The Underground Brewers returned to Valor Wines for our January meeting. You may remember that we were there last January as well. This meeting was every bit as informative as the last one. Maybe more so. And, just like last year, there were a number of new members in attendance.
We simply cannot thank Ray enough for his hospitality and support. Just like last year, he opened the doors for us on a night when the winery is usually closed, gave us samples of many ciders, and educated us about cider and cider apples. (More on that below.) He also let us hang with Zelda the dog.
The meeting started in a most unusual way. Longtime members may recall that the club used to have a rule: “No club business may be conducted during club meetings.” Things have changed and we are a little more organized now. So we actually did some club business. We sold merch. We discussed plans for upcoming events. And we elected a new slate of officers.
The new Board consists of: Santi (Events), Caysey (Education), Pierre (Outreach), Matt (Communications), and Andy C (Treasurer).
Yes, I am no longer Communications Director for the club. As a result, this will be my last regular blog post. It has been an honor to server the club in this capacity for years. I am extremely grateful for the opportunity. But I’m excited to see where Matt takes things. And I look forward to serving the club in other capacities when called upon.
After electing the new Board, we got down to judging. So. Many. Great. Beers. It was really kind of amazing. Tasting notes below.
The last few homebrews we tasted were ciders, and ciders are part of Ray’s core business. This triggered the educational part of the meeting.
Ray would like to elevate single varietal ciders to the same plane as single varietal wines. He sees no reason why all ciders should be blends and disagrees with the BJCP guidelines. He poured several single varietals for us to taste, including Baldwin, Chisel Jersey, and Golden Russet. The differences were mind-blowing. If this is the future of cider, we’re all in.
So, huge thanks to Ray and Valor Wines for being wonderful hosts. And good luck to the new Board!
Tasting notes:
- American Lager, Santi. Grainy. A little sulfur. Low malt. Very dry. Light and refreshing. 10/3/16/4/8 = 41
- Saison, Matt. Floral, esp. lavender. Marshmallow. Bubblegum. Does not finish dry enough. A little tart and astringent. “Old world saison blend” yeast. Finished at 1.000 despite sweeter taste. 7/3/13/3/6 = 32
- Strong Bitter, Santi. Good English hop aroma with malt backbone. Nicely balanced. Caramel and toast. Finishes a little harsh – hop bite, a little astringency. A bit thin. Was supposed to be a West Coast IPA. 10/3/12/3/6 = 34
- American Amber, Santi. Malt-forward. Toffee and coffee. Citrusy hops. Earth and brown sugar. Dry finish. Smooth and drinkable but should probably finish a little sweeter. 10/3/15/3/7 = 38
- NEIPA, New Andrew. A big ol’ bag o’ hops. Sweet and mellow. No off-flavors but needs more body. A little more bitterness might bring out flavors. 9/3/14/4/7 = 37
- ???, Mike H. Prune juice. Oxidized. Grainy. Pale with a white head. Figs. Made with yeast and hops from his backyard. Had a pellicle. No scores.
- New World Cider, Pierre. Golden and crystal clear. Very fizzy. Apple, gooseberry, grape juice, grapefruit, tannin – very complex. But all front-loaded, no follow-through. Dry finish. 3 years old, Beardsley juice. 6/8/17/7= 38
- Cranberry/honey cider, Christine. Rose gold and crystal clear. Menthol and eucalyptus. Honey and Smuckers grape jelly. Quite tart. Very long, balanced finish. Cannot tell that it is 9%abv. 6/7/18/8 = 39
