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

1001 BEERS: #72. VOLL-DAMM

# 72. VOLL-DAMM

S. A. Damm - Spain (Est.1876 )
First Brewed - 1953

ABV - 7.2% - Marzen
IBU's - 18/22


Ingredients:

Malts: Vienna or Munich malts, Maize, Rice
Hops: Noble hops are most common

Tasting Notes:

E:  Amber in colour with a thick foamy head, clear with a brilliant clarity.

N:  On the nose there is a toffee, caramel malt sweetness that combines with a slight bread/yeasty aroma. No pronounced hop aromas, but a little grassy notes.

P:  The caramel malty sweetness is found on the palate too, although not as intense as one would assume from the aroma.  The hop's do their work here and bring a balance in the way of a little spice and bitterness.

M: The mouth is left with an alcohol warming and a little astringency, slight chewy from the double malt used.

Other comments:

In 1872 August Kuntzmann Damm left his native Alsace to escape the Franco-Prussian war he set up home in Barcelona and started doing what he knew best, brewing beer. He used his German brewing roots to great avail and the S.A.Damm brewery was born.  Today the word damm is best associated with Estrella Damm the popular lager that is known the world over, but unknown to a lot of people there are a few hidden gems brewed by the Damm brewery that don't get much publication or credit.  Voll-Damm is one of those beers, first brewed in 1952 it was made to celebrate the Marzen style.  Voll meaning full or complete in German refers to the full body and intense flavours. Like the typical German Marzen style, it has a medium caramel sweetness with a subtle hop note, and a bold intense abv of 7.2%.  

Voll-Damm is greeted with mixed response in Spain.  In its birth town of Barcelona it is a hugely popular beer but outside the region of Catalonia the popularity declines and it is rare to find.  Outside of Spain it has won numerous awards including best strong lager at the 2007 WBA.  Voll-damm is a great beer and their is a sense of pride and passion when drinking inside the walls of Barcelona.

Food Pairings:

Marzen beers with their malty characters and low bitterness provide an exciting opportunity when pairing with food.  The archetypal German style should have a medium caramel sweetness a touch of spicy hop profile and a subtle biscuity/yeasty character.  These beers generally have moderate abv of between 4-4.7% but Voll-Damm is different with an abv of 7.2%, so you can be a lot more bold with your food choices.

Hearty pork dishes and rich sausages work wonders with Marzen's, the fats in the meats caramelise complementing the malt character in the beer.  The alcohol strength will stand up to rich flavours in the sausage, and even contrast against spice to balance out the dish and beer.

With spice in mind then you cant go wrong with Mexican, a rich chilli with its paprika spice contrasts against the sweetness whilst the subtle hop bitterness will help to cut through the fats and oils in the dish allowing the alcohol to balance the mouth.  Other Mexican dishes would work well such as Enchiladas or Burritos.  Naturally spanish tapas would work a treat and that is my recipe suggestion.

Merguez Sausage with Halloumi and Flame Roasted Peppers

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/nigella-express/merguez-with-halloumi-and-flame-roasted-peppers-recipe/index.html

SCORE: 3.35/5

Page: 289

1001 BEERS: #71. RIGGWELTER

# 71: RIGGWELTER

Black Sheep Brewery - England (Est.1992 )
First Brewed - 1995

ABV - 5.7% - Porter style
IBU's - 30/40

Ingredients:

Malts: Marris Otter Pale Ale, Crystal, Torrified Wheat, Chocolate Malt
Hops: East Kent Golding

Tasting Notes:

E:  Ruby brown in colour with a lively bubbly head and fantastic clarity.

N:  On the nose there is dried fruit and a sherry sweetness backed up by a caramel toffee aroma and a spicy hoppy nose

P:  Sweet fruitcake flavours lead to an earthy bold hop bitterness with a hint of vanilla at the end.

M: There is a dry hoppy bitterness that lingers leaving a refreshing finish.

Other comments:

The Black Sheep brewery is one of those household names in the beer industry, born out of the fall out of the Theakston brothers, Black Sheep was set up by Paul Theakston in 1992.  His family own the Theakston brewery in Masham, North Yorkshire and after an acrimonious split of the family, Paul set out to brew fine ales that were respected not only in Yorkshire but across the UK.  The name as you can well imagine comes from the now healed family argument, a black sheep is one who is seen as a disgrace or a failure to his family, and Paul took this idiom and played upon it.

Today Masham houses two breweries that live and work side by side producing ales for both the UK and World market.  The Black Sheep Brewery's Riggwelter is their flagship 'strong ale' first brewed in 1995 it uses a wonderful blend of Goldings hops and three malts with a touch of wheat that develops the creamy lacing.  The beer is a fine blend of fruity hops and roasted malt flavours that combined with a healthy 5.7%abv creates a well-rounded strong ale that is very accessible.

Not the most obvious of names for an ale, but one that is a talking point.  A Riggwelter is an old Yorkshire farming term which has Norse roots.  A "rygg" meaning black and "velt" meaning to overturn.  A sheep is said to be "rigged" or "riggwelted", when it has rolled over on its back and cannot get up without assistance.  An apt saying for a strong ale in Yorkshire.

Food Pairings:

Strong ales are best matched with strong flavours.  The pale chocolate malts in Riggwelter provide a roasted flavour and intensity that works brilliantly with roasted red meats such as beef and even gamey flavours like venison.  Strong British cheese's by the way of mature cheddar and stilton would make a perfect accompaniment as well.  

The slight coffee and chocolate flavours of Riggwelter and the slight fruitiness of the beer makes it a perfect partner to rich desserts.  Thanks to the wheat the beer has a creaminess that works well with chocolate helping complement each other, so look at chocolate tort or ganache's.

My food pairing is a classic dish:

Beef & Riggwelter Pie

http://www.howtocook.cc/htmls/recipe/Beef/Beef-Porter-Pie-recipe-40.html

SCORE: 3.3/5

Page: 239

1001 BEERS: #70. BITTER & TWISTED

# 70: BITTER & TWISTED

Harviestoun Brewery - Scotland (Est.1986 )
First Brewed - 1997

4.2% ABV - Blond Beer
IBU's - 34

Ingredients:

Malts: Lager, Crystal, malted wheat, oats
Hops: Hersbruker, Celeia, Perle, Bobek


Tasting Notes:

E: Pours a pale, golden, colour and is crystal clear, with a thin white head that dissipates quickly. 

N: Lots of hop aromas here with big bold grapefruit notes and herbal spice with an underlying whiff of zesty citrus.

P: The taste matches the aromas with the grapefuit and citrus replicated on the palate, their is a slight hop bitterness that is both peppery and a little spicy.

M: The mouth is left refreshed with a bittersweet mouthfeel that has a lingering citrus and malty sweetness.

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.  In 1997 Bitter and Twisted was first brewed, a light hoppy blonde beer that was quiet unique at the time.  The name originates from a small fracas that ensued not long after the first brew and after a lot of shouting and some swearing someone used the term bitter & twisted, well the name was more impressive than the argument and it stayed.  Today the label has had a face lift, but the beer is still refreshing, zingy and well balanced that puts a smile on your face and makes you wish it never ends!

Food Pairings:

Blonde beers that are low in alcohol need to be treated with a lot of delicacy, it is important to work with the characters of the beer and if there is a bold hop bitterness or malt character then work with them.  Here Bitter and Twisted has a lot of zingy citrus flavours and a slight peppery spicy hop bitterness, so there is lots to play with.

My initial direction would be towards fish, the light spritzy carbonation and relatively low abv means it would work wonders with cod or plaice.  The slight hop bitterness is quite mild and would not overpower a lemon sole with a lovely citrus butter, drawing on those citrus flavours in the beer.  Smoked salmon would be a good choice as well, the beer has enough peppery hop spice to stand up to the smoked flavours, whilst the malty sweetness of the beer cuts through the salt allowing the mouth to feel well balanced.  

Alternatively, you can go for a dish with lots of spice and bold in heat, so go with a lovely pork or chicken curry, nothing heavy in terms of cream but a nice rich tomato based spicy curry like a madras or if you dare a vindaloo!

My recipe choice is as follows:

Grilled Pork with Lemon & Thyme Barley

http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/1120671/grilled-pork-with-lemon-and-thyme-barley

SCORE: 3.45/5

Page: 328

1001 BEERS: #69. St. PETER'S CREAM STOUT

# 69: St. PETER'S CREAM STOUT

St. Peter's Brewery - England (Est.1996 )
First Brewed - 2001

6.5% ABV - Stout
IBU's - 31/34

Ingredients:

Malts: Five grains all locally sourced.
Hops: Fuggle, Challenger.


Tasting Notes:

E: Pours a dark black with a thin beige head that resembles the head on an expresso, little lacing.

N: The nose offers aromas of espresso coffee and dark chocolate with dark burnt notes from the roasted barley.

P: The palate has a bitterness that is more in the form of roasted malt rather than hop, there is a slight taste of chocolate and dried fruit.

M: The beer is light with a slight oily nature leaving a bittersweet flavour that lingers.

Other comments:

St.Peter's brewery is situated in St.Peter South Elmham just outside Bungay in Suffolk.  The brewery itself is housed in range of former agricultural buildings adjacent to St.Peter's hall.  The hall itself dates back to the 13th century, but the brewery was built in 1996 and the St.Peter's brewery was born.

The brewery produces real ales, of which 80% are bottled, with a brewing capacity of over 17,500 barrels per annum.  All beers are produced using local grains and the water is drawn from the well found at the brewery.
The distinctive oval bottle is a replica of one from Gibbstown, near Philadelphia, which dated from 1770.  It was produced by Thomas Gerrard, an innkeeper with a tidewater inn on the Delaware river.

This cream stout was created by head brewer Mark Slater and based on a pre-Guinness stout recipe.  St.Peter's uses bold english hops and a grist that contains four grains which helps to create a full-bodied, strong dark chocolate flavoured stout that is very satisfying

Food Pairings:

Cream stouts unlike standard stouts are a little sweeter and a little smoother, so they lean more towards being paired with desserts rather than spicy food and oysters that the standard Irish stouts work so well with.  The chocolate elements to St.Peter's are to be embraced so match it like for like with chocolate desserts, the espresso coffee flavours as well, will offer further depth when pairing, as this opens the door to desserts that have a high sweetness as the bitterness will help balance that sweetness out.  

As the name suggests anything with a cream/milky base will be suited as well, so desserts such as creme brûlée or ice cream would work wonderfully.  Pecan pie would work wonderfully with those caramelised flavours working beautifully with the creaminess of the stout.  My pairing for the blog though is in theory a very obvious pairing, but one that works so well.

TIRAMISU

http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/9652/bestever-tiramisu

SCORE: 3.25/5

Page: 811

1001 BEERS: #68. BLACK CHOCOLATE STOUT

# 68: BLACK CHOCOLATE STOUT

Brooklyn Brewery - USA (Est. 1988)
First Brewed - 1994

10% ABV - Stout
IBU's - 51

Ingredients:

Malts: Roasted barley, black barley, black malt, chocolate malt, caramel malt, pale malt, malted wheat
Hops: Willamette, Fuggles

Tasting Notes:

E: Thick black, tar like in colour, with no opaqueness.  Big thick beige head.

N: On the nose there are sweet malts that deliver a coffee aroma with a hit of chocolate that almost has the characteristic of tiramisu.  There is a slight hop spice on the nose as well.

P: The palate is hit by burnt malt bitterness and then there is a slight sourness, the sweetness on the nose doesn't feature so prominently on the palate, but features in the form of dried fruit and chocolate.

M: The mouth is left with a creamy dark chocolate finish, some bitterness and a drying that has some astringency to it.

Other comments:

Black chocolate stout is one of those beers that has a marmite effect on people, they either love it or hate it.  Created by Garret Oliver whilst brewing for a microbrewery, he brewed a winter beer on behalf of the growing Brooklyn brewery, this beer took the form of Black chocolate stout, a beer with a warming alcohol intensity, velvety creamy mouthfeel, and an intense coffee and chocolate flavour, yet the irony is that no chocolate is used in the making of this beer.

BCS is a robust beer at 10% it is brewed to the same style as an imperial stout, taking three separate mashes to produce enough wort for this beer to exist.  It uses a vast array of grains that when combined with the two bold hops used help in balancing the beer creating a full bodied and rounded intensity that is satisfying.  Naturally this beer is at its best in the winter months as a slow drinker or when paired with food.

Food Pairings:

Stout's with their rich full body and burnt coffee flavours work well with strong cheese's and big meaty flavours such as pie's and of course oysters.  Black chocolate stout though with its chocolate flavours and dried fruit characters is more adept to desserts as well as strong cheese.  

The perfect accompaniment would be to embrace the chocolate flavours and the creamy mouthfeel and go down the route of chocolate tarts, ganaches and fondants.  Throw some fruit into it as well, as you have the prune, raisin like flavours in the beer.  Another great pairing is ice cream, where the sweetness can cut through the hop bitterness, and the creamy texture of the beer can match perfectly with the cream in the ice cream, cleansing the palate.

If you prefer a savoury dessert then for your cheese's go bold, think aged gouda, stilton, aged cheddar's and cheese with a real intensity and bite that can stand up to the alcohol strength.  If you want a fruit compote or chutney to go with it, then go raisin and dark grape.

My food pairing recipe for Black Chocolate Stout is:

Chocolate Truffle Tort

http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/1357/decadent-chocolate-truffle-torte

SCORE: 3.35/5

Page: 638

1001 BEERS: #67. MEANTIME LONDON STOUT

# 67: MEANTIME LONDON STOUT

Meantime Brewery - England (Est.1999)
First Brewed - 2008

4.5% ABV - Stout
IBU's - 33

Ingredients:

Malts: Brown and Black Malt, 
Hops: Goldings

Tasting Notes:

E: Dark brown with a slight reddish hue, off white almost beige head that is thin, not much lacing.

N: Aromas of coffee, roasted malts with a slight biscuity character and  a fresh nose.

P: A little smoky, with a dark roasted malty flavour, slight element of caramel sweetness, followed by a mid bitterness that develops.

M: Thin in body, with an oily mouthfeel, a good balance of sweet and bitterness with a little drying towards the end.

Other comments:

The porter and stout are archetypal styles that have both had success in London in the past and now through the craft beer revolution are seeing a welcomed revival.  Meantime saw a growing interest in classic British styles and after their pale ale and porter brewed their London stout in 2008. Following the classic porter recipe, Alastair Hook wanted to put his own twist on it, by incorporating the stout style.  The result is a softer, more velvety stout than that of Guinness, with it being 100% malt grist and no roasted barley.

Food Pairings:

Ah stout's with food, is always fun to match, the chocolate, biscuity, roasted, sweet flavours work wonderfully with a number of dishes, more so desserts, as one can imagine.  The rounded balance of sweet and bitter are the perfect accompaniment to chocolate desserts, so embrace it and pair this stout with a chocolate fondant or chocolate ganache.  The chocolate will coat the mouth then the velvety stout will cleanse the palate, combining the flavours and leaving the mouth feeling rounded and ready for the next bite.

My food pairing recipe is:

Chocolate Hazelnut Fondants

http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/20285/chocolate+and+hazelnut+soft+centred+puddings



SCORE: 2.55/5

Page: