Category: Front Page

Written by Franz Hofer

Bruges is Brussels’ alter ego. Swans floating languidly on canals, quiet cobblestone lanes, and magnificent Flemish architecture add up to a far cry from the gritty bustle of Brussels. But in things beer, the two cities are equals. Bruges boasts a few breweries and dozens of beer cafes, some of them world-class establishments like the ethereal Vlissinghe and the classy De Garre.

Aside from the buzz of conversation, one of the first things you’ll notice when you step inside the Beertje is the myriad glasses hanging above the bar like a forest of stalactites, a sure sign that the place takes the art of beer presentation seriously.

What started as a hundred-strong beer list when the “Little Bear” opened its doors in 1983 quickly evolved into a veritable compendium of beers some three hundred strong — one of the most well-rounded lists in Belgium. The selection runs the gamut from Belgian standards to plucky brewers who have taken a page out of the craft beer playbook.

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Be aware this article seems to be from a seller of enzymes-PGA

It is no secret that making consistent, top-quality product requires the highest level of attention, detailed knowledge, and a dedication to craft. Equipment, personnel, and ingredients are selected for optimal performance. However, when circumstances are less than ideal, every resource must be tapped to reach full potential. Supplemental enzymes offer some unique advantages in the brewing process, but is it cheating? Follow along as we explore the ethics of brewing with enzymes.

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Profiled by Ken Carman

From a classic Belgian brewery in the hills near Cooperstown, NY. Sits on the remains of the largest hop field in New York State back when most hops came from New York: 1800’s, early 1900’s at best.

Appearance: Hazy yellow, probably about 4 SRM. Nice size foam head that fades slowly into slight wisp on meniscus and solid cordon (edge) ring around glass. Great glass foam cling. Hazy enough to have no clarity.

Aroma: Classic grapefruit-like hop nose dominates, pale malt way behind that. Smells sweet like my nose bit into a juicy grapefruit with the slightest rind sense. Slightly fruity sweet.

Taste: Finishes slightly dry as if actual fruit was fermented faintly dry, no off tastes. Still there’s also a slight sweet sense. What lingers is the alcohol which is neither hot nor harsh in any sense. Just what one would expect from a double style IPA. The dominant sense is still the grapefruit-ish hops, but the malt body and alcohol back this up. Firm, yet not overwhelming bitter.

Mouthfeel: firm moderate carbonation, medium body heading towards heavy. Fruity hop sense coats roof of mouth and lingers. Body substantial enough to be a little chewy.

Overall: Hard to find fault here. If you are looking for a Double IPA with a slight New England twist this is it. My only criticism is for New England I’d want a little less focus on bitter and more on fruit, but this is a minor concern when it comes to judging, The slight twist to the style covers it: still within parameters.

I recommend.

Untappd: 3.9 out of 5
BA: 89

4.4

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

Profiled by Ken Carman

I have been to this brewery many times, but not for quite a while. There’s one in Ellicottville: the original, and one in Freedonia, NY. Apparently there’s one on Chautauqua Lake now, Bemus Point. Have to check that out.

Says “sour ale with sweet peach and black tea.”

Appearance: long lasting white foam head with some pin point bubbles. Quite hazy: can barely see through. Straight up yellow. Great foam cling to edge glass: the cordon (glass edge) is solid foam. Meniscus murky foam atop murky quaff. SRM about 5-6, at best.

Aroma: peach pit dominates and juicy peach to a slight lesser extent. There’s a pepperiness to it that would be the black tea. No hops in aroma. Slight sour sense: not brett focused. No alcohol sense. Quite fresh smelling, as if just brewed.

Taste: slight peach yet that dominates. Finishes slightly sweet. No hops sensed. Malt is pale-ish and background. Slightly sour. Seems due to fruit. Very slight background alcohol sense. As it warms fruit reasserts itself. While finishes sweet also tad dry. Warmth brings out dry.

Mouthfeel: moderate carbonation, slight heavy wheat proteins-like sense. That provides what little body is here. The body is light bordering on medium. Just a little slick. Body improves with warmth a little too.

Overall: there’s really not enough here. Needs more of everything. As what they call a lawnmower beer “OK.” Even for that on a hot day I would like more. Nothing wrong, just needs more flavor. The lightness of it makes it boring. Smell better than taste or mouthfeel. So promising. Kind of a let down, not that much but some. Should be served warmer than most taps. That would almost make it a 4.

Untappd: 3.41
BA: 83

3.9

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

Why should whiskey found in shipwrecks get all the attention? As it turns out, spirits aged under the sea aren’t the only boozy finds emerging from below the waves. Writing at the BBC, Chris Baraniuk has news on a recent discovery in the wreck of the cargo steamer Wallachia, which sank in 1895 — and how that discovery lines up with a growing movement in craft brewing.

The cargo carried by Wallachia included plenty of beer — specifically, thousands of bottles. When the ship sank after a collision off the coast of Scotland, this beer went down with the ship. But some of the bottles remained intact over the next century and change, which led to a diver named Steve Hickman recovering several on a recent dive.

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The craft beer industry is known to get creative, fearlessly going where other industries are afraid to. Usually, that means new ways of brewing or tasty and unique flavors. It can also mean things get a little weird, whether it’s infusing beer with a cereal flavor, creating a fried chicken-inspired brew, or developing a stout made with goose poop.

Admittedly, the former two sound way more enticing than the latter. That didn’t stop Ant Brew, a Finnish microbrewery, from going there anyway. The company’s Wasted Potential Imperial Stout was inspired by the city of Lahti, where the brewery is based. Ant Brew created its…innovative…new beer in celebration of Lahti being named the European Green Capital 2021 and having a “wasteless circular economy,” per a press release.

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Written by Franz Hofer for A Tempest in a Tankard

I’d passed through Traunstein several times on trains between Vienna and Munich and had always been struck by the beauty of its surroundings. The picturesque region is a place of flower-bedecked meadows, old wooden farmhouses, and cows grazing languidly in emerald fields. Situated amid rolling hills in the heart of southeastern Bavaria’s Chiemgau region, Traunstein is also just a stone’s throw from the wild and majestic Alps towering up to the south. And then there’s the beer scene: a lively market square surrounded by taverns, three breweries, and one of the more pleasant beer gardens in Bavaria.

One day I happened upon some beers from Hofbräuhaus Traunstein at a bottle shop in Vienna. Tasty, those beers were, so much so that I resolved to take a day trip to Traunstein the next time I was in Salzburg.

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Just about two years ago, Larry and Cam and the other Merry Cruxters at Bend’s titanic Crux Fermentation Project set out to make a blonde ale – that happiest, friendliest, and most approachable beer of summer – but with a very edgy, Northwesty, slightly confrontational gilding of our region’s signature beer virtue and primary aesthetic: More Hops.

They wanted to inject this lovely, bright, slightly lemony, mellow, Cocker Spaniel of a beer style with some teeth: it should, as most Northwesty ales do, bite back a bit. But, for this style, love bites, nibbles, a friendly nip, with no real pain. It would be quite a balancing act; taking the most crowd pleasin’ of ales and taking it Seriously. Not easy.

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I’ve spent countless hours in breweries across the United States and the world, and during that time I’ve discovered there are a few things every brewery should do or have. They may seem minor to some, but the devil is in the details, and these basic features never fail to make my experience significantly more enjoyable.

Remember, this is just my opinion, but if you disagree with me you’re completely wrong.

A well-designed chalkboard is a beautiful thing. Some breweries spend hours on these, and I’d consider a few I’ve seen works of art. Apart from the aesthetic enjoyment, when the right information is made available, it makes ordering beer much more efficient (and I tend to spend more). Here are the most important things to delineate on your chalkboard, apart from the basic beer information, of course:

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On this 11th go around through the game of “Stump the Chump”, we’ve got questions about everyone’s favorite topic: beer. We even questions about brewing and we’ve got a great and nearly overwhelming answer about hops from Mr. Hop, Stan Hieronymus.

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