Pacific Coast Brewing’s 18th annual holiday beer tasting will be held at the brewery in downtown Oakland on December 9, from Noon until 4:00 p.m. Tickets are $40. Call 510.836.2739 for reservations. If you’re planning on going, make your reservations to be there now, because it will sell out quickly.
12.9
Pacific Coast Brewing’s Taste of Holiday Beers (18th annual)
Pacific Coast Brewing, 906 Washington Street, Oakland, California
510.836.2739 [ website ]
Wednesday night, Drake’s Brewing had a fun little event at the Toronado called Seven Different Jolly’s, where they had seven different versions of their holiday beer, Jolly Rodger, from four different years. The recipe changes from year to year, and in ’05 they did two different styles, plus two years some of the beer was aged in wood, which accounts for why there were seven different beers. Both of Drake’s brewers, Rodger Davis and Melissa Myers, were on hand. I had the kids in tow since my S.O. was in Florida for the week, which meant I couldn’t stay all night, and as a consequence my notes are rather brief. But it was a very fun tasting.
The 21A Gals were kind enough to mind my daughter Alice, who had just woken up from a nap.
The seven Jolly Rodgers, in order from left to right the way we tasted them.
Rodger tasted me, and fellow beer scribe William Brand of the Oakland Tribune, on all seven of the beers. [the descriptions in the gray boxes are the ones provided by Drake’s.]
2003
A Scotch Ale. Based on the early 1800’s way of taxing ales, where more Shillings were charged to higher gravity ales, this would be considered ”120 Shilling” Ale. Big and malty from the addition of roasted barley this beer is balanced with two hop additions of East Kent Golding. The beer was then fermented at 50°F to keep the ester formation low so the malt would shine through. 9%ABV 30 IBUs
First up was the oldest of the gang, the 2003 version, a strong ale which was reminiscent of an imperial something, and though I hesitate to say it, over time the flavor seems to have migrated toward stout-like characteristics, no doubt from the roasted barley. Time also seems to have given it oak-like qualities though Rodger assures me it’s never touched wood. Regardless, it has very complex flavors and tastes nothing like I remember it three years ago.
2003 Barrel Aged
In the early 1800’s Scottish brewers would transfer their ales to barrels where they would condition for up to two years. Often these beers would sour over time from bacteria in the barrels. The 2003 Scotch Ale was placed into a Brandy barrel for 18 months. This version has a slight sourness to it but is quite complex with the many different wine-like aromas that come at you. 11% ABV 30 IBU’s
The scotch ale has become much more sour during it’s stay at casa leño, almost on the order of a Flemish sour. It has also added additional complexity, if that’s possible, and has a grittier mouthfeel.
2004
An American-style Red Ale. Think of it as a dark IPA. After 2003’s version we found the need to get back into a hoppy style but wanted to create a beer that had a firm malt backbone as well. Roasted barley lends a nice mahogany color as well as a nice roasted malt flavor. Hops: Horizon, Chinook and Centennial. 9.5% ABV 70 IBUs
Time has, as is be expected, muted the hop character and brought out the malt complexity. The alcohol also comes through loud and clear.
2005-A
An Imperial IPA. This is a very big beer. Crystal malt lends a nice ruby red backdrop to an onslaught of hops. How many pounds of different kinds of hops can you throw at a beer and still make it somewhat drinkable? It turns out a lot! Hops: Horizon, Simcoe, Cascade and Columbus. 11.5% ABV 80 IBU’s
This is still quite the hop bomb, and the Simcoe character is immediately apparent and dominant. It’s tasting surprisingly fresh, though the spicy hop oils scorch the tongue going down.
2005-B
An Old Ale. For our 15th Anniversary we decided to brew two different versions of Jolly Rodger, one a hop bomb and the other would be Roger Lind’s original recipe from 1990. So we broke out his original brew sheet and used his ingredients and threw our own brewing techniques at it. What we ended up with is a well-balanced ale that is lightly hopped with Galena, East Kent Goldings and Willamette hops. 9.5%ABV 40 IBU’s
I don’t have much in the way of notes for this beer. It tasted good, but reminded me a bit more of a barleywine than a true old ale, probably because it was at the upper end of alcohol content for the style. Of course, the two are related styles.
2005-B Barrel Aged
This is the Old Ale that was placed into an Apple Brandy barrel for 12 months. The first few months of aging, the beer was dominated by a green apple aroma with much of it slipping in to the flavor. Over time that has taken a backseat to the French oak the barrel is made of with apple Brandy notes reminding you what the barrels past was. 11%ABV 40 IBU’s
The Brandy barrel gave this beer sharper, almost biting flavors, and big fruity esters. The wood does indeed shine through, as does the increased alcohol.
Rodger with this year’s Jolly Rodger.
2006
An Imperial IPA. We have discovered that if hops are not used in the Jolly Rodger these days, then people become enraged. So here we go with another hop bomb. This one stems from a conversation with Pat McIlhenney (owner/brewer of Alpine Brewing) when he mentioned that he used a whopping two pounds of dry hops per barrel in his outstanding Duet beer. Most of our Imperial IPAs were about one pound per barrel! So what the hell, let’s see what that will do to one of our beers. Thanks for the advice Pat! This one REALLY goes to eleven!! Hops: Warrior, Simcoe, Summit, and Amarillo. 11%ABV 70 IBU’s
Rodger told me he used only a little of the new Summit hop, but its signature oniony aromas was the first thing I noticed in this beer. It is another hop bomb, very aromatic and only slightly restrained by the malt. I expect time will soften the hops and bring out the 2-row malt. He’ll also be doing another batch (which will be designated 2006-B) of the Jolly Rodger shortly and will substitute the Summit with Ahtanum hops.
Porter and Alice kept happily occupied watching Star Wars on a friend’s iPod, while we tasted the beers.
Rodger looking more jolly than usual, a welcome sight. It must be the just married glow.
As pointed out to me by Lew Bryson, the Philadelphia Inquirer yesterday had a fairly decent article on local winter seasonal beers along with a descriptive list of the beers profiled. It was written by Brian Rademaekers, a staff writer at the paper, proving it can be done well.
The 32nd release of Anchor’s “Our Special Ale,” the official name of their annual Christmas Ale, takes place today and the seasonal beer will be available through January. The traditional date for the release of Anchor’s Christmas Ale was always the Monday before Thanksgiving, making it one of latest releases for the holidays. However, demand for the beer and requests from wholesalers and retailers led them to move back the release date to early November. While I’m generally not a fan of the expansion of the Christmas season to November 1, and some instances even before, this is one case where I can make an exception. Having this beer available even a few weeks longer is definitely a good thing!
From the press release:
The brewers of Anchor Steam® Beer are proud to announce the release of our thirty-second annual “Christmas Ale.”
Every year since 1975 the brewers at Anchor have brewed a distinctive and unique “Christmas Ale,” which is available from early November to mid-January. The Ale’s recipe is different every year—as is the tree on the label—but the intent with which we offer it remains the same: joy and celebration of the newness of life. Since ancient times, trees have symbolized the winter solstice when the earth, with its seasons, appears born anew.
This year’s featured tree is the Fagus sylvatica, more commonly known as the European Beech.
Today is the 18th anniversary of the first release of Full Sail Brewing’s holiday beer, Wassail.
Full Sail’s holiday favorite was inspired by the traditional English wassail, which is a “spiced ale or mulled wine drunk during celebrations for Twelfth Night and Christmas Eve.” The word itself’s origin is Old Norse and is a contraction of the Old English toast “wæs þu hæl,” or “be thou hale!” (“be in good health“).
The Wassail Page has some great history and information about wassailing. Their aim is to “seek the true revelry and rant so absent from modern celebration. [They] seek an older time when the human spirit shouted for joy in the winter creating a festive gift which could not be purchased and could hardly be wrapped.”
Traditional Wassail celebrations were most commonly associated with Twelfth Night Eve and Twelfth Night celebrations, though in modern times is has been expanded to include the entire holiday season. In addition to the wassail drink, there are numerous customs surrounding Wassail, including “singing, mumming, guessing games and begging to enter a house.” Three distinct celebrations involving the Wassail are known. In the first, the wassail is used like a loving cup and passed around inside a house while singing carols. Secondly, you can take the wassail from house to house in a group. And the third, though less common, method involves the blessing of nature.
Here’s an old wassail song from around 1833:
The nut-brown ale, the nut-brown ale,
Puts downe all drinke when it is stale,
The toast, the nut-meg, and the ginger,
Will make a sighing man a singer,
Ale gives a buffet in the head,
“But ginger under proppes the brayne;
When ale would strike a strong man dead,
Then nut-megge temperes it againe,
The nut-brown ale, the nut-brown ale,
Puts downe all drinke when it is stale-
From the press release:
“We have brewed Wassail every holiday season since 1988 and it’s now as much a part of the festivities as sharing a roaring fire with our closest family and friends,” reminisced Jamie Emmerson, Full Sail’s brewmaster. “Deep mahogany in color, Wassail is brewed with four different malts and a blend of imported hops, giving it a malty full body and a pleasantly hoppy finish that appeals to both hop and malt lovers alike. In other words, a Christmas miracle!”
Wassail was recently awarded another medal and was rated “Exceptional” at the 2006 World Beer Championships (WBC). It was described as, “Tremendously rich and dry – yet fruity and balanced – with rich roasted malt dry caramel, nuts and light spice… Perfectly balanced. Not too sweet; not too dry. Excellent!” Wassail previously won a platinum medal and a “superlative” rating at the 2005 WBC, a gold medal at the 2004 WBC, and three silver medals in 1999, 2000 and 2001.
New Belgium Brewing‘s tasty Frambozen Raspberry Brown Ale has been released for the holidays again this year, and will be available in select markets until the end of the year. At previous Celebrator tastings, we’ve given it high marks. Last year we described as:
Strong raspberry fruit aroma with red tinged amber color. Rich tart raspberry flavor with good hop presence that nicely balances. Effervescent creaminess and a lingering finish.
And in 2004:
Sweet fruity berry nose and reddish-amber color with a tan head. Great sweet fruit flavor with nice balance and a clean finish.
I always felt the brown ale sweetened slightly with fruit works very well. It’s a nice twist on Belgian lambics, a mix of the idea of those beers with the caramel, often nutty, flavors of a brown ale. I’m looking forward to seeing these samples in the mailbox.
And how about this great quote they included in the sale sheet, from Stephen Beaumont, writing in Esquire.
“More and more American men are downing big, bold, ungirly fruit beers. Typical is the seasonal Frambozen from new belgium Brewing Company, a raspberry brown ale made for Colorado winters, with a massive taste and a face-slapping 6.3% (this year it’s 7%) alcohol.”
From the press release:
Experiencing Frambozen begins with the aroma of fresh red raspberries, followed by the ripe seductiveness of a fruity brown ale with depth and delicate notes. Frambozen, New Belgium’s traditional winter seasonal, is inspired by the Framboise beers of Belgium, where the use of raspberries as a beer adjunct outdates the universal acceptance of hops.
Frambozen is deep ruby in color, with flavors just as rich. With the fruit as the integral ingredient, its name is derived from the Flemish word for raspberries. Every year, New Belgium sends delegates to Salem, Oregon to oversee the process of turning freshly picked berries from northern Washington into a pure juice that is loaded into oxygen-free CO2 tanker trucks that make the journey back to Colorado. The end result is a delicious, complex beer that is delivered on time to complement holiday meals.
“We have made a conscious decision to process the raspberries into a single strength, straight juice with nothing added,” said Bill Hepp, a brewer with New Belgium who takes the journey to Oregon annually. “As a pure juice, it is a whole food, with no taste or aroma lost in the concentration stage, which ultimately makes the beer that much better.”
Frambozen is available in certain New Belgium markets now through the beginning of the New Year.
Beginning next Monday, October 30, an Arrogant Bastard Ale that uses American Oak Chips will hit the stores. This is the third year now that Stone Brewing has made available this oaked version of their popular Arrogant Bastard. And this year, Oaked Arrogant Bastard will be available for the first time in 12-oz, bottles sold in six-packs.
From the press release:
This year the OAKED is determined to make its presence known even more. How? By fitting in your hand. This year we’ve crammed, forced, shoved and cajoled the OAKED Arrogant Bastard Ale into itty bitty tiny little 12oz bottles. It did not go willingly. Some Stone peeps got hurt. More emotionally, than physically, but it was definitely both. This means that six packs of OAKED Arrogant Bastard Ale are ready and they’ll begin hitting store shelves along side the Double Bastard Ale on Monday, October 30th.
Be cautious. As always. Neither the OAKED Arrogant Bastard Ale, nor the Double Bastard Ale like being bottled up. The OAKED is feeling especially put out about the whole experience, so it is suggested that you either be extraordinarily polite to it (which we’ve been told doesn’t work all that well…dunno…we’ve never tried that route ourselves), or move in with equal or greater arrogance to keep the beer in check. Good luck whichever approach you choose. You will need it.
Oaked Arrogant Bastard, now available in six-packs.
Stoudt’s Brewing of Adamstown, Pennsylvania has announced expansion plans. According to their press release, at the end of the year they will increase the size of their fermentation cellar by 25%.
And by the holiday season, 750 ml cork finished bottles will return with the release of two styles. Fat Dog Imperial Oatmeal Stout and Old Abominable Barleywine, both aged in whiskey barrels, will be available at the brewery.
Also, Stoudt’s holiday seasonal this year will be Chocolate Nut Brown Winter Ale. “This cocoa infused, highly aromatic brew will be tapped in November.”
Stoudt’s Brewery in Adamstown, Pennsylvania
Bluegrass Brewing’s beer, Hell for Certain, has been out before but something caught my eye in a short article about it’s impending re-release (perhaps seasonally) in the Louisville, Kentucky Courier-Journal. It seems the Belgian-style ale is named for an actual town in Leslie County, Kentucky whose name really is “Hell for Certain.” If you were born there, would you assume you were damned from the get go? Are there many churches there? How would you explain to people that you were born in hell? Ah, the possibilities are endless.
Laughing Dog Brewing of Ponderay, Idaho (the Sandpoint area) announced the release of their newest ale, a Huckleberry Cream Ale. The summer season, which will be available in six-packs and on draft through August, was brewed with several hundred pounds of crushed huckleberries. You can read all about it in the Bonner County Daily Bee.
Co-owner Fred Colby with his new Huckleberry Cream Ale.
Huckleberries
Wikipedia has some information about huckleberries, which are only grown in the Pacific Northwest region of the U.S. There’s also more about them at Northwest Berry.