the session

So the sign on the side of Hofbräuhaus Las Vegas read “Double Bock Beer is here.”

My first thought Wednesday was, “This looks like my beer for The Session.” No, it didn’t read “doppelbock” but Samuel Adams calls its excellent doppelbock-style beer Double Bock. So perhaps the Germans figured that was a term Americans would better understand.

What a dunce. They meant a strong beer in the manner of a bock, in this case a helles bock (akin to what many know as a Maibock). As you can see, golden (lighter than appears here), strong at 8% abv, but not at all like the doppelbock “invented” by the monks of St. Francis of Paula in Munich. Not a beer you’d call [fill in the blank]-ator.

A good beer, rich and full of flavor, bright and fresh, showing no wear and tear after its journey from Germany.

I’m not sure how to characterize Hofbräuhaus Las Vegas. On the one hand, it is located only a short walk from Las Vegas Boulevard and across the street from the Hard Rock Hotel — a perfect fit for adult fantasyland. If you’ve already been in the pseudo-Irish pub in New York New York or had your picture taken next to the replica Eiffel Tower up the street then you might shrug at this faithful reproduction of the original Hofbräuhaus München.

However, it is operated by the same owners (and I don’t know what that means its relationship is to InBev, which brews Hofbräuhaus beers) as the Hofbräuhaus in Munich. It’s not as big, but the large single-room restaurant with wooden tables and benches has an inviting beer hall feel. The food is excellent and the beers come from Germany.

(This makes it different than the Hofbräuhaus in Newport, Ky., which brews its own beer.)

We went primarily because he plan to visit the original Hofbräuhaus in Munich in the fall. And it was a heck of a lot more enjoyable than the last “brewery” we visited in 2007. More about all that next week.

The Session: Brewvana hosts this 11th edition of The Session, a monthly gathering of bloggers to write on a single topic. Head that way to read about actual doppelbocks.

Wilson at Brewvana has announced the topic for The Session #11. As he puts it:

I’ll be January’s host, hoping to be the instigator of beer excitement. Pollinator of beer enthusiasm. Elevator of beer appreciation. Detonator of beer discussion.

Yes, plan to have a dopplebock come Jan. 4.

If you are new to the idea you’ll find the background here. Bottom line: If you want to participate you are welcome to join us.

Ted at Barley Vine has posted his roundup for The Session#10: “Let it snow, let it snow.”

Thirty-one bloggers joined in, and tasted a heck of a lot more than 31 beers (made me feel like a slacker).

Ted writes: “I know that I learned a lot about winter beers, and its given me an even longer list of beers that I want to try.”

Expect an announcement about The Session #11 soon.

Welcome to The Session #10, hosted this month by Ted at Barley Vine. The theme “Let it snow, let it snow, Winter Seasonal Beers” does not leave us wanting for choices.

Lest there be any doubt: Don Russell offered a combined history lesson/shopping list last week, a Baltimore Sun panel tasted a whopping 52 winter beers, and you’ll find many more lists on the Internet (here, here and here – for starters).

Clearly there isn’t enough time to drink all the beers, and we should accept that it is a good thing so many are local and will be drunk not far from where they were brewed. But I do sort of miss the days when it was sport just to find enough “Christmas beers” to keep us interested through the season.

The choice for today isn’t the winter beer we’ll drink most of &#151 that would be Sierra Nevada Celebration &#151 nor is it one that is so hard to find or expensive, say De Ranke Père Noël, that we’ll likely have just one during the season. Great Divide Hibernation is a favorite and a regular, one we associate with full winter season because for several years we had to wait until January and a trip to Colorado to play in the snow before we could find it.

Only in the last couple of years has been Hibernation been available in New Mexico, although other Great Divide beers have been around since we moved here in 1998. But there still wasn’t a year we failed to track some down.

It’s arrival in New Mexico pretty much coincided with the attention afforded beers such as Titan IPA, Hercules Double IPA and Oak Aged Yeti Imperial Stout. A little “beer cred” never hurts.

At 8% abv, Hibernation is no small beer. It’s won awards as a Strong Ale/English-Style Old Ale and is described at the beer rating sites as an American Strong Ale. I think calling it a Winter Warmer and spending zero time fretting about style suits it fine.

It’s equally enjoyable when it first becomes available (Great Divide brews it in July but doesn’t release the first batch until November) or after a year in our “cellar” (no bottle has made it to two years). My first thought is always the same: “How is this different than last year? It is, I think, but that was a year ago, and I’m not going to worry about it.”

Despite its heft, Hibernation is brewed with the same sensibility &#151 call it continental restraint, or appreciation of balance &#151 I find in all the Great Divide beers, even the ones coveted by those chasing “extreme beers.”

It’s at its best in a small tulip glass or snifter, because it’s a beer to linger over and new aromas will emerge as it warms. Lots of chocolate and spice early, with roasty character (both nuts and hints of coffee beans) on the nose and in the mouth. Caramel and dark fruits, also, their sweetness are nicely balanced by an earthy/husky mouthfeel.

Ted promised extra credit for a food pairing or recipe. Quite honestly, we like this beer on its own, maybe with a fire. But after active day in the snow (and at altitude) Hibernation and a plate of cheese (be sure to have a nutty gouda in there) make a dang fine dinner.

A good night’s sleep is guaranteed.

Before jumping into a bookish week here — reviews plus the requisite holiday suggestions — a few beer links to kick start your week. Don’t forget that its ends with The Session #10: “Let it snow, let it snow, Winter Seasonal Beers.”

– Concern about the carbon footprint of older appliances, particularly refrigerators, is quite valid. But headlines like “Beer fridges guzzling too much power” would seem to blame this on beer. In most cases these are second refrigerators not refrigerators dedicated to beer. An example of how slang, and the fact that any newspaper story will be better read if you put beer in the headline, may tarnish beer’s image.

– Yep, I’m a little disappointed readers didn’t join in last week to answer the question “Who would you invite to a fantasy beer dinner?” Just a list (perhaps you were intimidated by the impressive narratives provided by here by my guests) would have been OK.

A new book, The Last Supper, asks chefs a similar question: How they envision their last meal on earth (guests, menu, who cooks it, etc.). Beyond noting a “last supper” seems like less fun than an ongoing series of beer dinners, I’m happy to leave a review to Stephen Beaumont at World of Beer. He find the “fascinating concept almost ideally executed,” with an exception or two.

Most disappointing to me is the near-complete lack of respect good beer receives from chefs who presumably otherwise care a great deal about the foods they ingest. Jamie Oliver, for example, chooses to sup Hoegaarden, of all things, with spaghetti all’arrabiata, ignoring that the chilies in the dish would render the beer almost flavourless.

Beaumont’s own “Last Supper” beverage list includes beer.

– ‘Tis the season. Jon at The Brew Site is reprising his Advent Beer Calendar.

And Alan at A Good Beer Blog has brought back the Yule Photo Contest and partnered with Stonch’s Beer Blog to make it international. They’ve assembled quite a lineup of prizes, with more rolling in all the time.