Past Newsletters
Vol. 4 No. 10
| Brewery | Beers Featured |
| Kessler Brewing Company | Kessler Ale #7 |
| Kessler Brewing Company | Wild West Ale |
| Butte Creek Brewing Company | Roland’s Red |
| Butte Creek Brewing Company | Creekside Wheat |
Kessler Brewing Company
In 1865 Nicolas Kessler brewed the first of many barrels of beer consumed by Montana’s local miners, ranchers and loggers. As the brewery grew and became recognized for offering a consistently high-quality product line, the demand for bottled products became so strong that Nicolas could no longer ignore it. In response the brewery installed the first of its kind pipeline between the brewery and the bottling plant. Soon thereafter, the brewery nearly closed after a series of earthquakes recorded in 1935 and 36 hit the area, but managed to stay open after making extensive repairs in subzero weather with the assistance of locomotive steam power. The brewery did in fact close during prohibition, reopened and then closed again in 1958 only to be resurrected once more in 1984. The brewery now produces 8 award-winning beers that have received nine medals at the Great American Beer Festival over the years.
For more information about the brewery and scheduled tours, call (406) 449-6214
Serving Temperature: 45-50° F
Original Gravity: 14.0° Plato
Final Gravity: N/A
Int'l Bittering Units: 18.5
Alcohol by Volume: 5.7%
The seventh attempt at this recipe was deemed the best and hence the name of this unusual ale. Ale #7 is brewed with a combination of two row Pale, Crystal, Munich, and Wheat malts. Both Cascade and Tettnanger hops are added up front during the 90-min. boil for bittering while Tettnanger are added in a second addition for their aromatic characteristics. A proprietary ale yeast strain is used that gives this ale its unusually creamy-sweet flavor profile.
Notes From the Panel:
Immediately note a creamy rich, fruity and floral perfumey hop bouquet in the nose of this copper, filtered, medium-bodied ale. Ale # 7 starts sweet with some caramel malts and toasted malt flavor coming through. Floral hops are also very evident with just enough hop bitterness to balance. Look for a somewhat dry finish. Overall, this is an unusually creamy, sweet flavorful ale, perhaps more British in style than anything. We liked it so much, we'd recommend making love to it!
Serving Temperature: 45-50° F
Original Gravity: 14.0° Plato
Final Gravity: N/A
Int'l Bittering Units: 15.0
Alcohol by Volume: 5.5%
Wild West Ale is also brewed in the English Ale tradition with a combination of tow row Pale, Carastan and Wheat malts. Here, Kessler uses Willamette hops in four separate additions during the 90-min. boil to both bitter and add hop aroma to this beer. A proprietary English Ale yeast strain is used. Notes From the Panel: We found Wild West to have a cream, almost butterscotch nose that also hinted of hop spice and some floral hop notes. Look for good head retention in this light golden, medium-bodied, filtered beer. Note a malty sweet start, a somewhat buttery and creamy mouth feel, and a bitter, clean hop finish. Overall, a very nice English style ale.
Butte Creek Brewing Company
The Butte Creek Brewing Company was founded by Tom Atmore in the spring of 1996. What separates this micro from so many other brewpubs and breweries that have also entered the market in the last year is the fact that this one has a proven ringer of a brewmaster at the helm of the brewhouse. Brewmaster, Roland Allen has over 13 years experience as a homebrewer and was Sierra Nevada’s Assistant Brewer for nine years before taking command at Butte Creek. There are few U.S. micros that have earned the same level of respect and admiration that Sierra Nevada has achieved and we think that you’ll see that same level of commitment and dedication to quality and consistency in the two products that Roland has created for Tom. The brewery is housed in an 8,500 square foot remodeled warehouse and contains (4) 40-barrel and (1) 80-barrel fermentation tanks. At this point in time, the brewery only produces two beers and you’ll try them both this month.
For more information about the brewery and scheduled tours, call (916) 894-7906 or check out their web site at www.buttecreek.com.
Serving Temperature: 35-40° F
Original Gravity: 15.0° Plato
Final Gravity: N/A
Int'l Bittering Units: 55.0
Alcohol by Volume: 5.6%
"Roland’s Red" is not truly indicative of what you should expect as this beer is a full flavored, hoppy rendition of a traditional English Ale. This tasty nectar is brewed with a combination of two row Pale, Hugh Bairds Crystal, Munich and Wheat malts. Chinook and Kent Golding are added up front during the 100-min. boil for bittering and Kent Golding twice more towards the end for their aromatic contributions. Hopheads should enjoy this one as Roland dryhops the beer as well, again with Kent Golding hops. This superb example of a traditional English Ale is naturally tank conditioned, unfiltered and ready for you to crack one open.
Notes From the Panel:
Immediately look for a caramel maltiness and some definite hop spiciness in this beer’s nose. Smells like an English Ale… Beautiful head retention in this dark pale to amber, medium-bodied beer. We really like the flavor of this beer! One of the best American interpretations of an English Ale we’ve ever tried. Note a complex sweet malty flavor profile with a spicy hop balance and tasty dry spicy hop finish. This one will warm your insides as well with the presence of alcohol quite evident. Enjoy!
Serving Temperature: 37-42° F
Original Gravity: 10.8° Plato
Final Gravity: N/A
Int'l Bittering Units: 30.0
Alcohol by Volume: 3.8%
We’ve been looking for an unusual seasonal interpretation of a wheat beer and are convinced that we couldn’t have done any better than Creekside Wheat. An American wheat by definition, it is brewed with a combination of malted white wheat, two row Pale and Carastan malts. Creekside is hopped up front with Perle hops and later in the 90-min. boil twice with Mt. Hood hops for aroma. Although it is unfiltered, we think you’ll find it to be an exceptionally bright beer with lots of flavor and liveliness.
Notes From the Panel:
Another great beer from Butte Creek. Look for a complex floral and spicy hop nose with malted wheat evident. It smells very good. Head retention could be better for this golden, medium-bodied wheat beer. We found the flavor profile to be very clean, flavorful and were surprised to see so much hop character. This is a great summer beer. Very drinkable and anything but boring. Note a dry, bitter finish leaving you with the desire for more. Overall, a truly unusual, wonderfully flavorful American Wheat.
Ask Murl
Dear Murl,
I’ve always wondered and never been able to find a good answer to the question: Who exactly were Anheuser and Busch?
Frances Vaughan
Auburn, ME
Dear Frances,
I was hit with this one about three years ago and have been asked several times since so I guess it’s time to respond in print once again. The answer to your question is obvious. WHO CARES?! Let’s face it, darlin’, if you try and put any of that stuff in bowl when I’m preoccupied with rawhide, I’ll be accidentally "marking my territory" in your living room. You might be able to sneak a Bud by the talkin’ frogs, but we canine have a much more acute sense of taste. I mean, you don’t see me woofing down flies with my malted beverage now, do ya?
Woof!
Murl.
Norm's Corner...
As spoken by Cheers' Norm
Sam: How’s life treating you, Normie?
Norm: It’s not, Sammy. But you can!
True Brew Facts
DAILY MIRROR - Cleanliness counts to barfly Brits. The British Brewer’s Society reports that when it comes to choosing a pub, women’s first priority is a clean toilet and men’s is a clean bar. The sexes switched positions on the second order of priority, and both chose friendly staff for their third choice. Stocks of beer, by the way, came far down on the list after general comfort, value and speed of service. The report also found that pub-goers drink a pint almost two minutes faster on Saturday nights and that 86 percent of American prefer British pubs to their own back home.
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