1001 BEERS: #64. AUGUSTINER LAGERBIER HELL

# 64: AUGUSTINER LAGERBIER HELL

Augustiner-Brau Wagner - Germany (Est.1328)
First Brewed - 19th Century

5.2% ABV - Helles Lager
IBU's - 18-25

Ingredients:

Malts: Pale
Hops: German Noble

Tasting Notes:

E: Bright and light in colour with a white head that is highly volatile.

N: Sweet malty notes and an element of grassy, citrus hops.

P: Slight acidity with sweet malt undertones and a very gently mild bitterness.

M: Lots of carbonation with a refreshing spritzy feel that leaves a sweet dryness

Other comments:

The Augustiner Brau was established in 1328 and therefore is Munich's oldest brewery.  Augustiner beer has been held in high esteem in Germany as a beer of outstanding quality.  So much so that the Bavarian Prince exempted the monks from any taxes as reward for brewing such exceptional beer.

The brewery has had substantial investments used to modernize facilities Augustiner Brau's

raised its efficiency and the overall production capacity. Two full mechanical bottling plants take care of the bottled beer brewing while the masters can completely concentrate on the draft beer - filled in the traditional wooden barrels. The brewery use only quality malts produced in the firm-own maltery. The whole company's hot water supply is warmed up with non-polluting natural gas and the steam clouds produced by the fermenting tanks are reused for power production, instead of being blown into the air like in old times. The brewing water, which has outstanding qualities, is pumped up from a firm-own well at a depth of 230 m.

Lagerbier Hell is a fantastic example of the Munich Helles style.  Helles meaning 'pale' in German was something of a black sheep when introduced in the 1890's.  The Bavarians were very stubborn drinkers and were almost frightened about this new pale lager which was much more different to their normal darker beer styles.  Unlike Pilsner's, Helles lagers have a more accentuated malt character and are slightly lighter in colour than their Czech counterparts.  Unlike other Helles lagers Augustiner goes through a secondary fermentation, making it more complex and rounded.

Food Pairings:

Helles can match similar food groups to that of Pilsner's, but due its lighter character, certain food's are more stand out than others.  Like all Pilsner's German sausages are a fantastic pairing, as well as the classic Bavarian dish of roast pork, sauerkraut and potato dumplings, here the Helles malty sweetness plays on the sweet flavours in the meat, whilst the carbonation cuts through the fats.  

Alternatively, eggs are a great and slightly left-field choice.  Eggs and wine have a troublesome relationship, but a Helles lager with it's light mouthfeel will work nicely.  More so with eggs benedict, where the the lager cuts through the hollandaise and cuts through the saltiness of the ham/bacon.  The yolk which usually coats the mouth, hence the troublesome wine relationship is cleansed by the spritzy carbonation, cleansing the palate, leaving the residual sweet dryness of the beer to prevail.

http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/2450/gordons-eggs-benedict

SCORE: 3.4/5

Page: 316

1001 BEERS: #63. TSINGTAO

# 63: TSINGTAO

Tsingtao Brewery - China (Est.1903)
First Brewed - 1903

4.7% ABV - Asian Adjunct Lager
IBU's - 18-20

Ingredients:

Malts: Pale, Crystal
Hops: Probably Saaz

Tasting Notes:

E: Clear pale straw-like colour with a thin fine head.

N: The nose is quite mild with a slight hint of bread and cooked vegetal.

P: The palate demonstrates an initial sweet malty flavour that has a slight nuttiness, with a citrus, floral hop bitterness, that is surprising given the aroma.

M: The mouth is refreshed, as the crisp beer has a high carbonation, with a lingering sweetness.

Other comments:

'Ching-dow' as it is pronounced has the proud title of being China's first beer.  With such an accolade comes a sense of pride and importance, and unlike other Chinese beers this is by far one of the better beers.  Brewed in the North-eastern seaport city of Qingdao, Tsingtao is the product of German colonists who set up here in 1903.  

The German colonists used the pure spring water from the Laoshan mountains nearby, as well as locally grown barley, rice and hops, this combined with German brewing techniques resulted in the birth of Tsingtao.  The beer won a gold medal at the 1906 Munich International Exhibition, and today it is one of the most exported Chinese beers, servicing over 50 countries.

The beer uses malted barley from Canada and Australia and rice, a staple in Asian beers, due to it's abundance and relatively low cost.  The brew is fermented for at least twenty-eight days using a special yeast strain cultivated in the brewery.

Food Pairings:

Beers that have such a strong link to their country of origin generally work well with cuisine from that country, so for Tsingtao then naturally Asian style food will pair nicely.  The high carbonation and hopped flavour will lend itself well to spicy food, whilst the sweet honey finish will contrast against spice.

So for my food pairing, i'm staying with a Chinese dish and honouring the beer with an authentic recipe that will allow the beer to complement the flavours of China.

Chicken and Cashew nut stir-fry

http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/chickenandcashewnuts_89299

SCORE: 2.3/5

Page: 525

1001 BEERS: #62 MARSTON'S PEDIGREE

# 62: MARSTON'S PEDIGREE

Marston's Brewery - England (Est.1834)
First Brewed - 1952

4.5% ABV - Pale Ale
IBU's - 33

Ingredients:

Malts: Maris Otter
Hops: Fuggles, Goldings

Tasting Notes:

E: Dark, golden/amber in colour with a slight off white head.

N: The nose lets off an initial malty aroma which has elements of caramel and toffee.  There is a slight hint of sulphur which comes from the 'Burton Snatch'

P: Full-bodied with a slight fruity hop bitterness but the majority of the flavour comes from the nutty and biscuity malts.

M: The beer has a creamy, silky complexion with a lingering dry bitterness that makes up for lack of bitterness on the palate.

Other comments:

Marston's and in particular Pedigree are synonymous with British brewing.  With nearly 200 years brewing tradition and heritage Marston's have grown into one of England's biggest brewery since their early days in 1828 in Burton-Upon-Trent (the home of British beer).  John Marston set up the brewery and it was not long before the Marston's brand was evolving with acquisitions of pubs in and around the Midlands.  The 1920's through to the 60's saw even further expanse with acquisitions in Shropshire, Stoke, Cumbria, Worcester, Winchester and Manchester.  The brewery was then purchased in 1999 by Wolverhampton & Dudley before in 2005 renaming the brewery Marston's PLC.  Today Marston's is the largest brewer of cask ales and has an estate of over 2,000 pubs.

The beer was first launched to the public in 1952, and was named best ale Pedigree pale ale, a bold statement to demonstrate the good times were coming after the austere years straight after WWII.  Marston's at the time used the Burton Union system of brewing their beer, which was used since 1840 to create and produce 'better' ales.  At the start of the fermentation the beer is transferred into 264 linked oak barrels, with carbon dioxide, a by product of fermentation, helping to expel the yeast off the beer.  Today Marston's is the sole survivor of the this system, deemed too expensive to survive in the mainstream.  

The water at Burton is perfect for brewing ales, the water has higher levels of gypsum (calcium sulphate) which help to make a clearer, brighter bitter.  As well as helping to create a brighter beer the natural filtration of the water through the gypsum beds also adds a distinctive sulphurous aroma to the beer, and this is known by the infamous name of the 'Burton Snatch'.

Food Pairings:

Marston's Pedigree is quintessentially British, and deserves a quintessentially British food pairing to embody the flavour and the heritage.  There are a number of stand out pairings that would work perfectly, firstly nothing screams out for an ale better than a good old English ploughmans.  Robust cheddars are complemented by the nutty flavours in the beer, and the creamy, silky finish will help cut through the cloying in the cheese, whilst the sweet malts will set off the against the acidity of pickle and draw out the sweet flavours.

For something a little more main course then, look no further than a great British roast!  Beef or Pork would be the two meats that would work the best, the lovely roasted fats in the meat complementing the biscuity malt flavours, whilst the slight peppery hop flavours match perfectly with the beef.  Their are some red apple notes in the beer that complements both beef and obviously pork, whilst the carbonation cuts through any residual fats, leaving the palate refreshed and satisfied.

Here's my Roast Beef recipe

http://www.simplybeefandlamb.co.uk/recipes/roast-beef-beer-vegetable-toad-hole

SCORE: 3.0/5

Page: 225

1001 BEERS: #61. SNECK LIFTER

# 61: SNECK LIFTER

Jennings Brewery - England (Est.1828)
First Brewed - 1990

5.1% ABV - ESB / Strong Bitter
IBU's - 30-50

Ingredients:

Malts: Crystal, Chocolate
Hops: Challenger, Fuggles, Goldings

Tasting Notes:

E: Ruby red, fantastic clarity, big foamy head that dissipates quickly, good lacing.

N: Smoky with a coffee malt aroma, then plenty of earthy hop characters.

P: Biscuity malt flavour which provides a balanced sweetness against the chocolate and coffee flavours.  There is a peppery hop finish.

M: Smooth, mild bitterness with a lingering bittersweet flavour on the palate.

Other comments:

Jennings brewery was situated in the picturesque back drop of Cumbria between Kendal and Cockermouth in the small village of Lorton.  It was first set up in 1828 by John Jennings, son of William Jennings a malster by trade.  By 1874 the decision was taken to expand the brewery down the road to Cockermouth, which gave the Jennings brewery a more credible appearance than that of a home-brewery.  

In 1887 the Jennings brothers converted the concern into a limited company, consisting of 3 maltings and 16 outlets.  Throughout the 20th century the Jennings brewery acquired four Cumbrian breweries and expanded their range of beers to appeal to all tastes.  It wasn't until 2005 that the Jennings family legacy ceased to exist after the brewery was purchased by Marston's.  This however, hasn't meant the traditions and history of the family have been lost, and are honoured in the 21st century.

Sneck Lifter itself is a produce the 199o's ale boom, when licensees were allowed to purchase guest cask ales into brewery owned pubs.  Jennings much like a lot of other regional breweries saw this as an opportunity to expand their demographic and increase sales.  Originally brewed as a winter warmer, Sneck Lifter was a keen favourite of the guest ale revolution and by 1995 joined the perennials on the Jennings portfolio.  The name comes from local dialect; a "Sneck lifter" is a cunning person who quietly tries to lift the latch of a pub's door - the sneck - to sneak in and spend his last money on a beer in the hope that they will befriend a stranger who will buy them another pint or two.

Food Pairings:

ESB's and strong ales usually come with a robust flavour that requires robust foods to stand up to them and vice versa.  My initial thoughts are to go with red meats, especially those that are roasted and grilled, where the fats in the meat have caramelised and matches nicely against the biscuity sweet malt flavours in Sneck Lifter.  The peppery hop flavours will match and complement a lovely sirloin steak or a nicely grilled duck breast.  The strength of the beer will be enough for it to stand up to game, but only if there is a sweet fruity element to the dish, such as plum or blackberry.

Most British bitters work wonderfully well with cheese, and Sneck Lifter is no different.  It works very well an aged Gouda or a nutty Asiagio that has a texture similar to Parmesan and a robust flavour that stands up to the malty depth in the beer.  

My food pairing recipe is A Cheese Board containing Gouda, Asiagio, Comte and Cheddar, with some Quince Jelly.

SCORE: 3.05/5

Page: 263

1001 BEERS: #60. JEVER PILSENER

# 60: JEVER PILSENER

Friesisches Brauhaus zu Jever - Germany (Est.1848)
First Brewed - 1934

4.9% ABV - Pilsner
IBU's - 33

Ingredients:

Malts: Pale Malt
Hops: Hallertau, Tettnang

Tasting Notes:

E: Golden, straw-like colour with fantastic clarity and a spritzy bubbly head.

N: Plenty of hops on the nose, slight buttery aroma, with a sweet malty character.

P: The buttery feel is replicated on the palate, bitterness is bold with a crisp bite.  The sweet malt character continues on the finish.

M: There is a lingering hop bitterness that is slightly acidic with a dry aftertaste that is pronounced.

Other comments:

The town of Jever sits in the North of Germany near the city of Bremen and the border with the Netherlands.  The brewery was first found in 1848 by Diedrich Konig, and was one of only a few breweries in the Friesland region.  Diedrich suffered an untimely death in 1867, and the brewery was handed down to his son, who did not share the same interest as his father and sold the brewery to Theodore Fetkoter.  Theodore took the brewery to a new level and was pivotal in installing the first water supply system in Jever.  

Like most European breweries, World War I played a part in their history, this was the same for Jever, when Theodore's son, who had taken over the business, was killed on the front line.  Once again the brewery was sold, this time to Bavaria-St.Paul Brewery based in Hamburg.  Difficult times ensued during World War II with fuel shortages meaning delivery of the beer was halted, and the only way for people to purchase the product was direct from the brewery gates.  Post World War II saw the brewery settle and the newly named Jever Pilsener began to build a reputation across the country.  The German beer drinkers savoured the unusual flavour of the beer, as it was a lot more bitter and dry than the southern lagers of the time.  Since 1994 the brewery has been sold twice, and is now owned by Radeberger Gruppe.

Food Pairings:

Unlike most German pilsner's Jever has a more robust bitterness and a greater lingering dryness, so you can be a little more bold with your pairings that the usual Pilsner food matches.  The high bitterness allows you to look at balancing against sweetness or residual fats, so you can look at pate or light german sausages.  The hop bitterness will also emphasise spice, so you can work both these characteristics and pair with a spicy german sausage as well, where the beer can work on two levels.

The beer's lingering drying will also pair nicely against oily fish, such as mackerel, sardines, trout or salmon.  The drying will help absorb the oils, whilst the spritzy carbonation will cleanse the palate of any residual oils and fats.

My recipe pairing is down the fish route and is Salmon with Salsa Verde

http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/1993637/salmon-with-salsa-verde

SCORE: 3.1/5

Page: 400

1001 BEERS: #59. POPERINGS HOMMEL BIER

 

# 59: POPERINGS HOMMEL BIER

Brouwerij Van Ecke - Belgium (Est.1862)
First Brewed - 1981

7.5% ABV - Belgian Pale Ale
IBU's - 26-28

Ingredients:

Malts: Summer, Winter, Pale Malts
Hops: Three varieties, Hallertau Hop

Tasting Notes:

E: Cloudy with a straw-like yellow colour, and a bold, tight white head.

N: The nose is complex with a decent array of spicy hop aromas, mixed with yeast and malty sweetness.

P: On the palate the beer is full-bodied with a initial spicy hop flavour, followed by citrus in the way of orange rind and grapefruit with a residual sweetness at the end.

M: The carbonation is light and the mouth is left with a warming spicy dryness with a yeasty finish.

Other comments:

Hailing from the town of Poperinge in Belgium, a stones throw from the World War I battle fields of Ypres, the town is located in the heart of Belgium's hop production region.  The word for hop in the local dialect is 'hommel' and this beer unlike most Belgian beers demonstrates those hop qualities in full.

The brewery has been in the hands of the Van Eecke family since 1862, when they purchased a castle brewery.  The castle was reconstructed after it was left in ruins due to the French revolution.  The family renamed it Goulden Leeuw (Golden Lion) and serviced the local population with a couple of beers.  After WWII the family reconstructed the castle again, and introduced the Kapittel line of beers.  

Today the hommel bier has a reputation as being the first 'hoppy' style beer that broke the mould of Belgian beers, and is seen as an icon in the hop capital region of Belgium.  I'll drink to that! 

Food Pairings:

Most Belgian pale ales have a more malty character, but hommels bier is all about the hops, so think a little different when pairing with food.  Belgian pale ales love meat, sausage, pork, chicken and turkey, so this is where we are going with our food pairing.  As hommels has a more pronounced hop flavour then I am going for a meat dish with a little spice, so that the hop bitterness can cut through those spice and allow the malty biscuit flavours in the beer enhance the meat.  

I've gone for Cajun-style spiced Pork chops, which has a delicate spice and a sweetness that the beer will stand up to and embrace.  The slight herbal flavours in the beer will naturally work well with the pork, as will the biscuity malt caramel flavours.

http://bbq.about.com/od/porkrecipes/r/bl60515b.htm

SCORE: 3.25/5

Page: 465

1001 BEERS: #58. THORNBRIDGE KIPLING

 

# 58: THORNBRIDGE KIPLING

Thornbridge Brewery - England (Est. 2005)
First Brewed - 2006

5.2% ABV - Pale Ale
IBU's - 50

Ingredients:

Malts: Maris Otter Pale Ale, Munich, Torrified Wheat
Hops: Nelson Sauvin

Tasting Notes:

E: Golden with thin white head that dissipates quickly leaving a firm lacing.

N: Full fruity aromas of tropical fruits such as kiwi, passionfruit and a waft of grapefruit and citrus.  There is a little malt aroma but just a tad.

P: On the palate the tropical fruit flavours continue with the citrus,  kiwi and grapefruit being prominent, the bitterness is bold with a little spice with little sweetness from the malts.

M: High carbonation, the mouth is left refreshed by the light crisp body of the pale ale, with a lingering tropical bitterness that dry's towards the end.

Other comments:

The Thornbridge brewery can be categorised as one of the breweries that was at the forefront of the British beer revival in the mid naughties.  They launched in 2005 with an ethos of brewing cask beers that honoured the classic British styles but adding a modern twist to reinvent them for the 21st century.  The brewing was in the hands of an Italian, Stefano Cossi, and his passion to push the boundaries has been the backbone in making Thornbridge a highly reputable and innovative brewery 8 years on.

Kipling is a Pale Ale that has its origins in a small amount of hop samples sent to Stefano in 2005.  These hop samples were Nelson Sauvin, a hop variety grown in New Zealand, an area of the world which was not renown for its hop culture.  The tropical fruit aromas of Nelson Sauvin were an instant hit with Stefano and Martin Dickie so they set out to create a beer that would allow the hops to shine through.  Paired with Munich malts and a little torrified wheat, Kipling was born and today it is a stalwart of the Thornbridge range, gaining accolades and awards.  The name comes from the old outbuilding at the brewery that once contained a small bay window which originally came from Rudyard Kipling's caravan.

Food Pairings:

British and American pale ales have a very distinct aroma and flavour and the usual food pairings of Roasted chicken, burgers and spicy mexican food, won't pair as well with Thornbridge Kipling.  Kipling demonstrates more tropical aromas and flavours with little malt characteristics, so focus on this when pairing with food.

Kipling needs more delicate flavours, so forget red meats, this beer cries out for the citrus and tropical flavours to be complemented and used, so think about dishes that either contain or are enhanced by citrus.  The hop bitterness can help to cut through fats and spice, but be careful which spice you go for.  Piri-Piri heat is different to that of a curry but dont be afraid to go down the spice route.

My pairing would be Beer Battered Prawns with a Tomato and Chilli Relish. The recipe states Coopers but go with Kipling in the recipe and let those tropical flavours infuse in the batter.

http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/20454/beer+battered+prawns+with+tomato+and+chilli+relish

SCORE: 3.15/5

Page: 515