Alcoholic Tree Shrews and Beer Making Flowers

I havent had the inspiration to do a blog forever but this awesome story combined with many imperial pints of Russian River's Pliny The Elder has inspired me to do so.

Here are some highlights from NPR's article but you really should just click the link and read the whole thing, it is short and fascinating and wont take much of your time unless you count all the time you will spend thinking about it later.

" In the rain forest of Malaysia, scientists have found a small mammal, closely related to primates, whose major source of food is a type of beer."

"...they have one favorite food source: the bertam palm, whose flowers have a very strong and distinctive smell. "They smell like a brewery," Weins says.

In fact, the flower buds function as brewing chambers — they have been invaded by previously unknown species of yeast, which ferment the nectar into frothy alcohol.

"The maximum alcohol concentration that we recorded was 3.8 percent," Weins says. "That's in the range of a beer."

I dont know whats more interesting, beer drinking tree shrews or flowers brewing beer, although I am not sure its beer if their is no barley involved. Plus the fact that it's being fermented with a previously unkown wild yeast and its fermenting pollen just makes my imagination go wild with new brewing possibilities.
Maybe a new kind of alcoholic beverage could be born from this? Or maybe an open brewery with spontaneous fermentation in Malaysia?
Maybe the tree shrew will replace a dog as man's best friend? I wonder what kind of ales they might be into? What do you think it might take to import a malaysian tree shrew into the united states? Talk about the ultimate pet, all you would have to do to take care of them is leave some leftover beer bottles around.
The possibilities are endless.

Puckerfest Update

Most of the original line-up is either gone or very close to kicking, so here's an update of what we've got on tap as of now. The new ones were detailed on Monday's post, so scroll down a bit if you'd like more info.

• Double Mountain - Devil's Kriek
  
• Lucky Lab - Belgian Sour Cherry
• Cascade Brewing - Flanders Red
• Cantillon - Vigneronne
• Full Sail - Pompeii (the "official" name of Belmont Blend #1)
• New Belgium - La Folie
• Dogfish - Festina Peche
• Cantillon - St. Lamvinus
  

There's a good chance that both the La Folie and Festina Peche will blow this afternoon. If and when they do we'll replace them with the New Belgium Lips Of Faith Sour Peach and BJ's Enfant Terrible respectively.

Keep on puckering!

PuckerFest - The (Almost) Complete Line Up

OK, here's the deal. I can't really tell you when any of these things are going to go on tap because we only have 8 faucets to run the sours through (we need to keep some "normal" beers on), and we have close to 20 different offerings lined up. There's also a couple of local breweries that have promised kegs, but have yet to deliver them (you know who you are!) and I don't want to get people's hopes up unnecessarily. That said, here's an almost complete list of puckertastic beer.

Currently On Tap:

Cantillon - Vigneronne: Light and delicate, yet aggressively sour. Malted grain meet pressed grape. This is a beer of incredible contradiction that somehow transcends both beer and wine to become something which can only be called Vigneronne. Judging by sales, this was the most popular pour last night, and the keg is already 1/3 gone. I'd give it until Thursday at the latest.

New Belgium - La Folie: New Belgium's Brewmaster, Peter Boukaert, previously helmed Belgium's classic Rodenbach brewery, so it's no surprise that NBB's barrel-aged Flemish sour is amazingly close to the traditional example. Truly wonderful stuff. At the current pace the keg will probably kick on Thursday.

Dogfish - Festina Peche: Described as a "Neo-Berliner Weisse", DFH has once again taken something old and put an extreme spin on it. In this case "extreme" doesn't mean alcohol, just an extremely delicious combination of tart, fruity sourness wrapped up in a 4.5% package. Lots of flavor, not a lot of booze. I want to see someone drink a boot of this.

Cascade - Flander's Red: Ron and Curtis from Cascade Brewing (aka Raccoon Lodge) have been blending, aging, and generally having fun with barrels for a couple of years now. Their take on a Flemish sour is a little softer and sweeter than New Belgium's, but still loaded with woody, funky goodness.

Full Sail - Belmont Blend #1: I'll be perfectly honest; this beer is not for everyone. The initial aroma has been compared rather unfavorably to acetone (nail polish remover), and it's sure to turn a lot of people off before they even take a sip. I would encourage you to make an effort, and not give up on it too quickly. Once the nose and palate desensitize to the sharp aroma, a bevy of interesting things start to rise out of the glass. In the mouth it has a slightly full bodied feel and a little sweetness on the tongue, and the sour, woody notes are lightened considerably by the fruity Belgian yeast character of the base beer into which it was blended. Since this wouldn't be a proper Full Sail beer without some hops, we mixed in a portion of Prodigal Sun for good measure. The result is that the sweet and sour fades from the mouth as you swallow and then get overtaken by a long trail of bitterness in the throat. Like I said, most definitely not for everyone, but I hope you'll give it a chance.

Verhaeghe - Echte Kriekenbier: Verhaeghe is best known for their Duchesse de Bourgogne, a rather acetic Belgian red ale. The Echte Kriekenbier is essentially barrel-aged Duchesse that has had a second fermentation on cherries. Tart and sour, but still approachable and fruity. This one is also going quick, and probably won't last through Wednesday.

Lucky Lab - Belgian Sour Cherry: This is one of the only beers in the line-up that I haven't previously had, because someone drank the sample bottle that Ben Flerchinger was kind enough to drop off last week. I'll update this part after work when I've had a chance to try it.


Coming Soon:

Please note: All tapping times listed below are approximate. The faster the initial line up goes, the faster we can get the rest of these tasty treats on tap. Conversely, if things last longer than expected we may have a couple sour beers left for a few days after the event. If you have any questions about what's on tap please check the front page of our website. I promise we'll keep it updated all week long.

Double Mountain - Devil's Kriek: According to Charlie Devereux, this is the very last keg of their intensely fruity kriek. At 8% abv, it's also one of the strongest entries in the line-up. The kriek was made by aging a batch of the Devil's Kitchen on hundreds of pounds of local cherries for several months. The resulting beer is strong, tart, full-bodied, and bright freaking red. Serious Crayola red. It's pretty cool to look at, and even better to drink. Expect this to go on later in the week.

BJ's Portland - Enfant Terrible: This brew started life as a fairly mild mannered Belgian blonde ale, but like Superman in a phone booth it underwent some serious transformation during a year of barrel aging with lambic yeast. It's funky, dry, and chock full of fruity yeast character. Since BJ's is no longer brewing in town, and Vasili has moved to Rock Bottom, there's no telling if or when we'll ever see this beer again. The Enfant will probably go on tap Thursday or Friday.

Rock Bottom Portland - Ned Flanders: This sour ale was a huge hit at OBF 2006 and Puckerfest #1. We squirreled away the very last keg and have been sitting on it since last year, eagerly anticipating one last chance to taste this. Expect it to be on tap over the weekend.

Liefman's - Kriek: Another Belgian classic, Liefman's Kriek (based on a sour brown ale) has a more pronounced malt flavor than the other Flemish sours in our line-up. Given Leifman's financial difficulties, and recent acquisition by Duvel Moortgat, this could be one of the last kegs we'll get from the "original" company. This should be on tap by Thursday or Friday.

Cascade - Brewing Cuvee: This is an evolving, experimental creation blended from several different barrels. Tart apple character meets earthy, barnyard funkiness. It's fairly strong, yet dry and light bodied, a true testament to the sugar digesting abilities of our tiny microbial friends. This will replace the Cascade Flanders Red when it blows; if I had to guess I'd say Friday.

Walking Man - Blootvoeste Bruin: This very special brew is made by blending Walking Man's Barefoot Brown with a batch of Kombucha. This is the one other beer I haven't had a chance to try (not for lack of trying), so here's a great description from after4ever, a ratebeer.com member from Washington:

Opaque dark brown with thinnish tan rim and light lace. Pungent sweet and sour nose that somehow seems to come and go. Rich, creamy body on the high side of medium. Nutty, sugary, cinnamony, red-apple-y mid-palate. Long clinging apple finish. Really beautiful once it warms up a bit.

You can expect this one to be on tap over the weekend for the grand puckering finale.

Cantillon - St. Lamvinus: St. Lamvinus is created by blending Cantillon's gueuze with French wine grapes. The grapes generally come from Bordeaux, but they pick a different winery every year which makes each batch a unique creation. There's a wonderfully enlightening description of the history and process on the importer's website, and it's well worth the read if you have a couple minutes. This will go on tap this weekend for the finale.


Like I said up top, there's still a few kegs that haven't been delivered yet, so check back for more surprises if and when the stragglers get delivered.

Cheers, and pucker hard!

Prepare to Pucker!

The day has finally arrived, and Puckerfest 2008 is upon us. We have 5 funky beers on tap right now, and we'll be adding more as the days go by.

More details to follow, but here's the initial line-up:

• Cantillon - Vigneronne
• New Belgium - La Folie
• Dogfish Head - Festina Peche
• Six Rivers - Framboise
• Verhaeghe - Echte Kriekenbier

We also have a limited number Puckerfest T-shirts to commemorate the event. Get them while you can!

New Arrivals

I've been slacking on the new arrivals posts, so here's a quick run down of everything we've gotten in the last week or so.

New treats from our neighbors to the south:

• Alesmith - Decadence: We got a couple more cases of the Decadence Imperial Porter. The last allotment went quickly, so again I'd implore you to limit yourself to a bottle or two so that as many people as possible can have a chance at tasting it.

• Alesmith - Summer Yulesmith: This imperial IPA is always a staff favorite. It's big and malty for an IPA, but it's no slouch in the hops department. Pine, citrus and minty hop notes highlight the lingering bitter finish and bring you back for more.

• Stone - 12th Anniversary Bitter Chocolate Oatmeal Stout: The name is almost as much of a mouthful as the beer itself. The 9% abv is well hidden in this jet black, viscous brew, and the only minor complaint I have is that I was expecting a little more creaminess in the mouthfeel from the oats. Other than that, the roasted graininess, coffee flavor, and solid bitter chocolate character kept me entertained for the entire bottle. I'm sure the folks at Stone will question your worthiness, but we won't tell them if you buy a couple bottles.

• Sierra Nevada - Anniversary Ale: The SN Anniversary IPA isn't usually released this early, but the unprecedented sales of their tasty Summerfest lager left holes in the distribution chain that had to be filled. No complaints here, as this crisp, cascade-laden IPA is perfect for warm weather porch sipping. The hop profile on this is almost identical to their Pale, but amplified to show off the sharp citrusy qualities of the cascades.
  

BrewDog arrives in Oregon!

When Stuart Rankin (aka Mike Myers) coined the phrase, "If it's not Scottish, it's crap!" he was almost certainly thinking about beers like this. They're big and bold, and not afraid to show it. Even the labels read like a Scottish version of Stone, proclaiming that the beer is too intense for you, and that you should probably walk away while you can.

BrewDog - The Physics: I haven't had this one yet, so here's what the brewery has to say about it:

A historically accurate beer based on the recipe devised on the 8th of February 2007. Recreated using the finest coloured malts which provide the complex sweet malt character which initially arouses the senses. Like a fine cheese cake the biscuit base has a smooth and creamy layer that both satisfies and entices. Culminating with a delicate fruit topping of blackcurrant and tinges of citrus to refresh the participant, complimented fully by the crisp dry bitter finish.

BrewDog - Punk IPA: I haven't gotten to this one yet either, so here's their description:

A beer of inherent contradiction. This heavy weight of the beer world is strikingly delicate with a white gold appearance. The light fruity aroma dominates the initial confrontation; lychee, kiwi and passionfruit all prevail with subtle nuances of cherry and strawberry. Don’t be fooled however by this smooth medium bodied ale. As it trickles down your throat as this wolf in sheep’s clothing begins to grow teeth. The bite comes as the bitterness builds and endures no matter how hard the malty sweetness of the alcohol tries to tame this ferocious beast.

BrewDog - Hardcore IPA: This won't quite blow your taste buds off like some of the bigger west coast imperials, but it's probably the hoppiest beer I've ever had from the UK. The malt takes a back seat on this ride, providing just enough presence to carry the citrus and tropical fruit hop flavors that keep trying to crawl out of the glass and smack you in the nose.

BrewDog - Riptide Imperial Stout: If BrewDog keeps making it, this brew has the potential to become a classic in the realm of imperial stouts. Rich yet restrained. Aggressive yet smooth. Roasty coffee, bittersweet chocolate, and dark fruity grain flavors all gather harmoniusly on the tongue before spreading out to every corner of the mouth. Also, I believe this is the base beer for their Paradox series of imperial stouts (keep reading), but I don't know for sure.

That brings us to the Paradox series. Having easy access to the distilleries in Scotland has given Brewdog an unmistakable edge when it comes to barrel-aged beers. Not content to settle for generic bourbon or whiskey barrels, they've gone so far as to pick some of the best houses in Scotland and somehow talked them out of their precious barrels. So, what's the difference? While a typical bourbon barrel will generally add some wood, vanilla, and obvious bourbon notes to the brew, aging it in something like a 1970 Glen Grant barrel allows you to really focus on the character of the individual whiskey. It's especially enlightening if you can find a bottle of Caol Lla to pair with the Islay blend, or a bottle of Macallan to pair with it's beery counterpart. Each of the four beers that we've received from this ever-growing series began with the same imperial stout, so even if you don't have access to the various whiskeys I'd suggest gathering a couple friends an eye-opening side-by-side comparison.

BrewDog - Paradox Macallan Batch 011: Aged in a used Macallan cask (which itself was a used sherry cask), this variant is the least whiskey-ish of the four. Polished wood meets slightly cardboardy sherry notes, all wrapped up in a deliciously thick bodied stout.

BrewDog - Paradox Glen Grant Batch 003: While the name Glen Grant may not mean much to most people, Scotchophiles will recognize it instantly. It's the largest-selling single malt in the world, but much of it is used in the production of Chivas Regal, so you don't see the name tossed around as much as say Glenlivet, Dalmore, or Talisker. This version of the Paradox has some smokiness integrated in with the wood and "fresh whiskey" flavors which brings a little more snap to the aroma.

BrewDog - Paradox Speyside Batch 010: This one seemed to have the most whiskey character; a slight salty note (to be expected in a Speyside), a bit of the smokiness to the aroma, and a definite woody component to the finish.

Brewdog - Paradox Islay Batch 001: This one is the peatiest of the bunch, but unfortunately I was pretty deep into a tasting session and my palate wasn't sharp enough at that point for me to pick anything else specific out of it. Note to self: Get a tape recorder so you don't have to try and remember to write things down while sampling a range of huge beers.