Sierra Nevada Ovila Abbey Saison with Mandarin Oranges and Peppercorns

I see it! The light at the end of this cloudy, rainy tunnel! This weekend shows promise of sunshine and 90 degree weather. I appreciate the rain, but I can't remember the last dry day we had! I enjoy NW style beer, but not NW style weather. Just to throw some figures at you, we've already had over double the monthly average rainfall in inches, and almost triple the rainfall of May 2014. Change seasons, already!

Speaking of seasons...

Sierra Nevada Ovila Abbey Saison with Mandarin Oranges and Peppercorns - Collaboration with Monks of the Abbey of New Clairvaux
(For those of you scratching your heads, "saison" mean's "season" in French.)

BG Poured from a 12.7 fl oz cork & cage bottle into a tall stemmed tulip, 7.5% ABV, Packaged 05/05/15

A Bright copper in color with almost three fingers of fluffy eggshell foam. It has better clarity than usual for a saison - only slightly hazy. Lacing is nice and sticky.

A Smells like a malty orange soda! The peppercorns match well with the spicy phenols from the yeast. Sweet citrus, toffee, biscuit, stinky feet - but it’s somehow not off-putting. 

T Hmm… it’s got a weird banana, burned caramel pudding thing going on. Sweet mandarin juice, angel food cake, over-baked cookies, lemon zest, very peppery. There’s some citrusy hops for support, but it’s fairly masked. Overall, it’s sticky sweet with a peppery zip.

M Creamy, sticky, a touch of alcoholic warming, moderate carbonation, med-full body

A Burnt toffee

C Not a fan! But that doesn’t mean it’s not good. It’s hard to separate the yeast character from the mandarin and peppercorn, which means they’re paired very well. The combination of flavors just isn’t my thing. I think it’s the peppercorn. I like it for seasoning food, but not for seasoning saisons. One person’s meh is another person’s yeh! … or something.

FP Banana pancakes with walnuts and real maple syrup. Lightly panko breaded halibut and mixed greens salad with grape tomatoes, red onion, a citrus herb vinaigrette, and a generous topping of fresh cracked pepper. Crème brûlée with a citrus glaze.

Boulevard Brewing Smokestack Series Sixth Glass Quadrupel Ale

I don't know why, but it has been on the chillier side in Salt Lake as of late. It has sent me downing mugs of tea, layering up with blankets, and sipping on pints of stout. The swing in temperature brings a renewed appreciation for cold weather libations, and I'm happy to partake. 

Boulevard Brewing Smokestack Series Sixth Glass Quadrupel Ale

BG Poured from a 12 fl oz (355 ml) bottle into a snifter, 10.5% ABV, Best By 01/28/17

A Coppery-orange in color with ruby highlights, and almost two fingers of sandy foam. Lacing sticks in splotches here and there. The head looks very creamy and persistent. It’s brilliant, though the color is fairly dark. 

A Belgian yeast phenolics, candied plums, baking spices, sticky sweet caramel, a touch of fusel alcohols, dark raisins, Portuguese bread roll, crunch berries cereal, crystal malt, a little bit of dry grass, mild floral hops for balance

T Boozy! I get strong alcohol from start to finish. It goes down like a very gentle Canadian whiskey. Equal parts caramel and dark fruit join that up front 10.5% to create a sort of bourbon caramel covered cherry chocolate experience. Bran muffin, cinnamon, toasted cashews, dark raisins, molasses. 

M High carbonation creates fluffiness. Full body. Carbonation and alcohol join forces to give a decent bite. Alcoholic warmth lasts forever.

A Cinnamon and brown sugar oatmeal, spiced rum

C This is exactly what the doctor ordered for a long bout of cooler, rainy Utah weather. There’s enough alcoholic warmth in this glass to keep me from turning the heat on in mid-May. Sounds weird, but feels weird...er. Where’s my sunshine? Why am I wearing my winter coat? It doesn't matter. Sixth glass or first, this quad is here to warm you the whole way.

FP Apple and raisin stuffed chicken breast with rosemary mashed potatoes and buttered asparagus. French toast sticks with bourbon maple syrup for dipping. Warm bread pudding with a caramel drizzle.

Saison Dupont

Being really into saisons lately, it's only fitting that I finally try the benchmark of the entire style. Brasserie Dupont has been making their saison since 1844. Woo! That's only a few years younger than the oldest brewery in America (1829). Nobody lasts that long unless they're doing it right!

Brasserie Dupont Saison Dupont

BG Poured from a 750 ml (1 pt 9.4 fl oz) green glass bottle into a stemmed tulip glass, 6.5% ABV. There’s no date code, but the cork reads “2.014”. I’m not sure if this has any significance. 

A Golden honey in color with 2.5 fingers of soft white foam that sticks to the glass. The foam looks silky and enticing. Slightly hazy.

A Lots of yeast-derived fruitiness - ripe apricots, late harvest white grapes, wildflower honey. Horse blanket and sweat are brought out with a gentle swirl of the glass. Light graininess, a bit of spice, mild citrus.

T Funky! An off-dry impact of white grapes gives way to tangerine rind, hard graininess, and bleu cheese. It’s rather bitter without being hoppy. Dry grass, biscuit, honeydew, toastiness, some umami from the yeast. Gobs of honey on the finish, though it comes off as very dry.

M High carbonation gives a fluffy mouthfeel. Med-light body, and slightly mouth-drying.

A Rather bitter red apple skin, a little papery

C Very interesting! Beers infected with Brett or other wild microorganisms always leave me scrounging for words to describe what I’m tasting. I’ll have to figure out a better vocabulary for these types! I’m positive this is oxidized. It has the telltale honey/waxy/papery flavors, but I’m taking it with a grain of salt. This is a great beer, and would pair well with most meals.

FP Garden fresh bruschetta. Spaghetti with an herbed red sauce, green bell peppers, and browned Italian sausage. Sourdough toast topped with lightly spiced pear jam and bleu cheese crumbles.

Getting The Most Out Of Your Beer

Check it out! I recently wrote a blog for the Red Rock Brewing website about getting the most out of your beer. You can go read it here.

My friend Noodle was so kind as to let me use her darling Bernese mountain dog pup for this picture. Her name is Pippa, and she has an instagram: pippatheberner. What a cutie!

Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA

What a strange three days it has been! Two days ago, I was hiking in 76 degree weather in shorts and a sleeveless shirt, sweating and wearing sunscreen. It has been snowing now for 24 hours, and we've seen about 10 inches of accumulation from it. This is more than I've seen it snow all winter! I've never nursed a sunburn on my shoulders in a snowstorm before.

Tea has been my companion for most of the day, but it's time to switch over to beer! Thanks for this one, Eric Kammerer!

Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA

BG Poured from a 12 fl oz (355ml) bottle into a stemmed tulip, 6% ABV, Bottled on 02/06/15, 9.5 weeks old

A Golden to light copper in color with a finger of snow white suds on top. It quickly shrinks down into thin layer of tiny bubbles, leaving the sides of the glass well laced. It’s brilliantly clear.

A Herbal and earthy hops, saltine crackers, tropical fruits like pineapple and grapefruit, gardenia, slightly toasty, Pils malt. The aroma is light. Nothing in-your-face. As it warms up a touch, more piney hop aromas are drawn out.

T Lots more pineapple and grapefruit. Toasted honey wheat bread, sharp cheddar cheese, solid malt backbone, lots of floral notes. Mild bitterness I would better associate with a pale ale. 

M A little creamy, medium carbonation, the finish is a tiny bit astringent

A A bouquet of flowers… that you just ate. It’s more pleasant than it sounds. =)

C This is a perfect example of an East Coast IPA. Compare it to Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, and you’ll find one beer is much hoppier than the other, and it’s probably not the one you think (SN PA is hoppier than DF IPA). In general, IPAs are more hoppy and bitter than pale ales, but East vs. West puts a different dynamic into play. West Coast cranks everything up a notch in the hop department. Is that better? No, just different. This IPA has a lovely even balance of gentle hop derived tropical fruit and bready malt backbone. It’s very sessionable, and won’t kill your palate. 

FP Tortilla chips with picante salsa. Chevre salad with pistachios, grapefruit, and a creamy herb vinaigrette. Peach pie.

Curious about the 90 minute IPA? Check it out here.

Lindemans Faro Lambic

Faro is a substyle of lambic that was first imported to the US in 2010. It is a blended lambic that is sweetened and then pasteurized to prevent further fermentation. Sugar is added to help balance the tart acidity of the beer, and make it more palatable. The result is a fruity, sweet, spontaneously fermented lambic-style brew. The sugary, fruit-flavored lambics aren't really my thing, but I've never tried a Faro before, so I had to grab this!

Lindemans Faro Lambic

BG Poured from a 12 fl oz (355ml) green capped and corked bottle into a Chimay chalice, 4.2% ABV, "L K21LFA" Bottled 11/21/12 - Good thing lambics just get better with age!

A Iced tea amber in color with reddish hues and fairly large chunks of sediment that eventually rest at the bottom of the glass. Not really any foam, but a film of suds is present for a few minutes after pouring. 

A This sucker is potent! I could almost take notes on the aroma while my nose is a foot away from the glass. Getting my nose up closer, this is double sugar-coated peach rings that have been liquefied and fermented. Red apples, raspberries, white peaches, a little bit of cherry. That lambic tartness comes through and gets my salivary glands going. When I swirl the glass, some familiar lambic sweaty gym sock stank comes through. It’s really just overwhelmingly sweet smelling.

T Have you ever made sweet tea and accidentally put too much sugar in, and you don’t notice until you taste it? That’s what this is like. Sweet and tart raspberries, mango nectar, the tiniest touch of funk rests on the tongue on the finish. Artificially flavored seltzer water. It’s borderline sour, but the syrupy sweetness drowns it out. Peach pit, Arnold Palmer, fruit leather, turbinado sugar. 

M High carbonation, slightly mouth puckering, surprisingly off-dry finish

A Tart cherries, a little tobacco, some astringency

C This is as sweet as fruit juice, and more like a wine spritzer than a beer. Nonetheless, I’m sure it’s right up someones alley, just not mine. I prefer a straight lambic or a gueuze. But I’m happy to have had the opportunity to try it! 

FP Pear and candied walnut pizza with caramelized onions. Chèvre cheesecake with graham cracker crust. Salted caramels.

Left Hand Milk Stout Nitro

I'm sure many of you are familiar with how Guinness in a can works. It has what they call a "widget" inside of the can that releases nitrogen when the can is opened, effectively replicating that creamy mouthfeel and visual cascading effect that's most often enjoyed on draft. In 2011, the geniuses over at Left Hand Brewing Co. figured out a way to bottle a nitrogen beer without a widget. After an extensive 15 minute research session, I am here to tell you I have no idea how it works. I don't know if it's a dearly kept secret or something, but I wasn't able to find any sort of scientific or dumbed down explanation of this black magic. If I find one, I'll be sure to put it up here!

Nitro beers are very visual, and if you pour them wrong, you're failing the beer. Pay attention, kids! This is how it's done.

You can read more about Left Hand's nitro beers here.

Left Hand Milk Stout Nitro

BG Poured from a 12 fl oz (355ml) bottle into a nonic pint, 6% ABV, Enjoy By 06/11/15

A Dark chestnut in color with ruby highlights. Two fingers of super thick, khaki colored froth rest on top. I could watch that gorgeous cascade of beer settle in the glass all day. Sheets of froth cover the glass as I drink, not unlike my upper lip.

A Equal parts sweet and roasted malt. Plenty of coffee, nuttiness, and a hint of oak.

T Oh my… a great sadness has just come upon me. I have found another favorite beer that doesn’t distribute to Utah. This. Is. Incredible! Vanilla bean, coffee, and dark chocolate all wrapped up in a soft blanket of sweet lactose. Walnuts, fresh cream, roastiness. And everything is so perfectly balanced. This is actually perfect. 

M The mouthfeel of this beer contributes tremendously to the overall impression. Nitrogen gives beer a silky, milkshake texture that you simply never get from carbon dioxide alone. 

A Cafe latte, nougat

C This is as close to a beer milkshake as you will ever get. This just might be a perfect beer. I lend not just my left hand, by my right as well in applauding the creators of this masterful milk stout! This isn’t an extreme beer. The subtleties of flavor are all in balance, creating a flavorful but not overwhelming beer. I wouldn’t change a thing. Bravo Left Hand Brewing!

FP Buttered whole grain toast with avocados and a dash of salt and pepper. Fish and chips, no sauce. Angel food cake.

Japanese Green Tea IPA - Collaboration between Baird, Stone, and Ishii

I'm starting to wonder if it's fair to review beers that are a few months old. I'm not talking about beers that are meant to be aged for years, but beers like IPAs and weissbiers that are meant to be consumed fresh. Working at a brewery has given me the ability to experience firsthand just how different a day old IPA is from a 2 week old. It makes me wonder if reviewing an IPA that's almost three months old is giving those who read it a true representation of what the beer will taste like if they were to try it. I suppose so long as I let you all know it's approaching the three month age, then it should be ok. I think I'm at the point where I should just stop buying them so old, let alone reviewing them. Snobbery aside, who can resist buying a green tea IPA from Stone and friends???

Japanese Green Tea IPA - Collaboration between Baird, Stone, and Ishii

BG Poured from a 22 fl oz (650ml) bottle into a stemmed tulip, 10.1% ABV, Bottled 01/09/15

A Golden honey in color with a finger of pure white, mouse-like head. It slowly dissipates, leaving behind some nice lace. This beer is very cloudy, and I’m sure there must be a good amount of wheat in here. 

A Grapefruit, citrus and floral hops, lightly sweet malt in the background that becomes more bready as I swirl. A touch of green grass, pineapple. The nose is on the lighter side.

T Woah, there are two completely different levels of flavor happening throughout the entire palate. The top level is a citrusy hop bitterness that firmly grabs the tongue and doesn’t let go until well after I’ve swallowed. The lower level is more dynamic, gently introducing softer citrus flavors of pineapple and mandarin with the roundness of green tea before more assertive hop flavor joins the ranks of the top level. There’s certainly a good level of yeast-derived spiciness that gives the hops some oomph. Biscuit malt holds down the fort, and subtly stands out underneath the citrus-fest. There’s some sweetness mid-palate, but the finish is dry. This has Stone’s fingerprints all over it.

M Creamy, yet biting. It dries out the mouth just a touch, and gives the tart impression of grapefruit. Medium-high carbonation. Medium-full body.

A Bitter citrus hops for daaaays. There’s also a strange impression of bitter dark chocolate I’m feeling on the aftertaste. It’s basically a chocolate orange. I might be imagining it, or simply craving it. Food pairing, anyone?

C I feel like this is more of a double IPA with subtle hints of green tea and nearly overwhelming amounts of citrus than it is a green tea IPA. That being said, I’m not drinking this beer anywhere near its prime time for consumption, as it’s 11.5 weeks old. It’s amazing how just a few days can change the flavors of the beer, especially the subtle ones. Months down the line, it comes off as an extremely strong citrus bomb of a DIPA. My nose and mouth are doing the equivalent of when I squint my eyes so I can see things far away. I think the subtleties are just too far gone here. But for what it is, I think it’s pretty tasty! What I hope for and what I perceive is all part of the tasting game, and why I sometimes like to not have any idea what I’m drinking. 

FP Fried calamari with chipotle aioli and a squeeze of lemon. Asian greens salad with baby spinach, carrots, grated ginger, mandarins, and a sesame vinaigrette. Dark chocolate covered ritz crackers.

Epic Elder Brett Saison-Brett Golden Ale

'Tis the season for Brett!... or something. The Brett I'm referring to isn't a person, but a strain of wild yeast that normally lives on the skins of fruit. Its full name, Brettanomyces, is Greek for "British fungus". Who knew such a wretched-sounding thing could make beer taste so good?

Also, it's not really Brett season. It just so happens that I've had access to such brews as of late. Wild yeast FTW!

Epic Elder Brett Saison-Brett Golden Ale

BG Poured from a 22 fl oz (650ml) bottle into a stemmed tulip, 9.1% ABV, Release #7, Brewed 11/02/14, Bottled 11/24/14

A Golden yellow in color with little to no foam. It’s brilliantly clear. 

A Oh, yeah! There’s that mouth watering Brettanomyces again! Tart green apples, golden honey, bread crust, peary, lemon zest, hint of sweet stone fruit.

T This is much more gentle than what I was bracing myself for. But it’s nice! I wasn’t zapped in the face by a sour lightning bolt. This is slightly tart, not sour. Tart apples and pears wash over the palate and make way for buttery chardonnay and crusty honey wheat bread. There’s a touch of spiciness, and a little grainy. The finish has a steady umami quality, and also reminds me of Sauvignon Blanc.

M Slightly waxy, moderately high carbonation, medium-light body

A Strong diacetyl and green apples

C This tastes closer to an effervescent white wine more than any beer I’ve ever had. Seriously, is EPIC playing a trick on all of us? Is this wine instead of beer? I would love to see what people think of this in a blind tasting. It’s really enjoyable and light. 

FP Bruschetta. Broccoli and brie stuffed chicken on a bed of polenta with a red wine ju and kalamata olives. Shortbread cookies.

Cuvée des Jacobins Flanders Red Ale

Nothing makes my mouth water quite like a sour beer. It's usually the first whiff that sends my eyes to the back of my skull and the glands under my tongue gushing. The same thing that makes others squirm and scoff brings me true delight in the form of turning my head inside out. Hah!

Cuvée des Jacobins

BG Poured from a 11.2 fl oz (331ml) bottle into a stemmed tulip, 5.5% ABV, 06/14 - I don’t know if that date refers to bottling or importation. It probably isn't a best by date. 

A Ruby in color with dark hues of maroon. A half finger of creamy white foam springs up as I pour, but it quickly dissipates to a thin ring clinging to the side of the glass. 

A Dark cherries, smarties candy, red lifesavers, plenty of sour Brett, honeyed bread crust, Macintosh apples

T Oh my god… it’s so sour I feel like sneezing! This is bliss! My mouth is watering so much that my eyes are watering, too. This is a sour cherry bomb! There’s a savory, bready malt character on the front, and then you’re suddenly being walloped in the kisser with a boatload of sour cherries. This is a full head experience. My mouth puckers hard, and I ache behind my eyes like a brain freeze. It takes some concentration, but beyond the eye-squinting sourness lies a woodsy, herbal, nutty character. 

M There’s a mouth coating, warming cherry cough syrup-like action mid-palate, but then it’s rudely stripped off by the sourness. My mouth is left quivering from the hard pucker. My brain hurts. I’m in love.

A Fighting through the sour apple toward some semblance of balance in my head. I think this is a form of masochism. 

C Mouthfeel takes the cake on this one. The sourness is so commanding that I have a hard time picking out the different flavors under it. My vocabulary is also very limited when it comes to sour thrashers like this. There’s a bunch of stuff going on here I just don’t know how to describe. But what I do know is that I like it! I also know this is but the tip of the sour iceberg. I need to get on my sour game!

FP Margherita pizza with the freshest possible ingredients. Apple glazed pork tenderloin with deep fried rosemary potato wedges. The richest chocolate cake you can find.

Epic Straight Up Saison

I've been on a bit of a saison kick lately. I can't get enough of those Belgian yeasty characters of citrus, spicy phenols, and bubblegum. It's intensely refreshing, and feels like the perfect celebration beer for having such lovely 70 degree weather at the end of March. This summer will likely make Utah pay for the early warmth and very mild winter we had, but for now, I'm loving the weather.

Epic Straight Up Saison

BG Poured from a 22 fl oz (650ml) bottle into a stemmed tulip, 7.6% ABV, Release #21. They don’t have info up on their site for Release #21 yet, so I’m guessing it was bottled very recently. I purchased it on 3/21/15. It annoys me that you have to go online to figure out the bottling date. That being said, they do have lots of other cool info online for each release (Specific malt and hops used, when and where it was brewed and packaged). It's pretty cool, and I don't know any other brewery that does that.

A Golden yellow in color with a finger of white suds on top. The foam quickly fades into a thin film. The beer is quite hazy, and glows like sunshine even in low light. There’s a splotch here and there of lacing.

A Strong belgian yeast character of bubblegum and spicy phenols, fresh orange and pineapple juice with spritz of lime, tartness that makes my mouth water, a hint of barnyard

T Again - fresh citrus juices, gently tart, spicy, green grass, dried mango, a hint of banana, some clove. It’s just loads of sweet citrus and spice.

M The body is much lighter than I anticipated, but still slightly creamy. Moderate carbonation, refreshingly dry finish.

A Yeast derived green grassy bitterness - it’s pretty bold and long lasting. Quite nice!

C This isn’t a bad saison at all! It’s fairly sweet mid-palate, but finishes dry with a grassy quality that goes on for days. I’d be downright thrilled to have this on a hot day! Given, at 7.6% ABV it’s more of a post-lawn mowing beer than a pre or mid, but it’s refreshing all the same!

FP Bitter greens salad with carrots, radishes, a hard boiled egg, and a ginger citrus vinaigrette. Cilantro shrimp tacos with fresh pico de gallo and lime. Pizzelle cookies dusted with powdered sugar.

I'm very much looking forward to drinking the Saison Dupont from my last haul. I've never had it before, and it's considered the benchmark for all saisons. Woo!

Founder's Breakfast Stout, Mystery 12 Pack Update, and East Coast Haul

I finally got through the mystery 12 pack! Took me long enough, right? It's hard when my fridge looks like this. 

Anyway, these are my thoughts on the last three!

River Horse Hop Hazard brings a hefty helping of earthy/piney hops to the table, with a solid crystal malt backbone. The fact that it’s unfiltered gives it a lightly creamy mouthfeel, which pairs nicely with the full flavored body. I’d drink it again!

Stone IPA has a unique hop character of equal parts pine and citrus. I feel like this is probably one of those beers you could easily pick out in a blind tasting. Bread crust maltiness lays a sound foundation, while a long bitter finish leaves you ready for the next taste. This is well balanced, and well deserving of your attention!

I saved what I thought would be best for last. Founder's Breakfast Stout has been on my wish list for quite sometime, and the one I was most excited about from the 12 pack. I decided to do full notes on this one!

Founders Breakfast Stout (Double Chocolate Coffee Oatmeal Stout)

BG Poured from a 12 fl oz (355ml) bottle into a tulip glass, 8.3% ABV, 60 IBU, Bottled 10/26/14, Served at the appropriate temperature of 60°F

A Dark as onyx with a tint of deep mahogany. A modest half-finger of gingerbread colored foam caps the brew. It may be small, but it remains for several minutes while hardly diminishing. 

A This smells incredibly similar to Samuel Smith’s Chocolate Stout, but with heavy coffee notes. Sticky toffee, rich coffee with cream and sugar, crushed cacao nibs, lactose, both dark and milk chocolate, candied nuts, wood smoke, nutmeg, a touch of cinnamon. I’m not leaving myself many adjectives for the taste... There’s just a symphony of sweet, dark flavors in here!

T Yes!!! This is everything from the aroma and more. All the flavors are in such balance that I can pick out each one, but not so much that I can’t distinguish them from one another. A spoonful of oatmeal greets the tongue and is immediately washed down with equally sweet and bitter coffee. Toffee is the resulting flavor, with bits of nuts sprinkled throughout. Dark honey coats the tongue before bitter chocolate and smoke wash down the finish not unlike an Irish carbomb. 

M Creamy oatmeal, moderately low carbonation. Alcohol/smoke warms the back of my throat. After getting halfway through the glass, my stomach actually feels the same warmth.

A Chocolate and coffee bitterness resound with the lightest hint of caramelized banana 

C If you are any sort of dark beer fan, this needs to be in at least the top five of your beer bucket list. If you’re not a dark beer fan, then it should be in the top eight. Seriously, stop pussyfooting around and get your hands on this beer (so it’s in your possession, and so you warm it up after taking it out of the fridge). 

FP Chocolate peanut butter brownies with walnuts, fresh from the oven with a scoop of Half Baked on top. Deep fried oreos - maybe dip them in? Nothing - just drink it for breakfast.

Utah has more than a few fantastic breweries churning out some delicious brews, but it's always nice to break out of the bubble and try something out of state. I'm happy to have more where that came from...

Here's my haul from PA/NJ! I've been looking forward to some of these for a long time. And there are a few thrown in there that looked too interesting to pass up. In addition to these, I have Cuvée Des Jacobins, Left Hand Milk Stout Nitro, and a few of Weyerbacher's barrel aged stuff. I'll try to do full notes on most of these, so check back soon!