the bitter nib

New Glarus Moon Man Pale Ale

2012-01-29T23:38:00.000-08:00

New Glarus Moon Man No Coast Pale Ale.

Clear, pale golden color, thin white head.

Fresh, vibrant, hoppy aromatics. Lemon and orange peel/pine needle medley. Lovely. lovely.

Taste: Blast of bitterness right up front, an explosion of typical Pacific NorthWest citrus-y hop flavors. Big lemon, luscious orange, prickly pine, and pear. Slice of apple. Lean body lets the hops light up the palate, eases censurability. Hops, hops, hops, you want 'em, you got 'em.

There's a slight sourness creeping in, too, not sure if it was intended, for it's not necessarily part of a pale ale profile. It's fairly minor, though, and quickly excused. Long lasting on the palate, bright citrus hop flavor shining through the duration.

I like this, but find myself far from loving it. It drinks down well enough, and delivers the hops, but the citrus is too large in the flavor, and the body too thin.

Here's the ever-expressive side details from the paper label. "Moon Man is a seriously cool cat. Always comfortable in his own skin, he never tries too hard. So cool we named our "no coast" pale ale after him. You hold a session beer with a bright bold blend of five hops that flirt obligingly with the smooth malty backside. Don't let this one lay around. It is brewed to be enjoyed today. Bold and engaging without pretense, because in Wisconsin, you do not have to be extreme to be real, just be."

Oh, get over yourself, "Wisconsin"!

Three Floyds BrooDoo Harvest Ale

2012-01-29T23:36:00.000-08:00

Three Floyds BrooDoo Harvest Ale. "A seasonal ale that glorifies American hops. BrooDoo is brewed using fresh green "wet" hops picked right from the vine and put into our beer vats, from vine to brewhouse in one day! BrooDoo also uses the best American malt money can buy. Enjoy!"

What do troll dolls in sailor suits, princesses, unicorns and rainbows have to do with a Three Floyds Harvest Ale? Perhaps it's best not to ask.

Slightly hazy, golden hued, slim, off-white head.

Aroma, grassy hops, citric hops, tropical hops, hoppy hops. Bright, bitter, and lovely.

Taste: All that and more on board the palate. Fresh, bitter, fruity, and juicy. Medium bodied, long, bitter finish. Just enough malt to hold the balance, but plenty of room for the fresh hops to shine. A touch of sweetness creeps out, but pithy, citric, little bit o'piney bitter hops hold center stage.

I like this one, but I'm thinking I had this bottle too late in the game, for it seems the freshness should have been more forward, more pronounced. Still good, still delicious, however, it feels a touch faded, if only from 3 to 4 months time.

RedHook Nut Brown Ale

2012-01-29T23:33:00.000-08:00

RedHook Nut Brown. Seasonal Series. "Takes Nuts as a Compliment." 5.8 % ABV.

Clear, and caramel brown in appearance, slim, dotted, grey-brown head.

Aroma: malty, brown…nuts, yeah, sure. A little caramel-y, not much happening.

Taste: Caramel malt notes, small amounts of bitterness. A little toast. Slight cherry flavor, a little fruit to match the tiny serving of hops.

Light bodied. Faint finish. Lacking any real strength of character.

You can drink it. You can sink it. But, eh….bleb,….I'm not liking it.

I keep wanting to give everything a second chance. And I will continue to give RedHook a try, but I won't go back to this one, no sirree.

Laughing Dog Dogfather Imperial Stout

2012-01-29T23:30:00.001-08:00

Did you know that Dogfather backwards is RehtafGod? That's what I'm saying, man.

The Dogfather Imperial Stout, Laughing Dog Brewery, Ponderay, Idaho. 10.5% ABV. No ponderous verbiage to be found on the label, only random gunshots.

Solid black coloration, rich, toasted tan head, beautiful appearance. Just what I want to see when I'm downing an Imperial Stout.

Licorice hits the nose first, then black strap molasses. Dark chocolate comes up next. Deep and decadent. This one goes all the way. Butterscotch and caramel, sweetness to go, but not too much. Nicely tempered, while utterly decadent. I love this. Gorgeous.

On the tongue, it's a bittersweet mix that hits first. Sweet, bitter, sweet, bitter, on and on, and on. A little fruity, then the bitter chocolate, then the darkness. Quite a mix, and completely a pleasure.

Full bodied, long, rich finish. Great balance, with just enough bitter to balance the sweet. And plenty of sweet to make it delicious. Mmmm…

This isn't going to unseat any of my top favorites in this style, but it will work it's way among the second echelon.

Laughing Dog DogZilla Black IPA

2012-01-29T23:27:00.001-08:00

Laughing Dog Brewing, Fetchingly Good Ales, Ponderay, Idaho. Dogzilla Black IPA. 6.9% ABV. This one's label copy comes as a song, sung to the tune of, I assume, BOC's "Godzilla": With a purposeful growl, and terrible sound, he pulls the rack of kegs all down. He picks up a bottles and throws it back down, as he wades through the kegs toward the center of town. Oh, no, they say he got to go, Go go Dogzilla. Dogzilla is back and hoppy A true Northwest IPA with a dark malt twist." (I don't think that last one was supposed to be sung. Doesn't really rhyme.)"

Full black color, lighter ruby brown edges, nice 1/4 " head of creamy tan head.

Hoppy aromatics, mixed with dark malt. Not too anything, a hint of grass, a splash of citrus, but adequately matched with malt. Freshly mowed hop grass lilting over a chocolate base.

Taste: It's all there, again. Chewy, roasty, chocolate-y malt flavor holds it down amply, with lightly bitter, grassy hops playing above. Like many of these Black IPAs, it comes across as a hoppy porter, but there's no real imbalance in this one. It's a firestorm of flavors, full and rich, very satisfying.

Did you know that Dogzilla is AllizGod backwards?

Think about that, huh? Hmmmm?

Harriet Anniversary Day at the Blue Nile

2012-01-28T04:47:00.000-08:00

Man, oh, man, I'm still recoiling from this one. Haven't even gotten home, still relaxing at work (so much work!), before heading off to the lightrail train, and sweet slumber, after working for 15 hours straight, or more.
A Total Tap Takeover, with many rarities and one-offs, a line-up you will likely never see again. And I had to wait until 3:20 (we open at 4, and the event was scheduled for then) for the brewery to deliver them. Actually, 2 of the most hotly coveted items, the barrel-aged beers, would only come later.
And with 500 tickets sold the day before, exceeding our capacity, well, this guy was strung out. There was nothing we could do to make it better. We did our best for so very long, with the help we had, and at 7:30 I called a stop to all "flights"...the glassware was out there, and it's too time-consuming. Time to start having full glasses, people!
There were special beers that ran out quick, of course, like the barrel-aged brews, which I was lucky enough to taste several weeks ago. The tea-infused beers, Lapsong Souchong Dark abbey, and Jasmine Tea Divine Oculust, they were gone before I got a taste. Also, two dry-hopped versions of Divine Oculust, one with Sorachi Ace, and one with Saaz, went quickly. Some large kegs took longer, like Divine Resolution, the orange peel infusion of Divine Oculust, as well as the first variation on the coffee-infused Doppelbock.
Damn, I forgot, we did the release party for the Doppelbock, Elevator! So, I didn't get much Ethiopian Tchembe, but am enjoying the Espresso currently. Ahhh, so nice. A review will come later.
But not, alas, of Sorachi Ace or Saaz Dry-hopped DO, or Cascade or Citra dry-hopped West-Side, or the 2 Tea infusions, or the barrel-aged versions. Oh, well, such is life. Many late-comers were hard to come to grips with what was gone, but, seriously, it's been 5 hours people, you snooze, you lose!
And also bewildering, is the people who come up and ask for a Grain Belt, or a Surly. It's Harriet Day, you moth@rF*ckers! Roll with it!
I illustrate this adventure, with a photo taken last night of the Harriet neon now proudly hung on our wall, as well a shot I snapped of the barrel-aged brews when I first had them at the brewery, several weeks ago.
The main thing I want to leave with is that I really truly appreciate when others appreciate our efforts. So often people can fire off an online review and vilify an establishment because they had to wait for their beers, or they got the wrong glassware, despite the fact that there are 500 other people in the place, and there's no way to make everyone perfectly happy all the time. Being told that we rocked, we were awesome, we worked our asses off, yeah, that means something, when they recognize the effort.

One thing that came up, from some beer geek friends, and always does, was "what's your favorite of the day?" And I have to laugh, and say, "I'm too busy working to drink!" And, it's true. Sad, and true.
Also, I discovered that while sweet jazz music does soothe my soul when I need it most (very impressed that this Super Combo knew Lee Morgan's "Yes, I Can, No, You Can't"), I still get annoyed by a mandolin, especially in conjuction with cutesy-pie, heart-on-a-sleeve lyrics delivered by a tatooed girl-woman. Add a violin, and I want to reach for a revolver.)

Alaskan Perseverance Russian Imperial Stout

2012-01-28T04:14:00.000-08:00

Perseverance Ale, Alaskan Brewery, Russian Imperial Stout, Stout Brewed with Birch Syrup and Fireweed Honey, 9 % ABV, 1 pint, 6 luid ounces. Alaskan Brewing Company, Brewed and Bottled in Juneau, Alaska.

Solid black, slim head, soon gone.

Aromatics, dark malt, rich, bittersweet, cocoa, blackstrap molasses, some minor charcoal and smoke. Overall, very subtle.

Taste: more darkness, more sweetness, but lacks depth.

That was too quick. I need to give it some tick, let the brew breath.

So, again…sweet, slick, …roasty. Toasty. Charred, but …not really. Starts…but doesn't get there. Tasty, …boozy…but, lacking extra oomph. Sometimes called "character." Also, "zazz." At other times, "zork."

This could be a lot better. It should be a lot better. Thicker, maybe? More intense, perhaps?

But, nice. If you want nice, go for this.

Smuttynose Gravitation Quadrupel Ale

2012-01-26T20:28:00.001-08:00

The Smuttynose BIG BEER Series, Gravitation, a Belgian-style quadruple ale. Odd that they chose an illustration for the label that appears to depict the opposite of gravity. Is it Icarus falling to Earth, or some freshly plucked angel?

Dark, rich, burgundy hue. Slim, dark dotted head.

Aroma: Alcohol and ripe fruit. Banana and cherry. Pomegranate. Leather and cognac. Oh, and alcohol.

Taste: More of the same, on board the palate. Burnished malt, hot and fiery. Gigantic and enormous. Starts fierce and floods the mouth, lightens a bit in body as it slides down the throat, ends with a long, balanced finish.

Rich, fat, and boozy. What's the ABV? I can't see it anywhere on the label. Has to be 10% or higher. the label does tell us "Gravitation is a huge, deep-red ale brewed with a traditional Belgian yeast to achieve flavor, complexity & character of audacious proportions." Sounds good, but I feel some complexity is hidden under all the heat. Sweetness is large in this, and only somewhat held in check by bitterness. All in all, it's the alcohol that rules.

I'm having this as a nightcap, getting ready to turn in for the evening. It's tasty, to an extent, but I feel, for me, that it trades too heavily in alcoholic heat and malty sweet at the expense of subtlety and sophistication.

Smuttynose Robust Porter

2012-01-25T16:06:00.000-08:00

Smuttynose Robust Porter, second of the two singles brought back from Casanova's in hudson, WI. Not the last Smuttynose I have to drink, there's still one sitting in the fridge left over from November's visit to Dairyland. Just not always in the mood for a Quadrupel. A robust porter, on the other hand...

Like the brown ale, I first tried this one almost nine years ago, during the early days of trading, courtesy of an East Coast trading partner. These are the notes:

Fully black color, below a rich, tan, though woefully brief, head.

Aroma is strong and powerful, rich with notes of cocoa, coffee, and butternut.
Slightly oily texture, but with plenty of grit. Full body, sweet, strong, substantial, with a tasty acidity and tang.
Small bitterness, and solid malt.
Sweet and bitter at once. Roasty, toasty, and above all, tasty.

A little syrupy toward the end, but that didn't spoil my enjoyment of this fine porter.

Smuttynose Old Brown Dog Ale

2012-01-25T15:59:00.000-08:00

Smuttynose Old Brown Dog Ale, New Hampshire, brought back from Wisconsin, 6.5% ABV. I first had one in October, 2003, and here's what I said then.

Lovely brown color, with a slight, tannish head.

Aroma; mild, with some nuttiness, though it develops as we go on, becomes more chocolately and sweet.

Taste: rich, delicious, malty. Medium body, but large maltiness, minimum hops.
Nicely balanced, easy-drinking, aflush with flavor, this is another in the Elite Corps of Brown Ales, Done Right!

Yum, yum, I keep saying, and may I repeat....mmmm...

I like it more now. Wish I brought a 6-pack home instead of one bottle.

Bell's Hell Hath No Fury... Ale

2012-01-23T22:24:00.000-08:00

Bell's Hell Hath No Fury Ale. 7.7% ABV.
Currently on tap, but I'm looking back on notes from November, 2006. I recall this being released the same time as HopSlam, and I made a fatal error, ordering more of this than the other. HopSlam was instantly popular, and sold out quick. That first version of Hell...emptied out dreadfully slow. These days it's not strictly known as a dubbel, as it was originally conceived, and streams closer to a Belgian-ish stout. Whatever, it's damned tasty, and I'll let the 5 year old notes stand.

Solid brown body, opaque, thin, but lasting layer of cocoa-tan foam above. Solid look for a dubbel.

Nose is all cocoa powder, with suggestions of maple, nuts, & other sweet, dark and tasty things.

Taste is more of the same, with an appreciated heft to the feel. Comes on and grows spicy on the tongue, coats the palate with a slick, chocolately, syrupy sweetness. Cloys a tad, but still delights.
Thins out a touch and dries nicely in the finish.

What I would change here is that in this current iteration, there's very little sweetness, it's more of a dry chocolate, with hints of smoke.

Dave's BrewFarm Kotura

2012-01-22T22:39:00.000-08:00

Dave's BrewFarm Kotura. No word on the name, most probably a Japanese wind. 8.5% ABV. What else? "Five different malts come together with classic Weizen yeast--chocolate, caramel, and toffee flavors with a healthy ABV makes for a nice dessert beer."

Utter blackness, under a slim, tanned head.

Sweet aromatics, with caramel, toffee, the like..

.creamy, sweet luscious, lovely. AH…

Taste…rich malt, full of chocolate and toffee, caramel, all that. Hops are minimal, sweetness is high, but not overpowering. Unless you need to steer clear of that sort of thing. This is strictly labeled as a dessert beer, so don't ask for a refund if you yearn for something drier.

Very rich malty flavor, like a liquid candy bar, and ever-so tasty. There are some hops adding buttering balance, nicely dancing on the tongue at the start of the taste, with the tasty malt mix rising up and fandango-ing into the flavor of it all.

In the end it's a dry sweetness, and an excellent balance. Beautiful beer. So very nice.

Widmer Brothers Rotator IPA Series, O'Ryely IPA

2012-01-22T22:22:00.001-08:00

Widmer Brothers Rotator IPA Series, Profile: "O'Ryely IPA". "A wry take on IPA. Rye spiciness, distinctly hopped."

Clear, dark amber coloring, off-white cloud of foam. Looks nice.

Aroma: spicy, bready malt notes, herbal/mineral, tropical fruits. Fruit salad on rye bread, heavy on the rye. Hops are kind of hidden, but they're there.

Taste: Hop bitterness starts it off, warm, even hot, matched well with spicy malt. A friendly tug of war. Here's a little bitter, here's a bit of spicy/ sweet (small on the sweet). Toasty. Certainly unlike anything you'd expect from an IPA. In fact, I wouldn't call this an IPA, if they hadn't already established it as one. I'd be hard pressed to categorize it, and since I don't have to, I won't. But they did.

However, to really call it an IPA, I've got to be able to feel the hops more than the malt. For an IPA, the hop presence is rather mild.

Other than that, I like it. Drinks down nice and easy, provides plenty of pleasure. Decent sessioner. Good for that. And that is all.

Brewery Van Steenberge Cherish Kriek lambic

2012-01-20T15:11:00.001-08:00

Cherish. Authentic Belgian Kriek Lambic, Brewed and bottled by Browerij van Steenberge, Ertvelde, Belgium.

Deep ruby coloring, nearly purple, pinkish head settles into a tight ring.

Mix of tart and sweet cherry notes in the nose, leaning on the sweet, heading into CandyLand, like a SweeTart, or, actually cherry kool-aid. Not much beyond that.

Taste: starts with a sour spank on the tongue, quickly matched with a cloying, almost sickening sweetness. Then, it vanishes. Poof! Gone, with only a little bit of lingering. Light bodied, with little character beyond this sweet/sour sensation.

A passable dessert beer option, especially if you find it at a nice price, but steers clear from being breathtaking. Clearly a syrup is involved here, we're getting little real cherry flavor, and none of the complexity of the great lambics. I'm being nice. It would be very easy to just say, "it sucks." You won't find that very often here at the bitter nib.

Just call me disappointed.

Oh, well.

Dave's BrewFarm Lupulo Noir

2012-01-19T19:45:00.000-08:00

"Lupulo Noir. 9.1 % Belgian lineage yeast. Pils, Caramel 120, and Chocolate malts, combined with Magnum, Chinook, Northern Brewer, and Amarillo hops."

Off goes the swingtop cap, and out sprays beer into my face! (Good sign or bad omen?)

Dark as night this one, with slightly opaque edges, turning a lighter caramel color, with a lovely cocoa brown head holding down the fort on top. Very inviting.

Aroma: the nose greets us first with a blast of this blend of hops, we're getting the bitterness, the resiny pine, the pithy citrus. It stands for a second, before being engulfed by chocolate. Bitterness is utterly subdued, and grassy hop character remains standing, holding ground with caramel and cocoa.

Taste: All that and more back on the tongue. Hops aren't loud or large, very subtle, but stand their ground with the deep, dark, lush malt. The hop contingency always maintains steadily at the forefront of this ale, and the chocolate part only gets richer and delicious-er. Seriously, delicious-er IS a word, albeit one I only made up now. (Edit: I realize I've said "delicious-er" before, of course, for an earlier BrewFarm beer, no less.)

I've done some grousing about the "black IPA", or "black ale", and I've done some cheering about certain entries in this field. Right now, I feel as if I'd have to put this in there, although the Belgian yeast may help me make a case for herding Lupulo Noir into a different category.

Dave's BrewFarm AuBeXXX Belgian-style Golden Ale

2012-01-18T14:34:00.000-08:00

Dave's BrewFarm, hurrah! Had the whole line-up on Sunday, and went back for seconds on a couple of them, but not on old favorites, or Heavy Hitters, no I re-visited the tastiest and most surprising offerings. Unfortunately, I didn't take notes while there (never do, as I take notes while talking with friends on the rarest of occasions, if ever.), so my impressions on those beers will have to wait until the day Mr. Anderson growlers them, or...bottles...cans?
I did bring home 3 growlers, and the first that I tackled last night is both an old favorite and a Heavy Hitter. Notes from January, 2012, commence!

AuBeXX. Au for Gold, Be for Belgium, XXX for strong. AwBex, One of the first beers Farmer Dave brought out to festivals, and one of the mainstays at the LaBrewaTory, but oddly enough, this marks the first time it's been in growlers that I've been there. Or maybe not, it's hard to say, but it's harder still to imagine that I ever passed it up before.

Enough palaver, let's get into it.

In a Duvel glass, it's golden in name only this time, (was it paler before?), cast a deep amber hue, with a prodigious, staying off-white head.

Enticing aromatics, a blend of fruit, peppery spice, and distinct Belgian yeast. Complex and arousing. Urges me into the tasting, which we will begin…now.

In the mouth, warm, malty, getting hot, with spice keeping pace with fruit. Clean malty flavor, with sufficient richness. Zesty is an appropriate phrase. Medium-bodied, lean enough, but perfectly balanced, with most of the flavor coming malt, yeast, and the spice additions, not much from hops beyond mild balancing bitterness.

Ah! Everytime it slips the lips, satisfaction. Mmm! This would be quite a nice packaged product, and would please those intimidated by the curiosity of Matacabras. Not as thick as that one, with more bright fruit, leaner, and yummier. Halfway in, the 9.1 % ABV starts chiming in.

Here the official description of the LaBrewaTory. "Golden strong ale with spicing. Belgian lineage yeast, Vanguard and Northern Brewer hops. Additions of orange peel, cardamom, and black pepper. "

This malty, spicy, yummy golden ale is one I'll happily finish off tonight, and wish I had more for tomorrow. Alas, and alack. Hint, hint, Mr. Anderson, let's get some more of this going. Stick this lovely blend of spice and malt into a vessel that can reach the masses, and wait for the applause.

Oskar Blues Ten Fidy Imperial Stout

2012-01-18T14:26:00.000-08:00

Picked up another Oskar Blues in Wisconsin, possibly, and most probably, the first Russian Imperial Stout ever canned. I had this one for the first time in June, 2008. My notes, it seems, were terse and to-the-point. That is how it should be sometimes. I'll let them stand, without further embellishment. Except this. One the can, only these words for promotional puffery: "Cross-eyed. Cyclopean. Cancupescient." I have no idea what that means. Or maybe I do?
(I still, however, can't tell you
what "Ten Fidy" means.)

Notes, do your stuff:

Ten Fidy, Oskar Blues, can

Black as night, under a thick, luscious brown head, a slice of chocolate frosting.

Sweet cocoa aroma, next to bittersweet notes, roasty malt next to bitter hops, deeper divinations bring out molasses, dark rum, licorice. Beautiful.

Rich and full-bodied, starting sweet and chocolate-y, ending roasty and dry.
Wonderful stuff.

Oskar Blues GUBNA Imperial IPA

2012-01-18T14:16:00.000-08:00

Out of Lyons, Colorado, the Oskar Blues Brewery Company, one of the nation's first to make a name for itself with canned craft beer offerings. They began with Dale's Pale Ale, but this time we're looking at the double IPA, Gubna, which I reviewed for the first time in October, 2010. Here are some notes for you!

Gubna Imperial IPA, Oskar Blues Brewery LLC, Colorado, USA

Hazy, pale peach appearance, slim white head.

Prickly pine aromatics, with a serving of lemon and lime, grapefruit, bright, citrus-y hop madness. Juuust right!

Taste: All that and more. Thinnish body, tons of bitterness on top. Hop attack smears the top of the mouth, slides to the back, trickles down. Fierce hop flavor never fails, not for a minute, just ...narrows a bit, after the initial salvo.
Lemon rind and grapefruit squirt step on the palate with every sip. Fine finish, medium length, stays juicy and hoppy, and keeps you grabbing for another.

Took me long enough to try out this acclaimed IPA, didn't it, and now I know for a fact that it belongs in the top rank of Imperials. Good on you, Gubna.

New Glarus Hop Hearty IPA

2012-01-18T14:05:00.000-08:00

Another trip to Dave's BrewFarm, means another visit to Casanova's in Wisconsin, means more Wisconsin hauls. Which means re-visiting beers I reviewed long ago, but haven't checked into for this particular endeavor. And here he meet Hop Hearty IPA from New Glarus, which I first reviewed on BeerAdvocate, back in April, 2003. I've skimmed away unimportant details, but stuck with the meat of it. Notes, away!

Color is typical clear, reddish hue, with a firm, if smallish, white head.

Nose is sharp, and hot, pine and spruce associations jumping forward. Some citric tones, too, but however you divvy it, it's all hops, baby!

Fresh and bold on the palate, though the finish is a bit too brief, but not unmemorable.

Body's medium, malt back-up is quite good, very substantive.

Very tasty, and very rewarding! Deee-licious! Quite a treat for this card-carrying hophead.

Widmer Pitch Black IPA

2012-01-15T22:30:00.001-08:00

Widmer Pitch Black IPA. "Always Bet On Black." 6.5% ABV. "Embrace the Dark Side." Smooth, dark, and hoppy. Series 924. And so on, and so forth. Let's crack this open.

Indeed, it is pitch black in color, roasty tan head, mmm, enticing.

Aroma: there we go, grassy, piney, hovering over black malt, cocoa and coffee. Ah, hoptastic, it is, big time.

Tasting it, …there we go. Black malt, dark and tasty, low roast, minor toast, some chocolate happening. The hoppy buzz keeps on top of the palate.

After all the black IPAs/black ales I try, I'm still not 100% crazy about them. A big so what, is how I feel. I don't want grassy hops over a dark ale. And if I yearn for something hoppy, I don't want the dark malts. Peanut butter in my chocolate, that sort of thing.

Earthy, malty, and tasty. But, eh…not the sort of thing I'm going to turn to, again and again. Just doesn't thrill me. I hope this fad dies off soon, actually.

Harriet East-Side Belgian-style IPA

2012-01-14T15:31:00.000-08:00

Harriet East -Side. What the Heck is that? It's this…"East Side honors the hoppy Belgian Goldens that inspired the pseudo-style, Belgian IPA. East Side was brewed with the same quantity and fraction of Pilsner, Munich, and crystal malts as West Side; except we used the lightest crystal available. Thus, the appearance of East Side is pale. Also, we targeted the same IBU's as West Side, but we did so with all European hops. Finally, East Side is fermented by the same yeast as West Side.

We anticipate a very floral, light fruity and earthy character with spicy undertones and a clean yet sturdy malt backbone, but you'll have to come and find out for yourself! Only one batch of this delicate offering was brewed; so, don't miss out!"

I didn't make it to the Groveland Tap for the premiere, and I admit I'm a little jealous that they got it first, but what can you do. On the other hand, Jason stopped by with a growler, and I enjoyed most of that last night. Didn't feel up to writing, so I saved some for now, when I'm going to do it. Starting now…Clear, straw gold color, big, white head, cloudy, lovely.

Unique aromatics, funky, wild, slightly sour, spicy, and somewhat citric. This is exactly like a Czech pilsner nose meshed with Belgian yeast. And it really resembles what the first Belgian IPAs really were, Urthel Hop-It, Gouden Carolus Hopsinjoor, and the like. Nothing American here, at all.

…and very little IPA-like, at least in terms of what we think of for American IPAs,…let's drink,now.

On the palate, smooth, easy, clean, very light bodied, with hop bitterness king. Lays long on the palate, never quitting, feeling all the world like a classic IPA, but without the characteristics of the West Coast style that we are accustomed to, the citrus, the pine. Starts turning a little creamy, a little sweet, then pummeled by hops. A burst of bitter orange is in here, too, matched with pepper and some aspirin-like astringent.

I like this.

Medium- bodied, but easy-drinking, consummate consumability.

My notes cut off there, for it was time to hit the mattress, and call it a morning. I just can't drink as much as I used to, when I get home from work around 4 a.m. But it drank down just fine, with many pleasures attending the tasting, while I was able to drink. If I find more to say about this tasty, Belgian-style brew, I'll be sure to check back in.

New Belgium Lips of Faith Fresh Hop IPA

2012-01-12T01:52:00.000-08:00

New Belgium Lips of Faith Fresh Hop IPA. Freshly tapped, and doing very well, terribly popular. I was slightly late on this one, and when I finally got a hold of good ol' Joe about the final LoF brews of the year, and their availability, he admitted that it was a bit late for a fresh hop ale, and they'd be happy to see them out the door. Yes, it's not October anymore, but it's tasting great, and has held up well over the months, since it was "fresh". This won't last long, so I'm getting right to the notes, here we go...

Clear, bright red coloring, huge head, a snow drift of foam....looks fantastic.

Aromatics, full of lemon and orange zest, prickly pine, and all things hoppy. Floral, bitter, beautiful.

Taste: Hits the palate with bitter hops, glides all over the tongue, but never too harsh, never too hard. Fades a bit, but clings lightly along. Roars back with each new sip and swallow, never-ending bitter blast that hangs long on the palate. Yum.

Light to medium body. Tasty as heck, damned good stuff. This is a definite hit for the hop-heads in the house. I'm hoping they continue with this one. Clearly, they know how to do it, let's keep it up, NB!

New Belgium Snow Day Winter Ale

2012-01-12T00:23:00.000-08:00

New Belgium Snow Day Winter Ale. 6.2% ABV. Pleasantly hoppy, Snow Day carries the subtle chocolate and caramel flavors of a new brewing malt known as Midnight Wheat. The Styrian Golding, Centennial and Cascade hops bring the backbone of hoppy bitterness to complement the roasty undertones. This beer is the deep garnet of a roasted walnut and presents a creamy tan head, floating artfully atop. Snow Day is bold and hoppy, drinkable and strong.

Snow Day, huh? this is not the year for that. Our snowfall has been small and short-lived. Mildest winter on record, I believe. Or, I'm assuming. At least the winter beers are still strong.

Deeply dark, nearly black, tall tanned head, long lasting…looks great.

Fruit forward aromatics, bitter citrus, grapefruit and pine. Plenty of hops in here, with caramel malt tones below.

Hoppy snap hits the palate first, spanks the tongue just a bit, then fades back, leaving lush malt. Bitter hops and toasty malt mix it up. Medium bodied. Nicely toasty, loads of caramel and toffee to keep up with the hops.

This one's being called an American Black Ale, or Black IPA, because a winter ale shouldn't be so hoppy, apparently.

Me, I just like it. This 6-pack went down with no problem. I'll probably do some more before it's gone. But, it won't make me miss the snow.

RedHook Pilsner

2012-01-11T23:46:00.001-08:00

RedHook Pilsner. "May Not Look It, but Has A Dark Side." (What the hell does that mean?) 5.3% Alc./Vol.

I haven't had any RedHook in ages. They stopped meaning anything to me a long, long time ago. Now, apparently, they have 3 breweries. Did not know that.

Glad I got some samples from the sample man, this time one with RedHook and Widmer samples. Good thing, I don't think I would have purchased a 6'er of this on my own.

So let's look at it. Clear and golden, effervescent, snow-white head.

Clean, malty aromatics, some hops, cereal notes. Note perfect pilsner nose.

Taste: crystal clear and clean. Light body. Small hop blitz, gone in no time, revealing a sweet malt profile, ending dry. Dry and ever-s0-slightly bitter.

They pitched it perfectly. Not so bad.

But, where was that "dark side", again?

Vichtenaar Flemish Red Ale

2012-01-11T22:04:00.000-08:00

Vichtenaar Flemish Ale, bottled and brewed by Brouwerij Verhaege-Vichte, Belgium. Vichtenaar is a West-Flemish red-brown ale matured in oak casks, has a fruity palate, pleasant sour flavor and refreshing finish. 5.1 % ABV, 11.2 oz. bottle.

Clear, reddish-brown color, off-white head, slim, but lasting.

Aroma: sour fruit, vinegar, cherries, oak. All well-integrated, nothing too forward.

Drink it, now. Mild approach on the palate. The mild fruity flavor is there, the mild oak notes, the mild, light, lean body.

(Read between the lines.)

Okay, I'll come right out and say it: if you're a big, "sour" fan, this will not be for you. If you are looking for a stepping stone, step right on this one. It's a gateway Flemish red/brown, but if you've already got the bug, you can skip this one.

Lagunitas Bavarian-style Doppel Weizen

2012-01-11T21:50:00.001-08:00

Limited Release Lagunitas Our Own Bavarian-style Doppel Weizen. This special brew was designed by our Freistadt Bayern Brothers Who Also Built the Brewhouse Upon Which We Brewed It. . Alc. 9% by Vol.

Utterly clouded, deep orange coloring, big white head, slips down quickly.

Aroma, banana cream pie & orange rind. Light spice. Creamy, fruity, perfectly pleasing.

Taste: Minor hop attack at the front, starts bitter, subsides in time. Then that banana cream pie factor floods in, and also fades. Orange, pepper and clove come in, surrounded by the texture of wheat malt. Full-bodied, with a rising sweetness, only slightly tempered by the mild hop content. Alcoholic content on the other hand shows it's stripes soon, and roars in the membrane. 9% is typical for this brewery, but not for this style. Wait, what style? Is this meant to be a wheat doppelbock, a weizenbock, albeit a blond one? It doesn't really act like one. An Imperial blond hefe weizen?

This is tasty, but it's also clumsy and indelicate. I can't figure it out, and worse, the alcoholic sting is just a bit too awkward and out-of-place. I may be destined to never like "imperial weizen" beers, no matter how many I try, or who makes them. The mouthfeel is soft and lovely, I want to drink it like a regular weizen, and then the booze stands out, screaming for attention. Boom, boom, boom, bopping on the brain. Those aren't the right flavors for a 9% beer. Your mileage, as they say, may vary.

Olvalde Farms Ode to a Russian Shipwright

2012-01-10T18:51:00.000-08:00

The second release ever from this very modest one-man operation out of Rollingstone, MN, a town I'd honestly never heard of, until they rolled out The Aurauch's Horn. That beer was universally praised, as it should have been. The second bottle they put out is being called an Imperial Stout Porter. Stouts began as "stout" versions of Porter. I like how they (he?) is playing freely with names and definitions. Comes in a swingtop bottle, ideal for those nights when you can't drink the whole thing. Here are my notes, from a week or two ago. (don't ask why I didn't post them right away. I don't remember.)

Ode to a Russian Shipwright, Imperial Stout Porter, Ale brewed with Spruce tips, (lightly hopped, unfiltered, refermented in the bottle). Olvalde Farm and Brewing Company, Rollingstone, MN.

Pitch black body, with an oddly-colored head, a little pink, a little brown. Bubbling, rocky, lasting. Active carbonation, rising up from the bottom into the foam.

Aroma: most oddness. Floral, vegetal, leafy (?)…there's something unusual here…is it the spruce tips? Or the yeast. A touch of sour here, and not displaying much of what we think of when we think of "imperial stout porter." Earthy, creamy…odd.

Drink it, now. Mmmm. Yeah. Fruit. Minor hops. And, yeah, I can get the spruce thing. Reminds me, predictably, of Anchor Our Special Ale. All the character of the porter and the stout, and while it ison the strong side, it doesn't have exactly the flavors of an "imperial stout" or an "imperial porter." There's some roast, some cocoa and coffee, but well-rounded and blended with the spruce. Tasty stuff, and very well done.

This could benefit from aging, but doesn't necessarily need it. Drink now, drink later, either way, another excellent ale out of Rollingstone. Can't wait for what's next!

Rush River Batch 1000

2012-01-10T17:34:00.000-08:00

Some breweries celebrate big milestones, like every 20 years, 25, 30 and so on. Others do a special beer every single year on their birthday. And then there's Rush River, who quietly kept putting out their beers, never marking their 5th when it came around, celebrating only now that they've hit the major mark of a thousandth batch. This one is yet another forward step for these guys, an unfiltered rye "red ale" that reminded me of Surly Furious at first taste. I'm going to take some notes right about now. Get ready, here they come...

Lightly hazed, deep amber appearance, nearly red, but not quite.

Spicy malt rises in the aroma, met with bitter hop nots, melding into bittersweet and bready. A mix of hop notes, with no one characteristic standing out. Some citrus, some tropical tones, but they're all well blended.

Taste: Bitter hops spank the tongue at first gulp, then they slide all over the palate. Lays long and lasts. Great texture, and beautiful balance. Heavy malt feel, full body, and excellent consumability. Very appealing flavor, a constant stream of happy hoppiness hits the lips and traverses the tongue. Crawls the roof of the mouth, spreads up, down, over and out. Rewarding mouthfeel.

With this one-shot offering, RR has created an ale for the hop-heads, as well as those who yearn for plenty of malt to keep up with the hops. Rye character is strong and spicy, bordering on intense. Comparable to Cane and Ebel from Two Brothers, and a bit better than Summit India Rye from the Unchained Series.

One thing I know for sure, that this is delicious. I've got two kegs of this, and I'll enjoy them for as long as it lasts. Yum.

North Coast Brother Thelonious Abbey Dubbel Ale

2012-01-08T02:41:00.000-08:00

A word, for a moment, about Thelonious Monk, the musician.

In short, I dig him.

In long, well, I could write a book.

I've been digging him since I first got into jazz in my early twenties, borrowing albums from the library, then checking out cassettes, then CDs.

Now, I'm buying it all back in vinyl, just for kicks.

What is it about his music? What isn't it. There's a rhythmic drive, an intensity of emotion, an unparelelled uniqueness of vision, a singular style of composition that defied convention. And melodies that go beyond beauty, at times, and into poetry.

I honestly feel that Monk is one of those musicians whose absence in the flow of history would have disastrous repurcussions. (much like Louis Armstrong.)

Without the influence he had on Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Horace Silver, and so many others, there wouldn't have been the influence those artists had had on so many others. If Trane hadn't broken the ground he did, after Monk set him free, would we have had Jimi? Or Carlos? Or Led Zep? I'm serious.

So, I was very excited back in 2006 to learn that one of my favorite breweries, North Coast, was dedicating a beer to him. Makes perfect sense. American version of Belgian styles often have joking references to monks. Why not a reference to OUR Monk, who is revered the world over? And, it's my favorite style, which they'd yet to attempt. Bottles originally came only in 750s, and the distributor did a pre-sell, I ordered 2 cases, and only 10 showed up for the whole state of Minnesota. My first taste of it, when it arrived, was not exemplary. But, the rest of the bottles lasted a long time, due to the facts that 1. my beer people at the Nile really don't go over the bottle list much, preferring the tap list, and 2., no one really knew what it was, if they did see it on the list. As time went on, I would revisit a bottle now and then, and, with age, it got better.

Kegs came much later, and I got some on tap as soon as I could. Two years ago, I did 11 kegs of Brother Thelonious in a row, until the distributors supply ran dry. Around that same time, they provided me with a neon sign, rejected by the Dakota jazz club. Some it's luminary parts died off, and I returned it, but a new one just arrived, and I celebrated it with the return of Brother Thelonious on tap (although I always kept it in bottles, now the 12 ounce size, as per my agreement with Brad the Beerguy after he got me the neon originally.)

For the purpose of this entry, I'm looking back on my original BeerAdvocate review, which was done with a 750 ml bottle back in November, 2006, at home. I played some Monk music, and referred to both the music (as well as lyrics, when applicable) and the beer, while I wrote. It was one of the more fun reviews I ever wrote, and I'm surprised the Bros. (of BA) let me get away with such indulgence.

Let the notes go forth:

For this evenings liturgy, the sacred text we turn to is from Brother Ellington: It Don't Mean A Thing, If It Ain't Got That Swing. Brother Monk swings it in his angular, avuncular way on the 88's, getting us in the groove in his inimitable fashion, we're deep in the pocket, the rhythm's rockin', we're reeling with the feeling...

A clear, dusky crimson shade, this, with a slim, cola-toned head...not as impressive as I like a dubbel, but fair, s'okay, s'alright...
("Sophisticated Lady" is next, and I'm set in a proper frame...)

Nose starts with sweet things, dark fruits, mingling with spices, plums and cinnamon, apples and pepper, the dark keys get hit, while the sweet notes linger...
my poor heart is sentimental, not made of wood, ...I got it bad and that ain't good...a sombre timbre is struck, then a thrilling trill is played, a chord set deep in the heart, let loose by a freewheeling arc of high-flung notes...
cola meets coffee, ...Monday, Monday rolls around...
and I end up where I start out, just crying my heart out...Oscar strums, and Kenny kicks it...

We lift glass to lip, ale meets tongue, tastes thrills the buds, it's a sweet, spicy thing. A cola-tinged pepper is the first thought to mind, cocoa and coffee, black and tan finds a fantasy in the senses...deep and dark, pretty and twisted, fine and fancy, sweet and lovely...very evenly played, but you never know what's next...a cadence keeps up, a groove maintains, richness reigns, swing is always king,...big fat chocolate keeps time...
...you ain't been blue, ...no...no...no...no...
rolls and rolls around the mouth, a sweet thing, and full of character, plenty of hops to tingle the buds...finish on a beautiful run on the keys, and then start the next one swinging...I let a song go out of my heart, it was the sweetest melody...

another touch of the ale on the lips and the coffee/cola thrill continues...

...it's not too late, to make amends/ we were meant to be, more than just friends/just friends...

sweet, but expertly balanced by the darker tones, and the hops, well played on all parts of the keyboard, darkness and light get a little shine...

is it Fats Waller, Art Tatum, or Albert Ammons at work here? Or Willie the Lion Smith?...naw, it's another cat purring the keys...and now, Kenny's hitting the trap hard, syncopating like a clockwork kitten...

another drink and I'm liking more, as the spice and the rich, dark fruit rides over the cola-ish feel.
We're on a caravan, searching and wandering, looking for further flavors than the norm, stretching out against the desert of what we're used to...prunes bump against cinnamon, nicely rounded off, an equally met challenge of malt and hop.

Night, night, night, and the stars are shining bright...while the darkness drums away...

Kenny switches kits with Art who swings like a pendulum, and rocks like Gibraltar...got to be, bringing me, memories of you, as all the clouds roll away...

I like the quote from Monks' son, who goes by T.S., "finally, after all the years of getting a cut from the door, musicians will get a cut of the bar!" A refererence to the the proceeds that will swing their way to the Thelonious Monk Institute for Jazz, which will receive the profits from this particular ale...I wish it were more than $2 a case, though, but as long as folks keep hearing about the man and the music, I'm cool on it.

It's a full-bodied, thing, with a long cola-tinged finish, plenty of sweetness, tempered with spice, rich and chocolate-y. But I forgive some technical flaws by how it swings on the palate and pleases the senses...and it don't mean a thing, if it ain't got that swing...

This review was done to the tune of the classic recording, "Thelonious Monk Plays Duke Ellington", recorded in July, 1955, with Thelonious Monk, piano, Oscar Pettiford, bass, Kenny Clark, drums. Some parts to the almost equally brilliant recording "The Unique Thelonious Monk" which features those same players in March/ April of 1956, but with Art Blakey on drums. To your own peril you go, without hearing these classic recordings. (I even reviewed it on iTunes, check that out!)(Plays Ellington, not The Unique)
and do I need to comment on that label;? Too cool! Brother Monk holding court!

Staple Mills Stout of Morning Destruction Coffee Bourbon Stout

2012-01-04T17:33:00.001-08:00

Stout of Morning Destruction. (What the Hell does that mean?) Staple Mills Brewing Company, (formerly Stillwater Brewing Company). this is in the Destruction Series, apparently, with Holiday above it, Limited Release. Coffee Bourbon Stout. bottle 303 of 1000. Or is it 809, I can't tell, it's smudged. ABV 7%, brewed in Stillwater, MN.

Let's look at the copy: "Craft Beer from the birthplace of Minnesota. We are a small-batch, craft brewing company in Stillwater, Minnesota, brewing 10 barrels at a time. We strive to create Old World beers using New World techniques, utilizing waste minimizing brewing equipment and state of the art, one-way kegs which are made of 100% recyclable material. Our brewery is in Historic Downtown Stillwater in one of the oldest billings in the area, the Isaac Staples Sawmill. We have worked to preserve the aesthetic of the Sawmill building within our brewery and proudly display the Sawmill in our logo."

All right, I'm in it, I'm drinking it, here we go, off with the cage and cork!

damn, this is one of the toughies, one of those tight ones! not much longer…here we go…

Dark appearance, no head…starts out, but it's gone in a sec. Eh, not too pretty.

Let's sniff 'er. Coffee, coffee, coffee, coffee, coffee, coffee. Maybe something else, not so sure, let's go in again…well. There may be other darker delights lurking below, but it's all smothered by the coffee.

Drinking it: Some whiskey notes, a bit of vanilla, some roast and char. Bourbon? Swallowed up by the coffee, which reigns supreme over everything here. Very little joy, and hardly any dimension on this one.

Who are these people? What are they doing? I know they have a brewpub out there, and this may or may not be their first bottled offering, but…what are they thinking? It seems a matter of, "shove enough over it, and no one can tell if it stinks."

I am trying to be polite, but …it's a mess. It a caffeine bomb over an unremarkable stout. Well, maybe it might be remarkable, but I can't tell on it's lonesome, when it's surrounded by all this nonsense. I can't even detect any bourbon. Eh. That's all I can say. Eh……….

Every time I pour, I hope the head is better, but, n'ah...

I regret dropping the $12 on this, but I also wish them the best on selling the rest of these. And more luck on doing better next time.

Lagunitas Sucks Holiday Ale Brown Shugga Replacement (double IPA)

2012-01-04T17:31:00.000-08:00

Lagunitas Sucks. I was behind the radar on this one. I had first heard of it as a question in a local BeerAdvocate forum thread. It was called "Lagunitas Sucks in MN". Was someone maligning the quality of the beer that arrives here from Petaluma? No, no, it's a beer called Lagunitas Sucks, ironically, because their increased popularity has made the brewing of the winter seasonal Brown Shugga a hindrance to the continual flow of IPA and Pils. As an apology for such sucking, they offered this double IPA, which is faster to brew than a rich, malty ale like brown shugga.

Damn, I haven't had that in a while. I could go for one about now. Too bad Lagunitas Sucks.

Har, har, let's drink some beer. 7.85% ABV, IBU 63. I'm skipping the ritualistic copying of the garbledy-garble, which Lagunitas is legendary for, …let's just skip to, "We freaking munch moldy donkey butt…" It goes on like that. Also, once again, "beer speaks, people mumble", as well as my least favorite of all the Lagunitas slogans, "Life is Uncertain. Don't Sip." I won't go too far into a challenge about this idiotic opprobrium, just …why? Does sipping slow us down, and keep us from downing more of the daily beers they're chugging away to produce. I'm not encouraging to slowly savor and appreciate the delicate nuances that may be found? Maybe I'll sip, just a little, if they let me, then I'll chug-a-lug till my liver bursts! Or was I mumbling?

Clear, pale and peachy appearance, large, lacy white head.

Vibrant, fresh, hoppy aromatics, …orange, grapefruit, a little bit of lime, Some resiny pine, too. Overall, an abundance of hoppitude in all the right places, but not overpowering in any direction.

Drinking, a happy, hoppy dance on the palate. Non-stop delivery of bitterness. Sticks around a bit, lingers long, but softly diminishes. Lift the glass to the lip, boppity bip, there it goes again. A drinkable, sinkable, hop-delivery system that can be tossed back without immediate destruction of sobriety. Might take a sixer or so.

A likable, well-constructed IPA, from folks who know how to do it. Already. beer

fans who've gotten over the absence of Brown Shugga are calling for this to made regularly, or at least, again, and if I remember what I've glanced at, they're doing it. And so, perhaps there's need for a new designation, the 1 1/2 IPA, the ducal IPA, the 8% versus the 10%, for peeps for whom 6% and hoppy is not enough. I've met them. I can't say I respect them. Those who disdain anything sessionable, but don't want to get drunk after two.

I'm not sure what they want. They certainly don't.

The Bruery Four Calling Birds Winter Ale

2012-01-01T22:11:00.001-08:00

The Bruery 4 Calling Birds, Dark Ale Brewed With Spices. Alc 11% by Vol.

"The fourth verse of our "Twelve Beers of Christmas" saga incorporates gingerbread-like spice into a a rich and robust dark ale. Happy Holidays!"

wait, there's more! "4 Calling Birds is suitable for aging up to eight years (soon after the release of Twelve Drummers Drumming") when cellared properly…and blah, blah, blah…I'm not waiting 8 years, I'm drinking it now. Eight years. Never done that. Maybe someday. But, not now.

Pours a dark brown, with a bustling tan head that zips down to nada in no time.

Nicely spiced aromatics, some cinnamon, clove, ginger a little. Okay, maybe a lot. With sweet malt, lightly roasted, below. Lovely, lovely stuff.

Tasting it, spice notes rank highest on the palate, ring loudest, and start out hot. Fairly bristling in the mouth, some pepper playing around, clove ginger, etc. Solid malt holds steady below. Mighty malt, thick in the mouth, turning cool and mellow. Mmmm, I'm liking this one better. Seeming one-dimensional and blase at first, it's growing in complexity now. Not quite as rich as an Imperial Stout, but lots of molasses, dark rum, cocoa. Malt and spice mix well, now.

Alcohol is hidden for the time being, but it won't be long before it comes ring-ding-dinging on down. …yep, it's happening. We're down to the last couple ounces, and the clanging chimes of doom are ringing.

Beautiful birds, these, dark and spicy. Very satisfying. Not sure if I could, or would…or anyone should, sit on this for eight years. Go for it, though, guys. Sit on it like hens. Wait, that was the last one, right?

Lagunitas Hop Stoopid Double IPA

2012-01-01T22:08:00.000-08:00

Drinking down a bomber now, looking at notes from August, 2008, still before we had it here:

Hazed amber/orange coloration, nice, full white head.

Aroma is a splash of citrus and pine, some tropical fruit, some pineapple, lemon...all AMerican hops, here? Or other varieties as well. It's a clean, but zesty, lively nose. Great stuff.

Taste: a blitz of bitterness, more of the same flavors return from the nose, then cool and mellow. Bigger hops, and bigger booze, but it doesn't dominate or bludgeon one. Sharp, sticky, big citric hop, PacNW feel, but not blistering of blinding or punishing in any way. Alcohol is barely felt as well.

How stoopid is it, with the hops? I've had hoppier, from Lagunitas, as well, I think. And what's with this Sonoma Farmhouse Ale thing...sure, I get that means that it's a West Coast hop bomb, we all get that....is there an inside joke here, that no one's telling me?

yep, it's 8% and it's hoppy, but I feel it's popularity is pushed over by Lagunitas boosterism.

2011: The Year in ReBrew (in pictures)

2011-12-28T17:57:00.000-08:00

Looking back at my iPhoto bank, there are many photos related to beer events, beer drinking, friends and fun. I did this photo essay thing with Darkness Day and Firkin Fest. Unfortunately, I forgot with WinterFest and Autumn Brew Review, and most of the major beer events I hosted at the Blue Nile, but I did snap picture randomly through the year, and here are some of the highlights. You are best off reading them from bottom to top, that's just the way they got sorted, and after spending hours on this, only to find they get stacked upside down, I don't want to spend any more time fixing it, so..behold, a glimpse at my year in beer, 2011!

(

the final stop of the crawl, Town Hall Tap, where Tom gives me the evil eye, and Scott gloms onto his wife's chest. Once home, I needed a nap. I don't normally start drinking at 1 pm. Heck, on days that I work, I don't drink until 2 am!

Cheers, from Jason and Kat!

December 26. Pat's Tap. Kim Bartmann (owner, as well as BLB, and other bars/restaurants) loves palindromes, hence the name. Also, the mens and womens rooms are labeled "Anna" and "Otto" (who will figure that out, we wonder, as people walk out of the wrong room), and on the beer list, "Lager, sir, is Regal." This was my first visit to this new bar, inside an old bar, and the second visit on a pub roll, with Jason and Brandon. Kat and Scott drove.

Why do my pictures at Bryant-Lake Bowl turn out so terrible? Brandon is at right having a laugh, Jon is at left, and he was there to tap a special "randall" of spices to run through a Goose Island Christmas Ale. Jon was the reason Stub & Herb's became the type of bar to hold a Stone kickoff party, and now he represents Goose Island locally. My fingers hold a glass of aged Corsendonk Christmas Ale, and off my right is Laura Preston, who I urged to go in the basement and bring it up so we could drink it. December 20.

The aforementioned Rooster, looking good!

November 9. Rob really wanted to do a Tallgrass Velvet Rooster release event at the Nile, and I really wanted to let him. He's at right, with Brandon Smith at left, and the rooster at left foreground. In the middle? I forgot her name!

November 8, hanging out at the Harriet Brewery, drinking beer with Jason (his back to us) and Paul, who joined them as a brewer halfway through the year. I've known Paul for a few years, and was glad to see his Siebel-trained brewing skills join the Harriet team.

Scott's giving love to one of the pups. My, how they've grown!

11/6, holding a BrewFarm beer (forget which) in my hand, over a roaring fire.

November 6, my final BrewFarm visit of 2011, Sharon is talking to Dave, and soon she's telling me, "you'd better not post these, Al." Too late.

November 1. Rob Shellman of Tallgrass Brewing, getting a trim from Moustache Jim at the Nomad. I only showed up so he could get me a sample of Velvet Rooster, and ended up joining in on the Movember festivities, having my lip and chin follicles shorn for the first time in 5 years.

The Original gets fresh with her duplication.

10/30. Before getting to the Darkness bottles, a 3 1/2 year old bottle of Two, the anniversary beer that I painted the label for. Someone has a bottle on eBay for $500, and my family members who bought it (or given one by me) fresh should really cash in, because it's way too funky for their tastes.

October 30. Early in the Epic Darkness Vertical Tasting, Dennis, Peter, Eric, and Jeffrey's knees at my apartment. We have just enjoyed the DeMolen/Flying Dog collaboration beer Eric brought, and we've yet to taste Dennis' cranberry mead. I've been putting off doing a full report on this night for almost two months, but it's coming, patient readers, fear not.

October 29. I snapped a shot of one of the few Darknesses I managed to drink on tap at the Nile this year, and tried to write about it as well, but it trailed off into gibberish.

October 12. Doug Odell at the left, me at the right, shrouded in darkness. We had 4 Odell beers on tap for this special visit from the founder and owner of one of my favorite breweries.

May 17. Blue Nile, me and Farmer Dave, without the SpongeBob cap. This was the middle of MN Craft Beer Week, and one of my four events was a tapping of Matacabras, which Dave came all the way from Wilson for, what a heck of a guy.

May 4, Dean and Rita at Groveland Tap, the occasion being another cask offering of Lift Bridge beer, this one being the excellent Hop Prop IPA. Jason was also at the table, and we visited the bar to hang with the brewery crew.

May 1. BrewFarm. Farmer Dave is a dog man, but I think this photo shows the influence they have on him.

patio of Acadia, again. Steve Rinker is laughing about something, and Kat is checking her phone for some reason. A cask of Lift Bridge is the occasion.

April 12, patio at Acadia Cafe, Michael's giving me the evil eye for some reason. Must have been something I said.

same event, this time I finally found a seat at the bar and got a sampler set of something.

Alvey is at Stub's for the occasion, too, one of the many many people squeezed in there to drink Stone for the first time in Minnesota, and meet Greg Koch.

March 29, Jason is at Stub and Herb's for the Stone release party, raising a glass of Old Guardian (I think).

Ryan appears to be a Bell's supporter, but he's waiting for the right moment to give Larry the what-for.

March 27, Ben at BLB, protesting the abolition of spiritous beverages, and happily imbibing in them. The occasion was a Bell's Oberon tapping.

March 19, the scene at a little tasting at Dan and Beth's, ahhh, Cantillon!

March 4. Gera celebrates her 40th at the Blue Nile, a complete surprise to her, with Chip Walton at her side. There was surprising no homebrew kegs, so I opened bottle after bottle.

Farmer Dave looking dashing in his SpongBob cap.

Dave's BrewFarm, 2/27. Chelsea playing with one of the pups, back when they were little.

Dean gives me a sideways glance, BLB, 2/23.

Feb. 16, vapor exiting a mash tun at Harriet Brewing.

February 8. Todd Haug at Acadia Cafe for their Surly 5th Anniversary Party. It was the day after they announced their expansion plans at the Muddy Pig's party, and there was a lot of excitement about it. I sat with Omar for a while, and he described his day as stressful, with tons of calls and emails. A foreshadowing moments was when he read a text from Todd (before he showed up for the event), "Frank Ball wants you to call him." Omar's typical response: "Why doesn't he call me?"

January 7. A full month before the official release party for Harriet Brewing's West Side IPA, Jason brought some beer in a growler, and a tap handle. I was fairly proud of what would happen and shot them together.

Feb 23. It's Bryant Lake Bowl's turn for an anniversary party. That's Laura Preston helping out behind the taps. I arrived a little late, but she hooked me up with some Pentagram. Omar thrust a raffle ticket in my hand, and what do you know, I won the first prize, a 2007 bottle of Darkness. Very cramped that night, cramped and crowded.

October 30. The Epic Darkness Vertical Tasting. Rollie the Cat sat with us, but, like some people, he just couldn't be converted to join us in craft beer geekery. That's Cal, urging a Surly Darkness into his reluctant snout.

Von Honsebrouck Gueuze Fond Tradition

2011-12-28T16:04:00.000-08:00

Gueuze Fond Tradition Lambic Belgian Ale, Unfiltered, Castle Brewery, Van Honsebrouck, Belgium. Affiliated with the "St. Louis" branding, apart from the Kasteel line from this same brewery. Brewed and bottled by…well, we went over that already. Let's uncap it, uncork it, and get into it.

My mistake, no cork in this one. Green bottle. Ours a cloudy orange, with a lasting, off-white head.

Funky, sour barnyard aroma. (Horseblanket? Horse piddle? Horse dooky?)

Deeply tart, citrus and sour. Not overpowering and offensive, definitely pleasant.

Taste: Fiercely funky. Big carbonation, light in body, but considerable texture play on the palate. Almost thick, with the funk and wicked wildness. Very refreshing, and never to the extreme. Just sour enough to have fun with your tongue, without coating it and killing it.

Central Waters Brewers Reserve Bourbon Barrel Stout

2011-12-28T16:01:00.000-08:00

Wisconsin makes some very nice beers, and this ranks high among them. Bourbon Barrel Imperial Stout from Central Waters, 9.5% Alcohol by volume. I'm looking back at my first tasting for the notes, June, 2004:

Black, black, black, nothing but deep darkness from out of this bottle, with a nice espresso-tinged brown layer of foam, settling into a nice, tight rings, which never quits, just hangs in there.

Aroma, in just one word? Wow! impressive! Thick, huge, pervasive alcoholic aroma, vast, expansive, heady, full of rich whiskey notes, dark flavors, coffee, brandy, licorice.

big presence in the mouth, too, big in alcohol, as well, a flush with flavors of chocolate, dark rum, molasses, spices. Ful bodied, but thins out some in the middle, becoming not quite so much of the powerhouse that we like from our IS's, though the bourbon character is prevalent throughout and really is the key to the enjoyment of this terrific stout. Has a true luxurious feel from that flavor, a real beastly, though well-mannered, presence in the mouth, with a rich, boozy kick on the lips with every sip!

Samuel Adams Third Voyage Double IPA

2011-12-28T15:55:00.000-08:00

Samuel Adams Third Voyage. 8% ALC./VOL.

Hops: Cascade hops from the UK, New Zealand, and the US Simcoe brand hops. Malts: 2-row harrington, Metcalfe, and Copeland pale malts, caramalt, and honey malt. This unique double IPA takes the styles origins a step further. ...(I didn't bother to copy the verbiage on the label. Explains the name, goes on about something or another, blah, blah...blah.)

Clear, crimson coloring, big head, leaves lace.

vibrant, hoppy aroma, with rich malt underneath. Grapefruit /caramel tango.

In the mouth, more of the same. Sturdy and slightly sweet malt backbone gives ample resistance to the hop blast. But this one is never too anything, no true assault here, no imbalance, no overwhelming intensity. Nothing wrong with that. And that's certainly nothing I'd expect form Samuel Adams, but…I'd love a surprise now and then.

Citrusy and earthy, for sure, a blend of English and American IPA style, with a sidetrip to the Southern Hemisphere. Nice, tasty, smooth, hoppy. Medium body, long, lingering bitter finish.

Fantome de Noel

2011-12-25T17:46:00.000-08:00

Ah, Fantome! Superlative saison producer of Soy, Belgium. Haven't had one of these in too, too long, so why not get back into it with the Christmas variety. Paid $16.49 for this at Zipp's, more than I normally like to spend, but it was worth it. Had this bottle last night, after a hard evening of bartending an African Christmas Eve party. Exhausting work. Frustrating. And even though I didn't get home until 4 AM, and needed to be ready by 11 AM for the family get-together, I just really wanted a beer, and this was the one I wanted. I turned in around 5:30 and got up at 10 AM. But memories of Fantome Noel made it all worthwhile.
I first had this in September of 2004. I can't imagine a store still having a beer like this that late these days.
Here are the notes I took then:

Stolid eggplant and plummy appearance, resting under a cakey, creamy topping of beigish froth.

Nose is generously spicy, mixed with dark fruits, cherries, and berries, grapes and dates.

Taste, mmm,magificent! Active carbonation, brief acidity, but a full flood of complex fruity/ spicy flavors delivers it's payload on the palate with the first sip. Marvelous mouthfeel, paints all corners of the senses with this deliciousness, with a citric twist interjecting now and then. Yeast looms large in the flavor, as well, leaving more of a feel of a spicy raisin cake, or something similar. I never, ever would guess that this is a 10 % brew, but we're only halfway in, so we've only just begun to plunder the full effects of this bottle. Gets better and better as I deplete it...medium body, medium-length, but sweet and spicy finish, softly drifts from the palate, lingers just long enough to keep the impression of eternal delight not far from the mind.

This is really nice, if not incredibly impressive, but that's not always necessary, is it? A super saison, spicy in just right amount to remain highly pleasurable and not a chore.

Schell's Stag Series #4: Burton Ale

2011-12-23T21:57:00.000-08:00

August Schell's Stag Series #4, a Burton Ale, reproducing a long lost style from the days before pale ales or IPAs. Once again, I happily enjoyed 5 bottles out of a 6-pack, and then sat down with #6 to examine it. Notes follow:

Clear, reddish-copper coloring, slim, off-white head.

Aroma, grainy, malty, small hops. Nice. Clean, but rather quiet.

Taste: rich, malty, and slightly sweet. Very malt-driven, fruity, and scrumptious.

I'm not getting much hop bitterness, not even a little. Maybe there's just enough to tamp down the malt sweetness.

Soft, creamy, and satisfying. Not a chore, nor a challenge, nor terrible rewarding, either. Just satisfying. Good sessioner, though it's on the strong side.

I do find myself wishing for more hops, but that's wanting this to be something it never was supposed to be.Ain't nothing wrong with what it is.

(I also didn't detect the 8% alcohol, either.)

Wild Onion Hop Slayer Double IPA

2011-12-23T21:28:00.000-08:00

One more from the last Wisconsin trip, another where I went through the first 5 of the 6 pack, and held on to one for reviewing. And here's what I said:

Wild Onion Hop Slayer Double IPA. "Sink your senses into this hop bomb and you'll…" Eh…I don't want to do it, this time. Blah, blah, blah…puns, bad jokes, ridiculous references. sad….."hop in and get slayed tonight." (sigh) 8% ABV. Blah.

Deep reddish coloration, nice off-whitish head, long lasting, attractive.

Malty aromatics, big time hops, over-the-top, …roaring, loud and alive.

Taste: huge, again…gigantic, enormous, and….boring. This is one of those gargantuan hop/malt monsters that overdoes everything.

Juicy malt, rich and deep, huge and hoppy. Then, the hoppiness roars over it. And the malt roars back.

Unfortunately, there's nothing distinctive about this, nothing sophisticated or exquisite. Big, big, big, but…nothing special. It delivers hugosity, and alcohol, and there you have it.

Glazen Toren Ondineke Tripel

2011-12-21T17:05:00.000-08:00

Glazen Toren Ondineke Tripel Ale.

Here's one I first tried on my birthday last year, courtesy of Brad the Beerguy. He just pulled out a 1.5 liter bottle of this (!), and I shared it with friends. Then, the Beerguy went back to his car and brought another one! This I saved in my fridge for months (on it's side, above the fruit tray...too big to stand up!) for a special tasting with a couple of friends. I tried to take notes (something I don't like to do among company), but never posted them, because they just didn't make the cut. (Wait, I just found them on my computer! You ready? Here they come..."Ondineke

Hazed amber. copper…slimmed ring of whitish head.

Aroma: spice, fruit, yeast. dry, even-tempered. all in check.

Taste: dry and spice, wild and funky, crazy, messed up and earthy. Malt aplenty, chalky, aspirin, high hops…")

Yup. Didn't make the cut.

Luckily, the distributor came through with some kegs for me, and this one is the final beer of this Belg-a-Rama #10 that I have yet to cover. (It's the fourth in the series so far, after Angelique dubbel, Jan de Lichte wit, and Erpe Mere saison.)

A unique beer, an atypical tripel, (full name: Ondineke Oilsjtersen Tripel (Tripel from Aalst) with an unusual name, and label art. After much searching, I learned it's named for a character in a book buy a local author, and the drawing is a depiction of this "Ondineke" character. Still looks extremely odd. Did they ever translate it from the Flemish. I'd be interested to know why this beloved heroine is pigtailed, nude and possessed of strangely long fingers.

Alas, this might not be the perfect glass for a tripel, but it is the only one I have with the Glazen Toren logo. So, I'm using it.

Gorgeous golden cast, with a constant stream of bubbling, and big snowy white head, starts large, drifts down, leaving lace.

Aroma: a perfect marriage of spice and citrus, soft and sensual. Some pepper, some coriander, geting close with orange and lemon, sliding into the nose and tickling it. Sharp, tangy, then a little sweet.

Many things in the mouth. Sparkling, spicy, sweet, juicy, then dry as she goes. Fruit goes hand in hand with spice, and it quits the palate with a quickness, drying off, yet enticing another sip. Gets more and more lemon-y as we go deeper in. Each new meet and greet on the tongue smack the lips and palate again with small amounts of spice, large amounts of fruit, that swiftly turns dry and begs it's pardon on the way. Lingers lightly. Spreads just enough of it's particular pleasure along the palate to urge on further consumption, and spread further delights.

I'm liking these Glazen Toren beers. Though expensive, they're definitely worth the drinking. There's a few more out there I haven't tried, but they won't escape my grasp, I can assure you.

Kirin Ichiban

2011-12-21T15:49:00.000-08:00

It's not all about craft. Sometimes you have to go back to the well, and check out a macro.
And we go, with Kirin Ichiban,... Kirin's Prime Beer, 100% malt, Brewed for the Good Times. The Ichiban shibori process uses only the most flavorful portion of the finest ingredients. 24 fluid ounces, can. Freshest taste within 180 days, packaged on ...04-Mar-11...(ooops, ....I maybe stop shopping at that store. Or at least check the date before purchasing.)

Bright gold color, voluminous pearl white head.

Soft, slightly sweet aromatics, grainy, lightly malty and vegetal, but overall pleasant.

In the mouth, light, bready malt, crisp as a cracker, mellow mouthfeel. Soft and clean on the palate, utterly inoffensive.

Maybe that's why I don't go to the macro lagers, as much, because I can't find much to say about them. And, still I soldier on.
{I just discovered that I've already reviewed this one, and completely forgotten about that. What does that tell you. Just for kicks, here's what I wrote back in May, 2003:

"Brewed under the strict supervision of Kirin's brewmaster by Anheuser-Busch, Inc., Los Angeles, CA" 24 0z. can, with the mythological Japanese deer/dragon beast striding diagonally up the aluminum container.
Color, a transparent bright yellow, with a prodigous, fluffy, bone white head, that hastily, noisily crumbles.(Perhaps the head size was helped by the enormous Weihenstephaner glass I poured it into?)
Aroma: rather dull and dry, and perfectly in step with a typical cheap lager smell, and am I smelling the rice? Is there rice? Taste will tell...
Very smooth on the palate, to a fault, to the point that it's existence barely registers or makes any impact upon the senses at all. Body is so light light that it rings hollow at every turn. There's is a decent texture, I admit, a nice grit and play on the tongue and lips, that makes it a far more bearable beer than many ordinary lagers, but...I can't at all detect the "complex character of one of the world's premium beers." You've got to have a narrow definition of "beer", and "premium"...and "world"...
Drinkability? Yeah, you can drink them, if you've got nothing better to do, nothing better to drink, and a mean streak of masochism...

Atomium Premier Grand Cru

2011-12-21T15:33:00.001-08:00

"Atomium Premier Grand Cru, Belgian Specialty Beer, Imported from Belgium, Atomium PGC is a distinctive six-grain top fermented golden ale that is fermented in the bottle. This robust and refreshing beer has a deliciously complex flavor and a crisp satisfying finish."

clear, amber coloration, with fierce carbonation, under a soled, lacy, snow-white head.

Aroma: citrus and spice meets barnyard funk. ripe orange and lemon, coriander and love, with a whiff of that special something only Belgian yeast brings.

Taste: full, rich, and sweet. soft, lush, and lovely. Beautiful mix of Belgian yeast, bright hops, and sweet, tasty malt. Mmm.

Crisp? Satisfying? Yeah…dang, I have to forget to read those things. Smooth. Mmm. Yes, And, yum, let's not forget that. Just downright enjoyable. 8% by Vol? Yeah, I can deal with that.

Schell's Snowstorm 2011: Wee Heavy Ale

2011-12-20T20:12:00.000-08:00

Schell's Snowstorm 2011, Wee Heavy Ale.

Transparent, caramel-y brown appearance, not too dark, not too light, especially clear at the foot. Slim, but staying eggnog head.

Aroma: rich malt, cocoa, cream, some toffee… little hops, malt doing the job here.

Taste: In the mouth, mmm. Full, rich, malty, yes. Sweet, of course, but tempered by hop bitterness, just enough. Never gets too anything. But, the rich maltiness is rewarding, and tongue wants more, the palate screams for additional succor.

Tasty, tasty stuff. Brown sugar, molasses, dollops of cream, added to a jolt of coffee.

Not a thing wrong with this one. Very glad I picked up a 12-pack, and I'm not quite at the end of it. More 12 ounce blasts of deliciousness to go. Yum. As I keep drinking, that's what I keep thinking. Yu-um. Just enough sweet, just enough not so sweet.

Another successful Snowstorm. They're on a winning streak, lately. Good job, guys!

Bourgogne des Flandres ale

2011-12-20T19:56:00.000-08:00

Let's get into a "sour", shall we? Something brewed and bottled for Anthony Martin by Timmermans Brewery, Bourgogne de Flandres, Belgian Brown Ale, 1765, van Houtryve Brugge. Bruges' typical brown ale, matured 6 months in oak casks. ALC 5.2 %.

Dark, dusky, purplish coloration, small darkish head.

Vinous aromatics, very grape-y, berries and cherries with a hit of sour. Some sweet fruit, with a good dose of the other stuff.

Taste: berry-licious. sour-tastic. nice and medium, for the sour-heads among us. Is this the Duchesse Junior, the light sour? Sweetness, then some sour, …very tasty, but never over the top.

Millstream John's Generations White Ale

2011-12-18T22:07:00.000-08:00

Notes from June, 2005.

Hazed pale yellow appearance, bubbles emanating up from below in a constant flow, with a tidy white head above.

Fresh aroma, citrus and spice, perfect witbier nose. Spot on.

Taste: nice, brisk meeting of hops with lips and tongue, fresh orange and lemon, blended with coriander, flavorful, but light and refreshing, the hallmark of any good witbier. Light bodied, soft, hoppy, spicy finish. Finds favor with my tastebuds.

Can't find a thing wrong with this guy.

Deschutes/Boulevard Conflux No.2:

2011-12-18T21:33:00.000-08:00

Deschutes Conflux Series No. 2, Boulevard Conflux: Ale Brewed with Orange peel and coriander with spices added. Brewed and bottled by Deschutes Brewery, Bend, Oregon. Second in a series, this citrusy, smooth white india pale ale is a fortuitous meeting of Deschutes' hop skills and Boulevards deft wheat touch. What's 1800 miles when a great beer is at stake?

Isn't it how it always works? A few brewers sit around tippling and waxing poetic about what-ifs, wild ideas, and untapped dreams when one suddenly proclaims "why not?" So the conflux series was born, bravely leaping corporate and geographic barriers to jointly explore uncharted beeratory. Cheers, fellow beer explorers, cheers."

Hazy, cloudy bright orange, afloat with flecks, and a long-lasting, if slim, snowy- white head.

The nose is exactly what you'd imagine. An explosion of orange peel, coriander and hops. Heavy on the orange and spice, with hops providing excellent bitter balance.

In the mouth, boom boom boom, there it goes. Big and bitter, a wheat IPA, ...what? Huh? All the lightness and texture, the citric and spice flavor of a wittier, and the crisp, hoppy appeal of an IPA. Light bodied, brief finish. Hits the palate and quits it. Thirst quenching, distinctly downable.

But, in spite of that, I can't say I like it. I mean, love it. I like it. It's good, sweet, bitter, hoppy, tasty enough...and, you can drink it. But, this conflux does not flip any particular switch for me. Que cera cer

Ass Kisser Double IPA

2011-12-18T21:21:00.000-08:00

Ass Kisser Double IPA, A Great Drink on the Special Ass Kissing Days…Perfect for the Boss. 9% ALC./VOL., India Pale Ale, 1 pint, 6 fluid ounces. Brewed by Rahr and Sons Brewery of Fort Worth, Texas. Ass Kisser Beverage Company. www.asskisserales.

What a terrible name for a beer and/or brewery. But, they got me to buy one. It's a case study, in marketing. Could the beer be better than the name is idiotic?

Let's see what they say…"Kick Ass Ale. {wait, now we're kicking, not kissing?} Ass Kisser Ale is a state of mind! Just as you contemplate the flavors of this fine ale you can contemplate sharing a bottle with a friend or your boss. Maybe they are one in the same. {not "one and the same"?} And then again maybe not! We are just sayin'!

{I think this was written by morons.}

Ass Kisser Double IPA is a rich malty ale that has warm carmel {sic} notes that open up as it warms up to your glass. {huh?} It pairs with foods with spice and aromas like asian 5 spice or curries. To get maximum aroma and flavor, pour this ale into a snifter style glass. This ale is made to take the edge of {sic} a long day.! made from caring hands that understand what it takes to have to kiss a little to get anywhere these days. Enjoy! {Incidentally, I corrected the places where words are separated without dashes to indicate, such as "under…stand", and "contemn…plate"}

This was written by mental deficients, and conceived by them, as well. I hope it wasn't brewed by them, as well. Here we go…into a snifter style glass.

Rich rubyness, tight off-white head.

Big, bold, and pungent aromatics. Beefed-up and all that rich toffee-ness, and all bitterness of an outrageous hop bomb. Reminds me of a barleywine, more than a double IPA. Or maybe that's where we are these days, with the blurring of the lines. Give this to me blind, and I'd definitely call it a barleywine, not double IPA.

Let's drink! Boom! Ah! Bam! Ooof! Ow! A full-on assault, no respite, no relief, no subtleties, or nothing. Thick, and huge, and abrasively bitter. Nothing but everything is in here, and it boom-shaka-lakka, blasts everything in it's path. Brash, indelicate, and over-bearing.

Full-bodied, full, long finish, but too, too everything. This is a roller coaster ride. One minute it's loud, next it's cool, then it's bubbling, bitter soup that confuses the palate. I should like this, card-carrying hop-head that I am, but one has to be discriminating, and here's where I discriminate.

Brasserie d'Achouffe Biere du Soleil Saison

2011-12-18T04:45:00.000-08:00

Another from the latest Belg-a-Rama, and the one I'd never had before. Never seen a bottle, or ever heard of it. All the label imagery I can find online shows very old artwork and design. Looking at reviews, the latest I see is from 2006. So, why have I never seen/heard of this before these kegs were made available?
I just don't know!

But here's what I wrote about it...

Brasserie d'Achouffe Biere du Soleil, saison.

Huge, pillowy head, lacey and lovely, above a deepy amber-colored brew.

Malt-driven aromatics, earthy, nutty, lightly spiced. Rustic, with faint fruit. Special Belgian yeast must is a plus.

This is a darker saison than we're accustomed to, but it's not in the Belgian way to cling to fast to styles. How's it taste, though? Slides in smoothly, easily, and yummily. (It's a word, look it up. Or, don't.)

A very different version of a saison, and not one I'd expect from d'Achouffe. The beer are consistently good, and this is, as well, but it certainly defies expectations for the style. Light-bodied, lower alcohol, tasty, but unobtrusive malt character. Lacks a certain citric spark or spicy zing, but makes up for it with particular characteristics of it's own.

The distributor made me a tap handle, which calls "Beer of the Sun" a "pale ale". I guess it is more of a malty pale ale, than what we typically think of as a saison.

I find it hard to be very critical of this one. It really does more resemble a Belgian pale ale than a by-the-numbers saison, but any way you shake it, it's a nice beer. A sessionable Belgian ale, for sure, at a mere 4.5%, but, again, not quite what you expect when you think "saison". There's still plenty of citric snap, and slight hoppy/spicy twang that gives the palate something to do, and think about, but there's not so much challenge in it to worry anyone too much. The sort of beer I'd want one more of, and then, another.

Corsendonk Christmas Ale

2011-12-17T01:12:00.000-08:00

I remember the last time I had Corsendonk on tap at the Nile. A beer geek friend saw the handle from his seat at the bar, clearly marked "Corsendonk Abbey Pale Ale", and asked "is it the Christmas Ale?" This was in June, that he asked this. No, it's a perfectly fine pale ale, you ninny, but, no, it's not this. This is awfully nice, and this is the first time I've gotten a hold of a keg.
The notes I look back on are from a bottle, of course, and from January, 2003. I'm not sure if I was writing "live" yet, on a laptop hooked up to the internet. Or if I was writing notes, and tranferring them online later. Probably the latter, due to the brevity of the notes. But, they still stand, so, here they are:

A color that straddles eggplant and plum, underneath a lovely tan head.

Intense aromatics: raisins, plums, port, cinnamon, ginger cloves.

A generous buzz on the tongue fueled by a great array of hops,and held up by solid malt base.

Overall, one gets a feel of holiday breads, cakes ginger cookies.

Very tasty, warming, delicious.

Caracole Nostradamus Strong Dark Ale

2011-12-17T00:36:00.000-08:00

Another Belg-a-Rama has begun, number ten. Six more Belgian kegs we haven't tapped since these mini-events began. Two of them have already been covered in this blog (St. Bernardus Pater 6 and Wittekerke), 2 are new to me and need a proper review, before they depart the taps (Brasserie d'Achoufee Biere du Soleil and Glazen Toren Ondineke Tripel), and 2 have been covered in my online reviews elsewhere, but not here. Let's tackle Nostradamus from Brasserie Caracole, and peek at notes from a bottle, back in December, 2004. It's one of those let loose and let 'er rip, ramblin' type of reviews. Maybe if I were editing these for a book, I'd cast a keener eyes at these stream of consciousness tastings, but until that happens, I'll own them, and embrace the crazy that spills out of my brain when tossing back beers like this:

Bright crimson color, hazy, and gorgeous, huge, luscious head, a beigey-near-green thing, altogether a picture of beauty...urging me for the next sensory experience...

ah, this is the stuff, the nose is tickled by this deliciousness, dark fruit, vibrant spice, grape and clove in harmony, alive and sizzling...perfectly plays out exactly what is desired..cheers to that...

A repetition on the palate, a revisitation by these same full flavors, a big buzz on the tongue, a rich, sumptuous repast, unmatchable...well, maybe...but i'm so content that I toss about hyperbole with utter abandon...spicy, zesty, rich and fruity, a tangible tingle all throughout the duration...zam, bam, boo-ram!!!

This is my first taste of this excellent ale, and I'm damned glad to have drunk it. "Belgian brown ale" says the label, but it's not like any other brown ale, from anywhere...possesses a zest that only the luckiest and happiest should take as their succur...and no matter what you were before, when you have it, you are one of them...I said "yum" already, right? No? Well, to nail it in the shell of the nut, ...there you go...yum, yummy, yummers...

New Glarus Wisconsin Belgian Red

2011-12-15T19:37:00.000-08:00

Another from the last Wisconsin visit, and looking back at notes from April, 2003, this time:

Color is a rich, ripe, bright cherry red, with a short and soon departed head.

Aroma is in a class of it's own: absolutely gorgeous! Rich, delicious, vinous, sweet, and sour, the perfect picture of cherries! It's utterly wonderful, and a joy to drink in deep with the nose!

On the palate, other tranformations occur: WOW! Dazzling, uplifting, and lovely! By tranformative, I mean that something new occurs in me, I am 100% happier by drinking this elixir, my mood is elevated, every atom has an energized attitude!

Several waves of sensation occur throughout the consumption of this ale, it jumps and jiggers in the mouth, surges in and sallies out. The taste continues, and the feeling wells up in and rides over every square inch of the body that is apt to perceive sensation! Finish is a bit tartish, but what do you want, it's cherries, man!

Wow...this was perfect, and I felt that the 750 ml wax finshed bottle was a bit stingy! Hook me up to a keg of this stuff!

Brau Brothers 100 Yard Dash Fresh Hop Ale

2011-12-14T19:04:00.000-08:00

Brau Brothers 100 Yard Dash, A Ridiculously Fresh Hopped Ale, Brau Brothers Brewing Company, Lucan, MN, Pop 220.

And that's all you need to know.

Clear, amber/bronze coloring, sizable, long-lasting snowy-white head.

Hop aroma: fresh, lively, loud, and lovely. Floral, fruity, bitter, citric, piney, grapefruit and orange. Spills into the nostrils with power, poetry, and aplomb.

Pounds onto the palate persistently. Clambors on board, spreading bitter hop flavor up and down, in and out, all about. Bitterness lingers long on the tongue. Moderate malt body holds down the fort, keeps all in check, maintains a tight spreadboard for the ever-bouncing hop attack.

My first encounter with this one was on tap, and was not good. I wasn't pleased at all, and wondered what all the fuss was about. Once again, I'm drinking this a bit late in the season, this one being my final bottle of the 6-pack. Consider me a fan. The success of this fresh hop ale has me hoping BBBC tries their hand at an IPA some day soon. Maybe Lucan will be a hotbed for hopheads?

Millstream Schild Brau Amber Lager

2011-12-14T19:02:00.000-08:00

Millstream Schild Brau Amber Lager, Amana, Iowa. Behind a checkered shield of hops and barley, lies a pastoral farm scene, and absolutely no gobbledygook.

Clear, amber color, slim white head.

Malty aromatics, moderate hopping, grain and cereal notes more than anything else.

Hop bitterness boards the palate first, hangs around the mouth, then leaves quietly. Replaced with smooth, fruity malt goodness. Crisp, lean-bodied, excellent censurability. Not exciting, but not supposed to be, either.

I sense a trend with this brewery. Won't stop me from seeking out more from them. This was a summer sampler pack I bought, that I'm drinking a little late. There's a stout out there I've heard nice things about, I've got to remember to grab.

All in all, Not a bad thirst quencher after a hard day of milking cows.

Bell's Java Stout

2011-12-14T18:59:00.000-08:00

Bell's Java Stout. 7.5 % ABV, stout brewed with coffee. Drinking on tap, looking back on my notes from January, 2003, from a bottle:

I love coffee, I love beer, I love the Java Stout, and it loves me...

Ebon as the night, with a big, beautiful cocoa-colored, bubbly, thick and powerful head.
Incredibly aromatic! Thick with coffee, of course, chocolate, a little bit of spice, too.
Excellent balance, strong, solid body. Lace is also indefatigable, like the weavings of a chocolate spider!
Perfect as a long, slow nightcap, or a dessert beer. Try it over ice cream!

Long after those notes, still one of my top favorite coffee stouts.

Millstream Iowa Pale Ale

2011-12-12T00:33:00.001-08:00

Millstream Iowa Pale Ale, Millstream Brewing Company, Amana, Iowa.

Lightly hazed, reddish-amber coloring, snowy-white cap of foam, lingers at a good 1/4 inch.

Moderately hoppy aroma, earthy English hops, none of the American citrus notes, keeping pace with warm, bready notes. Already, I can tell this will be a pale ale of balance with plenty of malt in the game.

Taste: there it is, nice little hoppy bitter buzz right up front, softly fading away, and blending in with the malt. Flush with fruit, mixed with juicy malt. Hops still active, but never loud or abrasive. Just an average, easy-drinking, tasty pale ale. Not thrilling, but doesn't need to be. Just a drinker. Just the thing after some heavy corn husking

Maredsous 8 (dubbel)

2011-12-12T00:07:00.001-08:00

This one brings me back. Nine years to be exact. Was it that long ago that I first heard of this beer, and it became one of the two first Belgian ales I ever tapped? Indeed it was. So here's the story:

Two things happened. One: I discovered that kegs of Delirium Tremens were available. They never showed up on the distributor's sheets (I'd been selling it in bottles for almost 2 years by then), and I accidentally saw an inventory sheet I wasn't supposed to see. I'm still baffled by this sales strategy. You have a product that only certain customers get (I had no idea that Bryant Lake Bowl had already been tapping it), yet others would love to have access to, and it remains unknown to them. Bogus, as we said in the 90's. At that point, the Belgian ales I'd been serving had been Duvel, D.T., some fruit lambics, and maybe Unibroue (Canadian, but Belgian style), and I never dreamed I'd be able to move it on tap at this Ethiopian restaurant/bar/nightclub whose bar I was running. Other restaurants and some bars in town had been doing some Belgian stuff on draft, not many, and not much, but I just didn't think it was something I could do here. Made the decision, ordered the kegs.
But then, a rep from another distributor gave me their keg list, and this is before they became an American craft beer powerhouse, and their lineup was mostly imports. One name was new to me, and the rep could only tell me that it was Belgian. A little online research showed that this was a dubbel from the makers of Duvel. Sounds good. They didn't have bottles yet, so there was no way for me to get a sample, but I decided to take a chance, even though I had already decided on the D.T. Could I do 2 Belgians at the same time? Was that possible? And there wasn't another tap line open. Or, was there?
There was. I'd run out of Budweiser. There was an order for another keg, but I called and cancelled it. I would keep another macro lager on, and that would satisfy those people. Would there be any outcry at all if I dropped Budweiser? There wasn't. Put I took great personal pleasure in replacing it with a Belgian abbey dubbel no one ( around here) had ever heard of, from (what was once) a small, family owned Brewing company.

I kept Maredsous 8 on tap for about a year and a half, stopping only when other, better, rarer and more interesting beers from Belgium became available. (Abbey des Rocs, was the first.) And, while I haven't returned to Maredsous on tap too often, it's only because the choices keep coming. Dropped D.T. as a regular line, too, long ago, because that would be boring. Beer geeks want the new, I should know, I'm one of them. That's the problem, of wanting to support certain brands, while still welcoming in others. Topic for another day, I suppose.

But, there's the story of how I took the step in serving Belgian beer on tap at an Ethiopian restaurant, nine whole years ago, and haven't looked back since. Maybe once or twice in all that time I've been without an actual Belgian beer on tap, but not for long, maybe a week or two. And as long as I'm doing it, that's what I'm doing. Stay tuned for Belg-a-Rama #10, coming soon!

So, after having a bottle the other day, I share with you my notes from November, 2002, of Maredsous 8, or Bruin, or Brown, whatever they call it these days.

Color :a beautiful, burnished red. Head: frothy, bubbly, tan.

Aroma:spices and dark fruits: cherries, grapes (M. Jackson would employ the adjective "vinous")

What else?Alcohol. A "mere" 8%, but not hiding any bit of it! Reminiscent of a lighter bodied barleywine, or port wine.
Soft and sensual mouthfeel, medium body, a very happy finish.
Perfect balance: if anything stands out, it's the strength and the sweet, plummy flavor.

I'd only heard of this a month ago, and just today put it on tap in my bar, replacing Budweiser! It's my first taste, and it's up at the top of my list already!

Serving type: on-tap

Reviewed on: 11-20-2002 15:21:11

Three Floyds Amon Amarth Ragnarok

2011-12-11T22:08:00.001-08:00

The last one from the gifts that Cal brought me. You've seen three of these Indiana beers, here's the fourth, from one of my favorites, Three Floyds. Now that they're no longer available in Wisconsin, I guess I have to go to Illinois for them? Anyway, here come the notes!

Three Floyds Amon Amarth Ragnarok. Whatever that means. "A brew for the end of ages brewed with our friends in the band Amon Amarth. This aesir (???) porter is a robust and hearty brew brewed with local honey and small portion (sic) of smoked malt. When Heimdall sounds the gallar horn this is the brew to be hoisted by the Gods in anticipation of the coming battle."

Deep brown body, roasted tan head, a little lace-leaving.

Sweet cocoa notes hit the nose first, then vanilla and honey, with minor bitter hops rolling in after.

Taste: Full bodied, rich and robust. Roasty and bitter, with the smoked malt coming in, through and through. The hops get bigger, the malts getting fuller, the roast coming on strong, the smoke sifting along. Gets a mite creamy, while still roasty and hoppy, and remarkably easy to swallow. Mmm, mmm. good stuff.

Sun King Wee Mac

2011-12-11T21:56:00.001-08:00

When Cal came back from Indiana, he returned with gifts for me. And an apology. It wasn't for the Three Floyds bombers, it was for the Sun King cans. After having the Osiris, I wondered what he meant, there was nothing wrong with it. Then I had the Wee Mac. Well, as he told me, it's a tick for the ticking, and something I wouldn't have found otherwise. Here are the notes for the Scotch ale from Sun King of Indiana.

Sun King Brewery, Wee Mac Scottish-style Ale. "Wee Mac is an eminently quaffable brown ale. Crafted to be smooth and malty, Wee Mac has a rich hazelnut character with toffee undertones and a hint of Dutch cocoa. Hops are used sparingly in this beer and serve only to help balance the sweetness of the malt. Wee Mac is sure to delight your palate with malty goodness." ALC 5.3%.

By the way, before we start I am going to start a list of beer phrases that need to be retired. One of them may have been invented by Michael Jackson, and was probably clever when he coined it. However, "eminently quaffable/drinkable" must die. On with the review.

It's toffee brown, clear, and with no head at all.

Aroma: sweet, malt, caramel, toffee, yaddeta yaddeta. Not especially multidimensional.

Taste it: Flat, bland, boring. Lightish body, forgettable finish. I'm searching and searching for something interesting in this one, something significant and rewarding, and I'm coming up short. Utterly uninspired, this one.

Blah, this is kind of terrible. Not awful, just terrible. As in, could have been a whole lot better.

I'd call it a drain pour if I believed in that. But, I'll finish it up, and find something better to drink next.

St. Feuillien Grand Cru

2011-12-10T17:08:00.001-08:00

Another one from the Lan Man, the beknighted one.

St. Feuillien Grand Cru, Biere Extra Blonde de degustation (I'm not sure what that means…?)…maybe it's in English somewhere, even on the back of the label?

"Grand Cru is an extra blonde beer crafted for sheer taste by St.-Feuillien brewery. Grand Cru owes it's strong character to secondary fermentation in the bottle, along with a quintessential blend of the most noble hops and the finest fermentation aromas."

Clouded golden coloring, slim and soon gone head.

Peach and apricot meet orange and lemon, with a pepper-y side note, then in rushes the yeast and all it's glory. That's the aroma in a nutshell. Low bitterness, some sweet, and then a touch of sour.

Taste: Zing! All that and more splashes on the palate, and slides down with ease. Medium bodied, plumb with special malt and tasty Belgian yeast. Hops lay low, delivering a modicum of bitter balance. Very mellow, yet flowing with unique character, and not betraying the high alcohol content (9.5%, says the bottle.)

Easy-going, slightly fruity finish, ends on a dryish note. Satisfying, flavorful, and, how do you say? Yum.

New Belgium Lips of Faith: Clutch (Sour Dark Ale)

2011-12-10T14:39:00.001-08:00

New Belgium Clutch

Solid stygian clad, full head, large, looming cocoa/tan head, much lace and utterly lovely.

In the nose, cocoa and cream, milky smooth, some vanilla, some cocoa. A little nutty. Lovely, lovely. ( I said that before, though.)

Tasting it: Bigness in the flavor, in the fullness, in the mouthfeel. flush with fruit, with yeast, …here's where we get the sour. This Belgian-style flavor turns a little tart, then turns a lot. Little grape and cherry going on.

When this came out, I heard the opinions first, before I tried it. I heard "this isn't sour! Waah, be sourer!" Well, I tried it, and damn, what's your problem? It's plenty sour. Do all they new breed of sour -heads need to have everything palate-ripping, and tongue-destroying?

It's a stout, and it's sour. It's an experimental collaboration between a band and a brewery. And it works. The only problem is that it isn't exactly like what the critics expect/and/or/demand it to be.

But, damn it, I'm digging it.

Stone Double Bastard Ale

2011-12-10T01:51:00.001-08:00

Sometimes a nightcap beer is all you need. And sometimes, it's more than you need.

Wednesday night, I was determined to finish off a keg of Odell Mycenary IPA at my workplace, in order to put on a fresh one of the newly released Surly Abrasive Ale. Had at least 4, getting several to join in on my crusade, and then it was on to some Abrasive. Left the Nile (my day off, after all), to visit BLB for a Lagunitas event, too late to see Corey Shovein as Bad Santa, but in time to enjoy the latest IPA from Petaluma. The night was far from over, and I made a return trip to Muddy Waters, only my second time there, and was hosted well by Paddy and Billy. Couldn't spend a dime. Jumped on a 21 on my way back home, somehow survived after telling loud, obnoxious, profane women to kindly shut up (somethings you can only do with a lot of beer in you. Telling noisy women on the 21 to be quiet is one of them.)
Maybe I didn't need another beer when I got home, especially not a biggie like Double Bastard. I didn't even finish it. Almost. Helped take the edge of the tension left from being threatened with a slap down. At least the driver was on my side.
Anyway, it gives me a chance to revisit a review from June 2003 of Stone Double Bastard, from a bottle I got in trade. (Here's how it's dated: I compare it to Young's Old Nick Barleywine!)
Glad to get it without such a hassle here now. The occasion of that bottle's consumption led me to create a phrase I greatly cherished when I read it the next morning. It has to do with music, you'll see. So, notes on Stone Double Bastard...commmence!

Appearance: beautiful bright crimson coloring, with a big, solid, creamy head standing on top.

Aroma: rich, fruity, and burnt. Feels like a turbo-charged Young's Old Nick , it does! Fruit+liquor X 100! Spicy, sweet, and strong!

But, to drink! Mellow, on the tongue and tastebuds, at first, but soon sizzling with hops, flavor & booze, sweet boooze!

Boom! Bam! Biff, bang, Pow!!! There is no relief, nor should one seek any, from this hoppy, malty onslaught!!!
DAMN! I can't think of a tastier ale with this much strength, anywhere! The Double Bastard has seriously laid me to waste! Rich and delicious, and full and fruity and strong and BOOM!, SCHMANG! SCHWOOP!!! (As you see, I've had to invent new sound effects for the occasion)
I've been wallopped but good!, and I like it!
Damn, I like every little wicked thing this beer does to me!
It's a MONSTER!!! There's no relief, no respite, no nothing, just the full-on fruity, hoppy explosion that is this BastardX2!!!

How does it compare to my favorite, Bell's Third Coast Old Ale?
No, I'm not in the mood, or inclination. We'll just judge it on it's own and say that was one hell of a trombone solo!

Strong, sweet, burnt, but still, somehow delicious, that's the thing!

Town Hall 900 ESB

2011-12-08T20:00:00.001-08:00

900 ESB. Little brother of 1800 IPA (not, as I first expected, a recipe from 900 A.D.)

Clear, light amber coloring, Large, lace-leaving white head.

Hops and fruit hit the nose right off. Grapefruit meets apricot. Prickly pine and pear. Bold bitterness, distinct malty notes. Quite pleasant, and rather unique.

Light-bodied, lean, and clean. Crisp and cracker-y, with an unrelenting bitterness up front. Citric fruit shows up from the hops, nice and lemon-y.

If this reminds me of anything, it's another singular ale, Town Hall's Single Malt ale, which was brewed with Golden Promise malt.

Good drinking, fine flavor, yeah, I'll do it again.

Omer Belgian Blond Ale (Brouwerij Bockor)

2011-12-07T17:03:00.001-08:00

Here's one, like Urthel Saisonnierre, that good ol' Lanny got me a bottle of, before it was available commercially in this market. I keep passing on it, day after day, thinking it's not the time, and what do you know, I find 750's for sale. So late, and so lazy am I. Here come the notes...

Omer Traditional Blond Ale, Brewery Bockor, 8% ABV., Omer, 1892. Brewed in Belgium, refermented in the bottle.

Clear golden hue, slim white head. Looking the part.

Aroma starts with spice and citrus. Lemon and pepper, with that added something extra funky from the Belgian yeast.

Tasting it: As above, so below. Sparkles on the palate, delivers more fruit and more spice. Sweet malt rises high in character, easily matched by hops. Malt and yeast rush back in, and deliver that special something.

I like this a lot, really, I do. Easily the match of many Belgian blonds and goldens.

Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout

2011-12-07T15:57:00.001-08:00

Another left over from an earlier event, this one late October's StoutFest 2011. Still a few little kegs left over, this is the last big one, and my first time tapping Brooklyn since they emerged onto our market this year. (I owe to them. A distributor rep did me the favor of getting me a signed copy of the Brooklyn Brewery story, Beer School, in which co-founder Steve Hindy inscribed, "thanks for bringing Brooklyn to the Blue Nile, Al!" I can't make him out a liar!)
I wrote the following about a bottle, back in April of 2003:

Rich mocha flavor wafts out of the bottleneck from the moment the cap snaps off! Oh, this is going to be good!

The color is as black as strap molasses, with a rich bubbling, simmering, dark brown, puddingish head. THIS is STOUT! Already, it seems like a glass of melted chocolate!

Aroma is gorgeous! Sublime! Soft, creamy, yet intense with cocoa, like sticking your face deep into a bag of the stuff, but still, somehow, subtle.

Mouthfeel is powerful, thick, viscous, chewy. When people speak of smoothness as a supreme adjective for any sort of beverage, I reply that I like roughness now and then. This is what I'm talking about! There are several hurdles for the palate to play with, little bites and burps and gurgles, all the things that make beer drinking my favorite hobby.

Many flavors mingle in the mouth, many associations gather in the mind, but largely the feeling is of a burnt cognac, a hot dark rum, and licoriceleatherespressoetceterainto infinity...

Many waves crash again and again on the palate, many happy moments occur as the rough dealings of the day are forgotten and I am lost in this wondrous, darkly beautiful, and frankly ass-kickin' stout!

North Coast PranQster Belgian-style Golden Ale

2011-12-07T15:09:00.001-08:00

One aspect of my personal beer life I've neglected a bit is the festivals and events I've attented, and even created. In mid October, I did the 3rd annual Battle of the Belg at the Nile, pairing Belgian style beers brewed outside their native nation against those actually from Belgium. This was not one of the better attended events, and I'll blame myself for not going all out with promotion. Another Belg-a-Rama happened in early November, using some of the kegs left over, and at this point we're nearly done with the left-overs. PranQster, the Belgian-style Golden Ale from North Coast Brewing Company is the last American-brewed keg left over. My notes on a bottle of this are nine years old (12-26-02), and, though minimal, I think they stand up.

Pours a hazy golden hue, bordering on orange, with a thick full crackling head.

Nose is fresh, sea-foamy, perfumey, gracious and elegantly aromatic.

Some spice, delicate fruit, orange, citrus, apricot, nectarine...sublime! Same beautiful and vibrant impact on the tongue as the best Belgians.

Nice, but too brief, finish and, ultimately, a touch too sugary-sweet.

Great Divide Smoked Baltic Porter

2011-12-07T13:04:00.001-08:00

Been away for a bit, due to computer troubles. The good folks at the Apple Store fixed me right up, and even got me a replacement power cord for free, bless their hearts. Good thing I didn't just go out and spend $80 on a new one.
Did I abstain, in the meanwhile? You don't know me very well, do you? No, I went old school, and took pen to paper. Which means I have to go back and decipher my handwriting (one of the reasons I still haven't done the photo essay of the epic Darkness vertical tasting, back on October 30.) So, we've got a bit of a backlog to wade though, and I'll begin with one that I typed on the MacBook the night before it decided not to work, leaving the notes trapped inside. Here it is, Great Divide's Smoked Baltic Porter:

Great Divide Smoked Baltic Porter. Great Dived Brewing, Denver, CO. "Smoked Baltic Porter is the sultry sister of a storied style. Brewed with traditional German malts and hops, this dark lager gets it;s special twist from a hefty addition of Bamberg smoked malt. This smoldering, medium-bodied lager is sure to please. Smoked Baltic Porter is smooth, smoky and dark…mysterious enough yet?"

Blackness in full. Smallish tan head.

Soft and mellow smoked malt aromatics. Cocoa and espresso, some figs and dates.

Taste: Smooth, and warm, and wonderful. Medium-bodied, easy-drinking, slick and supple. Smoked malt is always lingering, but never large or intrusive. Some cocoa still apparent, but not dominant.

I liked this one just fine, but it never once was I taken aback and found myself saying, "Oooo, sultry!"

Town Hall Lava Porter

2011-11-28T23:06:00.001-08:00

I had to double check the name on this one. Why "Lava" porter? Is it hot? Molten? Did they mean Java Porter, which they already make? There must be an explanation somewhere, but until they are discovered, here come the notes....

Town Hall Lava Porter.

totally black. toasty tan head, starts big, dwindles down.

Dark malt and cocoa in the nose, little hops, roasty and slightly sweet.

Flavor-wise, it's smooth and creamy, roasted malt and cocoa, with espresso hints, as well. Medium bodied and expertly drinkable. Almost milky, certainly silky.

Summit Unchained Series Batch 8: Black Ale

2011-11-27T22:48:00.001-08:00

I've been putting this one off for too long. Haven't yet bought any bottles, but I'm enjoying it on tap at the Nile, where I think we're on keg #7 in a row (5 gallons). I can't imagine it'll last too long, so I'd best do it now or never.

Blackness indeed, so much so that you can't make out the Summit logo on the Unchained Series pint glass. Sizeable muddy brown head, slips down to a tidy ring with quickness.

Aroma: grassy hops on top, with chocolate malt below. An odd combination at times, but this one makes it work.

Taste: Sweet dark malt dominates the flavor at first, with hops shining bright on top. Some piney-ness along with grassy hop character, holding ground in the forefront of the palate, with the rich, dark malty flavor hanging on right behind it.

Tasty stuff here. My complaints about the India Black Ale/ Black IPA/ CDA style are swiftly fading into history, as I find more and more of them that I like. Or maybe I'm just getting used to this new mix of grassy/piney/citric hops and dark malt? In any case, this latest Unchained entry works on every level. Great consumability, excellent balance, top-notch flavor delivery.

Good one, Summit. The Unchained Series keeps getting better and better.

Schell's Oktoberfest

2011-11-27T21:16:00.001-08:00

Last one from the sampler pack, and one I made an effort to re-review, since my old one was unkind to this one, and I compared it unfavorable to Summit's marzen lager. I vehemently disagree with my younger self.

August Schell, Schell's Oktoberfest.

Clear, clean, coppery coloring, slim layer of egg-white foam.

Slightly sweet, grainy/malty aroma. Herbal/vegetal notes, with a low, but discernible bitterness.

In the mouth, fresh, clean, and lively. Medium-bodied, but fully flavored, with exquisite balance. Nothing's sticking out of the edges, and nothing's tucked in the corner. Juicy malt, but not too fat, and never too thin. Juuust right. No wonder they won a medal at GABF last year (Gold?), it's a paragon of balance and just about as note-perfect of a marzen that you'll find.

Easy-drinking, palate-pleasing, …I like this one

Schell's Pils

2011-11-27T21:13:00.001-08:00

Getting close to the end of the Schell's sampler pack, and this one needed no re-review. Notes from April, 2003:

Color is a perfect gold, and clear, with a firm and compact white head. Aroma is fresh, and full of citrus, spice, and tingling with hops, the perfect picture of a pils. Clean, zesty, and a tiny bit sweet.
Mouthfeel fairly bristles with hops, which persists throughout the long and tasty finish. There's loads of hops, though they eventually dry out on the finish, as any good pils should. Very dry and satisfying. Tingly and tasty, with a hint of fruitiness, but nothing to threaten the dominance of the dry hoppy flavor.
For quite some time, this has been the Minnesota standard for local pilseners, and that reputation is warranted. A terrific lager, indeed.

Harriet Spiced Dark Abbey

2011-11-27T04:13:00.001-08:00

Here's another one that only stands as a number in the inventory, for I can't really make a fresh, new review out of something that is merely an infusion. But! What an infusion it is. Clove, cinnnamon, and ginger, mixed with Harriet's Belgian-style Abbey Dubbel. It just works. Mixes perfectly. The base beer still remains strong, but the addition of the spices brings it all home. Mmmm, mmm.

New Glarus Laughing Fox

2011-11-25T01:42:00.001-08:00

A new one (to me, at least) and also from the Wisconsin haul, New Glarus' Laughing Fox Krystal Weizen. Notes, away!

New Glarus Laughing Fox. "In playful pursuit of butterflies, a Red Fox danced across the brewery hill. His joy so pure it bubbled through our hearts and into this beer. Laughing Fox is a sparkling Kristal Weizen brewed in the Bavarian tradition with 50% Wisconsin wheaten our open top fermenters. …blah, blah, blah, …This is easy drinking beer perfect for a friendly Wisconsin evening. Relax, this is God's country, here we have the strength to reach for the stars and change the world."

Well, that was one of the most over-wrought labels I've ever read, here in Satan's Backyard, Minneapolis. Some of the sentences I skipped prove this even further, but I'm censoring the descriptors so I can do it myself. And so…

Big, booming off-white head, clear, with caramel-toned coloring…a bit darker than I anticipated.

Spicy, clove notes, …rye malt? Cinnamon, brown sugar. Enticing, and lively.

Brisk, sparkling mouthfeel, leads to sterling consumability. Clean, to the point where I miss the texture a non-filtered wizen would bring. Some fruit in here, some apple, cherry, maybe. This flavor grows and covers up that patch missing in the character. Becomes more likable further in…but it doesn't go far enough.

This is the final bottle in the 6-pack. The other five made no impression on me, really, and at this last one, I feel I won't be missing it. New Glarus continues to be a brewery that misses almost as much as hits with me. But the hits deserve their accolades, don't get me wrong. This one? Eh.

New Glarus Raspberry Tart

2011-11-24T23:05:00.001-08:00

I wrote this in May, 2003, about that indigenous product of Wisconsin, New Glarus' Raspberry Tart:

There's a precious, raspberry-red wax over the crown and down the neck of this beer, proper insurance of a finely crafted and properly presented product. How often do you see the like in a beer?

Snap! Fssh...and out wafts the incredible raspberry aroma! Let's get that in a glass and up to my lips, pronto!

Color pours out a devilishly dark, bloody red, with a head that starts fine, but swiftly dissipates. I search for associations with appearance and can only come up with candies, desserts, pies, liqueurs...all things sweet, delicious, and fruity!

Up in the nose, BAM! Raspberry Sorbet! Gorgeous! I used to work in an ice cream factory, and relished the time spent with fruit purees, before blending and freezing. This is exactly like that.

I don't even care if I never get to drink it, just to smell this all day long would be heaven!
A highly charged pounce upon the palate at first sip, a bracket of hops, a rush of carbonation.
So much lip-smacking going on throughout the drink...ooo,tart! oo, tart!, but still sweet and delicious.

Texture: phenomenal, body:full, finish: eternal!This beer has a flavor that never lags, or sags, or forgets it's business.

My only caveats are that the tart flavor can be too much at times, and though quite a delight, this is strictly a special occasion ale, best enjoyed after a perfect meal, among several friends, with plenty of time to loll back and marvel at the splendor!
Other than that, perfection!

Smuttynose Humunculus

2011-11-24T21:11:00.001-08:00

What a name on this one, huh? Going through the latest Wisconsin haul, with notes from last night:

Smuttynose Humunculous, A Belgian-style Golden Ale. From The Smuttynose BIG BEER Series. Brewed and bottled by Smuttynose Brewing Company, Portsmouth, New Hampshire. "After years of gestation our highly regarded hoppy Belgian style ale, "The Gnome" has been reborn as Homunculus. Impregnated with loads of hop character, balanced with malt sweetness & fruit esters derived from the Belgian yeast, this Golden colored ale is ripe for the picking. Share some responsibly with your gnomes."

No, I'm a big boy, I'm taking this one down by itself. Weird label image, little sperms with human faces (brewery employees, I assume), all headed to one big nucleus. What is it supposed to say? Who can tell us? Does anyone really know?

Clear, bright golden hue, beautiful white head.

Soft and spicy aromatics, citrus notes, fruit, lemon, orange, pear, even. A little hit of pepper

Taste: Outsized fruit at the start, juicy malt, small hops. Bright, buoyant, and lively. And then along comes the booze. Rises high, Gets all up in there. Bright and boozy, but flush with flavor, to boot.

Nothing on the label spells out the alcohol quotient, but it feels big. And it dwarfs the other flavors. Not as balanced as I'd like, not something I'd really reach for again and again.

Schell's Dark

2011-11-23T20:51:00.001-08:00

I trashed this when I first reviewed way back when, so many years ago. I don't think it's as bad as that, anymore. So, I'm giving it another chance, thanks to the sampler pack.

A clear bottle, odd enough, as most of their other beers, beside the Grain Belt brands, use brown bottles.

Clear, reddish-brown coloring, slim white head.

Caramel malt and cereal grain aromatics. Lightly sweet.

Sweet malt hits the flavor first, just enough, and then nothing. Fast finish, slips off the palate swiftly, light bodied. Some grainy mouthfeel and texture. I can't tell you if it's Deer Brand with food coloring, as some "dark" versions of light lagers purportedly use, but I'm willing to bet it's a very similar recipe, with just a bit more dark malts added, not enough to add extra body.

Extremely consumable, and very likable. There's not a single thing lacking in this, and not a wrong note, nor any off flavors. I actually used to be repulsed by this one, had complete and utter disdain for it, and now I find it very pleasing.

Dave's BrewFarm FramBrewLay

2011-11-23T18:57:00.001-08:00

Dave's BrewFarm FramBrewLay, 7.2%," Pils, biscuit and Caramel 80 malts, Santium and Vanguard hops and a late addition of raspberry puree. Fermented with lager yeast. It all comes together in a tart and refreshing beer---kinda like a raspberry creme brulee!"

Richly reddish, raspberrylicious coloration, active bubblation, pinkish-brown head, starts big, slims down.

Aroma: sweetness starts it off, warm, deep, dark malty flavors, and then along comes the tart. Not too much, not too little, just right.

Tastin it: Tart hits the tongue right away this time, a sparkling sour sensation. Sweet malt holds down the fort, with raspberry flavors shining above. Just a little bit "framboise-y", plenty of smooth dark malt, savory and complex. Long, sweet and sour finish, medium bodied, quite unique.

Fulton The Libertine Imperial Red Ale

2011-11-23T00:02:00.001-08:00

Drinking my first Fulton growler, a Libertine, Imperial Red Ale, 8.5 % ABV,bought at the brewery this Saturday, and looking back at notes from about a year ago, from having it on tap elsewhere. Notes follow thusly:

In the brewery's words: "A libertine is someone living free of society's restraints. Similarly, The Libertine doesn't constrain itself with preconceived notions of what a beer style should be. Loaded with malts that include the UK's premium Maris Otter and Caramel 60, and topped off with Rye to impart a distinct reddish hue, the Libertine is a malt-dominated red ale like none you've ever had before. It boasts a rich, indulgent body without being overly sweet. Conventional classifications fail The Libertine, but who really wants to play by the rules anyway?"

8.5%

45 IBU 20.2 Plato 24 SRM

In my words...

Hazed, rich, reddish hue, ruddy auburn, under a tight, lasting creamy toned beige head of foam, leaving lace.

Aroma: Sweetness, spice, and fusel alcohol. Rich and boozy, apples and cherries, brandy and leather.

Taste: medium bodied, and fully flavored. Lush and indulgent, waves of hops, spice, with rich malt holding tight below.

(Disclaimer: I wrote the above without having read the copy I pasted up on top. I say this having realized I repeated some of their words, i.e." indulgent")

But that's what it is, tight and tasty, but deep, lush and delicious. Spreads it's splendor far and wide and urges further imbibings. Warming alcohol hits the spot as winter hits us harder. Expert balance.

Three Floyds Arctic Panzer Wolf Imperial IPA

2011-11-21T17:27:00.001-08:00

Three Floyds Arctic Panzer Wolf Imperial India Pale Ale. "A dry and stupendously hopped medium bodied Imperial-India Pale Ale brewed with Canadian 2-row malt, dextrose sugar and lots of American hops. Arctic Panzer Wolf has superior aromas of marmalade, white wine, pine and apricot all mixed with an intense American hop bitterness. Cheers!"

Left off of the label is the ABV. 9%, I hear.

Little hazed golden/apricot hue, small white head.

aroma: outsized pine and citrus, gargantuan orange, grapefruit, mango and lemon. (Marmalade? Sure, of course. White wine? Eh….)

Taste: Sweet and smooth at first, with hop bitterness rising up on the outset. Pithy, raw and righteous bitter fruit flavor. Minor malt, medium body, alcohol rises high. Melds well with the citrus and spice. Hops galore. Love it, love it, love it. Fits this hophead to a tee.

Many thanks to Cal for bringing this back for me!

Surly Damien (Child of Darkness)

2011-11-18T02:47:00.001-08:00

Surly Damien, the Child of Darkness. "From the blackest depths of the brewhouse comes Damien, Child of Darkness. Spawned from the usually discarded remnants of Darkness, Damien is a dry-hopped black ale. Flavors of roasted malt and dark brown sugar suffocated by aromas of tangerine and pine."

Sometimes a black ale is a black ale. And not a Black Ale, or American Black Ale.

And grassy hops in abundance smell so fine!

There's this thing called a small beer that no one's ever heard of, and gee whiz, it's been done to Darkness.

A re-fermenting of the run-off malt and mash of Surly's Imperial Stout, Darkness, this one rings in at half the alcohol percentage, 5 %, but I don't know whether more hops and malt are added, or if more yeast is pitched and fermentation begins again with this old, spent mash. I suspect the latter.

Solid black, slim brown head, settles to a small ring.

Amazing aromatics, floor of a pine forest, mixed with citrus rinds. Beautiful, lively, and arousing. You want that in your IPA, you want that in your Double IPA, you'd like it in your potpourri by the bathroom sink, you want toothpaste made from it, you want to gargle with it, and sprinkle it on your oatmeal.

Taste: some gritty dark malt, some chocolate, black malt, giving the coffee flavors, the cocoa, with plenty of bitterness and hardly any sweet. Great texture, excellent play on the palate, plenty of room for calling it a hoppy porter, or black IPA, but yet it is not one. It is a reduced version of Surly Darkness, that still has plenty of potency and charm. Plenty of grassy hops still working on the tongue, pleasing the palate, and the aroma never quits, the grassy/piney hop combo mixing well with the cocoa and coffee malt character.

It's not as rich and full bodied as you might expect if you don't fully understand what they're doing. So stop expecting what doesn't exist and enjoy what does. It's not full-on ale, it's a baby imperial stout, but it still has that glimmer of madness, that gleam of it's father's eyes.

This is my kind of session ale, and one that I'd prefer above Surly Mild, or anything else with a leaner body, but wouldn't really reach for one instead of a porter, or a Bender. Good work, gentlemen, and a great idea, I'd love to see more of this tried now and then. Beer recycling, it's the way to go!

Dave's BrewFarm SOB OMG!

2011-11-17T00:31:00.001-08:00

Growler #2 (of 3) from my most recent BrewFarm visit.

"SOB OMG!" Sticking to our roots of using farm-fresh and unique ingredients in the LaBrewatory, this is an homage to the end of summer. You'll delight in our "Sour orange basil-oh my goodness!!" Pils and Ashburne Mild malts, Glacier and Ahtanum hops. Brown sugar, sour orange puree, and a late addition of fresh basil." 6.7% ABV.

Pale, cloudy, peachy appearance, beautiful snowy white head, long lasting. Looks lovely.

Aroma: Ah! Spice aplenty, Is it just fresh basil? I would have guessed some other spices or herbs, but there we are. Orange is predominant, of course. Zesty and sweet, lovely and lively. Sour? I'm not getting that, yet. Let's keep on sniffing…

Okay, it's there, but not in a major way, just a bit more sour than sweet.

Taste: Bitter, sour, and sweet all at once. Orange and basil continues in the flavor, and the brown sugar comes out and mixes with the malt. Damn, this is delicious. More I drink, more I like. Sharp, citric, zesty, full-flavored. Warm, wheat-y feeling (although not a word was said about the malts, and I'm sure Farmer D would mention wheat if it were in there---wait, does he even do wheat?), soft, fresh, refreshing.

Orange flavor becomes more sharp, brisk, and likable further in, with basil on the side for extra delights.

Epic (New Zealand) Armageddon IPA

2011-11-16T22:15:00.001-08:00

Epic Armageddon IPA, All the Way from New Zealand. 6.66% ABV. Product of New Zealand, brewed and bottled by Epic Brewing Company, Auckland, New Zealand.

Very clear, light amber coloring, nice off-white head, solid and staying.

Aroma: very vibrant and lively. Tons of pine and citrus flavors, orange and lemon and lime. Grapefruit, too. Floral, as well. Beautiful stuff.

Taste: boom! Hops all over the palate, zesty and delicious. Lighter body, fairly mild, leaving plenty of room for hops to do their thing. Long bitter hop finish, medium body, but full hoppy flavor. Mmm. Quite good.

Finally, at long last, an American IPA out of New Zealand. Next, I want one from North Dakota.

Founders Breakfast Stout

2011-11-16T21:55:00.001-08:00

Let's look back at something I wrote in January, 2005, Founders Breakfast Stout, from a bottle sample, which I'm enjoying on tap right about now:

I'm having this bottle with leftovers from dinner, but it is 4:30 am, so that's close enough to call it breakfast, right?(Funny how what began as a common joke, "Oatmeal stout? You should have it for breakfast!" is now coming into it's own as an individual style.)
Enough with the whimsy, time for the beer!

This one is just what I need now, as the sub-zero wind-chill and the weather in general puts that witches teat to shame, and summarily lays waste to the well-digger's bum. I need something warm, rich and fortifying...is this it?

Pours out a thick, impenetrable blackness, solid ebon, with slight ruby highlights at the foot of the glass. Head is mighty, massive, twisting slowly down to a most 1/2 ",burnt-toast brown, like chocolate shavings mingled with coffee grounds.

Aroma is right on for the style and then some! Espresso is featured first, then chocolate, roasty all the way, gritty and earthy, rich and thick...a coffee stout that nears an Imperial. Almost like what happened the last time I mixed Bell's Java Stout with Expedition ...almost.

Velvety feel on the tongue, almost magical the way this warmed-up stout lightly lays over the senses, drifting it's wonder throughout the mouth. Hops up front, rich coffee texture, tangible in the mouthfeel, a little hot and spicy, backed up by prodigious malt. Full-bodied, with a long, cocoa-coffee finish, plays delicately on the tongue, but lingers long.

This is a very satisfying stout, one that meets almost all of my expectations. I have had coffee stouts with bigger coffee flavor, though, and oatmeals that are smoother and more richly rewarding, as well as chocolate stouts that bring that flavor in full force...this is a very accomplished blend of the three sub-styles of stout, it succeeded in it's mission quite well, which is to make me consider having this in my coffee cup every morning, inside of the usual dark roast Columbian!

Damned good!
Another impressive offering from Founders, and another very attractive label, even if it does suggest that a child has been consuming the product...watch for for the Grand Rapids Board of Health and Human Services, guys!

Epic Brewing (Utah) Brainless on Cherries

2011-11-14T22:31:00.001-08:00

Epic Brainless on Cherries, Salt Lake City, Utah, Belgian-style Golden Ale, blended with pureed cherries, aged in oak barrels.

Ripe crimson coloring, clear at the bottom, big pink end, slims down a modest ring.

Delicately sweet and sour cherry aroma, soft and fruity. Pleasant.

Soft and creamy in the mouth, as well. Nice, moderate bitterness, and the cherry flavor is mild, as well. It's there, but not as bold as in a Kasteel Rouge, or most Belgian kriek lambics.
(I picked this one for Battle of the Belg #3, back in mid-October, to go up against Kasteel Rouge, and I knew it was going to lose. Real cherries in quantity, vs. puree? Sorry.)

Good malty flavor, Belgian yeast, and a touch of the oak. Tartness hangs in here, fruit stays quiet, but never leaves.

Tasty stuff, nice effort, but for the price they ask, it simply doesn't stack up against the best Belgian fruit ales out there.

And I still don't understand how they thought "Brainless" was a good name for a beer. Maybe there's a good story, that I haven't heard?

Grain Belt Premium

2011-11-14T21:32:00.001-08:00

Ah, Grain Belt Beer. It comes from here. I wrote a little ditty when I was young (I'm fairly positive I created this, no one can confirm hearing it elsewhere), and it had a physical side to it, a series of points to the body as you would say each word, ending at the crotchular level. See, I was saying it comes from the pee-pee maker, get it? Give me a break, I was six years old.

Anyway, I've got no problem with Grain Belt now, other that it's a bit on the sweetish side. Not too much for me, though, but it's not really my cup of tea, either. It is helping keep the August Schell Brewing Company in business, and that's a very good thing, indeed.

Here are my notes from a bottle, in 2005:

This my Dad's beer, ...always a few cases in the house, the fridge well stocked, no other beer would do. They even ordered it special for him at the local watering hole, though I still can't figure out how no-one else in the Anoka VFW Hall shared his taste. I remember sitting at the bar with him, as a kid, while he drank it. Those were the days, eh?

I never liked it, and it's ominpresence in the household was part of the reason I never drank beer until I was about 22. When all that surrounded me was Miller, Leinenkugel's, and Grain Belt, and they all smelled bad, I just stayed away. Years later, I discovered imported ales and craft brew micros...now that I was drinking beer, I decided to try Dad's beer, and figure out why he liked it.

I still didn't like it, and couldn't figure out why he found it so satisfying. But, that's the kind of man he was, he stuck with what he knew, and never went too far from his comfort zone.
Time to revisit it again, especially since I hear it's a better beer, under Schell's hand...

Transparent, pale yellow appearance, huge, fluffy white cap atop, active. bubbling carbonation.

Smells sweeter than i remember, less sickly. Very grainy, rather spare and thin, but not at all unpleasant. The typical average American lager aroma.
Taste: wet. and empty, ..but not bad. Really, I think it's been over a decade since I last poured one of these down my throat, and it was an unhappy experience. That was under the Minnesota Brewing Company, who weren't looking to make a quality product at the time. Schell seems to have re-created GB, "the friendly beer", as a smooth, untroubling, and, let us not forget, cheap lager that actually doesn't taste bad.

Finishes rather sweetly, slides leisurely off the palate. Very light in body, a bit too watery for my tastes, and extremely lean on flavor. But, it does what it needs to, for the style and satisfies it's target market.

Got to hand it to the guys at August Schell for keeping Minnesota brewing history going, and putting out a decent brew at the same time.

This one's for you, Dad. If it's true that "in Heaven there is no beer", no offense, but I hope you're in a better place than that....

Dave's BrewFarm Eye Pea Eh?

2011-11-13T19:53:00.001-08:00

Farmer Dave's …I mean, Dave's BrewFarm Eye Pea Eh? 8% ABV, "Farmer D finally did it! He brewed his first "IPA." But, with the usual BrewFarm twists. Pils, Caramel 120, and Rye malts, German Tettnang, and French Strisselspalt hopswith pureed pineapple, brown sugar, and curry powder. Fermented with a Thames Valley yeast. Enjoy your journey to Indonesia."

What the--??? who? how? why? Okay, here we go, and away…

Dark crimson coloring, clear at the bottom, small white head, quickly receding to a tight ring, with floating islands of foaminess. Mmm, hmm.

Aroma: more malty and sweet than anything. Farmer Dave is a sadistically sarcastic man when it comes to styles and names. He'll never admit when he makes anything close to an IPA, and when he does proclaim such a thing, you get the rug pulled out from under your feet. There are jokes upon jokes up there, in that description, and the last thing that this Indonesia Pale Ale (that's not pale) should deliver is what we expect from an India Pale Ale.

Continuing…

yep, sweetness and malt, brown sugar and curry (pineapple???), minor hops at most. Very likable, this blend of curry and brown sugar, exotic and inviting.

Taste: Wow. Somthin' else, man. Medium bodied, medium finish, stays just long enough on the palate, to tempt you into having more. Caramel malt is foremost in the flavor, with the spice and the brown sugar making that magic mix in the mouth. I can't say I can taste the pineapple, but there's some sweet underneath. And, again, whatever the hops are up to is, it's very minor. Very light. If you expected an "IPA" from this "Eye Pea Eh?", you got punk'd by Farmer Dave.

This actually gets yummier and yummier as we go further in, and maybe we can credit/blame the alcohol with/on that. Or is just the feeling of well-being and comfort I'm enjoying? Probably. The deliciousness is an empirically decidedly real and true thing. This is one swingtop liter of Wisconsin farmhouse brew that is going down fast, easy, and fun.

August Schell Firebrick lager

2011-11-13T19:44:00.001-08:00

The Schell's sample pack keeps on giving. And I keep on looking back on old reviews for them. Some, like Oktoberfest, I had to hold off, and try to give it another try. My old review was not kind to it, and it deserves better now. But I think the Firebrick has retained it's character, over the years. April, 2003, was when I made these notes:

Color is a clear orangey, head is a thick, fluffy white. Aroma is sweet and fresh, with touches of citrus,sea air, and a whiff of caramel, maybe. Palate is smooooth, with a trifly, tumbling texture for the tongue to play over. Very tasty, and sweet, and the malt's really pulling it's weight.
Very rich and satisfying, and not as thin in body like others of a similar style. If I can name names, I'd be happy if this one was the default beer everywhere on earth, like Samuel Adams is. It has a firmer body, and is malty, hoppy, malty, hoppy, a beautiful tango, back and forth, the two keeping pace with one another and surprise and delight the palate.
Again, a great lager. "All malt Vienna Style Lager" What, are they sneaking something else into their other beers? Do I have to keep an eye on those guys in New Ulm?
Nonetheless, Firebrick's a winner.

New Belgium Abbey Ale (dubbel)

2011-11-13T19:40:00.001-08:00

Here's another oldy and moldy. I could go further in depth today, but, you know what? It does the trick. Notes from February, 2003:

Slight head and a purely peachy color.
Aroma is magical, delightful, a veritable fruit salad in the nose...tropical fruits, mango, banana.
Great hop presence, and a delicious spark on the tongue. Light in texture and body, but full of flavor.
Medium carbonation, and, again, a beautiful little ballet by hops on the palate.

An excellent dubbel, one of the best stateside versions I've ever encountered, if not the best!

Town Hall Tumaltuous Wheat Wine

2011-11-11T19:48:00.001-08:00

Tumaltuous, Wheat Wine, 9.9%

Clear, golden/amber hue, large, attractive head, leaving lace.

Sweet aromatics, but very even, some honey and fruit, pale malt, lightly floral.

Taste: forward flavor right off the bat, flush with intensive malt flavors. Light hop bitterness. High alcohol shows it's hand early. Coarse mouthfeel from rich textures. Thickness aplenty. Lacks something in the flavor, though, doesn't quite have enough interesting flavors. Doesn't reach close enough to deliciousness, here. Satisfying, yes. Truly tasty? Not so much.

Overall, the high ABV rings too loudly, too quickly, and there's not enough payoff in the flavor.

Tallgrass Velvet Rooster Tripel

2011-11-09T13:47:00.000-08:00

I blame this beer for making my face bald.
I stepped into the Nomad World Pub last Tuesday night to meet up with Rob Shellman, Minnesota's rep for Tallgrass, who was so kind as to drop off the samples of the first Tallgrass beers I reviewed, to taste some of this stuff, in anticipation of today's tapping. He's been keen on having us do the premier tapping of this beer (in Minneapolis), and who am I to refuse such an offer? Rob was there because he and the brewery are sponsoring the Movember movement for men's health issues, and the night's event was a free shaving for anyone who wanted to start fresh, and grow a mustache from scratch.
I hosted an end of Movember party last December at the Nile, and was urged to participate then, but demurred, for I really liked my facial fuzz. Still do. Rob declined this time, too, for his takes him too long to grow. My facial follicles have been embedded on lip and chin for so long, over 5 years, that I'd forgotten what I looked like underneath. After enough sampling of the Rooster (and other beers) I decided to take the plunge and go under the razor. A week later, and it's finally coming in through the stubble.
The next day, Rob brought me a full can so I could do my review of it. I finally got around to sitting down and taking some notes last night. And now I'm about to get out of this coffee shop and go to work so I can make this party happen. Here come the notes, with a picture of the beer I drank (as always), as well as the sweet ass tap handle I'm about to attach to our tap tower.

Tallgrass Velvet Rooster, Belgian-style Tripel Ale. Festooned with colorful, artsy chicken, and no obnoxious gobbledygook. A full 16-ounce can filled with abbey-style triple. First of it's kind. Next up: the first canned dubbel, quadruple, Flanders Red, etcetera. Why, because. That's why.

Bright golden hue, blooming dotted white head, starts big, drifts down to a tight white ring.

Aromatics: pepper spice and lemon zest. Yeasty character comes through next, Neat, tidy array of hop bitterness hits, and then it's all malt, all the time. A little husky cereal graininess for a time, but mostly citrus and spice.

Taste: Clean, supple, and smooth on the palate and down the throat. Fine and fruity, with light spice, tickly and prickly. Some soft-shoe on the tongue, a little buck and wing, and it's all deliciousness down the hatch after that. Creamy, and smooth, and, as we so often say, dangerously drinkable. Proceed with caution. Too tasty to stop at one, too fierce to go beyond two.

Sun King Osiris Pale Ale

2011-11-09T13:27:00.000-08:00

One of two cans brought back from Indiana by Cal, with a bit of an apology. I haven't tried the other one, a Scotch Ale, yet, but perhaps I'm more forgiving of...adequateness than he. I almost wrote mediocrity. No, not quite, but far from fantastic. Notes from sometime yesterday begin now:

Sun King Brewing, Indianapolis, IN.

Osiris Pale Ale, 5.5% ABV.

"Osiris Pale Ale is an assertive, West Coast-style American pale crafted by our brewers for our brewers, Osiris blends three choice varieties of American hops to create a spicy, citrus hop punch that is sure to satisfy any hop head. Every batch of Osiris is dry-hopped towards the end of fermentation for maximum hop flavor, aroma and character."

Another craft beer in a pint-size can. This thing is catching on!

Brought back from Indiana by Cal, what a guy.

Pours a clear, deep amber color, actively carbonated, high, lacy, snowy white head. Looks every part of an enticing pale ale.

Citrus-y aromatics, a whiff of pine, but mostly orange, grapefruit, and lime. Just enough bitterness to keep the nose on it's toes.

Taste: Bitterness starts big and juicy. Turns sharp and astringent, slightly harsh. Hop bitterness roars over the palate, with minor support from malt below. Aggressive and assertive, certainly. Mellows out as we go in, smooths some, and what annoyed me at first has become a mild irritant, and now, a delight.

Far from a superior pale ale, it's all in all, perfectly adequate, good drinking, nice sessioner. I wouldn't turn one down in a pinch.

August Schell Hopfenmalz

2011-11-09T13:15:00.000-08:00

This one came to us first as part of the Anniversary Series, eight beers that came out every three months in the two years leading up to the sesquicentennial. Since I reviewed this in March, 2009, that would make it #6, by my best guess. It was the popular favorite, and won the right to represent Schell's as the 150th Anniversary beer. I have no idea whether they're going to continue it, since here we are going into year 152, but there it was in my sample pack. Notes from March, 2009 follow:

"...the elegant drinkability of a pilsner, the bready maltiness of a Vienna lager, and the hopping of a pale ale." Vienna, Caramunich, & Caravienne malts, Cascade and Tettnang hops, dry-hopped, fermented with lager yeast at ale temps, and aged 6 weeks for smooth lager crispness. 12.7 Plato, 36 IBU, 5.8% abv.

Clear, amber appearance, slim, whitish head.

Lightly spicy, citric hoppy aromatics, with a classic lager aroma right behind it. Interesting.

Reappears in the flavor, the zest, the pepper, the tangy citric feel, then all is smooth, the hop attack riding softly on the palate, then fading back. Each sip returns the pleasant hoppy character, followed by soft, biscuity malt.

Good flavor, great drinkability. I like this unique lager/ale hybrid. Another tasty easy-drinker in the Anniversary series.

Glazen Toren Cuvee Angelique Dubbel

2011-11-08T00:29:00.000-08:00

Kleinbrouwerij de Glazen Toren, Erpe-Mere, Belgium.

Lovely russet brown coloring, bright ruby red highlights, beautiful off-white foam, lace-leaving.

Aromatics: soft and creamy, vanilla and spice. Some caramel, a little date. Nice. Very nice.

Taste: Mellow, rounded and groovy. Flavors of apple, molasses, brown sugar. Caramel. Spice, pepper. Raisin and plum.Keen malty flavor, with a great buzz of hoppiness, matched with yeast character. This is a great little tango, medium malt body, sweetness kept in check with hop bitterness, dark fruit and mild cocoa flavor dominates.

It's hard to really make a clear call on this one, for it's unlike any other beer I've ever had, and doesn't fit any style there is. A conundrum, a challenge, and a call to clear the mind and seek out every aspect.

It seems close to an abbey dubbel, but lacks the depth or sweetness. Not that that should be a detriment, not everything has to be thick and rich. This is elegance, it's classic, it's sui generis.

At first I thought I had the key to this, when I read of it's origins as a doubled version of an old style called "speciale belge", and how it wasn't truly an abbey dubbel. But now, I'm getting just enough like one, and a whole lot apart from that, that still spells a terrific Belgian dark ale, regardless of the label.

This is elegant, sophisticated, clean, clear and purposeful. It just is. Damn good, that is. Wow.

Every Glazen Toren beer I've had has been like this, utterly unique and colored outside the lines. This is what's great about Belgian beers, and Kleinbrouwerij Glazen Toren is an excellent example of the non-conformist spirit of Belgian brewing.

Saxo

2011-11-07T01:28:00.000-08:00

This one found it's way on tap, part of Belg-a-Rama #9. Caracole's Saxo Blonde. Here are my notes from March, 2005, to accompany my photo of right now:

Besides beautiful beer, Belgium can be proud of bringing into being another exceptional invention, the saxophone, courtesy of Adolphe Sax. So, I lift this glass and raise it to Bird, Lester, Coleman, Coltrane, Sonny, Ornette, "the Jug", and the other giants of the golden horn.
Straw gold color, half opaque, immense head, incredible effervescence...gorgeous.
Nose is mostly spice and a little sidecar of fruit, pleasurable enough for repeated sniffs...airy, angelic...lovely.
Taste? I'd say "yum", but I've run that into the ground lately...big, juicy citric flavor matched with tingly spice (cardomom, coriander, ?) Ripe fruit, develops beyond citrus into peach,. apricot....delicious.
Mouthfeel is warm, full, if finally fading, and always replete with flavor, a ciric kick, and zesty effervescence. Never tastes like 8% abv, until the end...you want another, and another, but it'll make you feel it tomorrow!
All in all, a very satisfying golden ale...one to luxuriate in while drinking in the complex and glorious beauty in a Ben Webster solo.