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BEER ZEN
CONTENTS TOC Letter from the Editor
4 5
Hash House Harriers Peaks and Pints Glassware Hops Portland Beervana Beer Glossary
6 7 8 11 12 16
World Craft Beer Tasting Qbrick Tokyo Drift Beer. I like it. Another
20 21 22 23
Beer Reviews App Reviews Beers You MIss
24 25 26
Once upon a time, there was you and your music. Remember it? Youth. If you are of a certain age you can remember that there was a time when your only connection to the music you loved was the band’s album cover and the band’s music. I said it before and I am saying it again. Craft Beer is the new rock n roll. It is one of the few products that allows adults to create their own music if you will. Because of the lack of commercials for craft beer, beer enthusiasts can enjoy time with friends and time with beer without having to be mediated by corporate powers. Craft beer is to our adulthood what music was to our youth. Craft beer allows you to make your own stories, your own memories, and you know I’m going to say it…your own music-the place you were at when you first had that IPA, the friends you were with when you just had to share that stout with them so they would know what you were talking about. Because of all this, the craft beer scene in Japan is growing. While traveling in California this past summer I talked with brewers who had not only heard of craft breweries in Japan (and had met some of the brewers), but they had also heard of some of the craft beer bars in Osaka. Not only is craft beer becoming more popular in Japan, but Japan is gaining recognition outside of Japan for now having a craft beer scene. Not a small accomplishment. This is good news for craft beer enthusiasts interested in seeking out Japanese craft beer and/or seeking out imported craft beer. This is good music, if you will. Our little scene has some rhythm now with our craft beer bars and our craft beer festivals. We are making it known that we want more and we want to share. With this second issue of BEER ZEN, we turn our attention to look at not only the beer we crave, but the activities and the accoutrement that involve our beloved beer. We once again have some great writers up to bat this issue. We will take a journey down memory lane and peak into the brewing history of Portland, Oregon with Warren Wills. Jean-Yves Terreault will explain the benefits of joining an international jogging club that has been running and drinking beer after each run since its inception in the late 1930s. Additionally, we will take a peak into the vocabulary that surrounds beer and attempt to demystify some of the expressions new beer enthusiasts may have heard thrown around a taproom with Aubrey Laurence. He will also take a look at the joy of hiking with beer. We will also examine the different types of beer glasses available with Ajen Birmingham. Brian Burgess and Philip Starecky will rouse our interest again with reviews of beers and apps available in our parts of the world, while Jon Watkins will let us know about another beer we miss. So, grab your favorite brew and make this a moment. Make yourself part of the song. It’s not beer porn, it’s beer zen. POST MD Editor
The Drinking Club with a Running Problem by Jean-Yves Terreault The Hash House Harriers is an international group of runners (and walkers) who believe that beer tastes best after running. Intrigued? Read on and you might end up joining them!
Some beers taste better than others. I’m not talking about brands or styles, and I’m certainly not entering the draft vs. bottle vs. can debate. I’m talking about the first beer of your holiday; the beer you drink after a 12-hour drive; the beer in the onsen after a day of riding waist-deep powder. It’s transcendental, going from mere beer to nectar of the gods, a reward for work well done. Sadly most of us can’t go on holiday every week, and while perhaps possible, no one gets to ski/snowboard waist-deep powder every month, let alone every day. But for the Hash House Harriers, Hash for short, the elation of the first beer can occur quite regularly, sometimes more than once a week. The Hash started in December 1938 in Kuala Lumpur when a group of expats decided to exercise on Mondays to burn some of the calories ingested over the weekend.
Albert Stephen Ignatius Gispert suggested playing the Hares & Hound game. In this game, a person or small group, the hares, are given a head start and go on to lay a paper trail (currently flour and chalk are commonly used), which the other members, the hounds, need to follow in an attempt to catch the hares. When the group had to register, they named the club Hash House Harriers, referring to the Selangor club where they met and whose food was far from delectable. Their charter read: To promote physical fitness among our members. To get rid of weekend hangovers. To acquire a good thirst and to satisfy it in beer. To persuade the older members they are not as old as they feel. Later, some went on to establish groups abroad, first near Milan in 1947, and then in Singapore in 1962. The Hash arrived in the Land of the Rising Suds, uh, Sun, on June 4, 1976 when ‘Dunafew’ (members are given a ‘Hash name’ after a few runs) hared the first Tokyo H3 run, after being transferred from Hong Kong. Today there are over two thousand groups worldwide. A typical Hash run goes like this. The hare(s) will pre-lay a trail (dead hare) or get a 15-minute head start (live hare). In each case, the pack of hounds will get on the trail, not knowing where the trail goes: through shopping centers, over mountains, under water, anything is fair game. At some points on the trail, hounds encounter check
marks, where the trail could go in any direction. These serve to slow down the pack ¬– especially for live hares – and allow slower members to catch up with FRBs (Front Running Bastards). At the end, beer, water and snacks await members. And while members of all sizes and descriptions join, “You don’t have to run the trail, but it will get you to the beer faster”, Ghost Ride Her mentions. After, a circle is formed and people are awarded/punished – it’s all in the mind of the beerholder – with a serving a beer to be gulped down. Often members will then retreat to an izakaya to continue the libations. With the rise of craft beer in Japan, you will find it at some Hashes, especially larger events like The All-Japan Nash Hash. Kansai Hashes were the first to offer it in 2008, with Minoh AJI on tap. Bairds’ brews and Yona Yona were available previously, and this October, Kansai Hashes will have Nagahama Roman beers on tap for the enjoyment of members coming from Okinawa, Iwakuni, Nagoya, Kanto and abroad. Sounds like fun? Come and join us! Hash Group Listing: -> gotothehash.net/ Kansai Nash Hash: -> toedsh3-admin.com/japannh2013/index.php
Peaks and Pints by Aubrey Laurence
Have beer, will hike. Drinking good beer is a rewarding experience in and of itself. But there’s something extra special about drinking good beer right after hiking or climbing – or any other prolonged physical activity, for that matter. I’m always thirsty for craft beer, though my beer cravings seem to be at their strongest when I’m in a state of exhaustion after a good climb. I have found that many others agree, especially in my city of Bellingham, Washington, which has many breweries and taphouses that are often filled with sweaty bikers, dirty hikers and wet paddlers. Throughout the summer, it seems like there’s some sort of bike race, 5k or half marathon every other weekend, and most seem to end with a
bunch of people in Spandex shorts drinking beers. There is even a local mud race called Muds to Suds that features beers after the race (mudstosuds.com), and there is a new blog dedicated to hiking and post-hike beers called Beers at the Bottom (beersatthebottom.com). “There’s nothing better than a cold, frothy beer after a long day of hiking,” Beers at the Bottom bloggers Brandon and Rachel write. “Craft beer and hiking are the perfect pairing.” Here are some possible explanations as to why beer makes such a great après-hike/climb beverage. Beer is a recovery aid In 2007, researchers at Granada
University in Spain concluded that beer is better at re-hydrating the body after exercise than water. They suspected that the sugars, salts and carbonation in beer helps people absorb the fluids more quickly, plus the beer’s carbohydrates replace calories lost during the physical exertion. Of course, the researchers recommended “moderate consumption,” as alcohol is a diuretic, but at least this study provides a physiological justification for post-workout pints. Beer is an iconic celebratory drink As if we need another excuse to drink beer, beyond its delicious flavors and intoxicating effects, we often drink it to celebrate milestones and achievements. And what better achievement is there than the literal and metaphorical act of gaining a mountain’s summit? Relaxing with a few pints after a climb is also the perfect antithesis to the intensely physical and mental challenges of climbing. Once the alcohol calms your adrenaline and unravels your nerves, you can finally relish and reflect on your adventure – and even begin to plan your next one. Beer provides balance Most craft beers have lots of calories, and I drink lots of craft beer. If I didn’t hike and climb regularly, it wouldn’t be long before I couldn’t fit through my front door. I think many others work to find a similar balance, which is probably why you often hear the phrase, “we earned these beers,” as an attempt to justify the calories. Climbing and beer drinking may seem like polar-opposite hobbies, but that’s what makes them
so beautifully harmonious, in a yinand-yang sort of way. Beer and your environment It is well accepted that your environment has an affect on your perception of beer. In other words, if you’re in a positive, inspiring environment, surrounded by good friends, you might find an “average” beer tasting a little better than if you were drinking it in less desirable surroundings. Therefore, when you’re hanging out with friends after a tough climb, your beer may seem to taste slightly better than usual. Of course, that euphoric, post-climb “runner’s high” might be leveraging beer flavors up even further, making beer kind of like the icing on an endorphin cake. Keep in mind, it can go the other way as well, where great beer can enhance a bad environment. Beer pairs well with more than just food The only thing better than satisfying one of your passions, is to weave it into another passion. For me, mountain climbing and craft beer are two of my biggest pastimes, and they have both enriched my life immensely. And even though I don’t combine them at the same time, I can’t entirely explain how climbing amplifies my beer experiences and beer amplifies my climbing experiences. I suppose it’s just one of the mysteries of craft beer, and I’m OK with that.
Putting Flavor Back in the Glass by Ajen Birmingham Photos by Aubrey Laurence
Engage your inner beer geek and astound your friends with knowledge of beer glasses. I went through this phase when I was about 9 where I would only drink milk out of a coffee cup. If my mom poured me a glass of milk and it wasn’t in a coffee cup I would go to the cupboard, grab one, and pour the milk out of the glass and into the coffee cup. This would drive my mother crazy! “Why do you need to drink your milk out of a coffee cup?” she would ask. My only reply was, ‘cause it tastes better when it’s in a coffee cup.’ Whether I was really on to something or not, I will leave up to Mythbusters. What we do know though is that a glass does play a pretty important role in the beer drinking experience.
into a glass helps release volatiles such as fusels, fruity esters, and spices for your nose to pick up on. Also important is carbonation, which provides a beer’s mouth feel. Less important, but just as interesting is how a beer looks when it’s poured. A big part of beer is the visual esthetics of a beautifully poured glass of beer. Pint Glass Pint glasses are the most widely used vessel for beer in use today. This is due mostly to their resiliency to damage, low cost of production, ease of cleaning
should never use a pint glass. There are beers that aren’t so demanding on your senses and may not do much better in a different glass. Or hey, maybe you just want to have a beer while watching the game and don’t want to geek-out on beer. I think the pint glass works great for times like these. There are basically three types of pint glasses- nonic (British pint), shaker (US pint) and the Irish pint. Nonic Pint The nonic is wide mouthed and has a small budge near the top. There are a few reasons for this budge- to help grip, prevent chipping on the rim of the glass, stop them from sticking together when stacked. Also, it gives some room for head. It measures out to 568 mL and traditionally has a mark to indicate said volume.
So while I may have given up on drinking milk from a coffee cup, the stubbornness for proper glassware remains. 70% of our sense of taste come from our nose When you drink from a can or a bottle you are denying yourself a large part of a beer’s flavor. Pouring beer
and ease of storage. But when it comes to showcasing all a beer has to offer, the pint glass leaves much to be desired because it has minimal head retention, aromatics can easily escape and it’s difficult for volatiles to be released. That doesn’t mean that you
Shaker Pint The shaker glass, or also known as ‘the poor man’s pint’ resembles an inverted, truncated cone. Originally, this glass wasn’t even intended for beer; it was made for shaking cocktails, thus the name ‘shaker glass.’ It measures out to 473 mL.
Irish Pint An Irish pint is a perfect example of a glass shape that showcases the visual aesthetics of a beer; in this case, a nitro beer (normal beers are under full co2 carbonation, while nitro beers’ split the carbonation between nitrogen and carbon-dioxide , usually 70 / 30 respectively. But this can vary depending on distance of the beer line.) When you pour a nitro beer into an Irish pint glass you see what appears to be waves of bubbles flowing downward. Given that these gases are lighter than beer, this seems to go against the laws of science. A magic beer? No. In actuality, this is due more to the glass than the beer itself. Irish pint glasses are narrower at the base and open up wider from
ty and anticipation felt watching a Guinness roll and form that thick creamy head. Duvel Tulip Duvel glasses take a large tulip shape with a very rotund base that give the beer space to aerate as it’s poured. The glass is supported by a short stem bottom for you to hang on to so as not to warm your beer with your hands by direct contact with the glass. There is a tapered neck to support a foamy head and the lip on the mouth of the glass is directed outward to help the beer flow under the head so you don’t get a face full of foam. Also, it promotes contact to the front middle of your tongue, where sweetness is first perceived. But the Duvel glass’s true
“It’s not just being cool or geeky to match the glass to the beer you are drinking. The shape, height, width, thickness, texture and mouth of the glass all impact the impressions you will get from your beer.”
the middle. There is more space in the middle of the glass, where it is wide and flat than under its angled walls; which means more bubbles rise from the center of the glass than its sides. All these bubbles condensing in the center of the pint glass create a circular flow within the glass that results in the brew flowing upwards like a water fountain and then back downwards along its sides carrying the gas with it, only to return back to the center of the glass for this circulation to continue. There is no denying the beau-
beauty is the *nucleation site at the bottom of the glass. Once poured into the glass, the beer maintains a consistently full, fluffy, aromatic head. Watching those endless chain of bubbles rise from the bottom of the glass can be very mesmerizing. If I was on a deserted island with nothing but various cases of beer, this would be the glass I took with me. Beer glass par excellence! Chalice Without going into the dif-
ference between a chalice and a goblet, let’s look at the qualities that they share. They are generally ‘U’ shaped, sometimes wider, sometimes taller and supported by a stem. Mostly used for dubbels, quads, triples and other big beers. Some manufacturers also put a nucleation point in the center to promote co2 release. Flute Glass (Champagne Glass) Being a tall, short stemmed glass, it is perfect for showing off the carbonation of lambics and fruit beers. The narrow body gives a tight shot of aroma to the front of your nose. Wheat Beer Glass Also known as a weizen glass, it is a tall glass intended for serving unfiltered beers with a big head. It has a tapered bottom to trap yeast at the bottom and opens wider at the top to allow for an aromatic, fluffy thick head that looks very attractive when poured correctly. Pilsner Glass Similar to the weizen glass but without the tapered bottom. Pilsners glasses are constructed primarily to highlight the style that it’s named after. The pilsner glass captures the effervescent nature of the pilsner style and its shape also promotes head retention. Other variations are the ‘hourglass pilsner glass’, which does have a tapered bottom, and the European version called the ‘pokal’ which is ‘V’ shaped and has a stem instead of a thick glass base. Snifter Basically a cognac glass. The fat bowled body makes it perfect
for swirling and the tapered mouth keeps aromas from escaping so they are very easy to smell. This glass is so good at magnifying every aspect of a beer, at times I think it can be too much. Usually I approach this glass as more of a ‘beer scalpel’, used for when you really want to dissect the characteristics of a beer. Tulip A tulip shaped, bulbous body that comes to a tapered top section and leads to a flared outward opening lip. Similar to the Duvel glass but with a less girthy body. Good for keeping aroma and, depending on the length of the tapered top, really good for head retention. Hybrid Glasses There are a few new types of glasses out there that have been developed as a fusion of elements from many different glasses. There are two glasses that deserve mentioning here. IPA Glass A collaboration between Sierra Nevada, Dog Fish Head and German glass maker, Spiegelau. This glass has a very original shape. Not meant to
win any beauty awards, it has functionality at the forefront. Everything about this glass is intended to highlight the IPA style. Some points to mention are its thin, round walls to keep proper temperature longer. It has a slender, bow shape to amplify hop aromas. The base has wave like ridges to help aerate beer as it travels to and fro during sips. A wide mouth allows the nose to comfortably enter the rim of the glass. Also it has a nucleation point on the bottom of the bowl to sustain carbonation and head. Sam Adams Glass Sam Addams worked with glass maker Rastal to make their ‘perfect’ beer glass. While I’m not sure there is a ‘perfect’ beer glass, this glass does have some important elements. It is similar to the tulip and Duvel tulip glasses in that it has a modest tapered top section for sustaining head and an outward flared lip for palate contact. The bottom is a thick glass base and is a bit tapered like a wheat beer glass but leads up to a portly midsection. So does it really make that much of a difference to use a glass? Yes, it does. It’s not just being cool or geeky to match the glass to the beer you are drinking. The shape, height, width, thickness, texture and mouth of the glass all impact the impressions you will get from your beer.
Essentially, you want the glass to be shaped in such a fashion that it will accentuate the elements of the beer you are drinking to whatever degree you feel they need to be for you to enjoy it. There is no end-all perfect beer glass. There are no rules except to try new things and keep what works best for you. Enjoy the journey! * Although you may not have heard this term before, chances are you already know what it is. Have you ever noticed that when champagne is in its proper glass there seems to be this constant chain of bubbles rising from the bottom of the glass? Those bubbles are coming from small laser etchings, or scratches at the bottom of the glass. When beer is poured into a glass the sudden drop in pressure causes dissolved co2 to escape from the beer. The released co2 congregates on ridges, microscopic cracks and scratches in a glass, allowing it to catch other co2 molecules, increasing its size. The bubble will get bigger and bigger until it reaches a critical mass and becomes unhinged from this scratch in the glass, or otherwise known as nucleation site, and rise to the surface. Rather than just relying on random microscopic scratches that will inevitably happen to a glass, manufactures will instead create their own nucleation site by etching small scratches on the inside base of the glass. This gives the released co2 a place where it can gather and join up with more co2, thus providing a controlled release of gas and maintained head retention.
Ajen Birmingham works for Evergreen Importing and produces various craft beer related events around the Kansai area. 缶もしくはボトルでビールを飲 む事は簡単です。しかしビー ルを飲む時にはそのビールに あったビアグラスを選んでみま しょう。美味しいビールがさら に美味しく味わえるはずです！
it’s not beer porn, it’s beer zen.
The Cascade Hop by Warren Wills
Named for the chain of mountains that run through Washington and Oregon, the Cascade Hop has been a central player in the craft beer movement. Knowing this, it’s funny to learn that it sat on the shelf for decades before being used for brewing. The strain was originally created in a laboratory, fusing a female English Fuggle with a male Fuggle from Russian Serebrianker parentage at Oregon State University in 1956. It was released for cultivation in 1972 then in 1975 first used by Anchor Brewing in their Liberty Ale, brewed to celebrate the bicentennial of Paul Revere’s historic ride. It became the first American Pale Ale brewed since Prohibition in 1920 and is widely credited with starting the American craft beer revolution. The floral, spicy, piney and slight grapefruit flavored nature of the strain became wildly popular and really took flight in the 80’s and 90’s. It can now be found in many varieties of the India Pale Ale, especially in West Coast styles from Green Flash, Stone, Sierra Nevada and many more.
Journey to Beervana Portland, Oregon: A Diverse History of Brewing by Warren Wills
Oregon’s history has been defined by the constant push and pull of conservatism and progressivism that can best be exemplified through it’s history cultivating the brewing arts. From humble, monopolistic beginnings in the 1850’s, Portland saw a pre-emptive move into the age of prohibition which also enacted long time restrictions for on-premises sales. The late 70’s saw the rise of the homebrewing revolution, which ushered in the passage of the 1985 Brew Pub law and the resulting explosion of craft brewing. All these events have created a city that today houses over 50 different brewers making every type of beer you could imagine. Known by many as “Beervana,” Portland is home to some of the largest craft brewers in the country, as well as the most unique, fruity, barrel-aged, secretive, artsy and otherworldly. In fact, famed beer critic Michael Jackson once boasted that Portland could be denoted the Beer Capital of the World on account of having more breweries within it’s city limits than Cologne Germany. But I’m getting ahead of myself; this will all be explained in time. Grab a pint and have a seat… Too Many Henry’s for One Town The foundation of Portland’s history in suds starts with the creation of it’s first brewery, Liberty Brewing, by Henry Saxer in
1852, opened just one year after the city’s incorporation. This first Henry, of German descent, brought his old world style of beers to roost in a brewery located at the corner of First and Davis streets, in what is now the Old Town district of downtown. Three Years later, another young German arrived on the scene (via Vancouver Washington, across the river), Henry Weinhard, an apprenticed brewer from Stuttgart. The city was seen by these two as a perfect confluence of fresh ingredients (hops, grains and mountain fresh water) and thirsty mouths provided by the hearty dock workers, seamen, lumberjacks, etc. that populated the area. Merely 7 years later, the success of Henry’s brewery, founded in the present day Pearl District, overtook the success of the first Henry’s, with Weinhard ultimately buying Saxer’s 10 year old Liberty Brewery, rebranding it City Brewing. Growing steadily, by 1875, City’s beer was now being exported to Asia, producing 40,000 barrels annually, up from 2,000 in 1862. Possibly the most famous piece of old Portland lore is the dedication of Skidmore Fountain which brewer Henry Weinhard famously threatened
to pump beer through upon it’s christening. Being that it was
“Known by many as ‘Beervana,’ Portland is home to some of the largest craft brewers in the country...”
1888, the women’s temperance movement, started 5 years earlier and known for installing water fountains all over town to provide an alternative to beer, didn’t take kindly to his taunt. Though Weinhard passed away in 1904, his brewery expanded at a phenomenal rate during Oregon’s Progressive era of the nineteen-teens. Unfortunately Oregon banned the sale of alcohol with an early entry into the American age of Prohibition, 4 years prior to the national ban. To survive, as many other brewers did, Weinhard’s began bottling sodas (including “Coco Cola,” Hires Root Beer and Or-
ange Crush), making near-beer, soda fountain supplies, juices, ciders and confectionary sweets, then later merging with Arnold Blitz’s Portland Brewing Company becoming Blitz-Weinhard Company in 1928. The company would dominate the local market until it’s purchase in 1979 by Pabst, then Stroh Brewing in 1996 and lastly Miller Brewing in 1999. Henry Weinhard’s beer is still brewed in Hood River by Full Sail Brewing, a craft brewer. The Public House, Fresh Beer and Legalized Brew Pubs Just as Blitz-Weinhard merged multiple times in the late 70’s, there were a number of events occurring simultaneously across the country that caused the biggest brewers to buy up the smaller ones in fear. President Jimmy Carter signed a homebrewing law which allowed a single person to brew up to 100 gallons of beer annual for personal consumption or up to 200 for a household of two or more adults. Concurrently, Americans were fed up with mass-produced beers, which were all com-
ing from the same handful of brewers. As a result, they took to their kitchens and garages, brewing up a revolution of sorts. With brewers such as Anchor Steam (San Francisco) using new strains of hops and dark roasted two-row barley to brew their beers in the mid-70’s (instead
of rice and cheaper grains) the taste of beer in America would never be the same. The ever pioneering brewers of Oregon took this progress even further, summoning the old traditions of town culture by improving on the public house concept. In 1975, the McMenamin Brothers started Portland’s return to the multi-tap public house when they opened the Produce Row Cafe. Their mission was to make pub culture more cheery and joyful, more like the drinking establishments found in Europe. While no one was brewing and selling on the same premises, something illegal under Oregon beer laws since the start of state prohibition in 1916, craft brewing did get started commercially with the first microbrewery called the Cartwright Brewery which existed
only briefly between 1979 and 1982. Poor bottling techniques and thus, rancid beers, did-in the small upstart. Other entrepreneurs caught wind of what was happening, namely the successful local wine makers Richard and Nancy Ponzi, who in 1984 started BridgePort Brewing, whom today trademark themselves as “Oregon’s Oldest Craft Brewery.” Later that year came the founding of Widmer Brother’s Brewing, known for their American spin on the classic German Hefeweissen wheat beer, which is to this date one of Oregon’s
largest exports. Today BridgePort is part of a conglomerate based in Texas, The Gambrinus Company, the 4th largest craft brewer in the nation. Widmer is now part of the Craft Brewer’s Alliance which is partially owned by Anheiser-Busch’s parent company In-Bev and is the 9th largest overall brewer in America. The following year, 1985, Oregon’s State Legislature finally passed a law allowing beer to be sold on the same property upon which it was brewed. Ironically, the bill only passed after years of trying by the Ponzis’, Widmers’ and McMenamens’ because it was attached to another bill allowing Coors to distribute beer in Oregon. While the smaller brewers were initially concerned about increased competition, their fears turned out to be unfounded.
Then the flood gates opened: McMenamin’s opened the first brewpub in Portland (Hillsdale Brewery and Pub) in 1985, the
old Portland Brewery reopened in 1986 and the aforementioned Full Sail Brewing opened up just down the road in Hood River in 1987. The last thing that tied it all together was the creation of what has become America’s second oldest and second largest beer festival, the Oregon Brewers Festival, started by the Ponzis of BridgePort and the Widmer Brothers in 1988. It was these craft brewers that laid the foundation for the future of Portland Craft Beer, which continues to expand at a ridiculous rate to this day. Taking the Second Wave into the Future Since the creation of the Brew Pub Act of 1985, brewing in Oregon, as a whole, did indeed explode. What set these brewers apart from the past was a focus on whole grain malts, a darker roasted malt and a higher profile of hops. No doubt, these were not the hoppy beers of today’s West Coast brewing scene, but like any cultural trend, the Portland brewers have always adapted and overcome each obstacle or fad that stood in their way. The new drive for these brewers was to not only maintain the Public House setting, but to make better beer, in a more sus-
tainable fashion and better food than their predecessors. Following the first generation of new microbrewers were the next wave of experimenters that’ve really succeeded in shining a spotlight on the diversity of Oregon’s people and it’s taste in beer. The most notable start-ups outside of the Portland area after 1985, aside from Full Sail, were the establishments of Deschutes Brewing in Bend and Rogue Ales in Ashland (now Newport) in 1988. Deschutes has always been notable for it’s easy to drink beers like Black Butte Porter and Mirror Pond Pale Ale, but have since fashioned themselves as a boutique brewer as well with Belgian, IPA and Wild seasonals that keep the critics guessing. Since then, most of the
brewers who’ve blossomed in the City of Roses haven’t been on the bigger side of microbrewing or really anything more than local brewers. The larger entities that came up in the 90’s – Hair of the Dog (1993), Tugboat (93), Lucky Lab (94), Old Market (94), Alameda (96), Lompoc (96) and Cascade (98) all tend to focus on creating a public house or family friendly environment, with excellent food that complements their fresh brewed beer on site. This is what Portland craft beer was founded upon and what it continues to propagate.
While some of the brewers in the new millennium have taken to distributing out of state (Laurelwood and Hopworks being the most evident), the newest in the tribe come from or place their focus within the realm of barrel-aged and nano-brewed beers. Some of the newest brewers,
such as Ambacht (2007), Hopworks (07), Burnside (10), The Commons (11), Gigantic (12) and DeGarde (13) are the most experimental brewers Portland has ever seen, making old-world beers with new-world ingredients, then adding their own spin on flavor. Their new creations include additions of fruit, new yeast strains, whiskeys brewed with lager beer, ciders, smallbatch limited releases, session styles, and more specialties than most can comprehend. Today, Portland has 51 breweries, 69 in the metro area and a total of 137 brewing companies operating 175 brewing facilities, in 59 cities in Oregon. There are
also over 20 beer festivals held each year, one for every variety, style and season. Craft beer’s economic impact on the state is a staggering $2.83 billion annually and in 2012, Oregonians consumed 2.79 million barrels of beer, 17% of which was brewed in state – a higher percentage than any other state. I haven’t even mentioned the extensive assortment of pubs, restaurants and beer tourism locations that’ve begun to flourish as well. The local beer scene in Portland, and the state as a whole, is an ever expanding beast. While it continues to grow, breweries expand or even join larger entities to increase production and distribution, the Portland spirit of brewing remains with them all. For the handcrafted beer around these parts isn’t just about getting your name out there or making the most money, it’s about living the good life, providing sustainable products, keeping production local and serving the best food available. It’s just as it was originally, all about community. Beervana isn’t just a gimmick, it’s a way of life.
Warren Wills is the creator and editor of hoppinessis.com.
A Glossary of Beer Terminology by Aubrey Laurence
Beers terms need not be overly technical with this easy to read glossary. You may see or hear them in beer articles, beer commercials, beer festivals, bars and breweries. Beer terms can be esoteric, ambiguous and confusing. So to help you better understand some of them, here is a glossary of beer terminology with non-technical definitions.
Adjunct:
Depending on the source, there are basically two definitions for adjunct: (1) Any fermentable (i.e., sugar, corn, rice, oats, honey, fruit, etc.) added to a brew other than malted barley, and (2) Any ingredient (including unfermentables, such as herbs, spices, etc.) added to a brew other than the four main ingredients of malt, water, hops and yeast. Many macro/industrial breweries use adjuncts such as corn and rice to lighten their beers’ flavor and body. Corn and rice are also less expensive than malted barley. Various sugars may also be used as an efficient way to increase alcohol content, lighten flavor, or make the finished product drier.
ABV:
Alcohol by Weight (ABW) and Alcohol by Volume (ABV). After Prohibition in America, breweries wanted their beers to seem more temperate, so they used the alcohol-content-measurement system that provided the lowest number, which is ABW (due to the fact that alcohol is lighter than water). Today, most macro/industrial breweries still use ABW, whereas most craft breweries and most foreign breweries use ABV. For reference, 3.2 percent ABW is equal to about 4 percent ABV.
Ale:
One of the two major classifications of beer. Ales are made with top-fermenting yeast and they are aged for shorter periods of time at warmer temperatures (relative to lagers).
Balance:
In short, a balanced beer has complementing amounts of sweetness and bitterness. But balance can also refer to other things. A beer with a harmonious blend of different flavors and aromas might be described as balanced, for example. It can also go beyond just flavors and aromas, such as texture and body (i.e., dry versus cloying, or over carbonated versus flat). Additionally, it should be noted that hop bitterness isn’t the only element in beer that can be used to counteract malt sweetness. Sometimes sharp, roasty notes and/or nips of alcohol can cleave off some of the sweetness, and thus provide more balance to the beer.
Barrel:
US Unit of measurement in commercial brewing equal to just over 31 U.S. gallons. A “half-barrel,” which is 15.5 gallons (58.6 liters), is the most common keg size.
BarrelAged Beer:
Also known as Oak-Aged Beer. Beer that has been stored in a new or used oak barrel for a period of time – anywhere from months to years. In the last decade or so, barrel
aging has become quite popular in America. At first, imperial stouts and barley wines aged in whiskey/bourbon barrels were the most common barrel aged beers. In recent years, though, many breweries have started aging a wide variety of beers styles in all sorts of barrels, including barrels that were previously used for other spirits or wines.
Body:
A quality of beer – typically modified with “light,” “medium” or “heavy” – that is determined by the amount of proteins, carbonation, unfermented sugars and hop oils in the beer. Light-bodied beers may feel thin and watery in your mouth, whereas heavybodied beers may feel thick and chewy.
Real Ale:
Also known as Cask-Conditioned Ale or Cask Beer. Unfiltered and unpasteurized beer that undergoes its final fermentation in the serving vessel, where it is allowed to condition and carbonate naturally (instead of being force carbonated with carbon dioxide or nitrogen), just before serving. To pour the beer, a handpump, also known as a beer engine, is used to siphon the beer up from the cask to the glass. Cask simply means container. And a firkin is a traditional British cask that holds 10.8 U.S. gallons (40.8 liters) or 9 Imperial gallons. Cask beer was popularized in England and it has subsequently gained some popularity in America.
Craft Brewery:
Dry Hopping: Fermentation: Finish/ Aftertaste:
Hoppy:
Formerly known as Microbrewery. According to the Brewers Association, a craft brewery is small (producing less than 6 million barrels annually), independent (less than 25 percent of the brewery is owned or controlled by an alcoholic beverage industry member who is not themselves a craft brewery) and traditional (where the brewery brews all-malt beers or beers that use adjuncts to enhance rather than lighten flavor). Many people also describe craft breweries as being artisanal, innovative and creative breweries that put quality and flavor ahead of appealing to the masses with a bland and vapid product.
The practice of adding hops to fermenting beer, which imbues it with additional hop aromas but no additional bitterness.
Simply, fermentation is a biochemical process whereby yeast consumes sugars to then produces alcohol, carbon dioxide and yeast esters.
“Finish” typically refers to the flavors and aromas detected right after swallowing, whereas “aftertaste” typically refers to the flavors and aromas that linger during the moments after swallowing. Contrary to what multi-million-dollar ad campaigns want you to believe, aftertaste is not necessarily a bad thing. A vague term used to describe a beer made with lots of hops. Depending on the types of hops used, how much are used and when they’re introduced into the boiling wort,
Hop Back/ Hopback:
Hybrid Beer:
hops can imbue beer with different levels of flavor, aroma and bitterness, and there is an infinite combination of those variables. “Hoppy” can sometimes equate to “bitter,” but some beers can be aromatically “hoppy” yet have low bitterness levels. Many “hoppy” beers contain flavor notes that could be described as floral, piney, citrusy and/or grassy. A hop-filled container between the brew kettle and the wort chiller that contains whole hops. When the hot wort passes through the hops, it takes on additional hop flavors and aromas.
Beer that is difficult to classify as either an ale or a lager. The California Common style of beer, made famous by Anchor Brewing’s Steam Beer, is one example of a hybrid style because it is brewed with lager yeast but it is fermented like an ale (i.e., at a warmer temperature). Kolsch is another example, which is a beer style that is brewed with ale yeast but aged like a lager (i.e., cooler and for longer periods of time).
IBU:
International Bitterness Units. This is the most popular unit of measurement to describe hop bitterness in beer. Rough IBU calculations are made using a complex formula that is based on variables such as amounts of hops used, percentage of alpha acids in the hops used, length of time the hops are boiled in the wort, and the wort volume. IBU numbers range from the single digits (which is the level you find in many mainstream light lagers) to more than 100 (which is what you might find in some double/imperial India pale ales). A side note to keep in mind: The maltier and stronger a beer is, the more it will obscure the perceived bitterness in the beer. In other words, a 50-IBU pale ale will seem to have much more bitterness than a 50-IBU barley wine.
Lager:
One of the two major classifications of beer. Lagers are made with bottom-fermenting yeast and they are aged for longer periods of time at cooler temperatures (relative to ales). Lager, as a verb, comes from the German word lagern, which means “to store.”
Lightstruck:
A “skunky” off-flavor in beer that has been exposed to light, especially UV / sunlight. Cans block out all light and brown bottles block out most light, but green and clear bottles offer little to no protection from light.
Malt:
Barley and other grains that have gone through the processes of germinating, drying and, for some types, roasting to different degrees. Right before malt is used in brewing, the grains are crushed (i.e., cracked, not pulverized) in a grain mill.
Malty:
A vague term used to describe a malt-forward beer that might have flavors such as toasted, nuts, caramel, cereal, toffee, chocolate, bread, etc. “Maltiness” does not necessarily equate to “sweetness.” In other words, a sweet-tasting beer might be described as malty, but a “malty” beer may or may not be sweet.
MouthFeel:
Pasteurized Beer:
Session Beer: Zymurgy:
Also known as Texture. How beer feels in your mouth. Texture qualities in beer are mainly produced by its level of carbonation (carbon dioxide or nitrogen) and body (proteins, unfermented sugars, hop oils, etc.). Beers can vary from thin and watery to thick and chewy, and carbonation levels can range from flat to champagne-like.
Beer that has been sterilized by heat. Pasteurization helps to extend shelf life, but many believe it robs the beer of some of its flavor. Most macro/industrial beers are pasteurized whereas most craft beers are unpasteurized. It’s best to keep unpasteurized beer cold, but it can be left at room temperature for short periods of time. Hot temperatures (i.e., the trunk of your car on a hot day), on the other hand, can really impact the beer in a negative way.
An easy-drinking, approachable beer that you can drink a lot of in one “session” without becoming too bloated or drunk. Session beers, which may also be described as sessionable beers, typically have low levels of alcohol, sweetness and bitterness. The science of fermentation.
Aubrey Laurence is a freelance writer and photographer of craft beer and hiking. He lives in Bellingham, WA. Follow him on Twitter: @AubreyLaurence
area of Japan they had not heard about yet. This year promises to be no different. Get your beer on and enjoy the beginnings of Autumn along the Dotonbori River in the craft beer friendly wilds of Namba. This is the event to come to for craft beer in Kansai.
World Craft Beer Tasting returns to Osaka on September 21st and 22nd with a change in venue to Namba Hatch/Minatomachi River Place and another fantastic lineup of craft beers. This year’s event boasts over 100 types of craft beer from 8 different importers and 7 different craft beer bars. In addition, World Craft Beer tasting will again have an eclectic atmosphere with live music from over 6 bands, a market for arts and crafts, a food area with six shops and also a kids area with workshops for glasswork. This year the event is being sponsored by Craft Beer Base as well as WCBT, Kansai Scene, Beer & Pub magazine and Shouwaboeki. Patrons can use money or tickets to purchase beers. A ¥2000 book of tickets includes 5 tickets, worth ¥400 each. Pre-sale tickets include a ¥200 bonus ticket. The event will have domestic craft beers available for ¥400 and ¥600, with import beers available for ¥500. Last years event introduced many Japanese and international residents to the world of craft beer. It also reunited a number of international beer enthusiasts with beers from their home countries they may have not had for awhile or beers from their
World Craft Beer Tasting: September 21-2nd at Namba Hatch worldcraftbeertasting.com Pre-sale Ticket Locations: Beer PubCraft Beer Base craftbeerbase.com/ Craft Beer House Molto-craftbeer-molto.com/ Beer Stand Molto!-beerstandmolto.blog.fc2.com/ Craft Beer Bar Marciero- facebook.com/craftbeerbar.marciero Beer & Cafe Hafen-facebook.com/BeerCafeHafen Kopta-d.hatena.ne.jp/KOPTA/ World Beer & Cafe Qbrick-geocities.jp/qpwsd951/ Beerbar Dark Horse-osaka-bar.com/darkhorse/ TOP.html Dolphins-dolphins.co.jp/ Beer Belly-minoh-beer.jp/spot/beerbelly/ Beer Belly Edobori-minoh-beer.jp/spot/beerbelly_ edobori/ Beer Belly Tenma-minoh-beer.jp/spot/beerbelly_ temma/Minoh Beer-minoh-beer.jp/ Dig beer bar-dig-beer.com/ Craft Beer Dining eni-bru-eni-bru.com/ The 2nd Vine-2ndvine.com/ Yellow Ape Craft-ameblo.jp/yellow-ape-craft/ Arcadian-hitosara.com/tlog_27051357/ Oonoya-ameblo.jp/oonoya-beer1001/ Craft Beer Works Kamikaze-cbw-kamikaze.com/ Cafe & Beer Arca-Archa-cafe-arcaarcha.com/ Lezzet Craftbeer & Food Experience Bar-ameblo. jp/lezzetcraftbeer/ Yosuga-ameblo.jp/iori-yosuga/ ShopDesign & Art Ranbu-ranbu-hp.com/ RestaurantsTubameiro-tubameiro.exblog.jp/ Mitsukabose-mitsukabose.com/ Lone Star-eonet.ne.jp/~lonestar-i/
QBRICK by Ajen Birmingham
World Beer & Cafe
It seems that everywhere you look these days there is a new beer eatery opening up around Kansai. While I do love all the variety and character it has brought to the beer scene here in Osaka, it’s easy to lose sight of the places that were serving up craft beer before anyone knew what it was. Eight years ago in Osaka city there were only a few places where you would be asked what kind of beer you wanted. One of those places was Qbrick World Beer & Café. Inspired by a bottle of Brooklyn Brewing’s Black Chocolate Stout and their now retired, Brooklyn Monster Ale, Takuya Yamamoto started Qbrick World Beer & Café with the hopes of introducing people to delicious beers from around the globe. “I remember tasting them (Brooklyn Brewing’s beers) and thinking, ‘Wow! These are really amazing beers!’ ”, he said. “I wanted to offer something interesting and different like those beers.” When opened in 2005, Qbrick started with around 80 bottles and 3 beers on draft; all from breweries outside Japan. “In the beginning I only carried foreign beer.” he said, “I had heard of Japanese craft beer but really hadn’t tried them.” It wasn’t until 2008, on the recommendation
of a friend, that he carried his first keg of Japanese craft beer- Nasu Kogen’s Scottish Ale. “After that I started getting more interested in Japanese craft beer.” Now with 16 beers on draft, 13 of which rotate mainly Japanese craft beer, it has established itself as one of the main hubs for Japanese craft beer in Osaka city. Besides the great draft beers on rotation, Qbrick’s collection of over 200 beers, ranging from respected Weissbiers to rare Japanese aged barleywines, will keep even the most fervent beer enthusiast hard pressed when choosing their next beer. Some notable beers in stock are their collection of Cantilion, Baladin Beers and Schneider’s Aventinus. But it’s more than just serving great beer that has contributed to them going into their 8th year of operation; it’s also the distinctively relaxed atmosphere. For those of us that have been in Japan long enough to expect a loud ‘Irashaimase!’ every time we walk into a place of business, it’s a breath of fresh air to be welcomed with a friendly wave and a smile. Staff is attentive, but unobtrusive. When asked about beers, they are informative, but approachable. So don’t be offended if the staff don’t jump right out and tell you what they think the best beer on the menu is; they are serious about be-
ing casual. Yamamoto- san doesn’t want obtrusive staff to get in the way of your experience. “I want customers to be able to rummage through the beer cooler, look at labels and discover beers at their own pace; to try something they think is good.” Of course, if you do find yourself like a deer in the headlights, staff is always an ear shot away. The menu is simple but big enough to find what you want. They have plenty of snack food and western favorites such as cheese plates, nachos, fried olives and prosciutto. Most popular are the fish and chips, and the thick-sliced grilled bacon. My personal favorite is the Grilled Sausage w/ Curry Sauce; damn good with an American Style IPA! Qbrick is always doing events. They will be doing an Oktoberfest 10/12th – 13th with German style food and beer. Qbrick will also be participating in the World Craft Beer Tasting at Namba Riverplace September 21st and 22nd. Now, with so many other craft beer places opened around Qbrick, a pub crawl with your friends just wouldn’t be right without a stop at where it all started in Osaka, at Qbrick World Beers & Café. -> osaka.townclip.com/shop/qbrick
Tokyo Drift by Philip Starecky A night out in Tokyo
A trip to explore the beery pleasures of Tokyo takes a bit of planning. As most bars only open at 5pm, cramming as many bars as possible into one night requires a bit of research. That’s why I started out at Brimmer Box in Omotesando which opens on weekdays at 4pm. It’s a friendly little taproom with a one coin concept, 500 yen can get you a glass of beer (about a half pint) or a set of small tasters of their 4 taps. 1000 yen can get you a yard of beer! The central location makes it easy to pop in for a visit and the tasters allow you to try all the Brimmer Beers in one shot. As 5 o’clock rolled around I hopped on a train down to Kanda to meet a buddy at Devil Craft. This bar’s famous for their Chicago style deep dish pizzas and their nice tap list (14). The pizza was pretty good and massively filling. The tap list lived up to the hype with lots of
tasty beers and staff to help you decide what to try. The downside is that it’s incredibly popular, so it’s a bit tough to get a seat, which is why they’ve now opened up a second location in Hamamatsucho. Feeling the pressure from people constantly looking in to see if there were seats we left to check out Kura Kura Ji-Beer House across the street on the 3F. It’s has a really classy vibe and is completely non-smoking! Friendly staff, average prices for
Tokyo and getting the chance to try the top rated Hidatakayama Stout had me leaving the bar a happy man. Grabbing a subway we headed to Shibuya to find Craftheads. We were on the hunt for the legendary Three Floyd’s Dark Lord Imperial Stout. The bar’s a bit tricky to find, but once we entered the dimly lit bar we were in beer heaven. 12 taps means it has lots of cool draft beers to choose from but the real highlight here is the rare bottle list with many beers that are almost impossible to find in Asia and some that are just plain beer geek bucket list beers-with prices to match. We
We chose the 2009 Dark Lord which at 6000 yen for a 22 oz bomber is a bit pricey but considering we saved ourselves the trip to the US and the madness that is Dark Lord Day plus the fact it was fantastic made us feel we got our money’s worth. Such a big beer meant for sipping led us to enjoy a Founders Centennial IPA as a chaser (¥1400) which was also top notch. The staff kindly let me keep the empty bottle as a souvenir and I was tempted to pick up some beer goods from their wide selection of glasses, shirts, etc. Craftheads’ is a must stop for beer geeks! By this point we were getting nicely toasted and decided to finish our night at Good Beer Faucets. It’s a big airy place, lots of exposed concrete and a sports bar type of vibe. Decent prices and 40 taps gives you tons of beers to try. Unfortunately, it closes at midnight so my evening ended on a Cinderellaesque note, dreaming of all the other great Tokyo bars to explore like Popeye’s with their 70 taps... 東京にはクラフトビア愛好家が興奮 する様なビールを提供するBrimmer Box、Devil Craft、 クラクラ地ビールハ ウス、Craftheadsなどクラフトビヤバ ーが勢揃いです。Craftheadsでは、 私は伝説的なThree Floyd s Dark Loadを楽しむことができました。次回 は70タップを提供しているポパイを探 検するつもりです。
Beer. I Like It. Another. by Brian Burgess
‘Ventures into Beer Belly. My second foray into the wonderful world of craft beer took me to the second Beer Belly. In honor of that trip, I thought I’d head to Beer Belly Edobori for a well-deserved review. Unlike the original, which is British-style, the Edobori locale is American-style. Instead of being narrow with soccer playing on the TV screen, it is big and spacious with great music in the background. Stop baby, what’s that sound? Secret Agent Man! Good times! I decided to go on the 4th of July, as an American style bar seemed fitting for an American to drink in. I go in and admire the stone and wood décor. I am the first customer, so naturally, I grab the deep, soft sofa in the corner. It is the perfect location for a cigar smoker who wants to be away from the action. I step up to the bar and order my old standby, Minoh Stout. Sadly, it is sold out (since it is THAT good). I survived. I instead grabbed a Minoh Bloom. It is 5.5%, dry, hoppy, but not offensively so. It is good for summer. I cannot imagine anyone hating it, but I also do not see it as anyone’s favorite. I once had a girl…or should I say, she once had me. And then I got what I came for. The British pub has high-brow food. This bar has burgers, 6 choices—avocado burger, bacon cheeseburger, double bacon cheeseburger, Mexican burger, fish, karoke… and my original the BBBBB (Brian Burgess Beer Belly Burger)—the avocado, bacon, chili cheeseburger. I ordered it, and the guy didn’t bat an eye. Handmade and grilled to perfection, and I bit into it like Luis Suarez on a Chelsea defender (comment for Dave, the Evertonian). WOW! It is what Heaven should taste like! Baby, I need your lovin’. Grabbed a seasonal Peach Sour beer. Sour! The perfect drink for a hot, humid day such as this one. This beer will be popular for ladies, chuhai lovers, people who drink Zima or Red Bull and Vodka. Don’t let that dissuade you; it appeals to a beer guy, too. Papa’s got a brand new bag. Edobori is open for lunch and from 5pm. It’s a must. Unlike the other 2 Beer Belly’s, I have never been crowded out of this place. He ain’t heavy, he’s my brother. -> minoh-beer.jp/spot/beerbelly_edobori/
クラフトビアの素晴らしい世界へ の二つ目の紹介は、Beer Belly 江戸堀です。前回紹介したBeer Belly土佐堀のイギリススタイルと 違って、 アメリカンスタイルです。 こ こでは６種類のハンバーガーも提 供しています。それは天にも昇る美 味しさです！
Made in Japan
Apple Hop Minami Shinshu Japan 6.5%
This beers pours a cloudy yellow with a thin layer of foam. It’s a nice cider -like beer with a crisp apple taste followed by a pleasant sourness which reminds me of green apples. More of a cider than a beer though. If you like fruit beers, you’ll probably like this. Easy to drink at 6.5%!
Kura no Kaori Kizakura Brewery Kyoto, Japan 4%
I poured this slightly opaque gold beer and after one sip I knew it was made with sake yeast. I checked the label and yep it said “Japanese Rice Lager”. Kura no Kaori is light and sweet with more of a sake profile than a beer one. I was disappointed at first because it wasn’t what I was expecting, but it grew on me. A lager with a twist, it’s a taste of Kyoto.
by Philip Starecky
Beer Review
Brought Ashore by Philip Starecky
Beer Review Brewdog is Scotland’s biggest craft brewery with fun, in your face, marketing that entertains and beers that don’t disappoint. These guys love to push the envelope and are even launching a tv show this fall: Brewdogs. Lucky for us their beers are available in Japan from ¥350 cans of Punk IPA to ¥8,000 bottles of 32% Tactical Nuclear Penguin! For this month’s featured beers I’ll be trying four of their beers: Dead Pony Club ~¥450 Californian Pale Ale 3.8% Low ABV makes this a table beer you can have with lunch & drink all day. Great amber color, decent head and a powerful pine aroma with hints of mint/lemongrass. The taste is citrus/ mint, a full body then a dry pine finish. 5 A.M. Saint ~¥500 Iconoclastic Amber Ale 5% A dark amber brown color with a slight tan head makes for a classic amber ale look. The aroma is one of floral hops with citrus & pine notes over a caramel malt base. The flavor is quite bitter & hoppy for an amber ale. An amber ale for people who like IPAs.
Punk IPA ~¥350-¥450 IPA 5.6% A great beer at a nice price. It pours a clear orange gold with a thin white head. Nice c-hop aroma of pine, citrus & funk. The taste is pine at first, then citrus and ending on a crisp bitter finish. Very easy to drink, a good everyday IPA. Mr. Squirrel ~¥1000 Dark Lager 11.3% I love the name and label for this beer but it’s quite boozy. A dark brown with no head and a bit of a chocolatey wine aroma. The flavor is a bit like a tripel or quadrupel but on a dark malt base which gives you a mild roast coffee/ chocolate taste. Brewed with miso and Japanese sorachi hops & barrel aged, so worth trying for people living in Japan!
BJCP Styles
The Dark Side
by P. Starecky
by Brian Burgess
App Review Beer Review Friday Night Fights! Stone’s Imperial Russian Stout vs. Stone’s Espresso Imperial Russian Stout. I love them! Truth is my friends said the regular Imperial Russian Stout is awesome, but you know how I feel about coffee stouts. So, I had to test them. Identical pours. Thick, creamy tan heads. The Espresso may have been a bit headier. Head dissipates slowly. IRS—nose-coffee and licorice. Taste-coffee, roastiness, some cacao, and sweet. Viscously thick and heavy. WOW! EIRS—nose-roasted coffee goodness. Unmistakably espresso taste. Incredible! Honestly, I cannot pick a winner. I got a total of 6 bottles, and they are half gone. Rumor has it, adding some of this stout to a pot of chili makes magic! Drink up!
This free app has a simple straightforward interface and lists the styles of the Beer Judge Certification Program. It’s a great way to have access to detailed information about all the major beer styles, including: aroma, appearance, flavor, mouthfeel plus general comments and a bit of history about the style. It also gives hombrewers additional details for Original Gravity (OG), IBU, etc. Very informative.
A to Z of Beers by P. Starecky
App Review
This gorgeous app focuses on Central & East European beer design. It is an iOS Universal app, but is best viewed on an iPad where the big colorful pictures really pop. Limited sound effects match some images for ambiance, but an off switch would enhance the user experience. All in all, a nice, beautiful app to look through, especially if visiting Europe or interested in design, be it graphic, art or packaging.
Beers You Miss by Jon Watkins In my early 20s, I fell in love. She was a golden vision of loveliness, sweet and gentle, and she knew just how to calm me down after a tough day. We were never official but that was ultimately my fault. Every time we’d go out together, onlookers would stare at us under arched eyebrows while whispering feverishly. I couldn’t tell if their reaction was rooted in jealousy or contempt, but a trusted friend of mine privately informed me it was a mixture of both. “I know you think you’re in love,” he said to me, “but you have to understand where she comes from ... what she really is.” He was fumbling for the right words. “Look, you know how she makes you feel loved and special? Trust me: she makes everyone feel that way.” I wanted to punch him, but I knew
what he was saying was true. “Everyone,” he reiterated, fully articulating each syllable while placing his hand on my tremshoulder. bling shoulder. And so I broke it off. I felt bad, but I knew she’d be OK. And she was. She went on to enjoy tremendous popularity across the United States, with me all the while secretly wishing for her continued success. That said, it was excruciating seeing her out and about with other men, knowing they were enjoying her the way I used to. Longing and regret are a painful combination, painful enough that I fled east, to Japan, looking to make a new life with new memories. A few weeks ago, browsing Facebook, I saw her again. She was in a bar in Yokohama, surrounded by a smiling group of newfound Japanese friends. Will her travels take her southwest, to Kansai? And if she does, should I make an effort at reunion—just
for old times sake? I mean, how often does a long-lost love cross paths with you decades later on the other side of the world? Once in a... Blue Moon. Blue Moon Belgian White, that is. An unfiltered witbier, orange and white as the underside of the Valencia orange peel that it’s brewed with. It’s a product of Blue Moon Brewing Company, a wholly-owned subsidiary of (sigh) Molson Coors.
BEER ZEN BEER ZEN is published quarterly by the following: EDITOR AND DESIGNER: POST MD WRITERS: Ajen Birmingham, Brian Burgess, Aubrey Laurence, Philip Starecky, Jean-Yves Terreault, Jon Watkins, Warren Wills PHOTOGRAPHERS: Aubrey Laurence, POST MD TRANSLATOR/SALES REP: Reiko Yasunami, Junko Post (translation)
WEBSITE: beerzenjournal.com FACEBOOK: facebook.com/beerzen Pinterest: pinterest.com/beerzen CONTACT: Beerzenjournal@gmail.com
Beer Zen: Journal for Craft Beer is published by Grinning Zen Media and Design and printed by Mojo Printers. Photo credits and acknowledgements to: Anderson, Arthur B. Henning Architectural Records, Brewdog, Cascade hop via rootsimple.com, Gigantic Massive - via NewSchoolBeer.com, Henry Weinhard - courtesy of New School Beer, Henry Weinhard Brewery - courtesy Morning Oregonian Jan. 1, 1908, Hopworks via USA Today, McMenamins Logo - via Tumblr, Rotator IPAs via Widmer Brothers, Weinhard Portland Beer label circa 1906 - Anderson Collection, Sierra Nevada Brewery and Sam Frank.