The other day, I
got a tip from a co-worker that she had seen a special collection of beers
for sale at the local Sam’s Club. It was called the Beers of America,
she recalled, and it looked to have about eight bottles of beer included. My
first thought was that it was simply a collection of different brews from
around the country, but thinking that it might include a few I had not yet
tried, I decided to check it out. So, at lunchtime off to Sam’s I went on
yet another beer hunt.
When I got there, I saw a good-sized stack of the Beers of America
Historical Collection. Each one featured an attractive pine case holding
two bottles each of the following:
Barbary Coast Gold Rush Style Beer
Berkshire Springs Stock Ale
Piedmont Porter
Rock River Lager Beer
This was no gathering of microbrews from around the land, rather it was a
specially brewed assortment of styles, each with its own historical link to
America’s past. I was intrigued, but at the same time a tad skeptical. I
have seen, and even purchased, collections like these in the past, only to
be disappointed by what some fly-by night company has contracted someone to
slap together to make a quick holiday buck.
But I read on:
Welcome to the Beers of America Historical Collection. We hope to
introduce you to a few beers from the past, and give you a hint of the way
they might have tasted back then. America has a long, proud brewing history,
influenced by our immigrant roots, but with it’s own uniquely American
character. We think nothing tells the story like the beers themselves.
I was hooked. I plunked down the $9.59 purchase price and carried my crate
of brew home. The first bottle I popped open was Piedmont Porter.
This brew, perhaps more than any of the others, grabbed my attention. The
pamphlet that accompanies the gift set informs us that beer was a mighty
popular drink in colonial America. Did you know that the first permanent
building the Pilgrims erected was a brewery? You do now.
We know that George Washington was rather fond of porter, although the
porter of his day was probably different from what we would recognize today.
In fact, Piedmont Porter derives its name from the area near Richmond,
Virginia, where another great American patriot, Thomas Jefferson, once
lived. Porters (and many beers) of the late 18th century were not entirely
all malt, and often used adjuncts like corn or molasses to supplement
precious barley malt as a fermentable. It is in that spirit that Piedmont
Porter is brewed with the addition of brown sugar.
Piedmont Porter pours to a very dark brown color with a thick creamy
tan head and a deep roasty nose. The palate is smooth with a good amount of
roasted flavor, a hint of licorice, chocolate, molasses, subtle vanilla, and
coffee. Rich candyish notes from the use of brown sugar are readily apparent
and impart an agreeable complexity to the brew. The finish is roasty and and
well balanced.
This is a unique porter with an overall clean body similar to a
bottom-fermented porter the likes of Pottsville, Pennsylvania’s Yuengling,
though the brown sugar certainly sets the two apart.
I highly recommend the Beers of America Historical Collection. The
Piedmont Porter alone is worth the purchase price. It’s that good.
And remember, try a new beer today, and drink outside the box.
*Pricing data accurate at time of review or latest update. For
reference only, based on actual price paid by reviewer.