by Judy Esguerra | May 8, 2015 | The Vault Reserve, Vault Reserve: May 2015
11.1% ABV | Barrel Aged Barley Wine | 375ml | Siren Craft Brew | Berkshire, England Of all of the techniques and tools available in a brewer’s deck, barrel aging absolutely has to be one of their favorite cards to play. Barrel aging is the current darling of the modern craft brewing age, and it’s easy to see why – it’s an (almost) sure-fire way to add a layer of sophistication to (almost) any beer. Why almost? Well, there are some caveats to this whole barrel-aging thing. The process certainly amounts to more than throwing some beer into a barrel and waiting a while as you hope for the best: for one, the whole process can go a bit rouge. Most barrels are home to an entire menagerie of micro-fauna that, if left unchecked, can completely derail the intentions a brewer had for a beer by imparting some very unique flavors that quickly take the forefront. In fact, sometimes their presence is welcomed, or even coveted, but we’ll save that topic for another day. The other big aspect of barrel aging is selecting exactly which barrel will be utilized for the process. Any number of second-run barrels (that is, a barrel that was used in the fermenting/production of another wine or spirit) can have a huge impact on the flavor of the innate beer. Do we go with the elegant richness lent to us by a cabernet barrel? Or the sweet woodiness of a bourbon barrel? Maybe a combination of both? That latter question is a favorite for breweries like Siren of Wokingham to puzzle out. For the 2014 edition of...
by Judy Esguerra | May 8, 2015 | The Vault Reserve, Vault Reserve: May 2015
10.3% ABV| Imperial Stout | 330ml | Edge Brewing Collab with Lervig Brewing | Barcelona, Spain For every reach of the globe that revels in craft beer, there’s another stubborn little part of the world that, for whatever reason, doesn’t really get it. These beer deserts can spring up for any number of reasons – whether it be the iron grip wine or some other local spirit has on the region, or the complacency of a people who are completely ok with drinking the same mass-produced lager that has been a part of their culture for decades. Sometimes the notion of craft beer just doesn’t stick. And that’s ok. Of course, you don’t have to agree. Just ask Edge Brewing, whose founders “were so eager to bring the American craft beer revolution to Europe that they brought a brewery.” Edge Brewing, founded in 2013, is the spirit of American craft brewing, only in Barcelona. Alan Sheppard, Edge Brewing’s Head Brewer, sought to burst Spain’s vaguely anti-craft beer barrier with an injection of the phenomenon that is so beloved elsewhere. Sourcing everything from the water treatment equipment to the yeast from San Diego, California (the birthplace of the American craft brew scene and sort of Beer Mecca for craft beer lovers everywhere), the team at Edge Brewing is the epitome of American craft, only in a European metropolis. For this particular offering from Edge Brewing, a deviantly dark Imperial Stout they have aptly entitled Pure Decadence, they partnered with Lervig brewing of Norway. This beer came out of a friendship between the two brewers and quite a few flights to...
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 | 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 | 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...
by Judy Esguerra | Apr 22, 2015 | The Vault Reserve, Vault Reserve: April 2015
10% ABV | Belgian | 750ml | De Struise Brouwers | Oostvleteren, Belgium There are beers. And then there are beers. These are not the casual sort of beer you put in your basket at the market without a second thought – beers like these are sought, collected and revered. The kind of beer that transcends this plane of existence, is often accompanied with rays of light and a choir of angels when you open it – you know, that sort of thing. De Struise’s Pannepot Real Ale is one of those beers. Praised by beer fanatics since its debut a few years ago, the admiration for this brew and its valiant brewers is not some casual opinion – in 2008, they were voted best brewery in the world. Beyond that, both appear frequently on worldwide Top 10 lists by professionals and enthusiasts alike. Not too bad for a brewery started by three men and a name that comes from an old flemish word meaning “ostrich” (or, The Sturdy Brewery as it is officially translated, but that’s not as fun). The brewery is yet another splendid participant in the old-meets-new phenomenon of modern craft brewing, marrying the beliefs established by the past with the conventions of today’s tastes, including stronger flavors, higher alcohol content and increased emphasis on barrel aging. The brewers moved their operation from region to region for a couple of years before finally settling in Oostvleteren, Belgium, where they opened their own established brewery and tasting room in a, what else, renovated school house. Since they’ve set up shop, they’ve been quite busy, churning out an impressive collection...
