On Monday the Beer Man played Golf in upstate New York. It was a glorious day and all had a great time. No persons or animals were injured or maimed in the process. No cheap, yellow, watery beer was consumed within his field of vision. A glorious day indeed! The Golf occupied the better part of his day, but the true highlight was the Beer Man’s short visit to Half Time in Poughkeepsie, New York www.halftimebeverage.com .
For a beer aficionado Half Time is the closest that you will come to Beer Nirvana. They advertise having over 1000 different beers and they just might have that many, and then some. I had only about 30 minutes to browse and managed to score some great beers to try. I will share my finds with you in a future column, but suffice to say they represent an eclectic mix. I picked out styles ranging from German Altbier to Oak Aged California Imperial Pale Ale. At Half Time you are encouraged to break six-packs and mix and match. Beer Man did so gladly. So much quality beer choose from, so little time to make the choices (loud audible sigh).
As promised last week, let’s take a brief moment to talk about properly pouring a beer. We talked about Glassware in the last column. Assuming you have the appropriate glass at hand, make sure it is clean. (Hot water, clean sponge, dish soap, rinsed carefully then air dried and never chilled.) Why so clean? Hygiene considerations aside a dirty glass, containing traces of oils, dirt or residue from a previous beer, may inhibit head creation and destroy or alter the beer’s flavor. Why not chill the glass? In most cases beer is best cool, but not too cold. A chilled glass will inhibit your ability to taste the beer. Some beers require more or less chilling to properly express their charms. Do your homework, read the instructions on the brewers packaging or go to http://www.beeradvocate.com/ for serving suggestions including the type of glass that the beer requires.
To start the pour, hold your glass at a 45° angle.
Pour the beer, targeting the middle of the slope of the glass. If the head does not start to form on its own don't be afraid to add some air by increasing the distance between the bottle and the glass as you pour.
At the halfway point bring the glass vertical and continue to pour in the middle of the glass. This will induce the perfect foam head.
Having a head on a beer is an essential part of a proper pour. Head formation releases the beer’s aroma and adds to the visual presentation. Again you may also want to gradually add distance between the bottle and glass as you pour, to coax the beer into raising a good head. Experts agree that an ideal head should be an inch to an inch and a half (two fingers). Each beer is different so some experimentation is in order here.
Particular care must be exercised when pouring some bottle-conditioned beers. Such beers may have a considerable amount of yeast sediment in the bottle. With such brews you may wish to watch closely as you pour. Holding the bottle to the light as you pour is helpful. If you don't like yeast in your beer you can stop pouring when you see the sediment coming into the neck of the bottle. Now regarding the sediment in bottle-conditioned beers, first and foremost it is a good thing. In the case of some beers the yeast is an integral pert of the presentation. For example in the case of the Belgian White Beer or the German Hefe-Weizen the yeast flavor is part of the beers character and you actually may wish to interrupt your pour and swirl the last inch or so of the beer around the base of the bottle to loosen as much of the sediment as possible. This last yeasty solution is then poured into the glass. The beer will appear cloudy and have a rich fruity aroma.
After some experimentation you will know exactly what the inclusion of yeast does to alter the aroma, the clarity and the taste of each beer you like. You may decide you like certain beers better with or without yeast, regardless of style. Brewers yeast is also high in vitamin B-12 and many other nutrients.
Thank you all for your kind e-mails and suggestions. Should any reader have questions about this column or previous columns drop me a line.
Next time … A Beer Man road trip perhaps?
Until then think global and drink local.
Thursday, May 19, 2005
The Ales of Spring
Spring is here and this beer drinker’s thoughts turn to Kölsch and Altbier…
In the world of beer, when one thinks of German brews the traditional Pale Lagers, Bocks and Weizenbier come to mind first. Kölsch and Altbier are often overlooked or well nigh forgotten. This is truly a loss as these delicate styles are both refreshing and tasty. Unlike most German brews which are lagers, Kölsch, a style associated with the city of Köln (Cologne) and Altbier (Düsseldorf) are ales.
True Kölsch is brewed within the city limits of Köln by one of fifteen or so designated breweries. You can usually find two of these beers Gaffel and Reissdorf locally. Both are tasty, well made and run about eight dollars a six, both are also available in a 22 ounce single bottle for about $2.50. But if you choose to try this style I encourage you to include in your exploration some American craft brews. Traditionally a spring seasonal offering, Kölsch style brews are hitting the shelves as I type. Consider picking up some Harpoon Summer Beer or Geary’s Summer Ale as a starting point. American Blonde Ale is a style that has a profile similar to Kölsch. Consider trying Hunterdon Brewing’s ( http://www.hunterdonbrewing.com//) Jersey Gold as an example of the Blonde Ale style.
I really enjoy sipping a glass of Kölsch on a warm spring evening from a delicate cylindrical glass (or “Stange”). The typical Kölsch pours into your glass a pale gold with a moderate sized white head. The aroma of this style is typically slightly fruity (malt and ale yeast) with some floral hop notes. The taste will be initially sweet/biscuit malt with some drying hops as the brew reaches the back of the tongue and the throat. But it will be overall a balanced brew. Kölsch has a palate that is softer, with more malt than hops, though not as malty as a Bock, nor quite as dry as a typical Pilsner.
Düsseldorf’s Altbier is another favorite style of mine. This is not a springtime beer but is light enough in body for year round enjoyment. There are not many imported Altbiers available locally. One that I consistently see is Uerige (http://www.uerige.de//). A touch pricey in its swing-top bottle ($3.50 for 11.2 ounces) Uerige is a rather spicy and dry example of the style. But despair not as new to the shelves in our area is Long Trail Brewing’s (http://longtrail.com//) Long Trail Ale and Double Bag Ale, both are excellent American recreations of this unique style of brew. A somewhat eclectic and potent local example is Heavyweight Brewing’s ( http://heavyweight-brewing.com//) Stickenjab Alt.
Altbier will typically pour out light brown to dark copper in color with a generous white head. It will generally feature a balance of fruity yeast, sweet/toasted malt and hops in the aroma with some biscuit notes in most. The taste will range from sweet caramel to mild biscuit/toasted malt with a dry finish. This dry finish is especially pronounced in the Uerige and Heavyweight brews.
Until next time, think global and drink local.
In the world of beer, when one thinks of German brews the traditional Pale Lagers, Bocks and Weizenbier come to mind first. Kölsch and Altbier are often overlooked or well nigh forgotten. This is truly a loss as these delicate styles are both refreshing and tasty. Unlike most German brews which are lagers, Kölsch, a style associated with the city of Köln (Cologne) and Altbier (Düsseldorf) are ales.
True Kölsch is brewed within the city limits of Köln by one of fifteen or so designated breweries. You can usually find two of these beers Gaffel and Reissdorf locally. Both are tasty, well made and run about eight dollars a six, both are also available in a 22 ounce single bottle for about $2.50. But if you choose to try this style I encourage you to include in your exploration some American craft brews. Traditionally a spring seasonal offering, Kölsch style brews are hitting the shelves as I type. Consider picking up some Harpoon Summer Beer or Geary’s Summer Ale as a starting point. American Blonde Ale is a style that has a profile similar to Kölsch. Consider trying Hunterdon Brewing’s ( http://www.hunterdonbrewing.com//) Jersey Gold as an example of the Blonde Ale style.
I really enjoy sipping a glass of Kölsch on a warm spring evening from a delicate cylindrical glass (or “Stange”). The typical Kölsch pours into your glass a pale gold with a moderate sized white head. The aroma of this style is typically slightly fruity (malt and ale yeast) with some floral hop notes. The taste will be initially sweet/biscuit malt with some drying hops as the brew reaches the back of the tongue and the throat. But it will be overall a balanced brew. Kölsch has a palate that is softer, with more malt than hops, though not as malty as a Bock, nor quite as dry as a typical Pilsner.
Düsseldorf’s Altbier is another favorite style of mine. This is not a springtime beer but is light enough in body for year round enjoyment. There are not many imported Altbiers available locally. One that I consistently see is Uerige (http://www.uerige.de//). A touch pricey in its swing-top bottle ($3.50 for 11.2 ounces) Uerige is a rather spicy and dry example of the style. But despair not as new to the shelves in our area is Long Trail Brewing’s (http://longtrail.com//) Long Trail Ale and Double Bag Ale, both are excellent American recreations of this unique style of brew. A somewhat eclectic and potent local example is Heavyweight Brewing’s ( http://heavyweight-brewing.com//) Stickenjab Alt.
Altbier will typically pour out light brown to dark copper in color with a generous white head. It will generally feature a balance of fruity yeast, sweet/toasted malt and hops in the aroma with some biscuit notes in most. The taste will range from sweet caramel to mild biscuit/toasted malt with a dry finish. This dry finish is especially pronounced in the Uerige and Heavyweight brews.
Until next time, think global and drink local.
Trappist Ales
TRAPPIST BEERS
The BeerMan would like to dedicate this column to Father Bob, Pastor of Saint Agnes Roman Catholic Church here in Atlantic Highlands.
Firstly, what is a Trappist Beer? Trappist beer is brewed by Trappist monks, specifically members of the Cistercian Order. Trappist is also a licensed term, and currently only six breweries in the world may legally produce Trappist beers. All six of them are Belgian. To use the name and the "Authentic Trappist Product" logo, the rules of the International Trappist Association must be observed:
The product must be made within the walls of a Trappist Abbey. The product must be made by or under the supervision of the monastery community. The largest part of the profit must be spent on social work.
The six breweries that are allowed to call their beer "Trappist" are
Chimay Orval Rochefort Westmalle Westvleteren Achelse Kluis, St Benedictus
There is some discussion about “La Trappe /Koningshoeven” beer, brewed in The Netherlands by the Koningshoeven brewery in Tilburg. The beer is no longer brewed within the walls of an abbey, but is licensed to a large Dutch brewery (Bavaria). They call it Trappist beer, but it isn't in the true meaning of the word. Neither are beers like the Belgian 'Abbaye Leffe', which is licensed to Interbrew, one of the biggest breweries in the world. These beers don't carry the official authentic Trappist logo.
In addition to all the other good works that the Church of Rome performs it has played a pivotal role in the history of brewing in the Western Hemisphere. Let’s step back in time to when the Church was younger, when the Goths, Visigoths, and Vandals ran roughshod over the waning Roman Empire. It was during this time that many Monastic Orders had their start, including the Benedictines. When not saving the literary treasures of the Western World from the clutches of the Barbarian Hordes, the Benedictine Monks needed sustenance to fortify them for hours spent in prayer, and for this they looked to beer. Beer consumption, as it was a liquid, did not break the fasting required by Lenten vows. Monastery beers were therefore rich nourishing brews that required extraordinary amounts of malt in the making. In 1098 the Cistercian order was splintered off the Benedictine Order. While they left some of the “worldliness” of the Benedictines behind, they retained the tradition of brewing in their monasteries, and as noted above, still adhere to this tradition. For a more detailed history of the Cistercians open this link to the Catholic Encyclopedia and explore this rich and colorful site http://www.newadvent.org/cathen
The Trappist Ales are as rich in taste as they are in History. I am pleased to say that I have sampled many of these beers and found them, without exception, to be of superior quality and taste. As you explore the Trappist Ales you should be aware of some differences between them and the more common beer styles: They tend to have prices that one would expect to see in the wine aisles. They are all bottle conditioned and can be laid down and aged like wine. They are not necessarily what most would call “quenching” brews. Don’t come home from a day at the beach and crack open a Trappist to sooth your parched throat. These are the beers to savor with a book, some good company or that favorite Gregorian Chant CD.
Many Trappist Ales can be found in our local stores. I have listed below, grouped by Abbey, the beers that each Abbey brews along a brief description (style, alcohol by volume and a rough estimate of the price).
Chimay http://www.chimay.be/ The Abbey at Scourmont brews four beers only three of which are available in the US. They are easily differentiated by the color of the cap on the bottle. The strongest brew is the Grand Reserve’ (Blue Cap), weighing in at 9% alcohol, is a Belgian Strong Ale. They also brew a Dubbel (Red Cap) and a Trippel (White Cap) at 7% and 8% respectively. You can find all three in 11.2 ounce bottles for 2 to 3 dollars each bottle or in Cork and Caged 750 ml. bottles for 7 to 10 dollars each. These are heavily sedimented beers that need to be poured with care to avoid disturbing the sediment. See my earlier article on the “Perfect Pour’ for more details. All Trappist beers are best enjoyed from a Chalice or Goblet style glass.
Orval http://www.orval.be/ This Abbey brewery operates on the philosophy of: do one thing, and do it well. They brew one beer, a Belgian Pale Ale, and bottle it in a Skittle Pin shaped bottle. Drunk from a chalice this hazy orange brew is elegant and tasty. The recipe is consistent with Abbey records dating back to the 1100’s. Expect to pay 3-4 dollars for an 11.2 ounce bottle.
Rochefort http://users.pandora.be/gerritvdb/rochefort/English/RochefortIndex.htm the monks at the Abbey de Notre Dame de Saint Remy brew three beers: Two Strong Dark Ales and a Quadrupel. They are numbered 6, 8 and 10 for ease of identification. The Number equates to Degrees Plato (specific gravity) higher gravity generally equates to stronger ale. Price wise expect to pay in the 4-6 dollar range for a bottle; the “10” will be a little pricier than the others.
Westmalle http://www.trappistwestmalle.be/ Two beers come from the Monks at Westmalle: a Dubbel, dark brown label, 7% and a Trippel, tan label 9.5%. Expect to pay in the 4 dollar range for a 11.2 ounce bottle. They also brew a Pale Ale but it does not reach these shores with any frequency.
Westvleteren http://www.sintsixtus.be/ The rarest of the abbey beers. The monks at Saint Sixtus do not actively pursue the distribution of their beer around the world. Somehow it gets here, a fortunate few, those willing to plunk down 6-12 dollars for a small bottle, can enjoy one of these tasty and nourishing beers. The styles this Abbey brew include two Belgian Pale Ales distinguished by their red and green caps with about 6% alcohol by volume, a Belgian Dubbel, blue cap with the number “8” on it (8% alcohol) and a Quadrupel, yellow cap with the number 12 on it, (10.2% alcohol)l. For many aficionados “Westy 12” is the Holy Grail of beers.
Achelse Kluis, St Benedictus http://www.achelsekluis.myweb.nl/ I have not seen this Abbey’s beer locally but there are three different products available in the US: a Dubbel, a Trippel and a Strong Dark Ale. They have alcohol levels of 8% to 9.5% depending on the style. I have never seen or tried this brand so If you see it locally let me know.
What should I do with the sediment in when pouring my Trappist beer? There is no right answer in my opinion. I suggest you consider the following approach. Pour the beer carefully so as to retain the sediment in the bottle with a small portion of the beer. Taste the beer without the sediment. When you have consumed about half of the brew, add the rest of the beer and the sediment to the glass. This way you can compare the taste with and without. Enjoy!
In my next column will answer a few readers’ questions, and will discuss the Gueze, Lambic and Wit beers of Belgium’s secular brewers.
Until next time, think global and drink local.
The BeerMan would like to dedicate this column to Father Bob, Pastor of Saint Agnes Roman Catholic Church here in Atlantic Highlands.
Firstly, what is a Trappist Beer? Trappist beer is brewed by Trappist monks, specifically members of the Cistercian Order. Trappist is also a licensed term, and currently only six breweries in the world may legally produce Trappist beers. All six of them are Belgian. To use the name and the "Authentic Trappist Product" logo, the rules of the International Trappist Association must be observed:
The product must be made within the walls of a Trappist Abbey. The product must be made by or under the supervision of the monastery community. The largest part of the profit must be spent on social work.
The six breweries that are allowed to call their beer "Trappist" are
Chimay Orval Rochefort Westmalle Westvleteren Achelse Kluis, St Benedictus
There is some discussion about “La Trappe /Koningshoeven” beer, brewed in The Netherlands by the Koningshoeven brewery in Tilburg. The beer is no longer brewed within the walls of an abbey, but is licensed to a large Dutch brewery (Bavaria). They call it Trappist beer, but it isn't in the true meaning of the word. Neither are beers like the Belgian 'Abbaye Leffe', which is licensed to Interbrew, one of the biggest breweries in the world. These beers don't carry the official authentic Trappist logo.
In addition to all the other good works that the Church of Rome performs it has played a pivotal role in the history of brewing in the Western Hemisphere. Let’s step back in time to when the Church was younger, when the Goths, Visigoths, and Vandals ran roughshod over the waning Roman Empire. It was during this time that many Monastic Orders had their start, including the Benedictines. When not saving the literary treasures of the Western World from the clutches of the Barbarian Hordes, the Benedictine Monks needed sustenance to fortify them for hours spent in prayer, and for this they looked to beer. Beer consumption, as it was a liquid, did not break the fasting required by Lenten vows. Monastery beers were therefore rich nourishing brews that required extraordinary amounts of malt in the making. In 1098 the Cistercian order was splintered off the Benedictine Order. While they left some of the “worldliness” of the Benedictines behind, they retained the tradition of brewing in their monasteries, and as noted above, still adhere to this tradition. For a more detailed history of the Cistercians open this link to the Catholic Encyclopedia and explore this rich and colorful site http://www.newadvent.org/cathen
The Trappist Ales are as rich in taste as they are in History. I am pleased to say that I have sampled many of these beers and found them, without exception, to be of superior quality and taste. As you explore the Trappist Ales you should be aware of some differences between them and the more common beer styles: They tend to have prices that one would expect to see in the wine aisles. They are all bottle conditioned and can be laid down and aged like wine. They are not necessarily what most would call “quenching” brews. Don’t come home from a day at the beach and crack open a Trappist to sooth your parched throat. These are the beers to savor with a book, some good company or that favorite Gregorian Chant CD.
Many Trappist Ales can be found in our local stores. I have listed below, grouped by Abbey, the beers that each Abbey brews along a brief description (style, alcohol by volume and a rough estimate of the price).
Chimay http://www.chimay.be/ The Abbey at Scourmont brews four beers only three of which are available in the US. They are easily differentiated by the color of the cap on the bottle. The strongest brew is the Grand Reserve’ (Blue Cap), weighing in at 9% alcohol, is a Belgian Strong Ale. They also brew a Dubbel (Red Cap) and a Trippel (White Cap) at 7% and 8% respectively. You can find all three in 11.2 ounce bottles for 2 to 3 dollars each bottle or in Cork and Caged 750 ml. bottles for 7 to 10 dollars each. These are heavily sedimented beers that need to be poured with care to avoid disturbing the sediment. See my earlier article on the “Perfect Pour’ for more details. All Trappist beers are best enjoyed from a Chalice or Goblet style glass.
Orval http://www.orval.be/ This Abbey brewery operates on the philosophy of: do one thing, and do it well. They brew one beer, a Belgian Pale Ale, and bottle it in a Skittle Pin shaped bottle. Drunk from a chalice this hazy orange brew is elegant and tasty. The recipe is consistent with Abbey records dating back to the 1100’s. Expect to pay 3-4 dollars for an 11.2 ounce bottle.
Rochefort http://users.pandora.be/gerritvdb/rochefort/English/RochefortIndex.htm the monks at the Abbey de Notre Dame de Saint Remy brew three beers: Two Strong Dark Ales and a Quadrupel. They are numbered 6, 8 and 10 for ease of identification. The Number equates to Degrees Plato (specific gravity) higher gravity generally equates to stronger ale. Price wise expect to pay in the 4-6 dollar range for a bottle; the “10” will be a little pricier than the others.
Westmalle http://www.trappistwestmalle.be/ Two beers come from the Monks at Westmalle: a Dubbel, dark brown label, 7% and a Trippel, tan label 9.5%. Expect to pay in the 4 dollar range for a 11.2 ounce bottle. They also brew a Pale Ale but it does not reach these shores with any frequency.
Westvleteren http://www.sintsixtus.be/ The rarest of the abbey beers. The monks at Saint Sixtus do not actively pursue the distribution of their beer around the world. Somehow it gets here, a fortunate few, those willing to plunk down 6-12 dollars for a small bottle, can enjoy one of these tasty and nourishing beers. The styles this Abbey brew include two Belgian Pale Ales distinguished by their red and green caps with about 6% alcohol by volume, a Belgian Dubbel, blue cap with the number “8” on it (8% alcohol) and a Quadrupel, yellow cap with the number 12 on it, (10.2% alcohol)l. For many aficionados “Westy 12” is the Holy Grail of beers.
Achelse Kluis, St Benedictus http://www.achelsekluis.myweb.nl/ I have not seen this Abbey’s beer locally but there are three different products available in the US: a Dubbel, a Trippel and a Strong Dark Ale. They have alcohol levels of 8% to 9.5% depending on the style. I have never seen or tried this brand so If you see it locally let me know.
What should I do with the sediment in when pouring my Trappist beer? There is no right answer in my opinion. I suggest you consider the following approach. Pour the beer carefully so as to retain the sediment in the bottle with a small portion of the beer. Taste the beer without the sediment. When you have consumed about half of the brew, add the rest of the beer and the sediment to the glass. This way you can compare the taste with and without. Enjoy!
In my next column will answer a few readers’ questions, and will discuss the Gueze, Lambic and Wit beers of Belgium’s secular brewers.
Until next time, think global and drink local.
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