Ron Chips is a regular at Lakeport”s Oktoberfest. Every year he dons a Bavarian costume and takes part in the opening ceremonies. Unfortunately, the owner of Kelsey Creek Brewing can”t say much about the ensuing festivities.
“I have to get back and go to work,” he explained.
Yep, back to his Kelseyville brewpub. For some reason people associate Oktoberfest with beer, from the streets of downtown Lakeport to cozy bars around the county.
OK, so the German tradition is well known—all those images of revelers clinking giant mugs together. And as summer eases into fall, beer drinkers begin reaching for darker, more robust brews.
At Kelsey Creek Brewing, that means the Clan McPherson Scottish Ale. On the nose it presents a masculine, malty taint, akin to sour mash or the back room of an old San Francisco bakery.
The aroma is fitting for the hearth and worn leather chairs. The flavor, however, opens itself to more universal settings. Although it is strapping, with a wealth of black coffee and molasses, the overt sweetness and harsh bitter sting you expect fails to show. Instead, Clan McPherson reins in the more pronounced aspects.
It”s calm and balanced, with just enough of a plot—revealing malty sugars and an acrid snap—to keep you interested.
“It”s the kind of beer where you can drink two or three and still enjoy the flavors,” Chips agreed. “For the few malts I use in it, it”s very complex.”
Chips uses only three malts in the brewing process, primarily Golden Promise. In order to replicate the character Scottish brewmasters create by caramelizing the first runnings of the wort, he adds in a little caramel malt.
What sets the tone of this ale, however, is the dash of roasted barley he adds, amounting to a mere 4 percent of the mix. This helps define the coffee and burnt toffee notes.
Chips drafted the ale in honor of Don McPherson, who had been called away for two stints of National Guard duty overseas but was also needed in Lake County.
“I told him ”if you stay home, I”ll brew a beer and name it after you,”” Chips recalled. “I brewed it at home and really liked it.”
McPherson Clan Scottish Ale was the second of Chips” original lineup and it remains on the Kelsey Creek Brewing menu.
“It”s almost as popular as the red,” he pointed out.
So popular, he rarely sees more than the first few sips of Oktoberfest in Lake County.
Dave Faries can be reached at 900-2016
