On New Years Day at 5pm, Capital Ale House will be tapping two very special, limited edition kegs from Dogfish Head Brewery!
Dogfish Head World Wide Stout - 18.8% ABV for $10.50.
Dogfish Head Fort Delaware - 18% ABV for $10.50. (The world's strongest fruit {raspberry} beer.)
On Sunday, January 4th, CAH is hosting a Bell's Beer & Cheese Tasting. 5 Bells beers and 5 cheeses for $10.00 per person.
Next weeks Steal-the-Glass night (January 6th) is featuring Bells Brewery. They are going to have Bells Amber, Best Brown and Cherry Stout.
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Sunday, November 30, 2008
FABTS December Meeting and Homework
The December FABTS meeting is scheduled for December 13 at 1:30pm. Lyle and Robyn Brown have cordially invited us to their house for the meeting. The style of the month is obviously Christmas / Hanukkah / Winter beers. I know we'll have a few multi-year verticals (Mad Elf, Weyerbacher, Rouge's Santa's Private Reserve) and other great seasonal beers from this year. The plan is for this meeting to be a small Christmas meal, with food. Dave F said he would be willing to do a turkey breast. Everyone attending should plan on bringing something to snack on. I'm looking forward to it!
For security reasons, Lyle does not want to post his address. Anyone interested in attending the December FABTS meeting please send an email to the FABTS email list or leave a comment to this post and we'll make sure you get the address and directions.
As I was reading Dave Turley's blog, Musings Over a Pint, he ran across and article from the website Art of Drink. Entitled Imbibers One Hundred, the author has compiled a list of 100 drinks that he believes everyone should try, at least once. He writes:
Instructions:
1) Copy this list into your blog, with instructions.
2) Bold all the drinks you’ve imbibed.
3) Cross out any items that you won’t touch
4) Post a comment at Art of Drink and link to your results.
OR
If you don’t have a blog, just email the list of one's you've tried to the FABTS mailing list and post the number in the comments section.
List of Drinks You Must Try Before You Expire.
For security reasons, Lyle does not want to post his address. Anyone interested in attending the December FABTS meeting please send an email to the FABTS email list or leave a comment to this post and we'll make sure you get the address and directions.
As I was reading Dave Turley's blog, Musings Over a Pint, he ran across and article from the website Art of Drink. Entitled Imbibers One Hundred, the author has compiled a list of 100 drinks that he believes everyone should try, at least once. He writes:
Remember, this is just a list of things you should try, not the "best of the world" list. The list is about contrast and variation of flavour. I’m sure a few scotch addict’s, vodkaphiles and beeroholics will recommend a particular brand, but in most cases, this list is style specific, instead of brand specific. But please feel free to make recommendations.I thought it would be fun for all of us to play along and discuss this on the message board and at the meeting. I've got 47.
Instructions:
1) Copy this list into your blog, with instructions.
2) Bold all the drinks you’ve imbibed.
3) Cross out any items that you won’t touch
4) Post a comment at Art of Drink and link to your results.
OR
If you don’t have a blog, just email the list of one's you've tried to the FABTS mailing list and post the number in the comments section.
List of Drinks You Must Try Before You Expire.
- Manhattan Cocktail
- Kopi Luwak (Weasle Coffee)
- French / Swiss Absinthe
- Rootbeer
- Gin Martini
- Sauternes
- Whole Milk
- Tequila (100% Agave)
- XO Cognac
- Espresso
- Spring Water (directly from the spring)
- Gin & Tonic
- Mead
- Westvleteren 12 (Yellow Cap) Trappist Ale
- Chateau d’Yquem
- Budweiser
- Maraschino Liqueur
- Mojito
- Orgeat
- Grand Marnier
- Mai Tai (original)
- Ice Wine (Canadian)
- Red Bull
- Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice
- Bubble Tea
- Tokaji
- Chicory
- Islay Scotch
- Pusser’s Navy Rum
- Fernet Branca
- Fresh Pressed Apple Cider
- Bourbon
- Australian Shiraz
- Buckley’s Cough Syrup
- Orange Bitters
- Margarita (classic recipe)
- Molasses & Milk
- Chimay Blue
- Wine of Pines (Tepache)
- Green Tea
- Daiginjo Sake
- Chai Tea
- Vodka (chilled, straight)
- Coca-Cola
- Zombie (Beachcomber recipe)
- Barley Wine
- Brewed Choclate (Xocolatl)
- Pisco Sour
- Lemonade
- Speyside Single Malt
- Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee
- Champagne (Vintage)
- Rosé (French)
- Bellini
- Caipirinha
- White Zinfandel (Blush)
- Coconut Water
- Cerveza
- Cafe au Lait
- Ice Tea
- Pedro Ximenez Sherry
- Vintage Port
- Hot Chocolate
- German Riesling
- Pina Colada
- El Dorado 15 Year Rum
- Chartreuse
- Greek Wine
- Negroni
- Jägermeister
- Chicha
- Guiness
- Rhum Agricole
- Palm Wine
- Soju
- Ceylon Tea (High Grown)
- Belgian Lambic
- Mongolian Airag
- Doogh, Lassi or Ayran
- Sugarcane Juice
- Ramos Gin Fizz
- Singapore Sling
- Mint Julep
- Old Fashioned
- Perique
- Jenever (Holland Gin)
- Chocolate Milkshake
- Traditional Italian Barolo
- Pulque
- Natural Sparkling Water
- Cuban Rum
- Asti Spumante
- Irish Whiskey
- Château Margaux
- Two Buck Chuck
- Screech
- Akvavit
- Rye Whisky
- German Weissbier
- Daiquiri (classic)
Big FABTS update... Finally recovered from the Mead meeting in August.
It's been a while since the website was updated. After the August Mead meeting at Kybecca (and the two days it took to recover), we had an Octoberfest beers meeting at Virginia Wine Experience in September. I really liked the setup Edwin Wyant has upstairs for the tasting, it's like a cool little pub / bar scene. Nice and cozy. Lyle brought the last of his winning Sam Adams Long Shot First Place beer, Bamberg Hellerbock. We also had beers from Penn Brewing, Left Hand, Mendocino, Ayinger, Victory, Hacker-Pschorr, Starr Hill, Bethesda Rock Bottom, Sam Adams and Paulaner.
Our October meeting was held at Kybecca and the style of the month was Harvest beers. This was the first meeting I hadn't made in a while, so I don't have that much in the way of details. The members that were there enjoyed Dogfish Head Midas Touch, Redhook Late Harvest Ale, Bar Harbor Blueberry Ale and numerous Pumpkin Ales from Saranac, Cottonwood, Wild Goose, and Weyerbacher.
Lyle kept on his winning ways in October. His Rauch Heller-Bock, brewed with Star Hill Brewing for the Pro-Am competition at GABF, won a Silver Medal!! We have been treated to this beer numerous times at our meetings and everyone agrees it's a great beer. It would go perfect with any smoked-meats or barbeque. Lyle also won Best of Show at the Valhalla Mead Competition!
The Fredericksburg beer scene also got a great new hangout. The Capital Ale House finally opened downtown at 917 Caroline Street. It features an 80 ft. ice bar, a cold case at celler temperature down in the basement for public viewing, a private dining room and a place to hang out in the back to play games and darts. They print out their vast beer menu every Friday. There are 62 beers on Tap and 300 in the bottle. Monday nights are $1.00 hamburger / $1.50 cheeseburger night, Tuesday night is "Steal the Glass" night. There's a featured brewery and when you order their beer you can take home the logo glass. Wednesday night is Two for One Wings night. And finally, on Sunday for brunch it's American Micro day when the best of their domestic drafts goes for $3.00/pint until 5:00pm. The place has been packed since it opened. I hope it stays that way and they have great success. The FABTS group christened the place on Friday November 7, when Lyle's GABF Silver Medal beer, Smoke Out, was tapped.
Aaron Zaccagnino, aka Zacc, posted a great summary of the Fredericksburg Brewing Insiders (FBI) of their National Teach a friend to Home Brew Day at Blue and Gray Brewing Company. They had a respectable turn out; about 30 folks were interested in the displays and had loads of questions. Pat did a fabulous job with "Sample" table. He had bowls of the various grains that people could taste with information cards for them, and bowls of hops for people to smell to broaden their sensory appreciation. Outside the Brewery they made 6 gallons of wort for an American Blond Ale and had hot dogs for those who stuck around to watch them brew. Roxbury Farms and Garden had a great display of all things available for the beginner home brewer. They even had Kenny Hunter of Coffer Roasters of Fredericksburg Gourmet Coffee who had set up with samples as well. Sounds like they had a great time. If you're interested in brewing, in addition to FABTS, please look into attending an FBI meeting and visit their website at www.Fredhomebrew.org.
The November FABTS meeting featured beers that you would serve at Thanksgiving. This would included anything that goes well with the traditional foods of the day. Of course, there was much emphasis on turkey, but we didn't forget the pumpkin pie, stuffing, cranberries, mincemeat, and all the trimmings. There were a lot of Belgian-style Saisons and Biere de Gardes, as well as Tripels.
Phew! Lots of stuff happened since August. The one consistent thing I will leave you with is that all of us should do our best to support our local beer establisments and I will try to be better about keeping up with the posts.
Our October meeting was held at Kybecca and the style of the month was Harvest beers. This was the first meeting I hadn't made in a while, so I don't have that much in the way of details. The members that were there enjoyed Dogfish Head Midas Touch, Redhook Late Harvest Ale, Bar Harbor Blueberry Ale and numerous Pumpkin Ales from Saranac, Cottonwood, Wild Goose, and Weyerbacher.
Lyle kept on his winning ways in October. His Rauch Heller-Bock, brewed with Star Hill Brewing for the Pro-Am competition at GABF, won a Silver Medal!! We have been treated to this beer numerous times at our meetings and everyone agrees it's a great beer. It would go perfect with any smoked-meats or barbeque. Lyle also won Best of Show at the Valhalla Mead Competition!
The Fredericksburg beer scene also got a great new hangout. The Capital Ale House finally opened downtown at 917 Caroline Street. It features an 80 ft. ice bar, a cold case at celler temperature down in the basement for public viewing, a private dining room and a place to hang out in the back to play games and darts. They print out their vast beer menu every Friday. There are 62 beers on Tap and 300 in the bottle. Monday nights are $1.00 hamburger / $1.50 cheeseburger night, Tuesday night is "Steal the Glass" night. There's a featured brewery and when you order their beer you can take home the logo glass. Wednesday night is Two for One Wings night. And finally, on Sunday for brunch it's American Micro day when the best of their domestic drafts goes for $3.00/pint until 5:00pm. The place has been packed since it opened. I hope it stays that way and they have great success. The FABTS group christened the place on Friday November 7, when Lyle's GABF Silver Medal beer, Smoke Out, was tapped.
Aaron Zaccagnino, aka Zacc, posted a great summary of the Fredericksburg Brewing Insiders (FBI) of their National Teach a friend to Home Brew Day at Blue and Gray Brewing Company. They had a respectable turn out; about 30 folks were interested in the displays and had loads of questions. Pat did a fabulous job with "Sample" table. He had bowls of the various grains that people could taste with information cards for them, and bowls of hops for people to smell to broaden their sensory appreciation. Outside the Brewery they made 6 gallons of wort for an American Blond Ale and had hot dogs for those who stuck around to watch them brew. Roxbury Farms and Garden had a great display of all things available for the beginner home brewer. They even had Kenny Hunter of Coffer Roasters of Fredericksburg Gourmet Coffee who had set up with samples as well. Sounds like they had a great time. If you're interested in brewing, in addition to FABTS, please look into attending an FBI meeting and visit their website at www.Fredhomebrew.org.
The November FABTS meeting featured beers that you would serve at Thanksgiving. This would included anything that goes well with the traditional foods of the day. Of course, there was much emphasis on turkey, but we didn't forget the pumpkin pie, stuffing, cranberries, mincemeat, and all the trimmings. There were a lot of Belgian-style Saisons and Biere de Gardes, as well as Tripels.
Phew! Lots of stuff happened since August. The one consistent thing I will leave you with is that all of us should do our best to support our local beer establisments and I will try to be better about keeping up with the posts.
Sunday, August 3, 2008
August FABTS Meeting - Meads
Our August meeting is fast approaching. The style of the month is Mead. Mead is a fermented alcoholic beverage made of honey, water, and yeast. It's also the oldest fermented alcoholic beverage. I don't know about you, but everytime I think about mead I envision being in 10th grade and having to read Chaucer's Canterbury Tales. Mead is the perfect drink for Renaissance festivals to get in the mood. The BJCP has a great introduction to mead for those like me that are not as familiar with this drink.
We will be meeting next Saturday, August 9th, at Kybecca on Plank Rd. We will have at least 3 home brewed meads from our members plus some commercial examples. I made my first stop at State Line Liquors in Maryland and I finally know why everyone raves about that place. They have the best beer selection I've seen. I picked up a local Maryland meadery's offering. I suggest you take the few minutes to stop by if you're traveling up or down I-95 between Delaware and Maryland.
Here's the list of meads so far for our meeting:
Commercial
Medieval Mead (Berrywine Plantation - Mt. Airy, MD) - James Russ
Homebrews
Lyle Brown - 2 meads
Joe Gherlone
We will be meeting next Saturday, August 9th, at Kybecca on Plank Rd. We will have at least 3 home brewed meads from our members plus some commercial examples. I made my first stop at State Line Liquors in Maryland and I finally know why everyone raves about that place. They have the best beer selection I've seen. I picked up a local Maryland meadery's offering. I suggest you take the few minutes to stop by if you're traveling up or down I-95 between Delaware and Maryland.
Here's the list of meads so far for our meeting:
Commercial
Medieval Mead (Berrywine Plantation - Mt. Airy, MD) - James Russ
Homebrews
Lyle Brown - 2 meads
Joe Gherlone
Monday, July 14, 2008
Beers of the July FABTS Meeting
I couldn't think of a better way to show our patriotic side than drinking all types of American ales. We had a great assortment of beers. Thanks to Kybecca for hosting and donating the Anchor Steam and Coney Island Swordswallower and all the members that donated beers. (If I missed your donation, let me know.)
I picked out a few of what I thought were the group's favorites during the meeting and put them in an online poll. So be sure to vote in our July poll prior to our August 9th meeting.
American Ales
I picked out a few of what I thought were the group's favorites during the meeting and put them in an online poll. So be sure to vote in our July poll prior to our August 9th meeting.
American Ales
- Kona Wailua Wheat
- Legend Golden Ale
- Fiddler's Green Blond Ale
- Bosmo's Imperial Cream Ale - Joe Gherlone
- Alaskan Winter (Spruce) Ale - Joe Gherlone
- Avery Ellie's Brown Ale - David Turley
- Williamsburg AleWorks "400" Ale - James Russ
- Tommyknocker Imperial Nut Brown Ale - Joe Gherlone
- Anchor Steam Beer - Kybecca
- Coney Island Sword Swallower - Kybecca
- Boston Beer LongShot Grape Pale Ale - Joe Gherlone
- Bluegrass Brewing American Pale Ale
- Left Hand Jackman's American Pale Ale
- Butternuts Porkslap Pale Ale - Scott Fisher
- Butternuts Snapperhead IPA - Scott Fisher
- Kona Fire Rock Pale Ale
- Oskar Blues Dale's Pale Ale
- Flying Dog Doggie Style Classic Pale Ale
- Port Brewing Hop 15 - Joe Gherlone
- Bell's Two Hearted Ale - David Turley
- Victory HopDevil
- Southern Tier Hoppe - James Russ
- Moylan's Hopsickle - Joe Gherlone
- Sierra Nevada Bigfoot Barleywine - Joe Gherlone
- Alaskan Barley Wine - Joe Gherlone
- Old Dominion Millennium Ale - David Turley
- Bell's Kalamazoo Stout - David Turley
- Alaskan Smoked Porter - Joe Gherlone
- Applewood Smoked Honey Pumpkin Ale - Dave Frederickson
- English Spoken Here" English IPA - Joe Gherlone
- Radiant Copper IPA - Joe Gherlone
Saturday, June 28, 2008
July FABTS Meeting Style of the Month - American Ales
July is American Beer Month (for obvious reasons), so the style will be American Ales. This includes American Pale Ales, American Ambers, American IPA, even American-style Barleywines and American Wheat beers! Below are the BJCP ale styles with "American" in the style name along with their commercial examples.6. LIGHT HYBRID BEER
D. American Wheat or Rye
Commercial Examples: Bell's Oberon, Harpoon UFO Hefeweizen, Three Floyds Gumballhead, Pyramid Hefe-Weizen, Widmer Hefeweizen, Sierra Nevada Unfiltered Wheat Beer, Anchor Summer Beer, Redhook Sunrye, Real Ale Full Moon Pale Rye, Anderson Valley High Rollers Wheat Beer, O'Hanlon's Original Rye Beer
10. AMERICAN ALE
A. American Pale Ale
Commercial Examples: Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, Stone Pale Ale, Great Lakes Burning River Pale Ale, Bear Republic XP Pale Ale, Anderson Valley Poleeko Gold Pale Ale, Deschutes Mirror Pond, Full Sail Pale Ale, Three Floyds X-Tra Pale Ale, Firestone Pale Ale, Left Hand Brewing Jackman's Pale Ale, Pyramid Pale Ale
B. American Amber Ale
Commercial Examples: North Coast Red Seal Ale, Tröegs HopBack Amber Ale, Deschutes Cinder Cone Red, Pyramid Broken Rake, St. Rogue Red Ale, Anderson Valley Boont Amber Ale, Lagunitas Censored Ale, Avery Redpoint Ale, McNeill's Firehouse Amber Ale, Mendocino Red Tail Ale, Bell's Amber, Hoptown Paint the Town Red
C. American Brown Ale
Commercial Examples: Bell's Best Brown, Smuttynose Old Brown Dog Ale, Big Sky Moose Drool Brown Ale, North Coast Acme Brown, Brooklyn Brown Ale, Lost Coast Downtown Brown, Left Hand Deep Cover Brown Ale, Great Lakes Cleveland Brown Ale, Avery Ellie's Brown Ale
13. STOUT
E. American Stout
Commercial Examples: Rogue Shakespeare Stout, Deschutes Obsidian Stout, Sierra Nevada Stout, North Coast Old No. 38, Bar Harbor Cadillac Mountain Stout, Avery Out of Bounds Stout, Lost Coast 8 Ball Stout, Mad River Steelhead Extra Stout, Three Floyds Black Sun Stout, Bell's Kalamazoo Stout, Mendocino Black Hawk Stout
14. INDIA PALE ALE (IPA)
B. American IPA
Commercial Examples: Bell's Two-Hearted Ale, AleSmith IPA, Russian River Blind Pig IPA, Stone IPA, Three Floyds Alpha King, Great Divide Titan IPA, Bear Republic Racer 5 IPA, Victory Hop Devil, Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale, Anderson Valley Hop Ottin', Dogfish Head 60-minute IPA, Founder's Centennial IPA, Anchor Liberty Ale, Harpoon IPA, Avery IPA, Mendocino White Hawk Select IPA
19. STRONG ALE
C. American Barleywine
Commercial Examples: Sierra Nevada Bigfoot, Great Divide Old Ruffian, Victory Old Horizontal, Rogue Old Crustacean, Avery Hog Heaven Barleywine, Bell's Third Coast Old Ale, Anchor Old Foghorn, Three Floyds Behemoth, Stone Old Guardian, Bridgeport Old Knucklehead, Hair of the Dog Doggie Claws, Lagunitas Olde GnarleyWine, Smuttynose Barleywine, Flying Dog Horn Dog, Brooklyn Monster Ale, Weyerbacher Blithering Idiot, Old Dominion Millennium, Left Hand Widdershins
June FABTS Meeting
We beat the heat on Saturday, 6/14/08 at Kybecca, with a few "Summer Beers!" So, what are summer beers? Lighter, crisper, and typically lower in alcohol so you can drink 'em all afternoon and stay upright. The best summer beers are custom-tailored for warmer weather. From wheat beers and fruit beers to summer ales and brisk lagers, we tasted a lot of what's out there.
Beer list from the meeting. Sorry, I forgot to get who donated what.
- Blue and Gray Classic Lager
- Blue Moon Honey Moon Summer Ale
- Blue and Gray Virginia Hefeweizen
- Rogue MOM Hefeweizen
- Brooklyn Summer Ale
- Saranac Pomegranate Wheat
- Smuttynose Summer Weizen
- Magic Hat Circus Boy
- New Holland Zoomer Wit
- Mendocino Summer Ale
- Dogfish Head Festina Pêche
- Southern Tier Hop Sun
- Brooklyn Summer Ale
- Tröegs Sunshine Pils
- Old Dominion Beach House Golden Pilsener
- Clipper City Red Sky At Night
- Brasserie de Blaugies Saison De L'Epeautre
Saturday, March 1, 2008
March FABTS Meeting
The March FABTS meeting will be on March 8th at 1:30PM at Bangkok Boulevard. The style for March is BJCP category English Pale Ale. Specifically, sub-categories 8A (Standard / Ordinary Bitter), 8B (Special / Best / Premium Bitter), and 8C (Extra Special / Strong Bitter). Below are the Overall Impressions and Commercial Examples from the BJCP style guide. I will update the FABTS beers when I hear what people are brining. As always, any style of homebrew is welcome and appreciated.
8. ENGLISH PALE ALE
8A. Standard/Ordinary Bitter
Overall Impression: Low gravity, low alcohol levels and low carbonation make this an easy-drinking beer. Some examples can be more malt balanced, but this should not override the overall bitter impression. Drinkability is a critical component of the style; emphasis is still on the bittering hop addition as opposed to the aggressive middle and late hopping seen in American ales.
Commercial Examples: Fuller's Chiswick Bitter, Adnams Bitter, Young's Bitter, Greene King IPA, Oakham Jeffrey Hudson Bitter (JHB), Brains Bitter, Tetley’s Original Bitter, Brakspear Bitter, Boddington's Pub Draught
FABTS Beers:
2 15oz Tetleys Bitter (widget in can) (Kevin B.)
8B. Special/Best/Premium Bitter
Overall Impression: A flavorful, yet refreshing, session beer. Some examples can be more malt balanced, but this should not override the overall bitter impression. Drinkability is a critical component of the style; emphasis is still on the bittering hop addition as opposed to the aggressive middle and late hopping seen in American ales.
Commercial Examples: Fuller's London Pride, Coniston Bluebird Bitter, Timothy Taylor Landlord, Adnams SSB, Young’s Special, Shepherd Neame Masterbrew Bitter, Greene King Ruddles County Bitter, RCH Pitchfork Rebellious Bitter, Brains SA, Black Sheep Best Bitter, Goose Island Honkers Ale, Rogue Younger’s Special Bitter
FABTS Beers:
2 15oz Ruddles County (Kevin B.)
1x 12oz Fuller's London Pride (Rob A.)
1x 19oz Bluebird Bitter (Kybecca)
8C. Extra Special/Strong Bitter (English Pale Ale)
Overall Impression: An average-strength to moderately-strong English ale. The balance may be fairly even between malt and hops to somewhat bitter. Drinkability is a critical component of the style; emphasis is still on the bittering hop addition as opposed to the aggressive middle and late hopping seen in American ales. A rather broad style that allows for considerable interpretation by the brewer.
Commercial Examples: Fullers ESB, Adnams Broadside, Shepherd Neame Bishop's Finger, Young’s Ram Rod, Samuel Smith’s Old Brewery Pale Ale, Bass Ale, Whitbread Pale Ale, Shepherd Neame Spitfire, Marston’s Pedigree, Black Sheep Ale, Vintage Henley, Mordue Workie Ticket, Morland Old Speckled Hen, Greene King Abbot Ale, Bateman's XXXB, Gale’s Hordean Special Bitter (HSB), Ushers 1824 Particular Ale, Hopback Summer Lightning, Great Lakes Moondog Ale, Shipyard Old Thumper, Alaskan ESB, Geary’s Pale Ale, Cooperstown Old Slugger, Anderson Valley Boont ESB, Avery 14’er ESB, Redhook ESB
FABTS Beers:
2 15oz Old Speckled Hen (widget in can) (Kevin B.)
1x 12oz Old Speckled Hen (bottle) (Rob A.)
2X Welsh ESB 16oz (Lyle B.)
2X Fullers ESB 16oz (Lyle B.)
2X Bass 12oz (Lyle B.)
2X Sierra Nevada ESB 12oz (Lyle B.)
2X Whitbread 12oz (Lyle B.)
2X Fullers 1845 16oz (Lyle B.)
2x 15oz Greene King Abbot Ale (widget in can) (Rob A. and Scott F.)
1x 15oz Black Sheep Monty Python's Holy Grail Ale (Rob A.)
2x 12oz Lakefront (from Milwaukee) ESB (Scott F.)
Samuel Smith's Old Brewery Pale Ale (Joe G.)
Redhook Copper Hook and/or ESB (Joe G.)
8. ENGLISH PALE ALE
8A. Standard/Ordinary Bitter
Overall Impression: Low gravity, low alcohol levels and low carbonation make this an easy-drinking beer. Some examples can be more malt balanced, but this should not override the overall bitter impression. Drinkability is a critical component of the style; emphasis is still on the bittering hop addition as opposed to the aggressive middle and late hopping seen in American ales.
Commercial Examples: Fuller's Chiswick Bitter, Adnams Bitter, Young's Bitter, Greene King IPA, Oakham Jeffrey Hudson Bitter (JHB), Brains Bitter, Tetley’s Original Bitter, Brakspear Bitter, Boddington's Pub Draught
FABTS Beers:
2 15oz Tetleys Bitter (widget in can) (Kevin B.)
8B. Special/Best/Premium Bitter
Overall Impression: A flavorful, yet refreshing, session beer. Some examples can be more malt balanced, but this should not override the overall bitter impression. Drinkability is a critical component of the style; emphasis is still on the bittering hop addition as opposed to the aggressive middle and late hopping seen in American ales.
Commercial Examples: Fuller's London Pride, Coniston Bluebird Bitter, Timothy Taylor Landlord, Adnams SSB, Young’s Special, Shepherd Neame Masterbrew Bitter, Greene King Ruddles County Bitter, RCH Pitchfork Rebellious Bitter, Brains SA, Black Sheep Best Bitter, Goose Island Honkers Ale, Rogue Younger’s Special Bitter
FABTS Beers:
2 15oz Ruddles County (Kevin B.)
1x 12oz Fuller's London Pride (Rob A.)
1x 19oz Bluebird Bitter (Kybecca)
8C. Extra Special/Strong Bitter (English Pale Ale)
Overall Impression: An average-strength to moderately-strong English ale. The balance may be fairly even between malt and hops to somewhat bitter. Drinkability is a critical component of the style; emphasis is still on the bittering hop addition as opposed to the aggressive middle and late hopping seen in American ales. A rather broad style that allows for considerable interpretation by the brewer.
Commercial Examples: Fullers ESB, Adnams Broadside, Shepherd Neame Bishop's Finger, Young’s Ram Rod, Samuel Smith’s Old Brewery Pale Ale, Bass Ale, Whitbread Pale Ale, Shepherd Neame Spitfire, Marston’s Pedigree, Black Sheep Ale, Vintage Henley, Mordue Workie Ticket, Morland Old Speckled Hen, Greene King Abbot Ale, Bateman's XXXB, Gale’s Hordean Special Bitter (HSB), Ushers 1824 Particular Ale, Hopback Summer Lightning, Great Lakes Moondog Ale, Shipyard Old Thumper, Alaskan ESB, Geary’s Pale Ale, Cooperstown Old Slugger, Anderson Valley Boont ESB, Avery 14’er ESB, Redhook ESB
FABTS Beers:
2 15oz Old Speckled Hen (widget in can) (Kevin B.)
1x 12oz Old Speckled Hen (bottle) (Rob A.)
2X Welsh ESB 16oz (Lyle B.)
2X Fullers ESB 16oz (Lyle B.)
2X Bass 12oz (Lyle B.)
2X Sierra Nevada ESB 12oz (Lyle B.)
2X Whitbread 12oz (Lyle B.)
2X Fullers 1845 16oz (Lyle B.)
2x 15oz Greene King Abbot Ale (widget in can) (Rob A. and Scott F.)
1x 15oz Black Sheep Monty Python's Holy Grail Ale (Rob A.)
2x 12oz Lakefront (from Milwaukee) ESB (Scott F.)
2x 12oz Coopers Pale Ale (Kybecca)
1x 15oz Greene King Olde Suffolk English Ale (Old Ale) (Rob A.)Samuel Smith's Old Brewery Pale Ale (Joe G.)
Redhook Copper Hook and/or ESB (Joe G.)
Sunday, January 20, 2008
February FABTS Meeting - Strong Ales
The February FABTS meeting will be on February 9th at 1:30PM at Kybecca. The style for February is BJCP category Strong Ale. Specifically, sub-categories 19A (Old Ale), 19B (English Barleywine), 19C (American Barleywine), and one in the Scottish and Irish Ale category, subcategory 9E (Strong Scotch Ale). Below are the Overall Impressions and Commercial Examples from the BJCP style guide. I will update the FABTS beers when I hear what people are brining.
As always, any style of homebrew is welcome and appreciated.
Strong Ales
19A Old Ale
Overall Impression: An ale of significant alcoholic strength, bigger than strong bitters and brown porters, though usually not as strong or rich as barleywine. Usually tilted toward a sweeter, maltier balance. “It should be a warming beer of the type that is best drunk in half pints by a warm fire on a cold winter’s night” – Michael Jackson.
Commercial Examples: Gale’s Prize Old Ale, Burton Bridge Olde Expensive, Marston Owd Roger, J.W. Lees Moonraker, Harviestoun Old Engine Oil, Fuller’s Vintage Ale, Harvey’s Elizabethan Ale, Theakston Old Peculier (peculiar at OG 1.057), Young's Winter Warmer, Sarah Hughes Dark Ruby Mild, Samuel Smith’s Winter Welcome, Fuller’s 1845, Fuller’s Old Winter Ale, Great Divide Hibernation Ale, Hudson Valley Old Man Ale, Cooperstown Pride of Milford Special Ale, Coniston Old Man Ale, North Coast Old Stock Ale
FABTS Beers:
19B English Barleywine
Overall Impression: The richest and strongest of the English Ales. A showcase of malty richness and complex, intense flavors. The character of these ales can change significantly over time; both young and old versions should be appreciated for what they are. The malt profile can vary widely; not all examples will have all possible flavors or aromas.
Commercial Examples: Thomas Hardy’s Ale, Burton Bridge Thomas Sykes Old Ale, Robinson’s Old Tom, J.W. Lee’s Vintage Harvest Ale, Fuller’s Golden Pride, Young’s Old Nick (unusual in its 7.2% ABV), Whitbread Gold Label, Lakefront Beer Line, Heavyweight Old Salty
FABTS Beers:
19C American Barleywine
Overall Impression: A well-hopped American interpretation of the richest and strongest of the English ales. The hop character should be evident throughout, but does not have to be unbalanced. The alcohol strength and hop bitterness often combine to leave a very long finish.
Commercial Examples: Sierra Nevada Bigfoot, Rogue Old Crustacean, Anchor Old Foghorn, Victory Old Horizontal, Brooklyn Monster Ale, Avery Hog Heaven Barleywine, Bell’s Third Coast Old Ale, Weyerbacher Blithering Idiot, Three Floyds Behemoth, Old Dominion Millennium, Stone Old Guardian, Bridgeport Old Knucklehead, Hair of the Dog Doggie Claws, Left Hand Widdershins
FABTS Beers:
9E Strong Scotch Ale
Overall Impression: Rich, malty and usually sweet, which can be suggestive of a dessert. Complex secondary malt flavors prevent a one-dimensional impression. Strength and maltiness can vary.
Commercial Examples: Traquair House Ale, Orkney Skull Splitter, McEwan's Scotch Ale, MacAndrew's Scotch Ale, Belhaven Wee Heavy, Broughton Old Jock, Scotch du Silly, Gordon Highland Scotch Ale, Founders Dirty Bastard
FABTS Beers:
As always, any style of homebrew is welcome and appreciated.
Strong Ales
19A Old Ale
Overall Impression: An ale of significant alcoholic strength, bigger than strong bitters and brown porters, though usually not as strong or rich as barleywine. Usually tilted toward a sweeter, maltier balance. “It should be a warming beer of the type that is best drunk in half pints by a warm fire on a cold winter’s night” – Michael Jackson.
Commercial Examples: Gale’s Prize Old Ale, Burton Bridge Olde Expensive, Marston Owd Roger, J.W. Lees Moonraker, Harviestoun Old Engine Oil, Fuller’s Vintage Ale, Harvey’s Elizabethan Ale, Theakston Old Peculier (peculiar at OG 1.057), Young's Winter Warmer, Sarah Hughes Dark Ruby Mild, Samuel Smith’s Winter Welcome, Fuller’s 1845, Fuller’s Old Winter Ale, Great Divide Hibernation Ale, Hudson Valley Old Man Ale, Cooperstown Pride of Milford Special Ale, Coniston Old Man Ale, North Coast Old Stock Ale
FABTS Beers:
19B English Barleywine
Overall Impression: The richest and strongest of the English Ales. A showcase of malty richness and complex, intense flavors. The character of these ales can change significantly over time; both young and old versions should be appreciated for what they are. The malt profile can vary widely; not all examples will have all possible flavors or aromas.
Commercial Examples: Thomas Hardy’s Ale, Burton Bridge Thomas Sykes Old Ale, Robinson’s Old Tom, J.W. Lee’s Vintage Harvest Ale, Fuller’s Golden Pride, Young’s Old Nick (unusual in its 7.2% ABV), Whitbread Gold Label, Lakefront Beer Line, Heavyweight Old Salty
FABTS Beers:
19C American Barleywine
Overall Impression: A well-hopped American interpretation of the richest and strongest of the English ales. The hop character should be evident throughout, but does not have to be unbalanced. The alcohol strength and hop bitterness often combine to leave a very long finish.
Commercial Examples: Sierra Nevada Bigfoot, Rogue Old Crustacean, Anchor Old Foghorn, Victory Old Horizontal, Brooklyn Monster Ale, Avery Hog Heaven Barleywine, Bell’s Third Coast Old Ale, Weyerbacher Blithering Idiot, Three Floyds Behemoth, Old Dominion Millennium, Stone Old Guardian, Bridgeport Old Knucklehead, Hair of the Dog Doggie Claws, Left Hand Widdershins
FABTS Beers:
9E Strong Scotch Ale
Overall Impression: Rich, malty and usually sweet, which can be suggestive of a dessert. Complex secondary malt flavors prevent a one-dimensional impression. Strength and maltiness can vary.
Commercial Examples: Traquair House Ale, Orkney Skull Splitter, McEwan's Scotch Ale, MacAndrew's Scotch Ale, Belhaven Wee Heavy, Broughton Old Jock, Scotch du Silly, Gordon Highland Scotch Ale, Founders Dirty Bastard
FABTS Beers:
Saturday, January 12, 2008
January FABTS Meeting - Stouts
The January FABTS meeting is today, January 12th, at 1:30pm at Bangkok Boulevard in Central Park. The style of the month is Stouts.
For the benefit of the students in the BJCP class, this month's beer list is categorized by BJCP Style Guide. Categories for the individual beers were determined by Beer Advocate. I've included the Overall Impression and Commercial Examples from the style guide.
13. Stouts
13A. Dry Stout
Overall Impression:
A very dark, roasty, bitter, creamy ale.
Commercial Examples:
Guinness Draught Stout (also canned), Murphy's Stout, Beamish Stout, O’Hara’s Celtic Stout, Dorothy Goodbody’s Wholesome Stout, Orkney Dragonhead Stout, Brooklyn Dry Stout, Old Dominion Stout, Goose Island Dublin Stout, Arbor Brewing Faricy Fest Irish Stout
FABTS Beers:
2x 12 oz bottle Guinness Draught Stout - Lyle Brown
2x 12 oz bottle Beamish Stout - Lyle Brown
2x 12 oz bottle Murphy's Stout- Lyle Brown
2x 12 oz bottle O'hara's Celtic Stout - David Turley
2x 12 oz bottle Lakefront Brewing Snake Chaser Irish Style Stout - James Russ
1x 12 oz bottle Shipyard Brewing Bluefin Stout - James Russ
2x 12 oz bottle Dominion Oak Barrel Stout - David Turley
13B. Sweet Stout
Overall Impression:
A very dark, sweet, full-bodied, slightly roasty ale. Often tastes like sweetened espresso.
Commercial Examples:
Mackeson's XXX Stout, Watney's Cream Stout, St. Peter’s Cream Stout, Marston’s Oyster Stout, Samuel Adams Cream Stout, Left Hand Milk Stout
FABTS Beers:
2x 12 oz bottle Mackeson Triple XXX Stout - Joe Gherlone
2x 14.9 oz can Young's Double Chocolate Stout (actual chocolate in it) - Joe Gherlone
2x 12 oz bottle Lancaster Milk Stout - David Turley
13C. Oatmeal Stout
Overall Impression:
A very dark, full-bodied, roasty, malty ale with acomplementary oatmeal flavor.
Commercial Examples:
Samuel Smith Oatmeal Stout, Young's Oatmeal Stout, Maclay’s Oat Malt Stout, Broughton Kinmount Willie Oatmeal Stout, Anderson Valley Barney Flats Oatmeal Stout, Goose Island Oatmeal Stout, McAuslan Oatmeal Stout, McNeill’s Oatmeal Stout, Wild Goose Oatmeal Stout
FABTS Beers:
1x 18.7 oz bottle Samuel Smith's Oatmeal Stout - Joe Gherlone
2x 12 oz bottle Wild Goose Oatmeal Stout - James Russ
Growler Vintage 50 Oatmeal Stout (maybe) - Chuck Triplett
13D. Foreign Extra Stout
Overall Impression:
A very dark, moderately strong, roasty ale. Tropical varieties can be quite sweet, while export versions can be drier and fairly robust.
Commercial Examples:
Lion Stout (Sri Lanka), ABC Stout, Dragon Stout, Royal Extra “The Lion Stout” (Trinidad), Jamaica Stout, Guinness Extra Stout (bottled US product), Guinness Foreign Extra Stout (bottled, not sold in the US), Coopers Best Extra Stout, Freeminer Deep Shaft Stout, Sheaf Stout, Bell’s Double Cream Stout
FABTS Beers:
2x 12 oz bottle Guinness Extra Stout - Lyle Brown
13E. American Stout
Overall Impression:
A hoppy, bitter, strongly roasted Foreign-style Stout (of the export variety).
Commercial Examples:
Sierra Nevada Stout, North Coast Old No. 38, Avery Out of Bounds Stout, Three Floyds Black Sun Stout, Mad River Steelhead Extra Stout, Rogue Shakespeare Stout, Bell’s Kalamazoo Stout, Deschutes Obsidian Stout, Mendocino Black Hawk Stout
FABTS Beers:
2x 12 oz bottle Mendocino Black Hawk Stout - David Turley
2x 12 oz bottle Bell's Kalamazoo Stout - David Turley
2x 12 oz bottle Dogfish Head Chicory Stout - Dave Fredrickson
13F. Russian Imperial Stout
Overall Impression:
An intensely flavored, big, dark ale. Roasty, fruity, and bittersweet, with a noticeable alcohol presence. Dark fruit flavors meld with roasty, burnt, or almost tar-like sensations. Like a black barleywine with every dimension of flavor coming into play.
Commercial Examples:
Samuel Smith Imperial Stout, Courage Imperial Stout, Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout, Rogue Imperial Stout, North Coast Old Rasputin Imperial Stout, Victory Storm King, Bell’s Expedition Stout, Dogfish Head World Wide Stout, Thirsty Dog Siberian Night, Stone Imperial Stout, Avery The Czar, Founders Imperial Stout, Newport Beach John Wayne Imperial Stout, Great Lakes Blackout Stout
FABTS Beers:
2x 12 oz bottle Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout 07-08 (no actual chocolate in it) - Joe Gherlone
2x 12 oz bottle Bell's Java Stout - Scott Fisher
Homebrew
Pretty Heavy Pale Ale - Dave Fredrickson
Smoked Pumpkin Ale - Dave Fredrickson
For the benefit of the students in the BJCP class, this month's beer list is categorized by BJCP Style Guide. Categories for the individual beers were determined by Beer Advocate. I've included the Overall Impression and Commercial Examples from the style guide.
13. Stouts
13A. Dry Stout
Overall Impression:
A very dark, roasty, bitter, creamy ale.
Commercial Examples:
Guinness Draught Stout (also canned), Murphy's Stout, Beamish Stout, O’Hara’s Celtic Stout, Dorothy Goodbody’s Wholesome Stout, Orkney Dragonhead Stout, Brooklyn Dry Stout, Old Dominion Stout, Goose Island Dublin Stout, Arbor Brewing Faricy Fest Irish Stout
FABTS Beers:
2x 12 oz bottle Guinness Draught Stout - Lyle Brown
2x 12 oz bottle Beamish Stout - Lyle Brown
2x 12 oz bottle Murphy's Stout- Lyle Brown
2x 12 oz bottle O'hara's Celtic Stout - David Turley
2x 12 oz bottle Lakefront Brewing Snake Chaser Irish Style Stout - James Russ
1x 12 oz bottle Shipyard Brewing Bluefin Stout - James Russ
2x 12 oz bottle Dominion Oak Barrel Stout - David Turley
13B. Sweet Stout
Overall Impression:
A very dark, sweet, full-bodied, slightly roasty ale. Often tastes like sweetened espresso.
Commercial Examples:
Mackeson's XXX Stout, Watney's Cream Stout, St. Peter’s Cream Stout, Marston’s Oyster Stout, Samuel Adams Cream Stout, Left Hand Milk Stout
FABTS Beers:
2x 12 oz bottle Mackeson Triple XXX Stout - Joe Gherlone
2x 14.9 oz can Young's Double Chocolate Stout (actual chocolate in it) - Joe Gherlone
2x 12 oz bottle Lancaster Milk Stout - David Turley
13C. Oatmeal Stout
Overall Impression:
A very dark, full-bodied, roasty, malty ale with acomplementary oatmeal flavor.
Commercial Examples:
Samuel Smith Oatmeal Stout, Young's Oatmeal Stout, Maclay’s Oat Malt Stout, Broughton Kinmount Willie Oatmeal Stout, Anderson Valley Barney Flats Oatmeal Stout, Goose Island Oatmeal Stout, McAuslan Oatmeal Stout, McNeill’s Oatmeal Stout, Wild Goose Oatmeal Stout
FABTS Beers:
1x 18.7 oz bottle Samuel Smith's Oatmeal Stout - Joe Gherlone
2x 12 oz bottle Wild Goose Oatmeal Stout - James Russ
Growler Vintage 50 Oatmeal Stout (maybe) - Chuck Triplett
13D. Foreign Extra Stout
Overall Impression:
A very dark, moderately strong, roasty ale. Tropical varieties can be quite sweet, while export versions can be drier and fairly robust.
Commercial Examples:
Lion Stout (Sri Lanka), ABC Stout, Dragon Stout, Royal Extra “The Lion Stout” (Trinidad), Jamaica Stout, Guinness Extra Stout (bottled US product), Guinness Foreign Extra Stout (bottled, not sold in the US), Coopers Best Extra Stout, Freeminer Deep Shaft Stout, Sheaf Stout, Bell’s Double Cream Stout
FABTS Beers:
2x 12 oz bottle Guinness Extra Stout - Lyle Brown
13E. American Stout
Overall Impression:
A hoppy, bitter, strongly roasted Foreign-style Stout (of the export variety).
Commercial Examples:
Sierra Nevada Stout, North Coast Old No. 38, Avery Out of Bounds Stout, Three Floyds Black Sun Stout, Mad River Steelhead Extra Stout, Rogue Shakespeare Stout, Bell’s Kalamazoo Stout, Deschutes Obsidian Stout, Mendocino Black Hawk Stout
FABTS Beers:
2x 12 oz bottle Mendocino Black Hawk Stout - David Turley
2x 12 oz bottle Bell's Kalamazoo Stout - David Turley
2x 12 oz bottle Dogfish Head Chicory Stout - Dave Fredrickson
13F. Russian Imperial Stout
Overall Impression:
An intensely flavored, big, dark ale. Roasty, fruity, and bittersweet, with a noticeable alcohol presence. Dark fruit flavors meld with roasty, burnt, or almost tar-like sensations. Like a black barleywine with every dimension of flavor coming into play.
Commercial Examples:
Samuel Smith Imperial Stout, Courage Imperial Stout, Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout, Rogue Imperial Stout, North Coast Old Rasputin Imperial Stout, Victory Storm King, Bell’s Expedition Stout, Dogfish Head World Wide Stout, Thirsty Dog Siberian Night, Stone Imperial Stout, Avery The Czar, Founders Imperial Stout, Newport Beach John Wayne Imperial Stout, Great Lakes Blackout Stout
FABTS Beers:
2x 12 oz bottle Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout 07-08 (no actual chocolate in it) - Joe Gherlone
2x 12 oz bottle Bell's Java Stout - Scott Fisher
Homebrew
Pretty Heavy Pale Ale - Dave Fredrickson
Smoked Pumpkin Ale - Dave Fredrickson
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
