Review: Avery Old Jubilation Ale

An English Strong Ale brewed by
Avery Brewing Company
Boulder, Colorado USA

ABV: 8%

Glassware: Pint Glass

Let the doors of Christmas open up, wow. Pours a dark amber with a nice head that recedes quickly. It smells of Christmas spices and caramel. On first taste it is also quick spicy. The spices never quick leave your lips or palate. It is also quite easy to pick up both the aroma and flavor of nuts and toffee. As I said the spice sticks on your palate for a nice warming feel. A very good seasonal.

My ratebeer.com score: 4

News: Coastal Brewing to consolidate in Del.

According to the Delaware State News Coastal Brewing Co. is moving operations from its Ashburn, Va., brewery to its plant in Dover. The brewer of Fordham and Old Dominion beers says operating two breweries 130 miles apart didn’t make sense. Vice President of Sales and Marketing Casey Hollingsworth says the Ashburn brewery is scheduled to close next year. Employees there will be offered jobs in Dover. The two breweries produce about 30,000 barrels of beer a year. Hollingsworth says the Dover facility can expand and produce more beer than it currently makes.

News: Britons reeling, but few crying into their beer

Britons may be reeling from the international financial crisis, but few are crying into their beer. Beer sales are falling as the economy worsens, defying predictions in some quarters that consumers would buy their brew at supermarkets to escape higher prices at pubs. You can read the full story here. Here is an out take:

The British Beer and Pub Association reported Monday that total beer sales fell about 7 percent in the third quarter — the equivalent of 161 million fewer pints compared with the same period in 2007. Sales of the iconic British pint in pubs have been in decline for years, leading to the closure of thousands of hostelries around the country. Now the association’s Quarterly Beer Barometer reveals that the downturn has broadened to supermarket sales. “The accelerating decline in beer sales is a clear sign of a worsening economy, worried households and weakening spending,” said Rob Hayward, the association’s chief executive. Supermarket and liquor store sales fell 6 percent between July and September compared with the same period last year, slightly behind the 8.1 percent drop recorded for pubs, bars and restaurants.

News: Boston Beer Co. is downgraded

CNN Money is reporting that Boston Beer Co. has been downgraded by Goldman Sachs. The Samuel Adams brewers has been downgraded to “Sell” from “Neutral” due to slower traffic in bars and restaurants and lower expectations for volume growth in the second half of the year.

Read the full story here.

Review: Unibroue Édition 2005 (RETIRED)

A Belgian Strong Ale formerly brewed by
Unibroue (Sapporo)
Chambly, Canada 

ABV: 10%

Glassware: Snifter

Pours black with a nice head that does dissipates quickly. The aroma is grapefruit and dry fruits with a hint of a sour’s sulfur smell. It is bitter sweet and sour all at once. It hits hard in the beginning and starts to mellow as it warms. Worth your sobriety and you really don’t taste it fading away. There is that typical Unibroue taste in there – I can only guess it is in the yeast. avery. very good beer. I am happy I saved a bottle to cellar.

My ratebeer.com score: 4.1

Review: Augustijn

An Abbey Tripel brewed by
Brouwerij Van Steenberge
Ertvelde, Belgium

Glassware: Snifter

ABV: 8%

Poured into a snifter a nice cloudy orange color with a very nice head. The aroma was a high point and full of honey, fruits and spices. It was a lighter body, as a tripel should be but it was still a full bodied flavor. It was a bit overly sweet but still ok and it had a little bitter bite. It also had too much carbonation. No Chouffe Houblon Dobbelen IPA Tripel but very good.

Beer Advocate food pairing suggestions: Cuisine (Mediterranean) Cheese (sharp; Blue, Cheddar, pungent; Gorgonzola, Limburger) Meat (Pork, Poultry) 

My ratebeer.com score: 3.6

Review: Magic Hat Odd Notion (Winter 08)

A Spice/Herb/Vegetable brewed by
Magic Hat Brewing Company
South Burlington, Vermont USA

Glassware: Pint glass

ABV: 6%

Magic Hat was nice enough to send this one out to me this week. This beer pours a cloudy orange with a small and quickly fading head. On first wif I get a lot of honey and some sweet but dried fruits. On first taste I was surprised by the bitterness and happy with the completeness. It is odd because it does start bitter but ends slightly sweet. It was a mediumed bodied beer that stuck around for a bit after tasting. I felt this was a nice late fall beer but wouldn’t be in my normal winter diet. It is a good beer and I wouldn’t mind having a few more.

Beer Advocate food pairing suggestions: Cheese (buttery; Brie, Gouda, Havarti, Swiss, pungent; Gorgonzola, Limburger) General (Dessert, Digestive) Meat (Game)

My ratebeer.com score: 3.2

Offbeat News: Finding God at a beer fest

If you are looking to find God for whatever reason, you may want to start by looking at a beer festival.The Associated Press’ religion writer found him (or her) at the 27th Great American Beer Festival. You can read the full article here.

News: In Utah it is better to smoke then drink a beer

The Associated Press is reporting that tax collections show that beer sales in Utah are falling sharply while cigarette use is on the rise. A report released Wednesday says revenue from beer sales dropped nearly 12 percent in July, August and September, compared with the same time last year. The report follows a downward trend in beer sales that began in 2003. That’s when Utah raised its beer tax, making it one of the highest in the country. Utah charges 41 cents in taxes per gallon of beer. Utah’s cigarette tax is 69 cents a pack. Nationally, the average is $1.18 a pack.

It is also still against the law to home brew in the state of Utah. A change to the law was cycling through the government last year but ran out of time. If you want to read more on the liquor laws of Utah go here.

News: Beer May Have Been a Better Bet Than Newspapers

This one hits me right in the gut. A recent study points out that one would have been better investing in beer, drinking them and returning the bottles for deposits rather then to invest in a newspaper over the past several years. You can read the full story and link to the study here.

Here is some of the math:

Fifty-five half-kegs of Budweiser ($105 each, plus a $75 deposit per keg three years ago) would net you 22 full kegs and $4,125 in deposits after consumption.

Here are some of his results, showing how much money you would end up with today after a $10,000 investment in 2005:

• Media General Co.: $1,833
• Gannett Co.: $1,853
• McClatchy Co.: $647.76
• The New York Times Co.: $4,822.22 (the only winner here over beer)