New Glarus Milk Stout

Dark brown coloring, with ruby highlights at the edges, under a tan head that holds it's own.

Nose is cocoa and toast, light roast and cocoa, plus a lot of lactose. Very nice.

In the mouth: Creamy, from the start. Rich and smooth. Dark chocolatey delights reveal themselves, some caramel and toffee, and a hint of coffee here and there. Medium bodied. Smooth upon smooth. Drinkable as heck. Lactose is bringing the sweet and the creamy, hops keep it just in check.

All in all, a very satisfying milk stout. This style should have plenty of adherents, and this beer will find favor with them. And I wouldn't kick it out of bed for eating crackers.

There's tiny, tiny type on the side of the label that I can't read. Luckily, there is this.

New Glarus Scream IIPA

I bought a 4-pack of this New Glarus Thumbprint Series brew called Scream IIPA about 2 weeks ago. One bottle was opened and consumed and thoroughly enjoyed. More than enjoyed, really, marveled at it's marvelousness, ruminated while enraptured, swooned and surrendered to it's glory. I fell asleep with it and wondered if it was all a dream, after all.

Wait, was it that good, that magnificent, that otherworldly? I should open another bottle and take notes to find out, shouldn't I? Yes, that's what I will do.

Appearance: clear, bright golden hue, big and bountiful ivory head. Looking good.

Aroma: the intersection of tropical fruit fandango and cat pee bonanza. And it's delightful. Citrus cornucopia with pineapple puree. Utterly gorgeous.

Taste: Brilliant blast of bitterness. Fresh and arresting splash of fruity hop flavors, with a meager malt ballast below. Medium bodied at best, with a long, bitter finish. Tasty as heck all the way through. Lemon and lime meets resiny pine. Bright and shiny and ultra/super/mega/uber-hoppy. Yeah, I dig it.

What the label say? Tiny, tiny letters….where's me glasses?

Wait, guess what? They actually have information on their website, the same information from the label (I think)...so, you can read it here. I still can't find the ABV there, though. Why do they keep that a secret? The mysteries remain.

New Glarus Oud Bruin

New Glarus Oud Bruin, New Glarus Brewing Company, New Glarus, WI. "Drink Indigenous."

Clear and bright ruby red, with a full, off-white head, leaving lace, looking good.

Aroma: the sour hits first, and then the sweet, with cherry the biggest part of them both. Mostly malt below. Beautiful.

Taste: first sip and the sour takes over, rushes over the palate, dominates the senses. Brown ale beneath holds it down firmly, with the sourness never quitting, delivering the pucker with each new sip. Bracingly sour, deliciously sour, refreshingly sour. Moderate bitterness, slides just along the palate. Sour, bitter, sweet, all good things at once.

Wonder what the label says? "Our brewmaster Dan launched his Wild Fruit Cave this winter brewing Oud Bruin, a Flander's {sic} style ale that is immensely complex, both tart and sweet. Soft toffee notes lead with a blend of Wisconsin, British and German malts that first rested in the Coolship before spontaneously fermenting on oak in the cave. Hallertau hops, matured in the horse barn, elegant support sparkling fruit notes that frolic before a punctuated oak finish. 100% naturally fermented in oak vessels, this is an elegant beer that can be enjoyed now or the patient few can lay in their personal cellar to age."

So, it's "elegant."

Sierra Nevada / New Glarus There And Back English-style Bitter (Beer Camp #9)

Beer Camp #9: Sierra Nevada/ New Glarus There and Back English-style Bitter. Alc. by Vol. 5.5%. 40 IBU.

Lightly hazed, bronze colored, slim white head.

Aroma: Malt notes hit the nose first, caramel and toffee and such. Low hops, sweet and pleasant.

Taste: In the mouth and on the palate: sweetness all the more. It's a malt-driven brew, no doubt about that. Some fruity notes appear, some nuttiness, gliding just under the hops. Very keenly balanced bitter. It's a sessioner for sure, and here's where I wish I knew more about Tolkien to make appropriate puns (for, I assume, that's where they got the name). It's a bit more malty/sweet than I think an ESB ought to be, but that's okay, they're doing their own thing.

Now, what does the label teach us? "This easy-drinking English-style bitter features nutty, toasted English malts balanced by a solid dose of zesty hops and a fruity, dry finish." I guess it is rather dry, after all. But ever-so sweet before. Wait, there's more!
"For beer folks, Chicio, CA and New Glarus, WI are bucket-list pins on the U.S. brewing map, but it's no simple feat seeing both. There and Back is named for the planes, trains, and zeal that connect them. This classic English-style bitter is a complex mix of toasty malt and fruity, herbal hops."

Okay, so no admitted connection to "The Hobbit"'s subtitle, "There And Back Again", but that doesn't mean it isn't hidden there somewhere.

New Glarus Strawberry Rhubarb

New Glarus Strawberry Rhubarb, New Glarus Brewing Company, New Glarus, WI.
No alc. by vol. given, nor style. I suppose it's a "strawberry/rhubarb ale".

Pours a murky reddish hue, just like you'd have when you mix a rhubarb and a strawberry, with  a short, but staying pinkish head..

Aroma: sweet and creamy strawberry scent pops up first, with just a hint of tart behind it. Not quite brash, not quite delicate, just enough pleasant fruit in the nose.

Taste: Rhubarb brings the tart first this time, with strawberry providing the sweet. A tasty tango commences. Medium bodied, with a long, fruity finish. Doesn't quite come through with sour, but gets awfully close. It's all about the fruit in this one, and it's lip-smackingly good. Great dessert beer, a must for holidays.

Time to see what Dan and Deb tell us on the side label, and hope it's not too overblown and self-congratulatory.
" Teased from the loam by the kiss of the Sun Mom's Strawberry Rhubarb delights are the happy memories of childhood. Diploma Master Brewer Dan employed juicy sweet Strawberries to tame the barbaric wild tart fermentation of rhubarb. Escaped from the far corners of neighboring yards, local rhubarb was incorporated into the wild sour fermentation to create this drinkable dream. Bright sour and effervescent. Toast chilled cold to Bright skies, fireflies, bare feet, and rhubarb pies!"

Some information, some abominable stabs at poetry, some indecipherable parts, and no over-aggrandizing of the state of Wisconsin. I'll take it.

This would be awesome with ice cream, maybe better with sorbet.

New Glarus Thumbprint Winter Warmer

New Glarus Winter Warmer. Ale 12 Fl. Oz. No ABV given. Brewed and bottled in New Glarus, WI.
Called a Scotch ale on the label, which I will fend off copying for you until I've done my own notes.

Clear, caramel-toned coloring, with a lush, looming white head, leaving lace.

Aroma: Sweet malt hits the nose first, some toffee tones, a bit of fruit, nice hop notes. A bit of complexity here, if on the quiet side.

Taste: malt forward, well-balanced, clean, and drinkable. Toffee and caramel malt tones aplenty, but rather thin compared to many other winter warmers, specifically the kind I prefer.

I don't know what to tell you. This is a nice beer, but it fails to impress, or even delight.

Let's look at the gobbledygook: "Indulge in our heady Scotch ale. This "winter warmer" is a celebration of roasted toffee notes wrapped in rich tawny tones and toasty palate. Two months in the making insures an incredible silky finish."

Silky finish, perhaps. Indulgent, heady? No. This is a fine Scotch ale, or Scottish ale, but it's a pretty feeble winter warmer. Oh, well, you can't please everyone, right?

New Glarus Dancing Man Wheat Ale

Drinking from a bottle now, notes from 4-ish years ago, November, 2008:

Golden hued and hazy, rush of carbonation, huge cloud-like white head, pockmarked and pillowy. Looks nice.

Aroma: there's the clove, there's the banana, light, fresh, and lovely...it's all there.

Great texture grips the palate, then a rush a fruit, bright orange, tangy citrus, a spark of spice. Drink again, ah, refreshment, banana and orange, spritz of carbonation.
Delicious.
Easy-drinking.
Thirst-quenching.
Tantalizing.
Loving it.

Dance on, dancing man, dance on!

New Glarus Thumbprint Saison

New Glarus Thumbprint Saison.

Hazy, yellow look, enormous, gorgeous head, milky white and long lasting.

Aroma: super-fresh. citrus zest and plenty of spice. Love it.

Taste: soft and smooth, with flavors of banana and lemon. Banana in a saison? Well, it's there. Light spice, lush malt, some amount of wheat malt character. This isn't exactly what I look for in a saison, but I find myself liking it nonetheless. Tasty, good-drinking, nicety, nice, nice.

Let's look at what They say on the paper: "Saison, the original Farmhouse Ale, was the refreshing invention of thirsty Belgian farmers. Wisconsin pale barleys brewed with Grains of Paradise in this bright new copper hued ale. Deceptively approachable, it's complicated fermentation incorporates a blend of three Belgian yeast strains and is fully bottle conditioned. Fresh hops snap with lemon zest and peppery ginger notes, leaden to an enigmatic personality. Enjoy, as the sassy Wisconsin Saison is at it's best thirst quenching drinkability now."

New Glarus Serendipity Accidental Fruit Ale

Serendipity Accidental Fruit Ale, New Glarus Brewing Company, New Glarus, WI.

Clear, dark ruby red coloring, no head to speak of.

Aroma: sharp, tart, and fruity. Cherries and cranberries, with apple way behind, if perceptible at all.

Taste: Bracing, puckering tartness slaps the palate, with juicy fruit behind. Sour, lactic acid returns with each new sip. Body is medium/light. Maybe an itty-bit lighter than I like, but not moreso than the best Belgian lambics out there. Sour fruit flavor is eternal.

Nice one, this. Let's take a moment to read the label description: "Sever Drought, we shared the farmer's horror as Wisconsin's cherry crop failed! Dan bought what cherries he could. The apple crop fared  better. Then joy! A grand Wisconsin cranberry harvest. What will Dan brew with Apples, Cranberries, and Cherries? Oh, My! You hold the happy accident of Wisconsin' favorite fruit aged in oak with an almost magical wild fermentation. Serendipity is a wondrous celebration that sparkles your senses and dances across your palate. A kaleidoscope of flavor discovered by accident in a sour ale!"

Oh, yeah, sparkles and dances, that's what I meant to say…Yeah, lots of sparkling and dancing. I don't go in for the poetry when it comes to New Glarus brews, because I know they've probably already beat me to it.

Apples are coming through in the flavor, but are still smothered by the louder, and sourer berries inside. Deliciousness, indeed.

New Glarus Fat Squirrel brown ale

Another New Glarus brew that I first had nine years ago, looking at those long-ago notes...

Fat Squirrel, their brown ale:


Appearance: clear, caramelly-brown color, with a nice, off-whitish head.

Aroma: nice, soft, creamy, a little sweet, but speaks of little else.

No, I speak too soon...in time, more flavor develops in this nose, give it time and the tell-tale nut appears, the aroma fleshes out, yeah, now, it's working...no diggety...

Good hops right up front, and big, chocolatey malt immediately thereafter...good, substantial mouthfeel, this felt very nice on the palate, great prescence, very nice.

So many browns are meek and mild in flavor and body, so few display much in the way of taste and body, and the Fat Squirrel is a step in a better direction. I could drink a few of these, I could...

New Glarus Spotted Cow cream ale

This one was picked up as a single during my last Wisconsin visit (a trip to Dave's BrewFarm, where there were no new-to-me growlers to bring home.) I didn't want to get a 6-pack, because I know it's not a favorite of mine, though it is for many, many others. Here are notes from October, 2003, for New Glarus' cream ale, Spotted Cow:

Someone once urged me to try one, and declared it "the best". So now I have, but that claim speaks more about them then it does about this.

Appearance: a clear pale yella hue, with a slight, soon vanishing white head.

Nose is mee, softly citric, a tiny bit sour.

Smooth on the palate, though not entirely without flavor. Practically no hops no speak of, just adequate enough malt, vestigal fruit notes whisper briefly.

Finish is brief, non-descript. Body is light to the point of invisibility. A very fragile, meek little beer.
Would be a decent choice for a "lawnmower" brew, maybe, when complexity and challenge are not in the order.
Not a bad beer, but not much, either.

New Glarus Enigma

Drinking a new bottle from a fresh batch now, looking at notes from 5 years ago, February, 2007:

Reddish brown coloration, fine, fizzy froth above, soon dissapating.

Nose is sour cherries, fruity fink, twisted cognacy feel melded with caramel malt and wicked Belgian yeast. Sour grapes mix with licorice and leather. Interesting.

In the mouth and on the tongue, there is is, the Flemish Red style with a touch of the lambic. Fruity, sour, complex and invigorating. Well-balanced, not too forward, good integration, and terminally tasty. Warm brown ale meets sour fruit. A twisted elixir.

Soft, tart fruit finish. Medium body. Not off-putting in the least, and easily down able, but a treat to relax and luxuriate with.

New Glarus Staghorn Oktoberfest

Notes from November, 2003:


Appearance: clear, bright red color, good, 1/4" white head.

Subtle aromatics, malty, yes, but not scraming about it. Some fruit notes, a touch coppery, and a bit toasted.

Taste: nice little hops up front, soon settling back, very tasty. Medium bodied, lingering finish. Quite a different Oktoberfest, goes farther in some ways than others, more restrained in other ways. Still, owns it's own unique complexity, less overtly malty-sweet. A bit metallic in the taste, with a very subtle, snappy malty flavor, ultimately crisp and dry in the end.

Staghorn embodies a beautiful contradiction, a malty beer that's not treacly-sweet. In a class of it's own.

New Glarus Cherry Stout

New Glarus Cherry Stout. Brewed and bottled in New Glarus, WI. On the side of the label, some of the same blah-blah-blah, then, "This is Dan's Gold Medal winning "Cherry Stout." This ale is aged in oak barrels to promote the spontaneous fermentation. Eight Wisconsin malted barleys combined with Wisconsin Montmorency cherries make for a complex and subtle taste experience that you may never find again. Discover why Dan is repeatedly recognized as the Best Brewmaster in America."

Dark brown color, mostly opaque, some clarity in spots. Pink-ish brown head appears, then slims down with certainty.

Ripe, vibrant cherry aromatics, happy mix of sweet and sour, rounded out by the oak barrel action.

Taste: Once in the mouth, more sweet and sour, more flashes of fruity brilliance. Not too much happens underneath, however. I feel that if this hadn't been called a stout, I'd find some way around this disappointment. As it is, I find it lacking a a "stout." Tell you what, I'll forget it as a "stout" and think of it as a dark version of the Wisconsin Cherry Red. If I didn't, I'd find the malt too mild, lacking roast, lacking a lot of stout-y elements. Removing that aspect of my expectations, I'd be very fond of the flavor.

New Glarus Two Women Classic Country Lager

New Glarus Two Women Lager, 12 Fl. Oz. 

Get ready for more pompous, overblown gasbaggery. Here comes the label copy: "Four thousand years before Christ, Sumerian women created the divine drink of beer. Viking women brewed in Norse society. European Ale Wives were so successful as cottage brewers they were taxed. Artisanal women lost their domination of the daily ritual of brewing during the Industrial Revolution. Today's brewing trade is controlled by men. The collaboration of two Craft companies both led by women, New Glarus Brewing and Weyermann Malting is unique. You hold the result "Two Women" a Classic Country Lager brewed with Weyermann's floor malted Bohemian malt and Hallertau Mittelfrueh hops. A tempting and graceful classic lager found…Only in Wisconsin!"

This history of the role of women in brewing,leaves out one that still continues, and that is the brewer of sorghum-based homebrew in Africa. Let South African songbird Yvonne Chaka Chaka tell you all about it. (I hear this song about twice a night whenever we host African DJ events at the Blue Nile, which happens at least twice a month.)

Alright, enough, let's open and get to it. 

Clear, amber coloring. Large, lush off-white head. 

Classic Lager nose, cereal grains, low bitterness, small sweetness. All-malty goodness.

Taste: Clean, dry, and lightly malty. A hint of sweetness, gone in a wink, wrapped up with subtle hops. Slightly fruity, again, appearing for a minute, then whisked away. Quaffable, indeed. Simple, straightforward, with just enough flavor, to make it worth drinking.

I won't be returning to it, though. Not for me. I won't turn down a good "Classic Lager", but I won't go looking for any, either. My feelings on lagers have already been made plain.

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"!

New Glarus Hop Hearty IPA

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. 

New Glarus Wisconsin Belgian Red

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!

New Glarus Laughing Fox

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

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!