The Beer Tap

Michigan Beer Stop #2: Founders

After departing Bell's, I made the hour and a half drive up MI 131 to Grand Rapids to visit Founders Brewing Co.  The Taproom is located right next to the brewing operations with several views into the process area through windows throughout.  The brewery itself is tucked into an older industrial building that has been restored and now also contains a number of offices (I think they were offices).  Founders grew out of the home brewing hobby and despite 10 years of operation still only produces about 4,000 barrels a year according to their website.  Don't get me wrong...slow growth is not necessarily a bad thing, though.  Another patron who frequents the Taproom told me that they had recently installed some new tanks so capacity may be a little higher now.  He also mentioned that they were already using 100% of that new capacity.  Good thing they are working on building a brand new brewery! I already feel lucky that such a small brewery is able to get product all the way over to Milwaukee.  I'd hate to find out capacity limits prevented them from getting Dirty Bastard and Red's Rye on tap here in town.

When I arrived, I made my way directly over to the bar and ordered up my first pint: Kentucky Breakfast.  Catchy name, eh?  Breakfast is a stout brewed with coffee and vanilla which is then aged in oak bourbon barrels.  So coffee accounts for "breakfast" and bourbon is made in "Kentucky".  There isn't any fried chicken in it in case that's what you were thinking.  A very tasty brew with bourbon and oak flavors that are very apparent but not overpowering.  The coffee comes through in both the aroma and in taste.  I bet this would be a perfect beer for a cold winter day (or morning if you prefer).      

Next I tried a sip of their 10th Anniversary Deca.  It was listed on the board with a high ABV and I knew a whole glass would be too much.  I didn't take any notes on it because it was way too sweet for my tastes.  I believe Founders used some sort of dark sugar or molasses in the brewing process and too much of that dark, sweet flavor remained in my opinion. 

Finally, I went for the Space Mountain Brown since I was focusing on new beers and the alcohol percentage was in the right range for me to complete the remaining 2.5 hours of driving.  When I ordered the Brown, I was expecting a standard American brown ale.  I was surprised when I discovered that it was actually a Belgian style brown.  I found it similar to Fat Tire in that it was very smooth and drinkable, but with more pronounced Belgian yeast flavors and roasted, malt sweetness.  A sessionable beer without any offending flavors.  It was good to taste something new, but I think Founders other beers are at a higher level.  It can be tough when you set the bar high with your customers!

It was then time to hit the road.  Why call it completely quits on Founders for the weekend, though?  I grabbed a Red's Rye growler to go…a souvenir jug for me and beer to share with friends over the weekend.  And since the Blushing Monk at 13% ABV also seemed like a bad idea before getting behind the wheel, I grabbed a 22 oz of that as well.  Both were enjoyed by all without worry of tasting notes.  After all...we had a wedding to celebrate!

Michigan Beer Stop #1: Bell's

Despite my goal of 5 breweries during the holiday weekend, I only made it to 3.  That's batting 600 and not too bad considering that I also had a wedding with activities on Friday and Saturday.  I think I also get additional points for hitting up one location twice.  Yep...twice.  More details on that later...

First stop on the tour was Bell's Brewery Inc. in Kalamazoo, MI which is approximately 245 miles from my house.  I left in the morning with the goal of reaching Bell's just in time for lunch at their brew pub.  As I rolled up to where Google maps had so kindly led me, I realized that I must have entered the wrong address.  I was in an office/industrial park and couldn't imagine a brewpub surviving so far from the city.  Unfortunately I had accidentally mapped the brewery instead of the brew pub.  Not all bad since it was only about 7 miles out of the way and I got to snap this great picture of the brewery.  Plus it added to the anticipation of getting to my first beer and some lunch.  I was hungry and thirsty!  Luckily a nice women at the front desk got me back on the road headed in the right direction and at the pub in about 15 minutes. 

Upon reaching the pub I headed straight to the bar and ordered up my first beer.  I've had most of the Bell's collection so I wanted to branch out and try any seasonals or special brewpub only offerings.  My eyes quickly found their Batch 8000, a strong wheat beer and the 8,000th that Bell's has brewed, and a 12 ounce specialty glass (pictured on the left) was quickly in hand.  I was expecting something in the neighborhood of a wheat wine with the 9% ABV rating, but was pleasantly surprised by the banana and clove aromas.  Batch 8,000 was not a wheat wine, but rather a German style wheat where the yeast contributes a great deal of flavor and aroma.  I found this beer to be very well balanced and the alcohol level to be subdued despite being on the high end.  There also was not any cloying sweetness that can sometimes be an issue for higher alcohol beers.  A good start to my Bell's tasting experience.  [Update: Apparently its a Belgian style beer, but the flavors and aromas were very similar to a German style in my opinion.  Banana aroma and the combination of coriander, orange peel, and paradise seed came across clove-like for me. Hey...either way I liked it!]

With the first couple of sips across my tongue, I quickly turned to the food menu and discovered a sandwich with two different pork products: pulled pork and bacon.  Since I was on my way to my friend Brian's wedding I decided that bacon was definitely a necessity.  You see...bacon is Brian's kryptonite and I am not sure I have never seen him pass it up.  I could think of no better meal to begin the weekend than a sandwich that combined two cuts from the "wonderful magical animal" as Homer would say.  Plus pork and German beer are a natural pair!      

As I finished up eating the delicious sandwich, I noticed that the only other beer I had not tried before was Bell's Oktoberfest (5.3% ABV by the sign in the bar).  Another German style beer that fit well with the theme started with the first beer and lunch, so I ordered up a pint.  The beer had a nice clean malt aroma and crisp malt flavors.  The malt flavor was nutty and earthy and consistent with what I tend to associate with malty beers made in Europe.  The finish was dry and clean leading to a beer with great malt flavor and no excessive sweetness.  Very enjoyable, but alas I had to get back in the car so I had to refrain from drinking it all.  Yep...I bricked half a pint of very good beer.  To go cups are typically frowned on and for good reason. 

Overall, Bell's Brewpub has great food and the solid beer I have come to expect from the brewery.  My only negative was that the service at the bar was unfriendly and the bartender appeared to be less than thrilled he was there.  I don't need to be pampered in a brewpub, but even a faint attempt at hospitality isn't too much to expect in my opinion.  Let's just say that even if I hadn't been on a road trip I probably wouldn't have stayed any longer than it took to finish the half pint I left behind.  Big miss on their part in my opinion and I certainly hope that this is limited to one individual on a bad day!  Since everything else was excellent, I'll give them the benefit of the doubt.  Bell's can rest easy that they haven't completely lost a customer since will still pick up the Double Cream Stout and the Hopslam when they reappear on store shelves.

Up next....Stop #2: Founders

Michigan Roadtrip...Beer Stops!

Just realized that this did not post like I thought....should have been up on Thursday of last week.  Darn technology!

Tomorrow I am departing Milwaukee for a wedding this weekend in Traverse City, Michigan.  I am driving because money still has yet to grow on my money tree and my winning Powerball ticket only resulted in a $4 jackpot instead of the full $300 million.  I also figured I would take some time while I was driving through Michigan to hit up a few breweries and brew pubs along the way.  Woo hoo!  So I went over to beermapping.com to see  what my choices were.  Looks like I can hit Bells, Founders, The Livery, North Peak Brewing Co. and Traverse Brewing Co during my weekend.  There are a few others that were of interest, but unfortunately I do have to drive.  I'll try and post a review or two over the weekend during down time.  Heck...if any of the places have wireless maybe I can do my first on the spot post.  Have a great holiday weekend!

Rock it with Red Rocket

Last week I participated in the local brew session and wrote about a brewery here in the state I live in.  Today I decided to review a beer from a brewery that I wish was right next door.  Bear Republic is located in Healdsburg, CA bucking the norm of making wine in the heart of Sonoma in favor of producing some great beers.  I first discovered the brewery and Red Rocket Ale at a homebrew club meeting in Houston.  We were tasting Scottish ales and someone who had recently been to CA brought back a few bottles for the tasting.  The beer stood out from the crowd (not exactly 100% to style) and I made an extra effort to visit the brewery on a trip to SF a month later.  That gave me the opportunity to try all of the beers on tap at the brew pub and I quickly became a t-shirt wearing fan.  Luckily others agree with me and distribution of Red Rocket, Racer 5, and Hop Rod Rye has expanded to the Midwest (all great beers!).  In fact, they are even expanding to a new facility to meet the demand.

Here is how Bear Republic describes Red Rocket on their website:

This fiery red ale is not for the weak at heart. It originally started out as a Scottish red ale but has taken on flavors of its own. This is a very complex recipe using five different grains to achieve its unique flavor. The caramel malt used is a mixture of Belgian Caravienne and Hugh Bairds Crystal malts. Red Rocket is a full bodied, hoppy brew which finishes on the pallet with caramel malts. Centennial and Cascade hops are used for bittering and aroma.

Just reading the description makes my mouth water.  I always drop a bottle or two in the cart when I see it at the store.  Enough talk....let's get to tasting.

• Specifics: 22 oz. bottle, og 1.067, ABV 6.8%, IBU 65+
• Appearance: Red with hints of brown, A nice tan head rose to about 1/4 of an inch and slowly gave way to a thin creamy layer on top, Slightly hazy
• Aroma: Mix of roasted grains, toffee, and some floral hops, Very nicely intertwined and inviting
• Taste: The carbonation hits the tongue up front leading to a quick bitterness that gives way to a number of malt flavors including caramel, toffee, and some nuttiness; The hop bitterness is present throughout never hiding behind the malt flavors and lingers as the malt flavors fade; Very well balanced without either hops or malt dominating at any point

Overall, this continues to be one of my favorite beers.  I can't wait to get back out to NorCal to try it fresh from the source.  If you are in the Sonoma area and cannot make it all the way up to the brewery, don't worry.  The 7-11 just off the square has a nice selection of Bear Republic 22's chilling in the beer fridge waiting to go home with you.  Yep...I did say 7-11.  Now if only all 7-11's had such good taste in beverages!

Session#4: Local Brews

After enjoying reading the efforts of other beer bloggers on "Beer Blogging Friday" with "The Session", I finally decided to get in on the action.  I think it helped that the style for the month of June is Local Brews.  Just think of the power of beer bloggers across the US picking up a beer or two from a local brewery and telling you all about it.  Especially if its one of those hard to find, only available in a small area brands.  It provides additional insight on vacation planning and brewery trips just as many of us are headed out on the road for summer.

So here are the requirements for this month's session as set forth by the host, Gastronomic Fight Club:

• You can pick anything commercially made within 150 miles of your house, but try to pick the brewery or brewpub closest to your house (NOTE: the average American lives within 10 miles of a craft brewery).
• You can select any beer or even a sampler if you want.
• If you select a single beer, let us know why you choose this beer (e.g. favorite,seasonal,limited edition, best seller). 
• Preferably you'll shy away from beers with wide distribution outside your immediate area.

Not liking to be just an average American, I actually live 4 blocks from a local micro brewery here in Milwaukee, Lakefront Brewery.  However, I wrote a post on them based on a tour I took back in the winter.  So I decided to expand the range to the full 150 miles to see what fell into that net.  Having only lived in MKE for 7 months now, I am still seeking out all of the best micros/crafts that Wisconsin has to offer.  Of course 150 miles also allows me to consider Chicago, but that seems a tad far to really be considered local even if it is close enough for me to drive down for a beer on a Saturday afternoon.

After careful consideration I decided to take a closer look at New Glarus Brewing Company which is 105 miles from my house.  While there were other breweries closer and even here in MKE, I was intrigued by all of the awards the brewery has racked up since 1993.  I've tried a number of their beers on tap, but have to admit that so far none of them have made it to "regular purchase" status yet.  However, as I looked at their website I discovered that I have yet to try the Wisconsin Belgian Red, a very accomplished, award winning beer.  And how can I judge a brewery as a whole if I don't try one of their best offerings?  So for my contribution to Beer Blogging Friday I will be tasting this beer for the first time.

Before I get to tasting the the Belgian Red, I wanted to see what New Glarus had to say about the brew.  From the website and label on the bottle:

"Belgian Red is a tapestry of flavor. This beer is brewed with whole Montmorency Cherries, Wisconsin farmed wheat and Belgian roasted barleys, lagered in oak tanks and balanced by Hallertau hops we aged in our brewery one full year.

Over a pound of Door County Cherries in every bottle makes this beer uniquely “Wisconsin.” So unique, in fact, that we applied for a patent. Expect this beer to be ruby red, with a medium body that is highly carbonated and intense with cherry flavor and bouquet. Serve your friends Belgian Red in a brandy snifter or champagne flute and toast life with beer from the land of Wisconsin."

Wisconsin Belgian Red is 5.1% by volume and available in 750 mL bottles and in 1/4 barrels, but only in the state of Wisconsin.  New Glarus is in the process of building a new facility which may mean greater distribution in the future.

As I mentioned, this beer and the brewery have won quite a few awards since opening in 1993.  Here is a sample of the awards New Glarus has won just at the GABF for the Belgian Red:

• Gold Medal: 1996, 1997, 2003, 2005, 2006
• Silver: 2001, 2002

The success of the Belgian Red and their other beers has also led to a number of awards for Dan Carey, the Brewmaster:

• 2003 Best Small Brewery in America, Best American Brewer
• 2005 Midsize Brewery of the Year, Midsize Brewer of the Year 
• 2006 Midsize Brewery of the Year, Midsize Brewer of the Year 

Alright...enough verbiage.  Time to get the weekend started and do a tasting.  I picked up a 750 mL from the local Whole Foods for $8.99.  The bottle top is hand dipped in red wax giving it a very elegant look.

• Appearance: Rich brown with some red/orange; Completely opaque; Orange-tan head settled at a finger high for a while but then disappeared
• Aroma: All cherries with some tartness (I realize that is more of a flavor, but the aroma really does have me expecting tart); No hop aromas that I can detect
• Taste: Dominant cherry flavor that immediately makes me think of summer in the Great Lakes area; Cherry pie would be a good description as long as you have had one made from fresh cherries and not canned pie filling; Some tartness but sweeter than I expected; Sweetness not over the top but borderline and probably too much for some people; No characteristic Belgian yeast flavors

Overall I think this is a good fruit beer for the summer, but I will also concede that the full 750 mL is more than I would want to finish in one sitting (friends like it when you share anyway).  I also think that this beer will evoke a strong response from those who try it: you either love it or hate it.  Some will think it is too sweet while others will think it to be fine as is.  Some may also ask "Where's the beer?" since the cherry flavors and aromas are so dominant.  I am glad I tried it and look forward to continuing to drink local to support the brewers in my area.  Be sure to do the same!

Flying Dog Open Source Beer Project

I received an email from Flying Dog last night announcing a new effort they have under way to brew an "open source" beer.  The goal is to take user input on hops, yeast, malt, and brewing methodology to develop a Dopplebock for release in October as part of their "Wild Dog" series.  It will be available in 750 mL hand corked bottles with only 5,000 bottles available nationwide.  According to comments on their website, this is not the first effort of its kind, but I think it may be one of the first established, commercial breweries to undertake such a project.  Personally I think it is a great idea and a great way to get the homebrewing community involved with Flying Dog.  However, I wish they had not forced a style on the project and had instead allowed the community to decide.  It might even have evolved into a totally new style or a hybrid of two existing.  Of course, no guidance at all might leave the project headed in 20 different directions right out of the gate.  In keeping with the "open" parallel to software, I guess you have to decide whether you want to create the next iTunes or Excel.   

So if you want to help shape this future release, be sure to check out their dedicated website: Open  Source Beer Project.  I know I plan to check back on a regular basis to see how the development is going.

 

Pilgram's Dole

I discovered New Holland Brewing almost by accident when I moved back to the Midwest a few months ago.  I was out at a store and was loading up on beer I had never tasted before.  One of the beers I picked up that night was New Holland's Mad Hatter IPA.  I enjoyed it and officially added the brewery to the "try more varieties" list which seems to always grow and never dwindle.  My enjoyment of Mad Hatter was not due to the hops and the IPA style, but instead due to a particular roasted malt flavor.  St Arnold's Amber has a similar malt flavor and up to that point I had never tasted it anywhere else.

On my last trip to the store, the guy working behind the counter spent a long time talking with me about what beers I liked and what they had in stock that I might also enjoy.  I love these kind of places that can offer good service, speak intelligently about beer, and steer you in the right direction.  As we meandered around the store loading up my cart, we came to a wheat wine by NHB called Pilgram's Dole.  Its a part of their "High Gravity Series" of four beers which also includes a milk stout, a trippel, and a dopplebock.  Pilgrim's Dole is barleywine style ale made with 50% wheat malt which leads to the wheat wine title.

Over the weekend I finally got around to opening it before the first of the Final Four games.  Here are my tasting notes:

• Appearance: dark red to copper in color
• Aroma: Sweet with notes of bread, raisins, alcohol, and some vanilla/oak
• Taste: Chewy with a big upfront malt sweetness, Butterscotch, Finishes with a dryness that brings out oak flavors, The dry finish sets it apart from a standard barley wine and is a result of the wheat malt, Sweetness lingers as well

Overall, I would have to say that this is an interesting beer.  I didn't love it, but I didn't hate it either.  I found myself taking a while to drink the full 22 oz due to the sweetness.  Granted a 10% barley wine is not a beer designed to be slammed down, but it seemed to go slower than expected.

Now I need to track down the other three beers in the High Gravity series to see how they compare.  I am hearing good things about the Dragon's Milk Ale so that will probably be next.    

In the beginning...there was beer.

Three guys in Atlanta have discovered the joy of brewing and have begun their quest to to start Monday Night Brewery, a brewery of their very own.  They are recording the process in a blog that includes them tasting beers, tweaking recipes, and it sounds like having a lot of fun.  Definitely some good entertainment so stop on by and give them a read.  I added a quick link on the right  to make it easy for my readers to check them out regularly.

Best of luck to Jeff, Joel, and Jonathan!  Call me when you start hiring or when you need someone to taste new products.

Lakefront Brewery Tour

Over the weekend I was finally able to visit Lakefront Brewery which is literally just a couple of blocks from my house.  It was another cold, snowy day and I couldn't think of a better way to spend a Saturday afternoon.  I went early this time to ensure it didn't sell out like the weekend before!

I have to point out that this is the first tour I have ever been on where you get beer before, during, and after.  Wow!  Of course this does have its downside...people on the tour were just a little rowdy and the guide was often interrupted.  She was drinking also so in the end I would say all had a good time.

I was able to try 4 different beers that I had not tasted before which is always a treat.  Here are my thoughts:

• Big Easy Lager Beer - A blonde dopplebock brewed just for Mardi Gras.  I have to admit that I had high expectations for this beer.  A seasonal for this NOLA celebration should be full of character and flavor.  Alas this beer was more blonde than dopplebock and lacked the malt complexity I was expecting.  I quickly moved on.   
• Cattail Pale - "A lightly hopped pale ale" is what the bartender told me.  Yes...he is correct.  Again nothing special and by this point I am on the tour.  Thank goodness a mid-tour beer stop has been promised.
• Cream City Pale Ale - Jackpot!  At least compared to the other beers.  Lots of Cascade hops both in the flavor and the aroma with a good malty sweetness.  Also a touch of fruitiness from the yeast.  I think that there may also be another hop in the beer that adds to the flavor and bitterness but I have not been able to verify that yet.  The tour guide proclaimed this to be her favorite and I quickly concurred.
• Fat Abbey - This was a stronger, sweeter beer that may have been lost on me since my taste buds were destroyed by the hop loaded Cream City.  I wasn't impressed but I am willing to concede that I tasted these beers in the wrong order.  On my list to try again.

Overall the beers were good but not great.  I take that back...the Cream City was definitely worthy of buying a 12 pack every now and then.  I need to try it against some of my other favorites in the pale ale category to see how it stacks up. 

In general, I have found that the micro/craft brewers of Wisconsin to be very reserved when it comes to aggresive flavors and that they tend to favor lager beers.  Much of the Milwaukee area was settled by German immigrants in the 1800's so this preference may have survived the generations.  This is of course a generalization and I am sure there are exceptions, but I cannot help but notice after living in California where beers tend to be assertive and hop heavy.  I'll keep tasting to find those worth recommending!  Quite the sacrifice but someone has to do it!

St. Arnold Brewery Tour

After a long "vacation" away from the blog, I have been inspired to pick up the pace on posting.  I was finding plenty of time to drink the beer, but wasn't doing as well when it came to writing about it!  Over the past weekend I was in Houston and was able to return to Saint Arnold Brewing Company, one of my favorite brewery tours in the US.  Part of it is the nostalgia since I have been there more times than is probably healthy, but it is also the great beer and the terrific attitude of the people who work there.

I know the first question many people have is "Why did they name it after a saint?"  Borrowing liberally from the tour....Saint Arnold is recognized by the Catholic Church as the Patron Saint of Brewing.  He spent his life telling people to drink water instead of the beer because the water back in the day was a little less than clean.  After he died, the people of Metz petitioned to have him moved back to their city.  On the way there, a miracle occurred when all of the travelers were able to drink from an endless cup.  Miracle plus the church plus beer and now you are a saint.  You can read more here: http://amaranthpublishing.com/Arnold.htm

On the tour you will more about Saint Arnold, the process of making beer, and how a couple Investment Bankers became brewers.  Most importantly you'll get to try all of the beers that are currently available.  Here are two of my favorite year round beers:

• Amber: Wonderfully malty without being too sweet.  Plenty of hops (Cascades and Liberty) but not so much as to overpower the caramel flavors from the Caravienne malt.  A great beer for both hop heads and those who like less bitterness.  I may have bribed friends to ship me this beer. 
• Elissa IPA: St. Arnold was slow in my mind to come out with an IPA, but I think it was worth the wait.  Brock Wagner (one of the founders) enjoys malty beer so he was sure to again make this beer a great balance between malt and hop flavors and bitterness.  Definitely not to be confused with the Amber, though.  It only contains Cascades and has about twice the hop bitterness (IBUs).  Always a treat when you have it cask style with extra dry hopping!
• Fancy Lawnmower Beer: OK...so I said two and I put three here.  Consider it a bonus pick!  FLM is a kolsch style which is created in part by fermenting a special ale yeast at lager temperatures.  In this case it yields a very smooth and drinkable beer.  One perfect for quench your thirst on a warm day, possibly right after mowing the lawn.  Plus in Houston it can be really hot about 6-8 months of the year.  Light, refreshing and delicious always hits the spot.

Coming up...a review of another brewery tour I have not been on before.  I live within walking distance so I will be able to taste everything they are willing to serve!