The Calm Before the Storm

As we roll into August, I’ve begun to realize that we’re working on nearly four months of drinking the ‘lighter fare’ of the beer world, and I’m starting to yearn for the colors and flavors of fall. Maybe I’m sick of sweating, or just want to build a fire, but something’s gotta give. Sure, it feels like over 100 degrees today, but I hit my limit of the clean, crisp, wheaty and hoppy summers stuff. I think I’m in need of a transition beer.
When I begin my search for a transitional beer, something light yet dark(er) and offering more taste, several styles come to mind. Schwarzbier, or dark lager, is a lighter bodied yet tasty option. Sticking with German lagers, Helles Bock is also easy, an amber, offering more hops, but the alcohol jumps with this style.
Several English and Belgian ales prove great when the heat is still up, but the tongue requires something beyond the pale. Belgium’s Biere de Garde is light brown, shows a touch of hop but relies on a zesty, bready malt mix that is often fruity yet dry. England’s Bitter is a top choice, not quite pale ale or IPA, not quite brown ale or mild, bitter can show flowery/grassy on the hop side, caramel and grain in the malts.
There’s also the American rye ale which regularly brings more color, more notes to savor and that spicy rye kick. This is somewhat of a cobbled together group, and rye can find its way into darker beers as well as pale ale and IPA’s. I’m partial to Founder’s Red’s Rye IPA, although it’s no slouch in the bitterness department.
Two beers come to mind when seeking to make the switch, and they are both Charleston through and through. First up is Holy City’s Pluff Mud Porter. Now, nobody worth their hops would say porter is no end of summer brew, but the guys brewed this beer specifically to combat the swelter, and they’ve done a fine job; my go to brew when I’m done with all things yellow and hanging out down on Folly Beach.
More recently, and likely unavailable now, I was lucky enough to sample Westbrook’s little brother to Mexican Cake, Cupcake. Although an American Stout with the same profile as its big bro, Cupcake was almost thin in the mouth, but thick as hell on flavor.
If either of these Lowcountry brews works for you, let me suggest a third option. Oddly enough, it’s not a porter or stout, but a cream ale. However, it’s far enough from that base beer to satisfy even the staunchest snob.
Say what you will about Ballast Point these days, and I’m on record as saying I’m not a fan of their over the top flavor additions and combinations. A few here and there, fine. But it seems every new beer is a slush puppy of sorts. Which might cause you concern when I suggest a coffee vanilla ale. But this isn’t one of their fruity creations, and the flavors push toward those darker beers discussed above, while still holding strong in the low to medium mouthfeel and lighter elements of your standard cream ale.
Calm Before the Storm takes the flavor profile of my beloved Victory at Sea Baltic Porter, basically a big black beer infused with local coffee and vanilla beans, but pulls back the alcohol by volume from 10% to 5.5%, and switches from that imperial dark ale to a golden cream ale. The beer also drops to 15 International Bitterness Units from 60, but enough carbonation keeps it tingly and spry. Hopefully this dose of calm will work for you as we yearn for fall. Enjoy the brews … Cheers.
Gene’s Haufbrau has at more than 200 beers in bottles or on tap. While they don’t have every beer the Beer Snob writes about, they probably have most. Gene’s is located at 817 Savannah Hwy. 225-GENE. E-mail the Beer Snob at publisher@westof.net.