Raspberry Tart

Picked this up at a random gas station in Wisconsin as Luke was filling up the car. This gas station even had its own Zoo! The beer was placed in the isle with the wines and was almost missed, but a second look found me looking at their Wisconsin Red, and this. Tasted at Trina Van Mell's apartment after coming back from the Great Dane and watching the Superbowl.

Appearance: Crimson with a very red/pink hue. The the head is faintly pink, but generally an off white cream. Lacing is very prominent with a semi dry texture. Carbonation is persistent and visible with a fine character. The head is sustained for minutes after the pour
Aroma: Up front, there is a faint mustiness. To compliment, the tartness from the fruitiness permeates the nostrils, but the musty scent still remains a dominant, but paralleled character.
Taste: Interestingly, the beer has a salty foretaste. The tart flavor of the raspberries comes second hand. There is a fruitroll-up-esk flavor to the beer. No medicinality, like the Wisconsin Red. There isn't a syrup flavor, which makes it more authentic I feel. Raspberry tart. Some grit and tannic flavor at the end.
Mouthfeel: Crispy feel and actually quite light in body. Bubbly with a bite about it. Some sour/acidic feel to it that nearly puckers the mouth. This reminds me of kombucha.
Overall Impression: Interesting, while incorporating a strange after flavor. There is a lot going on in this beer, the saltinesss, lack of malt, fruitiness, musty, and tart. Dry, but strangely refreshing. Nevertheless, I don't see myself seeking this beer out again. Perhaps the shelf life is sacrificed with the fruit addition and the yeast.

Wisconsin Belgian Red

Thanks to Joshua Schipp for saving this beer for a tasting on Saturday night alongside Dogfish Head's FORT.
Served with a slight Chill.
4% ABV

Appearance: Tasted in a brandy snifter (like the bottle said) A rich ruby red color right at the pour. Deeper in the glass. No head, but extremely clear in color, hardly any carbonation occurring within, making the beer look very still.
Aroma: Cough drop scent, but more naturally. Cherry soda to the max! Overripened cherries and a lot of sweet and sour smells.
Taste: Cherry soda sweetness with a natural tartness. I see both dark and sour cherries being used in this beer. The tart spike hits around the midtaste with the introduction of the carbonation, but where you expect it to blossom, it fades. Nevertheless the beer takes on a delicate tartness with a cherry jam/syrup sweetness or concentrate. The end tastes a bit watery. Lambic with the cherries. I think the fruit flavor masks all that could have been attained through the beer/Belgian portion of the ale.
Mouthfeel: Large sweetened syrupy body. A very subtle carbonation to match the tart. And to think the alcohol only sits at 4% ABV, I'd say that the a lot of the sweetness went under attenuated to preserve that sweet flavor to back up the cherry tartness. Sticky to the lips.
Overall Impression: It's unfortunate the taste of medicine has riddled the taste of cherries. We tasted this following the Dogfish Head Fort, and this was ten times more fruity, but ten times less alcohol as well! Huge cherry flavor matched by no other beer I've had. I think this is for anyone to try on any occasion (especially women). It was difficult to say much more about this beer besides...cherry!

Hearty Hop I.P.A

Thanks to Joshua Schipp for bringing this back from his trip through Wisconsin over his winter vacation. Tasted Wednesday evening out of a snifter while listening to The Shins and Postal Service.

Appearance: Bright ambered red with a very minimal head. There is still sustained a light white foam ring around the edges of the glass. The beer is quite clear but relatively still looking, except for the occasional bubble or two struggling to the surface.

Aroma: Faint caramel resides at the front. Given a vigorous swirl, th nose it met with a blast of very fresh hop smells, reminiscent of pine and orange citrus. Tropical esters. The smell is rich and juicy!

Taste: Sweet and malty in the foretaste with notes of caramel and brown sugar. I get the sense that there was an extract added to this beer, (whether that is a syrup of malt concentrate) because the sweetness has a very clean flavor to it. The end is a combination of bitterness, alcohol and undertoned hop derived fruit. I get peaches and pineapple, complimented with a mild earthiness.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied and smooth in texture. Some stickiness is maintained on the lips along with a cloy on the roof of the mouth. Carbonation briefly fizzles the tip of the tongue. Finish is dry, but not overly so.
Overall Impression: More of a mellow IPA, but enough hops get through to let you know what it is. The hops leave a distinct and easily distinguishable impression on the palate, paralleling tropical grapefruit, pineapple and peaches.


91/100

Unplugged Series: Chocolate Abbey

Tasted with Dan last week. Thanks to Justen Parris for giving me a bottle of this over the weekend during his beer tasting event. Just how many Unplugged-Series' does New Glarus Make??

Appearance: Darkened brown with a dense foamy head of beige, grayish color. Some clarity, but color inhibits. Lacing is wet and speckled. After minutes, the head dissipates into a fine film.
Aroma:  Whoa! A ton of chocolate and Christmas spicing as well as undertones of peanut butter. Strange as it may seem, I get twix! Clove and other phenols may be drawn out.
Taste: The front is bubbly (I know that goes for mouthfeel.) Some residual sweetness at the front, but a lot less than expected compared to the aroma. Chocolatey and subtly roasty but with some spiced character to it. The Belgians yeast promotes a mild roasted dark fruity flavor, reminiscent of figs. Finally the end results in a drying presentation profiled by clove and even hints of electrical tape. Alcohol is hard to pick out.
Mouthfeel: Higher carbonation than desired. Medium bodied, but not to large. Leaves a dryness, coating the mouth with a very resinous finish.
Overall Impression: Awesome aroma, probably up there with the very top beer's I've had. Nevertheless, I found the flavor to be a little insufficient and alcohol absent. Smell was the only note of alcohol - booze and peanut butter.


86/100

Back 40 Bock

Thanks to Jaron Gaier and Maggie Hayes for bringing this beer back from Wisconsin. I hosted a Beer tasting at my house last Friday night in which we had a couple people over, of which each person brought a six pack. I received this amongst two assorted six packs or NG beer. Fortunately I was left with a few of which I could go back and update past posts. Reviewed Monday afternoon following a swift 15 mile run (LogaRun.com).

Appearance: Hazelnut Brown with a persisting clarity. Bubbles accumulate on the sides of the glass, leading to a perception of a soft drink/root beer.  The head is soapy and white with varying sized bubbles throughout. Carbonation can be seen when beer is held to the light.
Aroma: My first impression was that this beer resembled, well…beer. It maintained what my childhood self would have remembered beer to smell like. For that matter, perhaps this bock has a bunch of corn thrown into it. On the outside, there is a lot of caramel and brown sugar to complement an overall rich outdoorsy scent.
Taste: A bit watery in the initial sips, but soon packs a nice rich undercurrent of caramel malt and the ever retained brown sugar sweetness. Nuttiness pops up in the midtaste. Similarly, some spiciness emerges midway through, complemented with some clover and cinnamon. Finally to round out the end, faint herbal hops and a woodsy bitterness dry out the palate leaving a clean, but refreshing taste in the mouth.
Mouthfeel: Definitely lighter in body for most bocks, and I’ll reiterate now that the initial sips give a perceptively watery feel on the tongue. Carbonation is mediocre, but enough to bubble up on the palate as the sweetness subsides on the back half. Cloying on the roof of the mouth.
Overall Impression: A lighter bock, but interestingly encapsulates what I’d think of Wisconsin. It maintains a score of outdoorsy flavors, while retaining the rich caramel malt foundation. Another beer from New Glarus to extend their wide variety of beers to target every palate of Wisconsin Populace.

82/100

Laughing Fox

I had never seen this Laughing Fox beer, and was certainly curious to try it. Special thanks to Justen Parris for giving me a bottle of this on Sunday following an IPA tasting event at his house. I enjoyed this Wednesday afternoon after working the morning at the brewery and spending the rest of my day working in the lab reviving some of the Pacific Ale yeast from my internship last spring. Weizen glass served.

Appearance: Glowing amber with a proud clarity, but nevertheless there is a faint haze (perhaps from wheat proteins). The head takes on a frothy off white texture sufficient to make reside as an 1" worth upon pour. Within carbonation is extremely prominent rising single filed from un-seen origins. Lacing silhouettes the glass in a wettened manner.

Aroma: Faint notes of cinnamon and nutmeg, while a clove character masks much of what could be confused as pumpkin spicing. Definitely banana is present, underwhelmed by subtle notes of bubblegum. Esters and yeasty phenols make up the dominant scents.
Taste: Begins with a bready malt backbone with a hint of toasted grains. What follows are notes of cinnamon and clove in complement with estery undertones. Mild malt citrus from the wheat is faint, but can be picked out. Approaching the end, the palate becomes well acquainted with a burst of banana phenols and bubblegum - obviously products of yeast in fermentation. The finish is smooth and festively spiced. As the beer warms, more esters become pronounced. Extremely clean finish with little left to the aftertaste.
Mouthfeel: Extremely creamy and smooth. The beginning carbonation leads one to expect something overwhelming but the foam bubbles up immediately as it touches the tongue, carrying the beer down in a soft bubbly manner. From what I can tell prior to the carbonation, the body is of medium stature.
Overall Impression: Certainly a beer I've had little experience tasting. I thought one could reasonably confuse it with an oktoberfest with a big wheat bill, or even a pumpkin wheat. In any case, the clove banana and bubble gum where highly prominent. the rest is left to personal interpretation. Nevertheless it is surely a complex ale, while remaining drinkable and clean.


89/100

Unplugged Imperial Weizen

I picked up this beer while Luke and I were on the way home from our road trip up to Northern Wisconsin. Interestingly, I found this beer in a gas station! Along with NG's Abt among others. I finally got around to tasting this while reading Mr. John King's Latest Blog post.

Appearance: Poured into a Merrill Lynch Weizen glass. Apricot orange with a golden hue complemented with a blanketed haze and spontaneous, slow rising carbonation bubbles from the depths of the glass. The head is bright white with peaks as it diminishes, leaving behind a thick filmed lacing along the sides.

Aroma: Very estery, reminiscent of of over ripened peaches followed by a highly apparent banana scent, once the nose adjusts. Faint notes of clove. This beer is both estery and phenolic with a neutrally sweet (perhaps bread) backbone with a touch of citrus.

Taste: It's a bready sweetness that makes for a very short lived backbone, but enough to be a foundation to the rest of the complexities this beer has to offer. Next comes some mild undertones of apricot and peach-like esters. Even orange peel is present. Clove at the back of the jaw. Near the end, the hops make their introduction with a subtle back of the palate citrus, while still remaining an undertone to the front, more aggressive flavors noted earlier. The finish then leaves a note of wheaty biscuit sweetness with a presence of flour and YEAST! Nevertheless it maintains a refreshing character with a understated alcoholic element. As the beer warms there emerges a Belgian-esk/Saison flavor.
Mouthfeel: Very smooth and drinkable. Carbonation is medium in profile and residing at the end of the beers sense definition. The body is on the higher end of medium. What's left is a dry, yet cloying feeling on the roof of the mouth
Overall Impression: What a wheat beer! The complexity cannot be emphasized more. The cloves, peaches, banana, citrus and Belgian flavors aren't half of it. This is a phenomenally crafted ale! I don't normally enjoy the "Imperial or Big Beers," let alone wheat beer's but this is something else! Way to go, New Glarus!


95/100

Uff-da Bock

Tasted Monday morning after an 11 mile run which involved almost getting run over by a run-away burglar, and then to be pulled over by a Rock Island squad car as he asked if I got the license plate and if I wanted to file a report. I didn't, I just wanted to finish my run. Anyway, I have no clue where or how I acquired this beer, nevertheless I enjoyed it with steamed broccoli and hot sauce!

Appearance: Pour looked to be very thick and viscous. Deep mahogany/chestnut brown with a rich rubied hue. Very clear and clean looking, aside for the color inhibiting transparency. The head is a good inch of cream colored foam at first, but falls to an entire coated film along the glass where it once was and coating the surface of the beer. Relatively still looking.
Aroma: Rich caramel and toasted grains, followed by an earthy maple undertone all of which makes up an incredibly sweet and aromatic scent. Brown sugar and even notes of roasted barley and molasses. A bit oaky with a dash of vanilla.
Taste: Foretaste is predominantly caramel malt and perhaps even some red wheat. I pick up on toasted malt and even a presence of light roastiness to complement the in depth sweet complexity. Some fruitiness is present of dates, but I even get some banana in the beer, especially towards the end. Woody and more of a barrel aged character at the end, complemented with notes of licorice and an overtone of maple. Vanilla again appears at the finish in conjunction with a subtle alcoholic presence. Obviously, as the beer warms, more esters emerge and the malt becomes even more pronounced than before. Some chocolate may be noted prior to the finish. Rounded out with a slight neutral bitterness.
Mouthfeel: Heavier bodied with a residual tackiness on the lips. Carbonation is soothing as it maintains a softer presence on the top of the tongue. One can tell this beer still has an element of hops, as the finish has a dryness on the tongue.
Overall Impression: Certainly a complex, malt forward beer. Characteristics such as caramel, vanilla, fruity, oaked, alcohol, toasted and maple come to mind right from the start. On the heavier side of a Bock, but nothing to fall short on.


88/100

Black Top

Enjoyed Wednesday afternoon on the patio of Great River Brewery with Scott, Paul, Caley and Trevor as we tasted the accumulated stock of beers we've gotten over the past month or so. I wrote up what I could from the minute sample I was given ~2 Oz.

Appearance: Dark brown hue but relatively clear as seen upon pour. Originally displays a creamy off white foam head that dissipates into a slight dusting atop and leaves lacing on the side of the glass.

Aroma: Huge citrus and grapefruit present immediately at the front of the nose. Simcoe, perhaps, that completely masks any of the coloring malt that may exist. Foresty but even with a bit of solvent in the nostrils.

Taste: Malt bill is subtle with a touch of caramel but goes hardly noticed over the robust pine flavor that quickly rushes over the tongue. The finish resembles a bit of roastiness with a hot finish resolving at the back of the throat. As the beer warms there is some dark caramel, especially at the aftertaste.

Mouthfeel: Big bubble carbonation felt at the beginning, no bite though. Lighter bodied thanks to the carbonation and slightly sticky.

Overall Impression: This is a fantastic black IPA; another great and very drinkable brew from New Glarus. While putting the most emphasis on the large hop profile, this beer still retains a bit of the color oriented flavors of roasted malt.


91/100

Staghorn Octoberfest Beer

Tasted after a 7 miler morning run in which I stopped midway at the farmers market to snack on a loaf of the Mad Farmer's Old World bread. Mmm.

Appearance: Bright amber with a prominent carbonation arising in the middle of the glass. The head isn't substantial, in fact insufficient at best. Minute lacing. Clarity would perhaps be a 9/10.

Aroma: There is a mild lagered sweetness amidst a rather perfumy and spiced nose. Pungency and even a bit of cinnamon. Not too much of a hop presence in this beer, I think it's been primarily dedicated to bringing out the spices and malt base.

Taste: Taste is sublimely refreshing complete with a basic caramel and breadiness to parallel a lightly toasted malt bill. By midtaste, there is a pronunciation of honey and spice. To finish leaves the palate with a ginger and soft cinnamon flavor. The end is evenly dry and leaves a remaining woodiness to cloy on the back of the throat.
Mouthfeel: Light and highly carbonated, though nothing to deter the flavor complexities. Finish is dry yet as noted above, a cloying gumminess is left to the back of the throat. Crisp!
Overall Impression: A very complex, yet easy drinking beer. the spicing is the highpoint in this due to the fact at different points it leaves one to decipher in many directions - malt, midtaste spice, finish, aftertaste. OR it can simple be consumed on a hot summers day for pure refreshing enjoyment.


89/100

Abt - Unplugged Series

Tasted the night before the Bix 7 race after going out to dinner at the Lemongrass cafe in Moline. I purchased this from a random gas station while Luke and I were heading back from our camping trip a couple weeks ago.

Appearance: Glowing hazelnut brown with a quick to dissipate head, that originally took on a tan-grey appearance. Transparency is inhibited predominantly by the color. Some flocculation and particles are present towards the bottom.

Aroma: Boasting a rich arson of fruit and woody elements, this beer definitely has a very sweet profile to it. Notes of farmhouse and phenols are present as well as a fermented honey (mead) scent at the finish.

Taste: Chocolate and robust caramel foretaste that transpires with a touch of oaky and earthy undertones. Dark cherries and dry roasted plums. The midtaste begins to lead on an alcoholic flavor only to develop into a surprisingly farmhouse flavor at the very finish. Some vininess, but dominantly phenolic. The attenuation of the Belgian Dark Candi sugars certainly add to the unusual flavor profile brought on by the yeast. Minute notes of breadiness. Some bubble-gum at the end as well

Mouthfeel: Thick, but still drinkable. The carbonation isn't at an extreme, but it helps to bring the beer together in whatever oddity it was going for. It almost feels as if I can feel each bubble biting the tongue as the liquid goes down. Warming at the finish. Buttery textured.

Overall Impression: Extremely interesting. I cannot say I've ever had a beer such like this. It's both sweet, yet dry, farmhouse flavored, yet subtly fruity. I'm glad I only got a bottle, and especially something to share with a couple others, however a great conversation piece.

78/100

Moon Man No Coast Pale Ale

Thanks to Joey Waldorf for keeping my blog in consideration when he was vacationing in Wisconsin. He ended up getting four 6-packs of New Glarus, three of which I had never had. Reviewed Sunday afternoon following a run and preceding the MUGZ homebrew club meeting down at GRB.

Appearance: Brilliant golden color with an initial, but minor carbonation accumulation on the side of the glass. Head isn't much, but still is exhibited as a white foam ring around the inside perimeter of the glass. Occasional bubbles arise the the surface and soon popping. Lacing is wet and cascaded.
Aroma: Very lemony and sweet, reminiscent of a lemon head. Very unlikely citrus from a peppery lemon hop make up much of the flavor. Definitely floral with a bit of a lemongrass complexity. Spicing for sure, yet I cannot pinpoint its exact flavor. Generally abnormally perfumy and citrusy.
Taste: Foretaste is light and perhaps pilsner malt. Perhaps some extra cane sugar additions. A unique combination between a synthetic lemon flavor, but also the inner pith of lemons make up the majority of the hop profile. A bit buttery, with an underlying biscuity taste, yet hardly acknowledgeable under the lemon flavor. Some pine is present, along with a very minute chemical and tropical zest/bitterness. The finish is dry, but the beer finishes relatively crisp.
Mouthfeel: High carbonation makes for both an aggressively textured beer, yet very crisp and refreshing. Body is light and almost soda like.
Overall Impression: Definitely a very interesting pale ale. I haven't come across one quite like this, especially with the extreme emphasis on lemon for its overall flavor characteristics. Nevertheless it is extremely light, and could perhaps even boarder on being a pilsner, though that may be up for debate...so please do.


85/100

Dancing Man Wheat

Tasted Memorial Monday following an hour yoga session and a huge omelet made from the garden. Heading to downtown Rock Island for the annual bike races, so I figured I get this done early. Thanks to my dad for getting me this for graduation. It was the last of the beer in the New Glarus assorted six pack.

Appearance: Glowing light amber to golden orange color with a strong white bubbly head. It dissipates into a consistent white foamy film with a cling on the sides. The clarity is minimal, even without the dregs poured in. Some carbonation intermittently bubbling to the surface.

Aroma: Very astringent and almost soured - Brettanomyces character. Overripe fruit scent and a bit of citrus wheat in the finish. Also, quite yeasty.

Taste: Sweet and honeyed. Huge fruit bill clove is a dominating characteristic with a spicy tinge complemented with cinnamon and notes of banana and lemon. The fruity esters are highly apparent in this beer - apricots, pears, bananas and even soured cherries. The finish leaves the mouth with a tart but slightly dried grain aftertaste. Esters and phenols along with the strong alcohol is sensed on the breath following the finish of the beer. Bready and spiced. Very subtle hops. Lemon and lemongrass flavor seems to be the dividing taste that separates the foretaste from the finish. Earthy.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with a faint and light carbonation to round out the flavor. A little bit sticky on the lips, but still finishing dry. Refreshing, yes, but primarily from the carbonation. Alcohol prolongs the aftertaste with its dryness, while inhibiting a crisp clean finish.
Overall Impression: This is one of the strange beers I've tried since beginning this blog. I was quite surprised in the beginning, and almost repulsed from the soured, off flavor. But it still maintained an element of appeal. It encapsulates a soured character but with the normative banana and clove, along with other yeasty and fruit related flavors. Quite an ABV to tamper with. Spicy! Just still not used to this type of beer. So different, it was hard to give a review. Props for being to different. I'm so used to normal Hefe's with strong wheat citrus and lemon.


Tim: 84/100
Jen: 73/100

Fat Squirrel Ale

Tasted Monday afternoon, technically my first day of summer, but some of it was spent in the lab. The rest was at my old house cleaning up in time for our lease to come to an end. Thanks to my dad for giving me this as part of an assorted New Glarus six pack.

Appearance: A dark bronze color, yet it still maintains some transparency. The head is initially off white foam. Slow dissipation as the head terminates into a consistent film completely layering the top. Lacing looks wet but a closer look confirms it is dry. Overall it looks relatively still.
Aroma: Rich toasted barley and malted caramel. There is a nice nuttiness and an undertone of dark fruit and Belgian candy sugar. Even some chocolate can be noted. Mellow cinnamon and other contributive fall, dessert-like spicing.
Taste: The sweetness doesn't really come through until the very end when the hops and carbonation vapors out the alcohol to make a strong toasted nut and cocoa flavor. Gradually, however once the palate adjust to the beer there is a woody/fall character, and certainly hazelnut overtone. Some brown sugar is maintained throughout. The beer generally lacks much of a hop flavor, but its presence is felt in the drying finish it leaves behind.
Mouthfeel: Medium body but both smooth and crisp texture/mouthfeel. The carbonation contributes a higher foaming element that makes this beer a lot lighter than the initial perception. Similarly it melds well with the finish to leave it flavorful but dry and crisp.
Overall Impression: I liked this beer. I thought it held a unique, refreshing finish that made it stand out from most brown ales. It wasn't as chocolaty as others, but maintained its own with a wealth of toasted malt and caramel. One of the best brown ales I've tasted.


87/100

Totally Naked Lager

Tasted following my last collegiate 1500m race. Finished comfortably in 4:08, not a pr, but still a decent race. I have the 5k in 2 hours at 8:45, so I figured a light crisp lager to be a perfect option.

Appearance: A clean looking straw/yellow look with absolute brightness and clarity. A soft foamy white head set atop the beer at first but fell back into the liquid soon after. High carbonated look. Initially bubbles accumulated on the glass.

Aroma: A little skunky and stale, but an attribute originating from the hops and yeast. A little bit peppery with a lemongrass citrus undertone. Very floral.
Taste: Sweet and crisp. A very basic base malt with a  very light honey aspect. Clean tasting. The hops contribute a pepper and lemon complexity. A little astringent, but a favorable characteristic. Floral bitterness and a bready sweetness shove the beer to the finish laving almost no aftertaste to speak of.
Mouthfeel: High carbonation but fitting the beer. Clean and crisp. Light body, and a smooth mouthfeel overall. Dry.
Overall Impression: I enjoyed the crisp element of the beer. Finishing with pepper and lemon really helped round out a bready/honey malt and an overall floral profile. Highly drinkable

84/100

Two Women Lager

Tasted following a review session for my political philosophy final. Thanks to my dad, Steven Rosley for picking up a six pack of this for me to try. I received it following my 5k at North Central

Appearance: Poured a clear golden color, but in the glass settled as a bronzed amber with the utmost clarity and brightness. Microbubble carbonation rise slowly to the surface to fuel what was initially a very soapy off whit head, but dissipated a few minutes later into a foamy ring leaving behind it a wet sticky lacing on the sides of the glass.

Aroma: Oddly enough I draw a lot of farmhouse and must from the aroma, though it is fruity, it comes off more as a Belgian funk. There is some caramel and toffee malt to hold a foundation with a woodsy and earthy scent. Fruit dominated.
Taste: Similar to the aroma the beer exhibits this "funk" but in a lot more palatable motion. Until the midtaste there isn't much to it. However, upon then a bouquet of very mellow fruity undertones splash against the tongue blossoming into dark fruit and plum-like notes. Some caramel and bread malt are integrated underneath layers of fruity funk and spicy bitterness. Yeastiness and Belgian character are very prominent, while the bitterness is unique, but well integrated. The herbal element is nicely integrated with some tones of lemon and orange peel bitterness. Not as crisp as I would have thought, but the hallertau hops add a great addition to the beers overall complexity
Mouthfeel: Starts a little watery until the midtaste comes in. Body is somewhat thin overall, but carbonation helps give some girth (sorry, that probably isn't a word I should use for reviewing beer. Nevertheless it still brings in a refreshing component.
Overall Impression: Definitely one of the more interesting lagers I've had. It maintained a twisted complexity with an earthy woody flavor along with Belgian phenols and German hops. Still it was very clean at the finish. Wow.


90/100

Stone Soup Abbey Ale

Tasted Saturday evening. I decided to trade going to my last Track Formal to stay home and help compose a delicious organic Indian dinner with Josh. We made an absurd amount of food. I reviewed this in between mixing and dicing. Thanks to my Dad for getting me this as part of an assorted six pack!

Appearance: A yellowed orange with a high accumulation of carbonation on the sides. Some frothed head is initially present but quickly disappears. Overall the beer maintains a bold cloudiness, with no flocculation. Looks predominantly watery once the head dissipates.

Aroma: Strong clove and ginger immediately at the nose. Yeasty with a back-up from phenols. Some subtle honeyed sweetness and fruit. Even some biscuity malt to the backbone.
Taste: Belgian yeastiness, but the malt sweetness is clean and peat-like. The initial sweetness has an element of corn, which I also found present in Spotted Cow. Some mild elements of orange pith as well as a mellow honey character. Phenolic, but fruity. Clove and Ginger also help encourage an earthy flavor. A lot of the characteristics of this beer remind me of the basic spices added to meads. There aren't a lot of bittering aspects to this aside for the residual dryness from the spices. There is an undertone of light fruit and skin sweetness, and maybe even some tartness, that is ultimately masked by the spices. A dash of banana is present as well.
Mouthfeel: Cleanses the palate. Medium body with a nice carbonation to match. The feel finished clean, but also dry. Some alcohol in the finish, but masked by the spice.
Overall Impression: A very complex but equally drinkable beer. I find a lot of spicing but a malt base to balance. Some mild fruitiness resides as an undertone throughout. More a beer to sit back and enjoy on a cool summer evening.


86/100

Cabin Fever Honey Bock

Tasted while preparing 4 Ibs of cabbage to be fermented for 3 weeks into sauerkraut. Thanks to Justen Parris for allowing me to take home this bottle from his house.

Appearance: Pale amber with a golden hue. Foamy white head that results in a evenly distributed film across the top. An entire lacing coats the sides of the glass. Clarity is strong allowing for visibility of micro carbonation uniformly rising to the surface.

Aroma: Pungent and yeasty with a mellowed sweetness and a cellar character. Some fruit but difficult to classify over the strong lager profile. Can't draw too much honey, but perhaps the saaz and hallertau were used.
Taste: Light malt base with a huge kick from the honey but in a very mellow manner that is well crafted into the complexity of this beer. All the flavors pour through, that were absent in the aroma. Some spicy kicks with a bit of tartness and an earthiness to the midtaste where much of the flavor lies. The finish is somewhat nutty with tones of biscuit and toasted malt. Finally the beer maintains some phenolic character that accompanies the alpha acid bitterness as it cleanly washes down the throat leaving only a brief taste of honey. Some herbal elements.
Mouthfeel: Medium body with a smooth texture and a generous carbonation that bring out a very refreshing taste and breaths the beer.The finish is somewhat dry but not overbearing. Some tackiness to the lips.
Overall Impression: Actually I was surprised by this beer. I was expecting something along the lines of a spotted cow with a huge honey profile. It was exact opposite. Light body, mellow malt and honey, but still extremely complex and drinkable. Nice!


85/100

Snowshoe Ale

Thanks to Justen Parris for giving me this beer along with several others following our tasting. I got to trying it following an evening 15 miler along the Davenport/Bettendorf bike path and the fantastic dinner Jen prepared for me when I got home.

Appearance: Dark bronzed red with visible carbonation and a subtle glow to it. Generally it is clear, but the darkness of the malt color is inhibitory. Poor head, though still maintains a film across the top of white foam bubbles.

Aroma: Very malty and peat like. Smells like a scotch-like ale. Some dark fruity undertones, though in this case from the malt as well as some toffee and tartness. Perhaps there is some smoked element to the beer as well. Some spice and even cinnamon finish the scent.

Taste: The malt backbone boasts a tremendous sweetness compared to many of the winter beer I've encountered. The peat and smoked malt maintain themselves on into the flavor in the form of a subtle earthiness. Again there is a toasted/toffee malt present along with dark bread crust in the foretaste followed up by floral and dark fruit sweetness and then finished by a well melded spice finish while still incorporating the earthy flavors. Finally there is a prolonged woody bitterness into the aftertaste, that still remains appealing.
Mouthfeel: Big body but smooth and still relatively drinkable and refreshing (in my dehydrated case). The carbonation is small but still enough to buzz the tip of the tongue and finished with a toasted tannin dryness.
Overall Impression: Extremely complex and well balanced. Normally spicing is a bold attempt, and usually overdone. This beer finishes well and flavorful. A fantastic drinkable winter ale I certainly see myself getting again. Please come to Illinois, New Glarus...


86/100

Spotted Cow

Picked up a six pack from the gas station Saturday morning before our race in Oshkosh. New Glarus is primarily only sold in Wisconsin so this was one of my only opportunities to obtain it. I had one other, but the team was there and I did not want to give the wrong impression or disgruntle the coach.

Appearance: Straw pale yellow with an amber tint. Mostly clear, but still retains a turbidity possibly from chill haze or corn adjuncts. Strong foam profile that slowly dissipates into a soapy film. Carbonation is glowingly visible.

Aroma: Smells yeasty and like straw, with somewhat of a lagered character probably from the addition of extra sugar. Crispy to the finish.

Taste: Very sweet and clean with a simple flavor profile, perhaps indicating this beer is more than the 4 ingredients that the Europeans push to maintain. It's quite noticeable, label description aside, that this beer has had a generous addition of corn starch/sugar or cane sugar added as adjunct to it, revealing a strong corn/lagered, econ-beer taste with undertones of crisp wheat and phenolic fruit/apple characteristics. Finishes primarily bitter free, but with a permeating rice/grain hull aftertaste that is slightly annoying. Slight brediness with an apple diacetyl taste intertwined.
Mouthfeel: Light and buttery, with the body maintaining a thicker tacky profile (extra sugar?!). Leaves a film in the back of the mouth that contributes to a stick annoying aftertaste.
Overall Impression: An overwhelming non-descript sweetness dominates this beer and makes it resemble a beer for the Milwaukee-Anhauser light graduate. Far from a complex ale worthy of tasting.


64/100