DRAFT Magazine calls Short Course in Beer 'indispensable'.

Here's the review:

A tuition-free ride from beginner to beer aficionado. Students learn how beer is made, how to properly pour, pair and taste it; and even better, how to talk about it. A dictionary of beer jargon and a beer style guide--which both take a friendly, nonacademic tone--prove indispensable to the wannabe beer geek just getting his mug wet.
--
I've been walking around feeling indispensable all day.

DuClaw comes to City Tap House, Brings Barrels

You may have been wondering about what's behind the sudden proliferation of barrel- or bourbon-aged beers. The story is simple enough: the barrels that are used to store and age bourbon whiskey can be used only once. It's the law. So every release of Bourbon leaves behind a slew of orphaned barrels. Some of them end up filled with Tequila, some with Scotch whisky but the vast majority are being shipped to breweries to age and condition beer. Heaven's Hill Boubon, for example, supplies barrels to Goose Island and Founders. Woodford Reserve ends up filled with Brooklyn beer.

You may have already tried an example or two of bourbon barrel beer. You may have even found them sludgy and undistinguished and decided to let the whole fad pass you by. If so, DuClaw Brewery out of Baltimore is giving you reason to reconsider and they're presenting their case at City Tap House in Philadelphia.

Here are a few highlights:

Colossus (17.3% ABV) This staggeringly alcoholic monster is both surprisingly tasty and unboozy. Produced entirely by fermentation-no added alcohol-this golden ale has tropical fruit and honey notes, almost no head and a lush texture. Eminently sippable.

Retribution (11.5%ABV) This is the sort of beer I think of when Bourbon barrels are mentioned. Smoke, chocolate, coffee and dried fruit are all in perfect balance with the distinct taste of whiskey holding the whole thing together. A strong presence, it was not too much to go with City Tap's Hash nor did it lose its charm next to the sweet French Toast.

Barrel-Aged Euphoria (5%ABV) This beer with its ordinary alcohol level has just a hint of sourness-a quality that's unmentioned on the beer menu. The light tartness against the toffee/caramel makes it a beautiful companion to anything sweet and I imagine it would be a delight in the heat of summer.

A wink to the serious beer-lover from
the folks at City Tap Hous

Sweet Baby Jesus (6.5%ABV) The name is wonderful and it must be great fun to order one in a bar frequented by the clergy (they do have bars, you know). But I think you have to be of a generation whose beer taste isn't firmly moored to malt, spice and hops to enjoy this one. For us traditionalists, it's more like a weird soda pop. The next time I order something just for the pleasure of saying the name, I think I'll make it a Raging Bitch.

By the way, if you haven't been to City Tap House in Philadelphia or Washington, it's time you checked it out. They have a great beer list, extensive and sensitively chosen. They also have a brand-new draft system with 60 taps and a rigorous cleaning and maintanence program that delivers the good stuff the way it was meant to be. Service is aggressively friendly and efficient.

Earth Goes Wild

Polite people rarely mention it, but brewpubs produce a lot of forgettable beer. For every masterpiece, there are a bunch of mediocrities and at least one stinker.  Batting averages vary,(scoring methods do too) and some little breweries do a lot better than others. 

I'm used to finding something good at Earth Bread + Brewery on Germantown Avenue in Mt. Airy. That was why I took my Beer Fundamentals class from Drexel to Earth for a brewery tour and tasting. What really surprised me was discovering that all four of the house beers were wonderfully complex, fully-realized, lick-the-glass luscious. Here's what those lucky students and I discovered: 

Jelly Donut(Berliner Weisse) 3% abv

I have to admit to being a cautious admirer, but never a big fan of Berliner Weisse. It's profound, un-citrusy sourness always seemed to my American palate to belong in the non-food category. This beer is Tom Baker's way of making the style accessible to folks like me and he has more than succeeded in harnessing the tricky fermentation of this classic. The light acidity puts you to mind of champagne, the fruitiness is just present enough to give the beer a center and the finishing notes are both wine-like and refreshing. It takes a bit of attention to figure out all that's going on here, but at a mere 3% ABV, you can take your time and have two.

An American in Brussels (Hoppy Black Ale) 5.9%

Close your eyes and it's a Belgian Golden Ale, maybe a bit more Americanized, but clearly recognizeable. There's just enough roastiness to add complexity and a dense, satisfying finish.

Luther's Rose (Festbier) 7.8% 

Be careful here. This Oktoberfest-style is friendly on the palate and a cuddly-pink to boot. It drinks easily, as they say, with a seductive sweetness on the palate and a refreshing spark at the finish. 

I want this with grilled salmon or a handful of salty snack. Decidedly a growler-worthy selection.

'VI' (Our anniversary Belgian-style Dubbel) 7.1%

Westmalle yeast and the usual malts (pilsner and vienna, perhaps) and just enough hops bitterness for balance. Superbly drinkable. The only bad thing about this beer is that it probably won't be on tap for Thanksgiving, so you'll have to celebrate the arrival of the Pilgrims in Brussels and their first beer dinner with the Flemings with something else.

If you are ever inclined to check out this lively, friendly brewpub, the time is now.

Perkuno's Hammer wins Gold at GABF. Earth Rejoices

Tom Baker's elegant master piece makes a return appearance.

It's easy to praise a beer that just won Gold at GABF: Chocolate and roasted grain notes underscored by hints of dried fruit. All in perfect, elegant balance with the light carbonation and velvet mouth feel. The finish screams 'gimme more'.
The baltic porter style has a lot to recommend it. There's the substantial, but not overwhelming body, the chocolaty nose, and appealing finish. Unfortunately, it's hard to find. Smuttynose makes a great one every so often and Baker's Perkuno's Hammer is essentially a re-issue of a beer he brewed when he was brewer/owner at Heavyweight.
So, like the Monarch Migration and the Fall in Philadelphia, this stuff is beautiful and rare. Head over to Earth Bread+Brewery and taste it now.