Entries tagged with “Wisconsin” from Malt & Barley Chronicles

Lakefront seems to get the majority of the press (and love) when it comes to Milwaukee-area craft beers. Sprecher is rightfully known for its sodas, especially its root beer and the most biting (and tasty) ginger ale I've ever had. But Sprecher also makes some fine, complex beers, with its Black Bavarian at the head of the class.

Characteristics: Dark black-brown color that is completely opaque; heavy body with low to medium carbonation; opens smooth with a slight bubbly bite before moving into dense roasted chocolate malts with an espresso finish. There's also a hit-and-miss sugar element through the middle.

Minor Gripes: Black Bavarian doesn't have enough balance once it warms up a little -- I'm guessing it was engineered to be rich and flavorful when consumed ice-cold. And the 6% ABV sneaks up a little.

Bottom Line: Although Black Bavarian is a lager, it's closest in spirit and flavor to a deep porter as opposed to a schwarzbier. It's not a session beer, but it's a good change of pace and one that's not often available where I live these days.

Rating: 6 / 10

New Grist is another in the unfortunately small collection of gluten-free brews with something resembling decent distribution. And, befitting the substantial brewing heritage of its hometown (and its brewer, who is responsible for more traditional winners like Riverwest Stein and Wheat Monkey), New Grist tastes like a beer first and a GF beer second.

Characteristics: Pale yellow color, medium carbonation and head, starts with a little bite of carbonation and hops before settling in to a mild yeasty middle and then the tell-tale sorghum tanginess in the finish.

Minor Gripes: Best when served cold, just like the Leinie's or Stella it's replacing -- that's when the sorghum is least noticeable. Its distribution also seems to be spotty outside the standard Lakefront channels. Two weeks after we found it at a Whole Foods in NYC, it went out of stock with its slot in the case given away.

Bottom Line: New Grist is the GF beer for those who (A) miss drinking lagers, and (B) might enjoy multiple beverages in an evening. (I can't bring myself to use the classic Schaefer phrasing today.)  New Grist is also the first of the GF brews I've sampled that I would drink even if I weren't looking to reduce my gluten exposure. The Green's belgian-style offerings are good, but New Grist does a better job balancing out the endemic sorghum tanginess.

Rating: 5.75 / 10

Finally, an American Pale Ale that doesn't slaughter my taste buds by being overhopped. Though maybe the black pepper is also providing the necessary balance... however it works, color me impressed.

Characteristics: warm, cloudy amber color; medium carbonation, medium body; opens with a hoppy edge (assisted by carbonation), mellows in the middle with a little malt (wandering between biscuit and caramel), and winds up in a long and strong black pepper finish.

Minor Gripes: As with many complex beers, there's a delicate spot where all the flavors open up... and it passes quickly.

Bottom Line: My preference for malt over hops is well-documented on these pages. But Knot Stock is the rare American Pale Ale that I would enjoy as a regular part of the rotation.

Rating: 6.25 / 10

I have always gone back and forth on Blackened Voodoo, as it seems to be rather sensitive to its environment (temperature, glassware, age, etc.) and there are few guarantees once you get the bottle in your hand.  My most recent six-pack met that expectation, but generally came out to the positive side. And raise a glass to the Minhas Craft Brewing Co (f/k/a Huber Brewing Company) of Monroe, Wisconsin, which has stepped up with contract brewing facilities to help keep Dixie alive while the original New Orleans facilities are still out of commission.

Characteristics: Dark reddish-brown color, decent head (quickly receding), light body that allows for some translucency, medium carbonation that underscores an intriguing battle between dry hops and sweet malts that continues all the way down.

Minor Gripes: Similar to its new stablemate Huber Bock, Blackened Voodoo will change from bottle to bottle, glass to glass, and the "sweet spot" is notoriously hard to replicate.

Bottom Line: For those who like schwarzbiers and other dark lagers, Blackened Voodoo is worth checking out.  Just treat it like an English ale (i.e. warm it up a little) to get the full flavor experience.  Or seek out Köstritzer at a good German restaurant or rathskeller and enjoy a consistently strong beverage.

Rating: 6 / 10 on a good day, 4.5 / 10 on a bad one.

A collection of items tangentially related to the Chronicles that I've been gathering for some time ...

• Courtesy of the BBC: Irish pubs are dying out in the homeland.  And the reasons cited for the decline?  The nationwide workplace smoking ban and stricter enforcement of drunk driving laws.  Talk about unintended consequences...


• Courtesy of BoingBoing: History Magazine's article on mealtimes throughout the ages. Note the quality "nuntion" or "nuncheon" offered to peasants in Shakespeare's time...


• Various sources report on the fallout from the unfortunate death of St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Josh Hancock.  The Milwaukee Brewers decided to uphold the principle of personal responsibility by continuing to permit alcohol in the clubhouse -- not necessarily surprising, but still notable when the Cardinals, owned by the Busch family, took the opposite action.


• Next time I'm back in Milwaukee, I need to stop by the Comet Cafe for a Wisconsin Cow Bomb (scroll down almost to the bottom).  Guinness, Jameson's, chocolate syrup, vanilla ice cream.  Sounds like a fantastic dessert to me, but then again I prefer to chase my Jameson's shots with Guinness anyway.


• Eric Asimov of The New York Times continues his occasional substitution of beer for wine in  the weekly "[Beverages] Of The Times" feature... recently hitting brown ales and bocks.  I still think the reviews run a bit to the snooty side, but at least he's making an effort to level the playing field.


• Staying with the NYT, the Travel desk offers a lovely vacation idea of touring Germany looking for the unique regional beers.  I take exception to only one remark, that of never finding rauchbiers again outside of Bamberg.  I've sampled the Schlenkerla Rauchbier a few times from my local specialty store (in a half-liter bottle) and enjoyed it greatly, even agreeing in large part with the reviewer's take.


• From Gizmodo, a heads-up that the annual Crumpler "Beers for Bags" event is coming soon to New York and Toronto. If you're in the market for some kind of messenger bag, this might be a fun way to pick one up.
  


• Finally, courtesy of Gridskipper: As if we need another reason to love Seattle, one of its state legislators has proposed allowing dogs in the bars. I'm all in favor of this change, having spent a fair amount of time on outdoor terraces and even low-key dog-friendly bars in Milwaukee.

I first found this beer (and brewery) when I lived in Madison, WI.  New Glarus is a Swiss-founded village about 40 miles south-southwest of Madison, nestled among rolling hills and golden-green fields.  The brewery makes 10-12 different brews in the course of a year, but Spotted Cow appears to have become their staple.

Characteristics: Cloudy gold, medium weight, average carbonation, smoky citrus flavors resolving to yeast.

Minor Gripes: Like its witbier brethren, Spotted Cow is inconsistent and ages poorly.  I've had some batches that tasted like lemon Alka-Seltzer, while others make Blue Moon look and taste like Busch Light.

Bottom Line:  When it's on, Spotted Cow is a phenomenal beer for those who like the Belgian wheat / wit style (as opposed to the German style).  When it's not on, you may as well use it to mop the floor.  It's just a tricky beer (but I keep coming back to it...).

Rating:  5.75 / 10 (docked .5 for inconsistency)