I heard this story on the radio this morning.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=19061433
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=19061433
CBO: Chief Beer Officer
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He needs to come to Columbus to try the firkin-conditioned Centenial Pale Ale at Barley's Brewpub.
I've travelled all over the U.K. and had pints of literally scores of different Real Ales there... and not one of them was better than what Scott Francis, owner and chief brewer, produces at Barley's; very few actually were quite up to his standard, though the best of them were very good indeed. All his real ales are excellent, in firkin or cask, but the Centenial IPA on the firking has this 10-megaton hop bouquet, and a lovely dry, almost fruity bitterness that the malt balances out just enough so that you have the bitterness echoing in the finish for a long, long time... He doesn't brew it more than five or six times a year in the firkin, but when he does, it's an Event, and the firkin usually vanishes within a few hours of being opened.
I've had some terrific real ale in other places too, and I've come to the conclusion that you can't actually predict where you're going to find the best beer. It depends on the vision and passion of the brewer. When I talked with Scott for the first time maybe twelve years or so ago, a couple of years after he returned from an apprenticeship at one of the small regional breweries in the UK, he told me that his master plan for Columbus was to educate the palettes of Columbus beer drinkers by upping the hop content of the beer gradually, and increasing the complexity of the flavor, so imperceptibly that no one would actually notice it; his thinking was, too great a shift from the usual would put off people who had the potential to recognize the qualities of really well-made beer, but were drinking watery lagers basically out of habit and the lack of much in the way of alternatives. And that's exactly what he did, and I think it worked, given the popularity of his two pubs in Columbus.
If this lucky young chap does his job right, he'll spend a bit of time each year travelling the country checking out the best microbrewery and brewpub creations to get a sense of just what is possible. Between Labatt's Lite and the beer that Barley's produces, there's a galaxy of difference...
I've travelled all over the U.K. and had pints of literally scores of different Real Ales there... and not one of them was better than what Scott Francis, owner and chief brewer, produces at Barley's; very few actually were quite up to his standard, though the best of them were very good indeed. All his real ales are excellent, in firkin or cask, but the Centenial IPA on the firking has this 10-megaton hop bouquet, and a lovely dry, almost fruity bitterness that the malt balances out just enough so that you have the bitterness echoing in the finish for a long, long time... He doesn't brew it more than five or six times a year in the firkin, but when he does, it's an Event, and the firkin usually vanishes within a few hours of being opened.
I've had some terrific real ale in other places too, and I've come to the conclusion that you can't actually predict where you're going to find the best beer. It depends on the vision and passion of the brewer. When I talked with Scott for the first time maybe twelve years or so ago, a couple of years after he returned from an apprenticeship at one of the small regional breweries in the UK, he told me that his master plan for Columbus was to educate the palettes of Columbus beer drinkers by upping the hop content of the beer gradually, and increasing the complexity of the flavor, so imperceptibly that no one would actually notice it; his thinking was, too great a shift from the usual would put off people who had the potential to recognize the qualities of really well-made beer, but were drinking watery lagers basically out of habit and the lack of much in the way of alternatives. And that's exactly what he did, and I think it worked, given the popularity of his two pubs in Columbus.
If this lucky young chap does his job right, he'll spend a bit of time each year travelling the country checking out the best microbrewery and brewpub creations to get a sense of just what is possible. Between Labatt's Lite and the beer that Barley's produces, there's a galaxy of difference...
Xue Sheng
All weight is underside
There was a time I would have called someone out and told them thier Kung Fu no good and challenged them for the job... but sadly I no longer would... damn I must be old..... that or I just got tired of hangovers... one or the other... I'm not sure
I wanna be a CBO. Bet it pays better than being a board admin does. I mean, at least the beer's included for him! I gotta buy my own. LOL
Xue Sheng
All weight is underside
Ex, you're making my mouth water with the flavour descriptions you gave above :lol:. I forgive you too for not admitting that (real) British beer rocks the world :whistles:.
