Taproom Talk

There is absolutely nothing as satisfying as drinking a cold beer while barbecuing in the summer sun. Of course, that does make the assumption the beer you happen to be imbibing is worthy; thankfully for me, tonight’s libation was none other than the Long Trail’s Blackbeary Wheat. Without a doubt, this is a fine beer worthy of a beer snob.

The Blackbeary is a light ale (wow, only 4% ABV!) with a champaign nose that is ever so inviting, especially given its apple juice-like color without any lacing. It is quite bubbly and also imparts a cider nose (even though this is anything but a hard cider) to reveal is a wonderfully light pilsner taste with a delicate sweetness that provides an amazingly pleasant first impression that lasts the entire time. Let me be clear here: this beer is excellent. It’s too bad I only had one in my possession as I could have easily had 5 or 6 to go with tonight’s dinner!

I have been thoroughly impressed with Anderson Valley beers in the past; consequently, towards the end of last year, I picked up a few of their 2006 Winter Solstice Seasonal Ales and proceeded to have one. I’ll spare you the details, suffice it to say, I was less than impressed. In fact, I left the remaining 5 in my cellar, figuring they’d mellow out with some time.

Finally, after roughly 6 months, this beer is ready to enjoy. The Solstice pours a light brown color with a light lacing and reveals a wonderful spicy nose. This pleasant pour is complemented by a cinnamon taste rounded out by a solid malt backbone, which seems to impart a slight date-like finish. The spices work well with the beer’s maltiness and it surely would be a warming taste around a hearth on a cold winter’s night. Thankfully, this beer ages quite well and is worthy of beer snob’s long term planning.

Indeed, the Winter Solstice came a bit late this year– perhaps it should be called Anderson Valley’s Summer Solstice?

The Magic Hat Brewery’s Roxy Rolles sat in my refrigerator for days upon days tempting me every time I fetched various victuals (other than the beverage that thus sustains this humanoid and is the reason for the very existence of this fine blog). Nevertheless, I finally partook of the said libation and found myself once again awe struck with the fabulous inebriants the crazy cats up in Vermont manage to cultivate.

The Roxy imparts a wonderful hoppy aroma wafting from a dark amber color with slight white lacing complemented by few bubbles. The nose is captivatingly hoppy with a strong hop taste paired with an exotic spiciness that is highly reminiscent of a well brewed IPA. The ale’s finish is a pleasant bitter hoppy one that begs for another quaff (and another after that as well). I was pleasantly surprised by this beer and plan to have a few more in short order.

Indeed, the Roxy is fine beverage worthy of a barley sandwich snob such as myself. This is a seasonal brew, so when one rolls into your beer shop, pick up a few!

Ladies and gentleman, you’ve heard it here first– not only does Santa make wonderful toys for children, but Jolly Old Saint Nick also brews an excellent beer to boot!

The Rogue Brewery’s Santa’s Private Reserve is a fine belly wash that pours a copper-brownish color with a beautiful head that slowly dissipates revealing a pleasant spicy nose accentuated with sweet malts. The beer has a wonderful roasted malt flavor with a slight peppery taste, which also reveals subtle hints of juniper in the finish. The spicy sweetness of the beer works well and gives it a warming character, which one expects from winter ales.

Santa’s winter wonderland must have an influence on this fine brew as the juniper hints portray a piney mouth feel that is warming and pleasant too. Indeed, for Christmas this year, I’ll be asking Santa to leave a few cases of his Private Reserve under my tree!

With immense joy, I ordered a new (to me, that is) winter ale the other night; however, I found myself somewhat disappointed. Don’t get me wrong, this is a good beer– it just doesn’t excite me. It’s a winter ale that tastes like a light brown ale.

The Breckenridge Christmas Ale poured a nice dark brownish color with a tiny head and gave off a pleasant malt nose with slight hints of cinnamon. The taste is clean and quite smooth– it’s agreeably malty with more subtle hints of sweet cinnamon and chocolate. What’s interesting is there wasn’t really a presence of a finish. The taste is so light and smooth that I wasn’t sure I was actually drinking a winter ale.

This beer’s taste is pleasant, but I was expecting something with more character. The Breckenridge is so light that you could drink it on a summer’s day, which is a good thing, but it’s labeled as a Christmas Ale, so I find myself dissatisfied. I would certainly indulge another Breckenridge (if someone offered me one at no cost); however, going forward, I’ll be seeking beers with more interesting personalities.

Every year, I eagerly await the arrival of the Anchor Brewing Company’s Christmas Ale and each year I am greeted by a new spice laden, warming brew that’s always a pleasure to drink.

This year’s brew is no exception, pouring a deep dark stout-like color with little to no head, which is tannish in color. The nose is a spicy sweet cinnamon with slight nutmeg and roasted malts, which happens to also describe the taste– burnt malts in a fashion close to the Brooklyn Brewery’s Chocolate Stout. The spices work well together imparting a sweet, yet warming feel all the way down. The finish is pleasantly malty with a slight sweetness.

This is definitely a sipping beer for a winter’s night, much unlike Anchor’s Liberty nectar. The difference in the two beer’s tastes is tremendous but the attention to detail and crisp beer tenderness is a common trait between the two ales– these brewers clearly don’t cut corners.

The 2006 is a fine showing; however, I must say that I prefer Anchor’s 2005 brew, but only by a hair. The beauty of this beer is that it ages well, so pick some up and remember to save few so that you can compare this year’s lot to next year!

Early fall is a great beer drinking time when adventurous breweries unleash spicy tasting pumpkin beer– this year’s first batch comes from the Brooklyn Brewery of Black Chocolate Stout fame. Under the Post Road brand, this dark logger-like hued pumpkin beer is a great showing with a nice lasting head with a fair amount of bubbliness, which imparts a wonderful malty nose with a pleasant cinnamon and nutmeg spiciness. This pleasantly crisp and smooth beer has a sweet cinnamony taste, complemented by a well balanced maltiness, which finishes brilliantly.

The pumpkin spiciness of this beer makes it a pleasant drink lacking in the harshness commonly associated with some of the more full bodied winter beers. What’s more, at 5% ABV, it’s an easy drink.

All in all, I’m impressed with the Brooklyn Brewery’s Post Road Pumpkin ale– it has been a welcoming taste for a great beer drinking season.

A few years ago, around the Holidays, I picked up a case of Sierra Nevada’s Celebration Ale. I enjoyed that year’s brew throughout most of the year. Then I picked up another case the following year. And then again and again, until it became a yearly tradition or as I like think “a yearly Celebration.” This is a beer of magnanimous proportions requiring a subtle aging so as to bring out its highest qualities of spicy hoppiness.

For instance, the 2005 batch pours with an elegant white head that ever so slowly dissipates producing light bubbles which last even longer. A deep amber hue in color and the pleasant smell of hops eagerly greets the privileged few that possess the patience to hold off drinking the whole lot during the holidays. Celebration’s taste has just the right amount of spices that permits this fine ale to be easily imbibed during warmer times as well as during the Holiday months. The finish has a restrained malt taste which is complemented by a slight spicy bitterness that leaves me anticipating the next sip.

Indeed, Sierra Nevada’s Celebration is cause for celebration and those epicureans who wait for this convivial beer to age have a festival of taste awaiting them!

Here are pictures.  Check back for a podcast from the event.

Magic Hat Brewery turns out some of the funkiest brews on the East Coast. If you doubt this in the least, please visit the Magic Hat site. Their Saint Goontz is a dark wheat ale and if you love the crust on a sandwich (ok, who loves the crust on bread….really?) then this wonderfully wheaty brew is for you. Deep bark brown, this ‘blessed ale’ has the chickory flavor of chestnuts, with a pleasant yeasty aftertaste.

I may be harsh on this beer being that I am bitter today. This beer is also bitter, so all I can say is, “Oh Fudge,” in memory of Darren McGavin. Yes, the “Old Man” has lost his battle with the furnace. Nothing short of a sexy leg lamp could cheer me up, so this dark elixer from Magic Hat has left me sour and bitter.

All I can do is say a prayer.