Michael Jackson, RIP

I just saw online that Michael Jackson, the beer writer, has died.

Samuel Adams Honey Porter (MA)

The Boston Beer Company likes customer voting, and this brew beat out a smoked lager to make it's way into S.A. Brewmaster's six- and twelve-packs. It's not a new beer, though. It was discontinued but now has returned.

This revenant brewski pours a very dark into the glass, but I can just see my fingers on the other side. A nice beige-tinted head doesn't last, but produces a web-like lacing, looking a bit like a honeycomb. The aroma has a bit of honey to it, but when I bury my nose in the glass I get a whiff of coffee grounds. On my palate it feels perhaps a touch above medium bodied. Fine-bubbled carbonation; not too much, but more than Guinness et. al. The taste is of roasted malts, some coffeee, and honey along the borders. The label brags of Scottish heather honey. Oh, sure, definitely Scottish heather. The finish is dry with a hint of hoppiness to it. Some people say this beer is too sweet, but I don't agree. Maybe this is what happens if you mix a traditional English porter with Blue Moon Honey Moon Ale.

It's a good beer. All told, I like the Black Lager best of the pack, although the time of year was in its favor.

Samuel Adams Black Lager (MA)

There aren't a ton of Schwarzbiers around. Here in New York, Saranac makes one. There's Xingu from Brazil, the classic Franconian Kulmbacher Mönchshof, and a handful of others. The style can be viewed as a lager version of stout, or perhaps one step up the ladder beyond dunkel.

The Sam Adams certainly looks like a stout, though perhaps with more light passing through. It even has a nice fluffy beige head. The taste is malty and roasted, with some hints of chocolate. Based on what I've read about the style, this one is a bit on the sweet side and has a lower hop presence (i.e., practically none). Not that the style is ever hoppy or bitter, but some descriptions talk about a dry or crisp lager finish, which I didn't really detect. Compared with a stout, there is (of course) a huge difference in body. The Sam Adams is still pretty creamy -- medium bodied with moderate carbonation -- but isn't quite the same as a Guinness milkshake.

Facile comparisons to stout aside, I really like this. It certainly is one of the tastier lagers I've had, and would a great smooth-drinking session beer. Now I want to try one of the classic German Schwarzbiers.

Food note: the German Beer Institute suggests using black lager as a substitute for white wine in fondue. I'll have to try that too.

Samuel Adams Brown Ale (MA)

A mixed six-pack -- two each of Brown Ale, Black Lager and Honey Porter -- cost me only $5.99 on sale. I've actually never had any of these.

First up for me is the Brown Ale, which admittedly seems the least regarded of the three. Two years ago, Sam Adams let their customers vote on their next brew, and this beat out a pilsener. The Brown Ale is red-tinged and has an off-white head. I smelled a bit of caramel from the glass, and this was confirmed with my first swig. The sweetness quickly fades and is replaced by a roasted, dry finish that reminds me a bit of burnt nuts. I don't think it all comes together. Sam Adams Brown is more hoppy than Rock Art's but less so than Smuttynose's. Overall, I probably like the Sammy the least of the three, slightly preferring Rock Art as an easy-drinker and strongly favoring Smuttynose for substance. One thing I do like about Samuel Adams Brown is the body, which is medium with the right amount of carbonation. Nonetheless, this is merely a decent beer, and I may decide to cook with the second bottle rather than drink it.

Blue Point Blueberry Ale (NY)

Conspicuously absent from the label of this fruit beer is the word "wheat." Many (most?) fruit beers use a wheat ale base, but the Long Island-based brewery uses golden ale.

I could smell the blueberries while pouring. The color is amber tinged with red. If they're ever bought out by some big corporation, they'll probably start using blue food coloring. It goes down very easily with its light body and medium carbonation. The taste is more tart than sweet, which isn't to say it's a sour beer. The lack of sweetness isn't unusual, as the BJCP style guidelines remind us:

Remember that fruit generally add flavor not sweetness to fruit beers. The sugar found in fruit is usually fully fermented and contributes to lighter flavors and a drier finish than might be expected for the declared base style.

Blueberry Ale reminds me a bit of of blueberry seltzer water, although with less acidic fizz. It doesn't have much beer-ness at its base. Is this what happens if you use a non-wheat foundation? I think this may make it more appealing to non-beer drinkers, but it isn't going to convert those who dislike fruit beers. I'd rather drink it than most other fruit beers I've tried, mainly because I like blueberries.

Erdinger Hefe-Weizen (GER)

Not too many Summer Saturdays left, so I have to drink the hefeweizens while I can. I paid $2.85 for a half liter bottle of what I believe is Germany's top-selling hefe. But is it supposed to be like this?

It pours a nice yellow-orange color topped by thick white foam, but the head is gone before I can snap a picture of it. The aroma isn't strong; only slightly fruity and maybe spicy. What a dislike is the level of carbonation: way too high for a weissbier. It undercuts the creaminess of the texture (it is rightly medium-full). I don't get much citrus or banana either, and, of course, no hops. So what is this?

My first thought is a bad bottle. When I tried Paulaner Hefe earlier, I had to disregard the first bottle, which was bad in a similar way. A few differences here, though. First, it's a matter of degree. The Paulaner was more severely awful. Second, the Paulaner was a bit old, while the Erdinger is dated drink by January 2008. Third, reviews at Ratebeer and Beer Advocate suggest that the Erdinger really is supposed to have a lot of carbonation for its style. Some like it ("lively carbonation"), but a number of critics describe a beer very similar to what I tried. So maybe this is just a poor brew. I might buy another bottle and add an update.

Update: I did in fact try another bottle a couple of weeks later and it was much better. Still fizzier than I'd like, but much more flavorful than the previous bottle. I wouldn't rank it as high as the Paulaner, but it's still a good hefeweizen.

Craft Beer Tasting and Sales Report

Somewhat interesting article at CBS SportsLine by non-craft beer drinker Greg Hardy. His "beer nerd" friend leads him through a tasting of 11 beers, including Three Philosophers, Brooklyn Pilsner and Anchor Liberty. These aren't great beer reviews -- they're not supposed to be -- but it's nice to see a generally positive report at a big website.

Meanwhile, the Brewers Association reports good sales of craft beer: up 11% compared with this same period in 2006. Also, "craft beer sales in the supermarket channel through July 15th, 2007 showed a 17.4% increase in dollar sales compared to the same period in 2006."

Rock Art American Red Ale (VT)

I paid $2.25 for a longneck single, which is really too much. Maybe this is cheaper in Vermont. If I interpret the label correctly, my bottle was filled on June 28th. Do they only bottle on the 28th of each month or am I misinterpreting?

"Super Glide" is this beer's nickname, and it is indeed a smooth brew. There's a malty, somewhat sweet aroma emitted from dark brown liquid (just a tinge of red). The body is maybe a bit on the high side of medium, and there's the right amount of carbonation. The taste is slightly roasted malt with a caramel sweetness. This seems to be on the low-hop end of the scale for a red ale (the same could be said for Rock Art's brown ale). Hopheads won't like this much. If you want an easy-drinking ale, this could be your baby. Good, IMO, but a bit pedestrian.

By the way, that's Kokopelli on the label, a fertility god who is more associated with the Southwest US than New England.