Smoke 'em if You Got 'em

For this months Session, the subject is smoked beers. Thanks go to prolific, well respected Philly-based writer Lew Bryson for hosting.

In the past I've had some great smoked beers, of course the great German Rauchbiers from Schlenkerla . or the fabulous Ham on Rye from Three Floyds which tasted just like a liqufied sandwich and didn't need food to go with it.

For this Session I'm tasting Goose Island's newly released Smoked Bock, only available at the Clybourn brewpub. This bock is brewed with 75% smoked malt from the American malter Breiss, backed by bock malt to give it a solid backbone. It's a nice chestnut brown with a cloudy look and small tan head. The nose is amazing with deep peat smokiness and hints of leather. The taste follows the smell with the bock hitting up front with a lingering smoke aftertaste. This beer ways in slightly over 7% abv but is not heavy or overpowering. Goes really well with the Pulled Pork sandwich on offer.

This is a man's beer, with a nod to the original intent and style of brewing beer. The intent and primary use of beer in the Middle Ages was for sustenance, and a bacteria free source of libation. "Don't forget to pick up a growler of supper tonight honey" - but it would likely be a 3%er or less. Beer was often brewed with open wood fires and flames lapping up the side of the brew kettle. An outdoor activity for sure. It's a style of beer to remind us of simpler times, maybe happier times?

Later at the monthly BA gathering I tried Stone's Stone Smoked Porter, a roasty porter not as chocolaty or deep tasting as most but a good support for the smoky flavor. It was more muted than the Goose beer, maybe just not as fresh. And from San Diego no less! A good beer, but we should probably stick with our locals when we can.

It's All Over Except for the Shouting

Our very own Great Lakes Brewing News, available in print at most beer bars and brewpubs, recently hosted the "National IPA Championship" at various venues around the Midwest and Northeast. I'm guessing New York City falls into the Great Lakes area definition, as that is where the final taste-off was held. The full bracket layout with results is here.

I note that both craft brewers and brewpubs were represented. As many of the brewpubs don't have bottle production, we'll never see them here. They probably had the advantage vs. the commercial production entries since they could produce a "one-off" version of their best try. Indeed, the winner was from a brewpub, Laurelwood Brewing Company, Portland, OR.

Laurelwood was the only brewpub in the "final four" - the others included Tyranena's Bitter Woman, a favorite of mine from Wisconsin, Big Sky's Big Sky IPA, and Rogue's Yellow Snow IPA. Happily all these are more or less available in the greater Chicagoland market. Find them if you can and if you love hoppy beer.

I find that IPA's are a good gateway beer for novices. There are few ball breakers in this style, rather just good spicy beers, with solid malt backbones, usually around 6% or less alcohol by volume. Other locals to seek out include the highly loved Two Hearted from Bells, Dark Horse IPA, and Arcadia's India Pale Ale. all from our neighbors in Michigan. And of course Goose Island makes a very good one, it just wasn't in this competition.

Note: the Title of this blog entry is a "shout out" to my late friend Steve Wlodarczyk whom I got the saying from (usually a reference to a disputed competition or tragedy) and was a great lover of beer. The next one's for you Steve.