Beer to Wrestle With

Published on Tuesday, February 23, 2010, by Roxanne Webber / Edit Post

High-alcohol, big-on-flavor beers are getting lots of attention from brewers and beer drinkers right now. San Francisco breweries Magnolia Pub & Brewery and the 21st Amendment even christened February "Strong Beer Month" and served six special beefed-up beers that they'd created. And in Munich, Starkbierzeit—strong beer season—has just started up. So what exactly defines a "strong" beer? Dave McLean, owner of Magnolia Pub & Brewery, says his definition is intentionally broad—any beer over 8 percent ABV—to allow himself more freedom to explore different styles and get creative. Because of the higher alcohol percentages, he explains, you can really "explore the outer reaches of beer flavor via the added structure … additional residual sugar, and more intense fermentation notes." The downside is that if handled wrongly, the beers can be very sweet. In addition to seeing the words strong beer, the term imperial is thrown around a lot. It's just another word for strong or big, "used as a modifier to an existing, less strong style," says McLean. Its use originally applied to stouts brewed in England with strong flavors and higher ABV for export to Russia, hence "Russian imperial stouts." Around the late ’90s, he says, brewers started attaching it to the first wave of double IPAs, to "connect the strong, over-the-top reputation of imperial stouts to this new breed of IPA." At this point, though, he says it's "been stuck in front of nearly every style pretty much to the point of overuse and joke status," noting that the SF Brewers Guild even created a tongue-in-cheek beer it called an imperial common, an intentional oxymoron. CHOW conducted an informal tasting of a dozen strong beers, using McLean's definition of anything over 8 percent ABV and sticking to bigger brands that are easier to get nationally. (All of these beers are available at BevMo!) Of the 12 beers, our favorites included the following, in no particular order:
Oskar Blues Gordon 8.7 percent ABV Imperial Red/Double IPA, about $10 per four-pack This Colorado-craft canned beer was a clear favorite of tasters. It also sparked a debate about its strong marijuana smell and possible subliminal messaging on the can: "can ’o bliss" sounds an awful lot like cannabis. Once people accepted that it was hops they were smelling, this brew was very well liked for the intensely floral, herbal, and hoppy aromas and surprisingly easy drinkability: rich, smooth, and pleasantly bitter.

Rogue Double Dead Guy 9 percent ABV Strong Ale, about $10 per 750-milliliter bottle Tasters thought this Oregon brew was clean and crisp, "kind of like a rubber eraser," and liked its malty flavor followed up with a bitter IPA-like finish. Refreshing enough to even work as a summer beer, noted one taster.

Flying Dog Double Dog 11.5 percent ABV Double Pale Ale, about $10 per four-pack This beer from Maryland-based brewer Flying Dog was found to be balanced and seemed lighter-bodied than some of the others we tried, despite packing the higher ABV. Tasters found it to be apricot-y, hoppy, slightly malty, bright, and sharp. It "goes down round," said one taster. Bonus: Illustrator Ralph Steadman does all the labels for the company's beers.

Avery The Czar 10.82 percent ABV Imperial Stout, about $7 per 22-ounce bottle A favorite among the darker beers we sampled, the Czar "smells of buttery sweet fruit, almost like buttery pears," and "tastes smooth and dense," said a taster. Despite being sweet and heavy, said another taster, it feels like you could actually have more than a few sips. Others liked the fruity, coffee, and chocolate flavors and smells, as well as the lingering flavor.

Dogfish Head World Wide Stout 18 percent ABV Imperial Stout, about $8 per 12-ounce bottle Despite an "overwhelming banana odor," tasters liked this super-high-alcohol stout from the Dogfish Head brewery out of Delaware. There was near unanimous surprise at how smooth-drinking it was for being so boozy. "Tastes like toasted molasses, very warming," said one taster; another was reminded of the classic bananas-and-chocolate flavor combo.

Lagunitas The Hairy Eyeball 8.83 percent ABV Strong Ale, about $10 per six-pack While "No actual eyeballs can actually be found in the beer," tasters did find a nice burnt caramel taste, good carbonation, and a "stouty meets hoppy" flavor that they liked. "It felt like root beer when it first touched my lips, nice, refreshing," said one.

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POST A COMMENT |14 Comments

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  • if it has a good flavour that is all that matters.

    if it is sweet then it will be used to remove odour from my kitchen sink.

  • I agree with Daederik--Hopslam is quite tasty. Recently I visited Wisconsin and found some truly awesome brews there that I cannot get here in Phoenix. Regarding Hopslam, that's probably best, at nearly $17.00 for a six pack I'd go broke! What I can get here is Oscar Blues, the brewer of Gordon and Dales Pale Ale, the latter of which is a my favorite, and in cans to boot.

  • up here in Quebec we've got a few good ones, like Borealae and St-Ambroise, plus a few local pubs that brew their own.

    Regarding the Chef's original post disparaging Bud and the like--while I haven't had either in a while, sometimes, say with an order of sweet potato fries, all you want's a light ale to wash things down with, nothing fancy.

    If I'm just having a beer, I'm a Guinness girl....+READ

    up here in Quebec we've got a few good ones, like Borealae and St-Ambroise, plus a few local pubs that brew their own.

    Regarding the Chef's original post disparaging Bud and the like--while I haven't had either in a while, sometimes, say with an order of sweet potato fries, all you want's a light ale to wash things down with, nothing fancy.

    If I'm just having a beer, I'm a Guinness girl. But a Boreale Blonde goes well with lunch! ;)-COLLAPSE

  • Sadly, Russian River of Santa Rosa, CA was not mentioned. They are brewers of Pliny the Elder and the once a year Pliny the Younger (which was just released this past February). Elder is an 8%ish double IPA and Younger is ~12% triple IPA. Both are absolutely fantastic strong ales.

  • Staying in Ireland right now, I've noticed that most beers (including Ciders) top off at 4.3%. A "strong" beer here would be 6%, but there are very few that go as high as 8-9% but it's not too common.

  • This list is pretty good with the exception of Lagunitas, which never seems to live up to the expectations I set for it.
    One beer that always delivers, keeps me satisfied between beers and does a nice job putting as much alcohol into me as a 4+ beers is, Dogfish Head 120 Minute IPA. Which boasts a mighty 21% ABV, if you haven't tried 120 Minute do yourself a favor and spend the +/- $10 and enjoy...+READ

    This list is pretty good with the exception of Lagunitas, which never seems to live up to the expectations I set for it.
    One beer that always delivers, keeps me satisfied between beers and does a nice job putting as much alcohol into me as a 4+ beers is, Dogfish Head 120 Minute IPA. Which boasts a mighty 21% ABV, if you haven't tried 120 Minute do yourself a favor and spend the +/- $10 and enjoy at room temperature to extract the full symphony of flavors.-COLLAPSE

  • Hooray for Craft Beer! We love that Chicago is on its way to becoming a top Craft City!! So much to enjoy here, along with the heavy hitters, Metropolitan is an exemplary brewery that's not compromising--great lagers all the way, a style that's arguably underappreciated by US brewers.

  • I'm also a fan of big beers and have been for a very long time (even though they have become the current fad, they've been around since I first started tasting beer more than 40 years ago).

    What I am _not _ a fan of is the current trend that places _so much_ emphasis on these bigger, high gravity, "in your face" intensely flavored monster beers. While it is true that the 'big' beers take more...+READ

    I'm also a fan of big beers and have been for a very long time (even though they have become the current fad, they've been around since I first started tasting beer more than 40 years ago).

    What I am _not _ a fan of is the current trend that places _so much_ emphasis on these bigger, high gravity, "in your face" intensely flavored monster beers. While it is true that the 'big' beers take more to make in terms of time and ingredients, speaking as a longtime brewer myself I totally disagree with the notion that a higher skill set is involved in their production. Quite the contrary; actually...brewers can (and do) hide a multitude of sins and mistakes behind these 'bigger' flavors.

    With all the emphasis on Imperial this or Double that, it becomes more and more apparent that a number of the current crop of 'new' brewers should take a hard and serious look at one aspect of brewing that is becoming more and more an ignored or lost art: balance
    .
    A big, full flavored beer can be a real treat and I enjoy them as much as anyone here. But subtlety and balance have a place too, and I think THOSE characteristics represent the real 'craft' in making beer.-COLLAPSE

  • I just had Final Absolution from Dragonmead in MIchigan. It is an ABV of 10%, it was great. I also enjoy the high ABV's from Jolly Pumkin in Dexter, MI.

  • I brew my own beers and have made a few of the high ABV ones my self. It takes time and a lot of know how. And in the end you end up with a much better glass of brew in your hand. Yes the price is a little higher for the store bought brews and they are worth it when you find a real good one or more. I enjoy the thrill of the hunt myself and will always be looking and hunting.

  • If you ever come across Double Dead Guy from a cask, you are morally obligated to partake. It's a winner (though I have no idea where to get it other than last year's WABL cask beer festival in Seattle).

    In Canada, I noticed that beers were labeled as "strong beer" at ABV levels as low as 6%. Anybody know the specific rules for that?

  • In Philly I'm a fan of Victory Brewing Company's Golden Monkey is a wonderful strong beer. A Belgium-style ale with 9.5% abv it is a great way to start the night or finish your day with friends. Whenever you are in Philly, ask for it, you won't be disappointed!

  • I agree with Chef Todd on this (And many other things. He's a good Chef to follow). I frequent a local brewery here as exclusively as I can, and I'll admit I start to stress a bit if I go to a different bar, and all I see are the typical Macro brews on tap. I try not to be too beer snobby, but I can't help it!

    My philosophy with beer goes like this - If I'm not buying some sort of Belgian,...+READ

    I agree with Chef Todd on this (And many other things. He's a good Chef to follow). I frequent a local brewery here as exclusively as I can, and I'll admit I start to stress a bit if I go to a different bar, and all I see are the typical Macro brews on tap. I try not to be too beer snobby, but I can't help it!

    My philosophy with beer goes like this - If I'm not buying some sort of Belgian, German, or English import that isn't properly replicated here in the states, I'm buying a beer from a local brewery to support them. Thankfully, I live in Michigan, which has a ton of class product out there.

    My favorite beer could be in this list of "Beer to Wrestle With". Bell's Hopslam - 10% ABV, Double IPA. Produced only from Jan-Feb here in Michigan, and then shipped from the Mid-West, to some of the Northern/Mid East Coast.

    Top notch beer, and unlike any other of it's style. Starts off a little sweet...not honey like, but a fruity kind of sweet. Hits into a grapefruit like bitterness, and then calms down with a bit of honey and thickness that sticks with you for a bit. If you let it sit till the summer, it becomes less hoppy.

    It also has this really playful and brilliant orange color when you pour it :).

    Careful...the 10% hides itself well, and will make you regret it if you don't respect it.

    Good article though - the more we can expose the fantastic craft brewers that the US has, the better I say! Why just "Settle" for your beer, when you could be drinking something that is made by someone who's life, and passion is making the best quality beer that you've ever had?

    BTW: Keep fighting the good fight. Burn those recipes!-COLLAPSE

  • I don't know how people drink Budweiser or Miller when there are hand-crafted, full flavor beers out there.

    Theses beers make Bud taste like water.

    You can make a strong analogy between the quality of food ingredients and beer ingredients in final products.

    Just like the fact that I try not to buy mass-produced grocery store food items, I try not to drink a beer processed the same way.
    ...+READ

    I don't know how people drink Budweiser or Miller when there are hand-crafted, full flavor beers out there.

    Theses beers make Bud taste like water.

    You can make a strong analogy between the quality of food ingredients and beer ingredients in final products.

    Just like the fact that I try not to buy mass-produced grocery store food items, I try not to drink a beer processed the same way.

    I prefer to reward the farmers and brewers that are putting their personal touch on their products with my money.-COLLAPSE