Beer of the Week: Mayflower IPA

 

Happy Thanksgiving!

This IPA is an under appreciated one. It's combination of just enough bitterness to get your attention and sweet caramel body makes it a wonderful balanced offering. I may be a bit biased because this is one of my favorite local breweries ,Mayflower Brewing of historic Plymouth, Massachusetts. They use Nugget, Simcoe,  Glacier and Amarillo hops blended with Two Row Pale, Munich and Caramel Munich 40 malt to make a wonderful balanced IPA. All of that is combined using the same local fresh water that the Pilgrims survived on when they landed here in 1620. Combine all of this makes a west coast style pine citrus aroma with a subtly sweet caramel malt taste and finish.

Mayflower Brewing

12 Resnick Road

Plymouth Massachusetts 02360

Tel: 508-746-2674

Mayflowerbrewing.com

They have a retail store plus tours and tastings. Check website for details.

Beer for Thought: Drink what you like

Drink whatever you like. It does not matter to me. Admittedly when I started exploring the craft beer scene I fell into criticizing or picking on those macro-pale lager drinkers wondering what was wrong with them. I didn't understand them. Don't they want more than your typical big beer pale lager full of adjuncts. Yuck!

I also saw the documentary "Beer Wars" which fed into this mania of big beer verses the noble small business brewers. The big beer companies painted as the evil empire with Anheuser-Busch (as the Emperor) and MillerCoors (as Darth Vader) against the rebels scum played by the craft brewers. We see the battles and dirty tricks the evil empire pulls trying to squeeze on our valiant heroes(Led by Luke Skywalker). I don't say that they don't. If you read up on the early history of these companies is that they've been aggressive and been pulling shenanigans for over a century in this country.It's always been there and always will.

 The poor adjunct pale lager perhaps doesn't deserve all the hate it gets. How did it get so popular? People drank it and a lot of it. Early brewers noticed that people(mainly American's) would drink massive quantities of this stuff. Let's face most companies, whatever they produce or provide, will follow the cash flow. So what did they make? Pale  Lager. The trend actually started in Europe and even squashed many other types of beer that were made. When they immigrated to America it came along with them and it exploded in the new country.

I'll respect whatever your choice of beer make. Sometimes I even drink a brew from the evil empire too. More often than not I'm drinking something else besides that. More than likely I'll be drinking something brewed by those rebellious craft brewers. I try to be open about what try and not judge by who makes it. I judge beer by my own taste and no one else. I'd encourage you to have an open mind about beer. Maybe suggest a starter brew at most. I find it fun to explore different beers. I think your missing out on some pretty good beers if you restrict yourself otherwise.

So whether it be Bud Light, Coors Light, Samuel Adams Boston Lager, Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, DogFish Head 60 Minute, Duvel or a Heady Topper drink up and enjoy. Your in good company because your enjoying the best beverage in the world.

The Shawshank Redemption Beer

The Right Glass

I admit most of my beer glass collection is of the utilitarian "American Shaker Pint" with various logos. I'm not too picky what I put my suds in, I know that's blasphemous to some. I do have a hefeweizen glass and Guinness glass for those occasions. I also have the classic Samuel Adams glass too.  How do you drink your brew?

Harpoon Leviathan IPA

Usually when people think of craft beer in Boston they immediately think of Samuel Adam's which is brewed by Boston Beer Company. Little do people know that Harpoon Brewing is actually Massachusetts largest brewer and even has a second brewery in Vermont to keep up with demand.They are well known for the Harpoon IPA and UFO offerings.

Today's offering is Harpoon's Leviathan IPA which is an Imperial/Double IPA. I've seen this around in store quite a bit but for whatever reason never chose it. I finally did and I wasn't disappointed. Here is my review from RateBeer.com:

Hazy caramel body with a tinge of orange. Half inch foam off-white head that fades to thin film with a smattering of moderate bubbles. Aroma is a citrus with an apple-like crispness in the background. Some earthy pine can be detected. Initial blast of bitterness is noticeable but not overwhelming.Malt sweetness reminds me of apple with some sourness in the finish. Has a nice wet and sweet finish. Feels on the heavy side but still drinkable. It’s seems to say I’m friendly drink with a serious side. I look forward to more of these and I’ll recommend them too.

Fast Beer Facts:

First Brewed in 2008

Style: Imperial IPA

ABV - 10.0%

IBU (Bitterness) - 90

 

I gave it a 4.1 out 5.Worth a try!

That's No Moon!

Newburyport Fall Beer Fest

As soon as the wife comes back from the gym I'm headed to to historic Newburyport, Massachusetts for the Newburyport Fall Beer Fest. It'll be a long drive so I hope to be off soon. 

I'm also checking out some sights too as it's where my ancestors first settled the town of Newbury in 1635. My ancestor in fact was tasked with the first "Ordinary" which     is another term for tavern. It'll be interesting. Cheers!

10 Barrel's of Bud

Recently with 10 Barrel Brewing being acquired by Anheuser-Busch. You would think the whole craft beer community has turned a tizzy over this. Cries of "sell-out"and claims of quality going out the window now. Many claim they'll be boycotting 10 Barrel beer now. You'd think Darth Vader himself had bought this tiny rebel brewery and stormtroopers will now be making the beer.

Little do these doomsayers realize that when they wake up in the morning the same beers will be on the shelves tomorrow. The craft beer movement will go on. Beer will be made and beer will be drank.

Some don't realize these are business's that need to to make a profit too. Apparently this brewer caught Bud's eye as a way to expand AB's portfolio and a way to free up 10 Barrel to concentrate on doing what they do well which is make great beer. 

It would seem craft beer fans would like them to remain their own and small. Seems to think that if they stay local quality will be better. Not understanding many companies would like to expand and grow. It's like a local rock band making it big and now they've sold out. What nerve they had for wanting to be successful.

 

Maybe now people like us on the east coast will get a chance to grab some of 10 Barrel's offering's. Beer is beer. Enjoy it. 

To Bud or not to Bud

 If Darth Vader's evil empire had an official beer it would be Budweiser. To the craft beer geeks it's the symbol of the evil bland pale macro brew swill. It had also become a working class type of beer that was marketed as a an all-American beer. I doubt that there is any beer name that is more well known or despised. Does it deserve to be so? Is it really bad? Yes and no. 

At Beer Advocate it has a rating of  57 and RateBeer is at 0 overall and 3 for style(out of 100) with a weight average of 1.44 of 5. I rated it at 2.7. 

I picked up a 16oz single for sampling and a refresher for this commentary. It pours a fizzy straw yellow with a very sudsy head. Faint straw aroma. Faint hint of sweet malt on the taste buds. Remember anything offensive has been brewed out of it. I can see why it's popular. It's kind of a beverage that could probably go with anything as it. Serves as a social lubricant that doesn't require much thinking.It's not great  but it doesn't have bad qualities either.

Bud without beer coloring and carbonation.

It really is beer that became king through smart and aggressive marketing(for better or worse). I think this is where they've gained a bad name by playing the heavy against smaller upcoming brewers. The beer itself is unexciting and offending. Like politicians before elections it strives not to be too daring or different than the mainstream in order to get your vote (or in this case buy their product). 

Bud is what it is. I do try not to judge people who drink it. I don't think of it as bad but the the king of bland. One useful thing about this is that it could be used a bench mark to judge other brews. Enjoy it for what it is if you choose.

How do you treat Beer?

Michael Jackson - (1942-2007) Beer and whiskey writer.

"Beer deserves to be treated as a civilized drink; it may even have been the cause of civilization." 

-Michael Jackson (1942-2007)

 Beer in many ways still has an image of a lower class of alcoholic beverage in the mainstream of things. Much of that had to do with the image for many years a cheap bland drink for college students and rednecks to chug.

 

It had become devoid of flavor and distinctness in favor of selling it in mass quantities. It just became"beer".  Many probably didn't even know it came in different colors than pale straw yellow(and taste like that too). As the old joke goes: Why is American beer like making love in a canoe? Answer: It's fucking close to water.  

A recent cover of "The New Yorker" magazine may suggest that craft beer has made in roads to mainstream recognition. Reaction has been mixed by the cover's image of the bearded plaid shirt server presenting his selection much like one would a wine bottle at a swanky restaurant, towel on arm to add ambiance. 

  

The patron is appears to be gazing upward who is either swishing beer in his mouth or turning his nose at the selection. It's debatable if this is mocking beer snobs or just a light satire-like recognition of the craft beer crowd. A little self depreciating humor is fine among the beer crowd as not to become too snobbish about beer.

I do think it's important to keep an open mind about beer and culture. Not to get stuck in one type of beer or way of doing things. That's how "Big Beer" started losing it's edge to the craft beer movement years ago by brewing the same type of beer. On the other side it's not good to get hooked on 24-hour hopped Imperial IPA's brewed with coffee,blueberry, seaweed, chocolate chip cookies and oyster shells and then looking down on those that don't. Beer tastes vary as do food tastes also.

Beer is serious but keep in mind it's still beer. It's suppose to be fun to drink and is a great social lubricant. It also is a great way for people to gather and enjoy each others company. The craft beer revolution has given opportunities for creativity and entrepreneurs a great vehicle. Beer enthusiasts are the ones that benefit the fruits of their labor with the output of them both.