It was a draw but we have a winner (sort of!)
June 13th, 2010
Well, some comedy goal keeping prevented England’s (less than) glorious 1-0 victory (and yeah, before you say anything or start the USA!USA! chant, my mother could have stopped that one and you only had one other real chance in the game!) That’s the beautiful game for you! It was a shame because it killed the game and the second half was painfully dull. Oh well, here’s hoping for better from both teams on the 18th. Remember, skip work, head to the Ale House for the morning game (USA vs Slovenia) have a bloody mary and a beer or two, grab some lunch and chill then it’s time for some Bulldog Bitter and England vs Algeria (and remember folks the light rail is just a half block away and the Charm City Circulator stops just down the street!)
So, on to the previous week’s Friday Question for a growler of Bulldog Bitter, an Oliver’s t-shirt and a couple of bottles of something interesting… I asked for the final score of the England USA game and who scored first. This is a tricky one … 2 people guessed the scoreline but Greg went for the USA scoring first and Dave G didn’t specify who scored first so technically, no winner. However, as you know we love giving stuff away here at Oliver Ales so each of them will get a growler and t-shirt … I’m going to save the bottles for a future question. Both will be entered into the end of tournament grand draw to win a team jersey. Congratulations gentlemen. E-mail me (steve.oliverale@gmail.com) to arrange pick-up of your prizes.
Don’t forget to enter the current Friday Question to win some beer and a chance to enter the grand draw for a World Cup team shirt of your choice (subject to availability). Get it on!
The scene in the Library Room upstairs @ The Ale House
- Enjoying a Bulldog Bitter with Steve & Tom (Brewer’s Art) … do you like my tie, subtle,eh?
(photos courtesy of Sandy Mitchell)
The Friday Question
June 11th, 2010
Day 1 of the World Cup is over … the important day for me is tomorrow of course, with the England vs USA match @ 2.30pm. I hope that you’ll join me for a Bulldog Bitter (or two) at The Pratt Street Ale House and watch the match. If you saw last week’s Friday Question you’ll know that I can’t announce a winner yet as it will be decided by the outcome of tomorrow’s game. I’m sure that you’ve already guessed that I’m going to stick with the World Cup theme … the question is this … in what time (minutes and seconds) will the quickest goal of the tournament be scored in the second week of play (Friday 18th through Thursday 24th). The winner will receive a selection of bottled beer from the country of the team responsible for that goal (subject to availability) … if we can’t find any beer from that country we’ll select some interesting bottles from other teams in that group. As an added bonus, the winner of each Friday Question during the World Cup will be entered into a special end of tournament Friday Question extravaganza draw to win a replica team jersey of their choice (as long as it’s available at our local sports outlet) … that’s an $80 value y’all so have at it! Good luck.
Steve
Bulldog Bitter Now On Tap
June 11th, 2010
The day is finally upon us … 4 years in the making, The World Cup is here! To celebrate we are proud to introduce Bulldog Bitter, a classic English session bitter at 4.3% abv, light bodied, smooth and flavorful, this bitter will be available at a special price of $3 per pint during televised games. It is available on draft and a limited supply on cask … come enjoy the beautiful game at The Pratt Street Ale House and a sup a pint of Bulldog, the perfect accompaniment.
Come on England!!!!
Damn The Torpedoes … tasting “Sink The Bismarck” … and other delights.
June 9th, 2010
Followers of our facebook page and blog already know that I’m a big fan of BrewDog, the Scottish craft brewers that have caused quite a furore as well as considerable amount of controversy in the UK and pretty much everywhere else they’ve planted their flag. I won’t dwell on the particulars of their seemingly meteoric growth in stature and infamy, instead, for that, I’ll direct you to the comprehensive writings of Sandy Mitchell in the Mid Atlantic Brewing News (“Profile Of A Punk Brewer” current issue, http://www.brewingnews.com/mid-atlantic/ ) , Tammy Tuck at the Washington City Paper (http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/youngandhungry/2010/06/08/brewdog-part-2-a-couple-punks-clowns/) and Brad’s Beer In Baltimore blog site (http://beerinbaltimore.com/?p=3088). Love ‘em or hate ‘em, they’re hard to ignore. As I’ve said, I’ve planted my feet firmly on the “love ‘em” side of the fence. That’s not to say that I think that everything they touch is golden but I enjoy their irreverent approach to their craft but their seriousness with regards to the product and many of the beers that they produce are, in my opinion, outstanding! I, like many other fans, had the good fortune to meet James at a recent event at Max’s Taphouse and found him to be genial, good humored and passionate about his craft, much like Dogfish Head’s Sam Calagione on meeting him some years ago.
James of BrewDog, myself and Mr. Sandy Mitchell
When I first heard that BrewDog had released a beer called “Tactical Nuclear Penguin”, a freeze distilled imperial stout weighing in at 32% abv my curiosity was piqued. When I saw the accompanying promo video on their website I simply HAD to try it, so, credit card in hand, I took the plunge and purchased 2 bottles of the very first batch via their website. Now obviously such a beer is one for sharing so I opened a bottle at the launch party for one of our own beers (when I knew that plenty of fellow beer lovers would be on hand, desperate to sample it) and I was not disappointed … it’s an incredible beer with layers of complexity that I have rarely appreciated in a beer before. In the spirit of sharing I decided to put the second bottle of Penguin up as a prize on my regular brewery blog’s Friday Question spot … needless to say it garnered much attention and Rob was the eventual winner. Before long BrewDog came out with a 41% abv beer, “Sink The Bismarck” as well as a beer on the opposite end of the spectrum, “Nanny State” at a staggering 0.5% abv ( an “insanely hopped imperial mild”). Again, I had to try them, although this time, short of funds, I resorted to begging and BrewDog kindly agreed to send me a bottle of each for the purposes of a review tasting. I decided to run a competition on the brewery facebook page so that one lucky follower could participate in the tasting and review it for the blog. It took several months to receive the samples but eventually they arrived. In the meantime I had decided to expand the concept somewhat and bought a few more bottles (Dogma, Tokio and 5am Saint) to add to the line-up. Rob, winner of the Tactical Nuclear Penguin graciously agreed to join the tasting panel and include his bottle of TNP. We already had quite a line up but it got better still as, after a few e-mails to the lovely Becky at BrewDog’s local distributor, we procurred several other bottles from their portfolio to sample.
the BrewDog tasting line-up
So, with much anticipation myself, Mitchell (winner of the Bismarck competition), Rob (winner of the TNP competition), Sandy (writer for Mid Atlantic Brewing News and www.Beerinbaltimore.blogpot.com blog), Justin (owner of the Pratt St. Ale House) and Nick (friend and local beer lover, standing in for Brad of the Ale St. News/ www.beerinbaltimore.com who was unable to attend) gathered for the tasting. I will let Mitchell take it from here … I will only say that, while the Bismarck is good, it fades compared to the likes of the Penguin and Tokio, which are incredible beers. As for “Nanny State”, worth it for the “been there, done that!” but I shall never return. Over to Mitchell….
Mitchell (left) and myself over a table laden with amazing beer!
Way back in February, Steve ran a Facebook contest to give one lucky Oliver Ales fan an incredible opportunity: the chance to taste a pair BrewDog beers, the (then) World’s Strongest Beer, the 41% ABV Sink the Bismarck, and its polar opposite, the 0.5% ABV Nanny State. Unfortunately, I was fundamentally opposed to Facebook. Fortunately, I’ll do most anything for great beer, and I quickly set aside my objections to set up an account and enter the contest. One lucky bottle cap out of a hat later (as well as a few months of patient waiting), and I came to the Pratt Street Ale House on Friday night all set to join Steve, Sandy from beerinbaltimore.blogspot.com, and a few other beer enthusiasts for my tasting, which had somehow grown all the more awesome in the months between. Not only did we sample the Sink the Bismarck and the Nanny State, BrewDog had generously provided virtually their entire line-up for us! Plus, a previous contest winner, Rob, donated his Tactical Nuclear Penguin prize for the cause.
While waiting for everyone to arrive, we started the night with the just released Strongman Pale Ale (version 2.0) from Oliver Ales. At 8.6% ABV, this well-hopped English-style pale ale is aptly named and an interesting contrast to the American style pale ales that frequently contain the citrusy nose of West Coast hops. Hopheads should hurry downtown to get a taste before the keg is kicked. Then it was on to the BrewDogs. To avoid pulling a hamstring or taste bud, we warmed up with the 5AM Saint, only half-jokingly because, with the lineup in front of us, we were likely to still be tasting new beers at 5 AM. This “iconoclastic amber ale” was a great way to start; aggressively hopped and 5% ABV, if you see this pink-labeled bottle at the local liquor store, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed. Sufficiently warmed up, it was on to the big dogs: Sink the Bismarck, Tactical Nuclear Penguin, and Nanny State.
Sink the Bismarck, an “IPA for the dedicated,” is a monster of a beer. It’s 41% ABV, and it’s not afraid to let you know it. This is a quadruple IPA—four times the hops, four times the bitterness, and frozen four times—but it tastes almost of a whiskey. There was a hint of both the sweetness and bitterness to distinguish it, though, and this would be an excellent night cap after dinner at a steakhouse.
Tactical Nuclear Penguin just might be the world’s most dangerous beer. Pouring a deep black, this stout measures 32% ABV, but it sure doesn’t taste that way. Instead, the rich, caramel malt character shines through, making this a truly outstanding beer. As BrewDog recommends, we drank it with an aristocratic nonchalance. Similarly, the Tokyo stout, which measures “only” 18.2% ABV, was easily drinkable despite its high alcohol content and subtle enough to allow the cranberry and jasmine flavorings to shine through. BrewDog’s success with these extreme stouts is impressive, and they’ve earned their distinction as one of the world’s most innovative brewers.
Nanny State, a response to attempts by the Scottish government’s attempts to ban the Tokyo, was the polar opposite of the beers above. As Rob put it, “It tastes like dry hopped club soda.” It lacks the malt base necessary to create a finely balanced beer (otherwise it wouldn’t be 0.5% ABV), but it is still aggressively hopped. If you’re stuck as the designated driver, order one of these and just smell it all night.
Another highlight of the night was the Paradox series. These stouts are brewed with the same base beer, but then aged in different Scottish Malt Whisky casks; we tried the Isle of Arran and Smokehead. If you didn’t know it, you’d be hard-pressed to guess that these were the same beer aged differently. Each was delicious in its own right, but the Smokehead and its peaty, smoky nose but mild flavors stole the show.
In conclusion, this was one of the best beer experiences I’ve ever had. Thanks again to Steve for organizing our tasting, and to BrewDog for providing us with some outstanding beers. These guys really know what they’re doing, especially when it comes to imperial stouts. Don’t hesitate to pick these up if you see them at your favorite beer retailer.
Rob admiring the Penguin
Sink The Bismarck!
The Friday Question (Late Edition)
June 5th, 2010
Wow, this is turning into some week …. it’s as if a swarm of beer hungry locusts has settled into the Ale House … kegs are popping with alarming regularity and I’m sweating as I see my stock depleting. Today is the first day of my first vacation since 2007 and guess what … I’m in the brewery!!! I know that being a brewer is a pretty cool job but sometimes it really sucks … somehow I have to brew 4 times during said vacation, cue much chin scratching.
I’ve been very pleased with the response to the Channel Crossing project, it’s selling well (only 1 keg left @ the Ale House) and it has started to appear around town (Max’s, T-Bonz, Baltimore Taphouse etc), seek it out, it won’t be around for long! Brian and I have already been knocking around some ideas for our Belgian Nut Brown hybrid which we’ll be brewing later this month or early July depending upon our schedules.
Batch # 2 of Strongman Pale Ale just went on tap @ The Ale House. It’s 8.6 % abv but has a reformulated hop addition and slightly higher IBU than batch # 1, now being brewed with Target Hops in addition to old favorites First Gold, Kent Goldings and Bramling Cross. I have to say I’m extremely happy with it, come try one!
Anyway, on to the business at hand. Last week I asked which beer I’d be using to “wet the babies head” as the old saying goes (at least where I come from!) when my son Jacob is born (any time now). The answer of course is Fuller’s Vintage Ale. I gave a clue on a recent brewery “tweet” when I thanked Barrett (Brewmaster of the District Chop House in DC) for his gift of a bottle of’ ‘98 Vintage at our recent baby shower. So there it is, Fullers Vintage Ale 1998, which makes Graham the winner, congratulations.
On to this weeks question. You may be aware that I’m “fairly excited” about the forthcoming World Cup competition. I’ve brewed a beer to be released on the first day of the tournament, “Bulldog Bitter” a classic English Bitter, 4.3% abv, smooth and sessionable, the perfect beer to enjoy while watching the beautiful game! England of course start their campaign for glory against the USA on Saturday (come to the Pratt Street Ale House, Bulldog Bitter is $3/pint during every game!). What I want to know is what will be the final score of the England vs USA match and who scores first (if applicable)? Needless to say the competition closes prior to kick-off. The prize will of course involve a growler of Bulldog Bitter, a t-shirt and probably a bottle or 2 of something interesting. post your answer via the comment section below and good luck!
The Friday Question
May 28th, 2010
Gotcha! I thought everybody would go on the high side for this one! I asked how many kilderkins we’ve filled this year (we serve the Best Bitter and ESB from them @ The Ale House) and if we filled as many as some of you guessed our production would have outstripped this brewery long ago! You have to remember, these cask products are still a niche market compared to regular draft beer. We in fact filled 18 kilderkins which is a little over 388 gallons of beer. That makes Brandon-Millhouse the winner with his guess of 30. Congratulations, you get to come and choose a couple of bottles from our secret stash!
For this weeks question the prize is a growler fill of the soon to be released Strongman Pale Ale (batch #2, 8.6% abv with a reformulated hop profile) and an Oliver t-shirt. The question is this … to celebrate the forthcoming birth of my son, Jacob I will raise a glass of which beer? In the case of a tie I will draw one correct answer at random to be the winner. Please post your answer via the comment section below, good luck.
So, sport fans, as you may know, the greatest sport in the World (yes, it is, just live with it!) is soon to be dominating the airwaves with ESPN broadcasting every World Cup game live, oh yeah. Team USA and England kick-off their respective bids for glory against eachother on June 12th. your local English brewer/footie fan couldn’t let the World Cup pass without brewing a beer to celebrate this most glorious of World events. I present to you Bulldog Bitter.
It’s a classic English Best Bitter, 4.3% abv thirst quenching and sessionable, brewed with Halcyon Pale Ale Malt, Crystal Malt, Roasted Barley and Malted Wheat, medum bodied with a balanced hop profile (Kent Goldings and English Fuggle), in short, the perfect pint to sup while you’re watching “the beautiful game” (or any other time for that matter)! It will be on special ($3 pints) during every game screened @ The Pratt Street Ale House, so come join us. It will be on draft and on cask (limited availability).
Have a great weekend, cheers.
Steve
Maryland Breweries At The Great British Beer Festival
May 26th, 2010
I’m long overdue for a visit to the UK …. the last time I was there was May 2007!!!! As, until recently, I was working the brewery solo, taking an extended vacation (actually, even taking a day off) was a challenge! My last UK visit involved stockpiling huge amounts of beer and then stopping production for 3 weeks … a logistical nightmare to say the least. Even now that I have a part time assistant (welcome to new Oliver brewer Pat) I still can’t seem to get away. However, I’m pleased to announce that in August I will be in London in spirit at least , that is to say my beer will be! This year there will be a strong showing from regional brewers at the Great British Beer Festival thanks to the folk at www.softspile.com and local co-ordination from Mike at Franklins Brewery. The festival plays host to beers from far and wide, many from the States and there will be a judging of the Champion American Beer of the Festival. I admit, I’m not sure which other breweries are involved or what they’ll be sending but Oliver’s will be represented by a cask of Oak Aged 3 Lions (returning to it’s spiritual home, sort of). Of course I’d like to say I’ll be there with it but that’s unlikely (although feel free to petition the owners of the brewery to send me over there for a long weekend!). It’s a great step forward for the local cask ale scene which continues to grow in stature.
Pint Night @ Frisco Grille
May 25th, 2010
Tomorrow night sees the final showing of “My Monkey’s Got Wood” (batch # 1) @ Frisco Grille. This cask has been aging for a little over 4 months and is the only cask of our simian friend in existence so come along and get some while you can. The Monkey won’t be making another appearance until batch #2 is ready, many months from now.
Also on tap is 3 Spires Ale.
The Friday Question
May 21st, 2010
American Craft Beer Week has been a busy one with lots of great events going on. Check out Victoria Gastro Pub tonight for a great line-up of local beers including a pin of our Strongman Pale Ale dry hopped with Maryland Chinook. We’re featured at Max’s tomorrow (along with Stillwater and Evolution) with our Cherry Blossom Ale and Hot Monkey Love. Last night was the release party for our collaboration with Stillwater, The Channel Crossing which was a great success. Thanks to everybody who came along, Brian and I appreciate the suport.
Last week I asked how many firkins we’ve filled so far this year and the answer is …. drum roll …. 123 which makes Mark the winner with his guess of 113. Congratulations, you get to come along and pull a couple of bottles out of our stash of “interesting stuff that I should drink but am instead foolishly giving away”! This weeks question is similar. What I want to know is how many kilderkins have we filled so far this year? In case you don’t know, a kilderkin is a 21.6 gallon cask and we fill them with Best Bitter and ESB for in house use. The winner will again get a couple of interesting bottles of beer from our stash. Good luck. As always post your answer via the comment section below.
The Channel Crossing Release Party
May 17th, 2010
We hope that you will be able to join Brian of Stillwater Artisinal Ales and myself on Thursday evening from 6pm to celebrate the launch of our Channel Crossing Belgian Bitter. $5 will get you your first fill and a souvenir glass and refills are $3 thereafter. The beer will be on draft and in cask in a firkin with French Oak and three pins dry hopped with Czech Saaz, Kent Goldings and Bramling Cross respectively. Celebrate American Craft Beer Week in style with us.