Hops

I've been brewing now just over 4 years, and one area that I've not put a lot of effort in educating myself on is hops.  I was brewing my 'fan favorite' oaked bourbon stout and was looking at my brew notes from the last time I brewed it and noticed that I only listed out which hops to use; not how long to boil each.  I know, to most, this might be an easy one to figure out, but I had to look it up.  This got me thinking that if I'm going to make it a point to learn more about hops, then I'll just post what I'm finding, if for anything, I'll have an easy place to refer back to.  Maybe you'll find some benefit as well.

This particular entry I'll go into the Northern Brewer variety; which is what I used for bittering and flavor in my stout.

These hops come out of England in the early to mid 1930s, and are a hybrid of American and English varieties.  Although there can be some confusion as to who is the true 'creator' of these hops, signs seem to point towards England.

It's alpha acid ranges between 6.6% and 8.0%.  That being said, it's a great option for both bittering and flavoring.  I used it in my stout, and happened to just make a California Common with my dad last week; yes, it was used as THE hop in that batch (bittering, flavoring, and aroma).  They can also be used in most if not all English style ales.  As for the aroma profile, you may find a slight citrus and fruit quality, but it's medium-strong, woody with evergreen and mint overtones.  I'll have to see what I taste in my Common when it's tasting time.

Now go out and find some Anchor Steam to taste some Northern Brewer hops!

Cans in the News

I stumbled across this article this evening while checking the news.  If you're into cans, definitely give it a read, and if you're not, then you MUST read it!  Cans aren't what you used to think of them; they're light, easy to pack in/out, and the wave of the beer future!

Article

2012

Wow, just like that I realized that I'm almost into the 3rd month of the year, and SO much has changed.  Let's see, I spent the last week of 2011 recovering from severe muscle spasms, then I find out that I'm moving (no, not just across town), and before I know it, I'm staring March in the face!  Much has been tasted in the world of beer since December.  One of my best friends, who happens to be from Michigan, was able to acquire a number of cases of a "Michigan only" brew, one that only an "American Badass" would be involved with.  That is none other than Kid Rock's brewery, Michigan Brewing Company's "Badass American Lager".  So on a warmish Boulder afternoon, I dropped by my buddy's place and he offers me up this beer.  I was intrigued to hear that Kid Rock was involved, and I honestly didn't know what to expect.  Of course, there is an episode where Guy Fieri is in Michigan enjoying what the state has to offer, and Kid Rock is playing tour guide (see it here).  At any rate, here's my take:

Nice pale gold in color, light head that dissipated quickly. 

It has a great hoppy nose which is quite unlike most other light lagers.
The first taste was refreshing, and the flavor matched the smell; it was surprisingly good!  I guess I wasn't giving it much credit, but the flavor was crisp, lightly hopped and very clean. 

Mouthfeel was as expected for a lager, crisp and snappy. 

Overall, this is a great lager.  As you can imagine, Kid Rock suggests that it would be great on the beach or on the lake.  Too bad you can only get it in Michigan!

So I went on a bit of a bomber crazed week or 2; the final weeks leading up to my Colorado departure.  I found a few great additions to New Belgium's Lips of Faith series, Cocoa Mole Ale, and Prickly Passion Saison.  Below are the notes I took while enjoying them...

Cocoa mole ale

Poured deep brown/red color, with thick cream colored head.

Nose was a fantastic, with cocoa being the primary smell, and following with subtle caramel tones. 

First sip was a mouthful of cocoa, "spicy", and malty goodness.  A nice balance of "standard" beer tastes, malt and hops, mixed with the typical mole flavors. 

It is a decent medium body beer with the flavors really flashing on your tongue from the carbonation enhanced the flavors.

Overall a good drink, although by the end of the bomber, I was ready for a different taste. 

and...

As for the tasting notes, well apparently I had too many that night and didn't take notes.  I apologize, but honestly, I REALLY enjoyed the Prickly Passion Saison, and if you can find it, I HIGHLY recommend it!

I'm going to leave it at that for now; but there's more to come...