This week on Beer Sessions Radio™, host Jimmy Carbone is talking hoppy Belgian beers with certified Cicerone® Brendan Woodcock, who lends his tasting expertise as practice for his upcoming Master Cicerone® test (and we wish him the best of luck!) Pour for Brendan’s discerning palate are Dan Leeman and Shahan Stepanian from Global Imports, along with Nathan Hukill from Bitter Old Fecker Rustic Ales in Michigan and Fool’s Gold bar owner, Patrick Donagher.
Brendan talks through the various stages of testing in the premiere beer education certification. He notes that the Cicerone® Server (i.e. first level) test is mostly exploratory, whereas the Certified (second level) test is more about “knowing what you don’t know.” He’s in the process of learning all that he didn’t already know and provides context for the hop styles of traditional Belgian ales. The group discusses the merits of Belgians as varied as Poperings Hommel Bier and Taras Bulba. They also discuss how American craft beer is changing the way Belgium looks at beer, particularly when it comes to hops profiles. Whereas Belgian hoppy ales are typically all about balance, the out-of-whack bitter “hop bombs” of American IPAs are definitely impacting what European drinkers expect in a hoppy beer.
Plus Nathan discusses his family’s rich history in making beer (and hootch – his grandparents were bootleggers during Prohibition) in an historical setting. He’s using old-world techniques to produce rustic beers (currently not available in the NYC market, boo hoo!). And Patrick discusses the challenges of juggling multiple bars in NYC (he also is an owner of Alewife and Rattle ‘n Hum).
Listen to the full episode here.