All About Beer Demo Virtual test : Page 30
Three beers that were mentioned so often, they are in a class by themselves: the rare beers that everyone knows about, but few can buy. ALASKAN SMOKED PORTER Alaskan Brewing Co. (Juneau, AK) One of the most award-winning beers in the world, produced annually since 1988 from malt smoked at a Juneau salmon smokery. WISCONSIN BELGIAN RED New Glarus Brewing Co (New Glarus, WI) A sour fruited beer flavoredwith cherries. The brewery has pulled back distribution and the beer—and its companion, Raspberry Tart—is now available only in Wisconsin. This is the fruit beer thatwins over skeptics. WESTVLETEREN 12 Brouwerij Westvleteren (Westvleteren, Belgium) The fuss surrounding this Trappist ale could be dismissed as hype, except that the beer amazes drinkers with its complexity and nuance. It is available only at the monastery where it is brewed and a shop nearby. Brewer’s Reserve Speedway Stout, AleSmith Brewing Co. (San Diego, CA): Contains an impressive quantity of robust coffee for added complexity, and the bourbon barrel-aged edition exhibits elegant, added notes of honey and vanilla. (OO) Curieux,Allagash Brewing Co. (Portland, ME) Old Deuteronomy Barley Wine, Alley Cat Brewing (Edmonton, AB, Canada): May be the best barley wine ever brewed in Canada. (SB) Kentucky Ale,Alltech Lexington Brewing and Distilling Co. (Lexington, KY): A mixture of Irish red ale and English pale ale, aged in a bourbon barrel where it acquires a whiskey flavor and an alcoholic punch that’s hidden by its smoothness. (PR, MN) Exponential Hoppiness,Alpine Beer Co. (Alpine, CA) O.B.A. (Our Barrel Ale), Anchor Brewery (San Francisco, CA) ALSO SUGGESTED: Our Special Ale Edelstoff,Augustiner Bräu (Munich, Germany) Alt-Bayerisch Dunkel,Brauerei Aying (Aying, Germany) Xyauyù, Birrificio Le Baladin (Piozzo, Italy): Part of Teo Musso’srepertoire of oxidized beers. He subjects his beer to a closed method with a convection of pure oxygen for a year, then follows with additional aging for a total of two years before bottling. The resulting beer is so stable that it can remain open for a year without changing the flavor profile. Fruity on the tongue, plumlike and bready, with hints of sherry. (CS2) ALSO SUGGESTED: Open, XFume 2006 Reserva (infused with Lapsand Suo-chong tea) Victory at Sea, Ballast Point (San Diego, CA): I’ve only seen this for sale at the brewery, I’m not sure if it gets distributed. A coffee-vanilla imperial porter—if you’ve ever had an affogato at a chi chi cafe, this is the spectacular beer equivalent. (BY) Racer 5 American IPA,Bear Republic Brewing Co. (Healdsburg, CA) Expedition Stout, Bell’s Brewery (Kalamazoo, MI): So far, the best beer we’ve found somehow didn’tend up in 1,001 Beers. (SH2) Singha,Boon Rawd Brewery (Bangkok, Thailand) Millennium,Boston Beer Co. (Boston, MA) ALSO SUGGESTED: Utopias 30 ALL ABOUT BEER VOL. 31, NO.4 SEPTEMBER 2010 Saison-Brett,Boulevard Brewing Co. (Kansas City, MO): It’sa seasonal and not available anywhere. And it ages (not forever). (SH2) Brakspear Triple, Brakspear Brewing Co. (Witney, Oxfordshire, England): Triple fermented English ale, bottle conditioned, perfumy hops, rich butterscotch and biscuity malt. Heaven! (RP) Juxtaposition Black Pilsner, BrewDog/Cambridge/Stone brewing companies (Fraserburgh/Cambridge/ Escondido, Scotland/MA/CA): I find BrewDog beer to be peculiar. I find Cambridge beer to be good. And I find Stone beer to be great. Black pilsner, or schwarzbier, is one of my favorite beer styles. I’d sure love to try how these great brewers interpreted the style. (DT) ALSO SUGGESTED: Sink the Bismarck! and Tactical Nuclear Penguin from Brew-Dog, and Stone’sOak-Aged Double Bastard Local 1,Brooklyn Brewery (Brooklyn, NY) ALSO SUGGESTED: Black Chocolate Stout Autumn Maple,The Bruery (Placentia, CA): Plenty of seasonals taste like pumpkin pie now, but this aims for candied yams and nails it, thanks to actual yams and maple syrup. And at less than $10 for 750ml, it’s a deal. (BY) ALSO SUGGESTED: Black Tuesday Oude Geuze,De Cam Brewery (Goolk, Belgium) ALSO SUGGESTED: Oude Kriek St. Lamvinus, Cantillon Brewery (Brussels, Belgium): Cabernet grape lambic, made from time to time on no set schedule. I first tasted the original edition years ago at the brewery and have been captivated by it ever since. (SB) First Harvest Ale,Cascade Brewery (St. Hobarts, Tasmania, Australia): Cascade maintains their own maltings and each year use three experimental hops, previously unused in a commercially produced beer. Brewed on the day of harvesting, it is a generally well-balanced ale that teases with fresh hop aromas. (MK) The Vine,Cascade Brewing (Portland, OR): A Northwest sour ale made with wine grapes. (LM) ALSO SUGGESTED: Cuvée du Jongleur Belgian Blend Hunahpu’s Imperial Stout, Cigar City Brewing (Tampa, FL): According to Mayan legend, the god Hunahpu created cocoa for the Mayan people. According to almost every maniacal BUCKET: STEVE CUKROV / SHUTTERSTOCK
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