New Glarus - Strawberry Rhubarb

"The reports of my death are greatly exaggerated."

Even if it means I no longer get to dress like I'm 
from 1979.  Yes, that's my real hair and mustache.

Beer geeks!  Hello!  I've missed you all!  Between taking on some new responsibilities at work and being involved in some local community theater, I've barely had 30 minutes at home on any given day that wasn't spend shoveling food down my throat or preparing to enter/exit my bed.  Unfortunately, this is not nearly enough time to write the craft beer reviews that I like.  Fortunately, my obligation to the theater is ended and I now have my life back!  Actually, it was a great time, but I'm very glad to have some time again to write about and review amazing craft beer.

As good fortune would have it, my father MOTHER, who lives close to the Wisconsin state line, was gracious enough to pick up some of New Glarus' Strawberry Rhubarb for me.  You may consider me excited.  Rhubarb in the spring and early summer is a childhood treat that I recall quite fondly.  Whether it was in a rhubarb crisp, rhubarb pie a la mode, or just raw dipped in sugar from the bottom of a Dixie cup, rhubarb is a tart, sweet treat that absolutely sings summer.  Mixing it with strawberries, as if often done in pies, is also awesome, though since I can find strawberries much more easily than rhubarb, I tend to be a bit of a "rhubarb purist" and try to find it featured by itself.  I'm also excited because, duh, it's New Glarus and they make some of the best fruit beers that you will find.  Even when their normal fruit crops were low in supply thanks to an drought-inducing and uncooperative Mother Nature, NG produced their Serendipity and made splendid results with what they had available.  One of my favorite "fruits" AND one of my favorite brewers?  I'm ready to get this party started.  Let's pour!

I love how even the red ink and the green top emulate both
of the fruits that comprise this excellent beer.

Aroma 11/12

When this was first opened I could smell candy in the air.  Sweet, sugary goodness enveloped me.  I was wondering if it would smell any different when the nose was close, but it would end up not varying too greatly from what was first detected.  This beer smells very sugared.  Like the best Jelly Belly ever.  Do you want that in a beer?  Your call.  I'm a little wary of it right now.  I like fruit, but I'm not here to drink the equivilant of Kool-Aid that I used to make as a kid with an extra two cups of sugar.  I'm not too worried because this is new Glarus, but usually their aromas are the strongest part of their beer and while this is far from bad, all the sweetness makes me nervous.  The aromas of each fruit are detectable and with the rhubarb the sugar goodness ends up working pretty well.  It's easy to remember those sugar-carrying Dixie cups we had as kids.  There is an attempt at a balancing agent, though I won't go as far as to use the term "bittering agent."  The sensation is more akin to that of a black tea.  As this warms, it shows a hints of mustiness and reminds me of real, fresh strawberry juice from my juicing days.  I suppose that gives some additional credence to it being more "authentic," but it smells so unbelievably sweet!  However when it comes to New Glarus, it is easy to give them the benefit of the doubt regarding authenticity.

Appearance 2/3
This looks pretty much like cider straight from the apple orchard after you've stirred up all the sediment in it.  For the most part, it's simply brown and cloudy, but New Glarus is full of tricks.  Hold it up to the light and you'll quickly see a glinting ruby with all but trace amounts of the brown leaving the glass completely.  Didn't see that coming!  The head is moderate in size, cream in color, dissipates rather quickly, but stays as a creamy covering on the surface.

Flavor 20/20
When you have a beer that contains such sweet ingredients as this, it's expected that when it first hits the tip of your tongue, you'll be hit with a very forward sweet flavor.  Expectation met.  Though in a brief rearranging of the expected order, the tart of the rhubarb comes forward first followed by the sugary wash of strawberry juice.  I suppose I would've expected the sweet sensation first given the placement of those particular taste buds on the tip of the tongue.  The tart makes room for the nectar-like strawberries with getting out entirely out of the way.  This two combine in the way they do in a well-made pie before turning to New Glarus' staple fruit beer finisher.  By that, I don't mean how the beer finishes, it just seems that if you hold a New Glarus fruit beer in your mouth they will all (Belgium Red, Raspberry Tart, Serendipity) resort to this darker, slightly more bitter flavor.  I wish I could describe it better.  I suppose it's like biting a bit too close to the core of an apple.  Still lots of the apple flavor that you expect, but just a hint of something bitter as well.  Only the sensation in the Strawberry Rhubarb isn't bitter, it's just... I don't know.  I just don't know what to accurately compare it to.  Perhaps the faint "tea" note from the aroma?  Do they age this in oak the way they do their Wisconsin Belgian Red?  Is it just the same malt base?  Are they again using aged Hallertau hops?  What is it?!?  I have a feeling that only Dan or Deb Carey can scratch this itch of curiosity, but if any of you awesome craft beer people out there know, PLEASE comment below!  The actual finish is a lingering tartness (no surprise there), that much like the beer when in the mouth, gives way to the "mystery flavor" in the aftertaste while the mouth is left with an unexpected dryness considering how sweet and tart the beer is.

Mouthfeel 5/5
As always, when it comes to New Glarus fruit beers, the mouthfeel is more than you expect.  They never miss a chance to dive out of the way of "average."  This brew successfully avoids the over bubbly and thin qualities that a lot of lesser lambics tend to find.  The beer, while ample in carbonation, provides it with microscopic bubbles.  This keeps the beer feeling lively in the mouth, but without the prickle of over-carbonation (or the burps).  It also lets the beer feel more substantial by allowing the drinker to feel more of the actual liquid than the bubbles, contributing to a heavier and silkier mouthfeel.

Overall Impression 10/10
It's a New Glarus fruit beer, what did you expect, a sub-par effort?  Other than an aroma that I basically couldn't convince my brain wasn't some crazy, new, amazing, Skittle flavor and a somewhat murky appearance, this beer earns top marks all around.  Strong aroma, well-blended and captured flavors, and a great mouthfeel all make this yet another fruit beer to find from New Glarus.  If you haven't had a New Glarus fruit beer, there's no excuse.  Make a friend in Wisconsin, trade them something amazing from your area, and get it.  If you want to drink world class beers, you can't miss them.

Total 48/50
I try hard to reserve high scores for beers that really "wow" me.  But how can you be wowed when you expect greatness?  It's like the honor roll student that brings home another report card full of straight A's.  "Great job honey.  Throw it on the pile with the rest of 'em."  But you know what?  It's still an A.  It's still another testament to continued excellence.  Some might say that this beer doesn't differ much from the other New Glarus fruit beers; that they just did it with a different fruit.  I say, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."  Dummies.  More for me.

Keep making the good stuff NG, and I'll keep puttin 'em away.  Cheers!

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 Belgium - Tart Lychee

The sour beer movement grows stealthily every day.  However, despite its recent press and critic acclaim I still have a rather difficult time finding many at my local bottle shop.  Granted, I live in midsize Midwest market, but it's still rather surprising to see Duchess de Bourgogne as the only sour beer staple inhabiting the shelves (OK, and technically the lambics).  For those unfamiliar, "sour beer" refers to those beers that are fermented using wild yeast of bacteria strains.  As their genre name implies, they often have a sour, tart, and/or acidic taste.  Typical brewing avoids these "contaminants" at all costs, but in sour beers they are welcomed.  Some common characters used in brewing sours beers are Brettanomyces (a.k.a. "Brett"), Lactobacillus, and Pediococcus.  Though the latter two are often known for their contribution to other foods besides beer: sauerkraut, yogurts, cheeses, pickles, cider, wine, kimchi, and sourdough bread to name a few.

Tart Lychee is beer that definitely steps outside any standard genre.  It is a sour ale, or American Wild Ale to be specific, with 56% of the ale aged in oak and 44% brewed with lychee and cinnamon.  Despite its pink exterior accents and sweet sounding ingredients, it still hefts a 7.5% ABV.  I'm excited to see if this beer will be a sweet treat or something with a little more "oomph."  Let's pour!

Aroma 10/12

Things begin, respectively, with a dusty barn smell, a note of the acid, and way back is a sweet, nectary fruit.  A little time to warm in the glass yields much more of the sweet, nectary smell, which has now morphed into a strawberry Starburst/pink Kool Aid type sweetness, and it is battling with the sour acidic aromas.  The acid does a superb job of balancing what appears to be a rather unyielding sweetness.  It also lends a bit of dryness almost like a champagne.  Overall, it's a very nice trifecta of sour, sweet, and dusty horse blanket.  Much to my surprise the cinnamon and oak are undetectable at this time.  Further warming erodes the sugary sweet note and leaves mostly the sour note to stand alone.

Appearance 3/3

It appears brightly enough in the bottle, but in the glass this beer is a cloudy glass full of earth color yellows, golden straw, and other shades of orange-yellow not out of place on a monarch butterfly or a  marigold garden.  Ridiculously small bubbles flit and dance their way to the top of the glass to sustain a ivory head that left a bit too soon.

Flavor 18/20

Given the reputation of the lychee fruit and the sweet aroma that made up one third of the nose, one could expect the first tastes to be very sweet as they contact they tip of the tongue.  Well, you know what Samuel L. Jackson says about assumptions...

The first flavors are actually quite neutral and sparkling with carbonation before the acidity takes the reins and refuses to let go.  It fades in with a champagne's dryness, but is instantly more acidic and sour once detectable.  Holding this beer in the mouth is full of a salty mineral note and lemon's acidity sans sweetness.  There are also notes of green apple.  It also grows more bitter in the mouth, leaving the hints of champagne further and further behind.  The origin of the growing bitterness is a mystery, but undoubtedly aided by the oak and the earthiness from the cinnamon, even if at this time no cinnamon flavor is detectable.  This is a nice wild ale combination of sour, funk, fruit, and the wood gently supporting them all.  The finish is a lingering, mouth-watering swallow that finally shows the cinnamon in a very subdued and appropriate role both in its flavor and with a slight tingle on the back of the tongue.  A good burp also brings back the cinnamon for a second visit.  The aftertaste is more bitter than sour, but even that flavor is timid at best.  However, despite the lack of lingering flavors, the mouth continues to salivate for quite some time.

Mouthfeel 4/5

This is a medium-bodied, highly carbonated beer, with invisible alcohol.  There is a tingle after the finish, but this could be from any number of contributors: alcohol, cinnamon, or acids.  Lots of flavor, but this beer never seems weighed down.  It has a crisp, lively mouthfeel that make it a perfect candidate for summer days or when you need a simple quenching.

Overall Impression 8/10

Not a bad sour by any means, but it's a far stretch from tasting like lychee.  The lychee was certainly present in the initial aroma, but was found lacking in any other aspect of the brew.  Color was typical for a sour and the carbonation, early on, went a bit beyond refreshing and bordered on distracting.  Its positives are the aroma, the strong sour, green apple and funk flavors, hidden ABV, and the easy-drinking body.  On a personal note, I really appreciated the subdued cinnamon as that particular spice has a tendency to overwhelm many of the beers to which it is added.

Total 43/50

Full disclosure, my experience with sours is limited.  In that same vein, my recollection of what lychee fruit tastes like is vague and based on impressions from a long, long time ago.  That said, this beer did not find cause me any trouble in getting to the bottom of the bottle.  It was crisp, flavorful, and of course sour.  Overall, its mostly sour with a bitter kick toward the end.  Unfortunately, there's not much sweetness to balance the sour and it results in what I feel is a rather simple creation.  I don't know when this was last bottled, but being that there is a large amount of sediment (and the high carbonation) in the bottle, I can infer that the yeast/bacteria continued to eat the sugars, perhaps leaving the beer much less sweet than when fresh.  Maybe.  Did anyone who had this beer fresh find the lychee and sweetness lacking?  Please feel free to comment.  There's plenty of the sour flavors, but in a beer that promises oak, sour, cinnamon, and the exotic ingredient of lychee fruit, just "sour" won't cut it.

21st Amendment - Hell or High Watermelon

It's that magical time of year when we start delving into some wonderful fruit beers that truly help to welcome in the fall season.  I refer of course to pumpkin, yam, and gourd beers.  Heck, I suppose a few folks are even releasing some cranberry beers, but as I am not a fan of cranberries I will continue to ignore them.  With all these new fruit beers (Yes, guy who knows everything, pumpkins are considered a fruit) being released I figured it was only appropriate to consume my last vestige of summer fruit beers.  Today's review is for 21st Amendment's Hell or High Watermelon.  Besides having a clever name and great can art (as always), I cannot say that I've ever had a watermelon beer before.  Nor have I ever fruited a beer with watermelon.  It just seems weird, which is why it's perfect.  New weird ingredient?  Count me in.  Neat talking point with fellow beer geeks?  Sign me up.  Answering questions with brief affirmations that end in prepositions?  Right on.  Let's pour!

Aroma 7/12

There are no bad smells coming from this beer.  Unfortunately, there are not much for good smells coming from this beer either.  It just sort of... exists.  At first, I got some aromas almost like a distant sour/wild ale and touches of the grain and lemon given by the wheat in the malt beer, but even as the beer warms it never opens.  I smell only the minuscule wheat and none of the sugary sweet watermelon that I expected.

Appearance 1/3

This poured with virtually no head and what did appear hissed away completely in well under ten seconds.  Unacceptable.  It pours a pale, straw yellow color and plenty of sediment has ended up at the bottom of my glass.  It is an unfortunate, drab shade of yellow and this beers sole redeeming visual quality is that any edge of the beer seems to have a slight pinkish tinge to it, as if the glass were outlined with this rosy hue.  It's a good thing we don't drink beer for how it looks.

Flavor 13/20

It starts out with a citrus hint, but is ultimately rather creamy in its initial flavor.  From there we are given a mouthful of the same light citrus and some very faint bitter before the beer settles in a very neutral way in the mouth.  Not too exciting.  Even a wine taster's slurp only manages to bring forward a slightly invigorated version of the light citrus with some grainy malts.  Overall, the citrus, the ever-so-slight bitter, and the yet-to-be-described carbonation combine for a pretty crisp beer, even if it isn't laden with flavor.  Oddly, the flavor picks up slightly in the finish.  We go from a grainy, mild, citrus splashed backbone, to a finish that begins with a very light candy-like sweetness courtesy of the watermelon.  It lingers into the finish before fading away slowly and leaving the mouth with the wheat's grain flavor.  Initially the finish is quenching, but somehow manages to leave the tongue dry as it continues.

Note:  The beer almost has to be room temperature before the watermelon enters the main flavor profile in any significant fashion.  I know it's supposed to be drank in the summer when it's warm out, but sheesh...

Mouthfeel 4/5

This is probably the most sound area of the beer.  It's light in body, well-populated with lively carbonation that dies down appropriately in the mouth, crisp at times, and drying in the finish.  This is one part of the recipe that could be a foundation for them to build up the other areas of the beer.  The mouthfeel has a lot going for it as a summer ale.

Overall Impression 4/10

Ultimately, this beer is average, but if one considers the potential involved having been brewed by 21A plus the fact that there was a cool new flavor involved, it ends up being more disappointing that if one had just been reviewing an average beer to begin with.  Everything save for the mouthfeel seemed to fall far from expectations.  The fruit barely contributes at all, the aroma is bland, and the flavor is grainy and muted.  As mentioned earlier, the mouthfeel shows promise and hopefully 21A continues to build on that cornerstone and surround it with a better base beer, perhaps some citrusy hops to strengthen the citrus of the wheat and the drying characteristic, and a watermelon flavor that is present in more than just the finish.

Total 24/50

Ouch.  To date, I believe this is my lowest score given.  Normally, I have in my mind that even a beer with no faults would score no lower than a 25/50, and that beers with faults (off flavors, off aromas, major style deficiencies) would be scored lower as necessary.  This beer is making me reconsider all of that.  Certainly, it is an average beer.  People who cling firmly to their adjunct lagers would have no problem drinking this beer.  However, my disappointment got the better of me and I had to score it low.  This is 21st Amendment after all!  I think it goes without saying that we expect some pretty premium stuff to flow from their camp (Monk's Blood, anyone?).  For them to put out this offering just seems like they're not trying.  Yes, I'm aware that 400 lbs of watermelon go into each batch.  Yes, I'm aware that this is a light, sessionable brew suitable for summer drinking.  There ARE things going for this beer, they are just grossly outweighed by what doesn't.  I feel a jerk handing down such a negative review without much constructive criticism, but  this beer could really benefit by scrapping it and starting anew.

Mikkeller - Ris a la M'ale

Let me begin by stating that I know absolutely nothing about this beer other than the following:

          1.  It is brewed with almonds and cherries.

          2.  It required me to undress it before consuming.

This beer came with an unusual paper wrapping that covered the beer.  

Fully clothed.

The wrapping laid out.

Sure it kind of looks fancy (as does the cork & cage) and I like opening presents as much as the next guy, but I appreciate it more knowing that it inevitably helped keep sunlight from reaching the beer.  Much like the wrapping, the bottle size is also unusual, ringing in at 12.7 oz.  Go figure.  Mikkeller has never had a reputation for doing this according to convention, after all.  This is something I really like about them, so it only adds to my excitement to try this beer.  Let's pour!

Aroma 10/12

It begins rather vinously, but soon lets in floral notes which are quickly usurped by a sharper citrus aroma.  The sour cherries come behind that citrus, but blend very well with it.  A warmth becomes apparent from time to time but is well hidden.

Appearance 3/3

Generally fruit beers have little head, but this proved to be the exception in its size but not its duration.  It provided about a finger of fizzy head that didn't linger long, yet still managed to leave some lacing - definitely not something I expected in a fruit beer.  It pours the color of a blush wine, but once in the glass it becomes a cloudy sunset red at the bottom with some cider-like brown hues toward the top.  Very interesting color palette.

Flavor 15/20

What a unique brew.  This is not overly sweet or tart like most cherry beers, but instead appears to be using the almonds as a balancing agent instead of combining them both into some sort of "amaretto beer."  It begins with a very light, barely tart, cherry flavor and when held in the mouth the sweetness dulls a bit more.  Holding in the mouth also brings that citrus sharpness on the sides of the tongue and a slight bitter not unlike the rind of a fruit.  As the beer warms the cherry's and almond's sweetness come forward nicely, but make sure not to create an overly sweet beer.  Balance was definitely considered when making this beer and it was not in vain.  This is especially evident in the finish.  Immediately after swallowing a sweet gulp of cherry/almond/tart goodness, the finish provides a perfect amount of light bitter to balance the sweetness as well as aid to a cleaner finish.  This is not a beer that will leave your mouth slimy with sugars!  In fact, even though it's a cherry beer the bitter wins out in the finish and carries on into the aftertaste.  Not a particularly strong beer, but if the fruit flavors were more intense, I don't see how it could maintain this balance.

Mouthfeel 4/5

It started out very much like one would expect a fruit beer to start: high levels of champagne-like carbonation that prick the tongue.  Even though this is only a 12.7 fl oz bottle, those levels died down pretty quickly and the bottom half of the bottle was much easier to drink.  The body isn't heavy, but it's larger than one expects a fruit beer to be, and the 8.0% ABV must have been contributed by ninjas because it is completely invisible.

Overall Impression 5/10

I think that the more I drank of this beer the less I was impressed.  Yes, there was a good, less than authentic, cherry sweetness and it wasn't overdone.  It also managed to provide a great balance and a nice finish for we would all assume to be a sweeter style of beer.  However, while the flavor was balanced, it wasn't all that present to begin with.  As mentioned earlier, a more intense fruit beer will be harder to balance (any and all brewmasters, please read that as a challenge).  However, dulling down the fruit (a.k.a. flavor) for the sake of balance is... well... cheating.  Don't rob me of flavor, just try to balance it out some other way.  Some could call this beer nuanced, but I feel like it's just a weaker version of a cherry ale.

Total 37/50

Had only this beer turned out like its promising aroma!  Heck, I might've even been pleased with a sweeter brew, whether that be like a lambic or like an amaretto.  The aroma was quite nice, but the flavor seemed thin and bland in comparison.  For those that dig a more mellow, less sweet, fruit beer, this could be right up your alley.  However, for those of us who have easy access to New Glarus' Wisconsin Belgian Red (and enjoy a fruit beer from time to time), this brew simply does not cut the mustard.  I appreciate their attempt at balance, I really do.  Balance is seldom a bad thing, but in this case it comes at the expense of flavor.  Bummer for Mikkeller since I really admire the brewery and what they do.  However, this beer does not live up to their high standard.

Dark Horse - Raspberry Ale

I have had some brews that I really enjoy from Dark Horse Brewing Co in Michigan.  I have also had some amazing LMS (Lake Michigan Shore) wines from Michigan.  Some of those wines are fruit based as Michigan has a rather robust fruit trade during the summer months.  It lends itself well to tremendous cherry treats (wines, jams), fantastic farmers' markets, sweet strawberries, and boast-worthy blueberries.  OK, enough alliteration.  What I am getting at is that this beer from the midwest was brewed in a state particularly known for its fruit-bearing prowess.  That and the depiction of some rather aggressive looking bees on the front tell me there should also be some honey involved.  It should be a nice summer treat.  Let's pour!

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

Aroma 9/12
The initial sniffs from the 2-3oz sample are of a very acidic malt.  Once the head dies down a small plastic carton of raspberries greets the nose, but is made to seem false by the acidity.  In fact, the acidity allows the drinker to believe that there may be a larger amount of grapefruit flavored hops involved than this style would use or require.  There is also a floral ester that reminds one of trees blooming in springtime.  This aroma combined with the raspberry is a beautiful harmony that is unfortunately made less by the dissonant acidity. I can see including bees on the label for the floral esters, but there is no honey to be detected.  Halfway through the pint a smell not unlike a red malt is detectable.

Appearance 2/3
The beer pours lightly in a bright, light-ochre hue and in the right lighting, nearly a strawberry blonde.  However, that may be the wishful thinking of the drinker while having a "raspberry" ale in hand.  The head appears a moderately-sized sudsy ivory, but dissolves quickly away.  This is not a large surprise in a beer with such an acidic nose.

Picture is my own.

Flavor 12/20
Not a terrible beer, but where are the raspberries?  The taste is certainly acidic but the genuine fruit from the aroma has all but vanished.  This is especially true after attempts to raise the sediment from the bottom have been made.  Then the flavor grows even dimmer!  The backbone is diminished to a yeasty, sour combination of things.  In fact, this beer has a distinct bitter tinge even through the backbone of what is supposed to be a lighter, fruiter, refreshing summer brew.  Only in the finish does the authentic raspberry flavor start to poke through again.  It yields quickly to a cleaner aftertaste with a light-to-moderate hop bitter.  The bitter sticks out more and more as it goes.  It is appropriate for someone offering a more "gutsy" fruit beer, but without the fruit for balance, it seems a bit out of place.  Side note:  again no honey, despite the bees depicted on the label.

Mouthfeel 3/5
Really nothing wrong here.  In fact, Dark Horse has made this a bit more full bodied than most fruity summer ales that are offered.  Carbonation is bubbly and refreshing to the end of the pint.  There is no warmth or creaminess of which to speak.

Overall Impression 3/10
It is a raspberry ale that does not taste much at all like raspberries.  While the brewery has tried to give a brew that is more substantial in terms of body, color, malt profile, and bitterness it fell rather flat on the aspect of flavor.  This could be a very nice regular ale minus the fruit/acidity plus some minor tweaks, but as it stands this is an unfortunate offering from a brewery not accustomed to such things.

Total 30/50
This score places it at the very bottom of the "Very Good" category and that seems mildly generous.   I want a beer that is not some "fruited-up one trick pony" as much as the next guy, but when you say a beer is flavored a certain way, please ensure that it is.  Not much else to say.  I would not spend money on this again and would focus on other fine offerings from Dark Horse. The search for more non-lambic fruit-based beers continues.

Note:  I do know of a few non-lambic fruit-based beers, but if anyone has any knock out suggestions, I am more than willing to try them out.  Cheers!

New Glarus - Unplugged/Apple Ale

After a road trip to New Glarus Brewery and picking up some unusual bottles I headed home excited about the reviews that were to come.  This is one of those reviews.  It is from something that New Glarus is now apparently calling "Unplugged," though I have seen this Apple Ale in its own packaging before.  There are now several brews in this "Unplugged" label, usually accompanied with a red foil top.  Initially, I thought it was to save costs for limited releases (each unique beer would not require its own label), but on the side each one still has a description of the beer.  So that theory is down the tubes.  It does have the following paragraph on each Unplugged bottle before that unique beer's description.

"Some people pain, some sing, others write... I brew." -Daniel Carey

A few times a year we will cut Dan loose to brew whatever he chooses, uncensored, uncut, unplugged. Always handcrafted, the bottle you hold is brewed for the adventurous soul.  This is a very limited edition and we make no promises to ever brew this style again.

This is right up my alley and I'm sure most other craft beer drinkers as well.  Limited supply, encouraged brewer creativity, "adventurous soul," maybe never brewed again... what more do you want?!?  This description plus the distinction of New Glarus Brewery has me very excited to crack this brew open.  Let's pour!

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

Aroma 8/12

There are some very good things happening in the aroma.  Initial inhales instantly imply apple.  Much like their other fruit-based brews, it is an authentic fruit smell, and not artificially sweet.  After the initial effervescence slows down, an extremely faint, biscuity malt shows through, and is then overcome again by the smell of apples.  The reprise of the apples is more cidery than the initial aroma, bearing both the sour and the spice characteristics of true apple cider.  One could definitely compare it to sparkling cider, but with more authenticity.  No are hops detectable.

Appearance 2/3

The pour creates a medium-sized, white head that collapses quickly.  The appearance of this ale seems to mix the clarity of apple juice (completely translucent) and the color of apple cider (dark rust).  A nice nod to its namesake and combines nice elements of both.  There was no lacing left on the glass.

Flavor 14/20

A tasty beer, but it is difficult to discern the 'ale' in this 'Apple Ale.'  The apples are certainly present.  Their sweetness is the first sensation and very pleasant.  It transitions quickly to the slightly spiced/bitter cidery flavor and stays there until the finish, which is fantastic.  It finishes with a buttery(!) note, but without completely losing the sweetness of the apple.  Very neat and very complimentary sensation!  However, any malt presence is beyond my palate to detect unless it is blended with the sweetness of the apple.  This beer states it has a brown ale base, but it is completely lost in the cidery/goodness.  As it stands, this beer is extremely flavorful, but not true to style.

Mouthfeel 3/5

Extremely light in body and "Woodchuck-esque" in its drinkability.  It is a very satiating brew.  Moderate carbonation throughout the pint allows the aromas to reappear again and again.  That is not always an easy ask after already having tasted the beer.

Overall Impression 6/10

This is tasty, but for the price (Unplugged series are typically sold in 4-packs around $8, at least at the brewery) I would rather try one of their other specialty beers.  This beer lacks the complexity of other fruit-based New Glarus offerings and is more of a cider than an ale.  Its clarity, good carbonation, fruit-dominated flavor, and nearly imperceptible malt all point to cider (yes, I am aware ciders do not employ malts in their brewing process).

Total  33/50

I am a little disappointed with this New Glarus offering, but perhaps only because they have set the bar so high for themselves with prior offerings.  This beer still tastes great, but it reminds me a little too much of Woodchuck's Fall Cider without all the punch-you-in-the-face amount of spices.  In fact, because I do not expect a lot from a Woodchuck I was extremely pleased with their Fall Cider and looked for it several times during the season.  This New Glarus bottle had all my expectations upon it and I was left wanting.

          The true apple taste allow this brew to be marketed as a fall (yum, apples!) or sumer seasonal (very satisfying on a hot day).  Overall, it lacks the complexity and nuance that I have come to associate with New Glarus.  To me, this tasted like a cider and I would challenge most others to try and discern the difference in appearance or taste.  Due to its diverging from the style, this beer has suffered some points.  In summary, I liked Woodchuck's seasonal and I like this.  I simply have come to expect more from the excellent brewers at New Glarus than this simple, not-to-style offering.

UPDATE:  Be sure to check out the "redemption bottle" that helped this brew, but not perfect it.

New Glarus - Wisconsin Belgian Red

Well, friends,  I have been waiting to sample this beer for some time.  It has been sitting in my fridge for a bit, waiting for just the right moment.  Apparently, that moment was today.  This beer has a bit of a reputation (as does the brewery) and I was trying not to build it up too much in my mind - I have to give a fair review after all.  The bottle claims loudly that it is a "Belgian red style," and (a little less loudly) that it is a "Wisconsin ale brewed with cherries."  In fact, the bottle description claims that "a pound of Door County Cherries" goes into every bottle.  For those of you unfamiliar with Wisconsin, Door County is the tip of Wisconsin that extends out as a peninsula into Lake Michigan.  It is known for its wine, natural beauty, fruits, culinary delights, and other such delicacies which easily fit into the "finer things."  I'm more than anxious to try this beer.  Let's pour!

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

Aroma 11/12

Its a bouquet of cherries.  Period.  Please do not read this as cherry cough syrup or maraschino cherry or cherry flavor slurpy.  This smells like proper cherries right from the tree.  There are sour notes and light hints of spice.  It is difficult to get much else through those cherries.  Wow!

Appearance 3/3

Besides the smell, it even looks like authentic cherries.  No candy apple reds here, just a very dark, wonderful hue of amber.  It is slightly translucent when held to light, otherwise the picture tells all.  The head size was nice from the pour, but did not stick around long.  The head originally appeared peach in color, but settled down to a nice cream color instead.  Its texture was like the lightest whipped cream you have ever had, but still maintained decent carbonation.  Just like whipped cream compliments a dessert, the head was a perfect compliment to the beer beneath.  I would like to deduct a point for its lackluster head retention, but am hard-pressed to do so when it was so very pleasant when it was around.  I think I just wanted more of it!  EBC ranking is 38.

Picture is my own.

On a side note, this beer is capped with red wax.  The was does not look as glamorous as that on Maker's Mark, but it still makes you take a step back when you see it.  Beer with wax must mean business, right?  I felt that deserved another picture.

Picture is my own

Flavor 18/20

Not to be let down, this beer delivers on its taste of cherries.  It is not the fake taste of sweeteners (New Glarus has a reputation to defend after all), nor ciders, but real, honest juice.  The taste seems too complex to allow otherwise.  The sour hints in the aroma were false, it was simply the tart of the cherries.  This is delicious and the cherries are not overwhelming.  After holding this in the mouth for a moment, a bitter taste begins to evolve.  Almost as if it were dark cherries?  I am not sure what causes this, but the bitter finish is certainly present and rounded out by a cherry aftertaste.  I would rather that bitter finish be replaced by a warmth or a vinous finish. This beer is not a lambic, nor a "wine-beer" (like Dogfish Head's 'Red & White'), but its own version of those two tastes.

Mouthfeel 4/5

The body is certainly more "beer-like" than one would expect with its juice-based roots.  However, it is still extremely light (think American lager).  I do perhaps it were not so light, but with more body this beer might fall into the  "syrupy" trap that so many other beers find too easy to do.  I also imagine a bit more warmth might make this an even more successful venture for New Glarus, but may tread the line of becoming a port (without the smokiness).

Overall Impression 9/10

A fantastic beer from top to bottom.  Despite its extreme flavor, it remains very drinkable and light.  This is definitely an experience that I recommend.  It is another excellent alternative to the lambics out there and another fun thing against which to compare them.  The only factor keeping this beer from a perfect 10 was the bitter sensations.  I found it a bit distracting.  I worry that it was supposed to be a more "mature" flavor to round out all the sweetness, but I did not find it complimentary.  There must be a better way if that is their intent.

Total 45/50

A ranking of 45 earns the Wisconsin Belgian Red the description, "World-class example of style."  The only problem is, I am not sure what that style would be.  It has more body and richer flavor than lambics that I have tasted.  It lacks the vinous nature of some beer-wines (the aforementioned Red & White, etc).  It is just plain better than hard ciders with its fuller body, delicate head, and complexities.  It is wonderfully sweet, without overwhelming the drinker.  I had no problems finishing this bottle (1 pint, 9 fl oz), nor do I believe I would have such problems in the future.  Kudos, New Glarus!  This was quite a treat.