Review: Half Acre Beer Co.’s Baume’

The Verdict:

Baume’ is Half Acre Beer’s first brew in their new digs at 4257 N Lincoln Ave. They moved in last October, but were finally set up to produce beer earlier this year. According to Half Acre’s blog, they tapped the Baume chocolate rye stout on April 22. We’ll, let’s do it:

Smell (1.6): This has a good chocolate smell to it, though compared to the Goose Island stout I sampled last week, it’s a bit lighter on the nose. There’s not much complexity behind the chocolate and roasted smell, but sometimes simplicity is also enjoyable.

Color(1.8): Another good black stout. The head is a also thin, but can leave rings.

Drinks (3.8): This stout feels light when drinking and thinly coats the mouth. Their is a rough flavor of roasted grains that tastes somewhat like Guinness. Still, this beer is more drinkable and would pair well with heavier foods.

Incidentals (1): I like the bottle design, and as the first beer from a new brewery, you feel like your sipping history.

Notes on rating: I use a 10 point system. 5 points for drink, 2 for smell and color, and 1 for “incidentals” which include  cost, packaging and my general mood after drinking it.

Daley puts Chicago Beer on the line

Admittedly, I’m not a huge hockey fan. But a recent Tribune article made me pause and consider the Blackhawks.

Daley has made a friendly wager with whoever the heck runs the city of Vancouver on the upcoming Blackhawks/Canucks series for the second round of the NHL playoffs.

Both teams are putting up big packages, but Daley is risking a case of Goose Island’s Red Felt beer, with Chicago taking home three different types of Canadian beer if/when they defeat the Canucks.

It seems like a good deal for Chicago… but who would want to drink Canadian beer?

A question

I’ve reviewed 2 oak-barrel aged beers, and I’m getting curious what other people think of them.

Passover Beer?

(Editor’s Note: This post was lost in a transition from a wordpress hosted site to this site. It is being republished for my adoring fans.)

Passover season is upon us (Sunset of April 8th-April 15th), and while I’m excited for my favorite Moses-inspired movie to play on a major network, for all observant Jews  it’s an important time to consider your beer options for the week.

Basically, because the Passover laws dictate that all bread must be unleavened, you’re out of luck in the beer category. Beer requires yeast fermentation, another no-no for Passover.

If you’re not too picky, you could try the Honey Beer from Ramapo Valley Brewery, it’s brewed from fermented honey. (Totally 100% Passover ready.) However, if you think about it, that’s not actually beer.

Beer is fermented grain (wheat, barley, etc). Fermented honey makes mead.

So if you’re a Jewish viking, you’ll be set. If not, it’s only 8 days…

Review: Stone Brewing Co.’s Oaked Arrogant Bastard Ale

Stone Brewing Co.’s Oaked Arrogant Bastard Ale

The Verdict: 9.7

My confession is that I like Stone Brewing Co. I like the brand they’ve developed and I like their no-apologies approach to brewing. They brew the good stuff, and they don’t care who knows it. Here was my battle with a bottle of Oaked Arrogant Bastard Ale, an American ale aged with oak wood chips:

Smell (2): It smells a bit like caramel and hops at first. Lemon and grass are also present, but not overwhelming

Color (2): A dark amber, slightly cloudy. It didn’t have a very strong head, but the flavor remained consistent even after a bit of oxidizing.

Drink (5): The oak flavor is embedded in the hoppy flavor of the beer. They advertise on the bottle that “you probably won’t like” this beer, but I would be surprised if you didn’t. There’s a strong malty flavor that feels almost  prickly going down. It’s a drink that stays with you. The lingering aftertaste is a bit toasty. This beer tastes like most other craft ales at first sip, but yields deeper and more roasted flavors the longer you drink it. By the bottom of the glass, you know why they call it “oaked.”

Incidentals (.7):This beer cost me about $20 for a six-pack. Pricey? Yes. Worth it? Very. Yes.

Unfortunately, it’ll cost us Chicagoans more because it’s not sold in Illinois. It is worth the drive to  Michigan, Indiana, or Wisconsin, though.

Notes on rating: I use a 10 point system. 5 points for drink, 2 for smell and color, and 1 for “incidentals” which include  cost, packaging and my general mood after drinking it.

InBev to Sell Rolling Rock

WSJ says the powers that be at Anheuser-Busch InBev are looking to sell the Rolling Rock brand.

For those keeping score at home, Anheuser-Busch bought Rolling Rock from the (then) solo InBev for $82 million. InBev later bought AB, and it seems they are ready to offload the struggling brand again.

Rolling Rock is an American pale beer, and while not one of the greatest brews in the world (it has a flavor some have called “variable“) it’s a great example of how a craft brand can be ruined by becoming mainstream.

Orignially brewed in Latrobe, Penn., Rolling Rock was founded by two brothers in 1939. It’s probably most iconic for the “33″ on the bottle, which has been said to stand for the 33 words on the bottle:

Rolling Rock – From the glass lined tanks of Old Latrobe, we tender this premium beer for your enjoyment as a tribute to your good taste. It comes from the mountain springs to you.

However, some say “33″ was a note to the printer to tell him how many words were in that phrase, and he mistakenly included it on the bottle text.

While the distinctive green bottle and “33″ may have helped the brand grow from it’s small town roots to a greater drinkership, it seems InBev can’t capture whatever spirit first took the brand out of Latrobe.