Coborn's Tasting - December 23rd

Thanks to the flu I had at the end of last week, I fell behind on posting about my upcoming holiday beer tasting. Now it's only 2 days away and I'm just getting to it. Oh well. Better late than never, right?

This Thursday, December 23rd I will be pouring samples of these brews at the Hastings Coborn's Liquor:

• Bell's Christmas Ale
• Bell's Winter White Ale
• Big Sky Powder Hound
• Great Lakes Christmas Ale
• Schell's Snowstorm
• Summit Unchained Batch 05: Imperial Pumpkin Porter

The tasting will run from 4:30 - 8:30pm, so come and visit us! This is a good opportunity to get out and taste some winter/holiday beer so you can pick one or two for your holiday celebrations. I'll also be happy to assist you in choosing any other brews you might want to take home and try. (And I can even help you make any potential beer gift decisions.) Stop by, it should be a fun tasting!

Great Waters Beer Dinner

Early this week, my wife and I attended a beer dinner at Great Waters along with our friend Kurt. The kitchen staff did a spectacular job with the food! It was a lovely meal that had a different beer paired with each of the 5 courses:

• Sweet potato and coconut soup with spicy relish - paired with Golden Prairie Blond Ale
• Grilled queso fresco with onion and tomato salad in a honey lemon vinaigrette - paired with Sans Pantalons Ale
• Grilled tomato risotto with ham and andouille sausage stuffed calamari - paired with St. Peter Pale Ale
• Rack of lamb in plum sauce with mashed potatoes and sauteed vegetables - paired with The Fredrick
• Pumpkin cranberry cake with cinnamon ice cream topped with candied bacon - paired with French oak aged Blackwatch Oat Stout

First, I want to note a few things about the food:

• I'm not normally a fan of sweet potatoes, but wow, that soup was delicious. It was smooth, creamy and the relish was an awesome finishing touch. My wife loved it so much I think she was tempted to lick the bowl clean...
• I've never had a salad like this one. The large cubes of queso fresco and cherry tomatoes were grilled perfectly. The onions were mild, sweet and very tender. Add the greens and vinaigrette, and it's all over.
• Let me say this; I LOVE RISOTTO! This was no exception. The stuffed calamari looked like little sausages with the squid serving as the casing. Very good, especially with the spicy sauce drizzled over it. It was almost too zippy for my wife, but it was perfect for me!
• I've found that lamb puzzles me. Sometimes I like it, but I usually prefer some other type of meat. Not the case here. It was almost unbelievably tasty! If lamb was always prepared like this, I'd never turn it down.
• The cake and ice cream were heavenly. Candied bacon? I wasn't sure what to expect, but I've officially decided I would really enjoy it with any dessert. Sweet and salty. Yum.

The beer was great as always, and it was paired perfectly with the food. In case you were wondering; the Sans Pantalons was an Ardennes-style Belgian ale and The Fredrick was a dunkelweizen. To me, the most amazing beer of the evening was the French oak aged Blackwatch. Bob put a spiral oak core into a keg with some Blackwatch and let it sit for 4 months. The taste difference from regular Blackwatch was immediately noticeable. It had a wonderful vanilla oak character that paired beautifully with dessert. Impressive.

Owner Sean O'Byrne and head brewer Bob DuVernois were there to participate in the presentation of the dinner and answer questions. We were actually lucky enough to have Bob sit right next to us! We had a fun conversation with him that carried through the dinner. Thanks Bob and thanks Great Waters! I would love to enjoy more evenings like this.

Coborn's Tasting on December 11th

It's time for another beer tasting at the Hastings Coborn's Liquor. Stop by the store on Saturday, December 11th to try some winter/holiday brews:

Bell's Winter White Ale

Bell's Christmas Ale

Schell's Snowstorm 2010 - Weizen Doppelbock

Big Sky Powder Hound



(Sorry, I couldn't easily find a pic for this one. Imagine a short brown bottle with a Summit Unchained label...)
Summit Unchained Series Batch 05 - Imperial Pumpkin Porter

Great Lakes Nosferatu

I'll be pouring samples from 3-7pm, so come have a taste and talk beer with me!

Return From Colorado

Yep, you read the post title correctly. My family and I just recently returned from visiting some good friends in Colorado. What a great trip! Getting a chance to see old friends and the opportunity to catch up with them was awesome. Another nice thing (for me) was this - our trip to this particular area meant an added bonus: breweries.

Our friends live in Loveland, which means there are many beer-making establishments within an hour drive time of their place. Last time we went to visit them, we hit the Fort Collins trifecta: The Fort Collins Brewery, New Belgium, and Odell. It was a great experience that stuck in my head and fed my desire to see more of the area's breweries during our next visit. For this trip, I picked Left Hand and Oskar Blues in Longmont and Avery in Boulder.

Saturday was designated "brewery day." Because we had all our kids, only the husbands would go. (Don't worry, the wives had their fun on Sunday.) We came up with a plan to check out Left Hand first, drive to Boulder for Avery, and stop at Oskar Blues on our return to Loveland. Our thoughts were that this course would nicely spread out our drive time and allow us to catch 2 of the actual brewery tours (the Left Hand and Avery tours started at the same time, so I had to choose Avery). This plan changed throughout the course of the day...

Our visit to Left Hand was very pleasant. We arrived right as they were opening the tasting room and were greeted by some energetic, friendly hosts. The bar and tabletops were made of cold rough stone, but the place definitely felt warm and inviting. We each chose to purchase their $4 taster deal, which allowed us to pick 4 of their beers to sample in small snifter glasses. I went with 400 Pound Monkey, cask Black Jack Porter, Fade to Black Volume 2, and their Imperial Stout. All the brews were tasty, and we sipped them as we chatted. My favorite of the 4 was the Fade to Black Volume 2, which is a smoked Baltic Porter. After finishing our samples, we left for the next stop on our journey.

Ah, Avery. I've known for a while now that this brewery would be one I had to visit if and when I made it back to Colorado. We arrived a half-hour before the scheduled tour time of 2pm, so we put our names on the tour sign-up sheet and each ordered a beer while we waited. I started off with a Jerry's Roggenbier and was quite pleased.

When it came time for our tour to begin, we each grabbed a traveler and headed outside to meet our guide. Phil Vaughn, our Avery expert, took us through the tour and gave us some insight into the operations of the brewery. The tour didn't cover much physical ground, but my favorite place in the brewery was the barrel-aging room. This is where brewing science gets left behind and beer art comes into play. I also must say that I've never had a brewery tour guide as knowledgeable as Phil. He knew all the details, even the ones a beer geek like me is interested in.

After the tour was complete, we checked the time and thought we should maybe consider leaving for Oskar Blues. There was one more beer that I had to try, though. It's draught only, and can only be found in a couple other Colorado bars besides the brewery's tap room. I ordered a taster of the beer called Rumpkin and sat down for a spectacular taste experience. Rumpkin is a dry-spiced pumpkin ale aged in Gosling's rum barrels for 6 months. The sign above the bar says it is a whopping 13.9% ABV. The server tells me that it is brewed with pumpkin flesh, all-spice, and ginger. After the first sip, I can't believe how good it is! I never thought pumpkin pie and rum flavors could blend so well. This beer is heavenly; that's the only simple way to describe it. Caramel, spice, pumpkin, and rum are all delicious and friendly companions in this brew. Thanksgiving and Christmas would benefit greatly from this beer! Have you figured out that I'm a fan?

As I finish my Rumpkin, we decide to leave for Oskar Blues. We were already cutting it close for their tour start time, and we didn't want to miss it. However, we did miss it - because of Phil, the greatest tour guide in history. Right as we were about to stand up and leave Avery, Phil placed a couple glasses in front of us and told us we had to try it. He said it doesn't actually "exist" and it wasn't on the tap board. It was a passion fruit beer and it was excellent. Before we finished that, he gave us a blend of The Reverend and Samael's which he called a Moloch. Awesome. Then, he gave us a Monster Screw, which is the most hardcore black and tan ever. It is Mephistopheles layered on top of Samael's. Crazy good, and very dangerous! With all this unbelievable beer flying at us, we decided to just skip the next brewery. Sorry Oskar Blues, and thank you Phil and Avery!

We left Avery very happy with our experience. I was content and thought we were headed back to my friend's house, but it turned out that we weren't finished yet. My friend surprised me with a bonus stop. We visited a brand new brewery in Loveland called Grimm Brothers that specializes in old-style German beers. As of right now, they only sell growlers out of the brewery and kegs to some local watering holes.

Our plan was to purchase a growler and take it back to the house for dinner. That all changed when Aaron Heaton, the Vice-President of the brewery, overheard me talking to the server behind the bar. He immediately came over and started pouring us samples of every beer they had on tap. He told us about each style as we sipped, and was more than happy to allow us to walk through the brewery behind the tap room. He even gave us a sample of a hopped-up German-style twist on an IPA that they are still experimenting with. The beer and the whole Grimm Brothers experience were great. Thanks to Aaron!

We bought our growler of The Fearless Youth and went to pick up a pizza at Papa Murphy's. We finished the day with a beer and pizza dinner with our friends. That was a great day! Definitely a fun trip to Colorado!

Flat Earth Bermuda Triangle Tripel

Ah yes. I've definitely been too busy this fall. You know how it works: wife is off working when I'm at home, 2 young kids (enough said), family and friends' birthday events (I think I know of at least 7 in October), beer tastings, the birth of a new nephew, a 4 day fishing trip to Canada...

I feel as though I've fallen behind on my blogging, so I forced myself to squeeze in a beer session after work and before my wife had to leave for the evening. I decided to pull a bomber out of the fridge that I had been saving for a session since I purchased it in the late summer/early fall. Time for me to sit down with Flat Earth Bermuda Triangle Tripel.

The style of this brew is obviously Belgian tripel. I mean, it says tripel on the bottle, so that's what it should be, right? I guess one should never assume in the crazy world of beer names. OK, I did the "official" check, and it is most certainly a tripel. Whew, what a relief! The label looks pretty cool with a shipwreck, what looks like a flying saucer, and the floating "Flat Earth barrel guy" all sticking out of the ocean's surface. It's nice and strong with a big 9.1% ABV.

I pour from the 22 ounce bomber into my snifter glass. A 1/4" white head shows up only briefly, as it disappears almost the instant I stop pouring. The clear liquid is golden orange in color, bordering on copper. Thanks to the clarity of the beer, there is much visible carbonation racing to the surface.

The smell of light brown sugar is present, along with a bit of bubble gum. There is also a slightly grassy waft with just a touch of spice on its back.

Taste-wise, I'm getting a floral honey character that leads into some caramelized sugar sweetness. Then, a light dried fruit similar to Sunmaid apricots comes in just before an earthy and spicy cleansing bitterness at the finish.

The liquid's medium viscosity briefly coats my mouth before some prickly bubbles and a dry finish strip it away. There is no lacing at all on my glass, which is not surprising since the head vanished so quickly.

I LIKE IT! This is a very enjoyable tripel. It has loads of taste complexity and alcoholic strength while remaining surprising drinkable. The way the sweet flavors hang for a moment before being erased by the crisp finish only encourages me to sip some more. I found it is very hard to detect the alcohol in this brew, so be careful with it! I highly recommend giving this a try if you have access to it.

Catching up with some local beer news

Due to my constant business, I have once again fallen behind on blogging about some recent beer news. Some of you may already be caught up with this knowledge, but for those of you that aren't, read on:

Summit recently released their Unchained Series #5 on draught, and will soon release it in bottles. Here are the stats for this Imperial Pumpkin Porter:

Mash Additions: Locally Raised Pumpkin

Kettle Additions: Fuggle, Northdown, & East Kent Golding Hops

Sweet China Cinnamon, Jamaican Allspice, Powdered Cassia Buds, Ground Nutmeg, Ginger Powder, Ground Mace, and Ground Ceylon Cloves

Color: Dark Chocolate

Malt: Pale, Cara Brown, Simpsons Chocolate, Midnight Wheat

Yeast: Scottish Ale

IBU: 40

OG: 17
ABV: 7.5 %

They also released a video they made on the day the pumpkins for this beer were harvested.

More exciting news from Lift Bridge. Most of you probably know that they acquired a building this spring for their brewery. More recently, they purchased the brewing equipment and posted a time-lapse video showing the installation.

Furthermore has released a new brew, and they seem pretty happy about it. It's an IPA that you can read more about here.

That's all for now. I hope to get a new beer session posted soon. Until then, cheers!

Westvleteren 12

This post is the third and final of my Westvleteren beer sessions. Today, I will go over the observations my friend and I made regarding their number 12. This brew is considered to be one of the best in the world by many people. It falls into the Belgian quadrupel category and might require some sipping restraint due to its healthy 10.2% ABV.

Appearance

Nick: Even with my standard pour, this beer quickly and easily generates a rocky 4-finger light tan head. The foam doesn't seem to want to settle down much, so I'll keep an eye on its gradual decline. The body color is a murky dark brown, almost black.

Kurt: I gently poured my entire portion completely down the side of the glass after watching Nick get such a huge level of foam. Due to that, I got a 1-finger light tan head. The liquid is dark brown.

Smell

Nick: Sweet molasses with figs and raisins along with a touch of roasted nuts. There is a hint of alcohol, but nothing overpowering.

Kurt: I get the same molasses and raisin aromas, along with some dry hazelnut and roasted coffee beans.

Taste

Nick: WOW! Caramel flavor becomes dark chocolate before turning fruity with raisins and dates. Macadamia nuts briefly appear and then dry alcohol. It all leads into an herbal spiciness followed by a gentle bitter kiss at the finish.

Kurt: Molasses, figs, and raisins come through, then fruity, dry alcohol, hazelnuts and a hint of caramel.

Mouthfeel

Nick: The feel is medium-thick with a surprisingly light level of carbonation. It is velvety and luxurious in my mouth. In case you were wondering, the head finally fell to a thin layer while leaving some pretty lacing on my glass.

Kurt: Thick mouthfeel with light carbonation.

Overall Opinion

Nick: This is an awesomely tasty and complex brew. It's no wonder why anyone who's tasted this nectar holds it in such high regard. If this beer was more easily acquired, I would revisit it often. If you are ever given the opportunity to try this or any of the Westvleteren beers, definitely go for it!

Kurt: I just want to say that each Westvleteren beer is amazingly unique in its own right. They all have such rich, full flavors. I think the Blond and the #8 would be easily drinkable on a warm breezy day. The #12 is overwhelming with its flavors (for a newb like me sitting down and trying to figure it out); that's what makes it great. Just a great experience.

Coborn's Tasting October 29th

OK, I know I said my next post would be for the Westvleteren 12. However, I thought I should get the word out ASAP for my next beer tasting. This Friday evening, I'll be sampling some beers to help you enhance your Halloween celebrations:

• Bell's Best Brown Ale
  
• Bell's Oarsman Ale
• Deschutes Jubelale
• New Belgium 2 Below
• Samuel Adams Latitude 48 IPA
• Summit Winter Ale

Come visit the Hastings Coborn's Liquor between 4:30 and 8:30pm to get a taste of these delicious brews. I hope to see you then!

Westvleteren 8

Before I get started, I want to apologize for my lack of posts in the last couple weeks. I've been very busy AND I was lucky enough to get my first sinus-congesting cold of the (upcoming) winter. Thanks for being patient and sticking with me.

This post is the second in a series of three, dedicated to the beers produced by the Trappist monks in Westvleteren. Today, I will go over the observations my friend and I made regarding their number 8. My research indicates this beer falls under the Belgian dubbel style category. The ABV matches the name of this brew with a very appropriate 8%.

Appearance

Nick: A 3-finger light tan head descends into a half-inch thick blanket. The body is dark brown and opaque.

Kurt: A thick tan head on top of liquid that is dark brown in color.

Smell

Nick: The sweet aromas of brown sugar and raisins combine with a hint of tart berries. There is also a nice earthy hop presence, along with some dry alcohol.

Kurt: Acidic cherries and smokey oak.

Taste

Nick: The brief flavor of a caramel-chocolate blend combines with a fruit character that I liken to ripe strawberries. A pleasant dark roasted coffee bitterness finishes everything cleanly.

Kurt: Dry with raisins and cherries. Slight earthiness in the middle with some acidic tartness. Sour dates at the finish.

Mouthfeel

Nick: A medium level of viscosity with very mild carbonation allows my mouth to be coated with goodness. After swallowing, I gaze at the sticky lacing on my glass.

Kurt: Mild carbonation. Coats my mouth with it's medium body.

Overall Opinion

Nick: "Delicious" says it all. This is an awesome dubbel that is more fruity than I expected, which only served to raise the flavor profile to new tasty heights.

Kurt: Yep, totally!

Westvleteren Blond

In my last post, I mentioned my opportunity to try some beers made by the Trappist monks in Westvleteren. My friend Kurt acquired these brews and offered to share them with me. Of course, I accepted. We recently sat down to taste all 3 on a nice fall evening, outside. I invited Kurt to make some of his own tasting notes as I went through my usual process, and I will be sharing both of our observations with you.

The bottles for these brews have no labels, but all necessary information is located on the cap. This is why I will be showing you detailed photos of the caps, along with my "usual" session pics.

Our first session is with the Westvleteren Blond. This is the lightest in color, body, and alcohol, with an ABV of 5.8%. From my online research, this would be considered the monks' table beer. It is the one beer they create for their own consumption.

Appearance

Nick: A 2 finger white head falls to 1/2 inch and hangs on. The body is cloudy and golden in color.

Kurt: Billowy white head that is fluffy like a cloud. Body is a goldish wheat color.

Smell

Nick: The sweet smell of honey leads into an acidic lemon scent. There is also a pumpkin-pie-like spice aroma.

Kurt: Banana, honey, and a hint of lemon or apricot. Also a nutmeg spice character.

Taste

Nick: Pleasant sweet bready malt with some fruit and a hint of black pepper. A nice cleansing earthy bitterness finishes it all off.

Kurt: Flat lemony, bready flavor with a slight sweetness in the middle. Finishes with acidic pumpkin spice and some pepper at the back of my tongue.

Mouthfeel

Nick: Medium-light weight and creamy with light carbonation. At this point, I'm noticing some light lacing on my glass.

Kurt: Light body with light carbonation. The beer coats my mouth.

Overall Opinion

Nick: This is a very tasty and drinkable Belgian ale that would be suitable for many different drinking scenarios, including pairing with dinner or just quenching one's thirst on a warm day. This brew is very good and I can't wait to try the heavier hitters from Westvleteren.

Kurt: Ditto.

Cool Upcoming Beer Sessions

I'm pretty excited, because my next 3 posts will be sessions with some beers that are difficult to acquire. Thanks to a very good friend, I was given the opportunity to sit down and taste the 3 brews currently produced by Westvleteren!

Westvleteren is one of seven remaining Trappist Abbeys that brew beer as a means of supporting themselves financially. You can buy beer produced by the other 6 fairly easily in the United States. However, Westvleteren will only sell their beer directly from the monastery, which is located in Belgium. If you want to buy some of this tasty stuff, you can pick some up on your next trip to Europe OR...

If you do a little searching, you can find it on online for very high prices.

In fact, I was telling my friend about these beers and how it's possible to acquire them on the internet. I told him that someday, when I have some extra money to burn, I was going to purchase one of those expensive 6-packs. He, in turn, immediately went on the web and bought one. I was never given the opportunity to be envious, because he told me I was going to taste them with him. I'm pretty sure I had a huge grin on my face after hearing that.

Why go through all the trouble to get these beers? Well, first of all, the monks take their work very seriously, and it shows in the quality of the products. Go onto Beeradvocate or Ratebeer and you'll see they are very highly rated. Not to mention that Beeradvocate lists the Westvleteren 12 as the #1 Top Beer on Planet Earth. My second reason? Because it is so hard to get, I really want it. You always want what you can't have, right? That applies to beer for me. Another good example of that is Samuel Adams Utopias. The price point is out of my reach right now, which makes it unattainable, and that causes me to desire it even more.

Last night, my friend and I sat down to taste all 3 beers. Keep watching the blog over the next week as I post our sessions with Westvleteren Blond, 8, and 12. I'll tell you this right now; they were all tasty.

Thanks Kurt, for sharing with me!

Soothing Evening Sound

The last couple evenings, I've had a nice, white-noise-type sound to help me get to sleep at night. It's kind of a "Bloop... bloop, bloop, bloop... bloop, bloop... bloop, bloop, bloopity-bloop, bloop." OK, the bloopity part I made up. However, that is pretty much what it sounds like. Can you guess what it is? Hint: it is definitely beer-related. Give up? It's the carbon dioxide escaping from my fermenting batch of homebrew through the water-filled bubbler air lock.

Right now you might be wondering, "Why does he keep the fermenter in his bedroom?" Well, temperature-wise and space-wise, it seems to be the best placement within my home. I still have the box that the glass carboy fermenter came in, so I put it in there to protect it from light. The only thing that peeks out between the cardboard flaps is the fermentation lock. Its job is to allow the carbon dioxide (produced by the yeast) to get out of the carboy while keeping any bad outside stuff from getting in, including air.

The whole side benefit to this setup is that I have a soothing device to help lull me to sleep at night. I mean, first there's that pleasant sound emanating from the air lock. Then, I have another surprise calming factor in a mental sense. After all, if the bubbler is bubbling, that means the yeast is doing its job: converting sugars to carbon dioxide and, of course, alcohol. Wort changing to beer, right as I'm listening to it. That puts a smile on my face and relaxes me. "I'm going to have some finished beer in a few weeks," I think to myself.

It's a perfect situation. Except for the fact that the "bloop" noises keep my wife awake...

Lake Superior Oktoberfest

A few weeks ago, I made a post about making a mix pack of 6 different "Octoberfest" beers and sampling all of them in one evening. It was a lot of fun for my friend and myself to compare these fall seasonals side-by-side. Well, I decided it was time for an actual session with a local version that I hadn't tasted before. That brew is Lake Superior Oktoberfest.

When I last visited Lake Superior's brewing facility in April, I had asked head brewer Dale Kleinschmidt if we would eventually see more of their seasonals in the Twin Cities metro area. He said the only seasonal they had regularly distributed here was the Old Man Winter Warmer, and that customer demand and suggestions from distributors will dictate what we see in the future. I left there with the hope that, someday, we would have access to those brews down here.

This month, I was walking through Boozemart in West Saint Paul and walked past an end-cap beer display. I quickly did a double take because I thought my eyes were deceiving me, but it turns out they weren't. Sitting before me was a large stack of Lake Superior Oktoberfest, their fall seasonal! Consumer demand must have done it's job, as this was the first time I had seen this beer in a liquor store near home. I immediately grabbed a six-pack and knew I would have to post a session with this subject.

I pour the 12 ounce bottle into my mug with gusto and generate a 2 finger off-white head. It settles into a thin, creamy layer of foam calmly resting on top of the liquid. The body is hazy and dark copper in color.

When I take a sniff, the lightest caramel aroma combines with an almost doughy bread scent. The hops seem to be contributing some earthiness to the smell as well.

The flavors coincide with the aromas I detected. Sweet at first, it then leads to biscuity malt. The switch is then made to an earthy, herbal character which transitions nicely into a decent level of bitterness. It all finishes with a sharp tang that urges me to take the next sip.

A medium weight mouthfeel is more clingy than I expected, as a thin coating stuck in my mouth after swallowing. There is a moderate to low level of carbonation which doesn't strip the stickiness from my mouth. No lacing is present on my glass.

This is a nice märzen from Lake Superior. It fits the style and has some stronger hop flavors than many other American examples. This lager would definitely be a good addition to any of your own Oktoberfest celebrations. If you like this style (or German lagers in general), you probably won't be disappointed with this brew. Give it a try!

Brewery in Spring Green Wisconsin?

Today I received an email containing some info which I consider to be very exciting news. Apparently, the quality brewers at Furthermore Beer are looking into acquiring their own brewery. From the email:

"A facility in Spring Green? You don't say.... So we've weathered the first four + years of small business ownership, a significant economic downturn and our own self-doubt. We have lived to tell the tale, and you're still drinking the beer. And there are lot of others who would like to drink the beer if only we could make enough. So it's time for the next phase of Furthermore Beer, and we're actively working on making that happen."

This is cool to hear, because I really enjoy the brews they produce. Fatty Boombalatty, Knot Stock, Makeweight, and Oscura are just 4 examples of their awesome products. (If you're wondering why you're able to buy six-packs when they don't yet have a facility, it's because they currently contract brew at Sand Creek Brewing in Black River Falls.) When they eventually get their own brewery going, I might have to take a little trip down to Spring Green for a tour...

Beer Tasting Friday

This week, I will be pouring samples for the first time on a Friday. Stop by the Hastings Coborn's Liquor on Friday, September 24th. I will have 3 Oktoberfest Marzens and 3 brews from 21st Amendment available for you to taste:

• Bell's Octoberfest
• Samuel Adams Octoberfest
• Summit Oktoberfest
• 21st Amendment Back in Black
• 21st Amendment Brew Free or Die IPA
• 21st Amendment Hell or High Watermelon Wheat

I'll be there from 4:30 to 8:30pm. Come and try some tasty beer.

612Brew Video Interview

That's right, I've finally finished editing the 612Brew interview! I had a little over an hour of footage when I started, but I managed to cut it down to about a half hour. I may have to post some of those deleted clips on the blog in the future.

I was very excited to post this video until I realized that I couldn't do it through Blogger due to the file size. Blogger only allows up to 100MB for video size. That led me to try Youtube, which only frustrated me more. On Youtube, you can upload a video that is up to 2GB in size, but it can't be any longer than 15 minutes. My file is only 367MB, but it's a half hour long. Frustrating! After checking into some other options, I decided that I had to use Youtube. Because of this, I needed to break the main video into 3 pieces.

Sorry for the mediocre quality and the annoying lens flare that appears in most of the video. This first video was a learning experience. Wow, what a learning experience! I will definitely be better prepared next time.

Enjoy!

Another Fun Beer Day

This past Saturday, I participated in another beer-themed day with a couple of my friends. It's something we like to do because it can be a lot of fun to plan and usually works out to be pretty affordable.

We started off with another free Summit brewery tour at 10:30am. Including this most recent visit, I've been on this tour 4 times. Each time I go, I learn another little detail (or two) that I hadn't known before. Of course we enjoyed 3 free beer samples after the tour and then visited the gift shop to purchase some Summit gear.

From Summit we headed over to Surdyk's, where they were having a free Oktoberfest beer tasting. There were many different tasty brews to sample and I enjoyed most of them. The most interesting part for me was participating in the Samuel Adams Beer Lovers Choice. This is the 6th year for this program, but my first year trying it. There are 2 sample recipes that Boston Beer wants you to try, then you enter your vote in a ballot box. The winning beer will be the next new recipe they add to their bottled lineup. Last year's winner was the Noble Pils. The contenders this year: Sample A - Belgian Style IPA, & Sample B - American Rye Ale. Both were good, but my vote went to Sample A.

After Surdyk's, we made our way over to Town Hall for a late lunch and some good brews. I quelled my hunger with the very delicious Seven Corners Burger. Rather than going with a couple pints to drink, I decided to get their 2 beer flights because I've only been to Town Hall once before. One flight has samples of five every-day brews, while the other has five available seasonals. All the beers were enjoyable and one from each flight really stood out in my mind: West Bank Pub Ale (every-day) and Thunderstorm (seasonal). The West Bank is a really floral, fruity, bitter (and sessionable at 4.8%) pale ale and the Thunderstorm is an ale brewed with orange blossom honey and lemongrass.

Our designated driver took us back to Saint Paul and dropped us off at the Hilton Garden Inn. We took it easy and relaxed there for a while before we walked over to Great Waters for dinner and beer. Their Pizza of the Week was chicken, bacon, and ranch, so I had to get it. Very good stuff. To drink, I had the Unkeldunkel Dunkelweizen, which was new to me. It was a tasty brew that contrasted well with my salty dinner.

That was a very fun, beer-filled day. I encourage any of you to try something similar. It is definitely a worthwhile experience.

612Brew Interview Update

Another update on my 612Brew video interview: I'm almost done editing!

I started with a little over an hour of awesome, interesting dialogue and funny blooper-style moments. However, I knew that an hour is probably way too long. I had a hard time deciding what I should cut out, but I eventually got the video down to about a half hour. That might still seem like a long video to some of you, but it has a lot of good stuff in it. I might eventually release some of the cut video clips in small doses for those that might be interested.

The hard part is now complete. I just need to make some finishing touches to the audio, credits, and transitions before I post it. I hope to have it on the blog sometime next week. Look for it!

Oktoberfest Sampler

I was recently working on my continued efforts of editing my video interview with 612Brew. (I never knew editing could be so much work.) A friend of mine has more knowledge than I do with the particular software I am using, so he agreed to give me some assistance. In order to thank him for his help, I decided to bring some beer to his house for us to sample while we worked.

Ever since the Oktoberfest beers started to appear on liquor store shelves within the last month, I had been wanting to assemble a variety six-pack of all different versions. I did just that at Coborn's Liquor so that I could share it with my friend. Here is what I grabbed:

• Leinenkugel's Oktoberfest
• Schell's Oktoberfest
• Bell's Octoberfest
• Great Lakes Oktoberfest
• Summit Oktoberfest
• New Belgium Hoptober

The first five are all true marzen style lagers. The last on the list, Hoptober, is labeled a golden ale by New Belgium and is very different than the others. I knew that when I bought it, but I thought it would be fun to mix it up with something unique. As my friend and I worked on the video, we split each beer and briefly discussed them.

As far as the Marzen Octoberfest beers go, It's not hard at all to say that four of the five are very tasty and enjoyable. The one we didn't like? Sorry Leinenkugel's. Your marzen smells off, tastes a little funky (not in a good way), and I probably won't buy it again. I guarantee I will be revisiting the other four marzens in the future.

The Hoptober was definitely something special for a fall seasonal. My friend and I both chose it as our favorite out of the six we tasted. Sweet honey, mango, pineapple, and a pleasant bitterness are some of the flavors that come to mind. However, for you fall traditionalists, it's definitely not a marzen style lager. If that's what you're looking for, get one of the others mentioned above.

Food and Craft Beer at the State Fair

My family and I made our trip to the Minnesota State Fair yesterday. We walked our loop and sampled food and beverages (including some beer) along the way. As usual, we looked for some old favorites and some new things to try. Here is what we had (don't worry, we share it all):

• Strawberries and Cream (my wife's favorite)
• A jumbo cup of 1919 root beer - Who doesn't like good root beer?
• Pig Ear Fries - From Famous Dave's, these are pig ears sliced really thin, dusted with seasoned flour, and fried 'til their crispy. They are served with a lime chipotle glaze for dipping. They were pretty tasty, but they definitely gave my jaw a workout - chewy stuff.
• Pig Lickers - I guided us to Famous Dave's for the pig ears, but while we were there my wife noticed this item on the menu. It is simply this: chocolate-covered bacon. My wife and daughter enjoyed them, but I wasn't so sure. They're chilled to keep the chocolate from melting and the bacon is soggy and chewy. The salty/sweet flavor combo was decent, but I'm not sure I like cold, soggy bacon. I'm a crispy bacon kind of guy.
• Walleye Chop - This local lager was also served at Famous Dave's. It is brewed by Bank Beer Company, which gives 100% of its profits to the Pheasants Forever Build a Wildlife Area campaign. I was not too impressed by this beer in the moment, but I'll revisit it someday to see if that changes.
• Schell's Octoberfest - My wife and I both had a 20 ounce cup of this staple Minnesota seasonal.
• The Perfect Pickle - Tasty sliced dill pickles battered and deep fried, served with ranch dipping sauce. One of our favorites.
• Scotch Egg - This has been at the fair for years, but I hadn't tried it until now. It's a hard boiled egg on a stick wrapped in sausage, rolled in bread crumbs, and deep fried. They also have a variety of sauces for dipping. Wow, this was tasty. My wife and both my daughters loved it.
• Spam Curds - Spam and cheese, battered and deep fried. We dip them in their ranch sauce. Salty, tasty Minnesota goodness.
• Of course, at the end of our day we went to Sweet Martha's to buy a pail of chocolate chip cookies, then headed over to the All You Can Drink Milk booth. Milk and cookies, cookies and milk; need I say more?

Throughout our journey, I was happy to see a good amount of craft beer at various locations. In Heritage Square, there were 3 Schell's craft labels (along with 2 Grain Belt). At Shanghaied Henri's in the International Bazaar, there were 3 Summit brands and 4 European imports. Then O'Garas had probably the best variety with Guinness, Harp, Smithwicks, Finnegan's, Schell's Oktoberfest, and Summit EPA on tap, while also having Deschutes Mirror Pond, Odell 90 Shilling, and Schell's Hopfenmalz in bottles.

Seeing all this craft beer made me thirsty, but I had to limit myself to 2 brews for the 9 hours we were at the fair. Why? In a word: price. The prices for these session-style craft beers were the exact same throughout the fair. I have a hard time bringing myself to pay $4 for 12 ounces and $6.75 for 20 ounces unless it's some rare specialty high alcohol brew. I mean, I've spent $7 on a 12 ounce bottle of Mephistophele's, but that's some extreme stuff! I know it's the way things are at events like this, but I wish it wasn't. Hot dogs, cheese curds, and soda aren't required to be the exact same price at every booth in the fair, so why is beer? It would never happen, but I'd like to see a little friendly beer price competition by letting the vendors price it the way they see fit. Oh well, I guess some things never change. Let me know what you think about it in the comments.

Surly Hell

I know that fall is sneaking up on us, but I wanted to have an official session with something I've been saving in my fridge since mid-July. I haven't had a lot of time for beer sessions lately because of an extremely busy late summer, so I made a decision last night to fit this brew into my schedule. This particular beer may be produced with the intention of consuming it in warm weather, but I'm sure you won't mind drinking it in the early fall (or any other time, for that matter). It's time for my session with Hell, from Surly.

Hell is an unfiltered German-style Munich Helles lager. In German, hell is the adjective for "light" while helles is a noun that basically translates to "a light one." As Surly's summer seasonal, it would be fitting for this brew to be "a light one." According to their website, the numbers come in at 20 IBUs and 4.5% ABV.

I pour the pint can into my pilsner glass. A big, 3-finger white head is easily generated and then slowly settles into a thin layer of sticky bubbles. The body is a lovely golden hue and is not as light in color as you might expect from the name translation. It has a slight haze (because it is unfiltered, no doubt) and some visible carbonation floating to the top.

The mellow aroma is dominated by honey-kissed grain and is followed by just a touch of hop earthiness. There is also a little bit of spice detectable.

The flavor of sweet bready malt leads into a pleasant herbal spice and a nice moderate level of bitterness. A sharp coppery tang at the finish lets me know it's time for the next sip.

This brew has a nice medium-light thickness with some light, but prickly, carbonation. It is quite crisp while remaining very easy to swallow. There is some light lacing visible as the liquid level keeps dropping.

Hell is a very good German-style lager. This brew is easy drinking with its lighter body and simple, yet tasty, flavors. Crisp and refreshing, it is very appropriate for quenching your beer thirst in warm weather. The bonus of the low ABV makes it possible for you to consume a few without getting too tipsy. Sorry this session came at the end of summer, but you might still be able to find some Hell in stores to enjoy before the weather gets too cool. Definitely buy it if you see it. If not, don't worry. Hell will return again!

Signs of the Rapidly Approaching Fall

Fall is coming quick. How can I tell? Maybe it's all the tasty Octoberfest and pumpkin beers that I keep getting emails about and seeing on liquor store shelves...

I'm getting ready for my favorite Minnesota season, and so should you. We can use some autumn brews to enhance our enjoyment of watching football, outdoor activities in the cool weather, and observing the leaves changing color.

A couple tidbits for you:

• I have a beer tasting at the Hastings Coborn's Liquor tomorrow from 12 - 3:30pm. I hope to see you there!
• I'm still working on editing my video interview with the 612Brew crew. It's taking longer than I thought, but I will try to get it posted soon.

Enjoy the warm weather this weekend with any remaining summer beers you might find!

New Canned Craft Beer Crosses Into Minnesota

As many of you already know, I am a big supporter of canned craft beer. Compared to bottles, aluminum cans are easier to recycle, weigh less (which means less shipping costs), and are allowed more places (rivers, campgrounds, swimming pools, etc). To top it all off, cans are actually better than bottles at keeping beer fresh and tasty! All this makes me even more excited that Tallgrass Brewing has started distribution to our state.

Tallgrass is located in Manhattan, Kansas and started brewing in August of 2007. The interesting thing to me is that they actually started off with bottles. After doing some research on the benefits of canned beer, they converted. Three of their beers are available in Minnesota right now:

• Buffalo Sweat - good name for a stout
• Tallgrass IPA - pretty self explanatory
• Oasis - according to their site, they call this one a "Double ESB/IPAish" beer

The beers are sold in 4-packs of pint cans, similar to Surly. So far, I have been able to try the Buffalo Sweat and Oasis and I really enjoyed them!

In Minnesota, we already have access to some awesome canned craft beer from Surly and 21st Amendment, along with a few others. However, it's always nice to see another canned craft beer on the liquor store shelves. Give Tallgrass a try sometime. I'm sure you won't be disappointed.

August 28th Coborn's Tasting

I just returned from a nice weeklong vacation and I'm ready for another tasting. This Saturday, August 28th from 12:00 - 3:30pm, I will be pouring samples of 6 tasty brews:

• Abita Purple Haze - An American style wheat beer with raspberry puree
• Anchor Steam - Possibly the most well known California Common style brew
• Great Lakes Eliot Ness Amber Lager - A 10 time World Beer Championships medal winner
• John Henry 3 Lick Spiker Ale - A bourbon oak aged American strong ale
• Sierra Nevada Torpedo Extra IPA - A pleasantly floral, spicy, and strong IPA
• Summit Unchained Series Batch 04 - A Belgian style golden ale brewed with candi sugar

Be sure to stop by the Hastings Coborn's Liquor for a taste of some great beer this Saturday. As usual, I encourage you to introduce yourself and talk beer with me. I hope to see you there!

Schell's Hefeweizen

Summer may be winding down, but it's still here. The recent extremely hot and humid weather helped me to decide which beer to use for this session: Schell's Hefeweizen.

This beer is one of Schell's 2 summer seasonals. It is a traditional Bavarian-style hefeweizen made with 60% wheat malt, 40% barley malt, and an authentic German wheat beer yeast strain. In years past, it has taken home 2 medals from the Great American Beer Festival: a silver and a gold.

I pour the 12 ounce bottle into my weizen glass. The transfer generates a nice 2 finger white head which gradually fades into a light, thin layer. The body is golden-yellow in color and cloudy with yeast.

Fruity aromas greet my nose right away. Honey, banana, and cloves combine with just a bit of a sour scent. The smells are not quite as strong as some German imports, but are more powerful than many American hefes.

The taste of bready malt mixes with a pleasant banana character and brings to mind fresh baked banana bread. There is also a touch of lemony tartness present that keeps it from getting too sweet. A polite bitterness visits at the finish to help round out the flavor.

The medium-light viscosity of the liquid allows it to go down my throat smooth and clean. A light carbonation tickles my tongue without becoming prickly or sharp. There is no lacing present as I drink.

This is a great American example of a well known German style. It is clean and easy drinking with wonderful fruity qualities that help to make it quite refreshing. Next time you are feeling miserable in the heat, think about giving this brew a try. It will definitely help to refresh you without getting you too buzzed due to its 4.4% ABV. This a well made summer session beer.

Busy Yet Fun Beer Evening

Last night I had quite the beer related evening. It started right after work and didn't end until I got home at midnight. While it indeed kept me busy, it sure was a lot of fun.

I started off by heading over to Great Waters right after work for dinner and a beer. For my meal, I ordered their Rueben sandwich. I will definitely say that if you like sauerkraut, you should try this sandwich! It was different than the Ruebens that most restaurants serve, and it was quite good. My beer of choice? I tried their new 3:10 Summer Ale. According to the Great Waters website, this beer is brewed with basswood honey, white wheat, malted oats, barley and chamomile. Wow! I really, really liked this beer. I'd give you details, but I was too busy enjoying it to care about taking notes. Definitely give it a try before it's gone.

After Great Waters, I made a trip over to The Four Firkins. I had been meaning to get over there for a month and a half, maybe even longer. Oh well, at least I finally got to make a visit last night. I shopped around for awhile (it always takes me a long time when I have a lot of beer options) and ended up leaving with a few beers that I'm pretty excited to try: New Holland Beerhive Tripel, Red Hook Big Ballard Imperial IPA, and Jopen Koyt.

From The Four Firkins I drove over to a 2 stall garage located in an alley behind a duplex in Uptown Minneapolis. This garage was the reason I decided to leave straight from work in the first place. (I didn't need to be there until 8:30, so I used my time wisely to visit the previous 2 beer zones.) My reason for visiting a garage? It is the brewhouse for 612Brew, one of Minnesota's newest brewing companies.

I went there to do a video interview with 4 of the partners in the company: Robert, Joe, Emily, and Ryan. My cameraman and I were there for quite a while chatting with them, even after the interview was done. These people are fun to visit with and are very friendly and open about their business intentions. They were also kind enough to share 2 of their beers with us: an IPA and Six, their pale ale. I won't go into too much detail about the beer right now, but I will say that they were both very tasty. I'm excited to have gotten the opportunity to meet with them, and the interview will be available for Lupulin Libations followers to watch within the next couple weeks.

It was a great beer night.

Upcoming Flat Earth Beer Releases

I just got an email from Flat Earth Brewing about some of their tasty beers being released in the coming weeks. I wanted to share it with you, because it's important Minnesota beer stuff!

From the email:

"This week (August 9 – 14) is Extra Medium Week! We are filling a limited amount of Extra Medium American Wild Ale. This beer is tart and refreshing and the only sour beer available from a Minnesota brewery. We are lining up a few places to tap a keg or two of it this week. Check our website and Facebook page for confirmation on locations.

Next week (August 16 – 20) is Northwest Passage IPA Week! To celebrate the first bottling run of our IPA, the hoppiest beer made in the Midwest, we will start with growler sales on Monday the 16th, 22 oz bottles will go on sale on the 17th around town. Wednesday we will be tapping a keg Northwest Passage.

Rush Week! (August 23 – 28) Cygnus X-1 Porter was originally designed as a tribute to our favorite band Rush. They will be playing the State Fair on Friday and to celebrate we will be releasing a special Rush inspired porter every day this week. Growlers will be available at the brewery and the beers will be on tap at different bars around town.

Finally Bermuda Triangle Week (August 30 – Sept 3)! This will be the first year we bottle our Belgian-style Tripel. We will kick off the week with growlers of tripel being available at the brewery on Monday, bottles will be available starting Tuesday and we have a keg tapping party on Wednesday."

I personally would really like to get my hands on some Extra Medium, but last time they had it the growlers were gone fast! I'm also pretty excited about the release of Northwest Passage and Bermuda Triangle in bottles. I look forward to picking some up at the local liquor store.

Tasty Experience From Odell

Thanks to the generosity of a friend, I was recently able to sample the Odell Woodcut No. 4. I was unprepared for an official session, but this beer was so tasty I had to at least mention it here on the Lupulin Libations blog.

Woodcut No. 4 is an oak-aged lager. More specifically, it is a double marzen style lager aged in "hand-selected, hand coopered, medium toast, American virgin oak barrels." The description on the bottle was enough to get my mouth watering.

It poured with a large amount of thick head, and I couldn't believe how red the body was. The aromas of the beer somewhat confused me, as I almost likened it to a Belgian sour. There was some sort of tart fruit scent in the nose. When I tasted it, there was no definitely no confusion. Rich, caramelly malt, bourbony oak, and vanilla were all present. The texture and mouthfeel was viscous, creamy and velvety - reminding me of drinking a milkshake.

This brew was an awesome experience, and I highly recommend you try it. Be warned though: you might not want to drink the 750ml bottle yourself, because it is a heavyweight 11% ABV. Try sharing it with a good friend. That's how I was fortunate enough to get a taste.

Brau Brothers' New Fresh Hop Ale

I just recently received an email from Brau Brothers. They are almost ready to brew this year's fresh hop ale. What will it be called? Hundred Yard Dash.

Some of you may be asking, "What's a fresh hop ale?" Well, most hops used in beer have been dried, which preserves them for a much longer period of time than if left "wet". This results in less hop spoilage for brewers. A fresh hop ale (a.k.a. wet hop ale) uses hop cones picked directly from the bine and added immediately to the boil without drying. It has to be done quickly to preserve the "fresh" hop flavors and aromas.

The Brau brewery grows hops on their own estate (along with some 2-row barley) and use them to make this once-a-year ale. "Hundred Yard Dash" is not just a clever name. Apparently, the hop bines are that distance from the brew kettle. They pick the hops as they're brewing and run them to the kettle.

What's really great is that Brau Brothers will actually brew enough this year to bottle and distribute it. They figure they should be able to bottle under 2000 cases. There's a chance it will sell fast, but at least more people will get a chance to try it this year because of the bottles. I know I'll be looking for it in the local liquor stores!

Check out the Hundred Yard Dash profile provided by Brau Brothers:

Tasting Update

For this Saturday's tasting, I will be pouring the beers from Schell's sampler 12-pack instead of the Sam Adams summer sampler. The distributor ran out of the Sam Adams, so this works as a last minute replacement and we'll be supporting a local brewery.

Here are the beers I'll be pouring:

• Schell's Dark
• Pils
• Firebrick
• Stout
• Hopfenmalz
• Zommerfest

Be sure to stop by the Hastings Coborn's this Saturday at 3pm. I'll be happy to give you some samples!

Change to Coborn's Tasting

Apparently, the Samuel Adams Summer Sampler is no longer available from Coborn's distributor. This is unfortunate because I was going to pour all of those beers for the tasting coming up this Saturday the 7th.

Don't worry, though. The beer tasting will still happen. With it being just 3 days away, I just have to find some suitable replacement brews for all of you to sample. I'll post an update when I know what new varieties will be used.

Sorry to any Sam fans, I'll try to set up another tasting with those beers eventually.

Summit Unchained Series Batch 04

After searching through multiple liquor stores in the southeast area of the metro for a week and a half, I did it. That's right, I've finally managed to get my hands on some of Summit's Unchained Series Batch 04.

I had been calling stores to see when they would receive it, which they were happy to tell me. However, when I showed up to make a purchase on the expected days, the distributors had not delivered. In fact, most places in this area did not receive the beer until almost a week after they were first expecting it.

My anticipation was getting the better of me, so I told myself to chill out and patiently wait for this 4th brew in the Unchained Series. Patience is a wonderful thing, because soon after I was rewarded with a notification that some Batch 04 was available nearby.

Enough about the wait; let's talk about the beer. Unchained Series Batch 04 is a Belgian-style golden ale brewed with pilsen malt, candi sugar, and Belgian ale yeast. All that adds up to a beer that is nice and strong at 8.6% ABV.

I pour the 12 ounce bottle into my goblet. A 1-finger white head is easily generated before quickly fading into a thin, patchy island of foam and a ring around the glass. The body is clear and golden with visible carbonation floating towards the surface.

The sweet smells of brown sugar and honey are immediately noticeable. There is also a bit of herbal spice aroma along with the moderate scent of alcohol.

Caramel and sweet bread are the first flavors I detect. Then comes a slight fruitiness and just a touch of earthy spice from the hops. Towards the end is a brief metallic tang before some gentle bitterness and a dry finish.

This brew has a medium mouthfeel with some light carbonation. The alcohol is quite warming and even tingles my tongue a little.

Another winner from the Summit Unchained Series, this beer is a tasty and enjoyable golden ale. It starts sweet then turns spicy and dry, which helps to balance it out. It is highly drinkable, but be careful. The high ABV could sneak up on you very easily, and I know you probably don't want to fall out of your chair. If you like Belgian ales, this one won't disappoint. Go out and give it a try. Don't worry, you shouldn't have to wait to get it!

Brau Brothers Rubus Black

In mid-June, I made a post about the newest limited brew scheduled for release from Brau Brothers. I had tried the previous 2 and was very excited to hear about the 3rd. When I read the description, I knew I had to try this Brau creation called Rubus Black.

Rubus is an imperial porter brewed with blackberries. The brewers also used a traditional British yeast and a large amount of chocolate malt. It weighs in at 8.9% ABV. I can't wait to pour this brew!

I pour from the 750 ml bottle into my snifter. A 1-finger tan head is generated and then gradually sinks into a thin, oblong-shaped patch with a very fine ring of foam around the glass. The body is very opaque black and does not let any light pass through.

Man, the smell of this beer is making it hard to wait for a taste. The faint aroma of caramelized sugar is overpowered by chocolate and roasted coffee beans. A sweet fruit scent is reminiscent of a chilled blueberry pie.

The flavors of this brew do not disappoint. There is a brief hint of toffee before rich, dark chocolate makes its presence known. An unbelievably clean blackberry taste is fruity and delicious without becoming too sweet. I almost expected some tartness to come from the berries, but that's not the case. Espresso bitterness comes at the finish to help cleanse the heavy malt and fruit from my mouth.

Thick and viscous, this beer is very smooth and pleasant to swallow. There is a definite alcohol warmth that builds with each sip.

Rubus Black is an awesomely rich and fruity beer from Brau Brothers. The aroma and flavor of blackberries perfectly complement the dark chocolate qualities, which are the backbone of the brew. A friend of mine tried this beer at the Saint Paul Summer Beer Fest and did not like it, so I wasn't sure what to expect. I'm glad I tried it for myself, because I was pleasantly surprised. If you see the 750 ml bottle sitting on a shelf at your favorite liquor store, I greatly encourage you to give it a try. This is another tasty beer from Brau Brothers!

Coborn's Tasting on August 7th

That's right, it's time for another beer tasting at the Hastings Coborn's Liquor. This time, I will be pouring samples of all 6 beers in the Samuel Adams summer sampler 12-pack:

• Samuel Adams Light
• Boston Lager
• Summer Ale
• Pale Ale
• Blackberry Witbier
• Latitude 48 IPA

The tasting will start at 3pm and run until 7pm. Be sure to stop by and try some tasty brews. As usual, feel free to ask questions and talk beer with me. I hope to see you on the 7th!

Schell's Zommerfest

When I think of summer seasonal beers in Minnesota, one that easily comes to mind is Zommerfest. This Kölsch-style brew has been one of Schell's warm weather options since Memorial Weekend of 1998. (The other being Schell's Hefeweizen.) Like a true German Kölsch, this one is meant to be light and crisp - good for hot summer days.

I poured samples of this beer at my last Coborn's tasting. It went over very well, with many people complimenting it's drinkablity and purchasing 6-packs for their 4th of July celebrations. In fact, it was the most popular of the 7 beers I sampled that day. It definitely deserves a session on my blog, so let's sit down with this one!

I pour the 12 ounce bottle into my mug. I have to work hard to generate a 1/4" white head, which then quickly shrinks to a thin, patchy layer. The body is crystal clear and golden in color, with multiple streams of sparkling bubbles shooting to the top.

The aroma isn't strong, but it's pleasant. I smell some honey and doughy bread, along with a slight grassy hop character and a just touch of citrus.

After 2 sips, I can taste sweet bready malt with the same honey I could smell. Something is fruity in there - let me take a couple more sips. Do I detect a faint apple flavor? Then a building bitterness leads into a metallic tang at the finish.

The viscosity is definitely on the lighter side, but not at all watery. The carbonation is pleasant on my tongue and the liquid is very easy to swallow. After it travels down my throat, there is a dry feeling left in my mouth. No lacing presents itself on the glass.

Zommerfest is a very crisp and refreshing beer that is easy to drink. It starts malty sweet and ends dry and bitter, while remaining on the lighter side of those flavors. This is a well-balanced summer option that's likely to appeal to many craft beer newbies. It is tasty, simple, and straightforward. Give it a try next time you see it.

Surly Bitter Brewer

In my opinion, warm weather beers should be light and refreshing, yet full-bodied and flavorful at the same time. Another big plus is a low level of alcohol. That way, you can drink a few to quench your thirst without the risk of falling out of your chair. Which leads us to Surly Bitter Brewer.

The Surly website lists the style as "not really a British bitter" and describes the beer:

Pale orange in color, this ale gets intense toast and marmalade character from British malt and American hops. Dry-hopping brings the floral citrus aromas.

It is their late spring/early summer seasonal and weighs in at 4% ABV.

I pour the 16 ounce can into my imperial pint glass. A rapidly appearing, coarse, 3-finger off-white head settles into a thin soapy-looking layer of foam. The body is clear and copper in color.

For the aroma, I definitely agree with the brewery's description of marmalade. It's the smell of sugar combined with citrus, which is making me long for a sip. There is also a definite grain character, like the faintest scent of warm fresh bread.

The taste starts with caramel and toasted malt and moves right into apricot and slight orange. Throughout, there is a moderate building bitterness that continues to linger after I swallow.

Mouthfeel is medium to medium-light with a mild, but prickly, carbonation. As the beer level goes down, a nice sticky web of lacing is left behind.

Bitter Brewer is a crisp, light, and refreshing session beer with low alcohol and lots of flavor. It definitely fits my definition of a warm weather brew and would be great for any hot summer day. Thanks to the 4% ABV, you can put down a few and still be in good shape for your favorite outdoor activities. I highly recommend this beer, so give it a try!

Beers Worth Mentioning from Saturday

This past Saturday, I visited the Top Ten Wine & Spirits in Woodbury for their Grand Beer Tasting. As usual, it was set up well and there was a great selection of craft brews to sample. I had already tasted many of the beers in the past, but their were also a few that were new to me. 2 of those stood out in my mind - Deschutes Hop in the Dark and Goose Island Fleur. Here are the brewers' descriptions:

• Hop in the Dark - Can an IPA be black? Semantics aside, this noir version adds deep roasted malts to alter the hue and slightly smooth the edges. What emerges is something deeper, less orthodox, and all its own. “We’ve brewed 22 batches of this beer at both our Bend and Portland pubs, experimenting on our customers as we perfected the recipe,” said Brewmaster Larry Sidor. “This beer has subtle coffee undertones born from a blend of oats with dark, Munich and crystal malts. Classic IPA flavors and aromas are due to courageous additions of Cascade, Citra and Centennial hops.” Take the plunge – a hop, if you will – into this new Cascadian Dark Ale. Many may never even try to swim for shore.
• Goose Island Fleur - A Belgian style pale ale blended with hibiscus and kombucha tea, Fleur is a beautiful, rose-colored ale with an aroma of strawberries and hibiscus flowers. Her flavor balance starts with a hint of sweet, ripe berry and finishes tart.

Both of these beers were quite tasty and I hope to have a session with each someday. I highly recommend giving them a try!