Writing about beer for real

Whenever possible I write about beer and actually get paid for it. Of course, a lot of people like to get paid to write about beer (not to mention get samples), so the gigs are limited. Still, I had an article go up recently on Bicycling.com. Among athletes, I like to believe that cyclists are a particularly good beer drinkers. And I mean that both in their level of taste and overall zeal.

Check it out.

It's hard to pick a favorite out of the bunch, though the Squatter's Full-Suspension Pale Ale, Oskar Blues Gordon, and La Rulles Estivale stood out in my mind. I held a tasting of the 11 beers with about as many tasters and nobody could agree on a favorite. Seeing that just backed up my long-held (well at least the last few years) belief that in life there's no need to worry, because there's always more good beer.

Real Beer Judging

To my 225 semi-regular readers (at least according to May counter statistics), I apologize for my recent lapse of posting. Shit happens.

June has been a good beer month thus far. Two weeks ago, I judged my second competition at the 2009 BUZZ OFF. I'll point out right here that any homebrew club worth its yeast has some silly beer-related acronym for a name. In this case we have the Brewers United for Zany Zymurgy - Zymurgy being the science of fermentation.

For a tangential bit of entertainment, here are a few of the best club names:

The Houston United Group of Zymurgists (THUGZ)
Wichita`s Only Real Tasty Suds (WORTS)
Diablo Order of Zymiracle Enthusiasts (DOZE)
KROC (Keg Ran Out Club)

I judged and enjoyed Belgian Specialty (doesn't fit in any normal Belgian category) and Pilsners, with a Trappist-inspired barleywine being my favorite beer. The closest thing I can liken it to is Maredsous 10, which also happens to be a favorite of mine.

Also for the second time after judging a competition, I felt awful. It was like having a hangover without ever getting drunk or even catch a buzz. Over the 6 hours of judging, I sipped a total of about four beers while trying 22 different entries. Why did I do this again?

Anyways, on the topic of Belgian Specialty beers, I recently tried Captain Lawrence's Xtra Gold tripel. The beer was a delicious blend of American and Belgian brewing practices and ingredients.

Xtra Gold Tripel
Captain Lawrence Brewing Co.
Tripel | 10.00% ABV

A- / 4.1
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | drink: 4.5

Picked up a 750 capped bottle at New Beer Distributors in the Bowery. I like it when labels tell the truth and this really does taste like an American-style tripel. It's more crisp (and fresh) with juicy citrus hops rounding out a more traditional spice and pepper malt and yeast flavor. Sometimes US brewers try to put their own American spin on a Belgian, but the beer just comes out too plain, this beer doesn't do any of that. It takes the best of both worlds making for a delicious and satisfying beer. I'll also note that fans of hoppy Belgian's should look to this beer.

Beer Reviews: Triple your pleasure

OK, that's a lame title, but I've had a good run of Belgian tripels lately. For anyone that doesn't know, a Belgian tripel is a strong, deliciously spicy golden ale that'll knock you on your ass if you're not careful. BeerAdvocate.com also has a description:


Description:
The name "Tripel" actually stems from part of the brewing process, in which brewers use up to three times the amount of malt than a standard Trappist "Simple." Traditionally, Tripels are bright yellow to gold in color, which is a shade or two darker than the average Pilsener. Head should be big, dense and creamy. Aroma and flavor runs along complex, spicy phenolic, powdery yeast, fruity/estery with a sweet finish. Sweetness comes from both the pale malts and the higher alcohol. Bitterness is up there for a beer with such a light body for its strength, but at times is barely perceived amongst the even balance of malts and hops. The lighter body comes from the use of Belgian candy sugar (up to 25% sucrose), which not only lightens the body, but also adds complex alcoholic aromas and flavors. Small amounts of spices are sometimes added as well.

Tripels are actually notoriously alcoholic, yet the best crafted ones hide this character quite evil-like and deceivingly, making them sipping beers.

Average alcohol by volume (abv) range: 8.0-12.0%

Right, what they said. Anyways, here's what I've been enjoying.

Incubus
Sly Fox Brewing Company
Tripel | 10.30% ABV

B+ / 4
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | drink: 4

Picked up a bottle from the Bowery Whole Foods for $9. Why have I not drank this beer before? It's a well-made Belgian that's delightfully fresh thanks to being brewed so nearby. The beer is properly light and drinkable, and also dry and spicy. The malts also provide a gentle golden raisin and mild berry punch taste before more dry biscuit malt and a peppery finish. Definitely worth a try.


Merry Monks' Ale
Weyerbacher Brewing Co.
Tripel | 9.30% ABV

B / 3.6
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | drink: 4.5

Had a bottle with a spicy BBQ chicken dinner.

It's nice and sweet, a little too sweet like most American takes on Belgian styles, but for the price it's not bad. The flavor starts with light fruit syrup taste followed an almost hot spice flavor with some pale grains mixed in. It lacks the complexity of the great Belgians, but I still enjoyed it.


La Fin Du Monde
Unibroue
Tripel | 9.00% ABV

A- / 4.2
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5.5 | feel: 4 | drink: 4

This is a pretty nice beer, stands right up with some of my favorite Belgians like Duvel. It smelled sweet and spicy (corriander) with a similar flavor that was rich, yet drinkable and kept coming at my tongue. The spicy hops, white pepper, and dry biscuit malts don't stop. This is a great beer and probably benefits from having a shorter trip down from Canada to help keep it fresh.


Houblon Chouffe Dobbelen IPA Tripel
Brasserie d'Achouffe
Belgian IPA | 9.00% ABV

A- / 4.05
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | drink: 4

Very interesting. In short, I'd have liked a touch more from the malt, but there's a lot of awesome hops flavors here. They're big and rough, yet sweet at times, and always tasty. I'm talking citrus fruit punch with grassy and herbal elements. The richness of flavor is on par with any good DIPA, but the body is more drinkable than most 9% beers. There was a mild bready malt flavor with a hint of vanilla and spice that reminds me a touch more of a wit.

Overall, this is a pretty cool combination of a Belgian ale with big hops. Definitely worth trying.