MdV: Merchant du Vin beer e-newsletter – Wednesday, March 15, 2006: Quick Beer Descriptions for United Kingdom and German beers

 

This month we are very pleased to announce an addition to our menu of great beers – Lindemans Pomme, apple lambic from Belgium.  Supremely refreshing, available by late spring, and more info here:

www.merchantduvin.com/pages/1_about/lindemans_pomme_intro.pdf

 

Ayinger Celebrator Doppelbock bottles are available year-round in the US, but in the winter months – like now! – you can find it on draft:

www.merchantduvin.com/pages/1_about/Ayinger_Celebrator_Draft_06.pdf

 

Samuel Smith and Pinkus certified organic beers are in Country Home magazine; Travel+Leisure Golf features Traquair House from Scotland; last month some of our beers were featured on TV  . . .  plus beer festivals, dinners, and events are offering beer lovers all across America a chance to discover the classic styles – it is a great time for fine beer!  Full national news & event listing at:

www.merchantduvin.com/pages/1_about/news.html

 

 

 

Beer Chat from the Beer Court Jester:  Quick descriptions for beers from the UK and Germany

 

Beer flavors range widely, and it can be enjoyable to discuss nuances, hints of flavor and aroma.  But sometimes a retailer, server, or bartender is asked to describe a beer that they may not have had recently. 

Last month, we ran quick descriptions for Belgian beers.  (If you want to review it, our archive is at:  http://www.merchantduvin.com/pages/1_about/enews_archive.html/  )

 

To help everybody buy & sell fine beer from the UK and Germany, here are some brief beer notes:

 

Samuel Smith, Tadcaster, Yorkshire, England. Est. 1758 – Refined, elegant benchmark beers.

Oatmeal Stout: Silky smooth, bittersweet finish.

Nut Brown Ale:  Nutty aroma from dark malt.

Pale Ale: Caramel flavor, with herbal hop note.

India Ale: Floral hops, more refined and less bitter than American IPAs.

Imperial Stout: Roasty/espresso flavors; warmth from alcohol.

Winter Welcome: Caramel malt backbone; warm & rich.

Organic Ale: Soft malt; fruity esters from ale yeast.  Certified Organic by CCOF for the USDA.

Organic Lager: Fragrant hops with clean bitterness; light straw color; all-malt (no rice, no corn like American light lagers); rich body for a light lager. Certified Organic by CCOF for the USDA.

Pure Brewed Lager: Herbal hops; light-bodied; all-malt (no rice, no corn like American light lagers).

 

Traquair House, Peeblesshire, Scotland.  Est. 1491 – Traditional ales from a tiny brewery in Scotland’s oldest continually-inhabited house.  Fermented in wooden vessels.

House Ale: Deep, “candied dates” malt complexity

Jacobite Ale: Complex layered malt; seasoned with hops and coriander

 

Melbourn Bros. Brewery, Stamford, Lincolnshire, England.  Est. 1825 – English ales fermented via wild yeast and made with fresh local fruit.

Apricot Ale: Light & tart; finishes with a pure apricot nose.

Strawberry Ale: Dry, light-bodied, subtle strawberry aroma & flavor

Cherry Ale:  Rich, pure cherry flavor; very aromatic.

 

Ayinger Brewery, Aying, Bavaria, Germany.  Est. 1878 – Benchmark producer of traditional Bavarian styles.  Pronounced “EYE-ING-GR”

Celebrator Doppelbock: Incredible, layered malt complexity; off-dry.

Brau-Weisse (“BROY-VICE”): Smooth body from wheat; mild clove-like finish from traditional yeast.

Ur-Weisse: Smooth body from wheat; caramel note from dark malt; mild clove-like finish from traditional yeast.

Jahrhundertbier (“YAR-HOON-DIRT”): crisp, fresh grain body & flavor; snappy hop finish.  Name means “Century Celebration Lager.”

Altbairisch Dunkel (“ALT-BY-RISH DOON-KUL”): Light body; subtle attractive malt flavor.

Fest-Marzen (“MARE-ZEN”): Hearty, full, rich malt flavor.

 

Pinkus Brewery, Munster, Westphalia, Germany.  Est. 1816 – first brewery of the modern era to go completely organic, in 1980.

Ur-Pils: Dry; light body; finishes with clean, snappy hops.

Hefe-Weizen: (“HAY-FA VITE-SEN”) Smooth, light body form wheat; clean finish & less spice than a Bavarian hefe.

Munster Alt: Floral, fruity, crisp; sharp palate.

 

As always, remember that palates differ and that beer tasting can be quite subjective.  And, as we mentioned last month, an outlandish but witty comparison about how a beer makes you feel can be safer than searching for adjectives. 

 

For example:  Thanks for buying great craft beer!  You make us feel like a sunlit meadow, with birds chirping and a gentle breeze blowing . . . the soft aroma of spring flowers is in the air . . .

 

Merchant du Vin, America’s Premier Specialty Beer Importer Since 1978

http://www.merchantduvin.com