Capital Manoomator Wild Rice Doppelbock

Here's a brand new one from Middleburg, Wisconin's Capital Brewery, a German lager centered concern that's keen on doppelbocks. The only other beer of theirs I've covered here was their Eisphyre. And here we have a wild rice doppelbock, bottle provided as a sample from my helpful and handy rep, Brandon. Notes, do your stuff!

Manoomator, Capital Square Series. "In Ojibwe, wild rice is known as Manoomin. In Bavaria, Doppelbock names end in -ator. Manoomator is a bilingualized term describing a Doppelbock with wild rice included in the grist. The result…" …whoa, nope, not this time. Later, maybe.

Clear and coppery-colored. No head at all. Despite that, bubble continue to rise to the surface. 

Rich, sweet, malty aromatics, with apparent alcohol notes. Grain/cereal notes, mineral. 

Taste: hits the mouth with richness and sweetness at the start, bold, flavorful, tasty. One problem I have is that while I like eating wild rice, I very rarely like drinking it.

In fact, I don't really think it helps a lot in the malt bill of a beer. Doesn't add any flavors that I can detect. 

Brisk carbonation blasts the palate. Bright. Full and fierce. Almost stinging. Body isn't as full and flush as I'd like, though. Maybe it's the rice not talking.

Calms down a bit after a while. But I'm not getting more flavor here. 

Wild rice doppelbock. Not a fan.

O'So Hopdinger Double IPA

O'so Hopdinger, O'So Brewing Company, Plover, WI. 

"Pungent. Hoppy. Crisp. Floral. Bitter. Piney. Resinous. Engaging."

Well, great, now I don't need to write anything, do I?

I will, anyway. 

Murky, dank deep amber hue, considerable carbonation and head. Billowing and lacy. Gigantic. Impressive….whoa, if I don't watch out, they'll have me expressing myself in one word statements.

Aroma: Yup, bitter, floral, piney, resinous, citric, pungent, hoppy, ….let's not repeat ourselves. It hits the notes you want in a double IPA. A little hint of honey in there, too, unless I'm imagining it. And I'm not.

Taste: bitter and pungent, and all that all over again. Malt flavor keep up with the huge hops, and there's an astringency added in that I can't help feeling was unintended. Don't think I tasted this when I bought it back in November. Yeah, why did this sit in the fridge for 3 months? And is the brew older than that, actually? No bottled on date, no way to know. 

This bottle is definitely funkier than when it was (I think) fresh. A little sour happening here. Lesson learned. Drink those hoppy beers up, don't sit on them, like the Pliny the Elder label implores us. We're not hens, and they're not eggs.

It does not mean, in any way shape or form, that a week or two or three will make them undrinkable, but …hey, maybe I'm wrong. 

I do like this like this. It has a Belgian quality that I find utterly diggable. Not crisply clean like a HopSlam or any kind of palate buster like a Maharaja and nowhere as smooth as an Abrasive Ale. But, quite flavorful, and unique. Lively carbonation, non-stop hops. I do like it.

Squatters Hell's Keep Belgian-style Golden Ale

When I get home from work, I need a beer. I just need to drink one. And I don't always have what I want in the fridge. Ideally, it would be a bottle of Bell's Two Hearted Ale, or a can of Surly Furious. Something  familiar, where the pleasure comes without any probing and free from surprise. On hitting the homestead, I need that flash of refreshment to start off my compression, and there are times when that doesn't happen. If I'm not stocked with those cans and bottles, there may be growlers from Harriet and Town Hall.
Last night (this morning), I forgot that I had a TH growler in the fridge, but, on the other hand, it was opened Wednesday night, and though I haven't posted a review of their Dubbel yet on this blog, it was in no state to represent it in a review. Maybe I'll go back for more?
So, the first blast of beeriness came from my final bottle of New Glarus Moon Man, Then, on to a bottle bought on that last Wisconsin trip, from the Utah concern, Squatters. I wasn't in the proper frame of mind for serious ale examination, and these were the notes:

Squatters Hell's Keep Belgian Style Golden Ale, Reserve Series, The Devil's Private Stash. 7.75 % ALC by VOL. 1 pint, 9 fluid ounces. Utah Brewers Cooperative, Salt Lake City, Utah. 

Looking good. golden hued, clear, voluminous head, large, proud, and snowy white. Beautiful.

Aroma: a blend of spice, citrus, and sugar. Soft, subtle, and scintillating. 

Taste: Sweet, then dry, spicy, sparkling, sweet again, fruity, and yum. Yeasty goodness aplenty, afloat in this malty body. Very zesty, uber carbonated. Bright, springy, summery….mmmm. 

I feel like taking this apart, and being super-persnickety, but on the other hand, not. I like it. It's got a lot going on. Sweet, spicy, dry. And on, and on. Effervescent, fruity, yummy. Light bodied, but long in flavor. 

Ain't nothing wrong with these words, I just didn't find myself picking them apart and taking them to task. It's an adequate ale, hits the right notes, doesn't disappoint, while not rocking everyone's world, either.

Bell's Sparkling Ale

Drinking this fresh off tap, my first time tapping a keg of this, in February 2012, looking back on notes from February 2003, which reference notes from another tasting in summer of 2002, which I found unsatisfactory, apparently. I will post them uncensored, with only the slight correction that today I would reel back the gushing considerably. It's a good one, a very fine one, but not quite the end-all and be-all I made it out to be. Notes, away!

A huge, thick effervescent white head crowns a hazy orange color. Some yeast still floats around, then settles at the bottom of the glass.

 Aroma is sharp, fresh, and lively , full of citrus, (lemon, orange)and spices. The name gives no indication of style, but it's clear , before tasting ,even, that they're going for something in a Belgian style, something close to Duvel, maybe. 

Taste is divine, with great hop spark alive on the tongue. Yeast comes in big on the palate, and a large amount of sweetness, too. When I first tried this beer last June, I noted :"Did the sugar truck back up into the vat, and dump it's load?" I don't know if it's me, or if it's this batch, but I'm not turned off by the sweet factor, which isn't as strong. 

In the middle, more fruitiness comes through, peach, apricot, but sugar is still strong . Light in body and texture, but full of flavor, and bursting with playful hops. "Sparkling" is the appropriate name for this ale, and Bell's has crafted the best Duvel imitation I've ever tasted, from Belgium, the U.S., or anywhere else in the Universe.

RJ Rockers Bell Ringer

RJ Rockers Brewing Company, Spartanburg, South Carolina.

Bell Ringer, Handcrafted. Every Beer, Every Drop, Every Time. 

What style is this? I don't know, I'm plunging on in.

Amber hued and utterly opaque, 1/4 " head, lasting, off-white, good-looking.

Aroma: sweet and malty, fruity and funky. Definitely some Belgian yeast action happening here. Lovely.

Tasting it: ah, nice. Not too anything, this ale, warm, smooth, and tasty. High in alcohol, I bet. 8.5 %. Just enough hops, and plenty of malt goodness, mixed with Belgian yeast funky freshness. A little bit of bitter gives some great texture and play on the palate. Excellent complexity, many layers of fun in here.

Let's go ahead and look at the label copy: "Our high gravity offering weighs in at 8.5% abv and is delightfully loaded with malt and hops. This is an ale worthy of you sturdies goblet or most treasured stein. Ring it!"

Still no word on the style, or what actual ingredients or processes are involved. Ah, well, we can only let our tastebuds be our guide. And this is delicious stuff. 

I've never heard of this RJ Rocker gentleman. What else has he done, I wonder?

Lift Bridge Biscotti Belgian-style Ale

Lift Bridge Biscotti, Belgian-style Ale, Edizione Limitata, ALC. 7% by VOL. 750 ml bottle. Ale brewed with honey, grains of paradise, Madagascar vanilla beans, and whole star anise.

Clear, amber hue, slim head, soon gone. 

Sweet aromatics, bready, spicy. Some depth of flavor peeks through, but not a tremendous amount. I have to search for it, or, more likely, wait for it to unfold. 

Nice, though, that's a fact.

Taste: ah! This is the stuff. The Belgian malt, the toasty/bready flavor, mixed up the touch of anise, vanilla and more.

 Warm, and uniquely flavorful. What I missed in the nose is revealing itself in the mouth. Ripe, dark fruit sensations, as well. Texture grows on the palate, malt proving more palpable and luscious. 

I like this one quite a bit, although it doesn't go as far as I'd like with flavor, for the price. Nonetheless, one of the best efforts from Lift Bridge.

New Glarus Moon Man Pale Ale

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.