Capt Keith's Beer Blog

I am working on a new project in Dallas, called The Moth. The concept is a “gastro-pub” that serves a great chef driven menu of small plates for sharing and pairing with the diverse and carefully planned beer menu. You can expect great food, perfect beer offerings and educated, professional service. The Moth will have 40 draught beers along with two Cask Ales. 40 draughts seems like a lot, but its not easy deciding which craft beers best represent their particular style. I have decided to start locally and then branch to other cities around the US and then go abroad to bring you the very best selection to be found in this city. The bottle menu can fill in the gaps with a size of 80 or so special selections. I am collecting a number of beers that will be off-menu jewels. Once our staff knows you dig good beer, you’ll have access to all of them. I am working on some vintage liquid to add to the stash. Just ask for the list.

The Moth is located in the Design District of Dallas where Hi-Line and Oaklawn meet. The easy access off the Dallas Tollway to Oaklawn now makes it very accessible from many areas of town. We expect to be open in mid April 2010. Come by and check out the progress or stay posted to this blog. I will attach some shots along the way.

Cheers,

Keith

Matt does it again in KC. He is bringing you the best the market can offer up in the form of liquid gold. This Monday – January 18th he will tap the bung on a Cask of Hopslam.

Hopslam is a seasonal, high-gravity American Double/Imperial IPA from Bell’s Brewery in Kalamazoo, Mich., and is only available from Jan. 7 through February each year.

The casks will be tapped starting at 7 p.m. Tell your friends, write your momma and bring the kids if you must. Don’t miss this rare chance to taste this “biting, bitter, tongue bruiser of an ale.”

A buddy of mine at Dogfish Head sent me a great little gift package over the holidays. It contained many of their big beers that he had been cellaring. Thanks dude!

Last night, it was bone-chilling cold in Dallas, so I lit a fire and poured myself an ‘05 Oak Aged Immort Ale. This is a strong ale around 11% abv..

Classify this beer as a Strong Ale or Barleywine – doesn’t really matter. Call me crazy, but I am not a huge fan of Oak Aged Beer. Well, I may be now. But, more often than not, its a whiskey barrel and the beer tastes a lot like the whiskey, which strangely enough (being a Food and Beverage director for 15 years) I have never really developed a palate for… Beer is my drink of choice – a regulator – I get full or sleepy before things go south.

This beer pours a deep amber – burnt orange with a nice tan head that fades. The aroma is complex with some peat, vanilla, maple or caramel and just a touch of alcohol. The mouthfeel is velvety smooth and lingers well after the beer goes down. I like it’s smooth texture and range of flavor, plus it warms the belly. A few sips in and I’m relaxed and very pleased with this beer. The toffee and vanilla flavors were most pronounced. This beer was a special ‘05 vintage and I am sure it gets better every year. I just couldn’t wait any longer. Most big beers just drink better after a year or so – 120 IPA comes to mind… I’ll save that one a few years more.

Looking forward to my next beer – will it be Burton Baton or World Wide Stout? It was Burton Baton – more on that later. I gave the World Wide Stout to Marc in Fort Worth. I think he likes the Dogfish.

It is that time of year if you are near Columbia, South Carolina.

Our friends at All About Beer Magazine are hosting the 2nd Annual World Beer Festival at the convention center just around the corner from the Flying Saucer. I attended last year and there were many world class beers available and all of the usual suspects. Belgian ales are plentiful, local craft breweries are eager to give you a taste of their love for the art and many of the major craft players will be on hand to taste you on their special line up.

Smuttynose was a favorite of mine last year – look for Kevin Love when  you hit their booth – he is knowledgeable and passionate about his beers. The Smuttynose IPA was a fantastic example of the style and I recommend it. Look forward to trying a Barleywine this year. Hope they bring one.

Attend one of the beer lectures if you get the chance. Greg Glaser’s presentation is very well done and extremely informative and they pass out beer for you to taste as you go along. There should be several opportunities and I thoroughly enjoyed them last year.

The Flying Saucer will have a booth set up with merchandise and some of the folks from our local chapter. Ted from Austin will be on hand as well as Jeff from Raleigh. The Saucer is hosting a Brewers Dinner with beers on Friday night which could be an opportunity to talk beer with those who make it. Come by the Saucer after your session to warm up and have a killer beer with us. See you there!

3 Amigos Drinking Rogue Ale with Jim

This holiday season, we have a special glass for you. A little Yule Fuel to kick start the holiday spirit. So, bring your gang – and get to your favorite Saucer early because this glass is a good one & will surely go quick. Check it out……..

Now for the really good part. Greg Koch from Stone turned loose of some of his vintage Imperial Russian Stout for every Saucer (Little Rock and KC excluded – sorry dudes).

You will have the rare opportunity to try this 2007 vintage IRS.  Get off work early and run, don’t walk to the Saucer to get this glass and this beer! I hope to see you there.

Today, I had the chance to taste the new Ranger IPA from New Belgium Brewing Company, before it’s release to the public. The team of “beer rangers” that I know from NBBC are solid guys with a passion for good beer. Not just their beer, but all beer. The story behind this IPA is that the Rangers on the street wanted a hopped up beer to sell. They wanted an IPA that could compete with the best in the market.

The hops used are Simcoe, Chinook and Cascade. The IBU’s (International Bittering Units) are around 60 which is up there. The color is a pale golden-amber with a solid white head that last awhile. It has a strong floral aroma and maybe some grapefruit. (I had four people taste it with me and one says grapefruit and it sticks.) I say some type of interesting flower that I cannot put my finger on and another agrees that it has something unique. It is bitter for sure but has enough malts to make it subtle and not really a hop slam like some IPAs. (Don’t get me wrong – I like the occasional hop slam in my beer too.) The mid-section of this brew has a creamy tinge of something sweet, but I could not place it. Maybe its the yeast. The hop bitterness lingers and it has a dryness at the end, but also that ever-so-mild sweet something right in the middle.

I like it and I would drink it again. In fact, put me in Wholefoods or Central Market in hunt for an IPA and I’ll snag a sixer or two. It quite possibly is my new favorite NBBC brew. Well, maybe after La Folie. If you dig NBBC and you dig hoppy IPA’s, I really think you will like this beer. Find it in your local market and at the Flying Saucer in mid Frebruary.

Last night I tried the Saint Arnold Christmas Ale – which had a deep copper color. It was slightly  murky – not clear. The head was tight and lasting and tan in color. I detected some holiday spice in the aroma along with some fruity sweetness. The style is a winter warmer but the alcohol is not noticeable to me. The flavor has caramel notes, toffee, sweet fruits and mild hops. This is a great brew for the general population – easy to drink with pleasant mouthfeel. You can find it at most markets that care about the beers they offer.

As a beer buyer, it is my job to know about all styles and take note when I taste them. It is important to know what is in the market or what will be in the market even before it arrives. This time of year is always good for beer guys like me and YOU.

Last night I had a Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale – It looked like the Celebration I’ve always known. I have enjoyed this beer so much that I have tried to knock it off while home brewing a few times. I’ve come close but never as good as the real thing. This beer seems a little thinner than I remember, but very fresh with snappy hops.

Sierra uses Two-row pale as the base and then English Caramel malts for color and flavor. The hop bill is Cascade (nothing new) and Centennial, which I like. The alcohol is almost 7% so it can really take the edge off a long work day.

Check it out at Sierra Nevada’s site.

I am going to try to work my way through more beers and post them as I taste them.

We will release the Edge of Darkness on Wednesday the 11th in San Antonio. My friend Rusty Woodland will be there with me to make a toast. This is the beer we helped create at  Sierra Nevada beer camp #12. It is a robust brown ale that has been wet hopped as well as dry hopped. We released a few kegs at the Fall Beer Festivals, both in Fort Worth and in Austin. The beer was well received. There are only a handful of kegs left and we have only two in SA, so this will likely be your only opportunity to try this unique brew.

We will feature Edge of Darkness and other fine Sierra Nevada brews during Brewery Night, so come and prepare to lift a glass with us and then take it home with you.

Cheers Keith

This is our 4th year in a row to host the Fort Worth Beer Festival. Each year the crowd has grown in size and last year was the biggest yet. If you have not attended this annual event, let me explain how it will work.

You do not have to pay to get in the event.

You pay for a Tasting Card so that you can sample 10 of the 25 beers we are featuring. The cards identify which beers are in the various tents. Each time you try a beer, we will pour 4 oz and then punch your card. For a $5 bump in price, you can sample from the UR Not Worthy Tent. That was Marc’s idea – to include a grouping of beers that are very rare on draft and that he has been saving for all of you! In this tent, you’ll find beers like Stone Sublimely Self-Righteous Ale, Avery Beast Grand Cru and some Vintage North Coast Old Stock.

If you find a beer you like, you can buy a full pour with tickets or 4 punches of your tasting card.

A big tent will be set up with tables and chairs to take a load off or just sit and eat some killer beer food. We’ll fire up the Brat and Pretzel tent just before 2 PM. Expect beer brats and German pretzels with spicy mustard and seasoned kraut. Perfect fall beer food for an outdoor event.

As the doors open, we will tap the bung on some Real Ale Oktoberfest. We have a limited supply so get there early. Also, I will be on hand to tap the first keg of Sierra Nevada Edge of Darkness from my beer camp. Come see us and let’s raise a glass to some great weather with friends and the best beer selection ever presented at an outdoor venue in the history of Fort Worth, Texas.