The Year in Beer

A non-snooty guide to the world of beer, from Natural Ice to Sam Adams Utopias and everything in between, as explored by two guys from Central Illinois. var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www."); document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E")); try { var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-12440499-1"); pageTracker._trackPageview(); } catch(err) {}

[yearinbeer]

Name Your Own Beer

Name: Name Your Own Beer

Brewer: Kickapoo Creek Brewing Co., Downs, Ill.

By the numbers: About 180 calories per 12 oz.; 6 percent alcohol by volume

Notes: This was the most recent home brew that Ryan and I made. It had been a very long time since we made one and we weren't sure we knew what we were doing at times. Anyway, we got the ingredients from one of the two home brew shops here in Bloomington-Normal, Ill. Actually, the one we went to is owned by a co-worker of mine. He helped us decide on this American Pale Ale recipe. So, given the time since last brew and the new approach, it was kind of surprising that this turned out to be probably the best beer we've made. The beer poured a cloudy orange amber, with a thin cream-colored head. The aroma was more sweet than citrus, like you'd expect from a good pale ale, but the hops sure hit you first in the flavor. The taste was acidic and slightly bitter, but it finished with a warm caramel taste. It was actually a very well-balanced beer that had a mix of the characteristics that Ryan and I like in beer. It doesn't have a label because I wasn't feeling very creative at the time we bottled it, but this beer probably deserved better. Or maybe it was better to let the beer speak for itself.

Try it with: Another home brew. Ryan and I will be brewing another beer this weekend, but it's from a very well-known recipe. We will be brewing the White House Honey Porter recipe release by the Obama White House in September. Except we're brewing it with honey from Clinton. (Insert your own Monica Lewinsky joke here).

    -- Posted by Mike Freimann

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Batch 19

Name: Batch 19

Brewer: Coors Archive Brewing, Golden, Colo.

By the numbers: About 165 calories; 5.5 percent alcohol by volume.

Notes: I love history. In particular, I love the history of the 20th Century. I'm a fan of Boardwalk Empire on HBO. Its topic is the Prohibition Era. I bring this up because it's relevant to the story of Batch 19. This beer is brewed by Coors Brewing. Coors calls it a "pre-Prohibition lager." In fact, Coors goes so far as to say this beer is closer to its "original recipe" than the current Banquet Beer. The story is that they found this lost recipe among old records dating back to the Prohibition era. So, what does it taste like? Well, it reminds me of American-style lagers that I may or may not have sampled as a kid in the 1970s. It poured an amber gold, with a bright white head. The aroma was bitter, but the taste was sweet and malty. It did have a bitter bite at the end. If Coors tasted like this now, I would consider drinking it regularly.

Try it with: An episode of Boardwalk Empire on HBO. I really liked this show in its first two seasons. Then they killed off two of the most interesting characters and this season started slowly. But now it's starting to get cooking. More booze, more boobs. Pour the beer.

    -- Posted by Mike Freimann

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Newcastle Werewolf

Name: Newcastle Werewolf

Brewer: Caledonian Brewing Company Limited, Edinburgh, Scotland

By the numbers: About 135 calories per 12 oz.; 4.5 percent alcohol by volume

Notes: This is one of several small batch brews the Newcastle introduced as seasonal offerings in 2011. They decided to bring this one back for fall in 2012. Newcastle is a well-known English brown ale available in many bars. This one is an Irish Red Ale that shares many characteristics with the brown ale. It poured a reddish amber and had the same bitter aroma as Newcastle Brown, thanks to the Goldings and Fuggles hops. The taste was dry but also seemed to have a somewhat spicy rye character, though I don't know if the beer has any rye in it. I didn't love it, but then I think there are many brown ales made in America that are better than Newcastle, which has a kind of macrobrew feel.

Try it with: A need to catch up on a lot of free beers I've sampled lately. I have a pretty long roster of beer, both gifts and stuff I've bought, that I plan to blog about still this year. So, I've decided to spend my slow Sunday putting up a few entries.

    -- Posted by Mike Freimann

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November Gale Pale Ale

Name: November Gale Pale Ale

Brewer: Keweenaw Brewing Company, Houghton, Mich.

By the numbers: About 150 calories per 12 oz.; 5 percent alcohol by volume

Notes: Yet another gift from traveling friends, this relatively new microbrew is only available in Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota. The brewer is located in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan near Lake Superior. That's important to know because the name of this beer is taken from the early winter lake storms that hamper shipping. The "Gales of November" were made somewhat famous by the Gordon Lightfoot song "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald". In fact, I couldn't stop humming that tune as I drank this beer. Keweenaw produces six beers, all sold in orange cans. The picture on this can is of the Gull Rock lighthouse, off the coast of the Keweenaw Peninsula. Anyway, I digress. This beer poured a brilliant orange hue with a bright white head that matched the labeling. The aroma was fruity, but citrusy, like oranges and grapefruit. The hop flavor of this pale ale was aggressive, but the overall result was a pretty easy-drinking ale.

Try it with: One of the first semi-lazy weekends we've had in quite some time. No invites, activities or obligations. We cleaned house and now I'm switching between racing at Talladega and football. Nice.

    -- Posted by Mike Freimann

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Totally Naked

Name: Totally Naked

Brewer: New Glarus Brewing Co., New Glarus, Wis.

By the numbers: About 150 calories per 12 oz.; 5 percent alcohol by volume

Notes: Somehow I get the feeling that following up a review of Two Women with one for Totally Naked is going to have The Year in Beer showing up in a lot of Google searches for porn. Anyway, this summer seasonal from the Wisconsin brewer was another beer I got from a friend. New Glarus calls it a Wisconsin Lager and stresses the simple nature of this beer. Once again, I'd call it a Pilsner variety, based on the color, taste and hop varieties. It poured a brilliant golden yellow, which made me think of summer, and had a thick white head. The aroma had a hint of sweetness, with nothing bitter. The taste was malty yet crisp, with a nice soft noble hop bitterness. I enjoyed it.

Try it with: Bidding farewell to summer. Though the season ended nearly three weeks ago, we've still have some lingering warm days. Until this week that is. It's been downright chilly the past few and we even had some frost. Summer is gone and it's about time to break out the stouts and porters, people.

    -- Posted by Mike Freimann

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Two Women

Name: Two Women

Brewer: New Glarus Brewing Company, New Glarus, Wis.

By the numbers: About 150 calories per 12 oz.; 5 percent alcohol by volume

Notes: This beer takes its name from the fact that it's a collaboration between two brewers, New Glarus and Weyermann Malting, who include women among their top officers. New Glarus describes this as a Country Lager. I've never heard of that style. I'd call it a pilsner and a good one. It pours a golden amber color, with a bright white head. The aroma is of noble hops, with the Hallertau Mittelfruh hops clearly noticeable. The taste is sweet and crisp, like a Munich-style lager. This is a very good beer.

Try it with: A long day of yard work. I spent many hours today doing fall chores and Two Women is a great beer for cooling down after working in the yard. Too bad it's only available in Wisconsin. This is another of those beers I received recently from friends who made a trip across the border. More to come.

    -- Posted by Mike Freimann

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Santo

Name: Santo

Brewer: Saint Arnold Brewing Co., Houston, Texas

By the numbers: About 145 calories per 12 oz., 4.7 percent alcohol by volume

Notes: Saint Arnold, founded in 1994, bills itself as the oldest craft brewery in Texas, which I guess probably depends on whether you consider the Spoetzl Brewery, makers of Shiner beer and founded in 1909, to be a craft brewer or not. Saint Arnold takes its name from Saint Arnulf of Metz, the patron saint of brewers, and the Houston-based brewer has gotten some pretty good press of late. Anyway, about this beer. Santo is an interesting mix of styles. It looks and smells like a nut brown ale or maybe a porter, with a deep reddish brown color and a coffee and toffee aroma. The body, though, is very light for such a dark beer. The taste follows through on the aroma with a nice coffee finish. Saint Arnold refers to it as a Black Kolsch, though except for the body I didn't see much of the traditional German Kolsch style. It's a good, well-made beer, but I didn't love it.

Try it with: The generosity of others. My friend Rhonda brought me this beer after a road trip west that included a stop in Houston. I haven't found it around here yet, but that may change when our new Binny's opens. The next few beers coming up in the Year in Beer will also be hard to get brands delivered by traveling friends. Stay tuned.

    -- Posted by Mike Freimann

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Lakefront Pumpkin Lager

Name: Lakefront Pumpkin Lager

Brewer: Lakefront Brewery Inc., Milwaukee, Wis.

By the numbers: About 180 calories per 12 oz.; 6 percent alcohol by volume

Notes: This nicely-spiced pumpkin lager makes a good fall companion for the previously-reviewed Oktoberfest. It poured a cloudy, golden orange. The taste was crisp and spicy with a sweet pumpkin finish. This is a very good lager and a great fall beer. We picked it up at the brewery on Aug. 9 and the label said it was brewed in August, so I guess it was pretty fresh. The spicy aroma of this beer reminded me of Lakefront's Holiday Spice Lager, though that one has a lot more alcohol.

Try it with: Longer shadows. I've been noticing the change in the sun's position, even though our temperatures haven't changed a lot during the day. The nights are cooler, but fall will be coming quickly and this beer will be good for that.

    -- Posted by Mike Freimann

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Lakefront Oktoberfest

Name: Oktoberfest Lager Beer

Brewer: Lakefront Brewery Inc., Milwaukee, Wis.

By the numbers: About 170 calories per 12 oz.; 5.7 percent alcohol by volume

Notes: I couldn't let August fly by without making a post to the Year in Beer. So far, there's been a post in every month for 2 years. Anyway, let's start the annual review of fall seasonals with this decent brew from a fun brewer out of Milwaukee. I've enjoyed most of the Lakefront beers I've tried and this was no exception. It poured a pretty amber color with a thin head. The aroma was sweet and malty, just as you'd expect. The taste started sweet and finished crisp, with a little bitter on the back end. Not the best Marzen I've ever had, but a pretty good take.

Try it with: A visit to the brewery. I picked up this and Lakefront's Pumpkin Lager during a late summer visit to Milwaukee. The tour of the brewery cost $7, but included samples and a nice pint glass. The staff was knowledgeable and funny, which made it even more worth the while. Don't let the name fool you, though. The brewery is actually on the banks of the Milwaukee River, tucked under a bridge that thoroughly befuddled my GPS. I'm glad we found it though.

    -- Posted by Mike Freimann

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Shiner Prickly Pear

Name: Shiner Prickly Pear

Brewer: Spoetzl Brewery, Shiner, Texas

By the numbers: About 130 calories per 12 oz.; About 4.2 percent alcohol by volume

Notes: I haven't been a huge fan of Shiner beers in the past, but this one was something a little different. My biggest knock on Shiner beers has been that they pretty much taste the same or at least are in the middle of the road flavor range. They're not bad, but not great. This beer stands out. Part of Shiner's Brewer's Pride Craft Brew series, it's a refreshing summer beer made with a fruit you don't often see in beers, the prickly pear. It poured a deep golden color with a thin head and a fruity aroma. The taste was light and tart and the finish was very dry. I got this beer in a variety pack and from what I've read that's the only way to get it this year.

Try it with: A record-breaking drought. This, my friends, has been a long, hot summer which is why my beer tastes haven't strayed far from Samuel Adams Summer Lager and Cherry Wheat. But this was a nice change up.

    -- Posted by Mike Freimann

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Sheriff's India Pale Ale

Name: Sheriff's India Pale Ale

Brewer: Sherwood Forest Brewers Ltd., Marlborough, Mass.

By the numbers: About 165 calories per 12 oz.; 5.4 percent alcohol by content

Notes: I tried this brewer's Friar's Belgian Style White Ale about 2 years ago during the original Year in Beer and I described it as the "worst beer ever." In fact, I poured most of it out. So, you may ask, what would get me to try another one? Well, please know that I didn't buy this one. It was given to me by a friend who picked up a couple in a mixed six pack and didn't like it. So I took it, but let it sit in my refrigerator quite a while. Recently, I was on a kick to drink up all the stray beer I had in there from parties and friends before buying new beer, so I gave this one a try. It's not good either, as far as IPAs go, but at least I could finish it. It had an indistinct citrus aroma, a very thin head and a somewhat chalky mouth feel. It was just "blah".

Try it with: Much like the first Sherwood Forest beer, I can't recommend you try this at all. And after 2 years, their website is still crappy and still doesn't tell me anything about this brewer of bad beers. Most likely just someone trying to cash in on the craft beer craze with funky labeling. Or terrorists. Remember, if you drink bad beer, the terrorists win.

    -- Posted by Mike Freimann

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Porch Rocker

Name: Porch Rocker

Brewer: Samuel Adams (Boston Beer Co.), Boston, Mass.

By the numbers: 161 calories per 12 oz.; 4.5 percent alcohol by volume

Notes: Boston Beer introduces yet another seasonal summer offering and this one's a good one. Not that there's anything wrong with Summer Ale, but this German-style Radler, or lemonade beer, fills a niche and may find a market with those who have embraced Leinenkugel's Summer Shandy. The Leinie's summer beer is good, but it's more of a soft drink than a beer (but you still can get buzzed). This one is a Helles lager mixed with lemonade and the malt character of the beer cuts through the strong lemon flavor. It's as refreshing as the Shandy, but a bit better. It pours a bright golden color with a thin head and strong citrus aroma.

Try it with: Working in the garden or just cooling off on a hot day and/or a need to write a blog entry after far too long. My dad and uncle, who both came here from Germany, remember making this style of drink in the summer with lemon-lime soda and beer after working on the farm.

    -- Posted by Mike Freimann

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Saluki Dunkeldog

Name: Saluki Dunkeldog

Brewer: Big Muddy Brewing, Murphysboro, Ill.

By the numbers: About 160 calories per 12 oz.; 5.4 percent alcohol by volume

Notes: This is the first beer I've ever had from Big Muddy, though I'll be in the Carbondale area later this spring, so I'd be willing to give some of their other beers a try. Big Muddy, started by Southern Illinois University alum Chuck Stuhrenberg (hence the Saluki on the label), has been brewing since 2009 but still only has four varieties. This one was pretty good. I poured it into a frosty mug and it produced a huge frothy head. The color was a reddish amber and the aroma was malty. The taste was sweet with a bit of caramel and an indistinct hop flavor. This is a pretty accessible Munich-style Dunkel.

Try it with: Eric Church, but alas it was not to be. This was the requisite pre-game "drink in my hand" as we waited for an Eric Church concert in Bloomington a couple Sundays ago. But as I was finishing off my second, we got an update via Facebook (naturally) that the show would not go on. So we did what any rational person would do... headed out for more beer.

    -- Posted by Mike Freimann

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Wee Heavy

Name: Wee Heavy

Brewer: Samuel Adams (Boston Beer Co.), Boston, Mass.

By the numbers: 348 calories per 12 oz.; 10 percent alcohol by volume

Notes: Wee Heavy is a part of Samuel Adams Imperial Series of big beers. A Scotch ale, it was first released in 2011 but I couldn't find it here in Central Illinois until I came across it at the UFS discount store in Peoria (of all places). This one is all about the malt, which I learned from my research is because traditional Scotch ales are light on hops since hops don't grow well in Scotland. It poured a deep reddish brown and immediately gave off a strong alcohol aroma, mixed with coffee and burnt wheat. The flavor was intense, with smoke (from the peat-smoked malt), burnt oak and toffee. It was sweet to start, but boozy and bitter on the back end. I liked it a lot, but it's not for everyone and definitely a sipper.

Try it with: A quest to try all of Samuel Adams beers. I think I've reviewed all but two of the many Boston Beer Co. beers on this blog and I'm pretty sure I've had just about everything in the regular lineup, as well as a few others. I really need to get to Boston to try some of the beer at the brewery and maybe, someday, the Utopias.

    -- Posted by Mike Freimann

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A Dark Night in Munich

Name: A Dark Night in Munich

Brewer: Samuel Adams (Boston Beer Co.), Boston, Mass.; Recipe by Corey Martin

By the numbers: About 180 calories per 12 oz.; 5.9 percent alcohol by volume

Notes:This is the last of the Longshot beers for 2012 and it falls in the middle of the outstanding Derf's Secret Alt and the good Five Crown Imperial Stout. This one is very good, despite the fact that I'm not a huge fan of dark lagers. I've been drinking a lot of black lagers for some reason and I don't like them as much as this one. I think this successfully walks the line between dark and bitter and southern German sweet as a Munich-style Dunkel. The aroma was more like an Oktoberfest beer. The color was a nice dark reddish-brown with little head. The flavor was doughy and sweet with a nice hint of spice on the finish.

Try it with: A desire to make your own beer. All three of these beers represent a lot of work by guys who've been brewing for a long time. So they're not exactly amateurs. But that doesn't mean you should shy away from home brewing. Go online (or to your local home brew shop, of which there are 2 in Bloomington-Normal). Get a starter kit (I recommend malt-extract syrup instead of powder), follow the directions (which means sanitize fanatically) and see what you get.

    -- Posted by Mike Freimann

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Five Crown Imperial Stout

Name: Five Crown Imperial Stout

Brewer: Samuel Adams (Boston Beer Co.), Boston, Mass.; Recipe by Joe Formanek

By the numbers: About 270 calories per 12 oz.; 8.9 percent alcohol by volume

Notes: This is the second of the Samuel Adams Longshot American Homebrew Contest winners for 2012 and it's another pretty big beer. According to Samuel Adams, homebrewer Joe Formanek has been perfecting his version of the Russian Imperial Stout for 15 years. It shows, as this is a pretty solid example of an imperial stout, though I didn't like it as much as Derf's Secret Alt. This one poured a deep, rich black from the bottle with a thin, deep tan head. The aroma was warm and malty with a distinct coffee smell. The taste followed through with coffee, toffee and a dark chocolate finish. The texture was thick and syrupy.

Try it with: Well, if you try it right after a bottle of Derf's, you'll be pretty full and drunk and happy. This is a good beer for a quiet night with a good book, since it's more of a sipper. It would work pretty well as a dessert or after-dinner drink too.

    -- Posted by Mike Freimann

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Derf's Secret Alt

Name: Derf's Secret Alt

Brewer: Samuel Adams (Boston Beer Co.), Boston, Mass.; Recipe by Fred Hessler

By the numbers: About 275 calories per 12 oz.; 9.3 percent alcohol by volume

Notes: In what seems to be becoming an annual thing, I plan to review all of this year's Samuel Adams Longshot American Homebrew Contest winners. This one is the Samuel Adams employee entry and it's also the best of the three. By style it's a Sticke Alt, which is a stronger version of the beer that Dusseldorf, Germany made famous. Choosing to go literal in naming the beer, Hessler must have known that "Sticke" means "secret" in the local dialect of Dusseldorf and that this type of beer is generally small batch and hard to get. Anyway, what makes this one great is that it's pretty challenging, but the payoff, in terms of flavor and drunkenness is huge. The aroma is mixed with citrus and warm cereal, with a spicy note. The taste follows with that spice and plenty of booze and finishes sweetly. It also warms you up a bit. The color is a beautiful ruby amber. This one is good enough to add to Sam's Imperial Series.

Try it with: A bit of cold in this warmer than usual spring. We've had frost the past couple of days, which after a run of 80-degree days made us all say "What the heck?" but also reminded us that it's only April. Anyway, this wonderful brew will keep you warm on a cold night. Look for my reviews of the other two Longshot winners (also pretty good) to follow.

    -- Posted by Mike Freimann