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| MidwestMicroBrews' Midwest Beer Reviews! |
Stevens Point Brewery - Stevens Point, Wisconsin 2012 Black Ale Commercial Description - Inspired by the mystery of the ancient Mayan “Long Count” round calendar, Stevens Point Brewery’s brewmasters have created 2012 Black Ale, a dark, robust brew to satisfy beer lovers’ tastes any day of the year. In addition to the Mayan calendar mystery, 2012 Black Ale is inspired by traditional German “schwarzbier,” or black beer. German-style schwarzbiers typically are lagers, but we saw this beer is an opportunity to be more creative. We brewed our interpretation of black beer as an ale, which means more hops as well as fruity notes that come from using an ale yeast. The use of roasted malts adds a slightly burnt character to the beer. Appearance - Dark brown and translucent, with a nice medium-tan head that left some delicate lacing. It was noted that the appearance was similar to a Coca-Cola. Smell - Light aromas of fig, fresh raspberries, roasted cashews and delicate smoke. Taste - The rich roastiness is first noticed, then flavors of dark berries, chicory, dates and molasses emerge. Feel - Lighter than what you might expect from a beer that is most related to a schwarzbier. The crisp -- but not thin -- feel on the palate was quite nice. Finish - Crisp and clean, leaving just a hint of sweet smoked malt to linger. Overall Impression - Another really nice session beer from Point. If you are looking for a big hearty schwarzbier, this isn't for you. Check out something from their Whole Hog Limited Release Series. If you want a simpler, lighter, refreshing ale that delivers all of the taste of a schwarzbier or rauchbier but without the heaviness, you'll be happy you opened this. Another great addition from Point! Burly Brown American Brown Ale The always-great Stevens Point Brewery has added a new beer to their year-round lineup: Burly Brown American Brown Ale. It started hitting store shelves and bar-taps at the beginning of the month. A classic American Brown Ale, Burly Brown packs a bit more of a punch than an English version of a Brown Ale. It has a stronger hop presence and a maltier backbone than its brethren across the pond. That said, Burly Brown is not a big beer. It doesn’t overwhelm the senses. It is an American Brown: it shouldn’t. What it is, is a very drinkable beer with a nice aroma and pleasant taste, feel, and finish. It’s a beer that you could drink all night. The MidwestMicroBrews roundtable got together and cracked open a few bottles. Here are the specs… Appearance - Translucent copper/brown with an auburn hue that reveals itself in direct light. The medium/thin head had decent retention. Smell - Aromas of roasted nuts, caramel, and fresh raisin-bread. A slight waft of hops is also present. Taste - Very pleasant taste. Notes of caramel, toasted almonds and sweet breads. Flavors of light smoke - like a campfire - are also there. Feel - I’m not going to say thin, but it is definitely light. Crisp on the palate. Medium carbonation. Finish - Very clean finish with just a hint of lingering spice and hop bitterness. Overall Impression - Point Brewery seems to have taken its inspiration for Burly Brown from another great Wisconsin American Brown Ale: Fat Squirrel from New Glarus Brewing. Like that beer, Burly Brown is a brew suited for those of us who live in the world of craft beer, as well as for those who are just visiting. Definitely worth trying. St. Benedict's Winter Ale The folks at Point Brewery kindly sent us a twelve-pack of this, their new seasonal. Well, not TOO new. St. Benedict's Winter Ale made its debut last year around this time. It proved so popular last year that they doubled production, started selling it in 12-packs as well as 6-packs, and expanded distribution into five new states. Last year, they sold St. Benedict's in Wisconsin, Illinois and Iowa. This year, it can also be found in Minnesota, Indiana, Michigan, Nebraska and Oklahoma. John Zappa, Point's Brewmaster, tells us, “We use traditional abbey-ale ingredients, including a highly kilned dark malt, a two-row dark chocolate malt and even a two-row pilsener-style pale malt. Together these impart a smooth, well- balanced maltiness to this beer. St. Benedict’s Winter Ale is top-fermented with a special Belgian ale yeast, and we cellar-condition it at the brewery. The end result is a dark reddish-brown ale rich in flavor accented by hints of dark chocolate.” Appearance - Translucent, ruby to crimson in color, very effervescent giving off a solid off-white head which clings well and holds on throughout. Smell - Unexpectedly fruity like a Belgian-style dubbel. Aromas of raisins, fig, nutmeg, clove and yeast. Almost like the smell of a Christmas fruitcake. Taste - Subtle sweetness, even a bit tart. Tastes of spice, sweet chocolate, cranberry, and light malts. Only a bit of hop bitterness to it. Feel - Very light bodied, almost thin. The mixture of malts that Zappa uses definitely allow for a respectable amount of taste without being overwhelming in feel. Different from what we expected, but pleasantly so. Finish - Continual carbonation continued throughout, keeping it crisp on the finish, with just a hint of toasted malt remaining. Overall Impression - Unlike many bold winter-style ales, St. Benedict is aiming to be a session beer, or a beginner's winter ale. It has a warmth (about 6% ABV we'd guess since it isn't labeled) lower than most. The smell is milder. The taste is weaker. The feel is thinner. The finish is crisper. While others are a thick down-filled blanket, St. Benedict is a flannel sheet. It may not satisfy the palate of fans of beers that are big and bold, but for most St. Benedict is a nice guest to have over on a cold winter night. Notes from the Newbie - by Patrick "I've been away Lloyd, but now I'm back!" After a temporary lapse and a return to vodka, a brief period of detoxification, and far too many sleepless nights, it was time once again to dust off the sampling glasses and get back to good old fashion crafted brews. And how refreshing it is! On this particular night, the team from MidwestMicrobrews sat down to focus all of our efforts on one brew in particular: Point's St. Benedict's Winter Ale. The beer had a nice reddish color to it and was a bit effervescent (you'll notice I no longer say "bubbly"). It had a strong aroma that, due to a limited vocabulary, I can only describe as "layered." Different aspects of it reached me differently... certain aromas filled my nose while others kicked the back of the throat. Whenever possible, I make every effort to sample a beer BEFORE knowing the name or reading the label. Knowing too much in advance can cause me to intentionally seek out certain aspects, and I like to get a fair representation prior to getting information. That said, upon initial tasting my first reaction was "I could see drinking this on a cold night, sitting by the fire..." Boy was my face red when I learned the name of the brew. So Point succeeded, in my opinion, in getting the TASTE it wanted. My only complaint with this beer is that, much like the lead singer of Nickelback can't decide if he is a tough man trying to be sensitive or a wuss trying to be a bad-ass, this beer seems to be unsure if it wants to be light or heavy. It's stuck between the two. It was much thinner than I would expect a winter ale to be, and I found that to be rather unfortunate. I like my winter ales like I like my women: heavy. Having said that, however, if you are a light beer drinker trying to get into something a little bolder, this could be the stepping stone you need. Slainte! Pat |
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 |