New Glarus - Serendipity

It's not often that I come across a New Glarus beer that I have not yet sampled.  However, when drought beleaguered the Wisconsin cherry crop, interrupting the brewing process for a world-class fruit beer, Diploma Master Brewer Dan Carey stepped in with his usual dose of inspiration and creativity.  Enter Serendipity.  Snatching up what cherries could be found, New Glarus blended them with some other grand Wisconsin flavors courtesy of a bumper cranberry crop and a harvest of apples that somehow pulled through the dry months.  The brew is then aged in oak barrels and left to ferment wildly, thus giving the brew's name its double entendre for both its fermentation as well as its makeshift ingredients.  Would we expect anything less clever from New Glarus?  I hope not.  Let's pour!

Aroma 12/12

This sprayed a bit when I was opening it, implying a feisty level of carbonation inside.  I then proceeded to smell the beer and my notes look something like "HOLYMOTHEROFCHERRY+APPLEAMAZINGIWANNARUBITONMYFACE!!!1!1!"  You know, more or less.  This smells like fresh-pressed cider from your local apple orchard blended superbly with cherry's tart bite and a hint of cranberry's patient bitter.  At this point I do not smell much of the sour ale within, but I'm getting plenty of the same dark cherry tannin smell that makes New Glarus' Wisconsin Belgian Red such a smash hit.  This is a beautiful bouquet with plenty of wow factor!

Appearance 3/3

I was surprised at the generous level of head for this style.  It was microscopic bubbles forming a soapy texture that lived longer than I thought it would.  Sitting on the table the beer is a crystal clear, gem-like magenta.  When held aloft, the top takes the color of real apple cider, while the bottom becomes a vibrant sports car red.  I'm just looking at this glass and am so impressed that I'm shaking my head, my brow furrowed.  Good grief.

Flavor 20/20

Wow!  This is an amazing sour/fruit ale!  It definitely borrows heavily from their Wisconsin Belgian Red, but that's not a bad thing, especially if this beer is to be a substitute until better cherry crops can be grown and harvested.   Apples, sweet cherries, and tart cranberries abound, but soon the tannins take a stronger foothold and impose a bit of their "browned apple" flavor.  It may have been a bad year for cherries, but apparently the folks at New Glarus found the best in the batch because there is no shortage of cherry flavor here.  Well, there might be, but they have supplemented it so well with the other fruits that one can hardly notice and if they did they certainly wouldn't have anything about which to gripe.  The finish is more of the tannins, plus a subtle cranberry bitter that becomes a bit more bold once the other flavors have found their way down the throat.  Two things surprised me about the finish: First was that the cranberry bitter was so light.  For me, this is a good thing since I generally don't care for cranberries.  Second was the saliva gland-pounding pucker that this beer put on me.  After swallowing, my spit factories were cursing a blue streak and ordering all hands on deck!  This lasted well after the swallow and my jaw was tingling like mad.  Very neat!

Mouthfeel 4/5

Very light in the mouth, undoubtedly aided by the teeny, tiny carbonation that we saw comprise the head.  A beer this sweet could very easily become syrupy, especially after warming, but Serendipity avoids this trap with the liberal use of cherry tannins which help provide a bitter backdrop against which they splash their tart, sweet fruits.  The back of the mouth is left slick, but the beer itself never comes close to that sensation.

Overall Impression 10/10

Another excellent, world-class effort from the Careys.  They have gracefully traversed what will hopefully be a short gap between bountiful Wisconsin cherry harvests.  The aroma is second to none, the appearance is very appetizing, and the flavor is not to be considered a consolation at all.  In fact, I feel that it's so similar to their Wisconsin Belgian Red, that were I not told, I might not be able to tell the difference.  Of course, it's been a very long time since I've sampled that particular brew, but I feel that Serendipity doesn't fall very far from the tree (the cherry tree?).  If I am permitted one other nit pick it is that the beer makes the back of the mouth quite slick and sticky.

Total 49/50

I feel bad for noting those minor grievances with a beer that is so damn tasty, but that's why there is only one point deducted.  Sure there are things to improve on, but they are so minuscule that they hardly affect what is otherwise a completely pleasurable drinking experience.  For me this is a near dead-ringer for Wisconsin Belgian Red (thus its fourth reference in this review), but if I had them side-by-side I'm sure I would be able to discern their differences.  In case you couldn't tell, if you like other New Glarus fruit beers, you're bound to like this one as well.  Chalk this up in the category that can also be used to sway non-craft beer drinkers over to our team.  I suppose I was hoping I'd get something new and different from New Glarus, but I'm almost as happy that I did not.

New Glarus - Cran-bic Ale

To set the record straight, I'm only a half-liar.  I may have insinuated that the prior post would be my last fall seasonal beer, but in fact, it was only the last pumpkin review for this year.  Loophole having been leapt through, today's review is New Glarus's Cran-bic Ale.  I've been holding on to these last two bottles for a while (since my New Glarus kick in October/November) and I can no longer justify doing so.  Besides, if I don't drink these last two soon, my wife will.  Let's pour!

Aroma 11/12
I'm not sure how complex an aroma one can achieve with a lambic, but this does have a lot going for it besides just cranberries.  Before I go into that, let me clarify, there is NO shortage of cranberries in this ale.  Their tart and bitter nature is abundant and dominates the aroma.  That said, there are some other more subtle aromas present, but they must be sought.  The first is an oaky roundness lent from the barrels in the brewing process and the second aroma is one I am particularly fond of in a lambic.  I find that a good lambic can often give off an aroma like a nice champagne; that slightly dry, tannin-like scent.  The Cran-bic Ale certainly fits the bill.

Appearance 2/3
For a beer that smells this tart, and therefore acidic, I suspect there will not be much in the way of head.  I am correct.  The head is thin like champagne, but not very generous and does remain as a ring around my glass while I drink.  The color is fascinating!  It's a beautiful amber with coppers and a tint of "grapefruit pink" throughout the brew.  The pink is harder to see with a full glass, but when you pour those first few ounces to get a good whiff, the blush of this beer is quite noticeable.

Flavor 20/20
This is the first New Glarus beer where I prefer the taste to the aroma! Not an easy task with Dan Carey brewing.  The beer immediately starts sour like brettanomyces and the proceeds to dump cranberries on top of that.  The tart start is not too intense, but will be a great treat for sour lovers and lambic lovers alike.  Soon after the sour it draws back quite suddenly and lets a marvelous sweetness take over and provide and fantastic balance for the palate.  The sweetness is almost certainly from the cranberries, but it tastes sugared.  Behind this sweetness is the champagne-like carbonation, oak notes, and a light cranberry bitter.  The finish is a mouth-watering tart on the sides of the mouth with the silky smooth oak detectable right down the center of the tongue.  It even throws in those champagne-like tannins to finish this right.  The aftertaste gives one last chance for the tart and bitter cranberry flavors to play on the tongue, but quickly fades into a salivating, fairly clean finish.

Mouthfeel 5/5
It feels like a lambic should, but with a bit more smoothness from the oak.  The carbonation is tiny and appropriate, though the finish can be a bit slick with a beer this sweet.  The light body makes it way to easy to drink this fast and not appreciate the complexities within, but thankfully the tart of the cranberries assumes the task of slowing down the drinker.  The beer is not drying in the least, despite the tannin-like qualities in the brew, and always leaves the mouth watering.

Overall Impression 10/10
This is a superior lambic to many that I have tasted.  It's also a nice compromise for those who think they might be getting into sours.  The aroma showed some delicacies behind a big cranberry scent, but the flavor really let the other contributing ingredients shine through.  The champagne qualities of this beer from start to finish really help to separate it from other offerings in this style.

Total 48/50
This beer is a winner from start to finish.  It really seems to go above and beyond the call of a bubbly, light-bodied, fruit beer.  The oak adds complexity to every area of this beer and the taste is something I truly hope New Glarus brings back year and year again.  I don't know why I'm surprised at how pleased I am with this beer.  With New Glarus' history of award-winning fruit beers (Wisconsin Belgian Red & Raspberry Tart) anything they do that involves tartness, fruit, and beer should simply be accepted with a solemn nod of the head.  If that sounds like bias, it is, but it is bias based in cold, delicious facts.  They have yet to prove otherwise and I doubt they will.  I officially declare this the "Champagne of Lambics."  Prost!

New Belgium - Kick

I finally have the opportunity to break out some pumpkin beers!  Sure, I had a few during the season, but my health really didn't let me review any the way I would have liked.  It's time to make up for lost time.  Today's review is from New Belgium and their "Lips of Faith" series; something I have heard much about, but had little opportunity to try.  I have mixed feelings going into this bottle because of the following description:

"75% Ale brewed with pumpkin and cranberry juice, 25% ale aged in wooden barrels."


I love pumpkin beer and barrel-aged beer, so it sounds pretty good, right?  Unless you dislike cranberries, but who in their right mind could dislike such a holiday treat?  The answer: me.  I'm not a big fan of cranberries.  In fact, I'm sick of the way every decent juice in the grocery store (cherry, grape, etc, etc) feels the need to add cranberries to it.  Needless to say, this annoyance has definitely carried over when they add cranberries to beer.  However, since I haven't even tried it yet I suppose I should keep the belly aching to a minimum.  I hope you all appreciate this.  Let's pour!

Aroma 7/12
First sniffs of this beer were very unusual.  At first, I thought it had a bit of a skunked, German aroma to it, but  as the head settled it revealed itself as a strong musty smell.  This was accompanied by the sour of the cranberry, a very bready malt, and a bit of the barrel-aged wood.  At this point, it all came together and reminded me of an element of Left Hand's T.N.T, which was reminiscent of Campbell's Bean and Bacon soup. Granted, this is a much lighter hint of that aroma here than in the T.N.T., but it is still there. Very unusual.  Thankfully, as the beer warms it comes more into its element.  The tart, sweet cranberry aroma becomes stronger and joins with the bready malts to make it appealing and smell more like a gueuze than any sort of traditional fall seasonal.  It is only halfway through the bottle that the mild pumpkin peeks its head out ever so briefly and leaves a hint of spices in its wake.

Appearance 2/3
There isn't much of the "ruby-hued" shade promised on the bottle, but it's a good-looking beer nonetheless.  Its an ocher center with a lovely gold halo shining around the edges.  The occasional hue of tangerine orange is about the closest there is to ruby.  The head was small, even with an aggressive pour.  The bubbles were tiny and appeared more as a single white presence than an army of little, individual bubbles.  However, that white disc has covered my glass for some time now despite the undoubtedly high acid levels present in a beer involving cranberries

Flavor 15/20
Whoa!  This beer packs a sour punch right from the get-go!  The sour initial taste is quite dominant and refuses to loosen that grip in the backbone.  Though in the backbone we are also given a mild pumpkin mellowness and some great fall spices. The pumpkin can really be brought to light when holding the beer in the mouth and inhaling through the nose.  A slurp on the other hand helps bring out the wood from the barrel-aging process.  In fact, as the beers warms noticeably, the cranberry politely steps aside and lets this pumpkin/spice combo step in, but not without leaving us the bitter aftertaste of cranberries.  Very neat.  The finish is again sour, but fades into bitter and leaves the mouth salivating.  The aftertaste is a faint spice and nice notes from the barrels.

Mouthfeel 5/5
The mouthfeel has a lot of contrasting, pleasant things going on within it.  The pumpkin really seems to add a smoothness to this beer not usually found in lambics or tart/sour beers.  The carbonation, on the other hand, is quite abundant, but doesn't err by being prickly.  It's effervescent and what one comes to expect from a fruited or sour beer.  The body also feels more substantial that a sour or lambic.  This really seems all over the map, but I like what's happening.

Overall Impression 7/10
The previous sentence says it all.  "This beer is all over the map."  Sometimes this works in its favor and other times not.  The aroma is much more true to a gueuze than anything proposed on the bottle.  The flavor is certainly complex, but never seems to bring those flavors together to cohesion.  The mouthfeel is a great example of how seemingly conflicting characteristics can come together for something greater than its parts.

Total 36/50
This beer's ranking still earns it a "very good" ranking.  I appreciate experimentation more than the average drinker, but this did seem a but unusual in places.  First off, it seems that this beer is an attempt to mix a pumpkin seasonal with a cranberry gueuze.  In theory, sure, they're both foods one could find at a Thanksgiving dinner.  It should work, right?  Kinda.  While I wouldn't extend this theory to other Thanksgiving foods (I won't be putting gravy on my pecan pie anytime soon), this beer finds a way to make it work, even if the taste is unusual.

I must recommend that this beer be drank after warming a bit to truly get any of the pumpkin and spice behind the cranberry, musty, sour notes.  The experimentation is super appreciated.  Beer should never "settle" or be satisfied with traditional or status quo and this beer definitely is not settling for the norm.  It has a lot going for it in different areas: different flavors, different aromas, and different mouthfeels, but seldom to those come together for a true fusion or harmony of flavors.  If you're a gueuze-lover, a sour lover, or just appreciate anything involving Brettanomyces you'll probably dig this brew (not that I'm sure whether or not this beer has Brett, but it stands that if you like Brett, you'll like this beer).  I say give it a whirl, just be aware of what you're getting into.  Don't let the pumpkins on the bottle fool you. :)

On a side note, I didn't find out until I finished the bottle that this was a collaboration between Kim Jordan of New Belgium & Dick Cantwell of Elysian.  It's just one more reason to love the craft beer industry.  It's not the cut throat capitalism of nearly every other industry.  In craft beer, people come together to make new and exciting things all the time.  It makes me proud to be a small, small part of it.  Cheers everybody!