Past Newsletters
Vol. 12 No. 7
Bringing You The Best Domestic Microbrews for 12Years Now!!
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Brewery
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Beers Featured
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| Casco Bay Brewing Company | Winter Ale |
| Bluegrass Brewing Company | American Pale Ale |
| Casco Bay Brewing Company | Kentucky Pale Ale |
| Bluegrass Brewing Company | Dark Star Porter |
| Grupo Cervezas Alhambra, SL | Alhambra Negra |
| Big City Brewing Company | Lion Heart Stout |
Happy New Year!
We can hardly believe that we’re now in our 12th year of delivering craft-brewed microbrew to savvy beer connoisseurs like yourself! It amazes us that we’ve gotten this far, but then again, with fine brews like this, and smart folks like you, we’ve started to really understand that we’ve got something truly special here. We hope you all enjoy the first features we’ve lined up for you in 2006. And don’t forget, boutique cheeses and premium cigars are the perfect complement to fine beers—so pay us a visit at www.monthlyclubs.com and see what we’re offering these days. Even if you’ve visited us in the past, stop on by and check us out—we’ve got more options than ever, and with age, we’ve become more flexible with subscription options. And if you’ve got any suggestions for our clubs, or just want to say hello, you can find our e-mail address on the site. Drop us a line—we’d love to hear from you. And now, we proudly usher in the new year with some more of the best beers on the market today!
Casco Bay Brewing Company
From the great state of Maine, we bring you the Casco Bay Brewing Company. Opening on the Portland coast in Spring of 1994 with a capacity of just 6000 barrels annually, today they have the distinction of being the third largest brewery in the state and the only northern New England brewery to offer lager style beers year round. We think they’re probably the only brewery to have had one of their part time bottlers climb so high up the company ladder that he now answers to the titles Owner, President and Brewmaster. No kidding! In early 1995, Bryan Smith came aboard a few hours a week to help bottle beer, but it seemed that he had bigger plans in mind. Within five months, Smith had worked his way up to brewer. In September of 1997, Smith left the brewery to attend the American Brewers Guild brewing school at UC Davis. While he already had over two years working experience in the brewery, he needed to learn the biochemistry and microbiology side of brewing.
In January 1998, Bryan and two others bought out half of the original ownership team, with Bryan taking over all brewing operations. Four years later, in March of 2002, the three bought out the remaining half of the original ownership pair. Since then, the new team has been hard at work keeping up with demand, streamlining production and enhancing their now famous line of signature ales and lagers. We’ve been enjoying their beery nectars for years now—if this is your first experience with their beers, the same is likely to happen to you!
For more information about the brewery and scheduled tours, call (207) 797-2020 or check out their web site at www.cascobaybrewing.com.
There are two things we know with absolute certainty: one is that the beers from Casco Bay B.C. are consistently well made; the other is that this time of year, it’s damn cold in Portland, Maine. So when we had a chance to taste Casco Bay B.C.’s Old Port Winter Ale, our suspicions were confirmed: this is a great place to source a well-made winter brew for those cold nights. Expect a fresh-smelling brew with balanced notes of white pepper, grains, bread and caramel, as well as some citrusy hops. Note also a faint whiff of nutmeg in the back, finishing with a firm, walnut-like bitterness that’s rounded out by citrus notes and a somewhat smoky malt sweetness. Enjoy as a dessert beer.
Serving Temperature: 45-50° F
Int’l Bittering Units: 25
Alcohol by Volume: 6.6%
Suggested Glassware: Holiday Mug (clear or opaque) or Oversized Wine Glass
Malts: Munich, Cara Munich, Aromatic
Hops: Centennial, Cascade
This was Maine’s first and only year-round bottled American Style Pale Ale. The nose on this beer is classically restrained, revealing floral, citrus and pine hop elements. Expect a flavorful balance between caramel maltiness and bitter hops, with the bitter finish softened by a robust creaminess. We recommend you enjoy it with lightly-spiced foods or, ideally, some fresh Maine lobster at dinner next month with your Valentine. You didn’t forget the big V-day is coming did you? Fear not, we can help! We’ve got plenty of amazing gift ideas that can be shared! Check out our website at www.monthlyclubs.com or call 800-625-8238 and our gift coaches will be glad to help you select the perfect gourmet gift for family, friends, or that special someone!
Serving Temperature: 44-52° F
Int’l Bittering Units: 30
Alcohol by Volume: 4.6%
Suggested Glassware: Pint Glass
Malts: Caramel, Carapils
Hops: Centennial, Cascade
Bluegrass Brewing Company
The Bluegrass Brewing Company began serving its ales & lagers in November 1993 when their restaurant and brewery opened in St. Matthews, in Louisville, Kentucky. Over the years, the popularity of the brewpub and its in-house draft beers grew tremendously, leading the Bluegrass Brewing Company (BBC) to start selling draft beer to retail outlets throughout the state. With the BBC brand becoming more widely available on local taps, it was just a matter of time before they started bottling their fine malty nectars. In 1999, the first bottles of BBC brand brew were released to a very thirsty marketplace. In order to keep up with demand, their bottled beers were contract brewed at a separate brewery. In late 2000, the BBC started considering the possibility of bottling its own product, but this would require the purchase of a new, larger brewery.
Setting out to purchase the new brewery was a daunting task financially—one that saw the number of owners in the company balloon from 3 principals in 1993 to a whopping 50 by 2001! But with the new brewery purchased, original Bluegrass Brewing Company brewmaster David R. Pierce could produce his award-winning beers on a larger scale than ever. And boy, can this guy brew! He’s got a bevy of medals to prove it too. What impressed us most was the fact that in 1998, his now legendary Bearded Pat’s Barleywine beat out such epitomes of the style as Sierra Nevada’s Bigfoot and Anchor’s classic, Old Foghorn, at both the Great American Beer Festival AND the Real Ale Festival. But get this folks—the following year, he did it again—bringing home another set of Gold Medals from both fests. Such an accomplishment is practically unheard of!
Despite the amazing character and quality of David’s beers, it seemed that having such a large number of owners was limiting the company from effectively growing in to their new brewery (which was operating at less than 30% of capacity). Enter Scott Roussell in April 2005, along with 5 other managing partners who bought out most of the original 50 owners. Interestingly, Scott had no experience in the brewing business prior to his involvement with the BBC, but in his ‘former life’ ran a venture capital funded wireless technology company. Desirous of a project that would require less travel and keep him closer to home, and recognizing the untapped (no pun intended) potential in a high quality product, Scott began an aggressive promotional campaign as the brewery’s new managing director. His grassroots approach to promoting the BBC line of beers has seen their brew appear in over 90 new locations in just 7 short months. We’re confident that this is a brewing company to watch over the next couple of years, as their growth is practically guaranteed to be astounding!
For more information about the brewery & scheduled tours, or their unique brewpub (which is actually a kind of museum dedicated to paraphernalia featuring local breweries in Louisville’s history), call (502) 584-BREW or check out their web site at www.bluegrassbrew.com.
A new American classic! A few members of our panel are reordering entire cases of this stuff, it’s won them over and has become one of those easy to drink beers with tons of character—a balance that’s difficult to strike. We tip our hats to brewmaster David R. Pierce for his work on this one, and have a good feeling that more than a few of our readers will also be seeking out reorder cases of this brew. Expect pine and grapefruit notes on the nose, with plenty of caramel malt tones that also carry through to the flavor profile, along with a sturdy bitterness that’s masterfully balanced by the sweeter malt elements. Brimming with refinement, this big pale ale, with its lovely hop aromatics and big malt backbone, works impeccably well with spicy Buffalo wings or pizza, or anything spicy like Mexican, Thai or Vietnamese.
Serving Temperature: 44-52° F
Int'l Bittering Units: 50.0
Alcohol by Volume: 5.75%
Suggested Glassware: Pint Glass or Stange (tall, slender cylinder)
Malts: Special Pale, Caramunich, Flaked Barley, Special B
Hops: Centennial, Willamette
Applying his appreciation of beer styles from around the world, and a uniquely keen ability to make distinctly American brews, David R. Pierce has crafted beers that showcase the very best of all beery worlds. It takes a whopping 7 different malt varieties to create this dark beauty, which was named after the 1953 Kentucky Derby winner. Immediately note the big, roasty nose with notes of coffee, chocolate, plum and peat. When tasting, look for lightly fruity notes of apple & plum, roasted chocolate, dark-roast coffee, and a faint smokiness, all rounded out by a mild hop bitterness in the very smooth finish. This beer is great with beef dishes, sharp cheddars, chocolate desserts, or anywhere you’d pair a robust red wine. Recently named “Best Porter in the Country” in the August 2005 edition of Stuff Magazine.
Serving Temperature: 50-55° F
Int'l Bittering Units: 35.0
Alcohol by Volume: 5.75%
Suggested Glassware: Pint Glass or Stein
Malts: Special Pale, Munich, Aromatic, Special B, Chocolate, Caramel Pils, Black
Hops: UK Challenger, Willamette, Kent Goldin
Bold Dark Beers to Get You Through Those Cold Dark Nights!
For our international selections this month, we decided to line up a couple of bold, dark brews that will warm your spirits and help you pass away the long cold nights of winter. While they are both dark beers, stylistically these are completely different. We invite you to settle in with these beers and compare and contrast their differences. The first, a Euro Dark Lager from Spain, is lighter bodied than the hearty stout we found from Jamaica. But both have rum-like notes that run through them, and we think you’ll find the stout tastes surprisingly like a full-bodied red wine. Ah, the many flavors and virtues of beer. So much to learn, so much to love. We hope these help you with your winter time woes, be they felt on the (hardly) chilly beaches of southern California, or amidst the subzero snowdrifts of Northern Michigan. Cheers!
Grupo Cervezas Alhambra—Granada, Andalucía Province, Spain (Southern Spain)
The Alhambra, perched on a hill that overlooks Granada, Spain, is an expansive palace-citadel made up of royal residential quarters, court complexes, official chambers, beautiful fountains, baths and a mosque. So regarded for its beauty and splendor, the entire city has been declared a national monument. It rests at the foot of Spain’s largest massif, the Sierra Nevada (coincidence folks? We think not!) Its construction was begun in the 13th century by Ibn al-Ahmar, founder of the Nasrid dynasty that once ruled the region. With its unique style and stunning majesty, this palace of Granada’s Moorish kings is today regarded as an architectural wonder. It is believed, based on ancient inscriptions, that it was the physical realization of descriptions of Paradise in Islamic poetry.
To name a beer after this fabled lair of kings and rulers—this Paradise on the mountain—the brewers at Cervezas Alhambra must have had great passion for their malty nectars. It was back in 1925 when the brewery was founded by two acknowledged brewers, Carlos Bouvard, owner of the famous La Moravia brewery, and Antonio Knorr, member of a family with a long heritage in the brewing industry. Their collaboration laid the groundwork for this wonderful brewery to flourish. Through their 80 year history, controlling ownership of the brewery has changed hands, capacity has been increased, and equipment has been modernized. Today known as Grupo Cervezas Alhambra, the brewery is owned by Andalucía’s first independent brewery group, and they have striven to create a unique brand identity for the Alhambra line where beer lovers not only associate these beverages with great taste, but also with great times. Their philosophy revolves around the concept that there are unique occasions and moments that warrant the pairing of exceptional beers to suit those special times. Word is definitely getting out: this is some of Spain’s best beer, and we wouldn’t be surprised to see this beer on more shelves in the states as popularity grows with exposure. Spread the word folks, and enjoy!
For more information about the brewery, check out their website at www.cervezasalhambra.es.
Note the Moorish lions on the label, a reminder of the regional heritage from where this beer is produced. This dark brown, reddish-hued lager presents a creamy, nutty nose, with caramel notes and a mild roasted malt character that is just all around inviting. Expect a creamy backbone and some slightly roasty, caramel notes, with a distinct flavor of dark rum. Try to pick out the subtle notes of anise and licorice, and enjoy the clean, caramel finish with lingering rum notes. This dark lager will go down nicely with a variety of smoky, grilled meat dishes, particularly those with a Mediterranean flair.
Serving Temperature: 42-50° F
Alcohol by Volume: 5.4%
Suggested Glassware: Pint Glass, Pilsner Glass or Mug (clear or opaque)
Big City Brewing Company—Kingston, Jamaica (Southeastern Jamaica)
Most of us are familiar with “the Beer of Jamaica” known as Red Stripe. This champagne-like brew is actually quite refreshing, and for an adjunct lager, it’s quite distinctive (by adjunct lager, we mean that the beer, similar to the major lagers in the U.S., is made not only using malted barley as a sugar source for yeast to feed upon during fermentation, but also with cheaper fermentables like corn and/or rice). The flavor profile is something you’d expect would serve well as a Caribbean refresher. But interestingly, many island nations, including those in the Caribbean, have a high incidence of stouts in their range of available beers.
Now if you consider the warm—no, make that hot—tropical climate of Jamaica, you might start to wonder why the heck someone would want to reach for a thick, hearty stout to quench their thirst. How can that possibly be refreshing? Well, turns out the maltier, sweeter element found in these tropical stouts makes them more quenching than their dry stout counterparts from Europe and the U.S.. And as you will soon notice, if you haven’t already, the Lion Heart Stout we’re featuring has a sizeable 7.6% ABV. How is that refreshing? Well, perhaps it’s not the best beverage to grab when trying to re-hydrate after a hot day’s work under the sun, but stronger brews are not uncommon in this part of the world, where many islanders have traditionally been rum-drinkers. Perhaps no where else is the myth that “darker means stronger” less myth and more fact than in the Caribbean.
It certainly holds true at The Big City Brewing Company in Kingston, Jamaica. We admire they’re founding principle: to produce a beer that consists only of local produce. In 1994 they set out with this goal in mind, and by 1999 they graduated to the ‘big “city” leagues’ by purchasing their full-scale brewery and equipment. Using state of the art hardware from Germany, Italy and the USA, along with a dedicated staff, they now have three successful, authentically Jamaican brands available.
While historically, foreign breweries have had a presence on the island for over 100 years, The Big City Brewing Company currently stands proud as the only brewery in Jamaica owned and operated by Jamaicans. Now dat’s sum-tin ta be a roarin’ about!
For more information about the brewery, visit their website at www.bigcitybrewing.com.
The lion roaring on the label is one indication that this beer packs a wallop, as is this beer’s motto: “Taste the pride, feel the strength.” This king of the jungle from Kingston, Jamaica presents a unique experience to the stout fan. Unlike the dryness inherent in most classic or Irish stouts, this Caribbean version is what’s known as a foreign or tropical stout. These stouts are characterized by a sweeter malt backbone, often with less roastiness, and some dark rum notes. Note the big, sweet, malty nose with its subdued roasted character. This authentic Jamaican-style offering actually presents some very distinct vinous notes that set it apart from others in this style. Look for the similarities to a full-bodied red wine (it’s uncanny once this beer warms a bit). Finishes sweet, chocolaty and velvety smooth with a touch of rum in the back. Because of its sweetness and heritage, this beer goes very well with barbequed sweet & spicy foods, including ribs, jerk chicken or pork. Or try it with Mexican Molé or alongside some dark chocolate.
Serving Temperature: 50-58° F
Alcohol by Volume: 7.6%
Suggested Glassware: Snifter or Tulip Glass.
