on two further occasions – not to mention CAMRA Best Strong Ale for seven different years. It became the industry standard for Extra Special Bitters – the premium (read: stronger) end of the brown beer spectrum (they generally top out at 6% abv). One of the first British ales exported to America, it cemented itself so much over there that beers of the style are commonly referred to by Fuller’s brand name – ESB’s.

Today sales remain strong – Fullers ESB is something I regularly walk past at my local supermarket on the search for something new and unusual. Bumped to 5.9% in the bottle, it remains 5.5% on cask – although those rarely make it this far north (Fuller’s flagship London Pride occasionally makes it to Scotland as a guest). It pours a walnut brown with a decent white head, which dissipates fairly quickly. On the nose – sweet toffee malt and mellow fruit, highly inviting.

Taste-wise, it’s pretty rich on the palate – but not too much, the caramel toffee nuttiness doesn’t veer into the overly sweet or cloying at any point. There’s a great balance of that malt with the fruity hops that come on the aftertaste – the citrus is there for a moment before the bitter finish arrives. Unsurprisingly, it’s lovely. Classics should be re-discovered from time to time, even if it means taking time out from the new and spectacular…

Stay tuned for the next part of this series, as we get to grips with a beer that created a style. What would your classic beer lineup not be complete without?

Ever had nineteen beers in one night? How did you feel the next morning? Probably about as chirpy as I was the day after our latest RateBeer tasting at Craig Garvie’s. The Scottish king of the Tickers, every month or so Craig gathers people together at his house for an onslaught of outstanding beer. Thanks to his connections and fellow RateBeerians, there’s always an astonishing selection of the rare and famous on offer. This time was no exception…

Beginning with a bang as ever, first out of the blocks was Surly Darkness (9.6%) – a famed imperial stout released each year with a different monster on the label. Ours was the vampire vintage, and true to form was a smooth, sweet fruity menace, with a bitter ashy finish. There were hops in there as well, plus a coffee finish – yet the whole thing was really well balanced with all the potentially conflicting flavours.

Next up – a stinker! Does occasionally happen, even with such esteemed company. Kentucky Ale Bourbon Barrel Ale, at the tremendously specific 8.19% was flat, sweet and woody. The mix of bourbon and an unexpected watery finish combined to leave a taste similar to coconut milk – really not that great. Fortunately, Uinta Detour Double IPA (9.5%) brought us back nicely.

The next beer of note – after a very interesting Mikkeller Yeast Series Lager (which tasted like an IPA but finished like a pilsner) – was Fullers Vintage Ale 1999 (8.5%). How to sum this one up? In a word, fabulous. Twelve years old, and as a result mild and mellow flavours of sweet fruit cake, marzipan, toffee, sherry. Drinking this was effortless – the balance of rich, warming tastes was just lovely.

We then fired through a couple of De Molens – Op&Top (wheaty and lagerish), and Rijn&Veen (frighteningly carbonated sour wheat beer), and a couple of Kernels – IPA Citra 6.2 (outstanding), and Export India Porter (likewise). The next beer on offer was a true rarity – one of the Holy Grails of drinking. So much so, that it deserves it’s own post – so check back later for our thoughts on Sam Adams Utopias (22%) – the strongest brewed (i.e. not freeze-distilled) beer in the world.

Feeling pretty merry, we still had eight more to get through: US Craft Beer fans – check out some of these names…Lost Abbey 10 Commandments (10%), Surly Wet (6.3%), Oskar Blues One Hit Wonder (9%), Cigar City Humidor Series Jai Alai cedar-aged IPA (7.5%). The latter was the pick – although they were all good – woody from the cedar and bitter from the huge hopload. They were all good, however.

Back to Europe and the wonderfully named Ægir Bryggeri Tors Hammer (13.2%), a crunching barley wine of caramel, toffee and syrupy figs. There was no let up. This was followed by the even-more-crunching 19.1% Mikkeller Big Worst Barley Wine: Bourbon Edition, at which point I was pounding the table and begging for mercy. Tip a couple of shots of Jack Daniel’s into an imperial stout, see what happens.

Unsurprisingly I really can’t remember much about the last two beers – Deuchars IPA and Belhaven Best. They may well have been Cigar City Either (11.2%) and Cigar City Or (11.2%), my notes are more or less gibberish. Nineteen beers down, and time to leave the genial (and generous) company of Craig, to head home for a lie down and a spot of quiet whimpering.

Just looking at the alcohol by volumes of the beers we got through brings tears to my eyes…

9.6 8.19 9.5 6.2 8.0 5.0 8.5 4.5 5.7 5.1 22.0 10.0 6.3 9.0 7.5 13.2 19.1 11.2 11.2

Hello again! This time it’s the London office’s turn to  fire up the ole garageband and get recording another instalment of the never ending story of wonder and intrigue  that is The BeerCast. We reunited the dreamteam of Andrew Hayes (Key keyboard and bitter consultant), Nick Fraenkel (Chief Japanese and Sanchen adviser) and old stalwarts Andy and Jess of Andy and Jess.

It’s another rollercoaster mystery pic n mix surprise episode with none of the usual theme guidelines to keep us on course. As a result we do off-road a fair bit but it’s all in the pursuit of beery excellence. Oh and garageband stopped twice during recording so look out for special sound effects during the episode – Enjoy! Andy

1. Peter Scholey’s Organic English Beer (4.1%abv)
Ridgeway Brewing, South Stoke, Oxfordshire.
500ml glass bottle

Ridgeway Brewing was formed by a former head brewer from Brakspear. Described as a cuckoo brewer because this organisation does not own a brewery but contracts brews, primarily bottled beers for other breweries on other people’s plants mainly at Hepworth. A few beers have also appeared under the name Ridgeway Brewery.

What They Say – “The English Target hops, coupled with its unpasteurised condition, help give this great ale outstanding clarity of aroma and intensity of flavour.” [Vintage Roots]

What We Say…
Andrew – I’d drink significant amounts of it in any kind of garden 7.5
Nick – Elderflowers and honey, i’d like it with some burnt bread 7
Andy – Smells flowery but it’s not too sweet 7
Jess – Lots of honey and lemon, lovely 7

2. Riggwelter Black Sheep Ale (5.7%abv)
Black Sheep Brewery, Masham, North Yorkshire.
500ml glass bottle

Established in the early nineties by Paul Theakston, 6th generation of Masham’s famous brewing family, the brewery has grown from strength to strength and in early 2007 it was proudly awarded ‘Brewery of the Year’ by The Good Pub Guide for the second year running. In addition, Black Sheep Bitter was chosen as the North East’s favourite cask ale in the 2007 Best of British Beer Awards hosted by Cask Marque and the Daily Telegraph.

What They Say – “Brewed with many generous handfuls of choice Golding hops, it is full flavoured premium ale with a rich fruity aroma. The bittersweet malty taste is followed by Black Sheep’s uncompromising long, dry and bitter finish” [Official Website]

What We Say…
Andrew – Surprisingly clean, hits you in the eyes a bit though 6
Nick – Bitter foretaste, not much of an aftertaste, not as complex as it should be 5
Andy – I would struggle to drink a bottle of it 5
Jess – Quite interesting, I’m getting Riggy with it 4

3. Little Creatures Pale Ale (5.1%abv)
Little Creatures Brewery, Fremantle, Western Australia
330ml glass bottle

Andrew picked this little gem up in from a wine shop in west London no-less. Beer websites tend to be bobbins but Little Creature’s website is a pleasure to visit, I’d really recommend it – (link). The brewery looks to be run very much in the spirit of the Innocent smoothie brand, with happy looking employees all having a say in the company’s progress and not a one of them sitting doing accounts on the computer. The result? Lovely beers. There’s a lesson there i think..

What They Say – “Bag loads of whole Chinook and Cascade hop flowers that we source from Washington and Oregon in the US as well as some local flowers from Tasmania are thrown at this beer, creating an intense citrus and grapefruit aroma and flavour that we balance with a careful selection of specialty malts and a local pale malt made to our own specifications.” [Official Website]

What We Say…
Andrew – Lychees, pineapples, I’ll open the second bottle 8
Andy – Smells like a bag of pot pour at your aunties 8
Jess – It’s downright floral, but a nice bitter grapefruit edge 8
Nick – Tastes like lychees and lollies (Chupa Chups) 5.5

4. Gale’s Seafarers Ale (3.6%abv)
Fullers, The Griffin Brewery, London.
500ml glass bottle

Fullers say they donate 5 for every barrel of Seafarers ale sold to Seafarers UK, the leading martime charity. The ale was only released in the bottle on Sep 10th 2009. The press release from Fuller’s says “Seafarers Ale is an extraordinary cask ale, developed as a tribute to Gales’ close association with all who sail the seas. Launched as a year-round beer in April 2009, Seafarers Ale has already sailed past the 1,000 barrels sold mark, resulting in a donation to Seafarers UK, the leading maritime charity, of £5,000″ That’s pretty good, but do good intentions translate to good beer tastes?..

What They Say – “Seafarers is brewed to 3.6% abv and is a delicious, thirst quenching ale. The secret of the hugely satisfying, refreshing taste of this light, amber beer is in the blend of finest quality English malt, Admiral hops and the unique Gales yeast.” [Official Website]

What We Say…
Andrew – It’s not slapping me in the face like the sea, but it has an edge of sulphur i quite like  5
Andy – A little bit watery (pun intended) 5
Jess – Disappointing, thought it would be more robust like a sailor 5
Nick – Smells like sea air, couldn’t tell the difference with Fosters 4.5

No then.

Panellists – (from top left) Andy&Jess, Andrew, Nick

BeerCast panel verdict
Little Creatures (29½/40)
Organic English Ale (28½/40)
Riggwelter Black Sheep (20/40)
Seafarers Ale (19½/40)

The concept of seasonality is now one of the hallmarks of modern cooking, pushed to the general public by the ranks of TV chefs and foodie magazines. Everything has a ‘time of year’, whether it’s the British asparagus, salty samphire, or humble mackerel (as one BeerCaster asked for in a fancy Edinburgh fishmonger’s, only to be embarrassed in front of a queue of shoppers when told there were none in the sea at that time of year). But can this approach be transferred to beer? Hops are seasonal, certainly, but after the harvest they can be dried and used at any time. It’s down to the styles and types of beer that can be varied depending on what the calendar says.

Now that Autumn is on us, it’s time to change the attitude and go for something different. The long summer (or in our case, short summer) is over, so the time for light hoppy pale ales is over. No need for urgent, tingling refreshment on a hot day now the clocks have gone back (or forward, as I put mine by mistake). Autumn brings crunchy leaves, darker nights, cool windy afternoons – and should be celebrated by the glorious British bitter. There can’t be another brewing nation on earth that can put out a finer nutty, foaming brown ale than us Brits – and now’s the time to partake.

So until the winter arrives and we all move on to warming stouts and porters, and then Christmas beers with alcohol and spice (before celebrating the return of Spring with zesty golden ales), take time out for a fruity, toffee-ish best bitter. Let the rich mouthfeel and malt characteristics reward you after that long Autumnal walk, or spot of Christmas Shopping (it’s never to early – and most breweries have online stores). Here are five choice Scottish beers for the season – Bitters, Ruby Ales, ESB’s, Amber Ales – all styles are well suited to this time of year. As we head towards November – have a seasonal beer on us.

1. Maverick (4.2%abv)
Fyne Ales, Cairndow, Argyll.
Classic fruity mahogany ale from BeerCast favourites Fyne Ales.

2. Red Kite (4.2%abv)
Black Isle Brewery, Munlochy, Black Isle.
Technically an amber ale, organically brewed north of Inverness.

3. Red Squirrel (3.9%abv)
Arran Brewery, Brodick, Isle of Arran.
Nutty, malty beer that donates to Red Squirrel charities on Arran.

4. St Magnus Ale (4.5%abv)
Highland Brewing Company, Swannay, Orkney.
Another nutty one, but with more roast than the Red Squirrel.

5. Red MacGregor (4.0%abv)
Sinclair Orkney Brewery, Quoyloo, Orkney.
Fruity ruby ale, current silver medal Champion Beer of Scotland.

(looking slightly further afield, five English beers that would go down very well on an Autumn evening are Bath Ales Barnstormer, York’s Yorkshire Terrier, Bristol Beer Factory No.7, Fuller’s ESB, and Daleside Old Leg Over).