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

Time of the Season

There's been a little growing debate these days... so I decided to jump into the fray.

I've noticed a consistent theme year after year the older I get. No, its not that I haven't grown since 8th grade... this is a beer blog, FOCUS! We're talking booze here.


Drink Craft Beer (@DrinkCraftBeer) brought this topic to the forefront yesterday:

Seasonal Offerings.

In their post yesterday, they said:

"All the brewers want to be first to market. The first beer of the season you try is the one you’re going to stick with most likely and has switched your taste-season to the next season."

(To read the entire post, click here: Why Seasonal Craft Beer Comes Out So Early

They bring up a lot of valid points... but it really depends on where you stand. The impression that they got from the breweries that they've talked to is that its a race to get to the market first. Get in the face of the consumer and you'll stick with them for the remainder of the season. Yeah, I guess that COULD be true... but certainly not in my world. I remember back in the beginning of August, I was VERY excited for the upcoming Pumpkin beer season. (Definitely one of my favorites along with the Holiday/Winter season.) So there I was the day before my buddy's wedding... August 5th. At the local packy... And would you believe it? UFO Pumpkin Ale. Shelved and stocked. Pumpkin Ales?? On August 5th?!? Really???

As much as people say that being the first to the market has a lasting impression on the consumer, I felt it had the reverse effect on me. Here we are in the final month of the Fall/Pumpkin beer season, and I have YET to have the UFO Pumpkin. Regardless of the REAL story, I felt like they rushed the brewing process just to get it on the shelves. So every time I've seen it, I look right past it.

That being said, I've actually heard a lot of good things about the UFO Pumpkin Ale. So no offense to the brewers at the Harpoon Brewery. And I usually dig most of the stuff Harpoon puts out, but I just avoided it BECAUSE it was first. The breweries that took their time, Smuttynose, Heavy Seas, Shipyard (Smashed Pumpkin), Brooklyn Post Road..., those are the beers that I grabbed off the shelves when they arrived.

Switch gears for a second... Let's go into the Sporting World... This situation is similar to how I view where we are with Yankees/Sox games today (bare with me, I'm making a point). When I was growing up, the Yanks would play the Sox maybe 9 times a year... maybe a few more. Every game was important. Now, in today's day and age, due to their high demand, the Yanks and Sox play each other over 20 times a year. Bottomline, people will pay good $$$ to see them play each other. TV stations will get great rating every time they're on TV. Everyone makes money... but the beauty of it, has lost a bit of its luster. But is that REALLY bad? And looking at UConn sports, we are on the brink of potentially leaving the Big East to join the ACC. If that is the case, of course it will be sad to see us leave the conference. But, being a positive thinker, let's focus on the good parts. Joining the ACC would mean more Duke/UConn games. I loathe Duke. I respect them, but when I see a Duke jersey, I get that "did you just kill a kitten" kinda feeling. Sorry, its how I was raised. So needless to say, I bleed for UConn/Duke games. '90, '99, '04 - Those are a part of UConn HISTORY!! And if we do join the ACC, there will be more and more Duke/UConn showdowns. Still very cool... but not as "magical" as they were in the past.

So where does that leave us in our quest for maintaining all that is sacred in terms of Seasonal beer? Have we lost the "magic" ? Is August too early for Pumpkin Beers? Yes, August is too early... but I think we have to find other ways to keep the magic going. There are new breweries that pop up all the time, and ESPECIALLY for Pumpkin beers, recipes are CONSTANTLY changing. More spice, less spice, more malt, more boozy, more pumpkin taste... And you have to admit, the increasing demand for Pumpkin beers is much higher than its been in the past... I can remember the pumpkin season lasting about 3 weeks in September. If you didn't jump on board until October, it was SLIM PICKINS. Now, while it IS starting much earlier, at least its lasting until October. So technically we're getting almost 4 more weeks!!

My advice to you, TAKE CONTROL OF THE SEASON!! If you see those beers that you have been waiting for, but AREN'T QUITE in the mood to crack it open yet (Pumpkin, Holiday, Spring, Summer), then find a good place to cellar your purchase at home and open it when YOU are ready, rather when the brewery wants you to be ready.

BEER411 TURNS TWO!!

HAAAAAAAAAAAAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!
HAAAAAAAAAAAAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!
HAAAAAAAAAAAAPPY BIIIIIIRTHDAAAAAAY DEAR BEER411!
HAAAAAAAAAAAAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!

Wow... Two years old. Never knew how long Kate and I would keep this going, but we've had a blast bringing the knowledge of our favorite beverage and humor to all of our readers. Thank you so much for your support... We've learned a lot too and continue to find new things out everyday. Our readers ROCK!!



So for our birthday... Let me take you back to a beer that my buddy Jim and I found the other night. Well, we didn't "find" it, I mean Weyerbacher is a good name in beer, but we were on a mission to find a Pumpkin ale on draft. After all, the Pumpkin Ales have EXPLODED in the CT Packies so one would think that a draft Pumpkin Ale wouldn't be hard to find.

Well, we didn't find it until we got to our 3rd establishment... and boy was it worth the trip. Now, one thing to keep in mind, Weyerbacher is the favorite Pumpkin beer of our good friend John year after year. See, every year we set up a pumpkin beer tasting where we blindly taste about 10 pumpkin beers to see which one we like the most. For two years in a row he's picked this out BLINDLY as his favorite. That being said...

If this year's Imperial Pumpkin offering on tap is ANY indication how good it is in bottles, I think the other Pumpkins out there better cower in fear.

This beer is NOT a Pumpkin session beer... no M'am. At 8%, this was served in a snifter type glass. The color was dark orange with a slight red hue to it. It also had about two fingers of white fluffy head.

The smell that I got from this glass is a combination of Pumpkin Pie and Happiness. Ok, the happiness part is my own contribution, but you get the idea. Cinnamon, cloves, pumpkin, nutmeg... all in the mix there.

Tasting... whoa mama. I dare you to try and not smile after taking a sip. Lots of the smells back up the taste here. Really no surprises. Full of flavor and malt. Slight nuttiness as well with a little orange peel. I must say, as a hop head, I enjoyed the hop/flavor balance throughout. When drinking this beer, you know the ABV is higher than most, but hard to realize that its way up there at 8%. Gotta love that Ninja ABV...

The finish just keeps the party going. Smooth, dry... Medium-bodied. Tons of pumpkininess. The sweetness is not too over the top at the end, but you do get a slight caramel presence.

I have to add that this WAS my first draft pumpkin beer of the season. Looking over some of the reviews online, this beer seems to be all over the map. Some LOVE, while some felt like it's "Not in the same league" as the other pumpkin beers. MOST of the reviews I noticed however are from drinking out of the bottle. Well, MOST beers are BETTER on draft, no? But even after having it both on draft and the bottle, I have to say, this is one of my favorites of the season. As the weather starts to change, crack open the Weyerbacher Imperial Pumpkin to warm you up on those cool Fall evenings.

Ok, great, Tone... you just reviewed a pumpkin beer and said it tasted like "pumpkins". Awesome. What's my takeaway from this? Is it good? What makes it different from other pumpkin beers?

I get it... You wanna know if you should get this. Several things to keep in mind is the high ABV (8%), medium-bodied quality, and lots of spice. If you are having a gathering and want to have a few pumpkin beers throughout the evening, this may NOT beer the best pumpkin beer to grab. But, if you plan on just having like one or two, and enjoy beer with a little more gitty up, than this is for you.

Overall: A

Coming Next Month... the 3RD ANNUAL PUMPKIN ALE TASTING EXPERIENCE. 16 ALES ENTER... 1 ALE LEAVES!!!

Quote of the Week:

[Referring to AB (Anheuser Busch) products] "I'd rather be seen in public with a Zima." - Beercoaster Mike from the Beercoasters Podcast