New Glarus - Hop Hearty

New Glarus seems to be locally known more for their general line-up of beer, but the national acclaim tends to come from their fruit beers and rightly so.  Their fruit beers (Raspberry Tart & Wisconsin Belgian Red) are two of the most authentic fruit beers you will find.  Their authenticity does not allow them to become "candied" or an excessive sugary sweet.  In any case, when New Glarus temporarily shifted gears to put out a seasonal that emphasized hops instead of fruits (Apple Ale, Cherry Stout, Cran-bic, etc), I definitely took notice.  Today's review is for said hoppy beer, New Glarus' Hop Hearty IPA.  I have possessed it for a while, but I don't believe long enough for the hops notes to wither away entirely, even if it is certainly not as it was when fresh.  Let's pour!

Aroma 11/12

This begins with some stronger straw notes with a little bit of must behind it.  As the beer warms, the hops emerge more and more in an acidic citrus that is both cleansing and fresh, an odd (but not unwelcome) departure already from the previous aroma.  Things continue to impress as an authentic "freshly ground grain" aroma grows strong and joins with the hops.  When I say grain, I mean "exactly like those little dishes they pass around on brewery tours so that everyone can smell the grains."  It's obviously not as intense, but the scent is as unmistakable as it is delicious.  The clean hops and the fresh grain both give this beer an amazingly balanced and natural smell.

Appearance 3/3

A nice, light tan head arises to an acceptable level, retains well, and slowly settles to cover the surface.  The beer itself is quiet striking.  It pours a bright copper with pumpkin shades within, but with a red tinge to the whole works.  Very neat.  For an IPA, however, the lacing is disappointing.

Flavor 18/20

Things begin with a distant hop bitter, but quickly move into a brighter hop citrus melding with a caramel's sweetness.  The hops make the caramel appear more sugary than it perhaps truly is, but the combination is truly balanced, even if it's not at all what one normally expects in an IPA.  This is not remarkably complex, but it is ridiculously well done.  The finish brings a bit more of the authentic grain into play and also leaves a light bitter that coats the mouth.  The aftertaste is almost entirely clean and with only a hint of the grain left in the mouth, you'd swear the light bitter was from it and not hops.  For an IPA, there is very little hop presence here, but they really make it work.

Mouthfeel 5/5

Nothing wrong here.  In fact, this brew's body and carbonation only further contribute to this beer's incredibly refreshing nature.  Its body is not so thick like other IPAs, nor its carbonation far and few between to help add to that illusion.  On the contrary, its body (medium/medium-full) seems lighter than the flavors would have you believe and the carbonation is anything but sparse, yet diminuative so as not to disrupt the beer as a whole.  Combine those two characteristics with the fresh citrus and natural grain and you've got yourself a most refreshing, natural feeling beer.

Overall Impression 10/10

This is a departure from a lot of IPAs on the market and, oddly, a seeming return to the roots of the style.  It truly seems like a beefed up pale ale!  There is a light, refreshing, nature to it from the citrus, carbonation, and strong grainy malts, but the hop presence is more than is required of a pale ale.  If you're a regular reader, you know my descriptions can be pretty lengthy.  Not for this beer.  Each paragraph is short and succinct thanks to this beer's simple, well-brewed nature.  What a great, refreshing beer!

Total 46/50

Fresh, non-syrupy, and with great balance this IPA is one that is not going to feel like a chore to drink on a hot, summer day.  The hops aren't even heavy-handed.  They're presented wondrously in a balanced beer that is sure to please those looking for more than to be beaten over the head with a sack of hops (though that does sound like the best punishment ever).  If this is still around (Note: I haven't been to Wisconsin in a while), go buy it.  It's a great IPA that doesn't skimp on flavor to deliver a balanced, tasty, refreshing, true to style, bottle of goodness.  While it's not quite the aroma powerhouse that some other New Glarus beers are, this just became one of my favorites from them regardless.  I'll be looking for this again!  Cheers!

Samuel Smith's - Old Brewery Pale Ale

Allow me to start by stating that my experience with true Pale Ale's (a.k.a. "English Pale Ale") is far and few between to say the least.  It is much more common to find IPAs or American PAs than anything else.  So while I am used to the style's variations, I cannot claim great familiarity with the original style.  Other styles you rather know what to expect: stouts are dark roasted and coffee-ish, hefes are cloudy, creamy, and spiced.  With this style relatively unfamiliar to me, I am really going to have to use my palate and sniffer to find out just what exactly I am tasting.  Wish me luck.  Let's pour!

Picture is my own.  Bottle art image used without permission for educational uses only.

Aroma 10/12

A sweet, sweet smell arises from this brew.  Thankfully, it is not the beat-you-over-the-head hop scent that the offshoot styles prefer.  There are apples and an extremely floral scent.  Very appropriate for this springtime when everything is budding and blooming.  The hops are there, but unaggressively so, which is appropriate for the style.  A very pleasing aroma.

Appearance 3/3

This beer may have the longest head retention of any I have had the pleasure of sampling.  I pours a lovely amber color with a healthy-sized beige head.  Everything is up to par here and rated accordingly.

Picture is my own.

Flavor 17/20

A superbly balanced beer!  I can see where the offshoot styles seize their inspiration.  First to the mouth is a buttery, almost nutty toasted malt.  Its sweetness is mild and is matched perfectly by the complimentary, not overstated, hops.  Although the hops are not floral nor sweet as they were in the aroma, they blend perfectly with the malt allowing it a sweeter finish before truly making their dry and bitter presence known in the aftertaste.  It is a very neat sensation.

Mouthfeel  5/5

Initially high carbonation quickly yields to a style appropriate level.  A smooth, medium-bodied beer with great drinkability.  No flaws here.  Keeps it simple and does it right.

Overall Impression (8/10)

It is hard to judge this beer because it is simply that: beer.  There are no gimmicky flavors here.  This is straight up, old school beer with classic ingredients and a near immaculate balance.  It is so fundamentally strong that it does not need gimmicks to cover up a lackluster flavor or flaw.

Total (43/50) Excellent

This score places it near the top of the "Excellent" category.  This is just a superbly made, simple beer.  If you're not going to experiment with the style, then you better nail it to the wall and Samuel Smith's does exactly that.  Samuel Smith's is commanding more and more of my respect with each brew of theirs that I drink.  They are not flashy, but they perfect authentic styles and tell you how it is supposed to be.  Definitely a session beer and an true authentic sampling in a time where craft beers too often turn to copious amounts of ingredients.  These simple ingredients blend perfectly (I cannot stress that enough) and should be a lesson to others in the art of balance.

This will not appeal to those seeking crazy, strong flavors, but it is hands-down a technically fantastic beer.  It would also be an excellent gateway to those entering into the world of "hop heads."  Best to know your roots before you sally forth, boys.

Two Brothers Brewing Co. - Ebel's Weiss Beer

A very good friend of mine happens to live in Warrenville, IL.  He also happens to live but 5 minutes from the Two Brothers Brewing Co, and his recommendation should come as no surprise.  There are several reasons that I am very happy to review this beer.

1.  It was recommended by a friend.
2.  It comes from an area not known for its craft/microbrews.
3.  I have not heard of this brewery before.

This is not coming from Portland, OR or some funny town in Wisconsin; this is coming from the Chicago suburbs.  Perfect!  The more unusual and unexpected the better.  Surprise me!  Give me an experience!  Again, big thanks to Luke for the recommendation.  Let's pour!

Picture is my own.  Bottle art image used without permission for educational uses only.

Aroma 11/12
From a 3oz sample the first scent is unmistakably vanilla.  Underneath it is a  rich, bready malt which is perfect for the style.  The bits of clove also make themselves known.  No fruitiness to speak of and that is nice.  I could see how one could confuse the vanilla and clove combination for the traditional "banana" smell, but this beer manages to avoid it well.  Perhaps, it is the scent of a more authentic vanilla and not one based in high fructose corn syrup?  This aroma is perfectly done to style, but a bit darker and I like the subtle change.

Appearance 3/3
As seen in the picture above, this beer poured with a very generous , cream-colored head.  If you have read any of the recent reviews, you know I have been struggling to find beers that not only pour a larger head, but also retain it.  This beer did both and it made me smile.  Finally!  The pour was a dark, cloudy yellow with lots of visible sediment and yeasty treats.  The cloudy is to style, the abundance of yeast is not always present.  I hope it does not effect the flavor negatively.  On appearance alone, this beer again nails the style and adds something extra. EBC is an almost exact 20.

Picture is my own.

Flavor 17/20
This is a superbly balanced beer.  It does not attack you with sweetness or fall back upon it to cover up any potential lackings.  The initial dark sweetness leads almost immediately with the bready malt we found in the aroma.  Just when you start to recognize the malt, in comes the hop to balance out everything perfectly.  These flavors do not bum-rush you, but rather lead almost seamlessly one to another, each complimenting the last.  It is quite a departure from beers that smack you with, "this is the malt, this is hops, this is the finish, now wait for the after.  Got it?  Good."  These all flow together and do so in harmony.

Mouthfeel 5/5
Again, almost perfect to style.  Some might see it as a bit light-bodied, but I found it to increase its drinkability without sacrificing accuracy.  I would still call it a medium-bodied beer with low-medium carbonation and bits of warmth and creaminess.

Overall Impression 9/10
Its stylistic accuracy is spot on, yet it still manages to add something new in several areas.  It looks, tastes, smells, and feels exactly the way a weiss beer should, but manages to separate itself from the herd.  This beer also manages to avoid the common pitfalls of being too sweet, too fruity, or too dependent on the ever-present orange slice (bah!).

Total 45/50
Beer in the suburbs lives!  I could not get over the complimentary nature of this beer's flavors nor its adherence to style.  I am also still very pleasantly surprised that this beer came out of the Chicago suburbs, an area now widely known for its breweries.  This beer's balance, dark flavor tones, and avoidance of fake/synthetic tasting flavors are its true calling cards.  Big kudos to Two Brothers Brewing Co!  I know that I will be making the several hour trip to visit your facilities in the not-too-distant future.  If this is any indication of the quality of beers they make there in Warrenville, then this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.