The BeerCast

The first podcast of any year is always one to look forward to – as tradition dictates it’s our BeerCast Beer of the Year show. As highlighted in our recent preview, the four highest scoring beers from the podcasts recorded in 2009 are re-sampled, and a winner picked. Previous winners are Anchor Christmas Ale 2006 (2007) and Hop Back Summer Lightning (last year), so whichever beer came out on top this time, it would be in good company. Re-tasting is always an interesting experience, as a second go often brings a different result from last time – and so it was to prove. The four beers in our BOTY show were St Austell Tribute (4.2%), Carnegie Baltic Porter (5.5%), Stone Ruination IPA (7.7%), and Goose Island Christmas Ale 2009 (7.0%). On the extended panel – Shovels, MrB, Andy, Richard, Jess and Grooben, all of whom were seconded to a remote and snowy location to sharpen the tastebuds…

1. St Austell Tribute (4.2%abv) 500ml glass bottle
St Austell Brewery, St Austell, Cornwall.
BeerCast#33 scored 40½/50 (81%) 28th May 2009
Originally tasted by Steve 9; Richard 9; Grooben 8; Shovels 7½; Stu 7

What They Say - “Tribute is a magnificent example of a bronze coloured English bitter, with a rich aroma of biscuity malt and tart citrus fruit from the Willamette hops. Juicy malt, hop resins and tangy fruit coat the tongue, while the finish is long and lingering, with a fine balance between malt, hops and fruit, finally becoming dry and bitter.” [Roger Protz]

What We Say…
Grooben - Much nicer than your standard session beers
Richard - As an English bitter you can’t get a better example
MrB - I don’t like it, it’s too watery and too biscuity
Shovels - It’s very subtle but very nice
Jess - There’s some kind of citrus in there, it’s very drinkable
Andy - It reminds me of drinking Tennents in working men’s clubs around Edinburgh

2. Carnegie Starkporter 2008 (5.5%abv) 500ml glass bottle
Carlsberg Sverige AB, Gothenburg, Sweden.
BeerCast#28 scored 32½/40 (81%) 1st January 2009
Originally tasted by Jess 9; Shovels 8½; Andy 8; Richard 7

What They Say - “Carnegie Starkporter är Sveriges äldsta ännu använda varumärke. Smakrik, fruktig och med en tydligt rostad ton och stor beska. Inslag av karamelliserat socker, kaffe och choklad. Carnegie Starkporter kan lagras upp till 10 år. När den lagras mjuknar smaken och aromenens komplexitet ökar.” [Official Website]

What We Say…
MrB - I like porters a lot, but that’s far too sweet
Shovels - I think we’d had a lot of mediocre beers that night
Grooben - It’s a half-pint beer – although it is smooth
Richard - Sweet and it’ll get sweeter, I’m not that keen on it
Andy - I’m not sure it deserves to be in the BOTY Show
Jess - Can’t believe I gave it a 9, I think we were maybe too happy because we were on holiday

3. Ruination IPA (7.7%abv) 355ml glass bottle
Stone Brewery, Escondido, California.
BeerCast#36 scored 38/40 (95%) 13th July 2009
Originally tasted by MrB 10; Shovels 9½; Steve 9½; Richard 9

What They Say - “So called because of the ‘ruinous’ effect on your palate! This massive hop monster has a wonderfully delicious and intensely bitter flavour on a refreshing malt base. One taste and you can easily see why we call this brew ‘a liquid poem to the glory of the hop!’” [Official Website]

What We Say…
MrB - I stand by my 10
Richard - Love that piney resinous hop aftertaste
Jess - I can see why everybody go excited about it
Grooben - Expertly balanced, I’d give it 9½ too
Shovels - It’s the single malt whisky of IPA’s
Andy - They’ve managed to get the perfect balance point so you don’t taste furry-teeth sugary-ness

4. Goose Island Christmas 2009 (7.0%abv) 750ml glass bottle
Goose Island Brewing Company, Chicago, Illinois.
BeerCast#43 scored 25/30 (83%) 16th December 2009
Originally tasted by MrB 9; Grooben 8; Richard 8

What They Say - “Specialty Belgian malts create a deep garnet color and a truly rich old European flavour in our classic Christmas Ale. And the generous amount of crystal hops adds that extra spicy aroma to your pint, perfect for a wintry night.” [Official Website]

What We Say…
Jess - It’s smoky but not as interesting as the Ruination
Richard - This one makes good use of it’s brown ale base
MrB - Not Christmassy, tastes like a nicer Goose Island IPA
Grooben - I think Ruination would blow away anything
Shovels - Gets high praise from me, it’s easy to drink
Andy - Pretends to be smooth but leaves you with a sharpness I don’t like

So that was the thoughts – or re-thoughts – of the panel during the tasting of the four beers that had made it through to the final. The next thing to do was go round the table and mark down a first and second choice for beer of the year. Given the comments about one of the beers above, it wasn’t really a surprise when the slip of paper had circumnavigated the table. Stone’s Ruination IPA was a resounding choice for BeerCast Beer of the Year 2009. Fitting, given that it debuted with a record score of 95% that will struggle to be beaten. There was a tie for second between the Goose Island Christmas and St Austell Tribute – despite certain comments on both it seems festive warmers and English bitters always seem to do well in our BOTY shows. But there was really only ever going to be one winner – the fantastic balance of massive hops and punchy alcohol really came through in Stone’s strong India Pale Ale. It was a deserved winner.

Our panel also tasted a fifth beer - a surprise bought by Richard and smuggled to the podcasting under the strictest secrecy. BrewDog’s Tactical Nuclear Penguin (32%), the strongest beer in the world. Listen to our tasting after the BOTY voting, and check back to the website in a few days for a full review post on what’s becoming the most infamous beer in Britain…

2009 was a great year for the BeerCast, we managed to get through 63 beers over the space of 16 podcasts, attend several beer festivals, and unleash a few new panellists on the podcasting public. As things wind down over Christmas we’ll be turning our attention towards the turn of the year – which means our annual BeerCast Beer of the Year Show. We tally up the scores achieved by each ale over the last twelve months, and take the four highest scoring away to a secret location for a re-sample. Which beer will follow on from Hop Back Summer Lightning and become our BOTY for 2009? Here are the four contenders.

First up (in order of when we initially scored them), you have to go all the way back to New Year’s Day and a snowy evening in Stockholm. Although our Swedish Special eventually hit the airwaves in March, and having been recorded on an iPhone it sounded like we were lisping underwater, our first finalist made it all the way through the year in the top four placings. Carnegie Baltic Porter 2008 (5.5%) came top of BeerCast 28, despite being brewed by mega-behemoth Carlsberg, who bought its Gothenburg creator Pripps Bryggeri. This sweet, earthy porter scored 32½/40 and thankfully we managed to track some down in the UK for our BOTY show.

Next is the only UK beer that made it through to our final four, the flagship ale from Cornwall’s St Austell Brewery, Tribute (4.2%). This classic English bitter won the highly competitive SouthWest Special of BeerCast 33, which produced several high-scoring beers. Recording a tally of 40½/50, it drew praise for its balance of malt and citrus, including two 9/10 scores. English session ales have traditionally done well in BeerCast BOTY shows, with Coniston Bluebird Bitter and Thwaites Double Century respectively making it through to the first two end of year spectaculars. Neither won though – can the self-styled “Taste of Cornwall” fare better?

Our final two beers hail from over the Atlantic, coming from two heavyweights of the American craft brewing scene. That’s no co-incidence, as smaller-scale producers are very rarely found in the UK. Things are changing though, thanks to importers such as James Clay, and specialist beer retailers like Norfolk’s Beers of Europe, York’s The Bottle, and Edinburgh’s own Cornelius. Our third beer is Stone Ruination IPA (7.7%), a “liquid poem to the glory of the hop” from California. Ruination blasted to the top of our leaderboard (where it remains) in our IPA Battle, BeerCast 36 in July, ending up with a 38/40 score for an almost perfect 95% rating. The balance of hops and alcohol make this truly special, and as it garnered the first ever BeerCast 10 score (from MrB, of course) – it has to be the favourite for our 2009 BOTY show.

The final beer that made it through is also our most recently drunk – coming from last week’s Christmas Special. Anchor’s festive beers have done very well in the past, but their 2009 beer was gazumped in spectacular fashion by Goose Island Christmas Ale 2009 (7.0%). Racking up 25/30 it finished with the second-highest score of the year, ironically bumping Goose Island IPA out of the top four in the process. The Belgian malts and Crystal hops combine for the wintery tastes, and although our panel felt it wasn’t as classically festive as others they tried, it was still head and shoulders above the rest. This could be a dark horse for the title, particularly as a Christmas beer has won previously, Anchor Christmas Ale 2006, won our first ever BOTY show.

So as our list stretches from the afore-mentioned Stone Ruination IPA on 95% down to Dieu du Ciel’s terrifying Péché Mortel coffee-infused imperial stout on 14%, we can look back at another great drinking year on the BeerCast. We’ll be recording the BOTY show at New Year, and it’ll be up sometime within the first couple of weeks of January. Stay tuned for surprises, controversy, and personal highlights, and in the meantime everyone associated with the BeerCast wishes our readers and listeners a fantastic Christmas and New Year, and all the best for 2010.

2008 Beer of the Year Show
2007 Beer of the Year Show

We like to run a democratic ship here on the BeerCast, so when panellist Grooben requested a chance to go foraging for beers, we gave him full reign and unlocked his cage. He managed to pull together four ales – all varying styles – so we cobbled together a podcast in his honour. We begin with a gluten-free beer, Green’s Herald (4.0%), to see how these special ales for people with intolerances actually taste. Next we head to the US to sample Juju Ginger Ale (6.0%) from Left Hand Brewing. Our third beer is the first of a BrewDog double-header. The Fraserburgh duo have been much in the news of late, so we try their 1.1% protest beer Nanny State, before we finish on a stronger one brewed in collaboration with San Diego’s Stone Brewery - Bashah Imperial Stout (8.6%). On the panel this time are Richard, Shovels, and of course Grooben.

1. Green’s Herald (4.0%abv)
Green’s Gluten-Free Beers, Shipley, West Yorkshire.
500ml glass bottle

Coelic disease is a very serious disorder of the small intestine whereby sufferers are intolerant to a gluten protein found in wheat. Of course, as a result of this beer is something off-limits to most. However, these days there are a number of producers who create beers specifically for people who can’t drink beer made the traditional way. Green’s of Shipley are one such company, using ‘pseudo-cereals’ such as sorghum, millet and buckwheat instead. They have a range of ales and lagers, including a Belgian-style dubbel and an amber ale. Herald is their English-style bitter, although there’s little information as to exactly what it contains.

What They Say - “Inspired by strong European beers and developed to a closely guarded secret recipe, the specialist beers are brewed with a strong body, crisp taste and a refreshing flavour, losing none of the taste but all of the allergens.” [Official Website]

What We Say…
Grooben - There’s a reason why barley was chosen to go in beer 5
Richard - Not particularly nice, tastes as if something’s missing 4½
Shovels - It smells like apple strudel and tastes like cheap cider 3

2. Juju Ginger Ale (4.0%abv)
Left Hand Brewing Co, Longmont, Colorado.
330ml 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’. We sampled their Imperial Stout in BeerCast #34, and this time take on their subtler ginger ale, Juju.

What They Say - “Juju is a pale ale brewed from a relative low gravity, with some of the hops which would normally be used in the beer replaced by freshly ground ginger root. The beer is light in body, lower in alcohol, has a distinct ginger aroma, and has a very crisp finish. It was initially brewed as a refreshing alternative to the plethora of wheat beers which are popular in the summertime. Popular demand turned it into a year round beer.” [Official Website]

What We Say…
Shovels - Sweet, sticky ginger taste, it’s quite smooth 7
Grooben - Toned down a lot, I was expecting sharpness 6½
Richard - Ginger can overpower anything but at least it’s subtle 5

3. Nanny State (1.1%abv)
BrewDog, Fraserburgh, Aberdeenshire.
330ml glass bottle

There can’t be a more newsworthy brewer in Scotland (or maybe the UK) at the moment than Fraserburgh’s BrewDog. James Watt and Martin Dickie started the operation to counter the establishment, and with regular wacky press releases and PR stunts they are certainly being talked about. Their strong oak-aged imperial stout Tokyo* (18.2%) hit the headlines for it’s hefty abv, so as a two-fingered gesture Martin and James produced a protest beer called Nanny State, which at 1.1% is below the legal classification of beer, and so not subject to duty. This podcast was recorded on the night that James announced he had complained to the alcohol industry watchdog Portman Group about the strength of Tokyo*, in a publicity stunt to highlight what he thought was their double standards. BrewDog have since announced they are producing the world’s strongest beer, Tactical Nuclear Penguin (32%). As of 03/12/09 the Portman Group recommended British retailers removed Tokyo* from their shelves.

What They Say - “Nanny State is an extraordinary little beer. It contains more hops than any other beer we have ever brewed. There is over 60 kilos used in our tiny 20HL batch. It contains more hops than any other beer ever brewed in the UK. It has a theoretical IBU of 225. It is jam packed with our favourite hops and already tastes amazing.” [Official Website]

What We Say…
Shovels - Still tasting it even though I finished three minutes ago 6
Grooben - It’s like drinking lemon juice, but isn’t all that bad 6
Richard - I would urge everybody to try it as an experiment - is it a beer? Yes. Is it nice? No 3

4. Bashah (8.6%abv)
BrewDog, Fraserburgh, Aberdeenshire.
330ml glass bottle

The second beer from BrewDog on the podcast tonight was brewed in conjuction with one of the heavyweights of the American craft-brewing scene, California’s Stone Brewery. Seeing as they currently top our BeerCast rankings with the peerless Ruination IPA, we were certainly expecting something from their collaboration - a Belgian black double IPA.

What They Say - “This particular beer has refused to succumb to the illusion of meaning or allow capricious parameters to have any influence on it’s own fermented fate.” [Label Tasting Notes]

What We Say…
Richard - Combines a nice strong alcohol kick with sweetness 8
Shovels - Strange one, it’s very hoppy and portery and maybe it should be one and not the other 6
Grooben - It’s a lot to take - I’m just not sure it’s to my taste 5

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

BeerCast panel verdict
Bashah (19/30)
Left Hand Juju Ginger Ale (18½/30)
BrewDog Nanny State (15/30)
Green’s Herald Gluten-Free (12½/30)

Recently on the BeerCast we quoted BrewDog co-founder James Watt’s opinion that British brewers had lost the sense of tradition when it comes to India Pale Ales. Modern mass-marketed IPA’s from this side of the Atlantic do tend to be session strength and lacking the hop bite of the old-fashioned versions of the past. The reasons for this could be many and varied, but the suggestion that the drinking public seek less challenging IPA’s is countered by the huge array of strong dark IPA’s that are generated in North America. Drinkers there certainly seem to demand India Pale Ale that packs a punch, and the BeerCast are also unashamedly in that camp. While not quite reaching the 8.5% magnitude of BrewDog’s Atlantic IPA, popular American IPA’s such as Anchor’s Liberty Ale and Goose Island IPA are still stronger and give more hop bite than the likes of Greene King IPA or Deuchars IPA.

Another American craft brewer with the desire to mix things up at every opportunity are California’s Stone Brewery. As you can see from our lengthy beer ratings column, they are currently topping our table with their peerless Ruination IPA. But aside from this double IPA they also produce a standard American west-coast IPA (if anything Stone do can be considered standard). Brewed at 6.9%, Stone IPA pours a golden lager colour with a pale long-lasting half inch head. The nose is beautifully flowery and hoppy, perfectly weighted towards each, and this continues in the taste. As you’d expect there are hops immediately up front, but surprisingly not much initial alcohol – however as the taste develops the alcohol comes through and warms, but without being overpowering. It’s more refreshing than Ruination IPA, and is a shrinking violet when compared to their other beers such as Arrogant Bastard. Gently numbing but not overwhelming, the Magnum and Centennial hops give Stone IPA a tremendous flavour – it’s quite wonderful. Forget Greene King IPA or Deuchars IPA. While you’re at it, forget Anchor Liberty Ale and Goose Island IPA. This is better.

Our latest BeerCast sees another split between the UK and USA - this time as we try four very different IPA’s. Originally heavily-hopped to survive transportation to the colonies, the India Pale Ale is a uniquely British style of beer. Or rather it was, as now IPA’s hail from all corners of the world - and particularly North America where, as ever, they like to do things ramped up a notch or two. First on the list for tonight is Kent’s Hopdaemon Brewery and their Skrimshander IPA (4.5%), followed by the first overseas entrant - Goose Island IPA (5.9%) from Chicago. We then go back to the UK for a strong ale - Downton Chimera IPA (7.0%), before finishing with an offering from one of America’s greatest exponents of tooth-rattling beer, Stone Ruination IPA (7.7%). On the panel this time are Richard, Shovels, Steve, and MrB. The Hopmeister Tom should have probably taken part given his title, but he’s still recovering from the effects of the Imperial Stouts.

1. Skrimshander IPA (4.5%abv)
Hopdaemon Brewery, Newnham, Kent.
500ml glass bottle

New Zealander Tonie Prins opened the Hopdaemon brewery in Canterbury, Kent, in 2001 and started off winning contracts to brew beer for several London tourist institutions (the British Museum, Science Museum, the Barbican), as well as 30 or so pubs in the area. In 2005 they relocated to bigger premises in Newnham, just outside the ancient brewing centre of Faversham (home to Shepherd Neame). Striving to use local ingredients where possible they rely heavily on East Kent Goldings, Fuggles and Challenger hops. Skrimshander IPA takes it’s name from the old-time practice of carving whalebone.

What They Say - “An aromatic copper-coloured pale ale brewed with Kentish hops for a refreshing taste and a fruity finish. Skrimshander is conditioned naturally in the bottle to produce a sparkle and sediment characteristic of all great living beers.” [Official Website]

What We Say…
Richard - 4.5% yet it tastes like a 7% IPA, it’s tremendous 8½
Shovels - More bitter than usual for an IPA 8
MrB - Smells like an IPA, a nice beer but not that special 7
Steve - Very tasty but it needs a beer garden 6½

2. Goose Island India Pale Ale (5.9%abv)
Goose Island Brewery, Chicago, Illinois.
355ml glass bottle

Goose Island opened their first brewpub in Chicago in 1988, which back then was something of a rarity - only a handful existed in the Midwest of America at that point. By 1995, the brewpub had become so popular that founder John Hall and his son Greg, who had by then become Goose Island’s brewmaster, decided to open a larger brewery and bottling plant to keep up with demand. Finding still more room for growth, in 1999 the father-son team opened a second Goose Island Brewpub just a stone’s throw away from historic Wrigley Field. Their most popular beers are Honkers Ale, Nut Brown Ale, and their India Pale Ale, which contains a heady mix of Styrian, Fuggle, Cascade, Centennial hops and Pale Malts.

What They Say - “Recognised as amongst the world’s finest, Goose Island’s India Pale Ale has a spicy hop aroma and inviting fruity flavour. This exceptional beer is one you will not soon forget.” [Official Website]

What We Say…
MrB - A lovely beer, it’s a longtime favourite of mine 9
Shovels - Got so much kick and flavour, perfect in the bottle 8½
Richard - A typically strong, hoppy, bitter American IPA 7½
Steve - The citrus taste comes to the fore the longer it sits 7½

3. Chimera IPA (7.0%abv)
Downton Brewery, Salisbury, Wiltshire.
500ml glass bottle

Downton have three 20-barrel vessels in their brewery, and produce a range of seasonal beers, many of which have added fruit. They were set up in 2003 with equipment leased from the Hop Back Brewery just up the road in Salisbury. In their early history their beers were sold solely through the larger operator, but eventually they outgrew their wholesaler and struck out on their own - although roughly half their output still goes up the road to Hop Back for transfer to other outlets. Downton are still a small producer though, and employ only two people - their director, and their brewer - both called Martin. Chimera IPA was the overall winner at the 2005 Bristol Beer Festival.

What They Say - “Chimera IPA is a truly classic IPA. Bursting with resin and hoppy flavours, Chimera packs quite a punch, as a traditional IPA should. Chimera would certainly win in a fight against Greene King IPA & Deuchars IPA’s softer, less traditional alternatives.” [Official Website]

What We Say…
Steve - Tastes quite light, this one is very deceptive 8
Shovels - I would drink this out of curiosity, it’s hard to rate 7½
MrB - I’m really confused - every mouthful I have is different 7½
Richard - Nice enough but not strong for a 7%er 7

4. Ruination IPA (7.7%abv)
Stone Brewery, Escondido, California.
355ml glass bottle

The Stone Brewing Corporation were founded in 1996 in San Marcos, southern California. In 2006 they relocated to a new, custom-designed facility in Escondido. The new brewery currently has a capacity of 70,000 US barrels per year, and also includes an on-site bottling line. It sounds ideal for a day out, having a 300 seat restaurant (Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens), with a large outdoor patio that sounds perfect for enjoying one or more of the brewery’s creations. Stone revel in the philosophy of not making a boring beer, as their names tend to reflect - Arrogant Bastard ‘This is an arrogant beer - you probably won’t like it’, and their brilliantly titled Stone Sublimely Self-Righteous Ale. Ruination IPA is probably also aptly named.

What They Say - “So called because of the ‘ruinous’ effect on your palate! This massive hop monster has a wonderfully delicious and intensely bitter flavour on a refreshing malt base. One taste and you can easily see why we call this brew ‘a liquid poem to the glory of the hop!” [Official Website]

What We Say…
MrB - This is like my favourite beers multiplied by my favourite other beers, it tastes fab and should be a 10
Shovels - I was expecting to be blown away by hops but this is the single malt whisky of IPA’s 9½
Steve - I think you might still be able to taste this in the morning, it’s just so different to anything else we’ve tasted 9½
Richard - Got that whack oomph smell, it’s punishing but doesn’t overstep the mark like others I could mention 9

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

BeerCast panel verdict
Stone Ruination IPA (38/40) 95%
Goose Island India Pale Ale (32½/40) 81%
Chimera IPA (30/40) 75%
Skrimshander IPA (29½/40) 74%

We’ll be back in a couple of weeks with our next podcast - an episode very loosely themed around a certain fruit that you wouldn’t normally expect to find in a beer. Stay tuned for that, and in the meantime keep the emails and comments coming in. Cheers!