Some Credit is due to any brewery that survived prohibition and then period of the great decline of “the local brewery” to make way for Macro-Brew consolidation.  This describes both of the “old dog” breweries that are the subject of this article.

Recently, the Beers to You tasting panel sat down to evaluate a few new beers from the venerable Yuengling and Spoetzel breweries; both of which have been brewing continuously for over a century with Yuengling being the oldest operating brewery in the US. Yuengling hails from Pennsylvania but now operates an additional brewery in Florida. Spoetzel is based in Shiner Texas. The BTY tasting panel wanted to see if these “new” releases where a refreshing departure from each of the brewery’s standard but unremarkable flagship beers.

Yuengling has recently released a beer simply called Yuengling Bock. Spoetzel brewing is best known for the Shiner brand beers, namely Shiner Bock, but today we will try two new beers from Shiner.  Fröst is Shiner’s winter release based on the German Dortmunder style lager, the second beer is called Shiner Bohemian Black Lager, a beer based on German Schwarzbier, a clean, dark and roasty lager beer.

Enter Yuengling Bock. This is a new beer for Yuengling but the graphics on the label is designed to make you think this beer has been in the lineup for many years with the use of almost art-deco lettering. The beer poured with an amber color with slight reddish hues. The beer’s aroma was understated, with a little bit of bready and caramel aroma. Tim Lepley commented that he smelled gunpowder in the nose, but we think “Mountain-Man” Tim always smells gunpowder… The beer was certainly understated when compared to true German Bock beer but held its own as a rich malty lager. All in all, the entire panel liked the beer; it’s far better and more complex than the wildly popular Yuengling lager.

Fröst is a seasonal beer; a Dortmunder from Shiner. The typical “Dort” should be reflect a balance between malt and hops, with the bitterness being a bit more assertive than a typical Bavarian Helles lager (e.g. Ayinger Jahrhundert Bier). This beer gave off a lemony aroma with some slight mint thrown in. The beer felt slick on the tongue and finished pretty clean, even after a sweet malty middle. Rob Absten called the beer “Inoffensive” and Alan Gore commented that it was nothing special. We all deemed this beer a “Transitional beer” that you could give to one of your light-lager buddies, not the truly substantial “Working Man’s beer” that is a true Dortmunder…

The star of the show was definitely Shiner’s Bohemian Black Lager. Everyone on the panel has had “familiar relations” with this beer when it was known as Shiner “97”, released four years ago as the brewery’s annual special release. We liked it then and we like it now. We are glad they decided to brew the beer as part of the permanent line-up. This beer pours nearly opaque with a thin viscosity and wispy tan head. Green apple is slight in the aroma along with subdued roasty aromas. The beer is smooth and roasty but not burnt. The beer’s light to medium body is supported by bright carbonation and then finishes dry and clean.

We all felt as if we finally completed our due diligence as beer critics; it was about time we sat down with a few beers from two generally underwhelming breweries (underhwhelm-ling in the case of Yuengling). The results of the tasting proves though that you can teach an old dog some new tricks - if they want to learn…

I just ran into P-G, the owner of Charleston’s Boulevard Tavern on Kanawha Boulevard. He told me that he should be getting a few new beers tomorrow. The one I am really excited about is the Harpoon Limited Release 100 Barrel Series “Island Bay Oyster Stout”. Yes Martha, they put oysters in beer… In all of my years as a beer-geek, this is one style that I have always wanted to taste but the opportunity has eluded me; until tomorrow!

Another beer will be the Irish Ale “Leviathan” release also from Harpoon which should also be interesting. P-G said they will carry Rogue’s Chocolate Stout on tap as of tomorrow also!

Sounds like a “meet-up” at the Boulevard Tavern tomorrow…

Although I am “humbly” listed as a co-founder of the West Virginia Craft Beer Appreciation Society, the real energy behind this organization is its true founder Travis Carrow of Morgantown. Travis was and still is a regular comment contributor on this blog but realized that the WV craft beer consumer needed a real forum; a place to discuss all issues beer. The WVCBAS was born.

WVCBAS made its mark as a real grass-roots beer consumer’s organization last week when Travis was given the podium at state’s house-chamber to speak out on behalf of all beer consumers against the proposed and preposterous 400% increase of the beer-barrel tax. The WVCBAS was put on equal time and footing with the likes of the state’s largest beer distributors and beer wholesaling organizations! The tax bill was killed in committee!

If you visit www.wvcbas.com, you will find plenty of information on the art of beer and brewing. There are plenty of forums with subjects ranging from beer availability, announcements for new beer availability and even soundtrack suggestions while brewing! I occasionally post informative articles and reviews, as well (I can because I am a co-founder after-all). The organization is free to join and who knows, you might meet a few new friends on one of the many forums. The website has recently gone under a complete revamp and looks really sweet.

Our first big event has been announced on the website. The “Spring Feast of Ales” is a seven course beer paired dinner at Morgantown’s Richwood Grill. Chef Marion Ohlinger and I will be presenting the pairings. Don’t forget to make your reservations!

[Posted with iBlogger from my iPhone]

I have put together a “Beer Discovery” trip to Germany (Bavaria) for September. The trip takes through some of the best beer cities in Bavaria for the best beer-drinking experience anywhere! This is space-limited trip and will be closely escorted by me. I have also set-up three VIP tours; two of them are brewery tours and one is through one of the largest and best known malt producers in the world (they also have a small brewery inside).

Download the information sheet by clicking below…

bavaria-2010-3.pdf

Oh, don’t get me started! Many of you that know me know that I am a Libertarian and a fiscal conservative, but no matter what color pajamas you wear; the type of tax-mania that is currently being proposed on beer by certain members of the West Virginia Legislature has to have you seeing red!

Ok, so here’s the story. Delegate Bill Hamilton from Upshur County has had to bear the unfortunate reality that his son has a substance abuse problem. He doesn’t really say which substance, I am sure it’s not wood, paper or plastic. Anyway, this guy has had a rough ride and one of his “pet-projects” is to build substance abuse treatment centers in all (way too many) 55 counties in the state. First of all there are a few of those 55 counties out there that barely have 55 people, but that’s another rant!

Delegate Hamilton’s idea is obviously not “good-enough” because if it were, its benefits would be self-evident and this guy could  justify the project be undertaken and paid from the general treasury. No, this is a “pet-project”… This guy needs to find a “whipping boy”, so he (and his co-sponsors) want to tax the beer consumer and only the beer consumer! They call it a barrel-tax, or a tax on beer, but folks it’s a tax on the beer consumer!  Barrels can’t reach in to their pockets and whip out the 22 bucks that they will need to fulfill the tax burden. Please… We all SHOULD know by now that all taxes on production, corporations, excises and tariffs are passed through to the consumer; so let’s quit talking about “the barrel” for a minute…

Currently “we” are taxed at $5.50 per barrel (31 gallons). They will quickly remind you that the tax has been $5.50 since 1966, but that fact isn’t relevant to this particular issue. The original bill HB4253, proposed the tax be doubled. Then an amended version by almost the same group of thieves, proposed a quadrupling of the tax! Most politicos that I know feel that this higher number was a hedge so the debate would cause an acceptance of the original bill as a compromise. “Honey, would it be OK if I went to Aruba with the four hotties from the office… No? Ok then I will only go with two of them…”

The other issue that frosts me here is that the entire tax burden for this “Pet Project” will be put on the beer consumer only! And another thing- The substance abuse problems in this state are much more “prescription drug-abuse and Meth” centric than they are alcohol related. But even a tax levied on all alcohol for such a folly would be wrong. This guy needs to make a case for his program and attain widespread funding from the general treasury; heck I might even support it then!

Here are verbatim responses from representatives of the West Virginia Beer Wholesalers Association that I received upon request…

“West Virginia Beer Wholesalers are against any increase on the beer excise tax. This is a tax on the hard working men and women in West Virginia. In this difficult economy, the American beer consumer pays more than 40 percent of the total tax burden on beer. Nearly 50 percent of all beer in the U.S. is purchased by consumers with household incomes less than $50,000. An increase in excise taxes would impact hardworking men and women who are facing difficult times in this challenging economy. West Virginia Beer Wholesalers feels we should not be single out to pay for the substance abuse programs. West Virginia beer distributors are deeply rooted in their community and provide good wages and company provided benefits including healthcare to their employees.” – James Wilson

“As it now stands the WV beer drinker pays more in taxes than almost all of those in neighboring states.  Raising taxes will raise the ultimate price. Higher prices here will cause many consumers to go across the border to buy beer in the cheaper areas and we will suffer lower sales and probably some falloff in tax revenue by virtue of the out of state purchases.  There are some studies that show that when consumers cross state lines to purchase products because a product is cheaper in the one state there is an additional loss of sales of other items because when the out of state purchase is made the consumer frequently buys other things at the same time. For example if someone comes to WV because our cigarettes are cheaper than Ohio they may and often do buy other goods at the same time.  In other words, our border county retailers will suffer a loss of beer sales if the quadruple tax increase is adopted.  Those retailers will also suffer a loss in sales of other products at the same time.  I believe that approximately 50% of our total population lives in our border counties.  The increase in tax alone will drive up the price of beer and that will reduce the actual sales and thus the state will have a diminished return on the base amount of the existing tax.  The tax is fundamentally unfair for another reason. Raising taxes on beer (without looking at spirits, wines, and/or drugs for revenue) to fund drug treatment is sort of like placing a tax on bicycles because we are having too many car wrecks.  We don’t contest the need for drug treatment centers.  There is an epidemic and something must be done. There should be more of a focus on the demand side instead of attacking  a small segment of the supply side as the fix for a social problem of huge proportions.  We are willing to work with all the interested parties to fashion a meaningful plan to address the issue but to single out the beer industry and tax the beer drinker to pay for treatment of those addicted to hard drugs like crack cocaine, meth, heroine, and Oxycontin is illogical and short sighted.” – James Casey

Click here to read the bill and see the sponsoring Delegates…

All of us need to make our feelings known to our own delegates and Senators!

I have to thank all the buzz and chatter online, or I would have been really late to the party that is Samuel Adam’s spring seasonal release “Noble Pils”. I picked up a six-pack earlier today at Kroger and couldn’t wait to taste it for myself. I didn’t go it alone, however. One of the esteemed members of the “Beers to You” tasting panel also happens to be my next door neighbor, so I called Charles Bockway to invite him over for a spontaneous tasting and luckily he was available.

So you may be wondering why it’s called “Noble” and what’s the big deal, it’s just another Pilsner, right? Well first of all, good pilsner beers are very tasty finds. Don’t be fooled by the years of brainwashing by the macro brewers, Bud and Miller are nothing like an actual Bohemian (Czech) Pilsner beer. This beer’s “Nobility” is bestowed upon it by the generous use of the finest hops in the world, grown on German and Czech soil and commonly referred to as “Noble Hops”. There are four basic varieties of noble hops, Tettnager, Hallertau, Saaz and Spalt. Samuel Adams uses all of these along with a closely related off-shoot of Bavarian Hallertau called Hersbrucker (The same finishing hop used in Samuel Adams Boston Lager).  

“Noble” hop varieties are known for their very high aroma and flavor qualities and not so much on their bittering powers. Just a few years ago, there was a worldwide hop shortage due to a perfect storm of factors and these noble varieties were especially scarce; if those shortages were still in effect, this beer would cost three times more than I paid. I am thankful the hop supply is bouncing back and we can celebrate with a fine, nobly-hopped beer!

We poured the Noble Pils into a genuine Samuel Adams Boston lager glass, figuring that it would work its magic on this beer just as well as it does for the Boston Lager. The beer was crystal clear and was deep-golden in color, with pin-head sized bubbles forming a white, frothy head. We took our beer’s temperature and it measured 53 degrees F, a tiny bit on the warm side for such a beer, but a good temperature to test drink-ability.  The aroma of earthy hops was evident before I even picked-up the glass.  The very fresh aroma of hops could transport your imagination to the hop fields of Bavaria or Bohemia.

The beer is medium bodied and does have a firm malt character, though it is near perfect in balance, epitomizing the brewer’s art. This is “drink-ability” folks, not the flavorless swill that has been purveyed to us for years as “you fill in the buzz word”. This beer packs in so much rounded hop and malt flavor and yet still posts a respectably “session-able” 5.2%abv, just a little stronger than your typical macro-swill.

This beer is a tribute to the finest “old world” beers that are brewed in local breweries all over Bavaria and the Czech Republic. These “old world” styles are often under-appreciated, especially by many of the recently converted “hop-heads” here in the USA. I am not trying to impugn the sensibilities of the average American beer-geek or the American craft brewer who explores the realm of uber-hoppiness; these beers have their place and are enjoyed my many, including myself. Samuel Adams Noble Pils explores the subtle flavors and aromas of “Humulus Lupulus”, working well within the palate and olfactory sensory range. This beer puts the emphasis on the quality of the hops, not the quantity (though it is amply hopped)!  Charles made the comment that the typical German would like this beer and I agree. This is the stuff of a sunny afternoon in a shady biergarten, with the ability to “drink-well” from the first cool sip to the last warm one! Well done Boston Beer! We love this beer!

On a recent Monday evening while many of you were snuggled-up at home, probably staring into the abyss that is TV or Facebook, The Beers to You tasting panel was hard at work in an undisclosed (and unheated) location. Our mission was to try to make sense of this whole “grow your own” or “estate grown” trend that has influenced the seasonal craft-beer selections as of late.

Though the “Grown your Own” thing seems on the surface to be “Green” and sort of a “Slow foody” trend, we wanted to taste these beers for ourselves to see if the flavor matches up to the premium price they are commanding. For me, it all comes down to flavor… Beer will never be a “Green” product; the energy used to manufacture beer, from malting, mashing, boiling and chilling, makes beer production a huge beneficiary of the inventions and processes of the industrial revolution. You can thank brewing for refrigeration and pasteurization for instance and luckily so far, the brewing industry has been given a pass by environmental activists… Enough Said.

Both beers claim that the hops, Barley and water have been sourced, grown and processed on the grounds at or near the brewery and both breweries use“house yeast”. This is why the brewers say that these beers have their own “terroir” or the essence of their “Earth”. Winemakers have referred to terroir as a differentiating characteristic for centuries and in my opinion, terroir is more evident and effectual for grapes than it is for the ingredients in beer.  I think claiming “terroir” in beer is a stretch, except maybe for the characteristics contributed by the local water supply, but almost every brewer these days, treats the water for the desired effects of flavor and mash efficiency. I don’t believe the characteristics of the local soil carry through in the barley and hops, especially after malting and isomerization (extraction of the hop oils in the kettle); it’s torturous path through the brewery unlike the simple grape that is crushed and pressed to make wine.

The first beer on the list is the Sierra-Nevada Chico Estate harvest ale, a 6.7%abv beer that pours with a medium body and nice soapy head. The beer is fairly clear for a beer that is so generously hopped. The aroma of fresh hops is very evident. All of us noted that the aroma was not a typical Pacific Northwest hop aroma; the citrus was there but there were some earthy and woody aromas that blended in. BTY panel member Charles Bockway noted that the grassy, fresh-hop aroma that was so evident in Sierra’s “wet Hopped” ale was not evident in this beer. The same hop flavors that were in the aroma carried through the beer all the way to a bitter but balanced finish. The malt flavors in this beer played a bigger role than with Sierra Nevada ales of the past. The entire panel agreed that the malt complexity (Bready, caramel and slightly sweet) was really good and made this beer very, very drinkable.

Other Panel Comments:

Alan Gore-Very Balanced and Drinkable…

Rob Absten- A bit sweet up front (Had characteristics of Bigfoot Barley-Wine)

Tim Lepley- The aroma was a bit “catty” but the overall beer was good

On to beer number two, Rogue Brewery’s Chatoe Rogue Dirtoir Black Lager. This beer pokes a bit of fun at the “Grow Your Own” concept by declaring that the beer reflects the “Dirtoir” of the growing area. This lager is extremely dark and pours with a creamy tan head. The beer appears to be very viscous and thick, in fact Alan Gore commented that it looked like motor oil. This 5.9% abv beer though, is surprisingly light to medium bodied but the dark beer actually coats the glass! One thing that has me scratching my head is that the ingredients list includes Carafa II dark malt, which is a patented process and a trade name of Weyermann malting in Bavaria, so this beer couldn’t be 100% “Chatoe” grown. The Carafa malt along with the chocolate malts used give this beer a distinct moch-coffee finish. This would be a very good beer to pair with dark chocolate desserts. The intense roasty flavors take their toll on the palate after a while, which leads us to think this is a one serving per night type of brew. Alan went as far as saying that he wouldn’t buy this beer and Tim and Rob both thought of burnt toast (With Rob Absten going as far as calling out “burnt Wonder-Bread”). I often find Rogue beers interesting studies, but many are “one-beer and I’m done” kind of beers.

Okay, so I have droned on and written a lot about a two-beer tasting, so what’s the verdict? I would say that these beers stand on their own flavor, regardless if they are “Chatoe” or “Estate” grown. I wouldn’t pay a premium on that fact alone. The Sierra Beer was especially expensive, I purchased the 24oz bottle at Whole Foods in Dublin, OH and it cost me nearly eleven bucks! It was a very good beer, but I would have to really think again about laying down that much dough for home-grown-liquid-bread…

Starr Hill’s founder and brewer Mark Thompson will be the first to tell you that he doesn’t often host beer dinners in such classy venues as the Bridge Road Bistro. So if you were sitting on the other side enjoying dinner at the Bistro on Thursday, the commotion you heard was just Starr-Hill’s brew master regaling us with plenty of beer information spiced up with a good dose of irreverent humor. I only hope you didn’t choke on your glass of wine when Mark’s call for a “Boo-Ya” resonated above the tame ambiance of the entire dining room (The dining area was sectioned-off for the Starr-Hill event).

There was some seriously good food served-up with all of the fun and beery pontification. Chef Robert Wong did his homework, tasting each beer far in advance so he could expertly pair his menu with the beer. The only beer he wasn’t able to taste ahead of time was Starr Hill’s award-winning dry stout called “Dark Starr”. The stout was harmoniously paired with a chocolate and caramel pot’d crème.

Based on an informal survey at my table of seven people, The Jamaican-jerk marinated skate wing served on top of plantain mashers was a favorite. The Starr-Hill amber, bready-malt flavors worked well with the richness of the plantains and cut through the jerk seasonings to pull off a very complex pairing.

The staff at the Bistro was very attentive to detail and the kitchen and service team leaders were very interested in mingling with all of us to hear our feedback and listen to what we had to say, including Chef Wong.

I hope we see more of these dinners from the Bistro in the future.

Ken Linch of Bridge Brew Works in Fayetville has posted some good news on the West Virginia Craft Beer Appreciation Society’s web-forum (www.wvcbas.com)

“I’m very happy to annouce that Bridge Brew Works will have it’s first two beers on tap at Pies and Pints this afternoon - Long Point (lager) and Bridge Brew (ale).  It is open mic night tonight at P&P’s”

Ken Linch
Bridge Brew Works

I will try to visit them ASAP and report back!

In Other News…

The Marietta Times is reporting that Marietta Brewing Company has been sold at auction. The buyer is local businessman Dave Broughton, whom if my memory serves me correctly, was an original founder of MBC. The Times has a quote or two from former Brewer Kelly Sauber where he indicates that he will return after the brewery re-opens. More good news indeed!