Author Archives: bensbrew

Featured Beer: De Proef Gageleer

By bensbrew | Published: May 29, 2012
Featured Beer: De Proef Gageleer Up until recently, I had a serious problem: I was simply not getting enough bog myrtle in my diet. Thankfully, all that ended this week when we brought in bottles of the delicious Belgian beer known as Gageleer. This cloudy yellow beverage is flavored with bog myrtle (aka Myrica gale), and the effect is magical. As unappetizing as it sounds, bog myrtle actually has a long relationship with beer. Prior to the adoption of hops as the key preservative and flavoring agent in beer, much of the world used a spice mixture known as gruit. Gruit commonly contained bog myrtle for its tasty flavor and antiseptic properties. Lochristi, Belgium’s De Proefbrouwerij has embraced that history by creating this delicious beer. Full-bodied and rich, the beer has a heavily spiced, herbaceous aroma akin to anise, orange and myrrh. Slightly bitter and decidedly sweet, this complex sipper is sure to satisfy on its own, but try pairing it with our scallops or brick chicken dishes. Now available on the Monk’s Kettle bottle list!
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18th Anniversary Wood-Aged IPA

By bensbrew | Published: May 25, 2012
18th Anniversary Wood-Aged IPA
Ahhhh, the taste of rarity. We here at the Monk’s Kettle have received what may
very well be the only keg of Great Divide’s 18th Anniversary Wood-Aged IPA in all of
California. But don’t get too hung up on exclusivity; let the liquid do the talking. This
beer is delicious.
Tapped for Monday’s Great Divide beer dinner, you too can now enjoy the tasty
wares of Denver, Colorado’s most respected brewery.
Our chef, Adam Dulye calls this “one of the top three double IPAs I’ve ever had,” and
for good reason. Complex but balanced, this beer won’t rip apart your taste buds.
The considerable hoppiness is complemented by the tannins and woody flavors
associated with four months of aging on French and American oak chips, and the
caramel maltiness goes a long way towards offsetting any abrasive flavors in this
massive beer. Hop bitterness and a pleasant alcohol warmth dries out the beer’s
finish, leaving a dangerously drinkable dose of deliciousness in every glass. Look for
flavors of caramel, oak, grapefruit and black currant.
Mmmm…
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Green Flash / Founders’ “Linchpin” White IPA

By bensbrew | Published: May 16, 2012
Black IPAs are so 2011. This year, it’s all about white IPAs, you see, and we’re excited to have tapped our one-and-only keg of Linchpin White IPA, a collaborative
beer between San Diego’s Green Flash Brewing Company and Midwest favorite
Founders Brewing Company. If you haven’t heard of Founders, there’s a reason.
They may be one of the most lauded breweries within a rapidly growing American
craft beer scene, but the Grand Rapids, Michigan-based brewery does not sell their
beer here in California.
Linchpin represents Founders’ first inter-brewery collaboration, and will likely be
the only taste of their brewing skills you’ll see on the west coast for quite some time.
The beer itself is a slightly hazy, unfiltered hybridization of the Belgian witbier and
American IPA styles. Taking the best of both, the liquid itself has the smooth wheat
character of a witbier and the bright, citrusy hoppiness of a west coast IPA. Round
that out with zippy Belgian yeast character and a long hop bitterness on the finish
and you’ve got yourself a complete package of a beer. Look for flavors and aromas
reminiscent of kiwi, tangerine and pine.
Get here soon—it won’t last long!
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Great Divide Beer Dinner

By bensbrew | Published: April 29, 2012
Another amazing Beer Dinner, this time with Great Divide Brewing Co., from Denver CO.   A PDF of the full menu can be viewed HERE.
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Gerard Boulay Chavignol, Sancerre, Loire, FR 2010

By bensbrew | Published: April 3, 2012
This family domaine of 9ha located in Chavignol can trace its history back to 1380. The land records for that year mention a Jean Boulay as owner of vineyards in Chavignol. At the time, the Clos de Beaujeu in Chavignol was already known for the quality of its white wine which is remarkable since Sancerre was known as a red wine area until after phylloxera. In the 14th century the Clos de Beaujeu supplied the Cathedral of Bourges with white wine. Of the 9ha owned by Gerard Boulay , 8 of the hectares are on the slopes of Chavignol on Kimmeridgian or “terre blanche” soils (actually similar to the soils in Chablis). The wines produced on “terre blanche” are some of the most distinctive and soil-inflected Sauvignon Blancs produced in the Loire, with a delineation and minerality often reminiscent of a top Chablis. Among its top ranks, including some of Boulay 's neighbors (the Cotats, Vatan, Thomas-Labaille), these are gorgeous, ageworthy wines that are a clear step above "regular" Sancerre. Gerard Boulay works the soil manually. The youngest vines at the domaine were planted by Mr. Boulay in 1972. The average vine age is about 45 years old. The wines ferment naturally. He adds no yeast and minimal amounts of SO2. The Sancerre-Chavignol is fermented in tank and undergoes a light filtration before bottling. The Clos de Beaujeu (from a vineyard of 0.75 hectares) is fermented in barrel and bottled without filtration. He described his role as one of “surveillance” to make sure nothing goes wrong. In general he works by instinct, “au feeling” because he wants to “let the wine live” and tries not to interfere with the natural process. “C’est la nature qui fait le vin” (Nature makes the wine).
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Anchorage Brewing’s “Galaxy”

By bensbrew | Published: March 31, 2012
Exploration and innovation have always been hallmarks of mankind. The same spirit that sent pathfinders, like Captain Cook, sailing from Britain to the shores of Australia and the rocky coastlines of Alaska animates today's trailblazers. Wherever you find a frontier, be it the Final Frontier of our Milky Way, the Last Frontier of the Great Land, or the frontiers of scientific knowledge, there you will also find dedicated men and women, taking risks to break trail for the rest of us. One of the new trails being blazed on the frontier of beer is the style known as White India Pale Ales. Galaxy White IPA represents a significant new landmark on that trail. With its use of fresh kumquats, Indian coriander, and black peppercorns, Galaxy pays homage to the early explorers, who sailed unknown seas in search of rare spices and exotic fruits. Captain Cook travelled from Australia to Alaska, and so have the Galaxy hops used to create this adventurous brew. Just as a true explorer never stands still, the presence of brettanomyces guarantees that Galaxy White IPA will keep evolving in the bottle for years to come. So take a step from the known into the unknown. Cross the frontier from the commonplace into the extraordinary. Be the first to gaze upon an undiscovered country and return to tell the tale to those timid souls you left behind. After all, there's an entire Galaxy waiting to be explored… ABV: 7% IBU: 50
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SF Beer Week 2012

By bensbrew | Published: February 8, 2012
Thanks to all for an amazing SF Beer Week 2012!  We were happy to host a few key events (2nd Annual Trappist Dinner; "Sweet & Sour" Valentine; The Bruery Anniversary Series flight; and an Eclipse Bottle Signing with FiftyFifty Brewer Todd Ashman), and take our Beer List to whole new levels.
For those that missed it, be sure to get in on the fun early next year!
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Glazen Toren Cuvée Angélique

By bensbrew | Published: January 14, 2012
Beer made by female members of OPA Aalst (local branch of Zythos vzw) and now released for mothers’ day. The "Speciale Belge" beer style was created in 1904 for a brewing contest that was organized by the Universities of Belgium. The goal was to improve the quality of Belgian beer. The winner was a new style, called "Belge". Due to the success in the contest, a number of brewers decided to brew the style and called it "Speciale Belge". A "Speciale Belge" is pale amber in color (slighly darker than a pilsner) as brewers tried to copy the color of pilsner in a top fermenting ale. Later the color became darker as pilsners became very common to prove that the style is something special. After the second world war, when the quality of life in Belgium increased, several brewers created a "Speciale Belge" with a higher alcohol content, called a "Dubbel Special Belge". The beer has a big body, high effervescence, and a deep caramel flavor. There's a slight amount of yeast based sourness that creeps in to offer balance, with a flavor that reminds of dates or caramel covered apple. Today the "Dubbel Speciale Belge" no longer exists, the current higher gravity beer styles are trappist, abbey ales and so on. Therefore Brouwerij de Glazen Toren decided to recreate this special beer style.
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2009 Domaine Tripoz Macon-Loche

By bensbrew | Published: January 14, 2012

100% Chardonnay from the village of Loche, in the Macon region of Burgundy.  It's a vastly different style of Chardonnay than most people are used to, especially if they have been drinking a lot of riper California Chardonnays.  Made biodynamically by Celine and Laurent Tripoz, from old vines in clay and limestone soils. Done entirely in stainless steel to preserve as much minerality and acidity as possible. A beautifully clean Chardonnay, with sharp green apple, herb (thyme, fennel, fresh grass) and salty notes. Great for lighter fish and poultry dishes, as well as cheese and salads.  A drinker's wine.

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