Zombie Dust

Zombie Dust, Three Floyds Brewing Company, Munster, IN
(American Pale Ale, Rated 100)

The first time I had Zombie Dust, it was when one of the brewers from Three Floyds came to one of my favorite Milwaukee bars, Sugar Maple, for a tasting. This is my first time having this beauty from the bottle. A hazy, golden, orange pour with an aroma that is all hops. Spicy citrus and pine though the nose. Taste is very hop forward. Grapefruit, orange peel, resin with a subtly-sweet, malt finish. Smooth mouthfeel and fantastically well balanced. One of the best American Pale Ale's I have had and from one of my favorite breweries!

Global Warmer

Global Warmer, Sixpoint Brewery, Brooklyn, NY
(Imperial/Double Red Ale, Rated 94)

Another fantastic beer from Sixpoint! This one pours a hazy amber color with a creamy white head. Huge hop aromas of pine and citrus with a bit of sweet malt. The hop flavor explodes in your mouth. Pine, citrus, and a malty finish. Has an earthy quality and nice carbonation. The bitterness lasts.Easy drinker for sure. Delicious!

Old Foghorn Ale

Old Foghorn Ale, Anchor Brewing Company, San Francisco, CA
(Barley wine, Rated 99)

Barley wines are one of my favorite styles of beer. I mentioned Old Foghorn in my themed-blog post 12 Barley Wines back in February 2013. I don't think I could find it at the time I wrote that. Said to be the first barley wine brewed in the United States, this is a great beer. Pours a nice, burgundy-brown color with little head. The aroma and the taste is boozy, as are most barley wines. Aromas of dark fruits, caramel, and malts. Smooth mouthfeel. Dark fruit sweetness up front followed by a subtle malty bitterness. A nice warm, boozy finish.

4 Elf Winter Warmer Ale

4 Elf Winter Warmer Ale, Dark Horse Brewing Company, Marshall, MI
(Spice/Herb/Vegetable, Rated 94)

With Christmas fast approaching and temperatures in the singe digits here in Wisconsin, it's a perfect time for Winter seasonals. Like pumpkin and Fall beers, Winter seasonals are brewed with rich malty flavors, spices, and usually enough alcohol to warm you up. This spice/herb/vegetable ale pours a hazy, dark, burgundy with no head and no lacing. Aroma is full of spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and cocoa. Those same spices come through in the taste along with dark fruit and roasted malts. Creamy and smooth with a subtle finish. Cheers!

St. Thomas Belgian Abbey

St. Thomas Belgian Abbey, Potosi Brewing Company, Potosi, WI
(Abbey Dubbel)

Potosi is one of my favorite breweries in Wisconsin. They make some great beer and the two and a half hour drive to the brewery is well worth the trip. This abbey dubbel pours a dark ruby-brown with a thin head. In true Belgian-style, the aroma is sweet, dark fruit, and a little yeasty. Taste is malty, caramel sweetness, dark fruit..raisin, plum...and that traditional banana brought by the Belgian yeast. At 7.5% abv, this is no slouch. Not the best abbey dubbel I've had, but a pleasant drinker.

Narwhal Imperial Stout

Narwhal Imperial Stout, Sierra Nevada Brewing Company, Chico, CA
(Imperial Stout, Rated 99)

Opaque black pour with nice lace for this imperial stout. Aroma packed with licorice, dark roasted malts, with some molasses and chocolate. Taste is heavy on the roasted malts and dark chocolate. Sweet licorice. Roasted coffee. Finishes with a slight bitterness, a bit of an alcohol burn (10.2% abv), and lingering chocolate.

Autumn Maple

Autumn Maple, The Bruery, Placentia, CA
(Spice/Herb/Vegetable, Rated 93)

This was my dessert from Thanksgiving. This Belgian-style, Fall seasonal from The Bruery pours a nice reddish brown with a nice, but quickly dissipating head. The aroma is full of spice, sweet yams, and malts. The taste is a complex mix of pumpkin spices, sweet yams, molasses, with a slightly sour finish. The balance between sweet and sour is very nice. A great choice for the holiday.

Warlock

Warlock, Southern Tier Brewing Company, Lakewood, NY
(Imperial Stout, Rated 98)

Warlock is an imperial stout brewed with pumpkins. Pours black with a nice frothy head. Aroma is amazing blend of pumpkin, spices, buttery sweetness, with some roasted malt and vanilla notes. Nutty and aromatic. Taste is a great combination of pumpkin pie and roasted chocolaty malts with spices and a dry finish. Great beer! I might prefer this to Southern Tier's Pumking.

Bad Axe Imperial IPA

Bad Axe Imperial IPA, Big Wood Brewery, White Bear Lake, MN
(Imperial/Double IPA, Rated 91)

Nice orange pour with a white head that dissipates rather quickly. Really great hop aromas of pine, mostly citrus, sweet orange, and spices. Taste is sweet caramel malts up front followed by citrus and floral hop notes. Nice hop bitter finish. Well balanced and even at 10% abv, it hides the alcohol well.

Morning Wood Coffee Stout

Morning Wood Coffee Stout, Big Wood Brewery, White Bear Lake, MN 

Chocolate brown pour with a thick tan head. Aroma has burnt malt and a bit of coffee. Taste is dry roasted malts, coffee, and a touch of chocolate. Has an earthy, dry finish with the coffee flavor lingering. An easy drinker.

Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Stout

Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Stout, Lexington Brewing Company, Lexington, KY
(Imperial Stout)

This barrel aged stout pours black with very little head. Aroma has coffee, malts, chocolate, and a little black licorice sweetness. Taste is sweet, coffee, with a little vanilla. Very disappointing. No sign of the bourbon. Very light bodied. Bland finish.

Fall Hornin' Pumpkin Ale

Fall Hornin' Pumpkin Ale, Anderson Valley Brewing Company, Boonville, CA

This Fall season pours a deep copper, brown with a thick off-white head. Aroma is strong with pumpkin spices. cloves, nutmeg. cinnamon, and caramel. Taste is not as strong as the aroma. Definitely more subtle and smooth. Pumpkin spices and sweet malts come through. A nice creamy mouthfeel. A good pumpkin ale.

Bark Bite IPA

Bark Bite IPA, Big Wood Brewery, White Bear Lake, MN
(IPA)

Golden pour with a white head. Piney, resin aroma with citrus hops. Tastes of sticky pine, some grapefruit, malts, and an earthy quality. Finishes a touch on the bitter side, but at least finishes with flavor. An average india pale ale.

Jack Pine Savage

Jack Pine Savage, Big Wood Brewery, White Bear Lake, MN
(American Pale Ale)

On day one of the 2013 MLB World Series, I've decided to go with a new brewery for me, Big Wood Brewery, in hopes the Boston Red Sox bats awaken tonight. This american pale ale pours a light golden color with a foamy, white head. Aroma is earthy and pine, but not overpowering. Taste is tangy, light hops, with a little bit of sweet malts but a watery, bland finish.

Lakefront My Turn #005 - Chris - Maple Vanilla Doppelbock Lager

Lakefront My Turn #5 - Chris - Maple Vanilla Doppelbock Lager, Lakefront Brewery, Milwaukee, WI

Lakefront's My Turn Series showcases one-off beers brewed by each of its brewers. Chris' doppelbock pours a clear, brown with a foamy, tan head. Sweet aromas of maple, vanilla, and malts. Taste is a pretty great mixture of sweetness with vanilla, caramel, and hints of maple. Full bodies and creamy.

Alaskan Pilot Series: Pumpkin Porter

Alaskan Pilot Series: Pumpkin Porter, Alaskan Brewing Company, Juneau, AK
(Spice/Herb/Vegetable)

I haven't had many pumpkin beers yet this year. This one pours pitch black with an off-white head. Great spicy, pumpkin aroma with vanilla. Tastes of pumpkin, spices, roasted malts, and brown sugar sweetness. Modest and subtle, but full of flavor. Great pumpkin beer!

24 American Microbreweries Every Beer Lover Should Know

24 American Microbreweries Every Beer Lover Should Know

There's a few of these microbreweries that I'm quite familiar with. In fact, Three Floyds Brewing (Munster, IN), Tallgrass Brewing Company (Manhattan, KS), and Sixpoint Brewery (Brooklyn, NY) are three of my favorites. I'll be on the lookout for the others. Excuse me...I have work to do.

Czar Brew Bourbon Barrel Imperial Stout

Czar Brew Bourbon Barrel Imperial Stout

Jet black pour with a thin, dark chocolate head. Aroma of molasses, roasted malts, and bourbon. Taste has some chocolate, coffee, sweetness from the dark fruit, and then a dark roasted malty bitter finish. Bourbon is fairly prominent. Only 9% abv. Not the best bourbon barrel aged stout I've had.

Plum Noir (Blackwater Series)

Plum Noir, Southern Tier Brewing Company, Lakewood, NY
(Imperial/Strong Porter, Rated 94)

Black pour with a small tan head. Sweet, roasted malt aroma with just a hint of the plums. Similar roasted malt flavor with coffee and a faint boozy bitterness at the finish. The plums are very subtle. Not a bad beer, but the plums weren't as prominent as I'd hoped. I also expected this to be a bit stronger for an imperial porter.

Brewers Reserve Bourbon Barrel Scotch Ale

Brewers Reserve Bourbon Barrel Scotch Ale, Central Waters Brewing Company, Amherst, WI
(Scotch Ale, Rated 97)

This amazing offering, from one of the nation's leading barrel-aging breweries, pours a nice dark brown with a thin offwhite head. Aroma is sweet, caramel, malty, and bourbon. Tastes of sweet dark fruit and malts. The bourbon flavor lingers throughout the taste and warms the throat. My love for scotch ales is a little new and this bourbon barrel-aged scotch is outstanding!

Redband Stout

Redband Stout, Great River Brewery, Davenport, IA
(Stout, Rated 96)

A worker at the liquor store recommended this one. Pours a very dark brown. Aroma is dominant with coffee. Taste is mostly coffee with a hint of vanilla sweetness and malts. Very smooth and light for a coffee stout, but the coffee flavor lingers. Commercial description says this one is made with Indonesian and Ethiopian coffee beans. Probably a great introductory beer for coffee lovers.

Top 10 Reasons to Drink Craft Beer

Top 10 Reasons to Drink Craft Beer

Silver & Gold IPL

Silver & Gold IPL, Great Lakes Brewing Company, Cleveland, OH
(Strong Pale Lager/Imperial Pils, Rated 90)

A fantastic beer celebrating Great Lakes Brewing Company's 25th Anniversary, this india-style pale lager pours a nice golden, copper color. Aroma is hoppy, resin, pine, and spicy. Taste is light at the start but then a nice hop-malt balance. Lots of citrus hop and resin. A slight booziness (7.5%) to it. Dry finish. I've had only a few strong pale lagers and this one rates near the top. Excellent beer!

Black Hatter

Black Hatter, New Holland Brewing Company, Holland, MI

Really dark black pour with an extremely large, fizzy, head. Can smell the coffee and dark malts in the aroma. Light hop start with a roasted finish. I felt the flavor got a little lost in the carbonation. Too much fizz for my liking. Finish was a bit bland. I don't like it when my expectations exceed my reality. I've had better black IPA.

20th Anniversary Strong Ale

20th Anniversary Strong Ale, New Glarus Brewing Company, New Glarus, WI
(Abbey Dubbel, Rated 97)

It was a pleasure to pour this into my glass! Pours a nice dark brown with a thick, foamy head. Aromas are rich and sweet with dark fruit, toffee, roasted malts, and a little spice. Flavor has the same dark fruit sweetness with a boozy overtone. Nice and spicy. Delicious!

Happy 20th Anniversary New Glarus!  I am both very grateful to live in the only state that you distribute and saddened that my friends from outside Wisconsin cannot enjoy your beer! Guess they'll just have to visit! Cheers to 20 more!

Horn Dog Barley Wine

Horn Dog Barley Wine, Flying Dog Brewery, Frederick, MD
(Barley Wine, Rated 93)

Definitely one of my most favorite styles of beer. Ruby-brown pour. Aroma has raisin, dark fruits, sweet licorice and malts. Taste is sweet with big malt flavors and light bitterness. The 10.2% abv leaves a nice alcohol burn at the finish. Really great beer!

5 Handy Uses for Beer (That Don’t Involve Drinking)

5 Handy Uses for Beer (That Don’t Involve Drinking)

Envy

Envy, St. Francis Brewing Company, St. Francis, WI

Orange-amber pour. Aroma is of citrus and sweet malt. Flavors of citrus malts with toasted malts. Little caramel in there. Finishes on the bitter side. A nice IPA.

Lust

Lust, St. Francis Brewing Company, St. Francis, WI

Hazy yellow pour with a nice frothy white head. Aroma is grassy and fruity. Flavors of banana and cloves that you expect from a weiss and followed by an earthy, grassy finish.

Wrath

Wrath, St. Francis Brewing Company, St. Francis, WI

Also known as Archbishop Amber Ale, this one pours amber. Mild aroma with roasted malts and some caramel. Not a lot of flavor, but you can make out the malts and caramel.

Black Rose Ale

Black Rose Ale, Grays Brewing Company, Janesville, WI

This black ale pours, well, black, with a thin brown head. Aromas of roasted malts. Roasted malts come out in the taste, along with some subtle sweetness. Not very flavorful.

Really Cool Waterslides IPA

Really Cool Waterslides IPA, 3 Sheeps Brewing Company, Sheboygan, WI 

Orange-amber pour. Aroma is pine, citrus, and a sweet caramel hint. Taste starts sweet followed by  nicely bitter hop tone. Resiny and citrus. Has a mellow finish.

Rogue Farms OREgasmic Ale

Rogue Farms OREgasmic Ale, Rogue Ales, Newport, OR
(American Pale Ale, Rated 92)

Nice orange-amber pour with a thick foamy head. Sweet malty aroma. Taste starts with little hop spice followed by malty sweetness. Great balance of the sweet malts and the bitterness from the citrus. Smooth finish that's a bit fruity. I felt it hid the 7% abv well. Excellent beer!!

Hell

Hell, Surly Brewing Company, Brooklyn Center, MN 

This offering from Surly pours a clear, straw-yellow color with a small white head. Mild aromas of grain and yeast. Has a bread-like flavor that is earthy and mild. Though not a favorite style of mine, this is a refreshingly, easy drinker.

Furious

Furious, Surly Brewing Company, Brooklyn Center, MN
(IPA, Rated 100)

Dark copper in color. Piney, grapefruit, and sweet aroma. Taste is citrus, pine, some caramel, and a malt finish. Excellent hop-to-malt balance. Extremely smooth and refreshingly fruity. Delicious! Outstanding IPA!

Coffee Bender

Coffee Bender, Surly Brewing Company, Brooklyn Center, MN
(Brown Ale, Rated 98)

How do you make Surly's Bender better?  You add in a cold-press coffee-brewing process. Dark brown pour. Immense aromas of black coffee with light notes of caramel, chocolate, and roasted malt. Mostly coffee though. Taste brings the same strong, cold, black coffee. Full mouth-feel. Starts sweet then a tad bitter. Smooth finish. Another easy drinker. Coffee lovers need to try this one.

Bender

Bender, Surly Brewing Company, Brooklyn Center, MN
(Brown Ale, Rated 97)

Nice dark brown pour for this brown ale. Aromas of chocolate, coffee, and nuttiness. Smooth mouthfeel. Coffee, chocolate, and oatmeal come through in the taste. Starts off sweet and finishes a little on the bitter side. A really solid brown ale.

Ethos IPA

Ethos IPA, Tallgrass Brewing Company, Manhattan, KS
(IPA, Rated 95)

Pours a hazy orange with a white foamy head. Nice, citrus and pine aroma through the nose with a little sweet mango. Taste is strong with the hops...an abundance of hops. Citrus, resin, an earthy quality, with pine towards the finish. Juicy and delicious! This is a great IPA!!

Woody Creek White

Woody Creek White, Flying Dog Brewery, Frederick, MD
(Belgian White (Witbier))

Pale gold pour with a thin head. Nose of yeast, lemon, and spice which come through in the taste. Little banana in there too. Light mouth-feel. Earthy. A great Summer drinker.

Stag Series #7 - Barleywine

Stag Series #7 - Barleywine, August Schell Brewing Company, New Ulm, MN

Clear copper-colored pour. Aromas of caramel, toffee, and orange. Intense malts with some sweet caramel and a mildly bitter finish. Not as boozy even with 9.5% abv. As a fan of the barley wine style, I have definitely had better.

Beer You're in the Clear...Health Benefits of Beer

Beer You�re in the Clear infographic by belancio.

Hopdinger Pale Ale

Hopdinger Pale Ale, Oso Brewing Company, Plover, WI

A hazy golden pour with a small white head. Aroma is predominantly citrus, grapefruit, and light pine. Mildly bitter taste with citrus hop flavors. Very mild pale ale.

Beer Snob Tour 2.0

It finally happened. After last year's successful Inaugural Beer Snob Tour, we finally went on Beer Snob Tour 2.0. Not completely sure it should have been called 2.0 though. There have been one, two, or even three smaller brewery tours since the inaugural in April 2012. I know I mentioned that a trip to Chicago or Indiana might be in the works, but this time we decided to venture North. The original plan was to tour three breweries: Stevens Point Brewery (Stevens Point, WI), Oso Brewing Company (Plover, WI), and Central Waters Brewing Company (Amherst, WI).  That wasn't to be though as Stevens Point Brewery was going through some renovations. Alas, a great day of fun, friends, and beer.

First stop on this tour was Oso Brewing Company in Plover, WI. A little longer drive this time as it was just over 2 hours to get to Plover, WI. Never having been to Plover, we didn't know what to expect. Surprise we were to find that Oso was in a strip mall. Who would have thought that one. They occupied two spaces. On one side was their tap room and on the other was the brewery. The brewery was a small facility, producing about 5000 barrels per year. Tour guide said they hoped to do about 7500 barrels. In case you were wondering, a barrel of beer is about 50 gallons, not to be confused with the typical, consumer-purchased half- (15.5 gallons) or quarter- (7.75 gallons) barrels. A fairly quick, 30-40 minute tour of the brewery, and then it was on to to tap room to sample the goods. Beers sampled: The Big O (Farmhouse Ale), Hopdinger (American Pake Ale), Hopwhoopin' (IPA), Memory Lane (Pilsener), Night Train (Oatmeal Porter), Rusty Red (Amber Ale), Doe in Heat (Golden Ale/Blonde Ale), Imperial Black Scotch Ale (Scotch Ale), Imperial Potato Maibock (Heller Bock), and Lupulin Maximus (Imperial/Double IPA).  

   

A job for small people

The Tap Room

Barrel aging

The Sampler

One interesting fact...Oso Brewing Company got their start from repurposed dairy used equipment and equipment from Central Waters Brewing Company...our next, and last, stop on this tour.

Central Waters has quickly become one of my favorite breweries.  After sampling nearly a thousand beers from all over, it's way too difficult to choose a favorite beer. There are so many great beers out there. Many times what beer I drink is dependent on the time of year or my mood. Each should be enjoyed differently. But what I have come to experience is that there are some breweries who take such pride and perfection in what they do, that there isn't a beer they produce that I don't love. Central Waters is one of those breweries to me. 

Central Waters was founded in 1998 in the owner's dorm room. The story is that the initial attempts at brewing beer were so bad he didn't even drink them. Obviously they got the hang of it and soon enough were brewing beer out of an old Ford dealership. The original two owners were Paul Graham and Clint Schultz and were soon joined by Anello Mollica. I actually had the opportunity to meet Anello in October 2012 at Sugar Maple (one of my favorite Milwaukee bars) and listen to him tell us all about the beer they make as well as other stories about brewing. Central Waters is well-known for their bourbon barrel aged beer. In fact, they have become one of the largest, if not the largest, barrel aging brewery in the U.S. In October, Anello said they planned on using 12 thousand barrels in 2013. Yeah for us! During the Sugar Maple beer session as well as Milwaukee Beer Week this year, I had the rare opportunity to sample a few of their very special beers...Exodus (a sour ale brewed with cherries) and Fifteen (an imperial stout brewed especially for their 15th anniversary). 

Back to the tour... Well, they only have one tour on Saturdays (5pm) and we missed it. Let's face it though, if you've been on one tour, you know how they make the beer. It's all about the presentation at that point. 

The sample, from left to right (as you are looking at the picture), was: Bourbon Barrel La Petite Mort (Belgian Strong Ale), Brewhouse Coffee Stout (Stout), Belgian Blonde (Belgian Strong Ale), White IPA (IPA), Illumination Double IPA (Imperial/Double IPA), and Rye Barrel Aged Stout (Imperial Stout).

View more pictures here.

A great day it was. Already thinking about Beer Snob 3.0. Though Chicago and Indiana are still on my mine, there are nearly 90 breweries in Wisconsin alone. Of course, Chicago or Indiana are shorter drives than most Wisconsin breweries. Next trip might be to Madison.  Guess you'll have to wait and see.

Until next time...Cheers!