Brewing Master » Homebrew Beer » "Grains of Paradise" – What is it?
"Grains of Paradise" – What is it?
Question:
- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hey All, I ran out of homebrew and bought a sixer of Sam Adams Summer Ale. The label says it is brewed after the Belgian White style with wheat malt, lemon zest, and "grains of Paradise, a long forgotten and mysterious brewer’s spice used by Renaissance brewers centuries ago." Now my curiousity was peaked, this may be a marketing gimmic but I gotta know. What is it? That’s be Koch-ese for "cardamom." It’s a neat spice, but SASA is not a Belgian White Beer (just like the !TripleBock, the !ScottishAle, the !CranberryLambic…). They may slam him in rfdb for contract brewing, but over here we slam him for his labelling misnomers. Or at least I do.
Actually, rfdb’ers slam him for labelling misnomers even more than for contract brewing… And while we’re at it, I don’t find any labelling problems here: Summer Ale. Nope. No style problems there. "Brewed after the Belgian White style" No claim to BEING a Wit, just taking it in stride and doing something different. And besides, as I said already, Michael Jackson at some point indicates that damn near any spices can show up in a Wit. Cheers, — Andrew Ager Chicago, IL andrew-ager at nwu.edu (Just one of many low-tech Spam deflectors) "Quote"
Response:
Andrew Ager sez: And while we’re at it, I don’t find any labelling problems here: Summer Ale. Nope. No style problems there. "Brewed after the Belgian White style" No claim to BEING a Wit, just taking it in stride and doing something different. And besides, as I said already, Michael Jackson at some point indicates that damn near any spices can show up in a Wit.
Don’t get me wrong. I think MJ is the best beer writer going, but his coverage of white beers has been lacking at times. You can’t expect the guy to get every beer style in the world exactly right. I heard Pierre Celis (MJ incorrectly calls him Pieter in the New World Guide to Beer), founder of both the Celis and Hoegaarden breweries, speak at the Dixie Cup homebrew contest a couple of years ago. In the World Guide, Jackson says Hoegaarden White is made with a percentage of Oats. In the Beer Companion, he says oats were originally used, but no longer. Pierre says there have never been any oats in his beers. Jackson also speculates that there’s secret 3rd spice in the Celis White beers (possibly cumin seeds). Pierre says no. A buddy of mine once made a homebrewed wit with cumin. It tasted a lot like sweat. I tend to believe the brewer. I guess the moral of the story is that Curacao and coriander are the traditional spices. Use others at the risk of having it taste like a Jim Koch beer.
Response:
I ran out of homebrew and bought a sixer of Sam Adams Summer Ale. The label says it is brewed after the Belgian White style with wheat malt, lemon zest, and "grains of Paradise, a long forgotten and mysterious brewer’s spice used by Renaissance brewers centuries ago."…
As for "long forgotten"…tell that to the folks who make Bombay Gin. The back label of Bombay Sapphire lists "grains of paradise" as one of their herbals, notes that it comes from west Africa, and even shows a teeny drawing of the plant. Been there for years. One might raise the question of what grains of paradise have to do with Belgian White (what most folks would call "Wit", I guess) style. …Now my curiousity was peaked, this may be a marketing gimmic…
piqued Consider the source; what else would it be? That’s be Koch-ese for "cardamom."…
No, cardamom is not the same as grains of paradise. Grains of paradise are (per above) from west Africa; cardamom is east Indian. Also, cardamom is relatively easy to find (although expensive), while you’ll have a lot of trouble locating grains of paradise. …It’s a neat spice, but SASA is not a Belgian White Beer (just like the !TripleBock, the !ScottishAle, the !CranberryLambic…). They may slam him in rfdb for contract brewing, but over here we slam him for his labelling misnomers. Or at least I do…
Patiently explain when someone is taken in by their mislabeling. Other- wise just ignore them. Not to say they don’t make any good beers, but who needs the misdirection or the attitude? There’s plenty of good beer without ‘em. — Dick Dunn rcd at talisman.com Boulder County, Colorado USA …Simpler is better.
Response:
Hey All, I ran out of homebrew and bought a sixer of Sam Adams Summer Ale. The label says it is brewed after the Belgian White style with wheat malt, lemon zest, and "grains of Paradise, a long forgotten and mysterious brewer’s spice used by Renaissance brewers centuries ago." Now my curiousity was peaked, this may be a marketing gimmic but I gotta know. What is it?
That’s be Koch-ese for "cardamom." It’s a neat spice, but SASA is not a Belgian White Beer (just like the !TripleBock, the !ScottishAle, the !CranberryLambic…). They may slam him in rfdb for contract brewing, but over here we slam him for his labelling misnomers. Or at least I do. Jo3sh Email spam is worsening, and therefore, so are my countermeasures. Legitimate replies may be sent to jo3sh at domain fishnet.net. If you have trouble deciphering this .sig, I’m sorry. Blame the advertisers. –Jo3sh
Response:
Hey All, I ran out of homebrew and bought a sixer of Sam Adams Summer Ale. The label says it is brewed after the Belgian White style with wheat malt, lemon zest, and "grains of Paradise, a long forgotten and mysterious brewer’s spice used by Renaissance brewers centuries ago." Now my curiousity was peaked, this may be a marketing gimmic but I gotta know. What is it? Over on r.f.d.b they love to hammer Koch because he contract brews, but I gotta tell you this is a damn good beer, whoever brewed it. I must brew a wheat ale similar in style. Cat’s Meow doesn’t have anything under "Belgian White" but it does have a "Belgian Wheat". Same thing? Thanks in advance, Kevin Wasson Dunbarton, NH
Response:
Hey All, I ran out of homebrew and bought a sixer of Sam Adams Summer Ale. The label says it is brewed after the Belgian White style with wheat malt, lemon zest, and "grains of Paradise, a long forgotten and mysterious brewer’s spice used by Renaissance brewers centuries ago." Now my curiousity was peaked, this may be a marketing gimmic but I gotta know. What is it?
AFAIK, it’s a legit spice, and a legit claim, insofar as all manner of spices were used in beers of yore. Not too long ago I actually knew what a grain of paradise was…but now I can’t remember. Doh! Over on r.f.d.b they love to hammer Koch because he contract brews, but I gotta tell you this is a damn good beer, whoever brewed it. I must brew a wheat ale similar in style. Cat’s Meow doesn’t have anything under "Belgian White" but it does have a "Belgian Wheat". Same thing?
I agree, in general. SA beers are generally very good (I don’t like their fruit beers), some are astounding (Double Bock). I’ll give the Summer Ale a try. Also, Belgian Wheat is probably similar to Belgian White — try looking under "Wit" instead, too. That’s a more proper style designation. Most of those use coriander and curacao orange peel to spice the beer, but I believe Michael Jackson hints that damn near anything can be tossed into a Wit — coriander and curacao just happen to be the most popular combo. Cheers, Andrew Ager Chicago, IL andrew-ager at nwu.edu Senders of unsolicited commercial or non-commercial email are subject to a fine in the amount of $500 US.
Response:
I ran out of homebrew and bought a sixer of Sam Adams Summer Ale. The label says it is brewed after the Belgian White style with wheat malt, lemon zest, and "grains of Paradise,
Grains of Paradise are a specific strain of Corriander grown in Northwestern Africa. If I recall, it has the "clean-spicy" taste of Corriander, but not the regular spice’s bitterness. Proprietor – Soylent Green Biscuit Company See my on-line T-shirt Catalog