This week at Beer School, we covered the Amber Hybrid beers and the Belgian Strong categories. Amber Hybrids are considered hybrids not because they use different ingredients or anything like that but because of how they’re made. The Northern German and Dusseldorf Altbiers are both ales. Unlike their other ale bretheren, these altbiers are fermented at the cooler end of the ale fermentation temperature spectrum (around 55ºF) and then lagered (stored at much cooler temperatures, roughly 40ºF). The California Common is the reverse in that the beer uses a lager yeast that ferments at a warmer temperature (58º – 68ºF) but isn’t lagered. As a result of this hybrid style of brewing, you get beers that have restrained ale characteristics while retaining clean lager characteristics as well.
By contrast, the Belgian Strong ales have huge ale characteristics (lots of fruit) tempered by yeast flavors and aromas (peppery, spicy, fruity). The Belgian Strong ales are starting to gain a foothold in the American palette with their complex flavors, aromas and unique characteristics. Made up of the Blond Ale, the Dubbel, the Tripel, Golden Strong and Dark Strong, these beers range in color from pale gold to copper-brown while the yeasty characteristics often evoke comparisons to fruits such as pears, apples, oranges, lemons, figs, plums, raisins and dates. With such a wide variety of characteristics, you can imagine how popular and appealing these beers are.
- 7A. Northern German Altbier
- 7B. California Common Beer
- 7C. Düsseldorf Altbier
- 18A. Belgian Blond Ale
- 18B. Belgian Dubbel
- 18C. Belgian Tripel
- 18D. Belgian Golden Strong Ale
- 18E. Belgian Dark Strong Ale
This week I learned a few more things I didn’t know about these particular styles. Regarding the altbiers, it’s hard to say if we’re really getting accurate representations of the style here in the United States. Altbiers are not a popular style and U.S. versions seem to be interpretations of the style. The California Common, by comparison, is anything but common. Once known as steam beers, Anchor Steam has since trademarked steam beer resulting in an almost monopoly on the style. As a result, the name California Common was coined to represent those beers with steam-like characteristics just so we could brew them at home. This was one style where the type of hop used plays a huge part in the flavor profile. California Common is essentially a showcase for Northern Brewer hops.
I thought I knew what Belgian strong beer but this week I learned that I don’t about them as much as I think I do. The Belgian Strong ales are fun in the sense that they can be dangerously drinkable while being deceptively strong in alcohol. I’m still working on separating “clove phenolics and spiciness” from “hop spiciness”. At this point, it’s all about nuances, really. Picking up, or failing to pick up, certain style characteristics was the difference in scoring brackets. The surprising event of the evening was the first Belgian Dark Strong ale we had was a blend of multiple Longshot winners and participants. I thought this was one of the most flavorful beers of the evening and it was because it was blended together.
For the most part, this week’s class was tame, despite the higher gravity Belgian ales we had in the latter half. As good as these beers are, I’m looking forward to the funky, Belgian beer class.
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