Big Chuck's Barleywine

They were an institution in Cleveland.  From 1979 until 2007.  Chuck Schodowski and John Rinaldi -- known to every Clevelander as "Big Chuck and Little John" used to host late night horror movies on WJW-TV.  They operated out of a studio in downtown Cleveland, hosting the movies before a live studio audience.  I was once a part of that audience when I was a kid.  I have some vague memories of that day, being in the studio and seeing the two television personalities.

People did not necessarily watch Big Chuck and Little John for the horror movies.  The movies were usually of the type that would serve as the backdrop for a Mystery Science Theater 3000 show.  Rather,  everyone watched Big Chuck and Little John for the skits that the two entertainers would perform.  These included skits such as "A Certain Ethnic ________," which played on Big Chuck's Polish heritage, the Kielbasa Kid, a spoof of western movies, and Cuyahoga Jones and the Castle of Doom, which was an obvious play on the Indiana Jones franchise:

Everyone who grew up in Cleveland during the 1980s and 1990s remembers (or should) remember skits like these.

Recently, Portside Distillery brewed a barleywine in honor of Big Chuck, aptly named the "Big Chuck Barley Wine Ale."  Portside is Cleveland's first distillery since Prohibition; however, it also brews beers, including this barleywine.  While I searched for the ingredients, I was unsuccessful, much like Cuyahoga Jones.  However, from the description below, it is clear that some form of roasted malts were used, along with a fair amount of hops.

The Big Chuck Barley Wine Ale pours a dark brown, almost black in color.  This suggests the use of roasted malts, which are often used in darker beers such as porters or stouts.  The malts provide a bready, toasty and almost earthy notes.  The malts also drive the taste of the beer, providing the backbone of the taste, with a dark roasted, bready, malty elements.  There was also some cocoa, coffee or espresso in the taste of the Big Chuck barleywine, which was followed by a very astringent and dry finish, which is where the hops most likely figure into this beer.  The hops most likely accentuate the astingency and dryness brought about by the roasted malts.  Finally, there is a booziness in the background of the beer, which is expected with an ABV of 11.7%. 

The heavy emphasis on the malts would ordinarily suggest an English style barleywine; however, the dark, roasty, coffee notes are not typical of what I would expect or ordinarily find in that style of a beer.  This uniqueness is perfectly acceptable, because Big Chuck (and Little John) were unique in their own way when it came to late-night television in the Cleveland area market.  

ENJOY!

The Old Crustacean

Unbeknownst to me, there is apparently a title that is coveted by craft brewers.  It is the title of "Cognac of Beers."  Sam Adams seized the title for its Utopias beer, which is an American Strong Ale that packs a whopping 27% ABV. (That 27% is probably the closest any beer comes to the approximately 40% alcohol content in cognac.)  Fuller's Brewery claimed the title of "Cognac of Beers" for its Golden Pride beer, a barleywine that has only an 8.5% ABV.  I have to admit that I have not tried either beer, in part because I am not inclined to spend the princely sum on a bottle of Sam Adam's Utopia and I have not seen Fuller's Golden Pride.

However, I did come across another brewer who has claimed the title of "Cognac of Beers" and I did try their offering.  It is Rogue Ales, who claims that its Old Crustacean, with its 11.5% ABV, is the rightful Cognac of Beers." 

The Old Crustacean is an American-style barleywine, that the Rogue brewers create with just seven ingredients.  Three of the ingredients are malts: 2 Row, Munich and Crystal 40.  Two of the ingredients are hops: Chinook and Newport Hops.  The remaining ingredients are Pacman yeast and "free range coastal waters."  When all of these ingredients are combined, they produce on of the best American-style barleywines that I have had in a long time.

Although I have discussed the style in the past, some background in the American style barleywine.  The authorities at the Beer Judge Certification Program describe these beers as having a color that ranges from light amber to medium copper, although a few of the beers could achieve a dark brown color.   As for the aroma of these beers, the BJCP describes the elements as having a "rich and intensive maltiness," with a "moderate to assertive" hop character.  (The hop character is what sets American barleywines apart from their British counterparts.) The hop aromas tend toward the citrus or resin elements typical of American hops.  Finally, the BJCP describe the taste of an American barleywine as having a strong malt flavor with a noticeable bitterness, that can range from moderately strong to aggressive. 

The Old Crustacean sets itself apart from the typical American style barleywine described by BJCP.  The beer pours a dark copper in color, with brown, rust hues.  The aroma of the beer is full of sweet elements, such as notes of dried fruit, brown sugar, raisins, and marshmallow, as well as some butterscotch and toffee.  Many of these elements are also reflected in the taste of the Old Crustacean, along with other flavors, such as brandied cherries and some crystallized citrus.  Overall, the Old Crustacean displays a nice balance between the malts and the hops, all of which is encased in a gentle booziness that reminds you of why the brewers at Rogue Ales have claimed the title of "Cognac of Beers" for this barleywine. 

When it comes to pairing, this beer is clearly a dessert beer.  That means it is a beer that can be served as dessert.  While I am sure that there are other pairings, I think this beer falls within the class that is best enjoyed by itself.

The Old Crustacean is found at beer stores with a large variety of craft beers.  It sells for about $20.00 a bottle. 

A Freudian Slip

The year was 1901 and pen was put to paper.  The writer was recording and analyzing a substantial number of what seemed to be trivial, bizarre, or nonsensical errors and slips.  An intended word spoken.  A thought substituted with a completely different one.  The writer was puzzled by the origin of those mistakes and made it his goal to analyze how those errors occurred.  The result was Sigmund Freund's The Psychopathy of Everyday Life.  It is also the origin of what would be come known as "Freudian slips."

A "Freudian slip" is described as an error in speech, memory or conduct that occurs because of some unconscious, subdued wish, conflict, or train of thought guided by the super-ego and the rules of correct behavior.  More than a century later, it is also the description of a barleywine produced by Evil Twin Brewing.  And, the mind behind Evil Twin is Jeppe Jarnit-Bjergsø, who is the brother of Mikkel Borg Bergsø, the brewer of Mikkeller fame.

Like his brother, Jeppe Jarnit-Bjergsø is what is commonly referred to as a "gypsy brewer."  He does not have his own brick and mortar brewery.   Instead, he travels from brewery to brewery, utilizing their equipment to produce his beers. 

For the Freudian Slip, Bjergsø found himself at Westbrook Brewing, in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina.  The Freudian Slip is a barleywine and, according to what I could find, it is often classified as an American barleywine.  The American style tends to place greater emphasis on hops in both the aroma and flavor of the beer.  By contrast, an English barleywine is much more malt-centric, relying upon bready or biscuity elements of different malts to enhance the aroma and flavor.

For me, the Freudian Slip seemed to swing back and forth between the English style than the American style.   Before I explain why, I should note that the Freudian Slip poured like both barleywines, a dark amber color with a nice, thick, off-white foam.  The aroma of the beer does suggest hops, which swings the pendulum toward the American style, but there is also a traditional, malty aroma as well, which swings back toward the English style.  A nice caramel, sugar aromatic element wraps both hop and malt aromas together.  As for the taste, this beer definitely has a boozy element front and center.  (After all, it has an ABV of 10.3%.)  There are also dark caramel and toffee elements in the flavor of the beer, which are joined by some dark fruits, like raisins or prunes.  As for hops and malts, the barleywine provides an even balance between the two in the taste of the beer.  With some sips, I could sense the hops used to produce the beer, while in other sips, the bready flavors of the malts shone through. 

I have tried many American and English barleywines, and, in my mind, this is one of a few that is able to bridge between the two styles.  It is available in large twenty-two ounce bottles.  It sells for about $14.99 a bottle.  

ENJOY!

The Angel's Share

So, as the story goes, "[w]ay down in Kentucky and across the pond in Scotland, distillers age their whiskeys for many years in oak barrels. Over time, some whiskey is lost to evaporation. They refer to this loss of spirits as 'The Angel’s Share.' Each time a barrel is filled, a measure of this liquid seeps into the oak and is lost forever."  The story is actually true.  Distillers and winemakers traditionally age whiskeys and wines in oak barrels.  According to Wisegeek, when those barrels are stored at 60% humidity or higher for long periods of time, some of the liquid will permeate and evaporate through the staves of the barrels.  This leads to a reduction in the alcohol content and it allows the flavors of the whiskey or wine to develop.  

For the brewers at Port Brewing, the story serves as an inspiration for a brandywine that they describe as "a barrel aged burgundy colored ale infused with copious amounts of dark caramel malt to emphasize the vanilla and oak flavors found in freshly emptied bourbon or brandy barrels. Each batch spends no less than 12 months aging in the oak."

The Angel's Share pours pitch black, far from any angelic color.  Little to no carbonation is present, resulting in little foam as the beer is poured into the glass. 

The year-long aging of the beer is clearly present in the aroma and the taste of the Angel's Share.  It is very boozy, with elements of the wood present in the background.  There are also aromas of raisins caramel and vanilla.  As for the taste, the liquor -- whether it is whiskey or bourbon (given I do not drink hard liquor, it is sometimes difficult to tell the difference in a beer) -- is first in line to greet the drinker.  It is also the last to leave, hanging on through the finish.  Other flavors are present for the party, such as alcohol-infused raisins, caramel and perhaps a little toffee.

This beer is relatively hard to find and it was given to me as a gift by my father.  I have not seen it on the shelves at any stores and I do not know how much it costs.  Still, if you happen to see a bottle, you should pick one up.  It is worth a try.

ENJOY!

The Old Embalmer '12

Ambiguity defines the history of the barleywine style.  I have been trying to learn where this style first emerged, but I have been unable to pinpoint when brewers started producing a "barley wine."  According to Bryce Eddings at About.com, the term "barleywine" was first used to describe Bass No. 1 in 1903, a high powered beer produced in Burton-on-Trent, England by White Shield.  Eddings concedes, however, that the barleywine style predated the early twentieth century. 

While I cannot pinpoint when the style first emerged, it seems clear that barleywines were first produced in England. It is possible that barleywines emerged out of the English Old Ale style. According to the Beer Certification Judge Program, old ales are mashed at higher temperatures than other styles (like strong ales), and then aged at the brewery after the primary fermentation.  This process produced a beer that has an alcohol content ranging between 6% and 9%. The barleywine style shares a similar production method and aging process.  The only significant difference between old ales and barleywines is that a barleywine usually has an alcohol content that starts at 8% and can go as high as 12%, if not higher.  In addition, a more recent phenomenon is to provide barleywines with their own vintages, just like the vintages of wines. 

I bought a bottle of the Widmer Brothers Old Embalmer '12.  The 2012 vintage of this beer features the use of Bravo Hops.  The bravo is a second generation, high alpha variety hop that was developed by the Hopsteiner breeding program in 2006. This hop is primarily used in as a bittering hop, which is added to provide the citrus or fruit flavors to the beer.

The brewers at Widmer did not use the Bravo hops for bittering; instead, they chose to use Alchemy hops as the bittering hops.  The Bravo hops were used as aroma hops, with the intent of highlighting those citrus flavors in the aroma of the beer.  

The Old Embalmer pours a bronze to brown in color, with amber hues.  As the beer was poured, a consistent, even foam developed over the beer.  The aromas of the Bravo hops penetrated that cloud-layer of foam, greeting the nose with a balance of citrus flavors, as well as caramel and malt aromas (from the use of the 2-Row Pale and Caramel malts used in the brewing process).  The flavors of the Old Embalmer seem more malt-driven, with hints of vanilla, caramel, and toffee being the principal flavor elements.  

 

With an ABV of over 10%, this beer is probably best enjoyed by itself as a digestif.  If you are looking for something to pair with this beer, then the dessert course is probably where you start.  Any dessert with caramel would make a good pairing with this beer.  You could also simply serve a cheese platter, with cheddar cheeses or goat cheeses, all of which should pair well with this beer.

I found this beer at a local grocery store.  It sold for about $14.99 a bottle.

ENJOY!

Full Sail Brewing Company 2010 Reserve Old Boardhead Barleywine Ale

I have previously posted about Full Sail Brewing Company and its Bump in the Night Cascadian Dark Ale. Full Sail is an employee owned brewery located near the Hood River.  The brewery is probably best known for its Session beers; however, I have found its unique offerings, such as the Cascadian Dark Ale, to be rather interesting.  Recently, I purchased the 2010 Reserve Old Boardhead Barleywine Ale.

I have previously opined at length about barleywine ales.  The style is rather interesting.  There are two polar opposites ... English Barleywine and American Barleywine.  These opposites are also malt (English Barleywine) and hops (American Barleywine).

Full Sail describes its Old Boardhead Barleywine Ale as a "deliciously rich barleywine ale with spectacular depth & delicacy of flavor that is deep and robust."  The brewer adds, "it's full, sweet body is balanced with Centennial and Crystal hops for a pleasant hoppiness & finish."  This description is largely accurate.  The barleywine pours a rather dark amber in color, with a lot of carbonation for a barleywine.  The foam does recede and the beer does settle down.  

As for the aromatic and taste elements, the Old Boardhead Barleywine combines elements of both American and English Barleywines, although it leans a little more toward the former rather than the latter.  There is definitely a citrusy, pine aroma from the beer, which is much more prominent than the malt or bread aromas that characterize English barleywines.  There is a sweetness to the aroma and the taste, which is most likely contributed by the malts.  However, that sweetness is still overpowered by the piney flavors of the hops.  

If the beer was cellared for a year or two, I would probably have to write a whole different review.  The passage of time would probably mellow the hops and allow the sweetness and malts to shine through.

ENJOY!

The Duck Rabbit Brewery Barleywine Ale

There is a craft brewery in Farmville, North Carolina that bills itself as the "Dark Beer Specialist."  The Duck Rabbit Brewery was founded by Paul Philippon, a university philosophy professor.  Drawing from his teaching experience, he chose the duck rabbit diagram, which looks like a duck or a rabbit depending upon the viewer's perspective.  The Duck Rabbit produces four year around ales, including a brown ale, porter, red ale and a milk stout.   When Clare and I were visiting Ocracoke Island, we came across a little store with a big beer selection, including the Duck Rabbit's Barleywine Ale. 

I've reviewed barleywines in the past, such as the Nøgne-Ø 100, the Schlafly Reserve Barleywine Style Ale and the L'Abri de Tempete Corps Mort.  I've even reviewed and contrasted the difference between beers brewed in the English barleywine style, such as the Almond 22 Torbata and those brewed in the American barleywine style, such as the Troegs' Flying Mouflan.  Perhaps the one thing that these barleywines have in common is that they each have their own distinctive style.

I can now add the Duck-Rabbit Barleywine to this list.  The beer pours a dark honey or gold color, with a wispy thin foam.  The aroma of the beer suggests alcohol, but speaks of malt, bread, and toast flavors.  There is also a presence of caramel and toffee in the aroma of the beer.  These flavors also are featured in the taste of the beer, but there is also a significant presence of hops in the finish.  The hops contribute a piney or citrus flavor so that each sip seems to gradually run the spectrum from malt to hop.  At least for me, the Duck-Rabbit barleywine seems to unite the American barleywine and English barleywine styles, combining the hop flavors of the American style with the malt flavors of the English style.

For me, barleywines are perhaps some of the most difficult beers to pair with food.  When I have difficulties with food pairing, I do my research and, in this case, it is to consult Garrett Oliver's book, The Brewmaster's Table.   The head brewer at Brooklyn Brewery, Oliver is also a member of the Slow Food Movement and a font of knowledge when it comes to pairing beer with food.  In his book at pages 163-64, he suggests that, at least for English barleywines, the beer scan be paired with meats like lamb or boar.  (I wish I knew that before I drank this beer because I have a couple of cinghiale -- Italian wild boar -- recipes I've been wanting to try.)  Oliver also suggests that this style of beer can be paired with cheddar cheeses, goat cheeses, and caramelized desserts.  And, as always, you can do what I did and just enjoy the beer by itself. 

As I noted above, we found this beer in North Carolina; however, I have seen Duck Rabbit beers on the menus at restaurants and in some beer stores with larger selections.

ENJOY!

Nøgne-Ø #100 Barleywine-Style Ale

Nøgne-Ø means "naked island" in Norwegian, and it is a reference to Henrik Ibsen's description of any of the stark, barren outcroppings visible off of Norway's southern coast.  Today, it is the name of one of Norway's most prominent craft brewers.  Both Clare and I were first introduced to Nøgne-Ø during a National Geographic beer tasting of Scandinavian beers.  We sampled only one of its beers during that tasting, only a small introduction to a brewery that has over a dozen year-around beers.

One of the year-around beers is the #100.   This brew has an interesting story behind it.  Originally the 100th brew of Nøgne-Ø, this beer is a barleywine style ale.  The brewers used Maris-Otter, wheath and chocolate malts, as well as Columbus, Chinook and Centennial hops.  They also used British ale years and Grimstad water to make this beer.  Although the brewers made this beer for their own enjoyment, they ultimately shared the beer with the public and, now, it is available around the world.

The #100 pours a very dark brown to black in color, with a light caramel foam that slowly recedes to the edges of the glass.  The beer has a malty aroma, full of caramel and toasty bread.  With each sip, this Barleywine style ale shows its preferences for malts over hops.  The malts are very much in the front, with the roasted malts providing hints of chocolate.  The hops bring up the rear, providing a little astringency to the finish.  The flavor profile of this beer places it in the category of English barleywines rather than American barleywines.

In the end, this beer seems a little more like an Imperial stout than a barleywine style ale.  However, that is not a bad thing, because I love both styles of beers.

The beer has an ABV of 10% and an IBU of 80.  This beer is available at most beer stores that have a large selection of craft beers and/or international beers.  I found this beer at Corridor Wine and Spirits in Laurel, Maryland.

ENJOY!

Schlafly Reserve Barleywine Style Ale (2008)

Both Clare and I have some very good friends who live in St. Louis.  I first met them the day before my wedding.  I was at the hotel and I got onto the elevator with his couple.  They looked at me and asked, are you Keith?  I said yes, and they said, this is for you and Clare, handing me a six pack of Schlafly Pale Ale.  For me, it was the start of a wonderful friendship with two amazing people.  It was also my first opportunity to try Schlafly beers. 

Ever since then, I look for Schlafly beers whenever I go shopping for beers. For some reason, which I still cannot figure out, I cannot find their regular offerings, such as the Pale Ale.  However, every once in a while, I can find their special offerings in local beer stores.  Most recently, I came across Schlafly's Barleywine-Style Ale.

This ale is very much like a wine in that it has its own vintage, which is released each November.  The beer I got to try was brewed in 2008.  To brew thise beer, the brewer used Marynka, Northdown, and Tettnang hops, along with 2 row malted barley, Munich and caramel malts, as well as roasted barley.  Once brewed, the beer is aged three months in a fermenter before being transported to American-made, oak barrels that have been toasted to the brewer's specifications.  The beer ages in these barrels for another three months.

The Barleywine-Style Ale pours a nice copper color, with a good off-white foam.  The aroma prominently features the malts, along with some subtle hop notes, wrapped around alcohol.  (This ale does have an ABV of 10.2%.)  The taste of the beer includes highlights of caramel, toffee and, to a limited extent, some raisins.  The aging of this beer in oak barrels has definitely contributed some liquor notes. 

It is fairly difficult to pair barleywines with food.  The smoothness of the beer pairs well with a sharp cheese, such as a gorgonzola cheese or a blue cheese.  Beers such as this one are probably best by themselves, as a digestif after a great meal. 

Overall, this is one of the best Barleywine Style Ales that I have ever tasted.  Schlafly did an excellent job of producing a nice beer that can be enjoyed sip by sip.  The Schlafly Reserve Barleywine-Style Ale is available at stores that have a wide range of craft beers, like Chevy Chase Wine & Spirits and Rodman's.  It sells for about $15.99 a bottle.

ENJOY!

L'Abri de la Tempete Corps Mort

Located in an old fish processing plant on the Isles de Madeline, there is a craft brewer called L'Abri de la Tempete or "Shelter from the Storm."  The brewer's location, on an archipelago in the middle of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence, provides the brewery with, not only character, but also the ability to make some very interesting and unique beers.  One such beer is "Corps Mort," or the "Dead Man."

The "Corps Mort" is a "salty" barleywine that, according to the brewer, is inspired by a rocky outcrop near the brewery.  Not only is the beer inspired by the locale, it is brewed using local ingredients, including smoked grains that are used by Le Fumoir d'Antan, a local smokehouse on the Isles de Madeline, that specializes in smoking herring and mackerel.

The Corps Mort pours a reddish color with a good layer of foam.  The aromatic elements of the beer suggest caramel, molasses or brown sugar.  The sweetness of the beer's aroma deceives the drinker, because the taste of the beer is anything but sweet.  Instead, the beer is intensely smoky.  What may seem like molasses to the nose, tastes like chipotle or ancho pepper to the tongue.  The smoke flavors comes from the grains that, as noted above, were used in the smoking of the herring.  (It is also the reason why the beer comes with the warning that there may be traces of smoked herring in the beer!)  As the beer warms, the smoky flavors become smoother.

The Corps Mort is also very dry, leading the drinker to sip it more like scotch than a beer.  This is a good thing, because the beer should be enjoyed slowly.  There is no reason to drink it fast.  First, the ABV is 11%, so it packs a punch.  Second, it is an excellent beer that should be savored.

This beer is available at Gilly's in Rockville, Maryland and other beer stores that sell a lot of craft beers.  The Corps Mort sells for more than $10.00 for a twelve ounce bottle.

ENJOY!