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

Founders Brewing Co. 10th Annual Black Party - 4/16/2011

What a day for Founders!

I was informed that there was a line for a majority of the day, the brewery hitting capacity and maintaining it into the night. At points, the line was wrapping around the building, down the side of the newly-constructed expansion. The night was riddled with fantastic music and plenty of beer - some of which hasn't seen the taproom in quite some time, as well as some first runs!

The music was split by Founders-based band Oracle (including headbrewer Jeremy Kosmicki and Brewer D.W. Deschaine) performing the entirety of The Black Crowe's "Southern Harmony and Musical Companion", and West MI Funk-blues-jam trio Four Finger Five, a WYCE Jammie winner, who rocked the taproom all the way to the end of the night.

I didn't get to the black party until a little after midnight, but I was quickly filled in on the events of the day. Any special event at Founders is riddled by little beery surprises, most of which happen during the day (unfortunately for me). Usually firkins make their way to the taproom, boasting cellar-temp aged goodness - a 2009 and 2010 KBS - while the 2011 remained on tap. Also, the celebrated Breakfast Stout made its way back into the taproom for a short time, as well as it's delicious Maple Barrel Aged variant, Canadian Breakfast Stout.

This year's black party also brought back a rarity on the Founders taplist - the Black IPA. Not only did this seldom-seen brew return, but also three variants as well - Diablo Del Noche, Syrup Del Noche, and Bourbon Del Noche. Diablo was aged on top of fresh chile peppers, the Syrup was aged in maple syrup barrels, while the bourbon spent some time in Kentucky bourbon barrels. The syrup was my favorite! Perfectly complemented their Black IPA, brought out the sweet notes right in the middle. All variants were first run beers.

Founders Rye Stout found its way back on tap, having been off for a few weeks. Made it's debut about two months ago and was received very well. Another first run beer presented was Dirty Darkness, a variant on the classic Dirty Bastard, a Founders mainstay. This variant tilted the bastard more towards the dark end of things, supporting that malt sweetness with more pronounced roast, chocolate and coffee notes. (I may have had a few of this one..)

Other beers that were on tap for the day: Porter, Frangelic Stout, Oatmeal Stout, and Imperial Stout.


It was a wonderful night full of surprises! Even though I got there late, I could tell everyone had enjoyed a truly fantastic day. Everyone I caught up with had been there a majority of the day, cheeks warm and smiling big. Everyone had nothing but good things to say about the day, and my night was absolutely wonderful!

Thanks to Founders for hosting this wonderful annual event, it was a day to be remembered!

Cheers All!
The dude Imbibes.
-Ben Darcie

___________
Founders Brewing Company
235 Grandville Ave SW
Grand Rapids, MI 49503-4037
616.776.1195