cymru66

August is a sad month for me. Today I received another case of beer from the Beer of the Month Club, which unfortunately is the last delivery of microbrewed beers in a series of 12 which my wife bought for me as a 40th birthday gift last August.

This month’s selections are:

• Great White from the Lost Coast Brewery
• Buzzards Bay Pilsner from Buzzards Bay Brewing
• Aramis from the Microbrasserie Les Trois Mousquetaires, Canada
• Imperial Weizen also from the Microbrasserie Les Trois Mousquetaires, Canada

Love the label on this one! The name is a clever play on words—this being an interpretation of the Belgian “wit” or “white” style of beer. But the shark theme also works because this brew has a bit of a hop surprise lurking beneath the surface of what would otherwise be a very placid brew. More on that later… Note the very inviting aroma, beckoning you to submerse yourself in this beer; orange notes dominate, with stylistically-unexpected hints of Pacific Northwest hops peaking through the aroma’s surface like the dorsal fin of a shark—letting you know something’s lurking beneath the surface—but there’s nothing you can do about it—you’re already in and there’s no getting out! This beer offers the citrusy, thirst-quenching character of a traditional wit, but melds in the hop bite of a pale ale. The hop character is flower petal like, bitterly floral, and there’s a subtle yet complex herbal quality, no doubt owing to the mysteriously referenced “secret blend of Humboldt herbs” (Humboldt is the county where this beer is made—and it’s not tough to envision brewer Barbara Groom with mortar and pestle, grinding selected herbs to perfect her recipe—she is after all, and ex-pharmacist). You might also pick up the subtlest note of scotch as the beer warms; despite being only 4.8% ABV, it’s got some unexpected power. The alcohol presence seems to be enhanced by the hop character. In the finish, look for a lemony spritziness and suggestions of under-ripened clementine oranges. A great summertime thirst quencher, their use of an American hop varietal gives a new twist to a style that’s making serious waves these days. You can pair this brew with just about anything—we suggest skewered, grilled veggies and chicken.

A solid Czech-style pilsner is a great brew for hot weather—and Buzzards Bay Brewing’s version is rightly crisp and clean, making it a satisfying thirst quencher after a hot summer’s day. Hell, we’d have a pint of this on a cold winter’s morning, but that’s just us—completely nuts for beer. Expect a clean pilsner aroma—with a lightly lemony note from the generous portion of Hallertauer and Saaz hops, atop a background of very fresh-smelling grains. Sure, we love to age many of our brews, but this one is a great example of fresh beer best enjoyed fresh. Expect the grainy notes to carry through into the flavor profile. Look for a subtle note of honey, with a lemony zestiness (thank you Hallertauer hops) and a gentle spiciness from the Saaz hops. Finishes appropriately bitter. Overall, this is just a great pilsner—well crafted, well balanced—top marks! Try with lightly spicy Pad Thai, spritzed with lime.

So you may have noticed the unusually “wide” suggested serving temperature range on this one. Like many beers, the aroma and flavor profiles shift with temperature, but this tasty Vienna-style lager has a particularly wide range of temperatures over which it holds a solid flavor. In the 39-49° F range, the beer is balanced and refreshing, offering notes of caramel, toffee and hints of fruit. However, from 50-59° F this beer really blossoms. Look for more robust, sweeter, toastier caramel notes, and some fruity, pear-like flavors. Finishes very dry with a moderate bitterness, lightly lingering grains and some herbal hop notes. Enjoy with German weisswurst (”white sausage”) served with sweet mustard and rye bread.

In the late 1800s the newly created Pilsner style spread across Europe with great fervor. Affordability, the novelty of a new type of beer, and the newly industrialized process of producing cheap glassware—which enabled everyday citizens to actually SEE what they drank—were all major factors in the success of the style. Bavik Premium Pilsner is a German-style Pilsner with a distinctly Belgian influence, evident in the nose, which presents a sweeter, slightly spicy note. Its unique character earned it a “Belgium’s Best Pilsner” nod by that country’s beer equivalent of Consumer Reports, beating out over 60 other Belgian Pilsners. Expect aromas of fresh barley, accentuated by a light mustiness, and some spicy, citrusy hops and fruity esters presenting whiffs of apricot, overripe apple and a touch of grape skin. Look for an herbal, almost zesty bitterness to offset but never overpower the sweeter notes. One of the most versatile beers for meal pairing—try this with just about anything. Experiment! But be sure to save some to do a side-by-side comparison of this pilsner with the Czech pilsner featured this month.

I’m in 2 minds whether to renew my “membership” or not. I really look forward to receiving the assortment of beers every month, but it is quite an expensive club.

There are currently 3 different options available, starting with twelve, 12oz. beers from two different lightly distributed U.S. Microbreweries, at a cost of $19.95 per month plus shipping and handling.

Option 2 (my current plan) is twelve, 12oz. beers from two different lightly distributed U.S. and two different international breweries. Cost is $26.95 per month plus shipping and handling.

Option 3 is twelve, 12oz. beers from two different international breweries at a cost of $30.95 per month plus shipping and handling.

Beer Review Source: http://www.beermonthclub.com/newsletters/vol14no2.htm

Decisions, decisions….

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Beer of the Month Club (February 2007) - Peg Leg Imperial Stout and 3 others

Beer of the Month Club (March 2007) - Saranac Pale Ale

Beer of the Month Club - High Seas India Pale Ale

 

This entry was posted on Friday, August 17th, 2007 at 8:19 pm and is filed under Beer. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.