1001 BEERS: #74. JACOBSEN SAAZ BLONDE

# 74: JACOBSEN SAAZ BLONDE

Husbryggeriet Jacobsen - Denmark (Est.2005 )
First Brewed - 2005

7.1% ABV - Belgian Style Blonde Ale
IBU's - 17-25

Ingredients:

Malts: Pilsner Malt, Caramel Malt
Hops: Saaz
Other: Angelica Extract


Tasting Notes:

E: Vibrant golden amber colour with a frothy white head, lovely lacing.

N: Lots of tropical fruits and a piney hint with herbal notes.

P: Spicy on the palate with hints of herbs backed by a robust alcohol sweetness.

M: Quite dry on the mouth, with a full well balanced flavour that lingers.

Other comments:

Believe it or not Jacobsen is owned by Carlsberg.  It is the experiment of the Carlsberg brewery as they endeavour to capitalise on the increasing popularity in speciality beers.  The fact that the fourth largest brewery group in the world dedicates time, effort and money into the experimentation of beer is somewhat refreshing and restores a little faith back in the so called "big four", but only a little.  The beer was first brewed by Morten Ibsen in 2005 the year the brewery started.  It is a Belgian-style blond ale that takes its name from the famous Saaz hop of the Czech Republic.  For those who know the hop then you will be familiar with its pine and herbal characteristic.  What Morten does in Saaz blond is increase those herbal notes by adding Angelica extract, known as the "Nordic Ginseng" which intensifies the herbal bitterness.  The use of Belgian yeast gives the beer its fruitiness, whilst the pilsner and caramel malts introduce sweetness that is enhanced by the beers 7.1% abv.  The result is a suprisingly delicious beer that offers the palate a heady mix of pine, herbs, sweet fruitness and warming alcohol which is very moreish.  The shape of the bottle comes from the old Carlsberg lighthouse next to the brewery entrance which was built in 1883.

Food Pairings:

Jacobsen Saaz Blonde is a perfect beer to start your evening, some may argue that it's abv is strong to be an aperitif, but the beautiful balance and combination of flavours make it a perfect alternative to wine.  If not as an aperitif then this beer screams out fish, and why not when the Danes practically live off this readily available food source.

The sweetness in the beer is a perfect companion to scallops where fruity sweetness enhances the delicate sweetness in the scallop, allowing the herbs and fruit flavours to develop.  Meaty fish such as monkfish would be a great choice as the strength of the beer can stand up to the salt and meaty nature, allowing the sweetness to contrast against the salt.  If there is citrus involved in the dish then it needs to be gentle and not too acidic, the herbal bitterness can cut through it allowing the tropical fruit aromas to grab hold of the citrus flavours in the dish and prevail.

My food pairing is 

Grilled Swordfish with Pineapple and Chilli Salsa

http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/2517/griddled-swordfish-with-pineapple-and-chilli-salsa

SCORE: 3.75/5

Page: 395

1001 BEERS: #73. SCHIEHALLION

# 73: SCHIEHALLION

Harviestoun Brewery - Scotland (Est.1986 )
First Brewed - 1994

4.8% ABV - Blond Beer
IBU's - 34

Ingredients:

Malts: Lager Malt, Wheat Malt
Hops: Hersbrucker, Celeia, Perle, Bobek


Tasting Notes:

E: Pale straw in colour with a bright glow and a thin white head, nice lacing

N: Plenty of grapefruit and tropical fruits on the nose with an underlying bready yeasty nose.  Hints of honey sweetness and a touch of floral hop on the finish.

P: On the palate lots of biscuity malt flavours partnered with that honey sweetness, balanced by a gentle hop bitterness

M: The beer is crisp with a refreshing finish and a gentle bitter aftertaste.

Other comments:


Harviestoun brewery was founded in 1984 by Ken Brookes on his farm just outside Dollar in Scotland, and the brewery has grown both in size and reputation.  Starting out brewing just the one beer Harviestoun Real Ale, Ken had managed to get his hands on a mash tun previously used to make Jam and a boiler that was once a dye tun.  It wasn't until 1989 that the brewery purchased some proper kit and the production was stepped up a gear or two and more brews were being produced.

Schiehallion pronounced (She-ha-lee-on) is a mountain in Perthshire that comes second to Ben Nevis in Scottish affections. The mountain was also once used to carry out a scientific experiment in the 18th century.  This experiment was carried out in an attempt to determine the mean density of the Earth.  It was this mountain that sprung to mind when master brewer Stuart Call first brewed Schiehallion in 1994.  The beer is cask conditioned, light and hoppy a radical move away from darker beers that were popular in Scotland in the mid 1990's.  The lager is produced using both lager malt and wheat malt with a lovely blend of four hops that gives Schiehallion a crisp biting finish and a prominent hop bitterness.
The popularity of the beer has led it to win numerous awards including a several times gold winner at the Great British Beer Festival, giving the endorsement that this beer deserves the credit of being a superb lager.

Food Pairings:

Light hoppy with a fruity aroma and a subtle honey sweetness, Schiehallion has a fantastic diverse characteristic that allows it to work well with a number of dishes.  Initial thoughts turn to pasta dishes, especially ones that contain fish and a subtle blend of sweetness and citrus flavours.  A beautiful plate of crab linguine with fresh chilli and lemon zest will complement the beer perfectly.  The sweetness of the crab meat complements the honey malty sweetness in Schiehallion, whilst the hop bitterness will cut through the acidity of the lemon and the heat of the chilli, allowing the floral hop flavours and gentle crisp bite to prevail, cleansing the palate and setting the mouth up for the next bite.

Other dishes that would work well would be risotto or try pork sliders with a creamy coleslaw.

My recipe choice though is the crab linguine which can be found below.

Linguine with crab, fresh chilli and lemon zest.

http://www.bigoven.com/recipe/262741/linguine-with-crab-lemon-and-fresh-chilli

SCORE: 3.35/5

Page: 485