MaltBlog

Risquè beer label spurs sales

Legacy Brewing Company of Reading PA has a new "Hedonism Ale" that is drawing compliments for its flavor and criticism for its packaging. The brewery itself essentially admits it's creating an intentional stir with the packaging that has a cartoonish drawing of several topless men and women groping and kissing each other.

(That last sentence ought to drive up the Google ranking of this blog!)

I originally found this story via another blog (Nog's Blog), the motto of which is The Idle Ramblings of Someone Who Really Should Be Doing Some Proper Work. That pretty much describes blogging now, doesn't it? ;-)

Red Fox and Imperial Stout from Rogue

You know a beer is approachable if my father likes it. And guess what? Rogue Red Fox ale, apparently made mainly for export to Japan but obtained on my recent trip to Beers of the World, is a beer my father likes! It's got a smooth and just-sweet-enough maltiness with very little hop character, kind of like a richer version of Killian's or other amber/red ales. It's got that Rogue smoothness that I always like.

And speaking of Rogue, I split a bottle of Rogue XS Imperial Stout with Dan. It comes in the black-coated ceramic 750-ml bottle, and (unbeknownst to me until right now) is a hearty 11% ABV! The beer is very well-hopped and nearly black in color, with a slight alcohol nose which gets stronger and stronger as your glass empties. There are also oats brewed with the beer, which help give it a silky yet full-bodied feel in the mouth. Great in small doses with some vanilla ice cream or a hard cheese.

Damn the Internet(s)!

The power of the Internet - making us wanter around cyberspace and leading us to places we didn't expect.

Here I am, an hour and a half after my last entry, still sipping on this Flemish Primitive Wild Ale. You know that drinking good beer is worth it when, after 90 minutes with the same $12 bottle of beer, you're still working on it and you have a nice buzz going.

So I wandered over to the Shelton Brothers site, because they import this particular beer, and as I get to linking around I find what may be the funniest article I've ever read online. You have to be a beer geek to even remotely appreciate it, so I guess that I must be a beer geek.

My hat's off to the person(s) who put that together.

Super Funky Beer

I think I've just had the weirdest beer ever, Flemish Primitive Wild Ale from De Proef Brouwerij in Lochristi, Belgium. The label is gorgeous - a detail from some renaissance painting (I'm not sure which). The beer is an appealing (when it's 20 degrees outside) 9% alcohol. It pours nicely too, with a golden straw color, a lacy white head, and continuous tiny bubbles rising from the bottom. You can see the color and head in the brewery profile put together by their importer, Shelton Brothers.

But what's odd about this beer is the range of aromas and flavors. It's got a super-funky, almost medicinal, metallic bite to it mixed in with citrus and banana-like flavors, even a little kiwi. And there is an earthy funkiness to the smell and the flavor. I couldn't pin down the smell/taste, so I went to Beer Advocate and looked up the beer (see the first link in this article for that entry). One of the reviewers (who gave it a positive review) nailed it: BAND-AID!! This beer smells and tastes like a circa 1978 sweaty Band-Aid!!

The worst part is, I LIKE IT!

More on Springbank 100 Proof

In a previous entry, I described the Springbank 100 Proof Campbeltown single malt Scotch whisky as having a strong but balanced seaside character, perfect for cold winter days. Well, I had the pleasure of sharing this whisky with friends and family at Christmas and New Year's parties, and it was universally praised. Most of our guests said it was the best whisky they've ever had! The only problem now is that I have to get more, because they drank it all!

Slainte!

More quick tasting notes

After my recent trip to Beers of the World, I've had a chance to try some of my purchases in addition to the Orkney Skull Splitter mentioned in a previous post. These include:

• Celebrator Dopplebock from Ayinger of Germany. Rich, malty, warming (7.5% ABV) and very German. I've had this many times but can never resist the little white plastic goat they hang on the outside of every bottle.
• Dogfish Head 90 Minute Imperial IPA. Big blast of hops but very balanced and smooth too. Strong and perfect for the hoppy beer lover on your gift list.
• Rogue Imperial IPA. This comes in new (to me) re-closable "Grolsch" bottles that are coated to look like they're made of black granite. Very cool bottle. Gigantic mouth feel for an IPA, very rich and smooth with an even bigger hop blast than the Dogfish Head 90 Minute. If you like Rogue, and you like a big IPA, you'll know what to expect from this.

More to come as I try a "Flemish Wild", a Grand Cru lambic from Cantillon, a Rogue Imperial Stout, and more. Please stay tuned!

Wow, Orkney Skull Splitter!

I know, I know, I have been neglecting this blog. I love writing it but I am so busy with so many projects personally and professionally that I rarely have time to sit down and enjoy a good beer. Today I had the chance to head to Rochester and of course I couldn't miss Beers of the World there (technically in Brighton, I believe).

One of the beers I picked up is from the Orkney Brewery in Scotland. It's an excellent strong brown ale called "Skull Splitter", named after a Viking who rules Orkney over a thousand yearrs ago. The beer has a wonderfully smoky, peaty flavor that reminds me of Highland Park or one of the Islay whiskies such as Lagavulin or Ardbeg. But of course, it is still very much a beer. It's even been profiled in an Orkney Food Column. I really love this beer and I'm looking forward to having it again soon!