Singing Boys Brewing
Artisanal Handmade Beer
Saturday, October 08, 2011

Brewers of South Suburbia - Specialty Beers

10/08/11


Last night, the Brewers of South Suburbia (BOSS) had its monthly meeting - you can check BOSS out at www.bossbeer.org   


At this meeting, we focused on the 'speciality' style, trying commercial versions and also selecting one 'speciality' beer brewed by a club member to forward on to a national competition.  All of this got me thinking more about beer styles.  The overwhelming majority of beer drunk in this country falls into only two of the over 75 recognized beer styles:  Light American Lager (such as Bud Light) and Standard American Lager (such as Miller High Life).  That leaves a lot of beer styles to try and taste! 


Walking on the Wild Side


I'm not bashing the American Lager style - I enjoy it, too.  It's analogous to White Zinfandel in the wine world, a simple and enjoyable wine that is made with mild flavor and aroma.  For most wine drinkers, though, their wine experience isn't limited to White Zinfandel.  They explore the variety of wine styles made across the world.  Likewise, we want to explore beyond American Lagers and experience the variety of flavors and aromas in beers. 


American processed cheese is enjoyable, easy to eat, not much flavor to it. What a shame it would be, though, if we never enjoyed sharp cheddar, salty romano, creamy brie, or pungent blue cheeses. 


You can begin to get a sense of the variety of beers available by looking through the BJCP style guidelines athttp://www.bjcp.org/2008styles/catdex.php  But even with all those dozens of styles, brewers, like good cooks, try different combinations and techniques to create beers that don't fit the guidelines.  Those are the beers we tried last night, 'speciality' beers - beers that pushed the boundaries. 


Club members brought two 'speciality beers for judging and they were both outstanding.  Pictured above,  Dick van Dyke and Jerry Sadowski, who with Tom Sadowski, judged the two entrants. 


Sour Bourbon Barrel Aged Kitchen Sink

One of the beers was a collaborative effort between many club members, which they called Sour Bourbon Barrel Aged Kitchen Sink.  The sour refers to wild yeast or bacteria that were used in addition to the normal beer yeast, making the beer dry and, well, sour.  The wood barrel aging gave it a depth and complexity, I tasted vanilla flavors in it.  The kitchen sink refers to the variety of ingredients that the various brewers added to the mix. 


Rye Stout

The other handmade speciality beer we tried was a Rye Stout brewed by Scott Pointon.  People are relatively familiar with stout, because of the popularity of Guinness.  Despite being dark in color, Guinness is actually a light beer in many ways, low in alcohol and thin in body.  Scott's rye stout has very little in common with Guinness, though! 


This was a 'specialty' beer because rye is not an ingredient commonly used in stouts and brings flavor to the beer's profile that puts it outside the 'stout' style guidelines.  I thought the rye brought a spicy, peppery flavor to the stout.  It was present, but not overwhelming.  The peppery flavor of the rye complimented the roasty flavor of the chocolate malt and roast barley in the stout – a very nice combination.


Pushing the boundaries can be fun.  Last winter, I made a Scandinavian influenced beer I called Wunjo, with a pale ale base, lemon peel and juniper berries.  You can see more info about it athttp://www.singingboysbrewing.com/Wunjo.html   I'd like to make another Scandinavian inspired beer using sweet gale and heather tips instead of hops.  I have a tincture I made, of basil and lavender soaked in vodka, that I think could be a nice addition to cream ale. 


Join Us at a Tasting!


At every BOSS meeting, we taste commercial and handmade examples of a chosen style.  From now through Spring 2012, we'll be tasting Hefeweizens, Dark Lagers, Belgian Strong Ales, Stouts, Irish and Scottish Ales, and Maibocks. Guests are welcome - if you'd like more info or to come to a meeting, leave me a comment or send a note via the button to the left. 

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