St Patrick's Day Pick : Leann Follain Extra Stout (O'Hara's, Carlow Brewing, Ireland)



Not even the sleepy Emerald Isle can escape the sweeping burgeoning beer-tsunami that is the craft beer movement. Over half of the 37 breweries (at last count) on the island have been set-up since 2009, and there has been a surge in public interest in independent craft beers, even as the recession closes many pubs, re-inforcing my suspicion that EVERYTHING in Ireland has improved since I was banished from it's shores (!) Long before the current boom, Seamus O'Hara and his brother Eamonn founded Carlow Brewing way back in 1996 as a family-owned brewery located in the heart of Ireland's malt-growing Barrow Valley region (based in Bagenalstown, Co. Carlow). Originally 75% of the beer they produced was consumed in the US and while America is still their biggest market, encouragingly 50% is now sold in there homeland of Ireland. From humble beginnings O'Hara's has grown to become Ireland's largest independent craft brewery, selling to 20 countries, producing over 2 million liters of beer annually and expanding it's workforce to a massive 15. "Leann Follain" (Gaelic for "wholesome stout" - and no, I don't speak the language but I am working on my English) is my favorite of the beers we carry by them. It's a full-bodied extra stout, roasty with flavors of dark chocolate, biscuity with a sweet hint of vanilla and mocha and a pleasant maltiness. Although in appearance it presents itself as a typical Irish stout with an opaque blackness and tan head it's definitely not typical in that it has a juicy finish as opposed to the dryness we are more used to for the style. The ABV is also a wee bit more substantial at 6%, and overall it's a luxurious and refreshing, satisfying stout that you will enjoy immensely especially given it's ridiculously low price of $6.99 for a 4pk of 11.2oz bottles! Also available - O'Hara's Irish Red, Stout (Irish Stout) and Pale Ale.

More information:

Carlow Brewing Company

Murine Bheag Business Park

Royal Oak Road, Bagnelstown

Co. Carlow, Ireland

'PH: 353 (0) 59-972-0509

www.carlowbrewing.com

Ratings : Beer Advocate : 89 (Very Good) Rate Beer : Overall 92, Style 90 UNTAPPD : 3.70/5

My Rating : B and 3.5 on UNTAPPD

The brewery also operates a pub called "Brewery Corner" in Kilkenny (20km from the brewery) that exclusively serves Irish craft beer with 13 beers currently on tap. 

 

Valentine's Day, 2014: Young's Double Chocolate Stout w/Lindemans Framboise

Paul's Pick: Young's Double Cream Stout combined with Lindemans Framboise
  

If you were to peruse my profile on christianmingles.com it would be enough to make even Fabio blush. Long walks on the beach at sunset, discussing the intricacies of the three tier system over a candlelit dinner, mulling the differences between a porter and a stout while Barry White's soothing tones plays in the background. That's me - an incurable romantic. So let's follow the trail of rose petals to the fridge and see what I exciting elixir awaits us this Valentines Day.

Chocolate and raspberries have long been paired together as a dessert in restaurants and it works great for beer too. I'm going to go for a classic for a sweet stout, Young's Double chocolate stout (Wells and Young's Brewing, Bedford, England) - luxurious and decadent and not too sweet, pour half into a pint watch in wonderment as the beer ebbs and flows and cascades like crashing waves on the shore (sorry, too many Harlequin romance novels) before it settles contentedly in the glass, the nitrogen widget smoothes and mellows any residual sweetness - cocoa and a lingering delectable bitter chocolate remains, resembling a luxurious chocolate milk. I recommend pouring it on your morning corn flakes.

Top with framboise from Lindemans (Vlezenbeek, Belgium). Traditional lambic (spontaneous fermenting beers) brewers since 1812, located SW of Brussels in the Senne Valley, Lindemans were the first lambic exporters to these shores in 1979. The acidity and sourness of the lambic blends perfectly with the addition of the raspberries, leaving a tart, fruity, slightly sour dessert beer that is only 2.5% ABV that I could drink gallons of! Married with the double chocolate stout the resulting concoction is a velvety seduction of chocolate and cocoa balanced nicely with the tartness of ripe fruit.

I chose Young's Double Chocolate Stout for nostalgic reasons (British candy is responsible for my dentist retiring a millionaire) but you can substitute almost any stout - for a bit more oomph try Brooklyn Chocolate Stout (10% ABV), Ommegang Chocolate Seduction, Boulevard Chocolate Ale, or Left Hand Milk Stout (nitro is creamier), anyway you get the idea. Any raspberry lambic works too but Lindemans is the most readily available, and the oldest. One pairing that doesn't work is Creme Brûlée (Southern Tier) with framboise - absolutely revolting, don't know what I was thinking, probably why I'm not a chef.

Thanks for listening, I'm pretty sure America's Most Eligible Bachelor is on the Telly, so I'm off.

Xoxoxo
Fabio (actually Flabio is more fitting, I drink a lot of beer)

Young's Double Chocolate Stout sells for $9.99/4-pack and Lindemans Framboise is $10.99/750ml.

"Ruthless Rye", Sierra Nevada (Chico,CA)

"Ruthless Rye", American IPA

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 I always get a little misty-eyed when the last of the “Celebration Ale” disappears from the store shelves. Every passing year it seems to happen faster, a good thing, as more disciples have discovered it’s hoppy goodness. But it’s not all doom-and-gloom, as Spring beckons Sierra Nevada brings us a new seasonal gift in the shape of “Ruthless Rye”. Mercifully it replaces the truly awful “Glissade Bock”, which has ingloriously been dropped from their line-up – a sensible decision.

                                                   12oz bottle poured into a Sierra Nevada pint glass

“Ruthless Rye” pours a nice amber with a crisp white collar that leaves an impressive lacing on the glass. The beer exhibits a crisp hoppy bite (they use Chinook, Citra and a new proprietary hop for aroma and Bravo for bittering) that is cut nicely with a malty rye. The rye lends a slightly spicy and tangy taste with a floral, dry finish (from the dry-hopping). This is a perfect everyday “fridge” beer – unremarkable, unpretentious but delicious tasting beer at a budget friendly price – the usual trademarks of a Sierra Nevada beer. $7.99 a sixer or $12.99 (I've seen this as low as $10.99 for a 12 pack). ABV is a manageable 6.6% with a respectable 55 IBU’s present.

My Rating : B/B+

If I was to use one word to describe this beer it would be "solid" - not earth shattering but it will tide me over until "Hoptimum" hits the shelves next month. Here's hoping its as good as last year (probably my favourite beer of 2012).

Others:

Beer Advocate Score is 88 (Good) while Rate Beer gives it 99 Overall, 97 for the Style


Useless Trivia Fact that nobody cares about : Chico, CA is also the birthplace of P*ckers QB Aaron Rodgers

"Wuthless Wye" - Elmer Fudd's favourite beer? Check this translator website, it's hilarious! I was going to translate this post into Fudd-speak but decided it was too much effort.

www.rinkworks.com/dialect/



                                  Photo Courtesy of Andrew May Studios


Vital Statistics:

ABV : 6.6%
Beginning Gravity : 15.2 degrees Plato
Ending Gravity: 3.1 degrees Plato
IBU : 55

Yeast - Ale
Bittering Hops - Bravo
Finishing Hops - Chinook, Citra and a new Proprietary variety
Malts - Two-Row Pale, Rye, Caramel and Chocolate

Brewery Description (from the website) :

Rustic grains, refined flavor, ruthless character.

Rugged and resilient, rye has been a staple grain for ages and its spicy black pepper-like flavor has been prized by distillers and brewers for centuries. Rye thrives in the harshest conditions and comes to life in Ruthless, a spicy and rugged IPA with fruity, citrus and herbal hop notes balanced with the dry spiciness of the rye, making the beer aggressive yet comforting to bolster against whatever the winter winds may bring.

Rye

Brewers looking for added flavor character and malt complexity occasionally use rye in addition to malted barley. Rye is a hearty and rustic cereal grain that has long been favored by the distilling industry. Brewers embrace it for its signature spicy, black pepper-like flavors and complex dryness.

Dry Hops

We work hard to get strong hop flavors into our beers and one of the ways we do that is through dry hopping. Dry hopping refers to the addition of whole-cone hops to the fermentation tanks. The addition of hops to cold beer allows the aromatic oils and resins to infuse the beer with flavor and aroma without adding any additional bitterness.




Sierra Nevada Brewing Company
1075 E. 20th Street
Chico, CA 95928
'PH: 530-893-3520
www.sierranevada.com
Twitter @SierraNevada
 

Rosee D'Hibiscus, Brasserie Dieu Du Ciel!

Rosee D'Hibiscus, Microbrasserie Dieu Du Ciel, St-Jerome, Quebec (CA)

11.5fl oz bottle poured into a Sierra Nevada "Ovila" Chalice

Gorgeous label! Reads "Ale Brewed With Spices and Hibiscus Flowers"

5.9% ABV Bottle Conditioned

Style : Herbed/Spiced/Vegetable Beer

"Rosee D'Hibiscus is a soft spoken Belgian-style wheat beer. It's rose colour comes from the hibiscus flowers added during the brewing process. The aromas and flavour of this tropical flower are very prominent in the beer, giving it a slight acidity and a very agreeable fragrance.

The Rosee D'Hibiscus was born in our Montreal brewpub in May 2006".

Bottle is date-notched and is Imported by (the infamous) Shelton Brothers, Belchertown, MA.

"Don Du Ciel" translates from the French to "A Godsend"  or "God of the Sky". Probably a good idea to verify that though, given my dodgy Grammar school French. In my defence I was a little distracted in class (ahem). Her name was Ms. Essler.


Despite my reputation as a miserable bastard (well-justifed, I assure you) some things still excite me. Like discovering a great new beer, against all expectations. This is one of those occasions. Drawn by the fantastic, mesmerizing artwork on the label this is the second Dieu Du Ciel beer I've ever tried ("Rigor Mortis" Abt and that was outstanding).

Pours a beuatiful ruby with a pinkish hue. Slightly cloudy (to be expected - it is un-filtered). Wonderfully aromatic - melon, lavender, floral. Delicate rose petals. Taste is unique - tart and tangy, sweet, tropical mango,berry and definitely pear. Very light body and mouthfeel, it's hard to believe this is a beer with a 5.5% ABV - it should be in the health foods section of your local Co-Op! Refreshing, agreeable and I agree with their sentiment that it would be the perfect thirst-quencher on a hot summer day (or any other).

My Rating : A-

Beer Advocate gives it a 86 (Very Good) while "The Bros" rate it as a 94 (Outstanding)

Rate Beer : 90 (Overall) and 96 (Style)

UNTAPPED : 3.60% average rating out of 5

I don't recall ever having hibiscus in a beer (I know it is popular addition in some teas) but this adds a unique flavor to this wheat beer that works remarkably well.







Brewery Info:

Diel Du Ciel Microbrewery                Hours: Mon-Thurs 11:30AM - 2PM
259 Rue De Villemure                                    Friday-Sat. 2PM - 3AM
St-Jerome, QC J7Z 5J4                                   Sunday 2PM - 1AM
'PH: (450) 436-3438
FAX: (450) 436-3455
www.dieuduciel.com

Montreal Brasserie:

Brasserie Dieu Du Ciel                    Hours: Daily 3PM - 3AM
29 Laurier Ouest                              Subway Directions : Take Orange Line to the Laurier Station,
Montreal, Quebec                            take Laurier St. Exit and walk towards the west, crossing both St.
'PH: (514) 490-9555                        Denis and St. Laurent Streets before reaching the pub.

Apple Ale, New Glarus

Apple Ale, New Glarus Brewing Company (New Glarus, WI)

12oz red-foiled bottle poured into a New Glarus goblet. $9.99 a 4 pack from Cassanova in Hudson (hard as it was to turn down the $50 for 3 x 24 flats of Coors Light they had on deal)! Yes, all the cars in the parking lot had MN plates - Sunday opening activists....
ABV : 4%
Part of the very limited "Thumbprint" Series, the inspiration behind it described below:

It is always flattering when less imaginative competitors copy our beers, packaging, and/or marketing. I usually accept this as a personal challenge to do something more. When our trademarked Solstice name was infringed on, I regrouped with Dancing Man. When lots of deconstructed 4 and 6 packs showed up I knew I was doing a good job. When another Midwestern brewer released a "Un*******" series. I thought I can do better.

Thumbprint beers are still brewed with the beer enthusiast in mind. Thumbprint beers are brewed in small batches that are intended to be available for one time only. However, popular demand has caused some styles to return. This is my own thumbprint, to let everyone know this is a real New Glarus handcrafted beer! Cheers.

—Deborah Carey (President, New Glarus Brewing Company)

Style : Fruit/Vegetable Beer. Description from Beer Advocate :

A generic form of flavored beer, some breweries actually use real fruit or veggies, though most use an extract, syrup or processed flavor to give the effect of a particular fruit or vegetable. Usually ales, but with not much ale character to them and commonly unbalanced. Malt flavor is typically hidden with a low hop bitterness to allow the fruit or vegetable to dominate.

While PONDER-ing my latest beer pick in the midst of a dismal Vikings loss to the P**kers, it occured to me the perfect penance would be to review a beer from a perennial Wisconsin favourite, New Glarus Brewing. I'm asked on a daily basis at the store if we carry New Glarus and of course the answer is no - it's proudly exclusive to Wisconsin. In 2011 it sold all 108,000 barrels it produces within Wisconsin borders. On a side note, I found it interesting while at the GABF in Denver in October the longest lines were not for Dogfish Head, Three Floyd's or even Surly but for New Glarus.

"Apple Ale sings with the fresh crisp taste of apples. Our brewmaster begins with a brown ale base employing Wisonsin farmed wheat and a blend of fresh picked apples. Our apple growing friends squeeze them especially for this brew. Expect this ale to pour a beautiful copper colour. The fresh bouquet of apple will rise to meet you even before the glass touches your lips. So be sure to sip slowly and enjoy the fruits of a Wisconsin harvest".

My take:

Pours a clear, dark yellow. Aroma of tart apples, taste is sharp and refreshing, Granny Smith. Crisp, quenching, light bodied - nothing artificial tasting about this beer. Apple juice, with a little more carbonization and a pleasant, if ever so slight, vanilla aftertaste.

Rating: A

I'm a fan of Furthermore's "Fallen Apple" New Glarus' Apple Ale is less creamy than that and reminds me more of a British cider than a beer, but perhaps not as dry. Whether it is really a cider or a beer is another matter but who cares, it is delicious!

Rate Beer Score : 98/100 Overall
Beer Advocate : 92 (Exceptional)




More info:

*Brewery founded in 1993 by Deborah and Dan Carey, making Deborah the first woman to operate a brewery in the US.
*Today is the 21st largest craft brewery and 32nd largest overall brewing company in the US.
* New Glarus Brewing is a big supporter of Universal Health Care (are you reading this Papa F***g John)?!
*The town of New Glarus has a population of 2,304 according to 2010 Census. It was named after the Canton of Glarus in Eastern Switzerland and was founded in 1845 by immigrants from Glarus, Switzerland.
*New Glarus is the best known Swiss settlement in the country.
www.swisstown.com


New Glarus Brewing Company      Hours : Mon-Sun 10am-4pm
2400 State Highway 69
New Glarus, WI 53574
'PH: 608-527-5850
www.newglarusbrewing.com Twitter: newglarusbeer

Driving time from Minneapolis is approx. 4 Hours 40 Minutes (281 miles). Madison is nearby, (27 miles, about a 45 minute drive).

Vampire Slayer, Clown Shoes

Imperial American Stout, 22oz bomber poured into Ommegang goblet. I paid $8.49 for my bottle.

What they said :

"In a world full of uncertainty, hardship, and people trying to hold us back, do we need Vampires, too? Clown Shoes says, "No! Die, monsters, die!"

Our second anniversary ale incorporates signature dark malts, holy water, and malt smoked locally with hickory, ash, and vampire killing stakes".




Interesting that the above label reads "Smoked Imperial Stout" while the label on my bottle has "Imperial American Stout". No bottled on date (disappointing but not that essential for a big beer like this - if it was an IPA I'd be concerned).
Pours as expected - pitch black with a thin tan collar, very appetizing!
Roasted malt, toasty, licorice, chocolate - stale cigarettes (and for what it matters I'm a non-smoker)! ABV may be 10% but alcohol is well disguised, not overly boozy. Another surprise is the fairly thin mouthfeel for such a big beer, not as chewy or as much of a sipper as I typically like but no matter this is another impressive effort from Clown Shoes.

Rating : B maybe B+

This is the third Clown Shoes beer I've tried in earnest since they have been unleashed on the MN market and I've been impressed with all of them, so far (Chocolate Sombrero, Eagle Claw Fist). This is another solid offering from this 3 year old upstart. I'll be interested to compare Vampire Slayer with Blaecorn Unidragon, a bottle of which is  (not so) patiently awaiting in my beer fridge. According to the blog it seems they are expanding at a rapid pace and are now distributing to Wisconsin.

Chocolate Sombrero, Clown Shoes Brewing

"Chocolate Sombrero" Mexican Style Chocolate Stout by Clown Shoes Brewing (Ipswich, MA)

22oz bomber poured into Ommegang goblet.
Bottled on 5/2012 (nice touch - easy to read as well).
Tasting notes from 9/23/12.

It seems every week there is a new entrant in the ever burgeoning world of craft beer. This week it's Clown Shoes that is responsible for setting beer geeks hearts a-flutter. I'm here to tell you that not all clowns need to be creepy (yes, it took years of therapy to be able to write that sentence). Clown Shoes is a brash contract brewer based in Ipswich, MA that has a mission statement that reads "clowns are questionable but the shoes make me laugh. They remind me about humility and to find humour in life". Chocolate Sombrero is evidence of this humour with the label depicting a somberero-wearing Mexican wrestler on the label. The beer is no laughing matter - this is a Mexican-style stout with ancho chile and vanilla extract and lots of chocolate malt. The beer pours a beautiful midnight black with a thin tan collar and the smell is of roasty chocolate. With a laundry list of ingredients the taste does not dissapoint - thick, rich and decadent with discernible notes of chocolate, coffee and a hint of spiciness. Even with the substantial ABV that weighs in at 9% I didn't find this particularly boozy. Would make an excellent dessert beer. As a first introduction to the brewery I'm very impressed. It may not inspire me to run away and join the circus but it will make me want to devour more of their beers. Chocolate Sombrero is available in 22oz bomber for around $8.49 and is part of their limited release series.

 

Rating: A

 

As a first introduction to this brewery I can honestly say I got more than I expected. Also tried Tramp Stamp Belgian IPa (initial impression - sweet and fruity but not bad) and also Brash Bollocks Imperial IPA (12% wow! my sort of beer - not Maharaja standard but decent, well brewed). Impressed.

 

Beer Advocate rating : 87 (Good)

RateBeer Score : 97

 

 

 

In their own words:

 

"Roasted dark malts plus extra chocolate malts plus ancho chile plus a chocolate loving beer drinking, clown shoes wearing, multi limbed gorgeous and glorious Mexican wrestler on the label. That's the recipe for a chocolate sombreror".

 

Distributed in Minnesota by Clear River (Rush City, MN) Millstream, McNeill's etc

More about the brewery:

 

Clown Shoes Brewing Company*

23 Hayward Street

Ipswich, MA 01938

www.clownshoesbeer.com

 

Email: Sean@clownshoesbeer.com

 

*Contract brewed by Mercury Brewing Company (Ipswich, MA) which confusingly is also known as Ipswich Ale Brewery

www.IpswichAleBrewery.com

 

Clown Shoes produces a ridiculous amount of beers, some with very cringe-worthy names (Tramp Stamp, Muffin Top, Lubrication, Pimp)! which fits in well with their attitude "produce beer without pretension while being free and a little crazy".

 

Year Round:

Hoppy Feet, Brown Angel, Clementine, Tramp Stamp,Eagle Claw Fist, Lubrication, Supa Hero, Miracle, Let my people go

 

Limited:

Pecan Pie Porter, Hoppy Feet 1.5, Clementine 1.5, Muffin Top, BlaeCorn Unidragon, Vampire Slayer,Chocolate Sombrero, Pimp

 

Super Limited (made once):

Angry Beast, Fight of the Pimp, Third Party Candidate.