The 9th Beer of Christmas that found its way to me … Cisco Brewers Winter Shredder

Cisco Brewers, Nantucket, Mass.
Winter Shredder
6% ABV
“Brewed with all natural spices”

Well I hate to be the Debbie Downer at the Christmas party but I am not going to lie – this beer is not good.

Ugh, I feel like I am talking trash about a friend! Cisco, I love your Whale Tale Ale, Grey Lady, Pumple Drumkin and Lager of Summer, what happened here?! I believe this is the first year they have done this winter seasonal. I tried to do some research on this brew and it’s nonexistent on the World Wide Web - It is not even listed on the Cisco website beer list. (hmmm?)

SO allow me to be the first to break it down for you.

It pours slightly cloudy and dark red, with little to no head. The beer itself smells amazing with pepper, vanilla, liquorice and cherry undertones. I also get a little smokiness from the malts. So far I am excited.

When, what to my wondering taste buds should fear … this beer is gross.

The only way that it can be described is burnt popcorn.

Sip after sip I felt like I was eating handfuls of burnt popcorn and that’s a flavor that ruins your mouth. You should know that I am not afraid of bitter flavors. I drink dark roast coffee and love a good espresso but this is just over the top with hops.

This beer is so difficult to drink that I got through half a pint and dumped the rest down the drain.

The only thing that I need to figure out now is how to “shred” the five remaining bottles in my fridge, because I would certainly not push this on my friends.

Cisco, I have put you on the naughty list. Grade: F
Don’t agree? … Love this beer? … comment below!

On the 10th Beer of Xmas... 2011 Anchor's Merry Xmas Ale... AND 2010!!

I was hoping to save this beer for the end of our 12 Beers of Christmas... but when opportunity starts knocking... you answer the door.

This past weekend, I spent a few days with my Brooklyn based sister, Beth. As a good sister should, she has been quite supportive of my craft beer obsession. We went around all wkd long and tried all sorts of different offerings... mainly ones that I cannot get in CT! Avery Old Jubilation (Thanks KayTee!), JW Lees Harvest Ale, Clown Shoes Hoppy Feet... not to mention the highlight of our trip, a visit to the Brooklyn Brewery where we had their BLAST! (Double IPA), Collaboration (Wheat Wine), Brown Ale and Winter Ale... and met some real cool people in the process.

At the end of our trip, we went to the Atlantic Chip Shop for a little Fish n' Chips before I hit the road. Almost "BEERED OUT" from Friday and Saturday, we were not on a mission to find what we found. As we sat down to our table, I noticed that the drink menu was about 4-5 pages. The food menu, was a double sided one pager.

"I like these odds." - Billy the Kid, Young Guns

And would you look at that... they have one of my FAVORITE holiday beers, the Anchor Merry Christmas Ale.

#1 Rare to find this time of year...

#2 Rarer to find on DRAFT!

So I ordered a pint..."Do you want the 2011 or the 2010...? We have them BOTH on draft..."

It's one thing to simply FIND this beer... its a WHOLE new deal to find TWO YEARS ON DRAFT!! So... how could I say no? The ONLY other time I've ever done something like this was with my good friend, Ian. Last year he successfully stowed away the Christmas Ale from 2009 & 2008!! So we tasted '08, '09 and '10... amazing how the flavor differs from year to year. As you will see below...

Ok... Saddle up readers, its time for another Vertical Tasting.

A little history first... this beer has been coming out since 1975. And every year, they tweak the recipe JUST a bit. Given the legacy that is this Special Beer... information isn't EXACTLY at a premium. The most I can get out of these guys is that the beer from year to year, clocks in at around 5.5% ABV. But again, that changes slightly year to year... as does their label.

Both beers pour like a very dark molasses... When held up to the light, the 2010 had a much darker tone to it, while the 2011 had a lighter, almost red hue to it. They had similar characteristics with the head retention as both years quickly dissipated only after a few minutes. The 2010 had a slightly darker tan to it on the head. Lacing is also similar with both years... a few swirls around the glass and the lacing just falls. (Sorry, no snow falling on the glass descriptions here.)

From looks alone - its very hard to tell the difference between the years... but here's where things start to split up. The 2010 has a sweet smell to it... Chocolate, Cinnamon, Sugar... Beth described it like a "Tootsie Roll"... and gosh darn it, she was RIGHT! There's a slight piney note in there too... malt... black licorice... Now, the 2011, was much more piney on the nose. There was much less sweetness too. I have to say that you really gotta get your nose into this beer to get ANY real smell out of it, regardless of the year.

The taste is the big divider from year to year. 2010... There's a bitterness up front, but slowly goes away and mellows out to reveal some cloves, malt, and piney notes. After a few sips, the flavors begin to linger a little more, almost filmy. I feel that because of this, your palette almost disregards the initial bitter bop off the top, and allows you to truly enjoy this beer for what it is. Smooth, creamy and delicious. (Cue: Roaring fire, comfy clothes, slippers, etc.). The finish is pretty dry too... Makes you just wanna go back in and keep sipping.

Now, with the 2011, it's good. BUT... You definitely don't get the smoothness that you get with the previous year. Dare I say... it has a medicinal taste to it. And the filminess that lingers over a few sips... keeps that bitterness going in your mouth which I can see a few people, NOT being a fan of. Since I've become more and more into beers that can be very bitter, I almost don't mind it. But if I have the option to pick the current Christmas Ale year to any previous year... you can bet your partridge in a pear tree I'm going for the previous year.

I have to say too, I really ONLY get this comparison when I have both beers in front of me. When Ian and I did our vertical tasting last year... we hardly touched the 2010 because we got a similar medicinal taste to it. But '08 and '09... that was something to write home about. But here we are, one year later, and now the 2010 is the smooth one and the 2011 has that young, bitter taste to it.

My advice for anyone looking to try this beer... it's a very good choice. It only comes out once a year so definitely take advantage of it. On its own - the 2011 can definitely hang. It's different, spicy, Christmasy... BUT, taste it from year to year... and you'll notice that this beer ages very nicely. If you can, I would buy (2) 6 pks... enjoy one this year... and hide one for next year. Then you can compare it to the 2012 and have your OWN vertical tasting! Again, it really is amazing how you can taste the difference!

Food Pairing:
There's a good amount of spice happening with these guys... Beth suggested a beef stew, which I could totally see. We both agreed that it would go well with something that you'd normally want to eat that would warm you up from the city streets. The chicken curry that Beth ordered (see below) went REALLY well.



Special thanks to of course my sister for taking me ALL around this wkd and our awesome waitress at the Atlantic Chip Shop... if you are in the Brooklyn Area, definitely check it out. Just make sure there isn't a "football" game going on. You don't want to upset the locals.

Anchor Brewing: WEBSITE

The 11th beer of Christmas, Southie Liquors recommended to me: Avery Brewing Company, Old Jubilation Ale

I walked into my local liquor store like a kid waking up on Christmas - excited for all of the possibilities. I've picked up some great choices for this countdown to Christmas series, and I am looking forward to unwrapping each bottle like a present. I have to say, it’s nice to make the switch over to winter.

I bring to you Avery’s Old Jubilation Ale.

Avery Brewing hails from Boulder, Colorado and they have been churning out delicious suds since 1993. They offer about 20 different ales, two of my favorites being Ellie’s Brown Ale and the White Rascal. I find Avery’s beers to be reliable, balanced and flavorful.

As their website states: “We brew what we like to drink--with utter disregard for what the market demands-- and search out fans with equally eccentric palates. We learned long ago that expressing your true self is much more fulfilling than giving in to outside pressures. Don't you agree?” – Yes, whole heartily.

The beer itself is beautiful. It’s dark brown with a little cherry hue peeking through. It poured a small white head which dissipated quickly, leaving a pretty lacing like snow on my glass (awe).

The smell reminded me of campfire smoke and hot chocolate. I also picked up mahogany and coffee. My friend and fellow taste-tester, Page, said it reminded her of the time she burnt fudge, (For all of you holiday bakers out there).

The taste is aggressive and bitter with roasted malts, especially the finish. It’s nutty with toffee and mocha and has some barley wine qualities to it. It takes a couple sips before it really opens up and starts to come together. It’s delicious and smokey.

The label reads: No spices, just a perfect blend of five specialty malts. Cellarable for 2+ years. This is one of the nice changes about winter seasonals. The fall can be so overrun with cinnamon, nutmeg and clove that you need a break.

The mouth feel is dry, medium bodied and definitely has staying power on your tongue. This is not a beer that you forget about. It packs some power. I was shocked that the alcohol wasn’t more present in the taste. This beer goes down easy and it clocks in at an 8.3% ABV. (Careful bringing this one to your work holiday party)

This beer is a perfect for the winter. It makes me want to curl up with my snuggie by the fire and relax. It warms you up, without filling you up and makes you feel cozy; everything a cold weather ale should accomplish. I would definitely pick up a six pack again for a quite night in with friends.

This strong tasting brew needs strong tasting food. I would say a Texas style chilli or a dish with dark chocolate mole would pair nicely. A holiday roast would also make a nice companion. However, I just snacked on some mixed nuts and was as happy as the Cold Miser in the North Pole. This beer gets an A- from me.

Beer Style: English Old Ale
Hop Variety: Bullion
Malt Variety: Two-row barley, special roast, black, chocolate, victory
OG: 1.074 ABV: 8.3% IBUs: 30
Color: Mahogany

Drink on! It's winter in New England, what else is there to do?

On the 12th Beer of Xmas, my true love gave to me...

December 8th, 2011… I’ll be honest. As someone living in the Northeast, I’ve had a difficult time getting into the Christmas/Holiday spirit. Maybe the “Snowpocalypse” back in October threw things for a loop. Snow in October and a balmy November?! What the heck is going on.

So Kate approached me the other day with a fantastic idea. Let’s take the “12 Days of Christmas” mantra… take out the DAYS part and add BEERS. WHAT A CONCEPT!! Without further adieu… I present to you the Beer411: 12 Beers of Christmas Countdown!!! For the next 12 weekdays, Kate and I are going to help you get through the day. Stop worrying about what beer to buy for your holiday gathering or family function. In fact, we’re putting the “FUN” back in Function.

Similar to the Fall/Pumpkin Beer season, people usually ask, what’s out there… Any recommendations, Tone? We are knee deep in the Winter Beer season, and with each year, there seems to be more and more options. Let Kate and I tell you what we like… so the next time you need to pick something out at the Package Store to dominate your Annual Ugly Christmas Sweater party, show up as the CHAMP… not the Chimp.

…On the 12th Beer of Christmas… my true love gave to me…



Beer: Lagunitas Sucks Holiday Ale
Brewery: Lagunitas Brewing
Style: Imperial IPA
ABV: 7.85%

What better way to kick off our little Beer411 Christmas Campaign… let’s head to Cali to visit one of my favorite breweries, Lagunitas. They are well known for their Little Sumpin, Sumpin, Little Sumpin Wild, Pils, Maximus… but this holiday season they, well – they kinda, err… uhhh… they @#$%@#$ up.

Actually, their problem isn’t exactly a BAD one either… Business has been GREAT for the guys over at Lagunitas. To the point where they are EXPANDING their operation at the brewery to meet the needs of the demanding craft beer public!

Only… one… problem…

Normally this time of year, they have one of their most popular releases, Brown Shugga. It’s a delicious 10.0% ABV that has been getting rave reviews. However, due to the expansion, the expensive ingredients and the lengthy time that Brown Shugga takes in the fermenters, the Brewers decided that it would be best to skip out on their Brown Shugga production this holiday season. If they tried to release as usual, they would not ONLY not be able to produce as much, but the extra time would cause a dip in production of their better-selling regulars. Too limited, too little… time for Plan B. Enter Holiday Ale, Stage Right.

Or, for the official name: Lagunitas SUCKS Holiday Ale (Brown Shugga Substitute)

The beer is comprised of a cereal type base. The beer purports to be "full of complexishness" from the addition of 4 grains -- barley, rye, wheat, and oats.
The pour is light in color… A red/orange hue, with mostly Amber overtone. Definitely a nice surprise as MOST Holiday beers around this time of year focus on Sweet, Malty, Rich, flavors. Flavors like Coffee, Chocolate, Nutmeg, Cinnamon… Nothing against them, they just weren’t invited to the party.

IPA fans unite… this has a big nose all over it. Tons of grapefruit, and almost a touch of orangey sweetness. Floral and citrus notes, as well. Hmmm… is that Pineapple? Some type of sweet citrus fruit.

Takin' a sip... yaaaaaa.(Thank you BeerCoasters!) A definite bitter presence here. I was surprised since the IBU (International Bittering Units) was around 63.21. It IS a pretty high IBU, but without looking at that number I would think that by taste alone, this beer HAS to be around 75 IBUs or higher. One of my favorite Lagunitas offerings is their Hop Stoopid… registering at a whopping 102 IBUs!! The taste in this case is pretty similar to the citrus smells I described earlier. You get hit with some sweetness up front, smooth mouthfeel and then a bitterness at the end. Clean, crisp finish.

As I mentioned before, this beer is NOT your normal holiday beer. Definitely a nice change for those of us that enjoy a quality IPA and are looking for a break from the Winter Lager, Caramel, Toffee, Sweetness that is usually found this time of year.

Food pairing… hmmmm. I’d go with a nice sharp cheese. This is a good beer to start your night off with. Full of flavor, high ABV, opens up your taste buds, and pairs well with cheese. Preferably, some delicious Calef’s Country Store Extra Sharp Cheese… :)

Overall: B+

Fear not, Lagunitas fans… it is reported that Brown Shugga will be back next holiday season.

…However, I would not upset if their Holiday Ale comes back from time to time. Lagunitas may SUCK, but this substitute, certainly did not disappoint.

Navigating the dinner table with your favorite cup of cheer: Beer

While a traditional table setting usually includes a wine glass and NOT a pint glass, I say put down that tepid $10 chardonnay and challenge your taste buds by pairing beer with your holiday meal this year.

Beer is often revered as less classy in formal settings, but recently there has been a shift in the culinary world in regards to craft brews. Yes, sipping a can of bud heavy at any dinner table would be appalling, but enjoying a delicious craft brew from a frosty glass with your holiday meal deserves a righteous high five in my book.

Many chefs and cooks would also argue that beer pairs better with more foods than its vino counterpart, which can often be too acidic and overpowering for most proteins and cheeses. With beer there is an expansive variety of flavor profiles to choose from to create delicious pairings. So let’s drop the stereotype and move forward shall we? It’s nearly 2012.

The first rule in any food/beverage pairing is always, there are no rules. Have fun, experiment and bring friends into the mix to succeed and fail along with you. If you find an unorthodox combination that you think we should know about please share! We want in on the goodness.

Here are some suggestions from Beer411 to get you started.

If you are familiar with wine pairings, beer pairings work the same way. You want to match the level of intensity of the food with the intensity of the beer. An assertive meal needs a beer to match and a lighter fare should not be overpowered by the brew you are enjoying it with. Keep the flavors even keeled to complement each other by finding similar characteristics; sweet with sweet, heavy with heavy and light with light.

I plucked this helpful guide from Epicurious to help you transition from wine to beer.

Light Body
Wines: Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, Barbera, Pinot Grigio
Beers: Lager, Pilsner, Wheat

Medium Body
Wines: Merlot, Zinfandel, Syrah
Beers: Ale, IPA, Bock

Heavy Body
Wines: Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Oaky Chardonnay
Beers: Stout, Porter, Barleywine

Also if you are coursing your beer selections work from lightest to heaviest so you don’t blow out your palate and appetite.

Some beer-food-pairing enthusiasts work in a “ying and yang” fashion while making their combinations, meaning a super spicy dish might work well with a fruity ale to cut some of the heat, while others fight fire with fire and use the power of a bock to keep the spice in its place.

I read in multiple places that highly carbonated beers help to cut grease and fat in fried food dishes and can keep your palate refreshed while eating. Honestly, the possibilities are endless!

Recently, I had dinner at a friend’s and paired beer with each course. I was very pleased with my work and it was fun to get the reactions from all the guests who are normally dinner wine drinkers. I stayed with beers that I know and love and could drink anytime. I think that is sound advice for any novice attempting to create a beer pairing.

This is what went down:

Appetizer - Cheese plate of creamy goat, a stilton blue and Jarlsberg Swiss cheese
Pairing - Opa Opa Belgian White
Results – Cheese and wheat love each other, it’s a fact. As suspected the Opa Opa went best with the tangy goat cheese, then the blue and lastly the Swiss. Opa Opa’s white ale is one of my favorites. It’s well brewed, citrusy, light and refreshing, a perfect first course.

Main course – Roast beef, mushroom gravy, garlic mash potatoes and green bean almondine
Pairing - Ellie’s Brown Ale
Results – This is a perfect fall/winter beer. It has a well balanced amount of malt and hops and plays nice with almost anything thing that I have eaten with it. It has a nutty, butteryness that I knew would play well off of the mash potatoes and mushrooms in the gravy. It inspired me to try making gravy with beer instead of wine next time – it works in stew right? Another homerun, I must say.

Dessert – Apple crisp with vanilla bean ice cream (OUCH so full!!)
Pairing – Rogue’s Chocolate Stout
Results – The oaty, bitter-sweet finish of the chocolate stout was delicious next to the sweet coldness of the ice cream and warm apples. I think dessert is probably the easiest pairing to make so if you are fearful start here … or just drink your dessert, which I do often anyway.

All in all a great evening of food, beer and conversation.
For more food pairing ideas check out: http://www.alabev.com/foodpair.htm

Eat, drink and be Merry - Happy Holidays!

3rd Annual Pumpkin Beer Tasting Challenge!!

So after months and months of planning... it all came down to this past Sunday. The stage was set... the field was locked. Out of the new craze that is Pumpkin Beer, I found several individuals that were willing to embark on a journey that not many would DARE try.

...oh yes, we dared.

Including myself, I found 8 adventurous people, willing to put their pride, their needs, wants and MOST IMPORTANTLY, their taste buds on the line to determine which Pumpkin Beer stood out among the rest.

16 Pumpkin Beers Enter. But only one leaves victorious.

The field was set as follows (in random order):
1. Weyerbacher Imperial Pumpkin Ale
2. Post Road Pumpkin Ale (Brooklyn)
3. Uinta Punk'n
4. UFO Pumpkin Ale
5. Shipyard Pumpkinhead
6. Shipyard Smashed Pumpkin
7. Heavy Seas Great Pumpkin
8. Smuttynose Pumpkin Ale
9. Sam Adams Harvest Pumpkin
10. Riverhorse Imperial Pumpkin
11. Sea Dog Pumpkin Ale
12. Dogfish Punkin
13. Wolavers Pumpkin Ale
14. Cisco Bay Pumple Drumkin
15. Buffalo Bill's Pumpkin Ale
16. Southern Tier PumKing

At a quick glance... one might think that Dogfish or Shipyard would be the heavily favored beers since they've had the most experience. But how would the newbies of the Pumpkin World stack up... like Sam Adams... or would a rare find on the East Coast like Uinta (out of Salt Lake City), swoop in and take the title...

Enough talk. Time to operate.

We took the field of 16 and split them up into four regions, similar to how the NCAA tournament is in College Basketball around March. We took heavily favored beers like Weyerbacher (last year's runner up), and Post Road Pumpkin Ale (Two Time Champion) and gave them a #1 seed. After we passed out 4 top #1 seeds, we gave out the #2, #3, and #4 seeds in each region. Then, in a separate room, we had someone who was not taking part in the tasting randomly pick out the matchups so we had no idea which beers would be facing off. Once things kicked off, we were handed Beer A and Beer B. We smelled... tasted... compared notes... debated... fought... clawed... kicked... Until after about 2-3 minutes, we voted.

ALL IN FAVOR OF BEER A...


ALL IN FAVOR OF BEER B...


And there you had it... Matchup #1 in the books. We had pairing after pairing after pairing... breaking in-between rounds to let our palates return to normal. Some votes went 8-0... while others were more split, 5-3. In one case, we had a 4-4 result, ultimately having one of the proctors try the beers and voting for their favorite.

Its amazing to break down Pumpkin Beer after Pumpkin Beer... sweetness, spiciness, booziness, the nose, the finish, is it Crisp? Balanced? Tart? Fruity? Malty?

As the day drew on, we headed into the finals... Tensions were high and palms were sweaty. Beer A and Beer B. Who would get the FINAL VOTE!?!?

BEER A:
"A" was delicious, but definitely had a lot of sweet characteristics. subtle spice notes, malty with a big pumpkin nose. The sweetness was a little over the top for me. It was really good, but the question was... Could have I more than one? I don't know. This would be a GREAT beer to crack open to start the night off, or for a special occasion, but overall, I don't know how MUCH I could drink. A felt like it would be good to have one and move onto something else, less sweet. This guy had a strong alcohol presence too. Probably came from one of the 22 oz bombers if I had to guess...

BEER B:
"B"... WOW. I knew this last vote would be the toughest one on the day. I really liked this beer. A little spicier than A, with lots of cinnamon and clove notes. Both beers has more of a Pumpkin Pie type mouth-feel... where as some of the other beers we had on the day at a crisp, fresh pumpkin taste. "B" was sneaky though... yes, there were alcohol qualities to this one as well... but when compared to BEER A, it wasn't as evident. And another thing I enjoyed about this beer was the sweet factor. Not as high as BEER A, and slightly maltier. VERY drinkable. I could probably have a few of these without ANY problem.

ALL IN FAVOR OF BEER A:


.......................................



ALL IN FAVOR OF BEER B:


8 VOTES!!!! BEER B IS YOUR WINNER!!!

(SPOILER ALERT***SPOILER ALERT***SPOILER ALERT)



























In 2nd place, the Heavy Seas Great Pumpkin (hsbeer.com)!!!


So congratulates to the Weyerbacher Imperial Pumpkin Ale (weyerbacher.com) for taking this year's TITLE!!! LADIES AND GENTLEMEN... YOUR 2011 CHAMPION!!!


I really liked Weyerbacher's offering this year, so its no surprise that it took this year's championship home. What WAS surprising though... I have to give out ONE MORE AWARD on the day. Now, as we set up the field of 16, this beer was practically an afterthought. But when the names were revealed... it turned out to be in our FINAL FOUR!!

So congratulations to this year's COMEBACK PLAYER OF THE YEAR, Wolavers Pumpkin Ale!! (wolavers.com)


All in all, it was a GREAT day. And while we've had other pumpkin tasting before, I have to thank Beeriety for giving us the idea of having this tasting in the tournament format (blog.beeriety.com). And to my girlfriend, Michelle for the seeding/region idea, and to EVERYONE that helped out on the day. It was a glorious day of pumpkin goodness.

...and I'm already looking forward to the 2012 tournament.

I did record a few segments for the Beercoasters Podcoast (beercoasterspodcast.com), so STAY TUNED if they end up using our our footage in their weekly podcast!!

Enjoy those pumpkin beers while they are still on the shelves!! Winter varieties are already starting to invade the packies!!

Cheers!!
~Tony

Pumpkin Beer... Ice Cream ?

Ice Cream... Awesome.


Beer... Awesome.



Pumpkin Beer... Really Awesome.









(wait for it...)













Pumpkin Beer ICE CREAM!!!

CraftBeer.com | Recipes: Pumpkin Beer Ice Cream