INTERVIEW: Scott Graham - Executive Director of the Michigan Brewer's Guild

BD: What are the Guild's thoughts on the 2012 Winter Beerfest?

SG: Really good! We're expecting it to be more popular than ever and we're trying to make some more room for some more people. There'll be more breweries and more people as well.

BD: Last year I read entry was expanded by about 1,000. You mentioned more people for this year, thoughts?

SG: We were a little short of 1000 last year, and we are planning on allowing more people entry this year. the basic idea is that we want to fit in more people promoting michigan beer and keep our breweries growing. even with ticket availability last year we sold out earlier than previous years. So, i think they'll go fast this year.

BD: How did MBG settle on 5/3 ballpark, and how are relations going with them?

SG: When we decided to move the festival in it's third year from Lansing to Grand Rapids, we looked at a few different places, and 53 is one of the ideas that happened to evolve and work out, and we have a great partnership with them, we get along and we love working with eachother. There are things that
we don't get to focus on, like parking, that they completely take care of. We love those guys, they're great.

BD: How many breweries attended last year, and how do you expect this year to turn out with brewery representation?

SG: Our festivals are open to all of our members, we don't set a goal or a target. we're not out trying to reach a number, but as the number of the breweries in the guild grows, so does representation at festival. Last year was about 60.

BD: Have you heard from any number of these brand new breweries that have opened up?

SG: Most of these new breweries are joining the guild, and we would like
every brewery to be a member. There's so many opening that sometimes i don't realize they're there until they're already open!

BD: What would you say to someone who has never been before?

SG: It's just such a great thing to do in Feb. A great thing to do in the winter. Get yourself outside and enjoy some Michigan beer. There's alot less going on in that time and people are looking for something to do. Our crowds have a great attitude, they're happy to be there and are really easy going.


See you in FEB for WINTER BEERFEST!

INTERVIEW: Aaron Burrows - Head Chef - Graydon's Crossing, Grand Rapids

Had an awesome opportunity to talk to Aaron Burrows over at Graydon's Crossing, an awesome beer bar here in GR. Focusing on the menu and it's suggested beer pairings.

BD: So, your menu is pretty impressive. 

AB: I have a monthly menu that changes, it's 10 different main items - appetizers, small plates, and entrees - and the beer pairings with those are going to change with the menu every single month.

BD: How do you manage to pair the beers with your menu selection?

AB: The way we decide how the beer apirings is the FOH manager and myself sit down and taste the beers, research them, and he'll get me info on what different spices and herbs are in those specific beers and then I try to mirror that in my food. I also do alot of cooking with beer as well. last tuesday of every month is a beer dinner.

BD: I love that your kitchen is locally focused.


AB: We get all of our produce and meat local. Whole cows pigs lambs chickens, all of it. We do alot of breaking down of meat here in our kitchen. We get the meat whole and then break it down into what we want to use it for.

You can find out more info, including their entire current menu and draft list at Graydon's Crossing's website.

Oktober BEER ROUND TABLE LIST!

Hello all, it's the third sunday of the month, which brings about my favorite night of the month: the round table.

For those of you who don't know, the round table is a night that was set up between myself and two other avid beer lovers. The whole premise is, everyone brings one bomber of an interesting beer and side beers to sip on during the tasting. Over the course of the night, everyone gets a taste of every single bomber that is brought to the event (should they want it).

So, without further adieu, here is the Oktober Round Table beer list. Mind you, my simple beer rating scale is from 1-10, and is simply relative to my knowledge of the style crossed with initial and extended impression through the beer's tasting. (1 = horrid/pour out, 10 = absolute perfection of the style)

1. Seirra Nevada Northern Hemisphere Harvest Ale - 9
2. Big Dog Dogma - 8
3, Mikeller USA Live (Belgian Mild) - 6 [carb issues]
4. 08' North Coast Old Stock Ale - 10
5. 09' North Coast Old Stock Ale - 8
6. 10' North Coast Old Stock Ale - 9
7. 11' North Coast Old Stock Ale - 9
8. Sierra Nevada Beer Camp #5 - California Common - 8
9. Sierra Nevada Beer Camp #37 - Weizenbock - 9
10. Sierra Nevada Beer Camp #16 - Juniper Black Ale - 6
11. Sierra Nevada Beer Camp #29 - Double IPA - 8
12. Sierra Nevada COLLAB w/ Dogfish Head Brewery - Life & Limb - 9
13. Upland Brewing Co. Raspberry Lambic - 9.5
14. Great Divide Grand Cru - 10
15. Southern Teir Chokolat - 10
16. Stone Brewing Co 15th Aniv. Imperial Black IPA 9.5
17. Samuel Adams Latitude 48 - Single Hopped with East Kent Goldings - 9
18. Rogue Hazelnut Brown Ale - 9

FOUNDERS Co-President Mike Stevens Addresses CBS Release Worries

GRAND RAPIDS — Concerns about the cost and availability of Founders Brewing Co.'s Canadian Breakfast Stout, which was released Oct. 3, caused company president and CEO Mike Stevens to issue the following statement:

Folks,

We feel that it’s necessary to address a few of the concerns surrounding the release of our Canadian Breakfast Stout (CBS). We understand the frustrations stemming from the lack of availability of this beer and are looking forward to the day when we can produce much more of our specialty brands. As some of you are aware, we have been undergoing constant expansion for the past few years and have been working toward a master plan that will increase our annual brewing capacity by four times our current level. We are happy as hell to share that our new brewhouse is now on line and that we just recently started brewing into the new system. We plan to use this new system in 2012 to increase production of our specialty items to better service the demand for them. It is important to keep in mind, however, that the next couple of 750ml (Backstage Series) releases as well as the 2012 KBS release will still be scarce, because these beers were brewed on the old (smaller) system. But after that we should be off and running toward much greater availability.

On another note, there seems to be some concern or confusion on how are beers are allocated per state. We are proud to be a Michigan-based brewery and all specialty releases take this into consideration. We at Founders will never forget our home state market. In terms of CBS, the state of Michigan received an allocation of 21% of the entire batch of CBS. No other state saw more than 12% of the total availability. That being said, no state is treated more fairly than another (including MI). Distributor allocations are simply based on a representation of total number of accounts they represent for Founders. Should rumors of this exist to the contrary, know that they are just that: rumors.

Lastly, we’ve noticed that retail price gouging is also being discussed. I can only give you the brewery’s position on this, but please know that, legally, once we sell our products to our wholesaler, they in turn sell it to retailers throughout our states of distribution. We have no control over what this retailer will charge for the beer. We do establish our suggested retail pricing, but we cannot enforce this whatsoever. When we hear of retail price gouging, it annoys us as much as it annoys you. Our recommendation to our wholesalers in dealing with retailers that are gouging is to communicate that, if the retailer does not stop overcharging, they will jeopardize their ability to receive Founders specialty items in the future.

In short, we just want to set the record straight on these few items floating around on the blogs and make everyone aware that we are working day and night to fix the capacity concerns with our specialty products. We make this beer because we are extremely passionate about creating the best liquid we know how to produce. We started this business as home brewers and still look at ourselves as such. We know that some of you might never get your chance at a CBS bottle, but we feel it would be a greater disappointment to have never shared this product at all.

Cheers,

Mike Stevens | President & CEO

EXTENDED ARTICLE: Oddside Ales

Located in the heart of downtown Grand Haven, Oddside Ales sits comfortably inside the old Story & Clark Piano factory, a large plaza right off Washington Street. The pub just celebrated it’s one year anniversary in March and when you walk inside, you can’t help but feel comfortable. The taproom is very unique and homely feeling, allowing you to sit and enjoy a pint in a very relaxed atmosphere while the sun shines in through both sides of the room. When head brewer and owner Chris Michner was asked why Grand Haven was chosen as the location for his new endeavor, he responded, “It’s the perfect place between Saugatuck and Holland. There’s not much of a beer bar here.”

You can feel the care and time taken to make the taproom their own - the tall round tables have checkerboards laid into them - made out of light and dark malts - and the main bar features an even more stunning inlaid malt design that took over three months to complete. The taproom doubles as an art gallery, featuring local artists work that only makes the room feel that much more comfortable. All the beers and events are listed in chalk, giving the taproom an even more present tangibility. “We want the taproom to feel more like a café than a bar,” Chris says.

Oddside joined forces with Ceramic Café - a local Grand Haven pottery store - to offer their Mug Club members a unique opportunity:  join the club and you get to choose one of four mug designs to take home and decorate yourself. They then get taken back to Ceramic Café, fired, and placed upon the main wall above the bar for all to see.

There are 16 taps waiting for you upon arrival, with a rather wide variety of experimental and standard beers for you to experience by the pint or by the flight. Pints range from 3.75$ for a standard beer and 4-5$ for a premium pint; they also offer growler fills. When asked about what standards Oddside had to offer, Chris expressed that the taps are constantly changing, from a beer catalog over 50 strong. with sixteen taps and a small brew system, there is tons of room for experimentation, and Oddside definitely provides. They have just expanded with the addition of two new larger fermentation tanks, allowing the older, smaller tanks to be dedicated to further exploration.

Their biggest beer is their Jackalope Amber Ale, a clean, drinkable amber with a very nice, balanced malt profile. Other beers on tap at the time of my visit included an excellent Berliner Weisse, a Great American Beer Festival submitted Pucker Up! Sour Flanders Red, and a very nicely balanced and not overpowering Pineapple IPA. Oddside also started distributing kegs in March this year, and the demand has been constant. Keep an eye out for Jackalope in your local pub, as well as their Mint Stout, Citra Pale Ale, and their Peanut Butter Cup Stout.

Next time you’re in Grand Haven, stop by 41 Washington and check out the Odder Side of Michigan Beer.

EXTENDED ARTICLE: Michigan Beer Cellar

Located in the heart of downtown Sparta, Michigan Beer Cellar has been keeping very busy since their grand opening on June 1st of 2010. They are one of the most recent additions to the West Michigan beer scene, making their first Michigan Brewers Guild Beerfest appearance in February 2011.

Dan Humphreys, owner and head brewer, has been home brewing for 13 years. He began guest brewing at many West MI breweries, including Founders Brewing Co., The B.O.B’s brewery, Grand Rapids Brewing Co., and the Hideout. However, there were no fixed brewer positions available in the area, and his eyes eventually turned towards opening his own place, and Sparta was perfect. “We looked around the area, and had to find a  place that would fit,” says Humphrey, “and it all came together here.”

The taproom is very large and open, holding tables and couches for your drinking pleasure in a warm, comfortable atmosphere. They have a small deli for sandwiches and finger foods to cure all of your snacking needs, and large televisions for you to catch the game on. “We like the taproom to feel friendly,“ says Humphrey, “We try to make everyone feel comfortable, as if they’ve been coming here for years.“

MBC maintains 15 taps, including mainstays as well as seasonals and variants. Stop in for a cold Black Magic RyPA, a dark IPA with a soft rye presence; or, for you bigger beer lovers, try the Double Black Magic, the imperial version. They also have a great Porter, and had two variants available upon my visit, a Vanilla Porter and Cellar Joy, a coconut, almond and chocolate porter. They also have a great Blonde, IPA, and Dunkelweizen. Summer Sunshine just went on tap, a Belgian Wit light and complex for the summertime, as did a new beer - a Ginger Peach Cream Ale.

Not only does MBC boast an impressive taplist of brews, their talents do not end there. They also craft fine wines, including their recent Michigan Apple Delight wine, which they keep available in the taproom; they also make mead in house, using local Rockford honey.

MBC is also the first distillery in Kent County. They specialize in neutral grain vodka which they infuse with various flavors, allowing them a totally unique mode of creating mixed drinks. They keep around 30 different infusions on hand at the bar, and make unique, different drink specials weekly that range from 2.50-3.50$ (including pints) .  “People go to places, and some people just don’t like beer.” said Humphrey, “we want to cater to whatever you could want.”

MBC started distributing kegs within the last six months, so keep an eye out at your local taphouse. They are also planning on starting bottling in the fall; you will be able to stop into the pub and take bottles home with you. They are also going to start offering their wine to-go as well. They also host an open mic night on Tuesday nights, and has live music on Friday and Saturday nights all through the summer. There are also plans laid for taproom renovation, as well as the creation of a beer garden and patio in the back for the summertime.

“It’s just a short little drive up to Sparta,“ Humphrey says, “Come on up and enjoy what we have to offer.“ Next time you’re considering a brew, head up to Sparta and spend some time at Michigan Beer Cellar and kick back on the new patio, have a pint (or three) and enjoy our wonderful Michigan summer with the only thing that could make it better: A Michigan pint.

Right Brain Brewing Co. takes a second slice at "Whole Pie" series!

RIGHT BRAINED TAP HANDLES DEBUT FOR THE SPECIAL TAPPING OF THE CHERRY PIE WHOLE BEER

Brewed with fifty whole Cherry Crumb pies from Grand Traverse Pie Company

TRAVERSE CITY, MI – Right Brain Brewery plans to debut their new right brained tap handles for a special tapping of the Cherry Pie Whole beer.  The Cherry Pie Whole beer was recently brewed using fifty whole Cherry Crumb pies from the Grand Traverse Pie Company.  The new tap handles will debut at the special tapping on Friday, July 1^st at 6 p.m., just in time for the National Cherry Festival kick-off.  New at this year’s National Cherry Festival beer tent, being served out of their new tap handles, will be Right Brain Brewery’s Will Power Pale Ale!          

Right Brain Brewery (RBB) has been working on creating their new tap handles since the fall of 2010 after Russell Springsteen, owner and operator of RBB, was asked to speak at a U of M entrepreneurial conference.  Other guest speakers representing Northern Michigan companies were, Mike and Denise Busley, co-founders of the Grand Traverse Pie Company, and Mike Steele, founder of the Tape Wrangler.  During a lunch brainstorming conversation the idea of new tap handles and brewing a beer using whole pies from the Grand Traverse Pie Company (GTPC) sprouted. 

It was this brainstorming conversation that led to the experimental brewing this past February of the original Pie Whole, which used seventy-five Carmel Apple pies from the Grand Traverse Pie Company.  When asked, why another pie beer, Springsteen stated, “Why not?  It makes sense and it was really fun the first time.  Plus, Grand Traverse Pie Company has such a fantastic variety of flavors!”  RBB chose to experiment with the Cherry Crumb pie for obvious regional and seasonal reasons; it’s the season for cherries, the influx of visitor to our region, and of course, the National Cherry Festival.

On Thursday, June 16^th, Corey Wentworth, head brewer at RBB, brewed the Cherry Pie Whole using fifty whole GTPC Cherry Crumb pies.  The Cherry Pie Whole will be a lighter ale than the original Pie Whole and has a lighter malt profile to highlight the natural cherry flavors. 

When asked what’s next, Wentworth replied, “The Cherry Pie Whole is another right brained adventure in the world of pie beer; next stop Ding Dongs, Ho Hos, I don’t know what’s next, but watch out Little Debbie Zebra Cakes!”

The Cherry Pie Whole beer will be released at a special tapping on Friday, July 1^st at 6 p.m. at Right Brain Brewery (221 Garland St., Traverse City). It will be served as a premium beer in a 12 oz. glass for $6.50.  Along with the special tapping RBB will be debuting their new tap handles. 

RBB’s new tap handles have been a nine-month design process.  Springsteen first started to investigate options with Mike Steele, founder of the Tape Wrangler, a local Traverse City company, in hopes that RBB could keep this project within the local economy.  They soon discovered that the tap handle design was extremely unique and unfortunately with the company’s lack of tap handle production, experience, and technique Springsteen would need to use a company that specializes in tap handle production.  Taphandles Incorporated, a tap handle company based in Seattle, Washington, decided to take on the challenging and unique design.  Nielson Design Group, based in Traverse City, designed the overall look and feel of the new tap handle.

The new tap handles are clear acrylic with many random objects, including but not limited to RBB sayings, safety pins, glitter, random beads, seashells, space shuttles, and more randomness floating in the handle.  The new handles are adorned with a cube on the top that contains Right Brain’s branding.  This is the first tap handle of this design and took approximately three months to design and six months to get the prototype correct. 

“Overall it has been a fun experience.  One of the most challenging aspects of this design project was finding the objects that appear to be floating in the tap handle.  These objects needed to be certain sizes, couldn’t melt when put into the hot acrylic, and also needed to be whimsical, playful, and random.” stated Springsteen. 

RBB will retire the original tap handles and officially change them to the new design during the special tapping of the Cherry Pie Whole beer on Friday, July 1^st at 6 p.m.

Expect to see additional RBB tap handles in the seven counties that Right Brain currently distributes to, as RBB expands their distribution through Wicksall Distributors based in Traverse City.  Springsteen plans to sell the limited edition original Right Brain taps for $75 each.  Interested parties should contact Right Brain directly.  There are less than fifty original taps available.

Right Brain Brewery, featuring rotating artwork and beer menu, is committed to brewing its handcrafted microbrews with the best available local ingredients.  Right Brain Brewery is located in Traverse City’s Warehouse District and is open seven days a week.  Right Brain Brewery is also proud to support our community by being involved in countless community events.

- Dayna A. H. Valpey, Right Brain Brewery

National Beer News! (Congratulations to Short's Brewing Co!)

Short’s Brewing Company is the fastest growing beverage company in the United States.

Dogfish Head plans a growth/expansion investment of $45 over the next three years. (Revenue growth of this brand has grown from $3.6 MM in 2003 to $41MM in 2010.)

Stone Brewing plans a $26.6 MM project, pushing production capacity to 500K barrels.

Lagunitas Brewing is currently undergoing a $9.5 MM project. § Sierra Nevada Brewing is looking to acquire an east location that could lead to $70 MM investments.

Founders Brewing recently renovated their production facility to the tune of $8.8 MM.

Re-Post: STONE BREWING CO Barrel Aged Series

Written by Jacob Mckean

They are the great white buffaloes of Stone’s line-up. Like a cross between a unicorn and a siren, they appear enticingly for the briefest instance, only to disappear in a flurry of whispers.

They are Stone’s barrel-aged beers and special treatments. Stone Imperial Russian Stout Aged in Bourbon Barrels. Double Dry-Hopped Stone Ruination IPA. Stone Old Guardian Barley Wine Aged in Red Wine Barrels. And many more.

A veritable sea of barrels taking up precious space in our brewery

Now, we are utterly thrilled to be announcing that some of these sudsy jackalopes will be available in quite debonair (if-we-do-say-so-ourselves) 500ml corked-and-caged bottles.

Here’s the rub: There will be very few of these bottles available, and irregularly at that. At least for the foreseeable future. Space is our biggest constraint, and filling up our brewery with barrels just isn’t an option. So if you can’t get these, we’re sorry, we really are. We’ll try to make more, and if you can make it to one of our events, there’s a chance you’ll get to try them on draft. But that’s the best we can do…for now.

Yeah, we've tasted these, and they're damn good

Without further ado, our first “Quingenti Millilitre” release will be…Ken Schmidt / Maui / Stone Kona Coffee Macadamia Coconut Porter Aged in Bourbon Barrels. Yeah, that’s right. We’re releasing that. All 672 bottle of it. Tentative release date: sometime in July.

Stay tuned for release details, but this will be a brewery-only release due to the very small quantity. If you need an excuse to visit America’s Finest City and come to our gorgeous Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens, here’s an excuse. You’re welcome.

This. In bottles. Probably in July.

To keep the Quingenti Millilitre releases flowing, we’ve brought in a whole lot of new barrels, which are temporarily stacked in our cellar. Namely, we recently acquired 346 Scotch whisky barrels—some of which we’ve already filled—along with a handful of new wine barrels and bourbon barrels.

So expect to see the results of these delicious experiments released in bottles over the coming years. In fact, a small amount of 2011 Stone Imperial Russian Stout & 2011 Stone BELGO Anise Imperial Russian Stout—which will be released May 31^st—is already resting gently in a variety of barrels.

But that’s not all, folks! We may well release Quingenti Millilitre bottles of our double dry-hopped beers or other unique treatments we dream up. So keep your barrel-aged ‘beerdar’ on. We’ll send updates here and on our Facebook page and Twitter feed.

Oh, and what the hell does Quingenti Millilitre mean (well, besides denoting something tasty)? It means quite simply “500ml,” which is the size of the special bottles.  And it’s the name we’ve given to the series (“Brewmaster’s Series” or “Brewer’s Special Reserve” and all that just sounded too cheesy).

20 MICHIGAN Breweries snag 51 medals at the World Expo of Beer - Frankenmuth, MI

(LANSING, Mich) – Twenty Michigan Brewers Guild member breweries collectively snagged 51 medals at the 2011 World Expo of Beer Competition, April 30 in Frankenmuth. Overall, there were 554 entries from around the world in 29 categories. Many of the beers entered in the competition will be available for sampling at the World Expo of Beer, May 20-21, at Heritage Park in Frankenmuth.

2011 MBG winners include:

Category 3 European Amber Lager 9 Entries

Silver               Fest Beer                                Kuhnhenn Brewery                 Warren, MI

Bronze             District 16 Amber                    Wolverine State                      Ann Arbor, MI

Category 4 Dark Lager 10 Entries

Bronze             Munich Style Dunkel              Frankenmuth Brewing          Frankenmuth, MI

Category 5 Bock 19 Entries

Bronze             Drag Me to Helles                   Wolverine State                      Ann Arbor, MI

Category 6 Light Hybrid 33 Entries

Silver               Cream Ale                               Bastone                                   Royal Oak, MI

Bronze             Dirty Blonde                            Atwater                                    Detroit, MI

   

Category 7 Amber Hybrid 6 Entries

Gold                Amber Tease                          Schmohz                                 nd Rapids, MI

Category 8 English Pale Ale 11 Entries

Gold                Midland Pale Ale                     Midland Brewing                     Midland, MI

Silver               Sir Williams ESB                     Dragonmead                           Warren, MI

Category 9 Scottish/Irish Ale 22 Entries

Gold                A Few Shillings Too Many      Kuhnhenn                                Warren, MI

Silver               Brik                                          MillKing It                                Royal Oak, MI

Bronze             Grateful Red                           Black Forest                            Frankenmuth, MI

Category 10 American Ale 22 Entries

Gold                Best Brown                             Bell’s Brewery                         Galesburg, MI

Bronze             Hobos Breath                          Mt. Pleasant Brewing             Mt. Pleasant, MI

Category 11 English Brown Ale 9 Entries

Silver               English Brown                         Redwood Lodge                      Flint, MI

Bronze             Jimmy Brown                         Great Baraboo                        Clinton Twp, MI

Category 12 Porter 13 Entries

Silver               London Porter                         Arcadia Ales                            Battle Creek, MI

Bronze             Pirates Porter                          Black Forest                            Frankenmuth, MI

Category 13 Stout 34 Entries

Gold                Kalamazoo Stout                    Bell’s Brewing                         Galesburg, MI

Silver               Oatmeal Stout                         Redwood Lodge                      Flint, MI

Bronze             Double Cream Stout               Bell’s Brewing                         Galesburg, MI

Category 14 IPA 45 Entries

Gold                Buzz Saw IPA                         Arbor Brewing                         Ann Arbor, MI

Silver               Two Hearted Ale                     Bell’s Brewing                         Galesburg, MI

Bronze             Arcadia IPA                             Arcadia Ales                            Battle Creek, MI

Category 15 German Wheat/Rye 21

Bronze             Dunkel Weizenbock                Bastone                                   Royal Oak, MI

Category 16 Belgian/French Ale 33 Entries

Silver               Golden Cap                             New Holland Brewing             Holland, MI

Bronze             Witface                                    Bastone                                   Royal Oak, MI

Category 17 Sour Ale 10 Entries

Gold                Red Rock                                Big Rock Chop House            Birmingham, MI

Category 18 Belgian Strong Ale 21 Entries

Gold                Thors Hammer                       Bastone                                   Royal Oak, MI

Silver               Dubbel Vision                          Bastone                                   Royal Oak, MI

Bronze             Final Absolution                       Dragonmead                           Warren, MI

Category 19 Strong Ale 16 Entries

Gold                Cereal Killer (2009)                 Arcadia Ales                            Battle Creek, MI

Silver               Old Ale                                    Mt. Pleasant Brewing              Mt. Pleasant, MI

Bronze             Barleywine                              Mt. Pleasant Brewing              Mt. Pleasant, MI

Category 20 Fruit Beer 21 Entries

Bronze             Tart Cherry Porter                  Liberty Street                          Plymouth, MI

Category 21 Spice/Herb/Vegetable 24 Entries

Silver               Sacred Gruit                           Mt. Pleasant Brewing              Mt. Pleasant

Bronze             Clementine Lemon Thyme     Liberty Street                          Plymouth, MI

Category 22 Smoke/Wood Aged 15 Entries

Gold                London Porter                         Arcadia Ales                            Battle Creek, MI

Silver               Bourbon 4^th Dementia            Kuhnhenn                                Warren, MI

Bronze             Bourbon Belgian Blond           Walldorff                                 Hastings, MI

Category 23 Specialty 24 Entries

Gold                Wanderer                                North Peak Brewing               Traverse City, MI

Silver               Cobains                                   Walldorff                                 Hastings, MI

Bronze             Cocoa Loco                            Arcadia Ales                            Battle Creek, MI

Category 24 Traditional Mead 9 Entries

Silver               Wildflower Sack                      Kuhnhenn                                Warren, MI

Bronze             Orange Blossom                     Kuhnhenn                                Warren, MI

Category 25 Melomel 13 Entries

Gold                Michigan Tart Cherry              Kuhnhenn                                Warren, MI

Silver               Lingonberry                             Kuhnhenn                                Warren, MI

Bronze             Elderberry                               Kuhnhenn                                Warren, MI

Category 26 Other Mead 24 Entries

Gold                Green Apple Riesling              Kuhnhenn                                Warren, MI

Beer Review: Samuel Adams Lattitude 48 IPA

Hopheads rejoice!

Not too many avid beer lovers I know get too excited about a Samuel Adams beer these days. I feel like most people overlook them, almost to the extent of considering them a "macrobrewery" by default.

Well, Lattitude 48 IPA is one of a few recent beers Sam Adams has brought to the table to relay the idea that they're just as passionate about beer as the little guys. Honestly, I wasn't excited to try this beer. What, there's only two in a summer sampler? For those of you who have had the standard Sam Adams IPA, I think my sentiments can be shared that it was good, but by no means exceptional.

This beer IS.

Beer pours a beautiful gold-amber with a bright head, ready to tingle your nose with a wonderful aroma of hops with a soft malt presence. Your first sip is the kicker. The moment. This IPA comes off so horrifically balanced and clean that your mind will implode. I can fairly say that I don't think I've ever had a cleaner IPA.

 (except for possibly the Big Rock Chophouse [Birmingham, MI] "Norm's Raggedy Ass IPA", which is the only IPA that beat Founders Centennial IPA at the World Beer Cup in Chicago last year.)


This beer is wonderfully balanced, with a solid malt backbone to the hops, sporting nice caramel middlenotes while still not being too overpowering or too laid back. The hops are bright and consistent all the way through your sip, from the tip of your tongue all the way down. This beer also has a fantastic afterhop that stays with you only long enough for you to have a woah moment, then it's gone.

The yeast is extroardinarily clean. So clean it almost feels unnatural. The yeast is very neutral, but leaves a soft metallic ester that some wouldn't necessarily enjoy (but I LOVED it).

I savored the first. The second. Before I knew it, my six pack was gone.

and I wanted more.

Red Wings vs. Coyotes Round 3

Not ONLY was it an excellent game (two goals in the first three minutes - BAM), but there were some awesome taps at 25 last night. Had me some Bell's Two Hearted, some Belgian Palm Speciale, Arcadia Starboard Stout, Arcadia's limited run Gruit (which was a pretty good gruit!), and topped it off with Arcadia's Cereal Killer Barleywine.

The last time I came across a gruit was at New Holland Brewing Co, out in downtown Holland. The pub brewer had whipped up an excellent gruit for the pub, and I may have had more than one.

Cheers!

April Round Table - 4/17/11 (UPDATED: 4/24)

It has been requested that I discuss the beers that are posted for the round table, which makes complete sense. I'll have to start taking notes at the next one so I'll be able to provide more detailed notes.

So, this expansion is all from memory - but it was only a week ago. I'll rate these beers on a simple 10 point scale.

1 - Horrid
5 - Average
6 - slightly above average
7 - above average
8 - excellent beer
9 - superior beer
10-  perfect

1. Blue Moon Grand Cru - (5)
- 22oz. This beer was grabbed for exploration. Blue Moon doing a "Grand Cru"? Really? The beer poured out nicely, but ultimately didn't deliver. Came off like a bigger "blue moon" but definately not worth the 9.00$ price tag.


2. Wostyntie Mustard Ale - (9)
- 12oz. This is perhaps one of the most interesting Belgian brews I've ever had. Mustard seed in a Belgian ale? What? Turns out the mustard plays such a wonderfully subdued role in the flavor profile of the beer that it perfectly compliments the sweet malt and trademark Belgian sour note on the finish. Truly an experience! Definitely picking up some of this for myself..


3. Southern Tier Fresh Hop Ale (7)


4. Seirra Nevada Ovila Dubbel (8)
- 750ml. This is the first of a three beer series coming out of Sierra Nevada this summer. Brewers from SN spent time studying under monks at a monestary in New Clairvaux, CA and then collaborated with them to produce this new series. The first is a Dubbel, then there will be a Saison and a Quadrupel. Proceeds from sales will help build a new wing in the monestary. The Dubbel was pretty good. Classic Belgian meets SN's unique twist. Personally, I wanted a little more malt out of this beer, but still - a very good one. Grab a bottle, just for the experience - they won't be around for long.


5. Unibrou Trois Pistoles (8)
- There is a rule in my beer loving brain. UNIBROU can do no wrong. If you see a bottle, get it. (see also: Ephemere, La Fin Du Monde, Maudite, Don De Dieu)


6. Cigar City - Humidor Series - Cedar Aged IPA (10)
- 750ml. Cigar City doesn't distribute up here to the Mitten, so it is really a treat to get to crack one of their beers. They're from Cigar City, Florida, and these guys make a MEAN BEER. This particular beer is one of (maybe) three commercial examples of a "Cedar Aged" beer that have popped up around here. This type of aging has only been around for about a year and a half, and when it was done, people couldn't believe that it hadn't been done before. [in fact, no Michigan brewery has produced a cedar aged beer]


This beer is quite possibly on of the best I've ever had. Terrifically balanced, the cedar is present, but (most importantly) not overwhelming. It plays elegantly into the flavor profile, lending a wonderful accent to a beautifully constructed IPA. If you ever have a chance, GET IT. No, nix that. GET THREE.


7. Ass Kicker Brewing Co. IPA (4)


8. Abita Brewing Co's Andy Gator Hellesbock (8)
- 22oz. This was a real nice hellesbock. Clean, malty, goes down oh-too-smooth. Definitely grab on if helles is up your alley!


8. Southern Tier's Oak Aged Unearthly IPA (9)
- 22oz. This was a beast of a beer. Wonderfully aged, not overpowering, but prominent. Had never even come across a bottle before - but was so glad when I did! You'll be able to find this bottle around this spring, definitely grab a bottle if you're an IPA fan, quite a treat!

9. 03' Avery Anniversary Ale "Ten" (2*)
- 22oz. I happened across this bottle at Martha's Vineyard in Grand Rapids. Ten types of malt, ten types of hops - AVERY? - how could it be bad? Well, it turned out I had mis-read the bottle. This batch was bottled in 2003. Bottle was 8 years old. hahhaha.. yeah. I'm sure, in its day, it would have been a wonderful beer. But a little more than half of the carb had been lost, and the hops were horribly subdued by the aging. We basically got to taste a really great beer past it's deathbed. Sad, sad..


10. Avery 17th Aniv. Dry Hopped Black Lager (8)
- 22oz. This is a universal beer. Get it. You could put this beer in front of ANYONE and they will be impressed. Clean and wonderfully constructed. Great dark notes (which usually go missing in "black" lagers and IPAs these days..) and a solid middle provide the backbone for this dry-hopped dream. Great bottle, grab one!


11. Heavy Seas Rye Porter (8)
- 22oz. If you haven't ventured into Heavy Seas (Halethorpe, MD) yet, I would suggest checking them out. They make some great beers. The Rye Porter is an excellent one. Very well balanced with a nice prominent Rye note that is complimentary (not imposing) to the rest of the beer. 

12. Jolly Pumpkin Noel De Calabaza (8)
- Just do it. If you're a Belgian-head or not. Just do it. Jolly Pumpkin will change your beer-loving life. (Also check out Bam Noire, Bam Biere, Weizen Bam, Madrugada Obscura)


13. Left Hand Brewing Co. Imperial Stout (8)


14. New Holland's Charkoota Rye (7)
- 22oz. New Holland really shines in their High Gravity Series. This beer is great, but I feel like it's a little unbalanced. The rye is nice, but the smoke is a bit intense. I want to be able to drink a whole pint of a beer, ya know? Still, worth checking out for the experience.


Well there we are! Thanks for reading.
The Dude Imbibes.
BD