Goose Island Bourbon County Stout

Photo Credit: J.C. Edwards

The Brewers:
Company: Goose Island Brewing Company
Brewmaster: Brett Porter
Location: 1800 North Clybourn Ave., Chicago, Illinois
Website:
http://www.gooseisland.com/pages/home/56.php

The Beer:
Style: Barrel-aged Imperial stout
ABV: 15%
IBU: 60
Brewed with: 2-Row, Munich, Chocolate, Caramel, Roasted Barley and De-bittered Black Patent Malts and Willamette Hops
Served: Bottle at PC Paddocks of Poughkeepsie, NY (http://www.pcspaddockrestaurant.com/)

The Drink:
Drank out of a 12 oz. stemmed Pokal

Beer poured pitch-black with almost no head (I poured this guy gently) and didn't really lace.  

Aroma of heavy bourbon, boozy alcohol, malty sweetness and vanilla.  

Beer starts with low carbonation and a massive presence.  This beer is unbelievably thick, and is upfront with a heavy malt sweetness, accompanied by some roasted character and bourbon barrel flavor.  Pretty much the same from start to finish, but a vanilla flavor and dryness come through during the finish, vastly improving the drink-ability of this beer.  

Overall:
This beer has incredible body and flavor, and the ABV to go along with it.  At 15%, it's the same as having 3.75 "drinks" of beer (1 drink of 12 oz. of 4% beer), so this stuff can really hit you.  Though pretty much what I expect from a high-gravity brew (very sweet, very full-bodied), the wood-aging does compliment it well.  The bourbon really comes through and goes perfectly with this beer by lending a smooth, vanilla oaked flavor.  Other than that it's a great "sipping" beer, even good at room temperature, and definitely would develop some interesting flavors on aging.  Though maybe a bit out of season for April, this beer would really be perfect in December/January.  

Leipziger Gose

Photo Credit: J.C. Edwards

The Brewers:
Brewmaster: Matthias Richter
Company: Bayerischer Banhof Gasthaus & Gosebrauerei
Location: Bayrischer Platz 1, Leipzig, Germany
Website: http://www.bayerischer-bahnhof.de/en/startseite/index.html

The Beer:
Style: Gose
ABV: 4.5%
Brewed with: Coriander, Salt and Lactic acid (Acidulated Malt perhaps?)
Served: On tap at Stanziato's Pizzeria (seriously, the best pizza you'll ever have, with some of the best beers to be found: http://stanziatos.com/)

The Drink:
Served in one of their weird 12 oz. Italian "tulip" glasses

Beer pours a cloudy, yellow-gold color with a thick, fluffy head that dissipates quickly, leaving little lace.  

Aromas of tart citrus and peppery spice.

Beer starts with a good carbonation and a tart citrus flavor.  Middle has a very sour and subtle salty flavor and mouthfeel; really more of a brackish character than outright saltiness, with some peppery coriander.  Finish is creamy with a traditional "floury" wheat flavor, characteristic of German and Belgian wheat beers.

Overall:
Gose has to be among my favorite beer styles, which is unfortunate given how hard they are to find.  Here comes the history lesson.  This style originated in Goslar, Germany (hence the name "Gose") in the 18th century, and was originally spontaneously fermented (think lambics).  After primary fermentation, the beer was placed in bottles with very long necks, and yeast plugged the neck as secondary fermentation proceeded.  The beer soon became very popular in it's home region of Leipzig, and was granted exemption from the Reinheitsgebot due to the fact that Gose was considered the regional specialty of Leipzig.  Once those good ol' Nazis took over Germany and nationalized everything, traditional Gose breweries were shut down, and most of their brewing equipment was scrapped for the war effort (many traditional, generations-old Belgian breweries met similar fates).  After WWII ended, Gose returned to Germany and slowly grew in popularity, though today the style is still very hard to find.  Sam Adams also brewed a Gose, called Verloren,  which I am a big fan of as well.

This beer is a fantastic example of a traditional Gose, and exhibits all the peppery, salty and sour character this beer is known for.  Incredibly flavorful, and even more refreshing, this beer combines everything about light beers with the flavor and body of unfiltered wheat beers, all balanced by an intriguing and subtle saltiness.  I would recommend this beer to anyone, and I'd even go so far as to say you should actively hunt this one down.    

Brooklyn Brewery Silver Anniversary Lager

The Brewers:
Brewmaster: Garrett Oliver
Company: Brooklyn Brewing Company
Location:  #1 Brewers Row 79 N. 11th Street Brooklyn, NY
Website:
 http://www.brooklynbrewery.com/verify

The Beer:
Style: Dopplebock (Lager)
ABV: 8.6%
Brewed With: German and American 2-Row Pilsner, Munich and Caramel Malts, Hallertau, Mittlefreuh, Saphir, Cascade and Willamette Hops
Served: On tap at Beechtree Grill of Poughkeepsie
(http://beechtree-grill.homestead.com/index.html)

The Drink: 
Served in a 12 oz. Brooklyn Brewery Belgian-style tulip glass

Beer poured coppery-brown with a 2-finger head that hung around for quite a while.  Lacing was excellent, especially considering it was a lager.

Aroma of spicy, floral and earthy hops, characteric of traditional European hops (the ones listed, minus Cascade, which is American and generally resinous/citrusy).  Some very subtle caramel malt comes through as well.

Beer starts with a decent carbonation and a surprising body, more than I was expecting from a lager.  Middle has a good deal of caramel and malty sweetness accompanied by a pronounced hop aroma and bitterness, which builds into the finish.  Finish is very characteristic of what I would call a Czech lager (floral and spicy hop aroma with a robust hop bitterness).  There is also a refreshing crisp grain flavor that is present in the middle-finish.  

Overall:
As far as lagers go, this is worth the money.  I usually stay away from lager beers, but noticing that this was a hefty 8.6% ABV, I thought it might have some body and flavor to it, and I was definitely right.  Refreshingly light, but also with a good bit of flavor and body, this beer is masterfully balanced.  The hop character is pronounced, but not overpowering, and is present in enough amount to make this a great beer for warm weather.  I guess I should conclude by say congrats to Brooklyn Brewery for its 25th year in operation (for which this beer was brewed), and thanks for the world-class work.   

Ommegang Goudenhop

The Brewers:
Brewmaster: Phil Leinhart
Company: Brewery Ommegang
Location: 656 County Highway 33, Cooperstown, NY
Website: http://www.ommegang.com/

The Beer:
Style: Belgian Pale Ale/Blonde Ale/Belgian IPA
ABV: 7.40%
Served:  750mL bottle purchased at Brewery Ommegang

The Drink:
Drank out of my new Council Rock Brewery American pint glass (improper for the style, I know)

Beer pours crystal clear straw yellow/golden with a thick, enduring head; looked more like clouds than beer foam.  Laced fantastically.

Aroma of slight hop resin and citrus character, maybe even some subtle Brettanomyces funk, but not too sure about that (could be some really earthy hops).  Very subdued malted wheat on the nose.

Starts with a vigorous carbonation and slight hop bitter.  Middle is slightly malty and thin (not in a bad way, just light) with a very "Belgian" bitterness from the hops.  Finishes very dry with some definite Brett-type flavors and a lingering hop bitter.  Finish is very dry and pretty lengthy; hop and peppery yeast flavors stick around for quite a while.

Overall:
Brewed only once, bottled August 2012, and is definitely lacking in original hop character because of the long aging process.  Even given the diminished hop aroma, this beer was great.  Good bitterness, refreshingly light with a complex yeast flavor.  Even though the hops are most likely gone, the additional aging has definitely given this bottle enough time to gain some complex yeast flavors, which I'm betting is why I've picked up the Brett characteristics.  I hate to put this up because it's going to be near impossible to find, but if you can get it, do so.  You will not be disappointed.  

Clown Shoes Genghis Pecan

The Brewers:
Company:  Mercury Brewing Co., Clown Shoes
Location: 23 Hayward St., Ipswich, Massachusettes 
Website: http://www.clownshoesbeer.com

The Beer:
Style: Porter
ABV: 7%
Brewed with: Brown sugar, roasted pecans
Served: 22oz. bomber (unknown purchase location)

The Drink:
Drank out of 16oz. Special edition (then they can charge an extra $3) Duvel tulip glass

Pours dark brown, deep copper when held to light.  Thin head that dissipated quickly, leaving little lace

Chocolate/roasted malt, sweet brown sugar and very subtle nuttiness.  Some very mild booziness, but not overwhelming.  Nuttiness on the nose grew as time went on.  

Starts malty sweet with a moderate-low carbonation.  Middle is full-bodied, chocolate and sweet with a touch of dryness.  Finish lingers with a bit more dryness, especially on the tongue, and a long-lasting roasted malt flavor with just a hint of sugar sweetness and toasted malt.  

Overall:
This really was an excellent porter, but I can't for the life of me get the pecans.  I picked this up noticing it was called a "Pecan Pie Porter" with an image of a straight out of the oven pecan pie, but it just didn't come through with that flavor profile.  Maybe if you have a really sensitive palate you'd have more luck with this beer than I did, but I'd definitely recommend it.  Very drinkable, full-bodied flavor and a good sweet-porter malt backbone make this a pretty safe bet for almost anyone.   

Council Rock Brewing Company

Council Rock Brewery
Location: 4861 State Highway 28, Cooperstown, NY
Owner/Brewer/Chef: Roger Davidson

      For this one, the writing comes before the pictures, sorry.  I had the opportunity to visit this small-scale operation after my trip to Brewery Ommegang, and it was fantastic.  A comparably tiny operation (1.5 bbl system, or 3 bbls if Roger doubles up), this is grass-roots brewing at its finest.  This brewery opened up May 5th, 2012 so I missed the one year anniversary by a few weeks, but c'est la vie.  With great on-tap selection (I counted 8 beers), there are few who will want for anything, and every beer is flavorful and expertly balanced, I should know I got the full flight.  There was food involved as well, and it was as good as the beer, easily.  The brewmaster Roger introduced himself to me, and after a bit of talking gave me a tour of the place, which is undergoing a well-deserved expansion.  Roger let me pick his brains for quite a while and was more than hospitable, even letting me harass him as he tried to get in a quick dinner.  He also let me sample a couple of his upcoming beers (a Hefeweizen and an Imperial stout, both of which will not disappoint).  The hefeweizen was crisp and refreshing with a noticeable banana and clove aroma, while the stout was sweet, roasty and full-bodied.  I only wish I could be around for a draught of each.
     This type of brewery (colloquially known as a nanobrewery) is my absolute favorite, and is exactly what I think brewing should be about; small, intimate environments where you can really get to know the people who run the show, people with a real motivation and passion for the art.  The servers and chef also deserve a great deal of credit, as beer alone can't run a restaurant.  Both service and food were exemplary.  If you're in the Cooperstown area this place is a mandatory visit, and I can promise you won't be disappointed.  If you're going out for a beer, get it from a place like this and skip the distributed stuff, this market should be all about diversity.  My only recommendations:  Lose the bushes in front of the place (I drove past once) and change the location on Google Maps, they're off by about 100 yards.    

Is this the "Council Rock?"

Green: My favorite color.  Beer: My favorite drink

The Flight (Right to left, then back around):  Goldenrod Ale, Honey Wheat,  Vienna  Lager, Sleeping Lion Red Ale, All-American IPA, Brown Ale, Black Lager, Scotch Ale

Here's the plug for the beer:
Goldenrod Ale:  A very British style pale ale; light-bodied with a robust hop bitter and mild hop aroma, complimented by a crisp malted grain aroma
Honey Wheat:  Sweet and dry, with characteristic wheat body and flavor and a fantastic sweet floral complexity, I'm guessing from the honey
Vienna Lager:  Far and away one of the best lagers I've ever had, and I'm far from a lager-boy.  Seriously, I ordered a full pint of it after the flight.  This is what lagers wish they could be; flavorful, full-bodied, sweet and balanced a little bit more towards malt body over hops
Sleeping Lion Red Ale:  Pretty high quality, though straightforward, red ale.  Good caramel presence, balanced well with hops, both in flavor and aroma
All-American IPA:  A very Lagunitas-style IPA; heavy duty on the citrus aroma and flavor, but with a good deal of pine/resinous hop.  Also benefits from a thick, smooth body; an IPA that definitely isn't built with a focus on traditional IPAs (bitter, bitter and more bitter)
Brown Ale:  Again, one of the best examples of the style I've had.  Full-bodied toasted malt and nutty goodness, with lessened hop contribution.  This one is on par with the Vienna Lager as far as skill-of-crafting goes.
Black Lager:  More towards traditional lager profile; light, smooth body, but with a good dose of roasted malt to give it a more flavorful presence.
Scotch Ale:  On target for a Scotch ale; malty, malty and malty.  A good deal of sweetness and a full body, perfect for getting someone through a cold winter's night.

May have been in the middle of saying something, but look at the delicious beer instead of me

Max occupancy: 27, perfect for drinking, chilling and shooting the shit

The view of our corner table from the other side of the bar

Taps and the draft list

Sadly this is the only food item I captured "on film."  The beer-braised bratwurst and the chicken breast salad were just as beautiful and just as good as this apple pie

Custom-made tap handles for Rock Council Brewery.  Classy, unique and easy on the eyes.

Brewery Ommegang: Photo Journal

Brewery Ommegang:  656 County Highway 33, Cooperstown, NY 13326

The entrance to the most wonderful place on Earth

The view from the inside out

The visitor center/cafe

Inside the visitor center

The selection of Ommegang-ware

Selection of Ommegang brews

Inside Cafe Ommegang

Course one: Fresh Chevre, Beekman farms Blaak, Duck confit with Ommegang Hennepin (left) and Liefmans Cuvee Brut (right)

Tomato and Basil crepe

Smoked gouda and cheddar soup

Three Philosophers ice cream

Next, on to the tasting room

The taps to be sampled today (left to right): Witte, Belgian Pale Ale, Hennepin, Rare Vos, Abbey Ale, Three Philosophers

Three Philosophers sitting pretty

A brief intermission for a man wearing a lampshade

Now on to the real brewing:

Eyes safe, ready for the tour

Entrance to the brewhouse (hence the sign)

Staircase up to the mill room/station.  Grain put in to that blue box is crushed and sent up the tube to the mash tun

The mash tun (right) the lauter tun (left) and the brew kettle (back, center)

The primary fermentation room with 103 bbl fermenters (that's about 3200 gallons folks)

Step 1 of bottling: clean and sanitize

Steps 2-4: Fill, seal and package

Step 5: Aging and conditioning

So much beer so little time

Spent grain is sent to this silo where it is transported to local farmers as cattle feed
Unfortunately, this was the end of our stay

Overall:
Brewery Ommegang, founded 1997, is my favorite brewery, so this was more of a pilgrimage than a vacation.  The majority share of Ommegang was purchased by Duvel in 2004 and has become the base of Duvel operations in the United States, though that hasn't affected the brewing at Ommegang.  Their line of beers are traditional Belgian ales, and I always enjoy them because of their simplicity.  Never brewed with anything seriously out of "left field" these ales are simple, flavorful, balanced and exhibit the usual Belgian complexity in aroma and flavor.  The tour was great, and the food/drink was fit for a king.  I left with my fair share of Ommegang gear.  I can't recommend this place enough, and if you get an opportunity it's definitely worth a trip.