brew dog blog

A strange combination of beers to say the least — each has become a classic commercial example of its style, by very different means, and in very different categories of beer altogether.  The beauty of the “Life is Beautiful” tag is that it can apply to a range of things, even those as different as Dark German Lager and Golden Belgian Ale.  Ayinger and Russian River have both managed to consistently create incredible, style-defining beers by obsessively sticking to the methods that got them there in the first place.  In some ways, a small town in Eastern Germany and one in Sonoma aren’t that different, after all, and although these beers lack much commonality on the surface, they very much stand for the same things.

I’ve been on a straight up Bock kick, as is evidenced by the goat illustration that recently appeared, and the fact that I’m clearly alluding to Double Bocks/Doppelbocks and Bock beers in general when I talk about how much I’ve gotten into German Lagers.  The logical correlation to intense hoppiness or complex sourness is deep and rich maltiness, and Doppelbocks offer this in spades.  Celebrator is the absolute prototype for the style, offering a dark, ruby red pour with a tan head, and an immediate smell of chocolate, roast, caramel, and just plain savory depth.  The beautiful appearance is matched by a depth of flavor that is unparalleled in most other styles of beer — a killer texture that ends smooth, a lot of body that dries up enough to make it drinkable, and the right amount of carbonation and bitterness to keep everything balanced.  It’s the yeast-scent free, deeper version of a great Porter, the weird German cousin to the heavy stout, or any kind of German Lager gone horribly wrong, to the dark side.  Intensity and balance in one package is difficult to acheive, and Ayinger Celebrator is as sure to please as the plastic goat that adorns each bottle.

When Russian River Beers make it to New York city, they’re always savored.  It’s really the best brewery that makes it out here in trades in many ways, and one of the breweries that, thanks to brewer Vinnie Cilurzo, maintains the bar-raising status of American Craft Brewing on many fronts. We’ve covered some of the IPAs and Sour beers here, and we drank Damnation at our first (and only) tasting, but it hasn’t been written about.  Damantion is Russian River’s “Devil Beer,” or Golden Strong Ale, a style created in the name of Duvel, the famous Belgian Ale with darker roots.  Duvel used to be more of an amber color, and turned Golden to battle the Pilseners — winning by all accounts and forging its own style, leaving a legion of worshippers in its wake, and creating an invincible brand all in one stroke.  Russian River’s size and expertise allow them to maintain Damnation as a more rustic, unpredictable, yeast forward take on the style that Duvel has become famous for.  Pouring a more orange like color with a huge, chunky white head, Damnation is extremely fragrant and bubbly.  There’s honey, orange, and resiny pine on the tongue, and each sip ends nice and dry, making for a dangerously drinkable beer.  There’s a great mixture of yeast and hops on the nose, and the subdued richness of the beer in general is one of its most favorable qualities.  If you can split a botle of this with someone, it’s perfect — just the right amount of evil, but not enough to push you too far.