Capt Keith's Beer Blog

Everyone has their favorite brews this time of year. When it is biting cold out, I generally go for a strong beer. I like spiced beers on occasion – Anchor makes “Our Special Ale” each year and I usually try one.

Sierra Celebration is always a good hop fix with enough malt to really make it a quaffable treat. Buying the 12 pack at the local market is cost effective and makes it a top 5 choice to stock with holiday guests coming over.

Avec Les Bons Voeux is a Brasserie Dupont release each year with “best wishes” from the brewery. This farmhouse Saison comes in at 9.5 % abv and is bursting with carbonation and fruitiness. Notes of black pepper, hops and sweet spices make this a perfect holiday beer. Only select retailers and Flying Saucers will even have this one!

N’Ice Chouffe from Brasserie d’Achouffe is another good one if you can get it. This beer should be readily available in TN and NC. Texas Saucer are just now really getting Chouffe beers. This dark Belgian strong ale comes in over 10% and goes down like a tawny port with fruity aromas and dark fruit flavors.

I seem to crave an Imperial Stout during the holidays & one of my favorites is North Coast Old Rasputin which can be found in most markets. Avery Czar is still around, Rogue XS Imperial Stout is big and expensive and Oskar Blue Ten Fiddy is in some markets – canned beer – Yeehaw.

I also like Breckenridge Christmas from our amigos in Denver, CO, Full Sail Wassail from the fine folks in Hood River, OR, Pyramid SnoCap & Avery Jubilation. Oh yeah, if your pallet can take it, buy a sixer of Hop Wallop from Victory. It is a hophead holiday beer for sure.

Happy Holidays

Monday December 8th, I had the pleasure of visiting the Saucer in Kansas City, MO. Matt Gardner, the local beer guru, had set up a Bell’s Beer and Food pairing to be hosted by Jim O’Connor. Jim has been with Bell’s for several years and had a good deal of information to share about the Brewery and its founder.

Bell’s Brewery is located in Kalamazoo, MI for those of you who don’t know their beers. The only Saucer on their radar for 2009 is Columbia, SC. Heads up gang – get some Two Hearted Ale on tap!

Bell’s is currently the 13th largest Craft Brewery in the USA. Larry Bell took over the former Kalamazoo Brewery and produced his first commercially sold brew in 1985. Before then, he had a homebrew supply shop.  (He had been an avid homebrewer since Jimmy Carter lifted the federal restrictions forbidding homebrewing in 1978.) In the brewery’s tasting room, the Eccentric Cafe, one can sample the plethora of brews made on site. I wonder if they have any Hopslam?

The beers and the food:

Third Coast Old Ale – its actually an English-style barley wine brewed just as you’d imagine – deep hazy copper color with a big head and caramel malt flavors. This beer packs a punch and you can feel the heat – 10.3% abv. This one was paired with the Cotswold English Cheddar

We moved to the Porter with Smoked Gouda. The Gouda  was a perfect match for this dark espresso colored beer.  This porter is a solid example of the style with some roasty bitterness at the end.

Later we moved to the Kalamazoo Stout and Brie. Then, Jim paired the Double Cream Stout with d’affinois – wow – what a great combination. You must try this cheese. I’d never even heard of it before then. If you like soft cheeses, you will enjoy this pairing. The beer was certainly creamy with nice chocolate notes on the nose and in the flavor.

The Cherry Stout seemed to be the biggest hit with the audience. This rich and powerful stout is brewed with Montmorency Cherries that gives it a tart cherry aroma along with the chocolate and roasted malt characteristics of a typical stout. The cherry flavor was almost enough to make me pucker.

The final beer of the night was the Expedition Stout. This big beer is a Russian Imperial Stout and it is thick, almost black and produces a dense tan head. The aroma had chocolate, coffee, roasted or burnt malt along with noticeable smoke. The brewery calls this the vintage port of American Stout and it packs a punch at 10.5% abv. We had the Saucer’s Mud Island Lava Cake with Raspberry Lambic puree over vanilla bean ice cream. I think most stouts make a good dessert beer, but this one was mildly sinful.

I always knew that I liked Bell’s Brewery. My first experience was at the GABF several years back. I think their Two Hearted ale is perhaps one of the best IPA’s in America. Next time you are at the Saucer in KC, get some.

Every time I turn on the news or hit the internet, I am reminded of bad economic times. It feels strange, but I get excited about gas prices that are still above 2 bucks per gallon. I have friends and family that are feeling the pressures of the waning economy. I’m not sure I want to even check my 401k anymore. I know that many of us are watching our dollars more carefully now than in recent years.

We have received many price increases over the last year and a half. Now that fuel has come down, we have not seen any decreases in beer cost. I really wasn’t expecting any decreases, but its funny how that works. I’ve been told that more increases are sure to come.

Even though beer cost is on the rise, the beer business has been somewhat impervious to harsh economic times. Most of our craft-brewer friends are still in growth mode, thanks in large part to you – the beer enthusiasts. Personally, I know that I am not going to sacrifice quality when it comes to the beers that I drink.

Most of us want to go out and have a beer while spending time with friends, in good times and in bad. I promise you that we are working hard to maintain fair prices for the beers we serve you.

If you start to feel the pinch, remember this – Monday night is Pint Nite and was designed (13 years ago) to give relief for those who need it. The Flying Saucer is offering the most quality hand-crafted pints for $2.75. Every day you will be able to grab a pint of the Fire Sale for $2.75 and it should be a quality beer. We are either introducing new beers to the market or moving out some seasonals to make room for new arrivals. Sunday we support the local brewers with all of their pints on special at $2.75. Come share a pint with good friends at the Flying Saucer.