Brooklyn Oktoberfest

Brooklyn Brewery
New York, NY
Oktoberfest

Always a fan of Brooklyn Brewery and all that they have to offer, I am eager to review one of my favorite styles – Oktoberfest.

The pour gives a decent head but, without too much agitation, the off-white fluff vanishes quickly as the slow and steady carbonation keeps a thin layer of effervescence on the surface.

The color is an absolutely textbook copper; orange, brown, and red shine through like dappled autumn light through changing foliage.

The nose is a good mix of bready malt and faintly spicy hops. More on the malty side, the aroma conjures the sweet richness of apple cider, but perhaps warmed and spiced up with some potent potable.

Potent, it is. The mouthfeel is full and considerably more aggressive than you might think. This is due, in part, to a really nice hops character that introduces itself early – rare for a Marzen. The huskiness of the odor gives way to a fruity hop bite that has notes of apricot and plum and perhaps a touch of orange rind. This is also rare for this style, but it works here

At 5.5%, there is no alcohol warmth – to be expected from a Vienna-style. Brooklyn has a definite flavor profile to many of its brews that seems to use the lager as a base. That is, they use hops generously, but never to an overwhelming degree. Most Oktoberfest beers focus entirely on the malt body of the beer so, while this may not be traditional in that sense, it certainly is delicious.

Saint Arnold Elissa

Saint Arnold Brewing Co.
Houston, TX
Elissa IPA

Now that I’m in the Great State of Texas, I’m trying as many Texas beers as possible. Here’s one from Saint Arnold, a brewery with about ten selections, and which claims to be Texas’ oldest craft brewery. I’ve tried a couple of these while out at night and so far they’ve been good.

The pour immediately jumps up with a good inch of orange-tinged head that’s rocky and lively. The clarity is excellent and the carbonation is a steady string of pearls feeding the now slightly dissipated but still frothy head. The color is copper and orange, like a setting sun, but with les retinal burn.

The nose is very sticky and floral – this beer smells like West Coast hops all the way. Grapefruit and a fragrant and resinous sweetness out of what is sure to be a great hop bite. The mouthfeel is excellent. The malt kicks in at first but is quickly swept to the back of the palate by a wash of crisp hops that snaps but doesn’t sting. Those hops really impart a luscious citrus body that is complex and full but still refreshing and not overwhelming (at least not for a hophead like me).

This is as close to Sierra Nevada’s Pale Ale as any bottle I can think of offhand. Perhaps it lacks some of the heavyweight punch that Sierra carries (I’m biased), but this is a truly wonderful example of American IPA. A thick trellis-work of lacing hangs around the glass, too. This beer is a must for hop lovers.

Fourth Annual Beer Olympics

Bar Game Olympics IV was an auspicious day. Held on the 75th anniversary of the repeal of Prohibition, it was an apt day to celebrate beer. One last-second cancellation – I’m talking 11am before the Opening Ceremony at noon – left us in the lurch. Luckily, our man was willing and able to fill in. A slightly controversial early departure by Will was made known, but a planned afternoon switch with Rade would make it work. Better to have a new partner than none at all.

In attendance: Will, Jabe, Adi, Adi’s friend Tommy, Jason, Bee, Mike, and me.
After the Opening Ceremony, we proceeded to the first event, bowling. Before the event starts, teams were selected through the patent-pending BGOGC method. Without giving away too much, it involves small pieces of paper and a hat or similar concavity.
First team drawn: Adi and Jabe.
A formidable duo. Adi is a two-time Champ, winning back-to-back years in Bar Games II and III. Jabe is not only a professional athlete, but is good at every game I’ve seen him play, from ping-pong to ice hockey.

Second team drawn: Tommy and J.
This team is a dark horse, for sure. Both are newcomers to the games but both have been following the games for years. Strangers to one another, they share a common drive to prove that they belong and, more than that, win it all.

Third team drawn: Mike and Will.
This a powerful twosome, each playing to the other’s weakness. Mike’s strengths are experience, a strong showing at the shufflepuck inauguration in III, and an unrivaled hand at the erotic photo hunt. Mike’s weakness is the yard. Will is Yard Race record holder, one of the stronger darters, as well as a reliable all-rounder in bowling and pool.

Fourth team drawn: Bee and Charlie.
Bee and I could not have been more thrilled. Award-winning College Beirut partners, teammates in all imaginable sports, and drinking buddies, we felt confident. Bee is a first-rate Yard Race, a strong bowler and darter. My strengths have typically been shufflepuck, pool, and Buck Hunter. My biggest weakness is easily the Yard Race.

Bowling
Adi + Jabe – 114 + 142 = 256
Tommy + J – 147 + 81 = 228
Mike + Will – 108 + 178 = 186
Bee + Charlie – 133 + 95 = 228

Mike's Infamous Sidebowl

Despite needing just six pins in the final frame, I choked, hitting exactly five, tying us for second, and only earning us 2.5 points.

Bowling Scores

Standings after one event
Adi/Jabe – 4 points; Tommy/J – 2.5 points; Bee/C – 2.5 points; Mike/Will – 1 point.

Shufflepuck and pool were combined at Plug Uglies where we walked in around 2pm to find the bartender eating lunch having just unlocked the doors.
In round robin play here’s how shufflepuck finished up:
Mike/Will took first, Bee/Charlie in second, Adi/Jabe took third, and Tommy/J in fourth.

Adi and Tommy compete in puck.

In pool, Tommy and J came roaring back, taking a critical first place. Bee and I maintained with second place, Mike and Will came in third, and Adi and Jabe took an uncharacteristic (especially for Ad) fourth place.

After three events:
Bee/C – 8.5 points; Tommy/J – 7.5 points; Adi/Jabe – 7 points; Mike/Will – 7 point.
It’s still very much anybody’s game, particularly with the Yard Race approaching. The Yard Race really is the great equalizer and the only necessarily alcohol-related event of these most heralded of games.

Last year was a record-setting day of Phelpsian proportions at the Gingerman. The previous record of 48 seconds set by Owen and Will was beyond the four-minute mile. It was untouchable. Their combined passing and chugging abilities were a maelstrom of disappearing lager. However, that record was crushed twice last year, and the current record sat at 38 seconds, held by Adi and Bee, who went on to win it all in III.

I’d like it to be known that this was our fourth consecutive year. We entered the Gingerman and asked for the requisite glassware, only to be rebuffed and told they were “for show”. We sent our lawyer (Will) and our most-respectable and charming participant (also Will) to talk to the management. Needless, to say we persevered, though one of the giant glasses was missing – no doubt broken by some unprofessional clod.

Yard by Yard

We used two glasses, letting two teams participate at a time. This prevented the awkward meeting of bulbs that often occurs when eight slightly inebriated contestants stand in a semi-circle and lift a three-foot glass at the same time. Gingerman management, take heed: We will be back this year. Please do not deny us.

With Max timing us, we set out. Fourth place went to Adi and Jabe whose chugging abilities while not poor, did not do them any great service. A poor pass also hampered them and they limped in after 1:20. Tommy and J came in third, around 1:15 or so, while Bee and I completed the drink in a minute flat.

However, there was awe amongst the many onlookers at the Gingerman this day. Mike, who started for his team, breathed in beer and nearly drowned himself. Will, seeing his partner in distress, grabbed the chalice and lifted it to the sky as though sounding a great oliphant to Charlemagne himself. Max, slack-jawed at the performance, barely remembered to tell us our time of one minute. Will and Mike had completed the Yard Race in a mere 28 seconds. In the presence of life-altering events, people remember moments differently. Will recalls a 26-second draft, while other recall up to 31 seconds. Either one is a Herculean feat.

A Champion at Work

Following the Yard, was Darts. Ship of Fools and its multiple boards gives us the most economical way to perform this event. Likewise, they have Big Buck Hunter and outstanding wings. Bee/Charlie came in first, then Adi/Jabe, Tommy/J, and finally, Mike/Will.

After the Yard and Darts, the standings:
Bee/Charlie – 15.5; Mike/Will – 12; Tommy/J – 11.5; Adi/Jabe – 11

With two events left, Big Buck Hunter and Erotic Photo Hunt, Bee and I knew we had to perform with the plastic shotgun. Will and Mike are both seasoned BBH marksmen, and Mike’s nude image sleuthing is legendary.

Jaber on BBH

Adi and Jabe went first, posting individual scores of 4642 and 4505, respectively. Strong showings, considering our mental states at this point after a day of fierce competition and cheap tap beer.
Bee and I were next. Bee put up a seemingly overpowering 5320, while I put virtual White Tailed Deer on the endangered species list with a 6310. Mike, with new partner Rade, shot an outstanding 4674. This could be enough to push them ahead as Rade, fresh from work and ready to kill, put up a 5283. Tommy and J, perhaps out of figurative ammunition, posted 3786 and 3896.
BBH Totals:
C/B – 11630; Mike/Rado – 9957; Adi/Jabe – 9147; T/J – 7682.

With only photo hunt remaining, we had previously decided to move onto Aces and Eights, in case a tie-break Beirut game was necessary. However, with our win on the gun Bee and I clinched the Gold and decided to celebrate by, well, playing Beirut.

Photo Hunt #1. Or is that a 2?

Photo hunt tallies:

Mike + Rade – 375044 + 204300 = 579344

J + Tommy – 235250 + 325464 = 560714

Jabe + Adi – 213942 + 145500 = 359442

Bee + Charlie – 191724 + 95553 = 287277

The final tallies on the day:

First Place: Bee and Charlie – 20.5 Points
Second Place: Mike and Rado/Will – 19 Points
Third Place: Adi and Jabe – 15 Points
Fourth Place: Tommy and Jason – 13.5 Points

All in all, a successful Olympiad, my first win and Bee’s second consecutive. With newcomers and visitors, World Records, and Beirut, it was one for the history books. Or at least the beer blog.

A Disappointed Adi had hoped for a three-peat. Charlie, left, finish first with Bee. Mike, right, finished second with Will and Rade.

Appalachian Mountain Lager

Appalachian Brewing Co.
Harrisburg, PA
Mountain Lager

ABC boasts that its Mountain Lager is a tribute to the classic German Dortmund-style lager. The last ABC offer I tried, I wasn’t wild about, but a good lager will surely save the day.

The pour yields a half-inch of briny head that is kept afloat by an absolutely gorgeous eddy of lively carbonation that starts at the bottom of the glass and snakes its way upwards in a very active flow.

The color is a flawless flaxen gold with excellent clarity. The nose is grassy, with notes of damp straw, though it is more sweet than earthy with a touch of tart green apple.

The mouthfeel is excellent, I must say. The head retention on this beer is impressive and sits softly on top of the beer like a proper pint. The sip is very even, if a bit bland at first, but is really exceptionally smooth. What comes across is a faint grain taste, followed by a slight green-twig snap of crisp hops that is refreshing and not at all metallic.

This beer really is a classic lager. I would drink this anytime – during a meal, a night out, or a 10-mile run. I’m glad ABC has come back wit a restorative effort here. This is one to try if you’re looking for a light session beer.

Rub a Dub Dub

Another story purporting that beer is good you, at least for your hair and nails. And only when you bathe in it.

“The brewery admits that some of its guests, while enjoying the swim, drink more of the beer than is good for them.”

Stay classy, Austria.

Southern Star Pine Belt Pale Ale

Southern Star Brewing Co.
Conroe, TX
Pine Belt Pale Ale

From a can and from Texas, this beer was just asking to get consumed by the ol’ Brew Yorker in Dallas. I tried Southern Star’s Bombshell Blonde the other night and enjoyed it once I fumbled the name on the first try and finally ordered it. This can of Pinebelt is a 16oz, though. It’s like a normal can, but better.

The head billows up to a fine and active orange-hued inch and isn’t going anywhere in a hurry. The clarity is hazy, which is always exciting for a pale ale – I’m willing to bit at least a little bit of dry-hopping occurred. As I write, the head has started to subside a bit and leaves behind a tight webbing of lace.

The color is a deep amber orange – an almost tortoise-shell roan. This is a beautiful brew. The nose is smells like melted orange candy slices covered in crystallized sugar. The malt is very biscuity, not heavy and bready. There is a vinous quality to the nose – certainly not unpleasant – and may indicate a high ABV. Likewise, aroma of resin emerges, much like the beer’s name hints at.

The mouthfeel is great, the beer is full, but even. Bitter spices dry the top of the mouth quickly, followed by a roundhouse of hops that don’t hit a citrus note so much as a pine note, but you are not overwhelmed as is the case with many American Pale Ales.. The result is a woody finish that is supremely dry, like a desiccated pinecone, but one that is not unpleasant. The lacing hangs about the glass like snow drifting on the boughs of those same evergreens.

This is not a typical thrashing of hops, but most hopheads will be intrigued by it, if not impressed. The beer is like Gregory Peck – dry, but with character.

So far, Texas beers are kicking ass and taking names.

Flying Dog Tire Bite

Flying Dog Brewery
Denver, CO
Tire Bite Golden Ale

The pour spews forth a spume of crystal white heat that settles down in a hurry inside the slightly damp glass. The bubbles are large and erratic, the carbonation lacks pearl strands but is steady. The clarity is excellent. The color is straw, very light and lager-like, more like a pilsner than any ale.

The nose is slightly grassy, but sweeter and less metallic, telling you that it really isn’t a pilsner. The banana and bubble gum aromas of yeast come through slightly (very slightly) though are not as strong as some wheats, and a layer of hay lies in the back behind the sweetness.

The sip gives an immediately clean and even flavor but it starts to hint towards grass and straw in the back of the swallow. The sweetness mingles with the hoppiness across the tongue with just a hint of honey and sugar. A briny finish of hops cleans up nicely at the very end and prepares you for your next sip.

Flying Dog has a tendency to put a lot of elbow grease into making their beers complex, for better or for worse. This particular example is a good effort – not too much going on, but enough to keep you interested. This is a fine session beer and one that you can wrap your tastebuds around for a while; it will proffer more than a few facets that you can mull over for a while.

Appalachian Trail Blaze

Appalachian Brewing Co.
Harrisburg, PA
Trail Blaze Organic Brown Ale

An even pour gives a bouncing light beige head which begins to sit quickly but looks as though it will maintain good lacing. The clarity is excellent and the effervescence is lively and erratic in upward cascades.

The color is cola or root beer with a touch of orange. When not held to the light, it appears brown and slightly murky. The nose is cocoa and malt, wet bread with a touch of damp mud – a nice earthiness that belies the sweet gingerbread malts and toasted caramel. Light hops are evident as a slight fruitiness – almost like fresh strawberries.

The mouthfeel is good and the beer has some bite – more than you’d expect from a brown. The initial flavor is soft bread, followed by a roasted, almost burnt caramel. The hops take over just before you’re put off by the blackened toast quality.

The aftertaste is slight acrid, so it’s not quite a successful brown in my book. There should be a roasted finish as there is in Casco Bay’s brown, or a total smoothness, as in Newkie, but this one doesn’t quite hit the bottle on the cap, so to speak. The lacing is pretty good, starting as illegible cursive and moving eventually to wide, Pollock swaths.

I hate to be disparaging about any beer – and I enjoyed ABCs  Susquehanna  Stout – but this one needs some tweaking.

Nevertheless, cheers.

Goose Island is Awesome

It’s a fact: Goose Island Brewery is awesome.

Not only were they part sponsors of the Chicago Marathon, but they attached a free drink ticket to the race numbers so runners could indulge in a free 312 at the postrace tent.

Well, the Brew Yorker took part in the marathon this year. I crossed the finish line not with my best time ever, but in better spirits than any other marathon. As I hobbled through the post-finish line area, collecting my foil blanket and medal, I saw tables of water and Gatorade. “Where’s the beer?” I asked, mostly joking. Someone pointed and there was a huge table packed with full cups of beer.

I reached for my free drink ticket but the delightful server said, “Oh, I don’t need that.”

Goose Island was giving away free beer. Free cups of 312 to those who had just finished the race. I was blown away. Pints of the stuff, laid out as though they were an aid station. And aid it was.  Did I mention it was free? What a beautiful brew to have after such an endeavor. The weather was chilly, and I was a bit sore, but I’ve never been happier after a marathon and that beer lifted me to “elated” status.

Already holding a spot way up on my list of great breweries, the Goose has definitely gone up a notch.

Cheers to Goose Island, you rock!

New Belgium Hoptober

New Belgium Brewing
Ft. Collins, CO
Hoptober Golden Ale

New Belgium could stand up tall with Fat Tire alone, however it goes out of its way to try some really interesting styles, ranging from Trippels to Dunkelweiss to this beautiful seasonal concoction.

The pour is truly golden straw with perhaps a touch of orange, but barely. A very white, cloudy head puffs up the straight-sided glass (perhaps the wrong choice for this beer) and starts to stick as it descends.

The nose is a really pleasant mix of sticky hops – pine resin, citrus, and damp flowers – and a slight bitter grassiness which melds nicely to create an earthy yet somewhat sweet aroma.

The mouthfeel is excellent, light but full, with steady and lively effervescence. Those West Coast hops are more present as aroma hops than flavoring hops. They appear slightly at the beginning of the sip, giving way to a tarter, Noble hop bitterness, and eventually reappearing at the end.

There is a slight sweetness – citric, perhaps orange – along the palate. That resin-y, marijuana-like taste persists as an aftertaste and is not unpleasant. This brew seems to be undecided, but is remarkably balanced and interesting.

At 6%, it’s not quite a session, and at 40IBU, it’s not quite a hophead’s dream. However, it is rich and complex and drinkable, and is a great offer from a great house.