Well here we go, folks, it’s not even New Years as I type and already the spring beers are hitting the shelves. Wishful thinking, I know, but it does not change the fact that we’ve still the coldest months of winter to go before we can even really think of spring arriving. The first spring seasonal that I’ve come across so far is Widmer Columbia Common, a steam-style beer from Oregon’s Widmer brewing Company.
Of course, you can’t call a steam-style beer steam beer unless you are San Francisco’s Anchor Brewing Company. They own the trademark on that designation in combination with the most famous example of the style: Anchor Steam Beer. It’s the benchmark for all other examples of the style, a true American classic, and if your steam beer isn’t Anchor, you have to call it California Common.
Widmer’s Columbia Common is in the California Common style. California Commons are fermented with lager yeasts but at ale temperatures, and the carbon dioxide they give off during fermentation is said to resemble steam, hence the name. Widmer’s version, interestingly, is fermented with lager yeast and hefeweizen yeast to add idiosyncrasy.
I tasted Widmer Columbia Common from a freshly tapped keg (that day) at Taco Mac. I paid $6.50 for a 20-ounce mug of the beer, which has an alcohol content of 4.7% by volume and 32 IBUs. Ingredients from the website:
Malts
2-Row Pale, Munich 20L, Caramel 40L, Chocolate Malt Alchemy
Hops
Columbia, Willamette
And their description:
The Columbia Hop was near extinction when we brought it back to create this crisp, easy drinking common ale. With a rich amber hue, Columbia Common, the new spring seasonal release for 2013, has a mild grassy and spicy hop notes are complemented by a fruity character and clean finish brought on by the use of Hefeweizen and lager yeasts and unique malt bill. It's the perfect beer for spring. Prost!
Not so sure about the extinction bit, but there you go.
Widmer Columbia Common pours to a bright orange color with a moderate rocky head formation and a soft malty nose of light caramel. The caramel amber malts the style commands are here, and a bit of soft yeasty fruitiness too, but the minty grassy hops are too assertive for a good steam beer I think. To be sure, Anchor Steam boasts some of the latter, but I think the hops here are a little much and I would like a bit more of the soft fruit I get in Anchor Steam.
Anchor has nothing to worry about, but I did enjoy this beer hedonistically and would likely drink it again if the bottled price were not too high. If you’re looking for a solid steam beer, however, stick to Anchor is the hallmark.
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.
(B)=Bottled
(D)=Draft