Lagunitas Brown Shugga'

Lagunitas Brown Shugga' Ale,  Sweet Release, Lagunitas Brewing Company, Petaluma, California.

Appearance: bright amber coloring, with a big, lasting off-white head.

Aroma: Sweetness first, with hops laying low here, nice and malty.

Taste: Now we're getting started. Begins plump and powerful, a rich, caramel-toned malt explosion. There's a sharp edge to it, revealing a higher alcohol level. Is it merely 9.9%, is that all it is? I'm getting the brown sugar, but it's more toffee and rich, dark fruit notes, a little bit of hop bite shining through. Tasty, tasty ale, this one.

This is, as they say on the label, a unique ale, not really fitting any style or category, a thing unto itself. And I like it.

I first wrote about this beer in January of 2006. Looking back on those old notes, they seem like they were written by an idiot man-child. I will soon destroy them and erase them from the memories of all mankind. For now, I will fade back and luxuriate in the deliciousness.

"We believe this special ale is Something Unique. Feeding brown cane sugar to otherwise cultured brewery yeast is a kin to feeding raw shark to your gerbil. It is unlikely to ever occur in nature without human intervention. And it looks weird besides. But it has happened and now it''s too late."

Enki Auburn Kolsch

Here is my first full serving of a beer from Enki Brewing of Victoria, MN, and it's a head scratcher.

Clouded, hazy, truly auburn colored brew, under a slim beige head.

Aroma: sweet, caramel malt, little else. Some notes of cocoa and coffee, but minor. Nonetheless, nothing you'd expect from something calling itself a kolsch.

Taste: greets the palate with a sweetness that soon dries out in the mouth. Moderate hop presence, very clean mouthfeel, quite smooth on the palate. Flavorful, and drinkable, but not a kolsch. I had the opportunity to hear the brewer speak about this and address the charge of how a beer of this color can be called a kolsch. His answer: "It's not." He went on to say that everything about the recipe follows a kolsch with the exception of the addition of caramel malt. Well, if that change alters the flavor as well as the color, which it inevitably will in a style that is based specifically on delicacy and lightness, then how can you call it that? Make up a new name or something.

What it is, though, is tasty. There's no denying that. These are good flavors that taste great together. It's good beer and you can drink it. But this business of changing the flavors yet calling it what it no longer is, that'll confuse people while feathers get ruffled.

There are some styles that should just be left alone, and don't need tinkering with or improving. Kolsch is one, I think, and there are a few others. Would you make a Chocolate Pilsner? A bourbon-barrel tripel? There are a few limits, and it should be fairly easy to recognize them.

Seef Bier

"Seef Bier, the Original Antwerp Ale. Brewed by Antwerpse Brouw Compagnie. 11.2 fluid ounces. 6.5% aBV. Serve Cold. Swirl bottle while pouring."

Cloudy, golden coloring, lush, looming head, leaving lace.

Aroma: lightly hoppy, slightly spicy, with sour traces, floral notes, vegetal tones. A curious blend, in Belgian fashion.

Taste: It's there again, and in that order. Uniquely Belgian hop flavor, little touches of indecipherable spicing, a hint of wheat, distinctly Belgian yeast flavor, and then a whisper of sour and funk. Light bodied. Clean, crisp and refreshing, with the sour kick never quitting.

This "Seef bier" is a style unto itself…let's look over here and let the importer tell us all about it.

I do like this. It's a little weird, but that's what's special about the Belgians.

Dave's BrewFarm Matacabras Blonde

Matacabras Blonde. Dave's BrewFarm. Growler purchased one week ago. Man, I am behind, (there are two more after this!), so let's get going!

Appearance: hazy plum red, slim, but lasting white head.

Aromatics: Soft fruit, spicy rye malt, minor hops, distinct Belgian yeast-iness. A trace of fruity funk.

Taste: Malt hits first, spicy and bready, followed by yeast. Alcohol swiftly follows. Rises higher and higher, overcomes the malt. Mouthfeel isn't as full and rich as the normal Matacabras, hops aren't felt at all. The paler malt must leave more room for the booze to shine. But it's not so big that it's a threat, just a little louder than normal.

Here's what the Farmer man says about this experiment: "8.5% ABV, A paler version of the original Matacabras. This equally tempestuous brew has robust American hops and rye to make this ale an experience to savor."

Actually, I can't recall if it was an experiment or a mistake. Though it tastes fine, I wouldn't choose it over regular Mata, if the two were side by side. Now, what if I had never had reg-Mat to compare it to, what about that? What would have happened then? I'd find it too "hot" as the kids say these days. And find it lacking the malty charms of reg-Mat…original-Mata…ur-Mat…Mata-prime…
It also shows the importance of a well-crafted recipe. When one ingredient is missing or replaced, it doesn't feel quite right, and you would need to make some more switches in order to find a better integration.

Nonetheless, even mistake beers from the BrewFarm end up being good beers…if not exactly perfect.

Dave's BrewFarm Iron Paw

Iron Paw, Dave's BrewFarm, growler, specs to be revealed later. Let's just drink this semi-blind and see what happens. 

Out of the growler and into the glass, it's a beautiful opaque dark amber-ish hue with a large head that drifts down, leaving lace and small dotted lagoons here and there.

Aroma shows sweetness and sour. Sugar and fruit. Belgian influence and ingredients, perhaps. This is probably one of the funky, pureed pineapple and Thai sugar mash-ups. Or did I just memorize the description? Either claim is valid. Plenty of wildness matching the sweet and the fruit. Delectable.

Taste: Great grit on the palate, very full-ish body, solid, hefty body, altogether excellent in the mouth, with lingering traces of fruit and sugar. Investigating further, big fruit zest, doses of citrus, shots of sugar, blasts of Belgian yeast. Definitely delicious. Lays long on the palate, makes a happy home there. Tasty as heck.

Okay, now is the time when I crack out the real Farmer Dave description of this beer named for his fiercely protective puppies. 

" 8.3% ABV. "If Border collies had thumbs…" Pils, Melanoidin and Ashburne Milkd malts. Merkur and Bramling Cross hops. A late addition of Thai palm sugar and pureed pineapple. Fermented with a Belgian yeast strain. "…they would rule the world."

Maybe I stored this in my memory, but it's also a safe bet that I really tasted it, too. It's there, and it's every so delicious. Another weird and wonderful ale from the LaBrewatory.

Dave's BrewFarm SOB OMG!

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. 

Dave's BrewFarm Svengali

Growler #4, cracked at long last, 2 1/2 weeks after purchase. Why did I wait so long? It had to be the right time, when I could give it my full attention, and when I could afford to put away a liter of a 10% a.b.v. ale. Sure, I could have re-capped it for tonight, but, I couldn't resist drinking the whole thing. Here are my notes from last night.


"Svengali. 10% a.b.v. Like it's namesake, "Svengali" has the hypnotizing effect of a Belgian yeast. Pale malt, brown sugar, and Citra, Summit, and Warrior hops. Spiced with lemon grass, cinnamon, and turmeric. Caution is advised--this brew will put you in a trance."

Dense, thick, and hazy deep crimson hue, fine off-white head, dotted, lasting.

Aroma: gorgeous. Sweet, floral, and hoppy. It seems like an improbable combination of spices, cinnamon, lemongrass, and turmeric, but it makes an intriguing combo. Wow. Sublime.

Tasting it: Juicy malt, tidy, tasty bitter hop feel, and a bewitching panoply of spices.
It's a wonderful ride, there's a bit of bitter, plenty of tasty, light, juicy, fruity malt, and that tidy trickle of unique flavorings. Mmmm, mmm.

Alcohol strength stays meek and harmless at first, but roars in and becomes fierce, at last. Watch out!

Farmer Dave says people ask him all the time why doesn't do an IPA, and he replies, "why should I do what everyone else is doing?" Why should he chase trends, when he could be creating them? I enjoyed his single hop series of lagers (soon to appear in cans) more than many IPAs I've had lately.

This Svengali feels the closest he's yet done to an IPA, and if that's true, then he's doing fantastic. Another great beer that proves what Dave promised me years ago, that he'd make great beer that conforms to no category.

Although, if you pinned my arms behind my back, and made me cry "style", I'd probably have to call it a Belgian IPA, because the yeast flavor and the spicing, plus the hopping makes such a profound impact on the character. Belgian yeast seem to overtake everything.