Beer of the Week

Over the past six months I have found a love of sour and wild beers. A stand out amongst crowd has been Flat Earth’s Extra Medium. Flat Earth, a St. Paul brewery which has been featured by us before, has done it again with this sour cherry beer.

I first got to try this tasty brew at the Muddy Pig and it has had a place on their taps as well as my heart for the past few months. Muddy Pig has become a frequent hang out for Ryan and I since our move to St. Paul and bringing great beers like Extra Medium is why. This is the description from Flat Earth's website:

This American wild ale was brewed using a blended strain of yeast that created this unique and refreshing beer. Brewed in the summer and allowed to age in an unjacketed tank for a year to fully develop its flavors. Extra Medium has an aroma of tart cherries, lemon and a slight inner city funk. It is refreshingly tart and sour with hints of orange marmalade, whiskey and citrus rind. Extra medium pairs well with salads, pungent cheeses and angel food cake.

The first thing that grabs you is the rich red color of this cloudy beer. The smell is an intoxicating blend of pungent yeast with notes of cherry, cranberry and apple cider vinegar. The carbonation is light which I prefer in sours. The taste is full a bodied sour cherry, with a yeasty vinegar and lemon notes. The sour taste is there but blends nicely with some malty sweetness.

This is an everyman’s kind of sour as opposed to some of the stronger tasting varieties. Wild but still palatable. If you haven’t been able to get into sours or wild beers I strongly suggest this one to help you appreciate the style.

Links of Interest:

Flat Earth Brewery

Muddy Pig

Beer of the Week

Summit Brewing of Saint Paul is now on the fourth installment of their "Unchained" series.

Judging by the strength of the series, Summit should have come unchained long ago. While some of the Summit fleet seem like afterthoughts (IPA, Grand Lager), you can taste the passion in the Unchained series. The Koelsch is particularly good and has been receiving praise from across the beer community.

This week's BOTW is Unchained #4, a Belgian Style Golden Ale. It pours a straw color with a small white head somewhat smaller than other Belgian Golds (which tend to have giant heads).

The smell is fruity, yeasty and sweet. What are those fruits in there? Pear? Grape? There is definitely a hint of banana. There is a lot going on in the nose of this beer.

The taste is like the smell: fruity and sweet. Besides the sweetness, the beer has a complex yeast taste that is true to style. I think I can pick up subtle toffee notes from time to time.

While some Belgian Golds have a strong aftertaste, this one is relatively crisp. The pleasantly mild aftertaste makes this brew go down quickly.

My main complaint with this beer is that it is too sweet. Did the yeast not eat enough of the candi sugar? A little extra fermentation might add to the strength (literally) of this beer. Overall, another worthy effort in the Unchained series. I can't wait for #5.

Beer of the Week

There's something about a pale, yet flavorful ale, heavy on the hops, that is the perfect crisp smack off the lips on a summer evening. Stone IPA fits the bill, and is our BOTW.

Founded in 1996, the Econdido, CA based brewery has grown from 400 barrels to 98,500 barrels in just 13 short years. Stone's IPA was released shortly after the brewery opened, in 1997.

The beer is a rich golden color, perhaps a little lighter than some other IPAs. The nose is all hops: a mix of Columbus, Chinook, and Centennial. You can really tell this brew was dry-hopped.

The taste reflects the smell: strong hop flavor, as well as bitterness. There is just enough biscuit and grain tasting malts to balance this one out. The beer finishes clean and crisp, leaving a little hop flavor and fruitiness on the tongue.

This is an IPA's IPA: big, bold, and bitter. If you're just getting into hoppy beers, you might want to try a few others first. Not only is this a West Coast hop bomb in terms of aroma and bitterness, it also tops out at 6.9% ABV. Not for the faint of heart.

That said, it truly is a clean and crisp beer. Perfect for patio sipping and savoring on a warm summer evening.

Beer of the Week

It's been a while since we went back to the "Old World" to find a beer of the week. This beer of the week is both Old World and Old School.

The Hacker-Pschorr brewery of Munich traces its legacy back almost 600 years, to 1417. Our beer of the week, Hacker-Pschorr's Anno 1417, takes its name from the year of the brewery's founding.

Anno 1417 is a Kellerbier, or Cellar Beer in English. The Kellerbier is common in Franconia, a region in northern Bavaria. Kellerbier has very little carbonation, due to the fact that the bung is not inserted tightly into the fermenting barrel, allowing the carbon dioxide to escape. Generally, the beer is then drank right out of the keg, with no filtration, giving the lager a cloudy appearance (Naturtrüb or "naturally cloudy" auf Deutsch) and a smooth yeasty taste.

A few Kellerbiers, also known as Zwickel Beers, are available in bottles, such as Hacker-Pschorr's and St. Georgenbraü.

Hacker's brew pours a light and cloudy amber, with a creamy off-white head. The brew smells of toasted malts and just a touch of hops.

The smooth and light mouthfeel is accentuated by the dryness of the malts, and the richness of the yeast. The hops are definitely present in balance, but do not overpower the malts. The beer finishes rich and earthy.

Although Kellerbiers may be hard to find at your local store, this Old World tradition is worth the hunt. Prost!

Links of Interest:

Hacker-Pschorr (Auf Deutsch!)

Beer of the Week

Lagunitas (lah-goo-nee-tahs) is a can't miss brewery for those of you into that hopped up, west coast style. Their IPA is a standard setter (especially if you like those citrus, grapefruit IPAs), and their Lil' Sumpin' ale is outstanding.

Located in beautiful Petaluma, California, Lagunitas is located in the Beer Mecca of the US, the Pacific Northwest (sorry Colorado). Similar to other breweries in the area, Lagunitas is known for flavorful ales heavy on the hops.

The Imperial Red (now available in sixers!) is different in that it features the malts more than any other Lagunitas beer I've had. The malts are smooth, caramel, and along with the alcohol, give this beer a huge mouth feel. Despite the relatively "big" presence of this beer on the palette, the smoothness makes it sessionable. Note: at 9.6% ABV, don't "session" too many of these in one sitting.

There are hops present, and they have that signature Lagunitas nose about them: grapefruit and a general citrus. Unlike the brewery's "Maximus" or "Hop Stoopid," however, the hops aren't the feature, but equally, the aren't to be overlooked. This isn't a malt bomb, this is a well balanced ale.

Links of Interest:

Lagunitas Brewing Company

Beer of the Week

I know that it's been a while since this blog has been a regular feature, so it's about time to get it back in motion.

Normally I'd save the BOTW for a weekend, but I figure it's been so long you can't complain.

Our feature this week comes from the well known Western Michigan powerhouse, Founders. Founders has been brewing since 1990, but has really become a craft brew staple over the last 5 years or so; with the dry-hopped citrus winner Centennial IPA, and the oil slick Breakfast Stout, it's easy to see why.

I was reintroduced to their Red's Rye at a local beer festival in St. Paul. As far as stand out ales, this brew jumped to mind with other quality entries like Lagunita's Lil' Sumpin' Sumpin' and Grand Teton's IPA.

Red's Rye P.A., as the bottle says, pours a rich amber color with some hints of red. The beer has a nice head with some significant lacing. There's a huge hop scent, with noticeable grapefruit and some spiciness. The mouthfeel is full and smooth, and the hops are balanced by a really nice sweet malt finish. The hops and the rye balance each other very nicely as they are washed down by the hops.

This is, without a doubt, one of the better IPAs in the country, and perhaps the very best brewed in the Midwest. If you're in Grand Rapids, stop by their beautiful tap room. If you're not, stop by your local liquor store and pick this one up.

Welcome back to Beer on the Brain.

Links of Interest:
Founders Brewing

Hooray Beer Of The Week

Ryan and I just returned from a much needed vacation in Jamaica and with that, this week's BOTW is Red Stripe.

Red Stripe, brewed in Kingston Jamaica, is probably most recognizable by two things. First, the short and squat bottles, with the simple red and white label (which were first used in 1975). Secondly, the 2001 ad campaign featuring a comedic Jamaican played by Dorrel Salmon shouting the catch phrase "Hooray Beer!" Here is a link to my personal favorite, "Red Stripe and Reggae Helping Our White Friends Dance for Over 70 Years".

Red Stripe has actually been brewed for the past 81 years. The company Desnoes & Geddes which created Surrey Brewery first brewed Red Stripe in 1928. Originally Red Stripe resembled more of an ale, heavier and darker. In 1938 the formula we still drink today was created. This formula is 4.7% Alcohol By Volume, it is moderate in body, bitterness, hop aroma and flavor, it also has a low butterstoch flavor, full bodied and has a smooth post palate sensation.

Although now the majority of the shares are owned by Guinness PLC, Red Stripe still is a true Jamaican beer. In 1962 when Jamaica earned its independence from Britian, a newspaper columnist for The Daily Gleaner was quoted as saying:

The real date of independence should have been 1928, when we established our self respect and self confidence through the production of a beer far beyond the capacity of mere Colonial dependants.

Red Stripe also supports and sponsors the Jamaican Bobsled Team, the 2007 World Cricket Tournament, and several reggae music events.

One interesting history note of Red Stripe is that in 1989 shipments to the US were temporarily suspended due to cannabis smuggling in shipment containers of Red Stripe in the Port of Miami.

Go out and get a six pack of Red Stripe and think of warmer places.

Link of Interest (although somewhat limited):

Red Stripe Beer

Beer of the Week - Victory in Pennsylvania

I purposefully withheld the BOTW a day or two in the hopes that I could give a timely nod to this brewery. The Steelers did not disappoint.

When one thinks "brewing culture," several states in the US might come to mind: California, Oregon, Colorado, Wisconsin, but probably not Pennsylvania. For those who know, Pennsylvania has been a hotbed of brewing culture since this nation was still a group of colonies.

Victory Brewing of Downingtown keeps Pennsylvania's rich heritage alive with a full slate of quality brews. From a delectable Belgian style blond, to a premium pilsner, Victory's slate runs the gamut, keeping quality high throughout.

Our BOTW is a year-round brew, an accurately named ale called Hop Devil. I'm generally leery of any beer that has "hop" in the name, but perhaps I should alter my prejudice, having been wowed by beer the likes of Hop Whore, Hop Slam, and also Victory's Hop Wallop.

If you need a classification beyond "ale" I guess I would call it an APA. Drinking it yourself is probably a better way for you to find out exactly what it's all about.

The drink starts with a punch to the palette, bringing those grapefruit you smell to life. Beyond the citrus, there is also a bit of a "grass" taste that really rounds the citrus into a spicy, earthy, tangy hop experience. The German malts don't get lost in this little demon; they hold their own, giving the beer a smooth mouthfeel and a clean round finish.

When you sit down to drink almost any Victory product, be careful. If you're anything like me you'll have the thought..."Man, I could drink 8 of these." While drinking 8 is not advised, sampling all of Victory's wares is.

Victory? Win.

Beer of the Week - Summer Beer Edition

Summer has finally arrived in full: sunbathing, BBQs, vacations. And nothing makes these activities better than a refreshing beer in hand. With that in mind, BOTB presents its Summer Beer Guide.


Spaten Lager - Munich, Germany

A delicious lager in the Munich helles style, Spaten's Premium lager is a standard setter. It's malty enough to have deep flavor, not overly hopped, but slightly lemony and grassy, making for a smooth body, and clean enough to chug on a summer day; it's really all about the high quality malts in this one.


Haacker-Pschorr Weisse - Munich, Germany

Another beer from Bavaria, this Weisse is good year round, and great in the summer. All wheat beers ring off the palatte a little bit more in the summer months, and Haacker-Pschorr's is no exception. Lemony fruitiness all over this one, so you don't even need the lemon garnish. It has the most beautiful head you've ever seen, a gorgeous cloudy body, and smooth over everything. Clean, crsip, and highly sessionable, this is the epitome of a summer beer.





Saison Dupont - Tourpes-Lueze, Belgium

A farmhouse ale brewed in a style that was meant to hold up during the warm summer months prior to refrigeration, Dupont is heavier than the previous two beers. Brewed with ample malt and hops, this beer pours with a heavy white head, but flows crisply and smoothly over the tounge. There are certainly yeast notes in here, with earthy fruit flavors like pear. Dupont isn't spiced, letting its malts and hops stand out, which they do, competing with any food pairing (so a simple paring like cheese would be ideal). Sip this Belgian treat in your back yard on a starry night.

Beer of the Week, 99 posts of beer on the wall

It's a special time here at BOTB. The Beer of the Week has come early, and it's also the 100th post of the blog.

Obviously there is plenty of material contained within the first 99 posts, so you'll forgive me if I'm rather brief with this one.

Amber and I are off to Mexico for several days, and in honor of this fact, the beer of the week, and indeed the weekend, is Pacifico.

Pacifico is not so good as to justify a full review here, but needless to say, it's head and shoulders above Corona, Tecate, and Modelo. A smooth lager with a medium body, Pacifico goes down equally well on a hot southern beach, and in a Mexican joint on Milwaukee's south side.

Next time you're in the mood for some beer from south of the border, Bebe Pacifico!

Beer of the Week

Located in Amhearst, Wisconsin, Central Waters Brewing has gone through many changes since its inception in 1998, including owners, brew kettles, and location, but the Oisconsing Red Ale has been there since the beginning.

Named for the Algonquin word for the Wisconsin River, this beer pours a ruby and amber color with a small white head. Subtle lacing appears, and the head refreshes itself after each sip.

The beer has a subtle nose, but it's there if you "look." There are notes of roasted malts, subtle caramel, and just a hint of flowery hops.

Oisconsing has a medium body, smooth and caramelly in the front, with biscuit and graham in the middle, with just a nick of hops on the back. It's a solid amber somewhere between a Fat Tire and an Oktoberfest style.

Owing to the medium body, relatively mild alcohol, and subtle hops, it's highly "sessionable." Although I have a bevy of delicious beers in my refrigerator at the moment, I find myself reaching for this one more than I expected. This is another quality outing from another one of Wisconsin's hidden gem microbreweries. Go Badgers!

Links of Interest:

Central Waters

Beer of the Week

Ok, so I know that I've been letting the blog slide a little, but I'm getting it back on track. Without further ado...

There's been a delay on this, I realize, but loyal quaffers, it was worth the wait; this BOTW is one of the best beers I have ever had.

Wheat beers, whether the Belgian Wits or the Germans Weisses occupy a strange and delicious corner of the brewing world. Miles away in taste and appearance from the Belgian Ales and the German Lagers, wheat beers vary as much as their cousins, ranging from blond to brown, and from refreshing to rich.

The Bavarian wheat tradition in particular, is an interesting slice of brewing history. The first brewery established with the specific purpose of brewing wheat beer was built in the Bavarian village of Schwarzach around 1520. Ludwig X of Bavaria had granted Hans Sigismund of Degenberg, his official steward (also a Duke), the rights to produce wheat beer for the province.

In 1567 a law was passed banning the production of wheat beer, but the Degenbergs were grandfathered in. When the line of Degenbergs died out, Duke Maximillian gained their wheat beer rights. The law of 1567 was still in effect, though it was not enforced on the princes, making Maximillian's operation a wheat beer-opoly, and guaranteeing a steady revenue stream.

While here and there licenses were granted for local breweries to produce their own wheat beer (with a fee of course), it wasn't competition that brought down the wheat beer monopoly, it was fashion and technology.

In the mid-18th century the Munich dunkels & helles, as well as the Vienna lagers and Czech Pilsners came on the scene. The new lagering methods and brewing techniques allowed the easy production of high quality beers year round, and the thirsty drinkers of Prague, Vienna, & Munich gravitated to the delicious new pilsners and helles, as well as the recently perfected dunkels. Weissbier quickly became the beer of the upper-crust, and out of fashion.

As the market collapsed, Georg Schneider saw opportunity. With the Dukes losing incentive to protect their wheat beer rights, Schneider easily wrestled it away from them and set up weiss brewing of his own.

Schneider kept the style alive, and being the only weiss show in town, did quite well. Indeed, his relatives still operate the brewery baring his name to this day.

Schneider-Weisse produces a number of wheat beers including our BOTW, Schneider Aventius. Aventius is a Weizen-Bock, that is, a strong wheat. Also known as Weizenstarkbier, Aventius clocks in at 8.2% ABV, pretty serious for a wheat beer.

The beer pours a brown-ruby color, with a nice thick two-finger head.

It has an easily detectable nose with strains of yeast, vanilla and banana. The smells are sweet and much more penetrating than even other wheat brews.

The Aventius has a medium-heavy mouthfeel with yeast and wheat notes, sweet caramel malts and a crisp carbonated, though only slightly bitter finish, leading you back for more. Although the beer is 8.2%, the alcohol presence doesn't manifest until you've finished the bottle. This is, without a doubt, one of the premier wheat beers in the world. An appreciation of wheat beer without a sampling of this gem from an originator is an incomplete appreciation.

Highly Recommended.

Links of Interest (German):

Schneider-Weisse Aventius

Beer of the Week

My god, this winter has been so goddamn long that I'm starting to lose it. I feel like I live in Canada, except that I don't have guaranteed health care and I never got good at hockey. It's a good thing that Minnesota has finally started cranking out some decent brews to get us northwoods faithful through.

Flat Earth Brewery, a new St. Paul brauhaus that I mentioned back here, has been quietly invading bars and liquor stores around the Twin Cities Metro. Last night I had the good fortune to share a few pints with a good friend at the Sample Room, a Northeast Minneapolis institution of which Chef and TV Personality Anthony Bourdain had this to say:

that's another good one. I'm sure his business model wasn't, 'There's a huge demand here for traditionally made pâté, so I'm opening!' It was more like, 'I love pâté, I want to make it old-school, I'm going to create the market and hopefully people will join me.'

Indeed the Sample Room prides itself on its homemade and interesting foodstuffs, and takes equal care to make sure their taps are interesting and fresh. As a local, fresh, and delicious brew, Flat Earth's Belgian Style Pale Ale made the cut.

The beer pours a clear and beautiful amber color with a minimal white head that leaves considerable lacing along the way.

The beer has a faint yeast smell mingling with a sweet fruit aroma. It has a very dynamic nose that refuses to fade as one is drinking the beer.

A medium body ripe with tight bubbles awaits you as you quaff the ale, greeting you with a little yeast up front, some carmelly biscuity malts in the middle, and very subtle finishing hops in the back. The malts will hang on until the finish, but the final taste is quite dry, with notes of grain.

The alcohol is a touch low for the style at 5.2%, but that makes this beer all the more chuggable, with enough flavor to keep you coming back, but not too much as to overwhelm the senses.

Congrats to Flat Earth.

Links of Interest:

Flat Earth

Beer of the Week

In homage to my new home, this week's beer comes from a suburb of Minneapolis, courtesy of Surly Brewing Company.

Surly is relatively new to the brewing game, having been on the scene for about two years, but has started with a bang. The young brewery has been featured in Gourmet magazine and was rated the #1 brewery in America by Beeradvocate magazine, quite the praise.

Surly produces two year-round brews, and both are excellent. Furious is a solid, medium bodied, well hopped ale, and Bender is our BOTW.

According to Surly, the Bender is an amalgamation of styles: part porter, part brown ale, part APA. After a few Benders at the bar last night, I decided that Brown Ale is the tag that a beer gets when the brewers don't know what the hell to call it, likewise with Amber Ale.

This brown ale is a little browner than one might expect, pouring an almost black color with a nice off-white head.

One definitely picks up hops in the aroma, but it doesn't slam you in the face, which considering the style, is not a bad thing. There's definitely some oatmeal in the nose, almost like an oatmeal stout. Surly says the oatmeal is for smoothing out the finish, which it does, but it also gives it quite a pleasant smell.

The beer has a nice medium body with almost perfect carbonation. It has a nice defined presence, but you don't have to work to get it down. Its perfect body and 5% ABV make it an outstanding session beer, keeping you coming back for more.

The brew has a solid roasted malt base with the oatmeal really smoothing it out and mingling with the hops at the end of the taste. The beer is complex yet crisp, easy to drink, yet satisfying: a true acrobat in the art of brewing balance.

Surly is only available in the immediate area, so if you're outside of the Twin Cities or Duluth, have someone send you some, or better yet, come to Minneapolis and raise a few pints.

Congrats to Surly Bender as our Beer of the Week.

Links of Interest:

Surly Brewing Company

Beer of the Week

Wisconsin is home to many fine ambers: Sprecher Amber & Lakefront Riverwest Stein to name two.

Capital Brewery in Middleton brews a sturdy repertoire of beers in the German style including various bocks, Oktoberfest, and our BOTW, Wisconsin Amber.

Wisconsin Amber is a rich malty beer with just a hint of hop bittering and aroma. It pours a color true to its name, with a minimal white head that leaves some lacing on the glass.

The beer is carmelly and sweet, with just enough hops to even it out. It's loosely based on a Vienna lager, and is definitely hopped like one.

The mouthfeel is quite nice, with a medium body, soft carbonation, and a clean crisp finish. One could definitely have a few of these in one sitting.

From the perspective of a lager, there are few in the US that can match Capital and Wisconsin Amber is no exception. When judged against beers of similar style, WA stands out, and drinks easily.

Remember this one come fall; it's perfect paired with a crisp breeze.
Links of Interest:

Wisconsin Amber & German Beer Fish

PS: This BOTW is dedicated to my own Wisconsin Amber, who is moving away from her home in Madison to join me here in Minneapolis. I couldn't be happier.

Beer of the Week

Due to a new job and a new residence, BOTB had to take some well deserved time off. Having settled into our new digs however, a celebratory beer was in order, and it turned out to be our beer of the week.

Singletrack Copper Ale is our second BOTW from the original Colorado microbrewery, Boulder Beer. The bottle and the name are obviously linked to bicycling, perhaps a jab at cross-state rival New Belgium Brewing, whose "Fat Tire" ale also features a bicycle on the label, and also is a similar tasting amber ale.

The beer pours a light copper color (hence the name) and has a small white head that has some retention throughout. No doubt, this is a fine looking beer.

The beer has a light nose of malt biscuit, with some floral hops mingling in there, however not as strong as say, Fat Tire.

Singletrack tastes incredibly well rounded: a nice sturdy medium bodied malt base, with just enough hops bittering and aroma to make it stand out. If it were just a tough sweeter, it could pass for a British ESB, but perhaps because it is not as sweet, I actually enjoyed it more.

Singletrack is definitely a session beer: not too heavy, but flavorful and distinctive enough. I could almost see myself drinking one for a break on a nice long bike ride.

Cheers to Boulder Beer for its second Beer of the Week.

Links of Interest:

Boulder Beer

Beer of the Week

I know that I am somewhat heavy on the Wisconsin beers on this blog, but what can I say: it's the land of my birth, and it happens to make some damn good beers.

I am relocating soon, from Madison to Minneapolis, so the beer will probably take on a more national beer scene scope, but fear not, many quality Midwest beers will still be featured.

With all that said, our beer of the week once again comes from Wisconsin, this time from Rush River Brewing in River Falls, near the Twin Cities on the Minnesota-Wisconsin border. Rush River was founded by two native Midwesterners, Dan Chang from Milwaukee, and Nick Anderson from Minneapolis.

I first encountered Rush River while living in Minneapolis a few years back. I saw an Amber Ale I had never seen before on tap at a local watering hole. I asked the bartender about it, and he said he wasn't sure, but thought that it was from Minnesota. I took a gamble and was pleasantly surprised by the balanced character of this delicious American Amber.

Fast forward a few years, and I get an email from a loyal BOTB reader:

"Have you ever heard of Rush River? Their Bubblejack IPA is awesome! Pick up a sixer when you get a chance!"

Whoa, whoa, whoa. IPA? Sixer? These were things I had never seen from Rush River. It became a mission to investigate. I was passing through Hudson, Wisconsin (also near the MN-WI border), and stopped at a liquor store to check the local wares. Sure enough, Rush River's "Bubblejack IPA" greeted me on the shelves.

Bubblejack, although it sounds more like a "Cannabis Cup" winning strain than a beer, is truly representative of the India Pale Ale style. It pours an unfiltered cloudy orange color with a minimal white head. The smell is fainter than some IPAs you'll come across, but the hoppy aromas of grapefruit and floral citrus are definitely there.

The taste is very well balanced, with the hops standing loud and proud, but not slapping you in the face. We all know that an IPA should be well hopped, which Bubblejack is, but it isn't like some beers that hit you over the head with a hop-mallet. There are some notes of graham and bread in there, and a subtle malt body too. At 6% ABV, this IPA is definitely right in the alcohol range of the style.

Judged against other IPAs, it's not as fragrant as it could be, and perhaps just slightly (ever so slightly) over-carbonated, but the balance is perfect, and the body and overall complexity of the flavor are awesome.

Cheers to Rush River; hopefully we'll be seeing more of your quality brews around in the near future.

Links of Interest:

Rush River

Beer of the Week

We've been talking about lagers this week, and briefly touched on the golden pilsner and pale lager styles that dominate the tastes of the beer drinking world. Many American beer snobs don't want to give these styles the time of day, perhaps having been soured to the style having come of beer drinking age in a country full of mass-produced flavorless light lagers. But a well made pilsner or golden pale lager is a thing of craft brewing beauty, and one needn't look further than the German pioneers to find a delicious example.

Paulaner Bräuerei of Munich, named for the founder of an order of beer making monks, has been brewing beer since the 1600s. Paulaner is probably best known for their "Salvator" (latin for "saviour") doppelbock. In fact most German (and some American) doppelbocks still use the "-ator" suffix to denote the doppelbock style.

Besides it's legendary doppelbock, Paulaner also produces a Pils (pilsner), a delicious weiss, and an oktoberfest märzen that might now rival the Salvator in popularity in America. Paulaner also makes a delicious Munich style helles (pronounced "Hell-us"), known in America as "Paulaner Original Munich Lager" that is our Beer of the Week.

The Paulaner Lager pours a beautiful rich golden color with a minimal head that leaves some lacing as you drink it. It smells fresh, crisp, and clean, with a hint of malt, and a trace of fresh cut grass type hop aroma. Being this is a pale lager, the aromas are faint, so take a sniff before you start to drink it.

The taste is surprisingly malty and rich, with a nice medium-bodied mouthfeel. The carbonation is lively, dancing around your palette. Its 4.9% ABV, combined with its crisp finish, makes this is a beer you could certainly "session" (drink many a pint) with. That said, please quaff in moderation.

If you have a friend that is a macro drinker, and you want to introduce him/her into the larger world of delicious beer, Paulaner's lager might be a good introduction. It has better ingredients than most American macros (no rice or corn in here), has a more complex malty taste, but yet is still a beer you can have a few of and not be overwhelmed. Here's to the Germans for creating the perfect "everyman" beer.

Prost!

Links of Interest:

(I would put the link to the Paulaner website here, but having visited it, you won't really get to much info from it unless you can speak German. Even the "Facinating Facts" section of the English website version is totally in German.)

Beer of the Week

Winter has been raging this year in Wisconsin, and I've needed a lot of beer to get through it. Most of them have been of the winter warmer stripe, but I need to mix it up now and again. Variety and beer are, after all, the spices of life.

Kalamazoo Brewing of Michigan is home to the Bell's family of beers. Perhaps best known for their "Two-Hearted" IPA and their "Oberon" summer seasonal, Bell's also makes a winter seasonal, which interestingly enough is a wheat ale called Bell's Winter White.

The Winter White is in the Belgian Witbier style, although in my opinion, it's a little thicker and a little sweeter. If you're going to market a wit as a winter style, those are both good things in my estimation.

Like most Belgian wits, it smells of orange and corriander. It pours a hazy orange color, kind of like a Blue Moon, and has a dense white head that quickly fades away. The mouthfeel is a bit heavier than a normal wit, and the carbonation is nice and noticeable. There is definitely that yeast presence in there (it's a mix of Hefe and Wit yeasts) and a tangy sweetness finishes it out.

I've had better wits, but for an American, and for this "winter-modification" that Bell's has done, it's really quite good. If you need a break from sweet ales and heavy stouts this winter, try out Bell's Winter White.

Links of Interest:

Bell's Beer

Beer of the Week

Our BOTW this week is another high alcohol bock from Germania. Schloss Eggenberg Urbock 23 hails from the Schloss Eggenberg Brauerei in Austria, and like this week's BOTWE, EKU 28, is kept in the cellar for an astounding 9 months.

The resulting bock is perfect for winter consumption: high in alcohol, smooth, and creamy. Coming in at 9.6% ABV, the Urbock 23 is potent, and the smell and taste reflect it.

The nose has a mingling of alcohol, honey, and fruit bursting out from a nice dense white head; lacing is very nice. The mouthfeel is thick and ueber-creamy, perhaps even creamier than the EKU 28. The carbonation is perfect, and the alcohol dryness at the end is the perfect stop punctuation for a honey-like sweetness that seems to mingle with rum.

I've heard this brew refered to as the "cognac of beers" (not to be confused with "the champagne of beers"), and rightly so; this is a beer that is meant to be sipped, savored, and shared. Prost!

Links of Interest:

Schloss Eggenberg Urbock 23