This week, I smash that trend because Colin the Handsome Yet Softly Spoken Scottish Proprietor of the Malthouse has given me a selection of beers to write about which even he cannot find a unifying narrative for – unless you count “these beers have funny names and sound interesting” as a theme. [1]
Having already ticked off the box of making sure Google will forever record “Colin’s grab bag of assorted goodies”, I’ve got to admit being highly intrigued by the first beer on his eccentric list. Bad Attitude Dude (7.51%) is from Switzerland, in a can, 90 IBU, describes itself as an “almost-double” IPA and/or “oat soda,” [2] and has a pictorial tribute to The Big Lebowski on the label. [3] It is made by the Ticino Brewing Company which, if my Swiss is up to scratch, started in 2010. They also produce beers themed around Kurt Cobain and Timothy Leary.
It pours from the distinctive can a dark amber hue with a tan head. There is a sweet nose but hints of the generous use of US hops, caramel in the mouth with the flowery punch of Chinook, Centennial and Simcoe hops bringing in pine and grapefruit, a hint of brown sugar before a bitter dry finish. I think an (empty) can of this will be joining my personal collection very soon. Going out on a limb, this may be my #1 Swiss Oat Soda of 2014.
Next up, Beavertown Brewery was set up in December 2011 by Logan Plant in the kitchen of Duke’s Brew and Que, in De Beauvoir, Hackney, London. It was initially located in a BBQ restaurant in the suburb of De Beauvoir which has the old Cockney name of Beavertown. [4] They are now brewing in much larger premises in Tottenham Hale. [5]
Beavertown Smog Rocket Porter (5.4%) was reportedly inspired by the Industrial Revolution and the Steam Train, and harks back to the day when porter was the pint of the working man. It is a smoked porter but the tobacco note is more on the “distant hint of cigar” side of the scale than “pashing an ashtray”. It pours dark with a small well tanned head, and then there are notes of chocolate, strong coffee, smoke, beef jerky, liquorice, English tea, vanilla and stone fruit. A smooth and surprisingly warming drop overall.
The third beer is actually the only one I have tried. Boon Ouede Gueze Mariage Parfait (8%) [6] is a strong Lambic from one of the most authentic Belgian brewers so you know it is going to be funky. My tasting notes record Boon Oude Geuze Mariage Parfait [7] “calls to mind apples, pears, barnyard funkiness, lemon, fizzy sherbet and – my personal favourite flavour descriptor – sweaty horse blanket.”
Others have picked up notes of wet earth, barnyard, cheese, sourness and wood. It finishes dry and herbal. Mariage Parfait is a blending of young and old lambic beers and has often spent a lot of time in the barrel and/or the bottle before being served.
The fourth beer is a Saison from our old friends at the Brooklyn Brewery in New York. [8] Brooklyn Sorachi Ale (7.6%) does things a bit differently, including the use of Belgian and Champagne yeasts, and lashings of the rather rare Sorachi Ace hop. Here is how the brewery describes one of the world’s more intriguing hop varieties:
“Named after the Sorachi region of Hokkaido, Japan, the Sorachi Ace hop was developed by a large Japanese brewery in the late 1970s. A cross between British Brewers Gold, Japanese “Beikei No 2” and the famed Czech Saaz, it had a unique lemony, herbal scent, but this hop was deemed “odd” and ended up quickly banished to a laboratory. In 2008, the Sorachi Ace hop was quietly revived by a family farm in Washington State. Less than a year later, we made it the star of its own titular beer.”
Brooklyn says Sorachi is “a cracklingly dry, hoppy unfiltered golden farmhouse ale, but featuring rare Sorachi Ace hop. Fermented with our special Belgian ale strain, we add Sorachi Ace hops post-fermentation. After 100% bottle re-fermentation with Champagne yeast, the beer emerges with a bright spicy lemon zest aroma. It tastes like sunshine in a glass, and that suits us just fine, especially with seafood dishes and fresh cheeses.” The flavour profile includes sparkling wine, grape skins, lemon, herbs, funky fruit, bubblegum, yeasty fruits, strawberry, and spice. Nothing else really tastes like this.
The final beer is, paradoxically, simultaneously the most simple yet the most complicated of this week’s selection. Hobo Czech Craft Lager (5.1%) is a straight up and down Czech lager which I suspect Colin bought simply because of the provocative name. He was then immediately able to post a picture of this beer to Twitter and use it to mock my poorly concealed love for the occasional bus stop beer. [9]
In terms of flavour, it is relatively straight forward. Hobo is made in Zatec (60km North West of Prague) using a trio of the classic Saaz hop and some sweet biscuity Moravian malt. The profile includes floral, grassy, hint of sweet, firm bitterness. It is not overly strong, has no unusual ingredients and no catchy back story. In fact, it does not really have a back story at all. It is allegedly made by Brauerei Nemo Namenlos (the brewery with no name) which is credited with producing literally hundreds of beer. Basically, an unknown brewery has sold the beer and the marketers have done the rest.
While the beer is made in the Czech Republic it is sold through a British outfit called Hobo Beer and Co. Now, they have the good manners not to pretend they brewed it – instead they simply “unleashed” it. There is no real indication of why this would be considered a Hobo beer (it is certainly not Hobo Priced) other than the catchy name. However, they do mount a spirited defence of canning beer saying the process adds to taste, environment, convenience and perception.
Alert readers will recall I have predicted the rise of quality beer in cans. One line on their website caught my eye:
“More than 200 microbreweries are now canning their beer (these include Maui, 21st Amendment, Sierra Nevada, Oskar Blues and Surly) and we believe it’s only a matter of time before British craft brewers and drinkers embrace a similar ‘yes we can” attitude.”
While I heartily applaud the “yes we can” pun, I think that figure of 200 craft breweries putting their beer in cans is way, way out of date. New Zealand appears to be close behind America on the aluminium juggernaut. I for one welcome the day that I can create a “wizard staff” out of craft beer and therefore rule the world. [10]
Next time, we drink to injured All Black hooker Nathan Harris. You will be back big guy.
[1] Which, on reflection, I am inclined to do.
[2] Both those “styles” are new to me, nation.
[3] While I believe I have watched every single Steven Seagal movie ever made, I have never seen ET, Fried Green Tomatoes or the Big Lebowski. I stand by my decisions.
[4] Took me a while to get it.
[5] Cockney rhyming slang for “Gareth Bale”. Honest, Guv’nor.
[6] There are so many ways to spell this beer on the internet.
[7] I’ve personally just used two different spellings inside the same paragraph.
[8] State motto: “What you looking at?”
[9] Even I cannot be classy all the time.
[10] A drinking game, absolutely not endorsed by Malthouse, whereby empty cans of beer are duct taped together to create something that resembles a wizard’s staff. At the end of the night, whoever is left with the longest staff is declared the “Wisest Wizard.”
Cheers
Neil Miller
Beer Writer of the Year 2014
Beer and Brewer Magazine
Cuisine Magazine
TheShout Magazine
New Zealand Liquor News Magazine
Links
Bad Attitude Dude – http://www.badattitude.ch/dude-e.html
Beavertown Brewery – http://www.beavertownbrewery.co.uk/
Boon Brewery – http://www.boon.be/en
Brooklyn Brewery – http://brooklynbrewery.com/
Hobo Beer – http://hobobeerandco.co.uk/about/
Malthouse Facebook – www.facebook.com/pages/Malthouse/7084276173
Malthouse Twitter – www.twitter.com/#!/malthouse
Malthouse Taps on Twitter – www.twitter.com/#!/MalthouseTaps
Neil Miller on Twitter – http://www.twitter.com/#!/beerlytweeting
Beer and Brewer Magazine – www.beerandbrewer.com/