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...
