Past Newsletters
Vol. 11 No. 11
Brewery |
Beers Featured |
| Wisconsin Brewing Company | Oatmeal Stout |
| Wisconsin Brewing Company | Rainbow Red Ale |
| Harpoon Brewing Company | Hibernian Ale |
| Harpoon Brewing Company | Munich Dark |
| Belhaven (Scotland) | Scottish Ale |
| Lion Brewery Ceylon (Sri Lanka) | Lion Stout |
Wisconsin Brewing Company
In telling the story of the Wisconsin Brewing Company, we actually must delve into the history of two separate breweries, both of which have overcome some rather unfortunate events. We begin with the founding of the Pioneer Brewery way back when in 1856, when Ulrich Oderbolz set up shop in Black River Falls, Wisconsin. Tragically, in the late 1880s Ulrich’s teenage son Charlie fell into a boiling vat of beer. Managing to pull himself from the vat, he died hours later. His father survived him by just a few years. In 1900, Frank Oderbolz, the eldest son of the founder, took over operation of the brewery. Tragedy struck again when he drowned in a boating accident at the falls themselves 11 years later. The family subsequently sold the brewery to local businessmen. The brewery reopened as The Badger Brewing Company, but was closed shortly thereafter due to prohibition (damn that prohibition to hell we tells ya!). Fast forward to the end of the century when brothers Dave and Jim Hellman purchased and refurbished the old brewery building, rechristening it in 1996 as the Pioneer Brewing Company.
Fellow Wisconsinites, The Wisconsin Brewing Company began on the banks of the Menomonie River in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, also in 1996. They too dealt with their share of water-related misfortunes. While their proximity to the fresh waters of the Menomonie was great for brewing purposes, the river bore a temper that was unleashed a bit too often… The brewery was ravaged by floods—twice in 12 months if you can believe it. The first time it happened, the owners had no insurance, and with 48 inches of water filling their recessed brewery, it was pretty much a total loss. Not only had their equipment been damaged, but much of their beer inventory was lost as well. Friends and community members graciously rallied together, aiding in the clean up and donating new equipment.
The Wisconsin Brewing Company got back on their feet and back to brewing… until a year later, when flooding struck again. Learning from their fist experience, they were sure to have insurance. Rather than rebuild a second time, they decided to shut down their Wauwatosa brewing location for good, but not before ensuring that the craft brews they developed had a good home to go to. In 1998, they moved production of their entire brand to a facility operated by the Pioneer Brewing Company. They sent over one of their brewers, Mike Suchara, who worked at Pioneer making the Wisconsin brews alongside Pioneer’s gifted Head Brewmaster, Todd Krueger. Todd has not only kept the Wisconsin B.C.’s beers alive and kicking, he has expanded the original line to include a variety of styles. We elected to feature one of the brewery’s original flagship beers, Rainbow Red Ale, as well as one of their newer offerings, Oscar’s Chocolate Oatmeal Stout, a beer developed by Todd that has become one of their top-selling brews. Pop those babies open and find out why they’ve been such strong sellers!
For more information about the Wisconsin Brewing Company, call (715) 284-7553 or check out the following web site: www.cuttingedge.net/~pioneer/.
Oscar’s Chocolate Oatmeal Stout
Well, we have to tip our hats to Head Brewmaster Todd Krueger for this true
to style Oatmeal Stout. But we’re not surprised by how well this Siebel-trained,
three-time World Beer Championship gold medalist brews his beers. This beer
is gorgeous—very nearly black with that perfect stout head—medium
tan—beginning mammoth in size and fading to a beautiful covering that
consists of bubbles so small, you can barely see discern them. Expect a massive
chocolate nose with a bit of coffee, a gentle hop bitter-spice, and some dark
fruits. The flavor is a close match to the aroma with tasty medium-dark chocolate
notes, roasted malts, and a note of raw, unsalted peanuts. Look for that dry
stout bitterness we know and love—aided by the oatmeal and hops; it’s
a wonderful finish to a truly drinkable beer. Rich enough to complement chocolate
cake, and sturdy enough to accompany a London Broil and potatoes.
Serving Temperature: 50-55° F
Int’l Bittering Units: 35.0
Alcohol by Volume: 4.0%
Malts: Pale, Chocolate, Caramel
Hops: English Northern Brewer
Additional Notes: Brewed with Oats
Rainbow Red is brewed with a combination of two row Pale "Briess",
Caramel and Belgian aromatic malts. Todd hops this well-balanced American Red
Ale generously with both Willamette and Nugget hops in two additions to the
boil. Expect an amber color with striking red highlights in this medium-bodied
Red Ale. As an emerging style, some folks feel that Red Ales should be defined
by their maltiness, while others believe that hops should dominate the flavor
profile (similar to an ESB). This is certainly an example of the ‘hoppier’ variety,
but expect a firm malty backbone. Perhaps the best part of this beer is the
absolutely heavenly aroma; toffee-caramel & baked bread notes with floral,
lightly peppery hop tones and sweet, almost candy-like scents. Note a well-balanced
spicy nugget hop and caramel malty character in the body and a very prominent
spicy Willamette hop finish. Look also for a faint smoky note that lingers
toward the finish. Overall, a very nice red ale. Great with spicy chicken wings
and ‘the game’.
Serving Temperature: 42-48° F
Int’l Bittering Units: 50.0
Alcohol by Volume: 5.0%
Malts: 2-Row Pale Briess, Belgian Aromatic, Pils, Caramel
Hops: Willamette, Nugget
Harpoon Brewing Company
The Harpoon Brewing Company opened up shop on the Boston waterfront quite early in the U.S. microbrew renaissance in 1986. The business was founded with four employees; the three founders (all classmates at Harvard) and of course, their brewer. Before starting the brewery, the founding team traveled throughout Europe in search of various beer and brewery styles upon which they would model their own (product research we think they called it). And while the inspiration may have come from traditional European breweries, the results have nicely expanded and evolved to their own distinctive brews, incorporating their own vision of stylistic alterations.
The brewery uses only U.S. grown hops and malts, so there are going to be some deviations from European styles (though in tasting the two brews we’ve featured for you this month, you’d have a hard time picking them out).Taking a few liberties in revising traditional styles was a component of their original inspiration to found a brewery, as one of their primary goals was to offer the community more distinctive craft-brewed options. A much appreciated public service, if we do say so ourselves.
Although the brewery is the 10th largest specialty beer producer, known throughout New England and other parts of the country, their main focus has been on impacting their local community. This is an important component of the brewery and pub lifestyle, which they witnessed while noting European traditions abroad. As they say on their website, “we learned to appreciate how much local brewers meant to their communities. They were not just manufacturers of a product; they were part of the social fabric. [Before starting the brewery] we asked each other, Why not do that in New England?” The result of this initial desire has won them an overwhelming approval from the locals, and beyond.
Harpoon has grown at an astonishing rate. From selling 1,300 barrels of beer in 1987 to 79,000 barrels in 2003, they’ve had to add a few members to their original workforce of four. Today, they staff 100 employees at two brewery locations. One of the more interesting stats about the brewery, besides that fact that their beer was the first to be brewed and bottled in Boston since 1964, is that they brew more beer than any other New England brewery.
On a final note, these guys have a very successful brewing company, but success hasn't changed the very friendly, welcoming demeanor with which the company was founded. The lads make it a point to provide a warm welcome to customers at either of their two breweries. If you can arrange it, try to visit during one of their seasonal brewery events, which have become rather famous in the more than ten years that they’ve hosted them (see their website for details).
For more information about the brewery or scheduled tours, call 888-HARPOON, or visit their website at www.harpoonbrewery.com.
Hibernia is the Latin word for Ireland, as you may or may not know. Harpoon
Hibernian Ale is an Irish style Red Ale that, despite being brewed with only
domestic ingredients, is an amazingly true to style brew. Look for aromatic
notes of caramel and fresh baked bread, with a touch of baked apple pie and
just a pinch of nutmeg. You can expect light fruity highlights to merge with
a caramel malt foundation in the flavor profile. Expect a lightly bitter finish
with caramel lingering in the aftertaste. This is an extremely easy drinking
beer. A versatile beer that will go well with anything from corn beef and cabbage
to a hearty surf and turf dish. Of course, it's perfectly appropriate to drink
this one alone. By alone we mean, ‘without an accompanying meal’,
not, ‘by yourself, with no friends.’ Ah hell, drink alone if you
want—it lets you focus on the complex flavors of your microbrewed beers
without distraction. That’s how the monks do it you know… And,
good ol’ Henry the Harpooner, as he is known (the silhouetted man on
the neck label of every bottle of Harpoon beer) appears to be alone, except
for the trusty harpoon in his right hand. His other hand blends into his shadowy
figure, but we’re confident it’s wrapped around a bottle of brew.
Harpooning is thirst-building work don’t ya know.
Serving Temperature: 45-50° F
Int’l Bittering Units: 22.0
Alcohol by Volume: 5.4%
Malts: 2-Row Pale, Caramel, Chocolate
Hops: Nugget
This particular beer was introduced in 1998 and won the Harpoon Brewing Company
a first prize spot for Best Beer Overall of the year in BarleyCorn Magazine.
It pours a nice deep caramel to mahogany color with an appropriate level of
carbonation for the style. Nice retention in the tan head which will leave
behind some nice sticky lace. You’ll find the aroma robust, with notes
of porter and stout-like roasted malts, big toffee/caramel presence, hop pepperiness,
and some floral flourishes with hints of plum. The mouthfeel is perfect for
the style: not too thin, not too heavy. Expect some notes of chocolate and
a bit of espresso (though restrained and not overly bitter). Hop flavors are
obvious, supplying a light bite, but they’re offset by a complex array
of sweeter flavors. Seek out the notes of nuts which are also detectable in
the flavor. Overall, we found this beer to be complex, dry and full of rich
flavors. Great with a sandwich on pumpernickel bread.
Serving Temperature: 50-55° F
Int’l Bittering Units: 28.0
Alcohol by Volume: 5.3%
Malts: 2-Row Pale, Caramel, Carapils, Chocolate
Hops: Willamette
Bellhaven Brewery Company Ltd.—Dunbar, Scotland (Southeastern Coast of Scotland)
“Bavaria cannot produce the like.” These words of praise regarding the beers crafted in the resort seaport of Dunbar, Scotland are not those of a Scot; they were uttered by the Emperor of Austria sometime around 1827. He went on to call the beer “the burgundy of Scotland”. Not only can the Belhaven Brewery (or Belhaven Brewery Company Ltd. as it is formally known) lay claim to the adoration of an Austrian Emperor, it also holds the esteem of being the oldest surviving brewery in Scotland. It is one of the oldest in Britain for that matter. Its roots as a commercial brewery go back to 1719, but it is accepted by most historians that a brewery has existed on the site since at least the Middle Ages. Indisputable is the fact that the two wells and some of the cellars contained within the brewery date from at least the 15th century; credible evidence indicates that the wells were dug by Benedictine monks in 1415.
The brothers began their brewing legacy across the waters on the Isle of May, in the Firth of Forth, some 2-3 centuries before coming to mainland Scotland. This island dwelling was bequeathed to their Benedictine order as early as 1150 by King David I of Scotland. Over the next few centuries the monks colonized Fife and the Lothians. They were eventually granted lands in the vicinity of Dunbar at the nearby harbor of Bele, which is today known as Belhaven.
The Benedictine, or “blessed” order, was blessed indeed in the art of ale-brewing, though it seems their sacred brewing gifts were earned rather than ordained. The brothers worked at the Belhaven site for several hundred years, cultivating the land, planting crops and digging wells. So notable were their efforts and enduring their presence that the land on which the Belhaven Brewery now stands became known as “Monk’s Croft”.
By the 16th century brewing had been firmly established at the site; records document that Belhaven ale was supplied to the Franco-Scottish army which was bent on invading England in the 1550s and which, at that time, was garrisoned at nearby Dunbar Castle. By the early 18th century the Brewery had come into the ownership of Mr. John Johnstone, an event commemorated by the carving of the date 1719 into a support beam still present in the brewery. A single family then owned the brewery for more that 250 years, firmly securing the styles and recipes of this famed brewers’ haven.
While The Belhaven Brewery Company Ltd. has great pride in its heritage and roots, it is also keenly aware of the need to adapt to the times. Over the past twenty years, there has been constant investment in and improvements to the brewing and packaging plant. With nearly 300 years of continuous commercial brewing, the brewery has had ample time to perfect each of their beers—and to prove it, we’ve sent you a clear example of this fact, the flavorsome Belhaven Scottish Ale. Enjoy!
If you’d like more information about the Belhaven Brewery Company Ltd., check out http://www.belhaven.co.uk.
So what is a Scottish Ale exactly? Well, being authentically
Scottish is clearly important. Belhaven certainly has that prerequisite to
its credit. Other criteria
are open to interpretation, but in general, traditional Scottish beers have
leant toward the sweeter, maltier flavor profiles than their dry, hoppy, British
counterparts. The reason behind this may be rooted in the fact that while Scotland
is home to abundant sources of malting barley, it is quite distant from the
principal European hop growing regions. Scottish ales also tend toward darker
malts than English versions, and are often stronger on the whole. Belhaven
Scottish Ale fits some of these criteria; it is maltier than hoppy, but part
of its mass appeal has been its very refreshing nature, due to lighter body
and lower-alcohol content. Note the aroma—such balance on the nose is
uncommon as it presents a subtle mustiness and slightly peppery hop aroma,
both offsetting the honeyish, caramel malts, with an ever so slight note of
anise. This medium-bodied beer has a slightly smoky, gently peppery flavor
that balances the firm malt backbone. Look for the caramel, honey-like sweet
malts to become less bashful as the beer warms and an exceptionally clean finish.
A great match to complement lamb chops and gravy.
Serving Temperature: 45-50° F
Alcohol by Volume: 3.9%
Lion Brewery Ceylon—Biyagama, Sri Lanka (Southwestern Sri Lanka)
A great distance from the eastern coast of Scotland, we now turn to the island nation of Sri Lanka to find the source of our second featured international beer, Lion Stout. While the span between these two lands is tremendous, there is an interesting link between these very different breweries. Back when Sri Lanka was known as Ceylon, it was colonized by Portuguese, Dutch and British citizens, among others. The British had a particular interest in the local hill country as it provided an ideal climate in which to plant that most nationally demanded of plants—tea. The Scottish were quite experienced with tea cultivation and in the 1800s there was no shortage of them living and working in the region. One of them, Sir Samuel Backer, lived in the veritable Garden of Eden up in the hill town of Nuara Eliya. In 1849, recognizing the unquenched thirst of his fellow European patriots for their other favorite beverage (ale), he established Sri Lanka’s first brewery, the Ceylon Brewery, at the foot of one of Nuwara Eliya’s most beautiful waterfalls, knows as ‘the Lover’s Leap’.
Sir Backer set up the brewery in an effort to bring beer to the local colony dwellers and natives alike, but likely did not envision the tremendous success of the brewery, nor the fact that nearly 100 years after it was founded, his beer would find its way back to his homeland, the United Kingdom, as a Sri Lankan export. As the brewery garnered attention from eager investors, financial contributions greatly enhanced and expanded the original brewery enterprise.
After being taken over by Murree Brewery of India in 1884, the present company was founded by Mr. G. W. Lindsay White in 1911. Under his stewardship, the brewery flourished even further, a trend that continues to this day. In order to meet expanding demand, a second brewery, the Lion Brewery Ceylon was established in Biyagama. A spring flowing from the hills above the brewery supplies their clear, chemical-free water, and malts are obtained from the reputable maltsters in the Czech Republic, Britain and Denmark. Hops are sourced from Slovenia, and they have been using the same high quality British yeast for fermentation for more than 30 years. Since 1998, there has also been a brewery near the capital city of Colombo.
Their Colombo brewery recently made global headlines in the wake of the Asian Tsunami disaster that swept the region on December 26th, 2004. The day after the killer waves hit, the brewery switched over from making beer to bottling critically needed drinking water. “With so much loss of life, how could you not help?” said brewery manager Nausha Raheem. “Once we got over the initial shock and realized the gravity of the situation, we decided to do what we could to help.” Without a doubt their live-saving graciousness has been appreciated.
If you’d like more information about the Lion Brewery Ceylon, check out http://www.lionbeer.com.
Sri Lanka just might be the only country in which every
brewery makes a stout. Granted there are only about three brewing companies,
but this is still an
impressive commentary on the sophistication of regional palates. While Lion
Stout is technically designated as a tropical stout, it is a hearty, traditional
stout presenting the typically aromatic, chocolaty, coffee- and toffee-accented
notes of a bold European or American strong stout. Note the pruney, mocha aromas & flavors
and look for a hop heavy yet smooth, peppery, dark chocolate finish. If you
can get you’re your hands on some authentic Sri Lankan arrack (a coconut
brandy), do as many locals do and concoct a potent tonic by lacing your Lion
Stout with this spirit. We recommend accompanying this beer with anything accented
with coconut, such as spicy Thai coconut beef, Sri Lankan curries or creamy
coconut desserts accompanied with dark chocolate candy. Don’t have any
keen chocolates to accompany your Lion Stout? Well we do—and as a member
of our Gourmet Chocolate of the Month Club, you could too! Visit www.monthlyclubs.com
for more details about the remarkable boutique chocolates we feature each month,
or give us a ring at 800-625-8238 to inquire about membership details—we’d
love to hear from you!
Serving Temperature: 55° F
Alcohol by Volume: 8.0%
ASK MURL
Hey Ask Murl Reader,
That’s right, Murl here, writing both the question and the answer this month… actually, I’m following up a great question submitted by Donna Long of Dana Point, CA, which we printed last month. Donna wanted some advice on getting a beer tasting together for some friends—what types of beers, how much to serve, tasting sequence, etc. This month, I’ll continue my response to her question…
Murl
Laguna Beach, CA
Yo Murl!
You sure do have a sweet name bro… Anyhow if you want to read up on last month’s column and don’t have your April newsletter handy, or are new to the club, visit www.beermonthclub.com and check out our online newsletter archive.
So, here are a few other Beer Tasting ideas for y’all…
I’m a big advocate of country-themed tastings. Belgium, Germany, and the UK each offer a beery cornucopia of different beer styles, and there are many readily available classics here in the states. You can showcase the versatility and distinctive common threads that exist in beers from a single nation. On a grander scale, you could throw a beer tasting party (which could be expensive if you’re not rollin’ in it like I am, ya dig. You can assign folks to bring certain beers—there’s this internet thingy I keep hearing about which features various free online invitation services which you can use to assign and manage who brings what)… With enough people bringing enough different brews, you could go all out and run a “European beer tasting” for example.
Another option is a beer tasting where you compare and contrast the classic European style examples and then showcase the American interpretations of those styles. Of course, domestic brews are a plenty, and tend to be a bit more experimental than their classic Euro counterparts. Some of my favorite beer tastings have been “extreme beer tastings”, where I offer up “monster brews” that are hoppier than hell or maltier than maple syrup and generally weigh in anywhere from 8 to 21% ABV (which, admittedly, may be the real reason I dig these so much). Just realize who your audience is… You probably don’t want to gather your Michelob Ultra-loving friends from the gym and sit ‘em down with a beef-jerkyish Rauchbier or a 120 IBU Double Imperial Pale Ale…
Above all, the most important rule here is that you enjoy the experience of indulging in great, world class beers. Hell, I’ll drink to that!
Woof!
Murl
Norm’s Corner
Sam: What’ll ya have, Norm?
Norm: Well, I’m in a gambling mood, Sammy. Just give me whatever comes
out of that tap.
Sam: Oh, looks like beer, Norm.
Norm: Call me Mister Lucky.
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Members can re-order their favorite
beers |
|||
FEATURED BEER |
Club |
12 Bottles |
24 Bottles |
| Wisconsin Oatmeal Stout | Dom/Dom & Intl |
$24.95 |
$49.95 |
| Wisconsin Rainbow Red Ale | Dom/Dom & Intl |
$24.95 |
$49.95 |
| Harpoon Hibernian Ale | Dom |
$24.95 |
$49.95 |
| Harpoon Munich Dark | Dom |
$24.95 |
$49.95 |
| Belhaven Scottish Ale | Intl/Dom & Intl |
$34.95 |
$58.95 |
| Lion Stout | Intl/Dom & Intl |
$32.95 |
$58.95 |
All prices include shipping and handling. Mixed assortments
are available upon
request. CA customers please add 7.75% sales tax. |
|||
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