Past Newsletters
December 2006
Brewery
|
Beers Featured
|
| Boulder Brewing Company | Never Summer Ale |
| Green Flash Brewing Company | Extra Pale Ale |
| Boulder Brewing Company | Planet Porter |
| Green Flash Brewing Company | Nut Brown Ale |
| Ridgeway Brewing Company (England) | Bad Elf |
| Ridgeway Brewing Company (England) | Santa's Butt |
Boulder Beer Company
Now in their 3rd decade of operation, in 1979 the Boulder Brewing Company was established, giving Colorado its very first microbrewery. A true rarity among US microbreweries, they're currently celebrating their 27th anniversary. Founded by two college professors, David Hummer and Stick Ware, their principle goal was to produce beers in the traditional style of the robust European ales. And these folks weren't afraid to move a few goats around in order to achieve their dream, neither! (The original brewery site was a small goat shed on a farm northeast of Boulder). Five years later they moved their one-barrel brewing system to their current facility in Boulder, where they now have the capacity to produce 43,000 barrels of award-winning brew every year! And since 2004—their 25th anniversary—they've been hosting their "Goatshed Revival" which celebrates the first party held at their original brewing location back in 1979.
In 1990, the publicly traded Boulder Brewing Company went private when purchased by Gina Day and Diane Greenlee, who renamed it the Boulder Beer Company (there's just something cool about the use of the term "Beer Company", don't you agree?) These two local women, along with their newly hired Brewmaster, David Zuckerman, decided to upgrade the entire brewery. Among other things, this included expanding their small tasting room into a full service restaurant and pub. Since 1992 this microbrewery has received more than 40 awards and citations for excellence in brewing, packaging and business. In 1993, the brewery acknowledged the regional influence of its brands by officially changing the company name to Rockies Brewing Company, but in spring in 2005 they returned to their roots by officially changing their name back to Boulder Beer Company.
For more information about the brewery and scheduled tours, call (303) 444-8448 or check out their web site at www.boulderbeer.com.
As the name implies, some folks look forward to winter, particularly those in skiing havens like Colorado. The tag line associated with this beer is "For the drinking town with a skiing problem." It's an aggressively hopped strong winter warmer that is perfect for cold weather. On the nose, look for notes of pine, grapefruit, toffee and a subtle note that approaches pomegranate. Rich notes of malty, nutty grains and hints of chocolate make up the flavor profile, with slight hoppy spiciness that carries through to the moderately bitter, citrus-edged hop finish. Try with pasta, smothered in melted Asiago.
Serving Temperature: 40-48° F
Int'l Bittering Units: 45.0
Alcohol by Volume: 5.9%
Suggested Glassware: Pint Glass
Malts:British Dark Caramel, U.S. 2-Row Malted Barley
Hops: Nugget, Willamette, Cascade
Planet Porter is one of the oldest American porters. In 1992 it took home the Gold Medal from the Great American Beer Festival as well as the Silver at the World Beer Championships in 1997. Expect roasted malts, chocolate, and hints of espresso on the robust nose. Also note the hop aromas that gently mingle with the roasted malt aromas and subtle plum-like notes, which expand with warmth. Note flavors of dark chocolate, toasted malt and biscuit, especially in the aftertaste. It is mildly bitter in finish, but this is very smoothly executed. In fact, the hop bitterness provides a nice interplay with the coffee and chocolate notes, giving the tang of espresso. Enjoy!
Serving Temperature: 45-55° F
Int'l Bittering Units: 27.0
Alcohol by Volume: 5.5%
Suggested Glassware: Pint Glass, Mug, Stein
Malts:U.S. Medium Caramel, U.S. Dark Caramel, U.S. Black Malt, U.S. 2-Row Malted Barley
Hops: Cascade, Chinook, Hallertau
Green Flash Brewing Company
The Green Flash Brewing Company was founded in 2002 in Vista, CA about 30 miles north of downtown San Diego. Founder and President Mike Hinkley had owned a popular beer bar for years and while providing better beer to the community was indeed a noble public service, he longed to start his own brewery. After taking some start up capital from the sale of his beer bar business, partnering with some other investors, brewing multiple test beer batches, and working countless hours to pull the whole endeavor together, the Green Flash Brewing Company was born.
This is a very 'micro' brewery, with just five employees, yet they have enjoyed impressive success in their relatively brief history—they're currently distributed in 10 states, and they brew an impressive line up of at least twelve different beers. Brewmaster Chuck Silva is a gifted brewer with a difficult task—to brew a line up that is spread equally between traditional, full-flavored, session-style beers with modest ABVs, and big-bodied, massively hopped, borderline extreme beers. He's managed to pull this off, catering all at once to those who prefer traditional, easy-drinking microbrews and those who gravitate toward the big, assertive brews currently blossoming throughout the country. This month we've opted to run with a couple of their session style beers—but we encourage you to seek out all of their beers! They're available in various states, from CA to NJ. You can always reorder the brews we've featured here from us, or contact the brewery to find out where you can get access to some of their other tasty beers.
So what's a green flash? It's a rarely witnessed phenomenon. But basically, it's a moment that occurs when the sun is low on the horizon and a part of the sun, typically the top, suddenly changes color, resembling the flicker of a green-flamed candle. It lasts only a fraction to a couple of seconds. But if you catch one, it's something you're not likely to forget—just like the Green Flash B.C.'s beers. As they say, "taste it once, remember it forever."
To catch a glimpse of the mysterious green flash, visit these URLs:
For more information about the brewery and scheduled tours, call (760) 597-9012 or check out their web site at www.greenflashbrew.com.
It's not easy to find a well hopped, light-bodied ale. But this here is one of 'em. An extra pale gem, this beer has a floral hop nose, with some citrus notes and a hint of peppery spice. The hoppy character is somehow subdued in the flavor, permitting the premium pale malted barley malts to pique with notes of caramel and fruit. The finish showcases a hops resurgence as a prominent bitterness balances the sweetish malt tones with a floral, bitterly crisp Chinook hop finish. Tasty and good with just about any meal, this beer took home the 2005 Bronze medal from the Great American Beer Festival and the 2006 Silver medal from the World Beer Cup. Enjoy!
Serving Temperature: 42-48° F
Int'l Bittering Units: 19.0
Alcohol by Volume: 4.9%
Suggested Glassware: Pint Glass
Malts: 2-Row, C15, Carapils
Hops: Chinook, Cascade
This Great American Beer Festival 2006 Silver Medal winner is modeled after the renowned brown ales of England. A session beer with substance, this brew satisfies pint after pint. British and Belgian specialty malts enhance the depth of malt flavor and aroma. Look for notes of coffee, maple syrup, and chicory on the nose, with slightly citrusy hop notes that also present hints of pepper. Expect rich malt flavors, with a slightly toasted note mingling among coffee and chocolate flavors. The beer finishes true to style with a drying nutty character. Great with a medium-bodied, well-aged maduro cigar.
Serving Temperature: 43-52° F
Int'l Bittering Units: 21.0
Alcohol by Volume: 4.5%
Suggested Glassware: Pint Glass
Malts: 2-Row, Carastan, Biscuit, Special B, Chocolate
Hops: Willamette
Ridgeway Brewing Company—South Stoke, Oxfordshire, England (South Central England)
You'll find our featured brewery about 30 miles west of downtown London. The Ridgeway Brewing Company stands as a proud Phoenix that has risen from the ashes of the revered Brakspear Brewery. Sometimes there's just no sense to life… such is the sentiment many craft beer drinkers—UK citizens and others—felt when they heard that this venerable establishment, where the most famous and perhaps best Bitter in England had been made for centuries, was being sold off to make room for an upscale hotel. The year was 2002, and for an establishment that had been in operation since 1779, the situation was a real heartbreaker. Thankfully, the master brewer at Brakspear was determined not to let his craft come to an end. Peter Scholey set out on his own, setting up shop as the Ridgeway Brewing Company, not far from the site of the original brewery.
The Ridgeway Brewery is named for the ancient road—passable now only on foot—that meanders through the southwest of England. The now patchy stone surface of the Ridgeway was laid by Britain's oldest inhabitants, the Druids, thousands of years before the Romans set down their own routes through the region. It is the oldest road in the British Isles and Europe. It runs for nearly 100 miles, passing Stonehenge as well as Peter Scholey's relatively modern home. It would seem the name represents Scholey's intent to keep British history alive and well as he connects old-world brewing with modern brewmaster's innovation.
Bad Elf is the first in a series of elfin-themed brews from the Ridgeway Brewing Company. It is a pale, festive golden ale created in the English IPA style, with a particularly heavy dosing of hops. In fact, for every barrel brewed, there are nearly three pounds of hops used! All of the beers in the elf series are biggish brews. In addition to Bad Elf, there's Very Bad Elf (a strong, or, 'double' pale ale), Seriously Bad Elf (an English Strong Ale) and Criminally Bad Elf (a Barleywine). The labels all feature elves that stray from the cute, Santa's-little-helper-style image and look more like goblins whose depicted actions range from bawdy to darned near sinister. Of note is the fact that the label for Very Bad Elf caused quite an uproar in early fall of last year. In fact, it triggered a constitutional battle royale when state officials in Connecticut determined that the label violated laws that prohibit marketing of alcohol to children. The issue? The label features a mean-looking elf (same fellow shown on the Bad Elf label) firing Christmas ornaments via slingshot at an airborne Santa Claus as he flies his reindeer-driven sleigh off in the distance. The depiction of Santa Claus (who is barely discernable on the label—as shown here:) is what CT officials felt would entice children to buy the beer. We don't know about your local liquor store, but the ones we frequent tend to be pretty good about not selling to kids of the age to still eagerly await Santa's arrival on Christmas Eve.
It was serious enough for the ACLU to step in. As attorney Annette Lamoreaux stated: "not only does it violate Shelton's free speech rights", she said, "but protecting Santa Claus is a violation of the Constitution's establishment clause, which prohibits government endorsement or disapproval of religion."
OK, maybe that's going a little bit far, linking Santa to religion? After all, doesn't South Park tell us that Santa Claus and Jesus Christ are mortal enemies? Forgive the digression… Anyway, in November of 2005, the state Department of Consumer Protection dropped their case against the child-luring evil in this beer's label, stating that "although state regulations bar alcohol advertising with images that might entice children, including images associated with Santa Claus, the regulations do not apply to beer labels. Game on Connecticut. Game on…
So what is Bad Elf all about? It's a deep-straw hued, slightly hazy brew that presents an ample, cottony head. On the nose, expect lemon-like notes and zesty hoppiness. This is a distinctively English IPA—notice the differences between this any domestic IPAs you've tried; the hoppy characteristics are less citrusy and present more of an herbal earthiness. But this brew has its own distinct flavor profile, including an unexpected champagne-like aroma and flavor. It begins on the palate with a traditional English hop quality, showcasing lemony & zesty floral hops, with malts quickly coming into play as they present breaddy, grainy notes. Look for a floral finish with champagne-like notes and a firm, albeit late breaking dryness. Great with oysters, heavily spritzed with lemon, or sweet saffron rice spiced with curry chicken or beef.
Serving Temperature: 45-50° F
Alcohol by Volume: 6.0%
Suggested Glassware: English Pint Glass
Why this beer's label didn't upset Connecticut officials, we have no idea. The image of Santa Claus on this beer's label is just slightly more conspicuous than the Very Bad Elf label, a point that distributor Dan Shelton of Shelton Brothers Distributing was quick to point out during the ordeal; "We even had a beer called Santa's Butt last year. They didn't notice Santa's Butt, but they notice this one. How can you miss that big red thing?" Priceless…
Clearly, the unusual name is caricaturized on the label, but the term "butt" doesn't really mean what you might think it does. But hey, it's tough to avoid the temptation of using the name to its fullest double entendre potential. Consider for example this statement that originally led our panel's review notes: "our panel really loved the taste and feel of Santa's Butt." But what does the name really mean? Let's get down to the core of Santa's Butt… OK, OK, sorry! As you can see, the possibilities are endless… "Butt", though today a bit archaic, originally referred to an especially large barrel that held exactly 108 imperial gallons. Diehard fans of porter (or your average beer geek) will recognize the term from porter's original name: entire butt. The term 'entire' referred to the fact that porter, which originally came in three different 'threads' or varieties, was eventually blended in 'butts' at the local pub (come on, we're trying to be serious here!) and this blend, which had the characteristics of the 'entire' range of porter threads was the incarnation of porter that made it profoundly popular with London's local "porters".
Santa's Butt has a rich, ripe nose (do we have to ask again? Be serious!) featuring notes of figs and plum, hints of licorice, and a touch of smoked peat. Expect rich, syrupy malts to flood the palate, with hints of milk chocolate, plum, figs, coffee, anise, and smoky, roasted malts. The finish is mildly bitter, with characteristically English porter notes that distinguish themselves from the chalky, resolutely dry bitterness present in many domestic interpretations of the style. Great with fig pudding, or chocolate covered raisins, pretzels or nuts. Ahhh, nuts and Santa's Butt, what could be better? People, please! Get your minds out of the gutter!! Fact is, Santa's Butt smells and tastes great… Oh geez… we've done it again… Happy holidays everyone!
Serving Temperature: 50-55° F
Alcohol by Volume: 6.0%
Suggested Glassware: English Pint Glass, Mug or Stein
