This Month's Featured Beers - September 2010
DOM = Domestic Beer Club; INT = International Beer Club; VAR = Domestic International Variety Beer Club; RBC = Rare Beer Club
Please Note: Although we will make every attempt to ship the products listed, occasionally we may need to substitute them with equally outstanding beers. If you strongly desire to receive those listed, please contact us at 800-625-8238 so that we may note your account accordingly.
The product descriptions below are excerpts from our monthly newsletter. Click here to view it in its entirety.
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Abita Brewing Company (Abita Springs, LA)
This canine-themed brew is no mutt. It was originally crafted as a specialty beer (a purebred if you will) to celebrate the company's fourth birthday back in 1990. It met with such enthusiasm that it quickly entered Abita's series of five flagship brews. Turbodog pours a very dark, rich, brown color with a voluminous tan head from an aggressive pour. Look for a chocolaty malt presence to be quite forward on the nose, with a caramel aroma and sweetness counterbalanced by roasty notes. Aromas of coffee grounds and cocoa powder make an appearance, along with light impressions of scorched teriyaki sauce, burnt sugar, and a pleasant nuttiness. Toasty chocolate flavors come through on the palate with mild to moderate toffee, light and herbal hop notes, a hint of fruit that comes with warmth, and a nutty flavor in the finish. Overall, a full-flavored, medium-bodied, malt-focused beer that will play best friend to braised lamb, marinated first for a couple hours in this beer.
Serving Temperature: 43-50°F
Alcohol by Volume: 5.5%
Int’l Bittering Units (IBUs): 28
Suggested Glassware: Pint Glass or Mug
Malts: Pale, Caramel, Chocolate
Hops: Willamette
Abita Wheat is a very unusual brew as it separates itself from the multitude of other wheat ales by actually being a wheat lager. Brewing Abita Wheat as a lager ensures a very clean and refreshing crispness that’s perfect for the warmer days of the year. On the pour, expect a pale golden color with a very bright white head. Typical of wheat beers, there’s a haziness to the color, and as you take a sniff you’ll notice the distinct twang of wheat malt. Also apparent is a lightly sweet cereal grain aroma not unlike Cheerios, and as you swirl the glass the wheat notes amplify along with a light hay-like impression, a faintly minty, grassy hop quality, and an impression of fresh soil. On the palate, the malt sweetness and hop bitterness are both mild, but perfectly balanced, and the flavor profile is very grain-forward, intensifying at the finish. Brewed annually as a summer seasonal to be supremely drinkable, refreshing, and light, Abita Wheat hits the target spot on.
Serving Temperature: 42-48°F
Alcohol by Volume: 4.2%
Int’l Bittering Units (IBUs): 15
Suggested Glassware: Weizen or Pint Glass
Malts: Pilsner, White Wheat
Hops: Apollo, German Perle
Appalachian Brewing Company (Harrisburg, PA)
Jolly Scott Scottish Style Ale
Named after one of the old Graupner Brewery’s most loved ales, Jolly Scot pours a clear, deep chestnut color with reddish tinges, with a moderately-sized head that drops to a persistent collar. Note the “80 shilling” reference on the label – this is in homage to the now-obsolete method of classifying Scottish ales by the amount of tax levied on a hogshead of it. 80 shilling would be considered rather heavy, so we were not the least bit surprised at the big malt profile that jumped out of the glass upon olfactory inspection. The malt is definitely the star of the show, which is right on for the style, with a crisp sweetness, toasty and smoky notes, and a subdued hop aroma that adds a pleasant grassy, spicy note atop the malt. As you take a sip, look for Jolly Scot to open with a fruity note and a wide, robust and toasty maltiness that explodes on the midpalate. There’s an excellent balance to the flavor profile, with a mild to moderate residual sweetness and a light bitterness. Look for caramel malt undertones with a smoky/peaty flavor, and slight hints of alcohol. Warmth really opens up the aroma and flavor profile, with the smokiness intensifying as the beer comes up in temperature. We found Jolly Scot to be medium to full bodied with a round, smooth, and lightly creamy feel and light carbonation – well done!
Serving Temperature: 45-50°F
Alcohol by Volume: 5.32%
Int’l Bittering Units (IBUs): 18.2
Suggested Glassware: Pint Glass or Mug
Malts: 2 Row, Vienna, Caramalt, Crystal, Wheat, Munich, Flaked
Hops: Willamette, Hallertau
Mountain Lager pours a clear golden color with a white head and a persistent collar. On the nose, the Vienna and Munich malts lend a pleasant maltiness to the aroma with a nice hint at a touch of residual sweetness. Some light fruity notes are apparent, along with a delightfully spicy noble hop aroma. A swirl of the glass easily conjures more foam and an amplified grassy and lemony hop note. As you take a sip, look for a light biscuity, bready flavor, with impressions of fresh grape pulp merged with a hint of lemon. Very nice malt characteristics offer much more depth of flavor than many lighter lagers, with a subtle but distinct fruity note that appears briefly on the midpalate in harmony with the bready quality that builds during the fade. Hops are subdued, with only a touch of bitterness, allowing the very pleasant, but not overpowering, malt flavors to shine. Brewed to the Dortmunder style (think of a maltier pilsner, but without approaching marzen territory), we found Mountain Lager to be a superb session beer offering exceptional smoothness with a light-to-medium body.
Serving Temperature: 40-45°F
Alcohol by Volume: 4.92%
Int’l Bittering Units (IBUs): 12.3
Suggested Glassware: Pilsner Glass
Malts: 2 Row, Vienna, Munich
Hops: Tettnang, Hallertau
Cervejaria Sul Brasileira (Brewery of Brazil)—Parana D'Oeste, Brazil (Southwestern Brazil)
When you pour this beer you’ll see we ain’t lyin’ – this is one black beer. But Xingu is not to be confused with the German style of black beer known as Schwarzbier; this is an entirely different species and is quite unusual. On the nose, there are not the big roasty notes one expects from such a dark brew. Instead there’s an impressive complexity including sweetness akin to treacle (which is like a heavy, almost medicinal molasses), notes of anise, and a raisin-like dark fruit quality. In the mouth, Xingu continues to announce its uniqueness. Upfront, the moderate level of residual sweetness is the first to be noticed, and as you swish it around an astonishing and quite rich array of flavors burst forth including treacle, raisins, blackcurrants (cassis), rum, caramel, cola, and anise. Xingu was rated by the Beverage Tasting Institute as "Outstanding" with a tremendous 91 points. As they put it, "in two words: black silk," and we agree – this is one smooth operator. We think it pairs well with Latin American dark meat dishes, as well as pumpernickel & pastrami sandwiches, served with a dill pickle. Also a surefire winner with a dark, leathery, chocolate-heavy maduro cigar.
Serving Temperature: 45-50° F
Alcohol by Volume: 4.7%
Suggested Glassware: Pint Glass, Stein or Oversized Wine Glass
Klosterbrauerei Weissenohe—Weissenohe, Franconia, Germany
Monk’s Fest is a Märzen, also known as an Oktoberfestbier, or simply Festbier. Named after the German name for the month of March (März) in which it was traditionally brewed, it was made to withstand the hot summer months (when brewing was difficult, if not impossible, due to the threat of bacterial infection), and was the traditional brew enjoyed at the Oktoberfest celebration. A beautiful clear, rich, amber brew, Weissenohe Monk’s Fest offers up big, bready malt aromas much like the interior of a soft, freshly baked loaf. Look for some toasted cracker-like notes as well, with a very mild hop profile that brings a lightly earthy, spicy impression over top the malts. On the palate, the richness of toasted grain is the star of the show, lending a breadcrust-like flavor that’s joined by a distinctly nutty character. Hints of toffee and caramel come through on the midpalate while some fruity notes try to peak through as well, and a very low level hop bitterness provides a light counterpoint. With a beer this bready, one might expect a chewy full body, but Monk’s Fest remains light and refreshing on the palate without being thin and watery – just the qualities we like to see in a good Oktoberfest beer. Happy celebrating – Prost!!
Serving Temperature: 45-50° F
Alcohol by Volume: 5.0%
Suggested Glassware: Stein, Mug, or Pint Glass
Birrificio Torrechiara (aka Panil Birra Artigianale) —Torrechiara, Italy (Northern Italy, just south of Parma)
Panil Barriquée is fermented three times; once in stainless steel, then for 3 months in used Bordeaux and Cognac barrels, and finally, in the very bottle you now have. It pours a dark, clear amber with garnet hues when held to light. A medium beige head begins thick and fades to an everlasting collar and covering. Expect a vibrant, vinegar-like acidity to strike the nose; one gets the immediate sensation that tartness is on the horizon. There are some notes of fresh asparagus (don’t worry, in this beer, it’s actually quite nice), and super unripe peaches come to mind, as do SweeTarts candy, oak, faint impressions of smoke, and some pickled spices. In the flavor, tartness comes through on the palate, but it’s not a puckering tartness, just a nice wake up call to the taste buds. There are some notes of biscuits in the malt backbone, with fruity, vinous qualities (think Chianti), black raspberries, suggestions of cloves, and some spicy plum notes. It’s not surprising that this beer is remarkably wine like, given its Italian home. A wonderful complexity comes from the cognac barrel aging, and this imparts, as you might imagine, some subtle notes of cognac. As it warms, distinct notes of kaffir limes emerge, supplemented by flashes of cherry and green apples. Giving a good swirl conjures up notes of musty oranges. Finishes with a complex interplay between bitterness (very faint hops) and sourness, with a wine-like flourish of grapes, acidity and other vinous notes characteristic of malolactic fermentation. Worth noticing are the subtypes of sourness from the acids—both lactic (sour) and acetic (vinegary) notes present. Look also for a ghostlike impression of stiff liquor in the way of mild vanilla notes and dry woody oak character. Each batch of this beer is unique—thanks to the wild yeast and barrel aging, but the quality is extremely consistent—we’ve had vintages from 2007, 2008 and 2009 and all are quite nice. Aging is a sure thing with this beer; we’ve sampled bottles that were 3 years old and they remain refined, with the acidity mellowing a bit over time. A true to style sour ale, this is an unpasteurized, raw, truly important conservatorium of wild yeast and tradition! Try pairing with other local specialties such as sliced Parmesan cheese or prosciutto, or a garden salad dressed with Balsamic vinegar and olive oil.
Serving Temperature: 45-50° F
Alcohol by Volume: 8.0%
Style: Oak-aged Sour Red Ale
Suggested Glassware: Flute, Tulip or Snifter
Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales—Dexter, Michigan, USA
The Rare Beer of the Month Club is extremely pleased to bring you this truly one-of-a-kind beer brewed by Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales. Not only is the beer a one-off, single-batch brew which, once gone, will be gone forever, and, not only is membership in this club just about the only way to get it (other than a couple cases at a Denver rare beer tasting and a couple kegs onsite at Jolly Pumpkin), it supports more than one good cause: prostate cancer awareness, and, craft-brewed beer. Clearly, as a member of the club, you regularly support and advocate for the latter. But this month you can add prostate cancer awareness to your philanthropy.
According to the National Cancer Institute, prostate cancer will kill more than 32,000 men in America in 2010. Few people realize that there will be 218,000 prostate cancer cases diagnosed this year, 25,000 more than the number of new breast cancer cases. But with early detection and proper treatment, prostate cancer has a survival rate of nearly 100 percent. Clearly, these sorts of statistics scream that awareness and early detection are critical.
As a better beer fan, you may be familiar with the writings of Rick Lyke. As a drinks journalist, he’s written regularly for All About Beer magazine and contributes to various other publications, including DRAFT, on all things beer, wine and spirits. His blog, Lyke2Drink.com, is another great daily read—fun and informative. Now, it’s easy to think that those of us who write about beer have it easy and that somehow we operate outside the confines of “the real world.” It’s not an entirely accurate appraisal, still, Rick did get a frightening reality check a few years back. At the urging of a good friend who had previously been diagnosed with prostate cancer, Rick saw his primary care physician to get tested. The doc told him he didn’t need a PSA test until age 50 (he was 47) and since he presented with no symptoms and did not have an enlarged prostate, that there was simply no need for the test. Rick pressed to have it performed anyway, even though insurance wouldn’t cover it. That $75 test caught the cancer early, led Rick to have surgery, and saved his life.
Realizing the general lack of awareness, and the fact that guys typically avoid talking about their health, Rick created the Pints for Prostates campaign in 2008 to reach men through the universal language of beer with an important health message: silence on this issue is costing men their lives. Get aware, get talking, and if you’re over 40, get tested.
As a nonprofit campaign, Pints for Prostates gets the word out in various online and print publications, and supports various activities to fundraise for the Us TOO International Prostate Cancer Education and Support Network, a 501(c)3 charity that works to support, educate and advocate for men with prostate cancer and their families. One of those activities was partnering with the renowned Ron Jeffries of Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales, The Rare Beer Club, and beer distributors (and importers extraordinaire) Shelton Brothers to create a rare, one-of-a-kind beer to be featured in The Rare Beer Club and at a Rare Beer Tasting this September in honor of National Prostate Cancer Awareness Month. The beer features the Pints for Prostates logo on its label, which includes the blue ribbon to remind people of the ongoing search for a cure. A donation of $3 from every 750 milliliter bottle of Biere de Goord sold will be made to the Pints for Prostates campaign.
The recipe was developed by Jolly Pumpkin. Speaking about the project, President & Brewmaster Ron Jeffries said “At Jolly Pumpkin we are super excited to be involved in this project. We were flattered and honored when we were asked to come up with a special beer to help raise awareness of the Pints for Prostates campaign. It gave us the chance to stretch our collective imaginations and come up with a saison that not only tastes fantastic, but is full of ingredients rich in lycopene [and other antioxidants]. While we can make no health claims about Biere de Goord, we wanted to use the project to do a little education for men about some of the foods that contain [antioxidants such as] lycopene, which many researchers point to as being essential for prostate health.”
We couldn’t think of a better place to develop this intriguing recipe featuring antioxidant rich ingredients such as pumpkin, pumpkin seeds, kale, green tea and peppercorns. Set foot inside their small brewery and not only will you find shiny brewing equipment, you’ll encounter row upon row of wooden barrels in which beer of various ages, blends and funk-levels is maturing. The brewery performs barrel aging on ALL of its beers. The time, labor and expense required to age every ounce of beer they make in traditional wooden barrels, is, some would say, madness. But it’s what breeds their awesome array of truly distinctive beers. Well, that and open fermentation, meaning the yeast are left to work their magic in a container that’s left wide open—instead of being inside a closed stainless steel tank. This means that any wild yeast floating about in the air can get into the beer and apply a bit of their own “natural funk” to the flavor of the beer.
The results are truly something special—so we’ll let you get to it. Raise a glass of beer to your health and really mean it! Check out www.jollypumpkin.com for more information about this impressive little brewery from Michigan, including what’s behind their unusual name.
Visit www.PintsForProstates.com to learn more about their important campaign and their ongoing activities (lots of good beer events to attend!).
And do pay a visit to our partners in philanthropy, Shelton Brothers, who have donated their services and profits to this effort. They’re distributing some of the best beers in the world and are playing an active role in improving the quality of beer available in the US today, regularly selecting rare beers and even sole survivors within traditional styles on the verge of extinction: www.sheltonbrothers.com.
Well first off, you gotta love the name (not to mention the cause). Brewed as a Saison, we’ll excuse the name’s stylistic incursion into French farmhouse ale territory because it’s basically genius—the beer is brewed with pumpkins and pumpkin seeds, hence the Goord reference (a clever take on Biere de Garde). A beautiful beer—almost sunny with butterscotch hues—and a very inviting nose (we expect nothing less from Ron Jeffries & Co.). But with the very unusual ingredient list, and references to pumpkins and pumpkin seeds and kale(!), we weren’t sure what to anticipate. It doesn’t smell like what you’d expect from your typical seasonal pumpkin beer. Instead, look for notes of melons (honeydew comes to mind). Offsetting the sweetness comes a small whiff of minerals, like iron, possibly from the kale, but perhaps from the peppercorns. Also look for a distinct note of powdered green tea, wonderfully earthy and just a bit musty. Notes of oranges abound, and there’s even some hoppy grapefruit in the mix. This beer just might have a little something for everyone. And in typical Jolly Pumpkin fashion, there are also plenty of Brettanomyces notes coming through, moderately funky, with a bit more pineapple Brett than hardcore funk in our samples (but this may shift from bottle to bottle with age). Then you take a sip and the trickery of the Jolly Pumpkin emerges. The beer is far less sweet than the nose suggests, in fact, it’s almost shockingly tart upfront, quite like Berliner Weisse, sans syrup, yet far more complex. Notes of unripe cantaloupe, watermelon rind and hefty earthiness develop quickly as the initial pucker fades. Green tea comes through and adds to the earth levels, but also gives a slightly bitter note like you’d get from chewing on fresh tea leaves. We missed the peppercorns entirely at the start, but once we allowed the beer to come up in temperature, they jumped out at us; their influence shows up early in the sip and the sourness dominates them until a little warmth lets the pepper notes blossom a bit. Interestingly, this beer’s prominent tartness is not in the finish—it’s at the start of the flavor profile, and it’s ultimately replaced by a decent level of bitterness, which, along with the Brett, makes for one seriously dry, borderline champagne-like fade. The bitterness is complex and multifaceted; the kale (a bitter green) contributes an almost tannic character to the lingering bitterness, with tettnang, vanguard and styrian goldings hops doing their thing, supplemented by a gruit beer like herbal astringency that grips the palate and hangs on for dear life. Wow!
Hard to imagine a better cause or a more apropos beer to drink this September, being that it is National Prostate Cancer Awareness month. The creativity is impressive (there is no way you’ve ever had a kale and pumpkin seed beer before, we don’t care where you’ve been!) Designed by Los Angeles based tattoo artist Adam B. Forman, the label art is an expression of craftsmanship as well. Forman describes the imagery in his own words: “About the Fox and Bird. I chose these images because of their psychological and symbolic significance to our dear cause. The Fox is an ancient symbol of intellect, spiritual creativity and mischief, this is probably Ron [Jeffries, Jolly Pumpkin’s President and Brewmaster]. The Titmouse bird is symbol of great resourcefulness and bravery in the face of danger, there is an R.W. Emerson poem about the titmouse being the ‘antidote of fear’ and I thought this would be an appropriate companion to our friend fox. This is why the words ‘Wit’ and ‘Will’ [are] written above our heroes, sort of a motto for us to stand by and definitely appropriate to the pirate ship we call Jolly Pumpkin.”
We spoke to Ron Jeffries about what to expect as this very rare, one-batch only beer ages. He explained that as a matter of personal taste, he enjoys this and many other sour beers on the fresher side. Biere de Goord was allowed to mature for quite a while in their famous, buggy, almost magical oak barrels, so it’s already grown up in funk and tartness levels quite a bit when it hits the bottle. For about the first six-to-eight months, the funky, dry Brettanomyces character of this beer can be expected to grow, however, in an almost paradoxical phenomenon seen in many funky brews, secondary oxidation will eventually set in around the 12-month+ mark, somehow giving the impression of enhanced sweetness. The beer will hold up beyond a year for sure, but for maximum sourness impact, crack your bottles in under 8-months. If you enjoy the subtle candied character that develops with deeper oxidation, check back in 12-to-18 months down the line.
Serving Temperature: 45-50° F
Alcohol by Volume: 7.0% (approximate)
Style: Oaked, Spiced, Sour Saison
Suggested Glassware: Goblet or Tulip
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