Valpo BrewFest

"If God wanted us to filter our beer, he wouldn't have given us livers"  -Bumper Sticker from Bell's

No beer journals this time.  Why bother?  The staff of the Valpo Brewfest provided a "Beer Notes" section on the back of their program.  You could scribble furiously away as you dissect the beer sample that was just poured for you.  Of course, you'd have to put the beer down, and who has time to do that?

One thing noticeable right away, and something I also fell victim to, was that inevitably the crowd can be heard comparing one beer festival to another.  So here I'll vent a little, in hopes that maybe a staff member will stumble across this critique and keep these ideas in mind for next year.

1. If your brewery is going to be attending an event, make sure someone with vast knowledge of your beer is pouring it.  Too often we came across some young guy paid by the distributor to top off the three ounce sample.  When I asked about the beer he would be reading a cheat sheet.  Really?  I can read a beer label too.  What's the unique factor that's going to wow me?  The local brewers certainly represented and were very passionate about their product, otherwise I felt like I was talking to a marketing undergrad with his first job out of college.

2. If you have VIPs, treat them like VIPs, don't tease.  Sure, we were allowed to enter the premises and peruse the beer selection an hour before the general public.  And yes we had access to rare beers and some great food samples to complement them.  But when there are 200 VIPS and only four specialty beer stations something will be missed in that first hour.  My friends and I decided to go around to the other beers and grab a taste before the masses came.  We went back to the VIP tent about a half hour after the general admissions crowd came in and all the food and rare beers were gone.  Blue Chip did this better when each booth at VIP brews throughout the whole day.

3. Don't run out of beer, especially the good stuff.  Arguably a brewer would want to appeal to the farthest reaching audience to gain customers.  However, at a brewfest where the attendees are expecting brilliance, bring massive amounts of your Oktoberfest or Pumpkin ale, because I don't need to try another pale ale or IPA.  Bring enough bottles or kegs for 1,500.  That's 500 ounces based on 3 ounce sample size.  If you can't bring 42 bottles with you, why bother?  And if you want to offer variety I can understand that, but why not master one trade instead of being the jack of all?

4. On a positive note, getting quality food vendors was the best idea ever.  Although a hot dog, burger, or piece of pizza would have been good, Stout BBQ pork ribs, carne asada tacos, and bison chili was great. 

The best in show: Rogue Ales Chocolate Stout.  I had a bomber of it waiting in my fridge, so after we returned from the brewfest, the four of us shared it.

My personal favorite: Bluegrass Brewing Company's Bourbon Barrel Stout.  Deliciously smooth and bourbon sweetness made this a great beer.

Honorable mentions:
Woodchuck Pumpkin Cider - This was offered with a food pairing of pumpkin carrot cupcakes.  It was pretty damn tasty.

Rogue Ales - Every stout they had.  Adrian enjoyed all three in one visit, starting with Oatmeal, then Chocolate, than the Russian Imperial.  Escalating in intensity and thickness, you can imagine how the well balanced Chocolate could be the best at the fest.

The only beer to give the Chocolate stout a run for its money was North Coast Brewing's Brother Thelonious.  Although I was not personally overwhelmed by it, Brett and Rob were raving about it.

Immediately following the Valpo Brewfest was Beer Geeks one year anniversary.  I'll be talking about those beers tomorrow.

Valpo Brewfest - Delicious Irony

"It's like rain on your wedding day,
it's a free ride when you've already paid,
it's the good advice that you just didn't take,
Who would've thought? It figures."

-Alanis Morissette, "Ironic"

Wilk: You know, there is an effort to redefine craft beer into "gourmet" beer.
Rob: It's funny, you say redefine, I say ruin.  Beer is for the common man.  People complain about the billion dollar breweries, but you know what, they make a billion dollars because people keep buying them.  It's like wine tasting.  Wine tasting is on the tail end of the bell curve.  It's no longer this bourgeois thing that relates to the upper crust, it's for the common man.  Now craft beer is coming up the bell curve and it's starting to be reserved for...
Wilk: The damn hipsters.

Aside: I only discovered later that when I looked up the word bourgeois to spell it correctly that it is a term to describe a member of the middle class, of which I believe Rob would include himself.  Unless common usage has turned the definition of bourgeois into snobbery the word was used incorrectly in the context (sorry Rob).  In any case, I understood his point perfectly when he was making it.

Rob: Exactly.
Wilk: Well, the hipsters drink PBR.
Adrian: Yeah, but they do that to be ironic.  We drink PBR because we have no problem with how it tastes.  They drink it because they feel they're being cool based on the irony.  "Look, we're drinking crappy beer."

As this dialogue continued into ranging topics, a group of twenty-somethings rambled in.  The most obvious offense was the gentleman wearing a tweed blazer over his t-shirt while a fedora rested on his head.  His black rimmed spectacles and unshaven face complemented his whole look perfectly.  He certainly tried to give the appearance of someone who didn't care how he looked, but the meticulous nature of his clothing selection was very apparent.

Wilk: If anyone ever needed a definition of the word "hipster," there he is.

Rob, Adrian, and Brett nod approvingly and laugh.

Rob: Who wants to go back to the VIP tent and grab one of the specialty beers?  There is one in there that paired beautifully with the smoked gouda.  Oh! and did you try that peppered salami?

Social Media

To supplement the blog I've also been more active on Twitter.  The handle is rather obvious: @BeerMeWilk.  I'll be working on my own Facebook page (independent of my own Facebook page (confused yet?)) and showcase some of the craft brewers that I've had the pleasure of meeting, through their products only.  Also, 2012 looks to be the year that the adventure of brewing beer may commence.  Brett has been chomping at the bit ever since the Illiana Mayfest and I might actually dive head first with him into the foray.  Stay tuned for those details.  In the mean time, spread the love and the word and bring people into the craft beer fold.  While you're at it, click on an ad or two, just so our beer brewing venture can be supplemented by ad income!  FYI, I've made $10 since May.  Exciting, isn't it?

Milestone in Local Craft Beer Movement

A hearty congratulations goes out to Beer Geeks for their one year anniversary.  From one fledgling business venture to another!

The craft beer movement seems to be alive and well in northwest Indiana thanks to the efforts of not only Three Floyd's, Figure 8, etc. but also of Beer Geeks for showcasing the finest the nation has to offer in the way of specialty brews.  Beer Geeks offers the perfect alternative to your run-of-the-mill saloon giving the patron not only variety, but classic bar ambiance: dim lighting, real darts (not that cheap, plastic shit), knowledgeable bar staff, and really great live music.  The venue may be small, but the intimacy makes the experience that much better.

You can find Beer Geeks on Facebook and join their over 2,800 friends www.facebook.com/beergeekspub and you can also follow them on Twitter @beergeekspub.

Beers and Bears

Dubbel Cannon IPA from Heavy Seas Beer, the new brand from Clipper City Brewing Company in Baltimore, Maryland.  Alcohol Content: 7.25%
No words from the brewer other than to say it is made with Belgian Dubbel yeast.  "Tangy hops and spicy aroma"  *Yawn*  I'm sorry Clipper City, you didn't bother to critique your own beer?  Well don't you worry, my thoughts are below.

 

Two Hearted Ale from Bell's Brewery in Galesburg, MI.  Alcohol Content: 7%.  From the brewer: "Two Hearted Ale is defined by its intense hop aroma and malt balance. Hopped exclusively with the Centennial hop varietal from the Pacific Northwest, massive additions in the kettle and again in the fermenter lend their characteristic grapefruit and pine resin aromas. A significant malt body balances this hop presence; together with the signature fruity aromas of Bell's house yeast, this leads to a remarkably drinkable American-style India Pale Ale."

Dead Guy Ale from Rogue Brewery in Newport, Oregon.  Alcohol Content: 16 degrees Plato.  From the brewer: "In the style of a German Maibock, using our proprietary Pacman ale yeast. Deep honey in color with a malty aroma and a rich hearty flavor."

In a world of possibilities, especially one in which a friend opens a refrigerator door and offers a world of different tasting beers, the last thing a person would ever think is to try the same beer three times.  You would almost be a fool to grab the Miller Lite and drink nothing but that.  I mean, the Bud Light Lime in the fridge was tempting, but instead I reached in and grabbed the Dubbel Cannon.

Absolutely nothing wrong with this beer.  The "tangy hops and spicy aroma" were not there.  I'm not saying this is a bad thing mind you.  The aroma was grainy.  This was no fruit laced hop scent, this was straight up hay bale-esque.  At first whiff I thought I was at the county fair again feeding little pellets to sheep who wanted nothing more than to eat and not feel my paw on their head.  But, what the hell, it's beer; let's go!  Away I sipped, running over the taste combination in my mind.  There really was nothing outstanding about this beer.  It was good, but I wasn't tripping over myself to run out and grab a second one from the fridge.

No, instead I grabbed the Dead Guy Ale.  Rogue let me down with the Irish Lager.  Well, not sure if it let me down and I'm not about to read the review to confirm the thoughts in my own head (that's too much like work and I'd rather be compared to a flip-flopping politician than fact check).  The Dead Guy Ale, even though it is a different style beer altogether, tasted surprisingly like the Dubbel Cannon.  I said that aloud and Brett confirmed my suspicion.  I was scared.  I mentioned to my father not too long ago that I would have to abandon the blog because all this craft beer started to blend together into a deeper shade of gray.  How could I ever brew and/or be a beer judge if I can't get a German Maibock and a Belgian IPA straight?  Alas, maybe the brewers messed up.  Yeah, let's go with that theory.  Dead Guy Ale, Dubbel Cannon: discuss! Also nothing outstanding about this beer.  It was good, but I wasn't tripping over myself to run out and grab a second one from the fridge.

No, instead I grabbed the Two Hearted Ale.  Before I even lifted the glass to my thoroughly quenched lips my friend Brett said, "You know, that beer surprisingly tastes like the other two, maybe a little hoppier."  Oh thank goodness he was right and wrong.  Two Hearted Ale was definitely hoppier, but that made all the difference in the world to the taste.  Finally a beer that wasn't like any of the others.  However, after a couple roast beef sandwiches and two similar beers clogging my palate, I feel it would be a disservice to Two Hearted Ale to give it any further look tonight.  It was delicious, but to fully describe the finer points of it would get me nothing but grief from those who actually trusted my opinion (of which there are few).  Bell's doesn't really disappoint and just by grabbing this beer Brett decided we needed to drive to Michigan just to check out the brewery.

Well, this makes two blog posts in the weekend.  Just to let you know, I have some pretty interesting bombers in my own refrigerator chilling for future consumption.  Next weekend is the Valpo BrewFest of which my cadre and I have decided to be VIPs.  The promise of sampling some rare brews was intriguing enough to show up an hour earlier.

Renewed vigor

For those of you who have supported this fledgling endeavor from the beginning, you will be quick to remember that the impetus behind it all was the misfortune of being handed an involuntary vacation from what was otherwise a very nice full time employment position.  As the quest for craft beer continued, the means to procuring some of the finest brews available for sale in Northwest Indiana diminished significantly.  No longer was Michelle willing to part with cash towards an unhealthy habit (in reality it was my fiscal responsibility getting in the way of my taste buds).  As summer progressed and activities continued, I found myself with more and more Miller Lites and less Left Hand Brewing Company Milk Stouts.

I have, I am happy to report, finagled my way into the position of someone contributing to society rather than solely depending on it.  As such, the funds necessary to pick up where I left off have materialized in the bank account.  So with that, Beer Me Wilk has come back with renewed vigor.

However, as proud as I am to report that the blog will return, it is not returning to its former glory.  I will only be providing weekly reviews of beer, relegating my exploration to Saturday and Sunday.  My commute is rather long and by the time I get home I would rather simply enjoy a cold one and not wrap my head around trying to categorize it in the relative spectrum of good or bad.  Saturday and Sunday afford me the opportunity to truly sit back, relax, and take in all a beer has to offer.  It doesn't hurt that football is back on TV.

So to those who have been reading from the beginning, thank you.  I write not only for my own amusement but for the smile I can put on your face.  For those stumbling upon this by mistake, I hope the writing has convinced you to stay.

Mokah

Brewer: Southern Tier Brewing Company, Lakewood, New York
Alcohol Content: 11.2%

Official Description from Brewer:
"When empirical and creative impulses collide, the result is often timeless. The classic utility-art aesthetic of the coffee maker is an example of design and engineering working in concert.

It is through similar cooperation that the simple bitter cocoa bean is transformed into a sweet treat. As scientists, our brewers utilize their materials to exacting standards. As artists, they couldn’t resist the temptation to combine two of our highly acclaimed Blackwater Series Imperial Stouts: Jahva and Choklat. Alone each is perfect, but together as Mokah they are an inimitable expression of two of the world’s most sought after flavors. Enjoy Mokah stout with – or as – your favorite dessert!"

Wilk's Take:
I was sitting at Beer Geeks one night with my good friend Brett and I noticed Southern Tier's Mokah on the menu and decided that would be my last beer of a great evening.  Alas, Beer Geeks was out and I immediately made it a point to ask my brother to pick up a bomber during his annual trek to Lake Chautauqua.  After our trifecta on Father's Day and the Porter he handed me for free I figure I could ride the free beer train as far as he's willing to let me.

There are two things that I did for the first time while drinking this brew.  Presently, a half full glass of Mokah still sits in front of me as I type this.  Southern Tier recommends serving Mokah at 48 degrees in a snifter.  I have no snifters in the house so I'm letting the brew ascend to ambient temperature in my trusty pint glass.  There really is no difference in the taste.  I'll mention the second experience later.

Mokah pours beautifully.  There is a great caramel color tone to the liquid as it escapes the bottle.  You can easily confuse Mokah for either cola, black coffee, or motor oil, all of which make a stout appetizing.  The aroma of Mokah is a perfect blend of the malts and gems used to make this brew, chocolate and coffee.  You could not escape the scent and the potency truly makes it a dessert beer.

When you bring the glass to your lips, the cold (yes, I drank it cold) beer shocks your system because the chocolate and coffee you were anticipating are lost to the bitterness of the four hops employed in the brewing process.  Ok, not entirely lost but you know that it is beer and not mocha.  Something beautiful occurs in the process however.  As you lose beer to your stomach you gain an even stronger smell resting inside your favorite beer drinking vessel.  If you've ever had the pleasure of smelling a chocolate factory (or if you live in Chicago catch the whiff of ever present chocolate in the air) you get that sensation over and over and over every time you take another drink.

Suggestion: Good stout, great beer, dessert watch out!  Mokah is a mid-spring seasonal with an April release.  I'm sure it comes and goes quickly, with the exception of the bomber my brother grabbed.  Even if you don't like dark beers, grab Mokah at 10pm, turn on the news, and melt away into dream land (or Left Hand's Milk Stout, either one a winner).

Value: FREE!!  Ok, I'll ask my brother how much he paid, but if it is like other Southern Tier bombers I've found at Wise Guy's or Nick's I'm going to guess around $8, maybe $9 because it is seasonal.  At 11.2% and a great dessert beer, well worth it.

Michelle Factor: "I want to take a huge bite!"  Michelle really loved the chocolate aroma and after taking a couple of pulls announced that she would definitely drink this beer.  Her only complaint was the bitterness.  Can't win 'em all.

Endnote:
I actually grabbed a dark chocolate truffle to see how well it paired with the beer.  I thought that either the truffle would enhance the beer or the beer would enhance the truffle.  I should have listened to Alton Brown (Food Network food guru).  Taste buds have limited use and cannot handle sensory overload.  The reason some sweet foods taste better with salt is because the contrast enhances the sweet receptors of the tongue.  When I took a bite of the truffle, my sweet receptors were at capacity so that when I took a drink of Mokah all I could taste was the bitterness of the hops.  The truffle certainly enhanced the flavor of the beer but in the wrong direction.  Needless to say, I doubt I'll bring food back to a beer critique.

The Persistence of Memory

In a discussion with my brother I discovered a friend of ours had a disagreement with a critique of a beer.  I took offense immediately!  How dare someone question my almighty judgment?  Realistically, we are all beer judges in our own right so no offense was really taken.  It has probably been stated several times over these posts that your own individual taste will dictate which direction you will steer your beer buying mechanism.

The reason this particular incident is being shared is because the beer in question is a porter.  When it comes to a beer style I really enjoy and take my time admiring I have to wonder why a difference of opinion really exists.  I made the claim that the brew was average and our friend really believes it is a damn fine beer.  I cannot deny that, but I am wondering why I cannot recall the taste of the beer without referring to my own notes.

This is where my title comes in.  I have to agree with myself (shocking I know!) that it is an average beer simply because I cannot recall how it tastes.  The sense of smell has the strongest memory of our five and with its close association to taste I have to believe taste to be second in command when it comes to recall.  I can review Miller Lite, Bud Light, Coors Light, Corona, Summer Shandy, Michelob Golden Draft, etc. without ever having to have a bottle or can in front of me because I've consumed it so many times that the smell, taste, and even look are programmed into my brain.  Some beers that I've tried only once still tickle my taste buds by invoking their name because they were that damn good.

The title of Dali's painting really has nothing to do with the subject matter, his or mine.  However, it is my favorite piece of art and by name alone I can picture the painter's subject matter and every detail behind it.  The same should go with beer.  Of course, when you name your beer "Porter" you almost are asking for it to be average.

Matilda

Brewer: Goose Island Beer Company, Chicago, Illinois
Alcohol Content: 7%

Official Description from Brewer:
"Wild in character, with a slightly fruity aroma and a spicy yeast flavor that is as unique as it is satisfying – Matilda is an intriguing choice for beer and wine lovers alike. Dry and quenching, it’s the perfect accompaniment at the dining table or for casually socializing at the bar."

Wilk's Take:
I've been away from the game for a while and I forgot how to take a decent picture of a poured beer.  Shame on me for not adjusting the lighting to capture the true essence of Matilda in all her glory.  The fact is we had just finished a nice meal and I was pouring a little dessert beer for my brother and me, hence the two for one above, that I just decided on a whim to fly back to my creation and revive it.

Matilda is a wonderful beer.  After the cap comes off the bottle and the beer goes in the glass you can smell a beer that reminds you of Blue Moon.  Matilda is a Belgian Style Pale Ale so this scent is to be expected.  The color on the other hand was a little surprising.  Blue Moon is truly pale yellow and so cloudy you couldn't see your fingers on the other side of the glass.  Matilda is deep and rich and looks like a drop of red food coloring was let in to emanate throughout the bottle to give Matilda character.

The taste is definitely spicy.  Not overwhelming, but the coriander is evident from first sip and resonates throughout the glass.  Matilda goes down smoothly and the brew can disappear as soon as it is poured.  "Dry and quenching"?  Maybe, but I don't really see it.  As you move further down the glass there is a metallic after taste, almost as if you just put a penny in your mouth for five seconds.  It disappears and doesn't make the beer unappealing, but it can be a little off putting.

Realistically, Matilda is a Blue Moon that tastes better.  No need for the orange or lemon slice here as Matilda stands on its own.  Now, I can neither confirm nor deny the rumor that Matilda is going the way of the dodo.  Since ImBev took over Goose Island there is some suspicion that the whole of Goose's vintage ales are going to leave us.  Let's hope not for the craft beer sake.  Just because a brewery is big doesn't mean the beer has to suffer.

Suggestion: Find Matilda and drink it up.  It's a great summer time brew and can easily be enjoyed in its Belgian style glory.

Value:  I bought a four pack for $12.  I certainly feel it was worth it, especially when you enjoy it in good company.  If you want to splurge on beer, this is a good one to do it.

Michelle Factor: No Michelle factor to speak of here.  Her and the sister-in-law were gabbing so the beer melted in the background.  More for me I suppose.

Fourth of July

Amidst the cacophony of booms, pops, whistles, and explosions I was being lulled to sleep by the gentle hum of my Off! Clip-On.  Occasionally I would hear the jazz music escaping from my aging cell phone or the untimely death of an insect on my neighbor's bug zapper.  I was sitting on my deck enjoying the best the people of Crown Point had to offer in terms of fireworks purchases.  Watching thousands of dollars explode against the blackening night sky drowning out the stars I slowly sipped away at my Michelob Golden Draft.

This weekend, most of you probably threw and/or attended a wonderful summer cookout honoring the birth of our country.  And I'm assuming that most of these events included this blog's favorite beverage of choice.  I encountered a wide array during my weekend travels and found myself drinking the old standby more than anything else.  As it is more readily available to quench the thirst of the masses it was hardly a surprise.

Along the way I got to sit down and enjoy Hoppin' Frog's Fresh Hop IPA.  It was fantastic.  The color, just a little south of orange, and the aroma of fresh citrus fruit made it inviting on the 93 degree day.  The ale was smooth with only a slight hint of bitterness.  I probably liked it so much because the hop flavor was very muted.

I ended the weekend with the aforementioned Michelob Golden Draft.  My love affair with this beer cannot really be explained, mostly because I don't remember how it started.  This brew is not available in my area and has almost become seasonal in nature.  A very good friend of mine goes to Minnesota every June and picks me up a case every time.  I know it is available in the western suburbs of Chicago, but it isn't exactly a beer worth traveling for.  It is reminiscent of MGD or Budweiser but somehow just a little better.  In the past the best part about this beer was the can.  It was ribbed for his and her pleasure.  Maybe that's where the love affair began.

I hope everyone had a great weekend and was safe and sound.  If so inclined, please share your beer experience so I can be on the lookout for new brews to try.