Friday, September 29, 2006

Pint Night 9/27/06 Erdinger Oktoberfest


Pint Night, September 27 2006, Erdinger Oktoberfest
Official Website: www.erdinger.com

Sunday, September 24, 2006

Brew Crew 09/22/06 Ayinger Oktober Fest-Marzen


Brew Crew, September 22, 2006 Ayinger Oktober Fest-Marzen
Official Website: www.ayinger-bier.de
Description from Brew Crew:
Ayinger Oktober Fest-Marzen is a great brew made by Ayinger Brewery, which is located in the country just outside of Munich. Ayinger is considered by many to be the best brewery in Bavaria and is consistently rated each year as one of the best breweries in the world. This brew is a full bodied, flavorful Marzen brew with a rich, golden color. It has a slightly sweet character with an approximately malty nose. This brew's long maturation period provides a soft dryness with an alcohol level at 5.8% ABC.

Wednesday, September 20, 2006

Pint Night 9/20/06 Kona Longboard Lager


Pint Night, September 20, 2006 Kona Longboard Lager
Description from www.konabrewingco.com:
A crisp and moderately hopped pale lager, Longboard Lager is aged for five weeks at very cold temperatures to yield its exceptionally smooth flavor.

Tuesday, September 19, 2006

Brew Crew 09/15/06 BBC Hell for Certain



Brew Crew, September 15 2006 Bluegrass Brewing Company Hell for Certain
Official Website: www.bbcbrew.com
Description from Brew Crew:
BBC Hell for Certain is brewed locally in Louisville, Kentucky by Bluegrass Brewing Company. Listed on the label as a Belgian Style Ale, the beer seems also to have some stylistic leanings toward English style Old Ale and Barleywine. Pours a reddish-amber with a fairly short lived tan head. Although the sweet toasted caramel malt aroma is extremely bold and assertive, the body and flavor are more restrained than the aroma would suggest resulting in a surprisingly drinkable beer. The beer is medium bodies. The flavor is of semi0sweet toasted caramel malt with a subtle hop bitterness in the finish.

Wednesday, September 13, 2006

Pint Night 09/13/06 Stella Artois

Pint Night, September 13 2006, Stella Artois
Official Website: www.stellaartois.com
Description from www.wikipedia.com:
Stella Artois is a 5.2% ABV global lager first brewed in Leuven, Belgium in 1926 as a Christmas brew, and named Stella after the Latin for "star". Colloquially known as Stella or "wifebeater", "brain damage", or "fella" in some northern English towns. It is the best selling premium lager in the UK beer market, and is promoted as an international brand by InBev. In its home market of Belgium, however, it is marketed, priced and sold as a regular lager. It is brewed in Belgium and the United Kingdom, as well as other countries including New Zealand.

Stella's advertising slogan in the United Kingdom is "Reassuringly Expensive". The UK television advertising campaigns have become known for their distinctive style of imitating European cinema and their leitmotiv inspired by Giuseppe Verdi's La forza del destino. The campaigns began with a series of adverts based on Jean de Florette, moving on to other genres including war movies, silent comedy and even surrealism (for which the slogan was changed to "Reassuringly Elephants"). They have used notable movie directors such as Jonathan Glazer. The aim is to portray a sophisticated European culture somewhat belied by the popular conception of the beer.

In Belgium, Stella is promoted as Mijn huis is waar mijn Stella staat and Chez moi, c'est près de ma Stella (My home is where my Stella is).

Stella is also brewed in Abbotsford, Melbourne by Carlton & United Beverages for the Australian market on behalf of InBev.

Saturday, September 09, 2006

Brew Crew 09/08/06 Unibroue Maudite


Brew Crew, September 08 2006 Unibroue Maudite
Description from www.unibroue.com:
Since
1992 La Maudite
Type Strong Red Ale, refermented in the bottle
Alcohol 8 % alc./vol.
Color Mahogany
Taste Subtle coriande, light spices and a hint of hops
Aroma Spicy
Shelf Life 5 years or more
Serving Suggestions Pasta, red meat, stews and spicy dishes

In November 1992 Maudite (the damned one), was the first strong beer to be distributed in Quebec grocery stores. It contains 8 % alcohol and is also the first beer brewed in America that improves with age. When served young, it is very smooth, but when served after several years of storage, its flavour is reminiscent of port. Maudite is a mahogany-colored, rich-tasting premium beer that has a distinctive, complex taste. Because of the warmth it releases, this strong character beer must be served cool but not cold. Perfect with pasta, red meats, stews and spicy dishes, it also makes a good aperitif and after-dinner drink.

Maudite has a typically Quebecois name that is reminiscent of the legend of the Chasse-Galerie (the legend of the Flying Canoe). Legend has it that a group of lumberjacks struck a deal with the devil to fly home in their canoes, guided by Satan himself, to make it home in time for Christmas.


Thursday, September 07, 2006

Beer Safari: Thai 09/07/06 Singha Lager

Beer Safari: Thai, September 07, 2006 Singha Lager
Description from www.boonrawd.co.th:
A premium lager beer brewed from the finest ingredients, "Singha" is a full-bodied 100% barley malt beer that is distinctively rich in taste with strong hop characters.

Wednesday, September 06, 2006

Pint Night 09/06/06 Newcastle Brown Ale


Pint Night, September 06, 2006 Newcastle Brown Ale
Newcastle Brown Ale is an authentic English ale with a unique taste. Full of flavour, yet easy to drink, it's been drunk and enjoyed since 1927. And it's becoming more popular in more countries each year.

Friday, September 01, 2006

Brew Crew 09/01/06 Duvel

Brew Crew, September 01 2006 Duvel
Description from www.duvelusa.com:
Overview
Before Duvel, there was no Strong Golden Ale. Duvel, with its fair appearance, smooth complex taste and 8.5% alcohol by volume brooding beneath, spawned the category. These seemingly opposing characteristics result from Duvel's three fermentations, the use of premium Pilsner malts, and time. From brewing to shelf takes about three months. This allows a good deal of maturation, particularly in the bottle where the third fermentation takes place. Michael Jackson, The Beer Hunter, described Duvel as "having astonishing sophisticated character" and as being "one of the world's most distinctive and individualistic beers".

History
The history of Duvel is closely linked to the Duvel Moortgat family brewery founded in 1871 by Jan-Leonard Moortgat in Puurs, Belgium.

After World War I, Jan-Leonard's son Albert decided to brew an English-style ale and went off to Scotland in search of a sample of the local yeast. Even today, yeast from that original source is always used. The beer was going to be called "Victory," in honor of the British troops who had just liberated Belgium; however, after sampling the first batches, the brewers described it as "nen echten duvel" or "a real devil". And the name stuck. From 1923 onward, the beer was known as "Duvel," which is local Flemish slang for Devil.

Pronouncing it
Pronounce it "DOO-vle," with the accent on the first syllable, if you want to sound Flemish, or Doo-VEL, with the accent on the second syllable, if you favor the French-sounding version. Both are used in Belgium, so feel free to pick your own.

The Brewery
Duvel is brewed at Duvel Moortgat Brewery, established in 1871, in Puurs, Belgium, between Antwerp and Brussels. Today, in addition to Duvel, the company brews and bottles the following: Maredsous, the great line of abbey-style beers, also available in the USA; Bel Pils, a premium lager; Passendale, a unique amber beer; Vedett, a luxury beer of low fermentation; and, Steendonk, a wheat beer. Duvel Moortgat also owns 50 percent of Brewery Bernard, based in Humpolec, Czech Republic. The Humpolec brewery has been in operation since 1597 and produces the Czech Republic's most premium line of beers, including rare dark, bottle-fermented lagers. Finally, Duvel Moortgat also produces and bottles a line of high-quality fruit juices under the Freya brand name.

The making of the world's most beguiling beer

Taste
Duvel has the complexity and depth of an ale, with the ease and refreshing nature of a Pilsner. Behind Duvel's enticing taste are brewing standards and techniques that have operated since early in the last century. Each of Duvel's three fermentations adds a layer of complexity and depth that no other process could achieve. We use only natural ingredients, and brew Duvel only at our Puurs brewery, near Antwerp.

Belgian Lace
That distinctive and luxurious head is created by Duvel's champagne-like carbonation intermingling with proteins formed during the malting process. It's the proteins that keep the head there until you finish your glass, and leave behind a residue known as Belgian Lace. Belgian Lace is the signature of a high quality beer back home, the sign of something different over here.

Bottle Conditioning
Bottle conditioning, as with any fermentation, creates carbon dioxide. When fermentation is contained within the bottle it creates great pressure. So as with champagne, we take the precaution of containing Duvel in heavy glass. This glass is also brown to prevent UV light from affecting the taste of the beer.

Duvel's Tulip Glass
Every Belgian beer has its own glass based on its particular style. Inspired by a Burgundy glass, the unique tulip shape helps to release Duvel's abundant aromas and beguiling flavors, and allows the beer to slip under its distinctive head and onto your taste buds.

The Pour
Like fine wine or single malt, it's good to enjoy Duvel at the right temperature (40÷ to 50÷F), and in its appropriate glass. Pouring it correctly helps to bring out its characteristic aromas and intriguing flavors. The pouring ritual is simple and easy to master, and one of those things everyone should know.

Etched inside the bottom of every Duvel glass is a small letter "D". This small engraving in the otherwise smooth surface of the glass bowl causes a column of Duvel's champagne-like bubbles to rise up to the top of the glass. If you drink fewer bubbles you feel less full. Attractive and practical.

Different for a reason
Duvel is fermented three times - twice at the brewery and the final time in the bottle. Why ferment a third time? This bottle conditioning adds nuances and subtleties that round and balance Duvel's flavor and gives it a dry and satisfying finish. It also adds to the life of the beer. This means Duvel is actually getting better and better in the bottle, which can't be said of every beer.

While Duvel's three fermentations add layers of complexity and flavor, they also result in a rather respectable 8.5% alcohol by volume. In Belgium during the 1920's there was a prohibition on liquor. Gin, the most popular spirit was suddenly outlawed. Belgians' response was "let"s make our beer stronger, and "hey let's enhance the flavor and complexity while we're there". We've never looked back.