The Beer Thread: 2009 – 2012

[TooLiveBrew]

This thread needs a serious revival. Come on, summer brews, inspire us!

Agreed. Anyone tried Enigma yet? I'll be heading back to WI in a few weeks and will definitely be looking to get my hands on a bottle or two.

Tried Enigma last night. Not impressed at all. Even after reading the label I was nowhere near ready for such a fruity, sweet, relatively highly-carbonated brew. Not for me at all, but I can see people that like fruity-flavored beers liking it. Not sure if it would have been better at room temperature (I had it cold), but I seriously doubt it.

[JumpinMacFlash]

If you can find it you might want to save a bottle

 

Well, turds... I wish I would have known that a couple months ago. I bought it at the Piggly Wiggly in Hartland, and they had bottles of it for a while. Maybe I'll check and see if there's still some there after work, but I doubt it.

[diomedeh2]

Tried Enigma last night. Not impressed at all. Even after reading the label I was nowhere near ready for such a fruity, sweet, relatively highly-carbonated brew. Not for me at all, but I can see people that like fruity-flavored beers liking it. Not sure if it would have been better at room temperature (I had it cold), but I seriously doubt it.

Are you generally a fan of sours, out of curiosity? They tend to be a polarizing category of beer, so it's always good to have a little bit of background! I will say I had Cran-bic multiple times and it was definitely just an ok beer, in my opinion. A bit too light, generally sweeter than sour, almost like a soda. Dan Carey seems to have an idea when it comes to sour-ish beer though, so I'm still holding judgment until I try the Enigma for myself.

[TooLiveBrew]

I guess I hadn't tried a sour before. But "sour brown ale" is not at all how I'd describe Enigma. Like I said, I'd go with "fruity, sweet, & carbonated" ... or what you said about Cran-bic: "A bit too light, generally sweeter than sour, almost like a soda"

 

I'll give it another taste tonight to see if I can be more descriptive

[TooLiveBrew]

So I got a couple more people's input on the Enigma. Reactions after first taste:

 

- "That's awful -- it's almost like a soda"

 

- "Not my favorite. Tastes like a mix of iced tea, cranberry juice, and ginger ale"

 

 

So... yeah. Not going to be buying the Enigma again.

[diomedeh2]

So I got a couple more people's input on the Enigma. Reactions after first taste:

 

- "That's awful -- it's almost like a soda"

 

- "Not my favorite. Tastes like a mix of iced tea, cranberry juice, and ginger ale"

 

 

So... yeah. Not going to be buying the Enigma again.

Bummer. Thanks for the info though...I'll give a quick review after I give one a go.

 

If you do have any interest in venturing into the rather expensive but ultimately satisfying world of sours, there are a ton of significantly better examples out there. Not sure what's reasonably attainable for you, but I know I've seen the Lindeman's Cuvee Rene around the La Crosse and Milwaukee areas and I think that Goose Island's Juliet has made its way into WI as well. Most of Jolly Pumpkin's stuff will be soured as well, so they're worth trying.

 

[logan82]

Not sure what's reasonably attainable for you, but I know I've seen the Lindeman's Cuvee Rene around the La Crosse and Milwaukee areas and I think that Goose Island's Juliet has made its way into WI as well.

 

Woodman's in Madison has Lindeman's. They also have Goose Island's Juliet, although I think the Pere Jaques is better.

[TooLiveBrew]

Thanks for the tips, guys. I'll look for those.

[Principessa21]

I was the person who said "That's awful" and will admit that when TLB read the description to me - "sour ale" - it didn't sound good. But I went in with an open mind and just didn't like it. I encouraged TLB to dump them down the drain but they're still in our fridge. Who knows when they'll be drunk.

[diomedeh2]

I was the person who said "That's awful" and will admit that when TLB read the description to me - "sour ale" - it didn't sound good. But I went in with an open mind and just didn't like it. I encouraged TLB to dump them down the drain but they're still in our fridge. Who knows when they'll be drunk.

Don't let one sour persuade your taste buds...it's actually a really traditional Belgian style. There are the classics, like Cantillon, Drie Fonteinen, Girardin, Boon, Lindeman's (though avoid any of the fruit flavored lambics), etc, which are all fabulous purveyors of the lambic/gueuze style. More close to home, the American Wilds (as they have come to be known) are similar in nature, though they have significantly less "boundaries" than the traditional Belgians.

 

I'd still try the Juliet as it's a blackberry sour that comes across pretty clean with only a small dose of sourness. A good intro. Definitely do NOT start with a heavy hitting gueuze as they tend to crush taste buds the first time you experience one.

And just an FYI, The Pere Jacques is more in the vein of an abbey ale, with more sweet and malty flavors going on than anything (a bit too sweet and malty, in my opinion). Not a sour beer, just to avoid confusion.

 

[diomedeh2]

And just to reiterate a previous post of mine...if anyone in the La Crosse area is up for a beer tasting event the weekend of June 19th (Saturday), we'll be getting a decent sized group of people together to share some bottles of whatever we come up with at the House of Hops downtown. Starts at around 330 - 4 and goes until we say uncle.

 

Should be a good time and a good way to meet some fellow beer enthusiasts!

[Beerambassador]

I've hardly bought any beer since I've started home brewing, so I don't have much to report here. My latest kick is Belgian IPA's. I really love the way the Belgian yeast plays off all the hop flavor. I've had the Stone one and Tyranena just released their attempt at it, which I have yet to try. I'm hoping to try brewing a more sessionable-type one that would make for some awesome summer drinking. I've also read some good things about O'So's Picnic Ants, a saison. The reviews for it on BeerAdvocate are not good, but they're all based on last year's beer and supposedly this year's is much better. Saison's are great summer drinking.

[logan82]

Well I thoroughly enjoyed my New Glarus tour. I was pleasantly surprised to learn the head of quality control at New Glarus(Randy Thiel, Wisconsin native) was the brewmaster at Ommegang Brewery(who make pretty good Belgium style beer) from it's start-up in 1997 until early 2008 when he moved back to Wisconsin. I think we had a much more in depth tour than most people get. Our guide covered the entire brewing process from how they make malt on. Had their Golden Ale again and it changed a lot since drinking it last year. Much more mild instead of like floor cleaner. Also had a Two Woman Lager that is brewery only. We had a few people in our tour group that were home brewers so they had some good questions as well. Our tour ended up being almost 3 hours long plus the beer at the end.

 

Doesn't sound like they are going to be using cans anytime soon. I got the impression that it has been kicked around a few times but like many people, myself included, Dan Carey feels that bottles are better. There is a certain stigma attached to cans. I have been reading more and more about how craft breweries are switching to cans because they are more "green" and seal better than bottles.

 

I saw D-man on the bottling lines. Sounds like it will be out at the end of July.

[TooLiveBrew]

Had their Golden Ale again and it changed a lot since drinking it last year. Much more mild instead of like floor cleaner.

 

Well, that's always good

[Baldkin]

This is a 2am posting in the beer thread, and even though I didn't drink it tonight, and I'm totally sober.... Fixed Gear by Lakefront came out phenomenal. It's a red ale/IPA cross and it's my new favorite beer.

[PeaveyFury]

I think we had a much more in depth tour than most people get.

 

If you did their special 'Hardhat tour', they only do one of those a week and it's limited to only 15-20 people. Well worth it if you're a beer enthusiast. I was fortunate enough to do that tour shortly after the hilltop Brewery opened, and Dan Carey actually joined us on the tour. Very cool.

[TooLiveBrew]

This is a 2am posting in the beer thread, and even though I didn't drink it tonight, and I'm totally sober.... Fixed Gear by Lakefront came out phenomenal. It's a red ale/IPA cross and it's my new favorite beer.

Whoa, I love red ales & IPAs. Thanks for the tip, Baldkin.

Got my hands on a seasonal scotch ale from the Great Dane. It's good... nothing amazing. Sorry, but I can't remember the name http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/frown.gif

[logan82]

I think we had a much more in depth tour than most people get.

 

If you did their special 'Hardhat tour', they only do one of those a week and it's limited to only 15-20 people. Well worth it if you're a beer enthusiast. I was fortunate enough to do that tour shortly after the hilltop Brewery opened, and Dan Carey actually joined us on the tour. Very cool.

Yeah we did the hardhat tour. They only have 50 employees at New Glarus. Doesn't seem like much for 2 shifts. Of course they automate quite a bit so they can keep costs down.

[Baldkin]

This is a 2am posting in the beer thread, and even though I didn't drink it tonight, and I'm totally sober.... Fixed Gear by Lakefront came out phenomenal. It's a red ale/IPA cross and it's my new favorite beer.

Whoa, I love red ales & IPAs. Thanks for the tip, Baldkin.

Got my hands on a seasonal scotch ale from the Great Dane. It's good... nothing amazing. Sorry, but I can't remember the name http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/frown.gif

As far as I know, Fixed Gear is only sold in the 22 oz bottles, so you'll have to hunt and peck through those to find it http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif

[logan82]

Forgot to mention we were at The Great Dane on Thursday and they had a Dunkel Hefeweizen Bock. Very dark and pretty good. Actually it is this one.

John Jacob Jingle Heimer Schmidt's Doppel Dunkel Hefe-Weizen Bock

[Beerambassador]

I take back what I wrote earlier about hearing good things about O'So's Picnic Ants. Had it at the Old Fashioned yesterday. Syrupy sweet with no balance to it. Uck.

[Funketown]

Bump.

 

Just poured another glorious New Glarus Enigma. This is an awesome beer, especially if you like Sour Ales.

 

I know the style really isn't for everyone, but it's one of my favorites.

[logan82]

We had Enigma, Cranbic and the Cherry Stout a few weeks back and didn't like any of them. The cherry was to strong in the stout. I could see how they would be appealing to people who like fruit beer but I am not one of those people.

 

When this thread started I think I could count on both hands the non big brewery beers I had tasted(Miller, Bud, Pabst). Since then I have probably moved closer to 40+ at the least. I am finding it more and more difficult to find new and interesting beers. I think my next step is to home brew. Ever since my trip to New Glarus I have been bugging my wife to let me home brew. It may not happen anytime soon but I will eventually wear her down.

[Funketown]

There are really only a handful of fruit beers I like, and just about all of them come from either New Glarus or Dogfish Head. Out of New Glarus' fruit beers, Enigma is probably my favorite while Cherry Stout is probably my least favorite.

 

I also recently finished off my Unibroue sampler 4-pack, which had La Fin du Monde, Maudite, Don de Dieu, and Trois Pistoles. It was only $8.99, and I'd suggest it to anybody looking for to sample a few very good Quebecois Belgians.

[Ando Calrissian]

I thought Enigma was a fine brew. Actually, I could drink that by the bucket.

Picked up Ale Asylum's Bedlam and gave it a ride. It's their version of a Belgian IPA. Which would make it an American Belgian IPA. An interpretation of an interpretation? I know Belgian IPA's are hot right now, but I'm not sure how I feel about this. Anyway, enough of my drivel. The beer had all the qualities of a fine double IPA, though I couldn't figure out which characteristics were resultant from the Belgian influence.

Truth be told, I've loved Supper Club this summer. Tastes great after mowing the lawn.