Beer Trip: New Glarus, WI; New Glarus Brewery

April 22, 20134 Comments

This past weekend my wife and I were childless for a couple of days and she suggested that we should finally take a trip to New Glarus, WI to visit the brewery (www.newglarus.com). We’ve talked about this trip quite often while we drive to Madison but it finally came to fruition this weekend. The drive is very simple, a right off of 151 and 16 miles later you are in the historical town of New Glarus. As we where driving in we noticed the old brewery off to the left coming into town. It was relatively small, and this but a mental image of the new one in or around the same size. Well, I couldn’t be more wrong. As you are going out-of-town you see a sign for the new brewery and as you turn into the winding drive you are taken to a hilltop were New Glarus Brewery rests. The scene is really quite beautiful. Old stone stairs, historical swiss architecture with a modern design, and the massive layout, made it look more like a quaint hotel than an awesome brewery.

My wife and I entered through gift shop and browsed a bit before deciding to hit the tasting room. At the tasting room you have the option of buying a full 12 oz glass with a draw of beer for $6 or a tasting glass and a small draw for $3. Both great deals as you get to keep the glasses. To make things even better they were pushing their Blacktop IPA because it has recently been added to their year-round lineup. I decided going with the black top and my wife went with the Two-Women lager. After a few rounds we decided to head back through the gift shop and going through the self-guided tour of the brewery. The place is absolutely pristine. Brand new looking, very clean, clean enough to eat (or drink) off the floor. The amount of piping and amount of equipment was very impressive.

Back in the gift shop I bought another beer glass and a sweet Moon Man pale ale t-shirt. So many cool items that would a great addition for any beer lover. After we made our purchases I had to stop downstairs to buy some brew. I was scared that there wouldn’t be anything left of their Double IPA but luckily there was enough left where my decision wasn’t how many four packs but how many cases to buy. Love that stuff. Got a case of IIPA, mixed and match of the Coffee stout, Cabin Fever, and Dancing Man Wheat, a few Serendipitys, 2 4 packs of Winter Warmer and some Moon Man. A nice little haul, not all for me, sharing with the Beer Counselor.

I asked the guys working where a good place to grab a quick bite would be and they both said to try out the Glarner Stube (www.glarnerstube.com). Driving into downtown New Glarus definitely feels like you are in Switzerland. The historic layout makes this place an excellent experience and as you walk into the Glarner Stube not only get the visual appeal you get to taste it as well. Glarner Stube means “Living Room of New Glarus” and it is that cozy. All old New Glarus brewing bottles line across the top of the bar and that is the only brewery available on tap, the only problem is deciding which one to order. A went with Moon Man and my wife suggested going with some Cheese Fondue to start. A great idea! Wonderful swiss cheese with cubed, crusted bread, that paired great with the pale ale. We also split a prime rib sandwich with horseradish sauce and a side of cooked sauerkraut with an onion cream sauce. The food was great but the people working there are so pleasant it makes everything that much better.

A great trip to New Glarus. I’m hoping to makes this a destination to hit a few times a year. Highly recommend making this trek, an easy 3 hour drive to beerdom.

Guest Review of Toppling Goliath Mornin' Delight and Assassin Release

April 18, 20131 Comment

My friend, the Beer Counselor, wrote a nice little write-up on the morning in Decorah as well and I thought I would share that here. Further props for one of the best breweries in the business:

I just want to take a moment and echo the Baron’s words. We walked in the door and were greeted by high fives and excitement from the employees who undoubtedly had a long day ahead of them. The owner was there. He shook our hands and literally thanked us for coming. He asked if we had been able to get some Dorothy’s new world lager in our area. He also let us know we could get a free sample of Assassin before we bought it. Try to imagine Three F’s offering up a sample of DL before you put your money down. (No intended disrespect to Three F’s they could do that at DL day but I have a hard time imagining it) The people of TG were first class all the way.
The beer was simply amazing. I was first drawn to TG by their high quality line of hoppy beers. Golden Nugget, Pseudo Sue and Millenium Falcon are among my favorites. I was happy to have a brewery in Iowa making world-class beers that would make anyone envious. I had high hopes for the stouts but wondered going in if they would be a one trick pony with a gift for hops. My first sip of Morning Delight blew me away!!! I sat in amazement and sipped that beer. I have never experienced flavors like that previously and I fell in love. I followed that beer up with a 3-4 ounce sample of Assassin and was again so impressed with the incredible flavors that burst forth. I finished with a glass of Naughty Temple and could not stop grinning like a fool. I actually left without drinking a Pseudo Sue. I never thought I could be in Sue’s lair and leave without her sweet bite.
Now if Clark reads this and finds it in his heart we would like to come back for a Kentucky Brunch release sometime.
Thanks for everything to everyone we met while there (employees and patrons) for making it a high point in my beer travels memory!

Guest Review of Toppling Goliath Mornin’ Delight and Assassin Release

April 18, 2013April 18, 20131 Comment

My friend, the Beer Counselor, wrote a nice little write-up on the morning in Decorah as well and I thought I would share that here. Further props for one of the best breweries in the business:

I just want to take a moment and echo the Baron’s words. We walked in the door and were greeted by high fives and excitement from the employees who undoubtedly had a long day ahead of them. The owner was there. He shook our hands and literally thanked us for coming. He asked if we had been able to get some Dorothy’s new world lager in our area. He also let us know we could get a free sample of Assassin before we bought it. Try to imagine Three F’s offering up a sample of DL before you put your money down. (No intended disrespect to Three F’s they could do that at DL day but I have a hard time imagining it) The people of TG were first class all the way.
The beer was simply amazing. I was first drawn to TG by their high quality line of hoppy beers. Golden Nugget, Pseudo Sue and Millenium Falcon are among my favorites. I was happy to have a brewery in Iowa making world-class beers that would make anyone envious. I had high hopes for the stouts but wondered going in if they would be a one trick pony with a gift for hops. My first sip of Morning Delight blew me away!!! I sat in amazement and sipped that beer. I have never experienced flavors like that previously and I fell in love. I followed that beer up with a 3-4 ounce sample of Assassin and was again so impressed with the incredible flavors that burst forth. I finished with a glass of Naughty Temple and could not stop grinning like a fool. I actually left without drinking a Pseudo Sue. I never thought I could be in Sue’s lair and leave without her sweet bite.
Now if Clark reads this and finds it in his heart we would like to come back for a Kentucky Brunch release sometime.
Thanks for everything to everyone we met while there (employees and patrons) for making it a high point in my beer travels memory!

Beer Review #101: New Glarus Serendipity

April 11, 2013Leave a comment

Leave it to Dan Carey at New Glarus to take a bad cherry harvest, an okay apple harvest, and a great cranberry harvest, mix all those together and get a wonderful beer accident that only he can produce! Behold, Serendipity! A sour fruit beer that shows the skill of the brewmaster and also makes the beer drinker yearn for more from this great brewery (www.newglarusbrewing.com). While Spotted Cow seems to be the most recognizable of the brews that New Glarus produces, and it definitely has its place, they push out much more great beer than that. If you’ve never had their Double IPA, Raspberry Tart, Belgian Red, Black Top, Moon Man, Enigma and many more, it’s time to run up to Platteville or even head to Madison or New Glarus itself to check out more of their products.

Serendipity is considered a fruit/sour beer and you can definitely get the tartness from this brew. The flavors of all the fruits really do a number on your taste buds, and the beer pairs perfectly with brownies, chocolate cake, or even makes a great dessert on its own. You can throw this one in with the great fruit beers that are available in the U.S. From the brewery:

Happy Accident Fruit Ale Severe Drought, we shared the farmer’s horror as Wisconsin’s cherry crop failed! Dan bought what cherries he could. The apple crop fared better. Then joy! A grand Wisconsin cranberry harvest. What will Dan brew with Apples, Cranberries and Cherries? Oh my! You hold the happy accident of Wisconsin’s favorite fruit aged in oak with an almost magical wild fermentation. Serendipity is a wondrous celebration that sparkles your senses and dances across your palate. A kaleidoscope of flavors discovered by accident in a sour ale! Cheers to the unexpected. Vielen Dank!

REVIEW

Style: Fruit/Sour beer

ABV: 5.1%

Purchased at: Woodman’s Market; Madison, WI.

Pour: Off-white, reddish hue, super thick head. Gorgeous ruby pour.

Aroma: Tart cherry aroma, with a bit of apple. Not much from the cranberries.

Flavor: The brewery calls it a happy accident, and it definitely makes you happy. I get somewhat of an apple cider flavor, with cherry flavor following. The cranberries add a perfect tartness to this beer. Excellent stuff!

Ratebeer.com rating: 100/100

Beeradvocate.com rating: 96/100

Overall: A

My recommendation: Yet another must try from New Glarus. Dan Carey continues to shine as one of the best craft breweries in America.

Beer Review #100: Surly Hell

April 2, 2013April 2, 2013Leave a comment

Like most people who have tried their beers, I have really taken a liking to Surly’s product (www.surlybrewing.com). Furious, Abrasive, Bender, and Coffee Bender are all fabulous beers that I’ve tried from them. Lately, a buddy and I have taken to ordering some beers from places like france44.com and halftimebeverage.com. France44 works out really well if you are in the mood for some Surly beers and with my buddy’s latest order he took a shot on a Surly beer neither one of us had tried yet.

I will be the first to admit that I haven’t had much experience with dortmunder or helles style beers but after trying Hell, it seems to me that Surly is doing this style justice. The name was kind of misleading to me at first; I was thinking of some sort of chipotle or pepper beer but instead, Hell is referring to the German word for light. This beer was definitely light in the pour with a golden hazy pour with a nice sized head. Very bready and yeasty in the aroma. Definitely get the pils malt with the first few drinks and the bread follows through with a hint a lemon citrus. Slight hops follow to round out this extremely drinkable offering from Surly. Maybe the perfect accompaniment to a summer BBQ? I think this would do nicely. Description from the brewery:

Finally, a Surly beer my German mother will drink. She says this one tastes like a bier from back home. Not unlike a Zwickel Bier from Germany, Hell is our filtered and fermented with lager yeast, American hops takes a back seat to the Pils malt sweetness and fresh bread aroma. The color is well… hell (Deutsch for light). It’s fiendishly drinkable, and you don’t have to sell your soul to get another.

The style of this beer isn’t one that is often talked about currently. IPAs, barrel-aged, sours, are dominating headlines with most craft beer drinkers but if you want to try different styles and try them when they are done right, I think Surly can be proud of this beer. This could also quite possibly be a great transition beer for those looking to get into the craft beer world. Rumblings of Surly wanting to expand a bit continues through the midwest and here’s hoping that they make it south to the lovely state of Iowa.

REVIEW

Style: Helles/Dortmunder

ABV:4.5%

Purchased at: France44.com

Pour: Golden straw color with a thick white head.

Aroma: Bread, yeast, light citrus.

Flavor: Lots of breadiness with lemon and bit of hops.

Ratebeer.com rating: 90/100

Beeradvocate.com rating: 88/100

Overall: B

My recommendation: A great beer for the style, extremely drinkable. Surly continues to do things and if you can get up north to Minnesota to get some, buy a bunch, or order from france44.com.

Guest Review: Slim Reviews 515 Grand Opening!

March 26, 20131 Comment

Thanks to Slim for the review. Sounds like 515 is has a very promising future in the craft brew business! Can’t wait to get out there to try some of their great beers.

I was fortunate enough to attend this fabulous event put on by the good folks at 515. I had done some research on them through their website (http://www.515brewing.com/index.html). It appears to be just a few former home brewers who decided to make their dream plan come to fruition. I had heard from a friend who visited their taproom a couple of weeks ago that he highly approved of the entire operation. Solid brews and atmosphere. This got me even more excited to head down there and see what all the buzz was about. When I saw the baron’s post on their grand opening event, it was simply game, set, match, on finding the right time to check out 515 brewing.

I wasn’t really sure what to expect in terms of attendance before I arrived. They advertised that the first 50 through the door would receive a free 515 t-shirt. Although the freebie was enticing, my main motivation for getting there as it opened was to secure a table for me and my two accomplices during the event. For the purposes of anonymity, we’ll refer to them as “Terrible Terry” and “Iceman Jr.” There was a sizable amount of people in line as I pulled up so being that my free t-shirt hopes were dashed, I focused squarely on getting in line to try one of their tasty brews before they ran out. They clearly did a good job of advertising the event; in fact, by the look on some of the brewers’ faces, they probably did too good. I also was astonished by the turnout but it’s clearly a good thing. It’s another sign that craft brewing has made it here and will hopefully be here for a long time to stay.

I was also unsuccessful at securing a table and it did not appear they had very many set out; possibly to allow for more room for the high number of guests that they had anticipated. The taproom is about what you’d expect. It was spacious and had a home feel to it. It is bigger than most taprooms I have been to before and I think it will serve them well. I didn’t see a space for a patio, however. It is my guess that they are addressing this issue and will possibly have something set up for this summer. It would put the finishing touch on an already great venue. They did have a food vendor available on this day but the brewery itself does not serve food at this time.

Onto the beers! They had a full lineup on tap for this event. In the past, they have had a few of their offerings in addition to making some taps from Confluence Brewing available (http://confluencebrewing.com/). The first I tried was 515’s “Numb Nut”. It is a spicy brown ale that 515 describes as tasting like Christmas. I have mixed feelings on this brew. I did enjoy the creativity that was put into the making of this beer. However, I was turned off by the aroma, not the kind of taste I look for in a brown ale. Not for one moment am I trying to take anything away from what is a good beer, it just wasn’t for me.

The beer that went the fastest was the “OJ IPA”. The keg was dry in an hour. Terrible Terry is partly known for his classic one-liners. He delivered one when he ordered this brew, “I’ll take an OJ Simpson IPA!” he said as he made his choice. It was the right choice, it’s wonderful wheat IPA that has a HUGE kick of orange/citrus. We immediately saw why it was so popular. Iceman Jr. also tried the Numb Nut and I think he liked it more than I did. The two of us then tried “Belgian Paradise”. It was a Belgian-style white ale that also delivered more flavor than a typical brew of that style. Finally, Terry gave the Lil’ Tart (only beer available under 5.0% ABV) a try. The name is deceiving, there’s A LOT of Tart. I remember hearing him say that he didn’t like the Jalapeno beer offered by Bent River Brewing at the Brr fest back in January. So I wasn’t surprised that this was not a hit with him either. The tart in Lil’ Tart is very prominent and is definitely not for everyone. The next time I attend, I’m looking to try the “Stout of the Closet” for sure.

515 lived up to my expectations and then some. Anybody who considers themselves craft brew enthusiasts needs to hit up this fine establishment. I recommend checking their facebook page/website before you visit in order to make sure they have several brews available. They keep this list updated and I would discourage going if they have less than 4 of their brews available. I’m sure you would still enjoy yourself but you’ll get the best experience if you go when they have a full line-up of their exceptional beers on tap.

Beer Review #99: Goose Island Bourbon County Stout

March 25, 2013Leave a comment

The very first barrel-aged beer America stills stands strong today as Goose Island’s Bourbon County Stout continues to make beer headlines nationwide as one of/if not the best barrel-aged beer around. I got up very early on a cold Iowa Tuesday morning to capture the prize of a few four-packs of this brew, and was glad I did. As I have slowly evolved into a barrel-aged beer lover, I’ve come to appreciate what the booze offers a really good crafted stout. Earlier in my beer drinking days, I would have scoffed, and possibly spit this beer out proclaiming it to be too boozy and downright undrinkable, but now, I relish the opportunity to taste the vanilla from the bourbon and oak flavor from the barrel.

Goose Island has made many headlines in the beer world this last few years as the Evil Empire that is AB-InBev bought them out, and as much as I avoid buying the big 3, I’ve also come to appreciate that Goose Island hasn’t sacrificed their quality of product with the buyout…. yet, and I hope they never do.

From the brewery:

“I really wanted to do something special for our 1000th batch at the original brewpub. Goose Island could have thrown a party. But we did something better. We brewed a beer. A really big batch of stout-so big the malt was coming out of the top of the mash tun. After fermentation we brought in some bourbon barrels to age the stout. One hundred and fifty days later, Bourbon County Stout was born-A liquid as dark and dense as a black hole with a thick foam the color of bourbon barrels. The nose is a mix of charred oak, vanilla,carmel and smoke. One sip has more flavor than your average case of beer. It overpowers anything in the room. People have even said that it’s a great cigar beer, but I haven’t yet tried a cigar that would stand up to it.”

I will be letting a few four packs age and hopefully at some point I can put together a vertical tasting of this beer, but as I was sipping the last one, (about 2 weeks ago), and as it warmed, it might have been the best barrel-age I’ve tasted. The aroma of the vanilla shines through the longer this beer sits, and as I finished the last half of it, it started tasting like a liquid form of an almond joy candy bar. Anyone else get that flavor? Such a great beer to sit and sip on, especially on a cold winter night! The alcohol warms you up nicely but does not overpower the fantastic flavor of this wonderfully well-crafted brew. Cheers!

REVIEW

Style: Imperial Stout

ABV:15%

Purchased at: Hy-Vee

Pour: Viscous black pour, very thick.

Aroma: Bourbon sweetness, vanilla, coconut.

Flavor: Chocolate flavor, the bourbon is there, coconut is well. Liquid almond joy (that can get you drunk)

Ratebeer.com rating: 100/100

Beeradvocate.com rating: 100/100

Overall: A

My recommendation: A fantastic beer, proceed with caution as a few of these could put you on your ass pretty quick. If you are not into barrel-aged beers this would be something great to try with a group of people at a tasting event.

Beer Review #98: Toppling Goliath pseudoSue

March 17, 20131 Comment

The clock is ticking down as Iowans all over the state await the much-anticipated release of Toppling Goliath’s bottling of their IPA, pseudoSue. Toppling Goliath brewery (www.tgbrewing.com) out of Decorah, IA is arguably the best brewery in Iowa. As beer lovers, we are always waiting for the next great brewery to bring their beers to our shelves in Eastern Iowa, when in fact, we have one of the best breweries within driving distance of our homes. I haven’t had all of their beers, in fact, I have yet to get to the brewery myself, (spring trip?) but of the beers I’ve had from this brewery, they are all comparable to the best that America has to offer and pseduoSue is one of my all-time favorite beers.

From the brewery:

This single hop ale showcases the Citra hop. Named for the largest T-rex fossil ever discovered, she roars with ferocious aromas of grapefruit, citrus, mango and evergreen. Delicate in body with a mild bite in the finish.

This highly drinkable, smooth-tasting IPA is singled hopped with that fantastic Citra hop. Citrus flavors with piney notes as well dominate the palate and finish with a bit of malt to balance this beer out wonderfully. Waiting patiently for the facebook message or the tweet telling us when the bottles are coming off the line and will be available for purchase, because I for one, will be waiting in line to buy a couple of cases of this fantastic brew. You always feel great when you support Iowa Craft beer, but Toppling Goliath is making it easy for us to do so by kicking out amazing tasted, well-crafted beers. Cheers!

REVIEW

Style: India Pale Ale

ABV:5.8%

Purchased at: Red’s Alehouse, North Liberty, IA on tap.

Pour: Orangish pour, nice medium-sized head, tons of lacing.

Aroma: All citra hop aroma. The smell is amazing.

Flavor: More citra hop, grapefruit, lemon, and orange mixed with a bit of pine. Wonderful!

Ratebeer.com rating: 98/100

Beeradvocate.com rating: 95/100

Overall: A

My recommendation: You don’t necessarily have to wait for the bottles to arrive, (hopefully 2 months?), bars and restaurants around Cedar Rapids and Iowa City continually have TG brews on tap, or make the trip to Decorah and get it as fresh as you can. These guys are the real deal!

Restaurant Review: Copper Kettle; Dubuque, IA

March 6, 2013March 6, 20131 Comment

Last week I was back in my old stomping grounds of Bellevue, Iowa and my sister had brought to my attention a new restaurant that opened in Dubuque.

She sent me a link that contained descriptions and pictures of the Copper Kettle . As soon as I saw the picture of the scotch egg I was sold. The menu looked unique and very appealing and so I headed to Dubuque salivating. The inside of the restaurant was very inviting, nice Dubuque Brewery memorabilia and a very nice bar. A somewhat open kitchen so you can see how your food is being prepped. It took a while to figure out what I wanted, I decided to start off with a scotch egg. Copper Kettle’s scotch egg is a soft-boiled egg, wrapped in italian sausage, rolled in breadcrumbs and then deep-fried. It is served with a mustard sauce and once you mix the runny yolk with the mustard sauce and take a bite, you are in heaven! A very rich dish, but very delicious as well. My main meal was a pork belly sandwich with kimchi slaw. The pork belly was fork tender and the kimchi added the perfect amount of heat and tang to the meal. I also tried my sisters kimchi chili which was excellent and the pulled pork nachos of my brother-in-law, which had homemade pickled jalapeños, were excellent as well. I did not order a beer but their tap lines left a lot to be desired, four taps with Bud Light, Stella, a Potosi brew, and the fourth I can’t recall but I did notice behind the bar a huge selection of Green Flash brews and also Bells Two Hearted, so you don’t need much else.

Here is my sisters review of the Copper Kettle:

I chose to start my meal off with one of their lunch specials of the day – kimchi chili. I had only had kimchi once before (homemade), so I wasn’t sure what to expect with this dish; however, the first bite pleasantly surprised me. The kimchi didn’t overpower the chili but it brought the perfect amount of spice and kick. I would definitely order it again. You could also tell that Copper Kettle uses a higher quality beef which I very much appreciated. My brother, the baron, ordered a Scotch Egg for all of us to try as well. I had a couple bites of this, which was all I needed. It’s a rich dish, and the flavors were outstanding. I loved the spiciness of the sausage. I found myself eating the lettuce garnish with the mustard/mayo spread on the side too. My husband ordered a plate of pulled pork nachos and we all dug in to these. You could taste the smokiness of the pork and it was incredibly tender. I think the nachos were a hit for everyone. For my main meal, I decided to order something on the lighter side to counter all of the heavy appetizers. I ordered the Greek salad. It was light and refreshing dressed with a simple olive oil dressing. The kalamata olives provided the perfect amount of saltiness. I also had a couple bites of my husband’s mushroom & Swiss burger. This was probably my favorite bite of the day – I was craving this burger a couple days later.

Copper Kettle is doing it right. Their menu is fairly small but every dish on it is made with the utmost quality and with incredible flavor. If you find yourself in the Dubuque area, I highly encourage you to stop by 30^th & Jackson for a delicious lunch or dinner. You won’t be disappointed!

If you are in the Dubuque area and want to stray off the beaten path, away from the Applebees and Ground Rounds of the world, for a great cooked meal, you need to try Copper Kettle!

Blackstone Stout Night! I’ve Got A Golden Ticket!

March 3, 2013Leave a comment

If there is any better way to throw a beer tasting event by handing out “Golden Tickets” I have yet to see one. Blackstone restaurant in Iowa City, IA held their Stout Night last night by giving golden tickets to customers who paid $25 to enjoy different stouts. Which leads to this:

A great lineup of brews to accompany a few appetizers made for a great night of fun. The lineup of beers was headlined by North Coast brewings’ Barrel-Aged Old Rasputin XV. At 11.9% ABV it was definitely a sipper but the scary thing about this beer is how smooth and drinkable it is. Nice chocolate flavor that goes perfectly with the vanilla flavor that comes from the barrel aging. Terrific beer to go with Blackstone’s chocolate ganache cupcake. Before I jumped on the North Coast pour I started with Toppling Goliath Brown Sugar. Not a stout, I know, but I’m really glad Blackstone decided to have this in the lineup to showcases some Iowa beers. This brown was a bit different from most browns I’ve had as it had a much deeper roasted flavor than others. Very enjoyable and I hope to have access to this brew in the future. Next, I moved on to Green Flash Double Stout. I had yet to have this beer and to enjoy it on tap was very rewarding. This is what a stout should be like; rich, smooth, creamy, and very drinkable. Not boozy like some double or imperials, just bold and flavorful.
Bell’s Expedition Stout was up next and beside the Old Rasp this was probably the highlight of my night. Roasted malts, chocolate, and coffee dominate the palate with this beer. 10.5% ABV is in the aroma more than the taste making this dangerously drinkable. Awesome beer!

Overall, my wife and I give this a big thumbs up and are looking forward to more events at Blackstone. The wait staff, the menu, the beers all make this a great place to enjoy an evening of eating and beer drinking.