Return of the FORD Beercyclopedia thread

[scamper]

Guinness from Dublin? Got my head in a dark space this morning.

[FORD]

Well.... now that Labor Day has come and gone, it's time for Oktoberfest beers to make the rounds again.

Old World Oktoberfest German Originations

In 1810, when Princess Therese was married to the Bavarian Crown Prince Ludwig, the festival began as a wedding celebration. In a meadow adjacent to Munich, as part of the wedding entertainment, a horse race was staged for 40,000 enthusiasts from all over Bavaria. The purpose of the celebration was two-fold:

* First, to give thanks to the Lord for the past years crops and other blessings.

* Second, to share in the joy of the occasion with the family in the spirit of true love.

source:http://www.oktoberfestusa.com/history.htm

Beer, God, and love eh? OK, those sound like good enough reasons to me. I'll drink to that :bottle:

----------------------------------------

Accordingly then, here's our first Oktoberfest entry, from our friends at the Widmer Brothers in Portland Oregon......






In the grand tradition of Bavarian Oktoberfest, we proudly present OKTO. This full bodied amber ale with distinctive Malt flavors and a crisp, clean finish is our Northwest interpretation of the classic festival ale. Celebrate the season of beer.

FORD's review: It's been my experience that Widmer is the weakest link among NorthWest micro breweries. I'd drink the shit over Bud, Miller, or Coors any day, but compared to Deschutes, Red Hook, Pyramid, or my own neighborhood Fish Brewery, they just fall short. Tragically, this OKTO doesn't change my mind any. Good average ale, but nothing really special, I'm afraid.

FORD's rating : 1/2

[FORD]

Winter Beers are back early this year..... Picked up the Frambozen tonight, and I saw the Sam Adams Holiday pack at Costco earlier this week. Passed on it though, because there's still no Old Fezziwig in the damn thing.....

If anybody sees any Oktoberfest or Winter beers I haven't reviewed yet, let me know!

Originally posted by FORD





New Belgium welcomes the Holidays each year with the release of Frambozen, a brown ale fermented with Northwest raspberries. Frambozen, Flemish for raspberry, is a little more than 11% fruit by volume. Brewer Bill Hepp traveled to Oregon this year to oversee the selection and shipment process. He describes the first moment he experienced this year’s harvest.

“The room was redolent with the thick, summery aroma of fresh, red raspberries,” Bill recalls. “I opened the drum, untied the plastic liner, and scooped out a handful. Putting a few in my mouth, I could tell immediately that this was going to be an excellent year for Frambozen.”

An exceptionally warm growing season made for sweet fruits with a pleasantly tart finish. The final Frambozen weighs in at 7.0% ABV. Bill compares the finished beer with one of life’s guilty pleasures.

“Drinking Frambozen is like stomping on the gas of a vintage El Camino,” says Hepp. “It’s a delightful, powerful beer with a style and class all its own.”

Seeing as Bill rides his bike to work throughout the winter, we assume he’s speaking metaphorically.

Frambozen will be available throughout our distribution area October through January. Hop in the El Camino (or better yet, grab your bike) and go out and get you some.


Finished Product Information:
Alcohol: 7.0%
IBU: 16
Hops and Spices: Magnum, raspberries
Malts: Pale, Chocolate, Carapils, C-40, C-80, Munich

FORD's review: Usually I don't go out of my way to drink fruit flavored beers, but New Belgium puts out some intesting shit, and I'll drink any winter beer at least once.

This ale probably falls about half way between something like Widmer's Blackberry Heffeweisen and the above mentioned Sam Adams Cranberry Lambic in terms of the "fruity" flavor taking over the beer. It's a good medium, with the sweetness definitely present, but tasting more like a Belgian ale than champagne (as the Adams product does). No surprise there since it comes from a "Belgian" brewer.

This one would probably go great with your upcoming Turkey Day meal

I'll give it a 1/2

[Vinnie Velvet]

frambozen,, eh?

Might give that one a try.

So FORD, what are your fave Canadian beers?? I for one love the Irish and English beers.

I love Guinness. Carling is okay.

John Smiths, Kilkenny, etc.

[diamondsgirl]

I could use some help from you beer guys.

I went to an Octoberfest bash a few weeks back and had some great German imported beir.

One was exceptionally good. It started with "Franken" something something, I think.

It was kind of sweet tasting. Any idea?

[FORD]

Originally posted by diamondsgirl
I could use some help from you beer guys.

I went to an Octoberfest bash a few weeks back and had some great German imported beir.

One was exceptionally good. It started with "Franken" something something, I think.

It was kind of sweet tasting. Any idea?

I'm seeing a "Franken" beer online, and it's a German beer that apparently just made distribution deals for the EU, but I couldn't find anything on a US distributor.

I have a local source here that sometimes gets the German imports in, but they only sell them by single bottles, and pricey at that. So that's one thing to buy a treat for yourself, but it would be big bucks to buy enough for a party.

Any chance you can find out from who ever was throwing the Oktoberfest party, and ask them how they got the beer?

[diamondsgirl]

Originally posted by FORD
I'm seeing a "Franken" beer online, and it's a German beer that apparently just made distribution deals for the EU, but I couldn't find anything on a US distributor.

I have a local source here that sometimes gets the German imports in, but they only sell them by single bottles, and pricey at that. So that's one thing to buy a treat for yourself, but it would be big bucks to buy enough for a party.

Any chance you can find out from who ever was throwing the Oktoberfest party, and ask them how they got the beer?

Yeah, I'm going to call him up because I really liked it. . It was funny because I kept trying to memorize the name but the more I drank...the tougher it got.

The next day all I could remember was "franken...."

[FORD]

**WINTER ADVISORY ALERT**

SNOW CAP ALE IS BACK IN THE MOTHERFUCKING HIZZOUSE!!!!



Brand new label, same kick ass winter beer. As I've said in previous reviews this is the standard by which I judge all other winter brews. And I haven't found one that beats it yet.....

[MAX]

Red Stripe, Red Stripe, Red Stripe.

[Rebel]

Originally posted by FORD
Winter Beers are back early this year..... Picked up the Frambozen tonight, and I saw the Sam Adams Holiday pack at Costco earlier this week. Passed on it though, because there's still no Old Fezziwig in the damn thing.....

If anybody sees any Oktoberfest or Winter beers I haven't reviewed yet, let me know!

I saw this in Safeway tonight and picked it up. I enjoyed it, first "fruity" beer that I've tried that I liked, it wasn't really sweet at all, like you said, kinda in-between. Some sweet fruit aftertaste, but not too much at all. It was steep (10 bucks I think), but Safeway is high as hell anyway, but they have the best selection in this little town by far.

[FORD]

10 bucks? Damn, I thought it was bad here. Most decent beer at Safeway here is between 7.00 - 8.00 anymore. And then there's the harder to find stuff which might run me up to $10 for a six pack.

Tonight I'm drinking Widmer Snow Plow, but I'm so unimpressed with it, I'm not even bothering with a formal review.

[Rebel]

Everything around here is higher, including beer. I'm not sure if their prices are set right though at the Safeway, buy a six pack of Heiny for about 8-9 bucks, and a 12 pack is 12, makes no sense.

I could probably find it cheaper, but it's right there, probably what they are banking on.

Thanks for the review on it, no way I woulda got it if I hadn't seen that, I remembered when I saw it.

[Rebel]

2000th post......woo hoo!!!

[Nickdfresh]

"Hops Are to Beer What Grapes Are to Wine"

The Boston Beer Company Introduces Samuel Adams(r) Imperial Pilsner 2005 Harvest, a Limited-Edition Beer Brewed with an Abundance of Hallertau Mittelfrueh Hops, in Celebration of the Fall Hops Harvest

Boston, MA, October 2005- Throughout history, people have celebrated the bountiful harvest with ceremonies and festivals. This year is no different as Samuel Adams celebrates the fall hops harvest with the introduction of Samuel Adams(r) Imperial Pilsner 2005 Harvest. This one-of-a-kind brew uses enormous, almost reckless, quantities of Hallertau Mittelfrueh hops selected fresh from this year's Bavarian hops harvest, giving the beer an unmatched flavor dimension and complexity.

Every autumn for the last twenty years, Jim Koch, Founder of The Boston Beer Company, Brewer of Samuel Adams beers, travels to one of the oldest hops growing regions of the world, the Hallertau region of Bavaria in Germany, to hand-select Noble hops.

"Samuel Adams has always taken pride in using the world's finest ingredients, and Samuel Adams Imperial Pilsner 2005 Harvest takes that commitment to the next level," said Koch. "Beer enthusiasts will experience the taste of hops right off the vine, and how an abundance of Noble hops can enhance the flavor and intensity of a beer."

With the first sip, beer enthusiasts will experience an explosion of the Hallertau Mittelfrueh hops. This rare hops variety, considered to be one of the best in the world, is prized for its quality and aromatic characteristics. The intensity of deep citrus, spicy Noble hops flavor, is balanced with the slight sweetness from the malt. Due to the quality of the hops, this beer remains balanced and smoothly drinkable. The lingering "hops signature" is an amazing treat for hops lovers. The beer, which has a deep golden color and a rich, creamy head, gives off an intense and complex Noble hops aroma, very similar to what Jim experiences when he rubs the hops together in his hands during hops selection, to release the essence of the hops flowers.

The world's finest ingredients are considered the Holy Grail to Jim Koch. "While many brewers just sniff the hops, he 'dives' into them," said Stefan Stanglmair, a German hops farmer. Jim involves himself in every aspect of the development of a new beer, from the ingredient selection to the brewing. He tastes each batch brewed, to ensure it meets his high standards of quality. As with all Samuel Adams beers, each batch of Samuel Adams Imperial Pilsner 2005 Harvest is brewed one at a time with handcrafted care and precision.

Samuel Adams Imperial Pilsner 2005 Harvest is a robust, flavorful beer. It stands up well to creamy dishes such as beef stroganoff, grilled steak smothered with a thick mushroom sauce, or a traditional Tuscan style roast meat, such as Osso Bucco. It also pairs well with pungent, creamy cheeses, such as Brie or Camembert. Chef David Burke of Davidburke & Donatella Restaurant in New York City recommends Lobster Firecrackers with Samuel Adams Imperial Pilsner 2005 Harvest Lemon Sabayon (recipes available upon request).

Samuel Adams Imperial Pilsner 2005 Harvest will be available in select specialty beer stores beginning in November 2005, for a suggested retail price of $4.99. The beer is packaged in a 24 oz. bottle, featuring a beautiful label that captures an artistic rendering of a farmer hand selecting the Bavarian hops from the harvest.

ABOUT HALLERTAU MITTELFRUEH HOPS:
Hallertau Mittelfrueh hops, one of the five types of Bavarian Noble hops, are considered to be one of the best hops varieties in the world, and are prized for their quality flavor and aromatic characteristics. These special hops are grown only in the Hallertau region in Bavaria, where there are only a few thousand acres of hops-growing land that provide the perfect soil and climate for growing Hallertau Mittelfrueh hops. These hops are considered to be among the world's finest and most expensive. Because these hops are difficult to grow and vulnerable to disease, many German hops farmers stopped growing the variety about a decade ago. The total acreage for Hallertau Mittelfrueh declined to less than 400 acres. Insistent on using only the best ingredients for their beers, Jim Koch and the Samuel Adams brewers worked with hop dealers and farmers to save the variety. Partially in recognition of his efforts to keep this variety from extinction, the International Hop Growers Association honored Jim Koch with this year's prestigious "Order of the Hops" award and naming him a Knight to the Order of the Hop Society, an organization dating back to 1371.

THE BOSTON BEER COMPANY BACKGROUND:
The Boston Beer Company is America's leading brewer of handcrafted, full-flavored beers. Founder and Brewer, Jim Koch, brews Samuel Adams beers using the time-honored, traditional four-vessel brewing process, and the world's finest all-natural ingredients. With 18 distinctive, award-winning styles of beer, Samuel Adams offers discerning beer drinkers a variety of brews. The brewery has won more awards in international beer-tasting competitions in the last five years than any other brewery in the world. Samuel Adams is an independent brewery and has half of a percent of the domestic beer market. The Company's flagship brand, Samuel Adams(r) Boston Lager, is brewed using the same recipe and processes that Jim Koch's great-great grandfather used in the mid 1800s. The result is a beer renowned by drinkers for its full flavor, balance, complexity, and consistent quality. For more information, visit www.samueladams.com.

###

SAMUEL ADAMS IMPERIAL PILSNER 2005 HARVEST
FACT SHEET

THE BEER:
For the first time, Samuel Adams is celebrating the fall hops harvest with the introduction of Samuel Adams(r) Imperial Pilsner 2005 Harvest. This is the first beer to reach market using this year's Bavarian hops crop. This one-of-a-kind brew uses enormous, almost reckless, quantities of Hallertau Mittelfrueh hops selected fresh from this year's Bavarian hops harvest, making it one of the "hoppiest" beers in the world. The quality of these hops give the beer an unmatched flavor dimension and complexity and drinkability, even at these elevated BU (bitterness unit) levels.

THE VISION:
Every fall, Jim Koch, Founder of the Boston Beer Company, Brewer of Samuel Adams beers and his team of brewers travel to one of the oldest hops-growing regions of the world, the Hallertau region of Bavaria in Germany, to hand-select Noble hops. The vision for Samuel Adams Imperial Pilsner 2005 Harvest was to brew a beer that immediately uses the hops freshly picked off the vine from the current 2005 harvest.

THE TASTE:
Samuel Adams Imperial Pilsner 2005 is made with the four classic ingredients of beer: hops, malt, yeast and water. With the first sip, beer enthusiasts will experience an explosion of the Hallertau Mittelfrueh hops flavor. This rare hop variety, considered to be one of the best in the world, is prized for its quality and aromatic characteristics. The intensity of deep citrus, spicy Noble hops flavor is balanced with the slight sweetness from the malt. Due to the quality of the hops, this beer remains balanced and smoothly drinkable. The lingering "hop signature" is an amazing treat for hops lovers. The beer, which is a deep golden color with a rich, creamy head, gives off an intense and complex Noble hops aroma unlike any other brew.

THE BOTTLE:
Samuel Adams Imperial Pilsner 2005 Harvest is packaged in a 24 oz. bottle featuring a beautiful label with an artistic rendering of a farmer hand selecting the Bavarian hops from the harvest. The suggested retail price is $4.99.

OTHER SPECIFICS OF IMPERIAL PILSNER 2005 HARVEST:
Alcohol by Volume: 8.8%
International Bitterness Units: 110
Availability: Nationwide limited-edition release November 2005
Available Package: 24 oz. bottle
Brewing Site: Samuel Adams Breweries in Boston, MA and Cincinnati, Ohio
Number of Bottles Brewed: 60,000
Recommended Serving Temperature: 38 to 42 degrees
Retail Locations: Specialty liquor or beer stores where Samuel Adams beer is sold
Suggested Retail Price: $4.99

Best Foods to pair with Samuel Adams Imperial Pilsner 2005 Harvest:
* Beef stroganoff
* Steak with mushroom sauce
* Tuscan-style meat, such as Osso Buco
* Flavorful cheeses such as brie, camembert, or blue cheese

THE BOSTON BEER COMPANY'S BACKGROUND:
The Boston Beer Company is America's leading brewer of handcrafted, full-flavored beer. Founder and Brewer, Jim Koch, brews Samuel Adams using the time-honored, traditional four-vessel brewing process, and the world's finest all-natural ingredients. With 18 distinctive, award-winning styles of beer, Samuel Adams offers discerning beer drinkers a variety of brews. The brewery has won more awards in international beer tasting competitions in the last five years than any other brewery in the world. Samuel Adams is an independent brewery and has half of a percent of the domestic beer market. The Company's flagship brand, Samuel Adams Boston Lager(r), is brewed using the same recipe and processes that Jim Koch's great-great grandfather used in the mid 1800s. The result is a beer renowned by drinkers for its full flavor, balance, complexity, and consistent quality. For more information, visit www.samueladams.com.


I just picked this up at the local beer store. One of my cronies held this on special for me, they only received four of these babies.

I'm looking forward to drinking this, but I might save it for Thanksgiving. I post my own review then...

http://www.samueladams.com/news.aspx?release=20

Sorry, no picture.

[FORD]

Sounds like this one's a limited run, so I probably won't see it out on this coast

I'm hoping Sam Adams sends the Old Fezziwig or Cranberry Lambic out this way though. The Cranberry would be perfect for Turkey Day.

Been cutting back on the beer anyway though, so it's probably just as well.....