Stay with us – this post is a little off topic. We are probably in violation of our contract to publish not only text but a video about something other than homebrewing. At least it’s still about beer.
Maybe I shouldn’t be so harsh. We read about this beer (among other sources) in BYO magazine so the homebrewing roots are still strong.
This beer is a SMaSH beer or a beer with a Single Malt and Single Hop variety as components of its recipe.
For homebrewers, if you are looking to learn more about a base malt or a hop variety – brewing up a SMaSH beer will allow to to taste those single ingredients with clarity since there won’t be anything other ingredients to get in the way.
Mike and I sat down last night to taste this beer and we got to talking about a good number of things.
Well, three things really.
The first thing is presented in this video and we’ll preview the next subject at the end of it.
So we made a sort of video series in one sitting. We’ll post the videos over the next two weeks so come along for the ride.
As for the tasting, it is interesting to note the timing of the hops as they were used in the boil. It certainly had an effect on the final beer.
Nate- BreweryReviewery.com
Nice review guys. I agree that this one does not showcase Cascade. Part of the problem for us is that, at the time, this beer was the showcase for the hop. Our options and preferences have changed a lot over the past decade or so.
John
Yes, in the past 15-20 years – Cascade has been showcased as a finishing hop and for me it set a baseline of what that hop is and its flavor profile.
To taste it in the New Albion, the citrus-y profile is pretty much gone and what is left is the bitterness that it can bring to a beer.