All About Beer Magazine

Fest a Success, a New Book to Read and a Grovel or Two

Posted January 30, 2009 by daniel 4 Comments | Post a Comment

The Columbia version of the World Beer Festival was wonderful. With two other very mature, very savvy events, I’d forgotten how much fun a beer festival in a new, fresh town could be.

The average age was higher. People talked beer with the brewers, with each other. They took notes in the program book. (Shazaam!) No “wahoo!” whenever the bottles were dumped into the recycling. And they left when it was last call. Sweeeet!

With the expanded All About Beer Magazine team, even my role had improved. With a bit more time I elected to try some of the beers. My strategy was to taste everything I believed I’d never had, largely the offerings of the South Carolina breweries.
After the first two beers I remembered the behavior of such luminaries as Michael Jackson, Roger Protz, Stephen Beaumont, Jay Brooks, Stan Hieronymous, Lew Bryson, virtually all of the people that I admire. Little books and scribbled notes. To be honest, I found the juggling of pen, paper and glass a bit much, keeping the paper dry difficult, and, later, reading my notes impossible. Another thing to learn on this quest.
Furthermore, I exposed a pathetic vocabulary. Red Brick Oatmeal Porter — creamy with a burnt finish. (Like, duh!) New South White Ale — light refreshing, short clean finish. (Oh slay me with thy erudition!). My favorite comments; Coast Brewing Co. IPA — cloudy, medium body, light amber, dry bitter finish. (Nailed that one, old sod.)
Seriously, I could see the need for developing sensitivity and, at the same time, expanding vocabulary. Enter Randy Mosher and the Siebel Institute. I have the galleys for Randy Mosher’s new book Tasting Beer: an Insider’s Guide to the World’s Greatest Drink. I’m also planning on heading to Chicago to take the Siebel course that Randy teaches.
Back to the beers at the festival, I did notice that, with few exceptions, the beers of South Carolina were all very well made with a lighter profile than I would have expected, much subtler than style interpretations around the country. Welcome to the South. I also noticed that there was a universal focus on dry and refreshing, long big chardonnay finishes. Except for Palmetto Brewing Co. They showcased a range of beers that were all exceptionally rounded and evenly balanced. They really stood out.
One thing I am learning about this world of blog, it requires more attention than I’ve been giving it. As Maureen Ogle wrote me; now that you have a blog you have to write. Another lesson to learn.

Festival Weekend

Posted January 24, 2009 by daniel 8 Comments | Post a Comment

It’s festival weekend in Columbia, South Carolina. Our third World Beer Festival concept. After 15 years in Durham, 5 years in Raleigh, we’re adding a third in a new state. Which means a lot of public relations time for me, leading me to this whole idea of becoming an “expert.” One reader simply asked if that’s the right term! I’m not sure what it is, but maybe that’s another thing to discover on this journey.

For example; here I am in a radio station with the local hip radio personality, the PR guy and six bottles of beer selected from the festival refrigerated trailer packed with beer. I have my nose in a glass of Sierra Nevada Torpedo and I can’t for the life of me figure out what I’m smelling.

I’ve toured the brewery several times, spending quite a bit of time with Ken and Sierra Grossman. Their beers have been a staple for nearly 30 years. I can go on about their history and the political issues that I’ve worked with Ken on, but grasping and describing the flavors?

Sure I’ve got the piney nose of the Cascade hops, or so I guess are the hops since I selected the beers for this event on the fly and I didn’t get to do any research. I also tried to explain why using whole hops is better than pellets. I talked about complexity, but couldn’t really point to anything that we were smelling or tasting. Another thing to learn.

I also included a Saranac Black & Tan, an odd beer style, but as I mentioned I was grabbing stuff from a dark truck. However, one of the jocks said he tasted amber lager! Amazing. Guess what? Turns out that’s exactly what the Matt family used to blend with their stout to make this blend.

Among the other beers was Abita Turbodog where I thought I was picking up some toasted nuts and a bit of caramel. But I couldn’t get any nose from the beer, even though the taste suggested there should be a lot. Actually, outside of the Torpedo I wasn’t smelling anything from any of the beers! I had the festival glasses and poured under 2 oz.

Something interesting however, the big hit among the 6 jocks I met with during the day was Leinenkugel’s Sunset Wheat. That light body with the citrusy, tangy, finish got everyone’s attention, especially when I mentioned I used it to make scrambled eggs.

I finished each interview with Sierra Nevada’s Bigfoot 2009, thinking to end the brief tour with a bang. I was looking for some of those dried fruit that I associate with barley wines. However, I was immediately stopped by the exceedingly bright, sharp, hobby finish, and the delicacy of the beer, one of the biggest around, was a surprise.

Readers, I’m hitting the heart of this journey, and I’m seeing three elements. I can’t describe the sensory experience of a beer as well as I’d like to. I’d also like to give people the technology that pushes those sensory experiences. Finally, I’m seeing not just gaps, but outdated if not wrong information lurking in my memory.

This is going to be fun.

BOB Begins.

Posted January 21, 2009 by daniel 17 Comments | Post a Comment

BOB Begins.

I’m not sure how this voyage, Bradford on Beer or BOB, really begins.  I simply want to become an expert on beer.  After all these years in the industry I want to invest the time in learning about this beverage I love and have worked for all these years.   

It’s going to be a fun, curious trip. I have the time to invest. I’ve got some trips planned, some courses to take, some brewing friends to visit and learn from., a few really cool books, and hundreds and hundreds of beers to try and explore.  I’m excited and looking for company.

Hopefully somewhere along the road I might get a shot to join a lot of good friends as a judge at the Great American Beer Festival.

While writing this I’ve got a pint of Top of the Hill Restaurant Singleton made with a single malt and a single hops.  Here’s the really cool part, I have it on cask in my shop.  

I modified a refrigerator to maintain 54 degrees, using a gizmo from a homebrew shop.   I got a couple of pins (half a firken) from UK Brewing supplies, along with a refurbished hand pump.  The best part, John Withey, brewer at Top of the Hill, makes up the pins.  I’ve also had some help along the way with cask ale from Ray Daniels and Steve Hamburg on getting the cask right.

I tapped this pin yesterday so it hasn’t had a chance to drop bright.  However, it’s quite golden already with a floral nose that’s massive.  (I’m using one of Boston Beer’s unique glasses.)  The mouthfeel is medium with a slight caramel sweetness, and silky finish.  The floral bite has a lot of citrus fruit to it.  It finishes too refreshing for such a big beer.

Now, what would my more serious beer friends and colleagues say?  How would they describe the beer such that you the reader could almost taste it?  That is my quest for the next year.
Daniel