Old Man Winter from Southern Tier Brewing

Everybody loves Phin and Matt's Southern Tier beers from Lakewood, New York.  They gave us a couple of holiday seasonals this year.  Their OLD MAN WINTER is one of the lightest-in-body winter beers I've ever tasted.  It is deep amber, almost Coca-Cola color and pours with a lovely thick burnt-marshmallow head.  Compared with many winter/Christmas beers, this one has a fairly light mouthfeel.  The taste profile is almost a mix of roasty porter and American pale ale, with dark toffee malt notes and a light but definitely there hop presence.  

What I think I like best about this beer is its drinkability.  Unlike a heavier, stronger, sweeter holiday offering, Old Man Winter invites you to enjoy one, and then enjoy another one, and maybe another one after that.  A true "session" beer for the cold wintry months.  This Old Man wants to spend the evening with you.  Let him.  

Thanks, Bernie

Bernie re-sized my picture.  At least I know someone is looking at this thing besides myself.

Founder's Harvest Ale

Today's beer is Founder's Harvest Ale from Founder's Brewing in Grand Rapids, Michigan.  I always thought Grand Rapids was sort of Bible-belty, but those guys know their beer . . . well,  there is a theory that Jesus changed the water into beer, not wine, because the word in the bible translates as "fermented beverage" . . . but that's another story for another day.  Here in Chicago, we got about 200 cases of Founder's Harvest to sell, for the entire city and surrounding area.  Needless to say, we sold it quickly.  The Founder's stuff is always eagerly anticipated.  I poured this beer into my favorite glass and was knocked out by the beauty and full body of the head!  A glowing cascade of bright shining white bubbles which lingered on the glass, forming a lovely lace.  Just the pour was exciting!  The nose was nail-polish-remover hoppy.  Harvest Ales are traditionally made from "wet" hops, meaning freshly harvested, not dried, hops, which is supposed to impart a fresh, bright hoppy flavor to the beer.  I was surprised at how understated the hops were to the taste.  While the malt flavors were very subtle and the hop presence was there throughout, it finished very softly, like hoppy rose petals.  Not at all the astringent bite I was hoping for.  So . . . as Randy Jackson will be saying from his American Idol judging seat in about two months . . . it was just okay for me, dawg.  I love the Founder's dry-hopped pale ale, much more traditionally hoppy than this.  But this is coming from a girl who lists Three Floyds Dreadnaught in her top five favorite beers.  If anybody reads this, can you tell me if Harvest Ales are traditionally not aggressively hoppy?  I did notice Three Floyds BrooDoo -- their Harvest Ale -- was not crazy hoppy either.  Stop saying "hoppy", Salls.  

Watch this spot tomorrow.  I will drink another beer and tell you about it.  

The picture

I don't know how to make the picture smaller.  Good, though, isn't it?  Megan took it.

I tasted some beers that I don't sell

Yes, I did.  It is one of my favorite things to do.  Tuesday afternoons at RODAN, 1530 North Milwaukee avenue, Dave and Eric taste out stuff that salesfolk like myself bring, in hopes of getting it put on their menu.  Of course, I got there too late to taste the Lost Abbey beers, but we tried a few . . .

BELL'S CHERRY STOUT -- Mr. Hayes tried this last weekend and said it was pretty sour, and he was right.  It was drinkable, but it tasted a lot like they mixed a stout and a Kriek lambic.  Very Robutussin-like, cough mediciny.  High acid level.  Again, drinkable, but I couldn't drink more than one.  Might be interesting on ice cream. 

MAGIC HAT REXY ROLLES -- Okay.  I don't like beer bashing, but sometimes . . . I want to like Magic Hat beers, I really do!  I think the #9 is okay.  But this one . . . my tasting companions described it thusly:"tastes like cat piss"  "When it comes back up, it tastes like the perfume counter at Macy's"  Ooooh.  It is labeled a hoppy amber ale, but I think something went awry somewhere.  I actually was curious about this when I saw it on the shelves, Magic Hat's packaging is super eye-catching and clever.  Glad I didn't buy a bottle.  

ROGUE CHOCOLATE STOUT -- Those folks at Rogue have a good thing going.  And their beers, I think, are consistent across the board for their styles.  This is a fairly light stout, sweet and chocolatey -- like a grown-up chocolate milk.  This would be a great beer for a holiday caroling party, really good with cookies or lighter desserts.

More notes from a beer girl vacation

On Thursday, we had drinks at another all-time favorite bar -- The Hopleaf, just steps from my door.  Bottom line:  If you are in Chicago and into beer, you must visit the Hopleaf as often as humanly possible.  I had a Grimbergen Double, which has just recently come back into the market, and a Maudite from Unibroue, one of my go-to beers.  Anyway, the rest rooms at the Hopleaf are really among the cleanest in the city, and the minimal amount of graffiti there is, tends to be fairly entertaining and imaginative.  This graffiti, from the corrugated tin stall walls, might just be my new life motto:  DO WHAT YOU CAN.  LOVE YOUR FRIENDS.  DRINK BEER.  What more can be said?  

A Beer Girl's Vacation

What a beautiful beer!  On Tuesday (the first full day of my "staycation", we ate Fish and Chips and delicious Bel Haven Wee Heavy at the Duke of Perth on Clark Street in Chicago.  I love that bar, they have some of the best fried food in the city.  If I'm not in a Fish and Chips mood, the fried mushrooms with horseradish are always good.  

They have a great selection of Scottish beers as well.  And I love the feel of the place, it really feels like you are walking into an old Scottish bar.