tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76104898700031304482024-03-05T21:29:46.908-06:00Beer Judge ChroniclesMusings on beer, evaluating beer, and being a better judge of beer.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15847563543402509149noreply@blogger.comBlogger63125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610489870003130448.post-70678959423589893842018-07-03T12:13:00.000-05:002018-07-03T12:13:26.508-05:00Speed Judging TipsThere are certain situations where judging and relaying that information as quickly as possible are a good thing. For example, in the National Homebrew Competition, you are trying to get through hundreds of beers in the matter of a single day. Another case is an event at the Beer Bloggers & Writers Conference held yearly.<br />
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The event is a speed blogging session where you are served 10 beers. You can choose to type up a single lengthy post later or at the conclusion, but for a pro-level experience, try typing up the reviews as individual posts on the fly. That's basically a beer review every 6 minutes. Here are some pointers...<br />
<br />
Aroma - The second the pour has hit your tasting glass, give it a whiff. Remember the first aromas that hit your senses and give it a second whiff. Type in those things, i.e. High coffee and chocolate (in a stout) or Medium-high pine and grapefruit (in a traditional IPA). Move on.<br />
<br />Appearance - Here you can put a quick take on visuals. Color, clarity, head color and retention, and carbonation level are the typical things that a BJCP judge would look for. Next<br />
<br />
Flavor - If you're going to linger on anything, spend a little more time here, but not too much. You just want to get the overall character of the beer and relay it succinctly. In many cases, this is going to be similar to the aroma, but in others, you might get toffee notes or tropical fruit notes which were overwhelmed in the aroma, but shine in the flavor. Don't take too much time, though.<br />
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Mouthfeel - Another quick take. How does the beer feel in your mouth? Full-bodied, high carbonation, silky, dry, etc. are the qualities you're looking for. Jot them all down quickly.<br />
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Overall Impression - Finally, this is just your general impression of the beer. Is it a very good or excellent example of the style? What could be improved? Since these are commercial beers in the Speed Blogging session, there hopefully won't be any major flaws, but sometimes age or other factors may make it not the best example it could have been.<br />
<br />
Now that you've got that one under your belt, hit submit and get ready for the next pour. <br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15847563543402509149noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610489870003130448.post-38856391222102683302017-12-06T11:26:00.000-06:002017-12-06T11:26:01.733-06:00Tasting Exam AdviceThe following is a write-up of the advice I give people who ask me about taking the BJCP Tasting Exam. An important thing to realize is that the majority of your score is completely in your hands.<br />
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- Judge the beer in front of you! For the first 4 sections, AAFM (Aroma, Appearance, Flavor, Mouthfeel), write everything you are percieving. Don't address style other than in OI (Overall Impression) and the scoring.<br />- Use definitive level/adjectives/modifiers! Low, medium-low, medium, etc. Citrus is better than Fruity, but Orange or Grapefruit is even better still. NEVER use 'nice' or 'some' in AAFM. If you want to mention it in OI, say pleasant rather than nice.<br />- Use the checkboxes! If you mention phenols, check the box! If you mention sherry or dark fruit on an old ale or barleywine, those are usually signs of oxidation. Mention it in your description and check the oxidized box. That factors into your completeness score.<br />- If the proctors say something to the group before the exam, listen to them! In my experience, proctors don't tend to be extreme (it's usually pretty unlikely for them to give a beer lower than a 14 or higher than the low 40s).<br />- Know your styles! This should go without saying, but unless you have your baselines for what you're judging against, you're starting out behind. This is also vital for feedback. Perhaps you were given an excellent American Barleywine, but were told that it was a Scottish Light. If you know your styles well, you should mention that in your feedback.<br />- Make your feedback actionable and relevant! Don't assume you know their process (all grain, partial extract, etc.), but offer constructive criticism on improvement relevant to the style. You're judging the beer based on the style you were told, but it may actually be a different style and misentered.<br />- Scoring is a minor part of your grade! Focus on the things that you control. Descriptive Ability, Completeness, Perception, and Feedback.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15847563543402509149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610489870003130448.post-78974584375094611532016-07-10T09:02:00.003-05:002016-07-10T09:18:12.592-05:00Beer Bloggers Conference 2016 - Speed BloggingThe 3rd time is really the charm! Tasting 10 beers in an hour can be a bit overwhelming. This year I hit my groove and managed to live tweet my tasting notes. Here they are in summary. There are some really solid brews on this list! If you can get your hands on them, check them out...<br />
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Terrapin Watermelon Gose = LIght, tart, effervescent, salty
on the front end, sweet watermelon on the finish. Great Beach Beer! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Cigar City Decoherence = Boozy on the nose, toasted coconut
on the front, transitions to roasted coffee flavor dry finish. Intense flavors, loved this! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Sierra Nevada Otra Vez = Earthy citrus on the front end,
salty grapefruit finish. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">JDUBS Bell Cow Milk Chocolate Porter = Strong chocolate on the
nose, milk chocolate and vanilla on the front end, chocolate dries out on the
back end from the lactose. Key takeaway - verrrry chocolaty. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">New Belgium Citradelic IPA = Dank citrus nose, lemon and
tangerine on the front end, dry dankness on the finish, light for an IPA.
</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Florida Beer Co. Florida Lager = grainy on the nose, dry
with apple notes on the finish. Straight up yellow beer. Great pool or beach beer! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Lagunitas IPA = Dank citrus nose, bitter and piney on the
front end, dry and dank citrus on the back. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Saltwater Brewing Screamin’ Reels = Dank onion on the nose,
foamy mouthfeel, sweet onion on the finish. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">St. Pete Brewing 90 Shilling Scotch Ale = Sweet caramel
nose, low carbonation, light body, earthy start with a light caramel finish.
</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Crooked Thumb Brewing Florida Grapefruit Gose = Syrupy
citrus with toasted cracker on the nose, sweet citrus on the front end, bitter
grapefruit on the back. Take it to the beach!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Hope you get a chance to check some of these out! Cheers!</span></div>
Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610489870003130448.post-47436991234912106212016-07-10T08:42:00.000-05:002016-07-10T08:42:49.000-05:00Speed BloggingUnfortunately the wireless at JJ Taylor's was overloaded, so I couldn't post these live, but these are literally the notes I took last night for the speed blogging tasting. We were brought 10 beers in less than an hour, so here are my rapid fire takes:<br />
<br />
Terrapin Watermelon Gose<br />Aroma: Moderate watermelon and low salt.<br />Appearance: Straw with moderate carbonation.<br />Flavor: Moderate high watermelon and salt. Very light coriander.<br />Mouthfeel: Light body with no astringency.<br /><br />Cigar City Decoherence<br />Aroma: Massive cocoa, coffee, and coconut<br />Appearance: Black as night with light brown head<br />Flavor: Coffee, coconut, and cacao<br />Mouthfeel: Full with moderate carbonation<br /><br />Sierra Nevada Otra Vez<br />Aroma: Agave with very light salt<br />Appearance: Straw with low white head<br />Flavor: Fruity with cactus and agave<br />Mouthfeel: Light mouthfeel<br /><br />JDubs Bell Cow<br />Aroma: Cacao and lactose<br />Appearance: Black as night, moderate low head<br />Flavor: Coconut and chocolate with a light lactose bite<br />Mouthfeel: Moderate mouthfeel with a light bite at the finish<br /><br />New Belgium Citradelic<br />Aroma: Mango, orange, and lemon. Light dankness.<br />Appearance: Gold with white head<br />Flavor: Fruit (mango, orange, lemon, and dank)<br />Mouthfeel: Medium-light mouthfeel<br /><br />FBC Florida Lager<br />Aroma: Light floral and spicy<br />Appearance: Light copper with white head<br />Flavor: Light corn and caramel with bready finish<br />Mouthfeel: Medium-light body with moderate-high carbonation<br /><br />Lagunitas IPA<br />Aroma: Citrus and earthy with a touch of musk<br />Appearance: Deep gold with a white head<br />Flavor: Pineapple and citrus<br />Mouthfeel: Medium mouthfeel with acidic finish<br /><br />Screamin Reels IPA<br />Aroma: Wheaty with medium low onion<br />Appearance: Deep gold with white head<br />Flavor: Wheat, citrus, low onion<br />Mouthfeel: Medium mouthfeel with moderate carbonation<br /><br />St. Pete Brewing 90<br />Aroma: Moderate caramel with a touch of toast<br />Appearance: Light copper with low white head<br />Flavor: Caramel and toasty malt with very light earthy hop<br />Mouthfeel: Moderate moutfheel with carbonated finsh<br /><br />Crooked Thumb FL Grapefruit Gose<br />Aroma: Salty with grapefruit and coriander<br />Appearance: Straw with low white head<br />Flavor: Salt and grapefruit with very light coriander<br />Mouthfeel: Medium low mouthfeel with dry finishAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15847563543402509149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610489870003130448.post-61950232533602608802016-02-22T22:48:00.000-06:002016-02-22T22:48:58.010-06:00Corporate Brewing - Private EventToday was National Margarita Day! I hope you had the opportunity to enjoy a Margarita with someone who's company you enjoy!<br />
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I decided that today would be a good day for an out of the office team building activity. I reached out to Chris at Corporate Brewing and discussed what I was trying to achieve with my group. We agreed upon the types of beverages I wanted served. The set up was great! My party was seated at a long table that could accommodate up to 10 seated. We had our choice of silver or reposado Tequila and the drinks were made with fresh juices, not sugar loaded mixers. We were each able to have our own tab and staff could also order from the beer and wine menu.<br />
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We received excellent service! I highly recommend Corporate Brewing for your next corporate or private event. If you reach out in advance the Staff at Corporate will definitely meet your needs and exceed your expectations!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610489870003130448.post-5930432806680224282015-11-22T09:57:00.001-06:002015-11-22T09:57:39.906-06:00First Time Judge - Bayou Beer Fest 2015Last year for the Bayou Beer Fest I was on my own serving Toby's Homebrew for 2-3 hours while he finished judging the homebrew competition. I told him he was lucky I was with him or his beer would have just sat. He assured me that this year he would buy me a ticket and I would get to relax and enjoy the fest this year while he judged beer and a fellow homebrewer served his keg. I had made reservations for us at the Courtyard Marriott by the library so we could drive in Friday night, sleep in Saturday morning, and make it to the beer fest with no worries, and have a place to crash post fest.<br />
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Then plans changed: my daughters high school football team made the playoffs and we had a home game. That meant Toby drove in on Friday night by himself and I had the joy that is playoff game concession sales for five hours on Friday night. Saturday morning consisted of getting Daisy up early, dropping the dogs off for boarding, and driving into Houma (which is about and 1hour and 15 to 30 minutes away.<br />
<br />
I arrive at Southdown, connect with my mother-in-law to hand off Daisy, and discover that they are one beer judge short. Would I like to help? I have been married to Toby for 20 years. In that time, I have learned a great deal about beer. He has often encouraged me to take the test to become a certified beer judge, I have always said no because it is my belief that I can only do one of the two things beer judging is supposed to do. Here was my chance to prove if I was right or wrong, so I accepted the challenge.<br />
<br />
First, for those of you who think that being a beer judge sounds like a fantastic way to get "casayed" (I'm sure the spelling of that is off, but it's how us cajuns say drunk) let me dispell that myth. Beer judging is a small amount of beer that you don't always want to drink being sipped and thought about while writing judging notes. It's interesting, it's engaging, but it is not a fun way to get drunk.<br />
<br />
I said memorable things to my judging partner, like:<br />
4. "Well, this is either really gonna be good, or it's gonna be a hot mess!" <br />
3. I can actually give brewing tips for this one, "Your beer is infected, please focus on sanitization." <br />
2. Sorry, trying to think of what to say, taste like cat piss is not going to be constructive feedback. <br />
1. I get blue cheese in the finish, was that intentional, or do you think this is infected?<br />
<br />
The last thing I wanted to do when I was done? Drink beer. My judging partner assured me that was a normal response. By the time we were done, the festival was almost over and we still had our homebrew setup to break down. I did get to listen to the band for a few minutes and talk to some friends I ran into, but not much actual beer drinking happened at the beef fest.<br />
<br />
I now have a judging experience under my belt, and can have an informed response to the question, "Do you want to be a certified beer judge?" For me, I think the answer really is no. While I enjoy the comradery of the beer judging experience and getting to flex my palate and my knowledge of flavors, off flavors, and such; I can only fulfill one of the two things a beer judge is supposed to do. I can determine if a beer is to style and comment of the flavor, appearance, and mouthfeel of a beer. I cannot give adequate recommendations for improving a beer from the brewing perspective.<br />
<br />
Toby is such a fountain of knowledge when it comes to here's what I'm tasting and here is why it probably happened. I respect that, but I don't want to be able to do that. I can do that for food, I can do that for many types of arts and crafts. But when it comes to beer, I really just want to be able to sip, taste, and enjoy. I have no qualms about judging again, if ever in a situation where a non-certified beer judge can be paired with a certified beer judge. But I live under no delusions that I will ever be a certified beer judge. And I'm OK with that...<br />
<br />
<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610489870003130448.post-17561511264333340772015-07-18T17:24:00.001-05:002015-07-18T17:24:14.736-05:00Mini-review: Trophy Wife Pale Ale<p dir=ltr>Aroma is dank and resinous<br>
Appearance is pale gold<br>
Flavor is dank and resin<br>
Mouthfeel is moderate low with moderate high carbonation<br>
Overall Impression is solid APA</p>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15847563543402509149noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610489870003130448.post-65910859140323050042015-07-18T17:19:00.001-05:002015-07-18T17:19:23.467-05:00Mini-Review: Old Mecklenberg Capt Jack<p dir=ltr>Aroma is spice and light herbal<br>
Appearance is gold with light white head<br>
Flavor is herbal and spice with a very light graham cracker sweetness<br>
Mouthfeel is light with moderate high carbonation<br>
Overall Impression is solid pils</p>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15847563543402509149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610489870003130448.post-36189727220109266862015-07-18T17:13:00.001-05:002015-07-18T17:13:55.396-05:00Mini-Review: White Street Hoptimist<p dir=ltr>Aroma is citrus with light alcohol<br>
Appearance is pale orange with light white head<br>
Flavor is orange/lemon with slight alcohol sweetness<br>
Mouthfeel is moderate low with moderate high carbonation<br>
Overall Impression is decent IPA</p>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15847563543402509149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610489870003130448.post-89337469162219784002015-07-18T17:06:00.001-05:002015-07-18T17:06:31.091-05:00Mini-Review: NoDa Hop Drop and Roll<p dir=ltr>Aroma is citrus and resin<br>
Appearance is light orange with a persistent white head<br>
Flavor is nice resin and citrus<br>
Mouthfeel is moderate with moderate high carbonation<br>
Overall Impression is IPA awesomeness</p>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15847563543402509149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610489870003130448.post-38030060518707025882015-07-18T17:01:00.001-05:002015-07-18T17:01:32.636-05:00Mini-review: Big Boss Hell's Belle<p dir=ltr>Aroma is spice and pepper with a light malt backbone<br>
Appearance is deep gold with light white head<br>
Flavor is spicy phenolics with pepper and very light banana and clove<br>
Mouthfeel is light with moderate-high carbonation<br>
Overall Impression is pretty tasty Belgian blonde</p>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15847563543402509149noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610489870003130448.post-34275430058739237772015-07-18T16:56:00.001-05:002015-07-18T16:56:55.603-05:00Mini-review: Duck-Rabbit Milk Stout<p dir=ltr>Aroma is chocolate and roast coffee<br>
Appearance is deep brown with light tan head<br>
Flavor is chocolate and coffee with a light residual sweetness<br>
Mouthfeel is moderate-high with moderate carbonation<br>
Overall Impression is solid milk stout</p>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15847563543402509149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610489870003130448.post-71782350019883235772015-07-18T16:51:00.001-05:002015-07-18T16:51:43.866-05:00Mini-review: Front Street Absurdity<p dir=ltr>Aroma is all amarillo orange with a tiny hint of spice<br>
Appearance is golden with a light white head<br>
Flavor is orange and a light spice<br>
Mouthfeel is moderate with moderate carbonation<br>
Overall Impression is amarillo awesomeness</p>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15847563543402509149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610489870003130448.post-55696419024141711962015-07-18T16:46:00.001-05:002015-07-18T16:46:13.179-05:00Mini-review: Fullsteam Summer Basil Farmhouse<p dir=ltr>Aroma is herbal and grassy with a very light spice<br>
Appearance is a cloudy straw with a light white head<br>
Flavor is lemon and herbal with a light grassiness<br>
Mouthfeel is light and crisp with a moderate-high carbonation<br>
Overall Impression is summer in a glass</p>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15847563543402509149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610489870003130448.post-80670301918814067612015-07-18T16:41:00.001-05:002015-07-18T16:41:37.716-05:00Mini-Review: Highland King MacAlpin<p dir=ltr>Aroma is slightly dank and resinous with hint of malt<br>
Appearance is light orange with light white head<br>
Flavor is piney and resinous with light malt backbone<br>
Mouthfeel is moderate with medium-high carbonation<br>
Overall Impression is solid DIPA</p>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15847563543402509149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610489870003130448.post-71414871794661526772015-07-18T16:39:00.001-05:002015-07-18T16:39:20.234-05:00Mini-review Innovation Midnight Ryeder<p dir=ltr>Aroma is citrus and spice<br>
Appearance is deep brown with tan head<br>
Flavor is citrus and spice with very light malt<br>
Mouthfeel is moderate with mediu, carbonation<br>
Overall Impression is decent black IPA</p>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15847563543402509149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610489870003130448.post-70634273078473354292015-07-18T16:36:00.001-05:002015-07-18T16:36:25.552-05:00Mini-review: Innovation Brewing Beet and Basil<p dir=ltr>Aroma is herbal and slightly vegetal<br>
Appearance is reddish orange with a light white head<br>
Flavor is herbal and basil with light vegetal (beet) character<br>
Mouthfeel is medium with moderate high carbonation<br>
Overall Impression is a bit strange but would make a good dressing</p>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15847563543402509149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610489870003130448.post-83916385932901759212015-07-18T16:32:00.001-05:002015-07-18T16:32:33.883-05:00Mini-review: Lonerider Sweet Josie<p dir=ltr>Aroma is roast and light chocolate<br>
Appearance is light brown with light tan head<br>
Flavor is deep caramel with roasty bitterness to balance<br>
Mouthfeel is medium low with light carbonation<br>
Overall Impression is a solid brown ale.</p>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15847563543402509149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610489870003130448.post-10568044988848477132015-07-18T16:29:00.001-05:002015-07-18T16:29:59.317-05:00Mini-review: Lonerider Tres Vaqueros<p dir=ltr>Aroma is vanilla and some honey with a light caramel and graham cracker<br>
Appearance is deep gold with a light white head and lacing.<br>
Flavor is a light vanilla with some peppery phenols<br>
Mouthfeel is medium with moderate high carbonation<br>
Overall Impression is decent belgian tripel with barrel character.</p>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15847563543402509149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610489870003130448.post-60609910245950745232015-07-18T13:22:00.000-05:002015-07-18T13:30:47.317-05:00Wicked Weed - Late Night Dinner With Beverages<div class="MsoNormal">
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--></style>Rolling into Asheville at 9:16PM, I was happy to know that Wicked Weed served food until midnight. We had missed lunch and dinner, so this place on our to do list sounded like a good place to solve our nutritional whoas and start our Asheville experience. I loved the bare brick walls! We were seated inside at a table. There was an awesome outdoor patio with a fire pit for those who wanted to sit, sip, and visit. We did not check out the tap room, so we will have to do that on another trip...</div>
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The food menu was brief. Although the burger looked like a good option, I really didn't need meat, so I opted for the No Evil Foods Seitan, tamari, carrot, red onion, green
apple, and naan. I'll be honest; I didn't know what half the ingredients on this were. Our server was able to confirm that it was vegetarian, and said it was one of her favorites. It was awesome! The seitan was well seasoned, the green apple was sliced thick, the red onion was shaved thin, and the carrot was shredded. I ate all of the contents and only a few bites of the warm pita it came in. This came with house made chips that were awesome because they were toasted brown and had no salt on them. As a beer lover with medical issues, I felt this place really got me. It understood that I wanted to drink beer and eat healthy.</div>
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On to the beer. What I really like is the pour size option. I always want to try multiple beers, but really don't need or want a full pour of everything I want to order. I also don't want to waste beer. Sharing isn't always an option as Toby and I have different tastes (i.e. I like fruity, he doesn't, etc.). The small pour came in a snifter glass, one of my favorite glass styles.</div>
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Lunatic Blond - a good, clean, well-balanced Belgian blond. I started here because I don't normally like blonds, but this one made me like blonds for the evening. Note: red heads have more fun!</div>
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XLVII Pineapple Guava Saison - fruity, but not overly sweet. You really taste the Guava more, the pineapple is in a support role for balance. I really liked this one!</div>
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XLVI Salted Chocolate Black Saison - think Ghirhardelli Intense Dark Sea Salt Soiree or Godiva Dark Chocolate with Sea Salt. It's like a liquid but not syrupy version of one of those bars. Divine, roasty, chocolate, dark beer goodness. Loved it!</div>
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Midnight came all too soon, so I hope to make it back there or to the Funkatorium to enjoy a Black Angel Cherry Sour. Anyhoo, if you make it out to Asheville, drop in and get your grub and brew on!</div>
Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610489870003130448.post-20301389053107098592015-07-18T11:29:00.001-05:002015-07-18T11:30:31.954-05:00Journey to Asheville for the Beer Bloggers Conference 2015<style>
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<span style="font-size: small;">I had been looking forward to my vacation time for well over a month.
Anxiously awaiting my much needed three days away from my day job (the emails,
the conflict, the problems, the people...) to spend some time checking out a
new place, meeting new people, and tasting new beers. So it was in no way,
shape, or form amusing when the air conditioner stopped working on Tuesday
night. At 7AM Wednesday I called the repair service, I was relieved when I was
told I would receive a call between 1 and 5PM for a tech to come out to repair
our system. We had planned to get on the road at 6PM to drive to Montgomery so
we would be half way to Asheville, a logical break in the drive. It all still
seemed possible...</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><span style="font-size: small;">Needless to say, the owner arrived at our house at 9PM. 45 minutes and $352
later, we were ready to get on the road. Well, if I could just pry the 85lb
Chocolate Lab (who had figured out that mommy was leaving) off my legs. We
pulled into the Sonic on HWY 42 at 9:59, only to be told that they were no
longer taking orders for the night. Since when in the hell does Sonic close at
10PM? 6 hours later, we pull in at the Courtyard Marriott in Montgomery to
catch some sleep, so much for missing Atlanta traffic on Thursday, but at least
we could get 6 hours of sleep before getting back on the road.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><span style="font-size: small;">12 noon on Day 1 of vacation, all I want is a 44oz diet coke with lime from
Sonic. Really, that's all...So we pull off at the next exit that had a Sonic
and go through the drive through. An hour later we are back on the
interstate, some how we ended up in a mad rush hour traffic jam at the Sonic,
don't ask...I heard about my "need" for a Sonic drink for the rest of
the trip. I know I will never live it down. We hit Atlanta just in time for a
pile up caused by multiple wrecks and were treated to a high speed pursuit with
arrest in the middle of the interstate in broad daylight. That's the kind of stuff you only see on the news, film at 11...</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><span style="font-size: small;">When we arrive in northern Georgia and the curves and hills and drop offs
begin, I am so glad we are driving this in daylight. I do not like this part of
the drive at all, even though it is quite beautiful. We roll up at the Four
Points Sheraton in Asheville at 9:16PM. So much for an afternoon of brew
hopping. But we unpack and get settled in and take a late night stroll to
Wicked Weed for a late dinner...</span><br />
<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610489870003130448.post-65506013113278906132015-04-03T11:40:00.000-05:002015-04-03T11:40:50.675-05:00Beer Bloggers Conference 2015 PreviewThis July, a group of both citizen and professional bloggers in the beer world will be converging on Asheville, NC, to discuss all things blogging and beer. My wife and I attended last years conference in San Diego, and it was a great time. This year's agenda should be shaping up to be great as well. A few highlights that I'm looking forward to include touring the Asheville branches of both Oskar Blues and Sierra Nevada as well as the Social Expo and Speed Blogging. One other thing I'm curious about will be a "3PM Tasting" hosted by a certain megabrewer.<br />
<br />
The conference is about beer, so there are always brewery visits involved. Two on the agenda this year are Oskar Blues and Sierra Nevada. Considering Louisiana is about to start getting Oskar Blues, I'm pretty stoked to be touring their Asheville location. They were one of the first craft brewers to embrace the canning movement including their fantastic imperial stout, Ten FIDY. Sierra Nevada's Asheville location is new (just opened this year), so I'm expecting it to be a great experience and we'll probably have Ken Grossman himself showing us around (he is typically a speaker at the conference).<br />
<br />
The Social Expo is going to combine the Trade Show and Beer Social this year. It will basically be a mix of vendors promoting their wares (last year included items like the Spirited Shipper and an app to suggest similar beers to the one you're checking in that are in your area), and breweries giving some samples of their beers. Last year included Lagunitas, Goose Island, and Firestone Walker (mmmm Double DBA). Speed blogging was a similar thing where 10 breweries bring your table a different beer every 5 minutes. They have 5 minutes to explain their beer, have everyone taste it, and discuss or blog about it. Some people make one big blog entry for everything, and others go pro level and live blog each one in series.<br />
<br />
Finally, the other thing that I'm interested in will be ABInbev bringing their 3PM tasting to us. This may wind up being a little controversial considering their Super Bowl ad last year talking about how their beer isn't meant to be 'fussed over' or picked apart. The description of the 3PM tasting, though, sounds like exactly that, where their tasters meet and analyze current batches and ingredients to make sure they meet their standards. I hope the Bud guys are ready to get some ribbing. Cheers!<br />
<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15847563543402509149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610489870003130448.post-11824085433384861972015-02-13T14:00:00.000-06:002016-05-09T19:23:26.792-05:00Drink Like A Beer JudgeWhen people find out I’m a beer judge, they usually have a wide array of responses. Anything ranging from “Lucky you! Free beer!” to “Aren’t all beers the same?” to “What’s that supposed to mean?” Sometimes there are even people who are aware of beer judging and have negative opinions of competitions due to prior bad experience. Well, some of that is certainly justified. I’ve gotten quite a few awful score sheets in my days as well. In my opinion, there are two primary reasons to enter competitions: receiving feedback and winning medals. In both instances, however, I think a little look behind the curtain of what’s involved in judging might help both camps.<br />
<br />The first thing to consider is the environment your beer is in. Make sure to clean and sanitize whatever your bottling system is thoroughly. Nothing is worse than having a beer that tastes phenomenal coming out of your kegerator getting a 29 out of 50 picking up some sort of infection or off flavor going into the bottle. Next comes transportation. If you ship your beer, you have no control over what happens to it when it gets to the shipping company. If you really want to see how a judge will receive your beer, take a bottle with you in your car to work for two or three days. Then stick it in your fridge for a week or two. That’s probably what the judge is going to experience.<br /><br />If you’re going for medals, there’s no better way to improve your brewing than by learning to judge your beer like the judges will. Unfortunately, the nature of the beast with competitions is style guidelines. No matter how great of a beer you may make, if it doesn’t fit the style, you won’t win anything. By that same token, judges can’t give you feedback without having an idea of what you were shooting for. If you enter a Pale Ale brewed with Belgian Yeast, it’s not going to taste like an American Pale Ale and will come off as though it was infected or fermented too warm.<br /><br />In the meantime, you can get the things you’ll need assuming you don’t have them on hand. Get a copy of the style guidelines from the BJCP website (http://www.bjcp.org/stylecenter.php). Also, while you’re there, download a copy of the beer score sheet (http://www.bjcp.org/docs/SCP_BeerScoreSheet.pdf). Get your hands on some clear 9 ounce plastic cups. These are the same cups they give you on an airplane. Basically a plastic cocktail glass. Most independent grocery stores will have them. I don’t usually see them at big box stores except for Sam’s. A small LED flashlight and a mechanical pencil will also come in handy. Now, I would assume you already knew what style you were going for when you put together your recipe or found it. In this article, I’ll be using a beer sent to me by HomeBrewTalk’s nukebrewer as an extra in the Make A Wish (Easy Version) thread. It is an Imperial Flanders Red. That technically isn’t a style in the 2008 guidelines, but we’ll consider it part of category 16e (Belgian Specialty) for this exercise. It could also be considered a Specialty Beer in category 23, but since it’s a bigger version of a Flanders Red (a Belgian Sour), 16e will probably give it the best chance.<br /><br />Always consider the BJCP guidelines when entering. They are irrelevant to commercial brewers and people who don’t enter competitions, but they are the only things the judges can go on when they review your beer. All scores are based upon the conformance to that style. For this beer, we would also reference category 17b since it’s a bigger Flanders Red. Basically, it should show most of the characteristics of a Flanders Red with a higher alcohol content.<br /><br />When it’s time to taste the beer, you want to have a quiet space with as few distracting aromas as possible. Also, most beer competitions are judged starting around 9 AM. Your palate and senses will generally be more sensitive at this time. So, if you want the full experience, pick a Saturday morning to eat a decent, but relatively bland, breakfast and get ready to taste your beer. Set up your stuff in that quiet aroma-neutral space, and sit the beer out on the table. Keep in mind that most competitions will bring out a flight to the judges all at once in a Styrofoam cooler which generally won’t have ice in it. Your beer may be first in the flight and still relatively cold, or it may be last in a flight of 10 and have been sitting in the cooler for a couple hours. For the sake of this exercise, leave it out for about 20 minutes. The first thing you’re going to want to do is visually inspect the bottle. It should be free of any markings or labels that could be considered identifying. A quick shine of the flashlight through the bottle should reveal any sediment or floaters. Judges will use this when marking the first section of the score sheet:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU3J_Bop0v04M6gdjwYZ-xvKGzmPLTi9i62Kt5Lu6GzqjxI1yvQuqz8MollGPd0SAk1zQKgVm5yvh01a3AjVs4ywpSpx_h99ykyyR-tGj0o1LLbyisyYtDnhAnf692q7yHqz3-oh__Zg/s1600/image1.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="90" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU3J_Bop0v04M6gdjwYZ-xvKGzmPLTi9i62Kt5Lu6GzqjxI1yvQuqz8MollGPd0SAk1zQKgVm5yvh01a3AjVs4ywpSpx_h99ykyyR-tGj0o1LLbyisyYtDnhAnf692q7yHqz3-oh__Zg/s320/image1.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><br />Now, we can finally pour the beer. Pop the cap and pour about 2 or 3 ounces into the cup. You want to do this relatively vigorously. Since you’re not pouring much, you want the beer to have a chance to create foam and aroma:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7dNMGBdOPJpZlp5w1_PkDpDe-y-iN8k6TaeGTKvHJOD-i8zo3SdK7Z5xuZsn3IEK2Kdupi5ATH0e2-G0v_U3c_wYAdZbpEEgW5aGzKnlGFTxB7gILn5ZDC9s_xTZXeGsJ09tQ9J2Amw/s1600/image2.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7dNMGBdOPJpZlp5w1_PkDpDe-y-iN8k6TaeGTKvHJOD-i8zo3SdK7Z5xuZsn3IEK2Kdupi5ATH0e2-G0v_U3c_wYAdZbpEEgW5aGzKnlGFTxB7gILn5ZDC9s_xTZXeGsJ09tQ9J2Amw/s320/image2.JPG" width="320" /></a><br /><br />The first thing a judge is going to do at this point is smell the beer. You’re looking for any fleeting aromas that may show up. You want to write down everything you smell. Every characteristic of the malt, hops, yeast derived esters, and anything else. Whatever you smell just write it down. In the case of this beer, there were moderate dark fruit aromas like dark cherries and plums, medium low acetic acid aromas (think vinegar) with a touch of lactic acid, low spicy phenols (similar to clove), not much hop aroma to mention, and no diacetyl detected (the smell of movie popcorn butter to me, but others describe it as butterscotch). A good general guideline in a competition is to be able to do all of this in under a minute. We don’t want to even consider score at this point.<br /><br />Next we move on to the appearance. You want to look at the beer color, clarity, and head retention, head color, and texture. This should be an even quicker section. The beer I was sampling was a coppery amber in color with a very slight white head, good clarity, and a light ring of many fine bubbles ringing the edge which did persist. A quick look at the style guidelines for Flanders Red show that it hits most of those marks although the head was a little lacking. Appearance is only 3 points total, so we’ll knock a point off for that and call it 2/3 for appearance.<br /><br />We’ve had the beer in the glass for a few minutes now, and it’s finally time to taste it. You want to inhale through your nose as you take a small sip (maybe an ounce) and swish it around your palate. Take note of everything you’re tasting. Just like aroma, we’re looking for characteristics of the ingredients and fermentation characteristics, but now we’re also looking for balance and finish/aftertaste. This beer had moderate high dark fruit (dark cherry and plums) with a medium low chocolate flavor that came through mid-taste. Medium low spicy phenols with a low alcohol sweetness were also there. Finally there was a moderate and drying sourness that finished similar to a red wine. No hop flavor or diacetyl came through.<br /><br />At this point would be where we would start considering score. Think about the overall beer as well as how it comes off within the style. Using the style guidelines and considering it a bigger version of a Flanders Red, this beer was in the high end of the “Very Good” range. It was generally within style parameters, but could have used a little more carbonation and complexity. With that in mind, we can score aroma (after noting any changes in aroma as it warms, i.e. the light chocolate aroma). The high end of “Very Good” is about 75% of perfect, so we’ll call this one a 9/12 for aroma and a 15/20 for flavor. Flavor should take you 3 or 4 minutes in a competition since it’s the biggest percentage of overall score.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3aIel3XaA2RNo3jOnTWUllnzEvTUilokl0FgD3SeB-UCSv9UGGEcQhovNRE0KQoVnpnbMREZw7bKM3WHo_a4nasioQmczXv1V8yUUeIsNke9W3G2GHtqO0Zckc5K6QUTWlyvMQRTaXQ/s1600/image3.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="77" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3aIel3XaA2RNo3jOnTWUllnzEvTUilokl0FgD3SeB-UCSv9UGGEcQhovNRE0KQoVnpnbMREZw7bKM3WHo_a4nasioQmczXv1V8yUUeIsNke9W3G2GHtqO0Zckc5K6QUTWlyvMQRTaXQ/s320/image3.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><br />Mouthfeel should be another relatively quick section. You want to consider body, carbonation, warmth, creaminess, or any other palate sensations (harsh astringency or soapy slickness from diacetyl for example). This beer was medium bodied with low carbonation. It was tart and moderately acidic with a medium low warming sensation from the alcohol. Despite the tartness, there was no astringency (suck on a tea bag for this mouth-puckering feeling). There was no diacetyl slickness. The dryness lingered only slightly. When taking style into account, the carbonation was a little lower than expected, so we would only dock it a point and score it 4/5.<br /><br />The final comment section is overall impression. This is where the line is usually drawn between a good judge and a great judge. All the rest of the sections should only address what you can sense (see, smell, taste, or feel). Overall impression is where you address the drinkability and feedback. This is where you tell the brewer how they can make the beer better fit the style. The most important thing is to be constructive. The brewer paid money to enter the competition, so give them some common courtesy. In this case, it was a very good beer, but the carbonation seemed a bit on the low side. There are a few ways to fix this, but since a judge has no way of knowing the brewer’s specific process, we have to offer up multiple possibilities. If the beer was bottle conditioned, the carbonating sugar could be increased, or if the beer had attenuated so low that there was very little sugar left, krauesen from a similar beer or starter sized batch can be added to produce the same effect. If kegged, the PSI on the CO2 should be raised about 10-20% higher and the beer agitated to allow it to dissolve in solution. Another thing that would have helped it would be a little more complexity and character. Since a Flanders Red would have some Munich or Vienna or possibly a specialty crystal malt like Special B, either substituting a portion of melanoidin malt (10-20%) for some of the Vienna or Munich malt or adding ½# of Special B per 5 gallons of beer would give it a little extra character to help it stand out. I scored this one 7/10 overall based on the overall “Very Good” range I put it in.<br /><br />The final step in a real judging competition is to tick the checkboxes for any descriptors. Some of these are neutral or expected depending on style, and others are generally bad. For this beer, the Alcoholic, Phenolic, and Sour/Acidic boxes were appropriate for style, so did not signify a bad thing. This beer wound up being a 37/50 at the end of it. Depending on what it was up against in the flight, it may have advanced to mini-Best of Show (where a big category will have the medals picked from the best of each of the flights) or even placed in a small category. The interesting part of the mini-BOS is that if a beer advances, scores go out the window. A subset of judges (usually the higher ranked judges that judged the flights) will take the top 4 or 6 beers and taste them side by side to determine which beer best represents the style guidelines. Hopefully this information helps you out when deciding to enter beers in the future. If you want to score well with a judge, you need to learn to drink like one. ;)Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15847563543402509149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610489870003130448.post-63793354646047027752014-12-19T19:04:00.000-06:002016-05-09T19:08:31.798-05:00Does glassware really make a difference?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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So often when we go out to enjoy a few adult beverages, many bars and restaurants just pour them into the same thing: a shaker pint. Named after its purpose, a shaker pint is what bartenders cap the shaker with to mix up a cocktail. Most bars also use them to serve beer for one simple reason: they're easy to stack so they are cheaper from a space perspective. Maybe if you're lucky, your bar has nonic pints. Those are the ones with the bulge about 1/4 of the way down from the top. But the question is, does it matter? Recently, I had the opportunity to attend an event to find out. To celebrate their recently installed 200BBL brewhouse, Abita Brewery invited some people in the homebrewing and beer blogging community to a first peek at the new setup and also to a glassware pairing conducted by Spiegelau. In exchange for a nominal fee, attendees received a five piece tasting set and an Abita shaker pint (and the beer to compare). First we toured the brewhouse, but that's not our focus here. Afterwards, we all found a seat in the tap room for the real show for non-brewers. The tasting was conducted by Chris Hillin, Regional Sales Manager for Riedel/Spiegelau, and Jaime Jurado, Director of Brewing Operations for Abita. Now, on to the beer...<br /><br />First up was Abita Amber:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLM_DhyphenhyphenD7ot_NHUiSB40JYkiwlMfNk_xkzdWLzhdhYp429LrGI25n2MfL3IU4-_lz1EoX7yn44381uxF9bT6wxle4jKYficTEFF0Rscucs_n3ij4pipB-mnR_AWhCdFys1ZQt8RyqgXA/s1600/image1.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLM_DhyphenhyphenD7ot_NHUiSB40JYkiwlMfNk_xkzdWLzhdhYp429LrGI25n2MfL3IU4-_lz1EoX7yn44381uxF9bT6wxle4jKYficTEFF0Rscucs_n3ij4pipB-mnR_AWhCdFys1ZQt8RyqgXA/s320/image1.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><br />This beer is not an American Amber. It's probably closest to a German Vienna lager. Only the color is amber. For this one, we were asked to pour half in the shaker pint and half in the lager glass. I was surprised by the difference. Normally Amber is on my list of last resort beers like Sam Adams Boston Lager. In other words, if my draft options are BudMillerCoors or Amber, that's the only time I'm getting an Amber. The shaker pint was the reason why. It was dull, uninteresting, and lifeless. However, in the lager glass it actually showcased some of the complex maltiness of a Vienna. The reasons are twofold. Primarily, the shape of the glassware is designed around highlighting the strengths of certain beers. The lager glass has a relative large bell tapered to collect and focus the complex maltiness (think caramel and toasted bread) of many European lagers. Second, the type of glass they use allows them to make the glasses thinner without compromising structural integrity. They then showed microscopic cross sections of most glassware and the type they use. Ever wonder why eventually your glasses get cloudy after many cycles through the dishwasher? Apparently there are tons of microscopic pits and valleys in most glasses. Another apparent benefit to the type of glass that Spiegelau uses is that it did not display these same tiny 'flaws'.<br /><br />Our next selection was S.O.S. (Save Our Shore):<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj18QUdbgkvUr2AxlKNJBdAv7-Z1HbG3KBOkUs9xV-edqhTbGWxry8GmGtGlDkVd4zQR8NRhAGEmIyAgK7UFWklZ6HbpbwJ-B0oAZzvj4XSeKmLo8ieqZm9akput8pmq03JYMNQdedBHw/s1600/image2.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj18QUdbgkvUr2AxlKNJBdAv7-Z1HbG3KBOkUs9xV-edqhTbGWxry8GmGtGlDkVd4zQR8NRhAGEmIyAgK7UFWklZ6HbpbwJ-B0oAZzvj4XSeKmLo8ieqZm9akput8pmq03JYMNQdedBHw/s320/image2.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><br />This is an unfiltered Weizen Pils (yeah, that style doesn't exist anywhere). It was brewed to raise funds for the Louisiana coastal protection efforts during the BP oil spill a few years ago. For this one, we actually poured part into the lager glass and part into the wheat glass (which is similar in shape to a traditional pilsner glass). Yet again I was surprised by how much difference the glasses made. The lager glass was OK, but the wheat glass really made the balance of hops to wheat and malt pop. The process used to pair the beers and glasses is somewhat unscientific. They basically get their tasters (or a combination of theirs and a brewery's if they're partnering) to try a beer in several different prototypes and then revamp until they find one that really makes a certain style shine.<br /><br />And then came Spiegelau's claim to fame, the IPA glass and Wrought Iron IPA:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeQanCChht3pSZ1ey1_-3bkIBu646yBAOWk0ndKqRy4VB41-ecvNtOn0R6xRfSi7GLbshMjegea77hDeIqxdw-lwBq2aMGHOseYQa_45g4wk77N-zFtdlyaOKBXpXvrt5YMfGIxU88kA/s1600/image3.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeQanCChht3pSZ1ey1_-3bkIBu646yBAOWk0ndKqRy4VB41-ecvNtOn0R6xRfSi7GLbshMjegea77hDeIqxdw-lwBq2aMGHOseYQa_45g4wk77N-zFtdlyaOKBXpXvrt5YMfGIxU88kA/s320/image3.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><br />Abita has attempted to make it into the IPA market quite a few times. So far, the results have been mixed for me. Now, there's their new Wrought Iron IPA. I had it on draft in a shaker pint a few days before the event, and although the nose on it was pretty good (Mosaic hops had lots of berry notes), the flavor was harsh grapefruit and disappointing. In the IPA glass, though, it was actually pretty good. The citrus, pine, and berry (with a touch of muskiness) were far more balanced. The taste was also much less harsh. In the shaker, it was exactly how I remembered it. Designed with Dogfish Head and Sierra Nevada, the IPA glass has a few things going on. The large bell with a relatively small tapered top focuses the hop aromas and keeps them around. The wavy bottom actually serves to enhance the experience by creating nucleation points to release more carbonation when you get towards the halfway point in the glass. When you tilt it to sip, you create more foam and release more aromas when you put it back down. I'm getting sold on the concept by this point.<br /><br />Next up was the stemmed tulip and Abbey Ale:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWUHKpLeUu44V1S7dgJeq4bbfQ41pG0d493tWu2FXHHXCptnph8f0JXHJFo3No50hzoIwdU7iFYjrkHim-ftT1wowPNVKO20vqUHvPrOnhr01MXEKm9eyGRl-xTOcnMzPK7mvg5rMU9Q/s1600/image4.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWUHKpLeUu44V1S7dgJeq4bbfQ41pG0d493tWu2FXHHXCptnph8f0JXHJFo3No50hzoIwdU7iFYjrkHim-ftT1wowPNVKO20vqUHvPrOnhr01MXEKm9eyGRl-xTOcnMzPK7mvg5rMU9Q/s320/image4.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><br />This is Abita's take on a Belgian dubbel. This is actually where they sold me on the glassware concept. I've had this before and it was pretty decent, but in the stemmed tulip, it was downright sublime. My wife even commented that we needed to pick some up next time we had a chance. The sweet breadiness of the malt and the banana and light clove from the yeast were showcased by the shape of the glass. This one is made for most big malt bombs. Think Belgians, Scotch Ales, Imperial Stouts and Porters, etc. More on this in a bit...<br /><br />The final official pairing was the relatively new stout glass and Naughty Quaker:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLRYsX1YJOhA2hSnV3zKADtnaQ2TTa3PAAiGSPgLwO8KgdNvvHsCDc1NTUg5diounT5Mlf1KYQrVcF8Mewdcac4WgPS1ihQGD5-eLfMwUo3vJ5qtZYJ8erm7eLEMNVg7pNHLeKEZEEVQ/s1600/image5.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLRYsX1YJOhA2hSnV3zKADtnaQ2TTa3PAAiGSPgLwO8KgdNvvHsCDc1NTUg5diounT5Mlf1KYQrVcF8Mewdcac4WgPS1ihQGD5-eLfMwUo3vJ5qtZYJ8erm7eLEMNVg7pNHLeKEZEEVQ/s320/image5.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><br />Naughty Quaker is an oatmeal stout. It's part of Abita's Select Series which means it's typically draft only and rarely makes it out of Louisiana. This is unfortunate, because most of Abita's really great beers have fallen into this series while the rest of the world only gets Amber, Purple Haze, and the like. The stout glass is similar in some ways to the IPA glass except squatter and without the wavy nucleation points. This tends to focus the roasty character of dark malt the most. At this point, we weren't comparing anything to the shaker pint, but I had a glass in one when we stopped for supper on the way home and the glass truly does make a difference. I generally don't like shaker pints anyway, but now I'm downright spoiled against them.<br /><br />This was the end of the official tasting, but I had a pop quiz of sorts prepared. I went up to Chris and asked him what glass he thought might pair best with a wood-aged Scotch ale. He said it was probably a tossup between the stemmed tulip and the stout glass. I told him this was the opportune time to test it since I had brought along a mini-growler of mine. This beer is a strong Scotch ale which Jaime termed a "way heavy" after tasting it. I took my standard Scotch ale recipe and aged it on a combination of light and dark toasted oak chips soaked in Macallan 15. The clear winner was the stemmed tulip. It really allowed all aspects of the beer to shine. The dark fruit (raisins, plums, figs, and black cherries) combined with the vanilla and a hint of leather and tobacco from the wood were pretty amazing, if I do say so myself. The stout glass really only showcased the wood: all barrel and no fruit. In conclusion, glassware does make a difference in my opinion. I sort of wish they made glassware suited for beer judging now. Most competitions are based on the aromas and flavors you get from "airline cups", those ubiquitous cups that you seem to only see at homebrew competitions and on an airplane. Scaled down tasters more suited to the styles would be a worthy investment for me.<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15847563543402509149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610489870003130448.post-13079765052140499682014-08-30T21:58:00.000-05:002014-08-30T22:07:13.922-05:00#BBC14 Pre-Conference Pub Crawl: Independent Style…<style>
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We already had travel arrangements to fly into San Diego
when the Pre-Conference Excursion was announced.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since another couple from NOLA, friends of ours, were in the
same boat we decided to split cab fare and create our own pre-conference
excursion in beautiful, temperate San Diego.
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First stop?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For
lunch and beverages of course at Blind Lady Ale House (BLAH).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The décor is welcoming.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The color scheme is a palette of browns
but the place is well lit so it’s welcoming.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are skateboard decks lining the walls (they could have
used a Gnarly Barley deck) and nostalgic beer lighting (a turning Miller
Genuine Draft Light was near our table).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The music was loud enough to hear but low enough to talk over.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These guys have a lot of things going
right in this establishment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most
tables seat six, so this is really a place to come and hang with a group of
friends and share some food, drink, and fun.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Favorite beer?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The Golden Ticket, a Belgian golden strong infused with vanilla beans and
oak with Dark Horse Coffee.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Think
Coffee Stout has a stepchild with something gold and it ends up being blonde
but having a delightful coffee kick.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>BLAH also had St. Louis Geueze and Monk’s Café Flemish Sour Ale on tap,
so I traded off Coffee and sour for the time we were there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Cheese and Charcuterie Plates were
awesome!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I would definitely hang
out here again if in San Diego again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Once we were done here, it was time for an afternoon nap to cut the time
zone confusion.</div>
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Then we were back out and about at Toranado.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The selection included several local
beverages.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had a New Belgium
Love-Felix and a taste of Toby’s Chip Shot Coffee Porter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The establishment was on the small side
and not well lit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Toby had the
Smoked Mac and Cheese.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was very
cheesy and seasoned with smoked paprika.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It was good, but the serving size was huge.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had a BLTA (the A is for avocado) with a cucumber salad.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was all right, but the bacon was on
the soggy side (I am a stickler for crispy bacon) and the cucumber salad was
heavy on a white dressing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We did
have window side seating that allowed us to look out at what was going on
outside on the street.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is not
a stop I would be inclined to repeat.</div>
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Our final stop was Waypoint Public.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I loved the campy décor, the bear logo,
and the bar rail around the perimeter which allowed for rail seating facing the
street to see what was going on outside.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I enjoyed a Berry Nice and Bacon & Eggs by Pizza Port and a Three
Sheets by Ballast Point.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The beer
was good, the lighting was good, the setting was good.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I loved that they accommodated couples
with young children by providing a toddler play ground and a big screen that
was playing Harry and the Henderson’s while we were there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wish I had waited on eating, because
I think the menu would have delivered.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I would definitely make a return visit if I chance to visit San Diego
again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And then, it was time to
turn in for the night to gear up for the conference day that was to come…</div>
Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0