Past Newsletters

Vol. 11 No. 1

Matt Brewing Company

It seems appropriate that one of the oldest breweries in the United States, founded by a German immigrant from the Black Forest region of Germany, would be founded near one of the oldest state parks in the U.S.. German-born immigrant and brewer, Francis Xavier Matt I, left his homeland in order to fulfill his dream of owning his own brewery. He arrived in the U.S. in 1878 (a mere 13 years after the conclusion of the American Civil War!) at the foothills of the Adirondacks in upstate New York, and within 10 years had created The West End Brewing Company which quickly became one of the largest and most successful breweries in the Northeastern U.S. Today known as the Matt Brewing Company, the brewery has survived two World Wars and perhaps even more remarkable, Prohibition. After the days of Prohibition, F.X., then 74, was joined by his sons Walter and Frank Matt, and a tradition of family brewing ensued. Under the leadership of the third and fourth generations of the Matt Family (Nick and Fred, respectively), the Brewery has earned a reputation as one of the most respected specialty brewers in the country, producing a variety of distinctive,
flavorful beers.

Management of the Matt Brewing Company has spanned four generations – a very uncommon feat in the world of U.S. microbrewed beers since most were founded within the past 30 years. This practice of family run breweries is more common in the master breweries of Europe, such as those found in Bavaria, and is a tradition that F.X. Matt I clearly brought with him to the states.

It’s been more than a century since F.X. created the first of his brewery’s malty treasures and set in motion the legacy that is the Matt brewing tradition. Today, each of their brews is a flavorful testament to time-tested recipes and their literally generations of experience.

For more information about the brewery and scheduled tours, call 800-765-6288 or check out their web site at www.saranac.com.

Saranac Black & Tan

Many people like their black and tans to be layered, and usually, we do too. However, the flavors are so distinct from the component brews in this mixture that their flavors are retained and it’s almost as if the crafty folks at Matt Brewing Company have managed to bottle layered B&T’s! Actually, like any good B&T, the distinct flavors from Saranac Irish Stout (Black) and Amber lager (Tan) hold their own, but they also complement one another fabulously. Expect this brew to smell like a stout, with a roasty bitterness in the aroma, yet this mingles gently with the strong malt aroma supplied by the German style amber lager. The flavor is quite malty, with roasted espresso notes, a touch of dark cocoa, and a bitterness in the finish that fades to sweet malt aftertaste. Expect a nice complexity in the finish – beginning with the roasted bitterness of the stout and giving way to a lingering malty sweetness. Overall, we found it to be a highly drinkable, very smooth Black & Tan. And if you’re not a fan of the full-bodied, full-flavor of a regular Irish stout or extra stout, this would be a good starting point as it retains the distinct roasty character of the stout while taming it with a German-style sweetened amber lager malt.
NOTE: Consider serving it just under room temperature to truly experience the full flavors that this beer has to offer.

Serving Temperature: 55-64° F
Int’l Bittering Units: 37.0
Alcohol by Volume: 5.1%
Malts: 2-row, Chocolate, Roasted
Barley, Caramel
Hops:Willamette, English East Kent
Goldings, German Hallertau

Saranac Pale Ale

To the Iroquois, the native people of the Adirondacks, the word Saranac means
“Cluster of Stars”. The Matt Brewing Company bottles their Saranac line of beers from the pure water that flows from the Adirondacks and the grains that grow in its unspoiled soil. Their Pale Ale is a wonderful example of a beer made with pristine natural resources and genuine craftsmanship. The inviting hopdriven aroma owes its sweetly floral nose to generous portions of English East Kent Goldings hops. With this medium-bodied pale ale you can expect a flavor similar its aroma but enhanced with apricot and grapefruit notes along with just a hint of pine. Look for caramel and bread-like flavors in the malts, accented by lightly toasty notes, but expect the malts to take a backseat to the hops. Enjoy the bitter Willamette hop finish which we found subtle, yet lingering. Great with pizza or pretty much anything you throw on the barbeque.

Serving Temperature: 50-55° F
Int’l Bittering Units: 32.0
Alcohol by Volume: 5.5%
Malts: 2-row, English Pale Malt, Caramel
Hops: English East Kent Goldings, English
Fuggles, Willamette

Yakima Brewing Company

The Yakima Brewing Company has an impressive history – the first craft brewery in the Northwest can also boast that their brewpub was the first in the country since the repeal of prohibition. The brewery’s founder, the charismatic and outspoken Scotsman Bert Grant is considered by many to be the founder of the craft brew industry in the United States. Starting the brewery in 1982, he was at the forefront of the American microbrewery revolution. True, other micros were around at the time, but Grant took the process to an entirely new level, introducing and helping to popularize many previously unavailable styles of beer. For instance, the definitively hoppy style that we love to feature, India Pale Ale, was only being made in the U.S. by one brewery in the early 80’s. Anchor Liberty, another beer that could be regarded as an example of the style, was not marketed or identified as an IPA. Bert Grant was the first to revive the style, and as noted beer expert Michael Jackson put it, “Grant’s brought back the historic name, and made it part of our beer vocabulary again.”

Bert Grant has always been able to pull off his own interpretation of brews despite what others may have cautioned, and this was reflected in his personality. His first beer was his Scottish Ale. Upon an in person review, Michael Jackson asked, “Isn’t this on
the hoppy side for a Scotch Ale?” “Yes,” Bert acknowledged. “All beers should be hoppier.” (Bert was reputed to carry a vial of hop oil, and add it to glasses of Bud, Miller or Coors when they were the only brews available!) Jackson then continued, “Is it really fair to sell it as a Scottish Ale?” To which Grant defiantly replied, “It is a Scottish Ale because I created it. I am Scottish.” (true, despite leaving Scotland at
the age of two).

In August of 2001, Bert passed away, but his many contributions will remain fixed in the world of microbrew beer culture. After Bert’s passing, Darren Waytuck became the new Brewmaster at Yakima Brewing Company. Darren started with Grant in 1984 as his apprentice. Throughout the years, he has worked his way up from keg cleaner to Brewmaster. A tough act to follow indeed, Darren’s got his work cut out for him – but being trained by the best ought to help! For more information about the brewery and scheduled tours, call 509-575-1900 or check out their web site at www.grants.com.

Bert Grants Scottish Ale

This was the first craft beer brewed in the Pacific Northwest. Keeping true to style, this Scottish ale is crafted from pale and caramel malts to achieve an authentic Scottish flavor. Breaking from tradition, it is then “seasoned” with Cascade hops from, where else, the Yakima Valley (80% of hops used by U.S. brewers come from this region). Look for an aroma filled with a malty sweetness as well as a fresh hop spiciness. Immediately note a malty caramel sweetness and a hint of peat, complemented by a pleasant hop bitterness in this beer’s flavor profile. We found the finish to offer a more pronounced caramel sweetness. The long-lasting bitterness holds well beyond the finish. Drinking this beer cold (i.e. right out of the fridge) will give you a completely different flavor profile than if you let it warm to our suggested serving temp, at which we feel that this beer really offers its full range of flavors. At this warmer temperature, expect a more complex blend of malt characteristics including a peaty smokiness associated with the style. If you can’t stomach (forgive the pun) the traditional Scottish Haggis, try this beer with some smoked poultry or buffalo.

Serving Temperature: 58-64° F
Int’l Bittering Units: 35.0
Alcohol by Volume: 4.5%
Malts: Pale Malt, Caramel
Hops: Cascade

Bert Grants Perfect Porter

Bert Grant’s Perfect Porter…the name says it all. One of the best porters we have tasted for quite some time. It is dark-brown, almost black in color, with a wonderful dark tan head. You will notice an aroma of dark chocolate, caramel and roasted, smoky malts. Expect loads of chocolate flavors in this porter, but also look for notes of roasted nuts and the slightest bit of a plum. This true-to-style porter is made with 5 distinct barley malts, and the result is amazing. After taking your first sip, you will experience a “creamy” mouthful of chocolate malts along with a rich, dark caramel flavor. With an undeniably roasted character obvious throughout, this would be a great beer to enjoy over a campfire and s’mores, or as the perfect accompaniment to steak or pork chops from the grill.

Serving Temperature: 50-55° F
Int’l Bittering Units: 25.0
Alcohol by Volume: 3.8%
Malts: Pale, Caramel, Chocolate,
Wheat, Peated
Hops:Willamette

Fraoch Brewing Company

The indigenous beers of the Scottish environs are as varied as they are creative. With a
multitude of interesting styles, reflective of the various cultural influences present in the
region over the centuries, the area has a rich past of fine ales and lagers. Unfortunately,
many of these styles were essentially lost to history. There is hope of reclaiming these beers and it comes to us from a handful of keen individuals who have sought to bring these ancient ales and lagers back to their former glory. One of these individuals is Bruce Williams, a brewer and homebrew shop owner in Scotland, who began making batches of a unique Heather Ale using an astonishingly old recipe. Heather, the flower responsible for the purple hues in the mountains of Scotland, was used to make beer long before the introduction of hops to the brewer’s recipe books. It is among the oldest of beer styles produced in the world. Brewed in Scotland since 325 B.C. by the Picts, a Celtic tribal race, the history of heather in alcoholic libations goes back much further – in fact, traces of a fermented beverage made with heather flowers have been found by archaeologists dating back to 2,000 B.C.! However, it was the Picts who made this ale legendary - guarding the secret recipe, quite literally, with their very lives.

Now don’t ask us how, but in 1986 Bruce Williams uncovered an ancient recipe for
“leann fraoich” (Gaelic for heather ale). Since then, he has triumphantly resurrected this
and other styles which are currently enjoying widespread acclaim through a partnership
with Heather Ale, Ltd., a company dedicated to resurrection and preservation of authentic Scottish beers. Included in their current line up are revived concoctions that once passed the lips of Welsh Druids, Vikings and Celtic tribesmen. Each contains unconventional ingredients – anything from bog myrtle, meadowsweet, Scottish gooseberries, pine, spruce shoots, and bladderwrack seaweed.

This month, we are proud to offer you an authentic taste of Scotland’s tasty malted
heritage by sending you what just might be the oldest style of beer still in production.
For more information about Heather Ale, Ltd. and their many interesting concoctions, check out their web site at http://www.heatherale.co.uk/.

Heather Ale

This fine specialty Ale pours a rich orange color and presents a moderate off-white head. Our panel found the aroma to be refreshing and even uplifting, offering a
flowery bouquet on the nose, with accents of honey and malt. The wonderful aroma of this beer is supplied largely by Scottish heather. Look for a distinct herbal quality in the flavor that is almost tea-like: this is the hallmark of the heather flower. Note how the light spices mix wonderfully with the flowery heathery flavor and sweet pale malts. The complexity of this ancient beer continues all the way to the finish, culminating in a spicy, apple-like finish that is evocative of a fruity wine. This beer has taken home numerous awards, including the Gold Medal at two successive World Beer Championships conducted by the Beverage Testing Institute in Chicago in 1996 and 1997. A versatile partner for many a meal, we recommend pairing it with salmon and other seafood, roast chicken and turkey, as well as rich and spicy foods.

Serving Temperature: 55° F
Alcohol by Volume: 5.5%

Orkney Brewing Company

The Orkney Islands are to be found off the tip of northern Scotland. And while they are considered a part of Scotland, their history is more of Scandinavian legacy than Scottish or Celtic heritage. Orkney was for many centuries ruled by the Vikings, and is steeped in historical and archeological mystique, attracting visitors the world over who come to gaze upon the perfectly preserved Neolithic dwellings, Norse architecture and beautiful island landscapes.

Visitors and locals alike describe the islands’ ambiance as mysterious, due at least in part to the unexplained Stonehenge-like “Ring of Brogar” which dates from about 2,000 B.C. It is a circular configuration of 27 standing stones which are inscribed with
ancient alphabets, likely of druid origin, and believed to have been used in secret,
ritualistic magic. It is not known how or why the Ring of Brogar came to exist in its
location on the Orkney Islands, but some believe it may have functioned as a calendar,
while others hold that it fulfilled a more ominous purpose.

Thankfully, a couple Orcadians with no sinister intentions, Roger and Irene White,
founded the Orkney Brewery in 1988. It is housed in a Victorian Schoolhouse in this
remote region, located on the west coast of the largest of the Orkney Islands. Since
their opening they have produced a fine range beers noted throughout the UK for
their quality and earning many prestigious awards. In 1995 the Brewery was extended
and new equipment introduced in order to meet the demand for the Brewery’s line of
beers. Considering their location, they have plenty from which to draw inspiration for
their fine beers, and they name them accordingly. Their colorful beer names include Dark Island (with an image of the low-horizoned winter sun filtering between the pillars of the Ring of Brogar), Northern Light, Raven Ale (the Raven plays an important part in the stories of Viking battles to defend possession of the Orkney Islands), Dragonhead Stout, The Red MacGreggor, and our featured selection, Skull Splitter Strong Ale. These respectable ales are each characterized by great taste and distinctive craftsmanship. For more information about the Orkney Brewery, check out their web site at http://www.orkneybrewery.co.uk/

Skull Splitter

Named after Thorfin Hausakliuuf, the seventh earl of Orkney who lived and ruled around 950 A.D., this burgundy-colored Strong Ale has an intense vinous nose with caramel and fruit aromas. Expect it to be creamy and satiny in the mouth with a long, toasty, dry finish. And while Viking warriors were not likely to gingerly sneak up on their opponents, this particular Norseman just might; weighing it at a mighty 8.5% ABV, this beer is so well balanced that the alcohol presence is deceptively understated. It is a beer of strength and finesse, and is definitely one of the world’s great beers. If you want to do it right, drink chilled in a goblet, particularly as an after-dinner digestive. And while perfectly suited to be enjoyed on its own, it will enhance meals made with red meats, spicy food, and, if you can believe it– chocolate.

Serving Temperature: 55° F
Alcohol by Volume: 8.5%

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