Professor Good Ales

Written by Tom Becham

In years past, I have submitted a great number of reviews to PGA for pumpkin ales. The very simple reason for this is that my wife loves pumpkin and pumpkin spice flavors, so the beer will be in the house anyway. And I always like to try new things.

So, here are a few more seasonal brews I’ve had the past couple of weeks, and my impressions of them.

My first review is actually an Oktoberfest beer. Karl Strauss is a regional brewer in Southern California, with a chain of brewpubs. Their beers are generally brewpub-standard styles (which is to say, not extreme, and therefore not exciting to many beer geeks) but generally very well done. Their Okto (called, imaginatively enough, Oktoberfest) is no exception. At only 5% ABV – slightly understrength for the style – Strauss’s Okto starts with a very grainy, malty aroma, caramel undertones snaking into the nostrils on occasion. The flavor is much the same, with the finish dry and reminiscent of hazelnut. It is not a terribly complex beer, but it is quite good, and suitable for session drinking. Continue reading “Tom Becham’s Seasonal Beer Reviews”

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 interviewing professional brewers all over the east coast for over 10 years.

The Topic: Old Forge Brewfest

 Looks cold, doesn’t it?
 Although this picture of the North Street Pavilion: down towards the old airport, courtesy the Adirondack Weekly, was taken at a different, more winter-y, time, the scene the day of the first annual BrewFest in Old Forge, NY, was similar. A snow squall kicked up and it reminded me of many days spent in the winter-y Dacks, past tense.
 Being BJCP beer judges, members of several homebrew clubs, having poured for many festivals, and one of us a former Old Forge area resident, of course we volunteered to pour. This was run by The View and I was amazed they got over 40 breweries the first year, and a bit busy because we poured for many different breweries: hence less pictures than I would like.
 Barkeater, Fulton Chain Brewery, Saranac, Sierra Nevada, Browns, Founders, Ithaca Brewing, Lake Placid, Ommegang… just to mention a few. There were two big areas where multiple tables had been put together, and a few off to the side. Continue reading “Brew Biz: Werts and All”

Written by Tom Becham

For my birthday in September, a friend took me up to Firestone-Walker Barrelworks. If you have tracked my articles over time, you may realize I am a bit of a Firestone Fan Boy. But since Firestone has won at the Great American Beer Festival four times for Best Mid-Sized Brewery, I don’t think my enthusiasm is misplaced. They’re obviously doing some things right. Continue reading “Tom Becham on Firestone Walker Barrelworks”

Written by Maria Devan

If I read a review of a beer from years ago am i drinking the same beer? Nay i say. Ommegang has been less than stellar lately and here is two reviews of their re release of iron Throme and Take the Black Stout.

My first impression was that these beers lacked confidence as compared to the other beer from Ommegang I tasted recently (grains of truth). This is a re release of the beers I’m sure. Continue reading “Maria Devan Re-Reviews Ommegang”

Happy New Beer Sunday!

Profiled by Maria Devan

You know how I have been known to say frequently and often that the IPA does not really pair well with food because it’s too bitter. Well I have also said that no beer will kindly go with spaghetti and tomato sauce. By some strange twist of fate I seem to have a beer that might just show ’em how to do both.

Pours lemon yellow with a tastefully slight haze. Creamy head of decadent off white foam that clings and falls slowly.

Nose is bright . Malt is a cracker with light honey and a firm hop herbal. Something very tropical. At first a softness, then more fruity and slight pepper from the hops. Citrusy.

Mouthfeel is brilliant and seems feather light. Well defined hop flavors. Citric , tropical and one of the most impressive hop herbals I have seen in an IPA. Bitterness is clean and powerful. Malt is fine and smooth. It lingers strong and because the mouthfeel is so light it finishes with the exactness of the hops. Pungency from dried herbs, the tickle from spice. A sparklingly clean finish and a precise dryness. The malt that seemed so elusive actually came perfectly round to end this beer as the bitterness faded.

This one has all the flavor of the most impeccable IPA and all the bitterness but somehow does not wreck my palate. The food pairings are endless with this beer. It’s like a lemon slice in a glass of water. It’s that versatile. I daresay I am going to buy it again and put it to the test with the spaghetti sauce.
smile emoticon

As it warms it sweetness only a little and shows me more lemon, a bit of malt.

Cheers to Victory this is a spectacular beer.
but remains crisp and cool.

4.2

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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Maria. There once was a beer judge, steward, beer writer, Ithaca living, hill walking up and down-er to her apartment, gal named MARIA!

Profiled by Maria Devan

Vibrant appearance although quite hazy. Orange and with a tan head that fell spectacularly.

Fragrant. This beer uses barley, wheat oats and rye. The wheat is first to the nose it’s golden sweet scent. The rye is crisp and spicy. It’s very peppery but also has a delectable softer scent. A fruitiness in sweet bread.

This beer is sassy and bitter. Crisp malts are tempered by dryness. It’s very hearty. Brown sugar. A succulent fruitiness as it becomes lighter on the palate because of it’s flavor. It evokes fall in all it’s colorful nature . The oats are a smooth slick feeling. There is a dynamic hop floral. At the very end is a bit of cheek from bitterness that shows off the hops in a brief moment.

When I tasted it I said to myself now this feels like an Ommegang beer. Well made. It’s like it has a purpose. It’s complete it has only one small flaw and that’s that the oats do gather in the finish oily I guess would be the word. Simply excellent and so robust. Heartier than I have seen a beer from Ommegang. These malts have a fullness both in flavor and in finesse.

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.”

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Maria 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. She also recently judged for the first time as a beer judge with Certified beer judge Brent Blanchard, and stewarded for PGA editor Ken Carman, also Certified. Oh, and shared a scary ride home to Ithaca with the latter where Ken got REALLY sleepy. Sorry, Maria.