You already knew this, but this beer in wood thing isn’t exactly new. For centuries brewers fermented and conditioned their beer in wood because they had no alternative. And some didn’t quit that long ago. Wisconsin and Minnesota newspapers are carrying a story about the challenge the the Wisconsin Historical Society has in figuring out [...]

Al at Hop Talk reminds us that round 5 of The Session is coming up next Friday and that any and all bloggers are invited to join us. The topic/theme is atmosphere: So, we want to know about the “Atmosphere” in which you enjoy beer. Where is your favorite place to have a beer? When? [...]

It’s one line in a two-page spread – so the impact won’t be the same as if Oprah were to declare her love for IPAs (headlines across the the country scream, “Hops Sales Soar Through The Ozone Layer”) – but the current BusinessWeek reports on The Food and Wine Classic in Apsen, Colo., calling it [...]

Can’t help myself, it seems. I’m not sure I understand Zarfhome, or who Zarf might be, but he or she has done the heavy lifting with a rather complete list of Flavor Wheels of the World. You’ve got stuff from perfume people, beer, wine, coffee, chocolate, maple products and some other lists. A cheese flavor [...]

What did I learn from Mike Steinberger’s three-part series at Slate about sensory perception and tasting wine? Probably more if I had I wanted to dive into the science. Give him credit was not being afraid to get geeky. This was a serious investigation into tasting physiology, but in a tongue-in-cheek (yes, tongue) way that [...]

There’s another Ballantine Burton Christmas Ale on eBay – and this one was brewed for Harry Truman. Here’s the history of these ales – coveted by beer lovers interested in tasting what’s inside the few remaining bottles even though the beers were brewed 60 and 70 years ago. What’s different about this one is that [...]

Before we get to the Slate three-part series on sensory perception and wine a few words of wit and wisdom on that topic from Lauren Salazar of New Belgium Brewing, who spoke Friday in Denver at the National Homebrewers Conference. (That’s her on the right, during a mock judging last year in Seattle, staged for [...]

I looked up the word conundrum to make sure I was using it appropriately (a question or problem having only a conjectural answer). I already knew I couldn’t look up “craft beer” – thus the conundrum. We’ve debated the challenge of defining craft beer in this blog and maybe 80 percent of those listed to [...]

I suspect more than one “beer geek” will be surprised by Samurai, a new bottle release from Great Divide Brewing in Denver. Some might just grab a six-pack because of the name (after all, a samurai is a warrior), the excellent packaging and the fact it comes from Great Divide, best known outside of Colorado [...]

In Japan you can become a licensed beer taster. Since a certification exam was instituted 12 years ago, more than 5,000 people have passed the test given by the Japan Craft Beer Association and become certified beer tasters. Participants sit in on six hours of seminars, including tastings, before taking the certification exam, which consists [...]