581. New Glarus Black Top Black IPA

More New Glarus. Which is always special. And as with the last large influx of New Glarus beers, I have Veronica to thank. Which I do. Profusely. We’ll add this one to an ever-growing list that includes Cherry Stout, Staghorn Octoberfest, Saison, Raspberry Tart, Belgian Red, and Fat Squirrel Brown Ale. Here’s to former students that reward me with beer.

Black Top pours a crystal clear chocolate brown with a creamy eggshell head that has excellent retention; there are also garnet highlights from the light through the glass. In the nose, there is evergreen and the fresh, bright pine sap of newly-cut Douglass fir, followed by a hint of creamy roast and bread crust. Flavors open with chocolate, brown sugar, and toast before the pine and evergreen assert themselves in the middle. There are also hints of roastiness, licorice, and molasses in the middle and onto into the finish, which features a lingering spicy resin bitterness along with a soft twang from the roast malt that leaves an almost minty feel on the back of the throat. The carbonation is bright but gentle; it rounds the beer on the tongue, and carries the roast malt flavor from the middle into the finish. The citrus in the nose that the first couple of bottles had has fallen by the wayside, but I think I like it better without it: the evergreen, roast, and dark sugar flavors play well off one-another, creating a delightful beer just short of aggressive. This is one of the more approachable and enjoyable Black IPAs I’ve had—I would happily drink this all evening long. The bitterness is prominent enough to clean the palate with each sip, and yet still allows the myriad of other flavors to play across the profile of the beer. Excellent job, New Glarus.

From the bottle: “We invite you to discover this newest beer style Black IPA. Political debate rages over the origins of this jet black beer as both coasts feel they deserve credit. Our Black Top is a pleasant road connecting Villages and Communities statewide on a ride of Black IPA discovery. Expect this beer to pour a hop forward jet black brimming with aromatic bitterness. Brewmaster Dan skillfully weaves molasses and chocolate malt undertones with a soaring rush of clean citrus and pine hop notes, to deliver a drinkable Black IPA. Savor Black Top, like Wisconsin’s miles of licorice ribbons of ink that meander through armies of corn and bovine fields. Enjoy the journey on a road less traveled.”

ABV: 6.9%

Oh, Robert Frost.

(11/29/2013)

561. New Glarus Cherry Stout

I will admit it: I miss New Glarus. So I was pleased to find this bottle lurking in the basement—it was a gift from Aaron Spoores a couple of years ago, and I forgot about it until now. A cursory examination of the internet indicates that the second release of Cherry Stout as part of the Unplugged Series was in February 2010, so that would make this beer a little over three years old. May my hoarding instincts never die. We’ll add Cherry Stout to a list that includes Staghorn Octoberfest, Saison, Raspberry Tart, Belgian Red, and Fat Squirrel Brown Ale.

Cherry Stout pours a murky cocoa/milk chocolate brown with a fair amount of red; it has a thin tan head that quickly disappears except for a few lingering skiffs of foam, and the nose is redolent of sour cherries, much like New Glarus’s more famous other cherry beer, Wisconsin Belgian Red. In addition to the cherry, there is a touch of candy sweetness in the nose, but could just be more cherries. Flavors open with sour cherry and a slight citric tartness; there is cherry pie mixed with brown sugar in the middle, and a bright fresh cherry in the finish along with just a hint of sourness that turns to sweetness at the flavors linger on the palate. The body is medium; it is clean and bright on the tongue, helped along by the carbonation. I’m not really sure I’d call this a stout: it is more like Wisconsin Belgian Red with a darker malt bill and a bit more body. It might masquerade as a Belgian Dark Strong—not well, mind you—but even then it would be on the lighter side. While the age could be contributing to the lack of “elegantly smooth chocolate covered cherry” flavor described on the New Glarus website—I get no real chocolate at all—that’s fine with me because this beer is delicious as is. It has that bright, lively tang found in Wisconsin Belgian Red with a greater depth of cherry flavor across the profile. And Elli concurs; she finished hers well before me, and started eyeing my glass soon after. This beer just re-awakens my longing for all things New Glarus.

From the bottle: “Due to popular demand we brought back Dan’s Gold Medal winning ‘Unplugged Cherry Stout.” This ale is aged in Oak barrels to promote spontaneous fermentation. Eight Wisconsin malted barleys combined with Wisconsin Montmorency Cherries make for a complex and sublime taste experience that you may never find again. Discover why Dan is repeatedly recognized as the Best Brewmaster in America.”

ABV: 6.5%

(4/8/2013)

547. Leinenkugel’s Big Eddy Baltic Porter

Leinenkugel’s has gotten into the fancy beer game with their Big Eddy series; the RIS was pretty solid, so we decided to give this one the ol’ college try. Our previous dalliance in the land of cheese features Red Lager. Sorry, outside of Leinenkugel’s, Wisconsin has a lot to offer.

Big Eddy pours a burnished burnt toffee with a moderately persistent tan head; the clear body offers some garnet highlights once the beer gets lower in the glass. The nose is toffee and dark fruit—mainly plum and raisin—along with a fair amount of brown sugar and caramelized fruit. Flavors start with chocolate and dark Belgian candy, giving way to fruit—fig, plum, and raisin this time—and brown sugar in the middle. There is also a touch of oxidized fruit, along with slight hints of cocoa. The finish has a touch of alcohol and a fair amount of lingering raisin. The body is rather chewy for a Baltic Porter; it gets a bit sticky as it warms, and doesn’t finish as clean as other examples we’ve had. The flavors, however, are delicious—as Elli points out, this beer will certainly get better with a little bit of age on it, although that might push it even farther away from being a Baltic Porter and more towards a Belgian Strong Ale—it already has some of the fruit flavors and characteristics as it is now. Still, a very good beer, one I’m glad we decided to try.

From the bottle: “A rich, malty brew with toffee, port, and chocolate notes and a dark fruit finish.”

From Leinenkugel’s website: “With a blanket of malt flavor and notes of toffee, cocoa, caramel, toasted bread and sherry fruit flavors, Big Eddy Baltic Porter is a hearty dark beer that has a clean lager finish.”

ABV: 8.5%
Malts: Blend of 2- and 6-row Pale, Munich, Crystal Rye, Roasted Barley, Special B, and Chocolate Malt
Hops: Cluster zand Mt. Hood
Other: licorice root

(12/6/2012)

532. New Glarus Staghorn Octoberfest

This is officially treasure-trove of deliciousness, part two. Although there’s not much left of that treasure-trove. In addition to last week’s Saison, we’ve also tried Raspberry Tart, Belgian Red, and Fat Squirrel Brown Ale from New Glarus.

Staghorn pours a crystal clear harvest-hued copper with lots of orange and yellow. I’d normally just call it amber, but since they used that in the description, I didn’t want to come across as derivative. The head is thin, eggshell, and has decent retention—it is, in all honesty, quite lager-like in the partial coverage of skiffs and small islands. There are bright, small bubbles running up the sides of the glass, and the nose is biscuit and bread dough from the malt, and just the faintest waft of hop bitterness—I’m almost tempted to call it earthy and musty. As the beers opens up, some graininess and huskiness also emerges from an otherwise clean beer. Flavors start with biscuit malt and drop into dry cracker in the middle; the carbonation bite drops to cleanness, offering the faintest kiss of sweetness from the Munich malt. As the slight sweetness fades, the hop bitterness comes to the foreground, closing with a touch of graininess and biscuit mixed in at the end. I get less of the lager hop soapiness I find in other lagers/Oktoberfests, but this is certainly a lager—my guess is the touch of sweetness covers it over, even as I would still describe the finish as dry and crisp. The ever so faint grain-derived grape fruitiness—and I want to emphasize that it is faint—is there, albeit less than there was in the Lakefront Oktoberfest. Lakefront is also a good comparison overall: I like New Glarus Staghorn slightly better, while Elli prefers Lakefront a bit more, but both beers are the cream of the American Oktoberfest crop. The old school label on the bottle—the deer in silhouette in front of a harvest moon—is another nice touch on a beer that offers the total package: a crisp, clean, and malty Oktoberfest that fits well with the brisk bite of chilly evenings. Prost!

From the bottle: “100% Natural—great Midwest barleys, the world’s most expensive hops, fresh yeast from Germany, and dear Wisconsin water make our Staghorn Octoberfest ‘Wisconsin’s Real Red.’ You will find absolutely no additives, preservatives, or artificial agents of any kind in this bier. Staghorn is brewed using the time honored methods and Krausened to release the smooth flavor of our roasted malts. This Octoberfest combines a smooth amber body with a clean crisp finish. Be sure to hold this one up to the light of nay harvest moon and enjoys ‘Wisconsin’s Real Red.’ Vielen Dank!”

ABV: 6.25%

Great Saison Chain of Being. That’s still awesome.

(9/25/2012)

531. New Glarus Saison

When good things happen to bad people, I’m usually indifferent. Or maybe I’ll muster some faux ire and indignation, even if it feels a bit forced. But then it’s quickly back to being indifferent. Because let’s be honest: I think most people suck, and yet good things still keep happening to most of them whether they deserve it or not, and not that sharp stick in the eye that they really actually deserve. But when good things happen to me, well, quite frankly, I’m always somewhat shocked. So imagine my surprise last Friday when I found a rumpled grocery bag outside my office door filled with New Glarus beer. And not just any New Glarus beer—there was a mixed six- and four-pack, plus a big bottle of the Belgian Red. Six different New Glarus beers. My name was even on the bag, confirming that this wasn’t just some galactic mix-up or cruel hoax. Then began the contemplation: who would do something so incredibly nice? And for me? After all, to quote my dear, departed mother, I am something of an asshole. I won’t lie to you, my dear readers—the thought did cross my mind that the beer was poisoned, and this was an elaborate ruse to kill me. But then I realized I didn’t care, because a) they were beers from New Glarus, and b) besides the dreamy, dreamy Belgian Red, I hadn’t tried any of them. Thus, if I died, I would die happy, with a tummy full of delicious and exciting new beer. So home they went, and right on into the refrigerator.

New Glarus Saison pours a delicate, hazy straw; the white, creamy head is augmented by tons of tiny streaming bubbles up the side of the glass. It is clear enough to leave orange highlights on the table, but cloudy enough that your fingers are more a shadow on the other side of the glass. The nose is equal parts grainy, perfume-y, and spicy with an underlying fruitiness that imparts both banana and pear—combined, it gives the beer that brut champagne earthy and musty aromatic quality. Flavors start with light bread dough malt and creaminess in the front; the banana from the nose is there as well, but not quite enough to call it banana bread. The carbonation quickly strips the palate clean, clearing the way for the dry husky graininess and hop bitterness found in the middle of the beer. Touches of cracker malt return in the finish, and there is that soapy hop bitterness flavor found in lagers, but here it is shot through with apple and pear fruit hints—again, spritzy via the bright, crackly carbonation. This beer does a nice job of combining delicate aromatics, effervescent carbonation, and loamy, earthy flavors. I’m glad to see that a gentle hand added the grains of paradise—like the rest of this beer, harmony and balance are the watchwords for spice additions as well. My only complaint is more personal: I would like this beer better without the banana aroma and flavor. I find it a bit more intrusive than the other fruit components of the beer, and it gives the beer a certain sweetness that doesn’t quite match the dryness of the body and the earthy malt and hop profile. Nonetheless, a solid beer—it fits somewhere in-between Hennepin and Saison Dupont in the Great Saison Chain of Being, with the creaminess and rounded malt character of Dupont—albeit with a drier body—and the banana yeast esters found in Hennepin, along with the brightness and freshness of the carbonation. So besides being delicious, this beer keeps good company.

From the bottle: “A few times a year we cut Dan loose to brew whatever he chooses. Always handcrafted, the bottle you hold is brewed for the adventurous soul. This is a very limited edition and we make no promises to ever brew this style again. Saison, the original Farmhouse Ale, was the refreshing invention of thirsty Belgian farmers. Wisconsin pale barley brewed with Grains of Paradise in this bright new copper hued ale. Deceptively approachable, its complicated fermentation incorporates a blend of three Belgian yeast strains and is fully bottle conditioned. Fresh hops snap with lemon zest and peppery ginger notes, lending to its enigmatic personality. Enjoy, as this sassy Wisconsin Saison is at its best thirst quenching drinkability now.”

Oh, and I forgot the normal organizational mumbo-jumbo: yes, we’ve tried New Glarus before, including Raspberry Tart, Belgian Red, and Fat Squirrel Brown Ale. And this particular beer is from the Thumbprint Series.

Thank you, Veronica.

(9/20/2012)

530. Lakefront Oktoberfest

It is that time of year again—you know, when it is acceptable to publicly listen to polka and wear lederhosen in a non-ironic manner. And while I find both of those things psychically scarring, the reciprocal beer options connected to the same time of year make that trauma a little less painful to bear. Just ask my brother, Jason, who lives in Leavenworth, WA, a so-called Bavarian theme-town that makes its living off of marketing a faux-German identity. The town’s mascot is Woody Goomsba, and he has his own YouTube videos. I shit you not. Look it up—after all, that’s what the internet is for, isn’t it? Well, that and squirrels on water-skis or keyboard playing cats. Play ’em off, Keyboard Cat! Which brings me back to the beer, specifically Lakefront Brewery’s Oktoberfest. We’ve seem Lakefront before with their IPA, and they didn’t disappoint. Speaking of awkward, I feel compelled to make some sort of Laverne & Shirley reference, but I can’t think of a suitable transition, so I’ll just move on to the beer.

Lakefront Oktoberfest pours a slightly hazy copper infused with a fair amount of orange. Or, in other words, it’s Oktoberfest in my glass! The head is creamy eggshell; it hangs out a bit, but slowly dissipates to a ring with some skiff islands. In the nose, the beer features biscuit malt with toast and bread crust; there is also a slight hint of fruit/grape hiding in the back, but it fits well with the other aromas—I think it derives from the Vienna malt, but I’m not certain. It is, however, malty goodness in a glass. Flavors open with a combination of bread dough and biscuit malt, before giving way to the slight tang of hop bitterness in the middle that cuts through the malt and cleans the palate. There is a slight fruitiness in the first part as well, but less distinct in taste than it was in the nose; it could also be a combination of nutty and melanoidin or from the Vienna malt—I can’t quite pin it down. It finishes dry and clean, with the slight soapy hop finish I like in a lager, plus a touch of biscuit and nutty malt sneaking through to round the beer as a whole. Carbonation is medium, and picks up bite over the profile of the beer—the malt holds it in check in the front, but it comes through in the finish. This is a well made and enjoyable beer; it is one of the better American Oktoberfests I’ve had—for example, I like it better than Great Lakes Oktoberfest. More importantly, it is actually a lager, unlike some of the other beers passing themselves off as Oktoberfests out there. Nice work on this one, Lakefront.

From the Lakefront website: “This traditional lager is brewed with generous amounts of Munich malt, giving it a wonderful orange hue with a rocky, off-white head. Light hop aromas balance out a slightly floral nose from the German lager yeast. Balanced hop bitterness offsets the substantial malt body, while the lager yeast adds a subtlety of flavor that makes this a great rendition of a German classic. Prost!”

ABV: 5.7%

P.S. Get your Goomsba up. Seriously. If I had any German American heritage, it would be rolling over in it’s grave right now. Oh wait, I do. And it is.

P.S.S. I still hate Bud Selig.

(9/3/2012)

523. New Glarus Raspberry Tart

We picked this beer up in Wisconsin in January on our trip back from Seattle, and pulled it out today to drink while watching Stage 9 (long individual  long time) of the Tour de France. Beer and cycling? Sacre bleu! This is our third beer from New Glarus, everyone’s favorite Wisconsin brewery (sorry, Leinenkugel’s!); the last two were Wisconsin Belgian Red and Fat Squirrel Brown Ale.

Raspberry Tart pours a crystal clear and luscious ruby red with hints of brown at the edges; the head is thin, white, and quickly goes the way of the dinosaurs. And as the label warned us, the nose is resplendent with bright and tart raspberry aromas followed with a touch of jammy sweetness. Flavors are equally delightful—Raspberry Tart starts sweet and, well, tart with plenty of raspberry. There is a soft doughy wheat malt in the middle, and the jammy sweetness comes through here as well. The tartness returns in the finish, combining to linger with the sweet jam and fruit flavors of the raspberry in a wonderful mélange of taste sensations. Carbonation is bright, prickly, & spritzy, while the mouthfeel of the malt character is light and soft on the palate. The combination is clean, refreshing, and crisp—there is a wonderful balance of tart and sweetness from the fruit in the beer. This beer may even be better than the Belgian Red—I know Elli thinks so. I myself am on the fence. The consolation of philosophy connected to that discussion, however, will not do much considering that our cellar is currently bereft of both beers.

From the bottle: “Treat yourself to a rare delight. The voluminous raspberry bouquet will greet you long before your lips touch your glass. Serve this Wisconsin framboise very cold in a champagne flute. Then hold your glass to a light and enjoy the jewel-like sparkle of a very special ale. Oregon proudly shares their harvest of mouth watering berries which we ferment spontaneously in large oak vats. Then we employ Wisconsin farmed wheat and year old Hallertau hops to round out this extravaganza of flavor. Life’s too short to wait for dessert.”

ABV: 4.0%

(7/9/2012)

415. Leinenkugel’s Red Lager and Miller High Life

Today’s drinking was all about being seen at all of the proper events. We started out by attending GearFest, mostly because we were interested in checking out the beer garden. Bikes, beer, and outdoors-y stuff? Sounds good. We didn’t expect or anticipate the hoards of high school kids, though. Alas, alas. From that point we headed on over to “No You Shut Up” art show at the Cannery Corner Gallery. After all, the promise of a forty is a promise not to be taken lightly. Forty ounce dreams and watered-down wishes.

Our first beer of the evening was Leinenkugel’s Red Lager, which is also coincidentally our first beer from the Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company in Chippewa Falls, WI. Served in a plastic cup, it was better than I anticipated. By which I mean I actually enjoyed it. I did not, however, take notes. After all, my interest was in being seen out and about on the town—I was too busy hob-nobbing and being smooth. Which means I wasn’t really doing much of anything. Well, besides drinking this beer.

ABV: 4.9%
IBU: 20

Calories: 166

Malts: Three Pale, Carapils, Caramel

Hops: Cluster & Mt. Hood

Next up was the “No You Shut Up” show. Word on the street had it that 40s were to be the drink du jour this evening. Let’s just say that word was bond tonight. I got handed a smooth sweet sippin’ 40 of the High Life. You know, the champagne of beers? Elli wasn’t sure she wanted to take on a 40 all her own, so she opted for PBR in a can. Either way, solid selections. This is, not surprisingly, our first beer from Miller Brewing Company, located in Milwaukee, WI. We’re doubling down on Wisconsin tonight. Throw in the PBR, and it makes a trifecta from the land o’ cheese. And the High Life itself? You all already know how smooth that went down. Ah yeah. Three words. Champagne. Of. Beers.

From the Miller High Life website: “Combine a classic, award-winning American-style lager with a crisp, smooth flavor, then top it off with a price that won't leave a bad taste in your mouth, and it makes good sense why they call Miller High Life the Champagne of Beers. This is simply good beer at a fair price. Nothing more, and certainly nothing less. And while folks could probably find a few other beers out there, they’re going to drain a lot of hard-earned jack from their bank accounts figuring out what you already know: it doesn’t cost a lot to live the High Life, it just takes some good old fashion common sense because the High Life’s always been a mighty fine life to live.”

ABV: 5.0%

I thought to add Paul Laurence Dunbar’s “Lager Beer” to this post (after all, we are drinking lager beer in Dayton), but I didn’t think anyone would really appreciate it in the proper manner.

(10/1/2010)

412. BBC Bourbon Barrel Bière de Mars, BBC Bourbon Barrel Heine Brothers Coffee Stout, and New Glarus Wisconsin Belgian Red

Tonight I headed on over to Jeffrey’s to meet up with him and Jeff for some good ol’ fashioned beer sampling. We had kind of an odd mix for tonight’s drinking smorgasbord, but all three were tasty in their own right. The two beers from BBC paired nicely both because they were from the same Special Reserve Series, but the Bière de Mars and the New Glarus were, while not similar, very complimentary. At least they were once the Bière de Mars warmed up. But I’m getting ahead of myself. Previously, we’ve sampled Heine Brothers Coffee Stout (the unoaked version), Rye IPA 75, Brandy Barrel Aged Queen’s Knickers and American Pale Ale from Bluegrass Brewing Company, and Fat Squirrel Brown Ale from New Glarus.

BBC Bourbon Barrel Bière de Mars
This beer has a super-oaky nose—the creamy vanilla oak sweetness overpowered pretty much everything else here. It starts with a sweet front that dries out quickly (it tastes like via the oak, since it is even creeping in here), opening up the middle to a creamy oaky bomb that continues on into the finish with tannic flavors that linger on the palate. At this point, it was interesting and tasty, and the group consensus was that it needed to be aged a bit to take some of the oakiness out of the body. However, as it warmed, the oakiness faded into the background, allowing some of the Bière de Mars characteristics to emerge. Here, the creamy vanilla hints of the oak merged well with the dry malt sweetness and Belgian yeast character. While I thought it was good before, the nuance that developed was delicious and downright impressive. Kudos, BBC.

ABV: 8.5%

BBC Bourbon Barrel Heine Brothers Coffee Stout
After the gratuitous snickering at the name of the coffee makers, we poured our second beer. The nose was a rich mix of nuttiness, dark chocolate, and coffee. Beginning with sweet chocolate, Heine Brothers Coffee Stout moved into a drier middle that featured a nutty rich coffee flavor before the slight chalkiness and roastiness of the finish. I forgot to take more notes because the Bière de Mars was finally starting to warm up, and was getting a lot tastier. However, this beer also got better with some warmth, although my nod for the best beer of the evening goes to our next beer...

From justdrinkbeer: “An oatmeal stout brewed with English roasted barley and caramunich malts to impart a roasty and slightly sweet malt flavor. The Heine Brothers specially roasted organic Mexican coffee is added in two doses. A ration is stirred into the hot unfermented wort to extract coffee flavor. Then freshly brewed coffee is also added after fermentation is complete to impart a fresh coffee flavor and aroma. An additional conditioning in Woodford Reserve Borubon Barrels for 90 days compliments this already robust beer with notes of bourbon and oak. ”

ABV: 7.5%

New Glarus Wisconsin Belgian Red
Pouring a light bubbly cherry, Wisconsin Belgian Red has a very sweet cherry nose mixed with candy sweetness underneath. The body is light, with spritzy bright candy sweetness and cherry flavors blended beautifully in the body. The finish is dry and fruity while the body light, smooth, and clean—there is an evenness and balance across the profile in both flavor and mouthfeel that was enjoyable. Very light and very drinkable—it tastes like melted cherry Otter Pops, but in a good way. This is one of the more interesting beers I’ve tried in a while—I’m glad Jeffrey decided to bust it out, as I had never tried it before, and it was far, far better than I anticipated. Damn, that was some tasty beer. And already the scheming to score some more begins...

From the New Glarus website: “You hold the marriage of wine and beer. Belgian Red is a tapestry of flavor. This beer is brewed with whole Montmorency Cherries, Wisconsin Farmed Wheat and Belgian Roasted Barleys, lagered in oak tanks and balanced by Hallertau hops we aged in our brewery one full year. Over a pound of Door County Cherries in every bottle makes this beer uniquely ‘Wisconsin.’ So unique, in fact, that we applied for a patent. Expect this beer to be ruby red, with a medium body that is highly carbonated and intense with cherry flavor and bouquet. Serve your friends Belgian Red in a brandy snifter or champagne flute and toast life with beer from the land of Wisconsin.”

ABV: 4.0%

Also, the funniest comment about beer I’ve read in a long long time: “Whew. You can’t swing a dead cat in this state without knocking over a firkin of mild.” Dag. Thanks, Jeff. You made me spit out some beer while reading, which is always the sign of good times and clever verbiage.

(9/17/2010)

348. Lakefront IPA

Lakefront Brewery is located in Milwaukee, WI; as their website informs us, we all should “Taste Milwaukee’s Heritage.” Can’t we just stick with the beer? After all, Milwaukee’s heritage certainly contains numerous distasteful things, most notably Bud Selig, who I am certain would taste like the dankest, nastiest filth this side of hell. That’s right, clown boy, I remember the Pilots. Here’s to a sharp stick in your eye. But my vitriol is not the point here; rather it is the beer.

Pouring a clear, burnished copper, Lakefront IPA has a spicy, piney, and slightly citrus hop nose with just a light touch of malt sweetness in the background. The head is a creamy ivory white that both hangs around and laces the glass nicely. Beginning with dry toasted malt flavor coupled with light caramel sweetness, Lakefront IPA moves into a spicy hop middle with grassy and piney flavors dominating and hop bitterness coming in behind the initial hop flavor. The finish is dry, although some caramel sweetness emerges, and there is some lingering bitterness that contains low levels of hop spiciness. Medium bodied with a dry mouthfeel and medium carbonation that bites in the final third to help dry out the beer; the hoppiness leaves a slight tang on the sides and back of the tongue. A well-crafted and easy drinking IPA—Lakefront IPA is crisp, quenching, and well-balanced. We look forward to trying more of their beers.

From the Lakefront website: “Pours a hazy orange with a rocky white head that lasts, and leaves soft lace on your glass as you sip this refreshing beer. American Cascade and Chinook hops dominate the aroma, yielding a citrusy, floral bouquet. The hops give a nice bitter bite to the flavor, but this beer is surprisingly well balanced with a full body and smooth malty flavor to back up the hops. It finishes smooth and crisp with a lingering hop flavor reminiscent of fresh ruby red grapefruit.”

ABV: 6.9%
Brewed: 3rd week of April

(6/13/10)

212. New Glarus Fat Squirrel Brown Ale

“Drink Indigenous”

Fat Squirrel Brown Ale is from New Glarus Brewing Company in New Glarus, WI. This has been one of our most anticipated beers of the year, mostly because Elli loves fat squirrels. When she saw the name of the beer she declared it a must have, which was slightly difficult to accomplish, as they don’t distribute outside of Wisconsin.

Fat Squirrel has a toasted biscuit malt nose, a clear copper color with a prominent orange presence, and an off-white head. The color does seem a bit light for a nut brown—it has something of an Oktoberfest look about it. Beginning with a sweet toasted malt, Fat Squirrel moves into a nutty and something of a flat cola flavor in the middle, and ends clean with some low levels of bitterness. With a light body and a crisp, tight carbonation, Fat Squirrel has a rounded and well balanced body. Not quite as rich as we would expect for a nut brown, although it has good flavor characteristics—it is more akin to a mild brown. Enjoyable and eminently quaffable, Fat Squirrel gets the nod for being a Top 10 Best Label contender.

From the New Glarus website: “One deceptively springlike winter day, Brewmaster Dan walked home from the brewery, sat down to dinner and said, ‘Boy there are some fat squirrels out there. They’re running all over the place. I think I should brew a Fat Squirrel Nut Brown Ale.’ Deb agreed and so another beer legend was born. 100% Wisconsin malt of six different varieties impart the natural toasted color to this bottled conditioned unfiltered ale. Clean hazelnut notes result from these carefully chosen barley malts. Hops chosen from Slovenia, Bavaria and the Pacific Northwest give Fat Squirrel its backbone. When the going gets tough remember to relax a moment and enjoy the ‘Fat Squirrel’ in your neighborhood.”

Our local fat squirrel...

ABV: 5.8%

(1/28/2010)

173a. Lilja Hop Nest Monster IPA

“Bold brazen beer brewed behind the Cheddar Curtain.”
Can someone say alliteration?

Elli’s choice for day two of our solo tours is our second beer from Sand Creek Brewing Company in Black River Falls, WI—our last one was Lilja’s Argosy IPA. And like that one, there is no information about the beer on the Sand Creek website. The only connection we found is through the Beer Advocate site.

Hop Nest Monster, described on the label as a “primordial extra pale India Pale Ale,” pours a slightly hazy gold color and has a thin white head. The nose exudes a bready malt aroma with no evident hop presence and a slight DMS smell. Hop Nest Monster has a well rounded malt flavor that is more crystal than bready (well, there is some bready); there is no hop flavor, but it does finish very bitter and slightly resiny. The body is medium, with decent bite from the carbonation. While it is a decent beer, Hop Nest is rather nondescript—the fault might lie in the disconnect between the malty body and the bitter finish. The label, however is totally awesome, and is a Top 10 Best Label contender.

(12/20/2009)

91. Lilja’s Argosy IPA

Lilja’s Argosy IPA is made by Sand Creek Brewing Company in Black River Falls, WI, although there is nothing on their website to indicate that it is made there—the best we could do was the BeerAdvocate page connecting the two. Maybe that’s because naming your brewery after one of the more infamous Indian massacres of the 19th century means you want to keep your latest offering on the dl...

Argosy IPA has a straw color and a thick, rocky off-white head—it’s “golden fleece colored.” The nose has almost no malt aroma and a light grassy hop aroma. Starting rather flat and with a slightly lagerish taste, Argosy IPA moves into a grassy hop bitterness that ends with an astringency that lingers unfavorably on the tongue. The hop profile is uninteresting—it lacks the flavor and aroma that might help improve the lack of malt in the body. The light body is rather thin feeling; there is some light creaminess via the head, but not much else. Overall, not that impressive—the thin body, limited hop presence and lack of a malt profile leave it wanting. Too bad it’s not a better beer, but as it stands, it is more like “IPA-lite.”

From the 6-pack: “The glowing golden hue of this India Pale Ale reminds us of the muyhologocal Golden Fleece so eagerly sought by Jason and the Argonauts. Jason assembled Greece’s greatest heroes and sailed forth on the Argo in quest of the mythical fleece. On the journey Jason and the Argonauts are attacked by mythical beasts, beseiged by fierce warriors, and seduced by beautiful women. Greek mythology suggests that Argus was the builder of Argo. When building the ship, Argus cut a beam from the divine tree of Dodona, which foretells the future. Unfortunately Greek mythology doesn’t tell whether Jason or the Argonauts quenched their thirsts with beer. However, we do know that you’ll enjoy this premium IPA whether your relaxing in a favorite chair with a good book, or chowing down on fish-n-chips after a rugby match. So, just make sure a six-pack of Lilja’s Argosy IPA is within reach.

Lilja’s Argosy IPA is hand-crafted using choice American two-row malted barley and fresh East Kent Golding hops, the traditional signature English ale hop known for its smooth, mellow bittering qualities and its pleasant flowery aroma. A prodigious amount of hops is added to the brew kettle throughout the ninety minute boil. Under strictly controlled conditions, the wort is force-cooled and fermented using a selected strain of Saccharomyces Cerevisiae, a top-fermenting yeast. After several days of fermentation, the wort is now ale. Before bottling, the ale is filtered and cold-conditioned to assure quality and freshness. The science and technology of brewing have changed much in the last 400 years, yet one thing remains true: you don’t have to be aboard the Argo or live in Burton or Bombay to enjoy a bottle of Lilja’s India Pale Ale.”

Um, for this to “remain true,” wouldn’t Lilja have to have been brewing for all of those 400 years? Or am I just being an ass and actually paying attention to the non-sequitur nature of their trite advertising copy? If we had a Top 10 category for annoying advertising copy, Lilja would certainly be a contender.

(9/29/2009)