Sunday Roast

Mochapocalyse Roast Malt - Brewer's Sunday Roast 

Brew: Brewers do things differently. The traditional Sunday roast is no exception.

Recently I met a guy who is just as batshit insane passionate about coffee as I am about beer. Working in one of Sydney's top coffee houses, he told me about his self built coffee roasting setup, mapping the temperature gradient of the roast and the characteristics achieved in the coffee by doing so. The cogs started turning, ideas started flowing, so I went along (with a few kilos of barley) to check it all out.

Before heading along, I had a few ideas for malt roasts with coffee I wanted to try, to add to the couple of custom malt roasts I do already. After listening about the coffee roasting process, and realising that the same fundamental processes occur as in toasting malts, it was time to try out my ideas...

The outcome: Two different barley roasts. The first is the Mochapocalypse malt shown above, a very chocolatey smooth coffee roast, and Brewer's Blend 43, with a much sharper coffee tone. Unfortunately I can't be absolutely sure until I let them breathe for a week or so and then try them out. It will be tough, forcing myself to test the resulting beer... but someone's got to do it.

Beer Review: Raging Bitch Belgian IPA

Raging Bitch Belgian IPA - Flying Dog - USA - 8.3%

Brew: I've been looking forward to this since the day I ordered it. Did it disappoint? It did not.

"Nectar imprisoned in a bottle."

...and it couldn't be described better. Right from the first sniff, it has a raging bitch of a sweet toffee & molasses aroma. *cough*seewhatIdidthere*cough* The highly caramelised toffee smell makes me think of rock toffee and boiled lollies, then the bubblegummy-alcoholic and biscuity malt smell makes me smile.

The initial sweet, honey, caramelly flavour is balanced out by the dry biscuity malt, with the hops announcing themselves later on to clean up the leftovers.

Beer is all about balance. You'll always hear that. Even when you're being given the sales pitch for an unbalanced beer. But this has an extra level of balance to it that is rarely seen; its drinkability. I find that most high alcohol beers (7.5% and above) are either sippers of sneakers. They'll either make their alcohol content known from the start and make sure you're aware of what you're in for, or they are so deceptive you wouldn't even know it's a strong beer if you weren't told and drink it as casually as any other and have it sneak up on you. I can sip this beer and slowly enjoy it, or I can enjoy it at a much faster pace. I'd drink this everyday if I could, but that's not to say I wouldn't try to drink the other hundred or so in my list of top beers each day if I were able.

4.4 / 5

Farewell, dear beers of Europe...

Selecta XV- San Miguel- Spain - 6.2%

Pinky: For anyone who doesn't know (which is probably everyone reading this), I've been lucky enough to spend the last nine months living in Europe, more specifically in the UK and in the Netherlands. The final few days of my European adventure was spent in sunny Barcelona, where the beer choice was literally reduced from dozens of beers to "cerveza?" ...Apparently the majority of restaurants only carry one line of beer, such as the San Miguel pictured above or a chilled Estrella Damm. Well, they do the job on a hot sunny afternoon sitting by the waterfront.

Following my time in Holland in particular, I wanted to say a fond farewell to some of the fantastic friends I made, who will of course be hard to replace back in Canada. Leffe Radieuse, your dark fruity attitude always brought a smile to my lips. Delirium Tremens, your spicy nature and love of pink elephants kept us all amused. Mongozo, you were always my mother's favorite, where your sunny disposition reminded us of Hawaii. Bruges Zot, who always played the fool, I thought I should tell you that you look better blonde than brown.

Of course, this doesn't mean I'm not looking forward to all of the North American brews that will soon venture onto my path. I'm especially excited for upcoming visits to such beer-friendly places as Portland, Oregon this summer. Mostly I am going to miss the immense history behind many of the European beer: each brewery, beer and beer name has a story and I'd like to share a short story of a particular brewery.

Koyt- Jopen- Holland- 8.5%

Jopen beer comes from the city of Haarlem in North Holland. In 1992, the Stichting Haarlems Biergenootschap was founded with a mission was to re-create traditional Haarlem beers, where brewers have registered with the city from as early as the 14th century. Haarlem is also where generations of my family have lived (the Dutch side) on the old Brouwer's Canal (that's right, it translates into 'Brewer's Canal' in English). My ancestors clearly had good taste.

My final beer before I left Holland was the Jopen Koyt ('koyt' is the Dutch name for 'gruit'/mulled beer). The Biergenootschap found two recipes in the Haarlem city archives, including the recipe used as the foundation for the Koyt. The recipe dates to back to 1407, where a blend of spices and darker malts give it a sweet, heavy taste. The herbal aroma is quite unique to to this beer, with a rich but not overpowering input of 'gruit' (creating enticing notes of ginger, licorice, nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon and treacle). It was a perfect final beer to mark the end of my time in Holland.

And now I am back in Canada, where I will certainly miss the abundance of belgian blondes, dubbels, tripels, saisons... I loved them all. Luckily, I also love amber ales, nutty brown ales, sweet caramel blondes, hoppy IPA's, fresh wheat beers and rich espresso stouts to name a few.

...it's good to be home.

I'm too busy thinking how good this beer is to name this post

[beer name hidden] Belgian Saison - [brewery name hidden] - Australia - 6.4%

Brew: I love this beer, and I hate this beer. By 'hate this beer', I mean that I love it. This is my Belgian Saison. 

Frequently Pinky is on my case about "exercise your beer knowledge on..." this, and "educate people on ..." that, and "establish your beer authority" this, and "I like pink things with sparkles and glitter" that.... not that the last one has much to do with anything, but she's always bringing it up. I choose not to name my beer or name my brewery, because this isn't about who I am. It's about beer. I've chosen not to talk too much about my beers, mainly about the odd occasional pilot batch that's of interest.

I just decided to test one of the kegs of saison to see how it was progressing, and well... it's finally ready. It's amazing. It only took 9 months. That's what I hate, the wait. But having said that, it wouldn't be the beer it is otherwise, with the imported saison yeast strain taking its time to do what it does best. Not going to say too much more about it other than this grassy, spicey, glass of heaven is serving me well on such a hot afternoon.

Pinky's First Sour

It's Alight - Mikkeller - Holland - 4.5%

Pinky: Beer alert!

Brew: What?

P: Beer alert. Come on, like 'missing pen alert' or 'the-stove-is-on-fire alert.' Anyhow, I'd like your expertise on a matter. I've just had a very confusing beer experience and I'm not sure if I liked it, with a Belgian Sour.

B: Really? Which one?

P: A Mikkeller. Their "Jackie Brown" was delicious, and so I went back to the beer store to try several more and picked up "It's Alight!".

B: Was this your first sour beer?

P: Yes, I was trying to be risque at the bottle shop by picking something with a completely ambiguous label. Since the label had no information on what I was about to drink, I looked up the history of the beer since Mikkeller does some great brewing collabs. I don't think I've even heard of sour beer before this but I have a feeling the reviews influenced my opinion before I tried it for myself.

B: Not a good idea usually, you should form your own opinion first.

P: Agreed. There were of course positive reviews about it's light, crisp, sour cherry taste. But to be honest one review I read really summed it up for me: "imagine eating a grapefruit in a musty old barnyard." Having been my first sour Belgian, I was not prepared for the taste of old socks.

B: [Takes foot out of mouth] What's wrong with old socks?... Really, it's like blue cheese, the funkiness of the cheese is what makes it so great! Likewise with sour and wild beers. So I'm assuming there were quite a few funky flavours and aromas in there?

P: Just a few!

B: Most people find that to be rather off-putting with their first sour beer, they weren't quiet ready or knew what to expect or look for in the beer. You need to give it another try and I'll walk you through it so that you can better understand what makes a Belgain Sour Ale special.

P: Like the way you love kittens makes you special?

B: No.

P: It's times like these when I keep meaning to ask you if it was a woman who drove you to drink.

B: If it was, I forgot to thank her.

P: Ok, here goes with a second bottle and a second chance at understanding a Sour Belgian. The glass is coming closer to my lips and a smell of sweet citrus is wafting up my nose.

B: Good, good... keep talking dirty.

P: Stop scaring me.

B: It's totally going to be worth it. So what type of citrus are you getting from the it? Grapefruit? Lime? Orange? You'll find those fruits are often present in sours. Or is it a totally different fruit?

P: Grapefruit for sure. And then afterwards I can taste lemon.

B: How about spice? Is it smelling Peppery? Or like Corriander/Chives? Grassy? Is it hoppy? Or is there a lack of hops? A lot of sour beers actually use the sourness instead of the bitterness from the hops to cut through the maltyness and give a crisp finish. The way they do this is one of their most fantastic attributes, that they can be so so sweet (that may usually be over-sweet in different styles of beer) but the sourness gives it an abrupt finish which makes you want more.

P: It seems peppery with a twinge of damp barnyard... what would create the musty aspect of a sour beer? I can't also help but notice great huge bits of things floating around in it while I'm drinking, so I'm guessing it's unfiltered.

B: It's likely bottle conditioned (yeast left in the bottle to carbonate and mature the beer)... *cough*andsomebodyisntverygoodatpouring*cough*
Sour beers are fermented with a wild yeast (brettanomyces known simply as 'Brett'... like that cousin from the other side of the family that is a little wild, outrageous and difficult to control) along with normal brewing yeasts. That's what gives the beer the funk, the barnyard, and the tartness.

P: I have to admit, I am amazed at how much I like the sour ale second time around. I'm tasting so much citrus and if I ignore the mustiness, I find it very crisp. I'm also loving the peppery-ness. I just wish I was enjoying this on a hot and sunny afternoon rather than a bone-chillingly damp day laden with heavy rain and grey skies that have been sunlight-free for some time now.

B: It makes a big difference to know what to look for when you're tasting a sour beer, especially for the first time, or second time in this case.

P: Yes, this sour ale certainly freaked me out a bit in the beginning, but now it's pretty interesting, so good thing you were here. And by here, I mean in Australia.

I Heart Beer

Pinky: Well, tomorrow is Valentine's Day.

Brew: It's today for me... you're living in the past.

P: I can't help it. Since I'll be busy not celebrating, I wasn't sure if I would comment on the subject, particularly on a beer blog (this feels like a big no-no). I'll be spending the day with my family and our friends visiting from the UK, so the extent to which I am celebrating means giving them each a bottle of beer matching their personal preferences (the perfect gift every time). However, I did start thinking about what I would do if I were in a different V-day situation. And in almost all cases of special occasions, I promptly think of food.

I think, in at least some minute way, adding beer to a recipe can really change the character of the dish. It can enhance particular ingredients, help blend the flavours of the dish, or just add that little zing your recipe may lack. But for someone looking to win over that special someone on Valentine's, I thought this recipe sounded A-W-E-S-O-M-E. I did also consider suggesting cutesy beer cupcakes, but then I realized on a "serious" day like Valentine's Day, you have to man up.

Cheese & Beer Fondue

That's right- that's what I would want on Valentine's Day. A steamy, dripping swimming pool-sized tub full of deliciously fatty cheeses, bound by a rich brown beer or smooth malty stout, with lots of bread and veggies for dipping (I don't recommend dipping various body parts, even if you do start feeling really, really adventurous. Just don't do it).

B: Speaking from experience? Maybe after our millions of readers have read this post, I'll be able to use my new pick up line... "Want to come back to mine and compare cheese and beer fondue burns?"

P: (cough) Regardless of whether you choose to maim yourself with hot cheese, a fondue is one sure way to score points for spontaneity, with double points for beer lovers male or female (did this post just become completely biased or is it just me? Ah yes, both).

What you'll need:

1 clove of Garlic

185 ml (3/4 cup) Dark Ale or other beer (for example, a nice Leffe Bruin for milder cheeses or a smooth stout for sharper cheeses)

250 ml (1 cup) Emmenthal cheese, shredded

375 ml (1 1/2 cup) Gruyere cheese, shredded

125 ml (1/2 cup) Appenzeller cheese, shredded

15 ml (1 tbsp) Corn starch

To taste, Pepper or Hot Sauce

Assortment of Dippers (bread, vegetables, various body parts)

What to do with what you'll need:

1. Cut the clove of garlic in half and rub each half inside the fondue pot. Discard the garlic when finished.

2. Pour the beer into the fondue pot and turn on the heat: let the beer warm up without boiling.

3. Reduce to low heat and add cheese one hand full at a time (let the cheese melt prior to adding more cheese).

4. With a wooden spoon, mix well and stir regularly.

5. Add the remaining ingredients and pepper or hot sauce to taste.

6. If the mixture is too hard, add warm beer. If the mixture is too soft, add cheese (or try and suck up some of the excess beer through a straw).

7. Serve the fondue pot on a stand and enjoy by dipping bread and other pieces into the beer cheese. Also use your dippers or a stir stick to keep stirring the cheese throughout.

My family enjoyed a cheese fondue the other day and it was fantastic- it was my mother's slight variation on the recipe above, which I borrowed from http://www.bestfondue.com/beer-and-cheese-fondue.html.

Good luck to anyone brave enough to attempt the fondue... believe me, it's worth it.

P.S. and Brew, I found something to make you smile. Happy Valentine's Day everyone!

B: I'd post a picture of me in my monacle and top hat, but that's about all I'm wearing, and I don't want to have to reclassify the blog as containing adult content...

Beer Review: HopWired IPA

HopWired IPA - 8 Wired Brewing Co. - NZ - 7.3%

Brew: Given to me as a gift, I've been holding on to this bottle for a little while, but tonight was the night.

It's been a while since I last wrote a report, or took notes on a beer/brewery, so I had a quick read back through my trusty beer stained journal. Before starting to talk about or analyse a beer, it is important to take into consideration the beer before trying this beer, and also the food recently eaten. In this case: no beer prior; no food eaten.

From the moment the cap is rolled off the bottle, you can begin to smell the treat you're in for. Pouring a hazy* copper-brown colour, the colour isn't the notable aspect of the beer while pouring, it's still that gorgeous smell...

There's a huge initial hop hit, rolling into a sweet molasses-toffee malt aroma. *The haze in the beer is a good indication of dry-hopping (adding hops after the brewing process, while the beer is fermenting, purely for aroma).

"...the kiwi hops used in HopWired produce something more like a tropical punchbowl: Passion fruit, limes, oranges and Sauvignon Blanc grapes to name but a few."

Passion fruit and limes are definitely notable, but more overwhelming is the blackberry aroma, from the 2010 harvest Pacific Gem hops.

It is sweet and wonderfully malty, with the bitterness and alcohol cutting through to balance it out. There's a slight peppery attribute to the bitterness almost as if the beer was spiced. There's a great caramel-to-toffee flavour balance, and it wouldn't be a proper IPA without a little Crystal malt in there... which the biscuity ochre flavour tells me it is.

4.1 / 5