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September 29, 2005
Duvel Belgian Golden Ale Review
Belgian ales come in many varieties, but Duvel, or the "Devil" as the locals call it, ranks highly among the best. This hazy gold liquid poured smoothly with the most beautiful creamy white head, reminding me of a whipped meringue topping. The sweet candy sugar smell deceivingly masks the potent 8.5% alcohol waiting to warm the belly.
Belgian trappist breweries are known for high alcohol content elixers, especially the well-known trippels. Golden Ales are similar to Belgian trippels but usually are a little more crisp and usually drier.
Duvel presents a floral and fruit aroma with a hint of spice. The characteristic yeasty nose seems to be a bit subdued compared to some trippels I have tried, but the Czech Saaz hops are noticable.
The medium body and crisp bitter flavors are nicely balanced by the sweetness. This is a wonderful beer on the palate and the warming body lingers long after the initial sip. The flavors become more malty and complex as the glass warms up. I would recommend serving this lightly chilled and take your time through the finish. I spent a good half hour savoring the first glass...although the second went down much more quickly!
Duvel Belgian Golden Ale is extremely popular in Belgium and around the world. This beer should not be passed up if you get the chance to try it. Serve it up with a warm French artisinal bread and some soft cheeses and you will be sure to keep coming back for more.
Posted by BrewChef at 09:52 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
September 23, 2005
Redbones East Coast Beer Fest Dinner
East Coast Beer Fest Dinner
Monday, October 17 - This night belongs on your fall calendar! Three beer luminaries will be speaking - Sam Calagione from Dogfish Head, Paul Davis from Thomas Hooker/Troutbrook Brewing and local favorite Tod Mott from Portsmouth.
Only small batch beers will be tapped - making this event a must for beer aficionadoes. Beers from the brewer/speakers' breweries plus Cambridge Brewing Company and Allagash Brewing accompany a Redbones barbecue dinner all for $40.00 per person.
This one will sell out, so make your reservations now by calling 617.628.2200
Visit Redbones website for more info and to check out their menu.
Posted by BrewChef at 06:58 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
September 20, 2005
Bartending at Blues n Brews 2005
This years Blues n' Brews festival was subdued and the weather overcast, but the craft brews flowed nonetheless. Blues filled the air and beer filled the belly! I have several pictures to share and made a few notes about some of the best ales in the Northeast.
My wife Leslie, my friend Mike, and I all signed up for bartending the first shift of the day. This was our free ticket into the festival, where tickets were running $30 for ten 4oz. samples. Working as staff basically gave us free access to the all the craft brew samples we could swallow and a chance to chat with the brewers and distributors.
The blues music provided continuous background for many great beers. I paced myself throughout my session, which allowed me to try over 20 different beers. I was sure to try all the octoberfest offerings and any IPA that was available. Mike had a massive headache from a previous night of wine drinking, so he had a hard time with the tasting. Luckily I wasn't around to witness him revealing what he ate for lunch in front of a number of onlookers! My wife spent the day bartending for Bill at Magic Hat, flirting with him and a friendly lesbian that was helping her serve. Sounds like fun to me.
Nobody else seemed to need much help, so I just wandered from booth to booth talking with some of the brewers and grabbing a bag of ice here and there. I think the weather kept the crowd at around 1000 people this year, which pales in comparison to the 2000 in attendance last year.
Here are a few of the pictures I took to capture the celebration.
 Berkshire Octoberfest was my personal favorite out of the five octoberfests I sampled. It had a wonderful malty finish and the hallertauer hops rounded it out nicely. A close second was Newport Storm's Regenschauer Oktoberfest. While I really liked this beer, I thought it was a little bit citrus for the style. |
 Magic Hat had the best display setup by far with hand-hammered metal work.. My wife loved serving up four different beers, including the popular #9. I really enjoyed drinking the Batch 371 they had on draft. |
 Peach beer done right! Paper City really took fruit flavored beer to the next level with 1 Eared Monkey. I have never been a fan of fruit beers, but this brew was perfectly crafted. They also shared a few other beers, including their wheat beer featuring a yeasty banana nose. |
 The Tap came through with several of their quality brews. Scott from Yeasty Boy Inc. also showcased a true cask conditioned belgian dubbel, "almost". He even recommended I swing by some time to pick up extra yeast whenever I need it. :) |
 Dog Fish Head never disappoints. I helped them serve up their 7.0% ABV Punkin' Ale and 60 Minute IPA. Check out their display covered with cascade hops. |
 I didn't get a chance to help out at the Nerax booth. Pictured here is Dave, head brewer at Concord Brewery, priming the beer engine. The casks were tempermental, probably due to being unsettled during transport. |
 Hazed & Infused made a showing, with its heavy dry- hopped aroma, along with their spellbinding Mojo India Pale Ale. |
Posted by BrewChef at 04:50 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
September 14, 2005
Pairing beer with food: "That bass deserves a beer"
This is an article of faith among brewers. Talk to those who make beer for a living and sooner or later they all bring up the subject of food pairing. To a person, they will say that the much wider variety of flavors to be found in beer -- ginger, caramel, coffee, dried fruit, pepper, citrus, and chocolate, for instance -- makes it easier to find a perfect brew for any dish. To prove to the unconverted that beer and fine food can be a perfect couple, Chef Daniel Bruce agreed to lend his open mind and expert palate to a tasting of 16 bottles, three to five with each of four dishes he created...
On the menu were pan-roasted striped bass with corn, leek, and orange-ale sauce; wild mushroom, apple, and smoked pecan salad; malted-mole-rubbed hanger steak with grilled fennel, tomato, and potato ragout; and pecan porter pie with caramel nutmeg cream.
Read the full article That bass deserves a beer at BostonGlobe.com
Posted by BrewChef at 02:11 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
September 05, 2005
300 Beers To Try Before You Die!
A Good Beer Blog mentions Roger Protz's new book 300 Beers To Try Before You Die! and their buddy Knut recently got an advanced copy and has reviewed it. Here's a snippet of the review:
British beer writer veteran Roger Protz has a new book out, published through CAMRA called 300 beers to try before you die! It is well worth investing in for anyone with an interest in quality beer. Protz draws on his vast knowledge to give a different type of beer guide, which I think will be of use, both to newly converted ale disciples and to more seasoned drinkers who want to test out beers beyond their usual staples.
The concept is fairly simple: Set up a list of 300 good beers, representing the major categories around the world. Focus on high quality beers from small and medium sized brewers. This could be done by just about anybody, but the author makes the most of this format. Each beer is presented with colour illustrations, most of them of excellent quality. We get a potted history of the beer and the brewery, tasting notes and anecdotes. The web sites of the breweries are also included - very useful if you want to seek out more elusive beers. While this concept naturally focuses on brews worth praising, Protz is not hesitant to criticize producers who are taking short cuts compared to the traditional ways of brewing. He includes Pilzner Urquell as a recommended beer, but points out that the beer was even better 20 years ago...
Read more about Roger Protz's new book
Posted by BrewChef at 09:05 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack