The 56 Mile Bar Crawl

I'll be honest about this, if there were any decent form of public transportation in MN or a willing designated driver, we wouldn't have touched our bikes. This was a journey of necessity, that necessity being the need to drink Minneapolis's best beer. So on a recent, unseasonably warm Saturday, I set out with a couple friends from deep within the suburbs to East and West banks of the University of MN campus. We were able to take bike trails nearly the entire distance and followed the Mississippi most of the way.

We first hit up Stub and Herb's, taking advantage of their $1.50 off pints for happy hour. A couple highlights were the Leiney's Big Eddy Imperial Stout - beer that has the audacity to be big, delicious, and made by a brewery partially owner by Miller - and Surly Mild, a full-flavored English ale with only 4.2% abv.

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

Basically and big-flavored beer with great drinkability. The aroma is pretty subtle, with toffee and roasted-caramel malts. That same caramel makes up the main flavor, with lighter caramel and toffee around it. As it fades into the aftertaste, the malt continues to develop turns into a creamier candy flavor. If I wasn't on a mission to try other new beers, I'd be ordering a second and third pint. Just like Surly's Bitter Brewer, it makes a lot of flavor out of a litter grain and then develops as you drink it.

Later, we made our way to Town Hall Brewery, home of the infamous Masala Mama IPA. There was an interesting Dr Irish Stout on tap brewed with potatoes. I basically tasted like a fine stout, a big step up from Guinness, but there was mild potato taste that might not be for everyone.

Pot Of Gold Potato Stout
B+ / 3.8
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | drink: 4

Served on nitro, this beer is pitch black with a creamy light tan head that leaves thick lacing. The aroma gives off a hint of mashed baked white potatoes complete with skin mixed with burnt malt. The flavor is fairly mellow, but slowly develops from the cold coffee, potato note, cocoa, black malt to dry, herbal hops. Yum. There are a few better dry stouts (Sly Fox's and Victory's) come to mind, but none are as interesting as this. Definitely worth a try.


After a good long while of enjoying the sun and fine beer, we realized the sun would be dropping soon, so we scrambled over the the Acadia Cafe for one last round. I had a goblet of Rogue Ales' Charlie 1981 Ale, an American Strong Ale (think Arrogant Bastard) made in honor of homebrewing and craft beer pioneer Charlie Papazian.

Charlie 1981
A- / 4.2
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | drink: 4

JLS Release #33, Charlie 2008 on-tap at the Acadia Cafe. Served in a Duvel tulip. I'm not sure where this review is supposed to be, so hopefully this is good enough.

This beer is just big on everything and immediately reminds me of Arrogant Bastard. The grains are a touch rough with rich caramel, toffee, and biscuit flavors. Big piney hops rock the bitterness with slightly earthy and citrus flavors. Medium body and carbonation. Very tasty and fairly drinkable. A must-order if you see it on tap.

All in all, there were 4 hours of biking and 4 hours of great beer. What more can you ask for out of a Saturday?

Bud Light Chelada: Worst Beer Ever or Simply Misunderstood?

There are a lot of awful and repulsive beers in the world, but there's a special beer aisle in Hell that carries the worst of the worst. For whatever reason, I have a strange desire to try these beers.

For reference, some of the other bottom of the barrel brews are the infamous Crazy Ed's Cave Creek Chili Beer, that beer with the chili in it, Michelob Ultra, and Evil Eye Malt Liquor (in case you're wondering, the vast majority of malt liquors rank about Bud Light Chelada).

In my research one particular gem kept turning up - Bud Light Chelada, a pander by Bud to Hispanic beer drinkers. This beer combines Bud Light with Clamato (yes, clam juice and tomatoes, really) and adds a bit of lime and salt for character.

Before I get to my review, I want to share some of the comments I read that inspired me to track this down:

"I almost threw up, it tastes like tomato and vomit. No beer taste at all."

"It actually brought tears to my eyes at the thought of having to drink the whole 22 ounces and made me do the "it's icky" dance."

"This isn't even your every day, run-of-the-mill bad; it's a special bad that deserves a new name to properly describe it."

"This is a "beer" that has truly scarred me for life."

Who wouldn't want to try this?


Bud Light Chelada
D / 2.2
look: 2 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | drink: 1.5

Picked up a 16 oz. can out of sheer perverse curiosity. Do I regret it? I don't think so. Do I regret not also buying the Budweiser Chelada to taste? Not at all.

It pours a hazy pink with the head of club soda (light and quickly disappearing). The appearance was pretty unappealing, though I guess the style is wide open, but it reminded me of fish guts and it was kind of bloody pink with bits of what I assume to be tomato floating around.

The aroma and flavor came off like a cold, salty version of condensed Campbell's Tomato Soup that's cut with light beer instead of milk or water. Frankly, I found it a bit too salty, even though one of my immediate urges what to add oyster crackers and make myself a grilled cheese sandwich.

The beer came off fairly thick and was by no means easy to drink. This was a definite drain pour for me, but I can see this being an acquired taste as none of the individual flavor were actually repulsive or anything. This beer simply is what it is and now I never have to try it again.

So do I think it deserve to adorn that fiery beer aisle in Hell? Yes, but only because so many people find it so vile.

And we're back

After a post-BJCP hiatus, it's time to get back to the matter at hand - beer. There's been a lot of good stuff coming my way lately, like Founder's Devil Dancer. It's a big amber colored 13% abv beer that the brewery has dubbed a "triple IPA." While I wouldn't say it's got three times the bitterness, it's still notable for it's massive size and tasty hop flavors.

I also had the pleasure of trying a couple beers from the one-man operation, East End Brewing of Pittsburgh, while I was in the area last week. I found their Bitter End and Blackstrap Stout on-tap at Bocktown Beer and Grill (possibly the best strip mall bar in the world). Both beers, while not the best I've ever had, proved to be interesting and well worth trying out.

One truly notable recent beer experience happened this last Friday. Around 10:30 in the morning I set off with seven other local cycists for the annual Emmaus-Easton-Emmaus ride. It's a yearly 52-mile ride that honors the dirty and muddy spring classics of the professional cycling calendar. Accordingly, the ride takes every off-road trail between Emmaus and Easton, making for a long and bumpy ride. We had a total of four flats and two mechanicals along the way. And while it wasn't the most fun I've had on a bike, I think it'll prove to be one of my more memorable rides. There's nothing quite like flying down a debris-strewn dirt double track at 20 mph in a tight pack of riders.

The beer tie-in came at the very end of the ride. Tired and fairly beat up, we entered Emmaus on a road that swung by Shangy's, a legendary beer store in PA. There were four of us left by now but a little easy math showed that we could easily split a case if everyone carried a six-pack back to our end point, South Mountain Cycles. After about five minutes of discussion, we pulled a variety case from North Coast Brewing Company from the shelf and biked up through Emmaus with a hand on our handlebars and another gripping a sixer.

Over a German-style pizza (onions, green peppers, sweet peppers, steak), I tried the Blue Star wheat beer and Old #38 stout. Here's what I thought:

Old #38
B+ / 3.9
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | drink: 4

I don't about the classification as a Irish Dry Stout style (this is thicker and more full flavored), but this certainly is a tasty beer. I got big milk and dark chocolate flavors along with chocolate grains and an aroma to match. There's a medium body with a balancing bitterness and touch of citrus hops flavor. Overall this is a great dessert beer and I'd love to see a coffee version of this.

Blue Star
B+ / 3.9
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | drink: 4

Cracked a bottle open after a long bike ride and this really hit the spot. Light and refreshing, yet full of flavor. The wheat malt isn't as clean as I'd expect for an American wheat, it's a pleasant sweet bread flavor. Balanced by the malt are very fruity hops, lots of citrus and no harsh bitterness. There's also a little kick of yeasty earthyness. All in all, this is relatively complex session beer. At times I got a slight cilantro aroma, which makes me think they used Summit hops. I also could have used a little bitterness, but maybe that's just me.

BJCP Has Come and Gone

Last Tuesday I finally say down for the three hours of mad scribbling and drinking known as the Beer Judge Certification Program Exam. It was about as hard as expected with questions like "Describe and explain the role of diastatic and proteolytic enzymes in the brewing process and how they affect the characteristics of the finished beer."

Short Answer: They break down proteins and convert starch to sugar while grains are mixed with hot water.

Fun stuff, naturally. A true test of beer geekery. The only questions I stumbled on were describing the substyle Classic American Pilsner and giving a commercial example of a straight, unblended lambic (there really aren't any).

After the three hours, Jason, the course instructor was generous enough to buy everyone a round at the bar, as we were back at the North Wales Iron Hill brewpub. I got a pint of the Bourbon Porter on nitro. Here's how it went:

3.75/5
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | drink: 4.5


Pours a dark, dark brown with a tan head. Tiny bubbles here, and drinks incredibly smooth. The aroma is of smooth bourbon and mellow chocolate grains. The flavor is a balance of the vanilla bourbon, oak, and the dark, cocoa and toffee flavors. While it's very easy to drink, I found the flavor a little too mild for this to be a great beer. The balance of bourbon and malt was there, but there wasn't enough of either flavor. That said, I'd still recommend this tasty treat.

I also had the pleasure of finding Green Flash West Coast IPA last night for a Friday evening of beer, pizza, and wings at Liberty St. Tavern. If you're ever in Allentown, aside from the smoking, it's got the best cheap pizza and beer selection in Eastern PA.

4.2/5
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | drink: 4.5


On-tap at Liberty St. Tavern.

Bottom line: big hops yet drinkable. This toes the line of being too hoppy, but doesn't cross. Maybe my pour was just had the CO2 turned down, but there was zero head and lacing on this pint. The aroma was of big juicy, reisinous grapefuit with floral notes. The flavor expands with more citrus rind that is a nice mix of rough and smooth hops. I can't say enough about the balance here. Not of the mix of hops and malt, but enough hops and too much. Reminds me of Masala Mama of Town Hall in Minneapolis.

Better Know a Beer Style: Oktoberfest

Style 3B: Oktoberfest

Overall: Rich German Vienna/Munich malt aroma, toasty, clean lager aroma. No diacetyl, esters or caramel. The flavor is initially sweet and finished dry, with toasty, complex German malts, moderate bitterness and low hop flavor. Medium body. Drinks smooth, never cloying.

Style comparisons:
-Vienna Lager: Lighter in flavor than a fest beer, more subtle.
-Munich Dunkel Lager: Includes caramel flavor, more bready

Recipe:
5# Vienna Malt
4# Munich
.5# CaraMunich
1 ox. Hallertau (4.5%AA) @ 60 min
Mash @ 151F
Ferment at 52F
German Oktoberfest Lager Yeast

OG: 1.056
FG: 1.012
SRM: 10
IBU: 22
ABV: 5.7%

Case Study: Hacker-Pschorr Oktoberfest-Marzen

This is one heck of a session beer. The abv is a bit high for that title, but damn this beer is easy to drink and tasty. It's a nice amber-red with a bit of head and lacing. The aroma and taste are a simple, but delicious mix of mellow roasted malt and caramel with a touch of hops. The carbonation is a bit light, but that doesn't take away from anything and allows for great drinkability. Yummy.

Better Know a Beer Style: Belgian Tripel

Beer Style 18C: Belgian Tripel

Overall: Complex earthy spice and hops aroma with light pils malt. Moderate fruity esters. A rounded malt flavor, but not sweet. Light to deep gold color with dense white head. Phenol clove and pepper character. Substantial carbonation and bitterness lead to a dry finish.

Similar Styles:
-Belgian Blond Ale: Sweeter than a tripel, similar strength but a little weaker on average.
-Belgian Golden Strong Ale: A Tripel is slightly darker and more full bodied.
-Belgian Dark Strong Ale: BDSA is darker and maltier, stronger esters with dark fruit.

Recipe:

10# Belgian Pilsner Malt
1# Caravienne
1# Belgian Candi Sugar

1.5 oz. EKG (5%AA) @ 60 minutes
Belgian Trappist Yeast

OG: 1.075
FG: 1.012
SRM: 6
IBU: 37.5
ABV: 8%

Case Study: Victory Golden Monkey

Its nice and fairly smooth, but tastes like its missing the candi sugar. There;s a sweet complexity missing here, the flavor is all on the golden grains. Still, this beer really hides the alcohol to the point of being a little dangerous. Just remember it's not a session ale. It's tasty and smooth enough to put you on the floor.

Better Know a Beer Style: Robust Porter

Beer Style 12B: Robust Porter

Appearance: Medium to very dark brown with ruby highlights. Full, tan head with retention.

Aroma: Roasty, grainy, bready, toffee, caramel, coffee, chocolate. Low to high hops aroma. Fruity esters are moderate to absent.

Flavor: Lightly burnt black malt, coffee, chocolate. Roasty, dry finish, and dry to medium-sweet overall. May have sharp roasted malts, medium to high bitterness.

Mouthfeel: Medium to medium-full. Low to high carbonation, no extremes though. Strong versions may have alcohol warmth. Slight astringency from roasted grains.

Overall: A big, complex dark ale. Lacks strong roasted malt of a stout. Stronger, dryer, and more bitter than a brown porter. Weaker than a Baltic porter, but still dryer and more bitter.

OG: 1.048-1.065
FG: 1.012-1.016
IBU: 25-50
SRM: 22-35
ABV: 4.8-6.5%

Recipe:
8# American 2-Row
12 oz. Crystal 60L
8 oz. Chocolate Malt
4 oz. Black Malt

1.5 oz. Cascade @ 60 min (6%AA)
American Ale Yeast

OG: 1.055
FG: 1.012
IBU: 45
SRM: 31
ABV: 5.6%

Case Study: Dead Reckoning Porter

This beer is like the Shakespeare Stout of porters with a big juicy citrus punch to go along with the chocolate grains and cocoa. The appearance gets marked down as this beer is noticeably murky, but at the same time there's also decent lacing to help make up for it. The smell is hops-dominated with a pine a grapefruit, and like I said the flavor is big on hops (especially as it warms), almost to the point of being a black IPA. Maybe it is. Either way, this is a tasty porter. I only wish it was prettier to look at and that there was a little more malt character.