[Available Locally] Southern Tier Pumking

While fall isn’t quite upon us yet, the fall seasonal beers are already rolling in.  A very particular fall beer style is the pumpkin beer.  One of the most popular and widely distributed examples of this style is Southern Tier’s Pumking.  This is an imperial pumpkin beer, meaning it’s a bit bigger in alcohol and flavor than most, clocking in at 8.6% ABV.  It comes in 22oz bombers and in some areas, can be quite hard to get; I’ve seen several liquor stores completely sold out of it already.  It’s pretty widely distributed, however, so it shouldn’t be too hard to find.

Style: Imperial Pumpkin Beer

ABV: 8.6%

IBUs: Not noted, but fairly low

Availability: Fall seasonal, 22oz bombers and draft

[Quick Notes] This hazy medium golden-orange beer releases aromas of ginger, nutmeg and allspice in addition to buttery, flaky pie crust. This is bolstered by a bit of vegetal squash and pumpkin as well as some vanilla, but not much malt sweetness.  The flavor follows, with the ginger, nutmeg and buttery pie crust flavors dominating, with just a hint of sweet pumpkin underneath, very little sweetness to balance the spice character.  If you like the taste of pumpkin pie spices, this beer brings it in boatloads. 

Read on for a full review!

[Appearance] This beer, while calling itself “deep copper”, actually pours a lighter medium golden-orange color, which is moderately hazy.  The light tan head is absolutely massive but fairly quickly dissipates to a thin, patchy layer and a small ring around the edges of the glass.

[Aroma] Wow, this aroma just explodes out of the glass!  The first thing that hits the nose is super buttery, crumbly pie crust.  It’s a bit uncanny how spot on that aroma is, but something about it is a little less sweet and almost a little more savory than the real thing.  Next, the massive amount of pie spice aroma hits your nose, almost like a scented candle.  There is plenty of ginger, nutmeg and allspice, all the classic pumpkin pie spices.  The ginger is just a bit vegetal, and a small amount of pumpkin and squash adds to that vegetal character. There’s also some slight papery, cardboard sort of dryness underneath, just a hint, and not terribly noticeable.

[Taste] The taste is just as powerful as the aroma, leading hard with the crumbly, buttery pie crust flavor, also without much sweetness to it.  As in the aroma, the ginger, nutmeg, and allspice burst across the taste buds next, bringing memories of pumpkin pie quickly to mind.  I’m surprised by how little pumpkin sweetness there actually is, there is just a touch after the spices subside.  I thought the aroma might just overplay the spices compared to the flavor, but there is very little pumpkin in the flavor as well.  Most of the pumpkin flavor is implied, meaning that the crust and spice flavors make you think of pumpkin pie, while the pumpkin flavor itself is quite faint.  There is some creamy vanilla in the finish, as well as more of that buttery crust flavor, leaving a slick, buttery flavor on the tongue in the finish.  A bit of alcohol warmth comes through in the finish, which tends to make spice flavors come through even more prominently.

[Mouthfeel] The body of this beer is medium to medium full and fairly creamy, and the carbonation is actually fairly low.  It leaves a really slick, buttery feeling on the tongue, which is a common sign of high levels of diacetyl in a beer.  At first I thought this was simply from the pie crust flavor, but I began to suspect there was a bit of diacetyl.  Diacetyl is normally undesirable, but since the buttery, slick character fits with the pie crust flavor, it’s not wholly out of style.

[Overall] The first few sniffs and sips of this beer were pretty wild, uncannily like a pumpkin pie in terms of the spot-on butter pie crust and spices.  However, the more I drank, the more I realized how important the sweetness of the pumpkin filling is to the overall balance of the pie.  Without a lot of sweetness, the buttery and ginger/nutmeg flavors of this beer became a bit taxing.  This beer is quite highly rated by many people and is extremely popular, so I really it just doesn’t quite suit me personally. I think the beer needs either more caramel malt sweetness to help balance the spice and crust flavors, just as in a real pumpkin pie.  It could also have more malt bitterness, like some roasty stout characteristics to help make the spices less pronounced.  I think Pumking is simply a very particular beer that some people will love and some will not.  While I happen to fall into the second group, if you enjoy lots of pumpkin pie spices and crust, then this beer should put you firmly in the “love” category.  I'd recommend splitting a 22oz bomber with a friend or two.

With fall quickly approaching, I hope to be trying more fall seasonal releases that are available in Minnesota in order to help you all mourn the end of summer with a good autumnal beer.

Cheers!

[Local] HammerHeart Brewing Olaf the Stout

I’ve decided to go local again, this time particularly local to me.  HammerHeart Brewing is a small brewery in Lino Lakes, MN, which is quite close to where I grew up.  When I heard about a Celtic and Nordic inspired brewery making crazy stouts and smoked beers in Minnesota, I was intrigued.  When I found out how close they are to my house, I was even more excited.  Sometime I’ll do a review of the brewery/taproom itself, but I’ll just give you a small idea of how awesome the place is.  They have deer antlers for tap handles, swords hanging on the walls, and play Norse-themed metal (but not too loud).  Basically the coolest brewery I can possibly think of. 

They are quite small, meaning they are flexible and creative in their brewing, releasing many limited beers and crazy concept beers, meaning there is always something new to try.  Additionally, every single employee I’ve talked to has been genuinely cool, willing to talk about beer and always ready to fill a glass or growler.  These are great people making world class beer in a very particular way, focusing on stouts, porters and smoked beers.  This doesn’t mean hop-heads or lighter beer lovers are ignored, but this might be a great brewery to push your beer boundaries, exploring styles you might have never tried.

This beer is called Olaf the Stout, named after a particularly mean Norwegian king.  It is an Imperial Stout made with rye, smoked, and chocolate malts as well as Warrior and Cascade hops, then aged in barrels.

Style: Imperial Rye Stout

ABV: 9.5%

IBUs: 64

Availability: Limited draft/growlers, get there soon!

[Quick Notes] This jet black beer has a wonderful, slightly subtle aroma of roast barley, charred oak, smoked malt, dark roast coffee, dark chocolate, bourbon, vanilla, cherry, raisin, and cranberry.  The flavor takes the aroma and turns the dial to 10, with spicy rye bread, charred oak, smoke, coffee, milk chocolate, and bourbon, with hints of vanilla, cherry, cranberry, raisin and cider-like spices, ending in a delicious bourbon flavored finish with a touch of hops.  The mouthfeel of this beer is decadent and full, like rich velvet that washes over the tongue in the most luxurious way.  This truly is a king among stouts, rich and flavorful and BOLD.

[Appearance] This pours an absolute pitch black color, with no highlights on the edges whatsoever.  They pour the glass quite full, so there isn’t a lot of head, but it is a deep copper or chocolate milk sort of color, sticking around well and leaving some lacing on the glass.

[Aroma] I was a bit congested when I had this one, but the aroma started off a bit subdued.  However, after warming the glass up in my hands a bit (which is recommended for higher ABV beers like imperial stouts), the aroma really opened up, revealing loads of dark malts.  There is dark, rich, roasty coffee and dark, bitter chocolate, still decadent and smooth.  One of the hallmarks of Hammerheart is smoked malt, and there is definitely a smoky, campfire aroma to this beer.  The barrel-aged character comes through in some wonderful dry, charred oak as well as rich vanilla and bourbon, smooth and not overly alcoholic on the nose.  The bourbon also brings in hints of slightly tart cherry, cranberry and raisin as well as a little spice, some subtle nutmeg and cinnamon and allspice.  This beer smells absolutely decadent.

[Taste] Sweet mother of… This beer is mind-blowing from the first sip.  I think the flavor broke my brain.  The flavor leads with big roast barley character, loads of dark roast coffee, really good coffee, along with smooth, rich dark chocolate.  The rye character comes through in a spicy (not hot), peppery way, working extremely well with the bitter malt character.  A sweet chocolate character begins to build, like rich milk chocolate and molasses, thick and syrupy without being cloyingly sweet.  The smoke character from the aroma comes through, bringing smokiness and charred oak to the tongue, somewhat reminiscent of a campfire on a cool fall night.  Then, in the finish, a wave of rich, sweet bourbon sweeps across the taste buds, bringing with it vanilla and dry oak, along with subtle hints of tart fruits like dark cherries, cranberries and raisins, as well as a little bit of spiced character, almost like those in a spiced cider.  There’s also just a touch of dry hoppiness, but it blends so well into the finish that it’s hardly prominent.  There is a decent amount of alcohol character that comes in with the bourbon flavor, though it isn’t brash or harsh at all, it’s simply this warming sensation that sweeps to the back of the throat and into the belly, perfect for a cool summer or fall night.

[Mouthfeel] This category can often be the make-or-break for an imperial stout.  Some beers are simply too thin to hold up the luxurious, decadent flavors, and some are too thick and syrupy, getting cloying on the mouth.  This beer hits the nail on the head.  The body is full and rich and thick, yet still smooth, like velvet.  It carries the richness of the flavors perfectly.  The carbonation helps to carry the beer around the mouth, resolving into a thick, foamy finish that dissipates in your mouth, keeping the heavy beer from becoming oppressive.  This is exactly how an imperial stout should feel: rich, indulgent, and full, yet not syrupy or cloying.

[Overall] It is really difficult to sound like I’m remaining objective in this review, like I’m not a huge fanboy or something.  I’m not exaggerating, this beer is just this good.  If you like stouts, especially imperial stouts, this beer is right up there with some of the best in the world.  I’ve had some of the best barrel-aged stouts in the world, and this beer from Lino Lakes rivals them all.  This beer balances roasty bitterness and dark malt flavors with sweet, rich chocolate and bourbon, all with a perfectly full and luscious body.  Even if you’re not into stouts, how can you pass up chocolate, bourbon, vanilla, fruit, and campfire?

While Lino Lakes might not be the closest place for everyone, if you're in the metro area, it is well worth the drive to HammerHeart.  This is one of a very few breweries I will go out of my way to support, seeing as they come from my neck of the woods, make kickass beer, and are generally cool people.  Check them out for a pint or bring home a growler to make you the best friend of everyone in your house.

Cheers!

[Wisconsin] New Glarus Raspberry Tart

*Note* I'm trying a slightly different format here.  I'll give a picture of the beer, a brief description, then some stats: style, alcohol by volume, and International Bittering Units (a measure of how bitter a beer is), and when the beer is available. Then I'll do a "Quick Notes" section, which is a brief overview of the beer, followed by my full review.

While fall is nearly upon us, I'm personally still clinging to the hope that summer weather will last just a tiny bit longer.  In a similar way, fall seasonal beers are sweeping onto shelves, while I'm still in the mood for a refreshing summer beer.  I cracked this one open a few weeks ago, but I think the current weather still calls for beer like this.

New Glarus is a unique brewery in the way that they capture the attention of both the average beer drinker and the true beer geek.  They offer a ridiculously large lineup of beers, all meticulously crafted and masterfully brewed.  Spotted Cow, their cream ale, is a beer that seems to please almost any beer drinker, especially the crowd that crosses over into craft beer only occasionally.  Meanwhile, their fruit beers, R&D series, and Thumbprint series seem to have every beer geek drooling.  Unfortunately (for most of the nation) New Glarus only distributes in Wisconsin.  But, being from Minnesota, it's not too hard to get some of their brews.  Cross the river or call up your Packers-fan uncle to get your hands on some of this delicious beer.

New Glarus Raspberry Tart is a fruit beer made with a boatload of fresh Oregon raspberries.  There are many styles of fruit beer, ranging from barely fruity to practically fruit juice and from sugary sweet to deliciously sour.  Many beer geeks tend to focus on sour fruit beer styles, ranging from American wild ales to traditional Belgian lambics.  However, this Raspberry Tart is a sweeter style, bringing a balance of sweet and tart raspberry flavors.  Coming in at only 4% ABV, these 750mL bottles can disappear pretty quickly, especially on a hot summer afternoon.

Style: Fruit Beer
ABV: 4%
IBUs: unknown, but very low, this beer isn't bitter at all.
Available: Year-round

[Quick Notes] Before you even pour this beer, the aroma explodes out of the bottle, filling the room with the scent of freshly picked raspberries and sweet raspberry jam.  As you pour it, the slightly murky ruby red liquid produces a wonderful pink head.  The aroma just continues to burst with juicy raspberry, raspberry jam, and a slight wheat body behind it.  The flavor is equally mind-blowing, with a perfect mixture of sweet, jammy raspberry and tart, fresh raspberry character.  The body is medium full but the carbonation is medium high, leaving your mouth coated in wonderful raspberry flavor long after your last sip.  If you like real, fresh, sweet/tart raspberry flavor, then you will be hard-pressed to find a better beer than this.

[Appearance] Upon pouring this beer, it is evident just how many raspberries New Glarus puts in this beer, as the color is a striking deep ruby or garnet color with a little brown in there too.  There aren't highlights around the edges, really, but a crimson light shines through the entire beer.  The head is small and tan but lingers in a thin layer and clings well to the glass.

[Aroma] Good grief, you could smell this stuff a mile away.  Imagine taking a handful of fresh raspberries, crushing them in your hands and then inhaling deeply.  Now somehow make that even fresher and MORE raspberry-like, and you've got the aroma of this beer.  It somehow smells more like raspberries than raspberries do.  It's a perfect blend of sweet raspberry jam, slightly sticky and syrupy and freshly picked, juicy, tart raspberries.  There's a slight hint of some nice wheat character to back up the raspberry aroma.

[Taste] The flavor of this beer is just as incredible as the aroma.  It's basically the exact same description as the aroma: a blend of sweet, jammy raspberries and tart, fresh raspberries, perfectly complementing and balancing one another.  That nice creamy wheat character is extremely subtle, just helping to keep the raspberry character from being too overwhelming.  There is a tartness that is almost like citric acid, like a pineapple sort of flavor that subtly carries throughout the whole beer.  This thing tastes so much like raspberries that I honestly found myself picking at my teeth for raspberry seeds.  The finish is just a perfect touch of dry tartness that puckers the mouth just a bit, prompting another sip.

Not a bad way to spend a summer afternoon

[Mouthfeel] Once again, New Glarus proves their mettle in the subtler elements of brewing, absolutely nailing the mouthfeel.  The body is medium full and slightly syrupy, though the wheat base helps to provide a little light creaminess to cut that.  The carbonation is also medium high, preventing the beer from becoming oppressively heavy or syrupy, making it drink almost like a thicker champagne.  It leaves your mouth coated in a delicious raspberry flavor.

[Overall] This is an example of a drink that pushes the boundaries of the definition of beer for most people.  The level of sweetness and fruit flavor, combined with a lack of the stereotypical "beery" flavor, makes this thing drink more like a fruity wine than a beer.  The level of craftsmanship is amazing, and you will have a tough time finding a better example of a non-sour fruit beer in the world.  If you're a fan of raspberries or just searching for a sweet, tart, and fruit-forward drink, make it a point to track this one down.

Enjoy this beer on one of the few remaining hot summer days!  As always, I hope you enjoyed this review.  Let me know what you think of it if you've had it, and always feel free to suggest new content or new beers.  Cheers!

[Local] First review post! Bent Paddle Daypack.

Alright, I've decided to go local with my very first review post, in the format I hope to be doing most of these.

The first beer I will be reviewing is Daypack Pale Ale from Bent Paddle Brewing Co. in Duluth, MN.  They call this a "Single Pale Ale" and clocking in at 4.6% alcohol by volume, this is a great session beer for the summer and fall.  Session beers are generally considered to be 5% ABV or lower, something you can drink multiples of without getting too inebriated.  They're also usually quite easy to drink and not too heavy on the palate.  This one will be available in cans and on draught from now until October, so be sure to snag a sixer.

[Appearance] Daypack pours a light, pale golden color, almost with a pastel-like orange tint to it and is capped with a wonderfully fluffy off-white head.  This is a really gorgeous session pale ale.

[Aroma] The aroma is really wonderful and fresh, dominated by a really nice fresh hop aroma.  They use a blend of 6 hops in this beer, and a few of the varietals are among my very favorites.  The aroma isn't weak, more just light and delicate, it doesn't slap your sense of smell around.  It's mostly sweet citrus like a light mandarin orange juice with some peach and mango. All of the flavors are quite light and sweet without being overly sugary.  There's also a wonderful floral aroma to it, like some light hibiscus or orange blossom, a really nice light, sweet, citrusy/floral hop profile.  There's a light crackery malt that underlies this flavor, helping to hold up the hop character, making this beer a beer and not hop-flavored water.  This beer smells real good.

[Taste] The flavor is just a touch maltier and less hoppy than the aroma suggested.  There's a fair amount of pale malt character, almost like a pilsner malt, just a little light and crackery flavor, carrying a small amount of light caramel sweetness.  There's a little bit of floral honey, like a light clover honey.  It's pretty delicate and not overly sugary.  Then the hops come in, bringing the wonderful mandarin and mango and peach juice notes, with a little bit of light citrusy floral character, that hibiscus and orange blossom that was in the aroma.  The hops resolve into something a little more bitter, just a slight grassy and piney bitterness, leading into a dry and refreshing finish that lasts surprisingly long.  That touch of bitterness isn't too strong, so anyone with an aversion to bitter, hoppy beers shouldn't be afraid.  It's just the right amount to balance out the sweet and fruity character of the rest of the beer, begging you to have another sip. 

[Mouthfeel] The body of this beer is medium light with moderate carbonation, floating across your mouth in a perfectly refreshing way.  It goes down really easily.

[Overall] The draw of cheap light lagers is that they are usually easy to drink, quite refreshing, and have little flavor.  This beer takes on those first two qualities and spits in the face of the third, loading up a light-bodied beer with a wonderful and delicious hoppy flavor.  Clocking in at 4.6% ABV, this hoppy pale ale will wash your mouth with delicious tropical and floral flavors, keeping you refreshed from this summer into fall.

And there you have it, the first real review of this blog!  Feel free to let me know what you think about the reviews, the format, or even suggest beers that I should check out.  And if you happen to pick up some Bent Paddle Daypack, be sure to let me know what you think of it.  I hope you dig it as much as I did.

I like beer.

Hi, I'm Michael, and I like beer.  Do you like beer?  

Yes?  Cool, we'll probably get along, and you'll hopefully dig this blog.  No?  Cool, we'll probably still get along, and maybe I can buy you a pint that'll change your mind. 

You'll be this sad when it's gone, too.

I really got into beer while traveling in Europe in the fall of 2013, and I began to realize just how wi(l)de the world of beer is.  Before that trip, beer was a fizzy yellow drink that dads and college kids drank while yelling at football players or trying to forget that paper they should probably write.  During the trip, I decided to document and review all the beers I tried. The more beer I tried, the more I realized that beer is sometimes neither fizzy nor yellow!  Beer can taste like chocolate, like raspberries, like wine, like magic and happiness and and angel tears and frolicking in a meadow of wildflowers.  Beer is a pretty wonderful thing, especially if you get a little adventurous.  Once I returned from Europe, lots of people said I should put those reviews into a blog.

This blog will mostly be reviews of beer, stuff from all over the place.  From just down the street to across the pond, I'll review any beer I can get my hands on, hopefully passing along any knowledge and excitement I can.  I hope at least one person will say, "Wow, that beer sounds amazing!" and then go buy it and drink it and say, "Damn, that beer tastes amazing!"

I might also include some random musings on beer and the beer world in general.  Maybe review a taproom or brewery or two, a bar here or there. Perhaps a little something on glassware, cellaring, or beer styles, whatever sort of beer-related stuff pops into my head.

Here's a toast to good beer and cool people who read cool blogs and share them with cool friends!