Orkney Brewing - English Stout, Scottish Ales

Today we're trying out some fairly obtainable Scottish brews from Orkney brewing, well known for their heavy Scotch style Skullsplitter (a must try). Scottish brews are heavy on the malt side with flavors that range from caramel, toffee, smokiness, teriyaki and peat. The caramel flavor in Scottish ales generally comes from a longer boil in the kettle rather than the barley. Yeast can also attribute some of the smokiness which can also be obtained from smoked malts.

The DragonHead Stout fell more into a dry stout category being lower in alcohol (4%), these beers tend to have a dryness/bitterness due to a significant amount of roasted malts used.

The beers were

Dark Island - Scottish Ale - 4.6% ABV - bitter, malty, caramel and coffee aroma with some molasses and smokiness. Light body.

Dragon head - Stout - 4.0% ABV - smelled like teriyaki, coffee and maple syrup. Bitter dark chocolate taste, hints of bourbon. Thicker body of the three.

Red MacGregor - Scottish Ale - 4.0% ABV - A little more bitter, sweet tea aroma, floral finish, a more amber body, a more fruity and lighter taste of the three.


L: MacGregor, Dragon Head, Dark Island
A: MacGregor, Dragon Head, Dark Island
T: Dragon Head, Dark Island, MacGregor
K: Dragon Head, Dark Island, MacGregor
J: Dark Island, Dragon Head, MacGregor

Cream Ales, Munich Helles Lager, Kölsch

We're here with another round of highly attenuated beers this week with a Cream Ale (Anderson Valley Summer Solstice), a Munich Helles (Weihenstephaner Original) and a Kölsch (Harpoon Summer Ale). Attenuation refers to the process when yeast consumes fermentable sugar and converts into CO2 and alcohol. This doesn't always mean you'll get a higher alcoholic beer, however its safe to say the beer will be lighter in body and easy drinking. BMC (Bud, Miller, Coors) have capitalized on easy drinking beers, but we're going to educate you on beers that actually have flavor and look sexier in a koozie on the beach than BMC.















Cream Ales have a lot of American history (which I'll spare you details) and were brewed in response to golden lagers taking the market. Breweries were interested in making a paler beer, lighter in body, sometimes even using corn since its cheaper. Ales tend to have a quicker turn-around time than lagers due to fermentation and also could be brewed during the warm months. Cream ales are sometimes referred to an "ale" version of BMC. Take it as you may, some of the corn flavor may come through with some slight fruity flavors from the ale yeast. You don't see much of this style around.. Sam Adams, Genesee? I don't see any indication why they're named Cream ales, maybe because they have a soft mouthfeel and golden color yet sweet.

Munich Helles Lagers are another low hopped but malty sweet light beer. Hops used tend to be noble German/UK hops that are more spicy/earthy than grassy/citrusy that you'd taste in American beers.

Kölsch is a name that is protected in a Convention agreed by the Cologne Association of Brewers and the German Government fair-trade department which restricts the term to only be used by breweries in Cologne. What this means is don't go looking on the shelves for Kölsch because you're probably wasting your time. There are exports we can find in America like Reissdorf Kölsch (one of my favorite beers), however most will change the name to "Summer Ale" .. somehow Sam Adams has gotten away with naming theirs East/West Kölsch yet I don't know how. If you're looking to try this style, here's the best reference (http://beeradvocate.com/lists/style/85). Regardless, its a style you must try and from what I hear it just doesn't taste the same unless you've had to fresh from a brewery in Cologne. Anyways, we'll be trying it from my kitchen. The style is similar to the Munich Helles with a soft body, low hop profile but also has a slight fruitiness from the ale yeast and can also be slightly sulfuric.

So the reviews:

Summer Solstice - Darker color, sweeter and fruitier, nutty taste reminiscent of praline ice cream, somebody got some whopper flavors in there. Then a canned corn finish, how bout that for a canned beer?

Weihenstephaner Original - Some champagne characteristics, light with lemon undertones, slight grapes, sweet, the ladies thought it smelled like a plant which is not a too distant cousin from hops ;)

Summer Ale - dry and more subtle flavor of the three, kinda boring actually, had the most head, slightly bready taste, again the same scents as the Munich Helles.

The verdict:

L - Summer Solstice, Weihenstephaner, Summer Ale
A - Summer Solstice, Weihenstephaner, Summer Ale
T- Summer Solstice, Weihenstephaner, Summer Ale
K - Weihenstephaner, Summer Solstice, Summer Ale
J - Weihenstephaner, Summer Solstice, Summer Ale














The canned beer put up a good fight, and although they're totally different styles I was surprised it put up a fight. You can also find these in bottles along with several other varieties from Anderson Valley. Every time I crack one open the only way I can describe it is "wtf in a can" because it has so many different flavors going on, some foreign.

I really can't talk good enough about Weihenstephaner (the world's oldest brewery). Keep in mind we're reviewing their Original, however they also have a wheat Hefeweizen which we reviewed way back. It tasted similar to the Kölsch, except more flavorful and complex. If you're looking for a pretty easy to find Kölsch, go for Reissdorf.

Belgian Blond Ale, Tripel, Golden Strong Ale

Hard to believe a year has gone by since I've last updated this thing. Although the writing has slowed down, the quest for beer knowledge has not. I've decided to hit the books and start studying for the Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP) that will be held in June of next year (yeah a year of studying)! If at any moment you feel you've peaked your beereducation I recommend you humble yourself and flip through some of the guidelines on the BJCP website (http://www.bjcp.org/) and you'll realize the vast amounts of details in each style. So what does this all mean to you? We'll be taking three different (but similar) beer styles biweekly and putting them against each other to see if we can understand the differences in aroma, taste, appearance and mouthfeel. We'll try to pick styles that are appropriate for that particular month, although its Florida so there truly are only two seasons.

The first round we've chosen the Belgian Strong Ale category (http://www.bjcp.org/2008styles/style18.php) which partly consists of:















Belgian Blond Ale (right - Grimburgen Blond)
Belgian Tripel (middle - Victory Golden Monkey)
Belgian Golden Strong Ale (left - Duvel.. pronounced Doovel)

The Blond Ale tends to be the lowest in ABV of the three, but also sweeter and less bitter. It also has clean lager-like characteristics, however our tastings showed it had a malty sweetness. It is described as having a creamy head.

The Belgian Tripel has very complex aromas and flavors. Could range from spicy/peppery/clove with a little banana and citrus. Low hop characteristics. The body is very effervescent with a long lasting rocky head. Very similar to the Belgian Golden Strong, except darker/fuller bodied and slightly rounder malt flavor (although not sweet).

The Belgian Golden Strong ale is very similar to the Tripel, with some of the same aromas and flavors, but also hints of apples/pears. It shares the same spicy/peppery/clove and citrus along with a billowing head. It is also very dry and champagne-like. This style tends to be paler, drier and lighter bodied than the Tripel and slightly more assertive in hops/spiciness.

We had a special guest Jenny come join us in the tasting, so here are the ranks:

K: Duvel, Golden Monkey, Grimburgen
T: Duvel, Golden Monkey, Grimburgen
J: Duvel, Grimburgen, Golden Monkey
A: Grimburgen, (Duvel and Golden Monkey tied)
L: Grimburgen, Golden Monkey, Duvel

Duvel - Lighter color, peppery, very complex and slightly sour
Golden Monkey - Highly carbonated, lemony, slight fruit undertones (banana).. barnyard hay? peppery.
Grimburgen - Much fruitier and sweeter than its peers, smooth, slight bitter finish

This was a great style if you're looking to beat the heat, but looking for a lot more complexity and alcohol than a lager, with some of the characteristics of a Hefeweizen yet not as aggressive.

Next review will be Cream Ales, Kolsch and Munich Helles Lagers

Hefeweizens

Due to overwhelming fan response, the folks here at beerpr0n decided to bring this back from the living dead. Several months ago I dove head first into homebrewing and naturally so did my wallet. Not to mention I've been busy filtering through the dozens of letters I've been getting from breweries asking that we review their brews. So without further ado I present you hefeweizens. Hefes are a German wheat beer that are highly carbonated, generally unfiltered and hazy, slightly sour and sometimes give off banana or bubblegum flavors. Great summer beer, also a great intro beer if you're looking to try non-American styles.

I wasn't expecting to find so many options of hefes at our local liquor store, so we had to stop at 7 beers. The other two were more readily available like Paulaner and Hofbrau. Reviewing seven beers of the same style proved challenging, especially when still recovering from the spring sinuses.

From left to right (all the beers are around 4.8% - 5.6%)
Schneider Weisse (original)
Pinkus Organic
Sierra Nevada Kellerweis
Franziskaner
Ayinger Brau-Weisse
Weihenstephaner
Plank

Schneider Weisse - This was one of the two darker beers, slightly spicy, dry w/ some cloves, bananas and yeasty.
Pinkus - Had a champagne like mouthfeel, strong banana scent.
Kellerweis - Sour scent, plenty of head, smooth and light taste in comparison to the others. Very cloudy
Franziskaner - Very sweet smell, had the most champagne-like mouthfeel, a bit of canned corn taste, pears
Ayinger - The fruitiest of the bunch. Smells like apples, hint of peach in taste.
Weihenstephaner - Probably the best head retention of the group. Nice wheaty smell and balanced flavors. Cloves
Plank - Another amber colored hefe. Slight strawberry scent (followed by sausage! However that could be because we ate sausages earlier and we're sharing glasses). White grape and apples on the palate. The bottle contained a heeping portion of yeast settlement at the bottom. Not going to lie, kinda scared me at first.

So the ranks:

L: Pinkus, Weihenstephaner, Franz, Ayinger, Schneider, Plank, Kellerweis
A: Ayinger, Schneider (two favorite) ... Kellerweis, Plank (two least fav)
T: Plank, Franz, Schneider, Ayinger, Kellerweis, Pinkus, Weihenstephaner
K: Weihenstephaner, Plank, Kellerweis, Ayinger, Schneider, Pinkus, Franz



























































To battle the heat, I don't think you could go wrong with any of these beverages. The Kellerweis is probably one of my more favorite Sierra Nevada releases and usually available at the grocery store. Schneider also makes a weizenbock called Aventinus which is definitely worth your time if you're looking for something strong.

Stay tuned for the next review. Also check out the "proper" way to pour a hefeweizen http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=53dQEDcXVOs

Old Ales

What are Old Ales you ask? They're similar to regular ales except they're horrible drivers, bitch about weather/politics and always whine about nobody coming to visit them ( j/k grandma and grandpa)! Old ales are generally aged, have a full malt body, dark brown color, somewhat fruity (haaay!), strong alcohol characteristics and vary on the bitterness/hop level. So pretty much right up my alley.

So in this lineup we've got:
1. Great Divide Hibernation Ale - 8.1%
2. Smuttynose Old Brown Dog Ale - 6.7% (English Brown Ale)
3. North Coast Old Stock Ale - 11.5%
4. Fuller's Vintage Ale - 11.5%
5. Harviestoun Ola Dubh Special 30 Reserve - 8%

The Vintage and Ola Dubh are a bit in their own league considering a 12oz Dubh put me back $13.99 and the Vintage being about the same for a 1pt 9oz. Harviestoun also makes a "Old Engine Oil" which is an Old Ale but cheaper and w/o the whisky. Also it wasn't until after I purchased the Old Brown Dog that I realized its really an English Brown Ale, Smuttynose makes a "Really" Old Brown Dog which is their Old Ale (well excuse me). But oh well, its getting reviewed nonetheless.

The Hibernation had a strong alcohol aroma, and was very busy with lots of flavors going on from very malty to fruity and bitter. The ladies thought it tasted manly, not sure what that means. The Old Brown Dog had a lighter taste obviously, less alcohol, about what you'd expect from an ale. The Old Stock Ale was slightly sweet, fruity and had an overall good balance of "Old Ale" characteristics although nothing sticking out. The Vintage was a blast to the senses. Had a great apple cider/candy smell. Tasted very sweet and refreshing, almost no hop characteristics and definitely hid the 11.5% ABV very well. Had a candied sugar taste that completely stood out from the rest... and it was like someone slipped a Coca-Cola in a beer review and asked you to compare. The Ola Dubh had the obvious whisky/alcohol smell, very floral and had tastes similar to teriyaki beef jerky. Also tasted some spearmint (wtf? Someone's gum?). I knew immediately what beer I was drinking because it was obvious, so we were slightly biased. With the whopping $13.99, I was a slightly disappointed that it tasted a bit watered down. I've had other whisky aged beers that were much better. Although I'm sure this beer ages well.

The results:
A: Hibernation, Vintage, Ola Dubh 30, Brown Dog, Old Stock
T: Hibernation, Ola Dubh 30, Old Stock, Vintage, Brown Dog
K: Vintage, Ola Dubh 30, Hibernation, Old Stock, Brown Dog
L: Old Stock, Vintage, Brown Dog, Hibernation, Ola Dubh 30


After sitting down with some chili and sipping on these beers, I had some afterthoughts. The Hibernation for me was just way too busy and had a strong alcohol and malt-extract taste, also a strong hop flavor on top of all that. Definitely try this out if you don't care much about balance. I thought the North Coast Old Stock did a good tribute to the Old Ale style, which a good balance, it was easy to drink and plenty of alcohol without all the drama. But you won't go wrong with either of those. The Vintage is also worth your time, as is pretty much all of Fuller's collection. Check out their ESB, it tastes like grape candy.

Next week: ???

Scotch/Scottish Ales

So last week we decided to kick off our beer reviewing with a bang and hit up the high ABV Scottish/Scotch Ales. I also had a lot of Old Chub and Dirty Bastard sitting around that needeth to be drinketh. Terrapin is also a local favorite and I just so happened to have their 90 Shelling side project Scotch Ale. Being more of a rare beer style, it was difficult finding a 4th beer but we were able to find the Belhaven St. Andrews Ale. We realize that Scottish ales are not entirely the same as scotch ales... but close enough. So here are our contenders:

1. Oskar Blues Old Chub (Scottish Style) - 8% ABV
2. Belhaven St. Andrews (Scottish Style) - 4.6%
3. Terrapin 90 Shelling (Scotch Style) - 7.3%
4. Founder's Dirty Bastard (Scotch Style) - 8.3%


The "blind" part of our taste test involved our lovely wives pouring the beers and marking them away from our sight. But the sweet smell of scotch lured them into participating with us. So the players:
Lisa & Amy - Coming from years of experience of wine drinking they bring a very unbiased opinion on beers. Actually I'll be serious, Lisa really hates beer so this will be interesting.

Keith & Tim - Both received 1st place in The 2009 National Beer "Sniffer" Championship, one of the most highly respected merits in the beer community... not really, we just like beer.

So after a bit of taste testing the Old Chub had a strong alcohol flavor, a bit of coffee and some smokiness. The St. Andrews was much more watery with a bit of apple, although the smell wasn't attractive at all (smelled like a dirty bar mat). The 90 Shelling was a bit floral to the nose, full bodied, a more complex flavor with some nuttyness to it. And Dirty Bastard was very thick, chocolate flavor, very strong alcohol presence, earthy characteristics. The results:

K: 90 Shelling, Dirty Bastard, Old Chub, St. Andrews
T: Old Chub, St. Andrews, Dirty Bastard, 90 Shelling
A: 90 Shelling, Dirty Bastard, Old Chub, St. Andrews
L: 90 Shelling, Old Chub, St. Andrews, Dirty Bastard (but would prefer none!)

Overall: 90 Shelling had a great flavor and not overwhelming alcohol presence. But if you're looking to taste what you paid for, definitely go with the Old Chub or Dirty Bastard. And the St. Andrews for more of a session drink.

Next Week: Old Ales!

Content coming soon!

Little did I know I'd be fighting for a "beerporn" URL on blogspot. Oh well, I'll have to settle with this.

This blog will be dedicated to side-by-side blind taste tests of different beer styles. No scores or grades, maybe just a ranking of the beer tasted that week. I won't be doing individual reviews, you can find that on beeradvocate. Plus I think the true flavor of a beer comes out when you're tasting other varieties.

Stay tuned next week, I'll be tasting some Scottish Style Ales.