In a year that saw a drop in overall U.S. beer sales, craft breweries rose to the challenge and saw a booming year. Beer sales dropped in the United States by about 5 million barrels in 2009. According to the Brewers Association however, Craft Brewers saw a 7.2 percent growth in volume, equaling almost 614,000 barrels.
“Beer lovers continue to find great value and enjoyment in fuller flavored craft beers,” said Paul Gatza, director of the Brewers Association. “Americans have an increasing appreciation of craft beers, and the growing number of brewers behind them. They’re eager to try the latest seasonal release and to sample a variety of beers from different breweries.”
There is a nice article over at Beer Advocate with some more statistics about craft beer and beer in general. Check it out!
A few weeks ago, well actually closer to a month ago, we were down at one of the local breweries and met a delightful lady from Bend, Oregon who not only let us sample some of the beers she had collected from around the country, but also left us with a parting gift of a few bottles of the 2009 Jubelale, only a few days after it had been released. The Barbeerians would like to thank Jennifer Kopp for her kindness and love of beer, as well as for sponsoring this review. The 2009 Jubelale from Deschutes Brewery is one of the more complex beers I have drank recently. It has a lot going on and I’m sure other beer fans will pick up on some flavors I perhaps missed.
Since the Jubelale did not become available locally until recently, we held off on the post until it was easier for people to obtain (read: it sat in the fridge for a few weeks). When drinking time came around, we poured from the bottle into small tasting glasses and the Jubelale was a medium amber color with ruby tinges. It formed a thick, coffee-colored head, easily lingering until the glass was empty. It had sweet, perhaps fruity notes to its aroma, that blended well with the spicy, woodsy odor of the hops used. As I said earlier, it was a complex beer with a very unique taste to it. Up front it was sweet and malty with hints of what I believe to be apples, that transitioned into a more spicy (juniper) flavor with a well balanced hop finish. The biggest drawback for me was how slick it left the mouth feeling, just a bit to buttery for me.
Overall, the 2009 Jubelale was not as good as I remember the 2007 to be, but that has also been a while. I will likely purchase a six pack of this later, but I’m not sure its a beer to go crazy about. Perhaps a few in the weeks around Christmas and New Years when I plan on sitting in front of the fireplace and watching the snow fall. Perhaps I’ll even take a suggestion from the guys at Deschutes and try pairing this with some Jubelale and Hoisin braised short ribs as a Christmas Eve dinner. Or for the more casual diner, they also recommend trying it with spaghetti and meatballs.
In a year that saw a drop in overall U.S. beer sales, craft breweries rose to the challenge and saw a booming year. Beer sales dropped in the United States by about 5 million barrels in 2009. According to the Brewers Association however, Craft Brewers saw a 7.2 percent growth in volume, equaling almost 614,000 barrels.
Deschutes Brewery in Bend, Oregon
Overall, the 2009 Jubelale was not as good as I remember the 2007 to be, but that has also been a while. I will likely purchase a six pack of this later, but I’m not sure its a beer to go crazy about. Perhaps a few in the weeks around Christmas and New Years when I plan on sitting in front of the fireplace and watching the snow fall. Perhaps I’ll even take a suggestion from the guys at Deschutes and try pairing this with some Jubelale and Hoisin braised short ribs as a Christmas Eve dinner. Or for the more casual diner, they also recommend trying it with spaghetti and meatballs.
