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.
Saturday, February 27, 2010
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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