Strange coincidence really. I reach American Strong Golden Ale on my blog brews the same week that I am entertaining one of the leading lights in the American craft brewing scene in my humble brewery. Mr Douglas Odell and his good lady wife are walking down the North Coast of Cornwall and thanks to the enchanting and fragrant Melissa Cole, stopping in for beer and evangelism. Brewing is a very special trade. I can’t think of another profession where a holiday would include a visit to a colleague’s place of work.
The strong golden ale is my favourite style of beer (maybe). Lager is a cold and deceitful little tease which offers the promise of clean fruit but delivers only dry sulphur with a hard edge. Lager had no intention of inviting into you into her hotel room, she just wanted a free drink and validation. The strong golden ale is a beautiful country girl leaning on a gate and smiling, willing and able to offer warmth, excitement and satisfaction in her father’s hay loft. Drinkable, clean, full of freshness and fruity pleasure. It’s an honest and faithful beer which delivers warmth and satisfaction to even the most jaded palate.
Although originally a Belgian style, expert opinion would no doubt have American craft brewers as the masters of the style. What will make my golden ale American? The answer is of course the hops. I am aiming to marry the two nations as successfully as the thinking man’s Chuck Norris, the muscles from Brussels AKA Jean-Claude Van Damme. Belgium will bring subtlety, complexity and juicy fruit while America brings citrus and first up appeal.
Tech Spec
Malt/sugars: Low colour Tipple, glucose
Hops: Simcoe, Sorachi Ace
Yeast: Moortgat
OG: 1080
4 comments:
‘Lager is a cold and deceitful little tease which offers the promise of clean fruit but delivers only dry sulphur with a hard edge’
presumably you talking about cask conditioned lagers or ones from Burton…
"The strong golden ale is a beautiful country girl leaning on a gate and smiling, willing and able to offer warmth, excitement and satisfaction in her father’s hay loft."
Beery poetry! You never said anything like that walking between the tun room & copper :~)
I was hoping for a little comic licence there Adrian. The sulphur to which I was referring was the DMS/H2S and rubbery smells associated with the Saccharomyces lager type. Not all lagers have it but I would argue that your average lager is less rounded and less fruity than a golden ale. Don’t take this to mean that I don’t like lager. On certain occasions a clean, crisp, well-constructed lager is the only option.
I would never publish what I used to say when crossing from tun room to copper Mike!
I'm sure I spec'ed this as Duvel con Chinook. Although Duvel con Simcoe and Sorachi Ace sounds better, damn you!
Good luck with M. Rock!
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