Heavy

Yesterday, I intimated that the "more equals more" trend in brewing may have been distinctly American. I didn't mean to imply that at all. I *do* think that American brewers tend to be more aggressive with their hops profiles, which does throw things out of balance. But a different trait that is shared on both sides of the Atlantic is a "more equals more" philosophy as it pertains to alcohol content.

Wine critics have been on this bugaboo for years, bemoaning the rise of big and punchy California red wines with tremendous alcohol contents. They say that the alcohol flavor masks the subtle nuances of the wine while the burn of the alcohol aftertaste scorches the palate. They're not wrong.

In beer, the movement toward higher alcohol contents has been going strong, and while the first "tripel" was invented in Belgium (of course it was), the genre has been enthusiastically adopted by brewers from Alaska to Scotland. Although one of these days, I'll have another Westmalle, the tripel that started it all, I recently had the pleasure of trying two of the strongest brews I've had in a while.

The Harpoon Leviathan series is designed to mess with people, or at the very least, to seriously mess people up. While most of Harpoon's other offerings are well-balanced and refreshing, the Leviathan series takes its cue from its namesake: they are big, bold, truly "one is enough" bottles.

Barleywine. It's got a kick, but it's still well-balanced.

The Barleywine (10.00%) poured a deep chestnut brown, with a wispy head that dissipated quickly. I poured it into a goblet-shaped glass, as I wanted it to warm a little and release some of its aroma. That aroma ended up being a very enticing caramel, with the alcohol hit of a red wine. The flavor was intense: a lot of ripe dark fruits (figs, raisins, cherries) and yeasty, like a heavy English bread. The alcohol, as expected, was incredibly spicy, which was nicely balanced by the toffee / brown sugar flavors. Outstanding. I definitely felt it by the end of the first glass (I got one and a half servings out of that 12 oz. bottle), and I definitely cannot recommend that anyone should have more than one bottle of this at a time. Still, it's quite tasty, and makes for a nice treat.

Quad. A little too much.

I wish I could say the same about the Leviathan Quad (11.75% ABV). I actually drank this one first, which was why I made the mistake of pouring the whole thing into a tall pint glass. Nice head retention though. This allowed the beer to warm too fast, and the whole affair got sour pretty quickly. I found this one less balanced - the sweet ripe fruit flavors and spicy alcohol kick were unmistakeable, but there wasn't enough backbone to stand up to it. I like my Quadruppels a good deal warmer and rounder - the alcohol in this one was angular and hot. I did appreciate the extra flavor of vanilla, but that was an extra flavor that didn't quite mesh with the rest of the sip.

Harpoon makes a Leviathan Imperial Stout as well. I've had it before but can't remember much of it. Perhaps another one to try.

Gauguin

One of my favorite art history class moments is linking up the Gauguin painting "Where Do We Come From? What Are We? Where Are We Going?" with the Calvin and Hobbes strip quoting that very strip. I learned two things that day: that Calvin and Hobbes were much deeper than I had ever imagined, and that I needed to learn more about art history if I was going to appreciate the world around me.

Used entirely without permission.

The turning of the calendar always brings out my more contemplative and reflective side, and this is no exception. I've moved to New Jersey, and I've had to grapple with the real questions of what I want out of life, and whether I'm willing to pay out the nose in rent to get it. Answer to part (b): not really.

So it's in that spirit that I review three beers that represent where I'm coming from, what I am, and where I'm going.

Where do I come from?

Just north of the City of Oxford is a town called Bicester, which is home to Oxfordshire Ales. A little over 4 years ago, I left New Jersey to attend Oxford University, where I converted dollars into pounds, and further converted pounds into pints. It was glorious. Oxfordshire Ales' Pride of Oxford takes me back to those summer days sipping session beers in lieu of library reading. It's really nice and beery, with a certain sweetness that doesn't feel like it came from malt (maybe even some banana esters at the back of the sip). It pours a straw-gold, with a very thin head, so the hop aroma isn't as pronounced as it could be. It's light on the tongue, crisp without being sour, and bitter without being astringent. Rather, it's very refreshing, with an aftertaste that leaves you wanting more instead of coating the throat and punching you in the head. At 4.2% ABV, this is a nice beer for a lazy day.

What am I?

Boston's own Harpoon brewery is truly a hometown favorite. Their Chocolate Stout is a jet-black pour with a head that dissipates almost instantly. The nose is redolent of dark chocolate, and the beer is creamy and rich in the mouth, with wonderful dark chocolate flavor and hints of bitter black coffee. However, its weird metallic aftertaste is a little off. This beer feels much stronger than its 5.9% ABV would suggest, and the bitterness is borne of the alcohol and not of the hops. As such, there's a burn in the aftertaste that makes this beer pretty good with actual dark chocolate, but not with food.

Where am I going?

Finally, I started my new job today, and Flying Fish's Exit Series of beers seems like a great way to start my new employment in Newark, New Jersey. Specifically, I'm celebrating my new employment with their Exit 13 Chocolate Stout, which attempts to channel the Port of Newark. Fair enough, since they're actually one exit off for the downtown. But whatever.

Exit 13 is dark and forbidding, with an inky pour and a thick brown head. Immediately, one smells sweet toasted malts and caramel, which is very promising. Flavors of creamy milk chocolate win the day on this one, with only a hint of maybe lemon citrus on the very tail end. The finish is dry, but not aggressive, and both the carbonation and flavor are smooth and full. This, I have to say, is a good sign: I think I'm going to enjoy New Jersey.