Beer | Part Time Vagabond

BREWS: Sam Adams Noble Pils; Dogfish Head Indian Brown Ale

// April 19th, 2010 // 1 Comment » // GRUB & BREWS

A double-decker today. It never hurts to start the work week with a tasty beer, so I thought I’d review two brews I recently tasted, because it is that good of a Monday: Samuel Adams Noble Pils and Dogfish Head Indian Brown Ale. These two beers are very different in their own rights, but they both keep me coming back for more.

Samuel Adams Noble Pils (5.2%ABV)

When people say a beer is crisp and clean, it elicits an image of a warm, sunny, summer afternoon. Birds chirping, the orange glow of the setting sun, a warm breeze gently rustling the trees. When I take a sip of Samuel Adams Noble Pils, a relatively new seasonal from the Boston Beer Company, I’m immediately transported to summer evenings spent on a porch with friends. Seems strange for a beer that’s only released January through March, but those are the images I get from this traditional Bohemian Pilsner that’s brewed with all five Noble hops.

On the nose, Noble Pils is light and crisp, with some citrus notes floating around in the bouquet. Its golden color denotes something a bit richer and fuller, but Noble Pils surprises with a nice, complex bite from all five Noble Hops, balanced by the sweet honey taste of the Bohemian malts. At 5.2% ABV, there isn’t much of an alcohol burn as a pleasant warming in the throat enhanced by the hops. The description on the Samuel Adams website says there’s a “piney” taste to the beer, but I didn’t get that. It does however elicit a strong feeling of sunny days, fun barbecues, and warm breezes.

Dogfish Head Indian Brown Ale (7.2% ABV)

If you’re looking for a heartier beer than the Noble Pils, the Dogfish Head Indian Brown Ale is like a thick juicy steak on the grill. In fact, it might actually pair nicely with one. A deep brown color characterizes this triple threat combo of American Brown, Scotch Ale, and India Pale Ale.

Starting on the nose, it emits an awesome sweetness, caramel wafting out of the creamy head. The Indian Brown Ale (IBA) has a nicely rounded mouthfeel, and a sweet, warm, toasty taste on the tongue. The Dogfish Head website describes it as having the characteristics of a Scotch Ale, which is apt. Dry hopped like an IPA (it’s rated at 50 IBU) but malted like a Scotch Ale, and flavored with brown sugar, this beer has the best of all worlds, which is great for someone who is generally not a fan of super hopped beers. Available year round, the Indian Brown Ale has quickly become a favorite of mine, with a fantastic balance of sweet and bitter.

Stone Skips Across The Pond – Stone Brewing Co.

// March 9th, 2010 // No Comments » // GRUB & BREWS, VIDEO

This is fantastic! If you love craft beer, or if you just want to watch a fun, well-produced video about a brewer going to Europe to collaborate on a new beer, then watch this video from Stone Brewing Co. Co-owners Greg Koch and Steve Wagner, along with Head Brewer Mitch Steele went first to Norway, and then to Scotland to pair up with Nøgne Ø and BrewDog, respectively, all to create some great specialty beers. Take a look at the 27 minute video below to see the entire trip. You’ll love it.

BREWS: Long Trail Double Bag

// February 24th, 2010 // 2 Comments » // GRUB & BREWS

Long Trail Double Bag

When I picked up a Long Trail Double Bag, I knew absolutely nothing about it. The only reason I bought one bottle from the local convenience store was because my buddy Josh mentioned in a tweet that he was enjoying one himself, and he made it sound good. Really good. I was in the mood for a good, strong beer.

I ran up the street and did a little jig to celebrate the fact that they carried LT Double Bag, ignoring the strange looks from the good folks behind the counter. Running back home (ok, let’s face it, I didn’t want to agitate the fine brew. I slowly lumbered home), I quickly made my way to the kitchen to pour myself a glass.

What I noticed first as I poured the beer into my pint glass was the rich amber color, which gave way to a thick off-brown, foamy head. The beer is toasty and malty on the nose, with some floral notes and a bunch of fruit dancing around in there. I definitely got hints of cherry, maybe a little tiny bit of clove. I found later that Double Bag is a Strong Ale, so I could then understand its bold tones with subtle flavors. It’s got a nice, smooth mouthfeel that rolls around nicely. It had a good rounded taste that actually got better and more pronounced as the beer warmed up a bit. Double Bag has a pretty high ABV, but at 7.2% you hardly notice it over the malt. It actually feels pretty mellow, a nice warm feeling beer with almost no hop taste at all. It finishes pretty dry thanks to the high alcohol content. It’s very drinkable, though not the best strong ale I’ve ever had. It’s definitely worth stocking a 6 pack in the fridge for cold nights by the fire.

Winter Beer Roundup

// February 1st, 2010 // 1 Comment » // GRUB & BREWS

Once again, I invited my friend Josh Christie, of the Brews and Books blog to write a Guest Post on Part Time Vagabond. Josh is a bookseller and beer afficionado, and blogs about two things he loves; you guessed it: brews and books. This week, Josh talks about his favorite Winter Beers.

It should come as no surprise that I am a winter person. I ski an ungodly number of days each year, I work for a snow sports industry nonprofit, and I initially went to college to study in a ski industry program. Hell, I’m probably one of the only people that gets seasonal affective disorder in the summer. My allegiance to the coldest part of the year is certainly not hindered by the phenomenal beer that’s only available when the weather goes cold and gray.

Winter beers are the dark, complex mirror image of summer brews. During the summer, most breweries put out beers that are easy to drink in hot weather – Kölsches, hefeweizens and smooth pale ales. During the winter months, brewers tend to let their dark sides run wild. Alcohol is usually dialed up to warm drinkers in the cold weather, and this is reflected in a heavy malt bill for most winter beers. Some breweries celebrate the winter by throwing in fruits, spices and other bizarre adjuncts.

Following Chris’ great introduction to the world of beer, I wanted to outline some of my favorite winter beers. Some truly capture the spirit of wintertime for me, while some are simply beers that are only available in the early part of the year. Whatever the reason is for these brews coming out during this part of the year, they are all definitely worth tracking down and trying.

Shipyard Prelude

Starting off with something local, Shipyard Brewing’s Prelude is a full-bodied English-style ale. Prelude has a full, nutty and slightly sweet flavor, and is just hoppy enough to have some balancing bitterness. The buttery Ringwood yeast flavor is a perfect complement to the beer.

Alaskan Winter Ale

Alaskan Brewing Company uses an ingredient in their winter brew that I’d like to see more breweries try – spruce! What better way to make a drinker think of the holidays than make the beer taste like a Christmas tree, right? The addition of Sitka spruce tips to Alaskan Winter Ale elevates an already tasty English Olde Ale to something truly special.

Foothills Sexual Chocolate

Not lots to say other than this is one of the best beers I’ve ever tried, regardless of the time of year. The imperial stout, a mix of crystal, chocolate, black and roasted barley malts, is aged for weeks on chunks of cocoa before being bottled and kegged. The end result is a complex beer, with dark fruit, coffee and molasses flavors on top of a solid chocolate backbone.

Tröegs Nugget Nectar

And now for something completely different! While Prelude, Sexual Chocolate and Alaskan Winter are fairly traditional styles for winter beers, Tröegs bucks c0nvention with a big, juicy Imperial Amber. One of my favorite beers for years, Nugget Nectar is incredibly hoppy, incredibly malty and 100% balanced. The beer is satisfing to all the senses, with a deep amber pour, an intoxicating citrus and pine hop nose, and an unbeatable taste.

Oscar Blues Ten Fidy

Since I’m writing this post for Part Time Vagabond, it is only fitting to include an easily portable, environmentally friendly canned beer. Ten Fidy is not your father’s beer from a can. A dark, oily, viscous, mean little beer, Ten Fidy packs lots of alcohol and a serious bitter bite into a 12 oz can. This imperial stout has won more than a few awards from beer lovers around the world, and one sip will show you why.

Ramstein Winter Wheat

Since I started drinking beer, Schneider Aventinus has been a staple in my fridge. Ramstein Winter Wheat from High Point Brewing is an American beer brewed in the same style, and a great brew in it’s own right. The recipe gives the beer a totally different flavor than any others on this list, with black current, clove, and apple coming to the fore. The alcohol is hidden really well, so I’d definitely recommend slowly sipping this 9.5% ABV beast on a cold winter night.

Dogfish Head Chicory Stout

If you want strange ingredients, Dogfish Head is never a brewery to disappoint. In the Chicory Stout, you’ve got chicory, organic Mexican coffee, St. John’s Wort, and licorice root on top of more traditional hops and malts. The end result is an awesome and unique beer, an obsidian stout that pours with a bone white head, a creamy start and a dry finish.

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So, these are just a few (believe me, I could go on and on) of my favorite winter beers, a smattering of styles and flavors from around the country. What are yours?

The Beer Post

// January 14th, 2010 // 2 Comments » // GRUB & BREWS

Happy New Year! It’s been longer getting back to PTV than I’d anticipated, what with a few new developments on the personal side. So, let’s not waste anymore time and jump right back into things!

You’ll notice that the tagline of PartTime Vagabond includes the word “beer,” and it’s high time we spent some time on the topic.

Beer is a fantastic little beverage with so many iterations as to appeal to almost anyone. When I first started drinking beer, I disliked the taste and tried to avoid most. I stuck with the lightest, cheapest beers I could. As my palate grew, however, I started going darker and darker in my beer selections, trying new brands and types, and finding that I really enjoyed them. Then I discovered the universe of craft brews, and my tiny little beer-world changed forever.

Photo courtesy Shipyard Brewing

There are hundreds, maybe thousands, of beers out there, and one for nearly every occasion. From the “get drunk on a Saturday night with friends” beers to the “sip this thoughtfully with other beer snobs” brews, beer is as versatile and satisfying as any great wine. In fact, many people are finding that pairing beers with foods is more enjoyable than doing so with wine, and are now switching sides. I enjoy both wine and beer, so I won’t go into which is better or worse.

What I will get into is a bit of a primer on the various types of beers. In fact, the good people at The Oatmeal put together a little history of beer that works nicely. I’m no pro, and I’m still learning about the history and types of beers, but I feel that I’m getting a good handle on the drink. Here are a few things you should know:

There are two main categories of beer: Ales and Lagers.
- Ales are made when the yeast in the beer ferments at a higher temperature, staying at the surface of the liquid. This produces substances called “esters” which result in a more “fruity” tasting beer that tends to have a fuller, more robust body. Some common types of ales are stouts, porters, IPAs (India Pale Ales), Belgians, and Pales. Some of my favorite brand beers are Shipyard Brewing Prelude Special Ale and Lakefront Brewery Cream City Pale Ale.
  - Fun Fact #1: Guinness is a famous stout.
  - Fun Fact #2: IPAs, or India Pale Ales, are incredibly bitter beers historically stemming from British sailors needing to store their beer for a very long time on their trips to India (or for it being shipped to them while stationed in India). Because hops are a natural preservative, brewers used large amounts of them in the brewing process. Add in some extra alcohol and dry-hopping to preserve the beer, and BAM! you have an IPA. I can’t stand IPAs, but I think they have the most interesting historical story.
- Lagers are made when the yeast ferments at a lower temperature, allowing it to remain at the bottom of the fermenting container. It’s stored at cold temps for at least 3 weeks. In that time, the yeast settles at the bottom and flocculates. Flavors in lagers tend to be less complex and have a lighter body than ales, although some lagers can be quite dark and complex. The types of lagers you’ll see are Pilsners, Bocks, and Dunkels. One of my favorite American lagers, and actually my favorite beer, is the Samuel Adams Boston Lager. It’s a darker, medium bodied beer with a relatively complex flavor.
  - Fun Fact #1: Budweiser is a lager.
  - Fun Fact #2: Steam Beer is the only lager that is produced at higher temperatures.

So that’s the PartTime Vagabond Beer Primer for today. Future posts will have more info on beer and beer related accessories, including a short history on craft brewing, home brewing, food pairing, and interviews with local breweries and beer connoisseurs. Now, go out to your local liquor store and get yourself a good Friday brew.

BEER: Hey Brooklyn interviews Brooklyn Brew Shop

// December 17th, 2009 // 1 Comment » // GRUB & BREWS

Beer is good. Friends are great. Beer and friends are amazing! That’s why when I heard my good friend Amber’s latest Hey Brooklyn episode, I was so completely excited I nearly….well, let’s not get into what I nearly did. Suffice it to say, the people at the gym were giving me funny looks.

Anyway, Hey Brooklyn Episode 34 features the good folks from the Brooklyn Brew Shop, a one stop home brew shop for New Yorkers living in cramped cubes real estate agents like to call “cozy studios.” The kits they sell take up about a foot square of space in your kitchen (for the 1 gallon kit), and use real ingredients – yeast too! – to brew up a batch of what look like some fantastic beers. What’s great about Stephen Valand and Erica Shea, the proprietors of Brooklyn Brew Shop, is that they not only cater to the cramped lifestyles of NYCers, but also encourage customers to dream up their own beer creations – and then bring them a bottle too!

Take a listen to Hey Brooklyn Episode 34 to hear more from Stephen and Erica of Brooklyn Brew Shop.

Guest post on BrewsandBooks.com

// October 13th, 2009 // No Comments » // GRUB & BREWS

As we truck along here on Part Time Vagabond, you’ll notice a few themes will begin to emerge. Eventually, you’ll learn that I love to read, and I love to drink good beer. So it’s only fitting that I made friends with Josh Christie of BrewsAndBooks.com. And of course, Josh (who has guest posted here on PTV) let me write up a little something about my favorite books and beers. Take a loook at what I had to say, and give Josh some blog love.

Finding Local Brews

// September 10th, 2009 // 1 Comment » // GRUB & BREWS

This week, I invited Josh Christie, of the Brews and Books blog to be the first Guest blogger on Part Time Vagabond. Josh is a bookseller and beer afficionado, and blogs about two things he loves; you guessed it: brews and books. This week, Josh talks about finding great beers wherever you are in your travels.

When you’re traveling, it’s not just the new sights and sounds you’re taking in; it’s also incredibly unique tastes. Checking out locally brewed beer is a great way to celebrate the uniqueness of the place you’re visiting, not to mention a way to meet people and make some happy memories. If you’re traveling on a budget, visiting breweries, beer bars and “packies” are the way to get great beer and still save some cash. In case you’re a local or visiting Portland, I’ve included a couple of examples from the great state of Maine with each option. Prosit!

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