Sierra Nevada Narwhal Imperial Stout

Happy Thanksgiving, Everyone! I have officially arrived at the uncomfortable level of fullness that leaves me hating myself until the next morning. I wear this badge of pain and self-loathing proudly on my chest, as I have gained the right to wear it by skillfully consuming what feels like my own body weight in turkey and trimmings. I have now parked myself at my computer like a dry docked boat, with no intention of relocating myself anytime soon. What a rough life...

I can hardly think about drinking a beer right now, but writing about one isn't so bad...

Sierra Nevada Narwhal Imperial Stout

BG Poured from a 12 fl oz (355ml) bottle into a stemmed tulip, 10.2% ABV, Packaged 07/31/14

A Black in color with slight hues of deep brown. One finger of chocolate colored foam rests atop the brew. It’s probably the darkest colored head I’ve ever seen (the pic does it no justice). Little to no lacing is present.

A Dark roasted malt, semi-sweet chocolate chips, strong coffee, slightly boozy, acidic, touch of piney hops, If I had to say it smells like one thing, it would be a mocha espresso drink. There’s a signature Sierra Nevada hop character in there.

T There’s a ton going on here. Sweet malted milk balls, slightly chalky chocolate, almost a hint of sour like a Flanders Brown Ale, lactose, heavily roasted nuts without seasoning, almost burnt rye bread, surprising smokiness, a bit of piney hop bitterness

M Almost as creamy as a milk or oatmeal stout. Slight chalkiness dries out the mouth a touch. Med carbonation. Heavy body. 

A Smokiness lingers on the sides of the tongue, hop bitterness becomes more noticeable as I drink.

C Chew up some dark chocolate, and breath in campfire smoke with your mouth open. Before you cough, take a swig of brown ale and finally swallow. I bet it just might taste something like this beer. Even if it doesn’t, it might make a fun campfire drinking game. Or you could avoid those steps all together and just drink Narwhal. Your choice.

This is a busy beer. It’s like a chatty friend that wants to tell you all about her day and hear nothing of yours. But this friend only has good stories, and they’re oddly soothing, so you don’t mind. You didn’t want to talk anyway. Sit back, relax, and get ready to listen to the sounds of a Narwhal. 

FP Rye whiskey, cherry pie, beef stroganoff

Red Rock 20th Anniversary Imperial Red Ale

American style is defined by a driving spirit to be bigger, better, faster, and stronger. This desire to be the best and beat our chests about it even seeps into our beloved world of beer. Sometimes this attitude leads to a delicious hop bomb or a yummy, malty, doozey of a stout, and other times it results in a cloyingly sweet seasonal or a mouth-inside-out sour. I'm proud of America's style of pushing boundaries, but balance will always be key for any beer in my glass. If a brewer can achieve both of those things, tread carefully. You might just find your next favorite beer...

Red Rock 20th Anniversary Imperial Red Ale

BG Poured from a 16.907 fl oz (500ml) bottle into a Red Rock branded stemmed tulip, 9.5% ABV, Bottled 09/26/14, Lot 622

A Deep copper in color with reddish hues, and three fingers of fluffy, tan head. An ornate lacing hugs the glass as I drink.

A Juicy citrus and floral hops dominate the nose. Bread crust and a touch of molasses are present. French toast, orange peel, and grapefruit are along for the ride as well.

T Toasted pumpernickel, dried fruit, dark cherries, nutty, pronounced bitterness from floral hops, roasted malt

M Med-heavy body, almost chewy, dries out the mouth on the finish

A Bitter hops, slight nuttiness, green grass

C This brew blows my mind. The flavors exist well independently, but it’s their arrangement, like each star in a constellation, that make such a thrilling big picture. There’s a giant burst of hops throughout the entire flavor profile, and the malt backbone shines nearly as bright. It’s rich but drinkable, fruity, yet dry. And there’s so much going on, it’s quite easy to forget this heavy hitter weighs in at 9.5%. Drink lightly or you’ll be seeing stars. 

FP Chicken parmesan, grilled bratwurst with toasted bread and caramelized onions, pecan pie


The only place you can grab this beer is at one of Red Rock's four locations in or near Salt Lake City. Pick it up if you can, and count yourself among the lucky few. =)

First Homebrew Taste and A Tasty Tidbit About Belgian Beer

Today marks two weeks since I bottled my first homebrew. And with a pop of the cap, I knew it just wasn't ready for consumption. There was the tiniest whisper of fzzsst as the cap tumbled off and onto the counter. But there's nothing I can do once it's open, so down my gullet it went (and is going)! What I'm waiting for now, is for the carbonation to build up. A small amount of corn sugar was added to each bottle as food for the live yeast still in suspension in the beer. As they eat up the sugar, a final, very small scale fermentation takes place in the bottle to create carbonation. Two weeks should have been a good amount of time for this to occur, but every beer is different. Additionally, it has been pretty darn cold in my apartment. Temps where I keep my beer have been around 58 degrees. Colder temps slow the yeast down, which means it will take longer for the carbonation to build up. There's not a lot I can do about it. I just need to be patient. =)

In the mean time, I've been drinking other seasonal brews and filling my head with whatever tidbits of information I can find about beer. Every now and then, I'll stumble across something profound that makes me think, "Why have I never heard of this before? It makes so much sense!". I had one of those moments just minutes ago, and am eager to spread the word. 

So! I have wondered, especially while trying to categorize beer into specific styles for a beer menu, why Belgian styles (tripel, saison, strong dark ale, etc.) are only vague indicators for what kind of experience hides inside the glass. I have often tasted a Belgian beer, and was completely surprised about how it actually tasted. I think I've even blogged about that in the past. But today, I finally discovered the reason for this type of reaction... 

"Belgians rarely stay within the guardrails of specific beer styles. That’s one of the things that makes the Belgian brewing process so great -- they create the beer, then decide what style it is." - Keith Villa, founder of Blue Moon (find the full article here)

Instead of shoving their beer into a cookie-cutter shape, they let it be whatever it is, and categorize it after they have a product. Brilliant! I've decided. The next country I visit has to be Belgium. I must! I will! Someday...

New Adventures and Sierra Nevada Celebration Fresh Hop IPA

My lack of recent posts has been for a wonderful reason. Last week, I got a job working in the bottle store of a local brewery, and I couldn't be happier! I get to talk beer with people who also love beer all day long. I think the only better thing would be drinking beer with these people, but it probably wouldn't pay well. =) This calls for a special beer...

Sierra Nevada Celebration Fresh Hop IPA

BG Poured from a 12 fl oz (355ml) bottle into a stemmed tulip, 6.8% ABV, Packaged 10/10/14

A Copper in color with a two-finger collar of tan foam. Sticky lacing decorates the glass as I drink. Tiny bubbles constantly replenish the long-lasting head.

A Citrus hops, biscuit malt backbone, pineapple. There’s something about the hop aroma that is uniquely Sierra Nevada. Juicy tangerines, cereal grains, cinnamon raisin toast.

T The taste follows the nose to a T. Biscuit, roasted nuts, floral hops, tangerines without any citric acid, honey, pine, spice.

M Creamy, a bit more than medium body, and medium-high carbonation

A Perfectly balanced toasted malt and bitter, piney hops

C This beer comes off as nut brown meets pale ale. The dominant flavor is nuttiness, followed very closely by piney hops. It also comes off as a hoppy red ale. No matter what you call it, it tastes delicious, and that’s what matters. It’s like sampling summer flavors wrapped up in winter style. Sierra Nevada never disappoints.

FP Chocolate brazil nut cookies, pear and walnut pizza with a balsamic drizzle, new york style cheesecake

Wasatch Apple-A-Day Apple Ale

Apples are a pretty delicious food item. They work well sliced, pureed, juiced, and even fermented. The most popular form of the latter is alcoholic apple cider, and is particularly popular among the gluten-free crowd. There are also a few apple beers bobbing in the sea of sticky-sweet cider. This one is my first!

Wasatch Apple-A-Day Apple Ale

BG Poured from a 12 fl oz (355ml) can into a stemmed tulip, 5% ABV, Enjoy By 02/03/2015

A Straw in color with one finger of pure white head. Very clear. Not a lot of lacing.

A Freshly crushed tart apples, slightly metallic, uncooked bread dough, smarties candy, wheat, sour apple jolly rancher

T Filtered apple juice, creamed corn, metallic, finishes heavy on the wheat, adjunct, bitterness and sweetness are balanced

M Fizzy, light body

A Creamed wheat, cardboard

C It’s like someone made an apple flavored PBR. It’s not bad, but feels like a few steps backward for a craft brewery. It’s not overly sweet, which is nice. But it comes off as very adjunct-y to me. It’s not something I look for when I pay a few extra dollars for a beer. I think it would be a great gateway beer for cider or wine drinkers. There’s nothing offensive or over the top here. Serious session material.

FP The can says, “ FOOD PAIRINGS: ANYTHING BUT APPLES!”. I’d go with cheese pizza, a mix of caramel and cheddar popcorn, and, just because, apples.

Beer Education

I educate myself about beer each and every day. That probably sounds silly to a lot of you, but there's a lot different ways I do it to keep things interesting. I usually learn through reading beer books (Randy Mosher's Tasting Beer, BJCP Draught Beer Quality Manual, John J. Palmer How to Brew), reading beer blogs (Utah Beer, Mike's Brew Review), watching youtube videos about different breweries, watching TV shows about beer, and most importantly, tasting beer! And by tasting beer, I mean paying attention to it and taking notes. I also try to keep track of questions people ask me that I might not know the answer to so I can do some research later. 

Another cool educational tool I came across is Beer U by World Class Beer. They have different narrated modules (power point presentations) on beer topics ranging from the most basic information, to the history and nitty gritty details of specific styles. At the end of each module, you are given a short exam to test your knowledge. I like to watch them while I eat (or drink beer!). Best of all, it's completely free. I recommend registering your email address so you can track your progress. There's a few pronunciations I disagree with, and the test questions are sometimes very silly. But the modules are rich with information, and presented in a way that is easy to comprehend. Check it out!

Some people ask me why I've chosen to learn all of this, and what I plan to do with it. My first answer is that I'm doing it because I love it, which is the best reason to learn anything. And my second answer is because I want to become a Certified Cicerone. Most of the tools and activities I choose to use for my education are suggested either on their website, or on their syllabus. I was able to tackle draught systems and home brewing over the past few months, and my next (and possibly hardest) task is memorizing all of the vital statistics (IBUs, SRM, OG, FG, and ABV) for each of the 60+ beer styles I could be tested on. After I have a good grasp on that, I'll need to either buy an off-flavor kit, or go to a seminar so I can understand how off-flavors affect beer. 

After I become a Certified Cicerone, I don't really have any idea what I'd like to do with it. I love teaching, so that's a possibility. I'll probably try to get some more certifications, and pass the BJCP Exam to become a beer judge, but that's way down the line. 

At some point, I'm going to make a step-by-step video of my tasting process. I was a little confused about what exactly I was tasting/smelling etc. when I first started. It took some time to figure out what worked best for me, so I thought I might share my method. Look for that sometime down the road! =)

And this is totally irrelevant, but I went hiking today and had the most beautiful view. I'll just leave this here for ya...

Bottling Day

I brewed my first batch of beer on 10/10, racked to the secondary fermenter on 10/17, and today, 11/2, I am bottling my beer! 

To sanitize my bottles, I filled a cooler with about 5 gallons of water and a bit of sanitizer. In the future, I'll probably pick up a vinator to make things easier, but it's humble beginnings for now, right? I'll use the same water to sanitize my carboy and other equipment throughout the day. I took the opportunity to sanitize my growlers as well. Why not?

Getting the bottles to air dry is the longest process for this step of brewing, especially without a bottle tree. It has become completely clear to me that cleaning is roughly 80% of the beer making process. I've always read about how time consuming the cleaning is, but actually doing it makes it reality. There are no shortcuts, my friends. Just lots of cleaning and sanitizing. 

Here's a rough step-by-step of my process...

3. Bottling Day

1. Insure that fermentation is complete
1. Take hydrometer readings for at least three days where the reading is consistent.
2. Be sure to use a sanitized hydrometer and cylinder each time.
2. Clean
1. Entire Work Space
3. Clean & Sanitize
1. Bottles
2. Bottle Filler
3. Bottle Caps
4. Auto Siphon & Vinyl Tubing
5. Small Funnel
4. After the bottles have dried, use the funnel to place ½ tsp corn sugar into each 12 oz bottle
5. Assemble the auto siphon, vinyl tubing, and bottle filler
6. Remove the plug/airlock from the SF
7. Place the auto siphon into the carboy, and give it a pump or two
8. Press the bottle filler onto the bottom of the first bottle until it is filled
9. Place a cap on top, and repeat steps 7&8 for the rest of the bottles
10. Use the bottle capper to secure the caps to each bottle in order
11. Place the bottles back in the box, and store in a dark place for at least 1-2 months
12. Immediately clean and sanitize all equipment

I'm anxious to find out if my hard work will pay off in the form of a delicious end product. Even if I (heaven forbid) broke my full carboy all over the floor and never sampled a drop, I would still be on the other side of this with a great amount of experience and knowledge that I couldn't have gained any other way. But lets keep our hopes high!

I just finished bottling, and scrubbed out/sanitized all the dirty equipment. I lost a bit of beer trying to avoid bottling the trub on the bottom of the carboy, and also when I racked from one fermenter to another. That left me just four bottles shy of two cases of beer (44 bottles total). I also took a little sample for myself to taste. ;) Here's what I think so far...

A Gold to light amber in color, and a little cloudy. There's no carbonation yet, so no head.

A Sweet caramel malt, boozy, light floral hops, some yeasty phenols

T Toffee, caramel, bread crust, herby hops, touch of spice, fairly discernible alcohol, cheerios

M No carbonation yet

A Biscuit, very light bitterness

C I've got almost no experience tasting beer at this stage of beer making, so I'm not quite sure if it's going to be any good. According to my calculations, it should be about 7.22% ABV. Considering this is a very basic beginner recipe, I can understand why it's coming off as boozy. There are some good elements in there, and I'm sure some carbonation and maturation will only help round out the flavors. We shall see!

It's going to take at least two weeks to allow the beer enough time to carbonate. I'll probably try a bottle then, and another one each week after until I'm happy with it. For now, my job is done! Now I just wait and reap the benefits in a few weeks. =)