Kulmbacher Eisbock (Ice Bock)

When I first started writing One Year of Beer, it was no secret that I was a big fan of Shiner Bock. But through the process of experimenting with so many classic beer styles I discovered there are quite a few that fall under the Bock “family” of beers – there’s Traditional Bock, Doppelbock (Double Bock), Maibock, Helles Bock, Weizenbock…. If I’m starting to sound like Bubba in Forrest Gump going on about shrimp, please stop me. But my favorite, and the most elusive among them, is the Eisbock (Ice Bock). Just imagine an already delicious Doppelbock being frozen and having the frozen water removed, then drinking the concentrated flavor and alcohol that is left behind. It took me a while to finally find a commercial example of an Eisbock, but once I found Kulmbacher Eisbock it didn’t take me very long to realize I might have found a new contender for my favorite beer EVER.

Price: $3.49 for a single 11.2 oz longneck bottle. I might also mention that this beer is somewhat hard to find. I was starting to give up on finding it anywhere in West Texas when I finally stumbled upon them sold as singles at the Market Street in Wichita Falls. I bought two bottles and drank them that night. I returned the next morning to clean out their supply.

Alcohol Content: 9.2% alcohol by volume. And believe it or not, that’s low for this specialty style of Bock that can be as high as 14% ABV.

Color: Once the fizzy ivory-colored head dissipates several minutes after pouring, a glass of Kulmbacher Esibock could easily be confused with a glass of Coca-Cola. It pours a cola brown. And while it’s not exactly transparent, its opacity is just enough to let light shine through the beer, creating shimmering ruby highlights in the glass.

Aroma: The nose is dominated by strong, concentrated malts with a little bit of booziness from the alcohol. There is virtually no hop aroma to speak of. And I’m picking up some strong chocolate notes as well.

Bitterness: It’s hard to believe that Eisbocks should even be 25-35 IBUs. I can’t distinguish any hop bitterness. Any bitterness I pick up on is more akin to chocolate or coffee.

Taste: No surprise here, but this Eisbock is super sweet and malty. There’s zero hop presence. And the chocolate flavors are even stronger on the tongue than on the nose. I’m also picking up some dark fruits like plums or prunes. I compared Kulmbacher Eisbock’s color to that of a brown cola. I don’t think it’d be too much of a stretch to say it tastes a little like one too. At times it reminds me of a Dr. Pepper mixed with some kind of liquor. The taste ends somewhat dry; at which point the booziness is most evident.

I choose not to select a food pairing for this rich brew. Its ultra-malty flavor and high alcohol content make it more appropriate to sip alone like a fine whisky. I think if you enjoyed smoking cigars, this would be the perfect beer to do so with. But since smoking triggers my gag reflex pretty easily, I’m going to let you test that one out and report back to me.

Overall: Never when I started One Year of Beer did I think I would find a beer that made me feel like I was living in the lap of luxury like this one does. Kulmbacher Eisbock shares many of the same qualities I love about Traditional and Double Bocks; but its flavor is so much more rich and defined. I think this brew takes the thrown as my all-time favorite beer. Too bad it’s so hard to find. It will just have to be an occasional treat when I visit Wichita Falls to clean out their shelves again.

© Kelly Podzemny. All rights reserved.

Real Ale Firemans #4 Blonde Ale

Tonite’s 1YOB is a beer I’ve been trying to write about since a few into starting this blog almost a year ago. Now here we are facing the final two 1YOB posts and I’m just now getting around to sharing it with you guys. So what took me so long? Real Ale Firemans #4 Blonde Ale is so tasty and easy to drink that I could never keep it around long enough to photograph with a food pairing! Firemans #4 falls into that class of “obligatory blonde ales” that some craft beer drinkers think are a little too wimpy or watered down for their tastes. But trust me: nobody is too tough for Firemans #4!

Price: $8.99, 6-pack

Alcohol Content: 5.1% alcohol by volume

Color: Firemans #4 Blonde Ale pours a hazy golden straw color. Light passes through the glass with ease. But it’s just cloudy enough that you can’t make what’s on the other side. A generous foamy white head fades slowly to a ring around the glass. Splendid carbonation continues to bubble even after the head has dissipated.

Aroma: The nose is dominated by lightly sweet malts. Deeper whiffs reveal grassy and citrusy hop notes.

Bitterness: At 21 IBUs, Firemans #4 is on the hoppier side of the Blonde Ale style. But that hop flavor translates more toward a fruity bite than bitter.

Taste & Food Pairing: There is so much more going on in the taste of Firemans #4 than the aroma! It’s a very well balanced beer. I pick up citrus and banana flavors up front, they’re immediately calmed down by a sweet and smooth maltiness. The whole package is wrapped up by a grassy hops bite at the end, leaving both a little bitter and sweet after taste. It washes down easy. Definitely a pourable potable suitable for the warmer weather seeing.

I paired Real Ale Firemans #4 Blonde Ale with some good old Buffalo-style chicken wings. The maltier side of the brew make it the perfect beer for extinguishing heat from any spicy food. I know from experience that it will go better with Mexican food than Corona any day. I imagine it would also sooth the burn of any spicy Asian cuisine as well.

Overall: Firemans #4, a Texas-brewed beer, is a beer designed for Texas! And it’s well-balanced enough that experienced craft beer drinkers like me will appreciate it, as well as the uninitiated who are still drinking one of the pale lager light beers. I like to think of Firemans #4 as both a gateway beer for newbies and a mainstay for the professionals.

© Kelly Podzemny. All rights reserved.

Deschutes Hop in the Dark Cascadian Dark Ale

Tonite I’m reviewing a beautiful Cascadian Dark Ale (CDA) from… no it’s a Black IPA… Or wait. Is it a Hoppy Porter? This new dark variant of the American India Pale Ale style has caused quite a stir in the beer geek community, all surrounding what we should call it. Deschutes Brewery belongs to the camp that believes it should be called a CDA because the style originated in the northwestern United States where Cascade hops are so prevalent. Others think it should be a Black IPA because it was truly based off the original India Pale Ale. Still others think the terms “Black” and “Pale” are contradictory terms that can’t describe a single beer (gotta love the style nerds). The BJCP ultimately pronounced the official name of the style “American-Style Black Ale.” Whatever you call it, it’s an interesting new take on the classic craft brew style. 

Price: 22-ounce bomber bottle, $6.99 each

Alcohol Content: 6.9% alcohol by volume

Color: What color would you expect a style many call the Black IPA to pour? Hop in the Dark pours black as night with a generous coffee brown foam head. No light escapes this thing. Before tasting or smelling, you’d swear this brew was a Stout or a Porter.

Aroma: The nose of a Black IPA/Cascadian Dark Ale is every bit as hoppy as a traditional India Pale Ale. Where it differs is that deeper whiffs reveal subtle roasted coffee and bitter chocolate notes more akin to a Porter.

Bitterness: At 70 IBUs, Hop in the Dark is plenty bitter. But it’s funny what the darker roasted malts do to the hoppiness. It really calms down any abrasive bitterness.

Taste & Food Pairing: If you were to blend 50% traditional IPA and 50% Porter in a glass, I think it would taste an awful lot like Hop in the Dark. It’s very hop forward on the front end. Just as the hoppy bitterness begin to attack your taste buds, the dark roasted flavors wash over you, whisking away any residual bitterness. What’s left on your tongue is a dry citrus flavor from hops. It’s really one of the more interesting flavor experiences I’ve had.

Like a traditional American IPA, Deschutes Hop in the Dark pairs well with your typical spicy or savory pub fair like pizza or chicken wings. But the richness of mushrooms on a spinach and mushroom pizza danced beautifully with the roasted dark malts. I’d love to try this beer with Mexican food as well.

Overall: I’m a big fan of this new style of beer. It’s taken me a while to develop the palate for bitter IPAs. But the Black IPA… CDA… India Black Ale… whatever, combines the best of both worlds in my mind: flavorful hops teamed up with rich dark malts. I think the name controversy is humorous from a beer scholar’s point of view. But I fear it could cause confusion for someone not familiar with the story of the style. Only when brewers land on what this style should be called will it be embraced by the masses.

© Kelly Podzemny. All rights reserved.

Samuel Adams Rustic Saison

One of my favorite new beer styles that I’ve discovered while writing 1YOB this year has been the Saison. Also known as a “farmhouse ale,” the style originated in the French-speaking farmlands of Belgium as a low-alcohol pale beer to quench farm workers’ thirst without becoming impaired so they could return to the fields during summer months. Until recently the Saison style was only brewed by the smallest of artisan breweries, making it pretty rare on retail shelves. So I’m glad to see a nationally available brewery like Sam Adams picking up the style.

Price: Rustic Saison is only available as two bottles in the Samuel Adams “Summer Styles” seasonal variety 12-pack for $12.49. The pack also comes with two bottles each of Easy-West Kölsch, Boston lager, Summer Ale, Light, and Latitude 48 IPA. I’d really like to see Rustic Saison get its own 6-pack next year though. Like I said before, the farmhouse ale is a style more widely available breweries should start producing regularly.

Alcohol Content: 4.3% alcohol by volume. While lower than most other modern commercial examples of Saisons, Samuel Adams Rustic Saison is probably closer to the historical levels it was brewed at in farmhouses of yesteryear.

Color: Samuel Adams Rustic Saison pours a pale straw-yellow like any other light beer you’ve seen. But the generous white head and the champagne-like sparkling carbonation tell you there is more to this beer than the color lets on.

Aroma: Rustic Saison is floral and malty on the nose. It’s also got a honey sweetness from the special Belgian yeast used in fermenting.

Bitterness: I couldn’t find an official IBU score for Rustic Saison. But this style of beer was brewed somewhat hop forward due to the preservative properties of hops. The farms needed this beer to last through the summer. It’s slightly bitter. But nothing stronger than your usual pale ale.

Taste & Food Pairing: The hops are very assertive on the front of the tongue. But just as you brace yourself for a bitter hop slap to the cheeks, the hops calm down to reveal a sweet and spicy flavor profile composed of pepper, lemon, and cereal. The champagne-like bubbles common to Belgian beers coats your mouth as the flavors dance across the tongue. It’s not as effervescent as other Saisons I’ve had, like Hennepen. But it is a very enjoyable beer for the price.

I’ve never actually done a simple beer/cheese pairing for 1YOB, so I took the Sam Adams website’s suggestion and paired it with a soft Brie cheese along with some pepper-seasoned wheat crackers. First of all let me say that Brie is an amazing cheese all on it’s own! I don’t think I’ve ever had it before. It’s earthy, creamy, and rich. The champagne nature of Rustic Saison truly balanced those flavors. While the peppery notes of the Belgian yeast compliments the peppered wheat crackers.

Overall: I’m glad to see more large breweries trying their hand at this artisan farmhouse style. While we’re not necessarily working on the French or Belgian fields, this beer will still adequately quench your thirst while providing a unique flavor experience.

© Kelly Podzemny. All rights reserved.

Saint Arnold Christmas Ale

It seems like every craft brewery out there has a seasonal Christmas/Winter beer these days. Houston, Texas based Saint Arnold Brewing Company is no different. Except they decided to release a little bit of it in July this year! The brewery’s Christmas Ale is typically only available from October to December; but they decided to let us all open one present early this year by releasing a small batch of the seasonal brew a little early. Technically a Winter Warmer, this brew was still light and refreshing enough to quench my thirst on a scorching 105º day up here in Lubbock, Texas. 

Price: 6-pack, $8.49

Alcohol Content: 7% alcohol by volume. (Slightly stronger to help you put up with all the family during the holidays.)

Color: Saint Arnold Christmas Ale pours a nice transparent amber much like an American Amber Ale or many Oktoberfests I’ve seen. A medium size white head forms and dissipates quickly.

Aroma: It mostly smells of sweet caramel malts. I also detect some dark fruit, like raisins or plums. Only in very deep whiffs will you be able to pick up on some German-ish Noble  hop notes.

Bitterness: At 35 IBUs, Saint Arnold Christmas Ale is both malty and sweet and slightly hop forward. It’s nowhere near as bitter as a Pale Ale or IPA, but I promise it’s more bitter and hoppy than most winter brews you’ve tried.

Taste & Food Pairing: Caramel malts dominate the front of the tongue as well; while dark fruits of raisins and plums are repeated in the middle. The end of the flavor has a much stronger presence than I would have expected from the scent. It has a subtle spiciness that most winter beers would attribute to spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, or ginger; but I think the spiciness is coming solely from the variety of hops used. Very interesting.

Saint Arnold’s website suggests fruitcake, the classical holiday gift dessert everyone loves to hate, as the ideal food pairing for this beer. I got some funny looks in the grocery store when I asked for fruitcake in July; and I have no idea how to make it. So I settled on pairing Saint Arnold Christmas Ale with fresh-baked Cinnamon Apple Loaf from the store’s bakery. The scent of the bread sitting on the table alone added to the experience of the beer: sweet cinnamon mingles with the caramel notes. And the hops really bounce off the sweet apples. The beer was just light enough to wash down the bread and clumps of cinnamon spice.

Overall: I loved Saint Arnold Christmas Ale. Truth be told, I think it’s a little closer to an Amber Ale than a Winter Warmer. Either way, I imagine it’s enjoyable in either climate. I suggest you run out and get your hands on some of this special release. I hear supplies are already limited in some areas. And if you missed out on it this summer, be sure to ask Santa for some under the Christmas tree later this year.

© Kelly Podzemny. All rights reserved.

DISQUS Now Installed on One Year of Beer!

You may notice below this post that there is now a new box for posting comments and liking my posts here on the site. Before, you had to be a registered member of Tumblr to comment. But now you can log-in with your Facebook, Twitter, or Google accounts and comment that way. I originally planned on doing this when I first started 1YOB back in August 2010! Procrastinate much? Better late than never I guess.

Little Kings Original Cream Ale (Schoenling)

Don’t let Little Kings Cream Ale’s tiny bottles fool you. Even though they’re packed in bottles half the size you’re used to, they pack just as much flavor. Cream Ale is one of the truly original American beer styles. Popular in the northeast part of the country, Cream Ale is basically an ale version of the popular pale lagers (light beers) that dominate retail shelves. And on a side note, Sam Adams actually bottles Little Kings after Hudepohl-Schoenling does the brewing.

Price: 8-pack of 7 oz. bottles, $8.49. I was at first excited by the thought of getting two extra beers in the case. So when I got home and realized the beer was in little midget bottles, I felt a little gypped. However, if you do your beer-math you’ll find that the Little Kings 8-pack doesn’t cost anymore than your typical craft beer 4-pack when all is said and done.

Alcohol Content: 5.5% alcohol by volume

Color/Appearance: Little Kings Cream Ale pours a light golden straw color. It’s probably only a slightly darker hue of gold than your typical light beer. A fizzy white head puffs up fast but dissipates to a thin layer of small bubbles even faster. The remaining bubbles left a respectable amount of lacing down the glass.

Aroma: Little Kings smells of sweet grains and cream corn. There are a little grassy hops. But I can’t quite put my finger on the variety. I also pick up on the slightest of metallic scent. Perhaps a little skunking from being stored in green bottles.

Bitterness: I’d say Little Kings Original Cream Ale is more sweet than bitter. But it packs a much hoppier bitter burst than it’s pale lager light beer counterparts.

Taste & Food Pairing: Little Kings is similar on the tongue as it is on the nose. It has a malty sweet start followed by an even sweeter corn flavor with a slight grassy hop bite. But the sweetness comes back around in a big way at the end. It almost reminds of a cider going down, but not as fruity. I was surprised that the skunkiness wasn’t repeated on the tongue. The bottles do look very well protected in their tall cardboard carton. Overall it is a very light and drinkable beer.

Given the mini size of Little Kings, I felt it was only appropriate to pair it with an appetizer. Little Kings were the perfect companion to tortilla chips and salsa. The maltier and lighter nature of the beer helped to extinguish and wash down any heat from the hot salsa.

Overall: I’m always on the lookout for the perfect beer to convert domestic beer drinkers into craft beer lovers. I think I found a new for the top of the list. Cream Ales are so similar to your typical light beer, yet pack so much more flavor. I found myself wishing the bottles were much larger though. Give it a shot next time you’re looking for something new.

© Kelly Podzemny. All rights reserved.

Avery Brewing Company Samael’s Oak Aged Ale

Avery Brewing Company’s Samael’s Oak Aged Ale is one hell of a brew. It’s one of three beers in the Colorado-based brewery’s “Demons of Ale” series. I reviewed the Mephistopheles’ Stout from the series back in October 2010 and loved it! All the beers in the series tend to be bold, high in alcohol, and over-the-top in every way. Samael’s fits that bill quite nicely. It’s a heavily oak aged English-style strong ale with lots of character.

Price: Single 12-ounce bottle, $8.99. This is definitely the most expensive beer I’ve had to date. I’ve paid $12-$13 for a bomber twice this size, but never this much for a single beer.

Alcohol Content: 15.31% alcohol by volume. Yes you read that correctly: 15.31% ABV. Be careful with this brew. That’s like consuming three or four ordinary beers in the time it usually takes you to drink just one.

Bitterness: Samael’s ranks at only 41 IBUs on the bitterness scale - not nearly as high as one would expect from such an over-the-top beer. But what it lacks in bitterness, it certainly makes up for with its sour, deeply oaked flavor. More on that below.

Color: Samael’s pours a deep red-amber color. It’s only slightly darker than an Oktoberfest/Märzen. A decent reddish-tan head fades quickly to a thin layer on the surface of the beer.

Aroma: On the nose I mostly pick up a heavy wood/oak aroma along with a booziness that reminds me of sipping liquor like whiskey or brandy. Deeper whiffs reveal a delicate vanilla and raisin aroma.

Taste & Food Pairing: Samael’s starts on the tongue with traces of sweet caramel and toffee malts with traces of vanilla. It’s quickly followed by a deep fruitiness of raisins or prunes. And finally it’s capped at the rear by a deep sour-ish oak wood flavor. There’s a lot going on here. After my first sip, I wasn’t sure if I’d just drank something sweet, something sour, or been chewing on the bark of an oak tree. But that’s not a bad thing. I think it’s these complex flavor profiles that make us appreciate beer so much. There’s so much more happening in beer than simple malts and hops. This beer takes you on a rollercoaster of some of the many flavors our palates can detect in beer.

Like I did with Samael’s cousin, Mephistopheles, I’ve elected not to pair a food with this beer. I think beers this rich (in flavor and on the pocket book) are better deserved on their own. However, Avery’s website suggests Samael’s is best enjoyed with toffee desserts or any dish containing caramelized sugars.

Overall: I love Samael’s Oak Aged Dark Ale and the other two members of the “Demons of Ale” series. But I don’t suggest you trade in your go-to 6-pack for any of them. Beers this powerful in both alcohol and flavor aren’t intended for weekend guzzling. A beer this unique is intended to be drank on special occasions, or sipped during late evening in peaceful surroundings. Drink. Enjoy. And be careful.

© Kelly Podzemny. All rights reserved.