Drinking Now

Noble Ale Works in Anaheim, CA

Published with Blogger-droid v1.7.4

Weekly ALEment

Loakal Red

Quick Facts

Brewery: The Bruery

Beer Style: American Red Ale

Origin: Orange County, CA, USA (Available only in Orange County)

ABV: 6.9%

IBU: 35

Glassware: Pint Glass

Serve Temp: 45°-50°

Brewer’s Profile: Centennial hops, sweet malt, oak-aged

Summary

Color poured is a light brown, rich copper with a golden thick head that seems to stick around for a decent amount of time. When you first bring the glass to your nose, you immediately catch a whiff of the smoky oak flavor with some hints of spice. With the first sip, you start to notice the bitterness of the hops along with a splash of citrus flavor and spice. The bitter easily transitions to a warm flavor of oak and a sweet caramel finish. Medium bodied, with some light carbonation and a crisp finish.

Ok……So I have tasted this beer before. I first tried this beer in a flight when I visited The Bruery in Orange, CA recently. Justin, a friend and I had tasted some great beers that afternoon, but this one caught my attention. And since you can’t really fully enjoy the flavor of a beer from a small sample, I decided to bring this one home to further explore. Once you’ve tried this beer, you can fully appreciate the perfect balance between the bitterness and the sweet. I think it’s important for a red ale to have this balance. It’s also important that the flavor sticks around for a while, and not just wash away after each sip. The Loakal Red, definitely, had more complexity with a full glass that I didn’t get with the sample. I’m actually slightly disappointed in myself that I didn’t buy another bottle. I guess I’ll have to make another trip soon!

Weekly ALEment

Una Mas Amber Lager (Seasonal)

Quick Facts

Brewery: Left Coast Brewing co.

Beer Style: Vienna Lager

Origin: San Clemente, CA, USA

ABV: 6.4%

Glassware: Pilsner / Flute

Serve Temp: 40°-45°

Brewer’s Profile: Roasted Malt, Sweet

Summary

The color of this beer pours a very attractive copper / golden color. There is a light, thin head with a slight golden hue. The overall look of the beer is very pleasing to the eye. When you first taste the beer, you notice the toasty malt flavor right away; followed by some hints of smoky sweet, and caramel. The beer has very deep flavor, which is surprising for how light it feels, and there is no lingering bad aftertaste.

I have to admit, lagers can be hit or miss for me. Some I really enjoy and some I just completely avoid. In the spirit of trying to have an open mind, I picked this one up at your local Total Wine & More and decided to give it a real chance. The brewer describes the beer as a “lager styled after the popular amber lagers south of the border,” and that summary is pretty spot on. I was very impressed with the amount of flavor, and the fact that it was very true to its description. We kept the “south of the border” experience going the whole night by grilling up a great pollo asado dinner.

Drinking Now

Sampler flight @ Alcatraz Brewing Co., Orange, CA

Published with Blogger-droid v1.7.4

Beer Brain

Important Terms

Brewing has not only become an art, but it has also become a very specific science. If you’re new to beer (such as I am), or if you’re not very familiar with the brewing process, you may get lost in some of the lingo or terminology. This week we’ll take a look at some of the major terms that everyone should know; even if you’re just the occasional beer drinker.

Ethanol Fermentation (Alcoholic Fermentation): Without getting knee deep into college Chemistry, Ethanol Fermentation is one of many types of fermentation. It’s a natural process that converts forms of sugars (glucose, fructose, and sucrose) into a form of energy. The byproducts are ethanol and carbon dioxide. Beer is created (fermented) in closed containers with a lack of oxygen present. Therefore, the yeast actually performs the fermentation instead of oxygen (known as anaerobic respiration). 



Hops

Hops: The flower cones of the plant are used to create a bitter flavor in beer, and it also helps preserve the beer. Hops were originally cultivated in the 8^th and 9^th centuries in Bavaria and other parts of Europe. 

Adjunct: A fermentable ingredient such as honey or sugar that is used to increase the alcohol content of the beer or add flavor. Grains such as corn or rice can be added to give a lighter flavor.

 
Malt: Germinated cereal grains that have been dried in a process called “malting.” Malting is when barley is soaked in water, germinated then dried with hot air to stop the germination.



Malted Barley



Specific Gravity: The density of a liquid (or solid) compared to the density of water. Specific gravity (SG) of pure water is 1.00 @ 60°F. Measurements of SG can be taken before fermentation (original gravity), and after fermentation (final or terminal gravity).

International Bitterness Units (IBU): The interpretation of a “bitter” flavor when drinking beer. Although, for practical drinkers (such as myself), this may be a confusing interpretation. “Bitterness” can be less noticeable in a beer with a higher quantity of malt when comparing another with less malt.

Alcohol by Volume (ABV): The good stuff! A measure of the amount of alcohol in a beer – rated in %.

Cask: Closed, barrel shaped container. A cask is the original method for storing and serving beer. Beer served from a cask will be unfiltered and unpasteurized.



Cask



Weekly ALEment

Allagash Tripel Reserve       

Quick Facts

Brewery: Allagash Brewing Company

Beer Style: Tripel (Belgian)

Origin: Portland, Maine, USA

ABV: 9%

IBU: N/A

Glassware: Goblet / Snifter

Serve Temp: 40°-50°

Brewer’s Profile: Honey, Passion fruit, Herbal

Summary

Color is very golden when poured with a creamy head that stays through. First, there are hints of herbs and spices followed by a smooth creamy flavor with banana. I believe the long smooth texture is carried out by the presence of honey. Some reviews of this beer suggest small hints of apricot. However, if they are present, the flavor of the herbs and banana indeed overpower any notes of another fruit.

This is a very, very good beer! There are many high ratings of this beer and after you taste it, it is easy to see why. I had this beer with a delicious steak dinner, and its creamy head and smooth texture lasted until long after the end of the meal. Definitely a beer you can enjoy with a dinner from the grill or oven. I purchased one 750ml bottle, and it is enough to split between two people (one full glass each person). The high alcohol content goes unnoticed until a little while after you have finished your glass. It may be too creamy and rich, however, to have more than a couple of glasses per person.

Beer Brain

ALES & LAGERS

Beer essentially falls into two different categories: Ale and Lager. From those two categories follow many different “beer styles” within each category. This week, we won’t get into details on beer styles; we will focus on the three main differences between the two categories: types of yeast, fermentation temperature and time, and additional ingredients.

Yeast:

Ale is produced from “top fermenting” strains of yeast. Lager is produced from “bottom fermenting” strains of yeast; however, on very rare occasions ales can also be produced from “bottom fermenting” yeast.

Temperature & Time:

Ales ferment at higher temperatures (60° - 75°F) which, in turn produces a quicker fermentation period (78 days or less). Lager comes from the German word “Lagern” which means “to store.” Lagers are fermented for much longer periods of time at cool temperatures (46° - 59°F).

Additional Ingredients & Flavor: 
Ales typically contain higher amounts of hops, malts, & roasted malts. The ale yeasts are known to produce by-products called esters, which are “flowery” and “fruity” aromas. Lagers tend to be more traditional – fewer adjuncts. Unlike Ales, the Lager yeast produces fewer by-products and does not contribute to the flavor of the beer. This allows for other flavors to pull through (malt, hops, etc.).