He steps up to the podium - Master of Beer, Emperor of Ale, Sovereign of Imperial Stout. A hush falls over the room. All eyes are focused on the tutor, one who holds as many secrets as the City of Ur, the ancient Sumerian city in Mesopotamia where treasures of gold, silver and lapis had been painstakingly excavated with chisel and paintbrush.
We are at the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, celebrating the return of the nationally - traveling exhibit, Treasures from the Royal Tombs of Ur. Ur, located on the Euphrates River in what is now modern-day Iraq, was founded in 6,000 B.C., home of the moon goddess Nanna. By the 3rd millennium B.C., it was the most powerful and prosperous city in Mesopotamia.
This is home to Lady Puabi, Queen and High-Priestess, brewer of beer. Her royal tomb held such treasures as a lapis lazuli, carnelian and gold cape, golden headdress woven of leaves and curling tendrils, ostrich egg drinking bowl of gold and precious gems, and beer drinking straw – fashioned of gold, believed to be the earliest invention of a straw implement used by ancient civilizations. A reverence for beer as a staple of life by an early, civilized nation!
Our beer tasting echoes the Golden Treasures of Ur with the Golden Treasures of the Great American Beer Festival - eight Gold-Medal winners from the 2004 festival held in Denver, Colorado, a stunning expression of dedication to beer by the myriad of beer establishments throughout the United States.
Michael Jackson, aficionado of all-things-beer, is our Master Tutor. In 1981, Charlie Papazian and Michael Jackson had an amorphous vision of a beer festival for the United States, one that could hold-a-candle to the Great British Beer Festival held in the United Kingdom. Papazian recalls Jackson saying, “We probably could or should, but what would we do for beer?”
Now Jackson hails The Great American Beer Festival (also known as GABF) as the greatest beer festival in the world. It has, by far, the most interesting beers globally, and is the “toughest judging festival in the world.” Medal-winners are symbols of excellence in their field, one that is highly competitive, yet bound by a sense of camaraderie.
As we raise our glasses to examine each beer for color, clarity, head, lacing and aroma, our grand tutor gives us a backdrop of historical knowledge about each brew, peppered with anecdotes of his world travels, expert courtroom testimonials, and seduction by some of the best brews he has ever tasted. The atmosphere has an air of light-heartedness, brought on by their mentor who leads with such ease and grace.
We advance from light to dark, from the crisp taste of hops to the rounder sweetness of barleywine and stout, and finally to the most complex in the style of Belgium. We examine our selections for appearance, bouquet/aroma, bitter/sweet balance, mouthfeel, aftertaste, and overall impression/drinkability. I determine that I am a hop-monster, one who can become immersed in the bitter, citric, dry and crisp aroma/taste of the Pacific Northwest.
Overall Impressions – Gold Medal Winners
Tuppers Hop Pocket Pilsner – Old Dominion Brewing Company, Ashburn, Virginia – Glows pale yellow with slight haze, head is a wisp of the ephemeral with delicate lacing, a malt background, yet freshly floral and herbal in aroma. Five additions of hops create a tantalizing crisp lager, perfect as an aperitif.
Kellerbier – Triumph Brewing Company, New Hope, Pennsylvania – Intense gold with cloudy haze, frothy white head with touch of lacing, well-balanced blend of malt and hops with lasting hop bitterness in the back of the mouth. This “cellar beer” is extremely refreshing and highly drinkable.
The Wise ESB – Elysian Brewing Company, Seattle, Washington– Clear, jewel-tones of amber copper are topped with a dense, cream-white head that dissipates to a persistent veil of lace holding emphatically to the walls of the glass. Aroma is of sweet fruit and malt, with softly enticing hop presence. A full, rounded mouthfeel – highly balanced. Cascade/Centennial finishing hops impart a light citric character.
Avery India Pale Ale – Avery Brewing Company, Boulder, Colorado – Amber-orange, like a sparkling morning sunrise with the quality of a precious gem, topped with a huge rocky-white, persistent head and tons of lace. Intense aromas of citric grapefruit and balanced malt seduce you into the glass. Once there, a complex, clean tang dances on the tongue, as the rounded, malt character lingers with delight. Jackson notes, “It is difficult to tell whether this is similar to what the original IPAs were like.” My thoughts are lingering in the glass, begging for more.
Grog – Nodding Head Brewery and Restaurant, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania – Walnut colored brown ale, with a thin ring of head and lovely lacing. The aromas are of smoke, toffee sweetness, and chocolate malt. Smooth and velvet-silk mouthfeel with no trace of hops. Sweet, roasted malt flavors with wisps of chocolate. I could envision an accompaniment with salad and beef.
Stewart’s Barleywine – Stewart’s Brewing Company, Bear, Delaware – Deep Brown hue with almost no head and minimal touch of lacing. Highly complex, sweet aroma of dried, dark fruit, rich malt and wine character. 10.3 ABV makes this a deluxe after-dinner sipper.
Russian Imperial Stout – Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant, Wilmington, Delaware – very dark, almost black with highlights of sparkling chocolate. Aromas of coffee, chocolate and barley, balanced by Chinook and Centennial Hops, making a tantalizing balanced brew. A burnt fruit taste, with roasted coffee and bittersweet chocolate – this is an espresso-like death by chocolate! What a great way to die!
Cuvee de Tomme – Pizza Port & Pizza Port Brewing Company, Solana Beach, California – Deep reddish-brown sweet/sour Belgian-style dark ale with small head. Complex notes of sour cherry, chocolate, rum and raisins permeate the nose. Vinous, brandy-like flavors of licorice, star-anise, cloves, sour cherries, raisins, maple, caramel and chocolate. Liqueurous, syrupy texture, but not too sweet, with the kiss of a warm, dry ending.
As our session comes to a close, the anticipation of excitement lingers, as we move to the Chinese Rotunda, where the Beer Fox meets the Great Beer Hunter.
More to come in Part II - The Beer Fox Meets the Beer Hunter
Cheers!
