Beer Class Notes 9.5.12

**These notes are rich with Links so roll your curser over the article for links to lots more information.**

We investigated how our palate works with different taste sensations by tasting and discussing powdered sugar, salt, citric acid, hops and spicy mustard.

We also did an exercise where salt, sugar and citric acid were blended in water to inspect how the elements balance each other without the context of texture.

The main “take aways” from this exercise are:

• Both food and beverage rely on balances between sweetness, bitterness, sourness, salt/minerality and richness. 
• With spicy food, HOPS drive spice and turn the volume up on the heat.  WHEAT beers and MALTY beers calm heat.                                                                                                               

   -If you did not have the chance to do the exercise in class, please get your hands on Spicy Brown Mustard and taste it with a severely hoppy beer and a Hefeweizen to experience both sensations.

We also tasted two new beers to the menu.

• Lost Abbey Red Barn Farmhouse is new to the main bottle list and is currently available.  Details

• New Belgium/ Alpine Brewing Co Super IPA WILL BE added to the Library List in the coming week. 

We now have many hoppy choices and all for good reasons.  Here is a quick review of the hoppy offerings.

1. Firestone Walker Union Jack IPA-  American IPA focused on gorgeous citrus and floral hops.
2. Dry Dock Double IPA-  World Class DIPA focused on Hops (seven varieties starting with the letter C) 
3. Boulevard Double Wide IPA-  Rich and malty DIPA with beautiful hops to balance.
4. Sierra Nevada Torpedo-  American IPA focused on piney, herbal and citrusy hops balanced with rich caramel malts. 
5. Firestone Walker Wooky Jack-  Black Rye IPA
6. Avery Hog Heaven-  Dank hoppy barleywine/Imperial Red (Columbus hops)
7. New Belgium / Alpine Brewing Co. Super IPA- American DIPA severely hoppy.  
8. Stone Cali Belgique – Belgian IPA

If you are still interested in learning about SPECIFIC HOP VARIETIES and their characteristics, here is the LINK.

We will be looking at broad categories each week so that you will have a greater grasp of all of the choices in given categories of beer.  You can expect to see the following:

• Sour and Wild
• Belgian and specifically sub category of Trappist 
• Cellar List
• British Beers
• Gluten Free Options