A 22oz bottle, sampled from a pint glass.
Jack D'Or is a saison style ale brewed by Pretty Things Beer & Ale Project, based in Cambridge, Massachusetts. On their web site, Pretty Things describe themselves as a "gypsy brewery," which seems to mean that they travel a lot and occasionally return to the brewery they rent to brew their beer. An interesting business model, and they are quick to point out that they are not a contract brewery.
According to Ratebeer.com, Jack D'Or is available in the Netherlands, Canada (British Columbia), and the US states of Massachusetts, Minnesota, New York, Pennsylvania, Washington DC
This is an excitable beer! When I cracked the cap, a vigorous hiss warned me that the beer was well-carbonated, but it took me two pours to get any beer in my glass. My first pour resulted in an entire pint of head from about an ounce of beer. On my second attempt I poured still more carefully, but still ended up with a half pint of head (and about a six-pack of irritation).
Jack D'Or is a pretty gold beer with light orange hues, and TONS (dare I say a shitload?) of carbonation expressed by a ridiculous army of bubbles charging toward the top of the glass. My four-finger head took about five minutes to collapse to one finger, leaving plenty of lace sticking to the sides of the glass.
The smell is of honey, cereal grains,hay, lemon, and a hint of apricot, with a touch of white pepper and herbal hops.
At the very first, the taste is similar to the smell, but the quickness is quickly overcome by a sharp bitterness and a challenging sourness.
Medium body with over-abundant and aggressive carbonation.
My tongue took a serious lashing from this beer, and it is not at all appropriate to the style. I took the unusual (for me) step of reading other reviews on Beeradvocate while I was in the middle of sampling this, and a cursory glance didn't reveal any other reviewers who experienced the beer in the same way, so I suspect my bottle was infected. If this beer is meant to be this sour and bitter, it would more appropriately be called an American Wild Ale.
In the end, the only thing I really dislike about the Jack D'Or I sampled is the high carbonation; the other aspects are all characteristics I enjoy in a beer, but not when I'm looking forward to a saison.
Read Beearadvocate reviews of Jack D'or
Read RateBeer.com reviews of Jack D'or
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Monday, July 12, 2010
Goose Island Night Stalker Imperial Stout
22 ounce bottle purchased at Surdyk’s in Minneapolis. Sampled in a large snifter.
According to Ratebeer.com, Night Stalker is available in Denmark and the following US states: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New York, Ohio, Washington DC, and Wisconsin.
A vigorous pour produces a large-bubbled, one-finger head, the color of espresso crema. The body of the beer is impenetrable black. Swirling the glass results in a vinous, viscous coating on the inside of the glass. This beer’s got legs, which shouldn’t come as a surprise, at 11.7% ABV.
This beautiful beer smells of caramel, dark chocolate and coffee, followed by significant hops bouquet. Toffee, brown sugar, and light licorice develop as the beer warms, as well as some alcohol character. By contrast, the hops are less in the nose as the temperature rises.
On the palate, chocolate, coffee, caramel, brown sugar, toast, and significant hops bitterness all come into play right off the bat. There is a lot going on here. Coffee flavor becomes more prominent as I progress through the beer and perception of alcohol increases ever so slightly, but hops bitterness decreases notably. Finishes a little on the sweet side, but somewhat balanced by black malt bitterness.
This beer exhibits low carbonation, and proudly makes its presence known, at first thick and viscous, and later by becoming sticky in an almost cola-like way.
Now for the fun part:
After tasting the Night Stalker and loving it, I decided that it was a strong candidate for a treat I haven’t allowed myself in a while: a stout float. So I got out my Alden’s vanilla bean ice cream, carefully slid a few scoops into a half-pint of the stout, and then slowly poured the remainder of the Night Stalker over the top.
Perfect! The vanilla in the ice cream accentuates the coffee in the beer, and the brown sugar becomes straight up molasses. The chocolate comes in to play too, but not as prominently. This was definitely a good beer for my reintroduction to stout floats…. Maybe next time I’ll try chocolate ice cream to see if it accentuates the caramel flavors a little more.
This is a delicious imperial stout, and I recommend it as a sipper for dessert, or a pleasant night cap in the winter. Or, of course, a stout float!
BeerAdvocate reviews of Night Stalker Imperial Stout
ratebeer reviews of Night Stalker Imperial Stout
According to Ratebeer.com, Night Stalker is available in Denmark and the following US states: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New York, Ohio, Washington DC, and Wisconsin.
A vigorous pour produces a large-bubbled, one-finger head, the color of espresso crema. The body of the beer is impenetrable black. Swirling the glass results in a vinous, viscous coating on the inside of the glass. This beer’s got legs, which shouldn’t come as a surprise, at 11.7% ABV.
This beautiful beer smells of caramel, dark chocolate and coffee, followed by significant hops bouquet. Toffee, brown sugar, and light licorice develop as the beer warms, as well as some alcohol character. By contrast, the hops are less in the nose as the temperature rises.
On the palate, chocolate, coffee, caramel, brown sugar, toast, and significant hops bitterness all come into play right off the bat. There is a lot going on here. Coffee flavor becomes more prominent as I progress through the beer and perception of alcohol increases ever so slightly, but hops bitterness decreases notably. Finishes a little on the sweet side, but somewhat balanced by black malt bitterness.
This beer exhibits low carbonation, and proudly makes its presence known, at first thick and viscous, and later by becoming sticky in an almost cola-like way.
Now for the fun part:
After tasting the Night Stalker and loving it, I decided that it was a strong candidate for a treat I haven’t allowed myself in a while: a stout float. So I got out my Alden’s vanilla bean ice cream, carefully slid a few scoops into a half-pint of the stout, and then slowly poured the remainder of the Night Stalker over the top.
Perfect! The vanilla in the ice cream accentuates the coffee in the beer, and the brown sugar becomes straight up molasses. The chocolate comes in to play too, but not as prominently. This was definitely a good beer for my reintroduction to stout floats…. Maybe next time I’ll try chocolate ice cream to see if it accentuates the caramel flavors a little more.
This is a delicious imperial stout, and I recommend it as a sipper for dessert, or a pleasant night cap in the winter. Or, of course, a stout float!
BeerAdvocate reviews of Night Stalker Imperial Stout
ratebeer reviews of Night Stalker Imperial Stout
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Brau Brothers Cream Stout
Brau Brothers Brewing Company
Style: Sweet Stout
Package: Pint glass on draft, Common Roots Cafe in Minneapolis
Rating: Okay
Pours an impenetrable dark brown-black. Two-finger head collapses in about 3 minutes, leaving a thick, cream-colored lace all along the rim of the glass.
Smells roasty and burnt coffeeish, yeasty & bready, with hints of tar and dark fruits.
Bready & yeast in the mouth, followed by some coffee. Finishes toasted rye bread. Long after everything else has faded, dark chocolate aftertaste. I’d say there is a ¾ serving of bitterness here, mainly of the roasted malt variety. No hops flavor to speak of.
The mouthfeel isn’t as creamy as I’d expect from a cream stout. It has medium body but gets sticky pretty fast. It looked full-bodied and creamy when it came to me, and the head was a beautiful off-white pillow, but unfortunately it seems to have lost that character.
Very drinkable – it may actually have gone down a bit too easy. The only obstacle to drinking more than one or two might be how sticky it feels – it’s one of those beers that makes me want to immediately brush my teeth.
This is quite drinkable,, maybe even a little too drinkable. It's got good aroma and flavor for the style, but unfortunately the mouthfeel doesn't measure up at all. It's thin, sticky, and only remarkable for the fact that it isn't at all to style. If Brau Brothers were to improve the mouthfeel, this would be a Solid beer.
From the Brau Brothers Web Site:
Brau Cream Stout is a very approachable version of a traditional, dark beer style. Its first impression is sweet malt instead of bitter roasted malt. Subdued amounts of British hops help to define this traditional English ale. Coffee and chocolate notes are noticeable. Balance is key to this ale, as we aim to make this style consumer-friendly. This is a perfect beer for those who want the flavor of a stout without the dry astringency commonly found in stout.
Read Beeradvocate reviews of Brau Brothers Cream Stout
Read Ratebeer reviews of Brau Brothers Cream Stout
Sunday, July 4, 2010
New Holland Existential Ale
Sampled on tap in a tulip glass at Acadia Cafe, Minneapolis.
Rating: Love at First Sip
According to Rate Beer, Existential Ale is available in Illinois, Michigan, and Pennsylvania; however, I purchased it in Minnesota, and have seen other New Holland beers here, as well.
Poured dark copper with orange hues. A one-finger head collapses to leave a thick, cream-colored coat of lace on the glass.
Smells sweet, of caramel and ceareal malts, with a significant back-up of piny & citrusy hops. In short: delicious.
The beer is a huge, huge burst of malty sweetness in my mouth, followed by some grapefruit and tangerine, and... what's that? Blood orange? Just after the sweets comes a big burst of balancing, but not overdone, bitterness. Light fennel lurks in the finish. As the beer warms, more caramel comes out, accompanied by fresh bread and a hint of dark chocolate. With the warmth also comes significant alcohol flavor.
Medium body with low to moderate carbonation. Initially a pretty nice, somewhat chewy, mouthfeel, but becomes a little syrupy as it warms, and also brings a slight alcohol bite.
All in all, this is a fabulous beer. It's big, satisfyingly malty and bitter enough to slow me down, but not so much in the end that I didn't want more. The stickiness of the malt takes away a bit from the drinkability, but not substantially.
This beer is a good example of how styles collide. BeerAdvocate and Acadia both classify it as an imperial IPA. Rate Beer classifies it as a barley wine. Personally, I'm all-in with the barley wine classification, for the simple reason that the flavor profile is all barley wine, and in my opinion, too malt-heavy to be an imperial IPA. At 10.5% ABV, it's certainly strong enough to be a barley wine, too!
Read BeerAdvocate reviews of this beer.
Read Rate Beer reviews of this beer.
Rating: Love at First Sip
According to Rate Beer, Existential Ale is available in Illinois, Michigan, and Pennsylvania; however, I purchased it in Minnesota, and have seen other New Holland beers here, as well.
Poured dark copper with orange hues. A one-finger head collapses to leave a thick, cream-colored coat of lace on the glass.
Smells sweet, of caramel and ceareal malts, with a significant back-up of piny & citrusy hops. In short: delicious.
The beer is a huge, huge burst of malty sweetness in my mouth, followed by some grapefruit and tangerine, and... what's that? Blood orange? Just after the sweets comes a big burst of balancing, but not overdone, bitterness. Light fennel lurks in the finish. As the beer warms, more caramel comes out, accompanied by fresh bread and a hint of dark chocolate. With the warmth also comes significant alcohol flavor.
Medium body with low to moderate carbonation. Initially a pretty nice, somewhat chewy, mouthfeel, but becomes a little syrupy as it warms, and also brings a slight alcohol bite.
All in all, this is a fabulous beer. It's big, satisfyingly malty and bitter enough to slow me down, but not so much in the end that I didn't want more. The stickiness of the malt takes away a bit from the drinkability, but not substantially.
This beer is a good example of how styles collide. BeerAdvocate and Acadia both classify it as an imperial IPA. Rate Beer classifies it as a barley wine. Personally, I'm all-in with the barley wine classification, for the simple reason that the flavor profile is all barley wine, and in my opinion, too malt-heavy to be an imperial IPA. At 10.5% ABV, it's certainly strong enough to be a barley wine, too!
Read BeerAdvocate reviews of this beer.
Read Rate Beer reviews of this beer.
Saturday, June 19, 2010
Schell's Barrel Aged Schmaltz's Alt
I got a 22 ounce bottle of this at Pub 500 in Mankato, sampled from a pint glass.
According to Ratebeer.com, this beer is available in Minnesota and Iowa.
Mahogany brown, a tiny bit of liht just barely penetrates the beer. No head to speak of, despite the vigorous pour.
Lovely toasty, bready, light chocolate aroma. Cherry. Hints of molasses and some caramel. No noticeable hops. This smells fabulous!
The taste is smooth and malty sweet. Nice toasted flavors: cherry, light vanilla, and a very pleasant, barely pronounced, sourness. Light grassy hops in the aftertaste. Carbonation brings the tartness of the cherries forward with the toastiness of the oak to grace my tongue a second time. As the beer warms, more red wine flavor and tannins become apparent, brining a little pucker to my tongue.
Medium body, with moderate carbonation that feels like tiny, tiny bubbles. A little bit sticky, and then drying.
Overall, this is delicious. It may not be a traditional alt, but it is one of the best-tasting I've had -- and certainly the best American-brewed alt I've had so far.
Read Ratebeer reviews of this beer.
Read Beer Advocate reviews of this beer.
According to Ratebeer.com, this beer is available in Minnesota and Iowa.
Mahogany brown, a tiny bit of liht just barely penetrates the beer. No head to speak of, despite the vigorous pour.
Lovely toasty, bready, light chocolate aroma. Cherry. Hints of molasses and some caramel. No noticeable hops. This smells fabulous!
The taste is smooth and malty sweet. Nice toasted flavors: cherry, light vanilla, and a very pleasant, barely pronounced, sourness. Light grassy hops in the aftertaste. Carbonation brings the tartness of the cherries forward with the toastiness of the oak to grace my tongue a second time. As the beer warms, more red wine flavor and tannins become apparent, brining a little pucker to my tongue.
Medium body, with moderate carbonation that feels like tiny, tiny bubbles. A little bit sticky, and then drying.
Overall, this is delicious. It may not be a traditional alt, but it is one of the best-tasting I've had -- and certainly the best American-brewed alt I've had so far.
Read Ratebeer reviews of this beer.
Read Beer Advocate reviews of this beer.
Monday, June 7, 2010
Gasthaus & Gosebrauerei Bayerischer Bahnhof Leipziger Gose
On tap at Farmhouse Tap & Grill (Burlington, VT). Served in a small white wine glass.
Rating: Solid
Gasthaus & Gosebrauerei Bayerischer Bahnhof, a brewpub in Leipzig, Germany, has been brewing this Gose since 2000. According to Ratebeer.com, Leipziger Gose is available in Austria, Germany, Italy, Sweden, and the United States (California, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Kentucky, Nebraska, New Jersey, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Washington DC, and Wisconsin). However, I can say that this is not a complete list, as I sampled it in Vermont.
I'm excited to see this, as it's a rare find in the States. The only other example I've had was brewed by the Herkimer in Minneapolis.
The beer is a hazy golden color with a ring of white foam on top. It smells citrusy, with distinct lemon and a light sweet & sour aroma.
Lemon, lemon zest, and coriander in the mouth, erupting in an explosion of tongue-scrubbing bubbles. Salt in the back of the mouth, with a nice tang in the middle.
Light body, high carbonation. The bubbles are like pleasant pin-pricks as they burst on my tongue.
All in all, this was a refreshing beer; however, near the end of the glass the taste of the salt actually became a bit too much for me. I wonder what this would be like from the bottle.
Read Beer Advocate reviews of this beer.
Read Ratebeer reviews of this beer.
Rating: Solid
Gasthaus & Gosebrauerei Bayerischer Bahnhof, a brewpub in Leipzig, Germany, has been brewing this Gose since 2000. According to Ratebeer.com, Leipziger Gose is available in Austria, Germany, Italy, Sweden, and the United States (California, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Kentucky, Nebraska, New Jersey, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Washington DC, and Wisconsin). However, I can say that this is not a complete list, as I sampled it in Vermont.
I'm excited to see this, as it's a rare find in the States. The only other example I've had was brewed by the Herkimer in Minneapolis.
The beer is a hazy golden color with a ring of white foam on top. It smells citrusy, with distinct lemon and a light sweet & sour aroma.
Lemon, lemon zest, and coriander in the mouth, erupting in an explosion of tongue-scrubbing bubbles. Salt in the back of the mouth, with a nice tang in the middle.
Light body, high carbonation. The bubbles are like pleasant pin-pricks as they burst on my tongue.
All in all, this was a refreshing beer; however, near the end of the glass the taste of the salt actually became a bit too much for me. I wonder what this would be like from the bottle.
Read Beer Advocate reviews of this beer.
Read Ratebeer reviews of this beer.
Friday, April 9, 2010
Deschutes Black Butte Porter
Deschutes Brewery, Bend, OR
Style: American Porter / Robust Porter
Stats: 5.2% ABV / 30 IBU’s
Deschutes is in Minnesota! I’ve known for a couple months that I’d soon be able to find Deschutes beers here, and my excitement peaked when I found out through beernews.org that one of the introductory beers would be Black Butte Porter.
Black Butte (the beer, not the mountain whence it draws its name) is an old beer-friend of mine, and has long been my favorite porter. During my years of living in the Pacific Northwest, this was the closest I had to a regular beer – meaning that every fourth or fifth six-pack I bought was most likely Black Butte. I would not call Black Butte a benchmark for other US porters, because I feel it’s too good to be the “standard.” Instead, Black Butte blends porter’s working-class origins and a delicious elegance that I wish more porters in this country would aspire to.
This is not meant to disparage Black Butte’s brother and sister porters; after all, were I forced to name a favorite beer style, it would be porter. However, I’ve had my share of porters that are simply a stout made scrawny by using less crystal malt and roasted barley, leaving me with little more than the memory of a thin, slowly-dissipating sensation of charred chocolate.
Okay… time to step off of the soap box, and on to the review:
As soon as I open the bottle, delicious smells of coffee, chocolate, and caramel waft into the room.
A vigorous pour results in a creamy, one-finger head consisting of large loose bubbles. Over the next two minutes, the head diminishes to a thick layer of foam atop the beer. The beer itself is black; dark and thick enough to compete with any stout for color. Held up to the light, I observe scant brown highlights along the curve of the glass.
The aroma in the glass is more of everything that I smelled upon popping the top: coffee, dark chocolate, and caramel, with a very light smoky character developing over time.
The flavors largely reflect the smells. This is an artful blend of coffee, chocolate and caramel, with some nice toffee and bready notes. A respectable bitterness balances the sweetness of the chocolate and caramel, and then the beer finishes in a slightly roasted flourish and a tease of grassy hops.
There is ample body here to accompany the well-rounded flavors, and a healthy dose of carbonation. As the beer warms and the carbonation escapes, the mouthfeel develops a vinous quality.
If you are a lover of dark beers and would like a sessionable-yet-delicious alternative to all those tasty imperial porters that are all the rage right now, it would certainly behoove you to try Black Butte – you won’t be disappointed!
BeerAdvocate reviews of Black Butte Porter
ratebeer reviews of Black Butte Porter
Style: American Porter / Robust Porter
Stats: 5.2% ABV / 30 IBU’s
Rating: Love at First Sip
Availability (according to ratebeer.com): California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Minnesota, Montana, Nevada, New York, Oregon, Texas, Utah, Washington, and Japan.
Sample Type: Pint glass, poured from a 22 ounce bottle.
Deschutes is in Minnesota! I’ve known for a couple months that I’d soon be able to find Deschutes beers here, and my excitement peaked when I found out through beernews.org that one of the introductory beers would be Black Butte Porter.
Black Butte (the beer, not the mountain whence it draws its name) is an old beer-friend of mine, and has long been my favorite porter. During my years of living in the Pacific Northwest, this was the closest I had to a regular beer – meaning that every fourth or fifth six-pack I bought was most likely Black Butte. I would not call Black Butte a benchmark for other US porters, because I feel it’s too good to be the “standard.” Instead, Black Butte blends porter’s working-class origins and a delicious elegance that I wish more porters in this country would aspire to.
This is not meant to disparage Black Butte’s brother and sister porters; after all, were I forced to name a favorite beer style, it would be porter. However, I’ve had my share of porters that are simply a stout made scrawny by using less crystal malt and roasted barley, leaving me with little more than the memory of a thin, slowly-dissipating sensation of charred chocolate.
Okay… time to step off of the soap box, and on to the review:
As soon as I open the bottle, delicious smells of coffee, chocolate, and caramel waft into the room.
A vigorous pour results in a creamy, one-finger head consisting of large loose bubbles. Over the next two minutes, the head diminishes to a thick layer of foam atop the beer. The beer itself is black; dark and thick enough to compete with any stout for color. Held up to the light, I observe scant brown highlights along the curve of the glass.
The aroma in the glass is more of everything that I smelled upon popping the top: coffee, dark chocolate, and caramel, with a very light smoky character developing over time.
The flavors largely reflect the smells. This is an artful blend of coffee, chocolate and caramel, with some nice toffee and bready notes. A respectable bitterness balances the sweetness of the chocolate and caramel, and then the beer finishes in a slightly roasted flourish and a tease of grassy hops.
There is ample body here to accompany the well-rounded flavors, and a healthy dose of carbonation. As the beer warms and the carbonation escapes, the mouthfeel develops a vinous quality.
If you are a lover of dark beers and would like a sessionable-yet-delicious alternative to all those tasty imperial porters that are all the rage right now, it would certainly behoove you to try Black Butte – you won’t be disappointed!
BeerAdvocate reviews of Black Butte Porter
ratebeer reviews of Black Butte Porter
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Lift Bridge Crosscut Pale Ale
Lift Bridge Crosscut Pale Ale
The beer pours an orange copper with minimal head that collapsed instantly into a white collar and a thick haze on top. No lacing.
Smells yeasty, with just a hint of caramel, and a faint metallic note.
Caramel sweetness up front, followed closely by citrus notes and a light acidity. Citrus blends well with the hops, which lend something a little more than a balancing bitterness.
Moderate carbonation and light to medium body.
All in all a pretty simple but drinkable beer. Definitely sessionable, and probably a good candidate if you need something cool & refreshing after mowing the lawn on a hot summer day.
Read Beeradvocate reviews of this beer.
Friday, March 12, 2010
The Point Einbock
Stevens Point Brewery
Style: Heller Bock
Package: On draft at Common Roots Cafe in Minneapolis
Sampled in a pint glass
Rating: Not so Hot
The Point Einbock pours an orange-copper color, with a 1/2-finger head that rapidly diminishes to a thin collar of weak-looking white foam. Easy to see through when held up to the light. Little to no lacing.
The aroma is sweet, primarily of honey and grains. Imagine honey-nut Cheerios as a beer – but less appetizing. Very light spicy hops bouquet.
Taste is quite pleasant, much like the aroma but featuring more nuttiness, some caramel, and a little nutmeg, besides – meaning the yeast did a little extra work here, and the taste isn't quite as clean as it should be. The sweetness overcomes the level of hopping, and the end-product is an unbalanced beer.
The carbonation seems a bit on the low side. The sweetness of the beer lingers on the tongue and begins to seem sticky and higher carbonation would probably prevent this from being an issue.
The more I drink, the more this beer just sticks to my tongue,
The Point Einbeck would probably be a pretty drinkable beer, if the carbonation and hopping levels were both higher. Instead, it's sweet and sticky, giving me the impression that I'm drinking syrup, when what I really want is beer.
Read Beeradvocate reviews of the Point Einbock
Read Ratebeer reviews of the Point Einbock
Saturday, February 27, 2010
The Beerophilia Rating System
Your enjoyment of a particular beer is subjective and depends on your overall likes & dislikes, flavor preferences, and even your mood at the time you taste the beer. Beerophilia's ratings endeavor to reflect the subjective nature of beer sampling. Here's a key to our ratings, in case you need help relating to them.
Love at First Sip! -- Self explanatory, much?
Solid -- A good beer, recommended for your enjoyment.
Okay -- Average; an acceptable choice if your other option is Bud or Heinekken.
Not so Hot -- Not terrible, but may be a little defective.
May not be Worth the Packaging it Came in -- If you don't bother with this beer, it won't bother you.
Why the Feck Did I Buy This? -- Don't do this to your taste buds under any circumstances.
Growing on Me -- Liking it more and more over time... a measure of appreciation, NOT intoxication!
Getting Over it -- I liked it at first, but the honeymoon is over.
Plug Your Nose & Go for it! -- For those who like funk in their beer.
Love at First Sip! -- Self explanatory, much?
Solid -- A good beer, recommended for your enjoyment.
Okay -- Average; an acceptable choice if your other option is Bud or Heinekken.
Not so Hot -- Not terrible, but may be a little defective.
May not be Worth the Packaging it Came in -- If you don't bother with this beer, it won't bother you.
Why the Feck Did I Buy This? -- Don't do this to your taste buds under any circumstances.
Growing on Me -- Liking it more and more over time... a measure of appreciation, NOT intoxication!
Getting Over it -- I liked it at first, but the honeymoon is over.
Plug Your Nose & Go for it! -- For those who like funk in their beer.
Monday, February 22, 2010
Schell's 150th Anniversary ("Hopfenmalz")
Rating: Solid
This is the Schell's Brewery 150th anniversary beer. They list it at 5.8% ABV, and say it combines “the elegant drinkability of a Pilsner, the bready maltiness of a Vienna Lager, and the hopping of a Pale Ale.” Let's see how it measures up.
Sampled a pint, on tap at Common Roots, Minneapolis.
Amber in color with cream colored 1-finger head that is initially somewhat rocky, but tightens up considerably as it diminishes. Bubbles engaged in a vigorous race to the top.
Smells lightly of honey with a hint of citrusy hops playing a supporting role. Very clean.
The first qualities I notice upon taking a drink are the fuller than expected body and the higher than expected bitterness. As asserted by Schell's, this beer has a nice malty base, well balanced by citrusy hops.
The more I sip, the more I appreciate Hopfenmalz, and the more my tongue tingles from both the carbonation and the hops. This beer would probably be a good palate scrubber, especially for eggs or fatty foods.
I'd say that this beer lives up to its claim. Overall, Hopfenmalz a well-balanced, drinkable beer that I'll be happy to have again when I'm in the mood for a lager, but probably won't go out of my way to track down – although, if I make it to the 150th Anniversary celebration this autumn, I'll most likely have several!
Read Beer Advocate reviews of this beer.
Read ratebeer reviews of this beer.
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Bell's HopSlam
Bell's, located in Kalamazoo, Michigan, has for years been one of the most respected breweries in the upper Midwest. They brew tons of excellent beers, but I feel that this one, HopSlam, has earned a spot near the top of the pile.
HopSlam is an imperial IPA, weighing in at 10% ABV and all kinds of hoppy.
Sampled in a pint glass from a 12-ounce bottle
A vigorous pour releases an amazing bouquet of apricot, evergreen, and tangerine. A frothy, 1-1/2 finger head rests atop a light orange-copper beer. Smells like a delicious, carbonated candy beverage.
Tangerine and apricot flavors right up front, with an astounding candy-like sweetness. If it’s possible for a beer to taste sticky, this one does pulls it off with its resinous, persistent hops presence. While the hops flavor and a great bitterness dominate this beer, they don’t overwhelm a nice malty sweetness. The flavor packed into this beer is like a punch to the mouth – in a good way! – and is followed up by a pleasant grassy aftertaste. As the beer warms, a notable-but-not-overbearing alcohol flavor becomes a player as well.
Moderate carbonation with a slighter-bigger-than-medium body.
This is undeniably a bitter beer, and the hops scour my mouth accordingly... but there’s also enough malt in this beer to take the edge off the hops. For whatever reason, the term that comes to mind for this mouthfeel is “rounded.”
HopSlam is ridiculously drinkable for being 10% ABV -- which is to say that there's not a hint of the alcohol anywhere in the flavor, and you could go on sipping it for quite a while. Having said that, I think more than a couple in a sitting would probably spell the end of the day for me!
As you may understand by now, I absolutely love this beer. It's widely available in the Twin Cities area, but I'm unsure of other areas of Minnesota. If you spot it anywhere, don't hesitate to pick it up!
Read Beer Advocate reviews of this beer.
Read Rate Beer reviews of this beer.
Visit the Bell's Brewing web site.
HopSlam is an imperial IPA, weighing in at 10% ABV and all kinds of hoppy.
Sampled in a pint glass from a 12-ounce bottle
A vigorous pour releases an amazing bouquet of apricot, evergreen, and tangerine. A frothy, 1-1/2 finger head rests atop a light orange-copper beer. Smells like a delicious, carbonated candy beverage.
Tangerine and apricot flavors right up front, with an astounding candy-like sweetness. If it’s possible for a beer to taste sticky, this one does pulls it off with its resinous, persistent hops presence. While the hops flavor and a great bitterness dominate this beer, they don’t overwhelm a nice malty sweetness. The flavor packed into this beer is like a punch to the mouth – in a good way! – and is followed up by a pleasant grassy aftertaste. As the beer warms, a notable-but-not-overbearing alcohol flavor becomes a player as well.
Moderate carbonation with a slighter-bigger-than-medium body.
This is undeniably a bitter beer, and the hops scour my mouth accordingly... but there’s also enough malt in this beer to take the edge off the hops. For whatever reason, the term that comes to mind for this mouthfeel is “rounded.”
HopSlam is ridiculously drinkable for being 10% ABV -- which is to say that there's not a hint of the alcohol anywhere in the flavor, and you could go on sipping it for quite a while. Having said that, I think more than a couple in a sitting would probably spell the end of the day for me!
As you may understand by now, I absolutely love this beer. It's widely available in the Twin Cities area, but I'm unsure of other areas of Minnesota. If you spot it anywhere, don't hesitate to pick it up!
Read Beer Advocate reviews of this beer.
Read Rate Beer reviews of this beer.
Visit the Bell's Brewing web site.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Surly Mild
Surly Mild
There was once a time when mention of a mild would earn me quizzical looks. Not so any more – at least, not in the Twin Cities, where Great Waters, Town Hall, and now Surly have all brewed their own terrific examples of the style.
Today's milds are a reincarnation of a style from simpler times.
Sampled from a pint glass at Common Roots, Minneapolis, where I found it on tap.
Poured from the tap with no head, but immediately displayed a thick collar around the top. The beer itself is beautiful, its color the translucent red of a garnet.
The smell is primarily sweet and nutty, with a hint of roasted malts deep into the breath. Honey. No detectable hops bouquet.
Less sweet on the palate than the aroma led me to expect. Nutty, roasty, and reminiscences of cream. A perfectly balanced bitterness.
Medium body with light/moderate carbonation. Although this is being served on CO2 from the keg, the carbonation was just about right for a style traditionally carbonated through natural conditioning methods (I.e. In a cask).
This beer is immensely drinkable, as a mild should be. I can imagine sitting with friends while I enjoy three or four of these in a couple hours, without much detriment to the conversation.
Read Beer Advocate reviews of this beer.
Rating: Solid
There was once a time when mention of a mild would earn me quizzical looks. Not so any more – at least, not in the Twin Cities, where Great Waters, Town Hall, and now Surly have all brewed their own terrific examples of the style.
Today's milds are a reincarnation of a style from simpler times.
Sampled from a pint glass at Common Roots, Minneapolis, where I found it on tap.
Poured from the tap with no head, but immediately displayed a thick collar around the top. The beer itself is beautiful, its color the translucent red of a garnet.
The smell is primarily sweet and nutty, with a hint of roasted malts deep into the breath. Honey. No detectable hops bouquet.
Less sweet on the palate than the aroma led me to expect. Nutty, roasty, and reminiscences of cream. A perfectly balanced bitterness.
Medium body with light/moderate carbonation. Although this is being served on CO2 from the keg, the carbonation was just about right for a style traditionally carbonated through natural conditioning methods (I.e. In a cask).
This beer is immensely drinkable, as a mild should be. I can imagine sitting with friends while I enjoy three or four of these in a couple hours, without much detriment to the conversation.
Read Beer Advocate reviews of this beer.
Friday, February 12, 2010
Breckenridge Oatmeal Stout
Breckenridge Brewery is located in Breckenridge, Colorado. I've seen a few of their beers around Minnesota, but tonight is the first time I've tried one.
Breckenridge Oatmeal Stout
12oz bottle, sampled from a pint glass.
Breckenridge Oatmeal Stout poured black as black can be, with no hues, tints, or hints of light allowed to pass through. A beautiful dark brown head quickly collapsed to a thick cushion of foam atop the beer.
Pleasing smells of pumpernickel bread, raisins, molasses, and milk chocolate waft readily from this beer. Nothing seems to be hidden or subtle here.
The flavor is a full-bodied oatmeal stout blast. The beer is creamy, with black malt bitterness, coffee, burnt toast, a hint of chocolate, and a very light resiny hops flavor. A great burnt toast aftertaste lingers a loooong time.
This is a tasty oatmeal stout -- a good one to pop in the winter when you need a little warming up!
Breckenridge Oatmeal Stout
12oz bottle, sampled from a pint glass.
Breckenridge Oatmeal Stout poured black as black can be, with no hues, tints, or hints of light allowed to pass through. A beautiful dark brown head quickly collapsed to a thick cushion of foam atop the beer.
Pleasing smells of pumpernickel bread, raisins, molasses, and milk chocolate waft readily from this beer. Nothing seems to be hidden or subtle here.
The flavor is a full-bodied oatmeal stout blast. The beer is creamy, with black malt bitterness, coffee, burnt toast, a hint of chocolate, and a very light resiny hops flavor. A great burnt toast aftertaste lingers a loooong time.
This is a tasty oatmeal stout -- a good one to pop in the winter when you need a little warming up!
Read Beer Advocate reviews of this beer.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Stub & Herb's - "Your Grandpa Drank Here"
Stub & Herb's has become one of my regular beer oases in Minneapolis. Formerly little more than a college students' drinking bar, Stub & Herb's changed course a few years back, in order to survive the addition of Sally's up the street. Under the direction of John, the bar manager, S & H became a purveyor of craft beers, and now has a reliable menu of rotating brews. For me, a visit to Stub & Herb's always means that there are difficult decisions to be made.
S & H is apparently known for their burgers -- I'll have to let other people judge them on that score, since I'm still toeing the vegetarian line. What I can tell you is that they have the best fries I've had in the Cities, and maybe the best I've had anywhere. They're made in-house, and are consistently fried to perfect golden crispness.
True to form, I rarely sit anywhere but the bar. The bartenders here know their beer pretty well, and seem to enjoy talking to clientele who are interested in beer, too. They're happy to share descriptions and opinions of the beers, and generally free with the samples, too.
My one gripe about Stub & Herb's, and this is an issue every time I visit, is the smell. They use a dishwashing detergent, or a sanitizer, or some other chemical agent, that has an overbearing, fruity, bubble-gum scent. It makes it very difficult to smell & taste the beers properly. Each time we've complained about it, we've been told that no one else has ever mentioned it -- but I find that pretty hard to believe, because as soon as you open the door, that smell just smacks you in the face, almost as if it is trying to chase you out!
Despite the unpleasant, overpowering smell, I highly recommend trying out Stub & Herb's when looking for good beer spots in the Twin Cities. You won't be disappointed in the tap list, the bartenders, or the fries.
Stub & Herb's
227 Oak St. SE
Minneapolis, MN 55414
(612) 379-1880
http://www.stubandherbsbar.com
Read Bear Advocate reviews of this bar.
Read Yelp! reviews of this bar.
S & H is apparently known for their burgers -- I'll have to let other people judge them on that score, since I'm still toeing the vegetarian line. What I can tell you is that they have the best fries I've had in the Cities, and maybe the best I've had anywhere. They're made in-house, and are consistently fried to perfect golden crispness.
True to form, I rarely sit anywhere but the bar. The bartenders here know their beer pretty well, and seem to enjoy talking to clientele who are interested in beer, too. They're happy to share descriptions and opinions of the beers, and generally free with the samples, too.
My one gripe about Stub & Herb's, and this is an issue every time I visit, is the smell. They use a dishwashing detergent, or a sanitizer, or some other chemical agent, that has an overbearing, fruity, bubble-gum scent. It makes it very difficult to smell & taste the beers properly. Each time we've complained about it, we've been told that no one else has ever mentioned it -- but I find that pretty hard to believe, because as soon as you open the door, that smell just smacks you in the face, almost as if it is trying to chase you out!
Despite the unpleasant, overpowering smell, I highly recommend trying out Stub & Herb's when looking for good beer spots in the Twin Cities. You won't be disappointed in the tap list, the bartenders, or the fries.
Stub & Herb's
227 Oak St. SE
Minneapolis, MN 55414
(612) 379-1880
http://www.stubandherbsbar.com
Read Bear Advocate reviews of this bar.
Read Yelp! reviews of this bar.
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