Ithacork

Malt Monday: Flower Power

Ithaca Brewing Company Flower Power IPA

Style: India Pale Ale
Color: Amber
ABV: 7.5%
Price Point: $8 for 6-12 oz bottles
Technical Notes:
From the Ithaca Beer Company Website: “Enjoy the clover honey hue and tropical nose. Simultaneously Punchy and soothing with a big body and a finish that boasts pineapple and grapefruit. Flower power is hopped and dry-hopped five different times throughout the brewing and fermentation process.”

Hedonic notes:

The pour is a rich amber color with a slightly off white foam. The carbonation persists at an appropriate level throughout the tasting though the foam dissipates in a few minutes.

A strong citrus hop aroma dominates and is clearly composed of Amarillo hops. A pine scent floats around faintly in the hop scents. Very slight honey malt notes rest in the background.

Citrus/floral hop flavors dominate the palate. A sweet grapefruit and grassy note characteristic of Cascade hops forms the middle of the hop flavor, followed by an almost pungent or spicy, earthy lingering finish reminding one of Columbus hops. A light malty sweetness balances slightly, but does not disrupt the hop flavor and does not linger.

The mouthfeel is somewhat light despite the low yet appropriate level of carbonation. Mouthcoating bitterness lingers as a reminder. One would never guess that this beer is 7.5% alcohol.

This beer is quite delightful to drink overall. As far as American IPAs are concerned, this is a very good example. The clear dominance of Cascade and Amarillo (Amarillo is often described as a “super cascade”) hops imparts a clear citrus flavor and aroma that clearly places this beer in the American style category. Though not as balanced as some, the malt flavor is present merely to mask undesirable aspects of very high hop beers, allowing the beer to showcase the pleasant side of the selected hops. That said, it is perhaps not the most drinkable beer for those who do not enjoy IPAs as it is quite bitter (Ithaca Brewing Company reports 75 IBUs). Within its style, however, Flower Power is a great example of an American IPA that is able to showcase citrus characteristics of hops.

Rating: 4/5 Corks. This beer is a prime example of an American IPA.

History!

This week’s review was published to commemorate Ithaca Brewery’s Flower Power IPA making it to the top 8 in Brewing News’ Third Annual National IPA Championship. Flower Power made it to the final four last year so it should show well this year. I will depart from the usual format of beer and science to instead discuss beer history.

The pale ale style finds its origins in the mid 1600s, when malters began the practice of using coke fired kilns to dry the malt. Prior to this point, malt was difficult to dry properly to create a pale grain. Moreover, these ale styles demanded a harder water than was typically available. Lacking sufficiently hard water, London is known more for its brown ales and the pale ales never caught on in Colonial America. American Colonists used their cheap pale malt to make lagers, which would become the dominant style of American beer for some time.

The need for hard water meant that Burton-on-Trent became the epicenter of pale ale production, where brown ales remained the dominant beer in London. Today, Bass beer (brewed in Burton-on-Trent) is a good example of this style. The high sulphate concentration brings out the hop flavors. Addition of gypsum was discovered to emulate this effect in other water sources, bringing about pale ale production in London in the late 1700s.

In most of Britain, pale ale and bitter are synonymous words (except in Burton-on-Trent, where it denotes their unique local style). A number of brewers in Britain lost their export licenses to Russia (a huge beer market at the time) in the late eighteenth century, causing the consolidation of a number of well known pale ale breweries in the area. Reeling from the loss of a large market, brewers pursued contracts with the British East India Trading Company.

One of the first brewers to win a British East India contract was Samuel Allsop and Sons Brewer located in Burton-on-Trent. Allsop made a pale ale in the style of Hodgson, a previously famous London pale ale that had failed due to the loss of the Russian market. The beer was very light with a stronger hop flavor than most pales of the time. It is unlikely that this beer was much stronger than the contemporary bitters, though it was hopped more aggressively. These beers were fermented to a very low residual content, creating a very dry flavor and mouthfeel.

It happened that the Indian market very much enjoyed this beer. Its lighter taste made it well suited for the warmer climate and the bitter flavor appealed to customers. The legend that the beer was developed as a high alcohol and high hop beer for the lengthy sea voyage to India is probably not true. Porters of the time survived the trip despite higher residual sugars and lower alcohol content than IPAs of the time. It is sometimes said that these beers would be infected with Brettanomyces during the voyage, resulting in the characteristic horse blanket flavor.

The birth of the modern American IPA would not be until sometime after the British IPA was well established. In the early 1990s, with the rapid growth of the American craft brewing industry on the west coast, the American IPA as we know it today developed gradually. Availability of American hop varieties (Cascade, Centennial and Willamette most notably) enabled brewers to make the distinctly citrus aromas that are characteristic of American IPAs.

Cascade hops (photo by michaelstyne on Flickr)

Invention of the Double IPA marked the formalization of the American Style IPA. In 1994, Vinnie Cilurzo (now of Russian River fame) made a mistake in producing an IPA while working at Blind Pig Brewery. He accidentally added 50% too much grain, and made up for the balance by adding double the hops. It should be noted that some often credit this invention to Rogue Ales’ I2PA, first brewed in 1990, which followed a similar formula of increased malt and hops.

American IPAs have relied on the development of super hop strains that provide sufficient bitterness. While Cascade, Centennial and Willamette provide great aroma, varieties like Warrior and Chinook lend a bittering kick to any beer. More recent developments (called super alpha hops) like Summit, Tomahawk and Apollo have enabled American brewers to take the IPA and double IPA to a new level of bitterness.

Further Reading:

Bamfroth, Charles. Beer: Tap Into the Art and Science of Brewing. Oxford University Press: Oxford. 2009.

Daniels, Ray. Designing Great Beers. Brewer’s Publications: Boulder, CO. 2000.

Woolsey, David Alan. Libations of the Eighteenth Century. Universal Publishers. 2002.

Comments 0 | 8 March 2010 | Posted in Tasting Notes

Tagged in: 4 corks, beer, ipa, malt monday, Richard Pliny

Malt Monday: X Marks the Spot

Middle Ages Brewing Co. X Imperial India Pale Ale

Style: Double Pale Ale
Color: Amber to Red
ABV: 10%
Price Point: $10 for 22oz
Technical Notes:
From the Middle Ages Brewing Co. Website: “Brewed in the style of an American Double IPA in celebration of our 10th anniversary. This beer is golden in color, has medium to full body, intense hop bitterness, flavor and aroma. Ten additions of American hops are made throughout the brewing process.”

Hedonic notes:

The beer pours a deep red with a slight orange hue. A slightly off white head forms and persists for some time.

Citrus hop notes dominate the aroma and are joined by a faint pine/grass like hop scent. Sweet malt smells are reminiscent of caramel and form the backbone of the aroma.

As in the aroma, citrus hop dominates the palate. A slight earthy hop note is present, in addition to a slightly stronger pine flavor than is present in the smell. Sweet malt flavors are largely caramel-like and balance the hops very well.

The beer is medium bodied and has an appropriate level of carbonation for a double IPA. Despite the strong malt flavors, the mouthfeel is not too sweet. There is very little hint of alcohol though the beer is 10%.

Overall, Middle Ages’ X IPA is a very well-balanced beer. It is not as aggressively hopped as many other double IPAs, but the bitterness is rounded out very well with malty sweetness. The hop notes are largely citrus and pine/grass, with less earthy notes. This nearly single aspect of hop flavor makes the beer seem a bit one-dimensional, but the properly proportioned malt flavor works to compensate for this shortcoming.

Rating: 2.5/5 Corks. Though very well balanced and drinkable, the beer does little to set itself apart in a sea of American IPAs.

Science!
Hops are generally added to beer for two reasons: aroma and bitterness. These components come at different stages of the beer brewing process.

Isomerization reactions in the boil process make hop oils soluble and have profound consequences for beer flavor. During the boil process, humulone reacts to form isohumulone, which is far more soluble. One key difference is the absence of the aromatic ring structure, which makes the compound more stable in solution with water.

Beer bitterness is measured using international bitterness units or IBUs. One IBU corresponds to one part per million (microgram per liter) of isohumulone. This figure is typically measured using spectrophotometry or liquid-liquid extraction. The precise value of this measurement is often of little importance since a malty flavor easily mask the bitterness.

Typical bitterness levels for India Pale Ales is often in the range 40-60 IBUs. Double or imperial IPAs represent a wide range from 60 to 120 IBUs. Most wheat beers are under 20 and lagers tend to be in the range of 10 to 30 IBUs. These figures are in accordance with Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP) guidelines that define style parameters.

Breakdown of these compounds is often blamed for stale flavors in beer. Decomposition of isohumulone in the presence of oxygen and sunlight results in the formation of 3-Methyl-2-butene-1-thiol. This compound imparts a distinct stale taste and skunky odor.

Other soluble compounds from hop oils are responsible for a substantial portion of the beer’s flavor profile. Efforts to characterize the precise flavor contributions and taste thresholds hold promise for further understanding of the fundamental mechanisms of the brewing process. Additionally, such knowledge enables brewers to very accurately plan the precise flavor profiles of beers. Characterization of these compounds also has applications in beer haze and foam stability.

Further Reading:

Fix, George. Principles of Brewing Science. Brewers Publications, Boulder CO: 1999.

Pozdrik, Richard, Roddick, Felicity A., Rogers, Peter J., Nguyen, Thang. Spectrophotometric Method for Exploring 3-Methyl-2-butene-1-thiol (MBT) Formation in Lager. J. Agric. Food Chem. 53(17): 6123–6129. 2006.

Weiss, A., Schönberger, Ch., Mitter, W., Biendl, M., Krottenthaler, M., Back, W. Sensory and Analytical characteristation of reduced, isomerised hop extracts and their influence and use in beer. J. Inst. Brew. 108 (2) 236:242. 2002.

Comments 1 | 1 March 2010 | Posted in Tasting Notes

Tagged in: ipa, malt monday, Richard Pliny, Tasting Notes

Malt Monday: Striking Gold

Ithaca Beer Company Excelsior! White Gold

Style:“Rustic Pale Wheat Ale”
Color: Pale to Amber
ABV: 8%
Price Point: $10 for 750 mL
Technical Notes:
From the Ithaca Beer website: “A Belgo-American Ale brewed with domestic barley and French wheat malts, the finest Continental and U.S. grown hops, and fermented with Belgian, English and Wild yeasts.” Bottle-conditioned.

Hedonic Notes:
The beer pours dark gold and opaque with thick white foam. Very effervescent with bubbles rising through the glass throughout the tasting. There is a good amount of yeast at the bottom of the bottle, as one would expect from a bottle-conditioned wheat beer.

Lemon zest and citrus notes dominate the aroma with a slight bit of funk almost akin to {Brettanomyces} horse blanket. A slight earthy, hoppy smell is present along with a traditional Belgian clove taste.

Citrus pervades the palate to start, reinforced by a wheaty maltiness. Initial flavors subside to a faint lingering sour taste. The finish is drier than expected for a wheat beer. A slight acidity may be perceived initially, possibly due to the high carbonation. Also, this beer surprisingly lacks any solvent-like taste despite being 8% alcohol. Its dry mouthfeel with a great deal of carbonation creates a Champagne-like texture.

This beer is fairly palatable overall, with no single flavor overwhelming. That said, the balance almost makes this beer boring. Though the label says English yeast it’s not easily discernible, with any sweetness being dominated by the clear Belgian presence. Belgian yeast flavors (fruity ester and spice) dominate the first flavors while lingering flavors are almost sour in composition.

Rating: 3 out of 5 corks . With regard to other wheat beers, White Gold sets itself apart, almost reminding one of a Berliner Weisse.

Science!

Wheat beers are traditionally left cloudy and have a thicker mouthfeel. This is due in large part to high protein content, but also to elevated beta-glucan levels. Glucose monomers may be linked together between the 1 and 4 carbons in one of two conformations (α-1,4-glycosidic linkage). As seen below, alpha conformations are formed when the oxygen atom attached to the number 1 carbon pointing downward, beta conformations see this same bond pointing upward.

The difference may look subtle, but the beta connection is the reason cows need 4 stomachs to digest grass, while starch begins breaking down in plain old saliva.

Polymers of beta-glucans are akin to cellulose, while alpha-glucans include starch. Barley malt contains a very high proportion of alpha-glucans, while wheat contains a large fraction of beta-glucans. The primary difference of concern for beer brewers is the ability to break down these sugar structures. Amylase enzymes (to be discussed in more detail in a future post) are able to break only alpha glycosidic bonds.

Being more easily broken down, alpha-glucans yield simple and highly soluble sugars that may be metabolized easily by the yeast. By contrast, beta-glucans can not be broken down by the barley enzymes that enable the mashing process, resulting in complex sugar structures in the wort. These sugars help to contribute to the often sweeter final taste, relatively high final gravity, and increased viscosity prior to fermentation.

These sugar structures also have consequences for the beer production process. Studies have shown that increased beta-glucan concentration and molecular weight result in increased viscosity of the fluid. Even in low concentration ranges, there is a noticeable increase in viscosity. This change in viscosity may make it more difficult to drain the wort from the grains in the lautering or sparging process.

Further Reading:
Jin, Yu-Lai; Speers, Alex; Paulson, Allen T. and Stewart, Robert J. “Effects of Beta-Glucans and Environmental Factors on the Viscosities of Wort and Beer.” Journal of the Institute of Brewing. 2004.

Daniels, Ray. Designing Great Beers. Brewer’s Publications: Boulder, CO. 2000.

Comments 1 | 22 February 2010 | Posted in Tasting Notes

Tagged in: 3 corks, beer, malt monday, Richard Pliny, Wheat Beer

Chambourcin for my real friends, real boursin for my sham friends…?

Pinnacle Ridge Winery Chambourcin Reserve 2007

I lost the picture of this bottle, so here is the 2004 vintage label. It was the same for the 2007 vintage.

Appellation: Lehigh Valley (Pennsylvania)
Grape: Chambourcin (pronounced sham-bor-SAN with that uppity French nasal “in” sound)
ABV: not determined (labeled “table wine”), but given Brix at harvest, I would guess around 13%
Price Point: $16
Closure: Natural cork

Technical Notes: {Brix} at harvest: 23.5-24. pH: 3.95, TA 6 g/L after malolactic fermentation and stabilization with potassium carbonate. Destemmed, pumped into bins and inoculated. Extended maceration (3 weeks) with punchdowns. 16 months in Hungarian oak. (Thanks to Pinnacle Ridge owner Brad Knapp for the detailed info!)

Hedonic Notes:
Pours a dark ruby red. Whoof, smoky oak on the nose. A little {heat}, with some raspberry fruit. There is just the slightest sulfur off-aroma on the nose, like opening a hard boiled egg. In the mouth, light and fruity if a bit thin, with slight {astringency}. It’s got a very short finish, but acidity lingers long after. When I approached this wine the second day, it was already badly {oxidized}, which I would attribute to some Acetobacter. The relatively high pH of this wine (close to 4) makes it susceptible to spoilage in the presence of oxygen.

Rating: 2 out of 5 corks .

When I was back home in PA between Christmas and New Year’s, my friends and I went for a tour of the Lehigh Valley Wine Trail. I have to say that I was impressed with many of the wines that I tasted that day (I came home with about 2 cases…). Pinnacle Ridge particularly impressed me, showing a great “Naked” Chardonnay, good sparklers (one made from Cayuga White), and other nice wines, including Riesling and Pinot Noir. Unfortunately, this Chambourcin didn’t show so well for me outside the tasting room, but if you are around Kutztown, I highly recommend stopping by Pinnacle Ridge.

Science! Grape Profile: Chambourcin
The parentage of this French-American hybrid grape is uncertain, as breeder Joannes Seyve died leaving no notes, apparently having wildly interbred all kinds of grapes without documenting the results. It is listed in the National Grape Registry as Seyve-Villard 417 x Seibel 7053, and was released commercially in 1963.

Chambourcin is promoted highly on the Lehigh Valley Wine Trail as its signature grape. If you know the hybrids produced up in the Finger Lakes, then Chambourcin may not be as familiar as Cayuga White, Seyval, Foch and others. That’s because it’s not grown extensively in the Finger Lakes.

In terms of hybrids, Chambourcin is not well-suited for the Finger Lakes because it is relatively cold-tender, with tissue damage occuring anywhere from 0 F to -5 F (compare to DeChaunac’s -15F). Pennsylvania, especially the southeast corner, is warmer than New York, with fewer extremely cold days and more frost-free days, so it’s a bit of a safer environment for Chambourcin vines.

Chambourcin is one of few hybrid grapes that still exists in France, along with Baco Noir, Seyval Blanc, and a handful of others that survived the Order 66-like purge of American hybrids from France in the mid-20th century. It’s predominantly found in the Loire Valley, but you won’t find it in any of the top-quality AOC wines, at least not legally. It turns out that this grape is handy to have around, though, since it produces monoglucoside anthocyanins. Why is this important?

Example of a vinifera anthocyanin, with a sugar in the 3- position. Diglycosylated anthocyanins also have a sugar in the 5- position. Figure "borrowed" from G. Sacks, Cornell University.

Red hybrids are generally high in anthocyanins, the compounds that give red wine its color. Often, these have sugar groups conjugated to them to improve solubility. Many hybrid varieties add TWO sugar groups, creating diglycoside anthocyanins. Vinifera grapes only add one sugar, leading to monoglucoside anthocyanins. The test for mono vs. diglucoside anthocyanins is relatively simple (thin layer chromatography, or TLC) and can be used to determine if a wine has been “adulterated” with “inferior” hybrid grapes (e.g., unfit for AOC classification). However, since Chambourcin’s anthocyanins are monoglycosylated, they are difficult to distinguish from those of European vinifera grapes, at least at first pass. So, if you were a French winemaker and your wine needed a little color, for example…. ah, perhaps I have said too much.

Further Reading:
Wine Business Monthly overview of Chambourcin
Detailed info on Chambourcin from Iowa State
Article from the New York Cork Report on the connection between mono- and diglycosides and foxy aroma
Review of more-advanced wine adulteration analysis: García-Beneytez et al., “Analysis of Grape and Wine Anthocyanins by HPLC-MS”, J. Ag. Food Chem., 2003.

Comments 7 | 20 February 2010 | Posted in Tasting Notes

Tagged in: $15-20, 2 corks, 2007, chambourcin, color, hybrid, lehigh valley, pennsylvania, winter-hardy

From out of the bleu

Ithaca Beer Company Excelsior! Le Bleu

Style: Wild American Ale with Blueberries
Color: A translucent red stream leaps from the bottle, recalling a Lambic almost instantly. Pinkish foam forms with large bubbles and dissipates quickly.
ABV: 5.0%
Price Point: $17 (Note: this beer was very limited production. I am told that it is sold out. -Ed.)
Technical Notes: Fermented with Brettanomyces and finished with champagne yeast. Blended from several sour beer barrels.

Hedonic Notes:
Bubbles rise up the length of the glass and seem to spring forth out of the glass as the beer sits. A sour smell dominates the aroma, calling up images of {Brettanomyces} and {Acetobacter}. Hints of blueberry and champagne appear in the background. Slight red fruit scents are present throughout and mask blueberry notes.

The first sip is very sour initially and fades into sweetness. Faint blueberry notes are masked yielding to Brett horse-blanket. Blueberry mingles with and is virtually indistinguishable from red fruit in a sweet finish. The precise balance of Brett sour and fruity sweet make for an almost sour fruit candy taste. Indeed, the funky flavor of Brett does not overpower any single characteristic of the beer, merely reminding the drinker of its presence. Champagne notes form an ever-present backbone, conjuring images of a sparkling fruit wine. Very high levels of carbonation combined with a specific sweetness make for a champagne mouthfeel.

The beer is light overall, but the effervescence makes it easy to overlook the nuances of its body. The technique using Brettanomyces, and a variety of barrel aged samples is characteristic of Lambics. Indeed, the flavor reminds me a great deal of Lindeman’s brews, a delightful balance of sweet and sour. As an aside, the Wild American Ale category is largely underdeveloped and it is nice to see a brewery pursuing an often overlooked category. The beer, as most of the Excelsior! brews, is very well balanced. Surprisingly, the beer offers a distinct Brettanomyces flavor without being off-putting. It is magnificently palatable overall, and like the aforementioned Lindeman’s beers, may form a delightful introduction to beer and wild beer for the uninitiated.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 corks .

Science!
Prior to the advent of defined yeast strains and careful genetic management, brewers of wine and beer often used blending techniques to produce consistent and reliable final products. The techniques of blending select not only yeast strains for desirable qualities, but involve the mixing of young and old beers or wines with very different characteristics and compounds in solution, exposing old microbes to new materials.

Microbes may exist in solution or on the surface of the fruit (many wild yeasts reside on the skins of fruit), but rely on molecular diffusion for sugars and nutrients to reach the cells. Compounds must diffuse through the fruit’s cellulosic matrix to reach the yeast cells. In the case of Lambics, fermentation may demand up to three years to completely mature.

Depending on the time of year and immediate conditions at the time of brewing or preparing grapes (especially the amount of time since the last rain), different wild microbes may infect the wort or must. Add in the very long maturation time and these fermentations require either very precise control of the fermentation process or a number of different permutations of a particular fermentation, each with different flaws and strengths.

Mixing these different permutations has the potential to produce a consistent and desirable product. The often unpredictable nature of fermentations necessitates such approaches in large-scale endeavors. Mixing old beer with young beer (a three year and one year fermentation is often used when making Gueuze) reinvigorates fermentation. Certain oxidative yeasts (Brettanomyces, most notably) take a very long time to ferment completely, often in excess of 8 months before the yeast fully start autolyzing and/or falling out of solution.

For comparison, Saccharomyces are bred to be rapid fermenting yeasts and typically finish their work in two weeks before they start dropping out of solution and begin fining the product. Some other participants in the fermentation process (e.g. Pediococcus taking up to 4 months) also are slow fermenting, necessitating long maturation times. Most bacteria in wild fermentations, however, tend to work very rapidly and play little role in aging. Indeed, it is very often that the dominance of the bacteria reproducing very quickly that makes controlling the process difficult and introduces undesirable flavors. Blending different vintages is almost always necessary in making wild ales that are consistent and perhaps merely even palatable.

Further Reading: Sparrow, Jeff. WildBrews: Beer Beyond the Influence of Brewer’s Yeast. Brewer’s Publications: Boulder, CO. 2005.

Comments 0 | 12 February 2010 | Posted in Tasting Notes

Tagged in: 4.5 corks, beer, fruit beer, ithaca, Richard Pliny, wild ale

Gewürztraminer? I barely know her!

Sheldrake Point Gewürztraminer 2008

An Alsace-style bottle with an aesthetically pleasing AND informative label (info not shown, but trust me, it's there...)

Appellation: Finger Lakes
Grape: Gewürztraminer
ABV:13.6%
RS: 0.5%
Price Point: $18
Closure: Natural cork

Technical Notes: Tons of info, courtesy of the website. Bravo to Sheldrake for transparency and geek info! TA: 6.3 g/L, pH: 3.53. Hand harvested at 23.2 Brix, 6.7 g/L Ta, 3.7 pH. “The fruit was destemmed, cold-soaked for three [days]. The cold settled juices were racked to fermentation tanks two days later. All lots were fermented using Epernay II yeast at 60-63 F with tartaric acid additions for pH control. The free run lot fermented for 39 days and was stopped at 0.5% residual sugar; the press fraction fermented for 70 days to 0.5% residual sugar. The free run and press fraction lots were combined to become the varietal Gewurztraminer.”

Hedonic Notes: Rosey on the nose with peach and fleshy fruit. On the palate, bold and concentrated. Excellent balance of flowery and firm fruity aromas (something I definitely look for in Gewürztraminer. Often one finds a bunch of flowers transforming an ordinary bottle of wine into grandma’s perfume collection. Not so in this case.) This wine is packed with flavor and a great example of a grape that has been living in the shadow of Riesling in this region.

Rating: 4 out of 5 corks . Great stuff, one of my favorite wines of 2009.

Science!
One of the defining aroma characteristics of Gewürztraminer wines is the characteristic rose/lychee aroma. In fact, in some blind tastings, people will say “lychee” if they think a wine is Gewürztraminer, whether they have actually seen or eaten a lychee or not. I have had lychee juice (you can get it at the grocery store, probably in the Asian section) and it’s a pretty good descriptor for Gewürztraminer.

Lychee fruit, a member of the soapberry (...?) family

The chemical compound responsible for this lychee aroma is cis-rose oxide, so called because it is also found in rose oil. A study from 1999, done at the Cornell Extension in Geneva, showed that lychee fruit and Gewürztraminer share many aroma compounds in common, including cis-rose oxide (Ong and Acree, “Similarities in the Aroma Chemistry of Gewürztraminer Variety Wines and Lychee (Litchi chinesis Sonn.) Fruit“, J. Ag. Food Chem., 1999).

cis-rose oxide

For the most part, perception of cis-rose oxide is unique to wines with Muscat/Gewürztraminer parentage. It’s considered a primary aroma, meaning it is found in the grapes themselves and not strictly a product of fermentation. However, during fermentation, yeast can also hydrolyze some terpene precursors to create more of the compound, so fermentation definitely contributes to the aroma. (Koslitz et al., “Stereoselective Formation of the Varietal Aroma Compound Rose Oxide during Alcoholic Fermentation“, J. Ag. Food Chem, 2008.)

BONUS: I tasted this wine live with Dave from Eating Ithaca during our interview. Hear some thoughts about Gewürztraminer, Sheldrake, and more around 1:09:00 (click to listen).

Comments 2 | 12 February 2010 | Posted in Tasting Notes

Tagged in: 4 corks, gewürztraminer, molecules, terpenes

Alphalpha dog

Note: This is the inaugural article from our beer writer, Richard Pliny!

Ithaca Beer Company Excelsior! Alphalpha

Style: Double Honey Bitter
Color: Amber
ABV: 8.5%
Price Point: $11

Technical Notes: Brewed with local alfalfa honey and Cascade hops. Like the other Excelsior! Beers, this is bottle conditioned and the last pour includes a bit of yeast.

Hedonic Notes:
The first pour is very frothy and carbonated, a thick and stable head develops instantly. A slight cloudiness makes the honey amber beer a bit opaque.

Citrus-hoppiness pervades the aroma with a Belgian ester/clove scent forming the backbone. The scent is clearly Cascade hops. Orange and lemon scents make the bulk of the citrus sensation. The hoppy aroma is not as dominating as one might expect from a double IPA, or “double honey bitter,” but the citrus dominance of the Cascade hops is appropriate for the style.

As expected, the beer has a good deal of hoppy bitterness. Surprisingly, the brewers were able to get an earthy bitterness that is almost uncharacteristic of Cascade hops. A citrus and grass/hay-like flavor lingers on the palate. The earthy and citrus characters balance one another creating a well-rounded bitterness. A good amount of roasted and caramel malts were used, imparting a sweetness to the finish. Honey, too, adds a bit of sweetness in the finish, but is noticeable far more in the texture than flavor.

Somewhat sweet texture with a bit of maltiness constitutes the bulk of the mouthfeel. Initially the carbonation is very high, but it subsides quite quickly leaving a nearly flat texture within almost 20 minutes when served at the proper temperature. A honey softness is present in the finish, but it is a bit difficult to notice.
The beer is more palatable than most double IPAs, though if it’s overwhelming bitterness you are expecting then this beer may not be for you. For having used only Cascade hops, the beer has a remarkable range of hoppy bitterness, including not only the expected citrus notes, but also a refreshing earthy hop flavor in the finish. The bitterness is backed up by a wonderful fruity ester and clove flavor reminiscent of a Belgian Enkel, providing a wonderful balance. The alcohol content is listed at 8.5%, but the malt character balances it quite well and hides the solvent like character. Exceptional balance and a well-defined hop character make this beer a pleasure to drink.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 corks .

Science!

Hops are used to create a bitter flavor in beer. From their early adoption as a means to curtail bacteria growth as an alternative to expensive spices, hops have become a flavor additive in modern beer. Current trends in brewing have seen the pursuit of extraordinarily bitter beers. New hop strains and even some techniques to increase hop oil solubility have created beers that reach the limits of not only the hops but also the human palate.

R group	Compound	Solubility	Flavor
Humulone	CH₂CH(CH₃)₂	Lower	Soft bitterness
Cohumulone	CH(CH₃)₂	Moderate	Harsh bitterness
Adhumulone	CH(CH₃)CH₂CH₃	Lowest	Not understood

On the right is the generic structure for an alpha-acid. Depending on the structure of R, the compound has a number of different properties. Solubility is directly related to the size of the hydrophobic group in the domain represented with the R. Cohumulone is often considered to impart an unpleasant bitterness. Noble hops (the four original varieties native to Europe that tend to have high aroma and low bitterness) tend to have high cohumulone levels relative to total alpha acid concentration. This is often perceived as an astringency in the beer. Traditional Czech pilsners often feature this particular attribute quite well. By contrast, humulone is the commonly recognized bittering agent in hops. Adhumulone’s role in bittering is not fully understood.

Comments 1 | 4 February 2010 | Posted in Tasting Notes

Tagged in: beer, bitter, ipa, Richard Pliny

Announcing our new beer writer!

Hey folks!

I am proud to announce a new staff member here at Ithacork.

From his first sip of beer, Richard Pliny was captured by the fizzy drink’s allure. Through years of research and experimentation he has sought to understand beer’s secrets, as indeed he still does. Now an amateur brewer and professional scientist, Richard seeks to share his passion for the drink with others.

Currently, Richard is also pursuing his PhD in Chemical Engineering. He exploits his university’s resources to further his knowledge of brewing and fermentation whenever he can, drawing heavily on the strong food science program. Like me, Richard has found that a basic understanding of biology and chemistry greatly elucidates the beermaking process.

Richard’s first post, fittingly on an Ithaca beer, will go up Friday in what will hopefully be a weekly beer column for you hopheads out there.

Please join me in welcoming Richard to the team.

Comments 1 | 3 February 2010 | Posted in News

Tagged in: Richard Pliny

Finger Lakes Wineries on Twitter: February 2010

Several wineries and winery representatives have recently appeared on Twitter, and some have been on for a while but have eluded inclusion in my list… until now.

@DaWinemaker Tim Benedict (Winemaker, Hazlitt 1852)
@3BrosWine 3 Brothers Wineries
@Betthefarmny Bet the Farm Winery, a kind of general store in beautiful Aurora, NY. They also make wine!
@WSWine White Springs Winery
@FLXamy Amy Hoffman (co-owner, Rooster Hill)
@Stacisays Staci Nugent (winemaker, Keuka Lake Vineyards)
@bseager Brandon Seager (Asst. winemaker, Red Newt)
@acc123 Amy Cheatle (Tasting Room Mgr., Damiani)
@Eno_Barry Ian Barry (winemaker, Swedish Hill, Goose Watch, Penguin Bay)
@SheldrakePoint Sheldrake Point Vineyards

The full list is here: http://ithacork.com/flx-wineries-on-twitter/

As usual, you can follow these and other Finger Lakes wineries here:
http://tweepml.org/Finger-Lakes-Wineries/

Alternatively, if you’re into TweetDeck and/or Twitter Lists, you can follow my FLX wine list here:
http://twitter.com/mrmansell/flxwine

Comments 0 | 31 January 2010 | Posted in News

Tagged in: twitter

Ice, Ice, Baby, Two Cold: A pair of Sheldrake Point ice wines

Recently, I had a chance to “help” with (more like “observe”) the Sheldrake Point ice wine harvest. I picked a few grapes then helped get them into the press for a two-part feature I would write for the New York Cork Report. I was given some sample bottles to aid in my efforts, which are reviewed below.

Sheldrake Point Cabernet Franc Ice Wine 2008

Two delicious ice wines.

Appellation: Finger Lakes
Grape: Cabernet Franc
ABV: 12.5%
RS: 16.2%
Price Point: $45
Closure: Natural cork

Technical Notes: Harvested January-February of 2008, so really grapes from the 2007 vintage. Frozen on the vine and pressed while still frozen. Averaged about 39 Brix after pressing. Final TA: 8 g/L.

Hedonic Notes: Beautiful color, a salmony red. In Strawberry City, this wine is the mayor. Dried strawberry character on the nose, like you’d find in a granola bar. Some spicy character on the nose as well. Mouth-coating but not overly syrupy. You can tell that it’s wine as alcohol definitely registers. Sweet (duh) but the sweetness is parried by acidity. Finishes like old-timey candy, like a mix of strawberry hard candy (those ones that the wrapper looked like a strawberry) and a honey stick.

Rating: 3 out of 5 corks for a unique wine that’s fruity and balanced.

Sheldrake Point Riesling Ice Wine 2007

This was practically the first review I ever wrote for the blog, and amazingly it pretty much matches up with my tasting notes this time around. The first review is reproduced here for your convenience.

Sheldrake Point 2007 Riesling Ice Wine
Grape: Riesling
ABV: 12.6%
Residual Sugar: 16.5% (165 g/L)
Appellation: Finger Lakes
Price point: $65 for 375 mL (half-bottle)
The 2007 looks pretty much like any normal riesling would, pale yellow in color, though noticeably thicker in the glass on swirling. It also smells like a Finger Lakes riesling, with characteristic light floral and citrus notes. Also, it’s got a little stonefruit (I wrote “peach”) and pineapple thrown in there. On the palate, lively acidity stands up to the considerable sweetness very well, for a very fresh, zingy feeling. Lemon and lime join the party on the palate, kind of like Sprite. (Interestingly, all of these wines have quite a bit more sugar than Sprite [~110 g/L]). Really great, and not just for dessert. This {well-balanced} wine plays nicely with blue cheese and walnuts, and would likely compliment spicy foods (e.g., Thai or Indian) pretty well.
Rating: 3.5 corks

In addition, some technical notes on this one: TA 11.2 g/L (that explains the “lively acidity” I suppose). Surprisingly high for an ice wine, but it’s a real asset in this case. 38 Brix at pressing. The current info I have notes the RS at 18%, which is also what it says on the bottle itself.

Like I said, on retasting, I agree with all these notes. I would add that the tiniest bit of oxidation (barely noticeable) creeps in on the tail end of a very long finish, but overall it’s an excellent wine.

Science!
I covered a bit on the science of ice wine production in 2 articles for the New York Cork Report. They can be found here:

Ice Wine Science Part 1: Volatile Issues treats the overall practice of harvesting ice wine grapes, and the somewhat surprising reason that ice wines and other high-Brix wines can have high {volatile acidity}.

Ice Wine Science Part 2: Frozen assets tackles the honey-like mouthfeel and unique aroma compounds that ice wine brings to the table.

Comments 4 | 29 January 2010 | Posted in Tasting Notes

Tagged in: cayuga lake, finger lakes, ice wine, riesling

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Ice, Ice, Baby, Two Cold: A pair of Sheldrake Point ice wines

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