About the beer: Dopplebocks are dark and strong lagers that are traditionally enjoyed in the winter months. There’s still no reason why you can’t enjoy them any time of year though so last week I cracked open a bottle I had in my small beer cellar.  The one I went with,  Smuttynose S’Muttonator is a great example of this traditional style,  but with an American twist.

In a Nutshell: Smuttynose S’muttonator is a great American take on a classic German style.

Review: Smuttynose has long been a favorite New England brewery of mine. While they are mostly known for more conservative fair like pale ales, when they do bolder styles in their Big Beer series they never disappoint. The S’Muttonator is no different. It’s a big, bold, nutty beer that  tastes great.  While dopplebocks are meant to be strong beers, both in their flavor and alcohol, I’ve often found many of them a bit too sweet to really get into. The S’muttonator does a nice job balancing out the sweeter qualities with just a kiss of hops, making it a beer I think anyone could enjoy.

Rating: 4 out of 5

(Photo by Dan Larson)

As a Bostonian, I’ve grown accustomed to having a stellar craft beer selection and culture readily available.  So I was excited to see what the first leg of my trip, in which I visited New Hampshire, Vermont, New York, North Carolina, Maryland, and Delaware, (spanning a decent portion of the Atlantic) would have in store.  All the breweries I visited are producing an interesting and well-executed selection of beers to their local communities and beyond.  What fascinated me the most was the realization that most breweries on this side of the country share a couple of common threads:

-A strong focus on staying style appropriate while creating interesting and delicious beer.

-They commonly offer extremely sessionable beers that become ‘staples’ in many craft beer lovers’ repertoires.

-Use of local ingredients and a significant consideration of the community they’re most immediately serving.

These tenets although not steadfast, but  I found to be common amongst many of the breweries we know and love on this side of the country. As one might expect, a few stuck out amongst the rest, and are doing a great job in defining beer culture in addition to being super awesome.

Smuttynose Brewing Company

Imagine entering someone’s slightly disorganized garage or cluttered home office: cozy, a little tight on space, but nice and homey.  Now add some fermenting tanks, some brew kettles, a bottling and kegging line, a warehouse full of beer, and a few taps for on site drinking, and you’ve pretty much got Smuttynose Brewing Company in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.  As a Bostonian, Smuttynose is a particular favorite of mine.  They are brewing super sessionable and style-abiding classics, from their Star Island Single to their Old Brown Dog Ale.  Offering a hospitable and informative tour of the slightly cramped (they’re expanding to a dream brewery space sometime in 2012!) but awesome facility, you quickly get the feeling that Smuttynose really understands their following. Because really, what more does any New Englander want after drudging through six feet of snow than a wonderfully spiced Winter Ale….or three?

Fullsteam

Fullsteam Brewery  wouldn’t stand out against the surrounding warehouse buildings on its street if it weren’t for the giant red door with the Fullsteam logo on it.  This brewery located in Durham, NC (and less than a year old) estimates that they will produce about 2,500 barrels at the end of their first year. They state that their mission is to create the identity of southern craft beer.  If I do say so myself, they’re doing a fantastic job with offerings like the earthy, tart, and citrusy Sour Mash Sweet Potato Ale; or the Working Man’s Lunch, a dry and delicious dark ale brewed with cocoa nibs from local chocolate shop Escazu.  Fullsteam showcases the flavors that reflect the culture and community of Durham, and distributes exclusively within North Carolina.  And while using some creative ingredients (their website says they’ll soon be boasting a basil ale), they know the value in their staples like the Rocket Science IPA and Southern Lager.  I wasn’t able to tour their facility, but the glass wall peering into their brew house was sufficient.  From what I could tell from their beer and those drinking it at the bar, Fullsteam is only just beginning to show their significant and influential presence in the South and beyond.

Brooklyn Brewery

Brooklyn Brewery is the 16^th largest craft brewery in the US. Their flagship beer, Brooklyn Lager, was one of the first craft beers I had in my beer-drinking career.  So when I had the opportunity to take a class on brewing yeast with Brooklyn brewer Chris Basso, I jumped at the chance.  And after kindly pleading, Chris was kind enough to show me around the newly expanded brewery space and talk beer for a bit. The new Brooklyn Brewery has absolutely beautiful, brick walls and the most gorgeous lighting I’d seen of all the breweries I visited. Not to mention the awesomely shiny new fermenting tanks and brew kettles that will increase Brooklyn’s production capability ten-fold.   I tried out the Main Engine Start (an Abbey Single), the first beer they brewed on their newly expanded system.  Simple, dry, with a clean hoppiness and that nice full mouthfeel you get with a Belgian yeast.  Nothing crazy, but delightful and über-sessionable.  I followed that with their Irish Stout, true to style, a bit of coffee and chocolate with a slight bite at the end.  Anyone that drinks craft beer knows Brooklyn Brewery, and with good reason: they are a beacon of delicious consistency and well-executed craft beer.

In all likelihood, you’ve tried beers from at least one if not all of these breweries, but what stood out to me was the passion and drive that these brewers possess was unparalleled, and that is evident in their beer.  Each beer is a beautifully crafted work, paying homage to their history, community, and consumer.  So if you have the chance, try any of the beers Smuttynose, Brooklyn, or Fullsteam is creating. Better yet, go on a trip and try them first hand.

Baltic porter is an extremely heavy beer, both in taste and alcohol content, that was brewed to help the people living by the Baltic Sea of Northern Europe get through the frigid winter. The beer was originally produced in England and shipped to the people of Finland, Poland and other nearby countries. Although it later gained fame as a way to stave off the cold with it’s high alcohol content, it was brewed so strong simply to allow it to survive the long shipment to the Baltic region. Eventually, the citizens of these Baltic countries began to produce their own varieties of the beer, particularly in Finland and Poland. These brewers made some changes to the English recipe, brewing the beer as a lager instead of an ale and increasing the flavor. The alcohol in these beers is extremely intense, usually weighing in around 7 to 10% Alc. by volume. The taste is equally mighty and quite dry, usually with notes of dark chocolate and rye. It’s one of the strongest variations of porter available, and also one of the tastiest.

These beers make excellent companions for the right type of food. Although it might seem odd, oysters go great with Baltic porter and other heavy beers. The rich, malty flavors provide a nice counter flavor to the hearty tastes of oysters and other sea food. Dark chocolate is also a lovely accompaniment to Baltic porters.

If you’re going to try Baltic porter I’d recommend Sinebrychoff from Finland, which is perhaps the most popular and traditional version.  Smuttynose out of New Hampshire also produces a wonderful version. What’s your favorite Baltic porter? Next time you try it, let us know by tweeting your beer and adding the #mybeer hashtag.

Recently the Beeriety crew went down to Providence, RI to attend the first Beervana Beer Festival in the Roger Williams Park Botanical Center. There was a lot of beer to try, and a lot of fun was had by all.

The most striking thing about this beer festival was its location. The botanical gardens were a far cry from the usual convention halls in which most beer festivals take place. The high glass and metal ceilings and the plethora of large and exotic plant life made it feel like a beer festival in the bio-dome. The environment was fun, even if the winding layout made it tough at times to find your favorite brewer. All of the glass and metal didn’t absorb much of the noise of 500 chatty beer lovers either, which made talking to the various brewers a bit of challenge at times.

Of course, the beer and not the location was the reason we went down to Providence, and on that front, Beervana was a rousing success. Over 20 different brewers and importers offered a huge variety of different brews, including many that weren’t available anywhere else. There were many different beers to try, but the ones which stood out most in our minds were the scotch ales and other liquor-inspired offerings.

Here’s a breakdown of some of our favorites:

Newport Storm Rum-Chipped Marzen- This was a traditional German marzen brewed with chips from an oak barrel which had been used to age rum.  (The chips were strained out before bottling.)  The sweet, warm flavors of the rum imparted a subtle vanilla taste to this beer.

Brooklyn Brewery Manhattan Project- This  beer was a collaboration between Brooklyn Brewery and David Wondrich, drinks editor of Esquire magazine. It was aged in rye whiskey barrels for a wonderfully smoky aroma and taste.

Berkshire Brewing Company Wood-aged Scotch Ale- Another great, barrel-aged scotch ale with a powerful aroma matched only by its alcoholic strength.

Samuel Smith Stingo- This classic Yorkshire brewery unveiled their latest creation, which was aged in oak barrels for over a year before bottling.  The oak blended nicely with the buttery flavors from Sam Smith’s house yeast.

Smuttynose Brewing Oaked Tripel Penetration- A great twist on a traditional Belgian style tripel. The heavy oak notes blended well with the light flavors of a tripel.

Dogfish Head's Sam Calagione speaks

In addition to all of the great beer, there were special guest speakers. Rob Tod, founder of Allagash Brewing Co., spoke about barrel aged beer. Sam Calagione, founder of Dogfish Head Craft Brewery, spoke about his special ancient ales project. Both speakers attracted large crowds, but it was no surprise to see that Calagione drew the biggest audience, as he’s known throughout the craft brew world for his blunt nature.

All and all, it was a great time and a well organized event, especially for a festival in its first year. If you’re in the area next year, be sure to check out Beervana.