This week we honor the Winter Olympics with an international competition of beers. Admittedly, not all Olympic sports are created equal. Curlers, we're looking at you. After Charles Barkley learned your sport was for real he called his grandmother and "told her she could win a gold medal because they have dusting in the Olympics now." Beer drinking is a far more interesting, exciting sport than curling. If Charles Barkley ever made fun of beer drinking we would kick his ass and gently remind him of his DUI.
Our fellow judges this week were Bryan Powers, Garrick Sheldon, John Shennan and Bryce Spalding. We made sure to watch the Olympics while drinking for inspiration's sake.
Just as all Olympic sports may not be created equal, neither are all beers. We first shared a beer from a nation of dominant sprinters in summer and John Candy-coached bobsledders in the winter: Red Stripe from Jamaica. John liked it more than he likes Miller High-Life—high praise coming from him. He would have a appreciated a camo can, though. Ultimately, we agree that Red Stripe tastes better than your average American macro, but it certainly did not challenge for a spot on the beer podium.
Japanese beer Sapporo made the next run at the medal stand. Does Japan still compete in the Olympics? Sapporo certainly wasn't up to snuff. Skunky and unpleasantly bitter, we didn't have much to say about it.
Next up, the Dutch, known for their speed skating and wooden shoes. The beer was Grolsch—a crisp, refreshing pilsner. Better than the previous two beers, Grolsch still won't blow you away. We had higher hopes for the beers to come.
A quick Google search informed us that Mexico has one athlete entered in the winter games, so we felt justified in bring out chips and salsa for a snack.
We then moved on to the British, whose greatest winter Olympian had to have been ski jumper Eddie "The Eagle" Edwards. The Eagle made a name for himself by finishing dead last at every opportunity whilst wearing thick, foggy glasses because of crippling shortsightedness. Fortunately, the British beer—St. Peter's IPA—performed better than did the British ski jumper. More accustomed to the aromatic floral quality of American IPAs, the skunky smell of the St. Peter's surprised us—maybe a bad bottle. All in all, though, the beer offered a pleasantly sweet IPA experience with more complexity than the previous beers.
Before discussing the beers that made it to the medal podium, we decided to award the German contender, Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier Urbock, an honorable mention. This beer's style was perhaps too extreme to win the votes of some of the judges, but we nonetheless found it to be remarkable. The brewers—from the small Bavarian city of Bamberg —smoke their malts over beechwood logs to give this beer an unusual, aggressive smoked aroma and flavor that complements its full, malty finish. Picture liquid bacon. Available at Bootleggers, we suggest you try this at some point, even if just for a sip. It truly is a beer experience unlike any other.
But on to the winners...
Our bronze medalist was also the beer that produced the most debate among our panel members: Chambly Noire Dark Ale from the Unibroue brewery in Quebec, Canada. It opened with a pleasing but sour aroma. At first sip, we all noticed that it was highly carbonated, and it carried a rich, sweet, cherry character throughout. Some found the intense carbonation deceiving, and expected a deeper, more complex character. However, we concluded that this beer was wonderfully pleasant, drinkable, and not too strong, despite being less remarkable than expected. As our beer column counterpart Andrew Sudano noted, these Unibroue beers are all affordable and available at Bootleggers.
The Belgian brewers Affligem, in a photo finish with the gold medal winner, won the silver with its Tripel ale. This beer poured a deep golden color and had a sweet, malty aroma typical of a good Belgian Tripel.
Immediately, Garrick commented on the vanilla and fruit flavors that he tasted, while Will pinpointed a hint of banana. Brian commented on how the Tripel was not as syrupy-sweet as some Tripels, while Eric noticed a light hoppy crispness that cut through the malt at the finish. Overall this beer was sweet but balanced and definitely an accessible Belgian Tripel we would recommend to all.
And the gold medal goes to... America! Call us biased, but the best beer we tasted comes from our own great nation. The Rogue Mogul Madness Ale, which is the Oregon brewery's winter offering was delicious.
Every member of the panel liked this beer, despite our varying beer preferences. "Not what you'd expect from a winter warmer," said Will, in response to its aggressive amount of floral and bitter hops balanced with spice and malt.
Overall this was the most complex beer we tasted. To us, it was the best of the night, but it was aggressive and not for the faint of heart, so proceed with caution.
If you take anything away from this column, love beer and love America. They go well together.
And looking forward, mark your calendars for March 5-13. It's Belgian Beer Fest at Lion's Pride. We can't wait.
The Bowdoin Orient has a promotion in partnership with Bootleggers Beverage Warehouse in Topsham, Maine. This week only, Bowdoin students can receive 10 percent off Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier, The Rogue Mogul Madness, the Unibroue Chambly Noire, Sapporo, St. Andrews IPA, Red Stripe, Grolsch, and Murphy's stout upon presentation of a Bowdoin ID.