Swiftwick

is not a bunof ch ordinary sock spinners, it seems. Once they heard of our fiendish Friday tasting sessions, they decided to start having some of their own, starting with some of their own. Yazoo Brewing, situated in an historic Nashville building, has come into their scene over the past few years (check out their brewmaster’s blog – they’re doing some interesting work with their Hop Projects; I’d love to get some of those to sample), and the Swiftwick guys are allegedly pals with ‘em. So for the Tennessee Annex’s first BBF, they chose to visit the Yazoo Taproom all while sending us two sixpacks of their local liquid lunch:

In the box were a six-pack each of Yazoo Pale Ale and Dos Perros (a Mexican/Viennese lager). They were also kind enough to entice us (as if we needed it) by providing a mixed selection of pizza from Little Deli down the road. In short, if you didn’t make it, you missed out on one of the better kickoff events of the year (we had one such meeting at work earlier in the day….this was better by far.) My notes of the evening (as usual) were a little sketchy from drinking and chatting with friends, but I once again succeeded in sneaking a bottle of each home for the official lab testing:

Yazoo Pale Ale

Appearance: The color of pale apple juice – not bright copper, but not quite dark straw yet. The head poured well, but retention was moderate, leaving a bit of lacing on the glass. It’s not the color I was expecting from a pale ale.

Aroma: Bittering hops and some malt, nothing surprising. Doesn’t join the hophead-community like most American Pale Ales. The label talked about the “new” Amarillo hops, so I raided my hop stash to smell them side by side, and I couldn’t detect any, which was a little disappointing.

Taste: Good bittering throughout, and a little spicy. There’s a hint of toastiness to it, like there’s a tiny bit of biscuit malt…almost more like an amber than a pale in this regard. There’s a funky smoothness that finishes in an odd medicinal / skunky flavor that reminds me of Stella Artois…Good up to this point.

Mouthfeel: Slick and bitter, medium carbonation might be a little high for the style.

Overall Impressions: I’d give it a B-. It’s an American Pale Ale, but diverts from (my understanding) of the style. The description mentions citrus flavors, but all I get is bitterness, as if they were too early in the boil.
5.8% ABV

Yazoo Dos Perros

Appearance: Dark brown and blisteringly translucent against the light. The sort of dark brown of which good trail is made. The head was minimal, with almost no retention.

Aroma: Big on the malt for such a small beer. There’s the smell of hops being present, but can’t ID them.

Taste: Mild sweetness, very restrained hops (just enough to balance, not upfront), and toasty malt flavors (reminds me of a bock, in fact.) There’s a hint of the “off-color” flavors I noticed in the Pale, but they’re subdued and don’t get in my way.

Mouthfeel: The body is pretty thin…you could drink a ton of these with tamales and never stop. It’s not thin in the sense that it’s weak, but in as much as it’s not cloyingly sweet / thick. The finish is subtle, with the toastiness lingering well beyond any bitterness.

Overall Impressions: The Dos Perros gets a B+. I generally drink these Vienna-style lagers when I’m at a TexMex joint, but I never liked the regular imports….Dos Perros knocks ‘em all out of the water. I’d be tempted to give it an A-, but I only got to sample 2…and with garlic pizza and lentil soup rather than tamales.

We had a pretty good turnout (about 15 people hiding from the cold outside), and the pizza and beer were gone so fast we had to make a run to get some more. By the time I was ready for a second beer, there were three left (I got three beers in almost four hours….that’s horrific!). For your viewing pleasure, the photo dump:

A full and festive crowd, just the way we like it.

Beer, through beer-goggles

The Three Amigos…ah…Two Amigos

More sea-of-people and some socks hiding in the front.

It was devoured, so we had to get more, which was swiftly devoured as well….

The future in all-mtn 29ers is arriving this Spring, from Intense!

6pm, done with work, walking home; it’s 38F and drizzling, which is quite pleasant in the dark. As much as I like it, I have a nagging wish for some beer…..

Into the HEB to find some meat and beer; I pick up a pound of stew meat for tomorrow night’s vegetable stew and some extra thin roundsteak for tonight’s quick dinner. A fourpack of Old Rasputin escorts me through the line and back home, where I crack a bottle and marvel at the insane levels of roasted barley and the beautiful brown head that crawls over my pint glass. As the garlic is minced and the fry-pan (I know, it’s not saute pan…) is heating, I remember that I’ve got some cheap meat, so why not take the chance at ruining it with a botched attempt at a pan sauce?

My mise en place:
* 1/4 C Old Rasputin
* 1 Clove garlic, minced
* 1 Pinch fresh-cracked pepper
* 1 Pinch smoked salt
* 1 T Danish Blue Cheese
* Olive oil & unsalted butter at room temperature
* 1/2 Pound cheap-ass roundsteak, wafer thin (15 seconds per side at most)

Prep:
Heat the pan thoroughly, and let oil come up to temp. Drop meat and cook; when finished, plate and saute garlic atop the fond. When garlic is lightly browned, lower heat and deglaze with the Old Rasputin (remember to scrape the fond from the pan!) After a reduction of 1/4 to 1/2, cut the heat; add the herbs, an appropriately sized pat of butter and the blue cheese, with salt and pepper to taste. Incorporate and top the cow parts.

What’s it like?
The roasted flavor and dark sugars of a Russian Imperial Stout do well with red / dark meats; as the sugars quickly carmalize in the heat of a saute/fry pan, they take on a dark flavor that is strong enough to tolerate lots of strong ancillary flavors (stinky cheeses, black pepper, deep herbs, etc). It reminds me of the time-consuming demi-glace I used to make as a cook while working through college, but without the veal bones and 36 hour timeline. Unlike my previous attempt at using beer in a pan sauce (I may have tasted too much beforehand), I think I’ll be buying a nice steak upon which to replicate this experiment.

What’s next?
Salmon and trout work well with citrus, fresh herbs and IPA.
Pork works well with apples and spices (Winter Ales / Ciders)
Chicken takes on any flavor….why not make a Chipotle ale mole?

I’m open to ideas — the crazier the better, so let ‘em fly!

The night began with a few laps around the pump track on our not-so-militant commuters. Extra-long wheelbases don’t work too well on stiff-lipped tabletops, FWIW.

Unfortunately, that got old, so we rolled out instead. There was a cute little sunset, but the darkness finally overcame us.

We finally arrived, only to find Woody…….who tried to insulate his feet from the chill….

There was a reason we made the ride….beer! The local winner of the evening was the Oatmeal Stout from Independence Brewing. The word is that it should be available in bottles in about two months. I’ll be looking for it now that I know it’s coming; stouts are a fantastic thing come “real” (Central Texas) winter.

(512) was also making some noise, but they ran out of beer before I could get to my third pint…this may have been their Pecan Porter, or it may have been the Shiner winter peach/pecan contraption…

Either way, the Best Wurst was enjoyed by most of the crew, in part to stoke the central heat; in part to ensure we had enough gas to roll home.

When we finally ran out of beer, some intrepid souls charged indoors to exchange their wrinkly green for some bubbly brown. With stouts on the mind, we sampled another specimen of the Oatmeal Stout variety (anyone who can match Breckenridge Brewing has a winning team), as well as excellent takes on the Imperial Stout (worldclass!) and IPA (Pike is extremely under-rated — $3.99 / 22oz — and consistently high quality. Try their Extra Stout and Kilt Lifter, you’ll love ‘em!)

The ride home was a little eventful, but we left no man behind, and met a rather nice police officer who enjoys riding at City Park. Thanks for making sure we were safe from physical harm, guys. However, you can never be safe from your better half, especially when she gets a call from your friends. Ride safely, kiddos!

With all of that behind us, we wandered off to see if the Rubik’s Cube had been solved. Turns out it had, and it warranted some blue boobs and double-teaming sunglasses.

There’s more to the story, but I’m tired, so check back soon….

Prost!

With about twenty five beer snobs (and snobs in training) milling around a shop the size of Hammerhead, it’s an understatement to say it was packed (due to the rain outside) and mildly noisy. Because of these extenuating circumstances, my notes on the last two samples – both Koenigshoeven – are incomplete to the point of disappointment. I’ll be forced to procure a bottle of each and taste them again in order to properly pass judgment. Pictures to follow.

Urthel Hibernus Quentum Tripel (produced by Koningshoeven Brewery)

Appearance: Bright gold / straw; no cloudy, but not sparklingly clear. Massive fine-bubbled head at first pour.
Aroma: Light fruitiness, light grassiness.
Flavor: Low maltiness, spicy and sharp, with a little honey and fruit (Dane Woodall called it apricot.)
Mouthfeel: Very effervescent, with a medium light malt body. The alcohol is noticable in the finish, fading into spiciness.
Overall Impressions: Well balanced and stronger than it tastes (9%). Would work well with smoked salmon or onion pizza. I’m not usually a fan of tripels, but this joins my short list – Tripel Karmeliet & New Belgium Trippel. If you like either of those, you’ll likely enjoy the Hibernus Quentum.

Pauwel Kwak (Brewery Bosteels)

Appearance: Dark (opaque) amber with a creamy brown head. Looks like a fork might be required.
Aroma: Deep and malty with some spicy notes and raisin. No overt hops.
Flavor: Sweet like brown sugar and dark caramel, then spicy and fruity, then the alcohol, then a spicy dry finish. Not unlike pepper or brown mustard.
Mouthfeel: Carbonated, but creamy. Sweetness coats the tounge at first, but doesn’t linger cloyingly. Syrupy in a good way.
Overall Impressions: This is a strong candidate! At 8.4%, it’s nothing to balk at, but the body is enough to keep you from drinking too terribly much. It’s well balanced, and robust enough to not taste weak when eaten with a good steak. I seem to recall it being a little on the expensive side (compared to the other Belgians.) A “dangerous” beer.

St. Feuillien

Appearance: Medium amber; light filters through, but not much. Didn’t catch the head, as I was poured a sample while writing.
Aroma: Sweet maltiness, honey or cararmel. Smells like Ayinger Dopplebock to me.
Flavor: Malty, but more roasty than the sweetness that I smelled, the honey / caramel stands out, as does a mild pepperiness. Following Kwak, it tastes a little light.
Mouthfeel: The alcohol, despite being lower, is detectable but not hot. Moderately carbonated, nothing stood out in the finish – balanced.
Overall Impressions: Good, but not outstanding. It’s well balanced, and would be a good anytime beer with dinner – but not as a strongly flavored glass to go with deserts.

Furthermore: anyone caught bringing new and unusual Dogfish Head brews to Hammerhead will be rewarded with the right to (attempt to) stump the beer snobs in person (hint-hint!)

Color: Jet black, with the clarity expected from a filtered brew;
there is no yeast sediment detected in the pour or at the bottom of
the bottle. The head is the color of a well drawn espresso and
transient, dissapating within about two minutes with no lacing.

Aroma: Diacetyl, coffee, sweet malt, and a very soft vanilla note.
Quite like an oaked Imperial wrt the aroma.

Mouthfeel: Velvety smooth, lightly oily and low in carbonation, finishing with a
medium-strong alcohol burn that gives way to a the diacetyl and
remaining bubbles.

Taste: Hints of vanilla and caramel are easy to detect, but there’s a
little hint of coffee and nuttiness in the background; it’s easy to
overlook them, as the alcohol content pushes them aside to take it’s
place.

Finish: Dry and sharp; the diacetly note lingers, and this beer tastes
a bit on the young side (unfortunately, I cannot confirm this, as the
date printed on my sample bottle was illegible, both before and after
drinking.)

See you guys on Saturday from 9am to 4pm! Come see the new 2010 Titus lineup and give them a spin!

Samples included Independence Bootlegger, Magic Hat Roxy Rolles (although technically an Amber), Sam Smith’s Nut Brown, and Dogfish India Brown Ale.

Both the Bootlegger and the India Brown have heavier aromatics in the grain bill, with a certain amount of Biscuit / Special-B flavor (unless my taster is off) reminiscent of the old Fat Tire maltiness; the hop tones are much more pronounced in these modern American interpretations of the style than the classical English, but it’s an even bittering. While I know the India Brown keeps to the tradition of using Kent Goldings and Fuggles, I don’t recall what Independence is using….quite likely the same. Furthermore, while I’ve been drinking Bootlegger for a year and being unimpressed, comparing it side-by-side to the Dogfish is an eye opener; they might well be brothers – a comparison I’d find flattering if it were applied to my bottles.

Bootlegger has certainly improved in my book (people always say that….well….I have a book…and you’re in it, Bootlegger) whether it’s in my head or my glass, I’m not sure. Either way, I’m not complaining and will likely use the local flavor as a reference point for my next batch of home-brew. Just a little stronger, a little more nutty and a little-tiny bit less hoppy at the nose, and you’d have a winning home-brew in my eyes.

Regarding the Freestyle Wheat (or American Lager-Wit-Frankenbrew ): I know a few people who drink it during the summer, but it’s not my thing. The Independence Pale has a fantastic cannon on it’s label and packs a respectable taste. However, I’ve got my eyes peeled for their forthcoming Oatmeal Stout! Now that’s a style that works wonders as a winter pre-ride breakfast food!

This is the beer that we had at the Waco Bicycles Outback TMBRA race….many people thought it was overkill, and I had a long drive home, with a few solid rest stops. It was my first race, and the first time I sat around a keg with the Hammerhead Chum-Bucket Gang. I hadn’t tasted Steamworks before, and maybe it was my elation at riding well on a new course, maybe it was the collective energy, or maybe it was just that good…..Having appreciated the Steamworks sponsorship of the Team Hammerhead pair with seeing a few photos from Cody’s vacation in Durango got my hackles up, and I spun to the beer gallery to satiate my thirst.

Aroma: Thick and Malty (almost smells like a Barleywine or Old Ale) with the hops coming-in mildly in the background.

Color: Dark Copper to Dark Amber

Head: Medium-thin, with coarse carbonation….looks force-carbonated. Retention is on the low side. Lacing is on the low side,

Mouthfeel: Low carbonation, smooth and malty, with a rich floral hop taste that dances with the maltiness until fading into a background chorus of bittering hops. The aftertaste is smooth and oily (i.e., the hop flavor seems to slide around), but not overly bitter or sharp.

ABV: 9.24%

Vitals:
22 oz. bottle, $5.99.
Available at Grapevine Market, Central Market, Whole Foods, Spec’s, and other fine beer playgrounds.

Overall Impression: Good for pairing with food; a savory and well-spiced lamb or beef curry would be fantastic with this beer. Alone it might be too much after a ride (sort of like the Dogfish 90 minute IPA) as the Conductor has more up-front aromatic grains and hops (but less malty sweetness) than the 90 minute.