Summer is over. Any way you want to cut it, any last heat wave that comes rolling in, Labor Day has come and gone. So put away your seersucker suits and white pants, fall is upon us. And with the nail in the summer’s pervertible coffin, it’s time to drink up all those delicate saison’s and farmhouse ales to make room for fresh hop brews, pumpkin beers, and the influx of winters bevy of imperial stouts.

Upright Brewing’s Four Play is one such summer beers that I’ve been sitting on for a while now since my last trip to Portland. A young brewery barely over a year old, Upright has been making waves in the PDX beer scene turning out amazing belgian inspired brews from a town best known as a hop-lover’s paradise. Four Play is their commemorative one-year anniversary brew.

“Four Play is a Belgian-style sour beer that has been aged since March of 09 in Pinot Noir barrels with an addition of cherry puree, lactobacillus and brettanomyces to sour and dry out the beer. It is very tart, dry and complex like a wine with notes of oak, pinot, wheat and terroir. The beer is very limited with only 5 kegs being produced and 80 cases of 750ml bottles.”

So was it worth the wait? Despite an initial flimsy head and non-existent lacing, I’d say a resounding yes. This is a tart and funky, complex farmhouse. The Brett flavors come forward, as do a lot of cherry notes (from the addition of Cherry Puree) that mingle well with the innate characteristics of the Pinot Barrels. There’s also a nice lime peel note and a subtle dry finish from the barrel aging. The Pinot aging is really excited and a nice break from brewing’s current fascination with Bourbon barrels. Overall, it’s an impressively complex brew for a mere 5.0% ABV and a great one to knock back on those warm days of our impeding Indian Summer.

Style: Saison / Farmhouse Ale (Barrel Aged)
Brewery: Upright Brewing (Portland, OR)
ABV: 5.0%
IBUs: ???
Hop Variety: Hallertauer Mittelfrüh
Malt/Grain Variety: Organic Pale, Wheat, Organic Munich, Rolled Wheat
Adjuncts: Cherry Puree
Yeast: French Saison, Brettanomyces Clausennii, Lactobacillus, Delbrueckii
Availability: One Time Release

Tags: Brettanomyces, lactobacillus.

Despite summer’s last hurray this week, fall is right around the corner. And while pumpkin beers are already lining the shelves of better beer stores and bodegas alike, is best to let those sit for a while (or – in the case of Southern Tier’s Pumking – buy them up and store them) and enjoy the original fall seasonal; the Oktoberfest beer. Without getting all beer-geeky, back in the days before refrigeration (or if you live in a Brooklyn apartment like I do) it was impossible to control temperatures and brew in the summer. So in March (hence Oktoberfest beer’s other name, Märzen) a dark, copper beer of higher alcohol would brewed and stored up through the summer months to be enjoyed in the fall.

Well, fall is upon us and while I’ll be spending the next few month’s enjoy traditional examples of the oktoberfest style from Ayinger, Spaten and Weihenstephaner, American brewers are once again bringing a new twist on the traditional.

That means its the perfect time to time to pull out Avery’s The Kaiser Imperial Oktoberfest, an 9.3% ABV punched up version of the traditional brewed annually in August and released the following year. Like all Oktoberfest beers, The Kaiser has a big malty backbone, amber-brown color and bone-white head. It wafts like caramels, marshmallow fluff and assorted dark malts. But where The Kaiser really stands out is in the taste as it is filled with powerful candied-apple flavors, underlying hints of lime peel, subtle floral notes and a very pronounced, spicy finish. The combination of red-apple flavors and a peppery finish really makes The Kaiser a unique beer with a lot of complexity when you want it and a good old fashioned drinking beer when you don. Plus, with a manageable price tag, it’s one that you can revisit throughout the season. Its worth noting that The Kaiser does pack an obvious presence of alcohol but seeing how it has already aged a year before it hits the shelves, I think aging it further would only mute the unique pepper notes and is not worth the trade off.

Style: Imperial Oktoberfest
Brewery: Avery (Boulder, CO)
ABV: 9.3%
IBUs: 24
Hop Variety: Magnum, Sterling, Tettnang, Hersbrucker
Malt Variety: Two-row barley, Vienna, Munich 10L, m-100, aromatic
Availability: annual, limited release

Tags: oktoberfest beer.

Style: XXXX Mild
Brewery: Pretty Things Beer and Ale Project (Cambridge, MA)
ABV: 10.5%
IBUs: 75+
Availability: single brew, limited release

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Next up in my “quick, drink this beer, there’s no more room in the fridge” series is the Pretty Things Beer and Ale Project’s February 27th, 1832 Mild Ale, the first in their historical recreation series. This XXXX Mild Ale, brewed without refrigeration, is a recreation based on a brewday document uncovered by brewing historian Ron Pattinson. The result is a surprisingly hoppy, surprisingly strong mild unlike any you will find on the shelf today. From the back label:

In Dickensian London, “mild” ales weren’t necessarily the watery dark beers we know today. The term “mild” indicated that the beer was sold young, rather than aged. So here you will find a young and hoppy beer from the past.

Appearance: 1832 Mild Ale pours a ruby brown with a thick, pale-tan head that recedes quickly and leaves a nice lacing that slithers down the glass after each sip.

Smell: The nose wafts like a barley wine with big hits of sweet syrup, lemon preserves and campfire ashes. There are earthy, herbaceous undertones as well not unlike Pine-Sol or Murphy’s Oil Soap.

Taste: I was surprised at how little flavor there was upfront in this big beer. It hit my palate totally flat. I thought “too cold, perhaps?” but knew it was not. Amazingly, however, the flavor here revved up from the finish and began to envelope the mouth sip after sip (weird, I know.) The finish started with a wave of syrupy malts, candied lemon peel, woodsy notes and a definite presence of alcohol. Afterwards, flavors of light molasses, Robotusin and chalk-dust developed and, as it warmed, there were strong herbaceous flavors not unlike an absinthe sans the licorice.

Mouthfeel: Despite the strong hop character here (for a modern day mild), the 1832 Mild Ale has a non-agressive carbonation that left my mouth with a thick coating and – after the first glass – I found myself reaching for a bit of water to clear things out.

Drinkability: Sip this one well and sip it often (if you could find it again). This is a very complicated and enjoyably contemplative brew with many levels that deserve attention. I would definitely reach for another bottle, especially to relax after a long day. This would not, however, be my first choice on a night out at the pub.

Overall: This is a wicked monster of a beer that pulls no punches and doesn’t pander to the crowd one bit. It sips like an old man’s beer and the earthly flavors lean more toward one who appreciates a rye whisky than a modern beer drinker. Despite some of the more interesting flavor notes, it was all very well balanced quite enjoyable. I could see this pairing perfectly with a nice cigar to highlight the ashy notes or even with a smoked duck breast at dinner.

Tags: mild ale.

Style: Wild Ale, Barrel Aged Brown Ale
Brewery: Captain Lawrence (Pleasentville, NY)
ABV: 7.5%
IBUs: unknown
Availability: single brew, limited release

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Summer has descended upon New York with full force at that means it’s time to feverishly drink through my winter storage of brews before the heat takes a toll on them. The result is early summer nights filled with rare brews, obscure barley-wines and delicate Saison’s that just won’t last the heat in a Brooklyn apartment without air conditioning. It’s the perfect excuse for me to snap a few new bottle photos and get back to writing reviews! First up in this series is the Captain Lawrence Barrel Select Batch #1, an aggressively sour American Brown Ale blended from a 6 barrels ranging from two to three years old.

Appearance: The Barrel Select pours a hazy, amber brown with aggressive carbonation and ecru head. The pour leaves slight lacing on the glass that fades away quickly.

Smell: The nose here is a blast of sour cherry that almost overpowers the other scents. As I get accustomed to aroma, notes of chocolate and oak come forward along with the traditional hints of wild yeast (barnyard funk, horse blanket, etc.)

Taste: There is quite a blast of acidic bitterness here as the Barrel Select leads with a puckeroushly sour hit of unripened cherries, tart green grapes and – in a throwback to my childhood (or last trip to the movie theatre) – Sour Patch Kids. Once you dig through the sea of sour, you get more flavors of Hershey’s chocolate bar mixed with lactic acid and a bit of musty malt. There’s also a hint of astringent tannins and oak notes but they are bonded well with the acidic overtones and don’t really stand out on their own.

Mouthfeel: The mouthfeel is pretty straightforward for a bottle aged brew… fine carbonation, medium body and a nice, dry finish from the barrel aging.

Drinkability: While the mouthfeel and finish are easy on the pallet, this is an abundantly sour beer that may be overwhelming for some people. For such a complicated, blended brew, the flavor is surprisingly straightforward which may keep you from reaching for another glass. Splitting (and sipping) the bottle amongst two people, however, should fair quite well.

Overall: The Captain Lawrence Barrel Aged Select #1 is another milestone for the brewery. It’s incredibly tart and and unlike any of their other offerings. While it was a bit over-acidic for my taste – which is a rarity so non-sour beer drinkers be warned – but it would pair really nicely with a farmhouse cheese and it is a great non-traditional brew to help open people’s eyes to the potential of beer. People who like Flemish sours such as a Rodenbach should take notice and seek this one out.

Tags: brown ale, Captain Lawrence, sour beer, wild ale.

Style: Brown Ale
ABV: 7.5%
IBU: unknown
Availability: limited release, draft only
Pairing: caramelized pork chops, wash-rind cheese, vanilla ice cream, cheeescake

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Last night, New York received another great opportunity to visit the Brooklyn Brewery for the invite-only release of Dark Matter, their latest in the Brewmaster’s Reserve series. Brewmaster Garrett Oliver was on hand along along with a laundry list of the city’s finest pub owners, food editors and beer bloggers. Once again, the tap room flowed with some of brewery’s best drafts: Cookie Jar Porter, Monster ‘09, Blast, Black Chocolate Stout ‘09, Pilsner and more. The Bedford Cheese Shop and The Meat Hook were on hand to supply a nice meat and cheese compliment Dark Matter’s vanilla-oaked, sweet palate of flavors.

Appearance: The Dark Matter pours a deep, dusty brown with reddish undertones and a very fine ecru head. On draft, the beer shows only a slight carbonation but a nice lacing develops with a minor swirl signifying a well crafted brew.

Smell: A massive vanilla-oak barrel aroma hits the nose upfront with lingering hints of dark stone fruits. Raisins, prunes, and black currant are all here along with notes of sweet bourbon.

Taste: There’s an explosion of contrast in the Dark Matter’s flavor palate. Upfront, this beer is delicate with slightly bitter, wooden hints and vanilla notes. Quickly, however, a massive rush of barrel-aged flavors envelope the palate. All of the character of the nose is here — especially the bourbon and raisin ones — mingling with lots of sweet burnt caramel and chocolate malt.

Mouthfeel: A very delicate carbonation hits the tongue at first but finishes with a strong, syrupy coating of the mouth.

Drinkability: This is surprisingly drinkable for such a sweet beer with such rich flavors. Paired with a hearty meal, a few Dark Matters will go down without a second thought. But this beer can also be approached on its own during the last few cold nights of late winter.

Overall: Dark Matter is a strong edition to the Brooklyn Brewery’s Brewmasters Series. While their flagship barrel-aged offering, the Black Ops, is often sought out by Imperial Stout lovers worldwide, it is also one that is best served after a year in the bottle. Dark Matter, however, carries all the richness and complexity of Black Ops in a much more accessible, ready-to-drink brew with a lower ABV. This beer is also a great introduction to barrel-aging for those unfamiliar with the technique. Poorly crafted oak-aged beers can be abrasive and overpowering but the flavors here are balanced and very approachable for even an uninitiated palate. As a solid standby, it will pair nicely with meat-centric dinners and tangy/creamy desserts alike. Overall, Dark Matter is another fine offering from the Brooklyn Brewery.

Brewing Note:
Malt: British Pale Ale, Crystal, Chocolate, Wheat, Belgian Aromatic, Roasted Barley
Hops: Willamette, Cascade, U.S. Fuggle
Yeast: Brooklyn House Ale
Barreling: Four months in a blend of bourbon and rye barrels of differing ages
OG: 18 deg. Plato
ABV: 7.5%

Official Release:

Cosmologists tell us that the universe was made by a massive explosion called the Big Bang. And in this Big Bang was created a material called “dark matter”, which accounts for 95% of the mass of the universe and actually binds the universe together. Well, that sounds pretty heavy. But it’s theoretical. Here in Brooklyn, our cosmology is a bit different.

In the beginning, there was Black Ops. Or perhaps not. Beer does have its mysteries. Anyhow, they say that back in 2007, a small amount of Dark Matter was created alongside Black Ops, but very few people had an opportunity to taste it. The Brooklyn Brewing Team decided that this shortage was unfortunate – plenty of Dark Matter for themselves, but not enough to share with all their friends. So last autumn they decided to recreate Dark Matter and open up the Brooklyn Barrel Room to a wider world. Brooklyn Dark Matter is a robust brown ale aged for four months in bourbon and rye whiskey barrels. Some barrels previously held Black Ops, some hosted The Manhattan Project, others came straight from the distilleries as soon as the whiskey was decanted. We’ve blended these barrels to create a beer full of caramel and chocolate flavors heightened by vanilla-like oak notes and hints of the barrels’ previous tenants. The result is a smooth, rich beer that really loves food, from fried or roasted chicken to char-grilled steak, barbecue, pork chops and even monkfish. And on some chilly evening in late winter, or perhaps the first warm night of spring, we hope that you may be tempted to believe that Dark Matter really does bind the universe together.

– Garrett Oliver

Tags: Brewmaster's Reserve, Brooklyn Brewery, New York beers, porter.

Style: Belgian Tripel
Brewery: Brouwerij Duvel Moortgat (Breendonk-Puurs, Belgium)
ABV: 10%
IBUs: unknown
Availability: year round

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Ah, you crazy monks. How you make such good beer. I know I should be drinking syrupy sweet American barleywines this month but something keeps bringing me back to these great, golden brews. Maredsous Tripel, however, does not come from a Trappist Monastery. Instead, it is commissioned and brewed by makers of Duvel at Brouwerij Duvel Moortgat. The result is a beer brewed with bigger brewery consistency and pricing without sacrificing the subtle notes characteristic of Belgian beers.

Appearance: The Maredsous Tripel exploded (literally) after the cork and cage were removed. After the vigorous overflow of foam, it poured a light amber with a stately tan head that resided slowly to leave nice lacing on the glass.

Smell: There’s a full bouquet of floral and chamomile notes up front here along with hints of honey, toffee and dirty oranges that are a bit muted but still notable.

Taste: As expected, the flavor is sweet and full of golden malt. But there is also a unique, bright taste from spicy pepper notes, yeasty apple hints, and some subtle orange flavors. If you dig deep enough, there’s even a musky undertone distanct to Maredsous’ cousin brew, Duvel, but it is something that goes unnoticed unless you hunt it down. The alcohol is very well hidden.

Mouthfeel: Maredsous Tripel has a medium bodyand a very active carbonation that finishes clean with a bit sweetness.

Drinkability: Tripels tend to be a bit less easy-going than their lower-alcohol cousin, the dubbel. This one, however, is very drinkable. It’s got big sweetness and a bright, golden flavor that is not overpowering.

Overall: Maredsous Tripel is a extremely well made beer and a good transition for someone who has tried the more common Belgians (Duvel, Chimay, etc) but may not be ready to delve into the funky ones such as Orval. Since it comes from a rather large brewery, you can get this at a good price and it’s well worth trying.

Tags: Belgian, Big Beer Month, maredsous, Tripel.

Style: Winter Warmer
Brewery: Birra del Borgo (Lazio, Italy)
ABV: 9.5%
IBUs: unknown
Availability: unknown

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Back across the pond today for the big beer of the day only this time I am giving the Belgians a break and heading to Italy for Birra del Borgo’s 25 Dodici. I first became aware of Birra del Borgo through their collaboration with Dogfish Head on the My Antonia. Leonardo DiVencenzo, head brewer at Birra del Borgo, is often compared to Dogfish Head’s Sam Calagione for his adventurous brewing techniques and use of non-traditional adjuncts. And while there spirit is the same, their equally-spectacular results are really quite different.

Appearance: Pours a deep brown with a rich reddish hue. There’s no head at all from the poor but it does leave a bit of residue on the glass as you drink. No lacing.

Smell: The nose is really tart here, almost like orange Starburst candies mixed with lots of fresh berries. There’s a good amount of chocolate and roasted notes as well with really subtle hints of honey and grass. Quite a bit going on once you get into it.

Taste: The flavor is very light but there are a lot of complex elements too it. The bitter orange peel comes forward as well along with some pepper, coriander and burnt caramel. Beneath the initial flavors are some pine and oak notes which make this taste like a cross between a saison and and a pale ale. The orange flavor lingers nicely in the finish.

Mouthfeel: 25 Dodici is dangerously light bodied for a 9.5% alcohol beer. It comes across slightly watery with almost no carbonation and finishes slightly sweet on the tongue.

Drinkability: This is highly, highly drinkable for a big beer. It is light, dry and refreshing. The only off-putting element is the lack of carbonation but it could have just been my bottle. Otherwise, I could easily put back a few of these with dinner (dangerous).

Overall: 25 Dodici is really unique. At first I thought it was way flat but then the lack of carbonation grew on me. It’s a nice introduction into the world of Italian craft beer and the high level of drinkability makes it worth hunting down for a try.

Brewing Notes: Malt: Pilsner malt, munich malt, vienna malt, cara munich malt, cara
weizen, chocolate malt. Hops: Hallertau Northern brewer, Hallertau hersbrucker, styrian golding, simcoe.
Spice: Bitter orange peel

Tags: Big Beer Month, Birra del Borgo, Italian Beer, my antonia, Winter Beers, Winter Warmer.

Style: Strong Golden Ale
Brewery: Hair of the Dog (Portland, OR)
ABV: 10%
IBUs: 65
Availability: year round

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Okay Belgium, let’s take a break and turn our taste buds to the Pacific Northwest, home of the adventurous brewers at Hair of the Dog. I mean, you have to like a brewery that is on a first name basis with their beers, right? This particular brew, Fred, was named after the breweries first patron; beer writer and historian Fred Eckhardt. Fred is a golden special ale which could be considered the baby brother of a barleywine with its paler color and slightly less assertive hop character. (note: this Fred was from batch 4)

Appearance: Fred pours a deep red with a slight cream head. The head dissipates quickly and leaves no lacing on the glass.

Smell: There are a lot of, well, golden notes on this one. Hints of straw and light caramel and even some apricot hints.

Taste: Surprisingly, the flavor is much more complex than the nose. There are notes of raisins and prunes as well as a nice woodsy hop character. Beneath it all is a layer of golden honey flavors.

Mouthfeel: Another thick and syrupy offering. The fine carbonation here leaves a bit of a tingle on the tongue and it finishes even but definitely not dry.

Drinkability: This is a pretty big beer despite the light color and softer malt flavors. As with all these rich flavored beers, Fred is not meant for a session so enjoy one and perhaps split a second with a friend.

Overall: A nice, unique take on the big beer category. I’d call this a fine barelywine if Hair of the Dog did not offer Doggie Claws, a bigger brew with even more malt and hops. This is a nice introduction into big beers that embraces their thick, rich character.

Brewing Notes: Fred was created to honor beer writer and historian Fred Eckhardt. This golden strong ale incorporates ten hop varieties from five different countries. Through the use of aromatic and rye malt, the beer achieves a unique balance of flavor. We hope that Fred will inspire you to share your knowledge with others as Fred has with us. Fred is 10% alcohol by volume. (source)

(image source)

Tags: Big Beer Month, Golden Ale, Hair of the Dog.

Style: Belgian Abbey Triple Dark Ale
Brewery: Brasserie Des Rocs (Montignies-sur-Rocs, Belgium)
ABV: 10%
IBUs:
Availability: year round
Pairing: vanilla ice cream, glass of water, Carbonnade Flamande

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You can’t go wrong with Belgian beers. That’s my logic at least and so today I am continuing my love for those classic big beer styles with Triple Imperiale which comes from a more modern Belgian brewery, Brasserie de Rocs. Founded in 1979 on the border between France and Belgian, Brasserie de Rocs brews in the traditional style and all their beers are double fermented without additional sugars, bottle conditioned, and unfiltered. Triple Imperiale – the brewery’s strongest offering – is a unique dark tripel that straddles the line between an abbey dubbel and a British barleywine.

Appearance: Pours a deep reddish-brown with a vigorous tan head that recedes slowly to leave little lacing

Smell: There’s a big nose on this one. Lots of burnt caramel malt notes mixed with crisp apple and orange peel… some peppery spice as well.

Taste: Lots of malt flavor here. Tastes of maple syrup and golden delicious apples. Behind that there are nice pepper elements and an underlying hint of oaked vanilla. You can taste the 10% alcohol here but it manages to finish out very even.

Mouthfeel: You could almost call this one oily as the rich, thick mouthfeel and vigorous, fine carbonation result in a syrupy mouthfeel.

Drinkability: The thick mouthfeel, assertive malt, and big alcohol here would overpower a lot of drinkers but I could sip one slowly on a cold day. While it finishes dry, cracking another bottle would be a reach for me.

Overall: The Triple Imperiale is an ambitious beer, the heaviest of all the Brasserie de Rocs offerings. It is a little too massive for my tastes but would probably serve you well during the winter months of monastery life or in the French Alps. Sip slowly, perhaps with a glass of water on the side, and enjoy.

(image source)

Tags: Belgian, Big Beer Month, Tripel.

Style: Belgian Abbey Dubbel
Brewery: Brasserie de Rochefort / Abbaye de Notre-Dame de Saint-Rémy (Rochefort, Belgium)
ABV: 9.2%
IBUs: 22
Availability: year round
Pairing: soft cheese, s’mores, small game, fish with butter or cream sauce

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The tough thing about Big Beer month (besides the intoxication after two or three beers) is that a lot of these brews need to be laid down for a bit. Because we are talking about beers in the 10 or 11% alcohol range, a lot of them need at least a year to mellow out. Other just become too syrupy to get through 12oz (let a long a 750ml) unless you are out camping in the cold. So, since I fell short of a beer a day last week (note: I had them, just didn’t want to talk about them) I figured I’d start the week off with some tried and true big beers. These are favorites that I fell in love with years ago and still drink regularly to this day. To me, there is something to be said groundbreaking brews but there is also something to those perfect beers that have been brewed for decades (or centruries). With that, I tip my cup to a personal favorite, Trappistes Rochefort 8

Appearance: Pours a deep brown with rich, tan head with lots of carbonation from the bottle fermentation that slowly resides to leave little lacing

Smell: The nose has lots of vanilla and toffee notes up front along with some marshmallow, sweet apples, and a bit of plywood.

Taste: The taste goes right along with the nose as there are lots of vanilla and deep caramel flavors. Behind that there are some tart flavors of dark fruits and a bit of unassuming spice.

Mouthfeel: There’s lots of carbonation on the Rochefort 8 which leaves a nice tingle on the tongue but with a medium body creates a dry finish. This is a much more palatable brew when compared to others of this ABV.

Drinkability: With its lighter mouthfeel (for 9.2% ABV), the Trappistes Rochefort 8 is a very drinkable strong beer. This is one that you could easily have with dinner and pair with small game, rich cream/butter sauces or even a soft cheese. It’s more of a casual drinker than a sipper.

Overall: Trappistes Rochefort 8 is, to me, the quintessential Abbey. It’s big bodied, sure, but with a perfect balance of flavors that come across as like-minded rather than competing. It’s heavy and sweet without being overwhelming and finishes clean and dry.

(image source)

Tags: Abbey, Belgian, Big Beer Month, Dubbel.