Sunday, November 29, 2009

That Time Of Year Again

Yes, it's that time of year again. No, not Thanksgiving (in the U.S.), nor Christmas but rather Winter beer time! This is one of my favorite times in the seasonal beer calendar. Winter Warmers and other winter ales, winter lagers, Christmas beers, beers with spice, oh, the wonderful flavors.

Some of my early seasonal favorites are Breckenridge Christmas Ale from Colorado, Full Sail Brewing's Wassail from Oregon, Anchor Brewing's Christmas Ale from California (always a favorite), Boulevard's Nut Cracker Ale from Missouri, and probably tops right now in my book is Brooklyn Brewery's Winter Ale from New York.

Now, if I haven't stated it before here, I'm not a big fan of high alcohol beers. To the contrary, I love the taste of good beer and therefore, much prefer lower alcohol, flavorful beers to higher gravity ones. Brewers in the UK have long understood this and, thankfully, continue to produce incredibly flavorful cask-conditioned ales (as well as bottled ones). However, this time of year, I do make an exception. Of these this year, I'd currently put Great Divide's Hibernation Ale from Colorado as my favorite. I think they have really nailed the English Old Ale style. I do need to pick up some of Avery's Old Jubilation, also from Colorado, as in years past I've really enjoyed it as well.

As we enter December, perhaps I'll run across more to sample and find some additional favorites.

Yours Aye!
Neil

Friday, October 16, 2009

An Allowable Exception To "The Rant"

Having just posted "The Rant" (again, not that anyone is listening), I have to note one recent exception.

One of the beers I picked up in the mega-store today was Sierra Nevada's Estate. A slight digression...

Sierra Nevada, in my opinion, defined what American microbrewery beer was supposed to taste like. The first real micro I had was Samuel Adams Boston Lager and it is still one of the finest beers the world over. Also, I think Jim Koch did it right. Sam Adams was everywhere before anything else was really everywhere, and still is today. And, no doubt, Fritz Maytag at Anchor Brewery in San Francisco, was THE American microbrewery pioneer. I don't think anyone would doubt this fact. And, Anchor beers are also world class and totally unique in their own right. However, once the micro and home-brewing obsession really hit America and started to mature into what it is today, Sierra Nevada Pale Ale reigned supreme. I cannot count the number of home-brewers I've talked to that started out simply to clone Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. They are the ones that made Cascade hops famous!

OK, enough digression. On to "Estate". As the label claims, at least in America, this must be the only beer ever brewed (at least commercially) using only ingredients grown on the lands associated with the brewery. "Estate" is brewed using only barley and hops grown at Sierra Nevada. How cool is that?! And the taste? Absolutely fabulous! Heavily hopped (I almost wish they would have backed off a bit, but), really fresh hop taste. This is a great beer and the first year they have done it. Make sure you try it and I really hope they keep it up. This needs to be a regular beer in their lineup.

Yours Aye!
Neil

My Rant On The State Of American Micros

Anyone that knows me very well knows that I have a Scottish, actually, let it be said, British obsession. This was only reinforced, perhaps more than ever, having just returned from London. I sampled some of the finest beers I have ever tasted the world over in London and the worst of it is, that craving for the taste of these fine cask-conditioned ales can not be satisfied on these shores. Some of the bottled versions - what few are still available in my area - only remotely come close but are better than not having them at all.

So, I happened into two beer mega-stores here in Austin today looking to pick up some beer for the weekend. As always when I go into these stores, I keep an open mind though I usually have a taste for something in particular. I knew I wanted something British but, nevertheless, I always look for something new too. The good news is there usually IS something new. But now, to my rant (brace yourself, this will come as sacrilege to many).

I love the American microbrewery industry. I think there are some of the finest brewers in the world in this community and, I believe, among the most creative. Not being one to ever stifle creativity I do honestly embrace all the new styles they have created. However, I have to say, I am sick to death of two movements in this community that disturb me greatly. One: the "extreme beer", or as I say "double everything possible" movement. Two: Belgian inspired beers.

To clarify, you can ignore number two. I know there is a huge, huge appreciation, at least in America, for Belgian style beers. However, I, for the most part, can't stand any of them. I've met very few that I like but I without doubt appreciate the style and do know a good one when I have one - I just don't like it.

It is number one that disturbs me most. Not because it has happened. It needed to happen. Some of the world's finest beers have come from this pursuit of "more of anything and everything". My argument now is twofold. One, this seems to be all everyone is focusing one: more hops, more malt, more alcohol. There comes a point where more is not better. Of course, this IS American. This country was founded on this and is defined by this, as Americans (and I'm not un-Patriotic, despite what some may think). But two, what disturbs me even more is that everyone has lost sight of: beer. Where are the Pale Ales? Where are the Bitters, Best Bitters? I crave low-to-mid strength, well balanced ales. Where are they? Very few are left. If you don't believe me, go look at your beer mega-mart shelves. What do you see? How many Pales and Bitters are left? They are facing extinction (and American IPAs don't count).

I guess what I'm saying is that I'm a session beer guy. I don't drink beer for the alcohol. I drink beer, good beer, because I love the taste of beer. And, what I value most in a great beer is one simple thing: balance. And, believe it or not, it is one of the hardest things to achieve, especially in a lower alcohol beer. But, one taste of a 3.8% cask-conditioned Chiswick Bitter will change your opinion forever - I almost guarantee it.

So, my challenge (not that any of them are listening): how about a new American beer movement? Well-balanced, highly drinkable, character-filled session style ales? These are the only beers now on my homebrewing list for a long time to come!

Yours Aye!
Neil

Day 6 - Back to London for the final day

Well, this is it, the final day. Too bad we get to spend most of it in airports and on planes. That is the price of getting cheap plane fare. We had to fly through Geneva with a couple hour layover but the flights were thankfully uneventful. We arrived back in London about 5PM and headed back to the hotel (once again by the brilliant Heathrow Express) to drop off our bags.

We had one final mission. Actually, not a mission but a pilgrimage. Not so long ago I waxed lyrical in this very blog about an amazing IPA from Meantime Brewing in London that I purchased in Austin. Well, Anthony being a frequent reader of this blog also sought it ought and he and Chad were equally impressed. So, no trip to London would be complete without a Meantime. I had contacted the brewery prior to the trip to try and arrange a tour of the brewery but they responded that they were not really set up for tours but were moving to a new brewery soon and please come and see them next year. Well, I'd love to, for sure, now if only I can convince my wife another trip is warranted. :) Since we couldn't go to the brewery itself, the next best thing was to visit their one and only pub, in Greenwich, South London, the Greenwich Union.

We initially tried to make this excursion after the Spurs match but the DLR (Docklands Light Railway), like many other Underground lines were closed that day. Undeterred, we set out first thing from the hotel determined not to be defeated this time and it was more than worth the effort. Not only were we able to get the DLR, it was a delightful ride out on this completely new railway through what is mostly recently reclaimed and renovated office buildings and flats. Upon leaving the stop at Greenwich, we once again had to consult what Anthony had dubbed "The Oracle" (my iPhone) for which direction to go upon leaving the station. Walking through what, at first, looked quite a desolate neighbourhood (to use the King's English), soon the street brightened and livened up. The poor punter sitting outside the pub as we walked up was probably quite disturbed by us shooting pictures and quietly celebrating the fact that we were actually here. We entered the quite quaint pub with certainly myself (and probably Chad and Anthony too) thinking "oh, to have a pub like this near home." No, unlike most of the pubs I seek out, this is not necessarily a historic pub but it has that great non-tourist, neighbourhood local feel about it.

One additional great thing about coming to this particular pub is the fact that nearly all Meantime beers are available. In Austin, in particular, we can only get IPA and London Porter. Here, they had all of Alastair Hook's amazing creations. For those not in the know, Alastair is somewhat unique as a brewer. Not only did he study at the prestigious Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh but also in Germany, so he is equally suited to do outstanding British and German beers. I stuck with Meantime's London Pale Ale as I can't get it in the U.S. but Anthony tried it and then branched out to their Kolsch, which was excellent. However, the real story here, astonishingly, was not the beer. No, don't get me wrong, there is no demeaning of the beer in any way. The Greenwich Union has, at least at this point for all of us, THE best chips in the world! Chad and I both ordered Fish and Chips and the fish was outstanding but the chips were beyond compare. They were served in some sort of metal cup and were so good Chad had to order another cup despite already being full. Yes, they were THAT good!

Given the long journey time back to the hotel and not wanting to miss the Underground before it closed, we headed back to the DLR but not without buying some Meantime bottled beers to go. Once we got back to the hotel, Anthony and I had our beers but Chad, poor sod, still feeling somewhat ill, went to sleep pretty quickly after we had packed everything up for the morning as it was an early rise to catch our plane back to the States.

With the windows open, fans going, bags backed and beer drank, it was lights out for the final time. I must say, as I started to drift off to sleep, I really had to pinch myself to be sure this had all really happened. What an outstanding vacation. A beer lover, football lover, food lover, Man's Man of a vacation if ever there was one. And two of the best traveling companions I could have asked for. And, let it be re-stated, this was actually Anthony's trip but there is little doubt it was really "our" trip. As always when I travel I missed my family terribly but this was without question a trip of a lifetime.

Again, I thank my incredible wife, Valarie, so much.

Yours Aye!
Neil

Day 5 - Munich

After a pretty sleepless night, not so much due to the drink as to the heat in the room (simply no air moving), we got up fairly late. This is amazing, however, as at sometime around 7AM a workman decided to drill into the concrete right outside our window. This went on and on and on...

Now comes one of my most vivid memories of the trip, don't ask me why. Brian was kind enough to make me one of the finest cups of coffee I have ever had (maybe I just needed it that much). It was wonderful and may have changed my never taking milk with my coffee if it could always be this good. Brian was home sick as a dog from work so I felt equally bad imposing on he and Bridget and their two little ones. We sat outside on the patio that morning in the fine sunshine enjoying the coffee and conversation. It was great. Brian then gave us all the full tour of the flat. Again, amazing. My thanks so much to Brian and Bridget for their hospitality!

Soon, we headed out. Chad was looking for an umbrella for his youngest daughter, so we went to this particular toy store, can't tell you where exactly, but to no avail. We headed to Weisses Brauhaus for lunch, always a great place for food and the best of the Bavarian Weiss biers. Had a great lunch and then headed out for some more shopping although little was actually purchased. Chad had picked up a bug the day before and was feeling really, really poorly. I felt terrible for him. Somehow he soldiered on (I guess it helped him to be in perhaps his favorite city in the world).

I had arranged to meet another friend and former colleague from Munich, Horst and his wife Annemarie. To make things simple, we headed back to Oktoberfest even though we honestly were not quite sure we were ready for it again (that's what old age does to you). We sat outside at a Hacker-Pschorr tent until Horst and Annemarie showed up. Had some bier and they had some food but mostly just catching up with them. During the conversation I mentioned that I was on the lookout for this fabulous Bavarian pork roast dish that I had had once on a previous trip to Munich. I could remember where I had it but not what its name was. Annemarie seemed to know what I was talking about and eventually we looked the restaurant up on the handy, dandy iPhone and headed there for dinner. The restaurant is the Wirtshaus in der Au. I had this dish here, we believe it is called Spanferkel, on a work dinner arranged by my good friend and also former colleague, Hans-Georg Haeck. I was so impressed, I had to have it again. However, I don't think I got exactly what I had had before but the dinner was absolutely fabulous. We basically had a Bavarian family feast and it was just wonderful. The bier was really great too as although it was Oktoberfestbier, it tasted as though it was fresh from the cask.

As we left Wirthaus it quickly dawned on me by the smell that we were very, very hear to the Paulaner Brewery. We could smell the incredible aroma of sweet malt and I have never smelled it so strongly near a brewery as it was that night. What a wonderful science is brewing!

After a fairly early night having had so little sleep the night before we soon retired for the evening ready to head back to London the next morning.

Yours Aye!
Neil

Thursday, October 15, 2009

Day 4 - Munich for Oktoberfest

Yes, it is finally here. The day we head off to fulfill one of the items on my "Life List" (e.g. things I want to do before I die) - visit the real Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany. We were up early, took our very brief walk in the brilliant morning sunshine and air to Paddington Train Station and on to the Heathrow Express. Checked in for our Lufthansa flight to Munich and soon we were off.

Landed in Munich on another great sunny day, caught the U-Bahn to Ostbahnhof and meandered our way through the streets to our friends', Brian and Bridget, flat. Having guests of their own already (Brian's brother and entourage), they were all headed for Oktoberfest so we let ourselves in. What a fantastic flat! In a building dating from the 1800s that was recently gutted and fully renovated into flats, Brian and Bridget did it right. They got in early and got a sweet ground floor spot with a porch and a basement, of all things. Even cooler, it essentially has a its own small apartment in it that they rent out when they want and, thankfully for us, use for guests of their own. I can't say enough about their place. Really awesome!

After a quick drop off of the bags, Chad rang old friend and colleague of ours, Peter Broderick, an Englishman that has lived in Munich for a long time. We met up with Peter and headed to Oktoberfest. The weather was so nice we met at Marienplatz and just walked to Theresienwiese (Therese's Meadow), the location of Oktoberfest. Started outside at the Augustiner "tent" since Augustiner is Chad and I's favorite Bavarian brewery. Had some food and, of course, some bier. I say "tent" because if you've never actually been to the Oktoberfest, these so-called tents are a whole lot more like aircraft hangers and despite being put up and taken down each year look like permanent structures.

We visited a number of "tents" from different breweries. In one, we met an absolutely lovely young German couple who spoke great English and were, in fact, moving to Washington, D.C. soon. We all quickly became friends and we all stayed together the rest of the evening. Now, I could on and on about the bier but what surprised Anthony and I the most (Chad has been here before having lived and worked in Munich for some eighteen odd months) was the music. No sir, little to no Oompah to be had here! The most popular songs repeated by band after band were, shall I say, "interesting", to say the least. Peter told us that these bands - all very, very good - come from small towns all over Germany. Really cool! Obviously, most of the crowd thought so as well as in tent after tent folks were dancing on the tables and singing to their favorite tunes.

After closing down the Hippodrome, we headed back to the flat. However, our much younger temporary flat mates soon informed us they were heading out to a club. Little can be said from my personal perspective about the club. The bier was terrible, the music loud and thumping (and not in a good way) and, having not mentioned it before and worst of all, the smoke. Living in Austin which is pretty much a restaurant and bar smoke-free city, it was tough to be in so much smoke for so long, including the time at Oktoberfest. Someone really needs to apply their smarts and come up with a better system for ventilating indoor spaces where people smoke. Honestly, it never used to bother me and I've had friends that smoke nearly all my life but I can't really take it anymore.

In a haze (literally), we made it back to the flat and somehow into bed (except for poor Chad sleeping on the air mattress on the floor). And that was the close of a truly "Life List" day, indeed!

Yours Aye!
Neil

Monday, October 5, 2009

Day 3 - London: GAME DAY!

Well, it is finally here, Tottenham Hotspur v. Burnley. The real reason for the trip and we're all pretty pumped up. After a bit of a lie in it being Saturday morning and all, we eventually got our act together and left the hotel about noon and headed for Paddington Station Underground stop. We decided the best course of action was to take the Hammersmith and City line (City direction) from Paddington to Liverpool Street to catch the train to White Hart Lane. We boarded the train but were quickly told there were problems with the line and it would stop at the next stop, Edgeware Road and go no further. I'm having difficultly remembering what happened next but eventually we gave up on the Underground and grabbed a taxi to Liverpool Street. We then quickly got the train to White Hart Lane and were there in plenty of time for the match. Once we arrived we just followed the crowd to the stadium.

If you would have told me we would witness such a great match in such an incredible atmosphere on such a brilliant sunshiny day - in London of all places, I would never have believed it. Don't get me wrong, I had high expectations for the match but little would I have guessed that it would have been quite so great. Non-stop singing and chanting and general good-natured badgering from the home fans along with an amazing 5-nil victory with a hat trick from Robbie Keane just topped this amazing experience. One I will not soon forget. (Sorry, Celtic, you're still my team, but this was really cool).

After Anthony and Chad hit the Spurs shop we headed back to central London. After a brief stop at the hotel to drop some things off we headed back out on another great pub quest. Our initial plan was to try and get to Meantime Brewing's only pub, the Greenwich Union in Greenwich. However, the hour was getting a bit late and with the earlier troubles with the Tube we opted to put this off until Tuesday evening and instead headed for a couple of pubs on my list near Notting Hill Gate.

We called in at the Cock & Bottle and sampled Hogs Back T.E.A. (Traditional English Ale). Unfortunately, for whatever reason, I can't recall what else we sampled here. On the way to our next destination, we stumbled across the Duke of Wellington on Portobello Road, a Youngs (now Wells and Youngs) owned pub. I have always been a big fan of Youngs beers and we used to get a really good selection in Austin. Sadly, since the merger, we no longer get any Youngs beers. So, it was my good fortune to run across this pub and actually get a cask Youngs Bitter. Anthony tried the excellent Wells Bombardier. This was a great pub full of lively, young and attractive people on a fabulous evening in Notting Hill.

We then moved on to the Uxbridge Arms, another fine pub where we tried the outstanding Cornish ale, Tribute, from St Austell Brewery. I have to say though, I nearly lost my pint due to laughter when Anthony was approached by a lad in a suit that reminded me - highly coincidentally - of the Welsh roommate in the movie "Notting Hill". He was pushing some cult philosophy (sorry, can't remember the name of the movement and it is hardly worth the mention as I would never promote it) but Anthony quickly headed him off by proclaiming that his implications would offend him as he was Buddhist (which he unabashedly is not). The poor fool was absolutely speechless after this and promptly left us alone. Thankfully, I was able to finish my glorious pint of Tribute in peace.

We then headed to what would be our last pub of the evening, the classic and historic Fullers owned Victoria, very near our hotel. On such a beautiful evening we sat outside and I enjoyed another couple of pints of Chiswick Bitter. Not surprisingly, hunger set in once again. On our way to the Victoria, we passed an Indian restaurant right across the road that smelled fabulous. Needless to say, the urge was overwhelming and we enjoyed an amazing Indian meal before we retired for the evening. An absolutely fabulous day indeed!

Tomorrow, up early, back on the Heathrow Express and off to Munich, Germany for Oktoberfest.

Yours Aye!
Neil

Sunday, October 4, 2009

Day 2 - London

Today, Friday, the original plan was for myself, Chad and Anthony to all head to the Fuller's Brewery in Chiswick. However, having discussed it further, this being Anthony's first time to London, he and Chad opted for the better option for themselves to go sight seeing and I went on to the brewery on my own. Did I mention the weather was absolutely incredible! Not a cloud in the sky, almost unheard of in London. Anyway, Chad and Anthony headed down to Westminster Abbey and that general area and took in a great many of London's sites.

I took the Underground out to Chiswick, a lovely neighbourhood, and walked the short walk down Chiswick High Street, down Chiswick Lane, and on to the Fuller's Brewery. I had an 11AM appointment with Head Brewer, John Keeling, primarily to interview him for the Brewing Network's "Can You Brew It" (hosted by Jamil Zainasheff) internet radio show, but also for a personal discussion on Fuller's Parti-Gyle brewing process. My interest in this is due to the fact that nearly all UK brewers used this process in the early 1800s and I have acquired a great many Scottish brewing records that employed it. To my knowledge, Fuller's is the only brewery in the UK still using this process.

The interview went great and John was a very accommodating interviewee. I extend my eternal gratitude to him for an amazingly fascinating hour and forty-five minutes. Did I mention, I believe it was John's day off too so I am additionally grateful that he was willing to come in just to speak with me. This was an experience I will never forget, for sure. I was then scheduled for the official tour of the brewery at 1PM. Though the brewery has been modernized to a great deal, they have left some of the original equipment in place so that one can get a real feel for what a classic Victorian era brewery might have been like. Great tour and then down to the tap room for tasting. I tried all of the Fuller's range as well as Gales HSB (Horndean Special Bitter) that Fuller's now brews having acquired Gales in December, 2005. This was also an amazing ale! Yet another new favorite of mine.

When I was sure this trip was going to happen, one of the first and highest priority things on my personal list was to stop by the late, great Beer Hunter, Michael Jackson's, local pub, The Andover Arms in Hammersmith. As luck would have it, the Hammersmith Underground stop was a short distance from Chiswick and the pub itself a short walk from the stop. So I made my way in the brilliant sunshine to the pub thinking along the way of how often Michael might have made this very walk. Being the middle of the afternoon, the pub itself was empty with the exception of a couple of locals. I ordered a pint of Michael's favorite tipple, Fullers Chiswick Bitter but unfortunately it was off. So instead I had a pint of Gales HSB, again, now brewed by Fullers, in his honor and sat quietly in the pub contemplating what an incredible writer and fascinating speaker he was. Truly one of the greatest losses the beer world has ever suffered.

I made my way back to the hotel to drop off my recording equipment and arranged to meet up with Chad and Anthony at Blackfriars pub near the Blackfriars Underground stop. After considerable delay due to it being Friday afternoon and the actual Blackfriars stop being closed, I eventually made it to the pub where the lads were fortunate enough to beat the crowds and get a table right out front near the street on such an incredible day. Anthony, in particular, really enjoyed the sunshine and people watching. We had arranged to meet up with a former colleague and friend of Chad and I's, Jim Walsh later that evening so we headed in the direction of our rendezvous point.

Having some time prior to the arranged meeting time, we headed to the historic Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese pub. We had some great steak pies but were all quite disappointed with the beer selection, the only cask beer on offer being Samuel Smith Bitter. None of us were very thrilled with this beer; nothing really wrong with it, just very little character. However, the pub itself was a great experience and the food was just what the doctor ordered. We headed on to our meeting point for the evening, The Cittie Of Yorke pub - unfortunately for us another Samuel Smith's owned pub. However, this did not diminish the grandeur and history of this amazing pub. Again, only Sam Smith's on offer but the atmosphere and architecture of the interior made it well worth the trip and a must visit for any fan of historical pubs.

Jim and his lovely wife, Jenn, showed up and the conversation, as is always expected with Jim, became very lively and entertaining. Chad had met Jenn before but neither Anthony nor I had. It was truly a pleasure to meet her and to be in the company of such a fun-loving couple. We had a couple of rounds and then headed out as Jim and Jenn had to catch a train back to Cambridge. As we walked toward the general direction I spied a Weatherspoon pub and they agreed they had time for a bit of a further nightcap. Wonderfully for me - and Anthony, as it turns out - they had Caledonian 80/-, always a great pint, one of my favorite beers in the world, and one of the only contemporary examples of the style still brewed in Scotland. I won't mention the whisky that Jenn insisted on Anthony having and I'll leave it at that. Jim and Jenn headed off and we were soon to follow heading back to the hotel. This brought our first opportunity for what every tourist to London must experience - the taxi ride!

So, back to Paddington and once again, hunger set in. Thankfully for us, the Upper Crust was open late and their baguettes truly hit the spot! Highly recommended.

And, off to bed as tomorrow is GAME DAY!

Yours Aye!
Neil

Friday, September 25, 2009

Day 1 - London

The next few blogs will briefly, and I mean briefly, comment on the happenings of my trip to London and Munich with my good friends Chad and his dad, Anthony. The impetus for this trip was to see Tottenham Hotspur v. Burnley as Anthony is a huge fan. Chad and I are really just along for the ride. Somewhere along the line a short jaunt to Munich to attend Oktoberfest managed its way into the itinerary, but more on this later. Keep in mind many portions of this blog were noted but not published so the publish day will rarely match the actual day of the events. Such is life in a techo world.

We arrived safe and sound early Thursday morning having had an uneventful flight (a welcome thing, indeed). After an incredibly long wait through customs we made our way to the Heathrow Express having purchased tickets in advance via the web and were in no time transported to Paddington Train Station in Central London. A short two block walk and we were at our hotel, the Falcon Hotel in Norfolk Square. The staff at the hotel was very welcoming and accommodating and I think we would all recommend this hotel for the budget minded traveler.

Spent the better part of the afternoon at the White Horse Inn in Parsons Green in the great company of James McCrorie, founder of the Craft Brewing Association in Britain as well as a highly recognized Scottish brewing history expert and homebrewer. Needless to say the conversation was entertaining and fascinating. The White Horse Inn is an amazing pub steeped in history and a long time devotee to real ale. It is famed the world over for its cellaring and perhaps the most recognized cellarman of contemporary history, Mark Dorber. Mark has moved on and now Dan Fox capably runs the pub carrying on the great cellaring traditions. Mark was kind enough to give a cellar tour while we were there. Very education and our thanks go out to him and James for an incredible afternoon. Among the beers we tried were Harveys Sussex Best Bitter and Hook Norton's Old Hooky.

A bit of tourist stuff after the White Horse. Stopped in at the Red Lion near Piccadilly Circus for another fix of great real ale and to soak in some more classic pub atmosphere. The Fullers owned Red Lion is a wonderful historic pub with great interior architectural detail, one of the finest in London. This is indeed a well run pub. Chad's pint of Fullers London Pride was a bit cloudy and a staff member took it straight out of his hand and got him another without him saying a word. My kind of pub. All the ales here were perfectly kept. Among the other ales we tried were Fullers Chiswick Bitter - my new favorite ale on the planet!, Fullers Honey Dew, and Fullers Discovery the latter of which Anthony loved.

We moved on to try to stop in at the Dog & Duck as we have a beloved pub of the same name in Austin. The pub was absolutely heaving outdoors and in so we gave up and went for a small Indian meal and then headed back to the hotel.

Tomorrow, off to the Fuller's Brewery for a tour and an interview with Head Brewer, John Keeling.

Yours Aye!
Neil

Sunday, August 9, 2009

Oktoberfest 2009 Brews, well, hopefully

Yep, it's that time again. About the only time of the year that I fiddle with German style biers. And, as usual, I'm reminded why. For this year's Oktoberfest - the 2nd Annual - I brewed up a German Pilsener and, like last year an Marzen/Oktoberfest. The Pils went well, very well actually, considering I did Noonan's Triple Decoction mash schedule for the first time ever. Not perfect but not a disaster - the Pils, that is! I've done decoction before and find it worth doing as I'm a purist. This schedule was just a bit different than what I've done previously.

The Marzen/Oktoberfest, however, is a complete unknown. So many things went wrong with this brew it will be a wonder if it turns out at all. Basically, it was SO popular last year that the 5 gallon keg was gone in no time. So, this year I decided, well, I'll use the same recipe but just brew 10 gallons. I've never done more than a 5 gallon batch and I truly exceeded the capacity of my equipment and it may have cost me the entire brew. We'll see in a number of weeks.

Well, I finished the batch, tasted the gravity sample and I think we're OK. Again, we'll see. One thing though - both of these came out over gravity so they are a bit potent!

Yours Aye!
Neil

Thursday, July 16, 2009

REAL Sadness - In Memoriam.

I read with great sadness today of the death of co-founder/co-owner of Fyne Ales, Jonny Delap. Apparently, Jonny had been in poor health in recent years but his death still came as a shock to those in the Scottish brewing industry as well as myself. I only just recently corresponded with Jonny via email. I deeply regret that I was not able to make it to the brewery in person before Jonny's passing. I would have loved to have met this great man.

My thoughts and prayers go out to his wife, Tuggy, the other co-founder/co-owner of Fyne, his surviving family and to his work colleagues and friends. He will surely be missed. Let us all lift a pint to his memory, a Fyne Ale pint if you are fortunate enough to be able to get one.

Yours Aye!
Neil

Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Stout, sadness, and utter panic

STOUT:
I recently had what I consider to be, perhaps, the best Stout I have ever tasted and it came from an unexpected source. Having written an article on the history of Scotland's Belhaven Brewery for Zymurgy magazine some years ago, obviously I have a personal attachment to this brewery and to its head brewer, George Howell. Having visited what is perhaps Scotland's most historic brewery and having been given a lengthy, personal tour by none other than George himself, I hold this brewery quite dear in my beer allegiances. Here in Austin, Texas, Belhaven beers are the only stable Scottish beers on offer and while I enjoy them immensely, I have to say that I was totally blown away by Belhaven Scottish Stout, which just became available here. This is an absolutely wonderful creation based on a very old Scottish recipe overseen by George himself.

I contacted George via email to give my personal accolades and thanks to him for such a great beer and through this correspondence I found out how fortunate we are, for the time being, here in America (for a change!) as this beer is currently not available in the U.K. George assured me it soon will be but what a boon for the U.S.! This stout has an incredibly smooth, creamy finish with a wonderful balance of the flavors of chocolate and roasted barley but not as dry as an Irish stout. What surprised me most knowing George as I do is the alcohol content. George told me during my tour and my subsequent interview with him that he actually prefers a 3%-ish ale to higher alcohol beers. This might explain why Belhaven 60/-, that I waxed so lyrically about in my article, has so much character. This baby, however, clocks in at around 7% but trust me, you'd never know it. There's little hint of this alcohol content in the flavor. A truly great Stout experience and I encourage everyone to get ahold of a bottle or two right away.

SADNESS:
A week ago Friday, what I consider to be THE best sports network on the planet went bankrupt. Setanta Sports got into serious financial difficulty and couldn't make its payments to the Scottish Premier League or, far worse for them, the English Premier League, and subsequently not only folded in Britain with the loss of some 200 jobs but lost their rights to the games from both leagues. Apparently, none other than the U.S.'s ESPN bought Setanta's rights for some 46 or so English Premier League games. Very depressing news for all sports fans in the U.K.

UTTER PANIC:
While the loss of Setanta in the U.K. is horrible, I went into utter panic when I heard the news. Personally, I could care less about the English Premier League games and rights as I see it squeezing out more important coverage such as Magner's League Rugby, Guinness Premiership Rugby and all the U.K. and European rugby matches as well as my beloved Glasgow Celtic and all the other Scottish Premier League clubs' coverage on Setanta here in the U.S. My first thought was, "I might as well drop DirecTV and sell all my DLP and LCD TVs without Setanta". Thankfully, at least according to Setanta's U.S. website, the Irish and "International" businesses are still profitable and Setanta's coverage will continue in the U.S. including EPL coverage. I cannot say how relieved I am, for now. I only hope Setanta finds a solid financial foundation to keep the U.S. broadcasts well and truly intact.

Yours Aye!
Neil

Monday, June 15, 2009

Madness, The 'Duke, beer, the hoose, and the disturbing...

Has it really been since mid-April that I've posted anything? Now that I think about it, it comes as little surprise. This seemingly never ending saga with the hoose has nearly done me in. Fear not, my son, all will be well soon (or so I'm told).

For early summer I have a short musical commentary as well as - you guessed it - a wee beer note. First, I have to say that once again thanks to both Tom Morton and Vic Galloway, those two highly underrated, world renowned, first class broadcasters for BBC Radio Scotland (among their many other talents), I've picked up some quite enjoyable new music. I've always been a fan of Madness but I have to say their newest is perhaps their best. What a great work. Being a huge Biffy Clyro fan, naturally I was very intrigued having heard Vic play a tune from Biffy side project Marmaduke Duke a few weeks ago. I picked up The 'Duke's newest and to little surprise like it immensely. Also, not related to either of their shows, out of curiosity I picked up Steve Earle's newest "Townes", a tribute to local Central Texas music legend Townes Van Zandt who is sadly no longer with us. This is a great piece of Central Texas Americana, for certain. Well worth checking out.

On the beer front. It seems that nearly every summer I wind up with some major home DIY project and usually find a "beer that built..." for each project. Saint Arnold's "Lawnmower" built my deck a couple of year ago and this year, for all the recent hoose renovation, the "beer that built..." is none other than Oskar Blues' "Mamma's Little Yella Pils". I think I've already extolled the name of the tiny Colorado brewery who makes perhaps the best beer ever produced in a can - "Dale's Pale Ale". "Mamma's" is also canned - perfect for summer, especially in the Texas heat which is pushing 100F every day already, mind you. I wouldn't personally classify it as a Pilsener beer in the truest sense as it is a bit sweet, not overly hoppy (which is a big surprise considering "Dale's") and bears little resemblance to anything from Pilzen. Nonetheless, it is a great tasting, very drinkable golden beer. Highly recommended.

On the hoose front, uh, no further comment at this time.

Now for the truly disturbing. Check out Vic Galloway and Jim Gellatly's "wedding" at the Rockness music festival near Inverness last weekend. Vic, Jim, I still love you...

Yours Aye!
Neil

Friday, April 17, 2009

Julie Fowlis AND Jenna Reid, I've died and gone to heaven!

After what has shaped up to be one of the worst weeks of my entire 40+ years on this planet, a wee gig at the tiny Cactus Cafe in Austin, Texas - via South Uist and Shetland - made it all go away in less than a second.

Yes, mere moments into the first tune I was nearly in tears - quite literally. I never dreamed I'd get to see Julie Fowlis on these shores let alone in my own city and in such a perfect venue. I have been a huge fan of Julie since hearing her on Archie Fisher's BBC Radio Scotland Show "Travelling Folk" prior to the release of her first CD. What an amazing voice and musical talent! And then, to top it all off, there's Jenna Reid, Shetland fiddler extraordinaire, in the band. I really thought I was in heaven. The band played a fantastic two sets culminating in an encore with Julie playing the Pipes, much to the annoyance of the Dublin-based bouzouki player, who is world-class, I might add. And what a beautiful sound from such a wee lass playing the scurl!

Even though all the songs were in Scottish Gaelic it did not matter. What a beautiful language for music. The band's version of the Beatles "Blackbird" in Gaelic was absolutely amazing but far from the highlight of the evening. In fact, I can't pick a highlight. It was just a fantastic show from an incredibly talented band of musicians and I am completely honored that I could attend such a performance.

All is right with the world again so thanks Julie, Jenna... You're wonderful!

Yours Aye!
Neil

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

The Hoose Is Flooded!

Hello from the La Quinta Hotel in South Austin, Texas! And, be forewarned, this has nothing, well, next to nothing to do with beer.

Yes, it is quite sad, but true, yesterday the entire lower floor of my hoose (Scots for "house") was flooded by a burst braided hose attached to the sink in the half bath. The only recently installed (2-3 years ago, I can't remember exactly) bamboo hardwood floors are destroyed as well as untold other things residing on this floor. (BTW, Tony, your favorite sofa - and mine - seems to have survived, thankfully). The recovery people pumped over 100 U.S. gallons of water out the house and that doesn't include the amount of water that flowed out of the hoose and down the street.

However, despite this hick-up and the fact that I am more stressed-out about my day-job than at any time in the nearly twenty years that I have worked in said occupation for said firm, a couple of much more significant things occupy my mind at present.

One, a man at my said firm died unexpectedly of a heart attack on Friday last, only soon to turn 49 years of age. He had four children and although I didn't know him personally and can't quite place him, he worked in the same building and floor as myself and also attended the church that I presently attend. The church had a Memorial service for him today, his name was Mr. Ron Spence. What I can't come to grips with is the anguish his wife and children must be going through right now and for far longer than they care to think about to come.

Additionally, I sent an email to Tom Morton this morning describing my water plight in a combined informational/sympathy-seeking mentality. So, as usual I tuned in the to show via the internet at 8AM my time to either hear mention of the email or just listen to the show to ease thinking about the mess. However, Tom wasn't on at that hour and instead BBC Radio Scotland was broadcasting live from Aberdeen at a Memorial service for the, in total, 17 men killed as a result of a helicopter accident related to the off-shore oil industry. What struck me most was that here was I, waiting for my normal Tom Morton show only to be pre-empted by a service consisting of a number of all too familiar hymns and scripture readings from both Protestant and Catholic faiths. Why would this strike me strange, you might ask? Well, in today's America, this would never, ever happen, in my opinion. I won't say any more but I sincerely applaud the BBC for halting their normal broadcasting - even if it is my beloved Tom Morton Show - to remind everyone that everyday people matter and that these types of tragedies are important to be not only aware of but empathetic too. We're all people and sorrows like this affect us all in one way or another; directly or in familiarity.

My heart, thoughts and prayers go out to all the families involved in both of these tragic events.

So, no, I haven't got around to any more to do with SXSW primarily due to my aforementioned stress with the job. Tape-out is approaching so hopefully things will improve come end of May!

Until the next time, All The Best!

Yours Aye!
Neil

Monday, March 23, 2009

SXSW 2009 Part 1


Well, another South-By-Southwest Music Festival has come and gone in Austin, Texas. For the fourth year in a row I managed to make it to the Showcasing Scotland show hosted by the one and only Vic Galloway from BBC Radio Scotland. Vic was a busy man as always at this, his seventh consecutive SXSW! He also hosted a sold out show Friday evening at La Zona Rosa that I managed to somehow get into without a wrist band (and graciously, Vic had me covered by putting me on the guest list, just in case). I managed to grab Vic between sets for this quick photo. As always, he did an outstanding job as Emcee.

Unfortunately, I haven't had the time to process the band pictures but I'll be following up with a quick summary of the Showcasing Scotland gig with pictures of the performing bands. I'll have a wee note or two on the La Zona Rosa show as well.

Yours Aye!
Neil

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Been Awhile, I Know.

Yes, I'm painfully aware that it has, indeed, been awhile since I've posted anything. Brewed anything too, for that matter. The reason for the latter is twofold. One, I simply have not had the time. My "day job" has become quite hectic and important as of late. For the first time in many years, I'm working on a product that truly changes lives, and it is exciting but incredibly challenging. Hence, I've had to devote quite a number of weekends to it and will continue to do so for the next couple of months. I must add that this extra time is obviously (or not so obviously) not paid, as I'm on salary, but I really, really believe in this product and in my twenty years in the high-tech semiconductor industry, never have I wanted a product to be more perfect, on time, or successful as this one. Second, it has been incredibly pleasant, weather wise, here in Austin since the turn of the year; meaning, I'm set up for it to be HOT! and it hasn't been. Therefore, I can cool things for fermentation quite easily, keeping the ferment warm enough is not something I've done very successfully over the years (mostly because I rarely have to).

But, on the beer subject, I must enter this. I've just had the pleasure of trying two products from the London brewery, "Meantime", and I am somewhat in awe. Here in Austin, Texas, I can only get their "London Porter" and "India Pale Ale". I've tried both in the last week and I am, quite frankly, flabbergasted! The London Porter is dead-on for what I would expect if I had a time machine and could travel to Victorian era London. The IPA was an even bigger surprise. What an EXQUISITE beer! If this is really what IPA tasted like in the day, no wonder it was SO popular! The brewer, Alastair Hook, has really outdone himself here. What an incredible balance of malty sweetness and hop profile. Traditional British just oozes from this beer! If you can find it, try it. If you don't like it, you obviously don't know what a traditional IPA should taste like. Need I remind everyone, IPA is a British style, not American, despite recent history leading one to believe otherwise.

Case in point of the above. I love Widmer Brothers Brewery in the US Northwest. Their Wheat bier is absolutely my favorite outside of Germany and many of their others are very good. However, and I'll be honest, despite my being a bit of a hop-head, this is totally down to preference, but I recently purchased their "Original Drifter Pale Ale" and, if I'm right, the Amarillo hops are just overwhelming! This is so indicative of American brewers - and drinkers - right now. For me, it is just too over-the-top and lacking balance. I love hops, although I admit an aversion to Cascade and Amarillo, but this one is nothing but grapefruit to my taste buds.

OK, it is Spring Break week here in Texas, and also the obligatory South-By-Southwest Music Festival. So, on Friday, I'm off to it to try and run into my old "pal" Vic Galloway of BBC Radio Scotland. So, the next posting will hopefully be after a great day/night of Scottish music!

Until then, Yours Aye!

Cheers!
Neil

Friday, January 9, 2009

The Lengths We'll Go To For Real Ale!

A Very Happy New Year to everyone! Yes, I know it's well after Jan. 1st but better late than never.

I received an email last week through the website from a CAMRA man in, I believe, Lancashire, England, about getting in touch with one David Orr of the An Teallach brewery way up in the Highlands of Scotland. He had tried without luck to get in touch with the brewery in order to line up a cask or two of their ale for a trip he and his CAMRA mates were taking north of the border for a hill walking excursion just north and west of Inverness. They had had An Teallach ale (as have I at my beloved Three Judges in Glasgow) on an earlier occasion and were very eager to procure some for their visit. Anyway, the Scottish real ale brewing industry being what it is, I got in touch with my most helpful contacts and, sure enough, I managed to get a mobile number for one Davey and pass it on to the CAMRA crew. I hope it all works out for them.

My many, many thanks first to Angus MacRuary, founder/owner of the Isle of Skye Brewery for getting me the phone number. But I would also be remiss not to mention the very kind help of my old friend Douglas Ross of Traditional Scottish Ales (founder of Bridge of Allan Brewery and impetus behind the Scotland's Real Ale Trail), Tuggy Delap of Fyne Ales, and my great friends John McGarva and John Muir of Tryst Brewery for passing on information as well. Cheers all and I wish you all the best for 2009!

It really is a small world. Proof that we real ale enthusiasts can stick together and help one another regardless of proximity!

Oh, and just a wee mention for my other friends across the water. My sincere condolences go out to my friend Ali Wilson, infamous semi-professional drummer and frequent Tom Morton Show commenter, who lost a good deal of equipment in a fire in Edinburgh. And, it must be said, sympathies for the sad end (temporarily, perhaps?) of Tom Morton's Radiocroft on Shetland, let down but the failures of technology. All we listeners bid a hopefully temporary farewell to the beloved croft but are all eternally grateful that you and the show go on, Tom, despite your traveling inconvenience once again. All the best for 2009 to you both and your families!

(Did I mention how good the Old Speckled Hen is tasting tonight?). :)

Yours Aye!
Neil