"The Audacity Of Hops" by Tom Acitelli

"The Audacity Of Hops: The History Of America's Craft Beer Revolution" by Tom Acitelli (2013 Chicago Review Press, softcover, 6" x 9", 400 pages)

This is the (so far) definitive book detailing the burgeoning craft beer movement in the United States. Tracing roots back to England and Germany, but more specifically San Francisco, and Fritz Maytag's venerable Anchor Brewing, writer Acitelli covers every major element in the craft brewing industry up to today. Along the way, he succeeds in presenting interviews and viewpoints from all of brewing's major players -- Jim Koch, Sam Calagione, Charlie Papazian, Greg Koch, Kim Jordan, Ken Grossman, and plenty of others. If these names mean nothing to you, you simply aren't tuned into the craft beer scene, period.

Acitelli's writing is succinct, yet descriptive, and this story follows so many branches that any craft beer fan will find plenty of fascinating information on the formation of their favorite brewery. Not only touching on the "big guys", there are historical looks at New Albion, Boulder, F.X. Matt/Saranac, Buffalo Bill's, Pete's Wicked Ales, Alaskan, Weeping Radish, Brooklyn, New Glarus, Redhook, Odell, Magic Hat, Flying Dog, Lagunitas, Catamount, Harpoon, Mendocino, and tons more.

In short, "The Audacity Of Hops" is a top-shelf book that should be in every beer lover's library. As comprehensive as it gets, this is a truly enlightening read, and a joy to behold. Bravo!

Chicago Review Press

Beer: New Belgium - Hoppy Bock Lager

NEW BELGIUM - HOPPY BOCK LAGER (Fort Collins, CO) - 4.0 (excellent)

So, Fort Collins' premier craft brewery, New Belgium, has started a seasonal series of experimental hop-forward beers, delivered every few months in 22 oz. bombers for an enticingly low price. Under the aegis of "Hop Kitchen", this is the first in the series. I picked this gem up for only $4.19 at a local specialty shop, and I'm glad I did.

Pours a pale, clean golden with a rich and thick head of white carbonation.  Beautiful, detailed lace. Nose is toasty grains and grass, with a touch of floral hops somewhere in there. Promising start! Taste is sweet lager malts up front, with a bitter citrus hops finish. Drinks very lightly and easily, despite the 6.9% ABV. 

I really liked this one. Well-done, and I managed to pick up another before they were gone.

Beer: New Belgium La Folie 2013

Colorado's New Belgium Brewing is best-known for their spins on Belgian-style beers (as their name indicates). One of the more obscure Belgian styles has to be Flanders Oud Bruin (Flanders Old Brown) -- brown ales fermented with exotic wild yeasts (sometimes the fabled Brettanomyces) for an often sour, funky flavor profile. New Belgium's La Folie is their flagship sour ale, and I finally had a chance to sample it and take some notes.

Pours a cloudy, sudsy amber. Thin head, and little noticeable lace. Nose says sour fruit, and funky yeastiness. Unusual and exceptional. Taste is very much sour fruit and funky, yeasty, musty sweet and sour-ness. What a unique flavor profile! This one is strong and quite acidic -- assertively sour and astringent, with a lingering taste on the palate. 

Enjoyable and impressive, even if the $15.99 price tag is a little hard on the wallet.

New Belgium

Beer: Winter In Colorado (Odell, Boulder, and New Belgium)

Ah, Winter in Colorado. Here's a series of themed beers, all from the wonderful state of Colorado, and all worthy of your taste buds. 

ODELL BREWING - 5 BARREL PALE ALE (Fort Collins, CO, USA) - 3.5

I've been reading and hearing about Odell Brewing for some time, but it's not available in backward Indiana. So I managed to snag a some bottles during a recent trip to St. Louis' impeccable Wine & Cheese Place. And I'm glad I did.

This beautifully-designed bottle (as all of Odell's beers are lovingy housed in) pours a clean, rusty amber, with thick, foamy off-white head. Exquisite and fine lacing. Aroma is malty up front, followed by some pine hoppiness. Good. Taste is pine hops, with plenty of body and a heavy malt presence to balance it all out. Overall, this is a remarkably well-balanced session pale ale, with a superlative taste and nice body. Better than many breweries' IPAs!

ODELL BREWING - ISOLATION ALE (Fort Collins, CO, USA) - 4.0

This is Odell's seasonal Winter ale, and as with all of Odell's other beers, it's a beautifully-designed bottle, and perfectly palatable contents inside, too. 

Pours a murky ruby-amber, with a large head of tan bubbles. Extensive and detailed spider-web lace. Nice. Nose is a malty caramel-toffee in character. Pleasing enough. Taste is similar -- heavily malted, with tones of toffee and caramel, and a light hoppy finish. This one drinks like a heavier amber ale, and holds up well as a heavy-bodied night-time session brew for the colder months.

BOULDER BEER - NEVER SUMMER ALE (Boulder, CO, USA) - 3.0

Boulder, Colorado is a wonderful place, but I've not been a huge fan of legendary Boulder Beer's products. This seasonal Winter ale is quite nice, though.

Deep amber, with a thick head of off-white foam. Beautiful lace! Nose is sweet and malty, with definite caramel and toffee tones. Taste is heavy on the toasty malts, with more caramel and sweet toffee. Seems heavy on the body, almost thick & sticky in mouthfeel. Finishes with a slight dryness. Overall, a decent Winter Warmer, but not one I'd return to.

NEW BELGIUM - SNOW DAY WINTER ALE (Fort Collins, CO, USA) - 4.5

I fell in love with this seasonal last year. This is the second year for Snow Day, and I'm saddened to learn that New Belgium will be replacing it next year, with something called "Accumulation". I'm hoping it's a hopped-up version of Snow Day. But I will miss this one.

Dark caramel/amber, with a fearsome 3-finger head. Lace just about as extensive and impressive. Wow. Spectacular presentation. Aroma is fresh pine, floral, and citrus. Hoppy happiness. Taste is complex, beginning with a mild roasty malt, followed by a subtle citrus/pine bite in the middle. The finish brought a slightly bitter hops character, though by no means a hop bomb. Balanced well, this enjoyable ale really impressed me.

Craft beer from New Belgium/The Lost Abbey, Victory, and Schlenkerla!

Craft beer is all over...it can now be found in just about every mainstream grocery store, as well as specialty shops, and even fine restaurants. Here are some of my more recent findings, with reviews ranging from 1(awful) to 5 (awesome). Anything rated a 3 or better is a solid, worthy brew that should be tried by anyone with a passing interest in the craft brewing scene. You never know when you just might find your new favorite taste!

NEW BELGIUM / THE LOST ABBEY - LIPS OF FAITH - BRETT BEER - 4.0

Brett is short for Brettanomyces, a type of yeast that's cherished in some European-styled ales, and tends to create odd and fruity (sometimes sour) characteristics in beer. This collaboration between craft beer innovators New Belgium and San Marcos specialty microbrewers The Lost Abbey is (not surprisingly), a Belgian-inspired saison ale.

It appears cloudy yellow-opaque upon pouring, with a thick and attractive head of fine, white carbonation. Lovely loopy chain-link style lacing. Nose is fruity and funky. I get both wild berries and citrus tones. Quite enticing! Taste is nicely fruity up front, even hinting at some pineapple. Body is heavy, though, and the Soriachi hops add to the tangy quality. I quite liked this one.

VICTORY - FESTBIER - 3.5

Always been a big fan of Victory (of Downington, PA)'s beers, and this Oktoberfest-styled ale is another good one.

Pours a nice, rich amber, with a thick and attractive off-white head. I didn't get any lace, though... Nose is grainy and malty. I get caramel/toffee, with a tinge of fruitiness. Points for complexity with aroma! Flavor is rich and malty, with a hint of toasty grain malts and a light, fruity hop finish. This is a subtle, well-crafted, and complex, but easy-drinking beer. Impressive!

AECHT SCHLENKERLA - MARZEN - 5.0

Ah, these special little bottles from Bamberg, Germany are a treat, and have no peers, from either side of the Atlantic. There are American-made "smoke beers", but nothing compares to this brewery's legendary works. I see bottles of Schlenkerla for anywhere from $4.29 to $5.29 in shops in my Midwestern area, but they're distributed into most states, so look around, ya dingus!

Dark caramel-brown in color, with a thick head of off-white bubbles. Alas, the only lace is a thin line above the ring. Nose is spectacular! Deeply woody, like a campfire embers and cured meat. Some say bacon, and that's not too far off. Taste is definitely woody-smoky, with a tinge of sweet malts underneath, just enough around the edges to add some balance. This is a tasty, drinkable, and positively a unique experience that any serious beer advocate needs to try.

Summer Craft Beer Roundup, Part 2

As the endless Summer (hopefully) winds itself down, I think it best we clear away some of these warm-weather beer reviews I've been hoarding. Here's another batch. Ratings, as ever, range from a lowly 1 to a stately 5. Drink well, but drink responsibly. And drink indie! Just say "No" to corporate beer monopolies!

WIDMER BROTHERS - CITRA BLONDE SUMMER BREW (Portland, OR) - 3.0

This clean golden-amber ale pours with an attractive fine white head of carbonation, and with a light but pleasant lace on the glass. Aroma is fruit-forward. I get nicely-sweet orange. Flavor-wise, this one is citrus-hoppy, but there's no bitterness, as it's all balanced by a prominent sweet malt profile. 

BROOKLYN SUMMER ALE (Utica, NY) - 3.0

The always-dependable Brooklyn's light summer ale pours a clean golden, with wispy lace. The taste is toasty up front, with a subtle hint of citrus hops in the middle, followed by a bready finish. Enjoyable and quite nice for hot summer days.

RED HOOK - WIT (Woodinville, WA) - 2.0

This cloudy pale amber ale pours with a minimal head and lace. The aroma is malty and spicy. Upon hitting the palate, this one hits sweet and candy-like, with a hint of ginger spicing it up. Nonetheless, I found this one to be overbearingly sweet, and tough to finish.

NEW BELGIUM - FAT TIRE (Fort Collins, CO) - 3.0

This easy-drinking amber ale is now available in 16 oz. cans, and it opens with a rich and malty taste. I get toasty bread, with only a faint hint of hops. Fat Tire remains an easy-drinking session beer, and an American craft beer classic.