In Which We Talk Beer: Crowdsourcing
by Remember Bo on Aug 28, 2011 11:00 AM CDT
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Greetings, friends, Rebels, rivals, and Michigan Faithful (and beer lovers!)
I've been getting a lot of emails and comments lately about beers - recommendations, suggestions for future MnB posts, criticisms of reviews, and recommendations for weekly posts/breweries to try. So, I thought I'd just make this an open note - post on the thread or email me if you'd like any beer questions answered. I'd be happy to poll the rest of the MnB staff, because we're all beer lovers. My taste isn't exactly discriminating, but I tend to go out and find one or two good craft beers a week to try, so if you have any recommendations for me to try/post about, I'd be more than happy to go out and get 'em.
I love having roughly $20 a week in "supplemental beer" income. Try it.
Anyway, email me at MnBRememberBo (at) gmail (dot) com or post in the comments. I'll try to get back to as many as I can during the course of the season, probably posting on a Sunday or a Monday. We've had more commenters and more dedicated readers than I can ever remember, so let's make this a solid group effort and talk beer.
And to those of you not in the Ann Arbor area, I'd love some recommendations/questions/etc. Red Cup Rebellion, the fantastic Mississippi SBN blog and good friends of us at MnB (see: Miss State, hating) is a great source for your less-crafty beer inklings, as are the boys in green up at TOC.
-RB
PS: No Domers on this one. I don't like having people talk about Guinness incessantly. Go over to MGo.
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New Belgium Brewery
Their flagship brew is Fat Tire, and it used to be that you could only get their beers west of the Mississippi, but it is available in Indiana and Illinois now. I would recommend any of their brew (assuming you, the reader, are 21 or older) as they produce a wide variety and all are great.
Okay, so that was a suggestion of sorts and not a question.. how about..
What exactly is the difference between a porter and a stout.
Porter and Stout
Both are ales. The difference depends upon the brewer (bad answer). Typically however, it comes down to hops and malt. Stouts usually have few hops outside of the boiling hops. The usual goal of a stout is to create a really full body to the beer by using roasted barley, 2 row malts, and sometimes oatmeal or other “heavy” grains. Porters usually have a significant amount of crystal malts and are much more in line with a dark colored ale (think thinner). They also frequently have plenty of flavoring and aroma hops which give more of a bouquet and bitterness to the beer. But these days, you can find porters that taste like stouts and vice versa depending on the brewery.
The mere hiring of Coach Hoke has sent Pryor and Tressel packing...
Two Recommendations
For you all IPA lovers:
Dogfish Head 60 minute IPA
http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/dogfish-head-60-minute-ipa/7431/
and here’s a good Vienna for those of you who are into that. For all you noobs, consider it a better Sam Adams Boston Lager:
Great Lakes Brewing Co Eliot Ness
http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/great-lakes-eliot-ness/1221/
What would Yzerman do?
Try the 90 and the 120 as well
90 is 9%, 120 is 12%. They haven’t made the 120 for a few years, but a little birdie told me that they made a batch this summer.
Dogfish is amazing…
The mere hiring of Coach Hoke has sent Pryor and Tressel packing...
The 120 is everything
I don’t like about Double/Imperial IPA’s. The beer becomes syrupy and the hop flavor borders on cloyingly sweet. I love DFH & Sam Calagioine for overreaching because it leads to some truly miraculous beverages. But more times than not it gives us Midas Touch.
The 90 Minute IPA is one of a handful of absolute American brewing treasures. I can find almost no fault with that beer.
Less memorable than Sam Okey's Hawkeye career.
by Kyle McCann't on Aug 29, 2011 11:49 AM CDT up reply actions
Give the other beers some love
The IPAs are great but we can’t neglect the Indian Brown Ale and Raison D’Etre among others. Dogfish head makes you sad when people drink Natty.
What would Yzerman do?
I was simply addressing the 120/90 minutes.
DFH makes some super beers. Yes, Raison D’Etre is excellent (the Raison D’extra is a bit much, though), the Chicory Stout is yummy as is the Worldwide Stout. Fort is delicious although essentially ranks as a liqueur at 20% ABV and requires at least another person to drink it (open this with a flourless chocolate cake and thank me later). The Chateau Jiahu is the single-most successful stab they’ve taken at the “historical” beer angle; it’s absolutely wonderful.
Less memorable than Sam Okey's Hawkeye career.
by Kyle McCann't on Sep 1, 2011 4:06 PM CDT up reply actions
I have a few bottles of 120 minute in my basement.
Be jealous. I’m letting them age.
Red Cup Rebellion - Changing the Culture of Ole Miss Athletics
Sports are chaotic and stupid; and we're bad at them.
by The Ghost of Jay Cutler on Aug 29, 2011 3:04 PM CDT up reply actions
DH does it right...
they’re usually pretty pricey but all of their IPAs are great – I’ve written about them in previous posts/comments. well spotted.
Go Maize, Blue, and Gray!
by Remember Bo on Aug 29, 2011 11:44 AM CDT up reply actions
Pricey?
I just bought a 6 pack of their Raison D’Etre for $8.
That’s well within the price range of someone w/ a $20 a week budget, unless you’re drinking more than 15 bottles a week = )
The 120 is like crack on steroids. I can get why people would like it, but I’m staying away.
What would Yzerman do?
Too funny
Right below the “No Domers” comment is an ad for the Fighting Irish Bookstore.
On another note, if you like fruit beers, Abita has a Strawberry lager that doesn’t suck. As a homebrewer, I’ll tell you that strawberry is one of the more difficult fruits out there to get to come out of a beer without it turning into either Bartles and James or crap. They have managed to nail this. I would equate it to the perfection that Shipyard did with Pumpkin Ale.
If you think fruit beers are for sissies, well, don’t drink it.
The mere hiring of Coach Hoke has sent Pryor and Tressel packing...
I think Samuel Smith's does a fine job with their strawberry ale.
Yes, it’s sweet, but it never crosses over into artificial flavoring territory. It would be wonderful with a light salad or brunch.
Less memorable than Sam Okey's Hawkeye career.
by Kyle McCann't on Aug 29, 2011 11:50 AM CDT up reply actions
Pale Ales
Gnawbone Pale Ale from Oaken Barrel Brewing Company in my home state of Indiana is pretty good (I last tried it on tap), but it may be a little hard to find outside of Indiana:
http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/390/3188
The appropriately-named Burning River Pale Ale is a great offering from the Great Lakes Brewing Company:
http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/73/225
And arguably the pinnacle of the American Pale Ale style is Sierra Nevada Pale Ale from the Sierra Nevada Brewing Company:
http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/140/276
I don’t know how many of these have been posted before, but those are a few of my favorites.
Original Gravity
It’s in Milan, so its great for post game if you head south on 23. Fantastic microbrew with great variety and character. Hopefully they start bottling and distributing, but until then, you can take home by the jug.
Can you get Abita up in Michigan?
I’m not talking about Amber, Turbodog, or Purple Haze. Those seem to be everywhere. I’m talking about their seasonal selections, including Satsuma (brewed with real Satsumas – a citrus fruit not unlike the clementine which thrives in the Louisiana heat), Strawberry (a strawberry lager which is one of the best spring brews I’ve ever had), Andygator (a helles doppelbock which is served exclusively in 22 oz bottles – it’s the best “oh shit it’s hot but I want good beer” beer I’ve had), or SOS (a higher gravity pils).
Abita reminds me of Bells or Dogfish Head in that they have a great bit of variety in their brews and seem to do very well with every one of them. They also do a great job of keeping their styles seasonal. I don’t know how far north Abita has spread. Abita Springs, Louisiana is a short drive north of New Orleans, close to the border with Mississippi. If you can find anything mentioned you should give them a shot, especially Andygator (I fear you’ll need to wait for 2012 to roll around for them to brew another batch though).
And while we’re on the topic of regional beers, I think Michigan might be the best brewing state east of the Mississippi. Obviously Colorado, California, and Oregon are doing amazing things, but for one state to be able to boast Bells, New Holland, Founders, and Shorts? I mean, come on, that’s just unfair.
Living Washington, DC allows me to easily purchase beers brewed in the South, Midwest, Mid-Atlantic, et cetera, but few breweries have impressed me more than those from the Mitten.
Red Cup Rebellion - Changing the Culture of Ole Miss Athletics
Sports are chaotic and stupid; and we're bad at them.
by The Ghost of Jay Cutler on Aug 29, 2011 3:11 PM CDT reply actions
funny about Abita
I’d love to feature them down the road this year because I really enjoyed their beers last summer. I live in DC too, and I love being able to get Abita here. I had the Strawberry at Mardi Gras and I loved it – can we get in in the District?
I completely agree that we’re lucky having several great breweries, and then the GLBC in Ohio is also amazing. Add in Goose Island and the Midwest is great microbrew country, but what can you expect from a bunch of German immigrants to Wisconsin and Michigan and the Irish to Indiana and Chicago?
I only had the Satsuma once, and I don’t really remember what it tasted like, but I’m going to get it again as soon as I can. Next time I go to NO, I’m definitely going to their brewery. I don’t think their seasonal selections are as readily available in Michigan, though a few beer-oriented liquor stores in Traverse City and Ann Arbor stock such beers very well and you can usually find SOS (and once Andygator, what a treat)
Any other recs for Southern breweries? This is exciting.
Go Maize, Blue, and Gray!
I was able to find Strawberry at the Harris Teeter in Arlington and the World Market, also in Arlington.
That’s about it.
Satsuma is very similar to Oberon, actually, but a bit less wheaty and more orange-y, if that makes any sense.
Other good Southern Breweries include Sweetwater (Atlanta or one of its suburbs), Terrapin (Athens, GA), and Lazy Magnolia (Kiln, Mississippi). There are a handful of others, but those are the most notable.
Red Cup Rebellion - Changing the Culture of Ole Miss Athletics
Sports are chaotic and stupid; and we're bad at them.
by The Ghost of Jay Cutler on Aug 29, 2011 3:44 PM CDT up reply actions
Orlando Brewing Company
Orlando brewing company isn’t bad. They are like Old Dominion, brewing the ambers for the kegs that local restaurants put their own labels on.
If you want a true Southern beer that makes you think, “what the hell did I drink last night?” – go no farther than Swamp Ape Beer from Florida Beer Company in Melbourne FL. It’s sweet, and if you are not careful, the 10% ABV will literally kick you in the head.
The mere hiring of Coach Hoke has sent Pryor and Tressel packing...
My favorite Southern berweries:
Terrapin (which you’ve mentioned) is tremendous.
Duck-Rabbit from North Carolina makes only high-gravity, rare-ish styles and they are almost all uniformly fantastic.
I am yet to try it but have heard nothing but superlative praise heaped upon Tampa/St. Pete’s Cigar City Brewing.
Less memorable than Sam Okey's Hawkeye career.
by Kyle McCann't on Aug 30, 2011 11:47 AM CDT up reply actions
Having just moved to Arlington
The fact that I can get Strawberry there is amazing. I just missed it when I was in New Orleans last winter and have been trying to get my hands on some ever since.
Ashleys in A2, Brickskellars in DC
Ashleys in A2 probably has Abita in bottles. As for DC, when I lived there, we’d always walk over to Brickskellars. They often are out of the 2002 Porter from Estonia, but they usually are up to stock with the American Craft Beers.
The mere hiring of Coach Hoke has sent Pryor and Tressel packing...
Can you suggest
a good pumpkin ale as we draw closer to Fall? My wife is a fan and I like one now and then. And when you see leaves turning warm colors, its nice to enjoy with a nice ale.
Living near St Louis, the InBev brewery….errr, I mean Budweiser…brewery has a strong hold on a lot of marketing. Don’t get me wrong…I like a Bud now and then when “drinking for effect”, but in order to widen my horizons I must be deliberate about it around here.
Thanks in advance…
How does a wings fan survive in StL without getting killed by Blues fans?
The SB Nation Blues blog’s motto is literally “Fuck Detroit.” And it’s not a joke in the same way that “Fuck Clemson” is on EDSBS.
Since you’re in StL though, your should be drinking Schlafly and O’Fallon. Haven’t tried them since I’m not a fan of most things pumpkin, but Schlafly has a Pumpkin Ale that they brew September to October and O’Fallon has a Pumpkin Beer as well that is available September 1st. I’ve liked most of the Schlafly and O’Fallon stuff I’ve tried so I assume the quality extends to their fall seasonals.
P.S. I grew up in St. Louis. I know a small bit about the area if you’re new there.
That is sooooo not funny - Maize N Brew Dave
No, not new
but grew up in Michigan and the military brought me here a few years ago. I’m familiar with Schlafly and like it a lot, but wanted to get some other opinions on pumpkin ales. Heard of O’Fallon, but not real familiar with their products.
It ain’t easy being a Wings fan here…win or lose when Det is in town, I still hear it. Thankfully, even if they lose I can still respond to hecklers with, “Enjoy the playoffs!” lmao!
by GoWings2008 on Aug 30, 2011 12:06 PM CDT up reply actions
I find most pumpkin ales to be cloyingly sweet and artificial tasting
but there are two worth your time.
Dogfish Head’s Punk’n Ale is just a beautifully hopped, malty beer with a big time aroma of pumpkin pie spices but with only a hint of flavors other than what you are used to finding in a beer. It’s excellent and it’s strong.
Michigan’s very own New Holland Brewing Co. makes a pretty darn good version with its Ichabod Pumpkin Ale. These are both excellent examples of what can be a somewhat treacherous style.
Less memorable than Sam Okey's Hawkeye career.
by Kyle McCann't on Aug 30, 2011 11:45 AM CDT up reply actions
dogfish
is the punkin ale seasonal?
What would Yzerman do?
Yes, very much so.
I think it’s only available from late September through early November. At around $10 a 4-pack, it’s not for everyone, but at 7% ABV you’ll feel it hit you out of nowhere.
Less memorable than Sam Okey's Hawkeye career.
by Kyle McCann't on Sep 1, 2011 3:59 PM CDT up reply actions
Shipyard
I’ve had almost every pumpkin beer out there and by far (even better than DFH) is Shipyard’s Pumpkin Ale. We go through cases of this stuff in my house every fall. Shipyard is from Portland Maine. Not a big fan of the rest of their lineup, but I’ve never met a beer that comes close to this stuff. Add apple cider donuts and now you have a tailgate!
The mere hiring of Coach Hoke has sent Pryor and Tressel packing...
I've never liked any Shipyard beers I've tried
but you’ve got my interest up so I may just search for it. Also good, Post Road (Brooklyn Brewing Co.) makes a solid pumpkin.
Less memorable than Sam Okey's Hawkeye career.
by Kyle McCann't on Sep 1, 2011 4:01 PM CDT up reply actions
Thanks!
to both you guys, but I’ll definitely try the Dogfish Ale and the New Holland one…
Many thanks!
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