260. Genesee Bock Beer

You know spring is here when the Bocks start showing up in the beer aisles, and that means it is time for everyone’s favorite Bock, Genesee. Bet you didn’t see that one coming, did you? This is our first beer from Genesee Brewing Company, which is located in Rochester NY. Genesee is also famous for their Cream Ale, which I saw an abundance of while I was living in Buffalo. And if you don’t know, now you know...

Genny Bock pours a crystal clear caramel color with a creamy ivory head; the nose is a combination of fruity/toasty and grainy, with warmth some nutty and light toasty melanoidin aroma. The flavor starts with a good dose of caramel malt in the front, moves into a toasty middle with some melanoidin flavors, and finishes biscuity and dry. Genny Bock has a medium body and a crisp dry character to it; the carbonation bite is good, and helps build the crispness of the mouthfeel. Not the most spectacular Bock, but it does hold its own, and for $7.99 for a twelve pack, it is a good bargain. Plus, the goat on the can is awesome; combined with the green and yellow background, this can is a Top 10 Best Label contender.

From the Genesee website: “Our take on the 16th century German legend has turned out to be a legend in its own right. For every spring since 1951, our brewery has carefully crafted and lagered Genesee Bock Beer. The result is an exceptionally hearty, full-flavored beer with a slight malty finish—and a perfect way to celebrate the snow melt.”

ABV: 5.2%

Calories per 12 oz. can: 162

(3/17/2010)

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)

258. Three Floyds Gumballhead Wheat Beer

El numero cinco from Three Floyds. Not that we’re keeping track or anything. Prior investments of our time include Robert the Bruce, Dreadnaught, Black Sun Stout and Blackheart IPA. While we didn’t know it at the time, this beer was purchased illegally—it had been bootlegged into Ohio. Nothing like asking the wrong question in a room full of beer geeks. This particular beer also tastes a slight bit older—it is not as zesty as Gumballheads past.

Gumballhead has a citrusy, grainy, and lightly hoppy nose with a hazy gold color and medium white head. There is not a lot of flavor in the front—we taste small amounts of grassy or grainy malt flavor before moving into a bitter hoppiness mixed with low levels of floral and citrus hop flavor, and finishing slightly spicy with some bitterness and very clean, especially for a wheat beer. As well, there are none of the slightly sour flavors sometimes found in American wheat beers. Gumballhead is medium to light bodied with a crisp and dry mouthfeel and medium carbonation. While somewhat aggressive in the hop profile for a wheat beer, Gumballhead is very drinkable and most certainly enjoyable. As Elli informed me, “if it were fresh and on tap and in the summer time, I would like it at least 10% percent more.” I do love the scientific certainty of that formula. As well, the disgruntled smoking cat of the label is stone cold awesome—easily a Top 10 Best Label contender.

From the bottle: “Red wheat and boatloads of Amarillo hops give this American wheat brew a lemony finish. Slight haze in the bottle is yeast added for bottle-conditioning.”

From the Three Floyds website: “An American Wheat Ale, Gumballhead is named in honor of the underground comic book cat created by Rob Syers. Initially a seasonal summer beer, now brewed year round due to demand. This beer helped redefine American Wheat Beers. Brewed with Amarillo Hops and a generous portion of American red wheat, Gumballhead has a complex hop aroma with notes of grapefruit, lemon zest, marmalade and peach. These flavors combined with low bitterness make Gumballhead a refreshing American Wheat Beer that doesn’t suck.”

ABV: 5.5%
IBU: 28

(3/15/2010)

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)

256. The Summer Beer Leftover Trifecta

In one of our periodic cleaning-out-of-the-basement stints, we came across these beers tucked away in a box. Why did I stick them in the basement? Who the hell knows? All I know is that we've got three “seasonally challenged” beers. So what do you do when that happens? There’s really only one logical and correct answer: Summer Beer Leftover Trifecta.

Saranac Summer Brew:
Described on the label as a mix of lager and lemonade, Saranac Summer Brew has a grainy and lemony nose with a crystal clear straw color. Starting lemony sugar sweet, Summer Brew moves into a tart even middle and finishes grainy and slightly stale. Light-bodied and crisp; the carbonation is light but sharp and bright. Overall, a bit too sticky sweet for us—none of the tart bite of the lemonade has survived; it tastes too much like a cooler and not a beer, even taking into consideration the shandy background of this beer—we’ve had better shandies. This one’s so bad, we’re making it a Top 10 Worst contender.

From the Saranac website: “For nearly 100 years, Europeans have mixed lemonade and beer as a refreshing beverage during the summer months. We continue this tradition with Saranac Summer Brew – a refreshing blend of lemonade and lager. Kick back, relax, and enjoy!”

ABV: 3.5%

Goose Island Summertime:
Summertime has a malty, papery nose with a bit of residual sweetness, a clear gold color, and a thin white head. Beginning with a mix of malt sweetness and dryness combined with small amounts of grainy and paper flavors, Summertime’s middle mostly fades into the finish, which is dry and lightly tart—the refreshing Kölsch tang that marks the style—and generally clean with a low amount of bitterness rounding out the beer. Medium to light bodied with a soft profile and a crisp bite from the carbonation at the end. Clean, fresh, and enjoyable, and a pleasant surprise in our current line up.

From the Goose Island website: “The color of sunshine, with a light fruity aroma and a hint of fruity acidity, Goose Island Summertime is the perfect summer session ale. A Kölsch beer brewed in the traditional German fashion, you’ll find yourself enjoying and savoring each sip of summertime as much as you do those hot summer days and cool summer nights.”

ABV: 4.7%

IBU: 20

Malt: 2-row and Wheat

Hops: Mt. Hood and Saaz

Sierra Nevada Kellerweis:
Kellerweis has a banana clove nose with a decent amount of malt sweetness to back up the yeast ester and phenol aromas; pouring a hazy gold, it has a white head. Opening malty and citrusy with low level of spiciness—the banana and clove are a bit overpowering—Kellerweis hits more yeast ester flavors in the middle, rising into an estery sweet citrus finish that lingers with the bitterness at the end. Kellerweis is medium bodied with good carbonation and a rounded flavor that is dominated by the yeast ester and phenol characteristics, although it is a bit sticky in the mouthfeel. Good beer, but not working too well on a cold wet night—this one does seem to be better for summer drinking.

From the Sierra Nevada website: “Kellerweis is one of the only American Hefeweizens made using the traditional Bavarian style of open fermentation. This difficult and labor-intensive technique adds uncommon depth and flavor complexity. Our hazy-golden hefeweizen is deeply flavorful, refreshing and perfect for a sunny day. To serve, pour two-thirds into a glass, swirl and pour the rest.”

ABV: 4.8%

IBU: 15

OG: 12.3° P

FG: 3.5° P

Malt: 2-row, Wheat, and Munich

Hops: Perle or Sterling

Overall:
Gold Medal: Goose Island Summertime
Silver Medal: Sierra Nevada Kellerweis
Bronze Medal: Saranac Summer Brew

We both agree that we’d never drink Saranac Summer Brew ever again if we could help it; with the other two, we’d be willing to give them a second shot: we’d accept Sierra Nevada Kellerweis as a suitable free beer at a party, and we’d even go so far as to order Goose Island Summertime at a baseball game, or even possibly buy a 6-pack this coming summer to see how it stacks up on a hot summer afternoon.

Summer Beer Leftover Trifecta Suicide:
Since we had leftovers of all three, we decided to combine them and see what happened. Elli finds the combination “moderately O.K.” She might even prefer the mix to any one of the three beers—for her, it cuts down the sickly sweetness of Summer Brew and Kellerweis, and balances out the banana and clove of Kellerweis. While it is still “a bit too Sprite-like” in the finish, she still likes the net result of combining the three beers. I would agree for the most part—we’ve lost the sickly cooler flavor of Summer Brew, and the banana and clove has been brought into check, but the sugary-sweet ending limits the success of the combination—I’d still take Goose Island Summertime over the Summer Beer Leftover Trifecta Suicide combination.

(3/13/2010)

255. Harpoon 100 Barrel Series #30 Island Creek Oyster Stout

More Harpoon! We’re back on that Harpoon tip—this is our seventh from the boys in Boston. We’ve had 100 Barrel Series #28 Glacier ’09 Wet Hop, 100 Barrel Series #27 Helles Blond Bock, Octoberfest, Leviathan Saison Royale, 100 Barrel Series #24 Glacier ’08 Wet Hop and their IPA.

Island Creek Oyster Stout pours a deep brown with red highlights, and has a scrimshaw/whale tusk color head. That’s right, we’re giving you more beautiful maritime references with our Harpoon beer. The nose is roasty with a slight mineral tang, and the beer starts with light roasted and chocolate flavors before moving into mineral and low levels of saltiness in the middle. The finish is dry with a return of some of the roastiness, and is accompanied by a light chalky alkaline chocolate taste that lingers on the palate. Island Creek Oyster Stout has a medium body with some creaminess and tanginess as a part of the mouthfeel. The carbonation is medium, and helps smooth the beer across the body. The roasty flavors do increase with warmth. Island Creek Oyster Stout is an excellent and interesting beer across the board. We’d like to know exactly how many oysters went into the beer, and at what time intervals. We’d also like to know who got to eat all those oysters at the end of brewing. Damn. That would be delicious. So who’s gonna make the next oyster stout?

From the bottle: “This smooth stout is brewed with freshly harvested Island Creek Oysters. The roasted notes of the stout blend beautifully with the mineral flavors of the oysters.”

We figured that this beer needed some old-timey photos, so we went with the sepia tones...

From the Harpoon website: “The idea for the Harpoon 100 Barrel Series Island Creek Oyster Stout came after years of enjoying locally harvested oysters over freshly brewed pints of beer with our friends from Island Creek. Stouts have long been paired with oysters, though seldom brewed with them. This is our take on the age-old tradition.

Brewed by Harpoon brewer Katie Tame, using Island Creek oyster farmer Skip Bennett’s revered Duxbury Bay oysters, this beer has a rich body and smooth mouthfeel derived in part from a combination of roasted barley and chocolate rye malts. The roasted malt notes blend beautifully with the briny, mineral flavors of the Island Creek oysters. An addition of hops adds some bitterness to balance the malt sweetness. This, the 30th installment of the Harpoon 100 Barrel Series, is best enjoyed with a plate full of Island Creek Oysters.

We hope beer and oyster lovers have as much fun drinking it as we had brewing it.”

ABV: 5.5%

IBU: 35

OG: 15° P

Brewed: 1/21/2010
Bottled: 2/5/2010

(3/12/2010)

254. Ise Kadoya Triple Hop Ale

Today’s offering comes from the Ise Kadoya Microbrewery in Ise, Japan, where they have been producing beer since 1997.

Triple Hop Ale pours a crystal clear golden copper color with a long lasting mousse-y white head; the nose has a mix of malt and hops, with the malt sweet and hops lightly spicy. The flavor begins with malty sweetness that moves into hop bitterness in the middle, along with some paper flavor, and finishes dry with bready malt flavors and some lingering oxidized/paper flavors. There is also a light twang of lager-esque hop bitterness/soapiness at the end. Triple Hop is medium bodied with a mix of dry crispness and sweetness, and the carbonation is medium, but soft on the palate. There is some brightness and sharpness, but that is more beer body than carbonation. Interesting, but not the best tasting beer; we’re not sure if this is from age, the effects of travel, or something else. Triple Hop does taste more like a souped-up Japanese lager, with slightly more malt and hops. While there might be a slightly fruity flavor that develops in the front and middle as it warms, Triple Hop still could use a bit more body and hoppiness—as is, it is more akin to triple hopped Miller Lite.

From the bottle: “Ise Kadoya has made miso and soy sauce according to ancient tradition in a centuries-old wood building in old Ise, and now brews beer in small batches in the same traditional, natural way.”

From the Ise Kadoya website: “This beer is extremely popular among our Pale Ale fans. Our recipe and its particular mix of three different kinds of hops creates a more complex and richer flavor than our Pale Ale by extracting the optimal amount of flavor and bitterness to create a clean finish. This Triple Hop Pale Ale has a short shelf-life since it is quickly snapped up by our fans.”

ABV: 5.0%

(3/11/2010)