Off Color Brewing Eeek! 2018

Brewed By: Off Color Brewing in Chicago, IL

Purchased: 750ml bottle bought at Off Color Brewing Taproom (The Mousetrap) in Chicago, IL; 2018

Style/ABV: American Wild Ale, 5.5% 

Reported IBUs: 10

Taking Miller High Life and turning it into a Wild Ale is basically the most genius thing ever. 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.

Miller High Life is my go-to adjunct lager. And evidently, it holds up pretty well in a blind tasting. The guys at Off Color are a fan too:

Off Color Brewing Eeek! 2018

"For years whenever people asked what our favorite beer was we'd say High Life. (And not only because they'd send over cases of High Life when we said it.) A couple years ago we approached Lisa Zimmer at Miller about brewing a collaboration together. Big meets small. Technical acumen and resource meets magic and wishful thinking. Because at the end of the day, we're all brewers. Beer is beer and it's high time the trope of us vs them is replaced with an understanding of how big and varied the world is. There are more things in the heavens and earth, Horatio, than dreamt of in your philosophy.

Turning such a big ship takes time but Lisa was relentless and John was stubborn and cases of High Life kept showing up at the brewery. Then in June of 2016 we went up to Miller in Milwaukee to learn the secrets of the Lady in the Moon, brewed a ludicrously small ten barrel batch of High Life on their pilot system and drank a bunch of High Life. Needless to say, we were giddy. Shortly thereafter, Miller's R&D brewers came down and we brewed Eeek here in Chicago...and drank a bunch of High Life before drinking even more High Life at Sportsman's Club. Our first batch was released in October 2016. Imagine our glee in presenting your Batch #2 this March.

As High Life is a pinnacle of technical brewing expertise, we went rustic AF for Eeek, blending all of our wild acidic and funky mixed cultures together with house lactobacillus and set them loose on base High Life wort. After a month of unregulated primary fermentation, we turned on the jackets and lagered Eeek for an additional three weeks before bottling conditioning with Champagne yeast. Because, obviously."

This one punches in at 5.5% ABV, 10 IBUs; packs Pils and Pale malts; and features "light-stable hop extract." The yeast is a blend of "wild indigenous yeast and acidifying bacteria." 

dat logo tho

The pour is exactly what you'd expect...a pale yellow, hazy, beer with a short-lived white head. There is some gushing courtesy of the champagne yeast, and this is spritzy and lively in the bottle.

The aroma is an awesome explosion of sour flavors against classic High Life. That is to say, you get that super sweet adjunct lager note, pils malts for days, and then tons of blueberry, yuzu, wet rain, lemon, lactic acid, melon, hay. Off Color suggests pineapple and tangerine, which are present as well. Hay is definitely kicking around. It is super funky and smells "rustic as fuck."  

The taste mirrors the nose in the best way, and adds in tons of spritzy carb and JUST the right amount of acid. The flavor is exploding with yuzu and wet rain and barnyard/hay. There's melon and guava and some light citrus salad. Apple slaw notes are evident and you still taste the base beer's pils malts. 

Everything that ruins High Life is resolved with the acidity and sour yeast. Namely, this isn't cloyingly sweet and doesn't become punishingly sickly once you get past 12oz. It's light-bodied with good depth, duration, and complexity. Up front is carbonation, wet rain, yuzu; the mids get a bit more creamy and fruity; the back end retains spritz and finishes with lingering High Life.


Rating: Strong Divine Brew (5.0/5.0 Untappd)

The price tag leads me to believe this is an expensive and difficult beer to brew (or inoculate). On the other hand, this breaks Off Color's other beers and High Life. I just want more of this. If this came in a 4-pack of cans I would have my fantasy summer beer. I could drink this 24/7. While mowing my lawn, while driving my kids to soccer practice....etc.

Random Thought: Chicago might be Pale Lager mecca. Between Old Style, PBR, Schlitz, etc...but High Life is still my king.

Sapporo Premium Beer

Brewed By: Sapporo Breweries in Tokyo, Japan (or wherever it's contracted)  

Purchased: 12oz bottle from a 6-pack bought at Binny's in Chicago, IL; 2014 

Style/ABV: Japanese Rice Lager, 5.0%

Reported IBUs: ?

This is my beer. This beer has ushered me through countless sushi and Chinese food meals. This light, cheap, refreshing rice lager is a little slice of beer culture...and frankly, one of the best macro lagers available. And it's made by Sapporo, my guys!

Sapporo is the oldest brewery in Japan; and was first brewed in Japan by German-trained, lager brewer, Seibei Nakagawa. Sapporo Premium beer was brought to the USA in 1964 to save sushi lovers like me. 

The Sapporo Premium is a staple and classic, and features rice in place of corn. DAE Japan? This beer pours into a nice dark gold color, kicking up two+ fingers of dense, off-white head. This actually has head retention, and leaves webs of lacing. It's like a Lager...with hops. What a concept.

Sapporo Premium Beer

This actually smells quite hoppy out the gate, especially at lower temps. In particular, you get a lot of grassy hops, floral hops, and some cracker/biscuit that is going to totally betray you when you taste it and realize this beer is rice-based. It smells incredibly bright, clean, vibrant, and fresh....words that often DO NOT describe the typical saccharine sweet and skunky pale lagers that typically cross paths with hobos and 7-11.

At cooler temps especially, this is just a treat to sip on. It has a lemony zest like club soda, with some nice funk and malt backing from the rice. This does provide some of that "lager funk" typical of the style, but it's much cleaner and more refreshing than other examples. There's a touch of apple in here, completely intentional. And the grassy and floral hops that were in the aroma show up in the taste. This really punches in all the flavors you'd want from a Lager, without any of the saccharine sweetness, skunkiness, or weird gasoline flavors that you might find in a 40oz of malt liquor. 

You have to be a cold hearted bastard to rate this beer like it's some sort of fancy thing. This is the epitome of clean, functional beer...sort of like Japan. I mean, what sort of weird tentacle candy that doubles as a dildo for young men will they think of next. This is just light-bodied, refreshing, clean on the palate, and fairly complex for the style. How many Lagers provide that clean Lager funk and malt base, with some gentle apple notes, and then bring it all home with crackers, biscuit, and grassy/floral hops. This is my sushi slayer, and maybe my desert island Lager.

Rating: Divine Brew (5.0/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Strong Divine Brew on this. Leave it to Japan to make the quintessential sushi-beer pairing. Ignore BeerAdvocate or RateBeer in regards to this beer.

Random Thought: You do want to drink this beer fresh. 

Victory Variety Pack Round-Up: PrimaPils

Brewed By: Victory Brewing Company in Downingtown, Pennsylvania 

Purchased: 12oz bottle from Victory's Variety Pack bought at Binny's in Chicago, IL; 2014

Style/ABV: American-style Pilsner, 5.3%
Reported IBUs: ?

I realize that reviewing Victory's heritage brews is like reviewing Sierra Nevada's Pale Ale or Anchor Brewing's Anchor Steam. Here's the thing. The four beers contained in this Variety Pack (PrimaPils, HopDevil, Headwaters Pale Ale, Golden Monkey) are classics in their own right. But the times, they've been a-changin'. So it reasons that what was once a classic might be viewed differently today than in retrospect. You know. Plus this is my blog/LiveJournal. If you don't like it, suck on deez nuts. But  About Victory: 

Victory Brewing Company is a brewery based out of Downingtown, Pennsylvania. The brewery was founded by Ron Barchet and Bill Covaleski, two avid brewers and lovers of beer. Although Victory opened on February 15, 1996, the duo were brewing brewing beer long before opening their own company. You can read more about their accomplishments on the brewery's about page. The brewery uses German malted barley and European and American whole flower hops (the use of whole flower hops is one unique aspect of Victory). Victory is currently working on expanding to Parkesburg. For more information about Victory, check out their website or their Facebook page. 

The PrimaPils is literally a classic, with the BeerAdvocate review dating back to 2002. This overly-hoppy American-style Pilsner is brewed with imported 2-row German malts, and a fuck load of whole flower German and Czech hops. 

Victory PrimaPils

This is an admittedly good looking beer, with a bright lemon-yellow body and a finger of nicely defined white head. Head retention and lacing both excel, courtesy of the hops.

The aroma is aggressively hoppy and floral, with overt flowers and grass smashing your nostrils like Mike Tyson's Punch-Out. Embedded with the floral, Sweet Tart-candy-like aroma, are some serious malt characters. I'm getting cracker and biscuit on the nose for sure. There is also a suggestive minerality note in here. 

On the taste: a lot, actually. This is fairly complex, albeit overly hoppy to a fault. This beer drops a ton of floral, Sweet Tart hops. The hops are laid down with a solid backbone of deep biscuit and cracker, and some nice minerality. This beer is oddly familiar, but I can't place it...it is also incredibly unique. The grains do stand out, imparting fantastic aromas of a brewery making beer. 

In terms of depth, this is far-reaching and has a long duration. It's complex, and it also drinks well at 5.3%. I'd call this light-bodied, refreshing, and carbonated. I think as the style goes, this could tone the hops down a notch and ratchet up some of that complex malt base. Still, this is an effective delivery for floral hops up front, a mineral-driven biscuit and bready middle, and a back end that finishes clean, grassy, and dry. This beer has held up well over the years, and is still relevant in 2014. It's very much an American interpretation of the style.

Rating: Above-Average (4.0/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Light Above-Average on this. This is actually not my favorite American Pilsner, but it is a good beer...this beer must have been quite the revolution 10 years ago, and I see why it is historically rated so highly. For me, this is almost too hoppy, which throws off some of the malts. But the malts still come through in here in a big way, so if you are looking for an aggressively hoppy American Pilsner, you really need not look further. Pair this beer with pizza, because that's the best thing to pair this style with.

Random Thought: And so begins the Chicago Bears meltdown of 2014. 

Two Brothers Atom Smasher [REDUX]

Brewed By: Two Brothers Brewing Company in Warrenville, Illinois

Purchased: 12oz bottle from a 4-pack bought at Jewel-Osco in Chicago, IL; 2014 (2014 vintage)

Style/ABV: American-Style Oktoberfest, 7.7%
Reported IBUs: 22.6

Holy shit. I can't believe my review of this beer from 2011. That's right...back in 2011, back when I thought I was hot shit, I reviewed the Atom Smasher. And at that time, I thought this beer was pretty solid. Since then, I have been seeking this beer out every year. I figured it was time to give my updated thoughts on it. 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 Atom Smasher is part of the Two Brothers' "J Series" of beers. This Oktoberfest-style beer has a unique twist: it is aged in Oak Foudres. 

You're probably wondering why I'm doing a redux review of this beer, or why I even care enough to review it twice. After all, the Oktoberfest style is one of the most boring styles of beer. Well, I'm here to tell you...this is probably the best Oktoberfest available in the Midwest. Or at least in Chicago and the state of Illinois.

Two Brothers Atom Smasher [REDUX]

I mean, just look at that dark orange/copper body. Look at that caramel head. This beer is several shades darker than most Oktoberfests, and deposits brilliant alcohol legs which hint at the 7.7% lurking beneath. 

The aroma here is equally intriguing. The oak foudres contribute very subtle notes on the nose with gentle vanilla, oak, and wood coming through in the aroma. You also get huge caramel sugars, toast, and big nuttiness. This beer is exceptionally nutty, and it does veer into weird pork/sausage aromas. The whole aroma is backed by dried berries and suggestive fruity notes. It's a complex aroma, it's sweet, it's nutty, it's fruity, it's oaky...it smells fucking amazing. And it's just an Oktoberfest!

This also tastes incredibly complex...and not just for the style. As a beer, in general, this is very complex. There are molasses, dark sugar, oak, vanilla, caramel, berries, nuts, and dried berries at work in this beer. The beer lingers for a while, driven by some bitter hops and toasted notes, and then lingers with sweet sugars and lingering barrel. The main characters here are -- of course -- sweet and malty. And there's plenty of that; big caramel, oak, vanilla, and malty sugars. There are also nice bready notes in here. But this is really a big, flavorful beer. And it better be at 7.7%.

I'd call this beer medium-full bodied. It's not quite Stout, but it is thick and it is sweet. You might not guess this is 7.7%, and you might not guess this is barrel-aged. But in terms of the style, this is "off." The barrel-aging compromises the Oktoberfest character just slightly, and for the better. The barrel adds complexity, and this beer is definitely complex. It also has great palate depth. Up front are sugar, caramel, oak, vanilla, and barrel; the mids roll into dried berries, hops, dark fruits, toast, nuttiness; the back end trails with nuttiness, lingering oak/vanilla, and sugary sweetness. If all Oktoberfest beers were this good, the style would be more popular. This is my desert island Oktoberfest.

Rating: Divine Brew (5.0/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Strong Divine Brew on this. This is probably the best Oktoberfest I have had. It is certainly the best Oktoberfest in the Midwest, or at least in Illinois. Maybe you are thinking to yourself: "But wait! This beer is aged in oak foudres! That is cheating." Well, you know what? Fuck you. Seriously. If the Germans want to start aging their Oktoberfest in oak barrels, I support that decision. This is a style that bores me to tears, and here we find Two Brothers injecting some new life into it. This is a blissful, fantastic beer. I literally buy a 6-pack of this every Fall. This beer pairs well with cooler weather, football, and any German meal you can throw at it. I'm talking about sausage, bratwurst, sauerkraut, pretzel bun sandwiches...anything. It's also cheap at around $10 a 6-pack. So good. 

Random Thought: Dear Two Brothers, please continue to make this beer forever. It is one of your best beers, by a long shot. Regards. 

Goose Island Oktoberfest

Brewed By: Goose Island Beer Company in Chicago, Illinois

Purchased: 12oz bottle from a 6-pack bought at Jewel-Osco in Chicago, IL; 2014 (bottled on 30JUL14 aka 7/30/14)

Style/ABV: Oktoberfest, 6.4% 

Reported IBUs: 17

I can't believe they brewed this one back in July. About Goose Island:

Goose Island is a Chicago-based brewery that began as a brewpub on Clybourn, which opened on May 1988. The actual brewery opened on 1995, and is located on the Southwest side of Chicago. The second brewpub, located in Wrigleyville by the Chicago Cubs, was opened in 1999. On March 28, 2011, Goose Island sold 58% of the brewery to Anheuser-Busch. The remaining 42% of the brewery is supposed to be acquired by A-B InBev in the future, and there has been much discussion about the brewery's takeover. On November 16th, founder and CEO, John Hall, announced he would be leaving Goose Island. On January 1st, 2013, Anheuser-Busch "veteran" Andy Goeler will take over Goose Island. Additionally, around the same time as John Hall's departure, resident barrel-program leader John Laffler also announced his departure from Goose Island. There have been many changes regarding Goose Island...so we will see what the future has in store for Goose Island. 

The Goose Island Oktoberfest is a seasonal release made available between August and September. This one is brewed with Hallertau hops, and Carapils, Munich 10, 2-Row, C-20, C-40, and C-120 malts. 

Goose Island Oktoberfest

This pours into a pretty gorgeous reddish/orange/caramel body. I swear this beer is slightly hazy, but I could be wrong. This also yields two fingers of caramel-tinted head, and there is good retention and lacing. 

The aroma here goes for those sweet malt notes...typical of the style. This isn't the most intriguing Oktoberfest in existence (I think I need to re-review Two Brother's Atom Smasher), but there is pretty ample amounts of caramel, some nuttiness, dried fruits, raisin/apple sweetness, and bready aromatics. There is a faint toastiness in here as well.

If you like sweet beer, the Oktoberfest style, or bready notes...you are in the right place. This is malty with bright and fruity caramel, raisins, dried berries, and huge bread notes. I'm talking about whole grain bread...the stuff you make sandwiches with. Only sweeter. This veers into some honey notes, with slight nuttiness, and finishes with a touch of grassy hops. It's aggressive and big.

Considering the InBev acquisition, you'd be concerned that something as simple as an Oktoberfest would be dialed down and neutered. But that's not the case here. This beer extends beyond its 6.4% in terms of body, delivering a full-bodied mouthfeel that is dense and malty. This is incredibly sweet. I mean you could probably recommend this to your non-drinking friends. The hops do make a late appearance, with caramel, dried berries, and bread up front; more bread and honey in the mids, with some hints of toast; and clean grassy hops on the back. This isn't very complex but it has good depth and duration. It's actually a fairly good take on the style.

Rating: Above-Average (4.0/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Strong Above-Average on this. Fuck yeah, American Oktoberfest! This might be the second best readily available American Oktoberfest in the Chicagoland area...after Two Brother's Atom Smasher. This is fantastically constructed, with bold caramel malts and lots of interesting fruitiness that elevates this otherwise "meh" style. This is great as far as Autumn beers go...I'd pair this with football, hot soup, a stew, chili, or some traditional German food. I'm talking about wieners. 

Random Thought: Seriously...this style of beer doesn't warrant no crazy review.

Firestone Walker Oaktoberfest

Brewed By: Firestone Walker Brewing Co. in Paso Robles, California

Purchased: 12oz bottle from a 6-pack bought at Binny's in Naperville, Illinois; 2014 (Bottled on 07/07/2014)

Style/ABV: Oktoberfest/Märzen, 5.0% 

Reported IBUs: 24

I'm pretty sure that tonight's beer is not actually brewed in oak, despite its name. I'm assuming the name is a reference to Firestone's reputation for oak-aging beer, and is a coincidental and confusing pun. About Firestone: 

Tonight I'm looking at a beer from the folks at Firestone Walker Brewing. The brewery was founded by brothers-in-law Adam Firestone (son of Brooks Firestone) and David Walker (husband of Adam's sister). The brothers brewed their first beer in 1996, in a small facility rented from the Firestone Vineyard estate in Santa Barbara County. In 2001, the brothers-in-law purchased SLO Brewing Company in Paso Robles, CA, and set up camp. Despite being relatively new to craft beer, the brewery has a ton of accolades, and is known for their Reserve line and their oak barrel brewing system. You can learn more about the history of the brewery here and here. 

The Oaktoberfest is an Oktoberfest/Marzen style beer. Per Brewbound: "The name Oaktoberfest is a nod to the brewery’s hometown of Paso Robles—Spanish for “Pass of The Oaks”—as well as the longtime presence of oak barrels as a central part of the Firestone Walker brewing operation. The checkered blue and white pattern on the label echoes the Bavarian flag and pays homage to the style." This one is fermented in stainless steel, and brewed using Weyermann Pilsner, Weyermann & Vienna, Munich, Cara-Hell, and Cara-Red malts; and German Hallertau hops. Punching in at 5.0% and 24 IBUs, this one is available as a seasonal release.

This one pours into a dark golden-amber body, kicking up a finger of gold-tinged head. The head retains nicely for a Lager, and there is good carbonation. The carbonation is also persistent and lasts long for a Lager. There is some nice lacing, and a centimeter of head is hanging around for what looks to be the long haul.

On the aroma, I'm getting lots of gentle malts. There's some honey, toast, biscuit, biscuit-grain, light grassy hops, and lots of bread. It's a gentle, malt-forward nose.

This is straightforward and drinkable...this has big grainy bread, biscuit, toasted malts, some nice honey notes, and grassy hops that show up to clean things up towards the back. There's a Pilsner-like biscuit note on the back end, and this has a nicely attenuated and dry finish. If you take big mouthfulls, the malts really dominate with bread and toasted notes. It's clean, drinkable, and really very nice.

This is medium to light-bodied. It's clean and refreshing, with good palate depth and complexity for the style. At 5.0% you can drink lots of this. I think that's the point. Up front: sweet toasted malts, bready malts, biscuit; the mids roll into honey, toast, some grassy hops; the back end goes full biscuit, with a clean, dry, and attenuated finish. This is reminiscent of a Vienna, Pilsner, and Marzen...kinda rolled up into a nice and refined package.

Rating: Above-Average (4.0/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Strong Above-Average on this. This is super clean and super drinkable...I'd pick this up again to pair with some football and Fall weather. It's probably not as good as Two Brothers' Atom Smasher, or Ayinger's Oktoberfest, but it should compliment your one liter glass and your sausage and pretzel dish. 

Random Thought: I bet this tastes fantastic when racked on oak. I'm still looking for that world-class Oktoberfest...

Abita Strawberry Harvest Lager

Brewed By: Abita Brewing Company in Abita Springs, Louisiana   

Purchased: 12oz bottle from a 6-pack bought at Jewel-Osco in Chicago, IL; 2014

Style/ABV: Fruit Beer, 4.2%
Reported IBUs: 14

And now for some strawberry beers. About Abita Brewing: 

Abita Brewing hails from the state where you can (and should) proposition your hot cousin. I'm talking about Louisiana. Abita was founded in 1986, 30 miles north of New Orleans. The brewery produced 1,500 barrels of beer during their first year, and by 1994, they outgrew their original location and moved to a larger facility. The brewery is privately owned, and operated by local shareholders. For more information, check out the brewery's website or their Wiki. 

The Abita Strawberry is a Lager brewed with Pilsner and Wheat malts, and Vanguard hops. Louisiana strawberry juice is added post-fermentation. Suggested food pairings here include desserts, salads, pastas, and a handful of milder and full-boded cheeses. 

Abita Strawberry Harvest Lager

This one pours out into a hazy and juicy body. It's the antithesis of most lagers, to be honest. The body has rich gold and yellow/orange tones, with tons of carbonation going up. This one kicks up two fingers of fluffy, white head; probably courtesy of the wheat and pilsner malts. It's a good looking beer, and the hazy and juicy qualities add a ton of intrigue to what could otherwise be filtered and boring.

On the aroma: big strawberry jam, strawberry fruit roll-ups, and fruit by the foot. The "cough drop" note that many reviewers drop is so cliche and overdone, but this one smells a lot like strawberry cough drops and those strawberry candies that come in the red and green foil wrapper. Actually, that strawberry candy note is spot on. REVIEW OVER. That's the aroma. Pack your bags and go home. Delete BeerAdvocate and Ratebeer. I guess you can pluck out some wheat notes in the back as well, but yeah.

The taste mirrors the nose, with a clean wheat and pilsner malt delivery that is upholstered with strawberry notes. This isn't quite as sweet in the taste, for better. I'm getting clean wheat, refreshing strawberry tea, strawberry currants, and hints of the strawberry candy that is so dominating in the aroma. This is somewhat creamy, with pleasant wheat notes on the finish.

This is a delicious fruit beer...maybe a little par the course, as this isn't overly complex and sort of succeeds at doing what it sets out to do without raising any eyebrows. At 4.2%, you can make a 6-pack of this disappear in one sitting. You could probably kill a 12-pack in an afternoon. I mean, you shouldn't, but you could. Palate depth is actually really nice...this is gentle, clean, and refreshing. It's light-bodied and works as a Summer beer. The only knock, again, would be the complexity. But for the style...ehhhh. This starts out nice with clean wheat and pilsner malts, with growing fruit and strawberry currants; the mids roll into strawberry tea, currants, and fruit salad, with some wheat; the back end rides the wheat and strawberry train to a clean finish, with some strawberry candy.

Rating: Above-Average (3.5/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Light Above-Average on this...I was gonna throw an average rating score at this, but this is lockstep with the beer's description and intention. What's commendable here is how refreshing and clean this is...they really nailed a nice balance between the wheat and pilsner malts, a clean Lager finish, and nuanced strawberry notes. I actually recommend checking this out if you want a fruit beer...this is much better than all the lazy malt beverages out there. Skip the Redd's Strawberry Ale and pick this up, you'll be much happier. I'd pair this with patio foods...a barbecue...this is a nice summer beer thing. 

Random Thought: I love strawberries, I couldn't pass up a strawberry beer. Even if it's just a strawberry lager.

Sierra Nevada's Beer Camp 2014: Yonder Bock Tropical Maibock (brewed with Cigar City Brewing in Tampa, Florida)

Brewed By: Sierra Nevada Brewing Company in Chico, California 
Purchased: Single 12oz CAN from the 2014 Beer Camp bought at Jewel-Osco in Chicago, IL; 2014 (PKG 05/04/14)
Style/ABV: Tropical Maibock, 7.7%

Reported IBUs: 45

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.

Yonder Bock Tropical Maibock

The Yonder Bock Tropical Maibock is a collaboration with the talented event planners at Cigar City Brewing. If you are looking to have a birthday party, cater a large event, or release a limited beer, you know who to call. My can reads: "Brewed in collaboration with Cigar City Brewing in Tampa, FL, Yonder Bock is a Latin-inspired twist on a traditional Maibock. Cigar City finds inspiration in the Cuban roots of their hometown, which is a long way from our home base in Chico, but our friends down yonder in Florida sure can brew a great beer. YOnder Bock blends a silky malt body with bright, fruity hop aromas of guava, mango and passion fruit from the use of Calypso, Azacca and experimental 366 hops as a nod to Cigar City's tropical locale."

This one pours into a hazy, dark orange body, with tons of carbonation in the form of tiny streams (courtesy of the teku). This also kicks up three fingers of big, fluffy, caramel-orange-tinted head. Head retention is good, and there's a lot of active carbonation minutes after the pour. There is good lacing as well. The body retains its deep orange color in bright light.

On the aroma: big lager spice that flirts with bread, toast, rye, and caramel sugars. Beneath that are sweet honey notes that give way to faint tropical fruits and citrus notes. I'm getting oranges, guava, pineapple, and mango.

This is incredibly enjoyable, with deep sheets of honey sweetness and bread that unravel and drop tropical fruits, honey, and rich caramel sugars. The 7.7% is completely not obvious here, but this has a boozy seduction about it. I'm getting cherries, pineapple, super sweet coconut, mango, and orange in here. There are nice honey and saffron notes, and in the back is some faint grain alcohol that is accentuated by mild hop bitterness. 

I'm a little bit at a loss here as far as how to rate this...I haven't had many Maibocks, and this one seems quite unique. This isn't an overly complex beer in general, but for a Bock there's a lot going on here. The palate depth here is great, and this is definitely a full-bodied island treat. I'm not getting any of the 7.7%, at least not in terms of alcohol heat, but some boozy seduction and grainy alcohol does show up. I'm also feeling some warming. Up front: honey and bready sweetness, with toast and Noble hop bitterness; that rolls into more saffron and honey, cherries, tropical fruits, oranges, guava, coconut, pineapple; the back end continues with sharp, quad-like fruits, and leaves some grainy alcohol and faint hop bitterness in your mouth. This could be a little bigger and rounder, otherwise it's nearly perfect.

Rating: Above-Average (4.0/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Decent Above-Average on this beer. This is a really interesting beer...I could see myself pairing this with an upside pineapple cake, mango salsa, white fish, and certainly on a beach somewhere. This is probably the most free-spirited application of a Bock you are going to find, and I commend Cigar City for this one. I could see myself grabbing something like this in a 6-pack. 

Random Thought: Dammit, now I want to go drink on a beach. To live in the Midwest...

Sierra Nevada's Beer Camp 2014: Torpedo Pilsner Hoppy Pilsner (brewed with Firestone Walker Brewery Company in Paso Robles, California)

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 05/29/14)
Style/ABV: Belgian Pale Ale, 5.2%

Reported IBUs: 45

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.

The hoppy Torpedo Pilsner Hoppy Pilsner is a collaboration with the fine folks at Firestone Walker Brewing. My bottle reads: "Torpedo Pilsner is a hop-forward take on the crisp, classic lager. We and the folks at Firestone Walker share a passion for New Zealand hop varietals, so we loaded our legendary Hop Torpedo with the southern hemisphere's finest hops for a fruity, floral twist on the Pilsner style."

This one pours a pale yellow color, and has good depth of color throughout. This is transparent if not slightly hazy, with fat carb popping away. I kicked up 3-plus fingers of dense, sustaining, white head. There is some lacing as well.

Torpedo Pilsner Hoppy Pilsner

The aroma here is clean and sweet. I'm getting sweet Pilsner malts up the butt. It smells like an adjunct lager. There are grassy and floral hops in the mix as well. DAE lawn mow? Constrained biscuit and cracker show up, like when you are constipated and prairie-dog it deep in your colon but nothing comes out. There are also some faint, non-descript fruity notes. 

Wow. The taste is a real contrast from the aroma, with candy-like hops firing off melon and sweet lemon candied notes. This is fruity with candy berries, dusty citrus, sweet tarts, and layers of dust and dry candy hop notes on light biscuit and cracker malts. This is super sweet. The hops here are floral as well, with dusty flowers and candy in the house. Fantastic.

Now this is a fun twist on the Pilsner style. This is light-bodied and super drinkable, but the balance is shifted towards dusty, candy-like hops. Palate depth is good, and this is complex for the style. Up front: sweet malts give way to sweet tarts and candy hops; the mids roll into grassy and dusty candy hops with some biscuit/cracker; the back end lingers with lemon bitterness. Good.

Rating: Above-Average (4.0/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Decent Above-Average on this...this is a very original take on the style, and what this variety pack should be about. Food pairings here are one and only one: pizza. That's it.

Random Thought: Transcribing notes after the fact suuuucks. So does not having Internet for a week.

Sierra Nevada's Beer Camp 2014: CANfusion Rye Bock (brewed with Oskar Blues Brewery in Longmont, Colorado/Brevard, North Carolina)

Brewed By: Sierra Nevada Brewing Company in Chico, California 
Purchased: Single 12oz CAN from the 2014 Beer Camp bought at Jewel-Osco in Chicago, IL; 2014 (PKG 05/03/14)
Style/ABV: Rye Bock, 7.2%

Reported IBUs: 45

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.

The CANfusion Rye Bock is a beer brewed with Oskar Blues Brewery. Do you like to get it in the can? My can reads: "Brewed in collaboration with Oskar Blues, the pioneers of great craft beer in a can, this partnership was a perfect fit - we're mutual members of the canned craft club and North Carolina neighbors. A dry hop rye bock, CANfusion blends features from across the brewing spectrum: spicy rye, tangy wheat and bright citrus-like hops. The complex malt body launches a peppery blast that's balanced by the fruity and floral Australian Ella hop varietal. CANfusion is a true synergy of friends and flavors." 

CANfusion Rye Bock - that's how I roll

This one pours an absolutely drop-dead gorgeous orange color, with two to three fingers of orange-tinged head. The head is hop-fueled, and leaves nice lacing. The body is a hazy orange color, with medium carbonation. The head settles into a nice cauldron effect. 

The aroma here features big tangerine, citrus spice, orange spice, rye, perfumed apricot, caramel, and intense fruity sweetness. There's also big passion fruit, papaya, mango, and tropical fruit. 

The taste here features big caramel sweetness, tropical fruits, and rye. The blast of tropical fruits goes from berries and passion fruit to caramel and Bock-malt sweetness with raisin and apple notes. Nice rye spice comes along for the ride. There's a big range of fruit notes and malt/caramel fruits: cherries, apples, orange, tropical fruits....it's complex. As this warms boozy and bready rye notes come out.

This is medium-bodied and malt driven, with a nice hoppy balance. You do get some booze here, but it's not a bad thing. Good palate depth and crazy divine complexity drives this beer. I would totally buy more of this. Up front: tropical fruits, passion fruit, rye; that rolls into apples, caramel sguars, Bock sweetness; the back end has trailing hops and sugars with fantastic coating on the palate. Wildly complex...truly original.

Rating: Above-Average (4.5/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Light Above-Average on this...almost leaning towards that divine brew. Wow, this is just an interesting hybrid beer that is uber complex. The sweeter hop notes in here would pair with lighter spicy foods, maybe a nice shrimp or fish taco. 

Random Thought: I really like the boom in craft canned beers. 

Sierra Nevada's Beer Camp 2014: Electric Ray India Pale Lager (brewed with Ballast Point Brewing Company in San Diego, California)

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 06/03/14)
Style/ABV: India Pale Lager, 8.5%

Reported IBUs: 70

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.

The Electric Ray India Pale Lager is a beer brewed with the fisherman guys at Ballast Point Brewing. My bottle reads: "As ever, San Diego's Ballast Point looked to the sea for inspiration. A play on the fish's scientific name - Torpedo Californica - Electric Ray pays homage to our Hop Torpedo, the source of much of this beer's big flavor. Its massive grapefruit and floral notes deliver a high-voltage hit of hop flavor."

Electric Ray India Pale Lager

For a lager, this pours out with some haze, into a super dark-tinged, amber-orange body. This has rich bronze and gold tones, and kicks up two to three fingers of super dense, hop-fueled, caramel-tinted head. Moderate carbonation. Good head retention with lacing that paints that wagon.

This smells like an amped up version of the Torpedo Pilsner. Big sweet hops permeate the aroma, with sugars, orange, orange candies, and cakey Pilsner malts. The aroma reminds me of Stone's RuinTen an Dogfish Head's 90 Minute IPA. Grass, pine, guava, apricot, dank, resin, sweet tobacco, and big bold caramel sugars all pop on the aroma. You would never guess this is a lager. 

The taste features big cakey malts and dank hops. I'm getting cake-tobacco, and again I'm reminded of the RuinTen and the 90 Minute IPA. Some alcohol is definitely present in the taste, with grassy malts towards the back, deep caramel sugars everywhere, and some sweet Pilsner malts in the mix. The clean lager yeast is blunted by the hops and sugars.

This is medium to lightly full-bodied. Big, with booze and nice bitterness. You do get some of the 8.5%. Palate depth is amazing, complexity is okay. Up front: cakey malts and citrus hops; that rolls into dank hops, tobacco, caramel sugars, sweet resin; the beer finishes with grassy hops, cakey malts, sweet Pils malts, bitterness, biscuit dryness. 

Rating: Above-Average (4.0/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Light Above-Average on this. This tastes a lot like the RuinTen or the DFH 90 Minute. The big hops completely blunt the lager yeast, and that's all good. You can pair this bold and overly sweet beer with spicy, dry chicken wings, dry spicy foods, and maybe a curry dish or something with dry heat. This is a fun beer...but they effectively brewed an American Barleywine Lite using lager yeast. 

Random Thought: Ballast Point...can't go wrong with that.

Shitty Beer Tuesday #8: Miller Fortune

Brewed By: Miller Brewing Company (MillerCoors) in Milwaukee, Wisconsin 

Purchased: 24oz CAN bought at some random gas station in Urbana, IL; 2014 

Style/ABV: Malt Liquor, 6.9%

Reported IBUs: ?

24oz? 6.9%? Miller, are you trying to get me drunk?

Let me back up for a second. Tonight's beer is a tale of two identity crises. The first identity crisis is just a giant mix-up, and is important for understanding tonight's beer. 

It looks like your fortune is changing.

You see, back in January 2014 when MillerCoors announced Miller Fortune, they started talking about how this beer will compete with whiskey and bourbon. 

Brewmaster Manny Manuele was even careful enough to pour the beer into a rocks glass at a press release -- the same type of glass reserved for whiskey. And that's the same glass you see present in the commercials and advertisements for the Miller Fortune.

The Miller Fortune is described as having a more malty, complex flavor, hinting at bourbon.

Wait. What? 

Is this beer bourbon barrel-aged? Is it brewed with oak chips? Is there any whiskey or bourbon connection to this giant malt liquor beverage? 

#GlassWhalez, ISO

The Miller Fortune clocks in at 6.9%. The slight boost in alcohol that you see here is apparently to draw parallel to the high proof of bourbon and whiskey. The beer is also brewed with Cascade hops. But mysteriously absent are any oak or bourbon chips, or any bourbon flavoring. There is none of that here.

In fact, amidst all the hype about Miller's new bourbon-flavored beer after the Fortune was announced, MillerCoors released an official statement:

"Since that story ran, there have been several follow-up stories that inaccurately portray Miller Fortune as being a bourbon-flavored beer," media relations director Jonathan Stern wrote. "That is simply not true." [Source]

So...let's get this straight. Miller Fortune is a bourbon/whiskey-inspired malt liquor that is intended to compete with the bourbon and whiskey market, but it doesn't actually have any connection to bourbon or whiskey except that if you drink lots of it you will get wasted? Okay. I'm listening. Apparently MillerCoors wants me to get really drunk, and then to kill people.

Wait what? Kill people? I guess we should probably talk about the second identity crisis I mentioned. Can someone explain to me what is going on with scary mobster actors trying to sell me alcohol? This is what I'm talking about:

"HEY! Buy our fucking product or we will fucking kill you, and your family, and your dog."

I understand using hot women to sell me beer. I understand using famous black rappers that have put their 'fuck the police' attitude behind them to sell me beer. I even kind of understand using Sherpas to sell me the coldest and most refreshing beer in the world. 

But scary actors who portray scary mobsters? Really? Mark Strong might be a nice guy in real life, but Ray Liotta looks like he could come unhinged at any moment. You better hope there are no 2x4s laying around or he doesn't feel like compressing your skull with his bare hands, because he totally has that look like he could do that. Oh, and by the way, "buy our alcohol product!"

Who the fuck is this supposed to be marketed to?!!?!? Ray Liotta isn't a cool cat, he is fucking scary! 

Anyway...

Shitty Beer Tuesday #8: Miller Fortune

The Miller Fortune pours out into a deep orange, transparent body. It produces excessive amounts of rapidly forming head, to the tune of three-plus fingers. The head gives way to some spotty lacing, and the beer settles into an amber body in bright light. There's carbonation in here too. I don't think my fortune has changed just yet...

The Miller Fortune website is underwhelming, which is why I haven't mentioned it yet. The aroma on this beer is also kind of underwhelming, with cereal and corn malt sweetness present on the nose. I guess the aroma is kind of "amber," if you like to describe the smell of your malt liquor with colors. If you delve into the nose a little further it smells okay. I'm getting some light grassy hops, caramel malts, and some sweet, bread-like malts typical of a lighter Bock. It doesn't smell skunky or overly sweet.

The taste reminds me of malt liquors, and there's a weirdly cloying, sweet, off-putting thing on the finish. It starts out okay up front with big malt sweetness, bready malts, some biscuit, and a little hop balance. The middle is also okay, as the sweetness melds into some nice mild grassy hop notes. The back end is where everything goes to shit, like when the stripper brushes up on you during the lap dance and you end up with that snail trail. You get that blast of booze, fusel alcohol, and sickly gasoline sweetness. It's a really off-putting flavor, and it's reminiscent of terrible libations served in 40oz cans. 

I'm happy to report that this will get your drunk. If that's what you want, you could do worse than to buy this. I'm feeling some nice alcohol warming here. But how does this beer tie into spirits? I don't get it! It's like the Ray Liotta and Mark Strong advertising thing. How is this beer connected to spirits? It tastes like every other shitty malt liquor, only slightly better. It's light-bodied, easy-drinking, and spends quality time on your palate for better or worse. I'm not a sophisticated hobo so I won't talk about complexity. Needless to say, all the bready and hoppy goodness up front and in the middle is ruined in the finish. Bleh.

Rating: Below-Average (2.0/5.0 Untappd)

This is a Strong Below-Average. The only redeeming quality here is that this beer will get you drunk. It's not the worst malt liquor out there...not by a long shot. There's a refined element to this swill that elevates it over a lot of the horrible malt liquors available. But comparing malt liquors is like rating your poo: no one wins. Food pairings here include being homeless or wanting to get wasted. If Mark Strong reads this, hopefully he can nope the fuck out of future advertising deals. I'm sure a real bourbon/whiskey company would pay you to advertise, dude. Also, don't kill me. Please?

Random Thought: Craft beer has a huge bourbon connection. Look at all the bourbon barrel-aged beers available these days. The Miller Fortune is not only a bad beer, but it is poorly conceived in terms of its advertising and purpose. MillerCoors is way behind the eight-ball. These guys don't get it. And that's a shame, because I still enjoy the occasional Miller High Life. 

Even though this beer is hella cheap, I probably wouldn't buy it again. Maybe if it came in a 40...at 6.9%, I can do similar damage with a good tasting IPA. If I want to get wasted, the aforementioned 40s will do the trick. Take note, MillerCoors.