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Hacker-Pschorr Sternweisse

Friday, November 7th, 2008

The second oldest of Munich’s breweries, Hacker-Pschorr brews four wheat beers: a hefeweisse (wheat beer with yeast), a dunkle (dark wheat beer), a leichte (light wheat beer), and the Sternweisse, meaning “Wheat Star”. It is an unfiltered amber, brewed just a little stronger and drier than the other beers.

The star pours a cloudy sandy brown, with hints of russet. The head is just-off-white, creamy, and lasts. The nose is quite strong of fresh bananas, with notes of cloves and spices and a hint of caramel.

As the beer pours towards your tongue you feel a rush of banana and caramel, and when it hits are notes of biscuits and malt. There is a light sweetness, accented by the fact that this is not nearly as effervescent as most German hefeweisse beers. Playful, fruity, and quite drinkable. This would be a great summer beer. Too bad it’s cold and wet out now.

By the way, I love this label.

+Hacker-Pschorr Sternweisse

RateBeer: 3.6 (4-6-8-4-14)

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Posted in Wheat Beer | 3 Comments »

Millstream Schokolade Bock Release

Wednesday, November 5th, 2008

msb6Today is the official release of Millstream’s 2008 Schokolade Bock. So if you supported Obama, have some to celebrate. If you supported McCain, drown your sorrows in bockbier.

Bock, as legally defined in Germany, is any beer brewed to a starting gravity of 16-17 degrees Plato. This means they are at least 6% alcohol. In Iowa, you cannot brew beer much over 6%, so ours is on the lighter side. It’s not my recipe to give away, but I can tell you we use a fair amountmsbp1 of chocolate malt, Northern Brewer hops for bitterness, and Glacier hops for flavor.

It’s very clear (it’s filtered, actually). The color is a deep mahogany and the head is creamy and off-white, leaves some lacing but doesn’t last long. The nose is rich and malty, sweet, with strong roast character.

The taste is pretty sweet, with a prominent roast bitterness and toasty malt flavor. There is a hint of chocolate and just a little caramel. The palate is creamy, but a little cloying.

+Millstream Schokolade Bock

RateBeer: 3.0 (3-6-6-3-12)

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Posted in American Lager | No Comments »

Moerlein Barbarossa and Emancipator

Tuesday, October 28th, 2008

I got these two bottles of Moerlein beer in a trade way back on Dark Lord Day. To the stranger that gave them to me, I’m sorry it took me so long to try them!

First up: the Barbarossa Double Dark Lager. The bottle points out that it is named for Holy Roman Emperor “Barbarossa” Frederick I of Germany. I can only assume that by “Double Dark Lager” they mean a double, or heavy, version of a German black lager, or schwarzbier.

It pours an almost clear, deep caramel with a creamy khaki head. The aroma is delicately malty, with a sweet caramel character and notes of fresh biscuits. There is also something of a metallic tinge to the aroma, probably because these are twist-off caps and the beer has been slightly oxidized.

The taste: remarkably clean. Dry, with touches of caramel malt flavor and toast. Again, there is the slightest bit of oxidation, likely my fault for treating this beer badly and drinking it old. The palate is wonderfully dry, with a smooth but not overpowering carbonation. I could easily have another. By the way, this one has left thick rings and serious honeycomb lacing on my glass.

On to the doppelbock. Here, Emancipator refers to the “emancipation of America’s honorable brewing tradition” in 1933. Emancipator pours a dark auburn with a similar creamy tan head. The nose is pretty strongly metallic, which again I will attribute to cap-related oxidation. I can still get a strong roast malt and burnt coffee aroma.

The first taste is thick and very creamy. Later, I can pick out some of the roast flavor, but it is much too sweet. I feel like my mouth has been coated, and not in a good way. The metallic character cuts through the sweetness more than the malt flavor. Very cloying.

+Moerlein Barbarossa

RateBeer: 3.8 (4-7-7-5-15)

+/-Moerlein Emancipator

RateBeer: 3.0 (3-6-6-2-13)

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Posted in European Lager, Strong Beer | No Comments »

Goose Island Imperial IPA

Monday, October 27th, 2008

Pours an opalescent rust with a luscious, creamy, long-lasting, wheat-colored head. It leaves a thick lacing on the glass and heavy rings. You can smell this beer from a mile away, with it’s thick aroma: a sharp spicy hops fade into citric and pear fruity hops. Thick and sweet, with a note of alcohol coming through. I could sit here and smell this all day.

Right up front is an earthy hop flavor and prominent sweetness. It is definitely bitter, but not too intense. There is an earthy hop flavor and the bitterness and sweetness dance. It is just a bit cloying.

Quite a good brew, intense yet well-balanced. I would only ask it to be a little less sweet.

++Goose Island Imperial IPA

RateBeer: 4.1 (5-9-7-3-17)

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Posted in American Ale, Strong Beer | No Comments »

Hop Fest!

Thursday, October 23rd, 2008

Last night Trevor and I sampled a few hoppy beers. We were too tired to get to the fourth (Goose Island Imperial IPA) but I’ll rate it eventually.

First off, Bell’s Hopslam, an Imperial IPA made with honey. I’m told this ages better than any other hoppy beer. We won’t really know because the bottle I have is from January of this year.

It pours a beautiful orange-tinted gold, lightly hazy. The head is creamy, lasts forever, and laces brilliantly. The aroma is strongly of fruit: peaches, orange blossoms, and grapefruit. It is a thick, somewhat sweet nose.

Immediately you get a strong floral, slightly fruity hop flavor. I note roses, orange blossoms, and apricots. The bitterness slowly grows to overpower the delicate flavor, and lingers. This beer is ever so slightly cloying, which actually balances the lingering bitterness. However, these long aftertastes do not get in the way of another sip. That’s dangerous at 10% alcohol.

Next up: Dogfish Head’s Burton Baton, an Imperial IPA aged in oak barrels. At first this seems like it must be more authentic to the history of India pale ale. Note that while Ballantine’s infamous IPA was aged in uncoated oak barrels such as the ones used at Dogfish Head, IPAs actually shipped to India were probably sent in pitched barrels to prevent any influence from the wood. Just saying…

On to drinking it. Burton, an almost clear copper, pours a good straw head. It has a light sweet aroma, somewhat herbal hoppy. There is also a significant caramel note and a little biscuit. I can also detect a bit of alcohol on the nose. Ethanol itself is not volatile, so you cannot smell it. A beer smelling boozy indicates the presence of fusel alcohols, a byproduct of warm, high alcohol fermentation. It is fusels that cause really painful hangovers.

Right at first you notice both a prominent bitterness and a strong sweetness. This beer is thick, and its sweetness is cloying, probably from the use of a large percentage of caramel malt. The oak certainly also adds sweetness and vanilla. The hop flavor is herbal and grassy.

I think perhaps the oak and the hops are competing too much in this beer. The hop flavor is too earthy. They would be better off using a lighter, more delicate flavor hop.

Last we have a bottle from the Tyranena “Brewers Gone Wild” series. This is Hop Whore, their Imperial IPA.

The appearance of this beer is not entirely appetizing. While it is a wonderful copper red color, there are some little chunkies floating and the head is somewhat soapy. The nose is great, though. A strong fruity hop aroma, peaches and some grapes.

Quick sharp hop bitterness, a little fruity and a little sweet. Notes of hop spiciness, reminiscent of cilantro. While it is pretty bitter, this fades and it lingers balanced. Very drinkable.

++Bell’s Hopslam

RateBeer: 4.0 (4-8-8-3-17)

+Dogfish Head Burton Baton

RateBeer: 3.2 (3-7-6-2-14)

+Tyranena Hop Whore

RateBeer: 3.2 (1-7-7-3-14)

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Posted in American Ale, Strong Beer | No Comments »

Dupont Cidre de Givre

Monday, October 20th, 2008

This one’s also from a few days ago.

Maria and I stopped for a bite and a cider at Sbrocco, the newest offering from Full Court Press, the guys that brought you El Bait Shop and the Red Monk, among others. Sbrocco is a wine bar that exudes class. It does so in a remarkably inviting way, with salvaged doors and stained glass and classic jazz in the air. I was most impressed by the twenty wine taps that serve a variety of bottles using carbon dioxide. This system is sleek and ensures the wine is always as fresh as possible.

I don’t really drink wine, but never fear! They were thinking of me when they made the beer list, filling it with Unibroue and Lindemann’s and Dupont ciders. (They also have a few less interesting beers.)

The food at Sbrocco is quite tasty. The interesting selections are also surprisingly inexpensive. They are clearly aiming to bring in young people. We shared the Grilled Portabella and Zucchini Pasta Bake with Smoked Provolone. The cheese was good and the smokiness matched the mushroom and slight spiciness of the tomato sauce. I also had a cup of Roasted Acorn & Butternut Squash Bisque which was nutty and creamy and wonderful. Maria had the salad with Candied Pecans, Goat Cheese, Apples, and Lemon Sage Vinaigrette.

To pair with this we got the Cidre de Givre from the Domaine Dupont cidery and distillery. This is unrelated to Brasserie Dupont, makers of Saison Dupont. Domaine Dupont has made calvados for more than thirty years on their fourth generation farm.

Le Givre is the eis cider made from Bouché Brut. Eis cider, like eisbock and unlike eiswine, is produced by freeze distillation of a finished product. It concentrates the flavors and the alcohol, but will also make any problems that much more offensive. It must be done with care.

Le Givre pours a lusciously opal amber-copper with hints of foam. It is somehow much lighter on top than on bottom, almost a straw. The aroma is thick, mostly fresh apples and cider, with some caramel and a hint of smoke.

A rich, almost syrupy beer. Strongly sweet but not at all cloying. I get a whole fruit apple sweetness with a strong alcohol warming. There is a dance of flavors: spices like clove and cinnamon, some smokiness, and a strong, lingering, pleasant cider flavor.

This cider is intense yet muted. It is strongly sweet and alcoholic, but remains elusively subtle. A joy to drink.

++Domaine Dupont Cidre de Givre 2005

RateBeer: 4.4

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Posted in Cider, Strong Beer | No Comments »

Leinie's and Baseball

Monday, October 20th, 2008

I wrote this a little while ago.

I’m tasting my Leinenkugel’s Original in the perfect setting: at the Deadwood in Iowa City. This is a serious bar, and when you’re here you can only drink one beer, an American lager. Leinie’s distinguishes itself from many in this category by its notable hop bitterness. Most American lagers tend towards balanced to slightly sweet, but Leinie’s, like PBR, leans a bit to bitter. The flavor is relatively malty, with a hint of astringency on the sides of the tongue. There is a faint hint of sulfur, detectable only as a bit of sweetness and perhaps some cooked corn.

The sweetness lingers a little but the bitterness and astringency distract you so it is all too easy to take another gulp. In the end, this beer is every bit as drinkable as one of the Big Lagers, but with much more flavor. My only major complaint would be the near lack of head.

The Red Sox aren’t doing so hot, so for luck I’ll order a Leinie’s Red.

This beer lives up to its name. It’s almost a cherry colored red, and it glows even in the darkness. Unfortunately that’s all it really offers.

Red has almost no flavor. The only thing on the nose is a metallic stab. There is an unpleasant astringency all over as well as a displeasing sulfur character, much like well-cooked cabbage. Unlike its big brother Original, Red doesn’t invite further sips. Red orders you to drink it down so you don’t have to deal with it anymore.

That’s not how I drink beer.

+/-Leinenkugel’s Original

RateBeer: 2.6

-Leinenkugel’s Red

RateBeer: 1.5

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Posted in American Lager | No Comments »

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