Brews and Reviews: Guinness' Blonde American Lager

Guinness recently launched what they call their "Discovery Series", which is an attempt by the Irish brewing giant to respond to the ever growing craft beer market. Many other macro brewers have also made attempts to either invent beers or revitalize old recipes in an attempt to still be a player in the ever growing craft beer market.

The Guinness Blonde American Lager is not only brewed in the states (Latrobe, PA, home of Rolling Rock) but will be heavily marketed over here as well. Guinness plans on releasing a West Indies Porter and Dublin Porter across the pond in this same series. Personally, I'd rather try a porter inspired by the description of taste from a sea log from 1800 than another cold brewed American Lager.  I think we've got quite enough of those over here. Though in their defense, it isn't a style micro-brewers are rushing to make.

Having lived in the Midwest all of my life and having been through that "having almost no money for beer" portion of college, I've had my fair share of the well known American Lagers.  The Guinness variety of American Lager, however, did not taste like the typical stuff you'll see on tap at any chain establishment.

For one, this beer had a bit of a bitter bite to it.  This was especially surprising, given both the style and the fact that Guinness doesn't usually manufacture beers with bite.  The bitter taste was almost off putting as it's not expected.  This could've been due to the fact that the beer wasn't kept on ice for very long during the tasting at the Minnesota Renaissance Festival over this last weekend in September.

In older times, this is how beer samplings were conducted with Lords and Ladies. Good thing we have ice and modern refrigeration... 

In terms of its color and appearance, this beer will look exactly like you'd expect it to; a light golden blonde coloring with a small amount of foam on top. It resembles the appearance once would expect from the most popular beers here in the states. Besides the aforementioned bitter taste, the beer also has a mouth feel resembling that of other popular Adjunct Lagers found in the United States as well. Considering this beer is an American Lager, the people at Guinness have made nothing too terribly surprising or unique with this brew.

If this Blonde American Lager was an attempt to win back some micro brew fans, the longstanding Irish stout brewer missed their mark dearly.  This beer feels like its meant to insert Guinness' name among the Miller and Budweiser crowd, rather than those who flock to their local tap rooms to try something distinct and different.  For those who enjoy a lighter variety beer, the Blonde American Lager offers that same "soda like" beer quality while also giving you a bit of a bitter taste that some may enjoy.  Consider this beer something that goes better with tailgating than something you'll want for a quality tasting.

Brews and Reviews: James Page Brewing Company's Yabba Dhaba Chai Tea Porter

Any "beer snob" worth his or her weight in hops is always on a never ending quest to seek out new beers they haven't tried before. A combination of curiosity of that of a feline and the Untappd app, has me on a constant mission to discover new brews, like some sort of barley pop obsessed Indiana Jones.

This particular brew struck me for a couple of reasons. First, I found it interesting that the pairing of a catchphrase from The Flintstones and a typical 20's safari explorer were used to denote the Chai Tea flavoring. The second reason was that this was from James Page Brewery (now owned and operated by Stevens Point Brewery), a former staple of NorthEast Minneapolis' Warehouse area.  Anyone who has journeyed over to Uppercut Gym, probably for one of the beer expos hosted over there, may find themselves passing the brewery's former location, their entrance still adorned with vines of hops.

Photo courtesy of javaprop.com

The Chai Tea Porter is a delightful explosion of taste for the right person. It is packed full of the Chai Tea aroma and taste you'd expect if you were to order one of these trendy beverages from your local coffee establishment.  The mouth-feel of this beer even tricks your senses into believing the consistency of this brew is much thicker than it actually is, due to the flavor.  Heck, even the smell of this beer gives an illusion of sitting in a coffee house, rather than on my couch.

However, as wonderful as this beer tastes, it may not be a brew for everyone. For one, it struggles to truly taste of feel like a Porter. It's body is a bit thin to be considered a Porter, instead being more consistent with a lager. When drinking this beer, without prior knowledge, you'd never associate this brew with having any hint of the typical british style of beer, instead mistaking it for something more of a typical Adjunct. 

The full line of James Page branded beers

This beverage also has a powerful taste with flavors of nutmeg and cinnamon, as well as other spices synonymous with infamous teas of India. This taste may be overwhelming to some folks, especially those who may appreciate more subtle tastes found in other flavored craft beers. It's not quite a "punch you in the mouth with flavor" found in most soft drinks, but it is certainly more than the average beer geek will more than likely enjoy.

Yabba Dhaba isn't a bad beer at all; it's quite enjoyable in fact.  But this is a beer best suited for a stormy spring day, and not likely something the regular beer consumer will want to drink more than one or two of.  If nothing else, Yabba Dhaba is an interesting experimental brew great for giving a try, but not something that will become a staple in any aficionado's beer cellar. Point Brewery has presented us with a good beer for tasting, but not necessarily a good beer for drinking.

Brews and Reviews: Drinking the In-Laws

It's that time of year again.  My father in law is in town!  The good news is that we didn't have to buy one case of Bud, it's all Schell's from here an out!  That being said he has undertaken redoing our entire deck.  This of course has led me to drink more then a fare share of new beers.  So to kill two beers with one gulp I decided to post about my sanity saving friends....

I don't know if this is the first year that Summit has made this beer, but I hope it is not the last [Summit contacted me after posting this and say that it was first introduced in 2012].  In a world filled with Summer Lagers this beer is a great edition to anyone's lawn mower beer line up.  This hazy straw gold beer gives off a clean white grape aroma.  It has a nice gentle biscuity malt taste, with mild hop bittering.  Almost like a lingering pilsner.  It has a very thin mouthfeel, it actually feels lighter then water.  I really enjoyed this beer and good easily take down a few of these after a hard day's work in the yard.  Rating:  "Good"

This is not the first year Third Street brought out Hunny Do, but last year it sold out so fast I am not even sure if it made it to the cities.  But luckily they made it a second year!  this hazy pale gold pours with a tight foamy head.  It has an ample floral bouquet in the aroma.  Soft mouthfeel, ample Saaz like bitterness.  It has a dry finish.  Another beer to enjoy after the yard work is done!  Just make sure your Hunny Do list is done as well before cracking into this summer delight.  Rating:  "Good".

 I am a sucker for a good pilsner, so when the make of one of my favorite stouts had a pilsner offering on the shelf of my local liquor establishment, I had to partake.  Left Handed Polestar pilsner is a great offering, again pair well with the muggy days of the Minnesota Craft Beer drinking season.  This pale straw yellow poured with a short white head.  It had a soft hops presence, and gave of hints of cinnamon in the aroma.  The pilsner was softer then they strong German pilsners I am used to, but I think that might make it easier for your average American drinker, so I am overlooking that for this rating.  It has a harp bitter aftertaste reminding me of the noble hops.  It has a very mellow biscuity malt taste with a nuttiness to it, which was my favorite part.  Rating:  "Good"

So there you have three solid beers to try for this summer season.  What are your favorite "lawnmower beers".  Leave us a comment!

$ol Bock Revival

Saturday I went to the Sol Bock Revival event at Harriet Brewing. It was a beautiful day to be out and about. My friend and I drove to Minneapolis with the windows down. I finally could wear a t-shirt and I had my shades on. I was feeling great that after a long cold winter I could sit out in the sun and enjoy a good beer.

 

When I got to the brewery and hit the beer vending area I was disappointed, again, in a brewery event. $6.00 a beer! Now, in fairness, you could buy 4 for 20 bucks. But still, why the heck are they charging just as much, if not more, than a bar would charge for a beer they produced 20 feet away?

 

I am not an overly cheap dude. I am not asking for anything for free. But come on, man! There isn’t any middle man like a bar or a store trying to make a profit. There isn’t a distributor trying to get his money too. Heck, the guy checking IDs at the door even said the people pouring the beers were working just for tips, so no overhead there either. It is purely the brewery selling the product they made right at the place they are selling it. So why at brewery events do breweries feel like they need to charge beer prices that are starting to approach the prices for beer at major sporting events? I can’t answer that.

 

I always thought these types of events were great for the community, the brewery, and the beer consumer. The community gets some extra business in the area for the day. The brewery gets to spotlight their products and sell some beer. And of course the consumer gets to try some great beers at a brewery, which is always kind of cool. But if I can get the same beer for the same price or cheaper at a nice bar with a beautiful patio complete with plenty of chairs, a summery acoustic musician, and a server who will bring them to me, why would I bother standing in a hot parking lot with next to no places to sit and stand through TWO lines (one to buy the beer tickets and one ten feet away to actually obtain your beer) to purchase one beer for six bucks?

 

All in all it was a fun event. They had some cool art. The empanadas from the MidNord Empanada truck were spectacular. Dan Israel rocked the house with the perfect sunny Saturday afternoon music. And I will give it to Harriet Brewing that the Sol Bock was a great beer. I am sure the brewery would have wanted my last thought be “Man, great beer! I think I am going to have to get Harriet Brewing beers more often!” But as we walked back to my buddy’s truck my last thought was “Six bucks, really?!?”



Welcome To The Dark Side...Of Lagers

Last week August Schell's Brewing Company was kind enough to share with us their upcoming new beer:

Now I know for a fact that some of my readers are already "Wow, that's a dark beer, I'm not really interested".  But hold on, this one is different, and maybe you should think about giving this one a try!  For starters most dark beers you have probably had before are Ales, meaning it was brewed with top fermenting yeast and brewed at warmer temps.  This here is a Lager brewed at colder temps with a bottom fermenting yeast.  

Still not interested, wait there is more…

As a lager it will carry a nice robust taste, but won’t leave you with that heavy feeling you would get from a stout. And according to The Oxford Companion To Beer dark lagers can sometime lean towards a coffee or chocolate flavor more often than not they have a clean matiness to them with hints of caramel or toffee (Oliver, 2012).  Also the hops are going to be more moderate and forward in this beer then with others.  This will make this beer more familiar to those who like beers like Newcastle.  A lot of stouts and porters like to push past the 6% ABV barrier.  Not so with Dark Lagers which tend to be down around the 5% ABV, the Chimney Sweep above carries a 5.2% ABV.  This make Dark Lagers less heavy to consume and you can enjoy a couple without feeling the effects as much (but still, make sure you are drinking responsibly and not driving!)  These things combined make a beer, like Chimney Sweep, more in line with a pilsner then with a stout.  So if you are one of those out there seeking to increase their beer horizon and start adding darker beer, then this is my recommendation of a place to start!

Can’t find Chimney Sweep in your area? Then try one of these other great Dark Lagers:

Midwest:

• Chimney Sweep –August Schell’s Brewing Co. (Seasonal)
• Black Bavarian –Sprecher Brewery
• Dark Helmet Schwartzbier –Titletown Brewing Co.

National:

•  Black Lager –Boston Brewing Co.

Bibliography

Oliver, G. (2012). The Oxfor Companion To Beer. New York: Oxford University Press.

Kölsch: A Clear Choice to Start A Beer Blog

Winter is upon us, but to be honest I am not quite ready to give up the Summer Beers yet.  Among my favorite are the misunderstood hybrids from Cologne, Germany, or Köln for our German readers. 

The let’s start with the basics of what is a Kölsch.  According to the Oxford Companion to Beer uses the following definition:

“A Kölsch is a top-fermented local beer style from Köln, Germany.  Kölsch beers are characterized by a lightly fruity yeast note in the aroma and taste, as well as a pleasant hoppy bitterness” (Oliver, 2012)

The first thing to note in this description is the fact that this is a top-fermenting yeast making it technically an ale.  Kölsch came into popularity during the 1800s in response light colored Pilsners coming out of Bohemia, though it has been brewed as early as the 13^th century (Oliver, 2012).  To be a true traditional Kölsch it must be brewed within sight of the Cathedral of Köln, anything else is considered “Kölsch-style”.  In my experience drinking Kölsch beers they are the palest of the pale beers often appearing straw gold in color.  They should have a good head with small bubbles, and should have the aroma of white grapes or subtle fruity tones.  The taste should be clear, crisp with a thin mouth feel, notable hops taste, and fruity notes.  They should leave no lingering after taste in the long run.  Kölsch beers are also served in a special glass that looks like the below picture:

For those of you fortunate enough to get to drink a Kölsch in Germany the most recognizable is Früh or Gaffel.  These are the gold standard for Kölsch beers.  Now for those of you state side, fret not for there are plenty of good Kölsch-style beer available:

Midwest Locals:

• ·         Mankato Original –Mankato Brewery
• ·         Kayak Kölsch –Lake Superior Brewing Company
• ·         Zommerfest –August Schell’s (Seasonal)

National:

• ·         East-West Kölsch –Boston Beer Company (Seasonal)
• ·         Summertime –Goose Island Brewing

Recently we got to tour Mankato Brewery; you can see the video here:  http://youtu.be/LDRZhslDt78

Bibliography

Oliver, G. (2012). The Oxford Companion To Beer. New York: Oxford University Press.

Brew Review: Cabin Time in Aitkin, MN

Happy Monday!  The weather has finally started colling down here after a VERY warm summer here in Minnesota.  So what better way to celebrate then head out doors for a little pontooning, sitting on the deck, and of course drinking some GREAT beers.

Lake Superior (Duluth, MN) Kayak Kolsch:  Very few breweries make Kolsch style beers, and even fewer do them right.  Lake Superior is one of the group that does them right.  This light straw colored beer has the perfect carbonation, slight fruity, but crisp flavor it is a perfect summer brew.  Rating:  **** (Favorite)

Flat Earth (St. Paul, MN) Angry Planet Pale Ale:  Dark red with a thick foamy head.  Great citrus aroma.  Has a medium mouth fell and a great bitter hoppy taste.  Very clean and tasty beer.  Rating: ** (Very Good)

Lucid (Minnetonka, MN) Camo Double IPA:  Aroma of green apples with a hint of caramel.Deep golden color with a hint of redness.  Very thick mouth feel.  At first this beer was really heavy with a strong alcohol flavor, but as it warmed up this beer started taking on a lot of interesting flavors, including a great IPA "spicyness"  to it.  Rating: *1/2 (Good)

He'Brew (San Fransico, CA) Genesis Dry Hopped Session Ale (American Pale Ale):  Light red in color with a fast dissapating head.  Sweet malty aroma, very carbonated and sweet with what felt like a pilsner like hops finish to the aftertaste.  This beer was like drinking to seperate beers (one sweet and one hoppy) and the same time.  Interesting brew, but won't be a regular for me.  Rating:  * (OK)