Friday, August 31, 2012

Beer at the shelter

"I don't know how appropriate it is to show up at the shelter with a keg of beer"


Beer at the shelter

"I don't know how appropriate it is to show up at the shelter with a keg of beer"


Thursday, August 30, 2012

Ballast Point and BrewDow Collab

A Big Wapping High Five 

to the team at Ballast Point for landing a collaboration gig with BrewDog! Being one of the biggest and most world renowned brewers of epic, wacky, tasty and expensive brews, Scottish based BrewDog has been mixing with some of the greats for a very long time. Ballast Point earns mega points for catching the Dog wave and representing San Diego with a backbone of great local standing and over 10 years of solid craft brewing, there could have no better a match. 

Not to mention the lush point that Ballast Point is the ONLY liquor producer in CA with Three Sheets Rum standing on it's own legs for a few years now, us on lookers licking our lips for the Devil's Share that is currently cooking in barrels, YUM.


If any of you readers in San Diego want to trade my currency (euros, french ones) for your San Diego Scotch Ale and shipping to France costs, Nitch would delightfully exchange the useless pieces of paper via internet for the bottled baby of joy!

Ballast Point and BrewDow Collab

A Big Wapping High Five 

to the team at Ballast Point for landing a collaboration gig with BrewDog! Being one of the biggest and most world renowned brewers of epic, wacky, tasty and expensive brews, Scottish based BrewDog has been mixing with some of the greats for a very long time. Ballast Point earns mega points for catching the Dog wave and representing San Diego with a backbone of great local standing and over 10 years of solid craft brewing, there could have no better a match. 

Not to mention the lush point that Ballast Point is the ONLY liquor producer in CA with Three Sheets Rum standing on it's own legs for a few years now, us on lookers licking our lips for the Devil's Share that is currently cooking in barrels, YUM.


If any of you readers in San Diego want to trade my currency (euros, french ones) for your San Diego Scotch Ale and shipping to France costs, Nitch would delightfully exchange the useless pieces of paper via internet for the bottled baby of joy!

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Tasting: Krombacher Pils

Krombacher Pils 4.8% Nitch rated 2.83

adhering to the Reinheitsgebot

A: A very bright, caramel to hay color with bright, spritely bubbles 4.0

S: Grains and yeasts follow, slowly, by a malt or two. 3.0

T: for sure a pilsner with a very pilsnery, pils pop. very carbonated, grain and yeast then a lingering grassy. 2.5

M: harsh and dry 3.0

O: like taking a yeasty roll in the hay this Pils embodies that simmering hot summer day when you were too stupid, too poor and too sweaty to linger in the beer isle. The problem with his beer boys and girls is that as soon as the chill haze wears off, so does the delightful bitter carbonated refreshment that first excites you. Not unlike young love, this beer is good for a quick July night under the stars, just make sure that there is plenty of ice in the cooler and a more then one. 3.0

Saturday, August 25, 2012

Sour Revolution



We can't keep ignoring the facts. The tides of change are pulling beerophiles in new directions and as animals such as sea urchins and lobsters have been observed to grow thicker shells when exposed to more acidic waters, so must Nitch firm up the palate for a change. IPAs are getting more and more bitter, bitter to a point where bitter isn't tart enough! We've progressed into a full on sour assault. Take a look at how sour is creeping into the frequent connoisseur's guide to new, impressive and distinctly difference brews. 

The Bruery, Orange County, CA


Batch #1 Photo curtesy of Photoanger


Brettanomyces, the yeasts infamously found in Belgian Lambic, Farmhouse, and sour ales that produce aromas of horse blanket, smoke, and sweat…in a porter or a stout? You’re darn right.
The Bruery Blog writers continues to school us with a nice, snappy lesson the history of porters and stouts, adding that it is likely for "Brett" (the yeast) to have been a regular part of 18th 19th century dark ales. 


Hess Brewing, San Diego CA Newsletter



The beer we had intended to release in bottles for our anniversary ale WAS going to be a fresh hopped San Diego Pale Ale. Unfortunately, this ale did not quite reach the high standard (the Hess-ness, if you will) that we require for our beers—especially when it is going to be our anniversary release! Great Beer, No Exceptions, No Excuses isn't just a cool motto—we mean it! SO, you ask, what did we do with this beer?
Barrel Time, of course! We racked it into a freshly emptied wine barrel, inoculated it with some Roselare and... we'll wait for a year to see what happens (best case scenario is the world's first Sour Wet-Hopped Imperial IPA).


Funk Metal Barrel Aged Imperial Stout, Brett Soured



Funk Metal baby. Above is a potential new concoction from the most prolific brewery in Texas. Jester King Funk Metal is a barrel aged imperial stout, soured with that funky brettanomyces and even uses some wild Texas yeast (in the spirit of Belgian brewing, baby!).
Down below heavy clouds, swollen and green with electric rain, the two-grinned snake waves at us in the arrythmic symphony. We dance up the leg of a star dusted mountain; from its summit our souls are projected into the darkness of the universe as scattered laser light beams. We seek the taste of eternity.  You dig? 
Style: Imperial Stout (Barrel Aged, Sour)
Hops: Millenium, East Kent Goldings
Malts: Pale malt, Black, Carafa, Dark Crystal
Availability: 750 ml bottles
Arrival: TBA
8.2% ABV, 29 IBUs 



Reviews and Rants

In Nov 2011, Eric Asimov wrote in the Nytimes.com about being pushed into the sour way of life

No beer impressed us more than our No. 1 bottle, the 2010 Kriek Ale from Cascade in Portland, Ore. This lambic-style vintage beer is flavored with cherries, but was not sweetly fruity or cloying. Rather, it was beautifully tart and richly complex, with just a hint of fruit flavor for balance. We liked this beer so much, we gave a rare top score of four stars.

Not too far behind was our No. 2 bottle, the Classic Gueuze from Cantillon of Belgium, a brilliant exemplar of the style. The gueuze is a blend of three different lambics that have been aged for one, two or three years in old casks. It offers a rare complexity and a funk that, to me at least, is simply beautiful.

If you scroll to the end of the tasting, there is a beautiful list of their sampling panel, with abv, prices, locations and short descriptions. 

Charleston City Paper does review on sour beers with the gear toward wine lovers. Could sour be the bridge between the long time rivals?

Doing a little dance in her chair- Nitch likes this change!
IPAs are a hard find while traveling, so I've recently become a sour convert out of nessesity with it being much easier to pick up a sour belgian fruit lambic because of it's world notoriety. Usually smacked behind a hefty shipping tax, but reachable none the less. 

Tonight we will search the area for sour beer and tomorrow we will do a Tasting!

Beer and Bling




Where fashion is concerned, Nitch is as susceptible to the lure of a Gucci bag as to the ecstatic find of a vintage gem broach or up cycled innovation. There are things that should not be made, forgotten in the rifts of poor marketing or silly flash displays of personal interests. While it is an indulgence to be able to show your love of a genre, it is a sin to plaster yourself with trash. 
Don't wear something you wouldn't drink.
 Unlike the pieces above, the following etsy.com finds have character and depth, complexity and talent coupled with the charitable trait of being purchasable by us less artistic but equally beer geeky folks.  




He is rummaging his way through the hemp pants section, hesitating with a hand on the olive green, full length style when your lingering gaze is discovered. Dread locks in a wrap, faint traces of eye liner from the night before and the smell of nag champa envelope him like a gypsy angel, but you have promised yourself no more homeless, loafing men in your life. He extends a hand, warm smile and greeting as you notice, nestled in his jungle of braided twine bracelets- a beer bead bracelet. Hallelujah!
Beer beads, wood tubes hand wrapped with up-cycled beer labels, then triple coated to ensure water resistance. Along with dark wood rounds, they are laced with 1mm brown help onto 2mm brown leather, finished with an antiqued brass button clasp. 




The Rouge Nation meeting was beginning as the crowd of beer logo wearing regulars buzzed into open setting for the monthly talk on new brews. He was tapping his glass to calm the chatter, when a plump, bright lady bussled in from the street, wind gushing in from the winter season outside. She was new to the meetings and her full figure suggested a great of love all things consumable while her cropped red dress accentuated her ample upper half, her eyes twinkled brightly behind horn glasses and under a dark crop of curls. She was ravishing, bubbling with life and color, there seemed no reason for her to be attending a beer snobbery meeting. He was about to inquire where is was she needed directions to when he spotted the unique wearable art piece that dominated her voluptuous neckline: she was a fashion writer gone Rogue.


Each creation in my Kassie Ollvera's Portland Oregon shop is handmade without the use of molds. Each piece is one of a kind, guaranteed to grab attention and insite envy.



Ally Shaw Designs

A quick movement of repetition as she tucks a bit of hair behind her ear and leans over the brewing vat, her necklace slipping from the shirt collar to dangle over the liquid like a magical christening. It's brew-day and your favorite brewster is messing about with champagne yeast. She has a thing for Belgians. And bling


Ally Shaw Designs
This necklace celebrates the ancient beverage with a weighty and beautifully detailed pewter hop flower pendant which hangs from a gunmetal chain. A tiny grouping of Swarovski crystals represent the Lovibond or SRM beer spectrum. Hop bead is hand-cast in lead free pewter.

Add these Beer Flight earrings for a true beer alluring set.









Let me know if you have any uniquely artistic beer bling favorites!

Beer and Bling




Where fashion is concerned, Nitch is as susceptible to the lure of a Gucci bag as to the ecstatic find of a vintage gem broach or up cycled innovation. There are things that should not be made, forgotten in the rifts of poor marketing or silly flash displays of personal interests. While it is an indulgence to be able to show your love of a genre, it is a sin to plaster yourself with trash. 
Don't wear something you wouldn't drink.
 Unlike the pieces above, the following etsy.com finds have character and depth, complexity and talent coupled with the charitable trait of being purchasable by us less artistic but equally beer geeky folks.  




He is rummaging his way through the hemp pants section, hesitating with a hand on the olive green, full length style when your lingering gaze is discovered. Dread locks in a wrap, faint traces of eye liner from the night before and the smell of nag champa envelope him like a gypsy angel, but you have promised yourself no more homeless, loafing men in your life. He extends a hand, warm smile and greeting as you notice, nestled in his jungle of braided twine bracelets- a beer bead bracelet. Hallelujah!
Beer beads, wood tubes hand wrapped with up-cycled beer labels, then triple coated to ensure water resistance. Along with dark wood rounds, they are laced with 1mm brown help onto 2mm brown leather, finished with an antiqued brass button clasp. 




The Rouge Nation meeting was beginning as the crowd of beer logo wearing regulars buzzed into open setting for the monthly talk on new brews. He was tapping his glass to calm the chatter, when a plump, bright lady bussled in from the street, wind gushing in from the winter season outside. She was new to the meetings and her full figure suggested a great of love all things consumable while her cropped red dress accentuated her ample upper half, her eyes twinkled brightly behind horn glasses and under a dark crop of curls. She was ravishing, bubbling with life and color, there seemed no reason for her to be attending a beer snobbery meeting. He was about to inquire where is was she needed directions to when he spotted the unique wearable art piece that dominated her voluptuous neckline: she was a fashion writer gone Rogue.


Each creation in my Kassie Ollvera's Portland Oregon shop is handmade without the use of molds. Each piece is one of a kind, guaranteed to grab attention and insite envy.



Ally Shaw Designs

A quick movement of repetition as she tucks a bit of hair behind her ear and leans over the brewing vat, her necklace slipping from the shirt collar to dangle over the liquid like a magical christening. It's brew-day and your favorite brewster is messing about with champagne yeast. She has a thing for Belgians. And bling


Ally Shaw Designs
This necklace celebrates the ancient beverage with a weighty and beautifully detailed pewter hop flower pendant which hangs from a gunmetal chain. A tiny grouping of Swarovski crystals represent the Lovibond or SRM beer spectrum. Hop bead is hand-cast in lead free pewter.

Add these Beer Flight earrings for a true beer alluring set.









Let me know if you have any uniquely artistic beer bling favorites!

Archive Bar, Brisbane, Australia


Nov 26th at Archive in Brisbane West End


Bar gets beer from brewery

Cloe says Murray’s is best

Dark Ale pale/dark by white rabbit

Andrew-

Aus. is 20years behind US

Redback was 1stbrewers

2000 lil like Sierra Nevada

has attached bottle shop

425Ml is 14/15 oz glasses

per abv $, 23/24 $ per Lt.


Brennon is Burleigh brewer

Metallic taste may be age/over handling


Madd Abbott or Wicked Elf – Belgian


Old Admiral Lord Nelson

A: very dark brow, not hazy

S: sweet, caramel

T: toasty









O: like Guinness, but sweeter and less cream feel. Fruit taste, strawberry maybe due to nz hops?


The Harvest Bridge Road Brewers, Beechworth

A: light yellow with thick white head

S: soft hoppy aroma

T: bitter front, balanced very well. Passion fruit hops

O: Leo says he gets a mineral taste from the water used


Double Trouble Abbey Ale Holgate 8%

A: bright tan, cream head, slow bubbles

S: rum like

T: bread finish, back of mouth lingering raisin

M:coating

O: cheese/dessert beer. Strong and soft sweet with a malty/hearty texture



Heart of Darkness Murray’s 9.6% “Belgio” Imperial stout

A: dark with red highlights

S: curry, pasta, basil, chocolate

T: bread (yeast) like Belgian, malty and chocolate but not too coffee or roasted. Lingering chocolate

O: pours in bitter and hoppy then finishes chocolate. In love! Strong and loving. Shippable, gulp able, hearty and soft. It burst flavor but doesn’t give you a caffeine headache. Pours with a syrup consistency. Fizzes like a redhead in heat.



“When its too black, I don’t feel the ingredients” –Leo

Beer Serving Temperatures


Very cold (0-4 C/32-39 F) Pale lager, malt liquor

Cold (4-7C/39-45F) Hefeweiszen, premium lager, pilsner, belgiam white or fruit lambic

Cool (8-12 C/ 45-54 F) American pale ale, amerber ale, dunkelweizen, sweet stout, stout, porter, dunkel, helles, Vienna, schwarzbier, smoked, altbier, tripel, irish ale

Cellar (12-14 c/54-57F) Bitter, premium bitter, brown ale, IPA, English pale ale, unblended lambic, bock, scotch ale, American strong ale, mild

Warm (14-16/57-61F) Marley wine, quadruple, imperial stout, imperial/double IPA, Doppelbock

Bavarian Beer Bar Australia



CafĂ© holds a rustic charm with racks of glass steins while visually appealing to younger crowds. Modern style and color. Men’s man feel. Pretty female servers in tasteful blue button ups. Odd to see a women here, as usual, I’m out numbered. Playing 90’s music softly with complimenting music video displayed on out of view TV. Occasional pictures of “people having a good time drinking” flash over the TV.

High raise ceilings give the small space an elevated feeling. 

Extra seating upstairs not open yet

Ample outdoor seating. Covered if needed. Glass steins displayed on back lite wall. Massive wall photo of German man’s ass as he examines a low rack of steins. Tasteful, funny and odd.

There is a coffee machine. Because this place is well rounded? Dining area has pho log cabin walls. Mounted deer and hanging candle chandelier. If you step back, quint your eyes and shake your head (after a few pints) it looks like you are in a really clean German restaurant!

The staff stands in the safety of the bar area, while patrons sit with dwindling beer glasses.


“Don’t get to meet people like me at home brewing” says the drunken man on the opposite table in reaction to me saying I home brew. I think the case it made. The exact reason that I home-brew is so I don’t have to meet people like you.


Why are there wines on beer menus?


Tasting: Pepper Jack


Pepper jack

A: caramel brown with slow bubbles

S: Celery, coffee smell

T: spicy, meaty

M: leaves a nice heat in mouth



8/10/11

Pepperjack 4.7% ale
sweet, tart, caramel



Tasting: Matilda Bay


Big Helga Matilda Bay $9

Dry Munich Lager

A: very light with thin head, foam clings to glass in thin veins

S: Floral but very sweet, sugar

T: Malty, sweet. Off smell like old barn

M: Sticky



BeezNeez, Matilda 4.7%
Melon "amber honey, premium pale"
malt in the middle
light caramel color, big bubbles, light white head.

FatYak



Bohemian Pilsner
 Matilda Bay

Average

No after taste

Hops? Sweet, citrus



Tasting- Little Creatures


"20772867_1_logoStarting life sometime around the "turn of the century", Little Creatures Brewing was born out of the love of great beer shared by some friends that had all worked together in breweries at some time or other in the past…in particular it was a love affair for a style of beer that we all wanted to drink, that of a hop driven pale ale."

Little Creatures is likely one of the better known Australian craft brewers. Hailing from Fremantle (Perth area) and widely distributed, they claim to have great roots in the beer culture, but have a commercial birth. Established in 2000 by Matilda bay brewing Comany, currenlty owned by a chain: Little world beverages, owned by Lion Nathan, owned by Kirin, owned by Mitsubishi. If you have a chain, then ya ain't got freedom! But, I'm sure that Mitsubishi car moguls don't have too much say in how the beer is made, so lets stick to the important things and put away our posters and paints. For now...

LITTLE CREATURES- Bright Ale 4.5%

[caption id="attachment_1010" align="alignright" width="214"]Bright Ale outta the ol' wine glass Bright Ale outta the ol' wine glass[/caption]

A: Mild yellow, little head that quickly disappeared

S: Sweet, floral, hoppy

T: Thin bubbles, not bitter

M: Sticky

O: Well rounded, very drinkable

DSC_0113 5My next run in with the Little Creatures creations was in Byron Bay at the Balcony Bar, whom (as I've stated before for another tasting) served me off tasting oysters and served nothing in the way of apologies.  If beer didn't exist then I'd be blogging about oysters, so I'm sure I snob about that as well. The servers were rude about the whole ordeal and I left feeling gastronomically abused. Beer is the important thing, this time around, so Nitch will bitch less and beer more.

LITTLE CREATURES- Roger’s Beer “midi” 3.8% 568ml $9.5

A: red, brown with tawny highlights. Bright tan head

S: light hop smell, green, light toasted

T: not much, roasted a bit, bitter in the middle

M: grassy, sticky feel

O” a typical “midi” range Aussie beer. The look doesn’t match with flavor. It’s a filler

Tasting: 28 Pale Ale, Organic Ale




Organic Ale 5.2% Barossa Valley Brewery

A; Dark, toasty tan (cold haze)

S; floral, sweetness, pear, red apple

T: Malt front, sweet toasted

M: bubbles in front, clean finish

O: good, hearty beet, too sweet for casual drinking but good with meal




28 Pale Ale- Burleigh Head Brewery

A: Golden, clear color, med bubbles, yellow, dream head

S: Caramel, bananas, hoppy

T: Bitter strike, soft, then floral with smooth finish. Not

much after taste, mild, not sweet and no acid