Harpoon - Baltic Porter - Leviathan Series

I like the label for the leviathan series. It looks like a zoomed in, scary picture of a beastie lurking in the deep. Very scary. The brew, however, isn't scary, and it only wields a 9.5% ABV, so it shouldn't hammer your head to the sidewalk like something at 11 or 12%.

The label says that it contains "Dark fruit and bittersweet chocolate notes meld into a spicy finish of this hearty beer made with de-husked roasted malts and a lager yeast." I wonder what a dark fruit is as I uncap and pour it.

It pours into the glass not opaque, but held up to light glows dark red, like the eyes of the beast on the label. The smell is an interesting one. Smells like roasted malts and, a hint of black cherry? Not sure what it is but there's something not beery about the smell, and I like it. It has a nice head, too, and the aroma is addicting.

The taste is exceptional. A smooth blend of chocolaty, roasty porterness. Its complex, but really very smooth. No bitterness here at all, this is a beautiful example of a dark beer. Not coffee like, but slightly sweet and toasty. I'd drink this on a cold night, I'd drink it with a beef roast and potatoes. Well done, very well done.

I'm Here for the Beer!

The awesome pair of beer-lovers, Tim & Amy over at Hereforthebeer.com recently interviewed me at one of my favorite local pubs, The Coat of Arms in Portsmouth, NH. We discussed beer, women, blogging and brewing. 

The video is available from youtube (below) or on their site (higher quality). Their site is great and they have interviewed far more well known people than me, so I'm honored! 

Overall it was a lot of fun. Check it out:

Leave a comment and let me know what you think!

Online Beer Adventures - Twitter Taste Live - Stouts

On Saturday I had the privilege of co-hosting the second Twitter Taste live with Reluctant Scooper (on twitter @reluct_scooper) of the UK. Two of the brews were Samuel Smiths, a historical UK brewery, and the other two were from Rogue.  I have recently become a huge fan of stouts, so I was thrilled when I got the offer to co-host. Unlike the Belgian tasting, I was this time familiar with both of the Rogue brews - the Chocolate Stout and Shakespeare Stout. Because I don't usually review international beer, I had never tried the Sam Smith's Oatmeal Stout or the Imperial Stout before. 

It was a smaller tasting than the last one, but there were several other concurrent events (including the celebrations for Beer Drinker of the Year) that may have prevented some regulars from getting in on it. But the smaller crowd allowed us to really talk specifics, and I learned (and shared) a lot about the history of stouts and the two breweries. For example, stouts used to be marketed as health foods and cure-alls, and were specifically recommended for athletes and nursing mothers. Sounds hearty enough for me!

The beers themselves were delicious and interesting. The Sam Smith Oatmeal Stout was drinkable and pleasant, without much bitterness. The Rogue Chocolate stout was probably my least favorite (but not bad) and featured a really chocolate/cocoa powder taste on top of a nice dark brewing. The Rogue Shakespeare stout is one of my favorite stouts, and it was nice and smooth. The last, the Sam Smith Imperial was truly imperial, with a nice alcohol sting and tastes of raisins. The tasting covered a nice spectrum of flavors, and to have the two oatmeal stouts to compare side by side was delightful. I also love hearing what others think about beer they've never tried, which is what makes these events so fun.

The highlight of the evening for me, too, was to hear John LeMansey's take on things. He has a great blog, Beer Critic and it was a pleasure to hear his descriptions that make my literary senses tingle with envy. And if that weren't enough, he takes beautiful photos of what he drinks. 

The next TTL event is on March 7, and features three brews from Dogfish Head, hosted by the Beer Wench. I am not sure if I will be able to participate in that one, but if you want to see what happens when creative beer people get together to talk pure beer from all corners of the globe, I highly reccomend the experience. 

Pennichuck - Backdraft Chocolate Porter

Still on my resolution list for 2009 is to visit Pennichuck in person, since they're in a town no less than an hour away from me and I've never been there. But short of that, I can always get their beer one mile away at Smiley's Beverage in Dover, so I get to live vicariously through them. 

This one has one of the nicest designed labels I've seen come from Pennichuck - a flame background and a simple black silhouette of a firefighter. Very nicely composed, and effective. 

I poured it out and got some nice creamy head, and a whiff of malts. It smelled light, not heavy, and I was eager to try it. 

I liked the taste of this a lot. It was a porter that was not thick or syrupy, but had the mouth feel of a brown ale. There was a very nice chocolate taste that followed the light maltiness, and I liked that it seemed to go very well with the taste of the whole brew. There are some chocolate stouts and porters that I've tried where the chocolate seems like an afterthought, and this was certainly not the case here. Additionally, I didn't get that "instant hot cocoa mix" artificial taste that sometimes plagues these types of beer. 

Also, if you're into chocolate stouts and chocolate porters, this is an incredibly affordable alternative to Sam Adam's Chocolate Bock or Rogue's Chocolate Stout. Again I am impressed by this small-ish New Hampshire brewery, and I think that this one in particular is a represenation of their quality. Great job guys!

Carolina Beer Company - Strawberry Ale

Strawberry beer. Let me say that again, slowly.

Strawberry.

Beer.

I am not sure if I'm ready for this. Somehow it seems wrong that I'm having this in February, and secondly, I'm all for blueberries (their tartness goes with the bitterness very well) and pumpkin (the spiciness goes well with fall ales) and even ginger (which brightens up a beer). But strawberry for the sake of strawberry, the sweetness... I dunno. But not one to be afraid of trying a brew, I will dive in for the sake of my readers. 

I poured it and was happy to see that it was a copper color, with a bit of head. The smell of it reminds me of the freeze-dried strawberries in Special-K cereal. Interesting.

The taste of this one is hard to describe. There are strawberries obviously. But the sweetness isn't nauseating, as I feared it might be. Its the strawberry taste on the end of the taste, that lingers on my lips and reminds me of lip gloss. 

I'm not hating it, but I could almost see myself drinking this on a hot summer night during a fourth of July parade while eating one of those flag cakes that every mom in America seems to know how to make.

Not a lot of others do strawberry beers and its a risk as a brewery. But if you're the only one that makes a good strawberry beer, you've won already. Perhaps it something of a southern taste (being a Carolina Brewing Company beer and all) to have the sweetness of strawberries with beer. Either way, its certainly a new taste for me. And not a bad one at that.

 

Legacy - Nor'easter Ale (Oatmeal Stout)

It has been snowing all day. Steadily, constantly, and with huge fat flakes. When it all wrapped up tonight, close to two feet of the white stuff has been added to our already heaping amounts that fell this winter. Seems the perfect still evening for a Nor'easter Ale from Legacy. 

The beer pours "wicked" dark, and smells of mocha, coffee and roasted malts. The head resembles strong chocolate milk in color, and the smell reaches your nose before you lean down to the glass. It is sharp and strong smelling, and hopefully a sign of good things to be. I don't detect much of the oatmeal in this oatmeal stout, but I'm not put off by that.

The taste is certainly one to warm up a frozen New Englander. The taste is strongly of roasty malt and coffee. It is a tad more on the bitter scale than other stouts, and it has a bit of sharpness on the tongue. That being said, I still enjoyed the brew. This is one to end the night with, to cuddle up with by the fire (if only I had a fire...) and watch it snow. Aptly named, the Nor'easter is a good winter brewing. 

This isn't one, though, for people who "don't like dark beer." It does have that familiar bitter taste that most people will find a little too much. But, if you're a fan of nice oatmeal stouts with a little bite, this one is for you.

Rogue - Younger's Special Bitter

Rogue continues to put out so many quality brews that it's a little tough to keep up sometimes. This one, Younger's Special Bitter, is another that's released in the 750 ml ceramic bottles (great for brewing, by the way, because of their sealable tops).

This one is a nice semi-transparent amber, with a bitter nose and a slight hops scent. The color is inviting, and the beer longs for a taste.

The taste itself does not disappoint. It is a classic ESB (extra special bitter). Its a bit nutty, a bit hoppy, and just the right level of bitterness to satisfy your taste buds. This is also only 7.4 % ABV so it isn't a sting, but instead a nice tickle on the tongue.

A while ago I discovered something by accident. I was at a mexican restaurant in Kittery Maine, and I ordered flan for dessert. I had a little bit of Red Hook ESB in my bottle, and I took a bite of flan and then followed it with a swig of ESB. The combination brought out something phenomenal in the ESB. Something about the simple sugars with the bitterness made it taste like ecstasy. 

If you come across this, spend $3 more and buy yourself a bit of Ben & Jerry's creme brulee ice cream. Let the ice cream melt on your tongue and then follow it with a big swig of the bitter. You'll then discover the magic of a bitter and a simple sugar, and trust me, you'll never taste an ESB the same way again.

Southern Tier - Jah-va Imperial Coffee Stout

For a long time, I've avoided coffee stouts because I don't like coffee. I can't drink it, don't like the smell of it, and can't get over its flavor even if its hidden in ice cream. But I was told that coffee stouts don't really taste like coffee, they just take the best bits of it and support an already good beer. I've tried Red Hook's Double Black, which is also a coffee stout, and I liked it a lot. So, I felt a little braver when I saw this bottle.

In the glass, this sits black with a ring of white head that rings the edge and never leaves as it is consumed. The aroma? Sweet alcohol with a roasty bitterness and a hint - a whisper - of coffee. I'm feeling pretty confident that this won't swamp me with bitter coffee, so I decide its time to stop staring at the brew and actually drink it.

The taste is a beautiful, delicious stout with just a hint of that earthy dirty coffee that adds a bit of character to what would be a strong imperial stout without the coffee. The taste is complex and would delight any palate, whether you like coffee or not. I think they've done a wonderful job balancing bitter and sweet, alcohol and malt. This is a must-try if you like dark beer and you're looking for something better than your typical Guinness. I am impressed, and the 12% ABV lends some serious weight to this well crafted drink. It would work well with a post dinner dessert (replacing coffee of course). 

The bottom line : if coffee tasted like this, I would drink coffee!!

He'Brew The Chosen Beer - Origin Pomegranate Ale (Schmaltz Brewing Co.)

Another one that I've picked up from Schmaltz Brewing Company, this has a beautiful label featuring a stylized pomegranate plant with great coloration and design. It also features a great rundown of the history and culture of the pomegranate not only in Jewish history but in other cultures as well:

In Jewish tradition, pomegranates symbolize righteousness, with seeds said to number 613, the total commandments in Torah. In deut. 8:8, pomegranates, barley and wheat prove the bounty of the Land of Milk and Honey. The calyx atop the fruit inspired the original Jewish crown. One Persian hero of myth consumed a pomegranate and became invincible. Mohammad instructed : "Eat the pomegranate, for it purges the system of envy and hatred." Newlywed Greeks eager for a family crush one under heel for fertility. Buddha cured a child-devouring deomoness of her evil habit by instructing her to eat a pomegranate. Whether for knowledge or temptation, for virtue or valor, for art or for love, revel in the sumptuous pleasures of Origin.

I have to say that I didn't know much about the pomegranate before writing this review, though I do enjoy the occasional glass of pomegranate cranberry juice. The pomegranate is something that adds a tartness without being sour, and is difficult to describe. I hope I can pick it up when I taste this.

The Origin pours a cloudy reddish mahogany. The smell is faint, but pleasant of a little bit of hops and some malts. I like that I'm not getting hit with strong bitterness or sourness from the pomegranates, because the last thing that I'd want is something that hits like a Sam Adams Cranberry Lambic. 

This is a nice one. Its a little tart, but not fruity, a little sour but not like a lambic. Its hard to pick out what it is about this beer's taste that's addicting. Its certainly drinkable, and they picked a good ale to pair with the pomegranate. Its mouth feel doesn't have a ton of carbonation, but is instead thicker and smooth on the tongue. I like that it has a tiny bite of bubbles on the tongue at first tip, then yields to the luscious amber ale as you swish it around your mouth.

I like this, and I would order it to go with a nice meal with family, or at the start of a new job, a new year. I'd even venture that it would taste great with something salty, like fried pickles (hey, it's my new favorite bar food). 

On another note, I wish I had another bottle so I could send it to Jon Stewart to drink. I have a feeling that he'd like it. 

Rock Art Brewery - Ridge Runner Barley Wine Ale

Coming home from my internship in Vermont, I was tired and hungry, so I stopped in a town market store somewhere in between Grafton and Bellows Falls. I was surprised to see a line of coolers in the back holding beer that I had never seen before, brewed by a company called "Rock Art Brewery" and featuring cave-drawing type art on their labels. So I picked up two, and this is the first that made it from the waiting shelf into my fridge and finally, tonight, into my glass.

I poured it and immediately noticed it was darker that I expected, and had a bit of sediment pouring into my glass. The smell was faint, and the first sip seemed empty of flavor. As I sipped further, though, I was able to pull out its flavors. It is certainly not the syrupy barleywine that I am used to, but it is instead earthier and maltier. I like that it isn't terribly sweet, but in some ways that's against what I know of the barleywine style. I think this one is a decent introduction, and is better than some other craft barleywines that I've had. 

I then visited their website to find that the Ridge Runner is a mild barleywine which would be a perfect description of this taste. Picture your favorite barleywine but toned down a little bit - the knob dialed down to let the low tones out to play. It is their flagship, so it was a good choice as an intro.

Rock Art Brewery itself has an extensive line of brews, including a stronger barleywine and several Belgian style beers. I am intrigued, at the very least by this beer, and might make another stop to get a few more bottles the next time I pass through the area. The brewery itself is in Morrisville, VT, about as far as I could drive away from where I live before hitting Canada. So, I probably will add them to the New England Brewery tour list, but the reality of my going there before the snow thaws is very unlikely.