Ymm, Beer

[fuse]

From 11/19/2011 and also the 4th beer from the Saranac 12 Beers of Winter sampler:

Chocolate Lager-Saranac Brewing (well, it's really Matt Brewing contract stuff for Saranac)

This is really quite a good beer. Of course, I think they stole the idea from Sam Adams and their chocolate bock from several years ago, now available in 12 ounce bottles instead of 750 ml big boys. This is an amber colored lager with some mild caramel malt flavors, floral and very mildly bitter German hops and cocoa nibs from Belize. I'd guess the IBU about 20 and the ABV is listed at 6% so it was a fine opening brew shared with CB&B and accompanied by a bagel and chocolate chip cookies for Brunchgate this AM .


Brewer's notes:

Saranac Chocolate Lager is a sinfully delicious deep amber lager made with certified organic cacao from Belize. Our brewers looked far and wide for the highest quality cacao to create a smooth chocolaty taste that only comes from the most exclusive cacao plants. We used the roasted seeds of these decadent plants and perfectly paired them with caramel malt and German Hallertau hops to create a malty chocolate sweet flavor. You'll love savoring this beer with your favorite holiday foods or on its own for a delicious treat!

Beer Style: Chocolate Bock
Malt Selections: Munich, Aromatic
Hop Selections: Hallertau
Color: Dark Amber
Mouthfeel / Body: Full, Sweet
Food Companions: Dark Chocolate, Truffles, Hearty & Full Holiday Foods
Alcohol By Volume: 6.0%
Original Gravity: 15

I had one of these at a party a couple weeks ago. The party environment is not so good for note taking, but I recall it being a good beer. Today's beer advent was a Saranac Caramel Porter, a beer I've not had in years but am eagerly looking forward to sampling.

[OldPhiKap]

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Samuel Adams New World pint -- Golden Tripel with a champagne-like cork. Belgian-style with a good head and aged in oak casks. Like most Belgians, cloudy and evident yeast. Layer on bottom, as you would expect. Well-crafted and refreshing, with sharpness of hops slightly outweighing the sweeter elements of a typical Belgian.

[duketaylor]

I have benn looking into a business to start/invest in and growing hops appears to have lots of consideration and interest. I have access to farmland and have been researching recently. Thoughts?

[devildeac]

I have benn looking into a business to start/invest in and growing hops appears to have lots of consideration and interest. I have access to farmland and have been researching recently. Thoughts?

I read a few years ago about hops replacing tobacco as a cash crop in North Carolina. Here are some articles to get you started:

http://nchops.soil.ncsu.edu/

http://www.blueridgenow.com/article/...-next-hot-crop

http://www.newsobserver.com/2010/05/...es-for-nc.html

Hop(e) that helps get you started. With you living in Virginia and having a similar situation there with tobacco, I think it would be a great idea.

[devildeac]

If anyone is in the Asheville area for a New Year's eve trip, you might want to check this out:

http://www.oskarblues.com/tunes/oska...-grand-opening

Welcome to NC!

[devildeac]

4059' Porter-Saranac/Matt Brewing

Porter Mountain stands 4059' above sea level in the Adirondacks and this brews earns its name from that peak. Poured a dark, clear brown with a small tan head and aromas of mild chocolate and coffee. The tastes were the same with a slightly burned finish and mild bitterness. This was the 5th brew from the sampler and would match nicely with chocolate desserts and grilled beef or pork entrees. IBU at 42 and ABV of 5.2% so reasonable for the style. Anchor and Sam Smith's porters are the classics, but, once again, this was a fairly good beer and a great way, at $1/bottle, to sample various styles.

4059-Porter.jpg

[fuse]

I have benn looking into a business to start/invest in and growing hops appears to have lots of consideration and interest. I have access to farmland and have been researching recently. Thoughts?

I have some friends that recreationally grow hops for their homebrew.
I don't know too much about it but you'll need some tall supports- hops can grow 20'-40' tall vines, I've heard.
Lots of sun I think is a requirement, but I never heard any of my friends suggest growing hops was hard.

There are so many hop varietals that the toughest part if you are looking for profit is gauging which will grow best in your climate and if the demand is high enough. I'm not sure how you plug into the brewing community to sell the hops, either- I'd imagine there are probably breweries in your area where you could try the razor/razor blade approach and offer them free samples.

[duketaylor]

Found this,
http://www.whipplecreekfarms.com/field.html

I've talked with several people and will visit two breweries Thursday, may have to do some sampling

[duketaylor]

http://www.hardywood.com/comment/1541#comment-1541

I'll try to secure some of this for y'all to taste.

[fuse]

Art of Darkness-Ommegang Brewing

What a rich and seductive brew! This is a long overdue review from last month when we were in DC and dined at The Bier Baron. This pub has a nightly special and for $10 you get a very tasty burger with lettuce, tomato and other condiments of your choice, a generous serving of pub fries and any draft on the menu. The burgers/fries are $10 (or was it $12?) anyway and this particular ale was $12 for a 10 ounce goblet. Sure, a bit spendy but I'll guess the 750 ml bottle is likely $10 or more any your favorite beverage store and, at 8.9% ABV is a pretty standard price. Enough about the dinner and on to the elixir.

This arrived in the goblet a bit too cold but as it warmed over the 30 minutes of sipping for what was basically dessert, it turned into quite the luscious concoction. It is basically a dark strong Belgian ale and could likely be classified as a stout with its dark mahogany color and aromas of dark sweet chocolate and hints of molasses and espresso. There are no additives so the darkly roasted barley, wheat and oat grains are responsible for most all the flavors here with hints of hop bitterness. Dark, dried fruit flavors are also present along with a splash of dark aged rum. Ideal for a liquid dessert or with some truffles or a dark chocolate cheesecake. If you see it on draft or in a specialty store, it would be worth the splurge.

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Had this tonight, and it was tasty. Not sure I can add much to your review other than to say I enjoyed it, and would drink it again. I enjoyed the Belgian lace in the glass, it lingered for the whole session.

[devildeac]

http://www.hardywood.com/comment/1541#comment-1541

I'll try to secure some of this for y'all to taste.

Sounds interesting. Will be waiting for a bottle or three.

[devildeac]

Black Bear Bock-Saranac/Matt Brewing

Lager warning! This is the 6th and final selection in the Saranac winter sampler. Poured a medium to dark amber with a sweet caramel nose and brown sugar, toasted bread and caramel tastes. I'd guess IBU around 20 and the ABV is listed at 6%, both fairly standard for the style. Would match nicely with ribs, 'cue or even a batch of oatmeal raisin cookies or apple pie for dessert.

Black-Bear-Bock.jpg

[budwom]

The latest Vanity Fair has a blurb on Hill Farmstead Brewery in Greensboro, Vermont; "already considered on of the finest brewers in the world...seemingly unprecedented
level of consistency and quality...cultish devotees from all over the world..." Check out their web site.

Current offerings include Birth of Tragedy, an imperial porter aged in bourbon barrels...

Can be had in some restaurants in NYC, Philadelphia, or various places in Northern Vermont where you can come visit, ski,
drink amazing beer, and drop lots of tax dollars to reduce the Womble tax burden. Amazing beers.

[fuse]

A seasonal ale, in 2010 spiced with thyme and curaçao orange peel.

A dark Belgian ale- lots of sediment in the pour, very chunky at the bottom.

Thick tan head. Nice Belgian lace in the glass.

The nose is spicy and boozy.

Flavour is very subtle and unusual, likely from the thyme.
Effervescent front palate gives way to a mild sweetness that finishes with Belgian candy sugar and some numbing boozy bite. Rich, dark and sweet without being cloying at all.

Quite enjoyable, would have made a great dessert beer instead of an appetizer.

We are heading to Blackberry Farm in January, and I just learned they started brewing there this year. I am hoping to bring back some bottles.

[fuse]

Pours like an iced coffee, dark and translucent.
Head dissipated almost immediately.

Nose smells of coffee.

Whoa, unusual is all I can write about the first sip.
This is more than a little bit out there.

This tastes like a coffee stout with a bit of "what the...???" mixed in.

There are a lot of exotic ingredients- wattle seed, honey, roibos tea, amaranth, myrick gale.
I have no idea what any of these ingredients beyond honey and roibos tea taste like.

Starts to sweeten as it warms. I can't compare it favorably to DFH I'm a real wanker for saying this.I'm a real wanker for saying this.I'm a real wanker for saying this.I'm a real wanker for saying this.I'm a real wanker for saying this.es Brew but there is a variation on that theme.

Very complex, worth trying. I'll try any DFH beer once.
Great beer but hard to sort out what it would pair with.

[bluebear]

The latest Vanity Fair has a blurb on Hill Farmstead Brewery in Greensboro, Vermont; "already considered on of the finest brewers in the world...seemingly unprecedented
level of consistency and quality...cultish devotees from all over the world..." Check out their web site.

Current offerings include Birth of Tragedy, an imperial porter aged in bourbon barrels...

Can be had in some restaurants in NYC, Philadelphia, or various places in Northern Vermont where you can come visit, ski,
drink amazing beer, and drop lots of tax dollars to reduce the Womble tax burden. Amazing beers.

Between Hill Farmstead, Lawson's, and the Alchemist, Vermont has among the best beers anywhere. I'm hoping to drop lots of tax dollars next week making a Heady Topper run.

[devildeac]

Winter Lager-Boston Brewing Company (aka Sam Adams)

I'm almost embarrassed posting this with the N'ice and DFH reviews above but this is a solid brew. I wasn't too excited about trying it but we had an office meeting after hours Monday night with a catered dinner and this was the 6er. Don't let the name fool you as this is not your standard winter lager but is actually a dark wheat bock spiced with cinnamon, ginger and orange peel. Poured a cloudy medium to dark brown with all the above spices in your first whiff and throughout the 12 ounce bottle. I'd guess IBU about 20 and the ABV was 5.6%, IIRC on the bottle. Made a fairly nice pairing with grilled balsamic chicken, sauteed spinach and grilled Roma tomatoes plus some weeds, err, mixed greens salad. We consumed two beers and I got the leftovers so someone/s will find them in a trader soon. I'm going to have to spend some of the $$ I saved on the Saranac 12 pack and this 6er and put them toward some special Christmas or other winter offerings.

[budwom]

Between Hill Farmstead, Lawson's, and the Alchemist, Vermont has among the best beers anywhere. I'm hoping to drop lots of tax dollars next week making a Heady Topper run.

If you're in downtown Burlington, the Vermont Pub and Brewery is good, too. More micro breweries per capita in VT than anywhere else...it's these long dark winters...

[devildeac]

Christmas Ale (draft)-Goose Island Brewing

I think this is what I had last night at Tyler's Taproom pint night before the Cornell game. Buy the beer, keep the glass. Or was it buy the glass and the beer is free?

Anyway, it was a dark brown pour with dark caramel, medium dark chocolate and a hint of coffee flavors and a piney bite. Modest head with an estimated IBU of 30 and the ABV is listed at 7.3%. Of course, it was not officially on the menu so it could have been the mild winter ale but I think it was a bit too dark for that. Paired nicely with my Philly cheese steak with onions, peppers and 'shrooms. I'm always ready for someone to goose me!

Christmas_2011_full.jpg

[devildeac]

Breakfast Stout-Founder's Brewing

Pass the cream and sugar and go heavy on the whipped cream, please. I split a bottle of this with my son today for dessert after lunch. Poured a clean, almost black color with a light mocha head and smelled and tasted of just about everything you'd expect. Two kinds of chocolate, oatmeal and darkly roasted malts combined with the bitterness of two different kinds of coffee made this smooth and sweet with a bit of a bite. IBU at 60 and ABV of 8.3%. Liquid dessert or as a beverage to accompany almost any type of chocolate after dinner indulgence. Can't believe I didn't review this after one of our Brunchgates, but maybe I did and forgot or overlooked it doing a search.

Nice label, too:

beer_14956.jpg