Centennial IPA

8th St. Grille hosted a Founders tap takeover this past Friday, June 1st. Surprisingly I have never reviewed this beer, but it's been around the block in my books many times. I attended the the event to get down some reviews. The place was crazy, jam packed with families, regular publicans thirsting for some KBS and any of the other highly desired FBC beers, as well as a complimentary band. I met a lot of cool people, including Kerry, of Saugatuk Brewing Co. I had the opportunity to get the Pale for my first pint, and finally got a seat at the bar to note down this one.  Next time I'll get their earlier to secure a seat!
7.2% ABV

Appearance: Golden amber with quite a still look to it. The head is minimal and only consisting of a thin white ring around the inner perimeter of the glass. The beer itself is semi-clear with a glowing hue (the light wasn't the best for a critical look). Lacing is brief and not sustained.
Aroma: The scent of spicy citrus permeates from the surface of the beer. Swift notes of caramel and biscuit are balanced by an later floral and subtle pine-fruit complexity. Elements of tart peaches and grapefruit carry out the finish. Overall a very well incorporated fresh hop scent.

Yum!

Taste: The start emerges with a brief,indistinguishable sweetness that fuels the quenching hop profile that is to come. Secondarily and prior to the middle, grapefruit, peaches, vinous and tropical fruits assert themselves and carry on to near finishing. By now all these hints of familiarity are paralleled by a growing biscuit malt sweetness. A finishing spicing develops, reminiscent of pine spice, lemon and an ever prominent floral fresh hop fruitiness. The end is briefly biscuity with a long drawn hop (centennial/cascade) flavor in the aftertaste.
Mouthfeel: Smooth, well textured body and a creamy soft consistency. Carbonation is fine and foams up during the exit into the throat. The mouth isn't left as dry as expected, but still remains refreshed an quenched. Well distribution of texture throughout the palate.
Overall Impression: Rich and oozing flavor, while not sacrificing any element towards drinkability. Pine and grapefruit are all encapsulated in an element of fresh and unfettered appeal. Moreover, the malt helps to encourage a desirable balance to control the hops from completely taking over.

Founders ALL DAY IPA

Tasted while sitting at the bar at the 8th Street Grille in Holland, MI. I spent an easy Saturday afternoon drinking and reviewing my way through several samples of Michigan craft beer.
4.7% ABV

Appearance: Pristine and bright with a pillowed white bubbly head. Carbonated bubbles cling to the sides of the glass, while bubbles rise from some un-seen origin at the base of the glass. Golden yellow and clear. Very well filtered.
Aroma: Lemon citrus hops are immediately apparent. Much else is difficult to decipher. A bit grassy and floral. Some sulfur too.
Taste: The flavor is all hops, and perhaps even some corn based adjuncts. Given the thin feel, I suspect the beer has a very minimal malt recipe, and the rest was an alternative sugar to thin out the body. This also may be attributed to the lack of sweetness, which ultimately puts the overall flavor on the hops. Lemony and fresh with an acidic bite at the end. Grassy and leafy, but still presenting an attractive citrus flavor. The aftertaste is long lasting and reminiscent of primarily lemon rind.
Mouthfeel: This beer has one of the thinnest mouthfeel's I've ever encountered in a beer. Cheers to that, making for an easy drinking "All Day" beer. Carbonation is high furthering a crisp refreshing bite desired by all summer drinking beers.
Overall Impression: My impression from the first sip was that the beer was a bit thin, especially given the huge dose of hops. Extremely easy drinking and refreshing. A pungent cattiness may be sensed, but that's only for the faint at heart. Something to seek out by way of session ales packing a big hop base, without the alcohol.

Founder's Porter

Thanks to Justin Smith for bringing this over the other night for one of our tasting events. I didn't realized I hadn't tried so many of the Founder's selection. Tasted Monday afternoon following the completion of the brewing segment of Great River Brewery's Operations Manuel.

Snifter Served

6.5% ABV

Appearance: The pour was a bit hazy and one could easily draw that this beer wasn't filtered from the dreggs at the bottom (or simply bottle conditioned). In the glass it looks oily black. There doesn't remain much of a head, except for a traced thin ring of bubbles clinging to the glass. Absolute opacity and darkness.

Aroma: Chocolaty with a rich note of bready malt and yeast. Some roasted undertones provide a bitter sweetness at the end. I'd even go to say that there is a faint doughiness about this beer. Notes of alcohol are present, but under layers of dark malt complexity.

Taste: There is an interesting flavor change within the first couple sips. What starts briefly sweet and smooth passes on with a note of wood and molasses. There is a bite in the end that sparks a not of acidity alongside the carbonation. This is when the true sweetness and flavor pass over the tastebuds in an indiscriminately cocoa flavor. The alcohol is present here as well as it carries on a dryness down the throat. Some roasty flavors emerge here as the beer warms up. The burn emerges more prominently as the beer warms up as well.

Mouthfeel: The carbonation maintains two parts, one at the beginning with a very fine micro bubbled fizz, and persists down the throat. The alcohol helps produce some refreshing dryness, but there remains a lot of cloying texture on the roof of the mouth. The feel is heavier, with a chalkiness to it. Full bodied and smooth.

Overall Impression: I enjoyed the unusual complimetation of the chocolate flavor and the yeasty/breadiness that was much of the sweetness. Very balanced, and produced all aspects of what I'd expect in a porter. Maybe less yeast next time because I can see it being a bit off putting to the normal publican, but to me it worked out just fine!

2011 Blushing Monk

Tasted following a Friday work day at Great River. Enjoyed at the back bar with Scott, Caley, JB, Trevor, Wheels, and Adam. Thanks to Trevor for popping the bottle open which he received from one of the bartenders for his birthday.

Appearance: Robust blushing rose pink with a light pink head. It looks to have a high carbonation with an accumulation on the side of the glass. Turbid and glowing up to the light.
Aroma: Sweet and a very tart taste. Smells literally like raspberries. Mellow, but maintains a rich underlying sweetness.
Taste: To the palate, it resembles grape-juice, choked full with concentrate and fruitiness resembling blueberries/raspberries and plums. Smooth and tart. The fruity sourness seems to mask the high ABV quite efficiently. Nevertheless, one can still begin to feel the effects after several minutes of sipping. Scott noted it tasted like a raspberry blow pop. Low attenuation, high sweet/tartness.
Mouthfeel: Sweet and very soft feeling, the body is quite light with a micro-bubbled zing that tinges the tongue exposing more of a soured fruitiness. Finishes rather dry but clean, perhaps contributed to some tannins.
Overall Impression: An extremely sweet beer that resembles almost a framboise, but I'm guessing there are some regulations about doing that. I figure this beer would be a great beer for introducing women to new beer.


87/100

Red's Rye P.A.

I had tried this beer exactly one year ago tomorrow while venturing through the Chicago Craft Beer Week events. I tried it and was moderately enthused about it. I really never got to trying it since. Thanks to Jaron Gaier and Maggie Hayes for bringing over a six pack last night for some good company and tasting. Got to reviewing it following my LAST FINAL OF COLLEGE!

Appearance: As it was poured, the stream looked somewhat of a hazy pale yellow with an ambered hue. However in the glass, the beer exhibited a glowing copper red with an off white foamy 1/2" head with specked bubbles. Carbonation looks very subtle against the even distribution of colored cloudiness. Wet lacing caresses the sides.

Aroma: Oaky and spiced. A strong effervescent aroma permeates the nostrils with a rich toffee and caramel backbone followed by an earthy, but predominantly rye scent. Some mellow blood orange and grapefruit follow as undertoned components. Dark fruit esters arise under the boastful malt bill.

Taste: A basic candied caramel foretaste that immediately graduates into a rush of rye and fruit spicing. Some toffee is present as well. As soon as the carbonation fizzes on the top middle of the tongue, the woody-oak spicing, and bourbon flavors arise with vengeance. The hops add a fantastic addition to the overall flavor profile with a tropical grapefruit element as well as some citrus zest. As the beer warms there begins to emerge a roasted/chocolaty component to the malt foundation. The more the palate takes to this beer, the more a subtle fresh orange zest and pineapple creeps in. Amarillo hops to the max...definitely my favorite in any type of beer. Alcohol melds perfectly with the spicing of the rye and the Amarillo hopped finish.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied approaching full while the carbonation both loosens it up while unlocking the complexity, but further adding to a smooth texture. The hopped dryness adds a very refreshing character to the finish. Crisp dry finish
Overall Impression: Many rye beers just rely on their specialty grains to bring out flavor. However, Red's Rye Pale Ale really brings out the pinnacle of complementary flavors with malt and hop spicing. This beer is amazingly crafted with a astonishing complexity while remaining relatively easy drinking and refreshing. Similar to Two Brother's Cane & Ebel but far exceeding in flavor and overall complexity. Simply fantastic!

Alternative options:
Two Brother's Cane and Ebel
Bear Republic's Hop Rod Rye
Great River's Hop*A*Potamus
He'Brew's Bittersweet Lenny's R.I.P.A

95/100

Comparative Post: Breakfast Stout and KBS

Wednesday night, Ribco had a tapping party for Founder's Breakfast Stout and Kentucky Breakfast Stout. Like their Stone release party earlier this month, the purchase of the Breakfast Stout also meant you got to keep the glass it came in. The KBS is the Breakfast Stout aged in oak bourbon barrels for an entire year. We attended with Joey, Sheri, Brendan, Erin and Tyler (thanks to Tyler for getting the table some nachos to share). Tim gave me the honors of writing this comparative post, so hope you enjoy!

Breakfast Stout
Appearance: Served in a pint glass, the coloring is an oily black hue. Head dissipates to become a toffee colored ring clinging to the side of the glass and leaves a small patch in the middle. Slow rising carbonation breaks the surface in small patches. Lots of wet lacing on the side of glass.
Aroma: In comparison to the KBS, the Breakfast Stout's aroma consists mostly of roasted malts and coffee beans. Subtle hints of wood, sweet dark chocolate and toffee. The aroma is quite enticing.
Taste: Taste starts off as a sweet dark chocolate flavor that is immediately followed by bitter coffee tannins. The mixture may come across as sour, but the combination of bitter and sweet fooled my tongue at first. Malt backbone and finishes with a hoppy bitterness. Some inclination of wood in the flavor. The tannin bitterness suggests that the coffee beans were over-roasted.
Mouthfeel: Has a thick body that feels kinda sticky and tacky and coats your mouth. It's especially noticeable on the roof of your mouth. Yet the alcohol still has a drying effect on the palate. The carbonation from this batch was kinda harsh.
Overall Impression: Other friends of ours had the bottled Breakfast Stout and commented how they liked it better than the batch on tap. Personally, I was so impressed with the complexity of the KBS that it was hard to switch to the Breakfast Stout. Still, this beer is quite impressive for a stout and should definitely be given the chance if you find it a bottle or on tap.

85/100


Kentucky Breakfast Stout (KBS)
Appearance: Poured into a 6 or 8 oz snifter. The appearance is exactly the same as the Breakfast Stout: an oily black color, a nice tan head that slowly dissolves into gorgeous wet lacing along the side of the glass.
Aroma: The smell is really complex, it's quite the conglomeration of rich, fantastic aromas. You can definitely catch the appearance of oak and bourbon in the nose which is what differentiates it from the Breakfast Stout. Hints of dark chocolate, molasses, roasted malts and coffee complement the sweet bourbon.
Taste: First thoughts, "Woah that's rich" and yes Tim and Sheri made fun of me for writing that down. Well it's the truth. You can definitely pick out layers when sipping on this brew. It starts off as sweet with the flavors of molasses and chocolate. The alcohol from the bourbon hits midtaste and once its gone it leaves a very warm and woody aftertaste. It slowly mellows into the roasted coffee flavor that hangs around in the mouth and throat. Overall, the chocolate sweetness is the dominating flavor but once you reach the bottom of the beer, the alcohol midtaste becomes predominate.
Mouthfeel: Heavy, thick body with perfectly coordinated carbonation. The carbonation is not in the slightest bit foamy or biting. KBS is smooth and creamy and it has a drying effect in your mouth and throat.
Overall Impression: The aging in the bourbon barrels does the Breakfast Stout good. The aging process with bourbon oak barrels helps mellow out the biting coffee bitterness that overwhelmed the palate in the original Breakfast Stout. Underlying booziness that will sneak up on you if you're not careful and becomes more noticeable by the end of the beer. The complexity of the layers are amazing and is what ultimately makes the KBS stand out. Great for a cold winter night or if you are in the mood to sit, relax, and enjoy. I was definitely disappointed to finish my glass, hopefully Ribco still has it after the weekend, but that's probably wishful thinking.

93/100

Dry Hopped Pale Ale

Tasted after a night of studying Social Contract Theory by Lock and Hobbes. I've tried this beer many times, along with most Founders beers, but have never gotten around to logging them. Thanks to Jen for getting this in a assorted six pack from our local Rock Island Hy-vee

Appearance: A turbid oranged amber with a finger of thick foamy white head on top. Lacing is entire on the side of the glass. From the mediocre transparency, one can still note carbonation within.

Aroma: Pine and grapefruit with a mild biscuit malt backbone. The fruity hops take control of this beer in every respect and leave little in the form of grain origin sweetness, though it can still be picked out. I get apricots and orange peel with some elements of citrus and resin.

Taste: Very resinous and sappy. Much of the hop flavor resides in the mid taste and even invades into the foretaste. Still it maintains an element of sweetness underneath an aggressive peppery bitter character. The back of the throat gets spiced and dried out from all the resins. Very floral and pine tree-like with some lemon taste mixed in. Grassy and very bitter. I was surprised at this being as it is a pale ale. Lingering in the aftertaste is a leafy green and peppery flavor.

Mouthfeel: Very smooth and soft feeling. The mild carbonation is nicely integrated to give this beer a medium body with a creamy texture. Some spike to the tip of the tongue and the back roof of the mouth. Finishes very dry.
Overall Impression: Overwhelmingly bitter with somewhat of an uneventful hop flavor. I know Cascade carries with is a very floral but citrusy potential, but I feel this beer just got too much of the alpha acids and not enough of the late boil aromatics. Nevertheless it still quenches a hop heads desires.


82/100

Founders Breakfast Stout

Tasted on Thursday evening with Joey Waldorf at Bent River for their $2.00 off Guest draft specials. This was the first of my exploration of heavy stouts that night. Notes were taken on index cards (my beer log book has officially become to impractical to carry around).

Appearance: Pour was thick and black right from the tap. The beer exhibited minimal head and a pitch black appearance, aka not a chance of transparency. The only resemblance of a head was a thin ring that accumulated around the glass, not even a film. Still looking and served cold.
Aroma: Very malty, reminiscent of an undertoned caramel but predominantly masked by a chocolate sweetness. To follow, some mild touches of coffee and roasted malt carry through with a bittering after spice with complementary Golding hops. Roasted nuts and earthy notes permeate through these initial sensations as the beer warms.
Taste: A very mild chocolate sweetness is nicely balanced by roasted malt and some coffee flavors which are none too overwhelming. This beer exhibits toasted caramel malt complexity as well accompanied with a subtle bittering finish. Alcohol plays a minimal role, but enough to make itself known. Aftertaste is well sustained and long lived, and as well very mild and pleasant. Bitterness rounds out the malted chocolate but a nutty drying flavor and the finish tannin taste of molasses.
Mouthfeel: Smooth, rich and creamy (velvety?). This beer has a minimal carbonation leaving behind a full frothful body that is paralleled by few. The beer goes down soft similar to a whipped cream dessert. Filling for sure. Some tackiness but that by all other standards is negligible. The oats really bring the body to an optimal potential!
Overall Impression: Now when the American craft beer industry started their "bigger is better" beer craze, I think this was the climax of it all. This beer is extremely complex and boasts a full rich flavor, yet none of it is overwhelming. It still maintains a delicate element of drinkability while also taking the role of a sipper. Whichever you like, this beer fulfills the best of the big beers. Neither boozy or overly thick and syrupy. I downed 2 pints.


94/100