A Flowery Song

Background: A smoked rye doppelbock that is “[a]n homage to all things pig”. The smoke comes from cherrywood-smoked malted barley, then there’s some rye, and two other unnamed malts.

Nose: Smoke! Also fruity malt. Dried figs. And some alcohol.

Taste: Ooh, lots of smoke, balanced with a deep, rich molasses-like maltiness.

Overall: Should go well with pork, as indicated on the bottle. And this really does need to be served along with food, else the smoke gets pretty overpowering.

Background: Probably contract brewed by Gordon Biersch, this Trader Joe’s exclusive is brewed with imported malt and Hallertau hops.

Nose: Subdued grain, sweet golden syrup, and not much else.

Taste: Slight hints of spicy noble hops. Alcohol is on the evident side, with a hearty body. Pale malt with a bit of biscuit character.

Overall: Meh. Slightly candyish, and in all the flavour fails to impress.

The Mission: “You’ve got three weeks, is what I’m saying: go find a smoked beer.” Direct and to the point.

Probably the most well-known example of a smoked beer is the German rauchbier, where a portion of the malt used is dried over a beechwood fire. The other widely available smoked malt is peated malt, while various craft brewers have smoked their own malt over anything from apple wood to alder wood (okay, so that’s not all that far).

A less traditional method, while not something I’ve heard of being used, would be to directly smoke the beer itself.

The second beer I’ll be covering is an example of second-hand smoke. I’m sure everyone’s heard of barrel-aged beer, but how many of you have considered that it introduces two possible sources for a smoky flavour? First, whisky barrels are usually charred before use, which can carry over into any beer aged in them. Second, what if the barrel came from a heavily peat-smoked whisky like Bruichladdich or Lagavulin? Even a less smoky whisky such as Highland Park introduces some smoke character.
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The mission: “I’m sure I’m not the only one whose early drinking career featured pale lager in abundance, so consider this a return to our roots as beer drinkers. [...] I want pilsners, light lagers, helleses and those ones that just say “beer” because, well, what else would it be?”

First, some rumination on the topic. This is about as far from my roots as a beer drinker as you can get. My early drinking career, once I got around to beer, featured dark ales (mainly porter) in abundance, with the occasional pale or amber ale for variety. I wasn’t avoiding lagers, but I wasn’t seeking them out either.
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Background: Okay, I have to admit that I'm a bit biased against this beer based simply on the name of the company that made it. The Great Beer Company makes this Kölsch-style beer. I'm all for great beer, but it's a bit presumptuous on their part.

Appearance: Light gold, thin white head.

Nose: Biscuity malt, light appley notes.

Taste: Medium noble hop character, a bit of wheat, a bit too sweet.

Overall: Slightly boring, needs less sweetness to get the crisp mouthfeel. Decent attempt, I suppose, but it falls short of greatness and isn't something I feel a need to have again.

Background: Courtesy of those wild folks at Magic Hat Brewing, every time you grab a beer you can be reminded to vote in the upcoming election. The label says that this is “A beer to provoke political discussion” and exhorts you to “Get out and VOTE 11.04.08″ (half a moment–that's today!) Well, every time you grab a beer, you can be reminded of the warm fuzzy feeling you had after voting in the recent election. Oh, there's also a blurb for HeadCount. Magic Hat's website is a piece of Flash-infested shite and the bottle doesn't say, so I'm guessing it's supposed to be a standard American lager.

Appearance: Pale gold body, dense white head.

Nose: Grassy hops, grainy malt.

Taste: Toasty, grainy corn and a solid herbaceous hop presence. Hints of caramel and spice round out the flavour.

Overall: Surprisingly nuanced and flavourful. Not really my cup of tea, but I can definitely see people liking it.

Background: Amber lager from Flying Dog in Denver, Colorado. The bottle is decorated with artwork by Ralph Steadman and a quote from Hunter S. Thompson.

Appearance: Reddish copper under an ivory cap.

Nose: Toasty malt and fruity hops.

Taste: A good dose of caramel maltiness layered with earthy undertones and citrusy hops.

Overall: Solidly middle-of-the-road beer.

Appearance: Dark reddish-brown, rocky brown head.

Nose: Toffee, molasses, and caramel with some fruitiness.

Taste: Rich malt with lots of dark and burnt sugar notes, a hint of cocoa and earthy hops, and a background of slight breadiness. Lightly bitter finish that fades quickly, leaving a hint of acid malt.

Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied and slick, with moderate carbonation.

Overall: If I wanted to get pissy (and increase my beer snob cred) I could say that this strays a bit far from the traditional bock style–but I won't do that, as I feel that while it's somewhat different, it's firmly rooted in tradition. Also, it's good beer, and no pretensions to stylistic purity should be allowed to diminish that. Drink it. 's tasty.

Background: A Trader Joe's exclusive (probably contract brewed by Gordon Biersch, but credited to “JosephsBrau Brewing Company” on the bottle), this dark “double bock” clocks in at 7.5% ABV and has a shiny label.

Appearance: Pours a nice red-tinted brown, with a slight foamy yellow(?)-brown head.

Nose: Heavy malt, caramel, and a hint of breadiness.

Taste: A nice interplay of caramel, dark bread, and earthy tobacco for the main flavours, layered with dark dried figs and a hint of smokiness. On the sweet side, but a light hoppy bitterness cuts through right before the finish to prevent it coming off as cloying.

Mouthfeel: Creamy, but a bit light, with nice peppy carbonation.

Overall: Very solid beer, maybe not quite top-notch but definitely above average.

Background: Japanese lager brewed with malt. Once again, in Canada.

Appearance: Pale amber body, fluffy white head.

Nose: Clean, some mild malt notes and a bit of floral hops.

Taste: The malt seems fuller than the adjunct version, and the hops come through a bit more clearly. More sweetness on the front, but the same dry finish. Some fruitiness.

Mouthfeel: Light body and zippy carbonation. Dry, oily finish.

Overall: Still not something I would drink every day, but a good summer beer and as an accompaniment to sushi it's ace.