Schell's Stag Series Batch 1

I've found that I really enjoy tasting limited-edition single batch beers. They are typically brewed with the purpose of being bold and/or unique recipes, meant to surprise taste buds. Today is a session with another one of these types of beer: Schell's Stag Series Batch 1.

Schell's brewery has made limited beers before as part of their Snowstorm label. That particular beer is released every winter as a different recipe. Some of them have gone on to great success and became part of their year-round line up, like Firebrick and Schell's Stout. So in the past, we've always had to wait until winter to see what new recipes the brewery will release in bottles. Not anymore, thanks to the Stag Series. Different recipe batches from this series will be released throughout the year. Schell's brewery states that they will be a "collection of innovative and experimental, limited-edition beers."

Stag Series Batch 1 is Barrel Aged Schmaltz's Alt. They took their seasonal Schmaltz's Alt, which is a German altbier, and aged it for six months in French oak, pinot noir wine barrels. There is no ABV on the bottle, but the Schell's website lists it at 5.1%.

I pour from the 22 oz bomber into my imperial pint glass. (I wish I had a proper glass for altbier, but I'm having trouble finding one online that does not have a logo.) A 1-finger light tan head quickly appears and then settles into a thin irregular-shaped patch of foam floating on top. The body is dark brown in color, with a touch of ruby when held up to light.

I smell some brown sugar and maybe some faint spice, but a stronger aroma dominates. That would be an acidic, sour fruit character that reminds me of cherries or raspberries.

The first taste confirms what my nose told me. There is a slight caramel flavor at the start along with a hint of vanilla oakiness. Those quickly transition into the flavor of tart dark cherries. Some light chocolate and a mild bitterness come in at the end, along with a final dry quality that seems to linger.

The body has a medium-light thickness and feels creamy in my mouth. There is a nice crisp finish and some surprising warmth that builds in the back of my throat.

This is a very tasty and unique beer. There are some qualities from the red wine barrels that really stand out, but thankfully they don't erase all traces of the altbier. It's more warming than I expected for a 5.1% beer. Some of that must come from the wine barrels. This is a pretty balanced beer and wine mix that is quite enjoyable. If you like red wine and beer, I highly recommend you try this. Of course, I would recommend you try it anyway because that's what I do.

Weyerbacher Brewing Company

Oops. I thought I had done a good job of keeping up with all the breweries starting distribution to Minnesota this year, but apparently I missed one last week. Weyerbacher Brewing is the latest brewery to start distribution to our state.

Weyerbacher is located in Easton, Pennsylvania and was founded in 1995 by Dan and Sue Weirback. They named the brewery after the original German spelling of their family name. They started their business with the plan to brew some basic craft beers like a pale ale and an ESB. It turned out that their most successful beer in the first few years was a big beer - their Raspberry Imperial Stout. The stout was popular enough that they brewed a barleywine and then a Belgian tripel to test more big beer waters. They were successful, so they decided to dedicate themselves to brewing big, flavorful beers.

They currently produce 5 year-round beers, 4 of which are 8% ABV or stronger. They also brew 10 seasonals. Check out their website for descriptions of these delicious-sounding beers.

Surly Four

Four is the appropriately named 4th anniversary beer from Surly brewing. It is also the first of the anniversary brews that I have purchased. Yep, I missed out on One, Two, and Three. That's my own fault. However, even though I'm late to the party, I'm happy to help celebrate with this anniversary.

This beer is described by Surly as an iced double espresso milk stout. It has been brewed with espresso beans, roasted barley, and milk sugar. It's also been freeze concentrated. In this process, the beer is chilled enough that some of the water turns to ice and is removed. This concentrates the flavors and increases the alcoholic strength of the remaining beer. From my research, this brew is around 10% ABV.

Sorry about my picture for this beer. There are some flash reflections that are normally not present in my photos. I wasn't thinking and made a mistake with my lighting. You'd think I'd have it down by now, wouldn't you? Oh well. Let's get on with the session.

I cut the wax from the top of the 750 ml bottle, pry off the cap, and pour into my snifter. A 2 finger tan head is easily generated and gradually settles into a thin layer. The body is black in color and doesn't seem to let any light pass through.

I take whiff, and like what I smell. There is dark roasted coffee, some fruit, and a slight smokey aroma. I also detect something that's hard to describe; almost like the sweet smell of Whoppers candy. Alcohol is present, but not overpowering.

Complex flavors emerge on my first and second sips. Rich dark chocolate, coffee, subtle fruit, and smoke are all playing on my tongue. It then eases into a moderate bitterness that lingers for a while in the back of my mouth.

The body has a nice heavy viscosity which coats everything. There isn't much carbonation to speak of. A nice alcohol warmth shows itself immediately.

This is a big, bold, flavorful double stout. It has a lot of layers and complexity to the aromas and flavors which last well past after you swallow. It's very tasty, and would be great to share with someone on a cool evening because it would probably help you feel warm and cozy. I'm drinking it in warm, humid weather and it's making me sweat more than I already was. I guess a little moisture was worth it to drink a delicious brew. If you can find some of this, buy it and save it for the fall and/or winter. It should store well, and I know you'll enjoy it.

Belgian beer experts

At the beginning of May, I did a breakdown of the Saison beer style. Apparently it attracted a little attention, because I received an email from Wendy Littlefield of Vanberg & DeWulf. She was en route to Belgium to visit Brasserie Dupont, the brewer of Saison Dupont. You see, the Vanberg & DeWulf company is the importer of that beer, among many other tasty Belgian brews. She thanked me for educating people about Belgian beer styles and Saisons in particular. I thought that was pretty exciting. Thanks for the email, Wendy! Check out these links for Vanberg & Dewulf's website and blog.

Schell's Maifest

I often enjoy drinking Schell's year-round offerings. They are well-made, high quality beers that I can always depend on. Their seasonal offerings aren't any different, except for the fact that I can only get them at certain times of the year. In fact, I think my own anticipation of each seasonal causes me to enjoy them even more than their other beers.

There are currently 7 seasonals produced by Schell's, and not one of them is a bad beer. With the exception of Snowstorm (because it is a different recipe every year), I look most forward to the spring release of Maifest.

Maifest is a German maibock style lager. In Germany, maibocks are traditionally tapped in May to celebrate the start of spring. They are typically a rich, strong lager and Schell's interpretation is no exception. This beer weighs in at a healthy 7.2% ABV. I'm ready to pry off the cap and start the session!

I pour the Maifest into my flute glass. A 1/4 inch white head is generated, but falls somewhat quickly into a small thin patch and a ring around the edge of the glass. The body is orangish gold and clear. There are not many visible bubbles rising to the top.

The aroma is not very strong. There is a bready sweet smell with a hint of honey. Faint herbal notes are also present.

The taste is a much stronger version of the aroma. There is sweet and rich toasted grain, with maybe just a bit of honey. A gentle bitterness comes on gradually and leads into a dry finish. Alcohol is detectable, but appropriate and not overpowering.

The medium weight of the body coats the tongue slightly, but is cleaned away by surprisingly prickly carbonation and alcoholic dryness. It is crisp and easy to swallow with a small warming effect that builds.

This is a very tasty and highly drinkable maibock. It has been very popular at my Coborn's tastings. The rich malt dominates, but is washed away by the bitter and dry qualities. In my opinion, this makes it drink like a session beer even though it's not. I can see this beer being flavorful and refreshing if you drink it cold on a warm spring/summer day. Just don't drink too many, because the ABV might knock you on your butt. This beer is in liquor stores right now, but it won't be long until the next Schell's seasonal takes over. Go get some to try before it's gone!

Beer Tasting tomorrow

Come and celebrate Craft Beer Week with me tomorrow at the Coborn's Liquor in Hastings. I will be pouring samples of tasty brew from 3 - 7pm. The line-up is finalized, and here is what we'll be tasting:

• Summit Hefe Weizen
• Ommegang Witte
• Bell's Oberon
• New Belgium Mighty Arrow
• Schell's Maifest
• Ommegang Hennepin

Be sure to stop by Coborn's tomorrow and taste some quality brews. As always, I'll be happy to answer any questions, give recommendations, and just talk about beer. I hope to see you there!

Beer dinner at home

I had planned on attending the New Belgium beer dinner at the Hastings Green Mill yesterday. However, when I found out that it was cancelled I told my wife about an idea I had: We should have our own beer dinner right at home. She agreed and seemed excited about the idea. I know I was. I decided that it would be fun to have 5 courses for the meal, and a beer with each.

While I was at work yesterday, my wife baked a loaf of beer bread for our appetizer course. Before she mixed the batter, she called to ask which beer to use. I thought about it and had her use some Odell IPA. When I got home, the house was filled with the wonderful smell of fresh baked bread. That made me even more excited about making this dinner than I already was.

I changed out of my work clothes and quickly headed over to Coborn's. The liquor store has a "build your own" six-pack section, and I thought it would be the best way to go for beer. Before I had left the house, my wife told me she was going to bake some Tastefully Simple Polka Dot Bars for dessert. They have a cookie dough type batter with butterscotch and chocolate chips. Because I already knew 2 of the courses, I would have to match 2 beers to them. For the other 3 courses, I decided to pick the beer first and match foods to those brews. I made my six-pack in the liquor store, and then I headed over to the grocery side to get the food for the remaining courses. Here is what we ended up having, in order:

1. Tastefully Simple Wheat Beer Bread Mix (made with Odell IPA) and sun-dried tomato dip served with Bell's Oberon.
2. Coborn's Deli honey mustard pasta salad served with Ommegang Hennepin.
3. Coborn's Deli mango habanero boneless wings served with New Belgium Ranger.
4. My own creation. I flattened 4 cubed pork steaks, seasoned them with Famous Dave's Rib Rub and sprinkled shredded parmesan on top. Then I rolled them into logs and wrapped them in thick-cut bacon. I grilled them to tasty perfection and served with Warsteiner Premium Dunkel.
5. Tastefully Simple Polka Dot Bars served with Breckenridge Vanilla Porter.

Wow, everything tasted good! My wife and I think that 4 of the 5 food and beer pairings turned out perfect. The flavors worked beautifully together. The only problem I had was the pairing for the main course. I knew that I wanted to grill the main course, and I would've preferred a scotch ale or smoked beer for the pairing. However, I limited myself to the "build your own" selection, which didn't have those styles. I thought I could make the Dunkel work with smokey, salty grilled food, but it tasted different than I had remembered. It was a little too sweet to pair well with the pork and bacon. Oh well, 4 out of 5 isn't bad.

I highly recommend trying something like this for yourself. It was a very rewarding experience and a tasty one at that!

Adjuncts

In my Monday post about the definition of the term "craft brewer," I mentioned adjuncts. More specifically, info from the Brewers Association stated that adjuncts should be used to enhance, rather than lighten, flavor. So, I'm sure some of you are wondering, "What are adjuncts?" Read on to find out.

Beer is typically made with 4 ingredients: Water, malt, hops, and yeast. These are considered the essentials for modern brewing, due in large part to the German beer purity law called Reinheitsgebot. (This law deserves its own post, so look for it at a later date.) There can be many variations in those 4 ingredients that effect the end result. The water source could have different minerals in it, which can effect mashing and fermentation. Malts can come from all different types of barley, wheat, rye, etc. and can be kilned or roasted in multiple ways. There are different varieties of hops and each has their own acid levels, aromas, and flavors. There are too many strains of yeast to even count, and each one will ferment differently and can create unique flavors. Through all these variations, a brewer already has an unbelievable number of possible ingredient combinations to create tasty beer.

It is generally accepted that an adjunct is any ingredient used to make beer other than the essential 4. Adjuncts can be viewed as good or bad depending upon the beer and your own preferences.

For instance, beers like Coors, Miller, and Budweiser replace some of the malt that could be used with the adjuncts of corn and/or rice. Because they contain easily fermentable sugars, these adjuncts lighten the body and flavor of the beer while maintaining the alcohol level they desire. I personally am not a fan of adjuncts being used in this way, as it can make beer watery and less flavorful.

However, there are other ways to use adjuncts which are happily accepted by the craft beer world (and myself). You need to look no further than Belgian beers. Belgian brewers throw anything and everything into their beer, so long as it enhances the flavor to their liking. For example, the Witbier style is traditionally made with orange peel and coriander. Belgain Candi Sugar is another common adjunct used to add sweet flavors and raise alcohol levels of beers that already have a huge malt addition. Adjuncts used in this way are intended to give the brewer the chance at an infinite number of flavor possibilities in their beer.

I'm a fan of adjuncts being used to add flavor and richness to beer, in case you couldn't tell. However, there are some people that are very happy the big brewers use them to lighten beer. Maybe I can convert a few of those people. After all, they don't know what they're missing!

Beer Dinner Cancelled

When I got home yesterday after work, my wife checked our voicemail. There was a message that really disappointed me. The Hastings Green Mill has cancelled their New Belgium beer dinner which had been scheduled for Wednesday evening. Apparently there was a lack of interest and they couldn't justify having the dinner for so few people. I've been thinking about it, and have 2 different reasons for my disappointment:

1. I was really looking forward to this beer dinner, which I made reservations to attend with my wife.
2. The fact that a lack of interest caused the cancellation, especially during Craft Beer Week.

The thing that surprises me is I think I'm more disappointed about reason #2. I wonder if the location had anything to do with it (Hastings), or maybe the restaurant didn't promote the dinner enough. Who knows? I hope that my blog and business can change people's ideas about craft beer and help to generate more interest for events like this in the future.

One thing is for sure: My wife and I have decided to plan our own beer dinner for Wednesday night. It will be more work, but should also be a lot of fun!

What is a craft brewer?

Happy Craft Beer Week to all of you! Get out and drink some tasty beer during this week dedicated to craft brewers and craft beer culture. This week may open your eyes to some new beers and breweries, and might possibly bring up this question: What is a craft brewer?

Not too long ago, there was a period of time when the terms "microbrewery" and "macrobrewery" were commonly used. The definition of these terms was pretty self-explanatory. A microbrewery produced beer on a small scale, while a macrobrewery produced massive amounts of beer. These terms lost popularity because they were too generic and didn't indicate the beer quality produced by the brewers.

The term "craft brewer" is the standard these days. A brewery is either a craft brewer or not. Here is the definition from the Brewers Association: An American craft brewer is small, independent, and traditional. That sounds good right? Well, you're probably still wondering, "What exactly does that mean?" Don't worry. Just read the following points from the Brewers Association, which further break it down:

• Small: The brewer can not produce over 2 million barrels of beer per year.
• Independent: 25% or less of the brewery is owned or controlled by an entity which is not themselves a craft brewer.
• Traditional: This one is very important. The brewer must have either an all-malt flagship (which is the highest volume beer they sell) or have at least 50% of its total volume in either all-malt beers or beers which use adjuncts to enhance rather than lighten flavor.

OK, did you get all that? (I'm sure some of you might not know what adjuncts are, but I'll cover that in another post later this week.) This definition is much more specific than "microbrewery" which makes it more useful.

However, you might be surprised to learn that your favorite craft beer is not produced by a "craft brewer." That doesn't mean they produce poor quality beers. It just means that they do not fit all of the requirements of the definition. Take our local August Schell Brewing, for example. They produce some excellent all-malt craft beers, but they are not considered a craft brewer. Why? Because their highest volume beer is Grain Belt Premium, which uses adjuncts to lighten the beer.

I have my own personal definition of craft beer. A craft beer is an artisan product created with much care and pride by a brewer who had the ultimate intention of producing quality brews, not high profit margins. Craft brewers are awesome and should be celebrated this week. Just don't forget about the other quality craft brews produced by brewers that don't fit the definition.

Craft Beer Week

Consider this post a reminder to some of you and new information to others. Next week is Craft Beer Week! It's a whole week dedicated to craft beer brewers and consumers. On April 22 of this year, the U.S. Congress even started discussing House Resolution 1297, which supports the goals and ideals of Craft Beer Week.

Get out and drink some tasty craft brews in the coming days. If you check out your favorite beer-related establishments, you will find that many of them have special events planned for this ultimate beer week. I will definitely be participating in some of these.

Support craft beer. Especially our quality local breweries!

Beer Rating/Scoring

Well, after about 3.5 months of making beer posts, I'm happy to say that it's still a lot of fun for me. And in the process, I've done 17 beer sessions so far. Today, I wanted to talk about why I call them beer sessions, not beer reviews.

If you look back at my first 2 tasting posts for Samuel Smith's Taddy Porter and Summit ESB, you'll notice that I did actually call them reviews. However, every tasting post after that I called a beer session. Why did I decide to change this one word? It's simple, really. I don't believe my sole opinion should decide whether or not a beer is "good" or "bad."

From the start I knew that I didn't want to "review" beers, but that was the first word that came to mind for my early posts. You can find internet and print sources everywhere that are willing to judge, rate, and/or score beers. Some of these sources are very professional and some of them are obviously amateurish, but they often have something in common: a rating or scoring system. Some use a scale from 1 - 100, some use grades A - F, and some even use a star system similar to those used by movie critics. I choose to stay away from those methods.

To me, beer tasting is a very subjective thing. Each person's perception of taste and smell can be quite different. People also have certain personal likes and dislikes that will affect their opinion of each beer. This can make it hard for you, the reader, to understand whether or not you will like a specific beer, because you usually don't know the reviewer's taste preferences.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not against rating systems. If you can find a few reviews of the same beer, they can help you find out if the majority enjoys it. That could mean there is a good chance it is a quality brew. Rating and scoring is also useful for trying to judge whether a beer fits specific style guidelines, like the BJCP program. I just feel that my own beer sessions should convey what each beer is about and let you decide if it sounds good.

I enjoy writing a little about the style or the brewery and then giving you my observations about each beer. I definitely like some more than others, but that's because of my own taste preferences. However, I want you to be the one who decides whether you like a beer. I might love a beer that you hate, or vice versa. That is why I always encourage you to try the beer at the end of each session. You're the only one who can decide.

My passion is to educate and help people open their minds to craft beer. That's why I love doing this. And that's why you won't find a beer rating system on this blog.

Coborn's Beer Tasting - May 22nd

I'm happy to announce my second beer tasting as an employee of Coborn's Liquor. I will be pouring some tasty samples on Saturday, May 22nd from 3 - 7 pm. There will be some spring/summer seasonals, along with some other beers that are great for when the weather gets warm. I have the list mostly finalized, but a couple depend upon availability. Here is what I'm planning:

• Bell's Oberon - This American wheat beer is a popular summer seasonal. It's from Bell's, so what more do I need to say?
• New Belgium Mighty Arrow - A tasty pale ale that is New Belgium's spring seasonal. This beer may or may not be available as spring beers are switching to summer, so I may have to pick a different brew.
• Ommegang Hennepin - The first Saison I ever had, and still one of my top 5 beers.
• Ommegang Witte - A nice and refreshing Belgian Witbier brewed with orange peel and coriander.
• Schell's Pilsner - This local brew is a true all malt pilsner and is one of my favorite examples of the style.
• Summit Maibock/Hefe Weizen - Once again, as spring turns to summer, so do the beers. Our store still has some Maibock left, but we may decide to go with the Hefe. Both are tasty!

Come on over to the Hastings Coborn's on the 22nd to taste some quality craft beer. As usual, I encourage you to come and talk beer with me. I can answer any beer questions you may have and give recommendations if you'd like. I hope to see you there!

New Belgium Beer Dinner on May 19th

I stopped in to the Hastings Green Mill last night to get 2 orders of their Pasta Pavarotti to help my wife and myself celebrate our 7th wedding anniversary. While I was waiting for our food, I noticed a sign above the bar that made me excited. They are having a New Belgium beer dinner on Wednesday, May 19th!

I called the manager today to get more details for any of you that might be interested. This will be a 5 course meal and a different New Belgium brew will be served with each course:

1. Smoked Chicken & Bacon Quesadilla served with Sunshine Wheat
2. Bangkok Chicken Salad served with Ranger IPA
3. Pasta Pavarotti served with Tripel
4. 4 varieties of Thin N Crispy pizzas served with Fat Tire
5. Chocolate Cake served with 1554

All this for $40 per person sounds like a good deal to me. There will be a social (half) hour starting at 6:30 pm, with the first course served at 7:00 pm. Call the Hastings Green Mill at 651-438-9191 to make reservations as they have a limited number of seats for this dinner. I've already made my reservations, and I hope to see you there!

Schell's Stag Series

It's becoming popular for breweries in our region to release a line of innovative and experimental limited edition beers. Tyranena has Brewers Gone Wild, New Glarus has Unplugged, and Summit has the somewhat new Unchained Series. I'm a big fan of this new trend because it really lets the brewers cut loose and try some new things that they probably weren't allowed to do in the past (at least not through their brewery). Now another Minnesota brewer is entering this realm. It's our favorite New Ulm brewery, Schell's.

August Schell Brewing has been somewhat involved with limited edition brews in the past with their Snowstorm label. This annual winter brew is a different recipe every year and has been very successful for them. There are many people who eagerly await and anticipate the release of this beer every winter. Good news, everyone: Now you won't have to wait until December of each year to try a new Schell's recipe, because they've decided to take it up a notch with their new Stag Series line of beers.

The first beer in the series is Barrel-Aged Schmaltz's Alt. They have taken their familiar tasty altbier and aged it in French-oak Pinot Noir wine barrels. It has already been released and is available in 22 ounce bombers.

I had not seen this beer at my local liquor stores yet and I'm excited for it to show up. This past weekend, my brother brought a bottle to my parent's house on Mother's Day and he was kind enough to share some with me. I didn't sit down for an official beer session, but I can tell you this: Wow! I couldn't believe how much of the wine flavor made it into the beer. You should definitely give this unique beer a try. When I find a bottle of my own, I'll be sure to post a session for all of you.

Current Seasonals at Great Waters

It's been a while since I've mentioned my favorite brewpub, so I thought it would be a good time to update all of you about Great Waters current seasonal brews. They have 4 available right now along with most of the beers from their standard lineup.

On the cask side:

• Glacier Pale Ale - English style pale ale, 37 IBUs, 5% ABV
• Tartar Control IPA - assertively hopped IPA, 75 IBUs, 6.5% ABV

On the pushed side:

• Myna Bock - ale version of a maibock, 25 IBUs, 7% ABV
• Veloman Ale - complex Belgian style ale, 35 IBUs, 6% ABV

Check out their website for descriptions of each beer and any other Great Waters info you need.

Style Breakdown - Saison/Belgian Farmhouse

The Saison/Belgian Farmhouse style is probably my favorite style of beer. That's of course only if I was forced into a corner with a gun up to my head and told I absolutely, positively could only choose 1 favorite style of beer. Otherwise, I'd take too much time deciding which 5 styles were my favorite. Anyway, the complexity and multiple drinking applications of saisons are what make them such good all-around beers. Here is the style breakdown of saisons.

Saisons were originally brewed by farmhouses in Wallonia, the French-speaking region of Belgium. (Hence the alias, Belgian Farmhouse ale.) Saison is the French word for "season" and, no, it's not just a clever name; these ales were actually brewed seasonally. They were typically brewed towards the end of the cool season to last through the warmer months until late summer harvest. The farm workers were allowed to have up to 5 liters of saison during each workday. You might think the workers would be useless after 5 liters of beer, but these brews were typically low in alcohol at the time and were drank over the course of the whole day. It was meant to serve as a refreshing beverage that would rehydrate the hard working harvesters. (Water at the time was not pure and could cause illness.)

It's funny that I'm doing a style breakdown of saisons, because historically there was not a saison "style." Every farmhouse made a different version of this seasonal beer with whatever ingredients they had available. Many modern examples are modeled after Saison Dupont, one of the most internationally popular versions made in Belgium. Most are higher in alcohol than the originals, at 6 - 8% ABV. There are enough similarities between these current versions that the BJCP recognizes saison as an independent Belgian style.

Not too many years ago, saison was considered a "dying style." However, there recently has been a huge resurgence due in large part to Americans discovering this beer. In 2006 at the Great American Beer Festival, they showed a 76% increase in Saison entrants over the past 2 years. That's good for us, because this style can be very delicious and can appeal to many people.

Saisons are typically fermented at relatively high temperatures, even for ales. Those fermentation temps and the type of yeast used add some unique tasty qualities to the style. Most have some nice malt sweetness, orange or apricot citrus fruitiness, herbal spiciness or peppery qualities, a slight tartness, mellow earthy hop character, and a dry crisp refreshing finish. As you can tell by the flavor description, these beers can be very complex! The amazing part is that most pure saisons due not add spices or fruit to the beer; those flavors are created by the yeast.

Due to the number of distinctive flavors in saisons, they can be drank with many different foods and during all seasons. If you've never tried one, you really should. Here in Minnesota we are lucky enough to have 2 local craft breweries that make tasty saisons: Surly Cynicale and Lift Bridge Farm Girl Saison. There is also Saison Dupont, the one that helped introduce the style to so many. The first saison I ever had was Ommegang Hennepin, which blew my mind and is still one of my favorite beers to this day.

Yet another brewery starting MN distribution

Wow. As Minnesota craft beer drinkers, we have to be happy about all the new beers we have the opportunity to try lately. It seems like every time I turn around, we're getting some new brews. This week, yet another brewery has started distribution to our thirsty state: Great Lakes Brewing Company.

Great Lakes Brewing is a highly regarded brewery located in Cleveland, Ohio. It was founded in 1988 by 2 brothers, Patrick and Daniel Conway. They currently have 5 year-round and 8 seasonal beers, the majority of which are multiple award winners. I know in Minnesota we will have access to the year-round brews, which are: Burning River Pale Ale, Commodore Perry IPA, Dortmunder Gold Lager, Edmund Fitzgerald Porter, and Eliot Ness Amber Lager. I'm assuming that if those do well here, we will also start to see some of their seasonals arrive.

If you're interested in learning more about the brewery and/or their beers, click here. I'm excited to see so many new beers arriving in our state. Keep on drinking tasty craft beer; the brewers are starting to notice our affinity for it. Also don't forget to keep supporting our local MN brewers. They work hard to make tasty beverages for us, and I am proud to drink them.

Brau Brothers Rainwater Oak-Aged Stout

Brau Brothers Brewing is located in the small town of Lucan in southwestern Minnesota. Their logo even lists the population of Lucan so you know how small it is: 220. They seem to be proud of their city and they make some pretty decent beers.

There isn't much history listed on their website, but I've picked up a few nuggets of information over time:

• Brau Brothers started in a brewpub in Lucan before becoming a full-fledged brewery.

• They are actually members of the Brau family, so brewery is named appropriately. There are 3 brothers, and their father is also involved in the business.

• The name Brau means brew or beer in German. Maybe they were born to start a brewery...

• The brewery was officially started in the spring of 2006.

• They have their own barley fields and hop gardens, which I think is pretty cool.

Today I have a bottle of one of their newest offerings, Rainwater Oak-Aged Stout. They don't have this beer listed on their website, so you can't get any info there. However, I can give you a quick run-down of the description. As far as I know, this is a limited brew. It's an imperial stout made with the addition of belgian candi sugar which is then aged extensively on Madeira oak. They designate it as a VSOD, or Very Special Old Dark. It is 10% ABV and should be perfect for cellaring. I've been excited to try this beer, so let's do it!

This beer is corked and caged. The last time I did a session with a beer that had this setup, it took me a while to open it. I've had other corked beers since then and haven't had a problem, so let's hope this one goes well... Nope, this cork doesn't want to come out. Rather than take 5 minutes to slowly wiggle and twist it out, I decide to grab a pliers. Work smarter, not harder, right? With the help from the pliers, the cork comes out quickly.

I pour the 750ml bottle into my big snifter glass. A 1-finger tan head is generated, which then gradually dissipates into a thin layer on top of the beer. The body is black in color and doesn't seem to let any light pass through.

The smell is making me thirsty! There are some sweet dark chocolate and roasty malt aromas. I'm also picking up some dark dried fruits and just a hint of coffee. There is also a bit of alcohol in the nose.

Wonderful flavors emerge on the first sip. Rich sweet malt comes first, along with definite oak and vanilla qualities. Dark roasted coffee is also present before the mellow bitterness finishes everything off. It's odd that I could smell alcohol, but I can't taste it. It's covered up very well.

There is a medium thick weight to this beer. I actually think it seems lighter in body than many other imperial stouts I've had. There is a creamy smooth character that is pleasing on the tongue, and a nice alcohol warming effect.

This is an awesome imperial stout! It's rich with dark malts and the flavors associated with them. I'm not sure how much flavor comes through from the belgian candi sugar, but it definitely adds to the alcohol. I recommend sharing this beer with a friend or two, because it's strength could be dangerous. Without a doubt, this is the best beer I've had from Brau Brothers and I hope they brew it again.