Many of you, my devoted readers, will be familiar with New Glarus Brewery of New Glarus, Wisconsin. They are among the craftiest of craft brewers, and only sell their product in Wisconsin. For long years, I did not even realize this, until I thought about it again and realized that I had only bought their products from vendors across the river--first the Spur Station, and now that they are out of business, the Wine House.
Several times throughout the year, New Glarus allows their brewmeister to go crazy and make whatever kind of artisinal beer he has on his mind. These get bottled with a foil wrapped neck and sold in packs of four as the "Thumbprint Series," and that is where the Berliner Weiss fits into their schema.
According to the side of the bottle (the labels all have a little story about the beer inside), Napoleon dubbed this beer the Champagne of the North." It is brewed with Wisconsin Wheat and Riesling grapes. And, it is tart (for those who were worried that wheat beer with Riesling grapes would be too sweet).
The pour:
Twelve ounce bottle poured into a tulip glass. Quickly develops almost two whole inches of head, I really need to work on my pouring skills. The foam is of a medium consistency, and persists well--as i write this I have drank close to half the bottle and there is still a layer, albeit only a few millimeters thick, floating on the top. It also laces beautifully. The aroma is very similar to Proximity--the grapes come through very strong.
The Drink:
Tart! Delicious!
Light bodied, with a strong green/white grape sourness that does not cling to the palate. Other fruit notes that might have developed from vinting the grapes straight are less present, but so is the typical wheat beer sweetness. Also present on the tongue is the great sensation of the beer's subtle effervescence.
The tart flavors almost remind me of the sourness of a lambic, but it does not have the heavy, clinging sourness of wild yeast--it is tart on the tongue, and then just an echo remains, making you want to immediately take another sip. Dangerously drinkable.
Enjoy at a picnic with friends, or under a starry night sky with a bonfire. I might save a few four packs for New Year's Eve!
Rating: ***** of *****!
Tuesday, June 18, 2013
Saturday, May 11, 2013
Blue Moon Proximity
What is it: Wheat Ale brewed with the juice of Savingon-Blanc grapes.
Presentation: 750 mL bottle with a pop-top cap, poured into a heffe glass.
The pour: Extremely clear golden color, with an inch or so of head that is of a medium fine texture, little persistence and no lacing.
The nose: Wheat beer with a strong aroma of grape juice.
The palate: None of the typical Blue Moon Fruit Loops flavors are present here, instead you get a clear, crisp, slightly grape-y flavor, with the malt and the hops definitely down-played. On the other hand, it definitely tastes like a beer, rather than a wine. I am not sure how this is possible, but I do know that it is pretty strong--I am definitely feeling this review!
Pairs with: Anything that would normally pair with wheat ale or white wine. That is anything from burgers and fries to a fancy chicken or fish dinner.
Rating: *** of *****
Sunday, April 21, 2013
Chocolate Breakfast
Today, I am drinknig O'Dell Brewing Company's Lugene Chocolate Milk Stout, and I am pairing it with the chipotle bacon chocolate cake that I made yesterday.
The pour:
I poured Lugene into a tulip glass. the beer is intensely dark, nearly black, with a caramel colored, somewhat thin head, which dissipates fairly quickly and leaves little to no lacing.
The nose:
Dark, toasty, almost coffee notes, with a hint of chocolate below. Smells delicious
The palate:
Sweet with a hint of dark chocolate and coffee biterness. Smooth, with ery littel lingering aftertaste. A great dessert beer.
The cake:
As anyone who follows my FB feed probably knows, I made this cake yesterday. I followed the recipe that can be found here: https://www.hersheys.com/recipes/recipe-details.aspx?id=8108 , but with the following changes:
1) I used retained bacon fat instead of vegetable oil.
2) The local store did not have the Special Dark Cocoa, so I used regular Hershey's unsweetened cocoa powder.
3) I added eight strips of bacon, baked hard in the oven and chopped medium coarse. In retrospect, it could have used more, and cooked it even harder.
4) I also added 4 teaspoons of chipotle powder.
The cake was frosted with the recipe on the same page, except that I again substituted regular cocoa for Special Dark.
Honestly, by most measures of cake, this one is amazing--dense yet moist, richly chocolate. The only way to improve that aspect of the thing is probably to use the special dark cocoa (Maggie will disagree with me--she prefers milk chocolate). It even stands up to my experimentation well. The downsides to this cake are just that--my experimentations. I have been wanting to make a chocolate chipotle cake for a few years now, and when the idea hit me to add bacon to the mix I had to do it. The effect I was going for would have more bacon, however, and more texture from the bacon, and less chipotle. More of a hint of spice under notes of smoky bacon, rather than vice versa, as it is now.
The pour:
I poured Lugene into a tulip glass. the beer is intensely dark, nearly black, with a caramel colored, somewhat thin head, which dissipates fairly quickly and leaves little to no lacing.
The nose:
Dark, toasty, almost coffee notes, with a hint of chocolate below. Smells delicious
The palate:
Sweet with a hint of dark chocolate and coffee biterness. Smooth, with ery littel lingering aftertaste. A great dessert beer.
The cake:
As anyone who follows my FB feed probably knows, I made this cake yesterday. I followed the recipe that can be found here: https://www.hersheys.com/recipes/recipe-details.aspx?id=8108 , but with the following changes:
1) I used retained bacon fat instead of vegetable oil.
2) The local store did not have the Special Dark Cocoa, so I used regular Hershey's unsweetened cocoa powder.
3) I added eight strips of bacon, baked hard in the oven and chopped medium coarse. In retrospect, it could have used more, and cooked it even harder.
4) I also added 4 teaspoons of chipotle powder.
The cake was frosted with the recipe on the same page, except that I again substituted regular cocoa for Special Dark.
Honestly, by most measures of cake, this one is amazing--dense yet moist, richly chocolate. The only way to improve that aspect of the thing is probably to use the special dark cocoa (Maggie will disagree with me--she prefers milk chocolate). It even stands up to my experimentation well. The downsides to this cake are just that--my experimentations. I have been wanting to make a chocolate chipotle cake for a few years now, and when the idea hit me to add bacon to the mix I had to do it. The effect I was going for would have more bacon, however, and more texture from the bacon, and less chipotle. More of a hint of spice under notes of smoky bacon, rather than vice versa, as it is now.
Friday, April 5, 2013
Surprise Review: Surly Pentagram
I bought a bottle of Surly Pentagram on a whim today, largely due to the fact that it is (sort of) a beer-wine hybrid, which is an area of drink that I am very interested in. At $35 per bottle, its not terrible, but I don't think I will be picking it up again. I applaud Surly for their creativity, but so far have only found myself to be liking this particular brew. Furious is much too hoppy for my taste, and The Darkness was all kinds of bad, for reasons that I will not get into in this post.
Pentagram is a dark beer aged in red wine barrels that is fermented by a yeast strain called Brettanomyces, according to the back of the bottle. "Brett," according to Wikipedia, is a wild yeast strain most often found on the skins of fruits. It was discovered in the early part of the 20th century in a study of causes of spoilage in English ales, and has since become important in both beer and wine making for the flavor compounds it impairs (apparently, when grown in glucose, it produces large amounts of acetic acid), and as such it is used in some red wines meant to be drank younger to impart an aged, complex character. In the beer world, it is most commonly viewed as a contaminant, though traditional Belgian lambic styles make use of it (being spontaneously fermented by wild yeast).
I poured Pentagram out of its 750 mm bottle into a tulip glass. It was dark enough to be opaque, and it had a highly fizzy head (actually making a fizzing noise like a Coca Cola), which left no lacing on the glass at all. The nose is predominantly sour, with slightly fruity undertones. The palate is not as sour and gamey as the few unfruited lambics I have tried, but does have more than a hint of that same flavor. The mouth feel is thinner than how I remember a lambic, as well, more like a lager. The bottle claims that it has notes of sour cherry, oak, and tobacco. Honestly, my palate is not refined enough to pick up on them. All I know is I quite like it, I just don't like it $35 a bottle. If they brought it out at a lower price point, it might become a more regular stock for me.
As far as food pairings go, I would probably treat Pentagram as I would a reasonably affordable red wine--it would make a very interesting substitution. . .though really, with a flavor profile this distinctive, I am much more likely to drink it by itself.
Pentagram is a dark beer aged in red wine barrels that is fermented by a yeast strain called Brettanomyces, according to the back of the bottle. "Brett," according to Wikipedia, is a wild yeast strain most often found on the skins of fruits. It was discovered in the early part of the 20th century in a study of causes of spoilage in English ales, and has since become important in both beer and wine making for the flavor compounds it impairs (apparently, when grown in glucose, it produces large amounts of acetic acid), and as such it is used in some red wines meant to be drank younger to impart an aged, complex character. In the beer world, it is most commonly viewed as a contaminant, though traditional Belgian lambic styles make use of it (being spontaneously fermented by wild yeast).
I poured Pentagram out of its 750 mm bottle into a tulip glass. It was dark enough to be opaque, and it had a highly fizzy head (actually making a fizzing noise like a Coca Cola), which left no lacing on the glass at all. The nose is predominantly sour, with slightly fruity undertones. The palate is not as sour and gamey as the few unfruited lambics I have tried, but does have more than a hint of that same flavor. The mouth feel is thinner than how I remember a lambic, as well, more like a lager. The bottle claims that it has notes of sour cherry, oak, and tobacco. Honestly, my palate is not refined enough to pick up on them. All I know is I quite like it, I just don't like it $35 a bottle. If they brought it out at a lower price point, it might become a more regular stock for me.
As far as food pairings go, I would probably treat Pentagram as I would a reasonably affordable red wine--it would make a very interesting substitution. . .though really, with a flavor profile this distinctive, I am much more likely to drink it by itself.
Saturday, March 16, 2013
Second Review: Jacob Leinenkugel Big Eddy Baltic Porter
Leinenkugel beer is famous throughout the upper midwest, and for good reason. The company dates back to 1867, and has been operating out of Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin pretty much ever since. More recently, it was bought by Miller Brewing (of the Milwaukee Brewers fame), giving it an awesome amount of cash to subsidize its endeavors, but still being allowed almost complete autonomy to brew what it will--the owners of Leinie's are truly living the brewer's dream.
Big Eddy is the Leinie's deluxe series, similar to Samuel Adam's Small Batch series, and their Baltic Porter is one of the offerings in said series. I have poured a twelve ounce bottle into a tulip glass. The beer is almost black, shining slightly red when held up to the light. I didn't get the pour quite right, so there was a minimal amount of tan brown head. The nose is dark and sweet, roasted nuts, toffee, and caramel. This beer is very much malt forward.
The palate has notes of coffee, chocolate, and nuts, with a slightly burnt flavor. It is definitely sweeter than the Whitewater IPA, and lacking much of any piney, floral hops notes, as you would expect from a dark malty beer. However, it lacks the cloying, mouth and throat coating characteristics that some Imperial Stouts can have (a notable example of what I am speaking about here is Surly Brewing's The Darkness, ,which was everything that I normally like about Imperial Stouts cranked to a level which I did not at all care for), finishing smoothly and without lingering to the point of distaste.
Maggie asked an astute question on my last post (which I will answer in a moment), about food pairings, so I will from here on be addressing that topic in my reviews as well. The traditional food partner with Porter is, of course, the porterhouse steak, and I see that working well with this one, as well. Possibly even better would be a nice thick serving of Prime Rib, roasted with a generous marinade of red wine, garlic, onion, and rosemary to a perfect rare. I would serve it with a dark pumpernickel bread to soak up the drippings and a hearty green vegetable such as Brussel sprouts (perhaps cooked with bacon) for a slightly acidic, bitter contrast to all the dark red richness of the plate.
In a nutshell you should try this beer if you like Imperial Stouts, but sometimes want something with a cleaner finish and a thinner mouthfeel. It would be especially good for warmer spring and fall days when the toasty warmth of the stout is to much.
Big Eddy is the Leinie's deluxe series, similar to Samuel Adam's Small Batch series, and their Baltic Porter is one of the offerings in said series. I have poured a twelve ounce bottle into a tulip glass. The beer is almost black, shining slightly red when held up to the light. I didn't get the pour quite right, so there was a minimal amount of tan brown head. The nose is dark and sweet, roasted nuts, toffee, and caramel. This beer is very much malt forward.
The palate has notes of coffee, chocolate, and nuts, with a slightly burnt flavor. It is definitely sweeter than the Whitewater IPA, and lacking much of any piney, floral hops notes, as you would expect from a dark malty beer. However, it lacks the cloying, mouth and throat coating characteristics that some Imperial Stouts can have (a notable example of what I am speaking about here is Surly Brewing's The Darkness, ,which was everything that I normally like about Imperial Stouts cranked to a level which I did not at all care for), finishing smoothly and without lingering to the point of distaste.
Maggie asked an astute question on my last post (which I will answer in a moment), about food pairings, so I will from here on be addressing that topic in my reviews as well. The traditional food partner with Porter is, of course, the porterhouse steak, and I see that working well with this one, as well. Possibly even better would be a nice thick serving of Prime Rib, roasted with a generous marinade of red wine, garlic, onion, and rosemary to a perfect rare. I would serve it with a dark pumpernickel bread to soak up the drippings and a hearty green vegetable such as Brussel sprouts (perhaps cooked with bacon) for a slightly acidic, bitter contrast to all the dark red richness of the plate.
In a nutshell you should try this beer if you like Imperial Stouts, but sometimes want something with a cleaner finish and a thinner mouthfeel. It would be especially good for warmer spring and fall days when the toasty warmth of the stout is to much.
Monday, February 25, 2013
First Review! Whitewater IPA!
Well, that was harrowing--I needed to remember how to post!
Sorry for the delay, but as I said I would be easing into the habit, here, finally, is my first actual review--of Sam Adam's Whitewater IPA.
From the beginning, this beer presents a challenge. Namely, what kind of glass do you serve it in? It is an IPA, so should I base my choice of glassware on that fact, or on the fact that it is also a wheat ale? I have chosen an elegant presentation (not that you can see it) in a Pilsner glass.
As it pours, the beer is extremely light--almost the color you would expect from a Domestic Premium. The head is white, with bubbles about the size of caviar, fairly persistent, and leaves a nice lacing. In the glass, the beer is slightly darker than it appeared on the pour, though back lighting it reveals that it is still light, and has a huge amount of delicious sediments suspended in the fluid.
The nose reveals the tell tale hoppiness of the IPA, though not overpoweringly so. The first taste reveals more of the same, and if you do not allow the beer to linger in your mouth, that is probably all you can taste. In that respect, Whitewater IPA is a decent IPA, though without the extreme hops of a Furious or a Sweet Child of Vine, slightly bitter on the palate to cut the sweet nature of malt, light and refreshing.
The longer you allow the taste to flourish on your taste buds, the more you will notice the sweeter nature of the malt due to it being a wheat beer, but it will never overcome the strong hop character, rather being just enough to temper it into something extremely drinkable.
All told, I believe that if you like extremely hopped beers like Furious or Sweet Child, this outing may be too tame for you, but that it is definitely worth a try. I only like those beers on a rare occasion, and this seems like something that I could come home a drink after a hot day at work at least. . .once a week (variety is the spice of life!). I hope all of you at least try it, as it is worth some attention, and please comment below with your thoughts.
Sorry for the delay, but as I said I would be easing into the habit, here, finally, is my first actual review--of Sam Adam's Whitewater IPA.
From the beginning, this beer presents a challenge. Namely, what kind of glass do you serve it in? It is an IPA, so should I base my choice of glassware on that fact, or on the fact that it is also a wheat ale? I have chosen an elegant presentation (not that you can see it) in a Pilsner glass.
As it pours, the beer is extremely light--almost the color you would expect from a Domestic Premium. The head is white, with bubbles about the size of caviar, fairly persistent, and leaves a nice lacing. In the glass, the beer is slightly darker than it appeared on the pour, though back lighting it reveals that it is still light, and has a huge amount of delicious sediments suspended in the fluid.
The nose reveals the tell tale hoppiness of the IPA, though not overpoweringly so. The first taste reveals more of the same, and if you do not allow the beer to linger in your mouth, that is probably all you can taste. In that respect, Whitewater IPA is a decent IPA, though without the extreme hops of a Furious or a Sweet Child of Vine, slightly bitter on the palate to cut the sweet nature of malt, light and refreshing.
The longer you allow the taste to flourish on your taste buds, the more you will notice the sweeter nature of the malt due to it being a wheat beer, but it will never overcome the strong hop character, rather being just enough to temper it into something extremely drinkable.
All told, I believe that if you like extremely hopped beers like Furious or Sweet Child, this outing may be too tame for you, but that it is definitely worth a try. I only like those beers on a rare occasion, and this seems like something that I could come home a drink after a hot day at work at least. . .once a week (variety is the spice of life!). I hope all of you at least try it, as it is worth some attention, and please comment below with your thoughts.
Sunday, January 27, 2013
The First Post, no Review Here
Well, I mentioned a while back on my FB feed that I had been thinking about starting this blog, so I am finally going to do it. I had a gaming related blog back in 2009, and it died a horrible death due to neglect after only four posts, so I am going to try not to pin all of my hopes and dreams of writing on this electronic platform, but I will see what I can do.
My goals for this blog are, first and foremost, to inform and entertain my readers with details about what I am drinking during any given week; and secondly to hopefully develop my skills of description regarding the flavor and also the aroma of beer, wine, and spirits. I hope to post at least one review a week, most likely on the weekend.
I have an adequate starting stock of liquor to choose from to begin reviews, so I will go ahead and ask anyone who reads this to post a comment requesting one thing for me to review, and, if I get more than one request, they will be completed in the order of the comments. So, then, I will finish up this last post with a list of what I have available to me.
BEER
Samuel Adams Cherry Wheat
Samuel Adams Whitewater IPA
Jacob Leienenkugel Brewing Company Big Eddy Baltic Porter
Goose Island Bourbon County Brand Stout
Whisky
Bowmore Islay Single Malt 12 Year
Speyburn Highland Single Malt 10 Year
Balcones Brimstone, Texas Scrub Oak Smoked Corn Whisky
Corsair Small Batch Triple Smoke
Corsair Rasputin
Gin
Hendricks Artisanal Gin
Well, I look forward to the next post!
My goals for this blog are, first and foremost, to inform and entertain my readers with details about what I am drinking during any given week; and secondly to hopefully develop my skills of description regarding the flavor and also the aroma of beer, wine, and spirits. I hope to post at least one review a week, most likely on the weekend.
I have an adequate starting stock of liquor to choose from to begin reviews, so I will go ahead and ask anyone who reads this to post a comment requesting one thing for me to review, and, if I get more than one request, they will be completed in the order of the comments. So, then, I will finish up this last post with a list of what I have available to me.
BEER
Samuel Adams Cherry Wheat
Samuel Adams Whitewater IPA
Jacob Leienenkugel Brewing Company Big Eddy Baltic Porter
Goose Island Bourbon County Brand Stout
Whisky
Bowmore Islay Single Malt 12 Year
Speyburn Highland Single Malt 10 Year
Balcones Brimstone, Texas Scrub Oak Smoked Corn Whisky
Corsair Small Batch Triple Smoke
Corsair Rasputin
Gin
Hendricks Artisanal Gin
Well, I look forward to the next post!
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