Past Newsletters
Vol. 2 No. 9
| Brewery | Beers Featured |
| Hangtown Brewing Company | Placerville Stout |
| Hangtown Brewing Company | Placerville Kolsch (Summer Beer) |
| Hangtown Brewing Company | Placerville Boysenberry Ale |
| Rogue Ales | Mocha Porter |
| Rogue Ales | Honey Cream Ale |
| Rogue Ales | Rogue American Amber |
Hangtown Brewing Company
The city of Placerville, once known as Hangtown, derived its name after James Marshall discovered flecks of gold in the trail race of his sawmill located on the banks of the American River. The news spread rapidly and soon more then 1000 men were working the camp near the original site which was then known as Dry Diggins because the miners had to cart the dry soil down to the running water to work out the gold. Not all newcomers, however, were interested in doing that labor thing to get their gold and soon murders and robberies became commonplace in the small isolated camps. After once such incident in 1849, an impromptu Citizen Jury met to consider the fate of 3 accused and wasted no time in reaching a verdict of guilty. The men were promptly hung and as word spread, Dry Diggins soon became known as "Hangtown".
Hangtown's first brewery was in fact, first and foremost, not a brewery at all but instead a flavored soda water-making operation. Pressure from thirsty miners forced the proprietors to modify their product line to include several different ales. A homebrewer since 1989, founder David Coody opened the Hangtown brewery in a 500 square foot building in 1992. Tremendous popularity quickly forced the brewery to relocate in 1994 to its current location allowing a 15 barrel brewhouse and two 80 barrel fermenters. In addition to the three most recently introduced products that we are featuring in this month's shipment, Hangtown also produces Placerville Pale Ale and Placerville Tangerine Ale. The brewery is open seven days a week and tours can be made available on request.
For more information about the brewery and scheduled tours, call (916) 621-3999 or check out their web site at www.hangtownbrewery.com.
Serving Temperature: 45-50° F
Original Gravity: 14.2° Plato
Final Gravity: N/A
Int'l Bittering Units: N/A
Alcohol by Volume: 4.9%
Placerville Stout is an American Dry Stout brewed with a combination of roasted barley and two-row Pale, Chocolate Roasted and Black Patent malts. Galena hops are added up front primarily for their bittering characteristics while both Hallertauer and Tettsnang hops are used for their aromatic contributions. This stout is brewed during a 60 min. boil and uses a proprietary ale yeast strain.
Notes From the Panel:
Immediately note a big roasted nose which hints a touch of chocolate malt as well. Look for great head retention in this filtered, opaque, full bodied beer. Placerville Stout starts with a predominant roasted flavor which leads into a bitterness attributed more to the roasted grain than the mild hop character, indicative of a typical British-style Stout. It leaves you with a slight lingering chocolate finish. Overall, a very clean, well-balanced and flavorful interpretation of a British Stout.
Placerville Kolsch (Summer Beer)
Serving Temperature: 35-40° F
Original Gravity: 12.5° Plato
Final Gravity: N/A
Int'l Bittering Units: N/A
Alcohol by Volume: 4.2%
Here David uses two-row Pale and wheat malts over a 60 minute boil. Again, a proprietary house yeast strain is used. Saaz hops are used in two separate additions for both their aromatic and bittering contributions.
Notes From the Panel:
Look for a mild floral hop nose up front and great head retention in this clear, golden, light-bodied beer. Placerville's Kolsch is a refreshing summer beer that leaves little to no aftertaste after the bitter hop finish. It seems to be assertively carbonated and somewhat aggressively hopped, true to style. Overall, a very clean, crisp and well-balanced interpretation of a style not often produced by U.S. microbreweries.
Serving Temperature: 40-45° F
Original Gravity: 13.75° Plato
Final Gravity: N/A
Int'l Bittering Units: N/A
Alcohol by Volume: 6.2%
Placerville's Boysenberry Ale is brewed with a combination of two- row Pale and Crystal malts. David adds Chinook hops up front during the 60 min. boil to bitter the beer and a healthy dose of Cascade hops at the end of the boil to give this fruit ale and even fruitier nose. A proprietary ale yeast strain is used.
Notes From the Panel:
This fruit ale starts, as you might suspect, with the fruity aroma of Boysenberries which is complemented by the beer's floral hop notes. Look for a slight butterscotch scent as well in this clear, pale, medium-bodied beer. Note a clean maltiness in the body nicely balanced with a slight hop bitterness and the return of Boysenberry in the finish. Overall, a very flavorful, well-balanced American Fruit Ale.
Rogue Ales
Founded in 1988 as the Rogue Ale Public house in Newport, OR, Rogue Ales now operates both the above mentioned brewpub as well a tasting room at the House of Rogues brewery across the bay. The complex depth of the brewery's distinctively flavored ales are a result of proprietary yeast strains, years of experimentation and the use of generous quantities of both hops and malts in their beers. Renowned brewmaster John Maier was nominated 1988 Homebrewer of the year and has been well deservedly inducted into the Northwest Brewery Hall of Fame. Rogue's award winning product line has been recognized with two Gold, four Silver, and one Bronze medal at the Great American Beer Festival. In addition to the three beers we've featured this month, the brewery also produces the following beers: Dead Guy Ale, Hazelnut Brown, Mo Ale, Mogul ale, Old Crustacean Barley Wine, Rogue-n- berry, Rogue Cran-n-cherry, Rogue Golden Ale, Rogue Imperial Stout, Rogue Maierbock, Rogue Smoke Ale, Roughstock Ale, Shakespeare Stout, Santa's Private Reserve Ale, St. Rogue Red, and Wild Irish Ale. We strongly suggest you try them all!
For more information about the brewery and scheduled tours, call (541) 867-3660 or check out their web site at www.rogueales.com.
Serving Temperature: 45-50° F
Original Gravity: 13.0° Plato
Final Gravity: N/A
Int'l Bittering Units: 53.5
Alcohol by Volume: 5.5%
Winner of the a Gold Medal at the World Beer Championships in 1995, Rogue Mocha Porter is a robust porter brewed with a combination of two-row Pale, Black Patent, Crystal, Chocolate, and Munich malts. John adds primarily Perle hops up front for their bittering attributes and then Centennial hops later during the 90 min. boil for their aromatic contributions. A proprietary ale yeast strain is used in this meaty, unfiltered porter.
Notes From the Panel:
Immediately note a complex hop floral nose combined with big roasted barley notes. Look for good head retention in this ruddy- brown, cloudy, medium-bodied beer. Rogue's Mocha Porter offers a bittersweet balance of malt and hops with a light cream, dry coffee finish. Overall, a wonderfully complex, well-balanced, and unique interpretation of a porter.
Serving Temperature: 40-45° F
Original Gravity: 12.0° Plato
Final Gravity: N/A
Int'l Bittering Units: 36.0
Alcohol by Volume: 5.8%
Rogue's newest product, Honey Cream Ale is brewed for 90 min. with a combination of two-row Pale, 13-17 level Carastan, and Munich malts. Rogue also uses milled corn flakes (yes! corn flakes!), an ingredient traditionally used to brew cream ales, which has a blending, smoothing effect on the malted grains. John uses Crystal hops in two separate additions for both aroma and bitterness. A proprietary ale yeast strain is used.
Notes From the Panel:
Immediately note a slight honey essence with some yeast esters and floral hoppiness evident as well. Look for good head retention in this clear, deep pale, medium-bodied beer. Rogue's Cream Ale starts out malty with some honey flavor, has a nicely balanced, clean body which finishes in a big dry way. Overall, a flavorful, well-balanced, hoppy interpretation of a Cream Ale.
Serving Temperature: 45-50° F
Original Gravity: 13.0° Plato
Final Gravity: N/A
Int'l Bittering Units: 54.0
Alcohol by Volume: 5.2%
Winner of multiple awards, Rogue's American Amber is brewed for 90 minutes with a combination of two-row Pale and Dark Crystal malts. Here, John uses Cascade hops to bitter and Kent Golding hops in the whirlpool for their aromatic contributions. Again, a proprietary ale yeast strain is used.
Notes From the Panel:
Immediately note an intense, sweet malty nose with pleasant hop floral notes nose in the background. Look for great head retention in this clear, amber colored, medium-to-full bodied beer. We found an excellent balance of rich, sweet malt flavor and hop bitterness in this exceptionally flavorful beer. Overall, a bold, flavorful, and very well- balanced American Amber Ale.
Ask Murl
Dear Murl,
I recently started a new job where I'll be away from home quite a bit. I've changed the mailing address for my monthly shipments to a (non-beer drinking) friends house. I'm worried about it staying unrefrigerated for up to two weeks. Should I buy my friend a refrigerator for my BOM shipments or will the beer not be affected by the chill delay?
David Sims Nambla
Brea, CA
Yo Mountain Boy!
First of all, let me commend you on your wise decision to re-route the service to a non-beer lover. I've seen that kind of thing tear a friendship apart. First they blame it on the UPS driver breaking a few bottles, then shipments seem to get "lost" altogether. A quick call to our customer service department and the revelation that the "friend" signed for the beer is about the time when things get really ugly. We're doing everything we can to provide you with the freshest beers possible each month. Each beer featured is custom brewed for us and delivered straight from the bottling line. The beer only stays in our warehouse for 3-5 days before being packaged and sent to you. We also try and feature bottle conditioned, higher alcohol content or hop assertive beers in the warmer months as they tend to travel better. Bottom line? Put 'em in a fridge if you can, but if you can't, keep them in the box and out of sunlight in a cool area (perhaps a closet or basement) until you can. If you wanted to store hem for a longer period, say more than 6 weeks before drinking them, I'd push your friend to clear out 7-8 half-spent salad dressings, mustards, jams, and condiments she can't even pronounce anyway to make way for your coveted brew.
Woof!
Murl.
Food For Thought...
Rogue Ale Brewed Chili
We've had a revelation here at Microbrewed Beer of the Month Club. What can we say... it happens from time to time. Here's the deal. From this point forward, we'll be soliciting the Breweries featured themselves for food recipes that complement their beers. After all, who would know better than the brewery as to what should be paired with their products? The boys at Rogue gave us what looked to be a mean recipe for Chili that is served at their brewpub. We suggest that you make it with their American Amber Ale and eat it with the Mocha Porter.
2 lbs kidney beans
2 ½ lbs hamburger
1 onion
1 green pepper
1 TBS salt
1/3 cup sugar
> 6 cloves garlic
3 TBS chili powder
1 ½ TBS dry mustard
24 oz. American Amber
12 oz. tomato paste
Soak beans in water 12 hours and then simmer over medium heat until tender. Lightly brown beef and caramelize onion in same pan. Discard fat (or donate it to your local McDonald French fry cooker). Combine sugar, garlic, chili powder and mustard with 12 ounces of brew and simmer for 15 min. Add tomato paste to beans and combine with all of that other stuff we just had you do. Simmer for 2 hours adding remaining 12 ounces of beer during the last 10 minutes. Roll up your sleeves, fill a big bowl with the stuff and maybe schlapp a sizable dollop-o-sour cream smack dab in the middle of it all.
Norm's Corner...
As spoken by Cheers' Norm
Coach: What's up, Normie?
Norm: My nipples, it's freezing out there.
Brew Lingo
Bung Juice - British slang for beer.
Dog's Nose - A mixed drink of hot beer laced with gin and flavored with sugar.
Dregs - The sediments at the bottom of a vessel.
Sorghum - A cereal grain from various grasses (Sorghum vulgare). A tropical African variety of this grain is used to produce sorghum beer in South Africa.
Topuy - A rice beer brewed in the Philippines.
Withering - Blowing dry air into barley after germination is complete so as to decrease the ratio of humidity in the green malt.
True Brew Facts
365 BEERTIME STORIES - Eighty percent of Canadians drink alcohol according to a 1988 Gallop poll. Use of beer, liquor or wine is highest among Canadians aged 18 to 29 at 86%.
THE ULTIMATE BOOK OF BEER TRIVIA - The world's oldest surviving brewpub, named U Fleku, is located on Kremenkova Street in Prague, Czech Republic, and was founded in 1499.
365 BEERTIME STORIES - In the 1860's in Augusta Township, near Brockville, Ontario, there were so many breweries in the area that farmers often received free pails of beer on hot summer days. All they were asked to do was to spread the good word about a particular brewer's product.
For Members Only
Give Your Friends FREE Beer, Wine, Cheese, Chocolate,
Cigars & Flowers!
Through our Customer Appreciation Program
Your name has real value to your friends, co-workers, and family members! Every time a friend, family member, or anyone else you know joins any one of our clubs, [or gives a gift] for 3 months or longer, we'll give them 50% off of their first month, but only when they mention your name. And we'll also give you 50% off your next month too which can either be applied towards your current membership or you can try one of our other Clubs out! (We can add one more month to your order at 50% off for prepaid memberships!)
The Fine Print: Members giving gift memberships do not qualify for referral credits and you can't give yourself a gift to qualify! This Program is mutually exclusive of any other promotions.
Membership Q & A
Q: What can I do if I'm having difficulty receiving my shipment
at home?
A: You should consider having our discrete box delivered to
your work location or to a neighbor 21 yrs. of age that can receive
it for you. As your shipment requires and adult signature to receive,
it's always best to ship it to a location where someone will be there
to receive it for you. The box is brown corrugated cardboard and doesn't
say "Beer" on it anywhere.
Q: What should I do if I'm moving or want to extend my membership?
A: Please call us prior to the 5th of the month to make all
account related information changes such as address changes, membership
extensions & terminations, or gift accounts desiring to continue
their memberships. Address changes made after that time may require
a repackaging and re-shipping charge of $12.00. Additionally, if your
box is re-routed by UPS from an address different than what was originally
specified, you may incur a $5.00 re-routing charge.
Q: What happens if my shipment is damaged?
A: If your shipment arrives damaged, please call us immediately
toll free at 1-800-625-8238 and report the incident for a prompt resolution.
Q: What happens if my credit card is declined?
A: We will send you a courtesy notice asking you for an alternative
payment method and your order will be temporarily suspended until
we hear from you.
Q: What happens if I join under a special incentive program
and don't stay a member for the entire term committed?
A: Not a problem. Although we want to do everything we can
to keep you as a member, we will allow you to cancel your subscription
early; however, you will be responsible to pay for the item that was
given to you as part of the promotion. If you received a discount
based on a specific term, the amount discounted will be charged to
your card.
