Sunday Night Suds - New Belgium Tartastic

This week's Sunday Night Suds looks at New Belgium Tartastic, a self described "lemon ginger sour ale."

Although this beer sounds like a Radler (or as we American's call them, Shandy) this is not a lemonade infused lager. Instead, this is yet another of the invasive species known by a nickname "Tart Ale", but more correctly classified as a Wild Ale. 

As explained by the gurus at BA:

Sometimes Belgian influenced, American Wild Ales are beers that are introduced to "wild" yeast or bacteria, such as: Brettanomyces (Brettanomyces Bruxellensis, Brettanomyces Lambicus or Brettanomyces Anomolus), Pediococcus or Lactobacillus. This introduction may occur from oak barrels that have been previously inoculated, pitched into the beer, or gained from various "sour mash" techniques. Regardless of which and how, these little creatures often leave a funky calling card that can be quite strange, interesting, pleasing to many, but also often deemed as undesirable by many.

I have been trying to like Tart Ales and have tried a few such as the Leinenkugel BeerGarten Tart  (reviewed here http://kosherbeers.blogspot.com/2016/08/sunday-night-suds-leinenkugel-beer.html); the Boulevard Tell Tale Tart (reviewed here http://kosherbeers.blogspot.com/2016/08/sunday-night-suds-boluevard-tell-tale.html) and the New Belgium Fat Sour Apple Ale (reviewed here http://kosherbeers.blogspot.com/2016/08/sunday-night-suds-new-belgium-fat-sour.html). I have gained an understanding for the flavor profile of the brew as the yeast does create a sourness almost like souring grapefruit juice, without the artificial sweetness of a Radler/Shandy.

The Tartastic is true to the style and poured a light maize with no noticeable lacing average to mid level carbonation. The beer is on the low end of the abv scale as its only 4.5% abv, so if you wanted to have more than one, it would not be overly intoxicating (although I don't know why you would consider having more than one at a sitting). 

I am hard pressed to find any food to pair this with and would welcome any suggestions in the comments below.

The Tartastic is under kosher supervision by the Scroll-K/Va'ad of Denver, but not every brew produced by New Belgium is under kosher supervision. For a list of the New Belgium brews currently under supervision, please click on the link on the left side of my home page for my latest Kosher Beer List.

To see what the experts on Beer Advocate think about New Belgium Tartastic click here beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/192/246993.

As always, please remember to drink responsibly and to never waste good beer unless there is no designated driver.

If you've tried this beer or any others which have been reviewed on the kosher beers site, please feel free to post your comments (anonymous comments are acceptable).

Please Note - if you are reading this post more than six months after it was written, please note that it is possible that the product is no longer still certified kosher. To verify that the product is still certified kosher, please click on the kosher beers list link on the top left corner of the blog.

If you have seen this post being carried on another site, please feel free to click www.kosherbeers.blogspot.com to find other articles on the kosherbeers blogsite. Hey its free and you can push my counter numbers up!

Thursday's Parsha Tidbits - Parshios Tazria-Metzorah

The following is a brief summary of some of the thoughts said over by R' Frand on the parsha this evening. I have attempted to reproduce these vorts to the best of my ability. Any perceived inconsistency is the result of my efforts to transcribe the shiur and should not be attributed to R' Frand.

In Vayikra -- the Torah states "Zos Toras HaMetzorah" --this is the Torah of the Metzorah. The Medrash on this pasuk links it to a pasuk in Tehillim which (loosely translated) states -- who is a man who wants life...keep your tongue from evil...

The Medrash links the pesukim through a story of a peddler which in the language of the gemara is a Rochel. The Medrash on the pesukim is about a story of a peddler who calls out, asking "who wants the elixir of life"? R' Yannai approached the peddler, but the peddler said - you don't need this. R' Yannai persisted and the peddler said --who wants life, keep your tongue from speaking evil. R' Yannai remarked that he had said this pasuk all of his life, but never understood its importance until he heard it from the peddler.

R' Frand observed that R' Yannai's remark was odd. Since he was R' Yannai why would he not have understood the pasuk's importance until he heard it from the peddler?

R' Frand answered by quoting R' Tzadok HaCohen M'Lublin who explained it was not what the peddler said, it was that HE said it. The word Rochel (peddler) is intentionally similar to the Hebrew word for a gossip - Rechilus, because the peddler would go around from house to house and repeat the gossip he had heard. What was important to R' Yannai was recognizing that this peddler was a reformed tale bearer and that he (the peddler) recognized that the secret to life was to not tell tales about others (like he used to do). 

R' Frand took an aside to talk about how people who used to have a particular problem can be effective in helping others overcome the same problem --much like Alcoholics Anonymous coaches are former alcoholics. 

R' Yannai now understood the importance of the pasuk in that he recognized that people who used to be tale bearers could leave that behind and do teshuva in order to earn "life".

R' Frand also said another longer vort which I hope to reproduce in a separate posting on Motzei Shabbos.

If you have seen this post being carried on another site, please feel free to click www.kosherbeers.blogspot.com to find other articles on the kosherbeers blogsite. Hey its free and you can push my counter numbers up!

Sunday Night Suds - Baltika #4 Dark Lager

This week's Sunday Night Suds looks at Baltika #4 Dark Lager.

To me, the Baltika Brewery was a mythical place which found itself on the OK list of kosher certified products, but I had never seen it in the United States with hashgacha...until I found myself in Oliver's a beer store beyond belief located in Albany, NY.

What was I doing in Albany? It was a work related trip, but every time that I travel to a city outside of my local area, I check BA for well reviewed beer stores where you can mix a six or buy singles for a decent price. So when I got sent up to Albany in February I did a search and found that Oliver's had excellent selection and prices and knew that I had to make a stop. In truth, I actually stopped in twice, the first time on the next to last day I was going to be there, but the staff talked me out of buying that day because it was going to be in the 20s overnight and they thought the beer would freeze. So I came back the next day after bought the beer we were going to use for shalach manos, along with many other bottles which have been (and will be) reviewed on this blog.

The Baltika #4 calls itself a dark lager, and there are some darker wood/caramel aspects to the brew. The beer poured (from an oversized 16.9 oz bottle) was more amber than a traditional lager and there was some malt and breadiness. Having said that, the flavors of the brew were not overly complex and the alcohol content (5.6% abv) was in line with the style of beer.

The Baltika #4 Dark Lager is under kosher supervision by the OK, but I am not certain if every beer produce by Baltika is under kosher supervision. For a list of the Baltika brews currently under supervision, please click on the link on the left side of my home page for my latest Kosher Beer List.

To see what the experts on Beer Advocate think about Baltika #4 Dark Lager click here beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/401/2235.

As always, please remember to drink responsibly and to never waste good beer unless there is no designated driver.

If you've tried this beer or any others which have been reviewed on the kosher beers site, please feel free to post your comments (anonymous comments are acceptable).

Please Note - if you are reading this post more than six months after it was written, please note that it is possible that the product is no longer still certified kosher. To verify that the product is still certified kosher, please click on the kosher beers list link on the top left corner of the blog.

If you have seen this post being carried on another site, please feel free to click www.kosherbeers.blogspot.com to find other articles on the kosherbeers blogsite. Hey its free and you can push my counter numbers up!

Thursday's Parsha Tidbits - Parshas Shemini

The following is a brief summary of some of the thoughts said over by R' Frand on the parsha this evening. I have attempted to reproduce these vorts to the best of my ability. Any perceived inconsistency is the result of my efforts to transcribe the shiur and should not be attributed to R' Frand.

In Vayikra 10:1-3, the Torah tells the story of the death of Nadav and Avihu who were killed after bringing an "Esh Zarah" (loosely translated as a strange fire) after which their father Aharon remained silent. In discussing Aharon's silence, the Torah uses the term "Vayidom". 

R' Frand commented that this tragedy would have killed any simcha that was related to the underlying event. He surmised about what people's reaction would be if after a new shul was opened and people were celebrating, a beam fell and killed someone. People would never look at the shul the same way. And since they were two sons of Aharon the Kohain Gadol, it would be an even greater tragedy.

Moshe then tells Aharon that I will be come close to those who sanctify me. Rashi explains that Moshe told Aharon that Moshe knew that this had to happen - that the Mishkan had to become sanctified through the impact on someone close to Hashem and I knew it would be either me or you. Now I see that your sons Nadav and Avihu are even greater than you or I.

But what did Moshe mean that something had to happen? Did he mean that a tragedy had to happen? Why did there need to be tragedy?

R' Frand answered by quoting the Duvno Maggid who gave a mashal that a country decided to build a capital city for the country. They brought in an expert architect and the finest materials. They also wanted to build a world class hospital with the best and latest technology. Of course, the hospital needed the greatest doctor in the world. They built the city and the hospital and they inaugurated it. Someone developed a headache and he went into the hospital. The world renowned doctor treated the man personally, but a few days later he died --from a headache! The board of directors for the hospital did an investigation, during which the chief doctor got up and said -- this is the greatest thing that could have happened. He explained that without this event, people would think that they had no need to take care of themselves because they had a great hospital and doctor. Now that this person died, they would know that they still needed to take care of themselves.

The Duvno Maggid then explained the nimshal --the Jews in the desert knew that they were getting the Mishkan, a place where they bring sacrifices. People would think --we can do whatever we want and the sacrifices will be brought and forgiveness will be granted. Moshe's message was that people can't think that the Mishkan will attain forgiveness for them without any concern for their own actions. In fact, the Mishkan itself could kill them if they were not careful with how they acted in the Mishkan. R' Frand remarked that it was akin to radiation - it can cure, but it can kill if those who use it are not careful.

R' Frand also quoted the Ba'al HaTurim who states that the word Vayidom appears twice in Tanach. Here in Vayikra, as well as when Yehoshua made the sun stand still in the battle in Gidon.

But how are the two connected? In Gidon the sun kept shining, but here Aharon was silent.

R' Frand quoted R' Yehuda Klein in a sefer called Kol Yehuda [or Kol Aryeh, I'm not sure]. He cited to the story of the creation of the sun and moon and the Medrash that they were the same size and that Hashem told them to reduce and the moon eventually reduced itself and the sun remained HaMaor HaGadol. 

The Kol Aryeh explained that when the moon complained that the sun and moon were the same size and that both should not wear that crown, the sun should have responded, or at the very least said - lets go to a din Torah. However, the sun kept its mouth shut and was silent. Thereafter the sun became known as the Maor HaGadol, because it did not argue with the moon.

This also links to the gemara which states that the aluv who hears insults and does not respond, is loved by Hashem like the sun in its might. Why? Because the sun should have stuck up for itself, but it stayed silent. This is the strength of the sun. And this was also the strength of Aharon --he kept silent --an attribute that he learned from the sun.

If you have seen this post being carried on another site, please feel free to click www.kosherbeers.blogspot.com to find other articles on the kosherbeers blogsite. Hey its free and you can push my counter numbers up!

Thursday's Parsha Tidbits and Pesach Crossover

The following is a brief summary of some of the thoughts said over by R' Frand on the parsha this evening. I have attempted to reproduce these vorts to the best of my ability. Any perceived inconsistency is the result of my efforts to transcribe the shiur and should not be attributed to R' Frand.

Rabbi Frand began the vort by quoting the first of the four questions which asks that on all other nights we eat "Chametz U Matza" but on Pesach, only Matza. The first question is usually translated as "on all other nights we can eat Chametz or Matza, but on this night it is all Matza." Rabbi Frand remarked that this is not quite accurate as the actual language would lead to a translation of on all other nights we eat Chametz and Matza. However, we do not usually eat both Chametz and Matza with dinner [he's never been in my house on a Shabbos when Mrs KB gives me a challah and a matza to make Hamotzi]. 

But if the correct statement is truly Chametz or Matza it should say that, much like the last question which states that on all other nights we either eat sitting up or reclining, using the term "bain". If the intent was Chametz or Matza, it should have said "bain Chametz U'Matza."

R' Frand answered by quoting the Sefer Binyan Ariel who writes that the phrase is accurate as we do eat Chametz and Matza. He explained that there is a Karban Todah (which is mentioned in this week's parsha) which is an animal offering along with bread. Some of the bread is Chametz and some of the bread is Matza. The Korban Pesach is similar to the Korban Todah as both are eaten for a lesser time than the Shelamim, but the Korban Pesach is accompanied by only Matza. So when the Mishna writes that all year long we eat Chametz and Matza, it refers to our Karban Todah, but on Pesach our Karban is accompanied solely by Matza because that was what our forefathers ate when they left Egypt.

R' Frand then continued to develop the vort by quoting R' Avraham Bukspan from Florida who explains why the normal karban has both and the karban Pesach does not. He quoted R' Hirsch who explains that Matza is bread in its crudest form, without human intervention ---its just flour and water. However, Chametz is man's manipulation of the natural elements which yields a more sophisticated product than the original elements. 

When a person brings a Karban Todah to thank Hashem there are two elements - recognizing that Hashem is the one who saved you, without human involvement. But there also is a human element in which you are involved and you have to do your hishtadlus, effort to make sure that you find the correct doctor and see him regularly. Similarly, a person on a sinking ship has to get into the lifeboat and not say "Hashem will save me."

A person who brings the Todah recognizes that there is involvement of Hashem, along with his own efforts to achieve the specific result. But a Karban Pesach is all Hashem. We were ordered to sit in our houses and do nothing, while the Malach HaMaves roamed the street. So we eat the Matza and recognize that it was just Hashem who saved us, without any human involvement.

If you have seen this post being carried on another site, please feel free to click www.kosherbeers.blogspot.com to find other articles on the kosherbeers blogsite. Hey its free and you can push my counter numbers up!

Sunday Night Suds - New Belgium Whizbang Blonde Ale

This week's Sunday Night Suds looks at New Belgium Whizbang Hoppy Blonde Ale.

This beer is another of the recent limited releases from the New Belgium brewery (I believe that they call this a "special release"). I picked this up on a trip to Maryland for a wedding in January and have not seen it in the NY Metro area. 

When I saw this bottle I was intrigued by the classification they gave it as the terms "hoppy" and "blonde ale" are oxymoronic (or in the words of the gemara "tarta d'sasra"). Blonde Ales are typically subdued in their bitterness and light in color. I had never seen nor even heard of a blonde ale that was anything bolder than a typical Kolsch.

So after chilling in this in the refrigerator for almost a day, I opened this on Shabbos and shared it at lunch with Mrs KB and our friend Wayne F. The beer poured a darker, richer yellow than I expected, almost like the Crayola color maize. There was some hoppiness there with a bit of bitter, but the hops were pronounced without being as bitter as an IPA. There was some breadiness as well. 

If I had to classify this, I would call it a cross-over between a typical blonde ale and an IPA. In fact, if you are looking to broaden your beer education by wading into IPAs, this would not be a bad choice to start with.

The Whizbang Hoppy Blonde Ale is under kosher supervision by the Scroll-K/Va'ad of Denver, but not every brew produced by New Belgium is under kosher supervision. For a list of the New Belgium brews currently under supervision, please click on the link on the left side of my home page for my latest Kosher Beer List.

To see what the experts on Beer Advocate think about New Belgium Whizbang Hoppy Blonde Ale click here beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/192/246979.

As always, please remember to drink responsibly and to never waste good beer unless there is no designated driver.

If you've tried this beer or any others which have been reviewed on the kosher beers site, please feel free to post your comments (anonymous comments are acceptable).

Please Note - if you are reading this post more than six months after it was written, please note that it is possible that the product is no longer still certified kosher. To verify that the product is still certified kosher, please click on the kosher beers list link on the top left corner of the blog.

If you have seen this post being carried on another site, please feel free to click www.kosherbeers.blogspot.com to find other articles on the kosherbeers blogsite. Hey its free and you can push my counter numbers up!