Avery - duganA - Double IPA

Avery – duganA is a Double IPA with an 8.5% ABV and 93 IBU.  This one pours golden and will create a rather large head if poured quickly.  It takes some time for the head to recede.  Since this is an IPA, I like it to warm a bit.  So, take your time pouring and allow the beer to warm slightly.  I like this beer and loved the taste of grapefruit and pine.  There is definitely an emphasis on hops and I like it.  I was thinking that Cascade hops were used, but I see that it’s cousin Chinook is used; as well as, Centennial and Columbus.  The barley is two-row, and dark aromatic caramel malt.  Avery brews this beer “whenever we have a little extra tank space and a desire for dank hops!”  On Avery’s website, duganA is described as “Lupulin Rapture Incarnate! As fervent devotees of hops, we found ourselves on a quest to create a transcendental IPA capable of quenching our voracious lupulin desires. Our mantra became "unity of bitterness, hop flavor and aroma." Enlightened, duganA IPA was born: A brutally bitter, dank, piney and resinous ale designed for those seeking a divine hop experience.“  I heard on a pod cast that duganA is the Hindi word for double.  So, if you like hops and you like a double IPA, I suggest you try Avery’s duganA.  This one is for the hop-heads and I think they will not be disappointed.

Avery - The Czar

Avery – The Czar is an imperial stout with an 11.69% ABV and 60 IBU.  This one pours black with a small head that recedes quickly.  This is a sipping beer because of the higher alcohol rate and you taste the alcohol on the finish.  One tastes toffee / molasses, chocolate and a hint of licorice (anise).  Avery recommends cellaring this beer and this one should last quite a while.  If Avery hosts a vertical tasting of the Czar, I will plan to attend. 

The Czar is seasonal (Nov. – Feb.) and is one of Avery’s Dictator Series.  Maharaja is an Imperial IPA (10.24% - ABV and 102 - IBU) that I think tastes best when warmed up a bit.  When I first had the Maharaja, the aroma took we back to my grandmother’s herb garden in Virginia.  The Kaiser is an Imperial Oktoberfest Lager (9.3% - ABV and 24 – IBU) that my wife (not-a-beer-drinker) likes. 

I was happy to try the Czar as I have previously tried the others in Avery’s Dictator Series.  I would love to enjoy the Czar with my friend George with ancestry from Czarist Russian.  I am sure he would appreciate this one and have fond recollections of his relatives.  I can see why Russian Imperial Stout was a favorite of Catherine the Great.  This is a nice beer to put in a snifter and enjoy by a fireplace.  I recommend Avery’s Dictator Series and these beers are a real treat.

Thanksgiving - Best pairing ever and Beer Brined Turkey

Thanksgiving was a great day and a great meal.  I modified a beer brine recipe from Sean Paxton (http://www.homebrewchef.com/) and used the following (minus a small glass of each):

1 – Alaskan Smoked Porter

1 – Paulaner Oktoberfest - Marzen

3 carrots and 3 celery stalks

4 garlic cloves

1 C. Kosher Salt

½ C. Brown sugar

2 Lemons quartered

Couple of tablespoons of peppercorns

Combine the ingredients and simmer until the vegetables softened.  Cool the brine and put it in the refrigerator overnight.  Strain the vegetables from the brine and add ~ 1 gallon of water.  Clean and rinse the turkey.  Put the turkey into a large Ziploc bag or use a cooler that the turkey just fits into.  I put the turkey in a bag, added the brine, placed it in a cooler and then covered with ice.  The turkey should brine 24 – 48 hours.  Remove the turkey from the brine, rinse and let dry.  I then used a dry spice rub called Tiny Town Turkey Rub from the Savory Spice Shop in Littleton, CO.  The 12-pound Turkey was cooked in a bag for 2 hours at 350 degrees to an internal temperature of 160 - 165 degrees and then pulled from the oven and allowed to rest for 30 minutes.  The oven was then set to broil.  Remove the turkey from the bag and place in the oven for ~10 minutes to allow the skin the crisp.  The turkey turned out excellent and was enjoyed by everyone.  I think it was the best turkey I have ever cooked.

I paired dinner with Avery – Old Jubilation (ABV - 8% and IBU – 30) and Left Hand – Black Jack Porter (ABV – 6.8% and IBU - 35) with a desert of Lori’s Chocolate Pie.  The desert pairing was perfect with the beer and the chocolate pie being one of the best pairings I have ever experienced.  The beer cut through the fat and emphasized the chocolate and the crust.  The pie emphasized the sweetness, chocolate, and bread qualities of the malt.  It was amazing.  I split a bottle of the Kaiser with Lori and her mom and they both very much like the Kaiser (ABV – 9.6% and IBU - 24).

Avery - Out of Bounds Stout

Yesterday evening we had a nice dinner of romaine salad, Stilton blue cheese, kalamato olives, garlic and cheese croutons, sesame ginger dressing, and salmon lox.  I paired this with Avery – Out of Bounds Stout at ABV of 6.3% and IBU of 51.  This one goes down very smooth and was actually a nice pairing with the salad.  The salads components enhanced characteristics of the beer – croutons – bread, Stilton – nuttiness, dressing – sweetness, and salmon – smoke.  This was a nice pairing and it worked very well.

From the packaging there are double diamonds and the words expert only in alignment with the skiing packaging theme.  Avery describes Out of Bounds as, This big, roasty stout takes flavor to the extreme. We aren't afraid to use plenty of rich roasted barley and a mountain of hops to give this full-bodied stout that little extra something you've been looking for in a beer.  This comes in a six-pack and I will have a couple of other opportunities to pair this beer. 

My wife (not a beer drinker) tasted the beer and she is noticed a similarity between this beer and some of the other Avery beers she has tried.  She actually likes the Kaiser.  She noted that the beer is drinkable and then the bitter or other flavor hits.  I will continue tasting Avery beers and I have Old Jubilation and the Czar for Thanksgiving. 

Bridgeport IPA and Breckenridge Avalanche at NoNo's Cafe

It had been some time since the family went to NoNo’s and we decided it was time.  NoNo’s is located in Littleton, Co on County Line Road just east of Sante Fe Dr. (HWY 85).  Brian and Sonda Brewster are the owners and they have a great place; they know about good food and service.  Fresh bread is served with a special dipping sauce and my son always wants seconds on the bread.  I ordered Bridgeport’s IPA with an ABV of 5.5% and IBU of 50.  This is a nice IPA that pours golden with a nice head.  It has a very good floral aroma and is not as bitter as many craft brew IPAs.  This went very well with the dipping sauce, cutting through the fat and going well with the spice. 

I ordered the NoNo’s Sausage Classico for the main entrée, which is two sausage patties on a bed of linguine noodles smothered in a nice tomato based sauce that is just a bit spicy.  I ordered Breckenridge’s Avalanche Amber Ale with an ABV of 5.4% and IBU of 19.  This is a good beer and is very drinkable, but it was a bit overpowered by the spiciness of the dish.  Not a bad pairing, but the IPA probably would have been a better choice.  It paired much better with a beignet that I split with Lori.  It was a nice meal and I tasted two nice beers. 

NoNo’s never disappoints and I am very happy this restaurant is close to home

It's Alive

Yeast – Are living organisms in the Fungi kingdom that convert sugar to alcohol during fermentation.  There are many different strains of yeast that the brewer can use during the brewing process to make the desired style of beer.  The primary categories of beer are ales, lagers, and lambics.  Ales are known as top-fermenting or warm-fermenting because the yeast forms foam on the surface ferments between ~60 – 70 degrees F.  Lagers are known as bottom-fermenting or cool-fermenting because the yeast tends to collect at the bottom of a fermenter ferments at a lower temperature around ~50 degrees F.  Lager means to store in cool temperatures in German and does not pertain to fermentation.  Lambics are known as spontaneous-fermenting or wild-fermenting because they are exposed to the wild yeast and bacteria and are brewed in Belgium.  There are always exceptions with some beers that “blur” the lines on these descriptions, and craft brewers today can use strains of wild yeast for their particular beer.  The taste of beer is also affected by the type of yeast used during fermentation.

Ale varieties include – Pale Ale, Brown Ale, Scotch Ale, Porter, Stout, Old Ale and Barley Wine, Belgian Trippel and Duppel, Wheat Beer, and others.

Lager varieties include – Lager, Pilzner, Bock, Dunkel, Helles, Oktoberfest / Marzen / Vienna, and others.

Lambic varieties include – Lambic, Gueuze, Mars, Faro, Kriek, and others.

Hops

Hops – a climbing plant that is used for flavoring and preservation of beer.  There are many varieties of hops and they are grown in many parts of the world.  Hops add bitterness to beer that is used to balance the sweetness of the malt, or to increase the bitterness and associated aromas for “Hop Heads” – people who love a beer that is strong in hops.  A good example of hops use is in India Pale Ale.  When British brewers first sent beer to soldiers in India, the beer spoiled during the route.  India Pale Ale had higher alcohol and hops that prevented the beer from spoiling.  Over time, the IPA also became very popular locally.

American craft brewers are known for the use of hops that result in some IPAs with high IBU – International Bitterness Units.  A lager may have very little IBUs (example – 5) and an IPA may have over 100.  Some brewers mix hops to impart different aromas.  There are essentially two types of hops – bittering and aromatic – that are used by the brewer to develop the final taste and aroma of the beer. The beer will also smell and taste differently depending on the temperature of the beer.  Germany leads the world in growing hops followed by the U.S.  Hops growers in the U.S. are primarily in Washington, Oregon and Idaho.  Hops do grow in Colorado and wild varieties can be harvested.