Yearly Archives: 2009

16 Grit

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I finally had a chance to taste 16 Grit, the new über-hopped double IPA from Surly. Before I get to the tasting notes, let me just throw out a couple of caveats to asuage the ire of the legions of Surly fans out there. First, this beer is exactly what it claims to be. Second, I don’t tend to like that kind of beer.

I have never been a big fan of over-hopped, super-grapefruit, American double IPAs. I have often voiced my hope that last year’s hop shortage would curtail the just-add-more-hops ethos of American craft brewing. I like balance and these beers are not about balance. There are a couple that I find to be brilliant beers. Russian River’s Pliny the Elder is a prime example. But what makes them brilliant is their ability to showcase an amazing citrus hop character while balancing it with a solid and flavorful malt backbone. Okay, so now you know my bias.

Surly Brewing Company16 Grit
Surly Brewing Company
Brooklyn Park, Minnesota
Style: Double IPA
Serving Style: Draft

Aroma: All grapefruit citrus hop with a hint of grainy malt in the background.
Appearance: Deep golden to light copper. Clear. Fluffy and persistent white head. Lace on the glass.
Flavor: Huge grapefruit citrus hop character and very bitter. Decidedly tilted toward hops. The light grainy malt background is barely enough to support, although it did become more prominent as the beer warmed. Some light stone-fruit flavors. Remarkably well attenuated for 10% ABV, giving a dry finish that is all about hops. Unfortunately that attenuation also thinned out the malt character. Alcohol is well hidden (but it will kick your a**.)
Mouthfeel: Medium-high carbonation that emphasizes the bitterness. High attenuation gives it a medium body, light for such a big beer. Bitterness is astringent.
Overall Impression: While this did improve as it warmed and the malt became more pronounced, I found this to be a bit thin and over-hopped. As stated above, I want more balance. Astringent bitterness is also off putting, but then it is called 16 Grit. I will say that the beer hits the mark that it aims for. I, however, would not likely order another.

Quenchers

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An unknown (at least to me) Chicago beer gem.

Quenchers SaloonIn the last post about the Goose Island Brewpub, I mentioned going to hear a friend play jazz. We had been trying to find an opportunity to get together and this sounded fun. Besides, he said the bar had “a decent beer selection.” Free music played by a good friend and decent beer. What did I have to lose? So after a couple beers at Goose Island I headed off to Quenchers Saloon at the intersection of Fullerton and Western, nestled between the Logan Square and Bucktown neighborhoods.

Based on my friend’s description I expected a typical place with five or six decent beers on tap. Instead I walk into what may well be the oldest specialty beer bar in Chicago with over 260 beers to choose from, including twenty plus taps. The selection was eclectic with beers from all over the world and running the full gamut of styles. No particular region or style was overrepresented, which I found refreshing in the current beer bar atmosphere of “more Belgians is always better.”

The ambiance at Quenchers isn’t outstanding. The decor is a nondescript not-quite-sports-bar, not-quite-Irish-pub, not-quite-anything mish-mash with an interesting antique apothecary back bar that I did like a lot. It was not at all crowded when I was there, which was disappointing to me. The music was good and a bigger crowd would have been nice. Also be advised that they only take cash. There is an ATM if you find yourself short, like I was. Prices are manageable at $5 to $6 for tap beers. And they have free popcorn.

At Quenchers I indulged in two Scottish ales. The first was Belhaven Scottish Stout. Recommended to me by Robert The Brucea friend, this is a rich 7% ABV stout full of bittersweet chocolate malt flavors. It’s a little on the sweet side and has that hint of yeast derived smokiness that one can detect in the Belhaven Scottish Ale. It’s full bodied with a pleasant creamy mouthfeel. The next beer was Robert The Bruce, a strong Scotch ale from Indiana’s Three Floyds. This beer is all about the malt. Lightly roasted flavors form the background for a blast of sweet caramel malt. I also found this beer to be brimming with dark fruit flavors, giving it an vaguely Belgian character.

The Quenchers website states that the bar opened in 1979. While I lived in Chicago, I drove past it hundreds of times. I never knew what it was. All the times I have been back and asked people to recommend places to get a good beer, Quenchers never came up. I’m glad I know about it now.

Goose Island Brewpub in Chicago

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Goose Island Clybourn BrewpubIf there can be said to be any benefits of the current economic troubles and the collapse of the real estate market, it is that the original Goose Island Brewpub is still open. The pub opened at the North and Clybourn sight in 1988. Last year the owner of the building was trying to sell to developers, thus ending the Goose Island lease. But the market tanked, the building couldn’t be sold, the lease was renewed, and this little piece of Chicago beer history remains.

I spend a couple of months a year in Chicago working. As the brewpub is close to the place where I work, I spend a bit of time there on my nights off. I call it my Chicago office. Aside from enjoying many good and even great beers, I have also met some very interesting characters in the place and had some fantastic and even downright strange conversations with people. I love the ambiance. I am happy to see it has survived.

Last night I was going to see a friend play some in a jazz combo and had a couple of hours to kill before heading to that venue (more on that in another post), so I stopped off at the “office” for a beer. I started heavy and full-flavored with a cherry wood smoked doppelbock and ended light with a 3.2% cask pale ale. Here’s my notes:

Cherry Wood Smoked Bock
Aroma: All hickory BBQ smoke. The smoke has a woody character instead of the meaty character of most traditional Beechwood smoked beers. Faint hints of caramel malt and dried dark fruits lurk way in the background.
Appearance: Dark mahogany with ruby highlights. Beautiful, thick off-white head that lasted a long time and left lace on the glass. Clear.
Flavor: That wonderful cherry wood smoke is the dominant flavor. Like the aroma, it’s a woody smoke instead of a meaty smoke. It has a charred BBQ pit quality that is very nice. Sweet caramelized raisin maltiness and dried cherry notes provide a solid counterpoint to the smoke. There is a faint spicy heat in the finish that reminds me of chipotles.
Mouthfeel: Crisp and well attenuated. Medium body but rich and creamy. Medium carbonation.
Overall Impression: A wonderful blend of dried dark fruits and woody BBQ smoke. Although I was assured that there were no chili peppers used, this has all the goodness of a dark sweet chipotle ale without the undrinkable heat that most often comes with those beers. This would go great with any BBQ.

21st Amendment Pale Ale
Aroma:Toffee and caramel malt with very light pine resin hops.
Appearance: Light copper and clear. Poured with two fingers of creamy off-white head that persisted.
Flavor: Caramel, toffee and grainy malt is the dominant flavor. Very light resinous hop flavor and medium-low bitterness. Light orange citrus character. Seems to have flavors fruity flavors of an English yeast strain. Loads of malt character for 3.2% ABV.
Mouthfeel: Medium-light body. Low carbonation.
Overall Impression: They call this a light American Pale Ale. It seems English to me in every way except the choice of hops. The hop flavors are characteristic of American varieties. Whatever you want to call it, it was tasty and even stood up after that super-flavorful smoked bock.

Lift Bridge Biscotti

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The guys at Lift Bridge Brewing say that this beer was inspired by a grandmother’s recipe for Biscotti. It’s a Belgian inspired brew loaded with flavorings like honey, vanilla, and grains of paradise. I had this beer on tap while it was still available, but this sample was from a bottle given to me at the brewery shortly after the beer was released.

Lift Bridge BrewingLift Bridge Brewing
Stillwater, Minnesota
Style: Belgian Specialty Ale
Serving Style: 22 oz. Bottle

Aroma: Rich toast and caramel malt with dark fruits and belgian yeast character.
Appearance: Clear and deep copper color. No head. (When I had it on draft there was a nice off-white head.)
Flavor: Like the aroma with toast and caramel malt. Dark fruits like candied raisins. Maybe a hint of roast in the background. Peppery clove Belgian yeast character…or is that the grains of paradise? Well attenuated dry finish with lingering sweetness.
Mouthfeel: More carbonated than expected from the head. Medium Carbonation. Medium-high body that is creamy and mouth filling, probably from the oats.
Overall Impression: A nice beer that I would drink again. I liked the toasty malt and peppery notes. Wished I detected more from the vanilla and other flavorings. I think what I had on draft was a better example of this beer.

Perfect Pint Gift Certificates Up For Auction!

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Star Tribune Golden Gavel Bidding Ends April 6th!

Star Tribune Golden GavelA Perfect Pint has ten gift certificates for in-home beer tasting events up for auction in the Star Tribune Golden Gavel auction. This is a rare opportunity to get a fun and informative in-home Perfect Pint beer tasting at BLOW-OUT BARGAIN prices. What better way to entertain family, friends, or clients that treating them to a beer.

Bidding ends Monday, April 6th at 9:00 PM. So get out there and snag a bargain.
Star Tribune Golden Gavel Auction

Hoppy Beers Event

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There is still room to sign up!

Hmmmm...hoppy beers!There is still room and time to sign up for the Hoppy Beers event of the Twin Cities Perfect Pint Beer Club. It will be a fun event showcasing hops in all their variety and wonderful bitterness. We’ll explore the difference between English, American, and Continental hop varieties. We’ll taste beers with different levels of bitterness and talk about how that happens. It’s a great group and we’ll have a great selection of beers including pale ales, IPAs, Altbiers, and much much more.

The cost is only $20, which includes beer, light snacks, and information from the Twin Cities only Certified Cicerone. You must be a club member to attend.

Click here for more information or to join and RSVP.

Ichtegem’s Oud Bruin

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Ichtegem Oud BruinBrouwerij Strubbe
Ichtegem, Belgium
Style: Flanders Brown Ale
Serving Style: 750 ml Bottle

A traditional sour ale from the West Flanders region of Belgium, Oud Bruin is less sour with a richer malt profile than its close cousin the Flanders Red Ale. While I prefer the more sour red, the brown is worth a try for those who aren’t crazy about the sour.

Aroma: Light lactic sour, Raisins, Caramel.
Appearance: Dark mahogany, clear. Huge off-white head that dissipated fairly quickly leaving lace.
Flavor: Caramelized raisins with background sour cherries. Maybe a hint of roast or toast.
Mouthfeel: Medium body. High carbonation.
Overall Impression: A rich dark fruit and caramel explosion with background sourness. Let this warm up a bit before drinking. Oud Bruin is not my favorite style, but I enjoyed it.

1809 Berliner Weisse

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1809 Berliner WeisseWeihenstephan and Doemens Institute
Weihenstephan, Germany
Style: Berliner Weisse
Serving Style: 16 oz. Bottle

This beer is one of two beers brewed from historic recipes by Dr. Fritz Briem of the Doemens Institute. It is a very traditional Berliner Weisse, a sour Northern German wheat beer style that is slowly going extinct. Aside from this example, only one of the old Berliner Weisse breweries is still operating in Germany.

Aroma: Lactic sourness dominates with an underlying bready malt.
Appearance: Light golden in color with only the slightest haze. Ample and persistent fluffy white head.
Flavor: Saltine cracker wheat malt flavors blend with white wine and pear fruitiness. Bright lactic acid tartness. As the beer warms the sourness subsides and the wheat comes forward. Pleasant and refreshing all the way through.
Mouthfeel: Effervescent carbonation. Light body, but there is a richness that comes from the wheat.
Overall Impression: Sour, but not excessive. Bright, spritzy, and refreshing. Good balance of wheaty flavors and body with the lactic tartness. I have paired this style with baby field greens salad in a champagne vinaigrette and it is magic.

The other beer from this series is a 13th Century Guit Beer. I highly recommend it.

Battle of the Beers Preview

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Battle of the Beers VI: You Can’t Get This Here

Monday, April 27th, at the Four Firkins

Pliny The ElderOfficial registration is not yet open, but I am so excited about this event that I had to issue a preview. I have been travelling a lot in the last two months and have rounded up an incredible line-up of beers from some of the best breweries in the country. The You Can’t Get This Here Challenge will bring together six locally unavailable beers in a super-epic battle in Firkin Forum. You can’t even get these beers in Hudson.

Here’s the list of combatants:

Russian River’s Pliny the Elder vs. Port Brewing HOP-15
Allagash/DeProef Le Deux Brasseurs vs Russian River Damnation 23
Lost Abbey Serpent Stout vs Port Brewing Old Viscosity

Should be an epic bout. Watch for official registration instructions coming later.

Malty Beer Night

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Saturday, March 21st was Firkin Fest at the Happy Gnome. For those of us wanting to enjoy good beer and good company without the hype and crowd of a festival, there was Malty Beer Night with the Twin Cities Perfect Pint Beer Club. Seven people gathered at the home of fellow club member Kevin Butler to chew on cheese, munch on malt, and best of all drink a lot of great malt forward beers. This was the first of three monthly meetings that will explore the flavor contributions of beer’s three main ingredients, malt, hops, and yeast. April is hop month for any interested hopheads out there.

The night started with Fuller’s ESB. Chosen to show a balanced representation of all three ingredients, this Ayinger Altbairisch Dunkelbeer starts with a sharp bitterness and herbal hop that quickly gives way to luscious caramel/toffee malt with a good dose of yeast derived fruit. It was a favorite for the night. From there it was on to an assortment of full-on malt focused beers, starting with Weihenstephaner Munich Helles. Like an under-hopped pilsner, this beer features clean bready malt with moderate bitterness and a background of spicy continental hops. This was followed by another southern German lager, Ayinger Altbairisch Dunkel showcasing deep toasty bread crust malt. Another crowd pleaser, we emptied these bottles early.

Three Feet DeepThe next beers brought us closer to home with a local and a regional pick. A growler of Hope and King Scotch Ale from Town Hall Brewery in Minneapolis introduced the rich, nutty sweetness of caramel malt with just a hint of roast. This growler didn’t last long either. For real roast malt character we had Three Feet Deep smoked stout from Furthermore Beer in Wisconsin. This is a somewhat sweet dry stout with nice coffee and chocolate flavors and a subtle smoke from the use of peat smoked malt. While this was one of my favorites for the night, others found the smoke to be too intense. Oh well, more for me.

At this point, we moved into the realm of big beers starting with Celebrator Doppelbock. Rich, toasty, caramel flavors meld with malt derived, raisiny, dark fruit notes and a pleasantly warming alcohol to make this another winner for the event. Or maybe it was the added bonus of the little plastic goat that comes withHebrew Rejewvenator every bottle. Next was Rejewvenator, a doppelbock/Belgian dubbel hybrid brewed with fig juice from Shmaltz Brewing/Hebrew Beer. The group was split on this one as some found the figs to be too intense. We closed the night with Back Burner Barleywine from Southern Tier. This was the only beer of the night that I had not already tried. The description on the bottle and on the Southern Tier website led me to expect a big, malt-forward, English style barleywine. Unfortunately (for the event, not for the beer) the bitterness was too intense and the hop flavor was decidedly American. While it was a tasty beer, it wasn’t quite the malty sweet English barleywine that I was going for.

One thing at this event that all found helpful was having examples of brewers malt on hand to chew on and compare to the flavors in the beers. There were six malts to taste including two base malts, pilsner and Munich, as well as English and American caramel malts, Belgian Special B toasted malt, and English chocolate malt to represent the dark roasted malts. Some of us decided, myself included, that a little bit of Munich malt would be a great addition to breakfast cereal. All in all, good company and good beer made for a good time. The next Twin Cities Perfect Pint Beer Club will be on April 10th. Hoppy Beers is the theme. Come check us out.