The BeerCast

Our 34th BeerCast podcast is something of a variation on the usual theme – on this occasion we decided to run a comparison between different countries. The beer style up for discussion is stout – and we have two from the UK and two from the US. Leading the way for the home nations are Hop Back Entire Stout (4.5%) from Salisbury in Wiltshire, and Cameron’s Monkey Stout (4.4%) from Hartlepool. We then move to two dark offerings from over the pond, ramping up the alcohol factor immediately as we try Great Divide’s Yeti Imperial Stout (9.5%). Our final beer rounds off the show with a bang, as we get to grips with Left Hand Brewing’s Imperial Stout (10.4%). On the panel this week are Richard, Shovels, Grooben, and the Hopmeister Tom, who seems to have finally met his match with the US imports…

1. Hop Back Entire Stout (4.5%abv)
Hop Back Brewery, Salisbury, Wiltshire.
500ml glass bottle

Hop Back have become one of the most-featured breweries on the BeerCast - Summer Lightning is our reigning Beer of the Year, and we’ve also sampled their Christmas beer Pickled Santa, and last time out we tried their coriander beer - Crop Circle. On this occasion we taste their Entire Stout, a roasty dark beer far removed from their more renowned hoppy numbers. The Hop Back Brewery began life in 1986 in the basement of the Wyndham Arms pub on the outskirts of Salisbury, and have risen to become one of the UK’s most-awarded producers. Since moving to bespoke premises in Wiltshire they have gone from strength to strength, CAMRA beer festivals dishing out plaudits within two years - and at a steady rate ever since.

What They Say - “A rich dark stout with a strong roasted malt flavour and a long, smooth aftertaste. Suitable for vegans.” [Official Website]

What We Say…
Grooben - It’s a stout but a smooth easy drinking one 8
Shovels - Hints of chocolate but it’s not as full as other stouts 8
Tom - If I was blindfolded I wouldn’t put it down as a stout 7
Richard - I wouldn’t pair it with food, it’s almost a bitter 6½

2. Camerons Monkey Stout (4.4%abv)
Camerons Brewery, Hartlepool, County Durham.
500ml glass bottle

The Lion Brewery has been established in Hartlepool for over 150 years and has been the home to Camerons since 1865. They had been taken over by the Wolverhampton and Dudley Brewery (who are now better known as Marstons), but in 2002 were bought back by members of the Cameron family, and are now the only independent regional brewery in the North East of England. They produce around 25 different beers, the majority of which are monthly specials that fit the season. Monkey Stout is their special for November - but it’s also available from the summer onwards as a cask ale. It takes it’s name from the infamous legend of Hartlepool locals who hanged a monkey they found clinging to a shipwreck, believing it to be a Frenchman.

What They Say - “The brew has a rich black colour and chocolate aroma. The chocolate malts give this stout a roasted taste with an excellent bitter sweet balance. This is a must try for all stout drinkers.” [Camerons marketing manager Yousef Doubooni]

What We Say…
Richard - Verging on an old-time milk stout 8
Shovels - Great but it’s maybe just a bit too sweet 7½
Grooben - Smells coffee-ish but it tastes smoothly sweeter 6½
Tom - A ‘Sunday afternoon fall asleep in your roast’ stout 6½

3. Yeti Imperial Stout (9.5%abv)
Great Divide Brewery, Denver, Colorado.
355ml glass bottle

Great Divide were opened in 1994 in the centre of Denver by Brian Dunn, who saw a gap in the market for a new microbrewery in the thirsty outdoors city in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. They have won 12 Great American Beer Festival medals (the first only 3 months after brewing their first batch). Great Divide produce 13 different beers, over half of them self-styled ‘big beers’ – Barley Wines, Double IPA’s, and Imperial Stouts - such as the one we’re sampling tonight. We’ve tried one of their beers before on the BeerCast, with our USA Special panel coming unstuck somewhat with the hefty Titan IPA, which unfortunately for all concerned was out of date. Thankfully this time we’ve got hold of one of their beers within the sell-by date - which can be an issue when buying American imports over here, unfortunately.

What They Say - “An onslaught of the senses. It starts with big, roasty malt flavor that gives way to rich caramel and toffee notes. YETI gets its bold hop character from an enormous quantity of American hops. It weighs in at a hefty 75 IBUs.” [Official Website]

What We Say…
Richard - Opens with sweetness then roasty tastes later 8
Grooben - Smacks you about the head but in a good way 7½
Shovels - Tasty but I couldn’t drink more than a bottle 7½
Tom - I’d file this under interesting and then never go back 1

4. Left Hand Imperial Stout (10.4%abv)
Left Hand Brewery, Longmont, Colorado.
355ml glass bottle

On Christmas Day 1990 Dick Doore was given a homebrew kit as a present by his brother, which began a passion for brewing. Three years later he moved to Colorado and met an old school friend called Eric Wallace. The two of them founded a brewery in November 1993 in a former meat packing factory in Longmont. Naming themselves the Indian Peaks Brewery after some local mountains, they were undone by copyright issues and renamed themselves after local historical Indian chief Niwot – ‘Left Hand’. Their mighty Imperial Stout contains Magnum and US Goldings hops, with Pale 2-Row, Munich, Crystal, Chocolate malts and roasted and black barley. And alcohol.

What They Say - “A traditional unfiltered Russian Imperial Stout. A smooth, warming stout with hints of raisins, black licquorice, coffee and dark chocolate. A variety of intensely roasted malts and the aggressive use of hops temper the pleasant sweetness of the beer.” [Official Website]

What We Say…
Richard - It comes and goes, has a much longer aftertaste 6½
Grooben - Smooth but too sweet to pick up the licquorice 6
Shovels - Subtle difference to the Yeti that makes it not as nice 4
Tom - I’m not enjoying the Imperial Stouts - they sound like something from Star Wars. I’m with the rebel alliance 1

Panellists - (from top left) Shovels, Tom, Grooben, Richard

BeerCast panel verdict
Hop Back Entire Stout (29½/40)
Camerons Monkey Stout (28½/40)
Yeti Imperial Stout (24/40)
Left Hand Imperial Stout (17½/40)

We’ll be back in a couple of weeks with our 35th BeerCast - an episode recorded by our London panel on the real ale treats to be found in your local branch of Marks & Spencer. Stay tuned for that, and in the meantime keep the emails and comments coming in. Cheers!

As everybody knows, the legal drinking age in the United States is 21, and by a happy co-incidence our 21st podcast takes in four beers from that very country. America dominates the global brewing market, but there is a spirited craft beer scene that floats just under the mass-marketed bilge usually available over here. ‘Brewed to taste light’ - no thanks. The BeerCast foursome travel from sea to shining sea, and begin with a classic from the west coast - Anchor’s Liberty Ale. We then zip around a thousand miles inland to the Mile High City of Denver, and Great Divide’s Titan IPA, which we discover during recording is unfortunately three months out of date. So maybe the scores should be listed with an asterisk, or something. Our road trip east continues as we pitch up in Boston for Harpoon’s Winter Warmer, before enlarging our carbon footprint even more by returning to California to end with Sierra Nevada Porter. On the panel this week with Richard and Shovels are MrB and Grooben.

1. Anchor Liberty Ale (5.9%abv)
The Anchor Brewery, San Francisco, CA.
355ml glass bottle

The Anchor Brewing Company are a well-known feature of San Francisco, and started life in 1896 under the resourcefulness of two German immigrant brewers (Ernst Baruth and Otto Schinkel), who acquired the Pacific Brewery which had recently been started by another German ex-pat. After renaming it Anchor - the reasons why having been lost in time - they survived many tragedies and eventually overcame prohibition to become one of America’s most eminent producers. However, the 1960’s brought hard times, and they almost closed for good until being rescued in 1965 by a man named Fritz Maytag. San Franciscans certainly have much to thank him for.

What They Say - “Liberty Ale uses a special top-fermenting yeast to give subtle flavours and characteristics. Carbonation is produced by an entirely natural process called ‘bunging’, which produces champagne-like bubbles. Dry-hopping is also used to impart a unique aroma to the ale.” [Official Website]

What We Say…
MrB - It’s an amazing beer which I really, really like 8½
Grooben - Very robust strong flavour, hoppy not overpowering 8½
Shovels - A beer with character, nothing insipid here 7½
Richard - Not really drawing me in as much as it should 6

2. Titan IPA (6.8%abv)
Great Divide Brewery, Denver, CO.
355ml glass bottle

5280ft above sea level is apparently one mile - and just so happens to be the elevation of the USA’s 26th most populous city, Denver. In 1994 brewer Brian Dunn saw a gap in the market for a new producer in this outdoorsy (and predictably thirsty) city, and opened the Great Divide Brewery. They have since won 12 Great American Beer Festival medals (the first only 3 months after brewing their first batch). Producing 13 different beers, over half of them are self-styled “big beers” – imperial stouts, barley wines, and double IPA’s. Titan IPA falls into the latter category.

What They Say - “Brewed for hop disciples, Titan IPA is a big, aggressively hopped India Pale Ale – starting out with piney hop aromas and citrus hop flavours, and finishing with a rich, malty sweetness that is balanced with crisp hop bitterness.” [Label Tasting Notes] “Ruby red grapefruit juice, with touches of orange zest, backed by a bracing, minerally bitterness and finishing with a caramel sweet malt zing.” [Rocky Mountain Brewing News]

What We Say…
MrB - It tastes of bread 7
Shovels - Initial alcohol taste but then other flavours come out 6½
Richard - Pretty awful but nicer when I’ve had it before 5
Grooben - Tastes bitter and kind of strong, but what’s the point? 4

3. Harpoon Winter Warmer (5.5%abv)
Harpoon Brewery, Boston, MA.
355ml glass bottle

Boston’s Harpoon is said to be the largest craft brewery in New England, having been established in 1986 by three men, one of whom wrote a business plan for a brewery whilst at Harvard Business School. They expanded steadily in the late 1990’s, and in 2002 imported a state of the art brewhouse that had been built specially in Germany and shipped over. Harpoon produce four regular ales, plus a Hefeweizen called UFO (UnFiltered Offering) - Winter Warmer was their first seasonal beer to be developed, back in 1998, and is only available in the States between November and January.

What They Say - “When you bring a glass of this dark copper ale to your lips to take your first sip you will notice the aroma of cinnamon. There is no aromatic hop added that might overpower the distinct spice scent. The medium body of this beer is formed from caramel and pale malts, which create enough body to support the spices without making the beer excessively rich. Bittering hops are added to counter the sweetness of the malt and spice, and the finish of the beer is a blend of cinnamon and nutmeg. The combination of these two spices results in a balanced, pumpkin-pie flavor. The overall character is a smooth, medium bodied ale spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg.” [Official Website]

What We Say…
Richard - Only tastes of cloves, it doesn’t really cut it 4
MrB - No body whatsoever, it badly needs a better base 4
Shovels - It smells of a lot and tastes of not so much 4
Grooben - Needs to be more robust to cope with the spices 3

4. Sierra Nevada Porter (5.6%abv)
Sierra Nevada Brewery, Chico, CA.
330ml 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 an ex-homebrewer called Ken Grossman, they have gone on to become one of the largest and highest rated breweries in America. Ken studied Chemistry at California State University (which is in the aforementioned town), and after graduating remained to open a homebrew shop. Once he took the plunge and moved up to a brewery proper, the plaudits and awards soon followed.

What They Say - “Dark and rich, Sierra Nevada Porter is a delicious, medium-bodied ale with a creamy head. The Porter’s smooth flavour (malty with a hint of caramel) comes from a blend of deep-roasted barely malts.” [Official Website]

What We Say…
Richard - Two different sweet malts make it cloying, but nice 6
MrB - Might be one of the smoothest porters I’ve ever had 5
Grooben - Decent but perhaps overly sickly for my taste 5
Shovels - Takes over the mouth with the sweet smoothness 5

BeerCast panel verdict

Anchor Liberty Ale (30½/40)
Titan IPA (22½/40)
Sierra Nevada Porter (21/40)
Harpoon Winter Warmer (15/40)

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

• Listen to the episode here: BeerCast #21 - USA
• Subscribe to the podcasts in iTunes or our site feed

We’ll be back in a couple of weeks with our 22nd episode, a showcase edition on Gloucestershire’s Wickwar Brewery. Stay tuned for details…and please leave us comments on the blog or iTunes, or emails. Cheers!