311. Schafly Grand Cru

My day started with a trip to Brewtensils to see Larry Bell (of Bell’s Brewery, dummy, and Elli had to work) speak, and also for some general chicanery, beer-nerd style. It’s just like when an author comes to town—all the kiddies come out in droves, except they come dragging beer paraphernalia, not old copies of books. Seriously. Mike Schwartz, owner of Brewtensils, interviewed him, and he entertained a couple of questions from the crowd (you can see the interview here). He told us about the trials and tribulations of starting a brewery before the craft beer explosion, and the joys of brewing beer in garbage cans. Awesome.

Our beer for the day was Schafly Grand Cru, another beer from Saint Louis Brewing Company and Schafly; this is the third beer we’ve had from them, including Biére de Garde and IPA.

Pure Beefcake...

Grand Cru pours a burnished gold with extremely pillow-y head; the nose carries with it Belgian yeast ester and some fruitiness—mainly, the pitted orange fruits, like peaches, apricots, and nectarines—along with some Belgian candy sweetness and a light touch of mustiness. Flavor starts with Belgian candy sweetness before moving into fruitiness in the middle, although not as much or as distinct as in the nose, although there is some apple juiciness. The finish has some drying feel to it, although there is still a good amount of sweetness. Grand Cru has a medium to heavy body; the carbonation is soft and creamy with a small bit of bite at the end, although it could use a bit more to help further dry the beer out. The mouthfeel is soft and creamy, although a bit sticky. A good beer, but they do need to dry the body out to better fit the Belgian/golden ale style—this one is still a bit much, although they do a nice job of hiding the alcohol—even when it got warm, the malt and candy sweetness were still to the front.

From the bottle: “Schafly Grand Cru continues our series of bottle-conditioned, Belgian-style ales. Three different traditional Belgian yeast strains contribute fruity and spicy aromas which give complexity to this deep golden ale. Medium body and effervescence create a light, dry impression, despite its gravity and smooth, sweet finish.”

From the Saint Louis Brewery website: “Fruity, spicy aromas and flavors contribute to the complexity of this golden-colored Belgian ale. Medium body and effervescence contribute to a light, dry impression, despite its strength and sweet, smooth finish.”

ABV: 9.0%

OG: 18.3° P

IBU: 20

And no, we didn’t coordinate a Bell's beer for the day of the Larry Bell interview. Color us lame. But I did give him a bottle of the Two-Hearted clone I made with yeast cultured out of his beer. So we’ll just hope it doesn’t offend or kill him—in that order.

(5/7/2010)

259. Jackie O’s Barrel Aged Bourbon Barrel Impy Razz

Tonight our friend Jeff came over with a couple of things to drink, so we had more than just the usual one beer. Here’s our evening: our first beer—what we’re gonna call the “official” beer of the day—was the Barrel Aged Bourbon Barrel Impy Razz from Jackie O’s Pub & Brewery in Athens, OH, bottled on November 11, 2009 as bottle 39 out of 156.

Bourbon Barrel Impy Razz is an imperial wheat beer with raspberries; it has oak, bourbon, and raspberry in the nose, and pours a pinkish copper with a light white head. Starts dry, fruity, and a bit tart, runs into alcohol/bourbon and oak flavor in the middle, and finishes with some more fruit and lingering alcohol and bourbon flavors. Medium bodied with a dry but rich flavor and some tartness on the palate. There is a lot of alcohol warmth across this beer, in nose, flavor, and mouthfeel, but it is not overbearing. As well, the tartness from the raspberries and the sharpness of the oak merge nicely to help build the beer, both in flavor and mouthfeel. While it could use some more time to marry the fruit and raspberry flavors, it does drink well now. Good beer, and we look forward to trying more beers from Jackie O’s in the near future.

From the bottle: “The bottle in your hand is part of the first bottling venture at Jackie O’s Pub and Brewery. This limited edition is something special and a tribute to our customers and supporters throughout the past 4 years. Passion has crafted this beer and our business. Share this milestone with friends and loved ones. After all, beer should be enjoyed and remembered; this is why quality and character are at the heart of every beer we produce. Thank you. Made in Athens, OH.”

From Ohio Beer Guide: “Jackie O’s in Athens is celebrating its fourth anniversary on December 4 and 5. They promise 40 of their own beers on tap over the two day celebration with a bottle sale on the 5th. Taps and bottles will include lots of barrel aged, sours, imperials, and new concoctions. Included will be at least three new barrel aged beers: Bourbon Barrel Impy Razz, a 12% imperial raspberry wheat, Barreled and Portered, a 9% robust ported aged in a Woodford Reserve barrel, and Cellar Cuvee 2, a blend of coffee stout and imperial stout aged in Woodford Reserve barrel with coffee beans, vanilla beans, and cinnamon sticks. There are too many others to list here, so check out their new website at http://www.jackieos.com/. Brewer Brad Clark is featuring at lot of stouts this winter such as Java the Stout, Sweet Chocolate Love (oatmeal, chocolate milk stout), and India Oatmeal Rye Stout.”

ABV: 12.0%

Our second beer for the evening was Boulevard Saison, which is our third beer from Boulevard; we’ve previously had the Saison-Brett and Two Jokers Double Wit. Because, as the Boulevard website observes, “some beers are just too big for 12 ounce bottles.” Well put.

Saison pours a transluscent golden color with a rich head that slowly fades; the nose is earthy, loamy, and floral, although with warmth the banana-clove comes out a bit more prominently. Light sweet malt front with some bubblegum emerging as it warms; the middle is estery and some low levels of bitterness, and it finishes sweet. It does taste like there is some wheat in the beer via the smooth silky texture of the body. The mouthfeel is bright and sharp; there are super-fine bubbles, but they are soft and balanced on the mouth. Some bubblegum emerges in the nose at it warms to provide a bit of a different element at the end. Overall an excellent saison; not as complex or nuanced as the Saison-Brett, but certainly a delicious beer overall.

From the bottle: “The French-speaking region of southern Belgium is the birthplace of saison, the love child of a centuries-old tradition of small rural ‘farmhouse’ breweries, where native yeasts and time-honored recipes combined to produce some of the world’s most distinctive beers. As a tribute to this artisanal institution, we offer our own brisk, unruly Saison. Truly an artful balancing act, it is both rustic and subtle, robust yet effervescent, spicy and fruity. A votre santé!”

ABV: 6.2%

Our final beer for the evening was Founders KBS, freshly brought back from Michigan via Darren Link, even before it went on sale. Because we’ve got it like that. This is our fifth Founders beer; the rundown includes Centennial IPA, Black Biscuit, Harvest Ale and Breakfast Stout.

Meet Inky...

Brought to us by the Amazing Kosmicki, KBS has a luscious roasted coffee nose; it pours an inky black with garnet highlights, and has a slightly oily top with a minimal head. The front begins with a big roasty coffee front, transitioning into a big chocolate and roasted coffee middle with a dark and tasty finish. There is no real alcohol flavor perceptible, even as young as it is; while there could possibly be some slight warming, it is amazingly clean and well balanced for being young and right out of the gate like it is (this must be where the Amazing Kosmicki comes in). There is some big hop flavor in the back of the beer, but it is covered over by roasted flavors that dominate the beer. Remarkably drinkable for an 11.2% beer, especially this young, and with 70 IBUs. An excellent beer that drinks well young (and warm—it only spent about 10 minutes in the fridge to but just a slight chill on it) and is a delicious and rewarding drink.

From the Founders website: “What we’ve got here is an imperial stout brewed with a massive amount of coffee and chocolates then cave-aged in oak bourbon barrels for an entire year, to make sure wonderful bourbon undertones come through in the finish. Make your taste buds squeal with delight.”

ABV: 11.2%
IBU: 70

An awesome and well rounded group of beers for the evening—all excellent and well crafted. I don’t think we’ll be topping this anytime in the near future. Not that we won’t try...

(3/16/2010)

257. Schlafly Biére de Garde

Our second beer from Schlafly/Saint Louis Brewing Company; our last one was their IPA. We picked this up while we were in Louisville at the Beer Store. Biére de Garde pours a hazy copper with a rich ivory head that laces the glass partially; the nose is a creamy toffee with some bright fruit ester aromas. The beer opens with some toasty light caramel malt sweetness before transitioning into a bit of a juicy middle—the fruit evident in the nose is a bit fresh when mixed with the sweetness of the middle, giving the beer a malty fruitiness that is not quite dry enough (think the first few bites of Juicyfruit gum). Biére de Garde ends with some spiciness and slightly dry. The medium body has a creamy rich mouthfeel, although there is a bit of chalky dryness on the palate at the end. The carbonation is bright and lightly sharp, and helps lighten the profile. There is a bit of diacetyl in the nose as the beer warms; the toffee gets increasingly buttery, although it still works well with the beer. Biére de Garde is a good beer across the board; we wonder if aging it would balance out the fruitiness of the middle, or possibly dry it out a bit more. The flavors are good right now, but the balance could be cleaner and smoother, front to back. Nonetheless, we’ll certainly be picking up a couple of bottles of this next time we get a chance—we’ll throw one or two in the basement to see how they age, and having another to toast the season. Oh, and the label is very nice; we’re making it a Top 10 Best Label contender.

From the bottle: “Schlafly Biére de Garde is a bottle-conditioned, French farmhouse-style ale. The name refers to the beer’s ability to improve with age and if you choose to age this ale, the tart fruitiness from the yeast and the sweet maltiness from the grains will meld together nicely for several years at cellar temperatures (51-55 degrees F). Brewed as a modern re-creation of a classic European beer style to celebrate Saint Louis’s French heritage, Schlafly’s Biére de Garde pairs well with fruits, cheeses, and cured meats.”

From the Schlafly website: “A bottle-conditioned, French farmhouse-style ale. The name refers to the beer’s ability to improve with age and if you choose to age this ale, the tart fruitiness from the yeast and the sweet maltiness from the grains will meld together nicely for several years at cellar temperatures. (Available in bottles only.)”

ABV: 7.0%
IBU: 25

(3/14/2010)

234. Schafly IPA

This was our first beer from the Saint Louis Brewing Company—the brewery that makes Schafly Beer—which is located in Maplewood, MO. We had this beer in the lobby of the Brown Hotel in downtown Louisville, KY. This beer was bottled (with love) on 12/16/2009. We do like the “with love” part.

Schafly Pale Ale has a spicy hop nose that is also a bit resiny; the hop aroma is fresh and bright. There are also lower levels of malt sweetness in the nose to round things out. Color-wise, Schafly is an orange copper with a light white head; it starts with a bready malt flavor and a bit of spiciness. The middle is crisp with resin and spicy hop flavors and also a bit of bitterness before ending with a return of the biscuit and breadiness of the front and a lingering hop bitterness. Schafly Pale Ale has a chewy but bright mouthfeel; the body is medium to light and it has a medium carbonation bite. A clean, rounded, and crisp beer overall—the hop flavor is better than that of the aroma. This beer is totally drinkable; while not spectacular, it has no real faults to it, and is exactly what a regional beer should be. We’re already looking forward to our next trip where we can search out some Schafly APA on tap.

From the Schafly website: “Amber-colored, medium-bodied British-style ale with a smooth, mildly-hoppy character.”

ABV: 4.4%
OG: 11.5
IBU: 27
Calories per 12 oz. bottle: 155

(2/19/2010)

157. Boulevard Two Jokers Double Wit

Elli’s text the next morning after riding her bike to work: “I think the double wit was one wit too many.”

Our second beer from Boulevard; this is No. 8 in their Smokestack series. Two Jokers is a hazy tan color with orange and gold highlights and a light white head; the nose is a bit too Sprite or Mountain Dew smelling—mainly candy sweetness with some slight lactic tartness. Double Wit starts with a soft sweetness before moving into some bitterness and spiciness—both from esters and from spices in the beer—and ends with some tartness and dry malt flavor. The mouthfeel is marked by a sharp, lively carbonation that lightens the body; it is medium bodied, tart, and has some soda-like components to it. Overall, Two Jokers is not as exciting as it should be; there is an interesting flavor profile, but it is a bit muted. The increased maltiness limits the crispness and refreshing qualities of a normal wit, and leaves it a bit overly sweet and cloying. As well, this was not nearly as good as the last beer we had from Boulevard; Two Jokers is moderately good, but not really worth noting—we both felt a bit let down by this beer, as we were expecting more from it.

From the bottle: “They say there are two sides to every story, and that’s certainly true of Two Jokers Double-Wit. On the one hand, it’s a revival of the classic Belgian ‘wit,’ or ‘white’ ale, with lactic fermentation providing a refreshing tartness. On the other hand, it’s a modern, uniquely American brew; big, flavorful, and spiced with cardamom, coriander, orange peel, lavender, and grains of paradise. Look closely now: is it two jesters on the label, or a single beautiful glass of ale?”

Seriously, that’s your last sentence? Really? What, am I two? Do you have my nose, too? Sorry, but Boulevard sounds too much like an idiotic uncle who still thinks I am a child here. Thanks for the paternalistic jibe to close it out, because without it, I might not have had the sense to understand that there could be something like multiple meanings to a picture. Maybe you should hire someone besides former kindergarten teachers to write your advertising copy.

Like Saison-Brett, there is noting on the Boulevard website about Two Jokers, although unlike Saison-Brett, however, Two Jokers is not on Beer Advocate’s list of the Top Beers on Planet Earth. Are you embarassed of Two Jokers, Boulevard?

ABV: 8.0%

(12/4/2009)

138. Boulevard Saison-Brett

Our first beer from Boulevard Brewing Company in Kansas City, MO; this one is No. 5 in the Smokestack Series, and the bottle reads no. 01047 of 11925.

Saison-Brett is a hazy golden color with a pillowy white head and effervescent carbonation—bubbly and bright, even in appearance. The nose brings with it citrus, fruit, lemon, yeast esters, and candy, along with some light hop aromas. Starting very Belgian, Saison-Brett has a sweet candy front that is simultaneously dry; the middle brings some hop bitterness and low levels of funkiness before finishing with citrus, lemon, and some light metallic flavors. The initial sweetness continues throughout the flavor profile. The body is medium with a bright lively carbonation that is bright and sharp on the palate, helping to enhance the dryness of the beer. With warmth, the Belgian esters increase in the nose; the bottom half of the bottle had some sharp tannic bite and an increased funkiness as it warmed—both balanced will with the Belgian and saison characteristics of the beer. Overall, a well crafted and delicious beer.

From the bottle: “Our gold medal-winning Saison was the starting point for this limited edition ale. It was then dry hopped, followed by bottle conditioning with various yeasts, including Brettanomyces, a wild strain that imparts a distinctive earthy quality. Though this farmhouse ale was given three months of bottle age prior to release, further cellaring will continue to enhance the ‘Brett’ character, it that’s what you’re after.”

There is nothing about the Saison-Brett on the Boulevard website, although they have information on the Saison. Go figure. I can tell you it is currently #77 on Beer Advocate’s Top Beers on Planet Earth. How’s that for a description?

ABV: 8.5%

(11/15/2009)