Category: Beer

Profiled by Ken Carman

Imagine what a difference many years can make to a brewery and its products. This is a great example. I stopped buying Rogue in the early years because it was extract-like. When I returned to the brand I was amazed how interesting some of their brews are. They miss the mark from time to time, but I can forgive that when so much creativity goes into expanding the concept of beer.

From the onset with the aroma of Santa’s Reserve 2018 is complex, obviously spiced, fermented brown sugar, sweet. Deep malt sense: brown, pale, hint of chocolate. Not necessarily malts used, just the aroma. No hops in aroma noted.

This is close to Belgian-like Quad. I’m getting faint yeast esters: plum plus a hint of pepper/Saison-like yeast character. The malt is rich and complex: pale, brown, hint of deep black roast, debittered-sense. Slight background bitter. No hop flavor unless that’s the pepper. Finishes a tad dry with a pepper/brown sugar slightly caramelized aftertaste. Slight hint tangerine, no boysenberry. Hint of Christmas spices: perhaps ginger and/or allspice.

High side medium body/low side high. High side low carbonation. Taste lingers long after swallow.

Could use hint more tangerine and more boysenberry, especially for what declared. But still a seasonal must. One hopes this recipe, if it changes, remains with the brewery and is brewed again. This should be for sale year around. We are buying another bottle.

3.5 Rate Beer
3.7 Beer Advocate
3.5 untppd

4.5

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.”

_______________________________Beer HERE

Written by Ken Carman

 Ken Carman is a BJCP judge; homebrewer since 1979, club member at Escambia Bay, Clarksville Carboys and Music City Homebrewers, who has been writing on beer-related topics and interviewing professional brewers all over the east coast, for over 20 years.

 We knew this was going to be a brief stop because we were on our way to a Clarksville Carboy’s Christmas gathering. We slipped right by Clarksville, knowing we’d have to back track, because we wanted to check out Hopkinsville Brewing Company.
 Be aware if you use a GPS you may find yourself face to face with some confusing directions due to one way streets Ms. GPS tells you to go down anyway. Could have been an update thing with Mrs. Garmin, but we figured it out.
 Hopkinsville Brewing Company is in a cute little brick building with a small parking lot. This is indeed the definition of a small brewing operation: 2.5 barrels. We’ve seen smaller, like Community in Buffalo a few years ago which was 1.5 at the time. The servers told me they have to brew when they’re not open, not only due to inconvenience but by law. Not surprised: you can see the tightly squeezed together, bright, shiny brewing equipment when you walk in on your right. There really wouldn’t be enough room to brew without the place being closed.
 We had a sample of everything they had on tap at the time: Watermelon Wit, Watermelon Sour, Gose with hibiscus and orange, Smoked Apple Rauch, Cream Ale, Amber, Stout (sweet), IPA. Continue reading “Brew Biz: Werts and All (Hopkinsville Brewing Company)”

Profiled by Maria Devan

One of the best beers I have ever had. The use of hops is stunning and perfect. They impart only their faintest musk and a hint of coolness at their bittering. The malts are smooth and creamy. Not too much chocolate although it is there. Drinks like silk on the tongue. It practically evaporates in softness.

No strong burnt malt flavors. No fruity esters. Rich firm malt and hints of peanut shells. Perfect color. Deep mahogany with copper fire and pristine clarity. Mocha head of creamy foam that lasts and hugs the glass. Sweet bubbles gently on the rise. Softer carbonation. So clean that you can taste the water and at 5.4% it drinks as easily.

4.6

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.”

___________________________________Beer HERE

 We started judging Knickerbocker probably sometime in the early 2000s, maybe earlier. But only two of them. Then, many moons later, we came back.
 We really enjoy judging Knickerbocker but, for various reasons, we didn’t for many years. This year we normally wouldn’t have but the only way we could make Millie and my schedule work right was for me to stay up north from May to barely November.
 Aw, shucks, gee whiz, golly willikers, did I have to?
 No, just kidding, I really enjoy being where I partially grew up.
 While some judging took place at Artisanal Brew Works, we didn’t judge there. A lot of the judging was at Racing City Brewing; a new brewery in Saratoga Springs: just a little north east of the city and close to the Northway. Old friends were there, including Judy Pardee; one of the first Grand Masters in the BJCP. It’s amazing how you judge the same competitions and see people again and get that, “Oh, THIS is where I remember you from,” feeling.
 They had 213 entries, 33 judges and 18 stewards judge over two weekends, according to John Lee. Continue reading “A Beer Judge’s Diary: Knickerbocker 2018”

Profiled by Ken Carman

Right off the bat I took a sip to assess what ended up being low carbonation and I got high alcohols. This seems to be a consistent Evil Twin problem.

Brown foam head that’s big, luscious and fades fairly quickly into a small bubble and glass edge only “head.” Black as all hell: no light shines through. Slight glass coat when tipped.

Deep malt complexity to malt in aroma. I get a hint of vanilla and almonds. No doughnuts, but unless I knew what the nature of the doughnuts were I have no idea what to look for. No hops in aroma. Deep dark chocolate sense dominates with a slight sweetness like a hint of brown sugar. If coffee is there it’s so slight hard to discern. There is a cappuccino sense: a hint at best, in taste.

Here’s the problem: there’s a strong higher alcohol sense that dominates the flavor making it a tad astringent and harsh. Behind that is the vanilla. Behind that is the slight sense of almonds. I don ‘t get the doughnuts but, again, what kind of doughnuts am I looking for? This quaff is harsh due to alcohol and it has SO much promise! Aftertaste in vanilla and alcohol. Finshes just a tad sweet AND dry! Dries the tongue, coats the roof of the mouth with a brown sugar like sensation.

I think the doughnuts may have simply added a viscosity to the point of thick. Almost chewy. Carbonation low, which I would expect. Coats roof of mouth AND the tongue.

I really, really wanted to like this. The higher alcohols are a major defect. I would check fermentation temp and find a better yeast: seems something this higher alcohol would be a problematic yeast, and the fact I’ve had problems with Evil Twin before and higher alcohols suggests to me a house yeast situation. Of course it could just be fermentation problems too.

I have saved some of this brewery’s brews for my tastings and have found out it smoothes out a tad. But it’s still not right.

4.2 BA
4.1 untappd
4 RB

Sorry guys, can’t do any better than…

3.4

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.”

_______________________Beer HERE