Anybody drink any good beer lately?

Yeah, I'll tell you...I got a case of North Coast Red Seal Ale, and it was just pretty damned good. I had to race my wife on this one, and I think she drank more of it than I did.

Also...if anyone's in the Philly area, go out NOW and get some of the newly reformulated Yards Philadelphia Pale Ale. Good Lord above, is it good! A very crisp pale ale, about 30% pilsner malt, nicely hopped but not overdone, a fantastic session beer. I'm going to be getting several kegs of this one, I think. Hope they can maintain it in the bottle.

My girlfriend bought me some Anchor "Old Foghorn" for my birthday (on the

26th)... that's good beer!

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Rich, chewy barley wine takes time

Stett Holbrook, Special to The Chronicle Thursday, December 25, 2003

It all started with Fritz Maytag's search for a better tasting ale. Maytag, owner of San Francisco's pioneering Anchor Brewing Co., was dissatisfied with the brewery's first attempts at making ale in the mid-1970s. In search of inspiration, he headed to England, that wellspring of brewing know-how. But Maytag found British ales equally faulty. They were too pale, he said, too mild.

But in one pub he visited he found an ale with the distinct, full flavors he was looking for. It was a barley wine.

Barley wine is an old-style brew known for its big, aromatic flavors, malty character and high alcohol content. Although individual brews vary, barley wines are rich and viscous with toasty caramel flavors. Typically brewed in limited quantities each winter, barley wines make for interesting, often delicious, cold-weather sipping. But with alcohol levels that range from 7 percent to 12 percent by volume, this isn't tailgate party beer. Like ports and sherries, barley wines are best savored after a meal. And like wine, they develop deeper flavors and character with age.

While Anchor's experiments with ale ultimately led to the highly regarded Liberty Ale, Maytag's experience with barley wine led him to introduce his own version in 1976. The powerful brew was named Old Foghorn, a nod to the English tradition of attaching the word "old" to barley wines to denote their old- school roots and the aging many undergo. "Foghorn" gave it a San Francisco touch. Old Foghorn was the first commercial barley wine made in the United States and it helped spark renewed interest in the brew domestically and in Britain, as well.

"We started it," says Maytag. "A lot of people don't realize that. So you'll forgive us if we seem unduly proud."

Anchor also started a subtle bit of label nomenclature here. Look closely at a bottle of Old Foghorn. It says "barleywine." One word. When Maytag first sought label approval for his barley wine from the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, it balked at the use of the word "wine" on something not made from grapes. Recalling a bit of legal arcana, Maytag knew that if the beer was sold only in California, the state would allow him to use a label that hadn't been approved by the feds. To increase his chances with Sacramento regulators, Maytag called his brew "barleywine," running the two words together to hide the offending term. The label read: "Old Foghorn Barleywine Style Ale."

"They bought it," says Maytag. "It worked."

Anchor released its barley wine well before the microbrew revolution of the 1980s. . In the ensuing years, other California breweries introduced their own barley wines, following Anchor's lead and labeling them barleywine. But Maytag noticed these other barley wines were being shipped out of the state. Somehow it became OK to sell outside of California and barley wine began to spread.

Today, there are dozens of barley wines produced here and in Britain. Starting on Feb. 21, 2004, San Francisco's Toronado pub on Haight Street will hold its annual Barley Wine Festival, a weeklong event with more than

40 brews on tap.

Barley wines get their big flavors and high alcohol levels from the use of large quantities of malt. More malt means more sugar and more sugar produces more alcohol. Because it's a heavy beer, breweries typically release it in winter months. Humboldt County's Mad River Brewing Co. released its John Barleycorn Barleywine Style Ale in early November. While not a top seller, the barley wine is a favorite among beer aficionados.

"It's a cult thing," says Brian Baku, Mad River's marketing director. "I love one just sitting by the fire after dinner."

John Barleycorn got its name from a poem by Robert Burns about a man who is killed, ground up and buried, but grows back as barley that's turned into a crowd-pleasing malt beverage. For the last 13 years, the label on John Barleycorn includes a verse inspired by the poem and woodcut art to illustrate the story.

"It's fairly gruesome, but it tells the story of making beer," says Baku.

The brewery made only 450 cases of the ale and aged it six weeks before release. While drinkable now, it will benefit from several months or years of aging. With age, sharp, bitter hop flavors round off, alcohol becomes less noticeable and the ale develops intense, chewy flavors. Many barley wines carry vintage dates for aging, best done in a refrigerator.

Fort Bragg's North Coast Brewing Co. recently released 500 cases of its fourth vintage of Old Stock Ale. Company president and brewmaster Mark Ruedrich calls his brew an old ale instead of a barley wine, a loose distinction. American barley wines generally have higher alcohol contents than their English counterparts and lead with big, floral, hoppy notes. While not low in alcohol, Old Stock Ale is less hoppy that most American barley wines and has a pronounced malt flavor that comes from distinctive Maris Otter malt imported from England.

"It's a huge beer," says Ruedrich. "The beer has loads of character that stretches our perceptions of what beer is."

He recommends serving the ale at cellar temperature (around 57 degrees) and enjoying it like a port, in a wide-mouthed glass. Let it breathe for

10 to 15 minutes before sipping, he says. "It's really amazing how the flavors open up."

While barley wine will probably remain at the fringe of the beer world, interest appears to be growing, if Toronado's festival, entering its 11th year, is any indication.

"There have been more and more people every year," says David Keene, owner of Toronado and founder of the festival. While tasting judges used to set up in the bar, Keene now rents space across the street to make room for the crowds. "The festival certainly brings (barley wine drinkers) out of the woodwork," he said.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Barley wine tasting notes The following are tasting notes for several barley wines available in the Bay Area. Alcohol contents vary from year to year.

Anchor Brewing Co.'s Old Foghorn Barleywine Style Ale -- Hoppy nose and flavors. Lightly carbonated with a rich, reddish whiskey color. Rich and viscous with an off-dry, subtle licorice-root finish. 8.8 percent alcohol by volume. ($14/six pack of 7-ounce bottles).

Mad River Brewing Co.'s 2003 John Barleycorn Barleywine Style Ale -- Strong, malty nose. Medium sweet with balanced hop and malt flavors. Hints of cherry but finishes with a metallic, bitter flavor. Best cellared for several months. The 2002 is well rounded with chewy malt and molasses flavors. 9.5 percent abv. ($10/six pack of 12-ounce bottles).

Sierra Nevada Brewing Co's 2003 Bigfoot Barleywine Style Ale -- Huge floral hop flavor with malt and caramel undertones. Will benefit from aging to soften hoppy edges. 9.6 percent abv. ($6.35/six pack of 12-ounce bottles).

Lagunitas Brewing Co.'s 2003 Olde GnarlyWine Style Ale -- Bitter hops yield to medium sweet midpalate and off-dry finish. Tastes like a bigger, bolder Indian Pale Ale. 9.7 percent abv. ($3 per 22-ounce bottle).

Young's Old Nick Barley Wine -- Medium sweet, big malty flavors with hints of vanilla and cola. Long, smooth finish. Smooth, easy drinking. 7.2 percent abv. ($2.80 for 16.9 ounce bottle).

North Coast Brewery's 2003 Old Stock Ale -- Brash and boozy. Heavy malt flavor with subtle fruit flavors. The delicious 2000 Old Stock Ale shows the benefits of aging. It has an apple and sherry-scented nose and a creamy, rich body. Contains deep flavors with a hint of Concord grape and a finish that suggests sassafras. Cellar for at least six months. 11.4 percent abv. ($10/four 12-ounce bottles).

Rogue Ales' 2002 Old Crustacean Barleywine -- Clean, beery nose with medium body and pronounced hop and caramel flavors. Long, pleasantly bitter finish. This barley wine ages very well. Tasting of a 1997 bottle revealed a sweet, malty nose with light carbonation. Toasty, sweet flavors with a bittersweet chocolate finish. Delicious. 11.2 percent abv. ($3 per

12-ounce bottle).

-- S. H.

Stett Holbrook is a freelance writer in Oakland. You can e-mail him at snipped-for-privacy@sfchronicle.com.

McSpoon's Scotch Ale. But since that's my homebrew, you probably can't get it.

Phil

Well, lessee, there was Tuesday night (last night, at time of this posting): keg Bombardier ale from the UK, cask Leavenworth IPA, and keg Hale's Kolsch. Also popped open a Victory V12 at home.

Tonight, probably beerin' on the patio at a pub that does brewers' nights on Wednesdays.

This weekend, an international beer fest.

I won't even go into what I've got coming up in September. That's gonna rock - or at least it should, if all goes well.

I recently tried some good beers from Colorado: Avery Salvation, Avery Reverend, and Left Hand Imperial Stout.

I had a New Belgium La Folie yesterday.

Best regards, Bill

I second that on the Philly Pale. Had some at their brewery on Saturday. I couldn't believe how good it was. Soft hops and malt and ultra smooth.

Dean, who gave us a tour seemed to pride himself on the fact that none of the 'C' hops are in the beer, straying from that 'West Coast' style. Instead Simcoe and Amarillo are used.

Damn good stuff.

Oh yeah, the Dogfish 90 minute, which was run through a filter tube stuffed with Amarillo hops before it hit the tap was quite good.

Now, what can Randall do for PBR?

As if Amarillo is a nice, subtle, non-citusy hop. ;-)

(Hey, Walt woke up! Wonder if he ever found that apology...)

Smuttynose Big A*S Ale. Had it cask conditioned at my local bar, Andy's in Bogota, NJ about a month ago. It is the best one they have had on the handpump in quite some time. Dangerously drinkable for a 10% beer.

Bruce

Check out Andy's when your in the North Jersey area. Best beer bar in the area.

LOL! I KNEW it! Yeah, you gotta remember the simple beers. Love to drink 'em all afternoon.

I recently tried a Hitachino Nest Red Rice Ale from Japan. It was kinda like a Belgian golden ale lite. Nice beer, but pricey. $4 for a 12oz bottle. It's a good beer, but not THAT good.

nb

Well, I received a nice package in the mail last week. Contained 6 different and very excellent Bieropholie beers: Na Zdravi (Bohemian style pilsner) Bock Emissaire Goldings Indian Ale (all Goldings britishy IPA, very nice) Double Porter IPA Imperial Stout

plus: St. Ambroise Vintage Ale 2001 Saison Dupont Unibroue Edition 2004 (it rocks my world)

Bitch!

Bitch!

BobS

Hey, Larry gave me a ride home, and he's bought me more than one beer. He had it comin'. I might still have another one somewhere, and if I don't, there's plenty besides.

Speaking of that, when were you gonna be at SIB again?

You must have tried the Polish Zywiec then. I love the stuff.

Dave

Dr H wrote:

Bear Republic Racer 5 IPA.

I just got back from California. I didn't get to drink as much beer as I wanted too. We were in some more remote areas most of the time and didn't have a lot of choices. I hit the usual suspects, Hop Ottin and Barney Flats, and they were good.

But the Racer 5 really impressed me. Lots of hops and plenty of malt to back it up. It was the perfect drink after a hot day at Disneyland. I really wanted to try the Hop Rod Rye, but I wasn't able to search out any good stores.

----------------------------------------------------- Pete Clouston Lawrence Brewers Guild