This past Monday, April 7, beer enthusiasts across the United States celebrated the 75th anniversary of the lift of the ban on beer after 13 years of national Prohibition. A full eight months before the end of Prohibition, this change to the U.S. laws was strongly encouraged by President Roosevelt, and highly embraced by the American public.
During the first 24 hours of the legalization in 1933, Americans consumed over 1.5 million barrels of beer, according to The Brewers' Association Web site. In honor of this historical date, breweries and bars nationwide will be holding special events and celebrations. Two of the most well-known breweries in Massachusetts offer free tours and tastings for the over 21 crowd just a few T-stops away.
The Boston Beer Company brews the popular New England staple Samuel Adams beers. Founded in 1984 by Jim Koch, the company has won at least 650 awards worldwide for some of their 17 different beers. The brewery in Jamaica Plain opened in 1988, three years after the Boston Lager debuted in a mere 25 bars in the Boston area.
A quick walk from the Orange Line brings you onto the Boston Beer Company property, where tours of the brewery occur every 30 minutes. The waiting area is full of trophy cases, memorabilia and televisions looping mini-documentaries on the history and merits of Sam Adams.
Before beginning, a $2 donation is requested, with proceeds going to a local charity. A tour guide then shows a six-minute documentary before bringing the group into the brewery, where he passes around plastic cups filled with hops and encourages everyone to taste them. After a walkthrough of the brewing facilities, everyone is carded and led into a room resembling a bar and the tasting finally commences.
The flagship beer of the Boston Beer Company is their Samuel Adams Boston Lager, an example of the popular American lager standard. Although the style is typically associated with nondescript generic beers, like college staple PBR, the quality of Sam Adams Boston Lager is far superior to that of many of its peers. The first thing that comes to your attention is the translucent amber color of the beer-much richer and deeper than any of its mass-produced counterparts.
"You should be able to see your fingers on the other side of the glass," said tour guide Andrew. "If you can't see your fingers through the beer, or if you happen to see fingers in your beer, you should send that beer back right away."
The aroma is pleasant but mild, releasing mostly caramel tones with only a slight infusion of hops. Well-balanced and well-rounded are the best ways to describe this beer-while there is nothing distinct about the brew, it is undeniably satisfying in its subtlety and simplicity. There is little to no aftertaste; while this may be a selling point for some beer drinkers, it is vaguely disappointing for others.
The next sample was Sam Adams' current seasonal offering, the White Ale, sold only in the early springtime and brewed with coriander, orange peel and grains of paradise. This abundance of spices is one of its most distinct qualities. It boasts a light golden yellow body obscured with a whitish cloudiness-wheat beers such as this are often left unfiltered of proteins and yeast, which causes this characteristic haze.
A burst of sweet and fruity flavors first finds the tongue, but its high carbonation teamed with hops keeps it from being overwhelming. Slightly unbalanced, the hops, spices and citrus carry it most of the way, with the malt mostly absent until the end. This tends to be the point of fruity wheat beers such as this. The White Ale is clearly an American imitation of a Belgian style, but unique in its own right.
The final taste was a Bohemian Pilsner, brewed in a limited batch as part of Sam Adams' Beer Lovers contest, and only available on draught at the Boston Brewery. Very light, as with the last two offerings: this pilsner releases a sweet, piney aroma with a bit of citrus, although not nearly as much as the White Ale. It has a very light, translucent yellow color-beer detractors might criticize its likeness to urine.
The first taste is remarkably hoppy, and each consecutive sip follows suit. The malt is only noticeable in the aftertaste, and remains isolated to the tongue while the hops flavor clings to the sides of the mouth. This is a beer for inexperienced beer drinkers who think they like hops, but aren't quite ready to indulge in an IPA.
The Harpoon Brewery, located on the waterfront in the Seaport District, was the first brewery to be issued a permit in Massachusetts to brew and bottle commercial beer in 1987. Realizing that the only reason most people go on brewery tours in the first place is for the free beer, the folks at Harpoon have tastings rather than tours.
During the tasting times, everyone is given a seven-ounce glass that is filled and re-filled by two "bartenders" with whichever of the nine varieties you shout out over the crowd. The bartender who also doubles as a tour guide introduces the beer, serves for twenty minutes, stops to give a more in-depth profile of each type, and then commences another twenty minutes of drinking. There is no limit to how many times you can fill up, and it's a first-come, first-served basis at the bar, so it is up to you to throw them back.
Harpoon's seasonal offering is an Irish-style Red Ale. The Hibernian-after the Romans' name for Ireland-does not give off much of an aroma, but pours a beautiful amber. The flowery tones of hops rule the aftertaste, and it could easily be described as a more distinct, robust and flavorful version of the Sam Adams Lager.
The India Pale Ale came into being when beers from England were infused with extra hops that were intended to act as a natural preservative to help the beer survive the long trip to India. Harpoon's IPA is the most popular in New England, and accounts for 65 percent of their sales, according to the tour guide. The flavor is undeniably hoppy, as IPAs should be, but it is hardly overwhelming; the flowery tones of hops seem to balance out their own bitterness more than the malt does.
Every few months, to break up the monotony of brewing the same beer every day, Harpoon selects an employee-past or present-to brew 100 barrels of anything they'd like. The 100 Barrel Series brews are available only for a limited time, and once the 100 barrels are all gone, these beers become only memories to those that tasted them. The current offering, Steve Stewart's Firth of Forth Ale, is a twist on traditional Scotch Ale made with American ingredients. Its mahogany-amber color gives way to a smoky aroma of hops that is pleasantly light and unobtrusive.
Harpoon recently stumbled upon one last barrel of their previous offering, a Weizenbock, which they were gracious enough to offer to their visitors this time around. Although not traditionally a bock-bocks are usually made using lager yeast, and Harpoon only uses Ale yeast-this dark wheat offering is easily the most unique beer of the trip. A cloudy amber color, much darker than your typical wheat beer has an aroma that screams banana and cloves.
Next to the IPA, Harpoon's most popular beer is a wheat beer, cleverly titled UFO-for UnFiltered Offering. Similar to the Sam Adams White Ale, though without the overabundance of spices, UFO pours a cloudy yellow color. The first flavor is crisp and citrus.
Although the tastes and wallets of the average college student may run closer to Natty Ice and Milwaukee's Best there is no reason that co-eds should option out of the chance to expand their palates when it comes to the sixth and most potable food group.
Berkeley Beacon Lifestyle Section, 4/10/08. Co-written with Kasey Fielding.
Showing posts with label beer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label beer. Show all posts
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Harpoon Brewery
At the Harpoon Brewery, in the Seaport District of South Boston, they don't make you bother with the tour and information session. No, they realize that you just came for free beer, and free beer, you shall receive. A lot. They bring you in, and have an open tasting for 40 minutes. That's pretty much it. And I'm okay with it. They take a break in the middle to explain things a bit, but you've probably already had a few drinks by this point (or maybe you've come directly from the Sam Adams Brewery AND have had a few drinks at this point *cough*) so you don't really listen. I've broken down a few of my favorites from the day; also available were Raspberry UFO, Brown Ale, Cider, and their original Ale.
First, the special--the 100 Barrel Series. Every few months so, to break up the monotony of brewing the same beer every day, Harpoon selects an employee—past or present—to brew 100 barrels of anything they’d like. The 100 Barrel Series brews are available only for a limited time, and once the 100 barrels are all gone, these beers become only memories to those that tasted them. The current offering, Steve Stewart’s Firth of Forth Ale, is a twist on traditional Scotch Ale made with American ingredients. Its mahogany-amber color and thick creamy head give way to a smoky aroma of hops that is pleasantly light and unobtrusive. The taste harkens back to that of the air around a campfire on a late summer night; though initially bitter, it is not overwhelming, and the caramel flavors aid the nutty undertones to balance it out. It is a thicker beer, with a slightly chewy mouthfeel that leaves a nutty, smoky aftertaste in your mouth, and the abundance of thick Brussels lace is indicative of its fresh ingredients.
Harpoon recently stumbled upon one last barrel of their previous offering, a Weizenbock, which they are gracious enough to offer to their visitors. Although not traditionally a bock—bocks are usually made using lager yeast, and Harpoon only uses Ale yeast—this dark wheat offering is easily the most unique beer of the day. A cloudy amber color, much darker than your typical wheat beer, gives way to a buoyant, foamy, cream-colored head with an aroma that screams banana and cloves. Unfortunately, the head retreats rather quickly, but the flavor of bananas and cloves do not; instead, they lead an explosive charge in the mouth before giving way to a laudable balance of malt and hops, with a slightly heavy emphasis on the bitter hops notes. Banana and malt flavors linger on your tongue, with the cloves hanging on in the back of the mouth. Much like the head, however, the lace diminishes rather quickly.
Harpoon’s seasonal offering is an Irish-style Red Ale. The Hibernian—after the Romans’ name for Ireland—does not give off much of an aroma, but pours a beautiful amber red with an almost translucent glow, and a steady white head that’s perfect in size. While there are no unique flavors as above, the Hibernian’s softly chewy mouthfeel gives way to plenty of sweet caramel flavor, balanced with just enough hops to keep the malt from overwhelming. The flowery tones of hops rule the aftertaste, and the lace is plentiful and consistent; it could easily be described as a more distinct, robust, and flavorful version of the Sam Adams Lager.
The India Pale Ale came into being when beers from England were infused with extra hops that were intended to act as a natural preservative to help the beer survive the long trip to India. Harpoon’s IPA is the most popular in New England, and accounts for 65% of their sales. The body shimmers with a clean golden sparkle and a voluptuous head of white home that releases a crisp waft of hops into the air; it smells almost like springtime. Slightly heavier in mouthfeel than the typical American beer, it goes down smooth nonetheless. The flavor is undeniably hoppy, as IPAs should be, but it is hardly overwhelming; the flowery tones of hops almost seem to balance out their own bitterness more than the malt does. This pine-like crispness is consistent all across the tongue, and lingers even after the drink is gone, much like the steady Brussels lace that remains in your glass.
Next to the IPA, Harpoon’s most popular beer is a wheat beer, cleverly titled UFO-for UnFiltered Offering. Similar to the Sam Adams White Ale, though without the overabundance of spices, UFO pours a cloudy yellow color, and though its aroma is not too strong, it is quite pleasant, with the zesty scent of lemon and pine. The first flavor to hit the mouth is crisp and citrus, with a surprising robustness as it gives way to the taste of hops. The malt flavor sneaks in as you swallow, and stays around to satisfy the tongue in the aftertaste. The lace went unnoticed, unfortunately, as this was the last of seven beers sampled. The body of the beer wasn’t all that was hazy at this point.
First, the special--the 100 Barrel Series. Every few months so, to break up the monotony of brewing the same beer every day, Harpoon selects an employee—past or present—to brew 100 barrels of anything they’d like. The 100 Barrel Series brews are available only for a limited time, and once the 100 barrels are all gone, these beers become only memories to those that tasted them. The current offering, Steve Stewart’s Firth of Forth Ale, is a twist on traditional Scotch Ale made with American ingredients. Its mahogany-amber color and thick creamy head give way to a smoky aroma of hops that is pleasantly light and unobtrusive. The taste harkens back to that of the air around a campfire on a late summer night; though initially bitter, it is not overwhelming, and the caramel flavors aid the nutty undertones to balance it out. It is a thicker beer, with a slightly chewy mouthfeel that leaves a nutty, smoky aftertaste in your mouth, and the abundance of thick Brussels lace is indicative of its fresh ingredients.
Harpoon recently stumbled upon one last barrel of their previous offering, a Weizenbock, which they are gracious enough to offer to their visitors. Although not traditionally a bock—bocks are usually made using lager yeast, and Harpoon only uses Ale yeast—this dark wheat offering is easily the most unique beer of the day. A cloudy amber color, much darker than your typical wheat beer, gives way to a buoyant, foamy, cream-colored head with an aroma that screams banana and cloves. Unfortunately, the head retreats rather quickly, but the flavor of bananas and cloves do not; instead, they lead an explosive charge in the mouth before giving way to a laudable balance of malt and hops, with a slightly heavy emphasis on the bitter hops notes. Banana and malt flavors linger on your tongue, with the cloves hanging on in the back of the mouth. Much like the head, however, the lace diminishes rather quickly.
Harpoon’s seasonal offering is an Irish-style Red Ale. The Hibernian—after the Romans’ name for Ireland—does not give off much of an aroma, but pours a beautiful amber red with an almost translucent glow, and a steady white head that’s perfect in size. While there are no unique flavors as above, the Hibernian’s softly chewy mouthfeel gives way to plenty of sweet caramel flavor, balanced with just enough hops to keep the malt from overwhelming. The flowery tones of hops rule the aftertaste, and the lace is plentiful and consistent; it could easily be described as a more distinct, robust, and flavorful version of the Sam Adams Lager.
The India Pale Ale came into being when beers from England were infused with extra hops that were intended to act as a natural preservative to help the beer survive the long trip to India. Harpoon’s IPA is the most popular in New England, and accounts for 65% of their sales. The body shimmers with a clean golden sparkle and a voluptuous head of white home that releases a crisp waft of hops into the air; it smells almost like springtime. Slightly heavier in mouthfeel than the typical American beer, it goes down smooth nonetheless. The flavor is undeniably hoppy, as IPAs should be, but it is hardly overwhelming; the flowery tones of hops almost seem to balance out their own bitterness more than the malt does. This pine-like crispness is consistent all across the tongue, and lingers even after the drink is gone, much like the steady Brussels lace that remains in your glass.
Next to the IPA, Harpoon’s most popular beer is a wheat beer, cleverly titled UFO-for UnFiltered Offering. Similar to the Sam Adams White Ale, though without the overabundance of spices, UFO pours a cloudy yellow color, and though its aroma is not too strong, it is quite pleasant, with the zesty scent of lemon and pine. The first flavor to hit the mouth is crisp and citrus, with a surprising robustness as it gives way to the taste of hops. The malt flavor sneaks in as you swallow, and stays around to satisfy the tongue in the aftertaste. The lace went unnoticed, unfortunately, as this was the last of seven beers sampled. The body of the beer wasn’t all that was hazy at this point.
Boston Brewery Tasting
At the Boston Brewery in Jamaica Plain, MA, home of Samuel Adams Beer, the mere suggestion of a $2 donation will get you a neat little tour of their factory (which, in fact, produces very little of their beer--it's more of a workshop or laboratory. The brewing is mostly done in Maryland or Philadelphia or Michigan or some foreign place like that). Eventually, they stop filling you with useless beer information that only self-righteous beer assholes like myself really even care about (and let's face it, I know all this before taking the tour for the first time. Or the third time), and they let you get right to the beer.
The flagship beer of the Boston Beer Company is their Samuel Adams Lager, an example of the popular American Lager standard. Although the style is typically associated with nondescript generic beers, the quality of Sam Adams Lager is far superior to that of many of its peers. The first thing that comes to your attention is the translucent amber color of the beer—much richer and deeper than any of its mass produced counterparts. The aroma is pleasant but mild, releasing mostly caramel tones with only a slight infusion of hops. The head, however (at least from the pour we received), is a bit disappointing in size despite its white iridescence; its presence remains consistent, due in part to the steady flow of carbonation within the liquid, a clear indicator of its freshness. The flavor is mostly sweet notes of malt and caramel with just enough of a bitter hop balance to prevent either taste from overwhelming. Well balanced and well rounded are the best ways to describe this—while there is nothing distinct about the beer, it is undeniably satisfying in its subtlety and simplicity. The mouthfeel is light, crisp, and smooth, but the Brussels lace tends to disappear too quickly, and there is little to no aftertaste; while this may be a selling point for some beer drinkers, it is vaguely disappointing for the rest.
The next sample was Sam Adams current seasonal offering, a Witbier sold only in the early springtime brewed with Coriander, orange peel, Grains of Paradise, and more; this abundance of spices is one of its most distinct qualities. It boasts a light golden yellow body obscured with a whitish cloudiness—wheat beers such as this are often left unfiltered of proteins and yeast, which causes this characteristic haze. The lush white head is the perfect height—another common feature of wheat beers—and releases a flavorful aroma of citrus and hops. Pine and lemon zest come to mind, with hints of orange underneath. The mouthfeel is remarkably heavy, or at least more than expected given its light color and appearance, and the lace sticks steadily to the sides of the glass. A burst of sweet and fruity flavors first finds your tongue, but its high carbonation teams with hops to keep from overwhelming. Very crisp, with a pepper-like taste at the back of your mouth that leads to a malty aftertaste that sits on your tongue with a strange but satisfying lemony freshness. Slightly unbalanced—the hops, spices, and citrus carry it most of the way, with the malt mostly absent until the end, but this tends to be the point of fruity wheat beers such as this. Sam Adams White Ale is clearly an American imitation of a Belgian style, but remarkably unique in its own right.
Our final taste is a Bohemian Pilsner, brewed in a limited batch as part of Sam Adams’ Beer Lovers contest, and only available on draught at the Boston Brewery. Very light, as with the last two offerings: this pilsner releases a sweet, piney aroma with a bit of citrus, although not nearly as much as the White Ale. It has a very light, translucent yellow color—beer detractors might criticize its likeness to urine. The first taste is remarkably hoppy, and each consecutive sip follows suit. The malt is not very noticeable but in the aftertaste, and remains isolated to the tongue while the hops flavor clings to the sides of the mouth. The mouthfeel is subtle and light, and could easily be ignored. Along the edges of the glass, the lace clings in sporadically in small, bubbled clumps—it’d be best to say that it clings slightly, a lot. This is a beer for inexperienced beer drinkers that think they like hops, but aren’t quite ready to indulge in an IPA. Last year’s winner, the Honey Porter, would have likely been much more interesting, given our other two samples.
The flagship beer of the Boston Beer Company is their Samuel Adams Lager, an example of the popular American Lager standard. Although the style is typically associated with nondescript generic beers, the quality of Sam Adams Lager is far superior to that of many of its peers. The first thing that comes to your attention is the translucent amber color of the beer—much richer and deeper than any of its mass produced counterparts. The aroma is pleasant but mild, releasing mostly caramel tones with only a slight infusion of hops. The head, however (at least from the pour we received), is a bit disappointing in size despite its white iridescence; its presence remains consistent, due in part to the steady flow of carbonation within the liquid, a clear indicator of its freshness. The flavor is mostly sweet notes of malt and caramel with just enough of a bitter hop balance to prevent either taste from overwhelming. Well balanced and well rounded are the best ways to describe this—while there is nothing distinct about the beer, it is undeniably satisfying in its subtlety and simplicity. The mouthfeel is light, crisp, and smooth, but the Brussels lace tends to disappear too quickly, and there is little to no aftertaste; while this may be a selling point for some beer drinkers, it is vaguely disappointing for the rest.
The next sample was Sam Adams current seasonal offering, a Witbier sold only in the early springtime brewed with Coriander, orange peel, Grains of Paradise, and more; this abundance of spices is one of its most distinct qualities. It boasts a light golden yellow body obscured with a whitish cloudiness—wheat beers such as this are often left unfiltered of proteins and yeast, which causes this characteristic haze. The lush white head is the perfect height—another common feature of wheat beers—and releases a flavorful aroma of citrus and hops. Pine and lemon zest come to mind, with hints of orange underneath. The mouthfeel is remarkably heavy, or at least more than expected given its light color and appearance, and the lace sticks steadily to the sides of the glass. A burst of sweet and fruity flavors first finds your tongue, but its high carbonation teams with hops to keep from overwhelming. Very crisp, with a pepper-like taste at the back of your mouth that leads to a malty aftertaste that sits on your tongue with a strange but satisfying lemony freshness. Slightly unbalanced—the hops, spices, and citrus carry it most of the way, with the malt mostly absent until the end, but this tends to be the point of fruity wheat beers such as this. Sam Adams White Ale is clearly an American imitation of a Belgian style, but remarkably unique in its own right.
Our final taste is a Bohemian Pilsner, brewed in a limited batch as part of Sam Adams’ Beer Lovers contest, and only available on draught at the Boston Brewery. Very light, as with the last two offerings: this pilsner releases a sweet, piney aroma with a bit of citrus, although not nearly as much as the White Ale. It has a very light, translucent yellow color—beer detractors might criticize its likeness to urine. The first taste is remarkably hoppy, and each consecutive sip follows suit. The malt is not very noticeable but in the aftertaste, and remains isolated to the tongue while the hops flavor clings to the sides of the mouth. The mouthfeel is subtle and light, and could easily be ignored. Along the edges of the glass, the lace clings in sporadically in small, bubbled clumps—it’d be best to say that it clings slightly, a lot. This is a beer for inexperienced beer drinkers that think they like hops, but aren’t quite ready to indulge in an IPA. Last year’s winner, the Honey Porter, would have likely been much more interesting, given our other two samples.
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