America's First Trappist Brewery Is Coming!

I know when you think Trappist beer you probably think about Belgium, but in reality Trappist beers can be brewed anywhere.  There are already Trappist breweries in the Netherlands and a relatively new one in Austria.  Before long, we'll be able to add the United States to the list! Now they won't be required to brew in the Belgian style, but it does seem like the upcoming Spencer Brewery at Saint Joseph's Abbey in Massachusetts is going to start out with a Belgian Golden ale.  I'll report back if I hear anything about specific dates and distribution, but my guess is that it's going to take some traveling or trading to get some in Louisiana.

Here's the link to the article on Thrillist.com.

We've fought for our right to remain silent, bear arms, and party, but the right to brew one of the super-elite, monastery-based Trappist ales has eluded Americans for centuries. All that's about to change, though, because of the heroic monks at Saint Joseph's Abbey in Spencer, Massachusetts, who are gearing up to open the first Trappist brewery in the country.

In fact, the move will make America the fourth nation ever to have one of this specially recognized breweries. Currently, only eight exist -- six in Belgium, one in The Netherlands, and another in Austria -- due to the strict guidelines. A Trappist beer must be brewed within the walls of a Trappist monastery, so the brothers have to be members of The Cistercian Order of the Strict Observance, and production has to be under the control of the monks. BUT the brewery has to be of secondary importance, and once they've covered their basic living and monastery maintenance fees, the monks have to give any extra profits to charity. And make delicious beer.

Saint Joseph's is all set to met those qualifications with their "Spencer Brewery", which has been in the works for a few years now. The monks secured zoning rights back in '11 and have been hard at work building an adjacent brewery and preparing their inaugural suds. According to Beer Street Journal, their first offering will be "a full-bodied, golden-hued Trappist ale with fruity accents, a dry finish, and light hop bitterness". It'll come in 11.2oz bottles, but the official release date is TBD for now. Which gives you plenty of time to assemble your mash-up of chanting Trappist monks with "America F**k Yeah!" for the occasion.

Nine Beers Americans No Longer Drink

This morning I came across this article from "24/7 Wall St" about nine beers that Americans are no longer drinking, and it actually made me smile a little.  One of the first points in the article is that beer sales have fallen overall 2.3% from 2007 through the end of 2012.  This is no secret to anyone following the market trends (although beer sales were up in 2012 compared to 2011), but what they don't mention is that craft breweries have been on the rise through that same period.  

Craft breweries' production actually gained 15% by volume in 2012, so I think it's fair to say that craft beer in the USA is starting to at least make a dent in the big guys, as evidenced by the 9 beers on this list.  Source: Brewers Association.

To save you all some trouble, here they are:

9. Labatt Blue
8. Budweiser
7. Heineken Premium Light
6. Milwaukee's Best Light
5. Old Milwaukee
4. Miller Genuine Draft
3. Milwaukee's Best Premium
2. Budweiser Select
1. Michelob Light

Review: Parish 2013 Grand Reserve

Every now and then writing about beer has its perks... one of them came up recently when I was given a bottle of Parish Brewing's 2013 Grand Reserve in advance of the December 14th release date.  You can read all about the release party details in an earlier post... this one is about what you can expect when you get your hands on a bottle.  And you should definitely try to get your hands on a few.

It comes in a 750 ml bottle, with the same label as last year.  On the right side there's a little area where vintage and bottle number is handwritten, so you'll never forget the vintage of the bottles you might decide to cellar.  Just like last year they are topped off with some red wax, because have you ever had a bad beer that was dipped in wax?  Don't answer that... I'm sure you have, I'm sure I have... I just can't think of any right now.

The beer pours exactly how a big barleywine should... rich deep amber color with a large bubbly head.  It settles down pretty quickly to finish out the pour, then it's time to get the nose in there.  This beer is hoppy, hoppier than the 2012 release, but still has a massive rich malt backbone.  There are definitely caramel malt notes and I expect them to come through even more on the tongue.

Sure enough, the rich maltiness is even more present on the tongue but the hops are still powerful as well.  It's a far hoppier barleywine than the 2012 release on the tongue as well.  The alcohol content is present in the flavor but never overpowers the malt and hops. Each sip is packed with flavor and the flavors change as the beer warms up also, with the alcohol coming through a little stronger and the hops hitting a tad stronger than before.  

And the finish is ideal... a clean lingering blend of caramel and hop resin.  

I can't wait to grab a few more of these, I expect that they will only get better as they age!

Parish Grand Reserve Release Date Announced!

Alright Louisiana beer fans, the much anticipated release of Parish Brewing's Grand Reserve Barleywine is getting close!  December 14th, to be exact, with the first bottles being released at the brewery itself.  After the initial brewery release (3 bottles max per person, must reserve in advance) then bottles and kegs will be dispersed throughout the Parish distribution area.  

I've heard from Andrew, the owner and brewmaster, and he says that they have about 2000 bottles and 20 kegs this year, and they expect that 1200 to 1300 will be distributed while the remaining are expected to be sold directly from the brewery on Dec. 14th.  Last year there were 1300 bottles produced, so those in Baton Rouge looking for it on the shelves can expect a similar amount as we saw in 2012, but hopefully they will stretch a little farther as some of us will likely be buying bottles at the brewery!

In my opinion Grand Reserve is the best Louisiana brewed beer, so I'm quite excited about this release, and I'm very happy that there will be a brewery release as well as normal distribution.  Andrew told me they will also have a cask of the 2013 Grand Reserve at the brewery, as well as a keg of 2013 for snifter pours, and a keg of 2012 Grand Reserve available in 5 oz. pours for comparison.  There should also be several food trucks on site to add the to festivities.  

Sounds like a great day to me! 

Red River Brewing Company - Launch Today in Shreveport!

I don't know how many Shreveport readers of Facebook fans the BR Beer Scene has, but it looks like you're getting your second official brewery in about a month's span!  Red River Brewing Company is launching their draft beer this evening at Rotolo's, starting at 4 PM.  They are starting with their Louisiana Hay Ryed beer, a 4.5% rye-wheat hybrid beer with American hops.  

I don't know too much about Red River Brewing Company and haven't had a chance to try any of their beers, but it's still exciting to have another Louisiana brewery on the map!

3rd Street Coffee Crawl! - Tin Roof Coffee Porter

Tin Roof Brewing Company is releasing their seasonal Coffee Porter at a pub crawl downtown tomorrow night in partnership with the Me & My Big Mouth Podcast!  Proceeds go to Triumph Kitchen, a venture started by Chef Chris Wadsworth formerly of Restaurant IPO and his wife Summer.  Tickets can be bought in advance online and include entry into a raffle for some pretty cool items. 

The banner below has pretty much everything else you need to know!

Beer Review: Tin Roof Rougarou Imperial Black Ale

By now I'm sure you've seen some pictures and hype about the latest from Tin Roof Brewing, the Rougarou Imperial Black Ale!  Not only will this be their "biggest" beer yet in terms of abv, but it will also be their first release in 22 ounce bottles.  I was able to pick up a preview bottle late last week, and the bottles should be hitting the shelves around town later this week!  They'll also be on draft at a few places starting at 5 PM tonight at the Bulldog, I'll try to update other locations when I hear about them.  

First impressions... I love the name.  It's perfect for a Louisiana brewed Imperial Black Ale.  I'm actually a little surprised none of the other local breweries had used the Rougarou name already.  The bottle itself is really sharp as well. Simple artwork, the name of the beer, the style, and the Tin Roof logo up on the neck. Time for a pour, this one was fresh off the bottling line when I picked it up last Thursday and Mandi and I split it on Friday, that's about as fresh as a beer gets.

The beer pours a rich black color, spot on for the style, with a little bit of off-white head.  The aroma was excellent, hoppy with some pine notes and a nice malt backbone.  It was spot on for what you'd want in this style of beer.  The taste up front was a little harsh on the bitterness, but I expect that to fade pretty quickly and maybe even by the time bottles hit retail shelves.  It wasn't bad, I just thought it was a little too bitter and it made it hard to pick out the hop flavors.  The back end of each sip was better, with the hops coming through more distinctly and playing well with the rich malts.

All in all, a very nice effort from Tin Roof, and in my opinion their best beer yet.  I'll be picking up a few more once they hit the shelves and am eager to try it on tap as well!