Winter is Coming... so to speak

How does one keep hidden in plain sight?

Well, if you know well those who seek what you wish to conceal it can be a choice location. Just ask C. Auguste Dupin how he found the purloined letter. It’s Poe, look it up!

Generally, a good piece of literature has a theme. The theme is, as they say, pulled by a string through the work. Well ladies and gentlemen, my string likes to meander, and this isn’t a piece of literature, it’s the computer written ranting of a man who wonders if other people actually care about what he has to say. Well this man also believes if you don’t, then stop reading! (Not really; keep reading anyway).

My aim is always to educate and entertain my wonderful readers so I do hope you enjoy this playful banter. As I hate the word “blog” I attempt to avoid it. Therefore, this is a spiel. My spiel. A Wolfenspiel.

I think my last spiel’s theme revolved around darkness and disappearing blonds. Well that’s all well and fun but this one is about avoiding the heat! Not just weather-wise, but the heat of perceptions, assumptions and speculation. But first…. Here’s to summer!

Iggy Wit 20.11

With the past years extreme winter and the current summer, it’s only logical to parallel my beers to the climate. My first written account of beer (or maybe second) announced the birth of the Iggy Wit. Twas a smooth, spicy, classic Belgian Wit: a fan favorite that was quickly drained of its life’s blood. Then something awful happened… Iggy moved away! First upstate and then to our enemies... I mean neighbors to the north. Iggy is all the way in Vancouver but his wit lives on. This time around I added actual bitter orange peel and grains of paradise along with a spoonful of coriander. When I say actual I mean that I went to the beer store and bought 2 grams of each. Last time I just shaved orange and bought ground grains of paradise. The latter I recommend as a stand in for ordinary black pepper.

The affable shopkeeper warned me about the bitter orange and now I know why. It is sharp. The sweet orange peel would have lent a, well you guessed it, sweet flavor to the beer whereas the bitter adds quite a bit of tang. It is a lot like lemon ice (especially homemade). The initial splash of wit tingles the tongue and puckers your lips. Then you realize its 100 degrees out and the tanginess is quite refreshing. At least that’s what I am hoping all you lucky enough to drink this summer nectar will feel. Just tonight I had the Iggy Wit with some dry rubbed grilled chicken and a perfect ear of corn. The beer made an astounding accompaniment, especially to the sweetness of the corn.

My only issue with this beer is the lack of head. We all know my stand on this issue. Gotta have more head. As you can see, the great foam sea is but a still lake. But as one hat said to the other, , 'You stay here, I'll go on a head.' Ba doom pa. I’ll be here all night, folks.

The Purloined Hefe.

Wolf’s Hoppaweizen

Like the Iggy wit, the Hoppaweizen is a rendition of an old classic… only a Stu’s Brews classic. Yes, I take praise for naming the beer, but ole farmer Stu created this monstrously delectable intoxicatingly quaffable adjective-filled beer.

Since the godfather retired from beer making I have humbly carried the carboy, so to speak. In doing so, I have found a new audience that sprouted right up under my nose, or cubicle really, and I intend to keep them thirsty. There is nothing like the trials and tribulations of a no fault attorney to get one in need of a cold and exciting malt beverage. It can be quite stressful having to adjourn so many cases!

To quench that stress I have recreated the hoppy wheat beer. With it come banana and clove notes, piney and citrusy undertones and the newest element, chocolate. This beer is a take on the classic dunkelweizen - a dark German wheat beer. However, I added lots of American hops. The original hoppaweizen was a standard hefeweizen jacked up with massive hops, but added late to the boil. I did the same but of course added dark malts to get that lingering chocolate flavor.

The beer first reminded me of a special brownie. (Not that I really know what one tastes like…) This dunkelweizen has piney, grassy spice with hints of chocolate. I had one earlier today using the proper glassware (as if any of you doubted me), and I really have no complaints. For me, the beer has the classic flavors which remind me of sitting at a park in Munich while simultaneously transporting me back to Portland, Oregon where I supped all manners of hoppy delights. Okay, I’m getting a bit carried away with my puffery. But why not? Beer is good. And at yeast I didn’t make another bad pun…

Dunkelweizen is one of my favorite styles, and when my neighbor made an incredibly delicious one I figured I’d give it a go. The only big difference is that I used some serious American Warrior hops. I was hoping to impart an herbal aroma and a bit of a bitter kick to an otherwise toasty sweet flavored beer. So far so good, as Brian Adams would say. (You guys remember that album? It had summer of 69 and that Robin Hood Song. Admit it, you liked it. Probably still do). Anywhoo, this beer is a favorite of mine because it goes well with the smoked pork I have been dancing with all summer. There is something about the richness of the chocolate wheat mixed with the burnt pork flavor that tickles my taste buds. Yes, it reminds me of sitting in Munich eating sausage and pretzels, but there is something to be said for enjoying a liter of hefeweizen while devouring a bratwurst in the cool German spring. For now, it suffices to melt away on my deck while enjoying the best smoked ribs anyone has ever had. Yes, I am modest to a fault…

AND NOW, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, CHILDREN OF ALL AGES OVER ONE AND TWENTY…. I PRESENT TO YOU…..

LE GRANDIOSE FINALE D'ÉTÉ

The Double Wit

Doesn’t that name just invite bad puns? Well, I challenge you all to come up with the puniest name for this double wit. Remember, it must be “twice as witty” (get it, double wit)….. Let the melee begin.

And in case you are still reading, or perhaps actually care to know what makes up this detectibly droll beer, tis made much like the Iggy Wit, but with lemon zest and ginger in replace of orange and pepper. This beer will also be a bit stronger, hence the title of double. As of this writing, the beer is bottled and stored away in my 80 degree basement. One thing the heat didn’t oppress is the flavor of this brew. I was surprised at how tasty it was, even without carbonation. It actually tasted smoother and lighter than the Iggy Wit. Hopefully, it will help get the faithful through these dog days of summer. Those out by the shore don’t need as much help as us city dwellers. (Yes, I live by the water, but it’s still in NYC so back off!)

To everyone, I hope the heat hasn’t killed you yet. I hope my beers keep you cool and quenched. And if you thought you were done with your weekly reading quota, guess again.

If I were to give you a pint of beer and asked you to create more alcohol, what would you do? More than likely you would pour in some vodka or whisky, cross your arms, grin and say, “There you go, Thomas, more alcohol.”

Yes, you are so cunning. The answer was there all along, right under your nose. But you did not find it. So you look more carefully at your surroundings. Where would I go to create more alcohol? Where would Dupin look? The alcohol is hiding in plain sight.

This all leads up to the bière impossible…. The German Eisbock.

Can it be done? Can a simple home brewer summon the cold powers of the hydromancer? I just made that word up. I figure if a pyromancer can summon fire why not hydromancer water? Go read Game of Thrones and you’ll understand!!!

So an eisbock eh? According to Beeradvocate, an Eisbock is like any other German bock except water is literally withdrawn to add alcohol sans adding additional fermentables. Now I don’t know much about science, but how the heck do you remove water from beer? For one thing, it has to freeze… hence the Eis. Then a portion of ice is removed, thus increasing the alcohol per volume.

Well, much like the inspiration for this chilly potion, tis a prize widely coveted but not easily won. The eisbock may be a callous creature, but there’s no time to be craven so I must carry on.

And just remember …. What song the Sirens sang, or what name Achilles assumed when he hid himself among women, although puzzling questions are not beyond all conjecture. --SIR THOMAS BROWNE, Urn-Burial.

Till next time,

Cheers

Looking Forward

It's been a while. So long that Wolfbrew is out of vogue. Apparently some little British brewery already has the name. But you know what? screw em! Though I am taking another approach. BLIND JUSTICE BREWING COMPANY (soon to have a logo near you).




Is it a coincidence that I started making darker beers lately? All this hooha about blond this and blond that. Yes, the blond hopshell was delicious, but I learned my lesson; nothing is the same the second time around.

The blond hopshell exploded.

My neighbor warned me. Bro, it's a crazy yeast. It does things. It attacks your fermentables like nothing you've ever seen. Oh I wasn't worried. I've done this before. I trust my gut. Ok bro, but at least have a blow off valve ready, you know, just in case. Na, it will be fine.

BOOOM.
shit.
Sometimes you gotta learn the hard way. Even if it takes a couple of tries.

Here's the scene. I wake up. Damn, it smells good in my basement. I walk out of my room. Hmm, why is the towel around the carboy looking really dark. Let me put my glasses on. HOLY SMOKES BATMAN! The blond hopshell has blown! I get a bucket to try and create a quick blowoff. Where is the airlock? Oh, there it is, 5 feet away under my amp. I look up- hops? on my ceiling? Yes. That reddish now brownish towel... full of wort. The best part is, I put the airlock back on (after sanitizing it of course) and it just blows off again! This blondie just doesn't quit! Finally I call my neighbor. He runs over and sees things are finally under control. He just laughs. Told ya brah.
Yep. lesson learned. Listen to people who know what they are talking about!!

Luckily, I didn't lose that much of the beer. When I racked it, maybe a bit less than a gallon was gone. So a few bottles lost and a hard lesson learned. The beer... well... the blond has some bite. It is extremely bitter though it should mellow out a bit. Like everything, time will help. Was I wrong to try it again? I don't think so. Sometimes you ignore warning signs and just hope to at least stick with the status quo. Sometimes it takes an explosion or two to open your eyes.


Now looking forward to dark beers. No explosions so far. I did use the same yeast on my one light colored brew, the Iggy Wit 20II.

So to recap my since last time we spoke.

I remade the blond hopshell. (it exploded if you for some reason skipped to here first)

My first black IPA came out more like a hoppy brown ale. Happy accident.

Black Rabbit 2.0. Well, I tried it tonight. The blast of citra hops lend a piney, grapefruit bouquet.
The limited dark malt still adds a big toasty bitterness. I wonder if the malt will give way to more hop flavor later on. The beer looks just like the mocha porter... but smells and tastes like an entirely different creature. This is why beer excites me more than any other beverage. If you put two red wines next to each other and said tell me specific differences i bet you would say this one is smoother, or has a slightly fruitier flavor. Put two beers that look exactly the same- one smells like grapefruit and the other like coffee! Where else can you find that?


Mocha Porter 2. (remember the Ingvoldstout, well this is her improved cousin). It's rich without being heavy. Creamy without being a guinness knockoff. It's just plain delicious. I'd pair it with spicy asian food or oysters and possibly chocolate cake. If you like that black on black action. you know, dark beer, dark food. No? Ok moving on.

Let's see. My Rye/Wheat/RoughRyeder ale is gone. That must mean it was good. It has a sweetness from all the malt, but the rye cut it a bit and the wheat smoothed it out. I think more micro's should make combination styles. Get creative. Try something new. I'm becoming a big proprietor of beer mashups. I start with a general idea of what type of beer I want and then, like jazz, improvise a bit, and let it all come back together in the end.

I made two wheat beers this month. The first, Iggy Wit 20II. Nothing out of the ordinary- bitter orange peel, coriander, grains of paradise. This is bound to be a crowd favorite. I did find a banana pudding recipe that calls for a wit beer. I'm thinking I may delve into beer infused desserts this summer.

Now for the fun. My Hefeweizen. I started out wanting to make a german wheat beer. However, my neighbor made a delicious dunkelweiss so i thought, i dont want to duplicate that. But I also didn't want to make a plain hefe. The godfather of homebrewing, (mr. stuart) made my favorite wheat beer of all time... the hoppaweizen. So i couldn't just duplicate that. What to do what to do.
Mashup. The hoppy dunkelweizen. Chocolate malt, big bitter warrior hops and enough fermentables to make this 7-8% abv. The name though, what to call it?
I am open to all suggestions.

As Mr Gump would proffer, That's all i have to say about that.

Until next time, which won't be as long, cheers!

The Beer, the Blond, the Best

"Oh, Matilda! You're not what you seem" she screamed!

I guess Blond's really are more fun!

Sometimes you just come away shaking your head. What happened? Is it true? Does it really taste like that? Could I have actually made something that is as strong and drinkable as say... Duvel?

Yes I did!

The bottle says Matilda. Belgian Style Ale. Made by Goose Island. We've had it before. It's delicious... and professional.

Inside, Wolfbrew's Blond Hopshell. The consensus: "I really thought we were drinking Matilda." Why thank you, Leeza. Not because I made a replica of a Goose Island beer but because the quality of my product was finally up to par with the big guys! There is no indicia of homebrewness in this fantastic Belgian blond ipa. In fact, there's no overwhelming hop bitterness either. Maybe I just made a quality Beligan style strong blond ale. Ahhh but then the onslaught of American hops tingle the tip of your tongue and trickle their way down your awaiting throat.

"It's too bad you don't have more of this," cries Leeza.
"But we have Delirium." I'm quick to retort.
"Yes, but I want this one!"

And she shall have it. Along with anyone else willing to sip the suds of Wolfbrew's finest beverage. Little C's Lavender may be nice and tasty but The Blond Hopshell is nothing less than...

Strong, sweet, bitter and blond.

Cleverly conniving alcohol sinews its self
To Candy sugary sweetness,
Patiently pursued by hallowed Amarillo hops.
The blond bomb's buxom end
Leaves no man sans a friend.

Is this poem going to accompany the label of this fine brew? You bet your ass it will. All i need is some investors, some commercial property and some large scale brewing equipment. Good thing I have smart friends who will become rich lawyers... right guys??? ;)

Quick update:

Frankenstupp is bottled. Mets stink. Jet's need to score some touchdowns. Black IPA is on the way. Enjoy.

The Audacity of Hops

Brewing season is finally in full swing. Little C's Lavender is a big hit. My beautiful bride-t0-be has a beer-t0-be and the best man's brew is boisterously bubbling away. What next? Oh just a little thing called the hop harvest.
Today marked the start of what will be a bountiful hop harvest.

I'm not sure what face I'm making but those are fresh Chinook hops from the Stuart Family Farms. Who needs law school when you have a garden of Eden in your back yard? He even has bees!

Moving along, I finally got some hops in my yard. I hope to get enough for at least a batch or two. I've never actually used the type of hops that I grew but what's the fun of experimenting without surprises? My Horizon hops are high in alpha acids which ensure that they will be nice and bitter, just the way I like 'em.
Next year they should grow back even bigger. That's what she said?

It's quite remarkable how enjoyable it is to stand outside on a mildly humid August day picking hops. We've had so much heat that much of my crop is dried up. Stu's hops have flourished and we had plenty to pick. Just two guys and their dogs, hop resin on their hands, creaky ladders under their legs and no other care in the world. Well, except for the inevitable conversation. I will only say this, you can't change what you wrote about shareholders or out of state divorces. Let's just hope we had, as my mother always said, "minimal competence." Those of you who did not suffer through the hellish summer, you are smarter than I ever hope to be. For those that did, godspeed.

At least we have our hops.

We also have another beer brewing. As I mentioned, everyone seems to love the lavender beer. Especially the ladies (and Andrew). He paid me what I think was the highest compliment. He said this was the first beer he could see himself drinking at a bar. I'll take it for what it is and say thank you Andrew. I hope your new dog stops biting you.
For those of you who tried the lavender, you don't need any tasting notes. For those who haven't, well, it's a light colored, light tasting, lavender beer. There is more bitterness than I imagined and it doesn't come from the hops! Next year I will brew it again with Stu's honey.

I want to show you a side by side of how weird fermenting beer can be. First we have the Frankenstupp. So named for the best man and it's eclectic ingredients. Spicy Belgian Ardennes yeast, dark German and British malt, some wheat malt, big bitter American Warrior hops and finished with German Spalt and Styrian Golding hops. It is truly a creature not to be reckoned with.

To your left is the Frankenstupp frantically bubbling away. To the right is the Blond Hopshell right after I pitched the yeast. I've never had a beer layer like that. You may think it's silly but I find it fascinating. All that goodness to your right is now naturally carbonating in bottles pictured in the background to your left. Don't worry, it's not going to come out looking like that in your bottles. In fact, the beer is quite light in color, hence its name. It is the strongest beer I have made. I'll try it in a month or so but should take some time to mellow out. The Frankenstupp though, should be ready when else but Halloween. *Cue the evil laughter*

And that's it.

Please leave any and all ideas for new beers in the comment section. Don't be shy, no one will laugh at you. Hell I made a lavender beer.

On a side note, Kristin, I will make your naughty nurse. I was hoping my cherry tree would yield greater rewards. If you can forgive me and wait until next year I would be forever grateful. Or I could make it with preserves. Let me know when you get back from Aussie land.
Cheers!

Crazy? No, just happy.

Terry's new status message - What are u a pussy? dont be an asshole drink real beer -wolfbrew 4:33 PM
Ah, and the grassroots movement has begun.

Before I get to the recent flood of activity I have a little history lesson. You already know how I am linked to beer because of my last name. (If you don't, go back and read my older posts). Well here is another reason why I am destined to make beer.

Protestants.
You all remember the German Reinheitsgebot? It's the purity law that only allows beer to be made with malt, hops, yeast and water. What was it a reaction to? Well in part to those crazy Catlicks. Apparently, prior to the 16th century the pope and his minions had a monopoly on a vast number of herbs used for medicinal purposes, including beer. If you don't believe me, read Steve Buhner's book "Sacred and Herbal Healing Beers" where he writes "The historical record is clear that hops' supplementation of other herbs was primarily a reflection of Protestant irritation about 'drugs' and the catholic church, in concert with competing merchants trying to break a monopoly and so increase their profits." So after a thousand years of herb dominance, the Protestants protested and forged the way for that resiny green plant we have all come to love. Now if only we could forge the way for another member of the Cannabaceae family....

The Graduator
Although I haven't officially graduated yet, I am done with law school. The beer brewed for such an occasion was the malty bock-like Graduator. At first it was a bit too sweet for me, as I used a minimal amount of hops and a large amount of caramel malt. Now however, it has mellowed and become quite a good food accompaniment and even pretty good on its own. I am glad I got to celebrate with it among my **brator study group out in Mattituck, Although we were poor in sunshine we were rich in homebrew.





St. Andrew's Tripel
"This is definitely my favorite beer of yours," said the wise Rockin' Roshelli. Strong, spicy, smooth and refreshing. No, not Andrew, but his beer. Oh, and there's St. Andrew drinking a St. Ides...


Little C's Lavender
This delicious libation has finally been bottled as its muse anxiously awaits her first sip. The good news is that its floral bouquet is not overpoweringly intense and it tastes very much like a classic golden blonde. Remember, it was brewed with honey so there will always be that mild sweetness on the tip of your tongue which will lead to the slight hop bitterness on the back of your tongue. When you drink this beer, hold it in your mouth as try to pick out the distinct senses as the beer flows from the tip to the back of your tongue. (By the way, this could all be a bunch of nonsense. Remember, this beer is named after the Queens of BS)!

Blond HopShell.
Oh, did I mention that since the last time I wrote I got engaged? What better way to celebrate a new future than with a new beer? I have a really interesting picture of the beer but it's on my camera which I can't find so deal with this for now. Oh, and there is the most beautiful woman in the world standing by some buildings I never knew existed in NYC.
This beer, like its namesake, is going to be out of this world. Ardennes Belgian yeast, the most malt I have ever used, adjunct grains I have never used before and a ton of hops. This is going to be bold, badass and ready to knock you out with her beautiful blonde strength. Don't get in her way. I'd advise enjoying her when you have a whole day to kill and just want to sit around enjoying your surroundings. After one of these you won't be able to do much else. It will be a while before this beauty of a beast is ready, but it will be well worth the wait. There's nothing like sticking to what you love.

A couple of footnotes

The Reginale

I only bring this up because it is fermenting in my basement. Here it is on the left, with the Hopsehll on the right. Brewmaster Stu is making this for his Queen but needed to rent out my facility. I used twice as much malt and hops in the Hopshell but hey, i do crazy things like wake up one morning single and go to bed engaged! Gotta take risk, eh?
There's the Stumaster doing some backbreaking brewing. The things we do for women... oh wait, i mean beer.


Frankenstupp
Yes, it is time. Mein freund Herr Stupp will become Herr Braumeister. The creature will be of Belgian yeast, german dark malt, american hops and rye of unknown origins. As they say, Hüten Sie sich vor der Kreatur.




by the glimmer of the half-extinguished light, I saw the dull yellow eye of the creature open...

Prost

Black India Pale Ale?

Can there be such a thing as a black "pale" ale? The answer is... well.... yes. Maybe I'll name mine the oxy moronic ale.

The first tidbit I learned on my west coast excursion is that Cascadian hops and roasted barley make for a delicious combination. More on this later.


St. Andrew's Tripel

A brief disclaimer: there has been some upheaval that Andrew got shafted in the naming of his beer. All those who want to voice their concern have the floor. I think this beer is an honor to him, but I'm bias towards its delicouss potency. Yes, it is quite strong in alcohol. Although I tried it prematurly- at the bequest of a certain fan- it had all the Belgian spiciness of a tripel but was a bit on the dark side. Coloration was a concern of mine because I used pale malt instead of the lighter pilsner malt. Color aside it still needs some aging to lessen the alcohol presence. Right now it is quite like Andrew; edgy, gingery and not too mellow but will always make for a good time. With proper aging it will simmer down and become refreshing. Am I talking about Andrew or the beer?


The Blond Hopshell

For this bad girl I will use the pilser malt to get a more authentic light color. I will not however, use cascadian hops. I'll save those for my India Black Ale. I refuse to say Black IPA, it's just not right. I was planning on bringing ingredients back from the old west but the store did not have a grain crusher, and I was not bringing whole grains in my suitcase. I am very excited about this beer. Big Belgian complexity with a bitter hop infusion. mm mmm mmm.

Now for the IBA/Black IPA/ CBA

This topic was actually debated at a recent beer conference. Yes, even beer people are dorks (look at me). The arguements were made: People will understand and be attracted to a black IPA because they already know they like IPAs. But you can't have a black and pale ale! Because it's bittered with hops, it's based on the IPA buuuuttt, it's dark and roasty so let's call it an India Black Ale (i like this). But no-one will know what that is. People didn't know what an IPA was until someone explained! CBA- Cascadian Black Ale- now this name is just because one of the two brewers who originated the style wanted to show where it was from... same reason IPAs have the word India- but the consensus was that east coasters wouldn't be too keen on the term because it's exclusive. I agree. No-one outside the pacific northwest even knows what the hell Cascadian means. It's a mountain range. (see image below). And everything in the region is named after it. Think of Colorado and their baseball team... people like their mountains.

So we have a new style of beer. It smells like citrusy hops but without the intense hop bitterness. The secondary flavors are of toasty roasted barley and dark grain. Imagine if Guinness smelled like dogfish head 90 minute.... pretty weird huh? Those pacific northwest hops have really strong grapefruit smells so it is quite odd to put your nose into a dark beer that smells of such citrusy hops. I thoroughly enjoyed the half dozen samples I had. The best might have been at Widmer. They make so many beers we don't get here. I enjoyed their W"10 Pitch Black IPA with some dragon wings. Spiciest wings ever. A friend I met out there said it best... Portlanders are intense about everything. Extreme and unique cocktails, beers, bars, music and hipsters... well the hipsters all look the same... just like in NY but with beeny caps and flannel shirts. Not my scene.

I predict the east coast will be invaded with black hoppy beers very very soon. Get ready. I'll have mine after the bar exam. Until then.... cheers.

Oh yeah... Little C don't think I forgot about you. Honey Lav shall be bottled this weekend.

Don't Stop Me Now

That's what she said.

It's only March and I've brewed four beers with two more are on the way.

A comm0n theme among my beers is their namesakes. I am on a quest to be a real law school dork and name a beer after everyone in my study group . I'm officially down to my last person, Dave Bloom. The Bloomenator? Dave's -oh shit i spilled my coffee-ale? Bloom's bubble bursting bock? We'll find an appropriate one soon enough.

As for everyone else, we started with the Ingvoldstout for the lovely Lauren. Then we moved on to Little C's Lavender for none other then Little C. Andrew was upset at being left out so I hurriedly honored him with St. Andrew's Tripel. I still think he feels he gets no respect. Maybe he's right.

Either way, it was time to honor the rockin' Roshelli. This is a woman who has done it all, UPenn, airforce, nurse, federal clerk... but she lacked that all important honorary beer. It was time to step up to the plate. I really don't remember how it came about but all of a sudden we were discussing whether a certain phrase was copyrighted, or trademarked or whatever was the right intellectual property issue. Four law students sitting at a bar having no idea what how to make sure we could use the term "Naughty Nurse." Kristin's biggest concern-- making sure the 'a' in Naughty connected to the 'a' in Ale. The genesis of Kristin's namesake was born.

Wait, I'm naming a beer after this?

But what was Naughty Nurse Ale to be? She loved Sam Adams Cherry Wheat and Ommegang's 3 Philosopher's. I thought about the amber malt I had lying around and then I thought about the two beers she liked. Then I thought about the cherry tree in my back yard. Ergo... Naughty Nurse Cherry Amber was born. Unfortunately, The Naughty Nurse will have to wait until the right season. We don't want to pop the cherry too soon...


Ingvoldstout, Naughty Nurse and Little C














That brings us to the next big beer, the Blonde Hopshell Belgian Imperial IPA. Big name, big beer. I want to raise the bar in homebrewing by pushing the alcohol content without sacrificing flavor. I dislike the really strong beers that leave a somewhat winy alcohol aftertaste. Beer is supposed to go down easy and I want to brew a big beer that slides right down. The idea is to have a Belgian Blonde, like Duvel, infused with with American hops and candy sugar. I'm using yeast called Ardennes, so you know it's going to be intense! Just like Germans tried to bulge through the American line, this will bust through your notion of beer... only I won't fail!


Soon We will be standing in front La Brassiere de Loup, or De wolfbrouwerij.












The next post will have tasting notes on St. Andrew's Tripel and Little C's Lavender so stay tuned! Plus I will recap my trip to Oregon... hopefully the Blond Hopshell will have some Cascade hops straight from the Cascade mountains! Soon this picture of me in Brugge will, like my beer, be juxtaposed with the American West Coast.

Cheers