Evil Twin Imperial Biscotti Break by Evil Twin Brewing

Posted by Keith Wallace on Jan 9, 2013 in Beer Reviews | 0 comments

Here is a bit of dessert for you. A high octane but richly textured Stout with a chocolate personality.  The color of this sticky beer is the black of Belgian chocolate, with a head like a Mochaccino Latte. The flavors follow forward with dark bitter chocolate flavors that fade just enough to allow a bit of toffee and vanilla come forward (I am not kidding when I said this is dessert–perhaps the best dessert I have had in awhile). The finish moves toward dark molasses and coffee. This full bodied beer has enough carbonation to keep it from becoming cloying, and allow this beer to finish crisp and almost dry. Which is perfect, because now you are ready for the next sip…

Beer Geeks Love the Devil

Posted by M.L. Wolfsohn on May 15, 2012 in News | 0 comments

All Hail the Dark Lord. Now Available on EBay.

Would you wait in line for hours for the chance to buy four bottles of beer? Would you pay hundreds of dollars for a single bottle of beer?

If you want a bottle of Dark Lord, those are your two options.

The beer is brewed by the 3 Floyds Brewery, located about a half hour outside of Chicago.  Released to great fanfare every year in April, the Dark Lord is an Imperial  Stout brewed with coffee, molasses, and honey. Lush and round and delicious, it’s one of the top beers brewed in the USA every year. At 13% abv, it earns it name for being both enticing and dangerous.

True to its namesake, the beer has more acolytes than most religions. To get your hands on a bottle, one has to pre-purchase a $15 ticket, travel to Illinois on the last Saturday in April (aka Dark Lord Day),  wait in line with 6,000 other like-minded worshipers in the brewery’s parking lot. Only then will you have a chance to buy a few bottles, for $50 apiece.

If that seems like a bit too much work, you also have the option to purchase a single 750ml bottle bottle on Ebay for $200.  Here is a screen capture  taken in May 2012.

Ebay Biding on the Dark Lord

Let’s back up here. $50 for a bottle of beer? $200? Has beer geekery gone too far?  Are we willing to spend more on a great bottle of beer than a great bottle of wine? Or is  this the point when we realize that we are falling for one of the oldest tricks in the book?

“False Scarcity” is a well known tactic used by marketers the world over.  If you can create the impression that a particular product is not available to everyone,  then the consumer will covet  it  much more. It’s very effective if you can pull it off, since economics teach us that only things that are rare have value.  It’s a tactic used by a number of high-profile beer brands, including  Russian River’s Pliny the Younger.

Could 3Floyds make more Dark Lord and sell it yearlong? Of course they could.  The barrier to higher production if very low: there is no shortage of equipment, ingredients, or skills required for the beer’s production. It would only take an investment of money, time, and additional space. However, that would defeat the purpose of the Dark Lord. It’s real benefit to production is to increase the stature of the brewery itself, not the beer.

The marketing ploy surrounding the Dark Lord means that 3Floyds get a great deal of media coverage. In turn, that  promotes sales of its other beers, most of which have higher profit margins than the Dark Lord. Brewing is a business, and false scarcity is a proven way to increase revenue.  At the end of the day, everyone has to pay their bills. Even the Dark One himself.

This year may pop the bubble, finally. There are reports that the Dark One is tasting strangely of green apples this year, probably do to a touch of  acetaldehyde.

Philly Cooks

Posted by Keith Wallace on Jan 2, 2012 in News | 0 comments

For a town that loves to eat, I am pretty sure no one knows how to cook in Philly. At least, that is my impression after discovering how many cooking classes are offered around the city these days. From the Walnut Restaurant School to Cook Philadelphia to the Wine School, there is at least  four cooking classes going on every freaking week.  You can get taught by anyone from a celebrity chef to a bestselling cookbook author.

Along with all these classes, there is the daily pandemonium of the frozen food aisle at Trader Joes. It’s just damn sad, but I am pretty sure the only folks cooking with confidence in this city are working in restaurants. I am not one to complain, since I often get free meals (being an internationally famous food writer offers such privileges), but at least I can cook a few standards when the need arises.  However, I got pulled into the Great Philadelphia Cooking Hysteria this week, and attended a cooking class at my dearest Wine School.

This week’s class was all about the Holiday dinner. The wine was flowing and the portions were surprisingly large. The highlights of the evening was shortribs braised in imperial stout, which reminded me of the most tasty brontosaurus I have ever had. (I kid: the portion was HUGE. I have no way of knowing what a dinosaur  would taste like. Maybe like turtle? )

Also on the menu was “Toasted Italian Chestnuts and Pearl Onion Confit” which was a knock-out. Both dishes were paired with Cannonau, an ancient clone of Grenache from Sardinia and a Pinot Noir from Santa Lucia. Very nicely done.  Let’s hope everyone starts cooking like this. Dinner parties won’t feel like Russian Roulette anymore.

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Reality Czech

Posted by Keith Wallace on Dec 30, 2010 in Beer Reviews | 0 comments

It’s easy to love the fruity hop character of mondo West coast IPA’s and the dark roasted malts of a serious Imperial Stout or Porter, but true talents lie with the brewmasters who can make a crisp and clean pilsner.

Flaws can be hidden in so many big flavor beers that we forget how hard it is to create a simple cold-fermented lager or pilsner. All the fanfare and love are given to the giant flavorful top-fermented ales from around the world, but I truly love a great pilsner more than any other style on the planet.

This is the time of year that pilsners get their love, because nothing is more refreshing on a hot and humid day than that supremely bitter bite. Luckily, this area of the country excels in making the traditional style and we have so many quality versions to choose from.

If you find yourself anywhere near Downingtown, PA, I ask that you visit the Victory Brewpub to sample one of my very favorite versions of the Czech Pilsner. Yes, they have a wonderful option in the widely-available Prima Pils, but their single hop version known as the Braumeister series, is quite delicious and a little less bitter and just a touch grainier. It just feels more Old World than the Prima.

The nose is all biscuit malt and a touch of white pepper and mellow honey aromatics. Quite a perfect profile for a good keller pils. The carbonation is exquisite and continuously refreshing. The flavors mirror the nose and also have a good amount of floral hops on the backside. Less bitter than the flagship Prima, but again, this is more of the Old World style. Overly hopped pilsners are much more German in style, and this stays true to its Czechoslovakian roots. A truly delicious brew.

You can find Victory Braumeister Pils on tap at The Victory Brewpub and in limited quantities around the city.