Brookston Beer Bulletin

Jay R. Brooks on Beer

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Tomme “Moses” Arthur Releases 10 Commandments

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Tomme “Moses” Arthur, Director of Brewing Operations for Port Brewing and the Lost Abbey, today announced their newest seasonal release. The new seasonal is called the Ten Commandments, a big, complex beer to mark their first anniversary.

From the press release:

While not exactly descending the mountain with two stone tables, Port Brewing / Lost Abbey’s award-winning brewmaster Tomme Arthur did make his mark on the craft beer world today with the release of Ten Commandments, a Belgian-style dark farmhouse brewed with raisins, fresh rosemary and honey. As an added twist, a secondary wild yeast was also added to the brew during bottling.

The craft brewer’s anniversary issue, Ten Commandments is a mocha-garnet-colored ale that offers a rich, rustic texture with strong notes of banana and fig, invoking the complexity and character of the artisanal beers of the southern Belgian countryside.
“I’ve always been inspired by the unpredictability and artistic style of Belgian ales like Fantôme’s Black Ghost,” said head brewer Tomme Arthur. “In creating Ten Commandments I wanted to emulate that perspective but add an unexpected touch. Using mercurial yeast like Brettanomyces in combination with raisins, herbs and honey delivers a pleasant, full-bodied profile and mélange of flavors unlike any other beer.”

Ten Commandments is 9 percent alcohol by volume and ships in 750ml cork-finished bottles. Brewed in limited quantities (280 cases in 2007) and released annually during the brewery’s anniversary, it is available directly from the brewery and in Port Brewing markets May through September.

About Port Brewing / Lost Abbey

Founded in 2006, Port Brewing Company produces a line of award-winning American ales as well as the groundbreaking Lost Abbey family of Belgian-inspired beers. Craft brewed under the direction of co-founder and two-time Great American Beer Festival brewer of the year, Tomme Arthur, four beers are issued under the Lost Abbey label year-round: Avant Garde, Lost and Found, Red Barn and Judgment Day. Additionally, a number of seasonal and specialty releases including Ten Commandments, Cuvee de Tomme and the Angel’s Share, are offered at various times throughout the year. As many of these are blended and aged for up to 18 months in French Oak, Brandy and Bourbon barrels, Lost Abbey beers are universally recognized for their complexity, unique flavors, and bold, boundary-pushing styles. Port Brewing is located at 155 Mata Way, Suite 104, San Marcos, CA 92069, USA., web: www.lostabbey.com.

Skinny Dipping Returns

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New Belgium’s seasonal Skinny Dip, which debuted least year, is returning this month through September as their summer seasonal. From the press release:

Skinny Dip, New Belgium Brewing’s summer seasonal beer, is back for an encore. Skinny Dip received an overwhelmingly warm reception in 2006, second only to the launch of Fat Tire.

The summer brew, with only 108 calories in each 12-ounce bottle, is an alternative to traditional “light” beers, with a unique and satisfying flavor. New Belgium Founder and tri-athlete Jeff Lebesch asked brewmaster Pater Bouckaert to formulate a beer that would quench his thirst after outdoor athletic endeavors – but have high-quality taste and body. Bouckaert responded with a bright blend of kaffir lime and sterling hops that makes Skinny Dip the full-bodied, figure friendly choice for the flavor-minded.

The result was a blazing success. In the summer of 2006, Skinny Dip sales grew 385% vs. prior year seasonal sales and positioned Skinny Dip as one of the top 15 craft brands in the entire U.S. (per IRI 13-week scans, 13-Aug-06), although it was distributed in only 15 states. Skinny Dip was one of the top three hottest craft brands in 13-Aug-06 IRI data, gaining 0.8 share within the blistering craft segment.

Skinny Dip is positioned to have another incredible year, as most markets placed orders early and for above-average stock

“Skinny Dip hit the mark in satisfying the need for a summertime beer that was low in calories but full of flavor,” said Bryan Simpson, spokesperson from New Belgium. “Last year we’re pleasantly surprised by its popularity and we’re looking forward to another great season.”

Making Hay While the Sun Shines

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The second of BridgePort’s new seasonal series will be out shortly. From the description, it sounds like it may be a good candidate for Lew Bryson’s “Session Beer Project.” We’ll know more, of course, when the samples start arriving.

BridgePort Brewing Co. is encouraging beer lovers to “Make hay while the sun shines,” an adage meaning to take advantage of any good opportunity that comes along. There’s no better truism for BridgePort’s new summer seasonal, Haymaker Extra Pale Ale: Haymaker is an ideal beer with which to take full benefit of the long summer days. Haymaker will appear on shelves and on draft the first part of May.

A refreshing extra pale ale, Haymaker features a distinct blend of four malts and three varieties of hops that create a slightly complex ale with a light body and a crisp finish. Its alcohol by volume of 5.3% complements the low bitterness — 15 bittering units — and original gravity of 12.8 degrees Plato. Bright golden in color, it can best be described as “sunshine in a glass.”

“We were looking to expand our seasonal lineup, and an extra pale ale was the ideal choice,” explained head brewmaster Karl Ockert. “We couldn’t be more pleased with the resulting color and flavor profile of the beer.”

Like the other two products in the BridgePort seasonal series, Haymaker’s packaging is a divergence from the BridgePort brand family. The beer’s label and six-pack carrier focus on a whimsical red rooster with a fiery crown standing upon a weathervane, set against the backdrop of a round sun bursting forth with rays of light. The rooster is tossing back an outline of a pint, which is filled with the golden sunlight. The blue sky and hay-colored fields evoke the warmth and imagery of summertime.

Haymaker is the second seasonal in a three part series, following BridgePort’s popular Beertown Brown. Haymaker will be available May through August, followed by Ebenezer Ale. The beer will be distributed in eight Western states: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Oregon, Idaho, Montana and Washington.

Two New Pelicans

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The award-winning Pelican Pub & Brewery, along Oregon’s coast in Pacific City, is releasing two new beers, a saison and a Grand Cru. Both are now on tap at the brewpub and also available bottle-conditioned.

The first, Saison du Pelican, is described as “a spicy, herbal aroma from the special Belgian yeast and Golding hops, and a snappy, refreshing finish, Saison du Pelican combines traditional flavors with excellent drinkability.”

The second is the Grand Cru de Pelican.

Grand Cru de Pelican is the result of inspiration, creativity, and imagination. With a nod to the great brewing traditions of Belgium, we have been inspired to create this dark, sensous brew. Grand Cru de Pelican entices with a rich, complex aroma, and satisfies with deep malty and caramel flavors. Spicy, aromatic flavors provide a harmonious counterpoint to the malty foundation of this robust beer. A snappy finish and medium-light body enhance the smooth drinkability of this beer.

From the press release:

“We’ve really had fun thinking out of the box in creating these beers. They are unlike anything we have brewed before,” said Headbrewer Darron Welch.

The brewers brought in a special Belgian yeast for the production of the beers. Each beer also utilizes unique ingredients. The Saison du Pelican includes spelt, an ancient grain, adding texture and dryness to the finish. The Grand Cru de Pélican includes 115 pounds of hand caramelized sugar. It took Brewery Manager Ben Love two days to carmelize the sugar, 15 pounds at a time. The complex caramel flavors in the beer prove that all the work was well worth it.

Once the initial fermentation finished, the brewers added more sugar and then hand-bottled and corked the beers. Inside the bottle, a second fermentation occurred, adding complexity and natural carbonation in the beers.

These bottle conditioned beers are available in limited edition 750 ml bottles. The bottles will be available at the Pelican Pub & Brewery and at selected bottle shops in Oregon. Beer fans outside Oregon can have the beer shipped to them through Belmont Station or Liquid Solutions.

New Belgium Springs Springboard for Spring

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New Belgium Brewing will be releasing their spring seasonal, Springboard, a unique beer made with oats, Mt. Hood hops, Schisandra (an ancient Chinese herb), Gogi berries, and wormwood. Then it’s blended with a small amount of one of New Belgium’s other beers aged in wood.

According to the press release, “Springboard opens with fruity berry-like tones, has a spirited, tart threshold and ends with a dry, crisp finale. It’s partially filtered, resulting in a cloudy blonde appearance, and moderate body. Springboard was created to satisfy our desire to introduce new flavors and produce a spring seasonal that is innovative and inspiring,” said Brewmaster Peter Bouckaert. “Springboard maintains an equilibrium that keeps it balanced and easy to enjoy.”

Springboard will be available on draft and in bottles from the end of February into April.

Strong Beer Month Coming

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Beginning on February 1, 21st Amendment Brewery and Magnolia Pub & Brewery, both in San Francisco, will team up again to host their fifth annual Strong Beer Month. Each brewpub will create five new and different seasonal beers — and if you haven’t figured it out yet, they’ll all be strong — that will be available at the two locations throughout February. Sample them all, and you’ll receive some sort of prize. I stopped by 21A this morning after waiting in line nearby to get an expedited passport (long story) and sampled a couple of the new brews, one of which was still aging in the brewery.

First, there was St. Martin’s Abbey Ale, a decidedly Chimay-like beer with nice chocolate notes. Second, and perhaps more interesting, was a Belgian strong ale that had been blended with a small amount (around 10 gallons per 300) of Lindemans Framboise which itself had been aged in an oak barrel. At 10% abv, the new beer’s strength is neatly masked by the lambic’s sweetness, which is evident in abundance. The thick malt presence comes through but only a hint of sourness peeks out of the sides. But the lambic sweetness and the Belgian strong combine to create something fairly unique. I’m not quite sure what yet, but more tasting is definitely in order.

Unfortunately, it will be hard to order because, so far, the beer has no name. Given the brewpub’s close proximity to [insert current corporate name here] Stadium, where the San Francisco Giants play, and the fact that the beer reminded me of a framboise on steroids, I suggested “Berry Bonds.” Despite the look brewer Shaun O’Sullivan shot me, I’m going to continue to call it that, though I’m pretty confident that will not end up being its official name. Too bad, I liked it.

Full Sail’s LTD Series

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Full Sail Brewing of Hood River, Oregon announced a new limited series of beers to celebrate their 20th anniversary. The “LTD Series” 01 will be released this month.

From the press release:

Hood River, Or – For the last year the Full Sail brew-masters have been working to develop a special line of beers to celebrate their 20th anniversary. “We are proud to announce our ‘LTD Series’ bringing to our customers new import-style beers in an elegant yet delightfully fun packaging,” said Irene Firmat, Full Sail’s Founder and CEO. The LTD Series is Full Sail’s entry into the fastest growing craft beer category — Seasonal Beers.

“Our Seasonal line emphasizes and builds on our brand mantra – both the world class quality of our beers (LTD – Limited Edition) and our celebration of independence (LTD – Live the Dream),” continued Firmat. The LTD series will be available in six-packs and will begin shipping from the brewery December 2006.

The newly designed bottle labels describe LTD Bottling 01, as an easy drinking, albeit wicked awesome limited edition lager. Featured on the six-pack is a “Malt-O-Meter” that will tell you at a glance that LTD is a medium bodied, copper colored lager with subtle hop accents, and a caramel aroma, that goes down smooth. For the beer aficionados, or the aspiring ones, the bottom of the six-pack features an easy to read chart of “Today’s Recipe”, including hop (Czech Saaz, Hallertauer) and malt varieties (caramel, chocolate and wheat), plato (16 degrees), I.B.U. (26), alcohol by volume (6.4) and even secret sauce! Full Sail will follow up LTD 01 with another new limited edition bottling LTD Number 02, this spring.

“2007 is our 20th year of being fortunate to be doing what we love, brewing beer. So we are dedicating LTD to everyone who’s living the dream, whatever that dream might be. Our dream was to start our own brewery, run it our own way, and do it in an unreal place where all summer the wind pumps and all winter the snow dumps,” said Firmat. “If you’re living your own dream, then cheers to you!”

The “LTD Series” will be available in six-packs this month. I din’t know if you can quite read it, but the six-pack carrier reads “From Our Ace Crew of Libationary Wunderkinds” and also a “An Easy-Drinking Albeit Wicked Awesome Limited Edition Lager.”

If You Happen to Be in Belgium …

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If you happen to be in Belgium next week, you should do whatever you have to to do to get to Essen for the 12th annual Kerstbierfestival. They’ll be tasting over 100 holiday and winter beers over the two-day festival.

And please note they use a cartoon on the poster. You know what would happen here in the U.S. if they did that, right? Neo-prohibitionists and state agencies would be falling over themselves to stop them from “appealing to kids.”

 

12.16-17

Kerstbierfestival (12th annual)
Heuvelhal, Kapelstraat 7, B-2910 Essen, Belgium
[ website ] [ in English ] [ Directions ]

Bay Area Holiday Beers Chronicled by English

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The Friday edition of the San Francisco Chronicle had a beer article about holiday beers by spririts writer Camper English, who I met at the Anchor Christmas party on Thursday. At least English’s article wasn’t an embarrasment like the Chronicle’s last beer article fiasco. He at least did a thorough job and there were no gaffes. I’d still like to see beer assignments go to beer writers wherever possible, but this does represent a leap forward for the perennially wine-obsessed newspaper. English is also the author of the book Party Like a Rockstar: Even When You’re Poor as Dirt.