Guest Beer Review by sLim: Firetrucker Under Lager: Search and Rescue IPL

February 4, 20151 Comment

Thanks to sLim for taking the time out for a review. If you’re in Des Moines you might find him slinging some suds at El Bait Shop! Always good to have sLim keep us posted with Central Iowa happenings in the beer world.

A new beer from a new central Iowa brewery is Firetrucker’s Under Lager: Search and Rescue IPL. Once again, Firetrucker takes on a style that is hard to find on shelves and in drinking establishments. They’ve previously brewed a California Common, a smoked sour porter (collab with C.I.B), and a hard ginger beer. The hops that were used during the boil were magnum and cascade. It was dry hopped with cascade and northern brewer.The india pale lager is a style that is best described as a hybrid type of brew.TIt was dry hopped with cascade and northern brewer. Per Greg Kitsock from Washington Post, It’s brewed at colder temperatures like any lager would be; but then is hopped much past the point that a typical lager would be. One has to be careful during that process as a lager cannot withstand too aggressive of hopping.

Here’s more on this beer from the brewery: “Our India Pale Lager has a complex flavor profile with sweet grapefruit and citrus up front that leads into a lingering minty bitterness”

My personal opinion…I get more of the citrus flavor than anything else. It’s a balanced, hoppy front but the back end is where this beer shines. It has a lasting, floral taste that creates a merge between a fine pilsner and a flavorful, sessionable ale. I applaud Firetrucker’s efforts to think outside the box and release a beer that no other local breweries have tried their hand at. This beer is a hit and I look forward to seeing them try their hand at various other styles…sour, imperial stout perhaps? We can only hope but the word on the street is the next seasonal to be released is a double-mango IPA; which I’m extremely excited for. Des Moines already had some breweries come out with great double IPA’s like Confluence’s Rock Dodger and 515’s Hopititus C. It’ll be interesting to see how Firetrucker’s take on this highly popular style goes over.

STYLE: India Pale Lager (IPL)

ABV: 4.9%

PURCHASED AT: Firetrucker Brewery, 716 Southwest 3rd Street in Ankeny

POUR: Dark gold with a thin, white head.

AROMA: hoppy with a touch of grapefruit.

TASTE: definitely hoppy up front but with a thicker, malty finish that more resembles a lager than an ale

Untappd rating: 3.4/5

My rating: 3.75/4

My recommendation: I enjoy this unique style. At 4.9% ABV it’s sessionable and delivers plenty of hoppy, ale flavor.

Quarter Barrel Brewery/Arcade Opening in 2015 in Cedar Rapids

August 26, 20142 Comments

Dave Dewitte of Corridor Business (www.corridorbusiness.com) just released an article on their website saying another microbrewery will be opening up in 2015 in Cedar Rapids. This one, however, has a different twist. It will be a retro arcade game brewery. Here are some highlights from the article:

Quarter Barrel, a vintage arcade-themed microbrewery, is aiming for a spring 2015 opening. Customers will have to decide whether a game of Donkey Kong goes down best with ale, porter, stout or other handcrafted brews.

Entertainment will revolve more than 30 video arcade games from the 1970s to the late 1980s, such as Mr. Do’s Wild Ride, Donkey Kong and Galaga. The period was the “golden age” of video arcades, according to co-owner Chris Ellis, and a generation of Gen-Xers and baby boomers still remember them fondly.

The trio set its sights on downtown Cedar Rapids, and purchased 616 Second Ave. SE earlier this year. It is a century-old storefront building that had been built to house an electric automobile charging station and battery store in the days when most automobiles in Cedar Rapids were electric.

Mr. Ellis said Quarter Barrel plans to be a small, 7 to 10-barrel brewing operation that initially, at least, would brew beer for on-premises consumption. But Mr. Ellis hopes to break free of what he considers a limiting formula for beer menus in most brewpubs that leans heavily on popular standards. A hops-heavy pilsner, for example, could be offered as a substitute for an IPA. A Baltic porter might be featured instead of a stout beer. They are also planning a crowdfunding campaign that will involve some specialty beers for subscribers.

To view the entire Corridor Business article follow this link:http://www.corridorbusiness.com/news/cr-microbrewery-plans-retro-game-theme/

Beer Review #117: Lion Bridge Brewing Whirligig

August 11, 2014Leave a comment

I’ve become a regular at Lion Bridge as I had been spending a decent amount of the month of July at St. Luke’s hospital for a family emergency. And though I always intend to spend dinner time at a Subway or even do the unthinkable and eat the hospital food with my “free” meal pass, I always took that time and wandered around the downtown Cedar Rapids area. Many stops at Batas (review to come), beers at Parlor City, a buffalo chicken wrap at Bricks, and then the majority of my stops would always conclude at Lion Bridge Brewery in the Czech Village.

I’ve enjoyed many of the beers here, the smoked chocolate stout on Nitro, the Ziva Voda, the new double IPA, El Doble has quickly become a favorite but I was really impressed with Quinton’s new saison style brew called Whirligig. I know saisons are not a style for everyone, but I do think they are climbing the ladder into the niche market of double ipas, barrel aged anything, and sours.

The first flavor I experienced from this brew was a bazooka like bubble gum flavor followed nicely by the mild tart and bitterness. A really refreshing brew that I intend to have growlers of during the Iowa Hawkeye football season to enjoy. Almost seemed like a mix of a saison and an American wheat brew. Very drinkable and very tasty!

Not only is Lion Bridge doing great things beer related, their kitchen also impresses. Locally made sausages, meat and cheese plates, pulled pork nachos (fantastic!), reuben fritters, and muffaletta fingers make fantastic companions to the beer that flows through this brewery. The staff is always friendly and accommodating and the brewer is usually on hand happy to have a conversation with you. If in the area check this place out, grab a growler and enjoy!

REVIEW

STYLE: Saison

ABV: 4.5%

PURCHASED AT: Lion Bridge Brewery; Cedar Rapids, IA

POUR: Hazy yellow pour, nice white head.

AROMA: A little barnyard, lemon, grass.

TASTE: Bubble gum, lemon, grassy notes.

Ratebeer.com rating: N/A

Beeradvocate rating: N/A

Overall: B

My recommendation:Between Lion Bridge and Big Grove, you’ll usually can find the Baron at one of these locations!

Beer Tasting w/ a Brewer at 515 Brewing; Clive, IA 8/3/14

July 29, 2014Leave a comment

I’ve had the pleasure of going to 515 Brewing in Clive, IA a handful of times. Sure, I wish I was closer, (or they were), so I could frequent more often, but these folks are what make craft beer great. I was just sitting enjoying a few brews with friends when owner/brewer Dave Ropte sat down and talked to us about all things beer for a good hour. It was great. Informative, honest, and just a pleasant experience. I highly recommend anyone who is the the Des Moines area on August 3 to check this event out. Their beer is terrific and the folks are even better! Here’s more from 515’s Facebook page:

Join us for a brewer-led beer tasting this Sunday. Purchase a brewer-designated beer flight between 1:30 – 2p with the tasting starting at 2p. (4-5oz pours for $8). Our brewers will talk about each selected beer and answer any questions you have about the beer or the brewery.

Visit their Facebook page for more or follow them on Twitter:
@515brewing
http://www.facebook.com/515Brewing?fref=photo