Brux: Sierra Nevada Brewing Company

I've enjoyed beer from Sierra Nevada Brewing Company for decades and I've been pleased to see the brewery expand its operations as the market for interesting craft beers has evolved.  I really like the Ovila and Beer Camp limited release lines of beers.  They are fun, interesting, and tasty.

I recently had the opportunity to try a new limited release beer that Sierra Nevada Brewing Company collaborated on with Russian River Brewing Company, called Brux.  The name is short for the yeast they used in secondary fermentation: brettanonyces bruzellensis.  The yeast is a Belgian strain that occurs in the wild near Brussels Belgium.  It's the same yeast that gives lambics and other belgian beers made with wild yeast their unique flavors.  Brux does not disappoint.  The beer is dry and a bit tart with some citrus overtones.  It reminded me of a very dry Champagne.

 
The back label describes the idea of the beer as "the liquid manifestation of change over time."  Implying that the beer's characteristics will change over time. They go on to encourage the consumer to age the beer for "..many years."  Ok, so I bought an extra for my beer cellar.  Unfortunately, like so many brewers who think their beer might benefit from aging, they do not put a vintage bottling date on the label.  In a year or two I will not remember when I cellared the beer.  Come on brewers--How about a little help?

Cheers,
Zymus

Stone Ruination 10th Anniversary IPA

I enjoyed my one bottle of Stone Brewing Company's 10th Anniversary IPA on the deck last night, enjoying the cooler evening temperatures.  This double has it all and Stone has been doing it for a decade.  The color was beautiful, the hops are impressive, and the taste is phenomenal.  Too bad we have to wait a whole year to get beers that are this good. 

 

 I also enjoyed the story on the back label (although I needed a magnifying glass to be able to see it).  The name ruination comes the concern that the hop level would ruin the palate.  I prefer the saying on the front of the bottle that the beer has been "...ruining palates for ten years."  Great fun and a great beer.

Cheers,

Zymus

Positive Contact: Dogfish Head Craft Brewery

I always enjoy the zymological creations of Dogfish Head Craft Brewery and Positive Contact continues this tradition.  Based on the ingredients (cider, farro, cayenne pepper, and cilantro) listed on the label, I was prepared for my gustatory sense to be overwhelmed.  It did not happen...the ingredients were well balanced and the whole thing just worked. I liked the fruity character that had a subtle undertone of herb (I did not taste cilantro specifically) and just a touch of cayenne burn (I would have preferred slightly more).

This beer continues the brewery's tribute to musicians they enjoy.  This time it is Dan the Automator and the band Deltron 3030.  The beer was intended to be sold as a 4-pack of 750 ml bottles (really?) and included with the 4-pack was a vinyl EP record containing some tracks from the hip hop band.  The title of the beer is one of the names of the tracks.  All very interesting marketing.  Fortunately, my beer-seller was selling them as singles.  I declined the EP partly because I'm not much of a hip hop fan, but mainly because I got rid of my record player more than a decade ago.   How about a flash drive with .MP3s next time? Just a suggestion.

Cheers,

Zymus

Dogfish Head 120 Minute IPA

Last night I enjoyed my yearly bottle of 120 Minute Imperial IPA from Dogfish Head Craft Brewery.  Each year I somehow manage to find one or two bottles of the limited release beer.  The beer totally assaults the senses (in a good way).  Clocking in at an IBU of 120 and an alcohol by volume  level of 15-20% (probably 18%, according to the brewers website), this beer leaves an great impression.  The warmth created by the alcohol is more similar to drinking a brandy than to drinking a beer.  Highly recommended.

I do wonder why the brewers website lists a range for the alcohol level. I assume it is because the levels differ from year-to-year.  But if this is the case, why not put a year on the bottle and the actual stats for that year's 120 minute IPA?  The label does say that it "ages well," and I have a few in my beer cellar, but I do not know which bottles are from which years. These aged beers will be enjoyed a decade or so from now and I'm sure I'm going to be wondering exactly who old they are.

Cheers,
Zymus

New Holland Brewery: Mad Hatter Beers

I've been enjoying beers from New Holland Brewing in Holland, Michigan for years.  One of my favorite series of beers that they make are the ones in the Mad Hatter series.  The beers cover a wide range of styles and the labeling scheme plays off of the perennial favorite character the Mad Hatter.  The character, from Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland, represents fun, goofiness, and a little insanity.  Perfect qualities for a beer.  Here are a few labels:

I love the sly and slightly crazy characters wearing the hats.  But what does the card in the hat with the writing "10/6" mean?  I did a little research.  Apparently, in the original illustration of the Mad Hatter in the Lewis Carroll book, the Mad Hatter was depicted with a top hat that had a card in the brim that read "In This Style 10/6."  No one is really sure what this meant, but some think it was an order slip that in his madness the Hatter forgot to remove. (In the old days, hatter's used mercury in making hats.  The mercury is easy absorbed into the body and causes cognitive deterioration.   Hence, hatters tended to be a little off leading to the observation "Mad as a hatter.").  Kudos to New Holland for including part of the card on their mad hatters.  People now celebrate Mad Hatter day on October, 6th (10/6), for obvious reasons. 

Cheers,
Zymus