This particular portion of this week’s blog was written on Christmas Day. I’m writing in response to my inner-soul’s compelling urge to drink, think and write about it. I’m simply a drinker with a writing problem and the nicest thing about Christmas is the extra time unfettered by work that I’m allowed to sample and evaluate beers I’ve collected but haven’t had time to get to. It’s also nice to be able to duck downstairs under the auspices of beer evaluation to escape the somewhat electric tension that afflicts families that gather for the holidays when they wouldn’t otherwise.
I must explain that I’m a last minute Christmas shopping kind of guy. It was no different this year. I was out on Christmas Eve Day at 7:30 hitting the streets in search of the acceptable gift for Ms. Fermento. She’s tough to shop for. She doesn’t drink beer and doesn’t have a lot of hobbies that include gadgets, so rather than just buy something that says Craftsman on it, or something that has a cap to pry off and gets decanted in a glass, I really have to think. The bottom line is that it’s a trying day for me and I do my best not to give up mid-shopping and just plop down in exhaustion at Humpy’s, Cafe Amsterdam or even Tap Root Café if I find myself on the southside. That usually only happens when I’m feeling really sorry for myself for being such a bad shopper. I avoided it this year. I had my son by my side who was up visiting from Colorado. He pointed me in the right direction on a couple of gifts, so it went off well. Later in the day, my son and his family were off visiting friends and Ms. Fermento and I retired to Humpy’s for that long awaited pint. From there, I do what I always do on Christmas Eve. I panicked and decided that despite having my outside refrigerator full of great beer, I was missing what I thought would be perfect for the day, and dashed off to La Bodega to stock up for that uncomfortable gap when the liquor stores aren’t open in town (Christmas Day). Included within the three six packs I bought was Anchor Brewing Company’s Old Foghorn Barleywine Style Ale. I also received a sample of the Alaskan Brewing Company Barleywine product from the brewery before it was officially bottled in the 22 ounce bombers it comes wrapped in. My sample was in a 12 ounce bottle.
I drank the Alaskan Barleywine first. I found the aroma to be large dark fruit essence with a great dusting of fresh Pacific Northwest hops. Fig like armoas with deep caramel and sweet notes danced throughout throughout. I got an initial, very slight metallic edge, but it disappeared very quickly and I suspect it was either the glass or something not-related to the sample.
The beer pours very clear and held high, boasts deep amber/chestnut hues with a tan/brown head that starts across the top then settles to a nice edge ring that persists.
The initial sip reveals a fully malty and sweet-centered beer with nice dark fruit wrapping, keeping pace with the aroma. Overall, as a barley wine, the flavor is robust, but noble and clean. The alcohol is easily evident behind some substantial bitterness that extends deep into the beer’s finish. It rounds out nicely after that and the bitterness fades into the background, resetting the palate for another sip.
Alaskan Barleywine is a very full beer that’s almost cloying and sticky on the lips. The just mild carbonation is a plus in what is normally a flat beer by style. The beer is very pleasant, festive and easy to drink. I’m anxious to pick this up in the bomber version for this year and to lay down for comparison in years to come.
Next came Anchor’s Old Foghorn Barleywine Style Ale. It’s been produced since 1975. I bought the first year’s version of this beer when I was still in high school and spending my evenings in San Francisco doing some serious underage drinking at the original Old Spaghetti Factory restaurant on Green Street. Back then, I was a big Anchor Steam and Anchor Porter fan, and when the barleywine emerged, I was probably one of the first to seek it out and try it. I wish I could remember my recollections of the beer in my defining days of craft beer drinking. Anchor claims it’s the first of its kind in the United States, and I have no reason to disagree. Big beers defiantly weren’t the norm back in ’75.
After the pour, the nose reveals malty overtones with some substantial alcohol essence. A dryish, even-keel hop aroma steps forward in this otherwise fairly one-dimensional smelling beer. Some caramel swirls through the center of the beer and some sweetness creeps off the top. The beer defiantly woke up with decanting and warming. The same alcohol aggressiveness dominated the beer, but increased complexity bubbled to the top including more of those nice caramel/ toasted notes and a bit more sweetness.
The beer pours very clear and solid amber in color with nice sparkling highlights. Anchor’s Old Foghorn is much lighter than the Alaskan version, which is surprising. Like the Alaskan, some nice tan topping that raced the the edges of the glass and hung out there throughout the sample.
At first taste, the alcohol is especially evident in this beer. My sample came with a metallic edge. I suspect I got a contaminated beer or very old sample because I got some chlorophenolic as well. Otherwise the beer is rather clean bodied with nice, slightly toasty malt notes. The hop flavor is somewhat tart and perhaps citric. Much of this could be the elevated alcohol in combination with the hops. After warming to close to room temperature, I thought that the chlorophenolic element might be the result of some argument between the hops and alcohol but committed to sampling it again. I’ll have to buy another bottle; I don’t believe what I was drinking was what the brewer intended.
Old Foghorn’s mouthfeel is full, but defiantly not as big as the Alaskan. It’s nicely balanced and warming in the alcohol.
Maybe I’m locally biased, but I found the Alaskan Barleywine much more drinkable, complex and enjoyable than the Old Foghorn, but I’ll buy off on final judgment until I’m assured I have a good sample from Anchor.
Last week, I explored Alaskan Brewing Company’s production of a Rough Draft Jalapeno Imperial IPA. Recall that although I haven’t sampled the beer, I found no disdain, but rather curiosity that this rather even-keel brewery would dabble in something of this magnitude. It just didn’t seem to fit as far as I was concerned. One of my favorite all-time brewery babes, Rachel, the Quality Control Analyst at Alaskan provided me some feedback. Rachel isn’t just a QC dweeb, she’s a beer lover and writes a piece for the Juneau Empire, so we’ve got a connection. Check out her grub at www.juneauempire.com. It’s a tough find, but she’s there. Anyway, although Rachel concedes that she’s not a big pepper beer fan, she grew an appreciation for this beer when she paired it with spicy food. “First, the base beer is a really nice, crisp Imperial IPA in it’s own right, and the peppery hops match the jalapeno really nicely. Second, and the best reason, is it’s not hot. The aroma of the jalapeno is prevalent and the flavor of the jalapeno lingers but it is a very fruity pepper, not hot.” As of Thursday, December 27th, I hadn’t seen it yet, so I’ll reserve judgement.” Still, I trust Rachel so I’ll take a hit when it shows up.
Ed Cowger at the Brown Jug Liquor Store at 88th and Old Seward continues to stock the goods. Look for Rogue Brewing Company’s Dry Hopped St. Rogue Red Ale, and Rogue’s Santa’s Private Reserve Ale. Rogue cranks out the goods at this time of year and Ed continues to bring it to us. Just as a reminder, in the good Doc’s opinion, this is the best Southside liquor store, so shop it hard.
One of my favorite beer rags is Beer Advocate. I’ve mentioned this before, but I really like the magazine’s attitude. The two founders, a couple of brothers, Jason and Todd Alstrom, ensure that a spade is called a spade. Contrast this to other sappy, placating rags that are more interested in selling add copy than real reporting, and Beer Advocate is a refreshing read. Sometimes, it’s downright funny. The publication became a year old in December and within the anniversary issue, the staff compiled their perceptions of the The Top 25 Beers on Planet Earth; The Top 25 American Brewers; The Top 25 American Beer Bars; The Top 25 American Beers (“For the Brits, Aussies and Canucks who still think American beer sucks”); The Top 25 Belgian Beers; The Top 25 German Beers; The Top 25 UK and Irish Beers; and the Alstrom Bros’ Top 25 Beers. Read a different magazine that employs a rating system and you’re certain to see different results. Regional palates (BA is published in Boston, and although I don’t know what the criteria for selecting, including and judging the beers was, I sense some definite East Coast influence) differ as do the palates of individual judges on the panel, so I always examine the ratings with some degree of wariness. Still, one of my favorite things to do is scan the results and at least see how many of the listed beers I’ve tried. It’s sort of my own barometer as to how cosmopolitan and international my own palate is.
Of the Top 25 Beers on Planet Earth (“the ones that made us drool, quiver, trade and go broke in 2007”), I’d only tried seven. I was happy that one of my all-time favorite (albeit very rare beers), Peche Mortel from Brasserie Dieu De Ciel in Montreal, Quebec, was listed, along with The Abyss from Deschutes Brewery. I sucked even worse when it came to The Top 25 America Brewers because I’ve only visited three of the breweries: Stone Brewing Company, Hair of the Dog Brewing Company, and our very own Midnight Sun Brewing Company. Considering that Midnight Sun Brewing Company was the only Alaska brewery to honor this distinction, congrats are in order. I’ve only been to three of the Top 25 Beer Bars and was disappointed deeply that Cafe Amsterdam and Humpy’s Great Alaskan Alehouse weren’t included. Again, I have no idea where the ratings came from and without any scorn for the Bros, I’m guessing the panelists that distinguished the Top 25 Bars have never visited these two establishments. And of course, I have no basis for arguing the point because I haven’t visited more than three in the list. I recognize many of the names because they come with huge reputations. I also scored dismally when it came to the Top 25 American Beers, having sampled only three of them. I fared far better when it came to the Top 25 Belgian Beers: I’d sampled 18 of them. I didn’t do so badly within the Top 25 German Beers having sampled fourteen and amazed myself having sampled 22 of the 25Top UK and Irish Beers. Obviously the Bros and I have different palates because I’d only sampled four of the Alstrom Bros Top 25 Beers.
This evaluation underscored a couple of things for me. First, although we are rich by comparison in national and international brands up here, there are limits as to what’s brought in and we’ll never have everything (bummer). Second, as I penned in Thursday’s (January 3rd’s) Anchorage Press beer column, I need to travel more. It’s a big, beery world out there and I just don’t get out into it enough.
One of my all-time favorite winter seasonal beers is making a fleeting appearance around town. Thank you, Homer Brewing Company, for sending your annual Celestiale greeting north once again this 
year. I had it at both Humpy’s and Café Amsterdam (I think). I did so darned much sampling while I made my feeble attempt at Christmas shopping this year and my notes were sloppy, so excuse my lack of definitiveness in this matter. I know for a fact that I had it at Humpy’s, but with numerous forays into Café Amsterdam, I may have had it there as well. I love this cloudy, ruddy orange beer’s ESB-ish aroma with spicy and distinct Belgian-esque overtones. The beer samples with light peppery and sweet spicy notes with a fruity background and just balancing bitterness. The beer is amply carbonated which has the effect of lightening up the body some and making the beer that much more quaffable. Get some while it lasts.
Because it initially made my socks go up and down, I was jazzed to discover The Snow Goose Restaurant and Sleeping Lady Brewing Company’s Braggot on tap at Humpy’s. But I was disappointed in what I got. First, I think I got a bad glass because the formerly rich, sensuous aroma came across as soapy. Having the beer poured too cold didn’t help the experience either. Most disappointing, however was a slight oxidized character to the brew. Both of these elements ruined my initial experience, but the beer actually paired rather nicely with my rib eye steak topped with a mushroom demi-glace and the accompanying cracked pepper mashed potatoes and sautéed veggies. Although the meal was somewhat salty overall, the braggot tore this apart nicely and added a nice rounding to the experience in the end.
This just in from Midnight Sun Brewing Company: Café Amsterdam will have all seven of the fabulous and fast-flying Seven Deadly Sins b(7DS) beers on tap starting on January 18th. I absolutely 
love it when an establishment selflessly devotes the majority of its tap line to a series of beers or at least local beers. I’ll be there for my share. The 7DS gift packs (boxed set with accompanying 7DS poster) flew out of the brewery as fast as they could be assembled, so if you missed buying your own vintage collection, you might be screwed. The final 50 boxed sets will be released for sale on Wednesday, January 2nd at the brewery. I’d suggest camping on their doorstep before they open to get a shot at this hot commodity.
Another reminder: The Great Alaska Beer and Barley Wine Festival and Aurora Productions 
need your help in staffing the event with servers and if this blog, my columns in the two newspapers have any value to you and you appreciate what I do, return the favor and volunteer to help out. This festival is one of Anchorage’s defining beer events and increasingly, it takes a community, rather than a handful of dedicated beer lovers to pull it off. You’ll need a TAM or TIP card to dispense beer, and if you do, PUH-LEEZE call Annie Chavez and volunteer for an evening. Fermento needs YOU to volunteer. If you do, Gambrinus will smile favorably on your mug.
New beers (to Alaska) continue to roll in with increasing regularity from Lagunitus Brewing Company, thanks to the efforts of John Burkett at ODOM. I featured Brown Shugga last week, and it loos like the brewery’s Lumpy Gravy is inbound and should hit the shelves no later than next week. This is an American brown ale, or at least that’s what BeerAdvocate is calling it. The Lagunitas website doesn’t say much about their beers, and since I haven’t had this one, I had to go elsewhere for the information. If ABV has anything to do with it, the stuff is big. It weighs in at a hefty 7.4 percent alcohol. If the other beers within the Lagunitas line are any indication, this is bound to be a good one.
Although I don’t get over there very much, The Whale’s Tail in the Hotel Captain Cook offers a quiet, relaxed atmosphere and a tap line that boast mostly local beers rounded out with a good craft selection and only a little bit of crap on tap. Once in a while, the Tail will host a beer tasting of some 
sort, and the next one is scheduled for January 16, 2007, starting at 6:00 PM. My recollection is that typically 6-8 beers are poured and light appetizers are provided, but you’ll have to RSVP with Kendra at (907) 301-6756, so ask your key questions then. My experience has also been that the clientele is a bit more upscale at this establishment and attendees really try to appreciate what they’re being served. I’ll gather more detail for the next blog.
Dr Fermento Beer Calendar
12/20/07 Humpy’s CoHoHo With Santa Night 6:00 PM Pay As You Go
12/29/07 Tap Root Café MSBC Seven Deadly Sins Party 7:00 PM Pay As You Go ($7.00 Cover)
01/18/08 Eagan Convention Center Great Alaska Beer and Barley Wine Festival 4:00 PM $30.00
01/16/07 SubZero Microlounge MSBC Seven Deadly Sins Beer Dinner 6:00 PM ??
01/16/07 The Whale’s Tail (Captain Cook) Chimay and Schneider Beer Tasting 6:00 PM $55.00
01/18/08 Café Amsterdam All seven MSBC 7DS beers on tap 4:00 PM Pay As You Go
01/18/08 Eagan Convention Center Great Alaska Beer and Barley Wine Festival 5:00 PM $30.00
01/19/08 Eagan Convention Cener GABBF Connoisseur’s Session 2:00 PM $40.00
01/18/07 Midnight Sun Brewing Company 7DS Envy on tap for grolwer service 10:00 AM Pay As You Go
01/19/08 Eagan convention Center Great Alaska Beer and Barley Wine Festival 5:00 PM $30.00
01/25/07 Midnight Sun Brewing Company Fallen Angel Golden Strong Ale available 10:00 AM Varies by size
02/08/08 Snow Goose Restaurant Fur Rondy Homebrew Comp. Entries Accptd 11:00 AM $$ Per Entry
02/09/08 Snow Goose Restaurant Fur Rondy Homebrew Competition Judging 10:00 AM Free
02/16/07 Tap Root Café Ring of Fire Meadery Special Release 8:00 PM Pay As You Go/Cover TBD)
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