Very hippy bottle.

The pour is rich golden brown. The aroma is hoppy and sweet.

The mouth feel is a bit thicker. It coats the tongue.

The hops and malts are there. It is not overly hop happy, but they’re definitely there.

Rich ruby pour with great floral and hops aroma. Sturdy head, off-white with small tight bubbles. The lacing on the glass is thick.

The taste is fruity, but in a good way. It is light and refreshing.

Once the head mostly dissipated, there were “pebbles”. These were little nodules of the head floating on the top of the beer. There’s nothing wrong with them, I guess, but it is a little off.

The Atlantic has a write up on Three Floyds Brewpub.

The Atlantic’s food RSS feeds are beer-ful lately, and I support that.

The pour

Rich and dark, almost syrupy.

The head

Frothy and robust, almost three fingers worth on a somewhat lazy pour. Lots of lacing left on the glass.

The Aroma

Smoke. Caramel.

Flavor

Very smooth. Rich taste.  The malt really comes out on the back of the tongue.

The pour is a rich yellow brown. Think tanned leather bag.

The aroma is somewhat fruity but had to nail down. Allspice, maybe? A kind of Jamacan jerk jive?

The head is rich and foamy. It stays and it laces the glass well.

Oh, the taste! Damn, that’s good!

Initially you realize it tastes different. Not bad, mind you, just a different ale. Toward the vack of the mouth the taste starts to stand up and say ‘howdy’. In the back of the throat I feel the same tingle I get from my salsa (on the hot side) or a really well made spicy Caesar.

It’s important to note that the beer isn’t hot or spice, at least to my tongue.

The flavor really brings forth the fruitiness of the peppers.

… or a Bad Bottle of Warsteiner Dunkel …

I’ve had Warsteiner Dunkel before. I really enjoyed it. There was a richness and depth to the flavor that I did not expect at the time, but a flavor I found … yummy.

I was at the store today. I opted to pick up a 6 of the Warsteiner because a) it had been awhile, b) I like darker and heavier beers this time of year, and c) it and I were there. The experience was a little like calling that girl who, while you never formally were an item nor wanted to be, you could call up on short order and have better than decent odds of having a good time.

This evening I cracked open a bottle and took it for a pour. It was good. Rich & dark, but not opaque in the glass. The dunkel had a finger’s worth of head with some lacing left on the side of the glass.

I stuck my nose into the glass and took a big old whiff and …

D’ohhhhhhh (a Homer Simpson D’oh! with a slow exhalation of disappointment). The beer was a bit off. I could smell a hint of sulphur. Not Satan-level sulphur, not even left-in-the-back-of-the-girlfriend’s-Pontiac-on-a-warm-spring-day Red Stripe.

I’ve been told, and where I’m wrong Neal and Jeff and the rest of the team will correct me in my erroneous ways, that Austrian, German, and Dutch lagers typically have more compounds that react negatively to light and heat than do the average British, American, or Canadian offerings. This reaction typically leads to “skunking”, or an increase in sulphur compounds in the brew. Once a beer is skunked, I’m not aware of a remedy. However, I’ve been known to hang onto off beers for a spell to use in cooking.

When I parboil ribs, pork or especially beef, or if I’m doing up beer brats with peppers and onions, I’ll use the skunked beer. In the case of the peppers and onions, the onions have many of the same compounds. The brats will already be seasoned heavily. Parboiling the ribs, when I do it, is typically the first step. A dry rub and grilling is yet to come. The beer is meant to add some flavor and, with the heat, help soften up the connective tissue in the meat. Normally the meat I get is of good quality so I don’t have to resort to the stock pot.

If the beer is cover-your-nose-awful, the only cure is to dispose of it. Down the drain is one option, but if you have a compost pile or backyard garden or a lawn use it there. ‘Reduce, Reuse, Recycle’ and all that.

The other good news is that I’ve opened another of the Warsteiner. This one is not skunked. I am pleased.

This will be a quicky for now. I’ll back fill the post later.

The crux of the post is this: I really like this stout. It is very similar to the one at Black Lotus in Clawson.

It is dark with a one finger cream colored head. The taste is surprisingly mellow but rich. It has a good mouth feel. There isn’t much aroma with it either.

As the label says: “Leprechaun Magic is back”

I’ll take their word for it.

Presentation

Typical MBC bottle with a Dutch colonial house on the coast. The bottle is dark.

Pour

The pour is a rich brown with almost no head. What is left is some lacing on the sides and a few bubbles.

Aroma

The smell is a bit of fruit and caramel .

Taste

It is light on the tongue. The flavor is mellow, slightly nutty and fruity, but not as much as one might expect from a typical brown ale.

Reviewer’s Grade

C+

From the Brewer

“This festive occasion beer follows the traditions of one of the oldest English brewing styles from the 16th Century.  The blend of malts provides a caramel and nut flavor with a deep coppery brown color with medium body, which is balanced with traditional English Kent Goldings hops.  The result is lighter in color and flavor than our porter and stout, yet provides plenty of rich nutty and toasted malt flavors.”

Statistics

Price/Quantity: $8.99/6 pack 12 ounce bottles
ABV: unknown
IBU: unknown
Calories: unknown
Suggested Glass: Pint glass
Website: Michigan Brewing Company

I love porters and stouts and dark lagers this time of year. This one I’ve enjoyed a great deal. It drinks smooth with a fine flavor.

I was surprised to find this stout in my 12-pack, as I expected three bottles each of four brews. It seems apparent that I have a far broader selection than I’d expected.

Presentation

Standard MBC packaging with a lighthouse at the center.

Pour

A dark, rich liquid, the stout pours the way one would expect. There is some head, less than a finger. The bubbles are tight and dissipate quickly.

Aroma

The smell is caramel and chocolate with maybe a bit of star anise or licorice.

Taste

The tongue feel heavy, as a stout should be. Chocolate, smoke, and caramel make up the flavor.

Reviewer’s Grade

A-

Statistics

Price/Quantity: $8.99/6 pack 12 ounce bottles
ABV: unknown
IBU: unknown
Calories: unknown
Suggested Glass: Pint glass
Website: Michigan Brewing Company

This will read and sound as entirely sexist. However, many women will dig this brew. The un-sexist part is that a lot of guys will drink it as well.

I’ve been put off fruit-infused wheat beer for over twelve years. I had a one night stand at a work function in Kansas City where I pounded back Sam Adams Cherry Wheat (they had naught else worth drinking). Like after a previous ill-advised overindulgence of Southern Comfort and Coke, I can no longer drink that particular beverage. Fruit- and wheat-based beers broadly faced a similar injunction for a long time.

I’ve recently had wheat beers, most of which I could give or take (Neal’s home brews not withstanding). Still not my cup of tea, but a nice change-of-pace brew.

This was really my first foray since.

Presentation

The bottle has a picture of monks around a vat doing brew-type activities. The text is almost old school serif on a purple background. What could be better?

Pour

The pour is definitely yellow. The head is almost three fingers tall with small, tight bubbles. It doesn’t dissipate easily.

Aroma

The smell is raspberry, no doubt.

Taste

OMG. It’s like drinking 7-Up or Sprite mixed with raspberry preserve. The flavor is strong, but not too sweet.

Reviewer’s Grade

B

From the Brewer

“Celis Raspberry is a traditional Belgian-style fruit beer with full flavor, tartness and a rich, rosy hue.  Selected hops add balance and contribute to its seductive aroma. It is delicious on its own or as a refresher. And it is the perfect complement to bread and cheese, vanilla ice cream or chocolate cake.”

Statistics

Price/Quantity: $8.99/6 pack 12 ounce bottles
ABV: unknown
IBU: unknown
Calories: unknown
Suggested Glass: Pint glass
Website: Michigan Brewing Company