Three Beers for Sam Adams

Sam Adams, the original micro-brew (or at least the one that made well-made, craft beer famous in the US), runs a competition for home-brew champions. The 2008 winners are now available in a special six-bottle box that comes with two bottles of each. Here's my take on the beers:

Double IPA -- This is a cloudy, bright red-orangy color beer. It has a very bright and lively nose, but is very bitter and round in the mouth. The flavor lasts a while, but you have to really like a hoppy, bitter beer to want to come back to it.

Traditional Bock -- The bock is a rich crimson color that produces a hefty head and has a sweet smell. It is smooth and not bitter at all. I get some cocoa with this one.

Cranberry Wit -- I was most worried about this one, because I tend not to like fruity beers (especially the Belgians). But this one proved my worries were misplaced. It is bright, not too spicy, and has some bite, without being too much. The cranberry itself is not very evident, but it gives a summery, light, yet flavorful taste that is a nice change from the lemon or other summer flavor beers. My surprise pick for the best of the three.

Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar: Grand-Puy-Lacoste 2001

Sometimes it's pleasant to just enjoy one's drink, rather than analyze it to death. This past weekend I made some steaks with a pepper-cream sauce and popped open a bottle of Grand-Puy-Lacoste from the 2001 vintage. A few years ago I bought some of this fifth growth bordeaux, in part, because Hugh Johnson mentioned in his memoir that it was one of his stand-by good wines to drink. The wine was, simply put, sublime. Soft, fragrant, not too tannic, it was a perfect drink for dinner.

Unfortunately more recent vintages have started to reflect the crazy Bordeaux price spikes of recent years. The 2001 was about $35 a bottle in 2006. The 2005 was more than $80 a bottle on release and the prices continue to climb. I am glad I was able to scrounge some pennies together to buy a few of the 2001s to age.

Is Organic Food "Better"?

The never-ending debate over organic versus conventional food continues. Even Penn & Teller have gotten into the act, seeking to debunk what they see as the myths surrounding organic food. James McWilliams has a different take, part of which I agree with. His important corrective is to point out that arguments over whether organic food is more nutritious or better tasting in some scientifically identifiable way is besides the point. I agree with him on that. And I would add that the term "organic" is at the center of a huge fight now, because there is so much money involved and it is one area that is still seeing remarkable growth. What this means is that "organic" is a misleading term some times that masks a very diverse community. Cascadian Farm, for instance, is a pretty large operation these days. And its products are shipped all over the country, creating almost as large a carbon footprint as conventional products. The confusion, then, is often between "organic" and "local." I haven't run the experiment, but I am willing to bet a locally grown tomato that is conventionally raised will taste as good, if not better, than an organic tomato from California (which is 3000 miles away from where I live). I know that they both beat a conventionally grown, non-local baseball, er, tomato that you get in the super market. In terms of taste, there is probably not much difference between organic and conventional bananas, but the conventional banana probably does more harm to the soil because of pesticides. McWilliams goes on to point out the "organic" movements origins are spiritual. That may be, but I guess I am not that concerned with the spiritual origins -- most movements grow beyond their roots, otherwise they cannot survive.

Why Small Farms Are Safer - The Atlantic Food Channel

Why Small Farms Are Safer - The Atlantic Food Channel

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The writer doesn't go into a lot of detail about how small farms approach their work, but he has an important point to make. Food contamination can happen anywhere, but is probably less likely if the farm and processing is not industrially-based. Mono-cultures are also more subject to problems.

Laphroaig 18 Year Old

I asked some of the "netizens" a while back about finding the new Laphroaig 18 year old here in the US. According to Malt Advocate editor John Hansell's blog from August 11, the bottles should be appearing in shops this month. Hopefully that means my two-month old request to the local county store will soon be fulfilled.

Bringing Farm Fresh Food to the People

I like this idea to bring farm-fresh produce to areas that normally wouldn't see it. We have a continuing problem with so-called "food deserts" that needs addressing.

Massachusetts Farm Video

Six minute video from the Atlantic on an organic farm in Massachusetts. Nice little diversion from your day...

Amish Four Grain Ale

A quick take on this brew from the Lancaster Brewing Company (which says it is located in Wilkes Barre, PA on the bottle, but shows up in Lancaster County on google -- it might be a difference of where it is brewed and where it is bottled). It's 5.6% ABV, which is a little high for a normal ale, but not egregious. It has a golden-red color and a bright, citrusy flavor. The oats in the brew do give a sweetness to it. A decent beer, but not a regular for my taste (don't like sweet beer, really).

Sweetbreads

Sweetbreads are probably not your normal fare in most households, but when I saw these at the farmer's market from Groff's Content, I had to buy some to experiment. After cleaning them over the course of the day (basically they sit in water that you replenish a few times), I used a Jacques Pepin recipe that seemed simple and made use of summer produce. In fact, with the exception of the olive oil, everything in this recipe (including the butter, corn, garlic, heirloom tomato, and onion) came from local producers. Pretty good, I think. The bread crumbs even came from a local bakery (I bought a small country white loaf, cut up slices and dried them in the oven before pulsing in a food processor). Overall, the dish turned out really well, though I could have more finely pulsed the bread and taken the heat in the pan down a little to keep a more even, golden brown exterior going.

Dogfish Head

The Atlantic's food blog section has Clay Risen's piece on Dogfish Head's experimenting with ancient beer recipes that don't necessarily adhere to the German Rheinheitsgebot. My take is, good for them for experimenting, but I doubt I will like most of their beers given the 9% alcohol by volume. I would be interested in seeing how the different ingredients add unusual flavors (honey, rice, chocolate nibs), but have always found beers above about 7% too strongly alcoholic, which detracts and masks any other flavors. Should I be adding water to my beer?

Laphroaig 10 Year Old Cask Strength

I discovered that my local shop had the Laphroaig cask strength when I asked about the new 18 year old. The cask strength was not on the open shelves, but I spied it in their list on the computer and asked about it. They keep some of the good stuff for random reasons in the back office, perhaps when they don't have enough bottles to keep it on the shelf.

The cask strength is a deep, lusty gold color that reminds me of a Sauternes. Before adding water it is a bright nose with lots of prickle. There is light seaweed, and salt, some smoke, nicotine, and even banana, mango and turpentine (none of these are bad things, mind you, if you are a Laphroaig lover). It's not as loud as I expected the cask strength to be. I even get something crispy like celery. The taste is not a thick mouthfeel, some burn and a long lasting presence. Pork chop? (I have no idea why that springs to mind).

With water it is rounder and I get salt water taffy. Definitely some more sweetness. The smoke is still there. I get some green pepper now and licorice. Maybe a hint of mint chocolate at the end of the whiff. The mouthfeel is rounder now and still long lasting. This is powerful stuff, not for the faint of heart. I still would plunk down the money for the 15 year old, while it lasts, though.

Beer: Hook & Ladder Brewing Company Backdraft Brown

I found Hook & Ladder at a local craft beer store in Rockville (Gilly's). The Backdraft Brown is a well-hopped beer that has hints of chocolate and nuts. It is smooth and has only a slight bitterness that gives the beer a slight edge. Recommended, definitely.