Bring on the Beer

It has been well documented that per capita beer consumption in the United States is slumping and has been overtaken by the wine curious. Even I wrote about this trend in the May edition of KCH&G. Of course, that is all great news for those of us in the wine business, but don’t expect the beer guys and girls to take this all lying down. Although ‘ordinary’ beer consumption is falling, the emerging category of ‘craft beers’ is definitely on the rise. And it’s not a slow rise; they are coming on strong and determined to take back their piece of the industry pie.

Instead of going after the converted enophiles, they are embracing them and creating a whole new category of ‘American craft’ or ‘artisan’ beers directed at the ‘beer geeks’ and have revolutionized the American beer market. 

Craft beer refers to any all-malt, or nearly all-malt, beer made by any small, regional or micro-brewery. Instead of trying to appeal to a wide market with one beer, craft beers emphasize flavor and cater to a number of different tastes. The beauty of craft beers comes from the experience of a complete profile of aromas, flavor, color and texture that distinguishes every craft beer from one another. All craft beers are made from the same basic ingredients: malted barley, hops, yeast and water. Unlike lighter, mass-market beers, craft beers avoid adding grains like rice and corn that thin out the flavor of a beer.

Brewers look to emphasize flavor possibilities in each ingredient: Hops can reveal citrusy or floral aromas, while malted barley can be evocative of chocolate, coffee or honey. In addition to flavor and aroma, brewers pay careful attention to color, mouth-feel, and the amount of head, or foam, the beer produces when poured into a glass. 

The ‘proper’ glass also can play an important role in the developed aromas, textures and flavors of the beer. So what’s with the glass? Glass shape can greatly affect aromatic presentation, head formation, and even how well carbonation will be sustained.  The traditional Belgian-style goblet is the ideal class to enhance the aromatic and flavor profile of these brews.

Thirsty yet? You don’t have to look any further than what is going on down the street at Boulevard Brewery. Yes, Boulevard. The same Boulevard that has made Kansas City proud with Unfiltered Wheat, Bully! Porter and the always-popular seasonal brews — Bob’s 47, Nutcracker Ale and Irish Ale. Our hometown brewery recently introduced the Smokestack Series — the first release of this series includes Saison, Long Strange Tripel, Double Wide IPA and The Sixth Glass. These brews hit the ground running with their brilliant packaging and range of styles. 

The lightest (and I use that term loosely because it is anything but light) is Saison, a French Country Ale. Saison is beautifully fruity, with pineapple and citrus notes and more complex notes of black pepper and anise. 

Next in line is Long Strange Tripel, named after long-time Boulevard employee Harold ‘Trip’ Hogue. The Tripel is modeled after the Tripel style originating in an old Trappist brewery. Tripel is more malt-based and contains three times (triple) the amount of malt. It shows a richer color and more floral aromas; the flavors are rich and creamy and finish with a recognizable sweetness.

My personal favorite is the Double Wide IPA — this classic India Pale Ale was heavily hopped to withstand the long, hot ocean voyage to the British East Indies. This double IPA shows its muscle with the hopped aromatics of dried fruits; on the palate, it delivers more citrus flavors with rich caramel and toffee undertones.

Rounding out the inaugural release is the Sixth Glass, modeled after the great Trappist ales of Belgium. This massive ale has a deep amber color and a thick, rich head with aromas and flavors of dried fruits, candied orange rind and bitter chocolate. This sucker weighs in at 10.5 percent alcohol, so drink too much and you will look like the little devil on the label.

The Smokestack Series is actually a line-up of 10 to 12 different brews — I can’t wait to see what else Boulevard has up its sleeve. The company hit an absolute homerun and it probably didn’t hurt them that we all have been looking forward to the ‘official’ release for quite some time.

Ryan Sciara is co-founder and managing partner of Cellar Rat Wine Merchants.