New Summer Craft Beer

It's been a damn sweaty summer. Thank God there's been good beer to match. I haven't been terribly excited about summer seasonal beers in years past, but craft brewers are finally coming around to building interesting, complex blond ales and wheat beers that are more than sweetish crowd pleasers.

Schmetterling Gose
Local Option
Gose | 4.50% ABV

4.05/5
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Had a snifter at Brouwerij Lane in Greenpoint Brooklyn. Ah, so fresh, so refreshing. The aroma was a sharp mix of sour rose and berries with a big hit of fresh-baked bread. The toasty malt steps back a bit in the flavor and a mix of salty spices (with coriander) comes with with the pleasantly sour (gentler than a lambic) earthy fruit (almost like fruit skin) through the finish. I don't get a big salty taste or feeling, so I'd say it's well balanced. The body is on the lighter side, as I said, very refreshing. Check this beer out if you can. Easily the best gose I've had.


Somersault
New Belgium Brewing
American Blonde Ale | 5.20% ABV

3.88/5
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Picked up a six-pack while in OBX, seemed like a good beach beer. It was. Instead of the clean, bland blond ales you usually meet in the summer, this had a lovely mix of mild citrus hops and grapefruit sourness (not bitterness) that adds an extra-refreshing edge. The aroma has a mix of freshly toasted bread/malt and light apricot fruit. Overall, a great take on the style. I'm glad to see brewers finally figuring out how to make a fun and satisfying blond ale.


Summer Ale
Summit Brewing Company
Kölsch | 4.90% ABV

4.05/5
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Mmm. Reminds me a bit of Summit's Kolsch from a couple summers back. The slight earthy mineral note is subdued, but there's still a wonderfully subtle character of bready malts, mellow citrus hops, and light fruit esters. Complex, yet drinkable, what a fine beer. It opens with fresh-baked bread and finishes with a dry grassy bitterness. I'll have another.


Apollo
Sixpoint
Kristalweizen | 5.20% ABV

4.05/5
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Enjoyed a 16 oz can of Apollo, stamped best by Sept 2012. Is this really a kristalweizen? There's no sediment in the can, but the beer is a hazy amber. Either way, it's a fine wheat beer that reminds me of Weihenstephaner's hefe for the subtle, but rich, spicy clove yeast character. Slightly fruity (banana and orange) bread balance the phenols. The carbonation is a little lighter here, but instead of feeling heavier, it smooths the beer out. Great beer, best wheat beer in a can, maybe.

Best Craft Beers of 2011

2011, a fine year for beer indeed. My top picks came from a mix of collaborations, veteren craft brewers, younger, old styles, and new. Most notable was Summit's Black Ale, which is the best I've tried in the emerging Black Ale/Black IPA/Cascadian Dark Ale style. Unfortunately, it's a one-off by the St. Paul brewers, but at least I got another six-pack from my loving family for Christmas.

Summit Black Ale
Summit Brewing Company
American Black Ale | 6.50% ABV

4.47/5
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A little research shows this is the same brewer that made up the very very tasty India Rye Ale last year. This beer does what many dark ales fail, or at least fail to master, the balancing the lighter upfront hoppy notes with the rich dark malts. This beer smells like fresh grapefruit and citrus fruit sitting on top of toasty cocoa barley. Yum. The flavor follows up with a bigger malt kick and hint of wheat and caramel sneaking in as the pine and orange peel build on the chocolate malt throughout the finish. This is one of the best black IPAs I've had, right up with, maybe above, Deschutes' Hop in the Dark.


Biere De L'Amitie
Brasserie St. Feuillien
Belgian Strong Pale Ale | 9.50% ABV

4.38/5
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Served in a Duvel tulip, it was a hazy gold with a tall white head. There was a big grassy aroma that reminded me of Saison Dupont. After that big herbal hops hit, it immediately mellowed into a fruity yeast spice with fresh pale barley. It's a damn delicious mix and I wish I could find more of this beer. It's light on your tongue, really too drinkable for the alcohol, and holds a great complex mix of Belgian flavors.


Red Poppy Ale
The Lost Abbey
Flanders Red Ale | 5.50% ABV

4.38/5
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I'm not always a fan of the Flanders sours, but this tones down the creamy sweetness of a Duchess into a mellow cherry and strawberry character over biting citrus and sour tang. I'm most impressed by the balance of the different flavors, rolling from one to the other instead of just covering each other up. Find this beer.


(512) Pecan Porter
(512) Brewing Company
American Porter | 6.80% ABV

4.33/5
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Upfront I got a blast of sweetened coffee with chocolate liqueur and caramel underneath. It was both satisfying to have after dinner, but didn't fill me up. After the Live Oak Hefe, this is the next must-try beer in Austin.


32/50
COAST Brewing Company
Kölsch | 4.80% ABV

4.33/5
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

It poured a hazy yellow with a tall white head. Wow, this has every nuanced flavor you'd expect from a kolsch, but dialed to 11. I'm not saying this is over the top, or too rich, or even unbalanced. It's like the brewery has just found a better way to make a kolsch, one that surpasses any German original I've tried.

Anyways, the beer opens with a light sulfur and mineral-rich water in the aroma and flavor.That's quickly followed up by dry, toasty grains and a light touch of a caramel and honey. A mild hit of earthy hops kicks in with a little lemon citrus, but then the beer returns to the clean, place barley.

Before I know it, I've nearly finished off the bomber. This is a hell of a session beer, but also something you could slowly sip and pick apart. Hell of a beer.


Malheur 12
Brouwerij De Landtsheer NV
Quadrupel (Quad) | 12.00% ABV

4.33/5
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Served in a stemmed Malheur glass, it appeared a hazy red with a short tan head. While this beer was a bit of a sipper, I was impressed by how smooth it was for the strength and that it was relatively drinkable compared to other 12% beers. The flavor was dominated by sweet vanilla and plum, with berry fruits and typical subtle Belgian spicing in the background. The hops were there mostly for balance and contributed little to the taste. Heck of a quad, one of the best I've had.

Drinking Minnesota

Yes, family and friends are the best part of coming home for the holidays, but diving into the local beer scene also ranks pretty highly. With nearly a dozen local breweries or brewpubs and countless good beer bars, a new local pint is never hard to find.

Here are a few highlights of my visit and beers to watch out for if you ever find yourself in Minneapolis/St. Paul.

Festivus 2009
Minneapolis Town Hall Brewery
American Stout | 5.80% ABV

A- / 4.25
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | drink: 4.5

I ordered a pint at the bar and it appeared pitch black with a short tan head. This beer seems simple, but it's damn good. Upfront, there's a big and tasty coffee character followed by an amazing milk chocolate taste. These make for the best mocha beer I think I've ever had. The chocolate comes off creamy, like a milk stout. Drinkable and delicious, this is a great beer to celebrate the holidays and Festivus.

Summit Extra Pale Ale
Summit Brewing Company
English Pale Ale | 5.30% ABV

B+ / 3.95
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | drink: 4

I see this beer around Minnesota so much, its easy to forget that its a quality brew. It's got a fairly unique (and its hard to find something unique these days) blend of malt sweetness with rich, roasted caramel that's complimented by a balanced bitterness of grassy hops. It's a great session beer and readily available around town. Thank you Summit.


Snowstorm 2009
August Schell Brewing Co., Inc.
Baltic Porter | 5.80% ABV

B / 3.75
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | drink: 4

On-tap at Three Squares in Maple Grove. I'm impressed that Schell's took on the style and didn't just try to make a strong porter like some other American-brewed Baltic's I've tried. This has the sweet light candy, or wine-like, chocolate note under the roasted malts. My only complaint is that the middle sweetness turns to more of an old-shoe note (like oxidation) that builds as the beer warms, but it's very light. Otherwise, this is tasty and to-style take on the Baltic porter.

Bender
Surly Brewing Company
American Brown Ale | 5.10% ABV

A / 4.3
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | drink: 4

A brown ale with balls. So much so, I dont even know if its really a brown ale. Dark brown, the color of a porter, with great tan lacing. Slightly roasted and sweet malty aroma. Taste is complex with roasted and chocolate malts, american hops, and maybe even oatmeal. I think I tasted oatmeal. Very smooth beer, kind of thick, but very smooth. Give me another.

After the Turkey: Summit ESB Reviewed

After the talk about fancy-pants Belgians, I actually ended up drinking one of my local favorites, Summit ESB, on Thanksgiving. Naturally, I gave thanks to my cousin Pete that day for bringing it over. The ESB (extra special (or strong) bitter) style isn't something you see often, but it's a real treat in the right situation. The blend of super-smooth caramel malts with herbal and spicy hops make a great companion to turkey dinner, or a long night at your favorite pub.

Names in the beer would are often deceiving, whether the mean to be or not. Young's Double Chocolate Stout, while generally tasty, is barely chocolate and the double of nothing that I can imagine. So I feel I should mention that The Extra Special/Strong Bitter style is rarely more bitter than a pale ale and usually no stronger than six percent ABV. It's really just an amber ale with English yeast character - creamy, fruity flavors - and a bit of hops for balance. All in all, a great session beer.

Summit ESB
Summit Brewing Co.
Extra Special/Strong Bitter

B+ / 3.8
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | drink: 4.5

I'm always never quite sure what I'll get from a new Summit offering. Sure, it'll at least be decent, but they've been known to very occasionally kick out some real good stuff. I'd say this falls in with their best.

A nice red color with white head. A rather unfortunate aroma at first, however, smells like adjunct was used to lighten the body. Later hops start to pull through. Interesting flavor, burnt caramel of scottish ale with a good bitter kick to balance it, this tastes like a winner. Body is a litter light, but this is very drinkable. Try it out, I like it better than the Summit EPA and IPA.