Rise of The Beer Baron Pt. 1: Where we are going!

 
First off who is the Beer Baron?  Well the answer to that is easy.  It is no one, but it is who I strive to become.  I want to be in the middle of the Beer Revolution that has sprung up all around us in the Great Midwest.  I want to be a teacher, a mentor, a resource, I want to be YOUR buddy who hands you a cold one.  Yes, I want to be THAT Beer Baron.

Part of that is why I started this blog.  I knew I wanted Beer Reviews, Homebrew News, Beer Studies, but I felt there was something missing.  So I thought about the blogs that I read.  One of them is called Making Magic.  Its a weekly post by Mark Rosewater, Lead Designer for the game Magic: The Gathering, a game I haven't played in over three years.  But I keep going back to read this article.  He puts a great personal twist about how is personal life helped to shape the game, and how the game shapes his personal life.  He tells these great stories that suck you in, and helps explore human psychology.  He identifies and recognizes the mistakes he makes (both personal, and in his job).  I am mesmerized by how this man writes about everyday things. I realized this is what our blog needs to go from good to great.

So here is my introduction to that personal twist.  In these articles we will talk about how I became involved with beer, why I drink it, and I might even share some of my personnel favorites and failures.  So kick back and enjoy a cold one, because it is time for the Rise of the Beer Baron!

Thank you for reading and I look forward to hearing back from you!

Will

Know Your Hops! Fuggles

I learned a lot about the versatility of Fuggles this year, mostly in part to my visit to Leach Lake Brewing.  There they use Fuggles hops in just about every one of their beers:

According to The Brewmasters Bible this hop is “[the] classic finishing hops” (Snyder, 1997).  What they mean by finishing hop is that most beer adds hops usually in two stages during the boil.  The first stage is the”bittering” hops.  These hops are used to offset the cloying sweetness of the malt. Great examples of bittering hops are Hellertauer used in German Lagers, and Saaz hops which is what makes Czech Pilsners famous.  The second addition of hops is usually only steeped for a few minutes to impart aroma to the beer and these are called aroma or “finishing hops”.  Fuggles is the latter type and are most commonly used in traditional British Ales especially their versions of Pale Ales, Porters and Stouts.

According to The Oxford Companion to Beer Fuggles is named after Richard Fuggles who introduced the variety in 1861.  It was used extensively due to is pleasantness on the taster’s palate, and its resistance to several diseases that were plaguing other hop strain at the time.  (Oliver, 2012)  Fuggle hops is slowly being replaced by more “efficient” hop varieties with similar properties and aromas, but there a few breweries out there still using it.  The best way to taste Fuggle hops in all its glory is to track down any beer from Leech Lake Brewing.

Until next time, PROST!

Works Cited

Oliver, G. (2012). The Oxford Companion to Beer. New York: Oxford University Press.

Snyder, S. (1997). The Brewmasters Bible: The Gold Standard for Homebrewers. New York: HarperCollins.

New Belgium Lips of Faith: Peach Porch Lounger

The most recent trip to the beer store was a shot in the dark. I had no agenda, wasn't sure what I was looking for until I found it. For the last month or so I've been burned out on coffee stout, bourbon barrel aged collaborations, hoppy hoppy super hop, and cold, snowy, cloudy, grey wintry days. I can't wait for spring, and summer: BEERS! I don't know who to give the credit to, but whoever put the floor stack of New Belgium: Lips of Faith Series: Peach Porch Lounger in a place where I couldn't get by without noticing, good job. It worked. The bottle label alone peaked my interest: a guy sitting on a porch playing guitar and sittin on the porch. YES, this is what I've been wanting and waiting for. I read several other reviews of this beer. Most of them bashed it saying there was too much going on and nothing worked, and the alcohal was overpowering. I guess its alot to attempt, the description says its brewed with molasses and lemon peel and with peach juice added. To me, its just what I've been waiting for and crave this time of year. As soon as I opened it the aroma hit me, peachy and citrusy orange and golden in color and tastes of apricot with a slight bitterness, but note from being a super hopped up ale. The ABV is 9.4 which you will notice and appreciate. But to me, the most important thing going on here is that they set the tone with the name and theme and delivered. A name like Peach Porch Lounger makes you want to be the guy on the label. "I've been thinking of a little place down by the lake, stomping our feet on the wooden boards never gotta worry 'bout locking the doors..." Two Stars ** Very Good! ~ Des