Brewer Q & A (Issue 20)

96 Rating – Mocha Porter – Rogue Ales and Spirits

Responses from Rogue brewmaster John Maier.

BC: Who came up with this beer’s recipe?
John: I did. I wanted to make a robust Porter that wasn’t a brown Porter. 25 years ago the great porters were Anchor Porter, Samuel Smith’s Taddy Porter and Sierra Nevada Porter. The funny thing is that I messed up on the recipe for probably about five years before I got it to where it is today, which happened purely by happenstance. We received a pallet of chocolate malt that we were milling when we discovered that a couple odd bags that were in the mix got milled up by mistake, so I decided to brew with the new ‘blend,’ and it was just what I was aiming for after all those years of trial and error! The recipe has remained the same for the last 20 years.
 
BC: What’s your favorite aspect of this beer (flavor, aroma, etc.)?
John: The surprisingly light and refreshing taste. 
 
BC: Where does this beer’s name come from?
John: Originally named New Porter, after the town of Newport where Rogue’s brewery is located, and also because it was a new style of Porter. It was later renamed to better describe the product: Mocha Porter for its ruddy brown color.
 
BC: Can you describe this beer in 10 words or less?
John: Ruddy brown, bittersweet balance of malt & hops, light cream finish. 

96 Rating – Brewery Ommegang – Hennepin

Responses from Ommegang brewmaster Phil Leinhart.

BC: Who came up with this beer’s recipe?  
Phil: I’m not sure, but I’d guess it was Bert DeWit [Belgian brewer at Affligem] and/or Don Feinberg [Brewery Ommegang founder].

BC: What’s your favorite aspect of this beer (flavor, aroma, etc.)?  
Phil: Its crisp finish.

BC: Where does this beer’s name come from?
Phil: This beer is named after Father Hennepin, the Belgian Missionary. He was supposedly the first European to see Niagara Falls.

BC: Is this your “desert island beer?”  
Phil: It’s definitely one of them!

BC: Can you describe this beer in 10 words or less? 
Phil: Bright, crisp, slightly fruity, digestible, moreish.

95 Rating – Full Sail Brewing Co. – Full Sail ESB 

Responses from Full Sail brewer Barney Brennan.

BC: Who came up with this beer’s recipe?  
Barney: This was a Full Sail brewing team collaboration.

BC: What’s your favorite aspect of this beer (flavor, aroma, etc.)?  
Barney: The unique hop aroma and flavor from the exclusive use of Challenger hops.

BC: Where does this beer’s name come from?
Barney: Our Northwest style coupled with a respect for tradition.

BC: Is this your “desert island beer?”  
Barney: I could drink this one forever in Hood River, [Oregon, Full Sail’s hometown] but for the tropics I would choose Full Sail Pilsner.

BC: Can you describe this beer in 10 words or less?
Barney: Complex malt flavors balanced with spicy, earthy hops — deliciously drinkable.

BC: Do you know a story — or have a personal story — that revolves around this beer?  
Barney: This beer was born from our brewing team’s annual visit to the hop fields to select ingredients from the new harvest. The Challenger hops were not on our shopping list, but they were so fantastic we had to buy some and build a beer around them. Though it was originally a pub-only release, it was so well received that we decided to keep it going and share it with our friends nationwide.

94 Rating – Wicked Weed Brewing – White Angel

Responses from Wicked Weed owner and “head blender” Walt Dickinson.

BC: Who came up with this beer’s recipe?
Walt: I did. Remember, Luke [Dickinson, Walt’s brother and Wicked Weed co-brewmaster] hates sour beer. 😉

BC: What’s your favorite aspect of this beer (flavor, aroma, etc.)?
Walt: Growing up in the South, I have always been enamored with our wild grapes. There is a Belgian Geuze flavor that I always associate with Muscadine grapes, so for me, naturally, it was an ingredient that I wanted to work with at some point. There is a wildness and rustic flavor to this local grape that fits so beautifully with the pastoral character of Brettanomyces. This beer has three pounds of grapes per gallon, so the grape character of the beer is almost wine-like. 

BC: Where does this beer’s name come from?
Walt: Black Angel, our Bourbon Barrel-Aged Black Sour with Michigan tart cherries, was the first Angel and the second sour beer we ever made at Wicked Weed. It quickly became, and still is, one of the most sought after beers we produce. After its success, I was inspired to create more Angels that used color as an inspiration. White Angel is 1 of 4 we have released this year — it represents the white muscadine grape. The others are Red Angel with raspberries, Golden Angel with apricots, and the yet-to-be-released Angel of Darkness with… well, I would tell you what’s in it, but then I’d have to kill you.

BC: Is this your “desert island beer?”
Walt: No. This beer is really complex with tons of acid and fruit character, and it’s crafted to be savored in special moments. If I drank it every day it would ruin the beer for me. My desert island beer would be a beer from Brasserie De La Senne called Tarass Boulba.

BC: Can you describe this beer in 10 words or less?
Walt: Muscadine, Tart, Muscadine, Lemon Pith, Muscadine, Old Hay, Muscadine, Plum Skin… I think that was actually 11, so you can omit one Muscadine.

BC: Do you know a story — or have a personal story — that revolves around this beer?
Walt: Just the fantasy that our brand manager Erin Jones wrote for the label: “The great Nor’ester lashed its white fury across the barren, blinding hinterland. Polar isolation drove deep into the desolate hearts of the clansmen. From the faith for a night without desperate cold, the White Angel was manifest. His stealth and clandestine canter silenced the stinging winds. Stillness settled across the boreal nighttime, metered only by the pulse of the Great Lights. Warmth displaced cold, tempest turned to peace, and kinship overcame obscurity.”

94 Rating – Belching Beaver Brewing Co. – Hop Highway IPA

Responses from Belching Beaver head brewer Troy Smith.

BC: Who came up with this beer’s recipe?
Troy: Troy Smith, Belching Beaver’s master brewer. 

BC: What’s your favorite aspect of this beer (flavor, aroma, etc)?
Troy: My favorite aspect of this beer is the drinkability. There’s no lingering bitterness, and it’s a very well-balanced beer with amazing aromas. The hops that impart the flavors and aromas come from around the world (USA, New Zealand and Austria). 

BC: Where does this beer’s name come from?
Troy: Our Brewery is off Highway 78, which passes between the I5 and the 15. 10 breweries are located along this highway, one of which if the largest brewery in San Diego. We called this beer Hop Highway because this highway is home to tons of great, hoppy beers.

BC: Is this your “desert island beer?”
Troy: Sadly not. It used to be my desert island beer, but now our Great Lei IPA has become that, since it’s brewed with coconut and pineapple, the perfect combination for a deserted tropical island. 

BC: Can you describe this beer in 10 words or less?
Troy: Highly drinkable beer with dank hops that goes down easy. 

Do you know a story — or have a personal story — that revolves around this beer? 
Troy: Hop Highway IPA was the definitive beer that made me realize the quality of craft beer in cans. I’ve come to know our beers intimately over the past three years, and trying this brew out of our first run of cans just blew my mind. It was crisp, dank, refreshing and extremely full-flavored. The fact that we rolled out in time for Memorial Day pool parties and BBQs was huge. I got to float and sip all day long in the sun with these cans, and I couldn’t have been happier about that. 

93 Rating – Firestone Walker Brewing Co. – Pivo

Responses from Firestone Walker brewmaster Matt Brynildson.

BC: Who came up with this beer’s recipe?  
Matt: The basic recipe outline (malt, hops, yeast) is pretty basic stuff that any brewer can do. The most important piece is creating and capturing the spirit of the beer, which in this case is a floral and spicy dry hopped beer inspired by my travels in Germany, Czech Republic and, oddly enough, Italy. The true inspiration for this beer is a Pilsner beer produced by a beautiful little brewery in the Lake Como / Lombardy region of Italy – Birrificio Italiano’s Tipopils. Our brewing team has worked hard to build and hone a pilsner brewing process, including a dry hopping step, which captures that spirit – this is very different from brewing the ales that we’re most known for. I come up with the concepts and the Firestone Walker brewing team makes the real magic.
 
BC: What’s your favorite aspect of this beer (flavor, aroma, etc.)?  
Matt: We have worked hard to create a beer that is crisp, dry, clean and highly drinkable (how many times have you heard that before?), but the fun part is that we layer in the hops to create something that is aromatically interesting and enticing. The hops that we choose and the way we apply them make this beer an interesting drinking partner and an excellent all-purpose beer. I believe it is the perfect beer to start a beer-drinking session and a perfect way to end one as well.
 
BC: Where does this beer’s name come from?
Matt: Pivo means beer in Czech and this is the birth place of the style. Garrett Oliver says in his book, The Brewmaster’s Table:  “Pilsner, the world’s most popular style of beer, was invented in Czech Bohemia, perfected in Germany and turned into flavorless mass-marketed fizz in America.” Giving this beer the name Pivo was all about hitting the reset button for pilsners, returning this style to its roots, and presenting it to American beer lovers who may have lost hope in the pilsner style.
 
BC: Is this your “desert island beer?
Matt: Yes, it would work well in that situation.
 
BC: Can you describe this beer in 10 words or less?  
Matt: A beautiful journey back to the roots of pilsner brewing.
 
BC: Do you know a story — or have a personal story — that revolves around this beer?  
Matt: The story I like to tell is that this beer was not inspired by a German or Czech brewer but by a passionate and amazing Italian brewer named Agostino Arioli, who has had a major role in creating a craft beer revolution in Italy. His Tipopils is the beer that I was dreaming about when Pivo was created. His passion for the style, his love of hops and his amazing ability to put flavors together are all exemplified in Tipopils. I have had the opportunity to taste this beer with Agostino at the source, participate in his Pils Pride festival held each year in his home town and even brew a collaboration beer with him recently. It’s brewers like Agostino who inspire me to keep brewing and it’s people like Ago who are the real role models that this movement should be watching and learning from.

93 Rating – Southbound Brewing Co. – Hop’lin IPA

Responses from Southbound brewmaster Smith Mathews.

BC: Who came up with this beer’s recipe?
Smith: Smith Mathews, Brewmaster/Managing Partner at Southbound.

BC: What’s your favorite aspect of this beer (flavor, aroma, etc.)?
Smith: I really love the balance of this beer. The caramel and Munich malts combined with the citrusy, piney aromas and flavors of the hops meet in an awesome equilibrium, making it a very approachable IPA. It’s an IPA that both craft beer newcomers and seasoned cicerones can appreciate. 

BC: Where does this beer’s name come from?
Smith: Its a musical reference and an homage to singer/songwriter Janis Joplin. Her music and life were part of the inspiration for making this beer. 

BC: Is this your “desert island beer?”
Smith: If I were stranded on a desert island, this is likely to be the only beer in my cooler. Let’s be honest — I won’t be on an island without my cooler, so yes, I guess it would be my desert island beer! 

BC: Can you describe this beer in 10 words or less?
Smith: Smooth, medium-bodied IPA with an incredible balance of malt and hops. Was that 11? After having one Hop’lin, nobody is focused on that 11th word — so it’s OK. 
 
BC: Do you know a story — or have a personal story — that revolves around this beer?
Smith: I have more than a few stories involving this beer. My favorite would be the good times I’ve shared with best friends at music festivals, all of us drinking this great beer. We’ll leave the specifics out — if that’s cool with you.

93 Rating – Oskar Blues Brewery – Dale’s Pale Ale

Responses from Oskar Blues head brewer Tim Matthews.

BC: Who came up with this beer’s recipe? 
Tim: This one goes back in time, as it started from an old homebrew recipe of Dale’s but has evolved over the years for sure.

BC: What’s your favorite aspect of this beer (flavor, aroma, etc.)?  
Tim: The aroma and flavor are an incredible marriage between the candy sweetness from English crystal malts and a resinous, spicy hop character.

BC: Where does this beer’s name come from?
Tim: Dale [Katechis] is the owner and founder of Oskar Blues.

BC: Is this your “desert island beer?”   
Tim: You bet!

BC: Can you describe this beer in 10 words or less? 
Tim: A candy-covered, citrusy, piney, semi-sweet and solid brew.

BC: Do you know a story — or have a personal story — that revolves around this beer? 
Tim: Every time we crack open a box of Centennial Hops or receive a fresh malt shipment, the aroma triggers an image of that Dale’s Pale Ale can in our mind. All those bike rides, hikes, water adventures, and ski trips where we drank that beer come to mind immediately and vividly. We get transported by the aroma and the taste because this brew is so well-integrated into our lives inside and outside the brewery.

92 Rating – Golden Road Brewing – Golden Road Hefeweizen

Responses from Golden Road co-founder Tony Yanow.

BC: Who came up with this beer’s recipe?
Tony: The Golden Road brewing team worked together to make the recipe what it is. 

BC: What’s your favorite aspect of this beer (flavor, aroma, etc.)?
Tony: While not a typical hefeweizen, I love the ease with which it drinks. It seems to go down easy — maybe a little too easy sometimes!

BC: Where does this beer’s name come from?
Tony: Hefe means yeast. Weizen means wheat. We don’t call it yeast wheat as that name doesn’t sound so great, but the term Hefeweizen has been in use for more than 1000 years, so we decided to stick with that.

BC: Is this your “desert island beer?”
Tony: Not for me. I like it, but I’m more of an IPA guy.

BC: Can you describe this beer in 10 words or less?
Tony: A Southern California spin on an age-old, traditional style.

BC: Do you know a story — or have a personal story — that revolves around this beer?
Tony: Meg Gill (the other co-founder of Golden Road Brewing) and I fell in love with the style when we went to Germany to source our brew system. We drank the Weissbier at the St. Augustiner beer garden in Munich and at Weihenstephan Brewery in Freisen where they have made this style for over 1000 years.

92 Rating – Anchor Brewing Co. – Anchor Steam Beer

Responses from Anchor Brewing head brewmaster Mark Carpenter.

BC: Who came up with this beer’s recipe?
Mark: The recipe goes way back to pre-prohibition times, but Fritz [Maytag, founder of Anchor Brewing] added the Northern Brewer hops, which weren’t around when the first steam beers were created. The brewery did fall on some hard times in its early days and they were forced to use sugar instead of malt, but that hasn’t been the case for years. The recipe has been the same since I got here in 1971!

BC: What’s your favorite aspect of this beer (flavor, aroma, etc.)?
Mark: When I started at Anchor, Steam Beer was the only beer that the brewery made – for good reason. It’s just a classic beer – well-balanced with a nice, smooth hoppiness. Steam Beer used to be thought of as very hoppy, but now it’s pretty middle-of-the-road.

BC: Where does this beer’s name come from?
Mark: The term “steam beer” goes way back to the Gold Rush era. The name is quite notable, as first you might think, “Why would you want to combine steam and beer?” Before the Gold Rush began in California there was no beer, only wine. Northern European miners came and wanted their national beverage so they started brewing it themselves using old-world techniques from their home countries. They threw in a few standard German lagering techniques, and when it was brewed, so much steam was given off that people wondered what they were doing. Of course, the concept of steam was rather new back then, as steam trains had just been invented, so steam beer was quite a novel concept as well.

BC: Is this your “desert island beer?”
Mark: Yes, Anchor Steam Beer is definitely my desert island beer, but let’s be honest; if we were on a desert island and some beer washed onshore, we would drink it no matter what it was!

BC: Can you describe this beer in 10 words or less?
Mark: Simply one of the world’s greatest beers.

91 Rating – 3 Floyds Brewing Co. – Zombie Dust

Responses from Three Floyds head brewer Chris Boggess.

BC: Who came up with this beer’s recipe?
Chris: I did.

BC: What’s your favorite aspect of this beer (flavor, aroma, etc.)?
Chris: I like Zombie Dust’s drinkability. For a relatively hoppy beer, you can easily have more than one.

BC: Where does this beer’s name come from?
Chris: It was inspired by a Mötley Crüe song called “The Dirt.” I recommend it highly!

BC: Is this your “desert island beer?”
Chris: No, there are other beers I like just as much. I would think I’d be doing things a little differently on a desert island; I would definitely want a handful of different beers!

BC: Can you describe this beer in 10 words or less?
Chris: An intensely hopped, gushing, undead pale ale.

BC: Do you know a story — or have a personal story — that revolves around this beer?
Chris: Zombie Dust started out as a test brew served exclusively in our pub. It was originally called Cenotaph.

91 Rating – Boulevard Brewing Co. – Unfiltered Wheat Beer

Responses from Boulevard brewmaster Steven Pauwels.

BC: Who came up with this beer’s recipe?
Steven: Boulevard’s founder, John McDonald, was certainly instrumental in the first recipe of our Wheat Beer. Our brewing team has tweaked the recipe over the years, most dramatically in June 1994 when they took out some of the filtration components of the beer, making it truly “Unfiltered.”

BC: What’s your favorite aspect of this beer (flavor, aroma, etc.)?
Steven: Unfiltered Wheat Beer is a relief in a craft beer world dominated by hops. The combination of the citrus, apple and grainy wheat notes play nicely together without overwhelming each other. It’s a beer you could try to dissect but you shouldn’t. Just enjoy it because the first sip will always lead to another one, and another one, and another…

BC: Is this your “desert island beer?”
Steven: As a brewer I would go for more complexity, but I know Unfiltered Wheat Beer is the “desert island beer” for a lot of people in the Midwest

BC: Can you describe this beer in 10 words or less?
Steven: Lively, refreshing, natural, citrusy, flavorful ale with distinctive cloudy appearance.

BC: Do you know a story — or have a personal story — that revolves around this beer?
Steven: We only had Unfiltered Wheat Beer available on draft for the longest time because we hadn’t figured out how to keep the beer cloudy in the bottle. Right after I started at Boulevard, we installed a centrifuge that allowed us to bottle Unfiltered Wheat Beer. I was super excited when we had the first beer ready, only to find out that we didn’t have any packaging for it. So we packaged it in ‘filtered wheat beer’ packaging and put on a big sticker that said ‘New: Unfiltered Wheat Beer.’ One of those stickers is still on the mirror in the bathroom next to my office to remind me about communicating with marketing before I want to make big changes to flagship beers!                                                                                                                          

All photos in this story were provided by breweries.