I’m off to Denver this week. I love it when I get to surf sudz on the company dime. I’m going down for a 401(k) Client Conference, but sticking around afterward to explore mile-high beer. I’ve been to Denver before a number of times and some highly respectable stuff comes from their copper. I’m particularly interested in visiting Left Hand Brewing Company and Great Divide Brewing because we get their fine products up here. I’ll be packing the most recent issue of The Celebrator Beer News since it’s the most comprehensive, up today guide to foamy destinations when I travel. I’m not pluggin’ ‘em just because I write for the rag; it’s the truth.
I was advised by the Tap Root Café that the Flemish/Sour Ale Tasting originally set for February 25th has been rescheduled for Monday, March 3rd. Until then, the Café is running through the rest of Midnight Sun Brewing Company’s Sloth, Gluttony and Wrath on tap, but expects this to be gone before this blog even gets published. Also on are other noteworthy locals including Moose’s Tooth’s Moonflower ESB, Ring of Fire Meadery’s Brandy Barrel Aged Pear Cyser, Kassik’s Kenai Brew Stop’s Beavertail Blonde, Sleeping Lady Brewing Company’s English Braggot, and Homer Brewing Company’s Broken Birch Bitter. On the Midnight Sun side, Sockeye Red, Oosik Amber, Kodiak Nut Brown Ale and Arctic Rhino Coffee Porter round out the mix. My wig’s off to Tap Root Café for hosting an all-Alaska line up on tap. This little institution remains steadfastly dedicated to featuring local beer, great music and all good food all in a home-spun, casual atmosphere. I wish more establishments had such a tight, geocentric focus on what they provide.
Full Sail Brewing Company’s Top Sail Bourbon Barrel Imperial Porter and Slipknot are on their way to Anchorage. If you like oak aging in boozy casks, the Top Sail is a good pick. This stuff weighs in at a reasonable 7.5 percent alcohol, so be careful with it, especially considering it comes in 22 ounce bombers. This is a complex beer in both aroma and flavor. This beer’s a gem in the glass and the lacing is so sexy, if I had a longer tongue, I’d even get the stuff 
that hung out to the very bottom of the glass. The dry cocoa colored head just wouldn’t quit. The nose affords a chocolate-like center with other complexities including some coffee, light smoke and charred elements. A light waft of Pacific Northwest hop aroma can be had with some searching. As for the flavor, Roastiness is the first element to hit, which might seem inappropriate in a porter, but not this brooding bastard. It helps balance the bourbon essence in the beer and rounds things out nicely. This is followed by some nice chocolate sweetness in the center, some edgy bitterness and the expected light charred character. There are lots of dark fruit elements in the beer which adds a nice diversity on the palate. The hops stomp around for attention but stand in the shadow of the beer’s big, dark malt character. Although the beer is very robust, it’s complex and easy to drink. This is a good one for the vintage collection as well.
Slipknot is an imperial IPA that weighs in evenly with the Top Sail at 7.8 percent. The copper/amber beer is squeaky clean in the glass with a loose white head that evaporates fairly quickly. This reveals a predominant, almost grassy hop aroma underneath with some pine and citrus notes and telltale signs of the booze within. The hop flavor understandably is dominant, and expect a fairly aggressive, almost lemon-tasting bitterness throughout the sample. If you’re a hop head, you won’t be disappointed, but if you’re at all hop-aversive
I visited La Bodega on Saturday and couldn’t resist reaching for a Michelob Marzen. Sure, we all have our paradigms, but I felt safe from two angles. First, single-bottle availablity takes the sting out of buying a whole six pack of something 
that has a sordid reputation, and second, Anheuser Busch (AB) has taken some strides lately to make good beer instead of fake good beer. This one pours as would be expected with an AB product: crystal clear, sparkling and attractive in the glass. The beer pours burnished-gold/amber under a wispy white head that’s thin, but persists.
A spicy, lagerish nose wafts off the top with a nice hop zest. This is followed by a light grain/malt nose, that seems a little anemic for style. Missing for me is the more robust Vienna/Munich malt character. This improves as the beer warms. Otherwise, the beer breathes clean and fresh.
Across the lips marches substantial hop zing, but the character doesn’t seem as noble as a true Euro example. The beer is somewhat sweet centered and malty, but again, missing seems to be the nicer Vienna/Marzen elements typical for style. A coarse bitterness extends into the finish. This doesn’t linger, but it still distracts me. The body is medium but thins substantially in the finish.
I think AB’s on the right track but still trying to avoid offending anyone, although I can’t see where a full, malty richness would be offensive. Still, I’m excited to see the major brewers taking a stab at some real style authenticity rather than making us think their version is the best.
One of the very best beers I’ve had in recent times has returned. Deschutes Brewery’s The Abyss is available around town once again and it’s worthy of sticker price. Easily, this is one of the richest, most flavorful, complex beers I’ve had in a long time. The beer provides a whole bunch of inky richness in the glass. If you like black and strong (I’m not talking about coffee), get some of this. This year’s version was aged in French oak and bourbon barrels since March of last year. It weighs in at a hefty 11 percent and buries a substantial 56 International Bittering Units (IBU’s) within its lurking 
darkness. Although the influence is there, it’s not sappy and overdone which is so easy with American brewer’s recent fascination with beer on retired wood. Last time this stuff came out, I was remiss and only bought single bottles at a time. Stupid me. When I finally came to my senses and went back to get as much as I could find to lay down, it was long gone. Welcome back, now get out of my way.
This is Deschutes’ 20th Anniversary year and in celebration, in addition to the Abyss, expect The Dissident and Imperial Black Butte Porter to show up through the year. Each of these three Reserve Series beers comes in a 22 ounce bomber bottle and the top is sensuously dipped in wax. If the imperial porter and Dissident pace the quality of Abyss, we’re in for a treat, boys and girls.
If you like grippin’ and grinnin’ with the dignitaries, head on down to Midnight Sun Brewing Company on Thursday, January 31 between 5-7 PM when Rondy Brew will debut and Mayor Mark Begich will be in attendance. I’ll be in Denver, but sure would like to be there to see how he reacts to the beer and pump him full of questions about what he thinks of beer in general and how he’s going to help the small brewers avoid harm from the oppressive, proposed increases in alcohol taxation . Someone do me a favor and hit him up for me.
If the gig seems a bit stuffy for you or you can’t find parking at the brewery, Rondy Brew will be proudly featured at eight passport establishments: Humpy’s; Simon & Seaforts; McGinley’s; Platinum Jaxx; Mixx Grill; The Anchor; Benihana; and La Mex. In addition to the 22 ounce bottles, look for this beer on tap at Kinley’s, Suite 100, Tap Root Café, and Café Amsterdam.
Rondy brew is produced using pale two-row, caramel, Munich, Special B and choclate malts and is amply dosed with Fuggles and English East Kent Goldings hops. The combined effect is a middle-of-the-road, slightly spicy beer that’s designed to celebrate and satiate at the same time. I’m incredibly jazzed that the powers to be have decided to include a locally-produced, custom-designed beer in the mix of Alaska’s greatest winter festival. Midnight Sun worked diligently to embody the spirit of the event in a beer that not only satisfies the masses, but appeals to the beer-snobbish in me as well.
It was pointed out to me by some marketing types that I have been remiss in covering oriental beers. To be more specific, a marketing group for Tsingtao contacted me and offered to send samples. Why not? We are a diverse culture here in Anchorage, and although in general, Chinese beer is very poorly represented, I know that when connoisseurs and non-connoisseurs alike go for Chinese grub, it seems appropriate to drink a Chinese beer. The problem that we have as beer lovers is that our expectations are very high when it comes to pairing food and beer, and what’s produced in the orient isn’t necessarily bad, it just doesn’t meet our needs. It’s far too easy to pair something with more substance with what we eat, and I suspect this is especially true when we order out and dine at home, pairing our food with beers that simply don’t get featured in most oriental restaurants.
I’ve been to many oriental restaurants in town, but they’ve fallen short of my expectations. I grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area and have eaten at what are to be some of the finest venues in America. Even today, I leave it up to my father to decide where to eat, not only because he lives there, but because he’s not a certified gourmet, but chases the best of the best, even if it’s not in the finest setting. I’ve eaten the finest Mexican food in little dive establishments in the worst part of the worst cities surrounding the Bay Area, and I can certainly say the same for Chinese food. I digress, but I must point out that I’m spoiled rotten when it comes to Chinese food. I guess I can thank or blame my dad for enhancing/ruining my experience here in Alaska.
Just the same, I got samples of Tsingtao Beer and Tsingtao Pure Draft Beer and set them through the paces. My samples were delivered in a sealed box and the beers were buried in white Styrofoam peanuts, well guarded from the ravages of light, which so easily spoils lighter beers where defects are hard to mask. The samples came out of Chicago. Of course, I didn’t’ expect brewery freshness, but didn’t expect the profound oxidation that distracted from both beers. The beer was wrapped in green glass and beer aficionados know that green glass is not the best wrapper for even the most fortified beers. I was very disappointed because I purposely resisted having bigger American warm up beers (I’m plowing through final cases of Deschutes Jubelale) and wanted to drink the beer on a fresh palate.
I tried to get around the oxidation and evaluate the beer with an open mind. Tsingtao Beer is the #1 Chinese beer in the United States. The brewery is in Qingdao, China and was founded in 1903. It’ the 10th largest brewery in the world with 50 breweries in 17 provinces. China’s got a huge population and it’s not surprising that statistically, at least in 2003, China became the largest beer production country following the United States and then Germany.
It’s obviously prolific at most oriental eateries and it’s widely available on liquor store shelves, although I haven’t see it in draught anywhere. I would love to sample it on draught because I wouldn’t expect the oxidation. My sample was also slightly light struck. On the plus side, the beer poured crystal clear, sparkly, and alluring in the glass. A paper white head froths up initially, dissipates and races to the edge of the glass and hangs out for the duration of the sample. Some light grain and yeast notes find their way forward off the top as well, along with decent hop character.
Across the lips, expect light grain notes, reasonable, refined hop flavor and ample carbonation to lend a crisp snap to the beer. Domestic Chinese hops are used to spice the beer, but I can’t get a grip on what varieties they might be. Light dymethel sulfide notes emerge in the background of this sweet balanced beer that dries up quickly and cleans up nicely in the finish. I can attest that this beer pairs nicely with oriental dishes because I’ve had it many times before.
I also got a sample of the Tsingtao Pure Draft Beer and gave it a whirl. This beer debuted in 2006 targeting a more upscale market, being postured as a premium lager. This beer is quite similar to the Tsingtao beer in appearance and aroma, but I find the hops a little better defined in the draft version. I’m wondering if the product relationship between the two beers is akin to the Miller and Miller Draft lines. Interesting, the flavor impact in the draft version was lighter than that in the regular Tsingtao Beer. The same light grain/hop profile emerged, but the beer seemed better melded at the same time. This beer would be an easy match with oriental food, especially some of the lighter vegetable dishes where it wouldn’t get in the way of more subtle flavors.
Just for comparison, I grabbed a sample of Harbin Lager. The brewery was founded in 1900 by a Russian in Harbin, China. It’s currently the fourth largest brewery in China. It ran as a state brewery for a while, and in 2004 was taken over by Anheuser Busch. It’s another green bottle wonder, but this one is ornately appointed with a mesh sleeve and gold elastic enclosure that adds some mystique to the experience.
Harbin Lager pours crystal clear, well carbonated and with a paper white head like the others, but this one held better throughout the sample. The pale golden color is no surprise; again, this is a session beer, but at 5.5 percent, it’s right up there with some premium American ales and lagers. Light grain undertones can be detected with some effort, but the beer was cleaner in aroma than the Tsingdao examples. Instead of an oxidized forefront, Harbin rewards the palate with a clean, refreshing lager snap and a light beer’s delicacy that comes from quality ingredients. European and Chinese Qindao Dahua hops, two row malt and German yeast are used to make the beer. I looked for the telltale dimethyl sulfide character (corn-like aroma and flavor) that tattles on adjuncts, but although I thought I found some, I could be wrong. Sometimes it’s hard to get over a light beer’s paradigm. This beer too was light struck but less so than the Tsingdao examples. A sweet center accented the beer and only balancing bitterness (and perhaps a little less) found it’s way to the surface. The beer’s carbonation helped crisped up the entire experience and helped lend a clean, dry finish.
I expect that these beers easily pair with Chinese food because they’re delicate and don’t interrupt a well-made dishes’ complexity. The beers quench and satiate rather than fight or even try to complement the huge diversity in a Chinese dishes’ presentation. Were I to have a choice, however, and something as delicate but locally produced might be a better reach for pairing with Asian food only because the beer wouldn’t be as travel weary. Midnight Sun Brewing Company’s Koelsh or Moose’s Tooth’s Spenard Nite Light would be good selections.
Look for the next blog late next week with a detailed trip report from Colorado. Meanwhile drink wisely and avoid the crap. Support your local breweries and establishments. I’ll be talking up our beers down south for the next few days!
CORRECTION: In last week’s blog, I erroneously cited that The Bridge Restaurant opened in 1995. That is painfully incorrect. The Bridge Restaurant (now closed) opened in 2005. Nice catch, Kurt Kried; I know at least someone reads the rag!
CORRECTION: Another faux pas! I incorrectly described Celestial Meads Clarity. I cited that Clarity was made with Carolina Blue Ridge sourwood honey when in fact it’s made with basswood honey from Iowa. That’s what I get for paying attention. Sorry about the mix up.
CORRECTION: This is getting embarrassing! In my citation announcing the local distribution of Kassik’s Kenai Brew Stop and Kenai River Brewing Company beer, I indicated that Alaska Distributors was farming the beer out. That’s grossly incorrect. Specialty Imports is distributing the beer.
A buddy of mine, of the mass-produced, large quantity consumption genre moved to Florida a long time ago but we remain in touch. In the years we knew each other, our bond was beer, so he always thinks of me when he comes across something interesting. This is dated but good:
“If you had purchased $1000.00 of Nortel stock one year ago, it would now be worth $49.00. With Enron, you would have had $16.50 left of the original $1000.00. With WorldCom, you would have had less than $5.00 left. If you had purchased $1000 of Delta Air Lines stock you would have $49.00 left.
But, if you had purchased $1,000.00 worth of beer one year ago, drank all the beer, then turned in the cans for the aluminum recycling, you would have had $214.00.
So, based on the above, the best current investment advice is to drink heavily and recycle.
It’s called the 401-Keg Plan.”
Dr Fermento Beer Calendar
01/31/08 Midnight Sun Brewing Company Fur Rondy Brew Release at the Brewery 5 – 7 PM Pay As You Go
02/01/08 McGinley’s Pub First Taste Event Featuring North Coast Brewery Beers 5 – 8 PM $7.00
02/10/08 Around Town Midnight Sun Rondy Brew Available Open Hours Pay As You Go
02/02/08 Kenai River Brewing Company Single Hop Day Celebration Noon-5 PM $25.00
02/05/08 Kinley’s restaurant and Pub Midnight Sun Seven Deadly Sins Dinner 6:00 PM $70.00
02/08/08 Snow Goose Restaurant Fur Rondy Homebrew Comp. Entries Accptd 11:00 AM $$ Per Entry
02/08/08 Midnight Sun Brewing Company Fallen Angel Release at the Brewery 5 – 7 PM Pay As You Go
02/09/08 Snow Goose Restaurant Fur Rondy Homebrew Competition Judging 10:00 AM Free
02/15/08 Midnight Sun Brewing Company Envy Imperial Pilsner re-release 5 – 7 PM Pay As You Go
02/16/08 Tap Root Café Ring of Fire Meadery Special Release 8:00 PM Pay As You Go/Cover TBD)
02/16/08 Toronodo Pub (San Francisco) Toronodo Barleywine Festival 10:00 AM Pay As You Go
02/17/08 Marriot Hotel, Oakland, Calif. Celebrator Beer News 20th Anniversary Party 3:00 PM $55.00
02/23/08 Café Amsterdam Rondy Brew Firkin Night 6:00 PM Pay As You Go
03/28/08 Midnight Sun Brewing Company Mars Planet Beer Available (Imperial Red IPA)
03/03/08 Tap Root Café Flemish/Sour Beer Tasting 5:30 PM $$??
05/03/08 Chena Pump Campground (Fbx) Zymurgist Borealis Nat. Homebrew Day/Big Beer Celeb. Noon Free
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