The Homebrew Cap Guide -- September 2016

The Homebrew Cap Guide -- September 2016

LW - US Wheat beer , Lemondrop hops

GW - GnoWit

WO - WhiteOps , white IPA

SC - Trappist Single

CF – Cropcircle Tailfins, UK Golden Ale, First Gold and Eldorado hops

MS - Saison , Saisonstein’s Monster yeast

DT- Belgian Golden Strong ,wlp-545

H6 -Highway Star US IPA,MKIII

EI - Belgian IPA ,wlp-545

Ax - US Stout

Px – Porter

BX - US Brown

AR - Aprirot IPA  Calypso, Citra Hops Saison/Brett yeast

TP– Dortmund Export Lager

IP - Citra India Pale Lager

OD– Old Deniability , US Barley Wine Denny’s yeast 

SB - Saison Brett /Sacc. blend

S6 - Saison , wlp-566

VO/VE - Vienna split batch WLP-920/940

AI – US IPA , chico yeast , Citra, Mosaic hops

A6 - US Stout

Pt6 – Porter

FR – Flanders Red

HB - Brown IPA

MB - Mai/Helles Bock

SP - Baltic Porter

HS -Highway Star US IPA,MKII

IE -Irish Extra Stout

SJ -Sweet Jesus Imperial Stout

Pb - Black IPA

Sg - Belgian Golden Strong , wlp-566

NERAX 2014

It's NERAX time again, no need to dry clean your thneed though, the New England Real Ale Expostiton  has been marking the end of winter for more than 15 years and it's still going strong.

We  especially like the first two  nights of the four day fest when a good portion of the "can't get em here" UK session beers are in their prime . This year it is being held in a new location - the brand new Aeronaut Brewing space in Somerville, a promising new talent if the tasty session ipa on tap is any indication of future output.  We sampled a good number of the 2014 offerings and here are some favorites so far :

Stonehouse Sunlander - nice and crisp , actual Aussie hop flavor was detectable during the Weds. session.
Stonehouse Station Bitter - juicy and fruity flavor
Salopian Automation - watch out this one's a hoppy velvet sledgehammer at 7 %
Ridgeway Oxfordshire Blue - just like the description says light n fruity
Fyne Ales -Sublime Stout - an awesome US-y stout, loved even by the stout eschewers among us
Ridgeway Querkus - just the right amount of smokiness in this light porter
Cromarty Happy Chappy - nice grain-y drinker with a sharp bitter finish
One Love Inks Binka - very nice US dark malt drinker
Hill's Simcoe Pale - we had some of the extra chunky last pours of this before it it was reaped and it was excellent

Pretty Things KK Black Ale

Pretty Things Beer and Ale Project, Once Upon a Time KK Black Ale:
The flavor of this 1901 re-creation brew reminds us of Young's SLA (RIP Ram Brewery, sigh).  We note vanilla ester, a bouillon background, and a tart yeast finish. Also, we get an attenuated treacle flavor,  some pine/spruce notes, and a lasting dry bitterness. Viva beer anachronism science !

HopScholar on flickr

We have a new little group over on flickr, and want to welcome you, and you, and you! to join the conversation about beer, craft beer, homebrewing and beer adventures. 
Find us and join up at http://www.flickr.com/groups/hopscholar/

2012 Holiday Beer Tasting Party

The 2012 holiday beers were sampled, and we are non the worse for wear this morning! Steve reminded me that last night was at least the 12th year for this seasonal brew tradition!



Favorites included Christmas Ale by Brouwerij St. Bernardus, Père Noël by Brouwerij De Ranke, and Three Cranes by local heroes Mystic Brewing. The Noel de Calabaza, an intense sour brew by Jolly Pumpkin, was a pucker-y surprise for several tasters, but there really was no Grinch in the pack of 22 beers.

Here is the full beer list:
5 Golden Rings by The Bruery, CA USA
Celebration Ale by Sierra Nevada Brewing, CA USA
Christmas Ale by Anchor Brewing, CA USA
Gift of the Magi by Lost Abbey, CA USA

Holidale by Berkshire Brewing, MA USA
Three Cranes by Mystic Brewing, MA USA
Winter Ale by Wachusett Brewing, MA USA
Winter Ion by Element Brewing, MA USA

Noel de Calabaza by Jolly Pumpkin, MI USA

Beach Haus Winter Rental by East Coast Beer, NJ USA
Belgian Freeze by River Horse Brewing, NJ USA

Black Chocolate Stout by Brooklyn Brewery, NY USA

Christmas Ale by Sly Fox Brewing, PA USA
Mad Elf Ale by Tröegs Brewery, PA USA

Christmas Ale by Brouwerij St. Bernardus, Belgium
Christmas Ale by Corsendonk, Belgium (inescapable music on this webpage)
Noël Des Géants by Brasserie Des Géants, Belgium
Père Noël by Brouwerij De Ranke, Belgium

Very Bad Elf by Ridgeway Brewing, England UK
Santa’s Swallie by Inveralmond Brewery, Perth UK

The homebrews we poured for this little beer fest:
CC -- our Christmas Belgian triple with Coresndonk Yeast (9%)
BSD -- our Belgian strong dark ale with Brasserie Ellezelloise Yeast (11%)

NERAX 2012

The Hop Scholars are huge fans of NERAX (the New England Real Ale eXhibition), and here is a little summary of what we saw and sampled(Wednesday and Thursday night sessions).

Here is the view from the entrance:

Mr. Hop Scholar has attended both sessions so far(Wednesday and Thursday nights); Mrs. Hop Scholar joined the Mr. on Thursday night(thank you, babysitter!)  Here is the short list of favorites(in order):

Mallinsons – Galaxy , single hopped blast of flavor and bitterness, (kicked Thurs)

Leeds –Midnight Bell, complex dark fruit (kicked Thurs)

Harviestoun – Bitter and Twisted, ho-hum in the bottle but on cask this beer is excellent

Brecon – Pale Beacons, fruity , delicious

Hobsons –Town Crier, well balanced, excellent bitter

Montys - Mischief, excellent traditional strong bitter, a real drinker

Harviestoun – Old Engine Oil, incredible dark malt flavor and body for a 4% beer.

Fullers – ESB, old reliable

Somerville – Flag Raiser, excellent IPA

Jack’s Abby –Jabby Brau, India Pale Lager, great hop notes

Smuttynose – Finest Kind, OK in the bottle , exploding with dry hopped aroma and flavor on cask



Here is the Chief Cellarman Randy Baril with the casks on stillage.  Great job on conditioning the NERAX beers Randy!

Some of our Local Heroes, Dann Paquette from Pretty Things Beer and Ale Project and Jeff Leiter from Slumbrew, Somerville Brewing Company:

And finally, your humble Hop Scholars, expressing different opinions of a brew at NERAX(photo by Hop Scholar Friend and Co-Conspirator, Codemouse):

The Mr. will be continuing the adventure of sampling delicious real ales tonight with some great friends, and the Mrs. will join him again for the Saturday afternoon session.  Hope to see you there!  Cheers!

Cody Brewing S.O.S

Cody Brewing S.O.S

A tasty entry in the Belgian/American Pale Ale style. Belgian yeast clove phenolics are prominent and are paired with a crisp, bitter finish courtesy of  US hops.  An initial firm malt presence dries out in the finish.  It doesn’t come across to us as an American  IPA /Belgian Ale Hybrid, the American hop flavor is just too subtle and plays an elegant second fiddle to the Belgian yeast character that dominates in this beer. S.O.S. is a worthy colleague to the other US/Belgian Pales that we are fans of:  the Captain Lawrence Liquid Gold and Ommegang’s BPA.  This is also a very well balanced beer, with a compelling tilt towards US bitterness levels, and a great drinker, especially considering its 5.8 % alcohol content.