Farmhouse Summer Ale - Flying Fish Brewing Co.

Farmhouse Summer Ale
Farmhouse Ale
Flying Fish Brewing Company
Cherry Hill, NJ

I'm hard at work finding a few seasonal beers I can hang my hat on. So far, I've been pretty successful. The few summer ales I've picked out have impressed me and I might be coming around to the idea of a lighter, crisper, beer than the brown-brews I usually stick with. Not sold yet, but still trying! Today, I'm checking out a really unique "antique beer" that's becoming popular again - the Farmhouse Ale.

I recently took a trip down the street to Cherry Hill, NJ and got a tour of the Flying Fish outfit. Largest of the handful of NJ breweries, Flying Fish is responsible for some really curious beers. Their currently releasing limited run beers for each exit on the New Jersey Turnpike - a novel idea that has yielded a few awesome beers already (I purchased exit 1 and 16 while there, expect them up here someday). These range from an Oyster Stout to a Wild Rice IPA!

Farmhouse Ale fits the bill of "Curious beers" to a T. This style was first brewed in Belgian and French Farmhouses by farmers for sustenance and durability. The history of the drink follows the history of the farmers that made them - too busy to make fancy beers, they made a drink with purpose, and it wasn't a distraction to their daily life or toil, dirt, and manual boring labor! It follows that there isn't a whole lot recorded about these beers. The flavors likely ranged depending on who was brewing it. For years it was considered an endangered beer, but now it is to beer enthusiasts what Leadbelly was to Nirvana fans in '93. It is reborn!

And for good reason. It tastes earthy, a little tart and hops on the way down. It's not as wheat-y to me as the Anchor Steam, but also left out the fruity flavors characteristic of summer brews I can't get on board with. It goes down quick and doesn't fill you up. Summer Ales, I'm realizing, are all about subtlety but this beer has enough of a kick to it make it notable and enjoyable. I'm sure the photo up there doesn't do it justice, but its got a real nice thick wheat-head to it too!

There is what appears to be a really in-depth book about this style of beer available. I read the first few pages, and I think it'll probably end up on my book shelf soon. What a neat history!

--Joe

Work Cited:
flyingfish.com
realbeer.com
http://www.amazon.com/Farmhouse-Ales-Culture-Craftsmanship-Tradition/dp/0937381845#reader_0937381845

Gonzo Imperial Porter - Flying Dog Brewery

Gonzo Imperial Porter
Imperial Porter
Flying Dog Brewery Company
Frederick, Maryland

A quick break from my Summer-ale sessions to tackle a horse of a completely different color. I got a random pack from a liquor store by my house, and I'll be knocking them out over the next few days. Good news for you!

Ah Porters, the dessert of the beer world. Chocolately, heavy, and high in alcohol content, this is a real treat after you've finished whatever you've been doing. Porter was believed to have first been just a combination of the three types of ales served in pubs - pale ale, brown ale, and "stale" ale. Today's Porters are a bit more complex than that, thankfully! It tops my list in beer-types, but I don't think I've ever had more than two in one sitting - these are big flavorful drinks that are not session brews.

Flying Dog is a brewery that closely alligns itself with this beer's namesake - Hunter S. Thompson. The art of their bottles is created by Gonzo artist Ralph Steadman and is definitely a unique part of this brewery's line. Available in 45 states, Flying Dog is likely available wherever you are - and with a bunch of awards under there belt, probably a good pick up!

This beer has a lot of taste and is bold character. It tastes rich - like a chocolate layer cake with raisins, and topped with gooey caramel served in a room full of hop-aroma. It's a great example of how well great Hops can work along with great Malts... this beer has the best of both worlds. With 7.8 ABV, alcohol is a flavor, but it fits in with everything else going on. I couldn't bang these out - I don't know if I'd be able to handle a second after the first, but that's fine by me!

Gonzo Imperial Porter makes me wish it was colder out - I could use a drink like this when there is snow on the ground and no place to go. I don't know much about Hunter S. Thompson or else I'd write about how this beer is just like him, but if it truly does reflect his personality ... that guy was tasty!

--Joe

Work Cited:

http://www.flyingdogales.com/Beer-Specialty-Gonzo.aspx
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Porter_%28beer%29
http://www.camra.org.uk/page.aspx?o=180680

Anchor Summer Beer - Anchor Brewing Company

Anchor Summer Beer
American Wheat Beer
Anchor Brewing Company
San Francisco, CA

As I type this, I'm in my boxers trying to keep cool. An obnoxiously premature July-spell popped up in May, and it's be around 85-90 for a day or two. Here inside my sauna, I've been presented a great opportunity to enjoy a new summer beer in the appropriate context.

Wheat beers are a strange breed of brew. Almost every wheat beer I've ever experienced has been a version of a German Wheat beer, which typically are flowery tasting, like Hoegaarden. According to the Hoegaarden site, actual dried orange peels and coriander are used in the brewing process to give it the flavor explosion that has typically turned me off. Substituting hops in favor of malts, in my opinion, leaves a lot of room to experiment with the flavor of the beer - but why fix that which is not broken?

Ah San Francisco, home of the 49ers, Golden Gate Bridge, and the incredible car chase from "Bullit." I've never made it to the West Coast, but Anchor Brewing would be on my list of stops if I ever do. Anchor Steam didn't wow me at first sip, but after reading about the company, I'm intrigued. They have been around since forever ago and have a real appreciation for the tradition and craft of beer making. All eight brews in their line start with a malt-mash.

This particular drink claims to be the FIRST American Wheat Beer in Modern times. Having been first brewed and Bottled in the summer of 1984, it is a recipe that is just about as young as I am.

Leaving the flowers out, Anchor Brewing has created a summer drink that speaks to ME! It's light, clean tasting, and crisp. The initial taste is full, with just a hint of citrus and honey. A little tart on the way down, the aftertaste is earthy and almost ... biscuit-y? It it lacks in strength it makes up for in freshness.

I could kill a 6'er of these happily and easily. First off, its really hot here, and the beer is cold. But more importantly it doesn't really upset my tastes. The flavor is so agreeable and understated that you could kick back a few with out noticing how many are going down. Probably in my top five wheat beers I've had, which isn't really saying much. But still!

--Joe

(As per request)
Work Cited:
anchorbrewing.com
hoegaarden.com