New Beer Friday, Malt 101 Edition (January 23)

Preamble by Steve Siciliano

If you're looking for something fun and informative to do this upcoming Monday, January 26, there are still a few spots open in the inaugural class of the Beer Education Series being sponsored by Gravity Taphouse Grille, Beer City USA’s newest multi-tap beer bar.  

Erik May of Pilot Malt House and yours truly are teaming up to conduct this inaugural class, a Malt 101 presentation focusing on malt production and the way various malt varieties are used in the brewing process.

The presentation will begin at 6:30 pm and you must be at least 21 years of age to attend. The $15.00 entrance fee includes a tasting flight of four beers and an appetizer.

Reservations must be made in advance. Contact Angela Steil at 616-719-4944 or asteil@redwaterrestaurants.com if interested.

New and Returning Beer

• White Birch Berliner Weisse, $5.89/22oz - "Napoleon’s troops referred to Berliner Weisse as the "Champagne of the North" due to its lively and elegant character. Today this style is described by some as the most refreshing beer in the world. Our approach was to brew this beer with Lactobacilius for a refreshing and authentic interpretation of a classic summer refresher" (source). 
• White Birch Blueberry Berliner Weisse, $7.39/22oz - "Our Blueberry Berliner Weisse is fermented with a great blueberry puree. This New England approach brings a refreshing blueberry flavor and aroma to a German classic. We feel our approach creates an authentic interpretation of the traditional “mit syrup” or with syrup method of serving this classic summer refresher. We hope you enjoy this unique year round beer" (source).
• Arcadia Hop Rocket, $3.49/12oz - "This Imperial IPA has an assertive aroma of sticky, resinous Summit hops. A complex flavor profile includes notes of grapefruit, lemon peel, spruce and cellared mushrooms. Though the flavor focus is on hops, a trio of malts provides a balance to the beer, creating a delicious level of palatability. Hints of caramel, toffee and freshly-baked biscuits are also apparent in the flavor profile" (source).
• Arcadia Barrel Aged Lochdown, $8.59/12oz - "Barrel-aged Loch Down Scotch Ale. Our tribute to the Scottish Highlands, this beer offers a gorgeous garnet color joined by the aroma of ripe plums and freshly-baked biscuits. The rich, full-bodied texture reveals notes of roasted chestnuts and caramel in the smooth single-malt style brew. Balanced with just the right amount of hop character, this beer delights with crisp alcohol finish" (source).
• Smuttynose Durty, $1.69/12oz - "Each bottle and pint features a delicious balance of carmelly brown ale malt flavors and the hop profile of a double IPA. Durty has enough oomph to get you through the frosty mornings and chilly nights, while the light body and hop flavor will awaken your tongue and senses for the coming warm weather" (source).
• Smuttynose Zinneke, $6.99/Belgian Stout 22oz - "Named in honor of the doggy denizens of Brussels, this hybrid beer is a mix of what we love best in a big, roasty stout, but fermented with a Belgian yeast, which brings out a beautiful fruity nose. We set aside a portion of the batch to age in bourbon barrels to allow the stouts chocolate and caramel flavors to marry with the woods natural vanilla and toastiness. The final blend pairs well with both savory dishes and your favorite desserts" (source).
• Forbidden Traveler, $1.69/12oz - "Forbidden Traveler is a crisp wheat beer brewed with real apple. Its bright effervescence will catch your eye, while its refreshing aroma will tempt your senses. It’s here for the picking, just take a sip" (source).
• Bell's Hopslam, $2.99/12oz (1 case limit) - "Starting with six different hop varietals added to the brew kettle & culminating with a massive dry-hop addition of Simcoe hops, Bell's Hopslam Ale possesses the most complex hopping schedule in the Bell's repertoire. Selected specifically because of their aromatic qualities, these Pacific Northwest varieties contribute a pungent blend of grapefruit, stone fruit, and floral notes. A generous malt bill and a solid dollop of honey provide just enough body to keep the balance in check, resulting in a remarkably drinkable rendition of the Double India Pale Ale style" (source).
• Alaskan Big Mountain Pale, $1.69/12oz - "Pouring clear and light copper in color, Big Mountain Pale has three domestic malt varieties providing firm footing for the distinct flavor and aroma of dry-hopped Simcoe and Mosaic. Notes of Asian pear, pine, and lemon in the aroma are answered by the toasted nut, biscuit and toffee malt. The crisp flavor is distinct from the aroma, with pleasantly strong herbal notes and hints of complex tropical fruit" (source).
• Alaskan Imperial Red, $2.79/12oz - "Alaskan Imperial Red is a full-bodied deep mahogany ale with ruby red highlights. Citrus notes of chamomile, grapefruit and Meyer lemon brighten the aroma. A zesty array of hop flavors from mango and bitter orange to green mint and hibiscus meld with the nutty, roasted caramel and subtle dried fruit flavors of the complex malt profile to create a surprisingly fresh, yet warming example of the style" (source).
• Founders Imperial Stout, $3.09/12oz - "A fine companion to end a meal or relax in front of the hearth with, this robust ale will cellar well for years. Brewed with ten varieties of malted barley this stout is extremely smooth, complex and rich in body. We recommend serving at cellar temperature. Sit back and enjoy its richness and complexity, you’re about to drink the ultimate winter warmer" (source).
• Latitude 42 Honey Amber, $1.69/12oz - "Our American amber ale features locally harvested Michigan wildflower honey from Schoolhouse Honey Farms in Scotts and Willamette and Nugget hops. Malty, sweet and well-rounded (in all the right places)" (source).
• Latitude 42 I P EH, $1.69/12oz - "Our India Pale Ale is a true classic for Hop heads using only the finest hops from the northwest. We use centennial, citra, simcoe and falconers flight hops to balance out the smooth malty finish" (source).
• New Holland Blue Sunday, $8.19/22oz (1 btl limit) - "This unique anniversary libation, heritage-blended from our library of barrel-soured beers, exhibits deeply layered flavors of malt and oak, with a tart finish" (source).
• Fort Collins 1020 Pale Ale, $2.09/12oz - "1020 Pale Ale has a magnificent citrus aroma with underlying tones of pine and grapefruit zest that inhabit the flavor, while a smooth, light body and crisp, clean bitterness from Magnum, Cascade and Chinook hops leave your palate both refreshed and liberated" (source).
• Breckenridge 72 Imperial Stout, $3.29/12oz - "Brewed with chocolate from Colorado's very own Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory, Inc., this Imperial Chocolate Cream Stout is full of rich, toasted chocolate notes with hints of dark fruit. 72 Imperial will take you where you need to go. Just sit back and enjoy the ride" (source).
• Southern Tier Grand Arbor, $9.09/22oz - "Grand Arbor is hazy pale straw in color with a thick rocky white head and persistent lacing. Aromatically earthy with distinct fruity esters and low to moderate noble hop character. Balanced fruity character blends into crisp biscuit notes with a dry tart finish. Interestingly, although we add maple syrup it adds an earthy/woody character rather than an overt sweetness" (source).
• Dogfish Raison D'extra, $10.19/12oz (1 btl limit) - "
  Our Raison D'Etre, with a little extra. This immodest brew, made with an obscene amount of malt, brown sugar and raisins, takes Belgian-style browns to new heights.
  Raison D'Extra's little brother Raison D'Etre was brewed to be the ultimate beer partner for steak. Plump raisins and beet sugars give the beer a similar DNA and color to red wine.
  D'Extra takes this concept to the next level. What 120 Minute IPA is to 60 Minute IPA, D'Extra is the D'Etre. We're pushing the limits of what a Belgian yeast can do (and we've discovered that's somewhere in the ballpark of 15% to 18% ABV!)

  - See more at: http://www.dogfish.com/brews-spirits/the-brews/on-hiatus-brews/raison-dextra.htm#sthash.zpxCgMdi.dpuf
  Our Raison D'Etre, with a little extra. This immodest brew, made with an obscene amount of malt, brown sugar and raisins, takes Belgian-style browns to new heights.
  Raison D'Extra's little brother Raison D'Etre was brewed to be the ultimate beer partner for steak. Plump raisins and beet sugars give the beer a similar DNA and color to red wine.
  D'Extra takes this concept to the next level. What 120 Minute IPA is to 60 Minute IPA, D'Extra is the D'Etre. We're pushing the limits of what a Belgian yeast can do (and we've discovered that's somewhere in the ballpark of 15% to 18% ABV!)

  - See more at: http://www.dogfish.com/brews-spirits/the-brews/on-hiatus-brews/raison-dextra.htm#sthash.zpxCgMdi.dpuf
  Raison D’Extra is our amped up version of the Raison D’Etre. It is brewed from a similar grist (raisins included) to a massive 42P, giving it 20.5%ABV, along with 20 IBU and a color of 20L" (source).
• Avery duganA, $6.99/22oz - "
  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 - See more at: http://averybrewing.com/our-ales/dugana/#sthash.mb3Jb64y.dpuf
  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" (source).
• Short's Carob Stout, $1.99/12oz - "A big bodied stout that receives its distinguishable flavor characteristics from the substantial use of roasted malt, dark specialty grains, and ground carob. Cocoa and chocolate-like aromas penetrate from the black depths of this alluring ale. Robust flavors of roasted black coffee, and even subtle notes of dark fruit, mix with the abundant rich chocolate qualities. As it warms, an ample bitterness from the dark roasted specialty grains and high alpha hops intensifies, provoking a noticeable dryness on the palate" (source).
• Black Isle Oatmeal Stout, $7.59/16.9oz - "Deep dark chocolate flavoured stout with subtle notes of liquorice. The use of oats confers a smooth mouthfeel to this strong stout" (source).
• Black Isle Scotch Ale, $7.59/16.9oz - "Believed to have originated from Edinburgh in the 1800s, the brewing of Scotch ales is now more of a focus for the US craft brewers than for those in its homeland. This beer, however, is a distillation of all that is good in Scotland. A liquid fruit cake with a malty foundation and a rich spice finish, this will fill your palate and astound you for minutes as you unlock the multi-layers of flavour" (source).
• O'Fallon King Louie, $1.79/12oz - "We’ve used a variety of malts to create the perfect balance between soft chocolate, caramel and roasted notes that highlights the featured toffee flavor" (source).
• Lagunita's Cappuccino Stout, $4.79/22oz - "We get some help from our friends/neighbors at Sebastopol’s Hardcore Coffee just up the road. The coffee beans are freshly ground when we drop them into the brew kettle and whirlpool, giving that deep coffee flavor without taking away from that even deeper beer flavor" (source).
• Southern Tier Creme Brulee, $9.29/22oz - "We are not the harbingers of truth as some may suggest but it may indeed be argued that our brewing philosophy is tantamount to a dessert with a bellicose past. How, you may ask, would a brewery determine a likeness to hard-coated custard? Our response is simple; it’s all in the power of history, and of course, the extra finesse needed to top off a contentious treat with definition" (source).
• Southern Tier Goat Boy, $7.79/22oz - "When words don’t say enough we sometimes let our fingers do the talking. Maybe it’s kid stuff, but the sign of the goat has been used by rock stars, sports fans, celebrities & unfortunate politicians to celebrate symbolically. Open this bottle for your turn to flash the eternal gesture of high voltage rock & roll. For those about to bock, we salute you" (source).
• Bateman's Mocha, $4.69/16.99 - "A fresh coffee and chocolate experience brewed with genuine arabica coffee, fine Belgian chocolate and locally grown roasted malt" (source).

  Picture of the Week | Hopslam 2015

Cheers!