Michigan: Right Brain Brewery (Traverse City)

I need to clear a guilty conscience. When I started this review, I was waiting impatiently at the bar, not getting served. I typed out something rather rude about this and then sat there with my screen fully exposed. That was a mistake. But I was in a hurry, there was no beer coming my way, and Right Brain has a long and tasty-sounding menu. Another patron suddenly appeared behind me, ninja-like, to likewise order beer. I shrunk my screen immediately—in the way only someone with a guilty conscience would do—but I was sure I had been busted. I had. And he was a regular. And a brewer at a brewery in Detroit. One that’s on my list, that I will be visiting later this week. Dang. The lesson here: don’t taste beer in a hurry, or as a pretentious jerk.

Anyway, I got to picking the brain (don’t know which side) of Detroit Brewer to find out what kind of beers he’s into. I love the subjectivity, accessibility, and simplicity of this question, so I tend to ask it a lot. You don’t have to be a professional to know what you like; there’s no wrong answer. But it’s also interesting to find out what brewers are drinking. Detroit Brewer mentioned Black IPAs. It’s a new category at GABF this year. He’s also really into good wheat beers. Like Oberon? Not like Oberon. When I mentioned Oberon, he just smiled broadly, like he was acknowledging a point, and then went on to say that he likes wheat beers that have a real flavor quality, or something. Sour wheats, Belgians, perhaps a saison.. The smile was the more interesting component of his answer. It said, rather plainly, that, “Oberon is loved by everyone because it is the Bud Light of craft beers.” It’s a sentiment I can appreciate even though Bell’s beers have long been the highlight of my drinking life.

Enough with the forewords. Right Brain, as the name suggests, focuses on the creative. The beers are nearly all combinations you would never find anywhere else. The taproom itself is abundant with creativity. Art lines the walls and dangles from the ceiling. They offer some good merch, including a sharp looking hockey jersey. Their mug club rack is very colorful and diverse. Evidently one of those do-it-yourself ceramics places is around the corner, so each clubby gets to decorate his/her own mug. Even the location is creative. There is a “Warehouse District” in Traverse City that is about a block long, and Right Brain managed to hide themselves deep within it. Seriously, bring your GPS.

Before I get to the beers themselves, I want to say that I really like this brewery. I like their attitude and I like their beers. Chuck will tell you that starting a brewery with 15 different beers that change all the time is a terrible marketing move. Chuck’s probably right—he tends to be. But starting a brewery with 15, rotating flavors will get me in the door every time, again and again. This approach is a definite trend (if you can have a trend across two test subjects) in northern Michigan brewing: creative, interesting beer. I hope they prove Chuck very wrong.

Black Berry Rush. The official description: “light body blackberry nose with a hop finish.” 5.15%. Very good fruit beer, hits the combination of fruit and beer just right. This is an extremely difficult to do. Refreshing, tasty, not a girlie beer.

River Raft Brown. Nutty, dry, good. Bartender did not like it much, but I thought it was very drinkable. Made for the summer, so a little lighter, and it works.

Trotsky Stout. Good, roasty stout. Nothing weird or different about this, which is unusual for this place.

TC 350 IPA. Imperial IPA, 7.8%. SO very hoppy. Nice orange-amber color. Wonderful aroma. Very floral. Delicious. Taste does not overwhelm.

Distill My Heart Bourbon Stout. aged in Woodford Reserve bourbon barrels. “Absolutely a must try!” 7.1%. Bartender described it as “really bourbony.” Aroma was amazing: sweet bourbon, almost candy-like. Tasted like it smelled, but was not overpowering like some bourbon beers. Had that nice mellow woodiness to it.

Something Bright. Description: extra pale ale for the “something light” crowd. Bartender warned me away from this one. I heeded his advice.

Black (Eye) PA. “Chocolate in the nose. Made with 6 hop varieties and infused with Amarillo hops.” 6.6%. Huge hoppiness on the nose, can’t say I got much chocolate. Not expected from such a dark beer. Has a little bit of a bite on it. Heavy on the flavor, solid maltiness. I could definitely drink a couple of these, but then I’d need something a little lighter.



View My Stats

Michigan: Short's Brewing Company (Elk Rapids)

Short’s was born and raised in Bellaire, MI, but recently opened a sprawling production facility in Elk Rapids. They still operate the brewpub in Bellaire, which is where you would normally have to go to sample the brews; there is not so much as a taproom in Elk Rapids. But today I get lucky. Through an odd series of events, I stumble onto the production facility and poke around. It turns out that, today only, and for the first time ever, they are holding “Short’s Fest.” The town has a summer festival every year called Harbor Days (Elk Rapids is a picturesque little town that sits on the East Arm of the Grand Traverse Bay), and Short’s Fest is the brewery’s participation. They have a good chunk of property cordoned off with long tables set up on one side and huge pile of beach sand in the middle. At the far end are two bars serving up 18 different Short’s brews. This is the best part quite independent of the beer. The “bars” are actually two halves of a boat, outfitted with wheels, that Short’s used as their float in the parade earlier this morning. I’ll throw a picture up so you know what I’m talking about.

Short’s is a young company (six years old this past May) that will not remain Michigan beer’s best kept secret for long. All the locals I spoke with assured me this company was about to explode, though their distribution appeared to be in-state only at the moment. But Short’s’ production and the beers themselves indicate the locals know exactly what they are talking about. To give you an idea of their production: Jack, our friendly and informative tour guide, told us the grain silo on the west side of the building holds 72,000 pounds of barley, and that Short’s goes through that supply in a month. Another production note, under the heading “You know you’re in Michigan when . . . “: some of the large brewing vats were created for that purpose, but many of them were just reappointed dairy containers.

The beers were most notably creative (on the order of Flying Dog), and secondly good. Unique flavors like Key Lime Pie and Agave Peach What were weird enough to want to sample, even if they were not all successful attempts. I did not get to try all 18 flavors since the samples came in 8 oz. glasses and I just didn’t have the time for alcohol poisoning. So I polled my table mates about a few of them, but I’m going to have to return another time to finish my research. I did notice that I generally enjoyed their darker beers more.

Agave Peach Wheat. The color of apricot nectar and very carbonated. Not a lot of flavor, though. Mostly just tasted like a wheat beer, with very vague hints of peach. Bob, a new friend, claimed to taste some banana, but I’m pretty sure I overheard the bartender telling him this.

Black Cherry Porter. The first thing I wrote down after tasting this was “Awesome.” I even underlined it. Great combination of maltiness with sweet cherry flavor. Elk Rapids is in the region of Michigan that claims to be the cherry capital of the world. Whether it is out of obligation or because it really sells, most local food and beverage businesses will have something on the menu that involves cherries. For dinner tonight, I ate at a bistro in downtown Traverse City and had a pork chop in a dried cherry sauce. That sauce, like the Cherry Porter, was awesome. I also think cherries themselves are awesome. I should totally move here.

Locals Light. Bob’s wife—can’t remember her name—admitted that she is not a beer connoisseur and generally only drinks Bud Light. So she naturally started with the Locals Light. She was pleased; it was very reminiscent of Bud Light. That was good enough for me. I did not bother with this beer.

Pontius Road Pilsner. Light, of course, with a medium bread flavor. Decent, but not really notable.

Plum Rye Bock. If the Cherry Porter was the best offering today (it was), the plum was runner up. I couldn’t find a description online and I wasn’t taking too many notes at this point, but I think this was one of the barrel-aged beers. Short’s ages a few of its beers in old bourbon barrels. The Plum had that soft bourbon sting to it and a background of oaky goodness. It reminded me a little of that bourbon beer Breckenridge Brewery had out a little while ago.

Nicie Spicie. Another beer that was reviewed by a kindly table mate. Her description: okay, better than the Key Lime.

Key Lime Pie: I was more or less warned off this one by the Nicie Spicie reviewer. It was said to be too thick and heavy. She assured me that she is normally a huge key lime pie lover.

The Liberator. Extremely hoppy, very strong flavor. The bartender was nice enough to pour me just a sip-sized sample, and that was all I needed. It was good, just overpowering. I could sit down and drink one and enjoy it. But it wasn’t great in the context of tasting lots of other beers.

Bellaire Brown. Very woody, oaky taste. I heard a lot of good things about this beer. Maybe it was too built up, maybe my palette was overwhelmed by this point, I don’t know, but I didn’t think it lived up to the hype. Still, a solid brown.

Note for the Punctuation Police: Whether there is an apostrophe in their name is up for grabs. There isn’t one in their logo, as it appears on their building or on their website. But the logo on the sweet bike jersey they sell has one, as does their slogan (“Life is Short’s, drink it while you’re here.”), and they generally refer to themselves on the website that way. Plus, the company was started by a guy named “Short,” so the brewery name probably deserves an apostrophe.




View My Stats

Regional Brew: Michigan

The Regional Brew series is all about surveying the craft beer of a particular area and reporting back what we find. The region could be anything from a collection of states to a single block in Ft. Collins, depending on how much time we have and how many breweries there are to cover.

This week I’m in Michigan. The best-known brewery in the state is Bell’s, out of Kalamazoo. But there are gobs of other fantastic breweries out here and, as usual, my list of targets far outweighs my free time. I need an underwriter.

Monk-tastic! (monk-tacular?)

So about two years ago, I did a review of Chimay's entire lineup. Chimay isn't necessarily a household name here in the states, but for those that know Belgian beers, it is probably the most recognizable of the Trappist breweries. Currently, there are six recognized breweries that can use the Trappist label, all of whom are located in Belgium and all part of Trappist monastaries.

What is less known about these breweries is that they play a critical role in the development of the American craft brewing renaissance we have been enjoying for the past several decades. Many of the founders of the most successful or most influential microbreweries directly draw their influence from Belgian breweries; these breweries, in turn, drew their influence from the over 1,000 years worth of Belgian monastic tradition.

Over the next week, we will be reviewing some of the lesser known Trappist breweries, discussing their general awesomeness and why we should both a) care, and b) drink alot of their product. Our discussion will begin with Rochefort, revisit Chimay Cique Cents (white cap), and hit on the non-Trappist (but closely linked) Duval. Stay tuned...

So with the pending end of the first decade of 2000s comes any number of 'Decade on Review' issues. Most notable is the Onion's AV Club, who's annual Year in Review issues is worth waiting for, let alone their Best of the Decade issues. Far be it from me not to jump on a bandwagon: I give you the Breweries of the Decade:

But first some caveats. These rankings are based on more than just beer, but beer plays the biggest part. Tasting rooms, brewery sponsored events, personal impacts, trinkets - these all matter. Also, as a Colorado Kid, rankings for local breweries tend to get more attention than they may deserve. Not for preference necessarily, mind you, but because its more of what we got. So, angry letters can be directed to my sometime co-author, Brandon, who may or may not be writing about Michigan-based distilleries later this week.

But I digress, on with the show:

1) New Belgium Brewery. An obvious answer, possibly a cop-out, but in truth, its hard to argue with New Belgium when the all scores are added up. Despite notable mistakes - angry looks continue to be directed to you, La Folie - New Belgium's beers have been consistent staples, if not actively sought out. They are among the great originators of what I call the Second Golden Age of American Brewing (1985ish - 1995ish; in later posts, we'll give an exhaustive history of beer in America). Coming into being around the time as such craft brew stables as Brooklyn Brewery, Sierra Nevada, and Sam Adams, New Belgium has continued to push the envelope in terms of new beers. The much reviled La Folie proves this, but also their great and long departed Saison and Lips of Faith series prove a commitment to trying new things.

Outside the beer realm, events like the Tour de Fat cement their position as a leading brewery: these events are non-stop fun, and go far to celebrate the culture of beer (and bikes, which buys a lot of good will on the part of this author).

2) Dogfish Head Brewery. New Belgium takes risks and tries new things, in a measured manner. Dogfish Head, conversely, dives head first into new styles and takes all sorts of risks. Theres the obvious beers, the year rounders: 60 minute IPA and their Indian Brown Ale. Pretty standard stuff. But even in their year round beers, things are ratcheted up a notch. Case in point: Palo Santo, a personal favorite. Like a belgian abbey style beer, rich and dark, but aged in casks made from obscure Paraguayan wood (the largest wooden brewing tanks in North America, natch) with 12% alcohol (up there with most wines).

Stop and think about that. This is should be a niche beer, at best. Blindingly stong, not cheap (although not necessarily expensive by modern standards), and rich rich RICH. The tanks used give a very distinct flavor and smoothness, but not something you wouldn't notice if you weren't looking for it. Whos going to go for this, other than the the pickiest of beer snobs? And yet, this is a beer they make available year round. Imagine a brewery that is committed to doing that and making a beer with raisins - Raison d'Etre - and you see where I'm coming from. Their use of, and production of beers with, exotic ingredients such as blackberries, blueberries, and Pinot Noir juice (!) make this a brewery not to be ignored.

3) Oscar Blues Brewery. This might be viewed as yet another nod to Colorado breweries, but that would be wrong. OB earned their place on this list for two reasons: 1) great beer, and 2) starting the canned beer renaissance. Over the past decade, its been hard to avoid the Evel Knevel-themed cans of OB and the tastiness inside.

Generally speaking, their beers are dry and hoppy. Like many craft American beers of the last decade, OB hasn't been afraid of hops, despite a world wide shortage. Unlike many, thought, OB doesn't get silly: their hops serve an end. OB has a blue-collar feel, and their beers reflect it. Ten Fidy is as close to drinkable motor oil as a man can get - thick, dark as night, and of so tasty. Their Pilsner is a reinvention of the breed, with actual malty flavor most modern American lagers lack. Overall, these are the kind of beers you can have while renovating a house (trust me), tuning skis (again, been tested), or hanging our manning the grill.

OB tends not to get as much credit for their beers, however, as they do for how they get their beers in our hands. In a time when most craft brewers stuck by tried-and-true bottling, OB bucked the trend and began canning their beer. For the first time in decades, a good beer was made available on a large scale in cans. Cans that you can taking hiking, rafting, to a concert, wherever. This was a major shift for craft brewers, who saw their markets change dramatically. As recently as three year ago, your beer choices at Red Rocks or any other concert venue would have been a flat draft of Bud Light in a plastic cup. Suddenly, OB, New Belgium, and others are available...a win win for beer drinkers and small brewers.

4) Ska Brewery. You'll note that as the rankings get higher, I go further and further out on a limb. New Belgium is an (agurably) solid choice, but Dogfish Head? Really? Rather than reverse that trend, I've stepped further out on a shaky branch with my last ranking. But hear me out...

Ska is a good beer, a great local choice. Operating out of Durango for well over 10 years now, Ska has in recent years increased their presence statewide and beyond. Before that, my only exposure was swinging by their old brewery in BoDo after a trip to Durango Diner and only my way to the old Yeti Cycles factory for (hopefully) cheap gear. Times have changes since then - Yeti is in Golden, Ska's got a new bigger brewery, Durango diner remains fucking awesome. And Ska's beers like Buster Nut Brown Ale, the relativy recent Steel Toe Stout, and one-offs like their green tea beer from a few years back are as good as they always were.

And here is why I like Ska, and why I think they belong on my (and not necessarily your) list. I can think back and associate Ska beer with alot of good times - cross-state road trips, capping off great rides, you name it. I have friends who can look at Bud Light and say the same thing, and the crux of their argument for Bud Lights greatness would boil down to the same thing: when times were good, their beer was there. And for me, Ska is my beer, and so it earns a place on the beer of the decade list.




View My Stats

Our Year of Vacation, Plus Good Beer

OK, so, two weeks later.

In our defense, it was quite a year:

• A home was purchased.
• A wife was obtained, through legal, non-financial, and entirely consensual means.
• At least one contributor had a significant career change.
• My Jeep died, replaced by the obligatory Colorado Subaru.
  

All events were drink worthy. Some more than others.

The upshot being, while we've had numerous chances to drink (and have done so liberally) our willingness and/or ability to update this site have not followed suit.

But we're back. Oh dear lord, how we are back.

And with our return, why not return in style? Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you North Coast Brewing Company's Brother Thelonius Belgian Style Abby Ale.

There are things in life that converge nicely. A long mountain bike ride followed by Illegal Petes. A powder day followed by a few ice cold Olympias (yes, you heard me) and a long nap. Or, Jazz and Beer, in just about any form and just about any time.

Mind you, not any jazz: not smooth jazz, or cheese jazz like most people think of today. I'm thinking guys that made you work for it: Miles Davis, Cannonball Adderly, Art Blakey, John Coltrane. And of course, Thelonius Monk, the guy who made you work the hardest. For those who don't know, Monk was a pianist, whose style can be best described as challenging. But man, thats good stuff.

Also, Not any beer: yes, I can knock back an occasional Oly and still enjoy Coors 'Banquet', but I tend to prefer beers were the brewer has worked for it. Frequently, that comes in the form of Belgian beers (or at least, Belgiean-style beers). More often than not, my own beers tend to end up somewhat Belgian in style. In particular, I have a soft spot for abbey style beers: a little more alcohol content, dark amber in coloar, with a more rich flavor than most Belgians (Trippels, I'm looking at you).

So what should cross my desk (or liqour store, or whatever you're working off of) but Brother Thelonius. An Abby Ale, named after a jazz great? What? Wow. I said bring it, and it was brought. Thelonius is a strong (9.4% w/v alcohol) Belgian in grand standard. From a flavor perspective, it is a rich beer: I'm guessing the grain bill relies an a healthy dose of Special B grain, which generally imparts a sweet/rich flavor, almost along the lines of brown sugar. Unlike some beers, the amount of alcohol doesn't detract from the flavor; to the contrary, it is dangerously not noticable. Had it not been for some slight heaviness in the beer (as often happens with big beers), this would be a very easy beer to drink a whole lot of.

All in all, this one's a classic, and definitely up there in my top five. If you come across a bomber, or happen to stumble across the mythical Wisconsin bar that has Thelonius on tap (which a very relable source assures me exists), buy it, drink it, enjoy it. You won't come across many better.

BACK IN BLACK

Two more weeks, and we're back on the ball. Drinks to be had, stories to be told, trouble to be made...mark March 3rd on your calender, kids, and tighten your seat belt.




View My Stats