History Lesson: Pilsner Urquell

On Saturday night, Mindy and I made some pulled pork in the crockpot.  It was fantastic.  About an hour before it was finished, I went to the fridge and was faced with the options for beer pairing, which is a deceptively complex task.  There are a few basic rules to follow when pairing beer with food: match strength with strength, create flavor harmonies (like nutty beer with nutty cheese), or play off of traditional contrasts (like hop bitterness balancing sweetness or fat richness).   I eventually decided on a beer my dad “used to drink a lot of,” Pilsner Urquell.  This beer has a very interesting story, I feel it’s time for another history lesson…

Like something out of a fairy tale

In 1842 Bohemia, in the town of Pilsen (or Plzen), residents were growing unhappy with their usual dark brews.  Elsewhere, the pale ale was growing in popularity.  The town hired Bavarian brewmaster Josef Groll to create a new brew for them, and they also invested money into a new mechanized brewery.  After a bit of laboring and discovery, a new brew was created, something original, the first golden lager.  This new brew was called Pilsener, named after the town of its creation.  After a few translations, the brew became known as Pilsner (the german name).  At the time, Czech beer was known only by the name of the town it came from.  Many breweries began selling variations of the Pilsener beer, riding the wave of popularity, but they weren’t truly Pilsener brews because they were not brewed in Pilsen.  In order to protect the name, in the late 1800s new marketing laws were drafted requiring the source and brand name to be put in the beer’s title. Thus the brand Pilsner Urquell was created, in Czechoslovakia it’s known as Plzensky Prazdroj.  Both Urquell and Prazdroj loosely translate to “original source” in their respective languages.  This beer, now brewed and bottled by the worldwide entity SABMiller, is a living piece history.  So, next time you drink a cold-fermented golden lager of any sort, you’ll know where the idea came from.  Pretty neat huh?

Henry Winkler is a huge history buff

Getting into the tasting, this beer poured about 2 fingers worth of head that dissipated fairly quickly.  I’d describe the color like a golden apple cider.  This beer didn’t really lace, there were a few spots that had patches, but nothing exciting.

This beer smelled very zesty from the hops, it was definitely the strongest note in the aroma.  This can no doubt be attributed to the Saaz variety of hops, well known for strong aroma and zesty qualities.

In the first taste, the barley malt made a big appearance.  It was very sweet and grainy on the front end.  After a second, you get more Saaz hops to maintain a very fine balance between sweet and bitter.  There is also a faint mineral taste, this is most likely caused by the famously soft water in Pilsen used to make this brew.

The beer has a mild finish, very easy to drink.  It’s not the hoppiest pilsner on the market, that’s for sure.

Overall, I’d give Pilsner Urquell 3.5 out of 5.  It definitely gets points for being the first ever Pilsener beer, however being the first doesn’t necessarily mean being the best.  There are other craft brewers that have copied the style of the Czech pilsner and created a more delightful brew.  At the very least, I’d recommend it based on its historical merit.  Knowledge of the past lets us appreciate the present, like watching cartoons of our childhood lets us realize that cartoons today suck.

With the exception of Adventure Time

College Station's local flavor: New Republic Brewing's Bellows Amber Ale

Tonight, a few friends and I had the pleasure of attending an open house at the New Republic Brewery, College Station’s first ever microbrewery.  I had been looking forward to this for weeks in advance.  The first time I heard of this new brewery was almost immediately after I got back from Queensland, Australia.  A brewery in College Station was almost too good to be true, so I did a little googling and found just what I was looking for.  Although this brewery supplies their prototype brews to a few local places, including Obannon’s, I decided to wait and sample the brew fresh from the source.

As I arrived at the brewery, I felt a little lost.  The brewery is tucked into the corner of some other generic prefab tin buildings; I couldn’t distinguish one from the other.  I knew though, once I saw everyone standing in line, that I made it.  I saw my friends, made a couple greetings and jumped into the line like everyone else.  While waiting, one of the company’s founders, Dean, introduced himself.  At the time, I couldn’t think of anything interesting to say because I was still so happy to be there.  I hadn’t been to a brewery since 2006 when I went to the Coor’s brewery.  Even though the production scale isn’t the same, my enthusiasm for the experience was equal if not stronger.  The brewery was very small, as to be expected from a start up.  The tasting took place standing around their bags of malt, and some of their fermenting tanks.  This really aided to the feeling of being a part of the brewery’s foundation. 

Once I reached the front of the line, I was faced with a choice. I could either take my 2 free tastings in 3oz. size or I could purchase a New Republic ‘nonick’ style pint glass and get my tastings in pint size.

The obvious choice

I bought the glass and started to enjoy my first tasting.  I first went with their newly created summer brew, known only as The Domestic.  This beer was very refreshing; it had a clean, crisp taste.  I’d like to try this beer in a more structured setting, where I’m not as distracted, maybe then I could do the review justice. The second brew I sampled was the New Republic mainstay, their Bellows Amber Ale.

The beer was slow drawn from their own keg-erator style tap, leaving just a short finger’s worth of brown-tinged head.  The color of the beer itself was dark amber. This beer appeared very thick, which could be a negative as most would agree that non-wheat beers should be presented with clarity.  However, this brew was considerably darker in hue than most ambers and the darker the beer, the less light can be expected to pass through it.

This beer had a fine aroma of malt.  Bellows Amber is comprised of 70% Vienna malt and a 30% mixture of Munich and Crystal malts.  The Vienna is just a standard base malt, imparting a textbook malt flavor and amber color.  The Munich and Crystal malts are where the toasted flavors come in, Crystal malt especially delivers a caramel flavor that comes though strong in first inhale.

The beer is flavored a lot like it smells, with a heavy sweet malt front end.  There was also a licorice note that I picked up on.  On the back end of the swallow, the hops come into play.  You get a nice piney bite, with a subtle citrus note. The beer ends clean, leading you into the next sip, and makes you miss it when you’re finished.

Overall, I’d give New Republic Brewing Co.’s Bellows Amber Ale 4 out of 5.  I really enjoyed the sweet malt flavor; I could definitely see myself enjoying this on a cool October evening.  All I could ask from this beer is just a little more of a bitter hop edge, to balance the sweetness.  This is a great starter brew for this brewery and it’s going to be really exciting to watch them grow!

Keep an eye out for this one

Rolling Rock Extra Pale

Yep, Rolling Rock. This was one of the singles I bought along with the Sierra Nevada. I’ve always been interested in trying this beer.  It's been around a long time, it’s a really easy beer to find in stores, and some bars carry it also.  The first time I remember wondering what it tasted like was last summer.  I was stuck in College Station for the break (much like this year) and was living in a friend’s house.  Like many college houses, there was a shelf over the kitchen lined with empty bottles of beer, and among them was Rolling Rock.  Not until last week however, did I have the impulse to buy one. 

Impulse buying is a disease I carry

Rolling Rock originated in Latrobe, Pennsylvania; it was first produced in 1939.  In 2006, Anheuser Busch purchased the brewery and it’s now made in St. Louis.  So, although Rolling Rock may look like a neat microbrew, it’s not. If you’re the sort that won’t drink an InBev or MillerCoors brand, you probably already knew that.  Rolling Rock’s current advertising tagline is “Born Small Town.”  Well, they’re big city now. Another thing to note about this beer is the “33” they put on every bottle.  It’s supposedly a mystery as to what the number stands for.  Personally, I think it’s a mystery that anyone cares.

Did someone say, "number" and "mystery"?

Rolling Rock is an American Adjunct Lager, and what that means is when making the malt, grains other than barley are added to thin out the beer and add another protein source.  The most consumed beers in America are brewed this way, Bud is brewed with rice, and Miller is brewed with corn. Rolling Rock is brewed with both.

Not much to say.

This beer pours a very thin, half finger of head.  The color is best described as a pale gold.  It’s as if you took a common light beer, and watered it down a bit, which is exactly what I could expect from a beer labeled as an Extra Pale. This beer has a weak aroma; the two recognizable smells are corn and a hint of metal.  This beer has an even weaker taste.  Simply, it tasted and felt like mineral water.  If you were to blind taste test this and a bottle of Topo Chico, I probably couldn’t tell the difference.  Since it’s so bland and carbonated, this beer is amazingly drinkable (just like mineral water).  In fact, when I read that this beer has an abv of 4.5% I was astonished.  This beer is a macrobrew, through and through.

I’d rank Rolling Rock 2 out of 5.  I wouldn’t ever make fun of anyone for drinking it, but I wouldn’t purchase this beer again.  This is a brew that begs the question, why bother?  I understand the need for a buffalo-wing session thirst quencher, but Rolling Rock is slightly more expensive than its competition and it achieves the same final effect. If you want to drink something light, refreshing, and cheap reach for a High Life instead.

It's the Champagne of Beer

IPA History Lesson: Sierra Nevada Brewing's Torpedo Extra IPA

Recently, I picked up a few random singles from the grocery store.  There are quite a few common microbrews and famous foreign beers I’ve yet to try, so I figured why not grab some for the fridge?  I wasn’t expecting to be impressed; I’m just interested in trying all that’s out there.  One brewery that’s rapidly growing in popularity is Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.  They’re one of the largest craft brewing companies, you can find their beers in stores nationwide, and chances are you’ve tried their Sierra Nevada Pale Ale.  It’s relatively inexpensive and a nice gateway into craft brews.  Until yesterday, I hadn’t tried anything from Sierra Nevada so I bought a bottle of their Torpedo Extra IPA.

Before I get into the review, I’m gonna’ drop some British brew history on you.  In about 1780 there was a brewer named Hodgson who started making beer for export to India, which at the time was full of British soldiers and traders.  This beer was a very hoppy, amber colored October style beer that kept well on the 6 month journey down.  Somehow, Hodgson upset the East India Trading Company so he was forced to stop exporting.  Around the same time, brewers in Burton-on-Trent were experimenting with a brew suitable for export like Hodgson’s.  Although they originally made strong porters, which was the popular style of that time, their hard water was actually better suited for this new pale ale.  This style, aggressively hopped to maintain freshness on the long journey, was somehow discovered domestically. People really enjoyed it; India Pale Ale became the fashionable brew in Britain.

And so it began...

So now you know, the IPA came from Britain and not India.  Most IPAs out on the market are a new American style, a revamped version of the old English IPA.  Many microbreweries produce their own variety of the brew, some breweries also produce an Imperial (or Double) IPA which is normally twice as strong as the American version. Sierra Nevada Torpedo Extra IPA is an American IPA dedicated to the process of dry-hopping.  They weren't satisfied with their old hopping techniques so, like many other breweries, they crafted their own machine to get it right.  They call it the Hop Torpedo, which lends its name to the brew it helped create.

Hop Art

To get the full effect of this brew I poured it into a large rimmed British dimpled pint, the odd dimpled shape allows for better light refraction and really brings out a richness in the amber color.  The pour yielded a finger and a half of lumpy white head that left patchy bands of lace.  I’d say the color was darker than I expected, closer to a light brown.  Aroma-wise, this beer smelled exactly like I thought it would: citrus and pine notes, both of which are textbook hop scents.  After the first drink, I felt like someone put a hop cone in my mouth.  The hop flavor was so overwhelming it took about 5 sips to begin to taste anything else.  On the very back end, you can taste clean malt and a bit of grapefruit.  The aftertaste was crippling bitter, those hop oils just stick to your tongue.  At one point I also caught a bit of a plastic taste.  I found myself wanting a palate cleanser. 

I’d rate Sierra Nevada Torpedo Extra IPA 3 out of 5, it had a desirable hop flavor but it was completely unbalanced.  Torpedo is made with some average strength malt, but it’s overloaded with some powerful hops.  In my opinion, you can’t have strength in one without the other.  If you’re a desperate hop-head searching for a strong bitter brew, there are plenty I’d recommend first that deliver a better overall experience.

I won't give up on you guys just yet

Hitting a roadblock: Rahr & Son's Gravel Road

Obannon’s just received a new seasonal brew, Gravel Road, from the fine folks at Rahr & Son’s Brewery in Fort Worth, TX.  Gravel Road is only going to be available from July to August, so I figured if I didn’t try it now, I might not get another chance until 2012.  I’ve had 3 beers from Rhar & Son’s so far.  The first one I tried was their Summertime Wheat, which I wasn’t a big fan of, spice note was way too strong.  The second I tried, their most popular brew Ugly Pug Black Lager, was actually pretty good, I'd say it was the best Schwarzbier I've had.  This brewery has been a big hit or a real miss for me, so I didn’t really know what to expect from Gravel Road, I was hoping for a smooth ride.

Doesn't look very smooth, looks painful

This beer is an unusual style of brown ale called a sticke altbier.  ‘Alt’ is German for old, as in old beer, not alternative beer.  They didn’t create ‘alternative beer’ for the hipsters.  It’s considered old due to a longer conditioning time.  The word ‘sticke’ indicates that this is a stronger variation of altbier, and stronger it is with an abv of 7.25%.  I wish I had known Gravel Road was an altbier beforehand, because I most likely wouldn’t have ordered it, I wasn’t in the mood for something so heavy.

Gravel Road pours a dark, ruby brown color with a eggshell white head.  That reddish tinge in the color is from the CaraRed malt used as part of the mash.  This beer left no lacing, although I’m not sure if that was from the beer or from the glass (condensation can ruin any lacing which might occur).

This beer had a toasty, woody smell.  The real star here was the malt.  It was hard to pick up on anything else but I think I might have smelled raisin.

After my first taste I was pretty much finished with this beer.  The only thing I could taste was the toasted malt flavors, and maybe a hint of sweetness.  I found out later that this beer was made with Munich malt, which is kilned to a dark color and produces an amber-brown brew, but I’m convinced that this batch was kilned too long.  The malt tasted burnt, plain and simple.  It was also slightly bitter, but it wasn’t a hop bitterness, it was like a char bitterness.  This beer left a bad aftertaste, and my mouth felt like a desert.

Bottomline: I’m giving Rahr & Son’s Gravel Road 2.5 out of 5.  This beer gets a 50% because it’s an interesting type of brew, and it could have just been a bad bottle.  I seriously doubt I’ll ever have this again, unless it’s free and given to me.  I’m hoping for big things from the Rahr brewery, but they might need some work filling in the potholes.

Because no one like changing a popped tire

Dazed and Confused: Delirium Tremens

I made a few random picks this Sunday at Obannon’s, I’d say it went alright, which is the best I could have hoped for.  I’ve been doing a massive load of research on what I want to try next at home, but I’ve spent a lot less time figuring out what I wanted to order next at the pub, so last night I accidently bought a beer in a can.

I have nothing against beer in a can.  Contrary to what people tell you, the can doesn’t change the flavor of the beer.  Cans are sprayed with a flavorless coating which makes sure the metal never comes in contact with the brew.  The only metal you might taste is from putting your lips to the rim to drink it.  Besides, a keg is essentially just a large pressurized can without the pop-top.  If you’re really against cans I guess you should stop ordering beers on tap.  Stick to the bottle or wait for those new-fangled glass kegs they’re making (note the sarcasm).

My problem with ordering the beer in the can was the bartender, whom I’d never seen there before, didn’t think to offer me a glass.  I’m not enough of a beer snob that I can’t enjoy a beer without pouring it into a glass; however, it makes it pretty damn hard to write a review for a beer you can’t really see or smell.  Since the trivia was about to start and the place was busy, I waddled myself back over my table and drank my beer.  I didn’t put much effort (read: any effort) into reviewing Big Sky Brewing Co’s Montana Trout Slayer, my only after thoughts are that it tasted good and I’d like to try it again.  That’s the sum of what I remember.

The review that never was

The second beer I ordered, I could somewhat review in between pub quiz rounds.  I ordered Delirium Tremens from the Belgian brewery Brouwerij Huyghe. After I ordered, the same lady bartender from earlier let me know “it’s a little on the expensive side.”  Doing the beer tour, I don’t really have a choice, because eventually I will have to buy and try all 75 brands.  So I took a chance and agreed to the purchase.

Tremens is strong pale ale that comes in an oddly decorated bottle as you can see.  After the strange hallucinogenic label, you’d expect the beer to be more mystic.  The beer poured a strong 3 finger head, but I’d attribute that to the bartender practically splashing it into the glass.  I’d describe the color as a pale amber, like the kind of amber mosquitos get trapped in.  Too distracted to note the lacing.

Tremens is supposedly famous for the estery, or fruity aroma it produces.  Against the hype, I wasn’t really impressed.  I did pick up on some; I couldn’t dissect the individual fruits, except for orange peel.  Also noteworthy was a hint of spice like sage.

Ales develop fruit accents, it’s natural.  Delirium Tremens is a prime example of that.  The taste wasn’t much of a departure from the smell.  There was a great compliment from the fruit and spice.  Orange and pear, mixing with sage and white pepper.  On the swallow, the alcohol warms your throat.  Tremens has an abv of 8.25% and it’s pretty obvious.  This beer leaves your mouth dry after you're finished, your breath doesn’t smell very good either.

I’d give Delirium Tremens 3.5 out of 5, it’s fine but it’s not fantastic.  Many people rank this beer high, and maybe I expected too much out of it.  That’s the true problem with tasting and grading beer: taste is subjective, and it’s hard to disregard other's opinions and begin a tasting unbiased.  If you like ales, particularly Belgians like Duvel, you’d probably want to try Tremens for yourself.  If you don’t like stronger alcohol beers, leave this one on the shelf, it looks better there anyway.

That one's pretty, but can I try it in red?

Catch up review time: Allagash Brewing Co.'s Allagash White

This weekend was a very good weekend for beer, as well as just a good weekend overall.  On Friday night I had the pleasure of trying Allagash White, and enjoyed plenty of Shiner Bock at a party.  On Saturday I tried Caffe Capri in Bryan for the first time, with an amazing dish of baked penne with pepperoni, and had fun running around the Northgate District for my friend Ty’s 21st birthday celebration.  Finally yesterday, I had my favorite Chinese food restaurant Chef Cao’s with a clean Tsingtao, and then failed miserably at Obannon’s pub quiz but had a good time doing it.  After such an eventful weekend, I’m stuck playing catch-up review.  So first up is my late Friday night review of Allagash White, from Maine’s Allagash Brewing Co.

A dull building, but looks can be deceiving

Allagash White is a witbier, unfiltered ale usually made from wheat, and commonly brewed with orange peel and spices like coriander.  The most common witbier is probably Blue Moon, and the textbook example of a witbier is most likely Hoegaarden.  Many wheat beers have specific pouring instructions for their brews, and Allagash is no different.  “Pour half the bottle, swirl to agitate the yeast, and pour the remainder of the bottle.” By including the yeast in the bottle, the beer continues to condition, after leaving the brewery.  Leaving the yeast in the beer also contributes heavily to aroma and flavor.  Some people will choose to serve a wedge of lemon, or orange with their witbier.  The only problem with this is the acidity will destroy the head, and it can overpower some flavors and aromas.  However, it’s not my place to say whether or not it’s wrong to serve that way, it’s completely the drinker’s preference.

The testing table in action

In order to get the most out this brew, I followed the bottle instructions for the pour, the proper way to pour any witbier or hefe-weisen.  What resulted were a cloudy yellow body and a thick 2 finger white head.  It did also leave some patches of lace throughout, which crystallized into little foamy snowflakes almost.

This beer smelled very good.  There was a strong lemon oil scent, like smelling the rind of a lemon after you juice it.  Also in the aroma was subtle fresh tilled dirt, a non-descript spice note, and a tiny hint of yeast.

On the first taste, I already enjoyed everything this beer had going for it.  The spice note was initially dominant, primarily coriander and clove.  The second notable flavors to shine were the fruit rind flavors, lemon for sure, a bit of orange peel, and maybe a little apricot as well.  As it finished you could definitely tell you were drinking wheat, and as you finished the beer the yeast taste became stronger.  That might be a red flag for some, but I like it; yeast is good for you.  This beer was extremely complex and interesting.  It had a delightful mouthfeel: velvety, warming, and rich.  There was practically no bitterness present at all.

Overall, I really enjoyed this beer.  I’d give it 4.5 out of 5.  There’s something keeping me from rating this beer a perfect score, but I can’t quite decide what.  It may be the price (roughly $10 for a 4 pack), or it may just be that wheat beers aren’t my style of choice.  I will say this though, if you enjoy brews like Blue Moon (owned by MillerCoors) and want to step out into the world of microbrewing, you’d be doing yourself a favor by trying Allagash White.  It’s pretty bold for a casual drinker, but it’s beers like this that truly make someone appreciate the art of craft brewing.

Pictured: the exact opposite of craft brewing.