Author: Professor Good Ales

Mythical poster at The LTS Good for What Ales You Beer Journal. Loves good beer. Hates same old, same old. Muses that Bud and Miller might as well be brewed in urinals. Drinks lagers too, if they are complex and interesting.
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O’ zafpt is! Oktoberfest 2016

Written by Franz Hofer for A Tempest in a Tankard

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Most every beer enthusiast I know has his or her mythical geography of the beer world, a mental landscape dotted with legendary breweries and drink-before-you-die beers. This topography might also consist of wild yeasts residing in the rafters of old farmhouses, or historic hop kilns concealed along country back roads. Cities themselves stand out like beacons: Munich, Portland, Bamberg, Brussels. A large part of what sustains this mental geography is the excitement of the quest. Sometimes we manage to satisfy of our desires relatively quickly; sometimes the quest may take years.

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Jesus and beer: Some religious groups finding way to combine both

Image result for jesus and beer

Image courtesy Huffington Post

 

WAUKESHA, Wis. — Angela Caddell started struggling with her Christianity 14 years ago when she came out as gay. But a gathering at a bar to talk faith over a cold beer once a month is helping her feel more connected to her religion.

“If you’re an atheist you are welcome. …. I’m a lesbian, I’m totally welcome,” said the 32-year-old from nearby Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, at a recent gathering.

“Tonight we’re talking about scapegoating. There is no scapegoating that happens here.”

This event is called “Jesus & Beer” and it’s part of an effort by some Christian groups throughout the country to recruit parishioners, connect with people struggling with faith or provide a relaxed outlet to talk religion.

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Beer Profile: Bare Bear Sahti

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Profiled by Maria Devan

pgaprofileCheers everyone. This is my first sahti. Sahti is an old Finnish style of beer that is traditionally made with juniper berries and no hops to boil. It can range form 7 to 11 percent and the word farmhouse is used in descriptions. However, it is far from the saison or what you think of as a farmhouse ale in flavor although it was brewed in two strengths the weaker of which was given to the village workers. Also served at harvest or festival time I thought this would be a nice beer to try now.

It’s a gusher. It’s clear copper colored, like a dark honey brown with no head and a few surviving bubbles to rise. Nose is spicy and has an undertone of caramel or nuts. Juniper smells sharp and there is a touch of sour quality. Malt is rich and 14332952_1898303257064012_9159599855204295384_nspicy with rye. The nose has a delicate balance between earth and sky. The perfume from the juniper is not at all hop like and the malt shows hints of nectar like honey.

The drink has a woody quality from the juniper that is very light and almost nutty. The drink is pleasant and very hearty. Lots of spice and the sharp flavor of the juniper made soft by malt. Rye is crisp and the little touch of sour quality to the mouthfeel is welcome in the finish against these richer flavors. Mine has lost much carbonation and would have been much lighter with a few more bubbles. It finishes a bit heavy and with some syrupy sweetness. It’s a sipper because of the abv which is 7% but also because of the flavors which are earthy and mellow.

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Welcome to the PGA beer rating system: one beer “Don’t bother.” Two: Eh, if someone gives it to you, drink. Three: very good, go ahead and seek it out, but be aware there is at least one problem. Four: seek it out. Five: pretty much “perfecto.”

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___________________________________Beer HERE

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mdMaria Devan lives in Ithaca, NY and is a great beer writer. That’s Maria in the middle. The other two are not, but they are lucky to have her as a friend.

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Beer Profile: Spaten Octoberfest

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Profiled by Maria Devan

pgaprofileRockin’ the night life, haunting with the ghosts and hootin’ with the night owls.

Spaten Oktoberfest. I have been waiting while you all have been drinking this beer.

Color is perfect copper. Khaki head that lasts well. Vibrant hues . Nose is rich bread, mellow depth. A bit toasty. Spicy hop without extravagance. Dry herbal, peppery floral. No off scents.

Drinks hearty with a touch of spice to finish it moderately dry. Biscuity breaddy smooth and with a toastiness that is dry and hearty with flavor like the crust on brown bread or soda bread. Melanoidin character marries earthy softness from hops. herbal is a sweet coolness. See how the hops are also a part of the mouthfeel. Balanced bitterness leaves you with a mild tingle. The bjcp describes the malt in this style as soft, elegant and complex.

It is 5.9 percent and that is the reason it’s a “fest” beer. There is a bit of strength. The richness from malt balances the little extra alcohol. Let’s say in matters of taste 5.2% is a good strength for a lager beer. That LITTLE bit of alcohol. .6 allows for a bigger malt with a little bit of sweet nature to it. That is melanoidin character and it is soft and elegant.

Cheers!

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Welcome to the PGA beer rating system: one beer “Don’t bother.” Two: Eh, if someone gives it to you, drink. Three: very good, go ahead and seek it out, but be aware there is at least one problem. Four: seek it out. Five: pretty much “perfecto.”

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___________________________________Beer HERE

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mdMaria Devan lives in Ithaca, NY and is a great beer writer. That’s Maria in the middle. The other two are not, but they are lucky to have her as a friend.

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Beer Profile: Green Flash’s Sea to Sea Lager

Profiled by Maria Devan

pgaprofileHere we go! Green Flash Sea to Sea Lager. The can is dated best by 12/18/2016. I bought it a while ago and it’s been ogled. It’s past what many lager fans believe is the end of it’s shelf life and I bought it because it was in a can and because I actually believe in the freshness date on it as far as the lager in cans is concerned and in general because of the style of hopping. Low to moderate hops. This is a zwickel lager made with German pilsner malt, Hallertau Mittlefruh and Czech Saaz hops. They say a notable yeast so maybe that means a house strain not necessarily theirs?

Off topic a bit, in my beer world the grocery has just changed everything about the beer section. There is a new distributor I hear. There are more selections that resemble the selections you find in the bottle shop. The mainstays are still there but the way it’s organized is different. Now it is alphabetical instead of geographical region. It seems like there is more beer, but is there really? They have two huge palates taking up space where there used to be shelves full of beer. That’s not actually more beer but there do seem to be all kinds of new choices. The imports section is the same. Didn’t change at all and I want some of that Spaten oktoberfest. Let me tell you how that influences my buying habits as I think of it later, in other non related threads.

OK . . .

Soft nose. Breaddy with a nice toasty brown bread crust. Sweet herb from hop. Cool. Earth and mild sulfur and spice. A bit of malt richness. A little sweetness.

Taste follows the nose. Breaddy. Soft hop with a low presence on the palate but it is striking. Saaz are sweet leafy herb, the Hallertau are spicy earthy and floral. Crisp bubble, clean, no diacetyl, faint dms. Delicate flavors but a hearty mouthfeel.

Lightly hazy, pale golden yellow undertone. Bubbly soapy head, creamy on top. Excellent presentation. Lace is clinging.

I drank it pretty fast and I could go for another. As far as hops fading, these are not that faded from their low to moderate presence and the features that make the noble hop distinct are alive and well. Good clean bitterness lasts and takes the flavors away to leave the bread or the malt. This was an exemplary beer. No fruity esters, that hint of sulfur makes it appealing and authentic to me and opens the palate at the end so it goes well with food. No fruity hop flavors except for the characteristic light lemon. It should only be in the finish and not all over the palate. Brewers used to say the lager takes too much time, too much space and is not a good investment on the shelf either. I think it is. I think lasts longer than you think as compared to an IPA that has to be drunk today or else AND you can drink a lot of it, a surprising whole lot of it!

The lager is an extreme beer. Happy New Beer Sunday!

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Welcome to the PGA beer rating system: one beer “Don’t bother.” Two: Eh, if someone gives it to you, drink. Three: very good, go ahead and seek it out, but be aware there is at least one problem. Four: seek it out. Five: pretty much “perfecto.”

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___________________________________Beer HERE

___________________________________________________________________

mdMaria Devan lives in Ithaca, NY and is a great beer writer. That’s Maria in the middle. The other two are not, but they are lucky to have her as a friend.

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Judging Specialty Cider and Perry

At the BJCP members meeting in Baltimore it was indicated by a large percentages of judges present that they had at least some discomfort with judging cider. That’s natural, and the cider exam committee is working on that. In the interest of helping alleviate that discomfort, we’re going to start periodically talking about understanding and judging cider and perry.

Photo Sep 03, 8 34 26 AMI’m going to start with Specialty Cider because in general the characters are stronger, with less need for understanding of subtlety or the need to search out hard-to-find or over-aged French ciders or Traditional Perries for judge practice and palate training. Later, if there’s interest, I’ll talk about Cider Characteristics, as well as Judging Standard Cider and Perry, Common Flaws, and Understanding Malolactic

Fermentation (MLF).

In the meantime judges who want to know more about cider are reminded to read the Introduction section of our 2015 BJCP Cider Guidelines before they judge, and are encouraged to visit their local orchards this summer/fall, try new and different apples when possible, and to do some cider reading. Ben Watson’s “Cider Hard & Sweet”, Claude Jolicoeur’s “The New Cidermaker’s Handbook” and Andrew Lea’s “Craft Cider Making” are a great place to start.

 

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The Pumpkin Beer Thing: A Short View

What did I ever do to you, Jackass?!?

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I’ve gotten a few emails – well, by actual count, 271 emails – in the past year that seem to presume that, since I’m a knowledgeable beer so ‘n’ so, I just hafta be against All Things Pumpkin, at least as the evil gourd applies to beer.

As I said, 271 times, that is NOT true.

As with every other style of beer, I find pumpkin beers that I absolutely adore and those I wouldn’t use to wash a cat. A LOT of people who confess to adore fruit-infused beers like Logsdon “Peche ‘n’ Brett”, turn right around and sniffily dismiss all pumpkin beers as though they were somehow plotting to crawl out of the bottle and taint their lovely peach-infused sour. That, folks, is irrationality at its blinkered, small-focus best.

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