!@#$%^&*()

beer. things I build. misfit toys. self-contained islands of said things. monstrous amalgams of said things.

[malapropian]

Lúpulo de Hielo (Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales)

The beer pours golden orange and hazy, with a two-finger head. The aroma is funky, with a lime-like citric quality. The taste is immediately and increasingly sour, with moderate hoppiness, subtle squash-like notes and a lingering vinous finish. The body is just above light, with a slightly resinous quality to the mouthfeel. Overall, I enjoyed the complexity of this beer. The intensity of the sourness reminded me a of a good gueuze, while the hoppiness and other spices took me in another direction entirely.

[malapropian]

St. Louis Gueuze Fond Tradition (Brouwerij Van Honsebrouck)

The beer is colored something between orange and mahogany, with a one-finger head. It smells like a funky blend of cider and wine. The taste is moderately sour and lemon-like. The mouthfeel is just above light, in the medium-bodied realm of beers, with a surprisingly smooth finish.

Overall, this beer is enjoyable, but a level below the upper-echelon of lambic blends. When I pop the cork on a gueuze, I do so hoping for skin-ripping sourness, and this beer just doesn't quite have that.

[malapropian]

Spring Sour (Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales)

The Spring Sour is a blend of five different beers (Bam Bière, Noel de Calabaza, Bog Beast, Humongous and Berserker) ranging in style from saison to porter, so it's no surprise that the final product is something entirely unique and memorable.

The brew is colored auburn, and arrived with a quickly dissipating one-finger head. It smells incredibly fruity and wine-like. The taste is initially like the nose, very tart with an immediately noticeable tinge of grape-like fruitiness.  The finish, however, completely surprises with a subtle note of freshly-brewed coffee, presumably from the porter content of this blend.  The mouthfeel is medium and slightly resinous, with a moderate cheek-pulling sourness throughout. 

Overall, this beer is one of the most complex and interesting beers that I've ever come across. To say that I enjoyed it would be a massive understatement. The brewers at Jolly Pumpkin are truly masters of Belgian blending techniques, and with this beer, they've used their skills in a way that is nothing short of inspiring. A+

[malapropian]

Gueuze Girardin (Brouwerij Girardin)

The beer pours golden-amber, with a one-and-a-half finger head. The aroma is dominated by a Brettanomyces derived barnyard funk, with undertones of lemon rind. The taste follows similarly, but defined more by Lactobacillus than Brett, producing something tart, sour and citric, with an earthy, acidic finish. The mouthfeel is smooth, biting and just above light, in the moderate-to-medium bodied realm of beers.

Overall, a fantastic lambic blend -- my favorite to date.

[malapropian]

Fermentation Cabinet -- Part II

Lately, I've been broke. I've also been sick. The latter has kept me from drinking great beers. The former, recently remedied, has kept me from finishing my fermentation cabinet.

Over the last few days I've brought the project significantly closer to its completion -- securing the insulation, making it airtight with foil tape, and cutting a door. I still need to buy an external temperature controller for the refrigerator, as well as a fan for air distribution. These tasks, and the cabinet as a whole, should be done by the beginning of next week. Then, to the point of it all... more home brewing!

[malapropian]

Burly Belgo India Pale Ale (North Peak Brewing Company)

An IPA with Belgian flair that pours golden-orange and clear, with a foaming two-finger head. There is a prominent aroma of citrus and pine, with undertones of clove and pepper. The flavor is dominated by a hoppy, tongue-biting bitterness intertwined with a crescendoing citrus character and a spicy pine finish. The mouthfeel is medium-light and resinous.

Overall, an above-average "Belgo" IPA that diverges only slightly from the American definition of the style.

[malapropian]

Saison Dupont (Brasserie Dupont)

It pours slightly darker than the color of straw and hazy, with a three-finger head. Upon closer inspection, it yields an intense and steady release of tiny carbonated bubbles, manifesting as if from nothing, and rushing to join the already formidable froth. The smell is extremely fruity and slightly phenolic. The taste is dry and champagne-like with a strong citrusy finish -- probably most akin to lemons. The mouthfeel is light and stingingly carbonated.

Overall, this beer is amazing. It famously defines the style, and refreshes in a way that is rarely matched. This is summer in a bottle, and if I were a Wallonian farmer in the early 20th century, I'd drink it instead of water.

[malapropian]

Festival Saison (Arbor Brewing Company)

The beer appears dense and flat, with no visible head.  It smells like lemons, and tastes the same way, but with an additional butteriness and a finish that transitions toward bananas.  The mouthfeel is like the appearance -- thick and syrupy.

A saison should be light to medium in body, but this beer is exceptionally heavy.  I also find it strange that it is ENTIRELY lacking in effervescence.  Where is the vigorous release of carbonation that is quintessential to this style?  Overall, it's a decent beer, but it doesn't really seem like a saison.

[malapropian]

Chips and Salsa Lager (Arbor Brewing Company)

In celebration of Cinco de Mayo, a lager brewed with salt, corn flour, tomatoes, cilantro, garlic, onions and jalapeño peppers.

The beer appears golden-yellow with a one-finger head.  It smells strongly of salsa, with undertones of maltiness.  The taste is similar in that it's like someone accidentally poured salsa into an under-hopped lager and tried to get away with serving it as a specialty brew -- I understand what they were going for, but the character seems forced and WAY too pronounced.

I drank about half of this beer before I could drink no more, and even reaching that point was a challenge.  I've rarely encountered such an undrinkable brew.

[malapropian]

Oude Gueuze (Hanssens Artisanaal)

An authentic Belgian gueuze (lambic blend), matured three or more years.

Pours orangish-yellow with a thin head over a dense population of pronounced bubbles.  Smells very funky and cider-like. The taste follows this closely -- dry, sour and funky with a slight citrus character to the finish.  A superb representation of the style.

[malapropian]

Sky High Rye (Arcadia Brewing Company)

A great example of a RyePA -- moderate bitterness derived almost as much from the rye as the hops, finishing slightly more astringent than the initial taste, but not at all overwhelming.

[malapropian]

Old Tjikko Spruce Ale (Arbor Brewing Company)

A subtle piney aroma lost mostly to fruitiness. Similar in the taste with mild bitterness and a slightly resinous mouthfeel. Pretty good.

[malapropian]

I'm building a fermentation cabinet.  

It's basically an insulated box with temperatures maintained by an attached mini-fridge (maybe a space heater during the colder months) and a thermostat.

I started the build yesterday, and I should finish most of it today.  It involves using a circular saw in my living room -- apartment living is great.  More pictures to follow (if I still have fingers).

[malapropian]

For Future Consideration

Go back a few entries and find out that my pale ale didn't exactly turn out as planned -- chloramine and subsequently created chlorophenols are the bane of my existence.  I am so much more aware of the swimming pool flavor of my drinking water because of this experience (read: subconsciously seeking recurring disappointment).  I'm also frustrated with the books that told me not to worry (I'm looking at you, Papazian) -- the message of "if you can drink it, you can brew with it" is abjectly wrong (see: 1 2).

Grumble, grumble... I'm armed with "experience" (like what I tell myself after losing a hundred bucks in a single hand of no-limit).

What's next?  Make more beer!  Even though my first brew was a disaster, I understand the process, and I'm ready to "not go gentle into that good night."  I'm going to harvest some yeast from a few choice beers of the sour variety, and with that, brew a saison for the summer months.  Shortly thereafter I'm going to brew an IPA for bitter balance.  

Here's to second (and third) attempts and the bastardization of great poetry in the context of mediocre movies from the 90s that I secretly enjoy way too much.

[malapropian]

Bambic (Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales)

A blend of Jolly Pumpkin's Bam Bière and their super-aged Lambicus Dexterius. Wow. So. Sour. Minimal head that vanishes almost immediately. Brettanomyces-laden, pucker-inducing, saison-on-lambic goodness -- pretty much everything that I love about Jolly Pumpkin is in this bottle to the nth degree (and on draught for a limited time!).

[malapropian]

Bière de Mars (Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales)

A bière de garde that should be shared with the beer-disparaging wine snobs in your life.

If you paired this with an aged cheddar, you wouldn't be disappointed.

[malapropian]

Calabaza Blanca (Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales)

A Belgian-style witbier. Pale and unfiltered. Citrusy aroma. Sour funk complementing a vigorous and refreshing release of carbonation. This is a great Michigan beer.