Hell Hath No Fury...

...like a beer geek scorned. Please excuse the pun, it’s the best I can do at the moment. There has been a lot of chatter recently around the beer community about the latest seasonal release by Surly. I’m not sure if it’s really even considered a seasonal but this is the second annual release of 'Hell' their version of a Helles lager - although I have also heard it categorized as a Zwickel or Kellerbier. One thing I learned this year is that "helles" is actually a German word meaning 'light'. I'm still not sure if that means not heavy or not dark. Either way it fits as this beer is both light on the palate and light in color. Traditionally (as in Light American Lager) that would also suggest light on flavor and light on enjoyment but this is anything but. Well, at least that's how I perceived it. This, however, is the root of a lot of debate. There was a lot of hype over this beer's release (first time in cans this year) and the limited availability has created quite a bit of hysteria. The Four Firkins, one of the finest craft beer stores in the city, received 10 cases. I think that equates to sixty 4-paks. There was a limit of two 4-paks per customer and they still sold out in about an hour. Why all the discussion? Well you can read about all the yays and nays here and here (in the comments section).

Personally, I am absolutely tickled to see the beer community getting excited about a non-extreme beer. At the same time I love seeing one of the most respected extreme brewers shift gears and tackle a style that's been relatively untouched by the craft brew scene. Between you and me, I think Todd (head brewer) just wanted to make a beer he could call Hell, but that's just me. On to the review:

Surly Hell

In a tall Pilsner glass this beer comes out dark golden even amber and despite its unfilteredness it is very clear. A small poufy one finger white head quickly reduces to a ring. I stick my nose deep into the less-then-full glass and take a big whiff. Woah, the hops that I am told are not there hit me in the face. The can says there are American hops in here but I am getting some spicy floral noble finishing hops in the aroma. The sweet citrusy American hops are there as well. Also present is a refreshing bready grainy aroma. The flavor is more of the same. I am getting corn, spicy hops and a serious bitterness that along with the vibrant carbonation scrubs the back of my tongue and down my throat. Mouthfeel is medium bodied and easily drinkable. No astringency or creaminess to speak of but certainly the aforementioned carbonation. Very refreshing and a lot bigger, in my opinion, than the style would suggest. This is a great beer. A nice clean lager with sharp edges. There are a lot of varying opinions out there about this beer but that is what I love about the beer community and my online beer geek friends. My opinion? More please!

Cheers, DA

Beer This!

Tony Magee and Lagunitas

Well here it is Friday already and I am finally getting around to posting about Monday. Monday was one of those impromptu evenings that just kinda happens and turns out to be a heck of a good time. I was at home all ready to watch some lectures on DVD when I checked the dreaded Y! mail. There it was, an email from the MHbA my homebrew club. Tony Magee, founder and owner of Lagunitas Brewing Company was going to be at the Eden Prairie Old Chicago at 5pm. They will also be pouring a firkin of their Russian Imperial Stout. I live in Eden Prairie and within walking distance of Old Chicago. So, I had a decision to make; do I stay home and study and miss yet another meet and greet with someone in the beer industry or do I head over for a chance at a snapshot and some words from the wise? Sounds like a no-brainer, right? Well, beer pressure got the best of me and I headed over.

Me and Tony Magee

While ordering a glass of the Imperial Stout, Matt, a friend of mine from the BJCP class spotted me. Since I was flying solo I gladly took him up on his offer to sit with him and his wife. It sounded like they were on their last beer and would be heading home for supper, but before long Alvey from the Four Firkins arrived. Matt and Alvey are both avid bikers and ride together occasionally. Soon we were all hanging out together, drinking beer, laughing and having a great time. Matt and Courtney who were about ready to leave at 6pm ended up hanging out all night. We even got free pizza! What I thought was going to be just another mundane evening turned out to be a load of fun. Tony was a really cool guy to just be around and listen to him talk. Check out this interview I found online, this pretty much sums up his personality. Oh and the Russian Impy? Pretty fantastic. Sweet, roasty and a viscosity that resembles motor oil, just the way we like it! Cheers.

Bearded Brewing Beer Review #2

Another day has dawned and that day is hump day, the middle day of the week. That makes today the perfect day to review the middle of the three beers I got from Eric over at the Bearded Brewing Blog... El Muerto Ale. What started as a Dead Guy clone has morphed into something I can only classify as an Amber and that may be inaccurate as well. I love the naming convention of calling a Dead Guy clone 'El Muerto', very clever.

This beer started as the Gringo did, with a big rush of carbonation. A big poofy tan head sits atop this cloudy dark amber to brown colored brew. This beer isn't clear but it is fairly translucent. It was much prettier than I could get with my camera and flash. Some sediment in this one too, but again appears to be mainly yeast. In the nose I initially got a phenolic peppery or clovelike aroma. Not what I think Eric intended, but I think time may have gotten the best of this one. I am getting a little bit of papery aroma which would suggest oxidation, also evidence of aging. Fortunately those aspects weren't dominant enough that I couldn't get down to the meat of the beer. I got a slight but faded hop aroma and toffee and caramel sweetness. The flavor was very intriguing. This one again started sweet but finished dry, kind of a dusty dry. There is plenty of nutty toasty malt presence which I found very welcoming. Nice bitterness dances across the tongue and down the back of my throat. The bitterness lingers ever so slightly into a medium to medium-high mouthfeel. Lots of cleansing carbonation but the body almost comes across as chewy, but in an enjoyable way.

I liked this beer, but I have a feeling in its prime I would have loved it. I especially enjoyed the malt profile which was one that you rarely find by either commercial or homebrewers these days. I would love to see this rise from the dead sometime down the road and give it another shot. I imagine the hops could be more of a highlight and the malt aromas would shine through.

Bearded. Brewing. Blogging.

When I started blogging I knew little about it. I got into great beer and homebrewing long before I got into blogging but it is because of homebrewing that I discovered it. My homebrewing website, Luther Public House is based on the life and works of Martin Luther. My interest in Luther goes back a long ways but that’s a story for another day. It is because of this interest that I took notice to a BeerAdvocate user whose avatar is a picture of Luther. A glance at his profile led me to his website, Singing Boys Brewing. Jim, the guy behind Singing Boys is a homebrewer in the suburbs of Chicago. Low and behold his website led me back to Minneapolis and the brewing blog of The Bearded Brewer. It seems Eric from Bearded got Jim from Singing involved in brewing organically and that’s how the connection was made. This series of events got the ball rolling and before long I was blogging. Many of you are familiar with the Bearded Brewing blog as it seems we all follow each other’s blogs to a certain extent. And it's a fun little community to be a part of.

A while back Eric and I connected by email and between his two young children and my two jobs we found it very hard to find a date that worked. Finally, after months of trying, he and I were able to meet face to face and talk beer while enjoying great beer. We met up at Buster’s on 28th and in addition to great conversation we also exchanged a few bottles of homebrew. He blogged a while back about his Gringo Imperial Mexican Lager made with agave nectar. This beer was later reviewed by yet another blogger I follow, Stu, from Friday Night Beer. I decided after reading about it that I needed to try this beer.

And last weekend at Buster's I finally got my hands on some!

Last night, after a couple hours of lecture on yeast health, propagation and yeast washing, I decided I was thirsty. Not a surprise. This is usually a daily occurrence while studying beer and brewing, I find myself craving a well crafted beer. After just one whiff followed by a sufficient swig, I knew I was holding a well crafted beer. I opened the bottle carefully and got the gush of carbonation I was warned about. After it settled down I poured it into my Vegas* glass and had a look. It was a murky straw color with a huge sudsy head. I determined the murkiness was due to some chunky yeast matter. These were probably creating many tiny nucleation points which encouraged all the vigorous foaming. I have to admit that I was hoping for the crystal clear version as seen HERE on Eric’s review but appearance has very little to do with the overall enjoyment of a beer. What makes a beer are great flavor and a great aroma and this beer had both. Escaping ever so delicately through the massive dense head was a divine citrusy and floral hop aroma complimented nicely by a clover-like honey sweetness, probably the agave. In addition I also got a mild graininess and just a hint of alcoholic heat. The flavor was just as enjoyable.

I got more of that floral hoppy yumminess and just a slight amount of malt probably from the specialty malts. I also got what I could only explain as pineapple, but I liked it. The hop bitterness was low but the hop flavor and aroma were emphasized and fantastic. The other thing that amazed me about this beer was how clean it was, a very straightforward flavor profile that was so easy to drink. It started out sweet but finished dry which made it so refreshing. The mouthfeel was pleasant as well. Low to medium-low body and very effervescent. No astringency and due to the intense carbonation, no real creaminess to speak of. To be honest it really reminded me of

Rogue’s Imperial Pilsner which I absolutely loved! Very nice beer Eric, I will be attempting this at home if I may have your blessing.

Please stay tuned as I review the “El Muerto” manana… I mean tomorrow.

*My Vegas glass is one of a pair that my wife and I acquired from Ellis Island Casino and Brewery. We went in one afternoon for a couple of their great hefeweizens and we were served in these nice glasses. We didn't want to stay so we took them to go and the glasses ended up back in Minnesota some how.