Beer Hunters: Mikkeller Single Hop IPAs

Myself and six other mates get together once a month for a beer club: Beer Hunters. Beer Hunters has been running every month for two years and has seen us try over 100 beers, with the vast majority of those being craft beers.

We've seen our numbers swell from a very humble two (surely the bare minimum of attendees to qualify a "club".) to 7 regular attendees (original hunter JPS, Brownie, BT, Pete, Rich, Leighroy and myself).

Usually we will pick a particular style and do a vertical tasting of four beers of that style. Over the 25+ hunts we've covered a broad range of styles from around the globe. I'll eventually post summaries of all previous Beer Hunters, the hits and the misses.

Last night, one of the Beer Hunters Rich, decided it was a perfect opportunity to change things up and hunt all 10 of the recently released Mikkeller Single Hop IPAs (thanks to Chapel Street Cellars for a discount as well!). To say the Beer Hunters were looking forward to this would be a huge understatement. A brilliant idea - brilliantly executed,  Mikkeller uses exactly the same malt bill to create a base beer and then uses a different hop variety in each beer to highlight the specific characteristics of each hop .

Here's a quick rundown of each of them. Rich wisely ranked the tasting in order of Alpha Acid levels within each hop (which is essentially a measure of bitterness).

Amarillo
First cab off the rank is the Amarillo IPA. You first notice a strong orange aroma, followed by an initial considerable orangey taste. A more piney finish. James Squire Golden Ale apparently use this hop. Imagine a JSGA on steroids. A nice start to the evening.


Centennial
Next up was the Centennial. Research indicated that it was to have a citrus character, but most of us got more specifically grapefruit. A lot drier finish than the Amarillo.


Citra
Was looking forward to this one as it's been used a bit recently in some of my favourite beers (Feral Karma Citra, currently on tap at Chapel Street Cellars for one). A lovely smooth mango on the palate and interestingly it appear boozier than the previous IPAs (even though all of them were 6.9%).


Sorachi Ace
A Japanese variety, I'd been looking forward to this one. My introduction to this beer came last year, in the form of True South's Mint Ninja, which from memory was a pale ale using Citra and mint. A big lemony punch stood out, and a flavour you'd not expect from a hop. A few of us also immediately noticed a coconut like quality and the beer for a second began tasting pina colada-like. Quite intriguing. Sorachi Ace also got the votes for the best beer on the night.


Nelson Sauvin
Another non-American variety, this time the interesting Nelson Sauvin. Named due to it's passionfruit and Sauvignon Blanc qualities, this Kiwi beauty is seriously under utilised on this side of the ditch.  Research indicated we should expect a gooseberry flavour, but as a few of us pointed out, "when the hell was the last time any of us had a gooseberry?". The Nelson Sauvin was a highlight. Another fantastic beer that uses this hop, yet looks beyond the IPA format, is 8Wired Sauvin Saison.


Simcoe
We had a bit of a break after the first five and kicked off the second half with Simcoe. Back to the American hop varieties and the trademark piney, resiny flavours. This beer was one that I really wish we have more of. One of my favourites of the night.


Tomahawk
By this stage some of the beers started tasting a little "samey" and in a Beer Hunters first, a soda water palette cleanser was handed out. Had no idea that this hop is the trading name of the Columbus hop. Copywright issues perhaps? It's a widely used American hop and makes up one third of the three "C's" hops (along with Cascade and Centennial). It may have suffered from it's position on the list, but was the least favourite beer of the night.

Bravo
Had not heard of this variety before, and a presumptuous title if ever I've heard one. Was a very well rounded ale for a single hop IPA. Not one particular flavour dominated. Floral and fruity. Having had this my mouth was coated in resiny hop oils and pretty much all beers form here on in would start tasting the same. Small bravo. Golf clap.


Summit 
The penultimate beer was the prematurely named Summit. As I read back through my notes, hoppy as f*ck stares back at me from my tasting notes. Oh dear, the palate is shot and the brain seems not far behind.


Apollo
Was supposed to be the bitterest of the lot, but the Summit out shone it. Again a hop I'd never heard of. By this stage these was more impressions of Rocky circulating (Apollo, geddit?), than insightful descriptions of the beers.

Wow, what a night! Hats off to Mikkeller for having the clarity of vision and the balls to release 10 beers simultaneously and giving humble beer enthusiasts everywhere an education of the marvellous, multi-faceted world of the hop.

Even though the testing sizes were small, we got through a fair bit of beer. I left realising why we only try 4 beers at a Hunt and not 10. Towards the end the beers did tend to taste very similar. It would have been nice also to have an Australian variety (Galaxy, Prise of Ringwood or Stella) or an "Old World" English hop like East Kent Golding or Fuggles.

But there's never going to be an opportunity to have all these beers again, back-to-back and for that reason alone, the night was a great success. I'd encourage anyone with even a vague interest in beer to really get to know the ingredients in your beer and the vast mount of different flavours that hops impart. Even if you grab two in the range to do a side-by-side comparison, it's a great way to learn a bit more about this most humble beer ingredient - the hop.

Some of the better International craft beer of 2011.

...and now for five of my favourite beers from beyond these shores that I drank in 2011.

Brooklyn East India Pale Ale (USA)
Hands down one of the best beers I had last year. Completely unassuming in appearance, this cracking beer is one of those rare examples of an American brewed IPA in more of an English style where the malt and the hops are more balanced. Utterly moorish and bloody good value when compared to a lot of imports. This is as close as you'll find to a true English IPA, outside of the motherland. Distribution in Melbourne is starting to get pretty good too with any decent craft beer shop likely to stock it.

8Wired Tall Poppy India Red Ale (NZ)
I just as easily could have chosen the Hopwired IPA, or their brilliant iStout but the Tall Poppy gets the gong from this amazing brewery due to it's incredible drinkability and for a beer not light on the alcohol (7%). One of the years highlights was an 8Wired Alestars night at The Local Taphouse St.Kilda where we got to meet Soren (via a Skype hook up on the big screen), the brewer himself. My favourite NZ brewery.

Invercargill Saison (NZ)
Being a bit of a "Saison-head", I'm always on the look out for a new one to try out. Had tried Invercargill's Boysenbeery which didn't exactly blow me away, but boy did their Saison. How the brewer managed to cram so much yeasty flavour in this little bottle is a mystery. One of the best saisons out there. Hard to find but worth the search.

Rodenbach Vintage 2007 (Bel)
When researching for a Beer Hunters beer club Sour / Wild ale night I kept being referred back to this beer. A Flanders Red Ale and a fantastic entry point into the flipside of the beer coin that is sour and wild ales. Sour like nothing I'd had before, but enough malt sweetness to keep you goimng back for more, this beer is one of the most memorable I had last year.

Hopback Brewery Summer Lightening (UK)
I never completely understood the distinction between a "summer ale" and a "golden ale" and a "blond ale". This beer made me want to get to the bottom of it. I learnt it's a style that we don't see enough of over in Oz, the English Golden Ale. The style originated broadly for devout UK lager drinkers as an entry point into the word of ales. Summer Lightning is a subtle, gentle aromatic beer that shines bright from the glass. By far the most restrained beer on the list, just a fantastic sessionable beer.

Honourable mentions: Victory Hellios Saison, Weinstephaner Vitus, BrewDog Punk IPA, Deschutes Hop in the Dark, Mikkeller Spontanale

There's probably loads more that I've forgotten about, and I reckon I'll start tracking things a better this year so watch this space.

Next up: On Friday I join my fellow Beer Hunters for a look at Mikkeller's Single Hop IPA range, all 10 of them! You beauty!  (my official Febfast reprieve)

 

Some of the better Australian craft beers from 2011.

For a blog about beer was probably not the wisest of decisions of me to begin in Febfast. Credibility shot before it even had a chance to take flight. 


And even though we are almost half way through the second month of the year I thought it'd be interesting to take a quick look back at some of my favourite Australian beers of 2011. These aren't necessarily the best beers I had last year, they are in some sort of vague order. But I find that past one or two absolute standouts it's very difficult to "rank" beer, so these were the amongst the most memorable. 


2 Brothers Guv'nor (VIC)


A barleywine to kick things off. A absolute monster of a beer and one that I had several of on Melbourne's darkest, bleakest winter nights in 2011. Rich and warming, the 10%+ alcohol is somehow keep in check and is far more drinkable than it sounds. A rare beer where you would happily sit on one bottle all night. Hopefully the Moorabbin lads at 2 Brothers release it again this year as I'll be certainly stocking up. 

Bridge Road Brewers / Nogne - O India Saison (VIC)


A hybrid of Saison and IPA, this hopped up collaboration brew between Beechworth's Bridge Road and Norway's gypsy brewers and impossible to pronounce: Nogne - O. I've not yet had the version brewed in Norway, but mates assure me it's equally impressive. The main reason I love this  beer is very simple. Two of my favourite styles and put them together and it really works! A must for any blink-and-you'll-miss-it Melbourne summer. 

Hargreaves Hill ESB (VIC) 


A "new world" interpretation of and English classic, this beer never fails to impress. Nice malt sweetness and a lovely earthy hop punch. If only it was more readily available. Get up to the cellar door at Yarraglen and grab one on tap. A too rare treat. 


Moo Brew Barrel Aged Imperial Stout (TAS)


A stunning beer from one of my favourite breweries. One of the richest, silkiest, luscious beers I have ever had. A real sipper. If this appears on a beer list again this year, indulge and order a glass. Absolutely world class. 


Bridge Road Galaxy Single Hop IPA (VIC)
Another appearance from Bridge Road who have really hit their straps I think in the past couple of years. Whilst their core range at times can verge on the boring, their Single Hop series is an exciting detour. The first of their single hop range which now extends to Stella, Summer and the recently launched Pride of Ringwood. A stunning tribute to an Australian hop variety that is starting to get some recognition on the world stage 


Honourable mentions: Mornington Peninsula IPA, Murray's Whale Ale, Van Dieman's Hedgerow, Cooper's Stout, Brewboys' Ace of Spades Stout and Seeing Double Scotch Ale, Beard and Brau Bon Chiens and Feral Hop Hog.


And there you have it, some of my favourite beers from these shores I drank last year. I'll post some International favourites soon.  

Barleywines: A few to lay down.

I recently embarked on Febfast.

Now I must preface this by saying that firstly I'm not collecting for charity. My motivations are all together more selfish than that: a simple challenge from the missus. Not one to back away from a challenge I agreed and in a serendipitous twist of fate, passed Blackhearts and Sparrows in Windsor (one of my favourite craft beer bottleshops in Melbourne) a few days later.

It occurred to me that I wouldn't be imbibing for several weeks so was a great opportunity to kick start my beer cellar again. Now whilst the word cellar conjures up dimly lit, romantic, cobweb strewn caverns, dank and musty, lined with hundreds of dusty bottles and barrels, I use that term in the broadest of senses. My last cellar was a shoe box sized space under the laundry sink.

Last year I'd managed to resist the urge, and "laid down" several bottles of Coopers Vintage Ale 2009-2011. Likewise with a Red Hill Barrel Aged Imperial Stout and a Unibroue Terrible.  Just knowing that those little beauties were doing their thing, silently in the house, made my life on some minute level, more complete.

Alas my stock had been depleted over the months and thought it was the perfect time to address the blank spot under the laundry sink. Beers, like wine, can be cellared, many for up to ten years or more. There are obviously certain styles that are more up to the task than others. Barleywines are one such style. Barleywines are the big on the alcohol, malt and hops. Over time the hops with dissipate and the malt characteristics will become more prominent. Or so I've read somewhere.

I picked up two Barleywines - Renaissance Tribute (10.8%) and Green Flash Barleywine (10.9%). Both massive beers. The Renaissance was quite possibly the most expensive 330ml I'd ever purchased ($22!), but put my faith in Renaissance as they brew consistently great beers. Their Scotch ale and their Porter in particular are faves. I was less familiar with the Green Flash, but am a fan of West Coast American hop bombs, so this San Diego brewed drop was a gamble worth taking. I also grabbed a bottle of Mikkeller Santa's Little Helper 2011 (10.9%), which I believe is a Belgian Quadruppel (further research may prove otherwise).
That one is marked for a Christmas 2012 opening.

 I'm not going to give you too much technique regarding ageing beers (because I lack it myself). All I know is that unlike wine, you need to cellar the beer upright, but like wine, in a cool, dark place (like underneath your laundry sink).
Logic (but not my wallet) suggests to buy two bottles, have one now and then cellar the other. I for one cannot remember what I did last Thursday, let alone the intricacies of aroma and flavour from a beer that I'm comparing to years earlier. Poor palette memory perhaps.

So these beauties will hide away, developing and changing their flavours, smoothing off the rougher edges before finally pouring out into a goblet / snifter glass sometime in the distant future.

I'll let you know when I crack one open.

The Birth of Beeriness

I was in a inner suburban Melbourne craft beer pub once and hidden amongst the multitude of craft beer taps, emblazoned with familiar styles, one tap left out at me. It referenced a style that I'd never heard of that time - Marzen. 


Curious I asked the young lady about to serve me if she could describe this alien style. She paused a second, looked around for another staff member, and replied, "um, well it's quite...beery". 


She was right, it was.  


This got me thinking. How many other styles are lurking out there outside my pale ale / lager / stout periphery? How many breweries were there, even in my own state that I'd never heard of? I needed to know!


So this blog is a toast to that girl behind the bar who with one uneasy quip launched me on my voyage to discover more about this drink I loved. To get inside the beeriness of beer.