New Belgium -- Snow Day Winter Ale

I'm no stranger to New Belgium Brewing, but this is the first of their beers that I've blogged about.  When I was in Colorado visiting our friend Blake, our plan was to tour New Belgium but they had just implemented a policy where tours had to be by reservation and they were full -- so we did the Denver Microbrew Tour instead.

Here is some history on New Belgium: in 1989, Jeff Lebesch road a bike with "fat tires" through Europe and then started home brewing back home in Colorado.  Jeff was an electrical engineer and built his home brewing set up from old dairy equipment.  Jeff officially started New Belgium in 1991 after friends urged him to start brewing as a business.  Jeff's then wife, Kim Jordan, was a social worker who started doing New Belgium's bottling, sales, distributing, marketing, and financial planning.  Today, she is New Belgium's CEO.  New Belgium Brewing is considered a regional brewery since it only distributes to 15 states, but it is still the third biggest craft brewer in the U.S. based on beer sales volume.

New Belgium, like Sierra Nevada, works hard to be "green."  And their website is even powered by wind.  How does that work?  Their data center is powered by a wind farm in Wyoming.  New Belgium is particularly focused on being environmentally sustainable.

Now for the beer: Snow Day Winter Ale.  New Belgium's old winter seasonal, 2 Below, was retired to make way for Snow Day and mix things up a bit.  The stats are: 6.2% ABV and 55 IBU's (although IBU's are just a made up number since its subjective and there is no way to quantify bitterness).  As you can see, the color of Snow Day is about as dark as beers come.  It tastes dark like a stout but quite a bit more hoppy.  The Midnight Wheat malt gives it subtle chocolate flavors.  It's crisp with a short aftertaste.  I thought it was like a pale ale in hoppiness but with darker roasted malts.  I expect winter ales to be dark and heavy, but different from a stout or porter -- that's exactly what Snow Day delivers.  Overall, it's a good beer that's balanced enough to have wide appeal.

Newcastle -- Werewolf "Blood Red Ale"

Escaped from Britain!  I previously reviewed Newcastle Winter IPA -- a beer I didn't really care for.  Thanks to our friend Paul I got to try Werewolf.  Like the Winter IPA, it's a limited edition.  As you can see it's a dark copper color, which I guess is close enough to be able to call it "blood red ale."  This beer is still thin tasting and light in body.  It's more bitter than the Newcastle Brown or Winter IPA, and the other thing that sets it apart is there is a burnt taste on the nose.

Overall, Werewolf is nothing to brag about, but if you're a Newcastle fan or someone buying beer for a party its worth trying and is a little different than just the regular Brown.

Avery Brewing -- Rumpkin

Thanks to my broham Brian for traveling all the way to Colorado and bringing back some Rumpkin by Avery Brewing to share!

Sharing is caring, hence the two glasses...plus it's 15.90% ABV.

I admit I'm new to Avery Brewing.  But, their website tells me that they are from Boulder, Colorado and were founded in 1993.  They claim to make beers that they like to drink, not necessarily what the market demands.  I can respect that, and after drinking Rumpkin I fully believe it -- Rumpkin is far from your average beer.

Rumpkin is 15.90% ABV and comes in a bottle with gold foil.  This particular bottle was from a production of 512 cases and bottled on October 5, 2011.  The ingredients were simply water, malted barley, pumpkin, nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger, hops, and yeast.  In the words of Avery, "We wondered what would happen if a monstrous pumpkin ale, plump full of spicy gourdiness, were aged in fine fresh rum barrels to add suggestions of delicate oak and candied molasses.  Rumpkin is what happens!" 

When poured, it has a brown-reddish hue.  What sets this beer truly apart from any other pumpkin beer is the molasses-rum taste, which I really enjoyed.  This beer is very spicey, a little sweet, has a heavy body, and strong alcohol taste.  It was really a beer to enjoy every sip of.  At $10 for a 12 ounce bottle you better enjoy it.  Rumpkin is definitely on the pricey side, but it may just be worth it.

The Bruery Provisions

After checking out the Tustin Brewing Company, I was able to spend some time hanging out with my wife and friends Brian and Jenn and checked out The Bruery Provisions.  The Bruery is located in Placentia, California, which is in Orange County.  The Bruery has a store in historic Old Town Orange (the largest historic district west of the Mississippi) called The Bruery Provisions which is a "specialty market and tasting room."  Basically, they sell craft beer, wine, specialty goods (olive oil, tea, chocolate, marmalade, etc.), and cheese.  If you go and check out The Bruery Provisions, it's worth while to explore the Orange "Circle," which is a big traffic circle surrounded by historic buildings containing shops and restaurants.  On a side note, I previously reviewed The Bruery's Orchard White. 

 

Street view

Huge selection of high-end beers, not just from The Bruery

Logo with bottle caps and corks surrounded by Bruery labels in frames

Taps with logo made of bottle caps

Bathroom wall wallpapered with Bruery labels

$11 is a lot for a small cheese plate, but it paired really well with their beers

Flights are normally $5 (but Brian and I each had a coupon for $3 flights), which is a pretty good deal considering most places will charge $8 to $10 for a flight of the same size, plus The Bruery's beers are stronger than most, and The Bruery's beers are more expensive than most.

The Bruery Classic Flight

Saison Rue -- 8.5% ABV -- Golden color.  Very Belgian tasting, which to me is yeast-y and light.  It's a Belgian/French-style farmhouse ale.  Overall, its light but complex.  The Bruery says this beer will dry out and get more complex as it ages.

Humulus Wet -- 4.6% ABV -- Copper color.  Brewed with "60 lbs of Chinook and 60 lbs of Citra wet hops makes for a blast of piney, floral and citrusy goodness."  Smooth and light.  Pine-y-and citrus-y taste.

Bruery Gremlin -- 7% ABV -- Straw color.  Light Belgian-style beer, but I thought it was a little too light.  A little bit of a floral flavor.

Rub-A-Dub-Dubbel -- 7.4% ABV -- Dark brown-red color.  The Bruery calls it a Belgian-style brown ale, that has a "nutty, coffelike malt back bone and a dry roasty finish."  Brian described it as a, "Sweet brown ale."  It has a creamy-chocolaty-brown flavor.  Its fairly light body for a dark.  It has a short linger.

Loakal Red -- 6.9% ABV -- Red color obviously.  It smells really hoppy but tastes balanced.  Its lighter body than most reds.  Its smooth on the front, but has a hoppier aftertaste.  This is a blend of two versions of the same red ale.  One version is aged for a month in new oak barrels, and the other version is dry-hopped.  This beer is only sold in Orange County.

The Bruery Special Flight

Citracado -- 5% ABV -- see my previous entry.

Bruery Gourd -- 6.66% ABV -- Black-brown color.  The Bruery says its a "milk stout brewed using fresh pumpkins from the Cal Poly Farm Store, seasonal spices, aged on cedar chips."  "Milk stout" = creamy stout.  Some spiciness.

4 Calling Birds -- 11% ABV -- This is the "fourth verse" of The Bruery's Twelve Beers of Christmas beers.  Dark brown color.  Its a spicy dark ale.  Pairs really well with the fig on our cheese plate.  Good holiday beer. 

Autumn Maple -- 10% ABV -- Orange-yam color.  Brewed with yams (17 pounds actually), and has a yam-my flavor so its a little different than a pumpkin beer, but its a good fall beer.  Its brewed with cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, vanilla, molasses, and maple syrup.

Oude Tart 7.5% ABV -- Red color.  This is a sour beer and tastes really fruity.  Brian says, "Smells and tastes like wine...[it's a] kick in the face."  The Bruery describes it as a "Flemish-Style Red Ale aged in red wine barrels for 18 months.  Pleasantly sour with hints of leather, dark fruit and toasty oak."


Overall, most of The Bruery's beers are on the sweeter side, except for the few that are sour.  At anywhere from $9 to $12 for a bottle the size of a wine bottle, their beer is pricey, but its also a lot stronger than most beers and the flavors are more complex.  The nice thing about The Bruery's beers is you always know its going to be quality.

Tustin Brewing Company -- Groundwork Coffee Porter and Pom Bomb

I reviewed Tustin Brewing Company before so check out that entry for reviews on their main beers.  Kiki and I went with our friends Brian and Jenn to TBC for some tasting and some hanging out.  Apparently, TBC is a meeting spot for a University of Michigan fan club, and Michigan vs. Illinois was in progress when we showed up -- the place was packed.  We lucked out to get the last table available.

The largest group of Michigan fans in Orange County

Brian and Jenn

Hard at work with 33 Beers

Groundwork Coffee Porter and Pom Bomb

Groundwork Coffee Porter

This one was interesting.  Its dark black like coffee.  It smells like coffee.  And it tastes like coffee.  Some porters have some coffee tones, but this was truly coffee turned into beer.  It sounds kind of gross, but it really wasn't bad and I kind of liked it.  The coffee flavor made it really bitter, but it had a light body and a pleasant lingering aftertaste.  Not something you would want to drink all the time, but it was a cool beer to try.


Pom Bomb (Pomegranate Hef)
 Pom Bomb was actually my first sour beer (long overdue).  It has a sour-fruity taste and a hazy-straw color.  To me this one seemed more like a cider and didn't really taste like a beer.  This beer also had a light body, and a really long linger.  Pomegranate is generally not my favorite fruit (mostly because of the seeds), but I really liked this beer.

Newcastle -- Winter IPA

Thanks to my main-man Brian for giving me a couple bottles of Newcastle Winter IPA.  Newcastle is really only known for making one beer: Brown Ale.  Their Brown Ale is a malty and watery brown that has mass appeal.  I admit that I went through a Newcastle phase for a while, but then I decided that its flavor was really not that interesting and I'd save it for only drinking every once in a while.  Newcastle's website, like Stella and Guinness, puts a lot of emphasis on how to pour it and making the perfect pour.  That's great, there are better ways to pour beer than others, but if the flavor isn't there, then pouring can only do so much.  Given that Europeans surprisingly know even less about beer than Americans, I guess its no surprise that the focus is on pouring than on quality.  Newcastle is owned by Heineken International, which owns 125 breweries in 70 countries.

Winter IPA, is a limited edition.  The limited editions are available in Atlanta, Chicago, Boston, Denver, Las Vegas, Minneapolis, and Phoenix, and throughout California, Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina.  But, coming in January 2012 6- and 12- packs of the limited editions will be sold nationwide.  Besides the Newcastle Winter IPA, the limited editions also will include: Newcastle Summer Ale, Newcastle Werewolf, and Newcastle Founders Ale.

Newcastle's claim: "Our recipe echoes the style of 18th century India pale ales, which were subtly higher hopped than British pale ales.  This brew has a seductive malt, caramel and zesty character which accompanies a balanced and creamy finish."

In actuality: this beer is not very hoppy for an IPA.  If the bottle didn't tell me that this was supposed to be an IPA I would have no idea because there is so little hop taste.  The flavor is mostly malty with distinctive caramel flavor, and with a lightly spicey aftertaste which I suppose is why they call it a "winter" beer.  Overall the body is watery and light.  Usually with a winter beer you expect it to be heavier and darker, which this is not, and with an IPA you expect it to be hoppier, which this is not.  Similarly to Sam Adams, they tried to make a different style, but they did not stray very far from their bread and butter recipe.  Its not that I hate this beer, but Newcastle should have made it more distinctive.  If you really love Newcastle you'll probably like this beer.  Otherwise, its ok and easy drinking, but if you want a winter beer or an IPA this is not the one for you.

Stone Brewing Co. -- Imperial Russian Stout

Another beer courtesy of the beautiful Kiki.  One of Stone Brewing Company's most popular beers (after their Pale Ale and Arrogant Bastard) is their Imperial Russian Stout (IRS).  FYI, I recently reviewed a Stone collaboration.  Previously, I reviewed the Belgo Barley Wine (that review gives you some Stone history), and the Double Bastard Ale.  I've toured the Stone Brewery, but that was before creating this blog, so I'll have to go back and make another entry.

Imperial, besides being a Costa Rican brewer, means that its an extreme beer.  An extreme stout means it's going to have more malt and more alcohol.  The bottle and the website say that this beer is: "Brewed in the authentic historical style of an Imperial Russian Stout, this ale is massive.  Intensely aromatic (notes of anise, black currants, coffee, roastiness and alcohol) and heavy on the palate, this brew goes where few can -- and fewer dare even try.  The style originalted from Czarist Russia's demand for ever thicker English stouts."  Wikipedia basically says the same thing, that Catherine II of Russia had a brewery in England brew strong dark beer. 

As for this beer, at 10.5% ABV this beer is almost as strong as wine.  It's 52 IBUs if you're into knowing that kind of thing.  When you pour it and look at it, this beer is dark like diesel fuel.  When you smell it, you know its a stout.  IRS has a thick, heavy, yet smooth, body.  The dark burnt roasted malts stay on your tongue leaving a long aftertaste.  It's mostly incredibly malty, but there are subtle hops that add complexity.  The aftertaste reminds me of dry cocoa.  Kiki likes the aftertaste and says it, "Tastes like a milk shake."

This was the 2011 classic release.  What Stone means by "classic release," is that they started brewing a "Stone Belgo Anise Imperial Russian Stout" and people were worried that IRS would never be brewed again.  Some people even said that IRS was their favorite beer ever made.  Stone responded by continuing to brew the IRS that they had always brewed before going Belgo.  The difference with the Belgo is that there is more anise and oak flavors, which gives it a little of a banana flavor and it is slightly more bitter.

One thing that makes IRS a cool beer, is that its ready to drink now; however, if you're really an enthusiast you can save it and let it age for several years.  Stone recommends that if you age it, you keep it at cellar temperature of 55 degrees Fahrenheit or below.

Overall, I give this beer two thumbs up (for a stout its really good and it stands out), and I'm not alone since Beer Advocate gave it an "A."

Boston Beer Co. -- Samuel Adams Harvest Collection -- Harvest Pumpkin Ale, Irish Red, Bonfire Rauchbier, Black Lager, Octoberfest, Boston Lager

Now that its November 4th and I've already received an email ad from BevMo for Sam Adams Winter Collection, I guess its time to finish up the Harvest Collection.  The beginning of  last month we had people over (same night as the Bacon Maple Ale) and we picked up this Sam Adams Harvest Collection 24-pack at Costco for about $20.

I feel like Samuel Adams beers, brewed by Boston Beer Co., need no introduction.  In case you don't know, Boston Beer Co. is the largest craft brewer in the county.  Actually, since Anheuser-Busch was acquired by In-Bev (sold out if you will) that leaves Boston Beer Co. as the largest American-owned beer company.  Its so big its even traded on the New York Stock Exchange.

Anyway, not many people know the name "Boston Beer Co." but "Samuel Adams" is a huge brand name so they're smart to market all these different beers under the Sam Adams name.  With that said, and the wild success of the Boston Lager, they also don't stray too far flavor wise from the Boston Lager taste.  Each of the style of beers in the harvest collection is distinct enough, but they're all fairly malty and light in body like the Boston Lager.

Samuel Adams Harvest Pumpkin Ale

Box's claim: "This ale has a subtle spice note complemented by real pumpkin and a distinct roasted malt character."

Not as spicy as KBC Pumpkin Ale.  Its like a cross between a darker version of regular Sam Adams and a brown ale with a little pumpkin flavor.  Its malty and a little bitter.  If you're looking for a pumpkin ale this one is pretty good.

Samuel Adams Irish Red

Box's claim: "This ale has a distinct caramel flavor, balanced by a pronounced hop bitterness."

Reddish-brown in color.  It has a caramel and malty flavor.  This one is more bitter than other Sam Adams beers and has more of a linger.

Samuel Adams Bonfire Rauchbier

Box claim: "This ale is a dark malty, smoked brew with deep caramel and toffee notes."

Dark brown in color and officially very smokey flavored.  This is like drinking a malty-campfire.  In three words: malty, toffee, and burnt.  I thought it was interesting to say the least.  It's different, definitely the most different in the group from the Boston Lager, so I think its worth trying.

Samuel Adams Black Lager

Box claim: "This beer is smooth and malty with a deep roasted character and dry finish."

This is black color and tastes to me like a porter.  It tastes like dark roasted malts, has some burnt flavor, and a very short linger.

Samuel Adams Octoberfest

Box claim: "This ale is brewed with five varieties of malted barley for a big, rich flavor."


More malty and more like an amber ale with caramel flavor.  Its fuller in body and less hoppy than a normal Sam Adams.

Samuel Adams Boston Lager

Box claim: "This beer is full-flavored with a balance of malty sweetness contrasted by hop spiciness and a smooth finish."

Reviewing regular Sam Adams Boston Lager is almost like trying to review Budweiser because its so prevalent across the U.S.  For those who don't know or who want it put in perspective, its a light copper color and it's balanced - light hops, but a little more on the malty side.  It's not an amazing beer, but its better than a lot that is out there, and for many (unfortunately) its their only exposure to craft beer.

Kiki made my pumpkin drink pumpkin ale.  Her's is eating the little pumpkin.  Sense a theme?

In conclusion, a Sam Adams collection is a good way to play it safe with craft beer.  It's generally good, not-too-mind-blowing, it's usually pretty reasonably priced, and if you're having a party it will appeal to the masses.

Bruery / Elysian / Stone (Stone Collaborations 2011) -- La Citrueille Celest de Citracado

La Citrueille Celeste de Citracado (which translates to The Heavenly Pumpkin of Citracado) is a Stone Brewing Co. collaboration with The Bruery and Elysian Brewing.  Kiki picked up a few bottles at Bev Mo for $2.99 each.  Its pretty pricey for a beer that's only a 5% ABV and a 12 oz bottle.  Anyway, Stone has done a number of collaborations and tends to have a new one every few months.  This particular collaboration beer was brewed on 9/15/11 and released on 10/17/11.

They even have a video with the brewers

What the bottle tells me: this was brewed with rye malt, the pumpkins were grown on Stone Farms, The Bruery got the yams and suggested the fenugreek, there is no cinnamon, clove, nutmeg or allspice in the beer.

Fenugreek?  Wikipedia tells me that is an herb and spice and is common in curries.  Its also often used in flavoring for artificial maple syrup.

Lemon verbena?   I actually know what it is because my parents-in-law have a whole bunch of it growing in front of their house.  Its a leafy plant that has leaves that smell like lemon oil.  Its great for teas and for adding lemon flavor to cooking, but it seems out of place compared to the other ingredients.

The beer: the color is really dark brown, and as you can see, its so dark its almost black.  The bottle bills this beer as "ale brewed with pumpkin, yams, toasted fenugreek, lemon verbena, and birch bark."  To me it tasted like an Arrogant Bastard with spices, yams, and pumpkin.  Its full body, bitter, malty, and hoppier than most fall beers.  Definitely not your typical pumpkin beer.  Its interesting, its a cool collaboration, but not something I'd want to drink very much of.

Rogue Ales -- Voodoo Doughnut Bacon Maple Ale

Voodoo Doughnut Bacon Maple Ale by Rogue Ales in Newport, Oregon.  Mmmm bacon.  I have to admit that at first I was a little scared just based on the Pepto-Bismol pink bottle with the scary looking dude on the front. 

Our friends Dale and Stefanie were up in Portland when Rogue was selling this beer by the case.  They said they had to go to a loading dock to get it.  Sounds a little strange, but this is a strange beer.  We had some people over one night, and Dale and Stefanie generously brought three bottles with them to share with everyone, so that's how I stumbled into the voodoo world.  Thanks, Dale and Stephanie!

Rogue has been around since 1988 and is well know for its high quality craft beers.  Voodoo Doughnut is a Portland, Oregon establishment that makes a wide array of doughnuts, including the Bacon Maple Bar.  Rogue collaborated with Voodoo to create Bacon Maple Ale.  Since they were working with a bakery, of course, they had to have a baker's dozen for ingredients.  Of the 13 ingredients, there are various malts (including a couple smoked ones), applewood-smoked bacon, and pure maple flavoring.  The alcohol content is neither on the bottle, nor the website.

The taste?  At first, it was sweet like maple, but then I noticed more of the bacon flavor, and then it was smokey on the end.  Looking at the taste as a whole, I would say that first this is a pretty smokey and malty beer, and second, its a little sweet.  The pours toward the end of the bottle have some tiny black grains that sink to the bottom, which I presume are from the bacon.  We put it in the freezer for a little while at my house before opening them.  Dale said it tasted better super cold than just regular refrigerator temperature.  He said that it tastes smokier when its not as cold.  I had the third bottle the other day and I have to agree that it does taste smokier when its not as cold.

I had some left over in an open bottle so I put it in the fridge and then had the rest for breakfast.  I have to say, it makes a good breakfast beer since it tastes like maple syrup and bacon.

In sum, this one was like the Snakes on a Plane of beers -- you know what you're going to get based on the title.  Its worth the adventure and the curiosity for the brave who want to try a beer that is truly unique.

Kennebunkport Brewing Co. -- Pumpkin Ale

Since its fall its time for Kennebunkport Brewing Company's Pumpkin Ale.  Kennebunkport Brewing is actually is a seven barrel brewery located beneath Federal Jack's Brewpub in Kennebunkport, Maine.  Since its such a small brewery, they contract out to Pugsley Brewing LLC in Portland, Maine to do the brewing for the Pumpkin Ale.  Kiki loves pumpkin beer and picked up this six pack at our local Trader Joe's for $5.99.

Pumpkin Ale  by KBC is one the spiciest beers out there.  Its full of nutmeg, cinnamon, and clove flavors which pair well with the malty-toffee flavor of this beer.  All of that goes well with the pumpkin flavor.  Its a very light beer but there is plenty of flavor and a nice after taste.  I give this beer two thumbs up as a great beer to enjoy on cool fall nights.

Squatter's Pubs and Beers -- Salt Lake City, UT

Finally, my last post of our epic road trip.  After visiting Red Rock Brewing we walked through downtown Salt Lake City to Squatter's Pubs and Beers at 147 West Broadway 300 South.

Yep, that's a ski they serve the beer on.

Once again I ordered a sampler so I could get an overview of what they have going for them:

Cream Ale -- Creamy, a little bitter, light straw color, just ok.  The first one was supposed to be Hefe, but apparently that's really popular and they were out so I got Cream Ale instead.

Chasing Tail Golden Ale -- Almost like Coors light, but a little more bitter.  I'm extremely biased in favor of anything involving golden retrievers so at least this one has the name going for it.

Provo Girl Pilsner -- BYU is in Provo, Utah so its Provo Girl instead of Polly Girl.  Get it?  Provo Girl is light straw color, not much flavor, and crisp.  This beer was like water so I did not like it but Kiki did.  Bravarian styles usually aren't my thing.

Organic Amber Ale -- Hoppy for an amber, copper color.  Nothing really that memorable.  This one was supposed to be the Vienna Style Lager, but they were also out of that one.

Full Suspension Pale Ale -- This one was an American Pale Ale (APA).  It bills itself as "citrus pine hop aroma flavor."  I thought the pine flavor was cool, and it made it unique.

Captain Bastard Oatmeal Stout -- This beer is brewed with roasted barley.  I thought it was creamy, but had coffee at the same time.

My buddy Kyle ordered the Nitro Coco Porter which he let me try a little of.  It was really bitter, but very light.  The color looks like black coffee but the body was light. 

 Squatters was a cool place with a chill vibe.  Another good place to stop if you're ever in downtown SLC.  Its more hipster than Red Rock Brewing which is more yuppie.  But, the beers at Squatters are ok so I don't think you'll go wrong.

Red Rock Brewing Co -- Salt Lake City, UT

On the way back from our epic road trip we stopped to spend the night in Salt Lake City.  While there, we checked out Red Rock Brewing Co, 254 South 200 West, Salt Lake City, Utah.  I can tell they're trying to be like Rock Bottom Brewery in Colorado.

$7.50 for a sampler of six.  They had eight beers on tap, but in Utah you can only get six 4 oz samples at once thanks to their goofy alcohol laws that are still recovering from prohibition. 

Here's what I tried:

Hefeweizen -- lemon slice, lemon yellow color, light taste, fruity, short linger, refreshing taste

IPA Junior -- very light for an IPA, light hop taste, good for someone like Kiki who doesn't like most IPA's

Amber Ale -- copper color, creamy, malty

Bitter Ale -- also copper color, lots of body, not really that bitter

Munich Dunkel -- Kiki likes (coffee like bitterness without the coffee flavor); dark copper color

Oatmeal Stout -- creamy on the front, bitter on the back


Red Rock's website tells me that its Nut Brown won the silver medal at the 2011 Great American Beer Festival so now I wish I would have tried it.

All in all I would say Red Rock's beer was so so.  Nothing to brag about, but not horrible either.  Salt Lake City has a surprisingly cool downtown, and if you're in the area you might as well stop by.

Harvest Moon Brewing -- Beltian White

As our epic poast-bar-exam road trip continued we made our way up to Kalispell, Montana to spend the night before a full day exploring Glacier National Park.  A popular chain in Montana is MacKenzie River Pizza. Co., and we had been to the one in Helena, so we knew it was a safe bet for a good dinner (FYI, the MacKenzie river is actually in Northwest Territory, Canada even though the pizza chain is a Montana chain with locations also in Washington, Idaho, and Indiana (random)).  They had Harvest Moon Brewing Company's Beltian White on tap so I had to order one having fallen in love with it two years ago.  It comes served with a slice of orange.  Kiki loves Beltian White.  She says it tastes like beer with fruit.  In short its light, crisp, fruity, has a brief linger, and is smooth and easy drinking.

MacKenzie River Pizza: Hot Hawaiian Pizza with Half Jalapenos = AMAZING

What I like about this beer is that it can fit so many different occasions.  The spiciness makes it great for holidays, or the fall, or the winter.  Its fruityness makes it perfect for the spring or summer.  Its refreshing after a long day.

What's up with the name "Beltian?"  Harvest Moon Brewing Company is in the town of Belt, Montana which is about 15 minutes outside the megaopolis of Great Falls, Montana (well, at 58,000 people Great Falls seems like a megaopolis comparied to Belt's 633 residents).  Beltian White is a Belgian-style wheat beer so its a play on words (thanks James I already figured that out).  Its made with malted barley and wheat, and Czechoslovakian and Saaz hops from the Pacific northwest.  The spiciness comes from coriander, and the frutiness is from orange peel.  Plus if you add a slice or orange, its like a flavor explosion.

Harvest Moon Brewing Company was started in 1996 by Stan Guedesse, a former homebrew supply store owner, and John Ballantyne, a former geologist and avid homebrewer.  Harvest Moon takes advantage its location which gets water from the Madison aquifer.  That's important because 90% of beer is water so you want good quality water.  Madison aquifer water is good because its the same water that gets bottled up and sold across the state.  Besides being centrally located in the state, Belt is in a high plains farming area and barley is grown only a few miles away.  Similar to Sierra Nevada Brewing, since its near farms, Harvest Moon Brewing recycles its mash by giving it to a local farmer to feed his hogs. 

Harvest Moon is still small enough that owners Stan and John can still be involved with every step of the process.  Despite the brewery's small size it's able to can its beer.  As I mentioned before, canning helps Montanans be able to recycle since they only have glass recycling twice a year.  Plus, cans keep the light out, they don't have to be stored vertically, you don't have to worry about the cap getting rusty, they're easier for the brewer to store and ship, you're not going to get broken glass if it breaks, and if you're enjoying the great outdoors you can crush it when you're done.

That said, we made sure to buy a couple 12-packs to take back with us to California.  Kiki suggested three cases, but I was concerned about space in our little two door car.  As usual, she was right and I wish I had more Beltian.

If this were sold in California I would drink this all the time, and I'm not normally a wheat beer person.

All in all, Beltian White is one of my favorite beers of all time.  Harvest Moon is smart to focus on its most popular beer for state-wide distribution.  I hope that Harvest Moon can grow enough to get its beer into other states.

Big Sky Brewing -- Limited Montana Release (Mexican Dark Lager)

Unfortunately, on our road trip we didn't have time to stop and take a tour or visit Big Sky Brewing, but by the time we got to Missoula, Montana on our way from Helena to Kalispell to go to Glacier National Park, it was lunch time and we were mighty hungry.  We didn't have any set plans in Missoula so we just drove around downtown, which is conveniently located right next to the University of Montana.  We decided that The Iron Horse Brew Pub looked promising.

The Iron Horse has a pretty good selection of beers, one of which was Big Sky Brewing's "Limited Montana Release."  After inquiring, I was informed that this beer was a Mexican dark lager.  I decided to try it and pair it with a buffalo chicken salad.

Mexican dark lager?  As you see above, its a copper color and served with a lime.  It's like a cross between an amber ale, a Corona, and a Bud, but overall it's more on the amber side.  I can't say that I would order it again, but at least it was an interesting beer.

Side note: Big Sky Brewing has so far been absent from my blog only because I enjoy their beer so much that I've been waiting to write an entry that covers all the beer in the Montana Mixer pack and do them justice.

 Missoula's famous Mount Sentinel 

Lewis and Clark Brewing Co. -- Helena, MT

Beautiful Helena, Montana with Mount Helena

I've been sidetracked with watching Mad Men and Lost -- catching up from what I missed during law school -- so its about time I finish up entries from our epic post-bar exam road trip.  My last entry was kind of depressing because Blackfoot Brewing's beers all need some improvement.  Helena, Montana's other brewery is Lewis and Clark Brewing Company (L&C) and their beers are much more impressive.  Unfortunately, we were there right between them moving out of their old location and moving to a new facility.

I've been following L&C on their facebook page and their new facility is really awesome.  They took an old paint factory (also formerly a jail and miscellaneous other things) and gutted it, made space for new brewing tanks, added equipment to allow them to can their beer (canning is good because it keeps the beer in darkness, in Montana glass recycling is virtually nonexistent, and its easier to store and ship).  Their new place also has a large tap room with enough space that they can have live music.

The L&C background: Helena had a brewery called "Sleeping Giant Brewing Company" and it was part of the Brewhouse Pub & Grill where the brewery was in the basement and the restaurant was upstairs looking down onto the brewery.  I'm not exactly sure what happened to Sleeping Giant, but they are no more.  L&C was founded in 1995, and moved into the Brewhouse where Sleeping Giant used to be about 10 years ago.  L&C has been gaining popularity over the years and outgrew the Brewhouse, hence the new facility.  If you're from Montana or familiar with its history the name "Lewis and Clark" is a no brainer, but for those that don't know, the name comes from the fact that explorers Lewis and Clark spent most of their journey in Montana and explored the Missouri River just outside of present-day Helena.

Even though we missed L&C's new tap room we made it to the Brewhouse and got L&C's sampler.  So here they are:

Yellowstone Beer -- 5.1% ABV -- L&C's lightest beer; very floral smelling; light golden straw color; light body but lots of taste which is because its top fermented

Miner's Gold Hefeweizen -- 5.2% ABV -- served with a lemon; L&C's most popular beer is brewed unfiled in an American wheat style; won a Gold Medal at the North American Brewers Association Brew Fest; fruity; like the Lemon Heights Hef at Tustin Brewing Company; Kiki gives it two thumbs up

Prickly Pear Pale Ale -- 5.9% ABV -- hoppy, but light for a pale ale; not much flavor at first but then it lingers

Lewis and Clark Amber Ale --5.7% ABV -- copper color; creamy and malty


Tumbleweed IPA --6.4% ABV -- This beer beat 98 other IPAs and won a gold medal winner at the Great American Beer Festival; recently voted the best IPA in Montana; hopped three times with Centennial and Cascade hops makes this one REALLY hoppy and floral; unique linger

Back Country Scottish Ale -- 5.9% ABV -- roasted black barley gives this beer a dark color; the barley is Montana grown; sweet; a little chocolate, a little roasted flavor; smooth

Overall, Lewis and Clark Brewing makes really good beer and I don't think any of them disappoint.  I think the Tumbleweed IPA and the Miner's Gold Hef were my favorites.  Next time I'm in Helena I will be sure to make it to L&C's new taproom!
 

 For anyone wondering where a name like "Sleeping Giant Brewing" comes from its because this mountain, which caps off the north end of the Helena valley, is called the "Sleeping Giant."

Blackfoot River Brewing Company -- Helena, MT

I'm still not done recapping all the beers from our road trip.  We finally made it to a brewery I've been wanting to go to for the last couple years: Blackfoot River Brewing in beautiful Helena, Montana.  My friend Beau informed us that everyone that comes into Helena, Montana has to make their appearance at Blackfoot.  Beau also warned us that Blackfoot is where all the yuppies in Helena hang out.  He was definitely right about the yuppies, and man do they ever keep that place in business.  We went on a Tuesday evening and the place was packed.

How did it get that way?  In the mid '90s the founders started home brewing in a basement.  Ultimately, they decided to make a go of it and presented a business plan to a bank to get some money, and in 1998 opened the brewery in what used to be a garage.  They were there until 2008 when they had grown large enough to build their current taproom where a parking lot used to be next to the brewery.  Its a great location on the south side of downtown Helena.  The tap room has a really great atmosphere for hanging out so I can see why its popular with yuppies, although it does get a bit of a cross section  of various hippies, middle-aged and older folk, etc.  They also have free popcorn like Grand Teton Brewing.

The taproom has a bunch of photos of yesteryear to set the ambiance.  This one is of Helena's now extinct Kessler Brewing Company.

Montana has some strange beer laws, although not as strange as Utah.  From what I understand, in Montana people are limited to only having three pints at a tap room (don't quote me on that).  That in turn limits how big taprooms make their samplers.  Blackfoot sells four of the four ounce tasters for $4.50.  What we did, per the bar tender's suggestion, is I ordered one and Kiki ordered one so we could try all seven of the beers they had on tap, and then we doubled up on the cream ale.

Here's what was on tap and how they stacked up:

Single Malt IPA -- 6.8% ABV -- light straw color, it's light on the hops, light body, and it doesn't really taste like an IPA.  In short, I was not impressed.  Beau informed me that Blackfoot's IPA used to be their signature beer, but then they changed the recipe.  The cliche rings true: if its not broke then don't fix it.

Cream Ale -- 4.9% ABV -- this was the lightest beer, and it was too light because there wasn't much taste.  there was a slight hint of lager flavor and a little cream taste at the end, but it was almost like drinking carbonated water.  One star out of five.

Kolsch (imagine two dots over the "o") -- 5.2% ABV -- Kiki described the Kolsch as like drinking "spiced Budweiser."  I thought it tasted a little like Bud with a hint of lime.  In any event, there wasn't much flavor.

OPA (Organic Pale Ale) -- 5.6% ABV -- copper in color and a little hoppy, but another beer without much flavor

Amber Ale -- 5.5% ABV -- a little malty, a little spicy, a little creamy.  This was the best one they had in my opinion, but it still wasn't great.

Blue Collar Bitter -- 6.4% ABV -- for a beer that has "bitter" in the name it wasn't very bitter, and for being called "blue collar" it was all white collar people there.  This beer was more on the malty side, but was pretty unremarkable for a beer over 6% ABV.

North Fork Organic Porter -- 6.8% ABV -- lots of coffee flavor giving this porter a burnt flavor, but it still had a light body.  At least this one had more flavor than the others but it would have been better if it wasn't so burnt tasting.

All in all, Blackfoot has a nice setup, a good location, is a cool place to hang out, and it has a welcoming atmosphere.  The drawback, however, is that the beer disappoints.  Whether its more malts, or more hops, or being creative with ingredients, they need to do something to distinguish themselves.  Right now Blackfoot is all about image and being a cool place to hang out.  On the bright side, Blackfoot has all the pieces in place, and if it revamped the recipes it could be a great brewery, but until then it will just be an attractive facade with sub-par beer.