I Need To Visit Vermont

I grew up near Buffalo. We have never been shy about a little wintry weather, to say the least. Eight years of living in Syracuse, New York (aka the snowiest city in the world!) did little to dispel this notion. The discovery of the myriad seasonal ales that accompany this time of year only serves to further reinforce it.

Don't get me wrong - I don't enjoy skiing or snowmobiling. Or hunting, snow shoeing, sub-freezing temps, commuting in inclement weather, flu season, Ebeneezer Scrooge-types, wassailing, etc. You get the picture. I guess I like this time of year in spite of itself. I oddly romanticize it (at least until Ground Hog day or so) and that works for me.

All of that nonsense has little to do with this article in the Boston Globe:

There may or may not be a craft beer heaven, but this vibrant city wedged between Lake Champlain and the Green Mountains is close. Located at the epicenter of Vermont's microbrewery scene, Burlington is bustling with pubs and taprooms. Finding one that serves craft on draft is not only easy, it's the rule.

To prove it, we set out on our own pub crawl to see how many bars serving local brews on tap we could find before we ran out of steam. (Yeah, it's a tough job.)

The rules were simple. The crawl had to stay within walking distance of the intersection of Main and Church streets. Burlington beer aficionados readily provided a list of places to check out, but this crawl, as they so often do, progressed randomly.

This piece doesn't even begin give it justice, but just picture the scene with me: a snowy winter's night in Burlington. The wind is whipping in off of Lake Champlain, and fat flakes dance in the air. 'Tis not a fit night for man nor beast, but the cheery glow of the many pubs off the pedestrian mall in the city's downtown are calling. There are three brewpubs within walking distance and plenty of other likely destinations betwixt and between...

Head to Head: Ithaca Cascazilla vs. Magic Hat Roxy Rolles

We tried a little experiment some three months ago pitting two similar beers against each other and determining which had the superior brew. We know, of course, that beer is not a competitive enterprise, and should be seen as an artisinal endeavor. But then again, films have the Academy Awards and beer has the Great American Brew Fest, so we might as well just go ahead and have some fun with it.

VS.

Today, we explore two very hoppy amber ales: Cascazilla from the Ithaca Brewing Company in Upstate New York, and Roxy Rolles from the Magic Hat brewery in Burlington, Vermont. We had always considered these two beers somewhat equitable, since they were two of a a kind; both are amber ales with an inordinate amount of hops, eschewing the idea that an amber/red beer should be malty, with a bitter, German-style edge to it.

When we tried them side-by-side, however, we found them to be a lot more different than we had anticipated.

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• The Look:
  
  There is a striking discrepancy between these two beers in their appearance. The Cascazilla has the color of cherry juice, and is clear and glassy; Roxy is a deep mahogany reddish brown, and is as cloudy as a dirty martini. The head on the Cascazilla is pure white, while the head on the Roxy is a rose-tinged off-white. The head on the Roxy sticks around longer and is thicker, and Roxy also has more lace.
  
  Advantage: Roxy Rolles

  ---

  
  
• The Aroma:
  
  Again, these brews that we had heretofore considered fraternal twins show that they have deep differences. Roxy smolders in the nose, with the smells of oak and mahogany. Its hops are those of pine and cut grass. More of an "East Coast" hop aroma here. The hops on Cascazilla, on the other hand, are closer to a traditional West Coast variety, with sweeter citrus notes. Cascazilla's malt is more roasted, but also has some nice sharp crystal malt characteristics. Roxy's malts are more lightly toasted, in that bready English way. They are both very strong, bold aromas, but due to the balance between the bitter and the sweet, we have to say...
  
  Advantage: Cascazilla (by a nose-hair)

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• The Flavor:
  
  Here is where the proverbial rubber meets the hypothetical road, and where the character of each of these two brews comes out. We cheated a bit and looked up the types of hops that each of these beers use: Cascazilla uses Cascade, Chinook and Crystal (aka "The Three C's"); and Roxy uses Simcoe. The hop character is what really sets these two apart. Having had them in different settings, we had always considered them step-brothers of sorts due to their hop strength in the amber/red style. But upon further examination, the hop character really differs between them.
  
  Cascazilla is much more citrusy in the hop, but is also balanced by a wonderful roasted caramel malt quality. As it exhibited in the smell, Roxy continues its arboreal streak with a rich oak flavor over lightly toasted malts. Those grassy Simcoe hops pop right out at you. If this makes any sense, Cascazilla has more of a "bouncy" flavor, and Roxy has more of a "flat" flavor. Cascazilla is very American; Roxy is very English. And though the Roxy tempers and improves with warmth, the balancing act that Ithaca pulls off means...
  
  Advantage: Cascazilla (but just barley)

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• The Feel/Drinkability:
  
  These beers are really different on the palate, further proving that they are hardly relatives, but rather two sides of the same coin. The Roxy is dry, ashy, chewy and coarse. You almost have to have another drink to wash it down. Cascazilla is buttery and smooth, milky and fizzy. They are both very drinkable, but because of its substantial texture...
  
  Advantage: Roxy Rolles

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• THE VERDICT:
  
  These are both two excellent brews. Cascazilla is bittersweet and balanced, smooth and highly quaffable. Roxy Rolles is deep, rich and woody, rough around the edges and a very rich session brew (only 5.1% compared to Cascazilla's surpising 7%).
  
  But we have to have a winner and so, we declare, by a split decision and one of the closest taste-tests we've ever had the pleasure of doing, the winner is....
  
  CASCAZILLA! Congratulations!

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Now, this is to take absolutely nothing away from Roxy Rolles, which is also an excellent beer, and one that, maybe on another day, we might have given the slight advantage to. It's a choice between smooth and balanced, versus rich and coarse. There are no "losers" in this competition, except those of you still drinking Coors (all due respect).

Two Minute Guide to Moe's Tavern

Moe's Taven in Lee, Massachusetts, has been a longtime destination of ours for a couple of reasons. First of all, we are geeks, and any geek worth a damn knows that Moe's Tavern is Homer Simpson's favorite hangout. Secondly, we had read -- and been told by those who know -- that they have a terrific setup and a very good beer selection.

Moe's is tucked away on a side street in this quaint Western New England village, a fact which caused us to miss our turn and have to circle back to find it. From the outside, it's hard to know what to make of it. In the windows are some neon beer signs, as well as some words written backward on the windows. In some ways, it looks like a hip indie record store from the outside.

Walking inside gives a clearer view of the bar's vibe. First, it becomes apparent that the writing on the windows is a list of the beers available on draft, as well as their prices. ("Victory Lager $4," "60 Minute IPA $6," etc.) This list apparently is updated every once in a while, but not always immediately.

A beer menu is also available at the bar, listing all the bottled beers available at Moe's, ranging from $4 (Stone Coast 420 IPA, Brooklyn Lager, et al.) to $399 (Unibroue Fin Du Monde 6 litre). There are also about a dozen specialty beers in the $10 to $25 range (Dogfish Head 120 Minute IPA $19, Stone Russian Imperial Stout $12, Dogfish Head Red and White $25). The menu helpfully splits all their bottles into four categories: IPAs and Big Beers; Browns, Porters and Stouts; Pales, Pils, Bitters and Lagers; and Belgian Styles, Whites and Wheats.

There is a large sign painted above one of the windows that states "No Coors Light," which was apparently added as a reaction to being requested so many times. Now the barkeeps need only to point to the sign. Please note, there is no BudMillerCoors fare to be found at Moe's.

The decor is decidedly beergeek friendly. Remember the episode where Moe said in order to open a family restaurant, all you had to do was "throw a bunch of crap on on the walls"? Well, the real life Moe's Tavern took that advice to heart, although with a beer lovers in mind. Paraphernalia for Rogue and Dogfish Head line the walls, and bumper stickers and signs for Smuttynose and Berkshire can be found strewn all about. It's like a townie bar with Bennigan's walls, but with tons of beer and a smaller menu.

On this sunny day, only about 4-5 people were inhabiting the Tavern. Javen and I placed our orders: a Six Point Bengali IPA for Jables, a Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA for me. We bellied up to an out of the way section of the bar, near the restroom. Javen and I placed an order for a light lunch (three small slider burgers and a buffalo chicken strip sandwich, neither one bad at all).

Of course, no Beerjanglin' adventure would be complete without an unusual encounter; this day we ran into a wonderful 50s-ish couple named Bronco and Rita. [Note: we forgot their real names.] I lied to them about Javen being a federal officer (he denied it, for the record) and told them my name was Ramon. Bronco rewarded my blatant disingenuousness by giving me the red Gritty McDuff's hat off his own head when Javen pointed it out to me. He was just, in his words, "payin' it forward."

Hopefully our trip to Moe's will not be our one and only. And though I didn't see a Flamin' Moe on the menu, a cozy, friendly atmosphere, a terrific beer selection and lively conversation make this a spot well worth the detour.

Beer O' The Moment - Magic Hat Lucky Kat

While I have always appreciated the fervor with which the folks at Magic Hat have tried to spread the notion of diversity in beer drinking, there have been precious few of their beers that I have found myself craving on a regular basis even though I find all of them competent and priced popularly.

Magic Hat has also been good at experimentation, forcing numerous styles on the American beer drinking public. Some of these styles (St. Gootz) were a success, others (Kerouac) interesting failures. They also have the best brewery website I can find.

Magic Hat has gone down the IPA road a few times before, with mixed results. Their most well-known offering is the now-retired Blind Faith, which was a good if not great English IPA. It lacked the hop character to which American IPA drinkers are accustomed, and therefore was probably ushered out to keep the hop-fantatics (such as yours truly) happy. Their Hi.P.A. is a decent brew, but in today's age where it seems every brewery is trying to come up with a signature, flagship IPA, the Magic Hat folks could probably see they needed something a little different; they needed something a little stronger.

Enter Lucky Kat. While I'm not sure I'm 100% in love with the name of this new concoction, I do have to say that I'm impressed with the beer itself. While I am not necessarily a proponent of more "extreme" beers, this one was a nice step up for a brewery that takes chances but doesn't necessarily take great leaps.

The beer is very nice to look at, and the most IPA-looking IPA they have come out with. It's dark orange and hazy, just the way it should be; it glows from within like a Christmas tree light. It pours a big fluffy head.

The aroma foreshadows a piney, woody IPA. There is some definite grassy pine action going on in the smell. It also takes the risk of putting in some oak. (Note: I've been told that I often sense oak where oak does not exist. I have sensed it in grape juice, caesar salad and my air conditioner so take that observation with a grain of salt.) The smell is nicely balanced, with some sweet and bready malt peeking its head out briefly.

The taste follows through on the promise of the smell, for the most part. The hops are definitely of the distinctly woody variety, and yes, that oaky flavor comes in too. It's altogether very grassy and outdoorsy, with the oily pine flavor dominating. It could use as much balance in the flavor as it does in the aroma, as the hops dominate the flavor completely, leaving only the very end of the swallow to make room for the malt to come in. This isn't a bad thing, as most imperial IPAs give the hops center stage, but a little more of the nicely toasted malt would have been a nice touch. The beer feels thick and oily, even a little milky, but smooth.

While I'm not going to say that this is an unadulterated home run for Magic Hat, I was surprised at how deep this beer is, and packed with flavor. Perhaps it's the silky, thick mouthfeel that surprised me the most. Either way, it's Magic Hat's best IPA to date, and if it sells well enough, it might be their last crack at the formula. I think they might be on to something.

THE BOSTON HOPS: PENGUIN PIZZA

I know what you may be thinking, "why is there a pizza place in this blog? This isn't Pizzajanglin' for crying out loud!" While this is true, Penguin Pizza is by far much, much more than just a solid pizza joint. Allow me to proceed. You see Penguin Pizza has around 200 some odd beers to available for consumption at any given time. That's right, 200, no typo here. Ya with me now? I thought you might be. So come on in!

"Penguin", as it is affectionately known, is a cozy little place located in the Brigham Circle area of Beantown. (right off the Green Line Brigham Circle stop. Go figure). When you walk in, you don't really know what to expect. It's dark, and quaint, with only about 6 or 7 bigger tables, 3 little two-seaters, and of course some spots at the bar. Lady Moe and I have been there on several occassions and have never had trouble finding a seat. You seat yourself, and they present you with your menus. One for food and one for beer. Now whilst the pizza here is quite good, again, this is not Pizzajanglin', so we will skip over the reasonably priced and delicious pizza pies available to order and move right along to why you're here, the beer.

As mentioned, there's in the neighborhood of 200 beers on this menu. Now sure amidst this 200 are your macros, like Bud, Miller and Coors, as well as some other alcoholic waters from far off places you may never have heard of, but there are still plenty beyond the likes of them boys, including some local favorites, not as readily accessible to the world outside New England. I mean with that many beers available, if you can't find one you like, chances are, you don't like beer. Now they only have about 15-20 on tap, as the rest are served in bottles, or cans (Yes folks they have PBR in the can as well as the world reknown Schlitz Tall Boy), so if you're a draught boy, you may be less impressed. But the good news here is they deliver you the bottle and the glass, clearly knowing that plenty of their clientele are beer geeks and will need to see the beer, not just drink it. Plus they may even give you the proper glass (I'm not really sure, cause I am not all that up to speed on the proper drinkware for every type of brew). I know for a fact that some have been in the proper glass, but others, perhaps, not so much. They may just grab the next clean beer holder and be done with it, or maybe it even depends on who's tending the bar, I dunno? So if any of our Beantown readers want to enlighten me, it would be greatly appreciated. But it seems, for the most part the bar maidens may have some idea of what beer goes in what type of glass, but they can sometimes have a lot on their plates.

The service here is a bit of tricky wicket. You see for all but one occassion, the bartender and the waitress have been one and the same. On the one occassion, there were two ladies behind the bar and I believe one stayed behind the bar for the most part. It hasn't seemed to be too much of a problem, but it can, at times create delays in getting your brews and food. You see some of the B-tenders seem to be better than others at this brand of multi-tasking, so it does not have a hugely negative effect on the experience. The first time I visited, there was a decent size crowd an it took awhile for us to get service, but it was a Saturday night, and that's almost expected here in the big city. So for the most part I would say the staff do a reasonable job at keeping you drinking, especially if you're in......

The Mug Club. How does one get into the Mug Club? Glas you asked. It consists of a list of a little over a hundred brews they offer at "Penguin" and all you have to do is finish off the list in a year's time and you get a free mug. That's it? A mug? Ah but wait, there is more! Along with the mug, there is also a sense of pride and accomplishment. Pride? Accomplishment? C'mon! Ah but wait, there's still more! You see the mug is a larger than average size mug, 32 ounces perhaps. Larger than average? 32 ounces? Ah but wait there is still more! Once you have earned your large mug, you then pay the regular pint price, but get the alcoholic beverage in the larger-than-a-pint mug! That's right, you pay the normal price but get like twice the beer! Now if that's not worth gulping down 100+ beers in a year's time, I don't know what is? And now is the perfect time to start, what wih that Leap Day right around the corner and all. The list has a good variety of styles and breweries. In fact I don't think there's any brewery represented more than 3 times. Which means, with some quick math, there are at least 50 different breweries to sample from. Of course, with any such list, you will have to take the good with the bad. For every Stone IPA you get to enjoy, there's also a Peroni in your future. For every Brooklyn or Lagunitas, an Anheuser-Busch product. It happens.

All in all not a bad little place to enjoy a slice and a brew, and has quickly become a fav of this particularly beerjangler. So if you're in the area, stop in, you probably won't be disappointed. Thirteen down, 97 to go!

Bottoms Up!

BEER BOWL I

Or should we call it the Beer Mug? I mean 97% of the time, I drink from a glass or mug, but rarely a bowl. Well, we'll stick with Beer Bowl for now, or maybe Hop Bowl? Well, the name notwithstanding, it's time to really break down the Super Bowl, the way it was meant to be broken down, by beer! Now, I had this idea a whiles back and one thing led to another and, well, this one kinda got away from me. Much like January, am I right?! Who can beleive it's actually February already? Without looking at a calendar smart aleck! I digress. Luckily someone else was already on it, and here it is from the Beer Nut, to us, to you:

THE BEER NUT: Does New England or New York have the better brewski?
By NORMAN MILLER GateHouse News Media

Another chapter will be added in the Boston-New York rivalry when the New England Patriots and the New York Giants go at it in the Super Bowl.Here is a look at the top 22 beers from New England and New York, 11 from each region. Why 22? Well, there are 11 players each on offense and defense. You decide which is the best.

New England (in no particular order):
1. Thomas Hooker Liberator Doppelbock - This beer from Bloomfield, Conn., is top of the line. If it’s not the best doppelbock in the world, it is the best produced in the United States.

2. Allagash Odyssey - If you like Belgian beers, this Belgian strong ale from Portland, Maine, is tough to beat. A strong effort from the North.

3. Berkshire Brewing Company’s Coffeehouse Porter - If you like porters and coffee, this is the beer for you. South Deerfield’s finest (and only) brewery produces this coffeehouse in a bottle.

4. Samuel Adams Boston Lager - An American classic. The Boston Beer Company first made this craft brew more than 20 years ago, and it still holds up in the crowded craft beer market.

5. Harpoon IPA - Another entry from Boston. Although other India pale ales may be more bitter, higher in alcohol and get more respect, this is a standby in almost any bar in Boston.

6. Cambridge Brewing Company’s Arquebus - You won’t be able to find a better barley wine in a brewpub. At 10.75 percent alcohol by volume, this is one incredible beer.

7. The Tap/Haverhill Brewery’s Leatherlips - Once you take a sip of this IPA, you will never believe it is only 5 percent ABV. If there is an IPA that you can knock back a sixer, this is it. And the woman on the label can be a New England cheerleader.

8. Portsmouth Brewing Company’s Kate The Great - This Russian Imperial Stout from the New Hampshire brewpub is hands down one of the best beers in the world. It’s thick, creamy and downright dreamy.

9. Pennichuck Brewing Company’s Pompier - A recent favorite. This English-style barley wine aged in wood barrels is a great sipping beer. And portions of any Pompier bought from this Milford, N.H., brewery benefits fire departments.

10. Rock Art’s Mountain Holidays in Vermont Rich Creamy Bock Lager - The name of this Vermont brewery’s beer is a mouthful, but ignore that and just bask in the creamy goodness of this German-style bock.

11. Samuel Adams Utopias - The world’s strongest beer at 27 percent ABV. Two ounces is enough to enjoy this sipping alcohol.

New York
1. Blue Point’s Hoptical Illusion - A top of the line, although under-appreciated, IPA from this small Patchogue, N.Y., brewery. Not as hoppy as the name would suggest, but very drinkable.

2. Brewery Ommegang’s Three Philosophers - One of my all-time favorite beers. It’s an American take on a Belgian quadruple from this Belgian-influenced Cooperstown brewery.

3. Brooklyn Brewery’s Lager - This is just a downright drinkable beer. I hope this is on tap at every bar I go into. The brewery bills this as a pre-Prohibition style lager. If lagers tasted like this before Prohibition, what happened to all of the recipes of the big brewers?

4. Brooklyn Brewery’s Black Chocolate Stout - Yes, I know, two from Brooklyn, but you can’t mention the best beers from New York without mentioning this wonderful Russian imperial stout.

5. Saranac’s Black Forest - Black lagers are an under-appreciated style. This is a solid example of the German style. Extremely drinkable and creamy.

6. Six Point Craft Ales’ Bengali Tiger - Another top-notch IPA. A strong hop flavor and bitterness makes your taste buds stand at attention.

7. Southern Tier Brewing Company’s Unearthly - There was not a brewery in the United States that had a better year than this Lakewood brewer. The Unearthly, an incredible Imperial IPA, is a standout. It’s so balanced, you can’t help but love it.

8. Southern Tier Brewing Company’s Oat - This imperial stout weighs in at a hefty 12.5 percent ABV, but you’ll hardly notice it. This thing is full of flavors - some hop bitterness, sweetness from malts, a little coffee, a little chocolate - all good.

9. South Hampton Publick House’s Biere de Garde - Nearly perfect to what a biere de garde is supposed to be. A Belgian-style, smells spicy. The spiciness is balanced nicely by the malt sweetness.

10. Middle Ages Brewing Company’s Wailing Wench - Extremely malty, almost too sweet except for the hops kicking in to make this a worthy beer to drink. The lass on this label could be a New York cheerleader.

11. Schmaltz Brewing’s Bittersweet Lenny’s RIPA - If you like your beers bitter (and I do), this is the beer for you. Brewed in honor of comedian Lenny Bruce, this is an aggressive beer. It feels thick in the mouth. Just be forewarned, make this your last beer of the night because you won’t be able to taste anything afterward.

Norman Miller is a GateHouse News Service writer. Contact him at nmiller@cnc.com or 508-626-3823. Don’t forget to check out the Beer Nut blog at www.blogs.townonline.com/beernut/.Copyright 2008 The Patriot Ledger

Now just so you know, the writer was asked to write up the list of brews with brief descriptions, so that is why there are not more in-depth looks at these beers. What are your thoughts on the list, hmmm?

Berkshire Brewing Company

Not to continue witth the decidedly New England-ish bent that this blog has taken recently or anything, but there was another rather pleasing element of our recent Invasion of Western Mass that Bill touched on only briefly in his post. On our way home, we made a quick stop at, as Ron over at Hop Talk would say, a "candy store" to pick up a few selections not available to us in New York.

There was a nice cover story on Berkshire Brewing Company in the December issue of Yankee Brew News (click here and scroll all the way down to view it). In reading that piece, you get a good feel for what BBC is - a small brewery that makes good, solid beers and has been successful self distributing their beer within a pretty limited radius. They are located in South Deerfield, MA, about 100 miles from Albany, but none of their beers are yet available outside of New England. Hopefully, that will change soon, as BBC has recently expanded and are poised for growth, as our man Lew so presciently pointed out last summer.

Anyway, back to the candy store. We'd had a couple of BBC brews here and there, and the Yankee Brew News article served as a friendly reminder that we should pick some more up as soon as was convenient. BBC beers are only available on draft and in 22 oz. bombers. Since we had already had the Lost Sailor IPA on draft at Ye Olde Forge, and the trunk of a Saturn SL1 is more conducive to transporting a selection of bottles than multiple kegs, we elected to purchase a few 22's of BBC stuff to smuggle back across the border. Thankfully, there is no known video footage of me giddily giggling like a school girl in front of the cooler with an armload of carefully chosen BBC bombers.

We ended up with six lovely beers that Bill and I managed to work our way through over the balance of the weekend:

• Berkshire Ale - An enjoyable, easy drinkin' tranditional Pale Ale

• River Ale - Dark ale? Old Ale? Brown Ale? Whatever, it's damned tasty.

• Lost Sailor IPA - A nice, English style IPA that ventures close to ESB territory
  

• Dean's Beans Coffeehouse Porter - A variant on their regular Drayman's Porter made with a special extract from a local coffee roaster. Awesome.

• Shabadoo Black & Tan - A very nice blend of Berkshire Ale and Drayman's Porter.
  

• Holidale 2007 - An excellent barleywine. Full bodied and balanced, with a big grapefruity finish. Right Bill?

Most of the beers share a sort of soft, almost nutty, creaminess that was quite pleasant. Not sure if it's the yeast, or a soft water, but it is nice. Despite the similarity, they manage to remain distinctive, without the flavour of one blurring into that of another at all. Just a really enjoyable experience with a really likable brewery, made slightly more exotic by the fact that they aren't available in our home state.

Add in the fact that (other than the big beer, Holidale, which was also handsomely screen printed a la Stone beers) they were sold at the very popular price of only $3.60 each, and we're already plotting our next journey to the Commonwealth. Here's hoping that their promised expansion pushes Berkshire Brewing's availability a bit farther westward.

Yankee Quartet Invades Western Mass

The border that exists between the states of New York and Massachusetts is a thin, nondescript strip of land with no border guards or checkpoints. When it comes to beer, however, the line of demarcation that separates the Empire State from New England is significant in that it is an endline of sorts for many of the Bay State's more lesser known offerings.

With an afternoon to kill, Javen and I decided to break out the passports and and cross from New York's Capital District into Western Mass to scope out what our fine state might be missing out on.

Enlisting my sister Mary Katherine and brother-in-law Scott, we headed to Lanesboro, Mass., and Ye Olde Forge, a small, charming colonial-style tavern. At the entrance, a small, inviting dining area lies straight ahead. There isn't very much seating, but enough to accommodate the crowd that was there on a Saturday afternoon.

Scott noted that the bar "feels like a place Paul Revere would have drank in." Indeed, the bar imparts a very colonial feel, with lots of wood and brick. The whole vibe of the place is very old-timey and authentically New Englandy. The walls are very ornate, with cardboard coasters of beers you've never heard of adorning nearly every square inch of wallspace.

We were told by the hostess that there would be a 6-7 minute wait, so we headed to the bar. We noticed about a dozen taps, many with offerings not often available on tap in New York State. On tap were such diverse brews as Lagunitas Lumpy Gravy, Mars Xmas Bock, Boulder Buffalo Gold, Great Divide Hiberator and Berkshire Brewing Lost Sailor. Javen and I tried the latter, a nice roasted English IPA with the vibe of an Extra Special Bitter.

Another impressive element of Ye Olde Forge is its two full coolers of diverse and sometimes obscure bottles. Usually when you see such tall coolers, they are filled with Molson and Michelob Ultra. To see the fridges full of Fullers ESB and Franziskaner Dunkel-Weisse warms the heart on a cold day.

Once seated, we scoured the menu filled with a good selection of pub fare. Since Javen had read about the wings, we started with a dozen of them, which were deceptively spicy. Jables enjoyed the Cup of Chili with cheese (only $3.50), and was even more impressed by the presentation. It was the right combination of spicy and sweet, he noted. I had the Turkey sandwich on focacci, which was moist and really delicious. The food received positive reviews all around.

There were a couple missteps (the server seemed slightly annoyed that we were there, she brought me the wrong beer, and Scott got a slight hassle due to having a perfectly valid NYS driver's license),but nothing to sour a very positive experience. We all noted that we would spend 4-7 nights a week here if we lived anywhere near it.

Our second stop was Pittsfield Brew Works, a place we had both been before. The vibe in this stop was decidedly more modern, but no less charming. The PBW has a nice oak bar with a flat-screen TV, as well as a small dining area near the bar and a larger section behind it near the entrance. The traffic was very light, but we were told that it would pick up after about 7 or so.

The bar is stocked with a full selection of liquor, as well as up to 10 different microbrews made right on the premises. We ordered a huge bowl of nachos for $4.95, a bargain. But that value is nothing compared to the sampler: 10 selections for just $5.00.

Pittsfield Brew Works' beers are all very competent, and some are excellent. This visit featured their Legacy IPA both on cask and on tap, McKenna's Irish Red, as well as a very nice Pitch Pilsner and Dohoney's gold. All the beers offered were competent and good, and a few stood out from the rest.

The Gerry Dog Oatmeal Stout was a nice coffee-ish stout with a motor-oil consistency and bitter finish. Javen and I agreed that our favorites were the Rauchbier -- a smoky, delicious dark brew that has an almost BBQ flavor and aroma wafting out of it -- and the Bees Knees Barleywine, a heavy brew with sweet and smooth honey accent which eases the harshness of what is likely a high ABV beer.

The barkeep at Pittsfield was friendly and knowledgeable, explaining some of the brewing processes, editorializing on the styles, and giving a brief history of the pub itself; exactly what you want out of a bartender. The whole experience was really enjoyable, so much that we sort of lost track of time (generally the telltale sign of a fun experience).

We had hoped to sample a few more spots in Western Mass but the sun went down and we had to begrudgingly come back across the border back into civilization. Perhaps next time we'll get to visit Moe's Tavern in Lee or Barrington Brewing Company. But for this brief visit, Mass. appealed to the beer enthusiast in all of us.

BREW ENGLAND: A STORM'S A BREWIN'!-PART 1

Yes that's right, Willie Moe is back! After some mild controversy over my Pilsner Urquell post, I have returned and am ready to take the beer blogging world by storm! Newport Storm that is. You see Willie Moe has packed up and moved from Syracuse to Boston. The Sunshine State, gorgeous. So, if moving weren't stressful enough, now I have to find where they hide the good beer in the Commonwealth. Which means I am out on a beer voyage (pronounced like you'd pronounce it when saying, "bon voyage"), and you, my loyal readers, okay reader, are about to reap all the benefits! Now as excited as we are to dive right in and conduct the Boston hops, we decided to broaden our horizons, or at least our beer selection, and thus I welcome you to Brew England......

Our first stop in Brew England is Middletown, Rhode Island home of the Coastal Extreme Brewing Company, producers of Newport Storm. Now I know, it sounds like an Arena Football team or something, but it's actually beer, go figure? Now I gotta say the labeling is not all that eye catching. I really only picked it because it was from Rhodey and I had partaken of most every other sixer they had available at this particular package store. Plus unlike most of the half dozens available it had two different beers in it. Three of each, for those of you not quick with the math. And of course we are gonna give you a taste of both of those offerings. Well not literally, if you wanna taste you're gonna have to buy it yourself. So enough babbling, into the eye of the storm we go.....

The first one we're gonna give a whirl is the Regenschauer Oktoberfest, which is by far easier to drink than it is to pronounce. Now out of the bottle, this pours a thin orange, honey color, with a nice head that quickly dissolves away. Not very cloudy, giving no warning that a storm's a comin'. I would say the appearance is roughly average. It's not as beautiful as some other Oktoberfests or Marzen style lagers, but it's look would not dissuade you from throwing it down your gullet. It sure didn't stop me, but very little would, let's be honest here. Now that I've painted you a picture of this brew, let's get our face in their and dig out the nosefeel, or smell, as you may call it.

To tell you the truth, the nosefeel did not entice me. Now, I'm not saying it doesn't smell good, it's just not my cup of tea, or glass of beer, if you would. Well, if you want to be literal it is my glass, but come on! The malt is the first thing that hits your nostrils, and burrows itself up in there for a while. Now, me I'm not a fan of the overly malty aroma, but if that's your thing, go for it. There's also the slightest, I say slightest, hint of something sweet in the smell, I can't quite place. Perhaps a snozzberry, I'm not sure? What I am sure of, is it's time to go in for a taste.

The Regajblhdeur gives you the taste of dry woody hop. It's not uber dry, that's for sure, but you feel that woody flavor in every sip. It kind of has that sharp little tingle as it rolls over your tongue en route to your gullet. The bitterness is slight, but leaves a nice little dry aftertaste that you'd expect from a Regnbkjjfbaksbldeur Oktoberfest. There is that hint of sweetness that we took in through the nose that also presents itself in the mouth as well. And I still can't quite place it. Overall I'd say this was not blow your hair back spectacular, but is definitely worth a nip, if you have the means.

Bottoms Up!
Willie 3:16

Quick Takes: Otter Creek Otteroo (Sparkling Australian-Style Ale)

You know what's thoughtful? When somebody very thoughtfully gives you a beer-related gift for the holidays. Those are the kinds of relatives you keep in the will, to say the least!

My younger brother Nick (he who, in the fall, reviewed Miller Chill) presented me with an Otter Creek Otter's Selection Gift Pack this Festivus - this pack included an Otter Creek pint glass and bombers of 3 so-called Otter Creek World Tour beers, through which I have been slowly making my way.

One of the bombers included in this gift pack was the Otter Creek Otteroo, described as an Australian-style sparkling ale (but made in Vermont). The bottle promised extra carbonation and the use of Australian hops and ringwood yeast. Admittedly, I was a bit wary of this beer - for all of my recently-acquired beersnobbery, I wasn't tremendously familiar with Sparkling Ales as a style, and went in expecting something like a fruit-less Lambic.

Really, though, the Otteroo wasn't much like any of my expectations. The extra carbonation was barely noticeable, if at all, only really serving to keep the head on my pour from bomber into glass at a bare minimum. As for the taste, I must say that this was a particularly malty, somewhat bittersweet beer - not at all a bad beer, really, but considering the exotic ingredients, it was nothing particularly spectacular. Given that the hops traveled halfway around the world, I would have liked to have been able to taste them more.

For a special-batch beer, which the Otteroo seems to be, I wasn't particularly overwhelmed. Overall, it was a decent pint-and-some, but if I return to the Outback for this type of beer, it probably won't be with the Otter Creek brewers as my tourguide.

A Visit to Pittsfield Brew Works

Aside from its proximity, the factor that drew us most to the Pittsfield Brew Works was the discovery that the co-owners, Christine Bump and Bill Heaton, had met while working together at Victory Brewing in Downington, Pennsylvania. We made quite a pleasant visit to Victory last summer, and it had long been a favourite prior to that. They are probably best known for their flagship, Hop Devil IPA, but also make several other excellent beers that are widely available regionally: Prima Pils, Storm King Imperial Stout, Golden Monkey, et al.

The mere knowledge that there was a Victory connection this close to home that we had somehow neglected to visit for so long was enough to drive one to madness. Rather than giving in to the madness, we chose to investigate.

Pittsfield is a small city in Western Massachusettes, located about 35 miles east of Albany. Close enough that the latest issue of Metroland, the marvelously worthless, free weekly paper of the Capital Region, was stacked on a table just inside the door as we entered the Brew Works.

Despite the short distance, getting there was a bit of an adventure, as we had to negotiate throngs of yuppster hippies in Audis and Subaru Outbacks who clogged Route 7 (we can only assume they were headed for Tanglewood), but don't let that be a detractor. Once in downtown Pittsfield, we wandered just a bit, but managed to find our way to 34 Depot Street without much trouble (hint: it's near the train station). We parked in the spacious gravel parking lot under the row of windows along the side (back?) of the brewpub and headed for the main entrance under the distinctive 'black sheep' sign that serves as the brewpub's logo.

Once inside, we saw the aforementioned stacks of Metroland, surrounded by walls coloured yellow to match the background of the funky sheep logo. The dining room has a half dozen tables and roughly as many booths, with windows overlooking the brewing tanks. Pass through an arched doorway, and you're in the glassed-in bar area. Most of this room overlooks the parking lot and train station, but provides a decent view of what exists of downtown Pittsfield on the near end. The other end of the stretched, rectangular room features a large, three-sided booth with windows on two sides. During our visit, this booth was filled, curiously enough, mostly with gentlemen sporting matching Cats t-shirts.

The bar itself is dark wood, with room for perhaps 15 thirsty patrons along its length. Most of the beers on draught are listed on a large chalkboard above the expanse of the bar's back wall, with plenty of taps and some glassware occupying the foreground. There are televisions on either end of the bar tuned to one sporting event or another, but we were there mostly for the beer.

There were ten of their own on draught for our visit, along with a tasty-sounding Coffee Porter guest tap from nearby Berkshire Brewing Company. The sampler, which comes highly recommended, includes ample samples of all of the available house beers. On this occasion, these
included the following:

Dohoney's Gold
Rauchbier
Pitch Pilsner
Berkshire Weiss
ESB (on cask)
Geri Dog Stout
Legacy IPA
Warrior Pale
Summit Pale
Amarillo Pale

Cursedly, we did not take any notes, but rest assured that there was not a dud in the group. Predictably enough, the Gold and Pilsner were probably our least favourite, but still plenty drinkable. The stout was creamy smooth, and the IPA did nothing to betray its' Hop Devil heritage. It's always nice to see a brewpub with a cask offering. The cask ESB was good, but not quite as fine as we'd been led to believe. Perhaps most interesting, all of the P ales ( there is normally a fourth, Columbus, available as well) are made using the same recipe. The only difference is the type of hops used.

Distinguishing such nuances as one hop variety from another is an admitted shortcoming on our part. That said, this practice is simply fantastic. Each pale was sufficiently different from the rest that we did not realize the hops were the only difference until reading about it later. Perhaps the names should have been a dead giveaway. We may be alone in thinking this, but the varietal pales on their own merit another visit for further research.

Did we mention that the ten beer sampler only cost $6? As if that weren't enough, a follow-up pint of the pleasantly flowery Amarillo Pale only set us back $3.35. Why, again, had we never been to this place previously?

No brewpub would be complete without food, and the Brew Works did not disappoint in this department either. The menu is relatively inexpensive (we saw nothing over $15) and has plenty of appealing options. We stuck to the appetizers on this trip, and were not sorry. The Buffalo Chicken Tenders (6.95) were crispy and nicely spiced. A 1/2 order of Brew Pub Nachos (4.95) included tasty ground beef and pico de gallo, and were big enough that we worried that they'd given us a full order. Homemade Onion Rings (3.95) were beer battered and perfectly fried.

Pittsfield Brew Works proved to be quite a find; a really pleasant setting with solid pub food and great beers. All at very popular prices. It's worth a slight detour should you find yourself in the general area of Route 7 (or even I-90) in far Western Mass. We plan on going back on a fairly regular basis. Soon, Lord willin' and the creek don't rise.

Pittsfield Brew Works
34 Depot Street
Pittsfield, MA 01201
(413) 997-3506

Closed Mondays

Revisiting Cape Cod

The beautifully summery weather this weekend brought to mind our trip earlier this year to Cape Cod, and in particular, to the Cape Cod Beer brewery. Other than some fine establishments in the city of Boston, and beers from Harpoon and Sam Adams, this was really one of our first experiences with the beers of Massachusetts. As we have been sadly lax in our picture taking for the site (especially since our only decent camera was stolen by a wanton criminal), we decided to post a few that were taken by an affiliated photog during our tour of the brewery in Hyannis. Rest assured, we are working on the camera situation and positive changes in that respect can be expected in the near future.

The outside of the brewery - it really is just a small warehouse in a light industrial park in Hyannis. This facility actually represents an expansion from their original downtown location.

Inspecting the tanks. I swear his head was in there just a moment before this was taken. One of the auxiliary holding tanks was actually acquired from the nearby Cape Cod Potato Chips factory.

One of New England's leading beer connoisseurs demonstrates a variety of different malts.

The local homebrewers club was brewing up a batch of undisclosed beer during our visit. We gave it the ol' sniff test. It passed. With flying colors.

Filled kegs biding their time in the cooler until their appointed time comes. So far, Cape Cod Brewing self distributes only to locations on the Cape. Too bad, we could go for a nice glass of their Hefe or IPA right about now.

Midwestern Summer Beer Update

It's been a tough summer for any NYS beer lover transplanted to the Midwest. Fortunately for me, while I do enjoy a good beer, I've still got a lot of that junior high kid in me whose first full beer was the Piels he stole from his father's personal stash nearly 20-years ago. So it is that, now as I sit here gulping down Old Style's and cursing my shitty window unit A/C, I am once again reminded that as it was in the beginning, as it is now and as it always shall be, in some ways it's still all about the alcohol.

However, no amount of alcohol can really dull the trauma of the first summer Chicago has spent with no Bell's Oberon to refresh us and the even more perplexing vanishment of the Summit Hefeweizen from the Heartland, the best place to sit outdoors and drink an imperial pint on a Sunday Morning anywhere on the planet. Plus as our gas prices remain the highest in the country, it's made the regular beer excursions of past summers a lot harder to make this summers.

So take away Bell's and the Summit at the Heartland and field trips to New Glarus, Delafield or the Bent River, and what are you left with? Surprisingly, there is still a lot going on. The microbrew revolution has finally moved beyond the Hopleaf and has begun catching on all over the city.

And while it's still comical to walk into a bar and look up at the beer list on the chalkboards behind most bars and see things like "Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, California, Goose Island Honkers Ale, Chicago, Fat Tire, Colorado, Goose Island 312, Chicago, Miller Lite, Milwaukee..." It's still nice to notice the Rogue invasion in places like the Edgwater Tavern, the Allagash White at Kuma's Corner and the explosion of bars like Small Bar, a neighborhood place that specializes in good brews and Pub food. If only they could get their prices down under 7.50 a pint for a Spaten Hefe-Weizen.

Yes, the microbrew revolution is finally catching on here, and while it's nice to be a part of it, without Bell's, it's sort of like being introduced to the Grunge revolution in the Summer of 1994 when Candlebox ruled the airwaves and Kurt Cobain had left just recently enough for the whole world to still feel the void, A void I find myself filling more and more these days with the Goose Island 312 or the Summer Brew, the Candlebox brews of the microbrew scene.

So that's pretty much the way the beer scene has played out this summer in Chicago. Not a whole lot of excitement in terms of good beers, but still there is something to be said for the saturation of the market. As for me, I'm pretty much stuck up here in the Northeast Corner of the City where I am content to stick to sucking down my $3.50 Franziskaner Hefe-Weizzen imperial pints at Champions and the Bubble while I fantasize about the El Rojo Diablo at the Bullfrog Brewery in Williamsport, PA, the Bohemian Red at the Kraftbrau Brewery in Kalamazoo, MI, and of course a wonderful midsummer nights dream dancing with Oberon in the Beer garden @ bells. All of which are adventures that will be detailed on entries to come.

New Law Opens Taps for Connecticut Brewpubs

Three New England states lie within close proximity of the Capital Region of New York: Vermont Massachusetts, and Connecticut. Vermont has long been known as something of a beer Mecca, and we've begun to explore the wonders of Western Massachusetts lately (more on that soon, if all goes as planned), but the Nutmeg State has remained a completely untapped (pun somewhat intended) resource for delectable new beers. Aside from our ignorance, one reason for this is that, until recently, brewpubs were not allowed to bottle and sell their wares off premises. The preposterous 77 year old law was stricken from the books as of June 29, allowing all nine (yup, nine) of Connecticut's brewpubs to sell beer to wholesalers for distribution. Despite the grand delusions of the owners of the Granby, CT based Cambridge House featured in this article, it likely won't make any noticeable difference to us anytime soon, but it certainly represents a step in the right direction. The Cambridge House actually looks pretty good, too. Wait, it's only 88 miles from Albany? Developing...

Cape Cod Beer

A Vacation in Every Pint

Cape Cod Beer has been around for three years and it certainly seems to be a growing success. They moved about a year ago from their original location in downtown Hyannis to an expanded, 3,000 square foot location in what we would call a light industrial business park. Cape Cod's draft accounts have surged more than 50% since the end of last summer (to 130), and growlers are available in 60 stores across the Cape. It is a small enough operation to offer a decidedly personal touch. Our informal tour was given by owner and brewmaster Todd Marcus' wife, Beth. She started us off with some small samples and then showed us around the warehouse that houses brewery.

The strength of the tour was Beth's interaction with the group and the tidbits of inside information she could give us. Much better than your standard, forgettable, stick-to-the-brochure tour led by community college student. Or half-assed effort where a sweaty, disinterested guide is clearly going through the motions before calling it a day and grabbing a beer of his own (we're looking at you, Shipyard). But we digress.

Beth Marcus told us that the brewery had always been her husband's dream, not hers, but the enthusiasm was obvious as she talked about fielding a call from someone interested in distributing their product in Viet Nam, only to have to explain that she was more worried about getting beer across the bridge into Plymouth. Or the logistical difficulties of delivering both a child to soccer practice and a keg to a local restaurant account in the same trip.

She knew that they had increased from three fermenters when they moved into the new facility a year ago to seven now, and the new excess holding tank came from the Cape Cod Potato Chip Factory. She told us about early branding missteps and other lessons learned while building a company literally one tap handle at a time. We are a big fan of the craft beer movement in general, but a tour like that should make it difficult for anyone not to feel at least some connection with a small brewery and what they are trying to do.

It didn't hurt that the beer was damned tasty as well. The year round offerings are Shark's Tooth IPA (It's got a Bite!), and Channel Marker Red (Red, Right, Return). The IPA was a pleasant surprise, strongly hoppy up front, with a smooth, sightly citrus finish. The Red was pretty fine in it's own right, balanced, with an underlying bit of hops to keep things interesting. We must say that it was much better than the pint we sampled with lunch at a nearby overpriced and overly pretentious clam joint before visiting the brewery. The seasonal, Summer, was a very good rendition of a Hefe-Weizen. We imagine that one will only grow more enjoyable in direct proportion to the amount of sun on Cape Cod this summer. Our group took home a growler of each, and two of the IPA.

The Good: Plenty to like here. The tour. The beer. A bunch of friendly dudes from the local home brewing club were boiling up a delicious pot of something while we were there. Just a great overall experience.

The Bad: The samples were tiny. We're talking a couple of ounces. Your beer is good, make sure we have no doubts of that by the time we walk out your door. No distribution "off Cape," and no real plans to do bulk bottling anytime soon. Guess we'll have to visit again.

Notes: Information taken from Ale Street News, Yankee Brew News, Cape Cod Beer, and our head. The picture at the top is from the beach at the end of Paine's Creek Road, directly above is the reflection of a Cape Cod Beer pint glass on the arm of a wooden deck chair in Brewster - how's that for authentic!