Anderson Valley The Kimmie, The Yink, & The Holy Gose

Brewed By: Anderson Valley Brewing Company in Boonville, California 
Purchased: 12oz CAN from a 6-pack bought at Binny's in Chicago, IL; 2014

Style/ABV: Gose, 4.2%
Reported IBUs: ?

This beer was a random purchase, and not something I would normally seek out. But, at the time of buying this beer, I was sick with a cold, and I needed something in a can to bring to a party. You really can't go wrong with a low-ABV Gose, right? About Anderson Valley Brewing Company: 

The Anderson Valley Brewing Company is a brewery based out of Boonville, Cali that was founded in 1987 
by Kenneth Allen. Originally, the brewery brewed out of a 10-barrel brewhouse, until an expansion was needed to meet demands. The expanded brewhouse was built in 1996, at the corner of Highways 128 and 253, a mile from the center of Boonville. In 1998, the brewery expanded again, with construction of a three-story Bavarian-style brewhouse being completed in 2000. In 2010, the brewery was sold to Trey White, and that same year Fal Allen took over as brewmaster. For more info, check out the brewery's website or Facebook page. 

The Kimmie, The Yink, & The Holy Gose is part of Anderson Valley's Highway 128 Session Series. Their traditional-style Gose is brewed with pale two-row and malted white wheat malts, finished with Bravo hops, and features a kettle soured wort.

The Kimmie, The Yink, & The Holy Gose

This is a golden, lightly hazy, but filtered looking affair. The beer kicks up two fingers of wispy, wheat-fueled, white head, and there's good lacing and lazy carb.

Having just got this beer into a glass for the first time, I'm surprised at how good it smells. There's a lot of wheat notes, floral aromas, peach, coriander, lemon sherbet, and some minerality.

This is clean and refreshing, with nice griping lemon and peach tartness, without much lactic funk. There is a refreshing, underlying tartness that drives this beer...which is fantastic. You pick up the wheat and coriander in the taste, and there's a kiss of salt and minerality.

At 4.2%, this is incredibly drinkable. This is a really well-done wheat beer that is tart and refreshing without any crazy lactic funk. If you like lactic funk, you might be a bit disappointed, but the beer makes up for it with spot-on palate duration, a light and gently carbonated mouthfeel, and pretty good complexity. This delves into sour lemons and peaches up front; rolls into some stone fruits and tropical fruits in the mids, with coriander showing up; the back end drops wheat notes, salt, light minerality, and a super clean finish. Nice.

Rating: Above-Average (4.0/5.0 Untappd) 

I'm feeling a Light Above-Average here. If you want a griping, sour wheat beer...look no further. This is clean, refreshing, and good. I might pair this with sushi tonight.

Random Thought: Somehow, my fridge is full of beer. I'm a happy camper.

Destihl Wild Sour Series: Here Gose Nothin'

Brewed By: Destihl Restaurant and Brew Works in Normal/Bloomington, Illinois
Purchased: 12oz CAN from a 4-pack bought at Binny's in Chicago, IL; 2014

Style/ABV: Gose, 5.0%
Reported IBUs: 12

Between Penrose and Destihl, Chicago's sour scene is suddenly become more tangible. And that's good for me. About Destihl: 

Destihl is a brewery (Bloomington) and brewpub (Normal, IL & Champaign, IL) based out of the Midwest. Specifically, the middle of Illinois in the middle of the United States. Daaaa midwest. The brewery was founded by CEO & Brewmaster, Matt Potts, in 2007. Like many brewery founders, Potts started out as a homebrewer, and would eventually trade his law school education and law practice for those sweet barley suds. Destihl currently brews a myriad of regular and barrel-aged beers, including an increasing portfolio of tasty sour brews. For more info, check out their website. 

Bad pun aside, the Here Gose Nothin' is a "Leipzig-Style Gose" that undergoes spontaneous fermentation, and features lactic notes of lemon, lime, and citrus. This one also has some coriander and sea salt added. 

This is a filthy wheat beer, pouring into a cloudy, hazy, unfiltered, swampy, pick-your-synonym straw/wheat color. The beer produces a finger of wheat-tinged head that is wheat beer strong. This looks to be well carbonated, and blah blah.

Destihl Wild Sour Series: Here Gose Nothin'

The aroma here is really nice, with coriander, ocean sea salt breezes, wet rain, mist, some light lactic acidity, light lemon citrus, some watermelon rind, and a little bit of wheat for good measure. This is an inviting aroma, if you're into little sour bangers.

This isn't overly sour, but it is incredibly funky. This dips into citric acid, tomatoes, tomato juice, unfiltered wheat, V8 acidity, and tons of lactic acid funk. As you dig into the wheat-acid-lactic funk fest, you can pull out some of the coriander and some of the hints of salt. It's more in line with that mist aroma, ocean breezes. As this warms up, it takes a turn towards the more creamy, with that creamy lactic funk coating. I love it.

This is light, refreshing, and incredibly drinkable. The wheat malts provide some sustenance to the body, especially as this warms up, so I would call it light-full. Palate depth is really good, and the mouthfeel here falls on the flatter side of carbonation, which just makes the lactic acid all the more funky. This is reasonably complex. Up front is lactic funk, V8 acidity, coriander and sea salt; the mids roll into more coriander and sea salt, big wheat, lactic funk; the back end gets a little creamy as this warms, and this drops citrus hints everywhere. It's well done. 

Rating: Above-Average (4.0/5.0 Untappd) 

I'm feeling a Light Above-Average here. I'm really enjoying this, and I would pick this up again. This is one of the best things Destihl has cranked out in a can, and the fact that it is reaching distro up in Chicago is great news for everyone. I'm not really sure if this beer is 100% true to the style, but I don't really care. More lactic wheat beers please. Thanks. 

Random Thought: I always have a hard time with food pairings for something like this. The inherent funk to this style makes me think that pairing this beer with strong cheeses or sushi might have a negative result. Maybe pair this with some Greek Food? 

Boulevard Hibiscus Gose

Brewed By: Boulevard Brewing Company (Moortgat) in Kansas City, Missouri

Purchased: 12oz bottle from a 6-pack bought at Binny's in Naperville, IL; 2014 (best by 2014/02/15)

Style/ABV: Gose, 4.2%

Reported IBUs: 11

When you gots to Gose you gots to Gose. About Boulevard:

Boulevard Brewing Company hails out of Kansas City, Missouri. They have a very nice website that is cleanly formatted, informative, and is not loaded with Java and Flash scripts. The company was founded officially in 1989, but began in 1988 when founder John McDonald began construction of the brewery. In 2006 the brewery had a major expansion, which allowed for additional brewing capacity. You can find more info on the brewery's history HERE. According to Wikipedia, Boulevard is the largest craft brewer in Missouri, and the 10th largest craft brewery in the United States.

The Hibiscus Gose is part of Boulevard's Backroads series. This one is brewed with coriander and sea salt during the boil, and steeped in dried hibiscus flowers during the whirlpool. 

Boulevard Hibiscus Gose

If you like radioactive and bright pink beers, this beer is for you. The beer pours into a reddish-pink body, kicking up two to three fingers of long-lasting, pink-tinged head. The beer is slightly hazy, and well-carbonated, and the lingering head leaves lacing. It looks fun, like mimosas and Fridays.

This has a distinctly light aroma, similar to a Berliner, with wet rain and mild lactic sourness. Unique to the aroma here is the hint of sea salt, along with deep floral notes that are fruity and bright. I wouldn't peg coriander in a blind tasting, but the coriander plays off the hibiscus and the sea salt, adding some zest and character to the aroma. There are also some wheat notes backing the whole thing up.

This is respectively tart, with lactic character that leans towards the yogurt side of things. I'm getting a lot of yogurt in the taste, with lemon Greek yogurt coming to mind. The sourness is actually enough to make me pucker so slightly, and this definitely has a salty character. Once you get past the salt and sourness, you find bright floral notes, including hibiscus and rose petals, melon, cherry, wet rain, lemon tea, and some gentle wheat. The coriander is again muted in the taste, but plays off the sour and salty notes subtly.

This is light...refreshing...bright. Really, the perfect Summer brew. This is maybe peaking in terms of the season, but it was drinking good a few weeks ago when it was much warmer out. I'm not getting any alcohol here, and this is fairly complex, with a carbonated and light-bodied mouthfeel. Honestly, I hope Boulevard rolls this one out again, because it's a solid beer. Up front: lactic funk, wet rain, Greek yogurt, sea salt; the mids roll into creamy wheat and more Greek yogurt, with some lemon, hibiscus, rose petals; the back end trails with salt and coriander, and finishes pretty dry. 

Rating: Above-Average (4.0/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Decent Above-Average on this. This is tart and enjoyable, and way better than 99% of the crappy fruit beers available during the Summer. Seriously, this blows your Lincoln-doodles Lemon Candy or whatever out of the water. I'd recommend this for Summer patio adventures. Pair this with Dave Matthews Band, getting rapey, and fruity salads. 

Random Thought: If this beer represents a trend in the future of American brewing (or beers available to the American market), I like it.

Sierra Nevada's Beer Camp 2014: Alt Route Altbier (brewed with Victory Brewing Company in Downingtown, Pennsylvania)

Brewed By: Sierra Nevada Brewing Company in Chico, California 
Purchased: Single 12oz bottle from the 2014 Beer Camp bought at Jewel-Osco in Chicago, IL; 2014 (PKG 06/04/14)
Style/ABV: American-style Altbier, 6.6%

Reported IBUs: 50

What is Beer Camp? It is Sierra Nevada's celebration of craft beer and the numerous breweries across America that make that craft beer. For 2014, Sierra Nevada collaborated with 12 different breweries to make 12 different beers. They also have a Beer Camp Across America Beer Festival, which will stop at seven different cities and feature many different breweries and beers.

About Sierra Nevada:

Sierra Nevada are one of the big players in craft brewing, and one of the first craft breweries to arrive on the craft beer scene. If you check out their history page, you will see that founder Ken Grossman began his quest to build a brewery in 1976. In 1980, Ken Grossman and co-founder Paul Camusi brewed their first batch of Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. According to Wikipedia, Sierra Nevada's Pale Ale is the second best selling craft beer behind Boston Lager. Sierra Nevada is the sixth largest brewing company in the United States as well, cranking out over 750,000 barrels in 2010. For more info, check out their website.

Alt Route Altbier is brewed with Victory Brewing Company. My bottle reads: "Brewers are notorious for refusing to take the easy path. Alt Route is a tribute to the stubborn spirit that drove us to dodge the status quo and build breweries of our own. Together we chased the siren song of beer with this revamped take on an antique beer style."

Alt Route Altbier 

This one pours a dark penny-copper color, producing massive, three-plus fingers of caramel-tinted head. The body is reddish-brown in bright light, with lots of lively streams of carb. The head retention is excellent, and so is the lacing.

The aroma here is a bit of a departure from the rest of the 2014 Beer Camp, with spicy bready notes and caramel sweetness. I'm getting rye, cinnamon, caramel, sweet dark fruits, toffee, Twizzlers, aged Doppelbock notes, and deep bready caramels. The aroma is nice.

This tastes amazing, with bready notes, Twizzlers, caramel sugars, spicy breads, and big spicy hops. The back end is bitter rye bread and rich pumpernickel, fruit bread, licorice, and Twizzlers. 

You would never guess this is 6.6%....it is one of those malt bombs that could go either way: higher or lower ABV. Palate depth here is the only shortcoming, with some watery moments. Otherwise, this medium-bodied banger is super complex with tons of malts and good hop support. Up front: water to malty, transitioning to big bready notes, rye, pumpernickel, Twizzlers; the mids dial up huge Scotch-Ale like breads and malts, more rye, more pumpernickel; the back is balanced with hops. This finishes with lingering bread and Twizzlers. Toasted notes are all over the place. I love this Old Ale/Scotch Ale/Bock thing. 

Rating: Above-Average (4.0/5.0 Untappd)

I'll go a Strong Above-Average here. I'd go higher if not for those watery moments...oh well. This was still one of my favorites from the 2014 Beer Camp. Such a fun beer with a small footprint...I guess it's not the size of the ship, right.

Random Thought: I'd pair this one with a pretzel bun burger or a pastrami on rye sandwich. Yum.

Hair of the Dog Adam

Brewed By: Hair of the Dog Brewing Company in Portland, Oregon

Purchased: 12oz bottle generously gifted to me in Chicago, IL; 2014 (Batch #91)

Style/ABV: Dortmunder Adambier / Old Ale, 10.0%

Reported IBUs: 50

I don't know what it is, but this Spring/Summer I have been on a heavy beer streak and I ain't even mad. About Hair of the Dog Brewing Company:

Hair of the Dog Brewing Company is a brewery based out of Portland, Oregon. The brewery was founded in November of 1993 by Alan Sprints. Sprints, like many brewery founders, began as a home brewer through the Oregon Brew Crew. In 1991, after an inspirational trip to Belgium, Springs turned the hobby into a profession. The brewery is family owned and operated, and was one of the first breweries in America to specialize in high-alcohol and barrel-aged beers. 

Today's beer, "Adam," was generously gifted to me by an Adam. Small world. This bottle conditioned, "hearty old world ale," is described: "Adam is made with Northwest hops, Organic Pilsner malt and a variety of specialty grains. The flavors in this beer have been compared to chocolate, smoke, leather and figs. Brewed in loving memory of Adam Kerchival 11-30-69 | 01-26-05 Brewer and friend." 

If you check out Hair of the Dog's website, Adam is categorized as a recreation of historic beerstyle. This historic beer was originally brewed in Dortmunder, Germany, and is described as a dessert beer. The not-mentioned beer style is an "Adambier" or Dortmunder Altbier[?]. Ron Pattinson has a write-up on his blog about the style, noting that the traditional Dortmunder Adambier was a "strong, sourish, top-fermenting beer...9.4% ABV." The Adambier was heavily hopped, unlike other sour beers like Gose and Berliner Weisse, and acquired its sourness through a long secondary fermentation. HomeBrewTalk has a wiki on the style: they note that Adambeir was a strong, dark, sour beer, aged in wood for long periods. Unlike sour Belgian beers, the Adambier was very hoppy. Having noted all that...

Hair of the Dog Adam

Pouring this one out must have been a relief for the bottle..this one gushed out carbonation. Bottle conditioned beers do strange things. Aside from the mountain of cola-brown head that this beer produces, I'm getting a nice cola-brown body. It looks very much the part of an Old Ale...kind of raw and dark....there's some lingering head sticking around, and lots of lacing. It's not exactly a looker, but most beers in this genre aren't.

The aroma here is kind of like heaven in a glass. Wow. There's a rustic, leathery element, lots of dark fruits (cherries, figs, prunes), dark caramel, strawberries, wood, chocolate, mild soy sauce, and tons of pleasant sweetness. The aroma here is rich and pleasant...just fantastic. 

Mmm...this is blissful, if not a little young even. I'm getting a lot of nice hoppy character on the back, but up front this rides that sweet malt train with lightly smokey leather, dark fruits, prunes, figs, dates, sweet caramel, and big sugars. I'm getting woody aspects, mild soy, light licorice, and impressive burnt sugars, wood, and hops on the finish. It kind of reminds me of a Scotch Ale meets Belgian Dubbel meets Old Ale. 

This is full-bodied stuff, but the booze is surprisingly well integrated into the beer, even at this point in time. I'm not getting much of the 10%. Palate depth here is good, and complexity is not far behind. All things considered, I think this is probably Above-Average right now, but this is hoppy and malty in all the right ways. I bet this holds up nicely down the stretch. Up front: dark fruits, leather, molasses, hints of smoke, chocolate, and leather; the mids roll into more dark fruits, you get some burgeoning hops, licorice; the back end layers on the hops and finishes with nice, lingering malts. Complex, big, and likely going to age well (although I have some concerns with the carbonation issues).

Rating: Above-Average (4.0/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Strong Above-Average on this. This is a huge, complex, Old Ale type beer...good stuff all around, and would pair well with a cigar, some creme brulee, or in a snifter on its own. I'd love to be in Hair of the Dog's distribution net, because this seems like a fun beer to pick up regularly and lay down. I feel like this is a strong candidate for the cellar...such is life out here in the Midwest. 

Random Thought: Is it Sunday night already? Fuuuuccckkk.

Two Brothers Engine No. 1 Kölsch

Brewed By: Two Brothers Brewing Company in Warrenville, Illinois

Purchased: 22oz bomber bought at Andersonville Wine & Spirits in Chicago, Illinois; 2014

Style/ABV: American-style Kölsch, 5.2%
Reported IBUs: 25

Tonight's beer is not only tasty, but it was brewed for a good cause. 100% of the proceeds are being donated to the Hundred Club of DuPage County, which is a charity that, "offers assistance to families of law enforcement and firefighting personnel who have been killed, injured, or otherwise stricken while residing or working in the county." About Two Brothers:

Two Brothers are based out of Warrenville, Illinois, a town not far from Chicago. Two brothers was founded in 1996 by brother Jason and Jim Ebel. Their brewery and Tap House Restaurant are both located in Warrenville. Their distribution and production seems to be increasing with each year, and along with their beer you can buy home brewing equipment and supplies at the Tap House Restaurant. If you get the chance, swing by and check out their Roundhouse. It's an awesome joint, and needs all the love it can get. For more information, check out their about page/website.

The Engine No. 1 Kölsch clocks in at 25 IBUs and 5.2% ABV. The back of the bottle reads:

"Two Brothers Brewing Company is dedicated to supporting the community in a number of ways. A classic German-style Kolsch was brewed in celebration of the Warrenville Fire Department's 75th Anniversary. 100% of the proceeds of this beer will be donated to the Hundred Club of DuPage County. This charity helps families of fallen and injured firefighters and police officers. A great reason to raise a glass."

Two Brothers Engine No. 1 Kölsch

The pour greets you with a pale, yellow/straw-colored beer. This one is either bottle conditioned or has some chill haze going on. The beer kicks up two fingers of clean, white head. Bright light confirms the same bits, and you can see the lazy streams of peppery carbonation rising upwards. Head retention is good, and there be lacing on this ship. It looks like a Pale Lager/Pilsner/Kölsch/etc.

As you'd expect, the aroma is super clean. I'm getting biscuit and cracker, with light floral hops that are slightly grassy (lemongrass) and medicinal/herbal. I'm also picking up a lot of grain, and I'm getting big barley. If you ever walked through a brewery...you get some of that on the nose. There's some mild fruitiness on the nose as well...it's playful and funky, with some pear and cherry-wheat notes.

This tastes light and refreshing, but with substantial flavor. I enjoy the style. I'm getting a lot of grain, some minerality, slightly hard water, and lots of grassy hops. There's a little lemon grass in here, and I'm getting some of that cherry-wheat funk with hints of pear and lemongrass. Pretty tasty.

This is medium-light bodied with good carbonation and nice attenuation. It moves along, and the 5.2% is never burdensome. This is refreshing and clean, making it a great session beer. Palate depth is really good, and the complexity isn't bad either. Up front is a lot of mildly funky cherry-wheat and fruitiness, with some grain and lemongrass hops; the mids roll into the minerality and mineral notes, with some biscuit, hard water, and big grain; the back end continues with the mineral and grain and biscuit notes, with lingering lemon grass, and a slightly nutty finish. The finish is dry and attenuated. Really tasty.

Rating: Above-Average (3.5/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Light Above-Average on this. This is riding the line between average and above-average...I'm not really sure where I fall. But I really like the mineral notes in here, the clean grains, and that slight biscuit character. This is bold but clean, flavorful but simple. It's a Kölsch, or at least an American-style take on it. I can't not recommend this, especially for the good cause. This is a beer to pair with sushi, doughy pizza, and white pasta. Good stuff, would buy again for $7 a bomber.

Random Thought: I'm ready for the weekend. 

Off Color Brewing Troublesome

Breewed By: Off Color Brewing in Chicago, IL

Purchased: 12oz bottle from a 6-pack bought at Foremost Liquor Stores in Chicago, IL; 2013

Style/ABV: Gose, 4.5%

Reported IBUs: 10

Oh hey...something new, woo. About Off Color Brewing:

Off Color Brewing is a brewery founded in 2008 according to their Facebook, or 2014 according to their website, or 2013 if you follow their release party and the logical timeline. It really doesn't matter, I suppose. What you need to know is that this brewery is the brainchild of former Goose Island barrel guru, John Laffler, and former Two Brothers brewer, Dave Bleitner. The duo are both graduates of Siebel, and share a passion for brewing exotic, off-color beer. For more info, check out the brewery's ABOUT page.

Tonight's beer is being dumped into the Gose category on both Ratebeer and BeerAdvocate. The Troublesome is a blended wheat beer brewed with lactobacillus. Actually, this beer is a blend of two different beers: an "uninteresting wheat beer," and a "overly acidic & funky beer fermented solely with lactobacillus." The two beers are blended with coriander and salt (ah, so it must be a Gose...eh). The beer features Northern Brewer hops, pils, wheat malt, flaked wheat, and flaked oats malt...and punches in at a sessionable 4.5% ABV. Let's glass this one up, shall we?

Off Color Brewing Troublesome

The beer pours into a transparent/clear yellow body, and kicks up a finger of white head. There's a nice stream of carbonation in the glass. You might mistake this for a Pilsner or Pale Lager, but the head retention is good, with some sea foam head hanging around, there is nice lacing, and the carbonation is much more constrained.

The aroma here is very nice, like a German Wheat beer meets a Belgian Strong Ale meets a Gose. I'm getting lots of Pils malt and Belgian funk, with cream, vanilla, white sugar, clove, Pils malt, hints of dough/biscuit, and some BIG, SPICY, coriander. Huge coriander, it's very spicy. I'm getting some grainy lemon and a hint of salt as well.

The taste mirrors the nose, and I'm getting a reasonable amount of salt in the taste....I get salty clove and lemon-Belgian funk up front; that rolls into citrus, wheat, vanilla, clove, coriander, and more salty wheat takes over. There's a lot of salt, clove, coriander spice, lemon citrus, grass/wheat, and some good Belgian funk. It's a nice wheat...creamy, drinkable, and appropriately dense. I'm also picking up some grains of paradise.

This is delicious. It's medium-light bodied, with great carbonation to help move things along. The beer is creamy, and wheat-fueled, with hints of salt. It's so refreshing, and equally appropriate to pound back at 4.5% ABV. Palate depth is outstanding, and complexity is awesome too. You get salty clove and lemon and Belgian funk up front; that rolls into citrus, wheat, clove, coriander; more salty wheat dials things back up, and the beer finishes with lingering wheat, salt, citrus...dry...funky...oh man.

Rating: Above-Average (4.0/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Strong Above-Average on this. I guess it could be a little more tart or sour...but I don't know. The lemon, clove, grains of paradise, and creamy wheat flavors all remind me of the best summer beers...this is some good shit. I would pair this beer with foods on a hot summer day: grilled foods, hamburgers, fruit salads, hot dogs, pasta salads, etc. You could also pair this with some upscale dining and go the burger/vegetable route. It's not quite peppery or funky enough to compete with a Saison, but it has that rustic and raw element that suggests leafy/green pairings.

Random Thought: And a 6-pack is only like 10 dollars. Very comparable to something like the Prairie Standard. 

Evil Twin Justin Blåbær

Brewed By: Evil Twin Brewing (Westbrook Brewing) in Copenhagen/Brooklyn

Purchased: 22oz bottle bought at Fischman Liquors and Tavern in Chicago, IL; 2013

Style/ABV: Berliner Weiss, 4.5%

Reported IBUs: ?

Tonight's beer is an abomination, which is why I had to pick it up. About Evil Twin: 

Evil Twin is a Gypsy Brewery founded by founded by Jeppe Jarnit-Bjergsø (brother of Mikkel Borg Bjergsø) in 2010. Like his twin brother Mikkel, Jeppe is a teacher, and a homebrewer who was tired of the mainstream offerings. In 2004, Mikkel went off to pursue brewing, while Jeppe opened up a bottle shop. In 2010, while teaching a homebrewing, Jeppe decided to sell and distribute the beer he was brewing via his bottle shop. Jeppe moved to New York in 2012. For more info, check out this interview/history here. 

There is no info for tonight's beer, because Evil Twin's website shit the bed. But the back of the bottle states:

"OMG! It's JUSTIN BLABAER!!! If you have "Blabaer fever," then this is the only cure. We stuffed so many blueberries into this beer--it's going to make you shout, "Oh, Baby!" This is dedicated to AVSB, A&F YFFL - EW, MW, RWM, BE, SS, RC"

Evil Twin Justin Blåbær. Hideous. 

The Blåbær pours into a hazy, vibrant, orange body...I guess it kind of has some streaky purple tones, but not really. The beer kicks up several fingers of white, wheat-fueled head. There's a storm of carbonation rising upwards on my glasses' nucleation point, and I'm seeing some yeast chunks floating around. Sexy. Head retention is good.

The aroma...the aroma on this beer is awesome, with jammy berry notes. I'm getting jammy blueberry/raspberry/blackberry...and then as you settle into the aroma a weird chalky aroma comes to the forefront. I'm also picking up tons of lactic funk, and lots of lactic tartness. The chalky note on the aroma is 100% Sweet Tarts and I have no idea what the fuck I'm smelling, but it is there. There's some grassy/straw and grassy funk on the aroma as well.

Oh man...I'm enjoying this. Did I mention Berliners are like one of my favorite styles of beer? This shit is cash, like Johnny Cash, except less dead and more blueberry. There's a ton of sour, aggressively tart, refreshing, wheat-forward lactic funk up front. You pick up big lemons, jammy berries, jammy apricots and peaches, enamel-crushing lactic sourness, and then the beer settles into a malty, wheaty finish. The actual finish is lingering tartness, super dry, lactic fun. 

I like this a lot. Someone I spoke to said they were picking up some butter/popcorn in their bottle, so maybe there is some batch variation or infections out there. This bottle is perfect. This is refreshing, drinkable, and features good palate depth and complexity for the style. It's light-bodied, super tart, and has tons of carbonation. It's well attenuated and finishes dry. There's a lot going on here too...You get aggressive lemon-lactic-tart and sourness up front; that rolls into jammy fruits, jammy berries, and big lactic funk; that rolls into wheat, some creamy lactic goodness, and a dry, lactic/sour/tart finish. This one will pull on your enamel and ride those molars like a Texas sorority girl on a bull at the bar.

Rating: Divine Brew (4.5/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Light Divine Brew on this...I think they have a version of this beer aged in wine barrels? Or maybe this one right here is that beer. I don't know, because the Evil Twin website is down. Ahem. For a beer like this, I would pair it with strong, dry cheeses, fruit salads, light vegetable salads, and fruit pies and fruit desserts. Good stuff and affordable at around 10 dollars a bomber.

Random Thought: I should buy novelty beers more regularly. 

New Belgium Lips of Faith - Coconut Curry Hefeweizen

Brewed By: New Belgium Brewing Company (with Brewerij Boon) in Fort Collins, Colorado

Purchased: 22oz bomber from Binny's in Illinois; 2013

Style/ABV: Hefeweizen, 8.0%

Reported IBUs: 14

I'm a big fan of New Belgium's Lips of Faith beers...and I hope tonight's beer is no exception. That said, when I grabbed this bottle from my fridge, I was expecting a light weight Hefeweizen. What we have here is a hearty, American-style beer. It should be fun. About New Belgium:

New Belgium is based out of Fort Collins, and opened in 1991 when founder Jeff Lebesch took his home-brewing into the commercial world. At this point in time, New Belgium has mainstream fame from their Fat Tire, and craft beer credit for their sour beers. New Belgium is the thrid-largest craft brewery in the United States. You can read more about New Belgium if you check out their company page, and definitely cruise their website.

The Coconut Curry Hefeweizen is a collaboration between New Belgium and homebrewer, Remi Bonnart. Described as "bold and big with coconut and curry tones and a hint of banana," this beer features a spice list of cinnamon, coriander, fenugreek, ginger, kaffir lime, and cayenne pepper. The beer supposedly carries some heat, but is tempered by some boozy coolness. Punching in at 8.0% and 14 IBUs, this beer features a malt base of Pale, Wheat, and Munich malts.

Coconut Curry Hefeweizen

The beer pours a hazy yellow color with three fingers of foamy, gold-tinted head. The head doesn't hang around at all...probably courtesy of the spice. Even agitating/swirling the beer does little to kick up some head. There is sticky lacing coating my glass...mad sticky lacing, like what your glass looks like when you finish that last pour of orange juice from concentrate. It's a frozen citrus pulp cumshot. In bright light the beer is a hazy/juicy yellow color, with fat carbonation bubbles plunking upwards. Alright.

I'm a big fan of curry. I'm a big fan of coconut. I'm an even bigger fan of coconut and curry. This beer smells like super pungent coconut and curry on top of some faint citrus and German Hefe yeast. I am getting some banana, and banana-curry on the aroma. I wouldn't call this beer's aroma subtle, but it promises everything it advertises.

This beer has super tepid carbonation, which isn't unheard of for a Hefeweizen. I prefer mine to be a bit more bubbly, but whateva. The tingly spices help move this beer along, and it is smoothed out by big banana-wheat punch, and some Doppelweizen-esque booziness. That's really what this is, a Doppelweizen. You get an assertive amount of coconut, curry, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, and cinnamon in the taste. There's also a pinch of the cayenne heat, which is tempered not only by the smooth wheat malts and booze, but also by the lively spices. Cinnamon and cayenne are best buds, said anyone that knows anything about cooking, ever.

This is a good beer. It would be petty to dock it for being overly spicy or too straightforward with the curry. But I insist that we call this what this is: a curry Doppelweizen. The body is medium full and surprisingly drinkable...courtesy of the smooth malt backbone and the tingly carbonation. There's some booze in this, but it's that pleasant Doppelweizen kick of banana-wheat esters that is so good. Palate depth is fantastic, and despite being spice-forward this has some layers of complexity to peel back. Up front is spice: cinnamon, coriander, nutmeg, ginger, and huge coconut curry...then the cayenne heat kicks in, and you get some banana and clove, hints of ginger/orange/lemon...the back end takes you on a malty wheat ride to a spicy, slightly boozy finish. The malty wheat body is present throughout.

Rating: Above-Average (4.0/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Strong Above-Average on this. This beer is ballin'. It's basically a coconut-curry infused Doppelweizen. You get big coconut-curry spice in this, atop a hint of ginger/orange, banana, and a malty wheat base. I'd say the spice is too much, but it's working for me...it's not a session beer, but it would pair well with a food/dish that you have in mind. It would also be fun at a bottle share, or for those weird people that like drinking liquid coconut curry. I'd pair this beer with some chicken wings with a spicy seasoning, or with some coconut curry soup. Really, pair this beer with anything that is supposed to have coconut and curry in it. You won't be disappointed.

Random Thought: My allergies have been kicking my ass all weekend, but today things hit rock bottom. I have uncontrollable post-nasal drip, I'm coughing up mucus like Paris Hilton coughs up jizz...it's not a good time. I'm hoping that this is just sinuses, and not a cold. We'll know by Friday, I suppose.

Upright Brewing Gose

Brewed By: Upright Brewing in Portland, Oregon  

Purchased: 750ml bought at West Lakeview Liquors in Chicago, IL; 2013 

Style/ABV: Gose, 5.2%

Reported IBUs: ?

After a weekend of hard knocks, I'm in the mood for something lighter and more drinkable. A Gose will certainly hit that spot. Tonight's beer was a random purchase, and happened to be from Upright Brewing. 

Upright Brewing is a brewery based out of Portland, Oregon that specializes in French and Belgium farmhouse-style beers. Their unique viewpoint is that they try to use local ingredients, and their beers have a "Pacific Northwest twist." These guys were founded in March of 2009 by Alex Ganum, and the brewery's name is a reference to Charles Mingus' upright bass. For more info, check out their website or Facebook page.

As I said in my introduction, tonight's beer was a random purchase. I credit much of that to this beer's vibrant bottle art. This beer comes in an attractive 750ml bottle, and features a colorful, rustic, seaside town. The Upright Gose is described as "a wheat beer with coriander and salt." Word on the street is that this beer has a pilsener, wheat, and organic caramel malt base; features

Awesome bottle art. 

hallertauer mittelfrüh hops; and is fermented out with French Saison yeast. At 5.2%, this beer should be drinkable...and hopefully with some nice mild tartness and salt. 

Surprisingly, there was no gushing, but popping the cap released a hiss of escaping air. The pour also proved to be difficult, as I kicked up a fistful of head with minimal "umpph" in my pour. As this beer settles down, you can see that the body is a hazy lemonade/urine color, with a large amount of soapy, fluffy, persistent head. The head is bright white, and MAYBE pulls some light gold tones in low light. In bright light, you get much of the same: a hazy lemonade color, a sustaining white head that is depositing tons of sticky lacing as it falls, and INTENSE streams of carbonation rising upwards. 

Upright Brewing Gose

I immediately detected some sea salt/ocean when I popped the cap off and stuck my nose in the bottle for a quick preview of the aroma. In the glass I'm getting a lot more light apples, apple slaw salad, straw, peppery coriander, very mild hints of salt/mineral, a touch of Belgian funk/clove, and some pear/lemon fruitiness. 

I'm really digging this. My first sip was probably a comedown from [bleep] Mountain...I've been sucking down the high gravity beers all weekend (w00tstout, Bois, BCS). This is an incredibly refreshing and subtle beer, with zesty salt/mineral, grains of paradise and orange/lemon peel, bright coriander, peppery salt, apples, pears, and apple slaw salad, and bright wheat/straw. There's also a hint of Belgian clove/funk. The taste really mirrors the nose, and that's a nice thing. The wheat and lemon flavors give this beer a slight tang...but I'm not really picking up any lactic/sour....

As I was buying this, I was speaking with the gentleman at the counter to see if he had tried this beer. He said he had tried it, and he thought it was pretty good. His only objection was that the beer is missing a noticeable lactic/sour edge. And...true dat. I'm not really getting any lactic notes in this beer, let alone any sour. There's definitely some Belgian funk on display, but I feel like this could elevate to another level of awesomeness if they introduced a subtle lactic character. It doesn't even need to be in fermentation...just do a sour mash. But here's the weird thing. As I read some reviews for this beer, I notice that people are saying this beer is sour. Hmmm? I wonder if there is batch variation, or if the recipe has changed, or what.

It's also possible that reviews are full of variance, or that reviews are bullshit, or some combination of the above. Also, I may be drinking a fresh bottle...but I really doubt the presence of microbes in this. Anyway, this beer is amazingly drinkable at 5.2%. This is the type of beer I want on a hot summer day in a 24-pack. I dream of a day when craft beer has become mainstream enough to support a quality Gose in a 24-pack format. This is a light-bodied beer with good palate depth, and understated complexity. There's a lot of wheat, clove, hints of banana, and grains of paradise/orange and lemon peel up front; that rolls into big mineral/salt, peppery coriander, more wheat; the back end is lingering wheat, some Belgian funk/clove...the finish is dry with lingering mineral/salt and wheat.

Rating: Above-Average (4.0/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Strong Above-Average on this. This is probably a cop-out rating, but I honestly can't elevate this to a "Divine Brew" when I feel like this beer is missing that lactic twist. I really do think it would add another dimension to this beer, elevating what we have here (which is pretty damn amazing) to something I would seek out more frequently. On the other hand, what we have here is pretty spectacular...a fantastic wheat beer with a nice salty twist. The salt/mineral character in this beer is assertive, and you end up getting a pretty dominate grains of paradise/orange-lemon peel thing. This beer exhumes drinkability, and would pair well with a fruit salad, grilled chicken, peppery poultry, lighter white fish, mussels, clams...this is a summer beer. And a damn good one at that. Recommended. 

Random Thought: I fucking hate Mondays. When I'm president, every weekend will be a three-day weekend, and then we can all fucking hate Tuesdays. 

Samuel Adams Verloren

Brewed By: Boston Beer Company in Boston, Massachusetts 
Purchased: 22oz bottle (Batch No. 1) from a Jewel-Osco in Chicago, IL; 2013
Style/ABV: Gose, 6.0%

Reported IBUs: 15

I love those random impulse buys, because this was totally that. Really though, all the Small Batch Series offerings from Sam Adams are reasonably priced at around 5-8 dollars per 22oz bottle, so here is me being brave and trying their interpretation of a Gose. About Sam Adams:

Samuel Adams was founded in 1984 by Jim Koch, and currently the Boston Beer Company is the largest American-owned beer company in the United States. Sam Adams is also the largest craft brewer in America, with over a million barrels of beer being produced annually. You can check out the Sam Adam's website for more info.

Gose, pronounced like "rose + uh," is a German style of beer. And so, we are off to the German Beer Institute. Gose is an ancient, sour, and salty ale, made from more than half malted wheat and the rest malted barley. The beer is fermented with yeast and lactic bacteria, and is spiced with coriander and hops. This beer is traditionally brewed with slightly salted water. The nose is supposed to be mild with some spicy coriander, and the taste should feature a sour spiciness with banana, green apple, dried apricot, zest, and coriander. The saltiness should be slightly present in the dry finish. The beer is traditionally served in a cylindrical-style glass, but it may also be served like a Berliner Weisse with a shot of raspberry or woodruff-flavored syrup. 

This 1000-year old beer traces back to the river Gose and the town it flows through, Goslar, in the state of Lower Saxony, 100 miles from Leipzig. Goslar was a bustling town in the 11th century, thanks to its copper, lead, zinc, salt, and silver mining. It was also known for its brew center. When the Goslar mines gave out in the Middle Ages, Goslar declined and Gose-brewing migrated to Leipzig. The beer was brewed in Leipzig no later than 1738, and by 1900, Gose was the most popular beer in Leipzig with more than 80 licensed Gose houses on record. For these reasons, modern Gose is now associated with the Saxon capital, Leipzig. 

Gose is unlike any other beer style, in that it is brewed with slightly salty water. The style rose to popularity in Leipzig, up until World War 2, when the breweries sustained damage from the war and style faded away. Things were further complicated by post-World War II Germany, and the Berlin Wall. The modern Gose renaissance has been attributed to the Gosebrauerei Bayerischer Bahnhof (Gose Brewery Bavarian Station), which opened in 2000 in Leipzig. For further reading, definitely check out the German Beer Institute...plus, their website is awesome, so why wouldn't you check it out? 

Now...this is a pretty nuanced style...so let's see what Sam Adams has in store. If you check out their Verloren page, you can find out what their thought process was for this beer. Sam Adams describes the beer as having a base of unfiltered wheat malt, with a touch of salt, and coriander for a peppery spice. This beer utilizes Saaz hops, two-row pale malt and unmalted wheat malts, top-fermenting ale yeast, and kosher salt and coriander. Clocking in at 6.0% and packing 15 IBUs, this is not a huge beer but SHOULD pack some really nice flavors. Let's glass this up.

Samuel Adams Verloren

With a malt base that's 50-60% unfiltered wheat, the head formation and slightly hazy body is not unexpected. This one kicked up about 3-finger's worth of orange/amber-tinted head. In low light, the body is a darker orange/bronze color. When held to a bright light, this beer is a pretty nice orange color with some yellow tones, and the head is just a tad off-white pulling color from the body. There's a lot of carbonation rising upwards in this in the form of small to medium-sized bubbles, and the head is sustaining nicely with some lacing. Props to Sam Adams for leaving this one unfiltered...it looks to be a touch hazy with some sediment. 

The aroma is surprisingly light and perfumey/fruity, with some citrus, grass, lemon zest and peppery coriander, a bit of wheat and biscuit, and maybe a dash of mineral/salt. It reminds me of the Sam Adams Summer Ale with a dash of mineral/salt quality. 

This is pretty light and refreshing, with a big blast of coriander and zesty citrus kick in the back of the front and mid palate. There's a mineral edge and hint of salt throughout, but especially towards the back. It really does remind me of the Summer Ale with a bit of that mineral kick. There's also a pretty nice biscuit and floral thing here...it's kind of herbal, and reminds me of flowers or rose pedals. 

I love the Sam Adams Summer Ale, so this is in my wheelhouse. This is light to medium-light in terms of mouthfeel, with lively carbonation and smooth wheat body driving this beer across your mouth. You get some really bright citrus mid-palate lighting up your tongue, and it reminds me of summer and makes me smile and shit. I mean...let's call a spade a spade, this is a great wheat beer. Missing here is the lactic bacteria and perhaps some wheat complexity...so it's probably fair to say this beer is a loose interpretation and perhaps a bit safe. Safe is accesible. Nevertheless, palate depth is really nice and complexity is okay. You get some wheat and a touch of mineral up front; mid palate is wheat, really bright citrus, zest, coriander, spice, and some biscuit/grain; back end is fading citrus, and dry to mineral/salt. 

Rating: Above-Average (4/5 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Light Above-Average on this beer. Pretty nice stuff. It reminds me of the Summer, and I could see myself grabbing a bottle or two of this (especially at the price) for a barbecue or to pair with some pizza or salad. At 6.0%, this is drinkable and easy-going, but it also has the potential to take you to happy places...so you get nice citrus and coriander for your Ego, and your Id can feed its alcoholism. This isn't the most exciting beer...but it is what it is, which is pretty good. This compares well to wheat beers and Sam Adams' Summer Ale...I'd like to see how this would taste with the addition of some lactic kick. Overall though, I'll probably pick this up again at some point.

Random Thought: Don Cherry is an idiot.