468. Cigar City José Martí American Porter

I wish to leave the world
By its natural door;
In my tomb of green leaves
They are to carry me to die.
Do not put me in the dark
To die like a traitor;
I am good, and like a good thing
I will die with my face to the sun.
A Morir [To Die] (1894)

There is poetry on the label. No wait, I don't think you heard me. Poetry. On the label. And as José Martí informs us, “A grain of poetry suffices to season a century.” This is our first beer from Cigar City Brewing, which is located in Tampa, FL. And it was the beneficent gift of Jeff Fortney, who spent last week in Florida, and thus returned strapped with fancy beer. Jeff and Jeffrey came over and joined Elli and myself for an evening of beer sampling and discussion, along with some homemade bread Jeff brought as well. We also got to try the White Oak Aged Jai Alai IPA, which has a fantastic oak and vanilla nose balanced by a caramel malt body. Which is to say that it was delicious. But we’re here for José.

Named after my favorite Cuban revolutionary (and yes, I am serious—sorry Che), José Martí American Porter pours a deep rich chocolate brown with a lush tan head. Initial aromas include roasty coffee sweetness; as the beer warms, slight chocolate and brown malt scents emerge. Flavors start with roasted sweetness mixed with chocolate; the mix is rather delicate, and while the roasted character is very upfront and direct, the beer has the mouthfeel to carry and balance the big roasted character. The middle dries out slightly, which allows the dry bitterness to come to the forefront even though there are still plenty of chocolate and coffee flavors to round and carry the beer. The finish has a touch of chalky dryness followed by a lingering roastiness that ends rather clean. José Martí has a rich, rounded mouthfeel that combines creaminess and roastiness. While the roasty components do seem a bit out of character for a porter—even an American porter—the bitterness and body helps to balance the beer, making it very drinkable. And, regardless of style, it is damn good drinking, Chalk me up for more of this beer—it is a Top 10 Best for the year all the way. Mix in the poetry on the label and the picture, and this beer has the total package.

From Rate Beer: “An aggressively hopped robust porter named for the Cuban national hero who also spent a significant amount of time in Tampa and gained prominence in Latin American literature from the poetry, essays, and publications he contributed to in his lifetime.”

ABV: 8.0%

(4/6/2011)

380. Fuller’s London Porter

Our first beer from the Griffin Brewery in Chiswick, London. London Porter pours a clear tawny chocolate brown with orange hints and a tan head; the nose is creamy toffee and chocolate with a slight bit of buttery aroma in the back. There is a wide range of flavors across the body of the beer—it opens with dry chocolate sweetness, caramel, and brown malt breadiness before moving into coffee and light roasted flavor with a touch of nuttiness in the middle and finishing with a darker, richer chocolate and lingering roastiness that is just this side of burnt. There are no hop flavors evident. London Porter has a medium body with slight chewiness—sweet, but dry—and the carbonation is light. There is a bit of lingering chalkiness or a minerally character on the palate as well, mostly on the roof of the mouth. A good beer, and certainly an exemplar of the style, with excellent flavors for a lighter drinking beer, but it did leave me wanting just a little something more.

From the bottle: “Fuller’s London Porter is an award-winning example of this historic English style; smooth and creamy with delicious chocolate and coffee flavours derived from the roasted malts. The Griffin Brewery in Chiswick, London, has been brewing fine ales since 1654. The Fuller, Smith & Turner partnership, dating back to 1845, brews an excellent range of award-winning ales, many of which are available in the USA, including London Pride pale ale and the world’s original ESB. I hope you will enjoy trying al our fine ales”

From the Fuller’s website: “The origins of Porter date back to London in the early nineteenth century, when it was popular to mix two or three beers, usually an old, well-vatted or ‘stale’ brown ale, with a new brown ale and a pale ale. It was time consuming for the publican to pull from three casks for one pint, and so brewers in London tested and produced a new beer, known as ‘entire,’ to match the tastes of such mixtures. Using high roasted malts, ‘entire’ was dark, cloudy and hoppy. It was also easily produced in bulk and ideally suited to the soft well-water of London. Very quickly, it became popular among the porters working in Billingsgate and Smithfield markets and gradually the beer took on the name ‘Porter,’ in recognition of its main consumers. Fuller’s London Porter, is widely regarded as the World’s Finest Porter: having won awards all over the world, London Porter is regularly voted the number one Porter on beer websites such as www.ratebeer.com, a tremendous accolade to our brewing team. Fuller’s London Porter captures the flavours of those original brews perfectly, although you won’t find a cloudy pint these days! Rich, dark and complex, at 5.4% ABV the beer has an outstanding depth of flavour. It is brewed from a blend of Brown, Crystal and Chocolate malts for a creamy delivery balanced by traditional Fuggles hops. The range of flavours works well with a wide variety of foods, ranging from rich meat dishes, to oysters, and even chocolate puddings.”

ABV: 5.4%

(7/15/2010)

379. Jackie O’s Bourbon Barrel Smoked & Portered

This beer marks the second growler from Jackie O’s that I brought back from my Athens Beer Week hijinx. Beer judging is all well and good, but everyone likes treats brought back from my travels abroad. And why else wander the world if not to sample and sup upon the fine wares of other regions? I certainly enjoy that component of my travels, I’ll tell you. As to the other beers we’ve had from Jackie O’s, here’s the list from an earlier post.

BB Smoked & Portered pours a deep chocolate brown with a light tan head; the nose is oaky, smoky, and creamy, with chocolate, coffee, and some dark fruit, including raisin, after the first rush of oak and smoke. Flavors start with chocolate and smoke with a bit of acorn; the middle is coffee and a bit more smoke, followed by light bourbon and oak flavors. The finish is creamy and rather clean with a return of the acorn and oak; there is a bit of lingering alcohol flavor on the palate, but nothing distracting. BB S & P has a medium to heavy body with a chewy and creamy mouthfeel; the carbonation is minimal but lightly present on the palate—combined oaky and tannic bite that dries out the palate, the beer finishes rather dry. In fact, it smells far sweeter than it tastes, but it has a very mellow and nuanced body. There are also some roasted flavors in the middle that work well in rounding and building the complexity of the flavor profile. Overall, this beer is a study in balance and complexity—it certainly doesn’t taste or drink like a 9.0% ABV beer, even though there is a bit of alcohol flavor. BB S & P is smooth, easy drinking, and delicious. We wish we could get a couple of bottles of this to sit back on and see how they aged. While the smoke would probably drop out, some of the other flavors might get richer with age. We’ve also been wondering what their regular porter tastes like—after all, if it is the base for this beer, then it’s got to be good. We’re already looking forward to our next trip to Athens, and another chance to visit Jackie O’s for some great beer.

From the Jackie O’s website on June 9, 2010: “The BB (Bourbon Barrel) aged Smoked and Portered was kegged last week after close to 5 months of aging. The barrel mellowed out nicely. The smoke is still the initial characteristic that jumps out. Underneath lies some great oak and subtle bourbon notes. The body is fairly light for a porter but still carries some weight.”

(7/14/2010)

368. Heavy Seas Smoke on the Water Imperial Smoked Porter

Another big bottle from Heavy Seas; while it is sadly not another cask, it was certainly much tastier than our last beer from them. As with the Below Decks, Smoke on the Water is part of the Mutiny Fleet. This is our fourth beer from Heavy Seas, including Heavy Seas Cabernet Barrel Aged Below Decks, Clipper City IPA/Loose Cannon Cask and Loose Cannon 420 Cask.

More sweet World Cup action to accompany our beer...

Smoke on the Water (cue repetetive power chords) pours a rich dark chocolate with a minimal cocoa head that quickly reduces to a ring around the edge of the glass. The nose is a nice balance of roasty and chocolate, with a touch of rauchbier smokiness that has just a bit of bacon-y greasiness. Flavors start with a sweet chocolate with a bit of roasted malt in the background before moving into smokiness in the middle along with lighter cocoa flavors. The smokiness picks up in the final third, along with bitterness and dryness, although there is a touch of lingering roasty chocolate sweetness to accompany the smoky dryness. Smoke on the Water has a medium body with a chewy yet dry mouthfeel—it’s chewy and sweet on the palate at the start, but a bit flat, dry, and crackery towards the end even as the smoky slickness picks up. There is also a slight touch of sourness at the end from the smoke flavors. Smoke on the Water has a good flavor and mouthfeel throughout, although it does shift from front to back. Carbonation is medium to low; it rounds and shapes the beer, but doesn’t have much bite or variation on the tongue. There is a bit of warmth that emerges as the beer warms, but nothing that changes much in regards to the profile. Smoke on the Water is an enjoyable beer—the smokiness is well-balanced, and the light touch of greasy slickness from the smoke is well done. Tasty and delicious.

From the Heavy Seas website: “This first time release boasts complex roasted malt flavors with a hint of smoke. Available in 22oz bottles and limited draft.”

ABV: 8.0%

(7/3/2010)

332a. Anchor Porter

Another beer from Anchor Brewing; we’ve sampled Liberty Ale, Anchor Steam and Christmas Ale 2009, which means this is our fourth beer from Anchor Brewing. Since I was still in San Francisco, this was Elli’s way of both sharing the moment and drinking a good beer from a good brewery so that we didn’t have to share it later. And I understand—after all, I was in San Francisco.

Out of the bottle, Anchor Porter pours a dark brown with red hints and a voluminous tan head; the nose is equal parts roasted and chocolate aromas. There is not much sweetness in the flavor; starting with a chocolate malt flavor that continues throughout the course of the beer, Anchor Porter has a roasty, nutty middle with hints of burnt malt flavor before finishing dry and bitter. The body is medium with a medium to low carbonation and a fairly dry mouthfeel throughout. A very tasty and enjoyable beer—another winner from Anchor Steam.

From the Anchor website: “Anchor Porter is a unique dark brew, which was introduced by Anchor in the early 1970s. Anchor Porter, like all of Anchor Brewing Company’s products, is brewed with only natural ingredients. Specially roasted dark malts are used, along with a top-fermenting yeast. The brew is hopped at a very high rate, and is naturally carbonated to produce an intensely rich flavor and thick creamy head. The rich flavor of Anchor Porter has earned this delicious and unique brew a worldwide reputation for outstanding quality. We use specially roasted malts, a top-fermenting yeast, and only fresh whole hops, which are added liberally. All this combines to produce a rich and intense flavor with subtle notes of chocolate, toffee, and coffee.”

ABV: 5.6%

(5/28/2010)

331b. Midnight Sun Arctic Rhino Coffee Porter

Another beer from Midnight Sun; this makes our third Midnight Sun beer, with CoHoHo Imperial IPA and Sockeye Red IPA being our last two. I bought this at City Beer in San Francisco yesterday to take with me after Bill and I got our drink on.

Pouring a deep chocolate brown with a light tan head, Arctic Rhino has a coffee, roasted, and sweet dark malt nose. The front begins with a brown malt flavor and a fair amount of dryness before moving into coffee and roasted malt in the middle—the big coffee roasted flavors are rich, complex, and nuanced. Arctic Rhino has dry and lightly alkaline finish that is light and clean; the body is, somewhat paradoxically, both light and substantial—there is a rich and flavorful mouthfeel that is dry, and even a bit light for a porter, yet still has good substance. The medium carbonation provides some crispness at the end. A good beer overall—more interesting than I anticipated, with good coffee flavors that are solid across the beer profile, although they are a bit synthetic in the nose as it warms. The nuance and richness is what sets this beer apart—probably the best of the beers we’ve had from them.

From the bottle: “Arctic Rhino Coffee Porter combines two quintessential Pacific Northwest favorites: coffee and ale. The result is wonderfully romantic and robust – a duel-fueled porter that melds charismatic dark malt with freshly roasted coffee beans. The (un)rest is up to you.”

From the Midnight Sun website: “Inspired by local artist & roaster Michael Allen’s eccentricly-named blend of coffee beans, Midnight Sun’s brewers designed a beer recipe and flavor infusion process that perfectly captures the alluring aroma, satisfying flavor and curious legend of Allen’s Arctic Rhino Coffee Blend. Arctic Rhino Coffee Porter combines two quintessential Pacific Northwest favorites: coffee and ale. The result is wonderfully romantic and robust – a duel-fueled porter that melds charismatic dark malt with freshly roasted coffee beans. The (un)rest is up to you.”

ABV: 5.0%
IBU: 20

(5/27/2010)

179b. Victory Baltic Thunder

Our third beer from Victory, and our first non-HopDevil varietal—besides HopDevil we’ve had WildDevil. You’re also probably wondering why I came to the West Coast to drink an East Coast beer (yes, I’m still in Seattle). Easy—because I’ve never seen this beer before, and I’m one not to pass up an opportunity. Plus Victory is the bomb. And yes, I know I’m marking myself as ten years behind by using that phrase. Wack as hell, too. I’ll live. I’ve got the beer.

Baltic Thunder is a Baltic Porter; the nose is caramel, roasted malt with a touch of burnt, and a generous helping of dark fruits to round things out. In the glass, it is is deep brown with rich red highlights. With warmth, the caramel, toffee, and fruitiness of the nose increases, and a secondary toasty warm aroma also emerges. Baltic Thunder starts sweet and bready with rich dark fruit flavors—primarily cherry, plum, and raisin—before moving into a roasted rich malt flavor in the middle. The finish brings with it a return of the dark fruits, ending clean & crisp. With a medium to light body, Baltic Thunder also has a medium to low level of carbonation; while rich, there is also some light creaminess to the mouthfeel. A delicious, well-balanced, and smooth drinking beer. The complexity of flavor for a lighter bodied beer is a big plus—it compares very nicely with Alaskan Baltic Porter, for example, although a bit brighter on the palate. Definitely a delicious beer, making me correct in my assumptions that I should grab a bottle now so I didn’t regret it later.

From the Victory website: “Truly a world beer, Baltic Thunder represents the Baltic Porter style admirably. Exhibiting the enticing, toffee roast of the British porters that originated the style in the 18th century, and the soothing, subtle fruit nuance of contemporary brews that flourish from Helsinki to Vilnius today, this dark lager honors the Baltic god of thunder. Created by an inspired collaboration of brewers and tempered with a touch of turmoil, Baltic Thunder rolls on to bring you enchanting light as the darkness fades.”

ABV: 8.5%
Malt: imported German 2-row and roasted malts

Hops: European whole flower

(12/26/2009)

172b. Deschutes Black Butte Porter

I’ve made my pilgrimage to Seattle for the holidays, which means it’s time for more delicious Northwest beer. I’m hitting up Deschutes again, mainly because it is so so good. This is our fourth beer from Deschutes—we’ve had Hop Trip, Inversion, and Red Chair IPA. And we can add Black Butte Porter to that list. Or at least I can—Elli will have her own beer solo escapades that may cause me beer envy as well.

Black Butte Porter has a light roasted and chocolate malt nose; it pours a deep chocolate brown with red/orange highlights, and has a creamy tan head that leaves behind a decent lace trail. Dry roasted malt dominates the front, before moving into chocolate and biscuit malt mixed with some bitterness in the middle and ending with a slight soap flavor that is quickly covered by a reassertion of the roasted & chocolate flavors that both linger pleasantly. The chocolate flavor rises throughout the course of the flavor profile. Mouthfeel is creamy but dry, with a medium to medium-light body and a medium carbonation that rounds the beer. There is some bitterness and bite in the second half of the beer, but it is balanced well with the chocolate and biscuit flavors. Black Butte Porter is a clean, drinkable, and well crafted beer—this is what I expect from Deschutes. The chocolate and roasted flavors are excellent, but never dominate, and the creamy dry rounded flavors go down smooth—nothing but light and easy drinking.

From the bottle: “Towering above Central Oregon, jutting into clear blue skies, Black Butte can be seen for miles. From its base flows the legendary Metolius River—with its source hidden deep beneath ancient lava flows. Dark and distinctive like Black Butte itself, Black Butte Porter uses chocolate and crystal malts, crafting a rich, approachable porter. Settled on the banks of the wild and scenic Deschutes River, Deschutes Brewery’s handcrafted ales are naturally made with pristine water from the Cascade Mountains. A fine layer of yeast in each bottle is a result of the krausening process, creating natural carbonation and distinct flavor.”

From the Deschutes website: “Black Butte Porter, crafted from chocolate and crystal malts, is Deschutes Brewery’s flagship brand. With a rich and distinctive flavor, this porter has enjoyed a loyal and passionate following since its first pint in 1988. One of Deschutes’s original triumvirate of craft beers and still the best reason on record to visit Bend, Oregon. If you can’t taste one over a hot baked pretzel at their mid-Oregon brewpub, the company obligingly ships it southward to those of us thirsting for maltbased honesty and integrity. Completely free of that disappointing wet-newspaper-in-the-mouth taste of lesser porters, it’s a vibrant, elastic brew that goes the distance with power, style and Lance Armstrong-like pacing. ”

ABV: 5.2%
IBU: 30
192 calories per 12 oz. serving

(12/19/2009)

165. Alaskan Baltic Porter

Our second beer from Alaskan Brewing Company, and our second from their Limited Edition beers—the last was their classic Smoked Porter, a crowd favorite.

The red highlights coming through the glass are a nice touch (on the table, not on the glass)

Alaskan’s Baltic Porter starts with a fruity candy nose that is reminiscent of Twizzlers. There is also some sweet malt and sugar aromas, and some light vanilla; some dark fruit notes emerge as the beer warms. Pouring a dark, opaque brown with a tan head and some luscious red highlights, Baltic Porter begins with a rich, sweet malt flavor that also brings with it roasted and chocolate flavors—there are no burnt or bitter flavors. Dark fruit and dark caramel sugar notes appear in the middle, with cherry, raisin, and currant to the forefront along with a distinct vanilla undertone. It ends clean—it does have something of a lager finish—although there is a bit of oak tannins and alcohol warmth that lingers. As well, the brown sugar flavors do become more prevalent as the beer warms. The mouthfeel is medium bodied with a thick, viscous, and rich body. The carbonation is low, and falls by the wayside as the beer warms in about the exact same proportion as the alcohol becomes apparent. There is also a bit of slickness and oiliness as the beer warms, and the legs become more apparent. An excellent beer overall, one that has improved with age, and will certainly get better with more time—I wished we had more of this to sit on and try in about another six months. The best way to indicate our enjoyment of this beer is to make it a Top 10 Best contender, and a well deserved one at that.

From the Alaskan website: “Alaskan Baltic Porter is a deep, dense beer with an intricate array of aromas and flavors derived from substantial amounts of specialty malts, dark black cherries and whole gourmet vanilla beans. Aging on toasted French oak adds further complexity. This style shares many characteristics with a Russian Imperial Stout, at times the two are almost indistinguishable. Baltic Porter is full-bodied and jet-black in color with brilliant garnet highlights and a dense tan head. The smooth, deep maltiness is accentuated by raisin and licorice notes, as well as chocolate and mild coffee characters. A touch of cherry and dried fruit flavors are also evident with a mellow vanilla background rounding the finish. The oak brings hints of bourbon and hot toffee and contributes to the warmth of this richly flavorful beer. In order for the British to export their dark ales to the northern ports of the Baltic Sea, they were brewed stronger and hoppier than normal to endure the long voyage. The extra warmth was welcomed in these countries with harsh winters and a taste for the robust, attributes that also fare well in Alaska. Alaskan Baltic Porter is brewed from glacier-fed water and a generous blend of the finest quality European and Pacific Northwest hop varieties and premium two-row pale and specialty malts. Our water originates in the 1500-square mile Juneau Ice Field and from the more than 90 inches of rainfall we receive each year. This limited-edition brew also includes cherries and vanilla beans. Enjoy this vintage brew now or age it for several years. This big beer has a longer life than lighter styles allowing it to develop rich, new flavors over time.

The Story Behind the Label: Russian Orthodox churches are a part of many communities in Alaska as well as Russia and other countries surrounding the Baltic Sea. Built in Alaska by early settlers, the onion-domed copulas and traditional trim of these structures stand out amid the wild spaces of The Last Frontier. Alaska may have been purchased from Russia in 1867, but the churches’ influence is still evident in these icons dotting the hillsides and towns of our state from Juneau to Unalaska.”

ABV: 9.8%
IBU: 53
OG: 1.100

(12/12/2009)

141. Scuttlebutt Porter

Our first beer from Scuttlebutt Brewing Company in Everett, WA. They do start with a definition on their opening page, which we always appreciate: Scut*tle*butt (skut’l-but) n. 1. Nautical. A drinking fountain on a sailing ship. 2. Slang. Idle, often sensational and groundless talk about other such as might be passed at a scuttlebutt. Syn. Gossip. 3. Proper Noun. The name given to Cynthia L. Barrett by her fun loving father prior to her birth more than one half century ago. 4. Geographical. The name given to a micro-brewery on Everett’s waterfront by its owner to placate his wife regarding their financial security being forsaken to invest in a harebrained brewery at a time in their lives when things should be a little less hectic.

Scuttlebutt Porter has a chocolate malty nose that is rich and slightly roasty; it pours a deep opaque brown with a creamy head that laces the glass well. Chocolate and roasted malt flavors make up most of the front; there is a slightly biscuit malt flavor that emerges in the middle along with some perceptible hop bitterness, although in very low quantities, and finishing with a return of some chocolate and more roastiness, although the chocolate is flatter and less sweet at the end—tastes more like carob with dry and chalky flavors rather than the sweetness of the front. There is also some slight bitterness in the end—we’re not sure if this is in relation to the hops or roasted malts, but we think it’s the hops. The body is light, although rich in flavor; there is a creamy mouthfeel that is enhanced by the minimal carbonation, which is pretty low and provides little bite. A very drinkable beer overall; it is light and enjoyable enough for a whole night of drinking, especially as it is not overpowering on the palate. Scuttlebutt Porter could have a more complex malt profile—it is good but a bit bland—and maybe a touch more hops, but that might change this into something else.

From the Scuttlebutt website: “Full bodied with a creamy, chocolate, roast coffee finish.”

ABV: 5.5%
IBU: 20
Hops: Cascade

(11/18/2009)

123. Bristol’s Smokebrush Porter

Our second beer from Bristol’s Brewing Company in Colorado Springs, CO—our last beer by them was Red Rocket Pale Ale. Smokebrush is a robust porter.

Smokebrush Porter pours a deep brown with red highlights and a creamy tan head. The nose has a sweet roasted character to it with chocolate and crystal malt aromas in the background. The front is dry and chocolaty with some dark sweet malt flavors that lead into a roasty middle and finishing with a return of the dryness and some light smoke flavors. Smokebrush has a light body that is initially creamy with the chocolate, but the creaminess dies towards the middle and end of the beer. Carbonation is present, but not obtrusive—it’s mainly neutral, like Switzerland. This tastes quite a bit like a Schwarzbier, which may be why I like it so much & why Elli doesn’t; it could use a bit more complex of a malt profile to create a wider range of flavors. Overall, I give it a big thumbs up, but Elli thinks it stinks. And yes, I know that rhymes.

From Bristol’s website: “Our city would be a bland and humorless place without the Smokebrush Foundation for the Arts. Since 1992, their random acts of creativity have made us smile, made us think, reminded us of our better selves. Besides, any group that could bring us both a gallery of contemporary art and a giant, drivable toaster has our enthusiastic support. That’s why 100% of the profits from this beer will go to support Smokebrush's Creative Community Efforts, like the Uncle Wilber Fountain. So enjoy this mahogany-hued blend of richly roasted malts and subtle smoke character. We call it art for art's sake.”

ABV: 5.8%

IBU: 30
Malts: 2-Row, Crystal, Chocolate, Smoked Malt, and Peated Malt Munich

Hops: Mt. Hood & Columbus

Today’s BJCP class focused on off flavors and troubleshooting, and specifically on learning to identify the different types of faults that can emerge while brewing beer. Today’s class was led by Gordon Strong (yes, that Gordon Strong). His basic advice was to learn to see, smell, and taste faults in beers, and to learn the proper ways to describe these faults. He further advised learning about what part of the brewing process creates particular types of faults (i.e. is it related to initial production, like with the mashing or from the boil, related to fermentation, or due to infection), and a reciprocal knowledge of styles for where particular faults are appropriate and where they are not. We spent a good portion of the time discussing the tensions between perceptions and adherence to guidelines/judging beers. Our tasting list for the day included:

Rolling Rock: fault example: DMS: light sulfur-based smell; canned corn juice flavor; overcooked vegetable taste. DMS is a volatile, and can aerate off during the boil.
Budweiser: fault example: acetaldehyde: yeast derived flavor; found in the finish; Budweiser calls it part of their “snappy” finish.
Moosehead: fault example: skunky: also known as light struck; this is a chemical reaction caused by the reaction of bitter compounds in hops with sunlight, which transforms compound into the chemical that skunks spray; commonly found in clear and green glass beers.
Samuel Smith Pale Ale: fault example: diacetyl (vs. caramel): fermentation flaw caused by premature separation from yeast; is a by product of yeast metabolism; can be induced by pumping O2 into beer while fermenting; in nose, it is diacetyl, while it emerges as a caramel butter flavor in the body, which helps build toffee flavors.
Old Speckled Hen: fault example: skunk/stale/oxidized: some paper flavor; flavors get muted and dry.
Gueze Girardin 1882: fault example: sourness: lactic sourness; flavors include grapefruit zest and woody characteristics.
Schneider-Weisse fault example: cloudy/phenolic: clove in nose and taste; yeast suspended in beer.
Green Flash West Coast Ale: fault example: bitter/astringent: hop derived; volume of vegetal matter leads to astringent bitter flavor, while astringency or drying in mouthfeel created by residual bitterness that is harsh.
Harvest Ale ’99: fault example: sherry/alcohol/fruity: sherry flavors created by oxidation; good oxidation improves with age; melanoidins oxidize to make sherry and dark fruit flavors.

Much of this discussion was designed to prepare us to answer the main troubleshooting question on the BJCP test: T1. Describe and discuss the following beer characteristics. What causes them and how are they avoided and controlled? Are they ever appropriate and if so, in what beer styles? (three will be given)
a) cloudiness
b) buttery
c) low head retention
d) astringency
e) phenolic
f) light body
g) fruitiness
h) sourness
i) cooked corn
j) bitterness
k) cardboard
l) sherry-like
m) acetaldehyde
n) alcoholic

See? I told it wasn't just drinking beer and hanging out...

(10/31/2009)

111. Alaskan Brewing Company Smoked Porter (2008)

Our first beer from Alaskan Brewing Company in Juneau, AK. Ah, the great white North. Or is that Canada?

Starting with a roasted, smoky, and chocolaty nose that has strong wood notes, Alaskan Smoked Porter gets smokier and more rauch-bier smelling as it warms. The color is a deep chocolate brown (it is almost coffee colored) that is nearly opaque with some red highlights and a creamy tan head that laces the glass. Alaskan Smoked Porter opens with a soft roasted malt front with a nice smoke presence that balances well with the malt, and moves into chocolate and darker flavors—either light burnt notes or coffee flavors—before finishing dry with some smoke and roastiness lingering on the palate. It has a rich, thick mouthfeel and creamy characteristics that balance nicely with the smoke to build a dry finish. A well balanced beer between the smoke and malt—both accentuate and build the beer collectively. As Elli informed me, “this is pretty good for a porter. Actually, it’s very good. I’d give it honorary Top 10 Best status. Not real Top 10 Best status, because it’s still a porter.”

From the bottle: “We applied the Alaskan tradition of alder-smoking to the malts of this rich, intensely flavored porter, a recognized leader among the world’s smoked beers. Enjoy it now or age it for several years.”

From the Alaskan Brewing Company website: “Smoked Beer. Known as ‘rauchbier’ in Germany, smoke-flavored beers were virtually unknown in the U.S. until Alaskan Smoked Porter was developed in 1988. The dark, robust body and pronounced smoky flavor of this limited edition beer make it an adventuresome taste experience. Alaskan Smoked Porter is produced in limited ‘vintages’ each year and unlike most beers, may be aged in the bottle much like fine wine. Water, five types of malt, 2 varieties of hops and yeast with no adjuncts, no preservatives and no pasteurization. Our glacier-fed water originates in the 1,500 square-mile Juneau Ice Field. Prior to brewing, selected malts are smoked in small batches under carefully controlled conditions in a commercial food smoker using local alder wood.

Vertical Tastings of Vintage Alaskan Smoked Porter: A unique aspect to smoked beers that we have found at the Alaskan Brewing Company is that the smoke acts as a preservative even in beer. The smoke combined with the yeast left in the bottle allows the beers flavor and aroma to evolve over time. We have been known to hold vertical tastings with a variety of vintage years of Alaskan Smoked Porter. As it ages, the smoke becomes more of a subtle background note. Around the third and fourth years the beer's other flavors such as sherry, currant, raisin, and toffee-like nuances come forward. The fifth year sees the reemergence of the smoky character to the forefront.”

ABV: 6.5%

IBU: 45

OG: 1.068

(10/19/2009)

79. Stone 09.09.09 Vertical Epic Ale

Our second beer from Stone Brewing Company, and certainly the beer with the fanciest back story thus far. Damn, did you make me type enough from off of that bottle?

’09 Vertical Epic has a deep, deep almost dark chocolate brown color that is not so much hazy as practically opaque, and a thick creamy tan head that clings nicely to the glass. The nose is a bit faint overall, but does carry some banana and vanilla notes along with some general spiciness and some darker malt aromas. It starts with smooth and rich malt notes with chocolate and vanilla notes, some light burnt and roasted flavors, along with both dark and light fruit notes; these slowly fade off the palate in a pleasant manner in the middle, and some maltiness reemerges before ending with some burnt and chocolate flavors that predominate at the end along with some vanilla, oak, and some light alcohol flavors. The mouthfeel is slick and rich, but also very clean. There is some light tannic from the oak—it does still taste a bit young—but not that much bit from the carbonation. The chocolate flavors do increase with warmth, as do the alcohol and vanilla flavors. Interestingly, it is not as Belgian-like as we would have expected from the label and the initial aroma of the beer. We will be interested to see what this beer turns into over time—it is quite nice right now, but it easy to see how this beer could get much much better.

From the label: “ep·ic (ěp’ ĭk) adj. (1) Heroic and impressive in quality. (2) Surpassing the usual or ordinary, particularly in scope or size. (3) Of, constituting, having to do with, or suggestive of a literary epic.

The eighth in an ‘epic’ series.

As with any good epic, herein lies the promise of larger-than-life experiences, heroics and twists & turns as the adventure unfolds. This bottle-conditioned ale is chapter eight, and is specifically designed to be aged until sometime after December 12th, 2012. Provided you can wait that long. At that time, enjoy it in a ‘vertical’ tasting along with its ten Stone Vertical Epic Ale brethren. Each one unique to its year of release. Each with its own ‘twist & turn’ in the plot line. Each one released one year, one month and one day from the previous year’s edition. To remind you, the release dates are:

02.02.02 03.03.03 04.04.04 05.05.05 06.06.06
07.07.07 08.08.08 09.09.09 10.10.10 11.11.11 12.12.12

This is quite a complex and layered beer. Bold and smooth chocolate flavors combine with a Belgian yeast lending tropical fruit/banana flavors and hints of spiciness, all complemented by citrus notes from an addition of tangerine peel. Rich vanilla beans add a nice counter to the chocolate malt – actually enhancing the chocolatiness. The finish is smooth, with additional traces of vanilla and toasted characters from French Oak. The goal for this edition of the Stone Vertical Epic Ale series is to be reminiscent of artisanal chocolate accentuated with orange.”

They’ve got some narrative, it would seem...

From the Stone website: “Mitch Steele (Head Brewer): During the brewing process we added dark candi sugar, vanilla bean, and tangerine peel to complement the flavors of the porter. The vanilla bean addition is fascinating, as it actually enhances the chocolate character from the roasted malts, and the candi sugar adds a nice hint of molasses flavor to the finish. The tangerine actually turned out to be quite subtle on the finish, and combines nicely with the chocolate malt character. We aged this beer on French oak chips, which contributes a smooth and subtle woody undertone and even more vanilla flavors.”

Mitch Steele’s Tasting Notes: “Appearance: This beer pours deep brown with a thick, frothy, creamy head of tan foam.
Aroma: Many layers, starting off with chocolate and coffee from the chocolate malt, and vanilla notes from both the vanilla bean and French oak. A balanced oak flavor comes through in the mix. As the beer warms, the influence of the Belgian yeast is more evident, as tropical fruit and spice flavors become more pronounced.
Flavor: Begins with chocolate roast malt character and vanilla. The vanilla accentuates the chocolate nicely. Layered in are banana esters, and hints of clove, and then the finish is a bit stronger on the oak with hints of molasses and citrus from the tangerine peel.
Palate: Medium body, very complex, and finishes very smooth. The 8.6% alcohol is not overly evident, and the flavors blend together nicely.
Overall: A delicious, complex beer. It should age nicely over the next three years, and the flavors should continue to meld together wonderfully.”

ABV: 8.6%
IBU: 50
OG: 20° P
Hops: Perle and Magnum
Malts: Pale Malt, Crystal Malt, Belgian Aromatic Malt, Chocolate Malt, Black Malt, and De-Husked Black Malt
Additional Ingredients: Tangerine Peel, Vanilla Bean, and Dark Candi Sugar

(9/17/2009)