On Beer Judging

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I had the opportunity to steward at Chicago Beer Society's 20th annual Spooky Brew beer competition this past weekend and had a great time.  There were so many good entries and I was fortunate enough to get to sample many of them.  The winner was Ray Gonzalez who made a wonderful, slightly fruity kolsch that beat out two-time Samuel Adams Longshot winner Rodney Kibzey's Blackened Hops - which scores a respectable 95th percentile on RateBeer.  

But Black IPAs aren't a style category in BJCP competitions.  They must be entered in the infamous catch-all Category 23, "Specialty Beer".  During our lunch break I got a chance to sit down with some national ranked judges and talk to them about what makes a good beer.  Their response was that, in beer judging at least,  a good beer isn't one that tastes the best, but one that meets the specific guidelines the best.  Yes, that seems obvious, but it's a shame.  So many great beers don't get the recognition they deserve because they don't fit exactly what the style guidelines say.  

I'm not saying that style guidelines are totally useless and judging should be a free-for-all.  That gets you into other troubles (Exhibit A: 11 of RateBeer's top 15 beers are barley-wines or imperial stouts).  A better approach, as is the case in most situations where there are two less than perfect choices, is compromise (Exhibit B: The Great Compromise).  Let there be room in the judging process for stylistic interpretation and innovation.  Let's say I brew a Northern German Altbier, as it stands right now I will lose points if it tastes stronger than 5.2%ABV.  But perhaps that is exactly what makes the beer work with the rest of the recipe.  It's still a Northern German Altbier, just stronger.  Of course care must be taken and anything too far out would still have to be reflected in the score, but such a rigid system is unnecessary.  In the end, great beers will win and sub-par beers will not, but when it comes down to which great beer gets to go to the best of show round, a nod to the creativity and innovative capacity of the brewer would create a much more interesting competition.

On Atwater Grand Circus

I had never heard of Atwater Brewery before today, though they have been around since 1997.  I needed something to go with my giant burrito I purchased across from my local wine/craft beer store and this can caught my eye.  The retro-style printing on the can from this Detroit based brewery was reminiscent of PBR, but inside was an IPA.  Intrigued, I made my purchase.  At 4.2% ABV Grand Circus is definitely on the light side for most of the American craft IPAs that many of us have come accustomed to, but more in line with standard British versions.  

Some light earthy hops and sweet corn in the nose. A touch of caramel. Shaving cream foam sits on top of a crystal clear light amber sea of beer. The head lingers for a long time, lifted by the constant bubbles from beneath. 

Taste is light with little hop flavor. I get mostly bready malts and some undefined fruitiness. Bitterness is a bit overpowering with no flavor backbone. Seems to be bitter for the sake of being bitter. Light bodied and goes down smooth. 

Overall it’s not that great of an IPA if you are looking for complexity and powerful flavors, but it would be good session beer for watching a ballgame or having a drink with "the guys". This paired well with the spicy burrito I had for dinner. Something to complement the food without getting in the way.

On Vermont Breweries II

I just got back from my trip to Vermont and I have to say that the people in Vermont not only know how to make a great beer, but they are very welcoming.  More than one dairy farmer was willing to talk to us for an extended period of time while we soiled their milking rooms and asked all sorts of dumb farming questions about their goats.  

Of course the highlight was the beer.  We managed to get to 6 different breweries and try beers from two others.  While Magic Hat and Harpoon were nice, they were a bit bigger breweries than I was looking for.  I had my best overall experience at The Alchemist, a brewpub turned production brewery with an amazing double IPA.  The Alchemist's brewpub was destroyed by the flooding from hurricane Irene, but luckily for them (and all their customers) they were already building their production facility just up the road.  The production facility opened two months ago and they have been brewing their flagship Heady Totter exclusively until they can get their pub back up and running.  

Two other locations really surprised me: Trapp Lodge and Norwich Inn.  Both brew exclusively for their in-house hotel/resort locations.  In the case of Norwich Inn, which produces traditional British ales, production is only 4 barrels per batch and if I remember right they only make around 400 barrels per year.  

This contrasts sharply with our next stop, Harpoon, which has a 100 Barrel series.  I enjoyed their Dočesná, but Leviathan Imperial Rye stole the show.  This proved to be a complex beer where the rye and fruity hops play off each other like a long volley in a tennis match.

The Long Trail was our first stop, and I was a bit underwhelmed.  I enjoyed their pub with a view of the canning line, but the beer was very average.  Not bad by any means, but nothing spectacular either.  I had the sampler with my delicious bacon cheeseburger as well as a glass of Triple Bag, a thick strong ale.  I bought a bottle of Imperial IPA, but I have not tried it yet.  
Unfortunately we didn't get a chance to visit McNeil's and Rock Art but I had a glass of McNeil's at dinner and brought some Rock Art home with me.  Perhaps more on the beers I brought home in a later review post.

Not a bad showing, I think.  Beer, cheese, welcoming people.  Well done, Vermont.  I hope to be visiting again some day.

On Great Lakes Edmund Fitzgerald

It's cold... And cloudy... And rainy.  Not a torrent, just a drizzle.  Just enough to be annoying.  Sounds like porter weather.  The roasty malts and alcohol should keep me warm.  And since it's my day off, I can have one.  I am fortunate enough to have access to one of the best beer bars in the midwest and possibly all of America:  The Map Room in Chicago.  This bar prides itself on a large selection of specialty beers and a knowledgable staff.  

Looking at the menu board I find a lot of Belgians and imperial IPAs. A downside of the unique beer bar is it's sometimes hard to find something "normal" - the beer equivalent of comfort food.  Luckily they had a porter.  The porter on tap: Great Lakes Edmund Fitzgerald.  A beer as mysterious and unexpected as the sinking of the ship it's named after.  

The aroma starts with  chocolate covered caramels and a bit of coffee. 

The Beer is black with an off white head that quickly recedes to a thin layer atop a sea of black. Minimal lace but a large meniscus around the inside of the glass. 

Tastes of dark fruit and roasted malts dominate but with a grassy/piney hop note. Medium bodied with a slick texture that coats the mouth. Carbonation is average. 

In the end, the hop flavor is a little distracting and I’d like to see more roasty malts, but overall this is a good beer for a such a dreary afternoon. Not the best of the style, but I would definitely order again.

On Pairings With Apple Pie

Fall weather means fall activities and fall food which is what brought me last weekend to an apple orchard where I picked up an entire bushel of apples. Now, since I live alone using all these apples has been a challenge. Between apple butter, apple bars, and just plain eating them, I have done a good job at conquering the 20+ lbs of apples. But of course you can't have fresh picked apples at your disposal and not make apple pie. While most people agonize over whether to use golden delicious, Jonathan, or Fuji, my main concern was beer pairing. 

My thoughts first turned to a nice, thick stout. Stout is a classic pairing with deserts. The thick, creamy texture of a nitro-poured stout complements many dessert textures, while the bitter, roasty flavors contrast and play off the sweetness. While this is a nice thought, stout is still more of a winter beer. Perhaps this beer is more for leftover pie after Christmas dinner. My second thought (which was actually Karen's thought) was for an unconventional choice: heffeweisen. The spicy clove and banana phenols could play well with the cinnamon and nutmeg in the pie. But again, wrong season. Fourth of July, yes; first Autumn chill, not so much. The search continued with IPA. Something in the British region, perhaps. A bitter backbone to stand up to the sweetness of the pie. Some floral and mild dark fruit aromatics. But no, American pie¹ and British beer just doesn't feel right.

I finally settled on Sierra Nevada Northern Hemisphere Harvest Ale. This beer gives the hoppy bite of an IPA without being too overwhelming and lends a nice caramel sweetness that complements the apples quite nicely. Plus, it's seasonally and culturally relevant, and tastes amazing. Score. Now that I had my beer I could make my pie. The beer was integrated into the pie in two different ways. I replaced the water in the crust with the beer and also added a tablespoon to my whipped cream topping. I thought about soaking the apples in the beer but thought that it would make things too bitter and be a waste of a perfectly good beer. I don't think the beer added much to the crust, but it gave the whipped topping a subtle bitterness that I didn't quite enjoy at first, but ended up liking in the end.

Crust:

Not exactly homemade... let's just say it's a secret recipe from my Aunt Betty.

1 egg for egg wash

Filling: 

6 apples, peeled, cored, and sliced. (I used Fuji and golden delicious)

3/8 cup sugar

1/2 cup flour

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

juice and zest from 1/2 a lemon

Whipped cream:

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1 tbsp Sierra Nevada Northern Hemisphere Harvest Ale

1 tsp vanilla

1/8 cup sugar

For the pie:

Form the pie crust according to the box's Aunt Betty's instructions replacing the water with the Harvest Ale. Combine filling ingredients and place them in the pie. Cover with the top crust and crimp the edges with a fork. Beat the egg and brush over the top crust for a nice golden brown crust. Cover the top of the pie with aluminium foil and bake in a 400°F oven for 25 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 20-25 minutes until the crust turns golden brown. Set aside to cool.

For the whipped cream:

Chill your stand mixer bowl and whisk attachment in the freezer for at least 15 minutes. Add the heavy cream and whisk on medium high (7 on a Kitchenaid) until soft peaks form. Add the sugar, vanilla, and beer. Whisk on high until stiff peaks.

¹ Yes, I'm aware that the all-American apple pie isn't American at all... it's British, but that doesn't mean it doesn't feel American... at least to most of us on the left side of the Atlantic.

On Brooklyn Sorachi Ace

I've wanted to try this beer - and this hop variety - since it first came out on draft only in late 2009.  Unfortunately, I do not live in New York, so when Brooklyn Brewery came out with their Sorachi Ace in large format champagne bottles 6 months later, I was already watering at the mouth.  Alas, I resisted the urge to buy a full case off the bat.

The truth is, the elegance of the bottle scared me.  Designed by renowned graphic designer Milton Glaser, the simple lines and playful label design combined with the sexy curves of the neck and raised logo told me I was in for something more like a 1920s champagne bar than a tall boy at the tailgate party.  How could I possibly appreciate this beer to it's full potential?  Or, what if the beverage inside is overshadowed by the bottle?

But nothing lasts forever and the beer in this beautiful bottle does nobody any good if it stays there so I popped the cork.  The aroma hits fast and furious with citrus peel, candied ginger, and grass that completely fills my nose.  An ever so slightly cloudy appearance.  Straw gold (my picture makes it look darker than in reality) with a bright white head that lingers.  Tiny bubbles slowly migrate to the top of the glass much like champagne.  Tastes like lemons.  Lots of lemons.  Very unique.  Some grassy notes as well.  There is a slight metallic character that comes in far behind the citrus.  The label states, "it tastes like sunshine in a glass", and I couldn't agree more.  Amazingly light for such a strong brew.  Very well attenuated and dry without being thin.  The carbonation is reminiscent of champagne.  This is a good toasting beer as elegant as the label.  Crisis averted.

On Beer of the Month Clubs

Ah, yes.  The perfect gift for giving when you don't really know much about a person: The  of the month club.  There is perhaps nothing in the world that has such a gap between how good an idea it sounds and how good an idea it actually is.  Of the month clubs sound like a great idea.  Beer, coffee, wine, cheese, and even socks all delivered to your door.  The problem always comes in when you take a look at the price tag and work out the math.  A typical beer of the month club runs in the neighborhood of $40/month.  And for your $40, you get one 6-pack that would cost less than $10 at the liquor store.  Now, I understand there are certain costs involved in home delivery of beer.  Shipping 8lbs of beer across the country represents ~$10 of that.  Add in sourcing the different beers and other overhead costs and I could see the "of the month" club's costs approaching $30 for each delivery.  Add in some money for the club's profit and $40 seems to make sense.  But it looks a bit different when you look at the value of the services you receive.

It seems there are several factors at play when determining the value of your of the month club.  First, how much does the product itself cost to buy?  Second, how much would it actually cost you to physically obtain those carefully sourced items?  Third, how much is your time and effort to obtain the products worth (aka laziness quotient)?  Lastly, how much do you value variety and trying new/rare beers?  For those of you who may be more mathematically inclined (PC term for nerd?), here is a simple formula to determine if you should invest in a beer of the month club:

if: C_p+ C_o + V_s + V_v < P_m ; then, purchase

where:

C_p = Cost of product

C_o = Cost of obtaining

V_s = Value of sourcing

V_v = Value of variety

P_m = Price of membership

The real variables seem to be how lazy you are and how much value you put in variety.  While the cost of the product and the cost of shipping may vary to some extent based on your local market, the variance would be small compared to the cost of a membership.  For the other two variables it is easy enough to ask how much you would pay for these services.  How much would you pay for the time you spend on beer forums looking for people to trade with (V_s)?  How much of a premium would you pay at the store for a beer you had never seen there before, knowing that it was a one time order and would not be there again (V_v)?  They may make sense for some, but I suspect most of these are purchased as gifts by your rich uncle.

On New Glarus Imperial Weizen

Much has been said about New Glarus Brewing.  Located in "America's Little Switzerland", this Wisconsin brewery has obtained a cult status by sticking to it's native land of cheese, bratwurst, and of course, beer.  I live in Illinois - land of Lincoln, which is nice, but not nearly as cool as land of cheese, brats, and beer - but my day job is in Wisconsin, so I get the benefits of easy access to this gem of a brewery.

You could dismiss New Glarus' popularity as a result of its rarity, but you'd be making a mistake.  New Glarus produces some of the best beers in the Midwest.  Dan Carey is a Seibel graduate (valedictorian, no less) and has been working in the beer industry since the early eighties.  He knows what he is doing.  So when someone like Mr. Carey creates a beer that unleashes their creative genius inside like his "Unplugged" series, I listen.

Imperial Weizen is a monster of a wheat beer with 9.6% ABV and an original gravity in the mid 1.080s.  Think traditional heffeweizen and amp up the flavors to 11.  

The aroma provides bready yeast at first, then clove, then banana, then bubblegum/cotton candy, then... peanuts? It’s a circus in my nose! Lots of phenols. Even something that hits me vaguely as new car smell.  I would not have guessed it's dry hopped with cascades, but it is.

The appearance is hazy golden yellow. Slightly darker than a traditional heffeweisen, but hey, it’s an IMPERIAL weizen, so it’s to be expected. Nice thick head that looks like it could be the next generation memory foam mattress. Spotty lace forms islands of white around the sides of the glass.

Tastes surprisingly balanced between malt and bitterness considering the 9.6%ABV. The taste mirrors the aroma but with some alcoholic warmth... now it’s a drunken circus. Sweet, vanilla-cream once things settle down. A malty sweetness sticks with you for a few minutes to remind you of the fun, but without turning into that annoying friend who just doesn’t know when to leave. Full bodied and highly carbonated. Long finish.

Overall: This is a great beer. If you love wheat beers, but want one when it’s 30 below and you’re tailgating at the Packers game, this one will keep you company. Another hit out of this cult brewery from north of the Cheddar Curtain.

On Vermont Breweries

I'll be making a trip to Vermont at the end of October.  There will be lots of scenic drives, cheese, and of course beer.  The Vermont Brewer's Association has what they call the Passport Program.  Basically, there are 21 breweries in Vermont and the more you go to the cooler stuff you get.  Go to 4 breweries and you get a nifty keychain.  10 breweries gets you a t-shirt.  And if you get to all 21 you get a, "collector's set of VT beer gear".  As much as I'd like to go to all 21 over my 3 day trip, I don't need a DWI on my record.

The Passport Program does however bring up an interesting point about beer in Vermont: it's everywhere.  Vermont has more breweries per capita (and likely per square mile) than any other state in the country.  If the city of Chicago had as many breweries per person as Vermont there would be 90 (yes, nine zero) breweries within the city limits instead of the current 15 breweries.  This makes Vermont a beer lover's paradise.

I plan on going to around 5 or 6 of the breweries between stops for cheese and pictures of leaves.  Stops at Magic Hat and Harpoon seem mandatory, but I would like to see some of the smaller guys like Rock Art, The Brewery at Trapp Family Lodge, and Long Trail Brewing.

What's interesting in Vermont is that there are a variety of business models with the breweries.  The Brewery at Trapp Family Lodge, for example is a side project for a bed and breakfast resort that features fine food, wine, cheese, skiing and other activities.  More research is needed, but this looks to be a great trip.