The Real Champagne of Beers: Malheur Biere Brut

The Miller Brewing Company of Milwaukee, WI is often fond of saying their flagship brew, Miller High Life is the "Champagne of Beers". While I have a nostalgic fondness and at one time enjoyed Miller High Life, (one of my favorites, in my pre-good beer loving days and when the company was American owned), that statement really is quite silly. Let me introduce you to the real champagne of beers. The beer I speak of is Malheur Biere Brut from the DeLandtsheer Brasserie of Buggenhout, Belgium. Why is this beer the real champagne of beers? Well, why don't I let the brewery explain. From the label:

Malheur Biere Brut is an exclusive and rich beer with an alc. vol. of 11%. After bottling it is bottle conditioned a third time in the 'Champenoise' bottle. We have succeeded in collecting the yeast in the bottle neck where it is frozen and removed with the 'degorgement'. A rare example of a refined and bubbling beer with a strong head and an elegant after taste.

Need I say more? But of course. Yes indeed, this is a beer, that has been treated and aged like a champagne. Malheur Biere Brut is marketed in corked champagne bottles. After brewing, and aging, it is put on champagne racks, where it is riddled. The bottles are tilted and turned, in a traditional, labor intensive method, used to precipitate the yeast to the neck of the bottle. There it then goes through the process of degorgement, where the yeast collected in the neck is frozen, and expelled in a plug of ice. This is what is done with champagne, and now with one amazing beer as well. A beer this special, which comes in a corked 22.45 oz champagne bottle, should be treated as such. I didn't chill this beer in the fridge. I let is sit on ice in an ice bucket like a fine champagne, and served it in a champagne flute as well.

Malheur Biere Brut pours to a beautiful, very bright (clear) deep golden color with a pillowy white head, and a very vibrant carbonation. The nose on this beer is very perfumed, with aromas of lemon rind, peach, and vapors of peppery alcohol. The palate is smooth, refined, and silky, with strong flavors of peach and vanilla on the tongue, with a nice back drop of flowery flavors as well. Malheur Biere Brut finishes with a firm, dry after taste, with just a touch of peppery alcohol.

This beer is stunning. It is rare, unique, and really is as elegant as champagne. For a beer lover? This is better than champagne. Malheur Biere Brut, makes the ultimate aperitif, and would match well with oysters, or any dish you would pair champagne with. This is the perfect beer for a special occasion, and why not ring the New Year in with this one? For more information about this beer, or any other Malheur product visit their site at: http://www.malheur.be/

One bourbon, one stout, one beer: District ChopHouse Bourbon Stout

One thing I really miss about working downtown Washington, DC is the number of great places I use to stop in for a beer or two or three before I would jump on the Metro and head home. I used to work in between Chinatown and the Capital, and one place that I would love to stop, and was a regular haunt of mine was the District Chop House and Brewery located downtown Washington, DC just a half a block from the Verizon Center on 7th Street.

This outstanding brewpub, is one in a very small, upscale brewpub chain, owned and operated by the same corporation that runs the national Rock Bottom Brewery chain. There are only three Chop House Brewery locations; Washington, Denver, Cleveland, and a Chop House Tavern(no brewery) in Boulder, CO. The Chop House specializes in aged steaks and chops, and is an outstanding restaurant, with a casual, yet at the same time, very sophisticated atmosphere. Its a classy looking place, designed after a 1940's Era Chop House, with some sensational food, and some of the most delicious craft beer you will ever taste. This was one of my regular DC haunts, and you would often find me bellied up to the bar here for a very special pint of beer.

That beer is the Chop House's Bourbon Stout. This is an incredibly rich, complex, flavorful oatmeal stout, was once aged in Old Grand Dad bourbon barrels for six weeks. They have changed up to Woodford Reserve Bourbon barrels, but the results are no less spectacular. It is then cask conditioned, and dispensed by a beer engine or "hand pump" by gravity, and served at cellar temperature, a cool 50-54 degrees. This fantastic oatmeal stout picks up tremendous, complex, aromas and flavors from the bourbon barrel, and the conditioning and serving temperature of this beer, gives the beer lover a true appreciation of how stunning this beer really is. All the aromas and flavors of this beer jump out at you, grab your attention, and just don't let go. This is a serious beer here folks, not for the timid, but for the adventurous.

Bourbon stout is pulled from the hand pump, and pours to a deep brown to black color with a bubbly tan head that fades and a very soft carbonation. The nose on this beer is amazing. Intense aromas of oak and vanilla marry with aromas of dark chocolate, roast,and light hints of smoke. The palate is soft and silky smooth (from oats) on the tongue, but packed with complex layers of flavor. Dark chocolate, coffee, oak,vanilla, toffee, smoke, and notes of bourbon coat the tongue. Bourbon stout finishes with complex malty and bourbon tones up front, then ends with a warming, soothing burn, and lingering bourbon flavors.

Without question one of the most delicious and satisfying beers you would ever taste. This beer is the perfect beer to have as you relax at the bar and would pair well with a good cigar. It also makes an exceptional desert beer, and would go well with any of the decadent deserts offered at the Chop House. But if you want this beer, you will have to come to the District, or other Chop House locations. For more information on this beer, and the District Chop House, visit their web site at: http://www.chophouse.com/LocationHome.php?FKLocationID=10092

Two skulls are better than one: Popskull

Trends in the beer business come and go, and the latest trend in the beer industry for the last few years has been collaboration beers. What is a collaboration beer? It is a when two or more breweries join up to create a beer and market the beer with said brewers taking the credit for it. Some brewers will do a series, with a beer being brewed at one brewery one year, only to have the other brewery in the collaboration brew it the next.

Popskull is a one off collaboration beer that comes from the Three Floyds Brewing Company of Munster, IN and the Dogfish Head Brewery of Milton, DE. This particular beer was brewed and bottled at Three Floyds in Munster, IN and was brewed in January of 2009. I visited Three Floyds last June and picked up a few 22 oz bottles of this beer. Popskull is based on an Oude Braun or "old brown" which is a Belgian beer style. This version is comes in at a mighty 10% abv, is brewed with "botanicals" and aged on Palo Santo wood. Popskull is slang for moonshine that was produced in the United States during Prohibition. I'm happy to say, you might get a hang over if you drink too much of this one, but its not the rot gut stuff that literally made your skull feel like it was going to pop. This is a complex, strong, rich, flavorful beer meant to sip and savor. With the high alcohol content, it is a beer than you can actually cellar and age. I'm not sure if FFF and DFH are ever going to do this beer again, so the 2009 vintage brewed in Munster, IN just might be it.

Popskull pours to a deep, tawny brown color with a tight, tan head that fades and a moderate to soft carbonation. The nose on this beer is very pleasing. Lots of good spice aromas of cinnamon, pepper, coriander and vanilla pair with some grassy/herbal hop aroma. Hints of chocolate and light coffee notes as well. Really a lot going on here. The palate offers the same, good caramel and chocolate malt flavors pair with hints of cinnamon, vanilla, and coffee and an undertone of estery fruit and orange peel . This beer finishes with more good dark malt and coffee flavor up front, then ends with a touch of fruit and coffee roasty flavor.

Very impressive. Dangerously drinkable as it hides its 10% abv very well. Popskull is well worth buying if you see it, but good luck finding it. I was fortunate to pick some up at the brewery in IN, and am yet so see it anywhere in the markets on the East Coast where Dogfish Head beers are sold. If you can find this one, snap it up, as this one appears to be a one off collaboration beer, and odds are it may never be brewed again.

Seasons in the Sun: Saison Dupont

Now here is a beer that is about as world class, as a beer can get. This very special beer is one of my all time favorite beers on the plant, and comes to us from the beer Nirvana that is Belgium. The beer is a Saison or "Season" by style, which has also been dubbed Belgian Farmhouse Ale. It is meant to be consumed in the summer months, but thankfully, this beer is available year round in select markets in America. The beer I speak of is the legendary Saison Dupont from the Brasserie Dupont of Tourpes, Belgium.

This little farm house brewery puts out some amazingly good products, and has earned a stellar reputation in the beer world. A little history from the bottle:

Brewed in one of Europe's last farmhouse breweries, in Hainaut province, Saison Dupont is a 4-star, world classic example of the Belgian Saisons style. This increasingly rare specialty originated before the age of refrigeration as a beer to be brewed in winter for summer drinking. The style required a beer sturdy enough to age in the bottle but refreshing enough to be enjoyed in warm weather. Saison Dupont fits this description perfectly. It has a big, fruity boquet, and dense head. The taste start fruity but ends dry and very clean with a light refreshing body.

Saison Dupont pours to a very bright, hazy, yellow color with a thick, dense pillowy white head, and a very vibrant carbonation. The nose on this beer is fantastic, with zesty, grassy hop aromas, paired with estery citric fruity aromas. The palate is firm with a nice base of biscuity pale malt flavor, paired with more estery fruity flavors, and a refreshing, acidic sour edge. The natural carbonation of this beer gives it such finesse on the tongue, it is just so flavorful and refreshing. Saison Dupont finishes with more good pale malt and tart fruit flavors up front, then ends dry, zesty, and very refreshing as it lingers on thetongue.

This is a phenomenal beer. At 6.5% abv it has enough heft to make a nice aperitif beer, and the perfect beer to rouse the appetite before dinner. It has tremedous cutting power as well, and would be the perfect beer to match with rich and buttery cheeses or strong and sharp cheeses, as well as rich, hearty meat dishes, such as brazed lamb shanks, or prime rib of beef. It is marketed in 750ml bottles, and is a steal for $7-$9 a bottle. If you can find this beer in your market, do yourself a favor by purchase a few. Enjoy a rare, unique beer style, and one of the world's greatest beers. For more information visit the brewery's site at: http://www.brasserie-dupont.com/dupont/Default.aspx?Lang=en&page=home

The One and Only Original: Pilsner Urquell

The Czech Republic for centuries has been one of the world's greatest brewing nations. The Czechs gave the world its first golden colored beer, and that beer is called pilsner. It had to start somewhere and with one beer. That beer is Pilsner Urquell, the Original Pilsner Beer. This golden lager in one form or another, has become the world's most popular beer style. I've had scores of examples, including some real Czech beauties such as Budweiser Budvar(Czechvar), Kozel, Crystal, and Starbrno to name just a few. But Pilsner Urquell, the original, has always been my favorite. This beer is so delicious and drinkable, with a flowery/herbal hop aroma, a soft and crisp malty body, and a wonderfully dry and grassy hop bite.

Pilsner Urquell pours to a beautiful bright, brilliant golden color with a thick, creamy white head, and a moderate amount of carbonation. The nose on this beer is very fragrant with flowery/herbal hop aromas coming from the classic Czech hop variety, Saaz. The palate on this beer is soft, with lots of good crisp pilsner malt flavors, and just a touch of diacetal, which makes the mouth feel slightly buttery. The body is so round and clean on this beer, making it so, so drinkable. Pilnser Urquell finishes with more of that good malt flavor up front, then ends with a dry, grassy, balancing hop bitterness that slightly lingers.

This is a world class brew, and in my opinion still the bench mark example of Czech pilsner. It is a wonderful beer to drink on draught at a good beer bar, or to match with a variety of dishes, working very well with fish and chicken. Urquell enjoys wide distribution in the US, and for the most part can befound with great ease in a number of bars, restaurants, liquor stores and supermarkets. The only caveat about this beer is that it is marketed in green bottles. Green glass does a horrible job of protecting beer from light, and if exposed too long, the beer will get a skunky smell and flavor. So, try to make sure the bottles of Urquell you purchase are fresh. You won't have this problem with draught Urquell, and that is why I usually drink this one on draught at one of my good beer bars. Bottled or on draught, Urquell is one beer you should seek out and enjoy. For more information visit the brewery's site at: http://www.pilsnerurquell.com/in

Texas Twist on a German classic: Shiner Bock

The Spoetzl Brewery of Shiner, TX has been giving the people of Texas beers with some regional flavor and a little different from the average main stream lager. This long standing Texas regional brewery, was founded in 1909 by German and Czech immigrants, and continues to be one of America's most successful regional brewers. Shiner's most popular product is their legendary Shiner Bock. This beer has enjoyed a cult following in Texas, and the Southwest for decades. Shiner Bock is based on a traditional German bock beer recipe, but over the decades, it has evolved into its own unique style of bock beer, exclusive to Texas. Because of this, Shiner has been recognized in the beer world as Texas Bock.



Shiner is the bench mark example of this unique Texan style, as it was the first brewery to do this style of bock. Over the years, Shiner has expanded its distribution, and can now be found in about 23 states. Many beer lovers are new to Shiner Bock, they know the legend, and now they can taste the beer. Texas Bock is brewed with corn grits as an adjunct, something you will not find in traditional bock beer. Texas bock is also lighter in sweet malt flavor, lighter in body, and alcohol, than traditional German bock beers. So what you have is a slightly sweet, very smooth, drinkable,tasty, dark lager that is a perfect thirst quencher in scorching Texas heat, and a perfect beer to match with Texas BBQ.


They say imitation is the most sincere form of flattery, and other Texas breweries such as Lone Star, and Pearl have brewed up their own versions of Texas bock, styled after Shiner Bock. Anheuser-Busch InBev, the world's largest brewer, even brewed up, marketed and distributed, a Texas Bock called Ziegenbock, to compete with Shiner in Texas and the Southwest. If you have never had a Texas bock, Shiner the original, is the place to start. This is a very clean, smooth, dark lager, with just enough flavor to please even a craft beer lover like me.

Shiner Bock pours to a light brown/amber color with a soapy white head that fades, and a lively carbonation. Aromas of slight sweet malt, and sweet corn bread aroma flood the nose. The palate on this beer is lean, but with some nice sweet malty, and sweet corn flavors on the tongue. The corn grits flavor in this beer is pleasing, and is what makes Texas bock quite unique. The body is very smooth and round, making it very drinkable. Shiner Bock finishes with more of subtle sweet malt and corn flavors, and just enough hop balance so this beer is not cloyingly sweet, and a fizzy sting of carbonation.


Many beer geeks don't get too excited about Shiner Bock, or Texas bock beers in general. They find it to be bland, and over rated. If you are expecting a tradition German bock beer, don't. Shiner isn't that, nor is it trying to be. As stated, this beer over the decades has evolved into a style on to itself; Texas bock. I happen to like the fact that a beer like this existed in a time when micros were no where to be found, and believe Shiner deserves a little respect for that fact alone. This is a very drinkable beer that makes for a great drinking beer in hot weather, and a great beer to match with a smoked Texas brisket. I've been drinking Shiner Bock for quite a few years now, and I will drink it on draught and in bottles from time to time, especially in the summer months. If Shiner Bock is in your area, seek it out, and give Texas bock a try. For more information visit the brewery at: http://www.shiner.com/

Beware of the Dog: Horndog Barleywine Style Ale

Flying Dog Brewery of Frederick, MD once of Denver, CO has brewed a number of beer styles over the years, and have had some pretty impressive results. Flying Dog beers have been in my market for the longest time, but for whatever reason, I don't drink them as often as I should. The pick of the litter for me is their seasonal release, Horn Dog.

This beer is a barleywine by style, and to my tastes is styled after those West Coast examples like Sierra Nevada's Bigfoot, and Rogue's Old Crustacean. There is lots of good sweet and caramel malt flavors in this beer, but that is balanced with lots of good citric PNW hop character as well. These beer are both malty and hoppy, where traditional Engish barleywines and old ales are very malt accented beers to the point of being cloying. Horn Dog has lots of great malt flavor but has that hoppy edge as well.

Horn Dog Barleywine Style Ale pours to a murky, deep garnet color with a bubbly tan head, and a soft carbonation. The nose on this beer is wonderful, with lots of good sweet malty aromas, some estery fruity aromas of plum, a good smack of citric hop aroma, and just a hint of alcohol strength. The palate is very soft, with a lean body for such a big beer. Lots of good sweet and caramel malt flavors pair with jammy/plummy flavors of esters. Horn Dog finishes with more of those malty and fruity flavors up front, then ends with a nice citric hop burst, and a slightly warming burn.

This is a very well done West Coast style barleywine with lots of good malt and hop character. The brewery says its styled after an English barleywine, but this beer as a little too much hop character, and the beer geek in me has to put it more in the West Coast subset of the style. The beer lover in me does not care what you call it, this is a good beer. This beer is very drinkable, and you could get into some trouble with this one. From its soft and lean body, you would never guess this beer is 10% abv. This dog has a lot of bark, but it also has a lot of bite, so beware of the dog.

I really enjoyed this beer, and loved the funky art work on the bottle that Flying Dog is so famous for. Horn Dog is a crazy looking creature, across between a dog and a dinosaur, with a big horn in the middle of its head. This beer makes the perfect beer to have after a long day at work to sit and relax with, or a beer to sip with reading a book or the paper before bedtime. It is a limited seasonal release that comes in 4 packs(12 oz bottles) which retail for about $6-$8 depending on your market. For more information visit the brewery's site at: www.flyingdogales.com