Game changer! Ever so often, in the process of exploring as much of the craft beer world as possible, Shawn and I will come across a beer that epitomizes why we do what we do. Truly I don’t want to give away much of the episode’s discussion – but this was a milestone for us.

Avery Brewing Company – Samael’s Oak-Aged Ale
Style: Oak Aged English Strong Ale
ABV: 15.53%
IBU: 41
OG: 1.140

This week, the guys bring a review of one of Shawn’s favorite breweries from the Land of the Rising Sun. Hitachino Nest is a brewery within a brewery; its parent company Kiuchi, has been brewing saké for nearly 200 years. These intriguing ales have been making their way into upscale Asian fusion restaurants, craft beer stores, and some beer bars throughout the Twin Cities for a couple years.

Coming from a land of adjunct rice lagers, the folks at Hitachino ferment an amazing, refreshing oddity, seemingly a frontrunner in the Japanese craft beer revolution. Our friends Stephen and John from New Brew Thursday recently visited Koji Nomura, owner of Craftheads in Shibuya, Japan, while John was on tour with his punk band, Better Luck Next Time.

If you happen to see a curious-looking bottle with a red owl on the center of the label during your next visit to the local craft store, take a few home and let us know what you think!

Hitachino Nest – Red Rice Ale
Style: Belgian-style Double
ABV: 7.0%
IBU: 11
OG: 1.070

The Beer Genome Project Happy Hour #10 Show Notes

0:00-0:22 - Introduction
0:22-14:25 – Red Rice Ale by Hitachino Nest
14:25-15:22 – Conclusion

BeerVoice, currently in beta, is a simple and straightforward way for users to collectively share their opinions on the beers that we drink everyday. The front page of the site greets you with a search bar, a rotating list of featured beers, and a list of the most recently written reviews. Type the name of a beer or brewer in the search bar to get your next list of beers or reviews. At this point, many have likened it to the simplicity of Twitter. It’s true. Each review on BeerVoice has a maximum of 500 characters, and the choice of adding one of six face icons as a tally for your final score.

Even this early in the game, BeerVoice looks to have a large database of beers waiting to be reviewed. Each beer has its own page with an ABV rating, a link to other beers of the same style, a link to the brewer, and a list of all reviews for the beer. It pulls together most of the basic information one would need for a given beer, and displays it in a visually digestible way.

I very much look forward in seeing how this website will grow, and how the beer community might support it. I certainly have my ideas on how users could benefit from this site, especially if a few more features were implemented; that can wait for another time. It’s easy to sign-up and to start following others, so I definitely encourage you to browse the site for awhile. The reviews certainly came en masse tonight and they will hopefully continue at a constant rate.

As an example, here’s a link to my profile with a few reviews already posted. If you join, feel free to follow me.

Are you a big fan of bitter beers and Tyranena Brewing (@Tyranena) of Wisconsin? Then you might think that this episode was crafted especially for you. Shawn and I take some time to review two “out there” beers from our midwest sustenance provider. From their “Brewer’s Gone Wild” series, we have the Bitter Woman in the Rye, an India Pale Ale brewed with rye malt, and Hop Whore, an Imperial IPA.

Tyranena Brewing – Bitter Woman in the Rye
Style: Rye Beer
ABV (Alcohol by Volume): N/A
IBU: N/A

Tyranena Brewing – Hop Whore
Style: American Imperial IPA
ABV (Alcohol by Volume): N/A
IBU: N/A

The Beer Genome Project #26 Show Notes

0:00-0:59- Introduction
0:59-16:29 – Bitter Woman in the Rye by Tyranena Brewing
16:29-24:28 - Hop Whore by Tyranena Brewing
24:28 -53:20 – News and Events
53:20-56:53 – Conclusion

Peace Tree Brewing in Iowa
Peace Tree Brewing’s blog, @peacetreebrew on Twitter

Blue Moon Brewing celebrates rare coincidence this Dec. 31st with new beer
[http://news.draftmag.com]

You Know What Would Make For An Interesting Beer Festival…
[http://www.beerscribe.com]

Schells Hopfenmalz arrives in bottles early 2010
[http://beernews.org]

Brooklyn Brewery Black Chocolate Stout

Winter 09-10 bottle
Tasted Jan 5, 2010
10% ABV – Russian Imperial Stout

From the bottle:

In the last century, British brewers made strong stouts for the Czar’s Court. They were called Imperial Stouts. Our Black Chocolate Stout, brewed once yearly for the winter season, achieves a chocolate aroma and flavor through the artful blending of six varieties of black, chocolate and roasted malts.

I know more about Brooklyn Brewery through Garrett Oliver’s book, The Brewmaster’s Table, than firsthand experience with tasting their brews. Where I live in Iowa, the only beer of theirs we can get is a collaboration with Schneider (brewers of the great Aventinus!), the Brooklyner-Schneider Hopfen-Weisse, a wonderful Weizenbock that has left me with a very positive impression of the brewery. While on vacation here in Washington, D.C., I found some of these in my sister’s fridge, and after having a small taste from a friend’s glass last Friday, my interest was piqued. So let’s get down to it.

The appearance is an inky, pitch-black. Had a good inch of head which quickly receded and had no visible lacing, which I’m fine with in a Russian Imperial Stout. Black is the color of a true RIS, and judging by the opaque color, impenetrable to light, Brooklyn knows this very well!

Brooklyn Brewery's Black Chocolate Stout

Last Friday, I remarked to my friend that it was not particularly chocolatey, but sticking my nose down deep into this glass, especially as it warms, I get a lot of chocolate malt. More like dark baking chocolate than Hershey’s-style American chocolate, just the way I prefer. More nuanced and doesn’t really beat you over the head with it like many chocolate stouts can (Ommegang’s Chocolate Indulgence, I’m looking in your direction!). Black, dark roasted coffee is also apparent in the nose.

The flavor is not what you’d expect. Less sweet chocolate and more earthy—a bitterness not unlike espresso. The mouthfeel is smooth, and while the taste starts bitter the chocolate malts make their presence known, with some subtle sweet and roasted flavor. The chocolate, thanks to the malt, is more of a bitter cocoa (again, think baking chocolate) than sweet milk, which keeps the drinkability higher than your average RIS, while the bitterness keeps me from drinking too quickly. A lot more complex as it warms, the 10% ABV doesn’t hit you over the head in taste, but rather is more apparent in the nose. It becomes less apparent as the it warms. This one is far better at cellar temperature than served cold.

More RIS than Chocolate Stout, Brooklyn Brewery has created a wonderful winter beer, one that I think would age very well. I could see this one mellowing out and perhaps becoming closer to what people might expect if they hadn’t had it before (slightly sweet) but I’m very pleased with this one. Would like to try with a year on it, but I flew and didn’t check a bag, so can’t bring any back with me, sadly!

My score:   4/5

• Brau Bros will be featured on KSTP’s 10pm news this Sunday night.  Jason Davis, from “On the Road with Jason Davis” was in Lucan doing a segment about the brewery and the town.  It should be re-aired Monday during the 11-12 noon news, and Tuesday during Twin Cities Live.

• Rainwater Oak-Aged Stout is still in the works.  They are very impatiently awaiting final label approval from the TTB.  When they get word, they’ll ship.  Dustin is hoping it happens within a week’s time.

• Elisha’s Olde Ale was brewed on Dec 5, and it is progressing nicely.  Done as a group brew, with help from South Dakota’s very knowledgeable home brewers and some Minnesota volunteers as well, they’re anxiously waiting for this one.  It’ll get a few weeks on oak and possibly get a late-winter release. Dustin hypothesizes most of this will go to South Dakota, as Elisha, the homebrewer who won the contest, is a SoDak resident.

• The Braus shipped their first kegs of Cream Stout Nitro.  This is something new for the holidays, and it layers perfectly on Sheephead.  They call it a Black Sheep.  Dustin tells us to ask for it wherever you see a cool looking stout faucet.

• Finally, if you’re in the area or passing through on the way to Grandmother’s house over the holidays, stop in and visit the Brau Brothers!  Call or shoot him an email to set up a tour.  City folk are always welcome and as always, plenty of free parking!

In recent months, Shawn and I have been trying to learn about homebrewing with our friends and via the web. I must say that Twitter has been awesome to do some quick crowd-sourcing to get some different perspectives on a question I had. One source of help has been homebrewer and gent Stephen Freshnock, a.k.a. @slovakbrewer on Twitter.

Shawn was able to meet up with Stephen when he made his trip to Chicago earlier this year. Then, sometime this fall, Shawn was also able to score a few bottles of Stephen’s homebrew. This week we’re releasing a Happy Hour episode in which Shawn and I were able to get together and share one of those homebrews: an Imperial Brown Ale. I asked Stephen to share a little back story on his beer to offer context for myself, Shawn and you (the reader/listener). Feel free to read his commentary now, but definitely make sure to come back after you hear the show. Thanks Stephen for letting us try your homebrew and discuss it here on our show; I look forward to future tastings and learning more as both Shawn and I begin our foray into homebrewing.

From Stephen:

Like many recipes this one came to me while in a drinking session. I was at a local pub enjoying the Imperial version of the Brown Ale. It was much drier and had cascade as the featured hop. I often think about what I would change not to improve the beer but to make it my own. In the winter I enjoy the thick tongue depressor beers like “Expedition”, “Darkness” etc.. I wanted to bring out those flavors without breaching the session-ability of the brown ale style. Being a home brewer gives me license to batter styles, so I hopped it like an IPA with Columbus. This gives it a resiny piney aroma that is so inviting and then you get his with a mouth full of malt to sits hand and hand with the hop flavor. It think the bitterness helps push the maltiness through and guide you to your next sip. The deep dark color is due to my process. Before I rinsing the grain bed, I do an extended recirculation of wort to improve clarity and set the grain bed. This means I am running wort through wort which darkens the color. I am willing to sacrifice color in order to improve the quality/stability of my beer. I also reduce the first gallon wort to 1/2 a gallon. This creates a super sweet unfermentable base to the beer. This also deepens the color further. This wort reduction also impacts flavor tremendously. The rich caramel and toffee flavors are a result of this. I layered a two different types of chocolate malt and 3 different low lovibond caramel malts to add complexity. There is a small bitterness charge at 90 minutes, a small flavor charge at 30. Then I pack in 3 ounces of Columbus in the last 15 minutes. There are 2 ounces at 1 minute, this results in the big hoppy aroma. This beer is meant to have more malt flavor and more hop aroma.

The Beer Genome Project Happy Hour #9 Show Notes

0:00-1:49 - Introduction
1:49-16:05 – American Brown Ale from @SlovakBrewer
16:05-17:46 – Conclusion

La Folie by New Belgium Brewing – This barrel-aged sour was the second American sour I had ever tried, (the first being Avery’s Brabant), coincidentally at the same bar (The Muddy Pig, Saint Paul). Albeit I enjoyed these two brews on different occasions, this Fort Collins, Colorado brew delivered an amazingly flavorful and tart beast of a spontaneous beer. Vinegar and cherry nose followed by tart woody notes with pleasant residual funk. A superb, sessionable sour.     –    4.5/5

Nor’Easter by Captain Lawrence Brewing- I hadn’t heard of these guys until the weekend of Darkness Day, when I met up with fabled beer traders Uncle Jedi and Purple Hat Joan, of Huntsville, Alabama. After enjoying dinner with these two, Leslie and I visited their hotel room, where I was fortunate to sample this barrel-aged winter warmer, complete with prominent fruity notes from the elderberries used in the beer. This was definitely a winter “warmer” ringing in at 12% ABV, with the sweet bourbon notes present in the mouthfeel.    -   4.5/5

Pumking by Southern Tier Brewing - A dark amber color with a potent spicy nose that fills the room with pumpkin pie aroma quickly. I am a pumpkin pie fiend, so this aptly-named “imperial pumpkin ale” delivers a punch of flavor and body. Yet, even though it rang in a 9% ABV, the creamy smooth mouthfeel is my definition of what a pumpkin ale should be. Yes, Southern Tier does have a few extremely gimmicky beers (think: Crème Brûlée) but this beer was definitely one I had to seek out and buy a few other bombers. Just so happened to be across the border.   -   4.5/5

Petunia Ale by Minneapolis Town Hall Brewery - Yet another beer I sampled Darkness Day weekend, I decided it was important Mike finally get the chance to experience Town Hall. This fall seasonal had great body, but was very well-balanced with spice. Unlike other pumpkin ales which use two prominent spices (cinnamon and nutmeg), this brew had at least four or five, rounding out the flavor palette. The creamy finish was definitely a plus, and it was a great draft beer.    –   4/5

Monk’s Blood by 21st Amendment Brewery - I waited nearly two years to have my first 21A beer, and I was fortunate to participate in the release parties (yes, more than one) in Minneapolis the weekend of the 21st of November (suiting, right?). Although all the beers Sully and his crew had available were phenomenal, this Belgian dark ale really fit the brisk late fall weather. The mission figs, vanilla, and Belgian candi sugar in its composition, completed by a barrel-aging to meld the flavors, really helped to yield a big-bodied, Belgian-style beauty.    –    4.25/5

“Sour” Rye Saison homebrew by Stephen Freshnock – I was able to meet Stephen Freshnock, founding member and regular participant of The Fellowship of Gentlemanly Gentlemen (known on the Twitterverse as the #gents) this August. I was able to acquire a few bottles of his homebrew when a friend visited Chicago for a weekend in late October. One of the two bombers of his rye saison I gave to BGP fellow Tom Hill; the other Leslie and I shared shortly after its arrival from Chicago. It was tart, with slight tangy pepper notes, the body reminiscent of a great Ommegang brew: Ommegeddon. For a beer of any origin, it was fantastic, let alone a beer made in a single, five gallon batch. Look for Stephen, a.k.a. @SlovakBrewer’s beer in a brewpub someday soon.    -   4.5/5

The real winner for me this season was the La Folie from New Belgium. I can’t seem to get enough barrel-aged sour beers. It’s really too bad my sentiment is shared by only but a few über beer nerds the world over. Perhaps someday the BGP will have to acquire some used barrels for experimentation…

This episode is an oldie, but a goodie. My friend Jason (one of the many here at The Beer Genome Project) and I got together to primarily try out Schlafly’s Pumpkin Ale, and decided to throw on a few other beers that we haven’t yet had a chance to try.  Unfortunately Schlafly is not a brewery that we have access to here in Iowa, and it might take another road trip to Missouri before I can taste another. Additionally, Jason and I tried the Grand Cru from Schlafly as well as the Oak Aged Yeti Imperial Stout from Great Divide Brewing Company. Buckle in folks, this Happy Hour episode is true to its name in length. Cheers!

Saint Louis Brewery – Schlafly Grand Cru
Style: Belgian Strong Pale Ale
ABV: 9.00%

Saint Louis Brewery – Schlafly Pumpkin Ale
Style: Pumpkin Ale
ABV: 8.00%

Great Divide Brewing Company – Oak Aged Yeti Imperial Stout
Style: Russian Imperial Stout
ABV: 9.50%

The Beer Genome Project Happy Hour #8 Show Notes

0:00-3:32 - Introduction
3:32-17:31 – Grand Cru by Schlafly (Saint Louis Brewery)
17:31-36:35 – Pumpkin Ale by Schlafly (Saint Louis Brewery)
36:35-57:41 – Chocolate Oak Aged Yeti by Great Divide Brewing
57:41-58:54 – Conclusion

Oktoberfest by August Schell Brewing – a rich auburn color and creamy head. smells of grain and the taste is toffee like with a light body. I really like how the beer finishes with a sweet crispness. 3.5/5

Dogtoberfest Märzen by Flying Dog Brewery - a dark amber color with a thick foamy head that dissipates quickly. smells of caramel and spice. a medium body with the flavor falling to the back of the tongue. the thickness comes from a mix of roasted malts and spice. 3/5

Pumpkin Ale by Buffalo Bill’s Brewery – surprisingly more true pumpkin flavor than I had believed it would be. I had built this beer up in mind as being the liquid pumpkin pie of beers, but this was not the case. It’s a true pumpkin flavor that comes through on this beer and it’s low on the spice. 3.5/5

Bob’s ‘47 Oktoberfest by Boulevard Brewing – smells floral and has a bitter bite in the taste. 3.5/5

Horseman’s Revenge by Olde Main Brewing – a very tasty, local choice. 4/5

Harvest Ale by Goose Island Brewing - this beer certainly focuses on the hop flavoring and it comes through quite a bit more strong than one might expect. This isn’t quite reaching the levels of an IPA, but for that, I commend it. 3.5/5

The true winner for me this season was the Pumpkin Ale from Schlafly – a true 5/5 for me. You will all hear more about this in an upcoming Happy Hour episode.