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Tuesday, November 03, 2009

Soliciting Your Advice

In my interview with Karl Ockert last week, he mentioned that BridgePort is currently ruminating about their Spring "Big Brews" slot. The Big Brews line is the one that has included Hop Czar (which will be moving to six-packs), Fallen Friar, Stumptown Tart, and Raven Mad. Karl asked me--as he probably asks everyone--what I would suggest. I told him I'd do him one better than that; I'd find out what you would suggest.

So below is a poll with a number of styles that I have pre-selected. They include only "big" beers--my rule of thumb was 7% and up. I eliminated styles BridgePort already brews (tripel, double IPA, barleywine), and styles that are pretty broadly brewed or randomly imperialized styles (Imperial Kolsch!). Of course, some of you may have a suggestion that's not here, so please use the write-in category. I'll run this for a few days (until we hit 250 or more) and then we'll winnow it down to 3-4 styles and see if there's a clear fave.

You can click through to learn more about the styles at BeerAdvocate, which handily also has beers brewed in those styles. Kellerbier is totally obscure, but it's a hoppy lager generally brewed at weaker strengths--but it can go up to 7%. Some of you will remember Jamie Floyd's wheatwine from Steelhead, but otherwise examples are rare. It's essentially a barleywine made with a large proportion of wheat.

I have no idea how much pull your suggestions will have, but Karl ran it past some folks at BridgePort and they're interested in what you think. So please vote!

6 comments:

  1. I would like to see the next Big Brew continue the Stumptown Tart series, but as a Belgian IPA.

    Yeah, I know we have plenty of IPAs, but we don't have a lot that are made with Belgian yeast and bottle conditioned.

    I know that fruit in an IPA kind of off, but Dogfish Head does it with Aprihop. I'm sure Bridgeport could figure something out.

    Cheers!
    Kevin
    beerandcoding.com

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  2. Please, no more imperial red ales. I'm over that category. I'd love to see an old ale or a wheat wine.

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  3. I'm sort of with you Matthew--it's definitely not my fave style. I like the idea of an old ale, too. And though it won't win this poll, a strong keller would be super cool.

    More:
    "Literally "cellar beer," this is an unfiltered lager, usually strongly flavored with aromatic hops. More often than not, a Kellerbier is deep amber in color, perhaps with a reddish tinge, as a result of a good addition of slightly caramelized malt (called Munich malt) to the grain bill.

    "Authentic Kellerbiers have very little effervescence, because they are typically served 'ungespunded' (unbunged) meaning they are matured in wodden casks with the yeast still active, but with the bung ('Spund' in German) not tightened. As the yeast ferments the remaining sugars in the brew and converts these into additional carbon dioxide gas, the gas is allowed to escape through the bung hole ('Spundloch'). When tapped under just atmospheric pressure, a traditional Kellerbier is very yeast-turbid and has next to no head because of the lack of carbonation. It finishes very dry with both noticeable hop and malt notes in balance."

    http://www.germanbeerinstitute.com/Kellerbier.html

    I've never had traditional keller myself, and in some sense, a bottled version wouldn't be traditional, either. Still, BPort could get more bang for its buck by playing up the firkin-esque quality of a keller and telling people to try it on tap.

    I know, it will never happen, and if it did, it would probably be a commercial bust. Still, I can dream.

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  4. You have sold me, I am salivating for a Kellerbier!

    I would like to suggest another line to go along with the BIG beers, how about SMALL beers, or perhaps better named 'subtle' beers.

    I think you can so some amazing things with ingredients in the northwest without going to 9% ABV but still getting all the flavor.

    To me this parallels the restaurant trend of simple, fresh tasty meals using local, seasonal ingredients.

    Come to think of it, nevermind, I have discovered my next business venture. You all stay with the big beers...

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  5. When I saw the title of the post, before I even read the choices, I was thinking "OLD ALE!" We're in dire need of something memorable like an Old Ale. I just finished bottling one myself, and I think a nice, low-carbonation Old Ale is just the right thing to accompany a blustery March day in PDX.

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  6. I just finished designing the label for Upright's new pinot barrel aged old ale coming out soon in bottles. Maybe that will do it for you guys.

    We definitely could use another Old Ale though. That or maybe a smoked beer. How about a smokey wee-heavy?

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