Feb-brew-ary 2006

“News About Brews”

Barleywine Season

Hope everyone is taking advantage of the opportunity to snatch samples of their favorite barleywines, which tend to come out at this time of year.  The 2006 BigFoot from Sierra Nevada is out, so snatch it up while you can!  Other barleywines are also out there, great for warming your spirits by the fire on a cold night like tonight (like I will be doing soon).

Feb-brew-ary's meeting was a great time at Steve G's place.  We got to see his beer fridge setup, munch on a bunch of snacks, hear Steve talk about grains and George talk about Newport Vineyards.  All in all, a great time.  Thanks Steve.

                                                                                          Brew On!

                                                                                          Jimmy B

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At A Glance…

Things You May Want To Know, Or Not

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Sip by Sip

Minutes of the Previous Meeting

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Date:  February 15^th, 2006

Location:  Steve Gravel's house

Number of Members Attending:  13

Business

Specialty Grains Presentation by Steve Gravel

Newport Vineyards Presentation by George Chelf

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It’s All in the De-t-Ales…

Articles, Reviews and Information

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Contents:

The Extreme Beer Fest 2006

If you didn’t make it to the Extreme Beer Fest in Boston on Saturday, you missed out on a great time!  Jeff, Brian, Glenn, Francois, Jim Bowser, my friend David and myself, all met at the Extreme Beer Fest held at the Cyclorama at the Boston Center for the Arts, in Boston’s Back Bay.   We all enjoyed a wonderful afternoon while tasting samples of some of the most rare, and extreme, beers made in this country and a few from outside the borders. 

The festival was the third annual Extreme Beer Fest sponsored by the Beer Advocate.  The Beer Advocate started the festival to further the enjoyment and appreciation of the most unusual, obscure and over-the-top examples of American craft brewing that this country is becoming known for. 

The sessions consisted of a VIP session that started at 12 in the afternoon, the first session was from 1-4:30 and the evening session from 6-9:30.  The VIP booth was for those lucky enough to be in the first 250 people to purchase a ticket, but the VIP tickets cost $40.00, instead of the $20.00 that the rest of us paid.  The $20.00 gets you in the door, five tickets and a sampling glass.  Estra tickets cost $1.00 each.  The VIPs were allowed in to the hall an hour early, so they could wander about and sample the beers from the other breweries without being hampered by the rest of the public waiting to get in.  Fortunately, the festival is limited to 1,100 people, so that the crowd doesn’t get too packed and you can still move around.

            Jim Bowser and Francois weren’t just there to sample beer (Okay, they were, but they also had other duties) they were manning the Boston Wort Processors homebrew booth.  The WORTs had a booth and to talk about home brewing and to bolster club membership.  Because the were “working” at the festival, they got to wear these nifty name badges that allowed them to sample any of the beers and any of the tables (including the VIP table!) for free!   By, was I jealous!

            Glenn mentioned that we ought to set up a table for the South Shore Brew Club so we can promote our club, talk about home brewing, get into the festival free and get some of those nifty name badges.  I think he’s got a great idea!  I asked Francois to talk to the coordinator of the festival and see if it’s doable.  If we get in, we’ll need to have a South Shore Brew Club sign for the table…

The festival on schedule is the American Beer Festival in June.  Tickets are now on sale.  There is also going to be a Belgian beer festival held in October and I know I don’t want to miss that one!  Maybe, we’ll even have a table at that one.

Read on for the list of breweries and the beers that they brought with them.

SteveG

Here is the list of brews that the VIPs enjoyed:

Harpoon 100 Barrel Series - Barleywine
Aged for 2 years. A beautiful English style Barely Wine; bright in appearance, wonderful floral / malty nose, layers of malt depth on the palate from tropical fruits to caramel. A bit hoppy with around 80IBUs of hop bitterness, but not insanely unbalanced like west coast versions, it complements and brings much balance to this powerful, clean and limited edition brew. 10.3%

Atlantic Brewing Co. - Brother Adam's Bragget Ale 2004
Very limited: akin to a Barley Wine, this hybrid Belgian style ale has a truly unique and sophisticated flavor due to the use of wildflower honey as the catalyst for the production of alcohol. Brewed with pale malt and a very small amount of Target hops. The bulk of the body, color and sweetness come from the 2,000 lbs. of honey added to the boil. It's then cellared for up to a year before bottled, which helps to marry the flavors and create the complex palate. 11.8%

Avery's Mephistopheles' Stout
The crafty shape shifter, the second fallen angel. Amazingly complex, coal black, velvety and liqueurish, this demon has a bouquet of vine-ripened grapes, anise and chocolate covered cherries with flavors of rum-soaked caramelized dark fruits and a double espresso finish. 107IBU. 15.1% (very limited)

Cambridge Brewing Co. - Barrel-Aged Porter (cask)
A very rare treat from CBC, this Porter was aged 6 months in wood with Brettanomyces and a touch of Lactobacillus. But that's not all! It's cask-conditioned with English treacle. Enjoy gravity pours from a 5 gallon wooden cask - a Theakston's Old Peculiar barrel!

Megahopped Stone Ruination IPA
The already massive hop tone of the Stone Ruination IPA is brought to the next level due to a third dry-hopping of Chinook to make the hop nectar that much more lovely. 7.7%

Offshore's Inkwell 2003
Vintage Imperial Stout that's 100% wood-aged.

Offshore's Kilt Lifter 2003
Vintage Scotch Ale that's 100% wood-aged.

Pizza Port (Carlsbad) - HopSuey 2XIPA
A brand new Double IPA brewed with more hops in one beer than some brewers use all month. A monster Double IPA that will have you kung fu chopping your way through the bale of hops that was used to produce this elixir. Beers made like this are bound to make your head spin as you drift into a somnambulistic state of Euphoria. 9.5%

Rodenbach Grand Cru
Rooted in a family tradition going back to 1714. A beer that distinguishes itself by its refreshing, fruity taste and bright red color. The result of a mixed fermentation of top yeasts and bacterial flora, followed by 24 months of maturation in oak casks like wine, whereby organic acids are converted into higher alcohols and fruity esters. Newly imported into the US via Brewery Ommegang / Duvel USA. 6.0%

SixPoint Righteous Ale, American Rye
Signature sharpness from a hefty proportion of rye malt added to the mash. Complimented by spicy American hops and a dash of chocolate malt to contribute a subtle nuttiness. This is a beer drinker's beer, and special secret version of Righteous Ale. 8.4%

SixPoint Barrel Aged Grand Crüe, Belgian Strong Dark Ale
Fermented with two Trappist yeast strains, then inoculated with an Abbey yeast and blended with a 4th mystery strain. Authentic Belgian Candy Sugar boosts the ABV without bogging down the palate. Aged in oak and served direct into your glass. Only 5 gallons ever produced! 12.4%

Tröegs' Mad Elf Holiday Ale
A cheerful creation to warm your heart and enlighten your tongue. The combination of cherries, honey, and chocolate malts delivers gentle fruits and subtle spices. Fermented and aged with a unique yeast , this ruby red beer has significant warming strength that underlies the pleasant character of this intriguing yet delicious Ale. 11.0%

We'll also have limited bottles of the following ...

Gales Prize Old Ale 2003
Cork-finished, sealed, and numbered. Prize Old Ale is unfiltered and unpasteurized. Brewed from floor malted Maris Otter and minute amounts of black malt. Hops are Fuggles, Goldings and Challenger. It is reddish in color with hops and apple fruit on the nose, spicy and malty in the mouth, and a dry, even tart fruity finish with hints of raisins and apple. The slow work of the yeast in the bottle may increase the alcohol content to 12% or even more. After several years of aging Prize Old Ale gains a more complex palate with Calvados like character.

Scaldis Prestige
A rare Belgian treat, this strong Belgian ale is the result of a traditional, 6 month-long maturing process in oak barrels after the main fermentation. During that time, the wood tannins form heady aromas in perfect harmony with the natural beer aromas. Once the beer is bottled, it referments again for up 3 weeks. This triple fermentation process (the main fermentation followed by that in the barrels and then in the bottles) enables the beer to reach a fairly high 13% alcohol content level.

Thomas Hardy's Ale (latest vintage)
A unique achievement with a special place in English brewing history. Strong in alcohol and powerfully hopped, it doesn't spoil with time and careful storage, but can be kept for at least 25 years, growing in character as the flavours blend and develop into mature masterpieces in miniature. 11.7%

Unibroue 15
Just in from Unibroue! It's so new we don't have any info on it yet.

Here is the list of breweries and the beers that were offered to the rest of us:

Allagash Brewing Co. (Portland, ME)

Allagash 10th Anniversary Ale
A blend of 2 high-gravity White beers: a sweeter batch (brewed in February of '05), and a drier batch (brewed in March of '05). By blending the 2 "different" beers, additional complexity is imparted. Further complexity, most notably expressed by the delicate vanilla notes, was gained by aging some of the beer in new Oak Barrels. 10.0%

Allagash Curieux
"Curious" in French, this beer is one of our top picks of '04. The aging of Allagash Tripel in Jim Beam barrels creates a beer with soft coconut and vanilla characters, as well as other complex Bourbon flavors. 11.0%

Allagash FOUR
Bourbon barrel-aged for EBF. A very unique Quadrupel brewed with 4 malts, 4 hops, 4 sugars, and 4 Belgian yeast strains. Quite malty with a complex sweetness from the use of date sugar, light candi, dark candi, and light golden molasses. 10.0%

Allagash Interlude
A new ale from Allagash. Farmhouse yeast is used for the first half of fermentation, Brettanomyces for the second half, and then it's aged in French Merlot and Sirah barrels.

American Flatbread Burlington Hearth (Burlington, VT)
http://www.americanflatbread.com

Gruit Ale
Strong ale crafted with sweet gale, yarrow, mugwort, and sweet woodruff, brewed on All Hallows Eve, 2005. 6.5%

Old Ale
Well-aged Old Ale brewed in the tradition of Old Tom's Strong Ale of England. All British ingredients. 6.3%

Anheuser-Busch (St. Louis, MO)
http://www.anheuser-busch.com

Brew Master's Private Reserve
Brewed with the purest liquid from the brewing kettles - pre-sparged, first wort. This first stock - unusually smooth and rich despite its robust alcohol - was reserved for A-B friends and family, until now. An all-malt beer with imported hops, and a completely different recipe than Budweiser. 8.5%

Double Dry Beer
A special from A-B's research pilot brewery, not sold commercially.

Imperial Pilsner
A special from A-B's research pilot brewery, not sold commercially.

Michelob Celebrate
Handcrafted by A-B master brewers with real vanilla beans and aged on bourbon barrel oak. Richly aromatic with distinct vanilla & oak flavors. 10.0%

Wild Blue
Full, round and warm with a slightly sweet taste and pleasant ripe blueberry aroma and flavor. 8.0%

Avery Brewing Co. (Boulder, CO)
http://www.averybrewing.com

Hog Heaven Barley Wine
An American Barleywine, this dangerously drinkable garnet beauty is a hop lover's delight. The intense dry-hop nose and the alcohol content are perfectly balanced for a caramel candy-like malt finish. 9.2%

Salvation
This Belgian Strong Pale Ale has luscious apricot and peach aromas delicately interwoven with spicy suggestions of nutmeg and cinnamon. A heavenly soft, champagne-like elixir. 9.0%

Samael's Ale
A super-caramelly, oak aged English-style strong ale. The oak is very apparent in this rich and high gravity ale, adding additional depth and complexity with a woody and cask-like nose and a pronounced vanilla flavor on the palate. 15.0%

The Beast Grand Cru 2005
A seducer - accomodating, complicated, powerful, dark and created to last the ages. With a deep burgundy color and aromas of honey, nutmeg, mandarin orange and pineapple, this massive and challenging brew has flavors akin to a beautiful Carribean rum. Dates, plums, raisins and molasses are dominant in a rich vinous texture. 14.9%

The Czar 2005
A marvelous Russian Imperial Stout, boasting crimson hues through the inky blackness, spicy and floral hops, and flavors redolent of English toffee, rich mocha, sweet molasses, candied currants and a hint of anise. 12.2%

The Kaiser
An Imperial Oktoberfest Lager, with spicy Noble hops, a bit bitter with an herbal edge, and backed by a complex chewy sweetness brought forth by German malts. 9.3%

The Reverend
Created by an ordained Episcopal Reverend, this Belgian-style Quadrupel contains authentic Belgian specialty malt, and lots of Belgian dark candy sugar stirred into the brew kettle. A divinely complex and beautifully layered beer with hints of dark cherries, currants, and molasses, complimented by an underlying spiciness. 10.0%

TWELVE
An intricate Saison, full of zesty citrus and spicy notes paired with a subtle herbaceous essence. Brewed with Rocky Mountain water, malted barley, imported Belgian malted wheat, sweet orange peel, lemon peel, grains of paradise, chamomile, lavender, hops, and Belgian yeast.. 7.6%

Berkshire Brewing Co. (South Deerfield, MA)
http://www.berkshirebrewingcompany.com

Holidale 2004 & 2005
An amber hued, full bodied and potent winter ale, with flavor notes of candied fruit, hints of spice and a nice smooth finish. Try both vintages side-by-side!

Imperial Stout
A powerful and dense black creation, dark, rich, creamy and velvety with hints of chocolate, liquorice, and coffee. 8.5%

Raspberry Strong Ale 2006
Half a pound of fresh raspberries per gallon of beer are used to brew this amber / ruby hued Strong Ale. Rich and malty with a balanced hop bitterness and potent berry taste in the finish. 9.0%

Boston Beer Co. (Jamaica Plain, MA)
http://www.samadams.com

Samuel Adams Barleywine Style Ale
Special batch: Liberal use of Munich and caramel malts along with a high IBU and a big late-boil addition gives this brew an intense but complex overall delivery. 10.0%

Samuel Adams Double Bock
With over a pound of malt per bottle, this rich sweet brew is BBC's version of this classic dark German lager. 8.8%

Samuel Adams Finnish Style Sahti
Special batch: This old Scandinavian style uses both juniper berries and bows. An overnight mash adds an interesting malt complexity. 5.5%

Samuel Adams Utopias
A beer unlike any other, this one has a warm, sweet flavor highlighted with notes of caramel, vanilla and oak. Touted as The World's Strongest Beer. 25.0%

Boston Beer Works (Boston, MA)
http://beerworks.net

Peanut Butter Porter
Robust Porter with 20 pounds of peanut butter added to the boil. Roasty and creamy with a subtle maltiness. 5.5%

Handsome Devil
Belgian style golden ale. Smooth, silky body with a slight warming sensation. Low in bitterness with a spicy finish. 7.0%

Brewery Ommegang (Cooperstown, NY)
http://www.ommegang.com

Double Wit
A new high-gravity Belgian-style wheat ale. 7.5%

Ommegeddon
Strong golden ale with Brettanomyces yeast. 9.0%

Rodenbach
Imported by Brewery Ommegang / Duvel USA, this Flemish sour ale was aged in oak. 5.1%

Brooklyn Brewery (Brooklyn, NY)
http://www.brooklynbrewery.com

Monster Ale 1999-2000
Vintage English style Barleywine, very strong with a vinous sherry-like character, fruity, citrusy, and a warming finish. 11.0%

Fortitude
New draught Belgian-style golden ale. 8.5%

Brooklyn Winter Ale
Draught version of Brooklyn's first "command performance" beer, wherein they brewed a beer for their European importers to match Christmas food in Denmark. This beer recalls both the Danish and British holiday ale traditions, which included a range of spices in the days before hops became the only spice in beer. Maris Otter malts give the beer a smooth, round palate, and brisk hopping pulls the sweet malts into balance. The spices recall pies, bread, and time well spent with friends and family. 7.5%

Cisco Brewers (Nantucket, MA)
http://www.ciscobrewers.com

Baggywrinkle Barleywine
A high-gravity ale with a malty-sweet palate, enhanced by its warming, with raisin, fig, fruity esters and an abundance of hops to balance the big malt flavors. 12.0%

Cisco "Ten"
Cisco's Barleywine, re-fermented in oak Bourbon barrels with handpicked strawberries, blended down with Whales Tale Pale Ale, giving a highly complex beer with sour fruity notes and Bourbon aftertaste. 10.0%

Dogfish Head Craft Brewery (Milton, DE)
http://www.dogfish.com

90 Minute IPA
An Imperial I.P.A. brewed to be savored from a snifter, with a great malt backbone that stands up to the extreme hopping rate. 9.0%

Burton Baton
Brewed with Warrior and Glacier hops and blended on 2 strains of ale yeast, one American, one English. Then aged on barrel staves of French oak for four months before being blended 50/50 with our 90 Minute Imperial IPA (9.0% - 90 IBU). Post blend, this beer is 80 IBU and 10.0%.

Festina Lente
A neo-lambic ale that goes through both a yeast and bacteria fermentation and is then aged on oak chips and 400 pounds of Delaware peaches. This beer is very tart and complex. It is bottle-conditioned in champagne bottles. 7.0%

Fort
Strong ale brewed with a ridiculous amount of pureed raspberries (over a ton of 'em!). The World's Strongest Fruit Beer! 18.0%

Immort Ale
Vast in character, luscious & complex. Brewed with peat-smoked barley, this strong ale is brewed with organic juniper berries, vanilla & maple syrup. It's aged on oak and fermented with a blend of English & Belgian yeasts. 11.0%

Olde School Barleywine
The world's strongest bottle-conditioned beer, fermented with dates and figs. Big malts, hops, fruitiness and booze. 15.0%

Founders Brewing Co. (Grand Rapids, MI)
http://www.foundersbrewing.com

Bad Habit
Vintage: June 2005. A combination of dark and light candy sugars brewed with a traditional Belgian yeast make this a very drinkable and well balanced Belgian Quad. Subtleties in the brewing process make this uniqe blend of ingredients work together to minimize any oversaturated characteristics sometimes found in Quads. An amazingly drinkable big beer. 10.0%

Blushing Monk
Vintage: May 2005. Only the finest fruits were used on this enormous Belgian Style Raspberry Ale, taking fruit-fermented beer to the edge. Pours a brilliant reddish pink hue and carries an aroma best pronounced from a snifter. 12.0%

Breakfast Stout
Brewed with an abundance of flaked oats, bitter and sweetened imported chocolates, Sumatra and Kona coffee. You can drink this ale with a fork! An intense fresh roasted coffee nose topped with a cinnamon colored frothy head that seems to never fade and makes you wish breakfast could last forever. 8.3%

Devil Dancer
Founders most complex, most innovative, most feared and yet most revered ale produced. Massive in complexity, the huge malt character balances the insane amount of alpha's used to create this monster. More IBU than you would believe (175+ IBU!) and dry-hopped for twenty-six days straight with a combination of 10 hop varieties. Dangerously drinkable and deliciously evil. We dare you to dance with the Devil! 13.0%

Dirty Bastard
Founders flagship beer, and an absolute beautiful beer to behold. Dark ruby in color and brewed with ten varieties if imported malts this beer continuously lives up to its reputation as a bold and powerful ale. Complex in the finish with hints of smoke and peat paired with a malty richness, finalized with a good bit of hop attitude. 8.3%

Kentucky Breakfast
Vintage: April 2005. A bit of backwoods pleasure without the banjo. This strong Stout is brewed with a hint of coffee and vanilla then aged in oak bourbon barrels. The process ensures that strong bourbon undertones come through in the finish in every batch we brew. 10.0%

Red's Rye
Pours a spectacular crimson red with a creamy tan head. Brewed with four varieties of Belgian caramel malt imparting a sweet richness. Impressively balanced with it shop bitterness and citrus bouquet achieved from the huge Amarillo dry hop. In the finish, the generous amount of malted rye used accentuated a spicy crisp finish. 6.8%

Harpoon Brewery (Boston, MA)
http://www.harpoonbrewery.com

Harpoon is the official beer sponsor of the Extreme Beer Fest. Swing by their breweries in Boston, MA or Windsor, VT for a tour and tasting, and become a Friend of Harpoon at http://www.friendofharpoon.com - for special invitations and discounts.

Harpoon Varius Strong Ale
Named "Harpoon Varius" because many different Harpoon brewers contributed to making this beer, which is brewed exclusively for the BeerAdvocate Extreme Beer Fest. Brewed in 10 10-gallon batches, Harpoon Varius is an experimental strong ale. Unfiltered, slightly cloudy, DANGEROUS! Rich alcohol notes mixing with earthy floral hop, thick malty sweetness in the nose. It starts off with a slight honey sweetness and transitions to a pronounced higher alcohol warmth and complex ester character. Finishes with a distinct smooth, bitter finish. Brewing with Pale Ale malt (90%), Caramel, and Victory. Hopped with Northern Brewer, East Kent Goldings, Fuggle, and Magnum. Dry-hopped with Willamette. Fermented with a Dry English Ale yeast.

Listen to Fred Hamp, the brewer of Harpoon Varius, at 2pm in our Beer Forum as he talks about the tribulations and exaltations of brewing a small batch of beer for the Extreme Beer Fest.

Harpoon 100 Barrel Series - Kellerbier
Debut of the latest 100 Barrel Series beer, a German style that is famous for being matured stored in un-bunged wooden barrel in caves. The lower alcohol and low carbonation accent the balance between the generous amounts of German malts and hops used to make this beer. Surprisingly thirst quenching, this beer goes wonderfully with many different food styles or by itself. Flavor characteristics: nicely balanced with German malts adding a slight sweetness, and highly hopped adding a slight bitterness at 45IBU. 4.9%

Harpoon 100 Barrel Series - Imperial Stout (cask)
High percentages of roasted barley, brown and caramel malts, and the finest noble English hops (50IBU), this beer will surely keep the winter chill off. 7.7%

Harpoon 100 Barrel Series - Triticus Ale
A strong and dark Wheat Wine-style Ale crafted by Jason and Todd Alström at the Harpoon Brewery in Windsor, VT. Brewed with 50% malt and 50% wheat, including German chocolate and caramel wheat and Munich malt, spiced with 4 hop varieties (57IBU), and fermented clean with the Chico yeast strain. Unfiltered and dry-hopped. Deceiving light, yet tremendously flavorful. 11.5%

John Harvard's Brew House (Cambridge, MA)
http://www.johnharvards.com

Double Deuce Barley Wine
Massive, malty, hoppy, alcoholic and infinitely complex. 11.0%

Vintage Imperial Stout
Selected for JHBH's cellar, a roasty, full-bodied stout aged at least on year. 9.0%

Instigator Dopplebock
A smooth blonde double bock aged almost 2 years. 7.0%

Frostbite Winter
JHBH's annually brewed strong lager to combat the chill of winter. 2004-2005 vintage. 6.0%

Lagunitas Brewing Co. (Petaluma, CA)
http://www.lagunitas.com

Hairy Eyeball Ale
Stylistically it's an oxymoronically construed Imperial Brown Ale with 56.7IBU. 9.0%

Olde Gnarlywine 2004
This seductive abomination at 69.42IBU, is a vintage Barleywine with a gnawing appetite for mayhem. 9.7%

Magic Hat Brewing Co. (Burlington, VT)
http://www.magichat.net

Braggot '04
Braggot is our mead that is a blend of two types of local honey: Clover and wild flower from Magic Hat's own Drunken Bee apiary. Pilsner malt, red wheat and whole Chamomile flowers are fermented and blended then aged in French oak to create a style from years gone past. 10.4%

Chaotic Chemistry
This Barley Wine style ale is brewed with 100% Maris Otter and Warrior hops at 50IBU. It goes through a hibernation and transformation period of three years in Select Wild Turkey bourbon barrels to become what it is today. Enjoy the subtle bready character and notes of vanilla, baked caramel and, of course, bourbon. 10.8%

Nerdlinger
This Belgium style pale ale is brewed with a blend of pale and crystal malts. It's hopped with Styrian Goldings to 38IBU and goes through a secondary fermentation with Brettanomyces Bruxellensis. 7.0%

Thumbsucker
Vermont Imperial Stout brewed with English Maris Otter and 5 other English specialty malts. It's hopped at 50IBU from Warrior, Centennial, and Cascade. Thumbsucker is then aged in select Wild Turkey bourbon barrels for 1 year to create a smooth port like Imperial stout. 8.0%

Middle Ages Brewing Co. (Syracuse, NY)
http://www.middleagesbrewing.com

Dragonslayer
Brewed in the style of a Russian Imperial Stout. Strong, chocolatety and aggressively hopped with finest English hops. 9.5%

Druid Fluid
An epic Barleywine, made in the tradition of British Farmhouse Brewing. Lavished with a velvety blend of six different malts this is a warming beer with a lush mouthfeel. The complexities your discriminating palate will detect are ever changing as this matures. When young, an assertive hop character predominates and with age the beauty of the big malt balance unfolds. 9.5%

Wailing Wench
Dark and robust brewed in the style of a American strong ale, full bodied and screaming with hops. 8.0%

Milly's Tavern (Manchester, NH)
http://www.millystavern.com

4th Anniversary Ale (cask)
Hybrid Pale Ale hopped with a generous mixture of American & English hops including Chinook, Columbus, Kent and Target. 5.0%

Cherry Spice
Belgian inspired with tart cherries and aged on French oak. 5.0%

Imperial Death March Stout
Full bodied, bittersweet, rich chocolate and dark fruit. 8.0%

T.N.T. Barleywine
Aged over a year, bittersweet, fruity, malty and warming. 10.0%

Whiskey Barrel Porter
Rich brown Porter aged for one month in Jack Daniels Whiskey barrels with a little Brettanomyces. 6.0%

Offshore Ale Co. (Oak Bluffs, MA)
http://www.offshoreale.com

Fogcutter Breakfast Porter
A Porter for breakfast, for those foggy island mornings. 6.0%

Inkwell 2004
A vintage and Improvisational Imperial Stout. 10.0%

Inkwell 2005
A vintage and Improvisational Imperial Stout. 9.5%

Kilt Lifter 2004
Scotch Ale aged in Jack Daniels Bourbon casks. 8.0%

Kilt Lifter 2005
Scotch Ale aged in Early Times Bourbon casks. 8.5%

Oskar Blues Grill & Brewery (Lyons, CO)
http://www.oskarblues.com

Gordon (in a can)
Dry-hopped, bottle-conditioned Imperial India Pale Ale (IPA) brewed with massive amounts of American hops - a hit with lovers of gonzo beer, with 90IBU. 9.2%

Old Chub (in a can)
Scottish style ale brewed with copious amounts of crystal and chocolate malts, and a dash of beechwood-smoked malts. Features a dense, tawny head, a creamy mouthful and flavors of caramel, chocolate and lightly roasted malt. Complex and rich, it finishes with a whisper of smokiness that calls to mind a fine single malt scotch. 8.0%

Pizza Port (Solana Beach & Carlsbad, CA)
http://www.pizzaport.com

Hop 15 2XIPA
The Double IPA style of brewing originated not far from the Solana Beach brewery and was loosely based on one of Pizza Port's Original IPA recipes (thanks Vinnie). Pizza Port brewing remains synonymous with well hopped beers. This version from Solana Beach was made with 15 different hop additions added to the kettle every 15 minutes. Perhaps it should called "225 Minute IPA?" 10.5%

Le Woody Brune
A recent release from the barrel farm behind the little Solana Beach brewery. Inspired by the classic Alexander of Flanders, we have brewed this sour brown ale in the burgeoning American Wild Ale style of brewing that has no limits. Made from a blend of Dawn Patrol Dark Mild and Cardiff Cream Ale, Le Woody Brune spent 1 year in French Oak breathing in harmony with the salted air of Solana Beach. Plenty of raisins were also dropped into the barrels, and then a sour cherry puree was added at bottling, plus more then a few pieces of pulp can be found still floating about. 5.5%

Revelation Belgian Golden Ale
Brewed by Jeff Bagby at the Carlsbad brewery. Inspired by the Devil himself, this golden ale promises to take you through the depths of hell and deliver you back to your life of normalcy here on earth. A massively deceptive ale bursting forth in subdued fruity notes that temper the golden highlights fit for the richest kings. 7.8%

SPF 8 Farmhouse Ale
Have you ever had the pleasure of tasting a beer made with caramelized fruit? Another wildly imaganistic ale from the minds of the brewers at Solana Beach. Originally brewed 5 years ago (and every year since) to celebrate the coming of the ferocious winter season (Southern California Style). A homage to the zany winter ales of Wallonia. A very rich Burgundian ale with ruby highlights that emerge during the transforming 4 hour boil. Throw in the fruit, add some honey and a pinch of Rosemary and you have SPF 8. 9.5%

Portsmouth Brewery (Portsmouth, NH)
http://www.portsmouthbrewery.com

Bière de Garde
Big malty and fruity French-style Country Ale. A bit strong for a session. 8.5%

Kate - Russian Imperial Stout
Big, rich and bold. This is one awesome stout at 70IBU. 9.25%

Imperial IPA
Even at 100IBU, a complex, yet remarkably balanced IPA.

Saison
Light golden ale with some phenolic complexity, and a healthy attenuative yeast creates a crisp beer assertive hops. 6.2%

SixPoint Craft Ales (Brooklyn, NY)
http://www.sixpointcraftales.com

Bolshoi - Russian Imperial Stout
A celebration of all dark and roasted malts; an opaque and mysterious brew. Full-bodied and chewy sweetness sliced by an insane hop bitterness. Not for the faint at heart. 10.2%

Express - Quadrupel
Fermented with a Trappist yeast strain that produces a signature fruit and spice profile. Aged 1 year and the strength is virtually undetectable. The Express train will take you where you're going in half the amount of time. 11.3%

Global Warmer - Winter Seasonal
Fermented at higher temperatures to create a frenzied activity. Spicy and bready like gingerbread cake. Massive citrus blast from generous hop additions. 9.1%

Rebel Lion - Imperial Red Ale
Rebellious and Proud, like the Lion of Judah. The Lion's Heart lies within its full-bodied sweetness. Its tenacity is within the hops. A true session ale for the Rude Boy. 7.4%

Sly Fox Beer (Phoenixville, PA)
http://www.slyfoxbeer.com

Ichor
An Abbot style Quadruple brewed with German Pils and Roast malts and Belgian Candi Sugar, hopped with German Tradition hops. Luscious and seductive, brewed for both the body and the soul. Served only in 750ml bottles. 10.0%

Odyssey
Imperial IPA brewed with Glacier, Ahtanum, Northdown, Willamette, Progress, Galena, Challenger, Santium and Chinook varietals. Near orange in color, medium-bodied and (obviously) hoppy, with pleasant alocohol hints in the nose and finish. 8.4%

Pikeland Pils
An unfiltered, or "Keller," Northern German style Pilsner brewed with imported German Pils malt and hopped with German and Czech hops. Light in body, light straw in color and dry. 4.9%

Rauchbier
Brewed with imported Beechwood Smoked Malt from Bamberg, Germany, this classic style offers an opportunity to taste beer the way it used to taste. A throwback to the days when all malts were kilned with wood; it is medium bodied and smoky on the palate. 5.2%

Smuttynose Brewing Co. (Portsmouth, NH)
http://www.smuttynose.com

Chai Porter
Smuttynose's Robust Porter infused with Chai tea.

Farmhouse Ale
A homage to traditional European beers brewed for quenching the thirst of farm workers of "Saisonaires." A unique Belgian Saison yeast is used ti impart a mixture of spice, fruity and earthy notes along with a lip smacking palatability 7.4%.

S'muttonator Doppelbock
As the name implies, a Doppelbock, or extra strong and very malt German lager beer. Typically quite sweet with some roasted malt undertones, ranging in color from deep amber to nearly black and are normally associated with the winter season. 9.6%

Wheatwine Ale
Strong ale made with a substantial measure of malted wheat as well as barley. Close cousin to Barleywines, Wheat Wines are typically strong, full-bodied, deep gold to amber in color and feature a subtle soft tangy flavor derived from their wheat malt. 10.7%

Stone Brewing Co. (Escondido, CA)
http://www.stonebrew.com

2005 Double Bastard Ale
The angry cousin to the Arrogant Bastard Ale, and one lacerative mother of a beer! Truly liquid arrogance! 10.0%

2005 Stone Old Guardian Barley Wine
This Barleywine as a massive malt character, with near critical level of hop notes. 11.26%

Oak Aged Arrogant Bastard
Arrogant Bastard Ale fermented with oak chips, giving it a softer, vanilla like tone. 7.2%

Stone Coast Brewing Co. (Portland, ME)
http://www.stonecoast.com

840 Imperial I.P.A.
Brewed with 840 ounces of hops, that's 52.5 pounds, a generous amount of these are fresh whole hops introduced during the conditioning stage and after the beer has been filtered, creating an amazing balance between the alcoholic warmth and textured body. 8.5%

Jackson's Winter Ale
BarleyWine brewed with 7 varities of malt and 10 gallons of B-grade maple syrup. Hops character is rather low allowing the complexity of the malts and maple syrup to dominate the palate. It'll be 2 years and 4 months at the time of EBF. 9.0%

Jalapeño Sunsplash Golden Ale (in a can)
There's a half a slice for fresh jalapeño in every can! A hit at last years EBF there's just something about this beer. Not too much heat, but a whole lot of flavor. Not hot enough? Let the beer warm up a bit and the heat will reveal itself.

Jamaican Stout Reserve
The beer mimics the strong, dark stouts so favored by British expats living in the Caribbean Islands during the late 18th century. Brewed with roasted barley and English hops. It's denoted as a "reserve" beer because it's been flavored with oak and dried cherries in selected small batches then "reserved" for special occasions. 10.0%

The Shed Restaurant & Brewery (Stowe, VT)
http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/1608/

Agathe
Defies categorization. An array of caramel and Pilsener malts, fermented with four yeast strains and keg conditioned with a fifth: Two very unique Belgian strains for flavor, three English for attenuation. Brewed for a beer washed cheese project with Jasper Hill Farm. 9.0%

Blanco X
Double white ale primary fermented with two Belgian wit yeasts. Raw wheat, oats, coriander, orange peel. Finished in the cask with a blend of Brettanomyces and conditioned on chardonnay soaked oak chips. 8.0%

Darkside
115IBU India Black Ale, brewed with Simcoe, Amarillo, Centennia hopsl, and pounds upon pounds of noble hops provide the bitter balance to the subtle chocolate and malt tones of this ale. Fermented with a blend of two English yeast strains and dry hopped with many pounds of Cascade. 7.0%

Spawn of Oliver Double IPA
100+ IBU IPA. Complex grapefruit-citrus aromatics balanced by caramel malts. Hazy orange-caramel-amber complexion...fermented with two English yeasts and extensively dry hopped. 7.2%

Visions of Sugarplums
Belgian style ale brewed with the intent of being a festive winter ale. Two Belgian yeast strains for flavor and attenuation - the primary strain being a significant acid producer. Conditioned on a bed of organic plums - this ale is lightly carbonated and significantly vinous. 8.0%

Wild Illumination
Saison ale brewed with all Pilsener malt and Hallertauer hops. This ale was blended with a young six month Lambic and naturally conditioned.. 7.5%

The Tap (Haverhill, MA)
http://www.tapbrewpub.com

Knecht Ruprecht
Sweet black lager with a roasted-smoky flavor from black malts. 47IBU. 10.0%

Jean-Baptiste
Spiced ale fermented with a Belgian ale yeast strain. Lightly hopped at 25IBU. 6.8%

Leatherlips IPA
This India Pale Ale is packed with Centennial and Chinook hops for maximum flavor. 50IBU. 5.3%

Tapple
A 15IBU blend of 60% Gala apple juice and 40% malt based. 4.8%

Tröegs Brewing Co. (Harrisburg, PA)
http://www.troegs.com

Nugget Nectar
Squeeze those hops for all they're worth and prepare to pucker up, as this one takes hopheads to nirvana with a heady collection of Nugget, Warrior and Tomahawk hops to create an explosive hop experience. 7.5%

Tröegenator Doublebock
Dark, strong lager with a bready aroma and rich, warming feeling and subtle spicy flavors. 8.2%

Victory Brewing Co. (Downingtown, PA)
http://www.victorybeer.com

Old Horizontal
A luxurious, warming Barleywine rich with aromatic hops and dark, candied fruit character that hides its epic strength masterfully. 10.5%

Storm King Stout
With a huge, Pacific Northwest hop aroma & character upfront, Storm King subsides into massive, roast malt complexity. More flavor than mere words can adequately describe. Rich and substantial, it will warm your heart. 9.1%

Ten Years Alt
OFFICIAL RELEASE @ EBF: Dark ale with malty depth, but with the fragrance and bold, brassy tang of European hops. This Doppelsticke (stong Altbier) is a great winter beer to celebrate Victory Brewing's 10th anniversary this February! 8.5%

Watch City Brewing Co. (Waltham, MA)
http://www.watchcitybrew.com

Biere de Bordel
A one year old Belgian Spiced Ale, Abbey yeast and it's dark, malty and spiced with about 30 pounds of plums, ginger root, and orange zest. 48IBU. 6.9%

FNA IPA - Imperial IPA
Back by popular demand ~ this batch has 12 hop editions in the boil - 6 types of hops and dry hopped with Crystal & Centennial Limited edition. 92IBU. 8.8%

LunarShine BurleyWhine
Our version of the English old Ale - very clean, lots of hops balance long conditioning time. 93IBU. 8.4%

Nuptial Belgian Strong Ale
Originally brewed for the owners of Watch City for their wedding. A ruby red Strong ale with a spicy Belgian yeast. 36IBU. 9.4%

Weyerbacher Brewing Co. (Easton, PA)
http://www.weyerbacher.com

Insanity
Made by aging Weyebacher's Blithering Idiot Barleywine in oak bourbon casks. This incredible combination creates a mélange of flavors such as malt, dates, oak, vanilla, and bourbon just to name a few. 11.1%

Quad
A Belgian Style Quadrupel Ale. Massively big and delicious, this is an elegant and dark ale that's rich with complexity and flavor. 11.9%

Light Lager Competition Style Suggestions

The SSBC Light Lager Club-Only competition will take place at the May meeting.  'Light' means light in gravity (less than 1.055), not light in color.  Now, there is a BJCP category called 'Light Lager', however it was my understanding that the only criteria was to be a lager less than 1.055, and not necessarily a style from that category.  So, I offer these as suggested styles which fall into that realm, if you are looking for ideas (if I'm wrong and lead someone astray, I apologize).

Click on the links to go to the BJCP defintion of the style.

1. Light Lager

Styles

1. 1A. Lite American Lager
2. 1B. Standard American Lager
3. 1C. Premium American Lager
4. 1D. Munich Helles
5. 1E. Dortmunder Export

2. Pilsner

Styles

1. 2A. German Pilsner (Pils)
2. 2B. Bohemian Pilsener
3. 2C. Classic American Pilsner

3. European Amber Lager

Styles

1. 3A. Vienna Lager
2. 3B. Oktoberfest/Märzen

4. Dark Lager

Styles

1. 4A. Dark American Lager
2. 4B. Munich Dunkel
3. 4C. Schwarzbier (Black Beer)

Beer Trivia Answer

Contact Information

If there are any updates or changes to the information posted here, please contact:

blanchette.j@comcast.net

Last modified: March 24, 2008