Mutiny & the Mollusk: Oyster Stout

Jen picked this up over a month ago on her way back from New Holland's Hatter Days from Three Floyd's Brewing Co. I waited it out until we both were present to try it. Finally tasted yesterday after a brief run and while relaxing on the porch.
Snifter Served

Appearance: The pour was a clear brown with a mahogany tint. Bubbles fruitfully rose as the beer was poured into the glass, and remained there with a dense foam soap consistency. Within the glass it appeared dark coffee brown but with that same appearance when it was poured, though in a darker shade.
Aroma: More of a roast is present alongside a grainy sweetness that is quite prominent throughout. Smoked wood is another noteable characteristic that is easily drawn. Finally, I can also pick out a faint fruity ester note that may be derived from a warmer fermentation As the beer warms, more chocolate and typical stout flavors emerge.
Taste: The initial flavor erupts with a minerally chalky flavor, that also contributes to the mouthfeel. Obviously, the calcium carbonate was striped from the shell addition in the boil, as well as the highly probable CaCO3 brewing salt additions. The sweet chocolate roast parallels this mineral complexity. Still, I find an acidity present in the finish which also helps round the beer out in a subtle grit dryness. Overall, all these flavors are encouranged and amplified by a sea-saltiness, similar to what salt does to a generally bland tasting dish of rice, or pasta. Alternative flavors tasted throughout may be described as smokey, woodsy, tannic, roast and chocolate.
Mouthfeel: A nice smooth texture with a chalky mouthfeel as the CaCO3 coats the teeth with a gritty feel. The body is medium from the carbonation loosening things up as the micro bubbles fizz over the palate and down the throat. Again the finish is dry and chalky.
Overall Impression: I'm extremely interested in the texture and flavor these types of beers provide. The rich salt and dark malt base enliven the tasting experience with both familiarity and the unusual.
Like this? Try Flying Dog's Pearl Necklace

Weekend/Day Beer Adventures

I'm going to try a new line of posts for this blog that will typically revolve around my weekend activities and how they relate to beer. More often than not, these posts will be composed in a "Brewery Review" but for the days when I hit multiple breweries/bars/drinks, I cannot post on them all. So, my "Weekend Beer Adventures" will take the form of everything I did/drank/ate/who-I-met/how-I-got-there kind of heading, compiled with pictures too. These posts are meant to log down some of the fun I have, to retain some good memories and for you to relate to. Enjoy!

Friday (6/8/12): I got off work around 4:00 and headed home to pack. With only 25 minutes before my bus (Indian Trails) left for Chicago, I figured that was enough time to get in a quick post (See: Bedlam). Done. I walked the half mile to the bus with a nice buzz and arrived 4 hours later at the Greyhound Station on the South-Central side of Chicago. After several minutes of figuring out where I was, arranging a ride and seeing who else was in town, I figured I'd walk to Rock Bottom. Definitely a difficult 2 mile walk carrying a backpack full of beer! I got there and started with their Brown ale ( I forgot the name, though it started with "Amazingly") standing at 4.0% ABV. I recognized some of the bartenders there too. Oh, and I didn't mention this, but I was wearing my New Holland Long sleeve work shirt...for an extra credential. I talked with a lady about beer and running a bit. Tasted RB's Wit, and both IPA's. The normal one was a bit grassy, while the Belgian, well, I got a pint of that soon after too. I was there a bit over an hour until Jeff came and picked me up and we headed back to Lincoln park. Discussion of going out for another pint commenced, but I was too tired.
Saturday (6/9/12): Woke up early, downed 3 cups of tea and packed Jeff's car. We were heading to Evanston to move the remainder of his belongings into the new apartment. Didn't take very long, and I got a measly workout in carrying stuff up and down the stairs. Upon finishing, I decided to test out the foot and go for a run (My foot has been hurting for about a month and a half from my work boots). It was about 85 degrees and humid. Got in 7 though and a quick 6:15/mile clip. Rounded out the run with cracking open the growler of New Holland's Sundog though for some replenishing recovery.
A couple hours later Jen arrives with a $17 Growler (ridiculous) of Emmett's Red Ale and a couple bottles of Pale Ale. Here we contemplated our next stop. The decision landed on Half Acre, my favorite brewery in Chicago. We got there and waited for the tour to finish, whereupon Adam enthusiastically showed us around. I've been to HA a couple times and each time it is slightly different - something you can expect with all microbreweries these days. They had renovated their back room to become their production area, while it made room for the new 60 bbl fermenters that were to arrive in the next couple weeks. We were served pints of their new Shogun Wheat and talked to a couple of the remaining tour participants. I wish I had brought some beer to give them, but as we headed back to their tasting room, Adam handed me a case of lowfills of the New wheat! (It was shared with the NH crew, which was held in high regard). Down the street was "Chicago Ribfest" but it was already 3:30 and we needed to head to my sisters.
We arrived, unpacked, shared the rest of the Sundog growler with Monte, who just moved back from Colorado Springs, CO. He was gracious enough to let me borrow his bicycle so Jen and I could bike the town the rest of the weekend. The plan for the evening was to have our final destination in Andersonville for dinner at the Ethiopian Diamond with Jeff and April. We still had time, however so we took off and headed to Goose Island on Clybourn.

Taster at Goose Island

We arrived and ordered a taster of their Dortmunder (awesome!) Summer Wheat (not great) Bitter (decent) and Greg Halls new endeavor: Virtue RedStreak Cider. We found the guest draft list to also include Dragons Milk (good to see) but tapped at $9/pint! (not good). Finishing our tasted we rounded out with a traditional pint of the Green Line (I always get this as the final beer during my visits). We learned that Todd Britt, who graduated Augustana 2 years ahead of me (and was a brewer/assistant brewer) no longer worked at the pub but had gotten a Head Brewer position at a brewery opening up sometwhere in Chicago! Nice work man.
We finished our pint (got industry discount!) and headed North to Broadway for dinner. Note: 4.5 miles is a LONG way on a thick tread mountain bike on the streets of Chicago. Travelling at a quick clip, we arrived at 7:00pm and I was drenched.

April and Jen at Hopleaf

After dinner we made our way to April's apartment, just blocks away, to set up camp. Once we were settled, and done playing with her new kitten, we left for the HopLeaf, which was only a couple blocks away. Fortunately Midsommerfest was in the works and the place was unusually empty (Yes!). We went upstairs and I got a Pale ale from some brewery I hadn't heard of, Jen got Three Floyd's Zombie Dust, and April ordered Lindmans Framboise (she hates beer). Called it a night after finishing those pints.

Haymarkets Dry-hopped Belgo-pale ale

Sunday (6/10/12): Woke up, performed the same daily routine (Downing large amounts of tea and some yoga) and we hit the streets on our bikes (following a brief look at the local organic grocery store). Jen and I attempted to check out Metropolitan, but as usual, they tend to passively shun people away by fences, closed doors and vicious attack dogs (jk about that last one). We then turned around down towards the Lakeshore bike path. Found a spot on the rocks, drank a Fat Tire, attempted to swim (too cold) and headed down the lakefront. Again, mountain bike on path = too difficult to be a practical means of transportation. We made it all the way down to Buckingham Fountain for a quick break and then found ourselves at Haymarket Brewpub. I ordered their Dryhopped Belgo-pale ale and en had the Pilsner. Haymarket is a bit on the expensive side, but with boastful alcohol and loads of Amarillo, I can understand from an industry point of view. Finishing our pints we ordered (and blew the tap) of Solemn Oaths Ultra-high-frequency Red ale, which was apparently gaining quite a reputation already around Chicago for being fantastic. I agreed. I asked for a quick look-around of the brewhouse, where Janna attended and answered any questions we had. By the way, this place has an incredibly innovative set-up for their tap system. We got on the topic of cans, and how I had never had Sunking before. Janna thought that was absurd and sent us on our way with a couple cans of Chaka: Belgian-style ale made through a collaboration between Sun King and Oskar Blues. We headed out from there and made a stop at the Green Grocer to pick up some food/dips and check out the beer selection (they have a great local one). We then went and sat on Aubrey's new patio and enjoyed lunch and some recovery from the already long day. We arranged our next plans to hit Revolution Brewery in enough time to make it back in time to meet the rest of the family for dinner. Back on the bikes!

Sunking/Oskar Blues in a CAN (like-thing)

The ride was longer than I expected, but we got there and sat down at the front bar. The place was packed for a Sunday evening. It was here that we ordered the Anti-Hero IPA and the Gold Ale. I was greeted by Matt, Revolution's first employee and now brewer whereupon he invited us to take a tour! The establishment was a lot larger than I had expected. We were shown the typical brewery equipment and process's and their barrel cellar.  We headed back up to the bar and discussed a few more things with Matt and his friends who also attended the tour with us. We ordered one more pint to try their Rosa Hibiscus Ale - which was pretty good, definitely tending away from the tea flavor, but enough to get a nice bite of floral fruit. Need I say Industry discounts are great? Thanks Matt and the Revolution!
We hopped on our bikes and headed back to Aubrey's. The ride was better, but the day of biking was beginning to tax us both - even Jen on her roadbike!
Once we were back, I made a quick trip to Green Grocer once again to pick up beer I need to buy for people back in Holland. We ate dinner, napped. Jen headed back to RI and I went back to Jeff's. Being as I work 2nd shift the upcoming week, I could afford to stay one more night.
We drove back to Holland the next morning

Freedom of '78 Guava IPA

I knew of this beer long before tasting it. Being a fan of Half Acre's products I never thought I'd find this. Fortunately, and to my surprise, 8th Street Grille just so happened to have it. The tap didn't have any reference to the collaboration, but the name held an attractive memory. Served in a 4 Oz tasting glass.

Appearance: Golden copper colored with a sudsy off white head that dissipates quickly. Some carbonation can be seen slowly rising from the depths of the glass, while a minute amount of haze still remains in the beer. Overall, quite calm looking.
Aroma: Sweet and honeyed. with a floral character. Rich tropical fruit erupt in the nostrils, formulating a distinct pine based sweetness. Light and fruity, yet expectantly bold and hoppy. Easily distinguishable grapefruit holds throughout.
Taste: Juicy and sweet, but in a hop oriented way. The sweetness profile comes off as more tropical and citrus fruit than malt. The midtaste maintains a mild foreign sweetness that I can only attribute to being the Guava. Throughout I draw the all too familiar flavor that Half Acre represents in my mind...mostly Citra and C' based hops. Hints of grapefruit and pineapple are most notable, along with honey and under-ripe pears.
Mouthfeel: Light-medium body, while remaining extremely drinkable without any sacrifice to flavor. Not overly drying in the end, but still enough to encourage a thirst for yet another sip. Carbonation is fine with a middle of the road presence.
Overall Impression: Like I said earlier, this beer holds true to the Half Acre way, but with a twist of Guava and honey character. The light sweetness plays with the familiar Citra to create a tropical burst of a juicy parallel between sweet and bitter. Kudos to Short's as well!

Barrel Aged Small Animal Big Machine

Thanks to Matt at Half Acre for giving me a bottle (bottle 113 of 144) of this while on my visit to Chicago. Tasted Tuesday evening after a long run from work. Because of the upcoming move to Holland, MI in the coming month, I'm attempting to review as many of the beers I would normally sit on for a while.
Snifter served
8.5% ABV
Poured without the Dreggs

Appearance: Deep rubied hue, and actually quite dark. Carbonation almost fuels a growing head that caresses the inner perimeter of the glass as it takes on a beige appearance. Overall, the beer is quite clear and attractive.

Aroma: Fruit and funk. The smell bouquets with a lot of over ripe peaches and plums along with dates and grapes. Some tartness is present, but generally the fruitiness is it

Taste: Sour to the taste, but with a lot character. Right from the start ones mouth puckers to the taste of the tart currants and other souring agents. The balance between the sourness acquired from the Brett and the tartness from the currants, as well as the sweet flavor from the malt - all conglomerates into a symphony of assertive flavors. Peaches, dates, plums, lemon, cherries, grapes, you name it. Definitely get that white wine flavor at the very end.

Mouthfeel: Very light and extremely drinkable. The tartness aids in the refreshing feel this beer leaves on the palate. Carbonation is helpful in adding even more of a tang in the end. Oakey and dry once the beer is washed down.

Overall Impression: Awesome parallel between the fruit, the barrel and the Brett. There is a ton going on in this beer, but at face value, it's very Juicy. Examined more complex, one can pull any type of under ripe tart fruit one can imagine. Tangy, sweet, sour and tart are the words best to describe this one....And fantastic!

The Chairman Imperial Red Ale

Released back in Novermber. Thanks to Matt of Half Acre for giving me this bottle back when I was visiting the brewery. Tasted Saturday afternoon following brewing my first gluten free beer! Served from a snifter.
9.5% ABV

Appearance: Darkened red in color with an amber character. The carbonation looks very fine and frothy, emerging with a slight foam to present a head. Lacing is wet, but cascades in an entire quality against the glass. Slightly hazy, but that could just be because of a color inhibitory factor.

Aroma: Nutty and crisp. Some floral notes appear, alongside a rich caramel backbone. I draw peaches and apricots from this beer, followed by some overripe plum and even cherries. It's all balanced against a pungent fruit tannin floral scent at the very finish.
Taste: Rich flavor. This is the pinnacle of what I imagined a red ale to be like. Very sweet and complex. Backed up with a mild biscuit and caramelized sugar malt bill. Caramel. Reminiscent of a rye quality that I find in most Rye based ales. It must be that spicing. The hops are very well incorporated, both drying and fruitfully floral. I get the dark fruit. Plums. The afterbreath is warming and slightly dry with a note of fruit skins.
Mouthfeel: Medium to larger body with a velvety texture from the fine carbonation. Smooth, but still crisp. There remains some stickiness on the lips.
Overall Impression: This is an amazingly complex and palatable beer. The fruit based finish of this beer balances out the malt forefront with an alcohol to help carry out the dryness and the hops. Rich, creamy, balanced and very drinkable. The alcohol is so well incorporated that there isn't a note that stands apart.

Daly Double

Thanks to Matt Gallagher, one of the brewers at Half Acre Beer Co. for the walking tour and giving me a bottle of this along with several others. Tasted with Matt Bowman, Neil Viagers, Jen and Luke at Ribco Monday night. Snifter poured.
7% ABV

Appearance: Mellowed light amber, dark copper color. A soapy white head clings to the glass with large and small bubbles. Lacing is speckled. Carbonation is present, but not in an extreme to notice much bubbling from the depths.
Aroma: Citrus and sweet orange peel. Mostly Simcoe and perhaps some Citra! Pineapple. Some faint cattiness in the background, but that is the only thing I can draw out as a deterrent...and even then it's difficult to acknowledge.
Taste: This beer is certainly hop forward boasting a fruitful dose of tropical flavors from pineapple to papaya. The start is sweet with a mild honey element, but apart from that, the malt is difficult to decipher. The finish is dry and resinous, but still finishing very clean. I'd see this great to pair with Lavender! Juicy flavor overall incorporating a tropical fruit flavor with a tart bite at the end. This is the kind of IPA I'm looking for.
Mouthfeel: Smooth feeling. Medium bodied with a subtle bubbly texture to tickle the end of the tongue. Generally the beer is quite soft and very refreshing.
Overall Impression: As I've said, this beer is tropically oriented with a zesty sweet flavor. The malt bill is entirely masked by the hops, but still the sweetness is encouraged into the hop complexity. I'm thinking Daisy Cutter on EPO. Get it while it's out!

Big Hugs Imperial Stout

Thanks to Jeff for buying me a bottle of this while I wasn't able to make it to Chicago for its release. And again thanks to Matt Gallagher, the brewmaster at Half Acre for giving me a look around and another bottle of this. Enjoyed Tuesday afternoon following the long weekend trip to Iowa City, Chicago, Madison and Galena.
Snifter Served
9.5%ABV

Appearance: Dark brown at the pour but still sufficient in clarity. In the glass it just looks like oil. The head is a dense, beige and large, standing at at least an inch for several minutes. Dissipation is slow, but results in a soapy spread across the surface of the beer. Carbonation can be briefly seen as the bubbles rise close to the glass. Wet speckled lacing.
Aroma: There is a big roasted bill, partially from the certain roasted/black patton malt. But then there is the partial roast flavor from coffee beans just beginning to turn color. It's all very upfront, but still consistently mild and not astringent. Some toasty sweetness intertwined, while an alcohol perfumes alongside. No fusals or solvents.
Taste: The start is faintly sweet of toast and biscuits. The carbonation comes in with a faint molasses sweetness and then BAM! a huge wave of coffee and roasted malt chocolate rinses over the palate, providing a sensation of omnipresence and domination. The second half has at first a chocolate liqueur flavor, that is thick and very rich. Next, alongside the burn one gets roasted coffee, chocolate and licorice to round out a spicy complexity. As the beer warms, spicy chocolate comes through, with maple syrup and persistent roastiness, and molasses. Aftertaste has a faint burnt flavor, but you know the grains are there.
Mouthfeel: Mild carbonation but a robust thickened body oils over the palate. The carbonation persists as it goes down, furthering the spike in flavor in the second half, but also providing a bit of an acidic feel in the throat. Very warming to the chest. Sticky on the lips and cloying on every orifice of the palate.
Overall Impression: This is a big beer at that. The coffee is very well incorporated, but still allows the grains to make the decision and pull the palate along on a ride of every malt flavor over 12 Lovibond. The alcohol is clean and paired nicely. A sipper for sure, and the perfect winter evening warmer.

Gossamer Golden Ale

Goss-a-mer refers to a style of wings that belong to the Lycaenidae family of insects.
Tasted following a day in the lab inoculating agar slants with the pure cultures of yeast I've been generating for the last 4 weeks. The next step is to ferment some wort, centrifuge, and pour out the remaining liquid. With the yeast pellet still at the bottom, I'm going to cover it in glycerol and store for different periods of time at -80 degrees Celsius and then inoculate more plates to check their viability. Sweet stuff. Purchased this beer straight from the brewery after getting a sneak peak around. Tasted for the first time at the brewery and found I had to get the four pack...

Appearance: A brilliantly clear golden liquid with a persisting carbonation within. The white head started very bubbly but dissipated into a thick froth foam. Lacing where the head once was is dry and Styrofoam-looking. Incredibly clear and well filtered. Quite visually appealing.

Aroma: Sweet but subtle biscuit malt is at the forefront of the nose. Next comes a nice bouquet of floral smells and wheat like undertones. Some moderate citrus permeates the nostrils along with a complex wealth of hop aromas. Yeast pungency and breadiness present as well. A little bit of lager character in the scent.

Taste: Sweet wheat taste with an equally paralleled lemon zest flavor at the front, then the beer pauses and then presents a pilsner like crispness with a dash of citrus hops. Peppery in the finish along with other spicy characters. The bitterness bites with a saaz flavor but with an accompaniment from a bready undertone. The finish also reminds me of lemongrass, especially with the bittering factor. Some grassiness may be drawn from the flavor, but it is overall negligible over the lemon pepper finish.
Mouthfeel: A light refreshing body is encouraged by a moderately high carbonation. Nevertheless the beer leaves the palate clean, but dry and refreshed and crisp.
Overall Impression: Extremely drinkable with an ironic complexity from all fronts. Spicy from the lemon and pepper, but citrusy from a unique combination of hops. The malt is basic, characteristically biscuit/pale/wheat, but still maintains its part in holding the rest of the flavors in line. The after burp is fantastic. I did however find that the beer was better at Half Acre from their gift shop taps, but it is still a remarkable beer.


87/100

Half Acre Daisy Cutter

Another beer part of the sampler at Yard House. I had tried this several times before at places like Fountain Head and The Hopleaf. A couple of months ago this beer didn't have a big impression on me. But these days since I've discovered the hop head in me, it isn't half bad. Tried a second time from a four pack of cans.

Appearance: A nice pale cloudy yellow with a fluffy foam head that pillows the beers surface. Minimal lacing. Depth defined haziness, surely unfiltered. Carbonation is very strong, sticking to the sides of the glass and persisting minutes after the pour.
Aroma: Initially a light biscuit-malt sweetness hits the nose only to then transition into a grassy and floral smell. The bitterness also represents subtle notes of tropical fruit and brief tones of pine. I'd say Citra or Simcoe from the impeccable fresh scent.
Taste: Both grassy and herbaceous with some yeasty notes that are carried through by the sweet light biscuit malt backbone. Citrus and tropical zest come through as they did in the aroma. Grapefruit too is a contributing factor to the taste. Orange peel and lemon gradually develop by mid taste. Somewhat of a grassy finish, but still maintains a spectacularly sweet and citrusy grapefruit flavor. It's gotta be at least one of the hops I noted above.
Mouthfeel: Light a fluffy but with a drying resinous finish. Very drinkable and refreshing for both summer and winter. A smooth texture that's created from the softer carbonation makes the feel of this beer very appealing.
Overall Impression: I liked this one. The pinnacle of fresh. It is a great go-to, and if I ever get the chance I'd pick a 4 pack cans up. Half-acre also has Gossamer...and most recently, "Over Ale." Nevertheless I feel that this hits all the style guidelines and flavors of a true pale ale...Goal successful. This stuff goes fast in the Chicago land area, so if you see the cans, pick them up while you CAN.


T1 (11/9/10): 86/100
T2 (4/25/11): 91/100
T3 (2/7/12): 93/100