Category: Beer

Head to head: Cereal Killer vs. Cereal Killer Special Edition Cellar Aged

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1) Cereal KillerIMG_20130930_162935

2) Cereal Killer SE

Maker: Arcadia, Battle Creek, Michigan, USA

Style: Barleywine

ABV: 10%

Purchased for

1) $12 for a 4 pack

2) $10 for a 22 oz bottle

Appearance

1) Dark auburn with a moderately foamy head on first pour.

2) Similar but with a slightly lighter color.

Nose

1) Big and fruity. Cherry-walnut bread, raisin, plum.

2) Less aggressive but brighter and a little sour. Apricot, mandarin orange, sourdough bread.

On the palate

1) Grainy. Grape Nuts cereal, Kasha, hints of yeast, blueberries and roasted malt.

2) Creamy and citric. Lemon custard, fresh squeezed orange juice.

Finish

1) Long and bitter. Burnt toast, French roast coffee.

2) Easygoing and bright. Medium dark toast with lemon curd and a cup of Central American coffee.

Parting words: Barleywine is not a style of beer I drink much of, because I early in my craft beer journey I had some that I didn’t care for. It’s still not a style I’m probably going to drink a lot of, but Cereal Killer has changed my thinking on barleywines. It’s very tasty with big cereal flavors and very satisfying on its own.

The difference between the aged and standard versions was striking. Some of the aggressive fruity flavors that make the standard version so exciting are muted here and the citrus notes come on very strong. Not to say the aged version is dull, but it’s a different beer entirely. I don’t know if it’s better or worse but it is easier to drink. Not to say that the standard edition isn’t, but…oh hell. Both are recommended.

Hell or High Watermelon

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Maker: 21st Amendment, San Francisco, California, USAH or HW
Style: Watermelon wheat beer.
ABV: 4.9%
Thanks to Rhiannon for the cans.
Appearance: Not sure, drank it out of the can.
Nose: Sweet watermelon, a touch of cereal and tropical fruit.
On the palate: Fizzy and mild. Watermelon, banana pudding, cream of wheat.
Finish: Crisp. Watermelon with some lingering bitterness.
Parting words: Fruit beers are getting more respect these days, at least from me. This is a fantastic summer beer. Crisp and refreshing but with the weight and fruit of a wheat beer. The tropical fruit already present is complemented perfectly by the watermelon. It’s not particularly complex or a “meditation beer” but it’s perfectly refreshing and delicious. It’s runs at typical micro prices, judging by what I saw online. It’s not available locally. Hell or High Watermelon is recommended.

Au revoir et bon jour!!

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In lieu of a whiskey review this Friday night, I offer up to you a review of a Michigan micro-brew sold only at my local Meijer store. Cheers!

bonneamieknits's avatarbonneamieknits

Detroit was home to the longest running state fair in the United States. The state fair grounds are located just a few blocks from my house. When the boys were little, we always walked to the fair and trudged home at night, exhausted. But alas, a series of economic downturns in the last 10 years left all government budgets pared to the bone. The Michigan State Fair was a casualty. So the grounds sat empty for several years, many plans have been (and continue to be–it’s a large parcel) floated for land use. One that got a lot of attention was for auto racing. Why not, in Motown? I’ll tell you why not. It’s extremely noisy for what is otherwise a stable, quiet residential area. Thankfully, that idea went bye-bye.

The northern-most section of land is now developed. It is a new strip mall with a great big, beautiful Meijer…

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Rübæus

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Maker: Founders, Grand Rapids, Michigan, USARubaeus

Style: Raspberry Ale

ABV: 5.7%

Thanks to Patty for the recommendation.

Appearance: Crimson with a big fluffy head on initial pour,persistant lacing afterwards.

Nose: Raspberry jam, a hint of malt in the background.

On the palate: Full bodied, slightly tart but not overly sweet. Low-sugar raspberry jam with some malt and maybe even hops.

Finish: Creamy. Raspberry custard or maybe fool (look it up). Fades away slowly into a roasty malt flavor like the crimped edge of a baked pie crust.

Parting words: I one of those people who has said for a while that I didn’t like fruity beers, but Rübæus and another one (to be reviewed soon) have really changed my mind. . Raspberry was used at several stops along the way in the fermentation process and that care shows up in the depth of flavor and balance at every stop in the process of drinking it. The sweetness and some of the tartness of the fruit comes through without turning the beer into a pucker-fest. The creamy finish is really outstanding too. Makes a nice after dinner or summer afternoon treat. It comes in a four pack that sells for around $12 so it’s not cheap, but it is worth it. Rübæus is recommended.

Bell’s Special Double Cream Stout

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Maker: Bell’s, Kalamazoo/Comstock, Michigan, USA.Bells Double Cream Stout

ABV: 6.1%

Thanks to Brian for leaving three of these at my house!

Appearance: Dark coffee brown with a creamy beige head.

Nose: Semi-sweet chocolate, apricot.

On the palate: Full-bodied, creamy, and slighly fizzy. Chocolate brownies with raspberry morsels mixed in while drinking a cup of Ethiopian Harrar coffee. I know that sounds nuts, but 1) that’s how it tastes and 2) Shut up.

Finish: Intense, but not heavy-handed. Like sucking on a wedge of dark (70%+) chocolate. Fades away very slowly leaving a delicious and slightly bitter coating all over the lips and tongue.

Parting words: Wow. Bell’s Double Cream Stout is a fantastic beer, probably the best stout I can remember having ever. The depth and subtlety of this beer is just stunning. I found myself wracking my brains trying to pick out flavors and descriptors for this review, even moreso than I usually do for beers! There was a lot more there than I could put into words.

For long-time Michigan microbrew drinkers, Bell’s can seem old hat at times. Oberon comes in mini-kegs and 12 packs here and I sometimes find myself rolling my eyes at the raving about Bell’s by out of state beer drinkers. “Oh you’re excited about picking up some Oberon and Two-hearted Ale today are you? How cute.” This stout shows very clearly why Bell’s has become the juggernaut (by microbrew standards) it is. Bell’s Double Cream Stout is a masterpiece and highly recommended.

White Hatter

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Maker: New Holland, Holland, Michigan, USAWhite Hatter

Style: Spiced wheat pale ale

Vintage: 2012

ABV: 5.5%

Appearance: Golden with a bit of froth at the top, not much in the way of head.

Nose: Subdued. Some malt and hops with a touch of tropical fruit.

On the palate: Full bodied and hoppy. On first sip tastes like an IPA but then shifts into a mildly fruity wheat flavor.

Finish: The bitterness and the fruit fade into a lingering soapy taste.

Parting words: I’ve been a fan of New Holland for quite some time and a search of the archives will reveal numerous positive reviews of their beers and spirits. I just can’t do it with this one. It’s a part of their vintage series of riffs on their very successful Mad Hatter IPA. I have enjoyed all I have had until this one. It could be spoiled, but one would expect a beer that is vintage dated (and kept in a fridge) to be capable of aging for at least a year with positive results. At any rate, it pains me to say this, but White Hatter is not recommended.

Goose Island 25th Anniversary Ale

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Maker: Goose Island, Chicago, Illinois, USA++

Style: Extra Special Bitter

ABV: 6.4%

Appearance: Golden brown with a lacy head.

Nose: Subtle but complex and malty. Breakfast cereal, charred fruit, floral hops.

On the palate: Full bodied but not heavy. Effervescent with a hardy bitterness, some fruit and a hint of spice. It’s a bit overwhelming on its own, but pairs with grilled hamburgers and BBQ very nicely.

Finish: Long and bitter with a hint of cherry or plum. Mostly bitter, though (it is a bitter after all).

Parting words: Goose Island’s Anniversary Ale isn’t a blockbuster like I was expecting, but it is very enjoyable. I love ESB and a good ESB can be hard to find these days. This is a very good ESB, one of the best I’ve had from an American craft distiller. It’s a pity it seems to be a one off. It’s delicious. Goose Island 25th Anniversary Ale is highly recommended.

Round Barn Kölsch-style Beer

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Maker: Round Barn Brewery, Baroda, Michigan, USARB kolsch_

ABV: 5.2%

Appearance: Old gold, with a decent head.

Nose: Malt, hops, hint of lemon peel.

On the palate: Medium bodied and fizzy. Crisp with a classic Kölsh profile, but with more weight than expected.

Finish: Crisp and slightly fruity fading to a long, pleasant bitterness.

Parting words:

I was pleasantly surprised to see one of Round Barn’s beers on my supermarket shelves, since we rarely even get their wines around here. My concern with operations that seem to do a little bit of everything (Round Barn makes beer, wine, and distills spirits) is that they often end up doing nothing very well. Round Barn is a welcome exception to that tendency and I look forward to trying more of their beers in months to come.

This is a delicious, refreshing and very food friendly beer. It is full bodied enough to give it presence but so boozy as to preclude a second glass. The price is a tad high, but not out of line with other quality microbrews. Round Barn Kölsch-style Beer is recommended.

Atwater Winterbock

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Maker: Atwater Brewery, Detroit, Michigan, USAATWATER_WINTER_BOTTLE

Style: High gravity bock.

ABV: 7.5%

Appearance: Chestnut with a short-lived foamy head.

Nose: Malt, prunes, dark toast.

On the palate: Medium bodied. Bitter with just a bit of sweetness and malt. Like the burnt drippings of off a mixed berry pie.

Finish: Fruitier, but fades into warm toastiness.

Parting words: Bock is one of my favorite styles of beer. This is a decent example and a decent beer. Still, I would have appreciated a little less bitterness, a little more sweetness and a lower price. Atwater Winterbock is mildly recommended.

Under the Kilt

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Maker: Dragonmead, Warren, Michigan, USALabelWeeHeavy

Style: Scottish Ale, Wee Heavy

ABV: 7.8%

Appearance: Chestnut brown with a big frothy head.

Nose: Malty, slightly fruity, a little boozy.

On the palate: Medium mouth feel. Like a piece of slightly burnt berry pie chased with a shot of Wild Turkey. Roasty, fruity and boozy.

Finish: Slightly sweet, but mostly bitter, but not hoppy, more like burnt toast. Lingers for a good long time.

Parting words: This is a fairly good beer but not a very good one. It comes in four pack boxes for a pretty high price, well over $10 (I forgot how much exactly). Even accounting for the high ABV, that’s too much. As for the style, maybe I don’t know enough about what a Scottish ale is supposed to taste like, but this seems a little off when compared to other examples from Michigan like Dirty Bastard or Scotty Karate. I’m on the fence with this one. It wasn’t terrible but factoring in the price and style problems, I can’t recommend Under the Kilt.