SF Beer Week 2009: Odds and Ends

A few odds and ends to note for the Beer Week 2009 wrap up. It was great, so many highlights as previously mentioned, but here were a few treats I didn't note:

SF Beer Week Official Beer: Original Albion Ale
This beer has a lot of history, as being the first brewpub in California and the second in the nation. Later taken over by Mendicino Brewing Company, this brewpub followed the spirit of Anchor Steam in the late 70s by resurrecting forgotten beer styles in America and focusing on the craft rather than the mass produced and "drinkable" nature of light lagers. Napasmith now makes this beer, with one of the original brewers, Don Barkley, at the helm. Quite a piece of craft brewing history.

Original Albion Ale
Extra Pale Ale
Nose of toast, biscuit, yeast esters, notably pear and apple. Deep gold in color. Off white, fast dissipating head. Flavor of toast, pear, light orange and lemon. Very delicate, rather dry finish. Almost like a light wheat ale with more hops. 3.6

Homemade Framboise: La Frappe
This was one of the most labor intensive brews I had made, and it has been rapidly approaching its 2nd year since production. A framboise, or raspberry lambic, I used some spontaneous fermentation methods, including a sour mash, ale yeast fermentation, and open fermentation in my closet to pick up some brett. In addition, 7 months in I added 6 pounds of organic raspberries. Bottling after 10 months. I've had this one in the closet for near 2 years now, I wanted to see how it aged. Definitely a treat, this beer has an intense sour and raspberry flavor, with light barnyard and lactic notes. Now only if I could get the haze away and get some more carbonation the next time.

La Frappe
Fruit Lambic
Nose of raspberries, light cherry and sweetness and some funk, light sourness. Deep raspberry in color, very hazy and almost opaque. Very low and dissipating head. Mouthfeel rather creamy and low carbonation. Strong raspberry and sour flavors, with some sweetness in the finish and light lactic quality. Flavors are there, slightly off, but much too creamy and low on carbonation. 2.9






Stone Smoked Porter with Chocolate Cake and Bannana Ice Cream
This was a nice treat after Beer Week was over that I had at Boccadilos. The beer was recommended to go with some smoked salmon. This pairing was fine, but maybe a lighter smoked beer could have gone a bit better, or beer with the usual alder smoked malt to match the salmon. However, when the warm chocolate cake and banana ice cream came out, they really played off each other: cold and hot together, smoke and fruit, sweet chocolate and bitter chocolate-coffee. Lovely.

Stone Smoked Porter
A rich, dark and delicious porter with chocolate and coffee overtones accented by a subtle smokiness from just the right amount of peat smoked malt. Unlike a rauchbier, the "smoke" in Stone Smoked Porter is an ELEMENT of the character rather than being THE character.
Nose of caramel, chocolate and smoke, light roast and coffee. Deep chocolate, close to black but not quite there, off white and dissipating head. Medium body, little light on the palate. Smokiness in the flavor very subdued, caramel and light chocolate are in the forefront, with light molasses, coffee, toast, and hints of dried fruit esters. Finishes on the sweet rather than dry end.. 3.7