Morland Brewing Co. - "Old Crafty Hen"

A few months ago I reviewed Morland's fine English Ale, "Old Speckled Hen," and gave it stellar reviews. On the recommendation of a college classmate Eric, I was on the lookout for some of Morland's other "hens." I came across this bottle at a little DC boutique and had to get it.

"Old Crafty Hen" is a 6.5% ABV Old English Superior Fine Ale. I guess that means they can charge more for it, but in reality this beer wasn't very expensive. It was $5 I believe, which is a good price for a craft brew.

The pour was very easy...the beer is thin and a little watery. It has a light nose with no substantial smell to it.

This beer is delicious. On first taste, it's nice and creamy, overall mouthfeel is smooth and balanced. A great deal of malt went into this beer. It's very peaty and reminds me a lot of Glenlivet single-malt whisky. The beer is light, overall, and has a slight raisin taste to it. The aftertaste is a smooth, fresh taste with notes of raisin. It warms the throat as you swallow the beer.

It's not really that much different from "Old Speckled Hen," I'm afraid. And this isn't really a bad thing - "Old Speckled Hen" was great - but I was hoping for something a little different. Perhaps adding some hop balance to the beer might turn it into something unique. Sure, it retains the amazing smoothness and creaminess that the original has, and it is delicious, but it's not a heck of a lot different than the "Old Speckled Hen" other than having a higher ABV. But that shouldn't dissuade you from trying it. It's cheap enough and "normal" enough to be approachable for anyone. So give "Old Crafty Hen" a shot.

2007 Castello di Bossi - chianti classico

This is a review I've been meaning to publish for a while now. A few months ago, I had the chance to try a good bottle of Chianti. It's a 2007 Castello di Bossi chianti classico, from Italy.

The Castello di Bossi winery is located in a small village in Tuscany called Castelnuovo Berardenga, near Pianella. It's located along an old Roman road and Roman ruins have been found in the vicinity of the winery. Cool. When I was in Italy, almost ten years ago (wow, time flies,) I remember trying the Chianti that came in the little genie-shaped bottles with the wicker baskets around them. Dad and I grabbed some cheese from a local store and a little taster bottle of the Chianti. I guess I didn't know what to expect at 15 years old, but the Chianti wasn't pleasant. Maybe it was cheap wine, maybe I wasn't used to drinking wine, I don't know. 

Fast forward now nine years. I wanted to try a Chianti and so I crack open this bottle. Tuscany enjoyed a bountiful harvest in 2006 and in 2007, and a wine of this vintage is considered a great example of a Chianti, so I figured this would be a good place to start.

Immediately, this wine struck me as thin and watery. Unlike a pinot noir or my all-time favorite, a bordeaux, this Chianti did not have the depth that I was hoping for in a wine. Thin alcohol flavors and dark, overripe berry flavors dominated this wine. The aftertaste was slightly caustic with notes of muted fruit.

The wine has a sharp nose, and as you can see, a rust-red color. 

This wine isn't very strong, so you could pair it with foods that have strong flavors - pizza, spicy tomato sauce, Bolognese sauce with lots of peppers. Something to balance out the alcohol flavors in the wine but to also provide a stronger flavor to the pairing. The fact that this Chianti is a little faint can be good for the chef -  it gives the chef a lot of leeway in pairing up foods.

But one disclaimer - unlike some other things that I've reviewed, which I don't think are any good,  this wine can be good - I'm just not a personal fan. I like my wines full, bright, and complicated. And while this may be a good example of a Chianti, it doesn't jibe with how I like my wines (and as a result, I wasn't terribly satisfied.) I think perhaps having a singular bottle of Chianti in my cellar might be a good idea, for when it's needed, but I'd need to investigate perhaps other types of Chianti before doing that.

Maui Brewing Company - Coconut Porter

Two weeks ago, I moved into a new place in northwest DC. The fridge that came with the apartment had a vertical can chute, wherein your enterprising wine-and-beer blogger could put around 10 cans of beer in readily-available fashion. This led me to explore the different beer varieties in cans, something I normally would not think to do.

There always was this old association that canned beer equals cheaper beers. And in the past, maybe that was true. But today it seems that there's a whole beer subculture of brewers who brew specifically for cans - a process called "microcanning." One of the benefits of putting beers in cans is that there's no way for light to get in the can, so the beer's taste and composition is not affected at all by the sun's rays. Likewise, the microcanning process can pull more air out of the can before sealing, thus reducing the deleterious effects of too much air. And those craft brewers who know the benefits of cans (and those beer drinkers who know that they are not receiving a lesser product by buying beer in cans) end up winning in the end. Throw in the benefits of safety (no breaking  glass), portability, recycling (many communities do not have glass recycling facilities, but they do have aluminum recycling), and the ability to take cans to parks and sporting events, and you've got yourself a winner. It's just up to you to find which ones you like.

So in order to utilize this new can chute, I perused the canned beer section at my local Whole Foods on P Street in DC. There were some I tried and liked (such as DC Brau's Belgian white, 21st Amendment's Sneak Attack, and Maui's Mana Wheat) until I spotting this gem hiding behind the Belgian wheat section:

Straight from Hawai'i, Maui Brewing Company's coconut porter instantly piqued my interest. As a fan of well-made beers brewed with unique ingredients, the thought of coconut mixed with beer was interesting. I'd never tried a beer like this, and I imagined a light, bright beer with a prominent coconut milk taste. What I got was exactly the opposite.

This is beer is dark. The word "porter" should have given that away.

Right out of the can it had a nice aroma of coconut and produced a thick buff-colored head. I let the beer sit for a few minutes to open up a bit.

This beer is simply excellent. The first sip is one of sweet, oaky porter paired with just a hint of coconut. The taste overall is one of leathery malts, dark chocolate, coconut, and roasted coffee beans. It's undeniably silky smooth, and sweet, with absolutely no alcohol burn or taste. The coconut flavors really come out in the aftertaste, which is brings out the roasted bean taste and little taste of hops. There are also tiny coconut particles mixed in, too, which is cool.

The real reason why the coconut porter is a winner is that the flavors contained in the beer are so well-paired. Some beers, like Rogue's Voodoo Doughnut, simply fail at mixing flavors correctly. I also had a truly awful watermelon lager a few years back that also sucked. But this beer merges the flavors of coconut perfectly with the base porter. There's no conflict, and the flavors work perfectly in concert to provide a delicious, deep, sweet beer. There's no harshness to it, so you could easily savor this beer. I wouldn't pair this with anything, because the beer is so good. I would definitely recommend it, although it costs $11.99 for a 4-pack. It's a little more expensive than your typical six-pack but absolutely worth the cost.

Stone Brewing Co. - Vertical Epic 2012

If you like well-crafted beers, I urge you to investigate Stone Brewing Company if you have not already. Stone makes a whole range of delicious ales, mostly West Coast-style craft brews. They brew everything from super-hoppy IPAs to their famous Arrogant Bastard Ale (and its variants.) Stone has become exceedingly popular on the East Coast the last ten years or so.

About twelve years ago, Stone Brewing Company's founder Greg Koch envisioned a Belgian-style ale suitable for cellaring to be released once a year. Each year would feature a base unfiltered Belgian ale, but each would have a different twist from year to year. The ale would be released on the day of the year that had repeated digits, i.e. 11/11/11, 12/12/12, etc. It started with 01/01/01. I wasn't familiar with enough with Stone to grab the 08/08/08 when it came out (and I don't think it even was available in Connecticut at that time) but I wished I had tried it. The first one I ended up trying was the 10/10/10, as Whole Foods had started carrying a select line of Stone brews by then. I found the 11/11/11 to be delicious, dark, and deep.

Having been pleased with my first contact with Stone ales, I made sure to be on the lookout for the 11/11/11. The 11/11/11 was just as good as its immediate predecessor, but unfortunately I was only able to find one or two bottles. I didn't end up cellaring any. Fast forward a year, one month, and one day. I came across the 12/12/12 at Whole Foods here in Virginia and grabbed a bottle.

When I cracked it open, I heard a sharp hiss of carbonation escaping. Well-carbonated beers are OK in my book, but some don't like them. I took a nice whiff of the escaping air from the bottle before pouring out a frothy glass. When poured, it generated a nice buff-colored head in the glass.

As expected, this beer was dark, thick, deep, and a little rough. It had strong notes of singed coffee beans, toasted hops, nutmeg, allspice, and notes of roasted caramel rounded off the flavor. There are a lot of spices in this beer. The aftertaste was one of dark coffee, strong but pleasant. A slight suggestion of alcohol. Think like you're having a deep, dark ale - maybe not Guinness dark, but similar - now add a few shots of espresso. What you're left with is a rich, toasty, deep lager with equal parts malt and hops. Toss in a couple of spices and let it brew.

While this beer is tasty and everything, it also hits you hard. I had the whole bottle myself and I could certainly feel the effects for an hour or so afterward. So while most beers weigh in at 4-6% ABV, this beer is 9% ABV, so take care when drinking it. 

I was back at my folks' place in Connecticut for the holidays, and saw the local Whole Foods had some 12/12/12 in stock. I eagerly snatched up 5 bottles, all of which are cellaring in my mother's basement.

So in conclusion, I would definitely suggest this ale to anyone looking for a deep, strong ale. Stone makes some fine brews, and I very much look forward to trying my stock of 12/12/12 over the next few years. Give this one a shot, pour a glass for you and a friend, and compare notes. But keep in mind that you may not be able to find it. Since they can't make a 13/13/13 for obvious reasons, you may be hard-pressed to find a 12/12/12. But they have them. If you're in northern Virginia, both Whole Foods on Wilson Blvd and Euro Market near the Court House metro have them. In northwest DC, where I live, Irving Wine + Spirits on Mt. Pleasant carries them, but you better hurry because if you don't buy them, I will.

Cifuentes y Compania Partagas 1845 - Black Label

Cigars, unlike wine or beer,  take a certain amount of practice - much more than simply drinking a beverage - to even smoke properly, let alone enjoying or analyzing the flavors. Add the wide, wide variety of tobaccos, countries of  origin, blends, sizes, wrapping techniques, and flavors and it may seem daunting. And it can be daunting. But have no fear - you have a reliable guide here at Sip and Puff! Today I'm going review a rather strong, full-bodied cigar that I consider to be one of the deepest, richest cigars I've ever enjoyed. It's the "Black Label" offering from Partagas. 

So just look at that cigar. What do you notice? It's pretty much one of the darkest cigars I've come across.  The dark brown / black tobaccos are generally sweeter, richer, and stronger. These are called maduro or oscuro. The darker leaves usually mean that the leaf itself had more exposure to the sun - maduro stems from the Latin word "maturus," meaning aged or matured. So keep that in mind - as a leaf sits on the plant longer, it gains certain flavors and strengths that are not present in other types (like claro, for example, which is a still-green young tobacco leaf that's picked and quickly dried and stoved, thereby retaining the green color of the leaf.)

Sometimes these dark leaves are added to a cigar to give it strength and flavor. Certain leaves - those with direct exposure to the sun - are called ligero. Ligero tobaccos are dark, oily, and often have extra nicotine in them. Those tobaccos are often blended with other tobaccos to create a darker, stronger cigar. There are three parts to a cigar - filler, binder, and wrapper. The filler is the tobacco that forms the body of the cigar. The binder is a layer of leaves that wrap the filler tightly and help it to keep its shape. The wrapper is a thin layer that goes on the outside. Each element has its own unique characteristics and properties. Generally, the wrapper is the most prized part of the cigar, and some of the best cigar wrappers come from right near where I grew up in Connecticut.

The Partagas Black Label is, in my opinion, one of the nicest maduro/ligero blends. Master cigar maker Daniel Nunez, who learned the trade from Ramon Cifuentes himself, spent ten years perfecting the Partagas Black Label. He took a Cuban-seed Dominican wrapper and blended both Dominican Pilota Cubano ligero fillers and Nicaraguan ligero binders. 

The cigar itself wasn't too tight and lit up fine. It drew nicely, and soon I was pulling nice clouds of languid white smoke. As for the taste, I found it tasted a little like espresso - it had that same sense of singed coffee beans...although it wasn't coffee-flavored (more on that in a few weeks!) I also encountered a slight mineral taste with a finish of oiled leather. I had to put it out around pinky-length because it had gone out one too many times.

In conclusion, this was a cigar I really enjoyed. It's strong, and perhaps best suited to summer evenings (according to my brother Dan.) This isn't an "everyday smoke", either - save a Partagas for a nice summer evening. 

Ommegang Brewing Co. - Three Philosophers

When I want a nice Belgian ale for drinking, I look to Chimay or Hoegaarden as my staple beers. Both are tasty in their own ways and satisfy my urge for Belgian beers. But there's much more to Belgian beers besides the typical abbey ales. Every so often, one may want something outside the ordinary. This is where the delicious Three Philosophers comes in. Three Philosophers is a Belgian quadruppel, a very strong Belgian ale weighing in at 9.8% ABV.

Some claim that the terms dubel,  tripel  and quadrupel  used to refer to the number of Xs stamped on beer barrels, each X denoting increasing gravity and potency. So a dubel would have double Xs, or XX, and a triple would be XXX, and so forth. Our friend, the Three Philosophers, weighs in at a XXXX strength. Not for the faint of heart.

The beer itself comes in a typical trappist bomber, with a curvy neck and a cork held in by a wire cage (like you'd find on sparkling white wine bottles.) Twist off the wire cage, gently work the cork out (which is under pressure, so don't point it at your eyeballs or anything else), and let the beer breathe for a few moments. Pour this beer into a chalice glass...

...and notice the carbonation and murky amber color. Let the beer sit for a moment and watch the little bubbles make their way to the top. There's a thin head on this beer, and I'm okay with that.

You can definitely taste the cherry in this beer. Since 2% of it is actual cherry, you get a full-mouth cherry flavor that's very pleasing. Yes, there's a taste of alcohol in this beer, but it's not overwhelming like Rogue's Voodoo Doughnut was. The beer tastes thick, strong, and lush. There is some alcohol sweetness to it, with a touch of brown sugar, and it has a sweet, sugary finish. Definitely Belgian, definitely tasty. One word of caution: this beer is great, but strong. You may not want to drink a whole bottle by yourself.

Morland Brewing Co. - "Old Speckled Hen"

Many of you may not have heard of "Old Speckled Hen." The beer, which uses quotation marks on the box, is an English malt ale found in some specialty stores.

Originally brewed in 1979 for the 50th anniversary of the MG car manufactory, this beer is brewed by the Morland Brewing Company. Formerly of Abingdon, England, they moved their brewery to St. Edmund's after Morland got bought by Greene King.

According to beer lore, there was an old shop car at the MG plant in England which was used by workers. It was pretty messy at the plant, and the car became flecked with gold paint quite a bit, and as a result the workers dubbed the car the "ol' speckled 'un," later clarified to "Old Speckled Hen." The beer's logo is even in a similar shape to that of the MG logo.

The beer itself is very enjoyable. I've had it before, but maybe three or four times. It's an exceedingly smooth, mellow, malty ale with a definite sweetness. It tastes just like it looks - clear and crisp. There are also light toffee notes in there, which is not unpleasant at all. The color is a wonderful shade of caramel. The beer has a fair amount of carbonation, and it has a very thin white head when poured.

I must admit that I tried it partially because the name interested me but also because of the color.

There isn't a very strong nose to this beer (unlike some others I have had lately) but when pouring, you can detect a slight earthy smell.

You could serve this beer just by itself, or maybe with some lighter fare like a chicken dish. I'm imagining a plate of dill sausages, some eggs, black bread, and baked beans along with a crispy mug of Old Speckled Hen. If you're looking for a delicious, approachable beer that's not too harsh, try this one. It's not my favorite but it's a delicious beer for a cold night.