Public Service Address
Alright Space City Nerd Readers! After a delay I am back in the saddle again, and I owe all of you a few posts. I am going to play catch up over the next few weeks so please bear with me as I knock out the next few entries. It truly has been a whirlwind of a 6 week period. There have been ups, downs, sideways treks, and I think I may have covered every square inch of Houston. What have I been up to? Well I plan on giving y’all plenty of reading material so I can share my experiences. Please bear with me, as each of these posts will be posted on the same day they are written. I normally like to take a few days to work out any edits that are needed. If there are edits that need to be made I will happily post them as “Edits” in the articles. With that being said…
I would like to present for your review the innagural…
STATE OF THE “BOMBER” UNION ADDRESS – 2016
MY FELLOW BEER NERDS,
There has been much discussion within the beer industry, from not only the consumers but my fellow beer representatives, that the “bomber” market has become inflated to the point that we may see a collapse of epic proportions. I am here to let each and every one of you know….. That this simply is not the case.
In episode 2 of “Breath In, Booze Out!” I argue that not only is the Bomber market strong…. It is growing rapidly in both price and quality categories. We have seen an influx of great brands these past 6 months, and some of them are only available in the Bomber format. (****For those that do not know… a Bomber, or more commonly known as “Elevated Format”, Package is any glass bottle, or aluminum can, sold as a single unit with measurements between 500ml [16 ounces] and 750ml [25.4 ounces]****)
Brands the likes of Cascade Brewing, AleSmith, Funkwerks (yes I know they’ve been available since early 2015), The Bruery, and Cantillon have all registered for and received their label approvals for Texas sale. We have seen variety of availabilities, and prices from each of these ranging from the $8.99 (Funkwerks) – $27.99 (Cascade) per bottle. Now, being in Houston I can only speak for the price points that I have seen, and have no accurate idea of what Cantillon went for at the Jester King release in Austin.
While all these brands have come into the state with fanfare and reverence we seem to have forgotten about how much value there still is in the category of “Elevated Format” beers. Let’s start with Prairie Brewing from Oklahoma. Their “Funky Gold” series has quietly become one of my personal favorites that is available in the marketplace. The base GOLD (funky gold ale aged in Chardonnay Barrels) is friggin’ delicious. It absolutely deserves the 4 star Untappd rating. From there they have made “single hop” releases featuring Amarillo, Mosaic, and Simcoe (totally drinking this one on Saturday). I expect great things from this series if it continues, and the best part is you are only going to light $10 after taxes per bottle. Cost to quality is through the roof.
Clown Shoes has really reinvented itself this past year bring new beers (the Unidragon Series is one of the fastest selling groups of beers in the state) and new artwork to old favorites (I personally love the new Undead Party Crasher Art) to add flair to our favorite retail shelves. With prices ranging from $7.99 – $15.99, on average, there is something for everyone to be found from this brand.
We have also seen a new influx of Imported brands that are really showing with quality and tradition truly mean. Baltika brought the state a true Russian Imperial Stout, rooted in true brewing tradition, in a 500ml bottle for $3.99! I repeat…. $3.99 A BOTTLE! Best part…. it … is… fabulous. Oh, and I don’t really care for stouts much anymore. I think I have finished 6 bottles of this beer in the past few months. It’s one of my current favorites in the category. Even from Belgium we have seen new faces bringing great quality, tradition, and really high ratings at excellent prices. I speak of Abbey du Val-Dieu which is celebrating their 800th anniversary, and the monks have been continually brewing for over 700 years of that time. The modern brewery is owned by the Abbey, but it has been leased by the same family for quite a number of years. The brewing processes they use stray from tradition as little as possible. Quality? Off the charts. Ratings? They average from 94 – 100 points from the Beer Advocate (the Grand Cru Quad rates 98 points from Rate Beer). Price point? Average price for each 750ml bottle is $11.49 in Houston. Seriously. Go check them out.
Now my fellow beer lovers I know what you are all thinking. I have mentioned a few brands, but I haven’t touched on any of the brands produced in Texas. I am ever so happy to oblige you. The following is the average price point (and style counts) for some of the Texas breweries producing Bomber format bottles:
Infamous Brewing (Austin) – 3 styles averaging $9.99/btl
Rogness Brewing (Austin) – 4 to 6 styles (based on availability) averaging $8.99/btl
Texas Beer Refinery (Dickenson) – 2 styles at either $7.99 (Mexican IPA) or $14.99 (Catalyst)
Texian (Richmond/Rosenberg) – 3-5 styles (based on availability) averaging $8.99/btl
Armadillo Beer Works (Denton) 2-3 styles averaging $6.99/btl
Jester King (Austin) 6 styles averaging $7.99/btl
Adelbert’s (Austin) 9 styles averaging $9.49/btl
Those are just the tip of the iceberg as every market as a few breweries the others don’t. However, I submit to you the reader a brewery that has truly changed the way that we as drinkers SHOULD be viewing the bomber market.
REAL ALE BREWING COMPANY
That brewery is Real Ale from Blanco, Texas. What follows is a comprehensive review of their 5 Bomber compliment that retails at $5.49 per bottle…. Per style…. EVERYWHERE. Three of which are former “Brewer’s Cut” releases. ***With this being my first review please remember that I am using the Untappd rating system. All scores are based on a Maximum of 5 stars in .25 star increments***.
THREE LIONS IMPERIAL IPA – 8% ABV
I love the hop build. A simple but complex profile comprised of Amarillo, Simcoe, and Lemondrop Hops that started out humbly as one of the most celebrated “Brewer’s Cut” releases ever. It is bold, yet supple…. Full bodied, but not syrupy. Aromas of pineapple, key lime, and grapefruit hit the nose as flavors of nectarine, grapefruit, mango, and other tropical fruits dance on the tognue. An interestingly light floral finish on the exhale, but bold enough in malt profile to maintain the elegance that has made this one of the crowd favorites over time.
My Rating: 3.75 Stars
THE “RED KING” IMPERIAL RED ALE – 8.6% ABV
Under normal circumstances I find red ales to be tedious as most breweries (much like the Belgian Dubbel) do not take the time to both appreciate and relish the quality, and elegance, of the Red Ale. What has been produced lately is an abundance of “Amber” ales that are trying to either masquerade as, or extinguish, the Red Ale Categoy. Even Killian’s has bowed over time to the watered down version of its former self. All of the Ales now bow to The Red King.
This offering is another former “Brewer’s Cut” that was deemed the Red King by the people who drink it. Clocking in at over 8% ABV this Imperial Red is very well balanced given what the label may lead you to believe. This style finds it roots in England as a “Pub Ale”, and gains its imperial nature, and hop build, from American influences. The Red King pours a brilliant crimson color with aromas of caramel, rose hips, and wine-esque tannin notes of leather and clay. The flavor is elegant with a lightly sweetened malt finish, and is clean on the pallet. The medium bodied (yes you can be above 8% ABV and not be full-bodied) mouthfeel ties all of these elements together. This beer is truly Noble.
My Rating: 3.75 Stars
Real Heavy Scotttish Ale – 9.3%
This interpretation of the Scottish Wee Heavy style is honestly amazing. It truly opens your mind to a style that is dominated by Bellhaven (and a cheaper knock off of the true Scottish Version at that). Caramel, Butterscotch, Dry fruits, Barley, Dry Chocolate, and other hefty flavors overpower the nose while the malt profile completely imposes it’s will on the pallet. I taste various grains, caramel, plum, fig, and peppercorn notes while my tounge wades through a truly full bodied Ale. This beer should be a “must buy” for any malt lover.
My Rating: 4 Stars
Commisar Russian Imperial Stout – 9.8%
As i said above… I am not a fan of the Russian Imperial Style…. However…. I do enjoy this beer. I do not enjoy it in the way I have enjoyed the previous three, but for what this beer is (and the price point is sells at) it is a very strong selection for any beer hunter’s basket. Given time to age (which I feel it could for probably 12 – 18 months in a cellar) it will quite possibly evolve into a velvety full bodied experience that will rival most barrel aged stouts in this category. However it is not without faults.
It has boozy tinge to it without the oak, and the body is not as defined as I would prefer it to be for coming directly out of a cold box. The lack of wood tannins is allowing the boozy flavor to run a bit amook. I do find that as a bit of a turn off. The characteristics for a truly exceptional ale are all there though. The booziness will lend to being velvety after aging, and the body will become fuller over time. It has wonderful chocolate notes right out of the store, and the aroma is exquisite. The roasty nature of the malt build is doing what it can to balance it out, but it needs time.
I truly believe that this beer, from a flavor standpoint, will become what the nose encapsulates. This is a beer to age, and at the $5.49 bottle cost you can afford two. I am going to cellar three bottles for an aging vertical over the next year to prove this point. I will revisit this brew a year from today to see how aging affects it, and I am looking forward to great things. The trade value on an aged bottle of this in an “out of state trade” could rival that of Pliny the Elder or some of the Dragon’s Milk Variants. Approximately $20.00
My Rating: ***Writers Note*** I feel if I rate this beer now it will be unfairly judged. The Average Untappd Community Rating is 3.91 Stars on a weighted score of 3,761 ratings as of this posting. I have rated this beer on draft in the past at 4 Stars. I will give a fuller rating on the aged vertical I am going to start next year.
The Black Quad – 10.5% ABV
Sweet…. Baby… jesus….
Ok on a personal note…. I really hate Real Ale for this one, and I say that with all the love I could possibly have for a beer. Holy crap I love this beer. For those who claim to not like Belgian Ales…. YOU NEED TO TRY THIS BEER! Just give it a try once… just once. It will change your view of the Belgian Quad category from both Price and Quality. Real Ale’s Black Quad is quite possibly the best intro-level Quad in the Texas Marketplace.
The Black Quad was one of the fastest selling “Brewer’s Cut” beers, and it was traded around inside of Texas for decent value. Now that it is a year round beer we all need to send “Thank You” cards to the brewery.
Ok I might be overreacting, and marking out just a bit for this beer. However, if I had to put a 5-beer Belgian Quad flight together right now from the ones available in Houston that flight would have to be as follows:
- Adelbert’s Flying Monk
- Abbey Val-Dieu Grand Cru
- La Trappe Quadrupel
- Trappist Rochefort 10
- Real Ale Black Quad
Yep… 2 Trappists, the oldest Cistercian Abbey in Belgium, and possibly the two of the best three Quads made in Texas. (The third would Be Copperhead’s Medusa. Copperhead Brewing is located in Conroe).
Let me break down this beer for you.
Nose: Notes of Dates, Prunes, dried Apricots, and heavy notes of Stone Fruits. Some spice notes, but no roastiness.
Color: Opaque black
Mouthfeel: Silken, but still unrefined. It is a $5 Quad afterall. Full-bodied but not overbearing.
Flavor: The roastiness is on the pallet. Notes of smoked Figs and Dates combined with intense caramel malts with deep dried apricots, prunes, and fresh ground peppercorn spice all lead to an intensely dry and mysterious finish.
Age Curve: Projected cellaring for 3-5 years post bottling. Yes I know that it is force carbonated and not bottle conditioned, but this beer has the malt profile to age for that time. Over the aging curve I expect this ale to dry out even further while concentrating the Dried Fruit notes.
My Rating: 4.25 stars
The trade value on this beer is going to be really high, but only if you head out of state with it. The original release was “Brewer’s Cut 002”, and if you have the chance to trade for a bottle of it I would heavily suggest doing so.
In conclusion….
I have composed myself from the “Fanboy Nature” that is my love of the Belgian Quad Style. I hope that this article puts to rest any concerns that you as consumers may have over the stability and state of the bomber market here in Texas. I see nothing but great things, and more retailers opening up their doors to the style as the number of available beers begin to increase yet again inside the format.
Oh and one more thing…. If the Bomber market was in that bad of shape then why does Spec’s, HEB, and Whole Foods continue to dedicate so much shelf space to the category. Not only in existing stores, but newly opened ones as well.
Thank you all very much, and I shall see you next year with the 2nd Annual “State of the Bomber Union” Address.
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Did I miss anything, or leave out an important piece of information?
Do you not agree with my opinion?
WELL LET ME KNOW ABOUT IT!!!
Hit me up on Twitter with any questions, concerns, or comments! @Das_Bier_Dude is where you can find me.
As always,
Thanks for reading!
Eric Andreas
Untappd – Gevetyn
Twitter – @Das_Bier_Dude
***Credit for all technical information used in the brewery review goes to Kyley Pitts from Real Ale Brewing***
