BigLeaf = Big Flavors

Beer: BigLeaf Maple Autumn Amber

Brewer: Anchor Brewing Company

Style: American Amber/Red Ale

ABV: 6.00%

Brief background: This is the first year that Anchor has produced BigLeaf Maple Autumn Amber. The brewery has created some new and wonderful beers over the past few years, and this is no exception.

Description: Anchor’s BigLeaf pours a deep reddish amber color with a frothy white head that disappears quickly, but leaves a delicate lacing on the glass. The aroma is extremely pleasing to the nose with scents of sweet maple, caramel, a slight nuttiness, and earthy citrus hops underneath it all. Thankfully, the taste follows suit with the nose and the palate is first hit with earthy and citrus hops before being washed over with a maple and toffee sweetness that instantly makes one think of fall evenings, and finishes long and dry with a maple sweetness lingering on the taste buds. The body of this beer falls somewhere between light and medium, giving it a very session-beer quality. The carbonation is impeccable for the style: enough to cleanse the palate but still leave a lingering stickiness of the wonderful flavors. BigLeaf is another absolutely wonderful beer from Anchor Brewing Company and the perfect new addition to my fall seasonal lineup of beers.

Food pairing: Amber ales traditionally go well with a wide variety of meat dishes and BigLeaf is no exception; however, the strong maple flavors can make for even more interesting food combinations. For an interesting mixture, try starting a lazy weekend morning off with maple pecan pancakes, bacon, and a glass of BigLeaf. If you are looking to do your drinking a bit later in the day, try pairing this beer with a hearty bacon-wrapped shrimp dinner with smoky barbeque sauce for a true delight. BigLeaf also holds its own when matched up with desserts, especially those we associate with the fall season. To really end your day on a high note, try having a slice of cinnamon apple pie and a side of vanilla bean ice cream with BigLeaf and enjoy all the wonderful flavors that the autumn season has to offer in one sitting.

Is it worth trying? Of course it is! Anchor Brewing Company consistently brews fantastic beers, and BigLeaf is no exception. While I do love pumpkin and Oktoberfest beers this time of year, it seems that there is an overabundance of them with more breweries making new ones each year. It’s very refreshing to see a brewery bring a new fall seasonal beer to market that is not following suit with what has already been done many times; not to mention, BigLeaf is delicious. Be sure to add this beer to your fall seasonal arsenal and enjoy the impending fall weather!

Rating: W W W W

Where can I get it? Currently available in bottles at: Wegmans, Dickson City; Goldstein’s Deli, Kingston; and Krugel’s Georgetown Deli & Beer, Wilkes-Barre.


http://www.theweekender.com/news/WK_Food/819356/ID-TAP-THAT:-BigLeaf-=-big-flavor

California Dreaming

Brewer-Anchor Brewing Company

Beer- Anchor California Lager

Style- American Pale Lager

ABV- 4.80%

Description- Anchor California Lager pours a golden straw yellow with a great clarity that allows the carbonation to be seen clearly through the glass (see picture) with a foamy white head that soon reduces to a thin layer.  The aroma is just what you would expect from a good lager, crisp and clean with a slight hop bite back with hints of maltiness.  The taste is crisp and refreshing.  The clean 2-row malt is the first taste you will experience backed with a bit of hop bitterness and finishes just how it starts, crisp, clean, and refreshing, just what you would want from a lager.  This is a very full bodied lager that is smooth and perfectly carbonated.  While many large breweries are pumping out bland lagers that have diminished the popularity of the style, Anchor California Lager is a breath of fresh air and a perfect beer to give to any friends who are unconverted to the craft beer world.

Food pairing – California Lager is the perfect beer to combines with your favorite American dishes.  This is a beer that craves BBQ, or specifically meat dishes.  Try this with a nice burger and top it off with whatever you would like, this beer has enough heft behind it to be a workhouse with anything you can throw at it.  Also this is a perfect match with your favorite pizza; again don’t be afraid of pile on the toppings!  While many beers do not hold well with salads as they can easily overpower and make for an unpleasant combination, California Lager is delicate enough to have with your favorite salad and not overpower the dish.  This is a beer that you can find endless pairings with so be sure to try some of your own you just may be surprised at how perfectly this beer makes for a great pairing!

Is it worth trying? – Yes!  This is a perfect beer to have around the house at all times.  It is a great beer for craft beer fanatics and also great for those friend who enjoy a more bland style of beer.  It is hard to believe that Anchor only started brewing this fantastic beer earlier this year!  I guess perfection does take time!  So, as with anything else produced by Anchor Brewing Company, grab yourself a 6 pack as you will certainly want to have more than one!

Rating-

Where can I get it? -  Any place that sells fine craft beer should have this in stock.

 

Liberty for all!

Brewer-Anchor Brewing Company

Beer- Anchor Liberty Ale

Style- American IPA

ABV- 6.00%

Description- Anchor’s Liberty Ale pours a hazy honey color with fluffy white head that quickly disappears to a thin lace that still manages to leave a fine lacing on the glass.  The aroma is dominated by the citrus smell from the cascade hops that dominates this beer, but underneath the hoppy goodness are aromas of sweet honey, orange, and slight malt as well.  The taste is just wonderful.  A perfect balance of bready malts and grapefruit hits the palate up front followed by a bit of spice and pine before the beer wraps up for a long and dry finish.  The mouthfeel falls into the medium body range with a moderate amount of carbonation that gives enough punch to the body and cleanses the palate, but still manages to leave that sticky hop resin on the taste buds for that wonderful drying finish.  A truly wonderful beer that brings past and present together in one glass, but be sure to get more than one bottle of this one or you will surely regret not having enough on hand!

Food pairing – Fritz Maytag openly admitted that Liberty Ale was inspired by a wonderful bitter from the English brewery Timothy Taylor, the beer in question was Timothy Taylor’s Landlord.  Landlord is perfect with a wide variety of English dishes and Liberty Ale is follows suite.  Try pairing Liberty Ale with a dish of fish and chips with a bit of malt vinegar, the sweetness in the beer along with the citrus from the hops, brings out the oils within the fish and the perfect carbonation cleanses the palate in between bites.  This beer also loves spicy American dishes whether it is spicy Buffalo wings or a jalapeno topped burger Liberty Ale should be your go to beer.  Also, try Liberty Ale with all of your favorite Thai dishes!

Is it worth trying? – Abso-friggin-lutely!  This was one of the first truly hoppy beers that has led to the wonderful IPA’s that we enjoy today.  When compared to today’s hop-bombs it may not stand up for hopheads, but it is a taste of history and still holds up as a wonderful beer.  The other wonderful quality that this beer possesses is that it is widely available throughout the country, something not to be overlooked as many sought after beers are tough to track down.  So grab yourself a bottle and enjoy history in a glass and toast to Anchor Brewing for clearing the path for the fantastic IPA’s that we enjoy today.

Rating-

Where can I get it? -  Any place that sells fine craft beer should have this in stock.

A Hoppy Harvest

 

Though the impending autumn season may bring about thoughts of pumpkin and Oktoberfest beers being enjoyed on chilly evenings, you may be overlooking some other fantastic beers that come to market during this time – namely, fresh hop beers that celebrate the bountiful harvest.

While Samhain may be one of the oldest festivals celebrating the harvest season, fresh-hopped beers may be one the newer and, some may say, tastier ways to celebrate a generous harvest. Many breweries have begun creating fresh hop or “wet hopped” beers, taking advantage of the explosion in the popularity of hoppy beers. This is a rather new phenomenon that began hitting the market around 10 years ago and has steadily grown in popularity every year since.

Before we can discuss what wet hopped beers are, a quick detour into differences within hops are in order. Hops come to brewers in two forms: whole cone or pellets. Many breweries use pellet hops as the shelf life in this form is much longer and thus more cost efficient. However, in brewing a wet hop beer, whole cone hops are needed for both its freshness and higher oil content.

Wet hopped beers are a true showcase of the nuances within hops. This is because in the fresh whole cone state the hops contain a higher amount of oils that emit more aroma and bitterness within the beer. How bitter and how potent of an aroma varies depending on which hops have been chosen for the beer.

Another important note with hops is the two categories hops mainly are divided into: aroma and bittering. Aroma hops add hop bitterness to the beer but, even more so, give hoppy beers a wonderful smell. Bittering hops add just what you would think, bitterness.

So what are wet hopped beers and why are they so popular this time of the year? Wet hopped beers are those beers which use fresh whole cone hops. The main difference between whole cone hops and pellet hops is that pellet hops are pelletized and kilned, whereas whole cone hops are picked fresh from the vine and have more moisture – hence “wet” hopped.

The reason they are so popular this time of year is that hops are grown. The peak of the hop harvesting season in the Northern hemisphere ranges from August through September; this is the time popular American hops such as cascade, simcoe, and citra are at their best and tastiest.

This style began to take off in popularity thanks to our friends at Sierra Nevada. In 1996 Sierra Nevada decided to buck the current trends at the time and add fresh hops to its beer with the release of Harvest Ale, now called Northern Hemisphere Harvest Ale. The beer was an overwhelming success and has become a seasonal staple for the brewery.

Many other beer makers have caught on to this trend and have released great harvest ales, such as Founder’s Harvest Ale and Rogue Wet Hop Ale. Our own local heroes at Breaker Brewing Company are currently brewing up a wet hop version of their popular IPA, I Love PA, with locally grown fresh hops that will be unleashed upon the public soon.

Wet hop beers are just starting to hit the market now with many more to come as we plow through harvest season. Grab some bottles of your favorite pumpkin and Oktoberfest beers, but also be sure to enjoy these unbelievably fresh hoppy beers, or you will have to sit with regret until the next harvest season.

http://www.theweekender.com/news/WK_Food/800916/A-hoppy-harvest

What is a Doppelbock?

 

Style: Doppelbock

Brief history: This style was created in 1629 as “Salvator” by the monastic Paulaner brewery in Munich, Germany. The Salvator name began to be used more generally until the early 20th century when the now secular Paulaner brewery took steps to protect the name. However, the “-ator” suffix still carries on today and many breweries still slap it on the end of their doppelbock names for beers. The term “doppelbock” was coined by Munich consumers, “doppel” meaning double. The beer is still relatively big, but it was once much heavier. Over the past 150 years, the beer has become drier, less sweet, and more alcoholic.

Standard characteristics: Typically doppelbocks are darker in color, ranging from deep gold to dark brown, and darker versions also tend to have ruby highlights. They also tend to have a large, creamy, persistent head ranging from white to off-white in color. However, stronger versions may have less head retention. These are beers that possess a very strong maltiness and do not tend to have a very strong bitterness.

Nose: The aroma will have a very strong malt character, with darker versions also having slight toasty aromas as well. There is virtually no hop aroma, although some paler version may have slight earthy hops coming through. A moderate amount of dark fruits may be present as well, but not overpowering. Darker versions may also have slight hints of dark chocolate or roasted barley as well.

Body: Doppelbocks tend to lean more towards the full-bodied side of the spectrum, with lighter versions in the medium-full range accepted as well. Additionally, there is a moderate amount of carbonation within the beer. The overall impression is a very smooth beer without harshness or alcohol burn.

Taste: The taste is very rich and malty, as one might expect. They have a very clean lager flavor; after all, this beer is the lager’s bigger cousin. Darker versions may possess some roast characteristics. Typically, doppelbocks have a biscuit and fresh bread-like quality to them due to the high malt character.

Food pairing: Just as one may expect with a very rich beer, this pairs very well with very rich foods. These beers are an absolute dream with duck, goose, pork, or pigeon. They also go well with many Mexican dishes, especially those with a heavy cream sauce. The sweetness of doppelbocks also makes them great for dessert pairings such as chocolate and/or carrot cake, custard, and homemade éclairs.

Recommendations: This is an extremely approachable beer style, as many beers drinkers are used to maltier beers, and the hop profile is very low in doppelbocks. The other great thing about these beers is that many are easy to find in bars and stores throughout the country, whether they are imported or brewed domestically. Here is a brief list of great doppelbock beers to try:

Ayinger: Celebrator

Spaten: Optimator

Samuel Adams: Double Bock

Smuttynose: S’muttonator

Tröegs Brewing Company: Troegenator

Brooklyn Brewery: Brooklyn Silver Anniversary Lager

Paulaner: Salvator

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A Silver Fox

 

Brewer: Brooklyn Brewing Company

Beer: Brooklyn Silver Anniversary Lager

Style: Doppelbock

ABV: 8.6%

What’s so special about this? This anniversary lager has been brewed to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Brooklyn Brewing Company. It is a heftier version of the Brooklyn lager, the beer that put the brewery on the map, and is still a damn good beer today!

Description: Brooklyn’s Silver Anniversary Lager pours a hazy amber-russet brown body with a huge off-white foam that dissipates rather quickly, but leaves a thick, heavy lacing on the glass. The aroma is very pleasing with notes of biscuit, caramel, dark fruits, earthy/floral hops, and just a hint of spice coming through. This is an extremely rich tasting beer with the earthy hops coming up front, but it is quickly covered by thick and rich caramel and biscuit malts that leave a thick coating on the palate that holds the bitterness in place for a long, dry finish. The body of this beer certainly falls into the full category while still at the same time managing a nice, crisp finish. This is a surprisingly complex beer that gets better with each sip, but be warned, the alcohol is also very well hidden, so pace yourself on this one. This is definitely a great beer to celebrate any anniversary, so congrats, Brooklyn, and here’s to another 25!

Food pairing: This beer has such a luxurious flavor that can completely encompass a dish and melt right in for a truly pleasure-filled evening meal. An absolutely wonderful dish with this beer is venison; the caramel flavor from the beer truly sinks its teeth in and does not let go. For a real treat, make yourself a sour cherry reduction for a sauce to drizzle onto the meat. One thing that we are looking for as a match to this beer is something with dark meat to compliment the caramel notes, so a dish such as duck, goose, or even wild boar, if you can find it, are perfect matches for this beer. However, we are not limited to meats with this beer, and seeing as we are on the cusp of the fall season, try this with a lovely pumpkin ravioli dish. Also, do not think that this beer cannot pair up perfectly with desserts; the sweetness of this doppelbock makes it a great pairing with custards, particularly caramel flan or crème brûlée.

Is it worth trying? Without question try this beer. I must confess that this is typically not a beer style that I go for; I tend to shy away from overly malty beers, but this doppelbock is just amazing. The complexity of this beer makes it a true workhorse, whether enjoying it alone or with a meal. As we are now transitioning away from our summer beers as the shelves quickly fill up with fall beers, if you are like me and do not want to overdo it too early with pumpkin beers but are ready to move on from light summer beers, then do yourself a favor and hunt down a bottle of Brooklyn’s Silver Anniversary Lager. It will not disappoint you and is the perfect accompaniment to a relaxing evening.

Rating: W W W W V

Where can I get it? Currently available in bottles at: Wegmans, Dickson City and Wilkes-Barre, but definitely call around and try to hunt this one down!

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A Tasty Tumbler

 

Beer: Tumbler Autumn Brown Ale

Brewer: Sierra Nevada Brewing Company

Style: American Brown Ale

ABV: 5.50%

Description: Sierra Nevada’s Tumbler pours a clear dark brown with a creamy and frothy off-white head that lingers long, with huge lacing on the glass. The aroma alone is perfect for a lovely autumn evening, with notes of brown sugar, molasses, biscuit, slight nuttiness, and toasted malt. Thankfully, the taste matches the nose and even brings more to the party. The sweetness of the brown sugar hits the palate first, but is quickly washed over with notes of chocolate and toasted malt with subtle hints of molasses and earthy hops, making an appearance before the brown sugar cuts through again, leaving a lingering sweetness on the palate. The body of this beer is soft and creamy with a very light amount of carbonation; just the kind of beer you want to sip on during a cool evening. I am a huge fan of brown ales in general, and this is an extremely tasty and easy drinking beer, perfect for the upcoming autumn evenings.

Food pairing: Tumbler is a great beer to have with a hefty dinner, especially those dishes that include a fair amount of meats. A delectable baked ham and mashed potato dinner make a great pairing with Tumbler. Another great match-up is with roasted pork, as the smoothness and sweetness of the beer intermingles perfectly with the fatty pork. A truly impressive coupling with this beer is grilled salmon topped with smoked Gouda cheese. The complexities of this dish, along with the smokiness of the cheese, pair perfectly with this beer and really highlight the toasted malts and subtle hop flavors within the beer. This is also a great beer to have with desserts, but keep it light as too hefty of a dessert can overpower the beer. Desserts such as brownies, chocolate chip cookies, and light cream puffs are all perfect pairings with Tumbler.

Is it worth trying? As with everything brewed by the world-class brewery Sierra Nevada, yes! Brown ales are wonderful any time of the year, but this truly is a fantastic way to kickstart the fall season. Tumbler offers the perfect bridge between light summer beers and heavier winter warmers and stouts that come when the snow starts to fall which, unfortunately, is right around the corner. While pumpkin and Oktoberfest beers may get all the glory this time of year, there are many other fabulous fall seasonal releases, and this is certainly in the top of the crop. Grab yourself a bottle while you can and enjoy this delightful seasonal beer around a nice warm campfire.

Rating: W W W W

Where can I get it? Currently available in bottles at Wegmans, Dickson City; Goldstein’s Deli, Kingston; Krugel’s Georgetown Deli & Beer, Wilkes-Barre; and J&H Beer, Plains Township.


http://www.theweekender.com/news/WK_Food/800923/ID-TAP-THAT:-A-tasty-tumbler