Brew52 » Eric

the perfect porter?

Eric — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 04:19:25 +0000

Man this is a solid solid beer. I know it’s good, but I’m always surprised as how good, and how consistently good.

And Rett, I couldnt agree more about the winter sampler: I skipped it because it didn’t have the porter.

Hell yeah

Eric — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 04:17:03 +0000

This years’ release of Darkness is much more accessible and sessionable than 07 in my opinion (altho I liked last years better I think), while still packing a wallop of malts and hops to enjoy. Chilled and in a pint glass it was incredible; I can only imagine how good it will be at 55 degrees and in a nice tulip glass. Proper. Grab a glass while supplies last.

This is the way it’s supposed to taste?! I like it.

Eric — Sun, 11 May 2008 04:10:18 +0000

I suppose I should preface this review with the statement that I don’t much care for scotch ales or beers with any smoke, be it peat or malt. In fact I almost passed this week’s review up so that I wouldn’t have to drink a smoked scotch ale.

I’m glad I didn’t.

This Scotch Ale may be my re-introduction to both styles. Or maybe it’s the combination of the two that did it for me. I can’t say I’d rush out and buy a sixer of it, but I was certainly surprised at my appreciation of this brew. Sure, it was a little sweet and malty, a little smoky, lacked the hop backbone (and frontbone) I prefer. But it wasn’t repulsive to my palate–to the contrary–as many representatives of the styles are.

*Edit*

I just read some of the other posts, alluding to a bad batch, which is maybe why I liked this smoked Scotch Ale that didn’t really take like a smoked Scotch Ale. It does have a funky sorta bandaid taste, typical of some wild beers and apparently smoked Scotch Ales.

Sir Duluth is one smooth Mr. (shut yer mouth!)

Eric — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 04:12:57 +0000

So I feel like I’ve been harshing on my boys from Lake Superior a little bit, if only to myself. Their barleywine just didn’t measure up, and their red has disappointed way too many times.

But wow, their Oatmeal Stout is fantastic. The chocolate malts seem to hit me first, followed by a little sourness perhaps, and a nice malty finish. Smooth. I burnt through a bunch of stouts this winter, mainly imperial ones, but I wish this woulda been in my rotation. Nice job, LS!

To Style

Eric — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 04:30:44 +0000

Mai Bocks are a sure sign of spring and summer to come, especially in Minnesota: They’re released in March, and you start looking forward to the Hefeweizens and Saisons–and then wham! you get 8 more inches of snow. I’ve been ready to leave the bock season for a couple weeks now, including the 2 or 3 I brewed myself, so it’s hard to finish this Mai Bock. With that, I think this nails the style. Strong, yet easy to drink with a nice sweet aftertaste. I have found that I prefer the darker bocks like dopples, so while I drank the entire bottle of Summit Maibock, I didn’t enjoy it!

Golden it is, barleywine not so much.

Eric — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 03:33:15 +0000

I loooove a good barleywine, especially dark and hoppy and strong ones–see Avery Hogheaven. I first sampled the Warlock at Winterfest, and thought it seemed a little light, but blamed it on the fact that my taste buds were totally destroyed from 3 hours of imperial stouts and Belgian craziness. But, no, the liquid in the bottle was indeed just a tad on the light side. Seemed like a blend of a Belgian golden ale and a English barleywine, and left me wanting more of a punch, more flavor. I’ll stick one away for next winter and hopefully it will improve.

Love Flat Earth, but…….

Eric — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 04:18:36 +0000

I had a bottle a few weeks ago, and it was great, one of the better porters I’ve ever had. Then I had one this week for the review, and it had a ton of coffee, which some people love, but I’m not a fan of. I keep trying coffee porters, and not many are pleasing to my palate. With that in mind, I do think that cygnus nailed the style, but like many of Flat Earth’s beers, while very tasty, the inconsistency is frustrating. Woulda been a four, four-and-a-half. Keep it coming guys!

Soooo good

Eric — Sat, 16 Feb 2008 04:53:04 +0000

Ok I tried this at Winterfest last weekend. It was good, but I thought I would probably pass on it the next time around. Then my wife and I had dinner at Cafe 28 tonight (owned by Linda Haug, wife of Surly head brewer Todd), and I thought, well I better give it a second shot, when I hadn’t had 20 beers already.

And I’m so glad I did. It had some of the same hop characteristics as Darkness, of course reduced by the cranberries and dark malts. Some have said its a one-and-your-done beer, but I could easily have had two or three. This is one of my favorite Surly beers. I can’t wait to pick up one of the bottles and throw it in my basement for a year or two.

At first…

Eric — Sun, 10 Feb 2008 05:33:04 +0000

The first taste of the Alt I must say was disappointing. It just tasted off. Thankfully, it did get better as the night wore on, that “interesting” taste fading to the background. I need to do more exploring of lagers to figure out what that is. Maybe its supposed to be there. I wish I had more opportunities to get to the Herk. Good meeting a few folks.

Subtle Perfection

Eric — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 05:25:56 +0000

A couple years ago I stopped drinking Summit Winter. Well, not completely. I would have one or two each year, and then hang it up. “This is just a brown ale,” I would decry. My friends and I would swear that Summit Winter used to be a spiced up porter, full of ambition and hope, and that a couple years ago they went soft

But now I’m not so sure. (Was it me? Did they change the recipe?)

I can’t get enough of this years’ brew.

Maybe it’s my palate, or maybe it was the Summit Winter on cask I had right before Christmas, smooth and creamy, reinvigorating my belief in Summit. That happens every so often; I get bored and worn down on Summit, and then I have a particularly fine pint of EPA, or try a limited release stout with brettomyces, and it’s like falling in love all over again.

This year’s Winter is like that. It pours a creamy mahogany, exactly what I want on a cold night. I’m thrilled by it’s subtle perfection, and even more thrilled that it’s Summit that brought it to me.