Rating: B Plus

Archived Posts from this Category

March 13, 2009

Stone Sublimely Self-Righteous Ale

Posted by amm002 under Rating: B Plus | Tags: |
Leave a Comment 

dsc01698So I’ve been a little lax on my frequency of beer reviews lately.

Part of it is the fact that I have a ton of my own homebrew on tap that I’ve been enjoying. I went through a real prolific period this last fall, and consequently have numerous cases laying around. The other factor is the mental paralysis that sets in every time I walk into my beer cellar and am confronted with the overwhelming number of commercial offerings I have at my disposal. It sounds counterintuitive, but I’ve slowly acquired so many great beers that I don’t know where to start sometimes. My wife has compared me to a Depression-era hoarder when it comes to my beer collection habits. Not sure what it is, but every time I hear about a new beer coming out, or happen upon one I haven’t tried before, my prefrontal cortex melts down and all reason escapes me. I just have to have it. Even if I don’t drink it for a couple years, I at least feel better knowing it’s in my rotation.    

When Stone Sublimely Self-Righteous hit the market a while ago, I knew it was going to be one of those magical beers for me. We unfortunately aren’t privy to Stone in the Twin Cities (yet), so most of their stuff I’ve had has been thanks to a handful of my beer trading buddies on the coasts. However, our cheese loving neighbor to the east does get Stone, so on occasion I’ve taken a trip to Hudson to stock up on whatever I can find.

Sublimely Self-Righteous is actually a reincarnation of Stone’s 11th Anniversary Ale. They apparently liked this American strong ale so much when they initially brewed it, they decided to bring it back year-round. And I’m glad they did. It’s an elegant, yet surprisingly contradictory beer, all in one.   

Pours with a very deep mahogany body and two finger khaki head. From first glance, one might assume aromas of rich caramel, possibly some chocolate. But Sublimely Self-Righteous hits you with a wallop of pure hoppiness, akin to a DIPA like Pliny the Elder. Huge floral notes, citrus and strong pine, possibly from Simcoe hops, with none of the anticipated roasted malt. I guarantee most folks, if blind-folded and asked to place the beer on smell alone, would never think they were drinking an ale that presented itself like this. A very interesting dichotomy.

Taste is even more perplexing. Again, the hoppy bitterness inundates the senses to the point where you start wondering if they simply added dark food coloring to a simple IPA brewed on straight 2-row. Decent carbonation and mouthfeel, yet really none of the maltiness. The 8.75% ABV does get in the way a bit, mixing with the hops to lend a somewhat astringent character in the finish. 

As a homebrewer, I’m very impressed (and honestly a little curious) at how Stone pulled this one off. I enjoyed it, but could have been better if the hops were balanced with some sweetness. Then again, I might just be suffering from unmet expectations based on the initial appearance.      

Rating: B+

 

March 5, 2009

Second First Tuesday

Posted by amm002 under Beer Events, Rating: A, Rating: B Minus, Rating: B Plus | Tags: , , |
[9] Comments 

The inaugural First Tuesday Beer Club meeting last month at Acadia went so well, we decided to do it again.

For the March gathering, our ragtag ensemble of fellow craft beer appreciators descended upon the Muddy Pig in St. Paul, a great neighborhood watering hole that has been host to several of my more memorable drinking excursions of late.

Unlike the first go-round, I decided to take it a little easier considering I was 1) driving, and 2) had a busy work day ahead of me on Wednesday. So I kept it to a handful of craft beers, one local and a couple from the coasts. Here’s the rundown:

Lift Bridge Farm Girl Saison
I’ve been remiss in not trying this one yet, the flagship offering from our very own Lift Bridge Brewery in Stillwater (contract brewed by Flat Earth, I believe). For a Belgian saison, this one was very unique…at first blush I wasn’t sure if I’d mistakenly been served a tall glass of opaque orange juice, as it looked nothing like most other saisons I’ve had (or brewed myself). Tons of suspended yeast, almost like a hefeweizen. It smelled fantastic. Aggressively yeast-forward with a nice layering of cloves, light esters and a distinct horse blanket quality (did they use Brett?). Taste was bready and light, but not effervescent which I look forward to in this style. Carbonation a bit lacking, giving it a rather flat and watery mouthfeel. But overall, a pretty decent beer and one that I’d definitely try again. Look forward to some more offerings from these guys.

Rating: B+    

Eel River Triple Exultation
If Lift Bridge’s saison was my warm-up appetizer into the evening, tipping back a glass of Triple Exultation from Eel River in California was like skipping the main course and heading right for the dessert tray. Very nice amber coloring in the pour with only the slightest film of bubbles skimming the top of this Old Ale. A candy sweet aroma hits you right away, hinting at toffee, dark fruits and maybe even sherry. The taste was just like the nose, bordering on cloying in its malty, chewy sweetness. At nearly 10% ABV, it’s a hefty beer, and in combination with its nearly overpowering sugaryness, one that I was glad to share with a couple other friends at the table.  

Rating: B-     

Southern Tier Oak-Aged Cuvee Series Two
Mmm…now this is a nice beer. My love of all things casked has been long documented (most recently with my brewing of the port barrel-aged Belgian Brown Ale), so when I saw Southern Tier’s Oak-Aged Cuvee Series Two on the beer list, I had to order. Served in a snifter with a beautiful ruby red coloring and thin, khaki head. The nose was pure oaky goodness with a nice interplay of vanilla and dark fruits. Not sure where they get their casks, but they certainly could have been bourbon barrels. Taste was fantastic, with more of the oaked flavoring permeating throughout. Really reminded me in a big way of Allagash Curieux, minus the Belgian qualities. Mouthfeel and drinkability were great. And I didn’t even mind the slight heat from the 11% ABV that started creeping up on the back of my throat with each small sip. I have a bottle of this in my beer cellar, and I’m very excited to try this in another year or two.

Rating: A  

 

February 10, 2009

Home Brew Review: The Captain’s Summit Winter Ale Clone

Posted by amm002 under Home Brewing, Rating: B Plus | Tags: |
[6] Comments 

My first homebrew contest is in the books. And while I didn’t win (or even place in my categories), I’d have to say, I’m pretty pleased with the results.

I entered my Summit Winter Ale clone into the Upper Mississippi Mashout with the sole intention of gaining some real honest feedback from trained BJCP judges. Brewing beer is an ongoing journey of refinement and process improvement. And I feel that objective feedback is going to play an important role in my education and ability to maximize the quality of my beers in the long run. So from that perspective, while I didn’t get any recognition (and didn’t anticipate getting any), I feel like I came out with some very valuable insight and knowledge I probably wouldn’t get otherwise.

I placed my beer in both the “New Entrant” and “Scotch Ale” categories, and across the board, received scorings that put my beer in the “Very Good” spectrum. Which is great, and frankly better than I expected given this was the first contest I’d entered. Some general comments included: 

  • “Balanced with a dry finish, malt forward but not caramel or butterscotch.”
  • “Good body, warming, dry finish.”
  • “Dark brown in color with good clarity, moderate tan head that persists. Creamy texture.”
  • “This is a good example of a Scottish 80. Nice malt complexity.”

Very kind remarks. But what really impressed me most was how consistent the ratings and comments were, both good and not so good, across all four judges. More impressive considering these tastings were done independently of each other. It wasn’t like they were sitting around a table conferring notes. This indicated to me these folks really knew what they were doing, strengthening the credibility of the judging and giving me a very fair and objective indication of areas I may need to improve on.

The main stylistic flaw they all saw was that the beer was a little on the boozy side, which I would absolutely agree with. This one came in at about 7% ABV, which in the Scottish Ale category is certainly on the high end. I attribute this to the high fermentation temperature (this one hovered just above 70 degrees in the primary), causing the yeast to be a little more active and efficient than usual. Also, while the beer presented some mild to moderate caramel notes, a few of the judges felt I may have used a bit too much chocolate malt or black patent in the grain bill as it came off to some as “scorched”. Fair enough, and looking back at the grain bill I can already see areas where I might back off a little on the darker malt next time I brew to help give it more of that copper coloring as opposed to dark chocolate.

So now that I know what the judges thought, what was my take?

I think as a winter warmer (which Summit Winter Ale technically is) this beer is pretty darn good. As a Scotch Ale, I think it falls down a little stylistically, but it was the only category I felt the beer reasonably fit into. Pours a very dark chocolately brown with a big tan head, providing a moderate roasty aroma with little to no hops. Pretty inviting. Good clarity overall, even with the darker coloring. Taste is nice and smooth. I definitely get some of the Crystal malt I used, which lends a mild sweetness combined with a decent roasted flavor from the black patent. Not too strong like coffee, but maybe dark and bitter chocolate. Dry finish.

Rating: B+

 

February 4, 2009

First Tuesday Beer Club

Posted by amm002 under Beer Events, Rating: A, Rating: A Minus, Rating: B, Rating: B Plus, Rating: C Plus | Tags: , , , , , , , , |
[8] Comments 

I felt a little like we crashed the study party when a handful of us walked into Acadia Cafe on the West Bank of the U of M campus last night for our inaugural First Tuesday Beer Club meeting. Undergrads seated around pub tables with open books spread about, quiet conversations about the day’s lecture. A relaxed and scholarly environment mixed with the faint smell of hops and quality craft beer.

Calling our rendezvous a “meeting” might be a little formal. The small group was really a spin-off from a larger wine tasting circle, consisting of seven guys who realized that they all maybe enjoyed drinking and talking about beer slightly more than they do wine (maybe I’m just speaking for myself). After our last wine event, we decided to meet up at Acadia to test drive a few of their offerings, informally calling our gathering the First Tuesday Beer Club. But unlike the more rigid and structured wine events where scoring and extensive tabulations took place, we were just going to drink good quality craft beer and nod our heads in approval when we liked something. Maybe a few grunts mixed in for good measure.

We started the night with Surly Mild. I’d actually never seen this one on tap before, and was very eager to give it a shot. The menu described it as an English-style dark mild ale that resembled a malty version of iced tea. And that really wasn’t too far off. Given it was Surly, I was very surprised at just how little was really going on with this one. Barely noticeable aroma (save for the small hint of toffee), relatively nondescript taste, and thin mouthfeel. What immediately came to mind after taking a few sips of Mild was “session beer.” At 4.2% ABV, there’s no way anyone was going to have four or five or twelve of these and be in any danger of stumbling home. While this is probably a good stylistic example of a lighter English-style ale, it’s definitely the least favorite Surly offering I’ve had (Rating: C+).

The rest of the night went something like this:

Southern Tier Gemini Double IPA (far and away the crowd favorite – Rating: A-)
Rogue Yellow Snow IPA (so-so, pretty drinkable but compared to Gemini a little lower on the IPA scale – Rating: B)
Anchor Bock (very good…I’m not a big lager guy so I was pleasantly surprised – Rating: B+)
North Coast Old Rasputin (I’d had this in the bottle before, and was even more impressed with it on draught – Rating: A)
Saison Dupont Organic Farmhouse Ale (ick…something medicinal and uninviting about this one – Rating: C+)
Bell’s Sparkling Tripel 2007 (solid example of a Belgian tripel…yeasty up front with a nice, sweet finish – Rating: B+)
Bell’s Cherry Stout (enjoyable, nice way to cap off the night – Rating: B)

We each had our share, and ponied up the $8 per guy to settle the tab (seriously…I think they must have forgotten to put a couple pitchers on the bill). Next stop on the First Tuesday beer tour…The Muddy Pig. See everyone there.

 

January 26, 2009

Dark Horse Reserve Special Black Bier

Posted by amm002 under Rating: B Plus | Tags: |
[9] Comments 

dsc01550I’m the guy that shows up at a Chilean wine tasting and asks about the beer selection.

Well, to be fair, Dark Horse Reserve Special Black Bier was offered to me moments after I walked in the front door of my friends’ home who happened to be hosting said wine event the other night. So, I of course partook in this very nice American Strong Ale before I dove into about a dozen Chilean reds including malbecs, cabernet sauvignons and merlots. No better way to screw up your palette for wine than with a rich and flavorful ale.  

I’d heard of Dark Horse out of Michigan, but had never tried any of their offerings to this point. The fact that this is categorized as an American Strong Ale struck me as a bit odd, as it came off much more like a porter to me. But I guess that designation is kind of a catch-all for any beer over 7% ABV. And this one qualifies coming in at 7.5%.

Really nice and rich dark coloring poured into a wine glass. Aroma is that of coffee, roasted malt and chocolate. Not much in the way of hops. Relatively thin mouthfeel, but a nice molasses flavor, followed by a somewhat bitter finish. Overall, pretty drinkable. I’d definitely try more of their stuff if it’s in the same quality realm as this one. By far the best thing I imbibed that night, aside from possibly the Montes Malbec 2007.

Rating: B+

 

January 2, 2009

Christmas with DFH, Sam and Alpine

Posted by amm002 under Rating: B, Rating: B Plus | Tags: , , |
[2] Comments 

dsc01019Better late than never.

Over the Christmas holiday, I sampled several unique craft beers, including Dogfish Head Theobroma, Sam Adams Chocolate Bock and Alpine Boris Imperial Stout. All very different in their own ways, but all respectable in quality and flavor. I figured I’d pull the reviews together in one round-up to help with my backlog of posts I need to get out on stuff I’ve been enjoying recently.

First up is DFH Theobroma. For those that aren’t already aware of the backstory on this one (Discovery Channel recently chronicled DFH Theobroma on their “How It’s Made” show focusing on beer), here’s what the DFH website has to say: 

“This beer is based on chemical analysis of pottery fragments found in Honduras which revealed the earliest known alcoholic chocolate drink used by early civilizations to toast special occasions.  The discovery of this beverage pushed back the earliest use of cocoa for human consumption more than 500 years to 1200 BC.  As per the analysis, Dogfish Head’s Theobroma (translated into ‘food of the gods’) is brewed with Aztec cocoa powder and cocoa nibs (from our friends at Askinosie Chocolate), honey, chilies, and annatto (fragrant tree seeds).”

Beer Advocate classifies this as a chile beer, although there’s a hell of a lot more than just chile going on here. Knowing this is a cocoa-based beverage, I expected it to be chocolatey and creamy, but this wasn’t at all the case. Initial aroma was something like grape soda. Very strange. The longer you lingered on the aroma, you eventually picked up some of the cocoa qualities, but it’s pretty faint. Coloring was something like an IPA, again not at all what I expected. The taste was relatively sweet, and the chile did come through in the finish, giving the back of your throat a hot sensation. Then again, that could be from the 10% ABV. Very heavy mouthfeel with lots of prickly carbonation, reminiscent of a strong, hefty lager, even though this is an ale. Overall impression…a very innovative beer with an interesting story, but not something I’d enjoy drinking all the time.

Rating: B   

dsc010222Next up is this year’s iteration of Sam Adam’s Chocolate Bock. First off, very cool bottle. Helps set up the expectation that what you’ll be drinking is on the high end of the Sam Adams artisan spectrum. And while Theobroma is representative of an ancient culture’s use of cocoa, this one is much more what today’s palette would expect with a chocolate-infused fermented beverage.

Poured with a nice fluffy head, giving way to a toasty, caramel malt aroma. Somehow the hops found a way to break through the malty clutter, coming through just a bit in the nose as well. Very dark coloring, like a heavy stout. But looks are deceiving. The mouthfeel is actually light and smooth, with pleasant notes of chocolate malt, caramel and butterscotch throughout the taste.

At 5.6% ABV, Sam Adams Chocolate Bock 2008 turned out to be a nice, refreshing lager.

Rating: B+ 

dsc010241And finally, Alpine Boris. I picked this one up from South Bay Drugs in San Diego, hearing decent things about this Imperial Stout that’s been barrel-aged and infused with coffee.

Poured with a small head that quickly dissipated. Very dark and opaque. Definitely picked up the barrel-aged qualities in the nose. Hints of bourbon or whiskey, mixed with dark fruit maltiness. Maybe vanilla.

Unlike some other Imperial Stouts I’ve enjoyed (like Surly Darkness or Oskar Blues Ten Fidy), there was a distinct astringent quality to this one. Pretty bitter, but I think by design. Could be from the coffee, I suppose. That aside, some nice dark fruits and roasted malts permeate the taste, masking the 10% ABV. Overall, a pretty decent Imperial Stout, but certainly not world-class.

Rating: B+

 

November 30, 2008

A Night at The Muddy Pig

Posted by amm002 under Rating: A, Rating: A Minus, Rating: B Plus | Tags: , , |
1 Comment 

dsc00880I got the call about 11 p.m.

“Hey, what are you doing? Come on over to the Pig and join us for a couple beers.”

I love those kind of nights. Spontaneous, unexpected, and sure to involve some really interesting beers.

I trekked over to St. Paul, and walked in to a sparsely-filled bar. A few pockets of late night drinkers stationed about the room, quiet conversations, and an idle bartender working through the day’s crossword puzzle. The kind of mood you’d expect on a weekday night.

I spotted my three friends in the back, and by the multitude of empty glasses, snifters and chalices on the wooden table I knew they’d already lit into some good stuff throughout the evening. I sat down, and was offered the last few sips of Cantillon Kriek, a lambic that puckered my mouth with its cherry tartness. Pretty good, but not what I was in the mood for.

I perused the formidable beer menu, scanning the fantastic list of Belgians and other craft beers the Muddy Pig is known for offering. After some discussion, we decided to order North Coast’s Le Merle, a Belgian saison, and Gouden Carolus Hopsinjoor, a Belgian IPA.

Le Merle sparked some heated discussion and debate at the table. All of us were very familiar with the style, but were coming at it from different perspectives. Admittedly, I was caught up in comparing it to Ommegang Hennepin or Boulevard’s Smokestack Series, two of the best saisons I’ve ever enjoyed (and not made in Belgium!). But Le Merle was a very different kind of ale. Starts off like most saisons with a yeasty, musty farmhouse quality. But unlike my definition of what makes a good saison, finished too dry, almost like champagne with its highly carbonated puckering. I get that saisons are crisp, refreshing and often sour. But this was something different. This is where we spent most of our time debating the merits of Le Merle, and after it was all said and done, I was convinced that it was in fact a very good saison. One that has expanded my horizons a bit, even if it wasn’t sweet enough for my taste.

Rating: B+

dsc00889Next up was Gouden Carolus Hopsinjoor. When one thinks IPA, at least here in the U.S., your mind automatically wanders to everything BIG…huge floral hops, overpowering citrus and lasting bitterness. Hopsinjoor was much more reserved, a very different interpretation of the style. And I really liked it. You get the standard yeasty Belgian aroma up front, with some nice fruit and hops peppered in. This is what I’d call a “sophisticated” IPA with its measured balance of sweet malt and delicate use of hops. In some ways, reminded me of Poperings Hommel Bier, another fantastic Belgian IPA that I enjoyed at the Muddy Pig’s Belgian Beer Festival held earlier this year.

Rating: A-

dsc00892To cap off the night, we decided to order Deus from Brouwerij Bosteels, one of the most unique Belgians I’ve had the pleasure of trying. Deus is a Biere de Champagne, according to Beer Advocate one of the newest Belgian styles that is quickly gaining popularity as a cross-over teetering between a traditional champagne (undergoing “remuage” and “degorgement” where yeast is extracted from the fermented beer) and more traditional Belgian styles such as a saison or tripel.

Highly carbonated, poured with a beautiful puffy white cloud head. Lacked a real strong yeast character in the nose, but there was some there. Fantastic floral notes, smells like a midsummer flower or herb garden. Tasted very much like a tart apple with pepper and other spices mixed in, that typical “barnyard” or funky quality experienced in many saisons. Finishes very dry, like a champagne, with a surprising bit of lingering sweetness. Quite an interesting beer. I’d like to get my hands on some other examples of this style.

Rating: A

 

November 20, 2008

Minneapolis Town Hall Hope & King Scotch Ale

Posted by amm002 under Beer Bars/Stores, Rating: B Plus | Tags: |
[4] Comments 

dsc008541I’m repeatedly impressed with the beer every time I visit Minneapolis Town Hall Brewery.

The brewpub itself sits in a surprisingly well-cloaked building, perched on the corner of an oddly configured intersection near the West Bank of the U of M campus, referred to by locals as “Seven Corners.” Each time I’ve been there, I’ve been faked out by the front windows of the place thinking I’ll find the entrance, when in reality the smallish metal front door is tucked around the side of the building near the patio. But that’s fine by me, as it probably keeps out some of the non-beer-appreciating riff raff.

The pub opened in 1997, and ever since has been brewing up award-winning beers, including their legendary Masala Mama IPA. After being completely enveloped and sidetracked by Masala Mama on one of my recent visits, I decided to purchase a growler of their Hope & King Scotch Ale for home inspection, winner of the 2002 Bronze Medal in the scotch ale category at the Great American Beer Festival. I haven’t had many scotch ales, so I was a little unsure of what to expect. 

Poured with a small khaki head and deep reddish brown coloring. Just about zero in the way of hop aroma. They clearly want to emphasize the very complex malt profile. And there’s several layers to the malty flavor. Caramel sort of dominates the taste, followed by a small bit of smokiness, maybe from black patent malt. I also wonder if they use just a little bit of flaked oats in this recipe, because I get a faint hint in the aftertaste that lends a smooth and creamy mouthfeel. It’s 6% ABV, so nothing too crazy there. From what I gather, it might be on the weak side stylistically.

Overall, a pretty interesting and enjoyable beer.

Rating: B+

 

October 18, 2008

Stone 12th Anniversary Bitter Chocolate Oatmeal Stout

Posted by amm002 under Rating: B Plus | Tags: |
[2] Comments 

My buddy Dave over at The Drunken Polack just reviewed this one, so I’m piggybacking on his comments. We’re in pretty consistent agreement on this one.

Poured from a 650 ml bottle with not much head. What was there was very dark khaki. Lightly carbonated. This beer smells very nice. Very malty, with lots of cocoa and bitter chocolate that comes through heavily. It’s what I’d expect from a cross between an oatmeal and Imperial stout, as described by Stone. The oatmeal gives it a nice and creamy mouthfeel. The heavy malt is balanced with a hoppy bitterness, Galena or Ahtanum, perhaps? As Dave describes, this stout is “different.” The bitter chocolate combined with the slight hint of hops makes this a pretty unique beer. Not one I’d look for on a regular basis. But on a cold, Minnesota winter evening, I’d take it any day of the week.

Rating: B+

 

October 17, 2008

Home Brew Review: Spider IPA (aka Simcoe Slam)

Posted by amm002 under Home Brewing, Rating: B Plus | Tags: |
[5] Comments 

OK folks, my second review of my own beer. After making several dozen batches of beer over the past few years, I feel like I’m getting better at this whole home brewing thing. First I started with extracts, because it was much easier than all-grain and it taught me the basic thought process in making beer. Then I invested a little in getting a small all-grain brewery together, and started making some beers out in the garage. And I’m talking small…some guys I know have put alot of time and effort into making some seriously cool three-tier gravity brewing systems (sometimes using welded supports or wooden foundations constructed with the skill of a fine craftsman), complete with Hurricane propane burners and 15 gallon kegs. I’ve successfully completed alot of carpentry and remodeling work around my house, but I wish I had that kind of talent. I’m using what’s more like the poor man’s version of what might be considered a sophisticated home brew set-up. What George Costanza is to George Clooney. Or Pauly Shore to Paul Newman.

I’ve kept it pretty simple…a single 5 gallon Rubbermaid insulated water cooler converted into a mash tun with a ball valve, some high temperature hose, and two 7.5 gallon stainless steel kettles. One serves as the hot liquor tank, the other as the boiling kettle. That’s about it. I’m also not using any kind of in-line counterflow chiller with pumps, but just your average copper immersion chiller. It seems to cool things down just fine. Overall, I rely on my knowledge of ingredients, beer styles, chemistry/physics of home brewing, and good sanitation practices to get me by. It’s alot of research, and alot of reading in my spare time. But it’s worked so far.

So what about this Spider IPA. Well, it’s friggin’ hoppy. But, by design. As I mentioned before, I used 2-row, crystal, lots of Cascade and even more Simcoe. And Simcoe is definitely what you get. You really, really have to like IPAs to get into this one. I can already see my friends’ faces as they drink this one. “Oh man, did you screw this one up? It’s soooo bitter. Wow!” No my macro drinking friend, Spider IPA is exactly what I intended. A knock-your-teeth-out hop bomb that takes the cliche “grapefruit” description to a new level. If I entered this in a homebrew contest, I would surely lose. Because it’s so lopsided. The aroma is pure hop cone. The malt is nearly unrecognizable. I probably should have added a little more crystal to sweeten it up, but I can take that into consideration on the next one. For now, I’m going to enjoy sucking on this pine nut of a beer. After all, I have a malty sweet oatmeal coffee stout waiting for me in the wings to level everything out.

I’m digging it.

Rating: B+

 

« Previous Page — Next Page »

Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 28 other followers