by Judy Esguerra | May 7, 2015 | The Vault Reserve, Vault Reserve: May 2015
9.5 % ABV | Barley Wine | 500ml | HaandBryggeriet | Drammen, Norway The craft beer phenomenon isn’t an isolated incident. Sure, countries like the United States and England are certainly at forefront, with larger collection of craft breweries and louder campaigns surrounding the culture, but they’re hardly alone. In an ever-growing number of regions worldwide, the interest in hand-crafted, independently-owned craft beer has, at the very least, taken root. And those roots are scrappy little bastards, surviving (and even thriving) in places no one ever expected the culture to expand. Through fascinating new combinations of culture and modern brewing, we have access to some of the most wonderfully off-kilter beer samples ever to be brewed – such as those in the Scandinavian region. And thus we’re headed to Northern Europe, where the skies get dark, the beer gets smoky and words get an absolutely ridiculous number of letters. Case in point: the Hannbryggeriet brewery in Drammen, Norway. Norway’s craft beer scene, arguably still in its infancy and perhaps slower to build than the rest of the region, is nevertheless an exciting one. Even its own government seems excited about the notion of Norwegian craft beer, as recent programs have begun to sponsor craft brewers that have the potential to bring attention to otherwise rural areas. Unlike many other beer-brewing regions, Norway seems to seek to eschew the conventions of its beer history (which is admittedly an odd one: farmers were required to brew beer lest they be evicted) and instead brew with whatever itches their off-the-wall fancy. Haanbryggeriet – The Hand Brewery – is one of the most significant faces...
by Judy Esguerra | Apr 28, 2015 | Lock Box: April 2015
4.1% ABV | Amber Ale | 330ml | Meantime Brewing Co. | London There are craft breweries – passionate startups consisting of a handful, dedicated enthusiasts who brew their hearts out to meet the demand of a growing following – and then there are craft giants, massive well-oiled, keg-filling machines that churn out beer in astonishing quantities.These goliaths blazed the trail for the little guys to make a dent in the otherwise impenetrable and even more gigantic entity known as “Big Beer.” Without them, it’s tough to imagine that the craft beer scene would exist at all, let alone be the veritable beer playground that it has become today. Meantime Brewing is one such brewery (you’ve probably heard of them). Founded in 2000 in Greenwich, the advent of Meantime marked the largest investment in London brewing since 1930 and changed how beer would be brewed in London forever. In the decade and a half that followed, Meantime acquired a collection of accolades in their own right: from being the only English brewery to medal in the 2004 World Beer Cup to the introduction of their unprecedented champagne-style bottling of their India Pale Ale and Porter, Meantime proved it not only had some weight to throw around, it had the weight to get somewhere. A staggering number of beers, a new brewpub restaurant and a bevy of awards later, and Meantime has cemented itself as an aforementioned beer goliath in todays beer culture. Meantime Brewing continues as the epitome of modern craft brewery, with a streamlined operation that pumps out some of the country’s (and world’s) favorite brews, including the Yakima...
by Judy Esguerra | Apr 28, 2015 | The Vault Reserve, Vault Reserve: April 2015
10% ABV | DIPA | 500ml | Thornbridge Brewery | Bakewell, Derbyshire You’ve heard it before, that time-tested adage craft breweries love to spout in the “About Us” sections of their websites: “We’re a new world brewery, marrying the traditions of old with the modern technology of today…”, etcetera, etcetera. And they’re not wrong to suggest that this is the best policy; after all, what could possibly be wrong with empowering what the past got right with the technology of today? So, really, combining the old and the new totally checks out. But few breweries go to the lengths that Thornbridge Brewing have in order to observe this delicate dichotomy (or, as they call it, “traditional recipes but provided a modern twist”). Thanks to their skyrocketing success – they garnered over 350 national and international awards in their quick decade of existence- Thornbridge has erected twin brew sites: the original, in Thornbridge Hall, and a spin-off in Riverside in Bakewell. The original site is a bastion of tradition and experimentation, the birthplace of many of Thornbridge’s uncommon, rare, and uncertain beers. Stocked with barrels and a traditional mash ale brewing system, this is where Thornbridge honors history while establishing its future. The sister site, meanwhile, is the epitome of modern brew house and quality control, able to contend with demand for Thornbridge’s beer with state of the art equipment. Each site has their own methods and MO, but are allied in the same mission statement: to become “one of the leading new breweries in the UK.” So how’s that going for them? Let’s look at Jaipur…X. Jaipur X is the...
by Judy Esguerra | Apr 22, 2015 | Lock Box: April 2015
3.1% ABV | Sour | 330ml | Kernel Brewery | London Kernal Brewing, according to the brewers themselves, “springs from the need to have more good beer” – as though anyone needed any more reason than that to start a brewery. But we’re certainly happy they did – this pragmatic brewery, located near the heart of London, eschews ornament and decadence in favor of positively nailing the classics. With a minimalist website, label, and general all-around vibe, Kernel nevertheless adamantly seeks to create “beer deserving of a certain attention.” Their weapons of choice are their “upfront hops, lingering bitternesses, warming alcohols [and] bodies of malt.” Such tools mingle artfully to create carefully and caringly brewed beers, and Kernal offers your favorite styles with confidence. One such offering is their London Sour, an impressive beer in the classic Berliner Weisse style. For the uninitiated, a Berliner Weisse is Germany’s offering of what is colloquially called a Sour: a tart, low-alcohol beer that makes use of lactic acid in tandem with traditional ale yeast to create a distinctive, tongue-puckering funkiness. A beer with a storied history that reaches back into the 16th Century, Berlineer Weisses, as well as their quirky Belgian brother, the lambic, have recently propelled to the forefront of the modern beer scene. Berliner Weisses are often served with some flavored syrup – raspberry and cherry are popular options – to balance out the sourness, but what you have here is the pure, unadulterated classic version. London Sour pours a hazy, pale yellow with a delicate white head, and gives off a mineral aroma. The first thing you’ll notice...
by Judy Esguerra | Apr 22, 2015 | The Vault Reserve, Vault Reserve: April 2015
7% ABV | Smoked | 500ml | De Dochter | Baarle-Hertog, Belgium From Baarle-Hertog, a Flemish municipality along the north border of Belgium, come the beers of Brouwerij De Dochter Van Korenaar. This humble but positively elegant little family-run brewery debuted in 2007 and has already made a great impression in the beer world. Its ambitious title, Brouwerij De Dochter Van Korenaar, translates to Daughter of the Ear of Corn, a self-proclaimed synonym for beer and literary homage to the fact that Emperor Charles V preferred the blood of corn over the blood of grapes. That is to say – he preferred beer over wine (why Mr. Emperor wasn’t drinking beers made with better grains than corn is another matter altogether). And who can blame him? In that spirit, Brouwerij De Dochter offers a lovely selection of Belgian-styled beers that seek to encapsulate the legacy and tradition of the region n while still employing the benefits of modern proficiency and passion for craft beer. Lovely bottles, decorative labeling and a rainbow of vibrant beer pours combine into an experience that is nothing short of regal. But that doesn’t mean this family operation can’t go a little off-kilter from time to time. And thus we arrive at La Fuieuse – The Furious. Brewed once – count it, once – and barrel-aged for an entire year, this curious offering from the Brouwerij is classified as a smoke beer, and it earns its title. Seeking to bottle the spirit of a summer campfire, La Furieuse pours a fiery amber with a flavor to match; it makes ample use of charcoal flavors, stoking the sumptuous...
