HopCat, Grand Rapids, MI

HopCat, visited on 10/10  (http://www.hopcatgr.com/main/About.aspx)

HopCat, essentially a beer-bar that also brews some of its own beers, was rated as the #3 such thing (a beer-bar, duh) by Beer Advocate. That's some seriously lofty praise, but we were intrigued. While attempts were made to actually try HopCat's beer, the tap list is pretty amazing and enough so to return the next time we're in Michigan. The location appears to be an old and restored street corner in downtown GR...it's a great location with ample street parking available and cobblestone streets in all directions.

The decor in HopCat is pretty neat, with a stamped reference to the building being used for transporting ghosts or something...I can't quite recall and I didn't take notes...I was having a fun day instead. HopCat is only about three blocks from Founders, so one could theoretically hoof it to two of GR's finest beer drinking establishments. The rustic-chic feel inside the bar is comfortable without being stuffy, although I can't say the same for the wait staff...we both got that 'too cool for school' vibe from our female attendee. There is lots of cool wood and art work inside, including the montage of band and actor wall-paper in the bathrooms. I could drink here all day...there were multiple students in here posted up for prolonged periods of time.

Here's what we tried:

Kwintel - 8.5%abv; imperial brown ale with Michigan maple syrup; heavy brown in color; solid head; moderate to heavy lacing that remind generally consistent; slightly sweet on the nose; boozy too; moderate sweet on the tongue; passive maple flavor; solid and well-balanced brown; not overly nuanced but certainly a solid take on a brown with local flavors instilled.

Hoppopotomous IPA - 6.3%abv; clear copper; light head; strong lacing throughout consumption; solid citrus on the nose; perfect up-front flavor balance; moderately hoppy; very solid sessionable beer all-in-all; slightly bitter on the back end.

We are intrigued enough to come back, and will at some point in the future. It may require an overnight stay in GR however.

Not only is she my beer-drinking buddy, but she's also my wife. Hairclub for Mike! 

Founders Brewing Company, Grand Rapids, MI

Founders Brewing Company, visited on 10/10  (http://foundersbrewing.com/)

Our second stop of the day of MI brewery visits included Founders in Grand Rapids. Founders is extremely well-known for their Breakfast Stout of which I've dragged two four-packs back home to CO with me. Their Breakfast Stout includes a 99/100 rating on Beer Advocate...pretty impressive work. That said, I didn't try one at the brewery and have regretted it since. We still had two more stops on the day!

The brewery is just off the highway and tucked in to what looks like a recently rejuvenated downtown part of Grand Rapids, to include a lot of brick cobblestone streets and new builds. There appears to be a pretty legit sammich/snack menu, but we didn't indulge and instead spent $15 on a screwed-in bottle opener. Here's a shot of the brewery from the front:

I get the impression I could spend several days poking around beer haunts in Grand Rapids...unfortunately, we only had a few hours. Thankfully, HopCat (review to come!) was walkable from Founders. Here's what we drank, in pint form no less:

Licorice Whip - 5.4%abv; light looking, almost clear golden in color; minimal head, consistent and solid lacing; smells like liquid pizzelle; slightly black licorice on the nose; consistently rising bubbles and strong carbonation; instantly licorice up front; plenty of bitter notes that both instantly whet the palate AND make it kinda dry; the beer gives me a slight dizzying feel because of the strange and unique flavor. Well-balanced for such a different taste.

Centennial IPA - 7%abv; pleasant copper in color; light head; nice orange-smelling tones on the nose; robust lacing; lacing lasts through the entire beer; good balance of malt and hop; definitely hop-driven however; slightly minty but mostly hoppy...and clearly Centennial-hop forward; leaves a lot on the tongue after it's gone; kinda busy; a 'blue collar' IPA to me. Solid overall.

Our beers and my wife...

Bell's Brewery, Kalamazoo, MI

Bell's Brewery, visited on 10/10 (http://bellsbeer.com/eccentric-cafe/)

As a continuance of our honeymoon/Michigan beer tour, Holly and I headed out on a four-stop trip through Kalamazoo, Grand Rapids (rated #22 among 'beer cities' in the world), and Holland, hitting up some of the state's finest craft beer establishments. I'm going to review Bell's, perhaps my favorite stop of the day.

Bell's Eccentric Cafe is located in a cool somewhat industrial/but downtown part of Kalamazoo. It seems to be near the main drag of the city and adjacent to railroad tracks, adding elements of blue collar nostalgia. The bar is neat with an interesting take on service: you head to the bar to give beer and food orders, and pick up both when they're ready. We enjoyed the pretzel plate which was just ho-hum. There is also a sweet beer store with a ton of beer-making items and ingredients to go along with Bell's shwag.

Entrance to Eccentric Cafe

Here's what we tried, and keep in mind that while I realize 'real' taste-tests need to come in the form of a pint, this was our first stop of the day. I didn't want to blow my beer load but did instantly desire a return visit the moment I walked out the door to get my hands on some fuller pint-tastings:

Draft list

EXP Hop 2012-4 - 4.8%abv; penned a Hefeweizen with 998 hops; nice copper color, much darker than typical hefies; lil head; consistent lacing; airy smell; lil fruity with fruity pebbles up front; solid and interesting as a hoppy-hefe.

Bourbon Barrel Cherry Stout - 10.9%abv; let's be honest, we got right after it here...if a beer on the draft list seemed 'big', I ordered it up: no wonder I left here well on my way; the color here is deep mahogany; light red at the top; no head; minimal lacing; boozy on the nose, slightly sweet; very bourbon-y in flavor; very faint smell/taste of cherry; delicious and extremely well balanced...dank!

Bourbon Barrel Batch 9000 - 14.9%abv; um, yeah...this is a f'n wine; it's hardcore with booze and a pint of this would put you on your ass; it's an aged imperial stout; looks dark brown, almost black and tan; minimal head; hints of vanilla and clove; light lacing; really boozy, really bourbon-y (again); this is heady and will get you drunk. 

This One Goes to 11 - 11%abv; imperial red ale; reddish copper; moderate head; grapefruit and citrus strong on the nose; wow, this beer is awesome...delicious pine and citrus balance; one of the best beers I've ever tried; perfect balance! Top notch beer! (note: I somehow found a 6er of this at a farmer's market in Sawyer...I brought it back in full and will review further in a future post. No I will not share).

Rye Stout - 6%abv; 'earthy, dark chocolate aroma'; significant head; strong lacing; deep brown in color; malty on the nose; chocolate malt in flavor; one of the lightest stouts I've tried; easy and sessionable, but slightly bitter.

Double Cream Stout - 6%abv; 'made with 10 specialty malts'; darkest of the beers we tried, and that's saying a lot; medium head; minimal lacing; cocoa and malty nose; slightly bitter; faint hints of hops; easy-drinking stout with a creamy aftertaste, easy mouthfeel; solid overall.

Build your own sampler...and I did! 

Thanks Bell's...we'll be back...and I already can't wait to get in to the sixer of TOGT11 when I get the chance. Jackpot!

Greenbush Brewing Company, Sawyer, MI

Greenbush Brewing Company, visited 10/9 (and 10/11 and 10/13!) (http://www.greenbushbrewing.com/)

I mentioned Greenbush back in my early September post about summer travels and brewery visits. We were back in MI for our honeymoon and Greenbush is about 10 miles from the lake house. Needless to say, we went to GB three times last week. They rock a killer pulled pork sammich with delicious sauces, really tasty pub cheese, and other good eats. They also rock outstanding beer, including seasonals and in-house specialties. Here are some tasting notes:

Unicorn Killer Pumpkin Ale - 7.4%abv; copper color; great frothy head; slightly sweet on the nose; consistent lacing down the glass; well-balanced up front; malt-forward; good, soft and subtle pumpkin flavor; sessionable fall beer; a little 'bitey' on the back end.

Unicorn Killer

P. Tenera Brown Ale - 7.6%abv; made with nori and shitake mushrooms; ordered up by a Japanese chef in Chicago; dark in color; very small head; minimal lacing; bitter brown in the nose; slightly sweet in the nose too; smooth, almost sweet in flavor...which is odd for a beer made with mushrooms; tastes like it'd go great with sushi actually...mild and complimenting.

P. Tenera Brown Ale

Felt Board Messiah Belgian Trippel - 9.9%abv; made with Vignole Grapes from Domaine Berrien Winery; golden in hue; real sweet in smell; described as a beer with Welches grape juice; tastes wine-sweet in flavor; well-defined sweet/grape up front; hidden ABV which makes this dangerously delicious and accessible to traditional wine-drinkers averse to beer.

Mr. Hyde Sumatran Coffee Cream Stout - 7.8%abv; light head; solid lacing; dark brown in color; coffee bitter on the nose; slightly caramel too; really solid coffee flavor; malty, bitter, all about the dark roast/Sumatran coffee blend flavorwise; I believe this is GB's answer to the ever-popular Founders Breakfast Stout, if only unintentionally.

WIPA - 7.8%abv; wheat IPA; light gold in color; frothy head; strong lacing; light, fruity hop nose;  hoppy wheat or wheaty IPA...can't say which trumps the other, but this fact at least makes it a well-balanced beer; tasty sessionable with a solid ABV punch. 

1825 Belgian Strong Ale - 9.3%abv; considered a Belgian golden ale; the beer is absolutely a nice golden hue; the lacing is solid, with a minor head; the beer smells fruity but still very strong and boozy; it's easy to taste the sugars in this beer; at 9.3%, it's serious business when it comes to consumption, and I think our waiter at the time (while totally overwhelmed w/ other patrons on a very busy Saturday) mistakenly poured me a pint of this when I had asked for a 4 ozer...no worries! This is a VERY strong offering in both flavor and alcohol.

I also picked up a four-pack of Brother Benjamin, GB's Imperial IPA. According to their site, here are the following specs. I tried one of these singularly at the house in MI and picked up a four-pack for home in CO:

Prepare to be Mystified

Be prepared, be prepared I say, to receive the mighty powerful taste of this truly heavenly Imperial India Pale Ale! It is a true force of nature my children! It's a mystification!

Grain: Maris Otter Pale, Belgian Munich, Belgian Aromatic, Caramel Malt 60, Honey Malt, Honey

Hops: Columbus and Cascade

Yeast: House yeast

Extras: Clover Honey and Beet Sugar

Specs:

114 ibu

alc. 10.1% by vol.

15º Lovibond

I ALSO grabbed a six-pack of Memento Mori, GB's Oktoberfest Ale, to share with friends and family. Here's the description, and I'll update the blog with tastings notes of both bottled beers in the coming weeks:

A perfect way to pass the time

Ahhh, Fall. Time for contemplation, time for relaxing, time for… a Greenbush Oktoberfest ale. German noble hops linger like summer days past before the end of yet another season. Enjoy one now before it's too late.

Grain:Maris Otter, Munich, Crystal 40L, Honey Malt, Chocolate Malt

Hops: Hallertau

Yeast: house yeast

Specs:

alc. 6.3% by vol.

27 ibu

Cheers! And thanks Greenbush for all the good food, great beer, and time well-spent in SW MI. We'll absolutely be back! 

Beer Sampling - Southern Tier Unearthly IPA

I should follow-up with my comments two posts ago about my collection of beer presently and all the catching up I have to do on this blog (with beer content, of course). I managed to kind of snicker away a few Southern Tier Brewing Co. beers after our trip back east this summer. That is, after I dragged them all back to CO. The brewery is awesome...certainly one of the best in the NE-Mid-Atlantic area, in my humble opinion.

After a busy few days and some household chores, I decided to reward myself with my 3-months young Southern Tier Unearthly IPA. "Another IPA!", you say...yes indeedy...I'm hop-driven. I poured this bad boy in to a fluted pint (again, see below) and discovered some serious olfactory joy. The beer smells like fresh hops and sweet malt, with the latter coming through almost moreso upon consumption. Unearthly poured almost deep copper...practically redish but still retaining some shiny hues. The head was perfect...a solid one-inch of lacy goodness. The beer is balanced, complete, sweet and bitter...one of the best IPAs have tried 'new' in a long time. If you happen upon one of these, definitely pick it up. I can only imagine how good the oak-aged Unearthly is...

Here are the notes from Southern Tier's website:


ABOUT THE BEER
STYLE: Imperial India Pale Ale
BREWED SINCE: 2006
ABV: 9.5%
FERMENTATION: Ale yeast, two types of malt, four varieties of hops
COLOR: Light copper
EFFERVESCENCE: Medium carbonation
NOSE: Sweet malts, piney hops, a bit grassy
FLAVOR: Lightly sweet, caramel, big hops linger, peppery
BITTERNESS: High
BODY: Medium-bodied, but dense, resinous.
SERVING TEMPERATURE: 42°F
GLASS: Fluted glass
AVAILABILITY: Year-round / 22oz / 1/2 keg, 1/6 keg
CELLARING: 35-40°F

Great work Southern Tier...you've once again hit another beer out of the park. Cheers!

Beer Sampling - New Belgium/Alpine Beer Co. 'Super IPA'

Last Friday, I enjoyed a New Belgium 'Lips of Faith' series collaboration with Alpine Beer Co. beer. It's called a 'Super IPA' and at 9% and 99IBUs, it would appear, at least mathematically, pretty super.

I poured this guy out in to my 'snifter-pint' glass (see image below) and took my notes. There are some nice, golden hues here, a soft head with some great lacing overall. It smells dry-hopped to me, and of course it is. According to the bottle, it's a "triple dry hopped Imperial IPA bursting with Columbus, Amarillo, Centennial and Simcoe hops."

From the New Belgium site:


The Alpine Beer Co. and New Belgium have come together for the love of IPAs. This collaboration is hop-wonderful with Amarillo, Columbus, Simcoe and Centennial hops, bringing the bitter all the way to the front. A nice balance Is present with Pale, C-80 and Carapils malts, but the tropical and citrus tones of the American hops dominate. This Super IPA pours a sheened copper and carries a bright, white head. Consider yourself a hero for getting an  Alpine beer outside of San Diego.

Just the facts Ma'am...
Birthdate - August, 2012
ABV - 9.0%
IBU - 99
Calories - 265
Hops - Columbus, Simcoe, Amarillo, Centennial
Malts - Pale, C-80, Melanoidin, Acidulated, Carapils
Body - Medium-Light
Aroma - Hop domination: dark dank pine, fresh cut grass, citrus, herbal, slight hints of fresh sweet bready malt character in the background.
Mouthfeel - Almost coating from the crazy amount of essential hop oils, warm in the palate and belly from that 9+%ABV, firm and enduring bitterness.
Flavor - Bitter and Boozy Baby! The malt sweetness tries so hard just to brush against the hop bitterness without countering its cause in this SUPER IPA!
Visual - Golden sunflower with a slight hop sheen, low foam and even lacing.

I enjoyed the taste of this beer...slightly licorice-y, hop flavor with the right amount of malt. It's definitely got that traditional citrus/piney flavor of bigger IPAs. It's pretty hop-forward, but ultimately well-balanced. I don't notice the high ABV too exceptionally, usually a good thing. This is a solid collaboration beer, although when all is said and done, not overly remarkable. Good work in general and at $6.99, certainly worth the experimentation.

Blog Update: I Swear I Still Drink Beer

So, I realize it's been nearly three whole months since I've authored a post. But it certainly hasn't been that long since I last enjoyed a beer, visited a dank microbrewery, or otherwise thought about content for this blog. I/we have been ridiculously busy over the summer, to include extensive travel, a bunch of concerts, and work trips.

That said, I want to update you on some of my non-Colorado brewery visits AND let you in on some changes to this blog. I know I can't go explore a new microbrewery on a weekly basis, at least not now that I've covered a good chunk of breweries on the front range (although I still need to get up to Fort Fun and north Denver upwards!). So I'm going to start doing bomber and other dank beer reviews on here to keep myself...and you...more engaged. I've got a number of SUPER heady beers on stash in the house, and starting very soon I'll get in to individual beer reviews that I enjoy from the comforts of my own  home.

This summer, Holly and I ventured up to her parent's lake house in MI...another FINE state for craftbrewing. Last summer, we did the same...and Holly and I managed to find a really neat little microbrewery in Sawyer, MI called Greenbush. Greenbush Brewing does some amazing work beer-wise...including their IPA Dunegras and their black IPA Anger. They do some really good specialty beers on-site too...so if you're ever in the area, including nearby South Bend...go and visit Greenbush!

While traveling back east, we also managed to visit one of my favorite non-Dogfish Head Brewery-breweries (more on them in a bit), Southern Tier Brewing Company. Southern Tier does AMAZING work...and their tap room, in little Lakewood, NY (near the beautiful Chautauqua Lake) is ideal: cozy but spacious, surrounded by natural wood elements and a great outdoor patio space. There's even a cool outdoor stage for live music. Anyway, back to the beer...2xIPA and Phin and Matt's (pale ale) are excellent year-round staples that we sampled on site. We also dug in to what can only be described as dessert-perfection in a glass: Crème Brûlée Stout. If you ever get a chance to try this beer, DO IT...9.5% ABV and delicious. We also dragged back across the country a few bombers from Southern Tier: Unearthly (Imperial IPA), Gemini (Imperial Blended Unfiltered Ale), and an oak-aged Unearthly. AND...to continue ranting about Southern Tier...I joined Let's Pour, a (sort of expensive) distributor of 'sale' microbreweries based out of Washington that will ship to your door. I executed my first order last week and am awaiting some deliciousness: Southern Tier Pumking (x3), Port Brewing Mongo Double IPA, Elysian Avatar Jasmine IPA, and a Silver City Brewing 'Saint Florian' IPA. I'll be sure to post reviews of each of these in the coming weeks!

Finally, both work and personal travel brought me to northern Virginia, where I managed to get myself to Dogfish Head's Alehouse in Falls Church. If you know me, you know how much I love DFH. 90 Minute, 120 Minute, Punkin Ale, Palo Santo Marron...all SUPER DANK in my world. I managed to gather 6 of my local buddies at the Alehouse and I believe we all got tuned up on some DFH greatness. I managed to enjoy 120 Minute, Palo Santo, Raison D'etre, and Black & Blue on draft. I know that any time in the future I head back to the DC-area, I'll be making a stop here.

So that's it for now...I'll be posting some reviews...and any lucky trips to microbreweries...here in the coming weeks. Stick with it...there'll be a lot of really great sampling as fall gears up. Cheers!