Taking a chance on a Longshot

Taking a chance on a Longshot

On July 12, Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour issued a proclamation declaring the final week in July to be "Mississippi Craft Beer Week." Like Alabama in early June, Mississippi Craft Beer Week ties together a number of beer centric events intended to spread the word about the craft beer movement.

In the proclamation, Barbour recognized the "three distinct producers: brewpubs, microbreweries, and regional craft breweries and," here where it gets really interesting, "let us not forget our homebrewing enthusiasts," who, might I add, must break state law if they are to practice their hobby. That right. Mississippi and Alabama are the only two states that don legally allow the practice of homebrewing, so the fact that Gov. Barbour recognized a rogue group of lawbreakers is a hopeful sign that the state is headed toward more beer friendly laws in the near future.

Many great beers were born in homebrewers kitchens, and laws making the practice illegal stifle opportunities that the state would be brewers might otherwise have, such as www.vehicule-occasion-toulouse.fr the Samuel Adams Longshot contest.

Since 1996, Samuel Adams employees have competed in their own homebrew competition, and the Longshot contest is a chance for both employees and everyday homebrewers to show off their brewing know how. Winners get their beers brewed at the Samuel Adams brewery and distributed in a mixed six pack that has recently shown up on store shelves along the Alabama Gulf Coast.

The current Longshot pack includes two bottles each of a lemon pepper saison, a www.mgsecretariat.fr barleywine and an English style old ale.

With the heat of summer bearing down, I opted to start with the saison. The style was originally brewed as a refreshing, low alcohol choice for Belgian farmworkers during harvest season, and this version makes it easy to see why. Created by Jeremy White, a Sam Adams IT tech, the saison smells heavily of lemon, but the flavor is more balanced and nuanced. It spiced with grains of paradise, which give the beer a nice peppery note that melds well with the sweetness of the malt. If you looking for a refreshing summer beer and want to try something other than pilsners and wheat beers, you be well served by this saison. (6.4 percent alcohol by volume)

"Old Ben" ale, an English style old ale brewed by homebrewer Michael Robinson from New Hampshire, was next. Sam Adams says this beer was created "to enjoy on cold nights or as an after dinner treat," so I waited until dark and cranked up the AC before giving it a try. Rich and malty, this old ale filled my mouth with the flavors of fresh bread and barely a hint of hops. At 9 percent ABV, it strong, but it not at all bitter, so if you avoid the hoppiness of India Pale Ales, you may find a friend in this old ale.

I finished the evening with the biggest beer of the bunch, a barleywine created by Ben Miller of New Mexico. Barleywines are often well served by aging the beer for a year or more, but this one was young and delicious, with a strong aroma of citrusy American hops that came across more in the smell than in the flavor. Deep fruit notes are the star of this show, and a rich, mouth coating texture leads to a long lasting aftertaste that evolves with each sip. Like the old ale, I suggest you save this one for a nightcap or, if you want to experiment, stash a www.cerclevip.fr bottle away and open it up in January to see how the flavor has evolved. (9.8 percent ABV)

Samuel Adams founder Jim Koch homebrewed his first batch of Boston Lager in his kitchen more than 25 years ago, and it seemed like a long shot that his brewery would become the largest craft beer producer in America, but it did.

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