Rating: C Plus

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December 23, 2009

Jolly Pumpkin Noel de Calabaza

Posted by amm002 under Rating: C Plus | Tags: |
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I haven’t formally reviewed anything from Michigan-based Jolly Pumpkin before, which is unfortunate I suppose, as my first one out of the gate isn’t frankly that indicative of a couple other pretty solid offerings I’ve had from them, including Oro de Calabaza (a biere de garde) and La Roja (a wild ale).

I picked this one up at Casanova’s in Hudson. And according to Beer Advocate, Noel de Calabaza is categorized as a Belgian strong dark, which I just don’t get. Like many styles, there’s often a fairly wide degree of latitude in characteristics of aroma and flavor. But when it comes to Belgian strong darks, the general theme across similar stylistic offerings like Chimay Blue, Dogfish Head Raison D’Etre and Unibroue Maudite is a rich malt foundation of caramel, bread and toast accented by a spicy, dark fruit aroma. 

With Jolly Pumpkin’s Christmas seasonal, however, you have to strain to pick up even a hint of these qualities. Instead, whatever malt complexity might actually be there is overshadowed by the two main things this beer does have going on…loads of barnyard funk and an acidic tart flavor, not exactly what I’d call your prototypical Belgian strong dark.

So putting the stylistic shackles aside, was the beer flavorful on its own merits?

They bottle condition the beer, and this one was a bit of a gusher, all kinds of carbonation spewing out of the bottle as I just barely got my glass in place to catch the pour. Color was nice, a deep mahogany with a meringue-like cloud of dense bubbles topping the glass. Brett, brett and more brett in the nose, which I’m a big fan of, laced with an acidic quality. Not much of the dark fruit or sweet candi sugar I’d expect. 

The beer has a fleeting sweetness up front in the taste, which quickly transitions to a potent, dominating lactic sourness. As much as I’ve been getting into sours lately, this one wasn’t really working for me, with not enough nuance or layers of additional flavor there to complement the one-dimensional tartness. Despite the overabundance of carbonation in the initial pour, mouthfeel was surprisingly thin, almost as if the acid took over and cut the texture.        

I really wanted to like this beer. But a lack of malt depth and vinegar-like flavoring make it a tough one for me to recommend.

Rating: C+

 

August 30, 2009

Sunday Sampling at Stubs

Posted by amm002 under Beer Bars/Stores, Rating: A, Rating: A Minus, Rating: B, Rating: B Plus, Rating: C Plus | Tags: , , , , , |
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My time this afternoon tippling a few at Stub & Herb’s, just a stone’s throw from the gleaming new Gopher football stadium on the U of M campus, greatly reinforced my perception that the place is one of the best craft beer bars in the Twin Cities.

DSC02871The saloon was nearly empty when we arrived around noon, save for a few souls in a quiet booth in the back that, unlike most of the state’s populous, didn’t have the Fair on their minds.

Amazing that a college bar — stereotypically filled with macro swill, plastic cups and crates of Red Bull — has such a fantastic draught list, including nearly every Surly offering (Hell and 16 Grit just recently ran out before I got there!), a number of other locals like Lift Bridge, Flat Earth, Summit and Schells, and a dozen other notables from across the country. And it’s not just the stuff on tap…the staff are actually friendly and, get this, knowledgeable about what they’re pouring, a seemingly tall order in most bars around the city. Our bartender Benji offered some nice recommendations, including our lunch fare which included a Surly Bender French Dip, a great sandwich made with beef roasted in the oatmeal brown ale.

I tried a number of beers while we were there, most really hitting the mark.

Great Divide Hercules Double IPA
Probably not a great idea to start my afternoon off with a 9% ABV double IPA, but what the heck, it’s Sunday. A very aromatic IPA, but more on the dank side of the hop spectrum than protoypical, bright West Coast-style DIPA’s like, say, Pliny the Elder. Very bitter taste even for the style, almost a little too much for me. But fairly smooth throughout considering how boozey it is.   

Rating: B+

Lift Bridge Minnesota Tan
I’ve enjoyed nearly everything I’ve tried from Stillwater-based Lift Bridge, including their flagship Farm Girl Saison (I’m actually sipping a snifter as I write this), and their Minnesota Tan, a Belgian triple, was no different. Kind of nice to see a local brewery leading with a couple Belgian styles, but this one has certainly veered from the “traditional” path with an interesting pinkish coloring thanks to the lingonberries they brew with. A bit yeasty in the nose, a bit tart in the taste, leading to a nice sweet finish. Very enjoyable. And at 8.5% ABV, another one that’ll sneak up on you if you allow it.   

Rating A-

Flat Earth Sunburst Apricot Belgian Pale Ale
This is another pretty solid local offering. A light and refreshing aroma of apricot up front, fairly unique (although I think Town Hall has done an apricot wheat before). Taste is relatively similar to their regular Belgian Pale Ale, which is what I’m assuming is the base beer…more of the light tartness from the apricot coupled by some malty sweetness, leading to a dryness in the finish. 

Rating: B

Lagunitas Lil’ Sumpin Sumpin
Wow…this is everything I’ve heard about this beer and then some. It’s classified as an American pale wheat ale, but it screams IPA to me. Actually, very reminiscent in the aroma to Surly Furious, likely some combination of Warrior, Amarillo and Simcoe hops. Also got a little bit of citrus in there, grapefruit or lemon. Taste was not really what I’d expect for a wheat beer…far too much of a sweet and malty backbone, which did help balance the bitterness. You also get some of the honey they apparently use while brewing. Our bartender informed us that when this ran out, they were tapping Lagunitas’ Lil’ Sumpin Extra, a double IPA, which I can only assume builds on the success of this beer. 

Rating: A

Sierra Nevada Tripel
Never had this one before, and was frankly a bit surprised to learn Sierra Nevada has delved into the Belgian brewing tradition (to my knowledge, they’ve done a saison before, but that’s about it). Certainly reminiscent of a nice tripel like Chimay Cinq Cents, but kind of a Chimay “light” quality to it. Some American hops in the nose as well as yeast and clove, but overall a much lighter, more airy characteristic to the aroma (sort of how New Belgium is to Belgian beers). Taste is sweet and alcoholic, a bit dry in the finish. I guess I understand why they haven’t done more Belgians in the past.      

Rating: C+

Dark Horse Too Cream Stout
Ah, Dark Horse…one of my favorite breweries out of the Midwest. This is the last of their holiday stout series that I’ve tried, which also includes One Oatmeal Stout, Tres Blueberry Stout, Fore Smoked Stout and Plead the Fifth Imperial Stout. Loads of deep roasted malt notes in the aroma, along with milk chocolate. Tons of distinctive dark bitterness in the taste, presumably from the black patent malt I’m assuming they use in the grain bill, but expertly balanced by lactose to give it a silky smooth mouthfeel and wonderful overall impression. Probably the best beer I tried all day.

Rating: A

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Dark Horse Too Cream Stout

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Surly mural on the Stub's patio

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Soon-to-be-filled TCF Bank Stadium

 

June 25, 2009

Westmalle Dubbel

Posted by amm002 under Rating: B Minus, Rating: C Plus | Tags: , |
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DSC02310I guess it’s tough for most breweries to bat 1.000. Even if you only make three beers.

I was a little surprised with my experience with Westmalle Dubbel, considering their tripel is generally regarded as the benchmark of the style. In fact, it ranks very high on my Top 20 list. But the dubbel left just a little to be desired, especially when compared to its peer group in the Trappist/Abbey category.

Poured with a rich mahogony coloring and a decent head that hung around for a bit. Aroma was earthy, a pretty balanced mix between caramel and some fruity esters. I get some plum. Solid yeast backbone. Also seemed hoppier, maybe even spicier, than other Trappist dubbels like Chimay Premiere, for example.

While the introduction was pleasant overall, Westmalle Dubbel fell flat on the back end for me. A very dry, very bitter characteristic with not much of the malty sweetness that I look for in a dubbel. Not very complex or interesting. It almost bordered on sour, the furthest thing from rich and creamy. I was a bit surprised by all of this. Also a fairly weak mouthfeel, thin and a bit watery. Again, not what I expected. Didn’t pick up any alcohol in the finish, which was good. But that might be the only redeeming quality to the taste experience.  

I feel like I need to give this one another shot at some point given Westmalle’s reputation. When I look back at my review of their tripel, I wonder if Westmalle just trends to the drier, spicier side of the equation, even in a beer that isn’t generally supposed to take on those qualities. To be fair, it’s better than some dubbels I’ve had, but not nearly what I’d expect from a Trappist brewery of its ilk. Bit of a disappointment.

Rating: B-/C+

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June 12, 2009

Central Waters Glacial Trail IPA and Satin Solstice Imperial Stout

Posted by amm002 under Rating: B Plus, Rating: C Plus | Tags: , |
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A two for one deal today.

I’d never heard about Central Waters Brewing out of Amherst, Wisconsin until my good friend and fellow homebrewer Dariush brought me a couple bottles from a recent trip across the border, their Glacial Trail IPA and Satin Solstice Imperial Stout.

Like a growing number of brewers, both large and small, Central Waters is on the path to environmental sustainability. And from the sounds of it, they recently entered what they call in the energy services business a performance contract. Essentially, all conservation measures associated with improving the brewery facilities such as new fluorescent lighting, upgrades to high-efficiency motors, and heating and cooling improvements are financed by the long-term energy savings the upgrades are guaranteed to bring about. In the case of Central Waters, that’s about $1.5 million in reduced utility costs over the course of the contract (probably 10-15 years).

It’s a great deal for them, since there’s no upfront capital lay out, allowing the brewery to get the work done without cutting into their operating budget, an important consideration for any small business, but especially for a capital-intensive manufacturing company. And the best part…if the brewery doesn’t realize the guaranteed energy savings, their energy services company picks up the shortfall.

This year, they also installed roughly 1,000 square feet of solar collectors, 24 panels in all, allowing them to reduce their natural gas consumption by about 2500 therms a year. In real terms, that’s the equivalent of taking about three cars off the road each year or planting three acres of trees.

But enough about their green practices. How’s the beer?

DSC02193Glacial Trail IPA
Very impressed with the aroma up front. Huge fluffy head full of hop resins, capping what is a very nice looking orange ale. Citrus, pine, floral, in some ways very reminiscent of Oskar Blues Gordon. Lots of hop sediment floating around after the pour from what I’m sure was a healthy dry hop.

Taste is on the sweeter, maltier side balanced by some of the hop bitterness. A little bready, but probably more of the herbal qualities. Finishes strong, with lots of biting hops in the end. Medium body and mouthfeel. A solid IPA, impressed with my first ever beer from these guys.

Rating: B+

Satin Solstice Imperial Stout 
Here’s where the review takes a turn. Satin Solstice poured into a snifter like greased lightning…not the characteristic oozing “glug glug” kind of a pour I’m accustomed to in thick, viscous imperial stouts. For a moment, I really thought I was looking at a brown ale when I saw the relatively light colored beer shooting out of the bottle. That aside, the aroma was pleasing. Molasses, caramel and some vanilla.   

The taste was OK, but a little simplistic. Mainly an overabundance of bitter, roasted malt, and not enough of the Crystal malt sweetness or chocolate notes I’d look for. The booze pushed through at the end, which didn’t come off as well as it might in some other imperial stouts given the one-dimensional nature of the flavor. Mouthfeel was also a little watery and thin, as evidenced by the pour. Overall, not a disaster, but not the kind of complexity and bold richness I look for in an imperial stout.  

Rating: C+

And as is the case with all my bottled beers, Central Waters would be glad to know I plan to reuse the empties for my homebrew. Little guys can be sustainable too.

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April 8, 2009

Grain Belt Premium

Posted by amm002 under Rating: C Plus | Tags: , |
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dsc01916Only 79 more home games until the Minnesota Twins vacate the Big Inflatable Toilet and head west to Target Field. I can’t wait for opening day next year. Hopefully we’ll be lucky enough to get tickets. But either way, it’s going to be a big change of pace for baseball fans in this state, as well as the downtown scene.

As much as I despise the uncomfortable blue plastic seats, horrifically bad food, and weirdly insulated and artificial atmosphere that makes you feel at times like you’re in a tent (well, in a way you are), some of my most memorable moments growing up as a kid are from the Metrodome. Snapper Mow-Em Down innings…Frankie Sweet Music Viola…Puckett’s catch in Game 6 of the ’91 Series…the wind tunnel leaving the game…and of course in 1987 when Mark Salas refused to give me an autograph as I begged and pleaded at the metal rail near the Twins’ bullpen. “Come back when the game is over kid.” I faithfully abided, only to find a pile of chewed up sunflower seeds where my favorite catcher once sat. I never did forgive Mark Salas for snubbing me that day. But karma is a bitch, as he was soon after traded to the Yankees that season, only to miss out on what would become the greatest World Series run in baseball history. Instead of a champion’s ring, the Twins organization gave Mark a crappy watch. Served him right. I hope it was a Swatch.  

During game two of the Seattle series last night (which ended in a fantastic and dramatic fashion with the Twins edging out the Mariners in a 9th inning rally), I weighed out my options of macro lagers at the concession stand, which as expected weren’t great. But, one shining ray of hope appeared on the horizon as I spotted a small red tap handle down the row of macro madness. Small script lettering adorned its side…Grain Belt Premium, or “Premo” as it’s known around these parts. August Schell Brewing in New Ulm actually makes this beer now after the brand changed hands multiple times throughout its long and storied history in the state. Grain Belt Premium, different than its predecessor Grain Belt, was developed in 1947 to cater to the changing tastes of the American demographic that were more interested in lighter tasting beers. So in many ways, it could be considered a forerunner to our now ubiquitous American adjunct light lagers. But to call Premium a macro wouldn’t be entirely accurate, given its limited distribution in the Upper Midwest. 

From a taste and aroma perspective, it’s not too dissimilar from Miller Genuine Draft or Budweiser. Sweet nose of grain and corn. No real hops to speak of, especially compared to triple-hops brewed Miller Lite, but if you really concentrate you get a fleeting sense of them. Taste is pretty smooth, more of the corn characteristic. Pretty highly carbonated giving it a full mouthfeel. I’m pretty sure the Metrodome version of this is your run-of-the-mill 3.2% ABV beer, but it normally comes in bottles at 4.6% ABV.  

I actually enjoy drinking this beer, partly because it’s locally brewed but also because it really isn’t that bad, all things considered. For the style of beer, I’d say it’s one of the better examples you’re going to run across. My buddy even enjoyed Premo so much after a handful of samplings that he felt inclined to sing Journey’s Greatest Hits into his mustard-covered bratwurst during the seventh inning stretch. Yet another Metrodome memory.

Rating: C+

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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: , , , , , , , , |
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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.

 

November 19, 2008

Maredsous 8

Posted by amm002 under Rating: C Plus | Tags: |
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dsc00855Warning…drink Maredsous 8 at or near room temperature. When highly chilled, it’s possibly an “F” quality beer.

I almost totally disregarded this Dubbel out of hand. I pulled it out of the fridge, and struggled to get the cork out of the bottle (I resorted to mechanical means and used a pliers to pry it out). After a loud POP, I poured into a snifter, took a pull, and nearly dumped it right into the sink. The 8% ABV was all that I tasted. Nearly undrinkable. No earthy prunes. No candi sugar. No yeasty goodness. Just pure booze.       

But, cooler heads prevailed. And I decided to let it sit for 20 minutes and warm up. I’m glad I did, because its Dubbel characteristics started coming through. 

Re-poured with a nice strong two-fingered head. Cloudy, dark red clay coloring. Decent enough aroma. Some of the usual dark fruit, raisin-like qualities. But a little shallow in the nose, not that complex or interesting.   

Likewise, even after warmed up, still not the kind of strong, dark fruit flavor I was looking for. In fact, the alcohol still comes through pretty heavily. Gives it a medicinal, solvent quality. Not my favorite. Booziness aside, the high levels of carbonation add a prickliness to this beer that I think hide what might be going on in the malt profile. Consequently, I thought it tasted like a watered down version of Chimay Red…I’d call it Chimay Light. 

Gets high marks on Beer Advocate, but I didn’t get it. Somewhat drinkable, but fairly unimpressive. It pains me to give a low mark to what many consider a great beer. Especially one brewed by Duvel, makers of what many consider THE standard for what a Belgian Strong Pale Ale should be. But I gotta do it.

Rating: C+

 

November 11, 2008

Sam Adams Cherry Wheat

Posted by amm002 under Rating: C Plus | Tags: , |
1 Comment 

dsc00814I’m not typically a big fan of wheat beers, and even more skeptical of beers that tout fruit in their name. But I decided to give Sam Adams Cherry Wheat a try the other night. And I actually kind of liked it. But part of that could be that I drank it directly after the aforementioned Landshark.

Poured with a reddish amber hue, not much in the way of head. Not sure if they use real cherries in the brewing process (I highly doubt it, but the label hints at it…probably more like “real” cherry extract or syrup), but it has a pleasant fruit aroma.

The taste is definitely cherry, mixed with a subtle wheat maltiness to it. I don’t think the cherry thing is necessarily overdone. But I also couldn’t drink a bunch of these, as I’m sure it would get pretty cloying rather quickly. This beer gets beaten up pretty well on Beer Advocate, but overall I think it’s a decent enough beer (for what it is).

Rating: C+

 

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