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Prelude to a Drink: Vienna

Written by Franz Hofer for A Tempest in a Tankard

IMG_3991New job, new city. The two combined have left me precious little time to write. I know, I know. Tough life living in Vienna. Until the remnants of summer stop beckoning me to every nook and cranny of this fine town, my time at the keyboard will be sporadic at best. Do check back regularly, though. Eventually I’ll settle into a rhythm, even if I’ll never tire of taking the tram to random areas of the city.

 

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Prelude to a Drink: Vienna

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How do I get better at smelling, tasting, and describing beer?

      

How do I get better at smelling, tasting, and describing beer? I hear this question over and over. Often, it isn’t even a question, it’s a statement like: “I’m not good at tasting and describing beer (or wine), so I can’t do the BJCP or Cicerone tests.” Never say that again and correct anyone else who does, it’s just not true! Read on to see why.

I did an AMA (“Ask Me Anything”) on Reddit awhile back to promote my Beer Scholar Study Guides, answer questions about the Cicerone Certification Program, and to generally talk beer with some like-minded people (here’s the whole AMA on Reddit: I wrote a study guide for the Cicerone exams. AMA.). One of the very first questions I got and the one which the most people seemed interested in was about learning to get better at flavor and aroma analysis:

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HERE

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Lagunitas Brewing Company creates a joint venture with Heineken

The Lagunitas Brewing Company of Petaluma, CA and the Heineken Brewing Company of Amsterdam, Holland today announced that they have entered into a powerful new partnership, which will allow Lagunitas to export the exciting vibe of American Craft Beer globally.

HEINEKEN and Lagunitas will form a JOINT VENTURE and Lagunitas will continue to operate independently in the US and abroad, maintaining the integrity of its brews and culture. Tony Magee, founder of Lagunitas, will remain at the helm, with the same leadership and staff, same brewers, same recipes and same suppliers and distributors helping to drive the brand forward.

Both companies will benefit from the partnership. HEINEKEN provides Lagunitas with a global opportunity to present its beers to new communities and Lagunitas provides HEINEKEN with the opportunity to build a strong foothold in the dynamic Craft Brewing category on a global scale, a category that is growing in popularity almost everywhere now.

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Beer Profile: Saranac Octoberfest

octfest

Profiled by Maria Devan

Saranac Oktoberfest. Original and quite to style. Color is perfect. Bright clear beer with a cream colored head that was on the fast side to fall but left some spots and streaks of lace. Clean nose with a slight malty aroma. Taste it soft creamy malt. The hops in this one show only a swift cool breath of herbal as they finish the beer . On the nose though the perle shows off a hint of spice. There is a tiny balancing bitterness. A touch thinner than some other oktoberfests in the finish. Saphir hops show you a pleasant moment of citrus juiciness in the swallow but they do not outdo themselves or the beer with it.

The reason I was a bit stingy in the taste category and overall is because there is a touch of hops bitter that finishes this beer. It’s not that much but it does make it appear thinner. Also that citrus taste brought the rating a touch lower.

3.5

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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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mdMAAAAAAARIA……………. THERE ONCE WAS A BEER REVIEWER NAMED “Maria!”

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Kroger Installing Beer Taps

Kroger is, of course, the BIG boy on the block in the south. Question being: “Will this make it to Nashville, Chattanooga, Clarksville, southern KY, etc. As residents well know, Kroger takes a while to compete seriously with trends like this, and seems quite reluctant. They finally gave in Nashville when Publix didn’t just go away, like previous attempts to go up against the big boy. In the Dayton/Cinci area, part of this articles commentary, they have long had to compete with the likes of Meijers and local beloved: Dorothy Lane -PGA

806 Frys Bar

Kroger is tapping in-store beer stations and tastings in the supermarket chain’s latest push to drive customer traffic.

This fall, customers will be able to buy or bring in their own growlers to fill with craft beers fresh from in-store taps at the new Kroger Marketplace in Oakley as well as the Harper’s Point Kroger store in Montgomery. The stores will establish busy schedules of weekday and weekend tastings for craft beer aficionado as well as the curious and thirsty.

More stores in the Cincinnati-Northern Kentucky-Dayton market are also on tap to get the taps, including the Corryville replacement store next year and the Anderson Township Marketplace by 2017 as part of a remodel. Kroger also plans to serve wine at the beer taps stations.

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Is organic craft beer really worth drinking?

Finding a craft beer is easy. Finding an organic craft beer? Well, that’s another matter entirely.

Despite the artisanal nature of the craft beer industry, the majority of brewers have opted to forego obtaining organic certification. But those who have embraced the concept of organic brewing are quite passionate about it.

“What organic represents is the absence of carcinogenic pesticides on the ingredients,” says Arthur Lucas, founder of Charleston, SC’s Freehouse Brewery. “Getting the label lets me communicate with people. It’s about informing the public.”

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Tom Becham Reviews: Stone Imperial Russian Stout (Chai Spice Edition)

Written by Tom Becham


2015_OddIRSPoster_Thumb-398x250Stone’s Imperial Russian Stout (yes, they refer to it that way instead of Russian Imperial Stout) is a solid, solid Impy Stout. It’s also one of the older ones produced in the United States. Typically, of Stone products, it has very strong, in-your-face flavors, high ABV, and apologizes for nothing.

In odd years, Stone releases unusual versions of their IRS. I remember a licorice-flavored version one year, vanilla and oatmeal in another. This year, their variant Imperial Stout is called the Chai Spiced Edition. Continue reading “Tom Becham Reviews: Stone Imperial Russian Stout (Chai Spice Edition)”

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Beer Profile: Abigale by Sixpoint

Profiled by Maria Devan for PGA

Orange and soft yellow hues. Hazy. White head of foam that falls pretty quickly but leaves a thin film on top and sheets of shimmering lace. Good stream of effervescence. Nose is wicked with sixpoint style tropical fruit. Alight touch of candi sugar and a sweet little toasty biscuit. Citrusy. Light bubblegum. Floral. taste is alight touch of fruit, a sturdy belgian dry malt . A dry cracker in the drink. Taste follows the nose except for a touch of spice. There is a tartness mid palate that is lovely and juicy. Orangey. Moderately dry finish with only a faint tickle from sweetness at the back of the throat. Finishes with a light hop bitter, a touch of pepper on a medium light body.

I think that this beer is a terrific example of a classic belgian style made with ‘different” hops. It does not ask you to suspend your disbelief at all. It is a belgian pale in every way. Drinks like a text book example. It does have a bit of an edge from the different hops. I chose that word because the fruitiness is so soft and gentle. The malt qualities in this beer they are sturdy and not shy or lacking in confidence. The edge is in the contrast between the texture that the american style hops lend to the palate and a delightful toastiness drizzled with tartness. I think they did this extremely well.

4

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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.