#celebrator

Bock and Barley 

The world classics are classic for a reason. Celebrator is one of the original dopplebocks. It’s dark and malty in a way that’s hard to describe. The usual descriptors are failing me. It’s not exactly chocolaty. It doesn’t taste like brown sugar or molasses. It’s not sweet enough. Is it bread? No. Is it a cookie? Not quite. Celebrator is only six and a half percent alcohol, so it’s not quite rich and boozy. It’s malty in the best way possible. 

Malt gets short shrift these days, especially here in the States. Any beer nerd can name a dozen hop varieties off the top of their head, but who can name a single species of barley? How was the grain malted? The only thing anyone notes is how dark the malt is, how well it turns to sugar, and then we move on to what you can add to it. 

This was all brought to my attention by Jeff at Beervana. He cites an article in Wired about breeding a better barley. The focus seems to be on converting starch to sugar, consistently, efficiently, and cheaply. But as Jeff pointed out, no one mentions flavor. 

In Europe, particularly among the traditional brewers, inefficient barleys are still prized specifically for their flavor. Maris Otter is an English variety that was nearly lost to the last better barley revolution. But small brewers kept it alive because they prefered the flavor. If you’ve ever enjoyed an English bitter, you’ve tasted Maris Otter. 

Said farewell to a friend.The lids on his eyes shut tight.Family and friends gathered,All wearing murk and gloom,Some are there for coffee, nothing more,Some sing hymns that he won’t hear,Some dishing words on a platter garnished with sugar and spice,Tears well up, last goodbyes. His spirit need not wear a suit—Spandex-like for the next forty,until there’s visible wear,not pre-loved in any…

Page  on the official list

ABV 6.7%

8.5/10

Beer of Germany

This was an internet purchase to enable me to tick another beer off the official list. Drunk in the afternoon.

The book says: This beer enchants the nose with dark chocolate and coffee aromas, hints of dried fruits and nuts. Griny notes, marzipan moments and velvet roasted flavours flatter the palate.

They say:  A beer that has a dominant malty taste. This beer’s origins in a monk’s recipe are reflected in its heartiness. The Pope of Beers, Conrad Seidl, describes it as: “Almost black with a very slight red tone, a sensational, festive foam and truly extraordinary fragrance that at first summons up visions of greaves lard. The first taste is of mild fullness with an accompanying coffee tone, which becomes more dominant with the aftertaste. There is very little of the sweetness that is frequently to be tasted with doppelbock beer.”

I say: Poured a smooth dark chestnut brown with a thin beige head. There was a slighlyt malty aroma, with what was suspiciously reminiscent of Coca Cola. The first sip was a rich malt taste, with a touch of burnt demerara, dried winter fruit and a touch of liquorice sweetness. There was no bitterness and medium carbonation. A good bock, usually too strong a taste, this was easy drinking.

www: https://www.ayinger.de/cms/index.php/celebrator-266.html