Back Road Stout, Millstream Brewing Company

"Back Road Stout", Millstream Brewery (Amana,IA). "A rich, thick, smooth Oatmeal stout". "A taste of the Amana Colonies". So says the label.

I'll admit I'd never heard either of this brewery or Amana Colonies for that matter. A little reasearch was in order...(thanks Wikipedia)....

The Amana Colonies are a group of settlements of radical German Pietists in Iowa, USA, comprising seven villages. Calling themselves the Ebenezer Society or the Community of True Inspiration (German: die Gemeinde der wahren Inspiration), they first settled in New York state near Buffalo in what is now the Town of West Seneca. However, in order to live out their beliefs in more isolated surroundings they moved west, to east-central Iowa (near present-day Iowa City) in 1855. They lived a communal life until the mid 1930s. Due to this, the Amanas are sometimes mistaken for Amish.

I find this fascinating, especially given today's vitriolic political climate, that this was a society that existed on socialistic principles and survived for almost 80 years. Here's a link if you would like to read more :

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amana_Colonies

The name "Amana" of course is also synonymous with the appliance giant of the same name...again, I was not aware of it's origins....

The Amana Corporation is an American brand of household appliances. It was founded in 1934 by George Foerstner as The Electrical Equipment Co. in Middle Amana, Iowa to manufacture commercial walk-in coolers. The business was later owned by the Amana Society and became known as Amana Refrigeration, Inc..^[1] It is now owned by Whirlpool Corporation.



Millstream Brewing Company is Iowa's oldest micro-brewery, having opened it's doors way back in 1982. Impressive. First noticed it on the shelves a few months ago, it having just recently been distributed in Minnesota by Clear River Beverage Company (Rush City, MN). Despite my reservations - brought on by the rather amateurish, cartoonish and kitschy label that didn't exactly say "pick me up" - my thriftiness got the better of me and I picked up a sixer at Zipp's for a paltry $5.99. Would it be money well spent? Read on.....

Initial impression upon pouring - promising. Looked the part - jet black with a nice mocha head and decent carbonization. Now the real test - tasting.

Surprised by the light mouthfeel. Definite taste of bitter chocolate with a licquorish (or aniseed?) finish. I was expecting it to be creamier and certainly a little sweet from the oatmeal (apparently they add 5% oatmeal to the grist) but if it was there I didn't notice it. Fairly dry. Smooth and easy to drink. Light bodied. Decent. Apparently 6.7% ABV but it's barely noticeable, drinks like a 4% beer. I was told by the sales rep that this stout was unique because they used a lager yeast, rather than an ale yeast, for this stout and that is what gives it such drinkability. Makes sense, however my inner beer geek got the better of me and I emailed the brewer and was informed that they now use an American Ale II strain of yeast. So much for that theory!

Rating:
B-
Better than expected but not remarkable. I was expecting a heavy, creamy somewhat chewy beer but this is a bit too thin for my liking. I would recommend this beer as a good intro to the "darkside" - a starting point for someone looking to try something more substantial than Summit EPA for instance.

Apparently this beer won a Gold Medal at the 2011 Great American Beer Festival, obviously the judges rated it a little higher than I did!

About the beer :

Label proclaims it to be "A rich, thick, smooth Oatmeal Stout". "A taste of the Amana Colonies".
O.G 15.5 degrees Plato
F.G. 6.3 Degrees Plato
22 IBU's
48 SRM
6.7% ABV
The fine print :
2 row brewers malt, black, Munich 20L, Carame 80L, Chocolate, flaked oats, roasted barley, white wheat.
Hops - US Magnum, Mt. Hood, Saaz.

About the brewery (the recipient of 18 National and One International Awards). It's about a 5 hour drive from the Twin Cities.

Millstream Brewing Company
835 48th Avenue
PO Box 284
Amana, IA 52203
'PH : (319) 622-3672 FAX : (319) 622-6516
http://www.millstreambrewing.com/


PS I was once at a party, shortly after coming to Minnesota and a guy asked me where I was from. I replied "Northern Ireland" (Norn Iron). He thought I said "Northern Iowa" (WTF?)! After that if anyone asked I just said "Ireland".

"Wee Heavy" Samuel Adams (Boston Beer Company)

This is one of my favourite beers at the moment. I realize it's a little uncool to like a beer from what essentially is a "Macro-Micro-Brewery" from a behometh company like the Boston Beer Company but I prefer to let my taste buds judge for themselves and they like this beer. A lot. My view on Sam Adam's is that if it wasn't for the likes of them or Sierra Nevada or closer to home, Summit Brewing, I'd still be drinking Carling Black Label or even worse, Pig's Eye! Hats off to them for starting the brewing revolution that has turned what was a bleak beer landscape when I first came to the States into the most invigorating craft beer scene in the world.

Sam Adam's "Wee Heavy"

About the beer:

This is the fourth offering by Sam Adam's in their Imperial Series, comes in a 4 pack of 12oz bottles, that retails for anywhere from $7.99-$9.99. I picked mine up at Blue Max Liquors in Burnsville for the bargain price of $7.99, on sale. Other beers in the series include an Imperial White, Stout and Double Bock. From the label :

"Inspired by the traditional Scotch ales, has a deep, intense flavor from it's dark rasted malts. The addition of peat smoked malt adds a unique flavor of the Highlands to this complex brew".

Tasting notes:

Poured into a Jolly Pumpkin goblet.(Apparently it is recommended to use a "thistle" glass when pouring Scotch Ales or  a Wee Heavy but I have no idea what that is)*.
Black with a thin tan collar. Faint whiff of sour fruit. Thick and decadent, toasty with hints of caramel and chocolate and perhaps raison. Slight peaty taste but not oppressive (unlike "Three Feet Deep" by Furthermore" - holy sh*t)! Sweet, with a warming alcohol burn from the substantial 10% ABV. Intense and chewy, a perfect warming beer for a dreary winter day.

Rating:

A-
Perhaps closer in style to a RIS than a wee heavy but who cares? I think this is an excepional beer, despite some of the lower ratings I see other user's have posted on some beer sites, I highly recommend it.

About the style:

A "wee heavy" is a stronger, sweeter version of a Scottish Ale, known as 160/ Shillings in 19th Century Scotland. Sweeter and fuller bodied and higher in alcohol than regular Scotch Ales with a more pronounced malty caramel and roasted malt flavour. Low bitterness.

For beer geeks only :

Flavor: Intense and full bodied with a deep roasted flavor, subtle sweetness, and earthy smokiness from the peat smoked malt.

Color: Deep reddish-walnut, 50 SRM 

Original Gravity: 24.5° Plato

Alcohol by Vol/Wt: 10.0%ABV – 7.7%ABW

Calories/12 oz.: 348
IBUs: 30

Malt Variety: Two-row Harrington, Metcalfe, and Copeland pale malts, Caramel 60, Roasted malt, Peated malt

Hop Variety: Zeus Hops

Yeast Strain: Samuel Adams ale yeast

Availability: Year round

First Brewed: 2011

About the brewery:

http://www.samueladams.com/

30 Germania Street

Boston MA 02130

'PH: 617-522-9080

* Thistle Glass

A somewhat obscure glass, used by the Belgians for scotch ales. It is a footed glass, with a short stem. The glass starts very bulbous, as though it were a snifter, but then the upper half has straight sides that angle outwards. The mouth is basically the same radius at the bulb at the bottom. While it has a funky look to it, it is unsure what benefits it brings to the table otherwise - the funny shape makes drinking almost awkward, while the mouth is not wide enough to provide ample aroma. 

Above info from http://www.ratebeer.com/

 

Sour Apple Saison, Epic Brewing

This is really my first exposure to any Epic Brewing beers (Salt Lake City, Utah) apart from a few samples when they first arrived on the Minnesota beer scene, not enough to make an educated judgement. I was intrigued to try this - I like apple and I like saisons so what if it seems like an unlikely pairing for a beer? Worthy of further exploration, I think.

Poured from a 22oz bomber into a "Blanche De Chambly" glass. Label description : "Sour Apple Saison, Belgian-Style Ale, Malt beverage brewed with natural flavors". Bottle conditioned, this is from the top of the line (and thus most expensive) range that they call the "Exponential Series" (Epic uses a somewhat unique three tier sytem for it's beer releases, "Classic", "Elevated" and "Exponential"). Bottle also proclaims that I am holding something "special" - one of only 1,800 bottle released and numbered. While I couldn't find a number I did find it stamped "Release #3". 8.1% ABV.

Upon pouring I was surprised at how light in colour the beer was - lighter than a pilsener or lager even,  a light straw yellow, with a bright white head, that dies quickly. Cascading bubbles, champange-like, racing from the bottom of the glass. Smell was hard to pinpoint, musty but nothing too discernable. Taste was another thing - a rather unpleasant funky, tartness with a hint of spice (cinnamon, coriander)? Light mouthfeel with a very acidic aftertaste. This was not what I expected. I found it barely drinkable.

Rating : D

Perhaps a bit harsh but I really did not like this beer and found it hard to finish, normally not a problem for me. I've heard great things about their "Brainless on Peaches" in the same series but I'd be wary to try it after this experience.

Upon further research I found that Series #3 of this beer has the following notes on the Epic website :

Sour Apple Saison-Style Ale Release #3

Brewed on October 28, 2010.

This is a gorgeous saison, it has a nice mild sourness with a slight kick of apple and cinnamon.  It has a very dry finish from the classic sainson yeast that gives it a little earthy, pepery and spiciness.  This beer is fantastic for aging in a climate controlled temperature.

The Malts

Weyermann Pilsner is the base malt on this beer followed by Briess Flaked Oats and Muntons Wheat Malt.

The Hops/Spices

Saaz, Tettnang, ground Ginger, Cardamom, Cinnamon, Cloves, Nutmeg, Anise Seed, Grains of Paradise, and Coriander.

ABV 8.0% (my bottle said 8.1%ABV)

More info :
Epic Brewing Company
825 S. State Street
Salt Lake City, UT 84111
'PH: 801-906-0123

http://www.epicbrewing.com/

Lagunitas Bavarian Style Doppel Weizen

The latest limited seasonal release from Lagunitas (Petaluma, CA) is described as "our own Bavarian Style Doppel Weizen". Having read an on-line review that likened the taste to ham (WTF)?! I simply had to try it.




This is the first time Lagunitas have offered, essentially what is, a double hefeweizen and it's inspired by the German builders of their new brewery system (Rolec) who supplied the Bavarian yeast strain.

Poured from a 24oz bomber into (very appropriately) an Aventinus Weizenstarkbier .5L chalice. I'm not sure the picture does justice to the thick, fluffy, pillowy white cone-shaped head - awesome - and definitely on par with some of the German weissbiers I've had. Off to a great start then, now on to the colour - orangey (is that a word?), copper, hazy. Delicious looking.

Taste - to be honest I was expecting the signature Lagunitas citrusy hoppy taste on my palate but instead I got cloves and hints of banana and citrus. Sorry - no ham! I think an appropriate description of this beer would be a hefe on steriods, at 9% ABV this packs a punch that you can really feel by the time the glass is drained. Maybe a little strange to be drinking this in the first week of October but given our Indian Summer in MN this year didn't seem out of place on a glorious sunny Sunday watching football (newflash - Vikings lost)!

Rating : B/B+

Another solid offering from one of my favourite breweries. As always delivering bang for the buck, well worth the $4.99 or so you'll pay at your local store. Prost!

Grand Cru, Rodenbach

This is a style of beer known as Flanders Red Ale, so called because it originated in the West Flanders region of Belgium. Very complex, these beers are typically sour and tart because they are traditionally blended and aged in casks using special yeast strains.

Poured from a 750ml corked bottle into a Konings Hoeven trappist ale goblet first surprise is the beer is not red in colour, but brown. Flavour and aromas insanely broad in spectrum - vinegar, plum, rason, sour cherries, oaky, woody, tannic, fruity but not overly tart. Incredibly balanced, I found Grand Cru less mouth-puckeringly tart than some sours I've tried (thinking "La Folie" by New Belgium here) and not as sweet-and-sour tasting as "Duchesse De Bourgogne". Easily the best sour beer I've tasted (admittedly I'm a bit of a novice in the style, been dabbling in sours for about a year and probably have tried a half dozen). For such a great beer I'm surprised at how affordable this is (about $8.99 retail) I would bet this would be awesome cellared. Refreshing and a relative low ABV of 6% makes this a very quaffable beer. World class.

Rating : A+

More about this beer from the brewery:  http://www.rodenbach.be/

RODENBACH Grand Cru consists of one-third young beer and two-thirds oak-matured beer for two years. The result is a complex beer with a great deal of wood and esters, vinous and with a very long aftertaste, just like a vintage wine.

RODENBACH Grand Cru undergoes two stages of fermentation before it acquires its sweet-sour flavour.

The first stage of fermentation is unique because top-fermentation yeasts cohabit with lactic flora: so-called mixed fermentation.

RODENBACH Grand Cru only acquires its fruity bouquet, which is unmatched by any other beer, after maturation in oak casks.

The oak casks are crucial to the process. Each cask is made by the brewery's cooper using exactly the same method employed since 1821. Only the nicest wood without knots or gnarls is used. No nails or screws are used. To make the barrel watertight (or should that be beer-tight), the cooper stuffs reeds in-between the staves. Only the riveted iron cask rings hold the cask together.

A brief history of the brewery:

Originally founded in 1820 by Alexander Rodenbach who bought a small brewery in the canalside town of Roeselare, Belgium. It was not until another relative, Eugene, visited England in the 1870's to study brewery techniques that the brewery adopted the stale, sour styles that would make them famous....

He travelled to southern England, where he trained for a time in industry and gained in-depth knowledge of the London Porter style of beer: intentional acidification with maturation in wooden casks. He refined the "vinification" process in oak vats ("foeders") in order to enhance the quality of the acidified beer. So, he was the founder of the current RODENBACH brewery.
He died at the age of 39 with no male heirs.

Fast forward to 1999 when the family sold the brewery to Belgium brewing conglomerate Palm Breweries but happily they seem intent on preserving the great history (and taste) of Rodenbach. Apparently it is still brewed in the original oak vats in Roeselare but bottled at Palm.

http://www.palm.be/

P.S.

I've become enamoured with sour beers and I'm gratified that it's a style that seems to be catching on with more beer lovers .Every week sees more customers ask for a sour beer recommendation at the store where I work. I think part of it may be directly linked with the new "Muddy Waters Bar and Eatery" http://www.muddywatersmpls.com/ that recently opened around the corner on Lyndale and 29th, I've had several customers say they have had a sour beer on tap at MW and are looking to buy it. Checking the tap list that beer appears to be none other that Rodenbach Grand Cru.

"Grand Cru" - a term given to the finest beer of a brewery, one thought to typify the house style. Often used by Belgian brewers (Roger Protz, "300 Beers to try before you die").

Creme Brulee Imperial Stout, Southern Tier

Part of Southern Tier's "Blackwater" Series of Imperial beers this is a special treat. First thing that hits you when you crack open the 22oz bomber is the aroma - it smells amazing! Just like the delicious burnt custard dessert it is named for (who knew that it had such a contentious history by the way - read the bottle yourself for more details on this) it smells just like creme brulee.

The pour is not as impressive, a rather ho-hum routine black body with a light tan head and not much in the way of carbonization or lacing. The taste however is a revelation - roasty caramel, vanilla, butterscotch with a sugary sweetess. Not for the lactose intolerant! This dessert beer is a definite sipper that should be shared and enjoyed in moderation as it gets a little sickening. I will admit it seems a little out of place drinking this in the middle of August, this seems more appropriate for a crisp Autumn evening, which is why I bought an extra bottle to cellar. I suggest you do the same! This is an absolutely unique beer that deserves your attention. Best enjoyed in a snifter at 42F, 9.6%ABV.

More info from the brewery :

PLEASE NOTE: This is a Milk Stout. Lactose sugar is added and is present in the product.
We are not the harbingers of truth as some may suggest but it may indeed be argued that our brewing philosophy is tantamount to a dessert with a bellicose past. How, you may ask, would a brewery determine a likeness to hard-coated custard? Our response is simple; it’s all in the power of history, and of course, the extra finesse needed to top off a contentious treat with definition.
By comprehending the labyrinthine movement of time, one would not think it strange to trace the errant path of an ordinary object such as a cream dessert only to discover that it has been the cause of cultural disputes since the middle ages. The British founders of burnt cream and from Spain, crema catalana, both stand by their creative originality and we respect that, but it was the French Crème Brûlée, amid the strife of contention, that survived to represent our deliciously creamy brew.
9.6% abv • 195º L • 25º plato • 22 oz / 1/6 keg
2-row pale malt / dark caramel malt / vanilla bean / lactose sugar / kettle hops: columbus / aroma hops: horizon
Rating: B (to be re-visited)

I must admit I didn't enjoy this beer as much as I remembered, last year I was blown away by it. Not sure if it's because it's just too early (mid-August) to be drinking such an exotic brew or if it just needs to sit awhile. I'll have to see what I think when I crack open another bomber in a couple months. One thing for sure it does not match the velvety luxurious richness of "Choklat", which I enjoyed more. Incidentally, is it just me that thinks it's ridiculous to already see Octoberfest and Fall seasonal releases already on the beer shelves before summer is even over? Seems like it gets earlier every year. As much as I like a decent marzen I can't bring myself to have one until at least September.

Useless information alert :

Creme Brulee is also know as Burnt Cream, Crema Catalana or Trinity Dessert and is a dessert consisting of a rich custard base topped with a contrasting layer of hard caramel, usually served cold. The earliest know reference to the term creme brulee was in a cookbook dated 1691 by French chef Francois Massialot.

So their you have it....(thanks Wikipedia).

Lagunitas Little Sumpin' Wild Ale

"Another big sister of the little sumpin' sumpin' ale. Loads of malted wheat for a curious malt foundation and a light colour, but our Belgian yeast leaves a huge flavour and complexiness".

Classified as a Belgian Pale Ale, this has all the hallmarks of a Lagunitas beer - piney, citrus, grapefruity hops. Don't be fooled by the light golden yellow pour, this is a big beer, with a 9.4% ABV to match. Brewed with a Belgian yeast strain (Westmalle) that imparts a spicy, orange and a hint of honey, has a subtle dry finish. With 72 IBU's I'd be more inclined to call this a double IPA or a Belgian IPA but whatever you want to label it it is undeniably delicious. I've rarely been disappointed with Lagunitas' seasonals (Brown Shugga, Hairy Eyeball, Undercover Shutdown Ale are all favourites) and it's true that using a blindfold you could identify the trademark Lagunitas taste but so what? It's all good.

I'm an admirer of any brewery that gives value for money (Sierra Nevada immediately springs to mind) and Lagunitas always does - $9.99 or so a sixer is a steal for this delectable brew.

Little Sumpin' Wild Ale 9.4%ABV 72.51 IBU's Original Gravity (OG) 1.082

Rating : A-

Footnote :

I had the good fortune to meet Karen Hamilton (Midwest Regional Vice Manager) just as I had decided to feature Lil' Sumpin" Wild as my pick of the week at the store I work at it this past week. What a great lady! She told me that her brother actually owned the brewery and they purposely strived to brew beers that offered affordability as well as having the same distinctive Lagunitas trademark taste. They want people to detect that it's a Lagunitas brew. To her credit she also said that many bars had told them they could command "Hopslam-esque" prices for their "Hop Stoopid" beer (retails for about $4.99 for a 22oz bomber) but they don't care, they want to remain affordable and approachable. Not that I need any incentive to drink Lagunitas but that refreshing approach just makes it taste that little bit better!

"Beer Speaks, People Mumble".

More info :

http://www.lagunitas.com/

Address : 1280 North McDowell Boulevard, Petaluma CA 94954
Ph: 707-769-4495