Sad news in the world of beer

Beer critic Michael Jackson dies

The Beer Hunter has died of a heart attack at his home in London. According to the AP:

Jackson, known as “the beer hunter,” died Thursday of a heart attack at his home in west London. His body was found by his house cleaner, Paddy Gunningham, his long-term partner, said Friday.

She said he had kept writing and traveling, despite suffering from Parkinson’s disease, and that he planned to write a book about the ailment.

“He was simply the best beer writer we’ve ever known,” said Tim Hampson, chairman of the British Guild of Beer Writers. “He told wonderful stories about beer, breweries and far away places. He told the story of beer through people, and he was humorous and erudite at the same time,” Hampson told The Associated Press.

I bet they have fantastic beer in heaven. Godspeed, Mr. Jackson.

Flying Dog Brewery — Beer Dinners

If you’ve read my review of Flying Dog’s Woody Creek White, you know they sent me a free sample to review for this site. I’ve recently been contacted by them again and have been shipped a bottle of their Dogtoberfest brew, which I’ll be reviewing very soon.

But they also e-mailed me about a new Web site they started, at http://www.beerdinners.com. According to their site:

A Beer Dinner is typically a four to eight course meal where a different style of beer is served with each course. Each beer is specifically paired with that course by the chef because the taste and flavors of the food and beer compliment each other.

They say these are usually held at breweries or high end restaurants, but this site is designed to help you host your very own beer dinner at your home! They offer full menus, tips and ideas and more. It sounds like this would be a fun thing to do, although I’ve never been one to pair a specific beer to a specific meal. (Basically because I wouldn’t know what to pair with what food).

Check out their site and host your own beer dinner! They make it easy, with recipes and pairing suggestions.

Schlafly Summer Kolsch Ale

Schlafly beers are made by Tom Schlafly through The Saint Louis Brewery, Inc. (Visit the Schlafly Web site.)  They’ve been incorporated since 1989 and had their grand opening in 1991.

First, here is what they say about their own beer:

Schlafly Summer Kolsch is a golden-colored, medium-bodied crisp and refreshing ale. This style, which originated in Cologne, is well balanced, mild mannered, and a perfect companion for the lazy days of summer/

Here’s what I thought:

The Pour
This poured a nice golden color, almost copper actually. The head was high and loose and somewhat long lasting. It left a decent amount of lacing on the side of the glass.

The Nose
The nose is hoppy and crisp. There are slight caramel and biscuit notes in the nose, and fruit appears as the beer warms a bit.

The Taste
They were right about this being a medium-bodied brew. It’s very smooth and very well balanced. Not too hoppy or malty…it really sits in the middle of that spectrum and just edges over to the hoppy side now and then. I didn’t taste a lot of complex and diverse flavors here, which isn’t necessarily bad. It tasted of nice hops, malt and yeast. It’s a nice beer. As it warms, caramel appears and the hops intensify just a bit, becoming a bit more aggressive on the finish (a very little bit more aggressive).

Overall
Overall this is a very well balanced beer, though as it warms it does give you a slight nudge towards hops, which is nice. Eminently drinkable and refreshing. Crisp and clean and just a good Kolsch ale.

Recommended: Yes….this is just a good solid beer that will grow on you
Price: Can’t remember exactly, somewhere around $8-$9 for a six-pack
ABV: 4.8%