Advent Beer 7: Ratsherrn Freistadter

It is very probable that this example of a German vollbier (or 'full beer'), is wasted on my undiscerning palate. My tastes tend more towards ales than lagers, for the most part, so while Freistadter is representative of a very decent lager, it isn't something I would go out of my way for.

It's a very decent lager, probably a bit smoother than your more common varieties (it seems that it is all too easy to produce a bad lager; more so than ales), and the intrinsic bitterness does make it very refreshing. I think my mistake was having it without some form of sausage, preferably a currywurst, but at least I had the presence of mind to put it in the proper receptacle:

Thanks to Island Mike for lugging this mug back from der Vaterland for me; danke schoen, mein bruder!

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Advent Beer 6: Mac Queen's Nessie

I'm not sure where the name Mac Queen comes into this particular brew, being as it is brewed in Austria. Nessie is described on the label as a "whisky malt red beer", and since I like all those things individually, it is hardly surprising I like them together in Nessie. Perhaps Mac Queen is the name of the particular highland whiskey malts they used in brewing it, who knows?

 

It doesn't have a strong scotch flavour the way a barrel aged beer like Innis & Gun or Glen Sherbrooke does, and the abv is a more moderate 5%, but you can definitely discern the relationship. Something in the scent of the malts maybe, or the smoothness of the mouthfeel? I don't know if i would characterize the aftertaste as 'smoky' the way the label does, but it definitely puts me in mind to drink it next to a fireplace. Nessie tastes more like a beer meant to accompany or follow a glass of scotch, as opposed to replacing it.

 

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Advent Beer 5: Golser Weissbier

Today's offering is a German Weissbier, or wheat beer. Generally speaking, I like wheat beers, from Big Rock's Grasshopper to Granville Island's Hefeweizen, and even the occasional Hoegaarden, if I want to tart things up with a little coriander and such.

 

Golser's Weissbier has no such additives or additional flavours; look at how simple the ingredient listing is. It is a cloudy, smooth, somewhat tart wheat ale, which did a wonderful job of washing down this evening's shepherd's pie. To be quite honest, the 'premium wheat' and 'fine yeast' is probably wasted on me, but it's still a better use for wheat than baking it into a loaf of something or other.

More importantly though, I can now reveal the first five selections from the DIY Advent Beer Calendar Shari put together for Dave.

I've had the middle three of these, and can say without reservation or fear of contradiction that the Winter Treacle Porter from Innis &Gunn is MAGnificent. I will also put Alley Kat's Three Bears Oatmeal Stout up against any other competitors in that style, including the medal winner from St. Ambroise in Quebec. I have yet to try the Autumn Wheat Lager, but one is chilling in the fridge, waiting for an opportune moment, preferably on a weekend.

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Advent Beer 4: Dude Oat Soda

Today's beer, Dude Oat Soda is an 'almost double India Pale Ale', from a Swiss brewer (Bad Attitude), who actually makes their beer in Ticino, Italy, using American hops. A veritable United Nations of beer, especially when it gets sold in Canada!

I appreciate IPAs, but I wouldn't call myself a fan. Besides, the bitterness of those extra hops seems more like an accompaniment to a hot summer day than a cold winter evening. Still, a very refreshing drink, with tight citrus notes layered on top of the hoppiness.

And obviously, most references to The Big Lebowski are greatly appreciated, even when they are in Italian.

 

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Advent Beer 3: Nood & Deugd

Despite the fact that they share a border with Belgium, I can't name a single Dutch beer I am a fan of. Maybe it was getting off to a bad start with Heineken, maybe it's because I tend towards the local stuff in a pinch, I don't know. Probably it was trying to wrap my head around the idea that some people drink Grolsch on purpose. For whatever reason, when I saw that today's advent beer, Nood & Deugd, originated from Holland, I had a bit of trepidation. Turns out I needn't have worried.

I was mollified right off the start, when the beer poured out a dark brown, almost black colour, with a small head of beige foam that quickly dissipated. Being an ale fan by nature, this pleased me, as did the fact that whatever else, Nood & Deugd was very unlikely to be a skunky lager (cough, Grolsch, cough).

It turns out that I was trying a schwarzbier, and it wasn't an ale after all, but a dark lager. Another rich and satisfying evening drink, with the bitterness offset by hints of chocolate and coffee, not unlike many porters and stouts.

Furthermore, Nood & Deugd turns out to have been a happy accident that resulted when too many and the wrong malts were added to a brew intended to make a lighter Bohemian Lager. Thus the name, which is Dutch for 'Necessity and Virtue'.

In addition to being a delightful seasonal surprise, the Craft Beer Advent Calendar is batting three for three, as all of the offerings are beers I would like to try again. Which I am certain is part of the intent!

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Advent Beer 2: Bise Noire

Tonight's advent beer is a black ale from France's Trois Dames called Bise Noire (Black Kiss). Named after a bitter north wind, Bise Noire is a 7.2% abv double malt beer, extremely dark in colour and just a little sweet due to the higher than average alcohol content. Somewhat bready, a little rich, with maybe a hint of caramelization. Since I sampled mine immediately after coming in from barbecuing at about -16 degrees, a rich, dark ale was just what the doctor ordered, and it seemed to go well with the steaks I had grilled. A little bit of sediment at the bottom of the glass is a reminder of the somewhat humble origins of craft beers like this, and a far cry from the double-pasteurized, triple-filtered, better-make-it-extra-cold-so-you-don't-accidentally-taste-it sort of thing you often get from larger producers.

And yes, the label, which shows someone bundled up against the cold while dragging a sled behind them, resonates pretty well with me too.

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It's The Most Wonderful Time of the Beer

Advent calendars were an infrequent occurrence in my house growing up, so while I am familiar with the custom and delighted with the idea of opening a tiny perforated window to discover chocolate or another prize inside, it was by no means something anticipated. The first time we tried it with the girls, they turned up their noses at the waxy sub-dollar store Easter bunny grade of chocolate, so we have resorted to a magnetic nativity version instead that they still really enjoy. There is certainly no shortage of chocolate around the house this time of year.

This year, however, I am pretty excited, because Audrey gave me the green light to purchase a craft beer Advent calendar from Sherbrooke Liquor. They ordered in 400 of them and sold out within the first few weeks of release, prompting frenzied searches on Kijiji and other places.

The premise is that each morning in December, you open the appropriately numbered door and remove the hoppy treasure within, check it out, and then place it in the refrigerator so it will be chilled in time for the evening's consumption, as well as to heighten anticipation. The full directions from the box are both more detailed and vastly more entertaining.

My first advent beer was a kellerbier from Ayinger in Germany (all the beers are imports, and some of them have never been imported to Canada before). This is a type of unfiltered lager that pours very cloudy as a result, and according to Wikipedia, contains more vitamins as well. Traditionally it is served either direct from the barrel or in bottles, and is often crafted in cellars, hence the name. I lack both the palate and taster's vocabulary to be a decent beer critic, but from a layman's point of view, the kellerbier is a very tasty brew indeed. There is a yeasty, malty taste that regular lagers lack, and which give the beer a sharp, almost apple-like aftertaste, without being overly sweet or bitter. I enjoyed it with a turkey and Brie open-faced sandwich for supper, and by luck they seemed to suit each other pretty well, the crispness of the beer serving as a nice counterpoint to the melted Brie. I could also see it being a lovely accompaniment to a warm pretzel, but I'm unsure if this is because of the innate breadiness of the beer or just my playing to the Deutsche type, eh?

I am already looking forward to tomorrow morning's surprise, and hope to post a short blurb about each beer I try. Best of all, though, the calendar has inspired a copycat: our friend Shari, excited by the prospect and disappointed to discover that all the real ones had sold out, asked for my assistance in putting together something similar for her husband Dave. What a privilege! We hit the cooler at Sherbrooke, found 24 beers of varying types and origins, including a few larger bottles for the evenings when Shari isn't travelling and can share in the experience, and wrapped them in white paper.

I used a sheet of address labels and a cheesy Xmas Light font to number them, and then randomly distributed them between the two boxes so Dave can 'enjoy' hunting for the next number in sequence. There are some really nice beers in there, and I am looking forward to hearing how he enjoys the one-third or so I have actually tried. I took pictures of the assortment and will post them as they pass their respective reveal dates. So far the most common comment I have heard from people who I talk to about the two calendars is how awesome our wives are, which is obviously and without question, absolutely correct!

Speaking of trying new beers, a couple of weeks back Pete brought a new beer to gaming strictly due to the name: The Rev. James. He was tickled by the idea of our very own minister having a namesake beer, and asked if we could serve one to James if an opportunity presented itself. I wasted very little time in orchestrating such a circumstance, and had himself and his husband Glen over to sample it after seeing Skyfall last Saturday.

Not without some trepidation after being handed his glass, James asked, "So, what sort of beer am I, anyways?"

"It's brewed in Cardiff, so Welsh, I guess," said Glen, reading off the can. "You are apparently rich in palate, spicy and aromatic, with a satisfying finish..."

"Never mind all that," interrupted James, having managed a sip in the interim, "I'm delicious!"

And it's true; this is a very good drink for those who enjoy British-style beers. Best of all, at $5.99 for 4 x 440 mL cans, it is very encouraging that The Rev. James is not only good, but also cheap. ; )

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