Better Beer Blog

The first time we were at The Trappist, Sammy and I ran across a flyer that promoted a Belgian beer tasting class to be hosted at The Trappist by Nicole and Nate. Unfortunately, we didn’t RSVP soon enough so we ended up missing out on that one. Lucky for us, the event generated enough interest that Nicole and Nate added a second date that we immediately reserved spots for. We had tentatively planned another event for this same day but we decided to bump it in favor of tasting Belgian ales.

In case you’ve never been, The Trappist is located in downtown Oakland, close to Oakland’s Chinatown. It is a very intimate bar, which is to say it’s small. The seating capacity is limited to 49, or so people. By the time we found parking and arrived, the bar area was full.

Nicole and Nate were our hosts for the event. Nicole and Nate both work at The Trappist. They are both recent BJCP judges (having taken the exam a week after myself), and Nate is an award-winning homebrewer. Unlike myself, where I took first and third in different categories, Nate has won Best of Show multiple times. In a nutshell, these people know their stuff and I like talking to and learning new things from people who know their stuff.

Normally in a tasting, you would go from lighter to darker, subtle flavors to more robust flavors, less bitter to more bitter and lower in alcohol to higher in alcohol. This is done primarily to avoid palette fatigue. Also, when dealing with a wide variety of beers, you would arrange your tastings to those guidelines to ease into the event. But if you really take a look at what you’re serving, it’s okay to change things up a bit. Afterall, these are just guidelines.

That being said, Nicole and Nate decided to pour out the tripels before the dubbels. While the tripels are higher in alcohol than the dubbels, the dubbels have a flavor profile that tends to stick a little more and have a mouthfeel heavier than the tripels.

For whatever reason, I always assumed that Tripels were an older beer style when they weren’t. The styles was “invented” at the Trappist brewery Westmalle shortly after World War 2. These beers were brewed in response to the lighter beers (lagers) coming out of Germany at the time. Despite the lightness in color, these beers pack a punch and have an ABV that ranges from7.5% - 9.5%. The higher alcohol content is said to come from a Belgian law banning distilled spirits from being consumed in public. Here are my notes in the order we were served:

• Witkap Tripel - The Witkap Tripel was the lightest beer of the day. With noticeable peppery, pear and apple aromas in the nose, some citrus and slight clove and banana notes. This was a very pale, straw yellow ale. The flavors matched the aroma as I tasted some of the pear and apple flavors balanced by the spicy, peppery flavors from the yeast. There was very low hop bitterness and flavor. Medium-low in body, good carbonation, it as a good beer to start off with.
• Westmalle Tripel - Westmalle is a Trappist brewery, one of only seven in the world. I initially smelled a very, slight sourness in the aroma when I first took a whiff that eventually went away. Some yeastiness in the nose with a good amount of spiciness. When compared to the Witkap, I found the Westmalle to be fuller in body, similar carbonation but with more spicy/peppery notes in the flavor and aroma.
• Chimay Cinq Cents - Of all the Belgian breweries we would be trying today, Chimay is the Trappist brewery most concerned with commercial output. But don’t make the mistake of thinking that any of their beers have been “dumbed down” for mass consumption. This beer, like the two other before it, shares many of the same characteristics that make it a Tripel. There are the spicy/peppery aromas and flavors, the pear and apple fruit aromas and flavors, citrus aromas and flavors, as well as the clove phenolics and banana esters. Unlike the other two beers, the Chimay Tripel is noticeable hoppier than it’s predecessors.
• La Rulle Tripel - This was probably the most interesting Tripel of the day. It is brewed by Brasserie Artisinale de Rulles and is the youngest of the breweries having been started in 1999 by Grégory Verhelst. Sweeter than the others, this Tripel had a slightly different hop flavor than the others as well as noticeable citrus notes. I asked Sammy to confirm this but I also got a whiff of fish sauce in the aroma. Served warmer than the other, this Tripel had noticeable alcohol flavors and aroma. What makes this beer especially different than the others was the use of American hops varieties, Amarillo and Warrior. This gave the beer a different flavor characteristic as well as bringing out American citrus characteristics. A good and interesting beer.

By contrast, the Dubbel style is one of the oldest styles of beers made today. This particular style of beer was developed in monasteries during the middle ages. Dubbels are also brewed with Belgian candy sugar which is developed from beets (instead of sugar cane) and are caramelized. Brewing with candy sugar ups the alcohol level and thins out the body slightly. Here are my notes for the Dubbels:

• Westmalle Dubbel - Unsurprisingly, Westmalle brews a Dubbel as well. This beer has a sweet, complex, malty aroma with the spicy yeasty aromas less prominent than in the Tripels. There are some banana esters, biscuit aromas and dark fruit aromas as well. The flavor is well indicated by the aromas as the complex malt flavors are sweet, with hints of caramel, molasses and dark fruit flavors. This is a medium bodied, high-carbonated ale.
• Koningshoven Dubbel - According to Nicole, Koningshoven and Westmalle have a bit of a rivalry going on. Their Dubbels are in direct competition with one another and usually people either love or hate one or the other. While I don’t necessarily hate the Westmalle, I do prefer the Koningshoven. Out of the seven Trappist breweries, this is the only one not located in Belgium but in the Netherlands. Koningshoven has the “black sheep” label among the Trappist breweries as they, at one point in time, lost their Trappist status only to get it back. Ah, the drama of the beer world! This beer is sweet with slight sherry notes, dark fruit aromas and flavors, with slight banana esters. The flavor is reminiscent of the Petrus Oud Bruin, just without the sourness. My favorite so far.
• Serafijn Donker - From what Nicole and Nathan said Serafijn Donker is brewed by Microbrouwerij Achille, or Achille Microbrewery. Despite the exotic, yet refined name, Microbrouwerij Achille is little more than a large scale homebrew operation. It’s always good to hear an “amateur” turn “pro” in this industry, gives hope to the rest of us. This is a dark, caramel colored beer with ruby highlights and an off-white head. Sweet, complex malt flavors, some dark fruit and some nut flavors as well.

At the end of the tasting session, we were able to get a full pour from whatever The Trappist had on tap. I ordered the Allagash White while Sammy ordered the Oud Beersel Framboise. Here are my notes for each:

• Allagash White - Brewery out of Portland, Maine, they have been crafting beers since the summer of 1995. Allagash White is their interpretation of a Belgian Wheat Ale. This beer was a hazy, pale gold color with white head. Clovey, spicey phenolics dominate the aroma and flavor. It is light in body with good carbonation. Within the range of acceptible flavors of a witbier, the Allagash White favors the spicey end of the flavor spectrum. While a refreshing beer, I don’t recall tasting any of the slight tartness usually associated with the style. This beer is not as sweet, either. By comparison, a Hoegaarden is sweeter with less phenolics. 5% ABV.
• Oud Beersel Framboise - This is a lambic style ale flavored with raspberries. I only took a quick sip of this. There is a noticeable tartness in both the aroma and flavor with almost no hop aroma, flavor or bitterness. The raspberry flavors are upfront but are balanced out by the sour flavors. When compared to the widely accessible Lindemans Framboise, the Oud Beersel is a more traditional interpretation of the style. The Lindemans is almost cloyingly sweet and the trademark sourness of a lambic is a shadow of the Our Beersel Framboise. For first time fruit lambic drinkers, I’d recommend the Lindemans but if you’re the adventurous type, I would recommend the Oud Beersel instead. 6% ABV.

As with most beer events we go to, Sammy and I were able to meet some new people. We were able to talk to Nicole more while I was able to speak to Nate more in depth. He is very down to earth and an accomplished homebrewer winning Best of Show at the 2008 BABO (Bay Area Brew Off), where my altbier took 1st in it’s category. He also did very well at the 2008 World Cup Homebrew Competition. Nate is supposed to stop by Beer and Winemakers of America and Rabbit’s Foot sometime in the future and I invited him to contact me whenever he’d be in town so we could grab a couple of beers.

We also got to talk with briefly with Will, Andy, and Frank. I wanted to speak with them a bit more but I got carried away talking with Nate.

Sammy and I also had the good fortune to speak with and get to know Roland and Holly as well. Roland is a regular at The Trappist (Lucky!), visiting about twice a week. His original goal was to try all the beers in the “Bible” as he calls it (actually The Trappist beer menu) but has since changed his mind as the remaining beers are Belgian styles he isn’t too enamored with. Roland was kind enough to introduce me to his “poison”, as he calls it. Here are my notes:

• Mahler Dark Brut - This is a big, beautiful beer. Even though this beer clocks in at 12% ABV, you don’t taste any of the alcohol, nor is it in the aroma. This beer is a cross between Duchess de Bourgogne and Petrus Oud Bruin. The aromas are complex, with sweet malt, dark fruit, sherry, and wood at the tip of the aromatic iceberg. The flavors are no less complex as the sweet malt, dark fruit and even coffee flavors have a rave in my mouth. Despite the sweetness, this is a dry beer. I completely understand why Roland describes this as his “poison”. At $36/bottle, this will easily kill my discretionary spending budget!

At the end of our time there, Sammy and I had a lot of fun. As much as I like to think I know about beer, it is always great to go someplace to learn more. I was already familiar with the Triple and Dubbel styles but this tasting has given me a greater respect and understanding of these two Belgian styles. I would thoroughly recommend anyone who is interested in beer to attend a tasting session hosted by The Trappist. At the very least, you’ll be able to figure out what’s on their beer menu!

Tripel and Dubbels Tasting at the Trappist Click to view complete gallery

I thought I’d try something new. I often go to breweries/brew pubs/brewery restaurants but I never get a chance to do any write ups about them. For starters, I’m usually busy drinking and that leaves me very little time to actually jot down some notes. Second, I’m there to have fun. As soon as I whip out the pen and pad to take notes, I start to have less fun and after a few minutes of “trying to be a serious journalist”, I give up and go back to drinking. Thankfully Faultline Brewery is just down the street from where I work and I was able to make a couple of trips in order to get this write up done.

It has been a week since I wrote about Faultline debuting their dunkelweizen. I was able to try that, their Belgian Trippel, and their India Pale Ale (IPA). The day before I was able to try their cask conditioned pale ale and their kölsch during lunch. I was only able to take notes on their cask-conditioned pale ale and dunkelweizen though.

For those of you who haven’t been to Faultline, they’re located in Sunnyvale, CA right off of Lawrence Expressway and Oakmead. They’re tucked in behind an apartment complex and a hotel in the middle of an industrial area. The brewery itself is a bit nondescript from the street. Luckily, they have a grain silo (I think) out front and their corner location makes them easy to find.

Located primarily in an industrial area, the Faultline’s building echos the industrial theme. There’s corrugated steel paneling on the outside of the building near what I believe is the grain silo (not sure if there’s really grain in there). The interior further echos the industrial theme with concrete floors, more corrugated steel paneling, beautifully exposed wood beams and visible duct work. Despite the industrial-ness of it all, the main dining area doesn’t feel cold at all. There’s a fair amount of light coming in from the huge windows and in one area of the dining area, you get a nice view of the artificial pond out back.

The brewery portion is showcased in an area directly behind the bar. It seems cramped but I’ve never been back there so I can’t say for sure. As many times as I’ve been there, I’ve only met the brewmaster once. From what I hear, he mainly works from Monday - Thursday. They make the majority of their money during the lunch hour and they pull in a fair amount during dinner. Being located in an industrial area means that the people who work around you are your biggest clients. As such, the brewery is closed on weekends but you can book them for private parties.

The first beer I tried was their cask conditioned pale ale. Most beers at breweries are forced carbonated, which means that carbonation is added artificially to the beer. Cask conditioning on the other hand is a beer that is allowed to go through a secondary fermentation to develop its carbonation naturally. The “cask” is simply the container the beer is allowed to ferment in a second time, usually a steel keg. Cask conditioned beers generally are less carbonated than their non-cask conditioned counterparts and are usually served slightly warmer as well. Cask conditioning is more of nod toward traditional brewing methods and some would argue that cask conditioned beers tastes much better than their forced carbonated counterparts.

I found this beer to have earthy, rustic hop aromas with a soft malt aroma compliment. I also noticed a little bit of funkiness to the beer reminiscent of cheese. Slight sourness in the aromas as well. The beer pours out a surprisingly clear dark gold-amber color with an off-white head that doesn’t last very long. The beer has a mild hop flavor and smooth hop bitterness, just enough to balance out the subdued malt flavors. Strangely, I am getting what appears to be lactic acid sourness in the flavor profile. As the beer warmed up, the sourness became more prominent. The cask conditioned pale ale was medium bodied with low carbonation. I got a slight puckering sensation from the sourness.

I wasn’t sure what to expect from a cask conditioned beer. Based solely upon the flavor profile, I think the brewer was going for an English style pale ale and when you look at the rest of the beers on tap, it makes sense. I’ve had some decent english pale ales that weren’t cask conditioned and I like the style. English beers tend to be well balanced, subtle and complex all at the same time. I was expecting all of that plus a little bit more character because of the cask conditioning. What I didn’t expect was the sourness, which for the style, is an off-flavor. The beer was served from an authentic beer engine so I’m guessing that the sourness didn’t come from dirty tap lines. The only other reason was the beer could’ve had an infection or may it was on the downhill side of good. Generally, cask conditioned ales have a shelf life of only a few days. I finished my pint but didn’t order another one. Maybe when it’s fresher this beer would’ve tasted much better but I think it was over a week old by the time I was able to try one.
The second beer I was able to take notes on was the dunkelweizen. Almost literally translating into “dark wheat beer”, the dunkelweizen is very similar to a hefeweizen. They have similar aromas and flavors but there are distinct differences. Malt characteristics should be noticeable in the aroma and flavor of the beer. As the name suggests the beer is darker in appearance as well. I enjoy this style of beer for the added complexity the malt brings to the table. After drinking lots and lots of hefeweizens, this is a pleasant, slight change of pace.

I’m not sure if they do this all the time for their beer debuts but when I ordered the dunkelweizen, we got a free pint glass for doing so. It’s nothing special, just a pint glass with the Faultline logo but I admit it was one of the reasons why I went. The beer pours out a hazy brown color with an off-white head. The aromas from this beer are a mix of fruity esters such as bananas and clove coupled with a subdued malt character. Generally speaking, most beers will taste very similar to how they smell and this beer was no exception. The banana and clove flavors are apparent but less so than a traditional hefeweizen. Those flavors are balanced out by a bready, grainy, Munich/Vienna malt character. There is very little (if any) noticeable hop flavor or bitterness. The traditional yeasty flavors round out the rest of the palette. The mouthfeel is medium bodied but could be experienced as thicker because of the proteins and yeasts still in suspension. I found my beer to be fairly well carbonated.

Overall, a very decent beer that is to style. It has a good level of drinkability and if you like hefeweizens I would recommend this beer to you. When compared to the traditional Faultline hefeweizen, the dunkelweizen has less of the fruity aromas and flavors but that is balanced out by the malt characteristics. I must say that I was expecting this beer to have more malt character than it did. I wanted more malt on the nose and in the flavors but that’s the beauty of beer! This beer is to style but it’s interpreted in the way the brewer finds most appealing. When it comes down to it, I’d order another pint.

Here’s a quick list of the other beers I tried with quick notes:

• Kölsch - Entry level beer. Closest thing they have to an American Pale lager. This beer could’ve had more fruity esters and more malt character to it for my liking. It is light, refreshing and easy to drink though. Like I said, it’s their entry-level beer. I don’t think I’d order another one unless it was blistering hot outside.
• Belgian Tripel - I enjoyed this beer. It’s a tripel which means it’s higher alcohol content makes this a sipper. The characteristic Belgian flavors are apparent and the fruit notes are more muted than in other versions I’ve tried. That being said, I found it to be one of their better beers. I’d order another glass.
• IPA - Good hop flavor and bitterness for an English version of the IPA. There’s a good balance between the malt and hops with an obvious favoring of the hop end of the taste spectrum. This beer is very much to style but don’t order it if you’re used to American IPAs because this will feel muted by comparison. I’d order another one.

In addition to the good beers, the restaurant portion of the brewery makes very good food. Having dinner here one time, I shared an entrée with my wife and the staff was kind enough to split it into two plates for us. I thought they had made a mistake as the split portions looked to be plates unto themselves. Generally I find the wait staff to be courteous and prompt and the location as a whole is well kept. They make most of their money during the lunch hour where corporate drones such as myself wander in for a pint before heading back to the grind. Dinner service features a simpler menu but the majority of folks are there for “happy hour” and mingle around the bar. It’s a very professional crowd of people.

If you’re in the area, Faultline is a very good brewery that specializes more in English variations of beer style. The result are beers of deceptive simplicity but restrained complexity and ultimately, easy drinkability. Being located in what is predominantly an industrial area may have had an effect on the beer philosophy of the place that touches all aspects from architecture to appetizers to beer. The beers are appropriately priced but the food ranges in the $11 - $25 range for entrées.

If you’re planning on going, let me know and hopefully I’ll be able to join you!

This past week the class covered the Amber Hybrid and Belgian ale styles. I forget now but at the time, I remember contemplating whether or not I should go to class. I am very glad that I decided to go as the Belgian ale portion of the class was really enjoyable. Talk about complexities! There’s a lot of beer going on in the Belgian ales. You could, literally, take an entire college semesters going over just Belgian ales. While there are a few broad categories, the sheer number of variations within those categories is staggering.

We’re talking about a country where beer is as much a part of the national diet as soda is for the United States. Sure, Germany has long been known for being the “beer capital” of the world but I think the ales that Belgium produces have so much going on and are consistent. There’s the subdued malts and hop flavors, the fruity esters and spiciness, the aromas and flavors… wow. Good stuff.

I know I used to do do individual beer reviews but they took a lot of time and effort. I get… reviewed out by the end of class and by then, I just really want to crack open a cold one for the sake of enjoyment and not because I have to work on it. I’ll bring the individual reviews back after the BJCP classes are over but for now, here are my tasting notes from class.