Far From India: India Pale Ales in the 21st Century.  Desperate Times Desperate Measures, Red IPA, Carlisle, Pa. @ FNB Park, Harrisburg

Date:  March 26, 2019

The Story—  It’s almost here!  Baseball returns to major and minor league parks this week.  Once a sea of yellow silly suds, parks all over the country are presenting a vast array of local and craft beers.   You’ll pay premium bar prices for crafts, but few parks are without interesting choices.   In our Mid Atlantic base, Nationals Park has specialty local beer stands throughout the park, Philly features Pennsylvania stalwart Victory and local favorite Yards as well as a raft of surprises that even include the Williamsport newcomer new Trail.   Baltimore’s Camden Yards, which featured local crafts long before they were a phenomenon  even has a brewery on site.   Minor league parks throughout the region celebrate the “home club” breweries in their region. We’ve found Flying Dog beers in Frederick’s stadium that we couldn’t get at the brewery.

Harrisburg’s FNB Park is one of our favorite for beer drinking.    For starters, every Thursday from the time the gates open to 8PM, a designated craft beer goes for three bucks.   The park’s selection varies from year to year, but we always find something we haven’t had before.  Bar seats ringing the outfield and give you plenty of personal space and a bartop to rest your beer as you peer over the fence only feet away from future major league stars.  Appalachian and Troegs beers are always available, but some surprises show up as well.

One reason we love to drink at the park is that we ignore the parking lot and stay in the city.   The park sits at the end of a foot bridge across the Susquehanna that is a stunningly beautiful walk at night when other bridges are illuminated and the city rises above the river.   The Hilton hotel is our favorite of the choices that cluster a few blocks from the other end of the bridge.  City House B&B, a scenic mile and a half walk from the park offers river views from some of its rooms and offers a quiet retreat in a first class B&B.  If you have the dough, pedicabs aren’t hard to find and will be glad to wheel you to your room.

Today’s feature beer was a big hit at the park a year ago– we’d be happy to see it back.   The Desperate Times brewery is a bit of a hike or a short drive from the center of Carlisle, Pennsylvania.  Carlisle is one of the featured towns in our “Brews and Snooze” guide to Mid Atlantic breweries and inns, and Desperate Times is one of the gems in its crown.  They serve a good range of well-brewed styles along with a sausage-centered and interesting menu that features some German recipes handed down through generations of the family.

The Beer—  We object to many red beers because careless use of Crystal malt can produce flavors of burned sugar and leather that Ellie is not fond of and I hate.   This one avoids those traps and delivers a rich but clean sweet caramel malt balanced by quick resiny hops.  It’s clean, if a bit dusty, chewy and strong by the end.  It drinks well and its 6% abv. makes for a strong session, but one that won’t blind you.  They’ll cut you off at the end of the 7th and let you sober up for the walk back.

Value — Fair to good.   Eight bucks, plus a buck tip if you have a conscience, is not cheap for mid-Pennsylvania, but it’s part of the cost of enjoying and not just attending a ball game.

Values:  “fair” is a good beer at an above market price, “good” is worth the money, “very good” is a bargain, and “excellent” is a steal.

In March we’re taking a look at the incredible variety of IPAs.   The style is by far the biggest seller among craft beers in the US and probably in Europe as well.   Even century-old breweries in Reinheitsgebot-narrowed Germany are brewing IPAs (if the brewer calls it “ale” it doesn’t have to conform to the strict purity law).   But you have to ask these days: What is an IPA”?  We’ll take a look at almost a dozen recognized and semi-recognized styles of IPAs in the next couple of weeks.

 We’re often asked to share our tasting notes on over 33,000 beers; this blog is in answer to those requests.   Not all our notes, though.  The great beer writer Michael Jackson admirably followed the Thumper Rule, and we’ll try to do the same.  (“If you can’t say something nice, don’t say nuthin’ at all.”)   All the beers we post are from the top half of our ratings and most are from the top quarter.   Of greater value, we think, are the stories behind the beers,   and we try to give you enough about the brewery, the style and the places to find great beer to help you on your own beer journeys.   At CulturAle Press we try to write books and publish posts that will help you “Drink Well and Travel Safely.”

Far From India: India Pale Ales in the 21st Century. Starr Hill Pilot Brewery and Side Stage Brut IPA

Date:  March 25, 2019

The Story— We’ve been in Roanoke delighting in over a half dozen breweries and a city that’s revitalizing itself with beer and music and local shoppes.  It’s an amazing rail center – we’ve seen more than two dozen freights rolling past in the last two days and the Transportation museum is a local gem.

The town boasts three very local breweries and another three outposts.  Deschutes has pulled back and will not brew soon, Three Notch’d has brewing equipment and will brew “soon,” and Starr Hill’s “pilot brewery” is up and running and producing four of the nearly two dozen beers available at the tap house.

We chose this beer because Brut IPAs are something of a rage.  We’ve had others that have sort of blundered into the style, but now it seems to be an actual evolving style and the Starr Hill pilot seems to have taken the style seriously. We’re not convinced “brut” deserves to be a style of its own, but we seem to be in the minority.   So here is Starr Hill’s  version  from its pilot brewery in Roanoke.

The Beer—  Quite dry, chalky and fruity, it seems to be a beer for those who find the New England too juicy and the IPAs and Double IPAs too much of a muchness.  Quite dry, chalky and fruity. More sharp and tart than bitter, but a back bitter builds up as it drinks.  It’s fruity without excessive juiciness.

Value — Good.  $6.50 for a US pint.

Values:  “fair” is a good beer at an above market price, “good” is worth the money, “very good” is a bargain, and “excellent” is a steal.

In March we’re taking a look at the incredible variety of IPAs.   The style is by far the biggest seller among craft beers in the US and probably in Europe as well.   Even century-old breweries in Reinheitsgebot-narrowed Germany are brewing IPAs (if the brewer calls it “ale” it doesn’t have to conform to the strict purity law).   But you have to ask these days: What is an IPA”?  We’ll take a look at almost a dozen recognized and semi-recognized styles of IPAs in the next couple of weeks.

 We’re often asked to share our tasting notes on over 33,000 beers; this blog is in answer to those requests.   Not all our notes, though.  The great beer writer Michael Jackson admirably followed the Thumper Rule, and we’ll try to do the same.  (“If you can’t say something nice, don’t say nuthin’ at all.”)   All the beers we post are from the top half of our ratings and most are from the top quarter.   Of greater value, we think, are the stories behind the beers,   and we try to give you enough about the brewery, the style and the places to find great beer to help you on your own beer journeys.   At CulturAle Press we try to write books and publish posts that will help you “Drink Well and Travel Safely.”

Far From India: India Pale Ales in the 21st Century. Magpie British Hopped Magpie Blonde IPA, Nottingham, UK

Date:  March 24, 2019

The Story—  The British invented the IPA, of course, but what that meant — even in the united Kingdom– has changed dramatically over the years. There’s good evidence that among the first pale ales sent to India were enormously hopped and quite strong.  The British in India said the poured — and even tasted– like champagne.

During World War I, however, virtually all British styles took a huge step back due to wartime rationing of grain.  A new taxation system levied not only the final alcohol, but the amount of fermentables in the beer from the outset.  Brewers lowered the original gravity and the ending alcohol dropped like a stone.   IPAs went with the herd and often settled in below 5% ABV.   That’s changed significantly because of the influence of American IPAs, but you can still fine plenty of the low test IPAs in cask.

Nottingham isn’t on the top list of beers cities in the UK, but it has a thriving brewery and pub scene that makes it a hidden gem for beer seekers.  Magpie Brewery is one of the earlier modern craft breweries in the UK and produces a wide range of exceptional beers.   We tasted this at the Crafty Crow, which is Magpie’s taphouse.   In you’re in Nottingham, it’s a must — the food is original and good, much of it cooked with beer.

This blonde IPA isn’t one of the low gravity UK IPAs – it’s closer to a universal standard of 6+ ABV and a boatload of hops, but it was a standout IPA on our last trip to England.

The Beer— Intensely flavorful but remarkably balanced true IPA.   Grassy fresh picked flowers with a clean biscuity (floor malted?) flavor.  Big time moor-ishness.

Value — Good.  Close to eight bucks for a UK (20 ounce) pint.  But no beer is cheap in the UK, so you might as well spend your pounds on good ales.

Values:  “fair” is a good beer at an above market price, “good” is worth the money, “very good” is a bargain, and “excellent” is a steal.

In March we’re taking a look at the incredible variety of IPAs.   The style is by far the biggest seller among craft beers in the US and probably in Europe as well.   Even century-old breweries in Reinheitsgebot-narrowed Germany are brewing IPAs (if the brewer calls it “ale” it doesn’t have to conform to the strict purity law).   But you have to ask these days: What is an IPA”?  We’ll take a look at almost a dozen recognized and semi-recognized styles of IPAs in the next couple of weeks.

 We’re often asked to share our tasting notes on over 33,000 beers; this blog is in answer to those requests.   Not all our notes, though.  The great beer writer Michael Jackson admirably followed the Thumper Rule, and we’ll try to do the same.  (“If you can’t say something nice, don’t say nuthin’ at all.”)   All the beers we post are from the top half of our ratings and most are from the top quarter.   Of greater value, we think, are the stories behind the beers,   and we try to give you enough about the brewery, the style and the places to find great beer to help you on your own beer journeys.   At CulturAle Press we try to write books and publish posts that will help you “Drink Well and Travel Safely.”

Far From India: India Pale Ales in the 21st Century. Dartmoor IPA, Dartmoor, UK

Date:  March 23, 2019

The Story—  We’ll have more to say about why so many “India Pale Ales” in England are low in alcohol and less abrasively hoppy than their American cousins.  The short story is that tax laws depressed alcohol levels in most British ales in the 20th century and only recently have new craft breweries pushed the traditional British beer drinkers into realizing that what they grew up with was not their great grandfather’s beer.

The Beer—  A long walk from India but a decent sweet UKIPA.  Some tobacco and brown sugar.  Floral and herbal hops do last.

Value — Good.  We paid three bucks of a third-pint pour at the Plymouth Beer Festival.

Values:  “fair” is a good beer at an above market price, “good” is worth the money, “very good” is a bargain, and “excellent” is a steal.

In mid-March we’re taking a look at the incredible variety of IPAs.   The style is by far the biggest seller among craft beers in the US and probably in Europe as well.   Even century-old breweries in Reinheitsgebot-narrowed Germany are brewing IPAs (if the brewer calls it “ale” it doesn’t have to conform to the strict purity law).   But you have to ask these days: What is an IPA”?  We’ll take a look at almost a dozen recognized and semi-recognized styles of IPAs in the next couple of weeks.

 We’re often asked to share our tasting notes on over 33,000 beers; this blog is in answer to those requests.   Not all our notes, though.  The great beer writer Michael Jackson admirably followed the Thumper Rule, and we’ll try to do the same.  (“If you can’t say something nice, don’t say nuthin’ at all.”)   All the beers we post are from the top half of our ratings and most are from the top quarter.   Of greater value, we think, are the stories behind the beers,   and we try to give you enough about the brewery, the style and the places to find great beer to help you on your own beer journeys.   At CulturAle Press we try to write books and publish posts that will help you “Drink Well and Travel Safely.”

Far From India: India Pale Ales in the 21st Century. Quattro Goomba’s IMA7, Aldie, Va.

Date:  March 22, 2019

The Story— Yesterday we featured an experimental hop.  Today’s IPA features an experimental hop that’s gone viral – for so many good reasons.

Quattro Goomba’s — sort of “four goofy guys” brewery in rural Virginia has produced good beers for its several years — they spent enough money on their brewery to brew well.  But they’ve really come into their own since the kettles have been commanded by the first class brewer Chris Jacques (pronounced “Jakes”).   He’s been a magician of malt and hops since we first encountered him in Connecticut working in a thankless position in a John Harvard brew pub that was, perhaps, the gem of the chain due to his contributions.

On to Ornery for Chris — where he produced superb beers and left a legacy by training Fernando Macadoo to continue to produce exceptional Ornery Ales.   A brief sojourn elsewhere brought him to Quatro Goombas.  We’ve loved the QG people since our first visit, but couldn’t understand how they lured this top tier brewer to, umm, low tier Aldie until we visited the brewery recently.   A sparking brew house has given Chris plenty of room to play and produce one of the widest ranges of beers in the Loudoun county hotbed of brewing.

Like Hamilton, he has not wasted his shot.   You could, in Michael Jackson’s words, “bathe in” many of his creations, but the IMA7, featuring the Idaho 7, one of our favorite hops, blew me away and didn’t leave Ellie far behind.     The Idaho 7 was recently an experimental hops — hence the number– but it’s proved so rich, spicy and dank it’s become a a go to hop for it’s dank, fruity and herbal complexity.  So many breweries now feature it in their names and labels that we’re pretty sure it’s stuck with its experimental name.

The Beer—  Big full body – clean pale malt and lots of it, yet it strains to hold the hop rush.  Big and Dank!  Some resin with late spice that includes some black pepper.  Pine, spice, dark fruit oh my!  Ellie found it “totally imbalanced but so professional” and if you’re not familiar with this blog –or with her– that’s very high praise..

Value — Very good to excellent.  Go there, drink there. Uber somewhere back to a hotel.

Values:  “fair” is a good beer at an above market price, “good” is worth the money, “very good” is a bargain, and “excellent” is a steal.

In mid-March we’re taking a look at the incredible variety of IPAs.   The style is by far the biggest seller among craft beers in the US and probably in Europe as well.   Even century-old breweries in Reinheitsgebot-narrowed Germany are brewing IPAs (if the brewer calls it “ale” it doesn’t have to conform to the strict purity law).   But you have to ask these days: What is an IPA”?  We’ll take a look at almost a dozen recognized and semi-recognized styles of IPAs in the next couple of weeks.

 We’re often asked to share our tasting notes on over 33,000 beers; this blog is in answer to those requests.   Not all our notes, though.  The great beer writer Michael Jackson admirably followed the Thumper Rule, and we’ll try to do the same.  (“If you can’t say something nice, don’t say nuthin’ at all.”)   All the beers we post are from the top half of our ratings and most are from the top quarter.   Of greater value, we think, are the stories behind the beers,   and we try to give you enough about the brewery, the style and the places to find great beer to help you on your own beer journeys.   At CulturAle Press we try to write books and publish posts that will help you “Drink Well and Travel Safely.”