Past Newsletters
October 2006
Brewery
|
Beers Featured
|
| Michigan Brewing Company | High Seas IPA |
| Left Hand Brewing Company | Deep Cover |
| Michigan Brewing Company | Superior Stout |
| Left Hand Brewing Company | Sawtooth ESB |
| Slaapmutske Brewery (Belgium) | Triple Nightcap |
| Kulmbacher Brewery (Germany) | Kulmbacher Eisbock |
Michigan Brewing Company
The Michigan Brewing Company is located about 20 minutes east of Lansing, Michigan in the city of Webberville. It's easy to miss this brewery due to its location: behind a gas station. When owner Bobby Mason opened the brewery, he did so on a shoestring budget, opting to start up in a family owned garage/maintenance building located next to an expressway service station. Customers literally had to drive through the service station to visit the small pub at the brewery (Ding! Ding! "Fill 'er up Bobby!").
The Michigan Brewing Company was designed as a brewery, not a restaurant, however there is a tavern and tasting room on the premises (but no kitchen). You'll always find a barrel full of fresh peanuts and the vibe is casual enough that you can just toss the shells on the floor, but if it's a meal you're looking for, you'd best be packing it yourself or ordering a pizza! (Ding! Ding! "Pizza's here!"). Inside the tavern, there are no televisions, no video games and no juke boxes; the Michigan Brewing Company was designed to be a social hall, where guests could come in and enjoy some good beer with friends.
They keep a wide selection of beer on tap and feature several seasonal beers throughout the year, and since 2002 they've the proud home of the Celis brands, originally brewed by the Belgian witbier-savior Pierre Celis (whose Austin, TX brewery was acquired by Miller Brewing Company before they ran it into the ground).
In spring of this year they announced they were moving to expand and keep up with demand. Their new facility now tips the scales at a massive 80,000 square feet, or about 7 times the size of their last brewery, conveniently located a mere 300 ft. east of the old brewery. We're not sure if you still hear a "ding! ding!" on your approach to their tavern, but you'll still get their great brews at the appropriately named "Pub 122" (their on-site tavern (just take exit 122 off of I-96 to get there)). They should be fully set up in their new digs right around the time you read this. Please join us in wishing them much success in their new home!
For more information about the brewery and scheduled tours, call (517) 521-3600 or check out their web site at www.michiganbrewing.com.
It's
been over four years since we last featured MBC's High Seas IPA. Back
then, this beer was a noteworthy "hop bomb", weighing in at over 70
IBUs (international bittering units, a measure of a beer's bitterness—for
comparison, Bud Light is about 5-10 IBUs). Since then, hoppy beers have
really begun to push the limits in terms of IBUs. To keep up with the
trend, the current version has been amped up to just under 90 IBUs,
keeping the Hop Heads satisfied. The brewers at MBC somehow manage to
brew this hop aggressive, India Pale Ale and maintain balance by using
healthy doses of three malt varieties. Expect massive hoppiness on the
nose, with notes of resinous pine and grapefruit rind. Look for the
flavor to be expectedly hop-heavy, evocative of alcohol-soaked grapefruit
with some grains and caramel notes evident. You'll get a massively bitter
finish, but it manages to stay smooth as it slides down and warms the
belly. Goes great with spicy gumbo or jambalaya.
Serving Temperature: 42-45° F
Int'l Bittering Units: 86.0
Alcohol by Volume: 6.9%
Suggested Glassware: Pint Glass or Oversized Wine Glass
Malts: 2-Row, Munich, Caramel
Hops: Cascade, Columbus, Warrior
While they have every right to, the Michigan B.C. brewers weren't bragging when they named this beer, it's actually named after great Lake Superior. Expect deep roasted malt and coffee on the nose, with ample notes of chocolate and a slightly lactic (milk-like) note. This beer offers the fullest of stout flavors without a heavy alcohol content, making it a rather true to style, classic stout. Look for the delicious interplay between sweet and roasted malts, dark chocolate and coffee. Finishes with a dry, roasted bitterness and earns high points for presentation as it leaves behind beautiful lacing patterns on the glass. A great beer to pair with a well-aged maduro cigar, such as the 'CAO Brazilia Gol!' featured this month in our Cigar of the Month Club (visit www.cigarmonthclub.com for details).
Serving Temperature: 55-58° F
Int'l Bittering Units: 36.0
Alcohol by Volume: 4.9%
Suggested Glassware: Stein or Pint Glass
Malts: Pale, Roasted Barley, Flaked Barley, Black, Spelt
Hops: New Port
Left Hand Brewing Company
When you're sampling microbrewed beer from Colorado, you've got a pretty good shot at finding high quality brew. The state is home to a bevy of brewing greats, and the Left Hand Brewing Company is yet another of them from out near the left coast. Founded in 1993 on the banks of the St. Vrain river in Longmount, CO, their beers are characterized by their great balance; since their inception they've striven for the perfect balance and harmony between malt and hops in every beer they brew. And in a state like Colorado, where great microbrews abound, you've got to keep up with and even outpace your competition. Quite impressively, the folks at Left Hand have been kept the beer flowing for 13 years now. And it all started with a small homebrewers kit in 1990…
Christmas of 1990 Dick Doore, co-founder of Left Hand, received the kit as a gift from his brother. Little did either realize the full impact that single Christmas gift would have (hint, hint, nudge, nudge: the holidays are coming and the gift of great beer might make the perfect to inspire someone you know to start the next great microbrewery!) After homebrewing for over two years, Dick moved to Colorado where he met up with a former college buddy and soon-to-be Left Hand co-founder, Eric Wallace. They two quickly got to brewing together, and their batches impressed their friends and neighbors. After many batches of homebrew, the epiphany hit that they should start their own brewery.
Within weeks of making the decision, they incorporated as Indian Peaks Brewing Company, honoring the Indian Peaks wilderness in their area. However, it was soon discovered that another brewery was using this name for one of their beers, so, indirectly keeping the Indian theme, they changed their name to Left Hand in honor of Chief Niwot, whose tribe wintered in the local area (Niwot is Arapahoe for left hand). Months after setting up shop in a former meat packing plant near downtown Longmount, they opened their doors to the public on January 22, 1994, releasing their first batch of beer, Sawtooth Ale. That year, the homebrewers-turned-pro took home the Gold Medal in the Traditional Bitter Category at the Great American Beer Festival. Way to kick things off big! You've probably noticed by now this is one of the featured beers this month—yes, it's still around, and it's still damned good!
Over the years they've grown considerably. In 1998 they merged with Denver based Tabernash Brewing, in a move that made them one of the state's 10 largest craft brewers. To accommodate brewing both Tabernash and Left Hand brews, they added an additional 7,000 square feet, more than doubling their original size. These days, they're highly focused on the Left Hand brand (the Tabernash brews were phased out over time).
We strongly encourage you to pay them a visit; the tasting room is open to the public from 2pm – 8pm Monday through Thursday, and 12pm – 7pm on Friday and Saturday, with tours available on Saturday (call ahead for times at: (303) 772-0258). Check out their web site at www.lefthandbrewing.com.
This is another Left Hand B.C. brew that's been in continuous pour since their opening—gotta admire the staying power (a few sips and it's obvious why this brew is still around). A pretty brew to gaze upon, the "deep cover" may just refer to the massive light tan head that conceals this deep amber colored malty brew. On the nose, expect inviting notes of caramel nuttiness with slightly roasted scents, as well as flourishes of toffee and molasses. The flavor profile is similar to the nose, adding a light spritzing of peppery hops that linger in the background, offsetting the sweet, maple-syrup like notes. A distinct, dry nuttiness also tames the sweet malty profile. Look for a mild-bitterness in the finish of this excellent medium-bodied brown ale. The roasty notes will complement smoked salmon, but we suggest you keep a few bottles on hand for Thanksgiving to pair with honey-glazed ham. Also great with almond or maple-walnut cake.
Serving Temperature: 44-52° F
Int'l Bittering Units: 20.0
Alcohol by Volume: 4.4%
Suggested Glassware: Pint Glass
Malts: Pale 2-Row, Crystal, Munich, Brown & Chocolate
Hops: U.S. Goldings
The Left Hand B.C.'s flagship beer presents notes of caramel, just-baked bread and citrusy hops on the nose. As it warms, expect additional fruity notes to evolve. The flavor opens with caramel flavors, caressed by the subtlest bit of chocolate, followed by the herbal earthiness of hops. Look for a blend of slightly spicy hops and grapefruit notes (from the Cascade hops). This is a phenomenally well-balanced beer finishes with an appropriately firm bitterness and is a great domestic interpretation of the ESB (Extra Special Bitter) style, with a distinctly American stamp (higher aromatics from the hops than most traditional UK offerings). A great brew to pair with fish and chips, mild English cheeses like Lancashire, or grilled chicken, sweetly glazed.
Serving Temperature: 42-50° F
Int'l Bittering Units: 27.0
Alcohol by Volume: 4.8%
Suggested Glassware: English Pint Glass
Malts: Pale 2-Row, Crystal, Munich & Left Hand Custom Malt
Hops: Magnum, U.S. Goldings, Fuggles, Cascade
Slaapmutske Brewery (Brouwerij Slaapmutske)—Melle, Belgium (East Flanders/Northwestern Belgium)
When it comes down to it, brewing beer is much like having a child. The brewer has a rather parental relationship with his or her brew—it is born of themselves, sometimes behaves in less than desirable ways, and in the end, rewards the brewer's hard work with a sense of pride and self-respect. Many brewers regard their beers as their children, with each new beer becoming a member of the family. The story behind the Slaapmutske Brewery is, at its heart, a story about family, and the ways that family can nurture, support, and inspire success.
Danny De Smet was born and raised in Melle, Belgium, a small town near Ghent (in the Belgian brewing capital of East Flanders). He graduated brewing school in 1992 as a brewing engineer. That year, he achieved an impressive milestone by becoming brewmaster at the renowned Huyghe Brewery (known primarily for their Delirium Tremens & Delirium Nocturnum beers with their iconographic labels featuring pink elephants). While working for this respectable brewery, he also developed his homebrewing skills when out of 'the office'. Over the years he has worked in various other industry positions as a brewing hygiene specialist and also served as an educator in Brewing Technology and Quality Control at the Ghent Brewing High School (brewing high school? Where were those when we were kids??) During the time spent honing his craft, he met and fell in love with Marleen Vercaigne, a fellow beer-lover from the neighboring town of Ronse. It was early in their relationship that Danny, as he puts it, "infected her with the beer microbe". Pretty much how we'd expect a brewing hygiene specialist to sum things up.
The beer-loving couple spent a considerable amount of time crafting homebrews in their kitchen along with one of Danny's former Huyghe Brewery colleagues, Patrick Scheirlinck. Considering the wellspring of brewing that is East Flanders, it's no surprise that these young brewers had finely tuned palates which they used to guide themselves toward evermore inspiring brews. After creating many batches of homebrew together, Danny and Marleen married, and in 1999, they brought another bundle of joy into the world—their son Jonas. To celebrate their new arrival, Danny brewed a spicily-hopped, brownish-red beer of 9% alcohol by volume which was much appreciated by family and friends who came to visit little Jonas in the hospital. The beer was dubbed "Jonasbier", and soon people were keen on buying the beer, which got the proud new parents thinking about getting their homebrews on the market.
After another "pregnancy", the couple birthed a new beer, inspired by the original Jonasbier formula, but they had yet to come up with a name for their new brew. One night while brainstorming for a suitable moniker, it happened that young Jonas was crying. As is quite common in Europe and elsewhere, the couple would often dip their son's pacifier in a little bit of beer to calm the child. This old trick was commonly used, but when the pacifier was dipped in their new, soon-to-hit-market beer, Jonas instantly stopped crying, was fast contented and quickly fell asleep. Marleen smiled and remarked, "This beer is a real 'Slaapmutske'" (which literally means 'sleeping hat', or as we would say, night cap). At that moment, the proud parents knew their newborn brew would be named Slaapmutske.
Because it was winter when they developed their first batch of Slaapmutske, they named it Slaapmutske Winterbier, which they proudly released on the local Belgian market in 2000. The beer quickly became a local success, so much so that demand warranted brewing facilities larger than their kitchen. They promptly partnered with one of Belgium's leading brewmasters (Dirk Naudts, affectionately referred to by his nickname "the Prof") at his suitably named, ultra-high tech De Proefbrouwerij in nearby Lochristi-Hijfte. One year after their first beer hit the streets, they introduced Slaapmutske Blond, and in early 2002 they rounded out the Slaapmutske trilogy with Slaapmutske Tripel (called Slaapmutske 'Triple Nightcap' in the U.S.). So, while Jonas obviously couldn't brew, he was just as important in bringing these beers to life as his parents. It's fitting that the couple, brought together through a shared love of beer, were inspired with the name of their beers by their first born. The proud family of three has given the rest of us a family of fantastic brews—and for that, we'd like to thank Danny, Marleen and little Jonas!
In Belgium, many beers are judged against such gold standards as Duvel's Belgian Strong Pale Ale or the Trappist beers of Westmalle and Chimay. It's an ambitious goal to attempt to improve on these remarkable brews, but that's just what Danny and Marleen De Smet have done, according to attendees of the 2nd International Beerfestival in Zwevegem, West Flanders, Belgium, held in 2002, who elected Slaapmutske Triple Nightcap as Best Beer in its Class. This honor was duplicated at the 11th National Beerhappening in Zottegem, Belgium. This beer is crisper and notably more aromatic than the other beers in the Slaapmutske line, not to mention other Belgian Tripels. The look is spot on: cloudy, golden-orange with a massive eggshell-toned head that persists and leaves the lovely Belgian lace beer fans have admired for centuries. The nose of this big brew presents rose-like floral notes, along with fruit scents (look for apple, pears and hints of raspberries and cream) which meld with a mild pepperiness. Citrusy hop notes are also quite pronounced, which is a bit unexpected for the style (but quite expected if you happen to know that it's brewed with two highly aromatic American hop varieties added not only during the boil, but also during extensive dry-hopping in the fermenting tank). The flavor is similar to the bouquet, but the massive hopping quickly makes itself known as floral bitterness rushes the palate and challenges notes of mandarin orange, rum-drenched plum and berries, bitter orange peel, and a distinctly peppery, somewhat spicy quality. The finish is intensely dry but long-lived with floral/perfumy hops prevailing amidst the alcohol and fruit notes and massive bitterness. Its complexity makes it a great match for steak tartare or game such as quail or rabbit. Also holds up to dishes that are heavy on the cumin, sage or tamarind.
Serving Temperature: 50-55° F
Alcohol by Volume: 8.1%
Suggested Glassware: Snifter, Goblet or Tulip
Kulmbacher Brewery (Kulmbacher Brauerei)—Kulmbach, Germany (Northern Bavaria, a.k.a. Franconia)
In an area of northern Bavaria, today known as Franconia, in a town called Kulmbach, remnants of beer bread were found in a vessel dating back to 3000 BC. Other archaeological evidence has shown that brewing was a firmly established activity in Kulmbach since at least the mid-14th century. Given this ancient history, the town of Kulmbach is frequently said to be the birthplace of Germany's beer industry; a sort of fountainhead from which the Bavarian brewing heritage flowed. Expectedly, the Kulmbacher Brewery, established 1846, makes some of the finest beers in all of Germany.
Beer is a celebrated way of life in Franconia; on the last weekend of every July for at least the past 125 years, Kulmbach has held a beer festival in the town square. The region is especially well known for its more potent brewings. Originally, these higher potency malty nectars were concocted to sustain long distance travel during export throughout Europe, relying on higher ABVs as a natural preservative. But interestingly, one of the strongest beer styles indigenous to this famed area was discovered, not designed, in a sort of post-brewing mishap. As the story goes, a wooden barrel of bock bier, a strong, locally brewed malty beer in the 6.5-7.5% ABV range, was inadvertently left in the brewery yard in the middle of winter. Severe snow storms ensued and the barrel was forgotten, out of sight and covered by snowfall until the tail end of the season. When it was discovered, the contents were partially frozen, and the barrel had split open. The brewers, being a curious lot, chipped away the ice to see what became of their brew, sampling what remained in the barrel. Much to their surprise, the residual beer was richer and more concentrated than the original, with an exceptionally clean taste. So what happened? Well, because water freezes before alcohol, a portion of the beer's water content was forced out of the brew, resulting in a concentration of alcohol relative to the remaining beer volume. This accidentally-discovered "technique" was refined, and today gives us one of the beers the region is famous for: Eisbock ('eis' meaning 'ice' in German).
Kulmbacher's Eisbock is the first of its kind—the hallmark of the style. Well, what are you waiting for, another ice-age? Grab your snifter, pop the cap and give a real ice-beer a try!
If you'd like more information about the Kulmbacher Brewery check out http://www.kulmbacher.de.
Important Note: this brew may be subjected to very low temperatures while being matured, but it should be consumed at cellar temperatures so that you may experience the full range of its robust flavor profile.
Kulmbacher Eisbock is the original Bavarian Eisbock, and it's as celebrated today as it was when it first rose to popularity. How celebrated you ask? Well, there is actually an Eisbock festival in Kulmbach every March that celebrates the style. On the last Saturday of the month, at about 7 o'clock in the evening, the festivity commences with the ceremonial hacking open of an ice-encrusted wooden cask (sound familiar?) The 10% ABV beer that pours forth is deeply complex, with a dark, reddish-brown color, sweet, malty aroma and a smooth palate. The Kulmbacher Eisbock, which used to carry the subtitle "Bayrisch G'frorns" (meaning "Bavarian Frozen"—it's still on the label if you look closely), is made from five different malt varieties. For all intents and purposes, it's a bottled version of this festival brew. Expect sweet caramel malts, notes of fresh biscuits, figs, and rum-soaked apricots on the nose, and look for a creamy, oaken edge, with some distinct vanilla notes in the background. This full-bodied brew is slightly roasty, with notes of maple syrup, raisins, distinct cookie-dough like flavors, and an undercurrent of chocolate, caramel and plum. The finish presents faint notes of coffee, roastiness, and late breaking walnutty dryness. A great beer to enjoy with a book at bedtime, or with chocolate covered figs (or both!) She's a brew that'll age gracefully, so feel free to let a couple bottles age for another winter—just don't leave them out in the snow, try the cellar instead.
Serving Temperature: 52-60° F
Alcohol by Volume: 9.2%
Suggested Glassware: Snifter
