Review: Pliny the Elder (Russian River)

8.0% ABV

100 IBUs

Aroma: Loads of grapefruit and lemon, some grassiness and pine.  

Appearance: Pours golden with slight copper highlights.  Ample white head that settles into a nice cap that persists; lacing very prominent and leaves striations in the glass as a reminder of sips long since gone.  

Flavor:  As expected, very hop forward with all the grapefruity, citrusy, resiny aroma notes present on the palate as well.  Huge hop presence up front, followed by caramel malt sweetness in the midpalate, finishing with a firm bitterness without being extreme.  

Mouthfeel:  Medium-bodied and quite drinkable.  I often find Double IPAs cloyingly sweet and overbearing; this beer is wonderfully balanced and quite smooth.  Very pleasant.

General Impression:  Pliny the Elder is the first Russian River offering that I have sampled, and it certainly won't be the last!  This is what Imperial/Double IPAs should be, in my not-so-humble opinion.  Despite the advertised 100 IBUs, the bitterness is a complimentary note to the wonderful hop flavor and aroma rather than being distracting.

Just brewed: Belgian Dubbel

What better way to enjoy the holidays than with a brew day!  Just pitched my yeast starter into 6 gallons of 1.070 wort for the Dubbel recipe I posted about earlier.  The brew day went off without a hitch- perfectly hit all my numbers and the seasonal temperatures resulted in a very strong cold break with bright wort going into the fermenter.  

Used the Westfalle strain (WL530) for this one- should be a nice balance of fruity and nutty character notes.

HBT 08 Secret Santa

I just had to share the beautiful bounty of beers that I've never tried.  One of the forums that I frequent, HomeBrewTalk (HBT), organized a Secret Santa exchange to give members an opportunity to try regional beers unavailable to them where they live.

The list, from left to right:

Firestone Union Jack IPA

Hair of the Dog Fred Golden Special Ale

Alaska Brewing Company 2008 Smoked Porter

AleSmith Speedway Stout

Chouffe Dobbelen IPA Tripel

Russian River Pliny the Elder

Green Flash Le Freak

Maui Brewing Company Coconut Porter

I'm not sure where to start.

I'll be posting my tasting notes here.  Stay tuned.

Review: Founders Breakfast Stout

8.3% ABV

25 IBUs

Continuing with my reviews of the 24 beers hand-selected by Eric Trimmer of Trouble Brewing as part of Beer Appreciation 102.

Aroma:  Espresso and bittersweet chocolate.  A faint but detectable alcoholic note.  

Appearance:  As dark and black as a forbidding winter night.  Caramel colored head that drops quickly but lingers as a thin cap.  Surprisingly little lace on the glass.  

Flavor:  This is a complex beer; firm bitterness from the roasted grain and coffee, powdery finish from the bittersweet chocolate.  A generous measure of oats reveals itself in a silkiness that coats the mouth and allows the coffee and roastiness to linger on the palate.   Slight alcohol bite that compliments rather than clashes.  

Mouthfeel:  Silky and full-bodied with some heaviness on the tongue.  Warmth builds, and concludes with a drying, powdery finish.

General Impression:  Another sipper.  At 8.3%, this is hardly a sessionable stout.  

Review: Imperial Choklat Stout (Southern Tier Brewing Company)

I stumbled across this beer when visiting my favorite bottle shop, doing some shopping for a Secret Santa gift exchange.  I've always enjoyed everything that Southern Tier has brewed so far, and this beer is certainly no exception.  Keith and I tasted this one together during our brewday, and we both thoroughly enjoyed this stout.

11% ABV

2-row barley, caramel 60, flaked barley, bittersweet Belgian chocolate, Chinook and Williamette hops.

Aroma:  Rich and pungent notes of Belgian chocolate, with a subtle aroma from the Chinook and Williamette hops.  Coffee and roasted grain.  A very slight alcoholic nose that sneaks through the chocolate and coffee.

Appearance:  Mahogany highlights at the edge of the glass.  Tawny head that settles to a slight but persistent cap with generous lacing present during the session.  

Flavor:  Living up to its name as a chocolate stout, Choklat delivers huge chocolate flavor without being cloying.  The Belgian bittersweet chocolate offers a pleasant drying sensation in the mouth.  Firm hop bitterness (Chinook and Williamette).  When reading the label, I was surprised by the inclusion of Chinook hops; but, it really works well here complimenting the drying bitterness of the chocolate and accentuating the sweet notes.   The hefty alcohol is well disguised.

Mouthfeel:  Luxurious and lush mouthfeel.  Finishes dry.

General Impression:  A deeply satisfying and special dessert stout.  Decadent and rich, this is one to sip slowly and enjoy in the company of dear friends at the close of a perfectly executed meal.  

Brewing with OSBC

Fellow blogger and homebrewer Keith is brewing an oatmeal stout today, and I'll be acting as assistant brewmaster- if I can convince his dogs to give up their positions.  He was one of the first homebrewers that I met in the area and an all-around great guy with a real passion for beer and brewing.

Sampling beers is a big part of every brew day- and today is no different.  

I'll be bringing Howl at the Moon Smoked Porter. This is a brown porter with 50% of the grainbill comprised of beechwood-smoked malt.

Keith is contributing his 70/-, saison, and Dunkelweizen.

The recipe for Howl at the Moon, if you'd like to attempt it:

5 lbs Rauchmalt

3 lbs Munich

1 lb CaraPils

12 oz Crystal 40L

12 oz Dark Chocolate malt

1.2 oz Challenger 7.0% AA

Planning: Belgian Dubbel

Belgian Dubbel, a Belgian Strong Ale, is probably one of my favorite styles to brew.  Rich and complex, there's lots of dark fruit and spice.  The yeast adds big flavor, esters and phenols abound.  

Here's the recipe:

10.5 lbs Belgian Pilsner 

1.0 lb Munich

.5 lb Special B

.5 lb CaraMunich

12 oz Dark Candi Syrup

.65 oz Challenger 7.0% for bittering- 60 minute addition.

Given the amount of Pilsner malt, DMS is a concern so I may lengthen the boil to 90 minutes and adjust my hops and pre-boil volume accordingly.

Comments welcome and certainly encouraged.

Barking Beagle Merchandise

For those who may be following this blog,  I've opened a CafePress store for some BBBC swag here.  

I'll likely be adding more items, so stay tuned.  All items will feature the BBBC logo. 

Inaugural posting- Barking Beagle Brewing Company

This is the first posting for the Barking Beagle Brewing Company, founded in June 2008. 

I'm a homebrewer and beer enthusiast, and I've decided to start this blog to track recipes, technique adjustments, label and tap designs- and occasionally post tasting notes about beers that I have encountered and enjoyed (and likely tried to clone).

Meet the inspiration behind Barking Beagle, our 2 year old beagle, Bailey.  We adopted him in September 2007 from the York County SPCA, and he is a great brew buddy and valued member of our family.