sodakbeer's Blog

Schell's Pils

Schell’s Brewing Company is located in New Ulm, MN and is celebrating their 150th Anniversary September 17-18, 2010.  Their Pils is a fine example of a European Pilsner lager made with 100% malted barley and Hallertau hops (no adjuncts such as corn or rice).

ABV = 5.6%

The beer pours out with a light white one finger head into a pint glass.  It is clear yellow with good carbonation.  Then aroma is a mixture of malt and spicy hops.  The flavor matches well with the aroma.  This beer is clean and refreshing (another good sessionable lawnmower beer).  There is light lacing on the glass.  I like this craftbeer, and it is a much better choice than the common fizzy yellow lager beers of the big “American” macrobreweries.

Grade = B

New Belgium Ranger

New Belgium Ranger IPA is available throughout much of the country and even can be found in Brookings, SD.  It is a fine India Pale Ale (IPA).  New Belgium has marketed this beer well – go to their website to check out the humorous Ranger rap video – I dare you not to smile!

IBUs = 70

ABV = 6.5%

Ranger pours out light amber/deep gold into a pint glass.  There is a one finger head with a nice piney hop aroma.  The NB website lists Simcoe, Cascade & Chinook hops in this beer.  The taste is piney and very enjoyable.  The lacing is good.  This is a very enjoyable, well balanced beer and is part of my regular IPA rotation.  Most craftbeer drinkers will like this one (even relatively new craftbeer fans will like).

Grade = B+

Summerfest

Sierra Nevada Summerfest is a great lawnmower beer!  It is a lager that really tastes good on a hot day!

ABV = 5.0%

IBUs  = 28

Summerfest pours out golden yellow with a 1/2 finger head that dissipates quickly.  It has good carbonation.  The aroma is a mixture of malt and spicy hops.  Sierra Nevada uses a mixture of Perle and Saaz hops.  The taste is clean, tangy and refreshing.  This is a nice beer that is perfect for a hot day and is very sessionable with the 5.0% ABV.  It beats out all the lagers from the macrobreweries.  I will keep it in regular rotation during the summer.

Grade = B+

Chinook Hops

Here is a picture from the garden.  These Chinook hops along with some Cascade hops were planted last year.  I’m guessing the harvest will be around five gallons.  I planted some Centennial and Willamette hops this year.  They won’t be ready for any picking until next year.  They are very easy to grow.  I purchased the rhizomes from the Thyme Garden Herb Company.

BAHBA

The Brookings Area Home Brewers Association (BAHBA – the “Blacksheep”) is organizing for fall.  Seth Koch is the organizer.    The group is open to all beer lovers and home brewers.  Watch for an announcement on the first fall meeting.  Cheers!

Pile o’ Dirt Porter

The new Crow Peak Brewing Company label for Pile o’ Dirt Porter was revealed on beernews.org.  I hope to try this and their other fine beers soon!

Tumbler

The Brookings Liquor Store now has Sierra Nevada Tumbler Autumn Brown Ale in stock.  The ale uses freshly roasted Two-row Pale, Crystal, Chocolate & Smoked malts along with Challenger & Yakima Goldings hops.  The ABV = 5.5% & the IBUs = 37.  They are known for their good beer, so I’m sure everyone will want to check it out!

Brau Brothers Hundred Yard Dash

Brau Brothers from Lucan, MN are releasing Hundred Yard Dash Fresh Hop Ale. I don’t know about everyone else but the fresh hop ales are the highlight of the fall beer releases for me.  I encourage everyone to seek out and try this new release.  I know I will be looking for it!

Beer details:

6.8% ABV

Hops – Centennial, Cascade, Mt. Hood, Sterling & Nugget

This beer will be available in 6 packs.

I will post pictures and a review as soon as the beer is available.

Avery duganA IPA

Avery Brewing is located in Boulder, CO.  I have visited their taproom twice.  They produce many good beers including the duganA IPA reviewed here.

ABV = 8.5%

IBUs = 93

The beer was poured into a snifter and had a 1 1/2 finger head.  The aroma was hoppy and piney.  The color was a “South Dakota honey” (see image below).  The honey is from Adee Honey Farms, Bruce, SD, one of this countries largest honey producers.  Sue, my wife, picked up on the similar colors.

South Dakota honey & duganA

Others describe the color as amber or dark gold.  The beer was cloudy in appearance.  The flavor was similar to the aroma – hoppy and piney.  The glass had nice lacing.

Grade = A-

This is a good beer.  I would encourage any hop lover to try it.  It would not be a choice for most new craftbeer drinkers.

Olde Main Brewing Company

We visited the Olde Main Brewing Company in Ames, IA on July 1.  Ames is the home of Iowa State University where I graduated from the College of Veterinary Medicine.  It is always fun to visit the town and see the changes and additions.  I was pleased to learn last spring that the Olde Main Brewing Co. was operating on Main Street.  Sue and I stopped in the late afternoon after driving from South Dakota on the way to visit relatives in Illinois.  Sue enjoyed the Gryphonbraü American Lager while I had a Dinkey Portwood Wheat.  The Dinkey Wheat is aged in portwood barrels for almost an entire year.  It had an interesting taste and was good.  Next I tried the Clone American Pale Ale.  It was alright, but I like hoppier brews such as the Sierra Nevada Pale Ale.

Double Down DIPA

Before dinner at Hickory Park I had to try the Double Down India Pale Ale.  This double IPA is a new addition to the beer menu.  Iowa recently updated their liquor laws to allow higher alcohol containing beers and this was Olde Main’s first higher ABV beer (8.5%).  It was the highlight of my visit with a nice balance between the hops (Cascade, Chinook, Amarillo & Simcoe) and malt.  I had to pick up a growler of it to go.  Thanks to Olde Main.  I will visit again!