New Belgium Beer Comes to Ohio in December

Who’s the nation’s third-largest craft brewer?  If you didn’t say New Belgium Brewing Co. of Fort Collins, Colorado, you were wrong… If you’re wondering whether New Belgium’s products are any good, let’s just say that I’ve been looking forward to their arrival here since I first tried their Trippel back in May.  The wait will soon be over, as (according to Drink Up Columbus) New Belgium’s products will hit Ohio shelves on December 16!

Those of you who enjoy IPAs will be happy to know that New Belgium’s product line will add some new options to Ohio retailer shelves, including Rampant Imperial IPA, Ranger IPA, and the occasional seasonal or limited pale ale like the Accumulation White IPA.

If you enjoy Belgian style beers as much as I do, there’s even more reason to rejoice.  New Belgium Trippel is an excellent example of this Belgian style.  Their Abbey is a Belgian Dubbel style beer, which is also excellent.

Even if you don’t enjoy IPAs or Belgian style beers, New Belgium’s got you covered.  Their signature beer, Fat Tire , is a very smooth and drinkable amber ale without a major hops bite to it.  Their Shift pale lager is something else you might enjoy.

If you get the opportunity, though, I strongly recommend their Cascara Quad. It’s a Belgian Quadrupel style beer brewed with Cascara Tea, Belgian candy sugar, and date sugar.  It’s an incredibly delicious beer which reminds me somewhat of Ommegang Three Philosophers (so if you like THAT beer, be sure to try this one).

If you don’t want to take my word for it, check out the quotes in this Columbus Dispatch article.

Victory Golden Monkey–Draft (8/10)

The Victory Brewing Company, located in Downingtown, PA, makes two of my favorite beers – V Twelve (a Belgian Strong Ale) and Golden Monkey.  Golden Monkey is a Belgian-Style Tripel, composed of 2 row malts, whole flower European hops, and coriander seed.

Until I had the glass pictured at the left, I'd only ever had this beer as a bottled one.  I'm pleased to report that the draft version does not disappoint.

It pours a nearly clear amber with a thin white head that leaves behind a thick ring of persistent lacing, as you can see in the photo.

The aroma is sweet and full of cloves and herbs.  The flavor follows the aroma, beginning slightly balanced toward sweetness.  Then, the cloves and coriander kick in.  The aftertaste is slightly hoppy and bitter.

Beer Advocate rates Victory Golden Monkey in the 77-84 range (average to good).  Rate Beer gives it a 97 overall.

I had this particular glass at The Pint Room in Dublin in March.  I've seen it for purchase in bottled form at Ale Wine and Spirits of Powell, the Giant Eagle near Bethel and Sawmill, Whole Foods in Dublin, Cost Plus World Market at Tuttle Crossing, and Kenny Road Market.

ABV:  9.5%
IBU: unknown, but I'd say high 20's or low 30's
My Rating: 8/10

Brews in the News–11/29/2013

Following are some interesting news and blog items I’ve seen on the web recently, linked here for your enjoyment:

• Beer Drinking Networks in Amazon Tribe Explain Altruism
  The article talks about how hunter-gatherer tribes in the Amazon drink a beer made from boiled mantioc (a type of sweet potato), which is a central part of their socializing.  The study tries to explain why members of the tribe are willing to share their beer with others, given the effort involved in making it.  The conclusion was that they treat the sharing of beer as a favor that one group repays another by returning in the future.
  
• I Drank a $200 bottle of Sam Adams for Science
  A Gizmodo writer drinks a bottle of Sam Adams Utopia 2013 and discusses the experience.  It combines a blend of two-row malts and three varieties of noble hops, along with several strains of yeast, resulting in a 28-percent ABV brew. The aroma is described is “a little bit soy sauce and a little bit rice wine vinegar”.  The flavor is described as sweet, wine-like, and smooth, with notes of black cherry, fig, and caramel.  It’s reportedly similar to a port, but probably not worth the $200 price tag.
  
• Discovery of a 3,700-year-old cellar reveals the origins of wine
  
• Ancient vintage wine said to be ‘psychotropic’
  
• Patagonia Beer:  Apparently drinking and hiking actually go together
  Apparently Patagonia partnered with New Belgium Brewing of Fort Collins, Colorado, to produce an organic lager that’s designed to commemorate the store’s 40th anniversary.  Apparently it’s pretty rare, according to the company’s own web site.
  
• Open a beer bottle with a  butter knife
  An instructional video.
  
• How to turn a leftover pumpkin into a beer cooler
  
• Why does your drink cost so much in a bar?
  
• Halloween Cocktails and Dry Ice:  A Spooky, Drunken Primer
  
• A Pumpkin tap turns your Halloween gourd into an edible keg
  
• Ars Technica writer brews her first hard cider
  
• Foodies in Italy invent spreadable beer for toast

Eight Thanksgiving Beers?

The Today Show’s web site posted an article on Saturday by Jim Galligan, suggesting four beers you might want to try with your Thanksgiving meal to “spice it up”.

The beers suggested were:

• Cantillon Rose De Gambrinus
• Dogfish head Theobroma
• Southern Tier Pumking
• He’Brew Bittersweet Lenny’s R.I.P.A.

Of those, I’ve had both the Dogfish Head and Southern Tier beers.  I don’t recall having seen the others.

I’m a big fan of Pumking.  It definitely features many of the flavors of a pumpkin pie.  You get a biscuit-like crusty flavor, pumpkin and spice, and even a creamy whipped-cream-like element.   I’ll second that recommendation.  I don’t particularly care for Theobroma, though.

Here are four more beers I would recommend trying at Thanksgiving, and why:

• Ayinger Oktoberfest: This smooth, easy-to-drink Oktoberfest ale is something you would be happy to drink yourself, but even your guests who don’t like (or don’t know they like) craft beers and imports should find palatable.  It starts sweet and malty, with a touch of roasted grain flavor.  Hops is present but takes a back seat.
• Huyghe Delirium Nocturnum:  This Belgian Strong Dark Ale looks like a cola when poured, with a ton of effervescence.  The flavor is something like a dry red wine with a Belgian dark ale poured into.  This dryness makes it a good accompaniment to food. 
• Innis & Gunn Rum Cask Aged Ale:  Innis & Gunn ales are well known for being aged in oak barrels, whiskey barrels, etc.  The Rum Cask version is a personal favorite.  The aroma has hints of vanilla and caramel.  Rum is present in its complex flavor, but not overwhelming.  It would be a great before-dinner beer or a nice one to sip after dinner.
• Anderson Valley Brother David’s Double:  This beer pours a deep reddish brown, nearly black.  It’s flavor puts Belgian spices up front, backed by a rich caramel sweetness and virtually no hops bitterness.  The 9% ABV adds a little warmth as it goes down.

There are my Thanksgiving beer recommendations.  If you have some of your own, please post them in the comments.

By the way, all through the month of December I’ll be featuring a Christmas or Winter beer review each day, so be sure to check back and see them all.  Maybe you’ll find the perfect Christmas beer for you!

Barley’s Christmas Ale is Available

This time of year, Columbus residents get excited about the arrival of Great Lakes Christmas Ale.
In the mad rush to get a six-pack, draft, or taste of this ale, many Columbus residents forget that there are many other really delicious Christmas Ales out there.

De Dolle’s Stille Nacht (a Belgian beer) is an excellent seasonal that, while it bears little resemblance to the Great Lakes brew) is quite delicious in its own right.

Fat Head’s “Pimp My Sleigh” is another excellent Belgian-style Christmas Ale you shouldn’t miss.  (I’m not much of a fan of their “Holly Jolly” though.)

Troeg’s Mad Elf, with its cherry flavor and warming alcohol presence, is another of my favorites.
Looking right here in our own back yard, though, is Barley’s Brewing Company and its two local restaurants on High Street near the Greater Columbus Convention Center and on Riverside Drive near Grandview.

The first Barley’s Christmas Ale was brewed way back in 1993.  It features a British pale malt, white ginger, cinnamon, orange peel, and black locust honey. 

If you get the chance to try this local beer, post your thoughts in the comments.  I’d like to see what you think of it.

Thirsty Dog Cerberus (8/10)

The Thirsty Dog Brewing Company is located in Akron, Ohio.  Cerberus is a Belgian Tripel made with one grain and four Belgian yeasts.

The color is a cloudy copper, with a thin off-white head.

The aroma is primarily yeast and citrus.

The flavor starts sweet, and is followed by alcohol warmth and the typical Belgian spiciness.  The finish remains warm and spicy.

Rate Beer gives it an 87 overall.    Beer Advocate rates Cerberus 85-94.

I had this particular beer on draft at The Pint Room in Dublin.  I've seen it for sale in bottles in the Beer Cave at Whole Foods in Dublin.

ABV:  10
IBU:  31
My Rating:  8/10

Northwest Wine and Spirits

Northwest Wine and Spirits is located in the Olentangy Plaza where the Bethel Road Micro Center store is found.  I had heard their beer selection was good, and that they had a growler filling station, so I decided to check them out while my wife was shopping at Marshall’s nearby.

Beer is kept to the left as you enter the door of the shop.  The first selection you’ll encounter is the shelf featuring seasonal and new items.

Next to the specialty case you’ll see the growler filling station.  The station offers eight taps.  At the time the picture at left was taken, these included beers from Founder’s, Great Lakes, Stone, and others.

Along the side and rear wall, you’ll find a large selection of refrigerated beers.  The side wall is primarily multi-packs (4-packs, 6-packs).  The non-refrigerated shelves across from that side also feature a number of imports and craft brews.  The back wall is where most of the refrigerated singles can be found.

Shown in the fifth picture down at the left is their “mix and match” rack where you can put together a 4-pack or 6-pack of your choice from among the beers available.

I’ve not talked with the staff about beer, so I can’t comment on their knowledge or ability to advise shoppers.  I can tell you that it’s a clean shop, well-lit, and nicely organized.  I’ve never had to wait long to check out.

I won’t list every brand you’ll find here, but some of the many included:  Abita, New Holland, Southern Tier, St. Stefanus, Unibroue, St. Bernardus, Kentucky Ale, Ballast Point, Troeg’s, Bear Republic, Left Hand, Two Brothers, Great Divide, Brooklyn, Sierra Nevada, Magic Hat, many imports from around the world, Samuel Smith, Victory, and a large selection of the macro brews.

Prices are pretty much in line with what I’ve seen at other local shops, some items a little higher or lower than others.

The beer selection was more extensive than I expected from looking at the outside of the store.  The growler section in particular was a surprise.

There is also, as you might imagine from the name, a good wine selection and pretty much any spirit you might be looking for (though if you’re looking for something truly high-end they may not have that – just a guess).


Northwest Wine and Spirits
821 Bethel Road
Columbus, Ohio 43214
Phone: 614-947-0738

Coming Back from the Hops Abyss

If you’ve read this blog for any amount of time, you probably know that I’m not what anyone would call a “hop head”.  For me, hops flavor and bitterness is just ONE element in a wide range of flavors beer can have.  I’m happiest when my beer has a variety of flavors.  Hand me a hearty Belgian beer with a mix of sweetness, spice, hints of fruit, and (yes) hops, and I’m happy.  Hand me one of those one-note hop-slamming IPAs, and we’ll be lucky if I finish it.

With that in mind, I was very pleased to read Jesse Tigges article in a recent issue of Columbus Alive.  The article, entitled “The Lupulin Shi(f)t – The Hop Love Has Gone Too Far”, is a well-written piece that talks about the fact that craft brewing’s focus on cramming more and more hops into a bottle has gone too far. 

As Tigges put it “We now have hoppier and hoppier brews – a crap-load of double IPAs, plus intensely and intentionally hop-heavy beers – and millions who love them.”  To his credit, Tigges tells us that “While needing more hops may be the case for many craft beer drinkers, I have ‘shifted’ in the opposite direction.”  He explains that the IPA style has “gotten old” and blasts breweries like Stone which release one IPA variant after another.

I couldn’t agree with Mr. Tigges more, and I applaud him for publicly questioning why American craft brewers are focusing on one IPA after another.  There are some amazing beers out there, and lots of ways to modify a style to keep it interesting other than adding hops to it.  (I even saw a mead… a honey wine… made with hops.  Why?  Mead is perfectly delicious just as it is.) 

Take the stout style, for example.  Try a Guinness.  Not bad, but somewhat bitter and not especially complex.  Now, try a Left Hand Milk Stout Nitro.  It’s a bit more complex, a bit less bitter, and brings out some of the chocolate notes hidden in the Guinness because of its hops load.  Take that a step further, and try The Daily Growler and North High Brewing’s Strawberry Milk Stout.  (What? You haven’t heard of that?  You haven’t tried it?  Get to The Daily Growler before it’s gone!)  Try something really far out, like Jamaica’s Dragon Stout.  Dragon Stout marries the dark chocolate elements of the stout flavor with smoke and a mild, milky sweetness.  That’s four different beers, all called “stout”, that taste very different from one another. 

I want to share one more of the points made in the Tigges article:  “Too many bars calling themselves a ‘beer bar’ (because they have 20 drafts) have more than half of those taps occupied by an IPA or similar beer.  This does not make you a ‘beer bar.’  Why can’t places branch out to more diverse and interesting options?  Isn’t that what the whole craft beer movement is about?  Trying something new and possibly better?'”

I could not agree with you more, Jesse.  I’ve got nothing against the IPA or the people who love the style.  Like you, I think there is a lot more to craft beer than upping the IBU rating.  And I’m not saying “banish IPAs”… All I’m saying is “There’s much more to craft beer than the IPA.”
Thank you for saying what needed to be said.  I hope Columbus beer drinkers, brewers, and bar owners are listening. 

The Hills Market Worthington

The Hills Market, Main Entrance

The Hills Market is located in Worthington, just north of I-270 and just off of Rt. 315 North.  It’s a locally-owned specialty grocery that stocks everything from free-range turkeys and house-made salads to craft beer, wine, and liquor.

Naturally, my interest was primarily in the craft beer selection, which is what this post will focus on.  This does not mean you won’t find great food, wine, and liquor there.  (In fact you will.  I saw OYO and Watershed products on the shelves, and those are good stuff – made here in Ohio.)

Their seasonal beer selection included Fat Head’s Holly Jolly, Troeg’s Mad Elf, Southern Tier 2XMAS, Thirsty Dog Pumpkin Ale, and others.  It’s a smaller selection than many retailers, but contained a beer or two I’ve not seen elsewhere yet.

Some of the craft beer selection

Their main beer selection included the standard macro-brews as well as products from Avery, Oskar Blues, Hoppin’ Frog, Ayinger, Baltika, Samuel Smith, La Trappe, St. Bernardus, Duvel, New Planet, Omission, Hinterland, Schneider & Sohn, Stone, Portsmouth (Ohio) Brewing, Indigo Imp Brewery, Great Divide, Great Lakes, Sierra Nevada, Columbus Brewing Company, Lagunitas, Clown Shoes, The Brew Kettle, Weyerbacher, Green Flash, Innis & Gunn, Founder’s, Ballast Point, Flying Dog, North Coast, Left Hand, and… well, lots of others.  A nice selection overall, but probably not the equal of shops like Savor Growl, Weiland’s, or Kenny Road Market in sheer numbers.  About 45% of their stock appears to be refrigerated, and the rest is on unrefrigerated shelves.

The pricing was comparable to other local retailers.  Take Gulden Draak (large size bottle) as an example. The Hills Market price was $11.99, which is the price I’ve seen it going for almost everywhere.  Once I bought two bottles for $8.99 each, which is the lowest price I’ve ever seen for it..  I’ve also seen it as high as $13.99 in local retailers.

Refrigerated beer section

Samuel Smith beers usually hover around $4.99 a bottle, and were $4.49 here.  This isn’t a calculated statistical analysis, but my guess is that probably 80% of the prices matched other local retailers for the same beer in the same size bottle, while the other 20% might have been a bit higher or lower.  Both singles and multi-packs are sold here, as well as a few gift sets.

The Hills Market staff were friendly and helpful without being pushy or “in your face”.  They offered thoughtful suggestions but would also leave you alone to let you shop in peace.  Overall a good shopping experience.

The Hills Market Worthington
7860 Olentangy River Road
Columbus, OH 43235
Phone: 614-846-3220

Seasonal beer selections

Wine selection

Elevator Brewing Co. Horny Goat Porter (8/10)

Columbus, Ohio, is home to Elevator Brewery, the brewers of Horny Goat.

Horny Goat is a porter aged in oak barrels.

It pours a reddish dark brown with an  off-white head.

Flavor starts with a balance of hops and oaky vanilla, gets sweeter and maltier, and finishes with a slight hops bitterness

Beer Advocate gives it an 80-84 or "good" rating.  Rate Beer is slightly harsher on it, giving the beer a 72 overall and a 48 for the style.  Both of these are in the ballpark of my own 8/10 rating.

I sampled this at The Daily Growler in mid-March 2013.  I've seen the beer for sale in bottles at Kenny Road Market and Whole Foods in Dublin (inside the Beer Cave).

ABV: 7.5%
IBU: Unknown, but I'd guess low 30's or high 20's
My Rating: 8/10

Dayton Beer Company Mad River Milk Stout (7/10)

Dayton Beer Company of Dayton, Ohio, produces Mad River Milk Stout.  They've been brewing beer for over 50 years, all without any automation in their processes.

Mad River Milk Stout is described as a Sweet Stout.

It pours a pitch black with a thin tan head.  The aroma is of yeast and citrus.  The flavor starts sweet, creamy, and chocolatey.  It finishes smoky and slightly bitter.  The bitterness lingers long after you finish drinking it.

There are too few ratings on Rate Beer for them to post any yet, but the few that are there average out around 15 out of 20, which is comparable to my own rating for it.

I sampled this at The Daily Growler in Upper Arlington in mid-March 2013.  I've not seen any of Dayton Beer Company's products for sale in the Columbus area except on draft.

ABV: 5.8%
IBU: unknown, but I'd rate it in the upper 20's or low 30's
My Rating: 7/10

North Coast Wintertime Ale (5/10)

North Coast Brewing Company’s Wintertime Ale is a “Winter Warmer” style beer. 

Wintertime Ale pours a coppery brown with a finger-thick beige head that leaves behind rings of thin lacing.

There seems to be quite a bit of carbonation to it – more than I would expect for a beer of this style.

The aroma is that of barley, yeast, and ginger.

The flavor is intensely malty at the start.  The malt backs off and some hops bitterness swells up.  A caramel element is there, but takes a back seat.  Although the hops element is dialed up a bit more than I’d like it to be, it doesn’t overwhelm the rest of the beer, but it is a dominant flavor.  The finish and aftertaste are bitter and slightly nutty.  It has elements of barley wine, IPA, and Brother Thelonius to it.  The combination isn’t what I look for in a winter beer.  It’s not entirely unpleasant, but I won’t be rushing out to buy another any time soon.

Beer Advocate rates it an 81 or “good”.  Rate beer gives it a 61.  I’m giving it a 5, only because there are some elements to the flavor that I like.

From what I understand, North Coast retired the beer this year, so you’re unlikely to find more than a few bottles anywhere in town.  That’s probably for the best, to be honest.

ABV: 5.3%
IBU:  Unknown
My Rating: 6/10

Mt. Carmel Nut Brown Ale (6/10)

Cincinnati's Mt. Carmel Brewing Company produces this Nut Brown Ale.

It pours a mahogany color, kind of a coppery dark brown, with a finger thick white head.  It leaves behind a thick layer of lacing that tends to stick around.

The aroma is hoppy and yeasty.

The flavor starts and finishes hoppy, not unbearably so, but enough to offset almost every other flavor I pick up in the beer.  I got some hints of smoky roasted grain and maybe some maple, but hops is definitely dominant here.  Since I'm decidedly not a hop head, I'm giving it a 6/10.

I had this at World of Beer at Easton, but it may be available elsewhere in Columbus.

IBU:  unknown, but I'd estimate about a 45
ABV: 6.0%
My Rating: 6/10