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| MidwestMicroBrews' Midwest Beer Reviews! |
Central Waters Brewing Company - Amherst, Wisconsin Happy Heron Pale Ale 5.2% ABV This is one of Central Waters' original brews and remains one of their most popular. It pours a gorgeous amber-orange, creamy and thick with an effervescent crystal-white head. The aroma is crisp: citrusy and spicy with a pronounced hop smell that lets you know you are holding an authentic APA. Sweet-tasting with a hoppy bite, it conjures up thoughts of the seasons. Tastes of sweet fruits like strawberries and apples give way to autumnal spices and fresh baked bread. As a great APA should, it finishes clean and crisp. This is the perfect beer to have at the end of a hot summer day watching the sun set over the lake. Ouisconsing Red Ale 5.0% ABV Another of the original offerings from Central Waters. Ouisconsing pours a translucent copper-brown color. The head was creamy, fluffy and off-white--almost tan in color. The first scents we noticed were vanilla, caramel and warm, buttered bread. Underneath are scents of almond, hazelnut and strawberry. Medium-bodied, Ouisconsing has a pleasing mouth feel. You first notice the sweet sensation of caramel mingling with a nice, hoppy bitterness. Throughout, there is a perfect balance of sweet and spicy malts with hops that taste of juniper and spruce. It finishes smooth and spicy. With a relatively modest (for Central Waters) ABV of 5%, Ouisconsing is a great session beer suitable for a warm summer day or cool autumn evening. Mudpuppy Porter 5.5% ABV This is a regular in the MidwestMicroBrews beer cellar. Deep ruby-brown in color, it pours with a thick rocky light-brown head. The aromatic foam doesn't let up as lacing sticks to the side of the glass. Aromas of chocolate, fresh-roasted coffee, and sweet malts hit the nose. The flavor is rich, smokey and bit sweet, with a thick and pleasing mouthfeel. The malts are what are we noted first. Roasted, almost burnt malts give way to potent chocolate malts. Underneath that, we tasted warmed hops, pepper and a smoky marshmallow flavor--almost like a s'more. Mudpuppy finishes with lingering notes of warm caramel and fresh toast. Like a great Hitchcock film, this bold and robust porter has so much depth, every time you have one you notice something new. Porters are one of our favorite styles, and this is one of our favorite porters. Michael was able to try Mudpuppy on nitro during his visit and says that, even though it's great from a bottle, having one served this way is an experience not to be missed. Satin Solstice Imperial Stout 7.5% ABV Central Waters' Satin Solstice Imperial Stout is another regular here at the MidwestMicroBrews office. It pours a thick, dark-cola brown with a creamy head. The first aromas we noticed were coffee, chocolate and fire-roasted malts. It has a mouth feel that explains why they call it Satin: smooth and inviting. The predominant flavor is smoky mocha: chocolate and coffee slowly dancing around a peat-smoke fire. Satin Solstice finishes with a perfect balance of malt and hops, leaving a bittersweet chocolate taste on the palate. Several Midwest craft brewers make great Imperial Stouts, but Satin Solstice is truly our favorite. Brewhouse Coffee Stout This is the all-time favorite beer of your MidwestMicroBrews Publisher, Michael. This stout pours as black as a Northern Michigan midnight with a creamy, tan head. The aroma is what you'd expect from a sweetened cup of Italian espresso with scents of rich, dark, chocolate malt poking through. The full-bodied flavor is, at first, all coffee. But it gives way to tastes of chocolate, caramel and sweet smoke without losing that roasted coffee kick. It has a dry, ashy finish, with just a hint of bitterness that lingers. This is the coffee stout that others pretend to be. If you like your stouts dark and your coffee darker, Central Waters has created your dream beer. Notes from the Newbie by Patrick As a duly appointed writer for MidwestMicroBrews, I am disappointed, and slightly embarrassed to say that after a great night of sampling delicious brews from Central Waters Brewing, I have unfortunately misplaced the notes I had taken. That being said, I'm afraid everything will have to come from memory at this point. I could attempt to recall the things that I had written about the fine brews we sampled, but I fear I would sound shallow and pedantic, or find myself just repeating the reviews that are already posted. So I would like to focus all of my efforts on one brew in particular: the Brewhouse Coffee Stout. As a longtime coffee addict, I was anxious to sample this beer. I have never done well with stouts, and seeing its true darkness upon pouring had me a bit intimidated. But the coffee aroma was calling to me, and I knew I had to try. The first taste was all coffee, stronger than any espresso Starbucks could whip up. In fact, the smoky flavor that comes with it was too strong. Initially. But much like judging a book by it's cover, I never stop a brew with just one taste. And it went down easier. Much easier. If you find this one too strong from the start, (and I can understand if you do) do yourself the favor of sticking with it. If you're like me, you'll like it more with each passing taste, until it is all gone and you find yourself scouring the internet until two am, looking for places or ways to get more. Move over coffee. I have a new addiction. Slainte! |
MidwestMicroBrews, 118 S. Washington Street #402B, Green Bay, Wisconsin 54301 |
Read more MidwestMicroBrews Reviews... Arbor Brewing Company - Ann Arbor, Michigan Central Waters Brewing Company - Amherst, Wisconsin Copper Canyon Brewery - Southfield, Michigan Detroit Beer Company - Detroit, Michigan Goose Island Brewing Company - Chicago, Illinois Grumpy Troll Brewpub - Mount Horeb, Wisconsin Herkimer Pub & Brewery - Minneapolis, Minnesota Short's Brewing Company - Bellaire, Michigan Sprecher Brewing Company - Glendale, Wisconsin Stevens Point Brewery - Stevens Point, Wisconsin Stone Cellar Brewpub - Appleton, Wisconsin Sun King Brewing Company - Indianapolis, Indiana Titletown Brewing Company - Green Bay, Wisconsin |