The Great Pumpkin (Ale)

It's a pumpkin Charlie Brown,
not a super computer.

A few blog posts ago, I sang the praises of the Boston Beer Company and the return and revival of their Harvest Collection. I mentioned at the time that the beers of the 2012 Harvest line were once again spicy and autumnal, the way that they had been in years prior to 2011. It was also mentioned that the return of the Sam Adams Harvest Variety Pack to the grocer’s shelves marked the beginning of “Fall Seasonal” season in the craft beer world, which is probably the most significant take-away from the entire blog post.

 

One of the traditional styles of beer that always appears during the fall, and one of my personal favorite styles, is the Pumpkin Ale. Generally malty in taste and full-bodied, Pumpkin Ales rely heavily on flavors that are imparted from pumpkins, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, allspice, and ginger. The result is a tasty treat that just seems to fit with the changing leaves, cooler temperatures, and festive holiday cheer associated with autumn.

 

Someday, he'll be mashed-in with barley and made into a delicious crafty Pumpkin Ale - and then I will drink him.

 

 

Pumpkin Ales, at least from what I’ve gathered, are also very polarizing. Most people feel very strongly that they either love Pumpkin Ales or they hate them – very few people are on the fence. Is it an aversion to the strong pumpkin flavors or are they just drinking the wrong beers? I have heard a lot of people tell me that they don’t like fruit in beer, and perhaps the Anti-Pumpkin Coalition (APC) are closely tied to the Society for the Removal of Fruit from Beer (SRFB). *Note: These aren't actually organizations... at least, I hope they aren't.

 

It's good to be the king.

In order to navigate towards Pumpkin Ale bliss, and avoid the social stigma of being labeled a “scrooge,” which is a real threat as we get closer to the autumn holidays, you need to first understand where Pumpkin Ales came from. Sit back and I will tell you a tale.

 

Pumpkin Ales originated in Colonial New England. Back in those days, brewers actually used pumpkin as a replacement fermentable for their mash, mostly due to the overabundance of the gourd in the new world and the insanely high taxes placed on English barley. Not surprisingly, according to records, our founding fathers George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Benjamin Franklin all made a Pumpkin Ale. According to a publication in 1801 called The American herbal; or, Materia medica by Samuel Stearns, “Different kinds of beer, ale, etc. are often prepared according to the prescriptions of the physicians, all of which, as well as pumpkin and bran beer, partake of the virtues of the ingredients put into such liquors.”

 

Punk.

Another account from 1863 by Sylvester Judd called History of Hadley reads “In Hadley, around 1800, beer was generally brewed once a week; malt, hops, dried pumpkin, dried apple parings and sometime rye bran, birch twigs and other things were put into the brewing kettle and the liquor was strained through a sieve. This beer was used at home and was carried into the fields by the farmers.”

 

Early Pumpkin Ales were also used to make a popular drink known as Flip. A 1919 published book called Colonial Folkways by Charles McClean Andrews described the inclusion of pumpkin beer into flip, stating “Flip was made in different ways, but a common variety was a mixture of rum, pumpkin beer, and brown sugar into which a red hot poker had been plunged.” I can only imagine that the red hot poker would have caramelized the sugars from the pumpkin, rum and brown sugar and given the drink a slightly roasted flavor, similar to what many beers today have.

 

The guidepost.

As American barley became more prevalent, the use of pumpkins as a fermentable waned and the gourd became nothing more than a flavoring agent, which eventually was deemed by society to be “too rustic” and therefore removed from most brewing recipes. It remained that way until the craft beer revolution in the late 1980s, when brewers at Buffalo Bill’s Brewery in California dusted off old recipes and made what became the first modern Pumpkin Ale: America’s Original Pumpkin Beer. Buffalo Bill’s beer was inspired by one of George Washington’s recipes, and it was an instant success and remains, to this day, the gold standard for Pumpkin Ales.

 

Today, it seems that every brewer has a Pumpkin Ale in their fleet, though the interpretations vary greatly. There are two basic types of Pumpkin Beer that are commonly made today: ones that use actual pumpkin and ones that don’t. The beers that are made with no actual pumpkin in them, which are referred to as “Pumpkin Spice Ales” by purists, focus on the spices that are used to make pumpkin pie, and therefore, not surprisingly, taste like liquid pumpkin pie in a bottle. Beers that are made using actual pumpkin, in addition to the spices, have a much more malty, balanced, and full-bodied flavor, but are often not as sweet on the palate. In my attempt to analyze the entire beer spectrum, and keep an open-minded, fair and balanced opinion, I have concluded that there is no right or wrong way to make Pumpkin Ale. It all depends on a) what the brewer wants to do with it and b) what the consumer likes. Many traditional minded folk feel that overly spiced Pumpkin Ale is too sweet and offensive. Others like the sweet notes that the spices bring to the finished product.

 

You're not misreading that - Rumpkin has
a 15.90% Alcohol by Volume!!!

As for recommendations, obviously I’ve already mentioned the Sam Adams Harvest Pumpkin Ale, which is a good beginner Pumpkin Ale. It is lighter and less assuming than some of the others. If you want to up the ante a bit, look for a bottle of Dogfish Head’s Punkin Ale, Brooklyn Brewery’s Post Road Pumpkin Ale, or Starr Hill’s Boxcar Pumpkin Porter. If you really want to get crazy (and shnockered), try to find a Double Pumpkin Ale like Sam Adams Double Pumpkin, Heavy Seas Great(ER) Pumpkin, or Weyerbacher’s Imperial Pumpkin Ale. Avery Brewing Company makes a delicious Imperial Pumpkin Ale that is aged in a rum barrel called Rumpkin Ale – perhaps a throwback to the old Flip drink. Be careful with Rumpkin though because she really packs a wallop.

 

Believe it or not, there are somewhere in the neighborhood of 400 pumpkin beers to choose from today! They might not taste like the colonial versions, but they are tasty and a nice little nod to brewing history (and a perfect complement to the harvest fun you’re engaging in this autumn season).

 

Here’s to craft-brewed happiness… Cheers!

Another Local Treasure

Good beer... cool logo

The title might not give it away, but this is another one of my blog posts in which I praise a local brewery that I have stumbled upon in the greater DC Metro / Northern Virginia / Maryland region. If you are located in the area, consider this blog post a recommendation – nay – a challenge to get off of your lazy butts and go give these guys your patronage, in exchange for their delicious brew. If you aren’t local to this unexplainable swath of the planet, this blog post can serve to further your understanding of the beer culture we have here in the Nation’s Capital, as well as plant a seed in the back of your mind for the next time you’re visiting us. Plus, as the reach of this brewery’s distribution effort is expanding, perhaps you’ll be able to find some of their wares wherever fine brews are sold near you.

WHAT THE FRACK BREWERY ARE YOU BLATHERING ABOUT?!

Caramel, Toffee and Almond = Delicious

The brewery in question is the DuClaw Brewing Company, headquartered in Abbingdon, Maryland, with locations in Bel Air, Maryland, at the Arundel Mills Mall in Hanover, Maryland, at the Bowie Town Center in Bowie, Maryland, and in the southwest terminal of Baltimore Washington International Airport in Baltimore, Maryland. When you go to one of these places, or even by simply checking out there website, you’ll notice that DuClaw has embraced a very aggressive approach to their marketing and overall “look and feel” of their restaurants.

The beer they make, not surprisingly, is a reflection of this aggressive attitude. DuClaw’s staple beers include their Bad Moon porter, Bare Ass blonde ale, Black Lightning black IPA, EuForia nut brown ale, Hellrazer IPA, Misfit Red amber ale, Mysterium Belgian spiced ale, Serum xxIPA double IPA, and Venom pale ale. The names and labels alone draw you in, and your curiosity is rewarded with how bold and delicious they taste.

Ride the Lightning

They also brew 29 seasonals and rarities that are occasionally available at the restaurants. They include, but are not limited to, an oatmeal stout called “Alchemy,” a Belgian quadruple abbey ale called “Deception,” a chocolate raspberry stout called “Naked Fish,” a barleywine called “Devil’s Milk,” an Oktoberfest marzen called “Mad Bishop,” a single barrel bourbon aged imperial stout called “Retribution,” a Belgian white ale called “Sawtooth,” a high-gravity hybrid with 21% ABV called “Colossus,” and a classified style called “Enigma.” These are only a handful of the more interesting specials DuClaw makes; for a complete list, consult their website.

So far I have only had the pleasure of getting into four of DuClaw’s forty or so offerings, but if my small sampling is an accurate cross-section of their catalogue, they’ve got a truly remarkable product line going on. The four that I have had were all delicious, but beyond that, they all had a general bold and robust quintessence that commanded respect without overwhelming the palate. The four that I have had are:

She's a monster... seriously

31: 31 is a crisp, copper-colored, medium-bodied spiced Munich dunkel that has a smooth, malty taste and finishes with cinnamon, nutmeg and pumpkin notes. She is made from Munich, Cara Aroma and Wheat malts and goldings hops and weighs in at 5.2% ABV, 24 BU’s and 14 plato.

Black Lightning: DuClaw’s Black IPA (or American Black Ale), Black Lightning, is medium-bodied and hits a perfect balance of roasted malt flavor and American hops. She is comprised of pale, de-husked roasted barley, melanoidin and crystal malt, along with Amarillo and Chinook hops. The Lightning strikes at 6.4% ABV, 65 BU’s and 15.5 plato.

EuForia: EuForia is a creamy, medium-bodied, dark brown toffee nut brown ale with smooth drinkability and caramel, almond and toffee notes on the front and back ends. She is made with pale, crystal, carawheat, chocolate and rye malts, and fuggle hops. EuForia weighs in at 5% ABV, 22 BU’s and 12.5 plato.

A blessing in a bottle

Serum xxIPA: Serum is a double IPA that, according to DuClaw, “escaped!” She perfectly embodies the image that DuClaw espouses, having been aggressively hopped at several stages in the brewing process. But Serum is not just a hop bomb; she also boasts a delightful malty sweetness that balances the hops quite well. That being said, make no mistake – Serum will wake-up your taste buds and torment your palate, forcing you to step back and rethink your life for a brief moment, but in a good way. She is made from pale malt, wheat malt and CaraRed malt, along with Columbus, Amarillo, and Cascade hops. Serum packs a wallop at 9% ABV, 80 BU’s and 20.5 plato.

As I am fortunate enough to live in the DuClaw sphere of influence, I am able to continue enjoying the various brews that they provide, and [SPOILER ALERT] I intend to do just that. My local beer stores and grocery stores are stocking DuClaw’s beers and the drive up to Maryland is not unreasonable (although driving in the DC metro area is certainly something to be dealt with). I plan to go visit them in the fall and see if I can’t get my hands on one of their really hard-to-find rarities… maybe the Colossus. Don’t worry – I will write a review of this experience. Until then, go find some DuClaw brew and enjoy it for yourself.

Here’s to craft-brewed happiness… Cheers!

How Sam Got His Groove Back

Maybe the Boston leaves start turning different colors in August

It’s August. It’s in the mid to upper 90s every day. The sun is blazing in the sky and the kids are still all at the pool instead of in class. People are still going on summer vacations and grills are still being fired up for burgers and dogs. What does this all mean you ask?

Like drinking pumpkin pie, and beer

Well aside from the obvious Halloween decorations for sale at the grocery store, it means the Sam Adams Harvest Variety pack is back on the shelves. I know it seems just as ridiculous of a thing to be selling in August as the Halloween decorations are, but allow yourself to get passed that for a moment. This is a pretty big deal.

Every “fall,” the Boston Beer Company releases their Samuel Adams Harvest Variety Pack, which consists of six “autumnally oriented” brews. Three of which are always present in the line-up, while the other three seem to always be in flux, probably because the folks at Boston are allowing themselves some flexibility to keep things interesting and adjust to the dynamic marketplace. The three that always make the cut are their Octoberfest Marzenbier, their Harvest Pumpkin Ale and the old-reliable flagship, their Boston Lager.

The 2012 Harvest also features a Dunkleweizen, their acclaimed Latitude 48 IPA and their Hazel Brown, which is a brand new star in the Sam Adams galaxy. These three replace the 2011 Harvest Pack swing beers, which were their Irish Red Ale, their Black Lager and the 2011 Harvest newbie, their Bonfire Rauchbier.

I wish Sam Adams would learn how to
spell OKTOBERFEST!!!

I said at the time that the 2011 Harvest collection was disorganized and lacked any redeeming quality whatsoever. The Black Lager tasted bland and the Rauchbier was a train wreck, with far too much smoked malt that left me thinking I had just drank an ash tray. Beyond that, the Irish Red, Octoberfest, Pumpkin and even their old-reliable Boston Lager just lacked punch. It seemed as though the boys at Boston had gone so far to increase their brand and introduce so many new brews with varying flavors that it was starting to affect the quality of their existing beer; almost like they were watered-down. I walked away from the 2011 Harvest pack thinking that Sam Adams was on the verge of crossing the fine line between brewing for the beer and brewing for the money.

This 2012 Harvest collection is different. The mainstays are once again flavorful and vibrant.  The Pumpkin Ale is absolutely delicious. The Octoberfest is spicy and bold and Boston Lager tastes more hoppy than usual (which is always a good thing). Bringing the Dunkleweizen back to the Harvest was a great move as it is darker and robust but the wheat lightens it up a bit, making it a perfect seasonal transition beer. The inclusion of the Latitude 48 IPA is also interesting, as it seems that the brewers up in Bean Town are finally embracing the reality that IPAs drive the industry. In fact, the Latitude 48 has been included in all of the seasonal packs from Sam Adams in 2012 so far. If their intention is to make it a flagship like their Boston Lager, it’s a great move.

The best thing to happen to hazelnuts... ever

And then there is the belle of the ball - the rookie - the new brew of the season: Hazel Brown. Hazel is a nut brown ale with distinct hazelnut aroma and flavor that is accentuated by slightly sweet caramel and toffee malt notes. She has a medium body, smooth finish and an underlying hoppy spiciness. If you like brown ales (particularly nut browns), you will love this beer. If you don’t like brown ales, or are unsure if you like them, give her a try anyways. The hazelnut flavor is not overwhelming, but rather perfectly balanced and delightful.

It makes me happy to see that last year’s perceived drop in quality from the Boston Beer Company appears to have been a fluke. The spring and summer variety packs were both wonderful, and the Harvest variety pack is no different. Aside from the whole August release thing, this seasonal collection is something to be sought out and enjoyed. It appears Sam truly has gotten his groove back.

Here’s to craft-brewed happiness… Cheers!

Beer Geekery 101: International Bittering Units

This guy looks like Doc Brown

Most people, when picturing brewers in their minds, see either a medieval monk standing next to a wooden cask or one of those guys from the Sam Adams commercials with the long beards and the coveralls. Those guys do exist in real life, but in order to complete the image, there is one more brewer characterization that you need: the mad scientist - the guy in the white lab coat with the clipboard in one hand and a beaker in the other. This is the guy who is responsible for the science, and is where we find all sorts of measurements and acronyms, like the one I’m focusing on today.

The International Bitterness Units scale, or simply IBU scale, provides a measure of the bitterness of beer. You probably already know that bitterness in beer is provided by the hops used during brewing. An IBU is a standard unit of measure that is obtained through the use of a spectrophotometer and solvent extraction and determines how bitter the brew actually is. It is the result of an empirical formula whose development was based on tasting beer samples and correlating the perceived bitterness to a measured value which represented the total concentration of bitter compounds in the beer. In other words, a bunch of dudes and dudettes got together and drank beer, and then developed a system to compare and contrast different bitterness qualities (rough job). Sounds fairly simple right?

Here’s where it gets complicated: The bittering effect is less noticeable in beers with a high quantity of malt, so a higher IBU is needed in heavier beers to balance the flavor. For example, an Imperial Stout may have an IBU of 50, but will taste less bitter than an English Bitter with an IBU of 30, because the latter beer uses much less malt than the former. Or, more simply put, higher IBU doesn’t always equal more bitter.

Here’s a real-world example that I encountered last Thursday (which was #IPADay 2012). I had in front of me a bottle of Dominion Brewing Company’s “Double D” double IPA, as well as a bottle of DuClaw Brewing Company’s “Serum xxIPA” double IPA. Both are double IPA’s, so they have similar characteristics, but the IBUs were vastly different. The “Double D” flaunts 90 IBU’s and 10.2% ABV, while the “Serum” weighs in at 80 IBU’s and 9.0% ABV. It was clear to me when drinking them that the “Serum” was much more bitter tasting than the “Double D,” but as you can see, the “Double D” has the higher IBU level. The clue to figure this out is in the alcohol level, which is slightly higher in the “Double D” than it is in the “Serum.” This implies that Dominion used more malts in their brew which serve to balance out the hops. So while their higher hop load does read higher on the IBU scale, it appears more balanced on the palate and therefore, less bitter. The “Serum,” on the other hand, has less of a malt backbone so it tastes more bitter. Hopefully, I didn’t just make things more confusing.

The technical limit for IBU's is around 100. Some beers weigh in above 100 IBU’s, but the consistency of the measurement is lost when you get too far above 100 because there is no real gauge when it comes to taste threshold. It really becomes a marketing ploy when you get IBU’s that high. A light American lager might be as low as 5 on the scale, while a barley wine can range up to 100. Measures for other beverages include:

Spectrophotometer: High-speed equipment

■ Belgian Lambics: 11–23
■ Blonde ale: 15–30
■ Kölsch: 18–25
■ Märzen/Oktoberfest: 18–25
■ Ordinary English bitter: 20–35
■ Porter: 20–40
■ Brown ale: 15–25, with North American styles higher, 25–45
■ Bohemian-style Pilsener: 30–45, sometimes it can range up to 100 (e.g., German Bitterpils)
■ India Pale Ale: 40 or higher
■ An Irish stout like Guinness: 25–60

What a clown

Notice how low in IBU’s that American light lager is… no surprise there at all. Remember the old Keystone Light commercials with the bitter beer face? They were actually trying to sell lack of taste as a benefit. Losers.

When it comes to home brewing, where very few people want to pay for an actual spectrophotometer, there is a “simple” formula that is commonly used to calculate IBU. It’s not perfect, but its close enough for home use:

Wh × AA% × Uaa ⁄ ( Vw × 1.34 ), where

■ Wh refers to the weight of the hops used, in ounces

■ AA% refers to the alpha acid percentage, which is influenced by many factors, including cultivation method, species, and time of year — hops are often sold labeled with this percentage

■ Uaa is the percentage of alpha acid that is actually used during the boiling process

■ Vw means the volume of the wort, in gallons

■ 1.34 is a constant factor that adjusts the measurement to account for the use of U.S. customary units

There are several different methods for finding Uaa, which can yield very different results. Generally, Uaa increases with longer boiling times and decreases with higher boil density.

So now you have a very basic-level understanding of one of the units of measure that the beer geeks go on about. Although I am one of them, and I am all about waxing poetic on the characteristics and subtle nuances of different brews, I often wonder if calculating bitterness is anything more than bragging rights and marketing schemes. Does the exact value of bitterness really matter to the thirsty beer drinker? Probably not. However, it is interesting to note the relationship between hops and malt in a beer, and how that relationship affects the bitterness of the final product. Brewing science: Making our lives better and more miserable simultaneously since ancient Sumerian times.

Here’s to craft-brewed happiness… Cheers!