Beer and Wood: A Love Story

While the process of aging wine and spirits in wooden barrels is not new, the idea of beer aging in barrels is something new to most casual beer drinkers. However, this is certainly not true, as for a great number of years beers were traditionally brewed and packaged into wooden vessels – mainly because that was all that was available. As the industrial revolution took place, this began to change for obvious reasons.

As large, mass-produced beer companies began to dominate the beer industry, there was a great decline in the use of wooden vessels. Through the current craft beer revolution we have seen a huge upswing in many traditional brewing methods, along with the inclusion of a wide variety of barrel/wood-aging projects that are being used to impart any number of flavors into the beer, with different varieties of wood imparting different tastes.

Many of these beers have developed a huge cult following over time, such as Founders Brewing Co.’s KBS (Kentucky Bourbon Stout) and Goose Island’s Bourbon County line, which includes both stouts and barley wines. The release of these beers is eagerly awaited each year by a demanding public.

There is certainly no shortage of barrel or wood-aged beers available today, even right here in Northeast Pennsylvania. Our local heroes at Breaker Brewing Company have made the fantastic Abandoned Mine Barley Wine, and Nimble Hill Brewing has also gotten into barrel aging by using some wine barrels from the winery, such as Turbo Diesel, a Russian Imperial Stout aged in port wine barrels.

If you are a fan of the bourbon barrel-aged beers, here is a short list of some to try: Anderson Valley, Wild Turkey Bourbon Barrel Stout; New Holland Brewing- Dragon’s Milk; Thirsty Dog- Siberian Night; Boulevard Brewing- Bourbon Barrel Quad (BBQ); Allagash Brewing Company- Curieux (Bourbon Barrel-Aged Tripel); AleSmith- Speedway Stout (Bourbon Barrel Aged); The Lost Abbey- The Angel’s Share; and Firestone Walker- Velvet Merkin.

A wide variety of barrel-aged beers have typically been heavier beers, Belgian darks, barleywines, or stouts, with exceptions due to the strong flavors from the barrels. However, many breweries have begun experimenting with barrel or wood-aging IPAs, most notably with Founder’s release of Doom last year, which is a Double IPA aged in bourbon barrels; this beer made many top 10 lists for best new beer of 2013. Other breweries have been experimenting with this as well, such as Terrapin Brewing’s Oaked Big Hoppy Monster and Southern Tier Brewing Co.’s Oaked Unearthly.

The greatest quality that these beers possess is the experimentation that has gone into the creation of the beers. Brewers truly need to understand the qualities they are looking to add to the beer from the exposure to the wood, which has helped them branch out into some new areas in the brewing field. Dogfish Head is no stranger to experimentation, but the brewery’s Palo Santo Marron beer takes the brewery to a new level by aging a fantastic American Brown Ale on Palo Santo wood, as the beer takes on new spicy notes and tips the scales at 12 percent ABV.

Sam Adams has also entered into the barrel-aging arena with its new barrel room projects. It has released New World Tripel, Tetravis, Thirteenth Hour Stout, and Stony Brook Red, all with unique and wonderful flavor varieties and fairly wide availability.

Even the beloved brewery Deschutes has been incorporating barrel-aged beer into its lineup, most recently with Not the Stoic, a Belgian-styled Quad aged in both rye whisky and Pinot Noir barrels for nearly a year.

While the science and brewing knowledge behind the creation of these beers can be a bit overwhelming to casual drinkers, the results are what we truly need to know and understand. Thankfully this can be summarized easily: just remember, wood is good!

Time to Get Durty!

 

 

 

Brewer- Smuttynose Brewing Company

Beer- Durty

Style- American Brown Ale

ABV- 8.40%

Description- Durty pours a dark brown with ruby highlights with frothy brown beige head that lingers long and leaves a heavy lacing on the glass.  The aroma is surprisingly hop forward with earthy and citrus notes balanced against a background of chocolate and coffee, absolutely wonderful!  The taste is also hop forward and delicious hop notes of earthy pine, grapefruit, lemon, and floral attack the palate first.  Next, the taste buds are washed over by chocolate and coffee which are then finished with a hit of caramel and a lingering dry roasted malt taste on the palate.  The overall mouthfeel is wonderful with the perfect amount of carbonation that allows the full effect of the beer to hit the palate.  This is a very enjoyable brown ale and I love the intense hop profile which gives the beer a great depth without overpowering and creating an overly bitter brown ale.  Another absolutely stunning beer from Smuttynose!

Food pairing – The toasty malts and strong hop attack make this beer perfect to pair with your next BBQ.  The perfect meat pairing with this beer is in the red meat category; think a nice caramelized steak from the grill.  The other, maybe better, great pairing for this beer is with a huge assortment of desserts.  The coffee and chocolate notes make this beer great to enjoy by itself for dessert, but make it even better with a lovely piece of German chocolate cake.  If you are looking for something to add a bit more texture to your pairing then look for a delicious crème brûlée, the creaminess of the dessert adds another dimension to the beer and the caramelized topping melds into the beer and really highlights the malt character, my mouth is drooling just thinking about it! 

 

The Final Word- Durty was initially released in Smuttynose Short Batches, which meant very limited availability, but the few that did try this beer demanded that it receive wider availability and distribution and Smuttynose listened!  Smuttynose is a brewery that has truly perfected the brown ale with Old Brown Dog Ale, for a real treat try Really Old Brown Dog Ale!  Darker IPA's can be off putting to some casual drinkers, but when it is done right it is absolutely wonderful.  If you are a fan American Brown Ales than this is an absolute MUST try beer!

Rating-

Where can I get it? -  Currently available in 12 oz bottles at:  Backyard Ale House- Scranton, PA; Krugel's Georgetown Deli- Wilkes Barre, PA; Porter's Pub- Easton, PA; and Newberrys Yard of Ale- Stroudsburg, PA

The Definition of World Class

Brewer- Firestone Walker Brewing Co.

Beer- §ucaba

Style- English Barleywine

ABV- 12.50%

Description – §ucaba pours a dark brownish burgundy color with creamy tan head with very little lacing left behind, but standard for a beer with high ABV such as this one.  The aroma is simply magnificent with vanilla coming through on top and underneath notes of coconut, chocolate, caramel, brown sugar, cherries, and figs all swimming together, it smells as good as it sounds!  The taste backs up the nose and brings even more flavors forwards.  The notes from the bourbon barrels come through up front, lots of vanilla, coconut, and hints of Bourbon as well, back with dark chocolate, raisins, and lots of dark fruit flavors.  The 12.5% ABV is fairly well hidden with very little alcohol heat, but the presence of the bourbon notes does give way to the higher ABV.  The low carbonation and full body are just what is expected from a beer such as this and provides an extremely smooth beer that is meant for sipping.  A perfect beer to enjoy for hours on end!

Food pairing – This powerhouse beer can make its home with very rich and fatty dishes as well as thick and creamy desserts.  Try pairing with roasted duck, the sweetness of the malt will highlight the delicious caramelization in the meat and provide enough heft to melt into the fattiness of the duck.  Also try pairing with lamb or wild boar for a similar mouthwatering experience.  However, if you have more of a sweet tooth than try pairing this with a lovely crème brûlée, the rich caramelized characteristics and rich cream are perfect for this beer as the dish will highlight a variety of flavors in the beer and the beer will highlight many flavors in the dish making for a truly fantastic pairing!  If you are looking for a simpler pairing try going with some vanilla bean ice cream, the richness of the cream will create an even smoother mouthfeel for the beer and the vanilla flavors only enhance one another!

The Final Word – The reputation of Firestone Walker exceeds anything that can be put into simple words and for those who have tried there beers they know this to be true as well.  However, even with a statement as bold as that, §ucaba exceeds any possible expectations and truly is a world class beer.  The subtle nuances and deep rich aromas and flavors create a beer that is meant to be enjoyed until the last drop, which sadly does come sooner than one would want!  §ucaba is a beer that is brewed by beer lovers for beer lovers and is certainly a talking point for many.  Also, this is the 2014 §ucaba being discussing, do not forget that this is a beer that can age very well.  If you have the ability to get this beer simply put, buy it, you will not regret it!

Rating –

Where can I get it? –   §ucaba is a somewhat limited release, however it is possible to find nationwide, try searching here to find a bottle, or 2, near you!

The Revolution will be Canned!

As you peruse the beer selections at your favorite craft beer store or bar, you may notice a growing trend among the way they’re packaged. There are still large amounts of bottled beers, but many craft brewers are beginning to sell beers in cans.

While cans have been the mainstay for many mass-marketed beers for quite some time, craft brewers are taking back this drinking vessel and making it their own. They are not simply doing this as a statement against mass-marketed beer, but have instead realized just how great a can is for beer.

Yes, cans do make beer much more versatile and portable without the worry or fear of broken glass or constant searching for a bottle opener. However, the one true standout benefit of the can is the protection from UV lighting that it provides for the beer inside.

While brown bottles are still great for beer, they do allow some small amount of light to penetrate through. Over time, this can damage the beer; we see this spoilage occur even faster when beer is packaged in green or clear bottles. However, cans allow no light to penetrate through, and this is what many brewers see as great potential.

21st Amendment Brewery is one of those breweries that see all of the benefits to using this packaging – so many, in fact, that all of its brews are available in cans. Such fantastic beers include Black IPA Back in Black, the Double IPA Hop Crisis, the Belgian Ale Monk’s Blood, and the world-renowned watermelon wheat beer, Hell or High Watermelon.

Oskar Blues is another brewery that has an extensive lineup of beers that are all offered in cans as well. Oskar has long pushed the boundaries for what one would typically expect from beer made available in a can. The delicious Russian Imperial Stout Ten FIDY is widely available, as well at the American IPA Deviant Dale’s IPA and the extremely enjoyable Scotch Ale Old Chub.


Ska Brewing from Durango, CO. also offers a wide range of their fantastic beers in cans as well.  You can get their wonderful Modus Hoperandi IPA,  Estival Cream Stout, Mexican Logger, and Vernal Minthe Stout all available in the can, some in both bottles and cans!

Craft beer giant Sam Adams even got in on the canning of craft beer and began with its Boston Lager being packaged in cans last year. Sam has since moved on due to the success of Boston Lager and has begun putting a wide variety of its beers in cans, such as Summer Ale, Oktoberfest, and Cold Snap, and it seems like they have plans for canning even more beers.

The list of breweries that offer craft beers in cans is extensive and ever-growing. Breweries and beers such as Terapin Beer Company: RecreationAle; Avery Brewing Company: Joe’s Premium American Pilsner; Cigar City Brewing: Jai Alai IPA; The Alchemist: Heady Topper; Anderson Valley: Hop Ottin’ IPA; New Belgium Brewing: Fat Tire;Tröegs Brewing Company: Troegenator Double Bock, and Founders Brewing Company: All Day IPA are just a small sample of some great beers available in cans.

While the can may be nothing new in the beer world, the craft beer canning revolution does offer something much different. That difference is the higher quality of the product inside the can because, after all, it really is all about the beer.

So get out there and drink some good beer – and don’t be afraid to get it in the can!

Hop to It!

Beer: Aprihop

Brewer: Dogfish Head Brewery

Style: American IPA

ABV: 7.00%

Description: Dogfish Head’s Aprihop pours a deep amber orange color with a creamy and slightly off-white head which recedes after some time, leaving behind a very thick lacing. The aroma is extremely inviting, with a lot of juicy fruit tones coming through from the apricots backed by notes of oranges, grapefruit, mango, and pineapple with just a hint of piney hops and sweet malt swirling around. The taste is an absolute juicy explosion of fruits, with the orange and apricot heading the charge backed by the aforementioned fruit flavors before the sweet malt bill washes over and leaves behind a perfectly clean and dry finish. The medium body and moderate carbonation give Aprihop its extremely smooth characteristic and makes for an almost overly enjoyable drinking experience, if that is even possible! Dogfish Head continues to stake their claim as one of the best producers of IPAs in any variation!

Food pairing: Aprihop gives a wide variety of flavors and experiences within each sip, and this makes for a dream pairing with a huge variety of foods, ranging from appetizers to desserts. Try pairing Aprihop with a light and simple salad, preferably one leaning more towards the citrus end of the spectrum, but regardless of your choice, this workhorse beer can handle it all while still treating the salad itself very delicately and not overwhelming the dish. If you are more of a fish fan, try skipping the typical salmon dish and instead opt for the decadent swordfish. The pairing will lead you to never look at this fish the same way again, and the flavors balance perfectly with one another. Looking to end the night on a high note? Try pairing Aprihop with a delicious peach cobbler dish topped with cream; the apricot and peach naturally play well with one another, but the addition of the cream gives an added layer of depth to the beer and melds perfectly with the malt, enhancing the sweetness while the Amarillo hops give a firm backbone, creating a match made in heaven!

The final word: IPAs are certainly one of the most popular beer styles right now, with nearly every craft brewery offering their own interpretation of the style. However, Dogfish Head still holds the crown as one of the best IPA producers with their hugely successful 60, 75, 90, and 120 Minutes IPAs. Dogfish Head is also not a brewery to rest on past accomplishments, though, and is always pushing the boundaries for beer styles and beer in general. Aprihop is certainly a beer that expounds upon the popular American IPA style with a lot of thought going into the ingredients for the beer to achieve the perceived taste and bitterness. The choice of Amarillo hops is genius, with the strong imparting of orange flavors coming through from the hops, blending into the apricot juice to create an extremely juicy and fruity IPA that is still very far removed from ever being called a fruit beer. If you are a Dogfish Head fanatic or an IPA lover, this is a beer that must be tried!

Rating:

Where can I get it? Currently available in NEPA in 12 oz. bottles at: Backyard Ale House- Scranton, PA; J & H Beer- Plains Twp, PA.; Exit 190 Beer Deli- Dickson City, PA; and Krugel’s Georgetown Deli & Beer- Wilkes-Barre, PA. For a more detailed look at where Aprihop is available check here

Chocolate Milk for Adults

Brewer-Odell Brewing Company

Beer- Lugene Chocolate Milk Stout

Style- Milk/ Sweet Stout

ABV- 8.50%

Description – Lugene pours pitch black with very subtle ruby highlights and a thick tan head that hangs around for quite some time but leaves behind a hefty lacing on the glass.  The aroma smells of sweet milks chocolate along with notes of coffee and roasted malts, it’s an aroma that almost causes one to drool.  The taste follows suite with the roasted malts washing over the palate first preparing you for the silky smooth milk chocolate that is to follow giving you a feeling of thick chocolate milk before the lingering semi-bitter chocolate flavor lingers behind.  The full body and medium carbonation are perfect for the style and create the incredibly smooth feel to this beer.  The 8.5% ABV is completely hidden with no alcohol heat coming through whatsoever, which is great but with a beer this delicious and drinkable it can be a bit dangerous!  An absolutely world class beer!

Food pairing – Desserts, desserts, desserts.  This without a doubt is an absolutely perfect dessert beer!  Sure you can pair this with some BBQ or oysters if you wish, but to truly see this beer shine go with decadent and heavy cream filled desserts!  Crème brûlée, fruit tarts, and cheesecake are all fabulous pairings with enough cream to add an extra layer of thickness to an already incredible stout.  If you are looking to enhance the lovely chocolate flavor from the beer try pairing with chocolate bundt cake, double chocolate fudge brownies, triple chocolate cake, or chocolate covered peanut butter brownies!  However, if you are truly looking to relive your youth with this amazing beer, than this is the beer to use as a beer float, so grab your favorite ice cream, I prefect fresh vanilla bean, but feel free to use coffee or chocolate flavored as well, and put a scoop in and enjoy, you can thank me later after you wipe off your beer stache!

The Final Word – If you are a fan of stouts, sweet or dry, this is one to add to your list of must try beers.  The chocolate is certainly present but not overly sweet or off-putting as some can be in this style.  Instead the chocolate enhances the depth and flavor within this beer.  This is truly chocolate milk for adults with all the rich and decadent flavors we remember as a child, but now we are grown up enough to really appreciate a flavor profile such as Lugene.  This is another must try beer from a must try brewery!

Rating-

Where can I get it? -  Odell is not a nationally distributed brewery, however they are fairly available throughout the country.  To see if there beers are available near you check here

Keep It Running

Brewer-Odell Brewing Company

 

Beer- Runoff Red IPA

Style- American Amber/ Red Ale

ABV- 6.50%

Description – Odell’s Runoff Red pours a dark blood orange red with a frothy white head that leaves behind a very thick and beautiful lacing on the glass.  The aroma has notes of hops in the pine and citrus family with subtle honey and bread malts to provide a nice balance.  The taste follows suite with the nose with the sweet malts coming first mixed with piney hops and followed by hints of caramel before the citrus hops swoop in and leave you with a long dry finish to a fantastic beer.  The medium body and moderate carbonation are the perfect vessel for this beer that delivers in the hop category without overwhelming or fatiguing the palate.  The beer has an almost sparkling wine characteristic to it making for a very crisp and refreshing drinking experience. 

Food pairing – This is without a doubt a beer that is craving to be enjoyed with a wide variety of Mexican dishes: tacos, quesadillas, tamales, fajitas, huevos rancheros, chimichangas, chiles relleno, tostadas, panuchos, and on and on.  The spices are highlighted by the wonderful hop bite but quickly soothed with the wonderfully smooth body and malt bill.  This is also a great beer with non-spicy foods such as pork chops, roast beef, and fried chicken due to the malts.  The pleasing aspect this beer has going for itself over regular IPA’s is the wonderful malt profile and backbone, it allows this beer to withstand a wide variety of foods without being to filling, but still maintains a great balance.

The Final Word – I have never had a bad beer from Odell, there are very few breweries that I can make as bold of a statement about, but I completely stand by my statement.  They are a brewery that truly cares about brewing world class beers and it shows with each and every beer that exits the brewery.  While many breweries can get caught up in gimmicks Odell has simply stayed on a path of producing great beers and it is certainly paying off for them.  The only knock to Runoff Red IPA is that it is not available year round and is currently a seasonal available only between January and April,  If you are lucky enough to get your hands on this one or any of Odell’s beers, you will understand everything! 

Rating-

Where can I get it? -  Odell is not a nationally distributed brewery, however they are fairly available throughout the country.  To see if there beers are available near you check here