Catching Up Pt. 1

A work deadline, a nighttime retail job and a crazy schedule can send a blog off the rails. here's to 2012, and to regular posting once again. Expect a glut of brew talk as I clear off my backlog. 

Dogfish Head … Has It Got a Little Story For You

"Pearl Jam 20 Faithfull Ale"

Sampled: Dec. 23, 2011

Consider this Exhibit A in why Dogfish Head’s Tennessee departure annoyed me. Sam Calagione is a relentless experimenter and while I seldom return to them, anything he produces deserves a shot. What the description has to do with Pearl Jam? Dogfish Head took a Belgian golden ale hopped to 20 IBUs (as in 20^th anniversary) and during the brew process, made 10 incremental additions (Ten as in their breakthrough debut). 

It’s a bit surprising that the Little Delaware Brewery That Could beat Seattle’s army of brewing companies to a beer honoring Pearl Jam. Dogfish Head won't please hopheads, but anyone in need of a wrinkle in Belgian golden ales should look no further. 

A bouquet of bone-dry bramble fruit emerges on the nose, as a lively thick head fades into a thin halo of lace. While the nose reminds me of other bramble fruit-infused wheat ales, the similarities end there. With Faithfull Ale, Dogfish Head pours sublime, balanced ale. Just as the hops grow restless and threaten to spoil the party, the angles for supremacy, leading it from mid-palate to finish. The currants throw a number of flavors, embellishing the finale with a medicinal, herbal surge. It gains a slight vegetative edge, but nothing that impedes progress. The sharp yet velvety fruit tones play nice with the hops, leaving the palate coated but not damaged. It reminds me of a more drinkable take on Black & Blue, Dogfish Head’s berry-infused ale. I think I prefer Faithfull.

Belgian-style golden is not the typical base beer for fruit, but a light hop level elevates the fruit. After a slew of reissues, tributes and a career-spanning documentary in 2011, Pearl Jam and its Faithfull fans deserve a beer this enticing.

The Fragrant Hops of Christmas

"Full Sail Wreck the Halls 22"

Sampled: Dec. 24, 2011

Christmas beer season is in full session. Hood River’s local brewer avoids tradition and continues its own. Hop oil and citrus burst from the glass. This won’t be their final bow. The malts definitely present a little caramel but really, the hops run roughshod over them. Centennial hops drape their leafy textures over the entire affair. The citrus piles on, but in concentrated form – the oiliness never relents, even as orange, grapefruit, lemon and persimmon notes rise and fall. Bitter orange (perhaps even a little blood orange) pervades. Through the course of a bomber bottle, the hop bouquet never gives the palate a rest. Dry and bitter, it builds a hophead’s paradise.

At 6.5 percent ABV, Wreck the Halls does not overpower, even as its ingredients sometimes do. Hopheads should hunt it down. But anyone else should be content with a sole sample. It’s rough, bitter and rough around the edges, but possesses a certain Pacific Northwest charm.

Southern Blondes, Twice the Fun

“Wild Heaven Invocation”

Sampled: Dec. 26, 2011

Save Sweetwater and Red Brick, I haven’t sampled many Atlanta-brewed ales. This one caught my eye at aWhole Foods north of I285. 

Invocation rings out nicely with a halo of cream, a hint of esters and a solid coriander kick. A veneer of herbs and floral character break in. Bright orange body looks typical for a Belgian blonde. The orange character is a little rougher and burnt. At times, Invocation is more indicative of a Belgian tripel. But I won’t dawdle about labels. It’s burnt orange collides with some veins of lemon and

Mouth-feel is exquisite. It comes with a slightly sharp hop edge, but nothing that sticks around. The label claims Noble and West Coast hops, giving it a degree of cover to what exactly went into the brew kettle. They add a squiggle of oil unusual for this style. After it passes mid-palate, some leafiness emerges, but the IPA grapefruit and heavy dry floweriness never arise.

That’s the sound of me sighing in relief. Wild Heaven does not exceed its mandate and shower its Belgian-style golden with bushels of hops. It enhances the style, doesn’t merely seek to plow over its predecessors. Invocation exhibits enough hop character to taste unique but not to feel like Belgian-style IPA.

Behold, a (Colorado) Pale Rider

"New Belgium Lips of Faith Belgian-Style Blond Ale"

Sampled: Dec. 26, 2011

I unexpectedly fonud this Lips of Faith favorite at the Georgia Liquor Barn in Cumming. It did not return to Nashville for 2011. Given the lack of repeats in the Lips of Faith line, this bomber could have come from that batch. But I dove in. The nose comes off slightly earthy, with a bit of must and some Belgian yeast-produced B vitamins. Perhaps it has spent a year on the shelf. Thin ice-cream head never wavers. The presentation is solid.

This Blond leans more toward lemon in the body, which could be mistaken for American lager (if you ignore the creamy head). Between the Saaz hops and the Styrian Goldings hops, the latter asserts itself more on the finish, while the former helps to promote some pilsner textures within the body. Both hop strains work well with the yeast, creating a highly drinkable strong blond (8.5 percent ABV). Finish is rich with orange bitters.

Definitely not a session blond, New Belgium’s take is fine for a single sampling and strong enough to step in for Duvel or any of the devilishly named pale Belgian ales.


Now for something truly old ...

Cutting the Cord

"Caldera Vas Deferens"

Sampled: Sept. 30, 2011

Beer naming has reached a new low. Well, this came as a surprise –albeit not as much as a vasectomy would. I saw beer brewed with orange bitters and blood orange zest and expected a golden-orange ale. This beer has a burgundy body with a trace amount of citrus wedged into a creamy head. Vas Deferens blooms with lots of malt, emanating molasses and (you guessed it) bitter orange. Vas Deferens is a true oddity, a beer lying somewhere between a dubbel and a tripel. The malts and darkness signal a dubbel, but all the orange tones lead down a tripel road. It isn’t as heavy as a dubbel, but not as light as a dubbel.

The label should scare people away – brewed in “honor” of the brewmaster’s vasectomy, it depicts the devil biting through a pair of vas deferens. Yeah, biting through -- it's one subtle bottle, which is why I forgot about the camera until this one disappeared into the recycling bin.

Vas Deferens shines with a beautiful orange finish, with the blood orange zest ably backed by the orange bitters. The bitter is actually nowhere to be found, just the bitter. The orange blooms midway across the palate and never lets go. It’s truly an impressive burst of flavor.  The orange finish is quite unlike any other  beer, and that unique character helps this beer overcome its off-putting logo.

For anyone who ever found dubbels to heavy on chocolate, chicory and dark malt tones, this is the beer to seek out; the orange blots out the initial malt darkness. At 8.1 percent ABV, Vas Deferens quickly reveals its alcohol levels. The orange masks nothing. The label gives everything away. Not something I would commemorate in beer form, but I enjoy the experimentation. Belgian-style but Oregon made, Vas Deferens is more than a noble flop. It succeeds in  bridging a gap between dubbel and tripel that I don’t know needed a span.

Vas Deferens touts itself as a label not meant for reproduction or mass production.  I concur. Caldera can chuck the name, but they traced a unique route with this Belgian hybrid style