From the Cellar – 2011 Bell’s Expedition Stout

12oz bottle decanted into a snifter.  10.5% ABV.  Packaged on “9/19/2011”.

Appearance:  Super black.  There was a thick, beautiful tan head when I poured it, but it quickly faded into a light ring around the edge of my glass and a small island of bubbles floating in the middle (4.5/5).

Aroma:  The predominant smell here is soy sauce.  I have had this beer in its younger days, and I don’t remember an aroma like this.  There is a little bit of roasted malt in the background, along with some burnt molasses, charcoal, and overripe stone fruit, but it’s nowhere near as pleasant as I remember it being (2.25/5).

Taste:  The taste follows the aroma.  Burnt soy sauce with charcoal in the aftertaste.  There are some stout qualities in the background, but they are so far removed that there is little reason to comment on them.  Ultimately, it has been overtaken by this weird soy sauce flavor that hits you up front and lingers well beyond the sip (2.5/5).

Mouthfeel:  Full body and light carbonation (4.75/5).

Overall:  I understand that both beer and wine cycle as they age and I’m wondering if I caught the 2011 Expedition Stout on a low point.  I can’t remember having a stout that tasted like it ran through a Chinese kitchen before reached me before.  I would highly recommend that if you have a 2011 bottle of this beer, you give it another year or two before opening it.  I’m sad to report that this beer has gone from an exceptional stout to a sub-average one over the past three years (2.75/5).

-Matt

Beer Bars – Mr. Beery’s in Sarasota, Florida

Mr. Beery’s is in a quiet little strip mall off an abused road in Sarasota, Florida.  I almost broke my rental agreement driving through the dilapidated parking lot, but there were plenty of spaces for me to nestle into at 8pm on a Wednesday night.  A backlit sign, a few neon beer logos, and a series of stickers mark the entrance. 

At the entrance I was greeted by a twenty-stool bar and a couple of old pool tables.  The overhead is softly playing various popular rock songs from the 90’s to current.  There is a small stage and a screen, but neither was in use during my visit.  Every wall is fairly dark and decorated with a collection of various types of brewery paraphernalia.  There are a handful of table-and-chair sets sporadically scattered throughout the establishment, with an elevated “lounge” (couches and coffee tables) in the back.  There are four flat screen televisions broadcasting various sporting events.  A couple of video games, a dart board, a skee-ball machine, and a modern jukebox complete the ambiance (definitely bonus points for having skee-ball). 

Behind the bar is a chalkboard announcing the current draft selections, which appears to be hosted on about twenty four handles.  There are a few locals, a few Belgians, some German beers, and a random collection from around the US.  They’ve got some bottles, but I wouldn’t go as far as calling it a cellar.  I didn’t have to struggle to make a decision, but I don’t feel like I was missing out on much after I left either. 

The staff seems pretty nice.  When I asked for a local recommendation, the bartender suggested a can from Cigar City.  I don’t know why this surprised me, but it kind of did.  I almost always ask for a local recommendation, and it’s never been presented to me in a can.  I’m not opposed to cans as a beer storage vessel, but I kind of assumed my next beer was going to be on the draft list.  Isn’t that where all the exciting beers are supposed to be?

When I travel I tend to reference DRAFT Magazine’s “Top 100 Beer Bars in America” list, which is how I found this bar.  I have been to many locations on their lists, but I’m not sure I agree with this one.  It would probably be a great find if you were thirsty and randomly stumbled into it, but I wouldn’t consider it among the upper echelon in the country.  It certainly wasn’t worth driving an hour in the wrong direction to visit.

In summary, Mr. Beery’s is a decent craft beer bar with an unfortunate name.  They don’t do any food, so eat before you arrive (or order a sandwich next door).  Their draft selection is pretty good, and their bottle list is meager.   But if you love to drink and play skee-ball, I guess you’re in luck.

2545 Mall Dr.

Sarasota, Florida 34231

941-343-2854

http://www.mrbeeryssrq.com/

-Matt

Old Ale Project – Samuel Smith’s Winter Welcome Ale (#15)

18.7oz bottle decanted into a snifter.  6% ABV.  Served a little cold, but allowed to warm.  Vintage listed as “2012/2013”.

Appearance:  Amber honey body with fat bubbles on top.  The eggshell white crown fades very quickly into a nothing.  Brilliantly clear (4.25/5).

Aroma:  Earthy and musty.  Smells like an old, wet cellar.  I can almost see the water dripping down the walls and the fungus and moss growing between the cracks in the bricks.  In the background is ancient, dried up molasses and damp wood.  This beer has taken the “old” in Old Ale very seriously (4.5/5).

Taste:  The immediate impression is surprisingly dry with a bread crust finish.  Very English tasting.  It continues by following suit with the aroma; damp and musty.  There is also an underlying sweetness that tastes like peaches, which is followed by a faint oak bite (4.5/5).

 

Mouthfeel:  Medium body and light carbonation (4.25/5).

Overall:  I’ve been trying to avoid Winter Warmers throughout this project, and I was a little concerned when I stumbled across a beer named Winter Welcome.  But the BJCP lists this beer as one of the commercial examples of the Old Ale style, so I went ahead and picked it up.  I’m glad that I did.  This is an incredible beer.  It’s full of flavor and personality.  Perfect representation of the style.  I’d like to buy a case of it and sit on it for the next decade (4.5/5).

-Matt

Old Ale Project – The Wild Beer Co.’s M.O. (Modus Operandi) (#14)

11.2oz bottle decanted into a snifter.  7% ABV.  Served a little cold, but allowed to warm. 

Appearance:  Deeply stained brown body with no foam cap and few bubbles.  Slightly murky when held up to the light (3/5).

Aroma:  Boozy alcohol, freshly cut wood, marshmallows, and grape Kool-Aid.  No smell trumps the others.  Everything is fairly balanced and restrained (3.5/5).

Taste:  Sweet and sour, but nothing lingers.  Artificial grape flavoring, and maybe some prunes and raisins.  Every component is very dialed back.  The wild yeast has added an interesting character to the beer, but has it also chewed up all the other flavors?  There really isn’t anything else to talk about (2.75/5).

Mouthfeel:  Thin body and low carbonation (2/5).

Overall:  I understand that Wild Beer is not trying to make a traditional Old Ale with this, so I will not judge it as such.  But there’s not really much in here.  It’s a decent flavor… but that’s pretty much all it is.  A single flavor.  It tastes like lightly carbonated grape Kool-Aid.  There isn’t anything for malt or hops.  So where’s the beer flavor in this beer?  I certainly appreciate unconventional techniques and ingredients, but I think the wild yeast has ripped this beer apart.  What might make it a little more interesting, if I may make a suggestion, would be to pay a little homage to Greene King’s Olde Suffolk English Ale and blend back some of this beer in its fresh form into the final product.  That should give it a little more depth, and could potentially build back up the thin body.  As it is, I am uninspired (2.5/5).

-Matt

Old Ale Project – A Concurrent Analysis

I’ve just crossed the midway mark of this project, so it’s time to take a look at what I’ve experienced over the past couple months.  This analysis includes…

North Coast Brewing – Old Stock Ale Otsuchi 2012 (#1)

Alaskan Brewing – Winter Ale (#2)

Widmer Brothers & Cigar City – Gentlemen’sClub (New Oak Spirals) (#3)

Eel River – Triple Exultation (#4)

The Bruery – Coton (#5)

Greene King – Olde Suffolk English Ale (#6)

Harviestoun Brewery – Ola Dubh 30 (#7)

Prairie Artisan Ales – The Beer That SavedChristmas (#8)

AleSmith – Old Ale (#9)

Ballast Point – 8.9 on the Richter Ale (#10)

O’Hanlon’s Brewing Co. – Thomas Hardy’s Ale (#11)

Hangar 24 – Vinaceous (#12)

San Diego Brewing Co. – Saxon Old Ale (#13)

I feel like these thirteen beers have already given me a pretty good idea of what to expect with this style.  The nose generally presents aromas that resemble brown sugar, molasses, dark pitted fruit, dried fruit, and dark breads.  You can often get a whiff of alcohol and the barrel it was aged in (if applicable for the latter).  I have actually come to appreciate the smell of this complex style of beer perhaps even more than the taste. 

Flavors tend to follow the bouquet with brown sugar, molasses, dates, figs, cherries, and deeply toasted malts.  The mouthfeel is consistently full with light carbonation.  As for appearance, I generally expect a deep chestnut body, with a few streams of rising bubbles, and a thin, beige head.  I believe that brilliance is preferred, but not always achieved. 

The most important aspect of this style that I have picked up thus far is the genuine need for aging.  I have had both old and young, and decidedly prefer the former.  Age and proper cellaring completely round out any harsh edges on this beer.  Ballast Point’s 8.9 on the Richter Ale and San Diego Brewing’s Saxon Old Ale were nice pints, but both were a little too sharp for me (please note that these both came from draft handles that weren’t marked with a vintage, so I am assuming that they came from this year).  Conversely, The Bruery’s Coton and O’Hanlon’s Thomas Hardy’s Ale were both carefully aged, and the result was incredible.  Rounded sweetness, sherry-like flavors, and a velvety mouthfeel appear to be the reward for patience.  Greene King’s Old Suffolk English Ale is a blend of both old and new, and this seems to be the ideal technique for perfecting this style.

Also, I like to perceive the alcohol in an Old Ale, but not be beaten over the head with it.  This beer should be warming… not hot.  Hangar 24’s Vinaceous and AleSmith’s Old Ale were both a little on the hot side, although I much preferred AleSmith’s effort. 

In addition, I have found that hops are better here when they are restrained.  Eel River’s Triple Exultation was a nice beer, but the amplified hop character made it feel like the odd man out.  Light bitterness and minimal hop aroma seem to be the way to go.

Finally, oak flavors and barrel aging are a good fit for the style, but, as with my other observations, they need to be handled with grace.  Widmer and Cigar City’s Gentlemen’s Club was so oaky that I could barely even finish it.  Conversely, thought and planning was clearly put into the barrel aging of Prairie Artisan Ales’ The Beer That Saved Christmas, which definitely enhanced the overall experience.  I would like to continue to find wood in my Old Ales, but not enough that I could pick my teeth with.

Well, I’ve got another twelve to go.  The herd is quickly thinning, so I’m hoping I can come up with a complete flight of twenty five.  Wish me luck.

-Matt

Old Ale Project – San Diego Brewing Co.’s Saxon Old Ale (#13)

11oz draft pour in a goblet.  8.5% ABV.  Served a little cold, but allowed to warm. 

Appearance:  Tinted chestnut with a beautiful, velvety crown of foam.  Brilliantly clear.  It’s a beautiful beer and well presented (5/5).

Aroma:  Very restrained aroma.  I get a little noble hops and a bit of fresh brown sugar.  Maybe some water treatment too.  I’m really looking for more, but there just isn’t anything coming out (2/5).

Taste:  Some moist raisins and a bit of hop bitterness.  There’s a bit of brandy- and sherry-like character.  I also get the impression of whole cherries (pits and all).  It tastes, very fresh, which is often and advantage in beer, but doesn’t necessarily help this one (3/5).

Mouthfeel:  I get a hint of an astringent bite, almost like I would with an oak barrel.  There is definite warmth from the alcohol.  Full body and low carbonation (3.25/5).

Overall:  I can only guess, but I’d be willing to bet that this beer was brewed within the past couple months.  All of the edges are still a little sharp and bordering on unpleasant.  It’s a decently made Old Ale, but still too young.  I’d love to meet this same keg next year when freshness turned into maturity (3/5).

-Matt

Old Ale Project – Hangar 24’s Vinaceous (#12)

22oz bottle decanted into a snifter.  8.7% ABV.  Served cold and allowed to slowly elevate to room temperature. 

Appearance:  Deep coffee color, a little murky, with multiple columns of rising bubbles and a thick, billowy head (3.5/5).

Aroma:  The dominate aroma here is booze.  It doesn’t sound like this was aged in a spirit barrel, but I would have guessed that it was.  I suppose that it’s a combination of the grapes and the oak that are fooling me.  I also pick up a little bit of molasses, brown sugar, dates, raisins, and bready malt.  It has a fairly appealing smell, but the alcohol is a little over the top (3.75/5).

Taste:  Still boozy.  It’s hard to pick up many other flavors because the alcohol is so intense.  It’s also very sugary.  And I guess there’s also a bit of overripe dark pitted fruit.  As it warms up the grapes may be coming out some, but I may just be talking myself into finding them.  If “grapes” weren’t written on the bottle, I’m not sure I would have (3/5).

Mouthfeel:  Beyond warm… hot.  I’ve got heat all through my chest.  Full body and medium carbonation.  There’s also a bit of astringency, maybe from the oak or maybe the grape skins (3/5).

Overall:  Hangar 24's first "Local Fields" beer is an Old Ale brewed with freshly crushed Mourvedre Grapes from Temecula, California and aged on French Oak.  8.7 ABV should definitely be a level where I perceive an alcohol strength, but this beer is way out of balance.  It’s so boozy that I have a hard time identifying any other flavors.  It’s just too hot.  I like the concept of mixing an Old Ale and grapes, but I would like to see a little more grape and a little less booze (3.25/5).

-Matt