A Penny Saved is a Beer Earned

We are not a nation of savers.  It's not clear we ever have been - at least not in recent years.  Don't believe us, check out the chart below. Yes, the marketing folks at Nationwide Insurance claim it's our national pastime but we all know Americans are much better at spending than they are at saving.  Like it or not it's a consumer economy and we're a consumer girl.

Not only are we bad at saving the country is stuck in a recession.  Well, officially the recession is over but few people are feeling the positive vibes.  During these difficult times, stories abound of folks doing their part to cut a few corners and save a few pennies (like these poor souls).  Sure, growing your own garden, bagging your lunch, or renting out the guest house can help but we found something better.  Our friends at the Western Bank in Vietnam recently launched a nationwide promotion that offers authentic German Bitburger beer for making deposits.

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"Tropical Vietnam has a long tradition of beer drinking, introduced by French colonists in the late 19th century....

Authorities have been trying for months to get banks to cut interest rates, both on loans and deposits, so lenders have had to get creative in the fight for depositors."
-Reuters
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Of course, there's a catch.  And like any good lender we're putting the fine print at the bottom.  Depositors get one large can of Bitburger for each deposit of 7.5 million dong (don't worry, it's only $385 US) through November 25, 2010.  You can thank us later for not reducing the font size to 1.5.

Hating on Bad Beer

BrewDog has been in the news lately for it's fancy 55 percent ABV The End of History but these guys are crazy in so many ways (like free beer for life if you get a BrewDog tattoo).  Of course, this makes them heroes to us.  Thanks KS for tracking this down on the BrewDog Blog.


We hate bad beer! from BrewDog on Vimeo.

Almost Heaven, Almost Luxurious

If the world were a perfect place some brewer would put real chocolate in their chocolate stout.  Well, we may be closer to utopia than the world thinks.  Wells and Youngs Luxurious Double Chocolate Stout is brewed with chocolate malt and real dark chocolate. 

The folks at W&Y explain it thusly: "Pale Ale and Crystal malt, Chocolate Malt, a special blend of sugars, Fuggle and Golding hops, real dark chocolate and chocolate essence are combined to deliver a stout of with real credentials."  Fuggle is just a great word.

This is consistently a chocolate stout meaning you get the chocolate from the aroma through the taste and in the finish.  When pouring you might think you picked the wrong beer for mid-summer inside the beltway but the tasting tells you otherwise.  Though the head is not particularly creamy it has a Guinness feel as you watch it wind down.  The aroma is chocolate and nutty.   It's not a particularly heavy stout and the finish is even a bit thin.  You might expect this to be an overly sweet beer but it's really not.  The beer does not have the greatest balance to it as we were looking for a more bitter-sweet concoction. The carbonation is in the mid-range, which is fine despite our preference for lower carbonation.

Overall, this is a fine brew but hardly luxurious.  For our tastes, luxury should be plush and have more depth.  Maybe we didn't know what to expect and maybe we just didn't know what we were looking for.  It's the wrong time of year for heavy, meaty beers but that's what we thought we had before opening the bottle.  So, drop the term "luxurious" and you'll have a fine chocolate stout that's brewed with real chocolate.

The Fifth Beer of Christmas

For this fifth beer of Christmas we had many reasons to be thankful - new additions to the family, health, gifts under the tree...and one lump of coal. So, maybe a lump of coal is an extreme description for the Petrus Winter Ale but it was a disappointing brew given the date on the calendar.

The Winter Ale is crisp and fresh with a clean aftertaste. It pours with a tint of red, which is really quite beautiful for Christmas day. The head is quite thick and creamy - pour slowly. The aroma is fruity, something you expect from Belgian brews, but the flavor is lacking. Generally speaking, it's nothing special but still tasty. If you're looking for more you will not find it here.

To be honest, it went quite well with our Christmas feast. Because of the mild flavor and clean finish it didn't get in the way of dinner. We do give it props for a groovy logo and we love bottles that open like champagne. All in all we will call it a push - we had high expectations and while the Winter Ale didn't live up to them it still made for a nice brew to have with dinner. We're certainly not complaining but we probably wouldn't pick it up again either.

The Fourth Beer of Christmas

'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse. The newborns were neslted all snug in their beds and we just finished our Christmas shopping. As a gift to ourselves, rather than wrapping, we took a short respite and found a bottle for cracking.

With visions of sugar plums dancing in our heads we warmed the cockles of our soul with Corsendonck's Christmas Ale. We were fortunate to score from Lot 6536. The Christmas Ale is brewed from November through February. It was brewed and bottled by Brewery Du Bocq for Brewery Corsendonck, Oud-Turnhout, Belgium.

It's a dark, Belgian ale that pours dark brown with a thick, long-lasting head. If the Christmas season in Belgium has an aroma you can find it in this brew. You can really pick up the fruits and spices and if you're not careful it can be mistaken for grandma's fruit cake. The Christmas Ale finishes sweet with a medium carbonation. Ours was sitting in the refridgerator for several days and this is probably a beer better served at closer to room temperature.

So, after a few pints our heart's nice and warm. We turn of the lights and wrap one last gift. We can't help but think Santa would prefer Corsendonk's Christmas Ale to cookies and milk.

Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night.

Pork Chops and Apple Sauce

What's the worst part about being held captive by Iran, the country most known for being part of the "axis of evil" and actively searching for nuclear technology for purely altruistic reasons? According to one captive it's being deprived of pork products and beer.

David Bloomer, of Ireland, was aboard the Kingdom of Bahrain when it was intercepted by the Iranian Navy last week. Yesterday, he and the four others taken captive were released by Iran after it was confirmed that the KOB simply made a mistake by entering Iran's waters. Mr. Bloomer was looking most forward to a brew and bacon telling the Irish Times that "[w]e were fed very well but there was no bacon or pork, of course, or alcohol where we were."

It must have been awful.

Cheery-o, I Kissed the Bloke

For the most part we here at Dumbarton's Beer could care less about British Royalty. Let's face it, we fought a war and intentionally created a new country devoid of royalty to express our displeasure with the crown. That said, when the Prince is kissing boys for beer we take notice.

Rocky Bennett found the Prince in a night club and offered to buy Harry a pint of his favourite ale in exchange for a kiss.


Quoting Mr. Bennett: "I went up to him and told him I would love to buy him a drink if he gave me a kiss. Harry just burst out laughing, threw his arms around me and kissed me on the left cheek. I’m not going to wash my face for a month now. It was the best moment of my life. I just burst into tears, he’s so down to earth."

Chelsey Davy was not available for comment.

Oh My God! - They Kilkenny!

Our good friends at The Dubliner are the first in the country to offer Ireland's Kilkenny Irish Cream Ale on draft. Think of Kilkenny as a sister to Guinness. It has the same creamy head but the brew is a starkly-Irish red ale. It's a bit sweet with a somewhat dry finish and not as heavy as Guinness. Frankly, it's just like Guinness in terms of feel but Kilkenny tastes like an ale rather than a stout. If you're looking for an alternative to Guinness this is it.

The Dubliner has been voted Washington, DC's best Irish Pub for good reason. The place feels like Ireland. It's dark, everything is wood, and the bartender has a goofy accent. The food is typically Irish pub food. The beer selection is what you expect from the Irish - always a variety on tap ranging from your Irish favorites to domestic standbys. And they have history too. So much that Morning Joe broadcast from the Dub on Inauguration Day. Next time you're around Union Station, stop by for a Kilkenny and have the fish n chips.

View from Above

In July, the BBC helped us show you an advertisement for North Korea's Taedonggang Beer. Today, with more help from the BBC, we bring you proof that the brewery exists. Thanks to the wonder of satellite photography we have an aerial shot of the brewery - note the distinctive "M" shaped entrance.


Taedongang used to be Ushers Brewery in the United Kingdom. It was purchased by North Korea in 2000, dismantled and reassembled, and was up and running 18 months later.

Pride of Pyongyang

We can only be referring to Taedonggang Beer. Named for a river that runs through Pyongyang the Korean News Service reports that "[t]he citizens call Taedonggang beer 'cold yet warm beer' as it is associated with the warm care of General Secretary Kim Jong Il for the people." Distribution vans get traffic privileges on the streets of Pyongyang - and there is nothing worse than Pyongyang traffic.

This 2.5 minute commercial for the people's brew verifies that Kim Jong-il can target an audience - even if he can't target a missile. Stealing a bit of marketing genius from the big American brewers, Taedonggang promises to "relieve stress, improve health, and even lengthen your life" in what The Big Money reports is the NK's first television commercial. We wonder what else it can lengthen.



According to a BBC report, North Korean leader Kim Jong-il has a "personal interest in the brewery. 'Watching good quality beer coming out in an uninterrupted flow for a long while, he noted with great pleasure that it has now become possible to supply more fresh beer to people in all seasons,' North Korea's state news agency, KCNA, said after he visited the brewery in 2002."

Cheers!

It's All About Priorities

According to UPI and the Latin American Herald Tribune, a funeral home in Bogota failed to deliver the casket to the cemetery while the family waited....and waited....and waited. Relatives could only wonder what happened to their beloved Tito Vasquez.

Of course, the delay was due to the driver's need to stop and have a few cold ones. Said article, the driver "stopped for a beer and failed to deliver a body to the cemetery while the family waited." The family waited at the cemetery "for several hours"while the driver, the hearse, and Mr. Vazquez were boozing it up in a local hotel parking lot.

Cheers!

We Don't Give a Phuk

Marani Brands, Inc. announced today that it reached an agreement to be the exclusive importer and distributor of the uniquely named Phuket Beer. Since we don't know the first thing about Phuket Beer, we'll quote the article:

"Phuket Beer was founded on the tropical island of Phuket in the southern region of Thailand. The lager has gained a distinct image as a lifestyle-brand product representing the carefree and laid back nature of living on an exotic tropical island. ...Phuket Beer is an all-natural beer with no additives or preservatives and produced in small batches to ensure the highest quality, freshness, and consistency."

Phuket Beer does not remind us of a tropical island but it does remind us of Lethal Weapon 2.

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Riggs: This Stinks.

Martin: I don't give a phuk, Riggs. That's why I don't have an ulcer, because I know when to say "I don't give a phuk." And Riggs.

Riggs: What?

Martin: You know what that says?

Riggs: Yeah, same thing as that. But I don't give a phuk.

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Special thanks to IMDB.

It Looks Like Pee with Whip Cream

You will not find La Chouffe on the Top 50 we discussed just a few days ago but this came as a special "pick me up" from our trusted assistant. Maybe she was impressed by the high 9.0 percent abv. Maybe she was impressed by the fact that Chouffe's Houblon is a "Dobbelen IPA Tripel". But she was probably impressed by the fact that the bottle is labeled with the Travelocity Gnome. Now, we don't speak french so we sought the help of our friends at Beer Advocate and they have this to say:

La Chouffe is "a small artisanal brewery in The Ardennes Mountains of Achouffe, Belgium. Owner Christian Bauweraerts' favorite style of beer is the Tripel. It's also nod to both traditional English India Pale Ales (IPAs) and the aggressive American Double IPA. And to round things off, "houblon" is French for 'hop'".

La Chouffe is a Belgian brew that starts out with a lot of foam. There are a lot of brews that brag about their hops but they all take a back seat to to Houblon. It reeks of hops and we mean that in the best possible way. Even hop lovers can be forgiven for being a bit intimidated by the scent. But when the foam settles take a gulp and let your taste buds enjoy the dance.

Houblon combines bitter and sweet in a way that is rarely found in beer. It's unfiltered, smooth, and has a dry finish. While the hop scent is very strong will be disappointed if you were hoping to get punched in the teeth by hop flavors. It's far too complicated a beer for something so brash. Though unfiltered, it's very refined and will make you want to drink it with your pinky finger sticking out. We dare you to not drink all 750 ml in one sitting.

Cheers!

Cheers All Around for Labatt Blue

As part of the big agreement to purchase Anhieser-Busch, InBev was required to sell off some of its other brewing interests. Way back in November 2008, InBev announced that it would sell Labatt USA to make the folks at the Department of Justice happy.

Yesterday came word that the buyer is KPS Capital Partners, a private equity firm out of New York City (what Cerbus Capital is to Chrysler) with the added bonus that the US headquarters will remain in our beloved Buffalo, NY. In what is a rare upstate-downstate partnership KPS reportedly hopes to increase the number of jobs in the company (Editor's note: this is a promise oft made to Buffalo residents. See Adelphia case study).

So, one of our favorite Canadian brews will remain safely in the hands of upstate New York - for the time being.
Cheers!

When in Rome...

We've been in Italy the past couple of weeks playing tourist, exchanging nuptuals, and...drinking beer. Fortunately, 3 of our 4 readers were in Italy so it's unlikely anybody noticed the lack of posts. Since we walked just about every city block of both Roma and Firenze we figured we burned enough calories to drink up both wines and beers of Italy (we did not, however, find ourselves in the home of Italian friends at 5am).

L' Olmaia - left outside our honeymoon suite by a little angel (or two), this brew can easily be mistaken for a wine because it comes in a very wine-like bottle and both labels are in Italian. If you don't speak Italian it might take a few minutes of label investigation to figure out it's a beer. We are hear to say it's a beer - and a good one. It pours a nice, cloudy amber with a thick caramel-to-eggwhite head on top (the head dies fast though). Coming from Siena, you would expect the somewhat fruity flavor and will remind you of a weak IPA. It has a dry, clean finish. Don't worry about the size of the bottle because you will drink it all in one sitting.

G. Menebrea e Figli - 150th Anniversery Amber. GMF did just fine for their anniversery brew and we know because we sampled a lot of it. It pours amber like the L'Olmaia but GMF is very clear. The head is big and white. Also like the L'Omaia it's a bit fruity to the taste but GMF is more complicated overall. There is no dryness to GMF at the finish but you will go back for more.

Nastro Azzuro - It tastes like it sounds. One fellow traveler aptly called it the Miller Lite of Italian brews.

A Holiday Brew Review - Twelve Days

The stockings are hung by the chimney with care, the holiday lights bring cheer to the neighborhood, and there's a wonderful winter wonderland across the country. Maybe it's wonderful because while much of the country is getting pelted with cold rain, ice, and snow we're sitting in front of the warm glow of the television while drinking our latest find - Hook Norton Brewery's Twelve Days English Christmas Ale.

This ale comes from our brothers across the pond in the UK (Oxfordshire, to be exact) in a tall and unique 1 pint .9 fluid ounce dark bottle. It pours into the pint glass quite smooth and results in a rich, thick head that's somewhere between egg shell white and beige in color. It's a clear, dark brown ale that begs to be enjoyed. And as it's enjoyed the brew leaves a beautiful lacing on the glass (always a sign of good beer). The back label on the bottle accurately describes Twelve Days as malty above all else with some hints of nutty and chocolate flavors. It goes down smooth, a bit sweet, and is not too carbonated. It's not a complicated flavor so probably easily enjoyed by most at your holiday party. If the merry gatherers don't like it just feed them something with "drinkability" so you can enjoy the real beer.

Nothing overtly negative about this ale but nothing that makes it overtly memorable either. It's the kind of beer you will enjoy this year and next year wonder what that beer was from the UK that you really liked but don't remember the name and wish you could because you really liked it. If you're lucky you will accidentally pick it up again next year.