Grand plans are noble, although also a grind. I intended to use today’s theme to challenge myself to create some food pairings for the beer I selected (intended = it didn't happen). But excuses are for losers. To preserve my masterplan, I'll do my best to churn out a few relevant paragraphs on beer and food pairings. And I'll still be drinking. So except for the possibility that I didn’t get raptured today, I’d say I’m still winning.

The rise of craft beers, miles apart from America’s industrially produced light lagers, has recently spawned a trend of beer and food pairing. Breaking into the mainstream has been slow. Wine is the sovereign food partner of fine dining. Every respectable restaurant has a wine list. Selections and quality of sommeliers can make or break a great restaurants’ reputation. Wine's place with food is based on its acidic, strong, and complex flavors. However, I question if the myth that wine is a superior food companion is not largely based on legacy.

Wine, crafted with arguably a superior ingredient -- the grape, is a one-dimensional beverage. All wines taste like fermented, aged grapes. Beers while crafted with more pedestrian ingredients -- grains and hops, are multidimensional beverages. Brewers craft their beers by tweaking the balance of malty sweetness and hop bitterness. Furthermore, flavor complexity is tailored using different types of malted grains and limitless amounts of adjuncts. Both wine and beer can utilize either naturally occurring or cultured yeasts to covert sugars to alcohol, but the yeast in beer making plays such a large part in the finished product’s flavor profile it can act as an important of an ingredient as  the malts and hops.

As a quick example, Saint Arnold Brewing Company recently replaced its lowest selling beer (Texas Wheat, an American-style Wheat) with an altered version of one of its more popular beers (Fancy Lawnmower, a German-style Kölsch). The brewery now has two beers with the exact same recipe, but fermented with two different yeasts that yield very different tasting beers. In a recent newsletter, Saint Arnold reported selling as many kegs in a week and a half of the new replacement (Weedwacker) as it did of Texas Wheat in a whole year.

With an unrestricted amount of flavor profiles, beer is unmatched in potential flavor pairing combinations with food. Beer can also leverage its carbonation to lift aromas and clean your palate between samples. Wine is challenged by spicy foods, pickles, asparagus, etc. Your local wine merchant may have thousands of wines to choose from, but only a small handful of them would even be acceptable for that coconut-curry Thai dish.

My first beer pairing education came from a session by the Texas Culinary Academy in 2005. The chef giving the seminar demonstrated the three C’s of beverage pairing: Cut, Compliment, and Contrast.

Cut: Spicy foods can be cut by malty sweet beers, like an English Pale Ale or a German Marzen. The richer the food, hoppy beers can clean the creaminess or fattiness from your palate. Dry stouts can even cut through the richness of a sweet chocolate dessert.

Compliment: Beer really shines as a food pair in this category. While wine basically enhances foods with acidity, beer can provide a subtle compliment to a food’s flavor. Belgian beers spiced with orange zest and coriander provides a great compliment to salads. Japanese beers brewed with rice are perfect companions to pieces of sushi.

Contrast: Like wine, any food that is enhanced with acidity can be adjusted to provide a good contrasting food pair (imagine something that tastes good with a lemon squeezed on it). Fish and white wine is a good pair, as is a light-bodied pilsner. However, no contrasting pair may be as sublime as a raw oyster and a dry stout. I first had this pair at SAVOR in 2009, where the Choptank Oyster Company was shucking fresh oysters. I made several trips through the line with samples of some of the best stouts and roasty porters in at the event.

Whether beer or wine, food pairing promotes the kind of creativity that I love when cooking. It also encourages a more thoughtful and enjoyable eating experience. In the end, my originally planned post probably would have been more enjoyable for me than it would have been for you (kind of like beer reviews, eh?)

Day 6
May 21, 2011
Dogfish Head Craft Brewery Namaste (Milton, DE)

Website/Bottle Information:
"A Belgian-style White made with dried organic orange slices, fresh cut lemongrass and a bit of coriander. This beer is a great summer quencher.
Namaste was originally brewed at our brewpub in with our friend Leo from Birra del Borgo in Italy as a tribute to our friends at 3 Fonteinen brewery in Belgium, who had devastating production loss (1/3 of their annual production!) at their brewery in 2009. You can read more about the original brewing of this beer here on Sam's blog."


Serving: 750mL bottle
Style: Witbier
IBU: 20
ABV: 5.0%

He Said:
I haven't poured a beer from a 750mL bottle with as light and fluffy of a head as this one in a long time. The beer is very effervescent. All the carbonation really carries up aromas of the lemongrass and coriander that the beer is brewed with and some musty funk that it probably wasn't brewed with. I'll admit that if I hadn't used it in several homebrewing recipes, I wouldn't know coriander's aroma though. Some citrus is detectable, but it seems to be more from the yeast and not the oranges used in the brewing of Namaste.

I am always impressed with the incredible balance of each Dogfish Head beer. Even their hoppiest IPAs have a malty sweetness to perfectly balance the bitterness. Namaste is no different. Hops are present in the perfect amount to balance the beer and keep the flavor profile dynamic from start to finish.

Namaste is lemony, light, and refreshing. If I had attempted to craft some food pairings, I think this would have gone great with a salad incorporating some citrus. It would have also gone equally well with a chicken quesadilla.

I generally attribute the term "Namaste" with yoga or new age-type activities. Tonight this beer was enjoyed while bathing two little children, which is probably the furthest from that lifestyle. Translated, "Namaste" means greetings or good day. I think I'd say this is a pretty good day.

She Said:
Color - Golden

Carbonation - Very bubbly

Smell - Citrusy, Belgian

Taste - To be fair, I have tasted this beer before and enjoyed it even more the first time. The lemongrass and citrus flavors totally shined through in my previous tasting. This time those flavors are present but aren't as powerful (aging? storage issues?). I still enjoy Namaste's light bubbly taste that doesn't stick to your palate. The beer is a cool and refreshing treat for a hot summer day. I recommended this beer to friends after the first time I enjoyed it and would do the same now.

I would be remiss to not take a day during this week long celebration to recognize some great national events planned to promote, much like American Craft Beer Week, the culture and community of craft beer. Last year I included a list of notable some notable national events. This year I’ll be attending one of them.

On Saturday May 30, 2009, I was among the 1900 craft beer enthusiasts who gathered at the National Building Museum in Washington D.C. to sample 136 beers from 68 American craft breweries paired with 32 food items for the 2nd annual craft beer and food experience, SAVOR. The event, hosted by the Brewer’s Association, is the premier food and beer event for American craft beers. I'm just saying -- it is an awesome event.

Here is how I plan to experience SAVOR this year.

Wednesday: Fly into Providence, R.I. 
This is my airport of choice when traveling to the Northeast. First of all, flights are inexpensive. Second: Dinner at Al Forno. I’ve eaten at Al Forno more than I’ve eaten at many of my favorite restaurants in Houston. Much like many of my favorite restaurants, I’ve only ordered one main dish from the menu: The Spicy Clam Roast. This is a plate of longnecked clams, served in their shells, each with a spicy sausage slice and onions. The clams are set around Al Forno’s mashed potatoes and everything is topped with a tomato-based sauce. I'm confident that this dish was sent directly from the seafood gods. 

Thursday: Long Island's North Fork and Atlantic City
We then head to New London, CT and catch the ferry to Long Island. Our North Fork itinerary always includes a few winery stops and lunch at P.J. Lobster House in Port Jefferson, NY. This year we’ll be sampling at two wineries I’ve never visited, Bedell Cellars and Paumanok Vineyards. Both are listed in Palate Press’ recent Nine New York Wineries to Watch. Port Jeff is the prototypical harbour city on Long Island and has a Northeastern small town charm that makes it a popular tourist destination. P.J. Lobster House was recommended to me when I worked a few seasons at nearby Stony Brook University. This half fish market, half restaurant has unbelievable prices, superb service, and very fresh seafood. 

Normally at this point in the journey we stop in NYC for a few days. This year our schedule is tighter so we are heading to Atlantic City to shorten our Friday drive to Washington D.C. I scored a reservation to the somewhat mysterious Chef Vola’s a day before they received a 2011 James Beard Award, something I knew nothing about before finding their elusive phone number on Yelp. 

Friday: Rehoboth Beach, DE and Washington D.C.
From Atlantic City we travel to Cape May, NJ to take the ferry to Delaware. Our plan is to spend the afternoon at Rehoboth Beach on their boardwalk before heading to Washington D.C. that evening for SAVOR. Oh yes, and Dogfish Head Brewings & Eats is going to happen while in Rehoboth (I at least have to restock my Dogfish liquors from their distillery there).

And SAVOR should be a pretty good time too.

Day 5
May 20, 2011
Williamsburg Alewerks "400" Ale - Jamestown 1607-2007 (Williamsburg, VA)

Website/Bottle Information:
"'400' Ale commemorates the founding of the first Virginia Settlement and with it, the founding of the American brewing industry. Beer was an essential component of everyday life in Jamestown, only the security and shelter provided by the triangular shaped fort and the cultivation of edible (no doubt including barley) crops outranked the production of beer in importance. Fresh water flowing in local streams and the recently excavated well provided a source of potable water, but beer and other 'processed liquids, primarily beer' were the preferred drinks.

This ale, like the ales of the time, is brown in color. This beer may be more robust than 18th century brews, a liberty we choose to take. How could we possibly do justice to so important an event of 400 years ago, with anything other than a truly robust, full flavored contemporary 'Imperial Brown Ale.' Cheers."

Serving: 22oz bottle
Style: Imperial Brown Ale
ABV: 6.5%

He Said:
In keeping with the travel theme, "400" Ale is a bottle we picked up in 2007 while visiting Jamestown and Williamsburg. If you skipped the "Website/Bottle Information" above, then you missed a nice story about the role of beer as settlers landed in the New World.

I was reminded this was a brown ale while trying to detect its aroma prior to my first sip. It has very little hop profile and smelled bready (malty and yeasty). The flavor was good, but I found it a little hard to objectively assess a modern Imperial interpretation of an 18th century beer. When I checked Beer Advocate, most reviewers noted a strong sour flavor. In our bottle, the sourness must have completely gone away. I found "400" Ale to be much more pleasurable than BA reviewers that opened this in 2008. I'm just glad the beer was still enjoyable after five years in the cellar.

She Said:
Color - A dark, almost opaque brown with a tinge of red.

Head - Minimum white head. Lightly carbonated. Tiny bubbles.

Smell - Sweet, maybe a cherry bourbon smell (without the boozy notes).

Taste - Smooth and delish! This is a tame beer, but it is packed with a chocolate/cherry flavor. The beer finishes with sweet darker chocolate notes. The beer is very good, and I'm sad to see it go. I would buy more if it was still available.

What a tribute to Jamestown 1607!! (editor's note: TwoPints has a bachelors degree in history. Can you tell? :)

The "Mother of All Beer Weeks" is not only a celebration of craft beer and those who make it, but just as importantly a celebration of the American craft beer culture.

Most people attribute the offset of the modern day American craft brewery to be around 1980 when pioneer Fritz Maytag finished modernizing Anchor Steam in San Francisco, CA. Soon after, Ken Grossman opened Sierra Nevada in Chico, CA. The beer geek counterculture at that time was small and somewhat fragmented, and it would be another decade before the American craft beer scene began to take shape. Growth during the 1980s and 1990s was slow due to the outdated post-Prohibition laws most states, some which still exist. Even today, many craft beer enthusiasts don’t have access to the local options available in Portland, Asheville, or Denver. However, the common denominator for all of us is the pub.

Local pubs offer beer enthusiasts an opportunity to experience top offerings from around the country (and World). Great pubs play a huge role in fostering the growth of local beer culture. In Houston, TX, we are fortunate to have a distinguished homegrown pub like The Ginger Man that has been synonymous with beer culture since the mid-80s. The uniquely cool Petrol Station and notable chain Flying Saucer have also been beacons during the development of Houston’s craft beer scene.

This afternoon I am scribbling this blog post on a notepad from a bar stool at one of the best cocktail bars in America. With Anvil Bar & Refuge’s accolades for cocktails, I guess it is easy to overlook that beer guru Kevin Floyd may be the most knowledgeable and influential craft beer minds in Houston. Anvil may be hated as enthusiastically as it is praised, but Houston is lucky be able to claim such great cocktail and beer minds as Anvil co-owners Bobby Heugel and Kevin Floyd. I imagine there are a lot of sleepy bars that would gladly trade for a piece of Anvil’s hype.

As Houston’s craft beer venues increase in number, so does the city’s beer culture in strength. Craft beer bars aren’t the place to grab two shots and a light beer before heading home to the family. Craft beer bars are a subset of bars just as “foodie finds” are a subset of restaurants. Great bars educate consumers about what is being served and the brewery where it was crafted. The growth of these venues is intriguing because instead of dividing up the existing faction of beer enthusiasts, the base seems to be growing. I predict we are not seeing the pinnacle in 2011, but we are merely in the upward segment of the craft beer popularity bell curve. More or less, this prediction is literally almost virtually scientific law. Fact.

Day 4
May 19, 2011
Uinta Brewing Cockeyed Cooper (Salt Lake City, UT)
Bottled 03/23/11

Website/Bottle Information:
"Launch into the exquisite flavors of bourbon with splashes of vanilla. Watch for currents of dark chocolate and dried fruit. Generous amounts of hops and malts make for a smooth journey from start to finish. Decadent desserts and aged cheeses make superb companions."

Serving: 750 mL bottle
Style: American Barleywine
ABV: 11.1%


He Said:
This bottle came by way of a Beer of the Month club, which like a craft beer bar is another great way to try beers not available at your local beer merchant. I've never tried any beers from Uinta, and to be honest I've never really noticed the brewery until I researched it for our United States of Beer Project (Uinta finished #2 in Utah to the Utah Brewers Cooperative).

The packaging on this beer is awesome. The label was designed by a local artist, and the 750 mL bottle even has a punt!

The barrel aging is quite evident on the nose, as are sweet and hop notes that are expected in a 11.1% ABV barleywine. Cockeyed Cooper was aged for six months in Heaven Hill rye bourbon barrels. Judging from the taste, six months may have been a little too long, but I'm not complaining. The front end of each sip is very oak-y; almost drowning out the typical sweetness of a barleywine and masking most of the beer's malt and yeast flavors (until the beer got closer to room temperature). The finish was very hoppy. A transition from intense wood to intense hops proved to be somewhat challenging to the palate.

Despite these nit picks, I still enjoyed this unique offering. Cockeyed Cooper is a great example of how American brewers are continuing to explore the boundaries of what the industry considers "craft."

She Said:
Aroma - Chocolate
Look - Head was minimal, white, and creamy. The color was translucent chocolate with a red tint.
Taste - The first taste is bitter and carbonated that almost over-powers anything else. The finish is drier than expected with cigar notes (dark and bitter). Overall there is a chocolatey taste to the beer. The booziness of the beer burns going down and left me with a dry mouth feeling.

Cockeyed Cooper is not my favorite. I feel like I sucked on a lot of bark (not that I've ever done that).

Sometimes when I sit down, queue up something on the TiVo, and open a beer, I feel like I am single handedly saving the World. And why shouldn’t I?

I work for a cancer hospital. I get paid to reduce the energy and water use of our facilities. I even donate to my university’s athletic program. In my spare time, I literally drink my carbon footprint to oblivion.

For decades brewers have reduced waste by sending their spent grain to be used as animal feed or fertilizer. Modern facilities are beginning to utilize energy efficient brewhouse designs to offset the enormous heating and water demands of a commercial brewery. Efficient boilers are being implemented to reduce the fuel required for steam generation, boiling, etc. Around 45% percent of the brewing process’ total energy is spent in the brew kettle during the boiling stage of brewing. Once this heat is produced, efficient breweries take steps through heat recovery devices to capture and reuse it in other processes or to convert the heat to usable energy that can power other devices.

Over 90% of beer is water. Furthermore, to make a unit of beer, it typically requires 4 or 5 units of water. Process water reduction, recycling water from process to process, and wastewater recovery are beginning to be implemented by commercial breweries to protect this natural, but finite resource.

Many breweries have also minimized their environmental impact by implementing sustainable business practices (e.g. purchase materials made of 100% recycled content) or by purchasing from suppliers utilizing sustainable farming practices (e.g. minimize fertilizer use, purchase local ingredients, no-till production).

Today we open a beer from Rogue Brewing’s Chatoe series. Rogue is considered by some to use gimmicky marketing ("Brewed using... free range coastal water" -- awesome), but Chatoe Rogue is the real deal. The brewery grows its own barley and hops for these beers. The beers are brewed onsite and include no chemicals, additives, or preservatives. Now if they could only get on the development of wormhole technology so mine doesn’t have to be delivered across the country using fossil fuels…

Day 3
May 18, 2011
Chatoe Rogue First Growth Creek Ale (Independence, OR)

photo courtesy of beerinfo.com

Website/Bottle Information:
"We made this beer with our own hops and barley. Malty aroma, dark mahogany-brown in color with a rich, malty sweetness that finishes dry on top of a lush cherry flavor.

Brewed using 8 ingredients: Wheat, Rogue Barley Farm Dare and Risk Malts, Rogue Hopyard Revolution Hops, Montmorency Cherries, Pacman and Belgian Yeast and Free Range Coastal Water.



Dedicated to Farmers and Fermenters. GYO is a Rogue Ales term for Grow Your Own"

Serving: 22oz bottle
Style: Dubbel
25 IBU
ABV: 6.0%

He Said:
It is almost a lock that any dreamy, high concept beer is going to be a disappointment (just like my blog posts!). The bottle says they used cherries, but you wouldn't be able to tell from the nose. The beer has a slight malty sweet aroma, but almost nothing else. I either detect some mustiness or it is just that I'm imagining the aroma of the Oregon hippies that crafted this beer.

The flavor is a real sucker punch. Wow. Tart (Ha! Now I get it. Creek = Kriek. Those tricky Oregonians). The beer is so tart that it covers up some of the deeper malt flavors, Belgian yeast flavors, and any of the custom Rogue farmed hops that the label advertises. Surprisingly, the cherry tartness is not cloying, but overall it isn't amazing either.

Can I really like this beer and also be a little disappointed? That was a rhetorical question. I'm going to buy another one of these and taste it again next year. I also look forward to trying future Chatoe releases.

She Said:
The beer is red brown in color. It smells "woodsy rustic" (much like it looks, actually). The aroma does not hint at the flavor. The tartness hits your mouth with such a surprise it made me pucker and squint. I'm reminded of the flavor of an unripened cherry. While the beer is tart to start, it is quickly goes away on the palate.

First Growth Creek Ale might age well. I'd really like to try one of these aged in oak. Think cigars and brandy.

Collaboration.
Please put that in a sentence.
Collaboration.
-Mr. Smokeypants

When in doubt, start with a haiku. During a week dedicated to raising awareness for craft brewing, I think it is fitting to dedicate one day to honor the hottest brewing trend since the discovery of yeast: Collaboration beers.

In the corporate world, information is guarded like the princess in a Donkey Kong game. Alliances are only struck to gain a competitive advantage over a rival business. Get smarter. Get faster. More efficiency. More money. (Less of a need for those unfocused employees penning blog posts during work hours.)

Brewing is a craft similar to cooking, except most brewers didn't learn their craft from their grandmother. Techniques have been passed down for millennia from brewer to apprentice. In this era of modern craft brewing, an extraordinary amount of knowledge sharing has taken place between brewers. Perhaps this unconventional business practice stems from craft brewers' common objective to cut into the market stronghold of the behemoth breweries. For reference, craft breweries represented about 0.05% of beer sales in the United States in 2010.

I'd argue there is something more special about the fraternity of craft brewers. Most brewers learned their craft outside of a formal school setting and began their business from scratch. Knowledge sharing was fundamental to their business' survival, and most brewers are simply willing to give back to the community that supported them during their rise. 

The craft aspect of a brewer's business also fosters sharing. As with cooking, even the most seasoned professional can benefit from fresh ideas and new techniques. Don't believe me? This is American Craft Beer Week, visit your local brewery and strike up a conversation with a brewer. Watch out though, you may talk your way into helping out during the next brewing session.

During a recent visit to Specs Warehouse in downtown Houston, I saw no less than ten collaborative offerings in the American craft beer aisle. Whether these efforts were educational, marketing-driven, or simply a celebration of their trade, I'm a happy and willing beneficiary of the experiments.

Collaboration.
Sounds like fun, then you do it.
Collaboration.
-Mr. Smokeypants

Day 2
May 17, 2011
Brewery Ommegang Gnomegang (Cooperstown, NY)

Website/Bottle Information:
"This delectable blonde ale is a co-creation of two famed farmstead breweries: Brewery Ommegang and Brasserie d'Achouffe. It employs five fine malts, two noble hops, and both of the distinctive Chouffe and Ommegang yeasts. You'll enjoy the smooth drinkability, fruity aromas and flavors, and warming finish."

Serving: 750mL bottle
Style: True Belgian-Style Blonde Ale
ABV: 9.50%

 

He Said:
We've visited this brewery in the past and have been enjoying their World-class farmhouse Belgian-style beers for many years. When I learned of this collaborative effort, I immediately pictured the metaphor described above of an award winning chef learning new techniques from another master in his particular cuisine. Such high expectations are dangerous.

The beer pours golden, forming a relatively small head that dissipates relatively quickly. The beers nose straight forward for the style. Distinct Belgian yeast aromas including lots of clove and maybe a little more banana than I would have expected were present. The flavors followed suit. The beer is slightly sweet and has a noticeable boozy punch. The tasting notes on the bottle mention the beer's "drinkability," so I guess it is okay if I type the term in my review.

This was a very good beer (I'm talking A- good). I wonder if it wouldn't gain a little more character after a year or two in storage. My initial impression was that this beer is too "safe" for a collaborative effort. After giving it some thought, this is a very technically sound version of the style. I assume that there are some technical aspects of the brewing process for this beer that may not slap you in the face while drinking the finished product. However, this doesn't make Gnomegang anything less than a solid collaborative effort.

She Said:
The fresh lemon zesty scent from the Belgian yeast… love it. It is like coming home -- to Belgium. It is no secret that Belgians are my favorite beers. (I drafted the whole country in the The Ferm's Inaugural Mock Draught!)

This beer is splendid! The taste is crisp and complex, and I bet this beer will age well. The lovely carbonation dances on your tongue, or goes up your nose if you take too big of a gulp.

Gnomegang is delish! I highly recommend this great collaboration.

Monday marked the beginning the nationally recognized American Craft Beer Week (ACBW). At The Ferm, we celebrate for the third straight year this great and substantial week dedicated to all things craft beer. But we aren't the only ones celebrating. For the first time in ACBW's six-year history, official events are planned in each of the fifty states.

The Brewers Association reports that the American craft beer landscape now boasts over 1,700 small and independent craft breweries (FACT!), which is an all-time high. Not since Prohibition have so many breweries been in operation. 

With so many breweries, it makes sense that the theme of our Day 1 celebration be "Drink Local." The #SLGT concept (support local, grow together) is not new to me, but I will admit I have been slow to adopt its practices. Take Central Market for example; the best fruits, vegetables, meats, and seafood from around the World are flown in and available for me to buy throughout the year. The beer and wine sections are even more diverse.

With the proper mindset, supporting sustainability, buying local, and taking down the mega-national-decepticon-beast (aka The Man) is an achievable objective. But when it comes to drinking local in Houston, TX, there are several caveats. First and foremost, modern day Houston has known only one craft brewery: the venerable Saint Arnold. Only in the last three years has the metropolitan area added Southern Star (Conroe, TX) to that list of one. But recently, we lost our only brewpub (corporate chain Two Rows), gained three start-ups (No Label, Karbach, Kreuz Creek), and – this just in – once again have our first brewpub (Freetail Houston). Among the breweries now in operation, only Saint Arnold and Southern Star package their beer for retail.

So it was in the spirit of craft breweries, and more specifically local craft breweries, that I selected Independence Jasperilla Old Ale 2010 to celebrate day one of American Craft Beer Week. Let me explain.

In 2004 my wife and I attended the now defunct Texas Craft Brewer's Festival (still my favorite beer festival held in Texas). Under one of the tents (and not serving beer) we met festival organizers, Rob and Amy Cartwright, who were starting a brewery themselves. Folks, one obvious way to support local businesses is to invest in them.

Today we open a Jasperilla Old Ale to celebrate Independence Brewing Company's tremendous success and to kick off ACBW11. I sincerely hope in the coming years I'm toasting "the mother of all beer weeks" with a No Label Brewing Pale Horse or a Kreuz Creek Black Eye IPA. Hopefully there are eager craft beer enthusiasts like myself who are looking to score major cool points and free beers by helping a some start-up brewery succeed.


Day 1
May 16, 2011
Independence Jasperilla Old Ale (Austin, TX)
2011

Photo courtesy of ron.frank @ Flickr

Website/Bottle Information:
"Brilliantly golden, Jasperilla is a unique take on an old ale. Biscuity malt flavors meld with subtle plum and berry notes, produced by a special blend of English Old Ale and Chico yeasts. Brewed once a year, and aged for six months prior to release, the Jasperilla is smooth despite its 9% ABV.

We named this beer after our dog Jasper because he has brought so much joy to our lives. We got Jasper from a local dog rescue group called Mixed Breed Rescue. He has been a constant source of smiles and kept our spirits high through many late nights and long hours at the brewery.

Jasperilla is so good and smooth that you'll beg like a dog for more, roll over for a belly rub, howl at the moon... you get the picture."


Serving: 22 oz bottle
Style: Old Ale
ABV: 9.30%

He Said:
In what now may be an ACBW annual tradition at The Ferm, I opened the latest Jasperilla release today. Last year I declared the 2009 vintage to be "the best Old Ale that I have ever tasted." Check that. 2010 is the best Old Ale that I've ever tasted. Soon after release, some of the previous vintages had some sharp flavors that ended up mellowing with age. However the dark fruit aroma, sweet malty notes, and boozy heat work very well together in this version. With 9+% ABV, this is no doubt an American interpretation of the style, but the heat is nicely disguised. It is hard to imagine this beer maturing and getting even better. It'll be even harder imaging how I'm going to keep any of these around for any length of time to test that suspicion.

Independence has really hit their stride recently and is producing first class beers in a Texas market still starving for local beers. I'm proud to be an investor and to be able to call Rob and Amy friends. Success tastes very good. I'm sure they would agree.

She Said:
First look – Puppy on the bottle. This is going to be awesome.
First sniff – Hops. Yummy.
First taste – "This is what a beer should taste like!" It has deep flavors that stay in the back of your palate. If you let the beer roll around your mouth you can taste each of the key ingredients: Hops, (lots of) malt, yeast, and water. Despite its strength, the beer does not come off as too heavy and is very drinkable ice box cold or room temperature.
Overall – A delicious and wonderful tasting beer. Starting with a beer from out great State of Texas to kick off the American Craft Beer Week was a stroke of genius (editor's note: what can I say?). Thanks SirRon! Texas Texas Yeehaw!

This post marks the end of TheFerm.org's celebration of the 2010 American Craft Beer Week. However, I prefer to look at this day from a positive perspective. It's the last day of non-stop blogging. I will now return to filing my thoughts every other week or so. It's also a good time to start looking forward to other craft beer events.

The Brewers Association maintains an extensive event calendar on their website, CraftBeer.com. I encourage anyone who has not ventured out to one of these to give a local event a chance, especially events that bring together at least regional brewers (something outside of what you are used to locally). The craft beer scene right now in the US is neither uncomfortably unrefined nor annoyingly sophistic. You will be pleasantly surprised.

Below are upcoming national events promoted to further the culture and community of craft beer and craft brewers.

SAVOR: An American Craft Beer & Food Experience
I went to SAVOR last year and had an unbelievable time. Check out my recap.

From the Brewers Association:
SAVOR is the main beer and food pairing event in the US! With 65 of the nation's top independent craft brewers participating, this is where beer enthusiasts and foodies can interact directly with some of the greatest brewers and brewery owners in the world.

Date: June 5, 2010 - SOLD OUT
Where: Washington D.C. National Building Museum
Website: www.SavorCraftBeer.com

National Homebrewers Conference and National Homebrew Competition
This event is still a bucket list event for me.

From the Brewers Association:
Join hundreds of homebrewers at the national conference for amateur brewers. Education and fun combine for a great experience!

Date: June 17-19, 2010
Where: Minneapolis, Minnessota
Website: AHAconference.org and HomebrewersAssociation.org competition section

Great American Beer Festival (GABF)
The Brewer's Association could run a contest to name this event and no entry would be more succinct and perfect than the combination of the words "Great", "American", "Beer", and "Festival". I've been to GABF a few times, but would go every year if I didn't think that I would be risking developing a police record, having any more children, or jeopardizing future liver function. If this festival can be done "small", then I haven't figured it out yet.

From the Brewers Association:
Three days, over 450 breweries and more than 2,000 beers to enjoy. 2010 will be the 29th year of the festival with nearly 50,000 people expected to attend. Purchase your tickets early, as the festival has sold out the past three years!

Ticket Information
Tickets go on sale to Brewers Association and American Homebrewers Association members on Tuesday, June 22 at 12pm MDT.

Tickets go on sale to the general public on Monday, June 28 at 12pm MDT.

Date: September 16-18, 2010
Where: Colorado Convention Center, Denver, CO
Website: www.GreatAmericanBeerFestival.com

In my mind, American Craft Beer Week may be one of the best of these celebrations. The emphasis of the celebration is craft brewers and craft beer culture. In contrast to each of the events above, we can all celebrate this event locally. Breweries, brewpubs, homebrew clubs, and bars around the country join together to participate. I imagine as this event matures, it will truly turn into something that is fitting of the title "The Mother of all Beer Weeks".

Day 7
May 23, 2010
Grand Teton XX Bitch Creek (Victor, Idaho)
20^th Anniversary Cellar Reserve
Vintage 2008

Website/Bottle Information:
"To commemorate that twenty-year history, Grand Tetons brewers have chosen four of their year-round beers, three current, one historical, to strengthen and enhance. XX Bitch Creek Double ESB is the final release in their 2008 XX series.

Bitch Creek ESB was first brewed in 2003, and perfectly balances big malt sweetness and robust hop flavor for a full-bodied mahogany ale. It has quickly become our best-selling beer, as well as our most-critically acclaimed, having won medals-including two golds— at four out of the past five Great American Beer Festivals.

XX Bitch Creek Double ESB is all that and more. We took the Bitch Creek recipe and doubled everything: double the malt, double the hops, twice the flavor. This is a huge beer at 7.5% alcohol by volume, which should be paired with only the most flavorful of foods. Try it with the best steaks, game meats and hearty stews, or with a nice cave-aged Gouda."

Serving: 1 Pint, 9.4 fl.oz. (750 mL) Bottle
Style: Double Extra Special Bitter (ESB)
ABV: 7.5%

He Said:
During the intense research phase preceding my writing of this post, I tried to learn as much as I could about Bitch Creek. It turns out, there is no Wikipedia page for Bitch Creek. I think we can all agree, if something doesn't have a Wikipedia page, it ain't all that. Riverfacts.com provided some pretty sound information though. Apparently Bitch Creek is a good place to hike. The summer high temperatures reach about 80˚F, however the winter highs are typically in the 20s. Whitewater rafting and kayaking is known to be more difficult than other areas. Some might say the water can be kind of a b!*#%. I don't know this stuff first hand, it was just part of my research.

One thing I do know is Grand Teton XX Bitch Creek is a very enjoyable beer. Juxtaposing the enjoyment was the effort to get this beer open. In the time it took me to get the wax dipped flip top free, I could have solved a Rubik's cube or a NYT crossword puzzle. Once open, the beer poured opaque and black. I got nervous that "She Said" would give me a hard time about picking this dark of a beer for Day 7 of ACBW. The beer has a small and light head and left some nice light brown lacing on the glass. On the nose of this beer are hoppy notes and dark, rich, toasted malts. The taste is wonderful. It goes from hops to chocolate to hops at the finish. It is nice that my palette isn't left with the stickiness of burnt malts or ruined from hop astringency every sip.

This beer is a lady. A bold lady. A bold lady... creek.

She Said:
Smell: Dark and devious. Yummy! The nose is sweet and malty as a matter of fact. I love that it is roasty without smelling burnt.

Appearance: Did I say dark and devious yet? The appearance matches the nose. Let's see if this beer can go for the trifecta.

Taste: Oh yeah, we have a winner. The dark and devious trifecta, the hat trick, the triple crown, a grand slam… I'm just saying. Bitch Creek is really freaking good. It promises dark and devious and it delivers. The beer has a very nice, rich, chocolaty flavor. This is a great after dinner drink, even though I had dinner four hours ago and it consisted of Chuck-E-Cheese pizza. What a great beer to end the 2010 American Craft Beer Week. I'm glad I saved my five hop rating.I love this double ESB. 5 hops out of 5.

American Craft Beer Week can be a great reason to drink the good stuff. Two beers that been neglected due to my potiomania are Allagash's Victor and Victoria. I wanted to open them up at the same time, but I always had an excuse to avoid the tasting.

First a little background. I've never seen the movie or stage version of Victor/Victoria, but I did visit Wikipedia a few minutes ago.

[Set in 1930s Paris.] "A penniless soprano, named Victoria, colludes with a struggling gay impresario to disguise herself as a man named Victor, who entertains as a female impersonator known as "Victoria" - and as a result becomes the toast of Paris. Complications arise when a Chicago mobster sees the act and finds himself attracted to the star."

So if I am reading it right, Victoria pretends to be a man pretending to be a woman and gets a job as a female impersonator in a nightclub. All the while, she takes a gay lover to enhance the con.

It turns out (at least according to the brewery's descriptions) these beers have nothing to do with the movie or play.

Day 6
May 22, 2010

Beer #1: Allagash Victoria
Vintage 2009

Website/Bottle Information:
"To create our unique, Belgian-style Victoria Ale, the brewers drew on references to Bacchus, the Thracian god of wine, in the history and artwork of the Victoria Mansion as inspiration for this new beer. One hundred and fifty pounds of Chardonnay grapes were brought in, crushed on site and added directly to the mash.

Victoria Ale's aroma is of fruity spice with a hint of the Chardonnay, and the taste presents subtle notes of green banana, black pepper, and fresh-crushed mint. With a focus on the subtle, wine-like character of the grapes, the 9.0% ABV brew boasts a pale copper color, Belgian yeast influence, and a medium body with a long candied fruit finish with hints of honeydew melon, and, of course, Chardonnay.

Allagash Victoria Ale is a tribute to the historic Victoria Mansion here in Portland, Maine. Also known as the Morse-Libby House, it is one of the greatest 19th century houses in the United States. Designed by architect Henry Austin, the mansion was built between 1858 and 1860 and survives as a unique example of the princely palaces created for America's wealthiest citizens in the pre-Civil War era. With superb architecture and well-preserved original interiors, the Victoria Mansion is an unparalleled document of America's highest aspirations in architecture, interior design, and the decorative arts.

The Victoria Mansion has operated as a museum since it was saved from demolition in 1940, and today the non-profit organization that owns it remains committed to its preservation and interpretation to a wide audience. Allagash Brewing Company has partnered with the Victoria Mansion to help in the restoration of this National Historic Landmark. For every bottle of Victoria Ale purchased, Allagash will donate $1 towards helping restore the mansion, located on Danforth Street in downtown Portland."

Serving: 1 Pint, 9.4 fl.oz. (750 mL) Bottle
Style: Belgian Strong Pale Ale
ABV: 9.0%

He Said:
First of all, I had no idea when I purchased these two bottles their likeness to wines. Victoria pours light gold and clear. The beer smells faintly of white wine, from the Chardonnay grapes, but the aroma is tame compared to the explosive flavor. The carbonation is lively.

Unlike most beers containing grapes (added some time during the brewing process or fermentation), Victoria almost tastes like half sparkling wine and half Belgian pale. What does a beer-wine taste like? Victoria is sweet when it hits the tongue and finishes slightly spicy and dry. I bet you can find wine and beer tasting notes with similar descriptions. However, Victoria is a unique beer experience.

Despite the high price (~$18 if memory serves me right), I will be picking up another one of these to be opened on a special occasion.

She Said:
Victoria doesn't have much of a nose. In fact, it is hard to smell anything other than clean glass. The head was rather small, due to a slow pour. The color is a light gold with bubbles racing for the top in a constant stream.

The taste is sort of sweet in a Belgian pale kind of way. Victoria is smooth from start to finish. Very nice. 4 hops out of 5.

Beer #2: Allagash Victor
Vintage 2009

Website/Bottle Information:
"The Victor Ale was inspired by its feminine-named predecessor, the Victoria Ale. With chardonnay grapes to make the Victoria Ale unique, our brewers decided to use red chancellor grapes for the Victor. Over one hundred pounds of chancellor grapes were crushed on site and added directly to the mash. In addition to a generous portion of Pilsner malt, Victor is hopped with Fuggles and Hallertau and fermented with a wine yeast strain. With a focus on the subtle wine-like character of the grapes, the 9.0% ABV brew maintains a copper color, wine yeast influence and a medium body with a tart and spicy finish.

Allagash Victor Ale is a tribute to the St. Lawrence Arts and Community Center, perched at the crest of Munjoy Hill in the Portland's East End. A National Historic Landmark, this granite and slate church was built in 1897 by Arthur Bates Jennings. The Romanesque, Queen Anne architecture is accented with turrets and over 90 stained glass windows; it is a distinctive and unique building whose history and mission serves Portland well.

The church has been renovated by the non-profit group, Friends of the St. Lawrence Church. The Center's mission is to create a community focused auditorium where everyone can enjoy the arts. Allagash will contribute $1 from every bottle of Allagash Victor sold to help realize the mission of the St. Lawrence Arts and Community Center."

Serving: 1 Pint, 9.4 fl.oz. (750 mL) Bottle
Style: Belgian Strong Dark Ale
ABV: 9.0%

He Said:
Victor pours slightly darker (caramel-amber) than Victoria. Victor's flavor is a little tighter as well – very wine-like. The grapes chosen and use of wine yeast really make a noticeable difference. Victor is also much more aromatic than Victoria. I get mostly Belgian and wine yeast funk on the nose. The beer has a sweet wine flavor and maybe some apples going on. The taste matches the nose. I didn't notice any hop characteristics in this beer until it warmed and was flat.

Overall, I liked Victor a little better, but I'll be picking up both iterations next time I'm at the store.

She Said:
Victor looks darker than his wife Victoria. The slow pour once again left very little head in the glass, but I got some nice yum-yums at the bottom of my glass. The aroma is sweet it's not smash-you-in-the-face sweet. The beer tastes like a more hardy beer than Victoria – it is more serious whereas Victoria was playful and light. This one has more of a bite, but stays very smooth throughout. Very enjoyable. 4½ hops out of 5.

I'm pretty adventurous when it comes to food and drink, but I also spend a fair amount of time in my comfort zone. When browsing the aisles for beers, it is hard not to be influenced by labels and even more subtle things like location on the shelf. One such underestimation I made was with Boulevard Brewing Company from Kansas City, MO. I simply disliked their logo and labels, so I never gave them a shot.

I'm just saying... the logo looks cheap. Seriously, is it just me?

Several years back Boulevard began producing limited edition beers packaged in 750 mL bottles called the Smokestack Series. The new labels (and logo) were pleasing and classic looking. But was a great label on a beer called "Double Wide" just lipstick on a pig?

A few months ago, one of the beer experts at Spec's Warehouse Store in downtown Houston recommended two Boulevard beers (among several other items I put in the cart... getting out of Spec's with a double digit tab is nearly impossible).

Honoring the spirit of American Craft Beer Week, we opened those two beers tonight.

Day 5
May 21, 2010

Beer #1: Boulevard Saison-Brett
Batch#: 2009-2
Bottle#: 07925 of 13400

Website/Bottle Information:
"Our gold-medal winning Saison (Mondial de la Biere, Montreal, 2008) was the inspiration for this limited edition ale. We brewed a slightly stronger version that was then dry hopped, followed by bottle conditioning with various yeasts, including Brettanomyces, a wild strain that imparts an earthy quality. Though this farmhouse ale is given three months of bottle age prior to release, further cellaring will continue to enhance the "Brett" character if that's what you're after."

Serving: 1 Pint, 9.4 fl.oz. (750 mL) Bottle
Style: Saison/Farmhouse Ale
ABV: 8.5%

He Said:
Based on Beer Advocate and Rate Beer reviews, I expect this to be Part 1 of my apology to Boulevard for blowing them off all these years. The beer pours with a ridiculously frothy head. I expected more of a sour nose because of the Bretts, but I don't detect much. It is hard to wait for the head to die down before taking the first sip. My first impressions are that this beer is missing the typical saison funk and does not seem to have strong notes of banana or clover esters. Curious, but not bad. As mentioned on the label, the Brett characteristics could be minimal because I did not age this beer for long. The beer was dry hopped, but the hoppiness is not too assertive. This beer is super-drinkable, almost to the point of not being challenging.

I jotted down the notes above and returned to the beer only to notice I made all those comments when it was obviously way too cold to enjoy. The warmer version is funkier (farmhouse ale sourness), slightly hoppier, and fruitier than it was cold. Boulevard Saison-Brett is a great example of this style.

I suppose this is my second lesson on first impressions realized through Boulevard Brewing Company.

She Said:
This beer smells like either weird old lady soap or vomit, but I'm not sure which way I lean after several sniffs. The beer was served to me with a nice foamy head. This puppy has a lot of carbonation, but that was to be expected with the style. The taste starts out clean and then finishes with that soapy/vomity taste. This beer reminds me of some of those other Missouri brewed beers, if you know what I mean. Overall, I'm not that impressed with the Boulevard Saison-Brett, but I am still looking forward to trying its sister later tonight. 1 hop out of 5.

(Later) I stand corrected. After this beer warmed up there is absolutely no resemblance to its colder self. I guess it goes to show you can't judge this type of beer in the first couple of minutes. This score improves to a 3½ hops out of 5 upon better acquaintance.

Beer #2: Boulevard Bourbon Barrel Quad
Batch#: 2-2009 (best by 10/2012)
Bottle#: 7285 of 11248

Website/Bottle Information:
"Based loosely on the Smokestack Series Sixth Glass, this abbey-style quadrupel, after fermentation on cherries, was separated into a number of oak bourbon barrels, where is aged for varying lengths of time, in some cases as long as a year. Selected barrels were then blended for optimum flavor. The resulting beer retains only very subtle cherry characteristics, with toffee and vanilla notes coming to the fore."

Serving: 1 Pint, 9.4 fl.oz. (750 mL) Bottle
Style: Quadrupel
ABV: 11.8%

He Said:
Few beer names are more fascinating than "Bourbon Barrel Quad (ale aged in bourbon barrels with cherries)." The beer pours a dark opaque amber color, like it had brought with it a significant amount of oak. The aroma is just as intoxicating as the name. The notes of cherry and oak were as prominent on the nose as they are in the flavor. As it warmed, more bourbon flavors come forward as well as some cola flavors. While the 11.8% ABV is hidden nicely in the complex flavor of the beer, I actually wish I had split this beer four ways instead of two. My palate is a little taxed by the end of my portion.

I hope I can still find another one of these on the shelves. Boulevard Bourbon Barrel Quad is worthy of a "unique" and an "awesome" tag.

She Said:
Aroma: Cherries and oak dominate the nose, which makes sense because it is was aged with cherries in oak barrels. The beer has a nice foamy head and is much darker in color than your typical Quad.

Taste: Oh wow, there is a lot happening here. Cherries and oak are definitely there, but added to it is that strong Belgian ale flavor that is delightful. The carbonation is perfect, just enough to tickle the palate but still allow the smoky, cherry, oak flavor to dance on your tongue. Very nice and well balanced. Well done! 4½ hops out of 5.

It appears that collaborative beers are all the rage in the craft beer scene right now. However, brewers have been sharing knowledge since for many decades. As a homebrewer, the amount of knowledge shared on the Internet, by homebrewing clubs, and amongst friends is truly impressive. Have a question during a brew day? Just hop on to a MoreBeer forum and someone may answer your question within minutes. On a professional level, I understand that brewers share everything from techniques to lessons learned.

Jay Brooks wrote in a 2009 issue of All About Beer:

When all the small breweries combined brewed such a tiny fraction of the total beer sold, nobody worried about market share, competition or trade secrets. Brewers in the craft industry were simply very open with one another, freely offering each other help, and freely asking for it, too, in a way that earlier generations and larger businesses wouldn’t dream of doing.

Last month’s Beer Blogging Friday event, The Session #39, focused on the recent phenomenon of collaboration. If you missed it, we checked in with a collaborative post. If you are interested in more than lame rhymes, I encourage you to check out some of our peers’ takes on the topic.

Day 4
May 20, 2010
Brooklyner-Schneider Hopfen-Weisse, Brooklyn version (Brooklyn, NY)

Website/Bottle Information:
“This brew is the result of the long friendship of Brooklyn brewmaster Garrett Oliver and Schneider brewmaster Hans-Peter Drexler. Garrett had always admired the delicate balance of flavors in Schneider Weisse, while Hans-Peter had long enjoyed the effusive hop character of Brooklyn East India Pale Ale and BLAST! Garrett's concept for the collaboration was that each brewmaster would brew essentially the same pale, hoppy weissbock in the other's brewery, but with different hopping to reflect the local hop flavor.

Dry-hopped with American Amarillo and Palisade.”

Serving: 1 Pint, 9.4 fl.oz. (750 mL) Bottle
Style: Weizenbock
ABV: 8.5%

He Said:
I approached this beer without prejudice. I had not read much about it or researched the history. In fact, before I opened it was the first I had heard the story told on the label. This is a very good looking bottle, by the way. It was heavy and even had a small punt. It is highly carbonated and pours like champagne with a huge fluffy head. The aroma was fruity with citrus notes from the hops. This was a little unexpected for a wheat beer. The flavor was a little sweet with fruity and slightly floral esters present. I love the hop aroma of the beer. The dry hopping gave the beer a wonderful aroma without making the finish too bitter. This Hopfen-Weisse is one of Brooklyn’s best offerings. Nice collaboration!

She Said:
My first whiff and sip resulted in the same experience: Citrus. The beer was reminiscent of that citrusy-orange Mr. Clean smell after cleaning the kitchen, but you know, in a good way. Hopfen-Weisse is like orange rind meets hops in a bottle of golden deliciousness. I would order another round of this one, but SirRon tells me there is only one more in storage. I preferred this beer cold when the carbonation was present. The warmer the beer gets, the more of a bite you get at the back of your tongue from the hoppiness. I'm giving this 3½ hops out of 5.

American Craft Beer Week Day 3, He said/She said:

He said: "Can I go to Petrol Station with Mr. Smokeypants? Rob of Independence Brewing is in town and I want to show my support."
She said: "OK"

Aaaaannnnd, scene.

I don't often drink beer at bars, but when I do, I prefer bars those that appreciate craft beer. The metrics for determining great beer bars are mostly subjective, but that is not to say there are not specific criteria for consideration.

• Environment. If the place is too loud, too stuffy, too corporate, or too chochy then I'll pass. I'm not picky about seating types, but let's agree that there has to be something available. I don't care if it is a rock, a beat up resale store wooden chair, or an L-shaped bench; I'm going to need something. Memo to lounge chair and couch bars, if I have to hold my sweating pint glass the entire night because there is no place within arm's reach to set my drink, I'm a little less comfortable. Call me lazy, but I don't want to be doing crunches all night during my session.
  
  
• B-M-C-U-L8R. If the draft or bottle list is chock full of Bud/Miller/Coors produced or distributed products, then I'm not impressed with your beverage "management." I'm going to assume that you are also slacking off on proper storage and serving too. It is probably worth mentioning that even though a ginormous draft wall is impressive, a bar with three unique and/or local drafts with a beer engine is many times more attractive to me. I'll argue that even your average curious beer drinker will find my second scenario more appealing.
  
  
• Provisions. Food has to be available, or now I need to plan on going to two places instead of one. Your ability to nail the first two items on this list will determine how good your food needs to be in order to still be a great beer bar (in this person's mind). Bars that are comfortable and have great beer can get away with a cheese tray and pretzels on the menu. Bars with uncomfortable seating layouts need to have Asian-fusion eggrolls or something. Anyone in between should have burgers or sandwiches. Menus full of frozen foods that are re-warmed in the microwave or tossed in the fryer are noticeable to the customer and generally not appreciated.
  

Petrol Station is in the top tier of beer bars using any credible set of measures. Owner Ben Fullelove has created what may be the best neighborhood bar in the Houston area. I even think Petrol Station would be a great place even if they didn't serve beer (but that is not a suggestion). Sure Ben may be a brownie eating, godless, hippy that acts like he owns every place he walks into, but Petrol Station is great nonetheless. Tonight wasn't my first time to Petrol, but it just reminded me again of how much better this place is than (for example) a BW3.

(For those of you offended or confused by the comments above, I kid Ben. We were talking and I found out he reads reviews and comments about his place. My words above were stolen from random bits taken from our discussion. For anyone offended by my opinions on beer bars, my comment section isn't moderated... so go for it.)

Day 3
May 19, 2010
Sierra Nevada 30^th Anniversary – Fritz & Ken's Ale (Chico, CA)

Website/Bottle Information:
"Fritz Maytag, owner of San Francisco's Anchor Brewing Company, is regarded as the godfather of the craft brewing movement. Fritz agreed to guest brew this very special ale with us in honor of our 30^th anniversary. As a nod to the robust black ales that seduced both Fritz and Ken in the early years, we bring you this Pioneers Stout, a rich and roasted ale, perfect for aging, and worthy of your finest snifter. Enjoy!"

Serving: 1 Pint, 9.4 fl.oz. (750 mL) Bottle
Style: American Imperial Stout
ABV: 9.20%

He Said:
Serving the beer, it is impossible not to notice it is thick, very black, and has a huge brown head. I instantly knew this beer would be wasted on my "She Said" partner. Getting dangerously close to a foamy clown nose, I could smell only burnt chocolate and roastiness, which masked any hop aroma for me. I was surprised on my first few sips at the significant amount of hop flavor that I managed to detect in this roast bomb. The beer goes down relatively easy, but leaves the palette with a roasty/burnt flavor that doesn't go away until it's washed out. I expected the beer to have malty sweet taste and aroma due to its high gravity, but very little sweetness was detectable. As the beer warmed, more chocolaty tones were noticeable. The roastiness never mellowed. I have a 2^nd bottle of this that I will save for quite a while with the expectation that this will improve as the flavors mellow and profile becomes more complex. Sierra Nevada: Cheers to 30 years!

She Said:
This beer reminds of when my Mom used to cook bread when I was a child. Burnt. My homebrewing "He Said" partner may have an appreciation for this type of stout, but I've never ate something that was all burnt and thought, "hey, this would make a good beer!" I'll probably pass on any future offers of this iteration of Sierra Nevada's 30^th Anniversary Ales in the future. My enjoyment of stouts is limited to tastings with chocolate and Independence Convict Hill Imperial Oatmeal Stout (yum!). As an Independence investor, if 25 years from now they served me this beer, I'd be pretty disappointed. Just saying.

My thoughts on the flavor profile: Burnt roasted malts, hint of hops, and smooth foamy head. If you limit your drinking on a "school night," skip this bottle. I give it a 1½ hops out of 5.

American Craft Beer Week can be a good excuse to:

1. Share a beer with a friend
   
2. Open up something that has spent way too much time in the back of the refrigerator
   
3. Visit your local brewery
   
4. Support pubs serving craft beers
   
5. Put those beer mug boxers back in the rotation
   
6. Start blogging every day
   
7. Drink at lunch

... Or remember what “Craft Beer” actually means. The Brewer’s Association defines a craft brewer as small, independent, and traditional:

Small: Annual production of beer less than 2 million barrels. Independent: Less than 25% of the craft brewery is owned or controlled (or equivalent economic interest) by an alcoholic beverage industry member who is not themselves a craft brewer.

More importantly, a craft brewer is a small business owner. Craft brewers have been reshaping American beer culture. The Brewer's Association goes on to define several concepts that represent American craft brewers.

• The hallmark of craft beer and craft brewers is innovation. Craft brewers interpret historic styles with unique twists and develop new styles that have no precedent.
  
• Craft beer is generally made with traditional ingredients like malted barley; interesting and sometimes non-traditional ingredients are often added for distinctiveness.
  
• Craft Brewers tend to be very involved in their communities through philanthropy, product donations, volunteerism, and sponsorship of events.
  
• Craft Brewers have distinctive, individualistic approaches to connecting with their customers.
  
• Craft Brewers maintain integrity by what they brew and their general independence, free from a substantial interest by a non-craft brewer.
  
• The majority of Americans live within ten miles of a craft brewer.
  

We opened another special craft beer today... I'm also sporting my beer mug boxers.

Day 2
May 18, 2010
Independence Brewing Company Jasperilla Old Ale (Austin, TX)
2009 Vintage

Website/Bottle Information:
"Brilliantly golden, Jasperilla is a unique take on an old ale. Biscuity malt flavors meld with subtle plum and berry notes, produced by a special blend of English Old Ale and Chico yeasts. Brewed once a year, and aged for six months prior to release, the Jasperilla is smooth despite its 9% ABV.

We named this beer after our dog Jasper because he has brought so much joy to our lives. We got Jasper from a local dog rescue group called Mixed Breed Rescue. He has been a constant source of smiles and kept our spirits high through many late nights and long hours at the brewery.

Jasperilla is so good and smooth that you'll beg like a dog for more, roll over for a belly rub, howl at the moon... you get the picture."

Serving: 22 oz bottle
Style: Old Ale
ABV: 9.30%

He Said:
If you haven't tried Independence's beers in a while, I kindly suggest you go get some*. Accomplished brewer Rob Cartwright and crew have taken their already solid lineup of beer and made each even better. 2009 Jasperilla exemplifies Indy's success. This particular vintage is probably the best Old Ale that I have ever tasted. It is fantastic. Traditionally English Old Ales were dark, malty beers in the 5%-6% ABV range. The beers were usually aged at the brewery and then released. American versions are of higher strength, which is represented by Indy's version topping 9% ABV.

Beers of this strength are almost always better as they warm. I impulsively grabbed wine glasses while opening this beer, which functioned well to highlight Jasperilla. The nose is sweet and malty with dark fruit flavors leading the way. While cold, the flavor was mild and very drinkable. The beer was sweet with a mellow aftertaste. As it warmed, the beer really woke up, with much more fruit and alcohol taste. A hoppier finish could be detected in the warmed version.

I'm glad I bought a few extra bottles when I picked this 2009 Jasperilla up. The hard part will be trying to keep them hidden.

She Said:
Jasperilla has the aroma of sweet hard liquor. The taste is deep, dark, and almost foreboding. The first few sips of Jasperilla are dangerous in an "I'm going to stalk you" kind of way. After a few more sips, you think: "stalking isn't so bad, right?" For a 9% ABV beer, the flavor is soft, yet deep.

One of my favorite things about this beer is that it is named for Indy's first brew dog. I love Jasper... he's sweet... like this beer. Also like Jasper, you'll need to drink plenty of water with your Jasperilla.

Amazing. Excuse me while I finish the rest. I give it a 4½ hops out of 5.

* TwoPints and I should mention that (FACT:) in 2005 we handed a moderate amount of money to Independence Brewing Company in return for a fancy certificate, but (PRESUMPTION:) I'm pretty sure we would love these guys just as much even if we hadn't.