Wednesday, December 26, 2012

Tentative Itinerary for Michigan Beercation

Here is the very early itinerary for our trip to Michigan that will begin on 12/27/2012 with @chadmeindl and Ryan Turner

Thursday Night (Chicago Area):
-Three Floyds Brewery
-Cellar beers at the hotel

Friday (en route to Grand Rapids):
-Greenbush Brewery
-New Holland Brewery
-Founders Brewery
-Brewery Vivant
-Hopcat

Saturday (en route to Kalamazoo):
-The Union
-Dark Horse Brewery
-Bell's Brewery
-Kalamazoo Beer Exchange

Sunday:
-Long painful drive back to Wisconsin

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Great Taste of Cottage Grove 2012


The line-up has been officially set for the first annual Great Taste of Cottage Grove.  The event will be a blinded tasting of 5 different beers in 5 different categories.  22 participants will rank the beers from favorite to least favorite.  Votes will be tallied and metals will be handed out.  I will track results via Twitter with #gtocg

Here is the line-up:

IPA Category                                                                    Odds
Lane 1 - Surly Furious                                                          5:2
Lane 2 - Bells Two Hearted                                                  3:1
Lane 3 - Stone IPA                                                                3:1
Lane 4 - Founders Centennial IPA                                        5:1
Lane 5 - Lakefront IPA                                                           9:1

Stout Category
Lane 1 -Bells Expedition Stout                                                7:2
Lane 2 -Founders Breakfast Stout                                          5:2
Lane 3 -Central Waters Satin Solstice                                   14:1
Lane 4 -Great Divide Yeti                                                         4:1
Lane 5 -Oskar Blues Ten Fidy                                                 4:1
Lane 6 -Third Tier Ten Imperial Stout (homebrew)                 5:1

American Adjunct Category
Lane 1 - Miller High Life                                                            3:1
Lane 2 - Budweiser                                                                  6:1
Lane 3 - Pabst Blue Ribbon                                                     5:2
Lane 4 - Hamms                                                                       3:1
Lane 5 - Old Style                                                                     4:1

Porter Category
Lane 1 - Great Lakes Edmund Fitzgerald Porter                      5:2
Lane 2 - Founders Porter                                                          3:1
Lane 3 - Tyranena The Devil Made Me Do It!                            4:1
Lane 4 - Ale Asylum Contorter Porter                                        7:1
Lane 5 - O’so Night Train                                                           4:1

Amber Category
Lane 1 - Ale Asylum Ambergeddon                                             3:1
Lane 2 - Alaskan Amber                                                              9:2
Lane 3 - Bells Amber                                                                   4:1
Lane 4 - Stone Levitation                                                             3:1
Lane 5 - Sprecher Special Amber                                               6:1

Beer representation by State (please note for the first annual event, preference was given to Wisconsin breweries)
WI - 12
MI - 6
CA - 2
CO - 2
AK - 1
MN - 1
MO - 1
OH - 1

Friday, September 7, 2012

Turner Agate Brews

0001 Three B's Stout - Coffee Chocolate Oatmeal Stout
0002 AIPA - Amber IPA
0003 BIPA - Belgian IPA
0004 Sour - Blend with 18 month old Sour.  Half batch being aged for future batch
0005 WIPA - Wheat IPA 
0006 Turnertoberfest - Oktobfest (Pilsner)
0007 Ten Stout


0001

0002

0003




0005
 












Flavor Profile and Development (P&D): BIPA (Homebrew 0003)

This Belgian IPA was brewed in May of 2012.  The intent was to use an IPA recipe that would be fermented with a Belgian yeast strain.  We used candied sugar to try and boost the ABV, which ended up a little over 7%
4 weeks post brewing.  Great citrus hop aroma.  The mouth is very loose.  The maltiness gives way to a subtle alcohol flavor.  Hard to pinpoint any of the Belgian flavors before the mouth is too quickly wiped away by the bitterness of the hops.  The balance is definitely off.
Citrus Hops→Maltiness→Alcohol→Bitterness
5 weeks post brewing.  The citrus up front shines brighter than the previous week.  There is some maltiness present, but the sweetness from the Belgian yeast now shines through.  The flavors flow smoothly together as the bitterness flows through the end.
Citrus Hops→Maltiness→Sweetness→Bitterness
2 months post brewing.  The hops on this brew faded really fast.  I have heard of this phenomenon, but have never experienced it firsthand.  The citrus nose has faded into a something more floral.  The mouth is now more warm and boozy rather than an alcohol flavor.  This is because the maltiness and alcohol have blended together.  The bitterness at the end has mellowed out significantly.
Floral Hops→Warm Boozy→Bitterness
Even though IPA’s are not recommended for aging, I thought it might be interesting to see how the Belgian flavors develop as the hopiness fades.  3 bottles are saved and the next one will be cracked around the 6 month timeframe.

Wednesday, August 15, 2012

Review of Rogue Voodoo Bacon Maple Ale

I have never been a huge fan of beer reviews in general.  So why am I writing this?  Because Rogue has done something worthy of writing about with the Voodoo Maple Bacon Ale.  Here is a picture of the donut from Voodoo Donuts, an Oregon establishment, which serves as the inspiration for this brew:
I read quite a few reviews of this beer that were less than favorable, but I was just too intrigued.  I kept an eye out for this brew, but could not find it anywhere.  I was in East St Louis at a liquor store my wife recommended and there was a lone bottle sitting on the shelf.  I figured that was the definition of fate and purchased the bottle without hesitation.
My wife wanted to partake so I cracked the bottle open for the two of us. 

The nose was all maple, not rich maple syrup, but more sweet like the smell of an actual maple donut.  The second this brew hits your tongue the smokiness overwhelms the palate.  This smoke rolls into a definite note of bacon.  The bacon flavor quickly washes away as a more distinct syrupy sweetness, more rich than the smell, finishes off.  The smokiness rolls back, who knows from where, and sticks with you until the next sip.  It is truly an amazing journey.
I usually am not a fan of disjointed flavor profiles such as this one.  For a beer with many flavors, such as a stout, I really prefer when the flavors blend and roll over each other.  They can be distinct, but not too distinct in my definition of greatness.  However, this brew does such an amazing job of mixing distinct flavors that pair so well together that I just fell in love with it.
By the time I had finished about 1/3 of the glass, the rich flavors and smokiness were pretty overwhelming.  I will admit the last half of the pint was a struggle.  Needless to say my wife did not get very deep into her glass.  My first thought was that I wish Rogue had tamed the smokiness a bit more, but on second thought, I was happy they went bold.
I could not have been more impressed by another great creation from Rogue Ales, who have become one of my favorite breweries.  My recommendation, if you see the bright pink bottle, pick one up and find a time when you have 5 or 6 friends or relatives with you because a little bit goes a long way.
Here for the Beer Rating: 4/5

Monday, August 13, 2012

My Beer Cellar

2011
Schlafly Barleywine Style Ale
Bells Third Coast Old Ale x 1
Third Tier Three B's Stout x 3

2012
Stone Russion Imperial Stout x 2
Ballast Point Sea Monster Imperial Stout
Founders Curmudgeon Old Ale x 2
Lake Louie Limited Scotch Ale x 3
Great Divide Espresso Oak Aged Yeti Imperial Stout
Boulevard Dark Truth x 2
Port Brewing Company Old Viscosity
Goose Island Bourbon County Brand Stout x 9
Ale Asylum Bedlam x 6
New Holland Dragons Milk x 4
Bells Third Coast Ale x 3
Bells Expedition Stout x 4
Third Tier Sour x 12
Founders Backwoods Bastard x 3
Founders Bolt Cutter
Evil Twin Imperial Biscotti Break
Stone Double Bastard
Rogue Double Dead Guy

Thursday, June 28, 2012

The Wisconsin beer that makes me most proud

I have more recently started ranting about the reasons you should drink local beer.  I fully admit I was a little slow to join this most recent wave mainly because of the fact that there are so many great breweries from so many different states.  Maintain that CA, MI, and CO still rule the roost for having some of the best craft beer, but the playing field is being leveled every day.

One of the main reasons I have jumped on the Drink Local campaign is that frankly, I have a hard time picking out beer anymore when I head to the liquor store.  The number of choices makes choosing a six pack a fairly daunting task.  Therefore, why not start exploring everything great that the fantastic state of Wisconsin has to offer.  This great state has not always carried the greatest reputation with the obvious leader being the monstrosity known as Miller Brewing Co.  Even some of the other main players have fallen out of favor as of late.  Leinenkugel’s, Capital, New Glarus have worked themselves out of the picture, though I do admit each one of these has really stepped up their game in recent months.  The new kids on the block such as Lake Louie, Ale Asylum, and Lakefront are starting to emerge as the best of the best in the state.  I guess the moral of the story is that competition makes everyone better and is great for the consumer.

I wanted to take a moment to recognize two beers that have tried to declare themselves as Wisconsin beers by putting it right in the name.

Sconnie
To be 100% honest I didn’t even realize this was a WI reference.  I was having a conversation with one of the owners of Alpine Liquors.  Quick plug here, if you are anywhere near the Eastside of Madison, you need to visit this liquor store.  One of the best selections outside of Woodman’s and Steve’s you will find in the whole city.  He very kindly connected the dots between SCONie and WiSCONsin for me.  I did have a chance to try this Minhas creation and I have to say it left something to be desired.  I think I understand what they were trying to accomplish.  Cheaper beer, in a can, something throwback.  What they ended up creating was a lager that is just plain awful.  As our conversation evolved, we determined that real Wisconsinites didn’t call themselves “Sconnies”.  Rather this seemed to more likely be a term for transplants from other states that have ended up here.  Correct me if I am wrong, but I don’t really care, I am sticking with this theory.

Wisconsinite
Now this is a term I am familiar with and would very willingly put under my name on a business card.  This brew from Lakefront Brewery makes me even more proud.  Their goal was to create a brew made from 100% Wisconsin grown ingredients.  The hops, malts, wheat, and water where fairly easy to come by.  Brewmasters at Lakefront did get hung up on the last and most crucial ingredient, the yeast.  They decided to elicit the help of Northern Brewer, a company primarily focused on distributorship of brewery products, to create a native WI strain.  In the end, they were able to develop what is thought to be the first yeast strain produced in North America.  I expect this to be one of the newest and most interesting beer trends: breweries developing new strains of yeast, but that is for another article another day.  This unfiltered Weiss is absolutely fantastic, the absolute perfect summer brew.  I have never been a huge fan of this variety, but I must say Lakefront has opened my eyes.  I appreciate what they were able to accomplish by sourcing only local ingredients.  But to make a beer that good also, is truly an accomplishment.  The next time you plan on being outside on a nice hot summer day, make sure and have some Wisconsinite in the fridge, it is the perfect cure for that mid-summer heat and humidity.

Thursday, June 7, 2012

Craft Beer in a Can

This was one of my early Beer-Universe articles: Major Craft Breweries Join Canned Beer Apocalypse

Last year we highlighted that many craft brewers are shifting to the can revolution – it appears that this trend is gaining steam once again as the craft brew heavyweights enter the fold.  Currently, craft beer is being packaged in cans by 171 breweries in 43 states in the US. 

This year, Sierra Nevada introduced their flagship Pale Ale in a 12 pack of 12 oz cans and their Torpedo IPA in a 4 pack of pint cans.  One of the last remaining traditionalists, Boston Beer Company (makers of Samuel Adams) has confirmed reports that they are also working on developing a canned product.
To some craft beer elitists, the idea of a canned craft beer is similarly appalling as a screw-top bottle of fine wine.  There are however, significant advantages to canning versus bottling:
  • Cans provide 100% protection from light and oxygen that bottles cannot achieve.  This keeps beer fresher for longer
  • When icing down your beer, cold temperatures are transmitted across a can faster than a bottle – achieving an ice cold brew can happen in minutes
  • Cans are light weight and significantly easier to transport – this translates to reduction in shipping costs up to 35%
  • It takes a lot more force to break a can than a bottle – while this is important for the end user, it is even more valuable for distributors
  • While glass is not an accepted receptacle at all venues, cans of beer are allowed almost everywhere including beaches, rivers, ballparks, speedways, swimming pools, and concert venues
  • Aluminum cans are very easy to recycle and therefore eco-friendly
While years of perception may favor bottled beer, technology is leveling the playing field.  The can of beer that your grandpa was drinking 20 years ago has seen some dramatic improvements.  Aluminum cans in the modern day are lined with a water-based polymer which shields the beer from being exposed to metal.  For another canned improvement, turn to the brewmasters at New Belgium Brewery.  They add a small dose of live yeast to Fat Tire cans to consume the oxygen in the head space of a can.  Many blind tasters prefer the flavor of the canned versus bottled variety.

The “Canned Beer Apocalypse” was tabbed by one of its founders, Oskar Blues Brewery and they continue to look for ways to provide alcohol to consumers in canned form.  A new branch of the company has been established, Lyons Soul Distilling LLC and the objective is clear: "We're going to can some spirits".  While this project is in its infant stages, a whiskey and agave based liquor are in the works.

Why am I here?

Friends, Family, Random People,

As you may or may not know I started writing for http://www.beer-universe.com/ a few months back.  I thoroughly enjoy my gig with them and will continue to write articles for this fantastic site.

More recently, I have focused all of my Twitter attention (https://twitter.com/jagatelife) on beer related posts.

I have come to the realization that these two avenues just aren't sufficient for everything beer related I would like to be sharing with the world.  So check in, browse, read, criticize, disagree, enjoy, drink, and be merry.

Myself and Uncle Jay at WurstFest in New Braunfels, TX