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Some 12oz Love (New Glarus Imperial Weizen & Dark Horse Too Cream Stout)

Tuesday, July 22, 2008

Since I spend most of my time drinking beer in bottles 22oz or greater, that comprises most of what I review as well.  Last night instead of going for a gigantic experience from a big bottle, I wanted to take it a bit easier — so I drank 2 12oz bottles, both of which I got in trade.

New Glarus has a series of beers known as the “Unplugged Series” where the brewer can feel free to brew any styles that he is interested in exploring.  It’s a common way for craft breweries to stay creative, to have an outlet beyond the beers they make which become popular and ostensibly kinda boring to brew.  Troegs has its “Scratch Series,” Avery and Stone have their yearly contributions and anniversary beers, and many other breweries go this route.  The “Unplugged” Series has a few entries so far, amongst them a favorite style for a couple brew dogs, the Imperial Weizen.  Taking a normally mild-mannered beer, albeit a fragrant and spicy one, and amping it up is the obvious quality in American beers which people point to over and over again.  New Glarus succeeds here big time, offering a beautiful take on the German Hefe style — a fuller bodied, spicier beer with a fuller hop presence. This beer pours a bit darker than a normal Hefe, with the characteristic huge white head in tact.  The nose is incredibly spicy with only a small hint of the banana flavor that some Hefe Weizens are known for.  This is more on the clove side of things, and also boasts a bready malt flavor, big German yeast smells, and a nice amount of carbonation to balance a heavier mouthfeel.  Any beer that says “Thanks for Supporting the Arts” on the bottle, and maintains a breweries committments to exploration and creative expression is alright by me.  New Glarus hasn’t failed me yet, and I’ve already put the feelers out there to get my hands on some of their Berliner Weiss.  Got some?

The Dark Horse Brewing Company is one of the fabled breweries of Michigan who produce beers that sadly don’t make it to New York City.  I haven’t sampled any of their beers yet so I was very excited when a trader threw this in as an “extra” in a trade — a common practice amongst beer traders, they’re a nice lot.  Dark Horse has a few “special” series of beers as well, and this is from their Holiday Stout series — five stouts to help you “get through those tough Midwestern winters.”  Well, this mid-atlantic summer didn’t do too poorly by this brew either.  I’m not that familiar with the Cream Stout as a style, but after recently getting very excited by the Southern Tier Creme Brulee, I was stoked to give this one a shot.  It delivered big time.  A creamy, milky mouthfeel with low carbonation makes this beer pour more like a thick soda than a typical beer, but is typical for the stout style.  Almost no head to speak of, but an awesome, sweet-forward aroma dominates along with a super dark brown color which is very appealing.  The right amount of biterness from both the chocolatey malts and hops makes this an all around awesome beer.  I’m not sure how strong this is, but if this was winter and I had a bunch of these around, I wouldn’t be mad.

Filed in review by mrb | Comments (0)

The Literal and Figurative Fruits of Beer Trading (New Glarus Raspberry Tart)

Saturday, July 19, 2008

I scored a batch of beers from New Glarus Brewing Company, perhaps Wisconsin’s most notable Brewery, and one who creates beers so rarefied and craft intensive that they’ve chosen to not even try to make enough beer to make it out of Wisconsin.  If you want some, you can go to the brewery and buy some.  Or you can trade for it.

Beer trading is the source of a lot of the beers I review on here, and has often become a “necessity” for people who are interested in drinking beer not produced in their geographical region.  It should be noted that it’s not just the geographical boundaries which separate us, or even the great distances that span our country which keep good beer from getting out of it’s immediate vicinity in many cases.  It’s also the laws, and the influence of larger breweries who control distribution. A while back I posted a plea that was sent from the Captain Lawrence Brewing Company of Pleasantville, NY, one of my favorite local breweries.  Check it out and you’ll see one side of the multi-faceted beauracracy that controls who gets to drink what beer.  Reminds me of that quote from King of New York… “If a Nickel Bag is sold in the park, I want in…”

Regardless, New Glarus is one of the cases of a brewery who has chosen to limit their distribution because of the high quality and indigenously concentrated character of their ingredients — they simply can’t produce enough.  So I’ve decided to circumvent the system a bit, and trade with someone who lives where they can get it, in exchange for some local favorites that aren’t available where he lives — good deal.

Raspberry Tart is an ale based fruit beer that is very overwhelming in its fruit forwardness.  It pours a dark, deep red color, like pureed raspberries, and in all respects, that’s what this beer brings to the table.  Not much malt, not much hops, but an enormous amount of magically fermented fruit flavor that is so clean and forward that it’s a marvel that it’s beer at all — which is not a problem for me, of course.  The fruit flavor coats every corner of your mouth, smelling very strongly and sweetly.  I saw the New Glarus folks in a video segment from a documentary the other week.  In talking about their Wisconsin Belgian Red, a similar beer brewed with cherries, they said that there was over 1.5 pounds of cherries in each 750ml bottle.  It tastes like there’s at least that much pure raspberry in each bottle of this Raspberry Tart as well.

It is a real treat to behold this beer, and it makes me feel good to know that I can participate in a network of people who are dedicated to helping each other sample good regional product.  The geniuses at New Glarus are obviously very serious about the beers that they make, and they are not afraid to go crazy with styles, ingredients, and processes.  I will be writing about the 3 or 4 other beers I have from them on the blog as well, which I’m really looking forward to.  It feels good to know that I have so many local breweries to rely on to supply trading fodder for more love from Wisconsin — I’m gonna be addicted soon.

Filed in review by mrb | Comments (0)

Butterscotch! (Southern Tier Creme Brulee)

Wednesday, July 16, 2008

Southern Tier is one of my favorite breweries. Pretty much everything they put out (so long as it’s not a Belgian style) is top notch. What they are best at though is their Black Water Series which has been going on for at least three years. It started with the Jah-va which was an incredibly bitter (two years ago it was 112 IBUs I believe) coffee stout. The next year saw the Oat, which was a silky oat meal stout, and last year we got the Choklat which I’m sure you can figure out. We’ve all been waiting for this years addition to the line, the Creme Brulee. I was expecting a lacto-sweet stout to round out the four main varieties and flavor profiles of the stout and I was not disappointed.

The brewery is kind enough on their bombers to include a copious amount of information about the ingredients on the label. The Creme Brulee has two malts. Pale malt and dark caramel malt. A lot of dark caramel malt. In fact Black Water is a bit of a misnomer as this beer does allow a bit of light to pass through. It also features lactose and vanilla beans as adjuncts. When you crack open a bottle of this you are overwhelmed by the scent of vanilla. After you pour it out you can smell this brew about three feet away.

If the Choklat was 10% abv Bosco, the Creme Brulee is liquid 10% abv My-T-Fine Butterscotch Pudding. This is the beverage I had been waiting my entire life for, but didn’t know. Buy this one immediately. Possibly my top pick for the year. Can’t wait to blend it with one of last year’s (or hopefully this year’s) Choklats. In fact this more than makes up for the failings of the mediocre Cherry Saison. Grip as many of these as you can and enjoy them as often as you can.

Filed in review by stinky | Comments (1)

Evil, Evil Bosco (Southern Tier Choklat)

Wednesday, July 16, 2008

Found a bottle of this which I assume is pretty old at Eagle Provisions.  I had this beer a while back and that time didn’t really have a taste for it, but a bottle of 11% ABV Chocolate Stout from one of my favorite brewers staring at me in the fridge was appealing enough that I had to give it another shot.  Glad I did too, because this beer really hit the spot, evidence that Air Conditioning can truly erradicate any trace of me wanting to drink more seasonal brews — this beer is pretty heavy for July 14th.

Choklat a.k.a. ChocoBeer a.k.a. Evil Bosco is part of the “Black Water” series of Southern Tier Beers, the others being the Oat Oatmeal Stout, Jah-Va Coffee Stout (my favorite coffee beer, I think), Choklat, and the recently released and getting cold in my fridge right now Creme Brulle Vanilla Milk Stout.  These beers are all notorious for their boundary-pushing use of the adjunct ingredients the name highlights, and Southern Tier is one of the few breweries who truly excel in the art of making “flavored” adjunct beers — a complex equation that is difficult from the sourcing of the right amount of excellent ingredients to finely meshing their unique flavors with that of the beer.  And the “base” stout better be good, too.  Southern Tier succeeds here in all kinds of ways, and drinking this beer is a real pleasure.  It pours dark brown with a big brown and tan head, and immediately smells of chocolate in a huge way.  Drinking it takes you from roasted coffee and malt smells to flavors and smells of chocolate that are a real knockout.  This isn’t an overly syrupy or heavily bodied beer, which contributes to its drinkability.  An awesome amount of carbonation that kind of reminds me of the Choloate Soda my Safta (grandma) used to drink, only not saccharine, sweet enough, and … gets you completely buzzed.  A true winner and one I hope they make again.

Filed in Uncategorized by mrb | Comments (0)

Life is Beautiful (Orval Trappist Ale)

Monday, July 14, 2008

God damn it was an amazing experience trying this beer for the first time.  For those of you who haven’t tried it, congratulations.  For those of you who have been drinking this all along — how the hell did you let me not drink this? Orval is one of the very few available authentic Trappist Belgian Ales, and the Orval Abbey produces only one beer for public consumption - it’s “Trappist Ale.”  (I would be remiss to not point out that they also produce a “Small Beer” version of Orval which is meant only for the consumption of the Monks.)

Orval is such an intense experience that it truly reminds you that Life is Beautiful.  A stink forward Belgian Trappist Ale actively brewed with Brett yeasts which make the overall experience that much more fun and drinkable. Orval is relatively light in body, color, and ABV, and it comes packed with a good amount of bitterness.  The ability to produce a beer that has such a pleasurable, complex, and balanced flavor is a secret from the Belgian countryside where wild yeasts produce totally fucked flavor profiles.

Orval drinks like … well, it drinks like Orval.  Lucky us. Ideal drinking instructions: Go get one tomorrow after work, put it in the fridge as soon as you get home, and drink it as your night cap.  You can’t go wrong.

Filed in review by mrb | Comments (0)

Great Parties Deserve Great Beers (Great Lakes Burning River Pale Ale, Dortmunder Gold, and Imperial Dortmunder)

Monday, July 14, 2008

I approach catered events with much caution. I’ve found that attention to detail can vanish when overworked culinary school undergrads looking for experience are forced to reheat pre-dried fish fillets for bluehairs night after night during their summer wedding catering gigs. Add to that the fact that most brides and grooms have been too overwrought with the political intricacies of the seating chart and ceremony sequence to even begin to think about what their guests would most enjoy drinking at their joyous event. What you end up with is mediocre food and Amstel Light. It can get ugly.

But it doesn’t have to be that way.

I attended the wedding of two college friends over the weekend that proved to me that, with a little effort, you can please all of the people all of the time. The centerpiece of the dining hour was a full service sushi bar staffed by two real-deal sushi chefs preparing individual pieces and handrolls with astonishing speed. It was fresh, light, well-presented, and delicious. The wedding was held in Fairfax, VA, but the groom’s family being from Cleveland, the beer of choice was 10 cases of mixed Great Lakes beers trucked in by various family members. There were wines and mixed drinks as well, but I was so psyched to be drinking these amazing Great Lakes brews for the first time I couldn’t be bothered to divert my attention.

I started with the Dortmunder Gold. Darker and more complex on the nose than many of the lager’s I’ve sampled lately, I was most intrigued by the hints of spice behind the more forward malt and mildly piney hop aromas. There was also a bit of that cidery sourness and earthiness I’ve started looking for in these beers lately. The first sip was a revelation, all the aromas come through on the palate as well and the good carbonation and rich but not-too-heavy mouthfeel is both satisfying and refreshing. A solid balancing act to be sure and a great introduction to this brewer’s beers.

I moved on to the Burning River Pale Ale after that one, ready for some more hops, and it delivered readily. This one has the nose of all the best “California-style” pale ales covered and then some. There’s citrus there to be sure but also some apple and plum, but the malt isn’t totally obliterated by this, coming through as toasty and bready. This one is pretty heavily carbonated as well, but with a nice crisp and dry mouthfeel that is beyond refreshing, finishing perfectly balanced between tight and sweet. I ended up with these for most of the rest of the night and would love to try their Commodore Perry IPA and Lake Erie Monster DIPA to see what they can do with hops in more heavy-duty styles.

The Imperial Dortmunder case was kind of a wedding-party reserve, but I got my hands on one late in the night at the afterparty, well after I was able to appropriately evaluate it, so let me just say that it was good. It seemed pretty malty and thick, and I’ll definitely have to look for it again when I am less inebriated.

Congrats to Emily and Eric, and thanks again for a killer party!

Filed in review by t-bone | Comments (0)

The Abbey in Pleasantville (Captain Lawrence St. Vincent’s Dubbel)

Sunday, July 13, 2008

Pleasantville, New York’s Captain Lawrence Brewing Company offers a wide variety of beers, from Porters to “Wild Beers” to traditional Belgian styles like this, their go at an Abbey Dubbel. Fans of Belgian beer should perk up when they hear this, as the prototypes of the Dubbel are some of the most revered beers of all time.  Captain Lawrence has scored big for me quite often, with beers like the Captain’s Reserve DIPA, any of the Smoked Porters, and the Xtra Gold, their Trippel.  Only the Sun Block and Liquid Gold beers were slight misses for me, somehow coming off bland.  I need to retry both immediately.

St. Vincent’s Dubbel is named after the brewer’s father, and comes out once a year on Father’s Day.  A true tribute indeed, and as a “Thank You” brew to dad, this couldn’t be more gigantic and clear a message.  Enormous amounts of maltey fruits up front, dry and dark smelling while pouring a more golden color.  The bubbles are perfect in this beer — they keep the whole thing together, maintaining the drinkability over the long period that I drank the bomber.  Captain Lawrence crafts complex beers with seeming ease, and each element shines through — yeast, barely, and the smallest amount of hops.  As this beer shouldn’t be hoppy, this one really isn’t, but there’s definitely some bitterness in there somewhere.  A strong, assertive beer that stands alongside the best of CL’s other beers.  I need to buy a bunch of these to keep around, they’ll be good for a long time.  Shit, I should buy one for my dad, maybe he’d share it with me.

Filed in Uncategorized by mrb | Comments (0)

Hard to Open, Easy to Drink (Southern Tier Gemini)

Thursday, July 10, 2008

Yet another score from State Line Liquors.  Grabbed this Southenr Tier gem because I missed the boat on it last time it was aroud (making this bottle pretty old, since it’s ostensibly from the last batch), and because well, it’s one of my favorite styles of beer from one of my favorite breweries.  Southern Tier has had some nice successes with highly hopped beers, and the Gemini, which is a mixture of the Unearthly (reviewed here by t-bone a little while back, and oftened enjoyed by many a brew dog) and the Hoppe, which I haven’t had a chance to have yet, looked pretty promising.

The Gemini is inexplicably capped with some sort of strange concrete/wax hybrid that was annoying to get off, even after utilizing various kitchen tools of various sharpness and flexibility.  It was a fork, I beleive, which dealt the seal it’s death blow, and I was finally able to crack this fucker open.  I didn’t quite know what to expect from this brew, but it was definitely surprising on a few levels.  Poured a beautiful color that’s a bit darker maybe than the average Double IPA, but had a nice huge head and had a big variety of hop flavors going on in the nose.  I was pleasantly surprised that this beer was lighter in body than the Unearthly, and lacked a bit of the somewhat excessive sweetness of that brew.  The Gemini is therefore a more balanced Double IPA, but I would hardly call it restrained.  At a whopping 10% ABV and in a bomber, this beer set me straight almost immediately.  I took some time with it and drank it over the course of about an hour, and the warmish end of it was very intensely flavorful.  Sometimes I drink these beers too cold, especially on hot days, and I’m glad I took my time with this one in front of the AC.  The malt flavors were great, very drinkable and this pleasantly carbonated Double IPA is probably even better if it’s super fresh, and without the physical challenge attached.

Filed in review by mrb | Comments (3)

Hotter than Hell (Stone 12th Anniversary: Bitter Chocolate Oatmeal Stout)

Thursday, July 10, 2008

A few weeks ago Stone, a perennial favorite of mine, did a bit of market testing in New York. They brought kegs of Levitation, a session ale, to ten beer bars in the area and were looking to see if a 4.5% session beer was a viable product in this market. Most breweries don’t worry about whether or not people are going to drink their session beer, but Stone isn’t most breweries. Now one of America’s largest craft breweries they have built a reputation as building some of the most bitter, unbalanced, strong and generally fucked up beers in the world.

The twelfth anniversary continues this grand tradition. There’s nothing like coming home after a long day of work, in horrendous heat and humidity and being excited to pour a 9.2% stout brewed with oats and bitter chocolate. So exciting I drank this just below room temp, so about 60 degrees. It pours a deep midnight black with one of the darkest heads I have ever seen. Huge aroma of cocoa. At first you taste nothing but big cocoa with some sweet malt. Then the hops creep in to play with the dry dust cocoa flavors and then about five minutes later you notice how hot this beer is.

I’m horribly sensitive to fusel alcohols. Rubbing alcohol, nail polish remover if it’s there at all I notice it and it drives me crazy and distracts me from whatever merits a particular brew might have. One of the major accusations thrown at Stone is that their beer are in addition to being wildly unbalanced (some say undrinkable) that they are horribly fusel. I’ve never really had a problem with this from any of their beers and I think I know why now. All of the qualifiers in the name of the Twelfth anniversary are there to distract you from what the beer is actually about. This beer is a paean to the flavor alcohol itself. It’s pretty clean but it is very present in the nose and the flavor of this beer. You aren’t overwhelmed by the smell of nail polish remover but this beer almost smells like a glass of spirits. Truly unique and I’m extremely curious where this beer is going in years to come. Buy a case and drink a few now and then forget about ‘em in five years. When you decide to remember about them give me a call and we’ll crack open a few more.

PS- They do make a hell of a session beer.

Filed in review by stinky | Comments (1)

Dark Bottle of Darkness (Jolly Pumpkin Maracaibo Especial)

Monday, July 7, 2008

Recently scored a (probably pretty old) bottle of this amazing brew at Eagle Provisions, a somewhat closer to my house beer spot that doesn’t necessitate diving into the depths of Park Slope to hit my other perennial favorite brew spot.  Jolly Pumpkin’s web site is not exactly forthcoming on how this beer got its name, but I’m guessing that since Maracaibo is a gigantic town in Venezuela, and this beer contains Cacao, and that Venezuela is known for its Cacao…well, you get the point.  Regardless, this brew is certainly rather “Especial,” and any stab by one of my favorite breweries at one of my favorite styles (Belgian Strong Dark Ale) is obviously worth a shot.

Maracaibo Especial pours a giganticly deep brown color with a cool looking head that fizzles away pretty quickly but is rather substantial while it lasts.  In terms of the nose this beer has a lot of the common smells associated with Jolly Pumpkin beers, stinking of sourness, hay, and other weird outdoor smells that are difficult for me to put my finger on.  However, this beer also hits you with a bale full of booze up front, smelling every bit as strong as it is, and reminding me readily of how intense the alcohol smell can be in some trappist beers, those of Rochefort especially.  I didn’t find the spices in this beer overwhelming at all, and the body, although a little too heavy to call this beer very drinkable (not that that’s the point), served me right.  I sessioned a whole bottle of this beer and it definitely made me a bit woozy at 750ml and almost 8% abv, but it was a delicious and highly desirable experience.  I intentionally left a big glass ful on the table as my wife and I ran out to get some snacks, and about 30 minutes later it was room temperature and even that much more delicious.  Again, an awesome take by an American Brewery on a Belgian style that succeeds greatly — don’t expect this to replace real Trappist beers, expect it to augment them, and you get the picture.  Sometimes you need some Darkness, even on a summer night.

Filed in Uncategorized by mrb | Comments (0)