March 10th, 2010 beckel
Collaboration, collaborative, collaborators. My friend, local beer blogger and Certified Cicerone Michael Agnew recently wrote a very nice article on the ever growing trend. So with his words in mind I will do my best not to allow my expectations to sway my opinions of what I’m sure will be a worthy brew (shit I’ve already failed). This Imperial Pilsner is the first collaborative brew from Boulevard Brewing and is labeled as part of their Smokestack Series with only one batch being produced. It was done in collaboration with Jean-Marie Rock of the Trappist brewery Orval and is inspired by a Pilsner that he brewed in the beginning of his career and will be crafted with traditional lagering methods. Brewed with 100% Pilsner Malt and Saaz hops it certainly fits the bill. Orval is one deliciously unique beer as well as the only brew they make (at least commercially) and I am excited to see what else Rock has up his sleeves. This 750ml bottle was one tough cookie to crack open, but it was no surprise once I started pouring as it was massively carbonated. Four fingers of bright white head are easily created and form tight bubbles that quickly open up and almost completely dissipate after a few minutes leaving very little lacing. Color is a very bright golden hue, some would say straw like. Smells of clean Pilsner malt as well as robust fruity and herbal Saaz hops. Gentle earthy yeast esters, some light notes often found in the style. Malt flavors are soft, modestly sweet and clean with gentle esters that remind me of a light caramel. Hops offer a small amount of bitterness and wonderful earthy and spicy esters that Saaz are so well known for, as well as some gentle citrus & fruit esters. Body is very light and mouthfeel is clean, well carbonated and reasonably crisp. At 8% ABV this brew is no joke but you will be stretched to tell as the flavor profile masterfully hides the solid alcohol present and simply adds a nice dry character. The combination of delightful aroma and clean, malty and beautifully hopped flavors makes this lager very enjoyable. Definitely a tasty beer and a fine example of what quality, patient brewing can produce. Light Lagers tend to get a bad rap, and I will be forthright in saying I am often not a proponent, but it is important to realize that even though yeast is one of the most relevant ingredients in beer both Lager and Ale yeast can produce spectacular brews with the right recipes and techniques. One of my favorite Pilsners yet, if only more breweries spent the time to create such wonderful brews on a regular basis I might just be hooked. Though it will be next to impossible to find at this point I would encourage anyone who has the opportunity to sample this lager. But who knows perhaps with its success they will brew it again (please). Give it a shot and ride your bike.
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March 8th, 2010 beckel
Today I have a very exciting ale from the fine folk of Founders Brewing Company. Nemesis is their newest small batch series which aims to craft beers that are “diabolically brewed to decimate ordinary average run of the mill tasting beer” and release a unique product once a year. Out of sheer coincidence I was lucky enough to spot the last four pack on the shelves of The Four Firkins almost a month ago and there is no doubt it will be difficult to find, but surely worth your time and money even at about $5 a 12oz bottle. This years Nemesis is a Wheat Wine that was aged in the same bourbon barrels often used for their barrel aged Breakfast Stout [review] but with the addition of maple syrup and a very serious 12% ABV as well as 70 IBU. Nemesis pours a modestly dark hue that is a mix of red and an apricot hue that is very opaque but when brought to light becomes very bright and slightly translucent. Head is white and but a single finger of tight bubbles that last for a few minutes. Aroma is full of strong alcohol esters, a good dose of bourbon as well as sweet maple, toffee and caramel notes. A complex melody of flavors are present including bourbon, maple syrup, intense alcohol, sweet wheat esters and a variety of modest herbal and earthy notes. A few sips even reminded me of s’mores, minus the chocolate with creme esters being the primary attribute. This is one complex and highly alcoholic ale but I find the play between the maple and wheat to create very enjoyable flavor profile that helps balance and contrast the serious alcohol and bourbon esters nicely. Definitely not an ale for those unaccustomed to strong ales but a delicious brew that is certainly worthy if you stumble upon it. An intriguing contrast of stiff alcohol and bourbon with maple and sweet grains. As many of you know flavors are most detectable at around room temperature and this ale is a prime example of something to consume at proper serving temperature as the alcohol esters are much more assertive (and offensive to the palate) when served cold, yet delightfully complimented when served at near room temperature. Unquestionably a daring ale that I have sincerely enjoyed and would recommend to others, at least in small doses. Give it a shot and ride your bike.
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February 22nd, 2010 beckel
I had the opportunity to sample this inventive cider at The Four Firkins last week and couldn’t help but grab a bottle for myself to further indulge and share. As I’m sure many of you know Crispin is a local cider company that has been around for just over a year and has strived to reinvent the cider industry in The United States. For some time they have been in the process of locating a permanent cidery and last month accomplished that task with the acquisition of the Fox Barrel Cider Company which is located in Colfax, California. Due to this acquisition those of us in Minnesota will have the opportunity to try a number of Fox Barrel’s products which I have been told will include their apple, pear and black currant ciders. Crispin’s focus on quality and inventiveness has always had an attractive allure in my opinion and their newest venture The Saint is no exception. Crafted with apples from the west coast, organic maple syrup and Trappist ale yeast this is one unique cider. Like all of their ciders Crispin suggests you serve The Saint over ice, but after sampling it both ways I disagree. While ice may be a quick and refreshing way to cool down your beverage I don’t find it adds anything to this cider and simply causes it to become watered down more quickly. Pours a cloudy very pale golden yellow hue that is incredibly opaque. Head is almost nonexistent. Smells strongly of slightly tart, crisp apples and a variety of earthy and herbal yeast esters. Initial taste is wonderfully sweet due to the maple syrup used in this ale followed by notes of gently tart fresh apples and soft herbal accents from the Trappist yeast. Overall flavor profile is a wonderful contrast between semi tart apples and sweet maple syrup, though the influence of the Trappist yeast is less than I had initially expected. While gentle alcohol adds some additional character to this ale it is much less than one would expect for a cider coming in at a very solid 6.9% ABV. Mouthfeel is quite carbonated but at the same time quite full due to the use of maple syrup giving it a slightly sticky quality but managing to go down very smoothly none the less. Unquestionably a delicious hard cider that is one of the more intriguing I have had the opportunity to sample. If you enjoy quality artisanal cider you will likely enjoy this one, particularly if you enjoy sweet and sour flavor profiles. Give it a shot and ride your bike.
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February 8th, 2010 beckel
Today I have an ale that has been sitting in my fridge for many months begging to be consumed, so I figure now is as good a time as any. As if their last iterations weren’t enough the fine folks at Shmaltz who produce the He’Brew line of brews have done it again with their 13th Anniversary Ale: Jewbelation 13 - Bar Mitzvah. For a moment lets pretend the 12 hops and 12 malts used in last years Jewbelation weren’t enough so this year they have continued the tradition with 13 hop varieties, 13 malt varieties and allowing this ale to clock in at 13% ABV. I have thoroughly enjoyed He’Brew’s past Anniversary Ales and I hope to feel the same way about this here lucky 13 ale I hold in my hands. Onto the good part. This ale pours with a lovely light creme brown colored head that easily creates over three fingers of tight bubbles that very slowly open fading after four or five minutes leaving a small ring of bubbles around the surface of the liquid. The brew is an incredibly dark amber hue that looks black even when brought to light, allowing no light through except at the very surface of the brew. Aroma consists of a solid dose of alcohol, enjoyable caramel & creme esters, additional gentle sweetness, soft dark pitted fruit notes and moderate bitterness. Flavor is massive and complex. A variety of contrasting flavors are present from sweet creme and chocolate to a myriad of bitter notes including coffee, bitter-sweet chocolate, many roasted malts and a good dose of alcohol. While malty notes are predominate for me in this ale as well as those in the series I have consumed thus far, this one allows the hops to shine through a bit more. A variety of gentle citrus, floral and other fruity hop esters are present throughout, but most notable towards the end of your sip and add a very enjoyable and needed contrast to the massive malt profile of this ale, though not quite as much as I would like. Alcohol is certainly present and notable but provides a nice bourbon accent to the ale and is no surprise considering its 13% ABV. Body is medium-heavy and the mouthfeel is full and quite carbonated. Over all this is one full flavored and incredibly malty bitter ale. I tend to drink my ales (including this one) at just below room temperature and would encourage you to do the same. The closer this ale gets to room temperature the more caramel and pitted fruit esters come out which is quite nice. While I enjoy and sincerely respect the task that He’Brew has set out to do with the last few ales in their Anniversary series this ale really makes me wonder how much longer they can continue with the current trend and manage to create a well balanced ale. Any homebrewer or knowledgeable beer connoisseur knows how difficult it is to manage such a variety of hops and malts and I am always an advocate of experimentation especially on such an intense level but with so many grains and herbs it is difficult to create distinct flavor profiles and I somewhat miss that in this ale. Definitely an incredibly flavorful ale, and one I have enjoyed drinking but unquestionably not an ale for everyone, or even most people. If you enjoy complex, inventive, malty and intensely bitter ales you should certainly allow this ale to tempt you. Give it a shot and ride your bike.
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February 4th, 2010 beckel
Grand Teton Brewing as one might guess is located at the base of the Teton Mountains in Victor, Idaho. Making a number of solid ales including my favorite so far Black Cauldron an Imperial Stout, which I’ve been meaning to write about for some time. Double Vision is one of four bottled (and one limited draft) ales released in their Cellar Reserve series of 2009. While milling around The Four Firkins during their incredibly packed Unibroue tasting a few weeks ago I got to talking about the Cellar Reserve series with Sean and unable to make up my mind about which one to sample he suggested the bottle I have before me, Double Vision Doppelbock. Packaged in a lovely and very large 1 Quart 1.8 fl oz flip top bottle complete with a fancy tag with an additional description of the brew. Informing us that this ale was brewed to highlight the brewery’s “wonderful glacial spring water and was brewed in strict adherence to the Reinheitsgebot”. Which for those of you who do not know is the German purity law that requires beer to be brewed with only the four fundamental ingredients: hops, malted barley, water and yeast. They further go on to describe their proper bottle conditioning technique (Kräusening) of blending fully fermented ale with newly fermenting ale to create continued fermentation in the bottle as it ages. As well as some more statistical information such as its date of February 11 2009, its Original Gravity of 24° Plato (1.096), 18 IBUs, 8% ABV and last but not least its color of 46° Lovibond. If some of those numbers don’t mean anything to you a quick Google search should shed some light. While not necessary I always enjoy when brewers happily share additional information about their brews, be it simple statistics, ingredient information or even a little bit about their process. Onto the good part. This ale pours a very dark amber-brown hue that appears completely black in the glass until brought to light. Head is an attractive light chocolate brown color that starts with almost four fingers of tight silky bubbles that slowly fade leaving you with a small ring of carbonation around the glass but almost no lacing. Smells very much as I like a strong Scotch Ale or Doppelbock to. Full of sweet complex caramel and toffee esters, intense notes similar to malted milk balls, chocolate, soft coffee esters, gentle roasted malts and very light alcohol esters. Flavors are incredibly rich, dark pitted fruit esters are upfront, dates, plums & raisins, followed by a myriad of roasted malt esters, gentle bitterness, semi-sweet chocolate, molasses and a modest does of alcohol, particularly as it warms. Delicate hop esters are present but almost unidentifiable due to the rich dark flavors. With an 8% ABV this ale is appropriately alcoholic but has more than enough flavor to make you forget. Body is heavy and the mouthfeel is wonderfully thick and creamy but surprisingly smooth. Definitely one delicious Doppelbock that any fan of the style should appreciate and further encourages me to sample more of their Cellar Reserve Series. It may also suit the fancy of those into dark Belgian Strong Ales or even complex Scotch Ales. A lovely sipper for anytime of the year, particularly these colder months. Give it a shot and ride your bike.
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February 2nd, 2010 beckel
Here I have a lovely ale from a solid brewery that hasn’t been available for very long in our fine state of Minnesota. Mad River Brewing Company out of Blue Lake, CA appears to be a quaint little brewery from one look at their website (which is in the process of a much needed update), but apparently they have been operating since 1989. So far I have sampled three of their ales, Jamaica Brand Red Ale which was decent [review], John Barleycorn Barley Ale which is very tasty, and my favorite so far Serious Madness. This ale pours a very dark black hue that is completely opaque, even when brought to light. Head is a solid three plus fingers of creamy milk chocolate bubbles that slowly open and dissipate after many minutes leaving a few solid millimeters around edge of the glass and a modest amount of lacing. Smells of rich dark roasted malts, modest notes of coffee, a very gentle creamy toffee like sweetness and very subtle fruity hop esters. Tastes of toasty roasted malts, semi-sweet chocolate, gentle coffee esters and a variety subtle fruit & citrus hop notes that are contrasted by strong malty bitterness in the finish. Alcohol is present in the flavor, but considering this brews solid 8.2% ABV it is very subtle, being nicely contrasted by a combination of malty sweetness, malt bitterness, and hoppy citrus & fruit characters. Body is medium and the mouthfeel is smooth, clean and surprisingly light. With the variety of flavors present in this dark ale it manages a very nice balance. A lovely example of the creativity in ales that we are creating in our fine country. If you enjoy strong ales, dark malts and modest amounts of contrasting hops you should dig this ale. A lovely take on a strong dark ale I would highly suggest, particularly once it has warmed up a bit. Give it a shot and ride your bike.
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January 26th, 2010 beckel
Victory Brewing Company out of Downingtown, PA is unquestionably one of my favorite breweries. Making delicious hoppy ales such as HopDevil, Hop Wallop and even their Prima Pils (an assertively hopped Pilsner). Earlier last year they decided to bottle some unique ales including WildDevil, their HopDevil wort fermented with Brettanomyces and to re-bottle what was originally called V-Saison under the new name Helios and make it more widely available in 22oz bottles. I never got around to sampling their Saison when it was available in 750ml bottles so I can’t wait to see their interpretation of this complex Belgian inspired style. This bottle has been sitting in my fridge for many months, but I’m sure it will still be lovely. Upon opening this bottle I was hit with a release of carbonation. I almost expected the bottle to overflow, but it only went about half way up the neck. Once I started pouring it was clear that this beer would produce as much head as you allow. Even after pouring very slowly into the side of my tulip over four fingers of bright white head was quickly produced and just as quickly opens up into larger and larger bubbles settling with in less than two minutes leaving a very small amount of head on the surface of the brew and a tiny bit of lacing. A massive flow of small bubbles through the center of the glass shows that this is surely one carbonated ale. Color is a completely translucent golden hue with no notable sediment, but that is because it is still sitting at the bottom of the bottle (the 2nd pour from the bottle was quite hazy and had solid chunks of sediment making it barely translucent and giving it more of an apricot hue). Smells of lemony citrus, earthy esters and a gentle yeasty funkiness. Flavor is full of a tangy lemon grass like citrus, soft malty sweetness and a variety of earthy esters followed by additional tartness and and a gentle funkiness. Mouthfeel is nicely dry and smooth and the body is appropriately full but not overly heavy. The 7.5% ABV of this ale is plenty subtle with the contrasting sour and sweet notes yet provides a nice compliment to this easy drinking Saison. Upon my 2nd pour (full of sediment) I had left the bottle in the fridge for a while as the first pour was consumed very warm. At a colder temperature and full of sediment the flavors are still very similar but (obviously) contain many more earthy yeast esters which are pleasant though less funky than when consumed at closer to room temperature and a bit less distinct. I suppose I really should have gently swirled the bottle to make it more even, oh well I still find the differences in flavor profile intriguing. Definitely a tasty beverage but not particularly astounding for the style. If you not a fan of bitter beers this should be right up your alley. A nice smooth American interpenetration of a Belgian (some will argue French) inspired style. Those into citrus forward somewhat yeasty beers will likely dig this one. Give it a shot and ride your bike.
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January 25th, 2010 beckel
Today I have a rather limited ale from the brewers of Boulder Beer Company out of, you guessed it…never mind. First brewed in 2002 this ale has been available for quite some time but has only been released as part of their Looking Glass Series of bottled ales since 2008. According to the bottle only one 50 barrel batch is brewed each year making this their rarest beer. Brewed in the colder months of the year and obviously intended to be consumed at the same time clocking in at a solid 10% ABV. Bottled in a fancy 22oz wax dipped bottle with a wooden seal proclaiming its year of 2009 I can’t wait to dive in (though it still needs to warm up a bit so I’ll be patient). I believe I sampled this ale once before at a tasting and found it not to be overly complex for a Barleywine, regardless the purpose of sampling a variety of beers is the experience and I am content with being an optimist. Pours a rather dark amber hue that becomes a very translucent bright red hue when brought to light. Head is a massive four fingers and consists of tight cream colored bubbles that settle after a few minutes leaving a solid millimeter and change of carbonation on the surface of the beer as well as a small amount of lacing around the glass. Aroma is quite nice, dark pitted fruit esters, Candi sugar, a nice dose of bitterness and a surprisingly limited amount of alcohol due to the contrasting malty sweetness. Tastes largely of dark pitted fruits, raisins, dates and plums in particular, a lot of Candi Sugar and a notable does of alcohol. Gentle esters of caramel and light bitterness are present, but not dominate at all. Body is light for the style and the mouthfeel is rather thin, but it sure is easy to drink for such a big beer. The 10% ABV of this beer will certainly be noticed by those not accustomed to such strong ales but the serious sweetness of this ale does a good job hiding it, particularly the more you drink. Not a very complex Barleywine but certainly not bad. If you enjoy easy drinking strong ales this might just be the beer for you. Give it a shot and ride your bike.
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January 25th, 2010 beckel
I tend to avoid posting much beer news as there are plenty of other sites (MNBeer & Beer News are my favorites) that do a wonderful job of informing the world about craft beer happenings and I feel redundant. Regardless today I have the wonderful opportunity to inform you the exciting news that Surly Brewing will be re-releasing a snazzy ale that was originally referred to as 16 Grit under the name Surly Abrasive Ale in cans. For those of you that are unfamiliar 16 Grit was brewed as a treat to Surly Nation at the end of 2008 when Surly was forced to stop off selling growlers on their premise due to foolishly restrictive Minnesota State Liquor Laws. While I’m sure the brew will taste a bit different this time around here is my review from the original production if your curious. Additionally Surly’s new bottling line will be getting a nice work out as they plan to bottle Surly Smoke and this years anniversary ale Surly Four in the near future in 750ml bottles. Since were talking news I may as well mention that the Surly Four release will be at The Blue Nile on February 23rd where the friendly bar manager Al who wrote the Surly Smoke label text works. Also Surly’s Mild will be released this year Feburary 2nd at Grumpy’s NE @ 7 pm. Last but not least Surly has just redesigned their web page and it looks pretty darn snazzy, but it seems their still having some hosting difficulties as of the moment. I’m sure they’ll get it worked out though.
No More Growlers 
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January 24th, 2010 beckel
Today I have another delicious Imperial IPA from the fine brewers of Founders out of Grand Rapids, Michigan. Founders makes a variety of tasty ales, some strong, some subtle, but there is no question they love to play with hops. While not quite as big as their Devil Dance [review] which they call a “Tripple IPA” Double Trouble is still one impressive hop centric ale that any hop head should enjoy. Double Trouble is part of founders Seasonal line up and has been available for many years though I never got around to sampling it until the other week at Stub & Herbs. So after enjoying a number of pints there and seeing it on the shelves of The Four Firkins a few days ago when I was there for their insanely busy Unibroue tasting I saw no excuse not to grab a 4-pack and enjoy it some more. Pours a bright slightly translucent apricot hue. Three fingers of clean white head are produced that slowly open into larger bubbles settling after about 5 minutes or so leaving a small amount of lacing around the glass. Aroma is delicious. Nicely bitter, a variety of floral and fruity hop esters, orange, grapefruit and a very smooth and well rounded malty sweetness to contrast as well as a gentle does of alcohol. Tastes intensely of hops, gentle orange and more intense grapefruit are easily identified as well as other citrus esters followed by smooth clean malty sweetness and serious bitterness and additional hop esters in the finish. While unquestionably not a beer for those who aren’t a fan of hoppy ales the contrasting malt profile does a very nice job of creating a variety of flavors in this intense 86 IBU ale. The body is medium and the mouthfeel is very smooth with some nice sweetness on the tongue. Coming in at 9.4% ABV this is certainly a proper Imperial IPA though the bitterness and other hop esters do a very good job at hiding the solid ABV. If you are a fan of massive hops, particularly the citrus and bitter aspects you should dig this ale. As a lover of intensely hoppy brews this ale unquestionably gets a big thumbs up, keep up the good work Founders. Give it a shot and ride your bike.
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