Ballantine Burton Ale
Introduction by Mark Tumarkin
The holiday season is here, and one of the things I like most about this time of year is the opportunity to try some of the wonderful seasonal beers that are available (well, their availability in Florida is limited, but that is just a challenge!). Many breweries go all out to produce something special to celebrate the season and as a reward for their loyal customers.
These beers take many forms; barleywines, spiced ales, winter warmers, etc. One of my favorites is Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale. Another favorite, Samilchlaus, appeared to have been lost but a new brewer has been found to produce this huge lager and it will continue to be available in the future.
Following is a review, by Dave Brockington, of a truly special Christmas Ale that is no longer available. Actually, it never was really 'available'. We can't enjoy the beer itself, but I think you'll enjoy the following review from Dave's Tasting Notebook. You can find more of his reviews at: http://hbd.org/brewery/taproom/DBindex.html
Ballantine Burton Ale * Product Reviewed: Ballantine Burton Ale * Brewed By: Ballantine & Sons, formerly of Newark, NJ (1840-1971) * Form Reviewed: Bottle. Brewed 5/12/46, Bottled 11/66. * Originally posted to Usenet: November 11, 1999 * Added to the Tasting Notebook: November 19, 1999 Initial Impressions: When Sy Levy received this bottle from the Ballantine Brewery as a Christmas gift in 1966, he apparently decided to save it for later consumption. Perhaps this would be a wedding anniversary, his daughter's 21st birthday, or his retirement from the brewery. For reasons unknown, Sy never found an adequate occasion befitting a beer of this caliber and history. Ballantine is one of the great, historical American breweries. Prior to the rag and bone, nomadic existence that the Ballantine brand has experienced in the past 25 years, Ballantine was an independent regional brewery with a plant in Newark. It was in Newark that the legend of Ballantine Burton Ale was born. Famous for the reputably excellent Ballantine IPA, the brewers at Newark made a special beer for private distribution. This beer was brewed to a very high gravity and designed for long periods of maturation in oak tanks. A limited bottling every Fall would be released to employees and friends of the brewers as gifts for the holiday. The special label (examples of which are periodically available on ebay) lists the date the beer was brewed, bottled, and the person for whom the gift was intended. According to Fred Eckhardt in an interview I conducted several years ago, the Burton Ale was a very strong beer of unknown gravity, with over 60 IBU's of bitterness and a lengthy period in the wood. Eckhardt suggests that this beer has its roots prior to prohibition. This is a sensible assumption. As Ballantine dated its origins in Newark to 1840, it is not hard to imagine the brewery tapping into the old New England tradition of strong stock ale. The Burton Ale can be viewed as a fostering of this tradition, perhaps one of the last remaining examples. Very little exists on what this beer tasted like. Jackson describes the beer as "strong, amber-red, (and) well hopped". Ballantine's IPA was brewed to a strength of 1.078; it's not a terrific leap to assume that the Burton Ale was significantly stronger, perhaps bigger than 1.100. Jackson does remark that his "1950's edition" reminded him of a "very aromatic, hoppy barleywine." Jackson does not mention strength, nor does he specify if the 1950's referred to brewing or bottling date. He did drink the beer "more than 25 years" after the 1950's reference. Readers of rec.food.drink.beer in Usenet may recall John Staradumsky's notes on this beer. John's bottle was brewed on May 12 1934 and bottled in December, 1941. (John's review, dated 6/7/99, can be found on dejanews.com). John estimates the strength at 10%. Not surprisingly, the 57 year-old beer wasn't very "beery tasting", though Staradumsky reports a sophisticated flavor profile replete with vanilla, flavors reminiscent of scotch whisky, and alcoholic warmth. I invited Don Scheidt to share in this experience. Don was accompanied by a bottle of Hanssens Oud Kriek and Peters Kolsch, to serve as exclamation marks for a glorious session, or as insurance incase the very old Burton Ale was unpalatable. The Burton Ale is in a 12-ounce green bottle with the aforementioned inscriptions printed on the label: "special brew * not for sale" and "Brewed especially for Sy Levy on May 12, 1946 bottled November, 1966". I opened this bottle with a combination of awe and trepidation. The beer was brewed a few months before my parents were born, and bottled 17 months before I was born. The beer aged in oak for over 20 years, through the administrations of Truman, Eisenhower, Kennedy, and Johnson. It sat in the bottle for a further 33 years, experiencing conditions unknown. The barest hiss escapes from the bottle when opened. I pour it into two small brandy snifters, years of homebrewing experience allowing me to deftly maximize volume without introducing sediment. The beer is strikingly beautiful. It's crystal clear and deep garnet in the glass. (The clarity is interesting as Jackson reported a slight haze in his sample). Nose: I immediately noticed a huge plummy, sherry burst wafting in the immediate vicinity even before bringing the glass up to my nose. This continues once I did bring the glass closer, of course; the plum is strong but not overwhelming. A hint of alcoholic warmth is also present in the aroma, with vanilla notes indicative of the two decades this beer spent in the wood. As the beer breathes, these oaky notes grow in strength. Flavor: We really had two beers when we tasted the Burton Ale. Initially, it opens with a tart maltiness, which quickly dissipates into a black hole of absolutely nothing. The middle is remarkably empty for a beer of such body and strength. A nice, apparent bitterness slowly emerges, ultimately coating the palate in the finish. While I did allow this beer 30 minutes to warm a little before opening, the beer went through a transformation in the time spent in our glasses. It's as though it opened up while breathing and warming. A more sophisticated beer emerged, assuming a fruity note (Don thought apples, I went with pears) in addition to the plummy and oakiness. Where earlier my palate was coated in bitterness, now it's a tart fruitiness, all backed by a subtle, omnipresent alcoholic warmth. Final Analysis: This was a very remarkable tasting. I expected that this beer would not be palatable. At best, I figured on dominating sherry notes and other less desirable manifestations of oxidation overwhelming the experience. Happily, there was no tinniness or metallic flavors, no overwhelming sourness from an age-induced infection, and amazingly, no skunkiness from light, hops, and green bottles. The only detracting component of this beer was the initial emptiness of the middle -- a condition that subsided within several minutes. An interesting, if not unexpected, aspect of the beer was the profound effect that 20 years in wood had on the flavor profile. The oakiness was always there, lingering in the background when not center stage. Also interesting was the dynamic nature of this beer. Some beers go through changes, sure, but I've not experienced a beer to have as comprehensive a make over in the flavor profile as this. It's more comparable to an expensive vintage Bordeaux than it is to beer in this regard. I'd like to know more about the history of this beer. A coincidence, perhaps, but my bottle was brewed on May 12, 1946, while the bottle Staradumsky reviewed was brewed on May 12, 1934. Eckhardt spoke of a Steve Dafoe from New York who wrote about this beer in an issue of the long-defunct _Listen to Your Beer_ publication. Defoe found only four bottles of this beer in his research -- all empty -- the most fascinating of which was dated "brewed 5/12/46, bottled 11/12/66". I'd like to know how often this beer was brewed, how large the bottlings were, and any other information that can be compiled. Don and I had a glass of history the other night, now I'd like to know more about that history. Rating: I've chosen not to rate this beer. There's no point, really.
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