Firkin A! It's Craft Beer!

Default Beer

Everyone has their favorites.  It could be a TV show, a food, a child, a prescription drug, anything (Curb Your Enthusiasm, authentic tacos, no kids yet, Vicodin here). 

However, there is a difference between a favorite and something that you determine to be your "default."  For example, there are many restaurants here in Kansas City that I enjoy, but they are not always a viable option, whether it's a time, financial, or some other issue.  That's why I find myself eating at Jimmy John's and Chipotle...they're quick, fairly inexpensive, but still pretty good.

So it is with beer.  I have my favorites, but they are not always readily available, or are pretty expensive, or both.  That's why my default beer is Newcastle: very available, not so expensive as to be completely unreasonable, and delicious. 

I know what some of you may be thinking: Newcastle as a default?  Not Pabst?  Not Schlitz?  Not Bud?  You must be rich. 

I'm not rich, but I am a snob when it comes to beer, coffee, and food.  I won't rub it in your face, though...you'll just know I'm better than you by my discriminating tastes.  No words necessary.

Stone 13th Anniversary Ale

While out on the Avenue yesterday, I decided to stop in at the Red Hot for a beer.  They always have something good on tap and I wasn't disappointed.  They had the Stone 13th Anniversary Ale on the list and I just had to have a glass.

It poured a deep, dark red with not much of a head, but it left a proper lace.

My first sniff told me I was in for a treat.  The aromas of sweet malt, grass and ripe grapefruit, maybe some lemon.  I just smelled good.  

I was not disappointed when this beer assaulted my tongue.  Citrus hops right up front followed by a caramel/toffee sweetness and ending with a piney bitterness that washed away the sweet.  The mouth feel was medium to full bodied with good carbonation.  The 9.5% ABV was well hidden. 

Stone really hit all the bases with this one.  This is a beer you should drink.  In fact, this is a beer worth searching for if you live where Stone's beers are available.

Cheers!

VW

Where I Will Be Today

Art on the Avenue is an annual little street festival that takes place along Sixth Avenue in Tacoma, three blocks from my house.  The wife and I will be down there with a few of our granddaughters enjoying the sights and sounds and who knows, maybe a brew or two. 

Here's a glimpse from a past festival:

The music is cheesy, but what the heck, it's fun.

Cheers!

VW

Flying Fish Brewery's Exit Series Makes MADD Mad

 Flying Fish Brewery, a regional brewery located in Cherry Hill New Jersey, decided to brew a series of beers named after different exits on the New Jersey Turnpike and it has the Turnpike Authority and the local Mothers Against Drunk Driving chapter in a tizzy.

From the Washington Examiner:

Joe Orlando, a spokesman for the New Jersey Turnpike Authority, said it's a bad idea to associate a highway with alcohol. Flying Fish has answered the authority's concerns with disclaimers that the beer isn't endorsed by the authority.

"There's been a brokered peace here," Orlando said. "But don't expect to see it in any of our rest areas."

That doesn't satisfy Mindy Lazar, executive director of New Jersey's chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving. "The combination of a roadway and advertising for any kind of a beer doesn't make any kind of sense," she said. "This is almost a mockery."

No one is more against drunk driving than me.  I think the penalties should be severe, especially if you injure or kill someone. 

Given that, I see absolutely nothing wrong with Flying Fish naming their beer after turnpike exits.  How the turnpike authority and MADD makes the connection that this somehow endorses criminal behavior requires a bit more mental algebra than I'm obviously capable of. 

It's too bad I'm not in their distribution area or I'd stock up just to show my support.

My advice to MADD and the NJTA:  Fuhgeddaboudit!

Cheers!

VW

Stone Arrogant Bastard Ale

 The Hype:

You are not worthy!

This is an aggressive beer. you probably won’t like it. It is quite doubtful you have the taste or sophistication to be able to appreciate an ale of this quality and depth. We would suggest that you stick to a safer and more familiar territory — maybe something with a multi-million dollar ad campaign aimed at convincing you it’s made in a little brewery, or one that implies that their tasteless fizzy yellow beer will give you more sex appeal. Perhaps you think multi-million dollar ad campaigns make a beer taste better. Perhaps you’re mouthing your words as you read this.

Poured from a 22oz bomber into a pint glass, the glass fills with a rich looking dark amber/red liquid.  The aroma is malt and pine. - heavy on the pine.  Swirling the glass while sniffing almost burns my nose.  The head was a light tan color which dissipated rather quickly and left hardly any lacing.

The mouth feel is full bodied, almost like a good stout.  The first taste is a brief sweet malt followed by the expected resinous pine.  Also mixed in there is the alcohol.  I was surprised to taste it so predominantly on the finish.  I would expect that in a barley wine or something a bit stronger.  I was surprised it's so front and center.  The Hops are assertive and the bitterness lingers.

They are right, it isn't for everyone.   Most people who think Miller Lite's "triple hopping" is the epitome of beer brewing will not like this beer.  They probably won't look for it, buy it or try it.

Craft beer lovers, on the other hand, will most likely enjoy this powerful brew.  I think the hype is somewhat justified.  It's a beer with great depth and character.

If the alcohol was a little less predominant, I'd probably give it the highest marks, but the booze takes it down just a little bit.

Other than that, it is a great beer and I will make this one a staple in my stash.  

Cheers

VW

Hale's Kölsch

I've been absent the last couple of days, but I did manage to taste another Kölsch style ale during my brief sabbatical.  The wife and I went out on a little mini-date and we ended up at a little coffeehouse not far from the International Headquarters of the Firkin A! Blog.  The coffeehouse is called The Mandolin Cafe and besides great coffee and teas, they have craft beer available.  They have three beers from Hales Brewery in Seattle.  One is the IPA, I don't remember the other and one of Hales Kölsch Style Ale.  The wife ordered a tea of some kind and I had a pint of the Kölsch.

The nose seemed a little floral - probably a combination of the sweet malt and citrusy and earthy Saaz hops.  When the beer hit the tongue, I immediately tasted the malty sweetness right up front followed by a hint of bitterness on the swallow.  There was a little bit of a strange aftertaste that I noticed.  It wasn't altogether unpleasant, but it was there none the less.  The mouth feel was a bit thin as well.

So far, in my Kölsch adventure, I liked the Alaskan version better.  Hales was definitely good and I don't have a problem recommending it, but that little bit of weird aftertaste was the real decider.  I don't think it was dirty lines.  That would produce a rather unpleasant taste upfront.

Cheers!

VW

Cold Yet Warm Beer

In North Korea, everything is owned by the state.  In 2002, they opened up a brewery which they bought from England and shipped lock, stock and cask to Pyongyang and now, they are advertising the beer on TV.  The state makes the beer (there is no competition) and it is the only advertisement on the state run TV station that again, has no competition.  It's called Taedonggang Beer - The Pride of Pyongyang!

They also never advertise anything else:

Normally, there are no advertisements on television in North Korea, an isolated, communist country that tightly controls its economy and is wary of capitalistic influences.

Programming consists of news, factory descriptions, some children's animation shows, and documentaries on leader Kim Jong Il and his father Kim Il Sung, interspersed with propaganda slogans and music, according to a South Korean Unification Ministry official.

According to the [North] Korean Central News Agency:

The cold and soft Taedonggang beer rich in gas content immediately came into great favor among the customers by catering to their tastes.

I don't think that would be much of a selling point here for some reason!

Here's the vid:

I don't read or understand Korean, but I'm told the ad extols the benefits of drinking Traedonggang Beer with lines like it is healthy and will extend your life.  And the music! Ugh!  It sounds remotely like they ripped off the music to some 1980s video game. 

According to the above mentioned KCNA release:

The citizens call Taedonggang beer "cold yet warm beer" as it is associated with the warm care of General Secretary Kim Jong Il for the people.

It must be true if they say so.

Cheers!

VW

Alaskan Summer Ale

A lot of people consider Alaskan Brewing Company as a kind of middle of the road brewery.  Not bad, but not great, either.  I think, like any brewery, they have some really good styles and those that are in the middle or in some case, just plain bad.

One of my favorites from Alaskan (and one of their best) is their Smoked Porter, I love that stuff, but that is for later.  This is about their summer seasonal.

Alaskan Summer Ale is  advertised as a "Kölsch" style ale.  Since only beers brewed in and around Cologne (or Koeln or Köln) are allowed to be labeled Kölsch, Alaskan just says their brew is in that "style".  

This was my first time trying a Kölsch style ale, I don't have a real comparison.  I Poured it in a long tall pilsner style glass as I didn't have the proper tall straight glass used for the style.  

It poured pale yellow without much of a head.  The nose was malty and sweet, not much of any hop aroma.  The taste was like the nose; it was really smooth and drinkable with a slight, dry, hop finish that readied you for the next sip.

I drank the first one a bit too cold, but since it was over 80 degrees outside, it was really refreshing.  I drank the second bottle closer to the right temp (about 40 degrees F) and found it to be just as refreshing, but the flavors stood out a lot more.

For me, It was a good summer beer.  It is what I want out of a beer on a hot summer day.  I want refreshment, I want good flavor and I don't want a heavy alcohol taste.  Alaskan Summer Ale met that criteria.

For those of you who think a beer isn't worth drinking unless it's nothing more than stewed hop juice, don't bother.  You will hardly notice the hop presence.  On the other hand, if you want a good beer that will go well with the lighter foods of summer, than try some Alaskan Summer Ale.

I'm eager to try some other beers in the Kölsch style for comparison.

Cheers!

VW

Happy Independence Day!

HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY!

Enjoy the day and and some American Craft Beer!

Cheers!

VW and Crack!

Beer For Independence Day

Me being the all-American, blue collar, beer drinking type, I've been contemplating what beer would be best suited for the July 4th holiday.  After all, beer is as American as anything else we've stolen assimilated from around the world.  There was a period of time when American beer was kind of a joke.  It was allegedly weaker than beer from other countries such as Canada or Germany.  I actually don't think that was the case for the most part.  Most domestic beer was around the 5% Alcohol By Volume (ABV) range.  Some places sold only 3-2 or 3.2% Alcohol By Weight (ABW) beer which translates out to about 4% ABV, but most places sold regular beer.  (As an aside, most "light beers" are in that 3.2% ABW range).  I digress.

Today, American beer is setting the standards around the world.  There are great beers around the world, but no country brews more styles then us.  Before prohibition there were about 1400 breweries, today, there are that many at least again.  They brew everything from strong barley wines to flavorful lagers.  Anybody that thinks American beer is just "p**s water" surely doesn't know jack about beer.

Since we have so many choices, I decided to make my list of American beers that by one reason or another, fit the theme of Independence Day. 

So, without any more rambling on my part, here (in no particular order) is my list:

• Samuel Adams.  You knew Sam Adams was going to be on this list.  I like their beers and really, what's more patriotic then naming a beer, made in Boston, after one of the founding fathers.
• Anchor Brewing Company - Liberty Ale.  I haven't tried it yet (It's on my list), but the name says it should be on this list. 
• Victory Brewing Company - Victory just screams "American.  Another brewer on my want list.
• Yuengling - They advertise as being the oldest brewer in the US.  Unfortunately, they don't distribute past the east coast.
• American Pale Ale - It's not a brand, it's a style.  It happens to be one of my favorite styles.

There are a lot more I could add, but you get the idea.  America is about freedom of choice and we have more choices than anyplace else.

Have a happy and safe American Independence Day!

Cheers!

VW