Just poached some fresh salmon in beer, using a recipe I found on the Food Network,
but supplying a different beer. It was, I say modestly, pure dynamite. The best salmon I've eaten in many a year.

The recipe calls for "12 ounces beer." I expect the creator envisioned a BudMillerCoors light lager. Not for me. Peering into my beer refrig, I reached for a Sam Adams Boston Lager. But then I realized that's a golden pilsner with plenty of hops.

So, instead I picked up a bottle of New Belgium 2 (Degrees) Below**. Not my favorite beer of the winter crop, it has a dry, rough finish and I suspect coriander spicing. But New Belgium says no, it's made with roast malt, Sterling and Liberty hops, cooled almost to frozen, then more hops were added during fermentation. Hmmm.

Anyway I have several bottles left from a sixer I bought, so I thought, why not. The hops are lost in the taste, so it wouldn't make the salmon bitter. It was a champion food moment at my house.

Basically, the salmon in poached in the beer on the grill.
My hat's off to cook Sandra Lee. Great recipe – with my choice of beer. Oh yes, I used a frozen garlic cube rubbed on the salmon and a bit of kosher salt. I cut the amount of brown sugar in half and used only about a half dozen thin slivers of butter. The salmon was wild coho salmon.

Here's the recipe from the Food Network.
Beer Salmon
Recipe courtesy Sandra Lee
Show: Semi-Homemade Cooking with Sandra Lee
Episode: Weekend Gathering


1 (12-inch) tail piece salmon fillet (about 1 1/2 pounds)
2 teaspoons garlic salt
3 tablespoons brown sugar
4 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
1 (12-ounce) bottle beer

Preheat grill to medium-high heat.

Using aluminum foil, create an oblong cooking tray (approximately 13 inches by 8 inches by 2 inches) to be placed directly on grill. Place salmon fillet in center of tray. Season first with garlic salt, sprinkle with brown sugar, and then cover with pieces of butter. Top with sliced red onions. Pour beer of choice into tray to just below the highest point of the fillet. Cover tray with aluminum foil to envelope fish completely. Place tray on grill, cover with lid, and grill for approximately 8 minutes or until just cooked through.
Recipe, copyright, the Food Network.

Labels: Beer, New Belgium 2 Below, Salmon

I must remember to never try and drink beer at the Toronado in San Francisco and conduct interviews. But I always forget and this past Monday night was no exception.

The occasion was a tasting of two beers from Belgium Urthel Hop-It and Samaranth Quadrium Ale***, an ultra-strong, Trappist-style quadruple.

The brewer is Hildegard van Ostaden and the marketing arm of their small company is her husband, Bas. I've written extensively about Hop-It***, Hildegard's very Belgian interpretation of an American West Coast IPA. You can find that Beer of the Week column here.

They were on their way to a beer dinner featuring their beers, put on Monday night by beer chef Bruce Paton. David Keene, proprietor of the Toronado (547 Haight St., San Francisco) at the invitation of Urthel importer, Bob Leggett of Artisanal Imports, held an impromptu tasting before dinner.

A lot of folks headed to the dinner also made it to Dave's tasting and got to meet the van Ostadens. They are very charming, very European Belgians and they love their beer.
After I wrote my Hop-It column, I got a note from a reader, who is Belgian, who said they were involved in a lawsuit with their contract brewer, Van Steenberge, and had to have their beer brewed elsewhere.

I asked Hildegard, who said hotly that they had trouble getting their beer delivered and – . Well, I told her, I was here for the beer, not to report on a lawsuit. She liked that.

She told me the beer is now brewed in Holland at the De Koningshoeven Trappist brewery in Tilburg, the brewery where she worked and where she and her husband met and decided to go into the beer biz. Currently, the formulas are Hildegard's, the brewing's done a Koningshoeven. The brewery is one of the most commercial of the Trappist breweries and makes and markets the La Trappe beers, which are widely available in the U.S.




A night at the Toronado in San Francisco...
Magnolia proprietor/brewer Dave McLean,
Hildegard and Bas van Ostaden of Brewery
De Leyerth and 21st Amendment's Shaun
O'Sullivan.


Anyway, about the beer: Samaranth is – at this moment – a blonde beer, but Hildegard saidshe's changing the malt recipe to add a lot of roast and chocolate malts and the version that will be sold in the U.S. will be quite dark. But the yeast and hops (bullion bittering, spicy Saaz for aroma) will remain the same. Besides barley malts, the beer was made with the addition of candy sugar, about 4 percent, Hildegard said. That's the way a lot of beer is made in Belgium. The sugar boosts the alcohol and gives a beer an unmistakable light taste that I like.

Right now, it's a medium golden color with a strong, malty nose and a whiff of heat from the alcohol. The taste begins sweet, but fades into a lasting dryness with a bit of tartness lingering on the tongue.

Hiledgard explained that the beer is almost fully attenuated. That is – it has been fermented to the point that nearly all the fermentable sugars have been converted to alcohol, leaving a very dry, very strong beer.

I noticed that at the Toronado Hop-It was extremely popular as well. Check out my Beer of the Week column for that.

Unfortunately, for my note taking, Dave McLean of Magnolia Brewery & Restaurant and Shaun O'Sullivan, of 21st Amendment showed up and bought us drinks. My note-taking went downhill from there. Oh well.

OK, bottom line, stores in the San Francisco Bay Area with a decent beer list tend to stock Hop-It. If you can't find it, e-mail me at whatsontap@sbcglobal.net or call (510) 915-1180 and ask for my 2007 Retail Beer Store List.

Labels: Artisenal Imports, Beer, Hop-It, Toronado, Urthel

Bruce Paton, the executive chef at the Cathedral Hill Hotel in San Francisco has been holding beer dinners on an almost monthly basis for several years now. These dinners have often been spectacular.

If you've never been to one, there's no better time than his Beer and Chocolate Dinner. I'm printing Bruce Paton's entire menu and how to sign up below. The menu, the beer, the chocolate – all of it is eye-popping

Labels: Beer, Chimay, Chocolate, Orval, Rochefort, Westmalle

I tried the Anheuser-Busch Michelob holiday beers in Denver in October at the Great American Beer Festival. There was one made with chocolate, another aged on Bourbon barrel chips. For my tasting notes, see below.
-
William:

My wife and I always enjoy reading your "What's On Tap" ; in fact, thanks to it, last year we tried AB's Celebrate, which has been one of our all-time favorites. Unfortunately, after checking high and low at almost every store that sells spirits and better brews, we are unable to locate it.

Do you know who is stocking it this year? SF or Peninsula locations would be preferable.

Cheers to you! Kevin

Hi Kevin. No, I haven't seen it either and the Beverages and More site said it was out of stock. However, sometimes the Web site is behind. But I go into BevMo stores a lot and haven't seen it. I just e-mailed A-B in St. Louis. but naturally won't hear back from them this week. On Tuesday, I'll call the A-B distributor here and see where it is. It's probably sitting on a flat in the distributor's warehouse. So,. will let you know. Happy Holidays. b

Late note: Hi Kevin. I called the A-B distributors on the San Francisco Peninsula and in Alameda/Contra Costa. Nobody has it. It looks like A-B distributors didn't take it or it wasn't offered by A-B. b

Anheuser-Busch Celebrate: Tasting Notes.

Anheuser-Busch Celebrate Vanilla Oak+ and Anheuser-Busch Celebrate Chocolate, Anheuser Busch, St. Louis, Mo.

Michelob Vanilla Oak, 10.5 percent alcohol, was aged on chips from bourbon barrels and has a nose a bit like Calvados, the French apple brandy. No rice in this one; it's all malt and the smooth balance between malt and hops conceals the beer's strength.

Michelob Celebrate Chocolate, 8.5 percent alcohol, was a delight: wild cherry, chocolate aroma, full and malty taste with a huge rush of chocolate. It was fermented on a bed of cocoa beans. Both these A-B products come in 24-ounce bottles. A-B says they'll be in stores with good beer selections through Christmas. Well, some stores, somewhere.

Labels: Anheuser-Busch, Beer, Michelob Celebrate Chocolate, Michelob Celebrate Vanilla Oak

I wrote about an English beer with a catchy name – Seriously Bad Elf – in my Beer of the Week Column today.

Here's a list of bottle shops in the Bay Area that are carrying the gift packs, according to the distributor, Manzo Beer & Ale, Mountain View.



East Bay

Berkeley:

Ledger's Liquor, 1399 University Ave., (510) 54
Star Market, 3068 Claremont Ave., Berkeley, 94705, (510) 652-2490.
Whole Foods Market, 3000 Telegraph Ave., Berkeley, (510) 649-1333.

Concord:
Monument Wine and Spirits, 2250 Monument Blvd. (Just north of Oak Grove Road in the Safeway shopping center. (925) 682-1514

San Leandro:
Plaza Bottle Shop and Market, 15292 Liberty St., (on the bay side of the 580 fwy at 150th St., (510) 357-1810

San Ramon:
Jay Vee Liquors, 12191 Alcosta Blvd. (925) 828-1400.0-9243.J


South Bay

Campbell:
Whole Foods on Bascom Road and Hamilton

Cupertino:
Whole Foods Market, 20830 Stevens Creek Blvd., (408) 257-7000

Mountain View/Los Altos
Whole Foods Market, 4800 El Camino Real, (650) 559-0300.

San Francisco

City Beer Store, 1168 Folsom St.,#101. (415) 503-1033. Hours: Noon-10 p.m.The City Beer Store on Folsom between 8th & 7th St. Will also be selling individual bottles from the pack.

Labels: Beer, Christmas Beer, Rudolph's Revenge, Seriously Bad Elf

Everything hasn't stopped, just because Christmas is coming. And after Christmas – get ready for the post-holiday roarrrrrr.

Wednesday Dec. 20, Toronado Holiday Bash, Toronado, 547 Haight St., San Francisco. In truth, every night is Christmas at this amazing pub. But Wednesday, proprietor David Keene, opens the cellar door. Lots of specials, lots of people. A beery holiday party indeed.

Thursday Dec. 21, The Mission Holiday Throwdown, Amnesia, 853 Valencia St. All the He'Brew beers . Music by the Shut-Ins. $5 cover; music starts at 9 p.m.

Sunday, Dec. 31, Luka's Taproom & Lounge, 2221 Broadway, Oakland, CA., (510) 451-4677, is rolling out the carpet with a special menu, including:
––``Seared foie gras with orange-vanilla poached quince and savory beignets,
–– American black caviar and vodka-cured sturgeon w/ buckwheat blinis, crème fraiche, sieved egg & finely minced red onion
–– Surf & Turf grilled filet mignon, half a butter poached lobster, potato gratin, asparagus & béarnaise sauce. They hadn't figured out menu price tonight, but I'm guessing about $25 per person, maybe a bit more.
Oh yeah, Champagne and a very large beer menu, including a number of Belgians, Westmalle, Orval, Duchesse de Bourgogne. And balloons. Doors open 7 p.m. Cover charge $10 before 9 p.m., $15 after. DJ music.

Dec. 31. Beach Chalet Restaurant & Brewery, 1000 Great Highway, San Francisco,(415) 386-8439 founded in 1997 by co-owners Lara and Greg "Gar" Truppelli and Timon Malloy, celebrates its 10th anniversary New Year's Eve with dinner and live music. $50 includes a midnight champagne toast a poster and an evening of music by the Mermen. Food and beer (or wine) is extra.

This has to be the brewpub with the best view in America. It's on the edge of Golden Gate Park,just across from Ocean Beach with a sweeping view of the Pacific. It's the place to take your out-of-town guests. Here's something important. You can now make reservations on line here. If you intend to do more than w\rangle a seat at the bar, reservations are important, essential for New Year's Eve.

Monday, Jan. 8, “Dinner with the Brewmaster”, Cathedral Hill Hotel, 1101 Van Ness Ave.,San Francisco. Executive chef Bruce Paton begins his 2007 beer dinners, featuring the beers of Urthel with Hildegard van Ostaden. Paton notes she's one of only two female brewers in Belgium. She attended the Great American Beer Festival in Denver this past fall and, to put it mildly, was a total hit.

She's co-owner (with her husband, Bas) and brewer of the De Leyerth Brouwerijen in Ruiselede, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. She brought her Hop-It Belgian Double IPA, strong (9 percent) and hoppy with a trademark, Belgian fruity nose: grapefruit, fresh oranges. About the name: the Beer Advocate says Urthel refers to the gnomes on the brewery's beer labels.

To sign up call (415) 776-8200 x 7785 or e-mail Bruce at bpaton@cathedralhillhotel.com



Photo of Hildegard van
Ostaden from
Glenn's Belgian Beer Site.


PS. Bruce is planning his third annual Beer and Chocolate Dinner on Feb. 16. Check out his web site for details later or stay tuned.

Labels: Beer, De Leyerth, He'Brew, Hidegard van Ostaden, Luka's Taproom, Urthel

My Beer of the Week column Wednesday, Dec. 6, about Thomas Hardy's Ale brought some comments. Shaun O'Sullivan, co-owner, head brewer at 21st Amendment in San Francisco took exception to this quote in the column:

"Here's the bad news: BevMo's Amy Gutierrez says the entire chain has about 25 bottles in stock. That's it. It's the old American beer desert dilemma: We've got cheap, tasteless beer in cans out our ears, but a world-class beer like Thomas Hardy's Ale is unattainable."

Bill,

Cheap. tasteless beer in cans? Well that might true, but it's changing!! Maybe it should of read:

``...It's the old American beer desert dilemma: We've got cheap, tasteless beer made by big breweries, but a world-class beer like Thomas Hardy's Ale is unattainable."

Just my two cents. Thanks for being a supporter.

Shaun
The Cans are here!
Now selling Watermelon Wheat and 21A IPA in Cans.
Join the Revolution and Take Back the Cans!

Shaun, I thought about you when I wrote that, but the image of crappy beer in cans was irresistible. How goes the can wars? b

Bill,

It's not a war....it's a REVOLUTION and it's going great. Through our efforts and journalists such as yourself who understand that crappy beer is crappy beer and beer in cans is a container, we can change that "image."

We're had a couple of bumps in the road, which is a story unto it self. You can read about our wows at: http://thebeerguys.blogspot.com/

But we are lawyering and everything will work out.

Love Firestone 10 and Ledger's in Berkeley

William,

I have been reading your beer column in the Wednesday edition of the Contra Costa Times and wanted to thank you for the review of the Firestone 10. I was able to track this beer down and ended up buying a six pack of the 22 oz bottles. Excellent and definitely different than anything I have tried in recent memory. I have been drinking microbrews since the early 1990's and have seen a lot of brewpubs and beers come and go.

Your recent article on the Thomas Hardy barleywine is right on the money. These types of beers are very difficult to find these days and chains like bevmo that used to carry it in large quantities are becoming homogenized and tend to carry the same stuff year after year.

I have started going to Beverages and More less and have been finding great beers at Ledger's Liquors , 1399 University Avenue in Berkeley. Quite possibly has the most unique collection of belgian and hard to find microbrews for sale in the Bay Area. I highly recommend it and the owner is well versed in beer and very friendly. Apparently he uses upwards of 10-15 different distributors to obtain the beers he sells.

Also if you are looking for hard to find awarding winning domestic microbrews and international beers that can be purchased via the net I suggest going to ratebeer.com and hitting on one of their numerous links to on line sale companies. Here you can find and purchase beers from all over the country that have won awards at the great american beer festival and that are simply not available in California. Anyway, just some things you might want to let your readers know when trying to track down popular and limited quantity beers.

I look forward to your next column. Thanks again.

Jeffrey, Oakland

Hi Jeffrey. Yeah. The Firestone Walker 10 was amazing wasn't it. And yes, I agree with you about Ledger's. Great store and Ed really cares about beer. By the way I also write a general beer column that runs every other week in the Oakland Tribune and other papers, but not, so far, the CCT. If you like, I'll add you to my e-mail list. best. b.

Thomas Hardy in Abundance in BC

Hi Bill,
Great piece on TH, even I learned a few things about an old favorite. Did you know TH might be considered the world's biggest steam beer? At least in the old days they fermented it with a Bavarian lager yeast, but at ale temps.

Fortunately we get loads of it up in WA. And BC Liquor stores carry it for almost half the price of down here in the States. I load up on it and Rodenbach Grand Cru whenever I hit the Great White North. RGC is also about half price, or less.

It's nice to see you'll have help from now on in covering
the vast spaces and mass of great breweries in NoCal.

Is the special Firestone Walker brew widely available? I
may have to try to find it in the Sacramento area as I
speed through. Their beer stores leave much to be desired.

Alan

Hi Alan. Chances of finding 10 in Sacramento are slim to nil. And I drank the only bottle I got. It's the beer that went away. b.

Searching for Noche Buena...
William, Enjoyed your article on He'Brew.

I used to buy a Christmas beer called Noche Buena. I think it was made by Dos XX. Do you know if it is still available? Thanks!

Luanne, Danville

Hi Luanne... ahh Noche Buena. I lived in Mexico for a time and it was by far my favorite. Distribution here has gotten spotty. I just searched the BevMo website and it isn't listed. Haven't seen it anywhere in a while. However, it may well be available in Mexican markets in the (San Francisco) East Bay. Mi Rancho, in Oakland, and Concord, for instance.

It's made by Cuauhtemoc Moctezuma owned by a conglomerate called FEMSA. They make Tecate, Carta Blanca (both insipid and tasteless),. Superior, which -- if you can get it fresh, which you can't in the Bay Area -- is a clean, all malt pilsner, very decent beer. They also make the horrible Sol, a light beer, and Dos Equis, which has improved in recent years and one of my all-time, beach-drinking favorites Indio (which you can't get in the U.S. They also make Bohemia, which I used to like, but find pretty pallid these days.

And Noche Buena. I'm going to look for it, but I don't have great hopes.

best. b.

Labels: 21st Amendment Brewing Noche Buena, Beer, Firestone Walker 10, Thomas Hardy's Ale

This continues an item in my column today in The Oakland Tribune and other MediaNews papers about a group of barrel-aged beers from Drake's Brewing and the brewing wizardry of head brewer Rodger Davis and his incredible assistant brewer Melissa Myer.

Last week, Rodger and Melissa brought samples of seven versions of Jolly Roger, Drake's Holiday beer to the Toronado in San Francisco and the next night to Barclay's in Oakland.

I made it to the Toronado and found the beers stunning and amazing. Here's the list and Rodger's tasting notes and my rating.

2003. Rodger's notes: Scotch ale based on the early 1800s way of taxing ales, where more Shillings were charged to higher gravity ales. This would be considered a 120 Shilling ale. Big and malty, from the addition of roasted barley. This beer is balanced with two hop additions of East Kent Goldings. The beer was then fermented at 50 degrees F. to keep the ester (the fruitiness) formation low, so the malt would shine through. 9 percent Alcohol by Volume. 30 IBU ( International Bitterness Units - Bud is 13 IBU.)

My notes: Licorice sweetness, followed by a hit of hops. ***.

2003 Barrel-Aged. In the early 1800s Scottish brewers would transfer their ales to (wooden) barrels, where they would condition them for up to two years. Often these beers wold sour over time from bacteria in the barrels. The 2003 Scotch Ale was placed in a brandy barrel for 18 months. This version has a slight sourness to it, but is quite complex with the many different wine-like aromas that come at you. 11 percent ABV, 30 IBUs.

My notes: Oh my, I loved this one. Brandy nose, then surprise! A tart, slightly sour taste with a bit of brandy flavor, blended with sweet malt behind and the hops coming in like violins in a symphony. Damn, I hate myself for writing that, but very honestly, this was superb beer. A week later, memory of the taste still lingers. My rating: ****. The bad news: Rodger said they had two cases left – they're for sale at the brewery, he said, if they can find them.

2004. Rodger's notes: An American-style Red Ale. Think of it as a dark IPA. After 2003's version, we found the need to get back into a hoppy style, but wanted to create a beer that had a firm malt backbone as well. Roasted barley lends a nice mahogany color as well as a nice roasted malt flavor. Hops: Horizon, Chinook and Centennial. 9.5 percent ABV, 70 IBUs.

My notes: A malty nose, but the taste delivers ramped up hops. An excellent strong beer for hopheads. ***

2005-A. Rodger's Notes: An Imperial IPA. This is a very big beer. Crystal malt lends a nice ruby red backdrop to an onslaught of hop[s. How many pounds of differnt kinds of hops can you throw at a beer and still make it somewhat drinkable? It turns out a lot! Hops: Horizon, Simcoe, Cascade and Columbus. 11.5 percent ABV, 80 IBUs.

My notes: Big nose of hops and malt. Good balanced taste, but hops come on strong in a long, dry finish. ***

2005-B. Rodger's Notes: An Old Ale. For our 15th anniversary we decided to brew two different versions of Jolly Rodger, one a hop bomb (the 2005-A) and this one would be Roger Lind's original recipe from 1990. So we broke out his original brew sheet and used his ingredients and threw our own brewing techniques at it. What we ended up with is a well-balanced ale that is lightly hopped with Galena, East Kent Goldings and Willamette hops. 9.5 percent ABV, 40 IBUs.

My notes: This did taste a bit like Christmas past. Big and malty with definite hop bitterness.**+

2005 - B. Barrel-aged. Rodger's notes: This is the Old Ale, placed in an apple brandy barrel for 12 months of aging. The beer was dominated by a green apple aroma with much of it slipping into the flavor. Over time that apple aroma has taken a back seat to the French oak the barrel is made of, with apple brandy notes reminding you what the barrel's past was. 11 percent ABV, 40 IBUs.

My notes: Got the Calvados note right away and the vanilla from the oak. Mixed well with the malt and the hops. Really liked the apple brandy quality, added an extra dimension.***

2006. (The one that's headed to Bay Area stores now). Rodger's notes: An Imperial IPA. We have discovefred that if hops are not used in the Jolly Roger these days, people become enraged. So here we go with another hop bomb. This one stems from a conversation with Pat McIlhenney (owner/brewer of Alpine Brewing) when he mentioned he used a whooping two pounds off dry hops per barrel in his outstanding Duet Beer. Most of our Imperial IPAs were about one pound per barrel! So what the hello, let's see what that will do to one of our beers. Thanks for the advice Pat. This one REALLY goes to 11 percent. Hops: Warrior, Simcoe, Summit and Amarillo. 11 percent ABV, 70-IBUs.

My notes: Sweet malty nose, taste is sweet with a huge blast of hops. I'm going to buy some of this and let it age for a year. ***+

Last note: Drake's has a happy hour party every Friday from 4 - 7 p.m. For info, check out their web site. The place is hard to find. Here's a map.

Labels: Barclay's, Barrel-Aged Beer, Beer, Drake's Brewing, Toronado

HAYWARD, CA. – The first-ever Barrel-Aged Beer Festival at the Bistro, 1001 B. St. was a rousing success. What's more, it was a blast. I'm guessing the crowd at well over 400, a total mix of people, from senior citizens to folks in their 20s, both men and women. This was far from an all-male crowd.

Bistro proprietor Vic Kralj, one of the Bay Area's true, cutting-edge beer enthusiasts, said there were 42 beers, each either aged in barrels or on wood.

Caption: The commemorative glass given
each festgoer for the price of admission.
Pours were two ounces, $25 admission
bought 10 pours.

The judges took nearly five hours to pick the winners in a professional, blind tasting, in four classes, awarding first place gold, silver and bronze medals and chosing a grand champion.

The winners are:

Grand champion barrel-aged beer, chosen in a final blind tasting of the four gold medal beers, was Old Viscosity, brewed by Tomme Arthur, Pizza Port Brewing, San Marcos, CA. A dynamite, 12 percent alcohol by volume brew, aged six months in a Heaven Hill Bourbon barrel.

The class winners:

Sour (beers made using wild yeast and aged on wood), six entries.

Gold: Depuration Vintage 2005, brewer Vinnie Cilurzo, Russian River, Santa Rosa, CA. Blond ale aged in wine barrel with white wine grapes adds. Wild yeast: Brettanomyces, and bacteria that was in the wood of the barrel.

Bourbon (aged in used bourbon or whiskey barrels), 20 entries.

Gold: Old Viscosity.

Silver: Parabola Imperial Oatmeal Stout, Matt Brynildson and his brew crew, Firestone Walker, Paso Robles, CA., 13 percent, fermented in new American oak, then in a bourbon barrel for eight months.

Bronze: Sierra Nevada Bigfoot Barley-Wine Style Ale, 12.2 percent, brewer Doug Sesterhenn, cellar operations manager, Sierra Nevada, Chico, CA, started in Kentucky bourbon barrels, which had first been filled with single malt whiskey at St. George Spirits, Alameda, CA.


Wine, (aged in used wine, brandy, port, or Madeira barrels), 10 entries.

Gold: Blue Frog, Fifth Anniversary Scotch Ale, 11.2 percent,. Nick Campbell brewer, Blue Frog Grog & Grill, Fairfax, CA., aged six months in an Estate Syrah Barrel.

Silver: The Angel's Share, 12.5 percent, Pizza Port Brewing, Tomme Arthur, English-style barleywine, aged six months in a brandy barrel.

Bronze: North Coast Old Stock Ale 2004, 14.7 percent, North Coast, Fort Bragg, CA., made by North Coast brew crew. Aged one year in a brandy barrel.

Wood (aged in new oak barrels), 6 entries.

Gold: Glacier Ukranian Imperial Stout, 9.21 percent, Glacier Brewhouse, Anchorage, AK., Kevin Burton brewer, aged eight months in a new Ukranian oak barrel.

Silver: Firestone Walker 10, 12 percent, Firestone Walker. A beer blended from several others, aged 10 months in an oak barrel. (For more on this beer, check out my Beer of the Week, this coming Wednesday: Nov. 15, 2006.)

Bronze: Devil's Canyon Barrel of Monkeys Barley Wine, 16 percent-plus, Devils Canyon Brewing, Belmont, CA., Christ Garrett, aged six and one-half months in oak.

People's Choice Award (popular vote)

Glacier Ukranian Imperial Stout.

Finally, Vic Kralj has prepared an elaborate, three-page list of all the entries with details about each beer. As soon as he gives me the PDF file, I'm going to post it.

Historic day. Whew!

Got a comment? Think the oak and vanilla one gets from a wooden barrel is crap. Some do. Let me know. Post a comment here or e-mail me at: whatsonbtap@sbcglobal.net.

Labels: Barrel-Aged Beer, Beer, Beer Festival, Bistro