This Month's Featured Beers - July 2009
DOM = Domestic Beer Club; INT = International Beer Club; VAR = Domestic International Variety Beer Club; COL = Collector's Beer Club
Please Note: Although we will make every attempt to ship the products listed, occasionally we may need to substitute them with equally outstanding beers. If you strongly desire to receive those listed, please contact us at 800-625-8238 so that we may note your account accordingly.
The product descriptions below are excerpts from our monthly newsletter. Click here to view it in its entirety.
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Bring on the birthday brew! On the nose, expect big biscuity and toasty notes amidst citrusy cascade hop aromas and seeds (think wild bird feed). Look for fruity notes to emerge as it warms, with a roasty, nutty profile and hints of milk chocolate and caramel. This beer is on the bigger side—a so-called “India brown ale”—yet it maintains balance amidst its complexities and girth. Notes of caramel, roastiness, toffee, grapefruit zest, crackers and sweet bread dough are all balanced by a moderate bitterness and citrusy fade. Overall, quite interesting in that the sweeter elements and more bitter elements run a constant balancing act with one another rather than just a sweet start ended by a bitter finish. A nicely crafted brew fitting for commemorating the brewery’s 30th anniversary, and a definite throwback to the pioneer brews. Pair with something smoky like smoked beef brisket.
Serving Temperature: 45-52° F
Int'l Bittering Units: 60
Alcohol by Volume: 6.8%
Suggested Glassware: Pint Glass, Mug or Stein
Malts: Belgian Biscuit, Chocolate, Pale, Gambrinus Honey
Hops: Cascade
‘The Mojo’ brings it with an explosion of citrusy, piney hop aromatics and big time fruit notes. Oh sweet & hoppy goodness! The pine character is huge; sappy and resinous, with grapefruit flesh and rind also prominent on the nose. Flavor begins big & citrusy, almost juicy, with grapefruit and tangerine flavors. These are washed to the background by a sticking bitterness that develops, grows, and hangs on and on. A lightly sweet malt backbone does its best to keep the hops in check, but hops are at the helm here as waves of hop flavors and bitterness dominate. Note breaths of pine sap, evergreens, and alcohol coming through the nose when breathing out. Overall, a big, beautiful IPA that’s interesting but manages to maintain drinkability. A great session beer for the hop fanatics out there that will work very well with a variety of Indian curry dishes.
Serving Temperature: 43-50° F
Int’l Bittering Units: 70
Alcohol by Volume: 7.2%
Suggested Glassware: Pint Glass
Malts: Pale, Wheat, Caramel
Hops: Amarillo, Centennial
Kerberos, the multi-headed guard dog of Hades prevents those who have crossed the River Styx from leaving. Unlike the typical concept of a guard dog who keeps people out, Kerberos seeks to keep folks in one place. You too may find yourself unable to break away from the bottle as Kerberos confines you to your barstool. Look for notes of custard and butterscotch on the nose. There are some semi-sharp European hop aromas, but mainly sweeter notes dominate. Now we know we don’t have a refined canine sense of smell, but even sticking our snouts deep into this beer, we struggle to pull out any notes of alcohol—they’re better hidden than that bone you buried in your backyard. Notes of tapioca emerge as it warms along with mild spiciness. Kerberos’s three-headed bark is more aggressive than its bite, flavor-wise. The beer goes down rich, full-bodied, and viscous, but smooth, warming and pleasant. Expect subdued notes of overripened peach, butterscotch, and a faint nip of anise. Notice the faint clove character and a vanilla-meets-oak-note. Toward the finish, look for musty herbal notes evoking the likes of rosemary and thyme, and a latent white pepper spiciness in the finish with a slightly grassy hop fade. Overall a very complex beer with a somewhat nontraditional flavor profile for the style. Flying dog has put their own stamp on the Tripel style with Kerberos. And if we had three heads, we’d make sure there was a goblet of this beer for each of them. Pair with oven roasted potatoes with butter, garlic and rosemary.
Int’l Bittering Units: 27
Alcohol by Volume: 8.6%
Suggested Glassware: Goblet or Snifter
Malts: Weyerman Pils, Briess Aromatic
Hops: German Perle, Strisserspalt, Saaz
Tire Bite is brewed in the Kölsch style, a unique style of beer found only in Cologne, Germany (outside of which it’s not legal to call it Kölsch). It’s a light-bodied style that has the clean and crisp nature of a lager, with some of the fruitier notes found in an ale. It is a unique style of beer that leaves no room for error in the brewing process, as even small flaws in flavor will announce themselves like your neighbors’ yappy dog. Pours a crystal clear golden copper hue, with a just off-white colored, tiny-bubbled head. On the nose, expect a very nicely balanced bouquet, with floral aromatics, caramel malts, hints of straw and lemons. Look for clean grains on the palate, with a well-rounded bitterness that works well against the mild caramel sweetness provided by a tasty malt bill. Note a faint whisper of crisp, ripe apples toward the finish, with floral hop flavors and lemony hop notes in the finish. Overall, light, crisp and refreshing, delivering great flavor for an easy-drinking beer. Pairs well with anything off the grill, and hot weather in general.
Int'l Bittering Units: 20
Alcohol by Volume: 4.7%
Suggested Glassware: Stange or Pint Glass
Malts: 2-Row, White Wheat, Munich
Hops: German Perle, Hallertau
Herold Brewery (Pivovar Herold)-Březnice, Czech Republic (South Central Czech Republic)
Herold Brewery's Bohemian Granát Lager debuted in the 19th century, but was discontinued in favor of other, lighter beers. Expect a deep garnet color topped by a creamy tan head. Swirling the beer in the glass rouses malty, chocolate-laden notes that are offset by the spry aromatics of a traditionally hoppy, almost grassy, Czech Saaz hop character and notes of Red Delicious apples rolled in caramel. The flavor is rich and robust, with caramel, toffee, hints of plum, and an undercurrent of leafy hops. It begins rich and malty, immediately sweet, but this is almost instantly balanced by rich roasty notes and a very lengthy bitterness. Look for notes of coffee-infused molasses, and prominent notes of caramelized sugar and toasted bread as well as almonds and pralines. Finishes with an exceptionally long bitter fade. Once it warms, swirling brings out notes of oranges and almonds. Enjoy alongside steak served with caramelized onions.
Serving Temperature: 42-48°F
Alcohol by Volume: 5.8%
Suggested Glassware: Pint Glass, Pilsner Glass, Mug (clear) or Stein
Our second featured international beer is an example of a Black Lager. German varieties of this style are often referred to as Schwarzbier (Schwarze means black in German). However, the brewers have intentionally distinguished the brew from German examples by including the term 'Bohemian' in the title. Expect a deep, nearly black color adorned with a wonderfully creamy, chocolaty-brown head. The aroma is particularly pleasant on the nose, full of sweet malts, black currants, roasted chocolate and coffee scents, with a vinous (wine-like) character in the background mingling with aged maduro tobacco notes. Look for notes of singed molasses, dark chocolate, black currants, prunes, and minor lactic notes. Sweeter notes are replaced by black coffee notes toward the finish, with a faint acidity and a final charcoal character emerging and drying things out. Overall, a rich, full-flavored beer that packs the flavor but never beats up your palate. Grab a well-aged deep dark and oily maduro cigar for a truly rewarding pairing.
Serving Temperature: 45-50°F
Alcohol by Volume: 5.2%
Suggested Glassware: Pint Glass, Pilsner Glass, Mug or Stein
De Proef Brouwerij (The Professor Brewery)—Lochristi, Belgium (Northern Central Belgium) in Collaboration With Bell’s Brewery, Kalamazoo, Michigan, USA (Midwestern United States)
This unique collaboration beer pours a very deep, hazy, burgundy brown color and is topped by a massive, intensely sticky, tan colored head that laces nicely and remains indefinitely. Smells of spicy Belgian yeast greet the nose, falling in line with expectations for a Belgian strong dark ale. But then it takes on a unique twist, with prominent notes of chocolate and some coffee, fudge, and a ‘stemmy’ woodiness. When swirled, look for faint impressions of cherry juice to arise, and note how the cherry notes play second fiddle to the chocolate notes that are quite prominent. Expect notes of dark bread, bubblegum and spicy, herbal notes as it warms, reminiscent of beers brewed in the Belgian Dubbel style. On the palate, notes of cherries hit upfront and are quickly blended with ample notes of chocolate, lightly roasted malts, and under ripened nectarines, giving a tart character that is also blended with some very sweet plum-like fruit notes. We found the finish very complex, evoking a variety of flavors found in a multitude of familiar styles; look for a unique interplay of fruity sweetness meets porter-like dryness meets sour/tart fruit & funky Brettanomyces (wild yeast often used in Lambic styles). While a vinous character is detected, it is nearly erased by the un-wine-like rush of chocolate. Overall, this is a very interesting beer with an unusual but delightful flavor profile. The chocolate aromas and flavors are particularly noteworthy, as is the sour, funky fruit character. But interestingly, these very strong flavor elements are blended in such harmonious fashion that they balance one another. The sharp, sour, tart cherry notes are kept from inducing a puckering of the mouth by the rich, roasty, creamy chocolate notes. Stylistically, it’s a hard beer to place, but oftentimes, styles are the first casualty of brewing innovation. It seems to be a combination of wood-aged Belgian strong dark ale, porter, and dubbel. Very unusual and very exciting to the palate, this beer is a bold experiment that delivers a robust novelty that only collaboration can bring. We suggest pairing with Belgian truffles, with moderate to high cocoa levels (medium-to-dark chocolate). Cellaring (storage at cellar temperatures) is recommended as this beer will continue to develop and mature in the bottle. If you can muster the willpower, set a bottle aside and check in on it at least six months down the road.
Serving Temperature: 50-60° F
Alcohol by Volume: 7.5%
Style: Belgian Strong Dark Ale brewed with Michigan Dark Cherry Juice
Suggested Glassware: Tulip or Snifter
Cerveceria Artesanal BarbaRoja (Red Beard Artisanal Brewery)—Escobar, Buenos Aires, Argentina (Northeastern Argentina)
This big red ale pours a deep amber color with ruby highlights when held to the light, with a big beige head fading to a solid covering and collar. On the nose, expect deep rich caramel notes, blanketed by an aromatic tingle from the hops. Look for notes of pears, over ripened apples, and the faintest possible impression of peat. Sweet molasses, maple syrup and floral notes mingle with wafts of alcohol and dark-skinned fruit, with minor notes of oak and a ghost-like note of vanilla. There is a hefty amount of sweetness implied by the nose, but remarkably, the flavor profile only dabbles in it. Look for notes of fresh grains, and fairly prominent notes of barrel-aged, single malt scotch with scents of orange and notes of candied orange peel comingling in the mix. Interestingly, some notes of Añejo tequila also come through after the beer has had a few moments to warm and breathe, similar to the flavors you might find in an old-world Scottish Wee Heavy ale, but with a heftier hop profile providing a leafy hop character. Expect this beer to finish a bit boozy in the mouth, and warm in the belly. Overall, this is a powerful, complex sipping beer, and another great example of what seems to be a distinctly Argentinean approach to bigger beers; they seem to possess a sort of crossover effect where the flavors begin to approximate flavors of other alcoholic libations, like wine, and in the case of this beer, liquors like scotch and fine tequila, no doubt as a result of being aged for two months in wood barrels. You could pair this with smoky lamb or goat in the Argentine tradition, from the asado (grill), served with Chimichurri (a sauce of herbs, garlic and vinegar, or even schnitzel-steak), but really, this beer is sturdy enough to be enjoyed as a digestif to sip at the end of any meal, or as a nightcap to be enjoyed in the winter months (go ahead and age a bottle at 50-55° F) until winter rolls around. While not bottle-conditioned (where some yeast is left in the bottle to permit maturation in the bottle) this beer will hold up just fine for 6-12 months.
Serving Temperature: 50-55° F
Alcohol by Volume: 9.0%
Style: Barrel-Aged Imperial Red Ale
Suggested Glassware: Snifter
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