I was in Western Michigan for work last week so I stopped in to New Holland Brewing several times. I’m a mug club member there now, so that helps draw me in.

Tuesday’s are growler specials – $6 per mainstay beer if you bring in your own growler. It’s a great deal, and one I take advantage of. I will note that if they are busy or if your waitress is prone to making mistakes, you should review your growlers before you leave. I asked for The Poet and Sundog. I got Poet and Full Circle.

Now Full Circle isn’t a bad beer. You can check out reviews here. But I have to be in a mood for it.

I’m not in the mood for it.

Anyway, the other nice deal there is beer stein night. Bring in a stein and they’ll fill it up for $4 each time.

father’s day finds me roaming the rails here in Chicago. Today I am here at Revolution Brewing with the sounds of the CTA in the background watching World Cup.

I ordered the pork belly. Wholy Bovine! That was a damn fine sandwich. You can probably hear my arteries slamming shut from whereever you are.

The Mad Cow stout is milky, very smooth. Almost no hints of chocolate or smokiness. Swishing it around in my mouth I can almost taste the alcohol.

The stout is almost black. There is some light lacing but little head. It has an ABV of 7.5%.

All in all a good brew.

The Coup de Grace is their saison. It is a wheat, no doubt. And it is sweet, surprisingly so. 8.5% ABV. Is smells citruicy. The color is a golden yellow with little head or lacing, but it is a taster. It’s the one on the right, btw.

The Best Coast IPA is a 7.2% ABV. Light yellow with a good head and lacing on the glass, you can smell the hops and a bit of fruit or flowers. It’s clear, not cloudy. A good amount of hops and fruit great your tongue right off. It’s more mild than a lot of IPAs. JK probably would give it a pass, but it works well for me.

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.

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.

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